Pinewood Derby

In January Cooper participated in his first Pinewood Derby, he loved it. We have an awesome

We are so lucky to have great people in charge of our scouting program that overdo themselves each time. It was a great experience.

Cooper and Collin worked on the car together and I helped him with the decorating. Our little Cooper is a Lakers fan all the way so there would be nothing better than a Kobe Bryant Pinewood Derby car. (The yellow car below)

Cooper ended up doing pretty good, he took 4th place I think out of like 16 or so cars, better than what we anticipated. :)

Doesn't he look like he is 12 in the picture? Getting so big. :(

Here is Coop with a few of the awesome scouts in our ward. We are really lucky to have such great kids surrounding Coop.

Cooper and a proud dad!

Cooper and his proud grandparents.

You did great Cooper!

Church and hand-me-downs...

I always love to get the kids all dressed up on the Sunday before Christmas. This year it didn't really go as planned, but is worked out okay and I saved a little money. The plan was to have them all in red, black, white and grey. Cooper, I got him a new sweater and he had some grey slacks and I thought he had some black shoes, which he did, but they were to big (hand-me-downs) we put them on last night and his foot looked 10 times bigger than it was. Doubling up the socks wasn't going to work:( so his outfit didn't really work out.

Then there was Bode, I bought him some new black shoes for his outfit (which he is not wearing) and I decided they were too much money for one pair of black church shoes that he would wear twice, so I opted out on putting him in the Christmas outfit I got for him. Instead I got out a old red sweater and his brown cords. Now I will take back his black shoes and the black cords that went with his hand-me-down sweater.

As for Peiton, everything worked out great and she looked darling (I thought, besides the rash she has all over her face that I can't figure out what it is). She was wearing a darling hand-me-down dress that was worn by a few of Stacy's girls.

Anyway, they all turned out darling and like I said before, I saved some money and don't you love hand-me-downs? They are the best!

Merry Christmas everyone! I can't believe we are almost there! So exciting!!

I am a child of God..

Today was our Primary Program in sacrament meeting. It was darling. I always look forward to the primary programs each year. I think it is probably one of every one's favorite sacrament meetings. First of all our primary presidency is so amazing, they love each and everyone of these kids and care so much about them. The program was so well put together and you felt the spirit so strong.
Bode was able to participate in the program this year. I had no idea how he would do when they started practicing. But, to my surprise he did great. During all of the practices, he stayed on the stand and just kind of sat there and did his thing. Today he was a little thrown off (he likes routine, and if he is off routine he isn't quite sure what to do and he gets pretty frustrated). So when we got there, he wasn't sitting on the stand like he had practiced, he was sitting down on the seats until it was the primaries turn, he didn't like this and thought it was his chance to run free around the church (we fight him with this EVERY Sunday). But, when the program started he went right up and sat in his seat, he was darling.
Anyway Cooper and Bode both had a part and Cooper did great, he said it clear and he sang darling (well what he sang, he sang darling...once again, not a big singer). Bode had a a little part and you know he still can't talk, so he needed a little help. Before each child said their parts, they were to say their names and then say "I am a child of God." One of the counselors that was helping Bode stood with him and said..."This is Bode Richards, and he is a Child of God....the tears came to my eyes, and they do again as I type this. It hit me again, right then, I thought how lucky I was to have this special Child of God, that brings so much joy to my life and then on the other hand he brings so much stress but I am so grateful for that because it teaches me patience, and you need it with this little guy. I am so blessed to be his mother and my family is so blessed to have him in our family, we couldn't imagine our life's without this little guy. He then continued by holding up a Book of Mormon and a big ole' Bode smile, which is to die for.

Like I said before, we have an amazing presidency. They have been so good with Bode and so good to take him off our hands and teach him the gospel and let him participate like all of the other children in the ward. I know they love him and want the best for him, even though they loose him every now and again...j/k:)