Bowling Birthday

As this is our first year with a middle-schooler, I wasn’t sure if they would do anything special for Miss V's birthday. We tied a ribbon in her hair in hopes that someone might recognize it was a day to celebrate. They sang to her in three classes, and the Principal even took a picture and sent a personalized message. Zak and I were quite pleased and impressed with how much effort the teachers and faculty put into each student's birthday. 

I didn't do much to decorate, but had fun making a little poster and hanging several copies throughout the house.

Last school year, Miss V earned a coupon for a free game of bowling. We’ve had the coupon magnetized onto our door ever since. The time had come.

She’s always enjoyed baking, so we made chocolate cake from mixes, found a delicious whipped Oreo frosting recipe, and went to work. Miss V decorated it all by herself, using the spinning cake stand from Aunt Niki.

Responsible parent that I am, we ate the cake and ice cream first, then bowled, and lastly filled up on dinner.

None of us has honed our athletic abilities lately, so it was a bit of a rough start in the first game. We had lots of fun cheering for one another. We noticed our neighbor’s name on some high score boards. We all improved by the second game, getting multiple spares and strikes. Zak and Miss V each got a bonus roll at the end. Mr C kept us laughing with his dances and fake bowling ball vomit whenever the machine would return the balls. Overall, I think she had a pretty good birthday, and our family had lots of fun together.

Full Summer Saturday

Back: Zak, Grandpa Dale Hooper, Ammon

Middle: Miss V, Trena, Grandma Alice Hooper, Mr C

Front: Nicole, Dallas

Mom invited the kids on a camping trip, and offered to let me have a couple days to myself. Zak and I planned to join them that Friday night, and come home on Saturday, after stopping by a reunion on the way home. One of the neighbors from church asked if I wouldn’t mind hosting the local missionaries for a dinner, and the only option that worked for me was that same Saturday the 14th. Our church scheduled a lunch party, and our next-door neighbor had her birthday party.

I knew I couldn’t do all of it, so we decided to stop at the reunion instead of driving home early to get to the ward party. The kids wanted to play at the splash pad. I liked having some time at home, but we definitely missed the kids, and loved camping with the family on Friday night.

Things went fairly well, except that I wasn't as prepared with lunch on the way home as I could have been. We had a good time, and the kids liked watching the buckets of water dump on the ground (but not being under them). They had so much fun next-door at the Trolls-themed birthday party, and especially loved the memory game and troll-hair headbands. We had a pretty simple meal with the missionaries, and enjoyed their company. Overall, it was an eventful weekend with lots of family, friends, and fun, but I was definitely relieved to have some down time when we finished.

Zak adding to his paracord giveaway collection

Sunrise

Getting Mr C to say "Boom shaka laka."

 

Log Chair

Log Chair

Nicole hearts Zak

Coloring

Back: Zak, Grandpa Hooper, Ammon

Middle: Miss V, Dallas, Trena, Grandma Hooper, Mr C

Front: Nicole

James and Hannah Muir Reunion

James and Hannah Muir Reunion

Splash pad at the reunion

Splash pad at the reunion

Pin-the-nose-on-the-troll

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Trolls-themed birthday party

Miss V's 2nd Birthday

Miss V recently turned 2-years-old. On her birthday, we visited with my brother, Aaron, because he had to work when we planned to have family over to celebrate. He made some homemade dough (which I insist stays at Grandma's house). Miss V loved tearing it in pieces, wearing the jewelry Aaron made, and playing with the cookie cutters we used to form shapes.

Meeting the Hoopers

In October we drove V to Utah to meet more of her relatives and to celebrate birthdays from the last six months or so. My brothers came with us to conclude their visit, and found almost all of us using different listening devices to fit our tastes when I wasn't trying to get a conversation going. Our first stop was to my cousin's house to see her wonderful family and pick up some toddler clothes she had in storage. Her kids are growing so fast. We have pictures of them on our fridge from...ok, so probably last year, but her daughter didn't have much hair then, and now she's got a ringlet! Her son is getting so tall, and told us about his Halloween plans and school. What cuties.

We drove to my aunt's house for the Hooper birthday party and to celebrate my other cousin's new baby boy. He was still only a couple weeks old, so we didn't get to see them, but we had fun watching family hold V and seeing our other relatives. I'm one of the older cousins, so hearing about the younger ones' college experiences is a little surreal. I have enjoyed watching them hold V for the first time, and seeing her second cousins grow and explore.

Grandma J in Bloom

Grandma Johnson celebrates her birthday in April, as do Dad, Bruder Aaron, and I. She shares her birthday with Shakespeare. Grandpa Hooper shared his with Einstein, which we celebrate every year as Pi Day (3.14). Grandpa Johnson passed away a few years ago, so Grandma claims she'd rather not live that many more years, but I have insisted for almost a decade that she has to reach 100. She was the only grandparent I had living when I married Zak and inherited four more. Here is my audacious Grandma J.