Summertime 2012

Oh my goodness! The summer has been a whirlwind, but we've had lots of fun! The boys and I joined a Mommy & Me group and joined some fun outings every week. We went to Blue Hole, once with our group, and once when we camped over the July 4th. We went to the zoo, Bounce U, Gentry Drive thru zoo, and swimming.

Dennis started a new contract job in Tulsa so it's been great because he has normal hours!! That's a big deal if you know anything about his schedule and having your own business!

Coop helping me cook (:

 It's been a gazillion degrees most of the summer! Pretty sure we broke the record and hit something like 117! The garden didn't do as well as I'd have liked because of the heat, but fall will be here soon and we'll be cleaning out the old and getting ready for the next year.

I love this picture- garlic and carrots from my garden

purple hull peas from the garden

Clayton hanging out in the washtub reading nook

All these toys and he plays with a box!

First day of KDO for the boys

Clayton is full out walking and getting into everything and they are both growing like weeds! This is Cooper's last year in the preschool program/ Kid's Day out and Clayton's first year in KDO. Next year, Cooper will start Kindergarten at what I refer to as "Mommy School" (aka homeschool) so I am looking forward to that and getting myself prepared this year.

We are ready for fall and ready for some camping and our trip to Wyoming!

Summertime Bucket List- Zoo & More

The summer is in full swing! We've been having lots of fun adventures at home and out and about. Our garden is growing, our kids are growing, and we're enjoying the summer.

We found a nest of baby rabbits in one of our raised beds....they didn't stay long after we discovered them, but we had fun peeking in on them.

First sunflower of the summer along with orange poppies from the garden

This is the view from our yard looking out the front of our property across the road during wheat harvest....pretty cool to watch them.

Homemade popsicles

Mommy and the boys

Cooper at the Tulsa Zoo

Cooper Monkey!!

My little zoo rider...he did great riding around and taking it all in!

Ok, this was just funny....first of all the lion is usually not out when it's hot, but we were early enough to see him, second, he was out and playing, then look to right and notice the keg....think he might've had a crazy night!? (:

Clayton's First Birthday!!!

I can't believe my baby is ONE!!! Clayton had his first birthday party last Saturday and I think he actually enjoyed  it! I was a little worried he would be tired, but thankfully, he decided to take his morning nap before his guests arrived and it made him a happy party boy!

Clayton and his friend, Azalee playing farm

Look, Mom DOES exist!

This is what Cooper and the bigger kids did during the party...it was too nice to be inside all day!

Little Boys

Cooper's first bowling experience

 January is almost gone and it's been a fun month! Here's a few random pics of my babies.

These crazy little kids!!

These are little men I always step on

 Never a dull moment!

Yum yum yummmm! Me want cookies!! (Teething biscuits, that is)

Teeth!!...and stuff

  Clayton is 8 1/2 months old now! He has two little teeth that have popped out in the last couple weeks and working on some more! He is growing so very fast! He had his first teething cookie last week and loved it...it was a complete mess, of course, which made it that much more fun to watch.
   Cooper is growing, too! He is getting tall and I am beginning to notice that shirts that were just right in the fall are now a little on the short side. He is soaking in everything as well. I finally had to ask the preschool director the days of the week and months of the year songs so that I could help him with them and he's getting pretty good! We are starting to learn reading a little and he seems to be super excited to do that. And, we are still doing speech therapy and his hearing was going to be checked, but his ears weren't all clear. Next week, we actually have to go to the ENT because he has fluid on his left ear again...praying we don't have to do tubes again.
   Dennis is staying busy and I have my hands full with keeping books and taking care of the boys. This month is flying by and I will be another year older in about 6 more weeks. That's about all the updates here, now back to taking care of business (:

It's December!!

 Our small town has a Christmas parade every year on the first Thursday of December. There are a ton of volunteers that dress up for not only the parade, but the day of, and go to local businesses, schools, an

Mr & Mrs Potato Head (aka our neighbor Traci and her sister Terri)

 

 

 

d daycares to visit. Of course, the main attraction is Santa, but the rest of the characters get lots of attention, too! Cooper goes to the preschool program at our church and I managed to make it back to catch the kids' reactions and Clayton thought it was pretty interesting, too.

Cooper with Mr & Mrs Claus...he had to sweeten up Mrs Claus with a hug and kiss before she left!

Clayton was pooped after our character visit

Well, I just loved this picture with his tongue sticking out!

Wheels and stuff

Cooper and his wheels! He had a nearly new bike that we got him training wheels for and put on for his birthday...he loves it!

Silly little boys

Cooper set the table for the bears and had a little dinner party

Go, Cooper, Go!

Cooper had a fun 4th birthday last Saturday at the Three Forks Nature Center. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the animals and we even got to pet a snake, beaver, and skunk! Cooper just had to have a "Go, Diego, Go!" theme, so the nature center was perfect for "Cooper Diego", as he calls himself.

Aunt Re-re helped the kids find their goodies on a scavenger hunt

Cooper found a clue...for what, I'm not sure, but he's really into clues

I made and decorated this cake. Coop was so excited about it and I made a jello poke cake with blue jello at his request...it was not bad, either!

After party was taking toys out and playing all evening

The Boys

Clayton laying sideways in his bed...no, I didn't do it, he wiggled around that way

Cheesy grin (:

Oh, yeah, we are hay farmers now! Our second cutting ready to be delivered

I could not, for the life of me, get a good picture of both of them...but this one was cute...it looks like Clayton is trying to "comfort" big brother who is pretending to be a baby

Chilling out with Daddy

Hangin' with Mr Cooper

Still Kickin'

It's been quite sometime since I blogged! It's been just a little bit crazy around here! We have been in survival mode this summer. Dennis has worked practically non stop since May and I was just beginning to feel like I was recovering from having a baby, though very sleep deprived, when I began having gall bladder problems mid-July. About 2 1/2 weeks ago I had surgery and I am now feeling MUCH better. In fact, I don't think I knew how bad I felt until this week when I feel like myself again. We celebrated Dennis's 35th birthday on July 16th and other than that, we've just been trying to stay cool during this record breaking hot summer. Cooper started 3 year old preschool program two days a week at the church a couple weeks ago and we are finally getting into a routine, which is really helping me keep what little sanity I have left. And, I never would've made it to September if it wasn't for my dear, dear grandparents who have been amazing helping me with the boys all summer by taking Cooper home with them or staying with us here when I felt bad and after baby and surgery. I truly don't know what we'd have done without their help. Needless to say, the Rains' family is ready for fall vacation!!!

Summertime Fun

Living in the country is all kinds of fun...especially when your neighbors have cool farm equipment and...teepees?

6 weeks old!

My little laundry helper

          The summer is already upon us and around here, it's been a lot of work! Dennis has been really, really busy and I've had my hands full keeping up with the boys, who are growing like crazy! We are beginning to get the hang of having a family of four!