Oh, What Did We Do In The Summertime?

Life has been busy. Too busy to blog. I can NOT believe it is September. September! We did have a very fun summer and there were lots of things that I wanted to post about, but just never got around to it. So, what did the Smiley Family do this summer? Here is our list as far as I could remember, in no particular or chronological order:

1. Had a camp out in the backyard.
2. Went to a few Bee's games.
3. Got our sugar fix at the candy store.
4. Went to FHE in the Mountains.
5. Played with sidewalk chalk - scratch that, Ashlyn drew with it & Trent ate it!
6. Blew bubbles.
7. Baked cookies and took them to Grandpa's work.
8. Baked cookies and took them to Daddy's work.
9. Visited the animals at the zoo.
10. Played with play dough.
    
11. Got our share of scrapped knees.
12. Gave and received lots of hugs and kisses. I still can't get enough of these lips!
13. Celebrated several birthdays.
14. Welcomed another cousin into the world.
15. Babysat, babysat, babysat.
16. Passed Chem lab with an "A".
17. Spent the last night in our first home together, camped out in the front room.
18. Shed a few tears when we said goodbye to our first home.
19. Developed a few new habits.
20. Visited the fish at the aquarium.
21. Discovered the source of the gnat problem. Word to the wise - do not store potatoes and squash in a tupperware container in your garage and then forget about it for 9 months.
22. Took 1st place in a boat making contest.
23. Took 2nd place in a shooting contest.
24. Took 3rd place in a fishing contest.
25. Got burned by a hot dog stick.
26. Spent many hours swimming in the backyard. Realized that I should have spent the extra $5.00 for the bigger pool.
27. Went on a wellness walk.
28. Discovered that Trent does NOT like carnival rides.
29. Discovered that Ashlyn could drain our wallets and spend hours on carnival rides.
30. BBQ'd with the Hills.
31. Made countless smores - not all of them made it to our mouths.
32. BBQ'd with the Johansens, Youngs, and Andersens.
33. Outgrew the shoes we bought at the beginning of summer.
    
34. Went on a fabulous family vacation to Island Park.
35. Took swimming lessons and discovered a love of water.
36. Had an evening getaway in Park City.
37. Discovered a new way of eating popsicles - from the bottom up!
38. Fell out of a shopping cart. Got a CT scan. All is well.
39. Picked up some delicious Ranier cherries at the farmers market.
    
40. Rode Trax downtown with the Helms to meet Sandy for lunch.
41. Took the Hills out to celebrate!
    
42. Went to the splash park again and again and again...
43. Had a picnic at Liberty Park.
44. Played a mean game of kickball with the best cousins in the world.
45. Had lots of picnic lunches in the backyard.
46. Fired Brian from being Trent's personal barber.
47. Ate at least a pound of sand out of the sandbox - not all of us, just Trent.
    
48. Went to a funeral.
49. Painted our toes over and over and over again.
50. Swung on a rope swing.

Surprise Visit

To put it mildly, life has been chaotic lately. Top that with the knowledge that I am headed into a very stressful semester, and we knew a little weekend getaway was in order. So, we packed our bags, loaded up the van, and headed south at 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning. We made it to Aunt Stacey's house just past 9:00 a.m. Vegas time.

The best part was that Stacey had no idea at all we were coming. We sent Ashlyn up to the door and the rest of us stood out of sight. For a split second Stacey wondered who this little girl was and why she was standing at her door? Then the recognition hit and we heard, "What are you doing here!?"

For the next 29 hours we hugged, talked, laughed, ate, played, swam, ate some more, relaxed, read, slept (barely), and swam some more. We had a wonderful time and it was just what I needed.

A few pics of our short trip:

Like usual, Trent was unsure at first of this spontaneous trip, but he quickly warmed up to the idea and to Stacey. It was all smiles the rest of the weekend.

Soakin' up the sun!

Trent surprised us all by being very brave in the water. Once the water wings were on, we could not stop the repeated jumping into the pool. He loved every minute. I think that watching his big sister at swimming lessons the past three weeks convinced him of how much fun water can be.

Note the palm trees in the background.
Ashlyn kept informing us that, "Those coconut trees are so weeeird!"

Stacey is so much fun to be with. You can't help but be happy when you are around her.

We also met up with my Uncle Rob for breakfast on Sunday. He introduced us to his favorite cafe which he frequents on a weekly basis, called the New Day Cafe. After eating there I can see why he goes there so much - the food was DELICIOUS and it was a great way to end our little getaway. Thanks again Rob!

Thank you so much Stacey for letting us invade your world for 29 hours! We love you!!

My "Baby" Girl

It has happened. Up until now, I have always called Ashlyn "my baby girl" and she has loved that title. But recently when I say it, she corrects me with, "I'm not a baby mommy, I'm a big girl." It is such a small thing, but it makes me so sad. She is growing up fast and becoming more independent every day. I tried to explain that even though she is a "big girl" she is still my "baby girl", which she seems to have accepted. For now anyway. I know that it won't be long before she won't allow me to call her "baby" anymore.

Some days I wish I could freeze time. But since I can't do that, I must write and record or I know I will forget. Here are a few of my most favorite, recent photos of my "baby" girl, along with a few funnies:

Ashlyn is becoming quite an expert. On any given day, she will tell you, "I know a lot about horses." Or, "I know a lot about slides." Or, "I know a lot about bugs."

Ashlyn is a pretty outgoing kid and makes friends easily. She loves seeing her aunts, uncles and cousins as often as possible and freely passes out smiles, hugs, and kisses. However, for some strange reason, a recent visit from her uncle Aaron put her in a foul mood. We were sitting at the dinner table when he came over and she sat there giving him the stink eye. Nothing he said could change her opinion of him. At one point she glared at him and stated, "You better be gone by morning."

At a recent Bee's game, Brian took Ashlyn to the bathroom. After taking care of business, Ashlyn and Brian exited the stall and went to wash their hands. Ashlyn immediately noticed a man wearing a cowboy hat, standing at a urinal, and in a not-so-quiet-three-year-old voice declared, "Hey Daddy, I never seen a cowboy pee before."

We did some home repairs before we sold our home. During these projects, Ashlyn often asked us what we were doing and why we were doing it. The response was always the same, "We are getting the house ready so we can move." After one such inquiry, Ashlyn paused for a moment, and then stated, "It's gonna be pretty hard to lift!"

I Wouldn't Change A Thing

Today we celebrate eight years of bliss. Yeah right! I love my husband, but we have had our share of ups and downs. And we definitely had a rough start. We dated for two years before we were married. During that time, we faced a lot of obstacles and we both had opportunities to walk away. Plus, we didn't always have the support we would have liked. Not many couples can say that they were engaged twice - we can. But at least we laugh about it now. In the end we decided not to listen to anyone. We followed our hearts and were married in the Jordan River Temple for all eternity.

It may not always be bliss, but I wouldn't change a thing. Not one thing. Because even though we have had our struggles, there is no doubt in my mind that I made the right choice. And I know we have grown closer to one another because of our trials.

There are countless things I love about my husband, but I want to share just one. In all the years I have known Brian, I can honestly say I have never heard him call another woman beautiful. Ever. Now, I know for a fact there are plenty of beautiful women in this world, plenty of stunning women, plenty of women who make me feel extremely inadequate. But, I feel beautiful in the eyes of my husband. Thank you Brian. I love you.

Fun In The Sun - FINALLY!

With all the rain we've gotten lately, we haven't spent nearly as much time outdoors as we normally would by mid-June. However, with the promise of clear blue skies and 90 degree weather, we decided a day in the sun was in order. So, we packed up our lunch and went to a splash park near Mindy's home. The kids had a ball! I only took a few pics, which is very unusual for me, but I was able to capture their joy. Now let's just hope the sun decides to stick around for awhile. We could use some more days like today!

Turning 30

I had such a fantastic birthday, that I have decided I would like to turn 30 every year. I think I'll do just that. And, I must give credit to my dear hubby for the fantasticness of my birthday. He seriously outdid himself. About nine months ago, I casually told Brian that when I turned 30, I wanted it to be a "big deal." I just told him once, because a) I wanted to see if he was actually listening and b) I wanted to see how seriously he took my statement. He passed both tests. He completely exceeded my expectations.

My birthday started a day early, Thursday, when I was "surprised" with a girl's night out. I say "surprised" because Brian let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag the night before. I had been under some stress with our big move and we had just found out that we were not going to be getting quite as much $$ as we thought out of the sell of our home (there is a fee for everything!). Needless to say, I wasn't in the best mood and Brian figured I needed a little pick-me-up. So, he told me that the next night my three fabulous friends - Jill, Stacey, and Angela - were picking me for a much needed girl's night. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Macaroni Grill, and I stuffed myself silly. Then we headed over to Barnes and Noble to sit and chat some more. They also broke out some of the best donuts in the world to fill in all the cracks of my very, very full belly. I was so mad that I didn't have my camera, because they were so pretty - the donuts and my friends ;o) I love getting together with these girls because they are so fun and easy to be with. It is a guaranteed good time when we are together.

The next morning, after sleeping in!!, Brian showed me the wonderful post he had put together. I was completely blown away! Thank you all for lying and saying so many nice things. My birthday could have ended right then and I would have been the happiest girl in the world. I laughed, I cried, and I was reminded of some very memorable moments. I realized just how lucky and blessed I am.

While I was busy reading my blog, my mom was busy making me breakfast. Yes, in case you don't know, we are living with my parents. And I am 30. I am 30 and I am living with my parents. We'll talk more about that later. Back to breakfast. I love breakfast. I think it is my favorite meal of the day. The problem is, I love all the wrong things: bacon, pancakes, waffles, crepes, eggs smothered with cheese, sausage, hash browns, etc. If I could, I would eat a big breakfast every day. But, big breakfast every day = big butt. So I refrain. However, I firmly believe that calories don't count on your birthday and you can/should/must eat to your heart's content. It is a guilt-free day.

After breakfast, I was surprised with thirty beautiful tulips from my mom and dad. And then we were off to see Up. Very cute film. And since I wasn't counting calories, we got popcorn with extra butter (which I never do). Then we did some shopping and I got a cute, new shirt to where to my big "surprise" birthday BBQ bash. Yes, Brian also let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag on that one too, but not until around 11:00 on my birthday. Brian just gets a little too excited and can't keep his mouth shut :) Well, since I knew about it, I just had to get a new shirt to wear.

That night I was surrounded by my very best friends - not all of them, but most. The best part was that I didn't have to do a thing!! Brian coordinated the party, sent the invites, planned the menu, bought all the food, and did most of the cooking. Blue cheese bacon burgers - yum! Thanks to all the others who helped with the food. We were also lucky enough to not get rained out - thank you mother nature for stopping the continuous rain for a few hours. It was a great night and I decided that I need to have parties more often with all my friends.

Before giong to bed that night, I read my friend Jamie's blog. She lives in AZ and couldn't make it to the party, so she had done a post of 30 reasons why I am her BFF - very sweet. Thanks Jame. I miss you!

The next day, Saturday, we celebrated my neice Madison's 4th birthday. We actually share the same birthday, but Mindy decided to have Madi's party on the 13th, not the 12th. Maybe it was a bad idea to plan a party on the 13th, because her party did get rained out. Sorry Madi. But I do love sharing a birthday with this sweet little girl. Some people might think that sharing a birthday is an unfortunate thing, but I don't. It just makes it an extra special day and makes the celebrations last longer!

On Sunday we celebrated my birthday with my family. My mom made her famous lasagna - my favorite Sunday dinner - and it was delicious.

On Monday, I had another girl's night out. This one was planned. I have know Emily and Sandy since middle school and we have a lot of history together. Emily turned 30 in April, Sandy in May, and me in June. We decided this moment in our lives deserved a special night of celebration, so we treated ourselves to the Melting Pot! Oh my, (I was still not counting calories at this point) it was divine! Thank you ladies for a wonderful evening and for almost 20 years of friendship.

So, after all that, can you see why I want to turn 30 every year?

Shiner

I guess there is a first for everything. I got my first black eye this morning, before I had even gotten out of bed. What a way to start the day!

How did this happen? Who could/would do such a thing? I'll give you a hint - it was a member of my family. My own flesh and blood. Someone whom I carried in my womb for nine months.






That's right. Trent is the culprit, and man did it hurt! My sweet little boy has developed a mean streak. We have been getting this look A LOT lately. But, in his defense, the black eye was an accident.

Here's the story: Brian brought him into our bed this morning and laid him next to me. He was in a great mood and gave me lots of good morning hugs and kisses. At one point he was sitting up and then decided - for reasons unknown - to throw himself backward. I'm guessing he thought his head was going to meet a pillow, but instead his head met mine. I saw stars. My eyes filled with tears. And then a nice, marble-sized goose egg developed, which then turned into a lovely shiner.

I haven't ever worn blue eye-shadow before, but I might have to for the next few days...and then a lovely shade of greenish yellow.