Luck 'O the Irish

I have found my POT 'O GOLD in my family. They mean so much to me, and I can't imagine my life without them. You can call it LUCK, but I call it a BLESSING to have 4 beautiful girls! Each one of them light up my life, and I love them for the little ladies they are becoming.

I still haven't figured out what to tell people when they ask me, "how many kids do you have?", so I just say 4, and they can figure it out. We consider ourselves LUCKY to have the gospel in our lives, and so LUCKY to be able to see our LITTLE ANGEL again and to be able to raise her. What a joy and blessing this will be.


We are LUCKY to live in Heber close to family, and to live in this neigborhood. We are LUCKY the girls can go to school, and experience freedom and growth. LUCKY that Hal has a job and that Elisa can stay at home.
We are just a LUCKY family!

So here 's to the LUCK 'O THE IRISH...(Hal needs it, girls in their teenage years..are Wonderful, Emotional, Exciting, Emotional, Lots of Fun, Emotional...you get the picture)

Chelsea...almost 14! She even got GREEN rubber
bands on her braces just for St. Patty's Day!


Courtney...9 years old, and decked out
in GREEN...her face had a 3 leaf clover,
her nails got painted GREEN, a clover
ribbon around her wrist, and just before
she walked out the door to school, she added
a GREEN beaded necklace, and GREEN
jacket, and I am sure you didn't miss the GREEN
headband with the clovers.


Cashlyn didn't feel very well today, so
her picture was a little GREEN!


SEE HOW LUCKY WE ARE!

When I grow UP, I want to be...

Courtney plays on this little basketball team. They
are the TIMBERWOLVES...
Every Saturday we go to Show Low to watch
her and the team play. It started out as an all
girls team, then they added Caden Owens.
This is what Courtney said, "Ever since we got
Caden on our team(he started the second game)
we have won our games." We just started laughing.
We thought it was cute.
On the team we have, Lto R:
Kaitlyn Porter, Hannah Whipple, Savannah Reidhead,
Courtney Hall, Makenzie Willis, Lauren Hancock
and the only boy in front: Caden Owens


The games are so cute, the coaches get to go
out on the court and tell the kids where to go
and what to do!


So we were talking about what to do this summer
and Courtney pipes in...All I want to do is go
to basketball camps, so I can be a professional
basketball player. We thought really?


Makenzie's Mom (Robyn) and Savannah's Mom
(LeAnna) are the coaches...they do a great job,
and have way more patience than I do!

Salon Day

Thanks to a BEAUTIFUL Aunt Nikki, we got to have a day
at the Salon. Nikki spent her morning making her nieces and
nephews look good. We are glad that Nikki knows how to
fix us up, and that we don't have to pay a FORTUNE to look
great! All together Nikki had 8 haircuts and more. (whatever
we wanted, styles, nails, cuts...etc.)

CHELSEA got her hair trimed & Caitlyn got a cut.


COURTNEY got layers in her hair and pretty pink nail polish!


Caden got a haircut and style!

A Poem that is So True!

I have been reflecting lately about the events
of the week of May 26th. Sometimes it is hard
for me to think of Hal's grief, because I am
so consumed in mine. So when I read this poem
I thought it speaks the truth.

A Father's Grief

It must be very difficult
To be a man in grief,
Since "men don't cry"
and "men are strong"
No tears can bring relief.

It must be very difficult
To stand up to the test
And field the calls and visitors
So she can get some rest.

They always ask if she's all right
And what she's going through.
But seldom take his hand and ask,
"My friend, but how are you?"

He hears her crying in the night
And thinks his heart will break.
He dries her tears and comforts her,
But "stays strong" for her sake.

It must be very difficult
To start each day anew.
And try to be so very brave-
He lost his baby too.

Eileen Knight Hagemeister

Happy Birthday Courtney

We are so glad to have COURTNEY in our family. We waited for 5 years after Chelsea was born for her. When we went to the doctor for my check up, the doctor said, "how about we have a baby today." I was 2 weeks early and so I said I guess. He told us to go to the hospital and check in, so I went to Walmart to walk around and cry! (I had never been induced before and Chelsea's birthday was in 2 weeks) We got to the hospital about 5pm, and COURTNEY was born at 1 am. I wanted to name her "Bridget" and Hal didn't really like that name for her after he saw her. I said well then COURTNEY, and he said, "I like it."

So COURTNEY JANAE it was!


COURTNEY was a happy baby, and a
sweet little toddler.


COURTNEY has gotten the best or at lest

the most creative homemade birthday cakes...

a dora cake, a little mermaid cake,

strawberry shortcake--twice,
hannah montana cake.


COURTNEY is very sweet, and
says funny things...most recently she said
this when she lost a tooth..."I feel like
one of my family members is missing."

COURTNEY is a great big sister.

She loves to SKI, play with FRIENDS,

BAKE in the kitchen, SING SONGS,

DANCE, play GAMES on the computer and Wii.

COURTNEY loves PRIMARY & Family Home Evening!

She hasn't decided if she likes to hunt yet.(poor dad)

One of my favorite things about

COURTNEY is...everytime there

is a birthday in our family(cousins,

grandparents, you name it) COURTNEY

will go to her room pick out some

of her personal things and wrap them

for the birthday person...a special

gift just from COURTNEY!

For COURTNEY's 8th birthday we got

to go on a Disney Cruise. It was a

great vacation and we are glad we

spent 1 whole week together as a

family! A Vacation we will never forget!

COURTNEY is a special girl, and we

are glad she is part of our family!

WE love you COURTNEY...

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY!

Wednesday Lunch

Most Wednesday's I love inviting Chelsea's
friends over for lunch. They are a good group
of girls, and always so polite when they are here.
But most of all, they say they like my cooking...
and since my family doesn't(j/K) I will keep these
girls around!

back row LtoR
Morgan Reidhead, Lindsay Crandell, Rachel Theil,
Felicia Curry & Bethanie Stephens
front row LtoR
Chelsea Hall, Katia Honsinger & Analise Franco



Felicia, Katia & Rachel


Lindsay, Analise & Bethanie


Felicia, Katia, Rachel, & Chelsea


GOOFY GIRLS

Holy Guacamole!

Avocados were really cheap at Bashas one week,
so we bought several (like 20) so we could make
some great GUACAMOLE. Hal loves guacamole and apparently so does Cashlyn!

DIG IN!

I am sure Cashlyn got more on her face,
hands and clothes than she did in her mouth!
Oh well, it still was good!