Smith Family Vacation, Fall 2011

On the way to Disney this year, we left a few days early and had time to spend a whole day at the beach! The kids love it! They beg all the time and we either don't have time or Rich doesn't want to. This year, we insisted! :o) They had so much fun! We took sand castle buckets and scoopers. Took their old swim suits so they could sit, bury, or whatever their hearts desired that day! They had a blast! Even Rylan! We only had to fish the sand out of his mouth 3 times! :o) YUCK! Gives me the willies just thinking about it!

Mermaid Brinley

OH NO! Jordan is missing a leg! What ever will we do?!?!

They were both smiling till I snapped the picture!

Then they both pulled this at the same time :o)

Dallas was surprised at how heavy sand can get~ he could hardly move :o)

Their 3 sand castles

Being crazy!

And the beach boys :o)

So much fun! I'm thinking it's gonna have to be a new tradition every time! ;o)

Cohen's 1st day of preschool

I can't believe Cohen is in preschool! Looking forward 3 years ago, I thought this would take forever to come, but now it is here in the blink of an eye! He loves going to school! He only goes 2 days a week and is so sad when it isn't his day to go. He is learning to write his name and other letters and loves his teacher! She is such an awesome teacher! Brinley had her too and we love her! She is really good with little kids (even when they have an accident in their Halloween costume on her bathroom floor! Sorry, again!)

Macie turned 3!

Our princess turned 3! She was so excited to have her birthday! I love how little kids are so full of excitement and happy to be big! She wanted Princess everything, so she got it! Hot Pink and Lime Green! Jewel rings and crowns! Tiers and Tutu's! Who can beat that!

She wore her Sleeping Beauty costume ALL DAY! She loved it!

Making a wish!

3!

We love you Macie!

We are so happy that you are in our family!

I can't imagine life with out you!

Roastin' 'Mallows!

using the fire pit :o)

I do think that these Jumbo Marshmallows qualify as the biggest, messiest, gooiest, & stickiest Marshmallows EVER!

Back yard Adventures

This past summer we did a lot to our back yard! If it isn't one project, it's another! Last year we put down all of the rock for the RV pad and fire pit area and under the trampoline. This year we took our some pavers and poured a cement patio, used the pavers to make a wide border around the garden, took out some more grass to add some cozy trees and bushes around the fire pit, and put a fence & gate on one side. Our berry patch, complete with grapes, black berries, boysenberries, raspberries, and strawberries is growing in really nice! We got about 9 gallon freezer bags of strawberries this year! LOVE IT!!!

I didn't take a picture of the flower beds we put in the front of the new gate. I think it looks really nice. Now if they could just hurry and grow so they aren't so small :o)

Kindergarten here we come!!!

They can finally go to kindergarten!!! They have waited so long & they are so excited! They enjoyed being together in preschool this past year but I wanted them to be able to have their own experience in school so we requested that they be in different classes this year. They are loving their teachers and are learning so much! Yay for kindergarten!

(yes, we made Daddy come help with the 1st day of kindergarten! I didn't think I could bounce between classes and give them each the attention they needed. Yay for Dads!)

Holy Cow! Jr high!

We are WAY behind on these posts, but Dallas started Jr High this year! I don't know who was more nervous... Him or ME!!! He is loving it though! He is doing good and keeping track of his grades and assignments on his own! I can't believe he is old enough to be in Jr High! next time I blink he will be graduating!

Cailey and Kenzie are our big kids at school now! They are in 5th and 3rd. They are responsible to get the 2 kindergarteners home from school safely :o) So far so good! They are also loving there teachers and classes and doing excellent!

Back to School Family Dinner

Any one who knows me knows that I like to celebrate the holidays (big or small) with my kids... Well, back to school is a "holiday" around here :o). This year I found a really cute table idea on my new found addiction... Pinterest, that I knew I had to do! So, a trip to Walmart and a few dollars later we had all of our supplies.

I love doing stuff like this!

It's all about the presentation girls! :o)

For dinner we had...

A: Apples

B: Baked Beans

C: Corn on the Cob

Red: Red Grapes

Yellow: Yellow Squash

Blue: .... we ate on blue plates???

(finding blue food is hard :o) )

The kids have fun with this too :o) I hope they learn that you don't always have to look outside of your home to have fun! We can have fun, be together, and celebrate at home!

Long lost friends from Cali!

Once upon a time I went to High School with these 2 young ladies! :o) Heather, far left in green, lives here but we still had never met up with each other, and Ginger was here visiting for a month from Boston. It was so fun to catch up and visit. It serious feels like hardly any time has passed when you get together! Other than the number of little "us's" that get to accompany us :o) I'm so glad the Ginger arranged a get together! We will have to do it every time she comes! Our other friend Debi couldn't make it that day but we were able to catch up with her for dinner a different night and crazy me forgot to take my camera!!! Sorry Deb! We'll have to go again :o)