Baby Brother

My Baby Brother Micheal returned from Iraq last night. I am so excited that he is home safe and so very proud of his bravery and service.


I am in awe of the capacity our brave soldiers have to sacrifice so much to keep us free!! Every time I see an anti-war protest I am disappointed to know that some people are so willing to take our freedoms for granted.
I want my baby Brother to know that I am glad Cooper has such a great role model, of heroism and commitment.

Home Improvements

Nick just finished wiring for our surround sound, here he is patching one of the holes we cut in the wall.
I have been told I need before and after pics so here are some of my empty house B P & C (before paint and carpet)

Birthday Celebrations

My Little Coop turned one on Tuesday. It is hard to belive a whole year has gone by. I cannot imagine our lives without him. My friend Rachel put it so well when her Baby turned 1. "My heart feels like it's going to burst with excitement for the future, and break with longing for the past. How do the hearts of mothers survive?"

I am so very grateful for every moment and every memory I have with my wonderful little boy. watching him grow has been such a gift. I hope I can always lead and guide him with love and understanding, so I can truly be worthy of the angel God has sent me.


PARTY TIME!
We decided on a Car theme because Coop loves automobiles.
Every one that came got to "Pick a Pony" a Hotwheel to take home!!
Then we had races down the driveway!!
thanks to everyone who played!!

Harmons did such a Good job on this cupcake Cake!! Apparently Cupcake cakes are the "new" thing.

This is the Smash cake that comes with the cake. it was like 10" and painted so cute!!
When I tried to get Coop to blow out the candles he just looked at me like "what?".

CAKE!!

CAKE!

CAKE!.


I Love CAKE


Opening Presents. Everyone brought such fun little gifts that Cooper just loves. The new toys have been great for keeping him entertained while we get the new house ready.

Front Facing

Now that Cooper is 1 and twenty pounds we switched him to a front facing car seat.


His Favorite part is being able to sit up and read in the car!!


This is him blowing kisses at everything he sees!!

Coopies 1st

Pics Tomorrow

Last Day of school

Today is my last day of teaching school. I am leaving with mixed emotions. Here are the top Five!!
#1 I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have had to teach this year. I feel, so fortunate that I found work not just in the same city as Nick, but right down the street from him, and so close to Coopers Daycare.
#2 I am so grateful to be teaching something I love!! I look forward to school everyday and teaching my students to love the art of creating with clay.
#3 I am blown away and touched every day by my students and their potential. I wish They could see themselves the way I do!! Even when I am disappointed by their choices, I see who they can be and want to fight for them. My kids are so incredible, I am so lucky to get to share a semester of their lives.
#4 I have been allowed by my wonderful administrators to bring Cooper to every faculty meeting and keep him with me whenever there are not students on campus. They have been extremely supportive and have made it less difficult to be a "working Mom".
#5 I am so glad I have the next two and a half months off, and it will be weird to still get a paycheck!! Staying home with Cooper is going to be so very exciting and different and I am looking forward to all the new challenges that will come.

Teaching is the best job for a Mom and I am so glad I have the opportunity to help my family make thier way and help my students find their place.

Coop and Me

The other day Nick ran to the store and the whole time Coop and I just rolled around on the floor and played.


He is so much fun now that he can interact and play. I just wish he would call me mama instead of Daddy!!


Yesterday when we had the closing prayer with our Home Teacher Cooper said a very clear Amen, it was so cute!!!

Who am I??

You Are Belle!

Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your apperance. Also, you make judgements of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

If you read this you are tagged. I want to know who you are!!!

Out and About

Cooper Loves The Playground.

It is so nice to play outside.

Except that Coop gets mad when we go home.

To: Grandma

Five Years--May 10, 2003

Words cannot express how Thankful I am that Nick married me. Five years ago today was the happiest day of my life.


For those of you who don't know the story, here is how we met:
In 2002 Nick decided to come back to college after returning from his mission. He moved into an apartment in my building, now you might be thinking "oh that is so cute" and sure it might have been if I didn't have a huge crush on his roommate!! In order to catch the fleeting glimpses that I craved of Kevin ( who was a study-holic) I had to practically live in his apartment.
So pretty soon my crush changed subjects.
There was this girl in our ward who decided to ask Nick out and I got so mad. You see she had a missionary and was not really interested. So I confronted her and "convinced" her to back off.

For our first date I begged a friend for some free tickets to a play (because I was broke) and we went and saw Charlie Brown. He proposed November 18 while looking at the Manti Temple. Then he had to ask my Dad for the ring, which belonged to my Great-Grandmother

May 10, 2003 dawned cold and threatening rain, until my wonderful Uncle Howard did an anti-rain-dance out in the middle of the street in front of the Manti Temple. (I am not kidding, he burned feathers and everything.) The day was cold and overcast but it did not rain!!!
And 5 years and one Cooper later we are still here and living to the best of our abilities our "Happily Ever After".

Thank you all for being a part of our lives!!!

Highschoolers

Sometimes I wish I could beat these children with a ruler!! Why was that practice discontinued? I wish they would just take responsibility for their own work, their own mistakes and while we are at it their own futures!! I feel like I have to spoon feed them most days and how pathetic is it to fail a ceramic class!! Today has been a difficult day and I am feeling the pressure of the end of the year. A nap sounds good right now, thanks for letting me vent

Sneak Peak

Front entry



My Bathroom, please note all the natural light and the wall 'o' mirrors!

My Bedroom

My wonderful backyard, with a hot tub!! (we havent decided if we will keep it though)

Kitchen and dining room


Kitchen

Our living room


Here are house pics I will post again when we have our furniture, new paint and new carpet

One a Day

Today starts the weaning era of night-night feedings only!
Any weaning stories or advice would be great all of my oh so experienced friends!!!!:)