Smith Family Ice Cream Scoop: October 2006

Thursday, October 26, 2006

It's a Cool Clock

Brandon just brought this clock home from work, and I thought it was neat! Our family room clock fell off the wall and broke, so we needed a clock for that room. We thought one of these would be good, so we could see it from either room (kitchen or family room). Anyway, I thought it was unique, so I wanted to show

y'all.

First Snow of the Season

It snowed here yesterday. (October 25th). It was enough to stick around until late afternoon. Cooper couldn't wait to go out and play in it, so he walked around the yard shoveling pathways with his little snow shovel, and made snowballs. He was so sad when it melted, but I could honestly guarantee him that it would snow again!

Brandon and his guitar

Brandon practices his guitar almost every night. It's nice to listen to him sing and play. He actually wrote a song that is really good, but there are two different tunes for it. Nobody can decide which tune is better, they're just different. I am so glad I gave him this guitar for Christmas a couple of years ago!

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Our house

This is what our house looks like--there's probably not very many of you who will look at this blog that don't know what our house looks like, but here it is anyway!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Our cute "baby"

Cooper Isaac is in Kindergarten this year! He is loving school, and loving riding the bus. It is so fun to watch him get on the bus. I stand out there and wait with him, and he is supposed to walk straight across the road, so the driver can see him the whole time. He walks like a military man, very deliberately. He always stops when he's almost there and gives me a smile and a wave. Then when he gets on the bus, he waves and blows kisses at me until he can't see me anymore. I already am sad for the day when he's too big to blow kisses to his mom. The funny thing, is that the kid behind him waves and blows kisses at me, too. He probably thinks I'm some really nice lady that blows him kisses! It's a hoot. I love Kindergarteners.

Cooper is starting to read, and loves to draw and write. In fact, my house has been taken over by paper, pens, pencils, markers, etc. It's a mess.

Our favorite 8 year old (until November 27th)

Tyler Elijah is in 4th grade this year. He just got moved to the new teacher, because all the fourth grade classes were too full. He is enjoying his new teacher. We loved the old teacher he had (Aubrey had her for fourth grade), but are hoping this new situation will work out even better. Tyler is getting better at focusing and doing the right things in school.

Tyler has been taking piano lessons, and he loves it! He practices every day, and he's really getting good. He has a great teacher, Julie, who was Aubrey's old violin teacher. She comes to our house, and he has lessons at 6:45 a.m. I teach Julie's daughter violin after Tyler's lesson. It works out wonderfully for all of us!

Tyler is a great helper around the house, and usually obeys right away. He takes quite awhile to get a task done, but he'll start it quickly!

Our Beautiful Girl

Aubrey Lisanne is growing up so fast! She is in 6th grade this year, and doing well in school. 6th grade is in Middle School here, so she's doing the whole locker thing, and changing classes. This is a little weird for me. There is no way I am that old! She is halfway through Suzuki Book 5 with her violin, and is playing beautifully. She just got a new violin the next size up, and she's having fun playing it. Her new violin teacher has really been pulling some feeling out of Aubrey with her playing.

Aubrey really is a good girl. She's always trying to choose the right, and is great at giving others compliments. She has been babysitting for our neighbors quite a bit, and has started a savings account. I think she is saving up for an mp3 player. She may decide she likes the feeling of watching that money add up, though, and leave it in her savings.

Sunday Drive

We went up in the mountains last week to enjoy the beautiful weather and fall colors. We took some pictures when we were there, and some of them turned out really good. We even got a nice family picture with the timer on our film camera. It was pretty funny...the typical "hurry dad! It's blinking! Oh, shoot, we missed it...try again!" It was amazing that we got such a good one. We may have to use it for our Christmas cards.

Primary Program

We had the primary program today in Sacrament Meeting. All of our kids did great! Aubrey played her violin, and said a little part, Tyler sang a solo on Follow the Prophet. He sounded great, and almost remembered all of the words! Cooper said his part so clear and had it memorized! It was just, "Their promises are recorded in the scriptures"...., but still, he was great!

Our ward is getting so big, and there were so many visitors, that the sacrament took forever, and the program went way into sunday school. Next week will be even more crowded. We've been asked to sit up in the stands to make room for a family whose sons are having their "farewell" and "homecoming" on the same Sunday. We get new families every week. The bishop apologized today to all those visiting...he said we wouldn't know if they were visiting or new, so they should all just make themselves feel welcome.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

just trying

Well, we're trying to make this work.

Write in here. Write some stuff.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Would you believe we made a blog?

‎"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." — Marianne Williamson

To Do Today

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.
* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.
* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.
* First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness.
* You cannot communicate with God unless you have first sacrificed your self-oriented natural man and have brought yourself into the lower levels of meekness, to become acceptable for the Light of Christ.
* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.
* Pause to ponder the suffering Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the awareness of the depth of gratitude for him, you appreciate every opportunity to show your love for him by diligently serving in his Church.
* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.
* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.
* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.
* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.
* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.
* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.
* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.
* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.
* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.
* You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.
* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.
* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.
* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

from "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit by F. Enzio Busche