THE COX FAMILY: October 2008

October 3, 2008

Lights, Sirens, & Action!

Jalen woke up to find presents on the table, and the kitchen decorated with balloons and streamers. He was so excited! It was finally his birthday! He was anxiously awaiting the day that he could tell people he was "three now, not 2 and a half anymore!"

Jalen was thrilled to discover a new green tractor with a bucket (his request like Grandpa's at the farm), and construction equipment from Nanna.

Jalen got the best card from Grandma Cox. He liked it as much as any of his presents.

What handsome boys!

Jalen is very interested in big trucks now, including fire engines. For the last couple of weeks, he has stated he wants to be a fire truck for Halloween. So for his birthday party, we took a tour of the fire station in our neighborhood. The kids all had a great time.

Here are the kids all inside the cab of the firetruck. They were excited to see the many gadgets and experience somewhat of a "ride" in the truck.

The firemen were so good with the kids. They talked about fire safety, fun facts about their job, and showed them their entire fire-fighting gear. The kids were very much entertained!

Cameron Lloyd took quite a liking to the fireman. She walked right over and sat down on his lap!

One of the best parts were the handouts...the kids all got firehats, stickers and activity coloring books.

Here's all the kids: Brecken, Ryder, Mason, Kade, Cody, Brayden, Ethan, Jalen, Cooper and Cameron.

We contined the party...of course we couldn't leave out presents, cake and ice cream!

Jalen was SOO excited about his cake. The night before his party, he kept sneaking out of bed to come and watch me decorate it. He said he just wanted to watch, but what he Really wanted, was to snitch the candy and lick the frosting. I didn't have the heart to be stern and keep him in bed because afterall, he was the birthday boy!

A very proud boy with his Fire Truck birthday cake!

I had so much fun spending your special day with you! Your excitment of the party, presents, and simple happiness you find from spending time with your friends and family is so rewarding for me. Our family adores and loves you. We are so grateful you are in our family! Happy 3rd Birthday Jalen. I love you!

xoxoxo

Mom

October 1, 2008

Happy Birthday Jalen!

We were so excited to welcome Jalen into the world, especially because his dad was able to be apart of it! Because Alan was living in Arizona and the kids and I were still in Utah, the fear of the baby coming without Alan was always on my mind. So we were so grateful Jalen came when he did. It was a Friday night, during the biggest high school football game of the season…Manti Templars vs Gunnison Bulldogs. There is a history of rivalry between these two schools and because Alan was a Templar and I was a Bulldog, the competitiveness continues! The nurses at the Gunnison hospital made sure that Jalen's first beanie was a royal blue, instilling Bulldog spirit from the very beginning!

I can’t believe Jalen is 3 years old! Time has gone by way too fast and at the same time, so much has changed….we lived with my parents in Utah while Alan lived in Arizona; Madelyn was only 3 years old; Mason still had a bottle; I was finishing up my last semester of nursing school; and Jalen was only 3 months old when we moved to Surprise. It seems crazy how much life has changed in such a short time!

Jalen is such a joy in our family. He has always been so easy going, full of personality, and very entertaining. He loves tools, trucks, tractors, his cowboy boots and gun. Here's a quick look at the past 3 years with Jalen apart of our lives....

Very proud mommy and daddy

Very excited big sister and brother

Jalen was a beautiful baby, dark hair and round face. He was a good baby, until bedtime...that was another story. He didn't like to sleep at night. I got up every night, multiple times for the first year of his life!

Daddy enjoying some precious time

I miss his long curls!

Jalen and his cousin Katelyn are only two months apart

Jalen absolutely loves dogs...I tried to talk Alan into giving one for his birthday this year, but we disagree on one thing. He only wants a BIG dog, I would prefer a little one, especially because we have a tiny yard and it would end up inside. Maybe next year!