This summer we...

This summer we have...
1. Really enjoyed the Colorado summer weather... no humidity... Natalie has a great tan. Plus, my blond haired, blue eyed children get that really white blond- it is so cute!
2. Had the comprehensive sonogram for baby #3. No, we didn't find out if the baby is a boy or girl... you just have to wait, too.
3. Excitedly are welcoming a new pastor and family to our church. Jason will have a 'big boss' for the first time in three years.
4. Celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (and Jason's 33rd birthday)
5. Carrie went on a last minute day trip to Vegas to help Destination Paradise coordinate the on-site needs for a client that was having a private concert at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was great fun!
6. Went to camp... Horn Creek in the mountains of Colorado. Jason was the retreat speaker for the week for a youth camp. This was his first experience at this... he is pleased with how it went and hopes to do it again. The kids loved camp because we could play outside all day long... we rode the pony, J.D. learned how to throw a frisbee, climbed an indoor rock wall, played basketball and bowling in the gym, did crafts where the kids painted rocks- they loved this!, watched kids do a ropes course, played with the campers and counselors, danced at the square dance, swam in the pool, went down the water slides, and played tennis! It was a big week.
7. Went camping as a family for the first time. Again, the kids loved it. We went with the youth group here... I survived enough to say that I can see myself doing it again... although the midnight trips to the bathroom in bear country was a bit frightening... so I made Jason go with me (ha, ha, hee, hee).
8. Had Tom and Sue visit in the first week of August. Toured and got projects done... a great visit with them. We took the kids to the local amusement park... rode all the kiddie rides... J.D. loved the boat ride (picture below)- he rode it 5 times in a row!
9. Natalie is really starting to say real words! Tonight she helped sing "row, row, row your boat" by saying "ROOWW, ROOWW, ROOWW..." you get the picture.
10. J.D. is really a positive child. He is two years old and he gives great encouragement to me and Jason... "that was a good dinner Mommy"... "daddy, you hit ball good". It is so fun!
All in all, I'd say we have been very busy! We are very much looking forward to our vacation that is coming up in a couple of weeks. We are traveling to Ohio to go to my cousin Molly's wedding- then, Nana and Pap are watching the kiddos while Jason and I go away for a week together! Woo-hoo!
Here are some recent pictures... enjoy!

This is at the camp ground where we had our first family camping experience... yes, in a tent. There was a nature trail for children and at this stop along the trail kids can see how far they can jump... as far as a cricket or rabbit or deer.

Natalie, 17 months, on the playground at the campground!

J.D. helping with dinner preparations by washing potatoes at the camp site.

Natalie and Natalie... they are great buddies. Big Natalie is one of the members of the youth group... and our little Natalie adores her.

J.D. riding the boat at Elitch Gardens. He rode it about 5 times.

At Horn Creek Camp... J.D. got to climb the rock wall. One time they even harnessed him up and he got about 6 feet off the ground.

Natalie dressed for the square dance! Cutie pie!

We took at day and went to the Royal Gorge... and Jason did the drop zone swing out over the gorge.

J.D. on a log on the nature trail at the campground... inside it showed what might live in there...

Natalie learned how to say 'cheese' for the camera this summer!

6 month prego mommy and 2 1/2 year old J.D. playing frisbee at camp.

J.D. playing frisbee, again! Watch out Natalie!

Natalie bowling with Daddy at camp.

J.D. at camp. 2 1/2 years old.

J.D. and Daddy petting the horse at camp. J.D. got the ride the pony... named Glory.

J.D.s Haffy Birthday

As you all know, we have decided to celebrate J.D.'s Haffy Birthday (instead of the actual date). So, on June 23rd, we set about to do our annual Smith Family Birthday Traditions.

Birthdays in our house are much like Christmas morning.

The night before... the Birthday Fairy decorates the dining room with streamers, balloons, birthday cups, plates, napkins. And, then the presents are left out for the young one to discover upon coming downstairs.

At 7:00am, J.D. woke up... went straight downstairs and saw his presents.

He came back up to my room and said, 'Open Presents, Mommy!"

Mommy said, "Yes, in a little bit. Go wake up Nana."

So- he did. This time by-passing the presents like a good little boy.

Nana said, "Go wake up your mommy."

So, the poor child tried again.

With no success... he decided to go back downstairs and take matters into his own hands. At 7:12am, I heard the sound of ripping paper.

He had opened the tee-ball set. And, by 7:30am, I had it all put together. (Did I mention that Jason was in Ireland on a mission trip at this time. I learned my lesson about buying toys that need to be assembled when the dad is not home... ahh!).

Anyway, we opened presents, ate cupcakes and eggs for breakfast and then proceeded to play, play, play.

I think it was a tie of who had more fun... Nana or J.D.

J.D. loved his scooter and helmet, wading pool, soccer goal, tee ball, books, new clothes, etc. What a day... what a day!

Below are some pictures (in no particular order... since I am not skilled enough at this blog thing to get them in the order I really want them in...)

This picture was taken after dinner... he played all day!

Another after dinner picture... isn't it great of both Natalie and Nana!

This was the day before at the Colorado Springs Zoo. We took our great friends to the zoo. We saw about a 1/4 of it (that is what you get when you take 4 adults and 5 children under the age of 3)

Cupcakes and Eggs... for breakfast! Yummy!

J.D. and Mommy at the Mexican restaurant for J.D.'s birthday dinner.

More cupcakes and eggs...

In the wading pool... can't post any other pictures of this day long event... for J.D. likes to swim in the nude.

Coloring at the mexican restaurant. We chose mexican because we thought the food would come out fast... boy were we wrong... so we filled our time with coloring.. appetizers... etc.

Precious Natalie at dinner... prior to the arrival of the cheese dip for appetizers.

Halfway through the appetizer course, Natalie took over the cheese dip... should have gotten a final picture (maybe Nana did) of the cheese dripping off her chin, welded between her fingers, smeared all over the table. (We left a good tip...)

This picture needs a time stamp... had this scooter assembled before 9am! Did I mention that I missed Jason this day for a variety of reasons...

Ice cream at the zoo. A passer-by named J.D. the Ice Cream Boy. I think this man took a seat on a bench nearby just to watch how this was going to turn out... messy!

7:30am!

Decorations by the Birthday Fairy.

Awaiting the arrival of cupcakes and eggs!

Natalie's Theme Song

Anything You Can Do
ANNIE OAKLEY, FRANK BUTLER
Anything you can do, I can do better.
I can do anything Better than you.
No, you can't. Yes, I can.
No, you can't. Yes, I can.
No, you can't. Yes, I can, Yes, I can!

If Natalie could talk... this would be what she would say to J.D. everyday! She is really trying her best to keep up with him.
She can kick a ball, play with trains, make a truck go really fast on the floor, ride his bike, hit him till it hurts (self-defense on both their parts, I think), and now she is starting to babble and get in her 'two-cents'.
Natalie said her first word the other day... "Up". Not Mom or Dad... but she said exactly what she wanted... she wanted UP! Now, she says it all the time! Can't believe this was her first word...

Rumor has it...

Rumor has it that the Smith's are expecting baby #3. Well, the rumor is right!
Baby Smith #3 will arrive around November 20, 2007.
J.D. will be 2 yrs and 10/11 months. Natalie will be 20 months old.
We are crazy, we know it, no need to remind us... just pray!

What has happend in the last month?

So, so much!
Natalie turned 1.
She sings (okay..hums), loves to give kisses (watch out boys.. she is a kisser), has learned how to stand up on her own and is even giving walking a good try (but on her own time and own terms).
She is so much fun... more and more fun everyday. She loves songs. Her favorite is the milkshake song from storytime... she starts pouring and shaking and you know it is time to sing.

J.D. is learning to use the potty. What a process. He is in big boy underwear during the day and we have had minimal accidents. (It helps when the underwear has The Wiggles or Thomas the Tank Engine on it... you don't want to get them wet!)
Last night we had a typically potty training experience. J.D. had to go #2. Put him on the potty- he didn't want to go--- but he didn't want to get up either. He cried and cried for about 1 hour. Then, I brought in the portable DVD player, put on Elmos Potty Time and he calmed down- did his thing- and promptly asked for candy. Then, 1.5 hours ago I promised that we would play outside after he went potty. Now, it is 8:30pm- dark and cold. But, we did it anyway. I had a choice to make. Was I going to be that mommy that was too practical- or was I going to make good on my promise? The neighbors must have thought we were nuts. But, honestly it is one of my favorite mommy-moments so far.

In the last 6 weeks, Miriam Storm has come to live with us. She is amazing. She plays so well with the kids. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful she is- or how much we are going to miss her when she leaves in April. She is Aunt Mimi to our kids- and we just wouldn't be a complete set without her.

Natalie is waking up... gotta run.
More pictures to come... who knows... maybe sometime before June :)

Carrie

Natalie Turns 1

Okay, so she turned one a month ago... to the day!
We had a great day. We started, as is our tradition, with cupcakes and eggs.
Then, we hurried to get ready for our first birthday party. The theme was Pink and Green.
We had pink balloons, pink plates, pink cupcakes, green table runner, Natalie wore pink and green. It was everywhere.
We had a couple of friends over- Garrison and Daniel Counts and Isabel Carew (plus their mommy's).
We played outside, it was a beautiful day. The boys played basketball. Natalie tooled around in her walker.
It was great fun.
Then, we moved inside for the one year old lunch consiting of: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, strawberries, chocolate cupcakes with pink icing. Yum, Yum.
Even the adults ate the tiny tots menu!
As you can see, it was great fun.
Natalie got some cute clothes, great toys and more sessions of Tumble Tots. Very exciting.
Can't believe she is one already. What a blur this year has been. She surely keeps us on our toes.

How many ministers does it take to baptize a baby?

THREE!
Natalie was baptized on Sunday. My parents came in for the weekend and my dad baptized Natalie during our Sunday morning service at church. Take a look at the pictures...
It took ONE minister to read the questions from the book of church order, ONE minister to actually sprinkle her head with water (her Pap!), and ONE minister to hold the water....
It was a great morning- but it did strike me as funny that all these men in robes participated!!!

do you think she is tasting the water???

looks like it to me...

Photos from Jan. 07

J.D. built this tower... he did it himself...

My children love their Nana!

Isn't this the cutest 'stinker face' you have ever seen???

More of the tower...

bathtime fun... gotta have some of these to pull out when they are 16!

J.D. having his morning coffee with daddy!

The cousins (Jackson, J.D. and Natalie) playing with Uncle Steve and Aunt Barbie in Mamaw's living room.

Love this picture!

Okay... so maybe this is the best 'stinker face' ever!