Smith Family Fun

Hello!

2010-12-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! I can't believe that it is almost Christmas! Can you believe it?! Where did this year go? I have been so busy trying to get everything done for the Holidays, that I haven't even thought about posting on here. Oops! I am so excited though, I started a new blog that you can find if you click on my profile info. I did it for me, just to keep myself challenged I guess, but I have had a ton of viewers already! I am up over 1000 page views just in the last 3 days! Thats just nuts! The funniest part about it is that they are all looking at my snowman fridge. Not the crafts, but my cute little snowman fridge. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they are there, but it just makes me and Clayton laugh! It is so simple and cost us nothing, but that is what everyone wants to see. So go take a look!

The Boys' room is done (almost)

2010-11-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have had the paint for this little "project" for a while now, and we finally got it done! Well, as much as its going to be for a while. We plan on getting some new bunkbeds since these beds are falling apart and doing a few small things, but I couldn't wait till who knows when to share! I have to say, I love the outcome! Its seriously amazing what a little paint can do for a space! We painted the whole wall with a grey primer and then did grey on the top and a red on the bottom. I don't have the names near me but I know that the grey was Glidden and the red was from Walmart (it was an oops color one day while I was there so I grabbed it)
I wasn't sure how the space would turn out, Brayden's favorite color is red, but I knew I wanted to tone it down a little since he shares with Bryson. I really love it! We just need to fill the nail holes in the chair rail and I need to figure out the curtain "issues". I know we need something else, but I don't know what. I can't decide what color to go with, but the blue just isn't feeling right. I do have a few more things I plan on doing to the walls (some vinyl for one) and for some reason it wouldn't let me add all the pics, but here is the ones I was allowed to add! Let me know what you think! Clayton told me he gets worried every time I say "I was thinking" because he is just sure that its going to mean more painting. He is usually right, but he does it anyway, thanks Honey!
this is the best before I could find.

the lighting isn't great, but here it is!

Fall Crafts

2010-10-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have been in such a crafty mood! I think its the time of year, the fall weather is setting in and its time to find things to do inside. Clayton went hunting and for some reason I get a lot done when he is gone! Who would think! Having that extra few hours at night made a huge difference. I am glad he is back, and would NOT want to do that forever. I missed him like crazy, but it was sort of nice to feel so accomplished at the end of the week with all I got done.
Our ward had Super Saturday last week (a day of women crafting). I love going and was bummed I was missing it (due to no sitter), but now I am sort of glad I did! I went and picked up my craft kits and brought them home to work on and I think I liked the way they turned out better then the originals. The originals were good, but these are "mine" and I love them!
These blocks were cute for Halloween and I don't really have very many Halloween decorations. Not a big fan of all the gory stuff. But I am really liking the cutesy decor I've been seeing.

These Thanksgiving blocks were so simple, but I decided to sand and distress a little. That was not a good idea! They are so small and sanding was time consuming. But I love the look of them. I painted them 1st with a mustard yellow shade of craft paint I had on hand and then after sanding I added some stain to give it a little somethin somethin. ;) I love them now. Simple but cute.

I am a Christmas/ Nativity junkie so I knew I had to do these blocks. I am so glad I did! She had them painted in red white and green (I think?) but I am so glad I went with simple black and some sanding because it will go better with what I have and doesn't take away from the Nativity at the top or the saying. That is what Christmas is about and I adore this craft!

I love this little guy! I got the idea for him off a blog that for the life of me I can't find now! If you know where, please let me know and I will fix it. He is so cute and simple, just a paperback book with the cover ripped off and the pages folded. The branch in the top just didn't give it the umph I wanted so I took a piece of Halloween ribbon and gathered it and stuck it in the hole in the top. I think it gave it a little extra pizzaz. Nothing special, but I think he is a cutie.

My cute little kids wanted in on all the crafty madness and I remembered seeing this craft here and thought it was perfect for the kiddos. They aren't perfect but they were so proud of themselves. I think they turned out cute and can't be better than free! (we had all the supplies on hand). So this is a little of my madness, hope you enjoyed!
Linking up at

I love coupons!

2010-10-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have been couponing on and off for a while now. I love it. I love the savings, the free items, I just love it! I don't go all crazy and buy out the store or anything, but when I can get something free it is such a rush!
I dropped the kids off at school today because Brayden is starting a new program where he will be going all week instead of just a few days a week like it was. It was his first day, so I thought it would be nice of me to take him. He was a champ by the way and went like a pro. I was so excited! I adore those kids and to see them grow is so exciting! Anyway, Bryson and I stopped at Albertsons on the way home for some much needed "retail therapy". I am easy, what can I say? I don't need the mall, just give me groceries! :) I think this is the best I have done in a while. I got everything pictured here for $9.13, without coupons it would've been $93.81! That is some good savings! I had to pay $1 for each of the 6 bags of candy, and .20 for the 5 boxes of popcorn, but other than that all I paid was sales tax. So I ended up with 6 bags of Halloween candy(pixie sticks, so I won't be tempted to eat it before Halloween), 6 bottles of milk, 5 bottles of Gain dishsoap, 6 Yakisoba noodles, 4 bags of pasta, 5 boxes of popcorn, 2 lg Miracle Whip, 8 Mentos gum. Not too bad, if I do say so myself!

1st day of school...I had to do it twice!

2010-09-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well the school year is finishing up its 2nd week today. Wow, it goes fast! Courtni started 2nd grade and loves it so far. She is so smart and always seems to love to learn. I am so glad that is the case and that she really enjoys it. In fact, she is always wanting to play school when she isn't actually at school. Silly girl! She went just fine, she always does. I can tell she is nervous, but she doesn't cry or anything. That should make it easier on me but I think I cried harder this year than the last 2 combined! Maybe that had something to do with Clayton not being there and me having to do it alone. He really is my rock and I lean on him a lot.

Brayden actually started school the day after Courtni. That really was nice because this way I was able to go to the class with each one of them and spend a few minutes together. When we walked out to the kindergarten playground, Courtni got really clingy and wouldn't go over to the "big kid" side. She just started bawling. Where was this coming from?! I was in shock. She said she had held it in for the first day but just needed to cry now. I couldn't argue with that, since I felt like doing the same thing. Luckily Brayden didn't really notice and acutally played on the toys a little bit. I have to say I was so nervous to leave him. He is so stubborn and can be a real turd when he wants to be. I can't get him to do anything that resembles learning for me so I honestly didnt think it was going to go too well. When the bell rang and they all lined up he wouldn't let me go. The principal had to carry him into the classroom by his armpits because he tried to throw himself on the floor and she caught him. I felt like a horrible mom! Here is my super shy guy and I am just leaving him in a building full of strangers. I didn't want to leave! I know he plays it up for me, I am not dumb, but it was still so hard!
When I went to pick them up that afternoon his wonderful teacher told me that he did so good. He even participated!!! That is HUGE for Brayden. She thought I was kidding when I told her that I never ever volunteered an answer in school but I wasn't. Maybe I did in grade school, but once I was old enough to remember very well I didn't. I was so scared. To know that he was participating made me so very happy! What a big boy he is!
I know I say this a lot, but my kids are my life and to know that they are having a good time while they are at school is such a relief! I am one proud Momma!

more craftiness

2010-08-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have still been in the mood to craft and decorate like crazy! I don't get near as much done as I would like to, but have gotten a few things done recently.
First up is this cute little family sign. I don't think my crappy pic does it justice. It is metal and was painted brown when I bought it at my new fav store Hobby Lobby. It was cute, but I thought it would be even better black with some white distressing. So, I primed it with white primer, and then painted it black. I sanded around each letter and the decorative edging so that some of the white would show through and hung it in my stairway where I am working on a photo wall that is all black and white. Looks great there, I think.
Then I had a gift card to TJ Maxx (that I got free for doing surveys through Lightspeed consumer panel) and found this finial there. It was hideous and gold, but I liked the shape. I put it back down and kicked myself the whole way home. Fast forward over a month, I was in Boise again, so I stopped in to see what I could waste my money on(hehe!) and it was still there. Not only was it there, but it was marked down to $2!!!! Poor ugly little thing. I didn't put it back this time! I was so excited when I got it home. I am pretty sure Clayton thought I was nuts! I taped off the pretty red glass section on the bottom and gave it a good couple coats of primer and spray paint. I wish I had gotten an antique white, but I goofed and got regular. I still think it turned out pretty though. It is broken on top, but it went up on top of my cupboards, so you can't see that part anyway. Not bad for $2!

What do you think? Was it worth a couple bucks? I wish I had gotten a before pic, cause this baby was bad I am linking up to a couple parties again. At Thrifty Decor Chick And tatertots and jello

Drumroll please...

2010-08-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

We have a yard! (Please ignore the sad excuse for a garden that didn't work in the background) Finally, there is grass in our backyard! I am so excited...the only bummer is that they told not to walk on it for 3 weeks, just in time for the kiddos to go back to school. Oh well, it will still get plenty of use! It is gorgeous! Who would've thought that grass could be so stinkin pretty?
Clayton told me that he checked out our blog the other day and that I don't have any pictures of our shed finished. Oops. I took them, honest! Life gets busy! So here is for you Clayton, our purdy new shed :)

And here is one with the nice new grass
(ignore Courtni's little booty in the corner, the kids were enjoying the sprinklers from the patio since we can't go in the grass!)
Oh, I almost forgot! We have a nice new patio too! Our friend Matt came and poured it a couple weeks ago along with adding to our front step so noone would fall off and sue us!
It has since cured all the way and is the same color as the existing section.
We have been so busy since we got back from our little vacay. To top it all off, Brayden just turned 5! That is so hard for me to believe! He is going to be a kindergartener in a couple of weeks! He had so much fun! His party (which he decided to have this year after opting out of having one last year) is tomorrow, and I will have to post some pics. He is way into legos this year. Especially Indiana Jones Lego video game so he got some Indy legos as well as just some regular legos. He loves them! He is growing up too fast, I love getting to celebrate bdays with my babies, but sometimes I just want to freeze time and not let them get any bigger!

Our family vacation

2010-07-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Clayton has always gotten vacation time, but this year is the first year in our lives together that we have gone on an actual vacation. Crazy, I know! It seems like something else always comes up, we don't have the money, there is a family reunion, something. I mean, don't get me wrong, we love the reunions and the quick weekend trips to see his Grandma, but we have longed for a trip where we got to do what we wanted to do and we finally got one!
We still went to Utah, because we figured there is a lot down there that we have missed and the kids have never seen,plus we really wanted to see Grandma and my sister Lora and her family. First on our agenda was seeing Clayton's gma who lives in Lehi. I don't know what it is about her, but Courtni has always been so attached. She sends her letters regularlly, wants to call her all the time and just talks about her a lot. It is special and we really want to nurture that. We went there first and spent 2 nights with her. We didn't really do anything, just sat and visited. It was great! Relaxing and easy, the kids adjusted really well and Brayden even asked her to go to the park with him!!! (Anyone who knows him knows that this is a HUGE thing for him.
When we got done there we headed to Salt Lake. I don't know what it is about Salt Lake, but I have always been in love with it. I am sure that a lot of it has to do with the church history there, but its more than that. I love it. All of it. We were supposed to stay in a hotel just outside of SLC but it ended being scary. Long story. So we got out of it and were able to get a room at the Crystal Inn downtown SLC. We wanted to stay downtown so we could be closer to everything, so that worked out nicely. It was a nice hotel. The kids loved the pool. Even Brayden! He wouldn't get in the 1st day, but the 2nd while I stayed in the room with Bryson to get him to nap, Clayton took the kids to the pool and both Brayden and Courtni swam all over. They had their float ring things of course, but they were everywhere. I was so proud when Bryson woke up and I went to find out where the rest of my family was and found them in the pool still.
We crammed a lot into our 2 days there. We went to temple square (at least for a little while the kids got tired and bored but part of that was the fact it was lunch time. Shoulda planned that better). We also went to Hogle Zoo, This is the Place monument, the school where High School Musical was filmed (I had forgotten it was there until we passed it), and then got to see Lora for a while and went to the church history museum with her. I was bummed we didn't get to see her family, but we crossed paths. She came to Idaho for her vac and we went to Utah. Next time we will have to plan better. I was just glad to get to see her for a little while anyway.
There is so much more we couldve done, so much we wanted to do, but we only had 4 days, so I think it was pretty successful. I am just greatful we got the chance to make those memories. It was rushed, hectic and very tiring, but so worth it in the end!

Court's 4th of July dress

2010-06-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

I did it! I made a cute little jumper for Courtni. I think it turned out pretty cute. I was going to make it all one color (the white) so I bought the material that way, but then decided at the last minute I liked the blue better. What to do, what to do? I didn't have enough blue, dangit! so I thought it might be cute to divide it and just do the bottom section in the white. Not only did I sew the dress, which pattern I found here, but I changed it a little bit and veered off of the pattern and still managed to make it look decent! I am shocked! I don't have any talent in this area. Zero. Nada. This pattern was just so easy to follow, if I can do it anyone can, trust me! I know it isn't perfect, I made a couple adjustments, but it is all straight anyway! Now she can show off her festive side at church Sunday and still wear it to the bbq afterward to celebrate her cousins blessing day! She looks gorgeous in it, even if her hair hasn't been done yet. I can't wait to try to make some fun accessories to add to the festivity!
I can honestly say that I didn't know you were supposed to iron while you sewed, what a difference it makes! It looks so much more professional this way. Anyone who has a brain is probably saying, "duh" but I was clueless, now I am hooked and can't wait to sew some more!
I am linking up here

Meet Lexi...Plus the longest blog post ever!

2010-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

I did it. I tried to talk myself out of it for so long, but I caved. I got a puppy! Clayton has been wanting a pure bred boxer pretty much his whole life. It just so happens that he married an avid dog hater. Ok, so not so much a hater, I don't mind petting a puppy occasionally, but I don't like being licked, or followed, or to clean up after them. Call me selfish, but I have enough to clean up after at home! I managed to get out of having a dog around pretty much our whole married life(except for a brief time when I was preggers with Brayden, but that didn't last very long).
Well, the kids decided to side with dad, oh, um, I mean wanted a dog. We told them that we would when we got a fence. We have a fence now. The excuses don't work anymore. They are smart! I decided to man up, and give in.
It actually wasn't really planned. I was trying to decide what to get Clayton for father's day that he wouldn't find out about and that I might actually be able to surprise him with this year (if you know Clayton you know that is pretty hard to do). So I got on ZIdaho.com and did a search. There I found the cutest litte girl boxer puppy ever and her 2 siblings. They were registered, cute, purebred and a lot cheaper than regular price. So I debated about what I should do. (Ok, I tried to talk myself out of it). When Clayton got home I decided I needed to talk to him about it. Surprise or no surprise, a puppy isn't exactly a decision you make alone without discussing it with your hubby. I showed him the ad and told him what I was thinking. He just stared at me. Yep, just stared. I think he thought I was joking. Unfortunatley, I was not.
Our conversation went something like this: Him: "But you said you didn't want to have to take care of a dog because I am always at work."
Me: "I know, but I changed my mind"
Him:"You can't just change your mind on that. It is a big thing."
Me:"I know, but you are never going to find a boxer in this pricerange again, and I am actually excited about it. The kids would love her."
Him:"Whatever, you are lying."
(Apparently I am evil and would show him pictures of cute little puppy dogs that he has wanted since forever and then say, just kidding!)
He fell in love with the same one I did. I breathed a sigh of relief because her brother was not so cute. He was the ugly brindle fur color that is gross.
We called my wonderful mother in law who watched the kids for us. I didn't want to bring them, get their hopes up just to squish them back down when we left empty handed. We didn't leave empty handed. I have since questioned my sanity several times. What the heck was I thinking? But, then she looks up at you with those so cute puppy dog eyes and you can't help but love her. There I said it. I love her. Most of the time.
Most importantly, my family loves her. All of them. Brayden is terrified of dogs, even Betsy's microscopic chihuahua terrifies him. Not Lexi. He lets her chew on him, chase him, lick him and love on him. I am so proud!
I have figured out why God made puppies so cute. Its the same with babies. If they weren't cute, and did all the gross things they do, and you have to care for them the way you do, then you would get tired of it really fast. You would always be annoyed at them, and you would never want to do it again. He makes them cute so that when they look up at you with their innocent faces, you love them no matter what they just did. This way they grow up into a not so cute do slowly, gradually. You have already grown to love them by the time you realize the cute puppy is no longer,its now a grown up dog that isn't nearly as cute or cuddly. Pretty smart, because if we were born looking like adults who in the world would want to change our bums, or feed us?

My heart is full

2010-06-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

I just had to take a minute tonight to express how very thankful I am for everything that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. I get so wrapped up in the day to day monotany that sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am. I have the absolute best kids in the world. Sometimes I feel like I just need a break, I think that is natural, but at the end of the day, all it really comes down to is that this is where I want to be. I would be lost without them. Them and my wonderful husband Clayton complete me. As cheesy as that may sound, it is so very true. Today there was a tornado warning in our area. It was no big deal, but the only thing I could think about is how I would keep my babies safe and what I should do in an emergency. I am blessed to live in a part of the country where we really don't have any major weather situations like in other areas of this nation where it seems like there is some crazy weather situation. I love that.
I have really been working on my attitude, because honestly, I get really grumpy easily. I am not an easy person to put up with. I want things done my way or no way, and I know with kids (and husbands) that just isn't going to happen. I want my kids to be strong, independent, brave, spiritual giants when they grow up, and I have to let them learn things their own way. I have been really trying to let them do more and stretch their wings. It is hard for me, but to see the joy on their faces when they vacuumm all by themselves, reminds me that it is so worth it.
I wouldn't trade any of what I have, these kiddos were given to me to look after and raise into the best adults they can be. I really can't say anything more than that. My heart is just so full when I look at all I have and see the smiles on my babies faces. I love them with all my heart and just hope that I can convey that to them.

Great giveaway

2010-06-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to admit something. I had never heard about a Bosch mixer until a few months ago. I know, I am a loser ;). But, I have always wanted a kitchenaid. This baby has cured that want! From what I hear it is so much better! Go to this link for Deals to Meals and enter her giveaway to win one. Make sure you put on your entry that I referred you pretty please! She has a great site, with or without the awesome giveaway!

Still got the craft bug!

2010-05-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

I tell you, I have a major craft craving goin' on right now! Usually I just sit and drool over everyone elses beautiful crafts (my favorites list is always growing) but this week I have been making my own. What I have really been jonesing for is to get my home painted so I can hang up my awesome vinyl lettering that my awesome sister gave me for Christmas. But, since it is nice weather, the outdoorsy stuff has to be done first. :( No, I am looking forward to some fresh tomatoes and cukes this summer, not to mention needing a yard for the kids to play in, a garage that we can move in without holding your breath and squeazing through a narrow passageway, so I will gladly get that stuff out of the way first! So, while my hubby was outside putting the windows in on our beautiful new shed that he built (I am so proud of him!) I was inside keeping the kids busy with crafts!

In the beginning...

all we have left to do is put in the windows and paint. The color won't change much, but it is just primed for now. Didn't he do such a good job? He loves to build stuff and it always turns out so beautimous! Check out our yard, isn't it fabulous? JK, hopefully that is coming next along with some trees for shade!

Anywho, now that I have bored you to tears, on to the good stuff! I got the idea for these letters here. I copied her capital templates and then just went into microsoft publisher and made my own lower case. It was so easy! I love them! Mine aren't anywhere as cute or as perfect as hers, but I still think they are pretty good for someone who can't sew very well!

Ok, I know I am a doof. My lower case a is backwards. Oh well, it wasn't worth taking the pic over again by the time I discovered it.

I love them. I got most of the material from scraps from my mil and my stash. So basically all I had to buy was the batting. Not a bad little project. I have been playing with them with my 4 year old who puts his breaks on everytime he thinks he is about to learn something. Sneaky, sneaky! He doesn't even know he is learning, he just thinks we are playing a fun game!

This next project is my favorite. I bought some gaudy gold frames on good ol craigs list a while back with the thought to paint them black and start a pretty little black and white collage on my staircase. I was bummed though, because my favorite of the frames I got had this wierd defect. The paint would do this bubbly thing all around it. I don't know if it was something to do with the finish or what, but it just wasn't working. So, I decided to modpodge some scrapbook paper on it. Genius, I know! But really, it turned out even better than I expected! It is absolutley gorgeous! The paper I picked is black with silver writing on it. Not the greatest picture, but most of the frame did this wierd bubbly stuff.

I am in love with this after though! The pic is the one that came with the frame (obviously), I need to get some printed in black and white to put in this. I love, love, love it! Who would've thought, such a simple thing could make me so happy?! Anyway, I did some more, but they need some finishing touches put on them, so I will have to reveal them tomorrow maybe. I am so excited to show them, I think once I get some plate stands, I may actually like the space above my kitchen cupboards with the crafts I did a couple of days ago. I am loving this!
I am linking up to the diy showoff again, because I am obsessed with her site and I love looking at all the other links on her showoffs!

And also here

I love, love these sites!

Feelin Crafty

2010-05-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

So, since we moved into our home in August, I have had this obsession with decorating and crafting. I look at decorating/craft blogs all. the. time. Seriously, I have a problem! I look at them and think how fun they would be, but I am too busy looking to actually do them on my own! I have had a piece of wood I bought at DI probably about a year ago now that has been waiting. I've had it painted since Christmas time and was just waiting to order the vinyl for our home evening chart. I finally got it done! I love it! The only problem is that I wasn't paying attention and ordered 1 too many "jobs". There are only 5 people in our family, so I was just going to get 5 assignments, but somewhere along the ordering I ordered 1 too many and didn't notice until the craft was complete. Oh well, I still love it! I have several other small projects in the works that I am working on getting spray painted when the wind calms down enough, which, lately has been hard. I am finally trying to get the space above my kitchen cupboards decorated the way I want too. I have been watching that spot since we moved in and have a bunch of this and that up there. Clayton has all of his popbottles that he collects, I am trying to decide what to do with those. I am thinking the office to go with his MtDew ones that are already up there. Anyway, I am hoping to finally get it to resemble somewhat of what I am going for soon. I hope. Maybe. We will see. :)

So here are the pics of my fhe sign. It is so simple I know, but I love it! Originally it was someones chore chart and had 4 holes drilled in it for hooks I guess. I painted it black (thank you Glidden sample jar that was FREE by mail!) and then distressed the edges. I like it better that way, I probably could've done more, but I was rubbing it off in places I didn't want to so I stopped. Then I put a piece of sheet metal I got at the craft store and had my hubby cut down on with E600. Great stuff! After that I added the vinyl lettering. I don't remember the fonts I used but I got them off of scrapvillage.com. I like how the fonts the assignments are in is not super straight, it made it easy because then I didn't have to worry quite so much about making sure it was perfect. I thought I was being so original with the sheet metal because all of the ones I have seen were done with little hooks or something to hang the names off of, but then when I went to get the metal, the craft store had one displayed similar to it. Darn it. Oh, well, I still love it!

Oh yeah, I made the magnets at Christmas time with those little flat, glass marbles that you get at the craft stores and some scrapbook paper that I had on hand. It worked great because it had little sayings about family on it. I thought that was fitting since it was for a family home evening chart. I wrote our names on the paper and then stuck the paper on with E600. Turned out cute, and was so simple I should be embarrassed that I am even sharing it! But I'm not. Because I love it. Now if I could just get Clayton to hang it.

I am linking up with diy showoff but I can't figure out how to get her cute little button to post in this post so the link is www.thediyshowoff.blogspot.com

Bryson turns 2

2010-05-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 2 today! Where has time gone? Really, I swear to you it just seems like a few months ago that I was feeding him out of a bottle and giving him baths in the sink. He was such a cute little guy, not much has changed there. The proportions are bigger but he is just as adorable as ever. He has the added cuteness of the "beginning to talk" phase where everything they say comes out so cute and soft spoken. I love it.

He started out not being so sure about the opening presents part, but picked that up really quick when he figured out that there was something for him each time he got that blasted paper pulled off (which, by the way, took for.ev.er.) He insisted on pulling it off one tiny piece at a time. Even after he could actually see what was inside the box. He was even so gracious as to give me a courtesy "wow" when he opened up a couple of shirts that he needed, (not so fun, but hey, they were cute.) before he tossed them at grandma and reached for another package.

I love this little guy so much. He brings so much joy into our home. He is a clown, and a mischevous little guy but that just adds to his charm. For now. Ask me if I still feel that way when he is old enough to bring spiders in the house to scare me. :)

Happy birthday, my littlest sweetheart! You may not be a baby any more, but you will always be my baby!

Shrek and McDonalds house party

2010-04-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of house party? I was told about it this past summer and sort of forgot. It is a free program where you can sign up to be one of the people selected nationally to host a party at your house for different products that are new and they want feedback on.
Most of you that know me know that we are big Shrek fans at our house. Ever since Courtni was little, this has been a favorite for our kiddos. I am pretty sure that if we had it on VHS we would've well worn it out by now (probably a few times!)
Anyway, whats not to love about Shrek and free food? One of the parties you can apply for right now is a Shrek and McDonald's theme! How great is that?
I am pretty sure I shouldn't be telling you, because that increases my competition for winning! LOL, no, but how great would that be to get to host that. Anyway, here is the link, good luck!http://www.houseparty.com/splash/mcdonaldsmcnuggets

Happy Birthday to the most amazing man in the world!

2010-02-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Clayton's birthday, and I gotta say, I am so happy to be his wife! He turned 35. (shh, don't tell anyone). He is such a good daddy and hubby! Happy birthday, babe!
We also celebrated our 9th anniversary this week. I can't believe that it has already been 9 years! It truly doesn't seeem like it! Clayton makes fun of me all the time because he will catch me staring, or something will happen and I will be like, "wow, we are married!"
He doesn't get it, but it seems so bizarre to me sometimes! Its like I forgot I grew up and became a mommy! Somewhere along the line it all rushed so fast that when I take a sec to sit back and actually think about it I can't believe it is real. Does that make sense to anyone but me? I honestly never thought I would find a good guy. I always ended up liking the jerks and somehow I got smart and fell for a truly remarkable man. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for that. Clayton isn't perfect, none of us are, but he is Mr Perfect-for-me and I love him more every day. Happy Anniversary, Babe!

I've been tagged!

2010-01-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

I was reading my sisters blog, and she had been tagged by a friend. She tagged anyone who was reading her blog, so here we go! I am supposed to list 10 things that make me happy, not hard!
1. My kiddos
2. My man
3. a clean house
4. couponing/ getting a great deal
5. bryson's kisses (I love all my kids kisses, but Bryson is so little that he makes the cutest face when he is getting ready to kiss)
6. getting to church, having the gospel in my life
7. my family (both my immediate and in laws)
8. the time I have at the end of the day just for me
9. Ross (the store)
10. hanging out with my sisters

So there you go, I could go on and on, but it was limited to 10. Now if you are reading this you are tagged! HaHa! Please leave a comment so that I can check out your blog and see what you put

Happy Birthday Courtni!

2010-01-24T20:58:00.001-08:00

I am in shock today. My little girl turned 7! How did this happen? When did she grow up? Where have the last 7 years gone? I am so lucky to have her in my life and to get to be her mom. She really is an amazing little girl. I feel horrible admiting this, but I tend to take her for granted. She is such a big help to have around and loves to take care of Bryson. I really couldn't ask for a better first child!

I worry about how our relationship is going to be when she is a teenager. She is already so stubborn and strong willed, will we butt heads? We do now a lot, so I have a hard time seeing it any different. She is so independent, which I am SO thankful for, but it makes it hard for her to remember that I am the parent sometimes I think. Sometimes she reminds me of a teenager now, so I worry about those teen years. And as my mother in law pointed out today, she is "over the hill to teenagehood". Scary thought!

I am glad she is growing up and that she is a healthy, happy child. I am so thankful for that. I just wish that we could keep them little for longer, you know? I wish we could bottle up their innocence and child like wonder so that they would never lose it. I wish I could just freeze time and really enjoy my kids without all the interruptions of every day life. Just for a day. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

So tonight, as I get ready to go to bed I am full of mixed emotions. Does anyone else feel that way on birthdays? I get so excited to celebrate with them and see their joy, but it is hard to let her grow up too.

Anyway, I love you, sweet girl! Thanks for all the joy you bring into my life!

Our Christmas

2010-01-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had as good of a Christmas as we did! It was really peaceful this year. We weren't overly rushed and had time to enjoy our Christmas weekend! What a change!
A few years ago Clayton and I decided that rushing around, trying to make it to both of our parents homes for every holiday was too hard. We had Courtni and wanted to enjoy some of the holiday at home as our little family too. As our family grew, this was even more important so we decided that we would switch off every other year. (This year was my parents for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Clayton's parents for Chrsitmas day). We always feel really guilty no matter who's holiday it is because we love our families and we all get along so well that we want to spend time with both. We are HUGE people pleasers, and worry about hurting feelings, but this is so much better!
Courtni spent her Christmas break with walking pnemonia. I have to admit, when the Dr said the word pnemonia I kind of panicked a little inside. She explained that it isn't as scary as it sounds, it would heal itself in 5 months even without antibiotics. Dr Marvasti cracks me up. She is so relaxed about things, and was just trying to explain that it wasn't worth beating myself up for not getting her in sooner. I know it isn't as bad as regular pnemonia, but as if 5 months of coughing and feeling miserable would be any fun!
I am not sad to see 2009 go, I must say. I hope that 2010 is a great year! I have high expectations. Ok, not super high. Just if we could avoid getting sick every other day or getting hit by cars that would be great! ;) Don't they look so cute in their new clothes?

Courtni loved everything about Christmas! She had so much fun!

Brayden was a little excited about his new bike!

Brayden and Britnee love each other so much!

Bryson was so excited to unwrap the gifts. He was so fun to watch!

Bryson and his best buddy Brandon

Courtni, Madi and Ashlee showing off their cuddly new pjs! I want a pair!

2009-12-12T13:46:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Family pics

2009-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

My heck, as much as I am on the computer you would think my blog would be updated! I am too busy reading everyone elses, I guess! This fall my wonderful sister Betsy took our family pictures. We haven't had them done since Brayden was a baby. A little baby. We're talking like just a couple of months old so I figured it was time to get some again! It was such a good day for them too! It was a little overcast (which is perfect if you are a squinter like me) and just a little cool. The next day the temps dropped and it was so cold! Our timing was perfect.
Betsy took us to some spots by her new place in Meridian which were absolutley gorgeous! I fell in love with the rock wall with the windows! She doesn't give herself enough credit, but she is so good! I will let her practice on my family any time! Thanks for the great pics Bets!

This was at the end, and Bryson has had enough!

Brayden is so difficult to photograph, because he gets stubborn and won't smile, I was so glad that he did. Even if his fingers are STILL in his mouth!

Bryson did not like being held on to !

Brayden is doing his best Dr Evil impression!

Brayden is doing what Clayton and I would both like to be doing! I hate getting my picture taken!

I love the coloring of everything in this one. Brayden and his blasted finger again! I am glad Courtni likes getting her picture taken, it makes it easier for her to stay focused on the camera while we try to position the boys

Seriously, she is so gorgeous! I love her so much!

I tell you, these kids are my life! Seriously, I am such a proud Mama!

1st one and everyone is smiling. Well, I am not sure if Bryson is smiling or wondering what crazy aunt Betsy is doing making those faces!

Brayden's 1st preschool fieldtrip

2009-09-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Brayden started preschool a couple of weeks ago. Some of the moms in my new ward do a coop and I am so glad that they let me join even though very few of them even know me yet. He is doing pretty well, once I actually get him there! Well, on Wednesday the group of us (10 in all) went to Petco. I had never been there. (Don't really have a need to when you don't have a pet!) Apparently they do group tours where they get the animals out and let you pet them and they tell you a little about each animal. It was pretty neat. Brayden wouldn't actually touch any of the animals, but he did get close to them and looked at them. Hey, I will take any improvement I can get! I couldn't resist taking some pics. Brayden said his favorite part was the cat (I guess he doesn't get to see enough of those wandering the street around our house)! I was surprised, I thought for sure it would be the snakes and lizards!

He did really well, but he is a typical 4 year old and got distracted from all the animal talk. I guess spinning around the pole is more exciting then listening to how big all the lizards will get!

Brayden's fav part... the cats name was marmalade

Bryson getting ready to pet the baby boa

Our new home!!!!!!

2009-09-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So I kind of disappeared for the summer, sorry about that! We had to move to a house that we thought we were only going to be in for a month so we didn't hook up the internet. Well, our month turned in to four! It was a really long summer with no ac and miserable kids who wanted their stuff unpacked! I was to stubborn to do it though, cause I figured as soon as I did one of our home offers would actually get accepted and then I would have to pack it all up again!

Well, we finally got into our new home! I am so happy I can't even begin to express it. We are so lucky to be able to get in on a great buying market and find a home at a reasonable price. Courtni started 1st grade and gets to go with her cousin Ashlee. She is so happy about that and they seem to be loving seeing each other every day!

Brayden just started preschool with a group from the ward. He has only gone once so far but he didn't cry! That is a big accomplishment for him (he has been pretty attached to me since I was hit by a car this summer.)!

Bryson turned one and is a handful! My mom jokes that he is as bad as twins. At least I think she is joking. He really keeps me on my toes. He loves to jump off anything he can. I'm pretty sure he is going to be my first one to break a bone. I don't know where he gets all of his energy!

I guess I should explain about getting hit since I referenced that earlier. On July 3rd the kids and I were going to Albertsons to get stuff for the 4th. We were crossing the parking lot and the kids had just stepped up on the sidewalk when a little old man ran into me with the back of his car. He wasn't going very fast I am sure since he was trying to park, but it was fast enough to cause some damage! He threw me into the wall of the store where I was luckily able to keep myself from falling with Bryson in my arms. I was hurt but all I could think about was my kids and how close he had come to hitting them. I still get sick to my stomach when I think about it because he got me in the hip which happens to be head level for them. We were so lucky that I was the one hit! The guy apparently didn't know that he hit me and tried to go in the store to get his groceries. Luckily for me there were two nice old ladies who helped us out. One went in and caught him and the other stood with me and held Bryson. I have been suffering from a lot of neck pain but mostly some terrible migraines from the whole thing. My chiropractor is awesome and has been doing some acupuncture for the headaches. I am now a believer! That has helped so much! I'm not in bed several times a week because of the headaches anymore!

That is a little bit of an update since last time, I just wanted to post some pics of our new home. We've had a lot of people ask for them.

the boys' room.

the kitchen

Courtni's room. Its hard to get the whole thing because of the way the wall angles when you walk in her door.

the office is actually a little loft at the top of the stairs that worked out well. I just realized that I didn't get a pic of the living room or our room! Gosh, here I thought I was doing so good. I plan on painting in the next couple of months anyway so I will definitley do it then since I will probably forget again!

courtni's artwork

2009-04-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing my little Courtni loves to do, it is draw. She can sit for hours and color, draw, paint, anything crafty and artistic. I can see her being one of those women that I wish I was someday and be able to make the most beautiful crafts to display around her home. I love to watch what she comes up with when she is given just a simple white sheet of paper. She is so patient and has been trying to perfect her coloring skills so that she doesn't go outside the lines. I don't think I even knew that you weren't supposed to go out of the lines when I was her age, let alone care that I was! It is amazing how patient she is when she is coloring. This little girl who can't seem to sit still long enough to brush her hair literally sits for hours when she has something she is drawing or coloring.

It is so funny to see the difference between her and Brayden; she loves to color and do crafts, Brayden would rather play the wii. She takes her time and picks her colors carefully, Brayden colors everything the same color just to get it done! Brayden just doesn't have the patience to sit around and color, he needs the action of making Shrek beat someone up on his wii game. (I hope that isn't going to backfire on me someday!) Me, I just love to see them happy and watch their little personalities form. Not that I am going to let Brayden play the wii all day (much to his dismay), but it is nice to be able to know what they enjoy. Unfortunatley, the Easter Bunny didn't think that one through when he brought a new box of crayons for Courtni and Brayden. Oops, can't win them all I guess!

Anyway, I just thought I would post this one picture Courtni drew me the other day because it makes me laugh every time I see it. She lost two teeth on Easter this year leaving her with 5 1/2 holes in her mouth. (The one is only 1/2 because the tooth has begun to grow in). So that night she drew a picture of herself and taped a piece of floss to the mouth. You can't see it, but it is there and is part of the humor of the whole thing to me. Next to it she wrote, "Yor dodr Courtni pullng owt hr tooth" translation: "your daughter Courtni pulling out her tooth". What can I say, she is good at art, but hasn't quite grasped the spelling thing yet;)!

Growing like a weed!

2009-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

I have a few minutes alone, aahh, sigh of relief! Don't get me wrong, there is nothing better than spending time with my kids, but as the saying goes, "silence is golden"! Clayton and I had a date (does it count as a date if you don't actually leave the house and you still have a ten month old with you?) and took the opportunity to catch up on Lost so that we can join the rest of the world and watch it tonight! WooHoo! So, he went to get the kids and took Bryson leaving me with a few minutes of silence.
I got the cutest picture of Bryson yesterday. He has been sitting on his knees a lot lately and I wanted to capture it. I didn't think he would notice me, but he looked up at just the right moment and flashed one of his adorable grins at me! His new favorite game is pulling all the toys from his toy box and then leaving them. Just like his big brother and sister! He is getting so big! I can't believe that he is 10 months old already, where did it go? I think I forgot how fast they look like big kids, you know? I swear he shouldn't look this grown up already!

2009-03-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I just thought I would let you in on my friend Sarah's blog giveaway. You probobly have either seen or heard about her recently because she was in the Statesman and also on Channel 2 news. She is a couponer and gets the best deals! She has a blog that she just started a little over a month ago and it has just exploded! The ideas and things she has posted have really helped me because I just recently became addicted to the couponing game. I am no where near where she is, but I would love to save the money that she does. Anyway, check out her giveaway if you have been thinking about trying to save a little money with the economy like it is, you can't do too much! Its not something you have to devote a lot of time to, every little bit helps! Anyway, I have her button on my screen, it is the "thrifty mom" one under my sites I like.

Catching up

2009-03-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

It feels like I haven't done anything I enjoy doing for months now! Every time I turn around I have a sick kid, or I am sick! Well, for now anyway, my family seems to be on the mend so I can take a breath and try to catch up on my blog for the moment.
As I said before, I haven't really been able to do anything, so there really isn't much to share. Unless you want the gory details of who threw up when. Anyone? I didn't think so! I will say that this has been a hard winter on our family as far as illness goes and we have spent the majority of it cooped up in our house so we don't infect anyone else with whatever we have at the moment.
Poor little Courtni got a double ear infection last week, and while at the time that seemed pretty minor compared to Bryson throwing up everything he ate for a week, it proved to be a pretty big deal when her ear drum ruptured. Poor little thing! I knew she was miserable and had her take a nap. I was glad that she was at least asleep for it because it hurts like crazy! Now she has an excuse for ignoring us when we tell her to do something because she can't hear! Luckily she isn't old enough to have thought of that one!
I am so thankful that we made it to church today! I feel like we have become inactive because we have missed so much basically since I got pregnant with Bryson. So, since he is almost one, we have missed a lot of church. Some weeks the thought of getting us all ready seems impossible! I love the way I feel after I do make it though and truly feel like I can make it for another week. Courtni gave the article of faith today and it is so nice to see my little ones learning the values that I hold so dear and getting up there to share it. I was so proud of her!
Bryson has taken a couple of steps on his own. I can't believe it. He will be 10 months this week, wow it has flown. If he keeps up this pace he will be the first of ours to walk by 1 year old! He loves it and isn't afraid of falling, just goes for it whether you are ready to catch him or not! Unfortunatley I think he gets his temper from me. Don't tell Clayton that I admit that though! ;) If he gets mad he throws himself back no matter where he is. Then, when he smacks his head on the floor gets even more upset and cries like you did it to him! My mom says that I used to hold my breath when I was around his age and I passed out once from it. I keep waiting for him to do the same, considering the tantrums that he already throws.
Brayden is growing like a weed. I took him to get his hair cut yesterday because I couldn't stand the shagginess anymore. I usually take him to a friend of mine, but she hadn't called me back yet so I just took him to a great clips. He sat there like a little pro and didn't move at all. I was relieved that he didn't throw a fit. I guess clamming up in front of strangers can be a good thing when you need them to hold still! When the hairdresser got done cutting his hair she asked him if he liked it and he shook his head no. The hairdresser next to us thought that was the funniest thing. Leave it to Brayden! He did admit later that he thought he looked good. I don't know why he can't admit to things around people, silly boy!
So that about sums up what is going on in the Smith home! I hope that spring gets here soon so all of these nasty viruses will go away for another year!

Happy Valentine's day to the most amazing man in the world!

2009-02-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Since it is Valentine's day I thought that I would talk about the man I love. Clayton is the most amazing man in the whole world. He is such a sweet, giving guy who would give you the shirt off his back if it was needed without thinking twice. He treats me like a queen and never gets the credit he deserves for everything he does! I am so lucky to have him and to have the chance to be with him forever. On the 17th we will have our 8th anniversary. I can hardly believe that it has been that long! Even though he makes fun of me, I still can't believe that we are married. How did I luck out and get someone so wonderful? I could not ask for a better husband, daddy, soulmate. He truly completes me!

I wish that there was something that I could do for him to let him know just what he means to me, but there is no way to express love that deep. He is my strength and keeps me going when I want to give up. I can truly say that if I didn't have him in my life that I would not be here today. Thank you honey, and happy Valentines day.

"How did that car get under my bus?"

2009-02-05T20:21:00.001-08:00

Hey there all, I just wanted to tell you a funny story about Courtni. On Monday morning, Courtni's bus got in a little accident on the way to school. Of course, not being on the bus with her I didn't know this until the bus co. called to tell me after she was already safe and sound in her class. I felt awful, here was my little kindergartener all alone and probobly scared out of her mind about the loud, horrible experience on the bus.
I was going to go down to the school just so I could see her and make sure she was ok. I admit, that was mostly for my state of mind because I was going crazy! I stopped and thought about it first and decided that if that had been me in kindergarten I would have seen my mom at the school and instantly fell apart. So, being the brainy person that I am, I decided to call the school so I could talk to her, hear her voice, and get a feel of if she needed me. I underestimate my daughter. She is so much stronger then I ever was, and that is a great thing (most of the time). She was so embarrassed that I would call her to the office to talk to her on the phone. (She is embarrassed of me already, I can't wait for high school!)
I had found out from the bus co that the bus and the car behind it were both stopped, but the car behind that didn't and pushed the poor car in the middle into the bus. No big deal they told me. Courtni couldn't tell me a whole lot when she got home from school. All she knew was there was a loud crash and then a kid fell into the seat next to her. She didn't really even realize what happened just heard a loud bang and then the bus driver made them all get on another bus.
We were watching the noon news because my mom said they were going to have the wreck on there, and they showed the bus with a car under it. Ok, not totally under it, but the front window was pretty well crushed and it was pinned pretty good. Not exactly "no big deal" to me when I saw the pictures, I kind of started to over react. Those of you who know me well know that I have a tendancy to do that! I was getting upset that they had played it down when it obviously was more then they had said it was. Courtni was looking at the tv and turned to me all confused. She asked, "Mommy how did that car get under my bus?" I couldn't help but smile, Here I was all concerned about the "trama" my little girl had been through and she didn't even know what had happened! I explained to her that was the loud thump and what threw the kid into her seat with her. That car under her bus is what made her have to get on another bus. I don't know what she thought was happening. Her bus driver just decided to call it a day and park in the middle of the street?
It obviously was ok. Luckily for the high schoolers in the cars, there were only minor injuries. Lucky for us, the only injury around here was Courtni's pride when she got called to the office to talk to her mom!

I can ramble if I want to...its my blog!

2009-01-28T11:41:00.001-08:00

I don't know what it is today, but something has me extra emotional! Probobly not the best day to blog, but I couldn't resist! I just feel so very blessed today to be a Mommy and I am so lucky to have the 3 cuties that I do in my life not to mention their hot daddy! I know that I have so much work to do to become the mom that I want to be. I love them so much, I truly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my little family, I live and breathe for them! I don't know how I ever survived before I had them in my life, it seems like a lifetime ago!

Courtni just had her 6th birthday and that is so hard to believe! It has gone so fast. I admit that sometimes her strong willed personality is a challenge for me, but she is my baby girl and I would give my life for her! Although some days I question how we are going to make it through teenagehood if she is as stubborn as she is now, but I have no doubt that her strength will be a much needed attribute as she tries to survive through all of the horrible things that make up our world today.

Anyway, I guess I am just meloncholy because she is getting so grown up and needs me less and less every day, so that is probobly why I am so emotional. I am so proud of her and the little lady she is growing into!

Surprise, Courtni!

2009-01-17T19:50:00.001-08:00

A picture of all 14 kids we had here. Yeah, I must be crazy, it was a lot of kids!

I feel like my posts are almost always about Bryson. Sometimes I get worried that people will think he is my favorite, he is just so little that everything he does is new and exciting and ends up being posted for all to see. Anyway, don't anyone get too shocked or anything but this one isn't about Bryson! It is all about my beautiful little girl, Courtni who will turn 6 next Saturday. I can't believe that she is already 6, time flies (which, I also seem to talk a lot about!).

For her party she had decided to do a High School Musical theme since she is obsessed over the movies right now. We had it all planned and then she mentioned to me that it would be fun to have a surprise party like her cousin Tori did a couple of years ago. That got me thinking that it would be fun and I instantly decided that we could pull it off even if she did already know that she was getting a party. So I told her that it was going to be on the 31st so she could help hand out invitations and all the fun stuff but it was really for today! I filled out all the invitations while she was in bed so that she wouldn't see the date and catch me. Pretty sneaky, eh?

Clayton took her out so that we could get it all set up and then I hid all 12 of the other party goers in the toy room when they got to our house. She was so surprised! She had on this ridiculously large happy birthday hat that they had picked up while they were out. She threw open the front door and announced "here I am!" so that she could show off her hat. Then she noticed people there that weren't supposed to be (my cousins and sister Betsy). She tried to pull the hat off but not before everyone came out and yelled surprise. I have never seen her blush like she did today! She was so embarrassed! It was so cute. She told me later that she didn't want anyone to see her hat that was why she was so embarrassed. How do kindergarteners know about being embarrassed about their appearance? It seems like that shouldn't happen until they are older!

I was so glad to be able to pull it off and caught her with a big grin several times throughout the afternoon. It is moments like that where you know your child feels loved and special that make it all so worth it!

Here she is trying to get the hat off before she is seen. Too late!

Bryson standing

2009-01-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my little, bitty baby is growing up so fast! Ok, so he was never really little bitty, he has always been huge, but still! Bryson has begun to pull himself up already. He will be 8 months old on Monday. That is so hard to believe! I love all of their stages but right now this on is my favorite. It is so funny when he gets himself part way up and then can't figure out what to do to get the rest of the way up. This morning he pulled himself up on one of the kitchen chairs and his legs were out too far so he just stood there looking around for a way down. I love that even though he was stuck, he was still so proud of himself that he had a huge smile on his face! I can't get him to hold still anymore, he is too busy and soon he will be into everything. I guess it is already time for some serious baby proofing!

I can't believe that it has been so long since I have blogged. I have been fighting a vertigo spell that I just can't seem to get to go away and typing has been the last thing on my mind. I hope you all had a great Holiday and New Year. I know that we did and now we are jumping right in to Courtni's birthday in just a little over a week. So hard to believe that 6 years ago I was pregnant with her and had no idea what to expect! Six years ago I was still able to sleep through the night and could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to. It is funny how drastically a little baby can change your life and all the silly little things you found importand just really aren't anymore. I wouldn't change a thing (well except maybe the sleeping part haha!) I can't imagine my life without my kids and hubby! They are truly my everything and I am so lucky to have them in my life.

Christmas

2008-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

We started out Christmas break with actual snow! I was so excited! It seems like years since we had a real white Christmas around here! The kids were dying to play in the snow, but Clayton was at work and I couldn't take Bryson out, so they actually went out and played. It seems like when they go outside to play if one of us aren't with them they don't stay out very long, but they were having so much fun that I was actually sad to not be out with them. That takes a lot because I didn't even like playing in the snow when I was a kid! But they were so cute, Courtni was trying to teach Brayden how to make snow angels, but he wouldn't lay down. It was hilarious! Headless snowangels!

So another Christmas has come and gone. I don't know about you, but I always feel a little bit let down when it is over! All the build up and then it is done so quickly! I love Christmas with kids though. It makes everything so fun and new again. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, despite all the craziness that is our life during the Holidays.

We consider ourselves very lucky to have both sets of grandparents nearby as well as so many of our siblings, but this time of year it can make it a little stressful! Trying to make sure we get to both houses and give as much time to both while still having our family time can be tough, but the kids truly don't seem to mind, thank goodness! We decided a couple of years ago that we would switch off and go to one on Thanksgiving and the other on Christmas and just switch it every year. That works pretty well, as long as we go to the other set of parents on Christmas eve. Anyway, it makes for a lot of gifts and even more pictures with opening gifts 3 different places. That is probobly why the kids don't mind, right?! We were at Clayton's parents on Christmas eve this year and since there was so much snow they pulled out the 4wheeler and attached a sled. The kids loved it!!! They didn't even complain too much about their bums being frozen afterwards. I was surprised that Brayden even got on (he tends to be a little bit nervous about strange things).

It was a wonderful Christmas, probobly the best in years! We figured we would have a sick baby since Courtni and Brayden were both sick on their 1st Christmas (Brayden even went to the ER) but luckily for us we were given a year off! They all had a touch of a cold but nothing to keep them from thoroughly enjoying themselves!

Bryson didn't show much interest in the opening of the gifts, just wanted to watch all the excitement around him, and believe me there was plenty! I am so glad that we have him this Christmas to celebrate with us and complete our little family. We are so completley blessed!

Ok, Courtni really did get more than peanuts, but this was the best shot of her, and for some reason she was really excited about the nuts in her stocking!

This is about as much excitement as he showed all day! Even getting to sit with his favorite Aunt Betsy didn't make him excited about his gifts

Brayden wasn't so sure about this Santa guy coming into our house while we were sleeping, but he was so excited to find his very own gum in his stocking! He was, I promise, don't let the face fool you!

Free Scentsy

2008-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have a friend that sells Scentsy. Ok, I have a few that do, but Charissa is doing a giveaway! If you haven't heard about Scentsy they are a wickless candle that you put in an electric warmer and they melt cooler then regular cande wax. And the smell lasts so long! I have been in love with them for a couple of years now, I think I am addicted! Anyway it is ending soon, so go check it out! http://www.phelpsfamilyfun.blogspot.com

Elfyourself

2008-12-17T13:30:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Potty training, concerts and snow, oh my!

2008-12-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

They are just way too cute for their own good!
I think Courtni is beautiful in red!
Brayden looks way too grown up!
He looks huge here, but still so stinkin cute!

This has been one busy week at the Smith house! To start it off, last Sunday Brayden (who is 3) got up Sunday morning and announced that he needed to go potty! I have been trying to convince him to try potty training for months, but of course it had to be his idea! (Just a piece of advice, when it comes to potty training don't waste your time trying to force your little ones to do it. Both of mine so far have done it so well and quickly when they decided on their own that it was time.) He made it through all 3 hours of church in big boy undies and has only had about 5 accidents all week! I would say that is pretty good. He is so proud of himself, and I am pretty dang proud too!
Courtni had her school Christmas program too. I didn't know that they did that in kindergarten, but this school does! It was insane in the little gym at the gradeschool with all of the other people there, but she was so cute! The kindergarten sang 3 songs and she just beamed the whole time! I was lucky enough to sit right in the front (because I forced my way and sat on the floor in a pile of other crazy parents) but the pictures still didn't turn out.
We got all ready for church today and I was a week ahead so I got the kids all dressed in their cute little Christmas outfits. I was saving them for next Sunday since it was the week before Christmas, but oh well! They all looked so cute. I had to take pictures because I don't know how many more times I will be able to get Bryson and Brayden to put their ties on! It was also our 1st snow of the season that actually stuck when it hit the ground. The kids were so cute watching it all morning to see how much more was sticking. They were so disappointed when it was beginning to melt when we left for church, but they ran through it and were very thankful to get to the church so we could go inside where it was warm. I thought that was funny since they begged me all morning to go play in it! I guess they must get their love for the outdoors from me:)!

On the Go

2008-12-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe how fast this past 6 months has gone! One day, I have this newborn baby who needs me for everything, and next thing you know he is crawling! Yes, he is crawling. I don't know how anything can be more enjoyable or entertaining then watching your kids go through their milestones. I seriously love it so much!
Bryson has been our little steamroller for several weeks now, but last night he actually crawled. I know in the pictures it doesn't really look like he has moved, but in person you could actually tell. (Don't you feel like you are looking at one of those flip books of him moving?) As the night progressed he ended up making it all the way to the Christmas tree. He does the cute little army crawl and sort of kicks off with his toes. So stinkin cute!!!!! He is so busy and I have a feeling that I will later regret my enthusiasm for him crawling, because he will be getting in to things and causing all kinds of mayhem, but for today I am reveling in my sweet, little guys newest accomplishment!

Just a little update

2008-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season, we are here! We got the tree and decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, the kids wouldn't let it go a minute longer, which was fine with me, because I love it too! It seems like we just get even more bogged down with things we have to do this time of year and don't take the time to sit back and smell the mistletoe! (ha!ha! I made that one up myself, can you tell?) I hate that, I want to be able to really focus on what matters most during Christmas! Oh well, I guess we take whatever spare few minutes life throws at us and hopefully use it wisely because I really think it makes it even more special when we try to keep the focus on Christ's birth.
I just wanted to take a minute because I haven't blogged about any of our goings on around here for a while now. I can't believe how fast Bryson is growing up! He is already 6 months old and doing so much! At his last well child check, his pediatrician told me to make sure that I had poison control's number handy, because I was going to need it with him! He is just so busy and won't settle down for anything, so she decided that meant he was going to be a troublemaker! He finally cut a tooth a couple of days ago and is working on another one. I hope it comes in soon, because he is miserable and I hate to see him not feeling well.

Here he is actually taking a tiny break from rolling all over the place to see what Brayden and Courtni are watching on tv. I thought it was cute the way he was laying. It didn't last long, soon enough he was off to get into something else!
We spent Thanksgiving over at Clayton's parent's house and while we were there he took some tiny crawling steps (is that what they are called when you crawl?). It was too funny because he looked like a caterpillar! He gets up on his tiptoes and then scooted his hands forward, went down on his belly and then stretched that way again. I have never seen anyone crawl like that before.
Brayden is just as onery as ever! He managed to bend his glasses all up and had to get them adjusted just to get them to sit on his face, not to mention that he popped the lens out at the same time. Poor kid got his coordination from his mom! He was trying to jump off the couch like Courtni, but seeing as he is my son, managed to hit his face on the coffee table instead! He had the tiniest of black eyes, but was fine thank goodness!
Courtni started the weekend off with a quick trip to the walk in clinic. She has an ear infection. I felt bad because I almost didn't take her in because she wasn't really acting sick, just an earache. In fact, while we were waiting for the doctor she couldn't remember which ear we were there to get checked! That had me really doubting, but it was infected! She is doing so good with school and loves every minute of it.
So, the Smith's are doing good, and since I am not sure how much I will get to blog between now and Christmas, I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays!

8 Things!

2008-11-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

8 Favorite TV Shows:

1.Greys Anatomy
2. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
3. CSI New York
4. Ellen (when I get to watch it)
5. Cold Case
6. Super Nanny
7. Worst Week
8. Desperate Housewives

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. closed my pampered chef party
2. made dinner
3. showered
4. Laundry
5. picked up the #4 book to Twilight from my mom
6. talked to my mom on the phone
7. played at my sisters
8. got Courtni off to school

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. spending time with my hubby
2. bedtime
3. Christmas
4. my kids' birthdays
5. having all my chores caught up (will that ever happen?)
6. seeing Twilight
7. being with my family forever
8.watching Bryson's firsts

8 Favorite Restaurants
1.Red Lobster
2. Chilis
3. Olive Garden
4. Golden Palace
5. Red Robin
6. Panda Express
7. Goodwood
8. Jack in the Box

8 Things On My Wish List:
1. To lose weight
2. be out of debt
3. have all my kids active in the church and married in the temple as adults
4. a big family vacation
5. no more migraines, or sicknesses in our home
6. buy a house
7. grow really old with my hubby and watch my kids and grandkids grow up
8. be a better mom

8 Things I am thankful for:
1.Being a mommy to the best kids in the world
2. Being married to my best friend who is also an amazing man!
3. Getting to stay home with my kids and not have to work
4. My sisters and Mom and Mom in law
5.Living in the USA
6. freedom
7. My family's health
8. This time of year because I take more time to reflect on what I am thankful for!

8 people I tag:
1. Betsy
2. Katee
3. Wendy
4. Emily
5. Stephanie
6. Kim Warren
7. Tory Jackson
8.Maryhelen

Courtni's school picture

2008-11-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post Courtni's 1st school picture ever! This is her kindergarten year, and she is loving it! She finally got her picture packet and brought it home today, so I had to share just how beautiful she is! I would kill for her curls!
Things are good here in the Smith household. We are finally recovering from our annoying colds and seem to be on the upside healthwise, until the next virus hits:)! Bryson is getting so grown up and is rocking on his knees now. I keep waiting for him to start crawling because you can tell he wants to so bad! He is the most active baby we have ever had. In fact, I lost him the other day! I left him on the living room floor to go make lunch for the kids and when I cam back he was missing. He had rolled underneath the coffee table! Crazy little guy! He is everywhere, and I am sure will soon enough be into everything as well! I love the stage that he is at, he is jabbering, and smiles so much! Just such a little doll, and I love watching him!
Brayden is good, just as onery as ever! I got to see Britnee this week, so he has been so happy! He is doing pretty good with his glasses, although I am not sure how he sees anything through all the gunk on them! I can't believe how dirty they get! He is learning so much and can now count to ten and is actually saying some of his alphabet. I love watching his reaction when he realizes that he figured something out. He gets so excited. One of my favorite things about him is how he shows so much on his face. When he is excited his whole face brightens up and you can just feel the excitement coming from him.
Courtni is doing so good in school! She just got her 1st report card and is doing excellent. The teacher says that she is her little helper any time they have a sub, she is the one who gets to explain to the sub what they are doing. I am sure that she loves that, because she loves to be in charge! Mrs Lords said she picked her because she is so smart and she knows that she will make sure it gets done the way it is supposed to be done! She is loving making new friends and it seems like she is constantly coming home with a story about someone new that she has played with that day.
So, that is the excitement in the Smith house this week! I hope you are all doing well and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A fox out our back door

2008-11-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, the craziest thing happened today. We live in a small subdivision, nothing really fancy, just your typical cookie cutter subdivision. Behind us is a canal and an empty field. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of a cat searching for its next meal back there, but nothing too exciting. But today we saw a fox. Who would think, right between two subdivisions filled with people and hardly a decent sized tree anywhere to be found we would have a fox out our back door! It was kind of cool to see. The kids thought it was great and enjoyed watching it, Brayden kept trying to get its attention, which being a loud boy he did and it soon got spooked and left. I don't think that we would have the opportunity to see that while up in the mountains, let alone virtually in our backyard with so many houses around! Clayton got a picture, but the camera didn't zoom in too well, it makes it look farther away than it was, which was just across the canal. You have to look really closely, he blends in with the weeds that are there. I just thought it was such a bizarre thing to see so close to home that I had to share!

Halloween with the cutest kids in the world!

2008-11-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

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So another Halloween has come and gone! Time to put the costumes and trick or treat buckets away for another year! We had a good time here, lots of candy, trick or treating and fun. Courtni dressed up as Hannah Montana, and I must say that she looked beautiful! Brayden was SpiderMan, but wouldn't let me paint his face because I accidentally called it makeup instead of face paint, oops! And Bryson was an absolutley adorable cow for his 1st Halloween. They all looked so cute and were so excited to get free candy! Courtni had her 1st school party and I was so excited that I was able to go help. She had so much fun, it is so nice to watch the excitement of all of these little things through their eyes. I don't remember ever having as much fun on Halloween as I have had this year. Having the kids get older and begin to really understand what is going on just adds a completley new spin to it. Now it is time to focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love this time of year and can't wait to watch my cute little kids enjoy it!

Brayden shooting a web at the camera
Courtni striking a pose which she picked herself. Isn't she beautiful?
Bryson is the cutest little cow I have ever seen!

Tag

2008-10-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is my 1st tag so here we go! You are supposed to go to your 3rd picture file and download the 3rd pic. Mine was a pic of Clayton putting Bryson to sleep and they looked so cute I had to snap a pic. No cheating! And now I am tagging Jen Clements, Joanna, Ashley and anyone else who reads this and wants to do it! Tag you are it!!!

Brayden gets glasses and Bryson sits up!

2008-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

I guess that the title of the blog pretty much says it all, doesn't it? Well, good night! No just kidding! We finally got Brayden's glasses today. He looks so dang cute in them. I wish that he didn't need them, but they are so adorable it almost makes you forget that. It was so funny once he got them adjusted and went back with my sister Betsy (she works for his optometrist) to get a balloon, he came down the hall looking at the carpet really closely. I think he could finally see what it actually looked like and was soaking it all in!
I am glad that they have a warranty because I am afraid we are going to need it! We already had to take them in to get them adjusted because he was playing and they fell off his face and got stepped on. He seems to be doing well with them though, hopefully he will continue to and will be able to see better!

I tried Bryson in his boppy again today. Just a couple of days ago he couldn't stay up so I didn't hold much hope for it. He sat there for a little while. He did good, but then would get so excited that he would fall over because he wouldn't hold still! He was so proud of himself and I think that as he gets better he will be much happier having a little independence. So, today was an eventful day and I am ready for bed. I hope you are all doing well, good night!

...My only Britnee

2008-10-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! It is the end of another day and yet here I am again! I just couldn't resist sharing the cute thing Brayden did today. He has a cousin who is a few months older than him named Britnee that he absolutley adores. They are best buds and would spend hours together just running up and down the hall laughing hysterically the whole time! He is always telling me that "Britnee is best my friend" to which I can't help but smile. They are adorable together and can't get enough of each other. If Brayden ever puts you in the same category with Britnee you know that he thinks you are pretty special and that you are about as cool as they come!
Today I was trying to put Bryson to sleep and he was being really grumpy. I guess that it must have finally bugged Brayden enough because he asked if he could sing to him. I was shocked because Brayden is painfully shy and won't usually sing, dance or do anything out of his comfort zone even at home. For him to offer to sing is rare, I don't think it has ever happened before! So I immediatley told him to go ahead. He got really close and began to rub Bryson's head and to the tune of "You are my sunshine" began to sing, "You are my Britnee, my only Britnee!" He couldn't have told Bryson he loved him any more than he did in that moment!

Little Loverboy

2008-10-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a minute and share just what a sweet little boy my little Bryson is. Ok, both my boys are sweet, but this time it is Bryson that got the attention! He loves to kiss me. Sometimes he will just grab my face and start kissing whether I am ready for it or not. I love it and the drool doesn't phase me one bit! I have to take advantage of those precious kisses while I can, before he figures out that there are better things to do in life then kiss his mom!

Oh the things they say!

2008-10-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hello, Everyone! Me and my family just finished dinner and Courtni said the funniest thing! I just had to share it with you! To start off I have to say that my family is huge chocolate milk drinkers. We have to buy the giant containers of the Nesquick powder at Costco because they drink so much of it. Clayton grew up dipping his toast in it for breakfast and still has that as often as he can. The kids have learned to love it as well, so we go through quite a bit. Anyway, I am not such a big fan of the powder, I would rather have the yummy thick stuff that comes already bottled at the store, but every once in a while I drink the other. I was getting the kids a glass to go with dinner tonight and it sounded good so I mixed some up for myself. Courtni got so excited that I was drinking chocolate milk with them. She said "Oh, Mom, you are going to love this chocolate milk. It tastes just like chocolate!" She was so excited to let me in on their little secret. I just thought it was so cute because it didn't even dawn on her that it was called chocolate milk, so it would probobly taste like chocolate. They are just too dang funny sometimes!

Eating Solids...Sort of

2008-10-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Bryson is becoming such a big boy! We tried to feed him some baby rice cereal this week. He was not impressed! He just kept spitting it out and even cried! It was so sad! We tried it againg a couple of days later and he ate it a little better, but not much. I guess he just isn't ready yet!

Bryson

2008-09-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, last but certainly not least is Bryson. He seems to be the joy of our home. There is a spirit about him that I just can't seem to put into words. I think maybe it is the closeness that babies still have with Heavenly Father, and the thinness of the veil that allows us to feel that presence too. It seems that no matter what is going on or how we feel when Bryson smiles we all cheer up! Not only that, but it seems to be everyones goal to make him giggle! He has such a contagious smile and uses his whole body when he does! He literally folds himself in half! He is just 4 months old, but it is impossible to imagine life without this little guy.
It is crazy just how much he looks like Courtni as a baby but yet so much his own self too. There is such a difference between all three of them that there is no way to mix up who is who in the baby pictures!
We are so lucky to have Bryson as the caboose in our family and I get such joy out of watching his little accomplishments each day. I am determined not to miss a thing and savor each new thing he does. Our family is forever and I am so beyond blessed to have these three kids!

Brayden

2008-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Brayden is 3 years old and such a character! He is so shy, that few people get to see the true Brayden, but once he gets to know you, watch out! He is hilarious and loves to goof off. Being a boy he takes great joy in taking things apart whether they are supposed to come apart or not! He loves to make a mess especially if its with his best friend and cousin Britnee. They are hilarious together and can't get enough of each other.
His favorite thing to do is make Courtni scream and the two of them pick on each other quite a bit. I guess that is part of being a sibling! He is the only one of our kids that looks like my side of the family from the square shaped feet to the shape of his eyes there is no denying that he has Sharp in him!
He has such a loving personality and his hug could melt your heart. There is definitley something special about him and I can't help but smile when he flashes one of his little grins at me. I think I am going to have my hands full with his adventures, but I wouldn't change a thing!

Courtni

2008-09-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Courtni is our oldest and also our only little girl. It is hard to believe that she is 5 already and has started kindergarten. She loves school so much and is so excited to get to ride the bus each day. She has the most beautiful natural curly hair that falls into these perfect little ringlets, I am a little jelous!
She loves to be a big sister and sometimes forgets that she is a sister not a mom, but her and Brayden play so well together. She loves getting to hold Bryson and her favorite thing to do is make him laugh. Her favorite thing at school is PE (is she my kid?;o) She would sit and do crafts all day if she could and is such a good little artist.
She is definitley strong willed, we butt heads about it now but I really am thankful for because in todays world I am afraid she is going to need it! I love her to pieces and I am so greatfull for the chance to be her Mommy!

Tami

2008-09-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am Tami, aka Mommy to the cutest 3 kids in the world! I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. I can' tell you how blessed that makes me feel. Sure, it has its challenges but I enjoy nothing more than taking care of my kids!
I love to bake, scrapbook (when I have time),shop,read, play with the kids and my favorite chore in the world is vacuuming. I don't know why, but I feel so peaceful and happy when I have just vacuumed. I have recently discovered that, though I lack much talent, I like sewing. It is fun to make something and have it actually turn out looking decent.

Clayton

2008-09-28T07:51:00.001-07:00

Clayton is the daddy in our family. He is such an amazing man! I am so lucky to be his wife. He is one of those guys who isn't happy unless the people around him (especially his family) are happy and goes out of his way to make you feel better. He is so giving, kind hearted and just an amazing, amazing person!
He works for Nagel Beverage which is the local Pepsi bottling company for us here. This job is perfect for him because he is addicted to the stuff! He really enjoys it. They are very good to him and us with so many perks that most employers don't offer.
He is an outdoorsman all the way and loves anything he can do to get him in the fresh air, especially if it means a trip to the mountains! When we met, he spent the majority of the summer camping, fishing, 4 wheeling, etc. but now settles for a chance to do it whenever time permits. Our brother in law Dave once told us that Clayton was smarter in the mountains because he has all of these little shortcuts and is prepared for just about anything while camping. He is definitley in his element in the crisp mountain air!

1st time blogger

2008-09-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog everyone! We are the Smith's; Clayton, Tami, Courtni, Brayden and Bryson. I just started this blog thing, so give me some time to figure it all out!

Our little family is from Caldwell and we want to be able to keep those we love (you) in touch with what is going on in our lives! Right now I am sitting here typing and listening to the sweet sound of my silent house! I love when the kids are in bed and you can peek in on them and they look so sweet and innocent! Checking on them before I go to bed is one of my favorite times because all of the craziness from the day is gone and it is just their sweet little selves all snug in their bed! One of the many joys of being a Mommy!