Winter Wonderland

We arrived in Oregon on Friday, December 19th for our two weeks of Christmas vacation. Saturday morning we awoke to freshly fallen snow which continued throughout the day. Now there is about 8 inches of snow on the ground. Another 6 inches is predicted over the next 1-2 days. Nothing slows down the pace of a vacation more than being snowed in - we are grateful for the focus on family time that this time is affording us.

Lauren's 5th Birthday

Yesterday, our little girl turned 5. I'm not sure where the time went...it seems it was just yesterday that she was toddling around, saying all her words wrong in the cutest way, with her little lisp. And now she is eloquent beyond her years, taller than everyone else her age and more independent than I'd like to admit. But, with her age comes new and fun activities we can do together, deeper conversations and spiritual growth. So, I guess I'll embrace this new phase of life as she becomes a little young lady and cherish the memories of her younger years.

To celebrate her 5th birthday, we had a Tea Party at our house yesterday. 10 of her closest girlfriends came dressed up for high tea, crafts, presents and cake. It was quite the ordeal to prepare, decorate and "self-cater" this event! But, I had so much fun doing it and Lauren was very appreciative of the finished product. Here are some pictures of her special day:














I had to have 3 tables because every girl we invited came!!














We had flower-shaped pb&j sandwiches, chocolate-dipped strawberries, petit fours, butterfly-shaped crackers, pink lemonade and, of course, raspberry tea!














The cake I baked for her














The placecards I made for each girl














Lauren & her friends

Fun in St. Louis

We were so blessed to get the opportunity (and invitation) to go to St. Louis for Thanksgiving vacation. My sister-in-law’s parents invited us to come to their house and stay for the week. Originally, we thought we might drive and make it a fun road trip…but then we came to our senses and realized that a 10-hour drive with an infant and a 4-year-old would be insanity! So, the hour and a half flight would be much easier.

We left Monday afternoon and stayed through Saturday evening, but still it went by a little too fast. We had so much fun shopping and baking and playing games…and the guys even went shooting and to a gun show! They also got tickets for the four of us to go see the Transiberian Orchestra, which was incredible. It was a big deal because it was the first time Lauren and Nolan have ever had a babysitter. (I was pretty proud of myself for only calling twice to check in!)

Amidst all the fun, Nolan managed to get an ear infection, so he was pretty miserable for a couple days until the antibiotics kicked in. But, after that he was back to his normal self and having fun practicing pulling himself up on everything in sight. He even figured out how to climb up the stairs – yikes! I definitely have my hands full now with him all over the place!! Oh, and he also got to try some mashed potatoes (which he didn’t like) and pumpkin pie (which he loved).

Ryan and I agreed that it was one of the best vacations we have ever had as a family and we are so grateful for the amazing hospitality and generosity that they showed to us during our stay! Here are some pictures from our trip:









Lauren & "Nana"















Nolan in the tub













Learning to make Nancy's famous fudge













Helping Nolan master the stairs

Daddy & Lauren Day

When I (Ryan) first started thinking about coming to St. Louis with the family on vacation I couldn't think of anything to do in town other than just hang around the house. And then it donned on me - the Arch. Of all the times I've been to St. Louis, I've never been myself. I honestly thought that you just stood underneath it and thought to yourself, "Wow, that is tall!"

















But the Gateway Arch turned out to be much more than that. And, as I tend to be the history-geography-civics nut in the family, I take my responsibility very seriously to introduce the kids to places like this. A few days ahead of flying out here, I showed Lauren some pictures of the Arch and told her that I was going to take her there. She was very excited. It was all she could talk about leading up to our trip, she spotted it out of her window on the plane as we flew in Monday night, and was nearly screaming with anticipation as we spotted it on the horizon driving towards it today.

















It was a beautiful day, which is what you need for a good visit to the Arch. But for me the highlight wasn't really the Arch itself, but getting to spend the day with my little girl doing something that kept a smile on her face the entire time. She was a little nervous in the small tram car heading to the top, but stayed brave and was in wonderment on the observation deck as she looked out over the city and the Mississippi River. Lauren thinks the word "Mississippi" sounds funny and laughs every time she says it.

















We also spent a good amount of time in the Lewis & Clark Museum located underground, then walked down to the river's edge. For some reason Lauren is big on touching water, and she couldn't pass up the chance to touch the water of the Mighty Mississippi. She said it was cold, but it, too, made her smile. At the very end of our time there, as we walked back to get picked up and head back to our host's house, we made a pile of leaves and she jumped in them over and over again. It was one of the best Father/Daughter outings we have ever had and I'll hold onto it for a long, long time. Thank you, Lauren, for making your Dad's day!

Good News

Thank you so much for all of you who have been praying for me this week! For those of you who don't know, I went in to see the doctor on Monday because of a lump in my throat. It turned out to be a nodule on my left thyroid. They were concerned that it could be cancer based on my symptoms, so I went in Wednesday to have some tests done. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief today when they called and told me it was benign. They will keep a close eye on it and have me come back in for ultrasounds every 6 months to ensure it isn't growing. But, at this point at least, no surgery or treatment is needed.

It made for quite an overwhelming week because Lauren was diagnosed with pneumonia and Nolan with whooping cough (which he got from Lauren). So, between the three of us, we spent the majority of our free time at the hospital. Ryan certainly had his hands full caring for us! Thankfully, we are all on the mend now and should be completely healthy for our trip out of town on Monday (we are going to my sister-in-law's parents' house in St. Louis for the week of Thanksgiving). Never a dull moment in the Smith house!!

Full Speed Ahead!

Family Pictures

Here are some recent pictures of us & the kids :)

Happy Halloween

Last night we headed out with Lauren and Nolan to do some trick-or-treating. She decided to be Cinderella this year and we dressed Nolan as a little lamb (a hand-me-down from Lauren's first Halloween). We got some cute pictures of them before we left:































































Nolan and I were only out for about 45 minutes - it was SO cold! But, Lauren and Ryan kept on going - she had fun, but every time she saw someone with a scary mask or costume, she would scream bloody murder and run the other way. After too much of this, she finally decided she was done being scared and wanted to come home. The funniest part about taking her out was that she didn't just say "trick-or-treat" when she got to someone's door. This was how it went: "Trick-or-treat! My name is Lauren, but I'm dressed up as Cinderella. I got my flu shot today and I have a pink bandaid... (and then she would launch into any number of things including how old she was, introducing Nolan and on and on) That's my daughter!!

Nolan on the Move

Field Trip

Lauren had her first field trip last week with her class - they went to Patterson Farms, which is a pumpkin patch. The cool part was that Ryan was able to take half the day off of work and he was her chaperone. She thought it was pretty neat to have her Daddy with her! They got a tour of the farm, had a chance to feed some of the animals, go through the corn maze, watch a puppet show in the barn and pick out a pumpkin. It was supposed to rain that day, but thankfully it held off until just as they were leaving. Somehow she still managed to get all muddy, though! Here are some pictures from their fun day:

Fall is here!

The weather is finally starting to cool off a bit and it has been absolutely amazing here! The leaves are starting to turn, we can sit out on the porch again and go for walks in the evenings after dinner. Fall in North Carolina is so beautiful and definitely my favorite season. I promise to post some "fall color" pictures soon, but for now here are some recent ones of the kids:

I've Been Tagged

My friend, Lynn, just “tagged” me…which means that I have to give an account of what I was doing 20, 10, 5, 3, 1, etc. year(s) ago. So, blame it on her for this LONG blog entry!

On September 14th…

20 years ago, I was 9 and in the 5th grade (I was ahead a grade because I started kindergarten early). That was a particularly tough year for me – because everyone thought I was the teacher’s pet, so they all gave me a hard time about it. But, this was also the year that I began writing and discovered a passion for it. So, there was good and bad.

10 years ago, I was 19. I was living at home and working full-time. Without going into too much detail, I will say that I was very confused. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life; I was dating the wrong guy and was very unhealthy. Not a year I look back on with fond memories…and definitely not one I would want to relive again!

5 years ago, I was 24. I was pregnant with Lauren and 3 months away from delivering her. Words cannot describe that feeling – carrying your first child, completely unaware of how your life will change. All the nervous excitement, joy and hope…it was an amazing time. Ryan was frantically searching for a new job that would pay him more so we could afford for me to stay home. (he was offered one the very next month) And he was doing a great job of caring for a highly emotional and incredibly exhausted pregnant wife! (and did I mention, huge? I gained 60 lbs with her – yikes! Now that is unconditional love!!)

3 years ago, I was 26. Lauren was about to turn 2. Ryan and I had planned to go on a 2nd honeymoon, but Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and changed our plans. The day before we were supposed to leave for Hawaii for a week, Ryan’s unit with the Army National Guard was called up to go and help out in Louisiana. I was beyond crushed. We both were so looking forward to our trip – the chance to reconnect and get away just the two of us. And now he was going to be gone for a month. It was a tough time, but we spent a lot of our days at my parents and my brother’s house and I got lots of help! Ryan survived the sweltering heat and the disorganization of the army and was able to help a lot of people…and we were all thrilled when he finally got to come home one month later!

1 year ago, I was 28 and we were still getting settled after having just moved here to North Carolina. Lauren had just started her first year of preschool, which was a little emotional for me. I was 3 months pregnant and we had just found out that we were having a boy. Oh, if I had only known then how he would turn my world upside down! I had also just joined the worship team at our church and was involved in a women’s bible study. It was a very busy time, but it was the beginning of “planting our roots” here, so it was good.

Yesterday, my husband spoiled me. He had plans to spend an entire day with his guy friends, but because Nolan was really not doing well and I was at the end of my emotional rope, he cancelled his plans and stayed home to help me out and give me a break. I got the chance to get out of the house by myself and get some “retail therapy” – I can’t tell you what a treat it is to just drive in the car by myself and listen to my own music!! He completely took over with the kids and I didn’t even have to cook dinner! I know, I am incredibly blessed…and I plan to spoil him right back! :)

Tomorrow is my “crazy” day – with Lauren at school and with dance class in the afternoon, Nolan and I spend almost all day in the car…which he really does not enjoy. Ah, the joys of being the youngest child!

Next year…I am almost scared to predict where we will be and what we will be doing. Hopefully, my little man will have outgrown all his medical problems. I am so curious to see his little personality develop and find out what he will be like. I’m sure he’ll be running around after his big sister…and with him being older, we will be able to do more as a family, which will be fun. I would be thrilled if we were back in Oregon by then, but I know it’s all in the Lord’s hands and His timing is perfect. I also hope that we will have Lauren enrolled in a Christian school (not sure how we’re going to afford it, though – still praying about that one). It’s hard to believe that she will be in kindergarten then…they grow up so fast!! No, we aren’t planning on having any more – our family is complete and this body is done being pregnant!

So, now I get to tag: Megan Fordice and Jen Kayser!

"First" Days

Last Tuesday was Lauren's first day of 4-year-old preschool. She is attending the same school, but has new teachers this year - and most of her friends from last year are in her class. She has been having so much fun...and with her being gone 4 days this week (instead of 3 like last year), I am able to get alot of things done while she's there! Here's a picture of her before her 1st day:

















Her other big first took place this Monday - she went to her ballet & tap class. I couldn't help peeking through the glass to watch her and she did so well! She really had the rhythm down and was doing great for her first time. She loved it and asked me this morning if she could go every day. Here's a picture of our little ballerina:

Playroom Makeover

Since May I have been working on redoing the kids playroom. When you walk into our house, it is the first room to your left. And, although there are solid wood French doors that can be closed, I wanted it to be a room that was somewhat pulled together and organized. It took me a while to figure out a color scheme, since it had to work for both Lauren and Nolan (eventually). But, once I found what I wanted, it was a lot of fun to plan and buy things little by little (thanks to my husband for allowing me to use some of our tax refund for this project!).

Lauren loves her new playroom and spends all her free time in there. I had so much fun planning, decorating and watching it all come together. And I'm very pleased with how it turned out...not only is it functional and organized, it is fun! I hope it is a room that the kids will enjoy for years to come. Here are some pictures (click on the pictures to enlarge):

Getting Ready for Fall

Once again I have been slacking on my blogging duties! The time just seems to get away from me - how can it be that it's almost September already?!?

Lauren will start school on Tuesday, followed next week by Awana's (Sunday evenings) and a ballet/tap dance class (Monday afternoons). I am so excited for her to join the Awana's program at our church and I'm hoping it will really reinforce the Bible learning we've been doing at home with her. I am also thrilled to have found an amazing dance studio that is christian-based. Their whole goal is to teach children to use dance to glorify God. Each lesson begins with a prayer and a reading from the Psalms about praising the Lord with dance. I think she will absolutely LOVE it!

As for Nolan, we tried cutting the dose of his Prilosec in half, in hopes that he was outgrowing his reflux and might be able to go without the medication. But, after a few days, he was really struggling and not eating well. So, the doctor recommended we put him back on the full dose. Initially, I was really discouraged by this. I didn't want him to be that child that was on medication for his whole first year. But, then during my quiet time one day, the Lord gave me a peace about it and showed me that I need to stop comparing Nolan to the baby Lauren was...and just enjoy the child he is - medical problems and all!

We have also started solid foods recently - his favorites being carrots and sweet potatoes (he even prefers them to fruit!). He is starting to sit up on his own, which makes it so much easier to take him places, and he just learned how to push himself up on all fours - yikes! I'm not quite ready for him to be mobile yet, so I'm a little nervous about this next phase. But, he is a lot of fun and a very smiley boy! Here are some recent pictures:







In his highchair eating cereal













Wearing the shirt that daddy bought him

Back Home

I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve posted anything – since we returned from Oregon, we’ve been busy getting ready for school and readjusting to life back here in NC.

Our vacation back home was wonderful! Lauren had so much fun playing with her cousins and getting special time with her Grandma & Papa, Grandma & Grandpa and Auntie Kelly. I also had opportunities to get out on my own (thank you mom!) for the first time since Nolan was born. I was able to go see two movies in the theater and get together with some of my girlfriends for dessert. We made countless memories with our families – ones that I will cherish in the long months to come…until Christmas when we can see them all again.

For me, the best part of being in Oregon was that Nolan seemed to suddenly improve overnight. He was like a different baby – taking better naps, eating without screaming and so smiley! His struggles have burdened my heart so heavily for the past few months that it truly felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. And while he still has days that are difficult (doesn’t every baby?!?), they are so few and far between now. I look back on the last few months and see it as a time when the Lord truly taught me reliance on Him. I knew that He was in control of the situation and that He would give me the strength I needed to persevere. And that is just what He did - He carried me through to the other side and delivered me through the fire. I am so thankful that I stuck with it and didn’t give up on nursing Nolan – I have finally reached that day that I dreamed of where I can enjoy it again. He is such a blessing!

More pictures from our trip:









I love my Aunt Kelly!!







Hanging out with Grandma (Ryan's Mom)







All the cousins

More Pictures

Lauren & her best buds









My handsome boy










Playing in Grandma & Papa's pool













Look how tall I am!