Happy Birthday Elder Gary!

So, 20 years ago today Elder Gary was born. Of course at the time, he wasn't Elder Gary, just our adorable loveable, agreeable, frog-legged Gary. Since he is now in Texas serving the Lord on a mission, we had to celebrate it without him.......

We started the day with his favorite breakfast.....Kellogg's Corn Flakes with bananas. Had his favorite dinner........homemade biscuits and gravy with homemade salsa and homemade chow-chow....then on to the celebration.......

The cake

Morgan trying to light the candles.....

And still trying......

Guess she's trying to phone it in now!

The family......and the candles are lit!!!
(Andy and Leza and Drew couldn't be here)

The siblings....

Tanner, Mandy (Morgan's bestie that came to celebrate with us), Lexie and Morgan

Look how full it's getting now!

Almost there!

And YES! only 3 more days until the one year mark!!!

Happy St. Patty's birthday!

Today is St. Patricks Day. It is also my Mother-in-Laws birthday. Even though I am spending a few states away from where she is, I just want to say.....Happy St Patricks Day and Happy Birthday Mom Elaine!!!

(I will have to add a pic later since I'm not on my computer)

Happy Birthday! You're a Teenager!!!

Today is Lexie's 13th Birthday! Woohoo! She's a teenager! I can't believe child #5 is a teenager already. What happened to my little, tiny baby girl. Oh yeah. She grew in to my little teenage girl. She is so sure of who she is and where she's headed already that it can be a little scary at times.

She loves playing soccer and wants to try out for Competitive this year

Blowing out the candles. See the cute hat Sister Christin Taylor made her for her birthday? And the new shirt I bought her

Typical Lexie licking off the cake decorations

Lexie in one of her birthday presents

Her birthday haul. A new wardrobe!

Happy Very Special 8th Birthday!

Today is a very special day for a very special boy. Today Tanner turns 8 years old. Which means that in 4 days he is going to be baptized. He keeps us laughing with his quick sense of humor. We are so glad that Tanner came along in our family, it's been fun having him as the caboose to the train of our family.

Oh how he loves his TMNT--

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Looking a little tired thinking he's never going to eat the cake!

Finally getting to blow out the candles!

Was so excited to get the same present all his brothers and sisters got on their 8th birthdays. A real set of Scriptures with a case and his named engraved. He couldn't wait for his birthday to go pick them out!

Happy Birthday 8th Tanner!!!

Happy Sweet 16 and Never Been Kissed

Sixteen....16!!!...years ago a beautiful little baby girl with black eyes (with the longest black eyelashes I've ever seen on a baby), black hair and olive skin was born. Her name is Morgan Shelby. We knew those eyes were going to be trouble, and now she's 16 and we're so.......afraid, but glad that she is well grounded in her beliefs. Doesn't mean we're not going to worry though. Judge for yourself.

She loves Piglet









And out comes Pooh Bear








Blowing out the candles

What could be in the packages?
(isn't she pretty? And doesn't even know it)










The loot

Happy sweet 16 Morgan!

(and tomorrow she gets her drivers license!!!)

Happy Happy Birthday Mommy Dear!

My mom has raised 7 children and is now seeing her grandchildren getting married and starting their own families. She deserves to have a very Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom.

Happy Happy Birthday Drewann Dear!

Today is Drewann's (Drew) 22nd birthday! I can't believe it's been that long. She was my right-hand for so long, it's hard to have her all grown up. We're taking her to Las Vegas on Thursday for an interview to work on a Cruise Line, so she gets to pick out her present there. But we did celebrate with cake and ice cream, family and 'roommates'.......

Drew with her cake and the roses are from the 'roomies'

Veronica, Lindsey, Emily and Drew

'The Roomies'

The picture my dad put on his birthday email of her.

Drew and Gary in Lexie's sunglasses

Happy Birthday Drew!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my Dad's birthday. I don't get to see him much, but I love him!

Dad and Andy showing off their hats at Andy's wedding

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Birthday of a Father-in-Law

Today is my Father-in-laws birthday. He has lived most of his life in Wyoming, but now spends his days in Utah. He has had a long, eventful life. He has seen many things come and go and many things change in his lifetime. Some good and some not so good. But progress none the less.

And here he is with Zach and Sara. Another grandsons wedding.

Happy Birthday Dad, Grandpa, Dean

Happy Birthday Andy!

Today is Andy's 23rd birthday! Andy has always loved loud things.....trucks, tractors.......anything that makes noise. And the faster the better. He likes the tricked out everything. Even at 2 he knew what he liked, and it had better be John Deere green. And he even got some for his birthday again this year. I don't think his collection will ever be done.

Leza planned a BBQ for his birthday dinner. We all went over to their house for it, both families. Some of the kids had to leave early, but we had a nice dinner with family.

Leza baked him his favorite...German chocolate cake

(white cupcakes as well)

He's not old enough yet. He got them all with one breath.

Happy birthday Andy!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today is my Grandma Hulsey's (Evelyn) birthday. She is like the energizer bunny....she just keeps going, and going, and going......She has so much energy and always has time for everyone.

I hope I'm just like her when I grow up! Although I don't know that she'll claim that she's grown up yet! (wink)

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

Happy Birthday Daughter-in-law!

Today is my daughter-in-laws (Leza) 22nd birthday! She has been in our family since November. Wynn and I went to dinner tonight with her, Andy, and her family. We went to Cafe Sabor. It was fabulous. Who ever thought that Coconut Soup wouldn't taste like coconut? I was going to take pictures while there to put on here....but didn't remember until I got home. So.....here is a picture from the weekend instead!

Happy Birthday Leza!!!!!

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

Today is Wynn's 46th Birthday!!! And he had the day off! For his birthday he took me to see 'The Proposal'. We loved it. See what a great guy he is? He does stuff like that for me all the time. He is such a sweetie. That's why I love him. So just for being such a great guy, we got him something he's been wanting for a while......

Forgot the candles....so he got the 'OLD' one

Also forgot that we were out of wrapping paper.

The towel seemed to do fine.

I think he liked it anyway. Even without wrapping paper!

But I did remember the most important thing....

the present he really wanted!

(and it's expandable for him to make all that yummy stuff he wants!)

Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday Sis!

It is my sister, Sandra's, birthday!!! She is (hmmmm) years old today! I don't care if people know how old I am, but not everybody feels that way, so I won't put her very young age on here. She is always so good about posting about us on our birthdays, with pictures and memories, etc. Sorry, don't have any pictures. :( You would think that with all the weddings lately I would have one. Nope. Shame on me. But I do have memories. Hehehehe. Ok. It's your birthday. I'll be nice.

I remember when we were going to Harrison Schmidt Elementary School. She is only 2 years older than me, so was 2 grades higher. I was always sick it seemed. I was also very shy (still am, just try to seem I'm not). She always looked out for me and took care of me at school. I remember one day, had to be around Valentines because I remember wearing my pink corduroy jumper with the heart pockets on it that mom had made me. I wasn't feeling well so Sandra took me to the cement pad by the doors of the school and made me a place to lay down on our jackets. (notice jackets in February, not coats) She stayed with me all recess to make sure I was ok.

Fast forward to High School. We were in the same Geometry class. She didn't sit by me but did sit close. She would just say good job when I did well, even when my grade was higher than hers. She must have just been amazed that I could get an A+ in there, cause math is NOT one of my strong suits and my friends and I were always talking and visiting. (and yes, I did my own work)

Then the time we were riding home on the bus. We were sitting in the same seat together. One of the neighbor boys was sitting behind us, I don't remember his name, and started saying some pretty disgusting unappropriate things to me. Sandra told him to shut up and leave me alone. He was way bigger than either of us. He kept saying these things and wouldn't shut up. So I turned around and proceded to beat him up right there on the bus. He ran home crying. Sandra never even told on me for beating the poor guy up.

What a great sis. Always looking out for me.

Well, Happy Birthday Sis! Guess we were never bored when we were together huh?

Happy Birthday Gary!!!

Gary and I have a shared memory. It's just that I remember it and he, well, doesn't. I know that sounds odd, but it's one that we laughingly debate together. Of course since he has no way to remember this memory, my version is the correct one...well, that and the fact that it IS the correct one.....He says I almost killed him (wink, wink) and I say I saved his life.

One week before Gary was born, I realized I hadn't felt him move in over 24 hours. I started to get worried so I did all the things they had told us to try if this ever happened. Push on him to get him to move, drink cold water or orange juice, push on him harder....It didn't work, nothing. It was time for Wynn to get home from work so I immediately told him what was happening. He called the doctor's office and they told him to have me try everything I had just tried, he told them I had and they said to get to the hospital. It was in Jackson Hole, an hour away. I thought I felt something on the way, but it was so very slight I think it was just wishful thinking. When we got there, they hooked me up to all the many machines and found his heartbeat to be so faint they almost couldn't find it. They tried everything I had tried and nothing. That's when they grabbed the little 'life jolters' as I call them and placed them on my stomach and jolted him once, nothing, twice. His heart started beating stronger, he started moving.....and didn't quit moving for the whole next week until he was born on his due date of May 23, 1990!!! I never complained about not being able to sleep that whole week because he literally did NOT stop moving! It was the most glorious thing. See? Saved his life. And what a wonderful life it was to save and give.

Happy Birthday Gary! I love you and am so proud of you.

What do you get a Missionary for his birthday 4 days before he goes to the MTC and he has already bought himself all the things (almost) he needs? You buy him the few things that are left. Therefore:

So excited to get sheets!!!

A 4g memory card for his camera. (to go with the 1g he had)

Yes, those are envelopes from Lexie and Tanner. They also gave him....

Paper, pens, pencils and an address book, all so he can write home!

Drew wanted to make his cake so I let her. Yes, that is a bikini cake, complete with belly button. (She figured it was the last one he got to look at for a while.) It didn't turn out quite as well as she had hoped and only has the #1 candle (put in the cake backwards) because they forgot to check if we had a #9 candle! He looks like he doesn't quite know what to think!!!

Birthday on St. Patricks Day

Today is my mother-in-laws (Elaine Jenkins) birthday. It is also St. Patricks Day. She was born in Los Angeles, California and lived there until she was married. Then she moved to Freedom, Wyoming (Star Valley). They lived in a little tiny house that was used for the boys to stay in when taking care of the dry farm. They didn't have running water, a bathroom or any of the necessities. They built on to that house, raised 6 kids and had numerous grandkids in that house. They are now in Layton, Utah, where they have lived for the last 2 years. It wasn't an easy life, especially coming from the big city, but she did it. Happy Birthday Mom Jenkins!

Dean and Elaine Jenkins at Gary's Eagle court of honor, August 18, 2008.

Happy Happy Birthday!

Lexie is 12 years old today. Even if nobody believes her because she doesn't look like it. All 4' 6" of her. No more primary, hello Mutual/Young Womens!!!

She has always been little. When she was born, early, she was all of 5 lbs 7 oz, all skin & bones. She had some lung problems & I had to give her liquid proventil (which is what is in the asthma inhaler she takes now) until she was 18 months old. She was feisty though, that's why she made it. When she was 6 months old I remember walking in to the living room & she had climbed up the front of the entertainment center. She was getting something she had wanted off the top of it! We couldn't keep her down from there. What a little monkey she was, and still is. She is still doing acrobatics to this day & has taught herself many gymnastics moves, some her friends that are in gymnastics can't even do. The family favorite is the one her cousins affectionately call her 'Tina move'. (don't know where they came up with the name) They make her do it over & over again at family get togethers. Maybe I'll have to make a video of it to post here.

Happy Birthday Lexie! We love you.

You're finally 7

We took down all the Christmas decorations on Saturday because...today is Tanner's birthday!!! We used to leave them up until January 2nd, but we want his birthday to be just that, his birthday, seperate from Christmas. This year neither have been very exciting for him. He woke up Christmas morning with a fever & has been sick ever since, so has been heavily medicated, but still played with his toys while awake. He seems to be doing better today, and is playing with Lexie with all his toys. He wants to build a snowman with all the snow we've gotten lately, but going outside & getting wet & cold would probably not be the best idea.

Tanner is our youngest & so (as Gary says) our most spoiled, since he has older siblings with money. They all get him birthday presents as well. He seems much older than he is most of the time, because of being raised with older children I believe. He is a few grades higher on all levels in school & extemely smart, but every once in a while he says or does something that reminds us that, yes, he is just a little boy....

This summer I was cooking dinner & asked the kids what vegetable they wanted. Tanner asked, "Could we have melted corn? That's my favorite!" I told him sure, but had to turn away I was laughing so hard. Melted corn? Really? I had never thought of creamed corn that way before. But think about it, isn't that what it would look like to a little child? To this day it is called melted corn in our house. I will have to be sure this next year to print more 'Tannerisms' so we don't forget them. He is so wise in his childlike/grownup way.

We love you Tanner!!! Happy Birthday!

Catching up--in addition to...

Drew has some pictures from her camera that she felt should be shared, so here they are...

This is her favorite picture of Gary at Halloween:

These are pictures Drew caught of Morgan opening the birthday present she gave her:

It is the Twilight sound track. I think she was a bit excited!