Emily & Company

OUR WEDDING!!!

2011-08-25T09:57:00.004-04:00

Here are a few LATE photo albums and a video from our Wedding in May....

Emily and Mitch from CF on Vimeo.

Wedding photos - Creative Focus Proofs

May 2011 Wedding Weekend

May 2011 Honeymoon

https://picasaweb.google.com/111861518439949114113

2011-04-12T12:04:00.003-04:00

June 2010

2010-07-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

BIG, WONDERFUL & EXCITING NEWS!!!!

2009-10-09T09:27:00.003-04:00

Friday October 2nd, in Las Vegas,
Mitch asked me to marry him!!!
It was one of the best days of my life, and I am proud to call him my "Fiance"! It is a perfect fairytale story, which I have already began a separate post for.... Coming Soon...
In the meantime, here are a few pictures of our special day...

Hello out there.... Here we are...

2009-02-12T14:42:00.005-05:00

Just checking in...
Yes, we are still alive and well and busy as usual! Sorry for my incredible delinquency!! It is not due to the lack of pictures, events or stories, just the lack of time. I will catch you up soon!....

That is, as soon as we stop goofing and dancing around at the beach, playing with friends, and just plain having fun, long enough to load up some pictures... Hope everyone is great! xoxo!

Love, Emily

Our hearts go out to the Whatcotts

2008-11-12T10:59:00.002-05:00

My friend Nick, who I grew up with, and his sweet wife, Janessa, lost their precious, 6 day old baby boy, Cole Gary Whatcott. We are heart broken by this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family.

http://colewhatcott.blogspot.com/

http://www.realitycharity.com/view_item.php?listing_id=4017

http://picasaweb.google.com/emilylynns

2008-11-05T13:22:00.002-05:00

Happy November Everyone!! I can't believe we are already in this wonderful (and might I add - EXPENSIVE) season!! I have a few new fun posts in the works, but I'm finding it difficult to find (make) time to add all of our fun adventures. Also, I realize that some of the pictures are small and hard to see. What I'm getting at, is that I recently discovered that all of the pictures from my blog (and much MUCH more) are also on my Picasa Web Albums which can be viewed directly at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/emilylynns

I'm sure most of you will not find this very interesting, but hopefully at least my family will. Also, there isn't any of my charming commentary on the Web Albums. Although some of you (I hope) enjoy my ramblings, I suspicion that a few of you could do with out. And perhaps there is someone, somewhere, who just can't get enough of us... and hopefully its someone I know... lol! Actually that really isn't very funny. Fellow bloggers should watch out for strange comments on their blog... I have had a couple and I WILL be making my BLOG private very soon. So again, if you haven't already, please send me your e-mail addresses if you would like to continue to view my lovely blog!

Good bye for now, more to come soon!

Love,
Emily

HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am trying my new fancy Picasa program... hope this works and is big enough to see because it was super easy!
So here you have it... our HALLOWEEN PICTURES!!!
We had a great day and night. Mitch and I visited Anthony at school for his Trick or Treating Parade. Later when I picked him up from school we went right to Mitch's. His neighborhood has lots of kids and fun activities. They threw a great Halloween party with bounce houses, slides, activities, food.... etc.. etc... Mitch's parents came over to hang out with us and hand out candy while we were gone. Unfortunately it POURED RAIN most of the night. But since it was warm no one seemed to mind. The kids thought it was brilliant because they now had a water slide! We hung out with our friends, the Frenkels in their garage for a while waiting for it to stop raining so we could walk home, but it wasn't letting up, so eventually his Dad picked us up. It was was great! We were all 3 soaked to the bone, but happy none the less! Thanks to Mizner's Preserve, The Frankel's, and The Freifelds for a great night full of sugar!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T12:28:00.003-04:00

We had a great (hot) time at the PUMPKIN PATCH this year! I always love our pumpkin patch pictures because they are so colorful and pretty! We all started out in orange, but Anthony, being the defiant child that he is, changed his clothes at the last minute. Oh well. As he says (learned at school): "You get what you get and you don't get upset!"... a brown shirt and green John Deere cell phone it is! Maybe I'll get better pics next time. aka - this weekend! Hee Hee!

Anthony takes over the camera:
"Oops, I forgot your heads! Let me take one more.."

Carvin' Punkins:
Anthony went across the street to take pictures of me doing ALL the WORK!

All THREE of my pumpkins turned out pretty darn cute...

The above picture is a classic Anthony expression that means "I'm done"!

Pumpkin Patch Pasts:

October 2007:

October 2006 with Mia:

and 2005... Ok, so this isn't a pumpkin picture, but it was in October and I couldn't leave out his first year! He is 6 months old (one of my very favorite stages) here with Grammie.

Soccer Practice...

2008-10-19T16:27:00.002-04:00

Mitch just started coaching his new soccer team this season... 7 Year Old Girls, with his friend Lauren! Lauren's daughter is on the team and they coached her older daughter's team together a couple of years ago. They had their first practice on Tuesday. Anthony and I tagged along to cheer them on... oh, and because Anthony thinks he is the assistant coach. It was a beautiful night and a great place to hang out. The girls will make a great team! We are excited for lots of practices and games! The park and weather are such a treat!

This is Anthony in full coaching mode... The spiderman gloves make him play and coach better... he begged the whole time we were there to put on his entire hot, bulky costume on, which he did when we went out for sushi after practice. He was a big hit at the restaurant.

The important aspects of coaching... this is where all of his soccer experience comes in handy:

He's a natural... he can't wait until he is 4 so he can be on a team!

Strawberryless Strawberry Patch

2008-10-18T16:20:00.003-04:00

This was our second trip to the "Strawberry Patch" (last weekend). It is such a cool place! You walk into a little Mom & Pop market in the middle of a old strip mall and you go out the back door to this amazingly huge property full of gardens, animal, birds, picnic areas... that you would never know existed. It's like Alison's Wonderland (I think- although I don't actually remember the movie)! Again, there were no strawberries to pick (out of season), but we didn't mind. We enjoyed the sun and the shade and the extremely hot, but beautiful out doors. Mitch and Anthony reconnected with the parrots they fell in love with before. Anthony conned Mitch into a big cookie and some magnet rocks and I conned him into a heart shaped lucky bamboo. We are so spoiled! But we do appreciate it! Thanks love!

Anthony (Anfony) and Julia...

2008-10-16T10:56:00.006-04:00

Anthony (or as Julia calls him, Anfony) and Julia always play so well together. And how cute are they??!!! Emily, Gene and Julia came over to Mitch's on Sunday. After the kids swam we had a little BBQ dinner outside and then we walked over to the playground. Mitch's home is almost to the end of this dead end street. Its so nice that there is very little traffic and lots of kids playing & riding bikes in the street.

It is still the the high 80's here, but Anthony insisted on wearing his sweats so that he could go faster down the slide. As for the swings picture, I'm pretty sure by this point the kids had stopped saying "higher!", and were holding on for dear life as Mitch and Gene pushed their limits... I think they had just as much fun.

Splash Adventure Water Park

2008-10-15T15:08:00.001-04:00

On Saturday we went to this great little water park right down the street from our house. We met my friend Tiffany and her husband Aaron and there two little girls, Mila and Ellie there. My friend Candace also came (who I just reunited with after about 7 years when I ran into her at Anthony's school with her little 3 year old boy, Kevin). And then Emily, Gene and Julia met us as well, so it was quite a party... I should also mention that while we were splashin' and slidin', Mitch was removing mulch and bushes and laying a pallet of new sod in his yard. It looks so nice and gives us much more soccer/baseball/football space. Yay! Thanks Bubbs!

First, the never ending "Mean Mother" sunscreen battle... and we're off!

This is Candace, Kevin and Anthony in the first picture and Aaron, Mila and Ellie in the second. Oh, and by the way, Candace is 8.5 months pregnant and such a good sport! I had no intention of going down any slides since Anthony is big enough to go on his own, but since Candace did, I really had no excuses... Thanks a lot! Oh well, it was fun anyway... even if I did look like a big fool!

Round ONE:

"Ride Em' Cowgirl!"... Yes, this would be the foolishness I was referring to...

Anthony was just plain crazy and would do anything to make it a bit more daring!

The clouds rolled by for a minute, but no rain on our parade! Julia took a little rest to soak up the rays..

And that's a wrap... It was a great day with lots of fun friends!!

ROCK ON!!!

2008-10-14T16:19:00.000-04:00

Two Great Concerts and 5 amazing artists!

Two weekends ago, which happened to be the wettest, rainiest day of the entire year, we went to an outdoor amphitheater with Joyce, Paul, Nicole and friends, to see COUNTING CROWS, MAROON 5, & AUGUSTANNA!
We had hope that the weather would clear up since we had lawn seats under the stars, but we came in our "ready to be drenched clothes and ponchos"... and boy were we ever drenched!! We were able to upgrade our tickets to be under the awning since so many people didn't show up. So that was nice, but it is very open so the rain still blew in. We didn't care! It was so warm that it really didn't matter that we were soaked. We had such a great time and all three performances were absolutely amazing!! What a talented group!!

Last weekend Mitch and I went to the Mary J. Blige & Robin Thicke concert. My camera was dead, so sorry no pictures. We saw her last year and she is always unbelievable! It was an extra special treat to be able to see Robin Thicke at the same show! We had great seats on the floor and felt like we were really part of the show! I have been playing Robin Thicke in my car and Anthony really likes him too. He always want to hear "The Magic Cup (Touch)" song. We both love being able to play my ipod in the car and he loves to make requests... mostly for Garth Brooks, or Bob Marley, or Alicia Keys, or Rhianna... and his new favorite, Jordin Sparks! Now he always asks "Who sings this song?" and "Did you see them at the concert?" Too cute!

Warner Update - 6 Months Old

2008-10-10T13:04:00.000-04:00

My sweet and funny adorable nephew, Warner, is 6 months old! I can't believe it! He looks a lot like his Mommy (my sister - Abbie) and a little like his Dad (Brandon), a little like Anthony, (who also looked like Abbie), and a lot like Grandma Smith, which makes us want to squeeze him all the more! I'm dying to get my hands on him at Christmas! I saw him when the day after he was born (in April) and again at the beginning of June. But he will have grown so much by the time I kiss his cute face in December. I'm so glad he likes to listen to Anthony and me talk and sing on the phone. His belly laugh melts my heart! Anthony talks about him everyday and always has a stash of things to send to "Baby Warner". We sure love you and miss you little fat guy!

Happy Half-Birthday Warner!!!

Halloween Excitement...

2008-10-08T00:15:00.004-04:00

We always get excited for Halloween to roll around. This year we just couldn't stand the wait anymore, I suckered in and bought Anthony the costume he wanted since he has been pretty consistent on what he wanted to be.... A SKELETON! He loves the costume so much, that he has hardly taken it off in a week. He will either be sick of it by Halloween, or it will be filthy! My fear is the next best thing to be is Tinkerbell!! He's been slightly obsessed with fairies since we went to a little girls birthday party on Saturday and Tinkerbell was there making balloons, painting faces and playing Neverland games. She was great! Anthony kept touching her wings and asking if she could fly. Of course she told him yes, if she thinks happy thoughts and uses her pixy dust. He came home from Nunu's the other day with a pair of beautiful fairy wings. She said of all the swords and toys in the store, all he wanted was the wings. The whole ride home was a discussion about why he couldn't fly, but fairies and birds and airplanes could.... tough to explain to a 3 year old, but he insists on logical answers. He's so cute and very thoughtful. The moral of this story is: Everyone pray the the skeleton costume holds up so I don't have to take Tinkerbell trick-or-treating!!!

Look how cute he looks! The sad thing is, that is a pretty good representation of what his legs look like! Hopefully they will straighten out more as he grows!

Just to give you an idea of how much we like Halloween, here are a few pictures from
HALLOWEEN'S PAST:

Two spiders and a Hula Girl, who transformed into a crazy Doctor.

Superwoman and Elmo... with Mia and Grace as a Ladybug and a Pumpkin! How cute are they!!

And finally, Pocahontas and the Alligator with Kyler as a Horse! So funny!

Hope we can keep up this year!

A much needed nap!

2008-10-07T23:20:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday afternoon at some point, as I was drawing letters with Anthony, my head started to nod and I could not keep my eyes open... Mitch and Anthony started reading and playing and I passed out cold. I woke up a while (a long while) later to the beautiful sound of NOTHING... oh, and a little rain and thunder... Where could they be??? I went to the garage to see if the car was here and this is what I found...

Mitch and Anthony (in their matching workout clothes) painting beautiful rocks!... Apparently, they had made a race car with some sort of mold and clay and were waiting for it to dry so they could paint it... and of course paint can't just sit around not being used, so that is where the rocks came in.

It looked like so much fun that I even got in on the action and Anthony took over as photographer... Not bad, huh?... Look at him sweating!! Is it fall yet???

He took some nice shots of us, of "Mitch's poor car in the rain", of himself, and of Mitch with my new car while instructing him to "Bend down and give it a kiss, and say I love you car!" So funny!

Here are a few other pictures he asked me to take the other day. He found these shoes at Target and refused to leave without them because they were "just like Mitchell's". He was so excited to wear them that he cried when I wouldn't let him sleep in them. So he wore them to school with his "cool jeans" in the blazing heat! By the way, he is covering his ears in our driveway because he was watching a tractor dig up the road where a water main broke. It was pretty hard to pull him away from that!!!

And off to school he goes... We love DinoMight!
I wish I had a picture of Mitch and Anthony eating ice cream after school last week. Mitch beat me to his school (his gym is right next door), so he picked him up and walked him over to the ice cream store while they waited for me. *Note the earlier post that car seats don't fit in Mitch's "practice car"...
Anthony was excited to have Mitch come to his school and obviously excited for ice cream! I, on the other hand, was just excited not to have to pay the $5 late fee! Thanks Mitch! You are very good to us both!

What we are up to and MY NEW BUSINESS!

2008-10-02T11:58:00.002-04:00

Hi all!
I just want to apologize for my "POSTING DELINQUENCIES". I will catch you all up soon. For now I have been loving my new car, swamped at work, and busy playing with Anthony and Mitch. I had a little ear infection and Anthony has had a little cold. Besides that, I have been filling my very small amount of spare time with growing my new online business. This has been very exciting for me and I hope to soon be bringing in the big bucks! If I haven't had a chance to speak to you about it yet, expect a little e-mail explanation soon, or feel free to ask. It is a perfect way to bring in some easy (and decent) income with no overhead, inventory or products to sell! Why couldn't I have found it sooner??!!

I'll leave you with a few Anthony quotes:

"I love myself... And I just want to fart on somebody!" This was at the dinner table.

"Mom!!, I'm frigging out!! I just found another Dolphins new jersey in my closet!!" For the record - "frigging" is NOT an acceptable word and I don't know where it came from, however, it is still pretty funny! I've never heard him say that before... and there was so much dramatic enthusiasm it was very hard not to laugh, but rest assured he didn't see it! What he found was the same jersey (or as he says, "new jersey" ha ha!) that I keep putting away in different locations because I'm tired of seeing it on the floor.

MY NEW CAR!!

2008-09-22T12:47:00.002-04:00

I hope you love my new 2009 white Altima!!
After way to much research and headaches, I am very relieved (mentally and financially) to have actually made a decision and pulled the trigger on a new car! I was so nervous to change from a SUV to a car and thought I would not like it, which is probably why I had such a hard time making a decision. But I am happy with my purchase (actually lease) and definitely feel that this was the best deal and fit for me. It is almost 2 days old and so far, I don't miss my Pilot at all (granted I still have it and haven't attempted to move any large objects with my car)... HaHa! It is so much fun to drive! It feels so light and quick and easy to handle. It has lots of fun features that even Anthony appreciates! Such as, the intelligent key (meaning I never use it, just keep it in my bag), an Ipod connection, a sunroof and a very sporty, cool look inside and out. The pictures don't do it justice, but the chrome trim is nice and the color is beautiful! Thanks to everyone who voted and helped me with the decision!

Matthew's Bounce House Heaven Birthday Party

2008-09-18T10:07:00.005-04:00

Mitch has the best neighbors. Lissa and Jeff who live across the street have 2 cute boys, Matthew (5) and Jared (almost 2). We love to hang out with them and let the kids swim or ride bikes in the street. These pictures are from Matthew's very fun 5th Birthday party.

Anthony is on the bottom right next to (or on top of) his other friend, Asher.

Mitch, as he frequently is, was the largest kid at the party and the first to attempt the rock wall... yes, even in a harness clearly meant for 5 year olds...

Good job babe!

Thanks for a great party guys!

Fun Times... Silly Stories.... and more pictures...

2008-09-16T00:24:00.001-04:00

THE NEVER ENDING POST... Take a deep breath and jump in... the water is warm (pun intended - Ha Ha)... Here are a few recent events in no particular order (that would be way too difficult):

I know everyone is tired of seeing the pool... but you couldn't possibly be as tired of the pool as I am, so suck it up and look at a few more pictures... When will it be winter??? Of course I'll be telling a different story when I get to Utah in December and freeze my buns off!

Anthony has become very brave!

This is his "Maniac Twist Jump" into the pool. Thanks, buddy!

We had a lovely day with Emily, Gene & Julia. The kids played in the pool for a while which was an extra special treat because they live in the community we moved from in February, so he played with all of our old neighbors that he used to see all the time. Then we had a nice dinner at their house. Anthony even taught Julia his silly camera face.

Goofy Anthony is always creative (aka strange)... He found these rubber gloves (rubber gloves are an odd obsession he has) and put them on his feet (Or did you do that, Mitch??), anyway, he then proceeded to run around the house clucking like a chicken. I couldn't get him to speak English for an hour! It was pretty funny! I wish I had it on video!

He likes rubber gloves so much he chose these as his "1 thing" in Target's dollar isle!

Marc and Giovanna had us over with Matt and Sarah and their 2 cute little girls Ava and Jordanna. We had a great time! Anthony and Max hit it right off and after a few laps in the pool, disappeared into the bedrooms to play. We kept sneaking in to make sure all was well and finally on about the 3rd or 4th check Marc and I walked into Valentina's room to find it ransacked with no one in it. We turned around to find them and there they were, right in the bathroom sharing the stool, each brushing his teeth with an electric toothbrush, just smiling at us like they were so proud of themselves. They had out the fluoride, listerine, pre-blue rinse, 2 toothpastes and I think even the floss... I sure this was all Anthony provoked as he has been quite brainwashed with oral hygiene. Anyway, Marc and I just stood there shocked looking at them. We didn't know whether to praise them or yell at them, so we just turned around so they wouldn't see us laughing. By the time I got the camera out Max had already begun cleaning up. I wish I had that picture! They eventually cleaned up the mess and then got ready for a "sleep over". They had so much fun. Sorry about the toothbrush! We owe you one!

We took a little evening outing to the beach... So nice!

I just can't shrink this picture because it's too cute! My sweet boys! Sometimes I even wonder if the love me as much as they love each other... Probably, I guess they do... but it sure makes me happy to see them so sweet and loving to each other! Although... Mitch does look like he's a little in pain... He does have a tight squeeze!

These pictures are at the Wites's beautiful home. They invited us over to play and have lunch. Mark and Jen have two cute boys, Asher and Leo. They are about 1 year older and 1 year younger than Anthony. And although the kids played great together, they especially love Mitch. Most kids seem to not notice his size and facial hair and mistake him for one of the kids. As always with the Wites', it was a very nice day!

The bounce house pictures were taken at our neighbor's twin 3 year old boys' birthday party. The little girl on the left I wanted to bring home and adopt! For those of you who know my family... Doesn't she look like she could belong to a Smith??? This picture of Anthony was the last straw before I forced him to get a haircut. He is great once we get there, he loves Tracy and wouldn't dream of letting anyone else near his hair, including the silly kid places. Tracy is a good friend of mine who also does my hair. He no longer looks like the orphan below!

The pictures below are of a play date at Vinny's house. They play so well together and really are crazy about each other. Vinny has an older brother named Anthony (Tony), so Vinny always calls my Anthony "Anthony Mazza". It's very cute! His parents, Linda and Luis, are great too! Mitch and I enjoyed hanging out with them while the kids played. There will be many more play dates ahead!

Whew! I'm exhausted after all of these kid activities! Time to put Anthony to bed, get a sitter and go out with the adults... no sun, no pool, and no jabber jaws... aaaahhh...

And the saga begins...

2008-09-15T16:38:00.000-04:00

I guess I figured I would eventually have to face the "Mom's house/Dad's house" war, I just didn't think it would be at the age of 3. The smart little sh*%@ said twice over the weekend:

"Mommy, if you don't stop telling me to clean up my toys all day, I'm not going to come to your house."

It was the tone of voice that got me... very sweet and slow and matter of fact, like he was really giving me a real ultimatum. You know, exactly how I speak to him. He also informed me that Dad has more money because he lets him buy whatever big toys he wants at the store, not just one from the dollar isle. He said, "You're going to have to get more money."

Of course I replied to both appropriately and nicely, but it took a lot of will power to do so. Is this going to be the story of my life for the next 15 + years??? Ultimatums and requests for money??? Oh boy!

GRRRRRR!

Show and Tell Friday

2008-09-12T12:48:00.005-04:00

Theme: Family - Anthony brought a UTAH Snow Globe

Anthony is doing great in school. He is learning a lot and is OBSESSED with learning letters. He constantly has a pen and paper or his magnadoodle and is quizzing me or telling me what letter words start with. He traces perfectly and does pretty good free hand too! He is a lefty so he has a tendency to write letters sideways, from right to left, and top to bottom.... Is that a lefty thing or a 3 year old thing? I don't know, but his teachers are great and work with him closely to avoid creating bad habits. He's very lucky to be in a small class in a great school with wonderful teachers and very fun friends! He surprised me the other day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance the whole way through. It was so cute and hilarious to hear his version of the big words.. like "the republic" is "The Publix" (which is our big grocery store here). He is very stubborn and knows he right about everything so its impossible to correct him on anything... like the statue of "Liverty" or E's have 4+ lines in them. Anyway, he loves "Show and Tell Friday's" and this week he needed to bring something that had to do with his family... So he picked this UTAH snow globe... so cute! On the left side of the top picture is his best little school friend Vinny and one of his teachers, Miss Sherrie. He and Vinnie are two little peas in a pod and always get along well. His teachers say they are quite a pair, she feels like she is on the streets of New York with Anthony and Vinny. Vinny has a 5 year old brother named Anthony (Tony), so he call my Anthony "Anthony Mazza" every time!

Anthony was pleasantly surprised that he caught a baby lizard in our front yard.

He has been insisting on wearing his "cool" jeans although it is 1000 degrees outside!

Labor Day weekend BBQ & Rodeo

2008-09-10T13:41:00.002-04:00

Mitch decided to throw a little "Labor Day BBQ" on Sunday and invite a few people over.... 20 adults and over 20 kids later... we realized it wasn't such a small gathering after all. We were so glad that almost everyone came! Everyone had a great time and there were almost no injuries (little Jared bumped his head)! But considering that the kids were all jumping off the hot tub wall into the pool (which was full of kids), that's not too bad! Mitch was the grillmaster and did a great job, there was plenty of yummy food and even lots of leftovers! Here are just a few pictures:

Anthony was so busy with the big boys that he wouldn't even look at me all day. Luckily Sander and Griffin adopted him for the afternoon. They took very good care of him, taught him to play football, and even made sure he ate. Thanks guys!

It was Valentina's 3rd birthday! She was our guest of honor! Thanks for celebrating with us! We love an excuse for dessert!

The next day Anthony went to the Okeechobee Rodeo with his NuNu, his Aunts, and his cousins. They had a great time and he has been saying "YeeHaw!" ever since. Now he wants to be a cowboy... at least for Halloween. He even went out on the arena and chased a cow with a bow on his behind with all the kids! He has also been very concerned about a particular cowboy who got bucked and "broke his leg". Thanks to all the Mazza's for a great day! Feel free to correct my story if I got it wrong... this is the "3 year old version".

Meanwhile... Mitch and I could be found working hard on our tans and zzzzz's.... all the way up until we got rained (poured) on!

Funny Story

2008-09-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

First a little background... this is Mitch's car... I think we can all agree that although it is lovely, it's just plain small! Anthony loves to sit in it and help him wash it and on a good day, sit with him while he backs it out of the driveway. Since the back seat (yes, it's there if you look hard enough) is only big enough for an expensive, special order car seat, Anthony's never actually rode in it but would really like to. Anyway... the story goes like this:
We are at Mitch's house and Anthony is out in the street riding bikes with his friend Matthew (almost 5) from across the street. Matthew is riding a big boy bike and Anthony's is small with training wheels. He says, "My bike is little because I'm just learning, it's just a practice bike. When I get bigger I'll have a big boy bike like Matthew." When they finish riding we go to park his bike in the garage and he says, "Hey! Mitch's car is little, just like my bike!! It must be his "practice car"!" HaHaHaHa! "Mommy, when will Mitch get big enough to have a big boy car?"
I don't know Anthony....

Little Julia's Birthday...

2008-09-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

CHUCK-E-CHEESE PLEASE!
We had lots of fun at Julia's Birthday Party! She and Anthony get along so well together! We also happen to enjoy her parents (Emily and Gene) and do lots of things with them!
Get used to seeing Anthony's fingers in his mouth pulling a funny face... that's the new instant reaction when he sees the camera come out.

There's my naughty little helper! He blew out two sets of candles before she ever got a chance... even then, I think he helped. Sorry Julia! He means well!

"What pizza???"

Safe and Sound..

2008-09-08T12:46:00.003-04:00

WHEW!!! As you can see on the map below, it looks like we are in the clear from Hurricane Ike! Thanks for thinking of us! I've had many calls and e-mails from friends and family in Utah, so I just wanted to give you all a little update to let you know that we aren't in any danger at this point.... (Sorry Cuba and Louisiana!)
*For those of you who don't know, I'm in Boca Raton, FL which is just below the lake (Okeechobee) shown on the map and all the way on the east coast. Yes, I live 5 minutes from the beach! ; - )

I have much more fun and exciting things to show and tell about from the last couple of weeks, so I promise to get them posted soon!
So much to blog, so little time!!... So back to work I go....

Oh boy! Ike is coming...

2008-09-05T13:21:00.003-04:00

I'm ready to hop a plane to Utah! Anybody want to take us in???

Logan and Liam...

2008-09-04T12:15:00.012-04:00

We were at the Kigar's hanging out last week and Kelly snapped a few pictures of our cute boys. Anthony always asks for Logan (left) and Liam (right), he thinks they are so cool (which they are)! The girls better watch out for those Kigar boys! Aren't they handsome?!... and they are quite charming too! When I was pregnant whenever I came over they'd each find a ball to put under their shirts (to look like me). They used to ask if they could have that baby when he was born... or at least babysit. They were pretty confident they could handle it. They are very funny and great kids! Needless to say, hand-me-downs from them are like gold at our house! So keep 'em coming Kells! Thanks for the great pictures! We sure love you guys! See you soon at the boys' games!

Pictures and posts are coming shortly (we have been busy), but don't forget to read "ANTHONY'S QUOTES" listed down the right side. I add to the top of that list frequently and he is pretty funny! Someday I'll even get the nerve to put up the embarrassing quotes....
Back to work... Over and Out...

p.s. Anthony also finally got a much needed haircut!! Yay! He is a little upset that he can't smell his own hair anymore... weird!

A visit from Martine, Sam and Charlie...

2008-08-22T14:27:00.010-04:00

We had a very nice weekend with my friend Martine and her 2 cute boys in town from Connecticut (2 weeks ago)! It was fun to see her since it had been about 6 years or so and we had a lot to catch up on. The boys had a blast, and Martine and I picked up where we left off like it was only yesterday that we were single, childless, working at Max's together and hangin' out in South Beach... My charming Mitch was sweet as ever (as usual), he put together a little BBQ for us while we took the boys to Boomers. He made hot dogs, hamburgers, corn, salad and of course, a veggie burger! And as you can see from the pictures, he also tired out the boys nicely! What a good sport! Thanks babe, you are the best! And thank you Martine for making time for us, I know you had a lot to do in a short trip! It was great to see you! It definitely won't be another 6 years before we get together again!!

My little cleaner & helper...

2008-08-22T14:09:00.007-04:00

Anthony is all about cleaning and helping and doing whatever it takes to get a sticker on his "Reward Chart"! Of course he thinks he deserves stickers for just about anything. But it has been nice to have him so positive and anxious to help with things like vacuuming and laundry (even if it actually makes more work for me to re-do his chores). He is much nicer about dressing, brushing, sleeping, eating and lots of other challenging things. I'm so happy that he is starting to better understand that there are rewards and consequences for his actions without being reminded constantly! There is hope to get out of the terrible 2's and horrible 3's... Whew and YAYYY!!!!!

He is also becoming even more loving and appreciative... he is such an observant, smart and clever little boy! He always tells me that I am pretty and thanks me for doing things with or for him. He loves to tell me things I don't know (funny facts or phrases... sometimes that are made up and some he's learned at school) and then he'll say "You never heard that before right?" "I'm gonna tell you something else too... you ready?" He is anxious to learn lots of things, especially relating to dinosaurs, airplanes, rocket ships, heaven, skeletons, and still tractors and engines of any kind. He always wants specific info on the hows, whys and names of everything. He is also excited about learning and writing letters and making the sounds and thinking of words that start with all letters. When we are home he can rarely be caught without a magnadoodle or pen and paper practicing his writing and drawing. He is a lefty and insists on writing sideways, but his teachers are helping him learn the "lefty" ropes. He is so good a tracing and copying letters and pictures. He even drew an amazing copy of a basic car that Mitch drew for him. It included windows wheels and a driver and then a road to travel on. I'm so proud of him! I love you "baby"! xoxoxoxoooo!

Blueberry Muffins Anyone???

2008-08-22T13:11:00.004-04:00

Anthony loves to cook and bake. But he especially loves anything that has dough or batter so he can eat it raw! Gross! He's just like his Grammie! They would both eat powdered milk or pancake mix or any kind or batter or dough! As you can see from his entire head in the bowl, he just can't get enough! He also loves to show off the finished product and always makes sure everyone gets a sampling! He counted out a big plastic bag of muffins to send to Utah naming off the whole family including baby Warner. Grammie was very happy to get his package (wink wink) and he was thrilled that everyone loved his muffins. He sat at the bar and had two when they were fresh, then he stated: "I can't have another one, right?... I guess I could be done for the day." Thats one of his favorite new comments "I'm done for the day." This could refer to eating, picking up toys, bathing.. whatever. Another common response is "FINE!" He usually says it loudly like he's really put up a fight, although that isn't normally the case. I hate to admit it, but he probably got that from me.

"Mmmmm...Mmmmmm!"

Just venting...

2008-08-14T15:08:00.014-04:00

"Sometimes you're the windshield...
......and sometimes you're the BUG."

I'm feeling a bit like "the bug" this week...
This is my wish:

I would like to have more time with Anthony,
more time with Mitch,
more time for work,
more time to SLEEP,
more time to maintain my home (aka - clean, laundry, grocery shop, organize, pay bills etc...)
more time to catch up with & be a good friend to my friends,
and perhaps just one second to not have anything to do...

perhaps then I would feel slightly more in control of my life.

Sounds a bit unattainable, which I guess explains my frustration and sense of "drowning". Yes, I'm being a bit dramatic, but the pressure is starting to wear on me. I do much better when I don't think about it and just carry on, one day at a time thinking only of the blessings int my life (which are many, and wonderful)! I will work on staying positive and only worrying about the things I can control and not think about the rest...
"Ignorance IS Bliss." !!!

Ok, sorry to vent, but it must work, because I'm feeling a "libba-bit" (a famous Anthony quote) better already. I really am very happy and love my life, so I'm not complaining, just wishing for more time to "love" all the aspects of my life instead of rushing through them like a maniac on a schedule that is grossly over the allotted hours in any day. I'm sure I'm not alone on this... so for all of you who can relate: Just breath in and out and think of things that make you happy... Yes, just like the "Sound of Music" song, "These are a few of my favorite things". Then just keep smiling!... We can take a few lessons from these "Grinners" (Anthony, Warner, Asher & JoJo):

Who's not smiling now??? CHEESE!!!

Another weekend in paradise...

2008-08-04T09:36:00.010-04:00

I hope I'm not boring any of you... But, yes, this is yet another post, about yet another "fun in the sun" weekend..... Sorry! Let the fun begin...

He will kill me for this picture some day, I'm sure! Sorry buddy, I couldn't resist! You are too cute fishing naked not to take a picture! That's his new real pole... he's been practicing in the pool until they get some bait for the lake.... that ought to be interesting! Especially since he is becoming more obsessed with death (how? why? where? when?) as the days go on... He instructed me not to spray the little sugar ants coming in the house because "they like us and they are nice and they like living in our house! Don't do that!! They will get killed!" So sad... but I sprayed them the minute he turned his back!

Playing, playing, and more playing!

Ribbit!

This is a little baby frog that we scooped out of the pool with this bucket. Anthony was very excited to pet him before we "set him free".

"The Strawberry Patch"

The best part about ^ this picture is that Anthony took it!

We had fun at the "Strawberry Patch", where, if they were in season, we could have picked and ate our own strawberries. But there were other things to do and see. Mitch and Anthony each adopted a talking parrot that they thought really loved them! The birds were really cool and would do anything for attention. It was fun that they were so responsive! The pinkish white one got right down and spoke in a squeaky high voice for Anthony and screamed when he'd try to walk away. He danced and turned upside down and kept showing us how he could climb on the cage and let go with his feet, only holding on with his beak. Anthony cried when we left and wanted to take him home. He said "He will be so sad without me, he loves me!"............ Mitch got suckered in by the bright red/colorful one who followed him around the cage where ever he went saying "Hello... Whats up?" while he tried to get Mitch to copy his head movements (like Mitch was his talking pet). He also turned in circles while holding onto the cage and hung from the top doing "pull-ups". Their goodbye was equally as dramatic! What a couple of softies I have! I wish I had them that wrapped around my finger! Just kidding, they are both very good to me! In addition to the "lovebirds" there were fruits and vegetables planted, donkeys, turtles, a pig, chickens, roosters, a little country store with ice cream (which we did not have) and .... hmmm... I'm sure I'm forgetting something... Anyway, it was a fun weekend!

Mitchell's Birthday... but who's counting...

2008-07-31T21:41:00.002-04:00

A BIRTHDAY MONTH!...
Our month long celebration included 1 Hibachi dinner, 2 pool BBQ's, 2 trips to South Beach, 2 massages, a facial for Mitch and mani/pedi for me, lots of friends, and more meals and desserts than either of us would like to admit to.

Mitch - You are so cool! You had as many kids show up to your birthday party as Anthony did! I guess that makes it appropriate to use one of our favorite lines: "Grow up!" Just kidding of course! I love your birthday, but never want you to grow up! Your youthful spirit and energy is so contagious and addictive to everyone that knows you! We just can't get enough! Thanks for always making me (and many other people) smile all the time! Thanks for your positive attitude and motivating encouragement in all aspects of my life! Thank you for being Anthony's "best friend" and for reminding me that he is 3, not 15, and needs to be given some slack and gently coaxed into doing chores and eating by playing silly games. Thank you for being so loving and sweet. You are always extremely generous and thoughtful! I hope you know I appreciate all you do!
Thank you for being serious and sincere.... Thank you for being easy going, relaxed and silly!.... And thank you for knowing when to be each! I know, it sounds exhausting!
Thank you for being my best friend and biggest fan. Thank you for being my partner and always wanting me to succeed at everything I do and believing I can! Thank you for loving our "family time" and always (ok - usually) wanting to include Anthony in everything we do. Thank you for being almost as proud of him as I am! And thank you for being so tolerant with us both! You are a wonderful and amazing man and we are both lucky to have you in our lives! I love you very much! xoxooo!
I hope you got everything your heart desired (that I can afford)! I wish you a year of happiness, success, health, fun and mostly full of ME! I love you babe! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" for the last time until next year!

More swimming pictures...

2008-07-30T16:00:00.006-04:00

Yes, this is Mitch scrubbing the pool with MY toothbrush and a spraybottle of BLEACH!! What you can't see from this picture is that there are about 10 guests over with all the kids in the pool! Very funny!

Anthony Swims!!! My Little Fish!

2008-07-28T14:16:00.003-04:00

After another weekend in the pool with the "Big Kids" who swim, Anthony decided yesterday that it was time he learned to swim too. I've been trying to teach him for months, but he just wants to play and never really tries. He would never put his face under and just plain didn't want to be bothered.
Anyway, so I asked yesterday while we were in the pool by ourselves if he'd like a swimming lesson. He ripped of his mostly deflated (I know, a naughty trick) arm floaties and "dove" in. After about 15 minutes, he had it down and literally wouldn't stop even for a breath or a snack. He listened to everything I said and followed instructions perfectly! He is amazing and loves it! I am so proud of him! He spent the next 3 hours in the pool until I dragged him out. He slept like a rock and woke up ready to swim some more!
I'm so excited that I had to do a little post about it.... I'll get more pictures up soon! And if I can figure it out, perhaps even a video or two!

Delayed Reaction... But we are back...

2008-07-24T16:38:00.005-04:00

Ok people, we have some catching up to do... a months worth actually. A lot of things can happen in a month... nothing overly exciting to anyone except me, but this is my blog none the less... So here it goes... Soon to be posted (by tomorrow for sure) are pictures and commentary, (sheerly for the entertainment value)...... I figure since my sister is so clever on her blog, I must be a bit competitive, although typically that's not our nature (with each other anyway) since we are so different and rarely in life have wanted to do the same things, and therefore can not compete. I guess only our childhood friends can appreciate this as we have come a long way and are now best friends. We are also and sort of in the same "motherhood" type of boat and consequently have much more in common... And in fact, she could be winning the competition (for now) of the cutest grandchild (there are only 2) since Warner does a lot of sleeping and all kids are cute when they sleep, and Anthony on the other hand, spends a lot more time being bossy and mouthy (yes, we could still swear he belongs to Abbie) than he does sleeping, and therefore is not always so cute....
Wow! I just got way off subject, sorry! ....as I was saying, this is my blog and you can expect the following updates on us fairly soon:
Fourth of July, Mitchell's Birthday, and a few silly and cute pictures and stories that I have collected.... I hope the suspense doesn't kill anyone...
To Be Continued....
By the way, you are all slackers for not giving me your e-mail addresses to invite! Please comment with your e-mail so I can add you to the "guest list"... we are about to go private... For those of you who did, THANKS!

Happy Birthday "CooCoo" Grandma Smith

2008-07-19T12:45:00.008-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandma! I love you so much and miss you endlessly! Thanks for the rainbows and for always be in my Anthony's heart and on his mind. His innocent questions and logical statements somehow help make the void of you more bearable. He is sure Jesus has an oven and is waiting for you to send us some bread! "Throw it on down!" he says! He would also like to know if we are going to be with you again someday, "How about tomorrow?" And he also requests that you take care of our fish, HoHa, and Grammie's kitty, Justin... And do try to keep the rest of your crew up there in line!
Love, "Emy"
Some of my favorite pictures...

4th of July

2008-07-15T09:41:00.010-04:00

Well, the first problem with waiting a month to post about an event is that my memory just doesn't work that well. Sorry... I'll try to remember the funny stuff, I do remember laughing at lots of hilarious comments that come out of Anthony's mouth... but that's daily, so I have a hard time keeping track. I do add to the "Anthony's Quotes" on the right though...
Anyway... Our 4th of July went something like this: We (Mitch, Anthony, and Me) took a long (5 minute drive) trip to The Boca Raton Resort & Club
and were checked in by 11am. We met a big group of other couples and kids there (specifically Michael, Robin, Sam & Jesse). Everyone hung out at the pool, kid fountain, and craft projects all day. Lisa and Kennedy came over to hang out with us for a while. After we decided that Anthony was too wound up and having too much fun to be mean and make him nap, he almost fell asleep IN the pool with an ice cream bar in hand! It was so funny, I got him cleaned up, he crawled on Mitch and went to sleep in seconds!
So we propped him in shade and let him be while we continued to soak up the sun and fun. That night everyone met in one of the (huge) rooms for a Chinese food dinner. Due to rain, we eventually ended up watching the fireworks from the room as well. The kids had a great time running wild and playing with glow sticks and bracelets. We could see 3 sets of firework shows from their 24th floor room. We hung out the next day too. Anthony painted a ceramic space ship and we saw (well, Mitch didn't see because he was snoring) a very cool animal show ( with too many pictures to post!), had lunch, ice cream and went home... EXHAUSTED!!
NICE HEART CHEEKS!!!

Now as if that wasn't enough activity for one weekend, we got up the next day (Sunday) and spent about 5 minutes outside before we decided we couldn't take one more day of outdoor heat so we needed an indoor activity. So we jumped in the car, picked up subs and went to Ft. Lauderdale to play at the childrens museum and have a boat ride at Riverfront on Los Olas. It was very nice! Here a few of those pictures:

And that pretty much sums it up.... Watch for the next post about Mitch's birthday!

Taking my blog private...

2008-06-30T16:28:00.005-04:00

Ok everyone, I am following the "in" crown, and giving in to peer pressure to make my blog private (you know, to avoid the "crazies"), which means, you can only view our blog if I add you to the "guest list". Don't worry, there isn't a dress code are secret password... in fact, it's not hard to get into this club at all! All you have to do is comment on this post with your e-mail address to let me know you want to added to the list. I hope you've enjoyed our stories and pictures so far! I'm going to get better at posting things, as this is much easier (and more fun) than sending lots of e-mails and attaching pictures.

Thank you all!
Have a great day!
Emily

Our Florida Summer Weekends

2008-06-29T12:24:00.004-04:00

Anthony and Kyler in the pool... (actually the hot tub, it's just not hot).

Friends and neighbors...

A huge and bright green iguana right on my house!!!

A good running jump!

A not so good, but very funny nose dive! I wasn't even looking, but turned just in time!

Oh, ya! I'm getting some R & R too! I'm just happy that you can't tell from the picture that I have a good 1/4" thick layer of SPF50 on!

Anthony was doing a little yard work... and yep, there's Mitch getting his R & R reading the paper in his new lounge chair. I don't think he has nearly enough sun screen on!

Silly cute boys... probably playing space shuttle or rocket.

We do try to be a little productive and get in a little work out. We took the jogging stroller out on Sunday and Anthony insisted that he would run with us. He actually lasted a lot longer than I thought. He ran full speed for a couple of blocks... then he gets distracted by frogs or lizards or dogs, so we threw him in the stroller. He loves to mimic my stretching moves too, that's pretty funny, especially with his moaning sound effects!

And finally.... home for A NAP! I have no idea why he chose to go to sleep with the giraffe on his head. Don't worry, I checked to be sure he had an air-hole. I don't think he budged for 2 hours!

Anthony's new pearly grill!

2008-06-23T10:09:00.005-04:00

A STORY WITH A MORAL that ends with 6 crowns:
My little sweetheart was so amazingly brave and completely calm throughout the entire process. I couldn't believe it! He was fine when we woke up, and said he needed to eat and brush his teeth for the dentist. We sat in the waiting room and he said hello to everyone (he was there only a few weeks ago for his first 2 crowns) The dentist came out and spoke with us and told Anthony and I what he was going to do. Anthony reminded him about the blanket (straight jacket) that he used last time, and actually suggest that they use it again to help him hold still. Then Anthony walked into the back hand in hand with him (no parents allowed) I sat in the waiting room sweating and biting my nails (although he was a complete angel the first time too... after the straight jacket that is). The girls in the office could see I was nervous so they did frequent checks only to tell me every time that he was absolutely fine and happy. They numbed, (yes with needles) ground, and crowned 3 front teeth and one molar with no "blankets" and no tears! Not even anything to hold his mouth open, he held it open for them the whole time! The dentist and nurses were very pleased and said he was the best patient! He came out with a big smile and a new toy, which he was much more concerned about than his teeth. He showed them to me and let me take a few pictures as long as I opened his toy. He ate fine and didn't complain once the whole day, or ever! In fact, he was a little confused when I kept asking him if they hurt... He would give me a strange look and say "You feel them and see if they hurt you" meaning put my finger in his mouth, like they would be sharp. It didn't even dawn on him that his mouth or gums should hurt.
That being said, it has been a bit of an adjustment to get used to his new smile... I was a little upset last week and even took him back to the dentist to see if he could fix them a little (yes, I know, I'm very vain when it comes to my beautiful boy). He did say one crown has a little flaw, and he would gladly fix it for free, but it would require starting over. So to spare my own nerves of putting Anthony through it again, he will have to live with grill he has. Here are a few "Before and After" shots:

Before above..... And after below.... (I'm sure that didn't require clarification)
Drum role please.....

So folks, the moral of this story is:
"Twizlers (and milk), DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make a mouth happy!"
But apparently, $4000 worth of dental work does!
So, for Heaven's sake, go brush your children's teeth! (Which, just for the record, I have been religious about his entire 3 year life... making this story that more.... ummm.... coinsidental, I guess... no pun intended.
P.S. If anyone uses the word "Chiclet" in a comment regarding this post, there will be consequences!!!

My Wonderful little family!

2008-06-20T11:58:00.004-04:00

Anthony's Cousin - "Baby Warner" aka "Baby Jack"

2008-06-16T13:18:00.002-04:00

Petting Zoo at the Park

2008-06-16T13:00:00.013-04:00

We had a nice BBQ at the park this weekend. It was thrown by the gym we belong to. It was in the 90's and very humid, but Anthony didn't seem to care. There was lots of kids and lots to do. We played frisbee, and at the playground, had lunch and visited the petting zoo they brought.

He loved being in the cage with all of the little animals and touching them. The little black pig in this picture dumped that whole bucket of water on Anthony's feet. And the goat, which thankfully had curled horns, rammed him and pushed him back a couple of feet. It was very funny! Again, he didn't really care, just laughed.

The bunny was cute and seemed to like Anthony. The chickens weren't so keen on him chasing them, but the women caught one for him to examine and pet.

Anthony always loves pony rides and even gave this one a drink of his own water because he looked so hot in the sun.

Oh, and by the way, nice purse Mitch!.... Ha Ha, just kidding babe! You are so sweet to carry it for me, it does weigh 20 pounds!

Alicia Keys Concert - May 2008

2008-06-16T13:00:00.008-04:00

All I can say is... SHE ROCKS!!! What a great show!

Happy "Farter's" Day Everyone!

2008-06-16T12:59:00.001-04:00

Anthony just wanted to drop his 2 cents about Father's Day....
I'm a little unsure as to whether Anthony is really creative, or just has a hearing problem. He can take anything I say and turn it into a completely different sentence... hmmm... perhaps I don't enunciate...., who knows! For instance if I say (and yes, this is a common one) "Anthony, get up here and brush your teeth!", he will laugh and say "What? Get a pear and brush my teeth?"
So, it only took a minute before "Happy Father's Day" turned into "Happy FARTER'S Day!", which he happily wished to everyone he saw!

We had a great day! We got up early and went to Mitch's to make breakfast. Then we swam in the pool for a while, then we went to Walmart and Mitch let him pick out a Space Shuttle, which they had been wanting for a while, and a few little outfits. Then we went to lunch at Too Jay's, where Anthony passed out on Mitch's shoulder. He slept in the car for a while, so we did a little car shopping. Then we went back to Mitch's to play in the pool and grill out. It was a very lovely day!

Anthony's 3 year pictures

2008-06-11T16:46:00.001-04:00

Our trip to Utah for Baby Warner's Blessing

2008-06-11T11:10:00.001-04:00

Stay Tuned! More Updates Coming....

2008-06-03T12:53:00.006-04:00

(This is the real Anthony!)

Stay tuned... Utah pictures and stories coming soon... (hopefully tomorrow)!!
We had a great trip! Mitch survived Utah, and Utah survived Mitch! Whew! Anthony, sadly, didn't want to come home! And believe it or not, as exhausted as everyone was from chasing him around and following his direct orders and demanding requests, they said he was welcome to come back... next time for a shorter visit. Ha Ha Ha! He is very "intense" as my mom says. It requires a lot of energy just to be in the same room as he is in. But I'm sure these "difficult" traits will prove to make him a successful adult, so I will continue to look at the bright side of having a brilliant, rotten, demanding and inquisitive 3 year old.... Oh, and did I mention CUTE???!!!

My handsome and sweet (most of the time) Boys!

2008-05-31T14:42:00.006-04:00

What do boys do best??? PLAY!!!....

"He's my Best Friend!" Anthony

Love Bugs!

It had to have been 1000 degrees outside! Poor pony!

Horsin' around at the Schwartberg's house... Who's the biggest kid?

Worn out!

"He's only my Mitch! Not yours!!"

Beach Time...

"Cheeeeese!!!"

Pool time...

Father's Day Brunch ran a little into nap time...

Pretty in pastel... Oh boy!

Goof-Balls!

Bounce-House fun...

Nap time for two sleepy heads! Play Hard and Sleep Hard!

Mommy and Me...

2008-05-30T14:45:00.001-04:00

He is a great little buddy! He so cute and funny, yet such a MONSTER! He is my little Mini-Me is so many (very scary) ways! Yikers!

Grammy visits!

2008-05-29T13:49:00.004-04:00

Yay! Grammy's here!!!

Anthony always keeps Grammy very busy when she visits! He was counting down the days for weeks! He loves to order her around... "Sit here, do this, do that, play with this, no not like that, eat this, get me that..." His motto is "My way or the Highway!"... Where does he get that???...

But... the best part about Grammy coming is....

Grammy taking Anthony home to Utah with her!!!

"Good Bye Mommy!!"
Anthony was so excited to go to Utah, he had no problem leaving me! He said "Don't worry Mom, I'll come home in... maybe... 2 weeks." YA RIGHT! He is having a blast and has somebody's complete attention at all times! He's even having too much fun to talk to his Mommy on the phone.. "No, I'm too busy." Mitch and I are going out tomorrow to stay through the weekend and then bring him home! Yay! We've had a nice week to do fun kid-free things like the Alicia Keys concert, dinners at nice restaurants with friends, dinner with the girls and just relaxing! Thanks for the break and taking good care of my little monster Mom, Dad, Cassie, Buck, Abbie, Brandon and Warner! You guys are the best! Hope you didn't spoil him rotten and teach him naughty things!
Love you!

Silly Silly Faces!

2008-05-29T13:28:00.002-04:00

So Silly! We love to goof off, and he loves to see his own funny faces!

My Favorite "ANIMALS" at the ZOO!

2008-05-26T13:24:00.004-04:00

Our Mother's Day trip to the Zoo!

CALIFORNIA

2008-05-23T15:27:00.004-04:00

We had a really wonderful time in California earlier this month! We stayed near San Diego, in Del Mar. We drove up the coast to Newport Beach and back and also drove to L.A. and Hollywood for a day. We wanted to see the stars, but didn't have much luck in that department.

It is so beautiful there! Our favorite spot was La Jolla, which lucky for us, was only 10 minutes from the resort. That is where these 3 pictures were taken...

2008-05-22T15:52:00.001-04:00

Hmmm... still trying... HELP!

2008-05-22T13:03:00.000-04:00

Ok people, I am having a little trouble (as well as little time) but I am making a good attempt to figure this thing out....
Here we go....

My Wonderful Grandma, Julia Smith... The "Sunshine in my Soul"...

2008-04-18T16:00:00.001-04:00

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, Spring had finally arrived. It was a good day to go home........ On April 18, 2008 Julia Anna Holmes Smith peacefully slipped through tears of sorrow and the loving arms of her dear husband, children, grandchildren and friends and was met through tears of joy into the arms of many family, friends and loved ones that longed for her return. Her passing was the result of a recently diagnosed disease known as Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Julia was born July 19, 1933 in Liberty Utah to Sarah Ann Chard Holmes and Robert F Holmes. She had many fond memories of growing up in “The Valley”. Having been born into a large family, there was never the lack of adventure, hard work and fun. She had 6 sisters and 6 brothers. When she spoke about her family, she always included herself as “one of the boys”. She loved the outdoors and would rather be helping her father with farming chores than being stuck indoors doing “girl” things.

Julia made her home in Lehi after marrying Richard Maxfield Smith in the Salt Lake Temple on November 19, 1954. She loved life and lived it to the fullest. She was a true friend in every sense of the word. Anyone who knew Julia could depend on her for anything including a hot meal, a loaf of bread, a good laugh, a kind deed, a heartfelt hug, the “remedy” or free veterinary services. You felt like you were the most important person to Julia, even if you had just met her.

Julia was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served faithfully in many callings from Relief Society President to Nursery Leader. For the last several years she and Richard have enjoyed doing extraction work together in their home. She was a great example of charity, service and faith to her family. She set the standard high and it is now up to those of us left behind to follow her example.

She is survived by her husband of Lehi; three sons and one daughter, Shane (Collette) Smith, Perry (Greta) Smith, of Lehi; Cody (Shelly) Smith, Alpine; Angie (Brandon) Gerber, Highland; daughter-in-law, Cindy (Sherm) Gallagher, West Jordan; 17 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; 3 brothers and 3 sisters, Avon (Cheryl) Holmes, Clifford (Renee) Holmes, Liberty, UT; Carl (Penny) Holmes, Richfield; Cleo (Lee) Painter, Plain City, UT; Reta Stanley, St. John, AZ; Shyrel (Bob) Roberts, Huntsville. She was preceded in death by a son, Stacy J. Smith and granddaughter, Sierra Smith.

Funeral services and viewings will be held at the Lehi West Stake Center, 1920 N. 500 W. Friends and family may call at the church Tuesday evening, April 22nd from 6-8 p.m. and also Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. with funeral services beginning at 11:00 a.m. April 23rd. Interment, Lehi City Cemetery. Online guestbook at wingmortuary.com.