FYI

I made a page off to the left, between adoption fund and my blog list, it called menus.  Check it out.  I put all my menus for the last 3 months or so.  I will also add some recipes that are great freezer meals too.

also check out my grandma camp page let me know what you think.

Adoption process going well and other stuff too!

This week has been very productive, exciting, and full. We started out on Thursday at LDSFS with our case worker. She is wonderful. Well we are coming up on having to renew our profile. That means we have to have a new home study/case study, new background checks, new bishops letter, new tax form, new financial statement. Luckily we don’t have to do a ton of paperwork. Well after answering several questions, and filing out the background check paperwork we get to have a questioning session. I have been worried that I have not been doing enough to help in our finding process; here was my opportunity to see what I could do to make it better. Well all of our numbers look great. We have a lot of traffic on our profile. So thanks to all you who have given out a passalong card. Those make the world of difference. She suggests putting them in your bills that you mail out. So if you still have a couple of cards put one in your bill this month. Also if you know anyone who is going to school like Paul Mitchell of some sort of technical school I would love to send some cards with them to put on a counter there. She also said my adoption blog looks wonderful. YEAH! For all my hard work (this is my pat on the back). So all around, it made me feel really great, that all my efforts are not going to waste.

We got the opportunity to go to dinner with Marshall’s boss, several co-workers and their spouses. We ate at the Chef’s Table. I was excellent food and I had a blast. It was really the first time in 2 weeks since Libby got sick that I had left the house. It was really great to finally put a face with the names and stories. I can see why Marshall has so much fun at work. They Laugh all day long at each other. They are all story tellers, and they all know how to laugh. It was a wonderful dinner with great company, but late night.

My exercise of the week is always on Saturday mornings. I don’t function if I exercise in the mornings, my days are pretty shot. But who can pass up a wonderful basket of yummy food and a little socializing, and hard work.  I buy a basket of food from Bountiful Baskets, I volunteer every week. I love eating the yummy variety of fruits and veggies that come each week. I get to try new things and stock up my freezer with good veggies. I canned and froze fruit for smoothies and snack time treats. You can buy extras like tortillas, bread, honey, granola, and many other things. I love the 9 grain wheat bread, and the fresh tortillas are amazing. If you have never tried it, you should. It helps to make my budget stretch and we are eating healthier. (picture of what came in my basket in 1 week)
http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

Marshall had a tragic horrible Monday evening. He went to the dermatologist about 3 weeks ago, they biopsied a mole on his arm. They call him back on Monday when he got there they put him in a surgical room, he did not know that they were going to remove it. Well 10 shots, a 2 inch cut, 11 stitches, and then waking up after passing out, he came home. Poor thing never had stitches before and I think the trauma of the situation made him a little queasy. Good thing for him Blood and gore doesn’t bother me. 

I took Libby to the Monte L. Bean Museum on Wednesday.  I thought she and I needed a day away from home.  She has been feeling better and this was a great idea.  She loved to see all the stuffed animals.  the elephant was one of her favorites.  the lion she got up close and almost personal.  I was a little freaked

                                                       out looking it in the eye but it didn't bother her one bit. 

Thoughts from Libby

I was making a batch of baby blankets for those of my friends that are having babies. Libby comes in and asks what I am doing. I tell her that I am making blankets for babies. She looks at me and says “for my baby bubbles?”(A doll given to her at Christmas from my grandma). I tell her no. She then thinks about it and says for my baby sister? I said that would be really nice but not yet. I remind her that we pray for our baby to come and she keeps telling me it’s for her baby sister. The best part is that the blanket is a nice blue and green. I think she might be color blind.

Libby was getting dressed. Her pants were looking a little on the short side, so I said “Man Libby your legs are getting long, where did you get your long legs?” She looked at me and says “the doctor”.

picture: Libby found Ian's bean bag chair and was relaxing.

Libby brought me the princess dress and asked if she could wear it.  I told her that she could if she took off her clothes all by her self.  she did a step closer to being potty trained  she can take her pants on and off.  so she put on her princess dress and wore it until nap time. she was really cute about it.

Marshall should do my blogs more often

UHHH,  well I have not been thinking this week about what to blog.  I thought so hard about what I was going to do for the adoption blog (I had Marshall write it :-) ).  And I have lots going on for the next week so next week should be insightful.

After a most frustrating last week this one has gotten a bit better.  Libby no longer has a fever, it only took until Saturday afternoon.   She still has a productive cough but can sleep though the night without any cough medication.  Grandma and Grandpa Hooper stopped by to visit on Saturday evening.  She was so excited to see someone that she was almost bouncing off the wall.  They were only here for 30 min but as soon as they left she layed on my shoulders all wiped out.  Poor thing was so excited she just used all her energy to be happy. 

 I was getting ready for stake conference on Sunday, and had to put lotion on my feet to put on my tights. Well Libby saw me putting on lotion ,so she needed to have lotion too. Marshall got a picture or her laying on the couch getting her feet rubbed. A girl after my own heart.

Thought of profoundness from a 2 year old

We are reading a book before bed. Libby points out the mommy cat, and the baby cat. She then says " ohhh NO the daddy is missing" We look at her and ask "where is he ?" she says " he's doing homework"we had to laugh.

 

So here are a few catch all photos that I just received and found!

Priesthood session Oct 2010.  This is a picture of all the men in my family.  Who knows when it will ever happen again.  My dad was very glad that they got to go together.  A once in a lifetime experience.

                                     

 

These are the Thanksgiving photos.  Marshall's job is to cut, carve, leave enough for everyone else, the turkey.  Since I have known him this is one of his favorite jobs.  Thanks Andy for getting this coveted shot. he says he doesn't eat the turkey while carving it. Love you babe.

 

 

     The Hooper family Thanksgiving dinner. 
     We all enjoyed a fantastic turkey dinner.

 

Life and Times

While trying to decide what to put on both my blogs I had a hard time deciding. Our week thus far has been really crazy so here it goes for all that care to read.

Since last I wrote this has been our week.

I learned that I can’t exercise in the morning. If want to function at all for the rest of the day.

We have a new favorite game “A ticket to Ride” we also enjoy playing “Settlers of Catan”.

I tried a new recipe “Black bean quesadilla with chicken”: black beans, salsa Verde, shredded chicken and a little cheese in a tortilla. Very good.

Libby loves her new nursery class; they play with play dough, a play kitchen and lots of little friends.

I love my once a month girls night out, Bunco. I really love getting to socialize with other women. They are a great group and I am thankful for Ashley for inviting me. Oh and I won, yeah!

Tuesday we woke up and Libby was very warm and she had a nasty cough. After about 2 hours I decided that maybe we should go to the doctors. So I made her an appt for after her nap. When she woke up she was on fire. So we quickly went to the dr. appt early. She ended up with a fever of 106. They did chest X-rays, (really difficult with a screaming, unhappy 2 years old). Went back to the room and they had to catheterize her to get a urine sample (even more difficult with a screaming, unhappy 2 year old). Then they sent us back down stairs to get blood drawn (really not fun with a screaming, unhappy 2 year old). then back upstairs to get a shot of antibiotic. The entire time she is still 106 and stuck to me like glue. Needless to say she was warm, I was warm, and all the tests came back with showing nothing. So home we went. She was miserable and so was I. Well Marshall and I split the night up so I could get some sleep. I got 4 hours, the first 2 hours of the evening and the last 2 hours. She did not sleep because she was coughing and I couldn’t sleep because she was coughing. Well with a lot of Tylenol and Ibuprofen we finally got control of the fever. She still is running a temperature but can you do about that. Yesterday morning came and she was still miserable. We took her back on Wednesday night and they gave her another shot of antibiotics and then tonight I will find out how the cultures turn out. I am grateful that she is ok at this point, even if she is ornery. I really am glad for her Dr. He is a great Dr. And does a good job to put me at ease when I need it no matter how many times I called the office.

But to the funny. Here are a few things that she did do that were totally cute this week.

she said these with me
The doctor wants to listen to you breathe Libby, she looks at him and says “No Way”

After watching ‘Despicable Me’ 2 days in a row she wanted to dance at the end like every one in the show do. Gru gets up on stage and shakes his groove thing then does the splits Libby says “I want to do that”, so she does the exact move. Hands of butt and shakes it, A turn and down into the splits. I about fell of the chair laughing because I have never seen her do the splits before.

She died laughing when the last character of the last scene of “Despicable Me” says “ohhh poop” she decided that it is funny enough to copy.

We also spent the last 2 days with “Mary Poppins” Libby walks around the house singing “let’s go fly a kite” over and over again.

These were said to Marshall

"Libby guess what we forgot to give you this morning?"...... Libby: Uh....money!"
I was referring to her vitamin.

I get home, kiss Libby on her cheek and tell her she's my princess, she responds by saying, "daddy, you're my best friend".

Me: Libby what do you want for lunch? Libby: "yogurt". Me: You want yogurt for lunch? Libby: "yeah, that would be awesome!"


Sorry No pictures .  My death warmed over child will not let me take one.  I snuck a picture she was mad after the fact oh well.

New Bed

Well we gave Libby her big girl bed for Christmas and the transition has gone fairly well except for a few things.

She loves her bed and loves the “butterflies on big girl bed”.

I woke up Tuesday morning I did not hear her on the monitor. So I got dressed, put in my contacts and headed down to get her out of bed. When I got to the bottom of the stairs she had found my purse (the one day in the last 4 months I did not hang it high on a hook) I had luckily taken out the bag of candy bars the night before but she had found the hand sanitizer and emptied the entire bottle. So I reminded her rules of the big girl bed and put her in time out for that and she gladly and happily sat in time out.   Then at lunch I was sitting in the living room read my scriptures and all the sudden a door shuts I look up nad no libby comes my way.  So I go look down the hall Her bedroom door is almost shut but my office door is closed.  When I opened the door to my office the look on her face was like a deer caught in headlights.  so needless to say I am working on ways to keep her in her room.

As a mom, some days, you just want to laugh, cry and scream all at the same time.

p.s. Christmas is on our other blog