Haven't updated For a While!!! SORRY

So Braden has been doing cross country and I just LOVE watching them! This picture is one of my favorites!! Braden, Aaron, and their friend are all posing for the camera!!! Notice that Braden and Aaron have tan lines, but their buddy is tan all the way up his legs!!!!

My dad calls this picture "Stick Man". Braden is just a skinny guy. Aaron has a tradition that when he gets up to the line he says "Boys the time has come!!!" Then quickley rips of his pants to reveal his short-shorts

RANDOM PICTURES

Malynn and a gorilla

Yes, Braden made these bubbles

Smith Cousin's

HELP ME!!!

OLD FAITHFUL

THANK YA VERY MUCH!

YOUNG Braden, Aaron and Austin

HEE HEE HEE (Spaceman Spiff)

I think Eli can sleep just about anywhere. in his highchair...

the couch...

and the floor!

Breanne enjoying a sandwhich

Me with a mint on my forehead

Camille takes over!!!

So my dad turned the blog over to me which I'm very excited about. It'll give me something to do. The only thing is it'll still be a family blog so ya. My blog posts might not be as long as my dad did them, but at least it'll be updated. This will be really fun for me! I'll post a lot of pictures of fun things that we've done. I guess I should tell you how I took over. So I think it was on a Sunday my dad was helping my mom in the kitchen and I went up to him and told him that he needed to update his blog. Then he said that I could update it so I was like ya I'll do that and now I'm just getting around to it. I really enjoy reading other peoples blogs so PLEASE keep them updated! :)

Been a While

Well, It is has been a while since I wrote last. October 22nd in fact.

2008 was a good year. It had it's ups and downs, but mostly ups. The kids are growing up and becoming more independent. I don't know if that is necessarily the best thing. There are times I would like to remove the agency part of the equation and give directives and manifestoes. I guess they don't learn as well if it is done that way.

Braden is still an 8th grader. He tried wrestling for the first time and finished the season 6-0. He enjoyed it, but thankfully, he enjoys basketball better. He starts that season on Monday. He recently turned 14 and was ordained a teacher. He is a teenager and reminds us of it daily one way or another.

Camille is a 6th grader and is enjoying school. She is in choir and enjoying that. She has performed in 2 concerts now and went carolling at the Botanical Gardens recently. She is looking forward to Young Womens and graduating from Primary.

Dallin is a 4th grader and a character. He is a hard worker and thoughtful. Dallin loves to read and play outside.

Malynn is a 1st grader and loves school. She is helpful in her class and a good friend. She just lost her other front tooth this morning so she missed the front teeth for Christmas by a week or so. I guess she will have to wait until December.

Eli is a hoot. We just sit and listen to him tell us all about his wonderous adventures. The kids are good with him and include him in almost everything. He is currently on a Super Y kick. He got a Super Y outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Curtis for Christmas, so he now has the power to read.

Nat and I are moving right along at the speed of life. Sometimes our speed doesn't match life's speed, but we manage. We have had a good 2 week break from school and enjoyed time with the family.

We hope all is well with everyone who reads this and that your 2009 is prosperous and blessed.

Sean

Happy Birthday Dad

I just wanted to take a little time to stop and say Happy Birthday Dad. I love you and I miss you.

Sean

Football Saturday

(Dallin is the one looking at you)

Dallin is on a Nampa Pal football team. This is his first year of organized football. It has been fun to watch the process and watch Dallin change from his first practice to this last game. He plays on the offensive line and outside linebacker. He has also played on the defensive line. If things go well his team could be playing for the championship in 2 weeks. The team just has to win this Saturday. I have included a video and some pictures. Dallin is #59. it is hard to tell, but he is usually in the middle of the picture. On the video the middle opens up wide for him to go get the quarteback, but he dropped into coverage. It's a learning process.

(Dallin is in the center of the pictures)

Other update: Camille participated in her first choir concert of the year. It was held at Columbia High School last Tuesday. She is enjoying singing. Braden finished up Cross Country. he did not do as well as he wanted to at Districts, but had a blast throughout the season and is going to run in High School. He is now trying out Wrestling. He seems to like it. We will keep you posted.

The Smiths

Halloween Party

Nat and I were invited to a Grand Witches Ball. It was a blast. It was a cross between a scavanger hunt and The Amazing Race. We borrowed costumes from a good friend. I dressed as Two Face and Nat went as Poison Ivy. Both characters are from Batman. Everyone was divided up on teams prior to the event. Jeff and Melissa Wadsworth were on our team. We started off at the church building and recieved our first clue. It took us to Blockbuster to find the movie The Shining. We then gave the movie to one of the workers and they gave us our next clue. it was a head of cauliflower in a bag of a red gelatin and then a spider was attached to the bag. We were clueless. After 20 minutes you are allowed to open up an emergency clue. It said, Lakeview Park Bat. Off we went to Lakeview and to what we thought would be where we would find our next clue, the softball diamond by the swimming pool. We were wrong. In fact, we were wrong for 45 minutes. At one point Jeff broke the cauliflower apart to see if the clue was inside. We found nothing. Eventually other teams showed up and we followed them to the Locomotive. We found our next clue. it was a maze. (We went back to the van and looked in the cauliflower again and sure enough, a clue was found. Too bad is was found 45 minutes later.) As you found your way through the maze you passed letters. The letters spelled 40th president of the US. Off we went to Ronald Reagan Elementary. There we found a bag of Peanut M&M's. Now, one of the rules was that you were docked points for every emergency clue you had to OPEN. It didn't say anything about holding them up to the light. :) So, Melissa held up the clue and we were off to the cemetery at the corner of Greenhurst and Powerline. (The real clue was actually in one of the M&M's. I found it when I was eating them.) There we found a clue that sent us to Linder Farms. At Linder Farms we had to go find our designated pumpkin. A kind hearted young lady pointed us in the right direction and we found our pumpkin quickly. We then were given the clue that led us to the final stop, the location of the council. To this point the identities of the those who organized this were a mystery. We wound up being the last ones to the house so I guess it is true, cheaters really never prosper. We then visited with everyone involved for a while. It was a fun evening. I was awared the best costume (thanks Deb).

I Love to See the Temple

I thought I would share with you all the cutest rendition of "I Love to See the Temple" ever. Enjoy.

The Shucks are Eli's nursery leaders. Eli learned the song in nursery.

Running Like the Wind

Well,


Braden is turning out to be a great runner. He has improved his time in every race. In fact, today, he took 45 seconds off of his time. Braden won the Sage Valley meet. Yes, he ran against the school I work at and won. I couldn't be more proud to lose. Here are some pictures, and if I can get it to work, some video.

Above: This is the start to the Lake Lowell Invitational Sept. 18th. There were 180 runners.

Above: This is Braden finishing at the Lake Lowell Invitational. He placed 7th.

Here are some pictures.

Catching Up

Well, it's been a while since I wrote last. I will try to catch everyone up on the fam.

Braden: 8th Grader, running cross country and being a teenager.
Camille: 6th Grader, starting middle school, in choir, GT, doing well.
Dallin: 4th Grader, playing tackle football,
Malynn: 1st Grade, full day of school, has no problem falling asleep at night.
Eli: just turned 3. Keeps Nat busy during the day. Is quite the character and all boy.
Natalie: Mother of 5. Is there really much more I can say about that. Needless to say, she is busy and is an excellent wife and mother.
Sean: Still in middle school fitting right in.

We are all well and doing fine.

Sean

What a July

Twin Falls Temple


Eli wanted to see a Giraffe


Hmm, evolution?


Just plain cute!!


What a place


Watch out red baron!


There's always time for ice cream


Watch Out World!!






Well, It has been a while since I posted. I haven't really had a chance to since we have been on the go for a while. On the 17th we took off on a family vacation to SLC. We had a blast. Here a brief rundown of activities.

• 17th: Stopped in Twin Falls and toured the temple. What a beautiful building and more importantly, a beautiful spirit. We all enjoyed it. If you haven't gone yet and are thinking about it, I highly recommend it.




• 18th: Tour at the LDS Humanitarian Center. What an amazing place. If you haven't toured that sight I recommend it also. It helps bring to light the immense humanitarian effort taken on by the church.




• 18th: LAGOON!! What a blast. The kids loved it. Malynn even got to ride Colossus. (Jeff, She even loved the flying aces) We had a blast.




• 19th: This is the Place Monument and Hogle Zoo. We saw elephants, rhino, giraffe, tigers, bears, lizards, alligators, gorillas, camels etc. It is a zoo, what do you expect. The kids had a blast.




• 19th: Family reunion on Natalie's mom's side. Good company, good conversation, beautiful weather. Overall good time.




• 20th: We visited Nat's cousin Lahni and her husband in the morning and then sent Grandma and Grandpa Curtis home with all the kids but Camille. We had business to tend to.




• 21st: Visit to Primary Children's Hospital for a Liver evaluation for Camille. This lasted almost the entire day. It was very informational and very overwhelming. Camille is a trooper and still my hero.




• 22nd: Back to Primary Children's for more appointments. End result, Camille will be listed on the liver transplant list. I will send emails with more info. We then headed back home.

Braden left for scout camp on Monday the 21st and spent the week up there. I went up on Thursday and came home today. What a great camp. It brought back memories. I started up the Friday night campfire and ice cream tradition to carry it on from the days of Dad at scout camp. It is good to be home. I included pictures of some of the events.

Take care everyone.

Tribute to Steve

It was 12 years ago today that Steve left this life. I thought it would be appropriate to post the poem I wrote and read at his funeral. I sure miss him.

I Lived My Life for You

Watch out world here I come prepare yourself for a change.

I’m coming there to make a mark and have people’s lives to arrange.

Don’t worry about me I’m strong and tough and I will do just fine,

It’s my friends and family I need to worry about and then me if there is time.

What do you mean my time will be short, I have too much to do.

I better get busy and never slow down but to stop and enjoy the view.

My life will be a struggle and at times too much to bare,

That’s why I need to keep on moving, I don’t have time to pull up a chair.

What’s that you say, you need to talk, you have a troubled heart?

Well just sit right there let me grab that chair and I promise I’ll do my part.

Time is too precious to squander away by not living for the day,

I have too much to do here and my time is slipping away.

I am not certain when I will go, but know this for sure,

the people that I get to know will be better than they were.

See I was blessed with a special talent that God wanted me to share,

And with this talent he gave me a heart to make sure that I would care.

I can talk to a total stranger for a minute and become old friends in an instant,

That heart of mine will weather much but God made it rust resistant.

I have too much to do today I must be going now,

But by the way if you need any help I will find a way somehow.

Ain’t life just too much fun to sit and be a spectator?

I am going to be a participant just call me your rejuvenator.

What’s that, you want to be a part of this life I was given?

Let me open the giant door to my heart that’s all it will take, get in.

My time is up I must be going now, OOPS I didn’t leave time for me,

My family’s all right my friends are great and that’s the way it should be.

God gave me a talent and a heart to match and I used them the best I could.

But just remember when you are down and need a friend, think of me, I wish you would.

God Bless

Happy Birthday America

On July 2, 1776, 56 men signed a document that might as well have been their death warrant. These men were committing treason to the British Crown by signing this Declaration of Independence. Each of them knew this, yet, each was willing to give their lives if it be required to obtain the freedom they so greatly desired. For the past 232 years we have honored these men and the birth of this great nation on July 4, which is the date the document was actually made official. The nation went through a bloody and terrible war to obtain the desired freedom.

In 1787, many of the same 56 men gathered in the same room and crafted one of the greatest documents ever written, the Constitution of the United States. This was ratified in by the states in 1789 and became the governing document for the United States. In 1791 the constitution was amended with 10 rights that we know as the bill of rights. In 232 years the Constitution has been amended a total of 27 times. What a testament to the brilliance of the founders and the guidance by the Almighty.

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave a short eulogy we know as the Gettysburg Address. The nation was in the midst of a Civil War. He took the opportunity to re-invoke the declarations made in 1776 that all men are created equal. Looking back on the history of this great nation it is easy to see that at the crossroads of time, the crucial turning points in history, we rise to the occasion and meet the challenges before us. This is not done alone. Our pilgrim ancestors came to this land seeking religious freedom. They wanted to be able to practice their religion without government interference. Those values became woven into American society. The founding fathers looked to God to assist them in their task. Ben Franklin said during the convention,

“The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

I love this country. I love the freedoms my family and I enjoy. I love the blessings of liberty. I am grateful to men and women of the past who believed in something bigger than themselves and all of us and were willing to give their lives to make it a reality. We must show our gratitude by not taking it all for granted. This nation was founded and exists today because of good people and a God who set this land aside as a land of promise. Yes, we have our problems, yes, we make mistakes, but look back in history. When the chips are down, we come together as a nation and answer the call of liberty.

Happy 232nd birthday America. May God continue to smile upon the good in this land.

I forgot to mention

Okay,

In the last post I totally spaced talking about the Tshirts Mike did up for the reunion. You will notice in the picture of mom and the boys we all have different colored shirts. It really helped keep track of kids. All we had to do is count the shirts of our color and we knew if we had everyone. Thanks Mike for using your talent and know how to add that dimension and memory to the reunion.

Smith Family Reunion at Warm Lake June 27-29

Mom and the boys
Fun on the Lake
Logan and Braden with a minnow
Cheese!!!
Would it really be picture time without some wackiness?

The Sean and Natalie Smith Family at Warm Lake. Pardon the hair
All of the cousins
Mom's 5 generations in a chain
Natalie and Eli
S'More Time

We had our first Smith Family Reunion June 27-29. All I have to say is that it was a blast and a successful reunion. What a beautiful setting it was for this reunion. Brian was able to reserve a church camp that sits about a mile from Warm Lake. Each family had their own cabin (bunk house) for sleeping. There were 2 shower houses as well as a dining hall complete with a commercial kitchen. There was a horse shoe pit, volleyball court (My team dominated games 2 and 3) a basketball court, a back stop and plenty of open grassy area for fun. Kids were able to wander and parents didn't really have to worry about much because there wasn't any water close to the camp and there were enough eyes to keep an eye on the kids. We thoroughly enjoyed the time up there. Friday night mom had a fireside speaking about our heritage and that no matter where we are we are never alone because there are many who came before, are here now and are yet to come to add to this legacy. She had the grand kids help her make a paper chain to give a visual of mom and dad's 5 generations. It was good. Saturday we went to the lake and had a great time swimming, boating and fishing. Thanks to everyone who brought the toys and were so willing to share them with the fam. That night some of the boys went fishing again while the cousins played kick ball, kick the can and had a doughnut eating contest. Each night some of the adults got together and played game. I now have a new favorite game. It is called Curses. It is a fun game to play. Hilarious actually. Thanks mom for the reunion. Thank Brian for getting the camp reserved. Thanks Jeff and Tim for bringing the water toys. Thanks to everyone for everything you did to make it a success. The weekend just reaffirmed what I already knew. I have a wonderful family and am blessed to be able to see you so often. My kids are blessed to know their aunts and uncles and all of their cousins. When all is said and done and the fluff and frills are taken out of the whole picture, what remains is family and that is most important. Thanks for the memories.