Kaitlyn's Birthday Party!

For Kaitlyn's birthday party this year, we let the girls make a scrapbook of their own. Kaitlyn was very excited about this and I think it turned out really good! The girls all seemed to have a good time and they were having fun doing all the work themselves. A big thanks to Sheila Wilkerson for doing all the prep work and basically running the whole thing!! Here is a plug for her: She is a Close To my Heart Consultant and does great parties and scrapbook clubs. I am a member of one and I really enjoy it. She is so creative and I am impressed with her! End of plug! Anyway, here are a few pics:

From left to right: Jenna, Abby, Jolie, Goofy Kate, Courtney, Jenny and Layna

Kaitlyn and Jolie

Jenna and Abby

Kaitlyn and Jenny

This is one of the only pictures I have of Sheila, she is working with my niece Layna (who was a little camera shy herself)

Luke was a cute addition to the party, the girls loved playing with him!!

Make a Wish! (She had no boyfriends after blowing out the candles!)

Present time! Kate's favorite part

The final product- I think they turned out really cute and they will love putting their own pictures in them!

Tagged!

I thought this might be fun to play tag, I almost never do these. This one is from Leslie- So, here goes:

Two names you go by:

1. Mom 2. Chelley, Michelle, Shellaly (from Kirk)

Two things you are wearing right now:

1. Shorts 2. Ponytail

Two of your favorite things to do:

1. Read a really good book 2. Go on a vacation with my family!

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. A good job with stability. 2. to know where I will live in the next couple of months.

Two favorite pets you have had/have:

1. Fred, the tortoise 2. And that's it- no other pets were mine.

Two people who you think will do this on their own blog:

1. Jon 2. maybe Bryan

Two things you ate today:

1. Lean Cuisine pannini with steak, mushrooms and cheddar -really not bad. 2. plum

Two people you last talked to:1. Bryan, does texting count? 2. JoAnn

Plans you have for tomorrow:1. Kaitlyn's birthday party- lots of scrapbooking with little girls. Could be fun or could be a huge nightmare! 2. Alone time with my hubby.

Two longest car rides:

1. Driving from SLC to Idaho with Bryan, Gerry and Grandma Rowley, who kept burping these INSANELY long and disturbing burps the WHOLE way. 2. Motorhome trip with the Hooper clan.

Two favorite holidays:

1. Christmas 2. Mother's and Father's Day

Two favorite beverages:

1. Diet Cranberry Limeade from Sonic. 2 Hot Chocolate on a cold night

TV shows you enjoy:

1. 24 2. Journeyman (R.I.P.), Survivor, ANTM, Alias (also R.I.P.), Prison Break, L & O SVU, Grey's Anatomy, and many more!

Alright, Jon and Bryan, I challenge you! Tag, you're It!!

I Got The Deal of The Day!! And other good stuff!!

When I was a little girl, my mom and my aunts would go garage sale shopping every Saturday morning. When they finished, they would always try to see who got the "deal of the day" and they would sing song the phrase. It is a fun memory! Anyway, today I found the deal of the day!!! I was out in the neighborhood of Deseret Industries and I decided to stop there. I thought I could find some shorts for my kids, which I did- all name brand and in great shape!! While there, I came across a huge bin with little tikes parts in it. It appeared to be a climbing toy, and I wanted it- only if it had all the pieces. So, I asked one of the workers if she knew if all the pieces were there, she didn't know but offered to help me assemble it and see. So, we took the pieces in the shade, it was 1:30 pm at this point!!!- and all the pieces were there! Yes!!! So, I bought it and they helped me shove the whole thing in my Suburban. It fit, barely! I had no rear view mirror or any elbow room, but it was worth it. It is the 8-in-1 Climbing System and I bought it for only $45!! Woohoo!! It is in great shape, with only minimal fading of the bottom of one slide! Here is a pic off their website:

Okay, the pic didn't work well, but you can get the idea. My kids are excited. I am pretty sure it is just like the one in Grandma H's backyard.

Another cool thing: Bryan has a job interview on Thursday afternoon with a health center in Casa Grande. It is for an Accounting Specialist position and would pay more than what he is at now. We would like him to get some experience in the health care area because there are many opportunities for accountants there. We are excited about that!

Another fun thing: I found a blog of a friend in my ward, Heather Gunnell. Her recipe blog is called Downright Delish - http://downrightdelish.wordpress.com/ and has some great recipes. I tried the Ziti with bacon and vegetable cream sauce. It was sooo good! Even Bryan liked it! It tasted like something I would order from a restaurant. So, check it out! Her roasted salsa, both the green and red are so good, too. They are quite easy!

Anyway, it was a good day and I wanted to share!! Have fun!

Father's Day and Homemade Cards

Well, Bryan is off for his first day at his new job, wish him luck!! Anyway, we had a lot of fun yesterday (Father's Day). We got up early and made Bryan some breakfast: pancakes, eggs and bacon and then he took off with Jonathan to play a song in Eva's ward. We then went to our own ward, leaving early for a family dinner at his Dad's house. I spent the greater part of the afternoon cooking with Leslie and Eva- we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, broccoli casserole (yum) and lemon cake. (Always put the frosting on lemon cake right away!!!!) It was really good. It was also fun to see Jonathan and his Grandpa play a duet, with Jon on the violin and Gerry on the cello. I wish I had some pics of that, I didn't bring my camera!!

Then we watched the movie Jumper. I really enjoyed it, I just wished it had a better conclusion and not just a set up for Jumper 2. Still, we had a good time watching it with everyone.

When the movie was over, we went to my parent's house. I had fun being with my brother's and sister's and their families. I know Bryan was stressed about starting his new job and then he was stuck listening to the men discuss which is better, which one to buy- a motorhome or a toy hauler. I guess someone is in the market for a new one. Big problems, huh!

Overall, it was a good day. I wanted to post my Father's Day cards and one I made for my Mil's b-day- I thot they turned out really good, so here they are:

I made this one for Bryan and I really liked it, so I made 2 more! The arrow is a cutout circle that I cut in thirds and the arrow tip is a square cutout I halved. My scrapbook lady, Sheila, taught me that techique!

This one is a little more basic, but I loved the color combination. I used a swirl stamp on it with desert sand ink and it gave it a nicer look. I love doing stuff like this, I just wish I had more time for it!!! Well now with my hubby actually being at work M-F, I just might get around to it a bit more!!

Have a great day, everybody!!

Happy Father's Day, Bryan!

Happy Father's Day to a wonderful husband and father! We love you and are so proud of you! You are an amazing person and I am so glad I can share my life with you! I hope your day is a good one!

First time Dad- Jonathan was born in 1993.

Our First Girl- Kaitlyn was born in 1998.

Our Second baby boy- Connor was born in 2000.
Our Second little girl- Jenna was born in 2002. Two boys and two girls- perfect!!

And lastly just to give the boys an edge, Our third boy - Alex Hooper Cook!
We love our Daddy!

Happy 10th Birthday, Katy Lady!!!

Kaitlyn was born at 1:50 pm, 6 lbs and 12 oz on June 13.

Proud Mom and Dad! Our first baby girl!

Blessing Day!

2 year old cutie!

Me and Grandpa on the boat.

Kate and Jenna, my two girls

1st grade, one of my favorite school pictures

Her first dance picture

Kaitlyn's baptism in July of 2006

2007 dance

After-school sports, she loved volleyball!

Hannah Montana Concert with Mom!

Kaitlyn's first year of fast pitch softball. She loves it and has gotten quite good!

Happy Birthday, Kaitlyn! You are finally 10! 2 whole hands! We are so glad you are in our family. You are so sweet and fun. You make us so happy and our family would not be the same without you!!! Have a great day!!

He's Baaaack!!

Bryan came home late last night. On his way home yesterday evening, he got a phone call from an accounting staffing agency, Ajilon. He has an interview today at 1:00!!! He feels like he needed to come home and maybe this is why! I hope so. I know he feels bad for leaving Kirk in a lurch and he appreciates the opportunity his brothers gave him. We are so hoping for something to work out!!! He does have a job lined up with my brother, Todd and his computer company. So either way he has a job, we are just hoping for an accounting job!

We are very fortunate to have family, on both sides, who are willing to help and who are so supportive. We are very lucky to have them in our lives! Thanks, everyone!

This is harder than it should be!

My poor husband! Literally! haha! He is having a much harder time than I thought he would. He can't handle the separation. (I should have seen this coming, simply because I am soooo fabulous he misses me too much!) Actually, not so much. But, whatever. Anyway, everytime the kids talk to him or when we call him and put him on speaker to have family prayer and stuff, he kinda crumbles. I think it is sweet and it has shown him how much he loves us and needs us, but it breaks my heart. He is such a good man and I HATE knowing he is in pain. It's not the job or anyone associated with it. In fact, the job is not bad and being with his brother is fun. But, I am afraid he will quit and come home before he has another job lined up. It is that hard for him. But our bank account is so close to empty and we have nothing esle. I have a brief panic spell everytime he says he can't handle it. I am not feeling too strong today.

The I.R.S.

I just got home from taking Jon to violin lessons (thanks, Eva!) and there is the mail carrier on my doorstep with 8!!! certified letters from the IRS. That is never a good sign! Joy is my life! I don't even want to guess what is in them, and no it is not a lovely rebate check. We don't get those!

Ah, that's what I thought it was. I paid my installment payment a week late and they said we are forfieting on the installment agreement. They cashed my check, so I thought it was okay. Now I will have to call and smooth things over. Bunch of babies!

Life as I Know It!

Life as I know it is completely changed. I can't seem to keep up! We went on a really fun vacation, see Jon's blog for the pics, I am too overwhelmed to post them myself. We came home on Friday night and spent a really nice weekend with Bryan. I cannot believe how much I missed him! I could not get enough of him near me! Now, he is gone off to Albu"kirk"ie and I have been so busy today. I am cleaning house, doing payroll, making phone calls for Relief Society, making phone calls about short selling, applying for jobs for my hubby and it is only 1:15. I need to take Jon to violin lessons right now. I will blog more later, with Bryan being gone, I will actually do it!