Here Comes Santa Claus ....

St. Nick's Day is celebrated in the Hopper home. Brian has fond memories of the holiday from his few childhood years living in Germany so he started the tradition in our family before Katharine was even born. This year, both Katharine and Elizabeth remembered and asked us when they got to put their shoes by the fireplace. This is what they woke up to on the morning of December 6th:

Tree decorated with almost no help from the parents. These munchkins did an awesome job! They're modeling the Christmas pajamas that St. Nick brought them.

Welcome Winter!!

Where has Fall gone? So many wonderful things have happened in the last few months that I've decided it would be way too much work to update my blog. So instead, I will do a quick recap and then move on.

1. Trick-or-Treating with four kids was awesome. Jacob slept the whole time, Elizabeth slept half the time, Jameson whined most of the time, Brian came down with strep throat and Katharine stayed out late with Mommy and we had a blast.

2. The whole family got strep throat, but Mommy got it the worse and was laid up for a full three days.

3. Katharine likes First Grade most of the time and has discovered the joys of jump roaping.

4. Elizabeth loves preschool all the time, especially the play room with dress-up clothes.

5. Jameson tells us every day that he has "school morrow" while wearing his backpack- usually with socks and underwear and nothing else.

6. We took a WONDERFUL trip to Utah for Thanksgiving and got to spend a week with the most amazing people in the world and playing in the snow.

7. Autumn decorations packed up and Christmas (all twelve totes) unpacked and displayed.

8. Mommy went back to work last week. I'm pretty sure it's harder on me than the kids, but they're not too happy either.

9. Christmas Tree up in the house and soon to be decorated.

10. We got to meet the adorable, beautiful, amazing TJ Watkins!

Saying Farewell

We will always love you, sweet Dakota.

Thank you for enriching our family.

Dakota Marie Hopper

2000 - 2010

Fall 2010... so far

I love Autumn and all the wonderful things it brings. This has been a very busy Fall for the Hopper family so we're going to share a few of our favorite things.

1. Grandma and Grandpa Hopper came to visit!!

2. September 19th was a special day- We celebrated Brian's birthday with so many loved friends and family who joined us for Jacob's baby blessing.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

3. Our annual trip to Apple Hill with Grandma and Grandpa Jones and the Fry's. Mommy forgot to take pictures after the first stop. My sister took a bunch, as did my mom. Maybe they'll share with me??

4. Elizabeth celebrated her 4th birthday at BounceU and we had a BLAST!!!

5. Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!!!! My very favorite fall hotspot.

We've been five times... and counting!

Trust Brian to teach his kids to lay on the train tracks.

Sleepy Jameson

Think he was ready for his nap??

Cracking Heads

Our first child to have stitches was, of course, Jameson. He was injured while playing with his sisters in Grandma Jones' living room. Jameson's little forehead met the corner of Grandma's brick fireplace. He was such a little trooper, despite being covered in blood (only 15 small drops made it onto Grandma's white carpet), rushed to urgent care, waiting for two hours to be seen by the doctor, waiting another thirty minutes for the topical pain killer to work (it didn't), then being held down by three people (his bawling mom included in that number), getting a shot right in the middle of his forehead to actually numb the spot, then getting two stitches. It looks much better today.

He's actually quite proud of his war wound:

Elizabeth's First Day of Preschool

She was such a big girl and so excited. She insisted on wearing her new backpack and taking pencils, erasers, and a notebook. She wanted to "learn my letters."