finally.....

Ahhhhh......
These past few weeks have been quite hectic here at the Smith home...I, for one am so glad the semester is finally over...I've been busy studying for finals and yes....they're over and done! I think I can do this Nursing thing after all! I got a B+ in my Biology class for sure...and I think I got an A in my math class (she hasn't posted my official grade yet) grrr....

If you read my earlier posts about schooling, I felt so discouraged with my Biology class but I'm now very confident in that area. My next classes will be challenging...I plan on taking Chemistry and Intermediate Algebra. I haven't reached freak out mode yet, but I'm sure that if I apply myself I'll do well. I'm debating on taking an Anatomy class this summer.....If I take it, then I can apply into the Nursing program this summer as opposed to Jan 2010. I'll still have a 2 year waiting period...grrr...oh well...not much I can do about that....

Going back to school has definitely affected my family life. My kiddos see me studying and see that mom is doing homework also. One day earlier in the semester, I was working on some math problems and Alycia was walking by and made a comment...
"Hey mom...guess what?...I did those math problems last week in class"
"Oh...umm...that's nice..." I hesitantly replied

Boohoo...someone burst my little bubble...

Christmas 2008

Santa and the Smiths

My brother Ricky and my lil self...

Thanksgiving with Anna's mom's family.....

a bit late for Halloween...

I know, I know....It's a little late to be posting Halloween pics, but it's okay...I'm always late for everything... Just ask my family (extended included)...Enjoy!

Twilight happiness....

okay...I'm a bit obsessed with the Twilight series and couldn't wait til the movie came out. I tried to set my expectations low, since I've heard alot of people say that directors tend to butcher great books and make them into movies. My thoughts on the movie...

great....but not totally insanely great...a bit disappointing since the girl playing Bella really didn't connect with Edward. It's hard to explain...In the book there was this amazing relationship and connection..but the movie didn't do it justice...

When I went to pick up my tickets after my bio class, there was big line of ladies wearing "team Edward" shirts. These ladies were quite a bit older than myself...I tried in vain not to giggle...(I hope I didn't offend anyone...I really TRIED not to laugh)....

Brent willingly came along with me on opening day (evening). He didn't complain like I thought he would. The theater was jam packed and the guy sitting next to me seemed annoyed being there with his girlfriend...he kept huffing and puffing...I felt like elbowing him...I hope the girlfriend was...i named him Mr. huff and puff.

So in all...it was entertaining for the ladies..uh..guys...I bet they'd be happy watching Quantum Solace or something guyish....

I'm really excited that they've decided to start filming "New Moon." YIPPEE!!!!

little "bear"

just some pictures of little Joseph going into "Bears"....

my little "wolf" Joseph

15 items or less?

Don't you hate it when people get in line ahead of you and they have a whole shopping cart full of stuff and are in the express checkout lane...I sure do...

This weekend the family and I went grocery shopping at our local Fry's to stock up on all the red hot deals...pre-thanksgiving day sales. Our cart was packed to the max with all our goodies. I don't know about your Fry's but ours is always super busy with4 checkout stands open. What ever happened to 3's a crowd....I guess that's a California thing....I'm getting sidetracked again..I'll continue...Brent was unloading the cart as I was checking to make sure the prices were correct...I kept glancing over and the line behind me were really ticked...uh...whatever...were my thoughts...I thought it was weird that the cashier didn't have a bagger available. I thought I'd ask...

"So why don't you have a bagger helping on such a busy day?"

"They don't help at the Express lanes for 15 items or less.." the cashier replied.

gasp..."No stinkin' way! I'm in the Express lane! I dispise people that get in the Express lane with a boatload of stuff! I'm so sorry..." I wanted to die...so embarrassed...where's a rock I can crawl under and hide...

I apologized to the lady behind me...

The checker said it was no big deal, (I think she was a super hero of some sort...because she could scan things in blazing fast speeds)...but the crowd behind me were extremely vexxed. I could feel their invisible arrows piercing me....

Brent and Alycia started helping bag our cartload of stuff...no happy faces visible...(I should give Alycia a tip)

I avoided all eye contact with the angry mob behind me...I could hear more angry grumblings when I pulled out my $50 worth of coupons and rainchecks...(Brent gave me a look like...yeah right anna...you're really sorry)



We hurried and made our escape from the store, threw our stuff in the car and left before anyone could say two words to us.

What a nightmare...this was a 'duh moment for me. I will no longer be judgemental towards those people in Express lane with a mountain of food...

So if you were one of the poor souls behind me Saturday....I am soooooo sorry....

and B.T.W.....I saved $165!

anna, it's not the end of the world....

I thought I'd give an update.

After filing a campus police report and putting a red flag at the bookstore for a stolen biology book, still no book.....but....a friend of mine in my bio class has offered to let me borrow her book from Friday to Tuesday til the end of the semester...Thanks Erica!...The science department has also offered to have a bio book available for me in the library. There are some really nice people in my life...So now, I don't have to buy another book. Yippee!

So in all...it's not the end of the world that some creep or creepette stole my book...it was just a book and everything has worked out...

B.T.W....I got a "B" on my exam...so double Yippee!

anna's not so great experience...

If you don't want to hear any whining or complaining, then please exit my blog and have a great day....okay...I'm not in a very nice nor good mood and I will explain myself....

Today started off same as usual, getting the family their lunches and packed for the day....myself included...I decided to take my 13 pound Biology book with me to school today since I have a test tomorrow...This book feels like it weighs more like 25 pounds..okay I'm getting off track...Anyhow, the book is very heavy for my lil 5 foot self...and I REFUSE to take a rolling backpack...I'm not THAT old! (no offense to you rolling backpackers)...

I was running late (as usual) for my lame math class and decided to leave the massive bio book in the car....big mistake.....

Someone decided they needed the book and broke into my car in the school parking lot. Technically, broke in probably isn't the right word since I think I forgot to lock the car. Ugggg...Duh.....The one time I actually forgot to lock it....I felt sick to my stomach (still do)...I didn't think nice thoughts of this villain. This is the first time in a very long time that wished bodily harm on someone. Am I overreacting? Am I justified in these ill feelings towards this other human being? I feel violated....

It was a $180 book, so this is really sucking. I paid $134 for mine on Amazon and replacing it is going to be very frustrating since the semester ends December 18.....big sigh.....

I'm feeling a little better now that I'm done venting. Poor Brent had to listen to my blubbering after I realized what had happened...I was so emotional....yes, it's just a textbook....but I've never felt so helpless...I know, I need to get a grip...okay, I'm done....

I hope tomorrow turns out to be a better day for me. Wish me luck on my bio test, I'm really going to need it!

scrapbookin' program

I've actually had several requests on what digital scrapbooking program I use. I've been too lazy to post it and I'm a bit secretive about some things...like recipes and other lame things...(yes I am silly)

I use Scrapbook Factory Deluxe 4.0

It's super easy to use and I absolutely LOVE it! I bought it at Target and I've seen it at Costco.

Enjoy!

someone was going to get into some SERIOUS trouble today....

I am really trying to stop laughing...

My kids just came home from school. I WAS going to be a nice mom and pick them up, but things came up...

Okay...I'm trying to contain myself now...

Here I go...My kiddos just got home and were not happy with me, since I didn't pick them up. We live about 2 blocks from the school AND it's NOT over 100 degrees today. Both had very sad faces. I asked Joseph why he had the sad face...He said..

"Alycia said a bad word...She said the "S" word"

The "S" word? I almost had a Christmas Story moment...(the part where Ralphy's mom calls his friend's mom to tell her Ralphy learned the f-bomb from her son)....

Like I said...almost had that moment...

I did some detective work..."Joseph what bad "S" word did she say?"

"The S-H bad word"Joseph replied..

Whaaaaat?

"Alycia! What did you say in front of your brother???? (anger slowly building, on my part, but I kept my cool)

"Mom, you say it ALL the time!"

What??? Now I KNOW I don't say what I think she said...

"What's that then Alycia?" I asked

"Shut-up"

I could Not keep a straight face...there were tears in my eyes...this is too funny...

She smiled....

"Please be kind and use nice words please"

Welcome to my world!

Feeling ancient...

I just read my sister-in-laws blog and it was about her kids' choice in music. It made me think of a conversation I had with Alycia a few weeks ago....

We were driving home from some sort of activity and I had "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode playing on the car stereo from my ipod. I asked her if she liked the song since she requested for me to play it again. She replied that she really liked it and that she remembers me playing it when she was small. She has an amazing memory that gets me in trouble sometimes...

I was feeling great, like yes!...I'm helping her to have great taste in music...

Then she asked how old the song was...Hmmm....I remember getting the CD in high school my sophmore or junior year...uh...1990 or 1991? Holy cow...was it that long ago..uh...it CANT be...

calm yourself, anna...

"Uh 1990 I think" I replied.

"Woow, that's a long time ago" Alycia replied

please don't do the math....i thought to my 'lil old self...

"This song is really old mom...like 18 years old"

Uhh...I'm feeling helplessly old....

"Alycia,,,,,Yes it is an old song (not an oldie yet)....But Depeche Mode and the Cure still rule!"

I have to say, just about all of Alycia's songs on her MP3 player rock and I'm happy to know that she loathes Hanna Montana's and High School musical music...She makes me proud!

She has two parents with awesome taste in music and hopefully she'll continue to look up to us!

You can get a glimpse of what kinds of music I like by clicking on the playlist and it NOT just 80s music. Beware though...I tried finding PG versions of some of the songs.

I'm not so old ....am I?

Please say NO!

Anna’s thoughts for the day…

A friend of mine sent this for me to fill out…I thought I'd share this with you all…It gives you a glimpse of my thoughts…

What time did you get up this morning?

Technically, 6:30am….but I didn't ACTUALLY get out of bed til 7…

Diamonds or pearls?

Hmm...both!

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Can't really remember…Batman or Iron Man…They're both awesome!

What is your favorite TV show?

The Amazing Race....so intense to watch! You gotta watch it!

What do you usually have for breakfast?

Granola bar and a can of Coke...I eat them separately!

What was your middle name?

Macarena....Yes, I was famous before the song!

What food do you dislike?

Scrambled eggs...yuck the smell and texture makes me wanna gag!

Favorite song for the moment?

L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold

What kind of car do you drive?

Honda Odyssey momma-mobile

Favorite sandwich?

Philly cheese steak baby!

What characteristic do you despise?

Phonies and Liars....they kinda go together

Favorite item of clothing?

My Levi's "skinny jeans"…I like to think they make me look thinner…

I'm so vain...I know…. ;-)

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

Chile...never been...(big sigh), my parents are from there

Favorite brand of clothing?

DKNY...love her stuff...

Where would you retire to?

Santa Cruz California baby...ahh....I miss hanging out by the beach...that was favorite place to be...

What was your most recent memorable birthday?

This past birthday. I was treated like a queen! Breakfast was served, lunch and dinner were taken care of....I wish everyday were my birthday...

Favorite sport to watch?

BYU football!!! Yes! They're doing awesome this year! They ROCK!

Furthermost place you are sending this?

D.C.

Are you a morning person or a night person?

Night...I'm so NOT a morning person...just ask my family...

What is your shoe size?

6 or 6 1/2

Pets?

My precious little daushund, Copper.

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?

I have my own blog! It's so much fun!

And…I got a B on my last Bio exam! Yippee!

What did you want to be when you were little?

Attorney...now I'm aiming for Nursing

How are you today?

A bit stressed…McCain and Palin HAVE to win!

What is your favorite candy?

Sour Skittles...yumm...it makes my mouth water just thinking of them…

What is your favorite flower?

Tulips...haven't seen them in a long time, since I live in Arizona.

What is your favorite pastime?

Sewing, quilting, spending time with family, blogging

What are you listening to right now?

"I turn my camera on" by Spoon

What was the last thing you ate?

White Cheddar Popcorn…I hope no one here notices I ate more than my fair share ;-)

How is the weather right now?

Cooler than yesterday…85 degrees but with a bit of wind

The first person you spoke to on the phone today?

My mom.

Favorite drink?

Coca Cola...it's the best! Yes, I'm Mormon AND I drink COKE! (Big sigh)

Favorite restaurant?

Thai Rama...love it! The best Thai food restaurant EVER!

Real hair color?

Very, very, very dark brown...

What was your favorite toy as a child?

My "Littles" collection.

Summer or winter?

Winter...I can go bike riding, make soups, wear sweaters, and not sweat...

Hugs or kisses?

Kisses

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate

Coffee or tea?

Yuck! neither

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday…I was missing my grandfather who passed away a few years ago

What is under your bed?

A container with old clothes I need to seriously donate.

What did you do last night?

I watched Singles Ward 2 with my sweet hubby. We were bummed Chuck wasn't on TV…

What are you afraid of?

Cats...they kinda freak me out.

How many keys on your key ring

6, I'm not sure what two of them are for...but I'm sure they're important.

Favorite day of the week?

Used to be Friday, until I started my all stinkin' day biology class! Boohoo! Now it's Saturday.

What do you value most?

My sweet family and that I get to spend eternity with them.

What upcoming movie(s) would you want to see?

TWILIGHT!!!(of course) and the new Bond movie Quantum Solace!

Do you make friends easily?

I'd like to think so…Yes is my final answer!

funny political picture....

My cousin Lisa sent this picture to me...I thought it was hilarious...Enjoy!

Politics…and my darkside…

since this is my blog, I can speak my mind...

On Saturday, I took Joseph out to eat at Mimi's Cafe and Brent took Alycia to Famous Dave's. We took one car since the restaurants were nearby. As I was waiting for Brent, there were some people on the corner from where I was sitting that were huge Obama supporters. They were chanting "Chandler votes Obama", "Obama for change", "Honk if you love Obama"...yuck!!! I was seriously getting irritated.

 

I was having a dark moment....I thought to myself...should I "Boooooo" them. I know that's very immature, but that's me...sometimes… No Anna, you need to act like an adult, your son is with you. hmmm..."okay" I thought to myself. I'll just let this go. I won't say anything.

FINALLY, Brent pulled up, I no longer needed to suffer.

 

As we rounded the corner...there they were...chanting like rabid animals. Ugggghh!

 

I couldn't resist it any longer, I pressed the automatic window down, and yelled "WOOOHOO McCain for President! Go McCain-Palin!" My nine year old couldn't stop laughing. I want to say I heard him "booing" them...or was that wishful thinking? As a responsible parent I didn't coax him, but I didn't reprimand him either...hmm..am I a bad parent? Nope ...I don't think so. My sweet husband Brent was extremely embarrassed but laughed along with the rest of us.

 

Ah....Happy times!

my grumblings for the day....

today has been an interesting day for 'lil ole me....
The snowbirds are back AND with a vengeance. Living here in Arizona during the fall/winter is heavenly. No snow to shovel or drive in...wearing flip-flops ALMOST year round...ahh so nice. But there are drawbacks to living in a place with such a fabulous climate. What, you may ask is the problem...SNOWBIRDS...Some of you may not be acquainted with the term. Many are elderly from Minnesota, Ohio, Utah, and I can't leave out Canada. The neighboring community near us is called Sun Lakes. There you see plenty of golf carts parked at the grocery store and of course Walgreens. As I was pulling into a parking spot at Fry's, a white Crown Victoria decided she was going to back up and NOT look to see lil ole me pulling in. She was just inches from hitting my car. I seriously had to hit reverse to avoid being hit. Arrgggg! Her license plate stated she was from Ohio. I decided it wasn't worth getting hit, so I left to go to the library to drop off some overdue books. (BTW-someone owes me $1.20)....As I was backing up to leave, another snowbird in a black Caddy started backing up after I was halfway done...Ahhh...not again! Fortunatly, I was able to get out of the way before he hit the side of my car. This one was from Utah...
Now that I know they're (snowbirds) are going to be here for the next 5 months, I'll have to be extra careful and plan my day better....big sigh....I"m done grumbling....

Is fall really here????

Well I've got a lot of catching up to do....

Have you ever cooked something and had the feeling that you won't be able to enjoy the product of your hard work? It's happened to me twice in the past few years. The first time was when I made an absolutely perfect looking pie. Picture perfect. While I was preparing my delicious looking, magazine perfect, pumpkin pie...I had that sick feeling, like I won't be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I burned it...arrrggg....The second time was just last week. It was a crazy Thursday. Taekwondo day! I made my Chicken chowder soup. It was looking scrumptious and I couldn't wait to take a bite. I had to let it boil for just a few minutes. I thought, while this is boiling, I'll just go check my email and check a few of my favorite blogs to catch up, since I was out of the loop for a while...(see my previous post to get the scoop)...Well....time didn't stop and the "few minutes" I was going to dedicate to browsing blogs, turned into 10 minutes! Maybe even more! Arrrgggg!

Yuck! What is that awful smell! What stinks?

That smell, my dear friends was my "used to be" delicious Chicken Chowder Soup..._boo-hoo_It no longer had the aroma of something appetizing. My dear sweet husband re-named my now brown creation....Trail blazer stew....It was no longer edible and had to make it's exit from existance via the porcelain throne. Since they already picked up the trash for the week, we couldn't put in the trashcan...otherwise we'd have another revenge of the "turkey" problem...inside joke...I'll have to share that experience another time....Bummer...and I ACTUALLY made dinnner...

On Saturday we all went to Veteran's Oaisis park. It's a manmade lake that you can fish in, walking path, and has a nature exhibit. Brrrr....it was chilly....As we were driving there, the temperature in Brent's car said it was 73 degrees! I should've brought my puffy coat. All I had on was a light sweatshirt and SHORTS! Brrrrr.....Joseph asked if it was winter.....We stuck around for about an hour and a half.

Can it be? Is fall really here?

Yesterday we all went to Prescott and Jerome, which is a two hour drive from our home. It was nice to see TREES! Living in the desert, you don't see many of those things we call trees. I brought my puffy coat while everyone else chose to wear sweatshirts and light jackets. It was even cooler up there. I'm so glad I wore "puffy", I shoud've brought my scarf too. Oh well...In all it was fun to feel what fall should "feel" like.

Is it fall? Hmm...still debating on that...swimming in our pool now is out of the question....but it supposed to hit 92 degrees tomorrow....It was great while it lasted....It's so hard to get back in hot weather mode....grrr.....

my baby girl is growing up....

Alycia just turned 11 a few months ago and I decided to it was time for her to take a babysitting class. She's not babysitting til she's 12, but we thought it wouldn't hurt for her to take the class. Saturday was the big day. She packed her own lunch and was up and ready by 8am. She would learn how to perform CPR and first aid among other things. After class Brent and I grilled her as to what she learned and what they did. She had to learn how to change a diaper, which didn't really bother her. These were dolls they practiced on so I'm sure she has no idea how bad that will be. So glad my kids are past the poopy diaper stage! Uggg!

Last week she went to her friends' house to hang out and when I picked her up, she was wearing blue eyeshadow and an ample amount of blush. She didn't go crazy, like I did at that age but it did frighten me a bit that she was WANTING to wear cosmetics. Tweens......Am I ready for this???

Boys, boys, and more boys...
There are several boys at her school that she is interested in. She's not going crazy about them, but the thought of her even remotely thinking of them is putting me in "freaking out mode." I'm so not ready for this!

I guess I can't call her my little girl anymore since she's a bit taller than my 5 foot self. Okay, if I wear heels, I'm a giant or so I like to think I am. Just a few weeks ago I felt taller...am I just shrinking? Is this how my mom felt when I passed her in height?

I am seriously NOT ready for this....

...what's the big deal with the Twilight saga???

So what happened to my house....it looked like a tornado hit ( I can say this since I lived in Tulsa for 5 years)....it looked like utter chaos! At least the dishes where done...Thank you Alycia!..Hmm...dinner was basically leftovers, cereal and whatever was in the fridge...Four days of nothing done...uh...piles of clothes in baskets (at least they're clean)...Kids resorting to sort and put away THEIR own clothes....What happened you might ask yourselves????

Twilight....

Okay...everyone's been talking about the book Twilight and how great it is and how I've gotta read it. On Saturday, I saw it at Sam's Club and bought it and New Moon, just in case I HAD to read the second of the saga. I was SOOO hooked. I finished them in two days. On my way to school, I couldn't wait til Sam's opened at 10:30, so I went to Target and bought Eclipse and Breaking Dawn...Ah, I finished them all in 4 days! Technically 5, since I stayed up til 3am to finish up the last book.

By Tuesday, my eyes felt like they were on fire from lack of sleep. My fellow classmates asked if I was feeling well...I'm assuming it was due to the dark circles under my eyes and bloodshot eyes. I should've worn some makeup, duh? I hope I remembered to brush my hair...big sigh...Lucky me, I had my handy dandy cup of ice cold Coke next to me to keep me alert and awake...ahh...okay...I know there are some in my family that frown on my choice of beverages...but that's my only real weakness...-bigger sigh----

Getting back to reality isn't fun, since I have a lot of catching up to do...but my little vacation was so worth it!------Twilight rocks!!!!

Sad kids…bad mom…sad mom…

Sad kids…bad mom…sad mom…

I've been meaning to write this for a couple days…Tuesdays are piano lesson days. I needed to make sure the kids did their theory workbook and practiced all their songs. I took their notebooks out of the piano bag to see what the assignments were homework. Guess what? I forgot to put the notebooks back in their bags.

When I went to pick up the kids from piano, there were some seriously sad faces. Like, extremely sad…I asked how piano went (I thought they didn't pass of their songs)…It was worse than that…They didn't have their NOTEBOOKS! Uh-oh..Since they didn't bring their notebooks, that meant they didn't get to go to the prize jar AND they didn't get to put a sticker on the chart. Oh no…

My kiddos were not happy campers. I felt like world's worst mom. It was totally my fault. I was the guilty party. Was there a way I could justify it from being MY fault? Okay…I KNOW I'm a grown adult, and should know better…but that's the immature side of me showing its ugliness. I fessed up…I told the kids it was MY fault and that I was very, very sorry. I wish I could say that the kids said "that's okay mom, people make mistakes, we still love you"…nope…they just sat in silence on the drive back home. Silence was not golden this time…

As I was driving home I felt a knot in my stomach. I felt so bad. When we got back home, they ate dinner and as an extra treat, they were allowed to have dessert. (That was my way of saying sorry, again.) Ah…happy kids again…happy ending to a not so happy day..

Motherhood

Motherhood…..

Today is the third day of the kids' fall break. Things went well. The kids practiced their piano and did their chores. Just a few reminders was all that was needed. Ahh…the sweet sound of the dishwasher that I didn't have to load and unload. My kids are growing up so fast. Just yesterday, Joseph cleared the table after breakfast and threw out the recyclables in the right container WITHOUT being asked. Alycia helped prepare dinner by frying the tortillas for the taquitos (with adult supervision, of course). I think she appreciated dinner a little more than usual.

As I sit here typing away, I think of how grateful I am that I have this opportunity to be a mom. Two kiddos are all the Lord has blessed us with, and I'm thankful for this opportunity he's given me to teach these wonderful little spirits. Yes, Alycia's almost taller than me and Joseph's not too far behind…but they're still my little ones.

As I was doing my math homework, Alycia was loading the dishes and Joseph was practicing the piano….such sweet sounds. No bickering, no corner time, no essay writing and the dreaded…no sentence writing. Good day for me!

I remember being pregnant with Alycia. I thought for sure I was going to have a 13 pound girl. I was huge…my weight gain frightened my poor sweet husband. I ate everything in sight. (this is no exaggeration). It didn't help that our apartment in Tulsa was right next door to Braums…ah...Braums. It was an ice cream place that had awesome burgers. I remember waddling myself there many a times. (We only had one car, and Brent usually took it to work). Brent nicknamed me "Big Momma."

When Alycia was born, she only weighed 7 pounds. I remember seeing her, thinking…she's supposed to be a lot bigger! Why am I still fat? I'm supposed to fit into my size 8 jeans!!!

As the nurse brought her to me, I was so scared. I wasn't prepared for motherhood. I didn't know what to do? I didn't babysit like most girls did…I told Brent to hold her…I thought if I held her, she would break. I was 23 when I had her. She was truly a blessing from Our Father in Heaven. She was so perfect! Bathing her was a scary thing for me. I would wait for Brent to come home and have him help me. A couple days after Alycia was born, Brent's mom flew out to help us. She was an answer to our prayers. Linda showed me how to take care of this sweet little spirit. She made me feel like I could actually do this "mother" thing. She built up my confidence and helped me become comfortable in this new role I was to play. Thank you Linda! My mother came out a few weeks later and also helped me with our new little bundle of joy. After everyone left, I was left alone with Alycia. I remember thinking "Will I remember all that Linda and mom taught me?" "Am I ready for this?" "Is this girl going to cry the WHOLE TIME???"

When Joseph was born, I was much more prepared. I didn't gain as much weight with this one, since I didn't eat gallons of ice cream a week this time! Joseph was definitely different from Alycia. He was really mellow and was truly a momma's boy. I didn't complain. All was not well with him though…I remember thinking… "Joseph's not really talking. Alycia was talking in sentences by this time…this kid just points and grunts. Something is not right. Am I being overly worried?" My gut kept telling me something was NOT right. After getting rejected for services, I had to get in what I call "Momma bear mode." I challenged those professionals and finally got speech services for my little cub. He has made amazing progress since he started services 5 years ago.

I wish I could say motherhood is easy, but it's so worth the sacrifice. Staying home with my kiddos has been an awesome experience. They are growing up so fast and have their own personalities. As a mother you have to make many sacrifices, not just financially, but emotionally. Sometimes we have little ones that have struggles that you wish they didn't have to go through. With my little Joseph, there are struggles I wish the Lord would give me instead of him. But trials are given for a purpose, and I know my little guy will be a stronger person because of this. I will forever treasure this experience I have to be a mom. I know that the day my kids leave the house for college, missions, marriage and are on their own…my heart will ache. I'm sure I'll miss the sound of my kids playing the piano off key, the sound of Alycia singing to her favorite Tegan and Sara song, and perhaps even the sound of grumblings of having to do chores….

Motherhood can be challenging but like I said earlier…it's so worth it…..

Jury Duty

I had Jury Duty last week. I showed up on Monday and after a few hours of waiting was asked if I could attend a 3 week trial. They also explained that we could be reimbursed for lost wages, so that was not a valid excuse. I told them yes and was told to return the next afternoon.

The next day I had to sit through the court asking 60 people in the jury pool various questions. It was mildly interesting, but tedious. We only thing we were told about the trial was that the defendant (a black, 25 year old male) was being charged in a home invasion where one of the residents was shot. The saddest thing was that several jurors said that they had family members or close friends who have been murdered.

I tried to find any honest reason for the court to dismiss me, but was not successful. I got close when the defense attorney asked if anyone would tend to disbelieve a witness if it was known they were a convicted felon. I was amazed to find my hand was the only one raised. The judge however made him rephrase his question to ask if anyone would reject a felon's testimony automatically. I couldn't raise my hand to that.

They finally finished questioning at 4:45, so we were told to come back on Wednesday to see who would wind up on the jury. I came back to find the courtroom empty except for the bailiff and fellow jurors. I thought for sure the guy plead guilty and I was free, but no. It turns out the defense attorney had a seizure that morning and was in the hospital. We were to return on Thursday, but left our cell phone numbers in case it was delayed again.

Each day I received a call telling me to attend the next day until this morning. I was told today that I have been dismissed. I am very glad since this was looking to be over 4 weeks of duty while my job only pays for 2.

So today I actually got to look around and find out what I could about what happened. It turns out 3 guys broke into an apartment here in Chandler (about 12 miles from our home). One of the people living there fought with the intruders and ended up getting shot and killed. The three were caught and plead guilty to armed robbery. This defendant got 8 years in prison for that. This trial was either for kidnapping or muder or both. They never did say.

Just knowing that this guy plead guilty already to being a part of the robbery, I would be very inclinded to find him guilty. It could have been interesting, but 4+ weeks would have been way too long, especially since it would be durring the kid's fall break.

Strawberry Pie

Anna's Favorite Strawberry Pie Recipe

This is my absolute favorite recipe. I got it from the Better Homes and Garden recipe book. I've made some adjustments in the measurements, so I've renamed it.

2 quarts fresh strawberries (8 cups)

1 -1/3 C granulated sugar

4 Tbls. Cornstarch

A few drops of red food coloring

One baked pastry shell

Whipped topping

 

Remove the stems from the strawberries. In a blender or food processor, process 3 cups strawberries with enough water to fill to the 3 Cup mark, pulse until smooth.

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in berry mixture and add a few drops of red food coloring. (If you don't use the food coloring, it will have a light pink color). Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Let cool for 8-10 minutes without stirring.

Spread about ¼ of the berry mixture over the bottom of baked shell. Arrange half of the remaining berries in pastry shell, stem ends down, cutting larger berries in half lengthwise. Spoon the remaining berry mixture over berries, being careful to cover all of the fruit.

Chill for 3 hours or more. Add whipped topping prior to serving.

Pie Crust

Pie Crust

This recipe was taken from The Silver palate cookbook. I use butter flavored Crisco to make the crust taste extra buttery. I always receive compliments on how yummy the crust is. Enjoy!

2 to 2 -1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, chilled
6 Tbs. Regular or Crisco butter flavored shortening
5 to 6 Tbs. ice water

Mix flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Add chilled butter and shortening. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, rub or cut fat into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle on ice water, 2 to 3 Tbs. at a time, and toss with a fork. Turn dough out onto your work area and using the heel of your hand, smear dough away from you. Scrape it up into a ball and wrap in wax paper. Chill.

Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured work surface. Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the dough. Crimp edges for a single - crust pie.

For prebaking, line dough in the pie plate with foil, and fill with beans or rice. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes, then remove beans and lining. Prick bottom of dough with a fork and return pie plate in oven to 10-13 minutes longer, or until crust is golden brown.

This makes One 9-inch double crust , or two 9 inch single crusts.

my brain is fried....

I just thought I'd give you all an update on my schooling...My brain is completely fried. It's been a long time since I've exercised my brain. My Algebra class is going great...Acing it so far..not too difficult. Don't ask me how to use my super fancy calculator yet, but I hear I can program Tetris on it... too advanced for me. As for Bio...having it from 8ish to 2ish is absolute torture. The labs are kinda cool..we dealt with goat blood today. Some ladies that are nursing majors got grossed out by it (not me)...I was thinking " Uh, nurses deal with blood...You might want to think of a different career." Oh well. I think anatomy will be awesome, but first I need to pass this biology course. Brent and I thought this class would be like high school bio, Nope, so wrong! I sure hope I survive this!

honor thy mother and father

I recently came across an essay we had Alycia write a few months ago. She was not doing what she was being told to do, and corner time was utterly painful for us (her wonderful parents) to hear the grumblings. I thought for sure that writing the essay would be a delight for her since she loves to write. Nope...I was so wrong, she sat there for over an hour complaining about how unfair and horrible we were to make her write an essay on honoring her parents. Once she realized how much time she wasted, she finished up this masterpiece. Both Brent and I were amazed at how well she knew the scriptures and that this girl has a fantastic memory.

Some days parenting can be quite challenging, while other days you are just happy to be a parent. I love and enjoy this precious time I have to be a mother and wouldn't change any of the challenges that have come my way. At times I wonder if what I'm teaching my children is actually soaking into their little minds or if I'm wasting my breath. I'm pleased to know that they ARE listening and applying them into their everyday lives. I can't honestly say that my children are perfect.....a clean room, towels hung up, dirty clothes put IN their baskets (not just near them), would be wonderful but I can't ask for total perfection..can I?

As you read the essay, Alycia does a wonderful job illustrating the consequences of not honoring parents and why honoring your parents is so important. I do plan on framing this or perhaps just saving it for her when she has her own children.

marriage between a man AND a woman

This past week I've been thinking about marriage and what the true definition of it is. We' re living in some troubling times where morality is becoming (in mainstream media) a bad thing. Brent and I were married June 10th 1995. We were married in the most sacred and and holy place where we were sealed for not "til death do us part", but for time and all eternity. I am very fortunate and extremely blessed to have found the man I plan to spend the eternities with. He is such a wonderful husband and father, and truly my Prince Charming!

As I was saying earlier, things in society are changing quickly and NOT for the better. I have recently been made aware of what the consequences of "alternative lifestyles" are, and that they are attacking the institution of marriage. In the state of Massachusetts and California, as many of you know, same sex couples have a legal right to be married. Some may think it's not a big deal, but there are some serious consequences to these "rights." The Catholic church in Boston was told that, by law, they needed to allow same sex couples to adopt the children. The church had to close down their adoption agency due to this request. What's next, are churches going to be "made" to allow same sex marriages or risk prosecution? Are schools going to be "made" to teach these alternative lifestyles in their curriculum? Are pastors or bishops going to be hit with "hate speech" because they are teaching from the scriptures? This is NOT kind of society that I want my children growing up in.....so what can I do? Go out and vote and make sure that my voice as a citizen is heard. In the state of Arizona, we will be voting to clarify the language in our constitution that marriage is between a man and woman. If this doesn't pass....I will NOT be a happy! Let's hope the people of Arizona and elsewhere make the right decision to vote for this! Okay...I'm done venting.... :-)

I officially have a "tween"

As I was walking the kids to school today, Alycia was reading a book and walking ahead of Joseph and I. I called her to come and talk to us. She turned around and asked what we wanted. I told her that she looked nice today and that she was very color coordinated. Even her shoes matched! She grumbled a "thanks" and continued walking.

What happened to my sweet little girl that would wrap her arms around me and tell me that she loved me and would miss me while she was at school. She used to ask me if certain things matched or if an outfit looked good. Now she has her own sense of style.

I am seriously not ready for her to grow up. I can't believe she starts junior high next year. Am I old enough to have a kid in junior high? Yes, I'm a bit vain! Some of the things she is doing reminds me of myself as a tween and I'm not prepared for this.

I hear boys are easier...Wish me luck!

What is your integrity worth?

While I was walking home yesterday morning from dropping off the kids, I noticed a $5 bill on my next door neighbor's front yard. At first I thought..."woohoo finder's keepers!" My second thought was to go next door and return the money. I felt that if I went over to my neighbor's house, she would think I was crazy. The whole rest of the day, I had a sinking feeling. This may not be a big deal to some of you, but it really bothered me. Later that day I decided to call my wonderful hubby Brent and get his opinion. When I told him my dilemma, he said "Is your integrity worth $5?" Hmmm....I knew exactly what I needed to do. When I went next door and told my neighbor about the money, she smiled and said that she didn't lose it and said "finder's keepers." In all, I'm glad I made the right decision.

i wanted to cry....

Well, this Friday was my first day of my all day Biology class. I was so lost. This professor was speaking a foreign language. I few things clicked in my little brain during the lecture, but I was not ready for this. I'm actually debating on switching to an easier biology class to ease my way into this field. Hmm..we'll just have to see how this next week goes. 5 students dropped out within an hour and a half of the class, so it's not just me that thought it was tough. It's been almost 14 years since I've been back to school, so this was a huge shocker to me. I think I just need to suck it up and actually WORK at doing well in school.

Just after my class finished up, I wanted to run to my car and cry cry cry. Fortunately, one of my classmates walked up to me and reassured me that it was not just me that thought the class was tough. Okay.....I'm done whining and complaining.

As for my math class, I'm liking it. It's not a hard class, but some of my fellow classmates are interesting to people watch. There's a guy I've named pinhead (due to the amount of piercings), she-man (a very tall muscular man dressed as a woman), and the hippie(she sits at my table and smells like a certain illegal plant). Things have definitely changed since I've been back to school.

Well that's pretty much all that's going on with little old me. So if you see me at the college parking lot on Friday balling my head off, you'll know things did not go well. .....I seriously need to think positive thoughts.....

happy birthday alycia

happy birthday joseph

What not to do while reading a map....

Ah...I remember the day vividly. The kids and I were driving home from the library on December 15, 2007. Alycia had to do some research for her school science fair project. I had the feeling that I should take a different road back home, but ignored the prompting. As I slowing down to a light that had just changed. BAMM! What the heck! I hit the brakes so I didn't hit the person in front of me. Then BAMM again! I checked to see if my kids were okay. Alycia complained that her neck hurt. Joseph was fine...he had on his puffy coat and was playing his gameboy. I got out to see what caused this car accident. A 17 year old girl driving a Suburban decided to read a map while driving. She totaled the pickup that hit my van (twice) and almost totaled the van. I'm thankful the damage wasn't worse... Alycia and I had to go to plenty Physical Therapy sessions and we weren't able to do much for quite a while and see several specialists for the discomfort. So when you think of reading a map while driving...remember ...this young lady totaled a truck, caused over $11,000 damage to my vehicle, paid additional $ for componsation and most likely will be uninsurable.

Alycia in the Wizard of Oz play

Out to lunch with my man on Halloween

Halloween 2007

HOT DOG!!!

This is a picture of our dog Copper. I like to call him precious. Doesn't he look happy?

New ward...week 2

Our stake recently re-aligned our ward boundaries, so this was our 2nd week in our "new ward." Today, just before Sacrament started the Bishop and his counselors came to our bench and welcomed us and greeted us. After they left Joseph asked Brent the following question.."Did we get kicked out of our other ward?"

Change.....Sunday stake shakedown.

Well, last Sunday there was a big shake down within our stake. New wards were created and carved and there weren't many tears of joy. When the maps were shown were ward boundaries were created, some people gasped and groaned. There were plenty of people that used the term "you have got to be kidding me!" I was not a happy camper when they showed our subdivision carved 3 ways. We will no longer be in the same ward we've been in for the past 2 years. I'm bummed that I will no longer be teaching my Sunday school class with 12-13 year olds. They were a great group of kids that really knew the scriptures.

On Tuesday we met with our new bishopric and they were very welcoming and nice. They're a great group of men that will make this transition go smoothly. Change is good. This change was inspired of the Lord and the work will continue. As my good friend Leslie said.."ward re-alignments just means more cute friends! People like
- oh say me - who you would never have known had they not realigned the boundaries."
I'm sure this will not be the last change within our stake but it will all work out. This is the Lord's church and all will go as planned.

My Hero!

Last week was a very chaotic week. Alycia's on restriction for a month, and has lost all computer and TV for her choices. So let's just say, she is going to have it pretty rough and I didn't think I was on her good side. Well, she asked me to print a picture of myself that evening for her to which I did. In morning I was getting the kids' lunches ready and looked over and saw her poster she had been working on the previous evening. In the area of "my hero", she taped a picture of me...her mom. Underneath my picture she wrote the following: "My hero is my Mom. She's the best mom ever. She's a great cook and can sew anything."

I pray that she'll continue to think great thoughts of me. She is a very thoughtful young lady and a blessing in my life.

School has started! Yippee!

Well, the kids have already started school. This summer has gone by quickly. Alycia is in the 6th grade CATS program (smarty pants class) and turns 11 in just a couple more weeks. We've already received a call from her teacher. Apparently, Alycia hasn't been finishing up her class work. Her teacher asked her why she's not finishing up her in class assignments, to which Alycia replied that she didn't bother to do the work since she already knows it and didn't want to waste her time. Arrrrrrrgggg! She did this last year with a different teacher. What are we going to do with this girl? Don't get me wrong..she's a very sweet and sensitive young lady. She's just very head strong.

Joseph is now in 3rd grade and turns 9 in a of couple weeks. No big surprises this year. Last year he decided to give me a huge scare by walking home alone and not telling anyone. I went to pick him and Alycia up at school. When I arrived, Alycia said she hadn't seen Joseph at the parent pick up area. Mind you, this school has 1500 students from K-6th. I was totally freaking out...did they put him on a bus? Is he roaming the school? Is he roaming the neighborhood? Where is he? They couldn't get a hold of his teacher and nobody's seen him. I was not a happy mom at the office. The school was paging all the teachers on their walkies to find Joseph..they were very calm and professional. I decided to check the house just in case. When I arrived, there he was, all smiles and proud of himself. I immediately called the school to inform them that he was home. Let's just say, I didn't make my face shown at the office for a couple weeks. Duh Anna? In all, Joseph's doing well with his new teacher. He does not do well with change, but has adjusted to the new routine well so far.

Due to the amount of homework and changes, we have opted to skip Taekwondo for the month of August. Joseph's bummed but Alycia's happy. The kids are still in piano and doing well. I'm now okay with them no longer using their headphones when practicing the piano. (we have a digital piano...nice..)

Right now, I'm trying to get everything at home in order before I go back to school in a couple more weeks. I'm attempting to get 3 quilts and a roman shade sewn and finished in the a couple weeks. Am I biting more than I can chew? Hmmm...we'll see. So much to do..so little time. I am currently enrolled to take a biology and algebra class this semester. My bio class is an ALL DAY Friday class. Yuck yuck. I am so not looking forward to that. Ugggg. I should be done with the nursing program in 4 years. That will be a happy day!

Sweetest daughter ever.....

A couple days ago I really needed to mow my lawn. I couldn't afford getting another letter from our HOA. It was about 9am and about 100 degrees outside. I told the kids to check on me in 15 minutes if I'm not inside. They asked why they needed to and I told them that I might pass out again. Joseph looked horrified and asked what "pass out" meant. I explained it to him and he seem content. Alycia asked if it was okay for her to dump water on me should that happen. To which I replied yes. It turns out it did take longer for me finish up the lawn work, so Alycia ran out to see if I was okay. I was drenched in sweat, but okay. She came back out with a large cup of ice water for me to drink and said "thanks for mowing mom, it looks great."

I was so proud of my little girl. She almost eleven years old and was thoughtful enough to get the water for me without me even asking. That's why she's the sweetest daughter ever.......

I want to go back to work............

Today was the second week of swim lessons. It was about 90 degrees at 8am this morning with not much of a breeze. The kids were doing well at their lessons and listening about 80% of the time. Brent took a sick day off today (Monday) and decided to join us. (He was in church meetings Sunday from 6am-1pm and had been up since 3 in the morning, needless to say, he was tired). As we were driving from swim lessons the kids decided to not be nice to one another with their books, someone got hurt and started crying. By time the instigator got in trouble, both kids were crying on the fun ride home. Brent turned to me ( I was still driving) and asked..."Does this usually happen after lessons?" I laughed and said "sometimes." He then looked forward and said....
"I want to go back to work."

I was bored........

About a month ago, Joseph came out of Primary upset that a boy in his class had written all over his white Sunday shirt with a yellow crayon. When I saw the damage, let's just say, I was very very very upset. The young boy that did this is known to be "high maintenance." After the Primary presidency was made aware of the situation, phone calls were made and parents were not happy. That same evening, the primary president called us to inform us that our little angel Joseph was the one who started the crayon war. Once we had all the facts, we confronted Joseph. We asked him why he wrote on the little boy next to him in class. His response was "I was bored." Of course he lost all his privileges for a week and had to write sentences, but this reminded me of a time in my life when I did something just as bad and dumb as what my little guy did....

I was about nine years old, living in a four story apartment building in Washington D.C. My best friend Glenda and I were in the stairwell looking out the third story window, when we saw our building manager outside. He was not the nicest man to be around, so let's just say we didn't like him much. My mom had just made us some hamburgers (that were very well done)....I ran to my apt and asked my mom to add extra ketchup and mayo to my delicious burger, which she did. Glenda and I ran back to the third story stairwell window and I just couldn't resist this perfect opportunity..I aimed my burger just right, and it landed on his head as he was opening the door to the building. We ran back to my apartment giggling at what had just happened. About two minutes later, there was pounding on our door. There stood the manager with ketchup and mayo on his head and white button up shirt. It was quite a sight. After my mom apologized to the poor man, she confronted me and asked me why in the world I did that to the manager....my response to her was......" I was bored."

So there you have it, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree..

Joseph with cactus power!

Brent took this picture of Joseph while we were out hiking...It was actually cloudy and in the 70's, in MAY...we had to take advantage of the nice weather.

Brent and Anna Smith

This is one of my favorite wedding pictures...Brent was barely 20 and I was 21 when we got married....we were so young....

Where we were married for time and all eternity.....

Brent and I were married in the beautiful Oakland Temple in California. We were married June 10, 1995. I can't believe it's been that long ago. I have definitely married my Prince Charming.