Kael attended a basketball camp last week for three days. He was the smallest one there by about 5 inches but we know he doesn't come by height naturally:) The last day they gave out awards and they awarded him 'Mr. Hustle'. On his birthday, the coaches put him on their shoulders and sang Happy Birthday to him and then lifted him up to the basket so he could dunk it! He had a good time and I even think he picked up on a few things. He came home dribbling under his leg and behind his back. Impressive!
*Obviously with 9 siblings and being the youngest, not everyone could be in attendance. That is why both of them are on cell phones. There were about 5 others on their phones too, just so everyone was in on the action!!
(Jordan, Rhonda, Peyt, Mom, Justin, Chelsea, Crystal, Me, Kirby, and Randi)
Just a few of the people there to support breast cancer research! I think they said there was over 18,000 people. Awesome!!
The tooth has finally made it's disappearance! He lost it at school so we have no proof for the fairy. To bad that dang fairy forgets everything. She must have a no-tooth-no-loot policy. Taking applications for a new one:)
Mattie: Painting
Kael: Basketball
Trey: Milking Cows
Kase: He didn't have a talent but here he is loving music. Matt had his headphones on the other day and he thought they were awesome:)
Check this DUNK!!!
I am loving the weather the past few days (I even have a small tan)! Grass is green and freshly cut, some tulips have peeked through and I am getting a few other flowers blooming (I am not sure of the variety so I can't tell you what they are - they were left here from the previous owners). Just trying to find the energy to get my vegtable garden mapped out and ready for seed. I am making it my major project this year. It was a lot of work last year but very satisfying so we will see what I can make of it this year.
Random pics of what life is all about:
Mattie doing her thing . . . reading and riding!
Kael takin' a spin on Meeg's. (The kids saddle looks like an English saddle on our chubby horse but believe me we have not changed preferences)
Kael and Trey waiting to ride up to 'Gamma Shauna's'. We rode up Easter night and stayed to late so Grandma had to bring us home in the truck.
Kace and his favorite swing
OuR Mardi dog . . .
Matt and I decided she is a great family dog but stinks at farm dog. Oh well, you can only be really good at one thing right?
ENJOYING MATT . . .
I was teasing him the other night that if I didn't have him I would probably be living in a single wide trailer somewhere with 12 kids driving a white '87 Chevy Corsica. What a great guy he is to me. A great father and family man and such a support to me. I love you!
and now on to some funnies:
- Kael was informed at school, for whatever reason, how dogfood was made. Mattie is my tenderheart and has really been in to the "Phantom Stallion" book series. I have never read any of the books but she has a new mission in life, to save mustangs. She has her own "Imagination World", complete with binder and drawings of wild horses. It is quite complex and she has even written a few chapters of her own book to someday be published. She was sitting at the table the other night writing some more of her book, not having a great day anyway, when Kael looked up at her and said, "Did you know they make dogfood out of horses?" Mattie: "What? That's not true, is it mom." Mom: "Yes". (Mattie's head drops onto her books and she starts to cry). Luckily Matt was there to save the day because I was trying to hold in my laughter. I wasn't laughing at her I was laughing at the fact that Kael has her number dialed and knows exactly when to call!
-Kael came home from school the other day and says "Mom, my belt buckle has just been givin' me the geef all day!" I laughed so hard. I am sure his teacher said something about it causing him grief and this is how he remembered it:) What a kid!
- Trey's new thing this week is "Mom, I just wanna be mean". Mom: "Trey, don't hit Kayson", "Trey, be nice to Kayson" Trey:"but mom, I just wanna be mean".
-Trey has also figured out how to sneek out to the barn while they are milking. Francisco has taught him how to say 'let's go girls' in spanish and then showed him how to run the pneumatic gates that let the cows in and out of the barn. We put colored bands on their legs so the milkers can tell the sick cows from the fresh cows. Trey now has to walk around with colored bands on his legs. He constantly asks me 'who is milking tonight mom'. I love that he is so facinated with it all, I just hope he still has a love for it when it is his job:)
I have pretty much been good-for-nothing this week. Too bad none of you were here to witness it:) The weather has put me in a funk that I am struggling to get out of. It is suppose to snow here again on Sunday or Monday. I am thinking of putting up the Christmas Tree. Maybe we can at least have Christmas again so my brain isn't trying to think "rake, plant, mow, be outside, enjoy the sunshine and some FRESH AIR!"
Love you all - may you enjoy some sunshine in your neck of the woods!!
First and foremost - Great job and good Luck AGGIES!
I am doing a bracket challenge to help raise money for 'Team Leak' and Relay for Life. I thought this would be a unique way of earning some money for our Relay Team. Please visit http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=107016&P=teamleak to set up your bracket. We are asking for a $5 donation to the American Cancer Society Relay for Life for each bracket filled out. There will be a gift certificate awarded to the winner! Grab all your basketball groupies and join in the fun! Anyone is invited so please pass the word on to family and friends.
P.S. I will be collecting money if that is easier. Write checks to the American Cancer Society and send to :13322 N. 4400 W., Cornish, UT 84308
THANKS!
landree
kirby
then there are the camara nazi's. these two are always vying for position. and what is this look crystal has on her face - I will get this flat board to balance on this round ball so we can have a picture! these two have the only group pic available and I have waited a week to post so i could share a group pic, so this is my way of pleading for one!
We had such a great time together and I am looking forward to next year already. Thanks to the hubbies for tending their own kids for a full day. I'm sure you all found it worth your while:) Matt did an awesome job with all four and was quite proud of himself until he read an e-mail from a friend that said ' I am just getting ready to watch the kids for a week so my wife can spend some time with her mom and sisters'. He was greatful it was only one day!
8 Favorite TV shows:
1. King of Queens
2. The Office
3. American Idol
4. KUTV 2 News @ 10:00
I can't even list 5. We TiVo these and usually watch them after 10. If I had more time I would love to fit in a little 'Everybody Loves Raymond'.
8 Things I did Yesterday:
1. Chores
2. Drove Mattie and Kristen to choir
3. Helped in Mattie's class
4. Got Kael on the bus
5. Reconciled bank statements
6. Showered
7. Went to a gardening seminar
8. Talked to my sis
8 Things I look forward to:
1. Sister Saturday
2. Spring
3. Evenings at home with my family
4. Haircut
5. Monday's
6. A ride in my freshly cleaned van
7. School being out
8. Taking a road trip with the RV
8 Favorite Restaurants (in no paticular order):
1. Maddox
2. I cannot recall the name of it at this moment but it was a delicious Steakhouse in Madison, WI that Matt's Aunt and Uncle took us to.
3. Costa Vida
4. Applebee's
5. Firehouse Pizzaria
6. Big J's/Pizza Villa (most visited)
7. Chili's
8. Rodizio's
8 Things on my wishlist:
1. Updated kitchen
2. More hours in a day
3. Spring
4. An awesome horse I could just get on and ride so Mattie and I could have some girl time:)
5. Quilting Machine
6. A Nanny
7. $16 milk but I would settle for $12
8. A trip to North Carolina
8 People I Tag:
whoever want's to and hasn't done this before:)
"This Chicks Had IT!"
This tablerunner was made from left over material from my "New York" quilt. I haven't got the quilt quilted yet - that may be a year or sew (ha ha) but I have been needing something to go on my entry table and this works perfect! 
Plus I had the kids pics taken the end of January and I want to show them off. Matt made me that frame for my bday a few years back. Lot's of red in this arrangement but perfect for ME!!
Spent last night with Matt's mom at a seminar for vegtable gardening. I am so glad she invited me - I have a lot to learn - but am ready to take on the challenge!
This has been my life the past few weeks . . . what about yours???
Last week was crazy so I am just getting around to posting about clinic. Kael had clinic on Tuesday because of the Monday holiday. We woke to a snow storm that we were not to nervous about until we actually got on the roads. It was worse than we thought. We usually do not take the Canyon (Sardine) but had to take Kace to Aunt Merr's house for the day so decided we would go that route. They had closed it earlier that morning but had just reopened it before we left Merr's. We took it anyway, and once we reached the freeway the roads were fine. Needless to say we were 1/2 hour late for our 9:30 appointment. They got him right in and took care of chemo and everthing but it was backpoke day so we had to wait until 1:00 before they even took him into sedation. Kael and Trey had another appointment @ 3:00 so we had to hurry them along so we could make it on time to it. We barely snuck in lunch and made it on time. By the time we got perscriptions it was 5:00. Long day. After we got home Matt realized he had left his backpack w/ his laptop in it @ the pharmacy. Luckily the staff retrieved it and he was able to pick it up first thing the next morning. Kael did great with his backpoke but was groggy for quite some time after. I was sure we would have some vomitting but he did awesome!! They decided to up his meds so now we are @ 125%. I can tell it is taking a toll on him this week. He has been crouched over complaining that his belly hurts for two days. I'm sure this has to do with the increase in medication, especially the steroids. I am out of prevacid (lines the stomach so the steroids will not damage it) but am calling the clinic tomorrow if it hasn't gone away. Other than that he is doing well. He is doing well in school and has started reading. His teacher just loves him so I hope between that and his good looks she will forget about all the homework he "forgets" to hand in. I found his Valentines (the ones he was to hand out) in his backpack last week. His excuse: "I lost them mom".
I have been cleaning/reorganizing my craft room the past week and had some fun finishing up some projects. I haven't had much time to sew the past few years and it has been longer than that since I have scrapbooked, therefore, I have managed to collect drawer-fulls of kids drawings, trip memorabilia, and other scrap-a-ble memories. I hope to have it all in books before I go grey!! I have had an awesome trip down memory lane, if you will, and have tried to re-open the creative side of my brain. I hope I can find time to use it all before it closes -up shop again!!! Occasionally some of you have asked if I have anything made for birthday or wedding gifts. I use to have a variety of items when I was doing shows but have been low on inventory for sometime. Anyhow - here are a few aprons I have made up if you are needing a last-minute gift for little girls! I will be continuing (and hopefully finishing) my cleaning project this week and will post whatever else I find:) Good Luck to me!
Also, a good luck this week to Aunt Courtney - we get a new baby in the family and we are so excited and can't wait to meet him/her!!!
On another note. This week is Food Check-Out Week! Each county (in every State) has representatives from the agricultural community in their local grocery store handing out information and occasionally free groceries!! The Cache Co. Women's Committee will be at Macey's on Saturday from 10-2 to educate consumers on nutritious food items and how to do it by spending less!! (Now I am climbing on my soapbox) Growing up on the family farm has already become a thing of the past for most of us. In the early-mid 1900's everyone owned a few self-sustaining acres, milked a cow, gathered eggs, grew their own fruits and vegetables, textiles, ect. Clothes and equipment were used until they were worn out and any excess food was traded/bartered for other much needed items. Time goes by, advancements are made, research proves otherwise, and slowly overalls and water boots are replaced by Armani suits and dress shoes. Credit cards, second-mortgages, and to little Vitamin-N consume are lives and we rely on cell phones and tv for a higher education. Each generation is farther removed from the self-reliance that made America what it once was. PETA, the Humane Society, and other such organizations are heavily affecting agriculture's future and shaping America into a country that depends on others. The FDA and USDA have strict regulations for those of us that provide food for public consumption. If these organizations keep getting their way we will soon be importing food from Mexico or other countries that have NO REGULATIONS!!! I don't know about you but THAT SCARES ME!!! So as each generation becomes farther removed from their 'roots', misconceptions take the place of facts and common sense. Great things are at our fingertips and we are so blessed to live in this free country so let's educate ourselves and others about issues affecting our community and nations food supply! I know you are all thinking that you cannot possibly make a difference but every positive thing said is a step in the right direction. If we don't make a difference, PETA will!!
Thanks for listening:)
Lena
. . . what random things have been happening at your place? I hope you all enjoyed you Valentine and your Valentine's Day!! Matt and I celebrated on Friday night with Eric and Shaniqua. We went to dinner (this was all a suprise to Shalice and I) and then to a movie. Before I tell you what movie, make sure you are sitting down. Twilight. I never, ever, ever dreamed Matt would go to this movie. I wasn't really sure I would. I am pretty sure he and Eric had a motive!! Anyway, I didn't mind it. I have only read the first two books and frankly - I am just not in to fantasy type things but I believe the books are very well written. The characters were dead on how I had imagined them, Edward took a little getting use to but by the end of the movie I thought he fit in perfect. So anyway it was a great evening! Thanks Grandma Shauna for taking the kids and the cute Valentines!!
By now you should know I am a week or so behind my life . . . so here are a few pics of the baptism. I thought it went well and I was so excited to have #1 go through such a great experience. Uncle Jordan Leak (Mattie has 2 Uncle Jordan's) spoke on Baptism and Uncle Wade spoke on the Holy Ghost. They both did such a great job and the spirit was so strong. We are so thankful for such great family and the support they gave Mattie. 
Gma and Gpa Platt
Gma and Gpa Leak
Thanks everyone for making this day so special for Mattie!!
This is me and the stairs. 
