1st Day

3 years ago exactly we went down to Hilton Head Island, SC beaches for a 3 days. When I got the Timeshare seller people phone call I of course jumped on the deal again (you know those people that promise and REALLY cheap vacation in return for you listening to a 90 spiel on buying a timeshare and then you say no? Those ones.) 

When we got there we had to run pick up our tour package/paperwork so while Brooks ran in, I parked the car. Don't you think the Yeti qualifies as a "compact" car? ;)

 The kids actually had ZERO clue we were going to the beach. I packed up their bags, etc. during the night and hid them in the Yeti where they couldn't see them, along w/ the port-a-crib, groceries, dufflebags, towels, etc. (yes, there are a LOT of hiding places in the Yeti).

Brooks made up 9 clues as to something fun we would do that day. The first one was "fun". Of course they were thinking in town because they didn't see anything else in the car to tell them otherwise. 20 minutes later they got "South Carolina". They weren't thrilled w/ that one because we LIVE here. "East", "Hot" were given and Bronson knew it HAD to be the beach and kept saying it. Camden spoke reason to him saying they didn't have any swimsuits or anything. (I felt like all my sneaky efforts were worth it at that point). When they read "Turtles", they all said, "WE'RE GOING TO HILTON HEAD!" Then Camden peeked behind his bench and saw backpacks crammed in there and said, "AND WE'RE STAYING IN A HOTEL!!!!" Oh man, they were sooooo excited. We didn't even GET to the other clues!

By the time we took our things in our two rooms (yes, you read that right! We're getting too big now. ;)) the kids couldn't WAIT to walk down to the beach! 

Last time we came the beaches were so pretty, water warm, etc. and we were excited.

Then we walked up on this......... there was ZERO beach and all this hay and seaweed right up on the beach. Ick. Possibly from the tropical storm recently?

(I like the upper right picture where Brooks is bringing Emerson back to wave jump in front of me......he just kept moving further and further down the beach! This happened many times over the 3 days.)

 Everytime some seaweed would get stuck on Royce's feet he would start asking for help to remove it. Infact my OFFICIAL title WAS "Royce-man's seaweed remover", because that's what it felt like I did! :)

 I know this will be a HUGE shocker, but Iris wasn't a fan of the waves.

 But Aleeya (and of course the boys) WERE!!!!! I think this picture is the CUTEST EVER w/ Brooks lifting up Aleeya to jump over each wave.

But we did still manage to play on the sand/seaweed/hay stuff.

 Camden always finds a quiet secluded spot (usually REALLY hot too, because he's always cold) to chill.

Last time we came Iris was just a few weeks old. 3 years later she's still my smallest princess (not for long though!)

OH, the thriftyness

My husband REALLY wanted a batting net or whatever they're called that you can hit baseballs into. Looking online the CHEAPEST ones are closet to $120/140. So Brooks went on down to Home Depot and got the white plastic tube stuff, some plastic tie things, stakes, connectors, etc. (I should really work there since I know what all of their merchandise is called) ;)

He used a tarp instead of a net so they could whack some golf balls into it too.

And check this out........all for under $20 (and a few hours of  putting the boys to work)

 Brooks making Bronson practice hitting on both sides. (Bronson's a lefty)

 And here's the best I can do of a picture of the front of our house right now Mom......of course, the ol' Yeti in front doesn't help. ;)

 And good ol' Royce will spend literally 20 minutes+ doing this OVER AND OVER!

OH! And last week we DID get a new camera, but here are the last few pics I found on my phone.

The discovery of a library less then a mile away. My kids could sit there forever going through new books.

 Maybe it's the heat getting to us, but the girls and I thought it was reeeeeeeeeeally funny to stick Iris' undies on Sally. Apparently Sally didn't see the humor in it.

 And my sweet angel face w/ a typical summer/watermelon picture. I love his eyes.

Is it just me?

Or is THIS not the paper you really feel like finding taped to the outside of your house?

You know..........the whole, "taxes-were-never-paid-if-not-you're-house-will-be-auctioned-off-in-December" type of thing isn't the MOST friendly paper I've received. 

What happened to the neighborhood ghost thing that passes along a bunch of cookies, types of posters?!?!

Let's just hope the landlord decides to fork up the $1900+ he owes before November........then again we DID just find out about an oppossum falling through the ceiling over our bathtub before we moved in......so maybe it's a good thing? ;)

Brooks and I just looked at eachother with the "SERIOUSLY?!?!?" look and then we giggled, knowing this paper seems to only make this moving experience that much more memorable.

White trash

LITERALLY!!!!!!!

I mean, I HATE to toot our own horn.......(or recorder as the case may be)

but my kids are REALLY resourceful.

You see, our house is BEHIND another house. So we're not directly on the roadside, but the house in front of us is. Also, the guy who OWNS the house in front of us (our landlord) runs a construction company so there's a big ol' dumpster in HIS backyard, but our front yard. Make sense?

Anyway we were all playing outside in the wading pool and Camden starting climbing up it and said he saw a Princess coloring book and was ready to jump in. 

Being the responsible mother that I am (NOT!) I told him not to jump in there because there might be glass, yadda yadda. Apparently this coloring book was on top so he grabbed it quick and jumped down to give to Aleeya. She was so happy. 

Camden jumped BACK up there along with his two dumpster-diving brothers and found a ton of other stuff for Aleeya.........like a big ol' box of jewelry, a brand new princess board came, princess/Hello Kitty coloring books, a castle playhouse that looks like it has never been played with, etc. See?

 It was the SWEETEST thing ever because Aleeya kept saying, "Oh thank you!" "Thank you kind boys" "Thank you kind brother", etc. It was like Christmas for the girls........actually better. Infact the look on their faces w/ their new-to-them (but still found in the trash mind you) jewelry is just priceless!!!

They LOVED the earrings. 

And because you can NEVER be too careful when Royce is awake they decided to play their new Princess/matching game on top of the freezer where Royce couldn't ruin their game. :)

 Even while waiting for Brooks to get home they were still coloring in their new coloring books (in the rain and in the wading pool)

Pretty sure we've definitely reached a new level of "White Trash" now.

Touched

Today I had to speak at church while Brooks was at an Orientation for his new residency. I've been to church many times w/o Brooks but this time I would be up front for 15-ish minutes while the 6 kids were sitting down in the audience. A nice mom and teenage daughter that my kids loved volunteered to sit with them during my talk. I still had to have everything perfectly prepared w/ a whole bag of "Plan Bs" just in case. And considering church starts @ 9 and we have to leave the house @ 8:25a.m. most things needed to be prepared the night before since I wouldn't have Brooks' hands to help in the morning. After I set out their clothes, I couldn't help but smile at my 6 little piles. It makes me so happy and truly feel.....well filled. (also, excited to add a 7th pile!!!!!)

My kids were champs during sacrament meeting (1+ hour long). There were some major wiggles w/ the younger kids but before church we had talked w/ Bronson, Camden, Emerson and Aleeya about really helping Mommy out. I still had my reservations but the you'll-get-a-big-brownie-at-the-end-of-church seemed to get through quite nicely.

I looked down the bench and noticed Camden reading to Royce while he was on his lap. Emerson trying to put Iris' bracelet back on (that she was INSISTING on). Aleeya snuggled next to Bronson and I couldn't help but be touched.

As crazy/adventurous/fun/teasing as my older kids can be sometimes, they truly are a help to me. I love how helping out is just part of a large family. They don't question when I say, "put Royce's shoes on please" or "grab Iris a cup of water", etc.

Iris doesn't swim and is frankly quite scared of the water.........Emerson knew this and I found them walking down the river like this earlier this week at the zoo. Sweet older brother.....watching out for his younger sister. It just warms my heart because I felt like that about my older brothers.

 As fun as dunking yourself and chasing ducks in the river is, it didn't phase Bronson to come over and help Royce so he could get in the water too. I didn't even ask. 

During church Emerson's class even came to our Relief Society (adult women class) and sang "I am a Child of God" for us. I was crying (obviously) but as he said the words, "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with Him someday", I felt so honored to have his little trusting heart in my home. 

After church I got in the Yeti, with my full car of kiddos and truly felt happy, completely fulfilled and.......well......blessed. Blessed to have kids that help out (Bronson was on keep-Royce-awake-'til-we-get-home duty), that have larger hearts then I do, and how each contribute to the common good in my home. 

Since my talk WAS on "Sacrifice", I was humbled in thinking that my kids already have spirits that understand that, and act on it daily. 

And yes, they DID get their brownie when they got home.

Golf Camp

 It's no secret golf is a Smith obsession since all of Brooks' childhood..........so we're passin' it onto the next generation. Emerson and Camden did a weeklong golf camp and LOVED it. Emerson was the youngest in the camp.

This is the VERY first sport that Camden was excited to go back the second time. Something about throwing a bunch of people into an enclosed area is just not his thing. So being in the open golf atmosphere was more like it. He was SO excited to go back everyday (I'm tellin' you this is REALLY weird.......and we're THRILLED about it)

 The last day of golfcamp (that they were actually golfing on a golf course) I told the kids I would take them all to Dunkin Doughnuts to celebrate. When I went to pick up the boys, Camden was wearing this orange hat.

I'm not going to lie, my first thought was, "Who's is it? and we need to give it back!" So I asked how he got it because NO ONE else had one on. He told me he WON it. 

"YES!" I'm thinking, because that would mean he's really getting good, Brooks will be so excited, yadda yadda. Then my NEXT thought was, "Did he win it for jumping in the pond at the golf course?" or "Did he catch the most creatures?" because that was a LEGIT concern of mine.

Come to find out he won it by jumping on one foot the longest. Um, okay. He wins a Junior PGA NICE hat for that..........whatever. He was thrilled.

So let's just pretend he won it for being the best golfer.......because he WAS one of two (out of 19) that actually hit the ball OVER the pond, so that's good, right?

And speaking of Camden, he ended up being the child who had to clean my kitchen windows. I told you I would get someone! ;)

One stop fun

This morning Brooks had off so we took the kids down to a zoo a mile away that we have a membership to. And we brought our vogue-don't-look-at-the-camera sunglasses too. :)

 This is for Tio Gabe............the mad climbing skills must definitely be a Smith thing because...well....I don't do it.

 And JUST in case you were wondering, the pig's nostrils are clean........or at least they are now. 

 It's Royce's favorite animal there, by-the-way.

As much as we TRIED to beat the heat, it still was super hot and our faces turned red..........well, those of us with my genes anyway had our faces turn red.

Brooks and I have started calling Royce "Wingman" because he has these two pieces of hair off both sides and curl out like wings......I love them. You can see one of them in the above-red-faced picture.

It made me SICK buying shaved ice at the place outside the zoo when we have a machine at home that makes better shaved ice anyway, but our battery is dead now, so we splurged. They were good though (just not AS good as they could be) ;)

 We finished them by a creek, which of course had ducks on the boys TRIED to sneak up on (and to no avail)

 Iris and I found some puppies to play with.

Then we went back to the creek because everyone was all in it anyway. I have to say it DID feel quite refreshing to me as well.

 Then we had to dry off and since the zoo has a park right outside it we let the kids play a while. Here is Brooks spinning around the kids on this doughnut thing. This is the before picture (Iris NOT on it and everyone else on it)

And the after........

 Aleeya- thrown off, Camden-thrown off, Emerson and Bronson barely still on with Iris COMPLETELY out of the picture.

And really, I have to put these in for pure cuteness factor......

 Here's the other side of "Wingman" but what I love most in this picture are his little cheeks that look like cherries when he smiles.

Considering we parked the car at the zoo and got animals, shaved ice, a creek and a park, I would say it's definitely a one-stop fun place.

They all fell asleep in bed for naps when we got home and pretty soon the OLDER ones (notice I didn't say ALL, because we all know what happened last time) are going to a water park. Days with Dad are just more fun, I say.

A "really good day"

We all have our definitions of a "really good day" but here have been some of our's lately......

It's a "really good day" when you win the chance to be the one to snuggle Royce drinking his milk first thing in the morning.

It's a "really good day" when the brother that you think HATES you (because you're always singing and he doesn't like it) keeps asking you if you want him to read a princess book to you.

(BECAUSE Aleeya kept mentioning her brothers not liking her much we gave them......um.....a little secret incentive to do more things with Aleeya. She's obviously thrilled, even in ignorance on the whole plan) ;) Sometimes we parents are just so sneaky.

It's a REEEEEEEEALLY good day when you're walking outside and a baby (live) bird plops right down on the ground in front of you. Talk about a day maker!!!!

even Royce enjoyed the action and the feeding worms to the bird, etc. 

 My definition of a good day? Well, if THIS fruit snack package I opened isn't a sign of a good day I have NO idea what is!!!!!!!!!! ALL REDS AND PURPLES BABY!!!

 Yep, a good day when my windows are covered with peaches and my fridge is loaded w/ 24 packages of strawberries and 24 blueberries. (.99 each package @ Aldis. I love that place)

 Although it would APPEAR that my kitchen windows need to be cleaned, you would be mistaken in assuming that. Because....well....you see, there was this really big sand storm, but it was STICKY sand with bugs in it and it happened RIGHT before I took this picture. Because let's be honest, my windows are ALWAYS cleaned. ;) (Actually I think that will be one of the boys' job tomorrow to climb on the roof and wash the outside of those windows. Now THAT would REALLY make it a good day for them!)

It's a good day when I hear little voices singing and walking into seeing these faces sing. My girlies can be so sweet sometimes.

 And tomorrow will be an AMAZING day to finally have my husband living w/ us again after a 3 week hiatus. Having Dad around really makes all the difference.