Sing Happy Birthday to Cooper

Cooper wanted an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for his birthday. We went to pick one up and all they had was a New Year’s cake. He carefully removed the words “new year” and we drew in cursive “birthday.”  We added his name and his age to customize the cake. He loved it!  We took him out to his favorite restaurant, which also happens to be Nate’s favorite restaurant. Chipotle. Afterward we went to monster ice cream to get rolled up freshly made ice cream cups. Yum!

Oak Farm Animal Care

We had the opportunity to take care of the Oak Farm farm animals at the middle school on a Saturday. The animals are cared for daily by the students but on weekends there is nobody at the school. That’s when families sign up to help care for the animals. Jaxton works with the alpacas daily. He hast to scoop the poop from the previous day and throw down fresh straw. He has to feed them and often take them on walks. He has so many funny stories about the three alpacas and there are three different personalities. It is so fun to hear him talk about them. The farm also has lots of coats, sheep, two donkeys, a cow, and lots of ducks and chickens and baby checks. Also take animals have a pen in the van that needs to be completely scooped out from the day prayer and two wheelbarrows and wheeled outside and dumped. Then fresh straw or sawdust or both must be laid in each pen. Water from A hose from a well Hass to be filled in each animals bucket and fresh hey or food has to be filled. In order to do any work on the indoor pen we have to learn the animals to the outside pen with treats. This was hilarious and tricky to accomplish, but Jaxton what is the expert here. We were able to layer all the animals to the outdoor pen and close the gates in order to do work on the barn. A hose from a well has to be sealed in each animals bucket and fresh ham or food has to be filled. In order to do any work on the indoor pen we have to learn the animals to the outside pan with treats. This was hilarious and tricky to accomplish, that Jaxton was the expert here. We were able to layer all the animals to the outdoor pen and close the gates in order to do work on the barn. At one point the sheep got back into the barn but the gate was open in the barn and they started to walk around the barn. We quickly closed the barn side doors to keep them pinned inside of the bone and then LURD them with treats back into their pen. Jaxton Cooper and Kaylee split up with me and we worked hard scooping poop and feeding and watering the animals. Throwing down staff from the loft of the barn was probably the most coveted job.

All of this time little Nathan sat on a bench inside of the barn and cried. He cried and cried and whined and whined and cried louder. He absolutely hated this work. He assured me he would never be a student at this school and never would work with the animals. Our work went on as he cried in the background.It was quite the experience! Hard hard hard manual work, but satisfaction in knowing we were caring for the animals and that there was no one else that would do this job that day. It was an obligation and we were motivated to get it done in a timely manner but also to do it well. So grateful for Oak Farm middle school and the opportunities given to the students. And also grateful for the opportunity our family had to help.

It was quite the experience! Hard hard hard manual work, but satisfaction in knowing we were caring for the animals and that there was no one else that would do this job that day. It was an obligation and we were motivated to get it done in a timely manner but also to do it well. So grateful for Oak Farm middle school and the opportunities given to the students. And also grateful for the opportunity our family had to help.

Cooper turns 12

Cooper is 12 years old! Where did the time go! Here are some fun things about Cooper at 12 years old.

1. Cooper’s closest buddies these days include Ryan Kaczynski, Pierceton, Tyler, and his basketball team friends. 

2. Cooper is not a big breakfast eater lately but enjoys taking soups for lunch. He loves tacos for dinner. 

3. Cooper is big into basketball these days. He just completed The oak farm basketball season as the point guard for his team. 

4. Cooper is a passionate kid with a lot of self motivation and determination for success. He has an inner drive that anybody would envy. It’s exciting to see His interests develop and watch this self motivation create opportunities for him. 

5. Cooper still hopes to someday on Simplx or at least work there full-time. He is passionate for the family business.

6. Cooper heads up the sixth grade newsletter once a month. He delegates outs articles, games, riddles, and other writings to the sixth graders in his class and he is passionate about putting the newsletter together every month. 

7. Cooper’s favorite show these days is the Mandalorian. He also enjoys watching studio C comedy put on by BYU students. Sometimes he thinks he is older than he is and wants to watch movies out of his age range. We keep him in check :-) he also enjoys playing clash of clans on the iPad.

8. Cooper is a pianist. He has a passion to learn popular songs that people can recognize. He’s learned songs from the greatest showman and popular songs on the radio and he enjoys getting a rise out of people when he’s able to play a popular song. He is very talented musically.

9. Cooper is a pianist. He has a passion to learn popular songs that people can recognize. He’s learned songs from the greatest showman and popular songs on the radio and he enjoys getting a rise out of people when he’s able to play a popular song. He is very talented musically. 

10. Cooper is a planner. He loves to plan trips and plan the schedule. He is always giving us ideas of how the scheduled day should look or how we can make everything work into a timeframe. He is very good at finding solutions to the schedule :-)

Happy happy birthday Cooper we love you so much enjoy your year!

Suzuki Piano Recital

The three older kids participated in their winter piano recital for the Suzuki program at the downtown library on a beautiful grand piano on stage. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear them perform all that they’ve practice so hard to accomplish. They all have the majority of their music memorized, which is just amazing to me. In the car I asked Kaylee if she brought her music and she responded no. Initially I panicked But she responded “mom I don’t need it.”  So amazing! 

Kaylee played Up On the Housetop and Children’s French Song from the Suzuki program.  Cooper played Canon in D and then River Flows in You. Jaxton played Minuet in G Major and then he played a new complicated and beautiful version of Carol of the Bells.

Simplx Winter Party

The Symplex winter party was a fun and fantastic success! This year it was held for the first time at a venue other than our Symplex warehouse. It was held at the downtown PNC building on the 25th floor overlooking the entire city of Fort Wayne. It was a beautiful venue in the heart of Fort Wayne which is symbolic for Symplex grounding here in the city. At 41 employees, all but a few were able to come And most brought their significant other or spouse. It was really fun to meet everybody’s significant other and to interact with everyone in a setting away from the day-to-day grind of work. Everyone was dressed up fancy and socializing and enjoying one another’s company. Amy put together a photo booth and Michelle put together a painting project for the burn unit at Lutheran Hospital. We stenciled small motivational boards for the burn unit children. and most brought their significant other or spouse. It was really fun to meet everybody’s significant other and to interact with everyone in a setting away from the day-to-day grind of work. Everyone was dressed up fancy and socializing and enjoying one another’s company. Amy put together a photo booth and Michele put together a painting project for the burn unit at Lutheran Hospital. We stenciled small motivational boards for the burn unit children. there was a cocktail bar, which is new for us :-). We shared a slideshow put together by Madie of the entire year wrapped up into one video. My goal is to get that put into a photo book for the lobby for the year of 2019. Nate and I spoke briefly about each of the employees and our gratitude for each one of them and all of us as a whole. Of course we surprise everyone with a large basket full of personalized goodies.  It’s employee received some kind of Canvas or picture frame with a painting or quotes on it that represented them to us. And we also filled their baskets with winter items and other personalized items for each one. The kind words spoken by the staff concerning the company was inspiring and motivating to keep moving forward. It’s certainly not always easy to run a business and a family and balance everything and take care of all 41 employees. It’s difficult to make everyone happy or two always have a smile on your face. It’s a challenging fit but hearing the words of our staff and their gratitude, enhances our desire to serve them and to continue sharing interdependence with one another through Simplx Security. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide for our staff and also grateful that they can provide us a balance between work and home. I also realize that the company is ever-changing. Every Christmas party we see this specifically as the group changes in the dynamics change. It will never be stagnant and never stop changing; I look forward to what the future holds.

Simplx Winter Party

The Symplex winter party was a fun and fantastic success! This year it was held for the first time at a venue other than our Symplex warehouse. It was held at the downtown PNC building on the 25th floor overlooking the entire city of Fort Wayne. It was a beautiful venue in the heart of Fort Wayne which is symbolic for Symplex grounding here in the city. At 41 employees, all but a few were able to come And most brought their significant other or spouse. It was really fun to meet everybody’s significant other and to interact with everyone in a setting away from the day-to-day grind of work. Everyone was dressed up fancy and socializing and enjoying one another’s company. Amy put together a photo booth and Michelle put together a painting project for the burn unit at Lutheran Hospital. We stenciled small motivational boards for the burn unit children. and most brought their significant other or spouse. It was really fun to meet everybody’s significant other and to interact with everyone in a setting away from the day-to-day grind of work. Everyone was dressed up fancy and socializing and enjoying one another’s company. Amy put together a photo booth and Michele put together a painting project for the burn unit at Lutheran Hospital. We stenciled small motivational boards for the burn unit children. there was a cocktail bar, which is new for us :-). We shared a slideshow put together by Madie of the entire year wrapped up into one video. My goal is to get that put into a photo book for the lobby for the year of 2019. Nate and I spoke briefly about each of the employees and our gratitude for each one of them and all of us as a whole. Of course we surprise everyone with a large basket full of personalized goodies.  It’s employee received some kind of Canvas or picture frame with a painting or quotes on it that represented them to us. And we also filled their baskets with winter items and other personalized items for each one. The kind words spoken by the staff concerning the company was inspiring and motivating to keep moving forward. It’s certainly not always easy to run a business and a family and balance everything and take care of all 41 employees. It’s difficult to make everyone happy or two always have a smile on your face. It’s a challenging fit but hearing the words of our staff and their gratitude, enhances our desire to serve them and to continue sharing interdependence with one another through Simplx Security. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide for our staff and also grateful that they can provide us a balance between work and home. I also realize that the company is ever-changing. Every Christmas party we see this specifically as the group changes in the dynamics change. It will never be stagnant and never stop changing; I look forward to what the future holds.

Oak Farm Basketball

Cooper participated in the Oak Farm Montessori school falcon basketball team. He was on the fifth and sixth grade team and was appointed point guard for the team. This has caused him a lot of motivation as well as stress and determination to do well. He has led the team in a positive way. Oak Farm had seven wins for the season and Cooper scored many of those points. He is definitely a team leader And looked up to by his peers and coaches. Nefy Hathaway was his coach. She is also Owens toddler classroom teacher. She enjoys seeing our kids in their different respective elements. Nate was the official photographer for the team and didn’t miss one game. Congrats on a fantastic season Cooper we love you!

You Are Enough

A friend of mine sent me a surprise package in the mail following some deep conversations. We all have good days and bad days and it’s constantly changing. Sometimes those harder days can’t get me or anyone feeling extra down on themselves.  We question our worth and our performance in all of the aspects of our daily life. Sometimes we can forget that we are special just the way we are. There is no need to compare ourselves to another’s personality or another’s successes. We are enough just the way we are. Thank you Emily! 

Cake Time for Kay

This is still our off year for friends parties. We celebrated Kaylee‘s birthday with extended family at our house. What kind of cake did she choose? Shopkins! We found a fun shopkins cake to try to copy and I think it turned out fantastic! She and I worked together to make the cake and the fondant frosting. Fun time! Here’s to another year Kaylee!

Happy Birthday Kaylee

Happy Birthday Kaylee!!!  Here are some fun things about Kaylee turning nine years old:

1. Kaylee’s favorite foods are cereal, bagels with cream cheese, and oatmeal with chocolate chips. She also loves salt and vinegar chips with cottage cheese.

2. Kaylee’s best friends these days include Sarrazine, Estella, and Prestley from school. She keeps in touch regularly with her long distance best friend, Keegan.

3. Kaylee’s favorite types of books are graphic novels. She enjoys dog man, the babysitters club, Nancy Drew, and any book about cats!

4. Kaylee is a peacemaker. She is always willing to compromise and keep the peace. She is constantly surrounded by loud, arguing, crazy boys who always want to be right or who always want to be first. She is patient and waits her turn or helps to compromise in every situation.

5. Kaylee enjoys being a teacher. She loves to play school with her younger brothers and act as the teacher while they are her students. She prepares work for them and teaches them cursive and math. They do this so often together that we have had to designate a specific box for all of her school and teacher items in her room.

6. Kaylee still is a cat lover. She loves our little cat mittens. She also loves to draw and do art. Open art is her favorite part of her week at school.

7. Kaylee enjoy Spanish also. Somehow she has developed a very authentic Spanish accent when she speaks. She can roll her tongue better than anyone her age! I love her interest in the Spanish language.

Happy Birthday Kay!!!

Cousin Sophia

Kaylee got a chance to go visit her cousin Sophie near Indianapolis. Sophie is a couple years younger than Kaylee but they are the best of friends. It is special for them to have one another. I think they will always remember the memories they create as cousins. Sophie has strawberry colored hair and Kaylee has blonde hair. Kaylee is a little bit older. We joke that the girls could be Elsa and Anna :-) Sophie and Kaylee went bowling together and spent lots of girl time in Sophie‘s room. So glad these girls can be cousins and friends!

Winter Break Roller Skating

We all went roller skating to pass the time during winter break.  So much fun.  A little bit stressful but fun at the same time. Owen went around the track once with me in the little kid skates and he was done for the evening. I ended up just chasing him around the arcade games till he fell asleep to the noisy crowds.  Nathan was on a roll!  He figured out how to skate with the little kids skates on, and around and around he went, over and over. He had the most fun of anyone in our family. He was super excited! Dawson had on regular skates and he used a walker contraption to steady himself. He too got the hang of it quickly and went around and around. He got sidetracked with the arcade games and frustrated with the tickets and prizes. But the skating part was fun for him. Kaylee was at a friends house. The big boys had fun but without more of their buddies they got a little bored.  We are going back rollerskating at Oak Farm Connects night in Auburn in a couple weeks. So we all got a little bit of practice and it should be a whole lot more fun when we’re surrounded by a community of friends! Fun way to pass the winter break!