Sunday Smiles

I smiled when I found these pictures on my camera tonight. They are from my niece's reception last week but I didn't have them then. This is Nathan with Julia and Nathan with my Mother-in-law, Linda. (Sorry ladies, he is engaged and getting married December 30th. )

I smiled this week when I realized my 2 year old, Porter, knows his pronouns. He was telling me what Abby did and said, "he went, no wait, she went," I was very impressed. It doesn't take a lot.

I smiled tonight as I listened to Julia practice her recital song. Her recital is coming up Friday and she has the song down perfect.

I smiled when my neighbor Summer taught me how to make rolls. I tried them again today and while they weren't quite as good, they were still home made rolls.

I smiled when my neighbor Shauna let me bring her something for her cold. I love when people will let me do something for them because it makes me feel so special that they view me as the type of person that would be willing to help. (Yes, I did call her up and plead for something to do, but still she came up with something.)

I smiled on Wednesday when I got to watch Kyra while her mom volunteered at the school. She had this wig on the entire time I fed her shredded wheat and about an hour afterwards. How can you see that and not smile?

I smiled when my neighbor Summer taught me how to make au gratin (sp?) potatoes. My husband ate a ton and I could tell he was dying to lick the bowl and keep the left overs but now that I know how to, I can borrow my neighbors mandolin thing and make him his own batch sometime.

I smiled when I went to Deseret Industries. I love spending eleven dollars and walking out with four books, two complete outfits for Martie, and a puzzle.

I smiled when Summer took me to meet her mom Connie. She gave me a new sofa table for my entry and is one of the nicest women ever. She reminds me of my Aunt Allyn and LeShel. She loves everybody. She sent me home with a great children's book that she wrote and Julia has already read it almost a dozen times.

I smiled when I took a trip to the Hostess Outlet with my friend. I bought a family size box of cupcakes for $1.50. They are almost gone. It's a good thing the outlet isn't close.

I smiled when Peter had a closing out in Toole, about 45 minutes away and he said he wanted to take Julia and Brigham. I asked why and he explained that he would let them color on some coloring books in the car and then drive them up over the Oquirrh Mountains on a partially dirt road to show them the stars and the city lights. My neighbors and I doubted for a minute but he took them, and as usual they came back saying they had a great time with their dad. He has an ability to make ANYTHING fun.

I smiled when I heard that Nathan survived a landing in Texas with absolutely NO GAS. He ran out waiting for the fogged in airport to redirect him and was able to land on a country road. I had Brigham call him and explain that E means empty and a plane doesn't fly without gas.

I smiled when Peter completed all the walls on the tree house. As soon as he said the kids could go up, they started bringing everything from inside the house out. They are going to have a blast though this is all Martie got.

While I was gone, Peter was "watching" Martie as he worked on the tree house. I told him she was tired before I left but he discovered that if she gets tired of asking for her bed, she will just sleep where she is.

I smiled when I fit through the hole to get into the tree house. You have to go through the one the kids are looking down through. Not an easy feat for those of us who visited the Hostess outlet.

Yesterday, I had huge grins when my neighbors worked on my yard. I mowed the front and some of the back but they mowed, trimmed, and did the fancy edging by the sidewalk. This is quite the task when you live on 1/3 acre. It looks awesome! Yes I still have a large number of weeds in my flower beds but wow, the rest of it looks great. Thanks Dennis and Summer!

I smiled every day this week as I did my new favorite thing. You know how you look at a baby, mine in particular, and you just want to squish their soft cheeks? I found something even better. Infant Massage. It gives you a reason to strip the baby down and massage oil in the rolls on their legs and their squishy little bums. People think playing with rocks in sand on a bedside table is relaxing, they should try givin' my baby a massage! (No pictures because I would probably get arrested when some moron turned me in as a pervert.)

Saturday night I got to go on a date with my good looking husband. He took me to Chili's and to run an errand at Target and Kohl's. We had food that should have caused a heart attack by the time we got home but we loved every bite. It is always fun to go out with just us so that we can have a conversation or just sit and enjoy the quiet and the company.

I smiled today when I got to serve in my new calling for the first time. I have been sick with a cough for several weeks and so I haven't been able to go to nursery yet but I went today. We had 17 little ones and they all did great! We had a few who cried for a few minutes, but every one of them calmed down. A few wanted to be held the whole time and Peter and I were both fine with that. They are a good group and I can tell we are going to have fun.

Sunday Smiles

Not many pictures this week but a few great smiles.

Last Sunday, and this, I smiled when I saw Brigham in his new suit that Mason grew out of and passed off to him. He is such a handsome boy. He may not know how to stand still or normal for a picture but he's still darn cute.

I smiled on Tuesday when I got to volunteer in Brigham's class and help them with reading. He was so happy to have me there and his teacher is so nice. When we are all the the whole class says, "Thanks you Mrs. Jones," together. I can't wait to go back Monday.

I had lots of smiles this week when my kids kept putting on "rock shows" with the neighbors. The would all sing, run around and do tricks at the same time. Brigham and Alora even stood on top of that climging cube thing and jumped off with roller blades on. The kids love to perform for us and Summer and Gordon. They even give a prize to the best spectator. Julia gave a can of corn to Summer and a can of kidney beans to Nathan when they watched!

I smiled on Wednesday when some of the ladies went out for girls night. We went to MacCools again and we had a pretty good turn out considdering we only decided to go that morning. There were about 9-10 ladies and we had a great circular table but I forgot to get a picture even though I had my new camera with me. Next time.

I got quite sick on Thursday (just a cold but I felt awful) but smiled when Peter called to tell me he would pick up a pizza on the way home, feed the kids and keep them outside so I could take a big old nap. It helped quite a bit.

Saturday I had smiles and laughs when I decided to have (my first, and last) yard sale with Summer (pictures coming). I made a grand total of $10 but gave her one for a cool curling iron that she had there. I also got some stinking cute shirts (one for LeShel when she comes out to visit), and a cool rubiks cube type game that were on the house. We were a bit disenhartened when at the end of the yard sale we changed our sign to a free sale and we still only got two more people. But smiles came back when we found a family that had just moved here from South America and needed all the clothing they could get. We sent it all their way and figured if it didn't fit, they could have a yard sale.

Smiles Saturday when I drank a glass of water! My city has the worst water ever. We have Peter take gallons to work to fill them so we have something to drink but not for the next few days. Once a year, there is a short period of time when our city gets its water from another source and it is awesome/drinkable. We don't know how long it will last but we are living it up while it does. :)

Lastly, more smiles this morning when I went over and got my new calling(s). I am now serving on the activities committee with Lisa which will be fun and in the nursery with Peter which will be even more fun. Peter and I have served in the nursery together before and we love it. It is fun to just go in, play with the kids, eat snacks, do a small lesson, and hang out together. I also smile when I see him excited to be in there with me.

So, like I said, not many pictures but lots of smiles.

Sunday Smiles

I have again been inspired by LeShel and want to start doing my own Sunday Smiles on my blog. I have so many wonderful things that make me smile durring the week. While I don't have time to post them all, I want to remember some of the wonderful things that I have a tendency to underappreciate during the week. So, for this week, here are some things that made me smile.


This is Porter in what he affectionately calls his "workers." I have no idea where the name came from, he just started calling them that on his own. He never liked them until he saw his friend Kimball wearing them at our house. I love workers too.

This seems like a silly picture but it means a lot to me. You may have seen the ugly orange cord that runs under our covered swing to our fountain. It has bugged me and I mentioned to Peter one day that we need to replace it. Sure enough he did it but he didn't point it out to me. He loves to do nice things for me and not tell me. I love going through the day and finding little things he has done. Once he replaced the sprayer on my sink, and once he sewed the handle back on my bag that I had been trying to sew but couldn't. He's the best.





This is Brigham trying out the Gordon's roller Blades. He was so proud and it made me smile.












I found Martie's misplaced dimple. All of my kids have a dimple some place odd. I found Martie's. She has dimples on the backs of her shoulders. They are really deep but super cute. The pictures I took didn't turn out but I will get one soon.


This is Peter, Julia and Porter after they came back from Lake Powell. They are way too tan to be in this family! It made me grin from ear to ear when they came home.












Seeing Porter and Abby play together always makes me smile. They get along so well and Porter missed Abbey while he was in Lake Powell so tonight they danced together on the trampoline.



This week we also let Martie eat rice. If we ate like her, everyone would be better off. She got to thoroughly enjoy each bite as she ate each spoonful three and four seperate times, and she loved it every time. I also smiled when Brigham sat by me and wanted to "show her how to eat."













I smiled when I saw that Brigham loves school so much he sleeps with his backpack. I also smiled when he showed me that he has been working on turning all of his colored pencils into double ended pencils with his sharpener. (My smile waned when I saw the shavings all over in his bed.)
I smiled when Hope came over to my house and I was able to give her the tutu I have been saving for her birthday. Isn't she cute! I also smile when I hear that each time her mom cuts her hair she says she looks like me. I love the thought that she thinks I'm that cute.


I smiled (and cringed) when I saw Martie's face after my mom gave her a binkie covered with orange frosting.


Though I don't always enjoy the 20 minutes in the middle of the day, I did smile when I got to pick up Spencer and Caleb after school on Friday. I missed them this summer.


I smiled when my dad wore his swimming pool toy that he got for his birthday.


Lots of smiles for a good week. Thanks LeShel for helping inspire me to remember them.