Hi... Did you miss me

Hi all... I know I have been a bad blogger lately. I guess adding a 3rd baby to the mix, did take some adjusting, as well as we kept living our busy, crazy lives. Not to mention that I returned to work after only 6 weeks of maternity leave, and have worked 3-4 days a week since. :) It does not leave much time for my sweet little ol' blog. So here is our run down of 2010.

In May, Kaylie graduated from Lone Peak High School. She is currently attending college at Dixie State in St. George. She is working on her generals, and hopes to get into Radiology Tech school.

JUNE: For Kaylie's "Senior" trip, we went to New York with our neighbors and friends, The Grant's. We had such a great time. It almost felt like two trips in one. The first half we spent in upper New York, visiting Niagara Falls, and some church sites. The last half we were in New York City.

Here we are, sleep deprived, freezing, but smiling in front of the Falls. They are impressive.

This is the family home of Joseph Smith. Ummmm.... its way to small for this Smith clan.

We are standing in the Scared Grove. I was so surprised at its size. It's huge. However, there is definitely a different feeling there. Easton even seemed to respect the reverence of this area.

Time Square Baby.... need I say more. :) We stayed at the Marriott hotel right in time square, there was always so much going on. While we were in NYC, we saw Wicked, and now I am an extreme fan. I highly recommend it.

Here we are eating at the famous restaurant, Serendipity. The frozen hot chocolate that they are known for is worth the 15 bucks a cup. But better then that, Tom Cruise ate dinner right next to us. Now, that is awesome.

We became masters of the subway. It was a blessing to our feet.

The Statue of Liberty.

JULY: During the month of July we were gone more then we were home. However, on July 4th, we blessed Easton. We had an impressive crowd. Thanks to all those who supported us this day.

Bryce did a firework show for my fam and the neighborhood.

On July 25, my sweet boy turned 4. He had a Toy Story Birthday, basically because he was obsessed. We spent the day at the Dinosaur Museum.

The last week we spent at New Port Beach with the Harvey Family. Here is Kaylie and her boyfriend, Ty, playing in the sand.

To say Parker is obsessed with the ocean, is an understatement. I am afraid this trip was the beginning of a love affair.

Little Easton enjoyed the trip too....he got held all day long.

Bry had a fabulous time too. In the beginning, she did not like the feeling of the wet sand on her hands. However, after a week of beach sitting, she got use to the idea.

Easton and Landon bonding. Part of the New Port tradition, is bike rides. We take long bike rides all over the place. Here we stopped for an ice cream treat.

AUGUST: We spent resting from all our vacations... is that sick or what. :) However, Parker began playing soccer. It was the best time. They are hilarious. Not many goals are scored, but we have a ton of laughs.

I know I am his mom, but I think he is so handsome. :) First day of pre-school. And no, I am not one of those moms who cries. I was so excited he was going, I only wish it was 5 days a week instead of 4.

SEPTEMBER: As I have done for 30 years of my life, for Labor Day, we attended the Saunder's Family reunion. The difference about this year, is that we were in charge. And, we honored my Grandpa. It was a fun weekend, but I was glad when it was done. Here we are posing in our cool shirts.

I love this picture, and I will cherish it forever. During this time, my Grandma, was super sick. We actually had to get her released from a nursing home, so she could spend the day with us when he honored my Grandpa. Her memory was so-so, and she usually did not know who we were. She knew she loved us, but was confused by not recognizing us. For this brief moment, she knew me, had called me by my name, and asked to see my cute baby. I will never forget that time.

Guess who is soooo naughty.....but soooooo cute. Brylee turns two! And she had a "kitty hello" birthday. She does not say Hello Kitty. We spent the night at classic skating, and had so much fun.

I waste no time sticking my kids in beds. So, a few days after her birthday Brylee was moved form her crib to her big girl bed. She loved it.

OCTOBER: Well, I made a commitment, and stuck to it. In October Bryce and I ran a 10K. My sweet kids cheered us on. It was a blast. And stinkin Bryce placed 1st, and hardly trained. I guess that is what happens when you are in the 40 + category. J/K Babe.

Sporting our awesome shirts...Spending a day at the Dibble Farm. ( Thanks Steph) Parker loved jumping bale to bale.

Brylee picking out her pumpkin.

We even got one just Easton's size. After all Halloween and Fall are mommy's favorite, and she has to go all out.

Another Halloween tradition... Thriller! I have gone to Thriller for the last 9 years. I introduced Bryce to Thriller when we got married, and he is hooked. Now, each year, our group grows. Its awesome, and not Halloween without it. (Thanks Jami for this addiction.)

Bry and Aubrey at the Saunders Family Halloween Party...the were so happy to match. I wonder if they will feel the same at 16?

Here is my Mom's crazy group. L to R My niece, Aubrey, my Nephew, Casen. Then Parker, Easton, and Trouble aka Brylee.

We went trunk or treating at the cabin, as part of the party, and so that all the cousins could see the costumes. My grandma had so much fun handing out candy. This is the last time we spent with her, until the night she passed away. So, it was a very special weekend.

Halloween Night... Parker was Batman.

Bry- Bry was "super gurl"

And keeping with a theme, because I am a nerd like that, Easton was Spiderman. Here are my cute super heros.

NOVEMBER: On November 4th, my grandma passed away. I only mention this, because she was so very dear to me. Our relationship was so special, and even now, 6 months later, I am not used to having her gone. The other conflict that I was faced with, is that very next day, Bryce and I were to be on a plane to Hawaii. Our time away alone is like marriage therapy for us, and we desperately needed it. It was one of the most difficult decisions for me to make, but in the end my Grandpa asked me to go, so I went. Therefore I missed my Grandma's funeral. However, I did ask my Mom to speak at her funeral, and I did. Thanks to my sister for reading my talk. :) And thanks to my Grandma...she sent me a rainbow everyday in Hawaii until the day she was buried...and it was time for me to stop worrying about being home, and enjoy our vacation.

Bryce in front of the USS Arizona.

Me climbing through the ship. They are huge. So much space...its a little decieving. I still don't know if I would want to live on one for months at a time though.

The Hawaiian Temple. We happened to visit during the open house, so it was fun to see the inside. It is smaller then our temples in Utah, but so beautiful....very tropical.

Here I am eating one of my favorite treats. Pineapple Whip... I know of only two places in the world you can get it...at the Dole plantation in Hawaii, or at Disneyland. Guess I will just have to visit both often, so I can get a taste of this treat.

One of our more Hawaiann looking pictures.

Thanksgiving...We had dinner with the Smith Family at Jill's house. It was a full house, but we had a good time.

DECEMBER: So, this post was getting way to long, so I cut it down... we did a lot in December, Festival of the Trees, parties, parties and more parties. :) Skip to Christmas Eve...

Bryce and I joke that our room and bed are a gathering place. Usually by morning we have two dogs, and 2 children in bed with us. So, as a joke we took this pic, with evryone cramming into our bed.

Christmas Morning...and yes I make all the kids wait on the stairs, because thats what my mom made us do. So, here they are...waiting. Easton would rather be in bed though.

Merry Christmas!

Parker out in one of our "blizzards"

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year... we just chilled at home, played games, and ate lots of junk food. All my kiddos, except Easton, made it to midnight.

Easton's First Week

May 7th... Day 0... Easton's Birth Day!

He looks a lot like his Daddy... and his brother, Parker.

May 8th... Day # 1... Chilling at the Hospital.

He is so fun to cuddle. He is also a good little eater.



May 9th... Day #2... Mother's Day!
We get to go home today! Yeah... mommy can't wait to sleep in her own bed.


May 10th... Day # 3... Love being home.

May 11th... Day # 4... 1st Doctor Visit

We had to go check Easton's bili level and wt. He looked great, no blood draw needed, and he is back to his birth wt already. That means he put 2 ounces on each day since leaving the hospital.

May 12th... Day #5... First Bath

Easton had his first bath tonight. Mommy even spiked his hair... is he handsome.

May 13th...Day #6... The siblings return.

Parker and Brylee had been staying with Grandma Janna the last few days. They came home today, and we no longer have peace and quiet. Easton has also had to be patient with their constant prodding.

May 14th... Day #7... 1 Week old!

I can't believe how fast it has gone. He is already losing that newborn smell. It makes me sad. He continues to eat well. We are working on the sleeping well thing... :) I may be biased...but I think he is the cutest thing ever.

Its a BOY!

On the night of May 7th, while at a family BBQ, my water broke! It was 7:12pm. I mention that only, because in less then two hours, I would be holding my new baby. Bryce and I arrived at the hospital at 8pm. ( Thank you to Aunt Dorie who took Parker and Brylee for us.) I was already contracting every 2-3 minutes, and they hurt! The smile in this picture is deceiving. At 8:15pm, we still had no nurse, and I was really hurting, so Bryce went and asked someone to come in and check me... I was a 7! I then had 3 nurses, and things got all crazy.

They paged my doctor, and the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist came right away. (Bless him) However, I was so close to delivery that he warned that my epidural would not be very effective... he was right... dang it! I was able to relax a little, but then the baby started having some problems. My contractions were so hard and fast, that he would drop his heart rate. Though our nurse was doing her best to keep a calm voice and act like nothing was wrong, I recognized her panic. Heck, I'm a nurse too, I do the same thing when my patient is acting naughty. Then, came the O2... it did not help the baby much, the heart rate continued to drop, and got as low as 30. ( Scary huh) It is now 8:45ish... still no doctor, and so they page for the resident, and the NICU staff... and now I am starting to panic.
I will spare you all the delivery pics... He made it safe and sound. My doctor walked in at about 8:50ish, and I was a 10. We started pushing. It was a little rough for me, because I could feel a lot of it. But, I was so worried about his heart rate, I refused anymore medication, and did my best to push him on out. And no, I will never be an advocate for natural child birth! :) Easton David Smith entered the world at 9:15pm. He was 7 pounds and 10 ounces, and 21 inches long. Unlike my other children, he came out screaming, letting us all know how upset he was about this whole thing.

He was perfect. It was a little surreal to hold him for the first time. I had been whining for weeks about wanting him here, and now I was holding him. The nurse let me know that I was on the TOCO monitor for a whole whopping 58 minutes. This delivery was a little fast...even for me.

Parker was thrilled to have a new little brother. It was what he wanted all along. Brylee heard him cry outside my door, and seemed to know from then that her baby was here now, and no longer in mom's tummy. She loves him, but to her his name is "Baby" Now the fun starts as I see how it goes balancing 3!

Guess Who is 18 Months...

It is hard to believe that Bry- Bry is already 18 months. It has gone by sooooo fast! She is such a happy kid, and we love her so much. Here she is, already thinking that she needs a cell phone.

Her favorite people to call, are grandma, Aubrey (her cousin) and Nenni, (her aunt).
She is still a blondy with her bright blue eyes. At her 18 month check -up she weighed 22 lbs and was 31 inches long. She is a little on the slender side, and so the Doctor asked if she was a picky eater... Bryce and I both had to laugh, because for those of you who know Bry, she will eat anything, and anytime of the day. She is just an active little thing.
So, at 18 months, are little princess has truly become one. She loves her"cute shoes" and when her hair is all curly. She loves playing with her kitchen, and is often found pushing her babies around in their strollers. She is a little on the independent side, ok thats a lie, she is alot on the independent side. She wants to do everything herself, especially if Parker gets to do it by himself. She is also quite the talker. I figure she is using 40-50 words regularly. ( Our pediatrician was hoping she said 15.... I think she used 15 in front of him. :) Of course her favorite is "NO." And a close second would be "Naack" Which of course is "snack" and is always said at a higher pitch and volume. She loves to sing, with her favorite songs being "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and "Popcorn popping on the apricot tree." She is also showing some intrest in potty training... do we dare hope she will be that easy????? After our Parker expirence, we are in no hurry... She is a smart little thing, and we have our hands full. Yet, we can't imagine our lives without her... love you Bry!

Smith Family Update

Since I have been slacking, and have not blogged in about 4 months, I will catch you up. First, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Our 2010 has been non-stop. In January, Landon turned 16. Yes, we have two teen drivers in the house... But, between you and me, he makes me way less nervous then Kaylie... even today. :) Also, in January Bryce and I were able to escape to Cancun for a week. It was a fun and very relaxing vacation. I really needed it. Thank you to the Harvey Family for making it possible, and being such fun travel companions. February flew by with sick kids... Bry having it the worst, getting, pneumonia, RSV, and two ear infections. And may I just mention that Augmentin, an antibiotic, should be removed from the market. Nasty stuff. Even my Bry, who eats anything, spit it out. ( Thank you to Mandy and Jami for the Hershey syrup idea... it got me through those last few days.) Thank heaven for the olympics... at least I had something to watch while we were home bound. And here is March... and its half over.... along with all this craziness, I am working full time, and Bryce is playing stay at home Dad, as well as building some houses. Kaylie is preparing for Graduation, and has been accepted to Dixie State College, in St. George. Landon, turned 16, has had his first date, and asked a girl to Prom. More on this to come. Parker attends Pre-school three days a week... and might I scream from the roof tops is finally potty trined! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! He has been doing the peeing thing for almost a year... but we just got him to poop on the potty. Its been two plus weeks and I have not had to change a poopy pull-up. Its been paradise. For those of you who know my family better, my little bro, Jeff is getting married in two weeks. So, things have been nuts in preparing for that. And to top it all off... I am 31 weeks pregnant. The baby will be here in May. ( I am sorry to those who are just finding this out... I have not said a lot about it.) The baby's gender is a surprise, so cast your vote... Boy or Girl. We are excited to find out. Despite our crazy life, we know we are blessed and feel support and love from all of you. We hope all is well with you and your families, and I am commiting to being better at updating my blog. Thanks for checking in on us. :)