Thought For The Day

Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.

----Anonymous

I Could Never Say Thank You Enough....

to my wonderful husband, Bryce. He is such a great father and a very good husband, who is learning how to become a better husband each and every day. I am so lucky that I have a husband who will help me with our children and help with the household chores. Bryce and I have had some rough times during the past 4 years, but I think that we have come through each trial a stronger couple. I know that I have vented or complained about him doing this or not doing that, but in reality, I know how lucky I am to have him as my husband. I just hope that one day I feel like I am truly worthy of someone as great as him. Bryce, I love you very much! Thank you so much for all that you do around the house and for the times that you get up with the kids in the middle of the night. I know I don't tell you enough, but I really am thankful for you and all of your hard work. I can't wait to be sealed to you for all eternity!

The Tie That Binds Us?

I am sure we have all heard the story about the NY mother, who kicked her 10 and 12 year old daughters out of the car for fighting. And I am sure that some of you reading this have either had those same thoughts or threatened to do the same thing. I came across a very interesting article today on the internet that I wanted to share. Now, I don't have any personal experience as a mother yet (I'm sure my day is coming), but I do have plenty as a younger sister. This is the article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/194933?gt1=43002. As I was reading this article, I began to think about how I will react one day one Cooper and Sara are really old enough to fight and bicker. "That fighting is normal between creatures who live together. We bump up against our worst and best selves in the confines of our families. Arguing with siblings or cousins is how we learn to negotiate with the world." First, children learn to fight physically and it is usually over the silliest things. Cooper has been known to push Sara over because she was looking at one of his books. It is our jobs as parents to teach them how to use their words. And hopefully, that means less cruel words. I know with Cooper being such a talker all of a sudden, Bryce and I are very careful with the words we do use around both kids. Unfortunately though, fighting is one of those things that we as parents have to let our children figure out. How many young girls get married thinking that life is going to be blissfully happy and then they have their first fight with their new husband. "You don't really see who someone is until you have your very first fight." How true this is. So, what do we as parents do to try to get our children to not fight as often? Do we buy them more toys? Do we jump at their every command? "But in general, I wonder how we will learn to know each other if our kids grow up isolated by headphones in their own individual electronic worlds. It's one thing for teenagers, who are going through the natural separation process to tune out, but it's another thing for 10 year-olds to think that disengaging is the answer to conflict. Maybe part of the answer is to try and make peace with the fighting and not judge the kids or ourselves so harshly. That annoying bickering is a tie that binds us."

So, now my question is this. Do you think this mother, who made her bickering daughters get out of the car 3 miles from their home, should have been arrested? Should she have to spend time in jail? I didn't realize, until reading this article that she was actually a lawyer and they lived in a home that was worth $2 million. I don't think that this is something that she does frequently and I don't know if it is something that I would ever do, but I could see how 2 bickering kids that don't listen could totally drive a mother to do something like that.

Thought For The Day

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

-- Mary Engelbreit

This has been one of the hardest things for me to learn. I am slowly getting there. Why should I waste my time and energy on things that I cannot change? The only person that I can change is myself. I cannot change anyone else. That is what makes us all different. We should just learn to accept each other for who we are, without trying to change each other. If each of us did this, just think of what a happier world this would be!

Spring Has Sprung!

I just thought I would give everyone a little update on what we have been doing. Since the weather has finally warmed up, (yay!), I have been trying very hard to take the kids outside and let them play for a little bit. Well, I guess I should say let Cooper play because Sara hates the grass and the concrete! She just wants to be held. I am sure that when she finally starts walking, she will be chasing Cooper all over the place outside. So, I posted some pictures below from where the kids and I were playing in the backyard. As you can tell, in some of the pictures, Sara is not a happy camper! Cooper had a lot of fun playing with sidewalk chalk and picking mommy and Sara flowers. Sara, of course, wanted to eat her flowers.

On Friday, the kids and I went to our very first playgroup. I actually found the playgroup on Yahoo groups several months ago, but didn't have the courage to go until last week. Yeah, I'm a dork! Anyways, it is in Moses Lake and it meets every Friday morning. Of course, the day that I decide to go only one mom showed up, but that actually worked out pretty well for me. The other mom, Anne, had a little boy named Bryson who is 2 1/2 and a 10 week old baby girl named Lily. So, Cooper and Bryson played on the playground and chased each other around. While, Sara meanwhile, enjoyed the swings (and chewing on them of course!). It was really great to get out and be able to meet a new mom and make a new friend. Sorry, I didn't take the camera on Friday. I was rushing out the door and totally forgot about it. Anyways, I am really excited to get to meet more new moms and hopefully for Cooper (and Sara eventually) to make some friends. So, that's what has been going on in our little world the past several days. What's been going on in yours?

One more thing that I forgot to add. Bryce was offered the Interim Manager position at work. We hope that this will turn into a full time position. Hopefully, we will know more about the Interim position sometime this week. So, if everyone could please keep Bryce in your thoughts and prayers as the interviewing process for the actual manager position is very grueling. Thanks!

Well Said....

I feel that Heavenly Father answers many of our prayers through others. My blog is listed on the Mormon Mommy Blogs. The other day, I had a comment left after one of my posts by a fellow Mormon Mommy Blogger. She saw the title of my blog and thought that maybe she knew us, as she knew some Cox's. So, I ended up going over and checking out her blog. She had a post on her blog that hit home for me. This is what I found.... http://thechocolatechipwaffle.blogspot.com/2009/04/ppd-sisters.html

No matter how hard I try, I don't think I would ever be able to put into words the emotions that I feel or felt during these past 9 months and continue to feel. Almost all of what Terresa said, I could/can relate to. I struggle on a daily basis to know who I am and where I am going, but I am now on a journey to rediscover myself. For all of those who have reached out to help me, I truly appreciate it even if I didn't act like it. And to Terresa, thank you so much for the kind words, the wisdom and the hope that you have brought back into my life. To know that I will get through this one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.

Our Adventure For The Day

So, I finally took the kids to the park. Yay! I had really wanted to take them to the park in Moses Lake, but they both fell asleep before we got there. Plus, the fact that the park by our house had a drive by shooting not that long ago. Anyways, Cooper had a blast and didn't want to leave. Sara wasn't so sure. She did enjoy putting rocks in her mouth. I tried stopping her as much as I could, but I also had to get some pictures! She has become very good at when she puts something in her mouth and you say open, she will open her mouth and whatever was in it falls out. So, I am not too worried. I also thought I would put her on the grass to see what she would do. At first, I don't think she quite knew what to think of it. The longer she sat, the more she didn't like it. She so did not want to put her hands on it. When I didn't pick her up quick enough she started crying. It's a good thing she looks cute when she cries! Anyways, enjoy the pictures!

Twitter??

So, I am trying to understand what all the fuss is about Twitter. All of the celebrities are doing it. Most of the news channels are doing it. I decided that I would get a Twitter account and see what I thought about it. And well, I just don't get what all the hype is about. Maybe it is the fact that there is no one that I know personally that Twitters. It seems like it is just like your status on Facebook. So, for right now, I still like Facebook better, but you can't say I don't try new things.

On a side note, I have been asked a couple of times why I changed the name of our blog to "The Other Cox Family." Well, I couldn't call us The Cox Family because that is Chris and Erin's blog title. Brent and Cindy's blog title is The Brent Cox Family. So, I guess I was just trying to come up with something a little different. But, don't worry, I am sure it will change yet again. I like to keep everyone on their toes guessing as to what my next move might be! :-)

Happy Easter!

Well, on Saturday, I took the kids out to Uncle Joe and Aunt Sharon's for the annual Cox Family Easter get together. And like last year, it was a little cool and windy. Where does all that stinkin' wind come from? So, after dealing with a 2 year old melt down (not to mention a mommy one too) the day turned out pretty good. Cooper made out like a bandit with a ton of eggs this year! He found one of Great Grandma Cox's special eggs that he got to trade in for a dollar. He also found an egg with $5 in it, another egg with about .75 cents and an egg with 20 pesos! Maybe, Cooper will go on his mission to Mexico one day and he can use that money then. Unfortunately, Sara didn't not get to hunt for Easter eggs this year. She just isn't quite ready yet. But, she really could have cared less. This morning when Cooper woke up, he came out to the living room and saw that the Easter Bunny had been here and he got so excited. It's nice that at this age a coloring book and a plastic egg with Elmo inside just makes Cooper's day. Sara was also visited by the Easter bunny, but we weren't able to get any pictures of her getting her stuffed animal out of her basket because Cooper had already taken it out for her. So, after we got them dressed for church, I tried to get some pictures of them in their Easter outfits and that didn't work so well. But, at least you get the jest of the picture. Now, if I can only teach Cooper that he cannot eat ALL of his candy at once. I wonder who decided that on Easter, candy should be given out? Anyways, hope you enjoy the pictures. There are some of the older kids out at the Buck's looking for eggs in the field. Get your magnifying glass out and see if you can make out who is who!

Resentment & Forgiveness

Resentment is a useless pursuit. It does not help you, it does not help the situation, and it does not help the people you resent.
Resentment expands the damage that has been done and prolongs the pain that has been inflicted. And resentment often leads to new instances of hurtful behavior on the part of everyone involved.
The way to end the downward spiral of resentment is with forgiveness. Forgiveness frees you to move forward, unfettered by the burden of past wrongdoing.
Forgiveness does not mean that what happened was acceptable. Forgiveness simply enables you to completely, once and for all, let it go.
In every life, there are numerous and continuing opportunities for deep, abiding and destructive resentment. But there is nothing at all to be gained by spending your life filling up a mental warehouse with those painful resentments.
Choose instead to quickly forgive, and to move forward, beyond the pain and into a world filled with positive possibilities. Don't waste your life on resentment when there is so very much beauty, life and love to experience.
- Ralph Marston

Congrats CarolAnn!!

I just wanted to say congratulations to CarolAnn for graduating yesterday! I know that you must be so excited. Bryce and I (and Cooper and Sara of course) are very excited for you as well. Sorry we couldn't be there. I hope that ya'll took lots of pictures and you post them on your blog for all of us to see. So, again congrats college graduate!!

Taste of Home Cooking Show

Last night, I was lucky enough to get go to a cooking show. Boy, I most definitely need some help in that department! So, several of us were able to get away from our husbands and little ones and head to Moses Lake to the fair grounds to see the Taste of Home Cooking Show. What made it even more awesome was the cook was originally from Othello and her mom owns Fae's bookstore! She cooked some amazing looking food and it smelled pretty good too! The only thing that would have made it better was if I would have won something, but at least Shana won something!! So, congrats Shana!

When Men Get Sick

Why is that when men get sick they act like they are dying? Or is it just my husband that acts that way? Bryce feels like when he doesn't feel good or when he is sick that he should get to go take a nap or just lay on the couch all night and not do anything. Granted, I know he's not feeling good, but what about when moms are sick? I don't know about ya'll, but when I am sick I still have to take care of my kids unless it happens to coincide with one of Bryce's days off. I have watched this grown man curl up in a ball on the bathroom floor and sleep because he felt nauseous. Give me a break! Did you see me do that when I was pregnant and horrible morning sickness and trying to chase a 8 month old around? So, are women just better able to handle being sick or is it we just don't have a choice? I told Bryce when he went to bed tonight at 9:30, after taking a 2 hour nap this afternoon and laying on the couch all night, that I was probably going to end up with whatever he has, but of course I won't have the luxury of being able to be taken care of. All though, when I do have a migraine or get a headache. which unfortunately is pretty frequently, Cooper will kiss my forehead for me to make it all better. So, maybe I am teaching him something!

Spokane

Our Trip to Spokane

On Monday, we went to Spokane to see Uncle Frank and Aunt Wanda and get in some much needed clothes shopping for the kids. Do kids ever stop growing? Man, they are expensive!! While we were in Spokane, we decided to go to the mall and see the Easter bunny. I talked to Cooper before hand and asked him if he wanted to see the Easter bunny and he said yes. So, when we got there and he actually saw the Easter bunny, he kind of looked a little scared. I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get a picture or not. Cooper hasn't been scared of the Easter bunny or Santa Claus yet, so I was still a tiny bit hopefull. So, when it was our turn, Cooper went up and sat beside the Easter bunny and I put Sara on the Easter bunny's lap. Now the hard part began, trying to get them both to look at the camera at the same time and with a somewhat of a smile on their face. We were able to get a decent picture, but unfortunately no real smiles. So, then we were off to Deer Park to see Uncle Frank and Aunt Wanda. What we didn't realize was Saturday was Renee's birthday. But, since she had been sick they were not able to celebrate. Therefore, they were having her birthday party on Monday evening and we got to be there for it. We had a great time visiting with Uncle Frank, Aunt Wanda, Renee, Cheri, Greg, and Renee's son and his wife. The last time we saw them was at Jeff and Lili's wedding so they had not met Sara yet. Anyways, we had a great time visiting with them and are already talking about when we should go up there again. (When it is warmer of course.) After we left Deer Park, we went to one of my favorite stores, Babies R Us! I could just spend hours in there looking at everything and wanting to buy all the cool toys and clothes. We did buy the kids some clothes and I am just hoping that they don't out grow them all before we go to Florida in June. So, if anyone has a secret on how to get your kids to stop growing, could you please let me know?