Our Greatest Joy and a Quick Update

First off, here are our three cute kids.  We sure love our terrific trio!

What fun we have with them!

To catch you up a bit, here are some things we've been up to:

• New Beginnings: Elizabeth helped plan and prepare for our Young Women New Beginnings.  Great night with great youth!
• Fun outings: wally ball and dinner with ward friends, temple date for sealings, dinners at California Pizza Kitchen, Brick Oven, Red Robin, Fudducker's, and Cracker Barrel (not all the same week, mind you)
• Family parties: we had our Smith Family get-together on MLK day and our immediate family over to our house Saturday for our January dinner.  Love our family!
• Stockton has started really putting his hands in his mouth and is grabbing things slowly but surely.  He is getting stronger during tummy time and loves to smile and now more often, laugh!
• Tayah has a fiery spirit, to put it lightly.  We are gearing up for two changes during the next few months: a big girl bed and potty training.  Wish us luck!
• Kadence is recognizing small words now and is eager to turn four next month.  She is a great big sister to her sister and brother. 
• Elizabeth and I are still alive and our lives are rendered very boring thanks to our cute, fun children!

It's ME!

David has been after me to write more on the blog, so here I am. I don't mind doing it, but I usually don't think about it and he's such a good writer that I'm more than happy to let him do it. I've been thinking a lot about setting goals (I hate the term "resolutions" because let's face it-we all break them) and things I want to accomplish. A friend of mine told me that she has big goals, but she also has a system of breaking goals down into monthly goals so she can evaluate them better. I really liked her idea of how she does that because I am a list person. I LOVE to make lists and cross things off as I've accomplished them-good thing my husband doesn't think I'm too weird since he does it to:) Needless to say, January is almost over and I have yet to write anything down, but I have been thinking about it.

There are all kinds of goals. A few years ago, inspired by my brother and sister, I decided I wanted to run a marathon. This was a big deal for me because I have never enjoyed running. I did a 16 week training program and on April 23, 2005 I ran and completed the SLC Marathon. I found I really enjoyed running (well, after I ran about 3 miles, I passed some kind of wall and then it was actually easy and fun). I was not fast at all, but I crossed that finish line and that was my goal.

Today I am going to set some goals for myself for the next month. I WILL make my list-no matter how much the girls fight over the same toy, no matter how much I have to play referee, no matter how long it takes me to think of something to make for dinner, no matter how much I just want to veg out after the kids go to bed. I will do it!

Smith Family Artists

This is for Grandma Sarah...here are the budding artists using their new easel!

Kadence's piece de resistence: Tayah, her friends, and her!

Not to be outdone, here is Tayah's masterpiece!

Creativity at work!  Thanks Grandma!!

Humanitarian Services

Hi family and friends!  Some have asked how they can contribute to help our dear brothers and sisters in Haiti through LDS Philanthropies.  Here is a widget that will assist you in making a contribution and something that can be passed along through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, e-mail, etc.  Just click on the link below my name or the heading of this post.

Thank you!
David

Humanitarian Services

Three CUTE, CUTE Kids

Stockton is so adored by his sisters...

There is nothing, I repeat nothing, like being with my kids after a long day.  They make everything just melt away...

Tayah is one proud big sister...

Priceless...

So priceless that they repeat this often!

Obligatory Photos and Isms

As you can see from the title post, I'm including some more obligatory photos--you know, the ones everyone has to add some time or another to their blog.  First, the obligatory bathtime photos.  He loves bathes.  We could not ask for a better, sweeter baby!

Next, the round of obligatory sleeping photos :).  Here's Tayah catching some Zs (one of my pet peeves is when people add an apostrophe in case like this (ex. Z's)...we're talking plural, not possession, people :) in the car. 

Kadence too was slumbering.  Yes, all three kids asleep on the way to SLC.  Anyone jealous?

And again back to our little man.  How we love these three kids!

KADENCISMS

"Yesterday, a few weeks ago..." (she uses this anytime she wants to bring up something in the past)

"Daddy doesn't like dogs, so we'll never have one."  (a lot of truth to that!)

"Daddy, which Church is true?  I think it's ours." (after talking about Joseph Smith)

"Mommy, when is Jesus coming again?  Will we go in our car to see him?"

K: "Daddy, are you going to work?"

D: "Yes, I'm going back.  I wish I could stay home with you all." (after two weeks' vacation)

K: "I want you to go to work."

D: "You do?  You won't miss me?"

K: "We need to make money.  We don't want to be poor Daddy!"

TAYAHISMS

"Ohhhh..it's okay Stockton!" (anytime he cries, being the great big sister she is, Tayah consoles him!)

(singing) "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus...Daddy, why was she kissing him?"

Not a verbal thing, but Tayah has enjoyed trying to eat her ice cream cones from the bottom.  She's learning that that might not be the best way to do it!

Christmas Day!

It's time to finally post some of Christmas morning's fun.  Here are the girls with the new Princess scooters Santa brought them. 

Tayah's favorite gifts included this baby doll, books, puzzles, movies, and some art supplies.  The funniest thing: 20 minutes into opening presents, Tayah exclaimed "I don't want to open anymore presents!" and promptly moved into the living room to play.  It won't happen often that a two-year old gets bored on Christmas morn!

Kadence, on the other hand, was a season pro.  She loved her clock (to help her stay in bed in the morning), books, DVDs, art kit, etc.  Funny thing for Kadence: she who normally awakes at 6:00 AM (or earlier) slept in until 7:40 on Christmas morning!

Stockton just slept :). 

Going for a spin...

That evening, we went to Dad and Donna's for a great dinner and the girls loved being with their cousins and looking at all the neat Christmas things Grandpa and Grandma have!  Here's their yuletide village.

Here are Aubrey (left) and Elayna, whom the girls adore, perfoming the 12 Days of Christmas.  Great performers!