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Monday, April 18, 2011

SPRING BREAK - Abe and Annie came to VISIT

Garvin and I LOVE IT...when our children or friends come to stay with us...This past week was SPRING BREAK at BYU-IDAHO...so Abe and Annie came up to MONTANA!  They stayed with Annie's parents the first few days...and finished out in our home the last few days of their break...We had a GREAT TIME...Played games and did several FIRSTS...

Abe and Annie
One of the games we played ALOT was
"FARKLE"...It was so FUN!

"A FIRST"
Abe was "biting-at-the-bit" to shoot his NEW GUN!
The funny part was Abe created his own "Caddy Shack"
scenario...There is a "gopher" that had Abe
constantly on the look out for him.
We can still hear the "gopher" laughing...

Of course, Hyrum was anxious to try his skill
using Abe's new gun...

OK...ANY EXCUSE a SMITH MALE can create a FIRE
"legally" they will do it...

 
Kept Abe entertained for awhile...

Another FAMILY TRADITION is 
Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato Sandwiches...
Garvin has everyone put NO LESS than 
"8" pieces of BACON on ONE SANDWICH!

"Another FIRST for Abe and Annie"
We took them to the 
"Miracle of America" museum in Polson, Montana

OK...This was "safe" for Garvin to ride...
Yes, that is a UFO in the background...
And you didn't think there were "alien" space ships...

Took this picture of Annie in front of this old "logging" truck
for Annie's dad...

The museum had an incredible number of POSTERS from the 
different wars America had been involved in...
Loved this poster...
A FIRST for ALL OF US...
Attended Flathead Valley Community College
"Logging" events
Don't mess with these Montana women!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Whew...This explains why MY OFFICE looks the way it does...


William Buckley's Office
Nat Hentoff's Office
Albert Einstein's Office
Mama Smith's Office
Obama's Office
There's an old saying that seems to apply: Creative minds are rarely tidy. I've used that often to explain my desk/workspace.

A picture is worth a thousand words...............................

A person's mind and his desk...........

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Provo-Idaho Falls - Part 2 - Trip

Part 2 - From Sarah's Blog:

April 16, 2011

A weekend with the Fam - Part 2

For part one, click HERE. You know you want to.

We left off last post with Alayna only allowing me three hours of sleep Saturday night.

*yawn* I think I still have sleep deprivation from that night. Hang on a sec, I gotta go take a nap.........

Five seconds later. ('Cause it's just not safe to take naps longer than that)

*zzzzz snort, wipe off drool*

Okay, where were we?

Since church started at 8am Sunday,  and I was obviously awake early,  I went ahead and put frozen spoons under my eyes and caked on about twelve pounds of make-up to hide the dark circles that took up residence there the night before.

Okay not really, but I should have.

I'm thinkin' make-up was first invented by a tired, dark-circle-eyed mother.

So were bras.

Anyhow, church really was quite relaxing since Alayna just sat with this handsome guy and calmly drew pictures the whole time.


My brother and I are used to people thinking we are a couple. For some reason, when we were teenagers, one of the most common things we heard after we got to know someone new was, "I thought you two were a couple, or even newlyweds!"

Awkwaaaaaard......

I guess that's what happens when you actually get along with your siblings.

So I'm sure as we sat together with Alayna, people came to the same conclusion. Oh well, what can you do.

After church and Logan's baby blessing, we all met up for lunch.

Even the baby.


 And here sit two of my four brothers. You can almost read their thoughts.

Oh great, here comes mom with her camera...  (my mom took these pictures)


Is she still taking pictures?

Mmmm hummm!

Oh man... tell me when it's over!

And that is my sweet sister-in-law, has been since November.

Poor girl, you can tell she's been married to my brother too long already.


Sheesh! Taking pictures of these guys is like trying to take family pictures with my kids!

*Note family picture at top of blog.

See what I mean? All you have to do it throw in one more brother and all is lost.


In professional terms, boys are weird.

Back on the normal end of things, Alayna was in heaven having found my sister's sparkly heels. She could barely walk in them they were so tall, but that didn't stop her from trying!


I even got to see one of my very best girlfriends ever. She has been one of my besties since I was 12 years old. She came down just to see me.

Well, okay fine, so she really came to see my family, especially my parents, but I like to think it was all for me. Me, me me, cause that's what it's all about!

Some people are so snobby.

Not me of course.


And when lunch was over, it was time for me and Alayna to go. My parents were staying a few more days but I had to get back. So I hitched a ride home with my brother and sis-in-law, who lives near us.

Alayna was going to miss Uncle Caleb though. He was headed back to Virginia.

 

Alayna and I slept most of the way home. 

Sleep, it was bliss. I had almost forgotten what it was like.

Later that week, Thursday afternoon to be exact, my parents once again stopped by our place to breakup their 10 hour drive home.

My youngest brother Hyrum, who is the only one still at home and whom my kids affectionately call Uncle Hyroom, is always a huge hit around here.

He's one of the few left who are both willing and able to physically play with my kids.

He is sorely missed.

Thursday night my parents treated us by taking us out to dinner. My children of course thought it was heaven and were so hyper they kept running into people while we waited for a table.

After receiving a few glares, I finally lined them against the wall and we played "Simon says".

I'm not ashamed, not even when I said, "Simon says, shake your bum!" and then demonstrated. I guess those who could see us got dinner and a show.  Lucky.


And yes, Savannah really is wearing bunny ears.

Of course when my mom brought out her camera, it all digressed from there.


But that also when it becomes the most fun.

All in all, we had a great time.

The End.

P.S. Thanks mom for the pictures...

Provo, Utah and Idaho Falls Trip - Part 1

Sarah posted on her blog...our weekend...in Provo, Utah for Logan Douglas Greenway's baby's blessing...plus our little bit of time in Idaho Falls, Idaho at Luke and Sarah's...I am going to PASTE her blog...and what she doesn't end up posting...I will finish later with some of the rest of the pictures.  Here is her FIRST POST:

April 15, 2011

A weekend with the Fam - Part 1

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I had made a quick trip down to Utah to see my little sister's new baby and be there for his baby blessing.


Aren't they cute?

If she wasn't my sister and I was sworn to sisterly love and affection (it doesn't matter if it was against my will or not), I'd probably hate her for looking so good already.

See those smiles? One is the smile of a woman who is pregnant and NOT glowing. The other is the smile of a woman who is done being pregnant and IS glowing.


And don't tell me that it's only her first, because I already know that. Yet somehow, I can't seem to find that comforting.

No, I have not been doing my kegels.

Yes, I know you were dying to ask about that.

My stomach and bladder are forever going to be my enemy. Dang kegels, I hate that so much of my future happiness rests on you.



My parents had driven down to our house Friday as a stopping point for the night before going the rest of the way Saturday.

Alayna made sure they felt welcome that Saturday morning by keeping the kitchen and all the dishes clean and warm for their arrival.


I'm pretty sure at that point in the morning I hadn't changed her diaper yet.

The plan was for me and Alayna to leave with my parents for Utah, while the other kids stayed home with Hubby who had been out of town all week. 

There was much excitement and great anticipation for his arrival.


So basically, I picked Hubby up from the airport, brought him home, made out with him for a minute or two, then waved goodbye.


May I just interject here that traveling with only one child is a Piece. Of. Cake. I almost felt like I was on vacation!

Almost.


Things were going smoothly on the drive and my mom and I chomped on Cadbury mini eggs as though their whole purpose for existing was to make us skinnier, when my dad, who was going about 80mph, suddenly starts freaking out and telling us that the engine is overheating and he's lost control of the steering.

Thankfully we were on a straight stretch of highway so we were able to pull off to the side of the road. My dad pops the hood, stares at the engine for a minute, then we watch him pull out this long shredded black thing.

Turns out the serpentine belt, which is basically the main belt for the whole engine, had been completely demolished. Unsure of where to get help on a Saturday afternoon at first, I realized I had a brother-in-law who lived nearby.  

I gave him a call and as heaven would have it, he was coming up the freeway at that very moment, only about 10 - 15 miles from where we were.

So he picked up a new belt for the car and helped my dad put it on.



We were on our way in less than an hour from the time the car went haywire.

Talk about divine intervention!

And yes, my dad's cowboy coat is pretty sweet.

Thanks for noticing, he'd like that.

A couple hours later, we finally made it to my sister's house (not the one who just had the baby) where we met up with everyone else. Three of my brothers, two of my brother-in-laws, one sister-in-law, my two little sisters and of course myself and my parents.

Yes, I do have rather cute sisters, don't I!


So after some yummy dinner, we all sat back for some... interesting conversation.

I will spare you the details of the conversations.

Mostly because I can't remember any of it, but also because my family always has... lively, strange, awkward, hilarious, well, interesting conversations.

Me? I was just trying to remain totally inconspicuous in my bright orange shirt.

The only orange thing I own by the way.


Is it just me, or does my brother-in-law in the background there look like he's trying hard to think of a way to get out of getting up with the baby at night?

I don't know for sure, but it looks awfully suspicious....


When it was time for my sister's kids to go to bed, we had family prayer and scripture reading.


'Cause that's just how we roll.


That night, Alayna made sure I only got about three hours of sleep. She can be sweet like that sometimes.

I take back what I said about traveling with one child being almost like vacation.

It doesn't even come close.


To Be Continued...

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Friday, April 8, 2011