Mr & Mrs Smith

I guess it's still fall, but it feels like the freakin winter. The one where your bones freeze. And it hasn't even snowed yet. But I love Idaho! Everyone says this, so I even accepted it and made the sign that says Idaho is home. It's "resting" in my home in Idaho (because we haven't hung a single thing on the walls). I've accepted this. I'm embracing it. Because Mr Smith tells me NOW that he got a very clear answer that "this is home". I guess I just need to work on being inspired in the same way. Or maybe it'll come to me differently. We are different people after all. But I'm also still the biggest skeptic in life sometimes. I just feel like I can't be immune from anything. Maybe that's humility, I'm not sure. But it would be nice to find a place that feels like home #lifegoals I haven't had much photo inspiration as of late. There was a beautiful three week period of orange and yellow leaves that I complet...

Every year it gets a little more and more exciting...for her...and more tiresome for us, ha! But we do what we can and Gammi makes it easier with her fabulous home-sewn costumes. I love that Dallin got to re-wear R2D2. Lexi likes Star Wars due to brainwashing? and although mermaid got into her head, she thought Princess Leia was pretty cool. She even let me do sock buns without complaint. No hairspray on hand so I was surprised they lasted as long as they did.  Her favorite part of Halloween? Candy. She thought she got a ton. Dad came home just in time to go to the ward's trunk or treat for 30 min and she got a few handfuls. Then we went to visit Grandma & Grandpa Smith, Lance & then Grandma Jane. I was wiped. But apparently not as much as Dallin who slept 15 min after leaving the house, right in dads arms as we passed out candy. Lexi only visited a couple of actual doors and was ready to take it all so maybe next year we'll learn how to be more polite... I've...

In the last week of October we finally caught some festive fall happenings at a nearby pumpkin patch. She had so much fun! And I did too. I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much to do for free! During school hours adults don't have to pay, but it's only $1 afternoons to get in so obviously they are just nice folks and it's appreciated since it's hard to find fun, affordable ideas in this area that don't make you feel like a sardine with a billion other kids. She did the kids maze, pet several animals, walked through a little "haunted house" without  holding my hand, went down their slide, walked around hay barrels, wallered all in their corn box and took a nice hayride through the pumpkin patch and corn field! It was great. ESPECIALLY with her best buddy by her side. These girls are just a couple days apart and really do love each other. As soon as we got there, they ran to each other and gave each other a big hug. She wants to play with...

We don't really get out on dates or do formal family activities, mostly to save on budget and 2, there is usually a lack of thought and energy in mind as well.  However, taking Lexi to see a movie at the theatre before the baby comes has been on my list. When I learned of the dollar theatre still having Inside Out (which everyone raved about), we decided we had to try. Daddy spoiled her with a movie pack. I seriously forgot how much they rob you at concessions. I'm sure it was only 10 minutes previous to the start of previews, but Lexi wasn't sitting still for long while the lights were on and an arcade existed at the front of the theatre. One track mind people. I'm sure Mr Smith got worried at this point thinking we were never going to get through 1.5 hours. She can certainly be engaged by a movie, she is still just used to sitting and moving around at home as she pleases. And so as the movie began, she moved from Dad's lap, to mine, back to her seat again etc...

I hate to think making statements about how awesome motherhood is and how it's the best work I could be doing might dim the light of others who haven't had the same opportunities for one reason or another. If it's because you don't want it, then I still feel bad because being a mother is so great.  Something I'm now having the opportunity to witness is meeting up with friends from my pre-marriage life who have kids now and it's awesome to see the love carried forward. This is the direct quote from Elder Holland I referenced a few days ago:  No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child [...] Bear, borne, carry, deliver.  These are powerful, heartening messianic words. They convey help and hope for safe movement from where we are to where we need to be—but cannot get without assistance. These words also connote burden, struggle, and fatigue—words most a...

I've been really anxious to know if this round will be with another girl or a new experience of a little boy.  We really wanted a boy with Lexi, but of course fell in love with having a girl, even if she is a tough one. We wanted the next child to keep up with her and so we were really hoping a boy was on the radar, plus less anxiety down the road once you have one of each! And it spices things up in the family. Gender is such an interesting concept, yet I know it is divine as well as our place within the family.  God knows best. And I guess I'm just excited by what God thinks is best for our little family. I was anxious enough to do a gender ultrasound at 16-17 weeks instead of waiting until 20 weeks, especially since I never did a 12 week ultrasound so I really want to "see" him so that it became more real. Let me tell you it is always SO cool to see them. I'm so excited to see more at week 20 and make sure that heart is functioning like it should and that ...

Lexi did turn 18 months last week. We see the doctor in the morning so I will talk more about her in the days ahead. She is the best thing to talk about. I will mention that she has been in nursery the last 3 Sundays and has done incredibly well. It makes my heart happy to see her play well with a group of children her age (especially after the issues mentioned in the last post when it comes to playing one-on-one with her cousins & the fact that she still takes a morning nap). It was surprisingly hard to leave her, and still is; I want to watch her play, but it's nice knowing she behaves great without us. She doesn't show much contempt when we drop her off, but at least she gets excited when we pick her up. We are definitely getting more out of church thanks to wonderful nursery leaders. I'm just so surprised at the strong & independent girl we are raising. She is extremely helpful (in the way 18 month olds can be helpful) and loving. Yes, she might be grabby and p...