Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

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Already One

Dear Milo, 

It's hard to believe that we met you for the first time only a year ago. We can remember the first time your sister Maeli met you and wasn't too keen on the idea of sharing our attention. Now a year later, we can't go anywhere without her asking why you're not there. 

Milo, you are very different from your sister in so many ways. I think the best word to describe you would be "content." So far, you seem to be a lot like your Dad. You've taken your time learning to crawl and mastering each new stage. You're in no hurry to grow up too fast. You are perfectly content with life as it is. 

 

 
If there is anything that you are passionate about, it is FOOD! When it comes to eating, you don't mess around. You will usually scream and lunge at food until you get it. You have been known to grab food when Mom and Dad aren't looking. We can remember you grabbing Maeli's sandwich out of our hands and stuffing it in your mouth as early as 5 or 6 months old. It is a known rule in our household that food eaten in your vicinity MUST be shared with you. 

You have surprised us with your love of music. You like to dance when you hear music and you especially like to wave and clap your hands in your carseat while we're driving. Sometimes Mom will catch you "singing" (making noises with your voice) to songs on the radio. We were recently at an audio store when headphones were placed on your ears. 
Once you heard the music, your eyes lit up and you couldn't stop smiling.
 

 

Just like your sister, you have NO teeth at the age of 1. Despite this trial, you have maintained your love of food and have learned to "gum" your food pretty well. You have proven that teeth are a luxury - not a necessity.

Milo, you are known for being a cuddler. Even at your 1st bday party, you spent the majority of the time laying your head on families' shoulders. You love to be held and will cry until someone picks you up and gives you their undivided attention. 

We can remember you pointing for the first time on the "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland. Since then, you love to point all the time. It's so fun to watch your little E.T. finger pointing at everything you see. 

Milo, you have the best smile in the world. You win over strangers with your dimples and make our hearts melt when you look at us with those dark brown eyes. You are a happy boy and smile and laugh ALL THE TIME. (Even your cry usually starts with a smile.) We are so grateful for the last year of giggles and smiles and are so thankful to have your sweet, calming spirit in our home. We love you baby boy! 

Love, 

Mom & Dad

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Cake Smash

Our 1st attempt at Milo's "Cake Smash" didn't quite go as planned so we tried it again a couple days after his party. The 2nd attempt definitely did not disappoint! Some highlights included:

• Milo got so excited about the cake, he stuck his face directly into the cake on several occasions.
•  Milo would move his hand like he was going to grab some frosting off the cake but his hand wouldn't quite make it that far before he brought it back to his mouth. He essentially spent a good chunk of the time eating nothing but air.
• After a while, Maeli decided to join in on the fun and began feeding Milo some of the cake. She especially loved when he would lick the frosting off of her fingers.

 

 

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An All-American Kind of Day

This year, our Independence Day was filled with mini bowling, a bbq, swimming, and plenty of fireworks to top it all off. It was truly an all-American kind of day.

 

 

  

 

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Freedom On A Farm

Today, we enjoyed our freedom on a farm. We're thankful for all those who have sacrificed to preserve our American way of life.

 

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Dr Jekyll and Mr Milo

When it comes to food, Milo turns into a complete monster. He is a sweet kid until he gets a visual on food and then he snaps. I wanted to make sure we documented this behavior for blackmail purposes later in his life. 

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No Such Thing As Too Much Chocolate

  

 

 

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First Cuts

It's a pretty big deal when your two children get their first real haircuts on the same day. In preparing for the cut, we asked Maeli which princess she'd like to look like. She replied Belle from Beauty and the Beast so we made sure to find a picture of Belle to take in with us as a point of reference. 

My friend Tara did the honors at her salon in Mesa. We attempted to use clippers on Milo and to our surprise, he sat patiently through the entire cut. Once in the chair, Maeli showed Tara her picture of Belle and the fun began. The two of them chatted throughout the haircut and you could tell that Maeli loved all the attention. It was definitely a day to remember!

 

Before                                    After

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Superman

Milo hasn't gotten the whole crawling thing down quite yet. His version of crawling consists of raising his arms and legs off the ground and rotating his wrists in a circular motion. It doesn't get him far but it sure is fun to watch!

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Daddy Daughter Date Night

Ryan recently took Maeli on her first official daddy daughter date. In preparation for the date Maeli got bathed, dressed in a "princess" dress, and had her hair done. Dad picked her up at the front door with a flower in hand and they were off on their adventure.

The date began with dinner at Johnny Rockets. Ryan said Maeli was like a little adult sitting perfectly at the table enjoying her strawberry milkshake and chicken strips. Maeli loved the one-on-one time with Dad and had fun clapping as the servers sang and danced.  

After dinner they headed over to the Lego store where Maeli got to choose her own pink Lego set and designed Lego people for each member of our family. When she came home she was so excited to talk all about the night and show off her new Lego toys. I think it's safe to say that this guy will be getting a second date from Miss Maeli.

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Adam Way

It took us over a year to find our first home. We looked at over 200 homes and put offers on at least 7 or 8 properties. At that time the economy was in a deep recession and the real estate market consisted primarily of foreclosures and short sales. Because so many of the homes were foreclosures, a lot of the homes were trashed and had been stripped of their finishes. Some of the more memorable homes we saw included one that smelled strongly of urine, one that had all of the carpet padding removed, one that had all of the kitchen cabinets and light fixtures removed, and one that had messages written on the walls throughout the house. When we would finally find a house in good condition there would be multiple offers on the property and we would lose out. Needless to say, the home buying process was completely frustrating.

We fell in love with a great home in the Cooley Station North community and although it went under contract before we could place an offer, we decided that neighborhood was where we wanted to be. We began aggressively searching in Cooley Station viewing each property the day it came on the market. We randomly came across 842 S Adam Way on several occasions and liked it but weren't completely sold (Ryan was sold but I needed some convincing). We continued our search and eventually decided that 842 was where we needed to be. 

Looking back at the last four years, it's hard to say goodbye to a home that has brought so much good to our family. We still remember sitting in the living room talking about how great life would be when we got to spend our Sunday afternoons playing with our future kids. Years later that dream became a reality as we got to bring two of our kids home from the hospital to the house. 

Reflecting on the many late nights and weekends spent working on projects and the major milestones our kids reached in the home, it's easy for us to see why we've grown so attached to the home. The friends we've made and the experiences we've had over the last 4 years have played an important role in getting us to where we are today. We're sad to say goodbye but excited to start a new chapter in our lives. Take it easy Adam Way!

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