Mr & Mrs Smith

The entire Smith clan! We somehow managed a group shot with a little chaos, Photoshop & patience.  It's so nice to have the updated yearly shots though especially when 3 new babes join in one year! I still think there is room for more growth even if more complicated... Connie had us all over for a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner that followed the pictures. We let Lexi open one present that night & I read her the Christmas story from a picture book with scriptures. Dad doesn't like this sort of tradition, but it's not like I'm asking him to dress up. I told him to ask Lexi what Christmas is all about and she said "Presents!" without hesitation AND THAT is why we have to tell the story as much as we can. We all need a reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season and THE GIFT that matters most. I want to keep holidays simple because I don't like added stress, but hopefully next year we can do more to get the kids involved in serv...

FINALLY I can give you an update. It seems our guy is slowing down a bit:  Weight 23lb 91% Height 28.5 in 60% Head 18 in 87% He is on the go this month! He started crawling faster on his knees // he is all about trying to stand up but can't sit back down; definitely a cautious boy // he chews anything like a champ // FOUR top teeth all popped in during his Croup week so that was fun, 6 in total now // he has reverted back to bad sleep habits after my mastitis bout and has a difficult time going back to sleep on his own whenever he deems it necessary to wake up in the middle of the night // he started babbling "da da, bah bah, ma ma" sounds // he LOVES being held still but is all about grabbing everything so that can be challenging // he loves musical instruments, blocks & putting play food in his mouth // so VERY ticklish still // 12-18 month size // still has bouts of cough attacks especially at night (part of the night problem I assume) // has...

1. My kids play well together. They love each other. That doesn't mean we don't have our moments. I'll have to tell Lexi not to tease Dallin & I'll have to tell Dallin not to pull Lexi's hair, but to be fair, siblings are awesome. 2. Lexi loves the snow. Dallin was sleeping and still recovering from his illness so I didn't want him outside, plus I hate the cold, but she was begging. So I helped her get all snowed up and watched her from the window as best I could. I was just waiting for someone to come report my child for playing in the front yard alone, but only my neighbor showed some concern. She also dresses herself these days. Sometimes I try to redirect, but sometimes it's entertaining to see what they come up with.     3. She got to attend her 2nd birthday party. They went to outer space and she had so much fun! I love seeing kids learn and experience new things. It's the best part of parenthood. She is very sweet with these tw...

OH IT GETS BETTER! Next victim, Lexi. Who got her first 24 hours fever/stomach bug, which was completely unexpected because WE JUST started seeing people again. She played with a couple of preschool kids and her cousin one day and another friend on the days I had to run into work. The weekend comes and as we get home from playing with her friend she puts herself to bed and sleeps for hours. By the time dad came home, I knew something was up and she had a high fever that night. It broke sometime the following afternoon after one puking session (that ended up on dad).  The next night she was back to eating and her high energy self. It's crazy how quickly our bodies can tear us down! Everyone keeps saying that exposure to germs helps us in the long run, but it definitely sucks now! And I'm curious how true that is. Cause I'm kinda done. I know it won't be our last cold or fever, but it would be nice to have a little break. We apparently scared everyone a few days ...

Between my surgery, Dallin's Croup virus and then a THIRD round of mastitis, we have been home A LOT. And surprisingly Lexi has handled it well. But really I thought this might just be our new life until Spring. I mean the local grocery stores are already setting it up where you just order your groceries in advance and they come load your car. I get the urge. Preschool has been cancelled every week last month due to illnesses, but you can't catch mastitis, it just comes oh so naturally...to me. I didn't even know it was a real option at the time, 9 months into it! It totally took me by surprise and had no warning. That's why when the breast pain came earlier in the day, I figured it was due to Dallin's teething. But then I realized it was the breast tissue. Once the chills set in that evening I texted Mr Smith and told him I had mastitis, right after the doctor office closed. I just figured I'd hold on until the 6:45 time period when Mr Smith said he would ...

I wonder when I'll forget that morning of hearing Dallin crying mid-sleep and realizing I could go to him but it was only 12 AM and it felt like we had just laid him down. While I waited for what seemed like forever on Mr Smith to make the initial leap, my body decided to get up before my mind even caught up. AS SOON as I opened the door and realized what he sounded like, I grabbed him and I told Mr Smith to get up; Dallin needed to go to the hospital. Mr Smith hadn't been sleeping. I slipped on slippers and I wanted to cry while I held Dallin close to me as Mr Smith changed and got Lexi up. It was more than just his inability to breathe, every breath sounded like his last. Inhale and exhale, that wheeze was so labored and so heartbreaking that I immediately thought about his baby cousins who were in our home the previous day. Oh my gosh, what if we passed this to them! We didn't even strap him in the car seat really. We didn't want anything restricting him. It was the...

We will be long overdue for a redo on all candids & better quality photos, but here is what we did get from a week of fun  & good food in photos =)