A few random pictures

Sometimes when I am talking to my sister on the phone, she will tell me she just saw a flash of red fly through her yard.  She often sees cardinals in this bush in her neighbors yard.  I was glad to finally get to see one.  I could not believe how red they were.  So pretty.

Breakfast and Butterflies.  When we arrived in Michigan, my sister was housing some caterpillars (recently turned into cocoons) and every morning these kids would check to see if we had some butterflies.

 

A little wrestling fun with Uncle Shae.

    Cooper enjoying a little bit of warmer weather in Shelly’s swing.

 

Pizza Papalis

I have been hearing from my husband, my sister, and my mom for years that this was the best place to get pizza.  It was so good. In fact, looking at the pictures is making me a bit hungry.

 

The kids had fun watching the cooks behind us.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of them throwing the dough way up in the air.  It was so fun to have  good food with great company.

Detroit

In my visits to Michigan, we had always stayed outside of the city.  This trip was the first time I ever saw downtown Detroit. We wanted to take the kids to ride the people mover, walk by the river, see the city, and wave to Canada.  I was a little sad to realize that a lot of the buildings downtown were vacant and worn down.  This is a picture of the old train depot.  I believe they are planning on restoring this one.

The Fox Theatre.  Charlie Sheen was on the marquee for that night.  We read on the internet the next day that he said some thing rude and got booed off the stage. 

Ford Field

 

Tigers Stadium.

Michelle’s family loves to come see the Tigers play, and last time when Aaron was visiting without me, (he went for a continuing education class) he went to a game with them.  He had a great time, and wanted to take us all to a game this trip, but it just happened to be the first game of the season and the tickets were ridiculously pricey.

     Posers-Rachel and Paige, waiting for the people mover to come pick us up.

The Renaissance Center, also know as GM headquarters.  We walked through and saw some cars, the kids loved the cool couches, and then headed outside to walk by the river. 

 

 

Rachel got Cooper to wear her sunglasses for a minute.

  

Cooper, Paige, Carson, Morgan, and Zach

 

Me, Michelle, and Meghan in front of the Detroit River. On the other side of the river is Windsor, Canada.

 

 

This picture is just so Aaron and I can have a funny memory.

 

 

These two boys were wishing Grandpa Rich was around, so they could have got him with their pinecones.  (Grandpa does that to them all the time when we are hiking or camping.)

 

Back on the People Mover, headed to dinner.  Do you like how our little gentlemen sit in the spots reserved for the elderly and handicapped??

Me, Michelle, Shae, and Rachel in the back

 

Cooper and Meghan

Pistons Game

Our first day in Michigan we went to a Pistons game.   I wasn’t sure if my daughters would enjoy it, but they had a great time. 

Carson was cracking me up.  He would cheer “Pistons Win, Bulls Loose!”  He was still feeling a little yucky, so I was glad he was enjoying himself.

 

Michelle and Cooper made friends fast.  We were worried he would be scared and not want anything to do with them, but he warmed right up.

Paige, Morgan, and Rachel

Even with all that cheering, those Bulls still won.

 

Meghan and Cooper

Layover

For Spring Break this year, we took a little trip to Michigan to see my sister and her family.  My kids were so excited it had been a long time since they had been on plane.  Paige and Carson could not remember the last time they had flown.  I was really excited to watch Carson, because he is really into airplanes and how they work.  Unfortunately the morning we left he woke up with a stomach ache, and just didn’t feel good enough to care about what we were doing.  I felt so bad as we were up in the air and he was pretty uncomfortable,  I had no medicine or any way to really help him.  I was actually relieved when we landed and he had some “air sickness” (that went all over him, me, and his backpack.) 

Here we are hanging out in Houston waiting for our flight to Detroit. 

 

Cooper

It has been a while since I have done a post just on Cooper.  We can’t believe he is getting big so fast.  Morgan, Paige, and Carson are so good with him,  even when he pulls hair and messes up their rooms every time he walks in them.  Here are a few of his latest tricks.

This little boy loves his blankets.  He tries to carry them everywhere he goes, and whenever he sees them on the floor, he lays down and rubs his face in them.  I should have taken a picture, but it cracks me up when I walk by his crib and see a blanket halfway pulled between the slats.  He wants them out, but can’t quite do it himself.

  

Cooper is super messy right now. I don’t know if I should just give up on cleaning, because he is constantly going through all the drawers and bookshelves and unloading everything.

 

A couple of my favorite boys.  Cooper’s hair is always little wild.  It lays down nice after a bath, but after he has a nap this is how lovely it looks.

  

Sleepy Boy.

 

Dangerous new tricks.  He is climbing everywhere now, such a painful age.  It seems he always has a bruise on his head from falling or running into something.

      

Whenever I need to get something done, we pull out the Spiderman chair and turn on Baby Einsteins.  It usually gives me 15 minutes or so to get some of his destruction cleaned up.

 

He is turning into such a busy little guy, we can’t wait for summer till we can just let him loose in the backyard.

I have to add, that I am so grateful for my other kiddos and how willing they are to help me out with this little tornado. 

A little bit of soccer

Carson played soccer for the first time this year.  He really had a fun time.  I wish my camera would have taken better pictures, but it was far away and he was moving way too fast.   After the first game he figured out he really liked to be goalie…a lot less running.  He was pretty good at it, and from then on he would beg and beg his coach for that spot every time.  

     

I love how he waits out his time on the “bench.”  He didn’t mind taking a break at all.  When he got tired he would head over and tell his coach he needed a little rest.

We had a great time watching this cute little team play each week.