To remember when I'm old

The other day Brooklyn's dinner prayer went something like this: "Thank you we can eat good food and not rotten food or dirt or rocks or wood chips." Yes, thank goodness.

On the subject of good food...when our family has sandwiches for lunch the whole scene is so strange. Mackenzie likes bread, cheese, mayo and mustard with turkey on the side and several extra slices of cheese. OK. Brooklyn requests bread ketchup, mustard, and lettuce. Gross, right? She does not like cheese. Or lunch meat. Robert's sandwich starts out normal, but then... ketchup is his condiment of choice. Not normal.  And then FREAKS OUT about the fact that there is mustard anywhere in the kitchen and is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED that anyone in our family is eating mayonaisse. Chaos.

Christmas Fun

2011 Christmas card

December 2011

Merry Christmas!

We are sending love to all our family and friends this holiday season. We are so grateful for all of the people in our lives!

Here’s a short summary of the Smith happenings…

Robert continues working hard at his own business. He currently has two residential developments he is working on in St. George. He enjoys working with the 14 and 15 year old Teachers at church. And, as always, Robert is the greatest help with the girls. Highlights of his year include a BYU football trip to Memphis and meeting Chad Lewis at the Spudman Triathlon.

This year I’ve taken up swimming and also started playing tennis. My hobbies are great but my full time job is the best (and hardest) part of life…taking care of the needs of 3 girls, figuring out what to feed the family, cleaning up whatever I decide to feed the family, the process of having clean children and clothes etc, keeping fighting as minimal as possible, homework, bills, getting everyone where they need to go (on time?), activity days and Young Women’s sports, hosting playgroups. Wait a minute! No wonder I’m half crazy!

Mackenzie (5) loves kindergarten. She always asks to stay for “extended day” and is always disappointed when it is Saturday. We love seeing the progress she is making with sounding out the words she writes and reads. Mackenzie loves animals, especially kittens. We may have to ban her from checking out kitty books from the library because of the sobbing it can cause.

I was worried about Brooklyn (4) being home so much without her pal Mackenzie (who is doing all day kinder). But she has done great. Luckily Brooklyn has preschool and dance twice a week so she can feel big too. She is constantly writing her name and drawing pictures for everyone. She also loves to help me in the kitchen. She always says, “I want to help make!”

And Charlotte…what to say about Charlotte…She is now 14 months and so, so cute and requires so, so much attention. We love watching her little personality developing. Her favorite foods are frozen go-gurts and mandarin oranges.

Much Love,

The Smiths 

Oh yeah and Brooklyn turned 4

Back in the blur of November my sweet goofy Brooklyn had birthday #4. She is growing up so quickly and I've been packing up all the 3T dresses and wishing she wasn't too tall for them.

Brooklyn decided she wanted bunny cupcakes to take to her preschool class and this is what we came up with.

Here she is with Braden and Oakley. I go to go to her class, take treats, and play freeze dance with the kids.

Brooklyn got to celebrate her birthday in Fallon since we were already there for Thanksgiving. I think it was exciting for her to have her birthday at Grandma's!

Truth

"A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?"

Elder Lynn G. Robbins April 2011 Conference

Merry Christmas!

 Brother Dresser in our ward had all this fancy equipment to take family pictures at our ward party. Family pictures in this family are a rarity so I was excited. Isn't Christmas time the best?

Toothless

Mackenzie is losing teeth at an incredible rate. She is a few months away from turning 6 and has lost 6 teeth. Her 2 bottom front teeth have grown in but the rest don't show any signs of coming any time soon. We're hoping her big girl teeth are stronger than her baby ones!