Happy 4th of July

 We drove to Mt. Airy for the 4th again this year and watched the parade in exactly the same spot as last year! I love the store behind us, each of the 2 times I have been there I have found something unique and fun to buy that was inexpensive. Small town 4th of July is just fun. It is a little over an hour to drive, but so relaxed and low key. The parade is full of antique tractors and cars, politicians, military, kids groups, etc. My favorite is the family that dances down the road in the parade. I guess each year they have a huge family reunion in Mt. Airy. They all wear matching T-shirts and dance to cool music. Even the Grandmas and Grandpas boogie a little here and there - it's fun.

Mt. Airy is the birthplace and hometown of Andy Griffith. Mayberry was based on it. We cracked up at this water! Luke planned all week to make a dessert for the 4th. Such an awesome kid!

A few more Utah pictures...

Utah Trip 2017

While the kids stayed with Craig and Dessa, Jason and I went to Park City for a work event. Jason had lots of meetings, I had lots of time hiking. It was amazing and so rejuvenating. I added the picture below only because it was the first afternoon and I took off above our hotel. So, so amazing. The hotel was deluxe, nicer then I have ever stayed in. Jason and I ate good food, hiked and hiked and drove over Guardsman's pass several times.

 

 
After Park City we all went to Soldier Creek to the Hardy cabin. The first few days with the Hardy family were cold, it even snowed a few times!

 

 I love this picture of Craig and Dessa with all of their Grandkids!

 The girls and I went down to Provo one day. We went to the Bean Museum with the Kroebers and Fairbanks. It was more fun then Grace & Sophie expected. Ice cream cones from the BYU Creamery were a hit too. The girls and I went to the art museum and then to Cafe Rio for lunch. Linds and Heather and their kids were still there! The Smiths then all gathered at the cabin. Weather warmed up. Fishing did not get better. We went on an amazing hike along the Strawberry River.

 Mom and Dad, Polly, Hardy's, Mortenson's - Kate and Anna, Pikes, Kroebers and Fairbanks all at the cabin! It was crazy and fun and a lot of Smiths running around!

This is Grace's dress Briella is wearing. It has been passed down through many cousins. I think it has survived from only being worn on Sundays occasionally. Makes me smile!

Cousins. There is something special about cousins. I love this picture, and all these crazy boys!

Bayden, Kenan, Talus, Elijah, Issac, Noah & Luke

Happy 13th Birthday Grace & Sophie

It is hard to believe my girls are 13! I'm only a month late on posting this....Sophie's outfit cracks me up, I think she said to just take pics from the waist up...I love that you can see Grace's dimple so well. We had fun making these unicorn cakes. If you don't look really closely they are a huge success!

I had to add a few random pictures from this year. I have been so inconsistent about blogging I have a lot of them!

The day we got new chicks. I love that my 13 year old girls are still so captivated by them. 

This is Bella. She is Sophie's favorite chick and got carried around a lot on her shoulder. Sophie made diapers out of socks from a video she saw online. When the chicks were older Bella got pecked badly by the other chickens. I was in Utah, Sophie nursed her back to health in the garage. Bella is still missing feathers on the back of her head and neck but is finally doing ok being with the other chickens. Poultry hospital in the garage is stinky....happy she is better!

 
  The girls got roped into being line officials at one of the boys football games this fall. They were forced to pay attention and finally learned how the game works, mostly. The head official from the Y was super patient with them. The most unlikely football officials ever!

 May 4th, 2017

May the Fourth be with you...

Easter & My Birthday

  Sophie was sick and didn't go to church, so she is not in the picture. I was going to take one of her later and of course I forgot. We had fun dyeing eggs - learned some new techniques from Sophies love of searching DIY on you tube.

 Happy Birthday to me! Jason brought home a whole Maxie B's cake! It was a huge surprise. I had been so sick and did not want to be in a picture :) Gracie gave me a thousand wishes and a new glass picture like the one I got for my wedding that mysteriously broke... It was a good day.

April

 April Fools Day - boys TP'd girls room. Was not received well...It's so dirty though you almost can't tell!

 Winter trees, the gray winter can be really pretty. I wanted to capture it before everything turned green.

 Grace had a minor surgery. She had a cyst on her cheek that needed to be removed. A plastic surgeon did it, hardly any scar at all.

Sophie and Grace in North and South Carolina at the same time at Carowinds. Orchestra field trip, it was freezing cold and I was sick and spend most of the day in the car. Girls had fun. Grace won this Grumpy Cat toy and Sophie was soooo jealous :)

Winter Catch up

This winter has been busy with boys basketball, girls and Jason and I taking family names to the temple for the first time, raising new chicks, enjoying 1 snow storm, enjoying unusually warm temperatures much of the time, having a birthday party for Luke and Noah, going to the new D League team Bball games in Greensboro, Sophie being super brave and playing church basketball, Jason traveling a ton for work and beginning to meet with people to get estimates/plans to remodel our house. We watched 2 friends dogs this weekend and Baby Sophie on Friday. It was fun! For all of us but Jason....