Family Photos in December

In December we did family pictures so that we could send out our Christmas card. Our good friend Jason did them for us. I had this vision of taking them in front of just green Christmas trees like at a tree farm or something. But I had no idea where to do them however. Then we were driving by the Jordan SLCC campus and we saw a big bunch of trees. It worked perfectly! It was the perfect weather on the day we did them. It was a little warmer and sunny so we weren't freezing. Cooper wasn't too big into the idea however. He just wanted to run around. So we were jumping and running and throwing him just to get some smiles. We did however get some decent ones!

Jump N' Bounce

I had been dying to take Cooper to a blow up bouncy place. He is so crazy and adventurous I thought it would be right up his alley. So last Friday after Brad got home from work we headed out. I had looked online to find a place and surprisingly there was one just down the street from our house. It was super affordable! Cooper was only $3 and then Brad and I were $5 each. There is no time limit so you can stay as long as you want.

Cooper hadn't taken a nap that day so I was a little concerned about how he would do. When he is tired he gets really clingy and hesitant and isn't his normal curious self. It was perfect because it actually wasn't too busy.

We started Cooper off with this little slide. He loved it! He wasn't scared to crawl into the bouncy thing, he would climb up the latter steps and loved going down the slides.

He would even go down by himself. He was giggling and loving it. We were in a thing by ourselves so he was in heaven.

sliding all by himself

Then we took him over to where tons of kids were. He went nuts. He started running around and being crazy with all the other kids. Then I think the chaos and no naps got to him. He got pretty mellow.

He still explored and wanted to go down the slides but wasn't as giggly.He wasn't scared to climb thru, over, or under any of the obstacles. Don't let his tiny little body fool you into thinking he was too small for the obstacles! He loved it all.

We stayed for maybe an hour because it was dinner time and Cooper was worn out I think. Brad was worn out too. He was going just as crazy as Cooper. He kept diving over things and hurting himself. He even got a rug burn on his elbow. It was hilarious watching him be silly with Cooper. I am the more refined grown up in the family :)

Here is a little glimpse of our no fear baby

We will definitely being going back there soon!

I walked outside before Cooper and Brad and this is what I turned around too!

Thanks Grandma Sheeba!!!!

The past couple years Brad's mom (Grandma Sheeba) has sent these singing animal toys. I went and bought the snowman this year with money that Grandma Sheeba sent. Before we had Cooper we just used them to terrorize Indiana. He was terrified of them! Last year they kind of scared Cooper as well. But this year he couldn't get enough of them! He played with them for hours and hours! At first he would bring them over and just sign "more" and "please" to get you to turn them on. Then he figured out how to push the ears or hands and get them to sing all by himself. Hallelujah! He would get them all going at the same time. They all sing a variety of Christmas songs. Of course the dogs do it while barking. He would carry all of them around with him. Give them kisses and big hugs! It was adorable! These were probably one of his favorite Christmas decorations. I almost felt bad putting them away. But then I remembered what it sounded like without them and I got over it really quickly :)

This was the only video I caught of Cooper with them. It doesn't
even do how much he loved and played with them justice!

Thanks Grandma Sheeba for making my Christmas fun!

Love, Cooper

CHRISTMAS 2011!!!!!!!

We had such a fun filled busy Christmas season. It all started out the Sunday before Christmas with my families annual Christmas party. It is at my grandma and grandpas house. We eat, play bingo, and have a gift exchange. I didn't pull out my camera so didn't get any pictures :(

Next was Christmas Eve. Not long after I woke up I got a migraine.....I had one last Christmas so I was not very happy! I luckily was able to get some sleep to get rid of it just in time to leave for dinner. We went to my cousin Joel's house out in Eagle Mountain. I still wasn't feeling 100% but I wasn't not going to go. We had dinner and dessert and then headed back to our house to open presents.

My family opens all of our presents from each other on Christmas Eve. It is a fun tradition that we always look forward to. My mom went a little crazy this year and completely spoiled Cooper and Holden. I should have taken a picture of all the presents we had to open. My entire front room was covered in piles. My grandma, grandpa, and aunt Pam all came over to enjoy the excitement. They spoil us as well so I like that they are able to see us open our gifts.

We all got so spoiled!!!!

Brad:
sushi making class (for 2 so I get to go)
apron
socks
hoodie
Apples to Apples

Brad and I:
The Ten Commandments series of paintings by Arnold Friberg
sheets
dish drying mats
The Five Love Languages book
money

Kacey:
purse
jewelry
picture frame
subscription to Family Fun magazine
cricut (my mom gave it to me earlier in the year for my birthday and Christmas)

Cooper:
vacuum
broom, mop, cleaning set
circus tent
shape o toy
books
balance bike (grandpa had to get the boys their first bikes)
bath toy
A huge train set that Grandpa Jim made!

There was so much more but I can't think of everything!!!! :(

After opening presents all of our family left and we were able to get ready to put Cooper down. Cooper got into his Christmas pajamas from my mom.

We read the Polar Express on Christmas Eve so we did this and put baby to bed. Luckily I had wrapped everything already so I didn't have to get anything wrapped or put under the tree. We were just able to relax until we went to bed.

Christmas morning we slept in. It was nice because we got to bed a little late. Cooper was kind of fussy so he needed milk asap before we could even begin to bring him down to open presents.

Buddy could smell his stocking so we let him dig in before we got started.

Cooper opened a few of his presents but then was off playing with other things and getting into stuff he shouldn't be. Brad and I continued opening presents and looked over to find Cooper doing this. He feels so big climbing up to the kitchen table and typing on the laptop.

Mom helping Coop open his presents

I got Brad and Cooper a couple of things the same for their stockings. A big slinky and lantern for Brad and a little one of each for Cooper. I couldn't resist getting Cooper things like his daddy. He wants to do everything Brad does so it was perfect!

Cooper's favorite thing that they both got however was the train whistles. Cooper had so much fun blowing them with daddy.

Again we all got spoiled!

Brad:
Bucky balls
a straight razor shave from The Art of Shaving in Fashion Place mall
A canvas with his favorite picture of Cooper for his desk at work
a framed picture of Cooper with a poem about Daddy's Hands
an experiment book (yeah he is a 10 year old boy)
wallet (get one for Brad every year for Christmas)
a full set of Tupperware kitchen knives

Kacey:
clothes
a new robe with my initials monogrammed on it from Land's End
lotions and soaps (my favorite scent coconut lime verbena was discontinued so Brad loaded up on all of them he could find)
metal decorative covers for my soaps
this awesome new cup
7 slap wrist silicone watches...I had asked for 1 and Brad got a ton of them!

Then we are going to be getting food storage instead of going crazy for Christmas. We feel like this is something we really need to do!

Cooper:
xylophone
books
puzzles
The Hallmark Cooper bear that reads to you
Tickle Monster book set with tickle gloves
puppy blanket and pillow
magnets (abc and dinosaur)
markers, crayons, playdoh
tupperware stacking pails
a recorder
lacing beads
gyro bowl

I was big on not getting many toys but learning manipulatives and things that have a purpose. I guess it is the teacher coming out in me!


After we opened all of our presents we had breakfast....yummy!

My parents and Aspen came over a little later and we made a ham and hung out and just relaxed. Chase and Kaitlin decided they weren't going anywhere on Christmas so they weren't getting together to hang out on Christmas like we usually do. I was sad!!! We just had a relaxing day. We didn't make it to church because my family came over to do lunch before my mom had to go to work.


Cooper being silly with Aunt Aspen......and no he wasn't drinking the Mt. Dew!
Cooper enjoying his presents

I've packed away a lot of Cooper's presents and will pull one out at a time. I want him to be able to enjoy each one fully. He favorites right now are his broom, vacuum, stacking pails, xylophone, shape o toy, and slinky.

I was SOOO happy to not get a migraine on Christmas like I did last year. I did however get the one on Christmas Eve and then two the day after Christmas. There was a 3 hour span in the middle of the day where I was fine. Ugh!!!!!

To Be Big Like Daddy

Today I was in the kitchen making some bran muffins and my little guy came in carrying daddy's shoes. He was saying "shoes"...."help". So I helped him get his tiny little feet in daddy's shoes and this is what happened.

Every time he would fall out he would say "more". I love the little things Cooper comes up with and watching him explore and enjoy himself. Motherhood really is a joy!!!!

Roll It Out!

I found this amazing pizza and breadstick recipe that we fell in love with. We made the breadsticks twice in one week. The second time we made them Brad and Cooper took over the duties. I was busy making alfredo and pasta so I left them to their work. Cooper's new thing is wanting to sit like a big boy on a stool at the island. He wants to watch and help with whatever is being done. On this particular day he got to experience the joy of rolling out dough. He was a natural. Baking really must run in the family :)

Cooper rolling his dough!

It is crazy to watch Cooper explore and learn all of these new things. He really is getting big so quickly. He is so curious and wants to explore anything and everything. He is a quick learner and looks so darn cute doing it! He does however have an awesome teacher and example to follow.....his daddy!

The Lights

I was so excited to take Cooper to see the lights at temple square. We didn't go last year because Cooper was just too little and wouldn't have had much interest in the lights. This year was way more exciting now that he is older. Brad's brother Rich, his wife Jamie, and their son Abel were up in SLC so we went with them.

We went on Friday the 23rd. I expected it to be crazy busy considering it was the day before Christmas Eve. Earlier that day we had a get together with Brad's moms side of the family (The Clarks) and had to wake Cooper up from his nap to go there. We came home from that and he laid down again. We had to wake him up from his nap once again to go to the lights. I felt so bad because he just seemed so tired! I was concerned how he would be since he was so tired. But he ended up doing amazing!

It was freezing that night. Brad and I both bundled up in layers and we put Cooper's snow suit on over his clothes. I thought it would keep him the warmest. Temple square was busy, as I had expected but it wasn't awful! Cooper did great and stayed in his stroller the whole time. He really was in to the lights and watched them the whole time.

I know it is totally cliche and everyone goes to see the lights on Temple Square around Christmas time. But it really was so nice to go and to remember what Christmas is really about. And they do an incredible job on the lights. It's amazing! They have the life size nativity scene with the Christmas story playing and then the visitors center that you can go in. We spent some time in the visitors center to warm up. It was fun because we watched someone propose inside the visitors center. So cute!

Once we were done with the lights we let Cooper walk/run back to the car. We figured it would warm him up a bit and he could get some energy out. He wouldn't let me hold his hand so I held on to the hood of his snow suit. This suit is kind of big on him so I was able to hold onto it without choking him. He tripped once and I caught him with the hood. He thought this was then a fun game. He would get stiff and just fall forward for me to catch him. He was giggling so hard it was hilarious. To anyone watching it probably looked at if I were choking and hurting my child. If only they could have heard the adorable giggle and seen the huge grin on his face! Of course when we pulled out the camera he stopped giggling but you can get the idea!