Daredevil Avery

We are learning more and more what a dare devil our little Avery is. At the beginning of the summer she was riding her little car in the garage while I cleaned out our car after one of the many road trips. She made her way to the edge of the garage and decided to push off and go down the steep part of the driveway. I was watching and wondering if I should stop her but didn't because I could tell she was being cautious and I wanted to see the outcome...it didn't end well. She gave a big push, lifted her legs, got going really fast, then turned the handles and bailed. I raced over to kiss her wounds and all she wanted was to get back on the car so I carried it back to the garage and told her again to ride "by mommy". This time before I knew what was happening she was doing it again, this time it ended worse with lots of scrapes and even a little blood. When I picked her up this time she still wanted to get back on the car but we decided to come inside where the scrapes don't happen quite as easily.

Here are the worst of the battle wounds after they had had a few days to heal.

She now rides the three wheel scooter and wants to be pushed on the 2-wheeler bikes constantly. She is simply is just not scared of anything.

Sleepy Boys

While we were in Idaho last time Tyson got to sleep over while his parents were away for their anniversary. When the boys went to bed they wanted to sleep with Grandpa, of course, and Grandpa is a great sport and never turns down sleeping buddies...he actually encourages it. When I went to check on them this is what I found. I love that Caden is latched on to Tyson

Back to School for Caden 2010

I can't believe Caden is starting FIRST GRADE. These pictures are a little late and he has now been in school for almost a month. Kindergarten seemed like a big step but since it was just half day it wasn't much different than preschool and we coped okay. This year seems like it is his first step out into the real world, and although I know I can't put it off I want to remember to soak up every single moment I can because it all goes way too fast. Caden is an amazing kid!

Walking to school. We live about 4 houses away from the school. It is such a perfect location.getting lost in the crowd, waiting to go inside

Dancing Queen #2

Kamrie and Avery often play dress-up and DANCE! The other day after Kamrie had moved on I found Avery in the front room doing dance moves that Kamrie has taught her. Of course as soon as she saw the camera she got really shy and I couldn't get anything out of her.

This one is an attempt at a posse'

And then she got shy and started running from me
And then she got silly

More running

Oh well, I tried.

This is the BEST

A week or so ago I went upstairs a while after tucking the kids in and Kamrie was in bed with Caden. He was reading her a story. She quickly told me why she was out of her bed thinking she might get in trouble but all I could do was smile. I loved seeing it! With a smile on my face and that good feeling you get when your kids are getting along I went back downstairs and continued with my evening. When I checked on the kids before I headed to bed hours later this is what I found...

It is moments like these that makes all the bickering and long days of "what do you need" all seem worth it.

Caden is Six

For Caden's birthday party this year we celebrated Star Wars style with a Toy Story 3 twist. Caden decided to go to Broomfield so that we could spend time with his friends up there. Since it is too far from the house we live in now, we decided to have a few festivities at the park and then head to the theater for some fun at the movies. We had a small group that was just right for the movie and we had a great time bashing the Darth Vader pinata and eating Star Wars cake beforehand. Caden loved being the center of it all! He was beaming the entire time. As for me, the Toy Story 3 movie really hit home. I know Caden's not going to college quite yet but first grade is the first step, and as I look back at the last 6 years I see just how TIME FLIES. We love this little guy! He makes everyday unique and we are so blessed to have him as part of our family. Happy Birthday Caden!

The Pals

The Cake

The Gifts

The cute little sis

Fighting the Dark Side

Enjoying the fruits of their labor

The Big Hunt

For those of you who don't know much about my family, they are avid hunters. If this isn't your thing or perhaps something you are strongly opposed to you may want to skip this post altogether. They seriously hunt EVERYTHING! Caden thinks life in Idaho is so cool. From the camping to the dead animals and everything in between. This summer as we were camping with my family, Dad got a wild idea that the grand kids needed a small gun that fit them better for target practice and such. He ended up finding just what he wanted, a Savage Cub. Caden loved shooting the silhouettes at camp and was even more excited when Dad took him out shooting squirrels. The fist trip was unsuccessful but the second proved to be very fruitful. Caden shot 6 squirrels, most of which he said "he blew the nerves out of." He was able to salvage one to bring home for the pictures. After we had a few trophy pics of his first big kill, Caden asked for a bucket of water to wash the blood off of it. I'm not sure what kind of ritual he was having but I had to let him do his thing. I did draw the line however when he asked to bring it home to Denver to show his dad.

Kamrie just wanted to be a part of it all.

Smith Family Camp Out 2010

So we missed the first annual Smith family camp out and it sounded fun so my kids and I made it a point to be there this year(despite our greatest efforts, Brady wasn't able to make it). My entire family goes and we stay as close to a week as we can. Since the rest of my family are kind of camping gurus, they have everything we need to make it as fun as anyone can imagine.

Good Company...

Good Food...

(there were even good friendly cook-0ffs of which I got to be the judge) Shooting guns...

Riding Wheelers...
(even the "nap rides" were fun)
and motorcycles...

Catching Butterflies...
(uncle Casey is the master) Picking Pretty Flowers...
(lots and lots of pretty flowers.
The other mom's and I constantly had a fresh bouquet of wild flowers)

And the dirt, oh THE DIRT!!! I have never seen a more dirty bunch of kids.

That is not all...there is plenty we don't have pictures for. The colorful, rainbow fire, the ride to the swamp to catch the salamander, the burn, the late night chats around the fire, the fireworks, and the spur of the minute trips to get stuff that we just couldn't live without. We had such a great time. It is hard to believe that our family is big enough to start having reunions with just us but we have had a pretty successful 2 years to get us started I guess we can't let it stop there. We can't wait to do it again next year.

Independence Day 2010

Since we moved in June we weren't sure where to go for a fun 4th celebration, so we looked online and found something that looked entertaining. It ended up being a little drive from our house and then we had to walk forever to get to where the festivities were. After walking into the park we wondered what we were thinking. However, we got some food and sat down to listen to the live band. Shortly after sitting down, it started to rain. As I write this I'm wondering why we didn't just give up and come home but we stuck it out and it ended up being such a fun night. The rain stopped, we let the kids play a few little games, and then we sat down to wait for the fireworks. There was another live band that wasn't too bad, and the kids loved them. The firework show was AWESOME! As we left all I could remember was the fun stuff. And the 4th of July remains one of my very favorite holidays.

Kamrie dancing to the band

It didn't take long for the girls to make their way to the very front so they could watch and listen uninterrupted.

I love that Avery just laid there and watched. She was mesmerised.