Summer Break

Brandon and Andrea came to Utah for their break between Brandon's internship and classes starting back up this week. It was really fun to see them. Andrea and I went to a cooking class and had a great time then came home and tried the recipe for the family the next night. The guys and Becky went golfing a couple of times and other than that we mostly just hung out here at the house. Everyone took Thursday off and we had a back yard barbeque and played games.



The little girls got along great. Jocelyn has been crawling up a storm and now she has decided she may be ready to walk soon. She was fascinated with Jax and Mo but didn't let them stop her from "walking" around the room. By the end of the visit she was pretty much running pushing that walker around.



I had to include all of these pictures to show that we don't lock Mady up but she thinks it is great fun to climb in the dogs cage and just hang out. It is pretty funny but Jax isn't sure he likes to share!



Aren't they both getting so big?!? Mady is 20 months old and Jocelyn will be 10 months old on September 3. We missed having Brittany here with Ian and Brinley but we did get to go to dinner with them on Saturday and visit for a bit. Ian is 5 1/2 and Brinley is already almost 6 months! Time goes by so quickly.

Steve is doing well. He talks to Brit almost every day and we get to talk to him every week or so. He sounds good. He says he is bored right now but that is just fine with me. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. His birthday is Wednesday, Sept. 2.

First Day of School!!!

Ian is starting kindergarten!! I can't believe it is time already but he sure is ready and excited. Brittany and the kids came to Utah for the weekend so we got to see them and all Ian could talk about was starting school. Sure makes me feel old. Check out the Spiderman backpack - I think it is as big as Ian!

Hawaii 2009

We were able to go to Hawaii again this year and I really love it. My favorite place in the world is sitting on the beach and watching the ocean. It really doesn't even have to be warm - but that does make it more fun.

We spent 7 days on Kauai and then 3 days in Waikiki on Oahu. Much different. The north shore of Kauai is so quiet and peaceful. Waikiki is a big city with LOTS of people but they were both fun. We spent the last day while we were waiting to get on the red eye home driving around the island. We went by the Hawaii temple and BYU Hawaii. I couldn't resist some of the scenic shots. Hawaii is so beautiful.
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Ian and Brinley!!

I love being a grandma!!! These are a few pictures I forgot I had. They are from when Brittany was here with Ian and Brinley. So Steve, I hope you like these - I will send you some copies in your next package.



Ian has been sporting a mohawk which everyone was trying to get him to cut off so he decided to get it cut when Grandma was getting ready to cut Grandpa's hair!! Isn't he cute?! The picture of him with his new transformer is the payoff (who says bribery doesn't work?).



Check out the picture of Brinley and the big cup. She was trying so hard to figure out how to grab that I couldn't resist snapping a picture. She is getting soooo big. I can't believe she is already 41/2 months old - and Ian starts kindergarten on August 13! Things change so fast.

4th of July in Mesa

Ok, so it has been a month since my last blog and we have been really busy so I figured it was time to update. We spent the 4th of July weekend in Mesa with Brandon, Andrea and Jocelyn. It was 107 there so I was not excited about going outside much. Luckily they have good air conditioning. You can't survive without it there. We went to the park (for some reason these are the only pictures I got) one night and Joc loved it!! Even Jeff and Brandon got into it on the swings. We went to Wicked for the Saturday Matinee and it was wonderful!! If you haven't seen it and get a chance it is WORTH it!! We had a barbeque that night with the friends that watched Jocelyn while we were at the play and ended up not going to fireworks, it was still over 100 degrees at dark and noone was too excited about getting into big crowds in the heat.

We always have so much fun with Brandon and Andrea. We are really proud of all they are doing and love spending time with them.

Update on Steve

Steve was able to call Jeff yesterday for Father's Day, of course it was during church but we do have to set our priorities!! He sounds good and says they are getting settled and into a routine. He got his first package we sent and said it only took about 10 days to get so that was good. He loved the card Ian sent for Father's Day with a recorded message and said he had already watched the two movies Brit and Ali picked out. His unit has seen action already but he doesn't talk about that much with me. For now he is safe and well and always in our thoughts and prayers. It was one of the best parts of Father's Day for Jeff - he got to see or talk to every one of his kids!! You really learn not to take that for granted when they are away like this.

Love to you all. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!!!

Write a Soldier!!

Hey, I just wanted to invite all of you to keep in touch with Steve. He is now in Afghanistan and would love to hear from everyone. He is pretty isolated so a card or letter or even an occasional package would be wonderful. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Doc Smith
ACO 112 INF
FOB Ramrod
APO AE 09355

Senior Trip - Cruise Time

So Ali and three of her friends decided to go on a Mexican cruise for their senior trip. Then they found out they need chaperones so another mom (Sue Hoffman) and I went as chaperones. We left Monday out of Long Beach and went to Catalina the next morning. We took a power raft tour around the island and saw Bald Eagles, Blue Heron nests and little ones, lots of scenery and then got out into the middle of a pod of dolphins!! That was a blast! They swam and jumped around us for almost an hour. It made the whole trip worth it.



That nigt was formal night. Everyone cleaned up very nice. We talked a couple of lone boys into taking a picture with all six of us and then, of course, we had to take one of them with the girls. They ended up running into each other often throughout the whole cruise. There were actually a LOT of kids on this cruise on their senior trips.

When we got back to our cabin we had a letter saying that now that the swine flu danger was past, the Mexican government was going to make us dock in port the next day instead of bypassing Ensenada as we had originally planned. We were there from 9am until 10pm. We really weren't excited about taking four 18-year-old girls into Mexica so we took a tour of the blow hole and let the girls do their shopping in the open air market leading up to it. They got their fill and nobody minded not going into downtown. We got back on the ship and did ship activities for the rest of the day. (and ate a LOT!!)



Our waiters were great. They made dinner a lot of fun. I think the girls had a good time even though it did get a bit stressful with four of them sharing a cabin with only ONE outlet!! Kind of funny sometimes. We got to the airport at 10:30 am Friday and our flight wasn't until 6:10 pm. Long day but we are home and slept in late this morning and I even have my laundry about half done. It was really weird not having Jeff on the cruise. I don't know if I would do that again but it was still fun.

Air Show

So on Saturday, June 6, we had the opportunity to go to the airshow at Hill Air Force Base here in northern Utah. It was AWESOME!! The weather was supposed to be rainy and we were afraid they would cancel but it turned out perfect. A little overcast and about 70 degrees with a light breeze! Anyone who has stayed out for something like that from 10 in the morning until 5 in the evening knows how important that can be.

Anyway, Ian had a blast checking out all the planes and climbing in quite a few. He even got to play with a few big guns!! His daddy would have loved it too!!

The little girls (Mady and Brinley) enjoyed the planes until they got too noisy. The Thunderbirds scared them a bit but eventually they just slept through it all. It really was great fun.

June in Smithfield

We actually had a few nice days of weather and the grandkids loved playing out in Grandma's backyard. Mady was learning to blow bubbles and insisted on doing it herself - she got more out of her mouth after drinking the bubbles than off of the wand!! Oh well, what can you do?

Graduation 2009

Well, she did it!! Ali is officially no longer a high school student. We had a great time with lots of family and lots of friends. I am putting up a few pictures now - no way can I put them all up.
Thank you to all of you for your love and support of her throughout the years. We are so proud of the woman she has become.



Aren't grandkids fun! And so is trying to get them to all look in the same direction!

quick note from Ali

Hi this is ALI, your all time favorite original Smith Female! Just wanted to tell everyone hello, and give you a quick update. Today was MY LAST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL! haha, i'm kind of okay with that.. tomorrow the Sky View senior class is going to Lagoon for the day, then Monday we've got some fun traditions we're going to keep up, plus I will officially check out of SV. Tuesday is the day. I get to wear an awesome see-through white gown and an uncomfortable cap haha, but i got cute shoes!! And just fyi I will be one of a select few wearing an honors band...Not to brag, but i am proud of that accomplishment. Just want to tell everyone thank you so much for all the support and love you've given me through the years. I have no idea where or who I would be without my amazing family! Thank you :) I will try to take some awesome pictures for everyone. LOTS OF LOVE! -Ali

Springtime in Smithfield

Mady loves playing in our backyard. She runs off so much energy it wears her out. I love the picture of her hugging Jax. He is so patient with her hugs and kisses. It is pretty funny to watch. The cat isn't quite so excited when he sees her coming!!

Senior Prom 2009

Prom started off with a day date. Ali and Quaid went fishing and had a Subway picnic. Luckily they only caught one fish and didn't have to clean it!!



Once Ali got back from fishing it was time to get ready for the formal night. After a shower (to get rid of the fish smell) it was off to her work for one of the stylists to fix her hair. It turned out really pretty.



Dinner was at Quaid's house - he and his mom fixed up a really nice table with flowers and a menu for the evening then it was off to the country club for the dance. She looked like a princess and they had a really good time with all of their friends.

Second Marathon - Are you crazy?!?

Well, he did it! Jeff ran in his second marathon Saturday here in Ogden. We got up at 3:00 am to fix him some pancakes and drive down to Ogden for the race. I got to sleep in the car for another hour or so until closer to race time. At least in this one closer to home there were quite a few friends and neighbors who were also running so it was fun to see them all come in. 26.2 miles sure seems like a long way to run. He cut 23 minutes off his last time - still not good enough for him but I think it's great! He says he is going to stick to half-marathons from now on but I will believe it when I see it. Brandon is already talking to him about doing the one in Phoenix again next January. We shall see.

He was so sore and stiff that there was no way he could help Kevin and Becky move so we watched Mady to help them out!! Poor grandpa!

They Signed!!

Kevin and Becky signed on their house Friday!! It won't actually record until Monday but they have signed all the papers and even get to start moving in this weekend!! They are all really excited - Mady keeps asking to go to the "HOUSE". She says it really well. They will now live less than five minutes from our house here in Smithfield. I will get more pictures of the house as soon as I can.

May 14, National Honor Society Dinner

Ali and her friend Claire are showing off their certificates they received for being in the National Honor Society for their senior year!! Actually, both of them have been in it every year since their Sophomore years. A pretty good achievement since they have to carry a 3.8 GPA and have great attendance and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember right now. We are really proud of our girl!

Colorado Springs for Mother's Day

For Mother's Day weekend Jeff, Ali and I went to Colorado Springs to spend some time with Steve and his family before he leaves for Afghanistan. We went to the Air Force Museum (Ian really loved that) and spent lots of time together visiting, eating, Six Flags, eating, swimming at the hotel, and of course, eating. Check out Steve and Jeff in the bibs at Joe's Crab Shack! It was a lot of fun and we are so glad we got the chance to spend time with them. I helped Steve make a Mother's Day card for Brittany. Ian got to decorate it first and then we tried to trace Brinley's hands and feet for her side of the card. She was not very excited about it but it turned out really cute.

It is a scary time for me as a mom to see Steve go but we are so proud of him and all he has done. We are glad he and other soldiers are willing to serve their country and just pray that Heavenly Father will watch over and protect him and his family in the coming year.

Mesa In April

It was snowing and 39 degrees when we left on Sunday morning. When we got to Arizona, the temperature was a sunny 85!! It was great. Jeff got to go to a golf school for few days and discovered muscles that he didn't know he had. We were all able to go to two different Diamondback baseball games and had a wonderful time. Jocelyn really likes baseball!! It was fun to be able to go visit Brandon, Andrea and Jocelyn. We always have so much fun when we go.

Good Looking!!

Don't we have good looking kids and grandkids??!!

Easter Weekend

Well, Brittany, Steve, Ian and Brinley got here Thursday night and the fun began. We got to visit with them on Friday and then Saturday Ali and a friend took the little ones to an Easter egg hunt and then came home to decorate eggs. The big guys (Jeff, Kevin and Steve) all went shooting and then had to clean all the guns when they got back (not a true Easter tradition but they had fun).

That afternoon we all drove down to Orem to hook up with Brandon, Andrea and Jocelyn and we all went to dinner at PF Changs. There were 14 of us total and it was fun to watch everyone trade around all the babies. Ian just wandered all around the table visiting everyone. After dinner most of us went bowling where Jeff beat everyone the first game and then Andrea beat everyone the second! Mady and Jocelyn hung out till they got bored then Joc fell asleep (I can't believe the noise she can sleep through!) and Mady took grandma over to the video games. It sure is a lot cheaper to keep them entertained at that age - they don't even need quarters.

Sunday morning we all joined together again to go to Brinley's baby blessing. It was so nice having the whole family in church together!! Including Jeff's parents! It was fun trying to get all four grandkids together for pictures so here are a few of my efforts.

In the afternoon we all went back to Jeff's parents for a little while just to hang out a bit longer before everyone headed to their other Easter activities. We had a really good time. I can't believe how fast our family is changing and growing!!!

Senior Tribute

Well, now I know graduation is getting near! Our ward had their senior tribute night on April 8th and six of the ten graduates were there. They put together a nice slide show of each of the kids and then their parents read a short tribute to each one. It was pretty fun but it is the first graduation activity so it makes it seem even more real.

April Fool's!

So it has been a little while since I blogged but I had to share these pictures. This is what we woke up to on April 1st!!! I guess they were just fooling about it being Spring. I thought it was pretty cool all of the deer right in our back yard. They come right up to the fence and are down in our front and side yard all the time.

Brinley

Well, I just got home from Colorado Springs where I was able to stay with Steve, Brittany, Ian and Brinley for the past week. It was a lot of fun and there is nothing sweeter than a brand new baby. I think she looks like Steve's baby pictures except that her hair is darker. She has gorgeous blue eyes, I hope they stay that color. Steve is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan some time in May so it was extra special to spend time with him after everyone else went to bed. He even let me win at rummy sometimes - what a nice son!!

Look Ma, No Crutches!!!

Ok, I don't have any pictures but I am off the crutches for three days now!!! I still have to wear the pretty full leg brace for another 4-6 weeks but at least now I have the use of my hands. It will make it much more fun to go play with my grandbabies!

I hate Physical Therapy (it hurts) but it is actually going pretty well. I have almost full flexion and I may be able to get it all the way straight in another couple of weeks. I even went to the gym with Jeff today and rode the bike for 20 minutes and then did my home PT exercises there. Baby steps. I have to remember that.

Brinley Renee Smith

Steve and Brit started a new blog which I have linked to mine. This is the first picture of Brinley but he promises he will add more soon. She came home Thursday in this cute little sleeper. I can't believe how much and how dark her hair is. My babies were all pretty bald and what little they had was so light blonde you couldn't see it!! I can't wait to go see her (ok, all of them) on Monday. Grandparenting is wonderful!!

I am a grandma again!!!

Miss Brinley Renee (that's right, I found out this morning what her middle name is) Smith made her appearance today, March 10th, at 9:35 am. She weighed in at 7 lb. 9 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Mom, baby and even dad are all doing well. Ian is excited to be a big brother!

Brittany's mom and little sister got there on Sunday and will be there to help out until next Monday when I will get there and get to stay for another week. I can't wait to see the newest Smith!!

I will post pictures as soon as I figure out how to get them off my phone.

Sweetheart's Dance

Ali and 31 of her friends went to the Sweetheart's Dance last Saturday and she looked really pretty. The formal pictures aren't here yet but this will give you an idea. They had a lot of fun, mostly just good friends hanging out which is almost always more fun!! I can't believe she only has 3 1/2 months left of high school!! I am getting way too old!

Knee surgery

Well, knee surgery isn't much fun. These pictures were taken on Valentine's day - two days after my surgery. I still look pretty drugged up. I will be on my fancy crutches for four weeks without putting any weight on my leg but I have already been to the physical therapist four times in the past ten days and things are getting better. I will see if Ali or Jeff will take a picture with my crutches since that is how I am living right now. I am learning to do lots of things on them but Jeff and Ali are having to pick up the slack. They are being really good sports about it. You can see that Mady is fascinated with grandma's funny looking leg. She keeps me smiling!!

PS Misty, take a look at my fancy pillowcases!!! They are the last thing I did before going to the hospital so I would be able to put them out on Valentine's Day for Jeff. They turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself!!

Colorado Springs!

So we went to Colorado Springs to stay with Steve, Brittany and Ian this past weekend and had a really good time. We went to a place called Garden of the Gods and it was gorgeous!! The temperature was 68 degrees and we couldn't have picked a better day. We just did the short hike because of my gimp knee and very pregnant Britt but we really want to go again when we go back.




The next day we took Ian to a fun park to celebrate his 5th birthday!! (Daddy was gone on maneuvers so we celebrated again when he got home). I think everyone had a good time. It was funny to watch the grownups play too. When we got home, Ian got to open a couple more gifts - he really is a ham.

We really had a good time and can't wait to go back and see Brinley when she is born.