since you saw us last

brief updates: in reverse chronological order.

andy and michele came to see us in january and it was so much fun to have visitors.

we have been up to play in the snow a few times and carter is finally old enough to enjoy it but max does not.

carter turned 3. the truth is, i was in tennessee for his birthday, at a room mate reunion (which was so much fun, thanks suzi for watching the boys while i was gone) . so gma smith was here, and we had cake and such when i got home. (but our camera was left in sj, so no bday pics and no room mate reunion pics). carter got a dirt bike helmet for his birthday. he was excited and put it on and then asked 'motorcycle?'. sorry son... the motorcycle doesn't come with it quite yet :)

and we saw a fox while tyrell was making us hot cocoa. he came really close to us.

and ty snowboarded down the mountain with carter on his board. carter of course LOVED it. (max...on the other hand was still not having a great time)

we were in pima for christmas. we had a great time. carter was just as obsessed as flynt about the rc airplanes and was out there by his side the whole time they were flying (probably to flynt's chagrin). the boys got to ride in the tractor with grandpa. carter didn't really like riding in the bucket but was usually on g-pa's lap working the controls. much more his style. we rode 4wheelers, and played at red knolls, and saw friends, and played vball, and ate, and had a great chrismas eve program. we also spent time in sj helping my parents do some work around the house. we had a great christmas break.

the boys know a lovely duet

i turned 30! thanks girls for a fun time (and this wasn't even all of them. of course we didn't remember to take a picture until after some people had already left)

max turned one!

family pictures

getting family pictures taken is always a stressful time. moms... you know what i am talking about. first you have to find the photographer, decide on the location, and worst of all.....pick out the coordinating outfits. which, for me, requires a lot of thought: 'what do we have that will work?' 'what colors should we wear?' 'what do i need to go buy?' 'ok, i can do this... i am going to go shopping with the kids.' 'you know...i just need to find something that looks good on me and make everyone else work around that.' 'why does nothing i try on look good on me?!' and 'what will tyrell wear? (one thing i picked out for tyrell was a v-neck sweater, you would have thought i was asking him to wear a dress!) 'ok fine, we are just going to wear this because it isn't hideous and i am not going to worry about it any more!' :).

after all this is accomplished, the real fun begins as P-day arrives! when you must somehow get everyone clean, dressed, happy and simultaneously cooperative. quite the task indeed. but, i suppose, it's worth it in the end when you get pictures of cute smiling faces. never mind that your smile is perhaps a little less than genuine :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

yard

i really wish i had an original picture of our front yard so you all could appreciate how it looks now, but here is an in progress before picture.




















and here is an after picture. there is still more work to do but the grass is growing (it's patchy, but it's growing), and it's not looking half bad!

we live on a dirt road and it FINALLY got scraped! the boys sat outside for a long time watching the tractor, and the driver even stopped in front of our house and let carter get inside. living on a dirt road has it's perks :)

this and that

max loves to dumpster dive. he is constantly pulling things out of the trash can. somethings are worse than others... empty wipes bag = ok, vegetable peelings and raw chicken packaging = NOT ok!

aren't these the cutest smiles you have ever seen?

we have an unfinished basement and it is GREAT for ridable toys!

we found this guy in our garage a month or so ago. they are pretty scary, ty and i both may have screamed a little :)

consistent parenting

yesterday was one of those days. the kind where carter tested my patience to the N'th degree, and i could clearly see my mother-of-the-year award, slipping further and futher out of my reach. he screamed all through safeway, refused to obey almost everything asked of him, and later in the day cried about EVERYTHING! he was in and out of time-out all day, had a spanking or two, and even more threats hissed at him through clenched teeth.

as i went to bed last night, after i had expressed my frustrations to tyrell, i lied there wondering why i can't be a better mother? i lose my temper, i raise my voice, and sometimes...on the worst days, i consider my child's imminent demise :) i mean, where is the loving, calm, and wise, mother who will be praised by her adult children as a great teacher and disciple of Christ from the pulpit of the conference center? :)

it is at these low points, where one needs a little support and validation that not everything you do as a parent is in need of revision. and who better to buoy you up in your time of need, than the man who loves you no matter what. so in an attempt to fish out a compliment, i posed a question to tyrell:

"does it make you so sad that i am not a great mother?"

to which he so lovingly replied:

"no. it just makes me feel better about not being a great dad."

well folks, there you have it... at least here in the smith home we are all on the same page, providing consistently bad parenting :)

ok so here are a few pictures of our summer adventures