BE "LEAVE" !!!

While down at Grandma & Grandpa Hoopes house we all had the fine opportunity of raking Grandpa's leaves. The kids had a blast! All you need is a rake, some leaves & a big jump! Wooo Hooo!

HOOPES FAMILY CHRISTMAS

Our family is always so blessed! We have had a wonderful time creating memories together. We spent several days with Branden's side of the family at his parents house in Safford. Luckily, we were all able to spend time with all of his siblings...(we missed you Dana.) Thank you for all of the generous gifts! My boys have loved the blow dart guns & have only shot one person so far! Kamarin is anxious to get to use her guitar distorter (is that what it is called?) All of the treats from Mom & Dad have been quickly devoured! We are looking forward to finishing Christmas at Rocky Point with all of you this summer! THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR SUCH A NICE CHRISTMAS!!

OUCH!!

What do you get when you put 2 boys, a Daddy & dirt clods together? Yep, a friendly dirt clod fight. Well, explain to your 5 year old that it isn't all out war! So, we all freaked out when, after being hit in the head, the bump grew rapidly to half an inch. I swear it was huge & I am sure it hurt. Well, Daddy wasn't crying but Everett was. Branden tried to put on a brave face, as not to make it worse for his sad little boy.

WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

Every year each ward has a Christmas party. Ours had a Bethlehem theme...we all dressed in clothes from that time period. Well, the boys & I dressed up, Branden however chose to go as himself. Parker makes a very WISE wise man, Everett was a beautiful sheep & I, a humble shepherd. Our little herd had a fun time visiting with friends & watching the nativity story re-enacted.

TOYS & BOYS

My boys think that all of their uncles are cool. But, during our visit to Utah they thought that Uncle Lance was REALLY cool. Everett was his shadow. He has all sort of fun things to make loud noises with. Who knew that sitting on a 4-wheeler, or turning on the snowmobile, or riding the canal could be so fun? Lance even entertained us with a fashion show of his new coat...thank goodness it fit over the helmet. Anyway, Lance leaves a lasting memory of just plain cool!!

LEAF COLLECTION!

My brother Lance live at the base of Timpanogas Mountain & the area is beautiful. Parker found lots of huge leaves to collect and throw up in the air. Nothing is better than a crisp cool morning and a handful of leaves.

COUSINS

While in Utah, we got see all kinds of cousins, on both sides of the family. It is so fun to get to know family that is close to your own age. Our boys had plenty of kids to play with. They keep asking when they can play with their cousins again. We really need to get up to Utah more!!

FIRST MEET OF THE SEASON

Kamarin is such a great cheerleader! I think she is the best one! I am not biased--at all!! This was the first meet of the season, she said she wasn't even nervous! The stomp cheer is her favorite.

SNOW FUN!!

We spent Thanksgiving in Utah. My boys were ecstatic to find some snow!! Thank goodness for warm coats & hot chocolate. Parker got very tired of the camera...bet you couldn't tell!

CHOO CHOO

Chugga chugga....chugga chugga......choo choo!! We spent a lovely Saturday afternoon at Lacey & Josh's house. The rest of the crew had gotten there earlier in the day to make tamales. We arrived in time for the Mexican feast...Branden had made a HUGE pot of green chile to share. Yum!!! Kamarin & her cousin Shaine wanted to hit the mall, so the Mom's drove them into Tucson for a mall expedition. After a night of coyote howls & much visiting, we headed home Sunday morning. But, before we got on the freeway we had to visit the train tracks. Over 90 trains a day, travel these lines...we squashed coins, & collected all kinds of train souvenirs.



The train was very fast & really loud....notice that Everett watched from the safety of the truck cab. We found almost all of the coins we had placed on the track. It was a really fun experience & one that will not soon be forgotten.

SICK DAY CAMP OUT

Poor Everett is perpetually sick....we can't seem to get rid of this sinus infection & he has an ear infection too. We have been staying on top of his asthma treatment plan, & fortunately with this bout, we have kept the wheezing at bay. Thank goodness!! He spent the day in his tent, eating snacks & playing games of his making.

HERE SHE IS!!

The waiting is over....the cheer uniform is here!! She is proud & loud! Go Kamarin, go Kamarin...go-go-go Kamarin!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!

The many faces of Gherald Lynn Hoopes, Jr. Sorry we can't be with you on your birthday...we are thinking of you!! Hopefully, you will get all of the presents your heart desires!! See you on Saturday! Happy Birthday!

GO! FIGHT! WIN!

Kamarin has been so excited to be joining the ranks of cheerleader's everywhere. She doesn't miss a night of stretching & we get lots of clapping & jumping! Her brother's think she is crazy!!! She comes home from practice & says just how much fun she is having. She can't wait to wear her cheer uniform! We are soooo proud of you baby!

NOVEMBER IN ARIZONA

This is the time of year we look forward to. The temperature is around 75 degrees!! The kids ride their bikes, skate board, & just enjoy the weather. We found a new bike trail, that is family friendly. We tried it out on Saturday. It was a fun time, with only one minor crash. I realize that many of you are dealing with snow & cold weather...if you need a change, please come visit. We have a freezer full of Popsicle's to share!!

BAKUGAN

Parker received some Bakugan for one of his birthday presents. If you don't know what Bakugan are, they are kind of like a Pokemon knock-off. They have little balls that turn into creatures. That is my 'mom-like' definition, of a game I don't really understand. But, my boys are hooked. Everett felt it was unfair that Parker had some & he didn't. So, their daddy told him, that if he bought some with his own money....he would take them to the store. Both boys have rather heavy piggy banks, so the deal was on. Sweet little Everett, who is just learning the values of coins, brought his dad a handful of money to pay for his Bakugan. This is what he gave him:

2 Pesos
A Quarter
A Chuck E Cheese token
A No Cash Value coin
& 2 One Dollar Bills

Branden said that it was just the right amount to buy his Bakugan. He was so proud of himself!!

SHE MADE IT!!!

This last week, Kamarin spent many hours at cheer leading clinic. She was trying out with about 85 other girls. And....drum roll please.....She made Winter Cheer Squad. We are soooo proud of her. She worked really hard & tried to do all that was asked of her at the clinic. When we get pix of her in action, I will post them...until then, how 'bout a cheer?

VETERAN'S DAY VISIT

The kids were out of school yesterday...for cub scouts we decided to make a visit to the Temple Visitor's Center. They are having a great exhibit of the prints in the Book of Mormon. The kids enjoyed the Temple grounds too. As you can see, it is hard to keep Everett from climbing on everything. We started planning the outing with 4 other families...but by the time we got to the temple we were down to only 2. The kids were very interested in the display of Book of Mormon's & all of the many languages that it has been translated into. What an eye opener, to see the different alphabets used in other languages.

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC

For the most part, my kids enjoy being together. This is just one of the priceless moments, when they sit and enjoy each other's company. The boys always love to hear Kamarin on her guitar. They sat in the front room just listening to her play for about an hour one night. I love these kids!!!

NO LIGHT SABER NEEDED

It was a crazy daring thing, to switch to the dark side...but something I have always wanted to try.

TIME OUT FOR WOMEN & GIRLS

I always love spending time with Kamarin...this Saturday we were able to attend a conference together. I usually attend this conference each year with my girlfriends. The day is always uplifting & I leave rejuvenated, ready to be a better mother, wife sister & daughter. This year it was for women & girls! So off we went. The speakers were phenomenal & although the day started out with a bit of attitude from the younger member of our party...by lunch time it was all good. Thanks for going bug!!


Oh, & I suppose I should make a comment about my hair...I have recently gone to the dark side. It is such a huge contrast to the blond I was born with. Kinda brave of me, huh?

A SUPER BUSY WEEK!

Our sweet friends next door, had their daughter get married this last week.
All three of the kids were in her wedding party. Kamarin looked beautiful & Parker & Everett very dapper! Here are a few pix of them all dressed up!

A STAR IS BORN!

Kamarin was recently in a production put on by her Drama class. This was one of my favorite scenes...she has such a flare for the dramatic. Grandma Weeks...this one's for you! It's in her blood!

TO SCAREY FOR ME!!

SPOOKY COSTUMES!!

If I revisit the Halloweens past, I am able to count back 3 years of Everett being a skeleton. So, it was no surprise when a skeleton was his costume of choice againn this year. He added a slight twist, by calling himself a "skeleton warrior". (He still wore the same costume though!) Parker waited until the day before, to decide what to be...hence, my scramble the day of to create his mummy attire. Thank goodness he was pleased with the results. Kamarin was at Patrick's this year & she also made a last minute decision...but came up with a stunning bat girl costume. We joined our friends in the yearly trek around the block, returning home with heavy bags, full of treats.

CARVING PUMPKINS

Each Halloween we carve pumpkins as a family. This year, the two older kids, needed very little help. Everett still refuses to touch the "pumpkin guts"! Kamarin created the spider, Parker the flame creature, & Everett supervised, while I carved his skeleton. Branden carefully cut out Parker's stencil with an XACTO knife, & then Parker did the rest. I put down a huge plastic table cloth, but we still managed to make the biggest mess!!

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Kamarin had a very successful party at our house on Friday night. There was dancing, singing, eating & just hangin' out. She was a great hostess....& plans to have many more parties in the future. Christmas party anyone?

A NEW MISSION

I know that you have all missed Agent E & Agent P. And, you have been wondering what special missions they have been on recently. Well, The boys are now part of the double O's....as in 007! Agent P told me he is "Bald...James Bald!" I asked, "Do you mean Bond? As in James Bond?" He giggled & responded..."Oh yeah, him...that is who I meant." So, besides being less than "hairy" spies...there missions have kept them close to home. This mission took place on Sunday & both Agents wanted to wear their spy glasses to church. As the mother....and director of the spy agency, I had to insist that the shades remained in the car. "Awwww shucks, Mom!!" Regardless, this crime fighting duo looked very debonair!!

NOT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE...AGAIN?!!

Remember when we went camping in August & how the smoke from the campfire set off his asthma? Remember...?, right when school was starting? The first day of school when he was doing breathing treatments in the nurses office. Remember that?

Well, it hasn't wanted to get much better, since then. It really peaked over the last two weeks...when no matter how many treatments we did, he still wouldn't stop wheezing. So, I took him in to the doctor on Wednesday of last week. We left with lots of prescriptions, samples & inhalers...both boys had an "Asthma Home-Care Plan". Still, by Friday, Everett was still wheezing...I had tried everything short of giving him my own lungs. So, I took him back to the doctor Friday night. MORE TREATMENTS & possible pneumonia!! We made it to Monday. I called first thing & asked for a chest X-ray. Whew!! No pneumonia, but back to the doctor's office. By now poor Everett was just done. And I mean...D-O-N-E! The doctor checked him over again & said that if you have a case of asthma that is unresponsive to treatment, then you usually have a pretty mean secondary infection! So, as Everett sniffs long & hard...he taps on his forehead & then his cheeks..."ouch, that hurts." Everett says, quietly. Man, this kid has one wicked sinus infection that keeps the asthma flame burning. I now own the Pharmacy at Albertson's & they have a special parking spot reserved for me. Please keep this sweet kid in your prayers..he is sooooo tired of feeling crummy. This is what you do when you are bored at the X-ray place & need a little distraction!!

COLORING & SNUGGLING

One Monday night, Branden spent a little time watching football. The boys & I had our creative juices flowing & tackled a favorite coloring book. Another of Branden's favorites, is blending up some Orange Julius's...YUM!

CAR POOL

I pick up the kids from school everyday. I usually try to have some kind of snack. I love to hear Everett tell me a "tall tale" that happened at school that day. Kamarin still tells me about her day too. (There is a lot of drama in Junior High *wink*)! Parker either has a really good day OR a really bad one....there is no in between. I know that this time is slipping through my fingers...I just wish they could stay little forever.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Ten! Yes, I said ten years! Here are a few pictures of Branden & I while we were dating & at our open house.

How do I love you let me count the ways....(I will try not to be too mushy!)

1. I love that you work so hard for our family.
2. I love your hands...they always offer me comfort.
3. Your amazing ability to solve story problems....of which stump me every time.
4. That you are insanely ticklish...always awarding me the upper hand *hee, hee*
5. When you get home at night, you & the boys wrestle putting WWF to shame.
6. I love that you try to understand me.
7. When I ask you to talk to me, you do.
8. I love your smile!! & your eyes...deep chocolate!
9. Your dedication to our marriage.
10. And that you are still my Prince Charming & I, your Cinderella.

I love you sweetheart!!

KARTCHNER CAVERNS

Our family, has wanted to tour Kartchner caverns for a while now. With the boys being out for October break, it seemed like a great time to do it. I called for reservations & they were able to squeeze us in. The 15 minute movie about how it was discovered was very informative. We all enjoyed the stalactites, the stalagmites, & columns, etc. I was grateful for the pathway to walk on...instead of the "crawling-on-our-belly" alternative. It was a long day for the boys, they fell asleep in the car on the ride home. It was about a 12 hour round trip, after we: drove 3 hours, stopped at Lacey's, had lunch, visited the cavern, had dinner & then headed the 3 hours home. Notice, the mongo-huge grasshopper that I took a pix of, right next to my hand. I picked up a dead one to show our little scientist Parker...the guide then tells me...."oh, those are poisonous." I was pretty sure that a dead one couldn't hurt me, so I kept carrying it until all of my kids had seen it. I am not dead yet....so, hopefully I will be okay.

THANKS LACEY & JOSH

We always enjoy spending time with family. We do not visit as often as we should. Packing up the whole house, to go on an excursion seems to keep us from traveling more. Lacey & Josh recently moved into a new house. It is a beautiful home on a gorgeous piece of property that backs up to a protected animal wash. Lacey prepared us a delicious lunch & the boys went looking for snakes in the cactus. Everett of course, had to ride his bike. Josh had a great helmet....Parker was immediately drawn to it. Unfortunately, he couldn't breathe very well with it on. But, man he looked cool. So cool, in fact, that Kamarin tried it on for size too.

LOOK MOM....NO TRAINING WHEELS!!

Everett has learned to ride his bike without his training wheels. Of all of our kids, he has picked up maneuvering atop his bike the fastest. Do you remember what it was like to learn something new? It is all that you can think about. It is all that you want to do! And, you want everyone to see. We took a trip to Tucson to visit Kartchner caverns...and yep, Everett had to bring his bike along.

I-PHONE "ITIS"

Kamarin loves her I-phone. Ummm, I mean LOVES!!. Can one love something a little to much? Alas, she has been diagnosed with I-phone "itis". And, yes it is contagious! All of her friends seem to share this condition. The phone never leaves the body...it is either attached to the hip or hands. It even sings to the holder. The doctor says it is not attached permanently. But, removal can be painful & the holder can go through withdrawal symptoms. It will be tough, but we know that Kamarin is a strong girl. She will get through the difficulty of intermittently parting with the said object. We will start off small...homework, brushing teeth, & times of sleep. This is what family togetherness is all about. I know she will thank us later.

LEGO'S, LEGO'S, LEGO'S

We are rich!!! Rich with Lego's that is. Our dear friend Donna has been searching for Lego's at every yard or garage sale she visits. This week she hit the jackpot!!!! She found us a huge tub full of all shapes & sizes of Lego parts. Of course, since they were a second-hand purchase, they had to be cleaned. It filled the tub almost to the top. And, man, some of those pieces are tiiiinnnyyyy. I spent an entire day: bleaching, rinsing, and then scooping them out with a colander. Then, they had to be dried & sorted. We now have around 100 lego people. You can build any kind of person that that you can think up!! We have police, race car, cowboys, skeleton, etc. My boys are in heaven. We spent Family Home Evening creating together. I made a very cool Indiana Jones castle....booby traps and all.

SOCCER EVERETT

Everett's team also won their game this week. Everett made seven of the eight goals for his team.

SOCCER PARKER

Parker is following in his Daddy's footsteps...the camera man! When he is sitting on the sidelines, he is always a clown. He is such a fun kid to have around!

PARKER'S TRICK

Parker's team won their game again this week. He is a master at turning the ball around & sending it down the field the other direction.

APPLES ANYONE?

Here are a few more pix of our trip to Safford last weekend. These came from Kamarin's I-phone....jealous? One of the many gifts of the mountain is the orchard. It is a toss up, year to year, whether or not it will bear any fruit. This year we won the toss!! The orchard has all kinds of apples: red delicious, Arkansas black, gala, golden delicious, etc. Our favorite was the Arkansas blacks!! Besides being spooked by the guy that worked there, (sharing with me that the orchard had rattle snakes)...a good time was had by all. THEN---I somehow managed to lock the keys in the car. Yep, the other set was 3 hours to the West all safe and sound in our cozy house. We were 30 minutes up the mountain & as hard as our fearless men tried, the dang car would NOT open. Three hours later, a local locksmith, $50 & scratches to the tint on the passenger side window...the doors were unlocked. Thank goodness my husband did not strangle me.
As showcased by these photos, you can see that my kids love the great outdoors.

MT GRAHAM

This weekend we went down to Safford to visit Branden's parents. The kids just love to go to the mountains. Parker continually tells me that he is a country boy, & we are in some way stunting his growth by making him live in the city. At Grandma's & Grandpa's the kids get to eat whatever they want....lots & lots of bacon, make forts out of blankets, & go to the cabin.
Kamarin loves to spend the weekend, doing teenager stuff with her sweet cousin Shaine. (I think the girls even text one another while sitting side-by-side on the couch. * wink *)
The little boys got to shoot their BB guns & according to Parker he got 11 lizards & Everett scored only 5. They weren't sure whether I was serious or not about bringing back the catch, so we could roast them for dinner.

A TRIATHLETE?

My purpose in sharing this post with all of you, is to make me accountable. If I actually say "out loud" that I am going to do this, then I REALLY have to. That being said, some girlfriends & I decided to start training for an upcoming triathlon. Most triathlons include a section of swimming, biking & running. We started taking a swimming class to help us with the strokes & breathing technique. I have also been taking a spinning class on Monday & Wednesday mornings. After, the spinning class, I try to swim for 30 - 45 minutes, then I fit in running whenever I can.



There has been a bit of a road bump in my goal...I just tore my right hamstring. I wish I could say, that it was from biking up Camelback Mountain, or running a million miles or something...but, I can't! I realize what a goof this makes me out to be, but I will share the story anyway. Pack meeting was on Wednesday evening, & this darling 3 year old girl comes up to me and says, "I can do the splits." So, what do I say to her?...."Well, I can do the splits too!" We proceed to share our talent with each other. She does the straddles & I do the regular splits. Suddenly, as I am down on the floor, I feel a *POP*!! Ouch...that kinda hurt. I got up very gingerly & hobbled around the rest of the night. I earned my self, an X-ray & some physical therapy the next day. No, I don't know what I was thinking! No, I am not sure why I was showing off for a 3 year old. Never the less, I am recovering for the next 2 weeks...with strict orders--NO BIKING, NO RUNNING! So I guess I will swim until I get the go ahead. Stupid, stupid me!

HE SCORES!!

Everett & Parker are playing soccer again this year & both of their teams won last weekend. Everett had an especially good game on Saturday. He scored three goals. I wanted to share with you his star qualities!!

CREEPIES ON PARADE

I don't know why boys, big & small, seem to like anything that creeps, slithers or crawls. I wanted to share a cute conversation that I had with Everett & Parker, before school last week.

Everett, "Mom, I am afraid of snakes."
Mom, "I am too son."
E- "What if you stepped on a snakes tail?"
M- "Well, it might try & bite you or try and get away."
E- "What if you stepped on its head?"
M- "It would prabably hurt the snake."
E- "What about if you stepped on it, behind its head?"
M- "Well, it would probably still hurt the snake."
E- "Oh, well how do you get a snake to fight with you?"
M- "I don't know, we just dont try to pick up or step on wild animals."
E- "A snake is a wild animal?!!!"
M- "Yes."
E- "Where do they live?"
M- "In the desert & mountains, under rocks & logs."
E- "What about tarantulas?"
Parker, "They eat humans!"
M- "No they don't...they might be poisonous, but they don't eat humans."
P- "Yes they do, we read a book about it in school....Tarantulas, bite you & then they suck out all of the goo & only leave crispy bones!!"
E- "I don't think I like wild animals."

After they got dressed, they pulled out our bucket of creepies. I guess the plastic version of these creatures don't qualify as WILD ANIMALS. I just love these boys & their imaginations!!

BLESSED WITH MUSIC

Kamarin is a very gifted young lady. She plays the piano & the guitar. She has started writing her own music & lyrics....hopefully, she will consent to share some with us in the near future.

NEWEST TOY ON THE MARKET

While Everett was home last week, he found a stapler remover....ta daaaa! The idea of the century was born!!! "Mom? Where is the stapler?" So, he spent the next half hour stapling & removing them.

EVERETT'S TALK ON PRAYER

Everett was assigned a talk in Primary this week. His topice was "How can we know that Heavenly Father answer's our prayers?" This story just seemed to fit! He is such a sweet boy!!

ANOTHER FRIDAY FLASHBACK

I have been neglecting my blog duties this week. Here is a quick update on the happenings in the Hoopes household. We no longer have frogs as pets--we let them go, for their own good. Everett missed a day and a half of school this week, because of his asthma. We did the usual piano, soccer practice & homework stuff too.

Today, however, is VERY special. The rule in our family is NO sleepovers...which makes me the bad guy to my kids. As you know, Everett's bestest friend in the whole world, is Gabe. His parents are celebrating their anniversary & needed us to babysit him Friday night. So, it is technically not a sleep over. But, just the same he gets to sleep at our house tonight. We are ecstatic!!! McDonalds, movies, & popcorn....HOORAY! So, hopefully, we will get some sleep.

Halloween is such a fun time at our house. Parker's birthday is so close to this holiday, it just adds to the excitement. Carving pumpkins seems to be short lived by the kids....Mom carves & kids stick their hands in--to get gooey....& then Mom finishes the carving. But, we look forward to it every year. Kamarin is 6 years old & Park is 2 in these pix.

FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Another week is coming to a close. Branden made it home from North Carolina, safe & sound....but very tired. The 3 hour time difference made it hard for him to get a decent night sleep.

The pictures that I am showing today are from a couple of trips to Disneyland & the Lego Store. We love to go to Disneyland!! Hopefully, we can make it back again really soon.

PETS

After finishing homework, chores & dinner, I sent the boys out to play with the neighbor kids. A short time later, Everett came running in the house, yelling that Parker had new frogs for us...to have as pets! I am still unsure of where the boys across the street, obtained both tadpoles & frogs, but they had 'em. This, became a family event. First, we had to find a suitable location to house our frogs. Tupperware was the most handy & had to suffice until I ran to Walmart to pick up something with a lid. Frogs jump you know!



Although, all of the frogs look the same to me....the kids had given them each a name. They were sure that they could tell them apart & had established ownership of each amphibian. We transferred them to their new home. I wasn't sure any of them were going to make it....they all played dead, for what seemed like an eternity. But, I guess they are resilient, because I checked on them after the kids were tucked in & they were all hopping around.



Our last batch of frogs didn't survive very long. Hopefully, with a little bit of love & attention, these will live to be a ripe old age of....hmmmm, maybe a week. We'll see!

WOLF AWARD CEREMONY

We attended Pack Meeting for Parker last night. He has been very diligent at completing the requirements for cub scouting. Parker is always a clown & kept being silly. He is well liked by the boys in his den. In addition to him earning his wolf badge, he also presented me, with a matching pin. When the cub master asked why the boys would also be giving their parents a pin. Park was so sweet & spoke right up. "Because, our parents help us earn our badges, so they should get an award too!"
Parker wanted to "WOLF" down a whole plate of cookies, to celebrate...he had to settle for the s'mores snack, that I made for the pack meeting treat. We are sooo proud of you, Boo!