Easter Fun and Warmer Weather!

The last couple weeks have been packed with fun!  We have had a lot of fun with family and friends and have been enjoying the warmer weather.  We love spending more time outside.  We enojyed a fun outing with the Woolfs this past week.  I love that the kids get a chance to play with their friends and I get some mom time with my good friend!

I enjoyed a field trip to Wheeler Farm with Ava's class.  It was fun to see Ava interact with kids in her class and to see a few new baby animals.  

Easter weekend was jam packed with fun!  We went to three Easter Egg hunts on Saturday.  First Smiths.  Then a fun neighbor hood egg hunt in my parents neighborhood.  Last an Easter egg hunt at th Cooper Easter party, where it is always nice to spend time with family.  Jake worked Saturday and Sunday, but was able to get off early enough Saturday to suprise us for the end of the second activity that day.  Sunday the Easter Bunny left the kids a note telling them he knew there dad would want to join in on the fun and that he hid their baskets for them to find when dad got home.  But he left some yummy sweetrolls from the Easter Island Bakery to enjoy for the time being. 

Jake and I have been better at exercising in the mornings for this past week or so.  We are hoping to keep that up!  

Lawson received a few awards at the pack meeting for Cub Scouts.  He did a great job with his friends in the flag ceremony.   He also started soccer with his cousin Riley and they seem to be having a great time.

Ava started gymnastics this past week and really likes it.  It was fun to watch her practice all of the steps.  She also received a really great midterm report from school.

Pierce has been giving a lot of hugs and saying I love you a lot lately.  He also told me that he didn't want to grow up and get married because he wants to live with his family forever.  It was the cutest!

Weston always wants to be outside now a days and is doing everything he can to keep up with his older siblings.  Whether that is trying to say everything they say or do everything they do. He is at such a fun age!

The three oldest participated in our Ward talent night which is always a treat!   A lot of great talent around here.  Lawson and Pierce sand and danced to "Thunder" and Ava played the piano.  They all did great and I was proud of them for sharing their talents. It can be kind of scary sometimes.

Last night Jake was going to take Laws to Avengers End Game, but he knew that I really wanted to see it.  Jake was so awesome and gave up his Father/Son night and babysat so I could take Laws.  It was really fun to go with Laws and the movie was pretty great!

Ava with a smile, despite the stinky cows.

Ava and Jax

These two!

(Wes loves other littles)

 

Cousins!

End Game

Good Times in St. George!

So most of the journaling and all but 1 picture this week are from our fun Spring Break in St. George.  My sister Christina, her husband Zach and their cute little Nora joined in our adventures.

We left on Wednesday because I have class on Monday and that gave me Tuesday to get my assingments done for the week and pack.  We arrived there around lunch time and it didn't take too long for the kiddos to want to go swimming.  They all loved the pool, except for Wes.  He was not a huge fan.  Later that day my sister and I went to do the grocery shopping for our stay.  On the way back our serpentine belt in the van broke (which we were expecting at some point, so Jake had the parts).  Power steering went out and I barely made it around the corner to park.  Jake and Zach were awesome enough to work on it for the next couple of hours.  They got through a lot of it and then called in Steve (some of our family in St. George) to come and help.  Steve is a great mechanic and was able to help finish the Job.  

The rest of the trip we had fun hiking the red rocks, going to Zions, and more swimming and club house fun.  Saturday we went with Steve and his fun family to Glitter Mountain to collect some gypsum crystals.  It was pretty cool and the kids had a fun time with their cousins.  Then we had lunch with them and went on a cool hike.  It is always good times with the Coopers!

We had a great time with my sisters family on the trip and always enjoy our stays in St. George.  Warmer weather and beautiful red rock, what's not to love!

We had a great conference weekend and really enjoyed hearing words from our church leaders.

Jake has been organinzing the house and we have been getting rid of some things.  It is looking and feeling a lot nicer and he does such a great job at it.  He has really been enjoying the warmer weather and likes to get outdoors with the kiddos when he is not busy working.   He is a great dad!  

Anna.  I have been studying and getting ready for the end of the semester.  I just interviewed a couple of people in a career I would like to have.  It was really informative and I got a lot out if it.  Not only will it help me accomplish my class project it gave me some insight and sparked a little excitment about my future career.  Just finishing up all of that and then focusing on my final in a week.  I will have about 3 weeks off before a short summer course and I hope to get some organizing in.

The Kids  The kids all had a great time on the trip and Lawson and Ava have been enjoying their time back at school.    We are working on things with Pierce and Weston at home and they are doing well, although this momma needs to figure out a better and more regular routine.  I am getting there:).  We played with the Woolf's and cousins last week, which we always love!  

I asked them all their favorite part of the trip so here it is:

Lawson: Swimming, Hiking and Cousins

Ava: Swimming and Hiking

Pierce:  Swimming and playing with Sawyer and Lachlan

Weston:  I bet it was playing with Nora and walking on the rocks and hikes (when we let him)

I will end with a quote a saw the other day that really spoke to me...

"Don't wake up with the regret of what you couldn't accompish yesterday.  Wake up while thinking about what you will be able to acheive today."

 The Look I got when I asked if he wanted to swim.

 This corner for the garbage (which we moved so they wouldn't play in it) was their favorite.

 Red Rocks

 They have the funnest Dinosuar park the kids love to visit.

 Glitter Rock

 Zions