New Friend

We've had Chloe for almost 9 years. She's been around here for longer than Hayden. Yet,(almost) five years after Hayden's birth, she's finally starting to befriend Chloe. She's always known Chloe's around, is never mean, yet never paid too much attention to her. Other then the occasional "move Chloe", "Chloe ate my waffle", or "Daddy, Chloe's eating poop"!

However, since Sophie passed, Hayden has struck a new bond with Chloe. It's really sweet. She's very attentive and loving to Chloe lately. She still talks about Sophie, very regularly. In fact, Aunt Kate sent Taylor and Hayden new plush puppies (a present for Tay's surgery), and Hayden instantly named hers Sophie. She misses Sophie a lot, but it's nice to see her bond with Chloe.

Hayden and her bag of dog treats!

Reavis Ranch Album

Reavis Ranch Ride May 24-25, 2008

Doe next to campBubba
Conal and Charlie
Bubba and Tuff

Reavis Ranch

Conal and Bubba finally got to go on their Reavis Ranch ride that they've been planning for so long. One road block after another have hampered their plans, and this past Memorial weekend seemed to be a great opportunity. Actually, opportunity doesn't seem to get much better. Weeks earlier they decided if it was too hot, too many bugs and just gross out, that they'd right in for one night and head out the next morning. When in turn they actually had some of the best weather of the season. It was cool and beautiful out. They still only stayed one night as they tried for a couple of hours to get a fire going and couldn't and it was downright cold at night.

All in all, they still had a wonderful time. Conal said it was one of the TOP 5 things he's ever done (I'm sure 1-4 are meeting and marrying me, and having each of our girls!! ha ha). I'm really glad he got to experience that. He'll have that memory forever!

Rock On!

Hayden and Cooper got down with some tunes on Saturday. They get into their own world in the playroom at Memaw and Papa's house. They know that as long as they are gentle, Papa doesn't mind if they play with his instruments.

They sure make beautiful music together! These pictures do not even begin to capture the strength in her voice (aka - loud singing with words that do not make much sense!) and his mad piano skills (aka - pre-recorded Norah Jones on top of some great key maneuvering!). They were having so much fun, and they tore the place down! Rock On Hayden and Coop!

Bill and Marlene

Bill and Marlene came to town on a much needed respite this past weekend. Bill's been having health/heart troubles, and the last five months have not been too pleasant for them. Between him and Dad, Pam and I didn't want to overwhelm them with a house full of children for too long. So, we went to my parent's house for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon and had lunch. It was nice to see them. They're such an important part of our lives and we miss them dearly.

Preschool Program - Spring '08

The school year is winding down. Usually, school's out by now, but summer vacations are shortening. Seven weeks is all they get. Not sure if I'll like that or not, the verdict is still out. And if I don't end up liking it, ask me again when they're pre-teens! Well, who knows, summer break might only be 4 weeks by then!
Anyhow, Hayden's school had a program today. They sang...you know, I can't remember what they sang other then Zippity-Doo-Dah. Regardless, it was cute!

Manuel, Kaeleigh, Hayden, Shania, John, Michael, Hannah C., Hannah E., Jailon
(missing from program: boy Aaden, girl Ayden)

Running to hug her teachers when her name was announced

Weather, part deux!

Oh my gosh, it is May 23. Yes, MAY 23 and it is in the high 60's....cold, dark and rainy. WE LOVE IT!! This is so out of character for this part of Arizona. We're usually well into the low 100's on Memorial Weekend. We've typically been caged up between the four walls with stale a/c hitting at us from all directions for well over 6 weeks by now. But nope, not yesterday or today....or anytime this weekend by my understanding.
We have the house opened, and are bundled in blankets. Tay and Con are napping and I'm shivering! What a great treat....a little tease, as I'm sure we're going to have a long and treacherous summer.

So, there will be no swimming this Memorial Day weekend. But believe me, the girls and I will take every advantage of this beautiful weather before it blows by. We've got some fun plans, and we'll just have to wear jeans and sweatshirts instead of tank tops and bathing suits. I'll take it any day!!!

What's with the weather??

We sure got lucky in the weather department this Spring. We've had an unseasonably long one this year. Granted, it's gotten hot a few times, but mid to high 90's, nothing too bad. Usually, mid April is when we see our first 100 degree day in this old desert. Not this year, our first 100 degrees didn't hit until Sunday, and it came in with a bang....105. Ick! Yesterday was 110 and today is supposed to peak around 108-ish. Early last week it was low 80's and beautiful. It rained on and off in different parts of the Valley on Wednesday and Thursdsay and the winds were crazy down here in Chandler. It wasn't a gross monsoon (which they've now renamed to Summer Thunderstorm Season---and have a new way of determining when it's here??), but it was a nice Spring-like drizzle.

It inescapably hot today. The type where feel you just can't drink enough water, your a/c doesn't ever shut off, and your skin looks a lot like the geckos scaling the walls of a cinder block fence.

The flip side to this weird weather we're experiencing is that Thursday it's only supposed to be 79 degrees with thunderstorms and into the mid-80's for the weekend. Weird! Believe me, I'm not complaining about the drop in temp, I just can't get over how strange it is. It's very atypical for Arizona.

Northern AZ-Conal and Hayden camped here last summer.

Hey, it doesn't hurt to dream of cool pines!!

Horton Hears a Who

The girls and I have been caged in since Friday night and we're batten at the seams! It's too hot to play outside and Taylor can't get water in her ears, so swimming is out of the question. Conal came up with an idea that I pondered for a couple of hours but decided to try. We went to the movies. It was Taylor's first movie, hence the hesitation.

First, we went to the [indoor] mall, and I let them run off some steam in the play area. After about 30 minutes, I decided to pack it up (it was getting really crowded with kids too big to play in there) and hit the movies.

I must say, they loved the movie. Taylor sat in my lap through the entire movie and didn't budge. There were two other mom's in there with their little'uns. One mom (who let her kiddo run up and down the stairs and back and forth through each aisle) ended up leaving about 30 minutes into the movie, the other mom had her children contained well too.

I'm hoping this is a good pre-cursor for a fun activity we have planned for the summer. Pam and I have tickets through a Harkins movie deal that every Friday at 9:30a we take the kids to a designated child-friendly movie at one specific theater. The movies are pre-set for each week so we know if one won't interest our kids, we can bow out of that week. We're not too sure how Tay and Cash will do. The cost was only around $21.00 for the entire summer (I think it's 6 or 8 movies) for all 3 of us, so, if we have to leave early due to toddler (lack of) attention span, I won't feel bad for doing so. However, after today, I'm pretty optimistic that it's going to pan out as a fun summer activity for us!

Almost bedtime

On average, Taylor goes to bed (slightly) later than Hayden. Reasons being; 1.) Taylor usually takes some sort of nap during the late afternoon...1p-ish to 2:30p-ish. 2.) Hayden runs nonstop (literally, not figuratively) ALL day, and by nightfall, she crashes. 3.) Taylor seems to come to life at night

So, there's often about 20 to 30 minutes lag time between Hayden and Taylor's bed time. Not always, but often. We use that time to get extra special Taylor lovin's. She loves to bring us books to read to her. She's not picky, she'll bring whatever she can find that didn't get locked up in Hayd's room for the night.

Taylor's Surgery

On Thursday, May 15, Taylor checked into the hospital for an overnight stay following her ENT surgery. She had her tonsils and adnoids removed and also had tubes put in her ears. Her surgery went well. The surgeon said that we will know in about three weeks or so if it was a complete success, but by the looks of things in there, it seemed like a very wise choice. Her adnoids were really huge and infected, and her tonsils were larger then they looked with the scope upon her consulatations. So, that eased our minds, putting our daughter under general anesthesia yet again, and putting her through yet another procedure.

She came out of her surgery really well. They had checked us into our room upon arrival at 5:30 that morning, and so after about an hour in recovery they wheeled her back up to her room. The surgery itself took about an hour and fifteen minutes. It was a long day, as she was restless and confused. However, she ate and drank really well that day (they also had her on an IV as to avoid dehydration which is common after tonsilectomy's). She layed in her bed watching Nemo over and over and over. Memaw and Papa and Aunt Donna all came up to visit her and brought her balloons, which seemed to really lift her spirits and bring her back to 'normal'.

She had a long, terrible night. She only slept for about 20 minutes a spell...until about 3:00a, then she had a three hour stretch. Her surgeon came in about 6:30a and decided that since she had a terrible night, she was well hydrated and I seemed to have a good grip on what I was supposed to do with her, he would release her. It took the staff a long time to believe me when I said it was true, and we weren't let go of there until 11:30 that morning. Regardless, once she was strapped into her carseat, she passed out. She ended up taking a four and a half hour nap that day. All she needed was the comfort of her own surroundings!

The Happiest Place On Earth

I took Hayden to Disneyland over Mother's Day weekend. My mom joined us, and I must say, we had a BLAST!! We flew over Friday morning (I overslept! We were supposed to pick my mom up at 6am and I woke up at 5:59am. Not a great start!). However, we made it to the airport with time to spare and enjoyed the short flight to Orange County. Once we arrived we found a $20 van transfer to our hotel, we got checked in and were through the gates of Disneyland by 10:30. We did Fantasyland first...and we determined Hayden is not a fan of the kiddie rides. That was music to our ears! They're loud and busy and quite scary for her, and she told us she likes "fast" rides! A girl after my own heart. So, other then Dumbo, the teacups and the carousel, we got to steer clear of Fantasyland and all it's over-crowdedness. We went on just about every ride there was to go on, many of them twice. Her favorite rides are Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad and Finding Nemo. She's not a fan of the Haunted Mansion after going on it and didn't feel like going on the Jungle Cruise because she didn't want to see "fake elephants".
We enjoyed lots of junk food and Hayden really liked the Parade of Dreams. She stayed awake for the fireworks show this year on Friday night and on Saturday night we watched Fantasmic. We really enjoyed about every inch of the park. We did rides and experiences my mom and I have never done before, and we did many of our favorites twice. It was a great weekend to go...not real crowded and the weather was great!

Getting an autograph and a hug from Pluto

Behind the scenes on Winnie the Pooh ride after it brokedown while we were in the middle of it
Mickey and Hayden Hayden wanted Memaw to sit on her lap to take a picture, Memaw settled for next to her!

My Special Mother's Day

Hayden's preschool had a very special Mother's Day celebration the day after Mother's Day. Which worked out really well for us since I had taken her out of school the Friday prior for our special Disneyland weekend.

Hayden gave me a beatifully framed poem with her hand print and wrote me a nice letter. She also made me an ice cream sundae. That little bugger....I had to beg her for chocolate sauce, she told me I just needed "vaniwa...not chocowate mommy...you're so siwwy"! Needless to say, she took two Oreos and sprinkles for hers (and I snuck some chocolate behind her back)! I must say though, it was my BEST Mother's Day yet!

Hayden's teachers: Ms. Jodi and Ms. Mary (reading her letter)

The Cox Family

I'm so happy for Pam and Bubba. They have made many sacrifices over the course of the last year. Not only did he embark on a journey of chasing his dreams, she quit working and decided to stay home with the boys.

That's quite an adjustment in itself. Bubba has put in endless hours of training and studies and has been amiss in his family for the past several months, which hasn't been easy on any of them. Pam has put in countless hours of selflessness and dedication to their family.

I know I totally sound like a "big sister" but I can't help but be so proud of them. (I know, that really shows my age)!!

This past weekend was the culmination of all of their sacrifice. Bubba graduated from the Chandler Fire Academy. Not only graduated, but out of only four awards given, he was the recipient of the Physical Fitness award. Conal and I are utterly amazed at Bubba's determination, strength and perseverance. Not only does he follow his dreams, he sees mental or physical challenges as just that....a challenge. He runs beyond exhaustion, he studies beyond explanation and he shatters times, scores and limits.
They are so determined and focused and are truly inspirational. I'm glad they're such a big part of our lives and our girls lives. I think they've got so much to share just with their presence.

Heaven..in the mind (or heart) of a four year old

Wednesday was a melancholy day around here. First thing the girls did when they got up was look for Sophie. "Osi" as Taylor calls her, wasn't around and I explained to Hayden what happened. As I told her she said..."You mean she died"? So I said "Yes". She then proceeded to tell me Sophie would come back later and I told her Sophie wasn't coming back and left it at that. I'm kind of a less is more girl. I only tell them what they need to know. I don't elaborate in hopes of causing less confusion. Well, about a half hour later and about every half hour for a couple of hours or so, Hayden would ask where Sophie was. We'd have the same conversation and it would end the same way. I knew she was just trying to grasp her mind around it.

Later in the day we were on our way to school. For the first couple of miles Hayden was really quiet. I knew the wheel's were spinnin' all morning. And they were, here was our conversation.

H: Mommy, I think Sophie is in Heaven
B: Yes Hayd, Sophie is in Heaven.
H: Mommy, I'm lookin' but I don't see her up there.
B: You can't see Heaven Hayd
H: Why Mommy?
B: Heaven is something you feel in your heart and believe in your mind.
SILENCE....
H: Mommy (with hand on heart), I don't feel Heaven. I do feel my heartbeat. Oh, Oh...like I pledge allegiance (and proceeds w/ the whole Pledge.
B: (laughs) Good job Hayd, you're getting really good at that.
H: Yep! I think there are mountains in Heaven. And rainbows and rocks and lots of satellites. Mommy, I think Sophie likes the satellites.
B: She probably does. I bet she's runnin' under rainbows right now.
H: Nope, she's playing with the satellites.
B: Alright
SILENCE....
H: I'm going to tell my teachers that Sophie died in Heaven. Heaven is at my school with God and Jesus.
B: Really?
H: Yep, we go to Atrium and we see Heaven and God and Jesus. Will Sophie be in the Atrium?
B: No Hayd, Sophie won't be at Atrium, Heaven is not in the Atrium, do you talk about Heaven?
H: Nope...but we talk about God and Jesus. And then we get snacks.
H: What do you think the snacks are today Mommy? I can't wait for a snack. Hmm...maybe carrots?
B: Maybe.
H: Mommy, No....not carrots. Maybe cookies.
B: Alright Hayd, get outta the car. Any more questions about Sophie or Heaven?
H: No...why?
B: You were asking and I want to make sure we're good.
H: About what?

Sad Post

JUST A NOTE: I'M JOURNALING THE HIGH'S AND LOW'S OF OUR LIVES. THIS POST IS FOR OUR PERSONAL REMEMBRANCE AND THE BOOK THAT THIS BLOG WILL BE MADE INTO AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, VERY SAD STORY BELOW...AND I DON'T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF WRITING TOO MUCH SAD STUFF ON HERE!!!

Now that I've had a little sleep and can think (semi) clearly, I've reflected on the last 30 hours. Not so fun.
On Sunday night Sophie got sick. Really sick, but by mid-morning on Monday she really perked up. She was eating, drinking, rough-housing with Chloe...acting completely normal. So, I thought she must've just gotten into something that soured her tummy. Tuesday mid-day she seemed to have lost her spunk again. I had a vet appt. scheduled at 10:30a on Wednesday for her to get her next series of shots. So I called the vet to see if they could get me in on Tuesday instead, but they were booked solid. She told me to keep an eye on her and to look for signs of dehydration. If she worsened that I would need to get her in somewhere.
As the day progressed I left for work and Conal kept an eye on Sophie. When I came home from work that night she was laying on a blanket, and Hayden had covered her in blankets and stuffed animals so she would feel better.
Conal tried, while I was gone, to hand feed her water, and when I got home I tried that too, we could tell she was dehydrated. She was disinterested in food or water and seemed so sad. She got up and wanted to go outside. I watched her for awhile and she just wandered. Finally around midnight I decided she needed to go to the vet. The night wasn't going to be good to her. Once we got there, they ran a test on her and it came back positive for Parvo. She had a really high fever and was septic. Bacteria was in her blood and attacking her bone marrow. Needless to say, as the night progressed, and three hours of me crying,calling back and forth to Conal and pacing the room, unable to make a solid decision on my own....the CVT who helps with pet bereavement helped me make up my mind.
Sophie's prognossis was really grim. Trying to keep her alive would not only drain our finances, it would be selfish to her. She would get worse before better (if even better at all). So I had to let her go. :(

SOPHIE

Sophie was with our family from March 19, 2008 to May 7, 2008. In a matter of seconds she stole our hearts. A deadly doggie virus called Parvo took her away from us. She's resting in doggie heaven where she's not sick anymore, and she's getting to eat all the plastic sippy cups she wants!

My city boy's gone country

We all know Conal's embracing the country boy role well. Well, I guess if you didn't know, I'm telling you now...Conal's embracing the country boy role well! His dream is to move to the country with acreage and have 3 or so horses of his own. He's got his awesome boots, his Cinch jeans, a Stetson hat (that Bubba passed on to him with pride), snap shirts (which he picked out on his own) and he's very comfortable on and dealing with the horses. So, naturally, the next phase would be helping Bubba change out the shoes. Conal's wanted to know how to do it for awhile now.

Seems like he thought it was going to be a piece of cake. Not quite sure why he thought that, although Bubba makes it look really easy. However, we know the physical toll it takes on him. Needless to say, I saw through the window that he was at work on Charlie, and I had to run out and take pictures. What kind of scrapbooker, blogger, wife would I be if I didn't catch that first on film?!

Papa Lovin's

I can't say that she's only Papa's girl because Taylor is a lover. She loves to hold close to those that she feels comfortable with. That's not a large sum of people (although you'd never know if it weren't you. We do....we can tell the difference between giving/getting lovin's and scared stiff!).

Saturday night, we went to Bubba's Fire Academy Graduation and Taylor climbed up in Papa's lap and got some good Papa lovin's. I'm glad that she's small enough that he can hold her and snuggle. I think it helps him heal faster ; )

Tay and Coop

On Friday afternoon, while Hayden was at school and my sister and I were nutty, getting ready for the big party here for Bub that night, Cooper and Taylor found solace in Hayden's room while she was at school.

Taylor and Cooper love each other. Okay, I know I say that about our kids all the time...they love each other...blah, blah, blah. But actually, they really do. Of course, nothing will take the place of the 'Hayden/Cooper Bestest Friends in the Whole Wide World' relationship, but "Poopoo" (as Taylor calls him) and Taylor have this amazing, budding friendship. And, it's totally mutual. Pam says he talks about how much he loves Taylor all the time, and Tay really lights up when she see Coop. It's really sweet. I caught these great pics when they weren't paying attention to me!

Chloe and Mini-Me

For those of you more interested in my dog then my kids ; )