The Spark Family

Winter Indoor Fun

2012-01-25T18:58:00.000-06:00

With a nice, long fall and a mild start to winter, I cannot complain! We are now in the middle of cold though and don't get out as often. We did venture out on a little walk today but that doesn't happen too often. So, here is a quick look at what we spend the majority of our time doing in the Spark house all day...

Building forts...they come down about as quick as they go up:)

Reading books-LOTS of books! Thankfully Coops is starting to get into them as well.

We have a puppet tent and a play tent. Tim is really creative with the boys and will do things like "Letter B" tent where they can only bring things into the tent that start with "B".

My all-time favorite...LEGOS!

The boys also love playing with their train set. This also gets destroyed as fast as it is built...

And what seems to be the boys favorite thing to do is play with pretend food:) Random but they come up with different, creative things all the time.

So far, winter hasn't been too bad!

Ring Around the Rosie

2012-01-25T18:38:00.000-06:00

This video is from before Christmas but I forgot to post it earlier. I love how the boys play together but wow, do they play rough!!

The Spark Triplets

2012-01-17T20:46:00.000-06:00

Carter at 3 Months

Cooper at 3 Months

Crosby at 3 Months

They aren't identical but they all definitely have the Spark boy "look"!

Quick after church Photo Shoot

2012-01-15T15:18:00.000-06:00

It is soooo hard to get a good picture of the 3 stooges (as Great Uncle Hal calls them:))

Carter's cheesy smile...and ooops, Cooper has underwear on over his pants...again!

I LOVE when Cooper says "cheese"...so cute!

The youngest stud

It is so fun watching Carter and Cooper bond!

Another cheese smile!

Well, we tried...no framers but it was fun!

Crosby's Coos and Smiles

2012-01-15T14:52:00.000-06:00

We finally captured some of Crosby's adorable smiles and coos! He has a very happy stretch after most meals...so sweet!

Laundry for 5

2012-01-11T14:37:00.000-06:00

It seems like I am doing laundry every other day which is okay because it is one of my favorite chores. However, I'm finding so little time these days to do anything that I've had to make it into a kid-friendly production...

First-dump out the clean clothes on the bed. Often times Carter and Cooper will throw it around the room. Occasionally I can actually get them to sort out their clothes into a pile.

We've made sock sorting into a puzzle game...find the matching pairs! Carter is pretty good at it:)

And we finish it off with laundry basket rides. Cooper will say "more" until I'm so tired I can't do it again...he never gets tired of a basket ride!!

Crosby is 3 Months!

2012-01-10T23:27:00.000-06:00

What a crazy month it has been! We've been traveling a lot over the holidays and somehow in the midst of all the transition, Cros has started sleeping through the night. I always hesitate typing that because the other boys did it for a season and then went back to being up, but for about 2 weeks now he has consistently slept from about 11pm-8am. I can't quite express what a blessing that has been!! On the other hand, he continues to be a bit fussy/colicky during the day (especially from 9-11pm). It seems like right when I get Carter and Cooper settled down, Cros gears up. I suppose he has to fight for attention somehow! Anyways, we'll take the fussy days for the sleep-filled nights:)

Besides sleeping, another really fun change has been how much Crosby smiles, coos and even giggles. After he eats he is especially chatty and we will go back and forth cooing for quite a long time. It melts my heart and his brothers try to join in the fun as well!

Getting some loving from our dear friends Britta and Steven

I unfortunately have not been able to capture his smiles on camera. Every time I pull it out, he gets all serious on me. I'll keep trying though!

And this pretty much sums up Crosby's life lately...his brothers are WILD and LOUD and all up in his business and he can't do anything about it. But watch out big brothers, Crosby will be able to hold his own soon!!

Santa's Hips

2012-01-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

Great Aunt Kathie and Uncle Larry sent our boys a singing Santa. They loved it...and Carter was quick to notice his swinging hips:)

Carter is 3 Years + 5 Months!

2012-01-08T15:54:00.000-06:00

You are growing up so fast Carty Man! You are such a good big brother and not only look out for Coops and Cros but you also love to tell on them too! At times I'm grateful, like when you let dad know that Cooper was running around with a knife or on top of the dining room table, AGAIN. You still love doing crafts-mostly coloring, stickers and play-doh. Lately though, legos have been your favorite toy.

A couple random things from this past month:

-Any time he sees any sports team playing on the TV he yells, "Go Hawks"!!

-He heard the song, "Life is a Highway" from the movie Cars and loves it. He'll sing it all the time and when we get on the highway he belts it out.

-When he talks to Cooper he usually drops his voice a bit...almost like he is trying to sound authoritative.

-When I ask him what he means about something, he'll reply the exact thing he said but really slow and loud. For instance:

Carter: "Where is the bowl?"

Me: "What do you mean?"

Carter: "WHERE IS THE BOWWWWWWL?"

Me: "Oh, now I get it" (Just kidding...I try not to be sarcastic with the kids...yet)

-Mimi took him to a story time at the Stillwater library and he sat front and center again. He even corrected the librarian who apparently read a book incorrectly. You can't misread any books to him that he has heard before. He has such a great memory!

Carter quotables:

-When we ask him a question he isn't sure about he furrows his brow, puts his arms out and palms up and says, "Well, I don't know. It's a mystery!"

-After waking up from a nap he usually lets us know how it was. Yesterday he said, "Mom and Dad, I had a real good, old, long, great nap."

-While playing with legos, Cooper destroyed one of his creations. He just looked at me and said, "Mom, the walls are falling down just like Jericho!!"

Cooper is 1 Year + 11 Months!

2012-01-08T15:18:00.003-06:00

One month until this little guy turns 2! He has become quite the extrovert saying "hi" to every person we see in the grocery store or at church. He has such an endearing smile and it has been so fun watching him try new words each day and get proud of himself when we understand! One crazy thing this past month-he looked at Tim and pointed to his diaper saying, "potty". Tim took him to the bathroom and he went poop on the toilet! We'll still wait a while to actually work on it, but fun to see he sort of gets it:) One other thing from this past month is that he calls us Daddy-o and Mommy-o. We aren't sure where he got that from but it is really cute!

Christmas in Edina

2012-01-07T11:34:00.000-06:00

After a couple of days with the Sparks, we headed over to Edina.

Crosby is still a little colicky but my dad was always good about holding him and trying to help him out.

It is always fun to be with Sawyer (and Shan and Bud too, of course!).

Cooper and Sawyer still might enjoy the gift opening more than the gifts!

You never know how a toddler will respond to a gift of clothes...

...but Nana's excitement rubbed off on him!

Just chillin'

The most random gift...dad gave mom wax lips! I'm sure she'll be so mad that I put this on the blog, but it was hilarious!

An areal picture of the cabin that we had framed for mom and dad.

Dad gave the boys a gag gift of pink pool sticks. He had them thinking it was for real...

Until the good ones were revealed!

Lots of laughter on that one!

Auntie Shan with Cros

Sleeping in front of the "fire"

Jam session-the perfect way to end a great day!

Christmas in Stillwater

2012-01-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Our first stop during our Christmas travels was Stillwater...

The weather was nice enough for a wagon ride!

The big boys have bonded lately and this is how they'll often end up during video time. Of course they still do their fair share of fighting too:)

Crosby's 1st Christmas

The boys loved having Whipper around. She is so good with the boys and even let Coops feed her dinner, piece by piece!

Making a fire with Gramps

Present time! New undies!!!

Coops got a 3 wheeler from Mike and Sherah

and they also gave the boys a drum set...wow, THANK YOU Mike and Sherah! We will pay you back some day:)

And of course, Carter spent a little time organizing his gifts!

Drummer Boy

Christmas in Grand Forks

2012-01-06T21:36:00.001-06:00

Being that we were heading down to Minneapolis on the 22nd, we wanted to do a little family Christmas in Grand Forks before we left.

Something that Tim and I have done for years is pick out a gift from the World Vision catalog. Carter helped pick out the gift this year.

Wow-gifts on a sled!

Gift opening was fun and quick. They didn't even open all their presents because they just wanted to play.

Of course Cooper needed to give Cros some lovin'!

Sled rides anyone?

Crosby is all smiles these days (when he isn't fussing:)).

We all made a cake for Jesus...

Carter really enjoyed it:)

As did Coops

The boys were most excited about their Thomas the Train legos!

Christmas is coming...

2011-12-20T18:15:00.000-06:00

Carter has really enjoyed helping me out in the kitchen lately. We made vanilla covered pretzels the other day and he was my sprinkle guy...and boy was he liberal with the sprinkles!!

And here are some cute pics after church on Sunday...

They are cooperating...

...getting a little silly...

...and then a wrestling match broke out (go figure).

Rocket Men

2011-12-20T18:06:00.004-06:00

Target had a sale after Halloween and my friend, Britta, picked up this adorable costume for the boys. Why wait a whole year?? Let's dress up NOW!!

The boys really enjoy our costume box...too bad they grow out of them so fast!

Advent

2011-12-20T17:09:00.004-06:00

Advent means "the coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important". As we anticipate Christ's birthday and remember His extreme importance, we have started a new tradition this year to help the boys (and us) keep our eyes fixed on Christ in the Christmas season. A friend of mine wrote an Advent devotional which we read each night. After the reading, Tim has had craft time with the boys to draw or make something to remember the story we read. It has been really fun but I constantly need to remember to keep my expectations low as they boys sometimes just prefer to wrestle!

Here is a display of some of our craft projects:)

Crosby's 2 Month Check Up

2011-12-15T13:24:00.000-06:00

Crosby had his 2 month check up this week and as we guessed, he is our biggest boy so far!

Height: 23 1/2 inches (68%)

Weight: 13 pounds, 11.5 ounces (87%)

We have noticed that his belly button was popping out and getting larger. Turns out he has an umbilical hernia which should go away on its own. Also, his right eye still won't fully open so we have to bring him in to a specialist on Monday.

Looking good in his tie-dye from Uncle Dave and Michelle!

He seems to enjoy baths and doesn't cry even when we get him out.

Watch out Crosby! Your brothers are getting ready to smother you:)

Treasure Hunt

2011-12-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

The other day as the boys were going crazy, I knew I needed to come up with a plan. I had them grab their backpacks and told them to put 5 items inside that they would need for an adventure. It was quite comical what they selected-flash cards, stuffed animals, books, etc. Anyways, they put on bandanas, grabbed flash lights and the map that I made them and they were off. I quickly realized this game was way beyond their age but we went with it! They were on a quest for the missing jelly beans and even though I helped them every step of the way, they loved it!

Cooper quickly removed his bandana and backpack and just kind of followed along:) Good times!

One More Post

2011-12-10T22:35:00.000-06:00

I can't quite get a great picture with these three...I'm sure this will be a problem for a long time:)

Even with no smiles or goofy smiles, they still are cute!

Magnet

2011-12-10T22:29:00.000-06:00

Whenever we set this cutie down...

These two crazies flock to him

It's cute but tiring all at the same time:)

Silly Boys

2011-12-10T22:24:00.000-06:00

I called the boys to dinner the other night and they came out of their room giggling...here is why:)

Afternoon at the "Pool"

2011-12-10T22:06:00.000-06:00

The kids were getting restless. We still had and hour and a half before Tim got home from campus. So we decided (by we I mean me) to have a December beach party. They really got into it...for about a HOUR!

Carter insisted that we find his shades.

Laying out

We blew up all our beach toys (again...by we I mean me)

Party!

Carter grabbed our comforter for a water slide. I just love his creativity!

Crosby is 2 Months!

2011-12-09T14:28:00.022-06:00

Our sweet Crosby is already 2 months old. Life really does fly by! Here are some pictures of him from the past month...

It is amazing to me that he can sleep through all the noise that his two older brothers make!

He started smiling this past month...we get the most smiles right when he is done eating. It still makes me tear up it is so sweet:)

I love this picture-it looks like he is getting his praise on!

Our little Super Star

Crosby went through a really fussy/gassy stage but in the past week or two he seems to have moved past it! That is a big praise to God as he just seemed so uncomfortable and it was difficult to hold him all day with two other boys needing attention! He was also up a lot in the middle of the night for the same reason. We tried gas drops and gripe water but nothing seemed to help too much. For the past two weeks he has been going to bed around 10 and not waking up until sometime between 4-6 am. I feel like a new woman! He eats a ton during the day though...almost every 2 hours it seems. We love you Crosby Charles! You are getting so big, so fast...I wish I could slow you down sometimes so I can enjoy every minute!

Carter's Dance Moves

2011-12-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

The other day I asked Carter where he learned his dance moves. He replied with, "Jesus. I learned them from Jesus, Mom." Here are his "inspired" moves!

Carter is 3 Years + 4 Months!

2011-12-05T10:11:00.057-06:00

You are such a cutie, Carter Man!

Bonding with Crosby-you aren't as interested in him as Cooper but you are very gentle and sweet with him.

You love to read and be read to. I think you'd be content to do this all day! And I'm so amazed by how quickly you pick up on what we read. I'll read you a book a couple of times and you remember most of it. It is so funny to me when you correct me as I read:)

You love the alphabet and have started sounding words out to see how they are spelled.

It gets you into some trouble being that you are bigger and stronger but you LOVE wrestling with Cooper.

You still love anything colorful. We went for a walk the other day in 20 degree weather and you chose a summer hat because it was so "beautiful"!

You have really gotten into arts and crafts lately. It is fun watching you be creative.

A couple of random things:

-you rarely want to wear socks

-you have been known to hide unwanted dinner in your cheeks. I found chicken in your mouth over an hour after you left the table one night.

-you have wanted to do a lot more things by yourself including getting dressed and picking out your clothes

-for some reason you bring out all of your bedding to the living room each morning

-we got a night light for your room that turns blue at night and stay blue all night until the morning when it turns yellow. we got it so that you'd know when it was okay to get out of bed in the morning. it has worked great and you get SO EXCITED every night when it turns blue and again in the morning when it turns yellow. I think you have pulled us into your room the past 30 days and nights to show us!

-you like to help me with Crosby which is sweet...getting diapers, helping with bath time, etc.

And of course some Carter quotables:

-"Mom, is Cooper a stud?"

-"That would be AWESOME!"

-He walked in on a babysitter going to the bathroom and said, "Nice underwear! You are a really nice girl!"

-I asked Carter if he could believe he have 3 small boys in our family. He replied, "No mom, because we don't. I'm a big boy."

-At dinner time one night out of the blue: "I know how food works. It goes down to my belly, gets dirty, and comes out poop and pee."

-I asked Carter where he got his dance moves. He replied, "Jesus. I learned them from Jesus, mom."

-"Mom, I ate so much for lunch. I'm such a stud!"

Not So Casual Friday

2011-12-04T14:27:00.000-06:00

I asked Carter what he wanted to wear on Friday morning and this is the outfit he picked out...tie and all! He kept it on all day too. Pretty impressive style at 3 years old:)

Cooper actually had his vest on first and when Carter saw it, he NEEDED to have one on too!

"Cheese"!

Christmas Tree

2011-12-03T22:51:00.000-06:00

We decided to put up a tree this year and the boys enjoyed helping us decorate! We put Christmas music on and anticipated a sweet, family bonding time. It was sort of that...but with 3 young ones, it was quick and chaotic!

The final "work"! I'm impressed by how well our boys have done with the new temptation:) And I love that Crosby made it into one of the tree pics!

Cooper is 1 Year + 10 Months!

2011-12-03T22:11:00.000-06:00

Cooper's vocabulary has really taken off this month! He still says "Oh" for yes (along with a passionate head nod). Here is his current repertoire:

Mama, Dada, Nana, Mimi, Grampa, Papa, Carter, Crosby, NO, water, milk, snack, baby, ball, bear,car ...I'm sure I'm forgetting others:)

Curious George is his favorite show and when he wants to watch it, he points to the TV and makes monkey noises...so cute!

One of the first things he does when he wakes up each day is look for Crosby. He'll look at me and say, "baby? baby? baby?" until I bring him to his brother! He is still quite obsessed with Crosby and doesn't give him much space at all. We still have to keep our eyes on Coops ALL THE TIME!

He loves playing with cars and trains. We have our train set on the floor in the office and he will come in their when I'm working and just sit on the floor for 20 minutes or so by himself.

Snow!

2011-11-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

I'm never really ready for snow but it is fun to see the boys bet excited about it! Here are a couple of pics from our time in Stillwater...

Go Hawkeyes!

2011-11-26T10:09:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately all of the Spark spirit wasn't enough to help the Hawks win against Nebraska. It is so fun to watch them jump and cheer with dad though:)

Thanksgiving in Grand Forks

2011-11-26T10:05:00.001-06:00

After traveling last week for conferences we decided to stay home for Thanksgiving this year. Most of our friends had other plans so we just had a "quiet" day with the 5 of us. We started the day out with the Macy's parade. After lunch we got outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and went for a walk to the park. Carter wanted to play princes and princesses...basically I climb to the top and he comes to save me:) After nap time, Tim decided to get some serious crafts going!

Turkey hands...

And a super impressive "thanks" turkey!

We had bbq beef for dinner because we love it! Over dinner we made a family Top 10 Things We Are Thankful for List:

1. Crosby's birth and recent smiles

2. The hope we have in Christ

3. Cooper's beautiful sweatshirt

4. For the ABCs

5. For Cooper's growing vocabulary

6. Craft time with dad

7. The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special

8. A beautiful day to get outside and go to the park

9. By faith we are thankful for the challenges in parenting

10. The kids bedtime!!

As you can see, Carter helped a lot with the list! We can't wait to see what next year's list will include when Cooper can talk more too:)

After dinner we watched a little Charlie Brown and had pumpkin cobbler. And like the list said, we were grateful for the kids bedtime so we could put our feet up and relax!! All in all it was a great (and somewhat tiring) day!

Crosby's 1st Snowfall

2011-11-25T15:10:00.000-06:00

I finally understand why so many 3rd children complain about having a lack of pictures from their childhood. Not only do we have so much less time to snap pictures but most of the time it is down right dangerous to leave him on his own with his two big brothers running around! We took advantage while the big boys were napping last week and got the camera out:)

Time in Stillwater

2011-11-25T15:05:00.001-06:00

Tim rejoined us after 5 LONG nights apart! It was so good to have him back! We spent some time in Stillwater and had lots of fun outings.

The boys loved running around in the dome. They both have some natural soccer skills and it is amazing to me how they can just keep on running!

Uncle Mike and Aunt Sherah got to meet their newest nephew!

Celebrating Steve and Bev's 40th anniversary at the Lake Elmo Inn. Mike and Tim shared and affirmed their parents and there wasn't a dry eye at the table. What a sweet night to honor such incredible people! We love you Mimi and Gramps:)

Cooper loved Mimi and Grandpa's play horse. Man could he get that thing rocking!

Gramps found some of Tim's old tools from when he was a kid. Carter had so much fun building things in the workshop with Gramps!

Grandpa even found a tool belt for Carty man!

Such sweet bonding time!

Mimi planned some fun things for the kids. She took them to story time at the library as well as to the Giggle Factory in Hudson. Here she is being such a trooper and climbing around with the boys! You go girl!! Thanks for such a fun time in Stillwater. Rest up because we'll be coming back for Christmas!

Tool time with Grandpa

Cooper riding the horse

Time with Sawyer

2011-11-19T08:52:00.000-06:00

The boys got a lot of time with their cousin Sawyer this week. We tried multiple times to get a good pic which proved impossible with 4 kids 3 and under!

Such a serious bunch!

At times it felt like we were running a day-care!

Another try-without much luck

Now there is a good picture! I guess it is easier with just 2:)

We had such a good time (even though Carter needs to learn how to treat a little lady) and it will be so fun to watch them all grow up together!

M.O.A.

2011-11-19T08:31:00.000-06:00

3 kids. Mall of America. This is how we roll*.

*Right after this pic was taken, Shannon took the big kids and I just got to carry Crosby and my latte!

Nana took us all to the Underwater Adventures Aquarium...so cool!

My pictures didn't turn out great but Carter was especially excited about the sharks.

Cooper and Sawyer are becoming buds:)

Who doesn't need a snack after all of that walking/strolling?

Carter loves his cousin...just doesn't always give her much space:)

Lego Land

Love those smiles!

And one more snack before we head home! What a fun morning out!

Laughter

2011-11-14T13:54:00.000-06:00

This video is from before Crosby was born (maybe late August). I forgot about it but love hearing their laughter and wanted to put it on the blog.

Blessed with Boys

2011-11-14T13:47:00.000-06:00

Our boys are LOUD! They are wild and aggressive and rambunctious. A hug can often turn into a take-down tackle move. After a 9 month wrestling hiatus during pregnancy, I came back to discover they are much more physical and can take me down already. Our grocery bills are soon going to be ginormous! It seems we are often inches or seconds away from stitches and trips the ER. Every hallway is an opportunity to run. Every ball is kicked or thrown. They go all morning until they crash at nap and then go all afternoon until they crash at bedtime. The house is always a mess and I do laundry almost every day. BUT I have to say I am so blessed with these boys! There are so many reasons but here are seven that are on my mind today:

1. Practically we didn't have to buy any new gear or clothes.

2. Selfishly it has been easy to lose my baby weight as I try to keep up with them all day!

3. I was being a bit dramatic the other day and Tim called me on it. Then he said, "I guess you are the only girl in the house so you can have an extra measure of 'drama queen'". I'll try not to take advantage of this:)

4. I woke up the other morning and Carter informed me that I am the only princess in the house and there are 4 princes. It is their job to take care of me! I'm loving that!!

5, 6 and 7. See the adorable pictures below!

We are truly blessed with boys!

Community Fair

2011-11-13T21:20:00.001-06:00

Nana's friend told her about a fair at the convention center on Saturday. They boys loved it! There were a dozen inflatables, pony rides, a petting zoo, live music and Larry and Bob from the Veggies Tales.

Three Amigos

2011-11-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

Crosby is one lucky little boy-his big brothers love on him all day long!

I'm guessing he will also be pretty tough as their affection can get quite physical!

The big boys play together a lot more lately...

...and when they aren't playing they are fighting and when they aren't fighting they are kissing!

Guess Who-Crosby Edition

2011-11-13T15:04:00.001-06:00

Crosby is definitely a Spark:) See if you can guess which of the following pics are Crosby, Cooper or Carter.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Crosby is 1 Month

2011-11-12T21:10:00.001-06:00

In some ways it feels like you were born just yesterday and in other ways it feels like we've known you forever! We love you so much Crosby Charles. The boys can't stop hugging and kissing you (I guess dad and I too). You don't seem to mind at all though.

We took you in this past week for a follow up visit with the Mayo doctors (who came up to Grand Forks) about the small hole in your heart. They can still hear a murmur but aren't concerned at all. It will most likely close up in the next year or two and won't affect you. Your poor tummy is giving you lots of pain and gas. It's really hard to see you hurting and we've tried some different things that haven't helped too much. Hopefully you'll feel better soon (for your sake and because we'd love some more sleep at night!).

We just took our first road trip to Minneapolis and you traveled like a champ!

So far you seem to really enjoy baths and don't cry at all. Also, you love being carried around in the Baby Bjorn or Moby wrap. You have only peed on us twice which is incredible for a little guy! Especially since right when you were born you peed on the doctor and nurses!
We thank God for you, sweet boy, and look forward to getting to know you more this next month!

Say What??

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

Carter just asked me why he didn't have a sister. I told him God that has given him two brothers. After a long pause he informed me that he is going to start asking God for a baby sister!

Oh boy...

Story time with Carter: David and Goliath

2011-11-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

Carter loves books and memorizes them very quickly. Lately he will pick up a book and "read" it to whoever will listen...it is quite adorable!
(Notice that he is still calling us Casey and Tim)

Carter is 3 Years + 3 Months!

2011-11-03T16:25:00.001-05:00

A couple updates from our Carty-Man. He LOVES helping me bake cookies and make smoothies.

I'm not sure where he first watched it but he loves the PBS show, Word World. He has learned all of the letters and loves pointing them out and sounding out words. It has been so fun to watch him learn...what a sponge!

He is at the stage where anything he does he'll ask us, "Did you SEE THAT??!" If we missed his jump or dance or whatever, he'll have to do it again:)

A new quirky thing is that he puts his blanket over his head sometimes when he drinks his milk...not sure where that came from

He LOVES trying to translate for Cooper!

And some funny things he said this past month:

-When I got home from the hospital he asked me where the baby went from my tummy. I told him it was Crosby in my tummy and he gave me the most confused look!

-One morning he informed me that I was the only person in our BIG family that didn't have a penis. Hope that one doesn't leave the house!

-He overheard Tim and Mimi in a little argument about who would sit in the backseat of the van with the boys. He started to cry and let them know they were talking "too rough". He is our sensitive little guy:)

-One night it was getting late and I told him it was time for bed. He looked at me and said in a very serious voice, "Mom, I'm not tired. I'm too wild and fun. That is my problem, I'm just too wild and fun!"

-Lately when I ask him what he wants he will say, "I prefer..." So cute!

-Also, he has started say, "Aww that is so sweet" and calling girls his age "sweeties". Oh boy!

Cooper is 1 Year + 9 Months!

2011-11-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

Cooper has become our music loving man! He hums/sings his way through the day and although he can't say many of the words, it is obvious which song he is singing. He also is so quick to dance when we turn music on or sing to him. His dance move lately is to spin in a circle until he falls to the ground.

His favorite book this past month is called Nursery Songs and he often will be adamant that we read/sing a particular one depending on his mood.

He has become quite a great wrestler and can keep up with his big brother!

My favorite thing lately has been to watch Cooper interact with his brothers...

He is full of kisses and hugs for Crosby and will cry at nap and night time if he doesn't get to kiss Cros first.

He still doesn't have many words but it is so fun listening to him and Carter interact. Carter will play multiple choice with him waiting for him to say 'yes' or 'no'. At the dinner table if Cooper gets fussy, Carter will begin to ask him what he wants and name the most random things until he figures is out.

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

Carter has been talking about Halloween for weeks now and getting so excited about dressing up and getting CANDY! I don't know where he gets it from:) I can't even remember how many times he asked me if "it was time yet". Finally it was TIME! Tim took the older boys out and I stayed back with Cros. It was nice out but figured he was still a little young to be out for so long. Tim said that Carter was as enthusiastic as ever and Cooper got plenty of "awwws" for being so cute. At one point Tim tried to put some of Carter's candy in his pockets because his basket was overflowing. Carter caught him and politely said "please put my candy back in my basket dad". You can't get much by him!

While getting ready Carter kept telling Cooper that he looked "very grown-up, like a grown-up horse"!

Another funny thing was that Carter kept telling people that Crosby had on an x-ray costume!

Thank you Heather and Tim for the cute pjs! Perfect timing!!

More Fall Fun

2011-10-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

With Crosby coming into the world it has been a little more difficult to get outside and enjoy the fall leaves and weather. The times that we have ventured out though have been very fun!

The boys love playing in the leaves...

helping us rake...

wheelbarrow rides...

Homecoming parade...

and of course, cheering for the Hawkeyes!!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

While Mimi and Grandpa were in town, Tim and Mimi took the boys one afternoon to get pumpkins. It's hard to say if they had more fun climbing on hay bales and running across the bridge, or picking out their pumpkins. Either way, they had a good time and Tim said that it was really hard to get them to slow down for a picture...imagine that!

Grandparents

2011-10-27T18:04:00.000-05:00

What would we do without our parents?? After Crosby was born my mom came up for a week (my dad was able to come on the weekend) and then the following week Tim's parents came to Grand Forks. What a blessing! They cooked us food, made some meals for the freezer, played with our boys, helped with laundry and cleaning, and the guy's even tackled some house project. We were definitely blessed by their love and how they served us! We love you guys!!

Mimi

Gramps

Papa

Nana

Nana and Papa with the boys

Toddler Prayers Part 2

2011-10-26T19:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight at bedtime, this was Carter's prayer:

God, thank you for this great night.
Thank you for my life.
Thank you for the dinner that I didn't like at all.
Thank you for rainbows and colorful things.
Thank you for Boz videos and my toys.
Thank you for everything.
Thank you for this great day.
Amen

Too cute:)

Family of Five

2011-10-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

My dad was able to snap a couple quick pictures before they left a week ago. It is soooo hard to get everybody looking and smiling!

And a couple pics of the brothers!

Kendra's Pics of Cooper and Carter

2011-10-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

While she had the camera out, Kendra snapped some of the big brothers as well. Cooper wasn't so excited about it!

Carter on the other hand got into it:)

Crosby's 1 Week Photo Shoot

2011-10-24T21:10:00.000-05:00

Our dear friend Kendra came to visit last week and was able to take these sweet pictures of Crosby. He is so adorable! Thank you Kendra!

Grandpa's Glasses

2011-10-20T14:14:00.004-05:00

Cooper found Grandpa's glasses the other day and now wearing them around is one of his favorite things to do:)

This picture was taken right after Cooper was born. Apparently when Carter was about the same age, he also enjoyed this game!

First Bath

2011-10-20T14:09:00.006-05:00

Crosby's first bath was an entire family affair! At one point there were 7 of us in the bathroom (5 Sparks as well as Nana and Papa).

So far, so good...

Not too happy with being wet and cold...

But all better again once the onesie was back on! Carter and Cooper were big helpers:)

All done!

Sweet Crosby

2011-10-20T13:58:00.006-05:00

Our littlest man seems to be adjusting to the crazy Spark family pretty well! His first two nights at home were rough as his days and nights were mixed up. Tim and I did 3 hour shifts with him throughout the night and then were up with the big boys at 7am.

By night #3 though he was into a better routine and now I often need to wake him up at night to eat...lots of progress! He is eating like a champ and at his 2 day appointment his weight was already on the rise.

The pumpkin hat makes another appearance:)

He is just so adorable!

We have decided at this point that he has Carter's chin, nose and body type and he has Cooper's coloring, hair, and face shape. We'll see in a couple of weeks what we think!

He's not a super big fan of tummy time yet...in all fairness I wouldn't like to be flipped around when I was asleep either:)

A rare moment when Crosby is awake. He usually just opens his left eye. The doctor said he right eye is fine, maybe just a little swollen still. It is pretty funny though as it seems like he is cautiously peaking around:)

Yum

2011-10-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

The doctor said I need an extra 500 calories a day....NO PROBLEM! I guess he did say to made them "good" calories. A pumpkin blizzard sounds "good" to me!

Crosby and the Fam

2011-10-20T13:44:00.009-05:00

We've had a pretty good transition home and into a family of 5! The boys are very affectionate towards Crosby, especially Cooper. Coops is always trying to kiss Crosby and get up in his face-we can't really set Crosby down when Coops is around! Carter is sweet as well and especially curious when it comes to feeding Crosby:) They have for sure been a bit more fussy and disobedient in the transition but at least they aren't taking it out on their baby brother...at this point at least!

Cooper tried so hard to be gentle but just doesn't know his own strength:)

A quick pic and then we had to get Carty off the baby before he crushed him!

Carter's famous "cheese" smile:)

And this about sums it up. Crosby is so sweet and we are so tired!

Crosby at the Hospital

2011-10-15T11:25:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple pictures from the hospital. After labor, delivery, entering the cold world, getting shots and getting a circumcision, Crosby mostly slept for 2 days!

And leaving the hospital...sound asleep!

The Boys Meet Their New Brother

2011-10-15T08:52:00.011-05:00

Carter and Cooper were full of kisses and waves for Crosby...for about 5 minutes. Then they wanted to explore the hospital! We did try to get a couple of pics and video to capture the moment.

And there you have it...not one where we are all looking. It might be years until that actually happens:)

The boys!

And a couple of quick shots that we missed the night before when the batteries died:)

Nana has been such a big help...wow, don't know how we would have done it without her!

Crosby Charles

2011-10-14T13:06:00.007-05:00

I was scheduled to be induced on Friday, October 7th but our whole family had come down with colds so my doctor rescheduled us for Sunday. After a sleepless night on Saturday (mostly because Cooper was not feeling well) we woke up early only to be told we couldn't come in because they were overbooked. So we waited...

It really was only a couple of hours but felt like a long time! The hospital called around 1 and told us to come in right away! I was so ready to meet this little guy (and to be done being pregnant).

Being that I've been induced with all 3 boys, we have a little tradition of playing a game of pinochle while waiting for labor to start. I won during labor with both Carter and Cooper...

But as you can tell from Tim's smile, he is about to beat me!

After cards came the pain and then the epidural. I went from a 4 to an 8 in 20 minutes and then things got a little scary as Crosby's heart rate kept dropping. The nurse said we were close to needing a c-section but of course she didn't tell us that during the process.

After about 10 hours of labor, Crosby Charles was born at 11:44pm on Sunday night. He weighed 7 pounds, 14.4 ounces and was 20 inches long.

What an amazing and indescribable joy to finally hold him!

And then the camera battery died:( Already as the 3rd child, Crosby is getting the shaft on pictures!

Last Days as a Family of Four

2011-10-14T03:28:00.001-05:00

We took a little nature walk a couple of days before Crosby was born...

So sweet!

Carter in his favorite sweatshirt

The boys loving on their dad

An awkward squatting pregnant pic:)

Life is about to change!!

Carter is 3 Years Old + 2 Months!

2011-10-01T14:49:00.004-05:00

I already posted this picture but just realized I didn't have any others to choose from for this past month...I guess I've been slacking on my picture taking!! I'm not sure why that is:)

Oh Carty man, you crack us up! One night last week you kept getting out of bed so I was having a little talk with you. First I asked you what you were doing out of bed. You told me you just wanted to "sneak around a bit"! Then when I was telling you that you needed to stay in bed you kept cutting me off with excuses ("but mom..."). I told you, "no more buts", to which you looked at me and started laughing. Then you said, "Did you just say, NO MORE BUTTS?? hahahaha". You already have such a sense of humor:)

You love playing pretend and we are being attacked by dinosaurs multiple times a day. Sometimes they are mean and sometimes they are nice but we need to keep the doors locked:) You have been playing with your play-doh for hours a day lately which is fun. You beat me fair and square at a game of Memory yesterday...I'm going to practice when you nap so it won't happen again! Right now your favorite show to watch is Curious George. I think that has been your daily choice for a video for about 3 weeks straight.

You still thank God daily for colorful things and the other day in one prayer you thanked God for yourself three times! Also, the other day I was a bit stressed out and sighed as we were driving around town. You reminded me that I needed to stop and ask God for strength and help. It was a great reminder and I'm thankful God works through you to refine me!

Cooper is 1 Year + 8 Months!

2011-10-01T14:42:00.003-05:00

Cooper John, you keep us on our toes! You still LOVE being outside and have your worst temper tantrums when we need to come inside or get in the car. You have grown in your love for oral hygiene and ask to brush your teeth multiple times a day. You love going through my dresser drawers and think it is really funny to empty out all of my bras! Sorry if this embarrasses you but maybe it will get you to stop if you know I'm posting it for people to see:) You try on dad and my shoes multiple times a day and trip around the house. It isn't the safest of activities but you love it! Your newest word is really more of an expression...you say "Dah!!" at anything that excites you. It is really sweet:) You have started to sit still for 20 minutes at a time when we do our afternoon video. It is a nice break for me, especially in this last month of pregnancy. Thank you! We love you Coops!!

Potato Bowl Parade

2011-09-25T19:20:00.007-05:00

Potato Bowl USA is a week long festival in Grand Forks. We took the boys to University Park on Thursday for a big french fry feed and this past Saturday was the big parade through town. We met up with some friends for coffee, donuts and parade watching! The boys LOVED it as there were probably 5 marching bands and more candy than they could put in their pockets:) The weather was beautiful as well-all in all an excellent family outing!

They boys trying to catch candy
\

Cooper getting a better view on dad's shoulders

Sitting on the curb with a new friend

We love parades!!

An Action-Packed Evening Walk

2011-09-25T19:12:00.002-05:00

We decided to take a walk after dinner a couple of weeks ago. We ended up over by a golf course and the boys were running around. I was feeling very pregnant and sat down to take a rest. After a couple of minutes I got up to go find the family and heard Carter screaming. Tim ran after him and the two of them came running towards Cooper and me being followed by a swarm of bees! Two of them got Carter good (on his arm and hand) and he was pretty upset. While all of this was happening we lost track of Cooper and after calling his name he came out of some bushes covered in burrs. DRAMA!

Our walk was cut short and we decided to just head home:)

Bees 2, Carter 0

Burrs 10, Cooper 0

Toddler Prayers

2011-09-25T19:00:00.002-05:00

Typically at meal times, we will pray as a family. If Tim or I ever forget to initiate prayer, Carter will be sure to remind us! Often times he asks to pray. Here was his latest:

Dear God,

Thank you for the hope we have in You.

Thank you for all the treats I get for going potty.

Thank you for colorful things.

Thank you for all my toys.

Thank you for everything.

Amen

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-13T21:57:00.009-05:00

We weren't planning on traveling over Labor Day but at the last minute we decided to head to the Carroll cabin and see my parents and the Worums. It was such a relaxing weekend and fun to see family. Shannon and Bud have a dog that our boys absolutely adore-they chased him and played fetch all weekend long. Even so, we will not get a dog. We will not get a dog. We will NOT get a dog!!

Cousin Sawyer-she is getting SO big! And she is adorable:)

Nana and crazy Carter!

We made pizzas and s'mores in the campfire one night...the kids loved it!

Hanging out in the hammock

Trying on Bud's sweatshirt...I could not get Carter to sit still for a picture. No surprises there!

We are still working on "gentle" hugs:)

Update on the Rooms

2011-09-13T21:49:00.004-05:00

We made a couple of changes over the weekend:

New curtains in the boys room...

And we hung a couple of things on the walls in the baby room...

Carter helped make some signs for the baby. He is getting pretty excited!

Soooooo, we have the room set up, welcome signs, a "home from the hospital" outfit for the little guy. We still need to finalize his name and we are good to go!

Singing Saturday

2011-09-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

So this morning we were all in a singing mood...

Carter went first and his song creation went something like:

"Carter and Cooper, brothers for life. Bah dah dah dah..."

Then Tim started singing and I helped him finish a little ditty:

"We have two crazy boys and one more on the way. What were we thinking 8 months ago today?!!!!"

Happy Saturday!

The Baby Room...in progress

2011-09-09T14:41:00.003-05:00

I was in the Cities for a weekend with my college girls a couple of weeks ago and they helped me pick out a wardrobe from Ikea. Here it is all assembled (thanks mom for the manual labor)! This baby room is jam-packed being that we have a guest bed in there for now. I'm sure he won't mind! Now...we just need to name the little guy:)

The Boy's Room...in progress

2011-09-09T14:35:00.005-05:00

This post is mainly for the grandmas that wanted to see our progress on the boy's rooms! Tim had the idea of putting up a Carter and Cooper jerseys above the boy's beds (Carter and Cooper share a room). Then we found my old Sioux jersey and added a Hawkeye jersey. Tim tries to convince people that it was his from college as well:)

Matching Boys

2011-09-09T14:32:00.001-05:00

Our dear friends, the Levangs, just loaned us more of their boy clothes. In looking through the latest bins we realized the boys now have matching pjs:) Sort of dorky but they think it is fun! And aren't they so cute??!

Carter's 3 Years + 1 Month Update

2011-09-09T14:01:00.003-05:00

A couple of quick updates from this past month...

-Carter has started to wipe off all of our kisses....stinker!

-He consistently thanks God for, "toys, friends, family, colorful things and the color blue"

-The other day he put his head on my belly and asked if he could listen to the baby. When I asked him what he heard he said, "Goo goo gah gah"!

-And the quote of the month: "Mom, I like to organize just like you. I organize my toys, my clothes, even my hugs!" ...now that is my kid and that is organized!!

Cooper is 1 Year + 7 Months!

2011-09-07T15:19:00.002-05:00

The biggest update with Cooper this past month is that he is talking so much more! In the past week or two he has started to say:

More-which sounds like "mo"

Carter-which sounds like "Carcar"

Uh Oh

Baby

All Done-which sounds like "awww duh"

Snack-which sounds like "k" (this is also how he says milk)

Hot-which sounds like "hhhhht"

Keep talking Cooper John-we love it!!

More Pics from the Cabin

2011-08-25T20:59:00.008-05:00

Like I mentioned before, we went to Grand Rapids to my parent's cabin and got to see my parents and Tim's parents! We were having our staff retreat there starting on Monday so we headed over a couple days early.

Carter got a baseball bat and balls for his birthday and both the boys enjoy playing. Cooper mostly holds the bat and carries it around like a caveman:)

There was a lumberjack fair in town that we took the boys to. Carter enjoyed his first taste of cotton candy!

Cooper especially loves music and "helping" Papa play the banjo.

What sweet boys!!

Carter is 3 Years Old!

2011-08-25T20:47:00.004-05:00

It always starts out fun with these two...running, laughing, playing. And then right after this picture was taken, Cooper yanked Carter's hair and the fun was OVER!

I found this picture on the camera the other day...I guess Tim let Carter play outside in his underware:)

Here are a couple updates from Carty-man in the past month:

-He called us Casey and Tim consistently. He hasn't done it as much lately but for about a month straight it was quite entertaining!

-Carter loves having his back and neck rubbed

-He really has enjoyed puzzles lately

-When we are out for walks he roars at birds and like to chase them

-Cooper has started to get a little more attention lately. When this happens, Carter starts copying whatever Cooper is doing so he can get attention too:)

-When I let him pick out his outfit he always goes for the "most colorful" shirt or shorts. He LOVES colorful things.

-He has no fear at all when we take him to the pool. He'll just jump in no matter how deep. We've really got to keep an eye on him:)

-Quote of the month: "Mom, will you build me a fort so I can decorate it?"

-A kid @ the park was scaring kids by roaring. Carter said, "That's ok but plz don't scare my mom!"

Carter's 3rd Birthday (part 2)

2011-08-22T21:14:00.011-05:00

Two days after his birthday, Carter got a 2nd party with all four grandparents! We made the trip to Grand Rapids and Tim's parents met us at my parent's cabin for the night.

I love this picture-Carter was way more into this party that the picture shows but both grandmas are obviously having the time of their lives!!

Carter LOVES frosting...he normally doesn't even touch the cake!

Cooper isn't as picky-he eats it all:)

Presents! Mike and Sherah got him his 1st bike! Now if he would just have a little more than 30 seconds of patience to learn to ride it:)

Lots of Cars gifts including this huge coloring book-thanks Shan and Bud!

Cooper even got a gift-a book with animals and he is "mooing" in the picture:)

Carter's 3rd Birthday (part 1)

2011-08-22T20:56:00.006-05:00

Blog fail...Carter's birthday was over 2 weeks ago! I'm going to blame it on all our traveling and now my OCD nesting. Anyways, here we go...

As you may have seen from a previous posted video, Carter had very specific requests for this birthday. I have to say, I felt some pressure to meet his standards! He seemed very pleased though.

He requested that A LOT of people be at his party. We invited as many as we could handle:) The Eastons, Wurglers, Ayashs, and Tammy joined us for a little cake and ice cream. He loved the company and attention!

Carter made specific requests for sprinkle cake and colorful ice cream. We found both and again, he approved!

He also asked for a Disney Car's themed party. I'm not much of a themed party thrower but we found some decorations and he ended up getting lots of Car's gifts as well.

All in all, it was a success!

30 Week Pics

2011-08-04T21:07:00.003-05:00

So here is a list of the ridiculous things that people have said to me in the past couple of weeks:

1. College student #1: When are you due?

Me: October

College student #1: Oh wow, I would have never guessed you had that much longer to go with how large you are.

2. College student #2: When are you due?

Me: October

College student #2: Huh...so do you get just a ton bigger with every baby?

3. Cafeteria worker in Medora: It has been so fun seeing you get so much bigger every day out here.

Me: Same to you (Just kidding-I bit my tongue)

4. Burger King worker: Let me guess, you are due any day now!

Me: Nope-I have 2 1/2-3 months to go

BK worker: Well, then you must be carrying twins

Me: Nope again

5. College student #3: Wow Casey, you are huge!!

Do people ever think before they speak? I mean really?? I know I am getting bigger and that is a great thing because this baby is healthy but COME ON!

Doctor Appointments

2011-08-04T14:07:00.003-05:00

I took so many pictures of the boys this day and this was the best one...they are fast and DO NOT like to sit down!

After Carter's 3 year visit, here are his stats:

Height: 38 inches (58%)

Weight: 34.3 pounds (76%)

After Cooper's 18 month visit, here are his stats:

Height: 31 inches (21%)

Weight: 24.7 pounds (33%)

Birthday Anticipation

2011-07-31T21:29:00.002-05:00

Carter has been talking about his 3rd birthday for a solid 2 months now. It seems like every day he brings it up in some way...letting us know what he wants or just reminding us that it is coming...5 more days buddy!!

Cooper is 1 Year + 6 Months!

2011-07-31T21:16:00.004-05:00

Cooper John, your big personality sure is coming out! All the sudden you are stubborn as they come and particularly enjoy arching your back, and flopping on the ground when you don't get your way. You still aren't talking much but can communicate better. You say "mik" when you want milk and are a great pointer for everything else. You do seem to really enjoy animal noises and have started doing an adorable monkey as well as a great roar for a lion! You were fearless this summer in the pool and loved going underwater. I did not love this though:) You let us know many times that you DO NOT enjoy being strapped in the car. I'm so sorry we made you endure countless hours as we drove around the country. We love your crazy dance moves and how you break into dance at the slightest sound of music (even our horrible singing)! You have a killer smile that melts our hearts and gets you out of lots of trouble. We love you Coops John!

Cooper's 1st Hair Cut

2011-07-31T21:02:00.004-05:00

Cooper was way overdue for a hair cut so one evening in Colorado when we had a little extra time, we got the clippers out! It is quite a tricky ordeal to clip an 18 month old's hair. He was one the go but Tim got it done:)

No more jokes are being made about your rat tail or pony tail Coops:)

27 Weeks

2011-07-31T20:55:00.004-05:00

While we were home between Medora and Colorado, Tim married two students involved in our ministry. It was a crazy week preparing for Jess and Rand's wedding but Tim did such a great job! Being that I was dressed up, we took the opportunity to snap a 27 week picture. The baby (and me) are getting bigger!

A Couple More Medora Pics

2011-07-31T20:47:00.005-05:00

Medora feels like forever ago, but as my dad brought to my attention, I am WAY behind on blogging! Here are a couple more random pics from our time out West.

We met so many international students that come to Medora for the summer to work. The girls from Taiwan, China, Thailand and the Philippines seemed to really love our boys. And as you can see, Carter was fond of them too:)

Hopefully not a prophetic scene...

There is a guy who lives in Medora that goes by the name Cowboy Lyle. Everybody knows him and he is sort of a legend in these parts. Carter and Cowboy Lyle bonded! Lyle would eat meals with us and let Carter help him raise the flags one morning (a daily routine in this town).

Guy time! They were having fun but when I pull out the camera, this is what I get!

Carter and the cast of the Wild West Shoot-Out

Project Fun Day

2011-07-09T08:20:00.006-05:00

At the end of our project fun day we took the students to dinner at a lodge up on the bluffs. This is only a couple of miles from where we stayed in Medora...so beautiful!

We tried to get a family pic-the boys weren't really feeling it!

Here is a picture of the students Tammy and I had in Bible study.

Restaurant Suvival

2011-07-09T08:13:00.002-05:00

We rarely take the kids out to dinner...it gets a little hard to contain them and keep them quiet. Cooper was getting restless so I decided to try a little game with a straw and some water. Carter calls it the "waterpark"...don't turn me in to the authorities!

Cooper Dancing to TBT

2011-07-09T08:01:00.003-05:00

We love Cooper's signature dance moves: the spin, the hip swivel, the foot stomp and the clap/head bang! He obviously loves Trampled by Turtles:)

4th of July Parade

2011-07-08T21:00:00.015-05:00

Medora's 4th of July parade included a kid's parade where the kids got to walk for a couple of blocks and throw out candy. Carter wanted to dress up like Spider Man with a cowboy hat so we put Cooper in a costume as well. Why not dress up in an East Asia outfit while celebrating America's freedom!

It was such a hot day so the boys were roasting!

Carter promptly stripped in the street when it was done:)

Face painting was next...Tim was a bit upset that Carter picked a rainbow over a basketball!

Shirts off, on the table!

I know I was a bit excessive on pics this post but their expressions were just so great!

Some Random Kid Pics

2011-07-03T14:17:00.007-05:00

We had a Project Fun Day last weekend and went to an old time photo parlor. I was a bit worried about how the boys would do but they LOVED dressing up and even sat fairly still through the process:)

We technically weren't supposed to take pictures but wanted to show off the boys cute costumes.

Tim went to a 3D movie one night and brought his glasses home for the boys. They love them of course!

Buffalo Gap Ranch

2011-07-03T14:08:00.006-05:00

Our staff team all went out to dinner at a local ranch restaurant. The steaks were great, the scenery was beautiful and the kids were very entertained!

Here are the project kids: Carter, Alex Duey, Aubrey Duey, Liv Jones and Cooper (stealing the show front and center!)

A quick family shot...Cooper loves the camera more than Carter these days

The boys got their first REAL horse rides! Cowboy Wayne was riding his horse Foxy after dinner and asked if the boys wanted a ride. They loved it!!

And a trip to the ranch isn't complete without sitting in a tractor too! What a fun night:)

Freeze Pops

2011-07-02T22:03:00.005-05:00

It is finally warm enough for Freeze Pops and the boys LOVE them!!

Coops still needs a bit of help or it is a total disaster...

Summer fun!

Carter is 2 Years + 11 Months!

2011-07-02T21:52:00.004-05:00

With his 3rd birthday one month away, Carter has already informed us that he wants a Cars/Lightning McQueen themed birthday party. Isn't he too young to have an opinion like that?? He is so articulate that most people he meets think that he is four...until he has a little temper tantrum of course:) Carter has won the hearts of so many people here in Medora. We walk into town (5 blocks away) and literally people run over saying "Hi, Carter!". He's kind of a big deal around here. Half the time I have no idea how they know his name or when they met but he is just so social that it doesn't really surprise me.

Carter has bonded with Cowboy Lyle, a familiar face in Medora. Lyle even let Carter help him raise the town flags one morning!

A very rare sight of Carter being totally still. No, he isn't sick...we just let him watch a rare video!

The Dickinson County Fair was a big hit! Carter has asked to go on the Merry-Go-Round multiple times since then.

Also this month, Carter has started pooping on the toilet! This is a family/close friend blog so I'm not going to apologize for too much info:) He is quite obsessed with #2 actually and always wants to see how big everybody's poos are (thankfully just in our family but watch out)!

Cooper is 1 Year + 5 Months!

2011-07-02T21:43:00.007-05:00

Cooper John is now 17 months old...wow! In the past week his little (or rather, big) personality has started to come out. He LOVES people and when he walks into the cafeteria each day he runs up to strangers and just smiles and waves. Sometimes he'll even give out hugs. Carter has started picking up on the fact that Cooper is stealing some of his attention so it's a big competition between the two of them. It is really quite entertaining to watch! Also this month, Cooper is cutting 5 teeth at the same time...ugh!

Anytime Cooper is just in a diaper (or naked) he giggles like crazy and starts running around or dancing!

This is the look he often gives us when he knows he is disobeying...he is so cute that it makes it really hard to discipline:)

Flag Day Parade, Medora ND

2011-06-24T15:08:00.010-05:00

Medora put on a little horse parade for Flag Day. Carter wanted to dress up like a cowboy (again) and go see the horses!

Walking with dad

Good timing on the stars and stripes hankerchiefs Nana and Papa!

A quick stop on the "quarter" horse. They boys still don't know it will move if you put money in it. They are soooo content to just sit and pretend!

Coops gets his turn

Another quick stop on the way...couldn't resist a cowboy pic by the fence:)

Finally to the parade and Coops is worn out!

They LOVED all the horses! Fun times for the family!

Teddy Roosevelt National Park

2011-06-24T15:03:00.004-05:00

We are a couple of block from the TR National Park this summer. The other day we took a leisurely drive through (with Cooper screaming the whole time) and saw a couple fun things:

Lots of prairie dogs,

Beautiful scenery,

and a buffalo!!

More Brother Bonding

2011-06-24T14:48:00.003-05:00

The boys continue to bond...mostly through wrestling and chasing each other! It amazes me how Carter can calm Cooper down when he is upset. They share a room (both at home and on Summer Project) and can both sleep through anything. The other morning Cooper was yelling at the top of his lungs and Carter kept sleeping only 5 feet away:) Carter still wants to name the baby Cookie Monster and Cooper is still seems oblivious to the fact that we are adding yet another boy to the family!

Cooper's Animal Noises

2011-06-24T14:41:00.002-05:00

Cooper is working on his animal sounds...so far he's got the cow and duck down. Sometimes he'll roar like a lion. That's about it for now!

Carter the Cowboy

2011-06-22T19:43:00.004-05:00

Carter has fully embraced life in the Badlands!