CHRISTMAS !!

Merry CHRISTMAS!! We had many busy days and LOTS of FUN!!

Hope everyone had great Christmas!!

Christmas EVE!

We started at Grandma Karens and we had dinner and opened a few presents! It was a lot of fun and great to see the family.

Then from there we went to Grandma Pams for another dinner and more presents. My mom has been doing a lot of homemade gifts and the 12 day of Christmas, so for dinner it was a SUPRISE!! I could not firgure out what it would be....but this is what we found. A dinner of everyones favorites!!! She had asked everyone months ago of their favorite food and made it enough to share...it was like a GOOD buffet. We all laughed so hard because she had everything from popsicles to manicotti.

She had little signs to let you know whos favorite you were eating.

PRESENTS!

Again with the simplify theme this year instead of buying the adults gifts we drew names but were to write them a letter. Well this is our version of the letter we wrote to Bridger and Jen.

CHRISTMAS DAY!!

Well Santa did make a stop here and we all got spoiled and had a very LAZY day....a GREAT day!!!

Santa got Cali, ELMO-live!!

Addison got a baby that goes potty but I must have missed a pic of that so here she is with her new movie from her stocking. So easliy pleased!!

NEW boots from DADDY!!!

Santa got Saige a BIKE!!

Mom and Dad just could not resist in getting the girls this present.

They LOVE it!!!

FRIDAY

Because Christmas day the weather was horrible Bronson and Steph came friday, it was great and the kids think Christmas is a week long event. They of course always get spoiled rotten by Grandma and Grandpa and they love to spend time with the cousins from KAMAS MOUNTAIN!!

Opening presents!!

They got a horse barn from Grandma and Grandpa...

you guessed they LOVE it!!

That was a quick overview of our hoilday but not to forget the most important, spending time with our family is the greatest gift of all and the laughter that we all share together is priceless. I hope you all had a great holiday and LAUGHED a LOT!!!

SICK BABY!!

I am so sick of a SICK baby who just wants MOM!! I love that she wants me but come on it's CHRISTMAS and I don't want a sick kid. So after 4 days of a fever and no other symptoms I took her into the Doctor to find out that both ears are infected and antibiotics were prescribed. POOR thing let's hope she is feeling well for Christmas, and we can all get some sleep. Sorry Cali for not taking you in sooner :(

Play Group PARTY!

Today was Addison Play group PARTY and time to see SANTA...again! She really does not like santa but was very brave when it was her turn. Mostly because we had Gavin with us and he was not scared at all so she had to put on her brave face, she loved story time with Mrs. Claus and making fun crafts and eating milk and cookies, it was a great time and she loved it. Thanks Calvin for taking care of sick little Cali so we could go.

Stories with Mrs. Claus

Milk and Cookies YUMMY!!

School Program

Saige had her kindergarten program and it was so cute. They sang several songs and some kids did solos!! Way CUTE and they have worked so hard.

And YES I did get the decorations up and it was the right day this time and they were a hit!! THANKS MOM!!

A lot on my mind

I have been doing a lot of thinking and had TONS on my mind. So I thought I would attempt to share what I have been thinking, and feeling.

FRIENDS!

I have thought a lot lately about great friends and what a blessing it is to have great ones!! I am blessed to have several that are willing to help me at any time and listen to my crying!!! Thank you all!!!

FAMILY!

Family, I have two AMAZING families and could not ask for any more!!! They are so great....just a little story for you all. My parents are doing the 12 days of Christmas to all the grand kids, it has been so much fun and the gifts are not traditional. They have been like, choose your favorite outfit to keep and pick one to give away, or have a movie night with your family. Well last night we opened ours and it was "FAMILY FLASH CARDS"

laminated pictures of every person in our Family with info on back (name, birthday, Favorites etc...) Well my girls loved them and really appreciated them, something I can not say if they would have got them on Christmas Day. So as we are sitting there last night pondering how great it is to have such wonderful families we get a call from Karen to let us know my dear sister-in-laws Dad had passed away, my heart just aches for her. I can't even begin to imagine the thought of loosing my dad. Steph, is an amazing woman and her strength through this all just blows me away. How she can keep it all together is truly inspiring to me. They have great faith, strength, patience and an awesome family bond that will get them through. She really makes me want to be a better person, I never hear a poor me or a grip from her she just goes with a smile on her face and keeps moving. I want to tell her how sorry we are for her, and we love her and her family.

So, today, and always, I am very grateful to be happy and healthy along with a healthy extended family.

Feeling very INADEQUATE!!!

Well I have been feeling VERY, less than PAR!! After several bad meltdowns with my kids (Sorry Haley) I wonder why I deserve them because I feel like the deserve much more...... Someone who can keep there stuff together and not loose it, really loose it. I love my little munchkins more than anything else but really sometimes I wonder why they got me!! I am so blessed that they are easy to forgive and they make me understand how important family really is. We went to church on Sunday, 20 min late may I add and sit down to hear the Bishop announce that the meeting today will be all focused on being to church ON TIME!!! Great I wanted to crawl under my seat and never be seen again. Here are so many families with lot's more kids than me and they can make it on time so WHAT is my deal and I even had Calvin with me, and still are late. Bless our bishop and counselors, I know how important it is, but I may still be late but it is better late than never RIGHT!!! I will try harder to be on time but I will still go even if I am LATE.

HUSBAND

My number one FAN!! THANK YOU, for putting up with a lot of poor, poor, why, me days and letting me get some good early Christmas presents for myself. He is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without him!! LOVE YOU TONS HONEY!!!

Well somehow I feel much better, I think this was the most random post ever from feeling down to happy. But, in reality I KNOW I am blessed and my family is most important thing to me. Of course at this time of year it is hard to get caught up in all the HUSTLE and BUSTLE so thanks to all of you who share your thoughts and our great parents who keep us grounded and remembering the TRUE meaning of CHRISTMAS!!!!

I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Party, Dance and MORE Parties!!!

Well let the festivities begin! It can't really be Christmas Time without 2-3 parties a week, or day and trying to make it to them all.

Well that is how our weekend was, we had a Christmas party Friday at Grandma Karen's to see Santa have Pizza and Decorate cookies (no pics sorry lost camera) Which the girls loved...minus Santa that is, they are still scared of the JOLLY big guy. Then we had dinner reservations at 5 ALLS (if you have never been it is worth every penny) for 6:00, to take all of our employees to dinner (again no pics still no camera). We had a great time and enjoyed visiting with everyone. After dinner we went to the movie "4 Christmas", it was great. Then came home to a very happy sight 3 sleeping girls, thanks to Aunt Meg.

Saturday Saige and Addie had a Dance recital at NOON then we had another Party at Grandma Smarts at 2:00.

DANCE RECITAL

Well the much anticipated day was here and the girls were so excited. Really it is pretty low key but not to them they think it might as well been Super Bowl half time!!! So they were very excited and this was Addison first time on the "BIG" stage. They made me proud, they both did there very best and were VERY proud of themselves, so I could not ask for any more just the smile on there face was enough for me.

(YEAH found my camera at dance so here are some pictures)

Just before dancing they were very excited!!

Visiting with Santa after the show, their teacher promised them a visit with him, so we had to wait it out. But they did like him a lot more than at Grandma Karen's!!

Kayli and McKenna.

They came down from Kamas to watch.
THANKS GIRLS!!!

After the show, Addie showing us her wink!!

Saige giving us a CHEESY smile.

CHRISTMAS PARTY!!

This time the party was at Grandma Smarts (next door) with all the SMART cousins. We had a great dinner then played some games and visited with the family. It is always fun to catch up on every ones lives.

Opening presents!!

The AWESOME lady behind it all GRANDMA "S"

also a great neighbor,

we are so blessed to live right next door to such an awesome lady. She has always tried so hard to keep the family together and planning parties to see everyone. Thanks GRANDMA we love you lots.

Well our weekend is over and another crazy week ahead. Lets hope I can keep my STUFF together a little better.

Nice People

YES good nice people do still exist!!! With all my insanity this week, I will add to the list of LOOSING my CAMERA & PHONE!!! Yeah I am really going crazy......and NO I am NOT pregnant!!

But it made me VERY grateful to the two nice people that decided to return my lost items instead of claiming them for there own. So I am going to look on the bright side of things and be glad that I got my things back and not focus on the POOR me, what am I doing to loose my mind, just be happy that I still have not lost my FAMILY !!! HAHAHA

Quote for the day.....

Cleaning your house while your kids

are still growing up

is like shoveling the walk before

it stops snowing.

~Phyllis Diller

ITS TRUE.......

I hate to admit this but I TRULY am loosing my

MIND!!!!!

I picked up wrapping paper last night at dance, and today can't find it anywhere, went to Enrichment last night and forgot that I was in charge of bringing MUSIC...easy fix THANK goodness. Then today I have been running like crazy to get ready for Saige's school program, (I am in charge of Decorations) go to her school at 3:00....to find out it is NEXT Wednesday....ARRRGH, to say I am ready to pull out all my hair and sit in my BED for the next few weeks would not be too far off. I am hoping this is a result of all the PARTYING in Vegas (HAHAHA), not just old AGE!!!!

So I am OFF to regain my MEMORY and hopefully keep my HAIR!!!!!

ViVa LaS VeGaS!!!

Wow what a trip and not a spare minute. We just got back last night from Vegas with Zach and Brooke, it was our annual trip to go watch the NFR (Rodeo). We had a BLAST and LAUGHED a lot like usual. Saturday night we went to the RODEO, Sunday we did some shopping and went to "O" that night. The show was AMAZING that is the first time we have ever been to a show in Vegas but I would definitely go again. We had our usual dinner at Cheesecake Factory YUMMY!!!! The trip was quick but way FUN!! & a great break from all the running about and busy holiday stuff. Grandma Karen and Meg watched the girls and of course were spoiled and had a great time. Thank you both for watching them and letting there parents get some much needed R&R....... wait we were to busy having fun and staying up late for any R&R but still a great time.

RODEO,

so the NFR is celebrating there 50th anniversary and to sing the National Anthem was one of my FAVS....REBA. She got her debut back 50 years at the first NFR when, she was just 5 singing the National Anthem.

PRETTY COOL!!!

The CUTE couples!!

I had to add this of Calvin and Zach riding a ride that simulates riding a roller coaster. LOOK at those faces, good thing it was not real or we could have had a BIG mess on our hands

We missed Steve and Ellery who usually go with us but had some things come up last minute...so maybe next year!!!

OH the FEELING.......

to be done putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. The house is clean....kinda, kids happy, Christmas music playing and nothing else to do......for now, so I think I will go back and enjoy my lazy day!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, we sure did and I am very thankful for my WONDERFUL life and to be blessed with so much!!!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

FYI

Just thought I would pass this along, tonight @ 10:00 on KSL channel 5 they are having a special "Staying Safe" in the BLOGGING WORLD! Looked interesting I would like to know what they have to say.

HAVE FUN!!!

PARTY!!

WOW what a Birthday party or should I say Birthday week, from a party on Sunday with Grandma Pam, a puppy Monday, shopping with Grandma and Grandpa Smart on Thursday, Halloween, then Build-a-bear with Mom and Dad on Sat, and FINALLY a real party on Sunday which really was her birthday. She is REALLY loved & spoiled by everyone and had a great week and a FUN party last night. She got lots of fun things, clothes, make-up, coloring stuff, purse, Tinkerbell movie and OF COURSE clothes for the puppy who is now named BOOZER... Addie's choice.

Opening presents...she had lot's to open and lot's of help.

The "CAKE"

Singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Make a WISH!

This is her Build-A-Bear..

ROXY !

My Little ADDIE is 3.......

Today was the day three years ago when little Addison Mae joined the SMART crew. She arrived via c-section, she too liked to do things a little backward and came breech. The c-section went very well and she was happy and healthy she weighed 6lbs. 15 oz. 19 in long. Her big sister was waiting to see her and was very excited, along with family and friends we were all very eager to see her and welcome her to the family. She has been a great joy to our family and is FULL of PERSONALITY!! She will dance and smile at everything, she LOVES her DADDY, animals, her sisters, LEO (stuffed lion), Mac & Cheese, she loves treats. She is very outgoing and will try anything just to keep up with the BIG kids, she wants to be just like them, and I want to keep her LITTLE!!!

I love her chubby little cheeks and thighs.

(she will hate me for that)

I love her SMILE!

She is very quick to say sorry

Very honest!

VERY SILLY!!

Loves to Dance

I love her CURLS!!

Has major ADDI-TUDE! (good and bad)

Great sense of style!?!

Here are a few pictures!!

Right after her first bath at home!!

Her first POPSICLE and she loved every minute of it.

The DIVA in her!!

Just a idea of her silly-ness!!

The latest pic of her, she is very photogenic and this totally captures her personality.

Happy Birthday, my not so little Addie Mae

WE LOVE YOU!!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Well another year has come and gone!! WOW it always seems to be so crazy and this year didn't lack in craziness. Our day started early and we were at the doctor by 8:30 and Cali had croup, OF COURSE!! We wouldn't like anything to go smoothly. Anyway I was suppose to go to Saige's class and help with the party at 9:15, and Addie had a party at 10:30.....so with the help of KARA and grandma KAREN we made it and all went great, besides feeling so rushed we made it through the morning. Then that night we still made it out trick or treating with Kara and her kids, and our neighbors the Reeve's, the girls got TONS of candy and had a great time regardless of the CRAZINESS!!

Here are a few of the PUMPKINS we

GREW!!

Saige class.

Cali...KITTY!

Addie...BUNNY!

Saige...LION!!

Hope everyone had a great HALLOWEEN and until next year, maybe it will be a little less crazy.