Month: July 2020

I couldn’t ask for a better DADDY for the Tot. They are so stinking cute together.

Doug has been waiting for the day that he could officially adopt Tatum as his very own. Tatum already adopted him as her dad the day we got married. (I also did). But, we needed to make it official. The paperwork takes a while, so we finally got to the official date of July 9th. Now, the COVID 19 limited us to just doing a virtual hearing, but we didn’t want to wait until the courts were open. This was just way too exciting.

At 2:15 sharp, we tuned into the court. (Kathy Pidgeon (our lawyer ) and Judge Brame were visually present besides us.

In exactly 7 minutes, she was declared Tatum Isabella Hay officially. WOW!!

Daddy then gave Tot a celebratory card.

This card says it all. Ready for the celebration?
We had hot fudge sundaes together because that is what you eat when you want to celebrate, right!? Then we went swimming of course. The evening would be even better. Cooper watched us get ready. Where are you going?

My girl…she looked like a Daddy’s girl. Beaming. And look at that handsome man!

Ok, we go to pick up Mama. Then she asked. Where are we going?

Fleming’s, my love. Where else do you go when you want to celebrate? Filets, shrimp, wine, and sourdough. Laughs, joy, happiness awaits.

Mama looks ravishing.

More pics of all of us.

Adoration!

We wore masks when we got there, but we got to remove them when we sat down.

Ok, the celebration will now continue! Daddy is about to surprise the Tot with all kinds of joy. He worked SO HARD on this. That is one of many things I love about him. He puts his heart into a gift.

Kaboom! The card exploded all over the table!

It only just begun, sweet girl.

Now, for the real fun:

A box of happy about to be revealed. Bit by bit.

He made a card for each special day. She can redeem them at anytime (except the 16-year old one, HA!). My question…does the Mommy get to come? heehee

Mr. “I can’t draw” outdid himself with his secret talent. He can draw and his mind is full of creativity. I love it! Tatum was blown away, and all of us celebrated with glee.

Thank you Doug for a lovely evening of dinner, laughter, and new memories.
Tatum Isabella Hay, we ADORE you!

Oh, Coopy. You are often found:
A. Under one of us as we are in the kitchen (praying for droppage)

B. Watching us get ready

C. Waiting to be played with

He’s a wishful doggie. We love you, Coopy.

Another Tuesday; another girl’s day. I wanted to surprise the Tot again, and so we were off to our plan mid-morning. She was all-a-wonder! Where are we going, mommy?

We started at Wildflower for a bakery delight. She is a smart girl in that she said my cookies taste better, but she did enjoy it!

We conversed about the good, the better, and the best….Honestly, a very mature conversation about our gratitudes and her growth. I gushed all over her about what I see in her that I just adore. I love you, Tot!

Next stop:

We were all masked up and ready for our fancy feet. She had no idea what a pedicure was, so this made it even more special!

Sadly, the salon was empty; no one is supporting the local businesses right now. So we did!

Tatum couldn’t quite reach the bubbly spa. We added pillows.

Aahh…now this is more comfortable.

Ok, now for the massage. That tickles!!!

The payoff: Pretty toesies!

I was pretty relaxed too. Especially doing this with my girl.

My toesies!!

An unforgettable time; It was worth the money to see her enjoy a treat like this. We don’t treat ourselves enough, and I felt that it was time to splurge and do something fun since we have been isolated and that she hasn’t gotten to see her friends in a while!

I love you, Bumby. We’ll do another girls day soon!

You’ll find Daddy or me snapping pictures of Cooper at all times of the day. It’s a bit of an obsession. (Well, daddy won’t admit it, but he has a Cooper-click problem; he can’t help but click his pic!) Cooper here just glowing in the sunlight. Will someone play with me?

Please?

Now, the other night, we decided to watch Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy. Cooper couldn’t contain himself. He stared at the screen and wagged uncontrollably. Finally, someone who can understand me!!

Talk to me!!

Then there are times when he is wanting to play. The mommy has a call to take, and he pouts at the door.

I just want her to throw it, and she is not answering the door.

Are you in there?

Mommy?

I’m sure whatever is going on in his head, it has to do with playing with him. He cannot stand to be ignored.

Even when we are cleaning, he wants to get involved. Can I help??

He loves his family so much!! And we love you, Cooper!! Immensely.

We don’t just look forward to fireworks and cooking out on the 4th. No, it is a day of reflection, remembrance and celebration. Our country is unique, and we must make sure this is recognized; especially now in a time of chaos. Also, the left, politically, desires to destroy our country and its founding. It seeks to look at all the bad. But, we must remember, we are the country that FOUGHT slavery. We are the country that FOUGHT for liberty; for freedom; for rights endowed by our Creator.

So, we celebrate. We borrowed the script from Dennis Prager. (We did this last year too).

I gathered the needed items: strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, sweet tea (we used lemonade), salty pretzels (saltines), a bell, a coin, and a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

I SPOKE:

 Today we take a few minutes to remember what the 4th of July is about and remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be Americans. Before America was a nation, it was a dream – a dream shared by many people over many generations.

It began with the Pilgrims in 1620, who fled Europe so that they could be free to practice their religion as they saw fit. It continued through the 17th century as more and more came to a place that came to be known as the New World. In this new world, it wasn’t your past that was important; it was your future. As more and more people came, they started to see themselves not as Europeans but as Americans. The land was open and spacious. The opportunities limitless. By 1776, a century and a half after the first Pilgrims landed, the citizens were ready to break away from Old World of Europe and create a new nation.

On July 4 of that year, 1776, they did just that. They pronounced themselves free from the tyranny of the King of England. We know this pronouncement as The Declaration of Independence. This dream of independence didn’t become real by accident. The American dream became real because good people took action, and were prepared to die for the least realized of all human dreams – liberty.

Tatum read:

Q: Why do we celebrate the 4th of July?
A: Because the 4th of July is the birthday of the American people – the day we chose to become the United States of America, a free and independent nation. 

Q: Why is America different from all other countries?

A: In 1776, countries were based on nationality, religion, ethnicity, and geography. But America was created on the basis of a set of ideas. That is still true today.

Q: What are those ideas and what makes them so special?

A: Three ideas summarize what America is all about. You can see them engraved on every American coin. They are “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “E Pluribus Unum.”

We passed around the coin, ate the strawberries and blueberries, rang the bell, and ate the saltines. Then we closed with one more ritual. We signed our names to the Declaration of Independence. (last year we signed it too). We also sang God Bless America.

After this, we watched, “Why I love America” from Dennis Prager and PragerU. Basically, this reiterated the beauty of America. I want Tatum to appreciate our country!

It was now time for dinner. Tot and I had decorated the table.

Even for Coopy!


And I made salad and potatoes while Daddy barbecued some pork loin! YUMMMMMERS

What I wonderful dinner and time with our family. We played with Coopy and tired him out.

What a blessing. What an enormous blessing to live in this amazing country. Also, to be part of my family! I only want to honor America and keep its founding sacred. May we be victorious in November with a 2nd Trump presidency!