I am One Day Old!!!

Greetings all!! I just got home from the hospital and thought I would update with a few more photos. Erika is doing an amazing job of being a new mommy...and she is sure a champ when it comes to healing! Brian spent the day running a few errands and checking in with the other two kids (Mav & Ginny) to make sure they were doing ok.

Today I have new pics of the precious little one, the proud grammy, and the new family! Enjoy!

Notice who is in the bed and who is standing!!! Ha ha!!!

Happy Birthday!!

Riley Evelyn Cooper has arrived!

Riley arrived at 3:11 pm today...she weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long!!

She is absolutely adorable!!

Mom and baby are doing just fine this evening and Brian is a proud daddy to his little princess.

More pictures and more posting will follow...just wanted to introduce the new Cooper as soon as possible!!

She is a cutie!!

Take care and God Bless....

Aunt Church Lady

Look out Veggies...Here we Come!!

After much waiting and anticipation, October 5, 2006 is proving to be quite an exciting day (and it really hasn't even started yet!!)!!! In about 7 hours I will start my Detox program and in about 8 hours I will leave for the hospital to go and meet my new niece or nephew! What a day!!!

So, here is my first official blog regarding the detox...

We went shopping at the Whole Foods Market this evening to pick up our Whey Protein, Cod Liver Oil, and organic fruits and veggies!! After reading through our materials that arrived today, I made out shopping list and off we went to make sure that we had the rainbow represented in our food for the next few days. We succeeded!!! I officially have ROYGBV in my fridge now!!

After the shopping and then coming home and doing some chopping and packaging, I sat down to count out the pills that we have to take. Good Lord!!! We look like major druggies and I have only done the first 7 days! It's a lot of pills...I mean like alot: it totals up to 34 pills a day!!!

So, I am about to crash and when I wake up, I will make my shake and officially start my detox, then it is off to Plano for the Biggest Event of the Year: the delivery of Mini Cooper!!!!

Please pray for my brother and Erika and the baby!!

Cheers,
Churchie

Ugh! and Yay!

So, all in the same day I have had a major Ugh and a major Yay, so I thought I would share both.

Ugh: Our detox stuff still did not arrive, so that is a major bummer. We really wanted to start our program on Sunday, but there has been a delay with the manufacturer of one of the supplements that we will be taking. The last email I got indicated that today would be the day, with tomorrow listed as "the latest." I guess we have now entered "the latest" category! Ah well...vegetables and fruits will come soon enough!! (Not to mention the 27 pills and 2-5 shakes per day!!!)

Yay: I spoke with Erika today and it looks like Mini Cooper will be arriving on Thursday. After her latest doctor visit they have decided to induce so that the baby doesn't get too big for Tiny E to deliver. I am really excited for my brother (Brian) and Erika to have their first baby!!! You know there will be blogging and lots of pictures, so be sure to stop by on Thursday night!!!

Overall, the Yay way outweighs the Ugh, but what would life be without a little balance??!! :-)

Hope you all had Yay days today...

Blessings,
Churchie

(One of my Kindegarten kids calls me Mrs. Churchie, and it makes me giggle everyday, so I think I will start signing that way!!)

Howdy Folks!!!

We upheld our tradition of visiting the State Fair of Texas!!

In our pre-marital counseling our Pastor encouraged us to take some time the weekend before the wedding to do something that was completely unrelated to the wedding. His reasoning: so that we would remember all of the reasons that we were getting married!!! It sure was a nice break from wedding planning in 2004, and now it makes for a great tradition!

So, this blog entry is a recap of our Third Annual State Fair Expedition! This year I decided to do a little research to make sure we caught a few of the performances and different events going on throughout the day instead of just making sure we met our quotas of corny dogs and turkey legs (which we did, of course!!). Our good friends Kristy and Scott joined us for the marathon day at the fair. Here are some snapshots of the great time we had:

Instead of taking the risk of parking our cars somewhere randomly, we like to take the train and just enjoy the ride. Here we are on our first leg of the journey....we took the 9:03 am TRE train to Union Station.



After wandering through the Auto Show for a little bit, we stumbled into the main area where Big Tex (who scares me very much because he is very freaky looking) is located to have a Fletcher's Corny Dog. Yummy!!!



We also enjoyed seeing the Chinese Acrobats, the Richard Petty race car, and the Marine Corps Drum & Bugle presentation. That was especially cool because not only did they play patriotic favorites, but they included a nice selection from RENT and from Rocky!!!! I was in heaven!!!



After being sufficiently freaked out by the odd large man wearing Dickies, we mosied on down the Midway towards Sweet Baby Ray's Thrillway where we took in the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom presentation which was not only really cool, but also FREE!!! Now that's something that you don't get very often at the State Fair!

Any of you who have known me for any length of time are most likely well informed about my love for llamas. Well, since the State Fair is indeed all about the animals, I was determined to find and mingle with my favorite animal. Not only did I get to see som llamas at the Children's Petting Zoo area, but I wandered into the barns and struck of a conversation with a llama breeder!!! She let me take Striker out for a little stroll and so, Cory snapped a few photos of me enjoying my llama friend.



We visited the Super Midway
and found a little success in winning some stuffed animals before making our way back to the Pearl St. DART Shuttle and then back towards home via the light rail and then the TRE.



When it was all said and done, we left on the 9:03 train out of Centreport Station and we got home Saturday night at 10:59! It was a marathon day at the State Fair!!!!

A good time was had by all...if you haven't been to the Fair, you totally should go!!

Have fun and take care,

Church Lady

Aww man...

So we thought that the detox was going to start today (Sunday) however there was a delay from the manufacturer so we will not be able to start until Wednesday at the earliest. Kind of a bummer because we were ready to get going today, but as it turns out it might be a blessing.

We went to the State Fair (woo hoo) yesterday and for some odd reason I have a lovely rash all over my face today. Eeeewww. So, maybe it is best that I can lounge around the house and feel yucky and not have to eat some new foods and take lots of supplements.

Oh well...stay tuned for the detox details and also for a State Fair post. All coming soon!

Have a great Monday!
Church Lady

It's time to get serious!

OK everyone....here it goes: Cory and I are about to DETOX! That's right, you heard it!! We have made a commitment to officially get on the track to a healthier Church family (that way we can begin accepting new members!!!). Wink wink, nudge nudge!

Starting on October 1st we will have a really neat 21 day experience together changing our eating and excersing habits and just basically resetting our bodies to a nice balance. My brother, Brian, did this a month or so ago and after talking to him about it, Cory and I are both ready to take the leap.

So, we would ask any of you out there to lift up this season of change to God and just ask Him to bless us through the tough times. We are praying for strength to fight off the old habits, courage to bring in the new ones, and perseverence to make the permanent change in our lives so that we are healthier and even more ready for our lifetime of adventures! If you have a prayer list, please add these needs to it if you feel so called.

In case you are interested in the Detox program itself, check it out at www.georgedejohn.net .

I will be sure to blog the experience to keep you posted on things...so far the funniest thing about the program is that in the guidelines that we have so far, it says that if you miss your scheduled BM (apparently this program makes you quite regular) you are to contact George immediately. Now seriously, I am about to start a program that has me potentially communicating about my bowels with a perfect stranger. Now that is commitment!!!!

Lift us up guys, and check back for the story of our journey! We are counting on the scripture "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" to remind us that through our own determination and our reliance on God we can make these changes.

Until next time,
Church Lady

I am Not Turning Right....

So I went to McKinney yesterday to scrapbook, and for those of you not from these parts here are a few little morsels of information:

1. McKinney is really far away, kind of like Frisco far away, but even further.
2. Yesterday there were some really bad storms around here, and if you have seen the movie Twister then you can begin to understand how the sky looked yesterday.
3. Again I must stress the distance from my house to McKinney: it is a 95 mile round trip!

OK, so I had a blast scrapbooking and the day was really fun, but on the way there my friend Fuzz and I really did think that we were making a grave mistake by being out in the storms. It was that scary greenish, grayish sky with funky clouds and raindrops that will poke your eye out or a leave a bruise, or both. This leads me to the title of my blog, and perhaps a good lesson for us all to take along on our next trip to wherever:

I am not turning right because that is the way of the corn fields and the twisters.

Just remember, the next time Google Maps tells you to turn right (or maybe left) be sure you look before you leap. The way of the corn fields and twisters really isn't the way to go...no matter what Google says.

Have a great week everyone! God Bless!!!!

Church Lady

I Wanna be a Guitar Hero!!!

So....it has been a while since I last blogged, and some good things have been going on in the days since my last entry. Here is a small attempt to catch up!!!

School started, work continues, we house sat in Frisco (kind of a beating), we are attempting to eat better and budget better, life is good. We have been just enjoying the pace of life around the Church house....hanging out with friends, spending time together, and actually recovering from what was a VERY busy summer!

Now, about this hanging out with friends thing... Let me introduce you to my good buddy Monica. She is an absolute nut, a blast to be around, and that kind of friend who you can just hang out with, or be silly, stupid, happy, sad, mad, or just plain nuts with!!! She is a treasure to have around. So this week we have spent several hours doing Karaoke, playing Dance Dance Revolution, and playing Guitar Hero. Now, along with these activities comes some seriously funny outbursts and some suprisingly good exercise (not sure if its from the Dance Dance or the laughing).

Here are a few pics to help you fully understand the silliness that goes on around here on a nightly basis....


See...Monica is jamming out righteously with her Brittany Spears microphone on.










Even poor Amos gets sucked into the fun....


As you can see...it has been a fun few weeks since my last blog entry. Once again I will try and get back to making this the fun habit that it should be!!!

Until next time,

The Church Lady

Today was....

A great day!! I just wanted to share with everyone that today was a great day...and let me tell you why: I didn't have to work today really at all, instead I played with three really cute boys and I hung out with my friend Lindsay. I spent some time just hanging out, and then I spent the evening with my husband. We even went to see a movie! It turned out to be one of those days where I just felt blessed to just "be." Great friends, great fun, great husband, great life. Thank God for all of it!!!

So, here are some shots of the great boys and the great friend Lindz...for pictures of the great hubs...well scroll down and check out the hottie in the sunset photo!!!!





Tyler!!! Colby!!! Traci & Brady!!! Lindz!!!

Blessings,
The Church Lady

Final Views from our Cruise!

So after two fun days in ports of call, our third and final stop was Cozumel, Mexico. We took a cab and headed to Paradise Beach for some relaxation and fun!!


It's our sandy toes!! I am so proud of Cory because he is not a beach guy or a water guy so much at all simply because he doesn't fare so well in the sun since he is so fair skinned. But, he was a great sport and indulged me in some beach time and snorkeling!


Brenda and I were very excited about the shopping in Cozumel! We were especially excited about the $1 maracas (even though we did not purchase them!!!)

After dinner the night we left Mexico Cory and I were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset. It really is a neat thing to be out in the ocean and watch the sunset. We were able to really enjoy it a few nights of our cruise, but these are the best pictures...beautiful sunset combined with some sunkissed faces! I know I am a little biased, but would you take a look at that hot guy in the last picture!



Last but not least, my favorite towel animal of the trip was hanging in our room on our last night! Good thing Cory knows how to make these!!! (It's a monkey wearing my sunglasses!!)



So, ultimately our cruise was a huge success...we had a great time, enjoyed being with our family, and loved the ship and the ports of call. I wasn't too keen on the formal dinner nights, but alas I did survive them...and I would even do it all again. So, for those of you contemplating a cruise vacation, GO! Cory and I are alrady contemplating what our next ports of call will be!!!

Thanks for reading...
The Church Lady

Cruise Views Part Three...

Off to Grand Cayman we went!!! I really liked it in the Cayman Islands...so I think Cory and I will move. There really is just one teeny problem: it's a little pricey. We learned that it costs about $100,000 for every foot of land there. Hmmm. Guess Euless is looking pretty good!


Since Grand Cayman is a pretty small place, there isn't a pier. So, you get to take these fun boat taxis from the ship to the shore. In cruise language they are called Tender Boats. For most peopl taking the cruise, they are called a pain in the butt. For me they were a highlight of the trip!!! But hey, we all knew that I am a little off, right??!!! Seriously...I thought it was way fun to get on this little boat and be on the ocean. Plus, check out the cool pic of our ship!!!


There is a town in Grand Cayman called Hell. Thankfully we went there and managed to make it back!!!!!


Cory, Brenda, and Charlie in Hell. The whole reason for the name is this: one day a while back a British dignitary visited and said, "This place looks like hell." That's it...and the reason he said that is because there are some very strange looking coral formations that have pushed up above the surface of the water.


We went to a Turtle Farm!!! I was absolutely thrilled to hold the turtles!!! In fact, I was so excited that I held three different ones! Ha! Plus, we have a ton of cool pictures of turtles now. Isn't he so cute? They like it when you rub the underside of their necks...just a little tip in case you happen to hold a sea turtle soon!


Here is a sample of the towel art that our stateroom attendent, Richard, did for us every evening. Since the big thing to do in Grand Cayman is swimming with stingrays, we got this design on our night in Cayman. Just a little side note...Cory went to a class to learn how to fold the towels into cool animals, so if you are having a party, he is for hire!!!

Cruise Views Part Two....

So, we are now cruising on into Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We didn't go far from the ship...instead we wandered around, did a little shopping, and had lunch at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. It was pretty fun! Also, we stopped at a little local bar and had pina coladas and talked with the beach vendors. Brenda bought a walking stick!


Cory and I at Margaritaville...I had some local jerk chicken and Cory had some nachos. LOL!


This is the view from the pier (or whatever the appropriate term is). That's our ship, Rhapsody of the Seas. Pretty darn cool!


I am standing on Deck 5 of the ship. The views were so amazing!


Just a pretty flower that I came across while we were wandering around...the flowers and vegetation are really beautiful.


Back on the boat after a fun day in Jamaica. Aren't we cute??? It was Caribbean night on the ship, so we did our best with what we had to play along!! It would be nice if they would tell you before you pack that there are theme nights to be prepared for!


Here's a pic of the best wait staff around! Sergy (left) from the Ukraine was our assistant waiter, and for anything you asked him the response was, "My pleasure" in this lovely accent. I have Cory practicing it as we speak!!! In the middle is Enrico from Italy and he was the head waiter for our area. He was really interesting to talk to...and he has been working on cruise ships for over 15 years!! On the right is Allan. He was our waiter and is from the Phillapines. He was so cute and had a great sense of humor...for example when he would clear crumbs from the tablecloth in front of me he made a little vacuum cleaner noise!!!!


Cory, Charlie, and Colleen hoping to hit it big at the roulette wheel. Unfortunately, the wheel won!


The Wheel of Fortune slot machine, however, was a lucky place for me to sit!! I put in $2 and got $40 back....so I quit!!!


After dinner and the casino, Cory made his on board singing debut!!! He sang with Jim Moody two nights in a row!!! His ship hits included Five O'Clock Somewhere, Pretty Woman, and the theme from Gilligan's Island!!

Views from our Cruise!!!

These are pictures from our first two days of the cruise. We boarded in Galveston and then had two full days at sea before we visited our first Port of Call: Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We enjoyed our time on board for the couple of days...and then I really liked visiting the different places. Keep checking for picture updates! I have about 400...but thankfully I am only going to put 30 or so on the blog!!!


Here we go...boarding the ship! Cory, Colleen & Johnny, and Charlie& Brenda (and me) make our way onto the Rhapsody of the Seas. Our ship really was pretty.


I am ready for a Titanic episode!!! Ha!! I really had a blast at our Mandatory Muster Drill!!! Seriously...is that little water activated beacon and whistle really gonna make the difference???


Cory and his dad (Charlie) chillin' as we head out from Galveston. It was pretty amazing to be that high up! The Sail Away Party was on Deck 10.


I went to an Adults Only Art Class on Monday. That's me with the "Beckster" from England. She was part of the Cruise Director's Staff. I colored a really pretty picture with oil pastel crayons or something. It was fun times!


The first night of the cruise was 70s night...none of us knew that, but Matt from Canada sure was ready to party!


Here is a nice shot of Cory and me looking all spiffy. We are dancing at the Captain's Gala. Ooooo la la!!!


Colleen was highly amused by the Cartier cologne for men. Indeed her amusement was somewhat valid as she pondered about the necessity for the shape of this particular men's cologne bottle. Hmmm....