TWELVE feet deep

101.64 down, 1148.56 left

2012-01-31T11:21:00.006-06:00

One of my goals this year was to run 2012 Kilometers in 2012. It equals to 1250.2 miles. I tried this in 2008 but only made it a little past 2 months. My heart wasn't really in it then. This time I really want to do it, plus I have a friend (Mandy) that took the challenge so it's a "friendly competition reminder" not to give up. I don't want to have to tell her I quit. I started out strong at the beginning of the year. Even though there have been many bumps in the road of January, I finished with a total of 101.64 miles. I need an average of 105 miles a month to reach it. Yes, I know I'm short but ....
I have an explanation. There was a 9 day gap that I tried to run once, and between the cold, elevation, and my emotional well being, I just couldn't do it. So if I look at it this way: I ran 101.64 miles in 17 days and had 14 days where I didn't run, it looks a little better right?

I keep looking at the 3.36 number on the miles left for the month of January, and I think, "I can hurry and run that now." But I learned a hard lesson last week. I came home from Utah and on Monday I ran a little over 10 miles. I had a faster pace than usual and it felt so good! BUT then on Tuesday, I ran 9.5 miles of for the sheer reason of, "My body is sore but I'm not letting it out of this." I paid for it. By Tuesday night I couldn't walk, and I had to take a day off, go a shorter distance on Thursday, and yet have another day off on Friday. It wasn't worth it. So, after running hills this morning and pushing myself to "increase strength and speed" and exhausting my body, I know that those 3.36 miles will have to wait. (I'm saying this to keep talking myself out of running it.)

"Increasing strength and speed????" Why would I want to do that? Two reasons.
1- I'm training for a half marathon in April up near Betsy's house to do with Betsy, Hannah, and a couple my friends. I want to come in under 2 hours.
2- McKay has informed me that her goal next month is to beat me in a 5k. (I wonder where she thought of this.) I don't think I would mind as much but yes, I'm competitive just like her, and it will be with all my friends and all her friends. I'm not a speed runner. I'm a distance runner. I have to at least try. I'm actually a little worried she will beat me. If she does, I know she earned it.

Precious Moments

2012-01-26T13:00:00.007-06:00

When I got the call on Saturday morning that my dad was passing quickly, I scrambled to get a ticket, packed and off. Kirsten came down with her hat that grandpa gave her and said she wasn't taking it off all day. Katanya carried a picture of her fishing with grandpa. That night, they took turns saying a prayer for grandpa. When I called that night, they wanted to tell grandpa that they loved him so I put the kids on speaker as they told him.
Really late Sunday night, (early Monday) McKay was having a hard time. She went to Jacob and he was able to talk to her about the gospel and life's plan. He also gave her a blessing. A couple days later, he told me about it. He told me how impressed he was to tell McKay that Grandpa was now happy, that he was with his family, and that specifically he was getting to know those of his brothers that had passed away as children. He kept saying how strong the feeling was that he was with his family. My mom had this heart wreath made in honor of the grandchildren. Haley took the picture of my dad in July of 2010. Before the viewing, the kids got a brief time to see grandpa and say goodbye. Kirsten never really got the alone time that she wanted. They were still setting up and she didn't feel like it was private enough. After the services, at the luncheon, I saw her talking to the picture of grandpa. I choked up but I was very touched. She is one that lets me know what she is thinking and very independent but yet she has such a sweet spirit and breaks when you say anything negative to her. I want her to know that it's still okay to talk and let out her feelings.
Katanya wasn't sure what to think. She is always the one to tell me that she loves me, or if she can't tell me she will sign it to me. She didn't want to touch Grandpa or get super close but the whole time she kept telling him that she loved him.
Cruz was an honorary pallbearer. He was so honored to wear a boutonniere and have it pinned to his suit. When I had him put his coat on to go outside for the graveside dedication, he told me to be careful of his flower.
They had the pallbearers leave their flower on the casket. He looked devastated when he had to take it off. After, I told him that he could go get it and that we would dry / press it. Once again he was a proud little guy.

I love seeing how children think and act. It often teaches me a lesson and I am reminded just how precious they are. I know all my kids love their Grandpa. I know he left an impression with them that they will remember. I know that their Grandpa loves them too.

Simplicity

2012-01-25T12:19:00.013-06:00

First of all, my brother (actually his wife Haley) did a great tribute of my dad's funeral on her blog. Please check it out here (click). There are pics of the viewing before the services, the program, and other insights. My Aunt Arlene (my dad's sister) has written down some memories on her blog, along with pictures, that I enjoyed reading and seeing too. Some of the pictures, I hadn't seen before. As McKay said, "I know which one grandpa is because of his plaid shirt," says it all. You can read her blog here (click). I decided to write about my thoughts and memories. I had several pictures I wanted to share so this will be a two day post. Today's being of the funeral and tomorrow's being of the kids.

My dad is a very simple man. He doesn't like things to be complicated and he hated to be late. I think he would have been very pleased with his funeral. My parents paid and picked out their funeral arrangements a little over seven years ago. It's really great planning if you think about it. Less stress at a stressful moment. Although when seven years go by things change. My mom had to pick out a new casket and a new panel inside the casket. Her choices were perfect.Jacob and the kids arrived (via airplane) on Tuesday. They thought it was so neat to fly over the Grand Canyon. Katanya greeted me with an "I'll love you no matter what, mom!" I had missed those guys. Jacob took the kids out after I left on Saturday to find new dresses for the girls and to get Cruz his first suit. I tease him for his "retail therapy" but he did a great job and actually found the dresses on clearance making them very affordable (so good he bought them two each.) I guess boy's suits never really go on sale.Spending my dad's last night in the hospital with him is one I will never regret. As I have run the last couple days, it has sorted out my thinking. It made me think, "Why is it that the hardest things we go through, are things we would never take back?" I'm grateful I got time to bond closer to my family the past week.I know my dad loved my mom. I know they had differences as we all do but there is such a strong bond. She had to see some really hard moments and make difficult choices but she did them out of love and respect for my dad. She was with him til the end of this life and will be with him forever.
The flowers were gorgeous! Jacob made the comment that this was the best arrangement he had ever seen. I totally agree!His display was sincere and had little reminders of him. Jacob made him over 35+ lugs for Christmas one year that said "Smith Farms." My dad would pick grapes every year and use / sell them. His chainsaw was there too. When I was little he would often go on trips to the Uintah's and bring back wood for winter and to sell. There is still a stack out behind the barn and he hadn't been in over 20 years. His hat was there too. As I mentioned in other posts, he always had hats. When I left on Saturday to fly out, Kirsten had put hers on that Grandpa had given her.Jacob's work went above and beyond. Not only did they give him extra time off for bereavement but they sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers for the funeral. (Maybe a degree does pay off.)Kent and his wife came down from Idaho. My kids got so excited when they heard they were coming. We rented his dad's house when we had first moved up there and he was also in our ward. Kent was a great neighbor and will always be a family friend. Anytime my dad came up to Idaho, he would say, "We have to visit Kent." My dad helped pruned his trees one time too. Kent said the opening prayer for my dad's service giving it just the "little bit of Idaho" that it needed.I saw a lot of family and friends that I hadn't seen in a long time. I heard quite often, "You were this big the last time I saw you!" with their hand at their waste. I tried to personalize with everybody so I could remember who came through. I remembered a lot and then on the rest, most of the time, I just needed a name and I remembered. It was also neat just to see some of my friends (and family members) come through to support me. I can't name them all but thanks! McKay is with her grandma and aunt, Merilyn and Jamie. -Jamie, McKay is catching up to you ;)I was afraid of how my dad would look in the casket. I remember seeing my grandpa when I was younger and thinking that it was nothing like the grandpa I knew. I don't know if it's because that was the case or if it's just because of my age. I think my dad looked as close to himself that he could. I got to know my brother and his family more while I was there. I am so glad I got to hang out with Haley throughout the week and be around her kids. My brother is definitely a lot like my dad in many ways.Monday evening, Mike called me and asked me to go for a ride with him. He just needed an out. We went and got a smoothie (which I later had several from Juice Press throughout the week) and then we headed out to the mall. He wanted to find a tie that was blue (grandpa's favorite color) and that reminded him of one of my dad's shirts. We found one at the mall so I picked up some extras so Jacob and Kevin (DeAnn's husband) could have one too. We also got the three grandson's a tie that coordinated with theirs. The Pallbearers were his son (Mike), his two sons-in-law (Jacob and Kevin), his brother (Brent), and two close friends. Duane (close friend) was the last speaker at his funeral and he spoke about simplicity. My dad was a simple man. He enjoyed growing a simple tomato. He enjoyed a simple sandwich. He enjoyed the simple things in life as should we.
I got Mikey's permission before I posted this picture. I LOVE the emotion in it. It reminds me of so many things but yet it is so simple. I see love, joy, sadness, but yet faith. Faith that he is happy and that we will all see him again.
My dad worked for the Lindon city as the supervisor over Parks and the Cemetery before he retired. He often joked around that they buried people in a tube either head first or feet first. His sister once believed him. It's a little ironic that that is where his body will rest. As I said earlier, my mom had to pick a new casket. The pine reminded me of my parent's house and all the wood that he used when he did the walls and the ceilings. It was the perfect choice.
And the last picture for the simple reminder.

Families are Forever!

Dennis Ralph Smith

2012-01-18T16:21:00.003-06:00

I forget that not everyone is on Facebook now a days. Here is the information for my dad's funeral services. Hopefully one day soon, I'll call and write back those of you that have been so supporting.

Funeral Services:
Thursday @ 2 p.m. at the Lindon West Stake Center. (250 West 600 South, just off of 1600 North in Orem. The road is half Lindon, half Orem. Exit 273 off of I15)
There will be a viewing from 12 - 1:45 p.m. prior to the services.

I hope this makes it to everybody that is interested. Once again, thanks for your love and support.

To see his obituary, click HERE.

Daddy's Hands

2012-01-15T16:59:00.012-06:00

I am so grateful to those that helped before my flight and after to get me to where I needed to be. Thank you for all the little notes and messages expressing your love and concerns. It is just a small boost that gets me a little farther. Thanks to my dear friends in Texas helping (and feeding) my family back home. I am so blessed.

I was prepared for the worst when I got to the hospital. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Yes, my dad looked tired, thinner and older but I could still see my dad. I knew he was there. I also knew he waited for me. Within hours of them saying they had done everything, it looked as though he was going. (They had even disconnected his pacemaker / defibrillator to let him go in peace.) As I boarded the plane in Austin, I got a text saying he was going fast and I probably wouldn't make it. As I landed, I got news that his blood pressure had doubled (70's over 40's) and that his pulse and oxygen were strong. That is my dad!
I didn't want a picture of him in the hospital. He wasn't a fan of pictures (like me) as it is so I know he wouldn't want me to remember him that way. This picture is the PERFECT way I want to remember this. Throughout the night, we took turns holding his hand. This was my favorite spot. I slept next to him in two small chairs (if you call 2 hours sleep) and would hold his hand several times throughout the night. I got to say my thank yous, my I love yous, laugh, cry, and my "see you later". I was able to just hold his hand. That was enough. My brother gave a wonderful blessing to comfort and assure him that it was okay to leave us and that he was loved and had more work to do on the other side. I've never had to go through anything so hard in my life, yet I wouldn't give this up for ANYTHING. I know my dad hung around to have one last family chat, laugh, cry, and get together. We told our secrets (our trips to Virginia City, MT, the one finger wave Mikey & dad exchanged behind my mom's back) our fondest memories and funny and sad moments. Jacob kept me going through texts and facebook posts and pictures of him and the kids. My dad passed on with us holding his hands, and feeling our love.

My dad would call me on Thursday afternoons / evenings. My mom would work at the temple and it would be our time to talk. We caught up on the little things and I always looked forward to it. We had a little game that when either he would call or if I called him, the first one to say "Gotcha" got a point. The score as of last Thursday, January 5th, was even. Whenever I wasn't able to answer my phone when he called, he would leave a message. It was short and sweet and always a "Gotcha". I had the feeling to save these on my voice mail from the past four months. So dad, you did get the last one for awhile and you earned it. I'll find you later on to get back ahead. XOXO (Click on the play button below to hear my favorite message.)

I'm proud to call you my dad

2012-01-15T02:45:00.007-06:00

(I wrote this on the airplane)

Time:

I haven’t blogged since Thanksgiving. I have pictures of December's activities and Christmas that I’ve been procrastinating on putting them up. I’ve thought about the New Year and the few resolutions that I’ve made. I also had a post about these as well. I have plenty of everyday items that would be fun and interesting, also with pictures. But that will all have to wait.

This year started out great! I made a few goals, the kids were back in school, and everything seemed to be going smoothly, or up until this week. There is always a bump in the road and a trial around the corner that we need to face. My dad went into the hospital on Monday. Nothing extremely life threatening but within the past 24 hours everything turned downhill fast. Now, I’m trying to beat time to make it to Utah to see him one last time. How does a child say goodbye to their parent? How do I hold it together? How do I smile when my heart is breaking inside.

My dad has struggled with health problems the past 15+ years. It really is a miracle he made it this long. As selfish as this may sound, I know he has been here for me. To be my friend, to come spend weeks with my family, to share hobbies, to talk on the phone, to work together, and to share laughs. He has spoiled my kids ROTTEN but I know it was in the kindness of his heart.

As the plane departed Austin, I felt peace. I felt comforted. I don’t know if that is the feeling of that I will make it or if it is the feeling that my dad has passed. Three hours is painful to go through without any form of communication. I am so grateful for my knowledge in the gospel. I pray that if I don’t make it in time, he will know I love him. I hope he knows how grateful I am for everything he has done for me. He is one of my best friends. I am so lucky to have him for my father, and a grandpa to my kids. I know I’ll see him again. I’ll know he will be happy and out of his misery that he has endured through the last part of his life. He will walk and run again. He will smile and laugh very soon.

I find comfort in my family. My kids and my husband are my fort. I wish they were with me.

Dad – I love you. My kids love you. Jacob loves you. I know you will watch over us while you are away from us in this life. You’ll be my angel now.

I wanted to post this to be a reminder to me of the comfort I have felt through this experience. As for an update on my dad, he is holding on. We've expressed our love and I know he is here although he cannot respond to us. I know it's a matter of time but I'm very grateful for every opportunity I have to talk with him.

Thanksgiving Day 2011

2011-11-24T19:53:00.006-06:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Brunners. Betsy and her family showed up late Tuesday night, they just couldn't keep away from Texas.
Over a month ago, Betsy talked me into doing the 5-mile Turkey Trot with her. I also convinced my friend, Mandy to join, which wasn't hard. She is a great runner! So, a month ago, I was running 20+ miles a week and was all for running it. And then November hit and we had school plays, rehearsals, running meets, and more visitors (more in posts to come.) I think I had only made it running 3 times before this morning. But, it was exactly what I needed. I hated mile one and two but by mile three, I was ready to go. I can't wait to do it again and better next year! Another insane thing was, there were 20,000 people running this race. It was interesting and fun. They had even shut off part of the Interstate 1 (Mopac) for the runners.
And then it was home to cook. We went all out again. Turkey, mashed potatoes, salad with fruit, homemade rolls, veggies, stuffing, italian soda.....and plenty of pies. (14 to be exact).
I have so many things to be grateful for. My family is at the top of the list. Along with, the gospel, shelter, food, great friends, health, vehicles, and technology to name a few. I hope everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving too!

(Pictures were courtesy of Betsy too! She is a great sister-in-law!)

A big Feast!

2011-11-22T23:11:00.003-06:00

(I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving time. I really need to catch up with my header!)

Happy Thanksgiving - Kindergarten Style

I helped Katanya's class today get ready for their Thanksgiving Feast. Each class did their own food preparation and then they lined the Kindergarten hallway with brown paper and the kids lined up for their food. Above is all of the Kindergarten classes. Katanya's teacher (once again) went above and beyond. That morning they made their own cornbread, shucked the corn, and snapped the beans. Then with the fruit salad, it was a lesson of having different fruits but that they can go together as we can as people. We are all different and we can all be friends. The kids loved it and were adorable! Now it's on to prepare for the real feast!

"go, go, go"

2011-11-05T23:05:00.005-05:00

A week after we moved to Texas, I met a new friend at church. She and her family had just moved to Texas as well. We had kids around the same age and we started running together during the early summer mornings. Mandy was the one to kick start me into running and actually got me to not just run but to enjoy the run and love it.

As the school year started, she and her brother started a cross country run club. Kirsten asked if she could do this. Of course it was a no brainer because as parents, who wouldn't want their kids out running and exercising? So twice a week she was doing her "run team."
Today we drove to Marble Falls for the Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships. It's was only Kirsten's second race but she has improved over the weeks.
It was a 3k race (1.86 miles) and I believe it was her best time yet. She finished strong and it was fun to cheer on as well as her friends during their races. I'm so proud of how far she has come.

This is Kirsten and some of her "Cougar Cross Country" friends. They all qualified to go onto Regions in two weeks so it will give Kirsten some more experience. So when my mom comes down to visit in less than 2 weeks, not only will she see McKay's school play but she can help cheer Kirsten on as well. What great planning!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:39:00.005-05:00

I have a love / hate relationship with Halloween. I think there is more hate than love. I can't think of anything I really like about it. But I love my kids so I bear with it. And I love that my kids do look pretty darn cute!
As I mentioned in my last post I had 4 days to make the two girls' costumes and 3 days after that to make Jacob's. I hate deadlines but I made it. I finished at midnight this morning. (Hannah, I have to say I thought of you and your love of gnomes as I was sewing these costumes.)
McKay is "Rapunzelgnome." She had to personalize her costume with her own touches. Cruz was a ninja (again) but with swords this year. Kirsten was another gnome and Katanya is supergirl. We had to add a little extra length to her costume. It's so hard to find decent costumes. I guess that it is one bonus to making your own costumes.
The whole gnome idea came from Jacob. He found a toddler gnome costume, took a picture and decided that was what he wanted to be. The girls copied with a girl gnome. All I had was two pictures. I'm very grateful for the sewing basics I learned awhile ago. I have to add that as I was sewing his costume, he was the pickiest one of all. It took everything I had to laugh it off. But it ended up pretty amazing if I say so myself. Back to Jacob's costume....

Not only is he a gnome BUT....

He is Super Gnome.

And not only is he Super Gnome, he is....

Nerdy Super Gnome.

McKay came in late last night and asked what was on the cape. Jacob explained that Gnome was also an operating software program and that the logo on the cape was the logo for the software. She paused for a minute and said, "Dad, you just made your costume nerdy." His reply, "That's the best part."

I hope everyone has a safe, fun, and Happy Halloween.

how it works inside

2011-10-25T07:50:00.001-05:00

It all started on Saturday. I went to find a Halloween costume for the two oldest kids (as the two youngest wanted to be something from past years) and then while shopping for the kids, Jacob saw a costume he wanted. I admit it's an pretty great idea and it soon spread that that was what the two oldest girls wanted to do too. Before I go on, I need to add that the kids need their costumes by Thursday evening. So it was off to the fabric store to figure out materials as I tried to figure a pattern out in my head. I went to put my plan in motion Sunday afternoon except my sewing machine didn't understand the motion idea. The tension was off and not picking up the basting stitch and I had no idea to fix it. I asked Jacob if he knew anything and that was where it all went down.
I should have known better. I think he wanted to see how it worked more than anything. After all he is an Electrical Engineer. My poor sewing machine has been laid to rest. I guess that is what you get when you buy ol' cheapo model at WalMart. I'm not too upset though. For the 8 years that I've used it, I've definitely had gotten my $100 worth of sewing out of it. I'll tell you what I miss......my mom's serger.

P.S. I think I work better with a deadline anyway.

The Halloween week has begun!

2011-10-23T23:25:00.005-05:00

Last night we had some friends over for dinner. They surprised our kids with plans on making "Haunted Houses."
Evidently, they (Dixie) had some mean Gingerbread house making skills. To start off the house and the base, she melted sugar. This was better than any liquid nails idea. It was pretty solid. And for the Halloween season, candy and decorations work great!
Katanya had Matt wrapped around her finger.
This was suppose to be the smiling picture. I can't get over Cruz's silly face.
And all of their houses turned out great!
Kirsten put it best when she told her dad, "It figures you have to have the biggest and the best." You can tell he was the last one with the sugar and the crackers. I don't know who was more excited, the kids or Jacob.
Thanks Dixie and Matt for showing us how it's done. I can't wait to do this again for Christmas.

one picture = one happy mom

2011-10-02T21:14:00.005-05:00

Just when I thought I was going to lose it from all the teasing, yelling, not listening, and fighting this weekend. I came upon this.

Its moments like this is that makes it ALL worth it.

Cruz drew this as we listened to conference yesterday. I love that he drew him and the prophet together. He even wrote the prophet a letter (in yellow ink).

When I grow up....

2011-09-27T12:13:00.005-05:00

This week at school is "Education Go Get It Week." Monday was "I want to be a ...." day. So the kids got to sign a poster stating what they wanted to be. This started a wonderful conversation at dinner time. I thought I'd share....
Katanya wants to be a cat trainer. She made it clear by saying, "Not a lion or tiger trainer, but a cat trainer...C-A-T."
Cruz said he wanted to be a police officer. He also said it was because it was a safe job. (?????)
Kirsten thought long and hard. She first thought about being a vet because she loves pets and that way she would get to be around them. Then she realized that she would have to deal with blood and quickly changed her mind. She decided (at this age) to be a math teacher.
And last but certainly not least, McKay wants to play in an orchestra and be an actress. Oh my! I think that maybe having two orchestra periods (chamber for violin and advanced for cello) and getting a main character in the school play has fogged her thinking. : ) Kids will be kids and I love mine!

i saved the best for last

2011-09-21T19:36:00.006-05:00

Remember back in July when I posted the before pictures of our house? If not just click here to remind you. This was one of the rooms that was the UT orange. I really didn't want to do orange again.
So speed forward a couple months and we finally have those two rooms ALMOST put together.
This is suppose to be the formal dining room. It can be on occasion too. Right now it's our homework / computer / study room. We have all the computers on a big power strip down the table. (This table isn't to it's full size either. It can still expand on another 18 inches.) We figure if we ever need the space, we can clear everything off and eat on it. *Hint, hint, Thanksgiving.....guests....family.....friends. I also still want to find an antique dresser to store all of our "office" things.
And this is our music / reading room. There is just something about green. I love that color! I always have to have at least one room green. This one is my favorite shade yet. I need to take a new family picture and get a big picture of the Salt Lake Temple to hang on the walls. We also want a nice comfy chair by the bay windows that you can sit and read or relax in. I still have yet to find the right one for the right price. (Although I did a super nice one for the wrong price here and the color would be in black.) I can dream, can't I?

cruzamatic

2011-09-15T20:08:00.003-05:00

My little guy's birthday was last Saturday. He always waits so patiently as his birthday is the last one in the year. I love his smile and how happy he is in this picture!
He got plenty of presents and we spent the day driving remote controlled cars & helicopters and we ALL ended the day with a big nerf gun fight led by his dad. This one shocked me because it's usually Jacob that growls and doesn't like to play around.
He picked his cake and tried to blow out the candles. This year we found some really tricky trick candles. (From Toys R Us if you are wondering.) He eventually had to give up because they all wouldn't go out.

Happy Birthday Cruz! I hope 7 is Super!

her own personal orchestra

2011-09-09T22:29:00.005-05:00

McKay is definitely a loved one. This is her new cello. Her teacher helped tune it this morning. This was the first time picking it up and playing it. (She already told me that this picture is a bad picture because she is holding the bow with a violin hand and not a cello hand.)She's been practicing nonstop for the last two hours. She hasn't had a lesson yet and she sounds quite good. I think I prefer the sound of the cello over the violin. The video below is just of a song she had memorized that she played on her violin. I was quite impressed.

McKay is playing in the Chamber (top) Orchestra with violin and her teacher wants her to play either in the Intermediate or Beginner Orchestra with the cello. With her quick learning and background in music already, I'm guessing it will be Intermediate. Hmmm, if every kid plays two instruments, maybe I'll have my own orchestra someday.

i love to see the temple

2011-08-27T22:25:00.008-05:00

Today our youth went to the San Antonio Temple. For those of you not familiar with Texas, it's about a 2 hour drive each way. It was such a great experience. Each one of our Young Women's faces glowed and they couldn't stop smiling. It was a first for a lot of the beehives. We had a total of 30 Young Women and Young Men. It was McKay's second trip to do baptism's for the dead.

There was some things that are different. I'm not sure if it's just because this is a smaller temple or if that is just the way they have changed them since I was a youth. The leaders were able to dress in their whites and help with the experience.

The girls went first so when we finished we went down to the lower parking level and had a testimony meeting. It was 105 degrees outside but yet no one said a word about the heat during it. (Plenty was said during pictures though.) Each one of the girls shared their thoughts and feelings. I can't describe how strongly we felt the Spirit and knew of His love.

I love this ward!

P.S. Jake gets to speak tomorrow in church with the topic of a conference talk by David A Bednar: The Spirit of Revelation. I'm seriously so excited to hear it.

We survived the big day.

2011-08-24T06:48:00.000-05:00

The REAL official "first day of school" picture.
The question was asked, "What was your favorite thing about school today (excluding recess and lunch)? Here is what they answered with:

Katanya: Laying on a towel for rest time.
Cruz: Writing.
Kirsten: The beginning when we did a work packet.
McKay: Not getting lost. (Which I honestly felt sorry for her when I dropped her off and she was left in such a big school and not yet having a schedule and knowing where any of her classes were.)

I think we can definitely handle the rest of the school year.

My kids keep growing and growing....

2011-08-23T08:16:00.000-05:00

It's the first day of school today for ALL of my kids. I just dropped them off. I'm a little overwhelmed. The traffic is just crazy. They say to give it a couple of weeks and it will get better. I hope so. I didn't expect it to take 18 minutes to go a little over a mile. My friends in Idaho, you have it so easy.
I still wasn't ready to send them off. I have really enjoyed this summer and how well everyone got along. I know I'm not ready for a schedule either, although it will help me get a lot of the things that I slacked the last year caught up on.
I took these pictures on Friday. These two are only a grade apart and their classrooms are right across from each other. I love how close they are and how they can help each other through school.
Over the last couple of years they have learned to really get along and play with each other.
They are so goofy....
silly.....
but yet lovable.
I really can't believe how these two girls have grown. Especially when we were shopping for school stuff. They are smart, strong willed and willing to learn.
And yet they still try to act so much older than they are.

Back to my kids being gone. I just got home and my house feels empty and quiet. What to do first?

Kirsten's special day

2011-08-21T20:59:00.009-05:00

Kirsten had quite the day yesterday.
We started it off by taking her and only her shopping. She had wanted to pick out her own clothes and some jewelry. We went down to Forever 21 and she was in love. She picked a couple new outfits and of course....
A necklace and some "danglely" earrings. She has some rather nice taste.
Later in the afternoon she opened her presents and she was surprised. She loves to sing to her ipod and she her only thing on her birthday list was a microphone. I had been thinking that maybe a karaoke machine would be nice but Jacob suggested that maybe the Wii might have something that would work. It did and it works so much better. Plus between the two new games that she got, it has a lot of her favorite songs. She's been singing the past two days.
For dinner she chose to go to Rudy's. For those of you that don't know, this is probably my favorite BBQ place ever. You have to like meat to go here. Here is what we got.....
You pick out the meats you want and how much (in weight), choose some sides, and then they give you bread and butcher paper. It's delicious! I forgot to include a picture of their tasty BBQ sauce.
We started our fast after dinner as our stake, and several others in the area, were fasting for rain. We are in the middle of a bad drought and heat wave. Kirsten wanted her cake on Sunday. It was a good dessert to break our fast. She chose "pie O dirt" for her cake. (Chocolate pudding in a graham cracker crust with oreo's and gummy worms {I used bears} on top.) May her birthday wish come true!

"Nine is no longer considered a little kid."

2011-08-20T00:17:00.002-05:00

Or this is what McKay has said and Kirsten hasn't forgotten it. As of now, It is Kirsten's birthday....officially.

Nine years ago on August 19th, we helped my parents take their garden out. I was pulling out corn. I remember thinking, "maybe this will help me go into labor." It did. I woke up a little after 2:30 a.m. with heavy contractions and my first thought was, "I have to do my hair and makeup." I didn't want the pictures to look horrible. I learned a lesson after the first. She came less than 4 hours later. We could never decide on a name before she was born. Jacob and I took one look at our sweet little angel and we looked at each other and said "Kirsten." And so it was.

Kirsten Skye reminds me of when I was a little child. I think she looks the most like me when I was that age. Although she is a very strong willed child and a counter just like her dad, she has a tender sweet spirit. She wants to learn and wants to do what is right. She really looks up to her older sister. I am so glad that she is a part of our family. Happy 9th Birthday Kirsten! I hope this year is fabulous for you.

small fish in a big ocean

2011-08-11T12:00:00.008-05:00

Today Katanya went to Kinder Kamp. Basically it was where the parent and child meets the teacher, the child goes in for an "imitation of a short school day," and the parent goes to the lunch room to fill out papers and buy PTA selling fundraisers. Katanya was stoked. She has waited a long time for this. Her new teacher is amazing, too.

There are a few differences between our rural Idaho elementary school and our new Texas urban / community school. One big one is an additional 650 kids per say. (Roughly 1000 students and it's only K-5 here not K-6). Another will be where the bus used to pick up my children right outside my house, I get to drive them since there are no buses here and we are far enough away, (which could be a hassle for a couple weeks or so I've heard.) And lastly, they have all day Kindergarten. Wow! I'm excited though. The school seems great and really structured.

Although as I waited for Katanya to come back from her class, it hit me that this was my last one. I've never been one of those parents that cry when there kids go to school and thankfully my kids have all been excited and anxious to start school, but Anya is my baby, my last one, and she is my most independent. I still didn't cry but I ALMOST choked up as I read the cute little survival bag that the teacher gave them. (See bottom, it was just too adorable that I couldn't help but copy it.)

Now that poses another question. What do I do with all that time? Obviously I can volunteer at the school again and help the teachers. Do I find a part time job for a little extra income since things are a little more expensive down here? I definitely need to be home to pick up the kids and be home when they a are home so wanting that would make finding a job a little more difficult. I'm sure I can find (or rather I know of) a couple projects that need to get done, like my filing and books from last year and this year.

So school starts in less than 2 weeks. This summer flew by. We've lasted the heat by being at the pool so much. I've enjoyed having the kids at home. They've learned how to help clean so we can all get to play later and I've enjoyed the lax in structure at my house, like bedtimes and meals and waking up. But, all things must change and it's on to a whole new journey for ALL of us.

Kindergarten Survival Kit
(and then the following things were inside the bag)
* A penny because you are so valuable.
* The cotton ball is to remind you that our classroom is full of kind words and warm feelings.
* And eraser to remind you that it's okay to make mistakes.
* The lifesaver is to let you know that you can go to any adult in the school for help.
* The tissue is for drying your tears and those of others.
* A Band-Aid to let you know that together we can make things better.
* The chocolate hug is to remind you that you are cared for.
* A Smartie because you are so smart you will even teach me many things this year.
* A sticker because we always stick together and help each other in Kindergarten
* A starburst to remind you that you are a Kindergarten star and everyone in this class shines in their own way.

Sweet Potato Chicken Enchiladas!

2011-08-10T15:47:00.004-05:00

Monday night at the grocery store, Jacob looked at me when I put my sweet potatoes on the scanner and said, "Yams? Why are you getting those?" No answer. I've always loved sweet potatoes or yams or whatever you want to call them.

I had found a recipe on my friends blog (Sara Ulrich) that looked worth trying. Last night was my trial night. I didn't tell my kids what I had put in there but simply that we were having enchiladas. They were excited as enchiladas (whether chicken or beef) are a favorite. After they had had one and were working on their second, I asked the kids if they could tell what was in there. They guessed everything but the sweet potatoes. McKay went for a third to try to figure it out. Needless to say when I told them they were amazed. I told them to not tell Dad until after he had eaten them, (as McKay and I had Mutual that night and I wouldn't be able to see it.)

Jacob texted me halfway through and said, "Surprisingly these sweet potatoes in the enchiladas are quite good." He ate his words!

So here is the recipe that all my facebook friends wanted. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

SWEET POTATO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1 1/2 of chicken breast - shredded
1 can of black beans
2 cups of sweet potatoes, boiled and diced
2 cups salsa - (I used Pace mild)
2 1/2 - 3 tsp. ground cumin

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl. Put in a tortilla shell, sprinkle a little cheese if you want (I love cheese) and roll up in a tortilla. (I actually used the small tortillas and it made 20. A regular size would make less.)
Then I put a little of La Victoria Red Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish and placed the enchiladas in it. I then covered them with the rest of the sauce (for this many I used a little shy of medium cans). Then I sprinkled cheese (colby jack / cheddar mix) on top.

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes (covered with tin foil). The recipe called for 375 but my oven is hotter here so I stuck to 350. Best served with other vegetables on the side.
Enjoy!

*This fed our family of 6 plus gave us leftovers.

**The recipe called for La Victoria Red Enchilada Sauce. I had never used this one but decided to try it. It's now my favorite. It was also the most expensive in the store but sometimes you get what you pay for.

Get ready to laugh (or chuckle)

2011-08-02T22:23:00.004-05:00

So....
You are probably wondering if all of my dishes are in my old cupboard....
What is in my other cupboards?
When your pantry is only one small door that is 15 inches deep, it doesn't leave a lot of room for your food storage that came from a big-ger pantry.This is how I coped with this situation.
Yep, all of them are filled with food storage.

Bringing a little Idaho to Texas

2011-08-02T00:11:00.010-05:00

Finally a few before and after pictures mixed in with our Idaho home pictures.
Above was my kitchen in Idaho. I loved the cabinets. Jacob made them back when he remodeled the house. It was one of my favorite things of the house.
Our new kitchen before we painted (as shown before).
And our new kitchen painted in a light gray. We used our old cupboard (the one section we brought with us) for our plates and glasses.
Again, above is our living room from our Idaho house.
And, this is our new "game" room here in Texas. (I still like calling it a family room but everyone here refers to it as a game room.)
This room was a dark mud brown and it felt boxed in. I didn't take any before pictures but we ended up painting it the exact same color as our living room before. Between the paint that we had brought and what Betsy had left over that she couldn't take to Kansas, I didn't have to buy anything for this room. The colors (and couch) just made it feel so cozy and at home.
This is the before pic of the living room.And this is the new one. We never had a living room in Idaho so we had to take some of our "junk" (the stuff we sold on Craigslist) money and buy another couch. We still want to find a colored rug and some art for this room but that will come as we find the "perfect" pieces.

P.S. The broken Fiestaware count is at two and a loss of $24. This time it was my oldest. I told the kids they had one freebie and then it was over. Over the weekend we also went and bought plastic cups, bowls, and plates that they can use for lunch and breakfast. I can't afford buying a new dish every week.

#35

2011-07-30T00:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to Jacob (two days late).

Jacob turned 35 on Wednesday. We celebrated tonight. Betsy and her family came over for dinner and cake. Jacob requested chicken enchiladas and his (norm) favorite applesauce cake. What happened to the cake you ask? It doesn't turn out when you accidentally forget the baking soda. So I substituted for strawberry-mango tortes (and we didn't have to count ridges.)

Jacob is a superb father and a wonderful husband. I hope this year is really great for him.

Bedrooms (part deux)

2011-07-28T23:56:00.003-05:00

The bedrooms are finally put together. At least for the kids. Jacob and I still haven't even started our bedroom. Since we sold our bedroom set in Idaho, our bedroom is still bare.
Kirsten chose her room and I love her bed! The drawers in the bottom is a nice place for storage!
McKay's room was the last to complete. I sanded and painted her bed as well. This time it went faster and was easier. I already have my next sanding / staining project, you will have to stay tuned for that one.McKay put together her bedroom all by herself. She did get the smallest room but she got her own bathroom with it. And even though it's the smallest (it's still pretty big) I think it's the coziest.

Bedrooms

2011-07-28T00:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Jacob's birthday.
And this was him the day before. He usually takes a little snooze after dinner. I think that's what age can do to you. It's probably more from working full time and staying up late. Anyway, Jacob texted me in the morning and said that we were playing volleyball on a team that night with some friends from work so we are going to celebrate on Friday when Betsy and her family can join us. More pictures of this occasion will come later.
This is the what came to be with my sanding / painting project. I was so happy with the outcome.
We let the kids choose a new duvet cover (since the last one they had was when I chose back in '06) and a bed (within reason). After I put Katanya's new cover on, she informed me that it had forgotten the circle pillow that was at the store with it on display. It's funny how the kids pay attention to certain details.
This is Cruz's room. (If I was to paint the kids room, which I'm not, I would paint an accent wall in green.) McKay painted the picture in the background.

More power

2011-07-26T23:45:00.003-05:00

Today....
I used Jacob's power tools.... and I liked it. I can't wait for more projects.This one was for Katanya's bed. She wanted a pink bed....and she'll get it too.

Fitting In

2011-07-24T22:31:00.004-05:00

Our new ward is called the Old Settler's Ward. With a name like that, how can you go wrong.

We started going to our new ward the first Sunday that we arrived in Texas. Immediately, we felt like we belonged. The first Sunday was amazing! Everyone reached out to us and we knew this is where we were supposed to be.

A month here, I was asked to speak in sacrament meeting. I was given the topic "Press On." One of the most important things I learned was that while you endure and press on it is more than just that. You need to press on in such a way that you are bringing yourself closer to Christ. And even though you may be going through trials, there can be happiness while enduring rather than thinking the happiness is at the end. I know that this is a thing that I have a lot to work on.

The next week (last week) McKay had to give a talk in sacrament too. Her talk was amazing and I was impressed. Her subject was agency and she talked on our first choice in heaven and how it was to choose agency in itself. She pointed out a fact that Satan plan wasn't just to force us to do right but it was a disguise in getting the glory and the power all for himself. She pointed out how little daily choices can end in making choices that will lead to our eternal progression and how while we have the agency to choose the consequences will always follow and those we do not get to choose.

The week I had to speak, I also got called to serve in the Young Women's. There are going to be 19 Beehives by the end of the year making it a total of 30 girls. They are all so closely knit and it's the first time that I haven't seen any "cattish" acts in the group. I'm excited to work and teach and be taught in this organization.

Now for the next question. When will Jacob speak and what will be his topic? I can't wait.

The Oasis

2011-07-23T20:40:00.005-05:00

One of the "requests" from the kids when we were finding a house to rent was that it had a community pool. Luckily we did and I can't imagine summer without one.
This is ours. It's actually a decent size and really fun. It's a short walk from our house.
It's never really crowded and it has a 2 foot roped in section and then a bigger area ranging from 3 - 5 feet deep.
We took a break while we were moving in and unpacking for ten days but now the pool has worked it's way back into our routine. Cruz has also learned to swim and take breaths while doing so. Three kids down, one to go.
It's one more reason to love Texas.

Tile floor-1, Fiestware-0

2011-07-23T01:27:00.004-05:00

Today we found out what happened when my Fiestaware meets the tile floor. I have a fear what the future could hold for my dishes. Cruz felt terrible for dropping the dish but by far the positives outweighed this misfortune.

1. It was not a discontinued color. 2. It was only $8 to replace. But the best part of all....

3. I got to order the new place setting color for this year. Welcome Marigold.

P.S. I will never complain about the soft bamboo wood flooring I used to have.

What it was like before we came

2011-07-19T00:20:00.004-05:00

(Apologies now for the blurriness of the pictures. Jacob took them from his phone and I don't think he waited for it to focus.) This is what the main level LOOKED like. I didn't want to do orange again so before we put down our deposit, I asked if we could paint. The owner said yes and to make it as if it were our own home. Of course I love color but I did keep it toned down a lot this time.There are two rooms (one left and one right) when you walk in the entry way. The were painted Texas Longhorn orange. It had to go.
We painted the floorboards white first. I remembered to have pictures taken after this was done.
The living room and kitchen were a marigold yellow.
Didn't strike me to well either since the counters were a dark navy blue.We finished painting 90% of it before we moved in since we had some minor setbacks. There is one room (the game room upstairs) that we will finish this week. It's a mud brown and really clashes with our couch. (No offense to any brown / beige / coffee / or tan color loving people out there but I just can't handle that shade.)

Pictures of our Home Makeover Edition will soon follow.

one piece at a time

2011-06-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

Jacob and I started a puzzle late Friday night.

It was an unspoken word that we weren't going to bed until it was finished.

We finished but paid for it the next morning. I think I'm getting too old too stay up doing stuff like this.

From 4lbs 2 oz to 42 pounds

2011-06-18T22:45:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Katanya!

Like all my other children as they turn older, I can't believe my youngest is five.
Katanya came out a fighter and she is still one determined girl! She can hold her own with her other siblings but she still has a sweet & strong spirit. I can't imagine our family without her.
This year she celebrated her birthday over two days. Yesterday she opened her presents (a new bike and other toys) and picked out where we ate dinner. We ended up at Chuy's (with a little persuading) and she was delighted! They had yummy chicken nuggets, they sang to her, and she got a frozen push pop. Life couldn't be better! (Plus the adults ate good too! Way better than the McD's that she wanted.)
Then for today (we had planned on going to a outing with Jake's work but it would have ended up taking 10+ hours and we weren't comfortable leaving the kids alone for that long so we changed our plans) we went swimming, went shopping for puzzles (explanations with future posts) went on an evening bike ride and enjoyed chocolate cake....with sprinkles!
I hope this year is great for Anya. May her birthday wishes come true!

Then and Now

2011-06-14T12:55:00.002-05:00

The tides have turned. I have gone from a Craigslist seller to a Craigslist buyer. This is my morning's great find.

A little color to an Idaho white boy

2011-06-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

We made it to Austin on Monday, and early Tuesday we headed down to South Padre Island. This was our sixth trip. I'm so thankful that Betsy invited our family to join hers. If you want to see some pictures of our activities, click here to go to Betsy's blog. We all got a little too much sun on the first day but I like Jacob's statement the best.....

"Getting sunburned makes me look pudgy."
(I don't think he's pudgy, although on the other hand, I want to know how he got his sunburn in that odd pattern.)

To Do List

2011-06-09T07:06:00.001-05:00

Last week, I had a whole list of "to dos" to do. I hope I saw everyone and if not I'm very sorry! It's hard to pack years worth of friends and people and day to day life into just a week. Here are a few of the things we did.
We finally got to meet and hold my brother's baby. Meet Korver Jhett Michael Smith. I'm so glad that someone else used four names too! His abundance of hair reminds me of how much Kirsten had as a baby.
We had an afternoon / evening with Jacob's side of the family. It wasn't long enough but it was fun to see everyone.
McKay met a cousin, Jason. Her Aunt Jamie had her son on Memorial Day but she had to wait til Friday to hold him. He's another adorable baby! Between the two newborns my kids were begging me (again) for another one.
My dad took the kids to their favorite fishing spot. McKay's big catch for the day got away, but we did get a picture to prove it.She was not happy when Kirsten wanted to hold her fish (and every other fish). In fact that is what caused the escape. Kirsten accidentally unhooked the fish and it started flopping and was released back into the fish pond.
Saturday afternoon, we finished going swimming at my mom's friends house. The pool was about 95 degrees and the kids enjoyed every minute.

Other things not pictured but happened during the week: McKay going to do baptisms for the dead for the first time, our own Memorial Day BBQ since the Smith family one was cancelled due to bad weather, Saturday night game night.

We will miss our family that was close by us.

Got milk?

2011-06-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

As we were headed up to Kamas to go fishing with my dad, one of my kids asked, "Mom is that milk?" (And it wasn't the youngest.)

The protecting power of prayer

2011-06-07T10:53:00.007-05:00

I don't know where the last two weeks went. School finished up one of them and the other was spent visiting family and friends. Jacob was very sweet to let me spend some quality time with my family while he packed out. He met me in Utah late Saturday night and after my brother's baby blessing on Sunday, we made our start for Texas. Since we got a late start (2 p.m.) we decided that we could drive through the night and make it there by afternoon on Monday. As we were driving I kept thinking, "I'm not taking this way home". Then I remembered its not a vacation and that we were only going one way this time. It still feels surreal.

Everything went smoothly until the last 20 miles. Jacob had been driving when I started to hear a different sound. We switched drivers and the noise got stronger and a little louder. I asked him about it and he said it was the bearings in our small tow along trailer and he would fix it later that night. I drove another 20 minutes at 80 mph and then brought up the noise again. I had thought it was coming from the muffler on the van so I pulled off the freeway. Jacob got out and inspected the trailer when he came to me and said, "pull off to the side very slowly and come look at this." I did and got out. The trailer tire looked like the picture.
All of the lug nuts were gone. Again very slowly we drove off the small space between the freeway and the access road and by then all the studs were gone. We were close to Betsy's and only 4 miles from a trailer store. Betsy picked me and the kids up, Nate brought out some tools and within 45 minutes Jacob was "home" too.

We know how bad this could have been. We could have lost the tire at a high speed, ruined the trailer, possibly have wrecked, or even stated a fire. We know that we were protected and blessed. We always start every road trip with a prayer and we have never had anything major happen. I'm grateful for the Lord's hand in everything.

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

2011-05-19T23:03:00.007-05:00

I'm not one that likes to say goodbyes. In fact, every time I think about saying goodbye to two of my closest friends or my family in Utah, I tear up. I know this move will be good for my family and it is a good start for Jacob's career but at the same time I'll be farther away and starting over. When we moved to Idaho in 2003, I cried the entire 4 hour drive up from Pleasant Grove. This was just saying goodbye to my family (for a couple weeks.) Little did I know then that with Jacob still working construction projects in Utah how much we would be down to visit. The first year we lived in Idaho, we spent more time in Utah than we did at home. Idaho has really been great to us. We have enjoyed living out in the country and raising our family there. We have had many different life experiences from starting new businesses, buying & remodeling a house, to graduating from college. Now it's time to move on.This is my closest friend, Lindsey. We have and take care of our own families but we are like sisters. I'm really going to miss her. She was my neighbor when we first moved here. It took a year for us to become friends (basically because my family traveled so much) but from there on, we were always involved with each other. Some how we always had kids around the same time too (without planning it.) We were just that in sync. I'm going to miss our late night Wal-Mart runs. It's always funner to go grocery shopping with a friend. Our "sneaky shopping" trips to Maurices. We both have an addiction for the clothes at that store. We taught primary together for 2 1/2 years. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. Midnight showing Twilight movies won't be the same without her. Lindsey is one of the least selfish people I know. I'm so grateful that she is my friend.

House Hunting

2011-05-18T22:53:00.004-05:00

We arrived in Austin on Sunday for our week of looking for a house. Jacob and I got off the plane and the rental company gave us this cube. Jacob has driven it the entire time because I have no desire to drive it. The Kia Soul is small and powerless. Basically how we felt in this big city.

We decided to rent a house (I would love to buy but that won't be happening any time soon). What a difference renting a house in Utah / Idaho is to renting a house in Austin. Everything is done through Realtors and if you snooze you lose. Our picks of houses that we looked at on the Internet on Friday & Saturday were gone by Monday morning. We spent 10 hours on Monday looking at houses that were either extremely expensive or extremely dirty. By Monday night I was emotionally drained. I even cried.

Tuesday was a new day. By two in the afternoon we had an A, B, and C plan. Plus, A and C weren't listed in the MLS listings so we were sure to get something we liked. A was our dream home and a far shot but Plan A didn't want to rent since he was selling his house and wasn't in a hurry and didn't need the money so we snatched B up. I'm excited for our move. Our new house is in Round Rock and it's in a great neighborhood and really good school district. I hope the kids are as happy as we are.

So now it's Wednesday night and our next dilemma is that we aren't suppose to be home til Saturday. We have a lot of stuff to still get down at home and time is of the essence. Since Delta wants to charge us over $200 a piece to change our flight we are going to try flying standby. We could end up spending a really long day in the airport tomorrow.

I'm grateful that we could hang out with Betsy and her family during the day (in between our different realtor listings) and the evenings. I'm still trying to convince her just to stay down here but I don't think it will work. Hazel was my "adopted" child. She would sit on my lap, have me hold her, and tuck her in. It melted my heart because this trip I really missed my own children.

So it's off to bed and here's hoping (praying) we can get home tomorrow and I can give my own kids a hug and kiss.

Things I am going to miss....

2011-05-15T01:24:00.004-05:00

Reality is setting in. For the last couple of weeks, I've realized how much I'm going to miss Idaho, even more, the people in Idaho. Many different things have passed through my mind but tonight I'm going to focus on just one of them. My dad. This past week he has been up here visiting me again. He usually spends about 3 weeks a year up here with me and my family. My kids love it. I love it.

He has his "rituals" that he does with my kids:

Going to Barnes and Noble and buying them a book.
Going to Big Judd's and getting the big hamburger.
Making their "own" list and going grocery shopping.
Feeding the ducks at the falls.
Going to our annual "special place". (This year the weather didn't cooperate and we couldn't make it up there even though we tried.)

I really hope he can come out and visit me in Texas. (One doctor has cleared it.) I'm so grateful for our friendship.

Push, run, pose and snap!

2011-05-04T00:22:00.003-05:00

Easter Sunday, we decided to get a new "feet" picture.
We climbed up the piles of dirt....
barefoot. And hitting the button to take the picture and running halfway up the hill barefoot didn't feel too good.
The clods and the rocks hurt. But then we decided....
to take some silhouette pictures and that was even harder.
We were barefoot and I was running completely up the dirt mountain, posing, in less than 10 seconds.
It hurt even more, but it was well worth it.

Easter Egg Hunt Idaho Style

2011-04-25T00:09:00.005-05:00

We opted out of the school and cities Easter Egg Hunt this year and did our own. It's always nice when you have acres and acres of property. So Jacob went out and hid them behind the dirt piles.Then the kids went looking.
The kids were so excited. They looked along the piles, the trucks and equipment.
They looked in the open fields.
Some were easy....
And some were a little more hidden.
But after an hour of looking for their own 30 or so eggs...(I forgot to count the eggs that were color coded for each kid so they got the same amount and same yummy goods)
Jacob had to go through and help them find them all, sort of.

Afternoon and Evening Celebrations

2011-04-23T01:48:00.004-05:00

McKay spent her birthday at school. I know, I'm a mean mom but with as many sick days as she had, and it being ISAT time, she had to go. After school she came home and opened her presents. Any guesses on the big one?
McKay took up playing the violin over 3 years ago. Since then she has grown and needed a full size violin. I love her passion to play and hope she continues. This year they bumped her up to the eighth grade orchestra and she is now a first chair violin.
She is surely a loved girl!
McKay is not a fan of cakes or cookies. This year she just asked for sherbet ice cream. I did brownies solely for the purpose of the candles.

We finished the night off with Ticket to Ride (one of her favorites) and TV. I told her that she could stay up as late as she wanted. It's now 1 am and she is slowly winding down. Here's to sleeping in in the morning.

12 Years Today....Happy Birthday McKay!

2011-04-22T05:08:00.000-05:00

12 Years ago, McKay made me a mother, a rather young mother. Married at 18, pregnant at 19, and a mother just before I turned 20. Who ever would have guessed? She was sent to me with a reason and purpose.
I've always said this little girl is my angel. She saved me. In my rather sidewards ways, just holding her and realizing that this perfect baby was sent from my Heavenly Father made me realize how much I wanted the gospel back in my life. I wanted her to be mine forever and not just in this lifetime.
I'm so grateful that she is my daughter. You always want your kids to be better than what you are / were and I know for McKay that the sky is the limit!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.
Love you.
P.S. Can you believe that in another 12 years, this could be a possibility?

Soap Wars & Weighing Pennies

2011-04-19T06:32:00.000-05:00

It was "Science Fair Project" time again last week. The kids had fun doing their projects and finding their conclusions.
Kirsten decided to do "Soap Wars." Which soap lasted the longest in the showers. We tested this by her washing her hands for five minutes and then I washed my hands for five minutes with nine different soaps. My hands smelled nauseating afterward. My conclusion was Ivory was the worst smelling of them all. Kirsten didn't place in the 60 entries of 3rd graders but I'm proud with the work that she did.
This was Cruz's first entry. He decided to see what his weight equaled in pennies. It turned out to be $73.50. He placed first in his Kindergarten level.

Anticipated, Completed, Now What?

2011-04-17T22:48:00.006-05:00

When Jacob talked about starting school, in August of 2008, it seemed like him graduating was so far away. He was correct in saying "Three years is going to come and go whether I keep working for myself or whether I go back and get a degree." I'm so glad he chose to get a degree with the way the economy has turned out.April 9th was the big day. We went to Commencement and then watched him walk in his Convocation. He graduated with Magna Cum Laude Honors. (Top 5 percent in his graduating class.)
This is the first graduating class in Electrical Engineering from BYU-Idaho.

Now a family event always calls for a family party! We love it when family comes and visits.
Grandma Kerksiek, Maddy, and Hannah came up for the weekend, along with....

My sister and her family.
And of course, it's never complete without a whole group family picture!

Upcoming countdowns (#1)

2011-04-02T08:13:00.002-05:00

Who thought this day would ever come? I can't believe it has been almost 3 years since he started. Jacob is graduating! I know it's a shocker but I'm proud of what he has done and what he has shown the kids. It's never too late to take control and accomplish your goals. So the countdown: one week and Jacob will be down with school. One week until graduation. One more week of projects and labs and not getting home before midnight. One more week and hopefully I can have a life with my husband again. I'm looking forward to what the future brings.

Graduation is Saturday, April 9 @ 8:30 a.m. for all those who can come. Everyone is welcome.

Competitive and just a little Motivated

2011-03-31T23:38:00.006-05:00

I may have a competitive bone in my body....or two or three or four. Okay, I like a good challenge. The past two weeks, McKay had been doing my workouts with me as part of her health homework. It was fun to have someone to do it with me and to push as well as the other way too. Sadly, it was over on the 24th. I had to bribe her to do it with me on the 25th.
So at the beginning of this week, I challenged her to beat me in running a mile. Luckily, McKay is just as competitive as me (I think that's a good thing.) Every night we take turns and set the bar for the other person.
McKay run a mile in 8:19 last semester at the end of P.E. Tonight has been her best this week.
So far, I've been able to keep ahead of her time. I know that she will eventually catch up and then kick my butt.
This was my best tonight too. I think it's been my best since high school. I'm curious how fast I can get this if we keep this up. I also want to gradually increase the distance in the "race."

P.S. Even though it's super super yummy, and is now my favorite snack, I don't recommend running after eating half a bowl of fruit salsa before running.

Grandpa's Fun

2011-02-18T13:00:00.000-06:00

At the first of February, Jacob had a training and a fair down in Provo. We all headed down for a nice break and a stay with my parents. Plus we got treated to a yummy dinner at Tucanos. Nobody can pass up that place.
My dad has a collection of hats (150+) that the kids found and each picked out. Yes they are old and outdated but fashion comes in and out right? They wore them to the Bookstore with Grandpa, where we got many strange looks and they even got to take them home.
Can you tell which show the girls have been watching with me? Kirsten's had many great poses.

(answer: America's Next Top Model)

Crushed

2011-02-17T12:00:00.004-06:00

Kirsten got crushed on Valentine's Day. Okay, it was actually on Friday but it led up to an eventful weekend. One thing our family is not shy on is drama.
Friday afternoon I got a call from the school saying her fingers (the middle three) had been shut in a door. She was shaken and hurt and wanted to come home. They swelled up and were bruised pretty bad. The sad part was that they were closed in the hinge side of the door and it had clicked shut so somebody had to open it for her to get her hand out. On Sunday afternoon the pain increased and so did the redness in the ring finger which led to an ER visit that night. It turned out that she had broken the tips of the middle and ring fingers and had to have her ring finger drained of the infection. Almost a week later and she is still pretty bruised but not as swollen. My guess is, is that she will lose all three of the fingernails.

"cleaning" up my act

2011-01-20T00:41:00.007-06:00

I haven't done laundry since Sunday. I have lots of ironing waiting for me too. When I get home after work and after doing all of the kids other things, it's all I can do to cook dinner. I made a 2 week menu on Saturday with the intention of not eating out and not going back to Wal-Mart (with the exception of bread and milk which I will do at a local store out here) til the first of the month. It was close today, but I've made it.

Back to my other point. I see how easy it would be to become a hoarder. Not really a hoarder but one of those people that live in junk. I don't like it. It's not me, it stresses me out to have my place messy but lately I'm slacking and I haven't really cared. (I've been known to take half a day off just to clean my house.)

So after a day like today: working, visit-teaching, picking up McKay and going to her contest award ceremony (which she won honorable mention and received $10 out of the entire city of seventh graders with 381 essays submitted. As she said best, "It's getting paid to do my homework.") and then picking up the kids. I came home to a disaster. I'm sure you don't believe me but it was. Dishes and dinner out from the night before, counters piled from Jacob doing homework late at night, untidy bedrooms, games and toys out and dirty laundry piled high in my bedroom. I delegated most jobs as I did a few, sorted laundry, and got dinner ready and now my upstairs is spotless. Its amazing how fast my kids have learned to help. I used to do it all by myself because I liked it done my way but now it's different. If having a busy and complicated life has taught me anything its that my kids need to learn how to work too. Kirsten will often complains that McKay didn't have to do this at her age. Lucky her that she knows how to do it at a younger age than McKay.

So while I spend the weekend doing loads of laundry (it's one thing that I still do as I'm very picky on how it's done) and my kids putting it away, and as we are trying out a new recipe, (chicken cacciatori) we'll be playing games as I've promised the kiddos, one being Monopoly.

Fixin' for better opportunities

2011-01-17T23:34:00.010-06:00

Since the cat is trying to get out of the bag here, Maybe this will make sense.
Here we come. Trying to get to greener (and warmer) sides.

When: June 2011
Where: Austin, TX

Maybe this makes a little more sense to a few of you.

Star of the Week

2011-01-11T06:19:00.000-06:00

Cruz was Star of the Week in school. Making these posters always remind how fast they are growing up.

On Tuesday, the caterpillar ate through....

2011-01-10T07:09:00.000-06:00

As Jacob and I were sitting at our computers late at night over a week ago, we heard a tiny little voice reading "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." I went back to the kids bedroom and Katanya had turned on her light (it was almost 10:30 p.m.) and gotten her caterpillar to read it a bedtime story. This book has always been a favorite of all our kids. McKay had it memorized at the age of three. So when Kohl's had their "$5 specials" for both the animal and the hard cover book, we couldn't pass it up.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

2011-01-07T05:56:00.001-06:00

A moose running through our property.
Yesterday morning after the girls got on the bus I went to make sure Jacob was out of bed when I saw a moose crossing the fields. I've heard of moose coming around before but it's been a long time since I've seen one here. I love (some) of the wildlife we have here. The elk herds are up the road in the potato fields but we have yet to go up and look at them. At this time of year it helps to have four wheel drive. The not so nice parts; last summer we had a mountain lion hit a couple miles away from our house.

This brings me to another resolution I had on my list; to take more pictures. I've been lucky and at the family outings we have lots of members who do but I've slacked off. So instead of sitting and wishing that I had had a telephoto lens for my camera to zoom in on the moose, I'll put it to action to justify saving up and getting one someday.

Finding the Christmas Spirit

2011-01-04T07:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas came and went at lightening speed. With all of Jacob's finals and projects (straight A's once again!) the month of December was gone before we knew it.
We did our normal traditions, singing and the candles on Sunday evenings,
and the new ornament with a family picture on the Christmas Tree. We decided for the year of 2010 to do a saddle as I went back to work at a Saddle Company.

I had a hard time finding the Christmas spirit this year. Our lives has been a whirlwind and I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. It wasn't until we went to church the Sunday before Christmas and I listened to the Christmas program. It was what I needed. Kirsten wrote a poem that same sacrament meeting that I want to share with this post. It amazes me how big of a spirit that such a small person has.

LOOK
Look, did you see the new shiny star that holy night?
Or did you see Mary's happy face?
Did you see the animals or the angels up high?
Did you see Jesus being so calm?
Did you hear the angels singing?
Did you see the three wise men or the shepherds?
Did you hear the sheep or the camels?
Did you see the gold and silver?
I did not hear or see any of these things,
But I've been learning about them and I believe.

By,
Kirsten

Mmmmm.... Turkey.

2011-01-03T05:05:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving last year was all about the food. Almost everything was homemade. Rolls, 16 pies, the turkey, 10 lbs of mashed potatoes, the gravy (not the stuffing). It makes me tired just thinking about it. By the time it came time to eat, I just wanted my head to hit the pillow.
I hate to brag, but this turkey was the BEST turkey I have ever tasted, and yes Jacob agreed too. The first day it brined in orange juice and salt. The second day it marinated with herbs, spices, and orange and lemon slices. Then it was cooked with different vegetables, spices, herbs, and a bottle of champagne. Axel was excited about Thanksgiving so I was instructed to get a large turkey. It was 22 pounds.
The two youngest sat at a small table next to us. Sparkling cider is always a request on this special dinner.
Hannah and Maddy also joined us for the weekend of fun. I really enjoy when family visits!
And we didn't forget the candy game, although we substituted paper plates for the board. It worked just as good.

1-1-11

2011-01-01T13:55:00.006-06:00

We are welcoming the New Year with smiles and new "steps."
It's been a long 2010 and I've fallen behind on a lot of things, blogging being one of them. Not only with my own blog but I've slacked off on reading and keeping updated on others too. The last two months have been packed with fun and activities and I didn't get any of it on my blog. So I guess you can see where this is going.....
Resolutions. Yes "blogging" is near the top of my list. Along with a lot of personal goals as well. I want simplicity this year. Nothing extreme. Just goals I can reach and know I'm not wasting my time.

Onto the family pictures. Of course, Jacob and I agree to disagree on which one to choose so I would like some outsider opinions. Number 1 or Number 2?
I always have learned the hard way. The lesson learned here was not to wear heels (especially 5 inchers) while climbing rocks. It doesn't work.

(Family pictures courtesy of Betsy. She did a great job since we were on a time crunch and the sun was not in the right place.)

Being Prepared....

2010-11-22T05:35:00.000-06:00

We are finally prepared....or at least the kids are.Jacob and I decided to be prepared financially and get the kids snow gear so they could play out in the snow this year without freezing after 10 minutes. I think I could count the number of times they played outside last year on two hands, maybe even one.
Cruz and Katanya decided to play kittens. We are now down to eight on that count. The last couple of weeks haven't been car friendly to them.
Cruz was actually the first one in. I would have to say that his gear is one my favorites.
I found Katanya next on the stairs laying down saying she was ready.
McKay and Kirsten made it the longest. Their goal is to build a big fort. This will be a couple days in the making.
The kids each picked their outfits and actually coordinated them pretty well.
The main important thing was that they came in warm and dry. Just like they went out. Mission accomplished.
Grandma and Grandpa Smith this year sent up money for their snow boots for Christmas. So even though they won't be wrapped and under the tree, they will get plenty of use out of them since the snow is still coming down.

Sunshine to snowflakes

2010-11-21T00:34:00.003-06:00

Last week, Jacob and I were flown down to Austin and spent four GREAT days in Austin. Jacob had an interview with National Instruments. We loved the trip....especially the sunshine. This was our first real trip without any of our kids.
This weekend, it all came down. Snow that is. There is still more to come.....along with some very cold temperatures in a couple days. Doesn't Austin look better and better?

Paprika.....

2010-11-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

The new color is in.It's the color of my couch.
And now my count is up to 16.

BOO!

2010-11-01T23:43:00.002-05:00

Now that you are scared out of your wits that I'm actually blogging........ Here is our first "nice" Halloween.
This year it was 44 degrees and it wasn't raining/snowing/or windy. It's the best weathered Halloween we have had in the 7 years we have lived here.
We took them trick or treating and made it to 19 houses in an hour and forty five minutes. That's what you get when you live out in the country.

Happy Birthday dear Cruz.....

2010-09-28T05:58:00.000-05:00

That is what Jacob sung as we sang to Axel on his birthday on the 23rd. He requested cupcakes instead of a cake.
We have definitely enjoyed having Axel around as he goes to school at BYU-Idaho. The kids are always asking when Axel is coming back. In fact he has a "assigned" chair for dinner time and even a night that he is assigned for prayers. (As each of the kids have their own day.) It's nice having someone appreciate your cooking.

P.S. Jake gets his name confused all the time. I think the latest that he called Axel was "babe".

Cruz turned "6"

2010-09-27T00:48:00.003-05:00

Cruz turned 6 on September 10th.He counted down for months for this day to come.
He got several good presents. DS Games, Money, and Legos.
Legos was a hit with all of the kids.
He requested Split Pea Soup and Chocolate Cake!

It makes it all worth it....

2010-09-24T12:25:00.004-05:00

I'm always running behind. I've got lots of pictures and lots of posts but by the end of the day my brain is done thinking. I took this morning off to help my kids and to catch up on a couple things. Only to my surprise there was a bomb threat in McKay's Middle School and now I'm waiting helplessly on more news. They are in lock down and she probably has her phone in her locker because she isn't responding to my text. The District Text stated all students were safe. I'm hoping it's nothing more than some sick person's joke. I've never thought of my kids being in an area where this would go on but I should know better. It could happen anywhere.

So on this Friday, I'm leaving a little note I opened to a couple minutes ago when I opened Kirsten's computer. And I'm hoping good news will come quickly.

By Kirsten:

MY MOM AND DAD ARE THE BEST

My mom dad is the best because he is super nice. My dad builds me Lego buildings. My mom is fun because she lets me play. They are awesome because they bake us dinner. They are fun, nice, responsible, awesome, and last but not least they care.

Kirsten's Baptism

2010-09-07T07:07:00.000-05:00

Our busy weekend continued with driving back from Utah right after court on Friday to beat family up here. Kirsten was baptized and confirmed by her dad on Saturday. She has waited a long time for this day.
She picked out the dress with Grandma Smith earlier in the year and all of last week we searched everywhere so she could have white heels that she wanted.
It was a very special day. Kirsten was worried that her hair wouldn't go all the way under so before she was baptized, I pulled it into a ponytail.
She had a lot of family there to support her. Hannah, Maddy, Axel, Aaron Schellenberg and his family, Adam Hayes and his family, Lindsey and her children, her primary teachers, a couple friends from church, and all of my family were there.
Since it's a very rare occasion that my family is "together" we snapped a few family pictures. It's impossible to get everyone looking and everyone visible so we'll have to do with the latter.

a mouth full

2010-09-06T05:54:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy weekend. We headed down to Utah Thursday to go to the final court proceedings Friday morning. McKay is now....McKay Addyson Anne Sturgeon Kerksiek. Jacob adopted her and she chose to add two extra names in there,Addyson and Kerksiek. Although, nothing has really changed, she's always been one of us no matter what her name was.

P.S. Can you imagine signing mortgage documents after she is married and she keeps all her names.....

Labor Day

2010-09-04T01:15:00.004-05:00

When Betsy was here, Jacob would have the kids work before they could play with the four wheelers.

Now, his latest "steal" has been these scooters.

A friend was throwing them away because they were broken and Jacob asked if he could have them.

After a can of carburetor cleaner, and pumping up the tires, these toys were ready to go.

If only we had these toys around a couple weeks ago.

Back 2 School

2010-08-31T23:53:00.006-05:00

I wasn't ready for them to go back, but it had to happen. School started Monday the 30th, for us. It was a cold and rainy day. It just confirmed my fears that once school starts, winter is around the corner.McKay is in 7th grade which means the start of middle school. It made me feel a little bit older.

Kirsten is in 3rd and gets to be the big sister in elementary.

Cruz started Kindergarten. He had waited so long for this. The main important thing was they came home with the smiles they left with.

Kirsten's Number 8

2010-08-29T23:25:00.004-05:00

(I'm behind on blogging but I've got to move on. I'll have to come back to the Kerksiek fun and vacation later)

Happy Birthday to Kirsten! (8 on August 20th)
Kirsten had a great birthday and I think she got everything she wanted....plus a little more.
And she had her favorite Texas Chocolate Sheet cake! Kirsten gets baptized this coming Saturday, September 4th, at 10 a.m. We would love all that can make it to come.
Now with all the kids in bed, backpacks packed, clothes laid out, it's off to school in the morning....

Y is for Youth

2010-08-24T07:11:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night plans were hiking the Y.

We made it to the top....with all the children.
McKay was inseparable from Aspen anytime they were together.
Jacob took the middle two on an adventure on the white-wash.
Cruz made it to the top and realized how high up he was. He is terrified of heights. Even being on my shoulders is too much for him. So he sat down and waited "patiently" by me until it was time to hike back before it got too dark.

Everyone made it down too.

Pictures are courtesy of Betsy as she is an awesome photographer!

Blogging Vacation

2010-08-22T22:59:00.005-05:00

Time to get back to real life.
We spent a week in Utah.
Then a week with Betsy and her family at our house.
And now a week is left before school starts.
I hope it's a LONG week.
So here is a recap of the past two weeks.

We went down to Utah for a week of Kerksiek fun. We left late on the 10th and on Wednesday morning (11th) we started off the first day going boating with McKay's grandparents. It was a first for all of my kids except McKay. It was a little windy and the water was a little choppy but it was loads of fun! I am 0-1 with the sunglasses. You would think that going to the beach so many times would have taught me something.

Bump, Set, Spike

2010-08-10T07:37:00.000-05:00

These are my "volleyball boyfriends," some of them, at least that is what Jacob calls them.Volleyball has always been a passion of mine. This past Saturday, Adam, John and I entered a 3 on 3 co-ed tournament in Rexburg with the proceeds going towards Rett Syndrome.
In the tournament play, we went undefeated. It was fun and I'd do it all again even though it took everything I had....and then some.....and I paid for it even more on Sunday.
So as I sit here and endure the pain, I think of what the reward was.
Entry fee: $15 a person
First place in our division: $100 gift certificate to EACH of us for Nike shoes.

Getting Back To Being That Guy You Met All Those Years Ago

2010-08-07T14:44:00.012-05:00

Dear Amy,

Thanks for taking off for the day to play in a tournament in Rexburg. So while you are enjoying yourself you have given me and the kids the perfect little window to finish our little surprise. Hopefully you did not look at the bank records too closely this week and it is still a surprise.

In the past year I have pretty much neglected you. I did not plan anything for you for Christmas. You were probably not too surprised when I forgot to get you a birthday present. I continued the trend when I skimped out for Mother's Day as well. In fact in general I know that I am not a very good gift giver. Yet somehow you looked past all of that provided me with a wonderful birthday this year.

I know that you have wanted a piano for a long time. I know that you really enjoy playing and that at times you are somewhat frustrated plunking away at our little electric keyboard. So just to come clean, on Tuesday when you thought I was at work, I had really gone to Utah to pick up an old piano that I had bought at an auction. I know, I buy lots of junk, but that's me. I spent the week tearing it apart and refurbishing it. I am surprised that I didn't get caught. It is not the greatest but all the same I hope that you enjoy it for the years to come. I love you.

Love,

Jacob

Continuation of the vision

2010-08-05T23:25:00.002-05:00

We finally got around to putting the other two lockers in and rearranging the bedrooms.
Lesson learned: Don't be too stubborn and move it by yourself. Your back will be in pain for at least a week.
Although, they do look pretty good and the kids love them!

Open to suggestions

2010-08-03T00:30:00.003-05:00

This is my kitchen.
I'm looking for a new color. I'm tired of orange.
It needs to match the light blue in the living room. It doesn't have to match the green chairs at the bar necessary because I can replace them from IKEA somewhat cheaply.

Any suggestions, ideas or anything?

Happy Birthday some more

2010-07-30T00:04:00.003-05:00

Jacob is 34!

"It was the best one yet." Is what he had to say.
Dale, Alice, Madeliene, and Axel came up for a day.
He milked it for all it was worth
But we all know he's done that since birth.

From Lasagna to Torte to Bullets and Compressor
I hope you have a wonderful 34!
P.S. More on the presents later too,
I just want to say "I Love you."

The best boss ever....

2010-07-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

Jacob fixed my boss's truck last Friday so he let me bring my kids to work. It ended up taking him a lot longer than the couple hours he thought it would.
After they played all day with the dogs, played up in the tree house, and jumped on the trampoline, Kent saddled up Spanky.
Kirsten began riding it while being led but after a couple minutes, Kirsten rode him by herself.
Cruz did the same.
Katanya couldn't figure out the reins so we led her around for a very long turn too. It was a hot afternoon and the kids soon found the water.
Katanya was the first to jump in.
Kirsten was the first to fall in.
Cruz was the first to be put in.
And I was the first to be splashed.......but it won't be the last.

P.S. How do you throw your boss in the water when you know his cell phone is in his pocket and it is your job to do the books, save money, and find a way to make more money?

Like mother, Like daughter

2010-07-26T19:28:00.003-05:00

McKay had a jammed pack weekend of fun. On Friday morning she woke up with a little pain in her hand. Nothing to slow her down. Saturday evening it hurt a little more and was a little swollen. Just a little as in the effect she had been rubbing on it all day. By Sunday evening it still hurt and was getting bigger so before she headed to camp we decided to get x-rays and make sure everything was okay. (Yes, another (very long) ER visit marked on the board.)

Turns out that my cartwheeling, (as she was doing these hours before we went to the hospital) backhand springing girl broke her pisiform bone. It was just an "chip" fracture as the doctor put it on the smallest bone in the wrist. His first question after the x-rays was does your daughter do cartwheels? Anyone that knows McKay, knows she is a gym monkey. So when did this happen? We figure on Wednesday at gymnastics but we can't pinpoint for certain. What a way to finish the summer.

Fill in the blank

2010-07-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Who's Missing?I was going to make this post on Jake and Axel and BYU-Idaho. I meant to get a picture of Axel by the chair and photoshop it together but I forgot. I guess that will be a different post.

Axel came and visited for a couple days. It was unexpected but couldn't have been more perfect. Jake is in the middle of finals and it seemed to take the edge off of everything! So Thank you Axel for coming up. My kids may have been a little "over excited" but thank you! We look forward to having you closer in the upcoming semester.

Locker Vision

2010-07-22T06:45:00.004-05:00

Back to the lockers. I better say it now. I was wrong, they don't look old and ugly.
Jacob paid $5 a locker ($15 a section). It's a good thing that he has the ability to see ahead. I'll say it again: I was wrong, it wasn't a waste of money.
We are putting a section in each of the kids' bedrooms. They each choose three colors and now they can put their personal stuff inside.
In McKay and Kirsten's bedroom we put them back to back for a 3' divider. Just enough to give them a little more of their "own" bedroom. When we finish the rest of the lockers, we will put another set on the end making it a little over a 4' divider.
For Kirsten it was almost too much, but as for McKay she wanted the 6' foot divider. I guess Kirsten still enjoys having her older sister in sight. Although I'm sure it won't be too long before Kirsten wants more of her own space too.

Meow x 5

2010-07-21T04:56:00.002-05:00

Over the fourth of July weekend, Jacob found kittens for the kids. We had to drive down to Blackfoot to pick them up. We took all five so it left one for each kid and one for a family cat. (Or in other words, an extra for when something happens to one of the cats.) There are Zurc, Claire, Hadlee, Oreo, and Princess Lily. As long as we've had cats outside there haven't been mice in the house but for the past year that we have had zero cats, it seems that we been fighting a losing battle with these pests.

P.S. This post is dedicated to Hazel since Betsy and her family will be coming up soon. She loved the kittens when she came up a couple years ago.

P.P.S. It posted a day later but the time stamp itself is real. It's finals week for Jacob and it looks like no one is sleeping Monday night. I'll be so happy when someone is a little less grumpy and he can relax for a month or so.

P.P.P.S. Check back tomorrow for the "locker vision."

No "Future-vision" for me

2010-07-20T07:08:00.000-05:00

When I came home from Texas a year ago I wasn't happy to see these in my garage. Even more, I wasn't happy to hear that Jacob had spent money on these. Betsy tried to convince me that these were "in" and modern. I still had no vision for the future in these lockers.......

.......(to be continued).......

Fat Lips and Mustaches

2010-07-19T05:55:00.001-05:00

Meet the MUSTACHES!

Good Ol' Ririe Days! Last Saturday afternoon my friends, Adam, John and I, got persuaded to join the baseball tournament with a team that we didn't even know. Turns out it was a pretty fun day and we came in second.

Although when asked to play baseball in the morning, I could tell I was having a pretty off day. It showed when my first catch (while practicing none the less) came to me in the mouth. Although that was my only mishap, the rest of the day I had 2 split and fat lips.

Pride?

2010-07-16T00:33:00.003-05:00

When I started working I knew I would be doing books and learning how to make the occasional "item." My first week I started making suspenders. The second week, I learned how to make slobber straps. The past week I learned how to make and put together headstalls. In fact I was so proud I bought (traded dirt) my first made headstall.
Now what do you do with just a headstall?

What would you do for $10?

2010-07-07T05:34:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Jacob filled up the hot tub to see if it had any leaks in it. (We haven't used it since 2004.) He filled it up with COLD WELL WATER. VERY COLD WATER. It was 56 degrees cold water.
And then told McKay that he would give her $10 to jump in it.
Honestly.....what kid wouldn't?
P.S. My price would have cost more : )

It's about time

2010-07-06T06:51:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday (June 26th) we officially welcomed Summer to Idaho. I think every year we are here the rain / snow / wind linger just a little bit longer. So we got out the swim gear and built a new pool (that's another post) and let the kids play all day (week) long. We also found a storage bin from in the garage that contained the goodies from our trip to Hawaii in 2005 and broke out the swim shirts. They haven't been used since way back when.

So as the kids have grown, the shirts were shifted a little. McKay is now wearing mine, Kirsten is in McKay's (it's still a bit short) and Katanya is in Kirsten's. Cruz is wearing his and it fits (just barely). It's good to know that we will get our money's worth (As we paid $35 a piece for them. I know that's a lot but how many times will we be able to take our family picture in Hawaii?)
The kids had been waiting too long to have a nice sunny warm day.
Cruz was my guinea pig....for only a couple minutes.
And Katanya can't ever be left out.
I love these kiddoes!

What'll we see at the zoo?

2010-07-05T06:42:00.001-05:00

While we were in Utah a couple weekends ago, we visited the Hogle Zoo. 3 out of 4 of my kids had never been there. Here were some highlights:
We got in and immediately went to the Elephant show. Kirsten fell in love with the Baby, Zuri.
I remember this fountain from way back when. So of course you have to get the famous picture of drinking out of the lion's mouth.
And of course the kids must climb on all the statues and have their pictures taken......and then more pictures of just them with the statue.
But most of all, I loved the giraffes. Cruz shares my passion for these animals. I would STILL seriously love to have some as pets. Maybe that is one of those things, "If I had a million dollars....."

A long anticipated birthday

2010-07-03T18:36:00.003-05:00

Turning four!

Two weeks ago (June 18th) was Katanya's birthday. She had counted down for weeks and when asked what she wanted she replied "a real phone (interpretation: cell phone). So a couple days before I sat her down and told her she was too young to have a phone and she said, "Okay, I'll wait til I turn five."
So instead she got an "ipod" (interpretation: mp3 player). Every other kid had one and she was always listening to one of theirs.
We celebrated early in the afternoon and had an ice cream cake. We headed down to Utah that night where we spent the weekend with the Kerksiek family.

Oops

2010-06-22T18:15:00.006-05:00

***NOT FOR THE FAINT***

Last Friday we were talking about being clutzy and I said I hadn't had an accident in a long time.

Last weekend was fun. We celebrated Katanya's Birthday (pics to come) and spent a fun weekend in Utah and it included swimming in an outdoor pool with warm weather, something we haven't experienced this year in Idaho yet. We loved seeing family that we hadn't seen in a long time!

Monday came too soon.....
This was my little "oops." I really knew better too. It was that split moment before it happened that I thought to myself, "I shouldn't be using this knife".

It hardly bled at all (despite the picture) and it only involved 5 stitches on the thumb and 7 on the pointer.

I'm surprised I remained so calm and it didn't hurt that bad. I think I coped with it by making jokes and laughing.

Lesson learned.

My baby isn't a baby anymore

2010-06-18T01:20:00.003-05:00

It's late and I'm going to bed. In the morning, my baby will be four. It's just that she's not my baby anymore. Where did the years go?

Sweet Deals

2010-06-15T23:21:00.003-05:00

Those of you who know me, I mean really know me, know that I LOVE the store Maurices. So while Jake was doing his homework last week, I was browsing the internet and I came across probably the sweetest deal I have seen in a long time. All of these jewelry items were just $1.99 a piece. Now my only regret is not getting two of everything so I had some spare presents for when birthdays came up.

Giguetta

2010-06-14T06:48:00.000-05:00

by Johann Sebastian Bach

After thinking it was on the fourth (and showing up) McKay's recital was on Friday (the 11th). My dad had come up the week before and with all the "confusion" he missed the recital. She did great and looked fabulous! Her and Grandma went shopping over Memorial Day weekend and picked out a new dress. McKay just keeps getting better and better.

A hunting we will go....

2010-06-12T15:22:00.003-05:00

Last week Jake bought the kids BB guns. I wasn't big on this but I was outvoted and had no say in the matter. So this week, almost every night he's taken them out to shoot at pop cans and birds.
On Thursday as I was running between doctor appointments, work, getting the house clean for our upcoming visitors this weekend, and going to Wal-Mart for groceries before Katanya had surgery on Friday they headed out toward the dirt piles. It was a cute site to see them all follow their dad with there guns.

(Katanya had surgery on Friday for her teeth. She had 8 cavities with 3 of them being very infected. Possibly the reason she was grinding her teeth very bad at night. Every time she has been put under before she wakes up with Stryders (croup). This was the first time she woke up wanted to drink and they let us go 20 minutes later. She was running around by lunch time. We are hoping she is outgrowing the croup and asthma stage).

Friday night Fakers

2010-05-26T06:38:00.000-05:00

Before midnight, this is what I found on the floor. (McKay was at a sleepover). Who's faking and who's really asleep?

Bike Train.....wreck

2010-05-25T06:14:00.001-05:00

A Sunday afternoon riding bikes. Notice the progression of the little daredevil at the end of the line.
She's definitely the one I have to watch
Because she thinks she is invincible.
And even when I heard the thump behind me and turned around....
I didn't hear crying, only laughing.