My mom had to go to the hospital on Tuesday, it definitely wasn’t planned, but very much needed. She is very sick. She went in very weak and just feeling very crummy in the tummy. It was a good thing she went in so far they have done blood transfusions, given her potassium, found that she has MRSA, done a colonoscopy, checked her bone marrow, done eco cardiograms, and so much more. She is still there. We are just praying for her to get better. They are thinking that most of it is related to a disease she has called polysithimia vera along with some other stuff. I think we have a long road ahead, but I’m just so glad she is getting the help she needs. She is so important in our lives and we love her so much. We were able to do a few things on and off during Oct. break when I wasn’t at the hospital.

One of the coolest things that we did was to go to the zoo. We always do this, but when the weather is nice it’s the best. All the animals were out and wanting to play so we got to see them up close and personal. The coolest was the monkeys. They were seriously right next to us, we could have reached out and touch them. Then with our membership we got free camel rides and train rides. It was pretty cool. The kids loved the camel rides. They thought that was pretty neat, except of course the smell. Yucky… The zoo was super duper fun, we had a blast.

A couple other things we were able to do were to meet a few school friends at the park, ride bikes outside (a little since it was so stinkin’ hot) and we even got to go see the movie “Where the Wild Things Are” (not the best, a little disappointing).

At least I can say one thing for sure, this will be an October break that I will never forget.

We got there a bit early so we let the girls go wild and just have fun.  Look at how cute they were.  They had fun just being three cute girls…  Girls just wanna have fun!!!

Apple Dumplings (Aunt Jo’s)

2 Apples

2 sticks of butter

1 Tsp. vanilla

2 can of crescents rolls (8 ct.)

2 Cup sugar

1 10 Oz. Mountain Dew

Cinnamon to taste

1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel and core apples.  Cut each apple into 8 pieces. Roll each piece of apple into a crescent roll.  Place each roll into a casserole dish.  Pour Mountain dew over the crescents.  Melt butter, sugar and vanilla together and pour that mixture over the crescents.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and pecans.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cover with foil and bake 10 more min. Best when served warm and with vanilla ice cream.

Everything he picked out I knew before hand that he was going to like it.  Cooper is pretty predictable when it comes to what he likes and doesn’t like…  Here are a few of Cooper’s favorite things…

-Cheesy Mac and cheese

-Soccer

-Swimming

-Chocolate

-Sponge bob

-Peanut butter and jelly

-Riding bikes

-Rice Kripy cereal

-Juice

-TV

-Ice cream

-His family and his sister

-Dinosaur Train movies

-And anything fun!!!

Doesn’t that seem like a Cooper list?  He loved doing that project and putting all of his likes on paper. 

About a week before his first game he got his GOLD soccer uniform with a special number 3 on it.  I couldn’t keep the uniform off him.  He wanted to wear it 24-7!  As a matter of fact, one day I had him dressed and he said he wanted to wear his soccer uniform and I said no we didn’t want to get it dirty.  Then I went to get myself dressed and came out to find Cooper hiding behind our chair re-dressed in his soccer uniform.  I really wanted to beat him, but instead I started to laugh and just said, “Get in the car you monster…”  He is so silly.  What a nerd, seriously. 

When it was actually time for soccer he did was ready to go.  When we got to the game we were not really sure how he would do.  Would he be shy, would he cry, would he kick the ball, what?  He did so well.  He was pretty aggressive.  He was throwing the elbows, running as fast as he could and kicking that ball like there was no tomorrow.  He wasn’t going to let anyone take that ball from him.  He made 5 goals  (3 in the correct goal and 2 in the other teams goal) Oh well at that age a goal is a goal.  He did great for the first little while, but by the end of the game he was done.  He wouldn’t go in.  So he sat there and watched, but then when soccer really came to an end he was so upset he cried cause he wanted to still play.  What a funny boy, I just wanted to yell, for the love of soccer…

I loved watching my little guy play soccer.  He had so much fun and tried his hardest, our little athlete.  Way to go Hornets, you get em’!

We flew there on Thursday the 10^th and got the best rental car ever, a Yukon with a GPS navigator that was the best thing we ever did.  She (the GPS, we named her Garmin) was awesome and got us anywhere we needed without any problems.  The best part ever was that we got the rental with the GPS for 4 day for only $150.  Now that is a deal.

We got to Breckenridge with no problems.  It was breathtakingly beautiful up there.  Literally we drove with our mouths open just in awe with the beauty all around.  The weather was wonderful, the air was clean, and a billion of memories came flooding back to us as we entered through the doors of the Whales Tale.  That was the bar/restaurant that my Uncle Bill managed for 30 years or so.  We used to spend many summers up there in Breckenridge ruling the place as my Uncle Bill’s two princesses.  It was a bittersweet moment.  I found myself often times getting teared up with overwhelming emotions as we were up there. 

After getting to the Whales Tale and meeting some of Uncle Bill’s amazing friends, Erin and I checked out our condo and then checked out Main Street Breckenridge.   This is where we did a lot of shopping and eating.  It was crazy how many fun memories we had there.  We haven’t been there for like 20 years, but we still remembered so many fun adventured we had as kids.  This place is magical.  I hope to take my family there someday. 

Saturday was the best and the saddest day.  That was the day we had the memorial for Uncle Bill.  It was at the Whales Tale.  Some of his dearest and closest friends arranged it and it was amazing.  There were like 200 plus people, all who loved and had wonderful things to say about my sweet Uncle Bill.  They were crying, laughing, sharing, yelling, singing, and just enjoying wonderful memories.  It was a night I will never forget.  The craziest thing was the weather.  It was perfect up until that night then it rained and snowed.  It was like the heaven’s opened up and cried for just a couple of hours.  The next day it was beautiful out again. 

We had a super wonderful trip.  It is one that I will never forget.  I loved spending time with my sister, my Aunt Jeri and Cousin Timmy, and Uncle Bill’s sweet friends.  Thanks to everyone who made this event such a special memorial. 

Vanilla Peach Syrup (From a Great friend of mine, Christie McMillian)

5 cups peach puree (peel and puree in blender)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla

Combine the peach puree, sugar and lemon juice in a pot. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes (it will come to a boil pretty fast). Then add the vanilla. Stir and serve! If you are like me and don't like your syrup so sweet only add one cup of sugar.

*To get the skins off easy, get a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water.  Put peaches into boiling water for like 45 seconds and then put directly into ice water.  After the ice water remove them and the skin will come right off.