We're Going Private!

First off, we're following suite and going private with our blog in the next few weeks. If you'd like an invite to view it, let us know in the comments area!

Second, just some fun photos of our daughters. We sure love these two!

It's Official

Change is both a good and a scary thing to face. About a month ago, I accepted a new position within LDS Philanthropies. It is a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn, while continuing to help make positive things happen for the organization and our institutions. It is the right thing to do both for our family and for my career. The toughest part about this all is leaving the BYU Telefund. I just announced it to them this week, so I suppose we can mention it here.

It's been an amazing ride that began back in May 2000. I could not have possibly foreseen how answering a simple ad on the BYU job board would carry me where it did, but I am completely grateful it has. The students I have the blessing of working with mean the world to me and I'm deeply miss being with them every day to share their successes and challenges--engagements, break-ups, mission reunions, intramural championships, getting into that graduate program, going on a study abroad, etc. Over the 6 1/2 years I've been "in charge" (in parentheses because they great students truly run the show), I've been privileged to work with 500+ students. Each has been memorable, mostly in wonderful ways. It's been an honor associating with them. I love you guys a lot!

While we weather the Church's hiring freeze, I'm wearing two hats. It keeps me busy with an insanely hectic schedule, but I'm glad that it allows me to be with the Telefund crew just a little bit longer!



Here's our current Leadership team at our belated Christmas trip to Tucano's last week.

There's No Place Like Home

Last night, at 6:53 PM, I couldn't have been any happier...Elizabeth and the girls pulled up at the Passenger Pick-up area of the SLC Airport to bring me home. I'm not one who revels in traveling. I don't do a whole lot of it, but while I enjoy it when I do, there's nothing like coming home! I spent the past three days in Houston, TX attending a conference. The conference was good, the weather very nice, and the food was marvelous as expected. Still, hugs and kisses from my girls and our own bed are irreplaceable!



Here's my girls playing the piano. They were decked out for the BYU Football game last week, but due to illnesses and ticket problems, we didn't go. They still look cute in their Cougar duds!

Call me the Grocery Guru!

So I'm feeling pretty good about some great deals I found at Albertsons. Of course, I had to get up at 5:40 this morning to get to Albertsons to get the good deals! Well, at least they told me that they would have everything stocked when they opened at 6 a.m. (I have since learned that the checkers don't really know how they do things in the back and that the shelves would not be restocked until 8 or 9). I waited patiently in the back of the store with about 15-20 other ladies for the 2 workers to bring out one pallet after another, only to have them not be able to locate a few of the items I really wanted. I'll try again later or at another location to go back and get all that icing I wanted for $0.35 before my coupons expire tonight! This morning I only paid $42 and got:

10 boxes Golden Grahams

5 boxes of Trix

1 Total

2 Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal

5 boxes (40 oz.) bisquick

22 boxes fruit snacks

6 boxes Fruit by the Foot

6 boxes Gushers

1 Cheerios Snack Mix

1 box Fiber One Granola bars

1 Oral B Advanced toothbrush
3 boxes Betty Crocker Potatoes

I was feeling pretty good about all that I got thanks to the great deal Albertsons had, coupons I had and extras from my sister, and patience (it did take about 20 minutes to ring up, plus waiting in line behind all the other savvy shoppers)! Here's a picture of our spoils.

The Things Babies Do

Being home on vacation the past three weeks has been wonderful. It's been especially fun to watch the girls do the little things that amaze and humor us, rather than just hear about it later. For example...



The other day, Elizabeth was gone nearly all day tending her cousin's children in South Jordan. The girls and I had a fun day. At one point, Tayah went off playing by herself. It got quiet, which as any parent knows, is not a good sign. When she wasn't in the closet, I meandered upstairs to find her sitting on the office chair reading!



Tayah's also getting more adept at putting on and taking off clothing. Here's her attempting to escape from her winter coat...to mild success!

New Year's Rockin' Party w/ the Smith Family!

With two little ones and almost two 30-year olds (we're counting the days Sweetheart :), we ushered in the year in low-key fashion (minus Kadence's nose incident that Elizabeth mentioned). We did have fun!



Nothing like cheeseball, pigs-in-a-blanket, and some bubbly (Martinelli's)to get started.



Tayah being adorable.



Kadence doing the same.



Kadence got tired of me trying to take this "Cheers" photo...



Here's Elizabeth and the girls banging pans at midnight (or 6:30 PM for us).





We sat down as a family and made some wonderful resolutions, mostly to bring the Spirit into our lives more and the make the gospel more real for the girls. We're excited to see how we grow this year (and not just the girls!).

On a sad note, my dear neighbor growing up, Claudia Naranjo, passed away 12.31 due to cancer. What a wonderful mother and friend to our family. She was the epitome of sweetness and fun. We shared a basketball standard with the Naranjo's and she never was bothered by the countless hours I played out there and was always more than willing to move cars when needed. From the Smith Family (all of us) to the Naranjos, we will always love Claude!

Sleep on New Years?

We actually tried to stay up till midnight last night and were able to see the ball drop. We promptly headed off to bed only to be awakened 3 hours later at 3:30 a.m. by Kadence...a bloody nose. Needless to say, by the time we got her cleaned up, her bed changed, sheets rinsed, baby dolls cleaned, and back to bed, Kadence didn't believe us that it was the middle of the night still (at 4:45 a.m.). David got her back to sleep, but when I climbed into bed with her (she was in the bed without rails, so I was going to lay by her), I must have woken her up, and then she just wanted to move around. We finally fell asleep for about an hour before she was convinced that it was time to get up and after laying in bed, trying to make her be still, I succombed and brought her down to watch Sesame Street.

What a way to ring in the NEW YEAR!