Chelsey and Scott Hayes

Two days after Thanksgiving, Chelsey got married to Scott Hayes in Smithfield at the Lions Lodge.  It was a really nice ceremony and the bishop told them that they needed to be to church each Sunday.  It was short and sweet, but it ended up being quite a long day....just how a wedding day should be!

They had a luncheon around 2.  They served dutch oven food and we watched a cute video that Brittney made for the bride and groom.  Afterwards, they let friends and family get up and say something to the bride and groom.  Grandpa Cooper got up there and said some amazing things to the both of them.  He bore his testimony of the gospel to them. 

Everyone that got up talked about how happy Chelsey seemed to be since she found Scott.  And she really does seem like she is truly happy with life and with Scott.  She hasn't been happy like this in years.  I am glad that she found someone that loves her and treats her good.  I really like Scott.  He is a good man that has some good qualities.  He is respectful and kind to Chelsey and her family.  I wish the two of them happiness as they continue down this road!

Thanksgiving Day

This was a very special and unique Thanksgiving Day this year.  Because Papa Douglas was down at LDS Hospital receiving chemo treatments and trying to get his body to produce white blood cells, we decided to have Thanksgiving close to him and grandma.  We held the gathering and dinner at Alpine in the conference room. 

At first, I was worried about how it was going to all work out.  Usually, you think of Thanksgiving being celebrated in a home where you can go relax in front of a good movie on the couch with a blanket.  This was not the case this year, so I was wondering how it was going to turn out.

We made a meal plan and everyone divided up the responsibilites for food and paper goods.  We brought games to play and even watched "Elf" and "Polar Express".  As always, the food was great.  We even made sure to have the traditional brussel sprouts. I, again, tried one and my opinion has not changed about them. But, I will try again next year....maybe they will grow on me!

Roger's white blood cells needed to be 500 or larger for him to be able to go home for Thanksgiving.  It initially took days  and days for the numbers to even start showing up.  Anyway, a miracle happened and his numbers doubled so that he could leave the hospital on Thanksgiving Day.  It was a nice surprise to have him and mom walk in the room.  We were all excited to see them both.  It was kind of a shock to see dad with no hair and he had to wear a mask.  Clayton was excited to see Papa, but Cooper was scared of him, so he wouldn't go near him.

It ended up being a really great Thanksgiving Day.  Everyone had a great time spending the day with each other. And it turned out being great, even though it was not at a typical location. On this Thanksgiving Day, we had a lot to be thankful for...little did we know that dad's leukemia was on its way into remission!

Thanksgiving Before Thanksgiving

This year was the "off" year for the Hatch/Cooper Thanksgiving Day gathering, so Stephanie was kind enough to rent a place where we could get together and have a Thanksgiving feast.  The day before Thanksgiving, we all met in North Logan to eat a yummy lunch and enjoy each others company.  Everyone contributed on the lunch and it was so good. 

We started off the day by going around the room and saying one thing that we were thankful for.  I am so thankful for my family....each and everyone of them.  They all have such neat qualities that help create a loving and caring family dynamic.  I am also grateful for my health and strength.  I am thankful for so many wonderful friends.  Life would not be as enjoyable if I wasn't surrounded by such wonderful people.  I am thankful for Jesus...his birth, His life, His example, His atonement and His resurrection.

Jamie and Konrad made a really neat shadow box for Grandpa Cooper.  It contained inside a picture of him from when he was in the Navy.  It also had a picture of his ship, the S.S. Washington.  Konrad also did some research and found out which medals grandpa had earned while serving in the Navy.  Konrad and Jamie were able to purchase replicas of the medals and they were also in the shadow box. Jamie presented it to grandpa and told him how proud all of us were of his service for our country. There was not a dry eye in the room.

It was nice to be able to just sit around and talk and visit with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncle. I always enjoy spending time with family.  Steph put a alot of work into decorating the place, providing most of the food and pies, and doing little extra things for the kids.  She always goes above and beyond.

Here are some of the major happenings in the Cooper family this year; Cort had some complications and after lots of blood work and many tests, they found out that he has some problems with his liver.  We are all  hoping that the medicine will help solve the problems.  Jamie and Konrad struggled for quite a while and finally separated in November. Chelsey and Scott got married 2 days after Thanksgiving.  We are so thankful for family that can help us make through these ups and downs!

Cabin Time

Last weekend Bryce and I had a little "gettaway".  Jocelynn and Stephanie watched the boys Friday through Sunday, so we could spend some quality time together.  On Friday night, we met Jacqui and Jared at "Breaking Dawn: Part 2".  I thought the movie was ok.  There was a part when the vampires were fighting and lots of heads were being broken off the bodies. I did not enjoy this part of the movie. Othere than that scene, it was pretty enjoyable to relax in the theater with some buttery popcorn and Dr. Pepper. 

After the movie, we met Amy and Aaron over at Cafe Rio.  We haven't seen them in a long time, so it was nice to get "caught up" on their lives and eat some good food at the same time. Following dinner, we drove up to the cabin in Bear Lake.  When we got there, it was like 60 degrees in the house, so we cuddled up with our blankets and started a cozy fire. 

Later that night, we played card games, ate lots of snacks, and watched Duck Dynasty. It rained and snowed a little bit that night and the next morning.  We really wanted to go out on a short ride on the rhinos.  By the time we finished with dinner and everyone got ready, it started to drizzle.  To say that it was so muddy would be an understatement. 

We rode in a rhino that had over sized tires and no mud flaps, so the mud would flip up onto my head, on top of my lap and all over the entire rhino.  The machine was a disaster by the time with got finished.  Bryce dropped me back at the cabin early and went out with the guys for another ride.  They had a lot of fun, even though it was messy.  The clean-up was the worst part of it.  Bryce spent most of his night cleaning the rhino and all the clothes we were wearing while on the ride.

Later that night, we were all craving hamburgers and fries and so we went down to Bear Lake to a little restaurant that is open year round.  I got a jalepeno burger and it was really good.  Afterwards, we headed back to the cabin. We played more games and then spent the rest of the night watching "Ridiculousness".

On Sunday morning, half of our group had to leave early to get back to kids and  to church. After we ate breakfast and cleaned the cabin, we headed back to Logan to pick up the kids.  We had a great time up at the cabin with our friends and with each other.

First Snow of November

While Stephanie and Paul were having a blast relaxing on the beach side and staying warm in the Mexican Sun, I was watching the Merrill kids for a few days.  We had a nice little snow storm and I was able to capture this picture while the kids were out playing in the snow.