Merry (Late) Christmas!

"The Shack"

I just finished reading this book in only three nights, and man, what a story! If you haven't read this book, Christian or non-Christian, read it. I really don't read religious fiction at all. It wasn't the best book of all time, but it made me think, cry, brood with anger, laugh, and calm down a bit. I'm still human and I don't understand everything, but this book made me understand even less and believe even more.

Some people loved it. Some people hated it. You who've read it: What do you think?

2008 Best Christmas Songs

I know, I haven't been the best blogger lately. But, we've been a little busy here at the Hejl household. Thanksgiving was good and full of food as always. Luke took a trip to Big Bend to hike with some buddies and had a blast. I went to Cleburne for my little sister's baby shower. She got some major loot!

Last year, I created a best/worst list of Christmas songs and singers thereof. This year, I've enjoyed TWO different Christmas music stations that have allowed me to branch out in my Christmas music discoveries - SIRIUS "Holly" station and of course, Majic 95.5 here in Austin. Cooper has learned quite a few songs this year from me listening to the radio. His favorite as of yet is Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney and Wings. Man, this is MY child.

2008 faves:
- Winter Wonderland - Eurythmics (I love Annie Lennox)
- Merry Christmas, Baby - The Beach Boys
- Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Jack Johnson
- Someday at Christmas - Jackson 5 (one with the biggest political statement, but a good one)
- Step Into Christmas - Elton John
- Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth - David Bowie and Bing Crosby
- Somethin' About Christmastime - Bryan Adams
- Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee (a classic)

Most overplayed:
- Do You Hear What I Hear? - Whitney Houston (I mean, I'm nothing if not a fan, but seriously this one is on all of the time.)
- Last Christmas - George Michael (oh dear)

Most depressing songs, other than last year's Another Auld Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg:
- Where Are You Christmas? - Faith Hill (ugh)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas - Josh Groban (With the military messages within the song. Heavens.)
- Christmas Shoes - not sure, but whoever it is, it's so cheesy, it's sob-worthy)

I'm sure I'll think of more soon. Hope everyone's having a great holiday so far!

Card Sale at PCC

Another card plug: Order your holiday photo cards today and get FREE SHIPPING and 15% off from Photo Card Cafe'. Just today though, so jump right on in. :)

Train

A couple of weeks ago, Cooper and I rode the Zilker Train in Austin with our friends, Charis and Colt. It was LOTS of fun. Such an Austinish thing to do. These guys are great buds.

ACUer in the making

A couple of weeks ago, we ventured out to Abilene for the homecoming festivities. It was great to see people from times of "yore" (Friends reference) and eat some awesome food. A couple of the better pictures ...

Homage to Daddy.

PCC Plug

Take a look at our latest blog entry at Photo Card Cafe'. The holidays are already here, so order early if you can!

Happy Halloween!

Like mother, like son.

Apparently, I had a birthday party at the park when I was three years old, too. Mom was right: shave my head and it's Cooper. I was a total Sesame Street fanatic.

Birthday party number three.

We had a great time at the park for Coop's birthday last weekend. He got way too many gifts, and drank a whole coke. I know, bad mother. But, it's his birthday party! And again, I made the cake this year. Not as details as some others, but still took time. Homemade guitars were the craft, and as usual, Cooper and Courtney were just too cute. Enjoy!

I'm glad there was more than one option for school pictures.

But this was definitely the funniest one. No words. True to form.

Three is the new 16.

Cooper,

It seems like I just wrote the two-year birthday blog. I'm not really prepared to write your third birthday letter. But, here goes.

You are so excited about turning three. So much so, that you keep asking, "When will I be five, Mom? How many is five?" (You turning five blows my mind. Let's stay with three as long as we can.) I hadn't gotten sad about it until the other day, when your dad put the broken chair out to the curb for someone to take it to "chair heaven." Later that day, you said something like "Daddy, I'm sad about the chair. We ate a lot of ice cream in that chair." Both of us just sighed. (Ice cream is definitely a father/son thing.) I thought about all of the things that have happened in your life in these three short years, and how I couldn't remember most of them as they had happened. Just pictures. I try to soak in every moment, but fleeting they are.



Some are baffled by the fact that you are ONLY three, and not five. Already, you argue with us like a teenager, which is mostly our fault because we tend to have "heated discussions" when you're around. I hope Mom and Dad can get better at that. However, your dad and I are not complacent about anything, and I hope some of that rolls over into your personality. With the way you convinced me to give you two pumpkin candies instead of one today with such sincere passion and elaborate, exaggerated facial expression, I don't think we have anything to worry about.



This year has been a complete upheaval of emotions for all of us, in many ways. It's almost like three is the new two as far as discipline goes. I do think we're coming into more of a calm, easier phase of life, which has been absolutely awesome so far. You've changed so much, and developed into this amazing creature with opinions, anger, frustration, joy, and compassion for others - it's astounding. You're a young boy with a great heart. I pray every night that God gives you wisdom, compassion, strength, empathy, and a love for all humanity. I know He will.

Love,
Mom

I shall post.

Don't worry. I'm still here. Coop's birthday is this week, so I'll have a good post in here at some point soon. He recently had a petting zoo experience at school with bunnies and his girlfriend Courtney, so that's always fun. :) More to come.

Photo Card Cafe' is now awesomer.

Check out the new look of Photo Card Cafe'! I know it's crazy early, but some fabulous new holiday photo cards are up for your ordering pleasure.

Conversations

Two nights ago, at bedtime:

"Yep, Daddy and I are married. Someday, you'll fall in love and marry a girl, too."

"Can I marry Courtney?" (Ewing, for those who know them.)

"Sure. They'd be fun in-laws."

"Can I call Courtney's mom and see if we can get married tomorrow?"

Oh man.
___________________________________

Last night, a prayer:

I say, "Dear God, thank you for ..."

"Mommy and Daddy, Granna and Granddad, Nonnie and Poppie, and for my eye to be able to close one at a time like Nonnie's. (aka, to wink)

"For Kristen Perkins, Molly Perkins, Meredith Perkins, and Kristen Perkins. What's Eli's last name?"

___________________________________

Cooper's preschool teacher: "Cooper, you're going to have to put your pretend phone up for circle time."

"Oh, it's my iPhone. Let me put it in my pocket. But I'll have to answer it when it rings."

"Well, can't you put it on vibrate for class?"

"Wait, lemme see. (pretends to type something on the invisible phone) Okay, I did it. I'll put it in my pocket."

It's all our fault.

Went to OKC, came back a small business owner.

Go Photo Card Cafe'!


Had a great time visiting the Wattersons, and their newest, Ava. In one of these, Cooper was told not to eat Ava. Whew, that kid.
Here's the tree house that Luke and his siblings grew up playing in when they would visit their grandparents in OKC. Super cute. We had a great time seeing family and friends!

First day of school, '08

Here's excited Cooper on his first day back at preschool:

Here's the usual, crack-up Cooper:

Here's Cooper fake-smiling-nice for Mommy:

Isn't he growing too fast?

He's a lake boy.

We always knew he'd be like his daddy. We all went camping at the lake with my parents' RV over Labor Day weekend. And when I say camping, I mean the kids all stayed in a cabin with beds and a shower. It was lots of fun. Here's a great shot of the Coop on the boat.
I know I need to post STILL about his first day of school, and our weekend with the Wattersons. I'm pacing myself!

DMB, et al

I know, I'm so behind on posting. I need to fill in the past two weeks!

A couple of weeks ago, my sis Rachel and I went to see Dave Matthews for like our ninth or tenth time. It was great! We had real seats this time ... we figured we were old enough to make the big step out of the lawn. Plus, Rachel's pregnant, so sitting on the ground would be no fun. It was one of his best concerts, even though the saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, had a substitute. Little did we know that LeRoi would die four days later from complications from an ATV accident in June. Pretty sad. DMB won't sound the same ever again, which seems like the end of an era for me. I think I've been a fan for about 15 years.

We haven't really done much else besides the trip to the Metroplex. We're been watching the DNC and Project Runway - there's nothing else on! Cooper had his FIRST DAY of school today - he had a great time. Mom did too. :) I'll post pics of his first day asap.

Hejl Lake Weekend

Aren't these boys just so cute? They love each other so much.
By the lake having a drink with dad. My boys.
Kelley, in front of the super awesome house on LBJ.
Cooper didn't want to ride at first, after seeing Luke ride by on the faster wave runner kicking his legs in the air, weaving and screaming. He eventually enjoyed it.
Look closely: All three cousins with Granna and Jeffrey in the canoe.
The Hejl ladies on a tube in the lake.
WAS all of the Hejl ladies on the tube, until Jeffrey jumped in on top of us and knocked me off.
It was a blast. We didn't want to leave! Can't wait until next year.

Family time.

Yes, there are three iPhones. We just sold Luke's old one on eBay, so we're not THAT crazy.

Funny cousins

These are classic pictures. Mason's fifth birthday party was a blast - Cooper LOVES his cousins!

Rhett Miller

Just listened to a GREAT interview on NPR with Rhett Miller of the Old 97s. Listen here, if you're a fan, or would like to be. I highly recommend being a fan.

Take me out to the ball game.

Oh, and congrats to Preston and Sara on the birth of their new baby girl Ava Nicole!

Seven Years

Can you believe Luke and I have been married SEVEN years today? We're so old, I had to take digital pictures of our wedding album since they weren't digital. (They were stuck on, so scanning wasn't an option.)

I'm copying Julie T. on some fun facts:

Where we met: In high school at Kadesh at ACU - 1995 - check this out ...

Our first interaction: Matt Tenbush introduced us in the campus center. Luke totally thought I was hot.
Our first date: We were best friends throughout college, but I guess our actual first "official" date was to Spano's Italian Restaurant in Abilene, and then to a movie - Meet the Parents
Number of years we dated: Years? Ha. Seven months total - dating two, engaged five.
How he proposed: Lake Fort Phantom in Abilene. It was freezing, but fun!
Where we got married: Cleburne, Texas at Westhill Church of Christ
Rehearsal dinner location: The Wright Place in Cleburne, catered BBQ
Wedding Reception: at the church
Our first dance: Um, long story, but no dancing at our wedding! We "secretly" danced before we walked out to the car to leave to "How Sweet It Is" by James Taylor.
Honeymoon: Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Where we have lived: Abilene, Austin, Pflugerville

I love you honey! Thanks for so many amazing years together!

Maynard Ferguson, Here We Come.

I'm going to be an aunt, again!

My sister Rachel is PREGNANT! We're all so excited. Cooper's going to have someone to play with come Valentine's Day 2009!

Woo-hoo - congrats!

Just some pics.

Do you ever walk outside at night in the summer and think, it smells like high school?

Not in the weird cafeteria smell way, but in the "ah, memories of hanging out at night as a kid" way. I walked outside a couple of nights ago right after sundown, and felt a sense of nostalgia as a stood on the front porch. It made me long for the days when things were less complicated, filled with storybook emotions, free and not stressful. Not that I'm really stressed out right now, but I once was. Just brought me back.

Anyway, speaking on not stressful ... Mexico! Sorry it's been so long since I've done a follow up post. I do feel like I need to clear up the "Jay in women's pants" comment. See below. You can also find more detail on Ally's blog.

Luke and I, Jay and Ally recently got back from Mexico SANS KIDS for five nights. It was a great trip - relaxing, almost too quiet at times, and much needed for me. Cooper and I were about to start tearing each other's hair out. I think we both needed a break.

Oh, and to get into the restaurants at our Playa resort, guys HAD to wear pants. Not shorts, pants. Jay didn't pack a single pair of pants, and Luke only brought one pair of jeans. So, Jay did what any secure man would do, and wore my pants. They didn't look that bad, actually, you really couldn't tell. I think Jay could though ... What a team player!

We sat by the pool, read, ate lots of great food, brushed up on our Spanish (esp. in Isla - no one speaks English there, at all), rented a golf cart for a day on Isla, and had some fantastic Mexican beverages. The beaches were immaculate, and, well, I can't say anything bad about it. We were SUPER ready to see Cooper after seven days without him though. So glad we all had safe travels! Here are some pics.


I just realized, I need to take more pictures of Cooper! We're going to swimming lessons this week and next, so maybe I'll get some pool pictures. He's also singing a lot more - I need to figure out how to post video from our camera. Another day ...