Finally Updates!

So this will probably seem like a miracle, that I am updating my blog. But yes it is true, even if you blink 10 times it will still be here.  Finally!  Whoo hoo, now where to start.    Let’s start a the very beginning, a very good place to start…    LOL  (Sound of Music) .   I started a photography business that seriously took off so fast I couldn’t even catch up.  I was doing nothing but shooting & editing.   My house was a mess, haven’t talked to friends in months and my family is tired of seeing me clued to my computer, all due to my little business.    I have really loved taking pictures but had no idea how quickly it would take over my life.  So since September, here is what you have missed in our family life.

Shaylie does Preschool                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Me and 2 other Moms decided to do a swap for Preschool a couple times a week and it has been great!  Shaylie loves it and can’t get enough of it.   The Moms and girls we swap with are amazing and adorable and I love having them here!  When Grandma asked her what her preschool was called she said “Its called Moms talk so kids can play preschool” LOL. 

Shaylie cuts her hair – Can you believe it the little stinker.  Check out her bangs.  When I asked her what happened she just kept crying “ I love you Mommy, I really really love you!”

 

Ayden’s Birthday                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ayden turned 8!  Wow 8 years old.  I can’t believe he is old enough to be baptized.  Here are some pictures from his super fun birthday party.  He has his party at home and all of his friends came.  They played fun water games outside and Jeremy had lots of water balloon games for them to play.  Ayden is such a great kid!  Not only is he super fun to be around but  he is sincerely a nice kid.  He loves to play video games, swim, ride his bike or scooter, play basketball, baseball, & football, and the piano.  He is super smart and way sweet as well. We love you Ayden!  Happy Birthday!

 

   

  

Chase’s Football                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Chase played Football this year for the BEARS.  He loved it!  Although we had to drive pretty far to practice he thought it was great!  He scored one of the only touchdowns scored for his team all season and loves to run the ball.  Although his team finished next to last.  He loved it and can’t wait to play again next year.

  

Kids Piano Recital                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Brielle, Chase, & Ayden are all taking piano from the same gal this year.  She does a cool thing called Performance class where the kids perform at a rest home or retirement center.  It is a great opportunity for them to learn to perform in front of  a crowd.  They all did great!  Here is a picture of them playing.

                 

Ayden’s Baptism                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Ayden’s baptism was cancelled due the flu in our home so we re-scheduled for October 31st.  Yep Halloween.  It was great because we had Grandparents here.  It was a great baptism.  Brielle played the piano and the violin, Shaylie sang a solo, Chase gave a prayer, Grandma Kissell gave a talk, Grandma Smart played the piano, Daddy baptized him and Grandpa Smart confirmed him.  It was truly a special day.  It was so neat to see him make this important decision to be baptized.  We love you Ayden and are very proud of you and the example you set in our home.

Congratulations Ayden!

 

Halloween                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Halloween is always so fun for my kids, they love dressing up and this year the weather was fabulous!  We had a trunk or treat the night before Halloween at the church so the kids were free to trick r treat in our neighborhood all night.  Grandma Kissell and Grandma and Papa Smart were here which made it extra fun!   Grandma Smart made Shaylie “nice witch” costume.    Here is what the kids dressed up as: Brielle was Pepper and her friend was Salt, she went to a friends to TrickRTreat so I didn’t even get a picture of her so just imagine her dressed in Black with a big rhinestoned  P on her shirt.  Chase was and Army guy, Ayden was a super fan, and Shaylie was a Princess Nice Witch.  Cobe and Caleb surprised the kids and came with Grandma and Papa too!  They dressed up as a Superfan and Army Guy as well.  So much fun!

 

Here is Shaylie ringing our doorbell with her friend Brynn sitting inside.

Our  Artist                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Shaylie has become quite the little artist.  She is drawing all the time and has gone through a whole pack of computer paper in the last month easy.  She usually draws me as a black cat and her as a witch or me as a black cat and her as a princess with pig tails.  You will see from her drawings that she is usually wearing a crown.    Her latest drawing include Snowman, random letters, swirls, hearts, and people with lips. LOL  she is so sweet and gives me at least 5 pictures a day because she loves me.  I love you too Shaylie!  Thank you for all of the beautiful pictures, I love them!

I am working on scanning these priceless pieces and will put them up once I figure out my scanner.

New Moon Premiere                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Me and two of my good friends organized an early showing of New Moon.  We got to see it a day early and invited 185 of our closest friends. I designed our passes again, and we wore them with pride.  It was a blast!  When we showed up to theatre at 4:00 p.m. there were people waiting outside wrapped around the building waiting for the midnight showing.  Boy, did we luck out or what!?

                    This the front of the pass                                                    This is the back of the pass

 

                                                                    Kathy, Stacey, Me, & Jodee

 

                                                       I made this for pass for the three of us.

                                                

Brielle’s Braces                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Brielle got braces!  We thought she would hate them, but she thinks they are pretty cool.  She got pink the first time we went.  They really haven’t bothered her at which has been great. She got her pictures right before Thanksgiving and this is the first picture I can actually see them in.

 

Thanksgiving                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Thanksgiving was so great this year!  My family came here to visit us!  How cool is that?!  Yes all 5 brothers and sisters and Mom and Dad were here.  It was so fun having them here.  We took a family picture in the freezing cold and had Matt’s friend take it of us.  It has been years since we have all been together and it was really great!

Christmas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Merry Christmas!  We love Christmas.  I promised my family that I would not do any editing during Christmas and I kept my promise, so if you have checked my photography blog you will see very few updates.    We have had the best Christmas.  We had a couple of families come over on Christmas Eve and we made Stromboli (pizza) and had slushy punch mmmmmmm, and treats galore!  The kids made ornaments –thank you Cherish and we had a gift exchange and watched Disney Prep & Landing.

Here we are making cookies for Santa. Sugar cookies that are Gluten Free too!  Thanks Brianna!! Your cookies are awesome!

No snow to sled, so we went ice blocking…….brrrr!

Christmas Eve, making ornaments.

Christmas Morning………………………………………………………………….waiting to come downstairs to see if Santa came.

 

he did find us!!!

 

 

Shaylie got a Barbie Doll House, Chase got a Nintendo DS, Ayden got a Nintendo DS and Brielle got a Nintendo DS from Santa. They love them!  Thank You Santa!

Then on Christmas Day we decided to go to Spokane so that we could see my parents.  They had planned on coming her but my Dad had hurt his foot somehow and couldn’t walk.  Sort of a problem if you ask me, so we went and spent the weekend there.  It was nice to be with family and we always love going back to Spokane.

Well now that I am officially caught up I will do my best to stay caught up with regular posts!  We love you and really love checking all of your blogs and staying in touch that way.  We love you!  Merry Christmas!