Vacation is over!!

In a matter of 2 days I have gone from being a carefree, lets have fun, enjoy the summer not wanting them to go to school mom to a yelling, keep things organized freak that can't wait for them to be out of the house for a while each day!! I thought coming home would be an adjustment for the kids but I think I am struggling more that they are!! I was the spoiled one this summer with very little responsibility. It is time to suck it up and be a better mom!

Summer so far!!

There is to much to blog about!! We have missed Jon like crazy this summer but nothing beats the Boise weather this time of the year! Not to mention the love we get from Grandma and Grandpa!

We started out on the long trip by heading to utah and staying with Kevin and Kathy for a few days! It was so nice!!

 

We arrived in Boise and we felt the Grandpa love immediately with big hugs and story time! I love my dad!!

Then we headed to Lindsey's who's neighbor has Gulio sized horses! (Miniature) They were adorable!!

With swimming almost all day between each excursion the kids are never bored! Max and Vann join us nearly everyday!! The kids love it!!

A few days later we went on a hike with aunt Shawnacy! Tyler struggled a bit so we turned around early but the rest of the kiddos had a blast. Minus the 10 times Tanner fell and scraped his hands and knees. But in the end he was still smiling!

We hit up a skate park by the river as well ! I wish I could post video from the phone but this is the only picture I have! The kids would use the sides a a slide to get into the pit then they would try to run up the side and grab the edge which usually resulted in missing the side and sliding back down. I think they got it by the end!! 

This is Kennedy and Kage at the park!! They had a blast playing with the kiddos! I love them :-)

Yesterday we went to the Old Penitentary! A little morbid and left me feeling queezy at times but pretty interesting! The kids enjoyed it. I don't think they had some of the images racing through their minds that I did as we looked into the "drop room" where they cleaned the body after a hanging. They remember more of the dress up and pretty roses in the yards! I love their innocence!!

Here they are in a cell!!

Awesome summer so far but sill 5 more weeks to go!! The kids are so fun this year and my back is so much better than last! Loving this summer so far!!!

My New Toy!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!!! Enough said :-)

Hard mom day!

I think I have been taking it to easy on my kids lately! They have been out of control this last week. I told them today the nice mommy is gone and mean mommy is here for awhile. None of my kids like me right now. I wish I could be nice and do fun thing with them all the time and have them be helpful and nice. But we don't get everything we want!

Wonderful Weekend!!

Our weekend started with movie night Friday night! Jon loved sandlot as a kid and thought it was about time to show it to the kids! They loved it!! I had forgotten some of the language that was in that show but it is a great movie! Brooklyn has now decided she wants to be Babe Ruth and the greatest female baseball player of all time. The other kids have decided they love it to! So Saturday morning we all went to the park to play a family game of baseball jon and I vs the kids! We lost! They were so much fun and the kids haven't put the bats down yet! I feel the end of them being babies drawing to a close! I am happy about that and am so excited about the next phase of being a soccer mom :-). After baseball at the park we went on a golf cart ride and saw a vulture devouring a snake! It was a crazyy sight! Sunday we went to church and another Golf cart ride afterwards and ran into these!

They are living in a palm tree up by the golf course! I love owls. Which is weird because I generally hate birds. Then off to the park for more baseball and home for a nap! Brooklyn is upstairs reading "the Grinch" to the kids, Jon is sleeping, and I am documenting. Feeling pretty blessed right now!

Loving Sundays!

Enjoying the park on a Sunday afternoon with grandma and grandpa!!

Trying to fill Uncle Don's Shoes...

when he is in Calebra? Hiking and ice cream in one day :-) my kids are feeling the love today! I read today that between birth and when they go off to college there are only 940 Saturdays! Which is the same for Fridays! I need to start doing more things with my kiddos! They are more fun everyday!! Today on our hike I told the kids that we would take a picture when we get to the top of the hill. Allie replied with a sad sigh and said, "I really don't like the outfit that I have on today for pictures. I just put it on real quick and I didn't know we would take pictures!" I don't know how that little girls mind works but it seriously makes me happy! She is so unpredictable for me and I love it!!

A Beautiful Day!!

The weather is perfect so we are out hiking with friends! They made it to the top and no blood was spilt! I call that a success!

Family picture!!

Best family picture ever! We didn't have to spend hours getting dressed, finding matching outfits, or trying to keep kids happy the whole time! Love these kiddos of mine!

Love Phoenix (this time of year)

While everyone else is freezing their buns off this is what my kids were doing outdoors this week!! 

A new time out spot!

Jon is digging a 4 foot hole for a basketball hoop in our backyard! But I think that the hole would work quite nicely for naughty little kids and there time outs!! :-)

Love me some Kudos!

I got this text from Brooklyn's piano teacher!

Thought you'd want to know - I dropped off Denver and Brayden to school today and on the way out from their classrooms I walked passed Brooklyn as she as coming in the gate. She gave me the biggest smile and a cute "Hi Brother Smith" and a High-Five. Y'all have a neat girl in her and glad for our association. As a parent, you guys are doing a wonderful job, Kudos 😄

Although I think my kids are awesome it is nice to know other people think so too. :-) I must say they just came to us awesome. 

Test #2

Jon got a 93 on his last CPA test!!!!! 2 down 2 to go!! I am a proud wife :-) he has worked so hard and it is paying off! I know we have a long way to go but I can't believe we are half way their. I am so grateful! With each test Jon has taken it has come down to the wire with a research question and they are worth a lot of points. Each time Jon has said a prayer and with 2 minutes left in the test he has found the answer with just enough time to write it down! I am grateful for a hubby who works his tail off and when he has done all he can do he turns to our Heavenly Father for help. I love him!! (Jon and my Heavenly Father) Jon told me the other day that as we had all our children that he didn't know how we would be able to afford it. When he prayed about it he was comforted and felt we would be taken care of. Not only have we been taken care of we have been extremely blessed. It has been such a testimony builder in our lives. I know as Jon is working so hard and passing these exams that Heavenly Father is continuing to bless us. I am so grateful for all we have been blessed with!

Bike rides!

Jon and I on a bike ride around the neighborhood!

Destructive

Why is it EVERYTIME my kids are quiet when I find them they have destroyed something! So frustrated as a mom right now!!

Halloween 1st!

Brooklyn went through her 1st haunted house with me today! Yes it may have traumatized her for life and no I would not let her do it again for another 5 years but I thought I would document it anyway. 

All the kids came with me tonight to the fundraiser haunted house and we had such a great time. We started off with pizza at a awesome pizza place. Then we were off to the fundraiser. They had games and things for the little kids and a haunted house for the older kids. I was so proud of all my kiddos!!! They were such good listeners all night and I had such a wonderful time with all of them. So bummed Jon had to study. But we had a great night out!!!

928-645-5536

This is a totally ridiculous thing to blog about but it is funny the impact that this number has had on our family. I called this number just yesterday to talk to my dad and the reply I got was, "this number has been disconnected and is no longer in service." For as long as I remember this is the number I have called to talk to my mom and dad. This is the # that I gave friends to call. For nearly 25 years this was my number. It is absurd to be bonded to a phone number I know but I couldn't believe my parents wouldn't give me a heads up that the # I have called them on my whole life was disconnected. I called my mom to give her a hard time in a loving way only to find out later that as soon as she got off the phone with me my sisters and her all had a good cry over the loss of our phone number! My nieces looked at them like they were complete freaks but they could not possibly understand in a world of technology were you never have to memorize a phone number what it was like to have just one number your whole life. You had to write it down to give it to people. You couldn't just plug it into your phone. The bottom line is that I will miss calling my mom and dad at this phone number it is another reminder that they are so far away. I will miss them both!

To Be A Kid Again

I love being a mom! However I love being with my family because they always give me a chance to be a kid again and I love it. This week in Boise has been incredible and so sad at the same time.

I love the late nights, playing zombies out in the fields (most fun game ever), the long talks, the laughing, the joking, watching movies outside on a screen, my mom rubbing my back in church, my nieces playing with my hair, shopping for makeup at a MALL (yes I even got to go to a mall while I was here and buy makeup for the 1st time in I don't know how long), feeling completely free to be myself. That feeling you get when you go home to visit happens whenever, wherever my family gets together. My nieces are grown up, they are kind, smart, funny, and gorgeous. I miss them! Kage is awesome, such a boy, but at the same time so tenderhearted. I love that kid. Max is such a stud. From the way he talks to his sweet hugs I am so going to miss our monthly visits from them. I can't talk about my Mom, Dad, Shawnacy, Lindsey, and Russ without getting teary. As for Brandon and Lindsay I still hold out hope that one day they will be with me in Phoenix. It has been such a rough week watching Lindsey and Paul getting settled and my mom looking for houses. I am being abandoned! They are so far away. I wish I would have taken more advantage when my mom and dad were close. I should have spent every weekend with them. Life is full of regrets right?

With all that said I miss my husband. Everytime I call he is doing another project so he can show me what he has done while we have been gone. He works harder and loves his kids more than any man I know. All I have to do is give him a hug and I know he loves me. For those reasons I will be coming home. I can't wait to see him.

Conclusion. I will miss the feeling of being with my family. But if there ever was a reason to go home I have it. It is because Jon is there and I am happy to do it! I love our home.

Tanner Adoption Day!

What an incredible morning! Not that I needed to be told but the moment the judge announced that we were legally a family I was overwhelmed. Look at this boy who wouldn't be thrilled by this! The judge was awesome all my family that was there to support us and once again Della there to love our family. The moment has come and gone but it is a memory that will stay with me forever. I love my son!

These are some pictures I stole from Becca's blog (thanks) there will be many more to come!

First Picture after it was official

We tried to do a family picture and failed miserably but this was the result and I love it!

Picture with the Judge

My sisters and mom. My best friends!

Big Week!

I am so excited for this week! So many awesome things. My sisters and mom come today. I haven't seen Shawnacy since Thanksgiving so I can't wait to pick her up from the airport tonight. Tanners adoption is tomorrow morning and then a week of awesome events following that. Everyone knows how much this means to me so I won't elaberate. Then Jessica's wedding is another amazing event! I love family! I love that so many of us will be together this week. I have so many things to do today to get ready. My best friend in the whole world just moved up the street and she has taken the kids for the morning. I have to take advantage and get everything done before people start arriving. I couldn't help but write down how excited I am.