Rachel.......

 Rachel.....what to say about her..... She has been in one of those awkward hard to grow up years.  12 going on 13 is a hard age on the parent and the child.  She has been playing the flute this year in the band.  She endures it.  She has had many ups and downs with friends.....I am hoping that she can learn the qualities of a "true" friend and then find those and become one too. 

She has been going to physical therapy for her leg for the past 4 months with no change.  We are hoping for a breakthrough. 

 She loves going to the rec center with friends and is thrilled when she is called to babysit for someone.  She likes hanging out with cousins even though most her age are boys. 
She could improve in the "attitude" department which I hope happens really soon!!!

Dinosaur National Monument with cousins (ya Rachel wasn't in the pic)

Shannon.....

Shannon and her friend Sara went out to Salt lake and saw Parachute in concert.  They had back stage passes and had a fun time.  It's her first concert.  Aunt Amy graciously let them stay over night.  It was a big step as a mom letting her go but she made some fun memories and came home safe and sound. 

at the concert with Sara

 This year for Halloween the "gang" all decided coordinate their costumes for the single adult dance.  Shannon and Steven went as Cinderella and Prince Charming.  She bought the white jacket at DI and I made all the embellishments to make it look like prince charming.... and not to toot my own horn but "TOOT TOOT"  I think it turned out pretty darn good!  We are saving the jacket so that if Brad needs it when he gets home for next Halloween he will have an awesome costume! 

Cinderella and Prince Charming

 Sara was the perfect match for Snow White and she made Nate's outfit.  Alan came up with his costume....a little weird but I guess when you don't have a partner you gotta do what you gotta do. 

the "gang"  Sara (Snow White) Nate (Prince) Allen (Emo) Steven (prince) Shan (Cinderella)

Shannon and her friend Bailey went to Salt Lake with dates to go to the Jazz game.  They got really good tickets (row 22) and had a fun time.  Shan's was a blind date kind of thing and it turned out fun.  Another one of those parenting moments of indecision of whether going 3 hours for a date is ok.... but they all arrived back home safe and sound and with fun memories to boot! 

Shannon the diehard Suns fan at a jazz game with her friend Baily and dates

 Shannon just hit her year mark working for Papa Murphys.  She is now on the morning shift to accommodate her college classes.  She has been a little frustrated lately but is sticking it out due to the fact that she is hoping to be accepted at BYU and wanting to start there this summer. 

good old Pappa Murphys

 It is really sad to think that we only have about 6 more months with Shannon around and then she will be off doing her own thing.  I know that is what they are raised to do but it still is just a bit sad. 

Michelle.....Sadies

Michelle asked Daulton to the Sadies dance.  She got several large garbage bags full of leaves from Grandma's lawn and dumped them in his room and said something like "I'll fall over if you don't go to Sadies with me"  and then about a week or so later this is what was waiting for her in her room.
It took 3 boys to haul this up the stairs.  He made me promise that she would have to take them out herself.... it took her a while but she finally got it done. 

She came home to this in her room

 They had a fun time at the dance with several other couples. 

Jenna......

Since I am so far behind, I decided that I would just make a post per child and catch up... so here goes.

Jenna loved climbing into our little tree in the front yard and playing.  She would take books with her or a stuffed animal and because of so many leaves she was pretty well camouflaged.  she had to take a small step stool out to help her get up in by herself but she did it!  She spent several hours in the tree. 

new favorite place to hang out...

ahhh to be a kid again

 On one of our trips to the dollar store Jenna decided upon a cowboy hat.  She wore for about 2 days quite a bit.  She would put on her jeans and her boots and then a checked shirt so that she "looked" the part.  We even braided her hair one day.  She even wore it just before bed....  she wanted to pose as a cowgirl for the picture. 

she got a new hat at the dollar store... matches her pjs

 She got this mouth appliance quite some time ago.  We had to turn the expander every morning before she went to school.  It really didn't bother her too much, in fact it actually helped her with her speech a bit cause it gave her a place to put her tounge when she was trying to for the "r" 

expander in her mouth



Crazy hair day is always a fun thing...  This year she wanted to have really tall hair.  So we put a cup on her head and then brought all her hair up around it and then made a pony tail.  She said it stayed in for the morning part of the day then fell out.  With the way things bother her, I am betting she helped it come out but it was fun anyway.

crazy hair day

Our ward had a Halloween party and they had face painting.  Jenna got her WHOLE face painted.  

face paint from fall festival

Without Brad here, there wasn't too much interest in  carving pumpkins this year.  Jenna was the die hard.  She and Spencer carved her pumpkin.  Brad was disgusted with the other girls when he found out they didn't do it.  He promised Jenna he would carve pumpkins with her next year. 

pumpkin smile...

carving...



finished product...2 days later

After several weeks of turning her mouth appliance the big day came for braces.  She only has them on the top teeth right now with the bottom to come later.  She thought it was super fun about the first day or so and now hates having to brush her teeth so often and the extra fluoride and such.  She has already had them on for 8 weeks now and goes to her first check up tomorrow.  

new braces

Shannon is FINALLY an adult!!!

For those of you who know Shannon, you know she has a countdown for almost everything.... and this was no exception.  She couldn't wait to turn the big "18" 
The day finally made it and we had a fun celebration with family and friends.  the thing that was funny is that the next day she said... "you know, it really doesn't even feel any different being 18 than it did being 17." silly girl!

She has become a beautiful young lady.  She has overcome many things and I am proud of the young woman she is.  Here's to anothe 18 years shan!!

the cake Sara made for Shan

the birthday girl and her crazy little sister

happy birthday to you....

Canning canning canning.....

 Michelle decided to use canning applesauce as one of her Persona Progress Project..

 We started picking apples about 7:30 a.m.  We had a whole bunch!!! 

She enlisted help.... Jenna helped as long as the smell didn't get to her... Jenna loved using a knife!

smushing the apples....

waaala!  the finished product!!  52 quarts of delicious applesauce!

We finally crawled into bed about 11:30 at night.  Yup!  she got her 10 hours!!

Uncle Clark let us borrow his camping stove.... much more efficient!

Next project....tomatoes....

Picked 4 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes from Grandpa Kendall's garden....

the end result 32 quarts of tomatoes and 14 quarts of juice!

Shelly got asked to Homecoming!!

Shelly got called back into work byher boss right after she got home one day.  She was very scared!  She thought she had done something wrong....  When she got there, her boss with a very straight face said "follow me"  he handed her this cup of jelly beans and said "what is this all about?"  then he cracked up!  She had to go through the jelly beans and find the ones with things written on them and then she had to find the message.  She got asked by a boy named  Ben.  She was pretty surprised to get asked..... I don't see why?  Anyway, she is excited and is looking forward to it... More news to come.