The Hooper Family

The Big C for VP!!

2011-05-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

Connor had been debating whether or not he wanted to run for vice president of his school or not and we have been so busy with baseball that the deadlines almost came and went. So, Easter Sunday we quickly signed the consent forms and tried to come up with a slogan. We brainstormed and came up with "The Big C for VP!" We then had 24 hours to come up with posters, stickers, a speech and basically a whole campaign. Well, he did it! I am so proud of him! This is him in the shirt his dad made for him right before he gave his speech at school. He ran against 6 or 7 other kids this year, some of them are some pretty good friends of his: Chloe Smith, who beat him out for Treasurer last year, and McKenna Montes, another fun girl who used to be in our ward. He had some pretty stiff competition and he is really excited to have won! Kaitlyn was also the Vice President of the school last year so maybe we will have to stick with the VP's job, seems to work for the Hooper clan! lol

The Latest!

2010-11-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a long time, I am not sure if I don't feel like I have anything anyone cares to hear about or if I am so busy that I don't make the time to do it. With my kids having a day off, I am taking the morning off from studying and so I am updating my blog. Here goes:

I have a confession to make. I am a horrible mother! I totally screwed up on Halloween this year! With football, homecoming, school and everything else I never took pictures of all the kids together! We had three trunk or treats we went to, but not one where the whole family was together. Not even one! That was really frustrating to me this year. Which is why I don't have any pictures of all the kids together, but it still bothers me. And then with Halloween actually being on a Sunday, we were so done by the time it actually came around that we had some friends over for dinner and my kids didn't want to dress up again so the only time I had them all together, no one was dressed up! Oh, well. They all had a good time anyway.

This picture is taken before our ward's trunk or treat. Connor was at football practice with Bryan and Jonathan was at a Best Buddies Halloween event so it was just me and these cuties! Kate is Dr. Dufenschmirtz (however you spell that one!!) from Phineas and Ferb, Jenna is a cupcake and Alex is Darth Vader!This is during the school's costume parade. This is the last year that Jenna can do the parade. She is so cute!!

I was getting really worried when Alex's class went by because I couldn't find him at first. Turns out, he was so excited that he went ahead of his teachers and was way in front. This is NOTHING like Alex at school. He is such a shy and quiet boy that I was afraid that he got too scared to even go out in the parade! So I quickly went to the other side where the parade came back around and this is the kid I saw!

He is smiling and High Fiving every kid that walked by! It was adorable! He was so disappointed when the parade ended. I have never seen Alex like this out in public!

Happy Alex=Happy Mom!!

This is where Bryan has been spending all of his time during the week when he is not at work. Because they made the playoffs, practices are now three nights a week so Bryan is never home. He feels strongly that Connor needs him at practice so he goes to every practice and stays the whole time. This has made a huge difference in Connor. I have seen that boy grow into a confident and happy young man. I am so grateful for my husband's sacrifice and example. Connor has confided in me how much it means to him that his dad would do this for him. He is using his dad as his essay he is writing for school as his hero. When I told Bryan that, his face lit up and he knew that his time was well spent.

Anyway, Connor is playing on the Gunslinger's football team and they are doing Awesome! They are now the State Champions!! That has never happened for a Superstition Pop Warner football team before so his team has made history! Yay, Gunslingers! Because of their good record, they were in the Level 2 division which means they continue beyond the State playoff level where other teams will stop at State. So last weekend, they played in a game verses a team from California. This is all in an effort to go to the Pop Warner version of the Superbowl. It is crazy to me that they do this on this level! These kids are 9-11!!! Anyway, in a nail biter of a game, the Gunslinger's won and so now we are off to San Diego this weekend to play in the next round. If we win this game, we will come back to the valley and play another California team in Scottsdale next Sunday. If we win that game, then the team will be off to Florida for the superbowl!

I was really hoping we would win State and then lose before we had to go to San Diego. I know that sounds horrible that I would wish my son's team would lose, but I can't afford these trips! Especially with Christmas coming soon and my husband has already used up his vacation days! Florida is a week! A week!! And they only need the team to raise between $35,000 and $45,000. For real!! And that is just for the team to go! If you know my Connor, he may not survive a week without a parent there and I am in school so I can't go.

Anyway, now that we have gotten this far, it is really a once in a lifetime chance that they can do this and I am so amazed at this group of young men so I say, go for it! Win it all and win big! We will figure out the money later! How many teams get to go to Florida? Not to many that I have ever heard of!

This is Connor doing a pregame drill, he is #72

He is hard to see, but he is in the middle, left

State Champs!!

Connor and his hero, or better known as Dad!

My little Studdmuffin! lol

This past weekend, I went to a wedding in Salt Lake City with my mom and sisters and Jonathan. I loved taking Jon to temple square for the first time. He is such a great kid and it was great feeling of his love of the Savior and his amazing Spirit. He has been wanting to go to BYU after his mission and I have been trying to convince him that it would be cheaper to stay home and go to ASU for his pre-Med. I confess, I just don't want to let him go! After spending time with him up there, we drove through the BYU campus and I guess I got a little spiritual kick in the behind that I needed to let him go if that's what he wants. Why do we have to let them grow up! He will be leaving on his mission in less than 2 years. I am not ready! But, Kate really wants to go to BYU also and if we are lucky and they both get in they would be going at the same time! It's just so far away!!! AHHH! Not my daughter too! lol

Jon, me, my mom, sister JoAnn, sister Jenny, niece Kelsey

My future missionary. So many people were asking him how long he had been home from his mission! Poor kid needs to stop looking so mature, everyone thinks he is an RM at 17! lol

The Waiting List

2010-09-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am officially on the waiting list! I feel such a sense of accomplishment! I am excited and even a bit humbled to finally get to this point. I also finally took the Hesi A2 test. It was sooo long, yuck! It was tough but not as hard as I thought it would be, so with that out of the way and my fingerprint clearance is back, I was able to put in my application today! Yay! So, they say there is a 3 to 4 semester waiting list now. Bummer!

While I wait, I am going to try to get into a CNA course so I can get some practical experience as well as earn some dough! lol Dough is good. Anyway, there it is.....now I wait!! :)

Nursing School

2010-07-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I have been working on getting into Nursing school for a very long time! Years in fact! There are so many prerequisites that have to be done before you can even apply for the program. These are English 101, some math, reading, Biology, Anatomy 201, Chemistry, Psychology and probably something else I am forgetting! I have been slowly taking these over the years. My plan all along was to wait until all the kids were in school and then start taking classes my self. When things got rough a couple of years ago, I knew I couldn't go slow anymore.

I already have all of my prereq's out of the now and have been taking my coreq's. These are classes that you can take once you have submitted your nursing application and you are on the waiting list. These used to be prereq's and now they are coreq's. I didn't realize that until I had taken most of them as well! Those are the other half of Anatomy 202, more English, another Biology and now Microbiology. Microbiology is my last coreq and I am signed up to take it in the fall.

Since I have all my prereq's out of the way and we are now settled into our house, I am finally getting around to putting in my application for the Nursing program. I was fingerprinted yesterday. That was a slightly strange experience. I had to pay someone to take my prints and then pay DPS to tell me that I am not a criminal. Ok, that part actually will take about 4-6 weeks. That is the main thing holding my up, and my transcripts, and my Hesi 2 test. Ok, so I am almost ready!! I had to go to Mountain View to order those transcripts. That felt so weird! I really hated high school and I sooo don't miss it. It made me feel sorry my son because I remember how difficult it was for me in school. It is hard to get good grades and make positive choices while surrounded by such garbage everyday. I don't think there was ever a time in my life I felt so alone as in high school! I think that is part of the reason why my husband and I found each other so early. We needed each other. Oh well, that is another post for another day!! lol

Anyway, I also have to take a Hesi 2 test to prove basic math, English and reading skills. This test takes 4 hours!! AHHH! Yuck! Other than the time, I am not too worried about it. I will start studying for it next week and take it the week after that. Once that is done, then as soon as I get my fingerprint clearance card back I can apply for the Nursing program and then just wait! and wait! And take Microbiology this semester.

I am excited and nervous about it this semester because it is actually in a classroom instead of online like the rest of the classes I have taken. I am worried about how the labs will be conducted. I have always used a virtual microscope for my labwork. Yeah, I don't think a virtual microscope will be quite the same!! So I am a little nervous about being on my fourth Biology class and having no idea how to actually use a real microscope!! haha, I am going to look like a total idiot!!

I am also nervous to go to a classroom because I am worried I will be in a room with a bunch of teenagers. I am almost old enough to be their mother. Almost being the key word! I know that there will probably be people my age in there, but I am still nervous about it. I don't want to be the only old lady there!

This will be a strange year for me, I am excited at the opportunities for my education but this is the first year that all of my kids will be in school full time. I am not sure I like that. It seems like one step closer to losing them all!! Alex will be in all day kindergarten and he is so little still. He will turn 5 only 3 days after school starts so I am worried about how he will do. And Jonathan is a junior this year, soon he will be graduated and off on a mission. I will miss him like crazy. And Kaitlyn is in junior high this year, it's all freaking me out how old my kids are getting! Tell them to stop!!! :)

My New Motto

2010-07-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have decided I need a new motto in my life. It actually came from Bryan. He is a very smart and supportive man. I will keep him! ;p I have often struggled in my life when I have challenges and think I can hang on and be strong until it is over and I will enjoy my life when this current problem is over. Well, as my wise husband has pointed out, as soon as one problem is gone, there will be a new one to pop in and take its place. He quoted me this out of the scriptures, now it isn't the most profound scripture to most people, but it was to me: "And it came to pass..." and then he adds and not stay! That is what I have to remember. I will always have challenges and some of them will seem so big that I will wonder how I will ever get through them. But I always do. The real challenge in it all is to try to find happiness and peace for myself in the middle of it all and to share the feelings of peace and love with my husband and children. So that they feel loved and secure even during the most insecure times of our lives, which just so happens to be these last few months!

I have been working on this and usually fail miserably, but I am trying. Last night we were reading in 1 Nephi 15:5 and Nephi was talking about being overcome because of his afflictions and that he considered his afflictions great above all. I have felt like that these last few months myself. With moving twice in the last two months and then as soon as we move again it seems that everything that can go wrong, did go wrong. My car stopped working, the hot water heater here short circuits over and over, leaky faucets, broken dryer and I have to rewash every piece of clothing and bedding, etc that we own! I had been getting so frustrated and felt very discouraged! Most of these things have been resolved already and I am feeling fine but when I read the last half of verse 5 and Nephi goes on to say that he considers his afflictions to be great above all others because he has watched his people be destroyed, that was able to put things into perspective! I am not going through anything as difficult or dramatic as Nephi although they may feel very hard for me at times. But it did remind me again that all of these problems by themselves aren't that big and that they will all pass. Plus, it reminded me again what a smart, awesome hubby I have!!

So, It came to pass...and not stay!! :)

Another new house

2010-06-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

It's official, I am sick of moving! We gave this house our best efforts and it still did not work out. I do not know why but it must not have been meant to be. It's ok, we will be fine. It has been such a hard couple of months dealing with it all but I feel a tremendous amount of relief that we are going to move again. I can't stand to stay in this house much longer. It is making me sick on a daily basis, constant migraines and stomach cramps. Ugg! So ready to move on from this!

I really felt like we were supposed to be here in this house, I felt like everything led us to it. So I am confused and frustrated and even a little angry at times that we gave it everything we had and still nothing we did worked! There were times when I was going on faith alone and still felt like we were supposed to be here. But then there comes a time when you know you are just done and it's time to give up. So, that's where we are. Done.

We were approved for another house tonight and will be signing papers on it tomorrow. It is not as nice as this house but it is clean! No kitty litter box smell! It doesn't have the best floor plan but it is large and affordable. It is right around the corner from the park and keeps my kids in the schools where they want to be. It is also in the Red Mountain ward and we already know a lot of good people in that ward so at least we won't be going in there as strangers. And I will probably be keeping my job as Cubmaster, for better or for worse! lol

So, we move on from here and I have to say I am not looking forward to the work involved with moving but I am looking forward to being in the other house. I am also happy that even during this awful time, when things have been so hard, I know that things must be happening for a reason. Even if I don't understand what those reasons might be. I have enough faith to trust the Lord's plan and keep going.

I will really miss the Preston ward. The people in it were so kind and good to us. We feel like we belong and I will miss that feeling always!!

Happy 12th Birthday, Kaitlyn!

2010-06-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Happy 12th Birthday to a wonderful, sweet girl! I am so glad Kaitlyn is a part of our family, she brings light and laughter, sweetness and thoughtfulness, silliness and goodness to our home. We are a better family because she is in it. She is a good example for her brothers and sister and is becoming a great babysitter. We love you Kate and hope your day is AWESOME!! :D!!

These pictures are Kate on her birthdays starting at age 4 (when we got our first digital camera) the previous years are still in a box somewhere!!). She always has that fabulous smile! 5
6 (Lucky girl got to spend this birthday at Disneyland, purely by coincidence!)

9-and first year with glasses, I think they make her look cuter and smarter!!

11- This is a group shot from last year's pajama themed birthday party. First the smiley face, then the silly face.

Kate and her best friend, Jolie

Happy Birthday to a wonderful daughter, we love you so much!!

I guess it's how you look at things...

2010-04-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

I think this may be the lesson I am trying to learn right now. It's how you look at things and whether or not you can find the good in the bad, the happy in the sad, and the peace among the difficulties of the world. This past week has been an emotional one for me. It started off with a week ago Sunday, we were going to look at the house for rent next door. We felt strongly that we wanted to stay in the ward and schools for our children but this area is hard to find homes in that meet our needs. The home next door is not very big but it was in our budget so we were willing to try to make it work. The realtor who showed it to us was very kind and was telling us about another house that she was going to be listing the next morning that was also in our ward/school area. The problem was this house was significantly over our budget so we thanked her but refused. We told her what our budget was and she agreed that it would be difficult to find in this area. She then called me first thing the next morning and told me that the other house she was renting needed work and if we were willing to do it that she would be able to rent it to us for the price we could afford. We went to look at it right away and we agreed almost immediately to the plans. Everything has fallen into place for this house. I know this is where we are supposed to be, however it is so much more difficult than I thought it would be. So much work, stress, frustration and worry! There are really stubborn pet odors. This is my main problem. I worry about getting them out! Other than that, everything else is cosmetic. We will do the landscaping, minor wall patching and trim work and painting. There will be new carpet that I get to pick out (squeal of joy!!) and we don't have to pay for!! But those pet odors are my main concern. The odors are getting a little better already and I have to have faith that we made the right decision and that it will all work out in the end. This home has more than enough room for our family and a pool, when it is finished it will be a really nice place. We have also negotiated a good rental agreement with the option to buy in a few years. Hopefully we have things together enough to do so!

I am trying to look at the bigger picture, the end result will be great. Right now, it's a smelly, dirty job. But if I look at it the right way, I know this is where the Lord wants us. I have a sweet, supportive husband. I have strong, fun children who I can work with and laugh with. I have good friends helping us along the way. I have supportive family who builds me up when I think I am done for. I have a ward who is willing to help and I know I can call and they will come. I am blessed in many ways.

Another area, Jonathan has had it a bit rough in the last couple of days. He had reconstruction surgery on his ACL last week. He is doing really well now. The first couple of days were very tough on him physically and emotionally but he pulled through great. I am thankful that he has good friends to help cheer him up and keep him going. Yesterday was his first day back at school. He was going to use a wheelchair and then decided that it would draw too much attention to himself so he wanted to use the crutches, against better advice. That lasted for one hour. I was quickly back in the car bringing him the wheelchair! After that, he was doing pretty good. At the end of the day, I went to pick him up and his leg was swollen and he was really sore. He wheeled himself up to the passenger door and put his violin case behind the front tire. (you can see where I am going with this, huh). He put his backpack in the car and then climbed in. I assumed he would put the violin in as well. In his mind, he thought he asked me to put it in. I was busy putting the wheelchair in the back of the suburban and figured we were all set so I get in the car and start to back up. The car makes this shuddering and I though my transmission was giving out or something so I pull back forward and it seems fine. I get out of the car to check and when I see the violin case, I could have just dropped right then and there. I did not want to show that to Jonathan. When he saw me pull that case out from under the car his face just crumpled and he turned away in absolute devastation. I will never forget that look. Ever.

I could only think how difficult this past week has been for him and whenever life is hard, he takes refuge in the violin. He loves to play and he makes the most beautiful music. Our home is always filled with music and I was so afraid and horrified that I may have killed the violin! His most beloved thing!

There is a good side of this though, like I said, I guess it's how you look at things. The violin broke at the base of the scroll and it appears that that is the only place it broke. Had the case been placed the other way, it would have been a complete disaster and I would have crushed the body. Jonathan feels like the violin has been protected before, he once had the feeling to move the violin when he had taken it to play in seminary. He had it sitting out of the way but not in its case and had he not moved it, it would have been crushed by a piano seat moments later. And now he feels that it was protected again, so I am going with his feelings on this one. I am grateful that it was not so much worse. It could have been totalled!

I feel as though this is a recurring theme in my life, that I am always walking through difficulties and I must try to find the joy in the journey. It is not always easy but I am trying. Sometimes it is really hard and some days I do not do very well, but I know the Lord leads me and guides me and my family. We are in His hands. With this knowledge, I can survive all things.

Bball, PInewood Derby and Abscessed Tooth

2010-03-28T09:08:00.001-07:00

We are so busy and I never seem to have time to blog but since I am sitting at home instead of at church because of little Alex (more on that in a bit) I am doing a small post.

Baseball season has started. Its official, we will never be home until the end of May. Jonathan did not make the baseball team at Red Mtn but he did make the JV Volleyball team so he is gone just as much anyways. He is also an assistant coach to Connor's team and an Umpire this year mainly to the Junior division. Kaitlyn is playing in Major's but her season doesn't officially kick off for a week or two so I will get her pics up soon. Anyway, here is Connor in his first game. He is a pretty good pitcher especially with the advice of his big bro.

We had our pack Pinewood Derby on Friday night and I forgot to charge my camera battery!! This is one of the only pictures I got before the battery died!! I was sooo stressed out from this event I never thought about the darn camera!! At least the Mursets took a couple pictures of Connor for me. (Thx Mursets!!) Anyway, despite some very stressful situations, I think it came off pretty good. The boys seemed happy and that was my goal. The biggest thing was my kid didn't win but he was proud of himself and had a great time. Good enough for me!

This is Connor and his friend Scott. I am so glad they have each other in Webelos!

We finally got around to taking pictures of the car!! Connor, sorry your mom is a slacker!! Love you tho!! :) This was totally his design and he painted, sanded and decorated it himself. I am so proud of his hard work! "The Blade" is really cool!!

On Saturday morning, the kids all went to their Primary activity day. They loved it and came home so happy. Then Alex was playing outside with his cousin and he came in and climbed on my lap. I thought he felt warm but figured he was just hot from playing hard and sent him on his way. He then climbed on Bryan's lap and Bryan became concerned and asked me about his swollen mouth. I said I know he has a sore tooth and he already has a date with the dentist to get it fixed in a few weeks. I was doing homework and was only focused on that (Me feeling guilty now!!). Bry asked me again and finally told me to stop with the homework and look at the poor kid. (Really guilty now!) I could now see clearly there was something wrong with my little man. He had swollen up in a short amount of time and was running a fever. Poor kid has an abscessed tooth. It is swollen pretty good. It is not that clear in this picture but he is in a lot of pain and can't eat or talk very easily. He is on an antibiotic and it should clear up fine. Poor chipmunk cheek! It is his right cheek.

He wanted to smile for the camera. This is his biggest smile he could give. Cute kid!!

Remind me never to complain about laundry again!

2010-03-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

I should really know better! lol If you complain about something, surely that problem will get worse, right? I started on my laundry mountain yesterday and got about 5 loads in when my dryer goes out. The belt broke. Hopefully it is something Bryan can fix fairly easily. Anyway, I was going to put the wet clothes into the dryer but the ones in the dryer were still wet. I was a bit confused as to why but restarted it anyways. Yeah, that didn't work out so well! lol So now I had two loads of wet laundry! Bryan suggested I peek out my window and see if my neighbors bedroom light was still on (we didn't want to wake them because it was 10:30!) it was, so I called them and they graciously let me use their dryer. It's so nice having next door neighbors who will bail you out in almost any way, from the needed egg, babysitter and now a dryer! lol

At least I got some clothes washed so we should be fine for a few days! Now I am crossing my fingers the washer will continue to hold up!

Buried

2010-03-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

I am sooo buried! With homework, cubscouts and laundry! I am beginning to wonder if I will ever see the light of day! I have been furiously studying all week for my midterm which I will take tomorrow and I am already stresing about the pinewood derby I get to run. Yay! Fun! Exciting! Thrilling! Or maybe just exhausting and overwhelming, so far its exhausting and overwhelming! And I have more laundry than I know what to do with. We all have so many clothes that need to go to DI and so many clothes that don't fit or arent that cute and I just need to get rid of them. I am thinking of taking it all to the laundromat and sorting it there. I must have 30 loads of laundry to go through. Enough clothes for about 3 families my size!

Anyway, I got distracted and am finishing this post. I am done with my midterm but woke up sick this morning and had to go do my test while I was sick. Upset stomach and cramping and such. Not fun when I am in a room full of people for over 2 hours!! Anyway, so relieved the test is over! I didn't get the best grade but it is good enough! Now I have to write an essay on Confucianism. Surprisingly, there are some really good philosophies in confucianism.

I think I will try to tackle the laundry problem next week. Or maybe the one after that or after that! :P

Self diagnosing is a bad idea!

2010-02-20T08:32:00.001-08:00

My dad is out of the hospital and hopefully doing ok but they never found out where the bleeding came from. My parents left the hospital before finding out exactly what was causing the problem. My parents think they can take care of it themselves and that they are qualified to treat him with their own methods. These methods are usually found by watching Oprah or 20/20 or something else and applying only those aspects they feel will fit into their little box. So, my dad is not "fixed" and I am worried when the meds wear off that have stopped the bleeding that it will start all over again. While I think it is good to be aware and question what the doctors say, self diagnosing and treating is a BAD idea! My parents thought my dad was having a heart attack and gave him aspirin and used a nitroglycerin patch obtained through Mexico and it almost killed him. With his internal bleeding, the aspirin thinned his blood and the nitro patch dilated his arteries which made the bleeding worse. But, even though the doctor told my parents this, they still think what they did was the right course of action. My siblings and I are afraid we will be planning a funeral in the next few months because of their stubbornness.

ARRGH! Frustrating!

Anyway, onto something else, Jonathan did not make the baseball team this year and it was very upsetting how it was handled. The coach gave all of the kids an evaluation and it was really harsh. I think it was mean and insulting to the kids who did not make the team. What is to be gained by telling them they don't deserve any more of the coaches efforts or whatever. All that needed to be said was that their skills are not as good as this level or something to that effect. The evaluations to all of the kids were very critical and even demeaning. It makes me angry to have a respected coach be cruel! Jonathan already thought he probably would not make the team and was ok with it, but what was hard for him was the way it was done.

Anyway, he was given a letter saying he did not make the team and had to decide that night if he wanted to try out for volleyball, track or enroll in regular PE. If the choice was not made by the next day, an unexcused absence would be given. So little time and again, so rudely said. He had thought about going out for volleyball but after the harsh review, was concerned about putting himself out there again, especially because he doesn't know how to play volleyball. I convinced him to try because the worst thing that would happen is to end up in PE anyway. We bought a volleyball and I tried to teach him how to serve and block and bump, etc. He went to practice on Friday and then tryouts were the next Tuesday, after the school break. He gave it his best shot and when the team was chosen, the coaches told him he was the most improved kid in 4 days of playing they have seen and he made the JV team! He was so excited and feels that this is a better environment than the foul mouthed, disrespectful kids on the bball team so I am happy for him.

Anyway, that's been our past few days!

Oh, some of you wanted my recipe for the avocado salsa from the Progressive dinner (Sooo much fun!!) so I will post it on our recipe blog my sil started a little while ago. There is a link on my blog page to it.

Your prayers are needed...

2010-02-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

for my Dad. He is in the ICU right now. He has bleeding internally, they think in his stomach and he has lost over half his total blood volume. They are giving him a blood transfusion right now and will do some exploring to find out where the bleeding is coming from tomorrow. I spent the evening with him and can only hope and pray he will pull through. I am optimistic because he was happy and laughing. We did have a great nurse, in fact we were in the same ward for a long time. Good old 60th ward. I went to school with his wife Kristen Roberts, niece of AnneMarie Roberts. That was so comforting to know someone, he was really helpful and let us sneak in my sister in the room. He was answering all of our questions and explained everything with patience. I appreciate his respect to our family. Anyway, I am hopeful that the tests tomorrow will show ulcers in his stomach that they can hopefully repair easily enough rather than something much worse.

With all of this going on, I have been able to reflect on how important my dad is to me. He has always made me feel like his favorite daughter, even his favorite child. I know he has made all of us feel like that so I think he has done a great job! We have so much in common that there is always something fun to talk about. He is kind, gracious, generous, funny, sweet, strong and humble. He is an important part of my life. I usually talk to him on the phone at least once a day and the thought of losing him is unthinkable!

I love you, Dad! Get well, soon!!

Catch up, again!

2010-02-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

So much has been going on and I am so far behind on my blogging so here is a massive post to catch everyone up to date! I meant to put all of these pictures in reverse order but it didn't happen that way, blogger gets me too frustrated if I try too hard! So here it all is:

First is Jonathan's ceremony with Andrea's Closet. This is the organization that he did his eagle project with, they collect toys for children who are in the hospital and are having painful procedures. When they are finished, they get to choose a toy. Andrea's closet was founded by Andrea's parents after she passed away from leukemia when she was very young. She was able to endure the procedures if she had something to look forward to. After she passed away, her mother kept buying toys for Andrea and eventually gave them to a hospital and the idea took off from there. It is a really sweet story, they are such good people! Jonathan held a toy drive for Andrea's closet and built a mobile cart for the new Phoenix Children's Hospital West Valley Clinic. He decided to do this for his project because our Alex was hospitalized with pneumonia two years ago and they had to do a procedure on him and he was able to go to Andrea's closet at Banner Desert and loved it. We still have his toy tractor he picked out.

Anyway, there was a ceremony in January to formally give the cart to PCH West and Jonathan was invited along with any supporters that wanted to come. Here are the final pictures of his project, cart and his "posse"! Group shot! The Jeff and Mandy Smith family, Tyrel, Bryan, Connor I, Landon B, Mitch, Jonathan, Connor, Landon S, Eva, Kaitlyn, and Andrea's dad. The Smithsons came as well, but missed the group shot.

This picture of Landon and Connor is cute, but the picture in the back is awesome! It is made entirely of marbles.

Jonathan and his "posse" Mitch, Landon, Tyrell and Connor.

All of the people who helped at the toy drive that were also at the ceremony.

This little girl was very sick and was the first patient to come in and pick out of the closet. It was very sweet to see her choose very carefully. Jonathan loved seeing someone use something that he put so much effort into making. She was so cute but a bit overwhelmed by all of us with cameras and such!

This is Jonathan with Grandma Hooper and Andrea's grandparents.

Kaitlyn was chosen to become a member of the National Elementary Honor Society last month. She was only one of 4 sixth graders at her school to be chosen. The rest of these kids are in fifth grade. Not sure why there are so many more fifth than sixth, but oh well! In order to be in the society, you must be nominated by a teacher, have minimum of 3.5 gpa for 2 years and go through a selection process. She had to fill out papers with her qualifications and service opportunities. I am grateful for the church's youth programs that have helped to give her service projects and such that she had a few things to put down there. Being in the NEHS will improve her chances of being accepted into NJHS and NHS for junior and high schools. I am so proud of her! She has done awesome this year!!

Kaitlyn is on the far left.

Kaitlyn and Mr. Schiro, one of the programs sponsoring teachers.

Kaitlyn and her teacher, Ms. Galbreath (love her!!)

Kaitlyn also participated in the Kids Rock marathon again this year. Her and Connor both logged over 25 miles over the past few months and she was able to participate in the 1 mile fun run during the PF Changs Rock n Roll marathon in Tempe. She had a blast and was able to run with her friend Drew.

Jenna, Kaitlyn, Drew

The start!

Right before the finish line

Connor has been hard at work in January getting ready for the invention convention. He decided to make a solar powered skateboard. This was his idea entirely and we just helped him with some construction. He did the signs and put it all together. He actually had a working solar cell installed on his skateboard that could turn the wheels. It was a pretty great idea!

His cousin, Layna is in his class and I thought her idea was great. A machine that would make all our clothes and costs only $250! Sounds like a bargain to me!

Right after this, Connor turned 10. Happy Birthday to a wonderful son! He is funny, sooo smart, silly, sweet, and talented. He plays the cello and the teacher is amazed at his quick pick up of it. He is doing great. He is also a wonderful pitcher in baseball. He is hoping to be a starting pitcher this year! We love you Connor!!!

Luv this kid!

Alex was doing a project at school where he had to take a picture of him with Bobo the class teddy bear. I thought the picture was so cute I had to post it!

Other happenings, I have been released as the Primary Chorister and am now the Cubmaster. Hopefully it will be fun and something I can handle.

School is kicking my butt, but doesn't it always? I am looking forward to May 1. Then it's over! At least until fall! lol

Anyways, I have spent way too much time on this and now have to go learn about blood vessels and the Eightfold Path of Buddism. Interesting combination, I know! Cya!

So stressed!

2010-01-22T16:19:00.001-08:00

This week, especially today, is so stressfull! I am dealing with stolen debit card numbers/unauthorized change of address and fraud, student loan and grant difficulties (the money was to be disbursed days ago and is having potentially big problems, but I hope they are minor), soo much homework, a messy house, 5 leaks in my roof and a property management company who will probably do nothing, someone wants to come and look at the house in the morning (note the messy house!), money dur for baseball signups and major payments due for NY field trips and basically running low on cash and day 3 of a bad migraine that won't go away!

Can I just curl up in my blanket and hide for a little while? Feeling sooo overwhelmed today! At least I have a new neighbor next door who is quickly becoming a great friend! She has a son who is Alex's age and they run back and forth and she likes all the other kids to come and play too, so that is soo nice. They are all over there right now so I was able to take a test on Hinduism. This religion class makes me feel so stupid! The textbook uses such big words and it is so hard to follow! Only adds to my frustrations! Arrrgghh! Anyway, back to reality which is usually pretty good, just not right now! :p

Texas

2010-01-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

We went to Texas over Christmas break to visit my brother Judd's family. We tagged along with my brother Todd's family in their RV- definitely the best way to travel!! We had a nice, relaxing week in Austin. It is so beautiful there! These are all the cousins except the babies: Miley (Todd and Julie's daughter) and Coy (Judd and Heather's son).
From top left: Jonathan, Riley, Judd jr, Kaitlyn, Connor, Summer. Middle row from left: Jenna, Tyler, Lydia and Bottom row from left: Hayden, Alex and Ashton.

They love to make funny faces!

This picture is from "The Salt Lick" and may be the best BBQ ever! Sooo good! Especially loved the turkey. Mmmm.

Outside the Salt Lick

Jenna and Lydia

Riley and JonathanSummer and Kaitlyn
Connor and Judd jr
I couldn't get Alex and Todd's boys to pose for more pics, so I don't have any individuals of them! Oh well! We had a great trip and I am so excited to go back with my sisters in the spring. We are doing a long weekend at Judd's with Six Flags and I am sure another trip to the Salt Lick!!

Happy Birthday, Jenna!!

2009-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 7th Birthday to my beautiful, sweet Jenna! We love you so much!!

We are so glad you are in our family!!

17 years and Counting!!

2009-12-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary, Bryan!!

Our Carriage Ride

Our families

Happy Anniversary, Bryan!! I can't believe its been 17 years!! What an adventure our life together has been, but through all the ups and downs you have been my best friend and the love of my life. I am so glad you put up with me!

In other happenings, Jonathan is becoming quite a missionary. I am proud of his courage to speak up and share the gospel. He gave a Book of Mormon to a friend and now she and her mom are having the missionaries share the discussions. I have always been a bit more reserved about sharing the gospel and I am humbled by his good example to me. I thought parents were supposed to teach the children but I find I am always learning something from my children.

Another fun tidbit, totally random but fun is that I won some money from my bank! I never thought that would happen!! It is a program that every 5 minutes they refund a purchase made with a debit card. I actually won my purchase back! It was $31, but that is still awesome. I have to admit that I thought it would have been nice if one of my bigger purchases was refunded, but I will take the $31 and be happy with it!

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to all of you, may your Christmas season be happy, fun and full of hope! :D

School's Out!!

2009-12-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

I am officially done with the Fall semester! Woo hoo! I have a whole month off, just in time to enjoy the holidays. I did fairly well this semester and still managed to get a B in Anatomy even though I bombed part of the final exam. (I mean bombed!!) So glad that part is over. Spring semester doesn't start until January 11 when I will take the second Anatomy class and a World Religion class. The anatomy class sounds stressful and the religion class sounds really interesting, but hopefully easy! I need an easy class after that ridiculous Eng 102 class. I am going to really enjoy this break! Happy sigh. :)

Right now I am content and happy. Life is still so far from perfect but I am grateful for the blessings I do have. My sweet family, they are my joy. I was able to listen to them and my super talented in-laws play their instruments today in Mountain Vista ward and I was overcome with gratitude for them and the talents they share and have helped cultivate in my own family. I am humbled by the love my Father in Heaven has shown to me and my family and know that He will direct our path if we let Him. Have faith and be patient and long suffering. (Sometimes the long suffering is the hardest part!) So many friends and family around me are burdened with difficult trials: physical challenges, lost jobs and financial crisis, divorce etc. I am always strengthened by your faith and courage. Your example shines bright!

Best wishes to you all!!

Answers in the Scriptures

2009-12-01T10:06:00.001-08:00

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. I would be lost with out the guidance of the spirit to get me through the problems in life.

We have a leak in the ceiling of this house and I am now cleaning the bathrooms so the workers can come in and I won't be embarrassed. I have let things get a bit out of control since I had my surgery. Anyway, today has been a tidal wave of stuff. I should have known because life always throws me a curve ball the minute I start to feel that things are going to be ok. My roof is leaking, my management company informed me today that they are going to sell my house. I have a doctor appointment to hopefully remove my stitches unless something goes wrong there again!! Connor is in the nurses office again with wheezing and he just finished with a strong antibiotic and steroids to fix it. Not sure whats up with that yet. Top that off with a final exam to study for and church callings, I feel like life is starting to spiral out of control.

But, I do feel blessed because in the midst of all of this, a scripture came quietly to my mind. Instead of ignoring it, I went and found where this scripture is and I know that Heavenly Father is aware of me and my "issues". It will all work out the way it is meant to.

The scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I don't know how, but I do know things will be ok. I am calm. (That is something if you know me really well!! lol)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come to our house! I love this time of year when we can pull out all of the Christmas decorations and transform our house from the everyday to that wonderful holiday feeling home. We have a great time decorating and we always decorate together. I don't remember being able to help decorate the tree when I was little, my mom always wanted the perfect tree. So, here we do the opposite! lol Bryan sets up the tree and puts the star on the top and then me, Bry and Jon do the lights. After the lights come the gumdrop strands. Which I love! The youngest kid always thinks they are real candy every time we pull them out. Makes me laugh every time! Once those things are done, then it's free reign for the kids to put on the decorations. We have so many decorations that mean something to us that it is so much fun to decorate and remember when that ornament was made or purchased. For a long time we bought a new one every year and have the year written on them. We haven't bought one this year, but have for every other year. I will have to get on that! Bryan and I were married on Dec 18 and a smart lady in my ward who was helping with my Bridal Shower asked that the guests put an ornament on top of the presents instead of a bow. So I have so many fun ornaments from that shower that remind me of our wedding. My favorites being a handmade Bride and Groom. The bride and groom are not the prettiest ornaments, but they are a lot of fun! We also have an ornament for the first Christmas of each child's life and they love being able to put their own ornaments on the tree. It is a happy tradition that I hope will continue always!

I love the enthusiasm that the kids have for Christmas. Alex keeps saying he is "so excited for Christmas!" Their bright eyes are full of anticipation and I love that about them. I love that my four youngest kids still fully believe in Santa (and the easter bunny, toothfairy, etc!). It kinda cracks me up, really. Some of these kids are getting a little old and I am glad they are still innocent! Too many things in life try to take away from that.

This Christmas feels so much different from last year. We didn't have a lot of good things happening last year and it was hard going through the holidays and trying to find happiness. But we tried and put together the best Christmas we could for our children with the help of kind family members and a wonderful ward. This year feels so much better! Bryan and I both talked about how this year we have hope. Hope that life is getting better and that we have a chance to break free from the problems that have plagued us in the past two years. Much of that is due to his new job. He enjoys what he is doing and learning and it's fun to see him come home happy from work. That is a switch!! He has generous bosses and they are good to both of us. And if the company does well, there will be raises in the future that will eventually allow us to breathe again. All I ask for is to be able to breathe again! Surely that is not too much to ask for, right? Having this new job has changed our outlook and we are so enjoying the start of the Christmas season. It will probably be a small Christmas again, but that is ok! I will take hope in the future over stuff any day!!

We still have to set up the lights and stuff outside but that will have to wait till Monday night. Poor Bryan has to do most of that alone as I am still supposed to be off my foot and now Jonathan has ripped a tendon and has a sprained ankle. :( Poor kid! He is bummed out about that right now. He has no idea how he will be able to handle school with crutches and a violin. On top of that, he has baseball tryouts going on right now. I know that it is hard for him to miss out on all of that and I know he is frustrated when we are decorating and he just watches. He did have some fun this weekend when he was asked to Winter Formal by a cute, fun girl in the stake. With the help of Tyrel and Kimberly (Kimbo!!) and us, he answered her back by sending her on a scavenger hunt ending with a pair of mittens and a ice chest full of snowballs. Inside the snowballs were letters she had to unscramble to find her answer. It was yes, of course! Anyway, should be something fun for him to look forward to. Hopefully he will be off of the crutches by then!

I am going to make me a cup of apple cider and enjoy the rest of this cool, rainy weather! Good night!!

Primary Program

2009-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our Primary program. It is much later in the year than in other stakes I have been in, but it just gave me more time to teach the kiddos the songs! They did so well, I was so proud of them. With my mother in law Eva's help with some song arrangements, the music was beautiful! We had violin and flute duets on a few of the songs and they added so much to those songs. It touched me several times and I had to push the emotion away and focus or I would lose my place in the music! lol Music has always been an easy way for me to feel the Spirit and to help strengthen my testimony. I love a beautiful song, sung sweetly especially by children with shining faces and smiles. I felt so proud of each one of those sweet kids singing, they did a wonderful job!

My favorite part about being the primary chorister is having the chance to be with my four younger kids every week, but to see their faces and smiles as they were singing yesterday was a sweet moment for me. I am so proud of my children, they are such wonderful people and I am grateful to be their mother. Luv u guys!!

Update on my foot

2009-11-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

As many of you have seen, my foot has not healed very well. It turn out that the cyst in my foot ruptured over and over and the fluid inside the cyst was damaging the tissue around it. So the doctor took out more tissue than he had planned. As a result, the blood vessels were to damaged to give a good blood supply to a part of the incision. This led to a lovely dead spot that scabbed over but is healing too slowly. The skin is trying to regenerate coming in from the sides instead of under the scab. There is no heathly skin under the scab. So, the doctor wants to make a larger incision and remove the dead tissue and stitch the healthy stuff back together. Gonna be a super lovely scar there! At least this time it will be a in office procedure and shouldn't be as big of a deal as last time.

This is scheduled for two weeks from now to give my physical therapy a chance to continue to help me regain some movements that were lost from excessive scar tissue building up. I have to say I love going to my physical therapy. I get to go to the office that Jodi Maclay works at and we have a great time laughing and talking the whole time. She says Hi! to all of the Preston warders! The therapy doesn't hurt very much and I can already see the difference it is making. So, thats the latest there.

Everything else seems to be going pretty good. We had the funnest family night last night. We went to the park and just played with all of the kids. We played tag and did underdogs on the swings and just laughed and played! The most fun I have had in a long time. Even Bryan and Jon were running and playing. I am so grateful for a wonderful family. The fun times we have always help hold me up for the rest of it!

Have a good day, everyone!

My feelings...it's long and maybe overdramatic, so only read if you are up for it!

2009-10-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I need to update my blog about my life and not just a birthday post. Sometimes it is hard to want to put anything down for everyone to read, I don't really want to write about the bad stuff. When I look back at some of my journals from the past years, it seems like I only wrote when I was upset. It was an outlet for my frustration. I know that is a healthy outlet but it seemed like I was upset more than I wasn't and that's not how I remember my life. Whenever I think back on the almost 17 years of my life with Bryan and the kids, I hardly think of anything other than the joy of being a wife and mother. Even though it feels like I have been through so many obstacles and sometimes it feels as if my life is just one big obstacle. I don't want to give the impression to others that I am totally negative, because I don't feel as though I am. This past 2 years have been the hardest years of my life. It's as if I am living the life I NEVER wanted to have to deal with.

When I was younger, my family had a lot of instability with my father's construction business and when it finally went under in the late 80's, he changed jobs a lot until he found his footing and started a new business that has supported him ever since. He didn't find this new job until right before I got married. As a result of his first business going under, my family moved a lot when I was a teenager. We had lived in one home for 10 years and when I was in the 9th grade we moved from Mesa to Las Vegas where he got another construction job. I was really happy in Las Vegas and didn't want to move back here when his job ended, but being a kid, I had no choice. So, I moved to Mountain View area in the middle of my 10th grade year. We lived with my grandparents for about a year. My parents were trying to buy my grandparent's house from them, but when my dad lost his job again (this time he was working for my uncle and his company shut down too). My parent's couldn't come up with the mortgage payment for a month and my grandparents asked us to move out.

We had nowhere to go, so my parents rented a 2 bedroom apartment after my junior year. 2 adults and 6 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment. This apartment was in Dobson Ranch, so I changed schools again. I had a very difficult time there. Starting out my Senior year at Dobson was like a nightmare. I never made any friends there, other than my little sister JoAnn's friends being kind to me. Then my dad got another job and we were able to rent a house in my cousins (the Johnsons) ward. This was the middle of my Senior year and back to Mountain View. My cousins (and aunt and uncle, too) were so good to me. It makes me tear up to remember how they made me feel included after feeling so alone. They let me in there circle of friends but with the only cousin my age being a boy (Joel, he was still cool!), it was still hard. We stayed in this house for only 8 months and then had to move again. Thankfully, it was one street over and my parents were able to eventually buy that house and they stayed there for about 10 years. I met Bryan right before we moved for the last time. He was the young adult rep for the ward and I had just graduated from high school. He was just what I needed. Someone to love me with his whole heart, wanting to be with me and needing me as much as I needed him. He is my best match, best friend and my strength. His family opened their arms to me and his mom made me feel wanted in their lives and I will always appreciate her kindness to me. I think they changed my life back then.

That was 17 years ago. I never intended to write so much back story and so much of my soul here. It is hard to put my most painful parts of my life out there, I admit it I am afraid of criticism and even ridicule. But, I feel in order for people to understand why these last 2 years have been so hard for me, I have to explain my life somewhat. Losing Bryan's job and having to move my family from where they were happy was so very hard for me. When Bryan lost his job and we had to move, Jonathan was the same age I was when my family lost everything the first time. I was so afraid of him going through the same things I went through. I did not want my children to go through this and have the same fears I had.

I feel as though I have been searching for stability since I was a child. Bryan's last job, while overall it was good for us, was totally unstable and made me so anxious sometimes that I couldn't handle it. I feel as if I have grown so much over these years and I know that we have gone through this for a reason. I am stronger now than I have ever been. But I still have a long way to go. I am not even close to where I need to be.

That being said, my children are doing so well. So much better than I think they would be if we had never moved. All of my kids have straight A's (except Jon who got 2 B's, but that's ok!). Alex loves his school, Jenna is a smart little cookie and a budding artist. Connor is loving ELP and is so smart, he gets bored in class. Kaitlyn, miss Vice Pres, has so many people who love her and now she is the only student to get straight A's in her class. Her teacher made sure to tell me that! Jonathan has a fantastic group of friends now, they always seem to include him and I know he is grateful for them. I am grateful for them and how they make my son feel. We love this ward. We have felt accepted from the moment we moved in, flaws and all, broke or not, it never seemed to matter here. I feel so blessed to have been led to a place where I know we belong. I am happy here. I just need to work on finding happiness even when I get so overwhelmed that I forget which way is up. This is why I do not blog very much. Overall, I am a happy person. I promise! But when I am happy, I do not have the urge to write, instead I play with kids, cook, sing, go on walks, etc. When I am sad/angry/frustrated, that's when I think to write. Except tonight. I needed to share how I feel tonight. I am proud of my children and how they are coping. They are strong. Stronger than I was, that's for sure. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Happy 16th Birthday, Jonathan!!

2009-10-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. My first child is now 16 and will be driving soon! I would tell you to watch the roads, but he is a pretty good driver so maybe just be a little more cautious when he is out and about! ;)

I am very proud of the young man he has become. He is strong and kind, sweet and funny, handsome and good, loyal and honest. He is a great son, always concerned and caring for his parents feelings. He makes it easy being a parent, rarely questioning what he is asked to do. He is a good brother to his brothers and sisters. He is a great babysitter, always playing with them and making it fun for the kids when we are gone. He is learning so much all the time, right now his passion is his Chevelle and he has already learned so much about cars. He rotated my tires and changed my oil. (Love that!) He also is becoming a really good cook, he is always interested and willing to help make dinner. He is a gifted musician and we love to hear him play the violin. He is one of very few Sophmores to make it into Chamber orchestra and also to make it into the Regional Orchestra.

He is also a very spiritual person. He has a lot of faith and is often sharing the gospel with others. He is never afraid to invite someone to church. He will be a wonderful missionary someday. I can't believe that is 3 short years away!!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, son!

Jon and Grandma Hooper at his concert

Jon and Grandpa Standage and Grandma Standage

Jon and Grandpa Hooper

Jon and us

Jon's friends from the ward put candy all over the car

and they filled it with balloons and confetti.
More baloons!

It was a fun surprise for him, the only problem was that my car broke last night, so Bryan had to take the Chevelle to work and it required a lot of cleaning before it could be driven! He usually takes Jon to A hour on his way to work, so Jon missed A hour today! Oh well, he will have to consider that a b-day present too!

Have a great day, son!!

Bryan's New Job

2009-10-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, Bryan has a new job. He turned in his notice at US Foodservice on Tuesday. He ig going to work for Offsite Backup Solutions, the company my brother Todd started a few years ago. They offer data storage for individuals and companies so their data is secure even if they have computer problems. (We are going to put our family photos on there because I never want to lose them if my computer crashes. Shameful plug, I know! :)) I don't know if Bryan has a title or anything but it sounds like he will be an office manager. He will help Julie (my sil) with the books and billing and also assist with any support calls and such. I am not positive on the specifics, but he thinks it is something he will really enjoy doing. He said the stuff that Julie does is interesting and while he doesn't know a whole lot about the support side, he thinks he should be able to pick it up quickly.

We are excited about this job because it has the potential for being a great career and not just a job. Something that he will enjoy being a part of instead of just putting in his hours and going home. We have seen this business grow for the last few years and it is even growing during the recession. We hope that it will continue to grow and can be a great career for Bryan. It is a small company but they are still offering benefits. (We have come to love those paid vacations in the last few months and are so glad to still have them!!) It pays more than he is making now and if the business continues to grow (we think it will) there is the possibility of some great raises in the future. We feel like this is the best shot we have at getting back to where we are more comfortable and in a few years to buy a house again. Yay!!

So, we are hopeful and a bit nervous at the same time. Change is so scary! And since they are family, we hope it can be a situation that benefits us and them and not complicate relationships later.

If you want to check them out, here is a link: http://www.offsitebackupsolutions.com/ .

Wish us luck!!

Happy Birthday, Bryan!

2009-09-16T07:49:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, Bryan! You are the perfect partner for me. You are kind, gracious, loving, supportive, funny, sweet. You always put your family ahead of yourself. I know that life has been difficult these past months and because of that, I have come to rely on you and your strength more than ever. You are strong when I am not, you are patient and good. I am a better person because of you. I want you to know how grateful I am for you and I love you! I hope you have a great birthday!

1970What a cute kid! Our boys look so much like you!I love this picture, Dec. 1992Graduation day, 2004. We are so proud of you!You are such a great dad!

Happy Birthday, Bryan! I hope this next year will be better than the last, but if not, you are there to make us laugh anyways!

Who is the parent here?

2009-08-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is just rough and this afternoon we were hit with an unexpected blow. Just brought us down a little, but we will fight back and be fine. Sooner or later! Jonathan had noticed that we seemed a little more stressed than usual and said he had been feeling that we needed to pull together as a family more and have a little more faith. That we need to make sure we are having our scripture study and always fasting as a family. He said the word "faith" kept popping out to him during his own scripture study. He was so cute and sincere about it and was actually worried that he upset me with his comments. I just had to smile and ask him "Who are the parents here?" Sometimes he seems too old for his age. To share such wisdom with his parents at only 15 astounds me. Were did this wise and sweet kid come from? I am thankful to have a child who is able to humble me and help me be a better parent.

Doctor Update

2009-08-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

I just got back and the reason I had to go in was high cholesterol, like I kinda thought. My HDL level (triglycerides) is 368 and should be under 149. It is worse that I initially thought, but it is very treatable. A diet high in good fats like fish and lean meats, low fat dairy and such will help as well as daily exercise. All of those things I have been really wanting to implement into my routine anyway. Now I have a reason to have to do it. Sometimes I really need a kick in the behind to get moving! lol

I have to get more blood drawn in 3 months to see if my efforts have paid off, so I will update then!

Small Annoyances

2009-08-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am a little bit annoyed right now. Just stupid little things that get on my nerves! As you may know, I am having surgery to remove a cyst on my right foot. In order to have this surgery, my dr wanted me to get a pre-op clearance through my primary care physician. No biggie, I figured so I went and got the blood work and xrays done. My primary care dr's office called to say they needed to discuss my blook work results with me. I ask them if there is a problem and they won't say. I tell them I just need a clearance and that I really don't have the time to come in unless it's important. They still won't tell me anything. It takes so much out of my day to go the the dr's office. Usually I have to arrange a babysitter for my son and the kids I babysit and it cuts into my budgeted studying time. I also hate interruptions to my schedule because it sets my school timeline into my family time and i try to avoid that as much as possibe.

So now I get to go to the dr's office this afternoon to hear the blood work results. And it is probably all totally fine! It just irritates me how they can't or won't tell you anything over the phone and you worry for nothing!

My other annoyance is my Anatomy and Physiology class. I had a Lab quiz and a quiz on the first lesson. The lesson materials covered 3 chapters: Anatomy terminology, chemistry of life, and the cell. About 80% of the quiz covered these materials and the rest had info on genetics, characteristics of blood traits and other things. I reread the lesson and nowhere does it go into these areas! So irritating! We went over most of these things in my previous Biology class, but it has been two years since I took it! I should be pleased with the fact that I got a B on both quizes, but it just irritates me! I feel like if they are going to quiz you and tell you which areas will be covered, they should stick to those areas. Anyway, I am just annoyed today and hopefully posting this nice long rant will get it out of my system so I can go about the rest of my day and be happy! Here's to a happy day for you, too!

Cause I'm A Blond...yeah, yeah, yeah!

2009-08-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yes I am a blond, usually proud of it, but I have been having a lot of blond moments lately! This last one is just...duh! Seriously a "Duh!" moment! I filled out my book voucher form for Rio Salado (this will allow me to get books and they will take the cost of the books out of my financial aid when it comes in). The only problem is I put Bryan's social security number instead of mine. Duh! Of course that's not gonna work! lol I use his a lot when I am paying bills or whatever and he is usually the primary social on most of our accounts, etc. So I rarely use mine, but still, Duh!!

Oh well, it won't be a hard fix. I just have to go down and fill out a new form and show them my ID and pick up my books. What really is lame is my Biology books are about $250 and I have to find out if the study guides are worth another $50. My English book is only about $40 and then a novel I have to buy for another $20. So there goes over $300+ already. The classes themselves only cost $500 together! They really gouge us on books. Lame! But, I do love to learn. Remind me I said that in about a month when I am loaded down with homework! lol

Have a great day, everyone!

Surgery and School Frustrations!

2009-08-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am so frustrated right now I could scream!! I am trying to get books for my classes and I am about to burst a vessel in my head! Bryan had to really tell me to calm down and thank goodness he did! He is probably about the only person that can get me to actually calm down! I am registered for Rio Salado and am taking 2 classes this fall. ENG 102 (the essay writing one :/) and BIO 201 (Anatomy and Physiology). I should be getting financial aid to cover the cost of school and books. The financial aid will not be awarded and dispersed until mid september and in order to help those of us who don't have the money up front to pay for the books, they issue book vouchers. These will allow me to get my books and take the money out of my financial aid award. Well, in order to get a voucher, you have to jump through 500 hoops and there is no one helpful at the school. I call and they say do it on the website and I just feel like I am getting the runaround. I try the website and I cannot log in to save my life. Even Bryan could not get it to work. By this point I have steam coming out of my ears I am so mad. Finally, I get logged in and get the form half filled out and their website gets overloaded and I get kicked off. Screw it! I will deal with it tomorrow after Alex's party. School starts next week and I really need to get those books! ARRGGHH!! Anyway, I will deal with school later because nothing I do with it seems to be working.

Now on to surgery.....My doctor informed me that the cyst I have on my foot will not get better on it's own and in fact is just getting worse. It keeps growing and has already about tripled in size in area. It will get really big until one of my kids jumps on my foot or a shoe pushes on it and pops it. It will then drain and start the process again. Gross! Since it is bigger in area, it isn't quite as high as it used to be, but that lump still looks big and gross to me. It is attached to a tendon and that sometimes causes pain and the stupid thing just has to go. I can't wear running shoes or any shoe that presses on the top of my foot because it just hurts but mostly the doctor wants the cyst as full as possible for surgery. It increases the chances of getting it all out. So I have my surgery scheduled for September 3. My doctor says I can expect to have it immobilized for 3 weeks. 3 WEEKS!!! I am going to take about a week and a half off of babysitting to recover and hopefully I can get around enough after that. I can't afford to be off any more than this. Bryan, thankfully, has paid time off so he will be with me on the Thursday the 3rd and the 4th. Then I am on my own with Alex for the next few days. It's my driving foot, so I am a little worried about getting around, but hopefully I will get by. I have to follow doc's orders or the pesky cyst can regrow and I do not want that weird thing back!

Anyways, that is what is happening here. I am going to go chill out for a while or I may just bite off one of my kids heads!! Lol

Happy Birthday, Alex!!

2009-08-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Alex!!

Today is Alex's 4th Birthday! He was an unexpected addition to our family but we wouldn't have it any other way! He is a bundle of fun, energy, silliness and sweetness. We love you, Alex!!

Alex had to go back to the hospital and go under the lights when he was a week old.1st birthday
2nd birthday

3rd birthday
His first "homework" from preschool. He was so excited!He is so excited to take birthday treats to his school today to share with his friends.

I hope you have a great day, little man!

"Oh How Lovely Was The Morning"

2009-08-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

The sweet sound of stringed instruments playing "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" filled my living room this morning and I couldn't help but think how lovely this morning is. Jonathan has put together another musical number for church in September and they held their first practice this morning. He is playing 2nd violin with a solo, his Grandma Hooper is playing 1st violin, Grandpa Hooper is playing the cello, his dad, Bryan, is playing the bass and Sis Hansen is accompanying them on the piano. It was so beautiful and I am so grateful for the gift of music that has been passed down from Grandma's and Grandpa's to Bryan to my children. I hope that one day my younger children can play along also. There is no better way to bring the Spirit into our home than through beautiful music!

Grandma and Jonathan

Grandpa

Bryan

And this was a sweet moment between Grandpa and Jenna, I had to post it!

Have a wonderful day!!

Toy Drive

2009-07-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

Jonathan is doing a toy drive for his Eagle project and I just wanted to express my appreciation for all the friends and family that are helping out. We have had family offer to help during the toy drive and also donate toys and water bottles for the volunteers. We have had friends ask what they can do and I am so pleased at everyone's generosity. It is humbling to see how many people want to support Jonathan in getting his Eagle. I am so proud of him, because he is doing all the work. Bryan guides him and he comes to me when he needs support and we are both happy to help him, but almost all of the work has been done himself.

I am also pleased at the generosity of our local businesses that have donated things too. Staples donated 500 copies for fliers to hand out at the toy drive. Paradise Bakery donated 3 large bags of cookies, at least 150 cookies and Krispy Kreme donated 8 dozen donuts. During this economy, I feel grateful for their support!

Anyways, I hope tomorrow is a success for Jonathan, and I am sure it will be mostly because he has a kind, loving and supportive network of family and friends. Thank you everyone, for showing my son that people will step up and be there for him. It means a lot to me!

When do I breathe?

2009-07-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am so busy that I haven't even had time to breathe! This past week especially. I have barely looked at blogs and facebook. Life is so crazy and this is summer! I have no idea how I am gonna keep up this fall and later in the spring when I will have all the kids playing baseball again. Oh well!

I have spent the last week running a "camp" for my mom's two foster girls that she has had for years. They are older girls, ages 22 and 21. They have special needs, which is why they are still in the foster care system. Due to these needs, they have been kicked out of every camp they have ever attended, so my mom came up with the idea of me running the camp. It went better than I thought, but it was really hard on my family. They felt like their whole lives were invaded, and they were. The girls were difficult and ornery at times and sweet and grateful at others. Mostly, they are really hard to be around for extended periods of time. Some of the activities we did were: makeover day (getting them hair cuts and TRYING to teach them that 21 year olds don't wear blue eyeshadow and glitter all over their faces!!) They act like they are about 9 or 10 years old, so that is a really hard concept for them to grasp and makes taking them out in public potentially embarrassing!! Then we had some cooking classes and basic instructions there. We had movie day and took them to see the newest Harry Potter movie. They laughed and made all sorts of noises at weird times so I am glad the theater was crowded and they had to sit a row behind us! (I know I am a little bit of a jerk there, but I can't help it!!) We took them to Saguaro Lake on the boat and let them do a lot of tubing. Which they loved and I so wished that I had a camera to take pics of how funny they looked bouncing up and down on that tube! And finally, of Friday we took them camping overnight. They had never been and really did enjoy the experience.

It was a really busy, hard and frustrating week, but worth it. I am so glad it is over! Anyway, now I need to de-stress and get my house/life back in order. It's also time to get the kids ready for school. All 5 of my kids should be in school this year. Alex is enrolled in a preschool program, although I had a small snag in the registration for it, hopefully it will work out. He will go 4 afternoons a week for 2 hours. It will be weird having my kids all gone for a part of the day. It's almost too bad I have to babysit, cause I will still have kids in my home. Unfortunately, I still need the income. Oh well, gotta do what I gotta do.

Anyway, that is why I haven't returned emails, calls, posts, rsvp's and such. I do feel bad about that and will hopefully be back on top of things again!

Surprise!

2009-06-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was so surprised last night! I never saw my surprise birthday party coming! Let me start at the beginning...Yesterday was my 35th birthday. I thought it would be fun, but I didn't think it would be this fun! My day started with no babysitting (first time in over year that I didn't have any kids to watch) and so my sisters, Mom and Laurie and I went shopping. We headed out to Superstition Mall for the excursion.

We were waylaid by an Estee Lauder sales lady and were talked into trying new makeup and stuff. I got a whole facial and makeup redo and stuff. She had a hard time finding a foundation that would work on my fair skin and had to go with the palest color they had. Her nickname for it was "Butt White". We laughed so hard at that! My face color is butt white! LOL Anyways, I love what she did with my eyes and I am going to try to duplicate the results with a much cheaper product!

We then head to the store Down East Basics. I had never even heard of this store but they have some great, inexpensive clothes. Lots of basics like tees and stuff that cover garments and are a little longer in length. The store originated in the Salt Lake Valley so that makes sense. I got a new swim suit that I love, only problem is JoAnn already has it and it is her fav one too! So I promised her I would coordinate with her if we ever swim in public together! Not really gonna be a problem! lol I also got a few fun tee shirts and my sisters really wanted me to get this really comfy blue skirt, but when they weren't looking I put it back and kept this pink tuxedo tee that I loved. After lunch, I confessed that I pulled the skirt out and they took the bag from me and gave it to Charity and asked her to go back and exchange it! It was so funny! I think Laurie was surprised how easily I caved to whatever my sisters said I should get. I have learned that they have much better fashion sense than I do and they are usually right on, so I tend to go with their suggestions! Anyway, I have a little birthday money left and I am going to go back and get the pink shirt today! LOL

All in all, the mall was a blast! We laughed so much and really enjoyed each other and the time just flew! We were there for 6 hours! I couldn't believe it! Usually I hate shopping! Well, then my sisters were saying they had to go and I knew I had to get back because Bryan was taking me somewhere and wouldn't tell me where. I got home and was shocked and impressed that Jon had watched the kids all day long and the house was sooo clean! I thought he was just being a great son for me today and it was a kind thing to do for my b-day. I quickly made dinner and then Bryan and I set off for my surprise.

We end up at Krispy Kreme. They give a free dozen of doughnuts for your birthday and while it made sense that we went there, I was kinda let down. I was hoping for something a little better than doughnuts! But I tried to stay positive cause I didn't want Bryan to know that I was not super excited for his surprise. The doughnut lady was not that nice, she asked for my ID to prove it was my birthday and then in an almost rude monotone said Happy Birthday. We were taken aback by her attitude. It was weird! Anyway, I said I didn't want to go home quite yet and Bryan was more than happy with that (I thot that was a bit weird, too!) so we went to Target. I really needed a new pair of shorts and that was the only thing I didn't get at the mall, so I found some cute shorts and we also got Bryan some new sandals. I told him his old sandals should only be worn to the lake from now on!! LOL, they were really worn out!! So after this, I asked if he wanted to wander around Target and he usually does but he is like nope, lets go! Again, weird, but I didn't want to push him so we went home.

We pull into the driveway and I just start talking to him about a few things (mostly the grumpy old neighbors) and he is like, lets go in. Again, weird, but ok. I open the door and everyone is inside and yelling Surprise! I just about fell over! I couldn't believe it! my sisters and Mom and Laurie were back after spending the WHOLE day at the mall. Talk about devotion! My brother Lee was also there and all the Hooper's and Smiths came to. I also had a few friends there, the Smithsons and Mursets. It was so fun! Gotta give a shout out to Nathan who was stylin in his new hat! Really cute!

It made for a wonderful day, full of fun and laughter. I think this is the best birthday I have ever had! Major props go to Jon, Bryan and JoAnn for pulling this off! Apparently, I almost caught the schemers sooo many times, but I tend to be totally clueless and it wasn't a problem! Thank you everyone for making my birthday one to always remember! Love you all!

(I will have to post pics that Leslie took, they really catch my surprised face!)

AAAAHHHHH.....

2009-06-09T16:57:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is the sound of me screaming (in my head!!). First off, remind me to never, never blog about not having a headache. That is a sure way to bring one on! It hurts. Stupid headache.

The rest of my screaming is because I have been trying to enroll in classes for the fall. I need to help my family out and apparently the economy isn't going to get better anytime soon and I don't feel like I can wait any longer, so I have been working on the enrollment process. I got approved for a grant at MCC (yea to free college!!) and then wanted to enroll. Well, all the classes I need are full. Of course. Yep, of course they are. So then I try Rio Salado. I didn't really want to go this way because with online courses you tend to study everything and not focus entirely on what the teacher wants, so it takes a lot more time. A lot more, like hours per week more. But, that is my last option if I want to go in the fall.

So I try to register online and it won't work, so I call and register for BIO 201 (Human Anatomy and Physiology 1) and try to register for ENG 102. They say I have to take a placement test because my last English class at MCC was in 1997. Stupid, I thought because it should still be ok. I call them back a few hours later and they say that no, I don't need a test and they will register me. So then I am registered for 2 classes and I think I am all good when I ask to be transferred to Financial Aid. They then say that I need to drop all classes until the Financial Aid is finalized or risk paying for the classes myself. I am like- Are you kidding me? It was such a pain to get the classes in the first place and my aid has already been approved on the federal level. She says they don't have a record of it with Rio yet cause I had to transfer it from MCC and to not register for classes until they say so. Now I am seriously frustrated and slightly confused. Since I doubt there will be a problem getting the aid, I am staying in my classes and will drop them later if I have to. Stupid college. Stupid headache. Just stupid all around!!

Hope your day is a lot less stupid than mine!!

Catching up...

2009-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

So much has happened and yet none of is seems really blog worthy. So I will just type and see what comes out! First thing I can think of is my migraines. Or lack thereof!! I went to see my doctor about two weeks ago and had a really bad migraine when I went in and was hopefully able to convey the "depths of my despair" (I always loved this quote from Anne of Green Gables). My doctor doubled the dose of the daily preventative medication I was taking and I was hopeful that would work. And so far it has! I haven't had a serious migraine in just abt two weeks. I also had my first full body massage (Jenny Gibbons in my ward is amazing!!!). LOVED it! How could I not....Jenny has a room set up in her home with calm, beautiful decor and soft relaxing music piped in. She was sooo good and I felt so comfortable! I could really get used to those massages. Seriously! I think the massage helped a lot, relieving tension and stress in my body. I went to bed happy and I woke up happy. I may need one of those daily if it helps me that much! LOL ( I wish!!)
The last two weekends in a row I have taken any available kids and went up to Heber to help my parents plant some trees to hide the cemetery that borders their property. They want to sell a large portion of their land and think that camouflaging the cemetery will help. They may be right there, but the land is really nice anyways. We worked hard, but it was so beautiful there! Ok, maybe I didn't work that hard the second time, but I won at Phase 10. Doesn't that count for something?
On Sunday, we were in sacrament meeting and I was teasing Jon just a bit about going and bearing his testimony abt their super activity they had just come back from. He actually wanted to bear his testimony but said he was too scared. I told him not to worry and just say what was in his heart. He then asked me to go with him. I said "No way!" Then I started thinking about it and my heart started pounding and I knew I had to. I had been feeling lately that the Lord has guided us here, in this home, school and ward. I felt like I needed to acknowledge His hand in where we are. My kids are really happy here, more so than I had even hoped. So, I did. I know He looks out for me and my family and that He has not abandoned me. So often I had felt that way. Sometimes it is so hard to keep going, but I know He has a plan for us. I just wish the bad stuff would be over already! It is too hard on us. Especially my husband. I think he is really struggling right now. It almost seems like we trade off highs and lows. Right now, he is low and is kinda freaking out. This summer will be a real test of our faith. I am not babysitting very much now and the money just seems to fly out of our account faster than we can put it in. I don't know how we will get by for the next few months, but I know that we will. I am not that worried about it, or maybe I am just trying to not think about it, I don't know. But I do know it is weighing very heavily on Bryan. It is hard for him to shoulder this burden and I know he feels very alone a lot of the time. I love you, babe. We will make it. Somehow.
I do have to say, Jon bore a sweet testimony (Luv u kid!) and he was kinda leaning on one elbow on the podium and he looked so comfortable up there (although I know he was not!!), one man in our ward joked with Bryan that he already had his Bishop pose going on! We had to laugh about that. I hope my kids can make it through being teenagers and be strong members when they are older, Bishop or not, doesn't matter. Just strong and happy!
There is a lot for sale in my ward that we have our eye on. There is no way we can buy it for at least a few years, but we would love to! It is big and in a county island so we could do almost what ever we want with it. I was talking to Jon about how in 4 or 5 years maybe we could build a house with a basement and stick him on the basement so he could have some space and he laughed and said but I will be on my mission so it doesn't matter where we would stick him. Kinda caught me off guard there. That's not too long. Really, in just over 3 years my son will be leaving for his mission. Suddenly that doesn't seem that far away! There was a lady in my ward whose daughter got married last week and she was having a hard time letting her go. I think this will be me every time one of my kids leaves home. Makes me wanna go hug them all right now!
Anyways, that is some of what has been on my mind lately. There is more, but I don't wanna type anymore today!! lol Have a good week!!

Memorial Day at Canyon Lake

2009-05-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

I loved having a 3 day weekend with my family. We had a great time just being together but we wanted to do something extra on Monday so we decided to go to either the lake or the river to play. We originally wanted to go skiing and such on the boat with Grandpa but he had some skin cancer removed off of his face of Friday and wasn't quite up for it. We could have taken the boat ourselves, but it was the first time the boat would be out this summer and knew Grandpa would want to be there for the first time, so we decided to attempt the river.

One of our main goals on this excursion was to let Jon try out his new fishing pole, so we didn't really care where we went. We left about 1pm, much later than originally planned due to a stupid headache (hate them!!). We didn't' get far in our attempt at the river. The roads were all closed because it was so crowded. We then decided to go to the lake, knowing that it would also be overcrowded and we probably wouldn't get in there either. It was so crowded! Cars were parked in every single place along the side of the road and all the parking lots to the beaches were closed. We figured we would try the pay beach by Canyon Lake Marina and then when we couldn't get in that we would go back and go swimming at Grandpa's house and make the best of it.

Well we pull into the parking lot and it didn't look good at all!! Cars were just stopped and getting nowhere. They were doing u-turns and backing out of our side of the road so we figured we were out of luck. Bryan suggested that Jon and I walk up to the toll booth just to check prices and availability, so we did. There was a really nice guy working there and once he saw that it really was just our little family and not a huge group of people, he said we could be the last car in for "day use". Woo hoo! We drove down and surprisingly there were a few spots available and while the beach was crowded, it didn't really feel like it. The beach was grassy and nice and the water was cool. So we had a great time!

Jenna and Alex thought is was fun to sit there and pour warm sand on their arms. They loved the beach!

Ring around the rosies, except we jump up. Alex loves it!

We stayed for a couple of hours and then when a lot of people had left, we headed over to the fishing dock to let Jonathan try out his new fishing gear. He caught his first fish, a small blue gill, on his first cast. We were impressed! Then it came time to pull out the fishing hook and Jonathan couldn't do it. He tried and was kinda worried about hurting the poor fish. So I had to do it. I have NO experience with this stuff and Bryan wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, so I did the best I could and ended up tearing a small piece of the fish's mouth. Poor fish! So sorry little thing!

While Jonathan was debating whether or not to put the fish back, he said some of the funniest things! Forgive me for posting it, Jon, they are too great not to! He wanted to keep the fish but was worried about upsetting the fish's family! He thought the fish's family would be feeling bad and missing this little fish. I died laughing, it was so sweet and funny at the same time! Once we corrected his thinking about fish families, he decided to throw it back anyways cause it was so small. While it was funny, it was nice to see how much he cares about Heavenly Father's creatures and doesn't want to cause unnecessary pain to one of them. He was kinda upset that I tore that fish's mouth. So was I actually, poor little fishy!! So, what a funny bunch we are I guess!!

It was a wonderful day with my family! It reminded me again how lucky I am to have these people in my life. They are good, kind and loving people and I am blessed to have them all in my family!

Staying strong!

2009-05-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I have had a really hard time dealing with the hand that life has dealt me. I still am, but today I am feeling stronger. One foot in front of the other. That's the best I can do, right? It's been hard to accept that I don't know when or if things will ever get better. There are times I feel angry and times I feel jealous and even resentful of others and what they appear to have. I know it's not right or fair, but it's how I sometimes feel. But today, I don't have any of that. I am still broke and my hubby is still dreadfully underemployed and nothing has changed, but I am trying to be grateful for what I do have.

Besides, JT won Survivor and Kris won American Idol, so things can't be all that bad, can they?

Oh, on the funny side, at least to me it's funny, Jonathan always says he bombed his finals in a class or two and I always tell him that he does better than he thinks. He said he bombed the science final and I laughed and told him he would get an A like he always does. He was very insistent that he failed so I was starting to believe him this time. He just texted me that he got a 100%. Silly kid! that's a perfect score, sooo far from bombing! He is funny, to me!

Anyway, I am trying to find humor and fun in this crazy and depressing time in my life. I hope you can all do the same in the bad times and make sure to recognize and appreciate the good times. Whenever they are!

Meet the New Vice President!!

2009-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn won!! I am so excited for her! I honestly did not know if she could win because there were 9 kids running and we have only been here for about 8 months. SHe was so happy, she came in the house and said that another girl won and she looked like she was trying to be happy. In reality, she was trying to contain her excitement! So, yeah to my smart, beautiful, kind daughter who was brave enough to go for something she wants! CONGRATULATIONS!! You Go, Girl!!

Super Duper Kaitlyn Hooper!

2009-05-04T11:39:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn has decides to run for Vice President for next year. The campaining starts this week and she has to do a speech on Thursday. I am proud of her for putting herself out there and trying for this! Her slogan is "Super Duper Kaitlyn Hooper for Vice President!" Note the Superman logo with an H instead of S. We thought it was clever! Voting is either Thursday or Friday, not sure, but good luck, Kaitlyn! We love you!!

So busy! So loud!!

2009-05-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Man, I don't seem to have 5 minutes to myself now a days! So busy here! Every night baseball, meetings, YM, grocery shopping or whatever. I will be glad for things to slow down! And the noise! There is always someone laughing/talking/singing/crying/wannabe beat boxing or whatever! Sometimes I would just like to stand in my living room and scream "BE QUIET!!" Lol! Oh well, that's not gonna happen! Mostly the sounds are happy, but mix that with the TV and it's like chaos exploded in my home! I have had my nephews a bit more than usual, my sil is battling something and is stuck in the hospital. Going on 4 days with no end in sight. She should be ok, but I am still worried about her. Her boys are being good, but they really miss their mom. 4 days without seeing her tiny girl and sweet boys! Poor kids and my poor brother! He doesn't like being a single dad!

On another note...tonight is the first night in about 2 months where we don't have to go anywhere!! Yeah to being home! I am gonna catch up on laundry and start to empty my DVR. It is exploding! How old am I getting when I am so happy to stay home on a Friday night? At least I am in a good mood!! Yeah for cheering up and so happy to have my hubby home soon!!

Whatever

2009-04-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I need to blog again, but I have no idea what to say. When the bad seems to outweigh the good, sometimes it's better not to say anything. So here is a brief rundown of life instead. I have friends who have lost their jobs, family members who are worried that they will lose their jobs and me, who is not sure how long I will have the one I have too. I have sick family members and those who are struggling who shouldn't be. Then there are those pesky migraines that may not be as frequent, but still so potent. The last one landed me in the hospital and I have still not been able to shake it. There is so much stress in my life that sometimes I don't know if I can handle it. It has definitely come between me and my other half and that is really upsetting as well. Without his support, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be. So, there it is. Reality sucks. I don't think I can pretend today, sorry! I probably should have taken my own advice and said nothing.

Teenagers really don't have it easy...

2009-04-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

I used to think that teenagers have it pretty good, you know, they usually get most of what they want and get to come home from school and lay around or just unwind or whatever they want to do for the next few hours. Sounds good to me, right? If only it was that easy. After having a conversation with my oldest son, I am really worried for all of my kids. Yesterday was national weed day or something like that. So many of his friends and acquaintances were taking drugs in one form or another. Smoking it or weed laced brownies (really popular with the girls, I guess) and other ways I am not sure I even understand. He was upset to see so many of his baseball team high and so many of his acquaintances were also high. The hardest part was seeing the kids that he felt were "good mormons" high or talking about getting high later. Even high during seminary. Many of these kids were giving my son a really hard time about not participating. One time won't hurt they said. They went so far as to laugh at him and tell him he is an idiot.

He just blew it off the best he could, but he was still upset this morning. He asked me why so many people make Mormons out to be so weird and something that people would make fun of. I told him that Satan wants to destroy anything good and this is one way he goes about that, but that wasn't enough. I wanted to talk to him for a while, but he had to go in order to catch his bus. But this conversation left me shaken. How can I teach my child to be strong and to be a good example when EVERYONE around him at school is telling him how stupid or weird being a good Mormon is? Even other Mormon kids? Some of the kids he thought were strong were so weak. He is hanging out with more of the "popular" kids at this school than at his last school and if this is what it means to be popular, than forget it! Who needs those kind of friends? I would rather him go through high school with no friends than be like these kids.

I used to think there was a lot of peer pressure when I was in school, but it is so much worse now. It's not just drugs and dating and such, just being a Mormon anymore is a cause for ridicule. My son is being told frequently that Joseph Smith is wrong/crazy or whatever and that Mormons believe things that we obviously don't. He will correct these kids but they just tell him that he doesn't want to admit the truth. He knows it is futile to try to change these kids opinion of the church, but he tries anyway.

I am proud of my son, he has already dealt with a lot in his life, and I really hope he is strong enough to stand up for what is right through the rest of his high school years. I tell him that it may feel like things are really hard and that it won't always be this way. High school may feel like forever, but it isn't. It's just 4 really tough years. Stay strong, hold your head high and hang on to your values. Follow the teachings of the Lord and you will come out of this all right.

I think these 4 years will be really hard for him, but I believe he will make it through ok. But how much worse will it be by the time my younger sons enters high school. That's 5 & 10 years from now. Will they be strong enough to stand up for truth? What about my beautiful daughters? I worry about the pressures put on young women even more. How difficult it will be for them to remain virtuous and righteous young women? My daughters are trusting and kind (most of the time) and so sweet. I hope I can teach them and instill in them enough to get them through the crazy teenage years.

Is anyone else worried too or am I overreacting? Give me your thoughts, please. Thanks everyone!! Now, I am gonna go and play with my younger kids and my nephews. We are busting out the playdough, quickly followed by some paint!

Baseball pics!

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

If I am not at home babysitting or at church, then I am at one of my kids baseball/softball games. We have 4 kids playing this year so I am posting pics of each one! Bryan is the best photographer in the family, but I actually took some of these posted here. I am kinda proud of a few of these pics, esp the action shots of the boys!

First is Jenna (with her Dad as an assistant coach) playing for the Ironbirds T-ball!

Next is Connor, playing for the Owlz in the Minors division! Check out his pitching sequence...he is awesome! (Yes, I took the pitching sequence. Go me!)

Next is Miss Kaitlyn, also in the Minors division but she is playing Softball! She is doing really good and just got her first hit!!

She is in the middle of this pic, playing 2nd base.

Next up in Jonathan, playing for the freshman team at Shepherd Jr. High. He has worked his way from not playing much to playing quite a bit and even starting some games! (I took the pics of Jon when he is in the blue jersey.)

He is now in the blue jersey and base running on 3rd. This pic is best enlarged, but the look of concentration on his face is awesome!
He started this game playing first and if you look right above his throwing arm, you can see the ball.Again, this pic is best seen enlarged, but look closely and you can see the ball coming off his bat. It was a nice line drive over short stop's head for a single!!
Jon and his best friend, Stuart, when he was really young. Stuart plays for Taylor and we killed them in this game! Shepherd is still undefeated this season! Way to go Shepherd!

And lastly, this is what Alex does to keep himself entertained during the games!

This is how I can tell when Bryan has been taking pictures. There will end up being an airplane and always some nature shots!

Anyway, baseball has made us crazy busy, but we enjoy watching the kids play and it won't last that long!!

Have a great day!

Job Interview!!

2009-04-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Bryan has an interview with the IRS!! It was scheduled for Friday, but they have changed it to Thursday. I don't care what day or whatever, it's an interview!! He applied about a month ago for an irs agent positon and then was invited to take their online assesment test about 2 weeks ago. Everything we have heard says that it takes abt 3 to 4 weeks to hear the results, let alone be invited to interview, so we are pretty excited! I think he must have done a really good job on the assesment test, which took over 2 hours! This is a job he has always said he would love to do, so that makes me happy! I hope the interview turns into a job, he deserves it! Please send thoughts and prayers our direction this week! We will let you know what happens!

Hard work and patience pays off!

2009-04-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

While I wish the payoff was in the form of a good job for my husband, it's not. However, I am really proud of Jonathan and wanted to share why. He worked really hard to make the Shepherd Baseball team and was told by the coach early on that he wouldn't play very much but that if he worked really hard and never gave up that he would have a chance to play sometimes. He was really discouraged by this and it was really hard for him to go back the next day. He thought about quitting, but loves baseball and doesn't want to be a quitter. He went every day and worked as hard as he could and tried to always be positive. Not much changed for a while, but slowly the coach started putting Jonathan in the games as a pinch hitter or runner. Then he let him in at 1st base towards the end for an inning or two if the team was ahead. During this, he never gave up and always tried to get better. He would get down sometimes, but he always kept trying. Tuesday during batting practice, Jonathan hit a couple of home runs (over the fence) for the first time. He was so excited! Then at yesterday's game, coach told Jonathan he was starting as 1st baseman and against his old Smith team even! He was so happy about that. Jon didn't make any errors in the field and played the first 4 of 5 innings with 2 singles and got on base with a pitch that hit him in the calf (ouch!!). Shepherd won the game 14 to 3.

I just want him to know how proud I am of him for not giving up, even when he thought things would not get better. Times have been a little rough for him lately, in life as well as baseball. He has been such an example to me of enduring through everything. Never giving up. I have been so close to giving up so many times, but I know I can't and I won't. How can I when I have 5 amazing children and my best friend (my sweet hubby!) counting on me to keep going even when I feel like things won't ever change. Someday things will begin to look up and I have to be strong until they do. Even if it takes a really long time! So, thanks to my family and friends for always being strong for me that I may follow your examples! I look at so many of you and an strengthened by your courage. You are truly good and kind people! I love you all!

Here are a few pics to for you all to see Jon at first base, although this was the game before the Smith game. We couldn't make it to the Smith game. :(

I couldn't help throwing this pic in. Bryan was focusing on the field and Alex popped up there. He is fuzzy but the face he is making makes me laugh every time I see it! So I hope you laugh too!

Have a great day, everyone!!

Culture Pass

2009-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I heard about the Culture Pass that's being given out at the Library and I thought I would go and see if I could get passes to the zoo. Friday there is no school and the weather is nice so I wanted to do something fun! So I loaded up the kids and we went to the library on Tuesday morning. I had overdue books anyway, so I figured I wasn't wasting my time if they had no passes. Well, I get there and find out the passes are put out every Wed. morning as soon as they open and it is a first come first serve free for all. Sounds intimidating, but I figure I would try so that Friday would be something fun and different. I will have the kids I babysit too, so I wanted to change things up a bit and have some outside of my house fun!

Well, I get there this morning with my four boys in tow and see a pretty long line already. I am like, "Great! I hope there are plenty of passes!" Not so, I learn. One of the women in line in front of me tells me there are only 5 passes released for each place, including the zoo. Also, only one pass was allowed per card with each pass admitting 4 people. I am realizing that I am about the 30th person in line and thinking I am not going to get what I want, since I am hearing people in the front saying they are going for the zoo, too. So, I figure I am there and might as well just see what happens and then they open the doors. I grab the boys hands and tell them to stay close and don't let go! They were so awesome and stayed close and totally obeyed! They were probably a bit overwhelmed by the experience, I sure was! People just ran to the kiosk and started grabbing the passes not really looking at what they were for. The first pass I grabbed was for Cave Creek Museum and was like, "no, not even!" and went for the only one that said children anywhere! I got the Children's Museum of Phoenix. I figured that would have to do and got out of the melee! There were people grabbing 5 or 6 passes at a time and then choosing what they wanted. Kinda annoying, but I guess I don't blame them.

After you choose a pass, you have to wait in the customer service line to check the passes out that way and not in the kiosks to check out books. So then the line for that was pretty long and the boys had been good enough, so we went to the puzzle and toy section and played there until the line was gone. That was the best thing!! So I check out my pass (which is now just a small receipt looking thing) and am going to the Children's Museum of Phoenix on Friday with my friend Laurie! I am actually excited that I got this one instead of the zoo. I have never been there and some of the kids have been there on field trips and loved it. So, I will bring my camera and show you all about it! If anyone else wants to go, too, let me know! The more the merrier!
If anyone is curious about the program and what places are available to visit, I have put a link to the culture pass website at the bottom of the post.

Bye for now!

http://www.showup.com/culturepass

My hat, Pinewood Derby, Opening Day and Scrapbook Pages!!

2009-03-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone!! Such a busy week and I am finally posting pics! First off, here is a pic of my cute hat I borrowed from my sister, Jenny, to hide my stitches! Thanks, Jen!

Next is pictures of Connor's Pinewood Derby. It didn't go quite as we had hoped, but there is one more year to get it right! I love the pit passes they made for the boys. Really cute!

Connor with his good friends Nathaniel Brown and Scott Murset. (I had to work really hard to get Scott to look at the camera!! lol)My mother, Carolyn Standage, came to see Connor.The final pic!These are pics Bryan took of Opening Day Ceremonies for Red Mountain Little League. Jenna is on a team with several friends and her cousins Tyler and Ashton. Their team is the Ironbirds and the logo is really cool!

If you look behind Jenna, Ashton is the one poking his head around! Cute kid!

In the back of this picture you can see my brother, Todd Standage (who is also asst coaching) and the head coach, Rich Murset on the right holding his son, Mason.

Connor is on the Owlz, also a cool logo.

He is excited for the season to begin!

Lastly, some of my scrapbook pages I have been working on. The first 4 are from our trip to CA last year with JoAnn and Daniel and my parents. We had a blast! 2 of these pages are NOT from my scrapbook group and I made them out of my own ideas! Yeah for me!

This page is to celebrate Jonathan and his making the Regional Orchestra this year. We were so proud of him making this because very few freshman make it and he beat out a lot of older kids to earn a spot. The music that afternoon was so amazing!

The last 2 pages were all about our camping trip last month. I took a lot of pictures but I neglected to take a group shot!! Don't know what I was thinking there!! These 2 pages, as well as the one of Jon are also my own creation! I get excited when I feel creative!!
Well, back to reality! Naptime is almost over!! Have a great afternoon!

Can I have my old neighbors back?

2009-03-27T09:20:00.001-07:00

I like this house, I really do. I like the neighborhood. I like being close to the kids Grandpa and cousins. I like the ward and I am beginning to like the school. I hate being on such a busy road and I am seriously tired of most of my neighbors. It all started with the neighbors directly behind us yelling at my kids in a really loud and hateful voice to "shut up!" or other such nice words. He would yell this a couple times a month and scare me and the kids. This would happen during the daytime at like 2pm or when the kids are just playing. However, my kids are loud and the ones I babysit tend to be screachers when they are playing. I understand his frustration and finally I had a conversation with his wife and just told them to call if they are being overly noisy and I will bring them in. He was apologetic for the way he handled it.

Before all of that, though, he (I believe) called the city and tried to get me in trouble for running an in home daycare. The city representative came out and tried to see if I was breaking the rules and such and I found out the rep didn't even know the rules himself! Stupid! So, I informed him politely that I know what the rules are and I am not in violation of any of them. So that is over and I think things are getting better. Uh huh. Not quite.

During spring break, my kids are having a koolaid sale to raise money for the book fair and they have included the kids I babysit. While we are out there, the police come by. Now, I am thinking I doubt they are stopping just to support a koolaid stand. I wish! No, one of the neighbors complained that I am not supervising my kids, that they are out alone on this busy street. My next door neighbor was outside with me at the time and we both were shocked! I was like, are you serious? I am ALWAYS oustide when my kids are, it's just too busy of a street. What the heck?!? The officer was very nice and said he could see the instant he pulled up that there was no problem and I am just thinking I dislike my neighbors! It could not have been the ones that yell at us cause there is no way they could have seen us unless they drove past and wanted to stir up more trouble. So I am thinking it's another jerky neighbor.

Then this morning, I am walking home from the bus stop when my next door neighbor, with whom we have a pretty good relationship, starts in on me about how we are not doing our fair share in the yard maintenance. He was a bit rude about it, but he had a very valid point. We hadn't been doing our fair share. In case you have never been over here, our front lawn is not divided and so we end up sharing this big expanse of lawn with them. Our sprinkler systems are even interconnected. It is weird! Keep in mind that we also have landscaping service included in our rent, but they only come every other week and apparently that is not enough for him. He told me on Monday that he wanted to have the lawn mowed and I told him we couldn't get to it until Saturday. I meant it. We have no time with 4 kids in bball, we are both gone in separate directions EVERY night. We both work and Jon is never around either. So, Saturday wasn't good enough so he did it himself. I thought it was nice but now he was a bit steamed. I understand, I really do, but I am in over my head and am just trying to hang on every day. I don't have time and my husband doesn't have time to maintain the yard to his standards. He is very particular about it's upkeep. A little bit anal. But, they are very nice people and their son has become a good friend to Connor. And he really does have a valid point, he got the lawn fertilized and even fixed our side of the sprinklers.

So I tell him I understand and will try to stay on top of it, but I don't know how I will do it. So, I tell Bryan about this and he, of course, gets a bit upset too and is frustrated by our lack of time. We did it to ourselves with allowing the kids to all play, but I felt like our kids have sacrificed so much that this was something they all really wanted to do that I would try to make it work. So, I came up with this compromise: our neighbor (who doesn't work right now, btw) would continue to maintain the lawn until baseball is finished (middle of May) and we would maintain it from that point through the summer. He thought that was a good compromise and even apologized for coming off a bit to strong. So all is good there now, but man, how am I gonna ever keep the lawn up to his standards even then?!?

At this point, we are considering moving when our lease is up at the end of July. We will see what happens between now and then! Anyway, just venting a little bit and missing my old neighborhood really bad!!

Loser Tag!

2009-03-26T16:08:00.001-07:00

A while ago, my sister JoAnn's husband, Daniel, hit his head and got stitches in the shape of an L on his forehead. My sweet sis thought it was so funny and called it his Loser tag! Although, she meant it lovingly...she is really not mean! Anyway, I bring this up because I finlly took off my bandages last night and I have a big L on my forehead! My own Loser tag! I had to call my sister and laugh about it! I have 8 stiches on a horizontal row and the spot they biopsied is a vertical line completing the L. Now I won't be laughing if it scars into a permanent Loser tag! Lucky for Daniel, you can't see his anymore! So wish me luck on losing my Loser tag!!

Big bandages and cute hats!

2009-03-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it is done. My forehead is clear of cancer, we think! There is a small thing they sent off to be biopsied off a new growth, but they don't think it is cancer. It took less than 4 hours so it went good. I have 8 stitches in my head and it actually hurts! A really thick bandage on my forehead which I am doing my best to cover with a super cute hat I borrowed from my sister Jenny. I won't have the stitches removed until next Friday, so I will be wearing that hat a lot! Anyway, I know a lot of people were worried/wondering how it went, so there is the update! All is as well as it's gonna be!

Scrapbook pages

2009-03-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I just wanted to share some of the scrapbook pages I made this weekend. The pics don't do them justice as the colors look so great in person. I especially love the pages made on Emporium paper from CTMH. We put them together in scrapbook club this month and I love them. The blues, yellows, browns and greens go so well together and I think it is such fun paper! I am not a huge fan of the pic I put on the big flower page, but I think I am just overly critical of pics of myself. I would rather not be in pictures but then I feel bad if I am never in any! Oh well! I will be making pages all week, just to stay sane and I will post them when I can.

Pages made using Emporium Level 2 kit

Pages made using Serendipity paper pack.

If anyone ever wants to scrapbook together, let me know! I love to have company! Have a great day!!

I am so sick of ...

2009-03-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking I need to update my blog and can't think of what to say. So, I don't know! There seems to be constant comings and goings over in this house. We are being pulled in so many directions all the time that sometimes I can't tell up from down. We very nearly went back to working for my dad again, which would probably have been good for the bank account but so bad for almost everything else! So much family drama and nonsense! We decided to have Bryan stay where he is and remain stuck in the never gonna have enough money to survive job, but at least we are semi-sane. I know that it is the right decision, I can't do the being stuck between my husband and father thing again. The stress from never knowing how much money will be coming in everyday takes such a huge toll on me and I don't want to be there again. So we will keep plugging away at the boring, dead-end job that at least offers some stability. I am so sick of this stinking economy and no one being able to get a decent job. I am so sick of my husband being under-employed. I am so sick of being told that I should be grateful that we at least have a job. I know that and I am grateful (so what if I don't sound like it at the moment!). I am sick of wondering if things are ever going to turn around for our family. I am sick of trying to be strong. I am sick of my dreams being on hold, again. I am sick of wondering if I will ever own a home again. I am just sick of all the doom and gloom and sick of the fear that is everywhere. I am just tired of it all! I hope things turn around soon, and not just for us, for our friends, for our immediate and extended family, for our country's economy, for our global economy. It is all connected. I am sick of being strong, but I am still trying. I am not going to stop having faith and trying to be positive. I may break now and then, but I will not stop having hope. One of these days things are bound to start turning around. So, if you are sick of it too, stay strong and if you are breaking, call me and you can break down on my shoulder anytime!

This post is almost too personal, I am going to post it anyway but know that even though it may sound as though I am depressed, I am not. I do not put any blame on anyone for my situation in life and while it may be hard right now, I would choose this life and my family all over again in a heartbeat!

"My teacher loves me!"

2009-03-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

First off, I have been in a little bit of a church slump. Yes, it's true. I think I am a touch angry sometimes and feel like things are always going to be a major struggle and sometimes I think I blame the Lord a little bit. I realize that's counterproductive but whatever, it's the truth. While I have been trying to overcome that bit, my attitude about going to church has suffered. I have too much guilt to not go, again the truth, so I always go and give my full efforts into my calling. Every time I go, it has been a touch grudgingly lately and then by the time I am walking home I am so glad I went. I really enjoy being in Primary. The kids are so fun and I really do like it. It is worth it to me to put in all the time and effort because I can see the kids really like being there, too. So, my attitude has been slowly changing back! About time, I suppose! Anyway, Sunday was no exception. I had a pretty bad headache and was stuffed up. I just didn't feel 100% and wanted to stay home. But, I feel its kinda mean to ask a sub to fill in at the last minute. Singing time is hard and requires time to plan effectively. So I went anyway and figured I would suffer through it. Bryan and Jon both stayed home because they weren't feeling good either (yes, they were actually sick!). I almost left Alex home so I didn't have to deal with him in Sacrament meeting. But I know how much time and effort Alex's teacher puts into her class (he is the only regular kid that comes) and I didn't want him to miss it. Well, she bore her testimony on Sunday and was saying how much she loves her class, especially little Alex. He was playing quietly with cars on the bench and looked up at me with this big open mouthed smile and says"My teacher loves me!". That was such a cool moment! He knew that she loved him and it meant a lot to him. This ward has the best Primary and teachers of any ward I have been in (no offense to the Ellsworthers cause I loved that Primary too!). They put in extra effort into lessons and extras. Maybe more than is necessary, but all of my children feel their love and that means a lot to me. So, I am so glad I went and that I took Alex. I had a lot of fun during singing time, even with a headache. I think my attitude has been adjusted in the right direction! I am really grateful for loving teachers!

In the embarrassing side, cause there usually is one in my family...Alex is now potty trained and is sometimes still trying to get it right, had to go to the bathroom in the middle of sacrament meeting. He had to go #2 (sorry!) and it took him 3 tries during sac meeting. Finally the third time was right during the closing song. Connor took him and he runs back in during the prayer (Connor waited in the foyer and Alex ran away from him) and announced in a really loud voice that he want poo poo! I am like"hush!" we are in a prayer!!! He didn't get it and kept announcing it! Love that kid, but sometimes you just need a mute button! Anyway, congratulations to going poo poo for the first time that wasn't at home! LOL

Have a great day!

Just stuff!

2009-02-24T07:09:00.000-08:00

Well it has started! Baseball season is here so my free time, not that there was much of it to begin with, is over. OVER! I have four kids playing this year. I couldn't say no to any of them! We said no to football this past fall and baseball is their favorite sport, so what the heck! I love to watch them play and see how they get better as they get older. Jon made the Shepherd baseball team (Yeah!) but is not expected to play much (Boo!) so I will not go to very many of his away games. Tomorrow is at Carson. Waaayy to far when I have extra kids whose parents will have to pick them up from a school. Kaitlyn is playing minors Softball and is excited. She is worried because she doesn't feel like she is very good. She does fine, but got a much later start than the boys did. It's only her second year and she should not compare herself to them. Connor is also in minors, but in baseball. He seems to be a bit above average for his age and I am excited to see how he has grown this year. Jenna is going to be on a tee-ball team with several friends from our ward/school. Her coach is her friend's dad and Bryan and Uncle Todd are both assistant coaches! Should be fun to watch! We are hoping that the kids can figure out the game, it's so sad when you see a kid hit the ball and run to third!!

Alex is not going to play, too young, but good news with him: He is potty trained!!! Hallelujah!!!! Finally!! He was so stubborn!! My last baby and no more diapers!! Do I feel a twinge of sadness for this last remnant of baby? NO WAY!!! My wallet is also happy! Now, if he will be this consistent at other people's houses. Time will tell!

I am going to my neurologist again today as a follow up with my migraines. Whatever they are doing to treat them is sooo not working. I have a headache almost every day. If I don't have one, then I notice it. So sad! I have been taking Imitrex nearly every day as well as a preventative medication. The imitrex works but the migraines keep coming back the next day. My brother, Todd, who is also a migraine sufferer, did some research and found a doctor that is saying that Imitrex causes a rebound headache and it lowers your trigger level for a migraine. That is saying that the more you take it, the easier for your body to react to the things that trigger a migraine and the less the Imitrex will work for you. Supposedly Excedrin Migraine and medicines like that do the same thing. So, I am starting to believe this and am certainly going to ask my doctor about it. Todd spent the last week suffering through migraines and such without any medication to "detox" from them. He is now migraine free. If I have to go through a week of this to get rid of them and raise my trigger level, than so be it! I am sick of being in pain EVERY day! I will let you know what the doc says cause I know a lot of people who are in a similar boat.

Anyway, that is a lot of mumbo jumbo, so if you are still reading this than you must be a loyal friend...or really bored!! Have a great day!

Park Day

2009-02-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

We went to the park on President's Day with my nephews, my kids friends and Laurie and Jolie. We had a great time! Such a beautiful day, sunny and just warm enough. Days like this make me glad I live in Arizona! I am sure I will reevaluate that statement in a couple of months!

Jenna is actually quite high on the swing.

Jenna's friend Kaylee MursetConnor and his friend Scott Murset, they had so much fun on these baby swings!

Kaitlyn and Jolie

My nephew, Tyler, is really good on the monkey bars!

Alex

Jenna and KayleeMy nephew, Ashton, looked so cute in these picsTyler and KayleeJolie and Kate, upside down. Connor, Laurie, Tyler, Jenna, Ashton, Jolie, Kaylee, AlexTyler and AshtonAlexMore Jolie and Kate

The biopsy reults are in.....

2009-02-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

and it is Basal Cell cancer. I kinda thought it would just be a blocked gland or a zit gone psycho, but no such luck. It is a very minor cancer, so I am not worried, but I am scheduled for surgery on March 24. I am wondering why I am sheduled for a surgery when my sister had the same type of cancer on her shoulder and they gave her a cream that killed it. I am gonna have to find out about that! C ya!

K- I called my sister and found out the name of that cancer killing cream and called back the dermotoligists office to see if it could work for me also. They said it is only for superficial basal cancers and I have nodular basal cell cancer and it has to be cut out. Okee dokee, then. It is still relatively harmless as cancers go, but unfortunately the surgery will take all day she said. But, they will be serving healthy breakfast and lunch so if I bring a good book, it might be a nice break! lol

Yes, I filter...and I am working on it!

2009-02-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

All right, I probably need to explain that title! I was talking to my sister yesterday (she doesn't blog so she missed that last post!) and I told her how I really was feeling and she got mad at me. She asked me if I "filter" when I talk to her. I thought this was a pretty good term for not completely opening up and letting it all out. I had to laugh at that! Yes, I do filter and sometimes a lot. Except in that last post, if anyone missed that! lol She told me that I am never allowed to filter to her and I loved that!! Made me laugh pretty hard! Anyway, I have more friends than I thought and I mean real friends that care whether my heart is breaking and my spirit crumbling. That was a bit eye opening for me. So today, I am not ready to scream/cry or otherwise freak out! Thanks to my friends for being ready and willing to help me be strong for a little bit longer! I need you more than I thought! Today will be a good day!

Gimme a break!

2009-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

K- some of you may know that I don't like to post when I am feeling like a "negative nancy" but today it's just too raw and I don't know where to turn with it, so here it is! I am feeling so down right now. Bryan just got turned down for another job. This one was a good one with a lot of potential. We were optimistic about it, just like the last hundred or so! He has been on so many interviews and they all say how impressive his crendentials are or you were a strong candidate or whatever bs they say to let you down easy. I am so sick of it. We have been dealing with this for a YEAR now and it feels like it is never going to get any better! I am so close to tears that I can't even see the keyboard. So, I am tired of it all and don't think I even have it in me to pretend anymore. I try to stay positive for Bryan and the kids, but I am done. I need some help here cause I am done. I got nothing left! I know that my problems may not seem like much to some, but to me it feels like a mountain that I can never climb no matter how hard I try. I feel so alone in all this and that must be what hurts the most. I don't know why He has left me and I don't know what He wants me to learn/grow/whatever. I am done.

Skin cancer, migraines, superbowl and regionals!

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I just got back from the dermatologists office and it looks like the ugly zit looking thing on my forehead is probably basal cell carcinoma, which if I have skin cancer is the best kind to have. I had to wait an hour and a half to see the doctor (which had me really annoyed!!) and then she gave me shots to numb it up. Those hurt so bad! I wonder if it would have been better not to numb it at all! Then she cut the top layer off, cauterized it (gross!!) and sent it off to the lab. She then puts a bright blue bandaid with soccer balls on it! Seriously?!? Am I a child? This is on my forehead! I looked so ridiculous! I will hear definitive results in abt 2 weeks, but she said she is pretty sure that that's what it is. Anyway, if it is basal cell, then I will be scheduled for surgery to have it completely removed and that should be about it. If it isn't basal cell, then it is just an ugly growth and now I will have an ugly scar to replace it with! Lovely! Anyway, that's about it where that is concerned.

Yesterday was an interesting Sunday. I was preparing my singing time when I felt like I should get another back up sharing time ready in case a lot of kids were missing due to the superbowl or something. I was going to teach the song "How Firm A Foundation" and had everything prepared when I decided to also make a name that tune jar that can be used at anytime if needed. Right before church (which starts at 3) I was getting the beginnings of a migraine and only had the nasal spray, which is so gross and makes me nauseated and gag for about 30 min after I take it. I was fasting still and didn't want to end it early cause we need the blessing we are fasting for so badly! Anyway, I tried to make it through church and right before junior singing time my migraine hits fast and furiously. Of course! I am now sick and can no longer think straight. I knew there was no way I could teach a new song so I ditched my foundation song and just did name that tune. I don't have to try to connect any serious thoughts with that one and muddled through it. I was pale and shaky and dealing with the medication but managed to finish senior singing time also. I still managed to have a good time with the kids and by the time I got home, the meds were working and I was almost back to normal. Then we headed to Gerry's to watch the superbowl.

K, I am bummed about the superbowl. We got together with my father in law for his birthday, which is actually today (Happy Birthday!) and had dinner with my sil and her family, Kirk and my mil Eva. It was mostly fun (esp. Leslie's baby, Luke. That kid is adorable!). The only part that I didn't like was watching the superbowl in two different rooms. They were watching it live and we were watching it recorded cause we don't get out of church until 6. We could hear their cheering and screaming so we pretty much knew what was going to happen. That kinda sucked, but we still had a good time. They are fun to be around. After we finally finished the game and we were just a bit bummed by the results, Jonathan got the results of his violin audition for a High School Regional Orchersta competition. He made it!! There were a lot of kids who auditioned and he made it! We were so excited! He wanted to make it for his Grandma Hooper. I thought that was sweet. He totally respects her and is grateful that she has helped him develop this talent. The regional performance will be on Feb 20-21 I believe at Westwood High School if anyone is interested in attending. We are definitely going! I don't know if there is a cost involved. I imagine there will be a small ticket price, but will let you know it there is. Anyway, I hope everyone's week goes well! Cya!

A Little Princess and other not so late night goodies!

2009-01-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

It has been really hard for me to want to blog because I haven't felt like there is anything to say that is positive. Now I realize that sounds really melodramatic, but the truth hurts. Sometimes a lot. However, right now I am feeling pretty good and wanted to post some fun that our family had. On Friday night I went to the store while Bryan was doing his Domino's shift. While there I found my favorite version of "A Little Princess" on DVD for a great price! Woo hoo! $7.50 for it and "The Secret Garden" combo. While The Secret Garden is cute, I looove A Little Princess.

Such a fun movie! Anyway, I come back from the store and intend to watch is with my girls and was pleasantly surprised when my boys (Jonathan included) wanted to watch it with us. We had such a great time! We were laughing so hard (esp. when Becky screams in an effort to distract the evil Ms. Minchin!!). It was so fun to be together and laugh! I also cried during this movie. I always cry during this movie! How can you not!?! Little Sarah is such a great actress and is so believable, that it is so much fun to let this movie take you to another time and place. My kids were kinda shocked to see that Becky, as a servant, would not be allowed to talk to the other girls. They never thought people would treat someone that way. We have come a long way in equality, that's for sure! Anyway- if you have seen this movie, then you know why I love it and if not, go get it and watch it with your family!

Another funny bit, last night we started to watch the 2 hr season premier of Bones and the kids (not including Jon) started watching The Secret Garden. We started them abt 8:30pm and by 9:00 Alex was sound asleep. By 9:15 or so I was fighting sleep and missed most of the show. By 9:30 the rest of the kids were asleep and Jon followed by about 10. Bryan thought this was pretty funny and just let us all sleep where we had fallen till about 10:45 when he woke us all up and sent us all off to bed! Kinda funny that he had to wake up everyone and get us off to bed! Anyone who knows me pretty well will not be to surprised by that! I am so not a late owl! It had been such a busy day! Primary activity in the morning (Rocket balloons like crazy in my portion of the activity!) and then Connor's bday in the afternoon. They were both really fun and I will have to post pics and details of the party later. My fingers hurt! Have a good one!

The Biggest Loser!!

2009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, I went out today and made a committment. I bought the Biggest Loser Workout DVD. I bought both the boot camp and the fat burning yoga DVD. Now you must understand the lenghts I went to get these. I wanted to start today, so I took the boys I babysit to the library, and that is an adventure in itself, and then we stopped at Target on the way home. I had 2 boys in the front seats and 2 boys in the actual cart and we shopped for workout DVDs. They were really good, the only hard part was that Hayden wanted to sit in one of the seats and I had already put Ashton and Alex in them. So he was sad for a few minutes. Anyway, they were rewarded with Sour Patch Kids and I was rewarded with a workout during naptime!

I started with the yoga workout. I didn't think it would be very intense and since this was my first workout in many months, that is what I was going for. Yeah right!! This kicked my butt! It gives you the option of 5 levels. First is the warmup, then level 1, level 2, level 3 and a cooldown. And I only chose the warmup, lvl 1, and a cooldown. I really enjoyed it, but I still had to cheat on several moves. But afterward, I felt energized and like I had really used my whole body. Honestly, this was the best I had felt in a long time!! So, tomorrow I am gonna try the boot camp version. As intense as the yoga one was, I am worried the boot camp one will kick my butt and leave me feeling wiped out. I will let you know!

I took my measurements and weighed myself before I started (NO! I am not posting these numbers!!) and will track my progress weekly and will hopefully see some shrinkage!! I am going to see if I can get Bryan to do these videos and /or walking in the evenings. We both need to shrink in order to stick around to run with our grandkids one day! That and I am tired of wearing my fat pants. I want to fit in my skinny jeans! Anyway, wish me luck!! I will keep you all posted! If anyone wants to join me, let me know. I would love a partner in all this!

Grandmas and Air Hockey

2009-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Last night my mom brought dinner over to our house. It was so nice because we don't get home from church until abt 6:15 or so and to have dinner already made and the mess at someone else's house was even better! She brought my grandma over also, my dad had to go to a meeting, so it was just my family and my mom and grandma. We had a great time and then the kids started playing air hockey with my mom. Kaitlyn easily beat her but then my grandma wanted to play. There was something so funny and cute about watching your 87 year old, sweet grandma paly that game! We also played Skipbo, which is one of my grandma's favorite games. She was ruthless! It was so funny!! Bryan's turn was after hers and it was hilarious cause she would not cut him any slack! She said she doesn't take prisoners in Skipbo! Now, if you new my gentle and sweet grandma, you would see how funny this was! It kept frustrating Bryan cause she would intentionally prevent his moves over and over! Anyway, it was a fun night!

Post-holiday blues, or lack thereof!

2009-01-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Usually at this time of year I start to get a little depressed. All the fun is over and we have to go back to "real life". So far, I am not bummed out at all! I have been working hard these last few days just cleaning and organizing and such. We took a huge load to DI and I cleaned out the girls room and got all the Christmas stuff put away. That usually leaves me feeling a bit depressed. But, I am just enjoying the clean feeling. There is not a whole lot to look forward to when the holidays are over. Maybe we have had so much fun the last week that it hasn't started to sink in yet. We have had lots of game/movie nights and even a snowball fight (thx Smithson clan!)! It has been a lot of fun and tomorrow the routine will set in again. I guess I am ready to get back to normal cause that is not causing me to want to cry! Yeah for that! Bryan, on the other hand, is so not looking forward to going back to work. Sorry, babe! At least my work keeps me in my own home and while I may be completely surrounded by kids all of the time, I actually enjoy them all. I am lucky there!

I am also enjoying our new surround sound home entertainment system. We have had a lot of things break on us in the last week. Our computer and/or monitor went out and out old dvd/sound system went out. So we used our Christmas gift from Bryan's dad and bought a new one. This one we actually set up as surround and it sounds awesome! It has an ipod dock attached and so I can crank up my music as I am cleaning the house. Love that! You can hear it through the whole house. Which is sometimes good and sometimes not! Anyway, it has been fun playing with a new toy. We haven't had many new things for a while so we are having fun with it!

Anyway, here is to everyone being able to get past the post holiday blues and on with life!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

2008-12-25T18:09:00.001-08:00

We have had such a wonderful day! I love Christmas! This year has found us in a circumstance that we never thought we would be in, and we definitely had less this year, but it does not feel like it! We have been lucky to have generous family and friends and ward that have helped make this a wonderful Christmas for us and our family. I feel rich today! And that is due to those kind people who have blessed our lives this year! I am truly grateful and wanted them to know of our love and appreciation! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!

Happy Anniversary, Bryan!

2008-12-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to my husband and best friend, Bryan! I have wanted to be where you are since the first day we met. (Or shortly after the first day! lol Had to get through the "water is wet" night!!) You are sweet, funny, handsome, good and strong. I have learned so much from your example and I am honored to be your wife. You are a loving husband and a fun and involved father. Your kids know that you love them and that you want to spend time with them. You show them what it is to be a righteous priesthood holder and they know of your testimony of the Savior. I love you! Thank you for the 16 years, I look forward to the rest!

I loved the surprise carriage ride! I will never forget the kids we drove past running with the carriage waving to us like we were Cinderella and Prince Charming. (Well, we were!) Thanks Eva for arranging that, I know you worked hard for it!

Our family!

Eric, Leslie, Kirk, Jenny, Judd , JoAnn, Lee and Amy Porter with us.

Happy Anniversary!!

"Wild Thing!"

2008-12-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

My sister in law did this and it was funny so I had to copy!! I hope to see some fun title's soon, as the last question is what will I title this post, hence my "Wild Thing!" Such an old song, forgot it was even on my playlist! Kinda embarrased now!

1. Put your iTunes/playlist on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

What is your motto?
"When You're Gone"

What do your friends think of you?
"Don't Let Me Get Me"

What do you think about very often?
"Jingle Bells"

What is 2+2?
"Unwell"

What do you think of your best friend?
"When You Say Nothing At All”

What do you think of the person you like?
"Joy To The World"

What is your life story?
"It's My Life"

What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Jesus Take the Wheel"

What do you think when you see the person you like?
"What's Left of Me”

What do your parents think of you?
"I'm Not Dead"

What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Stay"

What will they play at your funeral?
"Fall To Pieces"

What is your hobby/interest?
"Long Way to Happy"

What is your biggest secret?
"Sk8tr Boi"

What do you think of your friends?
"Take A Chance on Me"

What’s the worst thing that could happen?
"Open Arms"

How will you die?
"Over My Head"

What is the one thing you regret?
"We Built this City"

What makes you laugh?
"Tomorrow"

What makes you cry?
"In The End"

Will you ever get married?
"Chasing Cars"

What scares you the most?
"The Sweet Escape"

Does anyone like you?
"Faithfully"

If you could go back in time, what would you change?
"Savin' Me"

What hurts right now?
"Girl Nest Door"

What will you post this as?
"Wild Thing!"

K- that was fun! I was laughing the whole time!! Try it everyone, I want to read your answers!!

Catch up and all sorts of stuff

2008-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ok. I didn't win anything at the Twilight premiere. I was dissappointed esp because I was helping run the prizes to the winners and I was like "I want that one!". Oh well, I had a great time. I was there with my sister JoAnn and sil Julie and our long-time friend Marie. We enjoyed the movie and the crowd. There was a lot of noise like laughing and oohs and stuff, but nothing annoying. The weirdest part was one of the trailers. It was for this totally freaky and evil looking horror movie called the Unborn. We were all a bit stunned by it. It seemed so out of place for a love story even with vampires. Kinda freaked us out. We got over it and then laughed at the trailer for Bride Wars. We are gonna have to do another girls night and see that one! It looked so funny, plus I like Anne Hathaway. It should be fun. Now, I had heard the negative reviews about Twilight and so I went in with really low expectations hoping that I wouldn't be dissappointed. I wasn't! I loved it and am looking forward to the next one!

A lot of things have happened between now and then. It sometimes feels like I will never have a life without major upheavels or just enexpected twists all the time. Sometimes I just want plain and predictable. Oh well, not gonna happen. First off, we have actually gotten approval from the bank in regards to our offer on our house. They are doing the inspection on Tuesday and then if all goes well, are wanting to close on Friday. As of a week and a half ago, we had no offer and now in 2 weeks time it's almost finished. So ironic as it took the bank almost 4 months to approve the last 3 offers, which took so long that all our buyers backed out. Stupid bank actually admitted that they lost our file one time and missfiled it another time. No wonder the banks are suffering! Anyway, almost done with it, so that is good. One less thing to worry/think about.

The next major thing is I was released from my calling as a Primary teacher. I was teaching Kate's class and had only been there for a month and I was really liking it. I enjoyed teaching and the age is a lot of fun. I was really dissappointed until they told me my new job. Then I was HORRIFIED! Primary Chorister. Seriously?!?!? Do they know anything about me at all? They redid the Primary Presidency and they assumed since Jon played the violin in the primary program and Kate sang in an ensemble choir that we are ALL musical. The music gene came from my inlaws, not me!!! I can barely lead music, I lose the beat all the time! I have a very hard time singing in tune and can't read music to save my life. I told the Primary president this and she was shocked and looked a bit stunned herself!! haha!! She thought I had to be musical to have kids that are. (No, I am not!) Then I am informed that I have to put together a girls ensemble choir to sing Mary's Lullaby at the ward party THIS Saturday!! I am like, "Are you kidding me?!?!?!". So I stressed about this job all week and then yesterday was my first day. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Primary! It's just my fear of music that is my problem, plus the lack of free time I have to put this all together. I am always surrounded by lots of kids, which makes it hard for prayerfull preparation and inspiration! I taught this Mary's Lullaby, it is a beautiful song but the kids didn't know it at all and almost all of Junior Primary doesn't read! So that didn't go as well as I would have hoped. The senior did fine. I have to learn to teach the small kids the songs. If ANYONE has any ideas on this one, I would really appreciate a comment! Anyway, after the disasterous teaching of a new song , the longest 5 minutes of my life-seriously!- then we played a game. I had the kids write a favorite song on a blank white paper and thencrumble it up into a snowball. Then we had a snowball toss and I picked one out and had that child help me lead the song. They seemed to like it. The games I don't mind doing, its the teaching the songs that is freaking me out.

Now, as I was getting ready for church, I realized that I wasn't going to even be at the ward party! Yeah!!! I am gonna be somewhere so much more fun! Bryan knew I wouldn't be there, but I totally forgot. This was planned over a year ago and I still forgot! I am too overwhelmed! Anyway, this is where I am gonna be: Wooohooo!!! How could I forget about it?!?!? In case you missed it, I am so excited! I will be going with my mom and sisters, so it will be so fun! Yeah for me!!

Twilight Movie

2008-11-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know every girl is obsessed with the Twilight series and the movie opening tomorrow. I am not obsessed with the movie, I would be happy to watch it whenever, but no- my sister, JoAnn is "dragging" me to a premier party. Okay, not quite dragging, I am excited to go. I do want to see the movie, but usually movies fall WAY short in comparison to the books. The Twilight series is not the best writing I have ever read, but it is one of the most engrossing series I have had the pleasure of reading. Not since Harry Potter (yes- I said Harry Potter) have I been more interested in the next book of a series. I still wish JK Rowling would write more, but she has exhausted herself of the Harry thing. I understand, but it still dissapoints me. When I love a series, it sucks to have it end. I was frustrated to learn that Stephenie Meyer was working on another book in the Twilight series when someone leaked the manuscript on the internet and she has since shelved the whole book. Bugged me so bad cause now I will probably never read that installment. Oh well. Back to the premiere party- I hope it will be fun. My sister's friend rented out a theater and sold tickets to her friends at a slightly higher rate and is using the extra money to buy prizes and stuff. I hope I get a good seat and that I don't have to listen to a bunch of people quoting or squealing or any other teenager like stuff. I hate that! I just want to watch and enjoy without anyone elses opinions or thoughts thrown out there! All right, now I sound like a serious complainer! Oh well, maybe I do that to hide the fact that I am not entirely comfortable surrounded by women that are probably so much better off in life than I am. Maybe I am sabotaging my evening before it even starts! Oh well, here I go trying to adjust my attitude. It will be fun! I probably won't win a darn thing, but I will be going out to dinner and to see a great movie with my sister, who is one of my favorite people, so I will not be a whiner or insecure pain! Lol! If I win I will post!

Halloween, Heber and My Teenager Still Likes Me!!!

2008-11-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

First off, these pictures are soooo late because I got so sick on our trip to Heber. I came down with Strep on Sunday afternoon and it hit me so fast I never saw it coming. I didn't figure it was strep until Monday night, so I had infected so many people! (My apologies everyone!) It was a horrible illness and I am so glad to be rid of it!! When I finally started to get better, I came down with another cluster migraine on Wednesday. I am still working on getting rid of it. I hate these stinking migraines. They keep trying to take over my life! I went to the Dr on Friday to see if they could do anything about them. I am getting so many that my insurance doesn't cover enough migraine medication to get me through the month. I now have a referral to a neurologist to figure out if things are ok and then hopefully put me on a medication to control them instead of just treating them. Yeah!! Relief may be in my future!! Oh yeah, I also have a referral for a dermatologist to check out the really suspicious spots in the middle of my forehead. I look like I have a killer pimple or something. That doesn't look good and all the makeup in the world doesn't seem to hide it! Oh well, we will see what that is all about in a little while!

Anyway, here are pics of Jenna's school costume parade. If you look 3 kids back, you can see my nephew Tyler (Todd's son) behind Jenna. He is the green skeleton.

Alex, Jacob and Luke all had front row seats! We didn't even have to get them out of the car!

Jonathan and his friends- Kimberly in black and Lexie in the white. Cute girls!

Alex, Connor, Jolie, Jenna and Kaitlyn

Photos from Heber

Believe it or not, I had just combed his hair!!

Sisters!

Brothers!

Seriously, Mom!?!?!

Fine, One good Picture but that's it!

And Finally, My Favorite! Here's Proof that my teenager still likes me!

More proof: Jonathan wanted me to take him to the mall on Friday and I asked him if he wanted me to take him and his friends and just drop them off or if he would rather just him and I go. To my great surprise, he wanted to go with just me. He would have liked to had his dad come along, but he had to work. So we dropped off the rest of the kids with Aunt Leslie and Grandpa (Thanks, guys!) and we went shopping. He needed a new sweatshirt and we found a really cool one at Tilly's (so glad he has his own money!) and then we grabbed a bite to eat in the food court. While we were eating, he was telling me that at school he was excited to go shopping and told his friends he was happy to go to the mall with me. They were a bit surprised and asked him why he "wanted" to go with his mother. He said, "I like my mom, she is cool." His friend told him he hated his mom. Now, I tell him that is sad that his friend doesn't like his mother, but inside I am like, "Oh yeah! Woo hoo! My son still likes to hang out with me! I am cool!" Didn't realize I was cool, but I will take it! We had a great time and I am so glad we were able to go.

That is one of the good things that happened in this dreadful week, another thing that I thought was cute was on Saturday, Bryan was working on his brakes and the whole time he let Alex tag along with his "Handy Manny" tool set and work with him. He planned all along to let Alex be there and I thought it was so cute. I really appreciate a husband who takes the time to be a wonderful father. I know he is not here as much as he wants to be, but we know how much he loves us and that he would be here if it was possible. We look forward to the time that he can give up that second job and just be Dad all afternoon and stuff, but until then, thanks for being a great example of love and sacrifice to our children. I love you! Don't tell Jon, but I think YOU are the Man! lol

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

I am finally going on a vacation!

2008-10-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

And no, it's not only in my mind! Jonathan has only a couple days of football left and so we are going out of town next weekend! We have been wanting to go camping or something, but with Bryan working friday nights and Jon having football all the time, there has never been a chance to go. So Friday is Halloween and then we are going to stay up at my parents place in Heber for remainder of the weekend. To many people that doesn't qualify as a vacation, but to us it totally does! So, we will go early Sat morning and come back Sunday nite. Yeah, finally a change of scenery! I stare at these 4 walls so much I won't miss it at all!

Last night we had our ward trunk or treat, it was a lot of fun. Bryan was working, but my friend Laurie and my Bro Todd and his wife Julie came so I had plenty of company. We were having a good time when Bryan sent me a text that he got off work early so he was able to come and hang out for the last half (the best half) of the night. We had pace painting, cake walks (Todd's kids scored like crazy!), carnival games, costume parade and the trunk or treat. My boys won the scariest costumes, they were matching skeletons, and we won a gift certificate to paradise bakery. Sounds like a gift for me!! Kaitlyn was dressed as a cheerleader and Jenna was Cinderella. My favorite costume in our family was Jon's. He borrowed Gerry's Michael Jackson jacket and was the King of Pop. It fit him perfectly. Cute! Then we were asked to judge the best decorated trunk for the trunk or treat. It was fun walking around actually paying attention to the decor and not just the people. We had a really good time! I needed it, too. I had talked to my old mortgage company right before the party and was really missing my old house. The party snapped me out of that funk.

Anyway, not a whole lot going on over here. Just the same day to blending day stuff. Do you ever forget what day it is because they all seem the same sometimes? Not necessarily a complaint, just an observation. Except Saturday and Sunday- I love the weekend! Just time with my man! Have a good weekend!

A Wonderful Sunday and......Meet Melissa Hooper!!

2008-10-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

I gotta say that I am so impressed by our bishop. He is so young, but such an inspired man, like I have never witnessed before. I think he is a great bishop and a fun person as well. He started out by encouraging people to bear their testimonies as they feel prompted and to not ignore that feeling. I knew then that I was supposed to bear my testimony. It had never entered into my mind to do that until I heard those words. My heart started pounding and I just knew. I tried to get out of it, but that feeling just wouldn't go away. I just spoke in church a month ago and thought that would be enough, but I guess not. Anyway, I bore testimony that our Heavenly Father knows each and everyone of us and what we are going thru. I feel like so many people have done little things or said words of encouragement at just the right moment for me. I am so grateful for people heeding small promptings of the Spirit in ways that have strengthened me and my testimony. I feel that the Lord has sent these people across my path at my weakest moments and I felt that I needed to acknowledge His hand in my life. I am truly grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. It was not just me who felt a gentle Spirit today, Bryan was touched and inspired in his dealings with the Young Men today. It was so wonderful to hear him tell me what he was feeling and what he did about it. I am so grateful for a loving, spiritual husband who honors his priesthood. He is my best friend and I wouldn't give that up for anything!

Now, the funny side of today. Have you ever met Melissa Hooper? Apparently she is in my ward. Melissa Hooper was called to be a Primary Worker today. Oh wait, I am Melissa Hooper! Our bishop sustained me today as Melissa. I wasn't sure if it was actually me they were calling at first! I know our Bishop is such a good guy that I will let it pass. Someone was telling me I should give him a hard time about it, but I think he might actually feel bad about it if I point it out and it is not worth it. So, call me Michelle or Melissa. They are close, so I guess it doesn't really matter! lol!! I am excited to be back in Primary. I will be Kaitlyn's teacher and I am looking forward to it. I miss working with Marilyn in RS, but Primary is always where my heart has been. I love kids!

Anyway, have a good evening! We will- we are going to my brother Todd and and his wife Julie's for dinner and I don't have to cook! It will be fun, they are hilarious! See you!

RandomOlogy!!

2008-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is my 50th post!!! Woo hoo!!

Okay, for Jon I will do this RandomOlogy tag. Looks kinda fun. Here goes:

The Random "Ology" Tag :)

*FOODOLOGY
What is your salad dressing of choice? Olive Garden Italian
What is your favorite sit- down restaurant? Matta's and Olive Garden (I can't choose!)
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? ice cream
What are your pizza toppings of choice? lots of cheese
What do you like to put on your toast? egg yolk, yummy but sooo bad for you!

* TECHNOLOGY *
What is your wallpaper on your computer? my family was on it till the comp freaked out and now it is boring blue
How many televisions are in your house? 3
What color cell phone do you have? blue

* BIOLOGY*
Are you right or left handed? right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? moles and babies
What is the last heavy item you lifted? tool box from my hubby's truck
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? only by medical professionals

* BULL CRAPOLOGY*
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? NO WAY
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $ 1000? YES

* DUMBOLOGY*
Last time you had a run- in with the cops? New Years Eve 3 years ago
What did you want to be when you grow/grew up? lots of things, but most often I wanted to be a lawyer working my way to a Supreme Court Judge and an Astronaut. Lofty dreams, huh! Then I realized that these careers would be so hard to do and be the mother I wanted to be.
Last person you talked to on the phone ? my hubby
Last person you hugged? my hubby

* FAVORITOLOGY*
Season? Spring
Holiday? Halloween, Christmas, 4th of July
Day of the week? Saturday (Why did Jon say Wednesday? What is good about a Wed?!?!)
Month? June

Ok, that was kinda fun, so if anyone wants to do this tag, then consider yourself tagged!

Other stuff, Bryan has a job interview on Monday afternoon and it would be a step up for him right now. We are hoping and praying for a better job so he doesn't have to work 2 jobs. Anyway, I just found out we have fish in our pool at out old house. Interesting. The county puts them in to keep mosquitoes from breeding in the green water. Richard has been throwing in shock to keep it from getting horribly bad instead of just bad, but this will help a ton. (Thx, Richard!) Weird, huh. The fish will live for about 2 years. Kinda grosses me out, I guess our buyer will have to drain the pool now, but it is not my problem then. FYI, we still have a buyer on our house and have had one for almost 3 months. The bank is seriously ticking us off-my poor realtor has logged so many hours on the phone trying to get them to get their act together. So annoying. We are just waiting for the final approval and then its just signing the papers. So, we should only own the property for a couple weeks, but I am not holding my breath. That is what is going on in the house front. I know people have been curious.

We are going riding tomorrow with my parents. They 2 4-wheelers and bryan has a 3-wheeler and we have a 70 for the kids. Too bad Jons go kart doesn't work. We are excited to go and forget about everything but having fun together! Well, have a good weekend!

Tagged!

2008-10-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

Leslie tagged me!

Now for the 7 weird or random facts about myself in no paticular order:

1. I love my DVR. It is one of my best friends. I love TV, too! I love to watch Survivor, 24, Amazing Race, dearly miss Alias, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, Prison Break, Heroes, and so many others!! I love having the control that the DVR gives me. I used to plan my kids bed times around my favorite shows and hated how guilty I felt doing it, but I wanted to watch my shows. I love the pause button! In fact, I never watch live TV anymore! I only watch the shows I want, so I actually am watching a lot less, believe it or not!

2. I got married at 18, on purpose. I had a child 10 months after getting married, on purpose. I have a terrific husband, so I am lucky that I could basically grow up with him. I would not recommend that young of an age for my girls (or yours!), but I would not change it!

3. I was a part of a Mexican Dancing troupe for several years. I didn't enjoy it that much, but there were times it was a lot of fun. I did love the performances. I was forced into it by my mom, along with 5 of my brothers and sisters. I don't think anyone of them are proud of this fact.

4. I am going to be a nurse when I grow up. I have been trying to go to school on and off for the last few years. Life keeps getting in the way and I feel as if I may never finish, but I want to so badly. Right now, it hurts that I have had to postpone it a bit longer. Oh well, that is life, right?

5. I am in the Primary again. I have been in Primary for 13 of the 15 years I have been married. It's a good thing it my favorite organization of the church. I don't know what class I will be teaching yet, but I am hoping for Kate's class. She needs me the most right now.

6. I want to serve a mission with my sweet man when we are older and able. I would love to go to a country in Europe or maybe Australia. Somewhere safe, yet fairly exotic. I would especially love to go to Germany. Then I would hopefully have the chance to see where Bryan's family came from.

7. I love to read. I love books where I can get lost in another world. Like the twilight series or John Grisham or Mary Higgins Clark novels, or Pride and Prejudice. Fun and fascinating stories that at the time are all my own. I don't have to pause it for someone to go to the bathroom or rewind because someone missed something. I can go at my own pace and will often sit outside and read while the kids I babysit play in the backyard. The ultimate escape. My ideal break would be a cool afternoon in a hammock on a pine tree covered mountain. Of course, chocolate would be involved!

Anyway, those are 7 things about me. Now I know I am supposed to tag 7 people, but I don't have that many to tag, so I tag:

1. Bryan

2. Jonathan

3. Kaitlyn

4. Connor

5. Jenna, if she wants

6. Karla

See, all but one of them are my family!

If I didn't feel OLD before....

2008-10-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Then I certainly feel old, now! Jon is in the middle of his birthday party with about 12 teenage boys (and my niece and her cousin) playing X-boxes and eating pizza. My house smells like men's cologne (someone trying to impress my niece maybe? She is cute.) and pizza and boys. It is loud and chaotic and I feel like watching tv in my room so as to not crowd the birthday boy. But I am afraid of my niece feeling stranded, so after this quick blog I will be back out there. I am so tired and feel awkward with all these teenagers that I don't know. I don't even know how to express it!

I want a house on e-bay!!

2008-10-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

I was browsing KTAR's website (or somewhere else, I can't remember but that's another story) and saw a headline about a woman who bought a house in Georgia for $1.75 off ebay! I was a bit curious so I read the article. It was a really old, small house in not so nice condition, but still less than $2. It was legit, too. The buyer had to pay $800 in back taxes and closing costs, but again under $2 for a house! I found this interesting and was again curious and so I looked on ebay and there are quite a few houses for serious bargains. There is a house that vaguely reminds me of Bryan's house growing up, it is a long red brick house set on 44 green acres in Ohio or something with a barn and stable going for $20,000. I am like, really? Not that I have any money lying around or would even want to move to OH or whatever, but still, I want 44 green acres! Anyway, if you are ever bored and want to dream, check out the real estate on ebay. Kinda funny. Maybe we can find a home that is newer and a bit nicer than the $2 house for under 20 bucks! Yeah, right!

Little Nothings

2008-09-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a good day, or at least able to find something good in your day. Mine started allright with the kids this morning. As we were doing their hair and stuff for school, we were laughing and having a good time. Then Kate started to get emotional when she told me she hasn't been able to find a friend to play with after school. She really misses her old friends. We we decided to host a girl party this Saturday night. She is going to invite a couple of her friends over from the old neighborhood while the boys are at conference. She wanted to make sure that we invite Layna Lou, also but she wants to make the invite phone calls herself. She is so excited! We have this movie called the Last Unicorn that I loved when I was a kid and she wants the girls to watch that. Hopefully they will enjoy themselves. I felt so bad for her, she really wants to go home.

To add insult to all of this stuff, Bryan tells me about an article on KTAR's website about how HUD is helping people keep their homes, even when they have already started foreclosure. I seriously doubt that would get us our home back, but the idea is so great. Just made us both sad, cause we want to go back to our home. This one is nice and all, but it is not our home. It really sucks sometimes! I keep thinking I need to be happy with what I have and find a way to have peace and bring a happy spirit into our home for my kids. That is so hard when I feel like my world has been shattered. I am trying, tho. I am making an effort to play and smile and laugh, even when I don't feel like it. My kids and my husband deserve that at the very least. So here I am putting on my happy face!!

This morning, Alex and Connor (the one I babysit) were fighting like cats and dogs (so not fun!) and I thought I would get them out of the house. We went on a nature scavenger hunt in our neighborhood. They loved it. We found pine cones, rocks, several different flowers and leaves and they got to fill up a bag to take home. It was a nice little adventure. Then when we got back, we took turns being a scary ghost and playing monster hide and seek. They had a blast! Now, they are taking a Dora break and are not fighting at all! Woo hoo! A moment to blog! That never seems to happen anymore! I have to be creative to keep these kiddos happy and entertained!

I was reading Sarah's blog this morning, so jealous of her scrapbook room, by the way. She has a plan for getting Christmas taken care of. I am so jealous of that too! I usually have quite a bit of that done already and I don't know how I am going to make that happen this year. How can I tell my kids that Santa can't afford to come this year? Especially when they think that now we have a chimney that Santa can get in easier now and that might make him happier?!? I am stressing out about it already! I know there is no way to duplicate what we did in the past, and I don't even expect to, but I just want to be able to give them something! Oh well, I have 2 1/2 more months to pray for a miracle! Somehow, it will be ok. There is nothing wrong with a small Christmas, in fact I think it is better. We will definitely be having a Christ centered Christmas. We have been moving in that direction the last few years, so this will just give us a shove that way, anyhow.

Well, those are my random thoughts for the day. Some happy, some sad, all of them true-unfortunately! Seriously, I hope everyone can find a moment to play/laugh/be silly with your family. They love it!

Slightly Hectic, but going fine!

2008-09-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Slightly hectic, but going fine. I have been watching Connor for 3 days and while him and Alex will fight over toys now and then, they mostly get along well. He is a cute kid and naps really well! That is probably the most important thing to my sanity. Today, I forced Alex to lay by me in bed and thought I am gonna get this kid napping if it kills me. I didn't kill me, just put me to sleep, too! Only for a half hour, which was just what I needed to feel more alive. Alex and Connor stayed asleep for 2 more hours!!! Then I got the house cleaned up, planned and prepped dinner and even watched a new show that is really cute (called Priviliged on CW). Not to shabby! If only this morning didn't feel like I was a continual referee, then it would be an even better day.

I have a headache that won't go away, Jon has a game tonight and Bryan has to be at YM tonight, so I am a bit overwhelmed- that and Connor and Alex are both awake and arguing over who wants their daddy most. I swear the level of competition between those two can get irritating! But, they do like each other, thank goodness! Gotta go and distract/redirect those two!

Just for Bryan and Jeremy: "Have a Better One!"

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

I finally have another child joining my daycare! Right now, I watch Tatum twice a week, she is great with Alex. Such a cute girl. I also watch a boy named Jayden, but only 2 hours a week. Not enough to pay didly squat, but I have a full time 3 year old boy coming!! His name is Connor (at least I won't forget it :) ). He will start on Monday, which is fabulous cause I need the dough right away, too! So, I now have only one full time opening left and my budget is so much closer to being in the black!! Not in the black yet, but a lot closer!! So, good news!

Hooper Kids Blog

2008-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! My kids have been bugging me for their own blog. Well, now they have it! So go and check it out! http://hooperkids.blogspot.com/ It will make their day! They would love to see a comment, too. Thanks!!

Happy Birthday, Bryan!!!!!

2008-09-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my best friend and handsome hubby, Bryan!!!!!! You are such a good man and bring laughter and fun to our family. I am so thankful for you! Have a great birthday!

This picture is after we had just started dating.

A wedding photo

Bryan's version of the same photo.
Connor's birth (first one with a digital camera)
Bryan on a monkey bike!
Camping trip!
Trip to Old Tucson in 2004

Baby Alex in 2005

Scout Camp in 2006. Bryan loves being a part of scouts, especially when he gets to work with his own kid!

Mentos and Diet Coke. Thanks Mythbusters for giving us a really fun way to get sticky!

Halloween in 2007. Bryan loves to get into Halloween!

Connor's Baptism in 2008We all love you so much and want to wish you a Happy Birthday!
If we could, we would fix up your Chevelle until it looked like this! Until then, you can look at the picture instead!
Happy Birthday to our Main Man!

Frustrations and Aggravations!

2008-09-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

So, I am so frustrated and annoyed today! If it can go wrong today, it seems like it is. Now, it is nothing earth shattering or serious. Just the little ticky tack things of my life today. It all started yesterday when I was trying to help my dad save a little money on his wireless bill. He has been paying for 4 phone lines, 2 of which are smart phones. (One of the regular lines Rich still has. He is former employee of my dad's who has been using the phone for free for like 8 months.) Those four lines used only 650 minutes on average each month (after the my circle and mobile to mobile minutes) and he has been paying for 5500 minutes!!!! So, I finally convinced him he can go to a cheaper plan and he will be fine!! Then I realize that my phone (my dad's business line that I carry around and answer the 5 times it rings a week) was being billed as one of the smart phones. Turns out my mom has been using this really nice and expensive Palm phone that is hooked up! Only she only knows how to dial a number and the rest has been wasted. My dad thought we should switch. Works for me, right? It has been such a nightmare with All tell trying to get them to switch. It's not like they use sim cards on their phones anymore. I was on the phone with them last night and 3 more times this morning trying to get it all sorted out. You wouldn't believe the level of incompetence I have dealt with on this. They kept using the phrase "rest assured" that they would fix the problem. I haven't rested assured yet! After throwing my phone (home phone) across the room and throwing a royal screaming fit in my room out of sheer frustration, my line finally works. Not my mom's line, tho. Now I have to physically go over there and get the phone and call them and try to get them to fix that one now. I am so not looking forward to that.

I am excited about the new phone, tho. My dad said I can drop my other cell and use his as my primary phone. That is awesome cause I have to drop mine and Jon's anyway in order to save money each month. Jon is lucky that he has a cool grandpa hooper that sill let him join under his plan, provided jon does his yardwork and stuff. He is so grateful for that! Thanks to them both. Now I can email and all sorts of cool stuff!

The other frustrating thing was this morning I had to help Jonathan with our ward flag fundraiser. We actually got to the church at 6 and figured we would be home by 6:30. Um, no. We both got a 15 minute lecture on how this ward does things differently and just what we have to do and how he gets credit for doing it. We were like, please. We are not stupid and can figure it out. They think is is ran so well, whatever. Our route had wrong addresses (and we have no idea where the members live yet, so that was fun-not!) and there were individual instructions for each house as to where to stick the flag and to find the post. They were all wrong and were messed up. They had instructions for the houses all switched. This was taking all morning and I had to get back before the kids woke up (didn't happen tho). One of the men running it started to feel sorry for us and found us on our route and said. Oh, this route is all messed up. We were like, "You think? Really?!?!?!" We were so frustrated by the time we got home. I barely got the kids off to the bus- don't judge me on their hair today! That is when I realized that the phone switch that was supposed to happen at midnight didn't and spent the next 2 hours fighting with Alltell. ARRRGGGHHH!!

Then, I decide to make cinnamon rolls to sweeten the day (which I have had no problems with yet) and start an early dinner by throwing something in the crock pot. Yeah, right. I get the meat all thawed and all the stuff ready and I can't find the lid to the crock pot to save my life! Now I am like "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" I can't even remember if I had used it in this house yet. So I search my kitchen up and down 3 times, I search the garage boxes and the DI pile twice. I search my china hutch just in case. Nothing. I am like, now what. I don't know how to make pulled pork without a crock pot! Fortunately, my sister, JoAnn will save the day and bring one over later. I think she is only coming to get my cinnamon rolls! But now my roast is in the fridge and will be cooked tomorrow. I have no idea what we will eat tonight. Maybe we will just have cinnamon rolls. Only kidding!

Now, I am telling all of you so you can share my frustration and help me laugh about it. Sometimes that is all you can do when nothing goes the easy way! I am really hoping that the rest of the day starts to go a bit more smoothly! Have more fun than me today!

Happy Labor Day!

2008-09-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we celebrate what exactly? Laboring? Whatever, it is a day off!!!! I love it! The kids are playing at their new friends house and were so excited to go. Almost as excited as we were to have them go! Bryan has been home and we love it! So, it is a good day!

We gave our talks yesterday and I will copy Leslie and Jeremy and post the text version of our talks below. I always change/tweak what I say vs what I write, so it will be a bit different. I think it went well, except for the fact that I was crying before I really got going. I am a baby, I admit it. It was a tough topic and I felt the Spirit so strong, that I knew it would happen- I am just glad I didn't have makeup running all down my face.

Thanks to everyone who came- my parents, Grandma Gurr, JoAnn and Saige, and Gerry! It was nice to have so much support!

I was so nervous, but I think I was wven more nervous to meet with the Bishop after church that day. He is helping our family right now. There was no reason to freak out, he is a very kind and gracious bishop. He made me feel like we are wanted and respected even with all our problems. I really appreciated that, it made things so much more bearable! So thanks to him and our ward. That is such an understatement, but Thanks so much!

Anyway, here is the talk minus the ending. I usually don't write one. I kinda make one up as I feel it, so you can make one up if you want! :>)

My name is Michelle Hooper. My husband, Bryan and I and our 5 children moved into the ward about one month ago. We are happy to be here, while the change has been a bit hard, the ward has been very accepting and gracious. You have all made us feel welcome and we really appreciate that.

Let me tell you all a little about ourselves. I was born in Florida and moved to Mesa when I was 2 and other than a year in Las Vegas, I have lived my entire life here in Mesa. My parents, Frank and Carolyn Standage have 7 children. I am the 5th. I have 3 older brothers, one older sister and two younger sisters. Some of you may know one of my brothers, Todd Standage, he and his wife Julie have been members of this ward for a few years. Although, when we moved in, we had no idea we would be in their ward. So it was a fun surprise. I grew up in Central Stake and graduated from Mountain View. My husband is a native of Arizona; he grew up in East Stake and also attended Mountain View. His parents Gerry Hooper and Eva Hooper have 5 children with Bryan being right in the middle. He has an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister. Bryan served a mission to Fresno, CA. He really enjoyed his mission and I love hearing his stories from then. We met shortly after I graduated from High School, very shortly after. My family had just moved into his ward and he was one of the Young Single Adult Rep’s. He saw our family had 5 single adults at that time and called to invite us to a waterskiing activity. Well, Bryan and I talked on the phone for about 30 minutes. We started dating shortly after that and were inseparable ever since. We were engaged a month and a half after we met and married 3 months later. I like to joke that my family decimated the single adult program in that ward. Within a 6 month period, my brother, Judd married the other Single Adult rep and another brother Lee married a girl in the ward. My sister Jenny married during that same time period, but she didn’t marry someone from the ward. My poor parents had a very eventful year! Bryan and I have been married for over 15 years, he is a wonderful man and I am lucky to have him. We have 5 great kids, Jonathan, Kaitlyn, Connor, Jenna and Alex. I feel so privileged to be their mother. They are such good people and I love them so much.
We have been asked to speak on adversity and I have been asked to focus my remarks on why we have adversity. I found an article called “Finding A Safe Harbor” by Joseph B. Wirthlin. This article is actually a talk given during the April 2000 General Conference. His talk touched me so much, I saw myself in these words and wanted to share parts of it with you. He says things so much better than I could alone.

He begins be telling the story of Jesus and His disciples when they set sail upon the Sea of Galilee. The scriptures tell us that Jesus was weary, and He went to the back of the ship and fell asleep on a pillow. Soon the skies darkened, and “there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves.” The storm raged. The disciples panicked. It seemed as though the boat would capsize, yet the Savior still slept. At last, they could wait no longer and they awakened Jesus. You can almost hear the anguish and despair in their voices as they pled with their Master, “Carest thou not that we perish?”
Many today feel troubled and distressed; many feel that, at any moment, the ships of their lives could capsize or sink. It is to you who are looking for a safe harbor that I wish to speak today, you whose hearts are breaking, you who are worried or afraid, you who bear grief or the burdens of sin, you who feel no one is listening to your cries, you whose hearts are pleading, “Master, carest thou not that I perish?” To you I offer a few words of comfort and of counsel.
Be assured that there is a safe harbor. You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you. Your Heavenly Father—who knows when even a sparrow falls—knows of your heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our own or even others’ well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and tribulations.

“Then,” the world would ask, “why does He sleep when the tempest rages all around me? Why does He not still this storm, or why would He let me suffer?”

Your answer may be found in considering a butterfly. Wrapped tightly in its cocoon, the developing chrysalis must struggle with all its might to break its confinement. The butterfly might think, Why must I suffer so? Why cannot I simply, in the twinkling of an eye, become a butterfly?

Such thoughts would be contrary to the Creator’s design. The struggle to break out of the cocoon develops the butterfly so it can fly. Without that adversity, the butterfly would never have the strength to become something extraordinary. Adversity can strengthen and refine us. As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people. It makes us strong.

I remember about a year or so ago there was a moment where I felt so happy. I felt like everything was right in my world. I had a great family, good friends, and it almost hurt that my life was going so well. I then had this feeling that it was too good to be true. That something would happen to break my perfect little world. I became afraid. I was filled with fear, and I called my husband and told him what I was feeling. He told me to relax and stop worrying all the time. It was a short time later that my world did change.

My husband was working with my father in his company. My dad’s company lost its biggest client with only a few days notice. We always knew that this was a possibility, but in the 15 years my dad has been building his company, it only grew bigger. As a result, we have had to start over with his career and we have lost so much. As you can expect, this has been a difficult time for our family, but not just our family. My parents have been affected as well as several other employees that have had to find other work, including my brother in law on my husband’s side of the family. They have lost so much too and have had to start over as well. I tell you this not to make you feel sorry for us, but to tell you that it will not break us. My family is strong. I am strong. I have not always felt this way, but I know that I am strong. I can deal with this and still smile. I will have days or moments when I feel like I may break, but I don’t!

I don’t think I could bear the trials that my family now faces if I hadn’t already struggled with and overcame adversity in the past. I have dealt with many things in my life, some trials were small and some felt so big at the time. But each time, I have learned something from it. My trials and challenges have molded me into the person I am today. I would not change that. I cannot understand and appreciate the beauty and joy of life if I don’t also experience the pain and sorrow of adversity. I still don’t have the answers, but I know the Lord is leading me and my family. It may not be the way I would have chosen or the easiest path, but it is the Lord’s all the same.

I have felt His hand in almost every aspect of our lives right now. I know we are here for a purpose. I have felt that so strongly, and it keeps me going. I know that the Lord knows me and my family and everything we are going through. I also know that if the Lord knows me this well, that he also knows each and every one of us. He knows our situations in life and He will not leave us in our time of need. You are stronger than you think. Our Father in Heaven does not wish us to cower. He does not want us to wallow in our misery. He expects us to square our shoulders, roll up our sleeves, and overcome our challenges.

I remember a conservation I had with my sweet mother several months ago. She was telling me about some trials she was experiencing. She thanked me for being there for her and for giving her an understanding ear. She said that I had been through so many things and that I had so much compassion because of the things that I have experienced. I had never thought of my trials that way before. I knew that adversity would make me stronger, but I hadn’t appreciated the increased understanding and awareness of others needs that my trials would bring. There is much need for compassion in our lives, and if we have not endured many things, how can we in turn build up and support those around us in their times of need?

I have felt such love and support from family, friends and ward members. The small things they have said and done have been a strength to me. Their examples of faith and endurance give me the courage to keep going. I believe as members of the Church that is one of our responsibilities, to reach out to those who may be struggling. Often just a kind word goes a long way, it can remind someone that they are not alone. We are blessed to have ward families and that helps to develop relationships. These relationships can be a source of strength, compassion, and love. Follow the promptings of the Spirit and you can be a source of help and support to someone who may need it, both in and out of the ward.

As you overcome adversity in your life, you will become stronger. Then you will be better able to help others—those who are working, in their turn, to find a safe harbor from the storms that rage about them. In D&C 122:7 the Lord is speaking to Joseph Smith and He says, “know thou, my son, that all these things shall be for thy good.” He doesn’t say that they will be pleasant or easy, but they will be for our good. I know that the adversity we face in our lives is difficult and at times may feel like it is more than we can bear, but it is for our good. We will be stronger and more compassionate and better prepared for the next trial. We do not have to go through things alone. Our Father in Heaven is there for us, our Savior, the ultimate example, has suffered all things for us. We can find peace and even joy in our trials, take time to see the small things- like the butterfly, the smile on a child’s face, a perfect rain cloud. There is beauty and goodness all around us, sometimes we just need to stop and notice it. I would like to close with my favorite scripture. It is one that is very dear to my heart. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Talking in church tomorrow....

2008-08-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big Sunday! We are talking in Sacrament Meeting tomorrow. (11:30 for those that wish to attend.) I finished my talk a little bit ago and Bryan is working very hard on his right now. It is a tough subject for us right now, but I think we will do pretty good. I love listening to Bryan, he does amazingly well and I love to hear his thoughts. I think he is very smart and insightful and I love hearing him open up. I know this is so hard for him, tho! I hope we don't lose our places or stutter, choke, sneeze, bawl or anyother embarrassing things! Wish us luck!

I did it!

2008-08-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

I completed 4 pages for my scrapbook today! And I hardly felt sorry for myself. There was a brief ten or fifteen minutes, but overall not bad! If I had any clue where my camera is and how to get the pics off my camera right now (the move still has us a bit disorganized) I would post pics of my pages. I think they turned out great!

Now, I need to make dinner before Connor's curriculum night!

Bye!

I just don't feel like pretending.

2008-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

I was reading others blogs today and I thought I would post something, but I just don't feel like pretending that everything is great and I don't want to be overly dark today either. I am somewhere in between. Does anyone ever feel like this? That you know things could be worse and they are pretty bad right now, but you know it could be worse. I know that there will be a time that everything will be good again, or at least good enough to not freak out in my head anymore. I just don't know how much longer I will have to wait for that time. Maybe that is my problem, I am waiting. I just realized that is exactly my problem. I can't wait for my life to get better. Even though it hurts, sometimes a lot- like today, I still have a family that needs me. When I wait, I get so little accomplished and I am just passing the time of my day. I am not enjoying the little pieces of it, the funny moments or the sound of the birds, or the rain clouds blocking the hot sun. I did take Alex to the park yesterday morning, and I really enjoyed getting out with him. But when we got home, I didn't do much of anything except worry and stress out. That needs to stop. Maybe I will scrapbook some today. I like doing that and Alex can work at the table with me and create a masterpiece of his own.

So, I will try really hard to stop feeling sorry for myself, at least for today. and maybe tomorrow too!

Surprise!

2008-08-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from Bro. Murset (Bishopbric member who asked us to speak). They are changing topics on us. Bryan doesn't even know. We are now speaking on adversity and why we have it and how we can overcome it. I was already getting into the saving part, now adversity. I guess the Lord wanted me to learn more than one thing this week! Now I have to reshift my thinking. I had already gotten my talk half together in my head! Oh well, I truly don't mind. This is a good subject, but I am sure I will have to try really hard not to cry in the middle of it!

I get to go to scrapbook night tonight! I am looking forward to it. I love to run away for some girl time once in a while! Have a good night everyone!

Thanks Everyone!

2008-08-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say Thank You to everyone who left comments about my talk in church. It is always helpfull to see the perspectives of others. Sometimes I cant see past my own nose! Anyway, I hope it will be a good talk and that I won't embarrass Bryan or my kids! Thanks everyone!

It's happened! And I thought I could avoid it!

2008-08-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

We have been asked to speak in church. I was gonna screen my calls, okay maybe not really, but I felt like it. Instead of that, they asked Bryan when he was at Young Mens. That's not fair! The real kicker is the topic. They want Bryan to talk on tithing and me to talk on tithing also, with a little twist thrown in to torment and humiliate me. They want me to talk about saving for a rainy day!!!!!!!!!! Do they know anything about me at all?!?!?!?!?!? No, of course not, or they would have never asked me to talk about saving. Hmmm, lets see, couldn't they just kick a girl when she is down? No, they have to put me up there for public humiliation. I am not a good example of someone who can save, you have to actually have money to save it! I can do it if I absolutely must, but I am certainly not one to go and speak to others about it. So, they just ruined the rest of my week, and then some.

Yes, I am ornery and annoyed and feeling stupid to have been assigned this topic, but I can't help but to feel that the Lord isn't assigning me this topic to have His own personal laugh at my expense. Obviously I need to learn to live within the new budget we have and maybe some research into the subject will help. I don't know how to budget when there is just not enough to even pay the basic bills, let alone save. I do know that I never want to be in this position again, and that we won't always be like this. The only way to prevent the utter loss of everything I have again is to save. I know this and will be the first one to admit it, but I am feeling so embarrassed to have to go and speak about it. It is a topic that is to raw right now. So, thanks to my new ward for making me feel soooo comfortable! I will shut up now and stop complaining, at least out loud. I am still whining in my head!

Happy Birthday, Alex!!!!!

2008-08-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Third Birthday, Alexander Cook Hooper!!

The next 2 pictures are when Alex was a few days old and we had to go to Desert Sam and treat Alex for jaundice. He was such a yellow peanut!

Alex turned 1 and LOVED opening the presents!Alex was such a happy, but VERY mischievous child!
Alex turned 2!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!! We love you!

Day Care

2008-08-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, I need your help! I am trying to find kids to babysit in my home. I have an ad on Craig's list and was going to put an ad in the newspaper until I found out it costs over $100!!! So, I am hoping that someone out there knows someone who needs a babysitter! I have 2 possibly 3 openings (I won't watch more than 4 children at a time). I have a lot of experience and we will have a lot of fun every day. We will have activities, story time, preschool activities, etc. I charge $125 per week for full time, $50 per week for after school (my kids attend Red Mountain Ranch Elementary in Mesa). I am located at Power and McDowell. If anyone knows anyone, please pass on my number or just leave a comment! Thanks!

Messy House

2008-08-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

We were on our way Saturday to finish cleaning out the old house when our realtor, Greg Askins, called and told us not to. I was like, Huh?!? Well, he explained that the bank was sending someone over to roughly appraise what the house is worth to see if the offers we have recieved are around fair market value. He said the worse the house looks the better. I said that is no problem as the kids rooms look terrible! The carpet looks like something exploded all over it and the walls are horrible. We also never finished the base boards, but the wood floors did look nice. Oh yeah, the pool was growing algae all over the sides. We were actually at walmart buying shock and trying to buy acid (which Walmart does not sale!!!) to fix that problem. Greg said to do nothing today. I said, "All right, lets go to the lake!!"

So instead of working, we picked up our kids and Jon's friend Darrin and went to the lake. At first the kids were crying cuz they were scared when we were giving Jon and Darrin a wild ride, but then they got over it and we had a great time! It was fun to take an afternoon off and have a mini vacation. Many thanks to Gerry for allowing us the opportunity to use his boat! We loved it! The kids want him to go next time, they think it is more fun when he is there. Anyway, you will have to check out Jon's blog later for some fun clips of the boys in the tube. They were a riot!

Have a good Sunday!

Good News!

2008-08-07T17:57:00.001-07:00

Yeah, we finally have some good news!! Bryan has gotten a bit of a promotion and a small raise to go with it. I wish it was more, but I will take it! I am excited about the promotion because it gives him a chance to get hired on permanently!! It is in a better division, but I will leave all the details for him to share. He also got a new calling in the ward, he just can't be sustained until the records arrive! I don't know if we are supposed to even blog about that yet then. Oh well! I will leave those details to Bryan also, I don't want to steal ALL his thunder.

We are getting settled in here, my mom and my sisters have been so helpful in this move. They are spending a lot of time and effort here and you can see it. The place is really coming together and we are feeling like we belong. It is a nice feeling. Sweet little Alex is still asking to go home and seems a bit confused/upset by it all. Leslie took them swimming at their house today and afterwards, Alex asked to go swimming in my pool. Poor kid just doesn't understand that we are not moving back. This move has been so hard on the youngest ones and the oldest one. Fortunately for Jon, he is finding his place in YM's and also on his football team, so he is excited about that.

One of the saddest moments of all this mess was on Sunday during Sacrament Meeting, little Connor looked a little pale and not quite right and I asked him if he was okay, and he started to cry. Seeing that, I could hardly hold it together, in fact I am tearing up now! He was so scared and missing his last ward. He was trying so hard to be strong and keep it all inside, he is not usually one to share his feelings much. I was so worried about him and was hoping he would find a friend. He did! There was only one boy in his class and he is 2 weeks older than Connor and they really seemed to hit it off! And little Jenna was also so frightened but has 2 really cute girls in her class that are very close to her age, too. But her favorite surprise was finding out that her cousin, Tyler (Todd and Julie's son) was in her class at school. That just made everything okay! We are so glad for that! He is such a cute kid, too!

Anyway, it is so nice to have some good things happening! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had enough of the hard stuff and was good and ready for something positive! I hope you can find your happy place today, too!

Is the real estate market really in trouble?

2008-07-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know it is, but I am beginning to think that all these "reports" that say no one is buying a house are all a bunch of bologna. We have so many potential buyers coming through our house that I am getting sick of it. I know it is a blessing, people keep reminding me of that, but the constant intrusions are making it so hard to live my life here. Take today, for example, we are cleaning up our side yard and taking a load to the dump and two different realtors show up with their clients. We look like messy white trash, but today is the only day to get it done. We finish that and are cooling off when Kate comes running in and says that Alex has flooded the bathroom. He took a couple rolls of toilet paper (is that so sad when my first thought is that my little pain in the butt has just thrown money away!!) and he put those down both sinks and the tub and flooded the entire bathroom. We even had water in the drawers and cupboards of the bathroom. We grabbed every towel we had and cleaned it up, as well as plunge the sinks and removed all the mess.

As soon as we finished, I was just starting to pick up the towels and throw them in the wash, our doorbell rings and more people want to see the house. So I send Bryan to the dump and he takes the kids, esp. Alex, and I am now alone. I would love to go swimming before I start packing again, but someone else is supposed to come and see the house in an hour and I don't want to be caught in my bathing suit if they come early. Same goes for the shower. So I am hot and sweaty and afraid to do anything about it!!! We already have one offer and the people who just left said not to be surprised if they put in an offer also, so I am hoping this insanity will end soon!! No more than a week, cause we are moving out then anyway! Well, I am all done complaining for now, maybe I will complain some more tomorrow!!

How MRSA is spread....FYI

2008-07-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Alright, I realize that everyone is probably concerned about getting this MRSA from Alex. It is definetely a possibility, and I am sorry for having him in contact. Once he was on the antibiotic, he should have been fine, but it appears it was not working. He is now on a new one, it is apparently the last one that we have to try, so I am praying it will work. He had MRSA for quite a while before I took him to the Doctor, which is why my kids have it now. MRSA is spread through contact with blood or fluids that come out of wounds (like puss or something totally gross!). It is not airborne and stuff. A thorough hand washing will kill germs and antiseptic wipes on door knobs and stuff will go a long way. He should not share towels or linens and stuff. Which is probably how my kids got it. Alex and Connor sleep together every night and Jenna sometimes too. They are now taking a new antibiotic, which smells like a combo of vomit and another really stinky bodily function! I feel so bad for these kids having to take it! I give them a syringe full of their medicine and "wash" it down with a syringe full of juice or koolaid. That is the only fun part! Anyway, hopefully we haven't infected the entire family, but I think everyone will be okay, as Alex's sores haven't bled or ruptured and we don't all sleep together! lol. Let me know if anyone has any more questions about it!

See you all later!

More MRSA and the strange combination of Soy Sauce and Baking Soda!!

2008-07-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

That kid, I swear!! He is enough to drive me absolutely insane!!!

First off, I took Alex, Connor and Jenna into the Doctor today because Alex now has a rash all over his whole body. I thought he was having a reaction to the Bactrim he is on for MRSA. The doc said it is not a reaction that he would have broken out in hives all over if that was the case. He also said that since he started getting the rash last night that it would not be from the antibiotic that we started 8 days ago. (Gerry told me that it probably was a reaction and I tend to believe him more.) Anyway, I also took Connor and Jenna in because the each had a little pimple looking thing that Alex started with. It appears they all have the MRSA now. Now they are all going to be on the same antibiotic that Alex will be on, a new one that I couldn't pronounce if you paid me to. Connor has to have 3 Tbs, 3 times per day! 9 TBS per day!! I am going to go insane!

While I was digesting this, I got a phone call that someone else wants to come over and see the house. We are having someone come by almost every day and I swear it is always during dinner or some other important time. While I am happy for the traffic coming through the house, I am not enjoying trying to keep the house clean, while packing and keeping up with Alex. Speaking of cleaning up after alex, right after the potential buyers left the house, that little turd (affectionately called such) went and stole my soy sauce (I was making Chicken Stir Fry) off of the counter and also took the baking soda (I had just made a batch of cookies) and proceeded to pour out half of my new bottle of soy sauce and dumped it on Kate's carpet. Then he sprinkled the baking soda on top of it. It was all Bryan and I could do not to pick him up and throw him through the window!! I had just told Bryan that Alex was not getting into very many messes lately. Remind me to never open my mouth on that subject again!!! After he made this mess, I went and got my carpet cleaner and found that the last time I used it I forgot to empty out the dirty water. That smelled so bad and was so gross!! I don't know if it will ever be the same again! Anyway, I am tired, sooooo overwhelmed with trying to move and sell this house, and slightly discouraged. I am excited to move and have a fresh start in a new area and a new ward and new friends, but I wish I didn't have to do all this garbage to get there!

See you all later!

It appears to be........MRSA :(

2008-07-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the Doc thinks Alex does indeed have a staph infection known as MRSA. It's the antibiotic resistant one that has been in the news. The doc tried to scare me and say that it is the one where you check into the hospital and you don't check out. Thanks for that, doc! It only kills you if it is a very bad infection, which his is not, so a little antibiotic known as bactrum and he should be good in about 10 days. If not, then the dermatologist will straighten this all out. Anyway, a little troublesome, but hopefully not a big deal. Grandpa didn't seem too concerned, so it is probably nothing. However, my mom was VERY concerned and started talking about parasites and full moons and poor little Alex. I will admit his immune system must be shot, but I think he will recover just fine. A little acidophilus would not hurt him, tho.

Anyway, that is what is going on with my little psycho. I only refer to him as that because he is! He is driving me crazy! In the last 24 hours he ruined my new food processor, dumped out my shampoo, poured out a very large box of powdered milk all over the floor and table, then dumped water on it, climbed up the tall shelf in the garage and took Jon's RC airplane in the house and played with it, would not sit still for FHE and disrupted the WHOLE thing, stripped down completely 3 times- once while he was poopy!! and this was just in the last 24 hours. I am making very little progress in the house cleaning and he will be lucky to reach his birthday next month! But then he will be so cute, like after the doctor appointment, he was hungry and said he wants a burger, would I please buy him a burger? Then asks, you want a burger too, K? And asks it in such a sweet way that I so badly wanted to buy him a burger. Especially after the mean doctor squeezed one of his sores to make the puss come out- it hurt him and scared him! Unfortunately for us, we have NO money for any extras, including burgers. Sucks! So, I am doing my best to love him when he is so cute and try to remember that I love him when he is not! Hope your 24 hours was better than mine!