Happy Thanksgiving

This year, as always, I am most Thankful for my little mini-me Cooper.  He is my rock and my whole world.  I've told him since he was born that he is my everything and it couldn't be more accurate.  My whole world exists and is because of him!  I really don't know what I would do or who I would be without my baby!  At six years, ten months and 20 days I am sure he will argue that he's not my "baby" but that, he will always be!  I love you, baby!  

Days of December

Can you believe December is almost upon us?  This year has literally flown by!  With the holidays right around the corner, I was starting to get a little anxiety about our plans for Christmas.  We have been in New Jersey for a year now.  Last year we spent Christmas Eve with my sister and brother-in-law and his family.  On Christmas day we spent the whole day just having fun with Cooper's new toys and each other. I made a nice dinner and we both had a very relaxing, nice day.  But something was missing.

It was the first year in my thirty years that I had not spent with my parents on Christmas day.  We called and spoke to everyone over the phone, but it wasn't the same.  When we lived in Florida, my parents and grandparents would all brave the early hour and come to our house (coffee in hand) to see Cooper open his presents.  We would have breakfast there and then all gather at my parents for dinner later in the day. Even the presence of their crazy neighbor Kate became a Christmas tradition.

So spending the day alone - or just the two of us I should say - was somewhat sobering to me.  And after speaking to my mom and hearing the tears in her voice, I knew she didn't particularly like it either!  When I thought about the impending holidays this year, I became a little depressed.  I did not want a repeat of last season's air of sadness on a day that, in my childhood, was always one of the best days of the year!   (Insert "mom guilt" here!)

After speaking to my mom and grandma this week it was unanimously decided that we would fly "home" for Christmas this year.  The irony of that sentence is amazing.  I moved back to the Northeast to be closer to home, only to discover that home really is where your heart (family) is!

December is going to be a busy but fun month for us this year!   The first weekend we will be venturing back to Coudersport for our annual family Christmas celebration that just happens to revolve around the opening days of hunting season!  The second weekend we will be traveling to the Boston area to meet and cuddle the newest, cutest and most miraculous little Lucas!  And finally, from the 22nd through the 29th will be back in Sebastian, FL for a wonderful Christmas with our family!

Like I said, we will be busy, but it will be fun!  Did I mention I will be in Seattle November 29 - 31st?  Lots of traveling in my near future!


*In other news: Cooper is reading the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book and can get through most of it without even asking me what the words mean.  He just showed me a page of his self-assigned homework where he wrote out a summary of what he had read so far.  He then asked me if he could do his "homework" in YzKidz instead of playing on Monday.  I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor.  He continues to impress and amaze me on a daily basis!  

Happy Fall

On Saturday Cooper and I took a little drive down to Parvin State Park in Pittsgrove, NJ to shoot our annual photo session.  Last year we chose an abandoned farm for our photo shoot which provided a very unique and almost dark backdrop to our holiday cards.  This year, I decided we would shoot a picturesque "Fall" photo shoot.  Truth be told, I had an appointment with a local photographer last week that we ended up canceling.  I knew I had made an expensive choice in photographers but I love her work and wanted to see our portraits through her vision.  In the end, the cost overruled the potential art and we were back to square one.

So, off we went, on yet another road trip!  Complete with tripod, lenses, ideas for poses and the most handsome subject ever I set out to "capture the moment".  The leaves at Parvin were perfect!  They have been gorgeous the last two weeks and lucky for us they have not completely fallen yet!

I knew I wanted some candid shots, some posed pictures and just some cute Cooper shots too.  Mission - accomplished.  After downloading the 140+ pictures we took, I was more than pleased with the "raw" pictures.  I have been indulging in editing them ever since and hope to have some to share soon.  And I know our Christmas cards will be amazing this year.  I may even replace the large portrait in the living room of Cooper and I from our photo session when he was two!!!!

The unfortunate part of the day was that, at the end of it, I was unable to walk!  I have been battling a hip, leg, thigh, muscle, pain for over three months now.  It started in July and hasn't let up yet!  So after standing, walking and exploring for more than six hours Saturday, I was disabled!  It was very upsetting because we wanted to go for a hike Sunday and I could barely stand!  Luckily, I had come to the conclusion last week that it was time to get this issue resolved and finally scheduled an appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon for today.

Long story short, the doctor thinks I have "internal snapping hip" syndrome.  A dynamic ultrasound should confirm his theory and physical therapy has been set up to begin next week.  Let's hope this is the solution I'm so desperately needing right now!  Please!

In other news: Cooper has made his Christmas list on Amazon.com!   I cannot believe we are already planning for Christmas!   November is going fast and December is going to be BUSY.  The first weekend we are in Coudersport for a family Christmas celebration.  The next weekend we are going to Boston to meet baby Lucas and visit Allison and Ruyter!   I can't wait!