Tea with Grandma

One of the special memories I will have from this Christmas is taking my grandma to tea. We shared a delightful morning together at Barbara's Victorian Tea House in Rancho Cucamonga. The tea house was filled with Holiday decor and the food was great. We ate our way through quiches, scones, sandwiches, and desserts. We enjoyed a cinnamon tea, an English breakfast tea, and chocolate dessert tea. The food was wonderful, the hostess was pleasant, but the company was the most memorable of all. I consider my grandmother one of my closest friends and it was such a nice day to spend only with her - sharing memories, talking about the future, and soaking up all of her wisdom. I love you grandma!

Christmas 2008

Christmas Eve with Grandpa and Grandma

After opening a few presents - Carson was very interested in helping everyone with their presents. I am not sure if he just got excited or if he also understood he couldn't play with any of his new toys until all the presents were opened. We had a great evening topping it off with the Christmas Eve service at church.

At our house on Christmas Eve night we opened our first presents under our tree - Christmas pajamas! We also left cookies out for Santa and the next morning Carson couldn't believe the cookies were all gone except for a few crumbs left on the plate! For the next two nights Carson asked to leave cookies for "ho, ho, ho" (his name for Santa), but to his dismay he was going to have to wait one whole year to do that again.

Christmas Morning

Carson had a lot of practice the night before opening presents so there wasn't any hesitation with the wrapping paper this morning. I haven't yet mentioned that Christmas morning began at 6:30am. Greg came back into the bedroom around that time telling me the "boy is awake" implying it is time to open presents. I wanted to sarcastically ask, "which boy?" knowing Greg himself was up as early as 5:45 waiting patiently for the house to stir.

The gold gift - of course we had to ride it outside right away. A little rain and slippery sidewalks were not going to stop both the boys from trying out the new bike.

When grandad, grandmom, grammy, and uncle Chad came over for Christmas brunch, Carson knew just what to do with the new load of presents. This workbench from grammy took only seconds to unwrap and even less time for him to climb it!

Now, the trick is finding room for all the new toys and still managing to look like our house is a home to adults too. Out with the old and in with the new is going to be the motto...

Thank you to all our family that made Christmas this year special for Greg and I and especially Carson. It was such a joy watching Carson experience Christmas and still boldly tell anyone who asked that at Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birthday. We have so much to be thankful for!!

More Sea World

The camel was the first animal Carson saw at Sea World as part of the Christmas scene. He talked about it for most of the morning. He was shouting at the camel to "look at Carson." I never knew he was so interested in camels. This was just about the only animal he saw that day that he wasn't nervous about. The pictures below show us up close and personal to the dolphins. We were able to feed them. Carson was very scared about seeing this animal up close - he is actually trying to push away from the wall not reach out and touch the dolpin. We have fun passes to Sea World this year so I am sure you will be seeing lots of Sea World pictures. Hopefully, Carson will warm up to the animals.

Live from Sea World

The Shamu show, "Believe", had Carson captivated.

More Christmas Fun!

Today Carson and I made a gingerbread house that Carson's aunt and uncle sent him. Thank you Jeff and Colleen! Carson was very excited to make his first gingerbread house...as well as to eat it. For every piece of candy he put on the house, two went in his mouth. The house stood for about 30 minutes before he realized the house was actually a cookie! Yummy! Here are some construction pictures and destruction pictures. Boys will be boys! He didn't have the patience to keep it standing very long - eating it or licking the icing seemed much more fun!

Christmas Fun!

For two years now we have driven to see the lights in Alta Loma with Carson's grandma and grandpa.(see above) We brave the crowds and walk the long street in wonder. The lights are amazing and Carson is entranced with all the displays. There are performances in the driveways, carolers, and families selling hot chocolate, churros, nachos, and tamales. We also get to enjoy the brisk air - wearing gloves and scarves to keep us warm -a perfect holiday tradition!

Christmas Traditions

When Greg and I celebrated our first Christmas together we really wanted to create some Christmas traditions on our own - unique to our family and easy to continue throughout the years. The first tradition we began was on Christmas Eve. I always wanted to open presents on Christmas Eve, so when we got married I thought it would be great for us to open up one present on Christmas Eve. Not just any present - but Christmas pajamas! The pajamas are worn that very evening and while we open presents the next morning. I love pajamas so I was very excited when Greg also liked the idea.

When Carson was born - we added more to our Christmas traditions. We really wanted our family to grow up understanding that the birth of Jesus is the true emphasis during the Christmas season. One way we do this is by giving presents that fit a purpose similar to the gifts Jesus was given by the Three Wise Men. We give presents that fit three categories: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrhh. The gold is the more costly of the three and most often the most desired. The myrhh gift has more of a modern twist to that of Jesus' time when myrrh covered the body preparing it for burial. Rather, we use it to symbolize a gift that clothes the body such as an outfit or a new jacket- even shoes are included in this category, Finally, frankincense was used in Jesus' time to lift up a sweet-smelling aroma to God. So, this gift consists of a way to encourage the family member's relationship with God - bringing him closer to the Lord. Reading the scripture of the birth of Jesus before opening these presents ties everything together. Greg and I also give one gift from Santa and fill the stockings. We both feel that Santa can still be a part of Christmas. Instilling a sense of fantasy and imagination during the Christmas season also has its place, but the birth of Jesus is the focus. We began this tradition last year when Carson was one and not only did it put focus where it needed to be, but also kept mommy and daddy from going overboard and only giving gifts from each category.

This Christmas we have added a stocking for Jesus - not to be filled with gifts but reminders of blessings and things we are thankful for - saying "Thank you Jesus" on his birthday.

I can see these traditions having purpose and meaning in our family for our very long time and I am very excited to see our children grow with these traditions. I look forward to the day when Carson gets mommy a frankincense, gold, or myrrh gift!

Elf Hoedown

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Carson has Christmas Glee

So we, and by we I mean Jodi, have decided to get annual Christmas pictures of the kid(s). Over this past weekend we did Carson's 3rd annual Christmas picture. This year was easily our best Christmas picture experience. Instead of flocking with the masses to the mall-based photograph shops, we were lucky to have a friend take the pictures in the comfort of his home studio. Thanks Jason. Here are some of the pictures Carson took. Enjoy!

Cassidy in 3D

Here is a clip from a 3D ultrasound we had of Cassidy this past week. We saw her  yawn, open her eyes, and even stick out her tongue. On this clip you will get to see her smile. Carson enjoyed watching her on the big screen and even shouted at her a couple of times to wake up. It was quite funny to see Cassidy smile and stick out her tongue at his request. She definitely knows her big brother's voice!

For the curious that is the placenta near her right check. 

Christmas Spirit

We love Christmas!

We love the decorations, the carols, the lights, the reason for the season,

and Greg and I can't wait to share it with Carson.

I think we have already rubbed off on Carson the joy of the season. He was so excited to put up the "pretty lights" and "Christmas Tree." The day after Thanksgiving, daddy couldn't get the tree out fast enough. His proudest moment was being on the roof after daddy finished putting up the lights. Yes, the roof!! Mommy was not pleased! Everywhere we go he points out Christmas decorations and his new favorite night time activity is watching a Christmas movie with us. We have seen "Polar Express" three times now and Rudolph last night.

Greg and I know that this Christmas will be special for Carson because he is old enough now to begin to understand it. He knows it is Jesus' birthday and the family traditions we started last year to emphasize that will be that much more meaningful this year.

More Disneyland pics

Here are some more Disneyland pics. We had a great time with the family. The next day Carson was full of stories sharing about fast cars, scary sharks (Finding Nemo), and boat rides. He loved the Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World, and Dumbo. What toddler wouldn't? Carson held mommy and daddy's hands tightly on Pirates and Haunted Mansion. The darkness of the rides was too much for him. While the big kids got soaked on Splash Mountain and zoomed through Space Mountain, mommy and Carson enjoyed the Rockets (twice) and Winnie the Pooh. I think it would be great to have season passes and enjoy the park on a whim, at night, or on a day off. Disneyland is a happy place!

Here are the grandkids feeding the ducks after eating lunch at the Hungry Bear Restaurant. Carson loved having his cousins around and wanted to do everything they were doing.

Carson is pointing out all the jungle animals on the Jungle Cruise. He was startled when the man "popped" his gun, and he will even tell you that the baby elephant said "Hi" to him as we cruised on by. Ask him to wiggle his ears like the hippos and he will open his mouth real big.

One of the last rides of the evening! We were pleased to see that It's a Small World was open and decorated for Christmas. Carson is saying "cheese" from the side of his mouth,

but he can't bear to take his eyes off all the pretty lights!

The Kids with Pooh

We just got soaked on Splash Mountain. REALLY soaked.

We're at Disneyland Today

We are here with Greg's parents and his sister's family...more to come
throughout the day.

Super Duper Day Out With Thomas

Yesterday, we took Carson to see Thomas the Tank Engine. Carson's Grandmom and Granddad got to come too. Carson not only took a ride with Thomas, but he met Sir Topham Hatt, helped Bob the Builder construct a shed for Thomas, sat in a tractor, played with toy trains, jumped in a bounce house (he actually jumped this time), enjoyed watching a band play music, and more. There were actually lots of people there. The weather was just right in the mid-80s, although we do look forward to 'winter'. We all had a blast!

Quotes & Quips for Your Consideration #1

"What you value gets done." - unknown

This is one of my personal mottos, probably because it is simple and cuts through pointless excuses.

Are you normally late for things? Then maybe that's because you value sleep or looking nice more than punctuality or keeping commitments.

Do you create conflict at home because you often work late and mess up dinner plans? Then maybe you value being a 'good' employee (or money) more than being curtious to your wife.

Do you watch your favorite TV show while your toddler plays by himself in the same room? You must value your personal entertainment and relaxation more than your responsibility and joy of being a parent.

Do you struggle to spend time daily in the Word? Then you must value sleep/entertainment/work/your spouse or child more than your relationship with God.

Did you miss your kid's soccer game because you had to work extra on Saturday? Maybe you value being the provider for your family (and keeping your job) more than that one soccer game for your child. You don't have to make excuses to your kid about missing his game, because if you really do value your kid, he will know it from how you are throughout each day.

This saying has helped me see past my excuses to the heart of my decisions and has prompted change in my life. Look back at your actions and see what they say about your values. Do you like what it says?

G

And her name is...

Well, the name has been decided for our unborn girl and we can't keep it a secret any longer. Actually we could - it was our son that was spreading the word and our friends quickly found out that if they asked Carson what her name was, he was glad to share it. Although it wasn't very clear, we knew it wouldn't be long before Carson was saying it more clearly. So, the name is... Cassidy Nicole Cope. Carson and Cassidy will soon be playing together and Carson cannot wait to be a big brother. Just about every night, Carson asks to feel Cassidy kick and if she isn't kicking he shouts at my tummy "baby Cassy, wake up!" Greg and I can't help but laugh and enjoy these moments before Carson actually finds out what having a baby around the house really means.  

Halloween 2008

Here we are at our church's Trunk-or-Treat on Halloween. Carson is Thomas the Tank Engine. Greg and I are his passengers.

Surprisingly, Carson wore his hat all night.
The highlight for Carson was sitting in the driver's seat of a fire engine.

Baby Appleseed Millbury Crib

Yesterday I picked up our new crib and assembled it. We love it. This is the Millbury crib by Baby Appleseed in antique chestnut. We also got the matching 5-drawer dresser. We knew we wanted a convertible crib when we began our search for another bedroom set. We like the idea of using this piece of furniture for a very long time...possibly until our kid moves out for college. But since we want to use this piece of furniture for years to come, we understood that we needed to get a quality piece of furniture. So we searched around a few local baby furniture stores, as well as online, and decided on this crib. When searching for crib reviews online, I did not find very many reviews of Baby Appleseed so I figured I should write a brief one here.

1) Style: Jodi loves the look. I enjoy it too. We think this is a style that we will still like in 15 years when it is a full bed.

2) Quality: After putting the bed together and seeing the finished product in my home, I can say I am very pleased with the quality. It is made of some type of hardwood, which one I do not know. But it is solid and won't dent too easily when our girl uses one of the rails as a teething toy. The wood is also clean, and by that I mean there are not any nasty knots or noticible imperfections. The 5-drawer dresser is very well construsted. The drawers are dove-tailed so the face of the drawer should not yank off after years use. The underside of the drawers have two support rails instead of one which is more common. This means the bottom is less likely to fall out when the drawer is overstuffed. We also enjoy the chestnut finish. The hardwood is stained which should also improve the durability of the furniture. Veneers and paint I think would be more likely to chip and wear down more over the years.

3) Delivery: The store we ordered from gave us the standard lead time of 12 weeks with a warning that it could take as long as 16 weeks. With our due date in early February, we went ahead and ordered the furniture in mid-September. To our surprise we got a call that our furniture had arrived only two weeks after ordering. So we let the furniture sit a couple weeks at the furniture store before picking it up since we hadn't cleared out the guest room yet. So no delivery problems for us. Baby Appleseed's head office is located here in SoCal so that probably helps. I was very pleased with the packaging of the furniture. Each piece was individually wrapped in a type of styrofoam sleeve, all surrounded by a fair amount of styrofoam for a snug fit in the cardboard. It would take some serious mishandling in the shipping process to damage the furniture.

Overall, we are more than pleased with our selection. We will recommend the Millbury crib by Baby Appleseed to friends and family that ask.

We will post some pictures of the completed room once that is done in 2-3 months.

And we will probably announce our baby girl's name within the next 7-10 days. Any guesses?

G

3rd Annual Scary Movie Night

A couple of years ago we started having a Scary Movie Night near Halloween. In preparation for this weekend's Scary Movie Night, I previewed a movie tonight which has won the honor of being our Scary Movie this year. And no, I will NOT say which movie it is as that must remain a surprise.

I make careful considerations before choosing the winning movie. The following is a list of criteria I look for in a movie for Scary Movie Night:

1) It must be scary. I want our guests to be on the edge of their seats.

2) The movie can't be rated R. This seriously limits the options, but there are plenty of scary PG-13 movies out there. I just make a little extra effort to create a tense environment...ie: always turn the lights out...or sneak outside during the movie and rattle the windows...etc.

3) I prefer a movie that I think most of our guests probably have not seen. Any scary movie will be scarier the first time you see it because you don't know what is coming.

In the past year we joined Netflix so I now have a deeper library of movies to choose from. This year's movie should be a doozy. It is fairly different than the movies we watched in the previous years. I think that will help keep Scary Movie Night fresh. Jodi has not even seen the movie yet, so that will be fun.

G

Oak Glen

We went to Oak Glen yesterday and while we can say that Carson had a great time mommy and daddy wished it had

been about 20 degrees cooler! It is the middle of October and we are still enduring 90 degree weather. Grandma and grandpa braved the large crowds with us and we ended up at Los Rios Ranch. We went to the "original" Riley's Farm first and it lacked activities for a toddler - knife throwing and Tomahawk throwing I didn't want in Carson's repertoire. So we ventured to Los Rios where we told there was a great BBQ and a kiddie ranch. The BBQ was good, but waiting about 45 minutes to enjoy it drained us and we hadn't even seen any pumpkins yet to Carson's dismay. After lunch we headed to the kiddie ranch where Carson chased goats, tried waking up a very large pig, fed a llama, and climbed a haystack pyramid. We, of course, couldn't leave until he had ridden the pony. He was concentrating very hard as he rode.

It was a very nice day, but we did learn a couple of things. Next time, we will be certain to go on a cooler day. It is just not the same checking out pumpkins and apples on a hot and crowded day. We would have wished for there to be less people but that is a catch 22. If we went on a week day, many of the activities wouldn't have been open. Last year, we went to the Oak Glen Village and really enjoyed the activities for Carson and the restaurant. We would like to see the more colonial Riley's Farm and a couple more ranches in Oak Glen before deciding which place is the best. For now, the village is pretty high on our list.

Cowboy Carson

Carson really does love horses...We visited Tom's Farms last weekend and the Cope family had a great time. When riding the horse on the carousel he would make the "hehehe" horse sound as he circled towards daddy, grandad, and grandmom. Although he loved riding the horses, his favorite part was the train ride - the "yellow train" that he rode with Grandad and Grandmom. We were very impressed with the train - it was actually worth our money. It went a long distance and at a nice speed. It was our first time visiting Tom's Farms and it will certainly be a place we return to. We love the Fall - even though it doesn't feel like it yet. Oak Glen is next on our list.