2nd Annual Bates Christmas Cookie Contest

For those of you who know the Bates family well, you know that we are a competitive group. We like competitions of all sorts, whether it's watching sports or Iron Chef on tv. We like a challenge and we like to win even more! So it's only natural that we would invent a competition for the holidays. We chose cookie decorating (which none of us know anything about or claim to have any skill in!) and this year marks our second annual competition. The kids, Cooper and my nephew, Hudson, went first and had such fun. (We saved the intense competition for later!)

Cooper is a natural baker - he LOVES the flouring and beating the dough!
Pop works with the boys to cut out their cookies freehand using a knife. My dad has done this since my brothers and I were kids. He can make whatever shape we would like to give to Santa!

Hudson is also one happy decorator! He is growing up so mcuh and it was fun to spend time with him! Hudson is 4 1/2 and he is as smart as a whip. He wears a digital watch everywhere and he made sure to keep us all on track. When he woke up at 5am, he asked, "what time are we doing the contest?" You should have seen the look on his face when we told him we were starting at 10:00... But I'll tell you what - we started those cookies at 10 on the nose! : )

In the end, Cooper won in the "Under 3" category and Hudson swept the "3-5" category. Turns out that eating the cookies is just as fun as the decorating!

After the little guys had their contest, Colin, Dayna (Colin's girlfriend) and I got to work on our cookie creations. As usual, the Honorable Dan Bates presided as the judge. As you can see from the photo below, the competition was intense.

We worked steadily for what seemed like hours and each of us had unique concepts and designs. I chose to create a snowglobe, Colin did a heart (a cheesy tribute to Dayna...) and Dayna did an ornament and a Santa. Check out the tweezers in my left hand... I told you were were serious about this! (Workmanship counted for a large portion of the scoring!)

I must say that Dayna's Santa was the most ambitious project of them all and she pulled it off really well!

The judging...

The waiting...

The winner... Colin's heart.

I must admit I was most disappointed, but I will still compete next year. I think we may have scared Dayna, but hopefully she will play again next Christmas as well. We had fun - it's a Bates Family tradition!

A Boy's Best Friend... Boone!

We welcomed a new member into our family yesterday, a Golden Retriever puppy named Boone! He has quickly stolen our hearts and become a best friend for Cooper.

Our dear friends, the Langemeiers, surprised their kids with a puppy from this same litter for Christmas. Carrie called me to see if I was ready for a puppy and even though I really hadn't planned on a dog right now, God opened my heart to the idea as I prayed about it. We went up to Tyler on Friday night and fell in love with the Langemeier's new little puppy, Darby. Saturday morning, we visited the breeder and got to choose between a male and a female dog. It was a hard decision because both of them were beautiful and had great personalities, I ultimately felt like Boone was the one!
Boone is sweet tempered and mild mannered. He has such a gentle way about him and I think that's exactly what Cooper needs in a best friend! After we brought him home, he literally trotted behind me everywhere I went and layed down at my feet. Check out this sprawled position! Talk about relaxed!

You can't beat this face!

We are looking forward to many adventures of Boone and Cooper! I am sure they will be posted soon!

Decorating For Christmas

I have really enjoyed decorating our new home for Christmas. Our house is cozy and warm and looks fantastic with Christmas lights.

This year I caved and bought an artificial tree, but I am loving that it doesn't really shed very much and it's symmetrical (unlike last year's real, but very lopsided tree!) Cooper's new job is to turn off the outdoor lights as well as the tree lights when we leave in the morning. He is quite excellent at this task and rarely forgets. He even unplugged my parents' tree when we left after eating dinner over there one night! Ha!
I can't take any credit for the way our house looks on the outside - it's all my dad. He is my hero! He is my handyman and my landscaper all in one. He hung these lights one Saturday when Cooper and I were running errands. Don't they look spectacular? I am proud to pull into our driveway every night and look at those fun decorations. And Cooper will never forget that Pop hung them for us... every time we come home he says, "Pretty lights... Pop made them!"

Merry Christmas!

Look Mommy...

"I'm in the sink!" When I hear Cooper utter those famous words, "Look, Mommy!", I am always nervous to find out what Cooper has to show me. This time, Cooper had climbed into the sink in the bathroom via his big boy stepstool (meant for washing hands!) and was proudly turning off and on the lights.

"Aren't I funny?!" He absolutely fell in love watching himself in the mirror and kept making strange expressions and then laughing at himself. Notice that his "bubba" (blanket) and "pappy" (pacifier) are partners in crime... Cooper won't take even one step without both of his faithful comfort items in his hand (or mouth!)
Hopefully this "exploration" phase won't get any more dangerous than sitting in the sink and flickering the lights. : )

Trick or Treat!

We had a blast trick or treating with Cooper this year. He was the cutest little cowpoke ever!!

Getting ready to hit the road

Our last stop was Pop and Lolli's house (because we knew that they had good candy!)

See ya next year!

Fall Cleaning Day!

We are thrilled to be preparing to move into our new house! It is ready to move in, but it needs a little bit of cleaning first. All hands were on deck this weekend to help get everything shipe-shape in time for the furniture to be moved in next weekend. Cooper was helpful, as always! He wanted to be right in the middle of the action, and insisted on using every tool we had in the house. I will say, however, that he really did do pretty well sweeping the deck and washing the windows. Thanks Coop!

My parents are simply incredible and they have served me in every imaginable way since Cooper and I have moved to Houston. Not only have they housed us for the past few months, but they worked tirelessly all weekend cleaning our new home. I can't thank them enough for how they've shown us love over the past season of transition. We couldn't have survived without them. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Dad building shelves for all my things in the garage... Handy Dan to the rescue! My garage now is in great shape and I will be able to actually access my school things and use part of the shelves as a work bench. Yahoo! Cooper insisted that he "work" with his popper to clean the leaves off the walkway!

We're ready for move in day - pictures coming soon!

My Little Buckaroo!

This year we went trick -or-treating in our new neighborhood in an effort to meet the neighbors. It was Cooper's first "real" trick-or-treating experience and boy, did he love it! Free candy everywhere I go? All I have to do is look cute and say "twick-a-tee"?

He ran from house to house and was gracious to each person who opened their door. He wanted to pet all the dogs and cats and actually tried to go in some of the houses! We had a few "scary" houses (with strobe lights and spooky music) but all in all, Cooper enjoyed walking around our new street. We had fun!

I think this may be the last year that Mommy gets to choose Cooper's costume so I really tried to find one that was special. Cooper looks precious as a little cowboy and I couldn't get enough picture of him dressed up. He had real boots and everything! I think Coop would make a great ranchhand or cowboy someday - his two loves are animals and the outdoors and he is an extremely hard worker. Who know, maybe wrangling and roping could be his job someday?!

Any more candy in there?

Happy Halloween!

Adopted - For now and Forever!

On October 20th, 2008, Cooper was adopted at last! We praise God for His faithfulness in the journey that has brought us together as a family.

My parents and I traveled to Stephenville for the ceremony. Cooper was dressed in his most fancy clothes and looking like a little gentleman! We ended up having to wait for several hours for our turn before the judge, but Cooper passed the time by playing in the drinking fountain, sliding his pacifier down the hand rails and peeking into the offices of the clerks and court officials! When we finally stood before the judge, he remarked how much Cooper has changed since he was first received into foster care. The judge who performed the adoption hearing was the same man who saw Cooper when he was a 7 month old orphan. The tears in his eyes were priceless as he said, "I wouldn't have believed it was the same child if it wasn't for that red hair! His eyes used to be lifeless, but now they dance!" After having to take the stand to testify under oath and finishing the official proceedings, the judge pronounced us a forever family at 11:42am. Forever!

We were so honored that Cooper's 3 old caseworkers, Cecilia, Spencer, and Eloise drove all the way to Stephenville to be there for the adoption. What a special treat! These three people made such a difference in our lives and they worked very hard on behalf of Cooper. They will never know how much we love and appreciate them!

Our family story begins today and we can't wait to see what God has in store for our lives.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Pumpkins!

Last weekend, my mom and I took Cooper to Oil Ranch in Hockley, TX to celebrate the fall. We had an incredible time and Cooper enjoyed running free all over the ranch. We rode on the train, picked a pumpkin, and went on a hayride. Cooper rode his first horse and loved all over the pigs, goats, and bunnies at the petting zoo. I was the only mother having to coax my child AWAY from the farm animals! We had a great time!

Home Sweet Home

God has blessed Cooper and I with a new home in The Woodlands! Isn't she adorable?!

I really wasn't planning on buying a home so quickly - the plan was to stay with my parents for a few more months while I hunted for a rental house in the area. Because small houses are hot commodities in The Woodlands, it was quite a challenge! A rental property I had been eyeing went off the market after the hurricane and so I had begun to pray that God show me what His plan was for our housing situation. Through an interesting turn of events, I stumbled upon this cute house and made an offer before I had even seen any of the bedrooms! It just felt like home. The house was built in 1982, but has been recently updated. The kitchen is beautiful and the house is already painted and ready to move in. I couldn't be more excited!

Cooper and I have really loved getting to spend these past few months with my family, but it will be a blessing to us all to settle into a more permanent routine. We will miss reading the newspaper with Lollie and Pop on the weekends and chasing up and down their long hallways. I think Cooper will be quite "homesick" for a while. Thankfully, they are right down the road and we plan to still visit for dinner and play dates several times per week.

If you are in the area, please come to visit us! We'd love to have you visit our new home sweet home!

Bubba

Anyone who knows Cooper knows that his most beloved posession in the entire world is his blanket, affectionately known as Bubba. I don't know how he developed such a love for this specific blanket, but ever since he was little, Cooper has insisted on sleeping with his Bubba. There are only 2 blankets that pass the "Bubba test" - they have a specific silk tag and have been loved to death and nearly to shreds. I've tried desperately to substitute other blankets, even those that seem to look exactly the same, but Cooper takes one look and is not fooled.

As he got older and became mobile, Cooper hasn't gone anywhere without his Bubba in tow. We call him our little Linus... As you can imagine, with all the places that Bubba travels (to preschool, in the car, through the flowerbeds, down the slides...) he needs a pretty frequent washing! Typically I tiptoe into Cooper's room during naptime and quickly wash and dry Bubba before he realizes that his best buddy is missing in action. This time I wasn't so lucky...

Cooper trying to part with Bubba for just one wash cycle. He kept asking for one last hug! (and how could I say no?!)

Waiting patiently while Bubba was washing (he insisted on watching Bubba spin for almost the entire time!)
"Is it time yet?"
At last! (The longest 25 minutes of our weekend!)
That smile is priceless. I may have to let Cooper take Bubba to kindergarten if we don't come up with a new best friend before then!

Adoption Day Is Coming Soon!!!

In just a few weeks, this precious little boy will officially be my son. Praise the Lord! We have waited for so long for this day to arrive. On October 20th at 9am, Cooper Lee Bates will join our family forever.

I am just so thankful.

I am thankful that God gave him to me in the first place and I am thankful that he has had a safe home for the past 2 years (can you believe it's almost been that long?!) I am thankful that he came into my home in a humble way and that his testimony will always give glory to God for the goodness and mercy He's shown in Cooper's life. I am thankful that I've had the support and love of family and friends - you guys have been my source of encouragement and you've always pointed me back to the Lord for wisdom as I've walked through becoming a foster parent and a mom. I'm thankful that Cooper is healthy and happy and that he will be mine forever.

Mark it on your calendars... on October 20th, there will be much rejoicing in the Bates household as a new family is born.

I am just so thankful.

We Survived Hurricane Ike!

Many of you may have thought we were lost in the hurricane, due to my horrific lack of postings lately... but we made it! Just when I thought life couldn't get any more crazy (selling a house, moving, starting a new job, adopting a child) - big, bad Ike came to town. So far, we have weathered the storm with considerable fortitude. We've had to muster up quite a bit of patience and flexibility, but I am thankful that we are all safe and back home.

The storm hit Galveston last Friday, causing my cousin Cameron (a resident at UTMB hospital) to "evacuate" to The Woodlands. In hindsight, I'm sure she would rethink that decision! Even 100 miles away from the coast, our house felt a lot of wind and rain and a considerable amount of fussing from a certain 2-year old! : ) Our power was lost and although a few days of playing Taboo by candlelight and "cooking" coffee on the grill was exciting, the thrill was gone by about day 4. Cooper's routine was totally off and all of the adults in the house were really exhausted from chasing a crazy 2 year old! We were hot and bored and I needed a cold Diet Coke!!

Thankfully for us, we were welcomed to the Langemeier home as "evacuees" for the week. They were gracious hosts (as always!) and we really enjoyed spending the week in Tyler with Carrie and the kids. We swam up at Pine Cove, played in the backyard, and worked on a few organization projects (my favorite!). Thanks again for being such good friends to us!

I am OVERJOYED to report that our electricity has returned full force and I am typing this from an air-conditioned and well-lit home. Praise the Lord! Cooper has returned to pre-school giving both us a much-needed break from the monotony of home. I am still waiting to return to work at my school, since the electricity has not returned over there. My classroom sustained a bit of water damage, so crews are working hard to get the carpet replaced and roof repaired so the kids can come back when the power returns. As nice as this break has been, I'll be glad to head back to school!

Thanks for your prayers ~ The Bates family is safe and sound!

P.S. I promise to be a better blogger this fall! : )

Thankful

Although Cooper has been a part of our family for seemingly forever, I can still remember the night he arrived on my doorstep. Sometimes when he sleeps, I can still envision what he looked like more than a year and a half ago, the first time he slept in my arms. It really can bring me to tears! What a long journey it has been with this baby. I know that God placed Cooper in my life and I am so very thankful. I never intended to adopt any children when I became a foster parent, but God changed my heart to see this baby as my own. I am still amazed at the life change that has happened and the way God has orchestrated it all.

Every day I am challenged and honestly humbled by how hard it is to raise a child. It's tough! I seek the Lord for help and wisdom moment by moment as I learn how to be the kind of Mom He desires. Parenting is the most awesome responsibility that God has ever given me and I want so badly to do my best! My prayer is that Cooper would grow into a man who loves the Lord with all of his heart and who desires to treasure the things that God holds dear. I pray that I would parent Cooper according to the way God designed him and model for him a life devoted to Jesus!
As we get closer to our final adoption (court date is pending, but I'll share it as soon as I know it!) please continue to pray for our little family. We love to share our lives with you and rejoice in how God shows himself to be BIG in our lives!

Let's Hit the Pool!

We are blessed to have a wonderful relationship with my nephew, Hudson. Cooper just loves his cousin and immediately bonds with him every time they are together! We spent the afternoon at the pool and had such fun.

I was shocked to see Cooper spontaneously hugging Hudson... this never happens!!! (Thank goodness I had my camera ready!) Can you believe that Cooper is more than 2 years younger than Hudson? He is so big!

Precious!
Although neither of the boys are confident "swimmers", they had fun splashing in the fountains at the pool.
I just love Cooper's chubby tummy! : )


Hudson squirted Lolli with a spray of water from his mouth - Look out!!

Cooper has become a lot more comfortable in the water as we spend more time at the pool. He randomly decided to lay down in the water this time. He thought it was pretty funny!
Both boys are "sun bathing"!
Ok - I am so thankful I finally got Cooper's "running" on camera. When he wants to go really fast, he puts his arms back in an aerodynamic move and leans way forward. It's like turbo speed or something. I have no idea where he learned this move, but it is my all time favorite "Cooper-ism"!!
After swimming, the boys were pretty wiped out, so we came back to Lolli and Pop's house for some cookies and a good movie.

I love my two sweet boys!

We can't wait for Hudson to join us at Black Butte Ranch this summer in Oregon. He will come for a few days in July to spend time at the ranch with our family. We are excited! The boys have a blast together and are the best of friends.