cute sad little cone face

Wow, surgery is real. And surgery for a cat is really especially horrible because he was super crazy coming off his drugs and has to wear this really sad cone so he didn't lick or bite his wound. Pooooooooooor poor baby. Each day gets better, and man, prayers work for kitties to heal more quickly, too.

But we take the cone off first thing in the morning/right when we get home and give him so much love. I don't think there was ever a more loved kitten. Well, maybe; but man, we love you Montgomery Jack-o-Latern Smith.

So humiliating.

He does his best to sleep while he has the cone on. It's really all he can do. He becomes pretty lifeless.

But when he's awake, he bites the crap out of ol' Pluto, there.

My little kitten slept in my arms the whole way home from Pitman. And then he plopped down in his chair by the window and slept for 3 hours! (What a busy weekend he had, exploring Sarah and Ete's fun house, up and down the stairs, under the floor boards, playing in the snow!) He woke up, and is sitting with me now, so sweet and nuzzly-cuddly, super soft and smelling so good since his bath today (due to falling in toilet incident, hahaha!)

I love you, little guy.
And tomorrow, you're really getting neutered.

he's in charge

 Hi, cute baby Jonah

 Mischief boys

 dice-capades s'more

 So much pretty snow!

 "We live in the prettiest neighborhood!"

snow adventure

He conquered the mountain!

A couple of days in Pitman with family is just what the three Smiths needed.

So much to blog about,

But let's just say SO many LIFE-CHANGING things have happened in the past week. So many TRIALS. So many BLESSINGS. And so many loved ones reminding me that Heavenly Father loves me through their love and service.

Every scripture lately and every talk today was about how Heavenly Father answers prayers. How we must be faithful till then end. How he will protect and provide for us as long as we stay faithful. And my nursery lesson was about being thankful. :) :) Love those little guys so much.

I know everything works out because I've been "here" before. And I knew it then and it did. I JUST AM SO GRATEFUL FOR MY HUSBAND AND MY KITTEN! They are the best family in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD (for me).

Also SO grateful for the temple. It's real. It's pure inspiration, service, and guidance.

I feel so much peace.


-Love, Nicole Elizabeth Money Smith

Here we go, through life. 
Okay, Heavenly Father, I trust you. 

w-w-what would you do?

-It is so freezing cold!

-There are a lot of sicknesses in the fam right now. It's scary, but we have hope.

-There are a lot of BLESSINGS, too!

-I want to live somewhere warm.

-Monte gets neutered this Friday. I'll be taking him to the vet early in the morning, then going to the Temple, which has been closed for a few weeks for maintenance, and then picking him up at night. The Temple is awesome.

-Work was all day yesterday (11 hours), and ended up SO crappy because I left 1 hour early, (stylists all left and there was no one on the streets! It was freezing ice and dead!) AND I got busted for it. Uh oh. I can always admit and fess-up to my mistakes though. I'm just like, "I shouldn't have done it. Moment of weakness wanting to be home with my husband and kitten."

-When is my next trip to Phx? I start missing home a ton at this point every year. I need warm, comforting, best friend, 31st Way. I need my mom. Really. So many changes. Nothing is quite sinking in yet, though.

-I hate it when I'm mean to Collin. He's my best friend. He is so good to me. Why do I take crappy days out on him? And then he is even sweeter and says HE is sorry!!!! WHAT? Man,  I'm a human failure sometimes.

-I need a good old game night. with healthy snacks. and a movie marathon. and to see a movie in the theatre. and to make soup tonight for the soup and swap. MAYBE I'LL FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL CHANGE MY LIFE!

Anne turned 24. What a year it will be.

For Anne Costa's birthday, we had a delicious birthday FEAST! We met lots of really neat new people, and met UP with some sweet sweet old friends. Anne just has a way of bringing people together and makin' em happy. 

I love Smith. A lot because he is incredible. He's also extremely good-looking.

cool?

fixin!!!

our delicious salsa. I love you, my delicious salsa, you.

pear salad, brie-stuffed chicken breast, garlic bread, and star soup with spinach!
Everything was amazing.

DESTROYED IT.

Anne's asian print-inspired scraps.

connection

pretty birthday earrings :)

Birthday memories

He lives in YOU; he lives in ME! Dancing to broadway Lion King music.

Trees, bodies, blood, and small French paintings

Art walks, talks, sun, and snowy feet

Anne and I set out Thursday to do even more exploring (she's been an Historical EVENTS/Attractions FIEND!) 

Bodies, in-side and out. We love all the women in art last century. The women's bodies were realistic.

So amazingly gruesome painting. We talked about it for such a long time.

This is the American Gallery of Art. My favorite museum in the city. 

I love the building. I love being in there.

So crazy: