Dashing Through the Snow!

Harrison was PETRIFIED of going down the first day...now he goes down backwards!

Story of his life!

Regan insists on going down herself, but always needs help coming up..Ava to the rescue!
So sweet!

Ava was nuts from day one! Now it is not uncommon for me to look over and see that she has recruited a new friend to sit on the back of this contraption to slide down with her! I think she got discouraged after Regan and Harry had turned her down time and again. This girl will get her way somehow!

Notice this is a toboggan built for 3? The kids went down together the 1st couple of days, then it became a fight as to who's turn it was to 'go alone'. Thank you costco for having cheap sleds!

Our cheeks are nice and rosey and comfy cozy are we...yes he's gone down too...with me...I'm an idiot! About half way down I think to myself...What am I doing? I'm hauling down this hill at light speed with a 1yr. old in his pj's. Hopefully no one from CPS was looking!

Ava's 6! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A little toad she found while at our family cabin trip....ugh!

This is her clothes for the next day....are you dying????

I know this is so cliche but I really do rember holding her tiny newborn body in my arms like it was 5 minutes ago! She has honestly been such a pleasure to parent (thus far;) I am sickened that time is flying so incredibly fast. Her birthday was November 24, so I'm a little behind but here are 6 reasons I love AVA:

1) Her personality and zest for life bursts at the seams. She literally squeals with delight at ordinary everyday events. You should hear how she greets Walker in the mornings;)

2) She is totally service oriented. She wants to make everyone around her feel happy. Especially babies...it still amazes me how much she dotes on Walker, I call her my nanny.

3) She will draw endless pictures and notes for any and everyone with one main theme...rainbows and hearts and the signature 'i love you' written with a heart then her name.

4) I call her 'Fern' as in Fern from 'Charlotte's Web' because she loves animals so much she belongs on a farm! Nothing grosses her out...NOTHING!

5) She dresses herself and does her own hair (except Sundays I draw the line!) She now has started dressing Regan...heaven help us all! But her style makes me shake my head and smile.

6) She has a sincere desire to choose the right. I hope that lasts for the rest of her life:)

I love you Ava more than you will ever ever know! Happy Birthday:)

Love,

MOM

My name is Jill Smith and I have a PROBLEM!!!!!

So I started this morning off like every other morning determined to eat no sugar and stick to fruits, veggies, and good carbs. My brother's wedding is in December. Okay, so I know I'm not the bride, but hello....pictures galore! I thought that this would be incentive enough to be strong.

Obviously not! Anyhow, I was secretly relieved that I couldn't find the scale this morning to see what a month of eating what I want and not moving could do. By noon, it was as if some unknown force was leading me as I was stirring a pound of melted butter into 3 cups of sugar in a trance like state making what??? More popcorn balls!!! For no reason other than I had finished all of the other ones from Halloween, and 'needed more'. Hey I've got an idea, why don't I just skip the chewing part and stuff them down my sweats (that I sport daily) over my butt and thighs? The chewing takes longer... I paused and thought...no, I really do have a problem. Why was I making another batch of popcorn balls? Scott and the kids don't even eat them for the love of everything holy! Harry would, but he just got braces! What kind of mother am I?

For those of you who see me in the flesh on a regular basis and may read this, the next time I complain about weight loss...like its Walker's fault or something, do me a favor...SLAP ME! I just took my camera right now, and without touching a thing this is what was laying around a 3 ft. radius. Enjoy...but trust me, you won't as much as I have:)

The forsaken balls....

To wash them down. At least its diet! Heard it helps with cellulite...perfect;)

My faves...low fat!?!?!?!?

Have you tried these? SO GOOD! They only come out once a year!!!

I proceded to peer into the fridge...oh, looky here!

I love love love egg nog...I'm noticing a trend...large quantities of low fat stuff

Mmm pudding... Do you love how far back the tomatoes are? I don't even remember buying them!

NO, your eyes are not deceiving you, there are 2 ice cream boxes and yay, 2 MORE scoops:) The tin foil thing on top? Used to be twice the size before last night. It is frozen cookie dough from my visiting teacher...bless her. At roughly 10pm I showed Scott the treasure and he, without hesitation ordered me to fire up the oven. I believe in being an obedient wife. Visting teaching truly does bless lives.

REAL QUICK...

What is that building on the horizon...oh I think I recognize it...why yes, it is the gym. If I threw a rock I'd hit it. They don't know me there:( Yes this is taken from my backyard...shameful!)


Why a December wedding???? For the first time in my life I can't wait for the pressure of December to be over, then I can actually eat this stuff and enjoy it! Until then, I'll just eat it:)

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Greg downing some 'spooky juice'....yikes! Love Jamie's decor....how bout that brain? (Today)
The 'BRAIN SURGERY'!

oooooooohhhhhh.......so creepy!

Don't you love this???? Like father like son...both CRAZY!(Friday)

Nothing like a popcorn ball that DID smell so sweet on a Sunday morn:)

The ALWAYS happy spectator...WALKIE TALKIE:) (today)

4 Halloween Hopefuls.... (friday)

What was Regan's costume anyways? I bought her garb to be 'Jesse' from TS2 (her fave this year) and this is what she insisted on wearing...I know it looks like a witch but try~ a black shirt with black sweats and Ava's dirty skirt that she wore that day....then throw on a hat...whatever...LOVE HER!

My careful cutter/peeler.... (today)

Okay, I'm exhausted and so happy. Scott is asleep on the couch, the kids skipped baths and went straight to bed they were so tired. This is my favorite time of year...September thru December cannot be beat. There are so many memories to be made in those months and I'm a sucker for fun family traditions most of which include lots of baking and eating food that is so far beyond NOT good for you it should probably be illegal.

So, Halloween. I think it is a crime that people dislike this holiday because of the perceived 'dark side' of it. I never see that side...I guess maybe I choose not to see that. I love all of the happy decorations, the happy feeling I get thinking on 'Happy Halloweens past'. It to me is such a bright cheery time of year

I always start this month off with some sort of halloween pj's, and the only movies the kids can watch in the car are halloween related. I think Harrison was ready to scream because most were of the 'small child genre' like, 'Cliffod's Best Halloween Ever' etc.

Our festivities this year started Friday night with our church's 'Trunk or Treat'. It was great and the kids had a ball! Then yesterday, the morning was CrAzY but by 5 we didn't have much going on, so we loaded up the kids, went to a chocolate shop and delivered candy to a couple of families that live around us. We got home late, but it was a fun bonding time...I felt like we were Christmas carolling, sort of.

Saturday night was our church's Trunk or Treat. The kids LOVED it. We all had a great time. Scott even dressed up this year to be a 'mad scientist' with Harry. So adorable! Lookin' hot in those glasses honey!

Now today. Scott is gone very early Sundays so it is just me and the kids most of the day. I still wanted it to feel like halloween from the moment they opened their little eyes so...we started the morning off making popcorn balls...to die for (thanks Denise, I will not devulge the secret recipe;) then the carving of the watermelon brain...so fun! Then after church, we went to my brother Greg's house on the other side of town and ate soup, and drank spooky root beer (with dry ice YAY) and ate some of the popcorn balls and yummy halloween cookies. I feel like throwing up just talking about all we ate....I've neglected to mention all of the trick or treat candy I've been sneaking out of the kid's bags too....sick!

To summerize my thoughts tonight, I love being a mom. I know we all do. There is nothing like seeing the world through the eyes of a child. To me it rivals even being a child!

Well, goodbye Halloween 2010:( I'm sad that you came and left so quickly. You are coming and going faster every year.

P.S. sorry about the photo mix up at the top...I'm so bad at rearranging these dumb pics I just posted them they way they came out! Hence, the dates.

We love BOO and PARKER!

Suzy and Paker posing on Harry's 4 wheeler...don't worry Nate...no ER trips:)

Regan and Parker...lovers, and fighters....mostly lovers:) This picture makes me cry.

Suzy and Parker

Just an FYI, ever since our whole family can remember, my sister Suzanna has had the nickname BOO. She'll never shake it.

Almost a month ago, I called my sister on a Monday morning and said, I just miss you! She replied with the same emotions. We hadn't seen each other since Christmas. I think with age and especially with the passing of our cousin, one realizes that life is precious, short, full of unexpected trials and tragedy. Sometimes logic and reason must fly out the window when the need arises to want to see each other. Miracles occured and with many saved airmiles from wonderfully kind doners, Suzy and Parker (her to die for son) came for almost a MONTH! So much fun! She was able this year to make the family cabin trip! Yay! We laughed, we cried, we hugged, we randomly hugged and cried just so happy to be together! (you are allowed to barf...but its true) It was so great to get to know little Parky better. It made me sad at the beginning of the trip how he would look at me like I was a complete stranger. By the time he left he would come to me and just sit and snuggle...okay just once, but if you knew the energy this kid had, it was a literal miracle!

I miss you Suz, but I have faith and hope that you will be my neighbor someday;) Thank you for coming and thank you for being such an amazing sister. I love you.

Until We Meet Again.....

Merin, Mike, and baby Ysa

Mike and Merin

Merin and her mom Cheri

Merin and her older sister Eden

You are are both so loved and will be sorely missed

The last few days are a complete fog. I will have literal seconds when I'm doing something and I forget, then like a blow to the stomach, I am reminded that my sweet cousin Merin and her husband Mike are no longer here.

Friday night was a dark night for our family. My dad called around 10 o'clock and told me that Merin and Mike were involved in a fatal car accident on the way home from a wedding that the whole family had attended. He told me that Merin and Mike were pronounced dead upon arrival of the paramedics, and that their sweet baby 'Ysa' (7 weeks old) survived the crash. The sadness and emptiness is overwhelming.

Merin was a piece of heaven on this earth. Anyone who had the privilege of spending time with her, no doubt felt of her greatness. I can't picture her in my mind's eye without a smile. She never demanded center stage, yet ironically had it in many aspects of her life namely ballet. She was an accomplished ballerina who has spent time dancing in many areas of the world and has won numerous awards for her unique abilities. She danced at all of my married siblings weddings. Watching her dance was a perfect expression of who Merin is. Merin is grace, poise, polish, beauty in and out, softness, loveliness, and devotion.

She has left a beautiful legacy. One her daughter will be so proud of. Baby Ysa will spend her life on this earth in the arms of Merin's amazing sister Eden along with her husband Daylan and their children Deacon and Aubrie. This is certainly not the way I saw Merin's future unfold, but it is times like these that I am so grateful for the knowledge of our Savior in who has born all of our sorrows and knows us each by name. He knows Merin and Mike and they now will rest in his care......until we meet again.

I love you Merin

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Jolly? Really?

I remember pictures of myself as a baby in a contraption similar to this. We call it the 'JOLLY JUMPER' In my pictures, I must say, I did appear Jolly. Alone, attempting to jump in a jolly manner with no one there to break my stride. Poor Walker, not so sure how Jolly he could be being bounced up and down sporatically. I'm pretty sure this thing is meant for the growth and development of the baby's large motor skills, not for the baby's sisters to torture him. Oh, and did I mention the DrAmA??? Oh the pure drama of who gets to push Walker and how it should be done! It seems as though everything they do when it comes to Walker becomes heated. Judge for yourself. I'm not just saying this because they are vicious on this video, but honestly, Ava and Regan are such good little friends, but I swear caring for Walkie Talkie brings out the worst in both. I swear, If Walker lives to see his 1st birthday, he will be able to weather any storm that life may throw at him...trust me!

Bronchiolitis BITES!!!!

So this is what we've been up to for the last little while! I have done everything to keep this from happening (not going in public for the last 3 months) but to no avail! 'Little Guy' (our new name for him) is so sick and I cannot wait until he is back to being himself:( His bronchiolitis is now pneumonia and he is such a little trooper! It has been a little scary at night, but I am so incredibly grateful for modern technology, wonderful doctors who devoted a large part of their lives to school just to tell me what my child has, and medicine. Get better soon little guy, the world is not right when you are sick:(

Happy St. Patty's Day to all!!!

This quite possibly could go down as one of the best St. Patrick's Days ever. And the crazy thing is that we didn't even eat green or wear it purposely. Okay, confession, I think because it is spring break for my kids, I completely forgot about the green stuff. But by accident we celebrated fully with....A SLEEPOVER! With whom you might ask? Oh ya, my two brothers and their families who live here in the valley! It was just a hair brained idea that we followed through with and may I just say, we had a blast. I'm exhausted but the good kind of exhausted. We took the kids around the neighborhood on the four wheelers (I'm sure our neighbors loved us tearing up the little green belt at the park...all for the love of small children...who were in pj's the entire day!) No one wanted to ride with any other adult, they all wanted to ride with 'uncle Eldon', I wonder why??? Then when the kids got home, they were so hot Harry asked to put his feet in the pool, and ofcourse it only took a milisecond until the temptation was too great...in minutes, all the kids minus 'the little guy' were neck deep. It was borderline disturbing watching them jump in then stop breathing for 30 seconds because of the arctic like temperatures. Thank you Greg and Eldon for finally giving in and potentially taking a year off of your mortal lives jumping in with the kids. THE WATER WAS FREEZING!!!! Kids couldn't care less about hypothermia! Anyhoo...the only thing missing ofcourse were our other family members on both sides. Scott and I always marvel at how blessed we feel to love each others families. It is truly heaven on earth having your family close~ Let's do it again soon guys!

Miss 'O' (Olivia) cruisin' around being her cute adorable self amidst utter chaos:Yes, the children took a dip in sub-zero temperatures. Literally, after the initial jump, their heads would surface and they couldn't take a breath for 30 seconds I swear! Yikes!

I know Jodi will kill me for posting this picture of her prego but I had to get the adults supervising the chaos!

Greg also took an active roll in supervision before the big splash;)

Uncle Greg and Walkie Talkie (yes I swore I would never call him that, and I do...LOTS)

Miss Regan freezing in her Dora get-up!

Adorable kiddos! I pray Max and Andy never check this post as teenagers!

Eldon grilled up some mean chicken kebobs and steaks...YUMMMMM!

The kids just playing on the 4-wheelers one last time before bedtime!