Santa Claus is Coming to Town

We had a great Christmas this year! Cooper woke up at about 8:15 and came into our room. I took him down stairs and there was a blue box sitting in the middle of the room. There were alot of noises coming from the box. Cooper said, "I know what it is. It's a puppy."He kneeled down to open the lid and out popped a little puppy. She is seven weeks old and she is a boston terrier. She climbed on Cooper and he was so excited. He said, "Oooo, she is so cute. It's all I ever wanted."
We asked him what we should name her and he said, "E.T." ( he likes that show). And then we decided to call her "Yoda". She looks like a yoda. She really likes Cooper and he plays so softly with her. Its like having another baby in the house because she is so young and small.
Cooper received so many greats gifts for Christmas and I just want to thank everyone who helped make our Christmas wonderful. We received many gifts from our neighbors and our family.
This year, when Cooper was asked what he wanted for Christmas, his reply: "a coconut and a snowflake"...a coconut because it has juice in it and a snowflake (globe) because you can shake it and it makes snow. Well, he got both from Santa. When we opened the coconut, it was rotten and smelled like crap. Great present, uh?

After we opened presents, we had to go show Reese and Jaxson our puppy and Jacqui and Jared were nice enough to cook us a great Christmas morning breakfast...pancakes, bacon, and eggs!

Next, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Coopers house. It was nice to be able to visit with my family that was there. Grandma made some great food and we just sat around and talked for a long time. I love my family so much and I think they are awesome! Later that night, we went out to the Douglas' to watch Roger and Marilyn open their presents from the kids. A huge snow storm moved in that night, so Carrie and Brad could not go home. It was nice to be able to spend time with the Douglas'. Marilyn made lots of yummy food and we watched movies and played games!

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we had the Gabrish's and the Hancock's over to celebrate with dinner, games, and lots of fun. We started off the evening by eating homemade soup and breadsticks. We then let the kids frost their sugar cookies for Santa Claus. Then we had the kids dress up and Bryce read the story of the birth of Christ. Reese was Mary. Curious George was baby Jesus (we don't have any dolls in this house), Amy was the donkey, Jared was Joseph; Jaxson, Cooper and Tanner were the three wise men and Carson was the shepard. Cooper was dressed in his chinese outfit, but he made a good-looking wise man from the East. The kids did a great job and it was fun to watch them learn about the true meaning of Christmas.After everyone left, as Cooper was getting his teeth brushed, he heard some bells ringing and he knew it had to be our elf, Jingle Bell. He ran downstairs to find some new pajamas! Cooper was excited about Christmas, but I think he is still young enough to not understand quite yet. It brought back lots of memories for me...I just remember how excited I was on Christmas Eve. We would go to bed early and we could hardly stand waiting till the next morning. And after we woke up, Sherrie and Shayne would take forever to get out of bed. Then Dad would have to go out and make sure Santa came before we were allowed to come out from the hallway!! It was such a magical time.....oh, to be a kid again!!

My Birthday

Unfortunately, I turned 30 this year but Bryce made it a special day for me. I have been really bothered this past year, knowing that I was turning 30 years old. It's just weird to think that I am not in my 20's anymore. Anyway, Bryce got me a beautiful picture of a mother holding a little baby. It's called "A Mother's Love". He also got me a pretty bracelet and a cute pair of shoes.Bryce had a little surprise party for me at "Juniper Take-out". It was funny because when we showed up, no one was there to surprise me....they were all late! It was still fun to see everyone and to enjoy a great lunch with my family.
We also played in the snow with Cooper that day. We had a "Cooper Family" Christmas Party on my birthday as well, so it was good to be able to see all of my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and family. The only thing that was missing was all my family in Texas.

Winter Activities

Cooper and I love to shovel our driveway when it snows. We have a perfect little shovel for him and he thinks it is so much fun. He also loves to eat snow. I think it is his favorite activity to do in the snow. He also found a big icicle the other day and he would dip it in the snow and then lick it off.

For some reason, we have also made lots of sugar cookies with Reese and Jaxson this holiday season....could it be that sugar cookies are Jacqui's favorite cookies!!

Here is a picture of Landon hanging out with us. He is 6 months old and starting to sit up and eat more foods. He is such a cute little guy.

Christmas Time

My favorite holiday is Christmas and there are so many reasons that I love Christmas. This year I have been trying to figure out how to teach Cooper the "true meaning of Christmas" and what it is all about. We have talked alot about the birth of the Jesus, but it is so hard to make them understand it is not about the presents.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the shopping and craziness of the holidays. I am in charge of the "Angel Tree" at our church this year and it has been neat to see the church members be so willing and excited to give to others who are in need. There are so many things that we can do during the season to help others... Give money or food to the homeless....donate gifts and money to angel tree sponsors...donate change to the salvation army...visit the elderly...and the list goes on and on.

I am so thankful for my Saviour. I am thankful for his perfect example. I am grateful that we have this time of year to celebrate and focus on His birth and His life. and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to teach Cooper about Jesus and how special He is.

I thought it would be fun to write about a few of my Christmas Favorites:

Song: "O Holy Night"

House Lights Color: Blue (i always loved it when my dad would put up blue lights on our house)

Tree Lights: White

Tree: I have a fake tree, but I prefer the Real Thing( i love the smell)

Childhood Traditions: we would do acts of kindness during the month of December and then we would get to place a peice of straw under baby Jesus in the nativity scene....mom would make treats and we would carol to our neighbors....we would go pick out our Christmas tree at the tree farm out in the country...acting out the story of the "birth of Jesus".....waiting in the hall Christmas morning before dad would let us come out and see what Santa brought us...

Childhood Gifts: microphone...football pads and jersey....bike with a banana seat

Adult Traditions: Wrapping presents on Christmas Eve with my family..collecting nativity scenes.....watching the Christmas shows in December

Tradition w/Cooper: the elf "Jingle Bell' brings him pajamas on Christmas Eve...acting out the "birth of Jesus"...angel tree gifts....

I really love Christmas time....it is such a happy time of year...we have had a great time decorating the tree...making sugar cookies...wrapping presents....making Christmas crafts....going to Christmas parties...eating lots of great food...and using my awesome advent calendars(like the one below that Jocelynn made for me)...listening to Christmas music...and going for hay rides while looking at the city Christmas lights....

Do you have any great traditions you would like to recommend?

Coopers Craziness

The weather has been pretty nice that last three or four weeks and we have spent lots of time outside. Cooper has enjoyed riding his scooter. I make a race car track on the drive way with the side walk chaulk. Cooper and I will chase each other around the track. He also has enjoyed jumping on the trampoline and taking mom and dad for walks on Sunday afternoons.

Cooper got this hat when he was down in Texas. He likes me to put mine on and then he gets out his horses and we ride around the house playing cowboys. In fact, tonight, he got out of the bath, and the he came running out to see me in his "nothings" and cowboy hat on!

Thanksgiving

Our family has been so blessed this year and we thank our Heavenly Father for all those blessings that are in our lives. We have been blessed with good health, a beautiful home, a dependable job, and awesome family and friends. We are so blessed to have such wonderful parents, grandparents, and siblings. We are thankful for each of one of you and the way you have touched our lives.

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend, jam-packed with lots of food, fun, and family time. On Thanksgiving Day, we ate a delicious feast at Mom and Dad Douglas' house. Marilyn cooked a great meal and all the food tasted perfect. Almost all the siblings made it to town and we had a great time there.

Bruce and Tara did a Pirate Treasure Hunt for all the kids and they has so much fun. Cooper still carries his bag of "treasures" around the house. Thanks for that activity...it was very thoughtful.
That night, we went to Paul and Stephs to watch the Aggie vs. Texas game. We got whipped but it was still fun to spend time with the family. We have made this a tradition over the past 3 years and I look forward to it every year.

On Friday, we went to Park City to shop at the outlets. This is also a Douglas' family tradition that we have been doing for the past 6 years. This is one of my most favorite trips of the year. I always hit Tommy Hilfiger, Fossil, Old Navy, and Gap. We also ate lunch at Famous Dave's BBQ and then headed over to Steve and Barry's for some more shopping. That night we went back to Jocie and Kyles for some prime rib and good laughs from "Hitch".

Saturday morning, Hunter(our nephew) was baptized. Cooper enjoyed watching him get baptized and is looking forward to when he turns 8 so he can be baptized also. After the baptism, we were lucky enough to eat some of Carrie's awesome cinnamon rolls that were filled with chocolate chips...yum,yum!

Later that day, Sara organized a Christmas craft for all the ladies. It was so much fun and they turned out so cute. Sara and mom, thanks for putting that all together. I had a great time spending time with everyone. The men went four wheeling and although it was freezing and Bryce lost his voice, he had so much fun. I am happy that he got a chance to go and do something that he enjoys because he works so hard all the time.

We had a great weekend and it was so much fun to be able to see everyone.

Twilight

On Saturday morning, Paul rented out a theatre and we were able to watch "Twilight". I really wasn't too excited to see it because I thought it would do the books no justice. But, I enjoyed the movie alot. I was skeptical about the actors they chose for the characters, but they ended being perfect for their parts. And Edward grew on me throughout the movie. I am looking forward to the next one.

We celebrated Steph's 40th Birthday on Saturday at Lunch. We went to Chilis with everyone and we had a great time. Later that night, we watched a movie with Sara, Derek, Jake and Shana. We had a good weekend and it was good to see our family and friends!

Carrie Underwood

On Wednesday night, we went to a Carrie Underwood Concert with Brad and Carrie. It was so much fun and she is such a great singer. I really liked how she involved the audience and I have never heard someone belt it out like she can....it is amazing to listen to her. She pulled a 14 year old out of the audience and let her help sing "American Girl". She also said that one of the things that she loves the most about her job, is the songs that she gets to sing. I really like Carrie because she seems so down to earth.
This was the second time that we were able to see her in concert with Carrie and Brad and we had a great time with ya'll. Thanks for hanging out with us that night. It's always a fun time with ya'll.

Just For Today....

My good friend, Nancy, sent me this thought and I wanted to share it with you. It really makes you put things in perspective.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. *Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together. *Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. *Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by. *Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. *Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. *Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys. *Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. *Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. *Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows. Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

Trick o Treat

This year for Halloween, Cooper chose to be Bumblebee from Transformers. This past week, his Joy School hosted a halloween party and he got to particapate in many fun activities. The kids got to make hotdog mummies.(we called them pigs in a blanket). Cooper thought that was kind of neat. Then the kids tried to eat a donut off a string. Cooper tried and tried and finally used his hands. Once he got his hands on it, he devoured it.
Next, the children painted small pumpkins. Cooper really enjoys painting right now so it kept him entertained for quite a while. And his pumpkin was very pretty and colorful. The kids also did a pumpkin walk. The party was alot of fun. Thanks goes out to all those who made it go!

On Halloween night, our ward had the infamous trunk o treat. It was actually a stake thing, so there were tons of people handing out candy. Afterwards, we took the kids (Reese, Cooper, and Jaxson) trick o treating to houses. That brought back lots of memories as the kids ran from house to house. And they were so excited. It is probably the first year that Cooper really got the whole "trick o treating" experience.
We then went and ate dinner and played games with Jacqui, Jared, Amy, and Aaron. It was so much fun and we enjoed spending time with our friends.

I thought this picture was so adorable. Little Landon in his skunk costume! (Jacqui's baby)

Weekend in Reveiew

Bryce had to attend some training on "mold" on Friday and Saturday in Smithfield, so we spent the weekend up there. On Friday, we stopped and saw grandma and grandpa and of course, made our trip down to the barn to chase the chickens and walk through the cow manure. By the way, for any of you who don't know, I love the smell of my grandpas farm. It reminds me of when I was little and we use to visit Utah during the summer!

After grandma's, we stopped by the Pumpkin Walk. Its a tradition is Cache Valley where people make "scenes" out of pumpkins. Cooper and Jaxson loved the Batman and Kung Fu Panda scenes. I couldn't believe some of the neat things they could create with pumkins. This is one of his favorite books. "Where the Wild Things Live" We also went to Mike and Tami's to play in the leaves. I used to play in the leaves when I was a kid, so I raked a bunch of leaves and covered the kids up. They thought it was alot of fun. Again, brought back lots of memories.
On Saturday night, we went with Jocie and Steph out to the Heritage Farm. They had alot of Halloween activities for the little kids. Cooper got to go on a train ride with his cousins.

They also played in a hay maze and Cooper enjoyed jumping of the bales into alot of hay. We also walked through the corn maze and we all sipped on hot chocolate next to the fire. The kids did not like the "headless horseman" or the scary "monster" that chased them. But, we had a great time.

Sunday Best

I got Cooper this cute outfit last Spring on a Clearance rack. He looks so handsome in this suit. Every one told him at church that he looked so cute. In fact on the way home from church he said, "My teacher said that I looked totally awesome and that I was a doofus." We started laughing so hard. He says the funniest things some times.

Last week, I was trying to get him to say "see" because he pronounces it "hee". Anyway, he finally said, "mom, I am just speaking Spanish."
We were driving home one day and had this conversation in the car. I said that I needed to vaccum when I got home. He said, "Mom, it will be too loud...why don't you go mow the lawn." I said, "Why don't you got mow the lawn." He said, "Little boys don't mow the lawn, they play with their toys."