Bad Blogger

Fantastic Facebooker...bad Blogger. Oh, well.

In the past few months we've celebrated Belle's 8th birthday and St. Paddy's Day and have been planning a trip to Disneyland.

Here are some pics from Belle's birthday:

Friend Party

Lego's were the present of choice this year!

So were kitty t-shirts. Staci and Danny gave her the exact same shirt I did :)

Belle and Parker playing at Airborn Trampoline Arena. We had the whole place to ourselves for about 30 minutes!

Best friends, Parker and Belle.



Family Parties


Sorry about the picture quality. These were taken on my phone. I really should carry my camera around with me at all times...

Just a Gumball

As some of you know, we are going to Hawaii for Christmas this year. My family (Mom, sister, brother and families) have been planning this trip for YEARS. It started when my mom found out that she'd have her condo on Kauai over Christmas day. She didn't want to use it unless everyone wanted to join her in paradise to spend Christmas together as a family. We all agreed that it would be fun. That was 5 years ago. And now it's here. I can hardly believe it!

Since tickets were so expensive Jer and I decided to forgo Christmas presents this year. We asked everyone to leave us off their lists so we could focus on the spirit of the season and family and spending time together and not the presents. I started a few months ago explaining to the kids that Santa was going to take a break this year. He probably wouldn't be able to find us anyway since we wouldn't be home. Tre took it pretty well. He's just excited to boogie board with Braden and spend time with his cousins. I think he's getting smart about Santa anyway. Belle on the other hand isn't taking it so well. The thought of no presents on Christmas morning makes her tear up. And she's not a "crier". I've been trying to talk up the trip and how it will be fun in it's own right, but she just wants to stay home if that means she'll get presents from Santa.

But that was then and this is now. I had this conversation with Belle yesterday:

Me: Belle, if Santa happened to find us on Christmas Eve and wanted to give you one small gift, what would you ask for?

Belle: Hmm...*pauses to think*...maybe a gumball. Not a gumball machine, that's too big, but just one gumball. You know the big ones.

Me: No toys, books or movies? Just one big gumball? *smiling to myself*

Belle: Well...maybe 5 gumballs. Would that be too much?

Me: *now feeling a little emotional* No, that wouldn't be too much.

I am so proud of this girl. She is excited about Christmas not for the presents, but for the spirit of the season. I think Santa will find us this year. And you better believe there will be 5 BIG gumballs in Belle's stocking!

Girls Day Out

While the boys went to the big UofU TCU game the girls got out in nature and had an adventure. We drove up to Silver Lake by Brighton to enjoy some fresh (cold) air and scenery. After a walk around the lake and a side trip to play with the ice we got our craft supplies out (glue, paint, scissors, paper plates, nut cups, tape) and did what any crafty girl would do. We made nature crafts. Belle exclaimed that this was "the best day EVER"!
Girls rock!

Silver lake early November

Poking the ice

Smiling and showing our U pride

Pulling the ice out of the water

Hurry, take the picture! It's cold!

Maybe shorts wasn't a good idea Belle...

Belle taking a picture of me by the thawed side of the lake

Making nature crafts out of pine cones, leaves and sticks

Belle, oh Belle

I love this girl! She is entertaining everyday. Yesterday Belle wanted her fingernails painted. 'YES!' I thought. Then she asked if we had orange and black nail polish because she wanted her nails to look like a tiger...

Earlier this week she wanted to trick her classmates and teacher and wear her glasses to school. Apparently it is cool to be a nerd :) She is cute in those glasses...

And while reading out loud with her she stopped mid-sentence and you could see the wheels turning in her head. She was trying really hard to read the words that are on the page without adding on. She explained that sometimes "to make it more interesting" she adds details to books. For example the book read: 'But at last they could see the Crystal Palace!'. But she reads it like this: But at last they could see the Crystal Palace in the distance. I never knew she added details to books. Very creative!!

Back to School!

Tre's new outfit and shoes (he's getting SO big! size 6 shoes, clothes from Aeropostale!!)

Belle's new outfit

Tre holding Klive after getting a haircut at Kara's

Belle and Tre walking to school

Belle let me curl her hair this morning! Amazing!!

As I was downloading pictures from my camera to my computer I accidentally erased all my "first day of school" pictures and "Timp" pics. I am SO mad! Good thing I have some pics on my phone, but I'm having difficulty getting those pics to my computer too. Stupid technology.

Anyway, the kids started school on August 25, 2010. Tre is in 6th grade. Belle is in 2nd. They were both super excited to start. Belle loves learning and Tre loves seeing his friends everyday. And I was excited that they started in the new school this year. Instead of a 15-20 minute bus ride into Highland, they now have a 10 minute walk to get to school. Buses always make me nervous (No seatbelts!? Getting stuck in the snow!? Not knowing if they make it on time and safely!?). Well, you get my point. So now I can walk my kids from our house to their classroom door in the morning and pick them up the same way in the afternoon. I'm really gonna love this!

Belle's teacher is Mrs. Smith. Belle got a kick out of this. She seems super nice and fun. And Belle says she is as nice as Mrs. Lefler (her 1st grade teacher) whom Belle LOVED. She knows some kids in her class and feels pretty happy about that.

Tre has Mrs. Mendenhall. She was a teacher at Ridgeline and moved to the new school to teach. She's got lots of experience and has seemed to have an impression on Tre already. He talks about rules and what is expected of him and how important reading at home and homework are. He feels nervous about this, but is ready for a challenge.

And this is the view from the top of our mountain on my walk I took after dropping the kids off at school. There are some good things about school starting. Although I am really sad not to be able to play all day with my kiddos. I always feel a little depressed when they go back. Summer has been so fun and busy and now I must find other things to occupy my time. :(



Belle sporting the new school's t-shirt. The Traverse Mountain Tigers!!

Roman Colosseum and Scooby Doo

The other day Jeremy was watching The Gladiator on T.V. The kids came in and watched for a minute when Tre asked, "Where it that?". Belle said, "I think that is the Roman Colosseum. It is in Rome, Italy. Right Dad?" And when Jeremy asked her where she knew that from she said, "I read it in a book somewhere. And it's in Scooby Doo". Smart girl!

The Many Faces of Belle

(click on image to enlarge)

Belle age 7

Belle

This is how Belle's 7th birthday went down...

Wednesday, February 10th--wake up at 5:30 to open presents before Dad has to go to work...

Get dressed, curl hair, play with Lego's till school...

Go to school where Mom brings 30 white frosted, red sprinkled doughnuts to class and takes a picture with the teachers (Mrs. Lefler and Mrs. Boskovich)...

Go to Boondoocks to play games and buy toys (junk) with the tickets earned...

Go to favorite "restaurant", McDonald's, for dinner...

Saturday, Feb. 13th--Celebrate in St. George with the rest of the family with pizza, salad and (more) doughnuts...

Sunday, Feb. 21st--Celebrate AGAIN with the Smith side...and forget to bring camera...