Westin, Chelsea & Serena

Playing Catch Up!

2012-01-24T22:03:00.005-07:00

I know this has been a long time coming, I hope the wait will be worth it. It is very scattered and not really in any order. But enjoy!

Serena got a life size barbie for her birthday and she LOVES to put on her clothes and go dancing in them.

Serena dancing with her Daddy

We got some finger paints in our "Thanksgiving Turkey" Serena loves them... can you tell?

This is Serena's "boyfriend" Ender. They are in Nursery together and always hold hands and walk to class together every sunday. Ender's dad is our Home Teacher and he normally brings Ender with him. Here they are sitting together in our chair watching a show.

Serena LOVES her daddy. Here they are cuddling.

Getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner!

We all had sunday afternoon naps one sunday and normally Serena would wake us up when she wakes up. But this week she went into the bathroom and started playing with the toothpaste. Can you see it all over her legs, dress, hair and face?

Christmas Jammies! I made robes, and matching Pajama pants for christmas this year.

Isn't my hubby so handsome?

Isaac and Jenny welcomed little Andrew into their family before the New Year. I am so happy that they live here in Provo close to me so I can see them all the time!

Westin's school books came in the mail and Serena wanted to wear the package so Westin cut holes for legs and stuck her in it. She LOVED it.

I can't seem to ever get a real smile from her... Here she is cheesing it up

Serena loves to dress herself now days. This day she wanted to wear her snow hat, gloves, summer jammies, and purple necklace.

We were sick this past weekend, and Serena fell asleep with me on the couch. Doesn't she look so pensive?

Well I hope you enjoyed. Sorry it took so long, I will try so hard to not take a month to update again :) Post a comment so I know I am not just talking to myself :)

Weddings!!!

2011-12-20T12:44:00.002-07:00

I have half a dozen other things I should be blogging about but I had to take a minute and give a shout out to my little sister, who just got engaged!!! I can't believe she is old enough to get married (even though she is older than I was when I got married). I am so excited to get to know Cameron better, and so excited for the two of them!

These are pictures I pulled off Crystals blog of the two of them. You can go here (maybe not until tonight) for Crystals story of how it all happened.

Congrats Crystal and Cameron! Love you both!

Thankgiving "Thankful For" Turkey

2011-11-05T21:07:00.013-06:00

Westin's sister Joseanne, and his Mom made each family these super cute "Thankful For" Turkeys. Every Day in November you pick a "feather" and it has something that you are thankful for. Then each feather has a corresponding gift to unwrap and an activity do to as a family.

It has been so fun to do with Serena every day, and I think that it is helping me more than anyone remember all the little things I am thankful for. Anyway, I am trying to take pictures of it each day and I will try really hard to post them periodically throughout the month. Here's what we have done so far.

November 1- I am Thankful For Our Car!

This day we got token's to get our car washed at the car wash, an air freshener, and a gift card to drive to our favorite frozen yogurt place, YogurtLand, to get a treat. We haven't washed our car yet because it was soooo cold and wet that day, but we will and when we do we will take pictures of it.

November 2- I am Thankful for Books!

We got the book 5 Silly Turkeys and Serena has LOVED it!

November 3- I am Thankful For Missionaries!

We looked at pictures from Westin's mission, Serena got $2 bill from Great Grandpa Judd, and some Guarana (a drink from Brazil), and a little tag that says "Future Missionary"

November 4- I am Thankful For My Bed/Sleep!

Serena got a new pillow case (that she insisted was a dress)

November 5- I am Thankful For Light!

We got a flashlight and we did shadow puppets on the wall. Serena LOVED it! She had so much fun talking to the "duck".

We also read a book by flash light (and by "We" I mean aunt Joseanne and Serena)

Thanks again Joseanne, Marjalee, Alora and Jenni for all the hard work you put into these activities for us!

Well, there you go. Please, Please PLEASE post a comment! I LOVE getting comments, it makes me so SO SOOO happy! Our last post only got 2 comments and I think it was worth WAY more than that... don't you think?

Halloween

2011-11-03T18:49:00.003-06:00

This year for Halloween Serena was Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender (the Cartoon NOT the movie). I made the costume (with LOTS of help from my momma, thanks again mom). Serena did NOT want to pose for pictures, as you can tell by these pictures, these are literally the best ones we could get. Most of the time she was kicking and screaming and not being good for the camera.

This is the first year we went "trick or treating" with her and she LOVED it. It didn't take her long to catch on that all she had to do was say "trick or treat" and she would get candy.

These are pictures from the Ward "Trunk or Treat". I think Westin got pictures of our car on his phone... I'll post pictures of it once I get him to send them to me.

Enjoy the pictures... More updates to come I promise. Don't forget, Post a Comment!

Misc. Pictures

2011-11-02T23:56:00.003-06:00

More updates to come this week, I PROMISE!!! But until then enjoy these misc. pictures I pulled off my camera today.

Sensuous Sandwich

2011-09-07T19:50:00.007-06:00

There is this DELICIOUS sandwich place in Provo that Westin and I LOVE, it is called Sensuous Sandwich and I honestly could eat there all the time! They have a challenge that if you eat 24 inches in 30 min or less you get a free t-shirt and free refills for the rest of your life (as long as you are wearing your shirt) also you get your picture taken and hung on the wall. We have wanted to do this challenge since we first heard about it but haven't ever had much of an occasion to do it. Until, our good friends Mario and Wendy Chard met us there for lunch a week or so ago and decided that they wanted to do it with us when they came down next time. Well, last night was the night and I am both proud and disgusted with myself and my ability to each such a HUGE sandwich in such a short amount of time. Westin finished in under 10 min, Wendy and I both finished with less than a minute to spare, and poor Mario couldn't finish.

The before picture

The during picture (you can pretty much picture all of us looking like this)

Our victorious after picture!

You can't read it but the back of the shirt says "The Second Best Thing You Can Do With Your Lips Is Eat A Sensuous Sandwich" I LOVE it. Totally worth it! Thanks Mario and Wendy for helping us earn our t-shirts!

Violated

2011-09-06T21:34:00.002-06:00

First off I had a WONDERFUL weekend up in Park City! What a great Labor Day! I will post pictures (as long as I can get some e-mailed to me by people who actually took their Camera) and tell you more about it soon....ish.. But today's blog post is NOT about how much fun it was. This is a post for me to rant and rave about how mad I am that while we were innocently playing it up in Park City some jerk broke into my house and stole my things!

Yep you heard me our house was broken into. Luckily nothing big was stolen, our TV is still here, our nice camera, our documents. All it looks like they stole was some cash I had in a jar and some 1 oz silver coins that Serena has gotten for her birthday and christmas from her Aunt Joseanne. The silver makes me the saddest, one of the silver pieces said "baby's first christmas" and I always thought it was so cute and sweet of Joseanne to give to Serena and now it is just gone.

BUT I am so MAD! What kind of jerk would be so self centered that they would break into an olds man's house (remember we live with an 87 year old man) and go through everything he has and leave a huge mess for him to come home to? I am seriously more bugged that he went through my underwear, and personal things that I am that he stole some petty cash. I feel so violated. Grrrrrrr

I don't feel any better now that I have ranted. Darn. I guess pictures to come of Park City soon.

Cute Serena-isms

2011-08-22T23:44:00.004-06:00

Serena has done the cutest things lately, it seems like every day she does something new and cute and silly. She is definitely full of personality. Here are just a few cute things she has said/done in the last little while,

1- Whenever we are looking for something she says "hmmm, where is it?"

2- Once we've found it she squeals "there it is!"

3- When we play Hide and Seek she sometimes finds really good places to hide so if we say "where is serena?" she replies "Hmmmm, where is she" and we are able to find her.

4- Everything is a hat... especially food.

5- Today she was trying to get me to eat an apple left over from her breakfast, after multiple times of me telling her I didn't want to she says " It's nummie" and continued to try to force me to eat it.

6- Westin picked her up today and she got a sly, mischievous look in her eye and she said "I gonna eat you"

7- Sometimes when I randomly walk in to the room she squeals with delight and runs up to me and gives me hugs and kisses

8- She loves to show off her toys, especially right after her nap. For example I will go in there to get her and she will show me her puppy and then pretend the puppy licks her face. After which she giggles and giggles and giggles. If she has already thrown all her toys from the bed she will show me her "jammies" (all clothes are jammies to her)

I think I could keep going for pages and pages about how smart and pretty and fun she is but for now that should do. I don't have any super recent pictures that are on my computer so enjoy this one from the zoo a month or two ago.

Enjoy! Post a comment. Please, Please PLEASE!!!

My Husband is the Coolest!

2011-08-18T23:06:00.002-06:00

So I just have to take a minute to brag about how stinking cool my husband is. Over the summer Westin took 14 credits for school. He now has his Associates Degree (no he is not done with school but it is a great step to have done) Today we were able to see what his final grades were and what not. He recieved 4 A's and 1 B+. AND he raised he GPA from a 2.79 all the way up to a 3.40!!!

I am so proud of him! This has been a big summer as far as school goes and I definitely feel like Heavenly Father is helping us go toward the direction we are aiming for (BYU animation program)!

Also, he is learning to play the Bagpipes! He has a teacher and everything... Yep, eat your heart out girls, I am married to a red headed Bagpiper....

July-Birthday Month!!!!

2011-08-01T22:56:00.003-06:00

Well, July has come and gone! It is always such a crazy month for us, with all 3 birthdays being in there and the 4th, and the 24th. It seems like it was one big party after another. I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked but here are some of the Birthday pictures that I did manage to either take, steal from other people who took pictures. (Note, these are NOT in chronological order)

My birthday was great! We just chilled at home and Westin made me and AWESOME balloon bouquet (see the oversized picture below)! The next day we headed down to the Smith's and partied there the whole weekend. It was lovely and a muchly appreciated break.

I don't know what happened but I can NOT get this picture any smaller! I almost didn't add it but I thought that this balloon bouquet was just WAY to cute, it needed to be showcased!

We didn't do much for Westin's birthday. He had school for most of the day but we had cake and ice cream after dinner and Joseanne came over and played with us for a while. The big exciting thing we did for his birthday was actually 2 days after when we went and saw Captain America. I am sure Westin will eventually blog about it, but it was AWESOME. (In my opinion). I did make Westin's birthday cake to look like Captain America's shield. I am in no way a cake decorator and it definitely turned out sub-par, but I still thought it was fun.

Joseanne, Serena and Westin Blowing Out the Candles

Brother Fife, Me, Serena and Westin. Right before digging in to the delicious Birthday cake!

My sad attempt at decorating a birthday cake... It did taste delicious though! And next year I will be that much better at decorating.... right....?

Serena's joint birthday party with her cousin Aiva was definitely the highlight of the month. They are 1 year and 8 days apart in age and they both LOVE Ponyo... You know the kids Japanimation movie. So that is the theme of their party.

Heather (Aiva's mom) made them both these adorable birthday hats.

Westin made this REALLY cool paper Machét Ponyo that we stuck out of their "birthday cake" (it was really a chocolate truffle in a green bucket with blue whip cream on top)... Isn't it sooo cute! I have such a talented husband!

The kids LOVE playing in the pools!

Smith cousin's all in their 4th of July outfits (The Birthday Party was on the 4th)

We did do come cake and ice cream on Serena's real birthday.

Getting excited to blow out her candles!

Well that's all for now! I have another post almost ready about a fun trip we took to the Zoo with the Wallace's, so stay tuned for more! Don't forget! POST A COMMENT!

Short Update

2011-07-19T22:58:00.003-06:00

I have a whole slew of pictures to update the blog with, Pictures of my birthday, Serena's birthday, a trip to the zoo with the Leisa and Andrew Wallace family... the list goes on and on... they are downloaded onto my computer and everything. But, for some reason I just can't bring myself to update tonight with a whole big long "catch up" update. So while you can anxiously wait for a big long update in the next few day's here is a couple of super cute pictures of Serena wearing my sun hat. Isn't she the cutest?

Fun in the Sun

2011-06-25T23:14:00.007-06:00

We have been having so much fun over in these parts. Westin just finished the first half of summer semester and he is rocking it! I am so proud of my little college boy. Serena and I have been having a blast playing outside and watching "shows" all day. Last weekend Serena had her first official "sleep over" with her aunt Josie. In preparation to go, we bought her new jammies and a back pack just for her sleep over stuff to go in. She was way too cute, and way too grown up walking around with her back pack on, I almost shed a tear or two as she walked away holding Josie's hand saying "bye bye!". I tried to get some pictures of her with her back pack on but just was just too excited to get going!

Serena getting ready to go to Josie's house

Like I said we have been loving playing outside! Here are just a few cute pictures of Serena enjoying the sun.

I feel a little like I am advertising for Roberts with this picture

Serena LOVES taking her "babies" outside with her!

Also, we've had a couple of hats floating around and Serena has been enjoying playing with them.

Sitting on/in a construction hat

Two hats at once (A french beret, and a construction hat)

And just for your enjoyment...

Thanks for looking! Post a comment! And notice I posted 2 new posts today so don't forget to look at my other one!

Much Improved Balloon Apron!

2011-06-25T22:58:00.007-06:00

Remember this?

I was so proud of that silly balloon apron, I think I wasted 1/2 yard of fabric and it was all marked up and not very efficient (at least not as much as it should have been).

Well, I made a new one for Westin over the weekend, and I just have to say that I have improved my pattern and technique 10X what it was! What do you think?

(Without any balloon's in it, and it is falling off Westin)

(With balloons)

Now my man is set and ready to make the big bucks! Now we just need more people to hire him for birthday parties, fairs, family reunions.... you know all the fun party things.

Picture Update (post 1 of 2) Zoo

2011-06-04T00:18:00.007-06:00

Westin's sister Heather was up from St. George with her family in May and we decided to pack our families up and meet at the Zoo for the day. So, Heather, Danny, Aiva, Kage, Westin, Chelsea, Serena and Jenny (Westin's other sister) all partied at the zoo. It was such a fun day, I just realized I didn't get any pictures of Kage though, sad. But, Little Aiva and Serena were dressed up in matching jumpers and they were SOOO cute! They had so much fun together walking around and playing and looking at all the animals together. I have a super cute video of them laughing at a meerkat, but I can't get it off my camera to show you. So you'll just have to enjoy the cute pictures that I can get off my camera.

Serena was so excited to see Aiva she had to give her hugs.

The two "twinners" both up on their daddy's shoulders.

Looking at the elephants together

They just couldn't get enough of each other. They had to hold hand while we pushed them in their strollers. (you can imagine how that worked out most of the time, definitely easier said than done)

Westin and Serena looking at the Giraffe.

How do you measure up?

Auntie Josie, wasn't able to come and so she was so nice and sent money for the girls to buy a souvenir with. We tried to get a good picture of them with their stuffed animals they got, but failed to get one of all of them looking at the camera at once. Infact I think there is one where nobody is looking at the camera.

Thanks for looking! Don't forget to post a comment, and don't forget to look at my other post!

PIcture Update (2 of 2)

2011-06-04T00:16:00.002-06:00

Here are a bunch more random pictures from the last couple of months, I hope you don't mind they are completely random. Serena is getting way too big, way too fast. I can't believe she turns 2 next month!

Serena absolutely LOVES to help daddy "color" at his art table.

Serena making daddy giver her "baby" a horsey ride

Serena is such a good helper. Here she is vacuuming for me.

And now she's taking a much needed rest. Vacuuming can be so tiring you know.

For a long time whenever someone would call Serena "punk" she would roll her eye's at you. This particular time she also just happened to have award winning bead head.

Serena fell in the rose bush while she was playing at Grandma Smith's house. Doesn't it look painful.

Serena decided she wanted daddy to have a bath with her. You can tell by her face she wasn't so sure about it once he got in.

But, Westin sure seemed to enjoy it!

Crystal was up from New Mexico a while ago and we all decided to go bowling. It was so much fun but this was the only good picture I got of it. Emily, Crystal and Serena just hanging out.

Serena is getting way too big, way too fast. I can't believe she turns 2 next month! More updates to come! Don't forget to post a comment!

Muchly Needed Update

2011-05-22T10:57:00.003-06:00

You know the longer you go without updating your blog the less and less you want to update it... I guess that is what happened to me. But, today I had some time and so here you go.

SOOOO much has happened since I updated last. For the last month and a half we have been living with the sweetest old man, Brother Fife. We live in his basement and help take care of him. We have really enjoyed living here and hope to be able to stay here for quite some time. Serena absolutely LOVES Brother Fife, in fact she calls him Grandpa Fife (and she came up with that name on her own).

Westin has started school up again. He likes his classes and seems to be doing really well in them.

Serena is so sweet. Just when I think she can't get any cuter she does! She has grown up so much, she talks constantly. She will repeat almost anything that you say so you have to be a little careful what you say around her. She loves coloring, playing with her "babies" and stuffed animals, going down the slide, and watching her shows. She really is the cutest!

I have tons of pictures on my camera and hopefully I will get the courage to put them on my computer and then update my blog sometime this week with pictures. And trust me I have some CUTE pictures.

Thanks for looking! Post a comment!

Pigtails and Other Such Fun Things

2011-03-08T17:16:00.004-07:00

Serena's hair is getting longer and longer everyday, I LOVE it. I am getting so excited for the day where I can braid it just like my mom used to braid mine. But until then I am having fun figuring out other things I can do. I have been putting her hair up in a ponytail on top of her head for a while now but yesterday I decided to try to put it into pig tails, but the top of her hair isn't long enough to get into the pigtails so you get something like this...

I know it is kind of silly to have 3 ponytails, it is a little big out of the ordinary, but I like it.

Also today she was playing with a balloon when it popped. It was so silly, she picked up the popped balloon and kept asking where the balloon went.

Here she is looking for her balloon (note that she is actually holding it in her hand)

Joie is Westin's parents dog, and Serena LOVES her. The first thing she wants to do during the day is go see Joie, then constantly throughout the day she is asking to go see her. One day we let Joie inside for a minute, Serena was in HEAVEN.

Here she is laying down just like Joie

Here are just some random pictures I have taken lately

Serena was waving "hi" to her daddy as he shoveled snow

Lastly, Serena LOVES to put on shoes lately. Here she is walking around in some high heels!

Thanks for looking! Post a comment!

Toddler Bed

2011-02-25T22:02:00.004-07:00

WARNING!!! If you do not like boring sentimental posts then STOP READING, this post is not for you.

Tonight Serena switched from her crib to her "big girl bed", and although I am not in tears crying about how big my baby is getting and what not I am thinking a lot about how crazy it is that she is no longer sleeping in her little crib. I wasn't going to switch her to a toddler bed until we move in a couple of months (you know just make the big switch the same time we move...) but as of yesterday I decided her safety was at stake.

You see Serena normally wakes up around 8:00, about the same time Westin is getting ready for work, but yesterday at around 7:15 I heard her all of a sudden start to cry in her room. I listened for a minute and she calmed down and I figured she had gone back to sleep. I had almost fallen back asleep myself when I heard her bedroom door open and here comes this little girl looking for someone to play with her. Thats right, she CLIMBED OUT OF HER CRIB!!!

So today we spent a good portion of the day re-arranging her room and switching her crib to a bed. It was so fun to see her excitement when she first came into the room and there was no longer a crib, just a bed she could climb up on. She immediately went over to it, grabbed her blanket, and laid her head down (she of course had a huge smile on her face).

I was really nervous about how she would fall asleep in it, and we probably would have been just fine if I hadn't peeked in on her. Night time came and we did our normal bed-time routine, we came downstairs and I laid her in her "big girl bed" said night, night and left. I didn't hear anything for about 10 minutes so I thought I would just peek in on her (WRONG MOVE!!!!), she wasn't quite asleep yet, although she was still in her bed. So I thought I would just shut the door and come back down in a couple more minutes to check on her. I went upstairs to finish up some things and all of a sudden here comes this little Serena. She had the biggest eye's and smile on, you could tell she was so excited that she just escaped going to sleep.

To keep this story from getting too long and boring, I'll say this about the next two hours, they included MUCH climbing out of bed, tantrums, playing, throwing up, bubble baths, and cuddling. She eventually fell asleep in my arms and I laid her in her bed without any problems. We'll see what happens when she wakes up tomorrow (hopefully she won't roll out of bed in the middle of the night). I don't think the next couple of nights will be quite as hard, but we'll see. I did enjoy cuddling with her tonight, it's not something she does very often any more.

(Here is a picture from Ikea's website of Serena's crib turned toddler bed)

I love my little girl, and I love watching her grow up! Feel free to post a comment!

Nap Time

2011-02-17T12:45:00.002-07:00

Normally when I lay Serena down for her nap she just lays down without any problems and falls right to sleep. We rarely have a problem with nap time, in fact sometimes when she is tire she will try to climb into her crib. Today, however, when I went to lay her down she looked up at me with those big blue eye's, tears forming in the corners, and she said in the saddest little voice "No momma, no no no momma, no". It was all I could do to kiss her and walk out of the room knowing she would be asleep within minutes. It broke my heart.

The Untitled Spider-Man Reboot

2011-01-25T09:52:00.009-07:00

I don't know about other nerds but I love reboots. We get a re-telling a comic book story through new eyes. I think that is human nature, it's like plays- for example, you go to see many different versions of Hamlet, everything is pretty much the same but it's done with new actors and directors that bring variety to the story.

Usually reboots are better because they can fix the things that fans didn't like about the first one. I'm sure you are all familiar with the train wreck of HULK with director Ang Lee who probably never read a comic book in his life. Watching that movie felt like a festering pile of armpit perspiration with mustard and picked off warts all swishing around in your mouth. Soooooo, Instead of making a sloppy second to that movie they can just do a reboot, which means they can tell the origin story if they want... or not. It's like magic. And the next Hulk movie turned out to be really nice!

Well let's look at some cool things about the Spider-man Reboot.

I enjoy the first Spider-mans... men? um... those movies, but I was ready for a new take on them. Director Sam Raimi was signed on for like six or more, but then he and Sony (who owns the Spidey movie rights) took issue with each other on where they wanted to go with the next villains or something. Soooo when we run into a problem like that we just wipe everything clean like a magna-doodle and do an amazing reboot instead! Bada BA da da da!

Enter Andrew Garfield:

Here is his new costume: pretty cool, pretty similar to the last one but some cool differences. The first one had that thick, raised webbing and this one looks a little raised but thinner. If Iwere changing it up I would do a solid red with very thin pinstripe webbing, but the webbingwould be really metallic-shiny so when he caught the light it would kinda give a real spider webfeel. I also would make the webbing more asymmetrical so it would be as uniformed. Wehaven't yet seen his mask. I hope it has big eyes, I like when they draw Spidey with big eyes andit make more sense so he can have more peripheral vision while fighting.

Naturally we all recognize Andrew from... well not much of anything. But you look like you fit the part, Andy, so I'll give you a shot. Oh! He is in the recent blockbuster The Social Network.

So there.

High School

Looks like Petes back to High school for this one (in the first Spider-man high school consisted of one or two scenes and then they all graduated. So now we can enjoy is adolescence a little longer with all his zitty-faced classmates. So there is something different. We are having fun already.

Web Shooters

Okay, now I just found this out a couple days ago- Peter Parker will invent his web slinging cartridges instead of his organic ones in Raimi's version. Now I don't have a problem with either one, but good for them for staying true to the comic book.

Man-made

Organic

Pete's Love Life

Mary Jane Watson was Peter's love interest and eventually wife for the majority of Spider-man history, but she was not the first. I know, I know the movies say that he has been in love with Mary Jane since the first grade or whatever and everything was all about her, BUT Pete's high school sweet heart was Gwen Stacy (yes, the one that was inaccurately depicted in the 3rd Spider-man). He doesn't even know Mary Jane exists at that point. He and Gwen had it all and were the cutest Superhero/Girl next door couple ever. Well Gwen is going to get her chance to shine in the new one.

Gwen Stacy

I dont particularly like the choice of Emma Stone being cast for the role but I guess it doesn't much matter because (spoiler alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Gwen dies. I don't know if they will do it in the first one, maybe they won't do it at all, but that's how it goes.

As far as other comic book movies go, there is some bad news- Anne Hathaway will be playing Catwoman in the new Batman movie- Dark Knight Rises... GRRRRRR!!!!! I am so mad. If I were making the Batman movies, I wouldn't let Anne Barfaway even be an extra in them. In fact I would make sure she was in a completely different country before we started filming. Seriously.

So in conclusion, I think Abraham Lincoln would most impressed with the world of San Dimas, I know I am.

Nursery!!!

2011-01-16T20:54:00.003-07:00

We hit a big milestone in our family today, Serena went to Nursery for the first time!!! I think it was an over all success. We walked in and she went right for the toys and didn't even look back at me while I was leaving. However, half way through she decided she was too tired (1:00 church will do that, especially if you normally nap from 12:30-2:30) and started crying. Luckily Grandpa Smith was walking by and was able to rescue her. Next week I think we will try to wake up earlier on Sunday so she can take a longer nap before church. But, like I said, for her first week I think it was an overall success! Yipee!!! My baby is so big!

Post 1 of 3

2011-01-09T15:20:00.007-07:00

I know, I know! It as been WAY too long since I updated. I blame it on all the fun we had in December and the fact that I have been sick since New Years! Make sure you look at all 3 posts for today! and I will try to keep the updates coming more regularly.

Christmas was so fun at our house! I just LOVE having a little one who, although doesn't quite understand yet, made it so much more magical and fun.

Serena was modeling which bow to use to wrap some present.

Decorating the Tree.

Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve day we had a HUGE party at my parents house, ALL the kids were there! It was a huge party, unfortunately I didn't get any pictures but you can look here at my mom's blog to see all the fun we had!

Christmas Eve Night we celebrated Christmas like Germans this year!

This was our authentic looking German who joined us for dinner.

Our German dinner, complete with a real cooked goose! (Thank you so much to my Brother in Law Wally who shot, killed, and did all the other stuff for us so we could have an authentic goose for dinner) I wanted to get a picture of the goose still on the bone but I cooked it so long that it was too tender and it has fallen right off the bone when we took it out of the oven. but it was YUMMY!!!

The rest of our German dinner. We had purple stuff, sauerkraut, turkey, goose, rolls and many other yummy foods!

Apple strudel for dessert

Every Year we do new Christmas jammies. This year we decided to be a little silly and do full onesie footie jammies. I know I look silly but enjoy anyway!

Our footies.

The rest of our Jammies, (remember that this was christmas morning, so hair and makeup should be excused)

Serena unwrapping a present from Grandma Smith

I didn't get any pictures of Serena with her Santa presents but she got some books, blocks, and a new doll!

Santa brought Westin an Art tracing table, but we had to send it back and get a new one so sorry there are no pictures of that.

Santa brought me a cute little tea set! I can hardly wait till Serena and I can have tea parties together!

Here it is with some Hot Chocolate in it. Don't you just love that it makes a heart shape!

All the different colors!

Thanks for looking! Don't for get there are 2 more posts for today! Post a comment!!!

Post 2 of 3

2011-01-09T15:03:00.005-07:00

December came with lots of activities for our Family. First We went to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. It was surprisingly not too frigid and only started snowing just a little bit.

Here we are in front of The Christus at the Visitors Center

And in front of the reflection pool.

Next on our list of activities for December was to make a ginger bread house from scratch! Little did we realize how much work that actually is! If you are wondering where the finished product is... well, December just wasn't quite long enough. Next year we will plan a whole week to work on it!

I am sad I didn't get a picture of the 2 headed ginger bread man Westin made:(

Lastly, on our list of December adventures we went to the Ogden Christmas Village with Westin's parents, sister and nephews. It was lots of fun, and Serena LOVED it! She kept saying over and over "pretty" and "lights" and "wow"! Christmas is so much funner when you have a little one!

Here is Westin and Serena and bundled up and ready to go!

Serena, with her cousins looking in a window!

Looking up at the pretty lights

One more post! Keep going! and Keep leaving comments!! Please!!!

Post 3 of 3

2011-01-09T14:48:00.005-07:00

Lately our house has been LOVING rice and beans. Serena didn't pick up on it too fast at first but now she LOVES them... can you tell?

Serena smacking her lips together after eating some delicious rice and beans.

The first time it snowed I just HAD to take Serena out to play in it. Luckily my Mother In Law had an old snow suit that fit her perfectly (who cares if it SCREAMS 1980, at least she was warm). She might not seem like she was having fun but she threw a fit every time I tried to bring her back inside

We didn't have any boots the first snow storm so we put plastic bags around her regular shoes so she could still go play.

Gotta get all bundled up!

Also, Rodger (my Father in Law) was our plowing the drive way and we decided that Serena would love to help. So we got a bungee cord and wrapped it around the two of them. Again she may not look like she was having fun but she did NOT want to come inside. She finally ended up falling asleep out there helping grandpa snow plow the driveway!

3 years!!!!

2010-11-20T00:47:00.003-07:00

Thats right! It has been 3 years since I married the best man on earth! I won't bore you with any lovey dovey lists of why he is so great, or what has been the best part about the last 3 years (at least not this year), but I will say that I have loved being married and I just can't wait for the rest of eternity! Love you Westin!!!

(This is one of my favorite pictures of Westin and Serena. Just chilling on the couch together... LOVE IT)

October 1 of 3

2010-11-03T14:21:00.006-06:00

Happy Halloween!!! I have tons of pictures I have been wanting to put on the blog, so today you are in luck because I have 3 posts today! Don't you feel privileged.

I have really been loving Halloween lately. I am not sure why, maybe because I have a little one I get to dress up or because I have just been more involved lately but I just LOVED this past Halloween season. I made Serena a little Joan of Arc costume (and when I say "I" made, I really mean that my mom told me exactly what to do and pinned everything for me so I could say I did it myself), and I made Westin a viking costume. I bought my Cleopatra costume. Anyway, by time it got down to Halloween time I was feeling pretty good about the effort I put towards it.

Here is Serena holding up her sword.

Not the best picture but it shows the whole outfit

Me as Cleopatra and Westin as Eric the Red (the most famous viking)

Another cute one of Serena. She seemed to like her cousin's Samari more than her sword.

Also, we found some cute animal costumes that my Mother In Law had and Serena just loved playing in them. I think she looks pretty cute, Don't you?

Clarky, took some cute pictures of Serena in her Tutu a while ago and Emily just sent them to me. Aren't they ADORABLE! Clark does such a great job!

I hope you just LOVED my post. Don't forget to look at the other 2 posts for today!

October 2 of 3

2010-11-03T13:57:00.007-06:00

We had our annual Pumpkin Carving/Chili night the Friday before Halloween, and it was a BLAST! I tried to get Serena to play with the pumpkin guts but she wasn't interested.

Here I am showing her how fun it is to squish the guts between your fingers.

She thought maybe I should eat some pumpkin seeds.

Getting a little more interested.

Getting brave enough to stick part of her hand in there.

Anyhow here are our finished products!

Westin's Goblin man. He decided to really "carve" his pumpkin this year. I LOVE how it turned out with the candle's light and the lights off.

I am obviously not the best pumpkin carver, but this year I did a witch. I like it.

Hope you enjoyed! You've got 1 more post to look at! COMMENT!

October Post 3 of 3

2010-11-03T13:41:00.006-06:00

Westin got some free tickets to Black Island Farms (a big corn maze and fall fun place) from work this year, and then we found out his brother, Jon, also got free tickets. So we packed up the kids one Monday night and off we went! We had so much fun and were so glad Jon, Leslie and the boys were able to come with us!

Serena hanging out on Daddy's shoulders. We brought her stroller but she didn't want anything to do with it.

Westin coming down the "Big Slide" with Serena. I know it isn't that great of a picture but it's all I have to document it.

In the corn maze. We actually only went through the little kid maze.

Serena playing in the "sand box" it was actually just popcorn, but it was pretty fun still.

The grandkids going down the kiddie slide

Serena sitting on a tire

Isn't this the silliest picture?

Hope you enjoyed all my silly posts today! Enjoy! COMMENT!!!

Tree House Children's Museum

2010-10-13T20:37:00.005-06:00

While my SIL Heather was up from St. George last week we took the kids to the Tree House Children's Museum in Ogden. It was SO much fun! (thanks again Heather for inviting me). Here are some of the cute pictures I took.

Serena and Aiva being Firegirls

Look at all that yummy fake food, Serena LOVED it.

I had to get a picture of Heather, Aiva, and me all milking the cow (Serena wanted nothing to do with it)

Aiva being a cute cowgirl.

They just loved knocking the chess pieces over and moving them around.

Doll room

They had this cute little stage that the girls loved to play on.

By time we were done it was the girls naptime and they were exhausted. This is how we found them when we got home.

Serena

Kage

Aiva

Thanks for looking... post a comment.

P.S. We bought a new car! I'll get pictures and post soon!

Random Events (Post 1 of 2)

2010-09-29T15:45:00.006-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago I went down to St George for the weekend to play with my sister-in-law Heather and her cute kids.

Here are all 3 "babies" in the back seat of my mom's Traverse.

Serena was so interested in Cage. Here she is examining his belly button.

And giving him hugs

The other morning Serena woke up with the WORST bed head, I just had to take a picture.

One day while I was folding laundry Serena pulled out a little basket, that normally has her diapers and wipes in it, and sat in it, and got stuck. I know I am a mean mom but I HAD to take a picture.

Lastly, I made Serena this cute little Tutu to wear. I was inspired by this blog, and Serena LOVES it. Our friend Clark took some cute ones of her playing in it at our family get together the other day, I will have to get the prints from him. This picture just DOESN'T do it justice.

Enjoy, Post a comment! And don't forget to look at the next post! There are 2 today!

Family Pictures by Clark (Post 2 of 2)

2010-09-29T15:33:00.005-06:00

We got Serena's 1 year pictures taken a while back and Clark (who is Awesome!!) got us the prints back so here she is!

We stuck Serena in the middle of my Mom's flower garden. I know her hair is a mess but don't you just LOVE that smile

Doesn't she just look so sweet

She apparently doesn't like mom and dad giving her kisses

The wind was blowing SOOO hard (can you tell by her flower) but she was such a trooper.

Also a cute family picture

This is the little rocking chair I grew up with. I think Serena loves it just about as much as I did

Another family picture. I had my hair all done super cute and the wind did nothing but blow so instead of having perfectly tossed curls, I had wind blown, not so much, curls.

Enjoy! post a comment

Silly Serena and Aiva Comes to Visit

2010-09-01T10:57:00.002-06:00

I went to get in the shower the other day and stuck Serena in her bouncer with an Oreo to keep her busy. This is what I found.

I love the Oreo all over her face

Serena has officially started being very mischievous. As soon as she as walking full time she discovered that she could open cupboards and pull things out. This is what I found her doing.

She obviously feels no shame.

Serena's cousin Aiva has been over visiting for the las couple of days. It has been so fun for them to be able to play together.

Here they are sitting in their chairs.

I tried and tried to get pictures of them both reading their books, or both drinking their juice but as soon as one would start the other would stop... but they are still pretty cute!

Proof that Aiva just LOVES Serena. She just has to smother her with kisses and hugs.

Enjoy! Post a comment!

Mowing the Lawn

2010-08-26T10:56:00.003-06:00

My mom bought this cool baby backpack at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. I thought I would try it out, but since we don't do too much hiking I thought I would pack Serena up and mow the lawn. I think Serena liked it, what about you?

See the smile on her face... she loves mowing the lawn.

Enjoy! Post a comment!

July

2010-08-23T14:13:00.002-06:00

I know I have been a slacker on my blogging... I haven't taken many pictures lately, but here are some pictures taken in July from my in-law's camera's.

For Westin's Birthday Breakfast we did a Breakfast Salad. (Imagine pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage all tossed together and topped with maple syrup and whipped cream)

Serena turned 1!!! I can't believe she is so big now. Walking and everything (but that will be another post, another time) Here are some pics of her eating her birthday Cupcake, which she LOVED!!

She loves her Grandpa, and LOVES giving kisses.

Also, Serena LOVES her GreatGrandma Smith

Enjoy the post. PLEASE post comments, (It will help encourage me to update more frequently)

Sleepless in America...

2010-08-13T22:18:00.002-06:00

This is written by Westin The Incredible.

So... they are going to ruin my favorite comic-book-super-hero of all time - Captain America. A lot of you probably don't care about this nerdy crap, but it has been weighing on my mind. I don't usually post about all my opinions that swim around in my exceptional mind but this is worthy for posting and is mostly for my therapeutic benefit.

While going into this, just realized my opinions are correct... please trust me, I have knowledge of the Marvel Universe and I study film, so when the two are combined it equals correct opinions. (If you want insight on comic book heroes and their movies you can talk to me or my brother-in-law Jared (Heidi's husband), he knows his stuff, but for Captain America you talk to me, as he is under the impression that Batman is better.

Why I love Captain America

Too hard to tell on a blog. You can ask me in person if you get the chance. I have loved him from the first Captain America comic book I read. I love our country. I love that he is a natural leader, I can't really explain why. I am a HUGE Spider-Man fan, but even Spidey, along with all of the Marvel heroes, view him as an authority figure. I have a strong, almost-equal love for both Spidey and the Cap, my juvenile side loves the Spidey, while my epicureanistic side admires the devotion of Captain America.

What makes me so nervous about the upcoming movie?

I am afraid... really afraid. I have been losing more sleep than usual because of this. The standard film making routine worries me. Will the actors, directors and everyone involved do a good job? Is the story going to be lost in all the special effects or cheap jokes? Overall, will they tell the story in a good manner? Just to set the record straight: I am not one of these nerds that is critical about how true they stay to the comics BUT I hope they stay true to the characters. Spider-man for example: I do not mind that Peter Parker's web shooters were organic rather that small capsules that fit into Peter-made apparatuses on his wrists like the comics depict. Let's understand that certain shortcuts MUST be taken when shifting from various mediums into film (this goes for books too, so don't criticize a film too quickly in that regard unless they change the overall essence of the story). Now there are two things that concern me, his costume and his allegiance.

Costume

I have a right to worry when they release THIS concept art with rumors that this will be close to what we see in the film.

What is with the suspenders? And cheap little "A" and... the severe lack of wings!!! LAME!

Lame.

Lame. This one really shows off the suspenders.

Luckily, at Comic-Con, Kevin Feige (producer) was quick to point out that this is still just a test version of the suit and that the suit is something that's unequivocally the Captain America uniform, but can fit the time period.

Let me explain the wings. You either like Captain America or you don't. If you are in the group that likes Captain America, you either like him with wings on his head or you have learned to like him despite the wings. Those who don't like the Cap are probably Nazis and, unless there is a minor fourth group who don't like the Cap but DO like his wings, that's it. The wings need to stay! They won't hurt anything for those who like the Cap, but the lack of wings will hurt... bad. If you don't agree, just know that the wings represent the "Spirit of Freedom" so let that weigh on your conscious before you say anything against.

Here is a picture Of Captain America in his fictional prime. See the wings and the strong "A". This guy looks like a warrior in any time period and not some modernized space ranger.

Original art by Jason Metcalf, and digital paint by (Jeremy Roberts)

Allegiance

...to the flag. I know how awesome it is for people to hate America these days, but seeings how this is Captain AMERICA I thought we could set aside the destructive "hating ourselves" phase we find ourselves in and hold true to the values that have kept us alive. I worry when director Joe Johnston says Captain America, "wants to serve his country, but he's not this sort of jingoistic American flag-waver" full story. Now Joe doesn't have a lot of big hits under his belt so he is on thin ice for me. As for the rest of you... please you guys, just this once, can we have pride in our great nation? We enjoy so many freedoms. I want to preserve what our country was founded on. That's what Captain America would have wanted.

Crystal Update

2010-08-03T14:10:00.003-06:00

Thank you all for your prayers, I know our Heavenly Father has been watching over Crystal and she is being blessed. Check out her blog to see how everything went at the burn clinic today!

Thanks

I Believe in the Miracle of Prayer

2010-08-02T22:23:00.003-06:00

I have an amazing little sister... For the past several years she has studied Viola and has been amazing, she teaches little kids to love music, and has a real passion for expressing herself through music. Last night she was involved in a fire and has 3rd degree burns all over her right hand (see Crystal's Blog for more details). She goes in to the burn clinic tomorrow to see the extent of the damage and what her recovery will look like. She is supposed to leave for New Mexico in 2 weeks to study Viola at the University down there... You get the picture. Please keep her in your prayers, I know the power of prayer accompanied by faith can move mountains... and heal 3rd degree burns.

I'll keep you updated

Chelsea

DoTerra

2010-07-22T15:17:00.009-06:00

Have any of you used any brand of essential oils? My husband and I have been using essential oils for some time now... and we LOVE THEM!!! Just to give a quick explanation: Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. Each has different uses and some we just like for the smell. We have signed up as Independent Product Consultants and would invite anyone who is interested to call us, e-mail us, or go to our website www.mydoterra.com/chelseasmith. We aren't trying to use our blog as a means of pushing some product on our friends and family, but these oils help us on a daily basis and we thought you all might be interested.

Uses

We, personally, have found these oils can relieve various ailments like muscle/joint pain, insomnia, burns, cold and flu, restless legs, headaches, bad moods/stress (good one for Westin), cankers, sores, ear infections, allergies to name a few. The uses can be endless and we have a book that gives us a guide to all sorts of maladies. Other people have other needs and there are oils for those, but these are the ones that we have needed in our family. They can be applied topically (directly on the skin), internally, and aromatically (they have diffusers that sends the aroma into the air or put it on a cotton ball and smell it).

Why doTERRA?

Other brands of essential oils are good but doTERRA is really the best. If any of you have a certain brand that you like, I would recommend looking into some comparisons. Usually essential oils are what they call "therapeutic" grade, but doTERRA does not use any fillers or artificial ingredients. They test every batch to make sure it is free of any pesticides or unwanted contaminates from various weeds or anything like that, whereas other brands just do random testing here and there. They also make sure and take the oils from plants that are grown under the right conditions and harvested at the right time to get the most effective oils. They also have a great business opportunity.

So if any of you would like to experiment with these oils just let us know. If you would like to sign up you can call us or go to our doTERRA website www.mydoterra.com/chelseasmith. We are also having a meeting on August 5th in Mountain Green. There will be some product giveaways and anyone who attends will get a 10% discount on anything they want to order.

Brazil, There and Back Again...

2010-07-12T21:24:00.009-06:00

So much to say... and right now I have barely enough energy to put all these pictures up. I suspect that Westin will come along after and add more captions and details but as for now this is what you get...

We went to Brazil, now we are back home. It was shorter than expected but we had some good times and are glad that we were able to go have those experiences together. Either Westin or I will eventually add to this post, or have a whole post dedicated to why we are home early, but for now just know that we are healthy, happy, and glad to be back in the States.

(I know there are not very many captions... I may eventually add more)

Leaving Salt Lake City

Everyone has hammocks in their homes in Brazil, something we plan on implementing in Utah.

Drinking coconut milk from a coconut

Yes, we ate chicken feet!!! (this is something disgusting, I don't recommend it)

Santarem!!! Our favorite part of the trip.

We took a plane ride to Santarem (Westin's favorite part of his mission) It was awesome. These aren't in the chronological order but still enjoy.

Still in Santarem, the Amazon in the background.

Playing at the members house in Santarem. (this is where Serena was happiest the whole trip)

Church in Santarem

Family Home Evening with the Members in Santarem. They were so happy to have Westin return to visit them. This is where my favorite memories of Brazil are. The members LOVED Westin and had such nice things to say about when he served his mission there.

It was the World Cup while we were there, so we sported our Brazil propaganda.

Enjoy... POST A COMMENT!!!

More updates to come

VIsa's!

2010-05-24T12:59:00.003-06:00

Getting our Visa's has been so frustrating. I will spare you all the boring details but just know it cost us twice as much to get our visa's as it did our passports. Also until today we weren't sure we would have our visa's in time to leave. But I am excited to announce that we will have our visa's in time to leave! Yipee! 12 days and counting! Enjoy the picture of Iguazu fall's in Brazil!

LIfe at the Smith's

2010-05-11T21:26:00.004-06:00

So we have been living at Westin's parents house for about a week now getting ready for the big move to Brazil. Thing have been going really well, Serena loves having her Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas and Grandpas close to play with her.

Serena loves the bouncer here, she loves it so much that she sleeps in it.

A new found love for Serena is root beer floats. She doesn't seem to be able to get enough of them... we just need to work on her eating them without it getting all over her face.

(Enter Westin) It all started when Serena was bitten by a radio-active spider (not a genetically engineered super-spider like the movie implies). Anyway, after the painful life lesson that involved the death of her uncle she learned that with great power comes great responsibility. So began her crime-fighting career.

There is no way that there could be a cuter Web-Crawling, Cutie-Pie. Definitely Daily Bugle worthy.

Spider-Girl reveals her identity.

She was kind enough to pose for a picture with a lame civilian. Definitely NOT Daily Bugle worthy.

This post is definitely worth of at least double digit comments if not triple. And make 'em GOOD. If not, we will threaten you all with some sort of mystical malady.

Were Moving.....

2010-04-27T08:39:00.005-06:00

To Brazil!!!

I know most of you know this already, but I have to make it official by blogging about it. So here are the top 10 questions we've had about it.

10- Why? Well, (among many other reasons) we have always wanted to go down there for more than just a vacation (for those of you who don't know that is where Westin served his mission) and we decided that if we were really going to now is the time to do it, before we have more kids and while Westin is in school and not focusing on starting a career.
9- When? We fly out June 5th and fly back December 17th
8- Will we leave Serena with you? NO
7- What are we going to do down there? Westin will work teaching English, and we will travel all over visiting Westin's mission sites and other fun places he wasn't able to visit on his mission.
6- Where will you live? Belem. (if you look on the map it is up on the top right, right on that delta that connects to the Amazon River) This was Westin's mission and we have some contacts down there who will let us stay with them till we find an apartment.
5- Do you speak Portuguese? Westin does, I am learning... very slowly.
4- What are you most excited for? EVERYTHING!
3- What kind of food is there down there? Fresh fruit, rice and beans, shrimp... all sorts of deliciousness!
2- Are you nervous about the healthcare down there? Not so much, the doctors are very competent they just don't have the means to get big equipment, but if you go to the right clinics you don't really have much to worry about.
1- Can we come visit? YES, YES, and YES!
0- Are you really going to move to Brazil? YES, tickets are bought and we are moving out of our apartment this weekend! (we will live with Westin's parents for a month to save up some money for when we get down there)

We are so excited! If you have any more questions let me know, but post a comment anyway!

Welcome Avery!

2010-04-22T09:54:00.003-06:00

Welcome Avery Lu! Although, a little earlier that we had wanted we are happy you are here, you are beautiful and I can't wait to come meet you! Your cousin Serena is giddy with excitement about having you here.

Avery Wallace
6lb 1 oz
19 inches long
April 21, 2010

Also, our prayers go out to Avery's mom Leisa, who will have surgery today to remove kidney stones AND gal-stones! Poor Leisa, she is such a trooper.

Playing Catch-Up

2010-04-20T16:52:00.003-06:00

I unloaded a whole bunch of pictures off of the camera today and here is the happy result!

Serena playing at the park. Note: I LOVE springtime!

Me, Serena, and Joseanne playing at the park

Westin climbed up to the top of that weird spiderweb thingy we were playing on. Here he is showing off how cool he is at the top.

The other morning I went in to get Serena from her crib and this is what I found, her STANDING UP! When did she get big enough to do this? I don't know.

Very late Easter picture, and it isn't even that good of one. We had an Easter egg hunt at both Grandma's houses but I only got this one picture of it at Grandma Smith's.

Also, Serena has been so cute when she gets laid down in her crib. She immediately roll onto her tummy and sticks her butt in the air. I couldn't help but get a picture.

Anyway, thanks for looking. PLEASE post a comment.

Sweet, Sweet, Sleep!

2010-04-08T08:13:00.004-06:00

Many of you had heard me complain about Serena's lack of sleeping through the night. It has been a source of stress for me for some time now. Well, last night she slept 8 straight hours in a row! I am beyond excited. I feel so well rested, and I already feel like I have been a better mom in the one hour we have been up. I think this calls for a celebration, and it is so nice outside today that we just might have a picnic.

Just because every post needs a picture. Here is a cute one of Serena and me.

Thanks for looking, PLEASE post a comment

My Baby Is So Studious

2010-04-01T09:14:00.002-06:00

Westin got these glasses that clip onto his glasses at work the other day. Serena LOVES playing with them so I just couldn't help but take some pictures of her wearing them. Sorry I know they are a little bit blurry

Don't forget to leave a comment!

Sick Serena

2010-03-30T09:20:00.004-06:00

Serena has been sick :( 102 degree fever and really sleepy. It's probably just something viral and she has been acting happier today with out a fever so I think she is getting over it. But she was so cute while she was sick. She would still smile and act normal for the most part but she would lay down and rest her head a lot more and she was super cuddly. Here are some pictures Westin caught of her resting for a minute.

Smiling while laying on a pillow

Just resting on a pillow for a minute

Also Serena LOVES chewing on this string of ribbon, I thought she looked so silly with it sticking out of her mouth like that.

Don't forget to post a comment!

5 Blog Updates a Day!

2010-03-26T10:42:00.005-06:00

Many of you may feel the same way I do about this, but I LOVE when people update their blogs. As a mom with little to occupy her time during the day this little pleasure of peaking into her friends everyday lives and special events makes me ridiculously happy. So, imagine my frustration when nobody updates. So I did the math, and this is what I found.

I follow 45 different Blogs
Minus 10 for people who haven't updated for over a month and rarely update more frequently than that
7 days in a week

(45-10)/7= 5 Blog Updates a Day ( I would LOVE that)

So, I issue this challenge to all my blog friends. Update your blog at least once a week, if for nothing else then simply for my reading pleasure. I will also challenge myself to update my blog at least once a week.

Also pictures of your kids, families, and self are VERY MUCH appreciated.

Since I would be completely hypocritical for not putting on a picture, here is one of our new family pictures... enjoy!

Like Father Like Daughter

2010-03-24T10:36:00.004-06:00

Serena is a little mover. Within the last few weeks she has become a completely mobile baby, but she has been pretty good about not getting into too many thing... at least until today. I have chased her around all morning keeping her from pulling all the DVD's out, pulling books off the shelf, playing with the computer wires... the list goes on and on. But I couldn't help but smile when I noticed her trying to get to all the comic books off the shelf, she definitely is her father's daughter. (Sorry the pictures are a little blurry)

I also had a whole bunch of pictures that I needed to get off the camera.

Just playing on the floor

I know it's blurry but I just love her little bunny rabbit towel.

More pictures from St. Patrick's day.

Enjoy! Please, PLEASE, post a comment!

Spring is Here!

2010-03-23T12:20:00.003-06:00

I know for all of you in Logan it snowed last night, but I am down here in sunny Orem and it is officially looking like Spring! And I LOVE it. Serena and I have been going on walks to the park and playing and I have been absolutely in heaven! I will have to take some pictures next time we go and post them. Until then enjoy this picture of Serena and I from St. Patrick's day.

PLEASE, post a comment!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T10:01:00.003-06:00

We had St. Patricks day celebrations this weekend at the Smith's! Corned Beef and Cabbage, YUMM! Here are the pics!

The whole gang Notice: EVERYONE is in green!

Serena playing with Grandpa Smith.

Isn't she the cutest?

Thanks for looking PLEASE post a comment!

Almost Crawling!

2010-03-05T17:42:00.002-07:00

Serena is so close to crawling... I suspect we will have a mobile (at least more mobile than she has been rolling around) baby in the next week or so. Here are some pictures of her trying to crawl.

She was up on all 4's before this pic was taken but then she gave up and started crying. Yes she was crying while I took this picture.

Here she is happy to be up on all 4's again!

Thanks for looking! Post a comment PLEASE!! I LOVE comments.

Smiles!

2010-03-01T15:07:00.002-07:00

Here are just some cute fun pictures I took of Serena lately.

While getting ready for her bath we decided to take a quick detour and play for a little bit.

Serena LOVES to "drink" out of big kid cups. Here she was earlier today playing with one.

Also, Westin's sweet Grandmother passed away last week. (I meant to take pictures at the funeral but forgot). My mom was nice enough to come babysit Serena during the services so we could enjoy them without fussing with the babe. Thanks again mom! Here they are playing together.

Enjoy! Post a comment!

R.I.P. Mouse!

2010-02-20T01:25:00.004-07:00

So for about a week now we have found signs of a mouse living around our kitchen. Westin was in charge of getting rid of it. His first idea was to buy the well known game by Milton Bradley, "Mouse Trap" (you all know what that is, right?) and use that to catch it. We ended up getting some actual mouse traps and Westin set a nice little piece of cheese with a smear of Peanut Butter. So tonight when we got home Westin checked the trap ('cause I wasn't about to look) and he realized that we had caught it. I think Westin thought he would feel a sense of victory because he kept talking about how he had caught a giant rat living in one of the apartments on his mission and how manly he was about the whole thing. But we were kind of sad tonight and although we would do it again in a heartbeat, we couldn't help but feel bad for the little guy... Here are some thoughts that we have had:

1- Is it cruel to give an innocent creature the hope of eating a delicious piece of cheese and peanut butter only to snap it's neck? I mean, it's not like some beast or pheasant you have to hunt and kill, it's a little mouse who just didn't know any better. That makes it sad.

2- Why is it we feel differently about killing a big fat ugly rat, than a small "cute" mouse?

3- Is it better to set a "non killing" trap and set the mouse free in the wild where it will most likely just get eaten by a bigger animal, or just freeze to death (taking into account the weather outside). I guess we could have kept it as a pet and waited for Spring to set him free.

4- Is Westin a losery wuss for feeling so sad about the life of the poor little mouse? I don't think so, he wrote this one, not me.

We don't feel guilty in any way, it's just one of the gloomy aspects of life. It is a good thing Serena is not older, it would be hard to explain this to her.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-12T15:57:00.004-07:00

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy Valentines day!

Serena opening her first Valentines present from Grandma Hardman... She loved the card, but mostly because she liked eating it.

Serena eating a sucker from Grandma Smith.

Enjoy! Please post a comment!

Single Mom for a Night

2010-02-05T21:35:00.006-07:00

Westin is at his Winter Klondike campout with his Young Men tonight so I have been home alone all day/night until tomorrow afternoon. It definitely makes me grateful that I am not a single mom, and it is only one night I am home alone.

Anyway, I was sitting around and I found these pictures of Serena and Westin and Me when we were all about the same age... You tell me who you think Serena looks like.

Serena then Westin both being happy.

Serena then Me (Chelsea) both being very sad... (I know this is bad but I wanted to get a picture of Serena's sad face, this isn't a great one but I love how you can see a tear)

Thanks for looking... Post a comment!

New Skirt

2010-01-28T17:51:00.003-07:00

I know 3 posts in one week! CRAZY! But I am trying to post pictures right after I take them rather than waiting weeks.

This is Serena playing in her own spit up. I was cooking some lunch and when I turned around this is what i found.

Also I made Serena a cute red skirt today. I had some extra fabric from the PJ's I made over Christmas. I thought it turned out pretty cute.

Thanks for looking! Post a Comment!

I LOVE carrots

2010-01-26T16:45:00.003-07:00

We've been working on eating solids and today Serena ate the whole thing of carrots! This may seem silly to you but it was a huge step for us. Normally she has a hard time swallowing without it getting pushed out by her tongue but today she did awesome! So I had to take some pics... enjoy!

PLEASE post a comment!

Random

2010-01-21T14:03:00.006-07:00

I have a whole bunch of random pictures of Serena so I decided to combine them into one post.

Serena has been eating some food lately and she still hasn't figured out how to get it down rather than all over everything.

Serena in her car seat

I have started trying to put a litle curl on top of Serena's head, it mostly just looks like a mo-hawk but I like it. I know you can't see it very good but if you look hard you can.

For Christmas I made us all matching PJ's... it was a lot of fun to do and I think they turned out pretty good.

Serena LOVES chewing on things, especially daddy's fingers

Enjoy! PLEASE post a comment!

6 Months!

2010-01-15T17:26:00.004-07:00

Serena is 6 months old today!!! I can hardly believe it. This past couple of weeks she has gotten to be SO FUN! Tons of giggles, smiles, gibber-jabbers. She is incredibly vocal and loves to be played with. Enjoy these pictures that Auntie Alora took of Serena this morning!

Post a comment!!!!

Hardman Family Pictures 2009 Edition

2009-12-27T18:07:00.006-07:00

So for Christmas Emily gave my parents the PERFECT Christmas present... family pictures. Clark did a FANTASTIC job and he took tons of pics. It was hard for me to narrow it down for the blog.

The whole family.

It was SOOOO cold!

Emily and Crystal.... aren't they both so cute!

Top: Isaac Middle: Dad, Chelsea, Emily Bottom: Heidi, Leisa, Crystal, Mom

Just the kids: Emily, Isaac, Chelsea, Leisa, Heidi, Crystal

For those of you who know Grandpa Noyes will recognize this

Fam with Grandpa

Alex

I LOVE this picture of my Mom and Dad

Isaac Steven, Steven Fred, and Nicholas Isaac Steven

Serena

Emily and Crystal

Clark took individual pictures of all the families, luckily Ike and Jenny took family pictures a couple of weeks ago because by time we got to them the kids were DONE!

Westin, Chelsea, Serena Smith Family

Leisa, Andrew, Cole Wallace Family

Heidi, Jared, Xander Smith Family

I hope you all enjoyed... it sure was fun for us to get some pictures taken. Post a comment!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T16:52:00.003-07:00

I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy the cute picture of Serena eating her daddy's arm!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

2009-12-08T10:46:00.002-07:00

I've been trying to get into the Christmas Spirit and what better way than putting Serena in the Cutest Santa hat!

This is just a cute picture of Serena looking at her "book"

Serena LOVES her play chair and is so cute when she sits in it. (don't mind the spit-up filled shirt, I really do change onesies two or three times a day)

Thanks for looking! Post a comment!

Best 2 Years!

2009-11-21T13:43:00.001-07:00

Westin and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary yesterday! I can hardly believe it has been 2 years already... crazy! It really has been the best 2 years of my life. So I thought I would list ten of my favorite things about Westin.

1. He never thinks I am silly for crying

2. He LOVES playing with his daughter

3. He works so hard so I can stay home with Serena

4. I love watching him draw

5. He has such good work ethic

6. He gives me foot rubs whenever I ask

7. I love how he gets a little childish smile when he talks about super hero's

8. He would do anything for the people he loves

9. His love of the gospel

10. His desire to do what is right no matter the consequence

Yep He is pretty great! I sure do love him!

Good Things Utah

2009-11-13T10:30:00.008-07:00

Here are some pics from my moment of fame.

My friend Heather and me, she was nice enough to come watch Serena while I was a super model.

Angie, Marti, Reagan and Me. I am pretty sure I am super cool now because Reagan and me swapped nursing stories together. By the way these ladies are SO nice in person.

Also, my sister-in-law Alora received her mission call and will report to the MTC Febuary 10, 2010 to serve in the UKRAINE DNIPROPETROVSK MISSION! Congrats Alora! You will be AWESOME!

I'm Gonna Be On TV!

2009-11-09T14:39:00.004-07:00

Attention all friends and family! Make sure to watch ABC's Good Things Utah on Wednesday November 11, 2009. Its on at 10:00 AM. I will be on there as a pant model, and as a result I get a new pair of jeans for FREE!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T11:35:00.009-07:00

Serena was Sailor Moon for Halloween. (If you don't know who Sailor Moon is I have provided a picture for you below) I think she was pretty darn cute. My mom helped me make it, Thanks again mom! I know Sailor Moon doesn't have red bows in her hair but We didn't want to make a wig for a baby and we thought that long bows would give the impression of long hair... what do you think? FYI- Sailor Moon's real name is Serena... thats where we got the costume idea.

Sailor Moon

My mother in law bought Serena this super cute jacket/coat. I loved it so much I took some pictures.

We of carved pumpkins again this year. This one is Westins, I thought it was a pretty cool idea to have them carving each other.

This one I did. A frog being boiled in a cauldron. I'm getting better every year.

This was our DELICIOUS Halloween dinner.

Frankenstein Cheeseball

Gravestone Rice Crispies

Lady Fingers

I hope you all enjoyed! Please post a comment!

Just Playing

2009-10-16T14:36:00.002-06:00

Serena is starting to fit into 3 month clothes (even though they are a little big) So I put her in this cute winter/fall outfit today and got these cute pictures. Enjoy!

Notice the tongue (proof that she is the grandchild of Marilyn Hardman)

3 months!!!

2009-10-15T20:53:00.010-06:00

It seems like Serena was born yesterday but its true she is 3 MONTHS!!! Here are some cute pictures I took of her the last week or so. I can't believe how big she is getting!

Serena LOVES hanging out with her daddy

Isn't she the cutest!!! Post a comment!

Baby Blessing/ 2 Months Old!

2009-09-15T16:24:00.007-06:00

WARNING: Tons of pictues!

Last Sunday we blessed Serena and it was so beautiful! I didn't get any pictures of the luncheon afterwards but I did get some of Westin, Serena and Me, and some of Serena in her blessing dress (which was the same dress I was blessed in) and the blanket my mom crocheted for Serena

She was so tired and hungry by time we got to pictures... can you tell?

I think there is a better picture on my mom's camera... I'll have to get her to post it on her blog so I can steal it.

Don't we make such a cute family?

Her headband kept falling down so I was calling her my hippie baby

Serena is constantly pulling the cutest faces and when I pull out the camera she stops. So here are a couple of attempts at catching a glimpse of her cuteness!

And finally, Serena is two months old and growing so FAST! Here is a silly picture I took of her this morning, Enjoy!

And don't forget to post a comment!

You're Invited

2009-09-03T10:40:00.004-06:00

What: Serena's Baby Blessing

When: Sunday, September 6, 2009

Time: 10:50

Where: Mt. Green, Highland Chapel,

5378 W Old Highway Rd

We will have a potluck dinner afterwards at

my parents house feel free to bring a dessert or salad

Hope to see you there!

Baby Smiles

2009-09-01T13:41:00.005-06:00

Serena has been smiling TONS lately... especially first thing in the morning after she eats, I LOVE it. Here are some pics I got of her, not near as cute as seeing it in person but it is still cute!

4 Weeks Old!

2009-08-13T19:41:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it, Serena is 4 weeks old already! It seems like she was born just last week. Well, we went and got her newborn pictures done and they turned out AMAZING! My friend Brittney Miller did them and if you are interested in more pictures here is her website, I would recommend her to anybody!

These pictures need no explanation, only that she was awake nearly the entire time! The only picture we got of her sleeping is this first one. ENJOY!!

I hope you all enjoyed them as much as I do! Post a comment!

More pics of Serena!

2009-07-27T16:05:00.004-06:00

This week has been quite the eventful week. We celebrated Westin's 24th birthday on monday (the 20th) and welcomed a new nephew... for those of you who don't follow the rest of my families blogs, my brother's wife had their first son (3rd child) on Westin's and my dads birthday. We also went on a roller coaster ride of having A/C to no A/C to swamp cooler to no swamp cooler and on and on until finally the ceiling in our laundry room collapsed. Anyway here are some fun pics of our week!

Serena holding her pacifier in her mouth! Can't you just see how tiny she is.

Westin blowing out the candles on his birthday dessert!

Serena in a cute premie pajama outfit

Daddy and Serena taking a nap

Laundry room disaster...

And finally Serena's favorite look, we tried to get one with her eyes open but she kept closing them. She pulls this look whenever she is awake and looking around, I LOVE it!

Don't forget to post a comment!

Infant Reveries...

2009-07-26T15:08:00.007-06:00

For Serena's room we want to give it a fairy tale theme. Simple and quaint. We think that would be funner than a nauseating Disney theme, we have all seen those rooms that do not contain a single corner where Cinderella's face is not staring you down, pillow cases, wall paper, sandals, posters, toys... no offense to those who have those rooms and ABSOLUTELY no offense to the Disney princesses. We both love the Disney movies and know that Serena will get a lot of enjoyment getting dressed up and pretending she is Snow White or something. We just thought it would be great if we had the Fairy Tale motif that just seemed noncommercial and unbranded, so that the she can create her OWN world as she arouses her own sense of imagination. Westin designed this in Illustrator, he has part of a story that goes with it, but he wants to wait to solidify the storyline of his drawings until Serena's curiosity causes her to ask questions. Hopefully this will be one of many pictures...

Let us know what you think.

We're Home!

2009-07-19T13:54:00.011-06:00

Serena, Westin and I came home this morning! It feels so good to be home and although I am super nervous about not having a nurse right by my side all the time, I am excited to start being "Mom" instead of "patient".

Thanks so much to everyone who came and visited!

My Mom with Serena the morning she was born

Westin's Mom with Serena

The Grandma's with Serena

Aunt Joseanne with Serena

Aunt Alora with Serena

Aunt Jenni with Serena

Aunt Heather with Serena

Uncle Danny with Serena

Great Uncle Jeff and Great Aunt Mary (they weren't sick, they were just being careful)

Grandpa Smith with Serena

Aunt Heidi with Serena

Aunt Heidi and Cousin Xander with Serena

Grandpa Hardman with Serena

Great Aunt Anne with Serena

Aunt Leisa "lulu" with Serena

Uncle Andrew "Wally" with Serena

Uncle Jon with Serena

Aunt Leslie with Serena

Jessica Rice with Serena

Aunt Crystal with Serena

My friend Heather Coates with Serena

Serena LOVES her hands up by her face! We took this picture after wrapping her hands up super tight and she managed to sneak her hand up.

Westin has been the BEST, CUTEST dad EVER! He loves his little girl and she loves him right back!

We were worried that she would be too small to fit into any of her clothes, but this little outfit that we brought her home in wasn't so incredibly big that she swimming in it, just kind of big. I think it helps that she is as tall as she is!

More pictures to come soon I'm sure! ENJOY! Don't forget to post a comment!

She's here!!!

2009-07-15T16:58:00.007-06:00

Serena------- Smith is here!!!

Weighing in at 5lb 5 oz, 18 1/2 inches at 8:01 am on July 15, 2009 we welcomed our precious little girl into this world and we are so happy!

These pictures need no explanation so just enjoy!!

Also last night Westin and I decided to throw a firework show for ourselves to celebrate her birth-eve!

Here is Westin jumping over some fireworks

Me with a sparkler

Also just for kicks and giggles, here is a picture of me on Tuesday

Enjoy the pics! There will be more soon, (trust me we just can't stop taking pictures of this little angle)

Baby Showers!!

2009-07-11T14:36:00.007-06:00

In an attempt to not get behind on my blogging I am already posting again! Here are pictures of my two baby showers.

Smith Baby Shower

We got a surprise visit from the stork. (this is also the best picture I have of me being pregnant, I'll try to get a better one before the baby is born but for now this will have to work)

All the cute clothes hung up on the line

Another picture of the stork handing out the baby gifts. Westin did a really good job pretending to be the stork and him mom did a great job making his outfit.

Hardman Baby Shower

For those of you who don't blog stock my sisters and aunt's blog here are pictures of the shower my sisters threw me

Me, Leisa, and Crystal chillin' on Heidi's couch

Heidi, Leisa, Me, and Xander playing on the floor

I owe a big thanks to my sisters and sisters in-law for throwing me two fabulous baby showers! They were both perfect.

Long Overdue Post

2009-07-10T11:26:00.005-06:00

I know I am way over due for a new post! I won't bore you with ALL the details but here is a quick run down for you all.

July 1- Happy B-Day to ME! I woke up and had a wonderful breakfast made by my wonderful husband, then ended up in the hospital with the worst back pain in my life... they figured I had a kidney infection. Got some antibiotics and morphine then went home where Westin made me a birthday cake. Westin and his family got me a Bosch for my birthday!! Also my mom came down and helped me finish my baby blanket! Thanks again mom!

Me blowing out my birthday candles! (NOTE: the 4 corner candles were trick candles and then Westin started telling me how trick candles are made. It is a fascinating story, but too long to post.)

Finished baby blanket (i know it is a bad pic but you'll just have to come see it in person)

Here is a close-up of the butterfly's that I stitched.

Birthday present from Westin and his family! I wanted a bosch really bad but didn't think I would get one. I should have taken a picture of the delicious cinnamon rolls my mom and I made with it! LOVE IT!!!

July 2-5- Ended up admitted to the hospital for the same back pain. The kidney infection they thought I had ended up being a kidney stone!

July 8- Surgery to remove kidney stone (yes remember I am 8 1/2 months pregnant)

Current- Doing great! I feel a million times better than I did before surgery... Everything should be completely back to normal by Tuesday (which is when I will most likely be induced and become a MOM!!!)

Diaper Bag and the Neices

2009-05-27T16:00:00.004-06:00

I decided I wanted to make my own diaper bag and my mom was nice enough to help me out with it. Then with the left over fabric I made a changing pad, diaper holder and binkie holder... just for fun. The Changing pad turned out really cute but I got really frustrated making the diaper and binkie holders so they didn't turn out quite as good.

Also my brother Ike and his wife and kids were at my moms house while we were working on the diaper bag so Westin played with them while I sewed. Here are some pics of them being silly.

Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to leave a comment!

Smith Family Vacation 2009: California

2009-05-13T11:57:00.006-06:00

Last week my in-laws were so super sweet enough to take the whole family (all 15 1/2 of us) to California for a whole week! Definitely one of the best most relaxing weeks EVER, couldn't ask for a better vacation being 6 months pregnant. Below are a bunch of pictures in no particular order of all the fun!

Westin flying a kite on the beach while I play in the water

Grandma Marjalee, Aiva and Heather walking in water

Playing in the water some more

My view of my feet

We celebrated Joseanne's birthday while we were in California! Happy Birthday again Jose!

Westin and I waiting for our food at PF Changs! Westin wasn't embarrassed by getting his picture taken, he was just really sunburned from playing in the pool all morning.

Westin, Jon and Danny being silly before going shopping

The babies really liked playing in the water... so much it tuckered them right out and they ended up sleeping more than playing in the water

Super cute picture of Danny, Aiva and Heather

Cute picture of the whole family outside the Newport Beach Temple

Jenny and myself

While walking around the Newport Temple we found a bunny playing in the grass, it was so cute I just had to take a picture!

Another pic of the whole family (except Rodger who was taking the picture) before leaving for church

Silly picture of Leslie, Ethan, Collin and Sammy after the plane ride to California. That's our pilot in the background... he was kind of silly!

The flying group waiting for our shuttle to come pick us up

The driving group as they are getting ready to leave at 2:00 am!

I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to post a comment!

Painted Baby Room

2009-04-24T23:24:00.004-06:00

I know it has been forever since I have updated, and I really want to put pictures up of the new arrangement of my house (thanks again so much Mom! I still LOVE it), but I keep forgetting to take pictures... so for now you get so see how the baby room is looking. Westin and his sister Joseanne surprised me one night after I got home from work by having the baby room all cute and painted... so then the next day Westin and I went and bought a crib and I think that it is turning out so stinking cute!

I know this is backwards... but here is an after picture of it

and this is the color it was before

Don't forget to post a comment! More pictures of the whole apartment to come soon!

St. Patricks, Hardman get-together, Smith get-together

2009-04-02T08:58:00.006-06:00

I know St. Patricks day was a couple of weeks ago but its better late than never... right? We went to the Smith's for Corned Beef and Cabbage the sunday before... it was delicious!

Rodger and Westin enjoying their greed Koolaid and Corned Beef

A very St. Patricks Day table setting

Two weekends ago the Hardman's got together for some food, fun and games. We all had a blast! Thanks so much mom for putting it all together and thanks Heidi for letting us bombard your house again!

Delicious Cheesecake

Westin taught Xander how to play frisbee... as you can tell Xander still needs some learning.

The kids loved playing on the tramp... the kids being Mom, Leisa, Andrew... and some other adults.

The Smiths decided they needed to have a family fun day or a Day O' Fun the next week, so last weekend we went up and played games, at food and just enjoyed each others company!

Aiva really likes putting this specific ball in her mouth and playing with it in there. I really liked this picture of her with it in there.

Grandpa Rodger holding Samuel while he takes a nap

Westin and John decided to teach Ethan how to play Mario Kart.

Ethan would have played for hours on end if his Mom would have let him!

The Results Are In!!!

2009-03-20T14:16:00.001-06:00

After much waiting and anticipation we are happy to announce that we will be welcoming a cute little GIRL into our family in July! Pictures to come...