HALLOWEEN 2009

Well, Halloween has come and gone and here are some pictures that captured our celebration this year. It all started with the carving of the pumpkins on Thurs. night. This was the only night daddy had off this week. The kids and I enjoyed having some time to spend with him and we all had fun. This year Keaton went as a Spy and Bailey Rose was a Spanish Dancer. Halloween night was spent out at Grandpa & Grandma Smith's house with cousins Cameron & Landon. Everyone looked just so adorable even my little brother Chad who never misses the opportunity to dress as his all time favorite Michael Jackson. It was a fun night and the kids were just exhausted after walking the blocks trick or treating. Now I will ration the candy as my little Bailey Rose can sit and eat candy until she cries of a tummy ache. I look forward to taking down the Halloween decorations and getting out the decorations for Thanksgiving!

CAKE ANYONE?

My sweet little sister who happens to be my kiddos "FAVORITE" Aunt (Hmm, I wonder why?) brought over a cute little cake for my kids today. My kids thought this was just the best! A cake just for them, at least that is what they think. Once Deb told me it was a chocolate cake and it had a chocolate mousse filling I knew both Kev and I would be partaking of this little vampire.

RANDOM PICTURES OF THE PAST!

I was so excited today when I found a box of pictures out in one of my storage bins in the garage. I don't know how these pictures got misplaced but, I have wondered for quite some time where they went and sadly thought they got lost in a move and thrown out. I had so much fun going through them and remembering how much I enjoyed my kiddos younger years. I thought I would post some of them and since some of them were Halloween pictures I thought it appropriate. These were taken in 2002 so that makes Keaton 3 years and Bailey Rose was about 18 months.

WHO LOOKS LIKE WHO?

My kids are always asking me what Kevan and I looked liked when we were little like them. I think they don't really believe that we were ever little kids. So I decided that I would scan some pictures of when Kevan and I were young and put them side by side so they could actually see what we looked like at their age. The end result was fun , except for when my little Bailey Rose says, "Wow mommy, you really were young before you got old!" The kids didn't even recognize Kevan and I have to admit he is one who has changed a lot since he was little. It also made me realize that Bailey Rose isn't really a mini Diana as everyone thinks. She looks more like Kevan. However, I think they are a really good mix of both Smith & Roth.

THE HALLOWEEN CAT

Tonight I decorated for Halloween which made for an evening of excited kids and lots of noise. I should do this when they are at school since I know it would make it go lots faster but, they always have fun helping me decorate, so I let them share in what they think is a thrill. Anyways, tonight as I was picking up the house after the kiddos went to bed I noticed that Bailey Rose had put her own touches on the Halloween cat. I love seeing little reminders like this around the house. Remnants of where they have been and what they have been doing. If you know Bailey Rose at all then you know that this little find has her name written all over it.

KEATON'S 1ST BAND CONCERT

Keaton had his very first band concert of the year last night and I can't even begin to explain what a thrill it was for us as parents to watch him play and be a part of something like this. It was the first concert and he has only been playing a few weeks so to some it may not have been all that impressive but, to parents of a band member it was absolutely amazing and wonderful! Keaton has been practicing so hard and just LOVES playing the trumpet! I wasn't sure how Keaton would like band and wasn't real sure he fully understood what he was getting into as far as dedication and commitment but, he proved me SO wrong! He is very dedicated and as far as commitment goes well let's just say I wish he had as much commitment in making his bed and doing his chores everyday as he does practicing and playing the trumpet! We are so proud of you Keaton!!!


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IT'S POPTROPICA!!!

My kids are so CREATIVE!!! My kids love to play the online computer game POPTROPICA. In this game you create your character and then you must conquer different kinds of islands. The creativity of these games really make you have to think and try your patience while you maneuver through the different islands. You have to decipher codes and you meet historic people along your journey to try and help you. Keaton is REALLY REALLY good at it and Bailey Rose enjoys the challenge as well. Well, tonight after dinner and homework Keaton and Bailey rose made up their own version of Poptropica. Keaton spent a good amount of time drawing the characters and then coloring them and cutting them out. Then he recruited his sister to play the game. She even incorporated her Polly Pocket car into the game to help the characters move around faster. They are having a BLAST with it. I just LOVE it when my kids use their own creativity to entertain themselves and I LOVE it even more when a computer, TV or gaming systems are not used to entertain them!

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Last night when I went to do the final kiss goodnight and tuck in Bailey Rose gave me this picture. She drew it before going to sleep. I commented on what a BEAUTIFUL drawing it was and hung it on the fridge. This morning when I went to the fridge to get the milk for breakfast I noticed the drawing again and I realized what
a detailed picture it was and that looking at this picture made me think how beautiful the world is. Bailey drew what she sees every time she looks up into the world and I'm so glad she realizes that when she looks up she sees beauty that our Heavenly Father gave us. Her little picture reminded me that sometimes we all need to stop and look up and remember that even though the world is filled with wickedness there is still so much beauty in it's creations. I am going to try and look up more often and thank my Heavenly Father for this beautiful world he created for us. I hope my children can continue to look up and see the beauty and remember that when things are getting ugly in the world Heavenly father is there to guide them through it and all they need to do it look up!

A DOLLY & SOME FAMILY FUN!!!

Well,this past weekend was an enjoyable one. With the rain on Saturday and Kev working the kids and I just stayed indoors and pretended it was a cold winter day. In fact it was much cooler then usual and that was nice. The kids played very quiet most of the day with activities that seemed to keep the noise level to a minimum and I was grateful for that. We baked cookies together and then enjoyed eating them together.

Bailey decided she wanted to make a doll out of scrap fabric. I gave her some fabric and she started to cut away and as I watched her knowing that the end product she had in mind was never going to get accomplished I stepped in when the frustration set in for her. I quickly made a doll cut out and pulled out my sewing machine and then began sewing. She started to go through all my fabric and decided what type a dress her doll would have. I had not planned on making clothes for the doll but, thought since I already had the machine out I would quickly and I mean quickly make a dress for her doll which she had already named Samantha. Then Bailey asked me what type of hair she should have. I realized at this point that this doll was not going to be just a doll to her but a friend so I got the only yarn I had left which was rainbow colored and so we put rainbow hair on her. I told Bailey she was a "funky punky" prairie doll. She was just delighted with the end result and off she went to play with her new friend Samantha. Well, I have really been amazed at how much she loves this slapped together doll. She has played with her ever single day since we made her. She sleeps with her and she eats with her and she just goes everywhere with her. It is the cutest thing to watch. I sometimes I feel bad that I didn't put a little extra time into it to make it a better looking doll but, Bailey doesn't care in the least she loves her just the way she is. :)


Labor Day we all got together at my parents home except Kev and my little brother Chad because, the poor guys had to work. We BBQ-ed steaks and had had a great feast. The kids all played with their cousins and went swimming and then Uncle Brian put together a little treasure hunt for all of them, with the treasure being chocolate bars for the girls and cool sounding swords with lights and all for the boys. We had such an enjoyable fun day with family. The next day the kids went back to school and the busy week ahead of us has begun.

MY HERO!!!

I sure love this guy!!! I feel so grateful for a husband who is such a hard worker and for his willingness to do whatever is needed to provide for us. I have really felt for him this past week. He has worked 15 hour days between both of his jobs and today when he came home I could see that his body was ready to drop from exhaustion. He had a few hours to catch some much needed sleep before he started his night job, but as luck would have it the kids had a half day so instead of trying to sleep he spent the next few hours playing with his kids who have missed him so much this past week. I know he is just completely exhausted and yet he keeps going. Kinda like the energizer bunny only I know he wishes re-energizing were as easy as putting in new batteries. I just want him to know how much I LOVE and APPRECIATE all that he does for us. I love his dedication to his family and his desire to do right by us. You are my hero and I love you Kev! :)

IT HAS BEEN A MONDAY!

What a Monday! Today I decided I would keep Bailey home one more day just to make sure she was 100% better from her weekend of illness. However, last night she informed me that her gum was hurting her. After looking to make sure it was okay I discovered she had a rather large abscess that was on her gum on the upper right hand side. I thought, " What in the world is that and how did it get there". I told her since I was going to keep her home from school for one more day that we better get into the dentist to see what was going on. So this morning I called the dentist and they got her in right away. It turns out she had to have a molar pulled. Apparently, the tooth roots were not dissolving quick enough and when the other tooth started to come down it caused an abscess causing lots of swelling and redness and lots of pain. So on top of trying to get over her illness she was now being subjected to Novocaine shots, laughing gas and teeth forceps. My nerves were shot after our trip to the dentist and having to listen to my little Bailey Rose scream as they worked on her, I was almost in tears. My idea of giving her the laughing gas to relax her was not necessary and quite a waste since she was not relaxed in the least. I believe she was already in terror of knowing that the dentist gives shots in the mouth and they hurt. On the way home with drool dripping from her little mouth that was packed with gauze and her eyes drooping from being tired of her little ordeal she tells me," Mom, I don't want to stay home from school anymore." I smiled a little smile and thought quietly, " I hope she doesn't think I did this on purpose just because she didn't go to school!" She is sleeping it all off soundly and I know she is so glad it is all over, that is until I tell her that for the next 10 days she has to take a liquid antibiotic to make sure the infection in the gum heals. She HATES medicine! This has not been a good weekend or a good start to the new week for my Bailey. :(

WEEKEND PLANS CHANGED!!!

This morning around 2am I knew that the plans I had been looking forward to were changed. Today I was going to have a "Girls Day Out" with my mom, sisters and sister in-law. We were going to see the movie "Traveler's Wife". My dad was going to come and watch my kiddos since Kev has to work and I was going to go play with the girls. It was all planned and I was so looking forward to it and then Bailey got sick. She has been up since 2am with a fever.
So instead of playing with the girls today I am tending to my sick little girl. I hate when the kids are sick! It just breaks my heart to see them so miserable and just not themselves. If you know Bailey then you know that she is always on the go and talking up a storm and being as active as she can. So to see her down and out is hard for me! Hopefully, Bailey will be feeling better by Monday but, we will play it by ear and hope for the best.

THE BAND BEGINS TO PLAY.........

This year Keaton decided on his own that he wanted to take band and learn how to play the trumpet. We asked, " Why the trumpet?" and he said, "Because, I love the sound of it!" I don't think I have ever thought about the sound of the trumpet. Keaton takes to certain things quite quickly and if it is something he loves to do he will master it! I LOVE that quality about him! Kev and I agreed before we had children that we wanted them to be able to develop talents and skills and we would do what we could to help them to do just that. Today Keaton got to take his trumpet to school and will start to learn to play. He was so excited! My father plays the cornet which is a smaller version of the trumpet and Keaton was telling me this morning while he was gathering his school stuff that he couldn't wait to invite Grandpa Smith to his 1st concert. I know my dad is just as excited for him and can't wait for that 1st concert as well. :) I hope it is everything Keaton is thinking it will be and that he doesn't get frustrated with it but that he is patient in learning and developing the skill of playing. I just LOVE my little man! :)

BAPTISMS & FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL

Okay, so Getting started back up on this blog is a lot harder then I thought it would be.
This past weekend my little Bailey Rose was baptized! I can hardly believe my baby is that old. It was a wonderful weekend! Kev's girls came for the weekend and so did Kev's parents. The kids were so excited to see Grandpa & Grandma Roth and at he girls and they felt special that they were coming to see them. The visiting was nice and it was good to get together and hang out!
The baptism was beautiful and later in the day we had a big spaghetti dinner for my family and Kev's family. It was fun. I think I was more stressed about the dinner and making sure there was enough to really enjoy it but, just the same it was fun. I did learn that making spaghetti for lots of people is harder to do then it looks. Spaghetti is easy for a family of four but not a family of 20 or more.



The kids went back to school Monday and they were all excited about it! I think they were more excited to see friends then teachers. Their first day was good. when we went to pick them up they were not thrilled or even smiling. I thought, maybe it wasn't a good day but, they said it was fine and that is all i got out of both of them. I felt so out of the loop and they didn't seem to think it was a big deal to elaborate on the day so I felt a little sad that they didn't want to share but, Kev reminded me that they aren't little ,little kids anymore and they will continue to share less and less about things as they get older. I hope that isn't the case but I guess we all were that way so I need to just deal with it. However, it doesn't hurt to keep trying! The second day was also another good day so I think this year is off to a good start.

UPDATING AGAIN!!!

Well, it's been a while and I sort of got out of the habit of even keeping up this blog. I will update quickly so not to draw this out too long! Summer has come and now it is gone. The kids go back to school in two weeks! Keaton will be in the 5th Grade and Bailey will be in the 3rd Grade. It is hard to believe that my kids are getting so big!
Both of the kids had birthdays this summer and turned another year older which in turn made me feel older. YIKES! Keaton is now 10 and Bailey is 8 and she will be baptized in two weeks. This will do it for the baptisms in our family of four. I suppose missions and marriages are next! YIKES! If time flies as quickly as the last ten years have flown by then those milestones are just around the corner.
We didn't go anywhere this summer except for a day trip to Goldfield, AZ. We spent the 4th of July out at Grandpa & Grandma Smith's house and had lots of fun with other family members who came to share in the festivities. Other then that the kids did swim lessons again and got excellent at swimming this year. Keaton is a fish and LOVES to swim and moans when he has to get out of the water. Bailey is quite the swimmer too this year and enjoys it just as much as Keaton. We do lots of swimming since we live here in the desert and our pool gets lots of use!
Kevan had three hernia operations this summer and spent a total of almost three months on Workman's Comp. However, he is now recovered and has been back to work for Coke for several weeks now. He is still delivering for Streets of New York three nights a week. He is getting tired of the desert and is looking to relocate to Nevada, MO where my brother Rand and his family live. It is a small town but, Kev is convinced that he is ready for the small town life. I'm not so sure as I need the big city very near by in order to not feel so isolated which small towns can do. Kev has applied for a full time job with Coke in Missouri and he is hopeful of getting the job and I am secretly wishing he doesn't. Is that bad?
Well, I will post a few pictures taken during this summer and I will call myself, "caught up". Hopefully I will be better about posting in the near future.
GOLDFIELD ARIZONA TRIP



JULY 4TH AT GRANDPA & GRANDMA'S SMITH'S





LOTS & LOTS & LOTS OF SWIMMING!

QUICK UPDATE!

Catching up is not one of the things I like to do but, I realize that I haven't blogged in quite a while so I will have to play the catch up game! our lives are not all that interesting lately so I guess it won't be too hard.

Kevan has taken a job part time delivering for Streets of New York. He seems to enjoy it since all he has to do is deliver and the tips are good. I enjoy the free soda he brings me each night he works! He is still part time with Coke but, found out yesterday that he will begin as a full time employee on Feb. 22nd so we are thrilled about that. The bad news is that for six months he has to take full time probationary pay which is about three dollars less then what full time makes. So until October we will still be pinching pennies that have already been pinched. We will have benefits though and that is a relief.

Keaton is just doing outstanding in school and is almost getting straight A's. I am true believer now that a good teacher makes all the difference. He is still enjoying scouts and is anxious to become a Webelo in June. He is one who is constantly asking when winter will be over as he can't wait to get back into the pool.

Bailey is improving in Math at school and we are so proud of her hard work. She donated 11 1/2 inches of her beautiful hair to Locks for Love a bout a month ago. Although I love the ease of washing short hair I miss being able actually style and do her long hair. She still loves Brownies and would like to continue it into next year. She is excited about getting baptized this summer too. Her biggest news is that she FINALLY has a loose tooth. We never thought it would happen but it finally has. She can't wait to get money for it when it falls out!

I am still teaching preschool but I teach 3 days now instead of 2 and I'm enjoying that as always! I am starting to enjoy my calling in primary. I guess I just needed to make the adjustment of having no Sunday calling to having one each week. I am now in the process of Spring cleaning our bedroom closet. Getting Kevan to go through his things has been the challenge in this task but, I'm determined to make more room.

We have enjoyed the warmer weather and it has made me more excited for the heat that will be right around the corner once Spring actually arrives!

AND WERE OFF!

Well, the kids went back to school today and even though they seemed excited yet not it was actually a sad thing for me. Not only did I miss sleeping in and waking up to their whispers of ,"Are her eyes open yet?" But I knew as the school bell rang and the kids scurried to their class lines that it would be quiet when I got home and that I would miss them both playing together and yes even their quarreling with one another. I am glad that Kev has the day off from work as I won't be by myself and consumed at wondering how the kids are doing their first day back after winter break.
I start teaching three days this week and I think I am completely prepped and ready to go. I have missed my little preschoolers and will be glad to see their sweet little faces again. One of my preschoolers gave his first talk in primary yesterday and it was just the sweetest thing! I really miss my kiddos being little and even though I love them being old enough to do for themselves it is still just hard to see little ones and not miss those days! It looks like I will dedicate myself to cleaning bedrooms and disposing of things not used anymore and restoring order in my kids bedrooms. Keaton does a good job of cleaning up but my little Bailey Rose is not bothered in the least of a bedroom that looks like a tornado ripped through it. What I can't understand is how it gets worse even when every single toy she has is already out and misplaced somewhere in her bedroom. The mound of girl stuff just seems to grow. I also would like to start going through my pile of accumulated school papers that I save each year. I am not a pack rat in any sense of the word but when it comes to the kiddos school work I can honestly say that I have every piece of paper they ever did all the way back to preschool. I can't seem to throw it away. It is my goal to go through the boxes I have sitting in my closet and sort through them and reduce in size the paper load I have. Keeping just the art work and maybe one or two reports and of course the report cards. Oh, it's going to be hard and I am dreading it already but it has to be done. I want to start this NEW Year off with accomplishing something hard and for me this is it!