SUMMER 2010!!
Walk for Crohn's Disease and Colitis at soldier field~
we did this walk back in May, I'm sure a lot of you remember me begging you for money! It was such a great experience and a cause that is definitely dear to my heart! My awesome brother Danny designed our shirts, and I think they were pretty great!
They fed us all kinds of free treats, and as you can see, Araleigh was a little excited about this little bite of cotton candy...
It was such a gorgeous walk along the lake, and it was the most beautiful day! It was really a great time! We plan to do it again this year, so be warned that I will be asking for donations again!!! And anyone is welcome to join us!
Our little Ballerina!~
Araleigh was in her 1st ballet recital this year. I was so excited! She loves ballet and she did such a great job! Well, as great a job as any 3 year old ballerina can do! :)
They were fairy princesses - her teacher really knew how to cater to these cute girls! Araleigh was thrilled that she was in a pink costume and she got to wear "real makeup" :)
Preschool graduation~
Well even though Araleigh has another year of preschool, we were able to enjoy her graduation! It was very cute and exciting, as all preschool graduations are!
Girl power! Araleigh with her friend Sabreen - they were the only girls in a class full of boys, so these 2 really had to stick together! They are still best friends!
Jaxon turns 8!~
Jaxon's birthday -he was so excited to open presents that he didn't wait for Dave and I to wake up, he just brought the party to our bedroom! Jax has never been one for patience... he is hilarious! We sure love this kid!
His birthday cake is gummy bears swimming in a pool - not my most complex cake, but when Jax saw it he exclaimed, "that's exactly what I wanted it to look like!" Score. :)
Jaxon's Baptism Day!~
Jaxon's baptism was an awesome event! We were so blessed to have most of our family attend, by some very miraculous flight experiences! He was surrounded by people who love him and it was such a special day! He was very excited, and very ready to make this commitment!
Summer vacation #1- Chicago and Nauvoo
After the baptism, we were lucky to be able to spend a little extra time with our families, and we decided to head to the Field Museum for the 1st time! It was a really cool place, and the kids had a great time! Then we headed to Nauvoo for a few days, another 1st time experience. It was really a great place and we learned so much about the early members of our church and all they went through. We also had a little taste of what life was like 150 + yrs ago!
1st stop, the Nauvoo temple. What a beautiful building!
This is one of the original stones from the original temple.
Traeden was ready and willing to drive his siblings across the plains! Just give the kid a horse team and he's ready to go!
Araleigh had no trouble working the kitchen as a little pioneer girl!
The kids had fun meeting with the cast of one of the plays they did there. The boys showed them their newly learned pioneer game skills. The cast was extremely impressed. :)
The kids loved learning how the pioneers made bread in a chimney.
And how they made bricks!
They played authentic pioneer games! (Traeden won - poor Jax is just too darn skinny!)
The 3 of them made a rope, which they were able to keep as a souvenir.
We really enjoyed the tours of all the houses, learning the history of all the amazing things that happened there. Next we headed to Carthage Jail.
It's amazing that this building has been preserved for all these years. It was really neat to be able to see what it was like, and to imagine the events that took place here.
The window that Joseph Smith jumped out of as he was shot. It was a pretty powerful moment, especially for my sensitive Traeden.
The group, standing under that same window.
I am so glad that I was able to have this experience! I'm grateful that my mom was so diligent in making it happen. It was really amazing.
Traeden turns 10!!!~
yes, that's right, my son is now in the double-digits. He's such an amazing kid! I'm so grateful for my Traeden!
since Traeden was so lucky to share his big day with all the fathers in the world, we had an awesome BBQ with our friends the Serbinskis and enjoyed cake over there! Check out my awesome guitar cake. Oh yeah.
4th of July~
One crazy day!!!
This year we spent our Nation's birthday in our Nation's capital - well, 5 hours of it, at least!
We joined our friends, the Ellsworths, on some wide-open flights to DC. With our combined 7 kids, we were literally a traveling circus! But it was SO MUCH FUN!!! We love these guys!
We caught glimpses of the parade, but it was extremely hot so eventually we just made our way to the Smithsonian to enjoy a little A/C.
We spent a few hours in the Air and Space Museum, which was really cool (literally)! The kids had such a blast!
Then it was back to the airport, for a quick flight back to Chicago! It was crazy but so fun!
Araleigh turns 4!!~
This year Araleigh really wanted a Dora birthday party, and since I've never had a party for her, we decided to go with it.
Araleigh with 2 of her best friends, Claire and Emmelina!
The kids had to go on an adventure to find the pinata that Swiper swiped. First they had to play a game to get themselves across Crocodile Lake. Next they had to use their flashlights to make it through the Deep Dark Cave. And then they finally found the pinata!
Then they were able to enjoy their delicious cupcakes :)
After the party, the girls got all dressed up and we took them to a local production of Beauty and the Beast. The girls were in heaven!
Especially when they were able to meet Belle and the rest of the cast after it was over! They were so cute!
Our little fairy princess! Now a big 4 year old!
One of Araleigh's presents was a lovely swimming pool - and since it was about 100 degrees, all 3 kids had a blast crowding into it all day! She had so much fun playing with her awesome brothers!!
Summer vacation #2~ Saugatuck, MI!
Another great highlight of our summer was spending a long weekend at Saugatuck, MI with the Serbinskis! It was a cute little family camp! We stayed in these cute little cabins overlooking Lake Michigan. It was such a great place!
Our first night there, the boys were able to do a little archery! They both did great!
They look like pro's :)
Dave even took a turn :)
Of course we had a lot of fun at the beach, riding the waves on an inflatable lobster :)
Danielle, Jaxon, and I decided to conquer the great Mount Baldy, a "mountain" of sand. What a hike. There is nothing like hiking a sand dune. It's like walking up the down escalator! What a workout!
But we did it! And we were able to enjoy a beautiful view of the town while emptying the massive amounts of sand out of our shoes. Then we literally ran down the mountain at full speed while screaming at the top of our lungs and flailing our arms about. Apparently it's a tradition. :)
Summer vacation #3~ SLC and DELTA!!!
Everyone who knows me well knows that Delta is pretty much my favorite place in the entire world, and a summer just wouldn't be complete without a trip there! This year Traeden was finally brave enough to get out on the lake! Unfortunately we didn't have a wakeboard small enough for him, so he gave knee boarding a try! He was a natural, and had such a blast doing it!
Araleigh out on the dock. I swear I didn't photo shop this picture, because those clouds look fake! What a gorgeous day!
Daddy took the kids for a little tour in the paddle boat, which I'm sure was one of the highlights of their trip! I'm so glad flights worked out and he was able to be there!
Summer vacation #4~ Laguna Beach!
Laguna beach is a very nostalgic location to the Smith clan, they have been vacationing there for many, many years! It is also where Dave took me for our honeymoon! We haven't been there since Traeden was about 6 weeks old, so it was great to be able to revisit this beautiful beach! The kids had such a fun time! The boys became awesome boogie-boarders!
Grandma Liz bought them some little army men, and they created very elaborate war scenes! They had fun with these little toys for hours!
Araleigh loved making this picture in the sand. I don't know what it is (maybe a lobster??) but she re-created it over and over and over, which slowed down our walk on the beach significantly! :)
One of the coolest parts of the trip, while exploring the tide pools at low tide, the kids discovered all kinds of sea creatures, including fish, sea urchins, tons of little crabs, and even an octopus!!
This pretty much wraps up our summer! Next up...Fall highlights! Maybe I'll get to them by next year!! :)
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