Kelsey turns 13!!!

We officially have a teenager! I can't believe how fast these kiddos are growing up. I can't think about it too much because it makes me so sad. Well I dropped the ball and forgot to have Kelsey answer the birthday questions I usually do on their birthdays. I will try & remember to do that tomorrow haha we will see if it happens:)

Kelsey was not happy that her birthday landed on a Monday. Her dad & I said sorry there is not much you can do about that one. So, she went to school:)

After school is when the fun started well of course she had birthday wishes at school. She really wants a bike so she get to go pick one out soon. Kelsey got lots of cards, cash and candy! On our way to take her to dinner we noticed that by the Gilbert Temple that is being built just down from our house. They had the Angel Moroni out & getting it ready to put on tomorrow. It was very exciting and we were the first to see it. After a very big and yummy dinner, there were tons of cars everywhere trying to get a peak of Moroni as we drove by

Grammie and PaPa came over for cake and ice cream. Frammie, Paige and Tatum had visited earlier. Dad made homemade chocolate ice cream from our fresh goat milk so YUM! Cody got Kelsey a magazine with all of the Hunger Games info in it-good pick there buddy. And, for another surprise I had my sweet friend Cara take pictures of the animals in our backyard. Then I put together this collage of some of Kelsey's favorite furry creatures. I think she was pretty surprised & loved it!

We sure our blessed to have Kelsey be part of our family! Love ya sweets & happy 13th!

Sydney's birthday bash!

Sydney turned 8 and we celebrated with a big bash! Paige got a party bus! Everyone met at Sydney's house dressed in their best cowgirl/cowboy get up. We headed to Joe's Farm Grill for very yummy food. WOW was the line long, out the door & down the sidewalk. Thank goodness that it was a beautiful night & most of the seating is all outside so plenty of room for the kiddos to run free without annoying others:) She opened gifts while we waited & then after some very good grub we headed to our next destination. Rustler's Rouse for dessert, line dancing & of course the big slide! But, I really think we could have just had pizza on the bus drove around for hours & grabbed ice cream on the way home because the best part was dancing in the bus. Cody was able to met up with us after his football practice. Sydney is a sweetie & told Paige she needs some cowboys at her party.

I'm so behind Happy Belated birthday twins!

I feel bad every year because Carter and Kennedi's birthday is on December 13th and things just seem to get brushed off because of the crazy busy time. So here I am trying to update! Carter and Kennedi woke up to breakfast and opening gifts. They went to school late because we went to get donuts for their class. It was raining hard the entire day! This was the year for no friend parties so we went out to dinner as a family to "Logan's Roadhouse" and then had cake and ice cream at home. On Friday they got to go to Build-A-Bear with Grammie Daley & Frammie Pamie. They had a blast & us adults had just as much fun seeing all the cute outfits and accessories. after we went and got frozen yogurt, it was a very fun day! I still can't believe my babies are 7 and next year is a big year for them. They will get baptized and it makes me want to tear up just thinking about it. I feel so blessed to have these two sweeties in our lives. They keep things happy and interesting around here!:)

I interviewed Carter first and it's funny how they can't just pick one thing.

Favorite color? Orange, green and blue

If you could have any super power what would it be? To be invisible

Best part of school? Recess

Best friends? Landon, Dylan and Colby

Favorite part of Primary(class at church)? Songs

Favorite Holiday? Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas

What scares you? Scorpions, spiders & monsters

What makes you laugh? Tom & Jerry

Favorite cartoon? Tom & Jerry, Johnny Test & Wild Krats

What do you want to be when you grow up? ER Doctor

Favorite candy? Kit Kat

Favorite food? Pizza & Meatball Subs

Favorite thing to do? Anything with mom:)

Kennedi's interview:

Favorite color? Pink

If you could be any princess who would it be? Rapunzel

Best part of school? Crafts and art

Best friends? Jessica

Best part of Primary? When they give me stuff

Favorite Holiday? Christmas

What scares you? Scorpions & spiders

What makes you laugh? Roller coasters

What is your favorite cartoon? Good Luck Charlie & Austin and Ally

What do you want to be when you grow up? Hair stylist

Favorite candy? Snickers and ice cream

Favorite food? Pizza

Favorite thing to do? Play with friends with squinkies, outside & horses.

Kesley is 11!

A little bit about Kelsey 11 years old

-beautiful inside & out

-loves hanging out with friends

-loves In n' Out burgers

-our animal lover

-a great helper

-hard worker

-she is getting better at saving her $

-Nutella sandwiches or Laughing Cow with crackers

-loves to read & she's fast too!

-she will pick salty over sweet

-very creative

-most mornings she is the first up & you can find her curled up on the couch reading or outside

-she gets annoyed easily

-she loves to make brownies YUM!

-she gives great hugs

-she's a daddy's girl

-she hates to go shopping

-loves frozen yogurt

We love love Kelsey and feel so blessed to have her as a daughter. I thought this was a fun way to keep track of things the kiddos like & it sure will be fun to look back at & see how much has stayed the same and what has changed.

Happy Birthday!

Cody's Party

This was the year to have a friend party so Cody wanted his at Bounce U! They had so much fun and got nice and sweaty and tired. Cody has a good group of friends from the ward & school. Kelsey & Mallory

Beau, Jayden, Kyle Chase & Adam

Brandon, Cody & Rhett
August 5th party- birthday on July 29th

Cody also got a fun candy bar poster from his Grandma, all the kiddos loved that & Cody had lots of candy to bribe his sister with.

10!!!

What do you want to do when you grow up? engineer

If you could go anywhere for a vacation where would you go? Hawaii

What's your favorite restaurant? Texas Roadhouse

What is your favorite candy bar? Crunch bar

What is your favorite soda? Root Beer

Who are your best friends? Beau and Kyle

Who are your best friends from school? Brandon & Adam (this was hard for Cody he said he was friends with everyone in his class)

What is your favorite color? Blue

What was your favorite thing you did this summer? Trip to Utah

What do you hope to get for your birthday? DS Game

I can't believe Cody is 10 they grow up way too fast! And I'm sure I blog this same thing last year but it really does go by fast! Cody is a sweet boy and we are blessed to have him in our family. We love you!

Happy Birthday Cody!!!

It’s been awhile!

On July 2nd our little family headed for Salt Lake City, Utah. We left at 5:30 am and drove straight through and the kiddos did great! Thank heavens for the tv & dvd player and plenty of snacks!! I took so many pictures that I had to download them on Mike’s computer so I only have the photos from the drive home. I will add the rest later.

We were lucky to have Kathy’s (family friend/Mike’s second mom) (my kiddos call her Aunt Kathy) house all to ourselves. Kathy was visiting family in California so we missed her. Now I’m going to try my hardest to remember all the fun things we did.

Friday July 3rd- Mike turned the BIG 40!!! I think I was having a harder time then him. In the morning we went to visit the Great Salt Lake but if you ask 2 of our kids they would say there was nothing great about it!! We had a picnic lunch and really enjoyed the beautiful weather.

We hung out at Mike’s friends house from high school Chad & his wife Darlene & their cute family. Mike’s high school is so old that they are knocking it down! They had a open house for everyone that went there. The whole trip was going down memory lane with Mike. It was fun seeing where Mike went to school & seeing his old neighborhood. We went to dinner with some of Mike’s friends & then went back to the school for fireworks! Pretty great to have fireworks just for his special day, well that is what the kids think.

Saturday- We had breakfast with Mike’s sister Shana & her kids Shea & Connor & her ex-husband Randy. We were going to go do something fun after breakfast but ended up hanging out at the house. The kids had so much fun playing with cousins & the adults got to chat. Later we went to a really fun park. There was a creek at the park which I thought was the greatest thing ever!!! Growing up in Arizona you have to drive at least an hour to get to a creek & here there is one right at the park. My kiddos loved it! They had all kinds of fun games set up & a very fun play ground.

Sunday- Today was a great day! We went to Temple Square and visited all the great things to see there. We saw the Joseph Smith movie & the older kids really enjoyed it. Shana & Connor came with us. Shea had to work so Randy drove back with her. After eating lunch we went to an aviary. Mike was surprised I agreed to go since I’m scared of birds-I’m such a baby! We had a fun day!

Monday- Mike took us around to where he went junior high & his old neighborhood. We packed a lunch and went Mill Creek Canyon it was beautiful! The kids once again played in the creek & Mike took them on a small hike. Our friends the Steele’s and Anderson’s were just getting into town so we met up with them for dinner.

Tuesday- We headed home but took it slow and spent a night in Kanab. We stopped at this cute place where Mike & kiddos learned how to fly fish. We got home Wednesday late afternoon & man was it HOT!!! We had a fun trip but it’s always nice to be home.

Skateland

Paige helped Randall surprise Emily for her 30th birthday! They rented out Skateland for the night. It was very fun party! Paige and I thought that the girls would skate and the guys would just watch us but everyone skated. It brought back some fun memories of being a kid. You can tell we are much older and we only had a few wipe outs! My kids were so jealous!

Happy Birthday Kelsey!!

A year older and wiser too!
age:10
grade:4th
favorite color:brown
friends:Mallory, Ashton & Cassidy
favorite place to go:the barn
what is her dream:to own a horse someday
what scares her:this being on mom's blog
favorite subject at school:art
what do you want for your birthday:horse stuff

Sweetie we love you and feel so blessed that you are a part of our lives!
Happy 10th birthday!
*I will post pictures after she has her party on Saturday.

I love conference weekend!

Now yesterday was a busy day like almost every Saturday.
Thank goodness for Tivo!!!
I worked in the morning for a bit, I was happy because Paige & I got to see each other on our birthday & exchange gifts.
Cody had soccer pictures and then a game. Cody is doing so great and seems to really be enjoying playing. Two of his buddies are on his team so that makes it more fun!
The weather could not have been nicer!

When I got home from more haircuts Cody & Kelsey were at a friends house and the twins were down for a nap!
I got the best nap ever, heaven!!

But, the best gift ever was when my mom offered to take the kiddos for the night! The kids love going to my parents house. They were extremely happy to go for a sleep over.

While Mike was at the Priesthood section of General Conference, I caught up on shows I still had not seen while getting ready. I'm such the multi-tasker, hee hee!!
We went to have some dinner & then went grocery shopping.
We went home and watched 'August Rush' it was such a good movie. I loved every minute of it, if you have not seen it I suggested you rented it!

I got to sleep in today! Seriously this is the best birthday gift ever, thanks mom!!
I have pretty much done nothing but, watch conference & take notes. I plan on going through our 72 hour kits in just a bit. I'm going to start trying to do that every conference weekend.
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Happy birthday Landon!!!

Saturday was a very busy day for me. I cut hair in the morning then went over to our wards Super Saturday and made a very cute Happy birthday banner I will take a picture of it on the next birthday.
Kelsey had a Stake Activity Days so I picked her up and went back to the church building to finish up my projects! I ran to grab a gift for a birthday party Kelsey was going to & drop it off at the house.
Then went back to do more hair and Mike dropped Kelsey off & then I meet Mike & the kiddos at Peter Piper for Landon's party!
Landon was so cute & had a blast!!! It was such a fun time!

Cody

What is your favorite food? Pizza

Who is your best friend? Jake & Beau

What is your favorite memory? My 9th birthday

What makes you laugh? Being tickled

What is your favorite movie? Star Wars II

What are you most afraid of? When I get scared at night.

What embarrasses you the most? Whenever someone sees me getting dressed.

What is your favorite music? Kids Bop

What makes you really angry? When people call me names.

What is your favorite activity after school? Playing with friends.

If you were the parent for the day, which rule would you get rid of? I would not have to feed the animals.

If you could change anything about 3rd grade what would it be? No homework!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Engineer

Do you think it would be harder to be a mom or a dad? Why? A mom because they have to have the babies & the kids always need or want her.

If you could have a magical power, what would it be? I would have all the powers!

What three things do you think you are good at? Building things, swimming & putting things together.

What is the best thing about being 9? Being older & I'm not going to let Kelsey boss me around any more.
Cody just told me he had the best birthday ever! The great thing is he said that last year & the before that. He got his first riffle from his Dad this year. He was very excited. It was funny while I was asking these questions to Cody, Kelsey was in the bathroom by the mud room. Half way through the questions she yelled from the bathroom ' Cody you know mom's putting this all on her blog'! AH the dreaded blog! He did change an answer once he heard that.
Love ya bud and happy you had such a super day!

HAppY bIRthDay!!!

Cody is 9 today and I still can't believe how fast they grow up! It feels like just yesterday that I was bringing him home from the hospital. He was such a sweet and happy baby. How could he not be he was loved on by everyone! Cody was the first Grandchild on both sides. Making me & Garrett's parents & siblings Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles. He was the one to make my Grandpa & Grandma Leffue Great Grandparents.
I'm always saying that I did everything wrong but now thinking back I don't care. I held him a lot and he never really slept in his crib. I remember trying to get house work done but still holding him. Crazy, I know & he can blame his sleeping problems on me when he's older. It's hard to put a snugly baby down well the first baby because no one else needs you!
Cody has always been a sweet boy and always thinking of others. All the little cousins love Cody because he's so nice and really loves playing with them. He's very polite and is always good about sharing. Yesterday he got a couple of cards in the mail for his birthday. After awhile he came in with a bunch of papers in his hand. He had wrote thank you notes for birthday money he got in the cards. It just melts my heart! Every night after dinner he tells me how much he loved the meal. Both Cody & Kelsey are always so grateful!
Cody went to Skate land for his birthday & then tonight we will go to his favorite restaurant for dinner. Can't forget presents,cake & ice cream afterwards!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CODY!
WE LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Birthday!

I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
We love you!!!

Kelsey's 9!

Kelsey and Ashton

What is your favorite food? Spaghetti
Who is your best friend? Ashton, Mallory, Rita & Madison
What is your favorite memory? Going to Disneyland just with mom & grammie
What makes you laugh? jokes
What is your favorite movie? Dreamer
What are you most afraid of? nightmares & mean dogs
What embarrasses you the most? when mom brags about me to her sisters
What is your favorite music? High school musical 2
What makes you really angry? when Cody bugs me
What is your favorite activity after school? playing with friends
If you were the parent for the day, which rule would you get rid of? NO CHORES!
If you could change one thing about 3rd grade what would it be? recess would be 40 minutes
What do you want to be when you grow up? a veterinarian
Do you think it would be harder to be a mommy or a daddy? Why? mommy! Because you are always doing everything
If you could have a magical power, what would it be? talk to animals
What three things do you think you are good at? riding horses, drawing & being a friend
What is the best thing about being 9? going to activity days

I love Kelsey's answers! I didn't help her but she did have Rita & Mallory over so maybe she got some help from them. I took cupcakes into her class & tonight she went & saw a movie. She said she loved her day! I love you Kelsey.

Sorry for the lack of posts and for no comments. Kelsey's grandma is staying with us for the whole summer & her room is where the computer is. I don't get much time in here!

Disneyland for the day!!!

Back in October my mom and I had so much fun at Disneyland that we ended up buying season passes. We kept meaning to go back but just never found the time. Since my mom works for the airlines we can fly over and make a day trip. So on Wednesday my mom & I took Kelsey to Disneyland for the day!
I loved that we did things she loves most. Kelsey is our animal lover! The night before I had Bunko and Cara was a sub. She told me about the cute little ranch that I had never seen before. It was the cleanest petting zoo ever!!! Kelsey loved reading about all the animals & of course petting them all. We also got a great idea for our goats at home. All the goats had bells and name tags around their necks-so cute!!!

I could seriously use a tan! What do you think?! I had so much fun because Kelsey loves all the fast rides and doesn't get a bit scared! Space Mountain was our favorite. It was a perfect day at Disneyland! Not crowded and beautiful weather. Eights hours was enough for us we were pooped out! Thanks mom for a fun day. Love ya!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Grandma Leffue, Great Grandma Openshaw & Grandpa Leffue


Yesterday was my Grandma Leffue's birthday & all day I wanted to post something in honor of her. Well my computer Tuesday night froze up & I just don't have talent in the computer area! Thank you Stacey for helping me out today.

I have so many wonderful memories with my Grandma. Her and my grandpa would always take us on fun trips in the summer. I visited most of Arizona (lots of small towns) with them.
We spent many summers with them at their cabin. Grandma would help us with reading & math. We loved taking walks & getting treats at the little store.
When grandpa & grandma lived in Prescott Valley we loved to visit. We loved going to the 4th of July parades. I have so many fun memories of those visits.

Grandma has such a strong testimony of the gospel and I have learned so much from her. I will never forget when she would hold Cody & sing 'I am a child of God' to him.

Still to this day when we are eating carrots I think of grandma. We had a carrot & a glass of milk with every meal. I love how healthy she is & she is always giving us great information.

I think when Paige & I were about 12 years old. We went & stayed with grandpa & grandma over spring break. Grandma helped us make dresses. I loved hearing stories of when she was little. Grandma is so talented!!! She draws beautifully, she sews, when we were younger she would make matching dresses and even made us BIG Annie dolls. I wish I could find old pictures of those. She is also a great teacher.

She loves her family and always wants loves from the kiddos and can't wait to hear what they have been up to. I could go on & on about how blessed I am to have this beautiful lady be my grandmother!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday!
I love you!!!

Grandma Leffue, Dad, Mom, Bridget, Great Grandma Openshaw, Great Grandpa Openshaw, me & Paige

Project 52

Week 8
This week I kept thinking of things I'm blessed with but today is my blog's 1st birthday! I thought I would write about how much I have loved blogging. It's not just reading all about others lives, I won't lie I do love that. I have loved finding old friends, keeping in touch with family & making lots of new friends. Oh, and who doesn't love nice comments?! All of Mike's family is out of state so it is very nice for them to see what we are up to.
My favorite has to be having a journal. I have always been good at keeping one until the twins came. I still have mini journals for each kiddo that I keep in the kitchen. I love that I have pictures & cute sayings of my kids & next I want to make it into a book.
Since it's my blog's big day, I thought it would be fun to do a little give away! (I still need to send the other prizes out!) Leave me a comment & I will pick one lucky winner!
I can't believe I have been blogging for a year now!

Happy Birthday Bridget!

Bridget holding Jack
Me or Paige(crazy! yes I know) holding Bridget (wasn't she a cute baby?)
Me, Paige & Bre on a cruise


It's my little sister's birthday today! I can't believe she is 27!!! Hope you had a great day! We went over to my parents house for dinner, cake & ice cream. The kids were so excited to make cards for her & couldn't wait to see her. The last couple of weeks we have missed each other at my parents so it had been awhile since they had seen her. Kelsey was so cute working on her card. She was asking me how old she was, I of course had to stop & figure it out! She thought Bridget was a lot younger then that. It cracks me up what kids think about age! And my kiddos acted like 1976 was soooo long ago when I told them the year I was born. Now we need to plan lunch this week! Love ya!

Happy Birthday!

It's my Aunt Cheryl's birthday today! Doesn't she look great for 50!!! I have so many good memories. When I was younger I remember going to her house to play. Paige, Stacey and I loved getting together for play dates. We sometimes would meet at a pizza place for lots of fun!
When they lived in Prescott Valley Aunt Cheryl would let Paige and I come up and stay with them. I have so many great memories of our trips to Prescott.
I feel very blessed to have such a good relationship with her now and I love getting to know her beautiful grand daughters.
I hope you have a super day!!!