The Smoot Family!!!!

Kale's Third Birthday

2011-08-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Kale turned three on June 3rd. I can't believe he is three!!!!! I swear he was just Mia's size. He is so smart and I love my little boy. We wanted the day to be his, so we took him to the Discovery Gateway Museum. He loves it there. We went and he had a great time. He played with everything and was running all over! After the Museum we had family over and celebrated with pizza and cupcakes. Kale was so spoiled with presents. He is so lucky to have so many people who love him. I am so grateful for all of my family and Chandler's family that love our little boy. He is blessed with so many people who care about him. Kale had a blast on his birthday and he was ready for bed by the end of the day. Here are a few things that he is doing at this fun age:

-He has really cute nicknames for grandparents. He calls my parents and my grandparents by their dogs. My grandparent's dog is Buddy, so he calls them Grandma and Grandpa Buddy. For my parents he calls them Grandma and Grandpa Max and Sadie, their dogs. :) But, the best is for Chandler's parents. They don't have a dog, but they have this fake owl that they put on their porch and Kale loved it when he was younger, so he calls them Grandma and Grandpa Who-Owl. :) Isn't that the cutest thing!!!! He is starting to grow out of it and call them by their last names, but that was my favorite thing and I love that was how he identified his grandparents.
-He is SO tall, but SO skinny. I had my mom make all if his pants into shorts. Kale is wearing 18month pants!!! They totally fit his waist. He is so skinny. I wish I had that problem. When he went to his yearly doctor's appointment he was in the 20% for weight, but the 90% for height. Tall and skinny..... :)
-He is so smart and I cannot believe what he remembers. He will remember things that happened months ago and can tell you pretty accurately what happened.
-He is definitely going through some independence stages and we are learning how to deal with that through lots of time outs. :)
-He loves to give me hugs and tell me I'm his best friend. MELT MY HEART!!!
I am so grateful for my little boy and so excited to be home with him now. Kale, mom loves you so much!!!!!

At the Museum

On the horse

Mia was a party pooper, she slept the whole time :)

Opening presents, a cool sprinkler from mom and dad

Cars

Playing with the balloons with Grandpa

Chandler's unique decorating. :)

May & June 2011

2011-08-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

Mia was one month old and getting so big already!!! We were getting adjusted to having two little ones in the house, and it is tiring, but we love our little girl!!! She is so fun to have at home and Kale is so cute with her. We are so blessed to have this precious little girl in out home!

Mia got her mom's hair genes, blonde and pretty much bald. :) So, we have to put bows on her head so people know she's a girl. :)

He loves his little sister!

Socks on the hand, she is a scratcher!!!!

My little sister, the baby of the family, Denae, graduated from high school. We were all excited for her and it was fun to go and celebrate with her. I love my little sis and she is the best aunt! Now she at SUU and a college girl, I am so old!!!!! :)

Kale telling Aunt Nae good job

The family

waiting for the ceremony to start

My brother, Brenton, and his wife, Bri, were sealed in the Timpanogos temple. We were able to go to the ceremony and it was beautiful. I am so happy for them and their little family they are starting.

Mia with Grandpa Hatt

The fam

Mia and I also went to basketball camp at CEU with my basketball girls. It was fun, but tiring with a one month old. I love the girls I work with and I am so grateful I get to coach the sport I love. I also love coaching with my dad. He is amazing and I learn so much for him. I also went to CEU my senior year of basketball, so it was fun to think of those memories with my best friends. It was a fun trip and I had a good time being with the girls.

During the week we were at camp we found out that my Aunt Juliette had passed away. She lived in Las Vegas and was an amazing woman. I remember when we were younger and had just moved to Las Vegas she decorated our rooms for us. She took us shopping for things to decorate and made our rooms really special for us. I have some really fun memories with her, boating, eating lemon cookies, playing football in the backyard, and so much more. She was such a fun person to be around and we will miss her so much. I am so glad that I can call her my aunt. Love you Juliette!!!!!!

A few more things happened during June, but I am going to give them separate posts, so keep reading!!! :)

Kale meets his little sister

2011-08-16T10:19:00.001-07:00

The one thing I was the most nervous about with having our second child was how Kale would react. I didn't want him to be jealous of her. Before we had talked to him about being a big brother and how his little sister was going to love him so much. He loved to touch my stomach and talk about the baby. The night before I went to the hospital we took Kale to my parent's house. We told him he was going to come and see us at the hospital and meet his sister. He was totally fine and told us he would see us later. :) So, after Mia arrived my mom brought Kale to the hospital to meet his little sister. He was so cute! He kept telling everyone that she was going to grow up. That way he can play with her. :) I don't think he realized how small a baby was and that she wasn't going to be able to play for a while. But, he held her and told her that she was "so cute". We also had a present at the house for him when we brought Mia home and we told him it was from Mia. He loved that and told her thank you for the present. He was really good with her and always wanted to hold her and give her kisses. I know he is going to be an amazing big brother!

Giving mom loves, not sure about my face :)

Big Brother meets little sister :)

Baby Mia

2011-08-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mia Carolyn Smoot was born on May 9, 2011. Yes, I should have done this a while ago. :) I want to write down everything I can remember from that day. Mia's due date was actually the 8th. I wanted to make it to the 6th of May for school and then I was ready for her to come. She was already listening to her mom and she waited. :) Once I had made my due date I was all about being induced and getting my little girl here. Plus, induction was nice for getting Kale to a family member. So, we scheduled my induction for the morning of the 9th. We took Kale to my parent's house the night before and then went to bed ready for the early morning call to come in.
We got the call around 8:00 a.m. We headed to the IMC hospital in Murray. By 9:00 I was ready to go and they started to induce me. It took a little bit to get the contractions going, but eventually they started. They were getting pretty strong, but I still wasn't hurting too bad. The nurse came in and they decided to give me my epidural and then break my water. After that I was progressing a little bit slow. I was ready to meet my little girl. :) Around 3:00 the nurse came and checked on me and we were about halfway there. I was a little bummed. Then, Mia must have known what her mom was thinking because things sped up and and soon we were ready to have a baby!!! I only had to push for like 10 minutes, which was so nice because it was SO much longer with Kale. Then, at 5:01 p.m. Mia Carolyn Smoot was here! She was 8lbs. 11oz. and 21 in. long. She was beautiful!!!! She was healthy and everything was how it was supposed to be. I felt really good too after the delivery. The second kid is definitely easier than the first! :)
Mia was a name that both Chandler and I liked and agreed on. Carolyn was for my grandma who passed away last February. I know she was up in Heaven with Mia waiting until it was time for her to come down to us. We love our little girl so much! She is such a blessing to our family.

Beautiful!!!!

Proud Mama

She already has Chan wrapped around her finger. :)

Grandpa Boudreaux

Grandpa Smoot

Aunt Nae

Grandma Boudreaux

WOW! I am so behind!!!!!!

2011-08-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't realize how hard it would be to keep my blog updated with two kids, but I have been horrible! My goal is to slowly get caught up and then try to stay on top of it. I want to keep track of what is happening in our lives and I have not been doing a good job of that. So, I will be doing a few entries, hopefully you enjoy them!!!!

Mommy and Kale at the Zoo

2011-03-10T11:14:00.001-08:00

My brother offered Chan a free snowboarding pass to the Canyons. Chan had only gone one other time this year and with how stressed I know he has been, it was a much needed break for him. So, Kale and I had the day to ourselves and I decided the Zoo sounded fun. The night before I had told him that we were going to see the animals and Saturday morning the first thing he says when he wakes up, "Mom, it's time to go see the animals!" I love it. :)

So, we headed down around 10, which was perfect because there weren't many people there. I also loved the weather. We usually go to the Zoo in July when it is WAY hot. It was around 50 degrees on Saturday. It was perfect to walk around in. It wasn't too cold and as you walked you didn't get too hot. It did start getting cold right at the end, but we were ready to leave by then. It was also so nice to go just us two because we took our time and went wherever we wanted to. We weren't in a rush. Kale loves the animals and it was really neat because the tigers and smaller cats were really active. Kale also really wanted to play on the playground. The last time we went he was really ornery by the time we got there, so we didn't play much at all. So, I was really surprised when he asked to go there and was naming off some of the toys. They have a large slide there and last time Kale was too frightened to go on it, but this time he wouldn't stop! He went over and over. It is amazing how much he has changed in a few months. We also went on the train and he loved it.

We spent a couple hours at the Zoo and it was so nice. I am so grateful for these simple things that remind me what life is about. This little boy that I am entrusted with is so special and I am so glad I get to be his mom. It was so nice to just spend a little time with him, just us two. Chan gets a lot of time with him right now since I am working and I miss Kale a lot. This was a special day and I am so glad I got to have it. I love Kale so much and I am very lucky to be his mom!

I was trying to get him to smile, but he wouldn't. :)

Hugging the rhino.

This was his "cheese" face :)

On the big slide.

Seeing how big he is compared to the gorillas.

On the train.

Mom and Kale on the train, love his face!!!!

Kale's glue masterpiece

2011-03-10T10:59:00.001-08:00

I am constantly amazed by how smart my son is. He definitely keeps Chan and me on our toes. Last week Chan and I were downstairs. He is getting read to take the GMAT, so we were going over some Math stuff together. Kale was upstairs in his room playing. We have safety handles on all of the other doors upstairs, so he can only get into his room. We figured we were pretty safe. WRONG!! It was really quiet for a couple minutes, and it Kale's world that usually means he is up to something. We called his name and when he didn't answer we headed upstairs. This is what we found,

Glue all over his toy trunk. Now, let me tell you where that glue was. In the hall by our rooms we have a desk and two shelves above. On the top shelf I have a drawer set that had the glue in it. So, Kale got our chair out, (it was a folding chair and it was folded up against the wall) climbed up the chair, and took the glue out of the drawer. He then decided to make a beautiful art project on his trunk. Now this was definitely one of those moments where you have to walk away because you are going to laugh. Chan and I were both holding it in the best we could, but we each were smiling. I am finding more and more that my little boy is becoming very adventurous and too smart for his own good (and my sanity). :) I had to take a picture. It was a memorable moment. Kale definitely keeps us on our toes and I sure love the little man! :)

Oregon

2011-03-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Chandler's best friend Eric got married in Seaside, Oregon the last weekend of February. Chan and Matt were Best Men in the wedding ceremony. We were able to get really cheap tickets to fly which was so nice. I don't think a 7 month pregnant lady would have been fun in a car. :) Jenna's (the bride) parents had a time share at a place right on the coast in Seaside, so they paid for everyone in the wedding party to stay. It was so beautiful! It was a little apartment and we had a balcony that looked out right on the coast. That is were I took the pictures I have attached. I haven't been to the Oregon coast, so I loved the view. It was a little cold, but definitely beautiful.

Since we were flying, and it was a quick trip, we decided to leave Kale with grandparents. The thought of my two year old on a flight kind of made me cringe. He is very expressive right now and I can imagine a small area in a plane wouldn't appeal to him :) He actually got to split the time with both of our parents and of course he was spoiled rotten. :) I AM SO grateful that Kale has grandparents who love him and are willing to watch him when we need them to. We are also lucky to call them our amazing parents. :)

The trip couldn't have happened at a better time. Life had been a little crazy and it was nice to kind of get away for a couple days. It was nice to have a little alone time with Chandler. We both have been so busy with life we finally just had a little time to "chill" together. I am so grateful for him in my life.

We also went on the trip with our friends Matt and Michelle. It was fun to have another couple to hang out with. We really enjoy spending time with them. It was nice to see Eric as well. He lives in California now so we don't see him every often. I know it was nice for the boys to get to hang out a little. We also all love Eric's new wife, Jenna. She is so great for him and a fun person to be around. Because she is from Oregon we haven't had a ton of time to hang out with her, but I look forward to getting to know her better. We are really happy for them both.

It was a quick trip, but a lot of fun. I am grateful we had a chance to go and celebrate with Eric and Jenna.

The Wedding, it was at a beautiful building that looked out onto the water.

View from a window at the wedding.

Views from our balcony.

Survival Mode

2011-02-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks I have felt like I am in survival mode. I really looked at the calendar the other day and couldn't believe that it is already the middle of February. Really, I feel like I am just surviving right now. This post will probably be a little depressing, that's a warning so if you want to stop reading you are more than welcome to. This post is mostly for me. I just need to get these emotions and thoughts out of my head.

Two weeks ago we found out that my grandma had passed away. She had lived with my family for a couple years while we lived in Vegas and then she moved in with us in Utah my senior year of high school and stayed there until about two and a half years ago. She then moved with my aunt. So, my family was really close to her and she was very involved in our lives. I share a birthday with her, something that always was so special. My senior year of high school she was given three months to live because she had cancer that had spread all over. She told us she was going to fight and fight she did. She beat it. She was there for my wedding, my basketball games, and to watch me graduate from college. She was such an example of strength and love. I knew that I mattered to her and I really cherished our relationship. I miss her so much, but I also know that she is in such a better place. She isn't in pain anymore and she is with my grandpa. I am so happy for that knowledge, but it still has been a really rough few weeks dealing with the memories and loss.

Chandler is still looking for a job. A few weeks ago he had a second interview for a job that we thought for sure he had. Then we found out he didn't get it. It was such a blow because there isn't a lot of options right now. It is so hard to watch Chan feel like he isn't doing what he is supposed to because he isn't supporting our family. He applies for so many jobs and nothing is really happening. I also get down because I want so much to be able to stay home with Kale and our new baby next year, but I try to not say anything because I don't want to add to his stress. I know there are a lot of people who don't have any income, and so I am grateful that at least I can work and we can pretty much live off that. We both feel okay about our situation. We know that we are trying to do everything we can and that it will work out, but I have my moments of weakness where I wonder if I will ever get to stay at home with my kids. I want that so bad. Then I feel guilty because we have so much more than other people.

Basketball is ending and I love the girls I am working with, but it has been an emotionally draining year. We lost a teammate over the summer which was a really hard thing for the girls to handle. Then, a few more girls quit unexpectedly right before season started. The girls also had so much going on in their personal lives that at times it just didn't seem fair. It has been a rough year for the girls on the team, and the hardest part was that it was my little sister's senior year. It has also been an emotionally exhausting time for me. I have tried to help them and be a strength to them while still dealing with the loss myself. You invest so much of yourself as a coach and at times I wasn't sure I could give anymore. I love it though and I am amazed by their strength and ability to come together and help each other through it. I have learned a lot from them. I wouldn't have wanted to coach any other girls. They have shown me what the work TEAM is all about.

School is also exhausting. My student's have a big writing test for the state coming up and I am feeling stressed about making sure they are ready. I constantly questions myself as a teacher and whether or not I am making a difference in their lives. I feel like I give so much of myself to the students and the parents that when I get home I have nothing to give to my family. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to just be able to leave work at work and not bring it home. But, I am constantly worrying about students and how to help them. I love teaching, but I feel so drained lately.

I am sorry that this post is depressing. I just really needed to get these feeling out. For the past month I have felt like I am just trying to survive and I am just waiting for the last thing that will cause me to have a nervous breakdown. :) I know it will be fine. Which is why I will end with positives in my life because there are plenty.

-My amazing husband. He has been so supportive of me with basketball , school, and being a crazy pregnant lady. He is also an amazing dad. Now that he isn't working he stays home with Kale and I love to see how strong their relationship is. I couldn't ask for a better companion. He really is my best friend and I am so grateful for him in my life.
-Kale. I LOVE this boy so much. He always manages to bring a smile to my face no matter how down I am feeling. He is so full of love and I am so glad I get to be his mom.
-My amazing family. My grandma's funeral was this past weekend and we had all of my siblings together (which hasn't happened in a long time) and it was so nice! I am so grateful for two amazing parents who raised us so well and for all of my brothers and sisters. I know I can count on any of them if I need help, and I am so glad we are all so close. I have an AMAZING family.
-My little girl. Pregnancy of course is exhausting, but I love every movement I feel in me. It reminds me that I have a beautiful new spirit waiting to come and join our family. I can't wait to hold her.
-The Gospel. I know without a doubt that if I did not have the Gospel in my life I would be a total mess right now. Even with all that's going on in my life I know that I have a Heavenly Father who is aware of me and loves me. I know that as long as I continue to do everything I can it will work out. It may not be easy, but it will work out. I know there is plan for me and my family and that eventually I will look back and see what we needed to learn from these experiences. I am so glad I have this knowledge and this comfort.
Thank you for letting me get my feelings out. If no one reads this, that's okay. I just needed to this. It's therapeutic. :)

Fun Pictures of Kale

2011-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

Tackling dad

Eating chocolate donuts

Wearing dad's biking helmet and gloves

Wearing dad's shoes

After a long day playing at the neighbor's house.

Just a cutie :)

Holding my friend Becca's little boy. He kept asking all day to hold him.

Playing in the fountains at the Gateway Mall.

He loves to push his car all over.

He loves this hat that his Aunt Mel got him.

Kale loves my mom's dog Max. Here they are playing in a box. :)

Kale loves his Aunt Nae. Whenever she sleeps over he loves to come down and wake her up. It is usually by body slamming her. :)

He looks so happy to be in his hat and shirt I got him for the 4th of July. :)

Kale Memories from 2010

2011-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a post with a few fun memories of Kale this year. I am a horrible journal keeper, so I use this as my journal and I wanted to get these memories down before I forget!

-Chan got called into the Stake Young Men Presidency, and so we both had to go and talk to the Stake President. We went early on a Sunday morning, so we had to take Kale with us. We told him we were going to talk to the Stake President. He then started to call the Stake President the "Snake President", and he asked if he could pet him! :) It was so cute! So, he thought we were going to see a snake. Chan and I laughed so hard at this. It was so cute!
-Kale loves to sing. He can sing the Alphabet Song, The Itsy Bisty Spider, Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam, and his favorite is The Wheels on the Bus.
-Kale loves pretending to me a dinosaur and he will make people run away from him as he roars at them. Whenever we go to my parent's house he helps everyone get their workout in because he will walk up to them, tell them they need to run away, and he chases them all over roaring. :)
-One day in November we were hanging out and Kale says, "Shut up Daddy, just shut up." Well, of course we both just stood there not knowing what to do. We don't ever use that word and we weren't sure where he would have heard it. We talked to Kale about that word being a naughty word and we won't say it. Well, of course that just means say it all the time. So, we are now working on not saying "shut up". He will to whisper it and then start saying it louder and louder trying to make us mad. So, we are definitely working on that this year, but we also figured out where he heard it. We were watching Toy Story, because Kale LOVES it right now, and in one scene Woody says to Buzz, "Shut up, just shut up." So, that is where Kale heard the phrase. :) It's crazy where they can pick up things and how you aren't aware of those thing in movies until your child is watching it. Having your kid say "shut up" isn't a fun memory, but it is a memory of him growing up and learning and those are things I want to remember. :)
-Kale has an amazing vocabulary!!! He speaks in complete sentences and has been for quite a while. I am always amazed at the phrases he uses and the things he picks up from conversations around him.
-One of my favorite things he is saying right now is the word "never". He puts it at the end of his sentences all the time. For example, he loves chap-stick and has his own stick that I keep in my purse. Over the holidays we left it at my parent's house. One day he asked me for it and I told him we had left it and he said, "Oh great, I will get it back never!" :) How cute it that! He does that with everything. If we tell him he has to wait or he can't get something right away he always says he will never get it. I love it!
-Kale got his first stitches this year. He had broken a glass. We cleaned it up, and pulled the bag out and placed it on the floor as we got ready to take it out side. Well, Kale, being Kale, was running all over and he stepped on the bag right where the glass was. He cut his foot right underneath his big toe. It was a pain to get stitched and keep stitched because it was right where his toe moves. He popped a stitch a week in and so we had to go and get that fixed. It took three weeks for it to heal enough to take the stitches out. He was so brave though and I was proud of him. Sometimes when he just hurts his foot now he tells us he needs to go and see the doctor to fix it. :)
-Kale loves that mommy has a baby in her tummy. He always pets my stomach and tells me he loves the baby. He is going to be such a great big brother.
-Kale loves Roxy, our dog. Right now Roxy isn't too sure about it because his love pretty much means he mauls her. :) But, she is so good with him. She just lays there and takes it, and I know as soon as he gets a little older those two are going to best friends.
-We got Kale into a Toddler bed and he has been so awesome with it! He hasn't gotten out of his bed at all. We were really nervous for this next step, but he has been so good with it and it's just one more step towards becoming a little boy.
-Kale loves to tackle Chandler. They wrestle and play on the floor all of the time. He is truly a little boy. :)
-Kale is tall and so skinny! We bought a dog collar to use as a belt on his pants because we wouldn't find a belt that would work and all of his pants fall of his waist. People think he is a lot older than he is because he is so tall. Sometimes I get looks from people wondering why my son is acting so young because he looks so much bigger with his height. I always want to inform them that he is two and half! :)

Well, there are some fun memories I have from this year. I am going to post some recent pictures we have of Kale that I love in the next post. I am just so grateful for this little boy that Heavenly Father has blessed me with and I am loving being his mom!!!!

The new addition to the Smoot Family

2011-01-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Most of you know, but I thought I would still do a quick post about it. We are adding a new member to our family this May. We are having a little girl. My due date is May 8th. We are so excited to have a girl. I will admit it scares me too. :) I am not quite sure what to do with a girl, but I am excited to figure it out. Kale is excited as well. He loves to pet the baby in my stomach and he is constantly hugging it and saying that he loves the baby. He is going to be such a great big brother and I can't wait to see him holding his little sister. We are going to name her Mia. Not sure on the middle name yet, but I am so excited to add to our little family!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-01T16:30:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Day we did the morning at our house. Santa came and definitely brought a lot of fun stuff for Kale.Kale was excited to see what Santa left for him. He is a really big Toy Story fan right, and especially a Mr. Potato-head fan. So, Santa found a Buzz Lightyear Mr. Potato-head. How perfect it that! Another great gift he got was toy tools. Kale is always taking Chandler's tools and we are having to find them whenever we need them. So, he was so excited to have his own. He also got some cars, magnet letters, and many more fun things. We made waffles with strawberries on them and enjoyed watching Kale play with his new toys. It was nice to enjoy Christmas morning as a family. I enjoyed the quality time and the fun memories we were able to make. I love Chandler and Kale so much and this Christmas morning was definitely a fun one.
After we played for a little bit and ate breakfast we headed out visit family. We first headed to my grandparent's house. They watch Kale once a week and he loves going to see them. They gave him a robotic dinosaur. Kale also loves dinosaurs and he loves to pretend like he is one and he makes everyone run away from him while he roars and chases them. So, this present was definitely a hit. He turned on the dinosaur and then ran away pretending like it was going to get him. It was so cute. We then went to my great-grandma's house, so Kale's great-great grandma. She had a gift for him as well. It was a truck and track that it drives on. He loved it. As I was sitting at her house I realized how lucky Kale and I am. There aren't a lot of people who have that many grandparents who love them. I am so grateful to have them in my life as well. They truly love Kale and I am so blessed to have them as my grandparents and great-grandparent. They made Christmas special for Kale and I love them so much!
After these visits we headed to Chandler's parent's house. Where once again, Kale was spoiled. :) We are so lucky to have Chandler's parents in our lives as well. They watch Kale during the week for us. This is such a help for us and Kale loves the time he gets with them. His favorite toy he got from them is a little penguin that you wind up and it hops. Chan's parents have a couple of these and Kale loves to play with them at their house, so when he got one of his own, he was so excited! He really loved it! He also got a toy car, clothes, books, and some more tools of his own. Then, Chandler's aunt and uncle and cousins came for dinner. It was great food and nice conversation. I am so grateful for Chandler's parents and the love they have for us. They help us a lot and we are blessed to have them in our lives as well.
Christmas was so much fun and I am so grateful for all my family has been blessed with. I am grateful for Christ and the chance we have to celebrate his birth. I am grateful for all that he has blessed me with. I have so many amazing friends and family and it was so nice to be able to appreciate those blessings this Christmas season.

Opening his presents from Santa.

Buzz Lightyear Mr. Potato-head

Opening gifts at Grandma and Grandpa Smoot's house

His hopping penguin

Hugging his penguin :)

His dinosaur from Grandma and Grandpa Hatt

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

This year Christmas was so much fun! Kale was old enough to understand who Santa is and to be excited for his presents. The funny part was that at every house the first gift he opened he just wanted to play with and we would have to convince him to open his other presents. He was so excited for everything though and he was truly spoiled by everyone. I am so grateful to have family that loves my son so much.
We went to my parent's house on Christmas Eve. We had dinner and exchanged gifts. We did Sub-for-Santa as a family instead of exchange gifts, so really we watched Kale open his gifts. :) He got a veterinary kit from my parents and he loved it! It was the first thing he opened so we had to take it away from him to get him to open his other gifts. :) My siblings also gave him gifts and he loved all of them So many fun books to read. It will make a nice change in reading material for bedtime reading. I am so thankful that my family loves my son so much and I am grateful for their gifts for him. I am so lucky to have the siblings and parents I have. After we opened gifts we ate dinner and watched a movie. Then, we just hung out and relaxed. It was so nice and enjoyable. I love my family so much and I know that I am so blessed to have them in my life and in my son's life.

Fixing his dog

Opening presents

Temple Square

2011-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

My brother, Brandon, his wife, Melani, and their cute son Braxton came from Arizona on the 23rd to celebrate Christmas with us before they went to Hawaii with Mel's family. So, we decided to go and see the lights at Temple Square. It wasn't too cold which was nice. We had fun walking around and just being together. We also go a family picture with everyone except Dawnielle and Casey. (who we missed a lot) After temple square and a little hot chocolate at the cars, we headed to my parents house. Kale and Braxton exchanged gifts and Kale got a bunch of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stuff, which he loves!! We then all just relaxed and had fun hanging out. It was so nice to see Brandon and Mel and Braxton. It was fun to see Kale with him too because Braxton is now walking around and can play a little more with Kale. Kale kept trying to hug him and follow him around. He also had a hard time sharing toys and his grandparents. :) It was a new experience for him. He loved seeing his cousin though, and I wish we were a little closer to them so they could see each other more. It was really nice to have everyone together even for a little bit though. I am so grateful for my all of my family and the love they show us.

Our gift to Braxton, Kale wouldn't stop playing with it! It must have been the perfect gift though because Grandma and Grandpa Hatt had bought the same one for Braxton! :)

Kale loves Brandon and Mel's dog Boudy. I am not sure he reciprocates the love though, Kale tends to smother him. :)

Playing with their new toys.

Kale opening his gifts.

Braxton opening his with Aunt Nae's help.

Family Picture

Grandma and Aunt Denae

Grandma and Grandpa with their grandsons.

Grandpa and the two grandsons

Mom and Kale playing with the camera.

Chan and Brandon

Family photo, Kale was not too thrilled to have to look at the camera.

Grandma, Grandpa and Braxton

Getting ready

Kale, looking so excited. :)

Braxton is ready!

Snow Day

2011-01-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

This year Kale is obsessed with the snow. So, I set out to find a snow suit for him to be able to have some fun with it. I found one at Kid to Kid for six bucks, who can argue with that? So, we bundled him up and headed out. He also has his own little snow shovel, so he went out with Chandler and helped shovel the sidewalk. I think he was putting more on the sidewalk then taking it off, but he at least was trying to help. He also loved throwing snow at mom. It was fun to watch him play in the snow. I am glad he is old enough to enjoy it now.

Bundled up and ready to go!

Helping dad shovel.

Halloween

2011-01-01T15:12:00.001-08:00

Kale loved carving pumpkins. He mostly played with the inside and fed his pumpkins food after his mouth was carved,:) but he had a great time. He was so proud of his pumpkin and loved seeing it on the porch every time we went in and out of the house. Kale dressed up as an elephant for Halloween. When we went to the zoo over the summer Kale loved seeing the elephants, so when he saw what his costume was going to be he was really excited!!! We went by each grandparent's house and trick-or-treated. We were then going to go trick-or-treating at my parent's house because they live in a neighborhood that has a lot of families and a lot of kids, so we thought that would be a fun. However, we did not plan on the rain! It was pouring! So, we made it to like five houses and then headed back to grandma's and grandpa's to stay warm and eat their candy. It was a memorable first time and thankfully Kale didn't really care about the actual trick-or-treating part as long as he had candy to eat. :)

The elephant with Aunt Nae

CANDY!!!!

Mom and the little elephant.

Our pumpkin

Kale had to get a little pumpkin for himself as well.

Daddy and Kale working hard.

My Birthday

2011-01-01T14:50:00.001-08:00

My birthday landed on Fall Break this year and Chandler decided that we were going to go somewhere together. I couldn't argue, of course. :) We ended up going to Jackson Hole and it was so much fun! My parents took Kale for the weekend. Which we appreciated and of course he loved, spoiled little boy. :) We stayed at a really nice resort. The room was designed to look like a cabin. It also had a really good breakfast each morning which was definitely worth waking up and getting to. We then just walked around the town, did some shopping, ate really good food, and overall just enjoyed relaxing. It was such a nice trip and I am so grateful for a husband who loves me and plans these fun trips for us to go on together. It was nice to get away as a couple, and then equally nice to come back to our little man. :)

The outside of our room.

Random picture of me. :)

The room

Just hanging out in the courtyard in downtown.

The antler arches.

Wheeler Farm

2011-01-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

In September we decided on a Saturday to take Kale to Wheeler Farm. He loved it! He loved seeing all of the animals and playing on the different toys that were there. I was such a fun day as a family. I am so grateful for these memories.

Playing on a tractor.

Chan insisted on buying him a raccoon hat and I just LOVE this picture I took of Kale with it on.

He fed the horses.

Yep, I'm a slacker

2011-01-01T14:07:00.001-08:00

I was talking to some friends recently, and I was discussing how I am such a hypocrite because I get mad when people don't update their blogs regularly and I haven't updated mine in forever!!!!! I know I am so bad at keeping it updated. I always think about how much I want to update it, but then I get so busy and it never happens. I am using my last day of my break to catch up. I hope you enjoy reading and catching up on the Smoot family!

I love this kid......

2010-09-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

I am SO grateful for this little boy. As I was going through pictures to post I saw a couple of Kale that I loved. Kale is so much fun. He is talking so much. He loves singing his alphabet, The Itsy Bisty Spider, Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam, and Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree. He is repeating everything he is told. Anytime Chandler or I tell him something he goes to the other person and repeats what we just said, it's so cute. He also is testing the boundaries and we are visiting time out and learning how to ignore tantrums. :) I love this stage and I am so grateful to be the mom to this beautiful little boy!

He found this old puppet in my grandparent's basement and he was running around playing with it.

Loved this picture!

Cousin Braxton

2010-09-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Kale also got to see his other cousin, Braxton, over the past few weeks. My brother Brandon, his wife Mel, and their CUTE little boy Braxton were here on their way from selling in Iowa over the summer and moving to Arizona. Kale loved seeing his cousin, who is the cutest little boy!!!! He wanted to hold him and give him loves and kisses. It was so fun to see them together. Even though we only got to see the Boudy family for just a little bit, it was so fun to see them and we wish them the best in Arizona. We will have to plan some trips in that direction soon!!

Kale loved Braxton's little baby toys

Kale loved pushing Braxton around in his walker.

Cousin Landon

2010-09-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Chandler's brother, Will, and his wife, Shellsea had a baby in July. They live in Colorado Springs adn they were able to come for a visit in August. Landon is so cute!!!! He looks so much like Will. Kale loved seeing his new cousin. He was always wanting to hold him and give him hugs and kisses. It was so fun to see him love his cousin so much. Landon was such a cutie and it was so fun to see the whole family for the week.

Chan and Landon

Will and Shellsea

Discovery Gateway

2010-09-05T21:28:00.001-07:00

We decided to buy the Salt Lake Connect Pass. It's a pass that has 13 places in Salt Lake that you can visit one time each. There are different time periods and each costs a different amount. We bought a two-day pass and went on a Friday and Saturday. Some of the trips were with family members and some was just our little family. We decided to hit up Discovery Gateway, the Aquarium, The Dinosaur Museum, Thanksgiving Point Gardens, The Zoo, The Lion House Pantry, and the Snowbird Tram.
Our first stop was Discovery Gateway. I love this place and so does Kale. It is so fun to just say, go play and not have to worry about him getting in trouble. The activities are so much fun and it reminds me of when we used to go to the museum when we were little. Kale loved playing in the water, running around in the little play house, driving the different cars, sitting on the horse, and so much more. It was a great way to start the weekend!

Sitting on the horse.

Driving the car, not sure what this look means........

Playing in the play house

And of course his favorite, the water!

The Aquaruim and Lunch

2010-09-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

After Discovery Gateway on Friday we went to lunch at Chili's and then we went to the Aquarium. We were a little nervous about lunch because Kale hadn't had a nap and this was usually when he sleeps, but he was so good! He was goofy and so cute. He has decided that he LOVES corn on the cob and he was being such a goof with it that I had to get a cute picture of him while he was eating it. We then headed over to the Aquarium. It was fun to see the different types of fish and the penguins are always fun to see. Kale loved the fish and he loved seeing the different types. He also loved running around the tunnels and little play area that they had there.

Showing me his corn

Taking a big bite of his corn.

Climbing through the tunnels of the Aquarium.

Putting his hand in the sting ray tank, he didn't touch it but he loved watching it swim by.

The Dinosaur Museum

2010-09-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening we met up with my parents and we went to the Dinosaur Museum and the Thanksgiving Point gardens. Kale is totally in the dinosaur phase right now so we thought that the museum would be a fun place for him to go. He wasn't too into the fossils, but he loved playing in the water area and in the area where you search for fossils. Every once in a while we could get him to stop and look at the fossils and say "wow" at how big the dinosaur was, but he mostly wanted to just run around. Oh well, to see him playing around in the water and dirt made it all worth it. The gardens were fun as well, it was pretty hot but I enjoyed how pretty the flowers were. It was my first time there and I loved it. It is definitely a beautiful garden and I would love to go there again, just when it is a little but cooler. :)

Digging for fossils

Playing in the water area

They did have a lot of touching stations and Kale loved those.

Running through a tunnel

The Zoo

2010-09-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the Zoo. It was so much fun. Kale is really into animals right now so it was the perfect time to go. The only bummer was that the bears are gone while they build a new area for them. Last year when we went Kale loved the bears so I was excited to see him this year, but I didn't get to. He did love the elephants though. Zuri, the baby elephant was out and he loved seeing her. There was also a fake elephant right outside the elephant area that sings a song and then sprays water and Kale loved it! He also loved the monkeys and the giraffe. He also went for a ride on the carousel. He went twice, the first time he didn't really like it, but the second time he went with grandma and loved it. He didn't want to be done. Overall, it was an awesome trip and Kale really enjoyed it. After the Zoo we went to the Lion House restaurant because the pass had a free meal, and then we went for a tram ride at Snowbird. At the end Kale was ready for a nap but he was so good for the whole trip and the weekend was definitely a success and well worth it! I think I want to make this a yearly thing. I would recommend it to everyone!

Chan and Grandma Smoot on the tram

Aunt Denae and Grandma Boudreaux on the tram

At the zoo's playground

It took a lot of negotiating to get this picture, but I was so excited I did because I have one from when I was a kid and I thought it would be fun to have one of him as well.

Riding the carousel with grandma

Climbing on the statues

Kale and grandpa

Looking at the elephants

Chillin' in the stroller

My Grandparent's 50th Anniversary

2010-09-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

My Grandma and Grandpa Hatt had their 50th Anniversary this summer. They are the most amazing grandparents. I am so grateful for them in my life. They have done so much for me and my family. Kale loves going to their house and I am do glad that he has great-grandparents who love him and want to me part of his life. We had an open house at their house. It was a lot of fun to have all of the family together for a while.

Chillin' with Brenton and Bri on the swing.

Hanging out in the kitchen

Denae and our cousin Katie

Kale and grandpa

Uncle Brock, nice.......

My cousin's wife Monica and their little girl Hailey

Monica's other cutie

My cousin Austin

My cousin Jeremy and his wife Beth

Kale tackling Uncle Brenton

Everyone hanging out in the backyard

Kale's 2nd Birthday

2010-09-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Kale's 2nd birthday was June 3rd. We decided to have a party at Chandler's parent's house. We had both families there and we had a great time. I made these cupcakes in an ice cream cone. They turned out really yummy and I was quite proud of myself for my creativity. :) Kale was spoiled, as always. We are so grateful that there are so many people who love him. He had such a great birthday!
I can't believe how big Kale is getting! The time really does go so fast. When we went to Kale's two year appointment he was in the 75% for height and 22% for weight. He is a tall and skinny little boy. :) Here are a few pictures from Kale's party.

Kale got this bike from Grandpa and Grandma Smoot.

All of his new toys and Aunt Denae helping him open some.

Loves his Mr. Potato Head

Enjoying his ice cream cone cupcake.

The birthday boy

My creation, the ice cream cone cupcake, I am so proud of myself. For those of you who know me, you know I am not very creative. :)

I am a slacker............

2010-09-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Um, yeah I know that my last post was in May. I am really bad at this whole blogging thing. But, I figure better late than never right? We had an awesome summer and so the next few posts are about all the fun we had. Enjoy, and I am going to try to be so much better at this!!!!!

Running

2010-05-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, recently I have been depressed because I haven't been running and taking care of myself like I need to be. Life has been really stressful lately and I tend to eat when I get stressed. I have gained some of the weight back that I had lost last year and I wasn't happy about it. So, I signed up for the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. Not only did it give me some motivation to run, but it was also for a great cause, breast cancer. My grandma had breast cancer and so I thought it would be nice to run for her. I called my little sister up and told her that she was going to run with me. :) No, I asked her nicely and she agreed. We both ran the whole thing, which I was really proud of. It was so neat to see all of the people there. The street was full of pink for blocks and blocks. It was a fun experience and I am so proud of us for doing it. Hopefully it is a good kick start to get going again. I need it! :)

Getting ready to go to the race.

Chan's Graduation

2010-05-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

On May 7th Chandler graduated. I am so proud of him! It has not been easy for him to take all night classes and stay home with Kale during the day. He put a lot of work and sacrificed a lot for his family. It was so much fun to be able to celebrate being done! I cannot express how grateful I am for such an amazing husband. He works so hard for his family and he treats Kale and me so well. I am so lucky to have him as my husband, best friend, and amazing dad. He also worries so much about finding a job to be able to support his family. The economy is so bad right now and it's hard to find a job with no experience because there are so many people with experience also looking for jobs. But, we know and believe that whatever is supposed to happen will. We just have to stay positive and close to the Lord. We also are grateful to know that I also have a job and can teach another year if it is needed. I love Chandler so much and it was so fun to see him graduate, what a great accomplishment!!!!!

Getting ready to start

Receiving his diploma

Chan and one of his best friends Matt, it was so nice of him to come!

The graduate, love him so much!!!!!

All the family there to support

Loved this picture

Hate this picture of me, but the only one of us three :)

Friends From School

2010-05-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends from school, Jenn, had her birthday in April. She invited me to a celebration dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. A few of the teachers from Spain that we teach with also came. I have truly loved working with these people. They are amazing teachers and great friends. I have taught with Cristobal for two years and he is leaving after this year, I am so sad! I have loved working with him. I have learned a lot from him. The others work in other grades, but I have loved learning from them and creating friendships with them as well. Jenn is from Montana, but has been at the school the whole time I have and we have formed a great friendship. She might be going to Spain to teach next year and I am going to miss her so much! But, with all these great connections in Spain I now have a great excuse to get over there, right. :) So grateful to have amazing people to work with!

Jenn, Me, Monse, Cristobal, Lucia, Javie

Soccer

2010-04-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

I have been playing on an indoor soccer team with Chan and a couple of my brothers and their wife/girlfriend. It has been really fun. I am not good at all, which is understandable since I haven't played since I was 12 , but it's just fun to play with everyone. We aren't really big fans of the league, there are a few teams that I shouldn't be in the bottom league, but it has been a blast and I love spending time with my family. We are almost done and I don't know if I will continue with my soccer career, but it has been fun while it lasted :)

Whoops.............

2010-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

So the other day I wasn't thinking and I set my glass of chocolate milk on the edge of the counter and ran out to the laundry room really fast. The next thing I hear is Chan laughing so loud. I run back in and there is Kale with my chocolate milk all over him and the kitchen floor. Apparently he wanted some chocolate milk and mom made it available. :) So then Chan and I are just laughing because we didn't know what else to do. Kale decided that he didn't like that we were laughing at him and he started to cry. He did calm down a minute later, but it was so cute I had to get a picture. He is growing so fast I forget that my little man can reach everything now. It was a cute picture moment and a good reminder for mom to keep things farther back on the counter!

Not happy mom and dad were laughing at him :(

Calming down when he realizes that he is getting his picture taken and not in trouble

What a cutie, I just love him!!!

Amazing friends

2010-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am so GRATEFUL for all of the amazing friends who I have in my life. Yesterday I had the chance to go down and relax with my two amazing friends from high school, Emily and Lisa. It was so nice to just relax and watch our kids play and have some good conversation. I love these girls so much and they are great examples to me. They are amazing moms and strong women and I love that they are still in my life today. I also had the chance to get together with a lot of girls from college earlier in March, which was so much fun!!! We were celebrating Becca's future little man, who has arrived, YAY!!! I love these girls so much and I am so glad that I have them in my life as well. Some I played with in college and we all helped each other through those stressful and fun times. I have made some best friends from that time in my life. Others came the year after I left Wyoming, but I have been able to hang out with them and create friendships as well. They are such amazing people! I am so glad that I have been blessed with amazing friends in my life. There are so many others as well that I haven't mentioned. Others from high school, college, and work. Thank you to all those who listen to me, help me, and allow me to learn from your amazing attitudes and examples!!!!

The Wyoming girls enjoying Olive Garden

Love this kid..........

2010-04-10T10:24:00.001-07:00

I just love my little guy. Here are a few fun pictures we have taken during the last few months.
I am attempting to play soccer with some family members (notice the word ATTEMPT) :) It is really fun but I am not very good. Chan had to buy me some shin guards and before I could even get them on Kale had them and was ready to go. We definitely had to get some pictures of him ready to play soccer. Our future soccer player, dad is so proud. :)

Kale also loves to put on Chan's hats backwards. He runs around saying, "Dada's hat, Dada's hat" and it's so cute. The other day he had a sucker and the hat and so we had a little photo shoot, I mean look at that last photo. He is a model in the making!!!! I just love him so much and I am so grateful I am blessed to be his mom!!!!!!

Easter

2010-04-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Easter was a lot of fun this year! We hid a few little little eggs around the house, not sure if he would actually look around and find them, but he did! He saw one and grabbed it and then he realized that there were a bunch more around the living room and he just got more and more excited as he went and found all the eggs. It was perfect! We recorded it and it was so much fun to see him getting into the little egg hunt. It made mom and dad feel good! :) He also got a basket with a few things and lots of suckers (he LOVES suckers). We then went and visited the grandparents. My mom's birthday was also that week, so we had a family dinner for that as well on Sunday. It was so fun to just relax and have fun with everyone, and I love seeing my cute little nephew Braxton. Kale loves him and always wants to hold him and give him loves. It was a great day and I loved seeing family and remembering our Savior on this special day. We also watched General Conference which was so enlightening and had amazing guidance. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father who is so aware of me and what I need. Here are a few pictures of the great day!!!

Grandpa and Grandma with their two grandsons

Kale's bunny rabbit

Yay suckers!!! (don't worry mom has them put away in a good hiding place) :) Don't you love the bed head!

The Living Planet Aquarium

2010-04-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

A week ago we decided to take Kale to the aquarium. It was really fun! Although, I would suggest to anyone that they just buy the yearly pass for $20, because the $9 one day pass it a little much for what you get. Anyways, I also forgot my camera so I don't have any pictures, but I did at least want to post about it because it this is my way of scrap booking and keeping a journal things we have been doing. Kale loved seeing all the different types of fish. Anything that was just chilling and sitting still he wasn't too interested in. :) They also had just got the penguins in which was really neat to see. It was feeding time so they were all jumping and out of the water and really active. Kale loved standing up by the glass and watching them. We also kind of let him guide us through and he loved running around and looking at different things. There were a lot of buttons and little hands on things that he loved pushing and playing with. He also stuck his hand in the water at the stingray touch tank. He didn't actually touch the stingray, but putting his hand in the water was exciting enough for him. It was a fun trip and I had fun just watching Kale run around and enjoying himself!

Lately....

2010-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

So what have the Smoot's been up to lately? Craziness :) School has started again for Chan so we are back to seeing each other for a total of about and hour or two a day, depending on how late we stay up. School is keeping me as busy as ever, I love my kids but teaching is definitely an emotionally draining job. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to just leave work at work and not have to constantly be thinking about students, assignments, improving scores, creating lessons that will meet everyone's needs. Lately I have been REALLY wanting to be at home with Kale. Chan is in his last semester (YAY!!) and I am really hoping that he can find a job that allows me to do this. He only has to make what I do, which sadly isn't much. (So sad when I have a freakin' Masters degree!) I just feel like I am missing so much with my little guy and I just want to be there for everything!!! Sorry, that was kind of depressing, not everything is down and blue, there are also some wonderful things going on,
Number one is of course KALE!!! He is growing so fast and every day is so much fun to see what he is going to do. He finds new words to say and repeat and he is so smart. He is also at the stage where he just runs and runs all over and I love watching him explore. I am also loving coaching basketball. The girls I am coaching are so much fun and they listen and really want to get better. I never thought I would want to be a coach but I am really loving it! The girls are 10-3 right now and really doing well. Also, Kale comes and is my little assistant coach. He loves to run around the gym and totally flirts with all of the girls! I also love my assistant coach who is an amazing guard, (thank goodness, because I don't think I really know how to coach amazing dribbling skills, didn't do a lot of that :) ) Also, I have an amazing husband, amazing friends, and a Heavenly Father who loves me more than anything. So, even though life might be crazy and difficult at times, I know that I can make it because of those amazing people in my life!!!! So, that's a little update on the fam, sorry it was so long and probably boring, but sometimes it just helps to get my thoughts out!

Um..... Where did the time go?

2009-12-30T23:22:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, my last post was in October!!! Between school and basketball I lost track of time and haven't been blogging. I am mad because I also use this as a journal for the family, so here are some updated posts showing what we have been up to. They cover from around Halloween to just recently. I am making a New Years Resolution to get better and updating this, so hopefully I can stick to it. I hope everyone had a great holiday with their families, we love you and are excited for a new year!

Christmas

2009-12-30T22:58:00.001-08:00

Christmas this year was so much fun! Kale wasn't quite old enough to get the whole Santa thing, but he definitely knew how to open presents and that whatever was in there was going to be fun for him! He was definitely spoiled this year. Everyone had a fun new toy for him to enjoy, and most made a lot of noise ( much to mom and dads delight) :) He had a great time and we are really grateful to everyone who loves our little boy and helped make his Christmas special. There are so many people who help us with Kale and we are so thankful for all of your influence and love. This Christmas was so much fun because we were able to be with family and enjoy time being together. We had a great time and we are grateful for our little man and the joy he is in our lives!!!!

Getting ready to open presents at Grandma and Grandpa Smoot's

Chandler's mom has made everyone a stocking and she finished Kale's just in time for Christmas, it was so beautiful!

He loved this jeep

Opening presents at Grandpa and Grandma Boudreaux's house. This was his car that he loves to ride around in all the open space and their house.

Brenton and Brie gave him a piano because he loves to play the piano whenever there is one in reaching distance!

So cute! He loves to go to a corner on his own and just sit sometimes. This time he did it with his piano, I love my little guy!

Cousin Braxton

2009-12-30T22:46:00.001-08:00

Kale has his first cousin!!! My brother Brandon and his wife Mel had their baby on December 16th and he is such a cutie!!! Here are some pictures of the little guy. I was curious to see how Kale would react to a new baby and someone else taking some of the attention. At first, he was curious about the new addition, but then he just went on doing his own thing. He didn't mind when I was holding Braxton, in fact he really could care less. It will be fun for him once Braxton gets a little older and they can get into trouble together! :)

Setting up the tree

2009-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

Kale and I set up the Christmas tree together, well mom set up the tree and Kale tried to pull the ornaments off. Once we finally got everything up he loved the tree. Every morning when we would bring him up the stairs he wouldn't let us do anything until we would plug the tree in. He would sit and point at it and say "off", "off" (which means "on" because he hasn't mastered that one yet) :) He would also just go and sit right by the tree and read his book or just sit and look at the tree. He loved the tree, I was sad to have to put it away after Christmas because of how fun it was to watch him with it.

Wallin Family Christmas Party

2009-12-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Every year we have the Wallin Family Christmas Party. Usually we have dinner and then Santa comes, this year it was a breakfast and of course Santa still had to come!

He wasn't too sure about Santa, but he didn't cry

Didn't know this was being taken......

Brenton and Brie

Kale and Grandpa

Notice how they both have the same look on their face........

Discovery Gateway

2009-12-30T21:53:00.001-08:00

I had a free pass for the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, and Chan and I had a free Saturday together (Amazingly), so we decided to take Kale. It was so much fun! The museum has so many fun things for kids to play with and Kale had a great time, so did mom and dad watching him. :) It was a very fun family afternoon spent together!!!

Kale loved driving the big car!

He had a great time shopping in the little grocery store they had there.

Watch out or Officer Smoot will pull you over!

He wasn't much a fan of the horse, he wouldn't stay on long enough for me to get a good picture.

The water was his favorite part! He was soaked when we finally left.

Halloween

2009-12-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

For Halloween Kale dressed up as a giraffe. He was so cute! He wasn't quite old enough to go trick or treating, so we went to visit both sets of grandparents so he could show off his cute outfit. Then, we stayed at my parents house for a little bit and helped pass out candy there. It was so much and he was such a giraffe!

Family Pictures

2009-10-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went out to A.F. Canyon and took some family pictures. Thanks to my AWESOME dad who took them for us. Here are a few of my favorites, it was definitely interesting with a one year old! :)

Loved the colors!

This was one of the last and Kale was ready to be done, but don't you love the hair!!!

This one was my favorite

Byu Game/Texas Trip

2009-09-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Chan's parents, we got to go to Dallas, Texas and watch the BYU Oklahoma game. It was SO much fun. The new stadium was huge! We got there and started waking up to our seats and we realized that we were clear up at the top. We were worried that we weren't going to see any of them game being up in the "nose bleed" section. But, they did such a great job building the stadium. Our seats still gave us a great view of the game. We were really impressed with how well we could see everything. The screen was so big! The size was amazing! The feeling of the game was so much fun. We practically lost our voices by screaming and yelling the whole time. I had such a blast and when BYU won it was such a great moment. We were definitely the visitors at the game. The whole stadium was pretty much crimson, so when we won it was so fun to see the disbelief on all of their faces. I also got to stay for a couple of days and hang out with my sister, which was so much fun. I really look up to my sister and I loved just hanging out with her. She is so creative and has created so many cute crafts. Her house is so cute!!! I am so grateful that I have her to look up to and learn from. Her strength is amazing, I love ya sis!!! This weekend was so much fun and I am so grateful to Chandler's parents for getting the tickets and bringing us. We also had some time to catch up with Chan's family there which was so much fun too. It was so much fun and I am so glad that I was able to have this fun experience with my hubby and his fam!!!

The two teams saying good luck to each other

BYU fans by us cheering when we won

A great sign on the screen

We were definitely number one that night!!

The team kneeling by their fans when they won, not the best pic, but you take what you can get :)

I thought this was a cool shot I got on the screen after they won

Enjoying the game

The stadium was huge!!!

Look at the size of the screen compared to the field!

Outside the stadium

The stadium, it was so big!!!

Getting ready to leave the hotel for the game

Chan made this shirt especially for the game, he wanted to find a picture of the old cougar so bad, so when he did he was so excited and so proud of his creation!!!

The Zoo

2009-08-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

We also went to the Zoo for our "Staycation". I wasn't sure if Kale was really going to know what was going on or even like being there, but he LOVED it. If the animal was just laying around he had a hard time seeing it, but all the animals that moved he loved watching. He really liked the monkeys and the bears. One bear kept pacing back and forth and he was mesmorized. It was a lot of fun to watch him get excited about the different animals. I can't wait until he is a little but older and we can go again!

Checking out the animals

Aunt Denae

Grandma

Kale and Grandpa hanging out

Mom and Kale, I think mom was more excited than Kale was............

My cousin Katie and my other cousin' daughter, Haylee

Chillin' in the stroller

Kale and Dad posing in their hats

Camping with the Family

2009-08-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Every year my mom gets the week of the 24th of July off. So, we usually plan some type of vacation that week. This year we decided to to a "staycation" right here in Utah. We started it off with camping at Strawberry. Then, we did the Zoo, Lagoon, Discovery Gateway and Thanksgiving Point. Camping was so much fun. It was interesting with a one year old but Kale did really well. We slept in a tent and just put Kale's playpen in there with us. We bundled him up really well and he slept through the night the whole time we were there. He wasn't walking yet so that was a little hard. My grandparents had their trailer so he spent a lot of time in there. Eventually, I just let him crawl all over the dirt, we were camping right. There was also a little stream that ran right by our campsite and Kale loved watching the water. It was really cold so he couldn't really play in it, but he did get to stick his feet in really quick which he thought was so much fun. We had the four wheelers up there which I loved. I love getting on them and just driving for a while, they are a ton of fun. It was so much fun to be up there with the family and just relaxing. We had a lot of fun!

We played a lot of games while up there

The fam

My brother decided I needed a picture taken of me

Hanging out around the fire

Dad and Kale playing around

Very intense.......

This is where Kale ate his dinner, all of the dogs realized that this was a very good place to hang out :)

Anniversary Trip to Big Sky and Yellowstone

2009-08-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Chan and I had our 4 year anniversary on June 28th. We laugh because our anniversary's haven't been the most romantic or exciting because of different reasons, money, family events, and then having Kale right before our last years. So, we decided this year we wanted to do something fun. We weren't sure what that was, but we started looking around for some fun things to do. We needed something pretty close because we only had a weekend to get away. I had never been to Yellowstone and Chan hadn't been there since he was little, so we decided we would go there. My parents were so awesome and took Kale for the weekend so we got to have a weekend away which was so nice!!!
We found a really good deal on a hotel in Big Sky, a beautiful resort town about 50 miles from Yellowstone. It was so pretty there! The mountain were so green! Chan loved it because he found a bunch of runs he wants to go back and snowboard when the season starts. :) Our hotel was really nice and cheap because it was off season which was perfect for us! We got in Friday night and decided to head down to a little shopping/restaurant area in Big Sky (and I mean little) :) We ate at a really good bar and grill and then we found out that they were having a little concert there that night. We decided to stick around and check it out. It was so much fun! It was interesting because there was such an odd group off people who showed up. There were ranchers, older rich people who live around the resorts, hippies, and college students from a nearby town. You wouldn't think that they would all mesh together but they did and it was fun to watch them. The band was like a bluegrass group and really good. It was a little chilly so we grabbed some hot chocolate and relaxed on a patio and listened to the music. It was so much fun and a great start to the weekend!
On Saturday we went to Yellowstone. Since we only had a day we decided to hit the whole park and stop at the main things, like Old Faithful. We saw buffalo, foxes, 2 bears, eagles, and deer. It was really neat and a beautiful drive. We had a great time just being together. We definitely missed the little guy but the weekend was a perfect time to relax and be together. I especially am so glad we did it now that we are back to school and never seeing each other. It was such a fun getaway!!!! (p.s. so we were total geniuses and forgot our camera, so these are all from my phone and not the most amazing pics ) :) Also, since it was only us all the shots are head shots with one of us holding the camera and taking the picture, gotta love it!

Yellowstone

At one of the hot springs

Old Faithful

At Old Faithful

The concert at Big Sky

Us listen to the music, drinking hot chocolate, and chillin'

Um, hello again...............

2009-08-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

So the summer is over :( and I was a horrible blogger. Our camera wasn't working very well, so we took a lot of pictures with our video camera, but then we didn't have the right adapter to put the pictures from the camera to my computer. SO I finally got the adapter and now I can catch up on what we have been up to this Summer. So the next few posts are catching up :)

Kale's First Birthday

2009-06-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my little boy is already a year old. Where did the time go? I have LOVED being a mom so much and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with this sweet spirit. We had a family party for Kale and of course he got spoiled by all of his loving family. He also got his own little cake which he knew exactly what to do with. It was so cute and he was covered! His first experience with a lot of sugar and I think he liked it. :) He also got lots of fun gifts from everyone. Such a spoiled little grandchild. It was a great party and so fun to celebrate with everyone. I love my little man and I am so glad that school is out and I know have every day to spend with him and have some fun. So, Happy Birthday little man, I love you so much!!!!!

Waking up and eating breakfast on the big day. He is such a ham for the camera now.

He got some really fun presents and he even ripped some of the wrapping paper off.

He was covered in icing, it was great!

I am the biggest loser!!!!

2009-05-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Since February I have been competing in a Biggest Loser competition with people at my school. It was the best thing that happened to me. Since last fall I really wanted to lose the baby fat but finding the motivation and time was really hard. I kept putting it off and finding twenty other things I needed to be doing. It was really hard because I had Kale and it was too cold to work out outside, and a gym was out of the question financially, and I don't trust their daycare facilities. Thankfully I have awesome in-laws who had a treadmill that they weren't using and they let us have it. So, I got a treadmill, but still wasn't using it as often as I wanted.
Then, the competition came. I was really excited for it because I was going to be held accountable for what I was doing. I started working out and really paying attention to what I was eating. A lady at work told me about this website, myfitnesspal.com which is amazing. It helps you keep track of what you are eating and how many calories you are eating. It is great because so many of the foods are already in there, so you don't have to figure out the numbers. I would recommend it to anyone. It definitely opened my eyes. It has totally helped me make much better decisions with the foods I am eating.
So anyways, back to the competition, today was the last day and...... I WAS THE BIGGEST LOSER!!! I lost 25 pounds since about February 18th. I am so proud of myself. I won about $350. We all payed $5 each week and the winner got the money. Which is really awesome because I can go shopping for some new clothes, yay! But, I don't even care about the money, it is nice :), but how I feel was worth everything. I feel so good! I was so unhappy when I weighed so much. I am now fitting into my old clothes again and I just feel so great. I love it! I am so grateful for the great people at my school who helped push me and encourage me. This is just what I needed and I want to keep going. I have a few more pounds to go until my goal weight. But, I am 25 pounds lighter, $350 richer, and so happy!!!!!

Hiding in bed.........

2009-04-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you have so much to do, and when you really start thinking about everything you have to do all you want to do is hide in bed. That's where I am now. I am stressed about my students and making sure they have everything they need for end of levels, and to be successful in 6th grade. I am stressed trying to find a job closer to home. I am stressed about making sure all the Sisters in my ward know that I care about them and make sure they are ok, as a member of their Relief Society Presidency. I am stressed about making sure that my house is somewhat picked up and not a huge disaster. I am worried that I am not as supportive as a wife as I should be. And,I am stressed that I am not being a good mom because I have all of these other stresses going on!!!!! I know it sounds like I am about to explode, and sometimes I feel like it. I know I will be fine, I think I just needed to vent a little. I am extremely grateful for an amazing husband and a beautiful baby boy. I love them with all of my heart. I know things will work out I just have to keep on moving and stay away from my bed. :) Anyways, just felt like I would get my thoughts written down. I feel much better now! Hope everyone is doing well, know that I love you all, I just might be running around in cirlces which is why you haven't heard from me lately. :)

Zion's Trip

2009-03-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went on a trip to Zions and it was a blast!!! We left Thursday morning and came back Saturday morning. We did five different hikes which added up to about 9 miles. Kale was such a great hiker. We had a backpack and he had a blast going on the trails. On the last one he was so tired that he fell asleep with his head against Chan's back. It was so cute!!! We stayed in a hotel since it was still a little too cold to camp. I really liked this because we were able to watch the NCAA Tournament at night (and I got to shower) :). We also went into St. George and ate at the original Pasta Factory which of course, I love! The trip was so much fun and I loved getting away with my hubby and little man. I also loved hiking. Zions is so beautiful and it felt great to hike. We are working on being a little healthier and this was a great help ( minus the pasta factory bread sticks :) ) Anyways, it was an amazing trip and I loved it. Here are some fun pics from our trip!

So Beautiful!!!

I wore the pink shirt so I wouldn't get lost :)

A lot of beautiful waterfalls

This is the way to hike!!!

Family Photo!

I love his cute bucket hat, he is a natural hiker!

Dinner and a Movie

2009-02-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Dinner and a movie, a cliche, but last night it was just what I needed. Chandler's parents were awesome and were willing to watch Kale last night so we could go out for Valentine's Day. We decided to go to Pizza Factory for dinner. I love their bread twists!!!! They are so good. We had a little Fettuccine Alfredo and enjoyed our dinner alone. Then, we headed to the movie "He's Just Not That Into You". A total chick flick and Chandler was such a good sport to go with me. (He even admitted that he liked the movie) :) Anyways, it was so nice to go out together. I am so grateful for my husband. He is my best friend and he treats me so well. I am lucky to have him in my life. It was nice to be alone for a little while. I love being a mom and I LOVE Kale to death. But, it is definitely nice to have some time alone as a couple every once in a while. As we sat in the theater and watched the previews I just started thinking about how lucky I am to have a great husband and a beautiful child. I am very grateful for all that I am blessed with. Life isn't always easy, but with these two boys on my side I know I can do anything!!!!

Haven't posted in forever!

2009-02-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

So life has been so busy and I realized that I haven't posted in way too long. So, here are some updates on the Smoot family. I am still teaching and loving it. I just finished Parent Teacher Conferences which went really well. I really have some great kids and I love teaching. I am really grateful to be able to teach these kids and touch their lives. Chan is at the U this semester. He is going into Economics and might be finished by next December, if not for sure next Spring. YAY!!!! I am excited to be able to stay at home with Kale. Chan has been a great stay at home dad though. He is so cute with Kale and I am so grateful for him in my life. He does so much for our family. Kale is getting so big!!! I can't believe it. He is 8 months old. He has two teeth, is starting to make so many fun noises and almost crawling. He rolls and kind of scoots all over. I have to get to baby proofing everything! He is so cute and I just love being his mom. I am so grateful to have this beautiful baby. I have been helping my dad coach his team which I have really enjoyed. I truly love the game of basketball and I am really enjoying teaching it. The girls are great and it has been a great experience. Other than that we are hanging out and enjoying life. I am extremely grateful for my beautiful family. I am also grateful for all of my friends, old and new. Thank you for everything you add to my life, I appreciate everything you do!!! I guess that's it for now, hope all is well with everyone and I will try to be better at posting!

Here are some pics from the last little while.

Kale and I decided we needed a nap!

Chan put his snowboarding goggles on Kale and he looked so cute!

My friend Valissa came into town from Montana with her cute little boy Jett. He is about a month younger than Kale and so cute! It was also so great to see her!

The boys checking each other out.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-03T19:26:00.003-08:00

This was Kale's first Christmas and it was so much fun. He got totally spoiled by his grandparents and other family members, but he who couldn't spoil him, he is such a cutie. It has been so nice to relax as a family and just enjoy this time together. I have really loved it! Here are some pictures of Kale with some of his new gifts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2008-12-21T16:26:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone. This year being a mom and a 5th grade teacher has taken up all of my time and Christmas cards did not get made. I did think about it, if that counts, but didn't get it done. So, I am wishing all of you a Merry Christmas from the Smoot family! I hope you all have a great holiday and enjoy your time with your family. I know I will!!! Thank you for all you do and what you mean to me, Chan, and Kale. We love you all!!!

Catching Up

2008-12-21T15:49:00.001-08:00

So, life has pretty much been crazy for the last few weeks, and I haven't posted any cute pictures of Kale. So, here are a few. The picture with Santa is from my Family's Christmas party. The big gulp picture happened one day when I was holding him and had the drink in my hand, he grabbed for it and pulled it to his mouth. It was so cute!!!! There is also a picture of Kale's first cereal eating. It is so fun to see him eating solids. He is growing so fast!!!The last picture is from Kale's first Thanksgiving. We found a cute onesie that said "Baby's First Thanksgiving" so of course we had to buy it! I am loving watching Kale grow and discover things, it is so great!! I love being mom and I love my little man!

Twelve Days of Christmas Tag

2008-12-05T21:58:00.000-08:00

I found this on my friend Kristin's blog and thought it would be fun to do, so enjoy!

1 Embarassing moment: When I tripped when running out of a time out when playing up in Idaho. It was pretty dang funny!
2 Best Friends: Definitely my hubby and then my girls from high school and college!
3 Things I buy regularly: formula, diapers, and milk.
4 Places I want to go: Hawaii, Spain, Italy, on a cruise
5 goals for the upcoming year: Lose some weight, make the most of every moment with Kale and Chan, save money, exercise, enjoy life!
6 things people don't know about me: I hate wearing shoes, I used to play the violin and piano, I was in drama in Jr. High, I hate pizza, I have never been outside the country, I love Little Ceasar's Breadsticks
7things i would never say: #*!@, you get the idea :)
8things i love about christmas: songs, lights, Christmas trees, caroling, temple square, family, Cinnamon candles, Jesus Christ,
9things i say to my kids:I love you, are you hungry?, hey bubba, you are such a cutie, Shhhh..., it's ok, You want your momma don't you, getch getch getcha (while tickling) :), bed time! :)
10 things i do a lot: teach, discipline, laugh, change diapers, shop, laundry, dishes, drive, grade papers, play with Kale
11 things i would rather not live without: Chan, Kale, My family, the Gospel, my 5th graders, electricity, food, heat, chocolate :), my car
12 people i tag: Anyone who wants to do it!

Twilight

2008-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

I went and watched Twilight today and I loved it! When I first watched the trailer, I wasn't sure about the cast, but as I watched the movie, I fell in love with Edward. He was perfect! I definitely loved the movie and thought that they did a great job. They didn't ruin it at all. I went with my sis and aunt and we all had a great time. Yay for Edward and Bella! :)

UCONN Game

2008-11-27T11:44:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday BYU played UCONN. I decided that it would be quite a while before I would be able to see the number one team in the nation again, so I went to the game. Now, needless to say it wasn't an extremely close game, but UCONN's players are amazing! It would be tough for most teams to keep up. It was really fun to see Moore and Montgomery play, and Geno Auriemma is such a great coach. I got some pictures. They weren't the best because we weren't extremely close, but it was still a lot of fun to go and watch them play!

Old woman's got game.....

2008-11-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, tonight I played against the Junior High baskteball team at our school. Let me just say, that I am definitely not in the type of shape that I was in four years ago when I was playing college baskteball. Right now I am sitting on the couch wondering how I will be able to get out of bed tomorrow. It was a lot of fun to play but I am definitely not the young, spry player I used to be. :) The teachers I played with were great and we won, of course. (by two points) :) No, the kids played really well and if I don't show up to school tomorrow it is because I am stuck in bed wondering where all these muscles came from. :) Anyways, it was fun and I still love playing ball. Even though I don't quite move the same way as I used to :)

A wedding and the cutest pumpkin ever!!!!

2008-11-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

So, my brother Brandon got married on Halloween (yes, Halloween :) ) It was so beautiful and I love Melani, his new wife. She is great and a wonderful addition to the family. The ceremony was so beautiful and I just love being in the temple with my husband as you listen to the sealer's words. Also, my sister and her husband were able to come from Texas so we had everyone there which hasn't happened for a long time. It was so great to have all of my family together. I love them so much and I loved spending time with everyone. Here are some pictures from the wedding.

We also had Kale's first Halloween. We found the cutest pumpkin costume and couldn't help getting it for him. He was so cute and it even though he wasn't old enough to go trick-or-treating his costume brought happiness to all of the family. He was so cute and I am so excited for all the holidays because kids just make them so much more fun. Overall, it was an amazing Halloween and I loved every second of it!

Hotel Park City

2008-10-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

So, today is my birthday and I had Thursday and Friday off for UEA. Yesterday Chan came home early from work and told me to pack my bags. He had planned this romantic getaway to Park City for us. Kale stayed with my parents and we headed out. The hotel is gorgeous. These are pictures of the room we stayed in. Chandler and I have been so busy with school, work, and Kale that it was really nice to be together for a little while. It was so much fun! We went to dinner, sat in the hot tub and just relaxed. I did miss my little man, and we hurried home to him today, but it was nice to take some time for us as a couple also. It was so sweet of Chandler to do this for me. He is so thoughtful and I really love him. It was a great time and I loved spending it with him. What a great birthday!

My Husband in 50 years......

2008-10-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

So Chan has been helping my parents finish their basement. Yesterday he was painting and this is what he looked like when he came upstairs. I guess I know what he will look like when he starts graying and becoming an old man :) What a hottie!!!!!

Thoughts

2008-10-05T12:13:00.001-07:00

So, I just finished listening to the morning session of Conference and President Monson's talk really got me thinking. I am one of those people who tend to get so wrapped up in the stresses of life. As I listened to the talk my beautiful baby boy was laying next to me. As I listened to the Prophet talk about taking time to really enjoy our children I looked down at Kale and I was overcome with how blessed I am. I want to make sure that Kale and all my children know that their mom loves them and I want to make sure that they always knew they came first. I want them to have amazing memories that they made with their mom and dad. I also realized how lucky I am to have the family I do and the friends that I do. Life has been so busy and I have allowed myself to not keep in touch as well as I want to with all of my amazing friends. I want all of you to know how grateful I am for you in my life. You each have touched me in so many ways and I am so grateful for you. I also will work better at keeping in touch with all of you! As I listened to the amazing talk I realized that the important things in life are not money or worldly things. They are the Gospel, family, and friends. I am so grateful that I have an amazing husband and a beautiful baby boy. I am grateful for my family and all they have done for me. I am grateful for friends who have always been there for me. And I am especially grateful for my Heavenly Father who loves me and has always been a constant in my life. So, I have decided to make a goal to take time to enjoy what is truly important in life, so that in 50 years I can look back and smile at the memories I have made with all those people who are important in my life. I don't want to have a bunch of yesterdays in which I regret that I haven't done things. I am going to make the most of each day and enjoy the beautiful things of life!!!

Kale's Blessing

2008-09-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

So this past Sunday we blessed Kale. It was so amazing to see Chandler be able to bless him and he did a beautiful job. All my siblings were able to be there except Dawnielle who is kind of hanging out in Texas :) But she was there in spirit! :) Chan's family was also there. His brother is Stationed in California, so he was there in spirit too. We then had everyone over to the house for some food. It was a little crowded but we loved having everyone there. My mom made Kale's blessing outfit and it turned out so cute!!! I am so lucky to have a mom who is so talented. I am just so grateful for all of my blessings, especially for my beautiful little boy that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. He is getting so big and I love him so much! I am also so grateful to have a husband who was able to take our son and give him a blessing. Here are some pictures of the amazing day!!!

Dad and baby Kale

The happy family

Mom and Kale, he wasn't very happy I just woke him up to take pictures :)

Here's a closer look at his cute outfit

CUTE!!!!

Just hanging out at the house

Mel, Brandon and Great-Grandpa Hatt

Grandma Boudreaux with the man of the day.

The cutie himself!

Aunt Denae

The happily engaged couple

Great-Aunt Kelly and Uncle Brock just hanging out. (That's Brock's usual look) :)

My friend Melanie and her hubby Matt. It was awesome that they were able to make it!

Chandler's uncle David, his dad, and his cousin Sam.

About Me!

2008-09-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun tag that I thought I would do. A little about me!

i am: a mom, wife, and teacher (and trying to be the best of all three :))
i think: I am very glad it is the weekend
i know: That I am so blessed to have my little guy!!!
i want: To raise my baby to know that he is loved by his mom, dad, and many others :)
i dislike: Students who disrespect their teacher (which only happens once in Mrs. Smoot's room :) )
i miss: My summer with my cute little boy
i fear: losing any of my family members
i feel: I can't believe I am 24 years old!!!!
i hear: My husband leaving a funny message to his friend
i smell: My little baby laying next to me, I love the smell of babies!!!
i crave: CHOCOLATE!!!!
i cry: when I get really frustrated and tired
i usually: love to relax with my two boys
i search: for things i can use in my classroom
i wonder: what will happen in a few years when Chan finished school
i regret: no time to sit and think about regrets, life goes on!
i love: Kale, Chandler, and all my siblings and parents....... and the list goes on
i care: that I don't make other mad because of something I said or did
i always: want to do everything I can for my students
i worry: about everything, ask my husband
i am not: a layed back person, but i am trying to be. Chan is teaching me how
i remember: pretty much everything. It's kind of annoying sometimes
i believe: in the Gospel and that parents are so influential to kids and who they become
i dance: used to all the time, but I don't seem to find it coming out lately
i sing: horribly, but I still do it
i don’t always: want to leave my baby to go to work
.i argue:with Chan, usually about stupid things
i write: to friends on the internet and lots of lesson plans
i win: when I play chan in scrabble and basketball :)
i lose: at any video games
i wish: I could guarantee that Kale will grow up strong and healthy
i listen: to country music and lots of complaining 5th graders :)
i don't understand: why certain things happen in life
i can usually be found: in my classroom or in the living room with my cute baby
i need: to go make dinner
i forget: to call back people if I don't do it right away
i am happy: when I am with family and friends

The end of my Summer Break

2008-08-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my Summer break is over!!! Where has the time gone? I am not ready to leave my beautiful little boy. But, I definitely went to school for a reason and I make more money than Chandler would while he is finishing school. Thankfully Chan gets to stay at home with Kale during the day and then he will take night classes. I am just very grateful that we have this option and not day care. I am also glad that Chan gets the opportunity to stay home with Kale. What a neat experience! Especially since I will stay home with the rest of our kids. I think it will be a great opportunity for Chan and Kale to have a special bond together. But, I still can't help feeling sad about having to go back to school. I am excited too though, I do love teaching and I am excited to meet my new class this year. I had such a great one last year I am just hoping that this group will be the same way. I love being able to help these little ones learn and grow. So, while I am very sad to leave my little boy each day, I am excited to meet my new class, and I will be rushing home each afternoon to enjoy the smiles and baby talk from my beautiful little boy!

Dallas Trip

2008-07-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

We just got back from visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Dallas. It was so great to see them. Kale hadn't met them, so it was really fun to have them meet the new addition to our family. Brandon also flew in from Florida and he hadn't met Kale either, so it was great because now Kale has met all of his aunts and uncles on my side. Brandon's fiance' Mel is doing her training for the Air Force, and she was stationed about an hour and a half from us, so we got to see her also. It was really fun. Plus, Chan has three uncles who live in Dallas and we were able to visit with them and have dinner while we were in town. So, we covered quite a bit of family while we were there. :) We also did some shopping, swimming, eating, and just hanging out. I loved the trip, and Kale is a pro at traveling. He slept the whole time on the plane which was so nice because I didn't have to be one of those parents getting the "look" for my fussy baby. :) It was also nice to have my family there because they all help with Kale and I can't explain how nice it is to have that help. I love all of them so much and I loved seeing my sister. I miss having her close by, but their house is beautiful there and they seem to really love it, so I am happy for them. Once again there is going to be a lot of pictures with this post so enjoy!

We stayed up late Friday night with Brandon and Mel because we were flying out early the next day.

The three sisters, dang we are hot! :)

Brandon and Mel

This is what Kale looked like for pretty much the whole flight both ways. Also, notice his cute Nike onsie we bought him, I couldn't resist!

This is tank my sister newly aquired dog......

and this is Sadie and Chase her other dogs. A little bit of a difference, but he holds his own quite well.

Chan's Uncle Allen

Chan's Aunt Mary

Chan's Uncle Larry

Shopping at the mall that was huge!!!

My sister and her husband, this was the best picture they would give me :)

Just too cute I had to post it

Just hanging out

Hard at work making these really cute magnet boards, I am slowly learning how to be creative!

Grandpa Boudreaux just watching some TV

Kale and the Fam

2008-07-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Smoot

Grandma Smoot

Chillin' with Grandpa Boudreaux

Uncle Brock, yes, he will have to be supervised when hanging out with him :)

Grandma Boudreaux!

Great-Aunt Kelly and Aunt Denae

My little angel

2008-07-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

WOW! I can't believe that Kale is already 7 1/2 weeks old. You really do lose track of time when you have a baby. Dates and time really have no meaning to me right now. I am just cherishing being with my little boy for the time I get to this Summer. As I think about the whole process that brought Kale to me I am truly amazed at the miracle that babies are. I don't know how you can look at a little baby and question that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and these little spirits who he blesses us with. I am including a bunch of pictures of Kale, so you will just have to bare with an overzealous mom who can't get enough of her little man!!!!

He is so cute when he sleeps!

We were getting him to laugh.

The new Smoot Family!

Bath Time!! We loved this picture with his little duck towel.

Well......

2008-07-26T18:24:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I was going to get this blog going, but then life got really busy. So, I am now officially getting this blog going and I hope you all enjoy it!!!

Starting our Family Blog

2008-07-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a cute addition to the family I decided that a blog is definitely a great thing to have. Before Chan and I were just too boring. :) So, bare with me as I get this going. I will try to keep it udpated and let you know all the exciting things that are going on with our family!