Eleven Months!

I can't believe he is almost a year old! Where has the time gone?

Cooper is so happy, and smiley; in fact, he has developed a cheesy smile, almost like he is showing off his little teeth. He has three teeth now, eats everything and all the time, and is so funny! He still isn't crawling, but I think he will be soon. He likes to stand up and be a part of whatever is going on. His new favorite toy is "Katie Dog" named that because my friend Katie gave it to Noah when he ws about this age. Cooper discovered it and has not let it out of his sight since.

He also still loves his Abby blanket, and it also goes everywhere with us. He knows how to clap and play peek-a-boo, and he mimics the sounds we make as a game. He is still tiny, wearing lots of 6 month clothes, but he is so cute!

I love this boy! Happy eleven months, Peanut!

I'm A Bad Wife... I Didn't Mention Pete's Birthday!

I can't believe I didn't mention Pete's birthday, and his 30th at that! With all that has been going on, I just didn't think to post it!

The kids and I flew home on Pete's birthday, and although it was Sunday, we still went out to celebrate. We tried a new bar-b-que house nearby, and then stopped at Dairy Queen for an ice cream cake, oreo of course. It was fun to celebrate with him after a rough trip.

I can't believe he is 30! As we were talking that night I realized that we met each other 11 years ago. That's crazy! We met on August 14, 1997. And no, it wasn't a magical day that I wrote down in my journal. I didn't like him that much. I only know that date because before we got married, we checked Pete's files at the Physical therapy clinic I worked out. See, that's where we met. He was a patient there, and I treated him. He left shortly after that on his mission, and I didn't think about him again until his mom, who was also a patient, mentioned that he was home.

So, 11 years later, here we are. He is 30. And I will never be as old as him.

Happy Birthday, Pete! Love you!

Without the facial hair, he doesn't look 30.

A New Zoo?

Well, it looked like a new zoo. We decided to take a trip to the Hogle Zoo this week to see all the new areas that have recently been built. We were there last August, but there have been so many new changes since then! Noah's request was to see the elephants, Annie's was to see the giraffes, and Cooper didn't care either way. The kids had a lot of fun.

Funny story: While I was there, I ran into the Relief Society President from our new ward in Clarksville. She and her husband moved to Utah about two weeks after we moved to Tennessee. I was suprised we even recognized each other. Of all the people to run into, how wierd.

All the kids taking a rest.

Not sure about this face.

Annie and her snakes. She loves them.

Cooper was fascinated by this water...

...and by this fake cat.

The End.

PhotoStory Friday: 33 Years

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Okay, Okay. I am cheating this time. I didn't actually take either of these pictures. But I thought today was an appropriate day for this post.



This picture was taken by Chris, my brother-in-law. My mom LOVES this picture. I really like it too, although it would be better if my face wasn't so fat! I had Cooper just prior to this picture being taken.

As I was going through pictures this week, I discovered why she likes this picture so much.

Because it reminds her of this picture.

Mom and dad were married on September 19, 1975. 33 years ago today, for those of you reading on PhotoStory Friday.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Say Hello To...

Opsum-Sa Pime!

Or, Optimus Prime

For those of you who aren't fluent in Annie-talk.

I Need To Remember

Every time I sit still, I find my mind wandering back to my grandpas funeral, trying to remember each moment. It was recorded, so someday I can go back and listen to it, but until then, I feel like I need to write about it, so that I don't forget how amazing it was.

Funerals are not easy. Plain and simple. And I feel like we have had enough this year. With the passing of my Aunt Diane, I think my grandpas funeral was even harder. Most of us walked into the funeral home Thursday night not ready to face the next few hours. I found myself avoiding grandpas casket until the viewing was over and everyone was gone. I couldn't bring myself to go over there. Once I did, there was no stopping the tears. I laid my forehead upon grandpa's and just let go. My mom reassured me that she told grandpa the day he passed that I had been thinking about him all week, and he said "oh" in approval.

We saw many of the same faces that we had seen at Diane's funeral just 5 weeks earlier. Everyone kept saying things like "We've got to stop meeting like this" which I couldn't agree with more. I ran into people that I haven't seen in years, and couldn't quite place until we spoke. It turns out that my mechanic in Ogden is neighbors with my grandparents. Small world.

Friday morning came, and as I walked into the church, I met with my aunt Sally, who gave me a look that said, "do we really have to do this?" I quickly gathered the flowers for the Pall Bearers, thinking that if I was occupied I might be able to keep my composure. I made sure all the flowers were pinned on their respective recipients and got back to taking pictures. I later told my grandma that it was much easier for me to deal with the funeral from behind my camera.

When it came time to close the casket, I placed the letter that I had written earlier next to his hand, again laid my forehead upon his, told him that I loved him, and kissed him one last time.

Mom's Good-bye

The funeral itself was beautiful. I read the obituary, which I made it through, only pausing once to cry; my cousins all told me that I wouldn't make it without crying. Grandpa's sister Jane gathered some of our memories and presented them as a talk. His brother-in-law Lynn gave a wonderful talk about how he met grandpa, and all the amazing things he did in his career. Turns out grandpa wasn't just a mechanic. He actually built pieces to put into the school buses he worked on, making them easier to drive, and more comfortable for the kids. He actually fit every seat on the special education bus for the child sitting in it. I always knew he was amazing. There were two musical numbers that were just beautiful. One was a trio of women singing "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked" and the other was a solo arrangement of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." I couldn't help but mouth the words along with the singer, which she acknowledged later on and said that she loves. She said that she knows how strong the spirit is when that happens.

Dad's Good-bye

At the graveside, there were two sets of white doves released, and then my mom released a single dove who met up with the others. It was beautiful. I couldn't keep my hands off of the casket; I kept rubbing them over the beautiful wood that reminded me, oddly enough, of grandpa's skin. Smooth with just a few divets. I kissed the casket and then told my brother that all I wanted was to hear his voice again. I caught some good pictures here, and some really cute ones, like my cousin and my aunt wearing their cowboy boots to honor grandpa. If you knew him, you would get it. He wore his everywhere. He even wore them to my wedding.

My Last Good-bye

My Cousin, Andrew

My Cousin, Brock

Just as I was packing up the camera, I caught my brother Ryan, and cousin Andrew, waiting for the casket to be buried. I thought this was a great last tribute to grandpa. They both waited to make sure it was placed carefully in the ground, my brother even got in and helped, which was his way of saying good-bye.

Grandpa Farr

Wayne Lamar Farr

My grandpa, Wayne Farr, passed away last Friday, after a very long fight with cancer. This comes exactly 30 days after we lost my aunt Diane to the same disease. This was my mom's sister and father. They both had different forms of cancer, but in the end, it didn't matter.

Last Tuesday I woke up with a funny feeling inside me, and I started to think a lot about grandpa. By Wednesday, all of my thoughts had turned to grandpa, and I began to worry. At this same time, Annie started telling me" mom, we gonna get on a plane to see my gramma and papa and your gramma and papa."

By Thursday I knew something was definatley wrong, and I told Pete that I felt like I would probably have to fly home the next week. The feeling inside me kept growing, and my grandpa was ALL I could think about. I sat down to write him a letter that I planned on writing for about a month. That night I couldn't get to sleep, for fear of what might happen. Annie's statement continued, even against me telling her we weren't visiting grandma and grandpa.

Friday morning, I spoke with my mom, and my fears had been correct. My grandpa, who has been fighting cancer for 7 1/2 years, was put into hospice care that day, and wasn't expected to make it past Sunday. I called Pete and told him I would be flying home next week, and I was suprised to hear him tell me that I should fly out the next day. At the same time, Annie told me we were flying home "tomorrow." I had made arrangments to fly home late Saturday night, in a desperate attempt to see my grandpa one more time. I recieved a call from my very sad dad late Friday night who told me that grandpa had already passed.

Of course, I was so upset that I hadn't made it to see him, although I had some great visits with him over the summer here in Utah, and one last visit when I flew out for my aunt's funeral. Still it hurt that I didn't actually get to say good-bye, although we both knew that our last hug a few weeks ago would really be our "last hug", and we made it a long one.

I got here Saturday as planned, and spent a good part of the day with my grandma and other family members on Sunday. I was able to help with funeral arrangements; things like picking the casket and such. It felt good to be a part of his arrangements, like maybe that's why I flew out so early. I just needed to be here.

As you can guess, the letter I wrote never made it to him, but I will make sure he hears what it said.

I still don't know how Annie was so in tune with what was going on. She has no concept of me having grandparents, so for her to tell me that I was going to visit them is very interesting. It's almost like someone was talking to her....

It's been good for me to be here for so long, to visit and help with what I can. I am excited to see my grandpa one last time, and kiss him and tell him I love him. I am so glad that he was in my life for so long, and that he was able to be there for my wedding and to meet my three children. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Grandpa, I love you, and miss you. Keep flyin'.

PhotoStory Friday: Grandmothers and Grandchildren

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

It's amazing to me how much a grandchild can love their grandmother.

I love my grandmothers.

My children love their grandmothers.

I even love the grandmothers that arent'really mine, the ones who just adopted me as theirs.

My Aunt Diane's grandchildren wanted to make sure that their grandmother was happy, and surrounded by flowers when she met Heavenly Father. One even said that she hoped that she shared the flowers in Heaven, because she knew it would make her grandma happy.

Amazing how much grandchildren love their grandmothers.

Annie Cuts... the Tension, and A Painful Couple of Days

What a terrible few days we have had! Over the holiday weekend, Annie started to run a fever, and was acting like she just didn't feel well. Finally on Sunday, she said her mouth hurt, which I figured meant that her throat hurt, and sure enough, her tonsils were the size of golfballs. Because it was Sunday, and we are only allowed to see doctors on base, Pete ran her to the ER. Big mistake.

He left at about 5:30 p.m, and I was sure he wouldn't be very long. I told him to call on the way home, and I would finish making dinner. At about 7:00, he called and said the boys and I should go ahead and eat; he thought he might be there a while. 8:00 rolled around, then 9:00, the whole time we are texting back and forth trying to figure out what the deal is. Oh, and of course I told him before he left to take a snack, a cup and a diaper with him, however that went in his ear, but didn't make it to the brain, I guess. So he was in the ER with a 2 year old and nothing to entertain her. At 10:00 he called and said she was finally being seen- 4 and 1/2 hours later! Turns out she had strep throat. I was, however, grateful that Pete just stepped in and took over.

However about two hours into the wait, Annie made the whole waiting room laugh. She felt pretty well, other than the pain she had when she coughed, so Pete just let her run around. At one point, the room was very quiet, and Annie decided she needed a drink of water. She jumped off the chair, and when she landed, let out a ripper, and everytime her foot landed during the run, she let out another. The whole room was in stitches, and after that the chatting started again.

The next day was Labor Day, and after we had vented and said a few not-so-nice things about the hospital, we decided to hit Dairy Queen for ice cream cones. While we were eating, we were asking the kids about animals and their sounds. When we got to the pig, Pete asked Annie if a pig said "oink" to which her reply was "ya, like mommy." Ha ha, thanks Annie.

The next day, after Cooper felt warm, and refused any kind of food, I figured I had better take him to the doctor as well. Here's where it gets tricky. The Army has been very lax about getting us any info about our insurance. We have it, but you wouldn't know it. We have no cards, we haven't been assigned to a doctor, we don't even have a sheet of paper saying that we have insurance. So I took Cooper, and of course Annie (Noah was at school) to the only clinic I knew on base. When I got there, I was told that 1) He couldn't be seen there and 2) he didn't have insurance. Of course we had been told when we signed up that we wouldn't have to deal with anything like this. So they sent me to the hospital, not a walk- a drive, to the administration department. When I got there, they said they couldn't help me, and that I had to go ( meaning drive again) to the Tri-care office. When I got there I was told that yes, he did have insurance, and that the previous clinic didn't know what they were talking about. They told me I needed to take Cooper to his own clinic, which remember, we hadn't been told about yet. When I explained the situation, the woman told me where to go, which happened to be back at the hospital, and that his clinic accepted walk-in patients all day.

When I arrived at the hospital, after another drive I was told that the clinic, in-fact, did not accept walk in patients. I was told to take him to the ER. Here we go again.

So I walked in the ER, told them the situation, and they told me he was not in the system, and that I had to walk to another office to get him registered. By this time, I was so frustrated and tired, and I had two sick, crying kids that I had been getting in and out of the car for an hour and a half, that I just broke down in tears. Now, I don't normally do that, at least not in front of people I don't know. But I couldn't take anymore, and all I cared about was that my tiny, lethargic son saw a doctor! The woman behind the desk realized that I was from Utah, and tried to comfort me by telling me that she was from Utah as well, like that made it all better.

So once he was in the system we waited for three hours to see a doctor, all the while hanging out with a bunch of sick people in the ER. Pete had to come rescue us on his lunch break, just so I could feed Annie, but not lose my place in line. Turns out Cooper just had a virus, so I waited the whole day, and then didn't get any medicine. While we were waiting, he drank almost all of a 16 oz Sierra Mist, which was fine with me since he hadn't had any fluids for about 18 hours.

Cooper is fine now, Annie is fine now, I have calmed down, kind of. Nobody else has gotten sick yet, and hopefully we won't. Turns out that the wait we had was nothing compared to how long you wait normally. See, right now 2/3 of the base is deployed, which means at the end of the month when they all come home, chaos will take over. So we are in the process of switching our plan over to one that doesn't require us to see a doctor on base. Because honestly, who calls about a sick child, and is ok with waiting three days to see the doc, or sitting in the ER for eight hours?

Bye-Bye Binkie

We finally did it. We got rid of Annie's binkie. She is over two years old, and we always said we would get rid of it when she turned one, and you see how well that worked. It was so hard to get rid of it, and I was terrified of how she would react, because it wasn't just a binkie anymore. It was another appendage. We let her sleep with it the first night we were in our new house, just because it was a crazy day, and after that we told her no binkies in her big girl bed. Bedtime has been rough, but she didn't ask for it for very long. She just cries for a while, and then gives up. The best part about her not having a binkie is that she doesn't wake up with binkie-breath anymore!

Notice these binkies have her name on them? Such a smart idea for church, the gym, and everywhere else. Here's where to get them.