Busy First of October

Women's General Conference is the first Saturday night of October where all girls 8 and up get to hear our prophet and other church leaders speak. I'm always so edified and my girls look forward to it like crazy

I'm thinking it's not for the actual broadcast but probably more for how we go out to eat before. This time the restaurant we wanted to eat at was closed for a private party so we grabbed something fast at Johnny's and went to Goodwill and rode around on the town scooters. 

They are a LOT faster than you would think. haha

Our sweet Kellyn turned 6 on October 5th. Her "born to sparkle" shirt is perfect for her.

Her junkbox contents.

October just felt so busy this year. What a trooper this little girl picked me to make a "princess ball" pinata. It was beyond easy and she painted it herself.....which almost made it MORE exciting to her than any elaborate shape.

Kellyn wanted to go see "Small Foot" with her friends. And yes, her tall friend, Juliana was who Kellyn wanted to invite as well.

It was raining so bad and I guess there was a tornado watch, so the moms were a little nervous in me getting the kids home quick. But hey, I didn't hear any alarms and every lived to tell the tale.

Kellyn LOVES physical touch and snuggling. She loves love in all its forms. She loves to be loved and show love. I guess she is our love-girl. :)

Early morning scripture reading snuggles

In October I needed to take our van to be fixed. The only place to fix the issue was 2 hours away. So SOMEONE has to take it there and leave all the kids home to spend a whole day by themselves.......I guess it mind as well be me!

While the van was being worked on I was given a courtesy car which was REALLY nice. I asked where I should go first and I was told this museum place with great walking trails. 

I'm not an art museum person. Or at least I thought I wasn't, but then I realized it probably was because going to places like that with kids isn't fun. So maybe I really WAS an art museum person but just wasn't given the chance!

That day I realized that I am DEFINITELY not an art museum person. Nor am I an abstract person. Paint me something beautiful that looks real and I'm there. But I saw some REALLY weird stuff.....and that's including people walking around with tears in their eyes.

I decided the walking trails were more my zen-place. 

I put some scriptures on in my ear phones and just walked around. It was such a mind-clearing and centering feeling that could ONLY be topped by laying down in the SOFT grass and looking up at clouds and leaves.

Which is exactly what I did. I know it sounds silly, but I used to do it all the time as a child. It brings perspective of the world and universe to me and feels me with just.....ah.....how to explain?! It just FILLS me. 

Living in the south for so many years it is a RARE thing to find a place with soft grass. In fact every time I go back to Utah to visit family it's one of the first things I do, is lay down on the grass like a little kid. haha.

The day was so wonderful. I feel like the van might be "breaking down" and will need to be fixed more often. 😉

Speaking of breaking down........ Brooks still has it when it comes to breaking down these big boys of mine. 😆

Time Out

I got to leave Momdom and meet my pregnant sister-in-law in Dallas to go to Time Out for Women. We did it last year so we definitely knew how we wanted to improve our time there. First, we would stay an extra night so we could sleep in (#priorities). We also got to go to the temple and walk around the church book store (okay okay, BUY stuff from the church book store) before eating at our Peruvian restaurant we love. I have tried Lomo Saltado at another restaurant and it just does NOT compare to this one. It's divine.

We never got a picture with all the TOFW letters but we DID get a picture in the long line to get in! :)

There really was some fantastic speakers and music (David Archuelta) and even more fantastic dancing by Linsey and myself. Not to brag or anything......

After we would wait in lines to snap a picture with some of the speakers.

Brother Christiansen

(it was raining a ton, I don't usually pose with umbrellas)

Sister Elaine Dalton......again, the blasted umbrella

Before letting the person behind me talk to her I DID have to quickly ask where she got her skirt. Sometimes I understand why Brooks and I joke that I shouldn't be allowed to go out into public.

Again we decided to eat at someplace we loved from last time. This BBQ Chicago style pizza place with pieces the size of my giant hands!

Such SUCH a wonderful time. It always is......

At-home Adventures

I never order school pictures....usually because they come back horribly and I don't ever use them. I prefer pictures I take myself. But I thought these pictures sent back in their we-will-trick-you-into-ordering-if-you-don't-return-the-packet bundle turned out so cute of my some of my kids.
(epilogue: I didn't order them)

And while THOSE cute faces are at school, I'm lucky enough to stay home with these three hooligans.

I love this picture of Everly and Iley. I promise I dress them sometimes....

Wynn doing Iley's hair......fully clothed I might add so this must be documented.

They obviously picked out their own outfits but one of the twins will grab and shirt and pants and then "find the match" and bring me out BOTH sets so I can dress both of them the same. Apparently I've created monsters. I kinda like it....

Some days they are definitely more monsterous than others.....

Towards the end of September I did something crazy.... I started the potty-training of the twins.

And although it felt like I was getting hit with a smelly wet fish in the face over and over all day for a few days.....I survived. Barely. And my ears are also two thousand times tired of hearing "Baby Shark" song while trying to keep them on the toilet.

I also read a LOT of books. In fact I mind as well have just brought my food and pillow/blanket in the bathroom because that's where I was camped. To heck with the rest of the house being blown to smithereens......or should I say SMITH-ereens!?

 BUT we did it. 

I think I will never dress them again since these girls are the cutest little things in undies!

(Wynn standing behind)

Probably my favorite moments.....or how about the ONLY enjoyable moments were when one twin was "so happy" for the other one who actually went pee in the toilet that they would give a "big hug and beso" to her.

Iley likes to hold her in place to get the kiss juuuuuuuust right.

And just because snuggling-with-Daddy pictures are the best.....here you go.

You're welcome.

(Wynn)

You can't see the dresses here but I will always laugh since Brooks thinks they look like I took some "old lady's doylee and made a dress out of it". For the record, I love the dresses.

My little potty-trained Razorbacks.

Hearing them say "Wooooooo Pig-sooie" is the cutest thing. (Iley is the slightly shorter one)

Mom Moments

I was reading a talk by M. Russell Ballard and it talked about mothering moments. 

"...the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

I think about that a lot. It's okay to not LOVE everything about being a parent. But the sweet moments interlaced in every day make it worth it. 

As un-reverent as this may appear and IS.......I took a picture during family prayer. I couldn't help myself. I want these pictures to last forever in my brain as one of those "moments".

Truth be told I can't remember which baby is with Royce and which is with Emerson. But it's just so tender to see these sweet 2 year olds praying.

There are ALSO "moments" that make us laugh and laugh and laugh. One was when our family was playing Telestrations for Game Night. You are given a phrase or word to draw and the next people have to guess what it is telephone-game-style.

Camden was given the phrase "Ducks in a Row". And DESPITE the rule that you aren't supposed to write words on your drawing, Camden's picture STILL keeps me laughing. He had no idea what the phrase meant so he drew it literally.😂

Smith Señoritas Scram 2018

I made a decision this year that since the (older) boys and Dad get their March Madness trip every year that in the fall, the (8 and older) girls and I will take a trip each fall. Once I presented that idea to Aleeya in the spring, having the boys leave for March Madness wasn't a big deal. #missionaccomplished

I decided to take a road trip with them to Kansas City. These girls love a good road trip with windows down.

I surprised them with a night at Great Wolf Lodge.

These girls are little fishes so they loved it. We also liked going down the slides together. The water temperature wasn't eeeeeeeeXACTLY in my cup-of-tea category of temperatures and but I should get MAJOR mom points for going down the slides as many times as I did in that cold water.

when I couldn't take the temperature anymore, I would sit on the side and take pictures of the "Mom-watch-this" moments.

I introduced the girls to Cold Stone and they were big fans.

ESPECIALLY because Cold Stone was by some outdoor escalators. My kids are obsessed with escalators. They played probably close to a hour on them. 

It's too bad we 1)didn't bring our own photographer or 2) didn't have the nerve to ask someone to take pictures while we jumped off furniture..... because a pictures with all 3 of us would've been awesome. haha. 

I love this one.

The trick is having the photographer close to the ground so it APPEARS that we have some major ups..... which I don't.

Another night we stayed in a different hotel and made some necklaces and ziploc/duct tape bags. These bags are my extent of "craftiness". Since it's not something I usually do, the girls were thrilled.

These two are SO SO SOOOOOO different but I love trips and moments like these.

I think our first Smith Señoritas Scram was a success!