SMITH

Party Time!!!

2011-03-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun celebrating and spoiling Grandma for her birthday yesterday! The kids and I ran around on Saturday picking up balloons and a bundt cake. We decorated, had a yummy dinner, and opened presents. Hopefully we made Grandma feel as special and loved as she truly is. Not only did I hit the jackpot when I married Corbin, but I hit the jackpot when I gained Robyn as a mother in law! Such a fun day to celebrate her and all she does for our family! Love you Mom!

Spring!

2011-03-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

There is nothing better than Spring in Colorado!

happy at home

2011-03-09T15:01:00.001-08:00

and this is why. I love that every day when I am in the kitchen making dinner I get to listen to beautiful music played by my beautiful daughter.

love day

2011-02-15T14:09:00.001-08:00

After running around crazy all day to valentine parties, it was time to party with my valentines. We started by making heart shaped personal pizzas, a family tradition, and the kids loved it. Then we played a little "minute to win it" game, using conversation hearts and chop sticks. Then we ended our love fest with dessert: chocolate fondue no less. We also squeezed in a little FHE lesson too. We shared our favorite story of Jesus. Love my little ones, love my sweetheart, love my family, love my Savior, love my life.

Christmas 2010

2011-02-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

2011-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

In December Easton's preschool put on a performance of the Nativity and then sang some cute Christmas songs. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen! Easton was the smiliest shepard ever! He did so good and we loved watching him on stage!

2011-02-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to attend Ella's dance recital in December of the "Nutcracker". She loves going to dance each week and seeing her friends and Ms. Muffie. As a Mom I am so grateful for the sweet teachers we have been fortunate to find for our little ones that love what they do and truly bless our lives. Ella was beaming, she was so excited to have all of us there. DeAnne came in a little late and right in the middle of the performance she ran over to hug her! After the show, Ms. Muffie lets the girls go up stairs and feed her wooden nutcrackers..crackers! Great job Ella!

Ella turns 6

2011-02-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Life has been crazy in the Smith house and by crazy I mean super fun! We had a wonderful Christmas with most of my family here including my 6 month old nephew, Jaxson. After everyone left it was time to celebrate our Phoebe Eleanor's 6th birthday! We had dinner at Outback with the family and then took a few of her friends to Chuck e Cheese. Ella is the sweetest spirit. She brings balance to our family. She is always kind and quick to share anything. She truly has blessed our home in so many ways. Happy Birthday Ella Bella!!!

Elise's Choir Performance

2010-06-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

We were so excited that Elise decided she wanted to join choir this year. She did great and learned some great songs. Her choir performed in front of the entire school, at Starbucks, and at an assisted living home. Although they were few in number, they sounded great and had a great time together.

Ella's Pre-School Graduation

2010-06-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

It was such a joy to watch Ella learn so much this year at pre-school. We have been so fortunate to find such amazing, loving teachers for our little ones. Ella loved going to Ms. Karin's and Ms. Stephanie's on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And now I can't believe that she will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. Great job Ella!

Mother's Day

2010-06-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on blogging, but I did have a wonderful Mother's day! We were on our way home from UT and had the chance to stop and have dinner with my Mom. So grateful to spend the day with my little ones and my Mom, who truly is my best friend. I love being a Mom and I love having a Mom I talk to everyday!

Friends

2010-05-19T20:06:00.001-07:00

Whenever we are in Utah we try to hook up with Trista & Brynlee so that Elise and I can get our friend fix for awhile. This time we got to steal Brynlee for the day. Needless to say Elise was in heaven. Oh how we miss our friends!

Party in Utah

2010-05-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in Utah a couple of weeks ago. We drove up to celebrate Grandma Wonderful's 81st Birthday and to hang out with all of Corbin's cousins. We ate yummy food, held new babies, got beat playing Rook by Grandma and Suka, and watched the little ones run around the church like crazy people. It was so great to get the updates from everyone and just be together. Love this family!!!

Spring Break 2010: Day 5

2010-04-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to be able to meet up with our friends from Castle Rock, the Crawfords. We took the kids to the Wildlife Experience and they loved it! Ella & Grace picked up right where they left off and they were so cute holding hands. Then we hopped on over to McDonalds for lunch. We are getting a little sad that our fun week is coming to an end. Luckily we have an Easter Egg Hunt in our future!

Spring Break 2010: Day 4

2010-04-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

The kids love making a decorating sugar cookies for Easter. Again they are getting more and more creative! Later in the day we went to Chuck E Cheese to reward the kids for filling up their "Teamwork" jar with marbles. It was so fun and they begged and begged for more tokens, but luckily we had a basketball game to go to! We love being able to support Corbin play church ball. It's so fun!

Spring Break 2010: Day 3

2010-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

The kids woke up ready to color some eggs, so that's exactly what we did! I love how the older they get the more creative they get. We now have 3 dozen gorgeous colored eggs in our fridge and they keep asking me if they can do it again. Later in the day it was time to finally tell my girls the secret I had been keeping from them...tickets to "Mary Poppins"! So off to Red Robin we went for dinner, their choice, and then we headed downtown. It was so good and the girls absolutely loved it! Day 3=Lucky!

Spring Break 2010: Day 2

2010-03-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Even though it was almost 80 yesterday we headed to the indoor pool for some swimming and the kids had a blast! After the pool we had to go to our dentist appt. But the kids did awesome, especially Easton this time. He was such a Big Boy and the ladies at the office just can't get over him. His head was seriously twice as big when we left. They kept telling him how awesome he was doing and how handsome he was. And the best part was...No cavities! Later that night it was time for a little Mommy time! Dinner at Bonefish grill and then an evening with Michael Buble. And he did not disappoint. He was funny, adorable, and oh yeah he sang great too! Day 2 = So Cool!

Spring Break 2010: Day 1

2010-03-30T08:11:00.001-07:00

After a relaxing weekend, Spring Break in the Smith house has officially started! We were all in need of a little vacation from school...so day one we headed to Target for grocery shopping, yeah! Well, the kids were not that excited, but we had to get some provisions for the week. Then after Corbin got home from an appointment we were off to the Zoo! Then we finished up our evening with dinner with the Elders and a great family home evening lesson on Nephi's Courage! Day 1=Fun!

Spring is here!

2010-03-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

And Spring in Colorado means snow! Tuesday night it snowed so bad that on Wednesday Elise got a snow day. She was so excited! After the sun came out later that day the kids headed out front to play in the snow. The night before we made these cute little sock bunnies. Don't worry Grandma I have one for you too!

Meeting THE Bunny

2010-03-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

For the last three years we have pretty much had a private meeting with THE Easter Bunny thanks to our wonderful Uncle. This year was so nice because none of the kiddos were scared or cried or had bright red faces in the annual picture! We love that this is a tradition now in our family and can't wait until he visits our house this year!

Nice Visit

2010-03-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

So excited that my sister, her husband, and their cute pregnant belly were able to come spend a few days with us this weekend. We went out to eat a couple of times and bought some cute baby stuff and really just hung out and enjoyed each other. I love how even though my kids haven't seen Uncle Garrett for about three years (because he's been busy keeping our country safe), they took right to him making him feel so comfortable and loved. It was such a nice visit and now I'm hoping that I can make a little visit the end of June to meet the newest addition to our family!

MMMMM Ribs!!!

2010-03-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Monday night Corbin was in a Rib eating contest for a charity event for work. The kids and I were so excited to go down to "Big Papa's" and cheer him on and eat some ribs ourselves! The 10 contestants had 15 minutes to eat as many ribs as they could. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I can tell you that these were NOT ribs I'm used to seeing, they were HUGE and I was a little worried for my cute hubby. He's really not a big eater. Corbin ended up with a respectable 9 ribs and the guy that beat everyone out finished with 18! Even though Daddy didn't win it was a great way to spend a family night together!

Sock Hop!

2010-03-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was our stake Daddy/Daughter dance with a Sock Hop theme. I enlisted the help of my Mom to make Elise's poodle skirt. I remember my Mom making one for my when I was in 7th grade. Elise looked so cute! I made Corbin wear his Letterman's jacket which I'm sure he only did for pictures, but I think it made him look much cooler! Later when I was looking at the pictures I looked at Corbin and thought "I totally would have dated him in High School"! What a hottie!!! At the dance the Dad's painted their daughters nails and they learned the hand jive. Then they hula hooped the night away!

Ella's Birthday Party!

2010-03-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post the pictures from Ella's Princess/Strawberry Shortcake birthday party! This was Ella's first time having friends over for her birthday and she couldn't decide on a theme, so we did both! We sent out Strawberry Shortcake invites and asked all the girls to wear a princess dress. They all looked so adorable when they arrived. For some reason I didn't realize that Corbin would probably be working when I scheduled the party so it was just me! Thank goodness for Elise! She was such a huge help! While I painted the girls nails, Elise put on their choice of lip gloss. She was a life saver that day and she loved being able to be so helpful! She even did the video camera so I could take pictures! After the make-up session we did a little craft and ate cake! Ella just wanted a pink cake! Easy enough for me! The girls also danced to Princess music and Ella opened presents! Boy does she have some nice friends, she sure did get spoiled! All in all it was a fun day and most importantly the girls had fun and I survived!

Ella turns 5!!!

2010-01-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating Ella's 5th birthday yesterday! We started by making her cinnamon rolls with sprinkles and candles and waking her up by singing "Happy Birthday"! She was so happy to have us in her room singing to her! She spent most of the day at school and at her best friend Kaiya's house having a play date, but last night we took her to Outback for dinner! She loved all her presents! I thought it was so sweet and thoughtful for Elise to get Ella an "Enchanted" book from her library's "drop & swap"! She also loved her Princess Art Kit, her Princess & the Frog watch with lip gloss you can switch out, and her Hello Kitty Bath set! After we got home last night Alan, DeAnne, and Logan stopped by with a little gift and Ella was so happy to see them! You know it's a great day when all she kept saying was, "this is the best birthday ever"! Last night I asked her what her favorite part was and true to 5 year old form she said, "the presents"! We love our Ella Bella so much! She is a sweetheart through and through! She is very kind to all her friends and very obedient at home and we are just so thankful for her sweet spirit in our family!

Best Christmas Ever

2010-01-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the Christmas season I have to admit I was feeling a little blue. It was looking like it was going to be the first Christmas that we would not be with either of our parents. But then the Christmas miracles started rolling or should I say driving for hours, into our home! And it all started with Corbin's parents deciding at the very last minute to come to Devner to be with us. We were so excited and felt very honored. Our kids were over the moon to walk down to the basement one morning and see Grandma & Grandpa standing there. They had no idea! I soon realized that the presents under the tree could never compare to those two people in our house now being trampled on with hugs and kisses by three very deserving kids. However there were still wishes to grant and presents to wrap! We did indeed have "the best Christmas ever", as our Elisepooh kept repeating and I have decided that I always want to be with my family on Christmas morning...always! (our other little miracles are too tender to discuss, but will always be in my heart even when it is not Christmas).

Giving Thanks

2009-12-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day was so perfect! The weather was gorgeous, the food was devine, and the company was so fun to hang out with! We really didn't do anything special, but that's exactly what made it so special. We watched football, ate, and ate, and ate, and did our favorite thing when were together, played card games. It was one of those days that when it ended you wished it was just beginning again.

Playing tourist.

2009-12-02T15:17:00.001-08:00

I'm usually not a big fan of taking the family down to the "strip", but while we were in Vegas we decided to take advantage of some of the free things the strip has to offer and get the kids out of the house as well! First stop, FOA Schwartz! The kids loved seeing all the toys and picking out a little treat too! It was really fun walking around and I think their fav part was the "sky" inside the forum shops. They kept looking up and saying "wow". Then we took them over to the lion habitat at the MGM Grand. Kinda funny to walk through a casino to watch lions sleep when we can drive 20 minutes to our Zoo and spend all the time we want staring at lions, but again it was something to do! Our second venture to the strip included the atrium at the Bellagio. It was decorated for fall and it was worth it. The kids loved the trees with the faces and the miniature Bellagio. We also took in the beautiful fountains just outside. I was really surprised when Mom said that that was the first time she saw the fountain show! Just shows you how much locals try to avoid the strip. All in all it was really fun being a tourist for a couple of days in my own hometown!

Grandma

2009-12-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

A visit with my Grandma is always a must when we visit Vegas. It makes me a little sad to think that we moved to CO right after she moved back to Las Vegas. I was looking forward to my kids being around their Great Grandmother a little bit. My Grandma and I have lived together a couple of times throughout my 33 years...once when I was 5 and she was living in Hawaii. I went to visit and loved it so much that I ended up staying and starting Kindergarten there. I have the BEST memories growing up in "Paradise". I remember walking to school in my bathing suit, a pair of shorts, and my flip flops and then going right to the beach after school, everyday! We also lived together later in life when Corbin and I were dating. It was so good seeing her again. She has been in and out of the hospital and to see her healthy is such a blessing. I truly cherish these short little visits and make sure to take pictures!

Vegas Baby!

2009-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

A good friend of our family was getting married the Saturday before Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, so we thought this was the perfect opportunity to go to the wedding and then stay for the week of Thanksgiving with Corbin's parents. These are a couple pictures of us after the sealing outside the Las Vegas Temple. It was so neat being back in the same sealing room where Corbin and I were sealed! It was like a trip back in time. I love the Las Vegas Temple! It certainly holds a special place in my heart and I loved being able to go back!

Elise's Special Day

2009-11-16T15:43:00.001-08:00

Elise was Baptized last weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! On Friday night we picked up Grandma & Grandpa from the airport and the kids were over the moon of course! Friday night we spent making and decorating sugar cookies to bring as refreshments. We had so much fun coming up with cute ideas. Corbin's Mom has a church cutout that was so cute for cookies. Saturday was a GORGEOUS day! My Mom and sister, Lori arrived just in time to leave for the church. Elise was very nervous and very excited! It just so happened that there were 5 other kids in our ward getting baptized too, so there was a great turn out. I was so proud of her and Corbin. Corbin did a great job! I kinda forgot that he had a big part to play too! He was awesome with both the baptism prayer and the confirmation and gave Elise a beautiful blessing as well. Later that night we headed over to the Smith's for a Cafe Rio themed dinner and cake of course! We sang "Happy Birthday" again to Elise, giving the Grandparents a chance to celebrate her special birthday a little late. Sunday was also a fun day. Grandpa and Elise sang "A Child's Prayer" in sacrament! Wow! It was amazing, so beautiful! There was not a dry eye in the house and so many people came up to me and just gushed over how well Elise did! I was such the proud Mama all weekend! The kids spent the rest of the day playing every game imaginable with Grandma and fixing things around the house with Grandpa. The kids were so in their elements. The weekend was such a great memory that I will treasure forever. My testimony grew so much just realizing that I am so lucky to have been lead to the Gospel and that my kids have the opportunity to learn the Gospel in our home. What a blessing!!!

Trick-or-Treat

2009-11-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Halloween! Elise was a snow princess, Ella was a witch, and Easton was Buzz Lightyear! We went to Elise's Harvest Festival at her school, our ward Halloween party, Ella's school program, that was THE cutest thing ever, Elise's school program, and trick-or-treating of course! On Halloween night we ate dinner with friends then hit the neighborhood and ended our evening visiting our awesome Bishop and hanging out with family! It was such a fun night!!!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Our kids love to carve pumpkins! We always do it for family home evening the week of Halloween. This year Corbin and Easton teamed up to make a bat that turned out more like a spider and I helped Ella carve a cat. For the last two years Elise has done it all by herself and has done such a great job! They were so excited to put them outside and see them all lite up!

Birthday celebrating continued...

2009-11-05T14:06:00.001-08:00

On Elise's actual birthday we took her to her favorite place to eat, Olive Garden! We love being able to take time to do something special for her. Elise is such a sweetheart! She is always very helpful to me at home and is such a great example to her siblings. I am so grateful that she was sent to our family and we just really enjoyed being able to go out to dinner as a family!

Elise turns 8

2009-11-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

For Elise's 8th birthday she invited four friends to go roller skating. After roller skating we came back to the house and had pizza, opened presents, played freeze dance, and had cupcakes. They were so cute and had so much fun!

Remax Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were so excited to get outside and enjoy the 70 degree weather at the Annual Remax Community Appreciation Breakfast! We enjoyed free pancakes flipped by "The Uncle" and yummy sausage. The kids loved bouncing in the bounce house, getting their faces painted, their pictures taken, watching the magician, riding in the hot air balloon, choosing balloon animals, and picking out the perfect pumpkins. It was the PERFECT day and we had so much fun!

Elise's Baptism Photos

2009-10-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, she's an absolutely AMAZING photographer, the BEST and she was kind enough to take these BEAUTIFUL pictures of Elise at the Temple for her Baptism invites! I think they turned out great, better than I could have imagined. I am so excited for Elise and her special day! Thank you so much Amber!

Labor Day a little late

2009-10-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to be invited on The Boat for some Labor Day Fun this year and it was the perfect day to be out on the water! We woke up early, enjoyed some breakfast by the Allen's, and soaked up the sun! The kids LOVED tubing, even our little ones that weren't so sure at first, and the rest of us just loved hanging out and watching the wake boarders/surfers! What a fun day it was!

We love Romania

2009-10-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Okay so 4 out of the 5 of us in our family have never actually been to Romania, but it still holds a special place in our hearts. For the last two years that we have lived in Denver we have traveled to Boulder to attend the annual Romanian Festival at the Pearl Street Mall. We love being able to enjoy a little insight into what Corbin may have experienced for the two years that he lived there while serving a mission. We love to watch the Folk dancers and then brush up on our dancing, we love to eat the food, well the bread more than the fermented cabbage that Corbin enjoys, and we love to run through the fountains...that have nothing to do with Romania, just something fun to do on a hot day. Corbin loved living in Romania. He learned to love the people he was serving and he left loving the culture as well and through him we as a family have come to love a country that we have never been to, but hope to visit one day!

Back to School

2009-10-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wow it's hard to believe that Elise is now is 2nd grade. It seems just like yesterday that I was taking her to Kindergarten in Vegas. This year Elise is going to yet another school. In case you are counting at home this is Elise's 5th school with all of our moves and then choosing to move her yet again to hopefully her final school for a long time! Elise loves school. Her teachers always tell me that she is such a joy to have in class, that she is kind to everyone, and that she is always demonstrating good behavior. We are so proud of her and so excited for yet another year of watching her learn and grow right before our eyes! Our little Ella Bella also started school this year, pre-school! She goes to an at home pre-school taught by two mom's in a neighboring ward. Not only do they focus on the usual pre-school lesson like letters, numbers, shapes etc., but they also incorporate Book of Mormon/Bible stories! I love the cute little things they bring home like "I can be one of God's servANTS" I'm so excited that she is learning all these neat things. She is so happy to finally be going to school like her big sister and everyday when she wakes up the first thing she asks me is "do I go to school today Mommy"? She is only going on Tuesdays and Thursday, but she loves being able to take her lunch and the best part is that she goes with 4 other girls from church, one being her best friend Kaiya! Good luck girls!!!

Easton turns 3!

2009-10-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

I hope you haven't given up on me since it has been 5 months since I updated our blog! We have been having just too much fun with trips to Vegas & Utah, visits from Grandma's, and lots of other fun things in between! So I have decided to just start from the last couple of fun things that we have done starting with Easton turning 3! This was such a bitter sweet day for me. Easton is our baby and short of a miracle will most likely be our last child, so when this day arrived I was a little sad. We took Easton out for dinner to Red Robin on his actual Birthday, just the family and gave him a couple of little gifts from the girls: pez dispensers, a slinky, and silly puddy, these are his favorite little toys. On Saturday my Mom came. Corbin took the kids to a movie so that we could get his "new" car bed all set up in his room, then surprise him when they got home. We found the bed on Craig's list and he was SO excited! He loves it and hasn't fallen out once, which was the whole reason for getting him a toddler bed. On Sunday we had some family and friends over for a BBQ, presents, and a cars cake! It was so fun to celebrate Easton! Most days he drives me a little crazy, especially since he has been potty training, knock on wood, no accidents for 2 days! But I am so in love with him. He is such a sweet little boy and many times during the day he is giving me kisses and telling me that he loves me. So Happy Birthday to my little Man!!!

Spring?

2009-04-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to "Spring" in Colorado. The weather report said rain this morning with no mention of snow, but this is what we woke up to. This is what Elise looked like as we were leaving for school. This girl doesn't mess around. It was really pretty this morning as I was driving her to school. I just love how the snow makes everything all white. Elise even said that it looked like a Christmas card. We really needed the moisture too. We've been lucky this winter, it's been very mild. The good thing is that it's almost all melted and it will leave everything nice and green. And this is certainly a fair trade off for the great summer weather we will be enjoying soon.

My 3 Wishes. By Elise

2009-04-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this. I thought it was so cute. This is a writing assignment that Elise had at school. 1. I wish my home was so clen. What? Do we live in the same house? Do you not know your own mother? I can assure you that our house is clean. So of course I asked her about it. "What do you mean you wish our house was so clean?" And she responded with, "well you know there are stains on the couch." and I responded with, "yea from you". Too funny. 2. I wish I had a big screen tv in my room. She must be her father's daughter. Not only does she want a tv she wants a "big screen". 3. I wish my Grandma livd with me. This was the only one that didn't surprise me. Elise is a Grandma's girl at heart.

Rockies Fever

2009-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Since Uncle Alan and family were out of town for the weekend we were the very lucky recipients of their season tickets to the Rockies game last night. Free tickets are pretty much the only way we get to a Rockies game these days. After purchasing tickets for four, paying for parking, and buying anything to eat, you are looking at close to $75 bucks. A pretty steep night out for a little family. But with free tickets, dinner eaten before hand and buying our own goodies at Target, all we had to pay for was parking, $10 a way better deal! We got there early, a first, and were able to sit and enjoy the pre-game fun and were even able to enjoy the National Anthem this time. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time. After the 2nd inning we took the kids over to the play area to let them run around and warm up. I think we made it about 2 hours leaving around 9 and they were only in the 4th inning. Thanks Uncle Alan we had a blast!

Potty Training 101

2009-04-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Lesson #1: Dress the part! Don't be afraid to add accessories.

Easter

2009-04-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Easter with the kids in their cute outfits. My Mom bought the girls their pretty dresses. I gave up after not being able to find anything modest and have decided to have my Mom make their dresses from now on. But she did a great job and the girls were so excited to have new dresses to wear to church on Sunday. After church we headed over to Alan and DeAnne's for an Easter egg hunt with the Allen's and an amazing dinner. I was so busy with the egg hunt that I forgot to take pictures, but the kids had a blast hunting for eggs. Dinner was delicious as it always is. We dined on ham, potatoes, asparagus (that the kids loved), deviled eggs, frog eyed salad and slushies. For dessert my Mom made a really cute bunny jello cake that I also forgot to take a picture of and Amber made yummy rice krispie treats. It was such a fun day. It was also the 6 year anniversary of my Dad's death and I thought it was so remarkable how I was thinking about my Dad and then pondering the miracle of the Resurrection. At the end of the day I felt so grateful for my Savior and his victory over the grave that guarantees that I will live with my Dad again. It was such a neat feeling.

Pre-Easter Fun

2009-04-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Friday we took the kids to the Village Ctr. to meet the Easter Bunny. Last year Easton and Ella were scared, but not this year. Easton walked right up to the Easter Bunny cutting in front of another family and said, "Hi Easter Bunny". They did great and loved that they got a little treat too. The next morning we braved the snow for the annual Grant Ranch Easter Egg Hunt that Uncle Alan sponsors. It really was a hunt to find the eggs and other goodies in the snow this year. I think we are really settling into life as Coloradans now that we have ventured outside in the snow for candy. Luckily it didn't last that long and we were soon back in our warm home.

A sledding we will go

2009-04-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday after it snowed we took the girls just down the street where there is a big hill and did some sledding. We only stayed out for about an hour, but it was so fun. Corbin and I took turns going down the hill with Elise and Ella and Elise was even brave enough to go by herself. She went really fast a couple of times. The funniest part is watching all the teen boys go really fast and than totally lose control and crash. We had fun watching and laughing at them.

When Grandma comes to town

2009-04-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

We were extra lucky that we got to see Grandma Smith in Ut and then a few days later she came to Denver to spend a week with us. We packed a lot in in just a few days and had the most fun. We loved being able to celebrate Grandma's birthday while she was here with yummy cake. We decided to celebrate Easter a little early so that we could include Grandma in baking and decorating cookies and coloring eggs. We also treated Grandma to a snow storm and kept her busy making strawberry jam and homemade bread. I know the kids had so much fun making memories with Grandma that they will never forget. Thanks Mom we loved having you hang out with us and appreciated you watching the kids so that Corbin and I could speak in church (so glad that's over).

UT Trip

2009-04-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we traveled to UT. for Corbin's Grandpa's funeral. On Friday we took the kids to Gateway Children's Museum to pass the time while we were waiting for the rest of the family to arrive. I didn't take many pictures of the weekend, it felt kinda weird to be taking pictures. The funeral was very nice. After the graveside ceremony we went back to the church for lunch. I love the way the Relief Society works. To have complete strangers feeding you was so nice. The food was really good and it just strengthened my testimony of the Relief Society and of giving service. It was a long day and it was just nice to sit down and talk and not have to worry about what to eat. I took this picture of Jazmin and Easton because I thought it was so cute the way they matched. Anyway, Saturday night I took Elise over to my dear friend Trista's house so that she could spend the night at Brynlee's. It was so good to see Trista and I was so happy that Elise got to see her friend. We both really miss our sweet friends. I also came away from the weekend feeling so grateful for the family that I married into. I really hit the jackpot. They are so fun to be with and I always go away with a greater knowledge of the Gospel from the amazing examples that they are in my life. I just click with all of Corbin's cousins. I could seriously just sit and talk with them for hours. Which is what we did when we weren't playing "Dancing with the Stars", on Wii. Now those would have been good pictures.

Poor Easton

2009-03-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

Poor Easton has been teething lately and feeling so crummy. Last week I gave him some medicine and set him up in front of the T.V. and after a while he was so quiet that I peeked around the corner to check on him and this is what I saw. Poor little guy.

Lunch W/ Bathing Suit Ballerina & Snow White

2009-03-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

While I'm making the kids lunch I usually tell them to go down in the basement and play so I can get it ready and then when it's almost ready I have them come upstairs and sit at the table so I can bring it to them. This is what I turned around to one day as I was bringing them their plates. Ella had on her bathing suit with a ballet skirt on and Easton was dressed in our snow white dress. I was a little caught off guard. I have to say that I think Easton makes a pretty cute Snow White. It just cracks me up the way their little minds work. It was so funny.

Bathtub = Playtub

2009-03-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

We have an oval tub in our new place and Easton and Ella both love playing in it everyday while I'm showering and getting ready. They drag whatever toy they are playing with at the moment into the tub including their bedding. Most days it's used as an airplane, but they also love walking around the tub mostly because then they are tall enough to see themselves in the mirror. Some days it would be nice just to take a bath without an audience, but sometimes it's nice to know right where they are when I'm in the shower. Then I'm not hurrying worrying about what they are doing and what mess I will have to clean up when I'm out.

On to the Capitol

2009-03-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

When my Mom came to visit a couple of weeks ago we pulled Elise out of school (seemed like a good reason to miss a day) and took the kids to the State Capitol. My Mom has a thing for visiting state capitols of the cities she visits so we were happy to tag along. After the capitol we went down to the 16th street mall and had lunch. Where I also got a ticket for not having a front license plate on my car. I paid the ticket, but still don't have a front license plate on my car. I'm not even sure I know where it is. Need less to say I will not be parking downtown again until I find it. But we still had fun.

Fire Fighter Museum

2009-02-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

In honor of National Burn Week we got free admission into the Fire Fighter Museum on Saturday. It was actually really neat to walk around and see all the old equipment that fire fighters used to wear. The kids enjoyed coloring a block for the fire quilt that will be displayed for the rest of the month and they also liked the puppet show. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning while Corbin was working.

Happy Birthday Honey!!!!

2009-02-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

OH how I love this man!!! Just wanted to wish my sweetheart a very Happy Birthday! Corbin is not the kind of man that will feed you a line, rather he is a man of his word and I love that about him. He is true and honest and kind and funny and the best thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Birthday babe. I can't wait to celebrate later (wink, wink).

Father-Daughter Dance

2009-02-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was the Father Daughter dance at Elise's school. On the way home from picking Elise up from school she asked me if she needed to take a shower. I told her that I thought it was okay if she didn't since she had taken one the night before. After dinner she told me that she was going to go take a shower so that she would smell good for Daddy. So cute! She was very excited for her date. She came to me already dressed and asked me to curl her hair. Then we took lots of pictures. I love how supportive Ella and Easton were being for not being able to go to they were really happy for Elise. I tool Ella and Easton to Logan's game so that we would have something to do while Elise and Daddy were dancing the night away. After they got home I asked Elise if she had fun. She said "Mom it was awesome they had a chocolate fountain and a guy singing."

Table for two at home?

2009-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Last week Corbin surprised me with a romantic dinner at home. He called our dear friend Amber and arranged with her to bring the kids over. On his way back home he stopped and picked up Outback (we had a gift card) and brought it home. When he got home he told me to go upstairs. When I came downstairs he had the table set for dinner including candles and sparkling cider. It was so nice to not have to go and wait for a table on a Saturday night and to just sit there by ourselves. After dinner he went and got a cd of slow songs and we slowed danced in our living room. It was so sweet. To top off the evening he drew me a bubble bath and brought me dessert. We ate carrot cake in the bath. My idea of heaven. It was so romantic and peaceful and quiet. It was perfect. Thank you honey for always taking care of me. I love that Corbin has always gone out of his way to not only tell me that he loves me, but to show me. I can't wait until we can do that again.

Happy Birthday Logan!

2009-01-31T16:17:00.000-08:00

I had to post this picture just to show how much we love Logan. The little ones can't get enough of cousin Logan. Last Friday was Logan's birthday so after his basketball game when went to Applebee's to celebrate with Chocolate Lava Cake. It was so yummy and so fun to celebrate with Logan!

Western Stock Show

2009-01-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

In honor of Western Day, Amber and I took the kids to the Western Stock show last week when the hubbies were both working late. We had fun walking around and seeing all the different kinds of farm animals. I think their favorite part was climbing on all the farming equipment.

Western Day

2009-01-31T16:08:00.000-08:00

Last week it was Western Day at Elise's school. They have been learning all kinds of western dances and on Wednesday we were invited to come and watch her. We did our best to put together a little cowgirl outfit. I love how she was so excited to see all of us there. She did a great job and was super cute!

A Disney Christmas

2009-01-28T20:35:00.001-08:00

I have to admit at first I wasn't sure I was excited to spend Christmas in a hotel room. When Corbin's Dad called to say that they wanted us to wait, we usually go in October, because they didn't want to miss our annual Disneyland trip I remember saying "are you sure you want to go at Christmas time"? But now looking back it was perfect. We even brought a little tree that we decorated with princess lights and bows I use to put in the girls hair and we did read the story of Christ's birth from the scriptures on Christmas Eve. The weather was a little rainy and cold, but we weren't going to let that stop us from have a wonderful time together. There are just too many memories to share, but Ella meeting Ariel was a highlight as well as Easton having a full conversation with Peter Pan. We had so much fun meeting all the characters and even got to see Santa and Mrs. Clause. The park was decorated beautifully. I wish I would have gotten a picture of the castle at night, it was amazing. My favorite part of the whole trip was when we were walking out of the park on Christmas Eve and all the Characters were lined up where you get on the train and were waving goodnight to us and wishing us a Merry Christmas. It was one of those moments I will never forget. Thank you to Mom and Dad who were so helpful with the kids and to my 3 little ones, seeing Disneyland through your eyes is magical.

Christmas Surprise

2009-01-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving we found a house in Littleton and decided to move again. We had been wanting to get closer to Corbin's work and find a place that had some more room. We already had plans to have Christmas in Las Vegas (sort of) so with the upcoming trip and move there was no Christmas decorating or tree for us this year, but we were excited to travel to Grand Junction first and then on to Las Vegas for Christmas. We got to Las Vegas on Saturday after spending a day with my family and on Sunday morning after breakfast we gathered the kids around the Christmas tree to open a present a little early. They weren't sure what to think when they first opened their ticket to DISNEYLAND!!!!!! Actually it was pretty funny because they really weren't that excited until we told them that Grandma and Grandpa were coming too. Then they were overjoyed. I think at first they were a little upset that they would have to leave Grandma and Grandpa's house after just having spent 2 days in the car, but once they found out that Grandma and Grandpa were coming with us they were happy. Then they each got to open pj's for their disney stay. The girls got princess dresses and Easton got cars. As soon as they were done we loaded up the car and were on the way to Disneyland for Christmas by 10 am!

Dance Recital

2009-01-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

The girls have had so much fun participating in dance at the rec. ctr. They have really enjoyed their teacher, Mrs. Marilyn and we really enjoyed the chance to see all their hard work at their dance recital. They both did great and dance has been even more special because both Elise and Ella each had a friend from church in their class. Ella loved dancing with Grace and Elise loved hanging out with Eve.

Holiday Recap

2009-01-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

We've been a little busy to say the least here at the Smith house, but we have had so much fun the last couple of months I thought I would do a little recap. Thanksgiving was a blast. My mom came from Grand Junction, my sister Amber traveled from Kansas, Corbin's parents came from Las Vegas, and of course Landin, Jazmin, and Lindsay all came from BYU to the Smith house in Littleton. We had a wonderful dinner then we all gathered around the piano and sung Christmas songs. It was right out of a movie and one of the nicest Thanksgivings we have ever had. It made me very thankful for the Gospel which is the reason I am part of the family I am. It was so fun to just hang out as a family. Later that night all the girls went to see the "Twilight" movie.

Our Daughters

2008-12-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

For Jennie and all my other dear friends that are raising beautiful daughters of their own:

"A mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually vaccinates her daughter against low self-esteem." Naomi Wolf

It's not enough to love them, we have to love ourselves too. Thank you for being the wonderful mothers that you are and for being such great examples to me. I love you all and WE are doing a good job!!!

Thanksgiving Program

2008-11-20T08:57:00.001-08:00

Elise had her Thanksgiving program at school last week. This was the cutest thing I have ever seen. This was the first time that she had done a school program. It was darling. The theme was "Grandma's Old Fashioned Thanksgiving." They were supposed to dress up like grandma's and grandpa's. I looked every where for an apron and finally called Amber and she had the perfect one. I tried to get Elise to wear some of my clothes, but she picked out her outfit and then we added the pearls and bun. I thought she looked more like a 50's housewife than a Grandma, but she was so cute. During the program she would find us in the audience and then get the biggest smile on her face. Afterwards we took her to Cold Stone for ice cream. She did such a good job.

Perfect

2008-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was THE perfect fall day. After we walked Elise to school I took Ella and Easton to a new park. Of course they both had to take their strollers. It was absolutely gorgeous. They were done after an hour, but I could have stayed longer. And since last night we had freezing rain and it's only supposed to get into the high 30's today, I'm really glad that we got to the park this week. Living in Colorado has taught me that you pretty much drop everything you are doing and get outside when the weather is nice. When we got back from the park I was glad that they decided they wanted to ride their scooters for a little bit before lunch.

Mascara

2008-11-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently we have not learned from the lipstick incident and have now moved on to mascara. Luckily the eye make-up remover took it right off. Is anyone else worried about my son being raised in a house with 3 girls?

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-11-20T08:19:00.001-08:00

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

This is a little late, but I celebrated my 32nd. B-day earlier this month and just wanted to share some pics. Corbin had this whole night planned that I completely ruined, we even had a babysitter lined up. At the last minute I decided that I wanted to have my birthday dinner with our kids, (what was I thinking?). They love going out to eat and I really love having my family around me on my special day. Sorry honey, maybe a rain check? We went out to eat at Hacienda Colorado. I love Mexican food. There is just something about chips and salsa and a Shirley Temple, yum. Corbin got me a new digital camera and a heated mattress pad for my birthday. There is nothing better than getting into a nice and warm bed on those cold winter nights. I love it. And I love being in my 30's. It seriously is the best. Thank you to my wonderful husband and my cute little ones for hanging out with me. And thank you to all my family and friends that called and sent me funny cards. The best present is knowing that I have the best support system that anyone could ask for.

Thank you right back.

2008-11-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you! Thank you for being my friend and loving me despite all my faults. I treasure our friendship and miss you guys more than you know. A day doesn't go by that you and Maribeth are not on my mind. You are such a huge blessing in my life and I love knowing that I can pick up the phone and you'll always be there for me!

Tagged again: The 8's in my life

2008-11-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

I guess I better do this tag since I have been tagged by both Shayndel and Amber. Sorry I'm a little slow on the tag thing.

8 favorite T.V. Shows

1. The Amazing Race
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. Jon & Kate plus 8
4. Divine Design
5. House Hunters
6. Oprah
7. Say yes to the Dress
8. Regis & Kelly

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. The Melting Pot
2. Outback
3. Baja Fresh (not really a restaurant, but not fast food)
4. The Cheesecake Factory
5. PF Changs
6. Red Robin
7. Olive Garden
8. MiMi's

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. Took Elise to school
2. Scrap booked
3. Played with Ella and Easton
4. Cleaned
5. Went to dinner at Red Robin with Linda and her daughter Eve
6. Linda and I took the girls to the BYU ballet
7. Came home and watched TV
8. Went to bed (I know very exciting)

8 Things I'm looking forward to

1. Thanksgiving
2. Being all caught up on my scrap books (I'm almost there)
3. Elise and Ella's dance recital (Dec. 16 @5:30 for anyone that wants to come)
4. Christmas (We are going to Vegas and then we have a HUGE surprise for our kids, can't wait.)
5. I'm looking forward to moving again (did I just say that? I can't wait to be closer to Corbin's work and hopefully in our final school for a while)
6. Walking with Amber again (I have missed my morning therapy session)
7. Being pregnant again (no I am not pregnant, I can't believe I said that either)
8. When it starts snowing more (great excuse to cuddle up with my personal heater, Corbin)

8 Things on my wish list

1. For Corbin to stop getting Migraines
2. To have our student loan paid off
3. Our parents to move to Denver
4. A vacation in Maui
5. Money put away for college, missions, and weddings.
6. To get my van fixed (dent in bumper, door that doesn't shut automatically like it should).
7. A home with 4 bedrooms and an office for Corbin
8. To take our kids on a Disney Cruise

Tag I'm it!

2008-11-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Photo Tag: You are supposed to choose the 4th picture in your 4th folder. I love this picture and there is a lot to say about it.

This was just a couple of days after we moved to Colorado. Corbin's parents came to stay with us for our cousin Landin's wedding reception. It was so great to have them here with us since we had just moved our little family to a new state, something that we had never done before. Even though Corbin and I were so excited to be in Colorado and knew it was where we were supposed to be, it was still a little scary. This was the first time that Corbin would be living away from his parents, except for when he served his mission and we were nervous to be in a new ward and if our kids would like it here. Having Corbin's parents here at that time really helped us to feel like we did the right thing. This was the first official snowman that the girls helped Grandma to make after we moved. It was in our backyard and I love how Grandma is kneeling IN the snow. It's just like her to get down on our kid's level and play with them. I also love how Ella is concentrating on doing her thumbs up just right. Thanks Amber that was fun!

Easton's 2 yr. Pics.

2008-11-14T13:38:00.001-08:00

However, I was not brave enough to do Easton's pictures myself. Last Saturday Corbin and I took the girls to see High School Musical 3 and Amber was kind enough to take Easton in her backyard and get some darling shots of him. When I saw them I was so excited. She is so amazing. Even though this kid drives me nuts most days, I can't get over how adorable he is. Don't worry Grandma's I have already ordered your prints.

Elise's 7 yr. pics

2008-11-14T13:24:00.001-08:00

My dear friend Amber was nice enough to let me borrow her camera so that I could take some pictures of Elise after she turned 7. I just took her across the street to the park and I was really happy with the way they turned out. Not bad for an amateur.

New Do's

2008-11-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

I took all the kids to Fantastic Sam's for haircuts a couple of weeks ago. I think they turned out pretty cute.

Elise got some layers. Because Elise's hair is naturally curly the longer it gets the less it curls. Now she has more body to it and it curls up a little more.

Ella got a bob. Which is so perfect for her personality and for me. Ella is a princess, but hates having her hair done. On days that I do do her hair she usually takes it out a few minutes later. This haircut us so great because all I have to do is brush it and she looks so cute.

Easton just got a boy cut, but doesn't he look so cute too?

Halloween Fun

2008-11-13T10:19:00.001-08:00

Okay now on to more fun stuff. We had a blast dressing up the kids this year for Halloween and had so much fun participating in all the Halloween activities. We enjoyed decorating, costume changes, picking pumpkins, and of course candy, candy, candy, we even threw in story time at the Library.

First up was Corbin's customer appreciation breakfast. While Corbin was busy flipping pancakes we enjoyed the magician, getting our picture taken with Grandma, playing at the playground, and picking out the first of many free pumpkins.

Next it was off to the Grange for our community Halloween Party. Notice Elise is Hannah Montana and Ella is Snow White.

We petted some animals. Some enjoyed this, but mostly not my kids.

We made spooky pumpkin masks.

We ate some candy.

We picked up another free pumpkin!

Then it was off to the Library for a Halloween story time and party. Ella decided to be Sleepy Beauty for this event. They really enjoyed hearing spooky stories and of course more candy.

Carving pumpkins kinda got lost in the shuffle this year. While I was gone at Stake Relief Society training Corbin was so good to help them carve some pumpkins which I have already canned and am planning on using to make pumpkin pies this year!

Finally Halloween night arrived and the kids were so excited to go to our ward Trunk or Treat. Notice that our little princess decided to be a witch on Halloween night (that's three costume changes for Ella for those keeping count). We were so excited that Uncle Taylor came down to hang out with us and even more excited when we found out that Uncle Biff was in town from Florida for work and could come too.

We love our Uncles!!!

Ella was so excited to see her friend Grace. After we pigged out on sloppy joes, chips, veggies, and rice krispie treats, we were ready for more candy.

Taylor and Biff were so great to hand out candy at our trunk so that we could take our kiddos around to the other cars.

After we were done visiting all the trunks and our candy runneth over we headed into Littleton to Uncle Alan and Aunt Do Do's so that we could see the cute little Allen kids in their costumes and so that the Smith's could see Uncle Biff. Ella thought that Peter Pan/Cooper was very dashing.

Oh you thought we were done, almost. The next day Elise had her School Fall Festival. On this occasion Elise decided to ditch the Rock Star costume and go as a Pirate instead and Little Miss Ella wanted to be Barbie (and the final count is 4 costume changes for Ella and two for Elise). Good thing we have lots of dress up clothes. They loved trick or treating in the school hallways where they were playing spooky music. Then it was off to games in the gym where they won, you guessed it, more candy. Our last stop ,as it is with all these kinds of functions, was tattoos. So fun! Now I'm exhausted and Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. But seriously I can't wait!!!

Christian Courage

2008-11-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been feeling lots of anxiety over all the hatred toward our Church resulting from the passing of Proposition 8 in California. I have spent time on my knees praying for a way for these feelings to go away. I just don't know how to act when I'm feeling attack about my beliefs. Then today an answer. I came across this conference talk by Robert D. Hales. I love it. It is exactly what I needed to hear to help me forgo these feelings of being scared for our members there and for our sacred Temple grounds. You can find the entire talk on lds.org and then search under "Christian Courage." Here is just a few quotes I really liked.

"We have gathered together as one, we have taken upon us the name of Jesus Christ, and we are Christians. One of the questions we would ask: why then, if we have that love of the Savior, would someone want to be an antagonist or to attack us?"

In such moments, we may want to respond aggressively—to “put up our dukes.” But these are important opportunities to step back, pray, and follow the Savior’s example. Remember that Jesus Himself was despised and rejected by the world. And in Lehi’s dream, those coming to the Savior also endured “mocking and pointing … fingers” (1 Nephi 8:27). “The world hath hated [my disciples],” Jesus said, “because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). But when we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well."

To respond in a Christlike way cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent. When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His divinity and purpose. Facing the moneychangers who were defiling the temple, He exercised His divine responsibility to preserve and protect that which was sacred. Lifted up upon a cross, He uttered the incomparable Christian response: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

We can take advantage of such opportunities in many ways: a kind letter to the editor, a conversation with a friend, a comment on a blog, or a reassuring word to one who has made a disparaging comment. We can answer with love those who have been influenced by misinformation and prejudice—who are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). I assure you that to answer our accusers in this way is never weakness. It is Christian courage in action.

This is not to suggest that we compromise our principles or dilute our beliefs. We cannot change the doctrines of the restored gospel, even if teaching and obeying them makes us unpopular in the eyes of the world. Yet even as we feel to speak the word of God with boldness, we must pray to be filled with the Holy Ghost (see Acts 4:29, 31). We should never confuse boldness with Satan’s counterfeit: overbearance (see Alma 38:12). True disciples speak with quiet confidence, not boastful pride.

Without guile, true disciples avoid being unduly judgmental of others’ views. Many of us have cultivated strong friendships with those who are not members of our Church—schoolmates, colleagues at work, and friends and neighbors throughout the world. We need them, and they need us. As President Thomas S. Monson has taught, “Let us learn respect for others. … None of us lives alone—in our city, our nation, or our world.”3

I feel so much better now that I read that. Such great words of council from an Apostle of God. We can not retaliate by being mean spirited. We must defend Christ by being Christ-like. Every situation will be different. Some times we will have to stand up for our beliefs in a loving way and some times we will have to simply say nothing and walk away. I think this is something that we will all have to put into practice as the latter-days roll on. One thing that Elder Hales says is the most effective way to stand up to those that attack us is to bear our testimony:

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know that every blessing that I have ever received is because of my membership in this church. I know that the Savior is the living Christ and died for me so that I may return to live with Him again if I am true and faithful to the covenants that I have made with Him in the Holy Temple. I know that families are forever and if I strive each day to keep the commandments that I will live with my little family in the eternities. I know that Jesus Christ is the only way to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. My testimony is not centered in what the world thinks, but is centered in what my Savior thinks of me. I know that each and every time I pray He hears me. I know that my struggles and trials in this life are meant to refine me and make me the person the He knows I can be. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and restored the priesthood on this earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true and living prophet called of God to lead our church under the direction of the Savior. I know that I was saved to come forth during this time on earth because Heavenly Father knew that I would stand up for what I believe and fight for His cause. I know that the Savior will come again and "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ." In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Elise's Birthday Follow-Up

2008-11-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to follow up on Elise's oh so fun Birthday. It turned out to be 5 days of non stop celebration.

Surprise #1 Ice Cream Cone Cup Cakes to take to share with her class. I told her a little white lie that she had to take them on Thursday because Mrs. Sweeney said it would be too hectic Friday before fall break do have them then. It was really cute. I was in my bathroom getting ready and I had made the cupcakes the night before, but still needed to frost them. She came in the bathroom with the biggest smile on her face. I asked her why she was smiling so big and she said, "Mom, I saw the cup cakes and they're awesome." She loved putting the sprinkles on them and she said that everyone loved them.

Surprise #2 I made Elise a Birthday Bow to wear in her hair. I can't remember how I convinced her to wear it on Thursday, but she really like it.

Surprise #3 Grandma Smith!!! This was actually a surprise for all the kids. They had no idea that Grandma was flying in especially for Elise's birthday. On our way to the airport I asked Ella where we were going and she kept saying, "to get cupcakes, I want the Barbie ones." Both Ella and Easton were so excited to see Grandma at the airport. The funny part was trying to convince them that they had to go with me to pick up Elise from school. Once Grandma was at our house they weren't going any where. But finally I got them to go with me. When we got home I asked Elise who was the one person she wished she could have at her birthday party and she of course said Grandma and Grandpa. Then I said that Grandpa was in Utah, but...and Grandma walked around the corner. She ran and jumped in her arms and gave her the biggest hug ever. It was priceless. She was so happy!

Surprise #4 No School today! This was the look on Elise's face when I told her that she didn't have to go to school on Friday and that we were taking her to a special place for lunch.

Surprise #5 Lunch at Chedd's with Daddy. This is our favorite lunch treat. It's a little drive into Littleton, but so worth it. We had a nice lunch with Corbin before he had to head back to work and then it was on to the next surprise.

Surprise #6 You can get your ears pierced! Elise has been talking about getting her ears pierced for the longest time. She had been wearing stick on earrings and then telling every one that she has pierced ears. In an effort to help her be more honest we surprised her with a trip to Claires. I had the clerk go up to her and say "Hi, Elise are you ready to get your ears pierced." She froze and starting shaking her head no. We decided to wait an hour and go back when they had two girls there so that they could do both ears at the same time, but when it came time for us to go back she was still too scared. We had to drive back into Littleton on Saturday to go to Corbin's Customer Appreciation Picnic, so afterwards she said she was ready. It was exhausting trying to convince her that it would only hurt for one second. But she finally got up the courage to do it and she was very nervous. She was crying, but still excited and then when it was over she said, "that was it". She started laughing and was so happy that she did it!

Surprise #7 A Hannah Montana themed birthday party. Grandma did a great job of finding all things Hannah Montana including a bag, head phone set, lip gloss, hand sanitizer, etc. She also got a scripture case and scriptures with her name on them, tickets to the BYU ballet, a piggy bank, money, and Grandma South Dakota got her a Hannah Montana guitar that she can rock out on. The kids had fun decorating Halloween cookies. You know if Grandma Smith is around there is going to be cookie decorating some where some how. We topped it off by singing to our first born and enjoying her Hannah Montana birthday cake.

It was so fun surprising Elise all weekend long. She is such a good girl and so deserving of being treated very special on her special day. Corbin and I are in awe everyday of how she is growing up to be such a sweet little girl and we are so grateful that she sets the example for Ella and Easton. She is very obedient and wants so much to follow the Prophet and please her Heavenly Father. She was definitely worth all the tears and heartache that Corbin and I went through to have her in our family. We must have done something pretty important to deserve such an amazing daughter.

I stand with the Lord

2008-11-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

It makes me sick to see what is happening in California right now. Jazmin I read your blog today and I can just feel how upset and uneasy you are feeling right now. Actually, it doesn't really surprise me one bit. We are in the latter-days where "men's hearts will fail them and they will call good evil and evil good." And it is only going to get worse. We as Latter-Day Saints must choose now where we stand and not falter. These things are happening right now so that Heavenly Father can separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Many are being deceived and lead away. Sound familiar? Prophesy is being fulfilled. There is no more grey, only black and white. You either stand with the Lord or you stand against Him. Period! If you are confused about the issues facing our country right now I would take the time to read the October Ensign and The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Our stance is very clear.

On abortion:

"Man-made rules have now legalized that which has been forbidden by God from the dawn of time! Human reasoning has twisted and transformed absolute truth into sound-bite slogans that promote a practice that is consummately wrong." "Elective abortion has been legalized in many countries on the premise that woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To an extent this is true for each of us, male or female. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And we are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its consequences. When the controversies about abortion are debated, “individual right of choice” is invoked as though it were the one supreme virtue. That could only be true if but one person were involved. The rights of any one individual do not allow the rights of another individual to be abused. In or out of marriage, abortion is not solely an individual matter. Terminating the life of a developing baby involves two individuals with separate bodies, brains, and hearts. A woman’s choice for her own body does not include the right to deprive her baby of life—and a lifetime of choices that her child would make. Why destroy a life that could bring great joy to others? There are better ways of dealing with an unwanted pregnancy. When a life is created by sinful behavior, the best way to begin personal repentance is to preserve the life of that child. To add another serious sin to a serious sin already committed only compounds the grief. Adoption is a wonderful alternative to abortion. Both the baby and the adoptive parents can be greatly blessed by the adoption of that baby into a home where the child will be lovingly nurtured and where the blessings of the gospel will be available".

I stand with the Lord.

On Gender:

"All human beings-male and female-are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

I stand with the Lord.

On Marriage:

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

I stand with the Lord.

Surprise!!!

2008-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Elise's birthday is Sunday and I am sooooooooooooooooooooo EXCITED. We have at least 6 surprises in store for her and one is HUGE. In fact I have to go get it at the airport on Thursday. I can't wait to see her face. This is going to be so much FUN! Stay tuned for all the pictures.

It's Easton VS. The Cozy Coupe

2008-10-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Are you really surprised? I mean come on this was only a matter of time people. Don't you know by now that Easton + age 2 + climbs on everything = a black eye. I was of course making dinner at the time, so I didn't see what happened, but from the information I gathered from the 3 year old here's what went down. Easton was on top of the car and Ella slammed on the brakes and Easton went flying. Not sure what he hit his eye on, but you should see the other guy (ha). What was funny was I kept asking him where his boo boo was and he kept pointing to his leg, he didn't mention anything about his eye. It was only later at the dinner table that I asked Corbin if he thought Easton's eye looked puffy. The next morning he woke up and it was swollen shut and then yesterday morning he woke up and it was black and blue. Of course yesterday he also had his 2 year well check. Don't you just love taking your kid to the dr. with a black eye. I was actually glad the dr could look at it and make sure he didn't do any damage to his eye. Corbin and I were laughing that it actually makes him look kinda tough. Don't mess with the kid with the black eye. Yesterday was actually a very brave day for me too. I finally came to the realization that it was time to lose the "baba". I decided to go cold turkey. You know something like this is actually harder on the parents. But as we were walking into McDonald's for lunch I told Easton to give his "baba", a kiss and I tossed it in the trash can. No turning back now. On the way home he was so cute he kept saying "Where baba go?" and I kept saying "baba all gone." And then he would say, "bye baba, I love you." But of course the real realization came when I went to put him down for a nap. He was not happy. I finally got him down and then put Ella down only for him the wake up 45 min. later. Last night Corbin and I took turns sleeping on the floor next to his crib when he woke up. But guess what I just put him down for a nap and he cried for a little bit, but now he's asleep and I didn't have to go in there (knock on wood). It was time and I know it will be nice not to have to keep track of it anymore.

Tagged again: The 8's in my life

2008-10-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

I guess I better do this tag since I have been tagged by both Shayndel and Amber. Sorry I'm a little slow on the tag thing.

8 favorite T.V. Shows

1. The Amazing Race
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. Jon & Kate plus 8
4. Divine Design
5. House Hunters
6. Oprah
7. Say yes to the Dress
8. Regis & Kelly

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. The Melting Pot
2. Outback
3. Baja Fresh (not really a restaurant, but not fast food)
4. The Cheesecake Factory
5. PF Changs
6. Red Robin
7. Olive Garden
8. MiMi's

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. Took Elise to school
2. Scrap booked
3. Played with Ella and Easton
4. Cleaned
5. Went to dinner at Red Robin with Linda and her daughter Eve
6. Linda and I took the girls to the BYU ballet
7. Came home and watched TV
8. Went to bed (I know very exciting)

8 Things I'm looking forward to

1. Thanksgiving
2. Being all caught up on my scrap books (I'm almost there)
3. Elise and Ella's dance recital (Dec. 16 @5:30 for anyone that wants to come)
4. Christmas (We are going to Vegas and then we have a HUGE surprise for our kids, can't wait.)
5. I'm looking forward to moving again (did I just say that? I can't wait to be closer to Corbin's work and hopefully in our final school for a while)
6. Walking with Amber again (I have missed my morning therapy session)
7. Being pregnant again (no I am not pregnant, I can't believe I said that too)
8. When it starts snowing more (great excuse to cuddle up with my personal heater, Corbin)

8 Things on my wish list

1. For Corbin to stop getting Migraines
2. To have our student loan paid off
3. Our parents to move to Denver
4. A vacation in Maui
5. Money put away for college, missions, and weddings.
6. To get my van fixed (dent in bumper, door that doesn't shut automatically like it should).
7. A home with 4 bedrooms and an office for Corbin
8. To take our kids on a Disney Cruise

Halloween decorating.

2008-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last year when we went to Disneyland around Halloween time I got inspired by how they decorate the park. There is this one spot in particular called "Woody's Round Up," where they put on a little show and the kids can decorate a cookie and color a Halloween picture. They also have a petting zoo, but last year I took tons of pictures of the decor. This morning I got inspired again and decided that I would decorate our front porch. I think it turned out pretty cute.

In case you were wondering...

2008-10-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Yes the terrible two's have arrived. This is the conversation that took place yesterday downstairs between Ella and Easton:

Ella: "Um, Easton you should really put your diaper back on."

Easton: "Nooooooooo."

Ella: "Easton go see mommy, otay?"

Easton: "Otay."

He then preceded up stairs where he found me on the computer and then threw the diaper over the gate right at me. Lovely. The pictures above were taken after my ill attempt to chase him down and put a diaper back on him.

Dance your little heart out...

2008-10-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

We signed up the girls for dance at the rec ctr and they both love it. I was very curious to see how Ella would do. This was her first dance class and she did awesome. They look so cute in their little outfits and I can't wait to see what they put together for their recital.

Happy Birthday Easton!!

2008-10-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Easton turned two almost a week ago. Let's just say life is BUSY! We started off the day by taking him "breakfast in bed". He was a little confused to wake up to me and daddy singing him "happy birthday", holding a pancake with a candle in it, but he had the biggest smile on his face and when we were done singing he said, "again". As soon as Elise got home from school we headed to Danny and Amber's house in Littleton (yes my friend up and left me and moved. How dare she.) We had pizza and let the kids play a little. Then it was off to Mr. Biggs. The kids LOVED the foam factory where they got to shoot foam balls at each other. They also loved playing in "little big city." Where they got to ride bikes and scooters and dress up. After Mr. Biggs we went over to Alan and DeAnne's for cupcakes and ice cream and presents of course! Easton was again a little bewildered as to all the singing, put he LOVED all of his presents. Thank you to our wonderful friends and awesome family that made Easton's birthday super fun. We love you dude!!

I like her!

2008-09-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

1st Day of School

2008-09-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today was Elise's first day of first grade. I told Corbin yesterday that I was going to cry. This is so different than pre-school or Kindergarten where they are only gone for 3 hours at the most. Her school is from 9:10-4:00. 4:00? What? In vegas we always got out at 3:15. This morning we walked her up to school and helped her find her teacher, Mrs. Sweeny, who I think is going to be great. Then they had all the parents line up in a tunnel so the kids could walk through and we could clap as they walked in. As soon as the Kindergartners started walking and everyone started clapping I lost it. Then Elise walked by and I gave her a little pinch and waved. I turned around to see the Bishop's wife standing behind me. She of course noticed I was crying and gave me a big hug. Elise was so excited for school. She loves school and is totally in her element in a classroom with her friends. I know she will do great this year. I'm excited that she gets to be at a brand new school and I know she will make lots of great friends. We are so proud of her.

Labor Day

2008-09-04T10:30:00.001-07:00

What's more American than a baseball game? On Labor day we took the kids to the Rockies game. Again Corbin and I thought the kids would only last an hour, but they were awesome. After the sixth inning we took them down to the play area and got them some ice cream. It was a great day and now we are excited that we can take them to a game and they will stay for the whole time. By the way the Rockies beat the Giants 3-0!

Elitch Gardens

2008-09-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

As our last hurrah before Elise starts school we decided to go out with a bang and spent Saturday at Elitch Gardens (think of six flags). We started out at Island Kingdom, the water park. We had a blast playing on the pirate ships and riding some big water rides. After lunch we got changed and headed over to the amusement park. I was surprised the kids made it through the whole day we didn't leave until the park closed. It was so fun and I'm glad we were able to spend this time together as a family.

Remax Picnic

2008-09-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

The kids were very excited about Corbin's company picnic. They were counting down the days. Elise and Ella loved getting "tattoos". Not my favorite, but in the spirit of company picnics I let them have a little fun. Elise was also a fan of the bounce house. Ella and Easton, not so much. I have to say the view was amazing, the food was delicious, and the kids had a blast. Remax company picnic: mission accomplished. Can't wait til' next year!

Haircut: Take II

2008-09-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

It was time for Easton to have another haircut (don't worry I will not be posting every one). But this one I had to blog about. At first I thought it was going to be a repeat of the first, but then instead of giving him the sucker right off, we waited and he watched Elise run down to the bank inside Wal-mart to get him a sucker. Then he stopped crying and actually let the lady do the trimmer this time. And he didn't get nearly as red as last time either. We'll see what happens next time, but this time was definitely an improvement!

Summer Lovin'...had me a blast...

2008-09-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

We have had too much fun this summer. We have left the house everyday to go somewhere and have tried to soak up every minute of this summer. And I think we were pretty successful. Most Mondays and Wednesday we went to our community pool at the Grange. On Tuesdays we headed to the Library for story time and then to a local park for a picnic lunch and most Fridays we visited our new fav park, Civic green park in Highlands Ranch. We also spent a day at H2O'Brien park in Parker. Or some days when we needed to stay closer to home we would head over to our little neighborhood park. We have never spent so much time outside in one summer. In fact we went through 2 bottles of sunscreen and about 4 bottles of the spray sunscreen this summer. Usually I end up throwing away sunscreen. I'm glad that I am ending this summer feeling like we took advantage of the great weather because don't get me wrong I KNOW what's coming. It's already starting to feel cooler.

Thanks Amber

2008-08-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

It was so fun celebrating my Mom's birthday. Can you believe my Mom is going to be 60 next year. I think she still looks so young. On Friday night we went and saw "Mama Mia". My Mom had already seen it twice, but wanted to see it again with me and Amber. Both my Mom and Amber left on Sunday after church. It was so great to have time with both of them. I really appreciate the time that we get to spend together now that we don't live near that much family. I can't wait until we can do it again. Amber you are welcome anytime. We love having you!

Romanian Festival

2008-08-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

The same weekend that my Mom and sister came to visit we drove to Boulder for the annual Romanian Festival. For those of you who don't know Corbin served his mission in Romania. He was so excited to learn that there is actually a big population of Romanians that have settled in Boulder. The festival was outside at the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder. It was so neat to walk around and take everything in. We enjoyed watching the traditional dancing and were even more excited to do it ourselves. It was so fun. Corbin was also excited to eat the food. I was a little hesitant given the stories that he has told me of what they eat in Romania. Lets just put it this way, nothing does not get used off a pig or whatever they are serving (stomach soup anyone?). But he was happy to eat the pork and cabbage. I tried a bite, it wasn't too bad. Ella of course had three or four bites (that girl will eat anything). We ended the day by letting the kids run in the fountains. I was so happy that Corbin got to reconnect to his mission. He loved serving in Romania. It really is a beautiful country. It's our goal to go visit one day and take his parents. I'm glad that this will be a tradition that we get to experience with him every year.

Nice Surprise

2008-08-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago my little sister Amber came to visit us. She actually came to see my Mom for her birthday, but I had no idea she was coming until she pulled up to our house following my Mom. Her and her husband Garrett just moved to Kansas where Garrett is stationed so they are only 6 hours away from us. It was so great to see her again and such a nice surprise. Of course the only thing my Mom wanted to do for her birthday was go to the zoo. I have no idea why my Mom loves the zoo so much, but it was her birthday so away to the zoo we went. It was nice to just walk around and catch up with my sister and the kids always have fun at the zoo.

Saved the best for last

2008-08-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

It was so great to hang out with my two best friends in Vegas, Maribeth and Bernice while we were there. This has been a hard move on the three of us. We have known each other for almost 16 years. We have laughed together, cried together, celebrated together and mourned together. We have certainly been through ups and downs together. These are the girls that know me inside and out and still love me. It has been so great to see each other learn and grow and see our testimonies of the Gospel grow too. My life has been so richly blessed because I have the privilege of just knowing Maribeth and Bernice not to mention that I get to count them has two of my closest friends. Oh how I miss you two. It was so fun to get together with all of our crazy kids and husbands. We just love hanging out and talking and watching the kids play and being together!

Chuck E Cheese

2008-08-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Finally Corbin arrived at the tail end of our vacation to Las Vegas. When he got there we celebrated Elise's graduation from Kindergarten with dinner and games at Chuck E. Cheese of course. I actually like their pizza, it's pretty good. Elise loved getting as many tickets as she could. Ella loved the slide of all things. and Easton was way into skeet ball. Don't you just love how he climbed up and put the ball in himself. Such a boy thing to do. We had a blast eating pizza, playing games, and hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa!

Pump It Up

2008-08-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Okay I know all these vacation blogs are getting boring, but I promise we are almost done. Plus Grandma Smith would kill me if I didn't get all the highlights on here. The kids and I met up with my friend Christine and her three girls Taylor, Rylee, and Lauren at Pump It Up while still in Vegas. It was a great way to beat the heat and the kids had so much fun. Easton was pretty funny. He kept getting stuck in the bounce house and the little girl that worked there kept having to rescue him. I was pretty impressed when he was able to climb up the ladder all by himself and go down the slide. It was pretty steep. Afterwards we went to lunch at Baja Fresh. MMMM. Then we went over to our old neighborhood and visted with our neighbor Rachel and her little boy Caleb. We really packed it in, but it was a fun day to see our old friends.