RELAY UPDATE

I am so excited to participate in the Relay for Life Event!! For those planning on participating with "Team Leak" you can register online at relayforlife.org. Go to the Find Relay Event icon and type in 84335 for the zip code. Scroll to the bottom and click on Cache County Relay for Life Event. Click on the Join a Team icon and type in Team Leak and then your information. If you are not able to participate with us and would like to donate, follow the same instructions only click on Donate to a Team instead of Join a Team. It will list the team members and total donations made! WALK ON!!!

Lemonade!!!

When I told Mattie about the Relay for Life event she went to work thinking of how she could help. She came up with the idea of a 'Lemonade Stand'. She set one up on Saturday and made over 13 dollars. She wants to try again for a few more weeks. I am so proud of her!! She has done all the work herself and she knows it is for a good cause. She has even been soliciting kids at school. She gets the 'salesman' side of her from her dad!!! The wind was blowing so bad on Saturday that the jar with the money in it blew off the table and broke and all the bills went flying. We all had quite a time trying to catch it!! Great memories!!

The never ending remodel

So we are trying to remodel our home . . . bit-by-bit. I am sure it will take years but this is what has been done so far . . . windows have been ordered so we are tearing out trim. Kael is good help and he is getting really handy with a hammer and screwdriver.



This is the mantle in our dining room. I wish I had a before pic but here is the finished product.







Closet: Before

Closet: After
Installing a newn patio door. Thanks Jim!!!

Jerome

Barb, Kael, Jayden

We spent a little time in Jerome with Jordan and Barbara's family over Spring Break. We had a great time doing nothing! The kids played and Barb and I just visited (they have a beautiful new home everyone had seen but me so I was excited to see it) Barb watched the kids while Matt took me to dinner and to see a few cows (just a few, like 30,000)!










MOOOOOOO!!


Mattie and Rylee

Kayse trying to catch a little R & R

Tag . . . we are it!!

Since Mattie already had a turn, here are a few things about the boys:)

MATTHEW KAEL

* Kael was one boy name Matt and I always loved. We said we would always have a Kael and a Kole. Kole has just not worked out!! Anyway, we were discussing the spelling of Kael's name and had decided on K-A-E-L. Matt was driving home from Idaho one day and realized that if we spelled it like that it is Leak backwards. That sealed the deal so now Kael's name is the same backwards and forwards:)

* Kael was left at home alone when he was just two years old. It was Trey's blessing and I thought my mom had taken him. Turns out he was hiding from all of us and wasn't scared at all.

* Kael loves balls. Baseballs, footballs, basketballs, soccerballs, ect. He would rather play alone and will run and tackle himself or shoot hoops for hours.

* Kael is our tender heart. Trey has been hitting/pinching lately so I told Kael to hit/pinch him back and he won't do it. He just doesn't want to hurt him!

* Kael loves to do tractor work with his dad. He doesn't want much to do with the cows but is daddy's tractor pal. He loves to be with dad in general, great break from mom, whether on the 'wheeler', going to get parts, or going to Grandpa Leaks. Dad even took him the other day to see one of his customers. He thought this was pretty uneventful!!

* Kael is really into girls lately. He had to break one of his nurses hearts because he found another 'girlfriend' at church. He came in from church a few weeks ago and said 'do you want the good news or the bad news'. I said 'the good news'. Kael: 'Brinley gave me a hug' (good news) but she wouldn't look at me in class.' (bad news).

* Kael is one tough puppy!!! With all he has been through he is such a source of strength and inspiration to his family.

WARREN TREY

* Trey is named after my Grandpa 'Warren' Platt. I was never fortunate enough to know the man, he passed away when my dad was only 14, but people always comment that I share some of his same characteristics, so it was only fitting that I have a 'Warren' in my family.

* Trey loves to act older than he is. He keeps up with Mattie and Kael as best as he can. He doesn't do half bad.

* Trey has gorgeous blue eyes like his dad. What a heartthrob!

* Trey loves animals, especially the cows. He would rather be in the barn milking the cows than doing anything else. It's great we have the perfect fit Kael and Tractors, Trey and Cows!!

* Trey is very outgoing and gives his mom heart failure sometimes. He is not afraid to push the limits. No rules with this kid. Too bad his eyes just melt your heart:)

* Trey loves to give hugs and kisses. I am really going to have to keep my eyes on this one!!

KAYSON BREK

* Mom and dad could not agree on a name, I wanted Brek, Matt wanted Kayson. We thought we would have a minute to think it over at the hospital but we had to put a name on the cord blood so when Matt came back from the nursery he said what about Kayson Brek. I love it and of course he gets called all sorts of nick-names (that's my trade-mark, everyone has at least one nick-name!)

* What a great baby! He has been sleeping through the night now for about 6 weeks. Not just sleeping through the night but 8:30 to 8:30. I have never had a baby sleep so well!! I tease Kael and Trey that they will have to go back to diapers and a bottle if they don't start sleeping through the night!!

* Kayse only cries when he is hungry or has a bubble. He is totally content to lay and watch his surroundings. Of course that is prettty entertaining considering Kael and Trey are your entertainment.

* Kayson is such a happy baby and always smiles. He is just cute, cute, cute!!

We tag who ever hasn't been tagged!!! (ie. Karlie Barlow)

ReLay for Life . . .

for those who are interested in participating or joining "Team Leak" the event is June 6th and 7th in Smithfield. It starts around 6:00 p.m. on the 6th and goes until about 10:00 on the 7th. Please let me know as soon as you can if you will be joining us. Sounds like we can put up a tent and sleep/eat/rest/walk/run/jog/talk or whatever. They would like someone from the team on the track at all times so the more people, the better off we will be. They also have a theme and each camp/team decorates their camp accordingly. The theme for this year is "There's No Place Like Hope". As for the fundraising part of it - they would like each team to come up with a donation of at least $100.00. I will leave it up to each individual as to how much they would like to contribute (don't feel as though you have to donate to walk with us). Those who would like to donate but can't be here to walk can just send donation's to me and I will put it with our team donation. The money raised will go to help with cancer research. I will try to keep a tally of the donation money on the blog. I think it will be exciting! The sky is the limit!!!

CLINIC

We took Kael to clinic today. It was the first time he has had his port accessed so it was a bit traumatic. The nurse was being so sweet and didn't want to make it a bad experience for him but he was very nervous anyway. It took two of us to hold him down but after she got the needle in he decided it wasn't so bad. He got vinc and I will start steroids again tonight for five days along with 6MP and septra, and methotrexate on Thurs. He is so brave and I am so amazed by the strength that he shows. It killed me to hold him down while they did it. I know he just didn't know what to expect and when they come at you with a needle, it is terrifying. I felt like I had ran a marathon after it was all over. It was pretty intense for a minute! Dr. Afify wants to have an MRI done at our next appointment to see if the brain has returned to normal. If it looks good we will put methotrexate back in his spine (back pokes) instead of the ARA-C. Our next back poke is in eight weeks.


Daddy couldn't go with us today and I know how hard it was on him. We made it through and hope he can make it to the next one! We love you DAD!!!!! (I joke with Matt that he has to get on the blog to find out what is going on in his life but it really is true).


P.S. As I was tucking Kael in tonight I asked him about the days events. I told him I was sorry I had to hold him down while they poked him and he said "that's okay, I shouldn't have cried". I can't even put into words the strength and support he is to me!

Tag

So a few months ago Marcy's girls tagged Mattie. We are suppose to write

a few unique things about them so here it goes.

Madison Kyle

1. Madison shares her dad's middle name so that means

they share the same initials (as does Kael)
2. She is an excellent singer and challenges our family to play

American Idol quite regularly (Matt plays Simon and does a wonderful impression).

She is in the school choir and also takes piano lessons.

3. She is a really great helper. One of her chores is to water the horses every day

and she (usually) does it without complaining. She always comes home from school

and does her homework without being asked. She is a great student

and is reading very well.

4. Mattie is my little artist. She drew a pic of the milking barn the

other night, it was quite detailed and even showed the bull and all his parts too!!

She likes to sew with me and has made a doll blanket and pillow. Her current

project is an apron. The rate we are going on it though she will grow

out of it before it is done:)

5. Who doesn't love sweets??? She inherited my sweet tooth and takes it to the next level!

6. She is her dad's best help too! She absolutely loves to be out helping him

with the cows. She helped us move calves the other night and ran the gate for us.

She can't wait to help dad tag and vaccinate the wein calves.

We have put her off for two weeks and she is not letting us forget it.

She loves horses (that's my girl) and is learning how to ride. During the summer she is great help with moving the water (mostly driving the 4-wheeler)!!!

7. Although she is a bit of a tom-boy she also has a feminine

side. Her and I give ourselves pedicures and it is one of her favorite

mom & me things to do. She keeps me in line with which step comes next:)

8. Well, what can I say, she is my favorite daughter:) I always wanted a family of boys but after having her, she makes me want more girls:) I love you Mattie!!

Mattie tags: Hayden, Rylee L., Jackson, Ryanne, Peyton, Jaicee, and Rylee S.

Joke of the Day

My little Mattie K loves jokes. She has been bringing new ones home from school all year but here is her latest: If April Shower's bring May flower's what do May Flower's bring? (Think about it and I will answer at the end.) She usually tells Knock, Knock jokes so that was a change. Even Trey says Knock, Knock who's there!!!
Mattie has also had her first fight at school. I was trying really hard not to laugh when she was telling me last night. She is just my sweet little girl who is the peacemaker so I find it great that she was actually sticking up for herself. Believe me, I won't think it is so funny when it is my boys and it is an every week occurance. Anyway, this girl won't let Mattie be in her running club and has been quite a bully about it so like any kid would do, Mattie started her own 'running club' (complete with boys I might add). It has been going on since last Friday and it came to blows yesterday at recess. Mind you, the prinicipal has put the kibosh on any 'clubs' at school so they are illeagally running these clubs. I guess *Sarah gave her a punch in the arm so Mattie punched her (in the arm) back. Mattie related this story last night at dinner and Matt and I asked her if she had to go to the principals office. She gets this 'deer in the headlights' look on her face and said 'no'. We proceeded to ask her if any of the teachers saw and then explained that when kids fight they have to go talk to the principle. She just smiled and then said "It's okay 'cuz *John said maybe we should just all run and be friends together and not have competition." So that is what they did! Oh to be a kid again!!!

Other happenings:
-Kayson has decided he wants to be a formula drinker . . . oh wait . . . maybe that was me. I think he might have reflux and he is doing a little better on it. I also think he is spoiled and just wants to be held:)
-Matt is staying really busy with work. Good luck to him. It makes my head spin to think of everything he has to keep track of and do!! We love you daddy!!
-Kael is riding his bike w/o training wheels again!! It is still so cold here but he has been out riding it all week. Kael started riding without training wheels just before his 3rd Birthday. We were living in Richmond and he rode on asphalt all the time. After we moved here he quit riding it because of the gravel. We finally put the training wheels back on so he would get on it and it only took him a few days to decide he can do it!!
-Trey . . . is Trey. Our hired help had to dig him out of the mud the other day. I really should have taken a pic but I was rather upset because I was suppose to be picking up a cow at the vet before they closed. What a kid!
-I finally have tap water I can drink!!!!! Yea!!! I had the Culligan man come by and put in a new water softner in and a filter under the sink in the kitchen. I can tell a big difference already. I think the old softner was not working properly at all!
-I am slipping in my standings for the March Madness Bracket . . . HELP!! My only goal is to beat my father-in-law because he chooses to talk smack about the women participating in the bracket challenge. If I beat Matt that is just an added bonus. If North Carolina wins, I do. If UCLA wins, I don't stand a chance. Go UNC!!!!

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

Answer to the Riddle: Pilgrim's