making out

Tonight Colt gave me a kiss which lasted a long time. He hasn't quite figured out the 'pucker' part of a kiss...so it's pretty much an open mouth kiss every time. And everyonce in a while I get some tongue.

I think he likes me.

piles of it...everywhere.

Since my brain has been in party mode the last few weeks I was finally able to sit down and take a good look at my house. I've let it go. And by let it go...I mean, it's disgusting.

-There are crumbs/dog food on the floor...waiting for Colt to eat them.
-My white rug is stained...which I would have lifted by now.
-My son has no clothes...he's been wearing baby 'wife beaters' and no pants for the last three days.
-My floors need swifter wet jetted...the top of colts feet were dirty from crawling.
-Toys are scattered everywhere...Colt now tries to chew the dogs rawhide.
-AND then...you open my bedroom door...and see. Piles. Piles of crap everywhere. And by crap, I mean laundry. Some clean. Some dirty. All mixed together in a big pile. A big pile of crap. Crappy crap crap.

I like laundry like I like bugs.

What I'm trying to say here is...I hate laundry and that my house is a mess. BUT, I promise to finish all my cleaning today just as soon as I bake some cookies and take a nap.

kisses on the couch

Quite possibly one of my favorite pictures ever...but there are lots still to see. The party was a hit. One of the most fun days I've had...is it too bold to say ever? But ya. I had so much fun. I think all the guests did too. Mom said it was perfect in every way. That's all I wanted to hear!

wedding bells

25 years ago my parents eloped and today their getting their long awaited reception.

85 people are coming.
The tables are set up.
Their friends are coming from near and far.
I'm really excited.

sunshiney day

Take a look at Friday. Remember what Friday is? Anniversary Party of the Century. NO RAIN! There is a small cloud if you look to the top left of the sunshine clip art...but there is no rain in that cloud. Prayer answered! Check it off the list.

Now, God, if only you can make my 100 pieces of fried chicken multiply like you did the fish/loaves in the bible so everyone can get fed...that would be extra special.

I'm not stressing out or anything...ehhh.
But here's to hoping there is enough food!
haha!

blog worthy

My little cousin Abby gave her life to Christ at Camp Adventure last Wednesday.

I'm so proud of you Abby!

for andy

Andy,

Happy 1st Fathers Day.

You are a hottie. You're even more of a hottie when I see you playing with Cbear. Here are a few of my favorite moments/things I just love about you as a Dad...

1. 1st bath at home. Direct shot from Colt. You totally got pee'd on and we caught it on camera.

2. I love that when we're about to go somewhere, instead of dressing Colt in the trendy outfit I layed out for him...he comes out wearing his camo pants. I love that you don't say anything about it to see if I notice. I love seeing you laugh with Colt thinking you both 'got me'.

3. This one is sort of a love/hate moment. I love/hate that you scared the crap out of me the other day with Colt by standing right in front of the door before I opened it. If it were only you standing there I would have punched you in the arm and been mad at you for 15 seconds until my heart rate went down. Since you were holding Colt, I was only mad at you for 5 seconds. This does not give you the 'go ahead' to keep scaring me.

4. I love it when you make Colt do Beyonce's dance and sing, 'If ya liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it...Oh Oh Oh!'. I love it when that song comes on the radio when were in the car together you do that very same dance yourself. And people thing your shy...

5. I love that when I ask Colt to say MaMa, he says, "Dada?". I think your secretly training him when I'm not looking.

6. I think it's funny that I found a dirty diaper in my nightstand the other day. You think you're tricky. I will get you back.

7. I love that you cuddle up with Colt and watch the same episode of The Adventures of Tigger and Pooh over and over again.

8. Colt likes me, but he really really likes you. 24 hour work shifts suck but when you walk through to door in the morning his eyes light up like I've never seen before. Those moments make me really happy. I love it even more now that he can crawl to you. He's starting to look around when I say, "Colt...Daddy's home."

These are just a few.

You were a good guy when we dated.

A better guy when you married me.

And now you're just great.

Fatherhood truly has brought the best out in you.

Which is a good thing because I want 4 more kids :)

Happy Fathers Day

I love you,

Mo (and Colt)

for dad

Dad,

Happy Fathers Day dad. Someone needs to find that Happy Farters Day card so we can all have a little laugh. I wanted to thank you for a few things.

1. Thank you for always teaching me to see if the good in things. You see the good in the bad. Andy teases me and says that everything is always 'puppies and rainbows' with me. I'm an optimist. I get that from you. I heard one time that optimists live longer. Cheers to that.

2. Thank you for working all those years on the dock loading semi's at Hover and Yellow. It was hard work. There were cold nights. Growing up we didn't get to see you much because of your work schedule but we watched you when we could. You never complained. You taught us to take pride in our work. It's a great quality to have.

3. Thank you for trying to blow that raft up for Spencer and I that one time at Diamond Lake. It only took you 2 hours to realize there was a hole in the raft. If I were older and not preoccupied with my hand stand and back flip contests we could have put our heads together and figured that one out!

You are a great man. I'm so blessed to have you in my life.

I know that things are hard right now. There are many things that are out of your hands. There are things happening to you that you can't control. I know that it's hard when you feel helpless. Mom, Spencer and I are feeling those pains too. But there is hope in Jesus. We'll make it through and we'll be stronger.

Your Mom and Dad are watching over you.
Jesus is watching over you.

Thank you for being a great Father!
I love you!
Mo

sound it out

I wrapped Andy's Fathers Day present today and it reminded me of this one time...

This one time, when I was a wee one, we made Fathers Day cards for our Dads in school. I asked my teacher how to spell Father and she said I should sound it out and do the best I could on my own. So my card said this:

Happy Farters Day

Couldn't she have helped me re-arrange the letters a bit...?
Maybe throw a 'h' in there somewhere too...?
So don't forget to buy your Farter a gift for Farters Day.

he swished it around in his mouth

I just wrestled Colt trying to get him to spit out a large, orange, piece of dog food. He didn't want to give it up?!?! I mean, if ya really wanna eat dog food Colt have at it! It's much cheaper.

Then my neighbor's heard this:

COPPER BREDEN! YOU KEEP YOUR FOOD IN THE BOWL. S H A M E ON YOU!

She knows better.
Really she does.

rain

The rain won't go away here in Indiana. Although the snow has left us, rain has taken it's place and we only get small glimpses of sunshine here or there. Drag. I've been praying for sunshine for the Anniversary Party. Think God will give it to me? Ask and you shall receive. My plan B is moving all of mom and dad's living room furniture into the basement and setting up camp in the living room. Sunshine would be so much easier.

Question: Can you trust your local weather guys' "Sixteen Day Forecast?"

Guess what he calls for on the 26th? RAIN.

Rain Rain Rain Rain Rain

he he hoo, he he hoo

Andy and I took a Lamaze class when I was pregnant for Colt. We lucked out by being in a class full of really cool couples [no baby mama drama] and since having our babies we've met up a few times for play dates. Quite a cute bunch. This time around we are mobile and crawling! Well, all but one. Evi [in the pink] is still trying to figure out her legs. You'll get there Evi. Crawling is fun.

Colt was the last one born out of the bunch and he still takes home the trophy for being the chubbiest and the longest. We're proud of our little tank. Missing in the picture are Brady, Riley and Olivia. But we had fun! They even all sat still for 2.5 milliseconds so we could snap this shot.

Anna, Colt, Evi, and Henry

we got a new dog

He is really fast!

His name is COPPELTON.

now i'm laughing

This is my Aunt Serena getting side tracked after a bathroom break at Hacienda.

She is a rare find.

She cracks me up : )

why things happen the way they do.

I'm going to do something rare here and actually talk about something instead of posting pictures. Shocking, I know.

Ya see, in my previous post I was crying over something not really tear worthy. The tears started earlier in the day when I was praying for my Dad...they then trickled down 20 other avenues of my brain causing me to cry over something fantastic like Colt crawling. I'm an idiot.

Things have been hard lately.

I can't stop thinking about the situation my family has been put into. It's not fair. It's not just. Everyday I wonder why things happen the way they do? I'm going to vent. Here I go.

Remember when my Dad hit his head at work and had to have brain surgery? It's a miracle he's alive. We'll always be thankful he's here. He was released from the hospital and was instructed by his neurosurgeon to take a month from work to recover and regain his energy. After that month had passed and Dad was feeling great, his Doctor released him to go back to work on light duty until he got some paperwork back from the State of Indiana Department of Transportation DOT [my dad is a truck driver]. The neurosurgeon said that Dad was released to go back to work with no restrictions pending a DOT approval. While we waited for the official paperwork to come back signed from the DOT Workers Comp paid Dad for his light duty work.

Meanwhile Dad got an infection in his the hole they drilled in his head during surgery and had to be put on antibiotics for two weeks to clear up the infection. Which was order by his neurosurgeon.

We finally received the paper work from the DOT and instead of releasing Dad to drive again they said that due to his head injury they are suspending his Commercial Driving Licence for a year because people who have a brain injury are more likely to have a seizure in the first year after surgery. They will reinstate his licence in March of 2010.

Dad took the paper work with him to work showing his company what the state had said and within a few days they forced him to sign a Leave of Absence for a year and told him the only way he could keep his seniority and his job was to sign the Leave of Absence. Dad was told there was no other option.

That Wednesday Workers Comp stopped paying him because regardless of what the state said about the situation, they were going by what Dad's neurosurgeon said which was that he was released with no restrictions to work therefore he was physically able to do his job and no longer falls under their umbrella of help...BUT...they left out and keep leaving out the part of the document that says PENDING DOT APPROVAL. The DOT did not approve. Therefore they should be paying him for his ON THE JOB INJURY! Why is this so hard?

My dad has been unemployed for 2 weeks now. He went to file unemployment the very next day and frantically got on the phone calling different Law offices trying to find a Lawyer to help him fight this. This is wrong. He got hurt on the job. It wasn't like he just broke his arm either, he almost died. This should be covered! People have been agreeing that this is wrong and that Dad's situation falls into a 'gray area' but no one wants to step up to the plate and fight for it. The 1st lawyer referred Dad to someone else...and then that lawyer referred Dad to a third lawyer. Don't lawyers go to school to defend people and stand up for what is right? Let me tell you...It's not easy to find a lawyer. No one wants to help. Workers comp is ruthless. They don't care what happened to you they just don't want to pay. They think they found a loop hole and they're remaining silent to see if we act on this.

Yesterday I was at my parents house when Dad opened the mail. He got a grin on his face when he saw an envelope from the Indiana Workforce thinking it was his 1st unemployment check that my parents have been waiting for. We read it together. The letter stated that since my Dad signed the Leave of Absence, his company didn't technically fire him or lay him off, therefore he is unable to claim any sort of unemployment. Talk about a blow. His company could have fired him, but he would have claimed unemployment off them. So instead they crossed their fingers and held a carrot out in front of my Dad saying he can come back to his spot on the seniority list and have his job back in a year...Just sign right here Steve. Jerks. I'm skeptical.

How many doors will be shut before help comes along?

This crushes my spirit.

What makes me most angry about this whole situation is that my Dad loved his job. He never missed work or called in sick. He loved to drive. He was a proud employee when he wore his uniform. He's worked for this company for years and has been with the Teamsters Union even longer...and now of all times no one will stand up for him and help him.

This is so wrong.

Dad went to have his infection looked at last week and his neurosurgeon is now releasing a statement that says Dad should be under his care and undergo head therapy. Hopefully that letter will help our case and he'll be able to claim disability since he technically is unable to do the job he was hired to do. We have also approached Indiana's Congressman Joe Donnelly and Senator John Broden explaining the entire situation and asking for any sort of help. They have both gotten back with us right away expressing their concern and reassuring us that they will help where the can. We have gotten more of a response and help from Indiana's elected officials then we have local lawyers who we would have paid. They truly have been our only glimmer of hope in this mess of a situation.

Worse of all this has added stress to my parents marriage. They take it one day at a time. They constantly have to regroup and remember their on the same team. I'm thankful I'm close enough to help them through this.

Their 25th wedding anniversary party is in two weeks and at one point they wanted to cancel it because they're so down and out right now. A party seems so fluffy and not important when there is a crisis at hand. I told them too bad, so sad, I already sent out the invites. I hope they can relax and reflect on the achievement of 25 years together. They vowed for better or worse. They're testing out the worse part right now and on the 26th they'll be renewing that very same vow. It will be special. It will be more significant than it ever has been. I will probably cry.

Life is hard sometimes.

I went to bed at 11:30 tonight. I sobbed in my pillowcase out of pure helplessness. Then I remembered this worship song and sang it to Jesus because I know it's true. I just need reminded. We'll be okay. At least my Dad is here.

Only you have come to find me,
Only you have come to pull me out,
Only you have come to save me,
Only you have come to wrap your arms around me,

No one has ever loved me
like the way you love me
wrap your arms around me

Ok.
I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.
Not sad tears.
Thankful ones.
We're not alone.

i'm crying

Is my baby small? Yes
Is my baby not yet One? Yes
Is my baby crawling fast? Yes
Is my baby standing up on furniture? Yes
Is my baby a baby? No
Am I crying? Yes
He's growing too fast.
I can't take it.
I need another one.

he tasted like watermelon and SPF50.

My baby had his 1st popcicle at Missy's the other day. It was watermelon flavor and sort of looked like a pickle. It had an entire bottle of green food dye in it. He turned into a alien. Face was dyed green...hands were green...all 20 neck rolls were green.

It was messy.

It was sticky.

It was fun. I let him top it off with a sippiecup full of apple juice.

Which he poured over all his fat rolls.

Then he got a bath.

stuck

This is one of my favorite pictures. Copper crawls under the bed and hangs out all the time. Colt tries to follwer her sometimes and army crawls until he is under the bed....then sits up and is completely S T U C K. Then he usually cries :)They look guilty.You're gonna get stuck Colt.Excuse my pj's and bed head. That's how I roll.

June 7th

You know I'm getting creative when my blog title becomes the date.

Hello all.

The Breden's have been good. Colt has mastered the crawl. I've got a video but haven't sat in the office long enough to down load it. The days have been either a. rainy or b. awesome....so I've been taking naps and spending almost all other seconds of my day at my Mom and Dad's house painting and power washing away. Gotta get ready for that Anniversary Party...Oh ya, that's where the rest of my time has gone. Only 19 days until the Anniversary Party of the century. [Reminder...if you got an invitation...have you RSVP'd? Good Question Eh?]

Anyhow. Life is great and full of Joy!
Here are a few reasons why...

a. On of my bf's Shannon moved home. Shannon, and her son Gavin, and her dog Cody moved back to Indiana while her husband Sam is serving a year in Afghanistan [I'm pretty sure it's Afghanistan] with the United States Army. He'll be home next summer but until then we're going to spoil her with fun times and LOVE.

b. My bff Kaley's little Sister [who is also my friend] got engaged! Court is engaged to a fine fellow named Stockton [he flys planes...very skilled] anyhow...my heart is happy for them too.

c. My son can crawl....Did I tell you that?

d. My Mother-in-law turned 50 yesterday. Happy Bday Grandma Kelli

e. My husband is awesome.

Life is good, right? Since I've got no other news...I'll instead just show you these pictures of my boys. So fantastic. So loved!

pretty in pearls

I promise he played with them more than he wore them.
I think.

grandma grape

My little cousin Abby used to call our Great Grandma 'Grandma Grape'. It stuck. This is Colt's Grandma Grape. They love each other. It's precious. I wish every baby in the world could be loved like my baby is loved.

blowing kisses.giving kisses.tickle attackin' it.chewing on grasslook what she taught him : )

We love you Grandma Grape

4 in 1 or 4 in 4?

Would you rather...
A. Have 4 kids in 4 years?
OR
B. Have 4 kids in 1 year?

Things that make you go...Hmmmmmm??