Kreative Blog Award...

...has been passed along to me by the lovely Linds (The Alexanders) and though I am not the best nor "kreative" blogger, that was sweet of her to think of me. I am to list 7 things I love and pass it along to another blogger. My "love" list could go on and on, so it was hard to narrow it down. Here goes...

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1st - My darling Hubby and our cutie patootie 19 month old son... These two boys bring so much joy to my life and I am reminded everyday of how blessed I am to be called Charlie's wife and Cohen's mommy...

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2nd - Sleep... I love to get some zzz's and probably too much sometimes. It's not long after we put Cohen to bed, that I am headed to mine. Sometimes I dread going to bed because I know morning will soon arrive, which I hate to get up. On Sunday, after Church naps are the best either with Cohen or on the couch.

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3rd - Diet Coke... My favorite drink and a must have everyday. I know I drink way too much of it and should replace it with more water, but I just cant resist once I see it in the fridge.

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4th - Blogs and Facebook... Two things I love most about the Internet, which I have become addicted to. I love to read and catch up on other peoples blogs. Seeing what is going on in their lives. And FB, well I think it is just darn wonderful to be able to connect with so many. You can wish someone happy birthday that you hadn't seen since 4th grade, offer up a prayer when someone post a request and see all the pictures of old and new friends.....

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5th - Music... There is nothing like driving in your car and a great song comes on the radio. Turn the volume up and sing at the top of your lungs. I don't care who sees me, it could be their first laugh of the day. Although you probably wouldn't want to be in the car with me, not the best singer. But I love ALL kinds of music from a great 80's hit to a perfect worship song.

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6th - Our parents... Charlie and I are both so blessed to have such wonderful and loving parents. They have been such a big support and we know they are always there for us. These great parents have been nothing short of spectacular grandparents to Cohen. Which makes us feel double blessed for the love they express to our son...
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7th - My Life Group... To have only known this group for a short period of time, I am so thankful that God has brought them into my life. To be surrounded with such wonderful people who share, pray and laugh with, has been such a huge blessing.

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Let's see if Amy, Heather and Jennifer will accept this award!

Thought I would leave you with a picture of our lovable pistol a year ago. Hard to believe the changes in this little guy!

Child Dedication

Sunday, we had our baby/child dedication at Church and we were glad to have the Grandparents join us. Our little handsome guy did really good. I was little nervous on how he would act while we waited to be called up. We provided them with some pictures, which they put together a sweet video of all the children being dedicated. After a prayer, Cohen received a certificate and a little blue bible.

Having Cohen dedicated was something that we knew we wanted to do at some point. I know that we don't have to do it but as a Christian, I feel it is a privilege to offer our child back to God. He has blessed Charlie and I with such a wonderful bundle of joy but with that comes a big responsibility. Children are a gift from God in which they belong to him. I believe we, as parents, are the caretakers over the children that God has blessed us with and He will hold us accountable one day.

My heart desire is that we will be godly role models for Cohen and to see God's will carried out in his life. I pray that he will know Christ and to value the good gifts God has given us!

Visit to Dr. Lookadoo!

Today was Cohen's check-up. I have to say that I was a very proud mommy because he did so well through the visit. Little impatient at times but did not cry as much as the last visit. The Doc was very pleased with our little man and his progress. He now weighs 24 lbs 10 oz (28%) and is 34 1/4 inches (89%). Doctor is pretty sure that he will be taller than his mommy which I hope. Love him either way! We had a good time while waiting in the room. We danced around, sang the alphabet, and did whatever we could to occupy this toddler's mind and time. He only had to get one shot today, which I was glad but it still breaks my heart to see him cry in pain. A tweety bird band-aid was placed on and that seemed to catch his attention. After putting on his pants, he kept wanting to look at his Boo-Boo. He thanked the nurse and was ready to get out of there.

"begging to escape" "dancing on the squares"

"playing the search and find game" Here is a little clip from our visit. Running crazy and it appears that he is pointing out the blue square (at least that is what mommy is hearing)

Uh Oh! Where's the noodle...

Funny story that I just had to share with you. Last night, I prepared Shrimp Alfredo for dinner and it was yummy! It must have been yummy to Cohen too because he was going to town on the noodles (spaghetti noodles without alfredo sauce that is). As we were enjoying this meal, I looked over at Cohen and noticed that he had a booger hanging out of his nose (don't mean to gross out anyone). Well, I have to admit that I have this thing with Cohen's boogers, ever since he was a baby, and I have to get it out. After getting a tissue, I bent down to retrieve this booger and to my surprise, it was a noodle. A noodle in my son's nose! Of course I tried getting it and every time I would go for it, it would go back further. It apparently wasn't bothering Cohen, he kept on eating. I was thinking to myself, should I be freaking out about this? I mean, it is just a noodle. I went to get the nasal aspirator in which it didn't work either. The next thing I know, it was gone! I was telling myself that he will be O.K., after all it was just a noodle. A few minutes later, I said bless you to Cohen and the noodle arrived back. All clear!

19 months

It is so hard to believe that in five short months, our little man will be turning 2. Everyday I wonder where the time is going. Sometimes I find myself watching Cohen and think, do I really have a child? It is so amazing and such a wonderful blessing from God!!!

Sunday, Cohen turned 19 months. Not sure of the current weight and height but we will find out this Thursday for what should have been his 18 month check up. But I know he has changed since his 15 month visit. He's a growing little boy...

Two words to describe this little guy is "LOVABLE PISTOL"......He can be so lovable, then turn around and be a fuss bucket, which I know is normal for this age. He has his moments but overall is a good little boy. I could probably list tons of things about him but I will share just a few.

-learning to sing the alphabet

-says "love you" back

-putting words together

-attached to his pacifier

-favorite food right now is grapes

-loves to read book after book

-sleeping through the night

-loves to rub your neck

Hello Spring....

Although it had a little chill, the weekend was beautiful! Friday when I arrived home from my fun shopping trip at Hobby Lobby, I found my boys outside. I've said it before but Cohen loves being outside. The way he pronounces it is way too cute! We had to beg him to come inside to eat dinner. The rest of our Friday night would be just a normal night, however, I was feeling a little crafty. I had purchased some paintable Easter eggs that I wanted to put in Cohen's Easter basket so after getting him to bed, I sat myself at the table and began. I was having so much fun, I think I could have painted dozens. Don't get me wrong, I am not a artist so its not like I had to be creative, I just painted them solid colors. But the colors turned out really neat, not your typical Easter colors. After catching up on my Grey's (Love that show), I turned in for the evening.

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Waking up to a cool, sunny Saturday, Cohen and I headed out to Wal-mart (Linds, I am a devoted Wal-Martian too). Later, Grandma and Papa stopped by to visit Little Man and to enjoy a little outside time. He was super excited when he saw them pulling up. He had Grandma laying in the grass, walking everywhere and blowing bubbles. Signs for a much needed nap were starting to show and he wasn't too happy that they were leaving.

After dropping Cohen off at GG and Pops for the night, Charlie and I went to hang out with a couple from our church, Dan and Amber, to have dinner and enjoy some laughter with some Tim Hawkins videos. This comedian is really funny and had all of us laughing, next thing you know it was getting close to 11 o'clock. But we had a really great time hanging out with them. Thank you Dan and Amber for your hospitality and we look forward to getting together again!

Unfortunately, the weekend was coming to an end and after Church, we headed over to GG and Pops to enjoy a steak lunch and pick up our little man. The afternoon would turn out to be very relaxing and before turning in for the evening, we had a little more time outside.

Big Boy Room!

Even though it isn't time for Cohen to be moved into what I call "his big boy room" yet, I still have been planning it out. I have truly enjoyed it and get very excited about the day it will be finished. My goal is to have it finished for his 2nd birthday in August, which knowing me it will be done beforehand. After I decided on the theme, I started browsing online and in magazines for ideas. The theme is "transportation" which I feel like it is more appropriate now since this boy is always on the go or moving. I wasn't having any luck in the bedding part until I spotted one that I really loved. Of course, it is more then what I really wanted to spend, so month after month, I waited for it be put on sale. I would literally go online on a daily basis to see if it had happened and finally in December, it did and I made that purchase. I have also been looking for decor for the room so on my way home I needed to make a quick stop at Hobby Lobby and I ran across some great buys. Everything was 50% off, gotta love that! I got really excited when I saw a red tractor, which Cohen loves tractors, and a cute old truck that was a frame. Thought these would go along perfect with a metal airplane that hangs from the ceiling and the US wall art that I absolutely adore, plus it is educational.

I would love to get my fellow bloggers opinion on one thing though. We are having a hard decided on what the wall color should be. You can see a little in the bedding picture below that it is a shade of yellow. I kind of like it but the "daddy" does not. So please pass along your opinion on what you think might look good. Also, if you have any other cool decor ideas, love to hear those as well. Thanks!

I am really looking forward to being able to put all these items together in a few months and see how it turns out! Hopefully as cute as I imagine it would be.

No "show" for us gals......

from left to right: me, Crystal, Kristen, Amy and Lauree

....we'd rather chit-chat!!!!! Something that girls love to do. We got together for our fifth monthly girls dinner last night at Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse. Since this was the first time I had ever been there, I didn't realize that it was one where they cooked in front of you. That explained why we couldn't be seated until everyone arrived, silly me. We weren't sure who might still pop in, so they graciously put a few tables together in their bar section, however, he said we would miss "The Show". We laughed and said that would be fine because we were here to chat. And it worked out perfectly, even though no one else showed up. The waiter patiently waited on us while we were catching up instead of looking at the menus. He finally told us, after a few trips to the table, that he would come back once he saw all the menus closed. LOL. It didn't take long for our food to arrive and "IT WAS GOOD"!!! We had this small plate with one of those little dishes that holds your sauce. I informed the waiter that I will need more than one dish of the "Pink Sauce" and to just to pour it on the small plate. Not sure why he wouldn't do that but he did bring me another small dish. I "heart" that pink sauce! It appears that Japanese food, preferably Hibachi Shrimp, is hitting the top of one of my favorite things to eat. I was the one that kept her plate long after he removed the others. Can I say Little Miss Piggy? Well besides the food, getting to hang out with the girls and chatting for a few hours, was just as wonderful. It is fun getting to share and hear all the things going on with one another. I believe that girl time brings a lot of laughter which is the perfect medicine....

A break in the floor....

After a long day at work on Friday, Cohen and I picked dinner up on the way home. Following that quick meal, the boys enjoyed some playtime while I started cleaning around the house. Which was something I had to get done before our dinner guests would arrive Saturday night. You see, I am not a procrastinator, however, these days I seem to be one when it comes to getting the cleaning done. As I was finishing the kitchen, the boys joined me and we decided to take a break in the kitchen floor of all places. Thank goodness it was clean (lol)! I decided to call it quits after the fun time and good laughs we were having.

The cleaning, along with a quick trip the grocery store, was completed before our guests, Lindsay and Freddie arrived for dinner Saturday night. Lindsay and I were roommates and she is such a sweet friend that I had lost contact with over the years. I am very thankful that we have reconnected and look forward to many more get-togethers. It is fun to watch Cohen's reaction to new faces and he seemed to take a liking to Lindsay and Freddie. At first he was a little shy but shortly after, he was wanting to play and show them his room. Cohen appears to be a people person and this is one characteristic that I hope sticks with him. We truly enjoyed their company and hope they did too even though their entertainment consisted of a 18 month old and his toys. A major regret of mine was that I did not take any pictures of our evening so hopefully next time, I will not forget. Lindsay and Freddie, you guys are welcomed to the Gibson house anytime.....

Buddha Belly

For several months now, we have joked around with Cohen and his adorable Buddha belly. We will tell him to rub the Buddha and it just tickles all three of us. Lately, I started realizing how slim our little man is getting and the Buddha doesn't stick out as much as it use too. It is so amazing to watch your child grow everyday and the changes that take place. I know one day his little Buddha belly will be long gone!!!

Laugh Out Loud!

Last night at my Life Group class, we enjoyed some social time with yummy pizza and good laughs. We had been warned by our leader to get ready to laugh our butts (sorry GG) off, so I was really curious of what we were being introduced to. We could always enjoy some good laughs and that my friend, was what we received. I had never heard of this guy before but he is a Christian Comedian and one that puts on a good show. It is really nice to enjoy and listen to a comedy act that offers hilarious stuff but with clean lines if you know what I mean. I was able to find parts of the video that we watched on YouTube and thought I would to share it with you. Everybody has a different sense of humor but I hope you enjoy a good laugh. (Pause music at the bottom to hear videos)

Planted a Smile...

...on my face is what my wonderful parents did today!!! Shortly after arriving to work from a doctor visit, I received this beautiful arrangement. Can I say how thoughtful and sweet! Of course I called them right away to say thank you and there wasn't any particular reason, she said just because they wanted me to know that I am very special to them and they love me.... Awwwww! It is such a wonderful feeling to know that I am loved and blessed in so many ways!

Park and A Sandbox later,

To get out and enjoy this beautiful weather, yesterday GG and Pops took Cohen to one of the local parks. I have a good feeling he is going to "heart" these playgrounds. To be able to run somewhat freely, explore all and meet other children is something all kids should have the opportunity to do. He even met a few girls at the park too! We might have to keep an eye on this little man, he is becoming a flirt....

Something that GG and Pops couldn't wait to get for Cohen to play in is a Sandbox. Today was the day! He seemed to "heart" it as well and managed to eat a little too.

Between the parks, our pool and all these fun outdoorsy things, Cohen is going to have a fun summer!

The Time Change

Although we lost an hour Saturday night (which I have to say, it never has effected me), we have gained more daylight and that makes me a happy girl. The past several days, we have been able to enjoy some nice warm weather and it really puts you in the summer mood. You know it is getting warm outside when you are driving home from work, arrive into your neighborhood and see all the kids outside playing, people working in their yards, a group playing basketball in the cul-de-sac and families riding their bikes. It's like we have emerged from hibernation or something. But we all know it isn't here to stay for now, after tomorrow, we will be experiencing some more cold weather and rain but that is OK, it is not like we can change it or something. Plus, in about 3 or 4 months, we will start wishing that Fall would arrive.

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But having this extra daylight is going to be nice. Since I work full time and after picking Cohen up, we don't arrive home until 5:45 to 6:00 o'clock. With the few hours that we do have left before bedtime, it allows us to get out and not be confined to inside. I will probably allow him to stay up a little later so that we can have more time with him. And since he loves the outside, then that is probably where we will be on these beautiful days.

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So after dinner last night, we headed outside to do just that. We enjoyed running around, chatting with the Johnsons across street, and as usual, try to keep Cohen out of the street. I am really looking forward to more nights like these....

Some Great Advice......

Today, I received this email from a friend of mine and thought I would share it with you.

A Great Recipe for a peace-filled life in 2009

1. Take a 10 to 30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for______________'
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

I WONDER WHAT OUR DAYS WOULD BE LIKE IF WE ACTUALLY PUT THIS ADVICE INTO ACTION (although "I" would have to skip part of No. 5, lol)....HOPE YOU HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Beautiful and a yucky Weekend!

So this weekend did not turn out like I planned. Along with this beautiful weather we had, my yucky sinuses decided to make an appearance. It all started Friday at work and my throat felt so raw. And poor little man, I believe he is going to take after his momma. But the good thing so far, he has only managed to have the runny nose. Having the intentions of getting some cleaning and organization done in the house, well that didn't happen. Although, I did wake up Saturday feeling a little better and started with a few things around the house, while Charlie worked around the pool and yard. Later, Cohen and I met Grandma and Papa out to do a little shopping and enjoy the gorgeous Saturday. I was able to get a few errands done. First, I purchased Cohen's adorable Easter outfit. Here is a little peek!

To go along with the Easter outfit, I was on a mission to find "the" Easter basket. I was not too successful with this one, although I did manage to purchase one just in case if the right one does not come along. You see, last month, I purchased a basket cover from PBK that I planned on using every year. It is adorable and displays his name on it. I decided not to purchase the actual basket from them, 1) a little pricey I think and 2) was for sure I would be able to find one that would fit the cover, well I might be regretting it because I have not found one that does. I figured the one I got, even though it doesn't have the depth needed, would work for this year and then start the search again (unless I come across one that is or talk myself in ordering the one from PBK). Here is what they look like, Cohen's is the one on the far left side which is seersucker and has cars going around it. It is really cute! I thought it would be fun to use the same Easter basket each year and knowing me, I will probably still use it when he reaches his twenties (lol).

Since I wasn't having much luck in the basket search, we headed over to check out some lounge chairs that I had been eyeing. Last year, I waited too long in hope that the ones I wanted would go on sale. Of course, they were all gone and I just was not going to allow this to happen again. This beautiful weather just put me in the mood and I made the purchase. Along with the two lounge chairs, I got a small table to sit between them and a cute flip flop outdoor mat. Doesn't it make you ready to wear flip flops?

I was glad I did get to enjoy some of the weekend and the beautiful weather, because Sunday I woke up feeling worse. Since we had missed the past two Sundays at Church, I was not going to let it happen again. So after Church and a quick lunch, I wasn't good for nothing. I felt like my head was going to explode and all I could do was lay around. My hubby is the best though, he took care of Cohen so that I could rest (even though the race was on) and fixed dinner for me.

Even though it brings on the allergies and sinuses, I do love this nice warm weather. It has given me the spring/summer fever but we know it isn't here to stay. I am sure we still have a little more winter to deal with and that is O.K. because summer will be here before we know it and I want to enjoy TODAY as much as I can..... Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Happy Birthday Da-Da!

Last night, we gathered at GG and Pops to celebrate Charlie's birthday. GG cooked a wonderful and delicious meal (as always), which consisted of some of Charlie's favorites. After cake and ice cream, opening presents, being entertained by Cohen and enjoying each other's company, we all headed home.

Charlie, we hope you had a great birthday! Enjoy the last year in your twenties! I can't wait until next year.....LOL!!!

Too many candles to add, so we settled for the number candles! lol.

Cohen loves to help open the presents!

Yes I know, he is adorable and sweet!!!

My best friend!

Cohen loves hanging with the Boys, although this time, he would not allow Uncle Clark in the picture.

It actually Snowed!

and I was really excited about it because Cohen was going to get to see snow (of course a 4 1/2 month old wouldn't remember last years snow day). Since we didn't get to celebrate Charlie's birthday Sunday night due to the weather, he and I headed home while Cohen stayed the night at GG and Pops. I was a little disappointed, well more than little and it is pretty sad, but we had lost our satellite signal until morning. But we managed. Charlie got plenty of PS3 time and I pulled out a movie I hadn't seen in years. We thought we would have to go into work at some point on Monday but luckily for us, it worked out for us to have the day off. We were ready to go see our little man and his first real adventure out in the snow. Prior to us getting there, he had already made his way out and was truly enjoying it.

"Our Little Red Nose Cutie Pie"

"All bundle up and don't you love his shoe cover ups? Something the Gibson Boys are familiar with. Great Idea GG!"

"Attempting his first Snow Angel"

Here are a few pictures from our home

Now that we have had our little bit of snow, I have to say that I was very thankful for it, loved and enjoyed it, But I am now officially ready for spring and summer to arrive. Ready to take a few dips in that pool......