Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Keith's birthday was yesterday. We had a great day. Keith got to enjoy a lot of catching up on his sleep :) We went to breakfast with the kids, then some shopping, decorated a cake (while Keith caught up on more sleep!) and then Keith's mom so graciously babysat so we could go on a date to dinner! I think it has been FOREVER since Keith and I went to dinner alone. We went to our favorite, Texas Roadhouse, and had some yummy ribs. I hope Keith enjoyed his special day. We sure had fun sharing it with him!

Keith requested a Wal-Mart cake...apparently he could think of nothing cooler :)



Gavin is getting good at taking pictures :)


Enjoying breakfast!
Happy Birthday, Dad!

I'm pretty sure he's brilliant...

I'm sure every mother has an experience where they are pretty sure that their kid is the most brilliant one out there. Well, I'm pretty sure that mine is the most brilliant :) He came and showed me this toy he built with his lego blocks. I thought it closely resembled one that I'd seen in the idea book they came with. In just a matter of days he'd gone from crying about how he couldn't put them together to following the visual directions. Brilliant I tell you...

Fishing

Grandpa Cecil invited Keith and Gavin to go fishing with him. Gavin has been looking forward to doing this for MONTHS! I didn't go so I don't have much to say about the actual trip, but they left at 5:30 in the morning and Gav came into my room to tell me goodbye and give me loves. He said to me, "Mom, I'm going to catch you a really huge fish and put it on a plate." So silly! Then he came home and said, "Mom, we just tried to catch a fish but we couldn't. Grandpa Cecil gave us one." He told my neighbor about it and said she could eat the tail. What a crazy kid!







I love how Grandpa is holding Gav's hand on the fish...he wasn't really into actually "touching" the fish.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Happiness acheived...

There was this perfect moment today where I was completely and totally, blissfully happy. I know what you're all thinking...ON A SUNDAY?!?!?! Sundays are usually HARD because I am busy chasing Gav at church, fighting him to go to nursery, Max is usually not so cooperative, I have lessons to teach, then we get home and 9 times out of 10 we are running to visit family. Today, some of the usual happened but there was this absolutely perfect, surreal moment where I'm holding Max, he's being so sweet and calm and Gavin is trying to put himself and his church bag on the bench and instead of freaking out he lets me help him. I don't know what it was, but right then I felt so incredibly happy to be a mother. There was nothing miraculous that happened but I almost lost it right there in the middle of sacrament meeting. And the day just got better and better. The kids were great, they both took naps at the same time, we played outside on the swingset and went for a walk as a family. I think tonight it just finally hit me that I've acheived what I've always wanted. It might not always be perfect, but it's definitely worth it. Little moments like today are such a sweet reward for all the work we do as mothers/parents/family members.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Any other Gleek's out there?



I am OBSESSED with the TV show "Glee". Are there any other watchers out there? I can't get enough!

I remember when they were shamelessly promoting it and thinking, "Seriously, who is going to watch a show about a show choir? I was even in show choir, and I'm not going to watch that!"

But of course, I just had to take a little peek and see what it was all about...and next thing I know, I had watched the entire pilot. Thanks goodness for Hulu.com so I could watch the next 2 episodes I had missed. And yes, I watched them all in one night.

What do I love about it?



1. THE MUSIC! Everyone on the show does their own vocals, it's amazing! I long to live in a world where we all spontaneously break out in song over the things going on in our lives...The above link is of one of my favorite songs on the 1st soundtrack if you're interested in hearing it. I listen to the soundtrack 4 millions times a day and think it's amazing. I start every single day off with "Don't Stop Believing" and Max loves when I sing loud and dance around the kitchen :)



2. Sue Sylvester. She's hilarious. The lines she throws down...side-splitting, gut-wrenching FUNNY.



3. The high school atmosphere. I'm a total nerd, but I was one of those people who absolutely loved high school. My love for it probably had something to do with being in show choir, but I just remember having so much fun. Jr. High was so awkward and uncomfortable and high school felt so normal to me. I loved being involved in things, and there was so much to be involved in.



4. The performances. It takes me back. Back to those moments where we've made it to the finals and the lights are dimmed and the announcer says, "And now, performing their competition set....Southeast Polk's RAMIFICATION!" Cue lights and the acapella beginning to "I Can See Clearly Now". I lived for those moments. I'm living vicariously through "Glee" because I'm never going to experience those moments again. {Insert tears here} I'm not going to lie...every so often I whip out one of my old VHS tapes (now do you see why I still have a VCR Jeri and Carlie???)and relive those moments.

Here's a couple little teasers for you...ya know, just in case you're interested in joining the "Gleek" club...



Tuesday, May 11, 2010

When you have a houseful of boys...



...this is what your quilting frames get used for.

Look who's sitting!



Max is starting to do possibly my favorite baby thing EVER! I just love when they start to sit on their own! I can't believe he is getting so big! He will be 7 months this month! Where did these last few months go? I keep trying to cherish every little moment with Max because I know how fast it goes and it just keeps flying by!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Weekend in Review

With Keith's new schedule we have sort of had a 4 day weekend :) It was actually really nice and I am pleased with all that we got done! We took a trip to the aquarium with some of our favorite people Keaton and Julie. Julie watched my boys last week for mutual night and said they were like part of her family. Keaton decided that if we are family we will now be reffered to as the "Smaucoms" (Smiths and Baucoms) I thought it had a nice ring to it!



Friday was spent doing some stuff in the yard and Keith worked on our new playset we bought for the backyard. There were some ducks in our yard and Gavin was so excited! "Look Mom, there's my duckies!" It was so cute to watch him look at them. I finally got some of my flowers planted. I wasn't being lazy...it just snowed the week I bought them...LAME!!!



Saturday was the race and then I spent the day planting the garden while Keith finished the playset. I don't want to brag, but I'm going to take a little extra pride this year in the garden because I planted it all by myself! Gavin may have "helped" a bit. I sometimes wonder why I even plant a garden...it is so much work. The worst part is weeding it. I'm getting sick just thinking of that! It is always so nice to have fresh veggies though. Nothing beats fresh tomatoes right out of the garden! Oh...and these yummy sweet vinegar cucumbers the mom in law taught me how to make...I'm starting to remember why I do this!



Sunday...mothers day! 135 miles of driving...yikes! It wasn't too bad. We went to my dad's ward to hear him and my brother, Colton, speak. They both did great and it was nice to hear them share their testimonies. We didn't get to spend much time with Amy, and I ended up getting her the same thing as my dad (haha!) but she was so creative and gave us airwick air freshners with a paper that said how sometimes being a mother was kinda "stinky" and then it had a really nice thought from Pres. Hinckly about mothers. I need to type it up and put it on here because I thought it really put motherhood into perspective. She's always so creative and thoughtful. Afterwards we drove back up to Sandy to visit the mom in law, aka Mom #3 :) Unfortunately we didn't know their church time had changed and we spent an hour and a half hanging out at their house without them! We did have a nice visit once they came home. Then it was back to the car to drive down to Spanish Fork to visit my mom. I had planned dinner and we had our own personal "Cafe Rio". It turned out so great! We topped off the dinner with some fried ice cream and then relaxed in my mom and Al's 30ft hot tub....well, it's their pool that is nicely heated while the weather still isn't cooperating. I thought it was a perfect day, minus the fact that I never got a nap...



I forgot to take the picture before the eating commenced.... ;)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Race for the Cure


Today I ran the SLC Race for the Cure. This was my second time for this race and it was great fun once again! I love the millions of people there and the rush you get when you begin a race. Britt ran it with me and it was fun to get to spend some time with her (minus our children). We don't get that anymore.

I brought my camera and did not take one single picture. How lame is that? I looked like I just rolled out of bed anyway...seeing as how that's pretty much what happened!
I have decided I don't particularly love running. It's the sense of accomplishment I feel when I'm done that I love. It's the rush of adrenaline you get when start a race. I would like to be become a better runner, but it's such a mental thing for me. I need to learn how to hit that wall and not slow down, but break through it.
The best part about this race...you can run either in celebration of someone or memory of someone. I always run in celebration of my "Nance". I'm so thankful that she beat breast cancer and is here today. Heavenly Father must have known how much I needed her and it wasn't her time to go home yet. Thanks for being so tough, Nancy. We sure love you here at the Smith house!

When I came home I got the cutest surprise ever. The mister had both of the boys dressed up in cute shirts that said, "My Mom Rocks". Sweet, huh? Gavin kept telling me all day, "You rock, Mom!" It was great. I am so thankful for the love and support from all my boys!


Me and my Nance!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Smith...party of 4, and other Dad memories...

I have no idea what made me think of this tonight, but I always laugh when we go to restaurants and they have to put us on the list. When I was younger and we would go out to dinner, the host would ask for our name to put us on the waiting list and my dad would always tell them Smith. I remember asking him why and he would say that Smith was so much easier than Cobbley. Well, maybe he was just helping me practice for later in life when "Smith, party of 4" would be the reality!

Then, thinking about funny things my dad has done, I remembered the time we were driving to Park City and I told him to point to his head and say Mark Twain's initials. (I was young...I know it's a lame joke.) Anyway, he pointed to his head and said, "S.C." No dad, not YOUR intials (Steve Cobbley) Mark Twain's. Again he said, S.C. He then explained that Mark Twain was a pen name and Samuel Clemens was his real name. That blew my mind. That was the first time I learned what a pen name was.
A couple of weeks ago at the YW General Meeting, we sang "High On A Mountain Top". Love, love, love this song. It always makes me think of my dad and hiking Mt. Timp. We finally get up to the saddle and dad pulls out some papers with the words to this song on it and tells us it's always been his dream to hike up to the top of a mountain and sing it. We did. I'll never forget how amazing that was. {Insert chills here}. In fact...I'm thinking I may need to revist this again this summer. Anyone want to join me?

Anyway, I know it's almost Mother's Day, but tonight I found myself smiling about "My Dad". Quotes are for you dad...you'll get it. Love ya.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Sewing

I have never been a great seamstress. Give me some yarn and a crochet hook and I could make you whatever you wanted, but a sewing machine and thread...uh....blank stares commence.

Britt so gracious taught me the basics a couple months ago when I wanted to make a carseat cover. She was so patient with me even though I know it would have been much easier for her to just do it. Since learning that, I practiced by doing 2 more carseat covers and cutening (I'm making that a word) up some burp clothes.

I decided it would benefit me to learn how to read a pattern and I found some really cute fabric I wanted to make something out of. Naturally one would assume that a pattern being so bold to state, "It's so easy, it's Simplicity" would be great for a beginner, so I picked that brand and decided to make a bag.

A couple of hours later and a lot of re-reading instructions that made NO SENSE to me, I did it! I'm not sure that it's EXACTELY what the pattern called for but it's definitely useable! Keith was with me while I was working on it and I said to him, "You know if this works I'm going to be ridiculously excited about it." Cue blank stare from Keith. Then when I finished it I put my church stuff in it and said, "Hey look! It works!" He asked me what I expected it to do. Sometimes boys just don't get it!