Dear Family and Friends...

Its been over two months since I've posted!! Ahh! We have been up to our eyeballs with a move last month to Salem and now remodeling a home in Spanish Fork to move into in the next week or so. Wow! It was certainly no small task to pack up our house in Payson, glad that's over! I'm all for simplicity. But all is well. Counting our many blessings!
There is much to post but wanted you to know we are doing well and I'm anxious to get settled and start "journaling" again through blogging. Take care - loads of love -
Belle and family

And he sleeps...

Jed woke me up on Saturday at about 6:45. He had a smile on his face that resembled that of the Chestshire cat. He wanted me to see something. He had gone to Ethan's room to wake him in order to get him off to his football game in Orem as he had to be there by 7:45.
As Jed began to wake him, he said to him, "Time to get up Ethan. We've got to get ready for your game." At the same time, he began to turn over his bedding and found him dressed in his FOOTBALL GEAR! He had on his football shoulder pads with the jersey and his pants with all the pads on. Jed was laughing and said to Ethan, "Ethan bud, what are you doing?"
Ethan, still half asleep, puts his hand up as if to surrender, "I know. I shoulda wore my helmet."
Oh how Jed laughed!

Our Teenager turns 14!!

And the birthday girl is...Emily Marie. Introducing our 14 year old! (Funny sidenote. Emily was born on a rainy day and today, it was raining!)
Emily gets a new bedding set, socks, a down vest, two shirts and a pair of pants!
Because we didn't have any candles we gave Emily "14 cupcakes". She graciously shared them with us. Happy Birthday Emmy!

What we love about Emily -

Nicholas says: "she's nice!"
Macy says: "I loved it when Emily jumped with me on the trampoline and we jumped really high and I bounced on my head and we laughed. And also I liked it when we planted flowers together cuz it was fun."
Ethan says: "Emily is nice and funny and kind and loves to play around. I like to laugh and play with her."
Sarah says: "I love how caring Emily is to me and how she sticks up for me when someone hurts me. We have had lots of great times together hanging out, talking and laughing about funny things."
Mom says; "I love how Emily has always had the ability to reason and to listen. Ever since she was so little, she would listen attentively. She was actively listening to ideas and thoughts. She is good at making friends - I remember vividly seeing her among her little friends and watching with pride how comfortable and accepting she was with them. I remember the first time she gave me an absolute belly laugh - she can make me laugh hard. I love how delightful and witty she is. But most importantly, I love watching her grow into a lovely lady with a growing testimony and a desire to do good.
Dad says: "I remember so well the moment Emily was born. She was crying a little as the doctor handed her to her mommy. I was looking at her, just above her and I said, "Hey sweetheart. This is your father speaking." She stopped crying and turned to my voice. I was struck by her ability at such an age to listen and to "reasonably" look to her daddy. I love her ability to reason and to seek understanding."

And its off...

Macy was ecstatic on Tuesday, September 10Th. She got to go to the clinic to have her "pretty pink" cast taken off after 4 weeks. She was eager to cross the monkey bars again and to ride her bike without any interference. So here she sits, ready to get the saw to her arm. Nicholas instantly giggled and covered his ears as the saw cut away at Macy's cast.
Finally with the cast off, she says to me, "All better. It feels like new Mom! I can do anything!" And sure enough, she was acting as good as new - crossing the monkey bars, riding her bike and even doing handstands for added measure.

In the leavy treetops...

Who said monkeys don't live in the treetops of the United States. I found TWO -Macy and Nicholas!! I could hear (I know, pretty amazing) them a hollerin' and went to see what all the ruckus was. Discovery: Two little monkeys swinging in the trees.

Funny story

Nicholas had followed me around the house all morning. At some point that morning, I decided to clip my toenails. My toes were tender after moving a few loads and it was time to clip. So I sat down on my bedroom floor and began clipping. Nicholas was nearby, playing with his cars. Suddenly, he looked up, stunned and said, "Mom, whats dat noise?"
"Is there a noise? What are you talking about?"
"Dat noise. Whats dat noise?" Still looking around, bewildered.
"I don't know what your talking about Nicholas?"
Nicholas, then, came by my shoulder, lifted my hair by my left ear and looked at my ear. After a close investigation, he simply says, "Nope, you can't hear dat noise."
Ha, ha!!

Sisters and Mom Weekend - Sunny Southern California

First of all, I want my dear sister-in-laws, Debbie, Shannon, GeriLyn, Audra, Mary and Mandi, who were not able to make it to this weekend retreat to know they were SO SO missed!! We can't wait for the time you join us next.
This was such a wonderful, relaxing, and bonding experience for us! We ate wonderful meals at the Cheesecake Factory, twice - one evening we each got a slice of cheesecake and shared with everyone (11 different cheesecake slices!); got our spouses and children little thank-you gifts (not to mention a little spending on self :-) ); went to 2 movies; visited Jamey's lovely home; rode in a sporty Charger and Durango; swam each morning in Krystin's pool and soaked some rays; read a book; stayed up each evening laughing, crying, sharing testimonies and silly stories including Chrisy's crazy experience with a gal she visit taught who shaved her head in Chrisy's living room!, vacuuming tarantulas, Cathy's many proposals, Sandi's cockroach/jumping spider in the bathroom, Krystin's first year with Mike, etc.; feeling loved and supported in our roles as mothers and wives.
I am so grateful to Mom for her presence. She is truly an amazing woman! I adore her and value what she has to say in her efforts to teach and nurture us all and be our forever friend. Thank you Krystin for sharing your home! Thank you sisters for your patience with me and friendship - I love you and admire you more than you know! Can't wait for the next time to be with each of you!
Pictured - SandiRae, Mom and Cathy at Red Robin. All of us (with an unexpected guest! ha!) at Cheesecake Factory - Mom, Me, Cathy, Chrisy, Gina (unexpected guest) Jamey with her Grant next to her and Russell, Krystin, Tasha and Sandi. Outside Krystin and Mike's lovely home and in front of our sporty weekend car - Gina, Chrisy, Krystin, Sandi, Mom, Cathy and Me.

What I'm going to miss about our Home

This is what I'm talking about. Look how much fun everyone is having. I will miss: the games of tennis, woffle ball, basketball on the court; Nicholas playing endlessly in the sandpit (won't miss the oodles of dirty clothes as a result of his play); the trampoline; the playset; the open pastures to ride dirtbikes, 4-wheelers with sleds pulled behind them and horses; the open grass for volleyball, Sarah's flips, kickball and watergames; visiting on the picnic tables or in the sun; the quiet beauty in the night with the moon and stars shining brilliantly; Ethan and Nicholas catching snakes; mowing the lawn on a riding mower; Emily chasing the kids round and round the yard on the 4-wheeler; Macy playing house and pushing her dolls around the yard in the baby stroller; walks with Jed throughout the countryside; etc., etc. There are so many wonderful memories here!
Thank you for sharing in those memories, all of you!
Who's pictured: Above-Ava, Tessa, Flying Hansen and Jens. On the court: AJ and Kim, Ryan and Josh. Mom and Mike (grandma and grandpa) On the "jeep" - Tessa, Ava, Macy, Ryan, Hansen, Donovan and Nicholas

September Birthdays- Birthdays come but once a year!

This year we celebrated the September Birthdays for one last time in our home in Payson. Lucky for us, Dad came up from Arizona to celebrate. We had a wonderful day. The day started out crazy with the Onion Days Labor Day Parade. I've never seen anything like it! It was freezing - rain pouring, hail stinging and wind swooshing - and the parade continued! It will be forever etched in our minds as the most hilarious, most crazy, most wet, most freezing cold Parade ever!
Anyhow, the birthday party started at 2 pm. The weather finally warmed up and the sun was just a shinin' for our party. It was glorious.
During the course of all the fun, I found myself watching my dear family members and counting my many blessings. I was thoroughly enjoying the moment, watching the children play and the adults participating in whatever activity they desired throughout the time together. At one time there were two mini-volleyball games going on, kids jumping on the tramp, kids and grown-ups playing baseball, a doubles wuffle ball game, kids pushing each other on the "jeep", kids on the play set and people visiting. I was on "cloud 9" seeing everyone content and enjoying themsleves! I was grateful we had the party one last time at our home before we make our move. This really is a fun place for parties!
Happy Birthday AJ, Michele, Jens, Kenzie, Dad, Emily, Sarah, Evan, and Ryan!!!

Tagged by Mary

What is your full name- Michele (the rest is absolutely confidential)
Nickname- Belle (from the Beatles song "Michelle my Belle")
Coke or Pepsi? Not gonna do it, you can't pressure me. Ice water, please!
Song that resembles your life- ummm...not sure what song is out there to describe my life. Don't know titles.
Milk or dark chocolate- milk chocolate with a chunk of dark here and there.
Big mac Or whopper- blah!
Beach or Mountains- Gotta say beach for the majority of the time. I can enjoy the mountains in all their splendor and beauty (when it's not cold!)
What kind of shoes are you wearing- flips
TV or Book- BOOK!
Favorite store- to shop generally (if time isn't of essence) - Target. Grocery - Maceys
What was the last thing you ate? Salmon! YUMMY!
Clean freak or total slob- neither - but messes make me irritable and cranky. I like my home to look nice but I'm not a clean freak or a slob.
Do you wish on stars- No, but I do wish
Ever been stung by a jelly fish- No
Best cartoon ever- Family Circle
What scares you- Although I haven't watched many - scary movies like 6th sense freaked me out!
Favorite doughnut? If i eat them, white powdered doughnuts or Krispy Kreme - glazed
Been to LA? yes I know, now I've seen the world - Ha!
Least favorite veggie- don't know
Dreamer or doer- a little of both.
one word that describes you- "what?" Sums me up in a nutshell, right? Hee, hee!
Name of your first friend- Lisa, took me under her wing when I was 3 in Indiana
Night light or completely dark- ask Jed, completely dark
Believe in love at first sight? yes, I know I'm a hopeless romantic
Best toppings for a pizza? veggies and meats
Ever owned a goldfish? yes, Gus-Gus and Flounder. When they were dying, I was bawling!
potato chips or french fries? french fries but I'm picky.
Who should play you in a made for TV movie? If I could be a wisher...ummm, gosh, I don't know. Britney Spears! She looks like me, acts like me and dances like me. Yep its her. Okay, okay. Really I like Reese Witherspoon.
Spender or Saver? usually saver but I'm guilty of splurging BUT I always buy on clearance.
Butterflies or dragonflies- Butterflies. However, funny you asked. After walking with Macy and Nicholas the other day, and Macy pointing out a dragonfly saying it looks like a helicopter, I will never look at a dragonfly the same.
Which ONE would you like to do the most- Skydiving, Rappelling, or scuba diving more. Sky diving would be my first choice at this point in life.
Fearful or fearless? Depends. Fearful, to a degree (meaning I know where they would go and that's comforting) of losing my dear ones. But fearless in some risky things like .... gee can't think of any. Ha!
Bully or bullied? Bullied. Hands down. (a nice little metaphor there.)
Glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty? Usually I'm a half full kinda gal. Unlike Jed who's always full. :-)
Ever sent to the Principal's office? yes...in the 5th grade after taking a pill from a "friend" for my headache. Ended up being a drug. I got turned in the next day and so did my "friend". I told the story as it was - she gave me a pill after I told her I had a headache. She gave this "pill" to a number of us and no one defended me. That was my first and only experience with the power of a drug. She bullied and lied her way through it. The principal didn't do anything to her but that was the end of any popularity status I may have had at that time.
Social butterfly of wallflower? I love to be with people - social butterfly unless I'm with Jed in a crowd I don't know and he does. Weird.
Secret keeper or blabber mouth? Secrets stay with me. I'm not much for gossip. Information is different. And I keep it to myself as long as it doesn't hurt someone physically. So, since I've never been told a secret that would've jeopardized someone in such a way, try me.
shift or Automatic? Love to drive a shift for fun. But with children, automatic is so nice.
worry wart or worry free? I think I drive my family crazy with how worry free I am. I tend to let things go and react if and only if there is a problem. But, naturally I worry about my dear extended family and my children. And personal things worry me - I'm naturally hard on myself. Make sense?
African safari or bicycle through Europe? Bicycle through Europe!!!! Sign me up for the next one!
Ice cubes or crushed? Crushed...need I say more?
What do you like on your burgers? Beef , slice of Cheddar cheese (Swiss is yummy too sometimes.), thin sliced tomatoes, romaine lettuce, pickles, avocado, light on the ketchup, mustard and mayo.
Bikini or board shorts- board shorts
Favorite kinda cookie- home made chocolate chip cookie (with milk chocolate chips and the perfectly baked kind of doughy kinda crisp) or macadamia nut
Best Commercial- gosh its been years since I've seen one so I can't think of any from before
Word or phrase you say a lot? I repeat myself too often, I have kids, remember?
Favorite flower- Oh my, I went blank, its the one that's popular at weddings nowadays. A daisy like flower but big and in many fabulous colors! Oh I hate when I forget things!

I tag Kimberly, Celeste, Steph and any of you girlfriends and sisters that want to play! Take a minute!

I couldn't be... I'm turning what?!

Macy, my darling 6 year old, insisted on taking my picture. (not bad for her!) It had to be posted for all to know that I'm "one year older and..." What do they say? "Wiser too?" Yah, right! That's why I look stunned! And to think I'm truly 38, impossible! I can't believe I've reached the ripe age of 38. AHH! Its all good though, K? I'm going to go play in Southern Cal for the week with some of my dearest friends - Jed's sisters, mother and a few sister-in-laws!
"Don't worry, be happy now" is my motto for the year. I'm going to conquer the world...somehow. One of my kids at a time. (I only wish it were that easy!) One task at a time. One day at a time. I hope this is a year of "wise-ing" up and taking advantage of some sweet opportunities. What are they? Well, we shall see. (For me to know and for you to find out, comes to mind. Hee, hee!)
But for now, in all honesty, I'm going to rejoice in the blessings I've been so graciously granted. There can't be a luckier woman in the all the world. I can think that, right? Guess what? I'm going to think that - I've got to be the luckiest 38 year old woman in the world!!

FINALLY...playtime with the Nicols!

This was a long overdue event. It was absolutely wonderful to be with our dear friends, Don and Kim Nicol and their beautiful children. We had a great time - visiting, watching the kids swim, visiting, eating, cleaning up little messes (loved the pan of ground beef popping out of the pan like popcorn - it exploded!), and visiting (plain getting caught up on how our families have been, its been a least two years!) The Nicols had to literally yank us out of their house at midnight! We had such fun. Kim and I had fun looking at blogs - so here we are Kimberly! This is for you! Don, Kim and Kids, thanks so much for the wonderful evening!! Let's not wait two years for the next time, please.

Pictures as follows: Nicholas gets ready to "go fast!" (Isn't this a great shot?! I love it!) Emily throws Lexi with Kynli nearby. Hot tub full - Gigi, Ethan, Nicole, Sarah, Kynli, Lexi and Nicholas

Macy Breaks Her Arm :-(

Macer-doodles has been roughed up by her big sister, Emily! Impossible, you say? Ask Macy. She'll tell you exactly what happened and simply put it as, "Emily broke my arm". The story goes like this: Macy and Nicholas were playing on the big "Little Tikes" slide. They were minding their own business when Emily, and a few other family members, came up to the slide and knocked into it with the 4-wheeler. It budged so nicely that Emily proceeded to push the kids around the yard as the slide slid along the grass. Well, bad things happen to good people sometimes, right? The slide got stuck on a sprinkler. On impact, Macy and Nicholas were thrown from the slide as it fell apart. Nicholas jumped up, saying, "I'm alright!" But Macy instantly grabbed her arm and began to cry. Nicholas quickly made an assessment and exclaimed, while pointing at Macy with big, wide eyes, "Macy broke her arm!" Macy did, in fact, break her arm. Rather Emily broke Macy's arm. Our sweet Macy looks pretty in pink, wouldn't you say?

School is now in session!!

Okay silly faces first, just to get the silliness outta ya! Now for serious stuff, you are going to school, now look the part!
Okay, to be totally honest, I was not ready for school to start. Not at all! I wanted my kids around for another month, at least. I felt like I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do with my darling chick-a-doos. Oh well, maybe I will get things right next summer, ya think?!
All 4 of the school-aged children got into American Leadership Academy (ALA). We did this mostly because we figured we would be moving in the next couple of weeks (might be a shocker to some of you - Sandi (Jed's sister) and Brian Hughes have agreed to purchase the home. We are on our way back to Spanish Fork!) I figured it would be easier if I sent them all to the same school since Emily was going there anyway. So here are my fab kids dressed to code. Gotta love Ethan's briefcase :-)

Uncle Nate comes to Utah!

We got to spend a little time with Nate while he visited Utah on business. Lat night, we were able to be with him for Ryan's birthday dinner. (HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY RYAN!) Then today, Wonderful Mother, gathered us together so we could visit with Nate again before he flies out tomorrow morning. We had a quick dinner of marinaded chicken with a salad from me that was too small for the crowd! and chips and salsa. (I shared a chip with Evan and he choked - I know I should know better! Thankfully, Kim didn't stare me down like I was some moron! Ha!) Kathy brought the cones and ice cream that was a welcome treat. A wonderful relaxing evening with family! Macy said as we left, "Aren't we going to have S'mores?!" She's gotten used to that treat when we come to Grandma and Grandpa's house!
(We missed Jed, Grandpa Hess, Celeste and Shawn as they were moving the Mahaffey belongs back from Arizona. Breea and Brooklin are with their mom. AJ isn't back from Cali yet and Ryan's family hadn't arrived to the party yet. Kathy was taking the picture and Grandpa T. is out of the area. :-)

Cowgirl Jane takes Nico for a ride

I think leaving behind Ginger is going to be difficult for our sweet cowgirl! Sarah has been riding Ginger a lot lately and I think we are going to have to pry Sarah away from Ginger when we move. (Thankfully, the Hughes are buying the home and will let her/us come over anytime to ride her.)
Sarah gets up in the morning, dresses and goes out to get the oats. She then lures Ginger in the corral and gets her saddled up. She stays out there for at least an hour riding her. Sometimes she will ride her three times a day!
So on this day, Nicholas got to have a ride on Ginger as Sarah lead her. Then Sarah jumped on and took Nico for a nice ride around the pastures. Thanks Cowgirl Jane!

"There here!" - Kimber, Ava and Evan are home!

Oh how thrilled we all are that Kimmer is here with her two darling kids - Ava and Evan. We had the wonderful privilege to have the kids for several hours today while their mom got her hair done in Salt Lake City by her sister-in-law.
We played with them outside in the yard (a perfect day - not too hot.), rode on the 4-wheeler and the dirtbike. We jumped on the tramp as well. Macy and Ava, as little princess girls will do, played dress-up. Evan enjoyed a ride on the 4-wheeler with Emily so much that she put him to sleep! It was so cute! When Kimber came back, she jumped on the dirtbike with the enthusiasm of a kid in the candy store! It was so fun to watch.
Welcome Back Auntie Kim, Ava and Evan!!

Macy Rides Again!

Macy Lou-Lou rides her 50 like there's nothing to it. She loves to ride and asks everyday if she can go for a spin. I gotta get a picture of her riding the 70 now. She is even more daring on that bike, which makes me a little nervous. She takes the turns tight and without fear! Wow!
(I know you all LOVE her outfit, picked just for riding. I told her I'm going to start calling her "Pippi Long-stocking".)(sp?)

We have loved having cousins come over to ride with us. Mark and his nephews have come over to ride. The Treanor Boys came to ride and that was such fun! (I didn't have my camera for that, so send pictures Bear!) Breea, Donovan and Ryan take a ride whenever they come over! The Arizona Treanors have been riding as well, having a great time!

Nicholas sleeps on the stairs!

I found this wonderful bundle of joy at two in the morning when I couldn't sleep. I had been cleaning for a little while and then after reading I thought I would go check on the children (just to pass time, you know?!). Can you believe this? I saw him and gazed at his precious face for a moment. I just wanted to stare at him for a while - taking into account his peaceful expression, his comfortable position despite being on the fourth from the top of the stairs, his airplane above him as if looking out for him. Oh, my precious boy! And then I thought, "this deserves to be remembered!" How I love this sweet bundle of joy!

Misty May-Treanor/Kerrie Walsh are AWESOME!!

These two have been so much fun to watch as they compete together, they are just n-sync! I just love their chemistry - a great match for each other. As "they" say, you got have a team with a big blocker and a great defensive player - hence, Walsh (blonde) and May-Treanor (brunette)!
Way to go gals - go for the gold!

The Boys take home the Gold in the 4x100!

We are from the US of A baby! This was one of the most incredible races I've ever seen in the Olympic Swimming Events! Oh my goodness, was it awesome! Although it was a great team effort, Jason Lezak, the last leg, is my hero in this race. He was a half a body's length behind the French and he came in like a "working horse" to finish the job! He made a huge effort and came in for the win! Way to go guys! Thanks for sending the Olympic Fever all the way home!

Mommy Quiz

Nicholas gives us a scare!

Well Jed and I ended up in the ER with our sweet boy Nicholas yesterday afternoon. The story goes like this:
I was on the phone with dad, loading Nicholas into the car, on my way to go pick up the Muddy Crew as they were done with the mud VB tourney. I realized I had forgotten plastic bags so I left Nico in the car and ran in. When I got back, he was out of his seat so I buckled him in, noticing he was chewing on something but assumed it was the snacks I leave in the car. I get in my seat and notice a bottle of Ibruprophen. It was open with a few pills out to the side, one appeared to be licked. So I jumped out of the car, ran to Nico's side and said to him, "What are you eating?" while I open his mouth to look. He points to the bottle and tells me that its "that". So I rush to pick up Jed, telling him to call Poison Control and/or mom to find out what I need to give him or if I need to get him to the hospital. Well, obviously we ended up at the hospital in the ER, giving our smiling boy a full cup of charcoal. UGH! His first drink, he sucked it through a straw and looked in the cup, uttering matter-of-factly "that's sick." Yep its sick but we weren't taking chances. So we stayed a while for them to watch him after he had drank the "black stuff". I got to really watch him and he just bounced about with a smile on his face. Thank goodness, this was not a serious incident.
(picture from day at Gateway)

Salem Days Mud Volleyball

This was a riot to watch. I loved watching my girls play with their dad. Emily played well and consistently, going for everything her way. Little petite Sarah moved so well in the mud and water, making some great plays and never missed a serve. Nicholas couldn't wait to get in the muddy water but it had to be on his terms. When Macy threw a blob of dirt at him, he had a fit despite the fact that he was covered in mud to his knees and to his elbows. Then as the mud dried on him, he HAD to get it off and get cleaned up. So he trekked on over to the fire truck to get blasted by the fire hose.
The team - Jed, Emily, Sarah, Breea, Mark and occasionally Shide and then Mark's sister - played to about 6th place out of group of 19 teams. Not bad! Way to go! Sign me up for the next one!

An afternoon at the waterpark

Jared, Jenny, their boys, Grandma with the Mahaffey kids and my crew went to the waterpark for some serious cooling off. (I wish we had a picture of the whole group together but it didn't happen - maybe next week.) Nicholas loved it when Christian and Charlie went down the waterslide with him. Macy got a ride on Uncle Jared across the pool and slid off his back to swim to the edge. It is so fun to watch the cousins play so well and enjoy being with each other. Its such a beautiful thing! We visited and sunbathed, enjoying the warm sun, and cool water until the drama unfolded with the fire. (We were at the pool when we noticed the smoke coming from the mountain near Payson.)

The Gateway...to family fun

This was a day that was supposed to be a day at Lagoon but we ended up at Gateway to play in the water and do some school shopping instead. The kids, as you can see, had a blast! No need to elaborate anymore than this. It was obviously great fun!

Ethan did something hysterical. As we were walking along the walkway, he spotted a big drain spout coming out of the wall. He stuck his head in it and began to push against the wall as though he were stuck, using his feet as well for added measure. Jed and I watched, with tears streaming down our cheeks as we watched people point and stop. The crowd around him was about 20 people who looked at each other in disbelief. Finally a woman in her 50's tapped his shoulder, "hey are you okay?" After a minute, Ethan gives one last push against the wall, falling backwards, with everyone stepping back as he fell, and he looks up at her with a smile, "Yah!" It was so unbelievably convincing, we were bent over from laughter watching. One of the other women, said to him, "where you really stuck?" And before he could answer, the woman who had tapped him said, "No he was just being stupid" and walked away. Ethan just smiled bigger. Oh how we laughed!