Grandma's Candyland and Cooking School!
Another Grandma camp come and gone. But this year Drexton got to stay the night. Yeah! So mom and dad had 26 hours of no kids. You'd think I'd look forward to this and I do in a way, they get to bond with their grandparents, and I have at least a 1/2 day to myself, then Brad and I go do dinner and whatever else we want. But this year came so fast and I didn't plan very good and actually felt lonely and didn't know what to do when I got home. I think it kind of prepped me for when the kids are either all gone to school all day or when they're really gone. I need to just get motivated and catch up some projects. But there is always time for that, right?


Trey, Drexton, Logan, Addie, Tag, and yes even Grandpa gets to help.

Making the yummiest doughy cake balls ever with Grandma.

Complete with their own, homemade pinata! Full of more candy of course!!

For a glimpse of what my mom has done the last 9 years for Grandma camp catch her on STUDIO 5, this Tuesday the 16th at 11a.m. She's also writing a book about it! Go MOM, you're awesome!!

Happy Birthday Logan!!

It's all hitting at once. He turns 12, wants to go to the temple, receives the Aaronic Priesthood, gets another soccer championship, makes the accelerated Salem Shooters team, graduates elementary school, and on top of that got voted most responsible for his class. Jr. High and a mission will be here before we know it! What an awesome weekend we had!!

"Here-she-is" Track Meet

This may sound rude, but we still can't believe Addie took 1st in her heat for the 50-meter run at the Hershey Track Meet. We have joked for about 2 years, okay probably more, that she runs like Phoebe on Friends arms flayling and everything. I choose to think she is just at the awkward growing stage and she is built like Brad, all legs! But, it still made me ask Brad, "Do I look that uncoordinated playing sports or dancing, or just plain running? She had to have got it from somewhere." He said NO, and I'm sure he would've been way embarrassed and stopped me 15 years ago. And we all know how Brad plays, so it's not from him. Yeah, I don't think I want to hear the answer. So "here she is" running down that long 50-meter stretch that feels like your in slow motion and the wind is against you. Maybe staying after school with Logan doing Track Club really helped after all. By the way Happy Birthday Sis, I really can't believe you're 9!!!

Top 10 Reasons I LOVE MY MOM!!

10. She is naturally beautiful

9. She is unselfish

8. She is a hard worker (she's like the energizer bunny)

7. She is creative (we love grandma camp)

6. She never talks ill about anyone

5. She magnifies her calling

4. She is self-reliant and resourceful

3. She loves the gospel and lives it daily

2. She loves her family

1. She is one of my best friends, and I hope I can be 1/2 the mother to my children she is to me someday.

Super X!

Brad and I took advantage of Supercross coming back to SLC and made it a weekend excursion. We got a hotel for 2 nights and left the kids with my mom and dad, and my brother and sister-in-law. We all had our own fun, I think we need to do this more often. We went shopping and to lunch all day Friday but of course, Brad had to come down Friday night and coach 2 soccer games. He couldn't give up all 5 games going on this weekend. I think it took both of us till noon on Saturday, when we were sitting in the hot tub, till we finally learned to relax. I kept telling Brad, "I'm not used to sitting still, I don't know what to do."

We were on row 3, it was awesome!! You could see the bikes roostering the mud.

#7 is James Stewart, this is him going around to take the lead. He won this race which put him 6 points ahead, so he just needs to place in front of Chad Reed-#1 to win the championship next week in Vegas. Does anybody want to teach YW so I can have another vacation?

The Kindy 500!
Taggert (I mean Dad) was supposed to build a soap box car for a school project. Luckily we had saved the box from our new french door refrigerator that is rediculously big. This is a scaled down version from the first attempt after I told Brad it's for Taggert, not him. It turned out pretty cool I must say, notice the smelly tree in behind his head. Mrs. Barber thought that was a nice touch. I'm just surprised it didn't have a motorbike in the back! Brad said he did think of that. He was afraid it might be too heavy. Ya think?

Baby Brevin is here!!

7 lbs. 20 1/2 Inches long 22 days early.

Andy and baby are doing great and both get to come home today!

I think Drexton is a little jealous!

Need to REFI.?

Here's to the best deal of refinancing with Citicorp Financial through a Primerica Rep. We closed on our house about a month ago. We have the same payment, got $10,000 extra to pay off our van and buy a new fridge. The best thing is we signed up for the biweekly payments, which we had done in the past, but with this company your payment is applied to your principal right when they receive it not at the end of the month. So we've already shaved off 8 years of a 30 yr mtg. from the start. Then I sent in a full month's payment as soon as I got our statement and that shaved off another 1 1/2 years. The most assuring news was, when we closed at our house the traveling notary said he had worked with 46 different companies and said this was the only one he knew of with this Smart Save program. If you want more info. you can contact me or my brother Brett Hooper @ 801-623-8101.