Easter!

This year for Easter we got a great idea...and then it turned out to not be such a great idea.  We decided to get the kids a pool to set up out back.  Sounded like a great idea!!  I finally had children old enough that I would not be worried about one of them falling in and drowning!  Needless to say...they loved it!  It sat in our garage until spring when we started thinking about setting it up.  Then the not so good part came forth.  We didn't realize what it takes to maintain a pool that you are going to leave up for the entire summer.  Chemicals, shock treatments, filters...sounded like a foreign language to me!  I called several people and spent a day online trying to make heads or tails of it.  In the end, we decided it was too much work.  I know, we are bad parents!  So...I bribed Quincy and Brinley into getting a smaller pool with the money from the return and I bought Kade a season pass to Toads!  I think Em came up short on that one!!

They got beach towels as well...so it wasn't a total loss!  And besides...the real reason we celebrate Easter is to remember the Savior and think about the amazing fact that He was resurrected and that we can be also.  Chris and I had to be the speakers in Sacrament Meeting on Easter Sunday.  Although it was very scary I think we both felt grateful for the opportunity.  We both learned so much and really had our testimonies of the Resurrection of the Savior strengthened. It was a good day!

Emilee's Shoe Business!

Em had herself a little shoe painting business there for a little while.  It all started when Kylee came home from school for a few days.  While she was here she showed me a picture on her computer of some painted shoes that she was dying to have...for $80.00!!  Thanks goodness she wasn't dumb enough to order them!  When I saw the picture I said to her, "You know your sister could paint shoes just like that, right?"  Her eyes got big and she said, "you are right!".  Man, that was all it took.  Her wheels were spinning and by the time Emilee got home from school that afternoon Kylee met her at the door and unfolded her grand plan.  They were in the car within 10 minutes on their way to Wal-Mart to buy paint and shoes.  Kylee bought the supplies and even slipped $10.00 under Em's pillow before she left to go back to school as her pay!!  The "Lion King" shoes were her first pair! 

Then she painted herself the "Aladdin" shoes and wore them to school.  She had tons of friends that knew they needed a pair of these cool shoes as well.  She started taking orders and we started calling around to all of the surrounding Wal-Mart's to see what size shoes they still had in stock.  These particular shoes were a seasonal item so we had to buy them up while we could.  We sent Chris to several Wal-Mart's in Ogden and we made a trip to Logan! 

Kade tried to get in on the action by putting them on "Etsy" for her.  We hoped they would sell there, but that didn't turn out to be successfull.  Em was quite OK with that because she had a line up of friends from school waiting for their shoes.  She charged $20.00 for the shoes and sold several pairs.  I was thrilled because she was making a little money and most importantly...developing her great talent! 

 She let her friends pick what design they wanted.  She painted Toy Story, Peter Pan, Finding Nemo, The Beatles, Up and a few more!  She was one busy girl for awhile!  I think her talent is pretty amazing!  Hopefully she will continue to develop it!

Fingernails!

Emilee is such an artist!  We love that she has so much talent.  Her sister Kylee loves it too.  She always has great ideas as to how Em can use her talent on her!  These are "Lion King" fingernails...on Kylee!  Em is great at painting all different designs on fingernails.  If I lose her, I can almost always find her in the basement in front of a good show painting either her own or someone else's fingernails!

Brinley's Friend Birthday Party!!

Brinley was pretty sure she NEEDED a friend Birthday party this year.  I dragged my feet until finally a couple days before I called the Mom's of 3 of her little friends and whipped up a party!  I shouldn't procrastinate...but I did.  They had a blast.  They ate pizza and went swimming at the Nat and then came back home for dessert and presents.  She has the cutest little friends.  I just love them.  The 3 who came to her party were Kate Mecham, Olivia Godfrey, and Mia Stokes.

 This is how you look after your Birthday party!  They partied hard and she was exhausted!  She was pretty funny.  She made some decorations for her party...complete with signs for the doors!!

Happy Birthday Brinley!  We Love You!!

Brinley's 7th Birthday!

Brinley and Sarah have Birthday's 1 week apart so they got to celebrate their Birthdays together.  They both thought it was great.  We had a mix of food that they both love, and 2 huge pans of dessert...one of each of their favorites!  No one complained about that! 

 Brinley asked for "baby stuff".  She still loves to go into her room all by herself and play with her baby dolls.  She got a baby playpen and car seat and of course a new baby doll!

On her 7th Birthday Brinley loves...

*To play with her friends...Kate might think she lives here!

* Her baby dolls!

* Her teachers...Mrs. Moss and Miss Lily

* Cream puff dessert

* To swim

* When her sister Kylee comes home from College!

* A select few TV shows...she's not a big TV watcher.  She loves "Good Luck Charlie" and "Jessie"

* to draw, color, and make any kind of creation!

You are the cutest, smartest and BEST 7 year old we know!  

WE LOVE YOU BRINLEY!!

Brinley's Chinese New Year Program

Brinley is in her second year of Dual Immersion Chinese at Foothill Elementary.  We have been so happy with this program.  She is learning so much and can now read and write characters and speak in conversation to her classmates.  It's so great to hear her speak.  She's really got the voice influctions down!  Pretty entertaining to watch this little blue eyed blondie sound like a fluent Chinese student!!

Her school celebrated the Chinese New Year.  They put on a small program and got to go from room to room doing different activities.  We also got to eat catered Chinese food from Hunan Village!  I think that was her favorite part!

Hadley Family Disneyland Vacation!

Grandpa Tom took us all to Disneyland!  When Grandpa Hadley passed away he left Grandpa Tom a little bit of money.  Grandpa wanted to share some of that with each of his kids.  He told us what he wanted to do and we all decided that we would like to put our money together and take a trip to Disneyland!  It was almost 6 months in the planning, but it was awesome!  We went for a whole week.  We spent 4 days in Disneyland, one day on the beach and one day in San Diego.  So so so much fun with cousins!  It was ta trip we will always remember!

THANKS GRANDPA!!