Quincy Is Off

Uncle Quincy was able to come home for a few days around the 4th of July and we had a BBQ at our house while he was home.

Oh how we love Uncle Quincy!

(Me, Brad Quincy, Mom and Dad)

It was great to have Brad's family over as well as Quincy's and of course Mom and Dad.

These girls sure are going to miss Quincy for the next 10 months!

When things hit so close to home it really makes you appreciative.

I am so grateful for those men and women serving in the armed forces.  They sacrifice so much for us to enjoy our freedoms.

We love you Quincy!

Thank you!

Archery Shoot at Sunrise

Justin is such a great dad!

He took Hunter to the Sunrise Archery Shoot.  This is the second year going.  I was a little bummed to not be going but I had other things going on at home so it became a boys trip.

Hunter and Logan were so very excited to spend the weekend with their dad.  

It was kind of last minute when Justin finally agreed to take the boys.  So instead of packing up the toy hauler they stayed in the hotel closest to the ski resort.  It work out great and the boys even got to swim in the evenings.

It always amazes me how much these boys look up to their dad.

Justin said it was a great trip!  Nice weather and he enjoyed his time with the boys.

I heard Hunter shot well.  This year he has a new bow.  He out grew his other bow and so we got this one used.  I have to say Hunter paid for the entire bow himself.  He did not have money saved up when he needed a new bow.  So Justin bought it and then Hunter worked it off by cleaning the shop, hoeing weeds around CKC, filling up the soda machines, putting hard hats together, and many more tasks.

He even got complimented by his Uncle Spencer about what a great worker he was and how well he can clean up the shop.  It just made Hunter beam!!!

Kill shot baby!

Logan doesn't go to archery club like Hunter, but he enjoyed the weekend of shooting just the same.

What great memories for Justin and the boys.  I think next year they need to take Mr. Grant.....surely a 3 year old would be helpful right?  I can always hope!

Workin' at the Car Wash

Early on in the summer I decided to put some of my pinning on Pinterest to use!

We built this car wash for bikes for one of our "Build It Monday" projects.

These workers are some pretty handsome looking CKC workers if you ask me!

Actually Hunter helped the most.  He worked so hard I never took a picture of him...lol.

Justin could not believe I made this with the kids.  I even took 7 kids to Home Depot....twice....in the process!  It was cute to see how amazed Justin was.  He did say he would have never even attempted such a thing with so many kids. :)  I told him well I don't have that option....everything I want to do I have to do with the accompaniment  of children.  And I wouldn't want it any other way to be honest!

We have invited so many friends over to play in our car wash.  

Any time we get it out neighbor kids flock to it. 

The Moore boys even came for a day and enjoyed it with us!

Along with the car wash usually come Popsicles....so it's a win win situation!

I even got to babysit Hudson....I kept this blow up bouncer in the shade of the garage while we watched the kids using the car wash.  I even downloaded the song, "Workin. at the Car wash!" to play for the kids.  It's been a great summer fun toy!

Thanks to Pinterest!

She's Got the Gift...

Justin inherited a gift from his Nanny....The gift to write poems or jingles.

And Kiersten has inherited the same gift!

On Saturday Kiersten was asking me when I was going to do the laundry.  I usually do it on Mondays..... I asked her, "why she wanted to know?"

She said, "She just wanted to know.  She wanted to learn how to sort the laundry."

A few minutes later she asks me, "If a Ziploc bag is left in someones pocket will is ruin the Ziploc bag and whatever is in the bag?"

I told her, "No....it should be fine but it depends on what is inside the bag."

She left it at that.

Then I showed her how to sort the laundry. She then sorted her laundry and the boys as well.  We started a load and left the rest in piles.

Not much later, I find Kiersten's shorts with a Ziploc bag in the front pocket.

This is what was inside....

a very special Birthday surprise!

She gave me $30...all her money and even better then that was the poem she wrote all by herself!

She had asked Justin many times to help her but he never would.  I would say she didn't need his help anyway!

I was so excited to get this early Birthday gift!  I will be in San Francisco on my birthday with my friend Steph.  We planned a long weekend escape several months ago and it just happened to fall on my birthday.  I hate to not spend my special day with my family.

So thanks Kiersten for making sure I felt loved before I left!

I love you so much!  I could not have asked for a better daughter!  I am so grateful to get to be your mom!

This is what the poem says....

It's your special day

So I gave all this money away.

To someone who's caring 

And sharing her love with me.

Now go and buy something sweet

Because this is your Birthday treat!

Love,

Kiersten

Happy Birthday Babe!

Since the kids and I were going to be at Disneyland on Justin's actual Birthday we surprised him with a little party before we left. 

 I did tell him he needed to be home early so he could actually eat dinner with us and enjoy his party.  I often hate summer months because Justin does not know how to leave work until dark thirty.  So when it doesn't get dark until 8:00 at night then he often doesn't get home until 9:00.

Justin was happy to come home early and spend the evening with his family!

The kids wanted Justin to open his presents first thing!

Oh yeah baby.....a PlayStation Vita!

I know I will probably come to regret getting Justin this but he will never say he wants anything.  He did enjoy playing games on the Nintendo DS.....it kind of relieves his stress from work he has said.

He was actually really excited when he opened it. So I was glad I got it for him!

Mr. Grant LOVES birthdays, even when it's not his.

Almost daily he brings me toys and says, "Mom I have a surprise for you!  It for you burfday!"

We had Justin's favorite meal....

Steak, crab legs and twice baked potatoes

It was so yummy!  The kids were all excited about the crab legs!
The kids enjoyed swimming in the pool while Justin and I grilled.

Then we had one of Justin's favorite desserts, Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes!

The kids had built a building out of Legos, that is suppose to represent CKC, to place Justin's birthday cupcake on.

Justin had some help blowing out his candle...

Mr. Grant needed his own candle to blow out.  So did the other kids....which is kind of our tradition.  Everyone gets to blow out candles regardless of who's birthday it is!

Happy Birthday Babe!

Thanks for all you do to make us happy!

You are a wonderful husband, father and friend! 
 I can not picture my life without you!!

Love you!

Disneyland Trip..... Day Five

We could have been traveling home this day, but because the kids were so good for me on the drive here and on our long days at Disneyland I rewarded them with an extra day of fun.  I told them we could go to the beach again or play at the hotel pool, watch a movie and shop again at Downtown Disney.  

Everyone but Logan voted for the hotel pool and stuff.......Logan really wanted to go back and "surf."

We all enjoyed a little pool time and of course we enjoyed sleeping in!!!

After several hours of pool time we got ready and headed to Downtown Disney

I was sad that this was our last day of vacation and that we would be heading back to reality in 24 hours!

So we tried our best to really enjoy our last minutes!

Logan.......or better known on this trip as
  "Psychotic Soda Boy!"


On this trip there were times that Logan was either tired of walking or he wanted to ride a different ride then the one we were headed to (he really only wanted to ride the fast, scary rides).  He thought if it wasn't a roller coaster that he wouldn't like the ride, when in fact he loved every ride he went on.


So Logan would start to complain a little...........then I would quickly ask him if he wanted a SODA?  I would tell him he could either stop complaining and get a soda or I would take him back to the hotel.


He seriously would do a 180 and start smiling so happy.


"Yes mom I want a soda and I am happy now!"


He probably had three sodas a day, which of course he had to share.  But man did he switch gears as soon as I asked him if he wanted a soda.  So I bribed him with soda to not complain about being tired..........worked like a charm!


It became a huge joke with all of us because of how extreme his mood would change as soon as I mentioned getting him a soda!

Hunter "needs" his own phone!

And after this trip I am starting to agree with him :)

Justin sent us with an extra phone from his office, just in case Katelyn's phone stopped working.  It's a good thing we had this extra phone because her phone ran out of minutes on the first day.

Hunter was so entertained with this phone.  He took pictures of fun things in Disneyland, he loved to call me when we were separated and I know he felt super cool!

He will be getting his own phone I told him!

Just not any time soon..........but when we take another trip I will make sure to borrow one for him to use!

We enjoyed yummy food at the Rain Forest Cafe in Downtown Disney!

I just love my kids!

I was so excited they earned this extra day!

Thanks to my wonderful Mother-in-law for offering to keep Mr. Grant an extra day!

This kids were thrilled to get to take a picture with the parrot!

The boys picked out these fun shirts and hats! 

Don't they look cute..............good thing they worked hard before our trip so they could pay for them!

Hunter loved the Lego store!

After lunch and shopping we went and saw the movie Brave.

We really liked it!  Hunter loved the archery in the movie!

See I wouldn't have this fun picture if Hunter didn't have his own phone on this trip!

Such fun boys.......they just make me so happy!

"Psychotic Soda Boy"

I wish I would have taken video of Logan.........he was so funny about getting a soda.

It seriously made him SUPER HAPPY!

It didn't even have to be caffeinated soda.......really his favorite was orange soda on this trip!

On our way back to the hotel we stopped in honor of Justin at the Cold Stone Creamery right outside of the Disney entrance.  Next time we come to Disneyland Justin said we are staying at the hotel right behind Cold Stone so he can have one for breakfast every morning :) Sounds good to me!

It was hard to say goodbye to California!

The trip home was easy.  

The kids were really good and I can actually use the word "quiet" to describe the long car ride home.

This is what life is all about..........making memories to last a lifetime!

Disneyland Trip Day Four

We had gotten to Disneyland each day before it opened and stayed til it was closed each night.  So this morning we decided to sleep in a little bit........we still got to Disneyland by 9:00 and we were better rested for our last day!

Peter Pan's Flight is one of my favorite rides.  This was my first time riding it and I am so glad I got to do it with my kids!  We rode it a couple of times during our stay and just loved it!

We love Pluto!

We all enjoyed the Pixar Play Parade.  We actually enjoyed it in the shade!

I thought of my mom quite a bit on this trip and so did my kids.  We all frequently commented how much Grammy would have loved this, that and the other!

She would have died over the parades!

We all love Buzz!

Mr. Grant just LOVES Mater!

He would have peed his pants seeing this live! He almost did just seeing it in a picture!!!

Jenny asked me if Gavin could hang out with us while the dance girls went to their dance seminar. Logan was thrilled as you can imagine!

Kiersten got to go to a 2 hour dance class and see some behind the scenes stuff.  She learned a lot and really enjoyed it!

I was trying to take a picture of the kids sitting on the sidewalk after the parade was over.  A nice gentleman came over and asked me if I wanted him to take a picture of our whole family!

So I was Stewart's wife for about 20 seconds.......well at least in the picture I was.  It was so funny we just went along with it...........it almost seemed stranger to explain why my husband isn't here and where Wendy was.

We actually ended up hanging out together for the 2 hours the girls were behind the scenes at Disneyland.  Stewart was a great husband.............he told me I was a great wife too!  It's fun to joke about now!  I told Justin he might want to come on the next trip.........lol!

Silly Boys....

Logan and Gavin are so silly together. They just have a blast even if it waiting in a line.  That didn't slow them down............they just decided to dance!

Of course along with my new husband, Stewart, I got a couple of extra kids.  Katelyn and I took all the little ones on Toy Story Mania while Stewart and Hunter rode the roller coaster, California Screamin'!  So yes we looked and acted like a couple for two hours........except he didn't buy me anything...LOL!

Carsyn and I

The second daughter I never got to have.

So excited to see the Aladdin show and to rest our feet!

We went and saw the Aladdin musical.

It was total Broadway quality!  The kids just loved it and so did I!

Again staying more then one day at Disneyland is key to AMAZING fun!

Of course I will take one day over no days!

I can't even put into words how much fun this trip was!!!

Thanks for a wonderful trip kids!

Aren't these some of the cutest kids you have ever seen?

Logan is seriously the funnest kid!

I love how original he is and boy is he entertaining for sure!

We always take a picture here....this time it was like 12:45 at night but we had to take it!

 We are all still happy at midnight...............it is a magical place after all!!! 

We spend half the day at California Adventure and the last half at Disneyland.
Don't you love our faces on Tower of Terror......AGAIN!  Yes I still scream like a little school girl!

This would be Kiersten and I over coming our fears of roller coasters.  I have been on several roller coasters and have never fully loved them.  They have all been super jerky and gave me a headache when I got off.  So wasn't even tempted to go on California Screamin'..........until my husband, Stewart told me he was going to make me go.  I could tell Kiersten wanted to go but she was too scared.  She rode some rides with all her dance girlfriends but when they went on this one she stayed with Michelle, one of the dance moms.


I decided why not give it a try and if we hated it we didn't have to do it again.  And so we did..............
guess what WE LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!
Okay this roller coaster was way smoother then the other ones I have been on........just like Stew told me it would be.  Thanks for being a great husband for those two hours Stew!

Guess it's time the Cluff family goes to Six Flags huh?

I had to add this picture.....I know it is blurry.  This would be Hunter and Logan doing "Tootie Ta" after riding Grizzly River Rapids!
I love that they are having that much fun!
What friends they were on this trip........I hope it lasts!

I know by the end of the trip we were pretty fancy with our Splash Mountain picture huh?
Some of our favorite rides were....


Disneyland
Peter Pan's Flight
Indiana Jones
Pirates of the Caribbean
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Splash Mountain
Space Mountain




California Adventure
California Screamin'
Goofy's Fly School
Tower of Terror
Mickey's Fun Wheel.......the moving carts
Toy Story Mania
Soaring California
Grizzly River Rapids


But of course we enjoyed every ride we went on and boy did we ride a ton of rides.  I think we are all already looking forward to the next time we get to visit Disneyland!!!