Returned with honor.

I feel extra lucky.  My only brother, Jesse, came home safely from his mission this week!  I was able to give him a great-big-giant-bear-hug!!!  I can't really explain how much this meant to me.  As I saw him round the corner to greet us at the airport, my stomach did all kinds of flips and I just couldn't contain my excitement.  I felt like I was a kid again on Christmas morning, but on steroids.  I have missed him so much, although I wouldn't have wanted him to be in any other place.  He was exactly where he needed to be! He sacrificed a lot to go and serve.  He put his life on hold for two years, put his college education on hold, used all of his savings, left the comforts and conveniences of home and America, left his family and friends behind, and although it was often a treacherous and scary road, he always had a willing attitude and was happy to be serving.  He learned the important lesson of putting all of your faith in Jesus Christ and that He will always deliver.  Endurance...a good life lesson.  

I feel lucky because my brother and I have an extra special bond, we always have.  I feel as if he is almost like my own son since there is such a large age gap between us.  I left home and got married when he was just a little pip-squeak and I've been lucky to have watched him stretch and grow through every phase of his life.  He has never, ever, let me down.  He is simply the best little brother I could have ever asked for. Period. Although he is only 21, he is my big example in life.  He is a spiritual GIANT, yet he will still get down on the floor and play legos, video games, or build forts with my kids at the drop of a hat.  They admire him more than he'll ever know.  I am beyond proud of the man he has become.  He has changed lives and he has left an eternal imprint on the people he was able to serve.  It has been so much fun hanging out with him the last few days and hearing all of the stories of his time serving the people of Brazil.  It is fascinating to hear about the culture down there.  Things seem to be night and day from the comforts of America.  It is amazing to see him appreciate the simple act of getting a drink of water out of the faucet, having sturdy walls to sleep inside, taking a hot shower without having to wear sandals, not worrying about getting your watch and wallet stolen at any given minute, listening to music, catching up on the newest and best movies from the past two years, talking on the phone, playing XBox, getting on the computer.  He was even grateful to buy a bag of Dorito's and eat Twinkies at WalMart. The simple joys.  It was fun to see him eat all his favorite foods that he's missed the past two years.  It is amazing to hear him speak Portuguese so fluently.  He speaks the language flawlessly and occasionally he will slip in a word of Portuguese during a conversation without even realizing it or forgetting how to phrase something in English.  The inflection in his voice has changed.  I'm curious how long that will last.  He was completely immersed in the language and culture down there.  He said he was one of them for 2 years.  He didn't feel different from the Brazilian people.  My parents were able to go to Brazil to pick him up and they said the Brazilian people were just crazy about him.  They threw him going away parties with the very little money they had, and they cried as they said their 'Good-byes'.  He touched so many lives and brought light back to so many people who felt lost and alone. 

He spoke in church yesterday and I wish I could have written down every single word he said.  It was the best talk I've ever heard. Phenomenal. The chapel was PACKED. All the way through the chapel, the overflow, and all the way to the very back of the gym.  He spoke with the spirit, he had no talk written out, he just spoke from his heart, yet it was one of the most powerful talks I've ever heard.  He has grown from a boy to a man in two short years.  I hope my children follow in his footsteps because this mission has done wonders for him, mentally and spiritually.  I am in awe.  We love you Elder Jesse Smidt!!!! 

 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"  

 The welcoming crew! He came home in the middle of the day on a Thursday, so the kids were thrilled to skip out of school early.  Some couldn't leave work and school, but we had a pretty good group of family that could make it there! It was a fun reunion!

He was on the United flight from Denver!

 JESSE!!!!!!!!!!

Tears of joy!

KJ's hero is home!!!

Meeting his newest niece for the first time!

This was a great moment!

The first meal back in the states, he wanted a carne asada burrito!  I thought it was funny that he didn't want pizza or a burger, but he said he missed mexican food the most!  He said the food in Brazil is very bland and he missed salsa the most.  :)  

 Home Sweet Home!

 His truck!!! 

 Even the dogs were excited to see him! 

My mom kept a scrap book of all current events and stuff that he sent home from Brazil.

Jason and Coley gave him this trunk the Christmas before he left.  Over the two years he was gone, people  in the family filled it full of stuff he missed out on while he was gone.  Hunger games, Avengers, Spiderman movies, XBox games, CD's, new chip flavors, etc. It was fun to see him open some of the fun stuff he's missed out on the past couple of years! 

XC mom...

I am not a soccer mom and I have come to terms with that.  I am a Cross-Country mom and I sure love my little BIG runner!  KJ had a regional Nike Cross Country meet.  It was FREEZING snow.  It was exciting.  I was a proud mom.  I wonder if he's embarrassed by my cheering, I think I'm the loudest mom out there.  Oops!  WAY TO GO KJ!!!!  Next year he'll be in the older group since he'll be a big 'middle-schooler'.  *sniff sniff*  I love that he's found two things that he loves.  Swimming and Running.  Both sports he can continue throughout his life.  

                      

We also got to watch Noelle (my cousin) run in regionals with her XC team from CDA.  She is a total rock star and their team did fantastic!!!  So exciting! 

Halloween Explosion!

Have I ever mentioned that I love holidays?  Well, I do.  I really, really do!  I especially love Christmas and Halloween!  We had such a fun and COLD Halloween this year!  Brrrr. The best part about Halloween with older kids...they can scoop their own pumpkin guts out!  Ha!  I hate that part about carving.  My genius ideas of being a family 'group-themed-costume' was shot down.  Multiple times.  I wanted to be the cast of Wizard of Oz.  Then I wanted to be minions.  Then I wanted to be the Nacho Libre characters.  Then I wanted to be the Avengers.  Nope.  The kids were not keen on the idea of doing matchy-matchy costumes and they each had their own idea in mind.  Did I mention that my kids are stubborn??!?  Oh yes, they really, really are.  There's no changing their minds.  I blame that trait on their father.  ;)  Olivia did pick out our mother-daughter costumes.  All on her own.  It all started after we watched Milan.  Then we found cool wigs, and the rest just fell in to place.  I even got to wear the authentic kimono from our Japanese exchange student from years and years ago!  It was fun matching with her this year!  I'm not sure how many more years it will be cool for her and I to be dressed the same.  I will take advantage of it while I can.  Now, that the decor is all back in storage, my goal is to slowly have all these stupid 'fun-sized' candy bars disappear!  I am all candied out, yet I can't seem to ever turn down a mini snickers.  Bleh.  I hope you all had a very spooky Halloween!  And remember, I know a really good dentist if you are in need of one after all the candy consumption.  ;) 

Doug wasn't too fond of posing by his pumpkin. 

For the past 4 weeks I have had the privilege of working at the special needs preschool.  These kids are adorable and while they struggle in different areas, I really love seeing them learn and progress. 

We had a fun Halloween party, aren't they adorable!?! 

They kids were loving my Pippi Longstocking braids.   

 KJ had Cross Country and then we rushed to my parent's church 'trunk or treat' and then had a party at their house.  The only bummer was that Halloween fell on a school night, so we couldn't party quite as long as we would have liked.  What kind of teacher gives loads of homework on Halloween??  Oh, yeah, that would be Jack's teacher. Grrrr. We all zonked out after our sugar rush crash.  The next morning for school was a rough one.  Those poor, poor teachers!  

I was able to go with the youth to the Corn Maze!  I love working with these amazing young women!  We are always in for a treat when we get together.  Sometimes I forget that I am their leader.  I feel like a teenager again when we are together.  Car dance parties and all. I love those girls!  

Next exciting event coming up...my little Brother comes home from his 2 year LDS mission...IN ONE WEEK!!!!  I am beyond excited.  WE CAN'T WAIT TO GIVE HIM THE BIGGEST HUG!  Brazil will miss him dearly.  Idaho is glad to have him back!  Stay tuned.... 

The big 5-0!

My super hot mom turned the big 5-0! (well, back at the end of September. Better late than never, right?)  For the big celebration my dad rented a 'cabin' up in McCall for all of us to go stay in for a party weekend! I love these little family get-a-ways.  We just have the best time together.  The only thing that would have made it just perfect is if ALL the siblings would have been able to make it. I hate the long distances between us.  Oh well, such is life.  We were able to have lots of laughs, lots of games, lots of good food, and lots of late, late nights!  You want to know the most annoying thing about my mom turning 50???  People think she's my sister.  Seriously.  She looks amazing, but more importantly, she has a heart of gold.  I'm lucky to have her as my mother.  I wish she would turn 50 every year.  :)

 We took this group shot right before we left, but after Britt's family had already gone.  We don't have good timing when it comes to group shots.  But here's the majority of us.  :) 

Happy (belated) Birthday Mama!!!

Tid-bits....

Well, well, well...how in the world am I supposed to play catch-up when I'm so far behind!?!  I have about an hour before I go in for a substitute job and so I thought I'd take a stab at seeing how many quick tid-bits I can squeeze in! Here is goes....

Most of our Saturday's look like this during college foootball season!  Can you tell who my kids root for?!? 

The kids had a career day at school and all picked their very own outfits!  Jack reached for the stars and wanted to dress as the President of the United States.  He was the cutest little politician I've ever seen, he would definitely have my vote.  KJ dressed as an Apple Employee.  Olivia dressed as a Veterinarian. I know these three have bright futures ahead!

The 6th member of our family turned ONE year old in October!!!  Doug is the best dog. In. The. World.  We are all pretty obsessed with him and feel lucky we got the best pick of the litter!  He certainly brings a lot of joy to our family.  His favorite activity...hiking!  Scroll thru his pictures and you'll see how excited he gets in the car when he knows we're going for a hike.  Ha!  Love that fuzzy tank.  

Jack is officially a cub scout!  He is very excited to be part of this troop.  (I am not a great scout mom.  It's really not my 'cup-of-tea', but I know how much the boys like it, so I put up with it)  Isn't he just the cutest little wolf cub you've ever seen?!  Gah!  I can't take his cuteness.  Love. 

Olivia and I were able to have a WHOLE girls day!  She came with me Saturday morning while I took some family pictures for an adorable family.  Then we went out for lunch.  Her choice...Burger King. Bleh.  But, she ate every little bit and was very excited to get a kids meal. Then we went to DISNEY ON ICE!  It was a good show, but watching Olivia watch it, made it just magical.  She was leaning on the railing the whole show just completely engaged and focused on those Disney characters ice skating around.  I love that she's still young enough to appreciate the magic of Disney.  I really need to take her to Disneyland while she still possesses the magical gift of childhood innocence.  Maybe that will be added to our 2014 goals.  

Cross-country is in full-swing at our house.  KJ is on the Team Idaho Cross Country team and is really enjoying himself.  I have finally come to the conclusion that he excels in individual sports.  I had all these dreams of watching him play on team sports when he was a baby.  Soccer, football, basketball, etc.  He's done it all.  He just doesn't have an 'aggressive' side to him that he needs for those types of sports.  But he is very competitive.  And he's learning that the best competition happens in your own head!  But, you know what?  I have come to the realization that I find it just as exciting to watch him race in the lap lanes at the pool, or at a track or cross country meet.  I love that there are no 'politics' to worry about in individual sports.  (Last year in basketball, the coach's kids and their friends got all the play time)  I am happy when he is happy and content.  He competed last weekend in the Junior Olympics and he did great.  I was so proud of him.  The course was much more 'hilly' than he was expecting, so he wasn't happy with his finishing time, but I was.  He pushed himself.  These are the tests that he needs to grow as an athlete!  He finished 7th in his age group.  As long as he pushes himself and doesn't give up, I am happy.  He has another race this Saturday, we are anxious to see if he improves (although the weather is supposed to be crappy!) 

The boys are still pretty obsessed with the skate park.  We have two near our house, which is good and bad.  I do not like the atmosphere at skate parks.  Punk kids with potty mouths, chugging red bulls and monster energy drinks, some much-too-young kids smoking.  I avoid that place when I can.  But there are times when it's empty and the kids love to skate around on their scooters or skateboards!  They think it's the best thing ever and they are pretty dang brave!  

That's going to have to do it for now.  Hopefully tonight, after YW, I will be able to post a few more.  But for now, I got a few of the little ones out of the way!  Happy hump-day everyone!!   

Back to school...

I realize this post should have been written a couple of months ago.  But, it is what it is.  I'm trying to play a little 'catch-up' today.  The kids have gone back to school and we are back in our school routine.  Routine definitely has it's perks, but I am already anxious for next summer break! I just love having the kids at home. We are only two months in to school and I am already tired of making their cold lunches.  I wish they would just eat hot lunch sometimes, but, after a couple of lunch dates at the school, I don't blame them.  Hot lunch just doesn't look appetizing...at all.  My kids do like food, but they like good food.  They take after their mama.  Okay, getting back on topic...

The first day of school was a rough one for me.  I walked home for the first time in 11 years without a little one holding my hand. The whole walk home after dropping them off, I just bawled and bawled like a little baby.  It was to the point of embarrassing.  Dan just hugged me and I think he was a little shocked, he didn't have many words.  He did his best to try and console me, I wasn't even prepared to have the reaction I did.  I was so sad that all my little birdies had flown the nest this year. I don't know why it just hit me like a brick when the bell rang that morning.  The other moms were almost celebrating to finally be able to have some quiet time.  Being a full-time mom is what I do best. It's all I know.  It is hard to swallow that they are all growing up.  But they are growing up to be beautiful and kind people and that's all I could really ask for.  I wonder sometimes how I was blessed with such good kids.  They really do have hearts of gold.  Most of the time.  :) 

After school we had a nice Fro-Yo date so I could catch up on all the juicy

details of their first day of school.  It was smiles all around.  

What a relief that is to a mother. 

I realize that this post will be very 'un-interesting' to most of you, but I just wanted to quickly write a few thoughts about each of my kids so that I can remember how we felt years down the road when I'm sure I will forget some of the small details.

 Ahhh...the famous school pictures.  

The classic grey background, the cheesy smiles...I love them every year.  Even when I don't get the 'best' smiles.  I don't think I'd ever do re-takes.  Even on days like picture day this year, when it was pouring rain and Olivia's beautiful curls went totally flat from raindrops. I love their toothless smiles, their crooked teeth that look much too big for their adolescent faces, their choice of clothing, and their school glasses. I especially love Jack's glasses, because no matter what I do, they are always a little crooked.

KJ is the big man on campus this year.  A big 5th grader.  I remember my 5th grade so well, and he is making memories he will forever remember as well.  He has a fun class this year.  He has an older lady as his teacher this year, but she has a LOT of personality, a lot of spunk, and expects a lot from her kids.  She is my kind of teacher.  She will have these kids ready for middle school for sure.  In fact, she already has a plan for KJ taking honors classes next year once he is in Middle School.  She sees enough potential for him to be in a pre-algebra class and by the time he's in high school, he can be taking credit classes for college.  Sounds good to me.  The less required classes to have to take in undergrad, the better.  I know this is way far off in the distance, but she has a whole plan for him, and has the connections to help us navigate his education.  She has been a high school and a middle school teacher in years past. She is so invested in her students and I love that she takes such an interest in the areas they excel in. KJ loves that he is at the same school again this year.  Poor kid has bounced around so many times in Elementary school that it has been nice for him to be back with his buddies, have some familiarity again this year.  We have already had our parent/teacher conferences and she just had the nicest things to say about him.  In fact, she made the students give the conference.  KJ had to go thru his work, show me his test scores, tell me the areas he needs to work on, etc.  She says she does this because the students need to show an interest in their own education.  Their future depends on it.  I love that she is making him step up and get out of his 'comfort zone'.  

KJ wants to be a software engineer/design computers for Apple (or his own computer company) when he grows up.  

He actually has some really great ideas spinning around in his head. 

 This week I was able to go with all the fifth grade classes in Boise and Meridian to the Red Ribbon Rally at the Capitol building.  It was fantastic!  I love going on as many field trips as I can.  I love the rowdy bus rides, watching how the kids interact with each other and learning right along with the students.  

Jack is a big 2nd grader this year.  I am very excited about this year because Jack is receiving more services this year than ever before.  We fought hard to get him the most we possibly could.  He has an aid with him a lot of the day to help him stay focused and get his work done.  He sees speech and OT.  He is also in a social friends group where he learns to socialize with 'typical' kids.  He is learning how to ask appropriate questions, how to take an interest in playing new things with new friends.  He has a very strict teacher this year.  I don't get a warm and fuzzy feeling from her at all.  She doesn't put up with anything.  This is both good and bad for Jack.  He needs structure and order in the classroom.  He needs someone to get him to follow directions.  But he also needs a good squeeze every now and then.  I think his aide helps with that part.  I think it will be a good year for him.  He's above grade level for reading.  He is lacking in Math.  He has a couple of friends in his class from last year and he likes that familiarity.  It takes him a while to find new friends.  But once he does, they are friends for life.  Jack is the most loyal friend you could ever have.  I am so proud of him.  I love to help work in his classroom and see the way he interacts with his peers. I also really love to go and have lunch dates with him.  Mostly to make sure he's eating his lunch, but also to see how he interacts with his peers when they aren't in the classroom.  He still loves for me to come and visit him at school.  I will be sad when the day comes when he doesn't light up when he sees me walk in the classroom.  

For now, I will take advantage of it! 

Jack wants to be a teacher when he grows up!  A big step up from last year where he wanted to work at both Toys r us and McDonalds! 

Olivia was very ready to be in school ALL day.  The first week of school she came home so tired and said the days were very long, but she is used to the long days now.  She loves that she gets to have more recesses and eat lunch at school.  She has the same teacher Jack had last year, which I was very excited about.  We love, love, love, her!!!  It is so nice to be friends with your child's teacher.  She will text me throughout the day and give me updates, or ask if I can come in, or tell me Olivia needs her coat, or that she forgot apples for an apple project, etc.  I love to help out.  Olivia is Mrs. Chatty in school.  She definitely gets that from me.  My poor mom had to deal with that from my teachers my whole life, even in high school.  Ha!  She loves school.  She loves to learn and she tries really hard.  Learning doesn't come as easy to her as it does to KJ.  Where KJ can hear something once and it just 'clicks', she really has to work hard at things. But at least she has the desire to learn.  She has no lack of friends.  She and her friends have a jump-rope club.  They literally jump rope all recess, every recess.  They are adorable to watch.  I think I went thru the same phase.  And hey, it doesn't hurt that it is good exercise either.  :)  Liv is my little butterfly.  She is everywhere, she is beautiful, and people are drawn to her.  I know her education is off to a great start.  

Olivia had a field trip as well that I was able to attend.  Animals and agriculture, right up her alley.  She wants to be a veterinarian and a cowgirl when she grows up. 

I have mentioned this before, but it amazes me how different each of my kids are.  How is that possible when they all have the same parents?  I have a quiet one, a chatty one, a child at the top of the class, and a child who lags behind, a messy one and an organized one, a child who loves praise and one who gets embarrassed by it, one who loves hugs, one who avoids them!  I have to admit that I love it. It keeps life exciting. I do love that they are all mine. I love that they are good kids, and that their hearts are all in the right place.  

Here's to a good 2013-14 school year!!!