Steve & Kathy Norton Family

Mom,
Hope you have a Happy Birthday. I know it is a day early, but we have a way busy day tomorrow and I am sure I will forget. I don't want Dad holding it over our heads for the next year;)

Hope you have a wonderful day. Watch a good show on your TV.

We Love You,
Justin, Tamra, Gage, Aspen, Ady, Holly, Olivia (and three babies not named), Chilly, Rascal, Sassy, Oscar, Snowball 1, Snowball 2, Silver Moon, Dark Moon, Marshmallow, Sandy, Shilo, Peachy and Sugar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KYLEE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Sorry Ky that this post is a little late. Better late then never right?? We hope that you had a Great Birthday. We LOVE you!
Love, Jeff Shauna and Kason

Misty we just wanted to wish you a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" We hope you have a wonderful day. What a GREAT Sister In Law you are to me. I have so much to look up too. I wish we were there to celebrate with you. We LOVE you!

Love,
Jeff, Shauna & Kason

Today is my oldest sister Misty's Birthday. She is ten years older than I am, and you would think that being that far apart we wouldn't be that close, but Misty and I have always been close. I shared a room with her all growing up until she left for college. It was an awesome experience, although looking back now she did take advantage of me a lot. She always made me tickle her back at night or play beauty shop and play with her hair. At the time I just thought it was cool, but know I realize she was just using me. Misty always had a lot of guy friends growing up and I thought they were so cool. I remember Misty always being so nice to let me tag a long with her and her friends. It always made me feel so important. Misty also loved rain storms and I remember countless times sitting out on the porch with her watching the lighting. One funny story I will always remember is one night Misty was supposed to go on a date, but he never showed up. So of course we ended up watching t.v while I played with her hair. Well she I ended up taking one of her big hooped earing out and sticking a stupid bumper sticker on the back of her sweet overalls. Well her date finally showed up like two hours late because he had broken his arm playing softball. She ended up leaving with one earing in and the sticker on her butt, and I thought I was so funny! These are just a few great memories I have of growing up with my sister. She is such and amazing women, mother, sister and cook. She makes the best baked beans around! She has always been a great example to me and I look up to her so much. I must also add that she had the most amazing prom dresses ever (lace, bows, and matching died shoes). We make fun of her to this day and she gets so mad and always tells us that her dresses were in style then, which they were, but it's still fun to make fun of them. Misty hope you have a great day and know how much we love you. Alexa, Cody, and Dylan.

Misty and Brett atTyson's wedding.

Kaysha(Misty's oldest), Kylee, Misty and Mom

Misty hard at work with her cross stitch.

Misty with her cute, I mean HOT (is that better Brett) husband Brett.

Misty with her youngest Kinsley and only boy Cole in the background.

Misty is one of those older sisters that you couldn't measure up to even if you tried. Growing up in her shadow was not easy. She is good at so many things and she always looks good doing it. Here are just a few of her many things we all love about her:

1. She is a beautiful pianist and to top that she is teaching half the neighborhood to play too ..where does she find the time?

2. She is an amazing mother. She has 4 adorable children; Kaysha, Cole, Kaleigh, and Kinsley. She is so busy and yet she manges to stay on top of everything. She is the best!

3. She can cross stitch like no one else...amazing and beautiful pieces that you can't even imagine how she did them. She has cross stitched a temple for everyone of us when we got married and they are beautiful...Thanks Misty!

4. She is an awesome cook. I've never had anything she made that I didn't like. In fact I steal most of her recipies.

5. She decorates her house so cute. You'd have to see her house at Christmas time and you'd know she takes after her mother there. Her house is absolutely adorable.

6. The girl is so dang smart. My mom always told me that if I would read as much as Misty did I could be that smart too. I doubt it..but even now that I love to read I can't keep up with her. I find a good book and get excited to tell her about it and not only has she already read it twice...she owns the book too. If your ever interested in a good read she'd be a good person to talk to.

7. She always has perfect hair and nails..they always look good even if she out doing yard work. Some girls have just got it.

Misty this is just a small amount of your amazing self, and that's why we love you so much. Thanks for being a great sister and remember to have a happy day.

Today is my moms Birthday and I just wanted to let her know how much I love and appreciate all she does for me and our family. My sister Emily put a post on her blog all about my mom, and I too wanted to share a few reasons why I think my mom is the best.

1. She is seriously the best cook I know, and everything is homemade. I hope one day to be as good as she is. She makes the best salads ever, and not only are they good they are the most beautifully put together and colorful salads I have ever seen. She is just amazing, and every time I need help or need a recipe she is the one I call. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy her great cooking every Sunday.

2. She is so creative, and like my sister said we always had the best projects in school. She was always so willing to help, and was so good at coming up with ideas and bringing it all together. She is not only creative, but she is the best sewer too. She used to make us all matching clothes when we were younger, and even today if I need a pair of pants altered she is the one I call. she also made Dylan the cutest bumper and blanket for his little crib, and I am so glad to have it so I can pass it on to my daughter some day.

3. She is so generous with her time, and I am sure after having nine kids all she wants is time to herself. I cannot count the number of times when I have needed help with something and she has put aside what she was doing to help me out. One time that really stands out to me was when I was deciding on what Beauty School to attend, and I had gone to Bridgerland to take the test there. A week later I got a letter saying that I had passed every section except one part in the math section. Math is not my thing. I was so upset and went over to her house and told her, and I just started crying .What did my mom do, she whipped out a math help book. She sat there with me and went over some problems with me until I understood what I was doing. I went and took the section over and passed with no problems. What a smart lady she is.

4. She makes the every holiday so special, but my favorite is Christmas time. My mom goes all out with the decorating and I love it. Decorating for the Holidays was always something that we looked forward to as children, and I still do to this day. I am not quite sure when it started, but I am in charge of putting the lights on the trees, and then we all help decorate them. I love going over, putting on the John Denver Christmas CD, and helping her pull out all the decorations. She has so many that bring back good old childhood memories.

5. She is such a hard worker. She just goes and goes and goes. She never slows down even when she is sick. I guess that comes form growing up on the farm. She never stops until the project is finished. This is an area need to work on, so she has been a great example to me.

These are just a few reason's I love my mom, there are many more, but it would take me all day to list them. Love you mom, and hope you have a great day.
love, Alexa

Grandma & Kason

Mom we just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday today. We hope you have a great day and know how much we love and appreciate you. Thanks for all you do for our family. You are such a great example to us as your kids, but also to all your grand kids. We have been so lucky to have lived so close these last five years and are so grateful Dylan gets to see you as much has he does. He is so lucky! Thanks for always being so willing to watch the kids so we can run, it means a lot. Thanks again for everything we love you!
Love, Alexa, Cody, and Dylan


Mom and Aspen at Tyson's wedding. She is such a great Grandma!

Since I am a few hundred miles away and can't celebrate my mom's BIG Day with her, I thought I would share some of my favorite things/memories over the years.

1. She is absolutely the best cook (Ben agreees too). Now when I go home to visit I always request her beef strognaff. I tried to master it but Ben has informed me I don't even come close.

2. When I was in middle school we had year-a-round school so every December I had the whole month off. I felt so important because I was home with my mom and little sister Kylee and I got to help put up all the Christmas decorations. I also got to go shopping with my mom while everyone else was at school. Don't tell Santa but I loved knowing what everyone was getting.

3. Every year before school started my mom would take all of us girls school shopping. I remember having so much fun with my mom and sisters. The highlight were always Olive Garden if we went to the Layton mall. The other highlight was my mom would let us pick one of our new outfits to wear to the Famous Preston Night Rodeo.

4. My mom has always served selflessly in her church callings. She was the Primary President and Relief Society President several times while I was growing up and she is such a great example to me on how to magnify your calling and serve the Lord.

5. My mom had a lot of patience with me as she had to help me with my various 4-H projects. She is so creative and helped me come up with some pretty catchy projects. I remember one year Mindy and I both took home sweepstakes awards for our projects....I think we owe it to my mom. "Take a Healthy Piz-za Life...Eat the 4-4-3-2 Way" My sewing projects would never be finished without my mom's incredible sewing talent. I did learn a little but wished I would have watched my mom sew more.

6. My mom always made each of our Birthdays special. We got to pick whatever we wanted for dinner and she would make it for us. My favorites were always her amazing orange rolls and lemonade dessert.

7. In high school my mom would always make me and my friends lunch. We only lived a block from the high school so my mom never knew who would come home with us for lunch but she always had something for us to eat. My friends thought I had the coolest mom. I KNEW I did!!!

8. Unconditional love---she had to have it when every morning she would get up with us at 5:30 to help Mindy, Jeff and I with our paper routes. She would help us roll the papers and then came with us to deliver the papers. In the winter she drove us around. She did this everyday for three years and never got a paycheck. Thanks MOM

9. My mom also didn't complain when I she found out she only had two months to plan my wedding. She is incredible with details and getting things in order. I had an awesome wedding and my mom did it all in less than two months. Talk about a SUPER mom!

10. Most of all my mom is my best friend! I can call her any time and she is always willing to listen to me complain or even cry. She is my nurse hotline, recipe book, parenting hotline, and counselor.

Mom I hope you have a wonderful Birthday. We are thinking of you on your special day. Thank you for being the best mom ever!!!!

Love,
Emily, Ben, Landon and McKay

We LOVE you!

Sunday was a fun day--not only was it Chris's birthday, but the blessing of our seventeenth grandchild, also. He was blessed in Shauna's home ward out in Garland and we had a pretty good representation from our family there. What a big circle of priesthood holders that were there to support Jeff as he gave a beautiful blessing to his wonderful little son. Those priesthood holders were representing both sides of Kason's family--Norton and Peterson. What a special picture for us as grandparents. We had six of our nine children representing our family. Chris, Justin, and Emily are just too far away right now. It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed sitting in the park afterwards for a potluck dinner. Wow, the sun felt good. Thanks to those who could support Jeff and Shauna and Kason. We really missed the rest of you.

It is Tuesday today and it is snowing like crazy outside right now. I am doing fine since my little surgery. I had expected quicker recovery from all I had heard, but am doing well--just moving a little slower. Dad has taken good care of me and I've been doing lots of resting, reading some good books, and watching the Food Channel and HGTV.(It's fun to dream and get new ideas!) What a way for Dad to spend his spring break! But lucky for me! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and concerns. We love you all!!

We just wanted to give a shout out to our parents on their anniversary. They have been blissfully married for 37 years today. Way to go Mom and Dad! We love you both and want to thank you for being such good parents and most of all good examples. You have shown us what being married and happy is all about. We hope you had a wonderful day. Enjoy your first post on your blog!