Without Dad We Are Lost

The most perfect day!

2010-08-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

2010-08-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

2010-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

My legs were cold!

2010-08-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Daddy in white. We had the most perfect baptism while in Utah. Maxwell turned 8 on Monday and wanted all his family at his Baptism. He loves the water and loves nature. He spends most of his summer in a lake or creek or river. We counted once 37 days straight in some form of water. He even loves to stand under the waterfall at Proxy falls our new favorite place. When it came time to Baptise him he really wanted it to be in a river. Everyone told us it would be cold water running off the mountains and he would not want to be in it. However, Max really wanted it and we knew he had been in cold water all summer long so the baptism of Maxwell Robert was planned. Uncle Larry moved boulders out of the Santaquin Creek to make it deep enough. He found the perfect place with a bridge for all the relatives to watch from. Max asked Uncle Jeffy to give a talk and he was of course right on. Jeff has a way of saying what the person needs and he really nailed it with Max. He even pulled out the green frog Max sleeps with named Markey Mark for a object lesson. When it was over Max said his legs were cold but when he went in the water he was warm and he knew it was the Holly Ghost. It was amazing!

beauty

2010-08-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Does she have to be this beautiful? We just returned from our trip home to the mother ship. (Provo) We drove by and old Coke machine and Mandi and Julia jumped out of the car. Mandi is so amazing with her camera and I actually like her personallity also. She lost her make up on our trip so every morning she would wander into my room and put her face on. I always enjoy teasing her and laughing at her. It is a big sister thing!

2010-08-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

sun

2010-06-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

I think it is going to be sunny all week! We are so excited to end school and get on with summer. Gretchen is coming soon and then Mandi will come to visit. If you can't find us we will be at the beach!

The month in review!

2010-05-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

We love Sawdog! The sun came out in April but not much in May. We went to the park and enjoyed the beautiful sun!

We planted a garden. Max is the botanist and every year he makes sure we get all our planters filled and garden growing. He is a little bit of a Renaissance man! And he loves his cat!

Mikey had a field trip to the big city.

We had two boys with special needs in our group and Mikey and his friends were so good to them. I was very proud of how kind those big boys could be. It is always fun to spend the day with Mike.

We have played a lot of lacrosse. Dad is of course a coach and very loud on the sidelines. We are not sure who is having more fun, big Mike or little Mike.

And Julia made a beautiful apron for me for Mothers Day. Grandma Carole helped her. She also made me a cake that slid apart on the ride home. I love anything she makes me.

Now we are off to our favorite place in the world, Black Butte! I think the sun is going to come with us!

Mandi!

2010-04-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister Mandi's birthday and she lives in California so I am sending her a birthday wish via the Smith family blog. We just went to her house for part of Spring Break and had a great time. We invaded and made a huge mess and Mandi just laughed and enjoyed all of us. I am so proud of the great mother and wife she has become. She is 9 years younger than me and sometimes I just think of her as my little sister but she is truly an equal and in so many ways better than me. I love you and Happy Birthday!

Blazers!

2010-03-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

big five year old!

2010-03-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Our baby is five! We had a party for him with cookie monster cake and lots of friends. He invited kids from preschool all the way up to 5th grade. He is everyone's friend! He is a smart, happy, hyper and a little naughty boy! We love him!

Harrison is 5!

2010-03-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

The cookie monster cake made the party! Harrison turned five and we had a big party with all his brothers friends. He invited 5th graders, 4th graders, 3rd graders and 1st graders. I had to beg him to invite his preschool friends and he finally agreed (but only 2). He is a funny, hyper, smart and a little naughty boy! We love him!

Strange!

2010-02-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is Mikey as the pink flamingo for his Basketball picture. We are not sure how he comes up with these things but he is top dog in his 5th grade class and has the confidence to make everyone laugh. After taking Grandpa's personality test, we found out he is a guardian just like his Dad. So true! If you want someone on your side it is Mikey. Pure joy!

Cali here we come!

2010-02-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

We are going to Cali for Spring break to visit Mandi and Uncle Ben. Everyone is so excited and it is all they can talk about. Uncle Ben has always been a favored Uncle with his two dollar bills and great stories. We volunteered a day at the Wilsonville Library and received a free day at Disneyland with their give a day get a day program. I learned that we could improve our work skills after cleaning books for 4 hours with Julia, Mikey and Max. Mikey provided a lovely stink the entire time. We are bringing that stink your way, Mandi. Get ready for the Smith invasion!

sisters!

2010-02-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is Gretchen and I. I am 3 in this picture and Gretchen is 6 months. I think that couch is back in! When we were at BYU together Gretch had a dorm room but we blew up a mattress and she slept on my floor at my apartment. You can try to separate us but we find a way back together!

65 in Feb !

2010-02-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

It was 65 degrees at Pacific City on Thursday so we left school at 10:00 and headed for the beach. I know education is important but so is mental health! The ocean was so beautiful and the sun felt wonderful! We hiked to the top of the sand dunes and checked on Hobbit hideout. It was not in good shape. We will need to work on that this summer ( Lauren and Jackson). We made a fire and ate hot dogs and Dad fell asleep with his feet in the fire. He was very happy! By the way, Maxwell has the same feet! It was a really great day with DQ on the way home. We try not to always talk about how much more fun this day would have been if the Deans had been there but it was pretty hard not to mention it on the way home. Thank you PC for always improving our mental stability!!!!!

My Jelly!

2010-02-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

Could there be any more perfect of a blend of Gretchen and Jeff than this crazy little boy we call Jelly? He is so wonderful! This is him in his Nacho Libre (have no idea how to spell that) costume at Maxwell's birthday party. He pulls it off with style, just like his Dad. Thank you for reading my Blog, Jelly. I can't wait to visit you and when I get there you can do whatever you want!!!!!!! We miss you!

Sunday afternoon!

2010-02-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is what we do on Sunday afternoon when we are bored. A hike to the river!

we love each other!

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Beautiful!

2010-02-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

I came across this picture today and I think is so beautiful of Mike's mother. She has had a very hard year and she looks so pretty in this picture. I am so grateful for healthy beautiful children!

Here I come!

2010-02-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mike and Jeff! You knew we would not be able to last very long. I miss my Ruby, Lauren, Jelly and Gretchy! And of course my favorite Jeff also. For valentines day Mike and Jeff used their frequent flyer miles and got me a ticket to Denver. I am going for Gretchen's birthday on March 10. I haven't told the kids yet because they will be so mad I get to go without them. Thank goodness for good husbands!

Happy New Years!

2010-01-03T23:05:00.001-08:00

This was the first time our kids actually stayed up till midnight. We usually set all of the clocks back 3 hours and watch the New York ball drop and find ourselves in bed by 10 PM. This year we felt they had come of age and went for the full ride. They had a blast and were with the Dean kids as usual. As midnight struck they threw confetti and ran the neighborhood loop 10 times in honor of 2010. It was fun. 2009 will be remember for its hard times…the low point being the death of my father or papa Bob to my kids….we still miss him dearly. 2010 hopefully will be better and brighter.

No Church!

2010-01-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

One Sunday morning we woke up to no electricity. We had so much fun. We gathered every candle in the house and put them all on the kitchen table and almost lit the place on fire. About 1hour before church the lights went on. I came into the office and this is what I found. The kids were so excited to stay home and play Little House On the Prairie without electricity they covered themselves with red marker dots and claimed to have a very contagious disease. Mikey went all out and had it on his face. We never made it to church on time!

Wait till you see my O

2010-01-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

When the Ducks played the Beavers the kids were able to support their team at school. This is how Mike and Max went to school. They wore the same outfit on Monday because the Ducks won. Uncle Jeffy would be proud!

Black Butte Hike TG09

2010-01-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

This past Thanksgiving Julia, Michael, Max and myself climbed Black Butte one more time for the year 2009. It was fun. We were the only ones there and it was a blast! When we got up top there was 3 feet of snow and it was beautiful. The kids were troopers too. I was glad we did not lose any limbs from the cold. Mom would have been upset about that! All in all we set out for an adveture and once again found it ontop of old faithful, Black Butte.

Black Butte 2009

2010-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

We spent one full week up at Black Butte after Christmas and it was winter wonderland. The boys played football in the snow and the girls read books and sled down the big hills. Of course the Deans were with us and we were especially happy to have Jeff home. He has been commuting to Denver the past few months so we were all happy Ruby found her Dad. Mike and Jeff took the kids to a movie one afternoon and Gretchen and I had 3 whole hours alone at the house. It was GREAT! Then they all got home and our CHI was all messed up. On the day we were leaving Jeff could not find his Ducks football. The boys had left in the the snow and it was buried under the fresh nights snow. Lost forever! With the Rose bowl the next day, Jeff was not about to leave behind one of his Duck footballs so he and Mikey searched until finally a pass with the rake turned up a very buried ball. It was a great week and when we were home Gretchen and I both looked at each other and said," Why did we come home!"

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

NEW MOON

2009-12-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

ok, my mom and i went to the movie NEW MOON!

it was sooooo good. And here are some reasons why....

#1 Taylor Lautner with his shirt off

#2 Edward is gone...we are Team Jacob

#3 We saw it on a school night

#4 Everyone was there

#5 Junk food!

#6 And again Taylor Launter with his shirt off

Let the bartering begin!

2009-11-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

2009-11-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Wolverine protecting her candy from her brothers and dad!

2009-11-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Michael, Owen and Max hanging with Franky!

More fun!

2009-11-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

This his 3rd costume!

This is one gang you do not want to mess with! Serious candy hunters!

Max is tired in this one...."My tummy hurts"...Halloween is the best! We almost had a crisis on our hand when we found out late that Mikey's football game got bumped from noon to 6 PM. Cammy was like "he is not going! It is Halloween!" Mikey, being the level headed kid he is, compromised and said he would play to halftime and the jet to trick or treat with his cousins, which has become a family tradition. We were stomping on Wilsonville 20-0, so it was not a big deal that we were not there...we won the game too. So all was saved and Halloween was a blast. The kid got home from Coach Bitz's haunted house and did the traditions bartering of the candy. It was a great time and everyone had a great Halloween! Good times!

Halloween!

2009-11-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween! Harrison wore a different costume everyday last week. He has enough energy for all of us! On Friday I sprayed all the boys purple and pink hair. They were really top dog at school!

Mike has been a pink flamingo for the past two years. This year he added pink underarmer and pink pants. He really has confidence. He wore this at school on Friday. The entire 5th grade loved it! I am always stopped in the halls and asked,"Are you Mikey's mom?" I think I am a little famous.

Brothers.

2009-10-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

i love having All brothers
...somtimes!!

strange!

2009-10-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at the strange things little boys come up with to pass the time. One afternoon in August I came down stairs to find all three boys dressed up in costumes and wrestling with each other. The best part was they then took it out front and ran all around the neighborhood as a skeleton, bee and pink flamingo. We got a few funny looks that day from the neighbor kids!

2009 Football Season has begun!

2009-09-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sherwood 5/6 Victory Song over St. Helens
We start them young here in Sherwood, OR on football. All levels of the youth football program run the same offense as the high school varsity football team....even the victory Bowmen fight song is sung with the ending of all helmets raised after eac...h win. Little Michael Smith is number 53 in this video. He had so much fun! He ran the ball well and played solid defense. We had a shut out going till 2 minutes to go in the 4th. We won 31-6. It was fun seeing the kids get the win after months of hard practice. It should be a fun season!

Harrison the lizard catcher!

2009-08-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

This sums up my summer. Lizards, dirty kids and sunshine! I am so sad it is coming to an end. Soccer started for Max this week. He is going into 1st grade this year but has been asked to play on a on a 3rd grade team. You can only imagine what Big Mike has to say about that. Mike starts football August 10th and Julia will begin Volleyball on the 17th. My summer is OVER! I think the boys have had maybe two or three showers this summer. We have been swimming in a lake or the river almost every day so they have a unique smell at the moment. Good thing they clean up easy. I think one of the best memories was Harrison skurfing behind the boat with Jeff. He loved it! Max loved it also! We have had a beautiful Oregon summer!

Beat the heat!

2009-07-31T23:35:00.000-07:00

Well, this has been a heat wave of a week! In the hundreds most of the week and boy was it miserable...to escape the heat we went to Pacific City for the night this past Monday.....what a great, short trip!....of course we were with Gretchen and Jeff and their kids. We go to the coast and it was cooool 75 degrees and sunny. Gretchy hooked us up with sweet hike to start things off....the kids loved it! That is the great thing about our kids, they love the outdoors and attack hikes with such excitement. Julia, Michael and La took off with Uncle Jeff and ran the first 2 miles to the coast...I was left to stroll with Gretch, Cammy, Ruby, Harrison, Max and Jackson. What a great start to the trip! It was very cool underneath the shade of the Oregon coast forest.

Max even found a snake!

When we finally got to the bluff, the scenery of the cliffs and ocean were breathtaking...we had been here about 15 years earlier (this exact place)...no kids were involved then....and the beauty was still there...truly stuck in time.

After the 4 plus mile hike we went straight to check into our campsite....then it was off to dunes! Our kids love this place so much...they never seem to tire of climbing this huge dune and finding the hole of a fort they call their own....Hobbitville. It is there play imagination and pretend they are hidden from the world...these guys really know how to have fun! On one of the sides of the dune there are about 4 foot drops where the kids show off their skills in catching some air. Even Harrison got into the act...these kids are fearless!

After reclaiming the fort and jumping they then headed straight to the ocean to cool off. The weather had to be the best weather that I can ever remember for Oregon...hot, but not to hot and no wind...a rarity, if you are from Oregon...you know what I mean...you can lose some serious skin from being sand blasted if you show up on the wrong day at the Oregon coast...Now back to the water games...the kids love playing chicken with the waves...running to and fro trying to steer clear of the little waves as they came in and out....Uncle Jeff help Max and Jelly find some cool starfish….they felt pretty cool as everyone that past wanted to take their pictures. (for those people that are worried about all living things, these starfish were not harmed and were set free within the hour..).
While all of this was happening Cammy and Gretch lounged on the beach like two house cats...some things never change! They were happy though and that is all the matters in this world....right?

Then at night we fired up the pit to roast some good'ol marshmallows and hotdogs..You are never too old for a s'more!
Thanks to the Grubbe's we sleep like kings....all in all we had a blast!...and many memories were had...as we traveled home that next day within 10 minutes of heading inland the temperature rose to 110! Crazy heat!...I do not know how you guys in AZ handle this type heat all of time.
Until next time Cape Kiwanda! We love you!

Flying High Again!

2009-07-25T22:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, Ok...this is my first blog entry of my life and am I nervous…(Cammy has done all the entries to date..Thanks Cammy!)..well, here goes nothing....

What is up with kids and their constant need for flying through the air! Always higher, always faster....I can attest that when I was a kid there was never a tree that I did not climb or a latter that was not conquered. Mix that with water below and that makes for a great, fun time! I remember jumping off barges, bridges, fire trucks that were on bridges (that is a long, but good story) and having a rope swing that would launch you 30 feet into the air before you let go and plummet into the Willamette river....of course there were no adults around for these amazing feats of courage (or stupidity)….these memories though have come flooding back to me as I have watched my own kids push their limits for the need to go higher, and higher to find or feel that feeling of flying through the air. It all started in the pool at Black Butte where I would throw them over and over again as little kids in the air and they would splash into the water and then they would beg for more. Then it was onto the ski boat tower where they would climb to the top rung and jump off, over and over and over, always smiling and laughing. Even Harrison gets into the mix...scary to think he is only four and has no fear of jumping 10 feet into the Willamette.

I am glad to say that they have a good sense about them and I do not see them jumping off any bridges anytime soon, like some other clowns I know (one being myself).....knock on wood! But when there are no boats to be climbed, good old Uncle Jeff will have to do...This past week while at Black Butte (we disappear there during the summers for weeks at a time) we found a perfect spot at Suttle Lake that had an old tree that had fallen out into the water and was perfect launching pad to jump into the water. Then Uncle Jeff got into the mix and kids where flying everywhere!…Thanks Uncle Jeffy for the great time!

Here is Team Smith and Team Dean hanging out at Suttle Lake.

This is trouble waiting to happen!

Little Michael is flying! (with a little help)

Michael and the rest must have done this jump a hundred times this day.....

It never got old to them....

Of course Jeff had to show off his skills....no rope swings though!

Jelly had the best flight of the day!

Max got up too! He was so heavy Jeff almost fell off the log trying to get him up....

Beautiful!

2009-07-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Is this my baby?

2009-07-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

I can not believe how gorgeous Julia is. She is only 12 but I think she is so beautiful. The best part about her is she is gorgeous on the inside also. She loves to read and be with her cousins. She is so kind to all her friends and spends her time at home trying to make Harrison kiss her. I really do not believe Mike and I deserve her but we will take her anyways!

Allergie Attack

2009-07-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

We almost died trying to get these pictures. Mandi had us hike to this fence through a field of who know what. Mikey and I had hives all over and could not breath by the time we were done. All for a picture!

Family Pictures

2009-07-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

Mandi took some family pictures while she was in town. It is always so much work to get everyone dressed and smiling but she did a great job.

Cruise

2009-07-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

When Mandi is in town it is always a party. We cruised up the river to see the Columbia. It was gorgeous!

Parade

2009-07-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

4th of July parade. We followed a fire truck around the neighborhood to Harrison and William's delight.

the show that never ends.

2009-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

This year was the first year we were not at Black Butte for the 4th in about 10 years. We were lucky enough to be invited to our friends the Collin's house to watch the fireworks on the river. The show was amazing and Jeff and Mike of course made fun of it the entire time. They can not just watch something without making obnoxious comments. We blocked them out and loved it!

Surfing the river

2009-07-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is what surfing should look like.

Happy!

2009-07-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Not a happy look after the first two attempts!

Mike tried to skurf behind the boat last week. His face is so great. He is like a child with delight when he tries something new. We have been watching Gretchen and Jeff skurf for a long time and they make it look so easy. I think our children are becoming river rats from being on the boat so much. After church it was really hot and Mikey said," Can you please drop me off at the river. I've got to just jump in it today." I think we will have to watch him close when he can drive.

Miss you!

2009-07-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

Mike is sleeping on the trampoline with the kids tonight and I can't sleep all alone in the house. I know Mike is a good father from watching his good father. Grandpa Bob's hat is on the trampoline with them. Miss him!

Mikey and Lauren!

2009-07-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Mikey and Lauren love each other. They always sneak off to play alone. At Suttle lake they went all over in the tubes and were so happy.

Sisters!

2009-07-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

After the hike we went to the Depot Deli to eat and Harrison fell asleep.

Really bad parenting!

2009-07-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

We just came home from two weeks in Black Butte. We spent one week with the Grubbes and the next week with Mandi and Gretchen. At the end of the two weeks we went on a big hike up to see the Tan MacArthur rim. This may have been one of our worst parenting moments yet. When we got to the trail head we were attacked by mosquitoes and raced to put on the repellent. A smart parent would have said, "maybe we should just get back in the car and skip this hike because of the hundreds of mosquitoes eating us." No! Not this crew. Instead someone said, "the mosquitoes will be better on the trail." Really, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. We were heading towards a lake! But we all started on the trail and did not stop until we had hiked about 3 miles with 12 children. Ruby made it all the way! We were eaten alive at the lake and could not stop moving to enjoy the gorgeous surroundings. The next day we counted about 75 mosquito bites on Mikey. Max had about 30. The pictures are classic and this hike will always be remembered!

Julia made the honor roll!

2009-06-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of this girl! She had a great year in Middle school and even went to out door school for 3 days. She ended the year on the honor roll. She is a beautiful girl inside and out and makes all of us happy with her funny personality. We love you Julia!

Oregon Trail!

2009-06-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Mikey always talking with the ladies!

Dad brought him a treat of course!

The girls look really excited and the boys are thinking, what a dumb game.

School is over! Mikey was very sad this year to end 4th grade. He had an amazing teacher and really had his best year yet. Aside from winning many awards, Mike was chosen to play Captain Lewis in the 4th grade play. He is a great little actor. He was also chosen to be the leader of his Oregon Trail group. He had to construct a wagon to take on the trail and lead his group. He is such a fun kid. We are very proud of him!

Smith Family

2009-06-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

We had to bury our pet Lizard yesterday. After having our Grandpa die on Friday we came home to find "Larry" the lizard dead in his cage. It was not a good week. We all walked into the forest behind our house and found a great spot next to the creek and put Larry to rest. Mike said a prayer and asked God if Larry could find papa Bob and tell him we all miss him. We covered him with dirt and all cried together. We are all experiencing the hard reality of death. I have had to pick up Mikey and Max from school this week because they were crying so much and their teachers needed to send them home. However, tonight I got in my bed with three stinky little boys and we all loved on each other and told each other about our day. I am sure this is one of the hardest times for us but we always end the day with lots of love and smelly feet. We miss Daddy and Julia because they are with Grandma Carole but we know they are where they should be. We pray for Grandma Carole every night and hope she knows she is not alone and she is very loved. As for death, we know we will see Larry and Papa Bob again. Larry will be eating lettuce and Bob will be playing the banjo. That reunion may seem like a lifetime away, but it will come. In the mean time, as Mike always says, we are Team Smith and we are the best!

Mom has lost her mind!

2009-06-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Mohawk

2009-06-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is for my sister Mandi so she can see the true scrappiness that is the Smith family. ( we call it white t) For the last week of school Julia and I gave the boys a Mohawk! It was truly awesome. We needed to butterfly one of Maxwell's many hits to the head so we had to shave the back of his head. Julia and I thought it would look rad to shave a Mohawk and of course Harrison had to have one also. A butterfly bandage and a Mohawk! What a great way to start the summer!

We love Papa Bob!

2009-06-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

We had a very sad week! Our wonderful Papa Bob died on Friday of a stroke. It was a shock to all of us. He was a wonderful man and a very much loved Grandfather. He always taught the kids something. When we went to Hawaii he taught them to play the banjo. He was a great father. Mike remembers when he bought him his first pony. Mike rode his pony all over Wilsonville as a little boy. We will miss him so very much. We are thankful for the many memories we have of him and the great example he set of how to live a good life. We love him!

Pacific City!

2009-06-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

We love the beach! It takes us 90 min to get to the ocean and I personally feel like I am a bad mother if I do not take advantage of that wonderful gift. This trip was not sunny and warm but it was fun. We climbed the sand dunes and checked on our fort. Mike taught the kids that if one brother throws sand in your face just throw sand back at him. A parenting low! Julia was gorgeous and of course Lauren was with us. The day ended with a trip to DQ. Peanut Buster Parfait!

2009-05-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mud bugs! Mike was 12 again. Even Julia was a mess.

Mahalo

2009-05-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hawaii with Mike and my family was a great adventure. The best part of being on vacation with Mike is the always interesting struggle between the extrovert and the introvert. Mike spoke to EVERY person we passed and became a local by the end of the week. I was overwhelmed by the many people on the ship and loved resting in the sun and sleeping in. We are so opposite! However, we have so much fun together. We went on a 7 day cruse to many different islands. We had an excursion everyday and realized by the end that we are not 19 anymore. Mike almost died a few times with his cliff jumping and wave riding, but he kept us all laughing. We feel so lucky to be able to go on vacation and enjoy our family and each other.

Hawaii

2009-05-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Day #1 in Hawaii! Jeff swinging from vine!

Cute boys!

Spring Break at Black Butte

2009-03-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Our favorite spot, Paulina Springs! Someone always falls in when we are here. This time it was Max. He did not care. It is so much fun to jump the rocks he just can't resist. It was a cold spring break with snow but we had a great time. Mikey, Max, Lauren and I hiked all the way around scout lake. The highlight of the week was a cleansing trip to the tree swing where Jeff almost died last summer. We all needed to see it again and just be grateful for Jeff. He carved his name into the tree that he hit with his head. It is his tree! Even Harrison remembered the scary event. We put it in the past!

We love our Jeffy!

Wicked!

2009-03-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

Love my headband!

Julia and I were able to go to Wicked one more time. We loved it and had a wonderful time with each other. I think it is official, Julia is prettier than I am! She has grow up to be such an amazing girl. She has a 4.0 GPA in middle school which she works really hard at maintaining. She also won a scholarship for outdoor school. We are so proud of her.

The wizard will see you now!

Goodbye Farris Family!

2009-03-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

We had to say goodbye to our friends the Farris family. Koye was Harrison's first best friend. They played action figures together all the time. We all loved Koye and Maddi and were so sad when they moved back to Arizona. We will miss them!

Where is your gum?

2009-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is what Mike pulled out of Harrison's nose. We were all asleep and Harrison came into our bed and said, "I have some gum in my nose." I told him to be quiet and go to bed. Nice parenting! Mike turned on the light and looked up his nose and sure enough there was a blue something in there. Mike freaked out and got the tweezers and performed surgery on his nose. Finally we pulled out a HUGE piece of gum that was lodged very far up his nose. What a strange child. Good thing for tweezers and overprotective fathers!

asleep?

2009-03-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

What kind of a kid can fall asleep in the bath tub? He is always functioning at 100%. We have not ever seen a child fall asleep in the bath so we needed to document it. Harrison is our first for so many things. This is the kids who put gum in his nose!

Mental Health day

2009-03-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

I believe strongly in mental health days. Every once in a while I will just clear the schedule to get out of town and go to a wonderful place to improve our mental health. We often go to the beach because it is only 90 minutes away and a good day at the beach has healing powers. However, on this day we decided to go to Silver Falls. I know the kids think I am crazy whenever we head off on a mental health day, but they all love it. We hiked 4 miles and even Harrison made it without help. We passed 4 beautiful waterfalls. Mike was sure one of us was going to fall so he was not any fun. Who says you can't hike in the rain?

Max and I looking for flowers!

Crazy man!

Harrison is 4

2009-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

My baby is four years old! We partied at Grandma's house and watched the Superbowl. The plastic backdrop is gorgeous. Harrison was so excited to open his presents. His favorite was a box full of chocolate coins and real cash. He loves money! We love him! For some reason Grandpa was so excited to wrap all the grandchildren in scarfs. He looked at each child and creatively wrapped them. The best quote of the night was Grandma observing his behavior and quietly saying, " It is so unpredictable what you find fun, Grandpa!" Who knew he likes to accessorize!

Blazer game!

2009-02-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Mikey is a great date! He won Blazer tickets at school by earning an award (thanks grandpa for the upgrade). We can not keep up with all the awards Mike earns at school. He has some kind of split personality. At school he is quiet and very obedient, however when he gets home the wild child comes out. He choose to go to the Blazer game with mom. Dad was a little confused but put a smile on and even drove us to the game so we would not have to park. What a good dad! We had a fun time and the Blazers won!

Harrison go to sleep!

2009-01-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

It is 10:00pm and Harrison is not showing any signs of slowing down. He is in my lap asking me to write about him. Is this what motherhood is really about? I wish he would go to sleep but secretly I think he is so cute in my lap. Today it was a gorgeous Oregon day and on our way to Wilsonville we could see all the mountains, clear and beautiful. Harrison turned to me and said,"Is that Mountain Dew?" Leave it to aunt Gretchen to teach him the important Mountains!

4th grade is great!

2009-01-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

Mike had an Indian feast this month and he was so great. His Indian name was Cholisead which means, salmon rising from a mud mound in the forest. He made it up. He said the mud mound was because of his boyish stink and the whole class laughed. Just like his dad, Mikey loves to make people laugh.

Bird watching!

2009-01-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

Our last day with Mandi and Ben we spent bird watching. We are a funny bunch of people. We got to the trail and it was closed because of the flooding. In typical Croft behavior, we tried to get around the closed signs and gates to get on our hike. No one tells us what is open or closed. We finally gave up when we realized the large herd of humanity we had created was really loud and EVERYONE was going to notice if we went past the closed gate. We all have a little Arnold in us!

Max the king of all wild things!

2009-01-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

A happy day at Hebb park! Of course the Smith kids are in the mud.

After Max takes the big jump!

Give him some food and he is happy!

I love this story from last year. We were on a hike at Hebb park in late November and went down to the dock to see the river. The kids love to go out on the boat with Grandpa in the Summer time, so jumping into the river for Max is pure joy. One this day, however, his little brain did not know the water in November is not the same temperature as the water in August. Without warning, he jumped right off the dock! Mike and I heard a huge splash followed by a scream! He swam to shore screaming all the way and did not stop until we got his clothes off him. We did not know what to do but to laugh. Everything about Max is so wonderful. He is such a boy but at the same time he loves pottery. When he jumped into the river it was a perfect example of his personality. He did not ask for permission or wait around for the other kids to go. It looked good, so he went. The best part was we got him warm and gave him a bag of chips and he was the king of all wild things! Although having 3 boys can be very loud and messy, it is times like this that make it all worth it.

Should Grandparents play Guitar Hero?

2009-01-04T23:07:00.000-08:00

Punk rock meets motherhood! You go Mandi! (One of my sisters)

How gorgeous is this girl going to get? (Julia 12) Mike will put her safely in a glass box for the next 10 years!

It was the year of the Guitar Hero! Even Harrison got in on the action. My mom really thinks she is a rock star! I asked Wendy if Guitar Hero was educational in any way and she reassured me we were learning our colors! So scary!

2009-01-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Smith Family Christmas!

2009-01-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

The entire Smith family was together for a Christmas celebration. Grandpa Bob is always so happy when he is with his grand kids and you can tell when you are with him. He thinks everyone of them is brilliant! It was especially fun to see Aunt Tammy who lives in Arizona and works at a Charter school as a teacher. The best part of the Smith Christmas is the stockings. Grandma Carole has made a stocking for every person in the family and fills them with all the things we need. Each year we get new tooth brushes, soap, kitchen utensils, and even a Christmas ornament. All of our kids have a tree in their room with the ornaments we have collected from our stockings over the years. I guess you could call that a Smith tradition. Thank you grandma and grandpa Smith for your kindness and love!

Let's start with RUBY!

2009-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Trouble!

More trouble!

I think secretly I wish Ruby was my child. I had to just start with her because this picture is so gorgeous and I did her hair. We had a wonderful week at Black Butte with the family. After everyone left we spent 3 days with just the Dean family. There is something about cousins that have grown up together that is just magical. All the kids spent an entire day creating a Star Wars skit. Julia and Mikey are obsessed with filming things right now. The boys spent hours crafting the Jedi battles and Julia was, as you can guess, directing everyone. Lauren made a beautiful Princes Lea. I will attempt to add the skits to the blog so you can see true talent at work. Actually, Mike and I think Maxwell is pretty good. After Black Butte we came home and spent another week with our cousins. And as I sit here writing, Julia is with Lauren and Jelly is here for a sleepover. We never quite get sick of each other. What a wonderful blessing to have cousins that you just love to be with. Maxwell thinks Lauren's name is Lauren Brook Dean Smith. With 3 weeks off of school, I am not sure what we would have done without our cousins. Ruby is just the icing on the cake!

Why do we have a cow?

2008-12-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

Max was a cow when we acted out the Christmas story. I am not sure why we needed a cow but Jeff was in charge and he always takes artistic liberties. Harrison was a ninja and last time I read the Bible, there were not any ninjas. We had a very fun time. The best part was the food. We are NOT vegitarians. I think my mom was trying to please everyone because we had ham, salmon, and steak along with all the side dishes. I am not sure if it is normal to have 3 huge platters of meat when you serve your family but we are far from normal. Mikey and Max thought they had died and gone to some great protein heaven.

The snow began falling around 7:00 and we all ran to our cars and left. Snow to an Oregonian is like kryptonite. We just don't know how to handle it and we are so afraid of it. I remember in Utah driving around BYU campus in my prelude without chains thinking I was really cool. Now, for some reason I make Mike drive me everywhere if there is snow on the ground.

I think it is funny that I always include a picture of Ruby and she is not my child. She is so beautiful it is hard to leave her pictures out. I wish someone would drop a little Ruby off at my door. I would love to have another little baby girl. However, Harrison is great birth control. He is the strongest child we have and he makes me just happy with what Ive got!

We are excited to go to Black Butte on Saturday. It is every ones favorite place, except for Disneyland of course. Although in July, it comes very close!

We are cute tan

2008-12-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

I wish it was Summer! I am looking out my window and all I see is snow. I wish I was at the beach!

We all look like Dad!

2008-12-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Mike! We made you a Smith family Blog!
Here are some great pictures from the past year.

You are a wonderful Dad and the life of the family. Our blog address is, without Dad we are lost, and we really learned that these past months. We miss you when you are gone and we are so happy when you are home. 123

Night before Christmas Eve!

2008-12-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

Frosty has been out front all week!

Mike will not put a coat on. Why do little boys never get cold?

Lauren was over for the first week of snow. We have so much fun with her. She wrote Gretchen a note that said, "I'm not going home. PS I love you." She is the little sister Julia always wanted!

Finally, it is 10:59 and the kids are asleep! We have a family tradition called the 5 days till Christmas. Everyday we have a fun activity leading up to the big day. It goes like this:

5- Cousin party!

4-Candy white elephant exchange (Harrison's favorite)

3-Secret Santa (special present for a family in our ward)

2-Sleep under the Christmas tree!

1-Day of the bread (make bread together)

Christmas Day!

Sleeping under the tree is so magical but man it takes a long time to actually get them to sleep. We are all so excited to give Mike his present tomorrow. He is a blog stalker. He loves to read other peoples blogs. I know he secretly wants a Smith family blog but he has never said anything. Now, thanks to Mandi, we have one. I wish I could be funny and clever like her when I write. I will just have to stalk her blog for a while and try to improve. We love you Mike!

2008-12-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

How great is a snow covered forest. We hiked through the forest behind our house and pretended it was Narnia. Ofcourse Harrison cried for Dad half way through and we had to bring him home. I wish the wardrobe was real!

2008-12-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

2008-12-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

We have been in the house for 1 week. I have never seen so much snow in Sherwood. The kids have had a blast playing in the snow. I however, need to get out!!!

2008-12-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Oregon is so beautiful in the winter. We went to Hebb Park the first week of December and took a hike by the river. Of course we were with Gretchen and her kids. We do not go many places without each other. The river was gorgeous and clear. We love being outside. This day reminded us of a similar hike last winter when Max jumped into the river. The sun was shinning but the water was VERY COLD! You have to love Max.