Mr & Mrs Smith

So you 'd like to make your own fruit jam? It's the summer and you can have fresh berries. Mr Smith only likes strawberry jam so I thought this would be a fun project with my MIL in town. Because #1 Jam is expensive either way. #2 I love fresh made jam. I feel more at ease when I know what's in it* Here is my advice with making this little dream happen.  #1 Choose between freezing, canning or both Freezer jam is a much simpler process. And you don't have to have any canning equipment. But it requires more pectin per cup of strawberries (which is more expensive) and if you plan on making a lot of jam, you'll have to have the freezer space and not be worried about an electrical outage that would cause it all to spoil. Either method, they should be eaten within a years time. #2 Buy materials: Pectin, Jars, Strawberries, Lemon Juice… 2 gallons of strawberries made  6 pints of canned jam & 6 pints freezer jam = 12 pints (when you do...

These poor folks had to drive a crazy amount of hours to get to us and could only stay a couple of days, but we enjoyed what we could in good ole Hickory. At least they got some Lexi time in. One day we'll fly all the way to UT… hopefully before Alexis turns two.  I gave them the three options to get to the park and unfortunately, when the sun came out, I think they regretted letting me choose. Because the hills & sun were not leisurely. But they are troopers. I also got my new 5D Mark II Camera the day they arrived so these pictures were the first taken with it. There is a big learning curve because it is pretty different from my Rebel when it comes to button placement and options. It will be worth the investment; I'm so excited to have a full frame body and the camera of my dreams. No matter that it's discontinued since there is a version III. But I also have video capabilities now so that will be fun to mess around with. It's ...

I'd like to say life has been crazy busy, but it probably is nothing next to your life and the truth is I just haven't had much energy to blog, or blog how I want . . . But I've received a fever for the second time in one month so that's crap. My energy has just been zapped along with chasing around a needy 1 year old who was/is also sick. And I feel like this is the first time she really  was sick. She just slept on me for two days straight. As much as I loved that, I felt awful for her. Who knows what's going on inside that little body!  But all that happened after Grandma & Grandpa Smith were here, thankfully. We enjoyed two wonderful days with them who hadn't seen her since she was 6 weeks old. At least she could show off her new walking skills. I'd like to say she is fully walking, but she still does the Frankenstein and steps back into her spider crawl when she loses confidence or just gets moody. However, she is taking more risks and at least...

I remember wanting to be a model in "my younger years". Mostly because everyone kept asking me why I didn't. But then I quickly remembered that one time my grandmother took me to this casting call and I had to talk about what I thought my best physical attribute was. I never felt more uncomfortable in my life. Also, I'm pretty sure I was scared of drugs and immodest swimsuits. It was just a dream almost every girl at some point fantasizes about. I happened to be born skinny, stick skinny, and tall, really tall.  And I sucked at sports and modeling.  Mostly because I had no drive to excel at either. I just wanted it to come to me. i.e. "Hey let's give you money and we'll take your picture" and I hated weight training. Muscle tone is still a huge deficit.  I still remember that time someone stopped me my last semester of college and asked me if I would be interested in modeling. Unfortunately, I had already committed to leaving Pro...

Mr Smith says I shouldn't get my expectations up about living anywhere permanently and owning my dream home tomorrow. But it's definitely a dream to grow old in a mountain town with trails & fields. But just close enough to family, church, Target, Cafe Rio & Aldi. That's all that matters right? Today, Alexis, you woke up at 3AM and 6:15AM and it went downhill from there. Get better soon.

“The Name of Mother” “The noblest thoughts my soul can claim. The holiest words my tongue can frame, Unworthy are to frame the name More sacred than all other. An infant when her love first came, A man, I find it just the same: Reverently I breathe her name— The blessed name of mother.” —George Griffith Fetter I'm not really good with days dedicated to people, or groups of people, and especially myself. I'm a little late on writing, especially in relation to Mother's Day, but in reality I write about being a mother all the time. I understand why we have a day dedicated to loving mothers and fathers or in reality all mothers and fathers of any kind, but truth be told, I just don't need a church meeting focused on how my mom is great or why being a mother is a blessing.  But I do think we should talk more about the woman's role in the Plan of Salvation. Maybe special attention from my husband is nice. But "happy mother's day"...

Update photo version (It's what matters to me): I wish I did something like this for when she was born, but I'll remember that for the next children. I'll do one for every birthday and keep them all together for their scrap book. And now I have something else to offer clients as well. …………………………………………….. She sat very still for the doctor. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him. She hated those mean nasty shots, but got over it pretty quickly. She kept pulling off the bandaid. Percentiles: height 67%, weight 75% and head 93%  Two things I've been meaning to mention #1 this habit she has of twirling her hair when she is tired. It's super cute. She will crawl into my lap, lay her head on my chest and twirl her hair with her fingers. #2 she sticks her tongue out, ever so slightly, when she is thinking hard. It's also cute that at this stage they play with toy dolls or animals by hugging them and rocking back and forth. And it...

If I die tomorrow, in my melodramatic sick woes that generate nightmarish daydreams, I almost immediately and exclusively think of Alexis. I think about how much I would miss raising her here on earth. I think of selfish things like me not being part of her life, because I'm her mom and I want her to know how awesome I am, simply because I'm her mom and love her. I may not understand love completely, but whatever I have to give, it's all hers for the taking. I want her to know what I was like when I was younger, how I met her father, my thoughts during pregnancy and delivery. I want her to see that she is my current world and I am hers. And therefore, I want the rights of teaching her to associate items with words, who Jesus is, and how to make music. I want to hold her hand on the sidewalk and be the person she runs to when she discovers something new. I want to clean up the knee scrapes and spaghetti sauce. I want to help with homework and make her eat vegetables....

Sorry it has been awhile. We are yet another household under the weather. It's the flu aches and misery that makes you think you'll never see the daylight of normal life again. It's amazing how lifeless you can feel when energy is zapped from you. Truly, the body and how it functions amazes me. Nonetheless, we are glad to finally see the morning rays. I just sound like a chain smoker. And I can officially say how difficult it is to get up with the body aches and chills to change a diaper or pull the child out of the crib. It's freakin miserable people. And on those days your husband will work until 8 PM. I'm sure I was being tested and I'm sure I failed the attitude test. Thank goodness for cartoons. And bless single mothers. On another note, no, I've lost energy for more. I'm getting my filling replaced this week. Alexis has her 1 year apt. I hate doctor offices. The past few weeks . . .