Smiths' Small World

I Will Get Back Into This . . .

2011-12-06T15:24:00.001-05:00

It's just nice to be able to "talk" in adult language, so I will try to keep this blog going. Since I've gotten back online, I've discovered pinterest.com, more money saving websites, and more Facebook updates from others. I feel like I was living in a hole for 3 years and came back up to see so much more that I can use online!

With Christmas only 19 days away, I'm excited as I've used those internet tools to score some great deals & use craft ideas to make some cute gifts too. The house is decked minus the tree, but whether we're ready or not, Christmas is coming! Woo hoo! Maleia is excited and Lincoln just rolls with the flow and Alayna has no clue what's going on, but still is adorable as always. :)

Hoping Lincoln's sense of fashion improves over time

Maleia with her friends for her 4th Birthday - Tangled Theme!

Smiling Happy Alayna - 8 months!

Finally . . . Here We Go!

2011-10-22T16:29:00.002-05:00

Ok, so after 3 1/2 years of dial-up like internet access or access through just Geoff's smartphone, we hooked up with high speed internet! Add a cheap wireless router & we're doing great. Except for one thing. A home computer. Ours died shortly before Alayna was born in March. So, we'd use Geoff's work computer if he brought it home. But, this week that changed, here I am in my kitchen on my home computer with wireless access. I feel so up. to. date! :)
So, pics & updates will be a regular thing.
Family around the country rejoices!

It's Been Awhile

2011-05-13T18:46:00.004-05:00

So, it's been almost a year since my last post. Since then, we've remodeled most of our home,

gotten pregnant, moved & had a baby. Here are some pics for the family - finally. :) Home pics should come soon!Alayna Caye Smith born on March 16th

First Bath-not too happy about it :)

On the way home from the hospital

Minutes after being born - we were shocked because we'd only been at the hospital for 20-25 minutes, and here she was!

Maleia's favorite thing to do - hold her little sister

Lincoln sporting his sister's Strawberry Shortcake glasses

Miss Sweet Alayna

The best we can do in getting the 3 kids in 1 picture

Maleia's Grand Prix Car for Kids4Truth. She wanted a car that was purple and had butterflies and flowers on it - so dad made a VW Van. It got 7th place overall in speed!

A New Home

2010-05-31T10:58:00.014-05:00

On May 27, 2010, we closed on our first home! It's a great ranch with a raised family room & kids' bedrooms with a partial basement. It's about 2,000 sq. ft which is double what we are living in now. The Lord allowed us to get a great price and has obviously led us to this home. We'll be doing some renovations over the summer before we actually move in. Here's a tour of the new place in the BEFORE conditions!

First view from the front door into the living room

From the sliding glass door view. Right side has the front door & the door from the double garage. Coat closet straight ahead with a strange cubby too small for a fridge, but with an outlet in the back.

Breakfast bar & kitchen cabinets in the living room (will be relocated)

Cabinets from the living room will be moved to the left wall. Green sink, stove top, and oven will be removed. Paint the cabinets and new countertops is the plan.

Dining room Mucho paneling and rock stickers! Painted finished drywall has been found under this paneling!

Cool archways throughout. Entrance to the master "suite."

Master bedroom side

Master bathroom side - it's in the same room as the bedroom - no walls to separate. Yes that is an "outhouse" built around the toliet. The inside is also lined with paneling. A nice fake brick wall is the background.

Luxurious tub - no shower - only tub in the house

Great mirror tiles line the walls with a relaxing bench in the corner.

Strange place for a linen closet - it won't be there forever!

Family room

Family room looking down to the dining room & kitchen

Maleia's "Bubble" Room

Bright blue bathroom with shower - only shower in the house

Lincoln's room with shag carpet that isn't shaggy any longer

Hallway from family room to kids' bedrooms and basement door is ahead

Looking down the basement steps - yes that is carpet on the walls.

Nice electric stove - note the outlet & plug from the "brick" wall. :)

Laundry room

Backyard pics - about 3/4 acre

Pavilion is 18' by 24' - very nice. Just needs some paint & a roof soon

The center doorway is from the master bedroom. The paver patio is decent size.

Better look at the fireplace.

front porch

Maleia was supposed to be in this pic, but she's off the the side crying & ready for lunch.

2 car garage

May 2010

2010-05-31T10:52:00.004-05:00

Happy kid!

Does really well sitting all by himself!

Falls asleep reading books. :) Mommy used to do that!

Feel the love!

April 2010

2010-05-31T10:40:00.002-05:00

Easter Outfits - not necessarily Easter Day since no one wanted pics done that day. :)

Maleia practicing singing since that's what Mommy was doing (in the same spot) for the weeks before the Easter Cantata for our church.

Wearing Easter sunglasses in Christmas jammies - we live in Wisconsin-what do you expect?

Maleia's Chubby Face impression - you'd understand if you are my parents or sisters. LOL :)

6 months!

teething biscuits - the jacket was covered by the end

Strike a pose!

March 2010

2010-05-31T10:11:00.004-05:00

After many requests for pictures, I've finally had a chance to upload some "recent"ones!

Rolling over at 4 months!

Success!

Cheesy grin & picking at her fingers - something her father does!

Lincoln in his Mickey Mouse Hat

Maweeah & Ginken

Picture described by Maleia when she saw me working on it: Maweeah sitting in a chair smiling

Happy Buddy!

Trying out our Easter hats. Maleia refused her & wanted to wear her winter one instead. Thankfully for Easter she did put hers on!

Joe Cool

Lincoln's 3 Month Shots - 3 Months ago

2010-04-25T18:32:00.002-05:00

Various Pics of the Kiddos

2010-01-25T17:41:00.004-05:00

Christmas 2009

2010-01-25T17:36:00.004-05:00

Maleia finding her Christmas stocking

Playing with her new kitchen - so much fun!

Lincoln's 1st Christmas

All dressed up for Church

Playing with her new Mr. Potato's glasses - :)

Brother & Sister

2010-01-25T17:32:00.001-05:00

Trick Or Treat!

2009-10-31T20:23:00.003-05:00

Lincoln's 1st Halloween - no candy this year!

Lincoln & Maleia both in their 1st Halloween outfits - yes, Maleia's still fits - better than last year!

The Magical Maleia Fairy - Thanks, Grandma for my pretty dress! I love the wings!

The Ferocious Lincoln Tiger!

If you see a sleeping tiger, whisper, shhhh!

Welcome to the World!

2009-10-25T20:59:00.005-05:00

We are happy to announce that Lincoln Warren Smith came into the world on Friday, October 23, 2009, at 10:58 p.m. 7 lbs. 6.9 oz. and 18" long.Lincoln Warren Smith

Shortly after birth

Being checked out for his APGAR

Daddy, Mommy, & Lincoln after a loooong day of hard work

Proud daddy with his son

Getting his first bath - he loved the warm bed!

Sleepy baby

Going Home - Finally!

Let's Go!

Maleia's "holding" Lincoln

Not sure what I think about this guy!

Pictures for the family!

2009-10-08T21:42:00.002-05:00

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa" was all she could say at Cabela's Animal Setting.

"Cheese!!"

Learning while eating - she points out the ABCs & 1,2,3s that she recognizes

The smile disappears & "OOOHHHH" comes out when the orange light on the camera signals that the flash will be coming.

Maleia & her Buddy - the bear travels with us quite often!

38 Weeks

2009-10-08T20:49:00.003-05:00

38 Weeks along!
October 17th is the due date, so we'll see when our little guy will come!

A Couple Pics

2009-07-24T15:19:00.002-05:00

Playing with daddy's safety glasses!

Just being cute so she can hold the camera

Sharing 1 of 2 apples in one sitting with daddy

27 Weeks

2009-07-24T15:16:00.002-05:00

This pregnancy is flying by! In 13 weeks my due date will be here and so will our little guy!

Respite from Blogging

2009-07-24T14:45:00.002-05:00

My respite from blogging wasn't exactly on purpose, but because of necessity, I guess. Since I posted last, I'll give a brief run-down of things that have happened in our lives.

May:

Geoff's sister got married, so we took a 5 day trip to PA.
Maleia & I went to Colorado for a 5-6 day trip to visit family

June:

Geoff went on a week-long fishing trip in Canada with men from the church
Geoff's parents came to our house to watch Maleia for a week
Geoff & I took 5 teens from church to Kenora, Ontario, Canada on a work missions trip
My parents came for a five day visit starting the day we arrived back from Canada (they were originally going to watch Maleia while we were on a missions trip to Mexico, but that trip was canceled, so they kept their time off & came to visit anyway)

July:

Preparations for VBS
Enjoyed VBS
Entered the 3rd trimester of pregnancy!

So, now we're taking a short breather I guess you could say. Preparations for Baby Boy Smith who is due to come October 18th or so will continue. I've picked up some blue for him to wear here & there and grandma has also started donating things for the cause too. :)

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T13:53:00.004-05:00

Having fun dyeing eggs!

Trying to be a good sport since Maleia was done after 2 eggs.

Sitting pretty in her rocking chair that used to be mommy's when she was Maleia's age!

Showing off her fancy Easter dress!

Letting everyone know that Mommy will look like she swallowed an Easter egg whole in October!

Best Seat in the House

2009-02-08T19:58:00.002-05:00

Not So Yummy

2009-02-08T19:10:00.004-05:00

No this isn't a delicious dessert. It's wet old coffee grounds. From the trash. The second day in a row. Take note: wet coffee grounds on a tiled surface do not vacuum up, they spray every where!

Cheesy Grin

2009-02-08T19:02:00.003-05:00

Most recently when we're at the dinner table, Maleia will start jabbering a way in her own language to make sure she doesn't feel left out. If that doesn't work, she turns on the charm a.k.a. the cheesy smile that makes us laugh.

Where's Maleia?

2009-02-08T18:57:00.001-05:00

She's really under there!

Peek - a - boo!

Love that static hair!

A favorite game played every day!

Too Much Time

2009-02-08T18:44:00.002-05:00

So, once again too much time has elapsed between posts. I'm a stay at home mom, so this should never happen, right?! Yeah right!

Our lives have been hectic this year with youth activities, college trips, and most recently a Valentine's Banquet for the adults in our church. I have pics from way back when & I know people are anxiously waiting, so without further ado . . .

One of my favorite smiles!

Getting ready for bathtime!

Ever pick up a piece of clothing at a thrift store at a great price & realize that the previous owner was probably a little bigger than your little one?

These pants are one of those finds!

Dad, can I borrow your belt?

BRRRR!!!!!

2009-01-15T10:46:00.000-05:00

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Maleia's 1st Birthday!

2008-11-22T21:55:00.006-05:00

It's amazing how fast a year can go by & with so much in it! On Nov. 20th we celebrated Maleia's 1st Birthday!

Overwhelmed by presents - what are these? Wait, I see toys!

This will be loads of fun!

What does this do? Wait, what about this thing?

I love soft stuffed animals!

Practicing the newly learned skill of hugging

Although all those toys are cool, I prefer to play with this!

New outfit due to playing peek a boo with mommy while she's trying to shower.

What exactly is this?
"Mmmmm" was said after each bite!

Do I have to wait another year before I get more of this??

Playing Catchup

2008-11-22T21:44:00.003-05:00

I have a load of pics to post. Grandparents were starting to whine. :)

A cheap walker

Telling the kitty about her day

I love snacks!

Favorite sleeping position

Another Cheap Walker!

Always smiles for the camera

Rootin' for Mama's team!

Everyone has one of these in their albulm

Can I get any cuter?

From Our Little Pumpkin!

2008-10-31T20:16:00.002-05:00

Happy Trick or Treatin'!

Got any candy for me??

Election 2008

2008-09-25T12:52:00.002-05:00

With about 40 days to go until the Election of our President, and I've been bitten by the political bug. When Geoff had a longer commute in PA, he got hooked onto Conservative Talk Radio. Everyday he would come home and tell different things that he had learned that ABC, CBS, and NBC weren't making public knowledge.

Now that I'm home all day, I usually have some white noise in the background. Since I can learn little snippets here and there from talk radio, I tried it out. Now, I'm hooked. It's on a couple hours during the day, and this entire political process is quite interesting. With the bailouts, election, and various changes in the government, I feel informed and ready to VOTE!!!

I'm also ready for these pesky election ads to disappear. Does anyone else feel like they have been playing for about a year? Oh, wait. They have.

Hip Hip Hooray!!

2008-09-08T10:45:00.005-05:00

A year later and it's completely done!! Last July, we bought wood and plans. In August, we bought power tools. And since then we've purchased sand paper, stain, more stain, polyurethane, more sandpaper, another power tool here or there, and the result is . . . .Maleia's Crib!!

I know she's nine months old, but the pack and play has been fine. The following are to show off my husband's handyman-ship and Maleia's reaction.

Back from a Break

2008-09-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

It has been a pretty busy summer, and it looks like fall is not slowing down, but such is life, right?

I've had a hard time coming up with things to write about on here, but I'll try to be a little more consistent. It won't necessarily be interesting, but I'm sure there will be pictures of Maleia to help make up for it!

This summer, one of my closest friends, Renee, was able to come up and visit. It's so nice to know she's only 4 hours away compared to two days of traveling when I lived in PA.

It was so nice to have her meet Maleia in person, and just spend time talking and laughing with her. I think laughing is what we do best! She has such a heart to follow the Lord and to win others to Christ. Whenever we talk or e-mail each other, I always come away thinking. I love friends like that & have been blessed to have a couple close ones like Renee.

Yummy & Easy Recipe

2008-07-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

I easily get stuck in a rut with our dinners. Since getting satellite television, I've been interested in watching the Food Network. It's amazing what some of those people can do with food! Being the newbies in town, we've been invited to many homes for lunch & dinner. Here's one that made it into our regular schedule because it's simple & delicious!

Chicken Pockets
2-3 cups of cooked chicken, cubed into bite-sized pieces (about 2 boneless chicken breasts)
3-4 oz. of cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat) softened
1 tbs. butter melted
1 container of refrigerated crescent rolls - 8 crescents (I use low fat ones also)
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375* F. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese & butter. Add in the chicken, salt, & pepper. On a cookie sheet, press together 2 crescent roll triangles to form a rectangle & repeat with the remaining rolls (equals 4 rectangles). Spoon equal amount of mixture onto each rectangle. Bring the corners of the roll to the center and twist together creating a pinwheel type look. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown & heated through. Serves 4 pockets.

Delish!

Happy July!

2008-07-11T17:16:00.003-05:00

Look at my new trick!

I'm cute & I know it

Try #1-Getting dressed for 4th of July. The snaps weren't even done & this happened!

Later that day - all clean & ready to go to a picnic!

1st Ponytail!

Hi!

Maleia in Colorado

2008-07-11T17:10:00.003-05:00

We had a great trip in Colorado back at the end of May.

4 Generations - Great Grandma Hurley, Grandma Lewis, Mama Smith, & Maleia Smith

Mommy, think Uncle Pat will let me drive?

I'm soo cool!

Having Fun

2008-07-11T16:57:00.005-05:00

Hanging with her friend Emma

6 mos old & sitting by herself

... well not for long . . .

"Hey Mom, you going to do something about this?"

Not so happy Baby

Maleia's Got the Blues

Hangin' with Daddy

6 Month Pics

2008-06-10T21:11:00.005-05:00

We headed into a nearby town to get pictures down at Sears. Maleia slept on the way, it wasn't feeding time yet, and still we have a meltdown 10 minutes into the session. Figures. :) Well, our package is for 1 shot, so we got it. The rest aren't terrible, just not the greatest. Geoff wants us to invest in some material and do our own, so if she isn't in a good mood that day, we can try again another day. Do you do portrait shots of your little ones?

Our serious child

Half smile

Cute Smile, off center

Smiling, but leaning forward

Since she keeps looking this way, maybe we should turn the camera over here

Nice smile, but still to the side

The Winner: Smiling & Centered - how hard could that be?

Quick Re-cap

2008-05-29T11:44:00.003-05:00

Ok, I have no excuse for not posting more regularly. I finally figured out how to use Geoff's phone as a modem for the internet a couple weeks ago. After being away for about 2 months, there's a lot to catch up on!

We're getting accustomed to country living and enjoying it!

My first Mother's Day was enjoyable! Thanks to Amazon.com 's reconditioned section, Geoff set the bar high with this

and a nice dinner out to Texas Roadhouse! I know the future ones will be more low key, but I felt very loved!

Right now, I'm with my parents in the midst of a 10 day stay. Maleia & I flew out alone leaving Geoff to bach it out. He's extremely busy with church responsibilities since our pastor is out of town too. So, if we were home, we'd see him just as much as we have here in CO. :)

I've been enjoying having great stores within 10-15 minutes away versus 45-60 minutes - hello, new summer wardrobe!

I think that wraps up what's been going on with our lives. Nothing overwhelmingly exciting, but since I've been reading all my friend's blogs, I figured I better post something!

Cereal!

2008-04-28T13:43:00.000-05:00

She LOVED eating cereal!

One Word Says It All:

2008-04-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

TEETHING!!!

Maleia in April

2008-04-28T13:36:00.002-05:00

Her favorite toy - her hand!

Note: Wheel of Fortune was on & it's never too early for her to learn her letters!

Are you talking about me?

Rolling Over!

2008-04-28T13:34:00.001-05:00

I wonder if any other of our future children will have pics like this??

Maleia in March

2008-04-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

3 Mos Old
4 Mos. Old
Having too much fun playing!
Last Family Shot in PA
Can I have fries with these?

Easter in PA

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

Scrounging for Internet

2008-04-28T13:22:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it safe & sound to Greenwood, WI! The move went smoothly even though there's some new scuffs & tears here & there on our things, we are happy to be here! Maleia did great on the 2 9-hour drives each day. The last hour of the day was the noisiest with the crying, but we made it!
The church here has made us feel right at home & we feel a great bond with the people. The boxes are unpacked & we're busy with different ministries. The youth group will be taking a large part of our time during the weeks. We went on our 1st activity: Springfest 2008 at NBBC. It was freezing!! Snow, wind, and 35 degree weather kept Maleia & me indoors most of the time, but the teens seemed to still enjoy themselves. We took about 25 kids up. No complaints about the weather or leaving the church at 4:30 am on a Saturday. We have been blessed with great kids! :)
Due to living in the sticks, DSL is not available to us, so unfortunately, my interent time is scrounged here & there when we're at church. Hopefully, we'll get something worked out pretty soon. Until then, I've stacked up on some pics, so the grandparents can have their fix. :)

Friday Survey - SPRING!!

2008-03-21T10:17:00.002-05:00

1. Does your household do spring cleaning?
Nope, not usually. I try to do a complete cleaning when I'm changing seasonal decorations, so that happens around the fall, Christmas, and summer.

2. Do you approach spring with joy for all the newly growing things and the sight of grass, or does it just scream MUDDY FLOORS AND MOPPING?
It definitely lightens my spirits by seeing green grass & new flowers popping up. We take off our shoes at the front door, so no muddy floors for me. :)

3. Do you have a garden that you will be planting and, if so, what do you plant?
I usually plant flowers in a flower bed. Since I have no clue what our house looks like that we'll be moving to in 10 days, I'm not sure if any planting will be done this year or not.

4. What is your favorite thing about springtime?
I love the newness of spring! Some people feel that way at the beginning of the year in January, but I feel that way now. I love seeing the trees blossom, daffodils pop up, tulips opening up, and being able to take walks outside with just a sweatshirt or jacket!

An Easter Package

2008-03-20T14:00:00.002-05:00

Today we received an Easter Package from Colorado!
Thanks, Auntie Katie, for the Easter Duckie! I needed more bath toys!

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Lewis for the fun toy!

My 1st Easter Bunny!

More clothes!

Reading my card

Maleia Just Wants to Say

2008-03-17T09:56:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Gotta Love the Stat Counter!

2008-03-11T09:47:00.003-05:00

I found out that I've had some interesting hits on my blog this past week.

Someone from Singapore found my site by googling: Pamela Used Undies - - - umm, gross! & how did I get linked to that??
Someone from England found my site by searching: Big Beautiful Preggo - - - thank you, I think.

Time Flies When . . .

2008-03-07T14:27:00.002-05:00

you really want it to slow down! :) We've been staying busy trying to work out all the details of the move. I haven't started packing yet, but have decluttered a little here & there.
This week Geoff & I drove out to south-central PA to pick up a new-to-us sectional for our living room. We needed new furniture because we knew that what we have probably would not make it to WI in one piece. It would make sense to purchase something in WI, but when you can't afford new, and the area you're moving too has VERY little used, it was best to check out the overabundance of Craig's Lists in my area. On Monday night Geoff & his uncle squished it through our doorway. Geoff's newly wed (as in 1 week!) sister & brother-in-law are interested in our older stuff since they have nothing for their living room and thought they'd come this weekend. So, in my living room sat a sectional, couch, dining set (since our dining room became an office when Maleia came), rocking chair, recliner, and entertainment center. We made a "pathway" that we knew would last a week and then our home would come to some kind of order before the movers took everything away.
UNTIL, a phone call came in on Tuesday afternoon. Our complex manager wanted to show the apartment to a prospective tenant on Wednesday!! The next 24 hours was a flurry of organizing closets, pushing furniture around to look somewhat reasonable-ok somewhat reasonable is pushing it, but I tried! I went shopping with a friend to avoid embarrassment. :)

Maleia is 3 months!

2008-02-23T21:05:00.005-05:00

Showing off her new toy-the boppy pillow!

Loving the Boppy!

Tired of the Boppy!

We loved her cute folded hands.
"Please feed me!"

Maleia with her sweetheart (I share!)

Little girl in a big bed

"These things taste really good, but when I get them in too far, yucky things happen!"
After eating, she put her fingers in her mouth & accidentally did a bulimic move-not pretty!

What a happy baby!

Time's flying by, and the relatives are begging for more pics!

Deal of the Century!!

2008-02-23T20:56:00.005-05:00

Knowing that we were most likely heading into full-time ministry soon, Geoff's parents gave Geoff a check for $100 to put towards a new suit for Christmas. Now, if you're suit shopping, you usually wait for a sale, and even with a good sale, $100 doesn't go too far on a nice suit. I had been shopping in the mall, and saw that one of the department stores was having a 50% off sale on all their suits. So, I drug Geoff in to check it out, but Maleia needed to eat soon. After feeding her, I asked if he wanted to go back and look some more, but he had pretty much seen everything, and hadn't like anything. So, we headed to J.C. Penney's to look.

We walked into the section, and I saw a clearance sign. It stated $14.97. On the rack were dress pants, and many many suit coats! Geoff didn't believe it and he asked the clerk to confirm. Yup, EVERYTHING was $14.97 each!!
So, we walked away with 4 suit coats and a pair of pants for $14.97 each with regular prices of $200.00 each. Then Geoff picked up an expensive pair of pants for $25. The regular price of all of these would have been $870.00, and we paid $98.00! We praise the Lord on such a great find that He led us to! Geoff has doubled his suit choices, and will have plenty of choices now that he needs to wear these more often. It just seemed like the Lord was saying that He has led us to this assistant position & He will take care of all the little things.

Where are the Boxes?

2008-02-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

Today, Geoff called the pastor in Wisconsin to let him know that we would love to accept their offer of Geoff being the Assistant/Youth Pastor at Missionary Baptist Church in Greenwood, WI.
We hope to be in the moving van April 1st or so. We'll know more information once we have housing secured in Greenwood. It's funny to think of me living in a town of 1,000 people where everyone knows everyone's business. I've lived in a suburb all my life except for college. Now, I will have to plan carefully trips into towns since I won't have the convenience of forgetting important things. Greenwood does have a small IGA, so those forgetful moments will probably cost me. :) The nearest good sized town is 40 minutes away, and 2 larger cities, Wausau and Eau Claire are an hour on each side of Greenwood, so when I need to get to a mall to feel like I'm back in society, it is possible!

We are both looking forward to working with the church. Geoff is the first assistant the church
has ever had, so it'll be a learning experience on both sides. The youth group is made of about 40-50 great kids. We have ideas spinning through our heads for activities and such, but know that we need to take small steps as we learn full-time ministry.

So, since May of 2007 we have had the following changes in our lives: Geoff graduated from seminary, we announced our pregnancy, started searching for a ministry, gave birth to our little Maleia, grieved the loss of my brother, and beginning a new ministry in a new state. Needless to say, our lives have not been boring. It's been so neat to see God leading us through each circumstance with his grace and mercy to help us through.

So, does anyone know where good free moving boxes are?

Taking an Airport Break

2008-02-20T15:56:00.004-05:00

We arrived home after 8 days away on Monday at 2 am. I'm calling a break from airports & airplanes. Here's a timeline of our travels to explain why:

Friday:

Call to check our flights before leaving the house and everything is on time!
Leave the house at 8:30 am to arrive at the airport by 9:30 am for our 11:30 am departure
Arrive at the gate to see that our flight is delayed 1 hour due to the Windy City having windy weather
Sat at the gate and saw that our flight was pushed back an additional half hour-figures
Finally, take off & arrive in Chicago with 45 minutes to spare before our connecting flight is supposed to leave
Check the monitors to find out where we need to jog to next. Having to step over people and guide ourselves through a human mass made me a little nervous.
Our flight was canceled, so I stand in line while Geoff stays with Maleia in an overcrowded gate. We obviously weren't the only ones with a canceled flight.
I get our re-booked tickets which state we'll leave at 7:30 pm. Only a 3 hour wait!
As we sit in our gate reading and eating lunch, we hear of 5-6 different flights being canceled. So, I check ours just in case-CANCELED!
We call the pastor and decide to try to fly into a larger airport, and reroute ourselves to go to Minneapolis.
Since we had changed flights, we change gates. I call the airline to make sure our luggage is switched to the new flight and am told that this is impossible to do, and that our luggage will arrive at the original destination on Saturday morning. This is frustrating, but manageable.
Board our new flight and realize it is quite hot since there's no air conditioning running.
The pilot says there is water leaking into the cockpit, so the mechanics have to check it out.
45 minutes later the pilot announces that it could be an easy fix or one that would take many many hours - still VERY hot!
After sitting on the plane for 2 hours, we finally get ready to take off.
30 minutes after that, we finally do take off on our 1 1/2 hour flight!
Arrive in Minneapolis to take a 2 1/2 hour drive to Greenwood, WI
Original arrival time: 2:30 pm; Actual arrival time: 1:30 am Saturday

Saturday:

In the morning call to check on the luggage, it has not arrived and will come in around 11 pm possibly. More likely on Sunday.
Since Geoff is preaching on Sunday, he needs church clothes. I wouldn't mind fresh underwear.
A quick 20 minute trip to Wal-mart to get all needs to get through to Monday since our schedule was full and no trips to the airport would be able to be squeezed in. $150 later we have fresh undies, socks, church clothes, diapers, shoes, a fresh shirt for our activity on Saturday night, and some nice extras like deodorant and combs.

Monday:

Hallelujah for clean clothes!

The flights back were less harried, but we still had 2 hour delays here and waiting over an hour for our luggage there (I guess just as long as your luggage gets on a flight to your destination it doesn't matter if you are on that flight or not). We were hoping to be in bed around midnight, but it was 2 am. I guess it could have been worse! I just want a break from the airline industry!

A Couple Pics

2008-02-07T10:08:00.000-05:00

Our little girl just keeps growing & growing! The doctor said at her 2 month appointment that she was "developmentally advanced." I thought she was trying to make a first time mom feel good, but I looked up a couple things, and she is a little ahead of the game! :) Grandma Lewis in Colorado requested more pics, so here it goes!

Our sleepy girl learned how to hug her Piglet that her aunt bought her at Disney World.

Hi!

These things are hands, and I just realized that they belong to me!

Our petite princess

"I'm going to take you down!"

She fell asleep in her bouncy holding onto her doll's hand - how precious!

Great deal!

2008-02-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Katie's recent post about a great deal with Safeway stores, I headed over there yesterday. The special was for when 5 items of Sara Lee, Hillshire, Jimmy Dean, and Ball Park were bought, a coupon would print for $10 off your next purchase of any size. I was planning on stocking our freezer before leaving on the trip, so when we got back we'd have something to eat for dinner! Of course, after I buy my initial purchase to get the coupon, the cashier's register is not working and nothing prints out, so the manager handed me a $10 bill. Hey, that works! I decide to come back after church that night so they'd have time to get their system back up & running. I bought as much meat as I thought our freezer would hold for now, divided it up into a couple transactions. The 16 year old cashier looked shocked when I told her I should get back a $10 coupon as it was printing it out. She asked how I knew that, and I told her there were signs saying it would happen. For a moment there I think she thought I was psychic! :)

Our store doesn't carry Sara Lee breads, which I was kind of hoping for, but that's ok, we stocked up on meat! The crazy thing was that all the meat was either 2 for $5 or 2 for $4! Good thing we eat pork!

2 packs of Ball Park hot dogs, 1 box of turkey sausage patties, 5 containers of lunch meat, 2 rolls of sausage, 1 package of bacon, 1 package of cocktail weiners, 4 packages of kielbasa, and 3 Sara Lee pumpkin pies (on clearance from the holidays, so only $3.50 each in contrast to the regular $8-9 price). Total worth regular price: $106! Total worth sales price: $85! Total out of pocket: $27.00!

I still have one more $10 coupon, and will go back to buy products that we need later on. So, that will had $10 more to the savings. Praise the Lord for His providing a great deal!

And, We're Off!

2008-02-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

On Friday morning, we head to airport again. Little Maleia has been on 9 planes so far in her short life, and she's about to board 4 more in the next week! The church in Wisconsin that is interested in having Geoff come as an assistant pastor has invited us out for a 2nd interview and to candidate this next week. We have a hectic week full of youth activities, church dinners, meetings, and other outings. Well, Geoff will be more busy than Maliea and I will be. We'll hang out, play, crochet, etc.

We're looking forward to it, and I'm just hoping little Maleia continues to sleep through the night like she has this past week! That's right! Maleia has dropped her 2-3 am feeding and we are sleeping solid from 11 pm -6 am. Hallelujah! I was just beginning to get to my wit's end when she started. God does know how much we can handle. :)

So if you think about it, please pray that God's will will be shown to us clearly, and that we will follow His guidance. Also, pray for Geoff as he prepares to preach or give devotions 4 different times during the week. To say the least, we haven't seem much the past 2 weeks as he has been preparing.

Friday Survey

2008-01-25T12:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday there was news about the government sending out checks to some tax payers (I'm hoping I'm one of them!), and then there's thinking about filing taxes and hoping for a nice refund, or just hoping you don't have to owe if you're not planning on it! So, here's a fun survey about what you'd do if you had a windfall!

1. If you were to get a unexpected windfall, what is your first thought on what to do with the money? Were you practical or not?! Practical-down payment on a home, pay off my car to be entirely debt free, put some in savings for retirement, etc.

2. You have $1000 to spend on yourself. What do you buy? With $5000? $1000-new living room furniture $5000-put towards a down payment on a home

3. You have $1000 to spend on something for your home. What do you buy? With $5000? $1000-living room furniture $5000-appliances for our new home!

4. You have your windfall and you realize your car is older than you. So what do you buy? A crossover car with the third row seat. Then with the leftover money a new Ford Mustang! :)

5. You decide to buy some books with your windfall at Amazon. What 5 books would you get? One on how to make babyfood, a couple parenting books, and a couple fiction books by some of my favorite authors.

My answers were kinda boring. Anyone else wonder what they'd do with a windfall?

Limerick Fun

2008-01-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Over at Rocks In My Dryer, Shannon is having a limerick contest ending tonight! Go write a fun limerick to enter for a free MP3 Player-which happens to be on my wish list right now!

Here are my entries. Not sure you can have 2, but oh well.

Our dear daughter decided to give us a smile
Her gummy face lasted quite awhile
We thought it was gas
But nothing did pass
And our love grew gazing at her face with no guile

As a young mother cuddled her baby
She thought, “Maybe, oh, maybe!
We’ll sleep through the night
Without a fight
And no more a walking zombie I may be!”

Now, many of you are much better writers than I, so go, & give it a try!

Being a SAHM

2008-01-17T14:27:00.001-05:00

It feels as if Maleia and I have started the rhythm of a schedule here at home. Of course, it mostly revolves around her feedings every 3 hours or so, but I'm able to get things done after her play time when she's napping. I've started going through each room of the house & trying to get it organized. While I was pregnant this summer and fall, there were so many family gatherings, church functions, etc., that I did basic, and I mean basic, cleaning when I could & had energy to do so. Now, I'm making up for it & getting things together to go to the local thrift store, trying to organize closets, and all that fun stuff.

So far, I've gotten Maleia's room done. Honestly, it took a week. Her room is 1/2 storage & 1/2 baby stuff. With all the hand-me-downs & Christmas gifts, I filled one 25 gallon container with her 3-6 months outfits and another 25 gallon container with 6-9 months outfits. Her dresser drawers hardly shut with her 0-3 months clothes!! The girl is quite the clothes hog. :) We truly are blessed because when she came into the world, we had 5 undershirts, 10 sleepers, and 3 sleeping sacks. As for the storage part of the room, it still looks like storage, but I know where everything is, and that's what counts!

One thing about being at home is being able to think about dinner & get it started earlier in the day. I've loved using the crockpot and just having time & energy to get dinner ready. It's hard to think about & do when you've put in 9 hours at a job 5 days a week! Not that taking care of your kids isn't working, but it's a different stress level I think.

Now, I'm wondering what other new SAHMs do to stay busy?

Here are some pics for the family. I've finally caught some smiles on camera.

Maleia Overload!

2008-01-10T16:50:00.001-05:00

Having a little conversation. I'm sure "no dating until you're 30" was in there somewhere!

Ready for church with matching shoes - thanks Grandma Lewis!

Napping in the swing

Too cute! Starting to smile!
Ahhh, this is the life. I think we have a spa girl on our hands!

Warm & Cozy in my hoodie

Pretty in Purple

Time In Colorado

2008-01-10T16:46:00.001-05:00

Talking with Grandma Lewis

After about 10 tries at a good shot, we get this face: "Can we be done now?"

Christmas Eve Pajamas

You can dress them up . . .

Our first "submersion" bath - yay to umbilical cord falling off!

Christmas Pics

2008-01-10T16:39:00.001-05:00

My friend, Liz (Eckman) Lovelace did some great Christmas pics for us!

Our Christmas Tree -2007

Maleia in her Christmas Dress - doesn't she look angelic!

Our Family Portrait

Another cutie pie shot!

Time to Get Caught Up - 2

2008-01-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

The shock of hearing of my little brother's death is something I would never wish on anyone. Hearing your parents fresh grief over the phone is hell on earth.

On Friday, my brother had finished Christmas shopping fore Geoff, Maleia, & me because my mom needed to ship the box to us get here in time for Christmas. When he brought it home and showed it off to my mom, he headed to a friend's house to watch a movie. While there, he asked if he could stay the night since he was feeling pretty tired. This wasn't unusual since he got up early for work each day. He fell asleep on the couch. When his friend tried to wake him up the next day around dinner time, he realized that Tim was gone.

Due to getting our tickets through the internet, we weren't able to change our plans. Geoff went ahead with his interview on Sunday. On Monday we purchased tickets to get to Colorado. We arrived home in PA around 12:00 am Tuesday morning, and at noon that day we were at the airport. Those 12 hours were a flurry of laundry, unpacking, packing for a week, sleep, and making sure we had as many Christmas gifts as possible while pretty much in a fog of shock. I had done most of my shopping online, so I was unpacking all the packages that had come while we were gone, and putting them in our suitcases. After two more flights, we arrived to my parents' home around midnight.

Tim's memorial service was on Thursday. The pastor did a tremendous job. Around 300 people came, and about half of them were under the age of 25. So many co-workers and friends who came would have never come to church, but they were able to hear the gospel that day. A couple people raised their hand for salvation which was such a blessing to us. Although Tim wasn't living his life for the Lord the last couple years, I know through his death many seeds were planted. My parents have many phone numbers of his friends to keep in touch. To see their faces during the service was heart breaking due to the fact that they didn't have hope, and we did. It almost seemed as if we as a family were trying to comfort them. We're continuing to pray for them.

We cling to the hope that we will see Tim again in heaven. God's grace has been sufficient to our needs. Although the days are hard, we are not alone which is such a comfort. God has also seen to bless our family financially during this time for lost time at work, etc. Our God is good all the time.

Time to Get Caught Up

2008-01-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, quite a bit has happened over the last month, and it's time to get caught up!

On December 14th, we got up at around 2:30 am for a Maleia feeding, got dressed, and headed out the door at 4 am to the airport to catch our 7:00 am flight. A church in Wisconsin was interested in interviewing Geoff for an assistant pastor position, so we were off! Traveling with a 4 week old seemed a little daunting with all her extra stuff, but as soon as we were on the plane, she was out like a light. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed (aren't they all?), and we missed our connecting flight into the small Wausau airport. That meant 12 hours in the Detroit airport. After calling the pastor, he offered to pay for a rental car if we had friends in the area that we wanted to visit. Christina-I was tempted! Instead we hung out, took cat naps, and used our $20 vouchers for the inconvenience. Of course, our trip was re-routed, so we were headed to Minneapolis and then to Wausau. The second flight was delayed, and we needed one of those little carts to get us to our gate. The car could take us to an escalator, so we were running down the hallway listening to the intercom say, "Smith, party of 2, you have 1 minute before we close the doors." We were NOT going to miss this flight & be stuck in Minneapolis for 12 hours! So, we hollered for them to hold for us-thankfully they did. We then hopped on a little tin can of a plane and made it into Wausau-surprisingly with our luggage! The pastor picked us up for the 1 hour ride to the hotel. So, 3 flights, 3 states, & 24 hours later we were in bed.

On Saturday, understandably we slept until noon. After feeling somewhat human again, we met with the pastor, some young couples of the church and had fun with them at a Chuck E Cheese-type place for adults. Go-karts, laser tag, etc. After getting back to our hotel room, we rested, and my parents called.

Timothy Warren Lewis

2007-12-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

My Brother

Timothy Warren Lewis, 22, of Loveland, transitioned this life to Glory December 15, 2007. He was born in Denver, CO on June 15, 1985 to Warren Edward and Mary Grace Lewis.

Timothy graduated from the Front Range Baptist Academy. He worked as an electrician for Super Vac in their fire engine division. He was a member of the Front Range Baptist Church. Timothy loved basketball, and motorcycles. He was on a bowling league with his father.

He is survived by his parents, Warren and Mary Lewis of Loveland; sisters, Pamela Smith and husband Geoff of PA, Laurie Lewis and Katie Lewis of Loveland; niece, Maleia Smith of PA; grandmothers, Clara Lewis and Laura Hurley; and numerous aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Lloyd Lewis, and Eugene Hurley.

Memorial contributions may be made to Front Range Baptist Academy in care of Allnutt Funeral Service.Visitation is at 9:00a.m., one hour prior to the funeral service which will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday at Front Range Baptist Church. Interment Resthaven Memory Gardens.

Blessings

2007-12-12T15:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we're slowly getting into the swing of things with having a newborn in the house. Maleia is a pretty laid back baby, until she wants to eat. :)

We've felt extremely blessed the last 3 weeks with her in our lives though. Because we didn't know if our little one was going to be a boy or a girl, we bought as many neutral sleepers we could find at different mother's markets before she was born. I didn't mind this because we knew we will be able to use these as a base for our future little ones when that day comes (not anytime soon!). We had about 10 or so outfits which I thought was pretty good. Our first Sunday back to church, a friend of ours said they had some clothes from their little girls. Their youngest was born around this time, so all the seasons & sizes would match up perfectly! We got 3 HUGE gift bags filled with clothes all divided up into 0-3 mos, 3-6 mos, & 6-9 mos. Just the 0-3 mos. section completely stuffs Maleia's dresser!! I was so thankful because 2 days later we went through 3 outfits in less than 4 hours thanks to one end or the other. ;) God knew what we needed beforehand.

On the Sunday before Maleia was born, the heater in my car decided to stop working, but then started working half-heartedly. Not good, when the first snowfall came right after she was born! Geoff's been reading up on it, and decided that the problem would have to be fixed by a mechanic. Expecting to pay close to $1000 to have the heater core replaced, we found out that the mechanic could flush out the system and it only cost us a little over $125!! Praise the Lord!

Pics for the Colorado Grandparents

2007-12-02T17:52:00.000-05:00

It's December - Time for Snowmen!

All clean after a sponge bath - check out that spring chick-like hair!

Close up of the hair :)

Hanging out with people more her size

Going to church outfit
Tuckered out after sleeping through church, sleeping through visitors, and sleeping through errands.

The Birth Story

2007-12-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

On Monday, November 19th - my due date - Geoff & I went to bed at 11:00 pm which is usual for us. I had grand plans of running my last errands & cleaning my bathroom the next day. At 12:30 am (Tues.) I woke up feeling wet. I woke Geoff up & told him I think my water broke. We turned on the light & yup it definitely had. Geoff asked if we could go back to bed. I firmly told him to call the doctor to see what we should do.
So, we called the OB's office, and they sent us to the hospital. We got there around 1:30 am. We weren't in a hurry because I hadn't had any contractions yet. The nurse didn't really believe that my water had broken because it still wasn't coming out. She thought I had wet the bed due to the baby kicking my bladder. Hello, my bladder held 2 tsp. & believe me there was way more than that sitting in my bed! She tested me & then finally believed me, so we were admitted. We went into a room & tried to rest while we could since minor contractions were starting.
By 7 am not much was progressing, so the OB had me put on pitocin around 8 am. The contractions finally showed up, but not too regular. Every 15 minutes they upped my pitocin dosage. Around noon I was about 4 cm and got a drug to "take the edge off" which did a lot more than that for me. I hadn't slept at all since my water had broken, and this drug knocked me for a loop. I couldn't keep my eyes open, but could hear everything. I could still feel the stronger contractions to breathe through them, but napped through the minor ones. It wore off around 1:30 & I got a refill at 2:00 . At 3:30, I had progressed to 6, and asked for the epidural. Well, the anesthesiologist was in the Operating Room with 4 patients, and didn't come until a little after 4pm. I was ready for it by then because I was at 8cm. Geoff went to phone our parents to keep them updated & when he came back 15 minutes later, I told him that nurse had just told me that I'll probably be pushing around 4:45-5:00.
At 5:00pm we began pushing, and Maleia was delivered at 5:56 pm. The nurse said that was pretty good since many of her past patients first time moms have pushed an average of 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.
Afterwards, Maleia was not nursing very well in the hospital. This did not help her jaundice, and the jaundice made Maleia want to sleep more than usual which also did not help with nursing. It would take us about an hour to wake Maleia up to try to feed her! We did come home Thanksgiving afternoon, but on Friday when the at home nurse came to visit us we were sent to the ER. Maleia went home from the hospital at 6 lbs. 12 oz., but on Friday was 6 lbs. 7 oz. which was too much of a weight loss with the thought that she might be dehydrated. After having her bilirubin checked the ER doctor sent us home with orders to feed her every 2-3 hours using breastmilk or formula. Thankfully, my milk had come in that day, so I started pumping like a madwoman! Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were spent back & forth between the hospital and home getting her blood work done to check on the jaundice. Finally on Thursday, she had her sixth and last poke - thank the Lord, because I don't think I could have taken any more. The jaundice never got bad enough for her to need the special lights or blanket, but was still high enough that it needed to be checked.
On Friday, we got the great news that her numbers had finally gone down. At 10 days old she had also regained her lost weight & was 1 oz. over her birth weight & 1/2" longer!!

Maleia At Home

2007-11-25T15:18:00.001-05:00

Checking Out Daddy

Has had enough fun for tonight

Our little Lemon Drop - thanks to some jaundice

Tuckered Out in the Swing

OK, Daddy, no more pics!

Birth Pics

2007-11-25T15:13:00.001-05:00

Getting Cleaned Up

The Scale

1st Family Portrait - Self Done :)

The Football Hold - Always Calms Maleia Down!

Check out the Mowhawk! It stayed this way for days!Coming Home!

It's a girl!

2007-11-21T18:28:00.000-05:00

Click on the pictures to see them bigger.
(This is Liz Lovelace, who is thrilled to have seen the cutie, posting for Pam.)
Born at 5:56 pm, on November 20, Maleia (pronounced Ma-lee-a) Claire Smith came into the world with a full head of hair.
She weighed 7lb., 3oz., and measured 18 3/4".
Pam looks great, and said she feels fine. Geoff looks very proud. They'll all be home tomorrow.
She's beautiful! Congrats to you both!

Baby Smith is . . .

2007-11-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

still in utero! No labor signs other than the usual nagging Braxton Hicks! I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, and we'll see if get any news!

Friday was my last day at work, for which I am relieved. I'm starting to tire out a little more now, so I was glad to let that go. Now, I need to make myself useful around the house & finish little projects that I didn't get done over the weekend. Believe me, this isn't nesting cleaning, it's necessary cleaning. :)

Crib Progress

2007-11-13T20:45:00.000-05:00

I'm posting these pics for my mom. Geoff really wanted to get a side completed this weekend to show it off & prove that he has been working the crib, so here are a couple pics to prove the fact. :) He's been working on it on the weekends & after work until it's too dark. Then, the project moves to my living room. I think the carpet is starting to look like the bottom of a gerbil's cage.
"Look at this, I'm soo good!"

One side down three more to go!

Before/After

2007-11-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

In October we found a great little dresser/armoire for the baby at a local thrift store. Since our 2nd bedroom was being used for: office/computer, tool storage, overall storage, and anything else, we don't have a closet to use for the little one's things. So, the armoire part worked out perfectly! What wasn't perfect was the finish & the little lamb. The dresser was in MINT condition, so we felt bad, but I really wanted the nursery furniture in black, so we knew what we (I mean Geoff) had to do-paint. I think the dresser is from the 1950-1960's because my mom's crib had a lamb very similar to this one on it. It was almost painful to start sanding & painting because it was so cute to begin with, but we love the outcome!

Before

After

Since the crib is still in progress, I hung up one of the blankets my mom made for the baby. Can't wait to put it in the crib, though!

Preggo Update - Weeks 38-39

2007-11-13T20:27:00.000-05:00

This past week has been full of speculation & wondering with Geoff & me. We went to our weekly appointment last Tuesday hoping to find out if this baby was thinking about coming out anytime soon. The doctor told me the great news that I was 85% effaced & going in the right direction. :) Then she proceeded to tell me that with her feeling my stomach, it felt as if the baby was 8 1/2 - 9 lbs. already. WHOA!! So, we had an ultrasound to confirm this. With Gestational Diabetes it is very common to have a large baby, but the doctor wanted to make sure that we weren't allowing the baby grow too big!
The ultrasound said the baby was about 7 lbs. 9 oz. (+/- 1 lb.) BIG Difference! That allowed me to calm down a little bit. :) As you can see our little one does have chubby cheeks!

This week, the doctor said based on the ultrasound results that I have some extra amniotic fluid. That and my short stature make it seem as if the baby is larger than he or she really is. So, we're down to 6 days and the new guesstimate is about 8 lbs or so.

Here's my belly pic for 39 weeks!

Young Girls' Costumes

2007-10-29T14:08:00.001-05:00

Has anyone else wondered what happened to cute costumes for girls? If I had daughters, I don't think I'd allow them to wear 80-90% of what's being sold in stores now! It seems like our little girls are being robbed of their childhood & being pushed into looking more like women - I'm not talking about ladies, but women. How sad!
Honestly, whatever happened to good old fashioned imagination where you use what's around the house & maybe a couple things from the thrift store to make a costume or dress-up outfit?

Guess I wasn't the only one that noticed this: http://www.newsweek.com/id/62474?GT1=10450 Personally, I don't agree with everything in this article, but I'm glad someone else brought it up!

Sad quote from the article: "These new "edgier" costumes are simply reflections of pop culture, says Jackie MacDonald, a costume buyer for catalog giant Lillian Vernon. "Girls today seem to like a little pizzazz. The same old princesses aren't where it's at anymore," she says, before carefully noting, "We don't want to say they're sexier, just more confident." ' They're talking about 7 year olds!

Packing THE Bag

2007-10-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

We're packing our bags this weekend!! Any suggestions?

What did you pack in your hospital bag that you are so thankful you brought?? What did you realize was missing & could have been used?

Works For Me Wednesday - Brown Sugar

2007-10-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

I love baking! This love usually wanes in the summer during the hotter months, but blossoms once the cooler weather comes. Since it's just the two of us, I only bake when we're going to take our goodies elsewhere to share.
With these factors, I don't go through my brown sugar very quickly. I used to get extremely frustrated when I would go to my sealed bag of sugar in the fridge only to find it hardened into mini boulders. I tried hammering them out to only get nice little brown sugar pebbles. Sadly, I can think of a couple times of throwing out half used bags due to not being able to mix it up.
I read how to fix this predicament on the back of a brown sugar bag (imagine that!).

Place your brown sugar rocks into a microwave safe conatiner
Wet a paper towel and place over the container
Stretch a piece of plastic wrap on top of the paper towel
Microwave for 30-45 seconds, check the sugar, microwave for an additional 30-45 seconds & check again.

The wet papeer towel/plastic wrap creates a sauna type atmosphere allowing your sugar to moisten & soften & be usable!!

I might be the last person on earth that found this out, but just in case there's another person out there that didn't know of this, I wanted to share. More Works For Me helps here!!

*I also tried this technique on meat that easily dries out in the microwave (ex. pork chops) & it kept them extremely moist & delish!

Belly Pics

2007-10-14T21:02:00.001-05:00

I really didn't realize I stuck out this much!

Not too much longer of "just the 2 of us!"

Preggo Update - Week 35

2007-10-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

I've had a couple very encouraging doctor's visits over the last couple weeks. My OB gave me great news. With Gestational Diabetes (GD) a baby can grow quite quickly - too quickly which can lead to an early delivery (induction or even C-Section). Since I've been following my diet, my weight gain is in check, and I have as much a chance to deliver early as a pregnant woman without GD! Yay!!
My endocrinologist said I can eat more due to losing a little weight!! Yay!! Since I started the diet, I was feeling full with the amounts she gave me, but this week, I was getting hungry a little more often. Also, I'm down from poking myself 4 times a day to only 2!! That's as low as it goes, but I'll take it!
Sleeping is getting a little hard. Someone asked me if it feels like I need a crane to roll over in bed, and yes, it does. It's just hard to be comfy & then stay that way. But only a month or so left!
Our dresser has been painted. Geoff needs to add the hardware, and I can start filling it this weekend. I want to make sure the paint "cures," so we don't have to deal with sticky drawers. It looks wonderful - before/after pics to come!
The crib will be Geoff's next focus. Each slat has so much done to it, so it'll take time, but we've been blessed with great weather on the weekends so far which helps with the progress.
During the Missions Conf. I realized that sitting down for long periods of time is NOT the most fun. Did you know setting hymnals behind your back feel great??
The pack n play is put together & ready to go.
Geoff put in our carseat this afternoon!
I got some great deals at a huge Mother's Market. Onesies for $.50 ea., an Eddie Bauer bouncy/vibrating chair for $10, brand new teethers for the crib rails for $3, and a couple sleep sacks for $1-2 ea.
Set my last day of work for November 16 - if I go that far. The due date is Nov. 19. :)

Thanks to Jenny for reminding me to write up this update.

It's Been Awhile

2007-10-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

Time is just flying by!! This week we had our Missions Conference at church which was a blessing. These type of weeks are ever so tiring, but you're thankful for the reminder that you need to focus on the Great Commission a little bit more.

Our home feels like a construction zone. We've moved so much furniture around the last month or so to make room for our little one coming. On top of that, Geoff has been working on the furniture projects. Right now in my apartment living room is the following: Living room furniture (entertainment center, side tables, couch, recliner, & glider), our dining set, a large pile of wood (which will magically become the crib someday!), a router table, numerous cords, a couple sanders, portable work table, and the baby's dresser/armoire unassembled due to the current painting job (5 drawers & a door spread across the floor with the dresser itself in the middle of the floor). Our dining room has become a nautical-themed office area brought down from our upstairs 2nd bedroom. It's filled with my desk, a computer desk, 2 floor to ceiling book shelves packed with books, a chest freezer, and a large table saw.
Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to post a picture, so just use your imagination.
Our 2nd bedroom will become the nursery & power tools storage area. I'd rather have the baby be with the power tools when we're finished using them rather than them live in my living room. :) My motto during this tranisition time: "THIS IS JUST TEMPORARY!!" This has been echoing in my head continously as I'm craving to "nest." Vacuuming is impossible when your carpets are covered in newspaper due to priming & painting. But, my bathrooms are nice & clean!!

Couples' Retreat

2007-09-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, we headed out to Camp Calvary for our church's annual Couples' Retreat. Dr. Tony Miller from SC was the speaker, and did a great job using God's Word to reveal to us how to strengthen our marriages. One thing that stood out to me was his challenge before the 1st session. He realizes that our handouts would either go into the trash or be filed away never to be found again, so he had us pray that God would show us ONE truth out of each session to meditate on and work on. So many times, you head into a service or conference wanting to glean as much as possible, but walk away overwhelmed & forgetting most of it. So, here's a couple truths I have been reflecting on.

I need to focus on my God-given duties as a wife rather than on the shortcomings of my husband.
A woman's greatest needs is to feel loved, but a man's greatest need is to feel respected.

Have Plans for Saturday?

2007-09-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

If you're looking to do something historical or educational for a good price, check out Free Day at the Museum this Saturday. Details here. Locations are scattered around the country!!

Any Suggestions?

2007-09-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

What books should I be reading through during these last couple weeks of pregnancy? I have many pamphlets & booklets from my hospital about labor & delivery, but are there any great books that really helped you through the overwhelming newborn stage? I'm ready to put in a little order with Amazon or half.com!!

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

Preggo Update - Week 31

2007-09-17T14:54:00.000-05:00

I know this blog is suddenly all about the upcoming baby & I apologize to those who don't want to know, but it's my blog & I can talk about what I want to, right? :) I guess I'm feeling slightly hormonal. :)

Diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes during Week 30. Was told my endocronologist didn't have openings until after the due date, but the next business day, I was squeezed in due to a cancellation. We went over my numbers, which weren't really too bad. I was given a lower in carbs diet, told to avoid sugar, and to prick my finger 4 times a day. After the 1st week, I realized it wasn't so bad & I'll live. :)
We finally got a dresser for the baby!! I've been looking for over a month for one, but was having a hard time just finding a dresser. Most nursery furniture is sold as a set, and no one wanted to divide it up. After 3 weeks of going to a local thrift store, I found a cute vintage armoire/dresser made for a baby in perfect condition. A coat of paint, and some new drawer pulls & we're in business!
Sleeping is getting to be a bit more difficult. Between weird dreams, back aches, & leg numbness it's been hard to wake up feeling refreshed. I'm guessing this is practice for later. . .
People who we haven't told specifically that we're expecting are asking when I'm due. Finally, I feel as if I look preggo. There's a fine line between looking preggo & looking porky. :)
I am NOT ready to have this baby yet. But, being diagnosed with GD does give me a greater chance to have this baby early!! That freaks me out a bit, but I know it's in God's hands & He gives us what we can handle.
Geoff has had limited time working on the crib. There are 52 slats & each one requires 3 cuts, so this is a BIG job. Then we have sanding, staining, polyurethaning, & assembling. Praise the Lord for our pack n play!!
Our Labor & Delivery classes have started. I feel ridiculous practicing the breathing exercises, but it is helpful having 10 other couples doing it at the same time. The anatomy of a pregnant body is fascinating!!

Church Baby Shower

2007-09-14T17:39:00.000-05:00

I have a great reason why I haven't updated this in so long: LIFE. Time is flying & we're going nuts trying to stay up on top of things!!

This week my great friend Elyse, hosted a baby shower for me. Most of the guests were from our church. I walked away from that night feeling incredibly blessed as we looked at our office are filled with gift bags. I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

Many of the Guests

Cute Little Cake! & real toys for the toy box!

I had a 1" piece - still watching my diet!!

Showing off my mom's handiwork!!

I love this figurine!

The Loot!! - Close ups to follow!

Yay! The baby will be able to come home!!
My dear friend and former college roomie, Liz (Eckman) Lovelace was able to come to the party. She sneakily e-mailed the girls from our Trailer, since we're all close like sisters & many of them pitched in for this great carseat!!

We were so blessed!!

Failed

2007-09-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

After a week of drinking very sweet juices & being poked multiple times, I found out that I have failed my glucose test. :(
Today, my doctor gave me the official report that I am now diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. So far, our pregnancy has gone quite smoothly. I'm praying this will be just a bump in the road as we come to a finish. There is a small chance that I will continue to have the diabetes after the baby is born especially since it runs in my family. So, if any of you have any great sugar free or lower in carbs higher in protien type recipes, I'm all ears!! :)

Preggo Upadate - Week 27

2007-08-21T12:43:00.000-05:00

I've entered the 3rd Trimester!

~My belly has gotten bigger.
~I'm starting to freak out that we won't be prepared for this little one!
~My friend started organizing a shower for me which freaks me out more knowing that this little one is really coming! (I guess I've been in denial for 7 months!)
~I think this baby is really an ape due to the amount of heartburn I've had. Old Wives' Tale: Lots of Mommy heartburn = lots of baby hair
~The baby's kicking is starting up in my rib cage.
~Geoff finally felt the baby move. We have a nightly jiggly belly session between 8-10pm when the baby is most active.
~Our crib is a pile of wood in our office. Geoff is waiting for one more saw to be able to start cutting it & putting it together.
~The search for a baby dresser is on!
~Labor & Delivery classes are scheduled along with an epidural meeting at the hospital. If you don't attend an epidural meeting prior to giving birth, the hospital will refuse to give you one.
~We're making plans to rearrange our apartment, so there will be room for the massive amounts of things that this little one needs. (How can a little 6-10 lb. person need so much - & I'm not talking about the extras!)

Friday Survey - Flavors!

2007-08-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

What is your favorite flavor of,…

1. Ice cream? Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks

2. Coffee or tea? Neither - I like water, juice & milk

3. Chocolate? White, milk or dark? Milk - especially milk chocolate chips!

4. Milk? Chocolate, plain, or strawberry? 1/4 chocolate & 3/4 white - perfect mixture & not too rich!

5. Gum? Extra - Ice Something or another

6. Toothpaste? Regular paste - no gel for me!!

7. Jelly or jam?

Is It Worth It?

2007-08-13T15:42:00.001-05:00

I've been toying with the idea of saving up for a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I love baking way more than cooking, so I know it would definitely be used, but is it worth it? Right now I have a hand-held mixer that has worked fine for the past 4 years, but occasionally gets a little smelly if I work it too hard. :)

I found factory reconditioned ones by Kitchen Aid on Amazon fo $165. All I have heard of is the Kitchen Aid brand, but is there another one out there that seems to work fine also? It's not like I'm starting my own bakery, so I was wondering if the Kitchen Aid one would be too much power.

Just curious about your opinions if you have one.

My Indent

2007-08-08T09:44:00.000-05:00

Geoff: Hey, hon, your ident in your body is starting to disappear!

Pam: Um, you mean my waist? Thanks, babe.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-08-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we celebrated my birthday. It was a nice quiet day. Geoff gave me some great gifts of shorts, capris, pants, and a shirt (bottoms & 1 top). My parents gave me shirts & 1 pair of capris (mostly tops & 1 bottom). The funny thing is that many of them all match, so my wardrobe has increased greatly!!

My 6 mos. preggo belly - still look like I've binged on too many Twinkies!

Geoff works part-time for a man who has physical handicaps, but lives on a farm. Many times Geoff is helping him with is 1977 Britain MG convertible. For my birthday weekend, Geoff was able to borrow the car. So, we went to church in style. Our hair was quite crazy by the time our 30 minute ride was done, but how often do you get to ride in a cute little convertible? Definitely worth it!

Geoff cruisn' in the MG - could see better OVER the windshield since it was so small.

Our Little One Saying Hi!

2007-08-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

Baby Smith waves hi & smiles to you. :)
Our follow up ultrasound went very well. Our little guy or girl is 1 lb. 10 oz. give or take 3 oz. at 24 weeks old.

July Re-Cap

2007-07-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

Good Grief, this month was completely packed! I counted 4 nights where we got to stay home & not have to go out!! I am so thankful this 2nd trimester has been very good to me, so I've had the energy this summer to keep going. We're hoping to have a quiet laid back weekend this week, but we aren't holding our breath knowing something could come up. :) Here's what we've been up to!

Annual church picnic-eating with friends & passing around babies
Ultrasound to see our little one!
Rainy & relaxing 4th of July
A fireworks show in a nearby town the weekend after the 4th
Cousin's 1st B-day party
Large Smith Family Reunion with Geoff's grandmother's siblings, their children, their grandchildren, and great grand children = a LOT of people to meet!
A weekend getaway to the shore
Vacation Bible School with the Rainbow Department
Geoff's 10 year High School reunion
Nursing Home Service
Youth Group Activities & food each Wed. night
Pie Social to prepare for & organize for VBS workers

I'm hoping August will be a little more calming. :)

A Little Getaway

2007-07-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we squeezed in a little "babymoon." I've been feeling great, so it seemed like a great time to go away just the 2 of us. We headed out to the NJ Shore, and enjoyed a relaxing time together.

Walked up and down the boardwalk checking out the little shops.
Spent a little time on the beach in the morning before beach tags are necessary. (saving us $10!)
Going back and forth between the History Channel & Home & Garden TV in our hotel room. We don't have cable, so this was a treat! :)
Sitting on benches taking a break from the walking. As we people watched, we also discussed pros & cons of the different strollers going by (how do you choose which is best?).
Visited the First Aid section on the boardwalk to clean up some cuts on my leg & toes after I fell off a curb. How embarrassing!
Strolled through a little Victorian shore town.
Ate delicious ice cream cones!

Obviously, this was pretty boring to some people, but for us it was great. We haven't had a chance to slow down all summer, so this was a nice break.

We came home Sun. eve. to head to church to meet up with my good friend Kristi who was visiting, & I really wanted to see her. I have laundry to catch up on, dust bunnies to capture, floors to sweep & mop, on top of VBS every night this week. Is it Friday yet?

Nursery Bedding

2007-07-13T17:21:00.000-05:00

My fabulous mom offered to help with our nursery bedding. Since I don't want to know the gender & want to use this bedding in the future, I had to go with a neutral theme. Harder than it sounds because the majority of the bedding is gender specific. Another thing that made my decision difficult, other than the fact that since being preggo, I can't make up my mind about a thing, was that I pretty much hate pastels. There isn't anything pastel in my home decor or closet. I love rich, vibrant colors, and gag when I see a lot of pastels.
So, I started searching. I finally decided on a Mother Goose theme which led to this fabric:

This will be our comforter. It's already quilted with this on the back in addition to being the same pattern of fabric for the crib sheets:

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have made this decision & how THANKFUL I am that mom is doing this for us. It makes it soooo special!! Thanks, Mom!! I love you! The baby says thank you too! :)

Our Wee Little One

2007-07-13T16:56:00.001-05:00

On July 3rd, we had our 20 weeks ultrasound. We found out our little one is quite the mover & the shaker. The pics are not the greatest due to the fact that s/he moved so much! Also, because of this, the technician tried 3 times to find out the sex for Geoff (not me-I need motivation to push! :), but alas, our little bean would not cooperate!
The 1st pic is the best profile one we got.
The 2nd & 3rd pics are the face looking at us. You can see the outline of the skull if you look for it. :)
Our little one loves to suck on his/hers fingers! Many times we saw them in the mouth. Too cute!

4th of July 2007

2007-07-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

When people asked us what we were doing for the 4th of July this year, I answered, "We're going to be bums and unsocial and just stay home all day." :) Since Easter, we've had about 2 weekends without plans, and we have plans through August. We just wanted to stay home, so we did!
Unfortunately, the beautiful weather from Saturday - Tuesday didn't hold up for the 4th. We had downpours of rain after 5pm, so no fireworks for us. A nearby town will do theirs on Sunday night, so we plan to head over there to get our fill. Our day was filled with cleaning out our cars, organizing some things around the house, lounging around the house, watching a movie, and making our own little BBQ of marinated chicken, potato salad, strawberry jell-o & cool whip, tossed salad, and rolls.
Due to the slowness of the season, my work is closed Thursday & Friday, so I'm enjoying some time at home doing some cleaning and more organizing.

Preggo Update - 20th Week

2007-07-02T10:49:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to do these updates occasionally, so that for future pregnancies, Lord willing, I can look back and compare. :) Feel free to skip because it might get boring.

Half way through the 40 weeks! Yay!! Our ultrasound is scheduled for Tuesday, July 3rd. I'm not finding out the gender, but Geoff might if he can. I'm hoping to have the ultrasound tech just write it down & give it to him. I'm praying that our baby is just like us & very stubborn. :) The list of symptoms is growing. I feel like I've experienced everything listed in my books.

Week 19 - Acid reflux kept me up 1/2 the night. Ended up sleeping in the recliner. Also, I think the baby was on a nerve, because I had achiness in my joints on my left side that night too.

*Our baby either loves or hates music. When we have been at different graduation parties or weddings, every time music was playing, the bean was going to town with movements. Not sure if he wanted me to stop it or keep it going. :)

*Leg cramps in my calves have come and gone. Decided to do a little stretching before going to bed and it has helped.

*My belly is not huge. Still can't tell I'm preggo because my shirt covers it. Have started wearing maternity bottoms which have been comfortable. The belly extends from my belly button down, so it is low.

*The baby's heartbeat is steady at 160, so people have advised me that we're having a girl. :)

Week 18 - Forgetfulness has been terrible. I cannot remember people's names.

*I find it so hard to make a decision over anything - like what to make for dinner, what should I wear, how should I do the nursery, etc. I have trouble remembering people's names, and have been writing down everything at work to make sure I don't forget to do something.

*My energy level is high, and I have been cleaning and decluttering our house. I still need to tackle some more, but it feels good to stay up past 9 pm.

*Hormones are raging. I've bawled as I watch different sad tv shows. I tear up at pictures of babies I don't even know. I get extremely cranky at 10:31 pm. At 10:29, I'm fine, but after 10:30, I know I must go to bed or I will regret it.

How Friendly Are You?

2007-06-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

Geoff's 10 Year High School Reunion is coming up in a couple weeks. Remember back then when you thought that all those buddies of yours that you hung around, sat with in classes & lunch, went to games with, were on the team with, etc. would be your friend FOREVER? Now, think back, can you even name them all? I'm embarrassed because I went to a small school with a large graduating class of 21 students, and it would take me awhile to name them all.
Here's a little survey - how well did you do?

1. Are you as close to your friends from school days now as you were then? Depends on "school days." From high school - I have kept close contact to no one. My closer friends moved across the country & we went to different colleges, so that did not help. From college - I've done much better. During my sophomore year, I was in Trailer 5, and thanks to e-mail most of us keep in very good touch and are apart of each other's lives.

2. Do you tend to have a large group of friends or a small group of VERY close friends? Many acquaintances and a small group of very good friends.

3. Are there friends from days gone by that you wish were still in your life? There are people I wonder where they are & how they are doing, but if we got together, I'm not sure we would have anything in common anymore.

4. How do you handle it when good friends move, or you move, away? Accept it, because you can't change it. Thank goodness we have the post office, phones, e-mail, blogs, & Facebook. There really isn't any excuse now not to keep in touch with a good friend. Doesn't mean that your friendship will stay as close as it was, but it also doesn't mean you can't get closer!