more vids.

David from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

Grandpa from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

(fred asking questions. so many questions.)


He is recently fearless!
Riding downhill from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


My cutie pie foodie
Ella sushi from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Hattie dancing for us from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Puppet show about santa's mean reindeer from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Ella pushing chair from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Gymnast baby.
Super graceful from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

Video clips

Unclassified movies Sunday from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

(HAHAHAHAH I think I'm funny. My kids are ZOMBIES in front of the TV. sheesh! Tough crowd!


El standing up from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

Ella Standing at 6 months


Splash splash first bath!! Ella from Nikki smith on Vimeo.
The above pic is her face 90% of the time.


Ella splash was stand from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Good morning from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Freds song from Nikki smith on Vimeo.


Mount eerie afternoon and popcorn from Nikki smith on Vimeo.

My family, LATELY

We just got back from a giant amazing trip to the East! We visited Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware! I'll be blogging about that over the next little bit, and MORE exciting news soon, but here's some of what the smiths have been up to this summer....

We have been working, having fun, working on our new home some more, playing together as much as possible. We feel close as a family. 

The kids have been "earning" bikes this summer. They have charts and when they do certain things they get stickers. When their charts get completely filled up, they will earn their bikes!!!! Hey have been working all summer and it'll take a while longer but they are doing great. There are things such as, listening to mom and dad, brushing teeth, pooping in the toilet, saying a prayer, cleaning up, trying a new food, finishing their meal, helping in the garden, and a few more. Hattie's is a simplified version.  Hers also has sitting on the potty. :) did I mention, Fred is finally officially poop trained? It happened back in he beginning of June. YAY!! 

We have been loving our new library, the Chandler Downtown Library. There are great story times and play groups and we have met a few friends already! We demolished the summer reading program. :) 

Naps. Long naps every afternoon. Fred has always needed naps. And then....

This past Wednesday he wouldn't nap. And again Thursday. And fri, sat....I'm sure he might today (we will see!) but wow, my boy is growing up. Cuties on Tuesday. 

Swim lessons!!! We are doing our second session on swim lessons at our neighborhood pool- Folley Pool, and we love it so much. $15 bucks a kid, too! Can't beat that! Hattie is so so comfortable in the pool: blows bubbles, jumps right in, holds her breath. And Fred has gotten so much more comfortable in the water. He goes under on his own and loves being in his class. I feel that their foundation at Swimkids USA was invaluable. Daddy joins us almost every day because classes are in the evening. We go home and eat and are nice and worn out for bed. :)

I have been getting super healthy in stroller strides! I love it! I feel strong and amazing! During the summer it's in the mall and so we always stay afterward to play and run around until naps. It's so fun. 

Had our last day at the Children's museum before our membership expired. We went as a family and had the best time ever. 

We have loved that place so much. It's been very good to our family. 

life lately

Freddie started Primary and Sunbeams! The weeks leading up to the change were looking great. He was excited. His nursery teachers said he was "so ready!" He went in to Primary a few times and loved it. Then the big day came and he was ALSO asked to give a talk on his very first day! It went great! It was about how God is the father of our spirits and he was super cute and only got nervous once and had me deliver a line, but then did the rest himself. BUT THEN....the next week came and he FREAKED out. and with each week it got worse and worse and worse... it was breaking my heart. He would cry and tell us he didn't want to go to church or primary or sunbeams and said he didn't want us to leave him and that he didn't like his teacher. (It didn't help that he had a different teacher every time for a few weeks while they sorted things out and that the teachers were never sitting there when he got into primary..but I know how hard it all is so I don't fault anyone!!) He went through something similar to this when he first started nursery though, and after a few hard months, he became a pro. So we stuck with it. Week after week it got harder and harder to leave him though and once I just stayed with him the whole time. And then the next week I was ready to leave him but was asked to stay and sit with his class as the teacher was not able to be there. That was horrible because Collin was home with the flu and Hattie was going nuts. I was honestly about to leave church and stay home till they graduate but I stayed and stuck it out and was blessed. He had a breakthrough. The primary chorister is so sweet and came out in the hall, where we were, and said she had a special job for him and that she didn't want him to miss it. He stopped crying, took her hand, and went in! And again the next two weeks, he went right in without being upset!!!! They got all the teacher stuff worked out and it's been consistent for a few weeks now, too. I couldn't feel more happy or blessed. I had been praying hard that it would work out and that Fred would feel happy and confident and I feel like my decision to stay at church that day when ALMOST all hope was lost, was a huge turning point. I know I made the right choice. It's hard to have little kids at church and sometimes it seems pointless, but I know it's important. I know Heavenly Father is aware of me and loves and blesses me. uggg...remind me of this when Hattie goes into nursery in a few months.....

lots of walks through the neighborhood. Sometimes it's like this and sometimes these two are running wild through the streets. I love our double stroller.

Collin and I have been attending the temple. One of us goes in and the other stays at the temple with the kids or at home. I got to go to the Gilbert temple for the first time (besides the open house) and do sealings. It was such an incredible experience. I felt the Lord strongly call me to repentance and that I am not living up to my potential. I need to pray more...and not just go through the motions, but actually have a conversation with my Father in Heaven. Talk to him and trust him. I have felt my marriage strengthen as I have tried to do this. And then Collin went away on business for a while and I let it all go, and let loneliness, insecurities, and fear creep in. So time to regroup and try again.


pottys in our house. Everywhere. We had to order another for Hattie because she loves to sit on Freddie's and they kept fighting over it. (we AREN'T potty training her by any means....just like having pottys for them to sit on and develop a positive relationship with while they are little.) Thank goodness for this $7 potty on amazon..and free 2-day shipping...and AJ Money's account.... :)


 

HE DOES EAT....now and again....


Lots of fun stuff at the Children's Museum of Phoenix

Very dear friend, Carla Frick, got baptized last month! It was a beautiful day!!!

We got a rocking chair. $30 from criagslist. I love it.

FHE, Uncle Jojo's basketball games, parks and heart museum

Work trips for Daddy all over the country. Collin now manages the social media for the AAA Delaware region. He is blessed with awesome coworkers.

we are so glad when he's back!!!

CLIPS + weekend

   

 
 
 
 

THUNDER FOOTBALL STARTED 

Found him eating off good family friend's plate, hehe.