Happy Birthday AMANDO!

Yes, I call her Amando.

Yes, she really doesn't like it too much.

Yes, I should probably stop calling her that.... especially on her birthday. I will work on that.

Aaaannnyyyyway.

The super rad, total embodiment of mega mommy, tennis playing, basketball dominating, sister of ours is 24 years old today.

Ah, to be 24 again. *sigh*

I gave her some pretty flowies to mark the special day. I hope that they are well behaved and stay alive for a while. They are not cut, they are in a pot, but I still do not trust them.

Much love seeeesta.

The REAL truth about DJ... He is really Jack Sparrow

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family tree software - Free genealogy

Chocolate milk yo!!!!

It is true! The fridge here at casa de Cooper is FULL of chocolate milk. All because a truck tipped over on the highway yesterday.

I know that I joke around alot, but this is true!

A friend of my sister Cynthia called her and said.... "Get everyone you know and tell them to come and get some chocolate milk."

Ok...... That was super random.

So, she came and got me, and we loaded up her 4runner and away we went to drop off cases of chocolate milk to all of our peeps. Seriously, we had about 20 cases of it in there.

We started calling people and you know what?

What?

Everyone that we called already HAD some milk from someone else.

The town is so small that someone had already beat us to it.

Ugh. A simple, seemingly easy, task turned into a loooong night of chocolate milk pimping.

I can see it now, all of the children of Kanab will be hating chocolate milk three months from now. It is going to be strange.

Happy Birthday Als!

My sweet, sweet seeeeesta Ali is 19 today!

She is a super busy, crazy nice gal and I am excited for her to be here this summer. She is busting some serious booty at college in St. George. Before you know it she is going to be an awesome elementary teacher.

Kelly and I have been talking about Als today and Kelly has the cutest things to say about her Aunt.

She said

• that Ali is always nice to her,
• that Ali let her freak out in the car,
• does not bully her,
• has hair in her ring
• she sings pretty

Kelly says the most interesting things.

We love you Ali! Hope that you have a great day today!

Hello...Hello...

Things are warm and fuzzy here at casa de Coop.

Savy is feeling better after going under the knife on the 10th.

I made it through driving 12 hours to Colorado.

Being a happy person when I wanted to be a sad one. Then driving 12 hours back here.

I learned so much about how much I love my sisters, my Mommy, and my Dad in one weekend that I can not really express in so many words.

My hubby was a super dad to Kelly in my absence. I now know that he can do it all... I am so proud.

Easter was fun!

Kelly loves to hunt for eggs.

I am thinking of hiding her toys just to see her find them again. It is just to funny.

I love my family.

I am still dealing with the loss of my Poppy. I am not sure if I will ever be the same.

I am ok with that.

Everything has new meaning to me.

Tomorrow I get to hang out with my neice Sadie. I am seriously looking forward to that. She is funny and silly, and sweet. Just what the doctor ordered.

If only people could bottle what she has.... I bet everyone would be happy.

Our Poppy

Yesterday morning one of my favorite men in the world passed away. My Poppy, James Ridgeway Pardee.

He was always kind, strong, funny and sweet to me and to everyone who ever came across his path.

He is honestly my hero and has been my whole life.

Tomorrow I head out to Colorado to be at the celebration of his life. I am lucky to have my sister Shannon to go with me. The drive will a a loooooong one.

When I think of him now, I can see him doing a perfect jack knife dive off of the top of his house boat into Lake Powell. It makes me smile.

Here is a copy of his obituary. If I was given the task to write it, I know that it would be a million pages long.

James Ridgeway Pardee, 84, passed away on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at his residence in Rockvale, CO. James was born on September 6, 1923 in Waukegan, ILL, to Curtis and Sophie Hinigher Pardee. Jim was raised in Englewood, CO and worked for Mountain Bell Telephone Co. Jim served in the Army during World War II in Europe. After his discharge, he resumed his career at Mountain Bell and retired after 37 years of service. In addition to being a very devoted father, husband and friend, Jim was an avid sportsman. Jim enjoyed many happy hours hunting elk, riding his horse and fishing on the river.

On May 26, 1977, Jim married Betty Linam Nelson. Jim and Betty lived in Aurora, CO, Kanab, UT and Rockvale, CO. Jim is survived by his children: Kathleen (Carl) Wade, Parker, CO, Karen (Neil) Kasperek, Aurora, CO, James R. (Carla) Pardee of Larkspur, CO, Robert (Sherry) Nelson, Evansville, ILL, William Nelson, Everett, WA and Brian (Penny ) Nelson, Widefield, CO, 15 grand children and 20 great grandchildren. Jim was preceeded in death by his parents, brothers Joe, Dodge and Robert, sister Evelyn, and Helen Eberhardt Pardee, mother of his children.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Jim's Life on Saturday, March 15, 11:00am until 2:00pm at his residence. Memorial denotations may be made to Sangre de Cristo Hospice, P.O. Box 1796, Canon City, CO 81212. Cremation by Holt Family Funeral Home.

Heaven is lucky to have you Poppy. I love you.

Cousins, cousins everywhere...

Last weekend was a total BLAST!!! Ivy K. and Sammy J. were here from Henderson. Every year (well almost every year) their parents Sam and Jess celebrate their anniversary by spending a weekend in Zion National park. This year they were celebrating their 10th anniversary! So awesome. Anyway... Ivy and Sammy have got to be the sweetest kids on the planet. We love to hang out and do fun kiddo things when they are here. This is what we accomplished.


They played the Family home evening game. This game is sooo fun. Casa de Coop has been busting this game out for many years. We decided to make new cards and they are super silly. One of them says "You went to stage stop and forgot to get me a drink. Go back one space." Another card says, "You helped Grammie fold the laundry, go forward 2 spaces." My personal favorite is, " Hug your Mommy." The little pieces are too funny too. There is a pig, a dinosaur, and a rhino just to name a few. I am always up for this game. It is fun for ALL ages.

We made a tent in the living room out of a sheet. It was the coolest. The tv was under the tent so the munchkins could enjoy their favorite cartoon while enjoying the fabulous tent. We were going to put up our real outdoors tent downstairs, but it was too big and they would not be able to see the tv as well...besides big tents are kind of a pain to put up. I am all about the easy when it comes to small people and sleep overs.


This is a picture of the three of them with the cutest "sleepy baby faces". I am a sucker for a kid with that sweet just-awoken look. Kelly could ask me to do almost anything and I would do it if it was when she first got up. The girls were soo good that night. They went to sleep pretty early and didn't make a peep at all in the night. I know because I was up and down all night checking on them to see if they were cold, or sleeping well. The furnace made a poor choice and decided to up and quit on us. Not awesome. We made do with a huge fire and Aunt Sarah space heaters. Thanks Sarah!

Next thing you know it is CRAFT TIME!!! YES! We did lots of different projects together.

• A puppy card
• A green coil snake
• A project folder
• A silhouette (spell check rules)
  
• A finger puppet for a play that they wrote

It was fun! Sadie even came over to see where all of the action was at. She scribbled a sweet picture of what I am pretty sure was French fries or her dog. I am not sure though. I should have taken a picture of it so you could see it. Dang it. Ivy was a huge help with all of the cutting and gluing. Nine year olds are the wolds biggest helpers. I love it.

Next they made cookies with their Grammie. They mixed and spooned out the dough like the good little elves that they are. I wasn't there when they made them, but I am sure that tons of dough went into their bellies. Cookie dough just screams out "don't cook me! Just eat me like this!" Kids have no choice. I think it might be in their DNA or something, either that or it is just yummy.

I was absent from the cookie making because I was going to get my niece Charlee! I hear your thoughts. "What Lex? Hanging out with 3 kids just wasn't enough for you?" No, it wasn't. I like to live my life on the edge. I am so hard core. - Not really, but by the end of the weekend I did feel a little worn out. Waaaah. I am such a baby. The fun continued on.


A puppet show was put on for us. It was about friendship and bananas. I am not sure how those two things tie in together, but they do. Kelly made a blue girl with green piggy tails. Ivy made a lion, "Li Li" her favorite stuffed animal. He goes on all of her road trips. Sammy made a purple guy. He was just a purple circle, so I added a yellow hat and arms to give him a little flavor. It was sooo Sammy. Charlee made a monkey that was holding a banana. I liked it when they sang the song at the end of the show.

They weren't the only ones to put on a show that night. DJ played his guitar for a everyone and it was fierce. The small ones would dance, even Grammie got in on the dancing action. Ali and Savy put up their cell phones for the slow songs. I was busy making grub for our little guests, so I couldn't chill. Listening to him play is one of my favorite things so I was a tiny bit sad that I missed that. Oh well, there will be other jam sessions another day. :)


Deej and Mama Coop took a kiddo time out and watched the Jazz game in the tent! It was entirely too cute. I thought that they were going to take the sheet down to watch it. Nope, they like to live life on the edge as well and snuggled in together and enjoyed the game in there. Sheesh. I want to watch tv under a sheet tent. I should have before we took it down. I am going to make one tonight and watch my shows in it.


All in all it was a wonderful weekend. We had fun making crafts, singing and listening to each others talents. I am super happy that Kelly got to spend quality time with her cousins. She thought of it all as her belated birthday party. That is fine with me. It certainly was a celebration. Kelly even got to learn how cousins treat each other. She now tries her best to be nice to her younger cousins. Thanks Ivy, Sammy and Charlee! We love you guys.

So homie, where ya been?

(The following post is a silly made up conversation in my head. Please excuse the utter sillness of it all.)


Well??? Come on, fill me in on what's been going on at Casa de Coop already!

Aw shucks, I could tell you....but you would never believe me.

Try me.

OK. Um.... Amanda, Sarah and I saved a mans life the other day.

What? That is amazing!!!! What happened?

He was all lifeless and plastic-like. Also, he was all one color. I am not sure if he had legs or not.

Oh my! That sounds horrible! You three should get a hero's parade or something. I want to carve your face out of ice, or name my first born after you!

We should get a parade for sure....but he was really a CPR training mannequin. He felt like a real person and my arms were a little sore the next day. I was freaking out about taking some looong complicated test. I think that I had Test anxiety or something. I felt all out of it and weird. I know that is usually the norm for me, but it was trippy.

Did they teach you how to help people with test anxiety at your first aid class?

No! They totally should have. I think I was in shock. I was all pasty and my hair was a mess. My socks were pulled up to my knees.... wait, I always look like that. Oh well. We all are CPR and first aid certified now, so we can save your life if you need us too.

OK, I know who to call now. I forgive you for making me freak out about the man now. What else is happening???

Kelly had a wonderful birthday. She had to go to the doctor that day though.

Are you pulling my leg again? Did she really have to go to the doctor?

Yes, I swear that this is real. She was telling me that her ear hurt when she would wake up for a couple of days. Also, she had a fever that she could not kick. My sister Cynthia is a nurse here at the hospital and she got Kelly an appointment right away. Kelly ended up having a doozie of an earache and is on some good medicine. She is feeling so much better now .

Oh, poor little girlie. Did that ruin her day at all?

No. She liked the doctor very much and thought that the office was cool beans. Kelly had tons of visitors for her birthday.

• Aunt Amanda, Uncle Jason and Sadie came by earlier and for cake that night.
• Aunt Sarah brought her candy and hugs.
• Aunt Emily came over with Mia and gave her some sweet hair doo dads.
• Aunt Shannon stayed over for a while and got her a rad chair and some glow in the dark star stickers.
• Aunt Cynthia brought over Wyatt, Jesee and Charlee to play and got her the cutest pink doggy.
• Then Grammie came home and sang to her and gave her a precious ring.
  

Wow. That is alot of people that love her!


I know. She loved it so much. Turning five is a big deal I tell you. Kelly got a sweet bike! My mom got her a helmet and knee pads plus a singing hamster card.

What? A singing hamster card? What next?

Yeah, I know. It sounds bizarre. It is the cutest card though. She loves to dance to it all of the time. Is it wrong that sometimes I want to break it?

Yes. That is mean. Be a nice Mommy.

Yawn. I am getting sleepy. I better go to bed. Will you tell me more tomorrow?

Definitely.

We had a fabulous weekend. Ivy, and Sammy were here! We did so much stuff. Guitars were played, cookies were made, tents were put up, furnaces were broken. Wild and wackiness all around I tell you.

Oh sweetness! I can't wait to hear about it.

Later gator.

:)

Happy Birthday Kelly Jessica!!!!

Tomorrow my baby is turning FIVE!!!!!!
No....Kelly is officially not a baby anymore. She is a big girl now.

Hooray for Kelly!

There are no words in the world to describe the love that I have for Kelly Jess. She is smart, funny, cute and nice. She loves to learn and play with her family. She really enjoys making other people happy. She is a great dancer and is a sweet singer too. I love how she draws her cartoon people.

Everyday I say a prayer of thanks for my angel Kelly.

The day that she was born the sky was pink. Really it was. The clouds from an earlier rain took on the light of the sunrise and colored the sky pink. It was a beautiful way to bring her into the world.

These five years have FLOWN by. I know that before too long she is going to be a young lady, and then a strong woman. I look forward to being with her every step.

She is going to have a fun party with her family, I hope that she has the best day. I will take pictures to let you see how much fun it is going to be.

I hope that you have a happy Kelly day tomorrow too!

TO: you LOVE: me

Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart!



That is all I have to say about that. :)