Cooper's Birthday Marathon

Today is Cooper's 8th birthday, but it feels like it has been his birthday all week! I had a birthday party yesterday for him with his friends - the first party for him in years - I get really overwhelmed and nervous planning parties for the kids' birthdays because so many of their friends at school go all out for the parties.  We had a fun outdoor Olympic themed party planned but that got tossed when it was the monsoon rain season this week.  So we improvised with a baseball theme, baseball bingo which was fun, and making leather baseball wristbands which didn't work out so well. It's annoying because I spent so much time shopping for the darn stuff to make the wristbands, oh well.  So they mostly ended up playing wrestling mania upstairs and came down for cake and pizza covered in sweat! 

Then tonight we had family over for cake again to celebrate Cooper's birthday and my sister Shawn's birthday which is tomorrow.  My favorite quote of the evening was when Cooper opened his presents from Austin and said, "Oh cool! I got a cup!" Nice, and it isn't the pee-wee cup either this time by the way.  We get excited about these items at our house I guess.  He also got several lego sets and has spent lots of time putting them together. I am so excited about him using his brain for once instead of just playing the Wii or watching TV.  

I can't believe my baby is finally 8 and will be baptized in a couple of weeks.  

Love you Cooper! 

A Dainty Girl

Here is my dainty baby girl . . . . 

Who just ate half a dozen scrambled eggs for breakfast!

A Reasonable Question

Will:  Dad, if you cut your head off, can you tape it back on?

Dad:  No, you can't.

Will adores tape, he uses it on a daily basis to construct swords with sticks, make art projects or tape those pesky pieces of clothing back on that aren't laying just right.  One of his Christmas presents was a workbox full of tape of all sorts.

I'm Kind of Proud of my Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that I made tonight for our Relief Society birthday party enrichment.  When my friend asked me to make them she warned me that mine would be sitting next to Krafty Katrina and Expert Jolin's cupcakes (two sisters with lots of talents in our ward).  She was basically saying "make sure yours don't look like crap."  Well here they are, and I am happy about them.  Maybe not to the expert level yet, but getting there.

BYU Trip

I had the chance to go to Utah a few weeks ago and see my little brother Skyler perform his senior recital at BYU.  My parents, brother Scott and Granny and Grandpa Stauder came also.  It was like old times with me and my brother sharing a hotel room and hanging out with the parents.  It was a fun weekend and great to see the old Y again.

Happy St. Patricks Day

I decided to reenter the blogging world with a Happy St. Patricks Day post.  Austin's family is Irish and always make a  big deal out of St. Patrick's Day.  My efforts were much more simple, Lucky Charms for breakfast, corned beef and cabbage and soda bread for dinner, and a few chocolate golden coins that the leprechauns left for the boys.