Colorado in our hearts

When Sean and I first got married, we had three agreed on states to where we could move...Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado.  Since then, we've taken numerous trips to the other two states and obviously lived in OK.  I can honestly say some of our trips to CO have been some of our most fun memories.  The one we just got back from was no different.

Hello mountains!

Our sweet friends, Jill and Stephen, invited us to be a part of little group trip to Stephen's parents vacation house in Silverthorne, CO.  We immediately said YES!

This sweet face was ready to go

So was this one!

We packed up our kiddos, had the pleasure of a lovely riding partner, Nicole, who sacrificially sat in the backseat with two crazy, and sometimes screaming (Finley), kids.  She was awesome!  We drove through the night and arrived early Thursday morning.  And then the fun began!

There was plenty of beautiful scenery...mountains, trees, flowers.  SE loved his walks...he would try to talk anyone into going with him.  Finley stuck with Jill a lot...Fin's face would literally light up every time she locked eyes on Jill.  One time Jill was holding her and Finley started jabbering away...it was like she was telling Jill all of Fin's little secrets.

Our new friend Alison!

We celebrated...birthdays, fun friendships, sweet family time, the beauty of God's creations and life.

Not really his birthday although he did get sung to and a cake

But it was his!

Going to the mountains of Breckenridge where SE got to ride the gondola, play putt putt and climb a little snow packed mound.  These two became little buddies.  It was so fun watching their new little friendship!

We opted out of naps and bedtimes for outdoor concerts, dance parties, the "hot pool", laughter, fellowship, community.

Kind of rolling down the hill with Alison

Some new favorites, Alison and Nicole (or Miss Cole)

We got up early for sweet walks, and perhaps kind of a run, and amazing breakfasts.  We even caught a triathlon...right up our alley!

Not a bad back drop to do a triathlon

And then we had to say good-bye to CO and the mountains...but we didn't have to say good-bye to the love we got to experience, the fun memories we got to make and the high points of the trip, which for me was getting to be a part of a group who loved my family so well especially my kids.  One day Colorado we might live there, but until then, you will be in our hearts and so will the sweet friends with whom we got to experience it!

To new beginnings...

We leave our house today.  It's packed up and on a moving truck.

It may look empty, but it is quite the opposite.  It is actually full...full of love, of hope, of memories.  It's full of a lot of firsts...Of Sean's and my first home, where we came after we were married and got back from our honeymoon.  Of decorating a baby's nursery and then his big boy room.

The first home both SE and Finley were brought to after being born and coming home from the hospital.

Full of first steps, first laughs, first cries, first words...full of memories of cuddling sweet babes, story times, birthday parties, Christmases, art projects.  Golf games, baseball games, basketball and football.  Of tents being made, dance parties being had, boo boos being kissed, tears being cried, laughter ringing loud, and love, lots and lots of love.  Full of sweet mornings and good nights...one last prayer, story, cuddle, nosey kiss, I love you.  Full of the last checks on the sleeping babes before Sean and I go night night ourselves.

Full of sweet friends and one sweet, sweet family for whom I'm so incredibly thankful.  The house may look empty, but it is bursting because it's so full of love. 

And ready and waiting for the next family to make as many memories and have as much love as we did.  So long first home.  May you be ever as great to the next family as you were to us!

So in love...

With this little boy.

He makes me laugh on a daily basis...he also makes me cry...with tears of immense gratitude and joy.  Our first born who we tried for almost a year to have.  God has brought me to a new level of thankfulness for my kiddos...to where I hug them a little tighter, snuggle with them a little longer, read story after story after story because he requests it. 

Last night I was at a friend's personal shower, and my phone started ringing; it was Sean.  I let it go to voicemail, but he subsequently called back so I knew I should answer.  He had to call me because as he was getting SE ready for bed, SE started crying for "his mommy"...me...my little boy was crying for me.  Sean put SE on the phone, and we had a simple conversation of "I'll be home soon and will come say night-night".  A simple conversation that meant the world to me.

Clearly not a recent picture

The conversation ended with me telling SE I love him...his response "I love you too".  As he grows, so does my place in his life.  How he recognizes me, responds to me, which means how I recognize him and respond to him have to be done in a place of complete and utter love.  The love that I can't humanly give, but I know One greater than I can.  And does, every day, over and over again.  And because of that, I hug my little man any time he asks, read to him at his request, pause whenever I find myself impatient with his whining or behavior, encourage when he is facing something challenging, and tell him how much I love him and how proud of him I am over and over and over because even though it may seem like he's not listening, I know somewhere in his heart is.  I am so in love with him! 

Side story:  we found PUPPY!  We kind of lost him for a few weeks, but as Sean was cleaning up the backyard this morning, he found puppy under the turtle sand box lid.  SE was soooo happy to have puppy back!

Finley Cohrs

See the little sweetie...

 She's going to give me a run for my money.  It's crazy that at only 6 months, her personality is already forming, already evident.  I can tell you she's going to be a mover and a shaker...a definite Kingdom changer. 

She has a love for people.  Regardless of how tired, hungry, hot, cranky she is, the minute she sees people, she lights up in a big smile and starts looking at anyone around.  I have a feeling she's going to have the gift of prophecy...she studies people.  It makes me want to know what she's thinking.

 She is one determined little girl.  If you don't believe me, ask our friend, Jill.  At the pool the other day, Finley and Jill had a repeated "discussion" of whether Finley was going to wear the sun hat that I insisted on her wearing.  When on Finley's head, Finley was fussing; when off of Finley's head, Finley was a happy camper.  We compromised by moving to a more shaded area. 

We also compromised with a popsicle.

 She's absolutely in love with her big brother.  He makes her laugh like no other...and teaches her about climbing, throwing, getting hit in the head with golf balls, and much more.

 She does not tolerate being rocked, bounced, swayed, cuddled or held while going to sleep.  She wants to be in her bed, with her hippo and blanket.  I decided to challenge her the other day and rocked her at nap time because I wanted to hold her.  Happy to say that is one battle I won.

 She is a delight...a lovely little creature that the Lord has blessed our family with.  We are all in love with her.  And will continue to fall even more in love with her as she continues to grow.  She's a pretty cool little girl.

Finley Cohrs, we love, love, love you!

The Dada

We celebrate one great Daddy.  There are so many things...where do I start.  Here are the top 10:

1.  We love the way you love and pursue Jesus.  You go to Him first when making decisions, leading our family, seeking wisdom, in just about everything, which is how it should be.

2.  We love the way you love and pursue US!  Making time for chatting with us, playing endless games of basketball, football, golf, etc., praying at night, kisses, hugs, smiles, diaper changes, baths.

3.  We love you make us laugh...EVERYDAY!

4.  We love, love, love our dance parties!

5.  We love your hard work and determination...you are after all an IRONMAN!

6.  I love, and I'm sure your kids will too one day, your amazing sense of direction.  Even after just going to a place once, you can get us back there a second time without even needing the address.

7.  I love the priceless smiles given any time SE or Finley sees you.

8.  I love that you are the BEST communicator I know.

9.  You are also fabulous at pursuing and maintaining relationships.

10. You can seriously talk your way out of a paper bag much like your son is learning how to do more and more everyday!

WE LOVE YOU!

He's an IRONMAN!

We started the process about a year ago.  Sitting on the couch one night, Sean gets a text from a high school buddy (Brian) who lets Sean know Brian has signed up for the Woodlands, TX Ironman to take place on May 21, 2011.  Calculating the date, I knew we would have a 2.5 year old and 5 month old so I kindly responded to his inquiry of whether he could sign up too with "Well, you can, but know that with all your other commitments, I expect training to be before kiddos wake up, during naps or after kiddos are asleep at night."  He assured me he could and would and with that, he was signed up to do a 2 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run one right after the other.  That's a total of 140.2 miles folks.  A race that would start at dawn and end at sunset.  He trained diligently (most days)...I mean everyone deserves a day or two of sleeping in...and for the most part, he stuck to the training before kids were awake and after kids were asleep.  There were a few scary moments of ankle issues and sickness...we prayed through those, and God was always quick to answer.  And then the day came when it was time to head to Houston and the weather and the race!

The food (I failed to get a picture of all the gear that we took)

 

Our traveling partners, who for the most part, did an awesome job.  SE broke the DVD player before we had even gotten out of Oklahoma, but he did fine either entertaining himself or with the iPad.

RACE DAY!!

The race began at 7:00 a.m. with the swim starting about a mile from our hotel.  We decided to opt out of it since there were 2500 participants, and the chance of seeing Sean was slim to none.  We made it to the transition area in time to catch Sean from the swim to bike.  However, there was a pretty uncooperative little boy accompanying me so I totally missed Sean.  There was definitely a thought at that point that if this was a foreshadow of how the day was going to be, it wasn't going to be pretty.  

Here's a picture of the bikes at the transition area.

We went back to the hotel room while Sean was biking and kept track of him via the Ironman Live tracker.  After everyone had a breather (and plenty of air conditioning) we headed back out to catch Sean coming in from the bike.  WE SAW HIM!  He was alive and breathing and recognized me (SIDENOTE: during a marathon he ran once, I saw him at mile 20, and he had no clue who I was).

 

The peanut gallery.  Someone asked if SE was going to be upset he missed seeing Sean.  I said probably not.  I was mistaken.

We got to see him 5 times total on the run then we headed to the finish line and awaited his big finish.  Since we've been home, I've been asked numerous times how the trip was...here's a synopsis:  the trip was good.  We had some sweet family time.  The day of the race was difficult and honestly not very fun.  It was hot; I had a cranky little boy who decided to not eat or drink practically anything the day of the race nor had slept well the past several nights and then threw up a lot at the finish line right before Sean finished.  Finley was a trooper, but every time I went to put her in the ergo carrier she literally screamed for 2-5 minutes.  Looking around, there wasn't anyone else I saw with a toddler and an infant.  A lot of people had more than one kiddo, but the kiddos were at least 3 or older.  And then a lot of people had a baby, but not a baby and a toddler.  The only things that saved us were the positive reinforcements of Colin and Sarah Morgan, Mark Salvie and Patrick Blakely who surprised Sean at the end of his run.  I was so thankful for all of them at that point.  I don't know if I was adequately able to express that to them. 

 

Back to the finish...here is the big finale...Sean Boyd from Norman, Oklahoma, you are an ironman (I kind of felt like I too should get a shout out for all I had accomplished that day):

  

 Sean, I'm so proud of you babe!  I know I didn't get to really express it after you finished because all I wanted to do was get back to the hotel room, feed the babes and myself.  But you did it!  You made a goal and totally fulfilled it.  The Lord is good...He took care of you and protected you and the rest of our family during training and the actual race day.  Congrats on a job well done!  And again, you don't get to do another one unless our youngest child is at least a year old!

Feel the LOVE...a tribute to some really cool people

We are super blessed to be part of an awesome community.  Because of that, my kiddos (and Sean and I) get to experience a lot of love.  This is a little tribute to some of our favorite people who SE (and soon Finley I'm sure) will literally kick us out the door when they come over to watch them.  Seriously SE will get disappointed if Sean and I don't leave when they come.  Let's start with these guys...

Sarah & Colin Morgan

Seriously they are second parents to our kiddos.  I need to record SE's reaction every time he sees them because it is priceless...squeals of excitement let everyone know how he feels about his Aunt Te-a and Uncle Colin.  He knows how much they love him, he can see it in their eyes, feel it in how excited they are to see him...they make him feel cherished, which is exactly how he should feel.

  

Sarah was a little hesitant with Colin's higher and higher pushing.  SE loved it!

 The Boys

The Gals

Next up:  Jill and Stephen Pyle...one of the dearest couples in SE's (and our) heart(s).  He requests to pray for them frequently.  In fact over the past week, his prayer requests have been momma, dada, Jill, Pyle (his affectionate nickname for Stephen), nanna, papa and kitty cats almost every night.  Jill and Stephen asked SE to be the ring bearer in their fabulous wedding.  And they still love him despite him throwing up everywhere at the reception!  

 Meeting baby Finley!

(A)Manda and Tyler...who are getting married in August!  These two captured SE's heart from the moment he met them.  Amanda had a special bond with SE from the first time she watched him at house church.  He pretty immediately began asking for her by name...well close to her name anyway.  Tyler is a soccer coach so SE is automatically drawn to Tyler.  They were the first ones we left both SE and Finley with after Finley was born, and they did perfectly!  They always selflessly give away their time for kick after kick of the soccer ball with SE.  Maybe that's why SE loves them so much!

 Amanda with Finley!

Asking SE to be in their wedding...SE still requests to wear the little pennant they made him!

We love these guys...can't say enough about them!  And there are so many more who love our family so well.  That's another (or several other) post(s)!