Camera troubles

My camera is officially out of order.:( The lens is stuck and it makes a scary noise when I try to turn it on. Cooper just runs the other direction. Now my camera won't even turn on. So Oz and I was discussing that for my birthday (which is in October) I could get a new camera. I was explaining to him how that is a long time not to be able to capture precious moments of our family plus Campbell will be having a birthday this month and I can't not take pics of his birthday party, basically I laid it on pretty thick. So anyways we have agreed (thank-you babe) that I can get an early birthday present. So this week I will be on the hunt for a new camera. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a digital camera they would recommend?

Have a Happy Labor Day and enjoy your time with your precious family!

Campbell

The other day I was looking at Campbell's hands and they just seemed so big. His little chubby hands and fingers are but a memory. He has the hands of a boy...a growing boy. I also realized when he came up to hug me this morning before he went off to school how his head now reaches my chest when we hug. I remember when I was pregnant with Cooper and Cam would measure my belly by when he hugged me if his hands could touch each other.... he only reached to a little above my waist back then. He will be turning 8 in just a couple weeks! Wow I can't believe I have an 8 year old. He is such a great kid. He has such a great sense of humor, a very tender heart, wants to always please everyone, and a great big brother. He is alway saying "I love you Mom" or "Your the best Mom ever". Those words are so priceless. The Lord must of know I needed alot of affirmation as to my parenting skills! I'm so thankful for this little growing boy!









P.S. The kids are loving looking at our blog. Campbell was all upset that I had more pics of Cooper and Chloe than him. So I said I would blog about him next. We have to keep all thing even...don't we??? I reminded him that if he let me take more pics of him then I would have more to share with everyone. He hasn't ever really enjoyed getting pics taken. Maybe this will help him!:)

Cooper

I think Cooper has really enjoyed his one-on-one time with mommy since the older 2 have gone back off to school. I just love this kid. To be very honest, there have been times when I wondered...now why did we have one more (don't ever tell this to Cooper)???? He just started off into this world with a chip on his shoulder. He was easily aggitated (MMMM Chloe), colicky, didn't like to sleep, he was hard to feed and on top of it all Oz gets a new job and we move hundreds of miles away from my parents who so willingly helped me calm this crying child. My dad would just take Cooper out on the porch swing and just talk with him and Cooper would just fall asleep. My Dad just loved this time with Cooper. Don't get me wrong about this moving thing. I am so happy here in Ga and God has been so good to us with our housing situation(for those of you who don't know it took 1 year for our house in Indy to sell so we have been renting from the kindest family in the world), our church (we love Pastor Hunt-FBCW), great friends through MBBC, our neighborhood, and church. We have fallen in love with where God has placed us and would really hate to move anywhere else. But anyways back to Cooper....he has come a long ways. He is such a happy and friendly baby always waving to people and he has the best laugh! He is a great little sleeper (even though he would not do the baby wise thing). Cooper is now 17 mos old and in to EVERYTHING! For instance the other day he is walking around with a knife in his little hand....not a butter knife a STEAK knife. He is so fast. I look away for a second and he gets into the knife drawer!!!! I never had to really baby proof my house for the older 2 but Cooper is his own little self. It has been fun watching the older 2 enjoy him. Chloe just LOVES him (almost to death). She just can't wait to love on him when she gets home from school. She loves to fill up his juice cup and feed him snacks. She is such a little mommy! Campbell loves to wrestle and play ball (dodge ball-Cooper being the target) with Cooper. Cooper just loves to hear Cam's voice and just goes running to him. I pray they will always be the best of friends and always look out for one another. When we found out God was blessing our family with 1 more we had just sold all our baby equipment, the other 2 were buckling themselves in their seatbelts, everyone was potty trained so we felt like we were back to square 1. But you know, Oz or I wouldn't have it any other way. We love this little boy to death and are so excited to see what God has planned for his little life. As I'm reading this-Little and Cooper don't usually go together. He is such a beast and started out a big ole 9# baby. You just can't help but kiss those chubby cheeks!:) God is so good.
The other morning he was so cute and playful I just had to take some pics of him and thought I'd share a few.......... does this child look just like his daddy or what?









Here a just a couple of examples of Chloe loving Cooper to death....:)

My sweet Chlobugs

Chloe got off the bus from school yesterday excited with the news that she is going to get a new 1st grade teacher. So this is how the conversation went......

Mom- so your getting a new teacher?
Chloe-yes
Mom-did you meet her?
Chloe-Yes
Mom-Well, did you think she was nice?
Chloe-she was really sweet- sweet just like me! Isn't that the perfect fit!

OK now this cracks me up. Now at home Chloe doesn't always show her sweet side (especially this morning when she informs me with her furrowing eyebrows that I woke her up to soon and she was not done sleeping, Oh and that I wasn't suppose to take her granola bar out of the wrapper b/c she doesn't like her hands to get sticky, Oh and I picked out the wrong socks to wear b/c they bother her. let me say it was a morning!-I prayed for her teacher today!) I'm so glad she was excited instead of nervous to be in a new class. She has been in school for 1 week so I guess she wasn't to attached yet. I can't believe we are studying for her 1st spelling test. Wow she is getting to be so big.
I took pictures of Chloe in this cute outfit the other day. She LOVED and wanted that hat so bad. She told me she didn't want to wear her daddy's football hats anymore and wanted her own. I bought it b/c she looked so cute in it. She had to wear it the rest of the day shopping at the mall. I'm so glad God gave me a little shopping buddy!

Baby dedication

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
On Sunday we had baby dedication for Cooper. Finally! We tried 2 other times and had to cancel due to Cooper getting sick. Good thing the outfit I bought him still fit!:) It was a great day. We had a special class for the parents and a nice luncheon after church. The class we took was awesome. Through the class I just felt tearful and overwhelmed. I was thinking God has given Oz and I these 3 precious children to raise and am I doing the best I can? Well, I am really trying hard but I can also improve in some areas. On what you my be asking--because I know those of you reading this may know my kids and say how perfect they already are!!!:)ha ha.
I was challenged on my relationship with the Lord and my relationship with Oz. These 2 relationships are the foundation of our family.
I need to be more consistent....especially with discipline. I find I give out to many empty threats. My discipline needs to always be an action and not a reaction.
I need to be a prayer warrior for my children. I want so bad just to know that they will always make the right choice, they will always be kind, they will always say please and thank-you. I can't always be right by them(even though I wish I could) but I can teach them what God's word says about these things and pray they will hide God's word in their hearts.
Parenting is a tough but rewarding job! "Nothing can bring you more grief then parenting. However, nothing can bring you more reward than parenting." This is so true and my kids are only 7,6, and 1. What does the future hold? Only God knows and I pray He will give us wisdom that only He can provide and place Goldy people in our lives to help us along the way.

P.S. This is the outfit Cooper wore for dedication and the pictures were done by my sister Jenna!:)

Fun with Cousins

Last week we had the privelege of watching Steve and Jodie's (Oz's brother) 3 kids while they went to California. Yes, I survived. They were really good and we kept busy with little activities each day. I tried to take as many pics as I could but having 6 children..... pictures was the least of my priorities. I'm just glad everyone is safe and alive. We went to the lake, a movie, the pool, and the park. Here are a few pics of our week.



Bedtime...will anyone sleep! Uncle Ozzie doing bedime bible story.


Where is Cooper????????

Here he is, over in the baby pool! He loves his passy!

Somehow the boys lost their shirts at the park! It was a hot day-note the red faces!

School Has Begun

I can't belive school has already begun. Campbell is starting 2nd grade and Chloe is starting 1st grade. They have grown up so fast! They were so excited to go back to school. Campbell was not to thrilled for me to be taking his pics. I think I was cramping his style and I was not the only mom at the bus stop to have a camera. I miss them today and have prayed for them alot. I must say it was much easier to grocery shop with only Cooper! Lord I pray you will protect Cam and Chloe from wordly influences. Thank-you that they both have made a decision to live for you. Please give them the courage to stand up for what is right. Let them be a light at school and show the love of Jesus.