Happy Birthday to the Leach Family!

HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!!

(or as they call it..The Family Birthday!)

50 YEARS...WOW! It's sad that it's all too rare to see a couple together that long anymore! I'm sure they will be the 1st to tell you it takes constant work & no one said it was easy! Mom & Dad met at BYU, they even have their initials carved in a tree there on campus (oh cute :}). What I love most about my mom & dad is their genuine love, kindness & caring nature for everyone! That's an understatement; but, if you know them, you would agree!

So, as mentioned in the earlier blog, to celebrate the big day, our siblings decided it would be fun to rent a cabin. Give us a place to just hang out, relax & play games together. We get so rushed in life & barely have time to keep up with each other & all the family happenings, so it was a perfect idea! We got this beautiful newly built cabin up Tollgate Canyon, east of Park City/Heber. Laurie, and the girls, were really hoping to see snow when they got here from Alabama. Well, up here, that was not a problem! They definately saw their share of snow. It never stopped the whole time we were there! I'm a bit sick of it in the valley; but, it was great when you want to just hibernate in the cabin anyway. And it sure was pretty too! (just not fun trying to get up/down the mountain!...just ask Jim, he'll tell you all about it! :})

Here's a few pics of the place. It was spacious enough to fit the 28 or so of us up there, which could have been a bit of a challenge! I loved the whole lob cabin feel all throughout!

As I said, the snow up in our gorgeous mountains made for beautiful scenery!

Little Haiden has quickly learned to climb the stairs!

Laurie was so excited to get the chance to catch up with everyone!
And she was LOVIN' all this snow!
Everyone's arriving, let the laughs begin!
This hot tub was a hit! It didn't matter that it was snowing still! They thought it was cool to jump out in the snow & then get back in. Crazy kids! :}

And we were so excited that Jen could make it back for this too!! I know she wishes she could have brought the whole family (we did miss them!); but, we loved getting the time with her, John & Sam too!

The game room was certainly a hit with the kids (and us too! :})
Mom & Dad were so glad to have this quality time with the family. They could not ask for a better gift!

Doug & John were having fun with their "BYU/Utes Rivalry" thing. All in fun of course! :}
Our family loves to play games...this gave us the perfect opportunity!

The troopers who stayed up all night gabbin' & gigglin' (oh, to be a teenager again! :} Well, ok, Jenn is 21 now; but, she's still a young thing who apparently can function on no sleep!)
Uncle Bug having fun with Haiden

Dyl would never turn down a chance to be playing something!
Cathy & Jon getting in on the pool action!

Now where did Doug put John's BYU hat? :}

Jessica...Kaley's latest "accessory". She has clung on to her every chance possible in the 2 weeks they were here, from the moment she met her new cousin! (it was precious though! :})
We were glad TC got to make it up the next day! (and could with all the new snow we'd gotten!)

Judy & Jennifer soaking in the whole "Big Family" experience!
On the acutal night of their anniversary, we sat around and shared memories & favorite things about Mom & Dad/Grandma & Grandpa. We spent the afternoon puting together this scrapbook for them, which brought on a lot of laughs while putting it together. It was a special gift to present them, with all of us adding our own page (or two or three :}) full of kind thoughts, pictures, etc.
Oh how I love our family! Wish Steve could have been here this weekend to make this picture complete; but, thankful for getting the rest of us together at the same time (not easy to do with a big family spread out!)....and glad we still got to see him a couple weeks earlier, we'll take what we can get! It's been a long while since so many of us could be together at once!

Grandma & Grandpa enjoying time with their grandkids

Brother & Sisterly Love...can you say, "Special"? :}
Our kids enjoying time with Aunt Laurie

Then we just started getting silly with building pyramids

Here we come crashing down!

Oh sweet! Movie time must have wore them out! :}

Aunt Laurie couldn't get enough hugs! :}

Annie getting a game in with Sam before we had to leave
Unfortunately, it had to come to an end! :{ As I mentioned there was a lot of snow, so getting back down the mountain wasn't quite as easy. Some got stranded for a few extra hours due to cars going off the road & Jim so kindly pulling them out & getting chains on their tires. But, we did make it back home safely with tons of wonderful memories made!