February Fun

                                            Anna holding her head up!

                   
                                             Super AVA!!

                                               Ready for swimming lessons

                                             Valentines Day with Daddy

                                              My sweet girls

                                             Happy Valentine's Day from Anna

                                            Swimming lesson fun

                                             Ava loves Miss Lori

                                       
                                             Happy Valentine's Day from Ava

We have had a super fun February!  Ava and Anna enjoyed celebrating Valentine's Day, Ava started swimming lessons and we have had a lot of play time outside.

Sisterly Love

The other day when Ava came home from school, she told me it was her turn to hold Anna!  My prayer is that the two girls will always be close with each other.

Happy Birthday Ava!

Happy Birthday to my big 4 year old!!  How in the world do I have a four year old.  It seems like just yesterday our precious Ava was born early, and we were learning how to parent not only our first child, but a preemie.  Now she is an incredible, smart, funny, energetic, friendly, loving, active four year old.  We began her birthday celebration by going up to the NICU at Kennestone to tell the ladies thank you for taking such great care of Ava.  I love the tradition of going up there, because it is a just a great reminder of how far God has taken us and how gracious He has been to our family.  We celebrated Ava's birthday with a Western themed birthday party at the house.  We had family and friends over, cooked out and even made smores.  It was a great day of celebrating the birthday of my precious first born!!

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas!  It was a super fun Christmas 2012.  We started the celebration a few days before Christmas with Daddy and Ava making a special gingerbread house.  We then were able to get a Christmas card put together, to share the great news of the birth of Anna and a celebration of the growth of our family.  On Christmas Eve day, Grammy, Doc, Brad, Carri, Hudson and McClellen came to our house for a "Medcalf" celebration.  It was so fun seeing the three older cousins running around and playing together.  On Christmas day we went to Me-Me and Bob-Bob's house and had Christmas all together. It was so fun everyone together and get a picture with all the generations.  God has truly blessed our family!

Welcome to the World Anna Cooler!

                                            Thank you Dr. Bardwell

                                          Uncle Brad drove from Greenville just to meet his new neice

                                          Grammy came to help make the first week an easy transition!

                                                    Ava meeting her little sister

                                                    Welcome to the World Anna

                                                   Sisterly love

                                                    Daddy and his girls

                                                    Doc came in town to meet his newest granddaughter

                                                   Ready to get this show on the road

                                         Heading home!

                                                    Bob-Bob and Me-Me meeting their newest great grandchild

On December 5, 2012 we welcomed in to the world our 2nd daughter Anna Mincey Cooler!  It was a planned C-section, in which I had a "spinal" and felt nothing.  Well, except when the nurse was trying to put the IV in my arm and it took about three times...ouch!  Anna was born at 9:45 and she was perfect!!  She came out crying and had an almost perfect Apgar score at 7 lbs and 1 oz.  After I recovered a little bit, she was brought to me and we began our journey as a family of four.  Once Ava woke up from her nap Grammy brought her up to the hospital to meet her baby sister.  Ava was not too sure about Mommy being in the hospital bed or Anna at first, but she has now become a great big sister!  We are so blessed to now have two precious, amazing little girls.  There are moments when I still get choked up, when I say, "my children".  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Decorating for Christmas 2012

                         
                                                     Decorating the tree

                                                   Stockings are hung with care

                                                   Ava used the tree skirt as a cape

                                        Putting the star up with a little boost from Daddy

                                                 Playing with her Nativity Scene

                                                   Reading her Christmas books

This morning we woke up and decorated our house for Christmas.  I love having Christmas decorations up, so we try to put them up each year right after Thanksgiving.  This year was so much fun, because Ava has really gotten into the "magic" of Christmas this year.  She loved decorating the Christmas tree, we have lots of decorations at the bottom of tree this year...but it is cute.  We hung our stockings, including Anna's. I love having family time and continuing family traditions!

Blessings

A few weeks ago I did a "talk" at our Cedarcrest Women's event.  At the end of my testimony, I signed one of my most favorite songs, "Blessings" by Laura Story.  I hope that this encourages you!

Halloween Fun 2012

                                                       
                                                    Group shot of friends Halloween party!

                           Yee Haw!  Ava and McClellen riding horses at the festival at ERBC

                                                Happy Halloween from the Cooler family of four!!

                                               Daddy is a great trick or treater!

                                                Ava loved trick or treating!

                                                   Riding George the Train

                                                Walking the enchanted forest trail with Doc

                                        Ava was so excited to meet Snow White

                Dressed up with cousins: McClellen (Tiger Lily), Hudson (Batman), Ava (Cinderella)

                                          YEE HAW!!  Ava wants her Daddy to buy her a horse!!

Halloween 2012 has be fun of fun, family and friends!  The fun festivities started this weekend in Greenville.  On Friday night, Ava enjoyed Halloween fun at the Pavilion, riding on George the Train, walking the enchanted trail, meeting fun Disney characters and of course jumping on the jumpies.  The best part of the night at the pavilion was when she met Snow White.  Her face was so cute, and it was priceless when she grinned and said, "Mom, it's Snow White!!"  On Saturday, Ava had fun at the ERBC fall festival with Hudson and McClellen. Ava's favorite part was riding on Scarlett the horse!  As she took off riding, Ava screamed out, "Yee Haw, I'm Jesse!!"  Then on Wednesday, Halloween our family enjoyed a great time with friends.  We had a fun cookout of hotdogs and chili and then the kiddos were off to trick or treat!  This year Ava really got the hang of trick or treating and was full of laughter and smiles!