a bummer, but-Exciting News!

So as of right now i am still in Alberta. I came home to visit so Jeremy could study during reading break and then Jer went to do volunteer dental work at an Indian Reserve about 7 hours north of saskatoon for 2 weeks and i didn't want to be alone with the kids for 3 weeks. I don't get to talk to him too much since they don't really have a phone, but he is loving it up there. He says him and Dyck have sweet cabins, their own bathrooms and satelittle tv, but no phones. He gets to study hard without feeling guilty of not being home. He's loving the work and getting lots of experience. I miss him tons.
And ya the reason i am still here in Alberta is, ( i was supposed to be coming back to saskatoon today) but of course our Van had to break down on Sunday and after getting it looked at it would cost at least $2300.00 bucks to fix (i guess antifreeze got in the engine and other problems) and its only worth probably $2000.00. Even my brother in law Sheldon who is a mechanic, said its not worth it.. so now i am stuck without a vehicle. ARRGGG... just wish it could have lasted another 2 month until we were done. So annoying. So now i can't really leave until i get a vehicle, so this coming Wednesday i am going to the car auction in Calgary with Sheldon who is also a car dealer. We are hoping we can find something good, we will be able to check this weekend on what will be going through the auction and then hopefully i will have a vehicle. We've always bought through him and its been great.. But who knows, maybe i can borrow one of my parents vehicles when they get back from their trip. I am hoping to be home next Sunday.. still another week and a half to go i guess. At least Jer is gone working so i don't have anything to rush home to.

Oh and speaking of home and on a happier note. It's Official, WE SOLD OUR CONDO!!! yayaya!! So sweet eh? WE sold it the first day it was on the market.. so no more cleaning, organizing, showing the place.. aahhh such a HUGE relief. And we made sweet bank on it too! Oh and possesion date is April 27th..yikes soooo soon!!
Also to note we are pretty sure Jeremy has a job!!!! and we know where we are going, better not say any specifics yet officially, we haven't signed a written contract quite yet, but its pretty final. I am really excited to be going back to Southern Alberta, to be near family and close friends.

REALLY really sad though to be leaving already, i say already like we just got to Saskatoon even though it will  be almost 6 years when were done in April. I am sooo going to miss all the dear friends i have here, all the mommy playdates, BBQ's, games nights and ladies night outs...boo ):

Life this month has been huge for us.. and hopefully we will be home sometime soon!

i'm hopeful, The best is yet to be.

Well its been a bit busy with us these past few weeks..
Between heading back to Alberta twice in the last 2 weeks for job interviews (who knows if we'll ever get a job yet..arrgg.) and getting our place ready to sell its been busy. Plus poor Jeremy is pretty sick this week, probably the sickest i have ever seen him in our almost 7year marriage, so not much help and not the happiest camper either.
I have been busy trying to get this place in order as we are showing our condo this week and putting it on the market. I have been painting, organizing, cleaning, fixing things, you name it.. I swear the next place we have I KNOW i will be more organized.. it's so so much nicer.
I love being organized and living in this small, cramped place has been killing me over the years, because there is no room for anything!!!!
My closets are all cleaned and everything is in its place.. we have moved out ALOT of stuff either by taking it back to Alberta or into the garage and i Love having only what we need in the house. These past few days just seeing the rooms cleaner and less stuff makes me happy inside. As much as I am not 100% ready for this next big step in our lives (selling, finding a job, moving ect.) i am ready for more room.
And on the note of this next "big" step in our lives.. i wanted to say if you haven't read the article "The best is yet to be" by Jeffery R. Holland in the January ensign you must read it!! I think it is one of the best articles i have ever read. There is so many great quotes but here are a few that are applying to me in my life right now, "Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come”  and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives".
Life in general right now is kinda on pause, it seems there are a lot of changes that are happening or are going to be happening very soon. It seems like there will be a whole new life opening up to us and i am not sure if i am ready yet. I have grown so accustomed to this life, don't get me wrong though i am ready for Jeremy to be done and to somewhat move on with our lives, but at the same time its a little scary. 
I've been quite stressed out lately and I kinda wear it out there, life can be very discouraging sometimes and its hard to stay positive. And as much as i really don't understand why things happen the way they do and despite everything thats been going on in our lives i know that i need to believe that the Lord is really looking out for us and he will never lead us astray if we are doing what is right. I need to have more Faith that he knows what is best for us and never doubt the Lord's ability to give us something better than we already have. 


I am hopeful that the best is yet to be. yes, hopeful


Besides all that here are a few photos of what we've been up to lately as well an an awesome cookie recipe to boot.

Craft day 

This is Elias' marble track that he got from daddy for his birthday, it is pretty sweet and Elias could play with this all night!

Just a sweet one of my almost 1 year old baby boy.

and another typical day of Nixon in the laundry, and book shelfs and really enjoying it, i can't keep up with this kid!

And last but not least these cookies: Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from mykitchencafe.

They are seriously soo yummy, especially for having all whole wheat flour and oatmeal in them. This is my go to recipe now.. I also add ground flaxseed and you can't even tell. Yummo, i want some right now!!!

a little known fact.. about me

okay so its a fact.. i am defiently known for putting my foot in my mouth, talking too much and often too loud and saying stuff before i really think about it.. thats me for sure. Growing up i was always one those girls in school who got in trouble for talking too much.. surprising right, not (me and kwynne often together) and my family still to this day bug me about how loud i talk and laugh..sorry its a "Hansen" thing, its not my fault.

 So a while back, my friend Karen and I were discussing how we both do this same thing and we recalled many times between the two of us, (Karen's -Are you pregnant?? story is a pretty good one too, haha)...but nothing stands out more than the "New Moon" movie night with all the ladies.. well those of you that were there..you know how verbal i was, I mean who is this girl, does she get out of the house much??
especially when it was like "silence of the lambs" in the theatre and i was talking about how sweet Jacob's abs were.. oh man seriously Rachelle, your married get a life.. i was such an idiot. Don't worry i dont offend my husband usually, sorry babe, well he's kinda used to it by now, he knows i am pretty innocent and don't always mean what i say.
 Back to "New Moon", I remember Jeremy coming home from school the next day saying "Hey Jacob has some sweet abs eh?" Literally I almost died of embarrassment.. like seriously i must have really embarrassed myself if my friends husbands were talking about it?? I mean come on Rachelle, get some control. I think my problem is i really don't fully think about what i am going to say, i just blurt it out, and then step back and play it in my head after, hours later.. and realize okay you sounded like such a moron.

I cannot even recall all the parties, baby showers and games nights (oh those are the worst), where i have come home after and been like why did i say that?? Or why did i have to talk so much about that-Holy way too much information??  Did i like totally offend someone?

Seriously i'm i the only one that does that??

People always say how funny or hilarious i am, but really i think its more them just laughing at me for the weird things i say that they might want to say but dont! And people that don't know me very well, might think i'm a little strange at times, but know that its just Rachelle.
I defiently know how to have a good time and having a good time always means socializing a lot, and that usually gets me putting my foot in my mouth.. so there you have it.

a little known fact about me. (like you didnt already all know that, right?) 

Hopefully you all know that i always mean well- REALLY mean well and sometimes i get having a little too much fun and then my mouth takes over and i'm in trouble.. or so i realize..later.

I was again reminded of this incident the other night -by yes, putting my foot in my mouth..and i'll just leave it at that :)

why i miss Nursery

I meant to upload this video FOREVER ago.. and while i was trying to organize some videos last night i stumbled upon it. This was from back in November just before he turned 3 and already Elias looks alot younger.
Elias loved Nursery and these were his few favorite songs that he learned. (thanks krystyn)
I love how he talks about Sister Kratz too, she is a senior in our ward and was one of Elias' Nursery leaders, i guess he was reminded of her when he was singing these primary songs.. so so cute!

so just a few little reasons why i miss nursery: much younger, more innocent and even his voice sounds sweeter.. love you little buddy.


Elias singing Primary songs from Rachelle Cooper on Vimeo.

night time rituals

Baths, storytime.. its the usual routine. My kids love baths, its defiently a nightly occurence around here before bed. And of course i couldn't help but take some pictures of Nixon standing by the tub with his cute little bum.. like seriously the cutest naked little boy ever!

The boys love being in the tub together and Elias is constantly picking on Nixon, poor little guy.. always getting soaked to death by his big brother. And Nixon just takes it, he's going to be one tough cookie since having Elias for a big brother. Also Nixon won't sit still, always standing up and trying to move about, especially in the tub, at least a few times he's almost slipped right out of the tub, good thing i was right there, about gave me a heart attack.

And furthermore Elias can't go to bed without his much needed story time, I've really been trying to have Jeremy read stories to Elias most nights when he can. He doesn't get to spend much time with the boys and Elias loves it when Daddy can read to him, especially if its Curious George.

nothing special, just a typical night for us.

Oh Frosty the Snowman..

I was reminded of this video i wanted to share from Christmas, its of Elias singing "Frosty the Snowman" at the Cooper Family "mini" talent show on Christmas Eve.  I was pleasantly surprised that Elias knew mostly the whole song, while we were at Coopers he started singing this and so Grandma Cooper asked if he would sing it at the party.. i had to help him a little throughout cuz he was a little shy with everyone watching but man is he so cute, i love his pronunciation of some of the words and his shy little smirk through out the song. This is by far his most favorite home video and asks to watch it all the time.

Elias singing Frosty the Snowman from Rachelle Cooper on Vimeo.