The Clouse Zonies

finally

2008-12-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well, don't have a heart attack I thought I would finally up date the blog. SO much has happend since I last wrote. Jordan turned 11. She is really growing up so fast. She is starting to look like a beautiful young lady.

Haleigh is now a 10th grader and is loving high school. Makayla is a 9th grader and loves being a cheer leader. Bret is a 2nd grader. I can't say i like his teacher. She a six foot giant and is rather mean.

Awesome day for the Clouse girls

2008-04-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day for Haleigh and Makayla. 4-4-08 seems o be a lucky day for my older girls. Haleigh had her third softball game for the week. She made Stapley Jr Highs softball team. She is the first baseman. She is the only leftly on the team. She is doing an amazing job. We had just purchased her a $270.00 dollar bat on Thursday to help her with her hitting. Friday we we watching her game at Stapley. Her first at bat she had a pretty good hit. Second at bat she got out. Her third at bat she whacked that ball over the fence, an awesome hit, HOME RUN. Stapley is undefeated 12 games into the season and we have never had a home run until today. Every one went crazy, they gave her the game ball.

Now for Makayla she has had the cheer try out clinic all week. There try out was on Thursday. They made them wait until Friday at 4pm until they posted the results. We were at Haleighs game at Stapley when they were to post the results. Mrs Stockman one of the PE teachers took Makayla and her bff Alex into the pe room so the could get the results. Well at 4:10 we still hadn't heard anything. I happened to be talking with the vice principle Mark Munos at Haleighs game. He kept saying to me i know who made it do you want to know? and i would say yes and he would never tell me. He finally said he would let her tell me. 4:15 it was still not posted so Mark left to go find out what was wrong with the web site and why it wasn't posted yet. Well i got a phone call from her a few minutes later saying: guess what mom and I said what and Makayla said I made it. Im a Stapley Cheerleader. She was sooo excited. So needless to say Haleigh and Makayla had a wonderful Friday 4-4-08 it must be a lucky day.

Oh yea its only taken me 8 months to update my blog. I will try to do better I will get some softball pictures of Haleigh and when Makayla starts cheer i will get some of her also. Oh yes i do have two other children as well.They are both doing well. I will be leaving for New Zealand in two weeks and i will take pictures of my trip. I will post pictures soon.

Better late than never

2007-08-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Jenny i finally down loaded these spring break pictures. Dean, Jordan , Makayla and Taylor snow boarding at Brianhead Utah.

Bret Getting ready to go up the chair lift on the bunny hill. It was his second time snowboarding. He loved to go straight down the hill and not side to side.
Our last day before we left Brianhead. We spent the morning tubeing.

Happy Birthday Jordan baby

2007-08-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive that school has started already. And it's my little girls birthday today she has finally hit the big 10. She is now in the double didgets. Here are 10 of the things that i love most about my little Jorbug.

1. She is the biggest helper in my house. Better that her older sisters.

2. Her smile just beams, her eyes light up.

3. She loves her dogs and plays with them all the time.

4. She loves loves to play with her friends.

5. She is such a hard worker. She just finds things to do and does it without being asked.

6. She's a great softball player and swimmer.

7. She is a great big sister to Bret and loves her sisters most of the time.

8. She's becoming a great little cook.

9. She always wants to learn new things.

10. She's the most beautiful little 10 year old that I know. And i love her.

Last day of school for us

2007-05-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last day of school today. I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling. I don't know if I'm ready for all of the activities that go along with summer. We have so many things going like swim team, diving, basketball camp, voice lessons, tennis lessons, dance. Softball just finished last night some coaches are wanting our girls for all stars. But we are saying no to that.

I am so grouchy and tired right now because I woke up at 4:15 cuz I heard Bret talking in his sleep. I couldn't fall back asleep because I had to get up at 5:15 for our husband and wife ride at 5:30. We rode about 20 miles with a really hard head wind against us the entire ride. As soon as I get Bret off I'm thinking about taking a nap.

2007-05-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Happy 13th Birthday my sweet MAKAYLA

Oh my gosh how time flies. I can't beleive that makayla is turning 13 today. What a joy she is to have in our lifes. She is such a good girl. She is so talented in everything she does. She is a straight A student. She is a city champion diver. She is the starting pitcher for her softball team, she loves to dance and is a great tumbler. She is a fun big sister and loves to play with her younger siblings at times. She is the fastest texter i have ever seen. Makayla is a multi tasker she will be on aim talking to five or six people at once and then be texting others all at the same time.

13 things I love about Makayla

1. Her beautiful smile
2. Her cheerful personality
3. Her natural talent in everything she does
4. Her love for life and her friends
5. She is a hard worker when she wants to
6. Her pretty hair
7. Her love for the gospel
8. How she plays on the tramp with her younger sister
9. How she gets along with everyone, miss social
10. Her love for her grand parents
11. Her love for sports of all kinds
12. The friendship she has with her older sister
13. That she is doing great in school

Sorry Makayla I have been trying to down load a picture buts its not working

Tag your it. Thanks Jenny

2007-02-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe you did this to me because I'm having a hard time doing this.

1. I did read Angies and I'm the same it bugs me when toilet paper is facing the wrong way on the holder. The paper has to come over the top of the roll. If Dean puts it on the wrong way I have to fix it. But t seems that I am the only one in my house that changes it. They always wait for me to do it.

2. Whats so bad the the people at sonic know me by name because I go there way to often. I even know a lot about them and whats going on in their lives. Like Ava has to go back to Mexico to get her green card.

3. When ever I travel my body seems to take a few day's to adjust to it's new surroundings if you know what I mean. ha ha.

4. If I travel without my family I always have to take a little photo album so I can look at them over and over and over again. Because I miss them so much and love to see how beautiful they are. Even though i was excited to get away from them.

5. After almost 19 years of marriage I still can't wait for my husband to come home from work to spend some one on one time with him.

6. I can't eat a popsicle and have my teeth touch the stick when I'm done it gives my the creeps.

Tag your it Jaime and Janet .

2007-01-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

birds down at the condos when we were throwing just a "little" bit of food while the parents were gone.

i took this picture when my parents went to lunch with the Udall parents. Us kids were bored and wanted something to do. So we got some bread and started throwing the bread off the balcony. There were only about 7 or 8 seagulls after about 2 minutes there were about 30 or more flying close to where we were. before we started throwing bread we had 3 loafs of bread. after we were done... we had none. then we ran to the pool as soon as my mom and dad walked into the condo. We knew that the secerity guys would come up to our room, so thats why we ran down stairs. We came up about 2 hours later and my mom said to me, "Makayla, were you guys throwing food over the balcony to the birds?" i said yes and asked why. she then said that the secerity came and told them that some kids were throwing food to the birds. MAN did we get in trouble. i never did tell mom how many loafs of bread we used. (sorry mom if you are reading this, i was gonna tell you but Haleigh wouldnt let me)hehe.

All Us Kids

2007-01-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

ive decided to tell some things about my sisters and brother. this is Makayla again my mom is working around the house. we are re-doing the inside of that house like the two bath rooms and putting down tile all over.

jordan- she loves to play with Bret and they play all day long. mainly on the Star Wars lego game that my dad bought them last week. she likes to play with her friends and has a fun time with her. jordan and I often talk when i come into my room at night and we get in trouble....sometimes. She keeps me awake alot and never stops talking in a good way tho
Haleigh-loves to sing to Wicked. (she is really really good) we might sing one of the songs at one of our concerts later this year. she loves to hang out with her friends and draw in her room for HOURS. she likes to read...unlike me! i have to be forced to read at school and i dont get how she can just read and read. we see eachother at school and i guess you can say that we are best friends. some people say that we look exactly alike!
thats ME!(the blogger for the family) i love to be around my frineds at school and we laugh most of the time. i dont like reading as i mentioned earlier. i am always on the phone or talking on the internet. softball is comming up and i am going to play. i love to dive and cant wait till it starts in the summer!
and last but not least, Bret. He loves to play basket ball and had his first game today. he plays xbox constantly and loves his Lego Starwars that he got a couple of days ago. he likes to play with Jordan and his best friend Max, who has the same birthday as him. he loves his dog Winston. the boxer and lays on him while he watches t.v. (so cute!)

I'm being a copy cat

2007-01-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

1. I love my husband we have been together for almost 20 years.
2. I love going on vacations anywhere.
3. I was born in Dunedin, New Zealand.
4. My daily ritual is going to sonic for my route 44 diet coke with fresh lime.
5. The last time I went to New Zealand was two years ago.
6. I love going to my children games, meets, concerts, activities.
7. I have four children 3 girls and 1 boy.
8. I was a diver when I was younger.
9. I loved playing field hockey when I was younger.
10. I have had four c-sections.
11. I am the youngest of four.
12. I'm daddies little girl.
13. I love animals, I have always had some animal in my life.
14. I have 2 large dogs. Winston my 1 yr old boxer and Tasha my yr old German shepherd.

15. I love to go shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

16. I grew up at the beach and love to go their every year.

17. I was a little fish growing up was always swimming.

18. My mom made my take karate when I was younger. I hated it.

19. I played netball for my school team.

20. I always wanted 4 kids. 2 and 2 but I got 3 and 1. But that's ok

21. I went to Mesa High.

22. My birthday is on the 22nd.

23. I was a horrible bike rider as a kid. I always crashed.

24. I now ride bikes with my husband to get exercise. I don't crash anymore knock on wood.

25. I used to get into my older sister things all the time . ie make up and clothes.

26. Before I had my drivers license I would take my moms car out with my friends.

27. I never had to worry about my weight when I was younger. But now I do.

28. I love to snuggle up with a good book and can't put it down until I'm done.

29. I loved to ride horses bare back when I was younger.

30. We used to have dinner at the beach all the time when I was a kid.

31. I have bungy jumped over a river. It was a blast.

32. I tore my acl and fractured my leg skiing. now I snow board.

33. I skied the southern alps with my husband.

34. I went sailing on my uncles yachet in New Zealand.

35. I love to do dare devil things.

36. I love roller coasters.

37. I always wanted to be a marine biologist . But IM not.

38. I want nothing but the best for my kids.

39. I moved from New Zealand when I was 13.

40. I still have a lot of family in NZ

41. I want to take my kids to NZ but the 13 hr flight with them kind of hinders that until they are a little older.

42. I love to get pedicures

43. I love crackers apple spinach chicken salad.

44. I crave cadburys chocolate it is the only chocolate I eat.

45. My favorite candy bar is a flake by cadburys.

46. All the employees at sonic know me and what I order. they walk it to me while I am in line.

47. I get my nails done every2 to 3 weeks.

48. I hate getting older.

49. I will have surgery to help fix that. sometime down the road.

50. I love going to New York and can't wait to go back this year.

51. I love Broadway shows.

52. I had so much fun in china town shopping for purses and tiffany jewerly. Going into man holes and down allies looking for a good bargin.

53. I love hollister clothing and so do my girls. They steal mine all the time.

54. I love to mow my own yard and see the pretty lines when I'm done.

55. I love to listen to music in the car and sing along with my kids.

56. I hate to run.

57. I love to go to my spinning class.

58. I want to loose about 15 more pounds.

60. I lost 20 pounds last year.

61. My kids can't believe I still have my one and a half of f the diving board.

62. I want to finish my degree, go back to school.

63. I love to come home from church and take a Sunday afternoon nap.

64. I love to have a clean house but my kids don't like to work or help out.

65. I am not look forward to the 1300 sq foot addition we will be starting in the next month, but it will be nice once we are done.

66. I love when my kids are on summer vacation but I also love when they go back to school. go figure.

67. I hate scary movies. I love girlie movies.

68. I'm married to the man of my dreams. I had a dream about him before I meet him.

69. I love to go out to eat.

70. I love Charlstons

71. I love to go out to lunch with my girl friends.

72. I love getting new sun glasses.

73. I love laying out at the beach.

74. I love to look at pictures of my children.

75. I love Friday nite date nite with my husband.

76. I love bed time at nite, I love my bed.

77. I love to listen to my ipod.

78. I love day's of Christmas candle. I burn it all the time.

79. I love my house to smell good.

80. I love to drive my husbands BMW instead to my suburban. It's cute and fast.

81. I am not a faithful blogger like my sister in law Jenny.

82. My girls tell me I need to bloc more often.

83. I love to play with my dogs.

84. I like to help out at my children schools.

85. I would rather be warm that cold any day.

86. I love to spent time with my husband,

87. I love one on one time with my kids.

88. I hate my not flat tummy. I want to get a tummy tuck soon.

89. I love to go to the condo's in Carlsbad.

90. I have never had braces. But people think I have.

91. I love my lucky jeans and wearing my sweat pants when it's cold.

92. I enjoy baking.

93. I love my coach purses.

94. I like to decorate my house.

95. I like to cuddle in a warm fresh smelling blanket.

96. I love the green downey it smells so good.

97. I love mint m & ms at Christmas time.

98. I hate dirty smelly kids.

99. I love freshly bathed clean kids.

100. I want to travel Europe some day.

It's about time

2007-01-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

over new years we headed down to mexico with the Udall's and went to their condo. i must say it was very fun for us as a family. This is Makayla laying down on her quad when we went into a little town and got soda's. She was a very crazy driver and i did NOT want to ride on the back of the quad while she was driving. All the kids wanted to quad all the time. our legs got sore but over all it was a blast.
Looking at the sun set every evening always made me wish that I could see this everyday. this picture was taken on New Years Eve

Bret's favorite thing to do when we went quading was to go to the Little town and get sodas. He was constantly asking to go there. That same little town was where grandma Dorothy's dad would take her there when she was little. they had a little house there and went there often. the name of the town is called Cholla Bay. (i bet it has changed a lot since grandma was there)

A funny thing that happend to us while the kids were waiting for us to come out of the store was... 3 little dirty Mexican kids on a golf-cart drove down the dirt road, stopped for a second and said "Man they are ugly!" Makayla of coarse had a comeback and she said to them, "ohh you think we are ugly? have you looked at yourself latley?" They heard that and kept going down the street.

p.s Makayla wrote this whole thing because my mom didnt want to do it.

Happy Birthday Haleigh

2006-11-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Haleigh, I can't beleive that my first baby girl is turning fourteen today. My how time flies. Haleigh is such a sweet and kind daugther.Here are fourteen reasons why we love Haleigh.

1. She is such a tender heart.
2. She loves her 2 sisters and 1 brother.
3. She is extremly artistic.
4. She loves to read, she's our book worm.
5. She is an awesome swimmer.
6. She is a great softball player.
7. She is a spaz at times.
8. She is her daddy's little girl.
9. She is a great example of what a good girl should be.
10. She loves her German Shephard, Tasha.
11. She loves to hang out with her friends at our house.
12.She loves to go to the cabin with her family.
13. She is the greatest daughter and is becoming a better helper.
14. She loves to clothe shop at the mall.

Haleigh Nicole Clouse we love you with all of our heart and are so proud to call you my daugther. You are my sweet little girl and I love you.

Over the Hill

2006-11-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 40th Birthday Mom & Kathy
Top 40 reasons we love her:

1. She makes us yummo dinner
2. She loves dogs
3. She loves to shop
4. Is a great mom
5. Good listener
6. Very patient
7. She is always asking us how school is and genuinely cares
8. She loves her route 44 sonic diet cokes
9. Likes to tease us about boys
10. Favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice
11. She has good taste in clothing
12. Has been bungi jumping
13. Very adventurous
14. Loves her homeland New Zealand
15. Always text paging dad
16. Very supportive and goes to all of our softball games (thats 8 a week!)
17. Loves going to New York
18. Does her own waxing (thats hard to do)
19. Loves Tim McGraw
20. Is a Hollister junkie
21. Likes to sing in the car with us
22. Always makes the house smell good with all of her candles
23. Loves magnolia lotions
24. Enjoys soaking up the sun on the beach
25. Loves bike riding (not)
26. Enjoys spending time away with dad
27. Likes spinning classes
28. Loves portobella mushroom fajitas from Chili's
29. Is a good decorator
30. Good at giving service
31. Her favorite color is blue
32. Her dream is to take us all to New Zealand
33. Her ideal date is to eat and shop
34. She also loves American Eagle
35. She doesn't look a day past 30
36. She knows all the workers at Sonic by their first name
37. She is the best looking in the family by far
38. She wants to go to college and finish her degree
39. Enjoyed going to the manholes in China town
40. Is the best wife and mother anyone could ask for!

Happy Birthday old lady we love you!!!

More New York trip

2006-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am looking at Lexie in shock. I can't believe that she is eating a deep fried Oreo. I can't imagine eating that much junk.

Dean, Wayne and Lexie in Little Italy

Dean's favorite place was Central Park. He was such a trooper. He hates to shop and that's about all we did. He did make it to the ESPN Bar once and that was on our last day. He got to watch some football and baseball games which made him happy.

New York trip

2006-10-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Wayne Lexie and myself in Little italy

Dean and myself Tavern on the Green

I know it has been about 2 months since I have blogged Jenny but, I guess I am just to lazy. Dean and myself and our friends the Funks went to New York City for 5 days. Boy what an adventure we had. We stayed in Time Square Marriott, what a really nice place to stay but a little pricey. We went to 3 plays,Wicked, The Wedding Singer and Putnam County Spelling Bee. Wicked and The Wedding Singer were great and I would see them again. Putnam County Spelling Bee I would not see again.

Dean and myself at tavern on the green.

We had a adventure in China Town looking for Coach purses, Tiffany jewerly, Channel purses,watches. It was so fun but we went into some scarey places like vans sitting in the side of the road, down into basements with them locking the doors behind us. We went into man holes beside stair ways into the ground, we went blocks off the main street just to find good knock offs. I wouldn't have done this without Dean being with me. Wayne and Lexie were with us as well. We also went to little Italy they were having a festival were all of the restaurants we out in the streets.

We ate at some really nice Places like the Gotham Grill it was wonderful but really expensive, Wayne picked that place to eat. We also ate at Tavern on the Green. That was nice but I wouldn't want to eat there again. It's just nice to say that I have eaten there. We went shopping on 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue and did a lot of walking. I loved it and want to go back again.

We are getting ready to leave for Mexico on Wednesday. We are just going to Rocky Point, the kids get an October break. We are going with about 6 other families in our R.Vs. It seems like the other half of the ward are in the condo's. I am having problems down loading the New York pictures so i will try in another log.

Happy birthday Jordan Lindsay

2006-08-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

My sweet Jordan Lindsay just turned 9 years old today. I can't believe that she is getting so big. You have to stop growing Jordan so you can be my sweet little Jordan forever. I kind of feel bad for J because her birthday is on the first day of school. Jordan did have a good day though. She picked her favorite breakfast which is banana's foster and strawberry crepes with cream. I took treats into her classroom, then Jordan got to pick where we went for dinner. I just have to say how grateful I am to have Jordan in my life. I love her so very much, she is the sweetest little girl, she is a great helper, she works harder and better than her 2 older sisters. Jor bug we love you.

Correction note

2006-08-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

After trying for two day's trying to publish our last week of summer blog and it never showing up. I finally decide to just redo it today. I publish today's blog and the problem blog decides to show up . We worked on it Saturday, Sunday and alittle bit Monday. so thats why we have to similar blogs. This is a trying project for me. It is trial and error. So sorry

The final week of summer

2006-08-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

The final week of summer started with a small family reunion at Big Surf. I thought that this was a cute picture of Sheri and Dean at Big Surf. The kids had a great time playing in the water and Sharon Rudd planned and catered it for us. It was great.

I know that she is hard to see but this is Haleigh up at the lake on Friday.

She is trying to climb out of the lake on the slimy rock so she can go rock jumping.

Mr dare devil Bret getting ready to jump of the rocks. He scares me he is not afraid of anything.

Jordan's first time up wake boarding. She did awesome for her first time.

Makayla's first time wake boarding also she popped right up.

She now loves it and wants to do it all the time.

To end our week we went as a family bowling. It was Bret's first time bowling and he was hilarious. We had the bumpers up for the kids and myself. So Bret decided he wanted to get alittle closer to the pins, he started running down the alley toward the pins. We started yelling at him to stop and we were laughing so hard at him we could hardly talk. Every one around us thought he was so cute and funny.

Last week of summer vacation

2006-08-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

We started of the last week with a small family reunion at Big Surf. I took a few pictures but Jen did not want her picture put on the blog or she would have been real ticked off. So here is a cute picture of Dean and Sheri. We had a great time at Big surf with a catered lunch by Sharon Rudd. Thanks Sharon. Okay there is not picture. After about 30 try's of trying to down load this one picture I finally gave up. I promise it was a really cute picture.

I know that it is hard to see her but Haleigh was actually with us and she actually enjoyed herself. It's hard to tell with miss teenager sometimes, you know that teen age attitude that they give you sometimes

Here is Bret showing that he has no fear. Bret's in mid flight jumping of the rocks at the lake.

Jordan did great her first time wake boarding she got up the first time she tired. Way to go Jordan.

There is Makayla thinking that she's hot stuff while she is wake boarding. She loves to wake board.

We decided to go bowling on the last Saturday of our summer vacation. It was Bret's first time ever bowling. Boy what a laugh. We had the bumpers put up for the kids and myself. Bret's ball was barely rolling down the lane. You have to remember that he is only 5. Well he decided that he would get a little closer to the pins by running down the lane. We started yelling at him and laughing so hard that I could barely talk. It was so comical

Things we have done this summer

2006-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is Makayla mid dive in the city meet. She took second place. She lost by only 1/2 of a point to a girl on her own team. The funny thing is that she had beaten that girl in every other meet in the past couple of years. makayla also swam on the swim team and made it to divisionals in freestyle and back stroke.

Haleigh has done really well with her swimming she does really well in backstroke. She made it all the way to the city meet in backstroke and took 5th way to-go!!! she made a lot of new friends and they loved to bug Kurt (her coach) and they did a really good job bugging him. She loves to ditch swimteam an Kurt would always be upset with her!!! Haleigh was a trooper she got up every day at 5:30am and rode her bike to swim team.

This summer Bret did swim team and he did really well except for the fact that he didn't listen to his teachers. Little boys!!! He only did the first meet and that was free style. He loved it and he was so proud that he got a ribbon and he got 4th place out of four people!! You should have seen the smile on his face, it was huge!!

Jordan also did swim team as you can see I put all of my kids in swimming,she loved it and she made it into divisional,she almost made it to city. She made lots of new friends and everyone loves her!! Jordan is turning 9 in 2 weeks. So sad for Jordan her birthday is the first day of school Aug 14th.

First time blogging

2006-07-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

My name is Kathy Clouse and I was just on vacation with Doug and Jenny and while we were in California with them Jenny decided to set me up with a blog account. Now does that suprise anyone that she would do that? Now I don't know how well I will do with it but I will give it a go. Here goes.

I am a mother of four wonderful children three girls and one spoiled little brother. Haleigh 13, Makayla 12, Jordan 8, Bret 5. Also included in our family are 2 dogs Tasha the 3 year old German Shepard and Winston the 9 month old boxer and our bird Sweetie. I do have a husband his name is Dean but I don't think he wants to be mentioned on this.

About my children Haleigh the 13 year old is going into the 8th grade and loves to play softball, swim, read all the time, listen to her ipod and tease everyone.

Makayla the 12 year old is going into th 7th grade and loves to tumble, dive, play softball, swim, text on her phone to her friends.

Jordan my 8 year old is going into 4th grade and she loves to swim, play softball, play with her friends, little brother and her 2 dogs.

Bret aka bubba is the 5 year old little boy who is spoiled to death by everyone is going into kindergarten loves to play with his best friend Max who has the same birthday as Bret the girls call them the twins. Bret loves to play t-ball and swim and watch cartoons.

Our family just got back from our vacation in Carlsbad Ca, at the condo we spent all week at the beach with family and had a great time. With the other Clouse families