2008... WE MADE IT!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....that is what 2007 was to me. I guess I can now officially call it a new year since it's Jan 1 but I have to admit, I have been pretending my new year started Sept 19th when Cooper was born. As you all know, besides the best thing that ever happened to me (Cooper), 2007 was the worst year of my life. It's strange how such terrible things can happen and then the best thing...all in the first 9 months of a year. While I was able to enjoy a wonderful pregnancy, it got so distracted by the drama that became my life. So, I put behind me: Tampa, Moffitt Cancer Center and all things related to leukemia, ICU, moving, buying and selling a home in today's market, dysfunctional family who continued to be consistently dysfunctional as I dealt with the illness and then death of a parent, the initial shock and early stages of grief of losing my dad, bereavement/mass cards and people coming out of the woodwork to give pity and sympathy. From this year I gained: - a wonderful son, God truly blessed us when he gave us Cooper, I would do it all again and more if I had to in order to have this precious little boy. - a closer relationship with real friends and family who last year I learned will always answer the phone to listen, jump on a plane to see you when you need them the most and cry with you when that's all you can do. - a stronger marriage....what didn't kill us made us stronger and I can't image my life journey without Rob and the many lessons we have learned together. - a nephew :) - about 20 plus pounds that I let myself put on due to the stress and pregnancy that now I can't believe it let myself do when now almost 3 years ago before my wedding I was running 5 miles a day! ACK! So.....good riddance 2007, I made it to 2008!

Friends and Family

For the past few days we have been visiting with friends and family who wanted to meet at downtown Disney. We did well with the crowds and the traffic to get around there but it's definatly better to go off season. Cooper was great and made it through dinner at noisy resturants 2 nights in a row. We must have worn him out because he slept for 11 hours last night! I haven't slept in that long in a long time and boy does it feel good!

Merry Christmas!

Home Improvements

I have no idea why I can not relax. I am on vacation but while Cooper sleeps, I can't just work on my last minute Christmas needs, oh no, I must install a new pendent lamp over the kitchen bar, put a dimmer switch on the chandelier and re-landscape the pool area. When did I become an electrician and a landscaper you ask..since I watch waaaaayyyyy too much HGTV and think I can do it all. Now I still need to do the paint trim touch ups, remodel the hall bath.....the list of a homeowner in an older home goes on and on. I never did this stuff in our new construction townhouse! Honestly, I only got electrocuted one time so I think I really can do it all! :)

3 months old

Baby it's cold outside

Finally the cooler weather has arrived. Last night we went for a family dinner out to Longhorn and we took The Coop out in the cold weather. I over bundled him though and he was hot by the end of the trip but...he was a good boy as always. This morning we took a run out to the stores and wore more than just our usual Florida attire :) Thanks to Auntie Robin for the awesome cable knit sweater she bought for Cooper and the shoes and overalls that little Christopher wore.

Video of Cooper watching the Pats!

Football Sunday and "terrible" weather

I woke up this morning (after Cooper slept a straight 8 hours from 10:30pm-6:30am) with excitement that we would get some cool weather and I could shut off the air conditioning. The local news was all abuzz with "VIPER" radar showing the band of storms to bring high wind gusts and cool air. "We are here for you with the latest" they told me all morning, "we aren't leaving you in case of a tornado". I look out the window, I see the sun and maybe one dark cloud. WHAT?????? It's now 10:30am, my ac is off but it's 77 degrees in my house. The sun is out and a few plants have blown over from the ONE wind gust our house got, I am desperate for nice cool air to replace the humidity. They say it's coming..we shall see. I was eager too to bake my Christmas pepperoni bread, homemade chocolate mint cookies, have football on the TV and let the cool air whip around our house. I guess I'll do it anyway with the beautiful Florida sunshine and the hope that tonight it will get cooler. As you can see..Cooper is ready for football with Daddy today. Also, see the terrible damage to our pool from the wind....Rob will spend all of 1 minute getting the one leaf out of his sparkling pool. And yes I just took this picture so you can see my "up to the minute weather forecast". (PS- I really posted the pool pic for all our family in the northeast buried in snow...we love you...come on down!)