HaPpY bIrThDaY kInZiE!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Kinzie. I can't believe my Kinz is 14. Where does the time go? I remember not to long ago she was loving her bankley, and twisting her hair while drinking out of her sippy cup. Now she is hanging out with boys, doing make-up, and staying up till all hours texting her friends. I am very proud of the young woman she has become. She is kind, and thoughtful. She loves her family and she has a growing testimony of the church. She is attempting to get her "Full" and she has mastered the lay-out. She loves tumbling, cheer, and softball. I hope year 14 is amazing for you Kinzie. We love you.

Homecoming 2011

My boy is growing up and I am not liking it. Although I am enjoying him now, I miss that little boy who used to run around in overalls and no shirt. Oh well. Colton is now working at Firehouse Car Wash. He is the Jr Sec. on the Student Council and has a girlfriend. He is a very busy boy.
Colton asked his girlfriend to Homecoming with a big bag of swedish fish. On the outside it said "You must fish, to get my wish". Inside we put a puzzle of words that would read " Out of all the fish in the sea, I'm asking you to Homecoming with me?"
She replied with some blue jello, with fish in it "Out of all the fish in the deep blue, I would love to go to homecoming with you."
It was cute.

Colton and Rachel went to Park City with a group of friends and rode the Alpine slide and Skycoaster. Then they proceeded to Chili's for dinner.

My handsome boy all dressed up! He is looking very handsome.




Colton and Rachel.


AND Lehi beat Payson 56-27. Wootwoot. I think it has been a decade since Lehi has actualy won a football game.

AND THEY ARE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After 3 years, 1 month and 7 days, she is tin free. WOOHOO.
They are gorgeous!

Going's On

Well we have been kind of busy lately. Colton turned 16, got his license and made the High School Student Council. He will be the Junior Class Secretary. We are proud of him and his accomplishments.
Kinzie decided she wanted to play softball along with Cheer. She made the 8th grade cheer squad and she is playing on the Dodgers. (my favorite team, fate.) I am also the assistant coach of said team. Jennifer Shepherd is the coach. We did this so Kinzie and Chantelle could play together. She is playing 1st base and center field. They won their first game. She is also going to try for 8th grade student council. She is trying for VP.
Jaycie also plays softball she is in the smaller league and is on the Astros. She is going to try and pitch. She does a really good job at it. She has great speed. She is a little wild, but she can throw alot of strikes also. I hope she keeps it up, she is a natural.
We will have games every Mon-Thurs until June. Good luck trying to find us. It's gonna be busy, but worth it. The girls are really having fun, and Colton loves driving.
Thats our life in a couple of paragraphs :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLTON !!!!!!!

This handsome devil is 16. Where oh where has the time gone. I cannot believe my baby is 16 and driving on his own. It was just yesterday he was carrying around his pet squash, and stripping off his shirt singing "I am a handsome star". I really miss those days.
Colton is such a great young man and we are blessed to have him in our family. He will be ordained a Priest on the 8th of May, and he is driving everywhere he can. He loves it. He is a good driver, but I am still nervous when I let him loose on the big bad roads.
Colton gets good grades, loves his sisters, and especially loves Jeff and I. He is always concerned with dissapointing us (he hasnt yet) and he even made student council for next year. He is a good friend, and a fabulous son. We love him and we are so proud of the young man he has become.
Happy Birthday Coco. We love you.

HaPpY bIrThDaY jAyCiE!

This sweet thing is 10 years old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone.
Here are some of the reasons we love Jaycie.
She is sweet
When picking out treats she always remembers to get one for Colton and Kinzie.
She loves her brother and sister
She never gives up
She has a funny personality
She is very literal minded so she says some funny things.
She always asks me if she can help me cook
She hates to get in the shower, but once she's in we can't get her out
She like her hair to be pretty
She is very smart. She excells at math and spelling
She is a great little sister, and a fantastic daughter.

We love you Jayc and I hope your day was fantastic.

The Kids

WOOHOO! Kinzie made cheer.
Kinzie and Jayce are both playing softball, and Colton passed his Drivers Ed and is patiently waiting for his birthday.
Our lives in a minute :)

Happy St. Patricks Day

Every year since my kids have been little, I have carried on the tradition of my mom, by making green lunches for the kids. One year I forgot and Kinzie gave me the what-for. I have not forgotten since. Although this year she was embarrassed to take her green sandwich to school. She waited until I left for work before she disposed of this offensive thing. Colton being the man that he is, took his to High school and impressed all his friends, and Jaycie actually ate half her sandwich (she is very picky) Here is the rundown of the lunch:

PB& Honey on very green bread
Salsa Verde Doritos(the bag was green)
Green Grapes
Green Bug Juice
and a Green Shamrock cookie (thank you Provo Bakery)

We finished our evening with traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. YUUUMMMM!

Grandma Simper

This great lady passed away and returned to her Heavenly Father, on the morning of February 27th. She had just turned 87, and lived a life to be proud of. She suffered a massive stroke on the Tuesday before, and put up a good fight. She will be missed terribly.
Grandma Simper was the greatest. She always was so excited to see us, she always had a smile on her face (even in the tough times) and she always had cookies and candy when we came to visit. She was very kind, loving, and thoughtful. Her and my Grandpa spent 68 years together. They did everything together from sitting on the patio, growing a garden, hunting, fishing, camping and loving their family. I want to be just like her when I grow up.
I love you and I will miss your smiling face everyday.

Wow!

I suck. I haven't posted in 7 months. I would like to say I have had a lot of things keeping me busy, but I don't. Kinzie quit gymnastics in April and I thought for sure with all the extra time, I would get things done, apparently that was not the case. I think I have less.
Since my last post, Colton has started the 10th grade at Lehi High School, where I work 40 hours a week. He is driving with his learners permit and he has made a lot of new friends. He is taking tumbling and hoping to perfect his full. He is getting good grades in school, and we are proud of him.

Kinzie has since quit gymnastics and has turned to cheer. She made the 7th grade Willowcreek cheer squad. She just finished in November. She did awesome. She also has made a lot of new friends, one of which has moved to South Carolina. She misses Ashley alot. Kinzie is also in tumbling. She is trying to perfect her standing back tuck, and hoping to learn to do a full. I also did not post on her birthday. I told you I sucked. She is now 13 and is growing into a beautiful young women. We are so proud of her.

Jaycie is now in the 4th grade, and she is keeping us on our toes. She is in tumbling with Colton and Kinzie. She is perfecting her back-handsprings, and hoping to learn and perfect a round-off back tuck. She also has great friends. She is doing good in school and we are proud of her.

Not to much has happened in recent months, although I was finally able to visit my sister Jen in Missouri. I spent about a week out there with her family. It was so good to see the kids and spend time with them. Missouri is a beautiful state. Very green. The only thing I disliked was the humidity. It was stifling.

We had a friends who beat cancer,and that is a miracle. We are thankful that everything turned out so well, and we are hoping he stays cancer free.

Jeff is still with Lehi Police and is enjoying his job. It would be nicer if we could get a raise though. Maybe this year, keep your fingers crossed.

With the new year just around the corner, I am vowing to do better at blogging. Wish me luck.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy CoLtOn!

This handsome star is now 15 years old. I can't believe it. Where does the time go? Seems like yesterday he was 3 years old stripping of his clothes and singing about being a handsome star. Now he is driving the girls crazy, and hanging out with friends. Thankfully he has grown out of the stripping faze. (I hope). We love Colton because he is so sweet. He loves animals, his mommy, dad, and his sisters. He has a gorgeous smile, and he is funny. He is very responsible, friendly, smart, driven and protective of his family. We are so proud of the young man he is becoming.


On a side note: he just got his learners permit today. He passed on his first try. Now he is bugging us to drive, every chance he gets. For now he will be learning to drive in the Yukon..........
Soon to be driving this.

He wishes.

Spring Break '10

For spring break this year we went to California for 8 fun filled days. The first four days were spent in Disneyland where we were able to celebrate Jaycie's 9th Birthday. We also spent those days with everyone else in the whole wide world. It was so stinking busy. We also lived through an earthquake, just the tremors of one, but still it was exciting. Despite the earthquakes, one day of rain, and millions of people we had a blast. The next 4 days were spent in San Diego. We will be returning there. Often, I hope. It was great. After days of running around Disney, it was nice to relax on the beach.



Since we were in Disneyland on Jaycie's birthday we took her to the Town Center, where Goofy sang Happy Birthday to her. She was pretty excited. We also went to eat at Outback for her birthday dinner.

We went with Kinzie's best friends family. The Shepherds. We had a fantastic time. Thanks for going with us.

In front of "It's a small world." Kinzie, Chantelle, Colton, Jaycie and Jace.




We enjoyed 4 days in San Diego. This is all the kids wanted to do. Which was fine with us. We all love, love, love the beach.
This was the view from our hotel room. It was right in the beach.








We went to La Jolla beach in San Diego, and watched these little critters for about an hour. They were great. The kids loved them.

Happy 9th Birthday Jaycie!

This is an old pic. Haven't uploaded the new ones yet.

Happy Birthday Jaycie Bug Magnusson.
We have been in Disneyland so this post is a couple of days late. We spent Jaycie's birthday and Easter in Disneyland this year. It was the best birthday ever.
Reasons we love Jayc:
1. She has such a loving personality.
2. She loves to cuddle
3. She still sleeps with her "love" blankies every night. She can't sleep without them.
4. She is very literal minded.
5. She comes up with some pretty funny comments. (see other posts)
6. She is a teaser
7. She hates to be teased
8. She shared good
9. She has mastered the back handspring,and is currently working on her tuck.

We love you Jaycie. Hope you had a fabulous day.

Hello, Hello, is anyone there?

Yes, we are alive and well. I just have had no time to do anything other than work, be a chauffeur, a maid, a cook, and a babysitter. Things are going great at our house. Nothing much has changed except Kinzie has finished her Level 7 gymnastics season, and she did amazing. Sadly she will be moving on from this stage in her life. At the end of the month she will be trying out for 7th grade cheer. I am sure she will do great. It is a little weird for me though since I used to make fun of cheerleaders when I was young. Rest assured, I won't make fun of Kinzie.
Jaycie has also moved on from gymnastics and is now doing tumbling with Colton. All 3 kids are amazing how they can throw their bodies around the way they do. Kinzie will join the other two at tumbling class as soon as this month is over. Now that we won't have gym on Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Friday we should have a little more time. Ahh, who am I kidding, it will fill up with something else. Well hope you have a wonderful week. I am hoping to post some pics from Kinzie's last meet. We will see if it happens.

Thoughts!

You know it's not to often I feel like being "thoughful" in my blog. But with the holiday season and recent events I thought I would be a little mushy.
I haven't been in the Christmas spirit this year. Maybe it was the fact that it snuck up on me so stinkin' fast, or the fact that I haven't had time to do anything. Including blog.
This past Tuesday my cousins 4 year old daughter past away. Her intestine twisted and she bled to death. The Dr. told my cousin and his wife that she should have been in tremendous pain. She was not. I believe our Heavenly Father needed her to come home and helped her to do so with as little pain as possible. When I heard the news my heart just broke. In no way should a parent have to go through something like that. My cousin and his wife are troupers though. We traveled to Mountain Home Idaho on Thursday night and went to the funeral on Friday, which would have been her 5th birthday. Her parents did a beautiful job on the Life History. I am so very grateful that my kids are healthy and here where I can hold them and tell them I love them.
This this was the start of me getting the Christmas spirit. Not the death of a child, but the realization that it doesn't matter what is under the tree, or how many presents we need to buy, but what matters is family. Whether it's immediate or extended. When they hurt so do you. When they lose you lose. And when they love, so do you. It made me realize how important it is to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you.
Saturday morning I went with Jeff to Cops, Kids and Christmas. Lehi Police take about 35 kids to see the lights at Thanksgiving point, with lights and sirens blairing, and this year Texas Rhodehouse provided us with our breakfast. After breakfast we take the kids to Smith's Marketplace where each child gets a $100 gift certificate to spend on whatever they want. It was so fun to watch all these kids shopping for things they would normaly never get.
During our shopping trip one gentleman came to Jeff and donated $50, while another lady came to Chief and asked if she could donate a Guitar Hero game for the Xbox. This my friends is what finally clinched it for me. The generosity of some people astounds me. This is another aspect of what Christmas is about. Giving. Not for the glory, or the pat on the back, but because it makes someone else smile. Or in my case, cry. So with this all being said, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and make sure you tell your family members how much you love them.

Yes, We are still alive...

We have been very busy. I don't know where the time goes. One day it's Kinzie's birthday, then it's Thanksgiving, and before you know it your tree is up and Christmas is right around the corner. We haven't even been doing very much, just everyday things. Gymnastics 4 times a week, piano, acheivement days, Young Womens, Young Mens, piano, orthodontist, dentist, and gymnastics meets.
Jaycie just finished competing Level 4 and did very well. Just as Jaycie finished Kinzie started her first season of Level 7. Kinz had her first meet on the 5th and did very well. We are proud of all our kids, and in case you don't hear from me before Christmas, we hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KINZIE!

Holy Cow, how the time flies. It seems like yesterday I was holing this cute little baby in my arms and now she is 12 and growing up so fast.
There are so many reasons we love Kinzie but these are our favorite :

She loves her family a lot.
She is quick to help out when it is needed.
She loves her Heavenly Father.
She is very quick witted
She is a smart aleck. Sometimes it gets her in trouble, but mostly we just laugh.
She is a great gymnast.
Inside her tough exterior, and smart mouth lies a very soft, mushy girl with a big heart.
We found out at parent teacher conference that she includes kids who normally don't get included. That made us proud.
She is funny, loud, and boisterous.
We are so glad she a part of our family.
WE LOVE YOU CHINZ. HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dear Winter,

I hate you!

October, Where did you go...

Holy Cow! I can't believe how fast October flew by. We really haven't been doing much, but have been extremely busy. Everyday is work, and the kids have school, and after it is run kids to gym, or piano. Then home to fix dinner, do homework, and then shower and bed. Then the same thing again the next day. It doesn't seem like much, but I am having a hard time fitting in house cleaning, grocery shopping, and blogging.
Jen and Doug came out to visit for a week. We spent almost every night with them and we had a really fun time. (pics to come later) We sure do love when they come to visit and we miss them tons when they leave.
Here are just a few things we have done this month:

Jaycie is now competing level 4 gymnastics. She is doing very well for her first season. Every Saturday is spent at one gym or another. Here she is waiting for her turn.

Doing her bar routine.


I have been bugging Jeff for years to take the kids out shooting. We really didn't think they would enjoy it to much, but we loaded up one Saturday and took the kids out west. We supplied them with guns and ammo thinking they would be bored in about a half hour. Well they surprised us. We spent four hours killing bottles, blowing up targets and using all the ammo. The minute we loaded up to come home, they asked if we could go next Saturday. Looks like we all have a new hobby.


The little "sharpshooters".


We didn't forget Halloween, I just haven't uploaded my pics yet. That will be the next blog. Hopefully before Christmas :)

Ode to Natilie......

She is sweet, smart, sassy and flirty,
Today she is turning thirty......three.

She loves the church, her family and fun,
in our book she is number 1.

She does canning, and sewing, and crafts galore,
I don't think I can rhyme anymore.

It is obvious a rhymer I am not
In this picture she looks smokin' HOT:








Happy birhday to the girl who loves:
Crafts
Campfires,
and Willy Wonka
We hope you have a great day. Happy Birthday we love you.