3 and a half weeks left

In half a week I will be considered full term.  Thus will commence Project Evict Baby.  Don't worry, I won't be doing anything too drastic, but let's just say that I will be "testing" many methods people say work to induce labor.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being pregnant and I feel extremely blessed that I am able to not only have children, but that my pregnancies are healthy and happy.  HOWEVER, I am ready to have that sweet little baby boy in my arms and out of my belly and ribs (I'll tell you what, kid CAN KICK...ouch).  Dan and the girls are psyched to have baby boy come too.  Jenna keeps telling me that soon we'll have two babies- Lucy and her baby brother.  Well Jenna, I'm starting to realize, and you will too, Lu is no longer a baby. :(  She's growing up, just like you!  I feel so blessed to have these sweet spirits entrusted to my care, and I hope that I can be a great mother to them. 

*sigh*

Dan and the girls during the reading part of our bedtime routine. They LOVE this book (thanks Auntie Debbie and Uncle Brian!).

It is moments like this that just make me so grateful to be a mother. I can't believe that we will soon be a family of FIVE and that both of my girls will be big sisters. Lucy is just so petite still and barely breaks 20 lbs! 4 more weeks (at most) and we'll be welcoming sweet baby boy Smith home.  Wish us luck!

Christmas joy in March

Well, I've got to start somewhere, right?!  This was our second Christmas out here in Utah.  It's been fun to create some of our own traditions as we are away from our families and become our own special little family, unique in so many ways.  We were so lucky to have our friend Erin with us for the holidays.  She is a fabulous spirit and made our holiday that much brighter. 

Dan and I have decided that we would like to base most of our Christmas gifts to the girls around one "theme" or "idea" each year, so that their gifts kind of go together.  It's frustrating (to us adults) to get kids a bunch of toys and then they all sit there while they have fun with that dinky thing from the dollar store...  So this year, our "theme" was a kitchen.  We found this at DI for $8:

And Dan turned it into this cute little thing:

Most of the other gifts were based around that.  I made the girls fun little aprons:

Grandma and Grandpa Smith got them some dishes, we supplied some pots, pans and food, and voila! They could play with a good amount of their Christmas goodies all at once!

They really did love it:

Lu is still growing into it... :)

They also loved their morning breakfast of cinnamon rolls. (No, they weren't homemade, but next year they will be!) I think we'll be making that a Christmas tradition!

We forgot to take a family picture on Christmas morning. :(  But we did visit Temple Square on Christmas Eve to see all the lights, and we took a family picture in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

A late Merry Christmas to you all!







Holy cow! A new post!

Yes, I know, I'm SUPER lame with my blogging.  You'd think I'd be better at it, since all of our family lives far away now. I'll see what I can do.  I'm going to blame it on the fact that our regular computer broke and we have been using this SLOW as molasess computer that takes FOREVER to download pictures and grows slower everytime you do.  Hence, the last photos I have downloaded... are kind of from November. But hey, it's a start.  If you're lucky I may even try to catch up-ish.

These are from a trip up to Logan.

 Jenna playing in the leaves with sweet cousin Emma.  They love each other!

Lucy and Daddy swinging!

...and in case you haven't heard the news, we're expecting another little peanut- a boy! He'll be here in about 9 weeks, and we are so excited!

I'll download more photos and videos to share soon, I promise!

Say a little prayer

 photo courtesy of Reuters on Yahoo!News

photo courtesy of Associated Press on Yahoo!News

Our computer is broken and as a result I have been using our INSANELY slow and old laptop.  But I felt like I should post about this.  Most of you have seen the crazy amounts of news coverage about the rescue of the trapped miners in Chile.  Makes you smile, doesn't it?  This story really got me thinking- When was the last time I saw something happy and uplifting in the news that had this much coverage?  Ummm... pretty much never.  I sat last night and watched different news stations cover this miraculous rescue.  I keep thinking about it today.  In a world where there is so much tragedy and misfortune, there is so much good to be seen that isn't.  But these miners have made me double take and look at the world that I live in and all that I have to be grateful for.  How many wonderful things happen to me daily. 

The earth is filled with sorrow and turmoil, and many people feel lost and alone, physically and spiritually.  Yet, here is proof that God lives and still assists in miracles today.  An Associated Press news article said this-

                    'They emerged looking healthier than many had expected and even clean-shaven, and at least one,

                    Mario Sepulveda, the second to taste freedom, bounded out and thrust a fist upward like a prizefighter.

                  "I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God," he said...'

 

I just keep thinking about the role that our Heavenly Father must have played in these men's lives to sustain their hope and well being, and about the role he plays in my life. 

As you see all the coverage of the miners in Chile, take a moment to say a little prayer to thank Heavenly Father for the miracle of these men's lives and to thank Him for all the blessings and miracles that are present in your own life!

An attempt...

... to update my poor, neglected photo blog...

http://karlasmithphotography.blogspot.com/

August in Review

August was a busy month, full of fun and friends.  Life could not be better right now, we are just loving our two girls and we feel so blessed to have them.  Jenna has been potty training for the last three days and she is doing sooo good!  The first day was rough, but today she has only had one accident!  I think she's catching on quickly and I'm so excited.  Only one in diapers? Yes, please!  Lucy is our little darling.  She is 13 months and loves to stand up by herself, but refuses to walk.  She'll come around, we're just letting her go at her own pace and trying to not force her.  Anyways, here's a taste of our August for you...

During bathtime I like to play with the girls' hair.  This time was particularly funny, because Jenna looked at Lucy and said, "She's a sun!" 

So we made Jenna a unicorn... or something...

Our friends, the Hutsells, also had a baby a little while ago, so I thought I'd give Julie a little mommy/daughter bonding with her new baby.  I took her sweet girl, Kairi, to the Discovery Kid's Museum with us.  Jenna and Kairi had so much fun together.  They're great little buddies!

They sat here in front of Brookstone and wouldn't get up until I took their picture- so funny!

Playing in the museum...

There are so many great things to do in Utah.  There is this place called Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, where there are a lot of different things to do.  During August they have $2 Tuesdays, where you can get into any of the attractions for just $2 a person.  We chose to go to their farm and dinosaur museum.  We went with some of our friends from our ward, and had so much fun!

Jenna and her friend Olivia on a cow bench

Lucy looking cute and Jenna riding a pretend tractor on the farm

Tractor ride

Eating ice cream

At the dinosaur museum, being eaten by a shark, aaahhhh!

As if that isn't enough fun things, we had a gift card to the Hogle Zoo, so we went last Saturday and the weather was perfect!

Riding the zoo train

We waved to the elephants...

...and laughed at giraffes too.

At the very end of the month, we had an amazing thunder/hailstorm.  It actually woke me up.  Our battery was dead when the storm started, so I rushed to charge it.  This picture was actually later in the storm.  The storm was literally right on top of us.  The lightning was so close, it was blinding.  I've never seen/ heard anything like it.

And the hail.  Oh, the hail.  It seriously came in a sheet.  You could hear it coming- it was kind of scary.  All of the hail came in less than 5 minutes, but it covered the ground.

At the very end of the month, I noticed how big and cute my girls are.  How can they be getting so old?!!  I still feel like Dan and I just got married.  They are just so wonderful.  I had to snap some pictures of them just to remember them at this stage.

We had a great family night where we made carmel popcorn.  Here are some cute videos of the girls.