Tids and Bits from Dec 2012-Jan 2013

I look forward to Christmas time for several reasons, but mostly because my family heads southwest for a few weeks. This year we were very lucky to have Pops and Mum stay for even longer. It was so fun seeing them interact with the boys and of course the girls. We golfed, shopped, played, ate a lot and just enjoyed the fantastic AZ weather.



Beckam has no teeth but who doesn't love a good chunk of stake?
 

I think that's a pretty proud moment for Pops, to see a grandson eat meat like that
 

Hailey was on clean up duty

Pops was shaving one day and Brian thought it was pretty darn cool
 

He thought that he'd try it too.

My kiddos were so glad to have Pops and Mum stay an extra week just so they
could sneak in a little extra love

Pops reads to the boys

It sure was cute.


It was great having the Stott's in the house, (and garage-you rock Jordo) for a few weeks as we celebrated birthdays, Christmas, New Years, and Three Kings day-for more about, that see this awesome blog by my ever so talented sister in-law Annie.

I am looking forward to next December when El will get baptized and Colton should be arriving home from his mission.

2nd Annual Zoo trip

It is sad but the only time we go to the Zoo is when Mum and Pops are in town. We were going to go for Beckam birthday but the stomach flu made it's rounds so we waited until New Year's Eve. A great day to be at the Zoo. When I got home that night and watched the news I realized that we missed a morning of snow at the Zoo-Bummer. It was fun to take the boys-they weren't sure what to think of some of the animals.

 

 

Hailey and Beckam were looking for the Giraffe

 

 

 

It was a bit breezy the day we went so the boys had to bundle up in their strollers

 

 

Beckam and Caleb

 

For some reason Brian likes the snakes-yuck

 

Annie, Caleb, and Beckam

 

Petting the cow

 

Down by the goats-that freaked out Brian, there is a tractor that we always visit

 

Farmer in training

 

Mum was taking pictures, so I actually made it in one.

 

It was a fun day at the Zoo.

Ki turns 10

How she ever got to be 10, I'll never know. I feel like it was yesterday that we were bringing her home from Chandler Regional. We were so scared. But I guess things have gone pretty well if she made it 10 years in our care.



 

 

Ki was happy just to eat dinner, at her request, Fried chicken, broccoli, and roasted potatoes.

Good think that Steve is happy to do the cooking.

 

We had Klondike bars for dessert-Yum

 

 

Beckam wanted in on that too!!!

 

 

She loves post it notes.

And I love her.

 

The other day I ran across this quote:

"My daughter is super Awesome and I'm the lucky one because I get to be her momma"

 

That pretty much says it all.

I love you my Brown eyed girl!

Happy Birthday Steve...and Jesus

I have a little  younger brother his name is Jordan, and he makes me laugh.

He also is quick to point out how it's probably sacrilegious that I say happy birthday to Steve, and Jesus.

It is with no disrespect, I promise.

It's just that we celebrate Steve's Birthday before all the Christmas fun starts.

 

Brian was helping Steve open his gift.

 

Steve is just like a kid on Birthday morning, he can't sleep because he's so excited for presents. I think we were up by 6:30am.

After birthday it was time for Christmas fun.

 

 

This tree is the solution to the problem of a curious boy.

 Hang it from the ceiling and just out of reach.

 

Brian was thinking it was pretty cool, ripping paper off things.

 

His sister's gave him a pull along puppy

 

Ki got a journal, she loves to write

 

Grandma gave El a scooter, but Brian was eager to take it for a spin

 

We are so very blessed to have each other and wonderful family.

 

 

 

Almost all the Smith Offspring

We had so much fun on the day of Christmas Eve. It was a good ol' Smith take over.
We rented a bouncy house and threw it in the back yard, this is the one time that I have been glad that we have never finished the yard. It was really easy to fit and lay down the bouncy house.
 We were only missing Kelli's boys Bryson and Luke.

 

Some of these fine cousins we had never met, but are so glad to know them now.

We have the Birthday Twins-Jack and El, Emilee with Ainsley on her lap, Ki, Olivia, Grace, Ben, held by the headless Alan. Tyson with headless Janae, Sadie, Lizzie-holding Brian, Cater, Brendon, and in the car seat, Alex.

There was a twisted ankle, and a bruised rib, but all in all it was so fun to play and eat and play and then we did a gift exchange. We are so glad that Alan, Erin and their kids got to come to Arizona for Christmas this year.

El Turns 7

What a great way to start your Saturday morning! Opening your presents.

 

El has been asking for a Brave barbie for a while now.

Wish granted.

 

 Sadly, El has been asking for THIS Tangled barbie for years!

Every Christmas for the past 3 years, she has asked for one.

 

I think that she was pretty happy that she got it for her Birthday this year.

 

She also got a Junie B Jones book, and a Candy Land game.

 

We are so glad to have El in our family. She has a fantastic laugh, she is loving, she gives really good hugs, she has a tender heart and we just love her!

Happy Birthday by blue eyed girl.

 

Say Cheese

I have to say that taking family pictures on a regular basis is not something I am accustom to. When I was growing up I think we took 3 family photos. I think that goes for Steve too. So neither of us are set on having a current picture of our family.

 

I have tried to be better about getting pictures taken but honestly my little camera broke this summer and I have misplaced my other one in the last 2 weeks, so there are several pictures that are just stuck in my head for now. Like Brian handing on the edge of the piano that he climbed onto but couldn't get down. And then he was sitting in the bathtub the other day just playing with his sister's bathtub toys. He really likes the bath. And Ki and El got haircuts last night. Ki will be donating hers for the third time. Steve was growing a 'stache for Movember. No evidence of these things until I find my camera, and even then still no pictures.

 

On Veteran's Day, Rob and his family came out and we took family pictures. Because my sister in-law needed proof that he has had a baby-now 20 months, we loaded up in the cars in the morning, bribed the children with donuts for good smiles and took some pictures.

 

 

The rose fields off Peoria Ave smell delightful this time of year.

 

We all have our eyes open!

 

There was a train off Olive Ave that we thought would look good.

 

 

We aren't all on the same page on this one, but I still like it.

 

Now we just need to find the camera, finish off the Turkey and gravy, get rid of Brian's flu and Steve needs to take 2 more days of antibiotics for Strep and we are all good-I hope.

 

Brian Likes to Slide

 

 

We introduced Brian to a new thing-the slides at the park. He LOVED it. He tried to walk down it one time but I caught him before he bailed. It was a nice afternoon so we went to the White Tanks and played while Steve rode his bike for an hour. It was a nice day. The weather has been so delightful. This is why we all live here in AZ, for this time of year.

Halloween

 

Boo!

 

 

Pictures are hard to come by these days. Ki is M.I.A. and Brian can't show his face.

But El is game!!

 

 

I think that I have scared my children. I am anti-climactic in my celebrating holidays. We attended our Ward's Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday night. Ki was a Grecian girl.

El was Yue from the cartoon, Avatar the Last Airbender.
 Brian was a baby ghost.

The girls went to about half the trunks and then came back. They don't like being alone in the dark.

 

By the time Wednesday rolled around Ki had decided that she didn't want to dress up or go door to door. I put Brian in his costume and then we went down to Lindsey's to get some cotton candy and watch her make it-it was cool. We then joined the neighbors for s'mores and passed out candy. Another neighbor asked us to come check out the haunted house in his garage. I took the girls through it-Ki wasn't a fan but El liked it.

 

Maybe next year Brian will be ready to go door to door and the girls will be willing to go with him.