The Smiths

Daddy-Natie Time

2012-01-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Natalie and daddy were being adorable, spending time together sitting exactly alike.

Naturally, the moment the camera came out, Natalie decided to be cranky, so this was as good as I could get.

The New Art Center

2012-01-26T12:51:00.005-07:00

Our art center was, to say the least, a disaster. I knew where everything was, but the girls and Steven could never get to it. They didn't even know where to look half the time.

The solution:

A new cabinet

Four cloth storage boxes

Three small see-through boxes

Three medium see-through boxes

And voila!

Now the kids can see into each bin to decide if they'd prefer to color or do water colors, use paper or coloring books, have pom poms or beads or Popsicle sticks. There is even a small box (the red one) solely dedicated to Steven for his homework time.

Random Summer Pictures III

2012-01-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

The quintessential difference between my son and my daughter:

Steven is ready for battle at a moment's notice.

Natalie is ready to smell the flowers at a moment's notice.

Random Summer Pictures II

2012-01-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

More fun pictures from grandma's camera!

Today's post as all about GRANDPA!!

Grandpa loves his garden. This year is no exception. The kids and grandpa were checking out his garden, scoping out the baby pumpkins starting to grow.

Grandpa loves his swimming pool. Mostly he loves that the kids can swim in the swimming pool at his house! (Sorry for the photo bomb, but I really struggled limiting my pictures, they were so awesome.)

Steven is, as ever, a fish.

Natalie's getting braver about the water, but still prefers to be out of it, except big brother swims, so she must too.

Random Summer Pictures I

2012-01-22T17:36:00.004-07:00

I'm updating from my in-law's computer, which means I get access to some of their great pictures.

One of our local playgrounds is super fun. We've been here before, as seem here and here.

Still very fun, we enjoyed it with grandma and grandpa, too!

Charming boy

Look at her! She just shouldn't be big enough to do this!

Two precious children

Back to Blogging

2012-01-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

My New Year's Resolution was to get back to blogging. Yet, here we are, twenty days into January and I haven't accomplished a single post. However, I still have every intention of getting back to it.

We were given a new (to us) camera by some friends who had upgraded. I'll take it!! It's better than my camera, that didn't survive a serious fall down the side of a mountain. (Don't worry, I have pictures of this location, since the memory card DID survive.) So this should help my endeavor to blog.

So, to start, a very simple post about a very adorable girl:

I got a new washing machine for Christmas. It's fantastic! It's high effeciency and top loading. The lid is see-through. I must admit, I'm addicting to watching my laundry get clean...

...So is Natalie!

T-ball and Yogurt

2011-09-27T13:33:00.000-06:00

We went to Steven's T-ball game, but today I noticed a big difference. His first game was exactly as you would expect a five-year-old's first t-ball game to be.

Today was entirely different! I knew Steven would improve, but he and his team has made leaps. Well, sorta... Now, instead of indifference or ignorance, there is a hoard that always descends upon the ball. If a ball played towards the pitcher, the outfielder knows he has an equal opportunity to make a play on that ball, too. He just has to run to it!

The other ways Steven has improved:

He is great at fielding now. He always gets ready.
He is great at hitting.

He's just so cute!

Today was also my birthday. We decided to meet our friends at Yo Craze. This place is A-maz-ing!
Our friends lovingly treated us to our frozen yogurt, even though it was my idea to come here. Natalie and Eliana were excited to spend more time together than the usual.

Happy Birthday

2011-09-24T13:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Nate and Claudia!!!

I cannot believe we are 33. I don't feel any older. I'm positive that after my kids were born, I simply stopped aging.

And yet, I look at my cousin, now a high schooler (?!) and realize that I must be getting older.

Well then, I must enjoy every moment, every time Natalie snuggles with her uncle,

every birthday cake,

every moment.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T13:05:00.000-06:00

Vogue

2011-09-12T13:07:00.000-06:00

"Mom, Eliana and I are going to dance class!" Natalie exclaims

"Sounds like fun!" I respond

"We've even got our makeup on."

"You sure do, honey..."

(For what it's worth, "makeup" is sidewalk chalk.)

Dellany remained unscathed from the "makeup." Mostly because she adamantly refused (read: Shouted at the girls to NOT get the sidewalk chalk anywhere near her face.)

Just Go To Bed, Will Ya?

2011-09-09T13:01:00.003-06:00

Natalie, undoubtedly still needs afternoon naps. But she thinks she needs to fight it. Sometimes it's too big of a battle. She looks so uncomfortable, but when we tried to wake her, she barely managed to glare at us, and the eyes drifted closed again.

Back Together

2011-09-02T14:02:00.000-06:00

We went to a friend's house for her son's first birthday party. Since we usually do our Mom's Bible Study together during the school year, we don't get to hang out that much over the summer. We really enjoyed the time back together.

Most of the moms

Natalie and her friends checking out the cakes

First T-Ball Game

2011-09-01T13:09:00.000-06:00

Steven had his first t-ball game on Tuesday. Sadly, I couldn't make it since Steven had his first back-to-school night.

It was a typical t-ball game: half the kids played in the dirt all the time, half played in the dirt half the time. Only a few kids paid full attention... My child was not one of them. See? He's in the back of this picture, kicking the dirt.

Talking to a boy from the other team. I'm assuming he's introducing himself and making friends, since that's just what he does. Always!

Getting ready to run to third

Playing third base... backwards

Standing with daddy, the coach

He also decided to run the wrong direction. My mom said he just over ran first base (which is legal, I might add), but this clearly looks like he is running in the wrong direction.

My little pro!

At least someone was paying attention

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T14:01:00.002-06:00

Go to Your ROOM!

2011-08-30T14:35:00.004-06:00

After repeatedly asking Natalie to go to her room for bedtime, things got quiet. We assumed that she managed to make her way to her room and go to sleep.

We were half right, she was sleeping...

Pictures to Follow

2011-08-24T13:42:00.002-06:00

I haven't been blogging for a myriad of reasons, but primarily, it's because I've been having camera issues.

First problem, our camera cord that uploads pictures to the computer went missing. I found it today, in the kids' toy box.

Our new camera we purchased on Black Friday (Friday after Thanksgiving), was very unceremoniously thrown down the side of a mountain. Don't worry, I'll share the pictures and the full story later.

Third, I lost the CDs of the pictures of the past few months. I'm still looking for them, but I'm not sure if I'll find them. I suppose I should just go get more CDs.

As it stands, I still haven't updated all of June and July, including Steven's birthday. I will get to it. However, I realize that if I don't start to blog the new stuff I'm getting, I'll never catch up. I will definitely get to it. I will let you know when I am current.

First Day of Kindergartten

2011-08-24T13:34:00.005-06:00

Today my oldest goes to kindergarten!

After a lot of soul searching and research, we decided that he should do the full-day program. We think it will be best for him, since the intensity of kindergarten is, well, intense. The full day program allows Steven to work really hard in the afternoons and practice the skills he's learning in the morning, in a less rigorous environment. More than that, he gets to play with children, specifically other boys, his age.

He goes to Kindergarten Enrichment in the morning and afternoon kindergarten. Currently he is almost done with his first full day. I'm eager to see my boy and find out how it went.

Hugging Daddy before he goes to work

First Day!

Steven's Kindergarten Enrichment Classroom. He found his name.

The final pose before mom leaves.

Surgery

2011-06-09T13:26:00.000-06:00

Steven had been having some sleep apnea and snoring issues lately. After a visit to the ENT, it was determined, that due to the size of his adenoids and tonsils, Steven should have them removed.

Before Surgery

Before Surgery with a Cheesy Smile

In the Operating Room, getting some last minute Leapster in.

After Surgery

The results have been truly staggering. I supposed that we would see results after the swelling in his throat diminished, but I was pleasantly surprised. The results were immediate! He hasn't had a single moment more of snoring or apnea! It's been wonderful.

Children's Hospital was truly amazing. We were able to walk with Steven back to the OR. We stayed with him until he fell completely asleep. They made sure that his lovies, Toothless and Blue, were with him the whole time, so they were the first things he could see when he woke up. When he was awake, we were able to spend the rest of the time with him.

Whatever Steven does. . .

2011-06-01T13:02:00.000-06:00

. . . so, too, must Natalie:

Prom -- 2011

2011-05-20T15:59:00.001-06:00

Nate's annual prom picture.

This year he brought balloons home for the kids to play with. Two words: BIG HIT!!!

Friend's Birthday Party

2011-04-29T15:56:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Natalie's birthday with the her best friends, Eliana and Dellany.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T15:47:00.000-06:00

Natalie - 3 Year Stats

2011-04-27T10:14:00.000-06:00

Height: 3 ft 3.25 in -- 89th percentile
Weight: 36.3 lbs -- 90th percentile

2011-04-24T15:36:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Natalie!!!

Not only is today Easter, but it's also Natalie's birthday.

She asked for a butterfly cake. It ended up being a very pink cake, but Natalie loved it all the more!

She was so happy to be able to dress like a princess for her birthday, since her Easter dress was very, well, princess-y!

Steven loved helping Natalie to open her presents. He can hardly wait for his birthday, but he has to wait six more weeks.

2011-04-24T15:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter!!!

Today was a special day! We celebrated Easter. It was especially fun, because Steven is really beginning to understand why we celebrate Easter. Jesus has risen to save us from our "thumbs down" choices.

Easter Baskets

And Penny Too!

Dying Easter Eggs

Easter Egg Hunt

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T15:50:00.001-06:00

Easter Egg Hunt and Resurrection Celebration

2011-04-16T14:56:00.001-06:00

Our church, Mt. Olive Lutheran, held their annual Easter egg hunt. It was so much fun!

Eliana and Lorena were able to join us.

Steven had a ton of fun playing with his best friend, Ryan.

After the Easter egg hunt, we went to the church for some a story, crafts, and a snack.

My least favorite part: Just as we were getting ready to leave, Natalie fell down. She was crying more than I would suspect from a minor tumble, so I lovingly pick her up to check on her. She starts squirming and yelled, "I HAVE TO PEEEEEEE!!!" She proceeded to do so... ON ME!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T13:40:00.000-06:00

First and Last

2011-04-10T13:34:00.001-06:00

We were able to get tickets to the Avalanche season finale. It has been a dismal season for the Avs, but ultimately we are big fans.

Today was Steven and Natalie's first professional sporting event. They seemed to love it. . . for two periods. We enjoyed the game for as long as we could, but left when the kids got too restless. I'm excited to take them to more sporting events in the future.

Last game I had box seats! This game, quite literally, second row from the top! See where I sat last game?

Today was also Avs' defense man, Adam Foote's last game.

It was amazing to be a part of his final game. He was injured, but played nonetheless, knowing he would play no more. During the first period, they played his retirement speech on the jumbo tron, resulting in a massive standing ovation, lasting for several minutes. Even the center linesman (ref) was applauding. It was pretty emotional, especially for Foote, who was trying very hard not to cry, in my opinion.

My favorite memory of Adam Foote: Foote had been traded to Columbus for a three seasons. In February 2008, at the trade deadline, Columbus traded Foote back to the Avs. Now, most players just wait until they get their affairs in order and then move to their new team.

Not Foote! He got the quickest flight to Calgary, where the Avs were playing and suited up to play with his "new" team in the middle of a game. We've always loved hard-hitting, team-building, fun-to-watch leader of the Colorado Avalanche. He will be missed.

Caleb: A Child of God

2011-04-03T09:33:00.004-06:00

Caleb was baptised today. It was a beautiful service.

The funny part: Caleb cried from the moment Julie and Zane brought him up to the alter to the moment they sat back down. It was amusing to see all the moms (very old to brand new) smile indulgently at Julie and Zane. After all, we've all had a crying, inconsolable baby.

I arranged with our bell choir to play a piece for the baptism. I asked my cousin to record it. I know from experience that my camera is very specific about how to record. That said, he managed to record the last page of this beautiful song.

Caleb with Pastor Shearier

Caleb with his new godfather, MikeAnd of course, Steven and Caleb.

WOW Day

2011-03-30T13:59:00.001-06:00

Steven had his WOW Day at school. This is the special day where Steven gets to do ALL the jobs, such as calendar, line leader, etc. AND he gets to have his family come to school for the last half hour.

He made a poster of pictures for his friends. I loved it because he drew a Viking ship on it and it really looked like a Viking ship.

He got to show his favorite toy. Of course, his favorite toy was his Viking Gear.

Steven's whole family showed up for the affair: Mom, Dad, Natalie, Grammy, Uncle Trevor, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Luke, Pearl, and Uncle Tyler.

His special snack was Krispy Kreme Donuts that Pearl made.

Steven's Bestest Best Friend, Ryan

T-REX!!! I'm a Tyrannosaurus!

2011-03-25T14:19:00.002-06:00

Steven loves all thing dinosaurs right now. It's pretty cool for me, because I get to learn about them, too.

He loves to let the carnivours eat the herbivours. He also knows what quadrapeds are and that we are bipedal. I'm always astounded by the information my four year old garners!

Our neighbor, Luke, brought his dinosaurs out to play, too!

Happy Birthday Great Grandma,Great Grandpa, and Aunt Sharon

2011-03-23T14:05:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Great Grandma, Great Grandpa and Aunt Sharon's birthday all on the same day.

To surprise grandma and grandpa, Julie and Caleb also visited.

I must admit: I'm still totally stoked about being an aunt. ALL of my pictures included Caleb.

SOOOO Hungry!

2011-03-21T14:02:00.001-06:00

Nothing makes Natalie more grumpy than being hungry. She was SO hungry and SO cranky that she put her head over her bowl and just shoveled the food in.

There, much better.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T13:59:00.001-06:00

Just a picture of what I attempted for Natalie's hair today. It's supposed to be a four-leaf clover. I'll work on it more for next year.

Monkey Bizness

2011-03-10T13:23:00.005-07:00

One of Steven's classmates celebrated her birthday at Monkey Bizness, a fun, indoor playground. It's full of slides, obstacle courses, a bounce house and a climbing wall.

Steven and Natalie in another obstacle course. The last time we were at Monkey Bizness, Natalie couldn't climb to the different levels without help.

Steve on the obstacle course

Natalie in the bounce house

Steven's best friend, Ryan, was there. He was really good about posing for the camera, but Steven wanted nothing to do with it. This was as good as I could get with the two of them... the one time when the flash didn't go off!

The big slide!!!

Hearts in the Hair

2011-02-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dellany and Natalie wanted to have hearts in their hair for Valentine's day. I LOVED the way it turned out!

Now I'm looking forward to Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.

BFFs

2011-02-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

As always, Natalie and Eliana are always giggling with each other.

Sharing Vacation with Pearl and Uncle Luke

2011-02-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

We went to the Butterfly Pavillion with Uncle Luke and Pearl, Luke's girlfriend. We also went to Hammond's Candy Factory. It was pretty cool, but the batteries in my camera crapped out.

We had so much fun!

Pearl and Steven

Grumpy Natalie. She only wanted Mommy for most of the trip. Very exhausting for me!

For the first time, the kids were brave enough to touch the sea star and the crab.

The butterflies were amazing as always.

Natalie loved the flowers. Do you see the butterfly at the very bottom, left-hand of this picture? Just a moment later, it took off, scaring Natalie like crazy. We almost got the picture, but the camera batteries decided to quit! Grrr.

Museum with Daddy

2011-02-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

During the first week of February, we got very lucky! Thursday was a scheduled day off for me and Friday was a scheduled day off for the whole family, even Nate. The really lucky part is that on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather was too cold to safely let children who may not have coats to go outside. Therefore, the powers that be at the school canceled school! That's FOUR straight days off! WOO HOO!!

Well, needless to say, by Friday, we were a little stir-crazy. We decided to get away to the museum.

New Look at the Old Indoor Playground

2011-02-22T13:54:00.004-07:00

We went to the Cherry Creek Mall to play one morning. The mall has re-vamped their play area

From this:

To this:

Totally fun and new!

Baby Kaia

2011-02-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

The weekend that Caleb came to visit, we also got to visit with another cousin. Baby Kaia, Angelo's baby sister, visited us for the first time. She was born two weeks before Caleb. Two babies in one weekend! So awesome.

Aunt Becky

Aunt Freda

Tyler

Pearl, Luke's girlfriend

Great Weekend

2011-02-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, Julie, Zane and Caleb came to Denver for a visit.

It was wonderful.

Steven and Natalie got to meet their cousin for the first time.

Steven's in love! He talks about Caleb all the time.

I was able to hold my precious nephew for the first time ever. He's pretty amazing.

On Sunday, Julie, Natalie, and I went to the Brown Palace for tea. It's so expensive, but it's a special treat. Natalie loved it; after all, it combines two of her favorite things: wearing pretty dresses and eating sweet food!

This was before Natalie got food in her belly. Being hungry is one of the biggest things to make Natie crankier than a bear.

Mmmmmm, Chocolate!!

The right way to hold the teacup, according to Natalie

The girls

Cool Ice

2011-02-14T10:19:00.004-07:00

Trevor was able to play in a hockey tournament. They played the games on Pepsi Center Ice. This is the same ice that the Colorado Avalanche play on! So totally cool!

His team did very well. In fact, they won! They took first place in the tournament.

Sewing in the Hair

2011-02-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

The girls wanted heart ribbon in their hair today. I gave each girl a unique style:

Lutheran High School

2011-02-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

So the rumor is that my old high school, Denver Lutheran High School, will be shutting its doors rather soon.

Nate and I are, as many of you know, high school sweethearts. Dating in high school (for us, anyway) meant that we spent a TON of time at the school for sporting events. Nate was a football player and wrestler. I was a cheerleader and soccer player. We were at school a lot.

We wanted to make sure we could get to at least one last game before the old doors closed for good. I made sure to bring my camera in order to take nostalgic pictures.

Basketball team

Cheerleaders

Great Hall

First Wing

Third Wing

Commons

Penny's Help

2011-02-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Now that I've started my sewing blog, I spend time sewing (go figure)! The funny thing is, Penny LOVES this. When she hears me get my sewing kit out, she comes running.

I was attempting to cut the batting for a quilt I'm making for Natalie's room. The moment the material swished on the floor, she was either laying on it or crawling under it.

Fort

2011-02-01T13:41:00.002-07:00

Remember how fun it is to take all the cushions off the sofa and make a fort? Steven and Natalie have discovered this joy!

My New Challenge

2011-01-26T14:32:00.003-07:00

I've started a new blog! This blog has included a challenge to go along with it. I'm very excited and, admittedly, a little nervous. It is a large undertaking.

Be sure to check out my new blog HERE. Also, as I add posts to it, you can check it out from my blog list, where the link is on the side of this blog.

Natalie's First Haircut

2011-01-25T07:12:00.001-07:00

Natalie received her first haircut a few weeks ago. Okay, so it was more of a trim and you really couldn't tell a difference, length-wise, when it was done. However, it actually looks better! And Natalie loves how the knots are easier to brush out and are less frequent.

I, rather irrationally, thought that the blond hair would be gone, since her hair is darker at the roots. I was also worried that that once her hair was cut her baby curls would disappear, because the longer her hair gets, the straighter it gets. I'm ecstatic to report that not only did the blond curls NOT go away, but the trim made her curls pop again.

Before

First Snip

After

Cowboy Day!

2011-01-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Steven's school had cowboy day. Steve was eager to wrangle his horses and wear his cowboy hat.

The Many Faces of Natalie

2011-01-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Nate asked Natie to make different faces for him. Here is what she thinks each emotion "looks" like:
Happy

Grumpy
Angry
Surprised
Scared
That's Enough, Daddy
I'm Outta Here

Repunzel

2011-01-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Steven got to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa for the first time.

We don't feel like Natie's ready. Rather, we don't feel like anyone but mommy is braver enough to deal with Natie in the middle of the night. But, to soften the blow, we told Natalie she could go see a movie with mommy and daddy. Naturally, she chose Repunzel!

Naturally, the next day she wanted to wear a purple dress and have her hair braided just like Repunzels. This was what I could come up with:For comparison:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T06:41:00.002-07:00

First BIG Snowstorm

2011-01-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Really, the first snowstorm of the season. Yes, even though we live in Colorado, we have had an extrodinarily dry winter. But, a few weeks ago, we FINALLY got snow!

New Places to Hide

2011-01-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

First, ditch ALL the towels.

Then climb in.

Last, try to convince mom or dad to close the door.

New Pictures of Caleb

2011-01-14T22:08:00.003-07:00

My sister sent me some new pictures of Caleb. I'm so happy since all my pictures so far haven't been very good!

I never realized that I could love my nephew so much! He's so amazing and handsome. I'm totally and irrevocably in love with him!

Christmas Hairstyles

2011-01-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was nearly impossible to get good pictures of Natalie's hair due to her level of excitement, but here's what I attempted.

Christmas tree, complete with lights that I threaded into her hair

Single french braid headband with ribbons

Boxing Day...

2011-01-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

...A week late.

Because Caleb was slated to go home on Boxing Day (December 26), we decided we would try to open presants at my mom's house a little later that day. Unfortunately, Caleb couldn't go home that day, and Julie and Zane had to stay at the hospital longer than expected, our plans fell through. So we went to mom's house a week late.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T07:19:00.001-07:00

Hugs!!!

2011-01-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about Christmas break, was watching my children play so nicely with each other. All break!! It was so refreshing! Even when hugs got a little too rambunctious, they didn't get cranky with each other!

Caleb's Story

2011-01-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well after I posted about how my nephew was born, he did, in fact, run into some problems.

The doctors in Nebraska were concerned about Caleb's heart. They decided to fly him from Nebraska to Denver, Colorado. Zane and Caleb flew by private jet to a small airport. Caleb was then flown by helicopter to a local hospital. Zane's best friend drove him from the airport to the hospital.

Once Caleb was stabilized, it was discovered that his heart was, in fact, just fine! We were so thankful for this wonderful news! However, his lungs were still immature, despite being born only two weeks early. He was placed on a ventilator with the prospect of being on it for a week. He was taking 110 breaths per minute. The goal is less than 30 breaths!

Happily, Caleb only needed the vent for a few days. He was extubated and was placed on a nasal canula. After being in the hospital for only a few days, he was set to go home on Sunday!! The only thing he needed to do was to pass his car seat test. The baby needs to sit in a car seat for the length of the trip home while keeping his breathing rate low and his oxygenation levels high. Unfortunately Caleb failed the test. He then continued to fail for the next three days. Finally by Wednesday, Caleb was allowed to go home! He was to be on oxygen for extra support, but was otherwise doing fantastic!

Steven's Mess

2011-01-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Not really sure why I thought this was blog-able. I suppose I'm just impressed with the shear magnitude of the mess. Thankfully, he did a great job in cleaning up... Eventually...

Snuggle Time

2011-01-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

We got a new chair that is the perfect size to fit two children. Steven and Natalie enjoy snuggling down together.

2010-12-25T17:24:00.004-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We celebrated Christmas in our traditional way: Christmas Eve at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house.

On Christmas morning, we opened up presants

then we stopped back by my grandparents

before we went to Nate's parents' house.

Christmas Title 2010

2010-12-24T14:56:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to add the blog title for December 2010

Gingerbread House!

2010-12-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Steven kept asking to make a gingerbread house this year. I cheaped out and bought a kit. Very well spent money, if I do say so myself! So much easier than baking the gingerbread pieces from scratch!

Caleb Asher is here!!

2010-12-22T13:42:00.003-07:00

My sister started to have troubles in the last few weeks. She has gestational diabetes, but has controlled her sugars very well with diet. She never has had to use insulin. However, one of the side affects of GD is large babies.

At 36 weeks, 4 weeks before her due date, her baby was measuring 8 lbs, 7 oz. and Julie was measuring 41 weeks.

Last Friday, after insisting that her baby wasn't moving like he should she went in for an NST (non-stress test). Which, initially showed the nice variations that doctors like to see with baby heart rates. But then Julie had two contractions back-to-back. Her son's heart rate dropped to 90. It went back up, but they decided to move her doctor appointment for the following week up from Thursday to Monday.

During the ultrasound on Monday, the doctors noticed that Julie's baby was generally swollen and that two chambers in his heart were enlarged. They consulted with doctors here in Denver and it was determined that, while the situation wasn't emergent, there was no longer any benefit to keeping Julie pregnant. The c-section was scheduled for today, Wednesday, December 22.

I just found out that my nephew, Caleb Asher was born!! He weighed in at 10 lbs, 7.1 oz. So far he is doing well, but I haven't gotten any real updates on his health.

Bedecked in Ribbons

2010-12-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Natalie has been excited to let me do her hair lately. Today we did the ribbon head band.

And a few other pictures thrown in, because she was hamming it up.

Museum Trip

2010-12-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a camera, I'm excited to share some more pictures.

Straight No Chaser, "Twelve Days of Christmas"

2010-12-08T21:21:00.001-07:00

I've blogged this before, but I can't find it in order to bump it up. Since it was so good, I thought I'd re-embed it.

Thoughts and Prayers

2010-12-07T07:08:00.003-07:00

Nate's and Tyler's school went on lock-down yesterday for a shooting that happened right in front of it.

Please keep Nate, Tyler, the rest of the staff and the students in your prayers.

Click HERE for a link to the story. Nate is walking around in his suit.

Family Photos

2010-11-23T20:11:00.006-07:00

Early in October, we had a family photo shoot by Donita. The photos were so wonderful.

In no particular order, here they are:

I love Natalie's "sniffing" nose

I know you can't see both of them, but I love the candid-ness of this photo.

A Quick Update

2010-11-05T06:59:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a few weeks. My camera is broken. I never realized just how contingent my blogging was to my picture taking. I'm hoping to get a new one for Christmas.

But, for now, a quick update on our clan:

Just after the last post, we had a HORRIBLE stomach bug rip through our family.

It started with Natalie. She didn't puke very much, just every few hours, but she wouldn't eat or drink anything. So, by that evening, she hadn't had a wet diaper in 12 hours. Unfortunately, urgent care was closed, so we had to take her to the ER. Yup, Natalie needs an ER trip again!! When we got there, she felt the need to toss her cookies right there in the triage area. And, stupid me, I forgot to bring her a change of clothes. Thankfully, other than the lack of wet diapers, Natalie was showing no other signs of dehydration, so they gave her some anti-nausea medicine. After it had time to settle her stomach, I gave her 5 mL of pedialyte every 5 minutes for an hour. Finally, after a wet diaper, we were discharged to go home at 2:30 AM.

The next night, around 8:30, I felt it coming on for me. I hit the sack, hoping to get some sleep before it struck full force. By 11:00, I was so sick. Finally, around 3:00 AM, I was well enough to go to sleep. (Night number 2 with no sleep)

The following afternoon Nate got it.

Steven got it that night. Between 11:30 and 2:30, Steven puked every 5-15 minutes! From 2:30 to 11:30 the next morning, he puked every half hour. Because Nate was still so sick, I stayed awake with Steven. He was SO sick!! Finally, we got his stomach to settle and he could catch up on sleep. (Night number 3)

From then on, Steven puked once a night for the next 7 days, except for two nights in which case, he woke up to vivid nightmares!!! (Nights 4-10)

Then we got nailed AGAIN!!! I'm not sure if it was the same bug or a different, but the symptoms were different. Regardless, it managed to back through the entire family, this time starting with Steven.

Now, after two full weeks of a (or two) stomach bug(s), we are finally healthy again! That was NO FUN AT ALL!!!!

Amidst this, I noticed Natalie was bruising again. I had given her ibuprofen, since she was complaining that her joints were hurting (eventually, we all got the achy joints and could relate to Natie). I took her in to the doctor. Her platelet count was 149,000. 150,000 is normal, so it wasn't normal, but it wasn't particularly low, either. So, we're in a holding pattern on her once again. As of writing this today, we have to wait a few more weeks before we test her again. She's still bruising, so I'm not sure where her levels are.

This leads me to wonder a few things: Will she be able to use ibuprofen without it dropping her counts? But, the bruising that has continued leads me to doubt that. If it was the ibuprofen, her counts should have come back up by now. Secondly, will every serious virus we get lead her platelets to drop? If so, that's pretty manageable, but it may possibly effect the sports she chooses to play.

Cute Twists

2010-10-15T07:07:00.000-06:00

Really easy to do. Just divide the pony into two sections, twist and twist and twist. Then wrap the twist around each other in the opposite direction of the twists. Tie off, repeat twice more.

Fire Station

2010-10-13T07:08:00.000-06:00

Every year, we go to the Cunningham Fire Protection District's pancake breakfast. Not only is the food great, but the kids get to climb on firetrucks and ambulances and run through obstacle courses. They also provide fantastic fire safety and prevention information and perform car seat safety checks. It's great!

In the ambulance

On the firetruck

In the firetruck

The obstacle course:

Natalie

Preparing for the obstacle course

Carrying the hose

Putting out the fire

Rescuing the bear

Steven

Putting out the fire

Rescuing the bear

Do you see the smoke behind Natalie in the bear rescue picture? This part emulates a smoky room. Steven finally got brave and went through the "smoky room." Sadly, my camera turned out purple pictures that were blurry.

Hair Cut...

2010-10-12T14:08:00.000-06:00

... AT THE BARBER SHOP!!!

Steven hates anything that deviates from his norm. Anything!!! Which makes the barbershop a hated place.

However, after a good deal of bribery and coersion. . .

, . . and watching Granpa and Uncle Luke taking a turn . . .

. . . Steven decided to give it a go

He didn't love it, but it was totally worth it!

Before

After

2010-10-08T07:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mommy and Daddy!!!

Every year Nate and I celebrate our birthdays (Sept 14 and Sept 27, respectively) together. I forgot the camera for the celebration at Nate's parent, which naturally included Tyler. But, I brought it for the celebration at my grandparents.

Aunt Iona (Grandma's sister) and Geri (Grandma's niece) were able to join us!

Natie playing in the yard

Natie and Daddy

Steven and Grandpa

Yes, 32 years old!!

A Ribbon-y Day

2010-10-07T06:50:00.001-06:00

Last month I felt like fixing the girls' hair with ribbons. Each girl got a different style. They were SO cute!

Eliana- an oldy, but a goody! This is one of my favorite styles

Dellany- don't you hate it when headbands (or in this case ribbons) don't stay put. This is the perfect solution

Natie- a different take on Dellany's. If I were to do it again, I'd add more ponies in front. I think it would improve the look.

As always, I gathered these hairstyle ideas from Princess Hair and Babes in Hairland. The links can be found to the right.

Lorena

2010-10-06T07:28:00.000-06:00

(((BUMP!!!!)))

Well, it seems that when I originally posted this, I didn't add pics of Lorena! I meant to get the pictures of her after her nap, but that didn't happen. I've had the pics for some time now, so I've decided to bump this post up on the queue.

I mentioned Lorena in the Sprinkler Park post, last Wednesday, but I haven't officially introduced her!

This is Lorena, Eliana's little sister. She is a sweetheart. She loves watching the other children play. We are very blessed to have her with us!

Sweet, sweet Lorena

Lorena is starting to army crawl. The thing is, she's good at going, well, umm, backwards. Which means she tucked herself right under my computer desk.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T07:19:00.002-06:00

Steven's First Homework Assignment

2010-10-05T18:44:00.002-06:00

We'll see just how excited I am in ten years when we're inundated with homework. But, for now, I'm stoked to allow Steven to show off!

For Steven's "All About Me" assignment, Steven chose all the pictures to go on the paper. Then he chose where to put them. He wrote his age all by himself. I might add that it was the very first time he ever attempted to write the number "4" and this was unprompted! It looks more like an "A," but the point is, he did it!

2010-10-05T18:42:00.003-06:00

I'm so sorry, my faithful readers (if there are any left). I am very far behind. I blame the whirl wind of going full time with the kids I watch, Steven starting school, and some other interesting things. I also blame facebook. Let's face it, I'm addicted to the easy two or three sentence responses to things. Although, I'm truly a blogger at heart, so now I'm back!

Uncle Trevor's Hockey Game

2010-09-05T06:41:00.000-06:00

We went to Uncle Trevor's hockey game last weekend! It was so much fun. Steven and Natalie particularly liked running around the viewing area. And holding Trevor's sticks.

Trevor wears number 4 for the green team.

How Does She Manage It?

2010-09-03T06:28:00.000-06:00

I mean really?

Natalie woke up Sunday morning with a big, glaringly ugly bruise next to her mouth. She came to Nate crying around 10:00pm on Saturday night. I was in the shower at the time, so I don't know how hard she was crying. The next morning when we saw the bruise, we suspect that Natalie fell out of bed and bonked her mouth right where her binky is.

KinderBike Photos

2010-09-02T06:48:00.001-06:00

If you haven't guessed from previous posts, we are big KinderBike fans. The concept is simple: The child learns to balance without the use of pedals. Once confidence is attained, pedals can be introduced. Therefore, you can teach your child how to ride a bike without the use of training wheels. It's really cool!

Our next door neighbors had a balance bike for their young son. By the time he was 3, Luke was riding a bike all by himself without training wheels. Impressive! Well, here's their other secret: They are the owners and designers of KinderBike!

They asked if we would be willing to share the kids. They have a rather large and important conference coming up and wanted to get the best picture of their product being used by real children. After talking to Eliana's and Dellany's parents, we went to park for a KinderBike photo shoot.

Nephew!

2010-09-01T06:42:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to add a picture of my nephew. Julie sent this to me via her phone and I had to share! If you're not good at seeing the ultrasound image, this is his profile. The nose and lips are pretty clear. If you look carefully, you can see an arm bone angling down towards the bottom of the picture.

Church Picnic

2010-08-31T06:32:00.000-06:00

Every year, Mt. Olive does a church picnic. It is a really fun day that gives us the opportunity to share time with friends. It's also a great excuse to wear shorts to church!

Poor Natalie. She loves slides, but this one was too hot. In fact, she burned her poor feet.

Instead, she played in the water buckets.

Steven loved this, too.

The cake walk. We even won a cake. It was the one we made for the cake walk, but hey, we won. The kids were excited.

Steven's First Day of School

2010-08-30T13:17:00.003-06:00

Today Steven went to school for the very first time!! He was extremely excited. When asked by the teacher where he wanted to put his name, Steven said, "I'm not nervous, I'm happy!!" So he put his little apple next to the happy face.

First Day!

And the silly face

At Steven's Locker

He was the "Snack Helper" today.

Sitting Down for Circle Time

After school, my mom watched all the other kids so I could have a special mom and Steven lunch. Naturally, we went to McDonald's.

Best Friends

2010-08-30T07:22:00.000-06:00

Just some wonderful pictures of Natalie and Eliana. They constantly share laughter with each other, it just warms my heart.

This was one of my favorites. I love how their bodies are turned towards each other.

Crossing French Braid and Four Strand Braid

2010-08-26T06:56:00.001-06:00

I really loved how both of these styles turned out. Moreover, I think I can do them on Natalie's hair. I haven't tried yet.

I didn't get a picture of the ponies to the four-strand braid before Dellany pulled the bottom pony holder out at nap time. But, check this link out. This is where I got the idea and the instructions are awesome. The style looked just like this!

If I were to do this one again, I'd make sure the ribbon width was the same. They are different, and I think it really effected the overall look. I preferred the smaller (green) ribbon.

Sprinkler Park

2010-08-25T14:01:00.007-06:00

A friend of mine asked to go to the fountain at Southlands Mall. This fountain is fun for the kids to run through. I asked if she had ever been to Great Plains Park. She hadn't so I convinced her to go here instead. She was so thankful. After all, Great Plains Park, a.k.a Sprinkler Park, is really fun!

The last time we were here, Natalie wanted nothing to do with the water. Not this time!

Natalie and Eliana playing a game: Run around the rainbow, lay in the water, run around the rainbow again.

Amberlee, my friends daughter

Steven running out of the water spout as it explodes

Eliana

Amberlee and Steven

Lorena

Lorena and Tristan, stuck in the strollers!

Mini-Vacation

2010-08-25T09:08:00.000-06:00

Nate has been elected to be apart of the executive commity for Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA). He had a meeting up in Vail, Colorado this past weekend. The meetings were held at this nice little resort called the Vail Racquet Club.

The really nice thing about this meeting, was that they made it a very family friendly environment. The spouses and children were not only invited, but they provided a very nice meal, specifically for the spouses while the CHSAA folks met and a very nice dinner, babysitting.

Yet Another Trip to the ER

2010-08-21T15:12:00.005-06:00

. . . and yes, it's Natalie!

Natalie fell down the last two steps. She managed to hit a toy at the bottom and split her forehead open. While it wasn't a large wound, it was split wide open. So off we went to the ER.

Thankfully, just like last time, the edges came together nicely, so we only got it glued.
First they put a numbing/softening agent on the wound for a half hour.
Just in case, the doctor ran a CBC to check her platelet count. That was fantastic at 264,000!! But the nurse who did the draw felt so bad, that she came back to give Natalie a hat, a book and some stickers. Natalie was very forgiving!
The aftermath: A glued forehead, a rug burn between the eyes, and a bruise next to the cut.

Cousin!

2010-08-19T17:33:00.002-06:00

We found out today that Aunt Julie and Uncle Zane are expecting a boy!

Nate and I are so excited to be an uncle and an aunt (respectively). We eagerly await the day we get to meet our nephew!!

BBQ

2010-08-19T07:38:00.000-06:00

A former co-worker of Nate's hosts an annual start of the school year BBQ. This year was particularly fun for the kids.

Both kids jumped on the trampoline. But, due to camera issues, I only got Natalie.

Steven loved playing basketball with the older boys. It's sometimes hard to watch Steven as he plays with the big kids. He's so big for a new four-year-old boy, but he acts just like a four-year old. So, it's hard for him to play "normally" with those big boys. But he sure tries. And he sure loves it.

Children of the Corn

2010-08-17T20:24:00.000-06:00

Grandpa, despite living in the Denver-Metro area for 30 years, is and always will be, a farmer at heart! This year's garden is particularly AWESOME!! On several occasions, I've ran to his garden and picked myself some fresh peas for lunch. The other veggies are equally delicious; did you know we can grow broccoli here in Colorado? No wonder I've lost 7 pounds in the last month!

One of grandpa's favorite things to do: get pictures of the kids playing in the corn rows.

In the corn with grandpa

Making the "but-we're-city-kids" escape

After playing in the corn, Natalie convinced grandma to push her on the swing. This is probably one of my favorite pictures ever!

Before we went home, Steven needed some grandma cuddles.

Many Zoo Trips

2010-08-16T13:48:00.003-06:00

We had two sets of friends come into town two days apart. A great place to meet up to see them was the zoo. The result: Two different friends and their kids, two days, two zoo trips = two exhausted Smith children!

Unfortunately, because of the purpling of my pictures, only about 1/4 of my pictures turned out.

Michele and Joe with Kristen and Lydia

Michele is an old high school/college friend.

Travis and Mickey with Oli

Travis is also an old high school friend.

An added bonus, Aaron, also a high school friend, joined us with their son and new daughter!

Aaron and Travis with their boys.

We also had Travis' sister and brother-in-law with their daughter.

Steven helping the younger two boys look at the cheetah

Cool Pics

2010-08-08T15:49:00.005-06:00

Here are a few cool pics I found from my friends.

Becca, Nate's cousin has been camping. Here's a picture she took of herself in the stream.

Another friend, Susan, just had her car repaired. The repair shop mangled the Hyundai lettering for her car. Susan determined that they missed the letter "I" and the switched the "U" and the "N."

This is what it was supposed to look like.

Afraid?

2010-08-05T07:14:00.001-06:00

Natalie complains that she's afraid of her room lately. Two nights ago, she wouldn't stay in her room for anything. Finally, she quieted down. Nate and I felt really bad when we saw her sound asleep in the hallway.

Last night, she was still awake when Nate and I went into our room to read at around 9:30-10:00. She fell asleep immediately between us.

Any ideas as to why this sudden and very real fear?