Tyson's backwards birthday party

Ty had a backwards birthday party this year to celebrate turning 8! We sent out invites that were written backwards so that you had to read them in the mirror....

We told all the kids to wear there clothes backwards to come for some "crazy, mixed up backwards fun that would leave you smiling...or was it frowning?" All the kids that came loved it and all showed up with shirts on backwards!

We hung balloons from the ceiling and had signs that said "NOSYT YADHTRIB YPPAH". We served cupcakes first, upside down on the plates. We had dinner last {pizza}...
and jumped in the moonwalk most of the time. We played backwards charades where all the kids acted out the thing and one kid guessed! It was alot of fun! We had a great time!!!
Then their take home treat was this...
and it was filled with candy bars and fruit snacks.

I LOVE FREE!!!

Look what I found! FOR FREE!!! I scored! I haven't found a place for them yet so they are just hanging out in my office and entryway so that I can admire them and show them off to any who might drop by! So there is kinda a funny story with how I found them...wanna hear?
I had to come home during church because I realized I had left all my stuff on the desk (had the bag just no stuff...that's what happens when you are a super efficient Primary Secretary who is always on top of updating lists and things {{wink, wink}}...not really) Anyway...I ran home to get my stuff and on the way back to church I drove by a house in our neighborhood and these things were on the sidewalk with a sign that read "FREE, please take both". Well I had to obey the sign...couldn't just take one! (the green table is what caught my eye) So I quickly got the table in my car and then looked at the big star cupboard. {running through my head while looking at it was this...Shawn is going to die, he is going to think I am crazy, where might it look best?, oh I know I can use it for stamp storage, my dad will say "Big surprise you have another something with stars on it", how to I get this in the car by myself and I have to get back to church!} So I took a deep breath and heaved that thing into the back of the 'burb, broke a nail in the process and drove off with a huge smile on my face, breathing heavily the whole way back to church!!
I love free stuff!! :)

Another Happy Birthday

The headstone...they are buried in St. George, Utah.

The actual feet and handprints of Taylor {the hospital did that for us!!}

Shawn's feet and handprints. {amazing how perfect they are!}

Today is the day the day that Taylor Matthew and Shawn Matthew were born and died. We miss them dearly but can feel their presence in our family almost daily! I know it is due in large part to the strong spirits of my kids...that they know and understand that they have 2 sweet brother waiting for us in heaven!! It boggles my mind to think if they had lived they would be 14 yrs old now. Can you see me having identical twin boys that would be that old and having 6 kids? My hair would be much more grey I think!! Anyway...how grateful I am for the blessings of the temple and that our whole family will be together for time and all eternity!! I don't have pictures of them to share on the computer ...{although we do have a beautiful scrapbook of pictures and memories to look at whenever we want} I will share this picture of my goofy kids! I think Taylor and Shawn would be just as silly as they are!! Taylor and Shawn are never far away when I am mixed up with this clan! love you boys....

a late HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY

Some cute pics of Tyson...sorry it's a little late! Can you believe he is 8? I can't...it seems like just yesterday he was born! He has always been such a sweet, mellow, laid back kid! He has THE best sense of humor and such a way with words! I know as he gets older there will not be a lack of girls phoning him and dropping by to see him! He is a charmer! :) Happy Birthday Ty!

Happy Birthday Kailee

Can she really be 13????....

here are some of my favorite Kailee pics from the last few years!

Sleeping Beauty

I am home! Yeah...I am too tired to even blog about it right now...there is lots to do to get back to normal life here. We are all good after Hurricane Ike came through. Compared to most we were spared and have been greatly blessed! The night I got home Shawn went to make his rounds to do one last check on the kids before we went to bed and he called me into Ty and Kyler's room. This is what we found! :) Isn't he the cutest! We have a few of these things laying around from Shawn's various overseas trips, I guess Ty needed a good nights sleep and some catch up on the beauty rest as well!! :)

my grandpa

This morning my grandpa Fife passed away. I wish I was in St. George to give my grandma a great big hug! I love my g-ma & g-pa so much! They have always held a special place in my heart! I have such fond memories of them from when I was growing up! When I was 18 I moved in with them and finished the last half of my senior year in high school with them. My gramps worked in Elko, NV...so it was mostly just me and my grammie. I remember when I started dating Shawn, on the weekends when gramps was home, he would ask me... "You got a hairy leg coming over tonight?" Shawn (and all guys to g-pa) became forever known as "the hairy leg"!! I will miss you gramps...I know you are in heaven and I can't wait to see you again!! :)

Sweet little (actually very grown up) Kyler Jake

Here are just a few pictures of Kyler...we were just playing around last week with the camera..I was playing with the camera actually and he was very sweet to let me snap his picture over and over again!! I am hoping to capture the other kids too...cuz this turned out sooo cute! {don't hold your breath waiting though} These pictures just capture his cute little personality if you ask me....silly, fun, sweet, never to serious about anything, patient {mostly}, way to little for kindergarten, but way to grown up to be my baby and look at all those precious freckles!! He looks like his mom, dad and Aunt Tami!