Swinging

We went to the park today, for the first time in a long time.  It really hasn't rained much at all these past few months (with the exception of the FOUR inches we got in 24 hours two weeks ago!), but it's still been wet enough that the park didn't seem like a good idea.  Or too cold for me to want to be out for too long...  :)

Anyway, we went today and Judson had a great time.  I got really cold, but had bundled the littles up better so they were perfectly happy.  Cooper was so tired when we got there, but I just had to put her in a swing.  It was her first time and she really liked it.  I only had the camera on my phone, but these turned out better than I thought they might...

Oh, sweet bedtime...

Yes, I have two binky-users.  I honestly am not really in a hurry to take Judson's binky away.  First of all, we're just finally past a rough patch of sleeping for him (lots of crying/screaming in the middle of the night).  And, secondly, one of our little friends just gave up her binky and started sucking her thumb.  There's nothing wrong with that - I sucked my thumb for a VERY long time, but I don't feel like dealing with the binky if it's only going to be replaced by thumb-sucking.  (And I really think it would...he's had his thumb in his mouth a few times lately.  I think it's because Macy sucks her fingers and Cooper still sucks her thumb sometimes.)  Mostly it just gives me another excuse to not deal with the binky issue for awhile longer.  :) 

Cooper is no longer sleeping very well at night and I'm slightly devastated by this fact.  I blame her binky and myself, not necessarily in that order.  I'm not sure what I should have done/can do differently, but it is not fun to be going backwards with this whole sleep thing.  (If anyone has any advice, please feel free to share!)

Anyway, I think these pictures are fun.  And I also think it's fun that Cooper is now going to bed around 7:30.  Aaahhhhh, to have my evenings to myself again!  :)

Tummy time, part two

Like Judson, Cooper is generally intolerant of tummy time.  It's understandable.  It usually makes her spit up (same as it did for him).  On this particular day, however, she realized it can be quite pleasant...

She was in her fuzzy suit because we'd been outside playing.  The warmer she is, the better she sleeps.

Love.

We sure do love these two...and they sure do love each other!  (There's slobber all over Cooper's head where Judson kissed her.)

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday's weather was so much more fun than today's.    Today, it's pouring and all of our snow is gone (except for part of our snowman, which Judson desperately wants to remake).  Oh, well.  It was fun while it lasted.  :)

It probably goes without saying that Pacific NW snow is WET.  I would've liked to play around with my camera more, but the snow was really coming down (and thus SOAKING my camera).  So I put it away and just played with the boy.

The gloves were HUGE on him and he couldn't really do anything with his hands, but he didn't mind...

Thankfulness

Today, in addition to my countless other blessings, I'm thankful that God protected Judson and me in a very dangerous situation.

It's been snowing like crazy here most of the day.  As soon as I put Cooper down this morning, I bundled up Judson (despite a lot of protesting...transitions are not his strong point these days!) and we headed out to play.  We'd only been out a couple of minutes when I heard this sickening cracking sound.  I knew a branch had just broken off, but before I could react, it crashed to the ground about a foot or two away.  I'm not exaggerating.  Some of the little branches on it touched me as it fell, and I even had one stuck to my hat.  It was SO SCARY.  My heart didn't quit racing for quite some time.  (It's probably a good thing I didn't have time to react.  If I'd moved the wrong way, I'd have a much different story to tell...)

Thank you, Lord, for our safety!

And later, after we were done playing and Judson was safely inside, I raced back out to take a few photos.

The cute Judson-playing-in-the-snow pictures will have to wait.  I MUST accomplish something during naptime!

Using my foot for comparison...

...and my hand

Judson's First Snowman

We woke up to a couple of inches of snow yesterday morning.  (It's amazing what living on a hill can do for you!  Most of Salem didn't have any that stuck.)  We were in the one- and two-year-old nursery at church, so couldn't stay home to play in the snow, much to Nate's chagrin.  :) 

We went to Costco afterwards, which took much longer than anticipated.  By the time we were driving home, Nate was convinced there wouldn't be enough snow to build a snowman.  From the way he was talking even once we got home, I assumed they were going to build a tiny one.  But by the time I nursed Cooper and threw her in a snowsuit, they had a huge one made.  Such fun memories we're making with these kiddos!  Okay, so they won't remember them at this point, but I'll have lots of documentation to show them...

Adding the (baby) carrot nose

The only time he'd look at me...the rest of the time he was too busy eating snow!  (He usually doesn't even want to wear a hat, but he was heavily into bundling up today.  He even asked for a scarf.  :)

Cooper looks huge here, but she's just in a really big snowsuit.  (Outfit courtesy of Anna - the suit was Macy's and the hat was a Christmas present from Anna...)

Our little snow lamb  :)

Christmas #2

We actually had three Christmas celebrations, but I didn't take any pictures when we were with Nate's brothers (at a restaurant), so this will FINALLY conclude our series.  'Bout time, huh?!

We had a fun evening at Paul and Becky's once we came back up from Bandon.  Of course we were all spoiled again!  Enjoy the pictures...

Cooper and Auntie M (FYI for family members: C's jumper is from Auntie Pat...so cute!)

Loves for Grandma

Papa and Judson

On the bright side, at least he doesn't look away when we pull out the camera...  :)

Big Bandon News

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you may have heard about the gray whale that washed ashore in Bandon.  (It was already dead.)  Of course we went down to check it out.  It didn't disappoint.  It was a bit stinky when standing downwind, but still so fascinating, especially the baleen.  Nate and Morgan went earlier in the day and took the first two pictures.  By the time we went, the tide was coming in and we had to look quickly and then run for dry ground.

Judson and my mom had lots of fun running around, and the beach trip ended with us running into my high school friends, David and Dianna Freitag, and their two kids.  I hadn't seen Dave in four and a half years and it had been even longer since I'd seen Dianna...I think since our wedding seven and a half years ago.  The best part was that my mom entertained the little kids so we could have a chance to chat.

Just protecting Cooper from the wind.  She does a lot of gasping when it's windy in her face. 

We looked away for a second and Judson found water to wade in, of course.

Love this one!

There's David and Dianna behind us.  I'm so glad they spotted me, because I wasn't paying any attention to who else was down there!  :)

** About a week ago, when we were reading stories before bed, we came to a picture of a beach.  Judson looked intently at it and then said, "Where is stinky whale?"  Pretty cute.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was a really fun, EXHAUSTING day.  Judson hadn't slept well since we'd gotten to Bandon, and that, coupled with all of the excitement, just made for an exhausting day.  Anna's brother, Jake, and his girlfriend, Shayla, joined us for the day and Judson was really enamored with Shayla.

Late on Christmas Eve.  Yes,  that's actually a stocking on her head.  :)

Ignoring the tree and all of the presents.  Coasters are much more exciting.  :)

I remember when there were only four stockings on the mantle...

Ready for their stockings.  Becky had just cut Judson's hair.  How old does he look?!?!

Macy sure loves "Coop-Coop," as she lovingly calls Cooper.

First present of the day

Shayla, Jake, and Anna

Jake got up for a second, and Judson swooped in to sit with Shayla.  It was awfully funny.

Opening the present Nate had continuously described to me as the one that would be my favorite gift up to this point in my life.

Yep.  My old license plates.  For the record, the "World's Best Teacher" cover is something Nate ordered.  I did not drive around in my little blue Civic advertising myself as such.  :)

As always, boxes are the most fun!

A GREAT gift from Anna and Morgan...goes well with his "fireman" rubber boots.  We sure do love this boy!

Macy's new hat

Carnage (looking down from my mom's office)

All dressed up for Christmas dinner in a new dress from my parents.  How cute is she?!

I don't remember what she was sad about, but it wasn't serious, so I quickly snapped a few pictures.  She's such a sweet little girl.  We love getting to spend so much time with her lately!

Jesus' birthday cake.  We really focused on Christmas being Jesus' birthday party, and Judson understood as much as he possibly could at this age.

Yum!  Apparently I let him eat too much, because he was so wound up at bedtime.  We didn't get him down for HOURS.  Live and learn.