The Smith Family Blog

I started a blog post a few days (okay maybe more like a week or more) ago and then had to wait to add the video. I added the video and the post back when I first started it. I didn't want anyone to miss out on a rather hillarious video. So go back a few pots and check out the one titled "the great name debate."

All three girls wanted something different to start the new school year off with. The all volunteered to use their backpacks from last year rather than get new ones so that they could all get new hair cuts. All three went short. Kezri's and Kami's are super cute. Kalaree's is cute but she did one of those shorter in back longer in front things and I have never liked those, but hey she is a teenager and if that is the worst thing she does then I can't complain.

I have started back and man am I in for it. I am not over my head but there is so much to do to get into the swing of things. I had a great psych that left a bunch of stuff in case I wanted it, but that also means I have to go through it all and decide if it will be useful. I keep planning to rearrange my office but when I get there then I have all this other stuff come at me. So far everyone has been super nice. I am so excited about the counseling that I get to do and all the other stuff. This will be a great year. I am seriously missing those wonderful people that I worked with in Medical Lake. It doesn't seem right to be back at work and not around those people. It will get there I am sure. Lots to do and so little time. As far as at home the girls are starting to settle in. The newness has worn off and they are starting to get upset about some stuff. For example, Kami broke down at church on Sunday. She didn't want to stay in primary without mom. After a bit she settled do

I guess living in such a small space for so long has had quite the impack on our family. While we have this great large house we have resorted to using the closet as our office. I actually kind of like it in their because one it can be closed up but two it is right off the living room and not in my bedroom. But the real sign that we have a real desire to be packed in somewhere is the new room that Kami builds on almost a daily basis. I don't know if it because know we have the room to buid forts or if it is that fact that she like the rest of us don't know what to do with all the room.

Blackberries grow wild all over the place over here. It is so pretty, I wish I had been here to see all the blossoms as they were getting to the point of berrying (is that even a word?) Anyways, yesterday I sent the girls and the neighbor kid out to pick blackberries so I could make some jam. Kalaree took the camera with her and this is what she brought back as far as pictures. Kami got bored so they only picked about 4 cups of berries, which was just enough to make one batch or 5 jars of jam. I think I will have them get some more here in the next few days to freeze. That way come winter we can have all that nice wonderful blackberry cobler.

I introduced you to our new family members in a previous post. Well I figured I should let you in on the great name debate. Here is the deal. When we got Emmett he was young (his eyes were still blue, which now they are green.) So he slept alot. But I could tell he had some fight in him. Well as he has gotten older he has become quite the fighter. Now in order to understand all the debate one must be as in tune with the twilight series books as well Kalaree and I are. Kalaree wanted the name Jasper. Those that read the book know what a calming person Jasper can be. Since he was a sleeper they (Kalaree and Mikaela) felt he should be named after him. But again I said he was a fighter, all about the fight, just like the character Emmett in the book. In the end we went with Emmett which is a very good choice for him really. But in order to prove my point as to why that name here is a video of what it is like around our house right now.

With the move to the new house it meant that there was a need for more beds and more dressers. I found a dresser fairly inexpensive on craigslist but it was yellow and then we had my old bed from high school that was black with balloons painted on it. Kalaree decided that for her Young Women in excellence Divine Nature project she would refinish them to go into her room. The full project took almost two full weeks, working on it here and there. My front porch always had something in the way just so we could get the whole thing done. I think she learned a lot from the project. Here she is sanding (the never ending sanding): Friends helping (hey no one said it had to be done all alone): Picture of the finished project can be seen in the previous house post.

I promised Kalaree that once we got to Portland she could get a dumbo rat and I also promised David that he could get an orange tabby. Emmett came to us from some friends in Spokane, literally just before we moved. He was found abandoned at their workplace. He was rather young, maybe four weeks and barely eating solid food. But he fits in nicely. He was named after the character in the Twilight series book and it fits him so well. He will attack anyone willing to play with him. Melvin and him are always playing. The other day he was hanging on to Mel's tail while Mel spun in circles, it was hillarious. Sandy we found at a pet store in Portland. It was not hard to find her. She is just under a year and her and Maggie get along great. They had some time of getting use to each other but now they curl up together to sleep.

So just before moving I attempted to make my first cherry cheesecake. It looked absolutely beautiful, however once it was cut into it fell and was not finished in the center. I was very upset but the kids loved it and I know to make sure to bake it longer than it says.

I have truly neglected my posting so Today will be a catch up. I am going to start with the house. I took a few pictures but then I realized how messy the house is. Tomorrow is house cleaning so please forgive the clothes on the floor and the dishes in the sink. Hall: Stairs: Kezri's room: Kalaree's room: Kami's room: Great room: Kitchen: Downstairs bath: Chandelier: Front entry: Back yard:

I wanted to do this in the apartment but I wasn't able to get it pulled off the way I wanted and this new house doesn't have but one large wall and that is where the entertainment center went so I settled for the fireplace. I think it looks nice. I want to do some others but I realize now that I need more fonts. Sorry the picture is fuzzy it was taken with the cell phone. The camera is still in an office box which they have not been unpacked yet. Still don't know where to put the computer. Yes, that means I am still in the closet working on the laptop. I will be posting more pictures as I get the house in order.

Well it was a real quiet one for me. We went to the fair, which I LOVE the fair so that was nice. The fair here is HUGE. But it was really lacking in the arts and crafts section of the fair. I am definitely going to do a few outfits for this time next year. Someone needs to show them that the crochet stuff does not have to be all grannyfied (that is a new word.) The girls got to watch the Rhinestone Ropers. THey preformed at Michael Anderson last year as an asembly and they are awesome. I think their fair show is even more impressive. He did some awesome stuff with his horse. I was very impressed with his abilities and the horses too. We came home and had homemade ice cream and cake. I think I am going to head to Jo Anns and see if I can pick up one more thing to finish off a wall in my house and then home to relax. I love having all this space but I seriously need to entertain and am itching so bad to get to it. Maybe tomorrow I will invite a family over after church for

What do you remember about me? 1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, or if you just met me, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. Really, don't consider yourself "tagged". I don't like to "tag" people. But, this was on my friend's blog and it was a lot of fun posting my memory of her, so I thought I'd see what people can dig up on me. Play along only if you want to.

We are in our new house and we are loving it. The house is ssssoooo nice. The new ward is definitely rather large. The primary is so big they meet in the chapel. There is 3 CTR 6 classes and 3 Valiant 9 classes. We were basicaly warned not to be surprised if we are called to primary since all new people are right now. I had to laugh the whole time I was thinking man, Lincoln Heights thought it had reverence problems. I know a few people that would heart attacks if they sat through our new ward. Everyone was super nice. There are a few new families too. We had about 3 guys from the ward come out and help unload. We haven't met any neighbors yet, but they are nice enough to wave as you drive by. We do have internet at home but I am not sure where we are going to put it yet so for right now I had them set it in the closet and then I will hook up our wireless router and we can put it anywhere. But till I get the router set up we are forced to sit in the closet and work on