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.