Smith Family Update

Well, it has just been plain crazy here at the Smith home.

Maddie has been battling a double ear infection. She went swimming last weekend - and got water in her tubes. And then they have been draining all week - and well just bothering her.

I have strep throat, which I didn't even think was possible without tonsils. I think that the last time I had that I was a freshman in college....months before I got the tonsils removed.

We got the stone all placed. (See previous post) Thanks to Brian, it looks wonderful - and we have our driveway back again.

We have been picking strawberries like crazy from our plants. Yummy! Yesterday I made a strawberry pie - and it was wonderful. I think that we are done with the berries now until next year.

The garden is booming. This hot and muggy weather we have had in the last week - has been wonderful for the plants. I think that they may have doubled in size.

Maddie and I have taken up rollerblading. At night, her and I will go out - and sometimes Karleigh will follow on her bike. We go all over the subdivisions and skate. Great mom and daughter time. Today we tried out the rail trail in Midland. That was fun.

Karleigh is doing well. Loves to go to daycare with her flip flops on. I think it shaves 10 minutes off our schedule in the morning with being able to throw tshirts, shorts and sandels on.

Maddie is involved with camp at daycare this summer. Every Tuesday and Thursday she gets to go on field trips. This includes everything from the library, to touring restaurants, to ice skating and karate. She is learning a ton.

Other than that - we will be making a trip back home in July. We will keep you posted.

Love -Heather & Family

The Smith Family Landscaping

Well, after five years of saying that this would be the summer we would add stone - we finally did it!

Boy there was a lot of prep work. We started out by planting some bushes along the south side of the house, and along the front of the house to "finish" off the landscaping.

Then I called a friend of mine in the construction business and asked to have 10 tons of stone delivered to the house.

Oh - and did I mention it was the hottest week of the summer this week too?

I had to work all week, but it was Brian's week off. He hauled stone for DAYS. He said that he lost 12 pounds sweating when he was hauling stone.

Here are some pictures to show you how the Smith house looks now. We are pretty happy with it. It will be nice not to have to devote a whole day to pulling weeds anymore!

Maddie's 7th Birthday

Madison turned 7 on June 10th. She had a busy couple of days. She was pretty excited to take cupcakes for her treat to school.

And her birthday being on the last full day of school - there was a lot to celebrate.

Then the weekend after her birthday, we had her party at our house. It was a crazy weekend of party prep and cleaning.

Madison decided that she wanted an ocean party. We searched high and low for the greatest beach/ocean related finds.

Maddie got to invite a few friends, and she was lucky to have 3 little girls respond that they would be joining us in the celebrations. We had planned that the friends would come earlier, and then at suppertime the family would come by.

We painted suncatchers, and decorated flip flops. Then when Daddy went to pick up the submarine sandwich, the girls and I went across the street to fly kites. We got some great pictures of the group having fun.

When the family arrived, we ate, and then Auntie Sheri brought the bounce house over. It was almost like the carnival. Tickets please, lines and time limits.

Madison got a lot of nice gifts. New crocs, drawing papers, clothes, college money and a new dinosaur webkinz. The last of her friends left around 8:30, and the family stayed and had fun much later.

It was a great birthday.