January Continued

When I was growing up my Grandparents lived in a small town in Montana. Steve's Grandparents lived in the same town for many years. I remember visits that included seeing The Christensens. Steve Grandparents have been a part of my life for many years before my Mrs. Smith years. I was very sad in January when Grandpa "Jack" died. We were fortunate enough to con Penny into watching the girls for 4 days so that Steve and I both could go to Washington for his funeral. So much family gathered to say good bye to one of the most loved men I have ever known. It was a beautiful service. The burial was humorous in a way that is irreverent but so memorable! We were so luck to have such an amazing man pray for us every night, by name along with the other 64 of his grandchildren. We miss Grandpa but we know he's playing tricks from the other side now.

 A beautiful hand crafted casket for Grandpa

This is Reed and Lora aka Homer and Wart

It was SO cold in Washington!

The Smith kids who could make it-Steve, Rob, Lora, Reed, Ron and Kelli

Spouses and Little man Bryson

And then things start to get interesting...

Brian had to go get the tractor to plow a path for the truck to lower the cement vault containing the casket into the ground

What's that?? The hole isn't big enough? Grandpa was for sure laughing at this because he was not a tall man, and the fact that he was to big for something was just classic. It was dug my hand and the shovels were still on site, so a few of the grandsons dug and dug  and dug until finally the vault fit

And then they got to cover it up. I have to say this isn't your traditional grave side but it was very classic of grandpa and his posterity, working hard and enjoying the work you do.

And in the end, on this beautiful country, road side cemetery, is the perfect spot for

Anton Robert Christensen.

We love you and miss you Grandpa!

Earlier this Year

I admit that I have been AWOL for far to long. I have time today so I am using it to catch up on things. What were we up to in January? Well Ki turned 8. Big deal! In an attempt to say what she means to me,

Eight things I love about Ki:

1. She is very thoughtful

2. She is an excellent big sister!!!

3. She is very responsible with her school work

4. She makes me laugh

5. She is always thinking about how things can be improved or done differently

6. She has an amazing imagination!!!
7. She loves to organize her things and drawers

8. She likes to do crafts and make cards with me

 She has a similar problems as her mother-our eyes don't always stay open when our pictures are being taken

She got her ears pierced, she was given some earrings and was very excited about that

 She got a card from Grandma Lora

The next night, we (just me and her) got to go out on the town and watched Shrek the Musical at Gammage Theater in Tempe-she loved it!

Flash Back to 2010

Steve's Birthday also known as Christmas Day. He made his own cake-ish dessert

It's a oat crusty thing with a fruit jell-ish filling. I try to cook his "sweets" but it never works out so I just let him do it.

 

That pretty much says it all-how do you think he feels about the big 40 being 4 years away?
I love you dude!

How is it that 2010 is already over???

We agreed to forgo beauty sleep one morning to be on the course at 7:30 am.

 I haven't even gotten past the second week of December and it's the first second week of January, 2011. Where did the rest of December go? Well, my family came to visit for Christmas, most of them anyway. It was a packed house but so much fun! I got to take the week off for Christmas/Birthday so that I could enjoy my company. Steve had a Birthday. Yep, one year older and wiser too. We golfed a bunch, and that is always fun(ny). We watched the new Narnia. We watched movies, slept in, shopped, played games, and ate good food. Then we all had to get to work or home on Monday-reality is lame.

Steve, Pops and Reed on the course

 Same day

 Can you tell we are siblings? Only his legs are like 3xs as long as mine!

 The kids must play-yes dear I just called you a kid

 When you run out of floor space in the house you can always turn your garage into a room-Ki called it the "reading room" and we found the girls out there reading ;0)

Colton-a younger but much taller brother

Caleb and Annie. They made it down from Utah to join us, we are hoping that we can talk them into moving to AZ to go to Dental School next year. My fingers, and toes are crossed

Haliey Bailey-the youngest of the Stott Children got a super cute coat for Christmas,

too bad it didn't fit me

Hailey also got a Snuggie, no not from one of her older brothers

-a blanket thingy and Ki loved it

Ki and Steve just before we sang Happy Birthday

Jordan-another younger but taller brother got a Banjo for Christmas

After played around with it a bit he came in from  the "reading room" and

picked "Happy Birthday" for Steve

I have some more pictures of Steve's birthday to post but not tonight. I just wanted to catch up on a few events from December.

If you are still here... My CRAZY brother in-law Jere and my CRAZY husband Steve went together on ticket for me to join my sister and her family in their new home in February.  Remember how she moved to Taiwan a month ago???



My Baby is 5

Yep, it's true El Lynn is 5 today. I hate to think that she's that old already but at the rate she's been growing and the things she says to me, I am not surprised. I think that I should share with you 5 things that I love about El:

1-She's a "lova"-she ain't afraid to give hugs and kisses and say how much she loves you
2-She forgives quickly. She'll be so mad at you one minute but she'll give you a big hug and a kiss the next
3-She's a total girl. She loves to wear dresses and shoes and loves to give me jewelry for gifts, and then she'll say, "Mom, don't you love that beautiful necklace I gave you for your birthday?"
4-She is strong willed. She knows what she wants-she tells Steve at 1 in the afternoon, "you know what Dad, I never got my morning candy"-he'll cave-she's got him wrapped around her finger
5-She is a teaser. She likes to hide when she hears me come in from the garage at night. The other day Steve was being silly at bed time. He told El to smell his armpit, she said okay and then pulled a hair from his pit.

What would I do with out my little one?

I just don't know.

I just love you El Lynn Smith!

*El is also a quick learner, if you recall her last birthday her hair caught a little on fire. Tonight she said, "Mom pull my hair back so it doesn't get burned."

Gingerbread Sister, and Santa Claus

 Gingerbread Sister

 What can I say about that one??

 Ki was thrilled to be with Santa

...If I must...

 I am very comfortable with this Santa

unlike my sister.

Let's chat again soon.

On Saturday we ran some errands and got a ginger bread kit from trader Joe's. The girls made it their "Gingerbread Sister".  We also went to our ward party and Santa Claus made an appearance. Ki and El were in line and Ki walks up to me and says, "I am not sitting on his lap!" I said, "Yes you are and I am taking a picture of it." She did but you can tell how she left about it-never one to hide her feelings. Ki told Santa that she wanted a picture of his reindeer playing hide and seek. El said that she didn't care-you get what you get and you don't through a fit. I think she might really believe that! She was very comfortable chatting with Santa. It is not shocking to me anymore how different my girls are. They make me laugh!

Sept-Oct-Novemeber

The past few months have been a blur! Here are a few highlights:

Steve was willing to help as long as the girls "gutted" the pumpkins, neither of them enjoyed that process.

*Note to self, when it's still 90 degrees in October your pumpkins mold the day after you carve them, therefor don't carve until the 31st.

Ki was excited to carve said pumpkins-until she found started gutting it. Then She had second thoughts.

A few years ago, when I had time-like I said, a few years ago- I started the tradition of making the girl's costumes. This year Ki's request was a parrot. All I have to say is, "all things are possible with felt." I ended up cutting out most of the feathers while on my lunch break at work, otherwise the parrot would have been bald.

El wanted to recycle a costume this year (I was so glad!) She wanted to be a candy corn again. I was so glad that is still fit! I made her a hat this year but it was too hot for it, so we just opted for ribbon in the hair.

 With Halloween falling on a Sunday, we had Trunk-or-treat on Saturday night. So I told the girls that they could hand out candy but not door to door trick -or -treat. They were content to just pass it out.

 Uncle Caleb came for a visit. He is applying for Dental School and had an interview here at Mid Western. We are secretly voting for him to come here. It would be awesome to have him and Annie in Arizona.

Steve completed another Amazing scratch art picture! He still doesn't claim to be an artist but I think he's an amazing artists. He is already planning the next one. He also got his Driver's License back. That means that he has been seizure free since March-we are ecstatic! He loves driving again! Last weekend he flew to CA to drive back his SUV. Now he gets to help with the car pooling. I know that Nicole is heart broken that she doesn't have to do it all by herself anymore.

 We were able to make it to our Ward Camp out in September. We went up in Munds park and it was beautiful! We haven't been camping in a long time. We used to go at least once a month in the summer months. My work schedule doesn't allow that so we've missed out on camping.

El also started Pre-School. It was time for her to hang out with someone besides her dad. She is with him a lot and I wanted her to get used to being with children her age. She loves it!

That about wraps it up!

A True Pink Lady

My grandmother Mildred Nell Sanders loved the color pink. Although she washed in the violet die to her white hair, she loved pink. I didn't ever see her wear the hat but I am sure that she did back in the day. I remember that Grandma had pink carpet in her bedroom, and her bathroom. I thought she was kinda crazy-but cool for having pink carpet. We used to spend a week or so each summer with Grandma and Grandpa Sanders in Kalispell, MT. Their property led right down to the river where we'd get to have a winner roast and play in the water. Grandma also spoiled us with Schwan's ice cream and fresh picked raspberries. When Ki was looking for dress up  clothes at my mom's last summer, she found the pink hat and was wearing it. It made me smile because I like to think that Ki and grandma spent some time together on the other side. I miss Grandma.

Sisters of Mine

I have finally taken time to scrap one of my favorite pictures from last summer's family gathering. In light of some recent family news I have been thinking a lot about how important these relationships are. I am so blessed with 2 amazing sisters.

Brandie, the amazing mother of 5, is 18 months older than me. I shamefully admit that we haven't always gotten along. I was the bratty little sister that was always trying to keep up with her. It wasn't until her senior year that we finally started enjoying each others company. When she left the Stott house to go to college I was sad! She was my best friend. She came home her sophomore year of college and we were sharing a room again. I enjoyed sharing my secrets with my big sister once again. We had bunk beds and we'd talk late into the night. It was during one of those late night chats that she told me that she was falling in love. I wanted to be happy for her but that meant that she'd be leaving and our relationship wouldn't ever be the same. I had just graduated from high school and my family was moving to Idaho. A few months later she did get married and thankfully her husband was attending RICKS College and I was going to be too. That made it all bearable. I saw her quit a bit and Jere and I worked together for a semester before he graduated and they left for northern Idaho. I headed back home to prepare for a mission and was only 2 hours away from them. I was there when she had her first baby. I stayed with them most weekends and loved on my nephew. Several months later I too found myself falling in love and was going to get married and moving to Arizona. That was the furthest I'd even been from home and my sister. A few years later Steve and I packed up and moved to Kuna, Idaho. That is were my sister was of course. My dreams of being close to here and raising our children was a reality for at least half a year. It was awesome to be close to Brandie again. Then she told me that Jere was taking a job transfer to Virginia. I cried, cried some more and then said goodbye to my big sister once again. She's been in Virginia for years and I've seen her a hand full of times. I adore my sister and I am sad that I have to see her move again-and now it's even further away. I will miss her much, but I might actually see her more often, not because I will be visiting Taiwan but because she'll get to come to the states at least once a year-more that I see her now.

And then there is the other sister of mine-Long legged Hailey. She is the baby of 8 and knows it! When I was 15 she was born and she was the coolest "doll" ever! We all adored her-we still do. When she was about 3 years old the Disney movie Pocahontas came out and she-very white, very blond girl-was convinced that she was Pocahontas! She'd tell people with conviction that she was not Hailey but that she was Pocahontas and that my dad was John Smith. She made us all laugh and has always been a cute, loving girl. She was sad when Brandie got married, but mostly b/c she wanted to marry Jere. She shared my bed with me sometimes when she'd get scared and when I got married she was upset too. She was angry that her sister's were leaving her. It was hard to leave her too- she was a good friend to me. She is so good to my girls and I am so glad that she is  home still. I knew that when Brandie and I left that Dad was a bit crushed. I knew that Hailey being at home would give him joy in at least having one of his girls with him. She gets the sweet kisses, the tender hugs and the whisker rubs-that I have missed so much.
I hope that my girls will be able to love each other as much as I love sisters and that they will realize that they can be a worst enemy at times, but mostly the best friend that they will ever have!
I love you my sweet sweet sisters!!!