Meggie's blessing on the food

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day. Please bless the food. Please bless that my hair will grow long like Rapunzel's hair.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

To-Do list

Here is our Christmas Season to-do list (subject to changes depending on Mommy's energy level):

Read a Christmas Book every night until Christmas

Go out to breakfast

Have a family movie night: watch Polar Express and drink hot chocolate

Go sledding

Make sugar cookies and take them to our friends

Build a snowman

Make candy cane cookies

Decorate a gingerbread house

Make Santas out of construction paper and cotton balls

Go to Daddy's work Christmas party

Make homemade gifts for Grandmas and Grandpas

Re-inact the nativity: Ian is Joseph, Megan is Mary, Hunter is baby Jesus, Mom is the narrator, and Dad . . . well, dad is the donkey.

A Snowy Thanksgiving

My parents came from Montana and my brother came from Idaho for Thanksgiving. It was their first time coming to see us since we moved. The kids were so excited to see G&G they could hardly stand it. Every day for a month before they arrived the kids would ask, "How many more sleeps until 'Grandpa-with-the-whiskers' and Grandma get here?" We had a fabulous time! We went to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks and then came back to Tahoe for Thanksgiving. It snowed and snowed and snowed. I had no idea I signed up for this when we moved here. I just need to keep remembering the perfect summer weather and the perfect lake. That'll get me through the winter.

Yosemite. It was awesome. We should have packed more snow gear, but it was still awesome.

Grandpa and his boys.

Ian and Grandpa stayed in a tent (the girls slept in the hotel, of course!). Ian thought he and Grandpa were the coolest, they stayed in a (heated) tent and played "Pass the Pigs" until all hours of the night. I'm certain lots of male bonding went on.

Silly boy. I think he learned this at Preschool. That's what our hard earned money pays for.

General Grant's Tree. This tree's lumber could build 40 (count 'em: For-tee) 5,000 square foot homes. It is girnormous. The picture doesn't do it justice.

The three trees behind us are called "the Happy Family". Awwwww . . .

Meggie and Bamma.

Our Gingerbread House Christmas Tradition. Yes, I bought it at Costco. No, I'm not ashamed.

My heart.

At the lake. I already can't wait for summer.

Ian insisted that we have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I had already planned on pecan and apple, but caved at the last minute when Ian said "EVERYONE has pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving." Another little nugget he learned at preschool.

Here Chels, this is what I mean by our icicles looking like javelins. And this wasn't even one of the big ones.

She has such a sense of style.

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Muir Woods

We traveled to the Bay Area over the weekend and went to Muir Woods. It is full of giant redwood trees. Incredible! It is right by the Golden Gate Bridge near Saulsalito (and San Quentin, for that matter!) We had a great time. Could not believe how large and old the trees were. They can live up to 2,000 years.

A Jet Pilot, a ballerina, and the scariest dragon ever!

Here is our beautiful Ballerina, our fierce dragon and our awesome jet pilot! Megan is always something "princess-y" for Halloween, Hunter didn't have a choice, and Ian is all about pilots now that Dad manages an airport. We had such a fun Halloween. We had a great party at church, tons of people and fun with lots of trunk-o-treating going on.

Her "show us a cute" pose.


This is my favorite part of Hunter's costume: his little wings and tail. I was going on and on about how cute the back of Hunter was, Megan must have got a little jealous, because she stepped in front of him and said "Mom, look at the back of me! Isn't the back of me sooo cute??"

Just to give Grandma a giggle today . . .

Monster Post

Why has it been so long since my last post, you ask? I have only one lousy excuse . . . we moved . . . again. We rented a place for the summer while we looked for a house to buy. I swear, Kevin might as well be in the military for how much we've moved!

Anyway, here are the comings and goings of the Smith's for the last little while:

Cheering on the Cougars. Really hard. Its been a tough season. But we're still cheering. Really hard.

We went to Grandma Hurn's 90th birthday party in Utah. We had so much fun! It was busy while we were there and we didn't get to see everyone that we wanted to see, but it was still fun.

We got to hang out with Auntie Karrie. This is the first time Hunter and Karrie had met, even though she was there the day of his delivery! (they only let a couple of people into the NICU).

Amanda has been enjoying the fall colors . . .

Hunter is finally sitting up!

Lots of napping. Unfortunately, none of the napping has been done by mommy. Need to fix that.
Ian started Preschool at the Church of the Mountains. Kevin tells everyone that we are Mormon, but Ian is a Methodist. (the preschool isn't religious, just in the basement of a sweet little old church in downtown Truckee.)

We've been making lots of fun treats, like Froggy Cupcakes:

One last trip to the beach:




We had a fantastic summer. I still can't believe we get to live here. I got an awful thought the other day that maybe we are being blessed by getting the opportunity to live in the most incredibly gorgeous place for the next few years and that our next move is going to be to some really ugly place like Battle Mountain, Nevada or Wyoming! (just kidding, Uncle Jack :)

Things to do in Montana . . .

*Warning: you are about to embark on a picture overload.*

Things to do in Montana:

Go to the family reunion and hike up "The Gorge".

Go rafting down the Stillwater river. (Category 5 rapids, at least!)

Hang out with awesome cousins like Hannah, while you are wearing a cool hat.

Play on the waterslide.

Have all of mommy's high school friends over for a big party. Play and play and play until you can't play anymore.

Have dinner with Great Grandpa Stan and Great Grandma Bev.

Float boats down the stream Grandpa made especially for you.

Improve your culinary capabilities by learning to make fruit pizza.

Play "Pass the Pigs" no less that 387 times.

Be adored by Grandma . . . over and over and over again.

Run through the sprinklers

Go jetskiing at the lake.

Be adored by Aunt Chelsea . . . over and over and over again.

Go on the tractor everyday with Grandpa. Make sure Grandpa is "cutting hay" the right way.

Boy was that a fun-filled fantastic trip! We drove (without Kevin, mind you) all the way to Montana (about 17 hours). The kids were great. We stopped halfway in Burley, Idaho and stayed at "The Wray Hotel" (my cousin's house). Kevin flew out after we had been there a week and a half, he stayed for the Stott family reunion and then we all drove back to CA together. I can't believe how fast our time went there. We spent lots of time picking out flooring, cabinetry, etc. for the new house Mom and Dad are building. The kids are in heaven with Grandpa and Grandma. I sobbed like a baby when I had to say goodbye. My mom kept comforting me by saying "I know honey, but I'm sending you home with a really nice guy." We love Montana! Thanks for the fun trip, mom and dad!