New Wheels

What started as a scheduled oil change and a date turned out to be a day to test drive cars.  We found one that we loved, and they made us an offer we couldn't refuse!  

My birthday  month continues in a big way!!! 

First Day of School, Again.

On the Monday after the older boys started school, Evan had an "open house" at his school.  I wish we could've just started with a regular day, as this was basically a day to bring extra clothes and check out the classroom and have a snack, while the parents sat around and chatted.  (Parents had to stay the whole time.)  The ONLY reason I'm glad they had this day is that I TOTALLY forgot about picking up the form from the doctor and ran over to the office while another mom watched Evan.)  

These two buddies are in the same class again!

Evan and his teachers, Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Pryor.

Evan's First Day of Preschool at Covenant Presbyterian.
August 30, 2016
Mrs. Paige Allen & Mrs. Mandy Pryor

Favorites:
color: green and red
subject: play time
TV Show: Rock the Prank
Toy: my animals--all of them
Movie: Star Wars--the Kilo Ren one
Book: Disneyland Autograph Book

When I grow up, I want to be a parent.

Head Full of Dreams

Another birthday celebration, Stephen and I were able to travel to Dallas for a weekend away.  (THANK YOU, AUNTIE DEB!!!)

We stayed with Jordan and Julia and headed out on the town.

Dinner at The Melting Pot. This was my first time there, and I loved it!!!  I'm glad my first time was with a group, so we were able to sample more flavors.

The traffic to the stadium was HORRIBLE.  Add in a stopped train, blocking even more traffic, plus road closures, we weren't sure we'd ever make it.  We hopped out of the car to snag a parking spot, moved some cones, and got the car in one of the last available in one of the most expensive lots I've ever heard of!!!  But, at least we all made it to the concert.

Stephen and I waited and WAITED for our concert t-shirts!

So excited for the show to start!

Setlist:

1. A Headful of Dreams

2. Yellow

3. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

4. Scientist

5. Birds

6. Paradise

The light up wrist bands were amazing, as was all kinds of light shows, fireworks, paper confetti and birds, balls, and balloons! 

B-Stage:
7. Always in My Head
8. Magic
9. Everglow

A-Stage

10. Clocks

11. Midnight

12. Charlie Brown

13. Hymn for the Weekend

14. Fix You

15. "Heroes," (David Bowie cover)

16. Viva la Vida

17. Adventure of a Lifetime....(Chris messed up lyrics and had to start over....)

C-Stage

Kaleidoscope

18. Don't Panic

19. In My Place

20. Til Kingdom Come

A-Stage
21. Amazing Day
22. A Sky Full of Stars *plus the middle surprise singing of Happy Birthday to You!
23. Up&Up



This was SUCH an amazing night!!!  One of the best concerts I've ever been to!  More happy birthday to me!!

Mel's Birthday

I had an amazing 37th birthday!  Stephen was post-call, so we got to spend the day together.  A friend was kind enough to watch Evan, so we were able to go to lunch.  The best part of it was the cheesecake with roasted strawberries on top.  

I came home to some beautiful flowers from a BFF and opened some awesome presents.  The boys each got me a travel sized perfume.  I also got an iPod shuffle and 2 more new perfumes to try.  

As a family, we went to Chuy's to enjoy some great food during the annual Hatch Green Chile Festival.  The best part of the night was the tres leches cake!!!  

I'm so grateful for birthdays, especially now.  Each year I get to spend with my family is  truly a gift!

First Day of School

We finally made it to the first day of school!

The boys were so excited---to wear new clothes and shoes, to see their classrooms, to meet new friends, and to get going with something new.

We all walked Ryan to his class first!  

Then, Kyle was next.  

I got quite teary to leave the boys there.  This is probably the first year I've really cried.  I was so emotional, and Evan asked what was wrong.  I just told him, "I miss your brothers."  

"I miss them, too," he added.  

We needed something to cheer us up, so we made a trip to HEB and sampled goodies and bought ALL.THE.HATCH.THINGS!!!!!

The boys loved their first day!!!

Back to School Party 3

We have some amazingly cool neighbors!  The Saturday before school started, they put together a neighborhood party.  Technically, these neighbors are in another cul-de-sac, so we rode over and crashed the party when we drove home from our ward's Back to School Party at a local pool, saw all the fun.  It was nice to get to actually talk to several of the people I've only waved to as I drove past or just greeted in passing on the way to pick up kids from school.

The boys had a great time, even though the weather tried not to cooperate.  Several times it started to rain, so we scrambled to unplug the fans and move them inside the garage and wait for the rain to let up before starting the fun all over again.

Another neighbor put together a huge slip-n-slide on  his yard, which was another winner for the kids (and something the moms were freaking out about, hoping no one broke a bone!!)  

I told my new neighbor friends we'd be crashing their parties from now on, and she answered, "the rule about our parties is, come on down.  As long as you're having fun and being safe, you get to stay."

We sure wore Evan out.  After swimming in the morning and playing all afternoon, he could hardly stay awake for dinner! 

Back to School Party

We've been trying to find a time to get together with some of our Cypress friends all summer, but it never worked out between vacations and other scheduling conflicts.  Thankfully, we were able to make something happen the last Friday before school started!

First, we met up with some peeps at Monkey Joe's.

What would a trip to Monkey Joe's be without lunch at Freddy's, which is in the same parking lot?

Then, some of us went back to Ash's pool to swim.  So. Many. Boys!!

Mine just HAD to make a few videos:

I love that these boys haven't seen each other in two years, but picked up right where they left!

We miss our peeps!!!!

Silly Evan

Evan is quite a character.  

One day, he found these sunglasses and wore them EVERYWHERE for a few weeks!  People would say, "I like your pink sunglasses," and he would quickly correct them.  "No.  They're orange AND pink sunglasses!"  (Then, Claire came back to visit and reclaimed HER orange AND pink sunglasses.)

One night after a shower, Evan came in with this pirate's patch over his eye.  I think he wore it in the shower "to protect his eye from the shampoo."  

Crazy kid!

Meet the Teacher

 The boys were excited to get their teacher cards in the mail a few days before Meet the Teacher night.  Kyle had several friends in his homeroom!  Then, a few days later, we learned that Kyle was going to be moved into a new 3rd grade class which opened up due to enrollment numbers going up.  He was a little disappointed, but still excited to be on the same team.


Ryan was excited to see his classroom with Mrs. Lake.

We visited his class first!

Kyle has Mrs. Rhine for homeroom and found a few friends in that class.  He was still disappointed, but feeling a little better.

One of his teachers wasn't able to make the night, as she was helping her college-aged child move into dorms several states away.

He was able to meet Mrs. Simmons, the teacher he was supposed to have for homeroom, in her classroom, which was still empty!  (She gave her completed classroom over to the new teacher and volunteered to move into the formerly empty one when the new section was opened.)

We couldn't resist visiting our old teachers.  Mrs. Grant loved seeing Ryan and said she'd just been thinking about him.  It also cracked me up that several of the Kinder teachers thought Ryan belonged down there until someone who knew him from last year mentioned he already did Kindergarten!

Next, we went back to the 2nd grade hall and saw Mrs. Bingaman and out to the portables for a visit with Mrs. Sullivan.  I got to see the class gift they gave her last year.  Kyle's hands are on the top of the heart, above the "S."  Every teacher will be compared to Mrs. Sullivan, and I got a little teary and sentimental thinking about how loved Kyle was last year, how much he loved her back, and how he was starting off 3rd grade with disappointment.  

It was nice to meet the teachers, drop off school supplies, and enjoy the last few days of summer.

Gwen

Stephen crossed off a major concert off his concert bucket list when we finally saw his beloved Gwen Stefani in the Woodlands.  He had tickets to see No Doubt back in the 90's, when they canceled to be on one of the late night talk shows.  She's always been the one that got away, and he finally saw her...and brought me and Jordan along.


It started POURING rain while we were walking up to the pavilion and waiting to get inside.

Gwen was awesome.  I LOVED her hair, and I think she and I could be great friends.  I love her sense of humor, especially when she had a costume malfunction.  She kept saying things like, "this is truth. You are getting to witness the first wardrobe malfunction of my tour.  I'm keepin' it real.  I can't believe you all came out, even in this weather!  We are going to have an amazing show!"

She's gorgeous and funny, can connect with thousands of strangers, and can still sing....20 years later. No wonder she's Stephen's celebrity crush.

Here's some samples of some of my favorite songs of the night.

The setlist:

1. "Red Flag"
2. "Wind It Up"
3. "Baby Don't Lie"
4. "Obsessed"
5. "Where Would I Be?"
6. "Cool"
7. "Make Me Like You"
8. "Underneath it All"
9. "Misery"
10. "Luxurious"
11. "Harajuku Girls" / "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (with Eve)
12. "Rich Girl" (with Eve)
13. "Hella Good"
14. "Rare"
15. "What You Waiting For?"
16. "It's My Life"
17. "Asking 4 It"
18. "Don't Speak"
19. "Naughty"
20. "Used to Love You"
21. "Hollaback Girl"

Encore

22. "Truth"
23. "Just a Girl"
24. "The Sweet Escape"

The 90's reunion concert series continues.....

Cooper Fam Portraits

A major thing Timee wanted to do while the whole family was in town was take portraits. The heat of August makes it hard to take outdoor pictures, so we all met at Grandpa's and Grandma's home.  The three 2010 babies had a sleepover the night before.  

It's not easy to get a good photo with so many people, many of them children, but it turned out well!

Grandparents with their grandchildren.

The original six.  

Our little family.