It's GREAT to be EIGHT - Kendalyn's BIG B-day

At our B-day family dinner - Applebees - Kendalyn couldn't eat because she was too excited for them to come and sing to her!




This CUTE cake was made by my sis-in-law Heidi!


Wow, I can't believe I have an 8-year old kid - it is too crazy to think about! She is such a great girl and I am so lucky to have her as my daughter. When our kids have a birthday, we always tell them the story about when they were born and I LOVE thinking about those days/nights - they also LOVE hearing it. Kendalyn is our first, so the memories are a little more clear than the others, because it was such a traumatic/great experience, but I just remember how EXCITED I was to have a baby at that time. She was such a welcome little bundle of JOY! She is such a great help to me and - although I don't want to sound braggy or anything, - she is so smart and is always striving to learn more. She makes me laugh all of the time and is SOOOO beautiful. I love having her in our family and hope she always loves to be here as well. I LOVE you Kendalyn - have a GREAT 8th Year!!!

THURSDAY

Yea for Thursdays!!! Not only is Survivor AND the Office on, but Thursday is also Kendalyn's piano night, which means I get 1 WHOLE hour to myself to do whatever I want - I LOVE it. It's not like I never get a night out - Spence is pretty amazing at the whole dad/husband thing, - but it's an hour that I HAVE to be out for. I usually go to the mall or run weird errands that I hate to take Grady with me on - but I find myself smiling and REALLY enjoying myself. So, YEA for piano,and YEA for Kendalyn, because without them, Thursday just wouldn't be Thursday!!!

I'm Thinking PRIVATE

Okay, so I really have resisted the "private blog thing" for as long as I could, but I can't anymore! I don't know if you all saw the report on KSL news a few weeks ago about blogs, but it scared me good.
Here is the link if you missed it: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4699330 - you can click on my title to view the report as well!
I just want to have one extra precaution when it comes to pics of my kids - so sorry out there to all who hate private blogs, but I have to do it.
I would love to have anyone who wants to continue reading this blog to do so, so if you don't think I have your email, either make a comment containing your email address, or send me an email personally to juliesummerhays@yahoo.com! I will officially go private next Monday - the 24th! Have a great day!

Halloween = Happiness

Seriously, we LOVED Halloween this year, especially Grady. He thought his costume was so funny and he loved wearing it! My girls did not really enjoy Halloween like they should have at 18 months, but Grady made up for them. Spence took him around our neighborhood and he practically ran to the doorstep of every house. The girls of course got super loaded up with candy and LOVED every minute of that too. Some of our friends hosted an "After Halloween" party which is tradition every year, and Spence and I got to get in on the action as well. Our neighbors wore the Incredibles a few years ago and they let us borrow them - too funny! Our pumpkins turned out pretty cute too. The girls always love doing this, as do I and I have such good memories of PUMPKIN CARVING when I was younger on FHE! We had to do the annual UTE pumpkin and it was a conversation starter as always (for good and bad - go UTES!)! Anyway, we had a great time - and my kids think Halloween is pure HAPPINESS!