Goodbye 2015!!!

Happy New Year's Eve! Today we got up and ate rainbow waffles and played (Collin worked). We have been getting ready for our game night tonight!!! We can't wait to play games with adults! But it's also great because we are forced to deep clean a lot (not all, ha!) of our house. It's so nice to have a clean house! Not realistic to happen often but it's nice. Collin is streaming up lights all throughout our living room and it feels like new years!

Collin came home way early from work  and we all got dressed up to play in the snow!!! Hattie, as always, lasted about 5 minutes (actually longer than usual) so Collin took her in and I got to play with my Freddie in the snow!!!!! It was the best ever! I love that happy adventuresome kid. He's just so enjoyable right now. 

2015 was a great and crazy year. Moved twice in 6 months and received many blessings and lots of experience along the way. We had many ups and many downs but have become stronger because of the challenges. My testimony has grown and matured so much this year. I desire to sincerely study the scriptures because I love them. I love Heavenly Father and have come to know him through prayer. I have "poured my heart out to him." Every time I turn to him, I am comforted; things get better; they work out. I love my children, even through the tantrums and strong wills (of us all) and love my husband very very much. 

2016, here we come! This year I hope to have a healthy happy pregnancy, labor and birth of my third child. I'm so so excited to give birth at home. It will be a beautiful experience with my special little family.  I can't wait for the spring and summer and green and nice weather. It's months away though...

Freddie will be starting preschool and that is super exciting for us all.

We have lots of goals we will be working on this year. Excited for the future. 

 

3 years, gone girl

We are laying here, all sleeping..well I'm awake now. It's so overcast and rainy outside. Very very quiet and calm and peaceful. Frederick will be 3 on Thursday. Hattie, 9 months on Friday. They are growing up before my eyes. I'm growing up too. I still feel young though. I feel like I'm a kid in a 30 year old's body and they are my little buddies. I feel confident about the future. I feel loved by my husband. Sometimes my mind and insecurities play tricks but he loves and needs me. He even likes me, thinks I'm funny, says he needs me. I'm trying to never be critical because I'm so in love with him. He is so smart and funny. This morning he was doing a funny silly bit for the kids and I went outside my body, observing my life and I went weak at the knees looking at him. When he tells me everything is alright, it is alright. I don't feel scared or sad. Our bond has real power.

Frederick will be 3. My role as mother to him has challenged and shaped me. It teaches me and humbles me. These angels are the future.

He mostly get that it is or is going to be or was his bday. 3. I told him we were going to have a party and he gasped. He loves people. He is just so friendly!!! He says, "Hi, what's your name?" And, "my name is Frederick." If someone doesn't hear him or doesn't answer, he comes to me, a little disappointed. I smile and tell him it's ok and it's just good to be friendly and kind to everyone. This boy will change the world. He is special. He is a child of God. He love to sing and dance in the aisles of the grocery store. He loves to tell me, "mommy I gotta show you!" And shows me something he has found that is just gorgeous and special and unique to him.

He loves spending time and adventures with me. He adores his father and protects his sister. He cheers her on in every accomplishment she makes and confidently announces, "yay, I DID it!!" When he has done something he's proud of...even something like catching a ball. His enthusiasm and optimism and forgiveness inspire me every day. He is compassionate. When something goes wrong he says, "aw, that's too bad." Or when I cry he says we should say a prayer (and then spends the whole time without arms folded and usually yelling or singing something!! Haha, we are working on that one!) but I know he knows prayer is important and that it works. He lives and loves 100% and I'm so so deeply grateful to call him mine. Heavenly Father has a plan for him and loves him very much.

He's growing up but he's still little. I still have lots of time.

My FIRST born, at 4-6 months!


cheering Joe Joe on at his football game

Harriet Smith special day

Harriet Jillian smith was given a name and blessing by her father this past Sunday at church. It was a very special and beautiful day. I felt the spirit strongly testify to me that she is a daughter of God and has an important purpose on this earth. In the blessing, it was mentioned for her to be baptized, be married in the temple, and to serve a mission! That last one surprised me and my eyes filled with tears thinking of this strong, smart, determined little girl, grown into a woman someday. 

We had many friends and family join us for the celebration-and quite a few not members if our church, but there to support Hattie and us. It was overwhelming. It was a far drive and early in the morning for most and we felt very loved and blessed by their presence. 

And if you know us, you know we like to party and have lots if people in our home, so that's just what we did!!! We couldn't have done it without the major cleaning, cooking and crafty skills of Collin, his mom and dad, my mom, and even little Freddie (while I was nursing a babe nonstop and was able to do very little.) It was all VERY stress free and turned out so well--we had a full house! 

We decided to get our Valentines decorations started early with lots of photos of Hattie and our family. The theme was definitely LOVE! Most of these photos were taken by the amazingly talented Jayna Hedges (jaynahedges.com) I feel so blessed to have had her take many photos of our family over the years. 

OCTOBER! Halloween!

October is over! November is here: the month of thanksgiving, our 5th anniversary, just days and weeks before our jumping Bean joins the family on the outside!! GIVING BIRTH SOON!
I'll now be posting a giant post about October, Halloween etc. This spooky month was pretty good to us.

Family story time for crazies

Fred didn't take a nap till 1 today since we were at a bday party this afternoon. We all ended up napping for a very very long time. Fred woke up super cranky crazed and wanted the caterpillar book. Fine. Then he starts shouting out demands like, "PUT THAT DOOOOWN."


Nuts o.

Our little Frederick turned 2 years old!!!

On Sunday, September 18th, 2011 at 8:55 pm, Frederick Ian Smith slipped into the world, into our arms, and into our lives for eternity. On Wednesday, Septmeber 18th, of this year, he turned 2 years old!!!!!!!!!! We, of course, celebrated!!!!!

It's kind of funny with a two year old and big events. They are so much more aware and by the end of the day he was all about the HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREDDIE! but they still don't get it enough to really get it. Which is kind of awesome....it's not as much pressure!!! We all woke up, sang happy birthday, and had his favorite breakfast...eggs and BACON! He got to talk to lots of family and friends! Grandma came and we visited Grandpa at work.

my little monster!!!!!

crazy/awesome Saturday!

Super fun ward Pioneer Day Party!!!

Beautiful Baby Girl Nelson baby shower



Insane fun Bday Party!!!! Extreme BINGO! Hot dog bar! (with bacon-wrapped hot dogs)

Fred went swimming naked! Dance Party!! Chips and delicious fake cheese sauce! Cheetos for Fred!

Then a stop-by for a friend's bday dinner at THE YARD in Phoenix. A great day full of partying. 

Parties parties.

I had a baby shower for my friend Hanna who will, sadly for me, be moving to Utah this month. But it was a great one! It was intimate, with DELICIOUS FOOD, pretty decorations, and good conversation. Hanna is gorgeous. I'm so excited for her...and for myself. I can't wait to have a newborn again. Freddie and Collin and I get so giddy excited thinking about him or her.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Anika!

My good friend Greta's little girl turned 2 a few weeks ago and a few days before, she and her husband, Josh, welcomed their 2nd daughter into the world. We had SO much fun at the birthday party, meeting lots of cool young families in the same stage of life as us. Fred was the life of the party, as always. 

Katie+Alani FOREVER!!!!!!!!

June 1st was a very hot day. But it was a beautiful day--a good day for a wedding in phx in summer because it was the last day under 106 that we will see till November. Insane. 

But anyway, we went to our good friends' wedding and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!! The flowers, the food, the people (this is one good looking couple), the love!! The family!! The dancing. The cake! The chocolate pie!!!!!!! Everything so good. 

Yahoo Katie and Alani Tufi!!!!

This kid was a dancing fool!!!

Super touching toasts by family members. 

I love the woman above so much, Katie's sister, Amy. 

Fred was obsessed!! He kept covering his mouth in disbelieve at her beauty and would run up and want to be held by her!! The princess!!!

AMAZING Tongan dancers! Fred was dancing w them and pointing to their hips moving like crazy hahaha! Then he kept helping pick up money and give it to the bride and groom. (Where does he gets his outgoing ness from????? Duh Collin.)

Katie's sidekick during the bouquet toss. 

Then Kelly's BEST BUDDY during cake time. He ate half of her chocolate pie!!!

Awesome moment when we were taking a picture and Fred dropped his full glass of water on us. 

BON VOYAGE!!! Such a fun night!! Congrats love birds!!