THE COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS BEGINS!

Well, Thanksgiving came and went and it was enjoyable and yummy! We spent our Thanksgiving morning watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and just lounging around. In the afternoon we traveled to Grandpa & Grandma Smith's home in Gilbert AZ and partook of a most delicious Thanksgiving feast. The kids had a blast playing with the cousins and the adults enjoyed going back for seconds and breaking out the pie and whip cream. It was a very memorable day!
Kevan had to be back to work Fri. morning so we spent Black Friday indoors putting up the Christmas tree. The kiddos had fun looking through all the tree ornaments and deciding which ones then would put up. As usual after they decorated the tree and went to bed I needed to rearrange some of the ornaments as most of them were down low and too close together. Bailey Rose helped me decorate the house as Keaton played the Wii. Every box of decorations we opened Bailey Rose would exclaim. "Oh Mama, I haven't seen this in years!" I laughed to myself and remembered how when I was a little girl each Christmas to Christmas felt like years as well. To be a child again and have nothing to do but anticipate Christmas morning would be nice again. I'm so grateful to watch all of that through my kiddos eyes.



Saturday morning I made homemade cinnamon rolls and we watched, "Akeelah and the Bee" and just snuggled up and enjoyed cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. The tree lights were on and the house was all decked out and it was WONDERFUL just hanging with the family and doing nothing else but basking in spending time together!

TEA TIME!!!

Well, today Bailey Rose and I went with her Brownie Troop to Mrs. Thomas' Tea House. It was a lot of fun! The girls were able to choose a fancy tea hat and were served sandwiches, scones, fruit bowls and yummy cupcakes with a raspberry chocolate tea. Bailey and I had ice water instead of tea but, we put the water in the fancy china teacups and Bailey just loved every minute of it! We ate off of BEAUTIFUL China and the atmosphere was very English-like. Any little girl would love it! I even wore a very big fancy feathery hat. Of course there is no picture of it which is why I wore the hat. Knowing nobody else would see me, I gladly put it on for Bailey! :) It was fun to spend the time with Bailey and to dress up and put fun hats on and to watch her enjoy herself. It made me smile!






While Bailey Rose and I were out Keaton had fun with Aunt Deb who is always the babysitter of choice. As usual Aunt Deb had a fun activity for Keaton to do. They made these adorable Turkey Cupcakes. Keaton was nice enough to make one for Bailey Rose and they both said they were very yummy turkeys to eat! Thanks, Aunt Deb!

BEING THANKFUL!!!

I can't help but be so thankful for so many things! I am so thankful for a husband who works hard to support our little family. I am so grateful that he continues to love me even when I know I drive him crazy with all my "Honey Do's" and the fact that he loves our children. I am so grateful for the father he is and the example he sets for our children. I am thankful that he is a worthy Priesthood holder and that he blesses our family and home with this beautiful power. I am thankful for my children who truly are my miracles in life! I am thankful for their health. I am grateful for their individual personalities and how daily they enrich my life for the better. I am thankful that they remind me often of how much they love me. There is nothing more rewarding they to hear your children say, " Mom, I Love You!"
I am so thankful for my parents and the wonderful examples they were and still are to me. I am grateful for two wonderful brothers and two amazing sisters. I love my family and I am so thankful that we will be together forever. I feel so blessed to be sealed to my family. I can't wait for our BIG family reunion someday when we will be with those we love who have passed on. I miss my grandparents and my little Sierra who now waits on the other side. I know that day will come and we will all be reunited again. What a day that will be!
I would have to say though that I am most thankful for my Heavenly Father and my elder brother Jesus Christ. I know that without them and the sacrifices they made my eternal family would not be possible. How blessed I am to have the knowledge of the Gospel and to know of the Plan of Salvation. Yes, life is good and my blessings are plentiful and I am thankful to know that I am blessed!

GREEN THUMB?????

Okay, for the longest time I have wanted to start gardening but having never done it because I have always been afraid that I couldn't do it. Well, I decided that if I could grow tomatoes successfully then the next step would be to start a square foot garden. I just LOVE the concept of square foot gardens! Today having it be Kev's day off I took him to Home Depot to help me get the perfect tomato plant. We found the one we liked the best and then brought it home and planted Celebrity Tomatoes in a Topsy Turvy plant grower. I don't think it can get more simple then that and I want to start simple! If I get tomatoes from this I will be delighted and excited at the thought of starting a square foot garden when it comes time!

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.