Work partner...?

I don't know how he gets anything done in this messy office! Oh, and with a giant baby on his shoulders...🤣🤣
Seriously though, she's huge! She's losing her baby chub as she's getting older 😫😫😫 ugh. Whhhhhhy. I just want my squishy squish ball to stay little💛

MatchyMatch

SILVERWOOD

It really is

Sister love on the playground 💕 💗 💕

   

🐇🐰🐇🐰

We found out about someone looking for a new home for their rabbit. It's a little risky, since it's a boy and we already have a boy and they might fight. But the kids (AND Brian!!) are just so excited. So we talked the owners into letting us have him, assuring him a nice cleaned up cage (Brian's job). We get him on Wednesday. 5 yr old Holland Lop named Pepper (we'll rename him). This will be interesting!

Goofball

 

When your sister is an esthetician....

  

Spelling tests and cucumber snacks 🥒

  

🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️

We've been working hard and having so much fun doing formal swimming lessons at the Lahtinen's home! I asked Jane if she would be so kind as to let me utilize her indoor pool for teaching my kids.  She was very gracious. But made it clear I can't start teaching other kids swimming lessons there.... HA! The last thing I want is to start round 2 of "Smith Swim Lessons."  BTDT.  Exhausting.  This little group was just perfect, and about all I can handle.  They're doing so great!! Making big improvements. Super proud of their hard work. And super grateful for good friends with sweet indoor pools :)

Easy summer dance camp

One of the many reasons I'll never quit Facebook is because it's how I find out about awesome stuff going on!  This is so great:  a sweet teen and her mom are putting on a 3 day dance camp for girls ages 4-12.  Only $15, and it's a fundraiser for their humanitarian trip, and it's like 10 minutes away. Ummmm, PERRRRRFECT.  Best thing ever!  And while they dance, Bennett and I go across the street to play at the park. Throw frisbees, read our books, snack, chat, etc.  Great mommy-son time.   

Matchy Matchy

Her Grandma McKell sent these outfits! We love it!  And I love that I have a daughter who doesn't have to be asked or reminded to put on an undershirt when a top is too short. She just does it, all on her own.  She's MY doll  :)

Primary time

Our friend Laura Williams is such a great Primary Music Leader!! The kids absolutely love all the games she plays to help them learn the songs.  I feel so blessed to be a member of this church and have programs like this to help my kids love learning the Gospel!

Finally old enough!

I've been feeling guilty for awhile that I hadn't taken the time to teach my kids more cleaning skills. There's really no where else they're going to learn them if I don't make it happen! And it'd just be embarrassing to send little humans out into the world who don't know how to clean. 

It's hard though, because it takes minutes to just get it done myself.  Much longer if I'm coaching someone else.

Finally I just did it! And they did great!  Super proud of them... and myself, to be honest:)

Bennett at piano lessons

  I reallyreally love that our piano teacher is right around the corner. Just a quick bike ride away. And that she's reasonably priced, and great with the kids.  We keep up lessons in the summer - it's far too long to take that much time off - but just intermittently. Whenever hers and our schedules align. 

Bennett LOVES to play piano. He jumps on it at home all the time, making up songs, goofing around, figuring out how to play by ear.  I have to encourage him a little more to actually work on improving site reading the music.  I'm super excited to see what he does in the future with piano!

Greatest ShowTwins!

  Their birthday party was a big hit! A TON of work for me, but worth it. I love these circus ring leader jackets I found on Oriental Trading. SO cute.  And our face painter, Micaela, did an incredible job!

8 is great!

The Greatest Piñata!

  We are excitedly prepping for the big birthday party!!  Filled up this homemade pinata with 5 lbs of organic lollipops, a couple dozen light-up glow stick necklaces, and a hundred circus themed tattoos.  I just used a big cardboard box and decorated it with tissue paper.  It's hard to find a commercial pinata that's big enough, and not flimsy - you don't want kids busting it open too fast! This one was perfect. 

Evening stroll with Sammy

I love taking Sammy out. So much.

Splish splash

So ...I'm not even sure what they're doing here!!
Brian sent me these pictures while I was out at my friend Cara's birthday party girls night.
So I didn't even ask for an explanation.... just was happy to see they're happy :)

extra kids around

This is a sweet little girl named Summer. We're watching her occasionally while her mom's in a rough spot. And by occasionally.... there have been a few 12 hour days.  Yah.  Kinda intense. But it's ok, we like helping, and I think it's good for my kids.   We've taken in the kids of a few other ward member kids lately who need a day out... so I'm getting a bit of a reputation with my fam and those who see this.  My unofficial foster mom job ;)

Because we have been given much..... eh!

Senior Citizen rabbits

These two are like Grandma and Grandpa Rabbit.  They're so old.... they're infertile!!! Though that doesn't stop them from trying ;)  No baby bunnies for us. That's ok. Don't need the extra work. Would've been cute though.

They seem to like laying on the cement sometimes. Maybe it's warmer?

Reading to Miles

 Bennett did such a great job helping me take care of this cute little friend!!  His mom went to an appointment so we had him over. He's seriously the cutest little guy.

YELLOW WATERMELON

Bennett wasn't so sure about watermelon that isn't red! 

But one taste and he was sold.  

So yummy.

Activity Day Girls Camp

 Brianna, Courtney and Lily had SO much fun at this 2-day ADG camp! It was perfect. We rode our bikes over to the Greenbluff building and they got 5 hours of skill building, testimony building, and friendship building. 

I'm so glad they let Courtney in despite her being a few days short of old enough for camp :)

And I love the look on Brianna's beautiful face in this pic!!