Hello 2010-Part 2

Yes, you read the title correctly.  I have told Justin and I want to be open and honest about the fact that I refuse to believe that 2011 is upon us and I will just pretend like it is still 2010.  Why you might ask?  Well mainly because yours truly will be turning the be 3-0 (it pains me to even type that), but also because at the end of the said year that doesn't exist in my mind I will have an almost 4 year old and a 1 year old.  YIKES!!!  I simply can't believe that because before we know it we will be welcoming 2012. 

In all seriousness, while I am not looking forward turning 30, I am excited to see what the new year will bring.  Hopefully I will achieve some of my goals, including running my first organized 5k, reading the entire Bible, learning how to be a better wife and mom, beginning our "dream vacations" fund, etc.  We will celebrate our little girl's 3rd birthday and our little man's first, I will complete my 6th year of teaching, we will celebrate our 6th anniversary, Justin will continue his hobby of referring soccer, Makenna will begin preschool (if she gets a spot), and so much more.  It will be a busy, but rewarding year I am sure, but I will still view it as 2010 Part 2.

Here is a recap of 2010 that we sent out in our Christmas cards.  I will get holiday pictures posted as soon as I get them edited.  Happy New Years!

It’s hard to believe it’s the time of year

To send out our annual holiday greetings and cheer
The Coffer Family has had a very eventful 2010

Without any further adieu our year in review we shall begin

 

The new year began with temperatures quite blustery and chilly

But cancelling Makenna’s 2nd birthday party to us would be silly

Family and friends gathered at our house for presents and cake

More room for her new toys we did have to make

In February we found out we were expecting another bundle of joy

And in June we found out our second child would be a boy

Makenna cried when she learned she wasn’t getting a sister

But she soon became excited about our new little mister

Most of the year was spent preparing for the baby’s arrival

We knew with 2 kids our new motto would simply be “survival”

Makenna got a big girl room and she loved that it was new

We painted her old room brown, green, and blue

This summer we took a vacation to Chicago by train

Some rest and relaxation before the baby we were hoping to gain

We visited many sites and good food we did eat

The pizza at Lou Malnati’s just couldn’t be beat

This year we truly learned the Lord gives and takes away

For my grandmother passed away one October day

We said good-bye just a few weeks before the baby’s due date

Explaining death to Makenna was as task we certainly did hate

Makenna became a big sister on October 25, 2010

We decided to name her baby brother Beckham Glen

Our lives have greatly changed since that great day

However, we definitely wouldn’t want it any other way

Makenna has become a spunky little two year old

And sometimes directions repeatedly she must be told

She is definitely excited about the holiday season

And we think getting presents just might be the reason

Beckham is a very charming little fellow

He takes after his father and is quite mellow

We enjoy seeing him continuously develop and grow

Sweet little faces he is now beginning to show

We celebrated our fifth anniversary in November

Our wedding day is one we will always remember

During our marriage we’ve grown to love each other more

And we’ve learned our dependency on each other we just can’t ignore

I am still teaching 7th grade math—I’ve completed five years

And unfortunately this year has brought me some stress and some tears

Writing assessments and redoing curriculum became one of my tasks

For standardized test scores are very important to some if you ask

Justin still works at Jack Henry and loves working with banks

He helps them fix financial issues and gets many thanks

His company moved into a bigger building in mid-summer

He was one vacation during the big move; to him it was no bummer

We hope your holidays are merry and bright

And that all your festivities turn our just right

While we celebrate may we remember the real Christmas story

About Jesus, our Savior, and all of His glory

We wish you many blessings as we begin a new year

Please cherish all the memories with those you hold dear

We are next year’s greetings we will have stories galore

As we review our first full year as a family of four

Beckham's Newborn Pictures

Click here to view these pictures larger

A Few Videos

Here are a few videos from yesterday.  The first one is of Beckham smiling and laughing.  We were a bit late to get out the camera, but we still captured him in a happy mood.  He is really beginning to develop a personality and has some very animated facial expressions at times.  Makenna loves it when he laughs and smiles and she always says, "Hey, he's happy!"

This video is of Makenna singing part of I Want a Hippopotomus for Christmas.  She usually does a better job, but she still did good for not having any music and for only being 2-years old.  Please ignore the runny nose, but we wanted to video her while she was willing to sing for the camera.

Holiday Preparations

Wow!  It has been a crazy, busy past week.  I returned to work last Monday to tie up loose ends at the end of the semester and to do grades, so I haven't had time during the day to post, etc.  We also had something every night last week so it really seemed like we didn't have time to do much.  Thankfully, my school dismissed for Christmas break on Friday, so I have two full weeks off until I go back on January 3rd.  Yesterday, we had our first Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family.  Makenna always enjoys playing with all her cousins.  Because the family is so large due to many of us being married with kids we don't do gifts, so I was very curious when I saw my mom carrying in gift boxes.  After we ate she passed them out and in the boxes were these:

Aprons--but not just any apron.  They had a recipe of my Grandma's on it written in her handwriting.  It was a special gift.

After our family Christmas, Santa made a special visit to Makenna and Beckham at Nana and Papa's house.  Makenna was so surprised.



This week we are finishing up all the last minute shopping and getting ready for all the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities.  Here are a few pictures we have taken over the past week or so.

Another Song

While it's not a traditional Christmas song, this has become one of our favorite holiday songs--it truly tells the true meaning of Christmas.

How Many Kings

I heard this song yesterday on the radio and all I can say is that I LOVE it.  The lyrics really made me take note of the true meaning of this holiday season and the sacrifice that was made for us.

Makenna's 2nd and Beckham's First Meeting with Santa

Just wanted to share...

Makenna's Message from Santa

Oh my goodness!  I just made this for Makenna and it is too cute not to share--plus it was free, which if you know me is one of my favorite words.  This is so much better than her receiving a letter from St. Nick in the mail.  I highly recommend this to anyone with small children, nieces, nephews, etc. Click the link to watch her video.

http://magicsanta.ca/player.html?code=P0WJ9Q

She is napping right now, but we plan to show it to her when she gets up.  She is going to go CRAZY!  We will definitely post the video. 

A Post with Tons of Pictures

Makenna and Justin hanging out

Our little turkey on Thanksgiving

Look at those bright eyes

Makenna and Beckham louging watching Charlie Brown at Nana and Papa's--Makenna have recently found a love of Charlie Brown

Another cute picture

Beckham with his great-granddad whom he is named after

Both kids with great-granddad

Makenna and Uncle Trent in the tractor bringing a load of soybeans



She is having so much fun



The ride is over--I am so glad Makenna got to do this and now asks when she can ride the tractor again

Week Review and Giving Thanks

We have had a busy, but fantastic past few days and of course, are gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be heading to Bolivar tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and will then be traveling to Kennett, MO on Saturday to celebrate the holiday with some of Justin's family.  Beckham will also be meeting several family members for the first time, including his great-granddad, Glen, whom he is named after.

Friday was our anniversary and Justin and I, thanks to my wonderful mom, were able to go out to a dinner alone.  We had a tough time deciding where to go, but ended up at Doe's Eat Place.  We shared the biggest steak I have ever ordered and definitely enjoyed our meal.  We did a bit a shopping at the mall and ended the evening at the Cup, the cupcake place downtown.  Justin enjoyed a pumpkin harvest cupcake and I had a red velvet one.  They were delicious.

 Still happily married after 5 years

Saturday, my mom and I, along with 10 million other people, decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and head down to the outlet mall in Branson.  We did manage to find a few good deals, but due to the huge crowd we didn't spend a lot of time there.  While we were shopping, Justin and Makenna had a daddy/daughter day.  Makenna absolutley loved it and I think there will be several more of these days in the future.  They went to one of the local bounce houses and then went to lunch.  It wore them both out.

Sunday, we headed to church.  We are currently doing a study on "The Hole in the Gospel."  It is about how we as Christians often forget about the "least of these" and what we can do to reach out to them.  As part of this, we are once again as a church adopting foster kids for this holiday season.  We are to pick children to purchase a $20 gift for.  The neat thing about this is that the gifts go directly to the foster parents to give to the kids just like they had purchased it themselves--our names are in no way attached to the gift.  We have a 1 year old little boy and a 3 year old little girl to purchase a gift for and we look forward to shopping for them as a family.

After church, Justin, Makenna, and I headed to Silver Dollar City.  Makenna was so excited about this and she told us that she wanted to see Santa.  We weren't so sure about this because she tends to be scared of people and the past two Christmases she had screamed when we took her to see him.  However, I thought that this year might be different since she is almost three and thankfully I was correct.  She went up and sat on his lap without any hesitation and told him exactly what she wanted.  She has asked if she can go see him again with Beckham and we told her we would go sometime.

 Makenna discussing her wish list with Santa

Makenna and Santa--The first picture of Makenna and Santa

that she isn't crying.  I love it!

After visiting Santa we walked around and looked at the lights and then waited for the parade to start.  We got a bit bored waiting so we decided to take some fun pictures.



We hope everyone has a great holiday.  In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, Beckham will be 1 month old.  Where has the time gone?

5 Years

Today, Justin and I are celebrating our 5 year anniversary.  Wow!  It is so hard to believe that in that time our family has gone from this...



To this...



 

Justin,



Thank you for loving me unconditionally although I have failed you as a wife numerous times, believing in me when I don't believe in myself, giving me encouragement when I don't think I have the strength to go on-- the list could go on and on.  Our marriage has definitely had its ups and downs, but it is the good times that make the not so good ones easier to handle. I am so lucky to have someone by my side on a daily basis to go through life with, whether it be playing with the kids, laughing so hard we cry, or sharing our hopes, dreams, and even our struggles and weaknesses.  I couldn't imagine my life with anyone else and I thank God that you chose me as your wife.  I love you!

Jennifer

Here is a little memories video I put together.  Enjoy!

Resemblances?

Some people think Makenna and Beckham look alike and some people do not.  Justin and I definitely see some resemblance.  What do you think?  Both kids are 18 days old in the pictures.

Makenna

Beckham

Review of the Week

Things at the Coffer household have been going pretty well this week with the exception of the need for a little more sleep. We now realized how blessed we were to have Makenna who slept very well from night 1, but now we are definitely experiencing what it is like to have a normal newborn. I know many who have had it much worse, but let's just say Beckham tends to get pretty fussy between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am. Last night he did much better, though, so hopefully this will continue.

This week we finally got out of the house and did some things. Last weekend Justin traveled to Memphis to be in a wedding, while the kids and I stayed behind. I was a bit bummed that I couldn't go with him, but the time I got to spend at home with my two children was nice.

Mid-week, Makenna went to her babysitters and got to play with her friends. She had really missed them and she had a great time. While she was playing, Beckham and I went to his 2-week check-up. He got a good report and weighed in at 8 lbs 4 oz. The nurse and doctor both commented how long and lean he is, which isn't surprising because Makenna always has been. Unfortunately, they didn't get that from their mother. After we left the doctor, we went to Justin's office so the proud daddy could show off his son.

Thursday night we experienced our first dinner at a restaurant with two kids. We went out to eat for my brother's birthday and once again, Beckham decided to be a bit fussy. Justin ended up going to the car with him, which is something we never had to do with Makenna.

Yesterday, the kids and I went to Bolivar and shopped at some of the open houses at some local businesses. We didn't buy much, but it was once again nice to get out of the house.

Today, Justin has his final soccer games of the season to ref until spring. He has really enjoyed this experience and I have enjoyed the extra money he has made. :) Tomorrow we plan to go to church and spend the rest of the day relaxing as a family.

We are also looking forward to celebrating this coming week. Friday is our 5 year anniversary (where has the time gone?) and Justin and I are excited to go out without the kids. Speaking of our anniversary, Justin knew what his gift was going to be because I needed help and info picking it out. However, I didn't expect him to be the one to get the mail yesterday when it arrived and I definitely didn't expect him to open the package. UGG! Oh well. He just got his gift a bit early. I will share more about it in a later post. Until then, I will leave you with some pictures.



Makenna and Beckham on the couch.  Makenna said, "Look, Mommy, we're sharing!"

He loves his pacifier.  Another way he is so different from his sister.

Makenna and her doll, Molly.

Chillin'

Our two little blessings.  We are so lucky.  And yes, Makenna was talking up a storm to Beckham.

Still chillin' 

Makenna loves to lay next to Beckham

More on Shutterfly--Christmas Cards

In my previous post, I showed Beckham's birth announcement I did on Shutterfly.  I am getting ready to create our annual Christmas card here and wanted to share what all they have available.  Like I mentioned, I only use this site for printing my photos and this year I have decided to order our Christmas cards here this year.  I really am not a fan of the designs other stores and sites have to offer, but that is definitely not the case with Shutterfly. I haven't decided yet which design I am going to use, but I know I will be satisfied with the end product no matter what I pick.  I love how Shutterfly's offers a wide variety of cards, as well as their design selection, including religious designs.  I also love to make photo books on Shutterfly.  I like have all my pictures in one book instead of having to print each picture individually and then by a photo album to put them in.  You might think the photo books are expensive, but in the long-run they are more cost effective than the above mentioned method of storing your memories.  I  might do some calendars for the upcoming year as well to give as gifts.  Can you tell I am a HUGE fan of Shutterfly?

Another great thing about Shutterfly is that they offer amazing discounts via their site or via email, so I don't think I have ever placed an order without getting at least one discount and often times I get multiple ones for the same order.  They are currently offering an incredible deal on photo cards for bloggers, so just click here to take advantage of the offer.  Did I mention that you get free holiday cards?  Yes, I said free.

Beckham's Birth Announcement

I just completed Beckham's birth announcement and I couldn't wait to share.  I did it on Shutterfly and it is adorable.  Shutterfly is the only place I will get pictures from and you can make awesome photo books and gifts on there as well.  I highly recommend this site.  Check it out here:  http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AYsWrly1bsWIN

Baby Chic Blue Birth Announcement

Make a statement with Shutterfly birth announcement cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Update and More Pictures

It has been a week since we brought Beckham home and what a week it has been.  We are still getting adjusted to life with a newborn again, but Justin and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  We have truly been blessed with two amazing, beautiful children.  This past week we have been to the doctor for Beckham's two day check-up, celebrated Halloween (and yes, Makenna did get way too much candy), and had Beckham's newborn and family pictures taken.  We can't wait to see how the pictures turn out.  Here are a few pictures from this past week.

 Ready to come home from the hospital

Makenna was so glad for her bubby to be home 

Precious

Makenna wanted to take a picture with Beckham and her decorated pumpkins

Ming-Ming the Duck ready for trick-or-treating

Our little Tuck the Turtle

The Wonder Pets

Family Photo

Swinging away

Sleeping with Makenna's stuffed Wocket

Look at that adorable face

Another cute face