Site Title

Easter was a big weekend around here – beautiful weather, wonderful activities, and blessed experiences with friends and family.

On Thursday night, my friend Julie Sivley invited us over to experience the Passover, or Seder, meal with her family.  She had a script that she used and we followed the traditions of the Jewish Passover.  It was such a fun learning experience and her 6 + my 3 kids really enjoyed it.  This was a meaningful way to start our Easter weekend.

She used a script based on this understanding:  Haggadah means “telling”. The Passover Haggadah is like a script for telling the story of the Jewish people and the Exodus. There are many different versions of the Haggadah, which is read during the Passover Dinner, or Seder.

 

Everyone's favorite part was the Dayenu which reads like this:

God did many wonderful things for us. God brought us out of Egypt, gave us the Shabbat, gave us the Torah and brought us into the Land of Israel. Any one of these would have been enough. Therefore we sing Dayenu which means “it would have been enough for us”.

If God would have …

Brought us out of Egypt and not divided the sea for us—Dayenu

Divided the sea and not permitted us to cross on dry land—Dayenu

Permitted us to cross on dry land and not sustained us for forty years in the desert—Dayenu

Sustained us for forty years in the desert and not fed us with manna—Dayenu

Fed us with manna and not given us the Sabbath—Dayenu

Given us the Sabbath and not brought us to Mount Sinai—Dayenu

Brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah—Dayenu

Given us the Torah and not led us into the land of Israel—Dayenu

Led us into the land of Israel and not built for us the Temple—Dayenu

Built for us the Temple and not sent us prophets of truth—Dayenu

Sent us prophets of truth and not made us a holy people—Dayenu

For all these, alone and together, we say—Dayenu!

And then each of us (including the kids) said one of our blessings that would have been enough for us – Dayenu!

On Friday, me and my friend Amy Price took the kids to the Dallas Zoo.  We got a bit of a late start and the lines were looonnnggg, considering it was Good Friday.  But overall we had a great time and the kids loved it (despite only seeing half of the zoo).  I'm glad I got a membership because now we can go back often (and see the other half!).

On Saturday, Jacob and I woke up bright and early to go ride the Tour Dallas bike rally.  It started downtown and took us 30 miles through some of the prettiest parts of Dallas.  This was a big deal for us to do on our own, considering Derek is always with us to make sure our bikes work properly and will us along!  But he had other obligations and this was a good confidence boost to Jacob and I.  30 miles!  And we did it with a smile. 

While we were doing that, Derek and the other boys were attending the Annual Frisco 5th Ward 5K and Egg Hunt.  They also attended Caleb's baseball game – go Rangers!

Along with a grocery shopping and a b'day party for Caleb, we had about an hour that we spent at home that day, but Samuel had been asking and asking so I took a few moments to dye eggs with him.  And I'm glad I did – that's the stuff that kids remember.  And he loved it – just him and me, enjoying turning our white eggs into pretty pastel ones!

 

That afternoon we headed over to the Hall's for their annual Easter Egg Dive and Potluck.  So fun.  The weather was absolute perfection and the company was delightful.  Samuel especially enjoyed their new baby goats!  The Halls are such gracious hosts.  (Funny side note: I was in charge of baked beans, so I had a huge pan of them that I put in the back of the Suburban and told D to "drive slow".  He had to stop quickly at a stoplight and we had removed one of the back seats.  So the beans slid a few feet and toppled over into the middle bucket seats.  You can imagine that being one of the highlights of our married life. 🙂 :).  We ran home, cleaned it up and then headed to the party.)

That night the Easter bunny came and thankfully, kept up with some favored traditions – new shoes and an jelly bean trail down the stairs.  Samuel had the hardest time finding his hidden basket, but Caleb was a big help (kitchen cabinets, dryer and food storage closet were the hiding places).

On Sunday, we enjoyed Derek being home since he cancelled his early morning meetings.  So he helped us get ready for church.  Our services were lovely and helped us reflect on Christ's infinite love and grace.  And later we headed to Nana's with the whole fam for a lovely dinner.  I love Easter!

 

We love when General Conference (our bi-annual worldwide Church conference) comes around.  4 sessions of inspirational and instructional talks by Church leaders to US.  We love getting to cuddle up, and watch/listen.  Unfortunately, cuddling up for the Saturday sessions is sometimes a challenge with sports and family obligations.  And this time was no exception (thankful for DVR!).

But on Sunday we kept our favorite two Conference traditions alive and I have proof:

1.  Audra has been coming over for years on Conference Sunday for brunch.  And I've never documented it, until now.  It's a long-standing tradition, and we're always glad to spend that time with her.  She stays and watches the Sun morning session with us too.

2.  We always attend the Saturday afternoon session with the Hicken's and Dalebout's.  This year, it was strange to not have the Hickens with us – it felt like people were missing.  But we always have a good time with the Dalebouts – and this time was no exception.  It was nice to know we can still do this without the H's, despite the fact that we don't like to have to.  🙂

Derek and Jacob attended the Priesthood Session together on Sat night and enjoyed a burger together afterwards.  They also ran an errand to the store for me and brought me these…what sweeties I have!

I can't believe it's been a year since sweet Reid entered the world.  What a blessing he is to our whole family!  He makes me smile from ear to ear whenever I'm with him.  And he lights up the room.  His b'day party was such a sweet and fun celebration of who he is.

 

His mom and dad (who am I kidding…it was all mom!) threw a "Wild Rumpus" based on the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  There were cookies, cakes, banners, yummy food, drinks and presents.  It was held in a lovely pavilion at a park in their town, with a pond/lake nearby (my boys spent the entire party feeding ducks and fishing!).  We loved being there to celebrate Reid-er.  We're big fans of this little guy (oh, and his awesome parents too of course)!

Now we look forward to celebrating Graham's 1st in July!

Now that Jacob is of babysitting age, Derek and I find ourselves sneaking off to a movie or dinner every now and then.  The reviews of how things have gone here at home have been less than stellar, but no one is injured or bloodied in the process, so I was feeling like the reward was worth it. 🙂

Last Friday night we left Jacob with some very specific instructions (dishes in the dishwasher, lights out, everyone in bed by 8:30/9), and we headed to dinner at a friends and then went to see "Hunger Games".  Usually when we come home from a date, all the lights are on, the kitchen is a mess, and the dog is frollicking outside in the yard, in the dark.  But they are usually all in bed (all except Jacob) – once again, reward outweighs the clean up effort!

Imagine our complete surprise when we came home a little after 11 pm and found the following…

1.  All children tucked in bed, asleep.
2. The kitchen spotless (not a dish in sight)
3. The table wiped down
4. The living room, piano room and dining room all spotless (and much of what was in the dining room was my own fault!)
5. Our bed made with a note and chocolate kisses on our pillows.

Apparently, Jacob and Caleb worked hard for an hour and a half in an effort to surprise us.  And boy, were we surprised!  I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture.  You better believe they were praised up and down for their efforts and generosity the next morning.  It was a proud parental moment that I hope to remember always.  What precious boys we have!!

Caleb and Jax were so excited to sign up for their school Variety Show last fall.  Jax's mom, Tami, and I have spent quite a bit of time together because of their sweet friendship and we were happy to oblige.  Tami and I have a good time together!  The kids knew they wanted to do a Jabbawockeez routine (a dance crew that one a reality TV contest).  And so they picked a song/routine, and Tami choreographed it to their level.  They had lots of Friday playdates/practices.  I put together their costumes (to match the ones from the real routine).  And Derek did the mask for us (with light up eyes and everything) out of a piece of dry wall.  Our two families sat on the front row and had a good time cheering on our dancers.  What cute boys!  It was fun.  And now they want to make their Jabbawockeez effort a yearly tradition.  🙂

Here's the video:

 

Caleb and Jax – "Robot Remains" from Meredith Smith on Vimeo.

We were excited to get away for the week of SB if only for a few days.  We headed down to New Braunfels (the town of Gruene actually) to meet my Dad and Christy.  They rented a lovely cabin for all of us right on the Guadalupe River.  I thought this was going to be a "vacation" (which it was), but the men in the family started referring to it as a "fishing trip" (I felt duped!).  It was a non-stop fly fishing effort, but only one fish was caught for the week.  :(  That much fishing though is sure to do a boy some good – my boys seemed happy and sufficiently tired, which is always a plus!  🙂
 

This part of Texas is SO beautiful – especially in the spring. I had moments of really missing it, after spending 4 years living there during my young adulthood. The hill country really is spectacular – mountain laurel, cypress trees and the beautiful roots they make along the river, bluebonnets, pretty birds, etc.

We arrived on Monday – fished all day, and had dinner at the Gristmill.  Tuesday was more exploring and fishing, some shopping for me and Mimi, and then dinner out at a mexican restaurant.  That evening we did a little more fishing (surprise!) and then started a fire in one of the outdoor fire places and had s'mores.  S'mores have become a tradition for trips to see Papa C and Mimi – so fun.

I'm always grateful for the efforts our parents have made to have wonderful, solid relationships with our kids.  It makes such a difference in their lives to have traditions, to have unconditional love and affection, to have time with them.  And I love when we can get away and have time in the car with our family, away from the demands of home.  These boys are growing fast and I appreciate these moments with them.

On Wednesday afternoon we took the boys to see where I went to college.  At the time it was SWT (Southwest Texas State University).  They have since changed it to Texas State University.  It was fun to walk around and show them where I lived, ate, and took classes.  It's a beautiful, hilly, campus and has a lot of charm.  I was surprised to see that many of my old broadcasting professors are still there.  I think the boys enjoyed some of my memories and the character of the campus.

After lunch we headed to Wimberley to the home of Iris and Dan, my good friends from college days.  Iris and I worked together when I was in school, at the Counseling Center.  I worked there as an office assistant during all my years of college.  She was a counselor.  I became friends with her son, Jeff.  And spent a lot of time with their family while they were building this house on 20 acres in Wimberley.  My senior year I was looking for a place to live and they offered me there 5th wheel trailer to live in for free – it was parked just down from where the Suburban is in this picture.  I loved the beauty, the privacy and the company of good friends.  They were so generous and good to me.  I have cherished memories of our time together.  It was fun to take the boys back to see it.  They loved exploring, looking for arrowheads and flint, swimming in the creek (in their skivies) and playing with/feeding their tortoise "Lefty" (how cool is he?!).  It was like we started off right where we had left off – lots of laughs and memories with these two. 

We drove back Wed night and spent Thursday recouperating.  That evening I drove with friends out to Ennis to see the drive-in movie…what an adventure.  Ennis is about 75 miles away.  It was so fun being with the Lee's, Sivley's and Chappell's.  But it was a real bummer when 1/3 of the way through the movie the power went out in this small town and we had to leave.  :(  Fun evening despite the way it ended!

The rest of the week was business as usual around here – laundry, house projects, yard work, playdates, grocery shopping, etc.

It was a GREAT Spring Break…one for the record books.

A cute little treat I made for my visiting teachees and Caleb's teacher.  Adorable, right?  I love Pinterest!! 

I helped my friend Monika (Cub Scout Committee Chair) get ready for the Blue&Gold this year.  When she asked me and told me the theme, I thought "perfect"!  It was a Western theme, and I had just finished throwing a Western party, so had lots of stuff.  The budget was non-existent (ie small), so I was glad I already had supplies on hand.  Brother Aman created Wanted posters for all the boys and me and Jacob created a jail for them go to during the night.  Each boy had to draw a "Get out of jail…" card that told them an act of service to perform.  They loved it.  We also made small centerpieces in mason jars for the tables.  And in addition to a pork bbq, we had Texas sheet cake.  Lots of fun.

Caleb got his Bear award and lots of belt loops and pins this night.  We had worked hard and he was so proud.  My favorite part is KTM (Kiss the Mom).

Cub Scouts is always a good time!

After a traumatic time getting over the Hicken's leaving, it was fun to have them back three weeks later.  We enjoyed watching Nick celebrate Senior Night and play soccer.  And we enjoyed dinner with them the next night (with the Dalebout's) at Saltgrass.  Nick is such a good kid and it was fun to watch him play, knowing how much he loves the game (it shows).  Let's hope those Hicken's get back here again soon…

What a fun V-day! The kids and I made fun Valentine's for them to pass out to their friends (thank you, Pinterest!). I made our traditional Valentine's meal the night before: chicken parmesan, salad, strawberry soup, and sugar cookie bars (thanks Shelley for the recipe!). Derek brought me gorgeous tulips. I threw a fun and easy 3rd grade party. And then that night (Tuesday) Cub Scouts was cancelled so Derek and I escaped for dinner and a movie ("Big Miracle")…what a treat (thank you babysitter, Jacob!).  All of this despite a horrible, no good, very bad day that involved the following…Samuel stealing gum from Kroger (saving the story for a separate post), and me breaking one of crystal candlesticks (and having to pick shards of glass out of the sugar cookie bars).  Now, looking back it makes me giggle, but it was a long day.  All's well that ends well.

I used to HATE Valentine's Day with a passion…I wasn't exactly the sought after, always has a date, kind of girl. So imagine my complete joy to be surrounded by four of the handsomest and most loving guys on Valentine's…what a charmed life I live! And they're around not just on Valentine's but every day – doubly blessed…or quadrupally (is that a word?) blessed as the case may be.