San Francisco 2009

We had a great opportunity for a fun weekend....Cody's uncle Scott sent us an invitation for a Family Reunion in San Francisco. They own an apartment on a ship called The World and it was docking in San Francisco in June and he wanted us all to come for lunch on the ship and spend the afternoon together. We decided we were going to do whatever we could to make it and I'm so glad we did! We had such a fantastic time! San Francisco has never been on my short list of "Places to Go" but it was so much more fun than I ever thought it would be. Cody's mom was so sweet to watch our kids for us so it gave me and Cody some time away, just the two of us! It had been a while and we needed it! Not to say that we don't like spending time with our kids....but it's nice to get some time together too. We went with Cody's sister Polly and his brother Bryce & Lisa and their twins. We all stayed in the same hotel and had a great time together. We stayed down by Fisherman's Wharf so we walked everywhere and took in as much as we could. We could've used an extra day, so much to do and we ran out of time, but that will just give us an incentive to go back soon.

Polly, Cody & I took the Alcatraz night tour. It was so much fun.....I watched Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood every year when I was little so I was really looking forward to it. It was so fun to take the boat over in the evening and hang out over there as the sun went down. We didn't get very many great pictures of the city, but it was amazing and what a view! Loved the tour....it was really an amazing place and it was fun to learn the history and we got to see some of the areas that the people in the daytime hadn't been able to see. Great experience and now I can say I've been to Alcatraz.

We spent Saturday afternoon on "The World" with our family. It was so fun to see everyone and what an amazing ship! We took a tour and then had a wonderful steak and lobster lunch that still makes my mouth water. The whole reunion was to get the family together and Cody's grandma and grandpa were the guests of honor. They were really looking forward to going but the week before the reunion, Cody's grandpa started having some medical problems and ended up in the hospital. They weren't able to make it and that was disappointing for everyone. Cody's aunt and his dad also decided to stay home to care for his grandpa so we missed them as well. It was a fun afternoon and so very generous of Scott to share this incredible experience with his family. We loved it and hope to see everyone again very soon!

My cousin Erika & her husband Jensen live in San Francisco so we were able to spend some time with them while we were there. It was so much fun! I wasn't prepared for the cold nights and Erika shared her warm gear with all of us Southern Californian's. It came in handy on our Alcatraz excursion because the trip over was a little chilly. They picked up me and Cody one of the nights there and took us around the city. We went to dinner and then went to this fun ice cream shop that people stand in line for every night. We then went down the "Crookedest" (is that a word?) Street because you have to do that if you go to San Francisco. Glad we got to do that and our picture is horrible, but it was fun. We also went across the Golden Gate Bridge and they took us up to a look-out place so we could see it from above and it was really amazing. Our pictures didn't turn out very good there either....I guess I need some lessons, but that was really cool. They also had us over for dinner the day we left. They have an amazing apartment on the top floor and the view was incredible. They took such good care of us and we loved every minute of it. Thanks guys!

Father's Day 2009 (Long Post)

I can't let this one slide by.....I'll kind of include this as our Anniversary post too because I, of course, missed it. It was our 14th anniversary in March and we've been together for 16 years. I didn't actually miss our anniversary, just the post. :) He's a wonderful husband and he's the best father to our kids. I've loved him since he kissed me on our 2nd date (don't judge me...have you seen him?) :) I had dated a lot up at school and had just decided that I was going to take the summer off. I was tired of trying to figure out "where things were headed" because that's what the guys kept asking me. I was going to relax and hang out with my friends and regroup. That summer I went home to start my fun, free, no commitment summer and we found out my mom had cancer. I was devastated and we were getting ready for her to come home from the hospital after major surgery when Cody called. It was completely out of the blue and he told me that he had heard about my mom and was sorry and wanted to let me know that he would be around and would like to take me out when I was feeling better.

We were friends all through high school but had never dated. He was one of the nicest guys I knew and I always thought he was pretty hot but we never really had the opportunity to date back then because of other relationships. I was really impressed by that phone call and his grandpa had died of colon cancer so he knew a thing or two about what we would be going through. My aunt Judy happened to be at our house that night and said I should get out....I had been back and forth to the hospital and she said I should take her convertible Mustang and go for a ride.....OKAY! My friend and I hopped in her car and went to drag main for a while. Anyone from a small town will understand....you start at McDonald's and cruise down through town and turn around at 7-11 and go back up. Everyone used to hang out on main street so when we saw anyone that looked interesting, we stopped and visited. My mom hated the whole concept, but it was a lot of fun. :) That night we pulled over to talk to Cody and his group of friends and we took him for a ride and that was pretty much it. I know....hanging on main street, picking him up, you're wondering what kind of a girl I was, but it was the best thing I ever did. We saw each other a couple of nights later and he asked me out for the 4th of July and that pretty much sealed the deal. We saw each other every night after that and the rest is history. The best thing about it is we started as friends and every day we spent together, it grew into something really amazing.....it still is amazing!

He was so sweet to my family and took very good care of my mom. She absolutely loved him....I hadn't chosen very few "acceptable" boyfriends in the past, so she was ecstatic. We dated for quite a while and I have to say, it was probably very challenging for him. I wanted to spend as much as I could at home with my mom and he was completely okay with that. He knew that it was important to me and I was so grateful to have him there. I remember one night that I was cleaning up dinner and hadn't seen him for a while and I walked upstairs to my mom's room and he was laying on the bed with her just talking. I can't tell you how much it meant to have him in my life....he is the same way with me and has taken good care of me. We've been through a lot together and I know that his call was something I'll always be grateful for because I don't think I could've made it without him. Okay, got a little deep, but I hope my kids will always know how much I love their dad. He is so much fun....we've needed a lot of laughter in our home and he's always there to provide it. My brothers and sisters love having him around because he always comes up with something funny to do or say. I love that about him.....okay, okay, I just love him!

Watching him with our kids is so much fun! They absolutely adore him and they all run to the door when he walks through it. They all come to his side of the bed if there's a problem in the middle of the night because they know he won't kick them out and he'll snuggle them up next to him and put them back to sleep. He has always been a huge help to me....if there's something that needs to be done; he does it. He is there for everything that they do. He also loves his family and extended family and would do anything for them. I have always appreciated the close family that he came from because we've had so much fun with both of our families and we know that family is the most important thing. I could go on and on, but just know that your family loves you, Cody! We think the world of you and hope you know how much you mean to all of us. Thanks for always being there and for taking such good care of all of us. We love you!

Fathers Day 2009
This was so cute...they were laying on the trampoline and she must have been very tired. She has always loved to snuggle with her dad.

Carson is his dad's boy! He has looked like him from the day he was born and he loves spending any time with him he can get. Cody takes him to work with him every once in a while and it's a highlight for Carson. Anytime with dad is good time!

I love this picture!! He looks like SuperDad! We were at the softball park on closing day and I went over to get the girls where they needed to be and he cleaned up everything and headed over.....with chairs slung over his back, the diaper bag, the stroller, Avery and of course the cotton candy....and he looks great doing it! :)

Memorial Day - Still Catchin' Up

We had such a fun Memorial Day with our family! Cody's mom and Jack have the best barbeques and are always trying something new and different. This time, they smoked a ham and we barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs. No one left hungry....that's for sure! Brittany loved helping Grandma in the kitchen and then everyone got in the pool and it was such a fun day! We love these beautiful, spring days and I love that we have the chance to remember those who are protecting our country and those who have died doing so.

I remember growing up...we always got up really early and drove up to the cemetary for a special ceremony that they had for the veterans and to honor those who had died for our country. My brother, Jeff, plays the trumpet and he was asked several times to play Taps! There's nothing like standing there with the soldiers and looking at all of the flags that were flying for those who had passed on and listening to my brother play that song to honor them. I remember getting mums and walking all over the cemetary to our family members graves and delivering flowers and how pretty the cemetary looked. It seemed like we were there for hours while my mom and dad visited with everyone. Definitely small town feel and I really do love those memories and hope I can instill this same sense of patriotism in mychildren, although we're not off to a very good start. We just need to start getting out and finding opportunities here too. It was a really great day and what a fun day with our family!

Carson or Zac??

We've had so much fun with this.....Carson has a small, okay, rather large, innocent obsession with Zac Efron. Quite a while ago, he asked us to call him Zac. He started writing his name Zac on his pre-school papers, he watched High School Musical over and over, which accounts for why Cody knows all of the lines throughout the movie (maybe he has a small crush as well, I don't know) :) and we have a Disney Sing-a-long thing with a microphone and watching him belt out Zac's songs is so fun! He even has his dance moves down from the movie. We haven't been sure who he is exactly on any given day. He even tells us things that happen to him and Gabriella, in the first person. If you haven't seen High School Musical, you're lost right now, but he comes up with all sorts of things about Zac like they are one and the same. We've laughed so hard. We have a High School Musical game with the characters pictures as the game pieces. He came up to Cody before we left for Utah and told him he had his ID in case he needed to show it to anyone.....he had Zac's game piece and kept it in his pocket (until I washed it accidentally) so that he could show people who he was. He's such a fun kid!

He started to grow his hair out because he wanted it to "shake" like Zac's so he has refused to let me cut it. When we went to Utah in July, my cousin cut all of our hair, EXCEPT Carson's. He would only let her cut a little over his ears. I personally think Zac is pretty cute, but I'll have to stick with Carson! That smile with the one dimple gets me every time! You bring a lot of laughter into our home and we love you, Zac, I mean Carson! :)

Zac...I mean Carson
Carson....or is it Zac? I get so confused

Zac/Carson's "hair cut"

The real Zac.....I think :)

My Potty Princess!

It's been a really good week! As you can tell from her chart.....SHE had a fantastic week because with each of those stickers came a Starburst or a Hershey's Kiss (and also a kiss from whoever took her to the potty)! She's been dry every morning and runs right to the bathroom in the mornings and stays dry all day. She has had accidents here and there, but for the most part, she has been amazing! She has had 5 people in her cheering section and you should hear everyone when she goes....her face just lights up and her smile is a mile wide. She's so proud of herself and we're all very proud of her too. Way to go, Avery! Now on to putting her to bed by herself.....well, maybe next year. :) That's one thing I don't mind at all!

It's Potty Time!!

So, you can probably guess what's going on at our house! I have so much blogging to catch up on, but I'm so happy about this. We finally decided to tackle potty training after putting it off, mostly because I wasn't sure I was ready, but I can honestly say that she was totally ready for this! I put it off because of trips and work schedules and I wanted to have a few consecutive days to devote to the process. We decided to start on Friday and after a couple of accidents, she kind of got the hang of it. Cody and I went to a movie with Mattsson's and left her with Brit in charge. She was up to the task and went and got her this little potty seat and she sat on it all night in the family room. I'm surprised she doesn't still have a red ring around her little bum. :) She loves it and none of our other kids would even sit on one of these. She did really well yesterday, stayed dry last night and has been dry all day, until just a few minutes ago. I don't want to jinx it but so far, so good! She's so proud of herself and we made her a little chart that she can put stickers on when she goes and it looks pretty good! I'm so proud of her and I can hardly wait to start throwing away the Costco diaper coupons. :)

Mother's Day

I had a really wonderful Mother's Day this year although it probably sounds a little sad after reading this but I really do love this special day. It started out with breakfast in bed, which I love. The kids and Cody made me french toast and they took care of everything all day long. They are so good to me and I wonder what I did to deserve them. I'm also surrounded by such wonderful women and mothers and I'm very blessed to be a mom to some pretty wonderful kids. What a great day and I usually really try to focus on the terrific women and mothers in my life and as me as the mom, but I had a pretty hard time this year with missing my mom. I think of her every day but some days it hurts a little more. I have some pretty great friends who were there during church and I appreciate them being there with their arms open. There are just times in life when you need a mom and I miss that. I've learned to live with it, but it'll never get better. I'm very blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life who take such good care of us. I know Heavenly Father watches out for me through others and I know there are people in my life who help to fill this void. My mom was such an incredible mom and I wonder what my life would be like with her still here. I've learned not to dwell on these things because it makes me crazy but sometimes I can't help but wonder. I'm so blessed to have had her for my mom! What an example and what a sweet, caring and loving person she was to everyone. I hope that I can be like her "when I grow up." :) Thanks, mom! I love you!

Grandpa Smart

My Grandpa Smart passed away in May. He was almost 90 years old and he had a wonderful life. I stole this cute collage and picture from my cousins because it says so much about him. My grandma has Alzheimer's and he took care of her right up until he passed away at their house. They were the sweetest couple and you never saw one without the other. My grandma is lost without him and still believes he's just "away at meetings" and she's waiting for him to come back. They raised 8 wonderful children in a small, 3 bedroom house that they built together and there was so much love inside that tiny house. We all felt it growing up and we all felt special even though there were 36 of us grandchildren. We had many fun times with them bowling, which they loved, playing with our cousins at their house for family parties and eventually at the church because there were so many of us and especially at our annual Family Camp in Fairview Canyon. Those are probably the best memories for me because we had grandma and grandpa all week to ride horses with, share dinner with and eat grandma's cookies and pancakes. What fun memories for me as both a child and as an adult....they were a big part of my life and to have them for so long was a blessing for not only me, but for my kids as we spent time with them. He only seemed to age the last couple of years and I'll always be grateful for the example he was for me and for the testimony that he shared with all of us. I was able to fly home for his funeral and 34 of our 36 cousins were there as well as many of their children which says a lot about him and my grandma. What a wonderful life and a wonderful legacy he left for all of us! I love you, Grandpa!

Elmer B. Smart
Elmer B. Smart "A True Gentleman" Elmer B. Smart, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away at his home May 11, 2009 after overseeing the planting of his vegetable garden; his last labor of love for his family.Born November 24, 1919 in Union, Utah to Franklin Arley and Harriett Flowers Smart. He grew up on the family farm where he learned the principle of hard work and his love for the creations of his Heavenly Father. He graduated from Jordan High School in 1937. He served an LDS mission to the Eastern States, and later with his wife in the Riverside, California mission. He married his childhood sweetheart Marian Holt on June 16, 1941 in the Salt Lake Temple. He served faithfully in the LDS church his entire life. He held many callings including Bishop. He especially enjoyed 15 wonderful years serving with his wife as ordinance workers at the Jordan River Temple. He loved farming, gardening and was an expert horseman, riding his horses well into his 80's. He enjoyed bowling in his later years and was adored as the permanent substitute on an all-women's bowling league. We will truly miss his kind disposition and his thoughtful words of wisdom. He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years; his eight children and spouses, Phil (Debbie), Glen (Carol), Neil (Shawna), Gloria (Steve) Allen, Ray (Sherri), Eileen (Mikel) Christensen, David (Brenda), Susan (Mike) Whittenburg; 38 grandchildren, 73 great-grandchildren, one great- great-granddaughter. Preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Frank, Ralph and Irvin Smart; his sisters, Ethel Simmons, and Martha Sheppick; daughter-in-law, Janis Smart; and grandson, Glen Weston Smart. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 15, 2009 at 12 Noon, at the Sandy Utah Midvalley Stake Center, 1106 East 8055 South, Sandy. Friends may call at Goff Mortuary, 8090 South State, Midvale from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2009 or Friday at the Church from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Interment at Larkin's Sunset Gardens. The family would like to thank all those who have helped with the tender care of our dear father and mother.

Closing Day - Softball 2009

They had such a fun closing day for softball. They ended the way they began, with a lot of fun blow-up waterslides and games and entertainment. Bailey's team actually took 1st in their division, which was awesome. They had the best little pitcher who trained with a pitching coach and was absolutely amazing. She had a few no-hitters and at 10 years old, she has a very bright future. She loved her team, her coaches were great and it was so fun to have Danielle on her team as well. She had quite a few good hits and walked quite a bit because the pitcher had a hard time finding her strike zone (go figure) :) We all had a great time and what a way to end the season.

Brittany had such a cute team. They combined the 11-14 year olds because they didn't have enough girls so there was a huge range for the girls. She was one of the youngest and smallest but was able to hold her own. Her team did great and they all got along wonderfully and they didn't win a game all season. :) I take that back, one night the team they were supposed to play didn't show up so they played the parents and they did win that game. :) It was really great to watch them all progress though and they improved so much from their first game to their last and they almost beat the best team in their division which was a really fun game. Winning or losing, they both had a great time and that's what was important. Brit had a team party and they gave out their statistics...she had 23walks (same goes for her with the strike zone), she scored 17 times and got 7 hits that put her on base. The parents called her "wheels" because she was so fast and could steal so quickly. She was 1st on her team for walks and 2nd for scores so that was great! It'll be fun to see how she does in her own age division next year.

Carson took such good care of Avery that I had to include these pictures....I love what cute little friends these two are and how loving and caring he is with her. We had fun from start to finish and I really appreciate the people who take so much time out of their lives to help these kids learn and play the game. We were really lucky to have the coaches that we did and they really made it fun for all the girls! I'm already looking forward to next year!!

Softball 2009

The girl's both had really wonderful coaches who helped them have a wonderful season with softball this year! We're so glad we were able to get them back into it and watch them progress and improve every game. We spent a lot of time at the softball park but I loved every minute! I think Carson and Avery did too...you can't believe how many times I told them to get off the bars, but you can see how effective that was. I think we made a lot of people nervous, but we made it! No more teeth knocked out, very few bumps and bruises and no one fell off backwards, which was my fear. I hope next year they forget the bars and will sit on their cute little chairs that we brought to every single game and I ended up sitting in....I can hope right?

Opening Day of Softball

We were so excited to get Brittany & Bailey back into softball this year. We played in Utah before we moved and they absolutely loved it....and so did we!! I love everything about it; the cute uniforms, sitting with the other parents and getting to know them and their daughters, nachos, popcorn, cotton candy, sunflower seeds...(hmmm, I wonder why I gained weight during the season) :) watching them get better and better with every game and start to play as a team even though they started out as strangers.

They both had really wonderful coaches and they learned so much from them right from the start. Bailey was on the same team with Danielle Mattsson so that was really fun for them and for us. Opening day was so fun because they had the big blow-up slides and activities for the kids so we stayed at the softball field for most the day. Bailey had 1 game and Brittany had 2 games so we just kicked back, hung out and enjoyed being out in the sun watching our cute girls play a really fun game.

(If someone can help me to make these collages bigger, let me know)

Pinewood Derby....Girl Style

Isn't this the cutest car? Okay, so it was our first experience making a pinewood derby car and I have to say that I think our car was the cutest.....was it the fastest? No, but it IS pretty cute. :) The Activity Day girls had the opportunity to participate in the Pinewood Derby at the Date Festival this year. The girls wanted to give it a try and Cody, being the good dad that he is, decided to give it a try too. He never did the Pinewood Derby as a kid so we didn't know there was so much to do and so much to learn. I guess you can't just buy a kit and throw it together the day before the race and tape quarters underneath for weight and expect it to go. Note to self....remember that for next year! But did I mention that it was really cute? Anyway, the girls came in last but the cutest thing was that Brit called me and was really excited and said, "Mom, guess what place we came in?" and I, thinking maybe their 1 day of hard work paid off, got a little excited and asked, "What place?" and she said, "dead last." and just started laughing. It was fun to see that they really had a good time and it was all about spending time with Cody and doing the project together and cheering on the other girls! One of the girls from their group won the whole thing and they were competing against the boys....Girl Power! It was a good experience and they have such a great dad....you really are their hero! Thanks for building such a cute car! :)
This is our car.....

I guess they were supposed to race this close.....who knew?

It was so fun to watch them and they did put a lot of time into sanding it and painting it! Good job guys! It looked great! We'll get 'em next year!

Avery's 2nd Birthday!!

Avery's birthday was in January as well....it was Christmas all over again at our house. :) She was so cute and loved everything about it! She loved the gifts but didn't go crazy or anything. She got some dress-up shoes and absolutely loved them and she's really into anything she can carry, wear or take care of. She is a total girl and I'm loving this stage that she's in. She's not at a "terrible 2" stage and she's really funny, smiles all the time and is a joy to be around. We all talk about how we're so glad she chose our family. We're so blessed and like Carson, she was a special surprise. We weren't sure a 4th child was in the plan, but here she is. It's amazing how things turn out the way they do and how the timing is always right!

Avery, we love you so much! The kids still run up the stairs when they know you're awake in the morning and they love to give you kisses before you go to bed. You're so very loved and a light in our lives. You're such a good girl...I keep waiting for things to get hard and so far, so good...(knock on wood). We've always called you "stealth baby" (thanks, Alysa) because of how quietly you go about your business. You've always been so active and you never stop moving, but you're not getting into things....you're just very busy. Sometimes a nap would be nice, but I'll take you as you are. You're a sweet girl and we love you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Avery loved her cake and I just have to say "thanks" to the girl at Target because she put it together in under an hour. Another mother-of-the-year moment, going to Target the day of her birthday, I was actually just going to get a boxed cake and went over just to see what the bakery had and the girl was so cute and said she would do anything for me if she had it. What a sweetheart. I love people that actually go out of their way to help....it's hard to find.

Carson's 5th Birthday!!

Carson's 5th birthday was January 14th....better late than never, right? He had a Spiderman birthday this year and absolutely loved his cake! All he wanted were spidey masks....such an easy going kid. He actually got sick on his birthday so we had a family party the next day. He is such a fun kid and our family wouldn't be the same without him. He makes us laugh every day and he's always been my sweet boy and Cody's buddy. He hangs out with me and then runs to the door when Cody gets home and I love that. He is very good to his sisters, especially Avery. He watches out for her and always has. I hope it stays that way as they're growing up because their relationship is so cute and sweet.

I don't know where the last 5 years have gone, but Carson, you've been a blessing to our family from the very beginning. You were a very sweet surprise and we love that we have a darling little boy in our lives. You add so much fun, laughter, activity, happiness and love to our lives! I love the things that you say and how you say them. I love your cute little toothless smile and I love that you're all boy (hence the toothless smile)! I love that you sit next to me to read books and hold my hand as you snuggle up to me. I love that you love your sisters, even though you can push their buttons like no one else. :) We love you so much! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Birthday Boy!

Avery was totally into the birthday thing...can you tell?

This was the hit of the night....we had a major spy shooter shoot-out for Carson's birthday! We were all laughing so hard as we pelted each other with nerf discs. It was a great way to end the day!

Love those kids!