Today was a great day because....

Ok I know everyone is with me you have had one of those days when all you wanted to do was run away from home. Well, today was my day, I literally just wanted to get in my car and drive. Needless to say I had to regroup the kids were counting on me so I hopped in the shower, took a few deep breaths and tryed to prepare myself for the day, hoping simply hoping that it would get better. While I was in the shower I realized that as bad as the day had been it was still a great day because I have two beautiful, amazing babies who light up my world. I came to the realization that there will never be another day exactly like today and to enjoy every minute of it, soaking up every moment I get to spend with my kids because I will never get this day back. So I am completely inspired to begin posting the simple reasons why my day was a great day.

Today was a great day because:

1. Cooper told me I was perfect (absolutely melted my heart)
2. Cooper told me my egg and cheese sandwich was better than Daddy's, HAHA!
3. Brylee is really starting to walk everywhere and I love watching her do her high step
4. Cooper helped me do laundry, one of his favorite things to do
5. Brylee helped me unload the dishwasher, well she sat on it while I unloaded it, but it counts
6. I got to watch Cooper and Brylee wrestle on the floor smoothering each other with kisses!
7. Most importantly I got to tell both of my healthy beautiful babies how much I love them: to the moon and back, of course

Conversations with Cooper

We were leaving the house and as you all know the weather has been wicked hot so I had started the car and had the air conditioner going full blast. I buckled Cooper in and the air vent in the back was blowing directly on top of him. Well, this is what followed.

Cooper: "Mommy turn the air conditioner off"
Me: "Cooper it's really hot buddy I can't turn the air off you will get all hot and nasty"
Cooper: "Mommy you need to turn it off. It's blowing my hair and I need to look pretty."

Crazy 8 Race

Today was the Crazy 8 Race and Cooper ran in the 2 and 3 year old Little 8's Race. He was so excited all day today and kept asking when he could go to the "big race." He was so funny because I put on his tennis shoes, the same tennis shoes he has worn all year, and he kept saying they were his running shoes. While we were getting ready Bryan was telling Cooper that we were going race and have fun and Cooper informed him that he was "racing to win" and he "wanted a blue ribbon." I'm not sure where he learns everything but he amazes me with what he knows and says. Somehow I got suckered into taking him to the start line while Bryan went to the finish line to wait on him. So needless to say I got to run the 100 yard Little 8 race with him. We came in pretty close to last place but we had fun, sorry B maybe he will win next year with you at the start line, ha ha. It was really great though because they gave all the kids purple ribbons at the end so Cooper was in heaven.

Cooper and his best buddy from school Carson getting ready to run in the Litte 8's Race!

Brylee cheering on her Big Brother

Slurpin down a juice box like a champ

Cooper and Mommy at the Finish Line YIPPPEEEEE

Fun Fest Begins !!

Today was the beginning of Fun Fest and for all of you that live here you know that means pure madness down town! Bryan and I took the kids to the Fun Fest parade and they really enjoyed it. Brylee enjoyed most of it from her comfy cozy seat on my Dad's tummy, jumping up and down and dancing her little booty off. Cooper really loved the 4 wheelers and the horses. He also enjoyed all the free goodies he got. Great job Gaggy setting up the chairs at the beginning of the parade so the kids could get lots of loot, ha ha! After the perade we ventued over to Broad street for the concert. It was so much fun sitting around chatting while the kids had so much fun running, playing, and dancing.

Cooper and his Buddy Griffin wresting around during the concert

4th of July "Boro" Style

Warning: tons of tons of pictures so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Happy 4th of July! What a wonderful way to celebrate the Holiday: fun, family and lots and lots of time to play! We traveled to Murfreesboro to visit Dana and Abby for the 4th. Mom and Dad went down with us so we had a great family Holiday. Let me just say my brother is possibly the luckiest guy in the world, his wife Abby is the most amazing person and the best Aunt I could possibly imagine for my children. Abby we LOVE you so very very much and am so grateful that you are a part of our family. God truly has blessed Dana with the most amazing wife in the world.
The fun started on Friday as we spent the day relaxing, just spending some quality time with the whole family. Dana and Abby just moved into their new house about a month ago and they live in the funnest neighborhood. On Friday the neighborhood had a block party and Cooper got go ride on the big blow up slide, brave little thing that he is went head first down the HUGE slide. We spent the rest of the day just enjoying spending time with each other and watching the kids play. Coop loved running through the sprinklers and riding his bike up and down the street. Dana's neighbor built a "dog and kid wash" it was so cute and both the kids really really enjoyed it. They also had games set up and all the neighbors brought their grills out to cook out together and have a fun night of food and fireworks. Cooper really enjoyed meeting some new friends and playing with Uncle D and Aunt Abby. The fireworks were wonderful and it was great that we could just sit in the driveway and enjoy them not having to drive somewhere and fight the traffic with sleepy kids. Brylee was not a huge fan of the fireworks so she got to enjoy some quite time cuddling with her Poppy inside the house. Cooper LOVED the fireworks and sat on Abby's lap amazed at all the pretty colors.
Saturday we had an amazing day at the Nashville Zoo. Cooper's favorites were the monkeys (of course) and he loved the crocodiles as well. Brylee just rode in the stroller watching everything and taking it all in. She is such a layed back baby it amazes me how easy going she is. Cooper was full of questions about the animals and luckily Bryan, Dana, and Poppy were ready to answer them all. Brylee tryed really hard to have a conversation with the giraffes but unfortunately for her they didn't speak Brylee talk.
Sunday: Have I mentioned before that I have the most amazing Dad and husband in the world. Well, if I haven't let me just say it now: they are amazing and I am so lucky to have them in my life. Dad and Bryan left out Sunday morning and brought the kids back to Kingsport leaving my mom and I in Nashville to shop kid free all day. Mom and I took full advantage of the time and headed to Opry Mills and did some serious back to school shopping. If you have kids you completely understand that a full day of shopping kid free is amazing you actually get to try things on instead of just hoping that it fits when you get it home. I'm still trying to think of a way to repay the guys for their good deed :)

BIG NEWS OF THE WEEKEND:

• Brylee is completely DONE with baby food. She has decided that mommy and daddy's food is much better than the mush she was eating and she is DONE! YIPPEE
• Brylee is taking her first steps! She is upto about 5 or 6 before she wipes out so we are well on our way to walking.

Sprinkler Fun

Down, Set, Hut
Fun times with Gaggy and Poppy
Yummmm! Uncle D grilled some yummy hot dogs
Brylee's Baby Blues

Strawberry Smoothies are yummy too!!
Cooper's "Cheese" face
Brylee and Uncle Dana experimenting with hairbows
Ready for the Zoo

Uncle D, Aunt Abby, and Cooper Checking out the crocodiles (Coop would have stayed all day and watched them)
Tarzan Cooper

Their first ride on a Carousel
Uncle D answering all Coop's questions!

Just chillin

LOVE THIS!!!!!


Cooper was worn out from all the excitement but Brylee didn't think he needed to nap quite yet

Conversations with Cooper

Cooper is such an amazing big brother. When I found out that I was pregnant with Brylee one of my biggest fears was that Cooper would be jealous of her, luckily it is the exact opposite he always worries about his sister first. The first thing he wants to do in the morning is go in her room and say "good morning." We have finally mastered him whispering this to her because she is usually still asleep. We have also tried in the past to spend some one on one time with each child but Cooper always wants his sissy to go with him, I'm sure it will change in the future but for now he wants her around ALL THE TIME. I am so blessed to have the most loving child in the world. He even wanted her to sleep with him tonight. I tucked Coop into bed tonight and when I covered him up this is the conversation we had:

Cooper: "Mommy can sissy sleep with me?"
Mommy: "Nope Cooper sissy has to sleep in her bed"
Cooper: "Why?" (the famous 2 year old question)
Mommy: "Because it is not safe for sissy to sleep in your bed she may roll out. She needs to sleep in her bed it is safer"
Cooper: "Mommy please let her sleep with me I promise I will hold her tight all night. I really promise."
Mommy: "Sissy can sleep with you when she gets older and its safe to sleep in your bed."

Of course, these last words spoken by me were spoken with tears in my eyes. This was again one of those conversations where I was reminded that the day I had him was the day my heart began to walk around outside my body.

Swimming at Howie and Lisa's

On Saturday we spent the afternoon swimming and cooking out with Bryan's brother Howard and his wonderful wife Lisa. They have a pool and they invited us over for some fun. Cooper LOVED the pool and it was the first time that he really got to swim by himself, with the help of a life jacket of course. Uncle Howie also showed him to use the noodle to float and Cooper thought it was the coolest thing that he could go all the way to the deep end all by himself. I was amazed at Brylee she spent hours just floating around checking out the scenery. Cooper finally got brave enough to go off the diving board after a couple of hours of encouragement. However, the only way he was going off was in his daddy's arms. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it but I was a little to nervous to be thinking about the camera in that moment. He only jumped off that one time but I was so very very proud of him. The funny part of the afternoon was that Uncle Howie got dried off and was already to cook but Cooper ask him why he had gotten out of the pool. Howie explained that he dried off so he could cook dinner. Well apparently Cooper wasn't ready for him to get out and ask Howie to get back in and swim with him. Of course, Howie jumped right back in and swam with him till Cooper let him get out. After the second swimming session Uncle Howie cooked us some yummy hot dogs and hamburgers. Thanks Howie and Lisa we had a wonderful time!!!!!!!

Uncle Howie showing Cooper how to use the noodle

Brylee loved hanging out in her float
Cooper swimming all by himself
Brylee and Aunt Lisa

Howie and Cooper