Those Crazy Cooper's

Max's 9th Birthday

2012-02-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is the first year that Max didn't want a big fancy cake. All he wanted was chocolate cupcakes with swirly frosting and balls on top

Since we got an XBox for Christmas Max has been obsessed. All he wanted to do for his birthday was play head to head games with his friends. Can you say lame? Fine, that's all you want to do, great. He had Cooper, Luc, Avery, and Owen over for a double elimination tournament. We warmed up with a little Kinect Adventures of river running and bubble popping then moved to the main event. The tournament was downhill skiing and of course, Max won. Then we had chicken & fries for dinner, cake and ice cream, and opened presents. Good birthday! Happy Birthday Max!

Leo decided today would be a good day to try out the old undies. Sorry fella, about the toddler running around with no pants on.

L to R: Luc, Owen, Max, Avery, & Cooper

Merry Christmas to All

2012-02-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

My favorite present was my new Cricut cake machine

Joey got a new laptop. Somehow I only got a picture of him with the new hat. We had a great day. The best part was that Christmas fell on a Sunday this year. So we got up, opened gifts, had breakfast, and went to Sacrament meeting together. The kids sang so my mom and dad came to hear the program. Joey didn't have any meetings so he got to hang with us all morning. I liked having it on Sunday. It really helped us focus on what Christmas is really about. It's nice to give and get, but we were really able to spend time thinking about Christ and feeling the Spirit which is what Christmas is really about.

Merry Christmas Leo

2012-02-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

One of Leo's favorite gifts was the Cars 2 collection. Joey went a bit crazy and bought 17 cars for him. He doesn't have the full collection but most of the main characters.

He also got an Imaginext airplane

Then there was the castle with lights and sounds. And this picture just goes to show that their is Peace on Earth on Christmas. We can play all together without fighting!

Merry Christmas Gus

2012-02-09T08:48:00.002-08:00

Carly's special gift for Gus- silly bands and a stick of gum

A new triceratops

bow and arrow set

Merry Christmas Carly

2012-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Dec.25,2011- Carly with her loot-nail polish, new boots, and a useful pony! The top pic is actually at grandmas house on Christmas Eve, but it's still cute so I felt it in.

Merry Christmas Max

2012-02-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Max really wanted some die cast cars. He got one in Catalina while on the cruise and really had fun with it. Joey got him a few more to add to the collection.

He also got an electric snap circuit board which has been fun to fiddle with

Then of course there's the XBox which was a family gift but Max is opening it

Below is his own pack of Garbage Pail Kids

Dec. 25, 2011- I always end up with a ton of pictures opening presents on Christmas morning and I always pick one of each child and call it good. This year I didn't want to miss out on those lost photos so i am posting each kids pics separately. This way the joy of Christmas can be fully captured and appreciated by all.

Pictures with my poops!

2012-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Dec. 24, 2011- We spent Christmas Eve at my moms house this year. While we were there grandma wanted to update our grandparent/grand kids pictures. So, here they are. I don't know about you but we girls have somehow become greatly outnumbered.

Grandma with her three princesses- Janae, Carly, & Winnie

Grandpa with his fellas- Back-Max, Zach, & Drew

Middle- Wilson, Adam, Grandpa, & Noah

Front- Bennett, Josh, Seth, & Gus

Leo is not in the picture because he was not interrested in participating and fell into a heap of tears when I even suggested it. So, sorry this is still not a complete picture. I've learned my lesson though about forcing two year olds to be in pictures, it can only end badly.

Holiday Program

2012-02-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

Bennion Elementary School where Max & Carly go to school

Carly is in the black shirt on the second row from the top, just to the right of the teachers head. Can you see her? I Spy!

Max going on stage to sing with the 3rd graders

Dec. 20, 2011- This is the Holiday Program at the elementary school. This is my view from the back! Joey went up closer to snap the shots for me.

A World Covered in Icicles

2012-02-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

Dec. 15, 2011- The day was fairly warm and rainy yesterday and then it froze overnight and this is what happened. I woke up to a frozen world where everything was covered in little tiny icicles. The fence, the trees, the bushes, the grass, were all covered in frozen spikes. I went out to throw out some garbage and this is what I found! I had to take a walk to admire the beauty of it and then grabbed my camera so I could share it with Joey. I'm glad I did because as soon as the sun came up they melted and were gone.

Santa's Lap

2012-02-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

Dec. 3, 2011- Santa came to visit the kiddos at the ward Christmas party. This was the order they sat on his lap too. Gus went first, of course. He's friendly and fearless. Leo went next because if Gus was fine and came back with treats then it was okay for him to go. Max went next because he figured out that it wasn't really Santa but, Bro. Phil, so he wasn't fooled. Then Carly was last. She too whispered to me that she knew who it was, but she has always been fearful of sitting on Santa's lap. But she got brave and decided it would be okay. Even though they are out of foces and not looking at the camera, the bottom two pictures are my favorite. Max is Ho-Ho-Ho-ing like Santa, and Carly is giving Santa a Big Smash.

Field Trip to the Zoo

2012-02-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Gus, Emily, & Jayden

Nov. 30, 2011- Our preschool class went to the zoo for a field trip. The last Wednesday of the month is free admission during the winter so we took the class and went to see some animals. My favorites today were the howler monkeys. They were outside today and talking up a storm! They sounded like a bunch of toddlers in a screaming match. You couldn't help but laugh at the noise. Below is Emily, Jayden, Paul, and Gus. Regan was there too but I only have a picture of the back of his head.

To the Hill!

2012-02-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Max on his board

Gus and Leo on the sleds

Carly on the big green sled

Max on his snowboard

Mom and Leo on the sled

Nov. 19, 2011- For those of you who live in or around the Salt Lake Valley you know what an odd winter we have been having. This is the second snow storm(the first being in October during Carly's field trip). Since then we have only had one or two more small flurry storms that were melted and gone the next day. No real snow so far. So, we are now especially glad that we went out to the sledding hill to sled. Max also took his snowboard to practice. He is actually pretty steady on it. He balances better than I could. And yes, he is licking the snow!

Jessica's Fall Wedding Cake

2012-02-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

Nov. 18th 2011-This cake was for one of my old young women who got married last week. I turned out beautiful and the cake tasted wonderful too! She had silk flowers to go on it but they were too big so I made these sugar flowers and used them instead. I don't know if she loved them as much as I did but I thought they turned out beautifully!

Shutterfly House Party

2012-02-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

Nov. 12, 2011- There is this fun website that my friend Heidi introduced me to. It's called House Party. The idea behind it is that companies bring new products or ones that they want to reintroduce to the public. They go to House Party with samples and other things put into a party pack for me, as the consumer, to share with family and friends. It's a form of advertising for them and a way for us to try new things for free. Plus it's a great way to get free stuff! This party was for Shutterfly. They were promoting their holiday cards. I gave a demonstration on how to construct a card online and everyone went home with a certificate for 12 free cards and a free calendar! Plus we got together for crafting type fun and yummy cake pops!

Happy Birthday Gus!

2012-02-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

One of Gus's best buds, Paul, brought him a mini light saber and magnetic race cars

Our preschool class-L to R: Paul, Jayden, Gus, Regan, Leo, & Emily

Cupcakes for our preschool friends

Dad & Mom got him a box of KeNex and a two ended light saber to match his birthday cake!

Feb. 8, 2012- Ok, so if you are reading this you can see that I am making an effort once again to get caught up with my blog. My goal is to actually blog special events and happenings as they happen and not three months later. So, I am going to do this one out of order because it's pretty big. At least to me and Gus! Today my sweet little Gus turned five years old! He has been waiting patiently for weeks now for his birthday to come and was not dissappointed. I am doing a home preschool class for Gus with some of the ladies in my ward and we had preschool today at our house. Since he would invite the same kids to a party that are in his class, we incorperated a birthday party into preschool. We did our regular lesson, then made Valentines boxes to be used for next weeks lesson, played a couple of party games, and had cake and ice cream. Gus decided that he wanted to open his presents then so he opened his two sided light saber and his giant box of Kenex and they spent the rest of the time battling with the light sabers. They Joey took us out to lunch for his birthday. He choose to go to Chick-Fil-A and it was delicious! I love that place! Then we came home and did our usual after school things with Max and Carly while Gus played Lego Star Wars (his new favorite game). Then we had spaghetti for dinner (Gus's favorite) and got ready for cake and ice cream. Grandma & grandpa Cooper, Grandma Romes, and the Hardings came over to have cake with us. Of course it had to be a light saber cake! They played with the cousins for an hour or so and then it was time for bed. Grandma Romes brought him a Hot Wheels T-Rex Tower and he and Max suckered me into setting it up for them before bed. So we put it together and played for a few minutes. He said he had a fun birthday and I did too! Happy Birthday Gus! You rock!

The End of the Line

2012-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Nov. 4, 2011- On the last day of the cruise they get you up early and out of your room so they can clean and get ready for the next lot of vacationers that will be boarding later on that same day. So, once your out of your room, you take all your bags and pretty much wait around for your deck to be called so you can get off the ship. So, we got ourselves one last ice cream cone and found a booth to park it. We played UNO and chilled until we were called and had to disembark.We had a great time but all good things must come to an end!

Cozy Cabin

2012-02-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Nov.4, 2011-One reason we were able to go on this trip was because of the fabulous price we got. But we had to share a cabin with all five of us. If you've ever seen an inside cruise ship cabin you know how small they are! We had one queen bed with two fold out bunk beds one on each side and a trundle bed in the corner on the floor. It was cozy but no one seemed to mind. It was like a giant sleepover that lasted for four nights!

All Partied Out

2012-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Nov. 4, 2011- This is the last day on the cruise. The last night(Thursday) Gus partied hard at Camp Carnival and after stayed up late with us at the Vegas show. This explains the face paint still on his face and the fact that he is still in his clothes, as he fell asleep at the show and was carried to bed. The next morning we got up early and had to pack up and get out of our room so they could clean for the next cruise that was leaving later that day. These pictures are taken in the morning as everyone else is bustling around him, packing and talking and making plenty of noise. He was THAT tired! Poor kid. Sometimes you need a break from your vacation!

Sea Lions Ahoy!

2012-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

Nov. 2, 2011- While getting back on the ship we noticed there were a whole bunch or sea lions sun bathing on the edge of the pier by the ship. You could hear them barking and grunting quite a ways away and when Joey told the kids that the noise was sea lions they wanted to sit and watch them. They were barricaded off so you couldn't get very close to them but I zoomed in to get a better look. I also took a quick video so we could remember what they sounded like.

Is this the buffet??

2012-02-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Nov. 2, 2011- On our way back from La Bufadora Joey asked the taxi driver if he would take us to the buffet, as last time we were here the tour ended at an all you can eat Mexican buffet that was really good. He said (in Spanish), "oh, yes, I know where the buffet is." About 30 minutes later we pull up in front of a buffet but it is a Chinese buffet! What!?! I did not come to Mexico to eat Chinese food (although I was curious to see what Chinese food tasted like in Mexico). I want a Mexican buffet! So, he dropped us off at the closest main street and we wandered until we came upon this little bar type cantina that was open to the street. It looked decent so we stopped for tacos. Max wanted to get carne asada so we got that plus a plate of nachos and fajitas. They had excellent homemade red and green salsa and chips too! It was delicious.

Ensenada Mexico

2012-02-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Nov. 2, 2011- Day #3 of our cruise put us in Ensenada Mexico. Here is Joey, Max, & Carly standing in front of our ship, Paradise on our way into Mexico!

We walked down the pier to catch a taxi to La Bufadora. From past cruising experience we have learned that you can often get the same excursions for less if you pay the locals directly.

Riding in the taxi van to La Bufadora

We saw these cool clouds that seemed to be pouring over the mountain.

Max & Gus peering over the edge waiting for the blast of water.

La Bufadora is a natural geyser like formation that is only found in three places in the world. One here in Mexico, one in Hawaii, and one in Australia. The water from the tide is pushed into the hole in the rock and then the pressure builds up inside the cavern and pushes the water up into the air. It's pretty cool to watch. We sat here for over an hour and eventually made our way over to the wet zone and Max, Carly, and Joey were giggling as they got sprayed by the water!

Max looks a little nervous to be having his picture taken while sitting on the edge

Gus didn't want to get sprayed so he stayed safely out of the way!

This is a video of Max and Carly being sprayed by the blow hole. They got soaked but loved every minute of it!

Crabs and elephants and dogs, oh my!

2012-02-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

Nov. 1, 2011-This second night was the formal dinner night. When we got back to our room late, full, and tired, the kids were excited to see the crab towel folded on our bed! Gus really liked it and wanted to take his picture with it, several times!

My own private mini-golf course

2012-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Nov. 1, 2011- Carly and I took a bit of girl time and went to play mini-golf. There was a golf course on the top deck of the ship. We spent a lot of time there throughout the week.It was a little 9 hole course but was a great activity when boredom started to set in. Hey, let's go play some golf. Then there was always an ice cream cone after the game!

Kids pool just for us!

2012-02-06T15:27:00.001-08:00

Nov. 1, 2011-We got off the ship for Catalina early in the day. So we got all our sightseeing done and purchased all our souvenirs and got back on as everyone else was getting off. Then we went to the pool and swam for a while since there was no one there!

Catalina Island

2012-02-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Nov. 1, 2011- On day #2 of the cruise we got to get off and visit Catalina Island. Gus is not in the pictures because he decided he didn't want to get off and went to Camp Carnival to play instead.

Catalina Island, CA. The round building is the old casino that is now a museum.

There was a nice sea lion statue to greet us!

The view of our ship from the ferry boat that took us ashore.

Halloween on a big boat

2012-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

Oct. 31, 2011-We boarded the ship on Halloween day. So, they had a Trick-Or-Treat scavenger hunt set up for the kids. We got a map and a goodie bag and set out to find the candy givers. The kids thought it was too much walking for not enough candy. I think they did the best they could for being on a cruise ship!

Gus was dressed as Captain America

Max was a very serious Jedi. He tried to stay in character.

Carly was a princess Cinderella, of course, and was happy that I let her wear make-up!

After the scavenger hunt they had a dance party set up for the 12 & under crowd in one of the clubs. Gus was the only one that would pose by the blow up skeleton/spider with me! Eeekk!

Here's our best pirate faces in front of the flag!

2012-02-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

I just went to look at my sister-in-laws blog to find that she has gone private and I am denied access! Wendy if you're out there can I please have an invite??? I'd like to see

crazy mcdazys again!

Goin' on a cruise, baby!

2012-02-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2011-Joey came home one afternoon and announced that he had found a great price on a 4 day Mexican cruise and that we would be taking Max, Carly, and Gus with us (sorry, Leo!). The cruise would leave on Halloween day. So, we left on Oct. 30th and drove to Whiskey Pete's in Primm, just past Las Vegas. These pictures are of us on Halloween morning in our beds (girls & boys side) getting ready to drive on to California. I was glad that we didn't stay in Las Vegas. On our way to Disneyland we stopped in Vegas and I was not happy with all the smut that my children (my eight year old son, particularly) were being exposed to. So, we decided to drive a little further and get out of the mainstream of the strip. It was a good choice. Whiskey Pete's had a hotel separate from the casino, no strip clubs, plus we got to sit in the hot tub all by ourselves!

Mr. Funny Face!

2012-02-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

October 27, 2011- Max and Leo making faces for the camera. There isn't really a story behind these. Max and Leo just wanted to pose for me one morning and I thought they were cute!

Snowed out field trip

2012-02-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

October 6, 2011- I was asked to chaperon the 2nd grade field trip this year with Carly's class. We had the first snow storm of the season that started while we were on the field trip. We started out by going to a pumpkin patch where each student got to pick out a pumpkin they could take home. We couldn't go out into the field because it was really muddy. Those who went got their shoes covered in think, sticky mud! Next we got back on the bus and drove to Gardener Village for the witch hunt. It was drizzling a little when we got there and we decided to go out anyway and try to find some witches until we got cold. We only lasted about 5 minutes and the rain had picked up a lot and we ran back to the bus! By the time we pulled out of the parking lot it was snowing! We were supposed to go to the park for lunch but skipped it due to the snow. the classes went back to the school for lunch. Mrs. Evan's, Carly's teacher, let them lounge on the carpet in the classroom and watch a movie while they are lunch to make up for the bummer field trip!

Reflections entry

2012-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

October 5, 2011- The kids elementary school does an art contest each year called Reflections. This year the theme was "Diversity means..." Max and Carly have made submissions the last few years and wanted to do something for it this year too. Carly made this necklace with the multi colors to represent how we should all take care of the diverse animals on the world. She won an honorable mention for her project. Way to go girlfriend!

Landon's 1st Birthday cake

2012-02-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

September 29, 2011- Julie asked me to make Landon's first birthday cake. They were having a pirate theme and she found this cute cake that she wanted for him. It turned out super cute. Happy Birthday buddy!

Who likes to fly planes?

2012-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

September 17, 2011-For Grandpa Merlin's birthday we went to Hill Aerospace Museum. They had an open plane day where you could get on a few of the planes and walk through them. There were even a few that you could sit in the cockpit and push buttons and pretend to drive. The kids thought it was pretty cool. Leo wanted to ride in everything! Then we toured the museum and walked around the car show that was also going on inside the museum. After the museum we went back to Heidi's house and had a BBQ and watched the BYU/Utah football game. It was a fun day with the fam!

Hanging out the window of a huge freight plane used to transport tanks and helicoptors.

Aunt Heidi brought donuts! Yum!

We found some mini pedal cart planes for the kids to ride.

The fan inside the big hanger was a big propellor.

Puddle Jumping

2012-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

September 16, 2011-We had a freak rain storm that was so heavy it overflowed the gutters within minutes. Carly, Gus, and Leo quickly say how much water was coming down and went outside to play in the gutters and float pieces of bark (boats) down the street! They had a great time and came in freezing, dripping, and looking for hot chocolate!

1st day of school

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Aug. 22, 2011- Okay, so I know I'm about 3 weeks late on this post but I still wanted to put these pictures up and give a shout out to my adorable kiddos who started back to school in August! Max is starting 3rd grade this year. He has Miss Deardorff for homeroom but they rotate for math and reading so he also goes to Mrs. Wright for math and Mrs. Woodbury for reading. So far Miss Deardorff is just ok and I haven't met the other two. Carly is in 2nd grade this year and has Mrs. Evans. They stay with the same teacher all day and so far we really like her! I am excited for a fun year and they seem to be enjoying it too, or at lease tolerating it at times!

Kyson's Cake

2011-09-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2011- One of my neighbors asked me to do a cake for her son's 2nd birthday. He loves baseball and they are big Phillies fans. She didn't really have any specific ideas other than something baseball. So, this is what I came up with. I think it turned out really cute and she raved about it and even gave me a tip when she picked it up for the party. There's a first time for everything! Happy Birthday Kyson!

Brother Phil's Cake

2011-08-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2011-My friend Mary decided to throw a surprise party for her husband Phil on his 50th birthday. She asked me to make a cake and cake pops for him, but since he's diabetic they had to be sugar free. This is the first time I have attempted a sugar free cake. I researched for the best recipe and then gave it a try. To me it tasted like the sugar substitute, but several of the party goers said it was a pretty good alternative. I think that's the best you're going to get when it has no sugar in it! Tee! Hee! Unfortunately I didn't get to stay for the party. It was a couples party (aka-no kids) and I forgot that until it was too late to get a sitter. So, I delivered the cake, shouted surprise, chatted for a minute, then went home. It's better that way. We drove by around 9:30pm (the party started at 5:30) after taking the kids to play tennis and the party games were still going on! Joey would not have been happy.

Cooper's Birthday Cake

2011-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2011-Stacy called and asked me to make a cake for Cooper's Hot Wheels themed party. Here's what he got. I really like the race track in the shape of an 8! Happy Birthday Coop!

Grandma Romes Birthday

2011-08-17T20:24:00.001-07:00

July 6, 2011- In true dad fashion I got a call on the morning of Mom's birthday saying that she didn't want to do anything big for her birthday, but dad thought maybe I could make a cake and bring it over for cake and ice cream. I suggested that we go to lunch at her favorite Chinese place and I would bring the cake with me...in one and a half hours. Impossible you say!?! This cake is nicknamed the fastest cake ever! I quickly mixed up a funfetti mix and popped it in the oven. While baking and cooling, I made some frosting and colored it. I was also working on cake pops for my friend Candace's baby shower later that day, which I was helping to host so I was working my magic! I quickly assembled, frosted, and decorated it and got the kids in the car and over to the Pearl Express. We had a delightful lunch and the cake went home with mom for later, as Carina and Heidi's families were coming over later. Ta-da! Sometimes I even amaze myself!

Carly's Birthday

2011-08-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Leo's favorite part of the museum was the water feature. He stood there and played in the water for a long time. He found the little ping pong balls to put down the tubes and even went to the store, found a fish, and brought it back to "swim" in the water. He held on to this fish the entire time we were there, refusing to let us put it back in the store. This is where I finally found it stashed in the ball pit in the beehive! He finally put it down to play with the balls! Heidi and I were cracking up over the silly fish! In fact I took this picture purely for her benefit.

Everyone wants to hold baby Winnie!

Adam's self portrait! He got a hold of my camera and left a few surprises for me.
June 30, 2011- We started the day first off with a few birthday presents. Joey has taught them well and we almost always open presents over breakfast these days. Carly got a large bag of gumballs for her gumball machine, a new pair of shoes, two CD's for her boombox, and several new books to read. For her birthday she wanted to go to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. So after breakfast we packed up a lunch and got on our way. This is one of those hands on type museums where there are endless things to do and explore. Heidi brought her boys and joined us there. We spent the day at the grocery store (funny how they hate the store for real but love to shop for pretend), the farm, and all the other fun things in Kid's Eye View. The Garden with all the balls that go up chutes and down tubes and all over the place. The Media Zone where you can be the weatherman or the news anchor. The terrace where the helicopter is. And so much more! We got there right as they opened at 10am and stayed as long as we possibly could, about 5:15pm. They closed at 6pm plus Carly wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner before cake and ice cream at 7pm. We tried to hurry home to get Joey only to be stopped for a horrible accident just outside our neighborhood. The entire road was closed off and traffic was being detoured off on the canal road (where we went), down to 6200 S, and 4700 S. The whole city was pretty much at a stand still. We finally got home about 6:25pm after spending over a half hour going a mile down the canal road. By then we were not going to make it back the way we came to Texas Roadhouse, be able to eat and get back by 7pm. So we promised Carly that we would go to Texas Roadhouse tomorrow night and she opted for Arby's instead because we were pressed for time. Even getting to the Arby's and back put us home at 7:30-ish so we were late for our own party! It was okay because everyone else was stuck in the traffic too! We still got to eat the cool looking rainbow cake, which turned out awesome if I don't say so myself, and some delicious ice cream! Dispite spending an obscene amount of time in the car and missing out on dinner, I think Carly had a pretty good day!

Carly's New Earrings!

2011-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2011-After several friends and cousins got their ears pierced, Carly asked me about having hers done. I explained what would happen and that it might hurt a little when they pushed the needle through her ear. I told her about how she would have to wear the studs for a while before she could change the earrings and that she would have to be in charge of keeping them clean. She stewed about it for a few weeks and finally decided that she wanted to have them done. When I was eight my grandma Mona took Heidi and I to get our ears pierced for our birthday's as she did for all the granddaughters. So, I called mt mom and asked if she would want to do that for Carly. She said, "Heck no! I don't want to hear her cry!" I assured her that she probably wouldn't cry, but grandma didn't want to risk it. She did, however agree to go with us. So, the night before her seventh birthday we went to Claire's in the Vally Fair Mall and got her ears pierced. She picked out the little purple studs and is so happy to join the ranks of the pierced ears!

Martin's Cove- Youth Trek

2011-08-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Our Trek family Back L to R: Joey, Andres, Uncle Clint, Korbin, Jake, Skylar- Front L to R: Jerica, Jessica, Kimberly, Kayla, Alex, & Heather (Uncle Jake is missing)

Skylar, Korbin, Kayla, & Kim doing puzzles on the bus

Bro. Hollinger giving instructions on the bus

Buses entering Martin's Cove. You can see Devil's Gate in the distance

Hand cart parking

Pa getting our hand cart
Waiting to get in line- Joey, Kayla, Skylar, Andres, Jessica, Jerica, & Korbin

On our way to camp

Our extra tall flagpole was the envy of the whole camp!

Skylar on his way down the line

Joey swingin' his partner!

Andres is all smiles!

Kayla coming through the bridge

Jessica, Jerica, & Alex do-si-do!

Korbin kickin' up his heels!

Oscar the dog. This dog lives at a farm several miles down the road but comes to visit the trek groups as they come and go. He walked in with us the first day and sat and watched the square dancing!

Singing at the fireside

Uncle Jake in the back of the hand cart holding the water jug for us!

Our family flag

Pulling along-Skylar, Jake, Korbin, & Andres

The entrance to the cove

Pulling and Pushing! Pulling: Uncle Clint, Jake, Skylar, & Andres- Riding: Alex, Kayla, Jerica, & Jessica- Pushing: Me

Joey carrying Kim across the river

Waiting to cross the river-Jerica, Joey, & Jessica

At the river crossing-Alex, Uncle Clint, Joey, Kayla, & Kim

In front of one of the Valley Boys statues-Me, Jerica, Kimberly, Kayla, Jessica, Joey, Skylar, & Andres

Joey, Skylar, Jake, & Andres pulling the cart

Uncle Jake in the rickshaw! We couldn't take the cart into the cove but they had these little rickshaws you could ride in.

Violinist in Can Jone's Cove

Martin's Cove

There was a snake in the picnic area and Bro. Miles set it free!

Joey getting the mail from Ephrium Hanks

Our family in front of our flag pole-L to R: Ma Cooper, Andres, Alex, Jake, Kayla, Pa Cooper, Kimberly, Korbin, Jerica, Skylar, Jessica
June 20-22, 2011- Way back in January Joey and I were asked to serve on the Trek committee as trainers for the Ma's and Pa's. These are the couples who go on the trek as parents of the families and are in charge of a group of youth. As neither one of us has been on a pioneer trek before we kinda laughed at this and did our best. The stake leaders, Gene and Karen Phillips, asked us to take some time in each planning meeting to go over the physical and spiritual preperation that the Ma's and Pa's would need to focus on to be ready for trek. I naturally took over the physical and Joey took the spiritual. I went over a walking/exercise plan, proper hydration and nutrition, and proper clothing. My goal was to have their physical needs completely taken care of so they wouldn't have to worry about themselves at all and be able to focus completely on the youth and their spiritual experiences. Joey focused on finding opportunities during those two and a half days where they could give the youth times where they could feel the spirit and develop their testimonies about the strength and devotion of the pioneers.Karen kept telling us that we should keep the date open as she was sure that we would somehow be invited to be a Ma and Pa on trek. After the final numbers were turned in to the stake there were more youth going than there would be adults to be Ma's and Pa's so since Joey and I had been a part of all the training so far we were an easy choice to ask to come. Our family consisted of nine kids, Joey and I, and two uncles. Jake Crump, Alex Fernandez, Corbin Nuttall, Kimberly Machado, Kayla Vidovic, Andres Escobar, Skylar Higley, Jerica Miles, and Jessica Miles were the kids. Our uncles were Pres. Jake Neiuwland and Clint Rogers. We had a great family! We met our family for the first time the Sunday before we left for trek. They all came to the church to bring their bags and meet us. While they were there we chatted for a minute and had them put their handprints on our family flag. We then met at 5am the next morning to board the bus and begin our long trip to Martin's Cove. The bus ride started a little rough with 13 people who we didn't really know, but after a little while and a few friendship bracelets, everyone started to loosen up a little and get comfortable with each other. When we arrived we all got our things off the bus and sat to have lunch. Our Pa went and got our handcart and we loaded it up with all our buckets and things. Then we pulled it over to the visitors center for the introduction video. Then we all got in line and started our first trek out to our campsite. Once we got there every family dispersed and claimed campsites and set up tents. The tents were organized three per family. One for the boy youth, one for the girl youth, and one for the male adults. Me being the only female adult in my family, I had to bunk with the neighbors. So, I shared a tent with Maredith Harker and Patti Farrington. Our three priesthood brotheren shared our third tent, Pa, Uncle Jake, and Uncle Clint. After we set up camp the cooking crew had dinner ready for us so we ate a delicious dinner of pulled pork sandwiches! Alex boasted when she polished off her fifth one! She may look small and thin but she sure can pack it in! After dinner was cleaned up we headed over to the square dancing field where we were joined by two other stakes for a rousing good time! Even Andres, who came over from Guatamala only three weeks ago and speaks very limited english, seemed to genuinly be enjoying himself! It was fun to see all the youth interracting with each other. After the dancing we all went back to our family camps and had a campfire and Family Home Evening. We were blessed to have Pres. Neiuwland as one of our uncles as he was always able to bring the spirit through laughter and stories. He advised us to keep our hearts and minds open during our trip to the cove the next day as the spirits of those pioneers wanted to be heard. He also asked us that if we were feeling the spirit to turn to our neighbor and let them know that you felt it so they could recognize it too. I have taken this to heart since and tried harder to share it when I am feeling those promptings. After FHE we sat around the fire and told jokes and played games. One by one we went to bed. The next morning we woke up, had a delicious mountain man breakfast, and prepaired to trek to the cove. Uncle Jake, who has a bad back, had planned to hitch a ride with the truck and meet us at the entrance of the cove. As a family we decided to ask him if he would let us pull him in the wagon and if he said no, we would kindly insist that we needed all our family to be with us. After much debate, he graciously allowed us to put him in our handcart and pull him, even though I'm sure he was more that a little embarrassed. We were glad to have him along. We got in line and started down the trail. Our first stop was at the river where we did the handcart river crossing to simulate how the pioneers crossed the Platt and the Sweetwater rivers while coming to SLC. Of course the crossed when the water was half frozen. Our water was cool and the outside temperature was in the mid-80's. The boys felt galant and offered to pull the girls in the handcart as some of them weren't going to cross if they has to walk in the water. So, Jerica, Jessica, Kim, and Kayla rode in the cart. Jake, Andres, Skylar, Korbin, and Uncle Clint pulled while I pushed the hand cart. Joey carried Kim across as she really wanted to be carried over the river by her Pa! After everyone crossed we walked up to the statues of the Valley boys who came from Salt Lake in the rescue party and helped the saints cross the Sweetwater river. Then we stopped at the pavillion at the base of the cove for lunch. There was another group in the cove and we didn't want to rush them or croud up the cove so we ate while we waited for them to finish. Once they were out and our lunch was done we parked our hand carts and made our way into the cove. The first stop was in the Dan Jones cove. When we entered the cove there were three violins softly playing and when everyone was in they sat and Pres. Neiuwland told some stories about pioneer families who had come through Martin's Cove. Then we were asked to stay with our families and as quiety as possible, make our way through the cove. As we approached the clearing where the rescue took place, Pres. Neiuwland whispered to each group about the significance on the spot as they went by. Then at the top of the cove we were met by a missionary couple who told us a few more stories and explained further the importance of Martin's Cove and how the spot was a miricle in itself. It was tucked away enough that there was little chance someone would even think to look for people there. Plus there was a sand hill that was on the opposite side of the rocks that acted as a wind break, yet it was oddly out of place in the rocky terrain. Some think it was placed there miraculously shortly before the saints arrived. After we sat and pondered a while each family left to make there way back to the hand carts. Once we were all down and out of the cove we took our carts and started back. We were stopped again at the status of the valley boys. We all looked around wondering why we had stopped here again. Then the "angels" came out and started taking members of our families. There people represented the lives lost to the pioneer families and symbolized how they had no chioce but to keep going after a loved one was lost. Some families didn't lose anyone, Our family lost three. First they took Jake, our big brother who was our horse at the front of the cart. Then they took our Pa, who when I saw him walk away I immidiatly began to cry! Then we lost Andres, our quiet, yet gentle and loving brother. Now I was left a blubbering mess, having to regroup and be in charge of our family without Joey! Even though I knew he was not really dead and would be returned to us after the demonstration was over, I couldn't get a hold of myself! My worst fears had come true. Now without Jake to man the brunt of the cart, Uncle Jake insisted that we couldn't pull him anymore and he would take a spot at the back of the cart and help push, as this would be best for his back. Alex took position at the front with Korbin, Skylar, and Uncle Clint. While I took hold of the back with Uncle Jake. He quietly talked me down from the ledge and asked me to share, when I was able, with him and the family how I was feeling. Which I did later around the campfire. I truly gained a greater understanding and appreciation for my pioneer ancestors and all that they sacrificed for all of us to be able to endure such hardship and physical strain to get here. After we hiked a ways back to up the trail, we were stopped again by Sister Standing and Brother Hollinger, the stake YW and YM presidents. They split the girls off the the right and the boys off to the left. This is where we would do the women's pull. The boys hiked to the top of the hill and were only allowed to watch. The girls were asked to pull the hand carts about a quarter mile to a steep, rocky, narrow hill where the boys were waiting at the top. Sis. Standing gave us a little pep talk about how we were strong both inside and out and we all believed in each other and our families and we could do this. Then silently, one by one, each family of women pulled our carts up this hill. Some were crying, some were grim faced and determined, but all made it up! Those who went first parked their carts at the top and went back to help the others. When we were all at the top the boys had a ring pop for each girl symbolizing our virtue being greater than jewels. This was one of the most significant of all the trek experiences for both the boys and the girls. At this point our lost family members were returned to us and we walked back to the campground. We rested a bit and had a delicoius dinner of beef stew and biscuits. Then we had a fireside where Ephrium Hanks delivered the mail from home. We each received a letter from a parent and Joey had arranged for my mom to write one for me. I was quite surprized by that! It's been a long time since I got a hand written letter from my mom. Then we had the stake testimony meeting. After, our family had another campfire and we spent our time telling jokes and trying to one up each other for the best joke. We were joined several times by other Ma's and Pa's looking for lost kids. I was very greatful that we had good kids who wanted to stay with us and we never had to go searching for them in the dark or the light for that matter. The next morning we had breakfast and took broke camp. Our family had boasted the highest flag as we put it up on a tripod that extended about twenty feet in the air. As part of our departure we had a flag lowering ceremony where we all stood in a circle as the flag was lowered and taken down. Then Joey cut a piece of the rope we tied it with for each person. It was all very cheesy and silly but everyone seemed to get a kick out of it all! Then we packed out carts and made trek back to the busses and walked that stretch of road for the last time. And as they say, the rest is history!

Princess Book Club

2011-08-17T15:43:00.001-07:00

June 2, 2011-One of my very best friends Candace and I put together a book club about 5 or so years ago. Our book club has seen members come and go,gone through several face lifts, and had both poorly attended and overflowing crowds over the years. Each month we take turns choosing a book and then hosting dinner and a discussion amongst the members. This month was Candace's turn and she picked a princess book and decided to have a princess party complete with a big cake, beef wellington, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, roasted potatoes, and we were all invited to dress in our best princess attire! She asked me to make the cake and here is what I came up with! I also made pink crown cake pops! I was also able to go over to her house and help with the food as well. It was, for both of us, our first time attempting beef wellington, and it came out marvelous!

Wasatch Back Marathon

2011-07-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Me at the starting line-see how it's still dark! Yeah, it's 5:50am!

The starting line which also transformed into the finish line. Convenient!

My cheering section at the finish line!

My kiddos running with me to the finish line

My finish line dead face!

My adoring fans! Back L to R: Robert, Marie,Leo, Heather, Steph. Front L to R:Carly, Gus, Max

Giving Joey a sweaty hug he didn't really want!

My finishers card

My prize! My very own beer stein

Joey found a hawks nest on top of a power pole!

July 30, 2011- Today I embarked on a great adventure that was my first marathon. Now, despite what a few of you might think, I did know what I was getting myself into when I decided to do this race. Granted over the months since I signed up the information given by the website shed more light on how difficult this race was actually going to be. Then, when my brother-in-law drove the course(at least the part you could drive on, and a few we really shouldn't have)last night, I was feeling quite overwhelmed. So much so that I was at the point of dread about 4:30am this morning. About 2/3 of the course was on dirt roads or trails that went through the Snake Creek Canyon. I even had several people say, "This is a tough race, are you sure you can handle it?" Now, why does everyone keep saying this to me? Do I look like I can't handle it? Well, I will tell you now, I did handle it and I have successfully completed my first full marathon. Let me tell you a little about it! First of all I want to rename this race to, "The Best that I Can Do Marathon" and you'll see why. After five long months of training I did feel pretty good about my preparation for the race. We drove up to Midway yesterday and spent the night at his brothers house, who lives there. At 5am I rolled out of bed and got dressed and ready to go. Joey took me almost up to Soldier Hollow where the race was to begin. Which is where I realized that I forgot my bib, so back to his brothers house we went to get it. We had time to do this, but it put me back an extra 15 minutes which meant I didn't have time to warm-up except to run to the start line! I had to take a potty stop before the race started and I barely got to the front of the line before the call to the start line came, so I has to jog over. Then I stood in a clump with the other runners to receive race instructions while the mosquitoes ate at me! Then the start was sounded and I was off! The first 6 miles was down from Soldier Hollow through Midway and up to the mouth of Snake Creek Canyon. This was my first memorable mile because first, this is where the real uphill began, and second, my MP3 player died so I spent the majority of the race without my music! I was really bummed about that. Then, up to mile nine we were still on pavement, then the blacktop ended and the dirt road began. The basic gist of this course was the fist half you went up the canyon and the second half you went down. But really once you got to the canyon miles 9-16 were almost completely uphill. Some of the hills were manageable but a lot of them I was dork walking and some I was downright trudging. At this point my strategy changed a little. Because I had gone over the course and knew what was coming, I knew that if I could just make it to the peak around mile 15 without expeling all my energy, then the downhill would start. I would need to save some energy for that part as that is where I would be able to make up some time. So, I decided NOT to try and run up all the hills(which, by the way, I wouldn't have been able to do even if i had wanted to). I would do the best that I could to get to mile 15 as fast as I could. Those miles went slowly by in a bit of a blur even though I can see every mile marker in my mind still. I remember passing mile 13 and thinking, "If this were a half I would be done!" That was also a memorable spot because I was halfway through. Miles 11-13 were really rocky almost like a hiking trail with big rocks all over the place. This was particularly hard to get through.Then, after 7 grueling uphill miles as the uphill actually kept going to mile 16(with a small flat between 15-16) I could see my first downhill! Plus the terrain evened out and it was soft dirt for a while. Then at mile 18 you came upon this massive hill that was practically carved out of the hillside! I knew this was the end of the big hills but after 2 miles of a nice pace I was annoyed by another hill! I think that was one of the hardest parts. Because of the terrain and the ups and downs I never really felt like I got into a real rhythm. A lot of it reminded me of hiking and not racing. Anyway, after the BIG one at mile 18, it was fairly level and pleasant to mile 20. Here is where the dirt road turned into a single track ATV trail. Great! So re-enters the big rocks and rugged terrain again, except now I'm going downhill. From 20-22 my knees took a real beating. I just kept praying that they would hold out with me just a few more miles. I didn't really have a ton of endurance or energy problems but my hip flexors took a beating on the uphill and my knees on the downhill. At mile 22 the trail came out onto Cascade Springs road, which was the main road that went through the canyon, so it was a gravel road that was easy running compared to the trails I just got off! Miles 22-24 1/2 went down this road. I did have to stop a few times to stretch and rest my knee as it was really throbbing at this point, but I made it to the turnoff. About 24 1/2 miles you had to turn off Cascade Springs Road and take this one foot wide sheep track that looked like it had been weed whacked to even get through, and it was straight down about 500 feet to the biathlon trail. I took one look at it and thought, "Really? After 24 miles you want me to go down that!?!" I could not hurry down this part at all so I carefully picked my way down to the flat trail, which was also in a field and looked like it had been weed whacked too! The dry grass was about six inches tall and I kept getting pokies in my socks! I went through there for about a mile then the last half a mile was on the pavement back to Soldier Hollow to the finish line. About the time I got down the slope of the sheep trail, I made a friend who had been trying, he said, for quite some time to catch up to me. He told me I was a strong runner, which I kinda snorted at. It was also his first marathon and we exchanged introductions and I told him if he was going to keep the same pace I would just stick with him to the finish, and that's exactly what we did. It was actually a relief to have someone to chat with to distract me through the last mile and a half. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I could chat at this point and that I wasn't completely exhausted, just trying to get to the end. I was also annoyed that we could see the finish line and we still had to wind up and down three more(yes, I said three) hills before crossing the finish line! I saw Robert and Marie at the top of one of the hills, and then Joey, Max, Carly, Gus, Leo, Stephanie, Ben, Wilson, and Bennett all at the finish line to cheer me on! I have to say, this was my first race that my family has made it to the finish line and it was pretty cool to see them cheering me on. Max, Carly, and Gus even ran the last 100 yards with me! I finished at 5:28:15, which was a bit longer than I had planned on before I saw the course, but I am very happy and proud of my time. I put my feet in the ice water pool, we got some fruit and donuts, chocolate milk, and water. Took pictures and I stretched. I got my time card and found out that I had won a prize! I NEVER will a prize! Turns out I finished 3rd in my age division and 8th overall for the women! I rock! I got my very own stein! The first finisher came in at just over 4 hours, which goes to show how difficult this race really was. I am glad that I did it and am very proud of my accomplishment. If anyone is looking for a tough, challenging, agonizing, and downright difficult marathon to run, this is it. But don't ask me to do it with you! I think I'll find a flatter one for next time!

Carly's Field trip

2011-07-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2011- For one of Carly's end of the year 1st grade field trips her class went to Wheeler Farm and I volunteered to go as a parent chaperon. She was so excited to sit by me on the bus and introduce me to all her friends. We saw all the farm animals at the farm, watched the blacksmith as he demonstrated how to heat and bend iron, fed the ducks, and got to take a wagon ride. When our official tour was over, we went to play in the playhouse for a while, then wandered back to the bus after a stop at the bathroom! Gotta love school field trips! I actually quite enjoy going on them with my kids because they are so happy to have you there and sharing a part of their school day with them. They seem to like to show me this part of their day that I am not usually a part of! It's fun!

Carly's first lost tooth

2011-07-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

May 29, 2011- Carly has been wiggling this first tooth for months now and when it finally gave in she wouldn't let Joey or me pull it out. We finally decided that it was going to stay in a little longer, then suddenly she came up to me and said, "I just got it out." Sure enough, there it was in her hand! She just pushed it in a little more and out it came! Yeah!

Luc's Party

2011-07-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

May 27, 2011-Our neighbor and Max's friend Luc had his birthday party at the aquarium. They booked a party there so they could invite up to twenty kids, so all four of my kids got invited. Plus, Angela(Luc's mom and my friend) asked me to go and help chaperon. She also called in a pickle about the cake. Luc wanted a water type cake but wanted penguins on it and Angela had no idea how to do penguins. So, she made the pool and I made the penguins out of fondant. Plus some fish cake pops, of course. People just can't get enough of them! It turned out really cute! We got to see the new exhibit, Superheros! Plus all the regular cool things at the aquarium like the shark tank, the sting rays, the anaconda, the four eyed fish, the jelly fish, the Nemo reef tank, and the penguins! Good party! Thanks Luc for the invite.

Princess and the Frog

2011-07-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

May 17, 2011- Max's class at school put on a preformance of, "The Princess and the Frog." They performed 6 times and each student got to play two different characters. Max was the frog in the first performance and the King in his second. He also drew the castleon the poster for the backdrop. He did a great job, remembered all his lines and seemed to enjoy it! I am constantly amazed at Mrs. Duckworth and all that she has been able to do with him. He really seems to like her and responds well to her. She has introduced him to so many new things this year and I just pray that he has an outstanding teacher like her next year!

2011-07-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

May 14, 2011- Today was Carly's first piano recital. My mom has been giving her lessons for a while, but when she was diagnosed with cancer and started her treatments, she canceled lessons for about 9 months as well as the recital. Now that she is recovered she started teaching again and the students finally got to play their Hollywood themed songs. I also made the cake for the recital complete with a star with each students name on it. Carly played, "High Ho" from Snow White and Joey accompanied her. It was fun to see her play in front of people and she did a great job!

Mother's Day

2011-07-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2011- This year mom was gone for Mother's Day and since we usually go to her house for dinner, we had to make other plans. Stephanie and I got together and planned dinner. She really wanted a chocolate cake and I really wanted cheesecake, so I made this cake for her and she made a cheesecake for me. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the cheesecake but they were both delicious! Happy Mother's Day to me!

Race for the Cure

2011-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2011- Back when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, I decided that I would put together a team to honor her in the Race for the Cure. We had about 12 people on our team. Carina plus a few of her neighbors and co-workers. Then me, and some of my neighbors: Candace, Angela, Marion(her mom), and Melissa. Adria also ran it but we never ran into her and I was a slacker and didn't arrange to meet her. I also ran into Lisa Norris who also walks it every year with her mom. My mom, unfortunately for us was not there because she was on her celebratory cancer recovery cruise. She was having a great time without us, but was missed at the race. They had a giant balloon arch at the start line and cheerleader to cheer us on! Then at the finish line there were oranges, water bottles, and a slice of bread from Great Harvest! There are always some very creative team names each year and my favorite was, "The Odd Couple." I took my picture with the sign in honor of my mom, who even though Joey didn't think it was funny, I knew that she would! Next year Ramona will be there for sure! Go Ramona Rocks!

2011-07-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2011- I made these cake balls and ice cream cones for my friend Jen's birthday. Then I made an extra batch for the ward party. The Young Women hosted a pot luck dinner and dessert auction to raise money for girls camp. I plated up 6 packs and they were selling for $30 a plate! I was shocked! The word has been getting around about the cake pops. I've made enough of them for plenty of people to try them, but I had no idea! People were being very generous though. I felt like yelling, "I have more on my counter at home if you want them. You can pay me $5 a piece for them!" Oh, yeah! They're that good!

Farm Country

2011-07-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2011- My sister Stephanie has an annual pass to Thanksgiving Point and invited us to go to Farm Country with her to see all the baby animals. We saw a baby cow, horse, chicks, pony, bunny, goat, ducks, and went on a wagon ride around the farm. We fed the ducks who were not interrested in our food so we took it to the chickens and tried not to get our fingers pecked through the bars! It's a fun place to go and the kids always seem to enjoy it. We even had a lady on the wagon ask if we had two sets of twins for Gus & Wilson and Bennett & Leo! Nope, they're just all toe headed little boys that can't look directly into the sun! At least they're cute, right!

Gus's Preschool Graduation

2011-07-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2011- We have come to the end of yet another school year. Gus made it through his first year of preschool and got to sing for us and get his graduation certificate. He also made me a cute Mother's Day gift that was paper flowers made from his hand prints!

Grandma Rome's Easter egg hunt

2011-07-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

April 24, 2011- As tradition goes we have Grandma Cooper's egg hunt on Saturday before Easter and Grandma Wilson's on Easter after dinner. This year was no different. We had a visitor for dinner that goes back to the South Carolina days. One of our old friends Tana Weatherford came to dinner and it was fun to chat with her and catch up on all the years since we've lived there. We also had some adorable cake balls for dessert!

Bubbles for everyone!

2011-07-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2011- After the egg hunt, Carly took her new bubbles outside with Leo to blow some bubbles. They were quickly joined by other cousins for some bubble fun. After all, who doesn't like to pop bubbles!

Grandma Vonnie's Easter egg hunt

2011-07-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2011- We gathered with all the other Cooper's to grandmas house for the annual Easter egg hunt. Not only were there eggs but prizes, fruit snacks, and hair bows for the girls strewn all over the trees and yard. We let the little kids go out first, as the photo of the stairs is everyone else waiting for their turn! Even with the little guys going out first it was basically a free for all! We also managed to get a nice picture with all the grand kids in it. We haven't done that for several years.They are:
Front: Leo
Bottom step: Claire, Cooper, Tyler, Traveller, Regan, Mason
Top step: Cameron, Julie(not a cousin but a sister),Landon, Paisley,Chelsea, Rylee
1st row standing: Brayden, Gus, Ellie, Kayla, Max
Back row: Eric, Avery, Carly, Madi, Austin

We had to beg Avery to come be in the picture because he thinks he's too old to be in the cousin photos anymore. That's so sad, huh!?!

Easter Eggs

2011-07-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

April 18, 2011- We have dyed Easter eggs for the last two years now with the kids. Max and Carly seem to be getting old enough to trust around the dye and Gus and Leo, well they get lots of help and supervision! Here are this years masterpieces!

Random cakes

2011-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

April 2011- It seems that I have been doing a ton of cakes lately. Over the last few months I have been asked to do a 3D R2D2 cake, race car, rainbow, penguin, swimming pool figures, soccer ball, baseball, giant gummy bear, 50th birthday, and so on. And don't forget about the tons of cake pops! Here are some pics from a few of them. I even started my own blog to record all the cakes I have done. If you are interrested in seeing them go to iheartcakes-superhey.blogspot.com! Enjoy!

Easter Cake Pops

2011-07-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2011-One of my favorite new treats is cake balls/pops. They are super fun to make, although time consuming, but taste yummy! These are some of my first that I made for an Easter dinner at my parents house. And Gus helping himself to one pre-party. They're little Easter eggs and chicks! Get it?

Last Day in Disneyland

2011-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Thursday Feb. 24, 2011- Today is our last day in Disneyland. Since it was so crowded on our first day coming in we didn't get a chance for an entrance picture. We decided to stop today and get a pic of the family standing in front of the train depot outside the entrance.

Carly really wanted to see the princesses at the Fantasy Faire walk so I decided to bite the bullet and wait in line with her. We literally waited for an hour and a half! It was officially the longest line of the entire vacation and we got into it knowing that it would be that long. The boys went off and rode rides without us, but we stayed. The went back to the Matterhorn, we complained that it was unfair, but we remained in the line. Finally as we were nearing the front (there were five people in front of us) they decided to stick around and went through to see the princesses with us. Carly was very excited to see Ariel as she is one of her favorites, and Cinderella! Jasmine was also there but not as cool because we saw her in Aladdin's cove already. I think Gus was just as excited to see the princesses as Carly was. They were fun because the ladies that played the princesses talked like them and dresses like them. They really were the Disney princesses! Who would't be impressed with that?

We spent the rest of the day wondering around riding what we had missed and re-riding favorites like Space Mountain, Autopia, Matterhorn, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, California Screamin', and we went back to the Redwood Challenge course too. That is where I had this bear siting!

Then we had reservations at Goofy's Kitchen for dinner. While planning this trip we seriously debated about the character dining because it was quite expensive, but I am glad we did it! There were at least ten different characters roaming around the restaurant while you ate. They went around from table to table saying hello, playing with the kids, and posing for pictures. Everyone got a posed picture with Goofy as you went in to be seated. Then you could wander around and find any that you missed too. The food was buffet style so it was very informal and kid friendly. It was nice to get to spend a little time with Chip and Dale and they came to you! You didn't have to wait in line to see them.Plus it was so close to both Gus and Leo's birthdays that when we made the reservation we told them we had two birthdays and they brought out cake with a candle and sang to them. And they each got a Disney birthday button with their names on them! How fun is that for your birthday! After dinner Leo was getting loopy and on our way out of the hotel and walking back down the hotel road back to the tram,he was dancing and running and laughing. Cracking himself up really. The pictures Joey took are blurry, of course, but funny still. I guess Disneyland really is the happiest place on Earth!

The last thing for the day and for Disneyland for that matter was to go and see World of Color in a good spot. Joey had gotten a Fast Pass for the show and we ended up down in front on the boardwalk, in the splash zone. Which was a great seat and you only really got misted from the water. When we got there the pier was all lit up and then the lights went out and the show started. The show was truly amazing and this time we could see and hear the whole thing. After it was over we made our slow way back to the tram and back to our cars and said our good-byes to Disneyland. Thanks for the memories and thanks for the fun!

California Adventure

2011-07-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Feb. 23, 2011- If we could do it again we would choose to spend another day in California Adventure. I don't think I really thought much about CA Adventure when I was busy planning out our routes through Disneyland. I don't think we really knew what to expect here. I thought there wouldn't be a ton for the kids to do and that CA Adventure was mostly bigger rides for bigger kids and adults, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how much there was for them to do! We didn't even go into the Back Lot because there just wasn't time, although I would have liked to have seen some of the shows. We started out going directly to Soarin' Over California to get a Fast Pass and then we saw Lightening McQueen and Mater. Then we wandered around and rode on the Grizzly River Rapids and came across the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. I didn't even plan on stopping here but it turned out to be a favorite spot! The kids loved to explore all the hidden caves and climb on the rope trails and the rock walls. Leo went down the slides about a millions times! Max and Carly liked the tire swing too even though we had to wait a LONG time to ride on it! I think the reason we liked the Redwood Creek Challenge Course so much was because we had been going and going for four days now and it was nice to just be able to sit and play. To not have to worry about waiting in line or think about where we were going next. We could relax, the kids could explore. It was like a little haven inside all the madness that is Disneyland.
After we left the challenge course we rode on Roarin' Over California and it was fun, but when I asked the kids if they wanted to ride it again they said not really, so we moved on. Leo had fallen asleep in the stroller so Joey took him to get Fast Passes for California Screamin'. I took Max, Carly, and Gus to Bug's Land. We went to see It's Tough to be a Bug and I really liked it. There were spots in the show where the 3D bugs come out at you and the poisonous bug sprayed the audience with its "poison". Then the moles tunneled under the seats and it felt like they were crawling under your bum. The actual rides in Bug's Land were too little for us. So, we rode on the Ladybug Boogie and then Joey had found us and we moved on to the Paradise Pier. We walked right on to California Screamin'. Gus and Leo were too small so Joey took Max and Carly first and I took Gus and Leo on King Triton's Carosel that was right next to the roller coaster. Then we switched and I got to ride California Screamin'. It was awesome! You got shot out at the beginning and then there were two loops and ups and downs. Even Max wanted to go again and he doesn't usually like the big roller coasters. Even Joey said, "I really liked that one, it made me giggle!" I think by the end of the night we Joey and I had ridden it three times and Carly and Max five times. At one point Kevin and Stacy came there and we rode once with Madi and Cooper too. We also rode the ferris wheel on the swinging cart which was trippy. I don't know if we liked the extra swinging or not. I think we would ride the regular car next time. The Tou Story Mania was always over an hour wait so we never did get into that one. As it got dark we got some fried turkey legs and a chimichunga for dinner and found a place to sit. Again, we didn't plan ahead for the World of Color show so we saw it from the side that night. It was really cool. They show scenes from different Disney shows on a wall of water and play music along with it. The fountain lights change colors to so it looks like the spouts of water are colored. We liked it enough to actually reserve a seat for tomorrow night. Before the show started we went to ride on all the smaller rides on the other side of the pier like Jumpin' Jellyfish and Orange Stinger. And because it was so close to show time we didn't have to wait in lines for very long.

Legoland CA

2011-07-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011- Along with the 4 day pass to Disneyland and California Adventure we also decided to spend a day at Legoland as Kevin really wanted to go. Basically Legoland is a lot like Disneyland only tamer. Almost all of the rides were similar to rides in Disneyland only the roller coasters went a little slower or the water rides were a little dryer. You get the idea. They also have a huge area devoted to replica buildings from around the world made entirely out of Legos. We spent quite a while there. Plus they have an aquarium attached to Legoland that you can visit while there. The first problem I had with Legoland is that they don't open till 10am, which is okay, but they closed at 5pm. So, we have this theme park similar in size to Lagoon here at home, with tons of interactive stuff for the kids to do, and tons of rides, and a water play area, and an aquarium, and were supposed to get through it in 7 hours. Really!?! I was told that I would like Legoland because it was a little slower paced than Disneyland, which it is, but I still felt frantic to get to see everything in the time that we had to see it. We ended up with 45 minutes at the end of the day to rush through the aquarium, which was really neat. Thankfully they let us stay a while since we were in before five.
The Lego city was fun. Gus even called a Punch Buggy yellow that he found. Can you see it in the picture? He's pointing to it! And of course, we had to have or picture taken with Lego Sponge Bob! The good thing about them closing at 5pm was that we could go and have a leisurely dinner at a reasonable hour, which we haven't been able to do yet on our trip! We went to Rubio's and had delicious nachos and fish tacos. Yum!

Fantasmic Show

2011-07-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Feb. 21, 2011- The last stop on our agenda for the day was to see Fantasmic. We kinda just ran into it as we were wondering around. We saw people who were sitting and parking strollers around the lake and Disney employees that were roping off sections for seating. We thought, well, we're here we might as well see the show. Conveniently Kev and Stacy were there too and we parked next to each other so the kids could chat about there day(since we didn't really stay together today). The show was really cool, but I am always a bit disappointed how Disney always seems to bring the evil/bad characters into everything. We're moving right along with all the happy characters and Mickey the sorcerer blowing fireworks out of his hands and then suddenly we have a the wicked witch from Snow White turning into a scary fire breathing dragon who's trying to kill Mickey. I don't know, but I just think you could leave some of that out and it would still be a Fantasmic show! Just my opinion. It was fun anyway and everyone loves fireworks!

We're going round and round!

2011-07-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Feb. 21, 2011- Next we decided that we would go ride a few of the classics that you can't leave Disneyland without! We waited in a really long line for the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Then we had to ride the Tea Cups! As Joey cannot ride on the spinning rides due to the upset stomach factor, it was left up to me! The kids were so excited to ride on the tea cups and the line was surprizingly fast. I think it's because you can put about 40 people on at a time. Plus the line is in the shade under some nice trees and the happy music is playing from Alice in Wonderland. So I got in line with the kids and Joey went to get some cotton candy for us to help pass the time in line. By the time he got back we were almost to the front so we had our treat while waiting in line to ride it again. I think we rode the Tea Cups three times and then I had reached my limit of spinning! Then we hit Dumbo. This line looked really long and it turned out to be really long too. When we finally got on everyone was glad to ride, but this one may not be worth waiting for, except for the sentimental value of it being Dumbo, and everyone has to ride Dumbo! Right?

A Day for Princesses!

2011-07-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Monday Feb. 21, 2011- We started out our day in Disneyland today by going against the crowd as much as possible. This being Presidents Day we knew it would be a very crowded day so we decided to avoid all the most popular areas of the park and try to stay out of the long lines if we could. We started by taking a left past the town square into Frontierland. The first ride was the Tiki Room and we walked right in. Leo, Calry, and I thought it was cool with all the talking birds and smoking volcanoes. Next we went to get a fast pass for Indiana Jones and then rode the Jungle Cruise three times. There was only a 10 minute wait the first time and less than that the second time. The third time they had opened up the upstairs so we thought it would be fast but we were deceived. It was still only about 20 minutes but by the time we got off the line was out the door so we moved on. We went to Indiana Jones and Joey took Max and Carly and I waited with Gus and Leo. Then I got to take them a second time with the extra fast pass and the stroller pass! I think the consensus on Indiana Jones was that it was fun to go on once, but we were glad to have the fast pass because it was too bumpy and loud and wasn't worth waiting an hour for! We also saw Aladdin and Jasmine in their cove on our way through. We walked through Tarzan's Treehouse and found ourselves just outside the plaza. We walked through Fantasyland to see that the lines were still really long, so we made our way to the Princess Fantasy Faire for story time. Carly was so excited that it was Snow White that was telling her story because she had brought her Snow White dress. She promptly put it on and got a good spot up front where she could see. Then we got to meet Gwen the Lady in Waiting. We came back later for the Princess Coronation too where the Princesses taught you how to curtsy and to enter the room and to do a dance. Then every kid got to dance and twirl a ribbon around the may pole! So cute! Carly was in heaven! Then a little later Belle was telling her story for story time, and as she is also one of Carly's favorites we went to hear her too. During all this princess stuff, Joey took the boys to ride on the Nemo submarine, which Carly and I never got to ride. Oh well! It was a small price to pay to be with the princesses. And don't worry, we'll be back, as we have not yet stood in the huge line for the Princess walk. We'll brave that one later!

Newport Beach California Temple

2011-07-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday Feb. 20, 2011- Since we didn't really want to do Disneyland on Sunday, and it was still the sabbath, even on vacation, we decided to go see the temple in Newport Beach and the go to the beach and have a picnic and let the kids play at the beach. The Hutchinson's were pretty excited about this as they hadn't been to a beach since they left Australia and were having withdrawals. The temple was beautiful and the trip gave us a great opportunity to talk about the temple with the kids. On the way back to the car, Gus turned into my little poser and kept saying, "Mom, take my picture here!" So, I have a few in here of him around the temple grounds. I wasn't playing favorites, he just wanted to have his picture taken! Then we drove down to Huntington Beach. Seeing the water as the horizon was pretty cool since we are used to being surrounded by mountains. Being able to see water as far as the eye can see was absolutly beautiful. I kept saying to the kids, "Hey guys! Look at the water! It's the ocean. You can't see the end of it." They weren't as immpressed as I was. I have always loves the beauties of the ocean! The beach was a bit windy but that didn't stop anyone from going into the water. Gus went to the waters edge and immediately got knocked off his feet by the tide. He came back to the towels crying and soaked. I wrapped him in three towels and had him lay down in the sun to dry off. When I went back to check on him he was asleep. There's a picture of him below. He's the lump under the blue towel! Madi, Cooper, Max, and Carly slowly made their way in as they dig in the sand and used buckets to gather water. It didn't take them long either before they were soaking wet too. Rylee was content staying by Stacy most of the time, building castles. Leo didn't want anything to do with the sand at first. Every time you would put his toes in the sand he would cry! Then Joey got a bucket and started making little piles all around him and he reached out to knock over the first one and realized it was fun! He would knock one over and laugh while Joey put up another one next to it. It became a race to see who could build or knock over the fastest! We stayed until everyone was shivering and wet and ready to go! This was a good idea for a family outing on a Sunday in California!

More Rain!

2011-07-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

By the time we all got back together again, it started to rain again and this time it was really, cats and dogs, raining! We all huddles under the canopy of a food cart that wasn't being used along with about ten other people. This storm sent the biggest number of people heading for the exit. But not us, we waited it out and to our delight, the rest of the evening we got to ride quite a few rides minimal wait time! One of the favorites was Autopia. In fact, after the Hutchinson's decided to call it a night, we decided to keep going, and went back to Autopia. We rode it three more times and on the third time around it started to drizzle again. Because the line was gone by then and you could literally walk onto the ride, we decided to press our luck and try it one more time. As we went around the track the rain just got heavier and heavier that by the time we got to the end we were getting pretty wet. Well, there was some kind of holdup at the front of the line to get off the ride and all we could do was sit and wait our turn to get off. So, we sat in the rain and waited and shouted that we were getting wet and to hurry it up so we could get out of the rain! Needless to say, this was the end of our day. We made our way back to the car and went back to Shirley's to dry off and hit the hay!

Big Thunder Mountain

2011-07-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

Feb. 19, 2011- Once we got off of Pirates the rain had stopped and we saw that there was no line,yes, I said no line, on Big Thunder Mountain. So Kevin and I grabbed the kiddos that wanted to ride on it and ran over. We literally had one train in front of us then we got on. This was a really fun roller coaster and because there was noone on it, we walked on a second and third time before we went back to find the others. If I've learned one thing in Disneyland it that if there is a short line or no line for a ride, you get on it! Even if it slows down your plan, or you don't think you want to ride it, or someone is waiting for you. You get on! They will understand. If you don't, you will regret it later when there's an hour wait! It was a good thing we did too, because we didn't get to go on Big Thunder Mountain again on this trip because the line was too long!

Pirates of the Carribbean

2011-05-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Feb. 19, 2011- At this point we go an a few more rides in Tomorrowland (Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters) and we head over to Pirates of the Carribbean, because Max is dying to try it. It is also starting to rain again and Leo is in need of a nap, so we get on the boat and we're off. By the way, the lines are actually getting shorter with every burst of rain. So, it doesn't take long to get on the ride. My favorite part is Jack Sparrow sitting at the end with all the loot! I love how they have apadted the figure to look like Johnny Depp from the movie!
The ride is long enough to put Leo to sleep and to miss the rain. By the time we're out the sun is out again. Since Leo is sleeping and Joey is holding him, he and Max head over to the Riverboat where they can sit while Leo sleeps and cruise around the bay. Stacy and Rylee head for the bathroom and get a churro. Meanwhile, Carly, Gus, Kevin, Madi, Cooper, and I head over to the roller coaster!

Max faced Darth Vader

2011-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

These are all the pics from Max's battle with Darth Vader. I wanted to get them on here too so he could remember the whole fight. I just put one picture of each kid on the last post.

Jedi Training

2011-05-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Feb.19, 2011- This was by far one of my favorite parts of Disneyland. We wandered into Tomorrowland just as a Jedi Training session was starting. So, we sat down and had lunch while we listened/watched the training going on. I asked Max and Cooper if they wanted to be in it and, of course, they said yes! So, the next training was in about 45 minutes. We decided to wait around for it and be the first ones there, so the kids could have a better chance of getting picked. This turned out to be a good choice because the later sessions were really crowded and the one we went to, pretty much every kid that wanted to do it got to. So, Madi, Max, and Cooper went through Jedi training. The guy who played the master in ours was awesome! In fact, in the days to come as we walked past the training pavilion, we would glance over and say, "our Jedi master was better than him!" See how I'm now a Jedi snob! So they start the show by saying there is a disturbance in the Force and they need some new brave recruits to help beat Darth Vader. They choose a bunch of kids from the audience and outfit them with a cape and a light saber. Then the master demonstrates how to engage the light saber, how to do the defensive attacks and offensive moves. Then all of a sudden the strobe light flashes and the smoke rises and the stage comes up out of the floor and there's Darth Vader and Darth Maul who takes a flying leap of the stage(and I cut off his head in the pic)and glares at everyone with his red face, pokey head, and creepy black eyes. So, the Jedi trainers gather all the students and tell them that this is there time to show what they have learned and they will get the chance to fight. Then one by one they are presented in front of either Darth Vader or Darth Maul and preform the sequence of moves they practiced. It was pretty cool! Then after Vader is defeated, they each get a diploma of completion! Too fun! I only wish we could have talked Gus into doing it. He was a little freaked out by Darth Maul and didn't want to risk having to fight him!

It's a Small World

2011-05-18T08:38:00.001-07:00

Feb. 19, 2011- After Toon Town we went up the hill to ride It's a Small World to get out of the rain. The first two pics are of the stroller parking. Joey got a kick out of the designated parking areas for strollers due to the sheer volume of strollers that are at the park. The picture truly doesn't do it justice. There were a boatload of strollers just outside this ride, plus that many more at every other stroller parking lot! This just proves once again that Disney land truly is for kids! Inside the ride Leo was mesmorized. The whole time he sat upright pointing from one thing to the next in rapid succession exclaiming, "Look! Look! Look!"
I'm pretty sure that I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures inside, but who can resist when you have children with these mystified expressions. Even though this ride is quite long and you hear the song over and over 12 times, they never seem to get bored. It's like when you turn off the TV suddenly and they all come out of a trance. As soon as we came out the exit and could see daylight again they all snapped out of it. It's a Small World truly is a trance inducing ride.

Toon Town

2011-05-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Toon Town was one of the favorite areas in Disneyland. I think we got lucky there too, because when we got there the lines were fairly short. We spotted Goofy right off and he was fast at signing and posing(which I appreciated because some of those characters were so SLOW! It was almost annoying to have to wait for them), so we got a picture and an autograph, then went on to Minnie's house, Mickey's house, the roller coaster, Donald's boat, Daisy's garden, Goofy's playground & house,and the roller coaster a few more times. Notice that Rylee is in the picture with Goofy, see I told you she would come out of hiding! The roller coaster was interresting the first time because we had a few little people who weren't sure about going on it. Rylee and Leo had to be coaxed into it the first time, but after that, we couldn't tear them away. It was a good first coaster for Max too. He gets a little nervous on roller coasters, so it was good to start small and hope that he liked it so we can get him to ride more as the trip goes on! Also, good because even Leo was big enough to ride, and it was tame enough that Stacy rode on it the first time with Rylee. So, there is another first, Leo rode on his first roller coaster. After several hours of this, we stopped for a snack and a drink and that was when it started to sprinkle a little. So, we went out of Toon Town and up to "It' A Small World", which also didn't have a very long line. One of the cutest things for me so far is the expression on Gus's face each time we get to a new character. You can see in the picture with Mickey really well. He is just standing, staring up at him. You can see the awe and excitement he is feeling, just standing there next to Mickey Mouse. He sidled up to all the characters we saw and stared, star struck, trying to get just a little bit closer. So, stinking cute! I love that kid!

The Carousel

2011-05-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Feb. 19, 2011- Our first ride was on the carousel. It was the only ride in Fantasyland without a line and everyone was so anxious to start riding, we went for the shortest wait. Don't worry, we did plenty of waiting in line. We just had to get the first ride in and then we moved on to Toon Town because all the other rides still had long lines.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

2011-05-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

We made our way down Main Street and came to the castle. And of course, we had to get a picture in front of the priness castle! So all the girls got into a picture(the boys couldn't be bothered). Yeah, for princesses! Here is Madi, Carly, Stacy, and Heather. I guess Rylee is still being camera shy! Don't worry, she'll be in a few, I gaurantee it!

Our First Character Sighting

2011-05-15T14:07:00.001-07:00

Just as we got through the gate and into main street Disneyland we see the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit! We immediatly get out our autograph books(that Aunt Stacy made and personalized for each of the kids with their names on them and a different character) and get in line to meet them. At this point the kids, especially Carly and Gus, are so excited, they don't know what to do with themselves. Upon looking around the square, I see Pluto, Goofy, Donald, and a few others characters spread out and I decide they must make appearances first thing in the morning as visitors are coming in. By the time we get to see the Queen, the other lines are too long to wait in so we promise to stop again later and move on into the park! Thanks Aunt Stacy for the fun autograph books! We will definatly make good use of them in the days to come!

On the tram to Disneyland

2011-05-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

We got into Shirley's late Friday night so we got settled in and got the kids to bed. We did not have any trouble getting them up the next morning, however, as this was our first day in Disneyland. Here are a few pictures of us riding in on the tram. We had two strollers to haul so when the tram was busy it was sometimes a little squishy getting on and off, but we managed to make it work. We found that getting into the last car on the tram was the best because it had the double doors and two seats that faced each other. That way we could put the folded strollers in the middle and there was still room for everyone on the seats! Perfect!

Bellagio fountains

2011-05-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Next we trudged down the crowded strip to get to the Bellagio to see the fountains. Although it was a long way and we had to wait for the fountains to start, we all seemed to enjoy the show. It's actually pretty cool, if you've never seen it. The fountains "dance" to the music played over the loud speakers outside the hotel. As you pass by, you can stop for a minute or two and watch the show! I think it's cool, anyway. After the fountains, everyone was tired and hungry, so we decided we'd seen enough of Vegas and made our way back to the van. Frankly, I know they call it sin city for a reason, but I was a little shocked at all the smut that was out in the open for all to see, including my 8 year old son. I fretted for him the whole time we were walking around and for the nudity he might catch sight of. The others were still mostly oblivious to it, but poor Max didn't know what he was getting into! Sorry about that, buddy. We won't be going back to Vegas with the kids anytime soon, that's for sure! So, we got back on the road and on our way to Aunt Shirley's house. We stayed at Kevin's aunts house in California. She lives about 15 minutes from Disneyland so it was nice to be close but also to have our own room. So when we weren't going, doing the touristing thing, we had a place to relax, and there were toys for the kids, so they didn't have to sit bored in a motel room with nothing but the TV to keep them occupied. And by the end of the week all the kids were calling her Grandma Shirley. Thanks, Shirley for your hospitality! You helped make our trip great!

M&M World

2011-05-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

One of the few things that is appropriate for kids in Vegas is M&M World. Granted it is really just a 4 story store full of souvenir type things that are way overpriced, it did have a theatre in it where we got to see a 3D show called, "I Lost My M in Vegas" that was really cool. If fact, the kids all wanted to see it again! As for the rest of M&M World, the escalators were a highlight, and I spent quite a while in line for the bathroom with Gus(figures). Where we ended up using the men's room because there were 12 women in line for the girls and no line for the boys. So, every other person in line went into the men's side because they were one-holers. We got a few chuckles when a boy would come up to use the bathroom and see a girl walk out! He-he-he! Oh, well. You do what you gotta do when you have toddlers around!

Luxor hotel

2011-05-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Feb. 18, 2011- This is us saying goodbye to the Luxor. We are off to McDonlad's for some pancakes and then to see some of the sights before getting on the road again to California. In the picture is Madi, Stacy, Cooper, Max, Heather, Carly, Joey, & Leo. I guess Gus and Rylee didn't want to be in this one?! Kevin took the picture for us.

I Love You, Mom!

2011-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Gus found the hotel notepad they leave on the desk and decided to write me a note on it. This is the first time that he attempted to write a full sentence. I was so cute and I am so proud of him for trying to spell! It's so fun when they try new things. Can you tell what it says?

Las Vegas

2011-05-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Feb. 17, 2011- For several years now we have been talking about a trip to California to see Disneyland. When Joey's sister and her family moved to Australia we planned to go together when they got back, in three years. At that time, Gus was a baby. So, three years later, they are back and we are all going on a trip to Disneyland together! After three days on intense packing, arranging with Max & Carly's teachers (because they missed 3 days of school), changing the date forward 2 weeks, and several planning sessions with the Hutchinson's, the day finally arrived! Everyone was so excited to get going, I made sure to have almost everything packed the night before and ready to go! We left on Thursday Feb. 17th after school got out so we had until lunchtime to get everything in the van and set to go. The plan was to leave when Max and Carly got home from school. Thankfully I had my lists and we managed to get out fairly smoothly with all the games, music, videos, and snacks we could want for the trip! We decided to make it all the way to Vegas on the first leg of the trip. We stayed at the Luxor and naturally once we got into our room we had to jump on the beds! What else can you do with 7 kids in Las Vegas?

I Love Cakes!

2011-04-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been working on this week. It seems that it was a week for cakes! I did a soccer ball cake for my niece Chelsea, an R2D2 cake for my friend's nephew's birthday, and a cake pop cake for Steph's baby shower tomorrow. I am glad that I get the chance to work on such masterpieces. It makes me happy to create! Even if it leaves my kitchen in a mess!

Cake Pops

2011-04-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

I can honeslty say that up until a few weeks ago I had no idea what a cake pop was. I was sitting around the table with my mom, Heidi, and Steph planning a baby shower for Steph and she says, "I want to have cake pops to eat!" And I think what the heck is a cake pop? Well, I can now tell you that not only do I know what a cake pop is, I am seriously addicted to them! I love cake decorating and this is a whole new dimension to that art form! I find myself at the store and I have to check out the sprinkles, just in case I find one I don't have. I went to Orson Gygi in search of chocolate melts(and sprinkles), and I can't stop thinking about where I could pick up a melting pot! In fact I just finished making my third batch and it is an Easter theme! Who said you have to use real eggs to enjoy decorated Easter eggs? Not me! Oh, and family, this is a taste of what's to come for the Easter egg hunt! I have plans to use them for the Easter egg hunt, the baby shower, the piano recital, and Carly's birthday. Do you think I might have a problem? I also included some photos of my other creations!

Shut the door! Gus is four!

2011-03-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

The only thing that Gus wanted to do for his birthday was to break a pinata. So, we went to Zurchers in search of the perfect one. He is way into the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" right now so when we found the black dragon that was the jackpot for him! Although it's not toothless, the black and red winged dragon was good enough. So, we filled the thing and invited a few cousins over to help us smash it! It was great fun and everyone went home with a bag of treats. What's not to love about a pinata? Then we had cake and ice cream and opened presents after. Yeah for birthdays! Naturally the cake is a vicking hat(the best $.50 DI find ever!) on top of a mountain with dragons on it! What did you expect? Gus wouldn't have it any other way! Happy Birthday, dude!

We Love Dinosaurs!

2011-03-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Feb. 7, 2011- I have been carrying around some buy one get one free admission coupons for the Museum af Ancient Life (a.k.a. the dinosaur museum) and decided today was the day to go! I just took Gus and Leo and the three of us went down to Thanksgiving Point to see the dinosaurts. We had a great time looking at the big fossils and playing with all the interactive exhibits. The favorite by far was the water and sand tables. You could build islands, dams, or mountains out of sand and them cover them with little dinos, and trees. Then the constant flow of the water through the tables moved the sand around so it was always changing. Gus also liked the build your own dinosaur spot where you could change the parts of the dino to make him your own! There was a bonus too, that it was a fairly quiet day. No field trips, or school groups. If fact when we pulled up we parked in the first spot next to the building and I looked around to make sure they were really open because we were the only ones there! We got the whole place to ourselves for about the first 45 minutes. Which if you've ever been to one of these places when it's really crowded, you know what a blessing that was! Mostly it was just fun to take just the three of us and have a quiet, laid back day with the dinosaurs. It's been a long time since we've had an outing like that!

Max's Baptims

2011-02-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

Feb. 5, 2011- Today was Max's baptism day. I am so proud of his choice to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am glad that he has been taught the principles of the gospel and now feels like he can accept it as his own. I love him and am excited about the wonderful young man that he is growing up to be. Thanks to all that came to support him today and I look foreard to his confirmation in Sacrament meeting tomorrow.The picture with all the kids are most of the cousins on both sides. They are from R to L: back- Janae Both, Drew Both, Brayden Warner, Cooper Hutchinson, Landon Carlson, Madisen Hutchinson, Austin Warner, Chelsea Warner, Leo Cooper(and me so Leo would be in the picture). Front R to L: Zach Both, Adam Horsley, Noah Horsley, Seth Horsley,Max Cooper, Rylee Hutchinson, Paisley Cooper, Regan Cooper, Carly Cooper, & Wilson Harding. Those cousins missing are Avery Warner, Kayla, Cameron, Tyler, Mason, & Ellie McDonough, Eric Cooper, Gus Cooper, Traveller Cooper, Claire Carlson, Josh Horsley, Bennett & Harding. Wow! That's a lot of kids! Thanks guys for coming.

KUED Reading Marathon Party

2011-02-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Jan. 22, 2011- Back in November the kids participated in a reading marathon that was sponcered by KUED. They held it at the State Fairgrounds and it was a lot of fun. There were all kinds of crafts, games, live shows, snacks, prizes, and characters to see. Max's favorite was the drum show. There was a group there that played those massive drums with the huge sticks. They dress up in grass skirts and such. Carly's favorite was all the painting and crafts. Gus's favorite was the dinosaur dig and the rocket toss where you made a little foam NASA rocket and they had a wall set up to throw them through holes to get points. Leo just liked all the candy and stickers at the tables.They gave each kid a Harmon's paper sack when we went in to carry all your loot in and they definalty filled them up! They also got to pick out a new book as a prize for completing the reading marathon. They had a bunch of old ladies manning the table and they would say, "oh, if she can't decide, just take both." And,"Here, take this one for your little brother." So, each one came home with at least two new books too! We will definatly do that one again!