Update

We are all still here at the Hooper house.  I have neglected this poor blog that I start questioning if it is even worth trying to keep up!  I do WANT to keep it up, but honestly it has been so frustrating that I'd all but given up.  However, I LOVE  getting to read other peoples blogs, so I will try again.  We will see.  Our computer situation right now has made it beyond annoying to try to deal with pictures so I will try and deal with them when I am stronger.  :)

Seth is doing awesome.  He is a cute and funny and lovable little guy.  He is still in the stage where he will say whatever you ask him to say, so we take advantage of this all the time and have him say really big long words or phrases and crack up at how they come out.  He is such a good little talker that he does pretty well at our game.  He is my sweet buddy that hangs out all day with me while the big kids are at school.  :)

Isaac is doing awesome.  I think Isaac feels every emotion 10x stronger than normal people.  No one gets as excited as he does, or angry, sad, happy...all of it.  Thankfully he is a happy guy so we rarely have to see the angries and sads.  Isaac is still doing Karate.  He is a purple belt right now, but he will belt test this week.  Wish us luck!  Isaac is super loving and kind to me.  He is always making my day giving me and Livvi compliments like "You are as pretty as a pink unicorn" or  "I think you are the cutest mom ever"  (I am the luckiest...that I know for sure)

Grant is doing awesome.  He just earned his Wolf badge in cubs.  He was super excited to get to "wolf" down his treat with no hands.  :)  Grant is growing like crazy.  I feel like I have to buy him new shoes alllllll the time because his feet are growing so fast...they are getting HUGE....hobbit huge!  Grant is competitive and LOVES getting the highest grades and finishing his work first in class.  His teacher comments that he rushes through his work, but he always get 100%, so she is cool with it.  (me too)  He got to go with Ryan on a really cool hiking trip.  (See Ryan's facebook albums for pics).  Grant is still doing Karate.  He is a purple with white stripe belt and is testing this week with Isaac.  He has only one more article of faith to memorize!  Grant is taking piano lessons and is doing wonderfully in them.

Olivia is doing awesome.  Lots has changed for Liv.  She has retired from gymnastics.  It was something we were thinking of, and then we got to be in a musical together, (which she LOVED) and it gave her the courage to try something new.  I know she loved being in gymnastics, but she was ready to move on to other things.  As her mom, I was very thankful, not that I wasn't happy with gym, its just I knew other things could bring her more joy.  :)  Now she is singing in the East Valley Mormon Choir Organization.  She also is taking piano lessons, and plays the violin at school.  She is doing really well with them.  She learns so fast!  She was elected to be the president of her schools national elementary honor society.  She is thrilled.

Ryan is doing awesome.  He has been busy being the best hubby ever.  He has earned a few more patents.  He is the most creative person I know!  He is been on some awesome hiking and canyoneering trips (again, check his facebook...he documents them way better than I could).  He is a very patient man.  (Thankfully)  He is always happy to help me with whatever crazy project or predicament I get myself into. 

I am doing awesome...there is a trend going here...Life is great, we are happy, we are blessed.  Sometimes I don't blog because I am not so great with writing.  How can I express how happy I am to be a wife and mom and all that comes with it?  Its like in that Christmas song...John Rutter I think..."How can you capture the wind on the water?  How can you count all the stars in the sky?  How can you measure the love of a mother?  Or how can you write down a baby's first cries?"   I have been able to do a little more singing lately in these last few months and it has been wonderful.  I am going to start the kids on sight-singing very soon. :)

So now we are (sort-of) up to date.  I kind of glossed over several months, but my hope is just to write a few things more often, so we don't forget them later...Like all the sleep walking that has been going on around here...Hows that for a cliff hanger???