NINE

It is 9:13pm and 9 years ago tonight God blessed us with the sweetest little girl in the world. Today is Coco's birthday and we have celebrated all day.

I woke her up this morning singing Happy Birthday and let her open a gift. Scott stayed home with her today. She invited a friend over to swim and then they all met me for lunch at Red Robin where the employees sang Happy Birthday to her. For dinner we went to Nana's for Chili, brownies, pink lemonade and a dolphin cake. Nana always makes whatever we want and the past 2 years Coco has asked for chili and yes we tell her it is too hot for chili but that is what she wants.

I went back and found some photos to remember the years.


She was about 6 months here.


Nine months here sleeping on Dad's chest. I love this photo.

Silver Dollar City at six years old making a fashion statement. At six I wasn't too worried but at 9 she won't be wearing that in public.

Cheering at age 7

My gorgeous girl at almost 9.

Coco was born a month early and weighed just 4lbs and 4 oz, 17 3/4 inches long. She was healthy as a horse. They worried about her losing weight right after she was born but she was a champ and gained steadily. I didn't really know unconditional love until that moment in the hospital when I finally got off the morphine from the c-section and got to be with her and hold her. I remember crying so much just from all the love I felt for this tiny life.

We took her home, scared to death because I didn't know how to take care of a baby but it all worked out. I think God gives just what you can handle. She didn't sleep through the night for 4 months and I know I could not do that again for 4 months straight. I was very picky and did exactly what the books or doctors told us. I didn't take her out for the first 30 days because she was so little and the doctor warned us that she was border line premie so we should be very careful.

The first time I took her to my Mom's she screamed the entire way which made me a nervous wreck. She developed colic between 3pm and 7pm every day for months 2 thru 4. Looking back now we had a hard time but it was so worth it. I think about rocking her to sleep for the first 2 years. I miss that time with her.

She is growing up and like Scott said she is at the half way point of leaving for college. I will have to retire and go with her. She is sweet, considerate, caring, responsible, loving and the best daughter I could have asked for.

Happy Birthday Coco!

INDEPENDENCE DAY DECOR

I wanted to show you my July 4th decor around the house.

I love this little heart on my china hutch

Love this Liberty sign on my tv cabinet. I found all these 40% off at Hobby Lobby.

This was cute too.

This is my centerpiece on the table. I made it today. Coco has to play ball all week and it worked out that we are celebrating her birthday at my Moms next weekend so it will be a July 4th theme and I will add some birthday stuff to this for her.

Do you decorate for the 4th??? Show us some of your decor.

Blessings,

Pam

A FUNTASTIC WEEKEND

Coco's birthday is the 30th and she got her present a little early. Doesn't this look inviting!

So beautiful and crystal clear and cold as ice water.

One happy little girl.

DAREDEVIL IN THE MAKING

She wants me to use graphics and make this one look like she is riding a bull.

We have had a wonderful weekend. Saturday was spent with my Girl Scout troop bridging up to Juniors. I will post pictures of that later. Scott and his dad spent that time putting together the pool that said it would be ready for water in 45 minutes. That is if you aren't a previous highway builder. Scott's dad is retired from the highway department and everything has to be level. They got it up and we started filling it about 4pm and by 11:30 last night it was done. Almost 4500 gallons of water. I wonder what our water bill will be like next month. I might have to take out a loan.

I stayed up late watching He's Just Not That Into You. It was a good movie. But I didn't wake up until 10:30 this morning. Which means I missed church again. They probably think I have backslid into never never land.

Coco has driven us crazy wanting to stay in the pool but we had to shock it and add chemicals, etc. She and I got in for about an hour this afternoon and it was frizziling!!!!!!!

Tonight we are going to watch fireworks in town.

Blessings,

Pam

A GOOD DAY

I left the office at 5:22pm which is early for me lately!

I came home and Scott was grilling hamburgers and steaks and pork chops. He was cooking stuff up for lunches and we will be out the next couple of nights. I gripped at him for doing it wrong and he got all huffy.

Then we went out for ice cream which is not helping me with the biggest loser contest at work.

He then proceeded to tell me this joke.

" This guy stops at a garage sale and the owner is selling a whole set of encyclopedias. The buyer asks the guy why he is selling the whole set.

The seller says "I GOT MARRIED" ha ha ha ha ha

So I told Scott Thank you for seeing the value in my knowledge and intelligence!

On to other important stuff.

What do ya'll think about this Jon & Kate stuff????
Here's my 2 cents.
1. Totally sad and I wish I could talk to them and tell them to step back, stop filming and remember why you got married and realize the grass may be greener on the other side but it still has to be mowed.
2. At first, I blamed Kate and her mean and nasty ways. Then after watching Monday nights episode I am torn. Jon acted like he was already gone and didn't care with his double pierced ears. Come on Jon you are 32 with 8 kids not 22 and single. You will never be single you will always have 8 dependants.
3. When you look back to the first episodes, Kate was the housewife with 8 kids that we could sorta relate to (except that nastiness) and now she is in tanktops, mini skirts, and heals most every show. So are they both looking for someone to replace the other??? Or is she trying to pretty up for Jon??
4. I think the money and fame has gone to their heads. He's out skiing alone or doing something alone while Kate is filming more adventures with the kids. The show doesn't feel real anymore. I think a lot the stuff is staged now for filming instead of being their real lives.
5. Why am I even worried about it? I don't know it beats Brittney Spears and Rhianna. But my 8 year old asks me if they are just saying all this for TV and maybe they really aren't splitting up. Maybe another show that will be taken off her list of viewing pleasure!

Thats my take. What is yours?
Blessings,
Pam

BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

Hi I've missed you guys. I hope you are all having a great Father's Day! Today has been a lazy day for us. Just laying around relaxing, watching marathons of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

We are getting some yummy stuff from our garden.

This photo is from last week. We got several banana peppers and a cucumber!

This is from tonight, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers and jalapeno peppers. This is going to sound crazy but I don't know how to fix fresh green beans! How long do you have to cook them? Good thing we like green beans because we are going to have a bunch.

Have you tried the mexican fruit/vegetable seasoning on your fruit and veggies?? Oh my you have got to try it if you like a little spice. You can find it in the produce section in a little bottle. It has all kinds of different spices. I like on apples and cucumbers.

Happy Fathers Day to all your fathers. I sure miss having mine! Coco and I gave Scott some signs for his shop and a Reebok workout outfit. He is the best Daddy and husband! He works so hard for us and always thinks of us. I am so blessed to be his wife and the Mother of his child. He has the biggest heart and I wish I could be half as giving as he is.

OH MY GOODNESS! Coco just came to show me something and I can't tell you what it was but my baby girl is "growing" up to fast! I want to cry and put a book on her head to make her stop. I am not ready for these things with her just yet! I will be asking for lots of advice in the years to come on raising a tween and teen!

Blessings,

Pam

SUMMER SATUDAY

Today was a fun filled day of fundraisers, sports and fun. We started out at 10am with a Cheerleading Chicken Sale at the local IGA parking lot. The girls cheered from the parking lot trying to get people in to buy the chicken dinners.

This is Coco selling chicken to her Papa! Of course he drove up to support the cause!

At 1:30 we had to be a the ball park for a softball game. It was so hot. I sure got some sun. Our team played awesome and won 13-7..... YEAH!!!

After the game Scott and I were so hot we just wanted to come sit in the airconditionng and relax. Coco called her BFF that had been on vacation and she came over. They played with the water hose for awhile and just caught up on whatever happens in a 9 year olds life. They are sure happy to be together again. Aren't they having fun! I love the look on their faces! Cold water on a hot day!

I am being lazy and not wanting to do anything.

Hope your Saturday is awesome
Blessings,
Pam

WHATS UP!!!!!!!

It has been a while since I last posted! I miss ya'll. I am keeping up with your blogs when I can, I just haven't had time or anything exciting to talk about. I can only complain about how busy I am for so long!! Right!

Coco had a softball game last night and I took my camera ( I should name her) to play with getting some shots in the sports action mode.

Coco and Maegan warming up. Love how I got the ball in mid air.

Come on baby, run like the wind. She's coming

Almost there

HOME PLATE! Yea Coco, GO COCO GO COCO. she hates it when I do that!

I was just snapping away. She lets me do that (the camera that is)! They won the ball game 7-5. I was worried the first few innings, they just could not catch the ball or hit the ball for anything, but once they got going there was no stopping them. A bunch of little girls with a heart for the ball! Just precious. Now in a few weeks we will trade the gloves and bats for pom poms and bows! She is going to be well rounded, don't you think! At least worn slick out anyway.

My mother-in-law called a few minutes ago to tell me to look outside. Look what was out there!

Kind of blurry but the sky was so beautiful. It was like totally orange outside. Did you see it? I hope you got to see it. Another shot. Man we have a lot of wires in our back yards! I couldn't get the horizon from home so I jumped in the car (in my pjs, no bra, no purse, and flip flops) in search of a good shot.

This is what I got.

I had to stop before it went away and then the darn sign was in the way. Oh well you can see how bright it was. WOW God gives us so much beauty, if only we will stop and enjoy it.

This one is too blurry but I thought it was cool since you can see more of the sky.

I have started a new book so I am off to read for awhile before going to sleep.

Blessings,

Pam

JUST CALL US FARMERS

A farmin' we are a doin!

My pretty flowers out by the cellar!

Coco's carrot bed. These are in the neighbors yard, where she had a tree removed last year. She is a Coco fan, so anything Coco wants Coco gets.

Squash a plenty! If these all produce we will have more than we can eat!

Tomatoes! These don't so good in the picture but we actually have a few greens one's already.

Green beans. 2 rows of green beans. I might have to learn to can these babies!

I don't remember why we have this aluminum pan on a stake. Some old wives tale Scott heard.

Yes we need to weed but some people in this family don't believe in weeding and others are just too darn lazy. I will let you decide which people are which!

We have some peppers, banana peppers and some other peppers around the yard too but I forgot photos of those.

How is your garden doing?

Blessings,

Pam

WE HAD BIG PLANS

I told ya'll that we were going to take advantage of the beautiful weather last Sunday.

Well we didn't really make it!

I walked into the living room about 1:30 Sunday afternoon and this is what I found. My 2 loves conked out on the couch.

We had to get up to go to my in-laws for dinner and once we were fed. We got a little energy and were going to clean and set up the pool.
IT HAD A HOLE IN IT! This is the big sand pit in the backyard now. Isn't it lovely

I looked at the pools tonight at Walmart and I think it is going to cost us to replace it this year. Somehow the one we had we got for $100 and it lasted 2 years so that was pretty good I think. No decent sized pools for $100 this year! It is more like $300 now. But one good thing is they come with debris covers now, so that is a good selling point. I told we were gonna get one of those 2 ring blow up pools and she scowled at me!!!!

I did get some photos of our garden that I will post later.

Blessings,
Pam

SCHOOLS OUT FOR THE SUMMER

It is officially summer break! Today was Coco's last day at school. She only went until noon so I took off work at 11:30 so that we could spend the afternoon together.


We went to see UP! It is the cutest movie with the best messages! If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

I have never really want to be a actress but I would love to do the voice parts in movies like this. You could really get into it without anyone really seeing you. How about you, have you ever wanted to be in the movies?

We received some great news today. Coco was tested for SEEK (our schools gifted and talented) and they recommend she join. I was so excited for her, I hope she enjoys it and learns alot! She is very creative but her stick with it factor is lacking, know what I mean!!!

She is off to Mimi's tomorrow for a couple of days. Sometimes I wish her grandparents lived farther away so that she could go and spend the summers with them. I don't want to get rid of her, I just think it would be cool. I took to long in getting her in a summer camp program so she won't get to do that. This is the first year she is old enough for church camp but I am not comfortable with the arrangements that have been made this year so she will miss out on that too! :(

Do any of you watch 18 kids and counting? This is a local family that have had 18 children and the life they lead. It is a interesting show, so I hope to get to catch some of it tonight on TLC at 8pm.

Blessings,
Pam