Halloween updates and growing up updates

Today it took about a half hour to walk home from church because Hattie stops and smells every flower, sits down and writes in her book in the grass, sits on a bench, plays in the rocks. Hehe and Freddie complains about walking the whole way hahaha. Oh, then, poor boy, he was having fun, kicking up rocks, and got one stuck in his eye. It was horrible. He wouldn't let me touch it and was flipping out. Finally we said a prayer and by miracle, he got it out himself. Phew. The whole trip was just taking forever and I was starving and had to pee.  I had to bribe them both w a Halloween craft when we got home, and It worked!!! 

Here's the craft....

Hattie enjoyed putting all the stickers on except the bats; wouldn't touch them. And Fred just took the tape across every surface he could. So fun to just watch them. We crafted and ate and then Collin got home (he was learning about his new calling) and we all napped 2 hours, even Dot with us in the bed. It was nice. We got up and decorated for Halloween and then CS made dinner while I was a slave driver and had the kids pick up the house. They get distracted but we have been trying to do this a lot and they are getting better and better. Freddie is a hard little worker, actually. 

(Pictured above^^^our third Halloween together. And first as a married couple in 2009, Provo.)

We ate grilled burritos for dinner and they were so good. More crafting!! Then bath time while Carmel popcorn was made and we headed down to the basement to watch a short (30 min) movie on Netflix called Room on the Broom, about a nice witch who lets more and more friends on her broom. It was really fun. Then bedtime. I pretty much go to bed w the kids and then wake up at 12ish to drink water and pee and go back to sleep. 

The weather here is hot and weird. It's getting cooler though. Our yard looks so pretty. The grass is green, flowers fall colors. Leaves are changing on trees everywhere. The Capitol lawn is so pretty and we love to go hunt for fallen pods (they look like dragonfruit) and squish the large seeds out of them. 

^^^This morning before church. Freddie loves his new church jacket so much. Hattie loves her new shoes. Fred just grew out of his 3T pants he's been wearing for a while and we got him a bunch of 4T a month ago and now they are all getting short on him!!! And he had grown out of his shoes we just got him when we moved here (2 months ago!!) Hattie is growing so big too. It's so weird and fun to see them grow up and become more and more aware. Freddie is becoming a kid now. I can have conversations with him and ask him things and he asks "why?" to everything. He also seems to be preparing to learn to read and has been asking about how everything is spelled and what letters it start with and what letters sound like. Hattie is very sweet and caring and also wants boundaries and gets frustrated and hits when she can't express herself. She's working on using her words more. It's funny because we remember Freddie going through this in his own way so we recognize more easily that it's a phase that she will grow out of. It still gets frustrating for us though!! And fun too: she repeats everything and talks so much. She wakes up talking in her sleep and saying the funniest stuff. They both want to say a prayer at every prayer time and Fred first says the fastest prayer ever and then will help Hattie while she repeats and gives her the most flowery elaborate specific prayers ever. And she throws in things too. It's so hilarious and sweet. They say thank you for things even when they are asking..."and thank for for that we can be nice and have a good day." Hahhaah. :)

They are so excited about the baby. They talk about him or her...Freddie says "she" always...and can't wait to hold her. He asks things like, "is your water going to pop???" "Is it going to pop right now??" "Is the baby going to fall out???" Haha. I try to prepare them by telling them that I'll be in bed nursing the baby all day and the baby will cry and sleep and eat all day and they will have to play together and be quiet and Fred has to read books to Hattie hehe. And oh boy I hope Hattie can learn to share! She will have to! We have been reading a book about night weaning, which will happen before May, and I keep just telling her the baby will get to nurse too. Fred tells her how it is and how the baby will get this side and Hattie will get this side and how he used to nurse when he was a baby too. They are happy kids. 

Our goal this week is playing with friends. We have been having lots of fun together but both kids have mentioned they miss AZ and friends. Me too!!! So we are going to try harder to get together w people and make new friends in our ward. There are some really nice people we are starting to get to know. Not tons of kids but a few! Oh and our other goal is getting our Halloween costumes in order!!

To you, little one

Tonight it was just you and me for the first time. Just you. 

I got stronger from the inside. 

I will take care of you and give you everything you need. And him and her too. I will take care of all of you because I can. 

I will because I can. 

Helping hands

I was so completely overwhelmed with emotion in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, visiting the Helping Hands exhibit today. Early this year in the Children's Friend magazine, kids everywhere were challenged to be Christ's hands and help others. We participated and for FHE cut out hands and wrote down what we had done to help someone else. Thousands and thousands of cut out hands representing service by children were sent in to the Friend and they are on display here. 

As we walked up to the exhibit the sheer size touched my heart. Everywhere I looked, tiny hands hung, each with a different sincere story of love and service. One act of service such as, "I helped my grandpa get the newspaper," might seem small, but together they are changing the world. 

Mother

Yesterday in general conference, Elder Holland spoke of mothers and compared them to the Savior in love and sacrifice. I had never thought of such a thing! As a mother and person I am so far from being anything like the Savior. I can't even hold a candle to him. Yet Holland's words were so empowering. Not only was it nice for someone to recognize and sympathize with being pregnant, laboring, bearing, nursing and raising children but he also encouraged and comforted me. I felt like I can someday be like my Savior, Jesus Christ. I can try to be more loving, patience, honest, compassionate, kind, selfless, humble, teachable and non judge mental as he is. He makes up for my faults and failures. I am grateful for the words of the apostles and for how women are and have always been valued in the church and in the eyes of Jesus Christ and Heavnely Father. And I am grateful for my eternal role of mother.  

Life lately...random pictures from our days.

Who knew there was a replica of the liberty bell in the basement of the Utah state Capitol!

The kids and I really like going to random breakfast places lately. 

Super fun engagement sibling celebration dinner the other week. Thai food and then "cazookies" for dessert. Such a cool group. We love Amelia and love David and love the two of them together. 

My bunka walking to church!! So determined!

This is the place monument 

 

Freddie: "am I going to fall off this?" Nervous, yet allowing his mother to pose him. 

We ride the bus all over!! Free zone!!!

Our beautiful street in a construction zone lately!!!! The sidewalks and streets are all getting redone. It's inconvenient but it will be nice and we love watching the jackhammers, diggers, loaders, dump trucks, rollers, bulldozers and construction workers right outside our window. 

"I want shoooooooeees, mom."

Yay. 

And then suddenly it rained for three days and became freezing. Welcome to Utah, Smith family. Now go buy a winter wardrobe or you will be frozen solid within weeks.  

Waiting forth raisin the freezing rain. You dressed us really really badly today mom. BAD MOM. 

Home, in our PJs, heater on, bacon and fries for dinner...am I getting any better? Ugh. 

Fun at dada's work. 

"Daddy wuk!!!!!!"-Hattie 

Fun day with Collin's grandfather, Sherwood, and his sister, Wilma. We loved having lunch with them and hearing amazing stories about growing up on a farm during the depression. "No body knows about the depression anymore. You have to be 100 years old." 

-Sherwood

Hattie did not let go of their hands! She loved being with them and making them laugh. She also tried to "swing" and just about pulled poor Wilma down with her. 

Sherwood told a story about how his father made only $18 a week and sustained his farm and family with 3 kids. Sherwood later was going through his father's things and found tithing recipes for $1.80 every single week. What faith that would take. Well when Sherwood was little he wanted a pony so badly. Not understanding the realities of money he begged for one for two years. And his father, being like any father who just wants his kids to be happy and wishes he could give them the world, convinced himself he could use the pony on his farm and got it!!! What a sweet and selfless man. 

Sherwood and Wilma also told of how during those times you either had a job or you starved. They remember many people who were wandering, stopping by their home and just asking for food. Their mother would always welcome them and make them a big plate of food on the back porch. 

For dinners the family had vegetables every day and chicken on Sundays and hot homemade biscuits 3 times a day!!!!!!! 

Batman VS Spiderman: Freddie's 4th birthday party!!

One of the highlights was that my mom came to visit! The kids were so happy to see her and it was fun sharing what we have been up to and though we had all been there many times...showing off our new neighborhood. 

Freddie told us early on, this year he wanted a Batman and Soiderman party. Here is the awesome invite. Colli and I work together in the idea and then he works his creative magic and always comes up with something amazing!! 

Masks making table 

Batman was well represented in our family. 

I love Freddie in the following pictures. He is just so happy surrounded by friends!!

We went across the street to the Capitol lawn where Mr. Bruce Wayne had a series of tests and obstacles for our little super heroes in training.  

^John and Cecil Schultz with Noah Ingley

The Ellis family

Happy Jayden and Kamree!

In the back in Amelia's family: brother Chris and his wife Becca and their three kids, Eli, Liam and Zola and Amelia's younger sister Hannah. I love them all so much and feel they are family already. 

He put the candles on himself (8 instead of 4!! 😂)  And blew them out one at a time. Smart boy. Love him so much. 

Great-grandpa Sherwood Smith was visiting his sister Wilma and they came to the party. It was the best ever and everyone loved them. The kids adore them both!!

Cousin time at the after party!!