4th of July

I hope that everyone had an awesome 4th of July! I know we did. It all started on Saturday. We had a BBQ and had a bunch of friends over. It was a blast! In total we had 16 adults and 7 kids/babies. It was so much fun. We grilled and just stuffed ourselves full. We played Mexican horseshoes and then did fireworks. I had a lot of fun getting ready for the BBQ. I wanted to be really festive this year. Since I have had Cooper I have wanted to make every holiday fun and start new traditions. I really want us to have 4th of July shirts. I looked around and just couldn't find any that I loved. So I decided why not make them. I really love how they turned out! I made mine a little more girly than the boys.

Next I really wanted our house to be cute for the 4th. I made a few crafts because I didn't have anything. The HOME was from a craft group I did, the star and firecrackers are from a craft day my neighbor had, and the rest I just did (stole some ideas from blogs). I even made the food festive for the occasion.


I was so happy with the turn out we had. It made for a really fun night! We stayed up late doing fireworks. I was worried my neighbors were going to hate me. But we had 3 other couples who live in my neighborhood so we could share the blame if someone complained :) Even Cooper got to stay up for fireworks. One of our friends babies was sleeping in his room so I couldn't lay him down. He actually really liked watching the fireworks. Indiana even got to join in on the excitement. They both ended up on my lap and I was perfectly fine with that. Brad and one other guy were in charge of the firework show. Everyone brought fireworks so we had a lot to do. We splurged and bought one of the huge pack of fireworks. I about died when Brad said we were spending so much on fireworks because I am good with just pop-its and sparklers. But the show was fun! One of our neighbors was doing the huge ones in the sky so we got to enjoy their show too!




On the actual 4th we didn't do much. We tried running some errands but a lot of places that we needed to go were closed. I had us wear our matching shirts out for the day. Brad informed me we were "That" family. He made fun of me and couldn't believe I was okay with us matching. But he didn't complain and wore his shirt happily :) We had decided just to stay home and relax. We made homemade ice cream in a ball and invited my brother Chase, his girl friend Kaitlin and my adorable nephew Holden over. We grilled and played basketball. Then once it got dark we went out with our neighbors and enjoyed more fireworks. It was a fun 4th!

My ADORABLE nephew

Made ice cream in this ball....it was fun and delicious!!!

4 Year Anniversary

Wednesday (June 29th) was our 4 year wedding anniversary. It is crazy to me that we have been married 4 years. Time has really flown by. Our first anniversary we had just moved into our house, 2nd year we went downtown and stayed at Little America (where we stayed for our honeymoon), 3rd year I was about ready to pop with Cooper and we were patiently awaiting his arrival, and then there is this year. We have an almost one year old and we are so content with our life.

Technically this was Brad's year to plan our anniversary because I surprised him with our 2nd year anniversary and since we didn't really do anything for our 1st since we had just bought our house and 2nd we were getting ready to have a baby. But I came across an idea that I didn't think he could top so I took over. Brad didn't mind one bit. He hates planning this kind of thing. But next year is all him :)

For our big anniversary surprise I planned for us to go on a helicopter ride. I came across a City Deals coupon and jumped right on it. I kept it a complete secret from Brad for over a month. But I was getting too excited so I told him the Thursday before our ride. He was glad because he wanted a little notice once he found out what we were doing. He was so surprised and excited to ride in a helicopter. He had tried figuring out the surprise but never even considered a helicopter ride.

We celebrated our anniversary last Saturday since our anniversary was in the middle of the week. We started out with dinner at The Garden at the Joseph Smith Memorial building. Then we headed up to Woods Cross for the helicopter ride. I had planned it for 8:00 pm so we could fly around sunset but still be able to have light to see. I got so nervous right before we took off. It was a lot smaller then I had expected. It was just a one row and a little 3 seater. They asked who wanted to sit on the edge and I volunteered. I figured I would be able to see better rather than having to look over Brad from the middle. There were no doors on the helicopter so I was practically hanging out. I had to scoot my butt so it was almost hanging over the edge so the pilot had room. There is a 400 pound weight limit for the 2 passengers so they weigh you before and everything just to make sure. We even got to wear the awesome headsets like you see on the tv shows or movies. Right as we took off the nervousness went away. It was actually quite relaxing and amazing. The views are incredible. A couple times he tipped the helicopter so I could look practically straight down and was kind of just hanging there. It was awesome! We started over City Creek, then over the Capitol, the edge of downtown Salt Lake, over Rice Eccles Stadium, Immigration canyon, the pipeline and back. It really was so cool!!!

After the helicopter ride we decided to go to a movie. We used to go to movies about every weekend but don't go very often anymore. I figured since Cooper was already in bed we might as well. (Thankfully he drinks milk out of bottle finally!!!) We went and saw Green Lantern. It was a fun movie. Then headed home. We were out way later then we have been in a long time. We were both dead tired!

On our real anniversary we didn't do much. Brad worked all day and I went to lunch with some friends. Brad surprised me with a bouquet of flowers when he got home. I was so surprised. He never buys flowers (he thinks I kill them really fast but I've tried telling him flowers die quick anyways). I made dinner and was supposed to go play in a water polo game but I didn't feel well so skipped the game. But we had to renew our temple recommends before Friday because Brad's cousin got married and our recommends expired on Thursday.....lame!!! So we spent a lot of the night getting that taken care of. It was cool however seeing a sealing the same week and the same place that we got married. It brought back a ton of memories! I would say we had a good, very memorable 4 year anniversary.

Brad and I in the helicopter

All the amazing views
(click on the pictures to make bigger)

My beautiful bouquet (it is still fully alive and pretty)
The bouquet was called "How We Grow".....so sentimental :)

Happy Anniversary Brad!!!! Thanks for an amazing 4 years!
I LOVE YOU!!!!

Keeping Up in the Summer......What a Joke!!!

So is it just me or does Summer make keeping up with the house really hard. I find myself out at my pool everyday rather than cleaning or cooking. I plan on doing something before the pool but it just never seems to happen. I get lunch made and us ready to go swimming. Then after swimming I am having to shower both me and baby and get ready for the day. By that time Brad is home. Dinner???? That has been a joke. Since being a stay-at-home mom I have made an effort to have the groceries and have dinners planned. But these past few weeks it just hasn't worked out. Even if I have known what I was going to make for dinner, by the time I get back home and showered it is dinner time and nothing is made. I feel so bad for Brad. He would never admit it and would probably argue with it but it can't be pleasant coming home to a house that the Cooper Tornado has been thru and to me not having stuff ready for dinner. Don't get me wrong Brad is usually home by 4:30 so dinner is never ready when he gets home. But I usually have it started or have given myself time to get dinner fixed. He offers to help with dinner but I just don't find it fair. He has worked all day long while I have just "played". He can't come home and work some more.

Today I had to take a break from swimming and get my house under control. It was making me crazy having it so chaotic and out of order. Luckily my mom came over and took Cooper swimming so I was able to clean. I got everything straightened up, laundry finally finished (working on it since Monday), our closest organized and straightened, mopped, vacuumed, and got dessert for a Young Women's activity made. I can't vacuum with him because he attacks the vacuum the whole time and I can't do it when he is sleeping because I worry it will wake him up. So it was nice that my mom took him.

Father's Day

(Banner that I did for Brad)

I kind of failed as a wife this year for Father's Day. I had all these big plans to get everything done last Friday but it just didn't happen. Then Brad was off work early so I couldn't do anything with him home. So we kind of changed Father's Day to Monday. I know it is AWFUL especially when you consider this was Brad's 1st Father's Day. I feel so horrible about it. I did get him a book that he got on Father's Day.

We had celebrated Father's Day on June 12th with my extended family because my grandma and grandpa were going to be out of town on Father's Day. My family came over on Father's Day at noon. We did lunch because my brother had to get to work by 2 and I had to go teach Young Womens. So I wanted Brad to have his own day :) That is what I keep telling myself to make me not feel so bad! I didn't want to just buy Brad something for Father's Day. I wanted to do something special. So this is what I did

Decorated the Dews....he drinks one everyday at work
(The ties match the Father's Day banner)

Found this idea on some blog and I LOVED it!!!
I haven't decided where to hang this in our house.

Cooper held perfectly still and let me trace his hand.

Brad needed something new to put on his desk at work.
Cooper didn't do so great with the hand print but you get the idea.

(The writing "For Dad's desk at work" isn't on the frame.
It ended up looking that way but I don't want to re-edit the picture.)

Brad is seriously the best dad that Cooper could ask for. Cooper absolutely loves his daddy. He knows dad is the FUN one and always has a buddy in him to play with. Cooper is all boy so I am glad I have someone so amazing that can show him all the things little boys do. I have loved watching Brad grow into the role of being a dad. He is so helpful and has tackled all the challenges amazingly! I love him even more after watching how amazing of a dad he is. He works so hard to provide the life we have where I can stay home with our baby. He is such a hands on dad and is willing to do whatever I ask or is needed.

We love you Brad! Happy Father's Day........even if it was a day late :)

11 Months

Holy cow I cannot believe that in 4 short weeks my baby is going to be turning ONE!!!!! I absolutely hate it. I don't want my baby to grow up. I want him to stay little! I really am having the hardest time with him getting older. Everyone always says that I can just have another baby but it isn't the same. I would be fine with just Cooper if he would stay little :) I have to admit that with each milestone he just gets more and more fun. But I still love him as a cuddly, can't do anything on his own, tiny, little guy. As an 11 month old he:

• Has 5 teeth (2 bottom, 3 top- middle and one to his left)....this 5th tooth was the hardest yet!
  
• Walks around with his walker
• Crawls like a maniac
• Cruises the furniture but has been for months now
• Stairs are no obstacle. He only likes going up, has no interest in going down.
• Eats anything and everything. Bran muffins, bananas, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, gold fish, yogurt, watermelon, graham crackers, ANYTHING sweet and bad for you.
• Attacks at the site of anything sweet (candy, ice cream, cake, etc.)
• Only likes to sleep in his crib :(
• Still nursing........LOVE IT!!!
• Knows where he isn't supposed to get into but loves doing it anyways.
• Shakes his head NO when you say "No" or when he doesn't want something.
  
• Gives high fives
• Plays the "AH" game. When you say "Ahhh" he will lay his head down. He finds it hilarious!
  
• Waves (finally) This took me months of working on but he finally got it about a month ago.
• Hates getting water poured on his head. Washing his hair in the bath results in deafening screams!
• Balls are his absolute favorite....he will play with any ball he sees. He rolls it back and forth, plays catch, and will crawl around while pushing it (kind of like a soccer ball).
  
• Wants to brush his own teeth but doesn't like getting his teeth brushed by mom or dad.
• LOVES books! He will read books on his own. He talks while he reads them. It is adorable! It is like he is trying to read the book.
• Talks up a storm. You have no clue what he is saying and when he does say words he doesn't know what he is saying. But he babbles all day long.
• Has got rhythm. You turn on music and he starts dancing like it is nobody's business. He will even bounce to the beat.
  
• Still is a mama's boy............wouldn't change that for anything!
• Loves his sippy cup.
  
• Has actually started drinking out of a bottle. We have started giving him whole milk when I can't be home to nurse or put him to bed. He has only had it a handful of times, but actually likes it. It is soooo nice because he hasn't taken a bottle since he was 4 months old so I have been tied and limited on where and when I can go places without him.
• Had a rough go with teething and being sick but is back to sleeping thru the night.
• Waves good bye when going upstairs for a nap or bedtime....adorable!
• Still loves his binky....but only gets it in bed or in the car seat if we are out and he is tired and fussy.
• Hates shoes and socks. Can't keep them on for anything!
• ALWAYS crosses his feet.

"AHHH"

Here is a video of Cooper doing his "Ahhhh" game.

Best Buds

Cooper and Indiana really are best buds. I catch them playing together all day long. They chase each other around the house. Indiana will lay next to Cooper. Indiana drops his toys on Cooper for him to throw, but that doesn't really work out because Cooper just takes off crawling with it. Indiana is always by Cooper's side watching every move he makes. Indiana will race up to Cooper's door when he hears he is awake and can't wait to get in and see him. He whines if you aren't really quick at getting up the stairs to get Cooper. They really just have so much fun together. I always had a dog growing up so I wanted to provide my kids with the same opportunity. Cooper is much more entertained with not just having me to play with all day. Besides I have a built in vacuum. Everything that Cooper throws from his high chair is immediately eaten and picked up by Indiana. Makes life great!

I finally caught them the other day on camera. Every time they are playing and I get up to get the camera. Both of them notice and proceed to follow me.

This is what Cooper has learned happens when he
drops his food. So now it has become a game :)

I love both of my boys!