Quack Quack

 Summer came yesterday and disappeared today. It was so warm and sunny yesterday that we went to the Weber State duck pond with Alyssa.

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a little peace and quiet

LAS VEGAS!!!!

boy, did I need a break form that craziness that is my life! So a while ago my sister, seeing how stressed and busy I always am suggested to go away for spring break. We wanted to go to Mesquite but there was some huge high school baseball tournament and also a basketball thing going on that week so a lot of the hotels were sold out and so we decided to go to Las Vegas. It definitely is not our first time to Vegas but, there is SO much stuff to do there. Most people probably thing it is all trashy and mostly adult friendly but in actuality, there a tons of things to do that you can take your family too or just go and enjoy.

The car ride was long but it was worth it. This trip to Vegas was a relaxing one. We didn't plan much. We just wanted to have a break. I did plan a spa day for me and Lyssa so we went and got a massage which was wonderful. She told me I was really tight and suggested that I find a spa here and have a couple of massages a month- So I guess since she insisted and she is a professional that I will have to obey her :)

The boys scheduled a tee time for a game of golf. We decided that we would rent an extra cart and ride along.... Who knows that 18 holes takes more than 4 hours?!? Well I didn't. It was actually really fun and it went by fast.

We went to the store on Pawn Stars- Its a TV show about a pawn shop that takes in really rare things. anyways- so that was fun.

We went to Fremont Street. I had never been there before. We did this zip line that goes down the whole street, which was very cool. There were all sorts of weird people there doing side shows to earn tips... and people dressed in costumes for people to take pictures with and earn tips.

Brett learned how to play Roulette. He stuck to the red/black bets or odd/even bets- at one point he was up 20 bucks but ended up coming out even. I on the other hand, won 9 whole dollars on the slot machine I played!!  So we didn't loose any money. 

All the while, the girls were having a blast with my mom. They had such a good time and did so many things. I'm sure it was not easy to have 3 kids for 4 days but she loved having them around and was sad to see us all go but at least she got back to a normal sleep schedule.

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Savannah Smiles

I did a mini photo shoot with Savannah today while the other two were at school.... I really have the cutest 2 year old ever. 








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privacy please....

As much as I love to post about my kids, I am going private on my blog in the next little while due to the situation with my girls. I cant have just anybody being able to find my blog-

Let me know if you want an invite to be able to keep reading :)




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8 months

 Today marks the day that I have had my sweet girls for 8 months. Somedays I really can't believe it has been that long and others it feels like we have had them forever. It has been insanely hard, incredibly frustrating, very emotional, but also wonderfully happy and full of love.

These are my babies, my daughters and I can't wait to make it official and someday take them to the temple to be sealed to us forever.

It has been such a hard journey for me personally. I have always wanted to be a mom, but once I became one, I found that I had no idea what I was doing. It made me feel a bit guilty because here I am, and someone hands me 3 beautiful kids that come from a hard unhealthy place an come to me and I felt like I was such a bad mother and all that patience I thought I had- well, I didn't have it and I was really hard on myself.

It got better and I made some changes in my life that made it easier to be a mom and I finally had that patience. I have also grown closer to my heavenly father lately, who helps me be everything those girls need, everyday. I will continue to grow as a person and become a better and better mom because of them. And I hope they will grow into amazing, successful and beautiful women inside and out because of me and my husband.

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My Animoto Video

Just a little video I made of the pictures from our photo shoot a while back.





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old dresser, new dresser

I have completed my first furnature project. I have about 5 more I want to do but one at a time. :)     I took the ugliest dresser in the world, that we got on KSL for 10 bucks- and turned it into this for about $30.
This is the before picture... ugly right. whoever had it before me had tried to paint it on top of the lacquered fnish which obviously didnt work.

So I sanded it down- I did the top all the way down to the wood and the rest, I just did is slightly to get the finish off. Then sanded the drawers and the mirror.

I used a primer first because the dresser was pretty dark- I did two coats but I probably only needed one.

Then painted it- It only took one coat

I got the super cute knobs at Hobby Lobby- 50% off! The bottom 4 drawers actually had twon holes for pulls but I wanted knobs- so I filled the holes with caulk and drilled another one so they could match.

I learned a lot- good thing Brett made me do this one first before doing my gorgeous game hutch, cupboard thing in my dining room. :) I did this project completely on my own except brett put the hinges back on .

My car is so dusty, Brett has been parked on the street for a week and he may be for a while because I am starting on the next one as soon as we haul this one back upstairs to Anavy's room.

Christmas was amazing this year.. thanks to 3 beautiful little girls! It was very different having kids but it was so fun watching them experience things they never had before. 

Here are some Christmas pictures of the girls in their christmas dresses. 

My new niece- Hannah was blessed the weekend before Christmas. She is very cute and the girls like spending time with cousins.

 Christmas Eve at Papa's house. By far my favorite christmas tradition. We get together and go caroling to a few families around town. I LOVE my family so much and cant even imagine the day that we wont do this anymore. Hopefully it will never come.  After Caroling we come back to Papa's house, eat, visit, and open our present from Papa.

 Christmas Eve at my mom's house. They got new pajamas, we waited for Santa to come and then hid in the dining room- (Anavy was looking under the door to get a look) Then they opened all of their gifts and went to bed.

Christmas Day at Smith's house. 

New years Eve, we went to the Jewkes family Christmas party. It was fun to see everyone. On New Years Day, we went to the Smith annual soup night and then on our way back from Orem, We stopped to see the lights at Temple Square. It was pretty cold so we didn't stay long but the girls were excited to see the temple  and the lights.

I had off and on feeling of guilt this christmas season. I have always known that there are people who literally have nothing and Christmas is nothing but an ordinary day. I have really been made aware of this more since being in the Young Women program at church. Our townhouse complex is about 7 years old but other than that, nothing has been built on our ward boundries for 50+ years. Our ward boundaries runs in a 10 block strip and the end of it is really rough neighborhoods.  Some of my YW have very very little. Some come from rough homes and unloving families. It really makes me sad. My 3 girls were spoiled rotten this Christmas by so many people. It made me feel a bit guilty that we are so fortunate and blessed because people a couple of streets over are struggling to have Christmas Dinner. It is important to remember this at Christmas time and do what we can to help out :) I tried my best to do that. 

I hope all of you had a great Christmas Holiday. 

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Teachers & Bus Drivers :)

I was up super late last night because I am a procrastinator and I waited till the last second to make gifts for Anavy & Khloe's teachers and bus drivers. Brett thinks I always go way overboard with these things but they turned out super cute. For the teachers I made cookies in a jar.

You put all these ingredients in a Mason jar: 
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup -leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Then all the teachers have to do is add:
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

And you end up with yummy oatmeal cookies.

For the bus drivers I put hot chocolate mix, chocolate chips and marshmellos in a smaller jar.

I really am so so so grateful to all of their teachers for all they do. My girls are doing so well and a lot of it is thanks to them. And of course the bus drivers get them to school safely.


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