Here are some pictures of our new home M+9 (move day plus 9 days). Still have a few boxes left to unpack and a fence to put up in the back yard, but getting there. Even had to go buy a riding lawn mower (Adam was not man enough to mow the acre lawn with a push lawnmower).
Master Bedroom - Holly's wall of elephants
Master Bedroom - Josh's wall of military service
Seth helping dad mow the lawn
I know I have a lot to catch up on but this is one event I want to share first(: Back on Sunday April 25th Josh finally came home from Iraq...Yeah! It was truely a day to rememeber. The flight was due to arrive for "Welcome Home" on the field at 6 am Sunday morning(: We were all awake at 4 am to get ready for the wonderful reunion. Needless to say I didnt sleep at all that night nervous I would over sleep my alarm clock. I was very blessed to have a friend meet me at the field to help me with our wonderful kiddos in anticipation of daddy's arrival. We needed to be there at least an hour before so at 5 am we were there waiting and having fun. Without rambling on more here are some of those wonderful pictures and of Josh coming home(: Thank you so much Heavenly Father for safely returning my wonderful husband and father of our children home(: (we also made it just in time for our church meetings that started at 9am) what a glorious day(:
Blast from the past. August 18 2009 was a day to celebrate the exsistence Joshua Joseph Smith. Being his big "30" Josh celebrated a little different this year as he was away from friends and family serving abroad in Iraq. With some planning with one of his fellow collegues I now have these wondeful pictures to enjoy together of how they celebrate when away from home(: I hope you enjoy these as much as I did(:
I will have to admit, not chiming in the New Year like I thought I would with my kids but it did turn out for good.
After dinner together we had milk shakes, which is more then a rarity in our house(: We were having fun, then off to watch a movie together(:
Sounds good so far(:
Well, as bed time comes closer and others getting a little bored the "real" fun begins... The twins, at least one whom I will not name knocked all my laundry onto the floor(5 or so loads that had not made there way upstairs yet) which got the ball going. Then the yelling and screaming began oh the fun is now going(and not starting with me(:....wow...no one can hear me so I add to the yelling ( may I mention not a good choice of action which I knew better) OK I wont get into it all but there was wailing, yelling, up sets all around even a punch here and there.....no not done by me.....wow Happy New Year right(:
After I got everyone calmed down including myself I talked to the children first one at a time, shared my feelings and helped see the difference of our choices and actions...how we feel in what situations and how we can control ourselves in those situations. Feeling not like the worlds best mom during all the crazies I was hoping I was at least lower on that top 100 worlds morst mom list then near the top.
So then we all head in for family prayer and calmness....I hug and kiss the kids and of course tell them as I do a lot that I love them and the beautiful music of hearing " I love you mommy" from the point of hugs and kisses to walking down the hall(: makes the rest almost go away. Lessons learned by all of us tonight.
Did I mention a lot of the emotions tonight that were shared other then feeling bad about all that happened was, even though knowing daddy will be hopefully home by next weekend, with it being the dawn of a New Year the kids (and I) are missing their daddy sooooooo much. Lots of hugs and kisses and music helped them go to bed(:
I do need to add. Adam my sweet little man, came running down the stairs after all were in bed and handed me a card he made. on one side it said To: mom From: Adam. On the other side he wrote a poem, Roses are red, Violets are blue, all that matters, Is I love you(: Then he had drawn a family picture with all of our names with each person drawn(: I soooooo needed that tonight. Made my night. Another set of hugs and kisses and then he was back to bed(:
A roller coaster of emotions tonight. Maybe I shouldn't post this here but then again, why not. A night in the life of our family. The good the bad and the ugly. Yes we say and do things we regret and hopefully learn from. Boy am I no exception to that. But I can say I love my family so very much and would do anything for my family. They are my life, my world, and I am so grateful for them. I may teach some things and hopefully good things but I learn so much more from our precious children(:
I am so grateful for the gospel in my life, for my Savior and Redeemer. I am so grateful for my many blessings. I am grateful for this new year ahead of us and the wonders it holds(:
I hope and pray you all have a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year(:
OK, I know mom I havent written on the BLOG one pound a week. Well not including the holidays I am going to do something I would normally dread...ok I still do but truth be told(: Last Christmas I was still carrying a lot of the twin baby weight. I knew I was a big cough cough I mean "healthy" girl I just didnt realize how much till last Christmas formal picture for Josh's Christmas ball at work. Well here is my before picture...yes I am still beautiful I know(: so I am told(:
doesnt my man look HOT(: 
Merry Christmas everyone(:
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas and rememebring the true meaning of this time of year(: I am truely greatful for the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ and for the life He lived and His death and Atonement so that I can be forgiven and return to live with Him again.
I am truely greatful for my many blessings, for life, health, and of coures above those my family. I look forward to two weeks from now when my wonderful husband, the father of our amazing children, our soldier and hero will be home for two weeks before he returns to Iraq to finish his deployment. It will be a wonderful cherished time in our lives. I will say a deployments makes you rethink some aspects of your life as well as the realities of life.
I promise during that time when Josh is home I will maybe not catch up from everything but I will catch up on some things plus pictures and pictures. SOme from here in Texas as well as some that I will hopefully get from Iraq(: Should be some great ones (: hehehehe
While Josh is home we are praying it will be before the 10th so Adam can be baptized on his birthday(: what a way to start a family vacation(: Then we will be away for a couple of days to an indoor water park in a hotel(: oh the fun, can you see it now(: The following weekend (Jan 17th) we plan on having our family Christmas. Yes we are waiting till Josh is home. The kids did get one gift from mom and dad(us) and one each from Santa. Thank you Santa(: (you know who you are(:hehehehe the kids loved the gifts(: Then just some family stuff, hiking, movies, catching up time, going to the Temple(: cant wait.
SO until then I/we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year(:
OK more of an embarrassment to myself but way too funny not to add to the BLOG since I add so many other things. While having our Friday family movie night, the twins ventured upstairs so I went after them. Well Seth and Emma followed behind me. Well I needed to get something out of my room which turned into 4 of our 5 kids in there too getting into whatever they magically can in the few minutes we were in there, longer cause I then couldn't get them out(: hehehe...OK so here it is...I keep the laundry baskets of clean clothes in our room when I don't get them all put away right away( for the twins are great at dumping them over and over again onto the floor) as I never seem to have enough time to wash fold and put away in the same day...OK besides the point but to explain why there was a basket of clothes in my room. OK so Michael throws something across the room as I hear Seth yell, " oh no mommy one of your boobie thingies" Oh my goodness I couldn't stop laughing, and then laughed even harder as I look up at 4 little faces looking back at me not understanding just how funny that was. I can still see it all happening in my mind in slow motion. Well I hope it put a smile on your face as it did mine(:
