The Hoopers

Micah's Birth

2010-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

A little late, but Micah was born! :) He was born on December 23rd at 3:38 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs and was 20.5 inches. We are excited to have him in our family!

Snowy Day Fun

2009-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

The first snowfall of winter came this last week and we had a great day playing out in the snow! The kids loved making a snowman and sliding down our front yard in our sled.
Darby loved chasing the snowballs and trying to steal the carrot from the snowman.
That day the power went out for 4 hours and so I built us a fire and we warmed up with home-made cocoa. YUM! :)

Darby Choking

2009-09-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

So grateful my dog is o.k.! My dog and her dog friend got their collars tangled and it was scary there for awhile. We couldn't get them untangled, they were choking and Darby got a bloody nose. We found a guy with a knife who cut off Darby's collar. She is doing good now, and I am watching to make sure she makes a full recovery. :(

September Update

2009-09-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Long time no post...sorry! Here is the update on the Hooper clan. Baby number 3 is on the way. He, yes another boy is due December 26th! We are very excited and have picked out the name Deagon Thomas. Pregnancy was a little rough, ok so not fun at all at the beginning, but the nausea has gone away and I am enjoying a very active little munchkin. :)

Trent and his family put on the Bear Pa Charity ride again this summer and it was a great success! Lots of hard work from everyone, but so rewarding when you get to see the families that this money will go to help. If anyone is interested in participating, volunteering or donating to the charity, just let us know!

I am still active with teaching my exercise group, which is really fun for me. I don't know why I feel so good making other people miserable. ;) j/k! Lots of fun coming up with new challenging workouts for a variety of people. I think I am going to start posting the workouts we do on a blog that I will link with on this page. Hopefully!

Gabe is 3 1/2 and really likes pretending he is everyone's (especially Sammy's) mother. He is really good at letting everyone Know the rules and what they should and shouldn't do. :) His imagination is taking off and it is fun to listen to him play make-believe.

Sammy is 21 months old and his vocabulary is starting to take off. He loves playing with Gabe and getting dirty. He is my cuddle bug.

Darby is almost a year old and is learning how to heal and be a good doggy.

Milly is 3 1/2 and is an avid moth hunter.

We are all doing well but miss seeing our family and friends that don't live near!

Derbyshire

2009-01-24T22:18:00.000-08:00

We got a new puppy!!!!!!!!! I am just a little excited...can you tell? Her name is Derbyshire and we call her Derby (pronounced Darby) She is named after a county in England. I thought it befitting since she is an English springer spaniel. It also is the county that the fabled Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice grew up. Which happens to be my favorite book. She is a great dog, three months old, gentle, quick learner, great with the kids. Now if she could just get the hang of potty training we're set! ;)

Deer

2008-12-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

I woke up one morning this week and found three deer on our front yard. Here is a picture of two of them. Another reason I love Montana! We see them all the time! Gabe has started to say that he wants to ride them. Baaaaaad idea kiddo! Love ya...but no. :)

Carpet, Tableclothes and Other Evils

2008-12-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

So the other day I was helping Gabe go potty and when I returned to the dinner table Sammy had effectively pulled the table cloth off the table with the contents of his Gerber dark green garden vegetables onto the floor. It made the biggest splat I have seen. So I got to thinking as I sat on my hands and knees cleaning up the mess...who ever invented carpet must not of had children, what a hideous mess! Also whoever invented tablecloths must not have had children either. Again stupid invention! I can see how for some people they are pretty and great an all but I think from now on I am banning the use of them till my kids are much, much older. Also I am redoubling my efforts to save up for hardwood floors! Bye Bye shag sea foam blue carpet!! (Who puts carpet in the kitchen and dinning rooms anyway?!)

I'll get off my soapbox now. Thank you.

Sammy Turns 1

2008-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Our little Sammy turned 1!!! Happy Birthday little guy!

For more pictures and video check out his page.

River Webb

2008-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Cutest girlie ever! River you are sooo cute! Thanks for playing at my house!
(Brother Dave's daughter)

Super capes

2008-12-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I made super capes for my brothers kids. It was really fun to see them run around in it. (Gabe's super cape is apart of his everyday wardrobe)

Thanksgiving Turkey

2008-12-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving my family came to our house. My parents brought a home grown turkey. The thing was HUGE! It weighed 50 pounds...not stuffed! It barely fit into my oven! We had to put little Sammy up next to it to give you a size perspective. Thanks for the good food Pops!

Ella's Funeral

2008-12-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

"Here Sidney I stole these for you!"

(Sidney is Trent's cousins daughter)

Memories of Ella McArthur

2008-12-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

The reason we were in Utah for Halloween was for Trent's Grandmothers funeral. Ella was a wonderful woman that I loved. I will miss her. My favorite memories of her are:

Teaching her how to kick a soccer ball and how she could only get it a few feet until we told her to imagine it was President Bushes head. I'm not kidding the ball went three times as far!

The road trip to Idaho with Grandma McArthur, Daryl, and Bonnie.

Running to the car after watching fireworks at Weber State. We got going a ways and she laughed and said she better stop before she wet herself. She was sooo cute!

We'll miss you Grandma!!

Halloween

2008-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

For Halloween the boys got to be in Utah with their Nana and Papa. Gabe was a cowboy and Sam was a tiger. Gabe really thought it was cool that you could just go knock on peoples doors and get candy. Kids must have came up with this holiday!

Painting the House

2008-10-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our house is finally painted! A big shout-out to all those that helped this happen! We couldn't have done it without you! Thanks!

My experience at the swearing in

2008-10-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Trent had a great time getting sworn in (or so it seemed to me). Let me tell you a snippet of what was going on in the balcony with me and the boys. I could tell this whole ceremony was steeped in tradition, they also took as long as they possibly could to make it special. Each person got introduced to the State Bar and recommended by a attorney in good standing which meant a short explanation of why they should be admitted. (Some not so short) Gabe got bored and decided to test how many times he could announce that he had to go potty. Three trips down 2 flights of stairs and across the capital building to the bathroom latter and thankfully Trent still wasn't up for his turn.

So Gabe takes his extra Unders from the diaper bag and holds them up for all to see and announced that he had found his unders. I was slightly embarrassed to say the least. All the while Sammy decides that the best place to play is right on the edge of the stairs.

Congrats Honey but next time I am hiring a babysitter to help! LOL

Here is a video of them presenting Trent to the Bar of MT.

Passed the Bar!!

2008-10-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah for Trent! Good job on passing the Bar exam! We are excited to have that worry over with! Here is a fuzzy picture of them swearing him in at the state capital in Helena.

Fun Montana Pictures

2008-07-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun Montana pictures we have taken since moving to this huge beautiful State!

Trent Finishes the Bar

2008-07-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the Bar exam! YES we finally did it!! We are so proud of Trent and all the hard work he has put in. Good job TRENT!!!

We love you!

Star Spangled Banner

2008-06-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Trent and the guys worked so hard on these songs!

Graduation

2008-06-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION THIS JUST IN: TRENT GRADUATED!!!!
Yes, it finally happened. We now have an official graduate on our hands.
Good job Trent!!!!

Observations of a new Montanan

2008-06-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Things I have observed since I have become a Montanan:

I counted about 40 pickup trucks on my way to a store. (Not a long drive)
Went on a run and saw a family of 6 foxes
People tend to be very friendly
There is wildlife all over! Mainly bunnies, Ducks, Foxes, Deer...
Mountains are gorgeous
There are more options for license plates for this state than I have EVER seen!

Yes We Are Alive!

2008-06-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

After a hiatus from blogging I thought I would update everyone what has been going on with the Hoopers! We have moved from Spokane. OK...hold on, I am going to tell you our plans for the summer, it may get confusing.

After moving from Spokane we drove to Billings and dropped our belongings off in a storage unit. Then we drove our family including the cat to Nebraska for six days of relaxation. (We will put on some pictures later)

From Nebraska we drove back to Billings and stayed about 3 days in a Hotel driving around every day to see the city and look at houses. From Billings we drove to Missoula were we are now. In total we figure we spent 7 days in the car.

We are now in Missoula for 2 months while Trent studies and takes the bar. From Missoula we will drive to Utah for about 3 weeks and then drive back to Billings for good.

Whhheeeeewww sorry for the long narrative, we will get back soon with pictures and fun stories.

Love you guys and hope all is well with everyone!

Ode to Trent

2008-03-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Trent Turns 29!!!
Everyone look out! Trent is one year away from being 30! :) In honor of Trent's impending birthday I am honoring him with a slew of pictures. I hope everyone enjoys the seeing pictures from the life of Trent.

Trent I love ya! Thanks for being a wonderful husband and father. We look forward to another wonderful year.

Raptor Reef

2008-03-12T22:08:00.001-07:00

Our family went to an indoor water park today. Trent is on Spring Break so we took the opportunity to get out and have some fun. Gabe was a little weary of the water at first but we got him to go down some slides and by the time it was time to go he wanted to stay! Sam on the other hand wasn't to impressed by the experience. Oh well!

Raptor Reef 1

2008-03-12T22:04:00.001-07:00

So they have this HUGE bucket that fills with water and then SPLASH, you're all wet. Fun but kind of nerve wracking, you never know when you or your kiddo are going to get rrrreeeaaaallyyy wet.

Raptor Reef 2

2008-03-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

Gabe and River playing in the kiddy pool.

Chelsy's misadventures at the salon

2008-02-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

I have been unsuccessful in finding a good hair stylist, which has meant some pretty scary hair cuts over the past year. It started with a disaster of one over the summer that has taken forever to grow out.

So I finally went to get my hair cut tonight...The place was filthy and the stylist was very clumsy she dropped 3 combs a clip and cut herself all while cutting my hair.

She did a bad job and so I asked her to fix it. She had to start over and I ended up with hair to my chin. When I got home Trent discovered that she didn't get rid of my mullet-the reason I went in the first place! So Trent ended up cutting my hair as straight as he could. Thanks Honey!

AHHHH! Discount hair salons STINK!

Thank you for letting me vent.

Sam's Blessing!

2008-02-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

Sam's Blessing was a wonderful day, thank you to all our family and friends who were able to come and support us. To see more pictures of Sam's blessing check out Sam's blog!

Crazy times

2008-01-29T21:17:00.001-08:00

Wow what a crazy couple of days. Heres the update: I (Chelsy) was sent to the ER on Monday morning for some chest pain I have been experiencing. They ran TONS of tests on me and decided they wanted me to stay the night so they could run more tests. I ended up getting a cat scan, coronary angiography, multiple ECGs, and the list goes on. What they found out was that I am actually quite healthy and that their not sure why I had the chest pain, but we do know that it isn't anything serious (they ruled out anything life threatening with all the tests).

I am so thankful to be home again! I learned that the best place to be is with those you love enjoying the present. So often I look to what is going to happen that I lose sight of what is happening right now. If I were to have no more tomorrows I would regret all the time I have wasted planning /thinking about unnecessary things. I challenge each of you to stop and ponder about what is most important in your life and let that take up your thoughts. Count your blessings and live for right now.

I am also so thankful for wonderful friends who really pitched in and helped us out by watching Gabe, making dinner, or phone calls to check up on us. I really love you guys and don't know how we could have gotten through this without you! Thank you!

What I am thankful for...

2008-01-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Something I am thankful for is being able to stay home and be with our kids. On Friday I taught Gabe how to play Duck Duck Goose. It's a little difficult when the circle consists of you, a toddler, and his stuffed tiger and bunny; but guaranteed to make some smiles and laughter.

Kids Blogs

2008-01-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

Gabe and Sam now have their own blogs! Look to our links to check them out.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

First time Gabe held Sam and he had to pinch his nose!

We dressed up and acted out the nativity story for Christmas this year. Trent was Joseph, Chelsy was Mary, Sam was baby Jesus, Gabe was a Shepard, and Milly was a donkey and a sheep.

Sam was our present for Christmas this year.

Sam Keeps Growing

2008-01-18T15:01:00.001-08:00

Sam is about 7 weeks old and as of yesterday weighs 12 lbs 5 oz. He is starting to coo and smile and it just melts our hearts.

New pictures of Gabe and Sam

2008-01-18T14:50:00.001-08:00

Trent gets a job

2007-12-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

We are moving to Montana! Billings to be exact. We are so excited! Trent got a job with a firm called: Crowley, Haughey, Hansen, Toole, Dietrich. Its the largest firm in Montana. He will start working for them next fall.

Sam is born

2007-12-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

Sam was born on December 5th at 12:17 a.m. Chelsy got checked into the hospital at 8:15, and the labor went fast from there. He was 8 pounds and 20 1/4 inches long.

Chelsy Goes into Labor

2007-12-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Chelsy went into labor! She had labor pains all day. When they started to get more intense that she had to breathe through them, Gabe got concerned and went and sat right by her and held her hand.

Nursery Turkey

2007-11-18T13:25:00.001-08:00

Today in Nursery Gabe made a Turkey hat. He was excited!

Update on Gabe

2007-11-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

This is a video of Gabe. Its kind of long but it gives a good idea about what he has been up to lately and his speech development. Its amazing how fast they learn and grow!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

For Halloween Gabe was a Cowboy. He had fun going to a party geared toward little tykes his age, they dressed up and went door to door inside their house. Gabe would knock on the door and say "Boo" and then sign "Thank you". He has been saying "Boo" to scare us ever since.

Silly Milly

2007-11-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

Milly tucked herself into Gabes bed all by herself!

Chelsy's Crazy Birthday Party!

2007-11-13T10:57:00.001-08:00

For Chelsy's Birthday this year we got dressed up in aliases and went out to eat. We then went on a photo scavenger hunt with another couple. It was fun to see all the funny reactions to our outfits. Gabe was a cowboy, Trent was a 80's throw back (just think of Uncle Rico on Napolean Dynamite), and Chelsy was Lola the wonderful.

Fall Family Photos

2007-11-12T22:01:00.001-08:00

We were able to go to the park and take some fun pictures. Gabe is 19 months old now and yes Chelsy is Pregnant. She is due December 8th.