SMITH

Date Night(S)

2011-09-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that Elle is old enough to start playing with other kids! She is still a little behind in age...but I think she is doing great keeping up with the " big girls". My friend Samantha started a little date night operation, so Nick and I are able to go out 3 Fridays out of the month. At first I didn't know if I would be okay leaving Elle every Friday...but after the 2nd time....MAMA is on board! :) Elle LOVES playing with these girls!

( Elle talking to Helen Ann)

( Walking around Manito Rose Gardens)
( L-R Helen Ann, Elle, Indie and Scarlet)

Girls Night

2011-09-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had some girls over. It was really fun. WAY too much yummy food...and Aunt Susie's DELICIOUS punch!

Back in Spokane

2011-08-25T00:27:00.000-07:00

After a fun summer in Arizona...we are FINALLY back in Spokane! Nick started school Monday and is loving his classes and professors. Elle and I fell right back into the swing of things....no daddy all day...just mommy. I was worried she would get sick of me...but that hasn't happened yet :)

We are busy going to parks, running errands and enjoying the beautiful golf course we live on!

Elle is growing up and maturing so fast. I would say it would be nice if she could slow down...but I would be lying! I love that she is learning new things every single day. It is absolutely fascinating to watch. Here are some Elle updates!

*Elle says all kinds of words now. Her newest and most used is " UP"

* She pretty much understands everything we ask her to do. She knows how to get her own shoes, throw her diaper away, pick up her toys and open and close things when asked. ( this is becoming a favorite of mine)

* This girl can take a FALL! She is banging up her knees pretty good these days...but after she falls...she just gets right back up as if nothing happened. Well....if NICK is around she is all drama...but for the most part, she can take a good fall

* Her last check up was great! She is 30 inches and 20.5 pounds. Healthy girl!

*She eats about anything...just in small bites. She is loving peaches right now.

* She can give regular kisses ( tongue out), Eskimo kisses, and butterfly kisses

That is just a start of all the amazing things she is doing!

I think I am going to start blogging again. It is nice to see a history on here and look back at the years! I will post more pictures as they come!

BIG NEWS!!!!!

2011-03-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Nick was able to get an internship!!! He is going to be an intern at the Defense Attorneys Office in......................are you ready for this...............TUCSON.

Nick is really excited about this amazing opportunity. I had a hard time swallowing the idea....knowing I would be giving up 80 degree warm summer days for a 110 blazing hot mess...but things have literally fallen into place...one thing right after the other. It has been amazing to see Heavenly Fathers hand in our life and I truly know that we are supposed to be in Tucson this summer. So we are headed to HOT weather, tan baby bums ( I am really excited about that), getting to celebrate Elle's birthday with loads of family, golfing with the boys ( Larry, Kenny, Ben, John and Scott), amazing sunsets, close to GRANDMA and GRANDPA...both sides, and most importantly we are all 3 able to make this journey together!!!!

March

2011-03-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying this month in Spokane! The weather is starting to get really nice...daylight savings was today so we have a longer day in the sunlight...it is great! We took a walk today on our little path. We met Nick at the law school ( the guy needed a break from studying!), and walked to riverfront. I think every time we have been there all we can say is " We can't wait until Elle can feed the ducks!" But then I quickly remind myself how FAST she is growing up and how much I just want her to stay itty bitty! She is learning and growing at a very quick speed! She is standing alone for a few seconds at a time....trying to eat EVERYTHING mommy and daddy do....her favorites are tortollini pasta and tapioca pudding (still ). She has learned how to turn the DVD player on, and is still obsessed with Horton Hears a Who. Nick just got done with spring break...which for the most part he was SICK! Poor guy...he hasn't been that sick since I first found out I was pregnant.

We are loving life right now and feel so blessed everyday!

Friends

2011-03-01T15:46:00.001-08:00

Elle has a little friend named Charles. Charles is a lot of fun and let's Elle play with his boy toys!

First Bubble Bath

2011-02-10T20:45:00.001-08:00

Elle had her first bubble bath...and she LOVED it! She splashed with a lot more enthusiasm it seemed...:)

Licorice

2011-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

Another sweet treat we have let Elle have the past two days is RED LICORICE! We just let her suck all the red vine goodness out and then take it away. Or....tonight was different. She chomped off a chunk of it with her ONE tooth....we didn't recover the whole thing. :)

This girl really loves her sugar. Another recent favorite is Tapioca Pudding. She eats it and then licks her lips for about 20 minutes after. TOO CUTE!

Weekend & Super Bowl party

2011-02-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

( Elle LOVED our friend Reecie...she had Elle ROLLING with laughter!)

Yes...I did ask Nick " so who won the Superbowl?" on the way home! I think it was because between having good conversations with friends....I was busy trying to keep track of ELLE! We had fun and she got LOTS of sweets to try....she LOVES frosting! :)

I was able to go do a session at the Spokane Valley Temple. It was amazing. I love going to the temple and feeling so peaceful when I leave!

Elle Bell

2011-02-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

As you can see by these pictures.....we have a lot of fun with Elle! The past week or so we have just been taking it easy. Elle has been sick with a cold...I am still waiting for the runny nose to stop...but she is doing a lot better! She is LOVING being in things she normally is not allowed to be....our bed, the couch. I love that picture of her stretched out on the couch! She LOVES to crawl around and knee jump on the pillows! Bath time is getting WET! She is really loving to sit up on her own and graze around the tub. She loves splashing and having water in her face.

Just some fun pictures for you all!

Lately...

2011-01-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

( Elle loves to be read to....she also likes to read by herself too)

( Elle LOVES her daddy)
( Elle LOVES to organize our DVD collection...)

I am back blogging...I took a time out for awhile!

Today is Elle's 7 month birthday! I cannot believe she is 7 months old. It amazes me how fast she is learning and growing each day. I am just in love with her and so is Nick! She keeps things very entertaining around here.

Fun Elle facts:

**Elle is CRAWLING

** Elle can sit up by herself...and get to a sitting up position from her tummy and back

** likes to say " BaBa" and "DaDa"

** LOVES sweet potatoes,pears,squash,apples and bananas

** HATES peas and green beans

** Can wave BYE BYE

** When I sing " shake shake shake...shake shake shake..." she shakes her hands with me!

And last but not least....she is FULLY...100% BOTTLE FED!!!! My life is just wonderful now :)

Breastfeeding was amazing and I am so grateful I could do it for as long as I did...but it was time for Elle and myself to move on and become a little more independent!

I cannot say enough how much pure joy she brings into our home. We are absolutely smitten by Elle.

Nick is doing amazing in school....he is loving the law and understanding how it all works. He always comes home with a lot to say about his day and classes...and I LOVE hearing about it.

I am great too! Working on my weight is the main focus on my life. One day at a time is what I keep telling myself. I LOVE being a stay at home mommy...it is the best thing I have ever done in my whole life!

SANTA

2010-11-27T00:11:00.001-08:00

( our Black Friday picture....Happy girl)

GOOD NEWS....Elle LOVES Santa!

Nick and I took her to see him last Tuesday and it was a riot. She got all gussied up for the big guy...hat and all! She did as we thought she would....she would not take her eyes off of him. She is so much like Nick, checking things out before diving in. She must have looked at him ( without blinking I might add) for at least a minute. She then put her death grip onto his jacket...a mere 1/2 inch away from his REAL beard! I didn't even get a real Elle smile....she was so concentrated.

I took her again today...Black Friday....and she did a little better as far as relaxing with the old man. She even let out a giggle...which was the cutest thing ever! I really want her to learn to love Santa and not be afraid of him...so far it is going GREAT!

( checking him out)

( ALMOST got the beard!)

The CAVE

2010-11-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

So, our new favorite thing for Elle is a Cozy Cover aka....THE CAVE! They are the best invention for cold places for babies. Putting a big jacket on her is so uncomfortable for her to sit in her car seat....so this is a GREAT alternative. And little did we know, it is a magical cozy cover. Whenever Elle is put completely in the cave, she falls asleep. It is pretty funny, she knows how to unzip it and punch her hand out of the top....our smart child! But yes, the cave is awesome!

( Now you see her......)

( Now you DON'T!)

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

2010-11-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

Well we have had an awesome past two days! We were invited to our friend's the Walker's home for Thanksgiving dinner and it was so fun! Great food, great company and a gorgeous house to be in with the snow falling outside! Thank you Walkers!

The best part of Thanksgiving was having Nick be with us all day! No distractions, no studying....the perfect day! He made his amazing apple pie...one for the Walkers house....one for only US! :) That puppy was gone this morning! I was able to ichat with my family in AZ.....such a GREAT blessing for me to have a Mac computer. I really missed them!!!

BLACK FRIDAY....I decided to be daring and drive in the snow for the very first time ( I have literally been holed up inside for a week in fear of driving in the snow). I got some new snow boots which were desperately needed. What a difference it makes! Don't ask me why my first adventure out driving in the snow was on the busiest shopping day of the year....but it was and it went GREAT! I had so much fun walking around the mall with Elle. Looking at the lights....seeing SANTA again. Even though we didn't buy anything....it was fun to feel the energy of others and the excitement in the air of the Holidays! We went to the firework show in Coeur D'Alene,Idaho! It was amazing. I would rate it my number two favorite firework show...next to Disneyland! Elle was wide eyed looking at the lights....pretty neat to see! We are having a blast!

( light display over the lake)

( Nick and Elle by Santa)
( Mommy and mini)
( the only pic of Elle on Thanksgiving)

Busy!

2010-11-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

We have been pretty busy here lately! Nick is constantly on the go and enjoying his time spent at his second home...aka...the library! We miss him, but know this will be worth it in 3 years when he is DONE! One semester ALMOST down!

I am staying busy with my little energy bunny! She is constantly on the go! Here are some fun facts about our little Elle!!!

- Elle's best friend these days is Stella, her pink elephant that sings twinkle twinkle little star

- Elle rolls over!!!! She would roll around the whole room if we let her!

-Elle started eating rice cereal. She does pretty well....one more month until solids!

-Elle sleeps through the night. She wakes up for a feeding at 5, then sleeps again until 7:30... WONDERFUL!

- Elle laughs so hard she starts to yell. She can't contain her happiness in that little body! It is hysterical to say the least. Nick and I have toooo much fun with her!

- Elle will laugh at ANYTHING I do. I was telling her that the Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol looked like a cute movie to watch....well she thought that was the funniest thing in the world. She is definitely my daughter...laughing at things that just are not that funny! :)

- Elle will NOT laugh at Nick. We don't know why....he can do the exact same thing I am doing and she won't even flinch. I really think she just soaks him in. She has started crying when he walks out the door....breaks my little heart!

- Elle loves movies. Particularly Baby Einstein and Charlie Brown!

We are getting her weighed in a couple weeks! The last time she was 13.9 lbs.

We are really enjoying Spokane. We had our first snow the other day and it was so refreshing. It is nice to walk outside and take a deep breath and feel clean air!!! We are excited to have our first Thanksgiving with Elle!!!

For you Scott

2010-09-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

My brother informed me tonight that he " blog stalks" my blog....searching for pictures of Elle. Here ya go brother!

We have been busy as always. Nick just took his first mid-term and feels pretty good about it...we joined the YMCA and I left Elle for the very first time....I was a wreck the whole time....she of course fell asleep in a strangers arms...lol Good girl! We have been having some trouble with her having....what are they called again...oh yeah....temper tantrums! :) How are you supposed to lay down the law with a child as cute as Elle....especially since she will be crying...stop mid scream...and give a big smile! We love her!

Playing with my friends.....

My first day at YMCA kids care...............
Giving daddy love before he leaves for school...
My pretty Sunday dress!

Daddy time

2010-09-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nick is doing GREAT in Law school! He is busy busy busy....but of course makes time for his Elle!
Elle literally lights up when Nick comes home! By 5:30 she is DONE with Mommy....and is ready for a fresh face....Daddy's face! Her new favorite thing to do is spit up on him. It is the funniest thing....whenever he hold her...she always spits up all over him. He had to change his shirt twice the other day within like 20 minutes!

Elle is just a happy girl. I think she may be teething a little....but other than that she is perfect. She got her first cold last week....we went to the Doctor ( who I LOVE) and she gave her some stuff for her little eye and some Tylenol. She is all better now...but it was so sad when she was stuffy and sniffly!

I am enjoying the fall weather. I have been going on walks with my new JOGGING stroller( which I LOVE LOVE LOVE) and enjoying the stillness and quiet of Spokane! It really is a pretty quiet place....beautiful! I have been using that as "Mommy" time. :)

Elle

2010-09-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Some recent, fun pictures of our little chatter box!

Thank you!!!

2010-08-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

Shout out to my mother in law, Pam, for giving us a gift card to Amazon.com so we could by this AMAZING Vacuum! I only vacuumed our front room and it picked up SO much dirt! I am in love with the color!!! Thanks Pam!!!!

Walking

2010-08-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

Elle and I have made some good friends! I have started walking finally...took my body a while to start working out again....but I finally am and it feels great! There is a great little trail that goes from the Law School to Riverfront park. It is a huge park and it is just awesome! The walk is gorgeous too! I went walking with my friend Melisa and her son today through the neighborhoods by my apartment. What a GORGEOUS walk. The homes here are amazing! The pictures are of my friends Karen and Sarah and their little boys!

First day of Law School

2010-08-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Nicks first day of Law school at Gonzaga was on Monday. It was a long day for him, but he enjoyed it and likes his teachers a lot. We barely got to see him, but when we did we were eating special first day of school chicken marsala followed by homemade peach cobbler and homemade ice cream!

We are so happy and proud of Nick ( Elle and myself!)

TWO months old!

2010-08-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Elle turned TWO months old on Saturday! What a big girl she is! We went to the farms and picked some peaches...and then home to her BUMBO! I thought maybe she was a little too young to put into the bumbo....but she loved it and held her head right up! I am putting her in it about 10 minutes a day to strengthen her little neck muscles.

I was packing and unpacking Elle's last box today and came across her " old" onsies...lol I can't believe she was THAT small and now she is THIS big! Time is flying, but I am loving every minute being Elle's mommy!

At TWO months Elle can....

*Roll over to either side....still takes a bit of effort, but she is getting there

* Sit all by herself in her bumbo

* Lift her head fully upright when being held....she loves to look around!

* Lay on her tummy and lift up her head

* Sleep through the night

* Falls asleep on her own

* Sleeps in her big girl crib

* Giggles at anything and everything

* Smiles a TON!!!

Green Bluff Farm

2010-08-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

We went to a farm on Saturday with our new friends Doug and Karen AND Charles ( Elle has a HUGE crush on him). :)
It was so much fun! We took the fruit-loop express to the peach treas and picked tons of peaches! So far I have made AMAZING peach cobbler....it even passed the test to make it into my cookbook! The weather was perfect and it was so nice to meet and hang out with new friends. Doug is a first year Law student too. After we picked peaches we all ate some homemade peach ice cream....Nick LOVED it!

Garden Party

2010-08-19T22:49:00.001-07:00

There was a relief society "Garden Party" tonight. I went with my Bestee,Elle, and we had a lot of fun! I met a lot of new people. One girl is pregnant and due in October with a GIRL.....so Elle will have a friend the next few years in the ward! Somehow Elle's name was known by all.....even the people we had never met. I think she was the talk of the ward on Sunday or something! lol Of course Elle woke RIGHT up and kept everyone entertained....she sure did ham it up for all the ladies. Smiling and talking.....she LOVES being outdoors. She gets this calmness on her face when she is outside. Which I LOVE, because we are spending a lot of time outdoors. So this sister's house was amazing. This HUGE garden in her front yard. We got to walk around it and enjoy the beauty. The husband said sometimes he goes crazy taking care of it...but that is was worth it....and BOY is it! Very fun night! The picture of this sister is SUE....she was my first friend on Sunday and we had a lot of fun together tonight. She has 26 GREAT Grandchildren....WOW

Our New Apartment

2010-08-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Our new apartment is called Pasadena Ridge and it is on a golf course. Literally....ON a golf course. I have already had to look for Nick, come to find out he was putting! :)
We were so blessed to find this place. It is a perfect location, beautiful surroundings, 8 miles away from about 10 different farms ( pick your own!!!)...and the BEST part is that we won't have to move for 3 years! In the 3 years we have been married we have moved SIX times...so this will be awesome. We love looking out our living room window or our office window....or our bedroom window and seeing the green grass....also hearing the sprinklers in the morning...lovely!!!

Pictures

2010-08-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Just some pics for SOME people to get their fix...will post more tomorrow...I am trying to figure out how to upload my videos!

My Darling

2010-07-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Girl!

2010-07-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very sleepy day! Nick and I feel like we have hardly seen Elle because she has pretty much been asleep ALL day! We missed her! We did however, get to enjoy our happy Elle tonight for awhile. She finished eating and was all smiles until she went back to sleep! ( as you can see, she even smiles in her sleep!)
She keeps us smiling!
Well, all the frames are taken down and our kitchen cabinets are emptied ( well, the food we don't eat). Getting excited!

Lucky

2010-07-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

We are SO lucky to have Elle! She is such a good little girl. Since she was about 5 days old she has basically been sleeping through the night...well the past couple days we can lay her in her bassinet when she is getting sleepy and she falls right asleep. Part of me wants her rock her still....but the other part is so proud of her that she is independent enough and feels safe enough to fall asleep on her own. She is smiling tons now! Mainly after she EATS....she LOVES to eat. She is also finding her voice....she will make sounds....stop as if she just realized it came from her...and make the same sound again. She has also screamed twice. Once while I was taking too long setting up for her dinner....and another time at Nick for no good reason at all. It is pretty funny! She is just perfect and we love her so much!!!

FUNNY story....I was on the phone with our leasing agent the other day, who is on Spokane...and I was asking her if we could install our own ceiling fans to cut down on utility costs ( we have our own fans installed in our apartment now). Well, she said no and told us we could just use floor fans. I asked her how hot it has been and she said..." Well, today was a warm one, the high was 81." HA...she actually honestly said that was WARM!!! I laughed at her and told her that was our winter...and I haven't been worried about the bills since. :)

Happy One Month Birthday!!!

2010-07-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

WOW....Elle is one month old today! She has spent her special day sleeping and playing with her friends ( the sheep and the polar bears...we still need to name them). She is getting so big! She is smiling A LOT more. She just lights up when Nick gets home from work. By that time, she is done with mommy and ready for her daddy!
We are busy getting little things done here and there for the move. Our apartment is set and ready to move into. B116 here we come! :) I have been checking the weather everyday and it looks like it is a little cooler than Tucson...okay...A LOT cooler!

Happy One Month Birthday Elle!

Beautiful

2010-07-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have seen this on face book and other friends blogs...but never opened it until today. WOW....it is amazing and made my heart fill with even MORE love ( if that is even possible) for my little Elle. I love being a Mother.

Elle

2010-07-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Wow...time flies when you have a baby. Elle will be 1 month old on Monday. She is doing GREAT! Weighing in at 9 lbs 15 oz, she is growing beautifully and healthy! She is sleeping through the night for the most part, with a couple feedings slipped in of course! :)
She is very advanced for her age. She is holding her head all the way up by herself, kicking off people and rolling over to her side sometimes. She is starting to smile more at Nick and myself...which is just adorable!
We are so blessed to have Elle in our family. She has brought so much joy into my life, as well as Nick's. We just sit and stare at her, STILL, I don't think it will ever stop!
The move is quickly coming upon us! About 3 more weeks to go and we will be in Spokane for at least the next 3 years. We are really excited to start this new chapter in our lives!!!

Elle Renee Smith

2010-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

This free slideshow design made with Smilebox

CAN'T RUSH PERFECTION!

2010-06-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

I LOVED when my dad said that to me today. I am STILL dilated to 1cm....70% effaced and having contractions. Thought possibly I could be getting induced next week, but since I have not dilated much the Doctor doesn't want to. I am actually okay with it. I usually leave the OB's office in tears, but today I was surprisingly optimistic! It might have something to do with Nick promising me a new skirt if I was to NOT get induced. :) I know my little girl will come when she is good and ready.....can't rush perfection right?

I will keep ya updated on the status!

Update

2010-06-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

Not too much activity from our little Elle yet! I am dilated 1 cm for the second week in a row, but she is pretty lodged into my pelvis apparently....I think she is wanting to make a break for it! 2 weeks and 6 days to go. I have been having a lot of contractions, so my Doctor is hopeful I will have her on my own before my due date! Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Private!

2010-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am making my blog private! We don't want the whole world looking at Elle....just our good family and friends!

If you would like to send me your email....I will sign you up!!!! This is the only place on the internet we will post her pictures when she is born!

Thanks!

smithnk2@hotmail.com

SO excited for my friends to get here!

2010-05-18T12:52:00.001-07:00

Tonight, my cousin Kate and her son Paul will be flying into Phoenix, then she will arrive in Tucson on Saturday morning....and I am SO excited!!!! Kate is about 8 weeks behind me in our pregnancies...she is having another little boy!!! This will be the first time, and last time we will see each other for awhile, as we are moving to Spokane! I just want to enjoy every minute of time I get to spend with my wonderful cousin!!! I love these pictures for some reason. When Kate and Paul were here last July, we celebrated our birthdays together and also Paul's 1/2 birthday! Nick just gets a kick out of Paul...how fun it will be to see him walking around now!

Can't wait!!!!

Time does fly!

2010-05-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Wow...has it really been since January that I have posted? How sad for me!

I figure I better get on the ball with this blog thing again, since my little girl is coming in the next 5 weeks.....well 4 weeks and 6 days...but who is counting? :)

I have had an amazing pregnancy!!! No complications, just the usual stresses of carrying a human in your body for 9 months. We are ALMOST at weekly visits with our Doctor...which is really exciting! We recently took a tour of the Women's Center NW and it made it ALL too real!!! How exciting! I am not scared or nervous at all for the actual labor and delivery, I am just terrified to think of what will happen after we leave the hospital! YIKES!

Nick and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary! As a present........a newww....STROLLER! It is amazing and I am in love with it! I put on my diaper bag ( it is a back pack type), and was rolling the stroller around our apartment and asked Nick if I looked like a mom...and his reply..." ummm, you look like a very pregnant mom, yes". I do look a little pregnant right now :)

Nick chose GONZAGA LAW for his law program! Spokane here we come! We will be moving in late July. Very scary to think of leaving family...but REALLY exciting to start our little family in a beautiful area!

K...I am attempting to be better at this blog posting....I am not a huge fan of putting pictures of babies on facebook.....so this is going to have to happen!!!!

GIRL!

2010-01-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

We found out today that we are having a little girl! Nick and I are BEYOND thrilled and so blessed to have this sweet little spirit come into our home!

We are back

2009-12-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

We are back into the blogging world! With a baby on the way we want to keep all of our friends and family updated with what is going on with Smith baby! I am 12 weeks along today, and feel as good as can be expected. I have been sick here and there....very tired....but enjoying everything..including the sickness, that is coming my way. Nick has been a GREAT support for me during the times where I can't move..:)
So much is going on with us! I am almost done with my LAST Math class ever! I have a great teacher who I know was put in my life to help me get through this class while in my first trimester! Nick is graduating on December 19!!! We are having a fun party for him so we are excited about that. We went to visit law schools in Oregon and Seattle over Thanksgiving break....it is SO pretty up there! We loved it! We will know where we will be going by February!
We can't picture life being any better than it is right now...we are so blessed!!!!

Diamond Backs Game!

2009-09-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

Well...thanks to UPS we went to a Diamond Backs game for way cheap! They lost....but it was still really fun! We even got to see a free concert after....it was really bad so we left! I loved watching Nick in his element! He loooooves baseball so much.

My weekend + Monday shopping trip!

2009-09-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend I drove to Phoenix to visit John and Becky. Becky and I RAN really fast in a 5k race to support 9/11....it was really fun and was for such a good cause! We actually walked the whole thing...but it was fun to catch up and laugh and chat. The park was so beautiful where it was held! We were greeted by Senior Mrs. Arizona with a high five!!! lol...that was the highlight for me! We then went to go and see..." Medea, I can do bad all by myself " ...for those who re Tyler Perry fans....he was only in it like 15 minutes...kind of a rip off....but it was still funny....Becky....I will SHANK you girl!

We then went shopping and I found Christmas stuff for 90% off! I got about 10 items for $3.17!!!! So, we are ready to start shopping...let the Christmas season begin!

Tonight, Monday, I went grocery shopping and then got a little gift for 1. MYSELF and 2. Peyton! Peyton's little birthday present is a CUTE pink shirt w/ white rhinestones, a pair of brown lounge pants with a little princess sign on it....she really is a little princess! I also got fun pink pouf's for Peyton and her little sister Tatum. I always hated having to watch my sisters open their presents and never get anything.....at least Tatum will feel some what included.

I FINALLY got a new lunch pale! It is soooo cute. I have been taking my lunch in a plastic Sprouts sack...ghetto fabulous I know....but this will be way more cute and ME!!!

Happenings Part 3

2009-09-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

Aunt Susie and Uncle Ken were sweet and invited us to join their family in celebrating my Grandma Shipley's 80th birthday party. We had TO DIE for food, YUMMY cake, entertainment provided by Daniel and fun times learning things about Grandma. Did you know her first kiss was at age 13? And that she slapped the kid after he kissed her? Her mama taught her well!

It was a really fun time and Nick and I are so blessed to have a loving family!

Happenings Part 2

2009-09-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

BOOOHOOO...Elder Scott Shipley left! It was a fun Sunday for his farewell....and I GUESS it was fun to be able to see him off. It was more sad than anything though! He will be such a great missionary and Nick and I are so proud of his choice.

Happenings Part 1

2009-09-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

I through Becky a surprise party at Macaroni Grill. We had to stall her for about an hour while the boys drove home from San Manuel golf course. Did everyone know there is a place in the Foothills mall that sells $10.00 shoes? Yes, they are cheap shoes...but it was still fun! Becky and I went shopping the rest of the day with my mom, got some cute clothes! Happy Birthday big Sister!!!

We miss you!!!

2009-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Nick's sister, Kami, and her adorable son Tyler moved to California last week!!! We already miss them and the thought of not getting to see Tyler whenever we want!!!

I quit!!!

2009-08-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

I tried rolling with the times of face book, but it bores me and is so impersonal...not like blogs are any better...but I guess I just like blogging more. So I am back people!

We haven't been up to much lately. I am working still at Radiology LTD and also picked up some hours helping out at my dad's office. I won't be going to school next semester...I want to save up some $$$ before we are poor law school students! Nick sends out his applications the middle of September....9 schools I think so far. We are hoping for Southern Cal or Seattle! We will see...anywhere really is fine....we are just excited for a new adventure!

We are just enjoying each other right now at this point in our life! We cut our cable and it is amazing how much more time we spend together...talking, working out, cooking good dinners! It is great! I think I may have been a little toooooo obsessed with TV! :) No worries, I just found out my gym at our apartment has mini TV screens hooked up to the treadmills...haha...I am HAVIN workin out! :)
Here are some pictures from a birthday party we had for " Papa Joe". He is Pam's ( Nick's Mother) fiance! He came over before we all went out to eat Saturday and taught Nick how to install a light fixture! It is awesome!!! Thanks Joe!

Below: Abby, Kami and Nick

Kristen with Tyler and Ricky

( I flipped this picture upside down, look how happy these 4 year olds are with their teddy bears playing upside down! SO HAPPY!)

Nick's new office light! He installed it...with help! :)

Sacramento Trip

2009-07-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ha....I love the picture of Tatum...I think I had scowls on my face in a few of my childhood photos!

All the grand kids...take 7!!!

Cute Tatum,Ryenn and Peyton

Very pregnant Shelly ( she lives in CA) and Pam

Jake, Nick and Eric being silly

Out of 5 pictures...THIS was the best one...SAD

Nick was the BBQ King!!!

So, this post is a little late...but we went to Sacramento CA for the 4th. I originally was not very excited to drive...but it ended up not being that bad! Maybe stopping at the Coach outlet mall in LA made it a little more bearable :).

We got there around 4 am and hit the bed! We were woken up with the quick little pitter patter of Ricky running across the hardwood floors. I love that sound!!! He is 4 and adorable. All of Nick's brothers and sisters were there besides Mandy who had to work! :(

It was really fun. Trey got the priesthood on Sunday the 5th and it was so special to be there for him, and to have ALL his family there too. Our nieces and nephews are just adorable. They are so sweet and huggy and just stinken cute! We also celebrated Tyler's 4 birthday. He was so patient ALL day on the 4th waiting for his party!!! All in all it was a fuuuuun trip!!!

2009-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to see all of our niece's and nephews all together. We are driving to California ( please don't ask me what part...somewhere south of Sacramento), our nephew Trey, is getting the priesthood!!! Which is so exciting! So we are making the trek up there...Nick and I are pretty excited to take a road trip! Last time that happened...was when we went to Utah and got engaged!!! We are more flyer's than drivers. It is also neat because we get to see our other Smith family from Washington...which usually only happens once a year! So here are some of our cute people who we love so much!!!

Temple Day

2009-06-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Scotty went through the temple for the first time. It was so neat. It was really awesome too cuz he had a lot of family and friends there. After much persuasion, "Scott" wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory for his after the temple lunch. It was really good and we met up with Katie,Eric and Paul. This morning I made Nick this really good recipe of french toast, turkey bacon and eggs....well...he decided that he wanted to spruce it up a bit and ended up putting chocolate syrup and gummy bears on top of it....GROSS. I just had to get a picture...he is not really the "sugar" type....well not THAT much! It was funny. I have been lazy today and catching up on all my Harry Potter movies....we are so excited the next one is coming out!!!!

The other pic is of Kaitlyn,Janessa and Megan. Janessa is getting married and it was her bridal shower. It was really really nice!!! Very fun to see everyone.

TWO YEARS!!!!

2009-05-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, can you even believe it has been two whole years since my Nicholas and I have gotten married? Time seriously has flown by! Our anniversary was May 12, last Tuesday...we both had finals the next day so we went to dinner and then came home and had Red Velvet Cake from El Conquistador ( our wedding cake ). It was so nice to remember that special day! We went to Flemming's...SO good! We will definitely be going back someday. Then over the weekend we went to Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale! It was SOOOO romantic and beautiful and FUN! We golfed ( well, I drove the cart while Nicky golfed), we laid out allll day, ate at REALLY good restaurants, went to the Landmark ( where our wedding luncheon was), watched Flamenco Dancers perform and watch a lot of movies!!! It was so nice with it just being the two of us. I am so excited to see where our lives will be at our 3 year anniversary. We have a lot of changes coming hopefully! Nick has 3 more classes this summer and he is DONE...until Law School starts the following Fall of 2010. We are excited for him to be taking the LSAT soon and excited to see where we will be going!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

This was a great Easter weekend! Nick played golf Saturday morning with Uncle Kenny, Eric and Scott....they didn't get to play the whole 18 holes because it started hailing on them! Poor Nick! He was soaked! Meanwhile I went to visit Susie, Rachel, Kate and Paully wogs! It was fun just to hang out and have YUMMMMMMMY Coffee Cake! I seriously had to restrain myself. Then we all went to La Encantada Mall where Kate and I got AMAZING Ann Taylor perfume ( PS....it is on sale right now for $10.00....STEAL), Rachel took some stuff back and Susie bought an adorable children's book with beautiful pictures. Saturday night Nick and I colored Easter Eggs which was really fun. We have never done that together so we are pretty sure this will be a new tradition! Today, Easter, we woke up to find that the Easter bunny had hidden all of our eggs and left TWO baskets! Nick got a new tie, a new BLUE golf shirt, and a bunch of fruity candies! I got my favorite " FUZE" drink....malt balls, granola, brown cow yogurt ( if you haven't tried this, it is AMAZING and the best yogurt out there for ya). Nick said the Easter bunny brought me a bunch of stuff from his organic farm too.....some trail mix and chocolate covered Almonds. We went to church with Nick's little brother Jake and his mom and her boyfriend Joe. After church we went home, got changed real quick and made the drive out to VAIL!!! We got there and had fun talking with family and laughing at our nephews. Kids sure are funny!

Now we are home watching a golf show and just relaxing. It was such a nice weekend and you couldn't help but feel the Saviors love all day from start to finish. I am so grateful to be a member of this gospel.

April 2009 Conference

2009-04-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

So this post is kind of late...but I had a really good experience watching conference. I was invited to my Aunt Susie and Uncle Kenny's to watch Sunday morning. I got there and we had a REALLY yummy breakfast made by Aunt Susie and it was so nice to sit around the table and talk and laugh. The conference talks were really good and some of them seemed like they were written just for me. It is amazing how that happens. I loved being at the Shipley home and feeling the spirit with their family. Thanks Susie for always making Nick and I feel welcome!!!

We'll have to make a tradition out of this? !!!! Nick was at drill the whole weekend so he couldn't watch it...but he has been enjoying the wonderful world of lds.org!!!!

Update with the Smith's!

2009-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, well it has been a while since I have done the blog thing. I will update us all!

Nick and I MOVED!!! We moved to a place called the Golf Villas. It is way nice and on the golf course, which Nick LOVES! We are finally all settled in a everything is nice and clean.

Ummmm.....that's about it! haha....see why I haven't blogged? Other than moving we have been crazy busy with work and school! We look foward to the weekends to spend with each other tho.

I am going up to Phoenix this weekend while Nick is at drill, so I will post updated pictures later!!!

I can't sleep!!!

2009-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

I have come to love and depend on Advil PM for my slumber at night. I am not sure why I can't sleep on my own, but I can't...so I take Advil PM. My problem started about 3 months ago and I had never even heard of my new found love....Advil PM. So, my sister Becky, as wonderful as she is, said..." Hey, you should take Advil PM, it really helps you sleep, I take it all the time." So I did, and now it is the ONLY way I can sleep!!!

Does anyone have any routine or relaxation techniques to help so I can stop taking this wonderful sleeping aide?

PS...THANKS Becky!!!

New Nephew

2009-01-14T17:53:00.001-08:00

PAUL ROBERT HUNSAKER

My cousin Kate Hunsaker had a beautiful healthy baby boy on January 12,2009! He is soooo adorable! I have only seen pictures...but already this little man has stolen EVERY ONE'S hearts! Kate had a heck of a time trying to get him out...and finally she did. They named him

Paul Robert Hunsaker!!!

So, even though technically he is not my nephew...he sure will be treated like it! I can't wait to have my own little person to grow up and make memories with Paul!

Mommy and Daddy Hunsaker

EXCITED NEW Grandma

Proud Grandma and Grandpa

We love you John, Kate and Paul!

Seattle Trip 2008/2009

2009-01-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

Nick and I went to Seattle for a couple days to celebrate New Years. It was SO much fun. The place we stayed at was....interesting? It was RIGHT in the center of downtown Seattle, so were able to walk everywhere we went. It was pretty cold! Our bodies adjusted to the 30 degree weather the 2ND day though! We had some awesome food, had AWESOME shopping and an amazing fireworks show at the Space Needle! The second half of our trip we went to Yelm, Washington to watch our niece Ryenn get baptized. It was so fun and special to be there for that special day. It was also fun visiting with ALL our nieces and nephews and in-laws.

Here are some pictures.... Smith Family...Eric, Annie, Jayden,Dayson,Ryenn,Easton

Nick, Kristen and Ryenn

King of the WATERFALLS!!!!

Kristen,Jayden and Ryenn

Nick and Dad Keith

We LOVED the hike through the waterfalls!

At some AWESOME Italian restaurant in Seattle

Walking around downtown Seattle New Years Day

I LOVED all the shops and buildings!

I also LOVED my leopard umbrella!

Fireworks at midnight

On top of the SpaceNeedle!

So, we had a really fun time! We were in awe of the fireworks show at the stroke of 12! It was just amazing. A little drizzle was beginning and that added to the whole experience!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!!! Today was such a fun and relaxing day. Nick and I got up, drank some Apple Cider, opened our gifts then went to my parents house to eat some WAFFLES and talk to Alexis on the phone! We were lucky enough to talk to her for 2 whole hours. It was so much fun! She sounds like she is doing well, and thankfully not changed. She has a stronger testimony and is more confident for sure in the gosple, but she is still the laughing, smiling, loud ALEXIS!!! We love her and miss her a lot. We ate a really good lunch with my Grandma Dillon and her Fiance Jim, then took naps and watched " The Hulk"....in blue ray I might add, which is so awesome! Then we went to Uncle Kenny and Aunt Susie's house to hang out and visit and then went to a movie with them! Nick and I are not watching 007. Today was such a great day being spent with family and most importantly my husband Nick! It was our 4th Christmas together since we met...time does fly!!!

Happy December!

2008-12-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

I guess it is about time I blogged a little huh? All the blog templates for Christmas are so cute, it was hard to pick a new one out! Well, I for one am SO happy it is December and almost Christmas. I am even HAPPIER that school is out in 2 weeks! I am ready for a break. Lucky Nick gets out for GOOD in May 2009...so he is totally looking forward to that. He didn't get the internship...which we feel is a blessing in itself. I don't think Kristen could live on the income we would be making...which would have been NOTHING! Really though, we are very blessed to have a Heavenly Father looking out for us and keeping us safe and where we belong. This whole season of Christ's birth puts so much more spirit of love and giving in my heart. I can tell it does the same to others. I am so excited for the Christmas devotional coming up on Sunday, the Temple Lights, Winter Haven, Larry's Festival of Lights, Live Nativity staring ours truly...EVERYTHING! We are heading to Seattle on New Years Eve Morning. We are spending a couple days doing some touristy things and then going to Yelm for our niece, Ryenn's, baptism. We are excited.

Thanksgiving break was nice. Well, anytime we are away from work and the stresses of that is a good break in itself! I think MY favorite part was being able to feel my new little nephew's ( i think that is what he will be, cousin's baby), little foot kick his Mommy's, Katie's, tummy! It was so amazing and I am so excited for Katie and John to be new parents!

Here are some pictures....Nick and I are already done shopping for each other, the decorations are up....now where is the TREE??? We are going to get it this weekend, hopefully!

Weekend and update!

2008-11-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile! Sorry. Things are still really busy w/ Nick and I. We are FINALLY heading downhill with school....as in about 3 weeks left! YAHOO!!! We are still waiting to hear about the internship....hopefully it will be soon! We are ready to have peace of mind as to where we will be in the next month or so. We know that whatever happens, Heavenly Father is watching out for us and knows where we are supposed to be. Hmmm....what else is new? I colored my hair brown. It was a BIG change, but I like it. My little 8 year olds had NO clue who I was the other night. It was funny!!!

The pictures are of the cute little crafts I learned how to make today at SUPER SATURDAY. It was my first one and I liked it a lot. The other pic is just a funny one of Larry. He is such a goofball. We all went to see 007, pretty good!

For Everyone

2008-11-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

This is a really fun minimalistic way to communicate! This would be hilarious to try to do out in a big group of people: all night, when you talk you can only speak one word at a time!

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD... IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Nicholas
3. Your hair? Depends
4. Your mother? Robin
5. Your father? Larry
6. Your favorite thing to eat? Chocolate
7. Your dream last night? Weird
8. Your favorite drink? Lemonade
10. The room you're in? Front
11. Your fear? Fat
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Seattle
13. Where were you last night? Parents
14. What you're not? Tired
15. Muffins? Blueburry
16. One of your wish list items? Boots
17. Where did you grow up? Tuscon
18. The last thing you did? Eat
19. What are you wearing? Clothes
20. Your TV? On
21. Your pet? NONE
22. Your computer? Laptop
23. Your life? Busy
24. Your mood? Content
25. Missing someone? Alexis
26. Your car? SUV
27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
28. Favorite Store? Express
29. Your summer? HOT
30. Your favorite color? Black
31. When is the last time you laughed? Today
32 . Who will/would re-post this? ?
33. FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER:
a. Work
b. Home
c. School
d. Gym

5. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME:
a. Alanna
b. Kate
c. Becky
d. Nick

36. FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
a. Potatos
b. Pizza
c. Avocados
d. Burgers

37. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW?
a. Seattle
b. Gym
c. Utah
d. Sleeping

* Here's what you're supposed to do...and please don't spoil the
fun... Hit 'Copy', delete my answers, type in your answers and blog it!!!

The Eights!

2008-10-18T00:07:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Rhonda!

THE EIGHTS:

TV shows that I love to watch..
1. Good Morning America
2. 20/20
3. One Tree Hill
4. The Hills
5. Law and Order-SVU
6. King of Queens
7. 6:00 am re-runs of Saved by the Bell
8. Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane

8 Favorite Restaurants..
1. Carabbas
2. Olive Garden
3. The Roof
4. Macayos ( with Nick or RACHEL)
5. Elephant Bar
6.Cheesecake Factory
7. Noodles and Company
8. MagPies Pizza ( that HAS to count)

Things that happened yesterday..
1.Fabulous Khaki couch delivered
2. Dishes
3. Call from AZ Senate setting up 2nd interview for internship/NICK!
4. Watched "Penelope" with Nick
5. Took care of my sore little man
6. Hung out with Nick ALL day long ( doesn't happen all too often :( )
7. Slept
8. Took pain killers for my back!

8 Things that I am looking forward to..
1. Finding out if we are moving to Phoenix
2. Having a child...SOMEDAY
3. Graduating from College...SOMEDAY
4. Spending more time with my cousin Rachel--moved closer!
5. Seeing ALL my family tomorrow
6. Getting better and going back to kickboxing
7. Going to sleep
8. Finishing my book

8 Things I love about this fall..
1. Decorations
2. Warm soup
3. Aunt Anna's famous Chilli!
4. Sweaters
5. Cute boots!
6. Going to Gaslight with my GIRLZ!
7. Almost being done with Fall semester
8. Wearing my robe

Things on my wish list..
1. Something from Tiffany's ( this is a WISH list right :) )
2. Black Berry
3. New books to read
4. Nick's intership
5.Dr. Martin Boots
6. More workout outfits ( a girl can never have too many pairs of spandex right?)
7. Santa to bring Nick's clubs on time this year ( it was UGLY last year lol)
8. To have a peaceful Holiday season!

Eight people I tag: Kate Hunsaker, Susie Shipley, Becky Bowler, Lisa McCook, Corley Newburn, Robin Shipley, Pam Smith, Jaimie Seedall

Hospital/Back Pain/New Couch/Pain Killers

2008-10-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

So, as you can see, SOMEONE has been in the hospital! Nick had his hernia surgery today and everything went really well. He is really sore still, but healing quick! He is such a pro! Tuesday night I had HORRIBLE ( that's not even a good enough word to express the pain!) back pain that led me to my primary Doctor for pain killers and an MRI. Everything cam back okay, so I know nothing funky is going on. We think it was a combination of my kickboxing class and newly started Physical Therapy. So, Nick and I have been a pretty sad sight to see laying around sedated the whole day. GOOD NEWS...we got a new couch! My favorite part about it, the name is the style is called " FABULOUS KHAKI"! It is super comfy and big! It takes up pretty much the whole "living" room space in our apartment....but we don't care because it is sooooooo nice and comfy! I thought the video had good shots...and it was funny because we were both in our funny place with the pain killers! :) They do take that pain away! I will update with Nick, for now he is doing GREAT, the Dr. said tomorrow will be his REALLY sore day! Poor man!

5th picture

2008-10-10T23:25:00.001-07:00

So, Becky "tagged" me and this was in the 5th folder and the 5th picture IN the folder. It is last December at the Mesa Temple! Look how short my hair was! I tag Rhonda, Corley, Camilla and Kimberlee!!!

We're ALIVE!

2008-10-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry people, Kristen has been a little busy lately! We have been up to a lot! I, of course started school and love it! It is a little time consuming as I work 40 hours a week still, but I find it very rewarding to be learning and growing! I have been getting back into running and I am getting a little faster and less winded every time ( that's a good thing). I am sad though, I have to find a new route to take because there are creepy construction workers at the top of " My Hill"! I just don't feel very safe...I do look pretty sexy with my spandex on! haha!

Nick is doing GREAT too! His classes are going well and he is just moving right along. He is scheduled to have Hernia surgery on the 16th. Poor guy. This will be the 5th time he has been in the hospital since we started dating! He is a magnet! :) Other than that he is doing well!I just picked out some random pictures we have taken here and there. A couple are different little crafts I did at home, parties with family...fun stuff!

This first video is my all time favorite of Becky. Watch her closely. Larry was taking a while to light the candles and all Becky wanted to do was blow them out and be over with it! I believe her exact words were " just do it" lol CLASSIC!

Peyton our little 4 year old niece at her swim party!

Ricky smiling for Aunt Kristen...

Our new table top for Halloween!

I got this " Love One Another" sign at the Latter-Day Cottage....they gave me the " Ladies Night Out" discount in the middle of the day! COOL!!!!

Something that made me smile!!!

2008-09-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

So, all week I have been craving Pumpkin Pie. So much, that I have been begging my mom to make some! Well, Thursday night in Math, I was telling this to my new friend Vanessa. She thought it was funny and we didn't say anything else about it. Well, I was finishing up checking in a patient today and I look up, and there is Vanessa and her cute little son dropping off a slice of Marie Calenders PUMPKIN PIE! It was SO nice of her to think of me. She is a wife, mom of 3 BOYS, taking 2 college classes, and works full time....and she STILL had time to think of me! I was so touched by her act of kindness that I had to share it! It brightened my WHOLE day!

Sunday

2008-08-31T23:25:00.001-07:00

Well, today was a great Sunday. I teach the 7 and 8 year old kiddies and they were a riot today! I brought them in some powdered doughnuts and it was a BIG hit! I know it is " against the rules", but sometimes you gotta give them a little treat, right? After church Nick and I took a nap and hung around our house then went over to my parents for dinner! It was SO good! I forgot just how much I LOVE mashed potato's and gravy. We went to this house by my parents that was being foreclosed or something and it had a REALLY cool putting green in the backyard. So we had a putting tournament! Scott came in FIRST and my dad is second! It was a lot of fun. We totally enjoyed the rain as well, it was gorgeous! I hope this is a sign of better, COOLER, weather to come!

S is for Smith

2008-08-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

I think my mother instilled the obsession with letters...maybe it was my Aunt Susie...I am not sure. But I LOVE letters! I especially love the letter S. I was very glad when I got married to Nick not to have to change the S in Kristen S! I was feeling pretty craftsy the other night and painted this letter S to put on our fireplace. I think it turned out cute...I might go for the rest of it too....

S M I T H!!!!

Brown hair

2008-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

So, I thought these pictures were random. I am thinking of putting brown back in my hair. NOT as brown as these pictures. Just thought I would give everyone a laugh!

PS---These pictures were all taken when Nick and I got engaged in Utah! :)

Ellen Kaye Shipley

2008-07-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I miss Ellen. HA- my mother informed me tonight Alexis' name could have been ELLEN! When I heard this I started laughing pretty hard. It is funny how names just "GO" with people. It was funny. I met a lady last week at tennis and we introduced ourselves and I told her my name and she said, " that's funny, you look like a Kristen." Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I just think it is funny how every ones names are meant just for them. I am REALLY glad Alexis wasn't named ELLEN. Not that it is a bad name, it is a very pretty name...but really, Alexis is TOTALLY an Alexis. Even Nick, he doesn't look like he could have been named anything else. Who else....LARRY, there is no other name that could have been more perfect for my dad, or ROBIN for my mom!

Scott is all grown up!

2008-07-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a fun weekend. Nick went golfing with my dad and brother in law and brother..I hung out with my PHAT GIRLZ Robin and Becky. Sunday Scotty got the Melchizedek Priesthood. It was so special to watch my little Scotty Potty receive such a special blessing from my dad. I can't believe that in just a few years he could be married! I am proud of you Scott!

5 months

2008-07-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

So, if you look at the bottom of my blog you will see what I am SO EXCITED for! It is 5 months today until CHRISTMAS!!!! The countdown has officially started....for me at least!:)

I am ready for summer and the heat to wrap up and start school! I finally registered for some classes and am so excited to get back in the "education" thing! I decided my major is going to be Marketing. Yes, took me what...5 years to figure out what I really wanted to do...but now that I know I am going full speed ahead!!! I am also going full speed ahead to CHRISTMAS!!!

PS- The picture below is for Becky...remember our FAVORITE Christmas movie? HA!

Arizona Biltmore

2008-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

We had SO much fun this past weekend! We celebrated both of our birthdays by staying at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. We got there Friday and had some room trouble. The first room was really small and smelled like smoke, the 2nd room was really small and smelled like puke....then the 3rd room was VERY big and smelled like FLOWERS! :) It was a very unlucky, lucky situation that added to our experience. I was able to get an hour private tennis lesson and Nick went golfing! He had SO much fun in that 99 degree 60% humidity weather! We had so much fun! We rented a Cabana the last day we were there and it was amazing! We had our own cabana boy and everything! Around 4:00 we got rained out! We got some pretty pictures though! We decided every year from now on we are going to skip out on birthday presents and go to a new resort!!!

A+A+A= 1 SMART GUY!

2008-07-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

So, hate to toot my husband's horn ( actually, I don't), but he received two more A's to put on his list for his summer school! For the pre-session in May, he took a Spanish for heritage speakers and got an A....then he took another upper level Spanish course for session one and got an A....and last but not least...in his most hated subject EVER...business...YES he got an A!!! Not only did he get an A, he got a 100% on his FINAL! I am so proud of him and so grateful he is getting an education to support our family! You go Nicholas!!!

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-07-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

HA---so for those who know me, I LOOOOOVE my birthday. Sad to say it is a bit obnoxious for some, I am just so thankful I have a wonderful husband who humors me. The morning started off with breakfast made by Nicholas! I had to go to work in the AM but when I got there I was greeted with my desk totally decorated! A gal at my work made really good breakfast burritos in honor of yours truly! Around 10:30 my mom walks in with a big bouquet of balloons, followed by Scotty bringing MORE balloons! I got off of work and met Nick at SHIPLEY CHIROPRACTIC and got a birthday adjustment! I rented " The other Boleyn Girl" which was awesome and then Nick made a WONDERFUL dinner of cheese enchiladas, quesadilla and a salad. My parents came over with my birthday cake ( the best ever) and then that was that! I had such a fun birthday and truly felt special and important all day long! This weekend Nick and I are going to Arizona Biltmore to celebrate both our birthdays!!! We are SO excited!!!!

HaPpY 4tH oF jUlY

2008-07-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

We had the best 4th of July! Nick went golfing with my dad, John and Scott in the El Conquistador golf tournament while Becky came over and had CREPES! It was a new recipe, but we think it turned out pretty good. Later that day we went over to my parents for a BBQ and swim party. My wonderful friend Corley and her baby Asher came over to have some fun too! I am so glad they could come share the 4th with us! Asher was a hit! :) Aunt Becky ( the cutest lady EVER) came over with beautiful Amelia and Rossy! Darl came later, but I don't think he was feeling too well! :( We had Robins COOKIE CAKE and kicked off her Birthday's Eve with sparkler candles! Later that night we went to Saddle Brooke for fireworks. It was SO amazing out there and the fireworks were very pretty! It has been my favorite I think! Doug and Roseanne Williams came too so that was fun to see them. Becky and John's child Charles got sick or something so they took them to some hospital for animals. He ruined everything! lol j/k We missed them! We took another picture of the sunset on our way to the fireworks.....that is one thing Nick and I LOVE to do....sunsets are amazing!!!

My baby is 25!

2008-06-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Nick! He had a fun day yesterday! He was awakened with breakfast in bed, his FAVORITE Blueburry pancakes, bacon and strawburries and of course APPLE JUICE! He then opened his presents. I got him a new bag of golf tees, an egg slicer, CHOCOLATE ( that was a present we could both benefit from!), and his new Orange golf shirt he has been wanting! Doesn't he look so handsome in it? We decided since our birthdays are so close, we would go to Arizona Biltmore in Scottsdale to celebrate instead of getting presents. I just couldn't help myself! You have to have Something to open on your birthday right? So then I worked on his GOLF cake for 4 hours....yes....4 hours! I didn't get a picture of it finished. It was really cute! Too bad it FELL while transporting it to my parents home. My mom made Nick STEAK, baked potato's, salad, and a special grilled corn on the cob. Then we had the cake which was SO yummy! I made it from scratch, which I haven't ever done...it was fun! We then watched " Fools Gold" which was cute and then walked outside and saw an AMAZING sunset!

I am so happy Nicky had a GREAT birthday and he could feel special and important! He is the best husband and I am so blessed to have him in my life! I hope his wish he made when he blew out his candles comes true!!!! As you can see in the picture of the sunset....it was a PERFECT day!!!

Birthday Eve

2008-06-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Well, Nick had a pretty fun Birthday's Eve!!! He got up and played 18 holes of golf with my dad and Scotty. His day could have ended there and he would have been thrilled....but it went on! We went out to his mom's house in Red Rock, Pam, and she made Nick's favorite food! Pam's homemade TACOS! Nick can't get enough of these things! She also made YUMMY enchiladas and a fruit bowl! We had Cheesecake and these little lemon muffins for dessert. It was fun to see his sisters and brother and mom! His little nephew ( Ricky) is a crack up! He has a smile that will kill ya! Nick was so cute holding little Aiden! He will be such a good dad SOMEDAY!!!! Can wait until tomorrow! Nick will have some fun things in store for him!

My new Boyfriend

2008-06-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

I have a new man in my life. His name is Asher. Okay, so he isn't REALLY my boyfriend. But he could end up being my daughters boyfriend or even HUSBAND someday! I have a good girlfriend named Corley and her son Asher is just the cutes little devil ever! She came over for a bit today and I couldn't help myself, I had to dress Asher up in anything I could find! I love this picture of him in the straw hat! He looks like an old man ready to go fishing! We all hung out by the pool today! It was so warm and sunny and PERFECT for swimming! Thanks Corley for inviting me to Asher's POOL PARTY!

Smith/Bowler night out!

2008-06-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to dinner and Christi STONES reception! It was so fun to hang out with Jon and Becky. We ate at the OH SO YUMMY Carrabas and then went to the recpetion. The Church was decorated soooo pretty and our friend Christi was so happy and excited to be married. It made me think of Nick and I and how we have already been married for a YEAR! It seems like just yesterday we got married and were having our reception! CRAZY! Thanks for hanging out with us BOWLERS. Next time we will have to get dessert at Marie Calendars! YUM YUM! It was fun for Becky to see and catch up with her old "gang" too. Sorry the pic of Jon and Nick together are so scary...I can never seem to get them to smile! DORKS!

Would you like a Cockroach with that?

2008-06-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

So, Nick and I were starving and wanted to try somewhere new on Friday night. He had never been to Metropolitan Grill, so I told him it was a nice place and we should go there! So, we get there, order some apps and then get dinner. While we were enjoying our dinner we had a little friend who wanted to join us. His name was Rusty the Roach. Well, Rusty isn't welcome in Kristen's world so we got our waitress to come and kill it. Well, our little waitress lied and said she got it! Not even two minutes later Rusty was back!!!! He was RIGHT behind my head and BOY was I grossed out! Nick and I couldn't eat anymore! There was my quick plug in for Metropolitan Grill. YUCK! Apparently the " weather" is to blame for the cockroaches. I don't know if I buy that. YUCK

MADONNA

2008-06-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

So, I never really buy CD's any more. They are way too expensive and why not just download them right? WELL, when I find a CD that I LOVE I HAVE to buy it so that I can play it over and over again in my car! Madonna is one of my NEW CD'S! Every song on this track is jumpin and pumpin! If you need any motivation to work out, listening to the song's ( and looking at Madonna's hot bod ) will get you movin! Don't let the cover fool you, it does look pretty provocative, but the CD is great! I would KILL for her arms!!! BECKY- this is your motivation!

Girls Night Out!

2008-05-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

So tonight Robin, Becky and I went to our friend Christy Larimore's BRIDAL SHOWER! She looked so pretty and it was such a fun time! We could only stay for a bit because Becky had to drive back to Phoenix. We were all starving after we left, so we went to Texas Road House. As Robin and Becky were literally dancing inside the restaurant they picked up this wooden square and pretended to pose. Well, this guy came up and insisted we all get in this square to take a picture! So, there we are! We had so much fun! We are so excited for Christy to get married and know she will be sooooo happy with Daniel!

1 YEAR DOWN!

2008-05-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

What a year it has been for the Smiths! We had such a wonderful first year anniversary! I got home from work to find a dozen RED Romantic roses waiting on the table for me with a lovely card! We got all dressed up to go to dinner but exchanged presents first! Nick got me a ream of paper( since 1 year symbolizes paper...I know, how cute is he!), a new workout shirt and a TIFFANY'S ring! I was sooooo surprised! I got him a pair of sandals and a really nice gold shirt! We went to Terra Cotta for Dinner ( which was FAB) and when we got their a huge bouquet of gerbera daisy's were waiting at our table! How cute he remembered out wedding flowers! After dinner we came back home and enjoyed some Red Velvet cake ( like the cake at our wedding). Little did he know that I actually had one more gift for him! I got him his new gold club!!! He was sooooo excited and surprised! I kinda scared myself with how good I was at lying to him about it all night! I never can surprise Nick so this was extra special for it to be FUN for him! We had a GREAT night and I couldn't have asked for more! He makes me feel so special and important and I know he feels the same! On to year TWO for more fun and experiences!

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a GREAT Mother's Day! Nick and I went to my parents ward and met up with with HIS mom and brother Jake and sister Kylie. We got our Mom's really pretty gerbera daisy wrist corsages! They matched great with both their outfits! We then went to go visit my Grandma Shipley in her rehabilitation home so that was nice. We brought her some FLOWERS and she loved that! Becky and I made yummy lasagna, salad and punch. Nick's garlic bread was a hit too!

I am sure my Mother's favorite part was her extra large COOKIE CAKE! We love ROBIN!!!

Date Night!

2008-05-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, Nicholas had a whole date night planned for us on Saturday night. I have been REALLY wanting to see " What Happens in Vegas", so first we went to see that movie. It was SO funny and cute! I would recommed it to anyone looking for a good laugh. THEN, he made reservations for us at Melting Pot. We have never been there and I have always wanted to go. Our reservations were at 8:45 pm and they didn't have a BOOTH ready for us until 9:15. THEN they sat us next to a crying screaming baby on top of that. Kristen was NOT happy at all! So I talked to the manager to see what he would do to make the situation right and he got us a little secluded curtain room! It was AWESOME! One of the most romantic dates I have ever been on. The chocolate was SO yummy and the lighting was low and it was so fun! I have the best hubby!

We're back too!

2008-05-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Like my sister, we are back as well into the world of blogging! I don't really have too many pictures, but this month will be filled with pictures because of all the fun events!!!
Hmmm...what has been happeneing with the Smith's recently? Nick has two finals left and he is DONE for this semester. He is going to summer school so he can graduate a little bit sooner! He is doing sooooo well! He certainly has a gift for speaking and learning other languages. I have trouble with Inglish sometimes! :) haha
I have just been busy working and trying to get my butt in gear with working out! I was doing really well with running and then I sprained my knee and was out of it for about month! Ahhhh, just when I was starting to enjoy it! That's about it. We are just looking forward to a fun summer and a fun vacation! Our anniversary is coming up soon too!

2008-03-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome Home Jakey!

2008-03-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

JAKE IS HOME!

Nick's brother Jake got home from Afghanistan Sunday! He got in around 1:15 in Phoenix. I never knew the National Guard had their own wing for military at the airport. Nick has been so excited to have his baby brother back! It was such a sweet reunion for Jakey and his family. You couldn't help but get emotional seeing strangers being reunited with their loved ones who have been gone for so long and in such scary, trying circumstances. We are so proud of our Jake and can't wait to be more involved in his life! Nick and I gave him a welcome home present. We got him an extra long beef jerky stick! As you can see in the picture, it looks pretty tastey! :)

Ode to my MEN!

2008-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures of all my most FAVORITE men here on this planet!!! Nicholas,Scott ( my brother), my wittle Daddy and Uncle Kenny!!! Ken and Nick played at their UPS golf tournment today. They met up with us at In&Out burger for lunch. I looooooove to have all my favorite boys together! I just can't stop saying I love you to each of them! Scotty was GOING to go to the golf range with Nick until he FLAKED out to go be with his little girlfriend!!! It's okay Scott, we still love you....and I guess Caitlin too! :)

Back in the Day

2008-03-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

I was able to see Eve,Sariah and Emma Smith at Enrichment Thursday night! Noooo, not REALLY! The gals from Tortolita ward put on a cute skit, each woman saying her trials and triumphs. G.G was able to go with us! As you can see, Linda Goodman looked AMAZING in her bonnet and pioneer outfit. It was fun to see the women from my old ward. They are all so nice and interested in my new Smith life!

Easter Pageant 2008

2008-03-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Easter Pageant at the Temple. Anything at the temple is FAB but I just get so hyped up for the Pageant! I am especially excited this year because we are getting together with a bunch of family and going. We used to go as a big family but things I think got real busy and it has been a long time, but not for 2008! Nick and myself, Kate and Jon, Bec and John, my parents, Ken and Susie,Scott and his girlfriend Caitlin are all going! I am sooooo excited. I am making Aunt Becky's famous Oriental Salad and I am counting on someone making caramal brownies! YUM!!! Everything is so content and peaceful when you are on the Temple grounds, and being there with my family...there is NOTHING better!!! I can't wait!!!! We are doing a picnic before the presentation starts and then curling up in our blankets and enjoying the Pageant!

I am a golf widow!

2008-03-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Aunt Susie came up with the perfect phrase for what I have become, a golf widow! Nick has really started a love for the game of golf. He is playing in his work ,UPS, gold tournament this weekend! I hope he wins money so he can support my passion....Coach Purses! :) He got a new "Driver" the other day. I came home from work to find him in our office shinning his new driver! SCARY! I had to take a picture of it...of course he had to pose as well. I think it is really great he found a nice recreational activity for himself. It is really good that he can stop thinking about things and just focus on the game!!! I believe I get that way too when I shop...we think we were made for each other!

My new Haircut!

2008-03-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

I chopped it off! Today I got my haircut by the OHHH SO wonderful Mara! She is amazing! Thought you all might like to see the new LOOK!!! I for one LOVE it!

I love my cousin Kate!

2008-02-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

Do we all notice how the Smith Family blog is updated and WAY cute? Thanks to Kate Hunsaker we are new and improved. She was oh SO patient tonight helping me firgure out how to do things. So, if you all like the music and the theme, throw a blog her way! She is awesome!

This weekend!

2008-02-24T21:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry people (especially Aunt Susie) I have no pictures of this weekend! We were having too much fun! Bec and John came down with their dog,Charles Bowler. The boys went golfing and the GIRLZ went shopping, shopping and more shopping! It was fun to hang out with Becky and ROBIN! We went to church today and it was a really good day! Katie was in town and came to say hi to me during a break! I was SOOOO glad she did. I also got to do something I don't normally do....hold a little baby! I am making a new friend in my ward named Corlee. Her son Asher is 3 months old and is SOOOOO cute! So, that was the highlight of my day. Until my sister in law,Abby, has her baby soon, I will be holding little Asher!!! SO FUN!

Smith's FIRST Valentines Day

2008-02-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

So, this was a GREAT first Valentines Holiday for us! We decided that we would take turns planning the holiday, so this one was Nick's. He did a GREAT job! After Holidays I tend to get kind of sad that they are over, sad I know, but I do.

So, Nick decided to make V-day last 3 whole days! On Valentines Day I got up extra early and made him CUTE pink heart shaped pancakes, sausage ( you KNOW I love him if KRISTEN made sausage), juice and fruit. Later that day I got a rose in my car, an extra cute suprise from Nicky. When I got home that night I recieved my first envelope to kick off V-day. It was a cute poem telling me we were going to See's candy!!! Chocolate is my FAVORITE thing to eat, so it was so fun to go pick out a POUND of any chocolate I wanted!

Before going to the Mall to get my chocolate, Nick opened the presents from me. I got him the OHHHHHH sooooo yummy Lacoste cologn, a cute shirt and some other fun stuff. When we were getting out of the car, I couldn't stand it anymore, I had one more present of his for him to open! I got him 3 golf lessons with a Pro!!!! He was SOOOOOO happy! I love seeing his face happy like his face in the picture....only golf....!!! So Friday night, along with my dozen red roses, the 2nd envelope had a poem saying we were going to Carrusso's....VERY good! We were trying to get our picture taken at the end of our dinner, and the guy taking it kept turning off the camara. We had already tried about 7 times, Nick wasn't irritated or anything (not). I just had to put the picture up of our photographer!

The next day I opened up my final envelope....a gift card to pick out ANY purse I wanted from my favorite....COACH!!!

It was a VERY fun and romantic Valentines day with my Nicholas. He really tried to make it memorable and it was. I don't know how to top this for next year!!!

2008-02-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Let's dig in guys!

2008-02-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

2008 will be GREAT!!!

2008-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

2008 is gonna be GREAT. That's a new little saying Robin has implemented! Nick and I went up to Phoenix to ring in the New Year with Becky and Jon. First, Nick and I ate at Oreganos and then went shopping at Fiesta Mall ( the BEST mall in Mesa :) ) . Then we met up with the Bowlers and Alexis and ate at this really god Mexican food place. I think it is called Nando's or something. Nick and I were still full from Oreganos so we got the coolest dessert. It was chocolate Nachos. It was actually chocolate tortilla chips with caramel and ice cream on top. VERY yummy! After dinner we went to look at the lights at the Temple. It is a bummer living in Tucson. You forget just how much even being around the temple helps you feel the spirit. Then we went to this "Insight" event down on Mill by Tempe Town Lake. We saw Bare Naked Ladies and rode on a rocket ship!! :) It was a blast and we had so much fun hanging out with Jon, Becky and Alexis!