Information on my Mom

Here is the obituary for my mom, Janet English.
http://obit.rindt-erdman.com/obitlist.html?task=All&listing=Current

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We've had an unforgetable Chrismas today in the Smith family. It is the first time we've stayed home since having kids for the holiday. As much as we missed seeing our families, it was so relaxing and comfortable to wake up at our home with the girls. Trey's brother, Kyle, drove up and joined us too, which was so nice because our girls (along with us) love Uncle Kyle. We also had some good friends over for a Christmas feast, which meant I got to cook my first turkey, and make gravy, along with all the yummy sides. I think I'm an official grown up now....in my 31 years, I've always had my mom, aunts and a grandmother who cooked it up for the holiday, so I hounded my Aunt Rhonda for family recipes and started our own tradition here. Here are some pics and video clips from today, after attending our Christmas Eve service at church, and at Hailey's Christmas pageant last week at school.

Hailey leaving cookies and a note for Santa before bed.

Santa made it! He left presents in the stockings my mom has handmade for us over the years!

Uncle Kyle and Reese eating cinnamon rolls and drinking hot chocolate.

Hailey loving her Barbie and princess gifts!

What does an 8 month pregnant mother do after a full day of Christmasing? Well, she gets sucked into trying to play Guitar Hero of course!

On another note, I'm sorry that none of our friends and family received Christmas cards from us this year. I actually love doing them and we took a picture of the girls for one, but it never got sent in the hustle and bustle of the season. However, we have loved receiving them from you all. Along with the normal holiday business we all face, I must admit it has been a tough month around here. Many of you know that my mom has been battling metastatic breast cancer for well over a year now. I haven't blogged about it because to be perfectly honest, I am often at a loss of words to type in a blog. Nothing seems meaningful enough or gives her the love, respect and honor that I want to display. Plus, I am just plain heartbroken for her, myself, my dad and brothers, and my girls. She is now under hospice care and is receiving the best care from my dad. They've been married for 38 years. I have appreciated the support, calls, cards, and e-mails throughout this time. I have been reminded on this day that we have received a gift that lasts so much longer than the excitement of opening a present...it lasts an eternity. So on this Christmas, I am filled with joy and sadness, but also with strong hope, faith and the knowledge that our God is the One of love who surpasses all of our earthly understandings and has great plans in store for us. He loved us so much, He sent us his Son.

...and we all fall down.

That's right. We're a household full of the flu right now. Hailey went down first on Thursday night, Reese followed on Saturday night (starting at midnight...you can imagine what a fun night that was), I continued the trend on Sunday and Trey went down EARLY this morning. So, if you haven't heard from us or don't for a few days, trust me, you don't want to!!!

SHE ATE BROCCOLI???

So, the girls have spent a few days with Trey's aunt and uncle, Brett and Becky. They are WONDERFUL and kept our kids on a moment's notice so that we could make a trip to Kansas. The girls both love being with them and with their kids. The running joke is that APPARENTLY Hailey eats like a horse for them and APPARENTLY the girls get along beautifully when they're with them also. Hailey even came home today wearing pants and a sweater that she kicks and screams to put on when I pick it out for her....she only wants to wear skirts and dresses with me. When I left, I joked that I'd come back and my kids would be eating green beans (they aren't big fans of green veggies). While in Kansas, I received the pictures below...they have proven their superpower childcaring abilities. I am in shock. Yes, that's Reese EATING broccoli and there's another cute pic of Reesie hanging out with Brett at his office just passing the time away.

Now, moving on to the second half of the blog. Here's my parenting abilities. Trey brought the girls home, we had dinner and then we all went out for ice cream (once again, it was for the baby, not for me). When I turned to look at my children in the back seat, this is what I found. My Reese decided to pull her arms out of her carseat, take her shirt off (the temp is in the 20's), and smear her cone all over her face. All I can say is that at least the girls were happy AND the ice cream was strawberry, so they had fruit. Would anyone like me to watch their kids anytime soon?

Two of a Kind

So, I've had a few requests for a picture of the baby bump....here she is! I'm almost 31 weeks now, but when I went to the dr. a few days back, she was measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule. This is new for me since Reese and Hailey tended to measure 1-2 weeks behind. It looks like this baby may decide to outgrow both of her sisters!

By the way, we laughed at this picture for a good while because Trey told Hailey to put her hands on her hips and lean back (funny advise from someone who has never had to carry a baby!). Anyways, is anyone surprised that Hailes is wearing her favorite nightgown (she asks almost everyday around 3:30-4:00pm if she can put it on because it looks like it might get dark soon) and tiara?

Reese eating a Reese's. Needless to say, she loves them.

And, LOOK CLOSE....A CURL!! Our girl might just get a full head of hair someday! Right now, she loves to brush her.....scalp.

Daddy and Reese hanging out. One of the few moments that Reesie actually sits still. She had just exhausted herself from her new game of "let's hide under the covers and laugh hysterically"

Who's In for Dinner?

Trey is gone tonight for a business dinner. December is a crazy month for him and entertaining. So, it's me and the girlies for dinner. I decided to let Hailey choose the menu tonight (darn well knowing that I was going to reheat the homemade chicken and noodles from earlier in the week). The dinner of choice.....pancakes with syrup, apple juice, and a cheese roll-up (that is a tortilla with melted colby jack cheese). Doesn't it just appeal to the palate?

Double Doozy

We've lost two children to pink eye and Reese also has a double ear infection. But the point is this, no matter how sick Hailey may be (her quote of the day, "my nose is not working right now")....she always remembers to wear her tiara. A true princess never loses sight of the big picture.

Thanksgiving

And we're back from a great trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving! I tend to forget to take pictures when I'm there, but I got a few this time that helps capture the overall picture of my family. I should've taken a picture of the amount of food made and consumed. My Aunt Rhonda can flat out cook....and I mean everything....turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pies, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole....that is not even the end of the list, but I've made my point. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to my next doctor visit weigh-in.

However, the excitement began before Thanksgiving Day. My dad decided to take all 5 grandkids to Wal-Mart on Weds. to buy a little something special. The kids went crazy. My 8 year old niece Abby has recently become fond of hip-hop music, so PaPa turned it on when they left the house and they were all dancing. If you've ever wanted to know the true personality of my dad, here you go.

The kids also put on a talent show for the adults.
Here's Keely signing and singing Silent Night, Abby and Hailey putting on a puppet show, Trey and Reese hanging out (note the loyalty to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day), Marcia and Marina watching the entertainment and my Uncle David calling up the birthday boy, Mitch, so we could all sing a loud Happy Birthday for him. I also loved the picture I got of my sister-in-law Tracey and my nephew Connor. Somehow I missed a picture of the other star of the show, Naomi, who was visiting and playing with all the girls and should not be left off the list due to her major role in the production.

Trey also snapped a few pictures of my mom and Reese together, but I haven't gotten to download them yet. Reese loves to crawl into my mom's lap and cuddle (and steal her food) with her. It's just the cutest thing to see. The weekend also included a gopher hunt (I will not elaborate), competitive games of Mexican Train and a KU football victory that shook the walls. Hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

It's Not for Me

It's for the baby. She really likes them. Banana Fudge Sundae's from Sonic.....the things I do for my children.

Ahhhh....Bummer

That's what Hailey said today when she got in the car after school. I said, "What's a bummer?" Hailey replied, "Mom, that's what you say whenever you run out of stuff that you need." Oh, I should have known!

Also, here's a few pics of the outside of our house, back porch and backyard. Plus, I've added two more of a really handsome dog and our child who absolutely LOVES the outdoors, cold or hot. She plays on the playset on a daily basis whether her sister wants to join her or not.

And finally, good news from the doctor's office for me. I failed the initial glucose test last week to see if I could possibly have gestational diabetes, so today I went back for the three hour test where you get pricked even more. I left with four bandaids (got a flu shot while I was at it) and no diabetes. YEA!

FOCUS!

One of Trey's favorite things to say (especially during Cowboys games) is FOCUS! We both tend to use the word when talking to Hailey too because she moves at a much slower pace than we do and she likes to sometimes only hear what is appealing to her (ex. if you say anything about cookies, she's running....if you mention helping mommy clean, she's in another world).

Well, we've entered the world of hearing our words come back to us. Tonight, Trey politely asked Hailey to give him the remote control. Hailey's response, "FOCUS DADDY!" (ahhh...little out of context, but still really funny to hear her say). So, we both chuckled. Then Trey told Hailey that she was funny and then asked her to give him the remote again. Hailey's reply, "Ummmm....I think you're missing some magic words Daddy!" Oh boy, we're in trouble.

And the Chosen One is...

Reese has decided lately that she likes to choose certain people to be her favorites. Last weekend our friends Bobby and Allison came by to see us unpacking millions of boxes and Reese went up to Bobby and wouldn't let him put her down. This weekend, the chosen one was our friend Greg. He and his wife Bonney came over for a bit and Reese just climbed up on him, layed her head down and got really mad if you tried to move her.

Her other favorite right now....Jake. I was brushing him the other day in the yard and she came up, layed on top of him and starting hugging him and making her kissing noises. Wonder where she gets her love of dogs? Hailey is more like another certain adult family member when it comes to dogs.....she really likes Jake, but she also thinks we need a cat and fish still. I don't know how to tell her this more clearly...NOT HAPPENING.

Don't Mess With My Sister

You know how there are times when you look for the positive in situations? Well, my children are sharing with each other and with me.....a nasty cold that is. Hailey went down first, then Reese, and now me. Trey is on the look out for it.

Anyways, Reesie got so bad that Trey and I wanted to make sure she didn't have strep or an ear infection, so off to the doctor we went. I picked up Hailey from school and told her that we had to go see the doctor FOR REESE. I made sure to emphasize that part because if you read an earlier post, you'll see how much Hailey hates the doctor. When I told her, she immediately widened her eyes and asked with great concern, "is she going to get shots?" I told her that I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. There begins a long 3 minute car ride filled with questions about shots and about how she was DEFINITELY not going to get them.

Into the pediatricians office we went, Hailey clinging close to me. Hailey let the doctor know that we were there for her sister....thanks Hailes. And then, when the doctor started listening to Reese's heartbeat and checking her ears and Reese started squirming, Hailey burst out, "SHE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING! SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO TOUCH HER ANYMORE! SHE DOESN'T WANT A SHOT!" As much as this didn't help the situation, I secretly love that she didn't want anyone messing with Reese. And as for Reese, she's doing a bit better today with some meds and without getting a shot.

The Past Week in Review

WE MADE IT!! We still have plenty of boxes around, but after a full weekend of work and moving, we are in our house and loving life! It's been such a crazy time that I'm going to show a week of stuff in one posting.

First up, Halloween and a few pictures of Cinderella and the pumpkin to enjoy. We went to downtown to trick-or-treat with the locally owned businesses, but that didn't last long because it was packed. So, we hit up a few neighborhoods around the community and saw some friends.

Next, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREY!!! My friend, Jody, babysat for us and we went out to dinner and took care of some house stuff. How romantic, right? Actually, it was so nice to have a few hours to ourselves and to converse without macaroni and cheese flying over our heads or without trying to talk and color the kids' menu at the same time. Trey did get in a round of golf on his big day, making it a two thumbs up rating overall!

Next, Hailey's advice on colds. She does not believe in blowing your nose when being stuffed up, so her solution is posted below. She claims it works great this way, I tend to disagree, but I chose to not make this one into a battle.

Moving on with the week....let me just say that our girls normally get along quite well. However, with all the activities of late and the hassle of packing and moving, I think stress set in with all of us. At one point, I just sat down while they were bickering and after a few minutes, picked up the ole camera because I couldn't believe how long a fight could last over a cleaning apparatus. Do you think I can use this against them in 10 years when they "get" to help me clean?

And finally, THE MOVE! A big thank you to Granny (Nanci) for coming to town to entertain the girls during the move. We got so much accomplished with another set of hands. Plus, Hailey and Reese just LOVE spending time with their Granny.

After church today, we went out to lunch with Granny and then Hailey insisted that she wasn't tired and didn't need to nap. So, she went with her daddy to the grocery store to buy stuff for the house. Trey sent me these pics.... I think this sums up how we all feel at this point, but I must admit, I laugh everytime I look at these.

I didn't take any pictures the entire weekend, but here are a few of the new place as of this evening. I couldn't take one of the outside since it was dark by the time I sat down. We're so happy to be here and to have each other.....even through the good times, the Swiffer fights and the colds. And now, I'm off to bed!

We're IN!

Ok, more to come, pictures to follow, just buried in boxes right now! I looked outside an hour a go to find a furniture truck, a cable guy, a playset putter-together person and a TV installer (Trey's favorite person). I think I'm going to go and find my burial plot in the backyard next because I'm DONE MOVING!

Procrastinate....I think not

Sooooo...today is an interesting day. For the first time that I can remember, I have no children and no husband at the house. Trey is off to College Station with the girls for the day for an A&M game with his family. My duty is to stay behind and pack up this apartment because we are MOVING in less than a week (yea!!!!!!).

I tend to be a procrastinator by nature....but NOT today. I woke up bright and early with Trey and the girls to help get them ready and see them off. Then, I went to go and get the boxes....except that I got really tired since it was early and I took a little nap for an hour or so. THEN, I was up and at 'em....I showered and was off to Home Depot to get packing tape and labeling stuff....except, the pedicure place somehow turned the steering wheel into their parking lot, so I had to make a stop. Then, there was this unbelievably cute boutique in the same area and since we are having another girl, I had to go and check it out. THEN, I was off to Home Depot. Now, the boxes are in the house, the tape has been purchased and I'm ready to go, but Trey did send me these cute pictures of the girls in their new A&M hat and t-shirts on the shoulders of Trey and Uncle Kyle, so I had to stop and post this. I just hope that I don't somehow end up near the movie theatre today because I heard that there are smells of popcorn forcing pregnant people to come inside.... But don't you fear, I WILL have this place packed and ready to go for Friday, I can't WAIT to move!

Happy Halloween!

Its been a busy, busy week here. Hailey got to dress up for school and her class had a great party! She always wants to take pictures, but I wonder if she realizes she resembles a growling Cinderella?

Then, the girls and I went to get a Hailey a well-needed haircut. She absolutely loves to go. In fact, she requests to go all the time. The reason, they paint her nails there too as part of the cut. Today's color choice...hot pink with sparkles. My personal favorite part of watching her is how grown up she feels. She crosses her legs and sits and chats with whomever is working with her...hilarious.

Now, what's our poor, bald Reese to do while waiting on her sister? Well, that's easy, climb on things and find every feather boa in the place and blow on them of course!

The finished product.