Friday, July 30, 2010


Smith Campout
Payson Lakes 2010

This year we changed our campout to July instead of August because Audrey's family was in town. It was very HOT but tons of fun!!!
Before the big campout we went to some yummy mexican in Richfield. I know what you're thinking, that's the wrong direction. Well we went to my grandparents first that live in Aurora. Believe me it was quite the day of driving, but the kids did so good.

Chase met up with us later at the camp site... it was so good to see him.
He didn't see us much the month of July.... cause I stayed in Delta with my mom & sister while he worked in Cedar City. Thanks again Chase, love ya!!

Chloe loves her stroller & going for walks. We took a walk to the lake to go fishing.... not so much luck with catching anything but Chloe sure loved her ride there.

Chase & I truly are so blessed to have such an easy & well-natured little girl.
It was a very hot day but she handled it great!!!

After we survived some serious HEAT!! We ended the night with our own version of MINUTE-TO-WIN-IT!! Chase & I have watched this before & I thought it would be fun to try ourselves. So I put some games together for our camping trip.

Here is Cortney doing the pasta game. She had to get the penne pasta on the piece of spaghetti by using her mouth & no hands. She actually did really good!

Audrey had to juggle 3 balloons for 1 minute without any touching the ground. I know it sounds easy.... but it really isn't. Especially considering she was on a very VERY dusty HILL!

Greg & the kids did the OREO Game. They had to place an oreo on their forehead & get it in their mouth by ONLY using their facial movements to get it there & no hands. This was so hilarious to watch, especially with the girls.

This is one of my favorites & I saved it for Jayson. He had a box full of 12 ping pong balls strapped to his waist. He had to shake, shimmy, bounce, jump, dance & prance around to get these balls out of the small hole in 1 minute. He did great but all the kids showed the adults up and did it in less than 30 seconds.
My 3 brothers that I love so much!
Thanks for another great camping trip, can't wait for next year!!

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Bowling

My mom is in a bowling league & didn't want us to miss out so we followed along & bowled with the kids.
Elisabeth, me & Chloe
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CRAFT DAY AT MOMS!!

Audrey & I wanted to get lots of crafts done while she was here, so we planned to do it with all the girls. It was kind of hard with all the kids but after some late nights we at least got them started.... now we just need to finish them :)
We made:
-Tons of different types of hair accessories. Lots of flowers, fabric flowers, bows, clips & headbands.
-Childrens Quiet Books
&
-Family Home Evening Boards
We had intensions for more.... but we got caught up with all the fun things you can do with fabric & tulle.


Chloe & Drew playing so good with eachother. They are only 5 months a part.

Seriously Grandma Smith can put any kid to sleep & do crafts at the same time....
props MOM.

The kids got to finish tye-dying their aprons we started when we went camping.

Here is the end result.... thanks Randie!
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Cupcake Day

So my idea of a cupcake is pull out a cake mix. Well, not my sisters idea.... her's are from scratch!!

My sister is quite the go-getter & decided not only should we make one type of cupcake (from scratch) but we should make 5 all in one day. After she mentioned we would just 1/2 all the recipes I thought it was a great idea. Didn't realize it would take us 1 1/2 days. We made some yummy.....

*top-to-bottom crump cupcakes
*chocolate-covered mint meltaway cupcakes
(Elisabeth & I did these ones... they took forever. I have never used a double broiler so much. It was quite the process & very very chocolately)
*lemon coconut snowball cupcakes
*kid-simple cupcakes
& never got to the 5th which was
*hummingbird swirl cupcakes

Unfortunately they all got eaten too fast that I never got a picture of the final product... oh well. They were super yummy & that's all the matters!! Thanks Audrey for having lots of energy :)

Here was our babysitter during the cupcake baking. He came home from work at the wrong time & we put him to some serious work. He got it all from dressing babies for Marinda & getting dressed up by Elisabeth to feeding Drew & putting Nathaniel to sleep. You're the best Jayson thanks for your help, you'll be such a great DAD!!!
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Dinner with Cousins

We were very spoiled growing up & lived next door to my dads 3 brothers & their families & the family business & Grandma & Grandpa Smiths house...... Very Spoiled. We were especially very close to my Uncle Dennis & Aunt Cathy's kids. With Audrey in town we went to dinner & got caught up. I can't believe how we are all married with kids. It seems like it was just yesterday we were planning sleepovers out on the trampoline. It was such a big deal to us. We would go to the store & get treats for this special occasion. Only in the end to find out we would get too scared & run inside to our beds when it got dark. I guess thats what you get for living on the other end of the road of the State Prison.

Jenni, Elisa, Camille, Aunt Cathy, Mom, Me & Chloe & Audrey.
I love & miss all of you, thanks again for coming!!!

I hope you can't tell but we were all crying when we took this picture. Audrey dropped us off at our car so we could head back to Delta (without her this time :( ). I can honestly say that I absolutely hate living away from my sister. It's the worst not knowing when I am going to see her again. This was the first time she's been to Utah since Nathaniel was born about 2 years ago. It was so hard to say good bye to her. I am so lucky to have mom so close to me... I take it for granted. I look up to my sister to much for all that she is & does. She has moved so many times. She has never really lived close to family. She is such a WONDERFUL mother to her 4 children. She serves in the YW & I am so Jealous they have her & hope they realize how lucky they are to have her as a leader. She cares so much for those that are around her. She is always putting everyone else first. I have never seen someone multi-task like her, no wonder she gets so much done. I look forward to our next trip to Texas & many more fun times to come. Thanks again Audrey for all that you do & all the fun we had!! Thanks mom for putting up with all of us at your house for the month of July, it was so fun!! CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT TIME WE GET TO DO IT!!

Well after our dinner we finished our shopping. We had plans to do lots more... but realized it wasn't possible. We started at Target & Barnes & Nobles, then the mall, then went to Lehi to do a fun store there with lots of Church handouts, etc. Then you HAVE to do Rod Works, it's a must!! Then on the way back IKEA is also a must. Made it just in time for Dinner with the cousin & then back to the mall to get our favorites from earlier.

I keep finding myself very tired. But after looking at this last month I can realize why. Because my sister has the most energy anyone could every have.
It all started with....

*An awesome 4th of July Celebration
*Family Pictures
*Princess Party
*Went to dinner at Olive Garden & then went to our BREAD MAKING CLASS. (We learned how to make some wicked awesome bread. It was very useful information & fun. I always get so intimidated with yeast.... but I think I am over it.)
*Toy Story 3!! It's a must.... maybe not Chloe & Nathaniel but everyone else :)
*Visit to Grandpa & Grandma's in Aurora
*Visit to Cedar City to see my house for the first time. Also visited Discovery Park!!
*Played & had a picnic at Delta Park
*Snow Cones
(Those of you that haven't tried Silver Fox really need to. It's like Almost Extract, it's so yummy!!)
*Teaching the girls how to do Boon Doggle (broght back lots of Elementary memories.... oh the days, how I miss them)
*Yummy Mexican food in Richfield
*Our awesome Camping Trip
*Our Craft Day w/ never ending Hair Accessories.
*Going boating at the REZ w/ Chase
*Planning fun meals each night for everyone & getting great ideas to use our Bountiful Baskets.
*Going to Kara's T-Ball Game & cheering her on!!
*Celebrating the 24th of July by going to the well-known Hinckley parade, bbq-ing, empanadas & ended the night w/ sparklers.
*Horse Back Riding with Uncle Greg
*Fooze Ball competitions with Aunt DeAnna.
I'll let you win next time Clarissa, I promise:)
*Playing pool with Jayson & Chase,
I've actually improved since last time... YAY!!
*Rebooted the good old Sega & got Sonic to work...
some tough competition w/ me & Jayson
*Started our Childrens Quiet Books
*Making yummy Navajo Taco (Scones from our bread recipes)

There are so many things that I haven't even listed... those are just a few. I could think of all the things between like kids falling, crying, laughing, more shopping, lots of trips to the grocery store, taking Clarissa & Elisabeth to Chase's families farms & showing them the grain & how they cut it, etc.
I can't even describe how much fun this last month was. I can't believe it's already over! Well I guess it just means that we get to start planning the next get-together.

Dang that also means that I have to get back to the "real world." I am not sure how I like the sounds of that... but oh well I don't have a choice. Here I come cleaning, cooking, yard work, bills, church calling, work.... oh did I mention that I lost my mail key & haven't gotten the mail in over a month? Thank goodness for paying bills on-line :)


6 MONTHS OLD!!!



This is her new sleeping position aka stink bug!

Chloe is really liking her solid foods.


YES.... she loves her tongue, if you can't tell already!!

Today Chloe had her 6 month well-check.
Weight- 14.10
Height- 26 3/4
HC- 43 1/2

She is still a little minnie & barely making it to the 10% on the charts.
The doctors say as long as she is on the charts & gaining weight then we're just fine. Chloe really likes books.... maybe cause they taste so good? She loves that she can sit all on her own & see more of what is going on. She is really enjoying her johnny-jump-up!! I can't believe that she's half way to her 1st birthday. She doesn't really suck on her thumb anymore. She still doesn't have any teeth or any sign of them. She loves to wave to people and also loves to swing her arms up and down. She has really started to do her baby talk this last week. Chloe loves to be around & play with other kids. She loves to be held & cuddled. It is kind of hard to get her to giggle... every time she tries she hurries and puts her fist in her mouth. She loves loves loves to smile especially with her tongue, but the giggling is coming slowly.

Friday, July 9, 2010

4th of July
&
More Fun!!

The 4th of July was awesome this year because my sister & her family were/are here for the WHOLE month of JULY!! YAY!! So that should explain all of the fun activities/ posts coming our way...

Nothing like the 4th of July without the good old Delta parade.

Chloe 5 months 4 days old

All 11 grandkids with Grandma... L to R
Elle, Elisabeth, Chloe, Drake, Nathaniel, Kara, Clarissa, Oakley, Drew, Marinda & Addie
Yep that's right 2 boys & 9 girls... poor boys :)

My two favorite people!!

Chloe's favorite nap partner.... she loves her naps with Grandma Smith

Chloe & Drew having some well deserved tummy time.

Chloe & Sienna smiling pretty for all the cameras :)




Since my whole family was in town for the weekend (that hasn't happened in over 2 years) my mom really wanted to make it special for the grandkids. So we had a princess party/sleepover. They got matching night gowns (thanks to Randie- super cute!), they got their toes painted, fun princess accessories from Grandma & most of all "Cinderella" came & read them a night time story... the girls loved it!! Thanks grandma
Chloe & Cinderella

The 3 babies of the family
Drew, Drake & Chloe

The granddaughters


Chase also had Monday off so we decided to take the boat out to the rez!!! It was a last minute idea that was a total blast. I hurried & called my mom & she was in too!!! Chloe did really really good on the boat.. she continues to amaze me each day with how easy going she is.


My mom and I had so much fun. It's pretty sad when your mom has to convince you to go tubing. But sure enough after a lot of tubing not only were we sore the next day BUT.... my mom ended up with a black eye & I had a bruised chin.... neither one of us know how or when. I wish I had pictures to show but we couldn't stop laughing to take them:) Thanks mom for everything, that was so much fun!!

Chloe is loving the SUN!!!

Chase had a golf tournament a couple of weekends ago (June 25th) in St. George. So we decided to make a weekend of it and head to Mesquite and take in some summer sun. Chloe & I relaxed by the pool until he got back and then we had some more pool fun!!! Chloe LOVES the water... she loves to splash & float on her back. In these pictures she's about 5 months old.