December 2019

December started with Grandma and RA flying out another puppy I bought to us. Meet Ronnie

We love her!

RA spent a LOT of time outside rebounding for his grandsons....just like he did his sons

Grandma was quite handy with the leaf blower as we have a LOT of leaves.

Bronson now towers over his Grandma.

Our three dogs.....I just love having dogs around!

For someone that doesn't "love" dogs, I find these moments quite funny.

Royce turned 9 on the 5th of December. I just love their faces right when they open up their junkbox 

He had a birthday party full of boys who just like to sit quietly and not run around at all. #oppositeday

His piñata

Before the whacking of the piñata.

Another reason Grandma and RA came was to see Iris and Aleeya be orphans in the high school's production of "Annie"

I even signed Pat and I up to be ushers so we could get in free. Aren't I a nice daughter-in-law?

My brother Chris and his girlfriend Janise came to watch it as well.

I love seeing my kids snuggle with grandparents. Here is Wynn and RA

And Kellyn and Everly out cold snuggling RA.

We were so glad they came!

Santa came to visit our ward party and Everly's faces with him just melted my heart!

Iris is growing up too fast so I'm glad to have this picture of her still looking like my cute little girl.

Royce deeeeeeeefinitely is rather suspicious of Santas that have time to come to a ward party.

Kellyn is OBSESSED with ballet. I bit the (temporary) bullet and did a Groupon for 8 weeks of ballet/tap classes. She of course loved every minute and I'm thinking in my head "what have I gotten myself into?! How can I break ties after this?!" This constant mental face palm was on replay.

This is us after her Christmas presentation of their dance moves.

And then yes, I cut the ballet/dance ties. I'm a terrible person, I know.

 

November 2019

I LOVE the many faces that fall shows!

Oh wait, this isn't a nice fall face I was thinking of.....this is an early-morning scripture reading face of a pre-teen!

THESE are the many beautiful, colorful faces of fall around here.

I love our little "Patch of Paradise" here. I really do. There is extra work and chores are never "done" but walking outside or even looking outside brings me back to .....what? Peace? I don't know, but nature just makes me feel settled and I love it.

I took this picture of Emerson with a pumpkin pie.....because Emerson can talk his school teachers out of almost anything and today it was the teacher's pumpkin pie. 

THANKSGIVING TURKEY BOWL

The winners were Dad, Mom, Aleeya and Royce.

Thanksgiving with some of our favorites. The Jones family, Kunzlers and Maughans. We kept the little kids in by the adults and all the other kids spread out in the kitchen.

We asked a teenager to come take a few pictures of our family for Christmas cards. But first let me say......we have a BARN....Brooks is a WANNA-BE farmer......of COURSE I had to make convince Brooks to recreate this picture with me.

I loved this adorable picture she got of the twins.

We look like legit farm folk, right?!

The girls with their girl-goats

Me and my girls

While the farm life looks dreamy in some of those pictures, REAL life is really messy. Like crashed bike/wearing nightgowns/goats escaping/sulking toddler/broken blinds messy. 

But I'll take it.

 

Smith Señoritas Scram 2019

While I DO enjoy my time with these two crazies every day.....

It IS fall and time for me to take two of my OTHER girls on a little Fall Getaway I've called "Smith Señoritas Scram". Last year I surprised them with a Missouri Great Wolf Lodge trip but THIS year it was a no-brainer. As SOON as I heard my niece was going to be in a pageant-type thing in Utah I could not HANDLE my excitement. 

The girls had no idea where we were going and had no idea I had packed a carry-on bag for them with airplane supplies so they assumed we were driving someplace.

When I told them early morning in the car we were headed to Utah they FLIPPED out with so much squealing. So so much.

PLUS the earbuds and airplane entertainment kept any arguing or bickering at complete zero 😂

Grandma picked us up and took us downtown SLC. My girls have never been there and they loved it every bit as much as I thought they could. They ASKED to take a picture of them  on this rock in the middle of the mall

We went to the Beehive House and to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for this view!

Since it was Aleeya's birthday weekend Grandma treated us to Cheesecake Factory. It was our FIRST time there ever. It was amazing! Of course Iris got a corndog (her favorite food)

The girls visited Temple Square for the first time too. I love that they shared this memory with Grandma. She's such a good sport with the girls' giddiness and energy.

The next day we went over to my mom's for a special birthday dinner for Aleeya. My mom always makes birthdays feels so special and celebrated. It only ADDED to the fact that my two sisters and their girls were their too.

It is RIDICULOUS how many pictures I take of Iris with her two-same-aged cousins who ALSO happen to be my sisters' girls. There's just something so satisfying seeing my girls love being with my sisters' girls!

Blowing out the candles on one of mom's famous chocolate mint cakes. Growing up we always got one for our birthdays. I made one once I was a newlywed and realized it was harder than I thought so I haven't made one since. ha! So this Degn tradition was a new one for my girls and they absolutely LOVED it.

The same aged cousins!

Aleeya has NEVER gotten a birthday spread like this before. My mom and sisters sure spoiled her.

The NIGHT of the pageant came and of COURSE I made t-shirts for me and the girls and Mom. If ANYONE knows me and my sisters' fettish with pageants they will understand how giddy this whole event made us. I was inwardly squealing the whole time and to experience it with my favorites was a dream and truly a treat for me.

We were so proud of Lizzie

It was a beautiful trip. It was dreamy and all things exciting full of so many laughs and genuine hugs. We are so spoiled with amazing family on both sides.