You can't grow up!



Dear sweet Addie, you just can't be old enough already to be in Jr.High, wearing braces, to be playing hymns on the piano, helping before being asked, enjoying shopping & lunch with me, reading your scriptures on your own before bed, loving young womens, your leaders and going to camp without me, or off babysitting for other people when I need you-with me at all times! This is all passing too quickly! But I do love that we are becoming friends and you are becoming a beautiful young lady inside and out!!



Taggert's Spring Spectacular!

Floor exercise



The Mushroom




The Rings-Tag's favorite!




I can't believe how strong this kid has gotten!




He was spinning so fast!




And sticking the landing!




Parellel Bars




Gold Medal! Yay! Started in September, skipped 3 levels, on Pre-Team and loving it!



Our Last, First Tooth!

Drexton lost his first tooth last Saturday, the 14th. He is kind of late compared to my other kids losing their teeth, he is just over 6. And another first to not have it be pulled by Aunt Andy! Yes, I sniffed and teared up a little! I can't believe my babies are growing up soooo fast!

Happy LOVE Day!

I thought today I would post about my kids. I LOVE them soooooo much! And it's Valentine's season, truly it should be a season all it's own or all year long! My kids are growing up so fast, and I just wish I could freeze them. I think I say this all the time, so maybe I'm learning to grow with them and enjoying every stage they are all in, all the time. But before I know it, they'll be gone tomorrow, and I'm going to miss every bit of it, (but secretly looking forward to days with just Brad also).
Logan-At 14 years old, he is the most amazing teenage boy ev-er! I love that he is a straight A student going on to highschool next year with goals and ambitions in mind, constantly checking up on his grades. I love that he takes his priesthood duties seriously and loves Seminary. I love that he is kind and thoughtful most of the time and still checks in with me. I love the sense of pride he has the way he keeps his room up and displays his trophy's and medals from the amazing way he plays soccer and has a 6th sense of the field. He is already saving for a car, and is very frugal like his dad. I can't believe in just 3 1/2 years he could be out of the house. He is eating like an ox and I love it! I love the way he likes to stand next to me just to see how much taller he is than me, (5'9" and still growing).
Adelin- She is 11 and soooo excited for Young Women's. I love that she gets to go to camp this year and can't wait! She is in her 3rd year of piano with a fabulous teacher and is learning several songs from the Children's songbook and even a few hymns. We love to hear her play while cooking dinner or for FHE. I love that I never have to tell her to practice or do her homework or clean her room. She is the best babysitter and loves little kids. And I love that she loves to have Girls Night Out with me and a friend or cousin, she is so fun to hang out with, and I love her ecletic taste. I love her sense of humor and that she is so well-rounded being in a house full of boys. She can definately hold her own!
Taggert-We call him Mr. Giggles for a reason, definately quick-witted. But also definately sensitive, (physically and emotionally) and the reason we have AFLAC insurance. Thank goodness, because this 9 year old started Gymnastics in September and in 3 months skipped 3 levels all the way up to pre-team (they wanted him on team, but needs to put in the pre-team time first). I love that he rushes home from school on gym days and runs down to his-not-so-clean room and changes, then gets a snack, then homework. I love that he wakes up at 7a.m. and gets himself ready for school and is reading before anybody else. I love his beautiful handwriting and hope it never changes. I love that he loves the outdoors and camping and scouts almost as much as g-pa Hooper.
Drexton-Where do I begin with this kid!?! I love him more than I ever expected for his arrival not being expected! He brings more smiles and laughs to our family than I ever thought possible. He is definately a thinker and a spitting image of his dad through and through! This all-American blond haired, blue-eyed, freckle-faced 6 year old keeps us on our toes and thinking. He also loves gymnastics and is moving up faster than Taggert would like, and loves soccer or anything else his dad is interested in. I love and cherish our early-out Wednesday movie/popcorn/snuggle afternoon with nobody else around, for next year he (my baby-forever) will be a big 1st grader.
I'm relishing and loving all the precious time I get to spend with these fabulous little/big people, and must go for now to mosey on down the street holding their hands for a little while but their hearts forever!

Annual Hooper Christmas Party

Brett-brother, Marshall-brother, Dad
Do you think I could squeeze in there somewhere?

Every year my mom puts together a fabulous Christmas party with all the kids and grandkids. How she gets everyone to converge on the same night is beyond me. She puts lots of work into this, but not quite as much as Grandma Camp, but still way fun for all. We start with an ornament of the year, gingerbread houses or some candy train or treat to put together, Santa comes, we eat lots of good food, including the traditional Honey Baked Ham provided by the Shipley's, and the famous Pictionary game-boys against girls-anyone would love to be a fly on the wall to watch, but can be violent and painful with all those fightin' words flying around. We all leave with more to make fun of each other with, and hopefully lots more love!

Now what!?!

November was filled with all kinds of "now whats?"!
 First of all, our ward was split, making us a part of a new ward, Lone Pine Ward. It is very small compared to our previous Somerset Ward. It includes our street, 2600 & 2700 East, and just the last row of unfinished townhomes in Somerset, and Canyon Rd. It is now a very intimate setting in Sacrament Meeting, barely opening the overflow on some occasion. Brad & I left the surprise Sunday night meeting for adults, with mixed emotions. Feelings of sadness like your best friend just moved to another town, but also great hopes of getting to know new neighbors and the old ones better. Our comments to each other as we left with only a bishopric in place, was, "Well, everyone will have to step up and serve. Where ever we get called will be challenging, but fun."
Change is good, right!?!
Unless that change includes me being called to PRIMARY PRESIDENT! One week later I got this call, and remembering that the Executive Secretary was wondering through the hall looking for Brad (I pointed him in the right direction, thinking Phew! I dodged a bullet. Brad will be getting a big calling.), we sat down in the Bishop's office and he said, "Bristy this one is for you." As, Brad sat back, we could all hear his sigh of relief, (as I'm gasping for air), the bishop told him to not get comfortable. Brad says, "Oh, I'm comfortable."
I walked out of there with a partial ward list to fill 28 callings, mumbling something like, "I did not see this one coming.", over and over. Two weeks later, Brad is called to be the Deacon's Quorum Advisor. He did not understand this one either, (being Logan is in the Teachers Quorum). He did have a parent come to him the week he was sustained telling him they are so relieved he will be there for their son, who's older brother he had coached previously in city-league soccer. I keep telling him, it's all for a reason, bigger than we can understand.
That being said, the day after I recieved my call, I went to the Nuerosurgeon to meet my parents, learning that the doctor, feeling the spirit after visiting with us and our concerns for 45 minutes about the golf ball size meninginoma between mom's skull and brain that we just found out about in August, did not want to wait any longer and do surgery before the holidays. Mom went to preauthorize her insurance, and came out 2 seconds later and asked, "How's this Saturday?" My dad's reply to me was, "Thanksgiving?" Taken care of! (With the help of my supportive husband, sister and Logan winning the turkey at the Annual Turkey Shoot for Scouts coming in 2nd for shooting clay pigeons we pulled it off!)
So 5 days later, on November 5th, my dad, sister and I, along with a lot of everyone else by the phone, waited 3.5 hours for the doctor to come out and say to my dad, he is so glad we pushed for this and she is very fortunate she didn't stroke or something worse sooner. Imagine the relief we all felt when she met us in the elevator on our way to Neuro Trama ICU and she opened her eyes and said clear as day, her throat was dry she wants ice chips. It has now been 1 month since this miraculous surgery and she is back to work, doing great!


We went the night before surgery to cut our hair in support of Mom.




Addie wasn't sure she was ready to cut her own hair yet, so Tisha had a great idea to cut Gma's ponytail to donate to Locks-of-Love.



After
What a great bonding experience we had. I love them so much! So fun to have short hair together!

Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday! There is no commercialism or pressure. I will definately never forget this one! I am so grateful for my husband and the priesthood he honors, my beautiful blessings of children we were so lucky to get, the support and closeness of family and friends, tasty food, a wonderful home, the ability to work and serve, the powerful outcome of fasting and prayers, the comfort, security and personal revelation I feel in the temple, and the precious time Heavenly Father has blessed me with to fulfill everything I still need to accomplish in a day after focusing so much time on primary and my growing testimony because of it, and my magnificent parents for teaching me all of this. I know we have truly been blessed this month and the best is yet to come!

Octoberload!!

Taggert gets his Wolf in Cub Scouts.



Taggerts field trip to the Red Barn in Santaquin.




Our annual Girls Weekend in gorgeous Park City, with my gorgeous sisters, mom and niece. Brittany couldn't stay over, but met us the next day in Orem.
Lori, Tawna, neice Krysta, Andy, me.




Lori, Mom, niece Krysta, me.
We shopped till we literally dropped, ate alot, laughed alot, and stayed up late.
Great times!




My craft project back at Mom's, uninterrupted that Saturday after lunch and a walk through Hobby Lobby.




Over Fall Break, we took the kids out to the FarmFest in Payson. My sis-in-law Brittany had a Papparrazi booth, so we went to check things out. Addie, Tag, and Drex did the bungy jump, and all were masters of the backflip, after having some good practice at Grandma Camp this year.




Tag and Drex rode the little ponies for quite a while, that guy was so sweet!




Sunday dinner followed by the annual combined birthday party for niece Aubrie (Oct. 30) and Taggert(Nov. 1).  I seriously can't believe they are 9!




Taggert, Adelin, and Drexton at the Farm Fest. Logan really was there, of course he held out that day till we went out to lunch, then he bolted with friends.




Carving, and painting pumpkins, again without the teenager.



Cute!



Scary!




Taggert is Frankenstein with Drexton's Sunday suit and green eyeshadow all over his face, he looked perfect! Drexton was the pumped up black Spiderman. So glad the snow waited for the next day, the weather was perfect!