Blue and Gold Banquet

Kaden had his blue and gold banquet at the church tonight. Silas sadly couldn't make it but the rest of our troops proudly went to support him. This was our first time to do this and it was so much fun. Kaden got his bobcat badge and a ping pong belt loop. He also got to pin a cool pin on me. (We had a little trouble trying to get it to poke through my shirt but next time we will be prepared!) There were lots of boys getting all kinds of awards and then we all got to dine on some fine hot dogs and sloppy joes! It was actually delicious, or maybe I was starving. Our scout leaders are awesome. They put so much work into what they do and I really appreciate them. Kaden is so loving being in scouts. He and I have been going through his book and setting some goals to get more stuff done. So far we are done with the family fun one , or something like that. We have also started some other random ones that we haven't completed yet. This will give us lots of fun things to work on this summer. I am so proud of him.

The Great Outdoors

Well, Memorial Day weekend came and went! We thoroughly enjoyed our beautiful Indiana weather and spent most of it outside. We started with a day at Eagle Creek reservoir with the Norton's. What an awesome place! Check out the cute baby ducks!!

We got to go canoeing and hiking. I think the bigger kids loved being out on the water even though the thought of falling in the freezing cold water fully dressed freaked them out a little. Kalia was a different story. She was thrilled while we buckled up her life jacket but then she actually had to get into the wobbly, off balance canoe. Wow, did that freak her out. She sat in between my legs the whole time to scared to even turn her head until the end. Of course, she couldn't sit on the ground because the boat was filled with spiders. Kaden and Madison shared the middle seat and Silas took up the rear. It was great! Sy paddled the whole time and I got to sit and enjoy like I was on a gondola ride!! Thanks so much, honey, for being such a great sport and such a strong, manly man!! After canoeing we went off on our hike. Traci had a map of the park so we started by following the map. For some reason we got lost! We stayed on the path, it just wasn't the same path as it showed on the map! Lucky for us we had some boy scouts with us that could help keep us in the right direction! I felt like I was really lame company to be around because I had a bad migraine that day and had taken a muscle relaxant right before we left, but I actually did have fun! (And I got a little nap on the drive home.)

Sunday brought church and more headache but the weekend was not over yet! After church the kids played outside for hours. It was perfect weather! We decided to have a Memorial Day camp out the Smith family way (or Ana's way) and we set up the tent in the backyard for the kids to sleep in. The only problem with this idea is that I am an overprotective, overly nervous mother. There was no way that my babies were sleeping out there alone but I knew it wouldn't be good for me to do it. In the end, I slept on the couch just inside the door with only the screen door closed. This would have been fine except that Boo is a nocturnal pet! She stays awake in the living room. All night. Running in her squeaky wheel. I was too tired to fix this until 5 when I finally got up and locked her in my sewing room. My other problem was that I had to get up and check on my kids every sound I heard! Needless to say, I was extremely tired all day Monday! We got the tent taken down just before it started to rain on Monday and I didn't get a picture. I'm sure there will be a next time though!

The new bike

Tonight we were all playing outside. Madison's good friend Cam was over and the girls started a rock band. We were jammin for all the neighbors to enjoy. Thank goodness none of them called the police on us. (Yeah, we seem to have some anal neighbors) Kaden was running around playing with his friends who all have bikes except for my boy. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be a mean parent. I have been looking all over for a bike for Kaden. I have been garage selling for 4 weekends now specifically looking for a new bike. By the time Silas came home I was done waiting. We had to go look. Summer is here and Kaden NEEDED a bike. (And I was done with my effort. I could have put the $20 from gas towards a new bike!!) We found the greatest bike ever! It is a BMX bike with pegs and everything!! "Sweet" !! Kaden just fell in love with it! It was more than I was willing to pay but Kaden put all his money toward it and we took it home!! Kalia was the first to try out the pegs but by the time we came in Kaden was riding down the street with one foot in the air and the other on a back peg! Yeah for the new bike!!!

Chilin at Chili's

Me and Kalia just chillin
Maddy eating her super spicy buffalo wings! You go girl!!
My cute little Louella just being herself!!

Today I stole Maddy away from school for a much needed girls lunch out. We went to Chili's and had an awesome feast! I love spending time with Madison. She has such a fun sense of humor and a great personality! She just makes me smile so much! The school year is almost over, thank goodness, and I can't wait to be able to hang out with her every day all day. I love you Madison!

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

Bacon is a love-hate food for me. I hate to cook bacon. I hate that it leaves its wonderfully greasy aroma in the house for the rest of the day. I hate that I have to degrease my stove top after cooking bacon. I hate how long it takes and that I almost always get grease sparked onto my hand. (I know, I'm a big baby!) On the other hand I LOVE to eat bacon! I think Madison has inherited this love from me, especially lately. Almost daily she asks me to make bacon for breakfast or dinner. I obviously don't do it for health reasons along with all the reasons previously listed, but she still asks. I decided (with the help of a friend) that with bacon on sell for a great bargain I should stock up. While in line at the register I joked that I would be stuck cooking this fatty mess for breakfast in the morning and as I joked I decided that it would be a perfect way to show Maddy I loved her and a special breakfast to wake up to. Now, if you know me you know that I DO NOT DO MORNINGS, so this was very special! I woke up a half hour early and started to fry. Maddy woke up to the smell instead of her alarm clock! I figured if I was cooking, then I should just cook it so I kept going. 2 packages later I was set!! We had bacon mushroom pizza for dinner and then I made 2 freezer meals with the rest. The only problem is that Maddy now really craves it!! She makes me smile! I remember always begging my mom to make us bacon and eggs. I probably asked every weekend. To this day I still love bacon and eggs. (I'm a little OCD though and won't eat my eggs unless the yoke is runny!! Some things never change!!!) Anyway, I know its not good for us, but I think I will start to cook bacon a little more often so that I can make my baby happy! I love being a mom!!

Random thoughts!

So, I'm cleaning the kitchen this morning (since I didn't do it last night. Come on, it was Sunday, we're not supposed to work, right?!?) and I have the primary CD playing on the counter. Kalia is singing her heart out to I Am a Child of God and I'm thinking, isn't she just the cutest thing ever! I love that she knows these songs and will sing them with so much excitement! The music says "has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear" and Kalia stops singing and says excitedly, "Hey! Kaden hunts deer!" Now I have a really big smile on my face and think, What a doll! My kids sure make me happy! It's a great start to a Monday (which we had a family discussion on yesterday and unanimously decided is the worst day of the week except for the FHE part!) and I hope to sing about my 'parents kind' and DEER all day! Thank goodness there are deer on earth so Kaden can dream about hunting them!

Another note, Madison made some yummy brownies from scratch for us yesterday and they are just staring me down! I 'm glad I worked out this morning so I can enjoy one! I just worry that I can't stop after one!! Those chocolate chips and walnuts are calling me!!!!!

Beauty and the Tallest Geek!

Thurday night was Madison's activity girls daddy daughter date. It was a beauty and the geek theme so Silas and Madison naturally fit the parts!! After playing some games the dads went around and said nice things about their daughters. Maddy was told she was smart, fashionable, and nice. There were more things but I'm too lazy to write them. They each recieved awards in the end. Maddy got most fashionable and Silas got the tallest geek. Maddy has such great leaders and they are really great supports to her in the transition she has had this year. I'm so grateful that Silas was able to get off work early during his busiest schedule for this date. It meant lots to Maddy. Thanks hon! "One of these things is not like the other!!"
Notice the socks and berks!! Doesn't really match up with the gorgeous girl next to him!!! I was rooting for the basketball shorts and church shoes/socks like he was wearing when he asked me on our first date!! I love my geek!!

Kaden Revere

Kaden finally finished his famous American project this week. His report was on Paul Revere and he did great on his poster. My favorite part was his costume that he got to wear during the famous American museum where the parents and other classes got to go learn about all the reports. Kaden came home on Wed. just desperately needing a costume to wear on Fri. My kids seem to be great at last minute costumes. Since I had Enrichment Wed. night and an enrichment group Thurs. morning I didn't get to it till that afternoon. A trip to goodwill found an awesome shirt from the ladies section and I serged a quick vest to go along with a card stock tricorn hat. As hilarious as the shirt was to me it was perfect for Paul Revere. Kaden did a great job with his speech and Kalia and I enjoyed getting to visit his classroom.

Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate!

Today was our quarterly enrichment activity. We had a "Chocolate Appreciation Night". Who doesn't love chocolate!! I think the name of the evening is actually what got people there. The table full of chocolate desserts didn't hurt either! Talk about chocolate overload! Just looking at the dessert table made me nauseous. We did a sort of speed dating activity to get to know the sisters in our ward better. We had an incredible turnout! We actually had to add chairs. It was a very loud activity and everybody had to yell so the person across from them could hear. This made for a really funny sound out in the hall. Someone referred to it as the "pick a little talk a little" scene from the sound of music. Right on! I wish that I would have gotten to visit with and get to know some of the new people but somebody had to be to timer. We had an awesome message from a newer sister in the ward and I think the evening went wonderfully.

Thursday morning we had our first serve and snack group at my house. We organized groups that could do services for each other and we started at my house. My flower beds were in desperate need on some help and I hit the jackpot!! Who knew what great and knowledgeable gardeners were in our ward??!? I had no idea! There were 5 of us and in 2 hours I learned what each of my plants were, how to take care of them, and we got the whole yard (front and back) totally cleaned out. I also learned which plants that might have looked like they were supposed to be where they were are weeds. I've got actual chives growing and lots of mint. The kids think those are great. All I can think about when I walk past is how great they smell. When I was a little girl I was visiting my Aunt Nina (One of my very favorite aunts!!). She also had mint growing in her yard and a living room full of a giant tee pee! She's so cool! I remember going out and picking mint with my cousins and taking it inside. When my Aunt Nina started making mint tea and asked if I wanted some I was appalled! We aren't supposed to drink tea!!! I love my aunt and uncle because they always do the most fun things and they are the most kind people you could meet! My sweet aunt hugged me and told me that mint tea was okay to drink but that if I didn't feel okay about it I definitely didn't have to drink it. I love her!! I tried it and loved it. Now I just need to know how to make it 20 years later!!

I feel lots better about my yard and less intimidated. Best of all we had lots of fun and made some new friends! Thanks to Traci, Carrrie, Amy, and Toni! I can't wait till next week! Chores aren't supposed to be fun, are they?

This is supposedly my good luck fountain! Guess I can't get rid of it yet!!

Mr. Toad

Saturday while Silas was mowing the lawn, he and Kaden found a surprise! A toad! How much fun is that!! It made me remember being in Texas and Kaden toad hunting with Stan. (I can't wait for Stan and Denae to move closer even if it will be a few hour drive to see them!) After playing with Mr. Toad for a short while, Kaden and Madison walked down to the pond to let him go. I can't wait for summer nights and more toads!

Flavored Milk "Hugs"

Silas has been so busy with his plant start up that he is lucky to get home before the kids go to bed. At least half of the week he gets home after I put the kids down, and since he leaves at 5:30 in the morning, none of the kids get to see him. Last week Maddy was in tears because she missed her dad. If the phone rings at dinner time the kids all yell, "Dad!". I miss the help with kids homework and bedtime rituals. Kaden counts down the days to the weekend, just in case dad can take him fishing. Kalia always asks when Daddy will be home. It has been really hard. More than the difficulty it has placed on myself and the kids though, is the difficulty it has placed on Silas. His days are sooooo long. He wakes up when it is dark, drives to work, stays inside all day (missing the best season in Indiana), manages (babysits) people, fixing problem after problem with his super powers, draining all his energy, missing most meals because he is too busy, sits in his office trying to catch up on paperwork that got stuffed aside while he was being the super hero, climbs back in his car to drive home, arrives just in time to have a small snack or some dinner and climb back into bed. (I know that this description doesn't even scratch the surface but I tried.) This start-up has been so hard on him. His training for the triathlon has suffered. His ability to get a good night of sleep has suffered. His time with his family has suffered. I'm pretty sure his stomach has suffered as well. (Ulcers). There is one constant in all of this away time. He is really missing the kids. So to let them know that he loves them and is thinking about them he brings home flavored milk. (Vanilla is their favorite!) This simple gesture means so much to me. I'm not sure that the kids make the connection on their own but they really enjoy having this yummy treat. I, on the other hand, just love that in the chaos of his day he is remembering us. So many families are struggling with the strain and demands of this job but I know that Silas loves us. He thinks about us every day. He even tries to sneak in a 1-2 minute phone call every day just to check on how I am doing. He is truly amazing and I love him. I wish that work wasn't so hard for him right now but until that happens, we will think of him every time we pull out our strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla milk. I love you Silas! Keep up all the hard work, it will only get better! Thanks for the "flavored milk hugs!"

Children's Museum

After a quick stop at my doctor's office for blood work(For me) and stickers (for Kalia) we set off on a journey to the children's museum. I went several months ago with some friends and got to see 2 of the exhibits but didn't really grasp how big the museum actually was. I was impressed by the Houston Children's museum but this one is definitely better! We saw Curious George.

We went on the rocket slide.

We played cash register with our friends Kaia and Kenzie.

We dressed up as super heroes.

We even got to see the REAL batmobile that will be in the movie this summer.

We rode the carousel twice in a row.And finally we got to go to the dinosaur exhibit where we got to dig for bones and dress up as a dinosaur to play with eggs. Our favorite part was when it sounded like it was raining in the exhibit and it got dark and stormy looking.We had a wonderful day! Thanks Amy!

Plant Start Up

Well, today was plant start up for Sy. It didn't go as well as expected. I reminded him that this was all just going to make him a stronger person and that he would be better because of it. This evening Maddy was feeling really sad and we had a long talk about how hard this move to Indiana has been on her. Again, I brought to the table that it would make her a better, more compassionate person and she would learn things that she otherwise might not have learned. As I was putting the kids in bed 45 min late tonight and I walked into the laundry room to find all of my clean load from the dryer pulled out onto the floor I had to keep myself from breaking down. Why? Why did this bother me so much? I think that I have just had too much of kid messes. Kids toys, clothes (especially Kalia's 14 outfits every day), their food, and lately their wrappers of all sorts just lying around the house. I'm not a slob, at least I don't think I am. When the house is clean I can function so much better as a wife, mother, and just a person. Because of my headaches lately the house is what I would call a shamble! I worked on laundry ALL DAY yesterday and some today. So to walk in and find the clean clothes on the dirty floor about killed me. I was thinking about the whole headache/housework situation and reminded myself that it would also make me a stronger, better person. I just need the right attitude. This "better person" stuff isn't always an easy thing but as I think back to the times I have grown the most in my life, it has always been the hard times. I am grateful now for the growth I had from those times and for the love I felt from my Savior then and now. I feel so blessed in my life and I just need to focus on those blessings rather that the negative stuff. This isn't a normal post for me but I know that in the future I will need this reminder again and again ,so I will write it down anyway. Tomorrow is a new day!

Cinco De Mayo

Here is our festive table! You can't see it but we made a banner for above the sliding glass door!

Any reason for a party and I'm there! Today was Cinco De Mayo and of course we celebrated. For dinner we had "Mexican Hotdogs" just like the ones you can buy from the street vendor on the corner by my grandmothers house. Yummy!! THey were soooooo good that I had to make myself stop eating after 2. They were the real deal, bacon, onions, salsa, mayo, mustard. All the fixings and the mess to prove it! I miss being by my mom where this special treat was a little more frequent! After dinner we had a family home evening about the holiday and then talked a little bit about why Mexico is so special to us! Mainly because it is home to some of my favorite people and the paleta's are so good! LOL!! Whe ended the evening with my first, but most definately not the last, batch of churros. What a great holiday!

Delicious!!!!!

Masterpiece!

This week we have actually had several nice days and several opportunities to be outside riding bikes and playing. Kaden made a new friend down the street and Kalia has gotten tons better at riding her hello kitty bike that was passed on from a friend in Utah. We have been so busy lately and missing our playtime with the Marbles so we invited Katie to come over and play. The little girls were really excited to be able to ride bikes and run around. We pulled out the sidewalk chalk and had fun for almost an hour coloring on the driveway. Sadly the chalk pictures got washed away the next morning by rain. Luckily we took some pictures so we could show everyone that lives so far away.

Wishes do come true!

Today while Silas and Kaden were fishing I took the girls on a "GDO" (termed by Maddy as Girls Day Out). We went on a mission to find a new swim suit for Madison. This hunt for the perfect swim suit has gone on for about a month much to my dismay, so I told her that we were not stopping today until we found one. The girls were both so excited when we ended up at the mall and we had to splurge on the wishing fountain, yummy pretzels and a magical stop at Libby Lu for fairy dust. Kalia had never experienced "Fairy Dust" as we only had a libby lu in Texas when she was a baby. She loved it! What could be more special that getting to make a second wish of the day at the same time as you are being covered in magical fairy dust (glitter)?!!? She happily shared both of her wishes with me and the were the same. A BALLOON!! Is there anything more innocent and happy as wishing for a balloon? I of course would have wished for money, or family, or another baby to add to our family. Not my sweet baby. The one thing that would make her happy is a simple balloon. Just thinking about it makes me smile. I wish I could be a child again just to not be worried or pressured by the cares of the world. After a long day of shopping (yes- we finally found a swim suit as well as became more acquainted with all of Northern Indy) we came home for dinner. When Kalia went to climb into bed there was a special Tinker Bell balloon waiting by her bed. (It had to be a fairy because of the fairy dust!) Oh, I wish I could share the expression on her face! There was confusion, wonder, and excitement! She got this huge open mouth and turned to ask who gave her the balloon. After explaining that it must be because of her wish she couldn't stop smiling and staring up at it. "My wish comed true!! My wish comed true!! I'm so happy cuz my wish comed true!" Needless to say, she is sleeping positioned so she can stare at this wonderful surprise! Such simple things. Such genuine happiness. I love kids! I love magical moments. I love the sweetness in her response. Wishes do come true!!

Personal Best

Yesterday I got to go to the school for an awards ceremony in which Madison was awarded the "Personal Best" award. This award is for students who met 3 requirements.

1. missed less than 5 days of school this year
2. good citizenship
3. being hard working, doing your personal best

There were several students from each class who were honored and we were so excited for Madison. The video I took it really bad. I got blocked by the couple in front of me and then my camera shut off, but you can at least watch her walk up when they called her name. Kaden has decided that he will be working extra hard next year so that he can have a cool medal like Maddy's. I am so proud of her. This year has been very hard for her with all the adjustments she had to make at her new school and she never gave up. (She did want to be home schooled for a while but I think she is surviving!) I sure love her and I am glad that she has been blessed with the traits that she has. She is such a hard worker and can do anything she puts her mind to. Good job beautiful!!!

Cinnamon Rolls

For family home evening last Monday Kalia made us some delicious cinnamon rolls! They were so yummy that I think I actually ate 4 (out of 12) before they were gone. We used Leanne's yummy recipe and I think we will use it again soon. I had so much fun teaching Kalia how to make these and her favorite part was using the floss to cut the rolls. She teased Maddy and Kaden that she knew a magic way to cut them and wasn't going to tell them. It was her secret. I guess she's lucky to have mom all to herself all day while they are at school. She is most definitely spoiled!