Happiness

Happiness is having a friend and a husband like him.

A Future Dream

Some day Buck would like to live on several acres and have room to build things and grow big gardens. Recently we went and looked at a property in the Goodyear/Buckeye part of the Valley. There is a little farmhouse on it- and that's me standing on the porch. We are not going to be moving to this particular farmhouse, but it was fun to go and see the land and make plans to renovate the house so that it would be suitable for living. A project like this is interesting to both of us, though Buck has more of the plan and the vision and I am a good laborer as it is harder for me to picture how things could be in my mind until they start to get closer to the finished product. In that way we make a very good team.

This is Buck directing me on how to frame this grouping of mature trees in the picture so no part is cut off. It made me laugh and so I took pictures of him telling me what to do all the way until he was near the trees for the actual picture. I think I did a nice job on the picture.

The beautiful trees and Buck- for scale. It's very unusual in the desert to find groupings of mature trees like this.

This tree is the real life replica of the tree is the logo of Buck's brokerage. Nature always does it first and almost always does it better.

Tonka Truck

It has been a while since I made a cake. This truck was for a first birthday party and I think it turned out quite well. I made cupcakes with yellow fondant and red #1's for the toppers. The cake tasted delicious and I am not someone who really enjoys cake- but it was a triple chocolate cake with cream cheese filling and frosting. I am happy with it as well as the only wooden parts of the cake were 1 small toothpick to hold each tire in place and then a dowel for the antenna. The family seemed to like it when I dropped it off and I know they had a delicious tasting birthday cake.

Happy Anniversary

This is on our honeymoon in beautiful Kauai, April 2007

Here we are in our living room 3 years later, April7, 2010. We went to Flemming's and had a delicious dinner. This is where we ate dinner the night we became engaged. That night was stressful to be as I was sure he was going to break up with me. It's funny now, but at the time it was not funny at all. Needless to say the following years of eating our anniversary dinner at Flemming's have been much more enjoyable. We stick with our favorite appetizer- the sweet chili calamari but the rest of the meal is always different. This year Buck decided to have a steak with crab meat and scallops. He confirmed that he really does not care for scallops but was surprised how he enjoyed his steak with the crab meat on it. I ordered halibut with capers and lemon sauce and then for dessert we had this delicious lemon pie that was frozen like a sorbet, but was so refreshing with a raspberry frappe drizzled over it. This is the first year we have remembered to take a picture on our anniversary and this is the first picture we have taken of our growing family. We decided this is the only anniversary date the kids will be coming on!

Christmas 2009

While not the best picture I have ever taken, I had to include it because I am laughing at the card my sister included with our Christmas gifts. One line read "..because sometimes it's hard to be pregnant, and sometimes it's hard to live with someone who is pregnant". Is there is any gift more priceless than being understood?

Once again, not the most photogenic holiday, but this is a lovely candle and I enjoy burning it.

Our annual tradition continues of making new stockings each year, and I am sad to say that I think those are the same pajama pants I have worn the last 3 Christmas mornings- I have a lot to work on before next December!

His stocking was perfect- literally. Pottery Barn could have sold it with pride.

Perhaps this years' most enjoyable gifts- the marshmallow guns!

(though we do love the swiss diamond!)

Cotter Cuteness

I think it is some kind of rules that all little girls must at some point in their life wear patent leather mary janes!
Good luck saying no to that face!

It's so nice to have family close and spend time together.

The oldest son and the oldest grandson.

The Apple of Love

The Cotter family tells a story which has now come to be known as the Apple of Love. The actual story is quite beautiful as it displays the human ability to forgive and extend love to those who we belive have wronged us. The short version as told by me, is that a young daughter married a cowboy and ran off with him. This caused a great deal of harm and I am sure embarrassement to the family. Some time passed- several years I believe, and the father decided that he needed to extend love to his daughter and so he collected the most beautiful apples he could and sent them to her. She accepted this offering and returned to see her family and great was the joy for all involved. The actual story has much more detail, and so at least once a year the Cotters gather together, a tray of sliced apples is passed around and as we eat the apple slice someone re-tells the story. This year Charla told the story and read parts from the original account which added new details to the story for everyone.
Charla telling the story of the Apple of Love and Sara playing the piano for Christmas carols.

Buck singing "Guard Him Joseph" which has sang in a quartet on Christmas Sunday and then sang as a solo for the talent show portion of the evening.

I told the story of the Nativity using a set we had in my house growing up. I had asked Brielle to help me arrange the characters and soon most of the children were gathered around.

Bill and Marianne made this hilarious video of scottish dancing and you can barely make out Bill playing the bagpipe and dancing in his kilt- I think they stole the show that night!

Chad sang one of his original songs inspired by the Christmases of Cotter's Past. He is very creative and quite the entertainer.

Brooke playing a little song on the piano- she even sang with her song, though the tune and lyrics were unfamiliar to the rest of us, I do love her spunk.

Brielle played a few songs on the piano and is quite accomplished.

We had a wonderful evening at Chad and Sara's home and it was nice to celebrate the holiday season together.