Darin Smith Family

Pictures

2011-02-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

Justin and Lane ~ a few days
before the hospital.

Justin and his true blue friend, elephant.

The cut and drain tubes.

Post op, in Moses Lake and on morphine the weekend before Spokane.

Neighbor?

2011-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

As the evening settled in, we were jolted into a few realizations.
Spokane is a lot farther away from our home, family and friends.
Having a private room in a hospital is a blessing. Sharing a room with a whiny, spoiled, not really sick (basic tonsillectomy early in the morning) four year old and his needy, inconvenienced parents made me seriously question if I had the strength to do this. (By do this, I mean NOT jerk the red headed brat bald headed). This may not be my most flattering post; the truth hurts, as they say. I was not happy, Justin was not happy; we cried.
The hospital staff was great in helping us get set up in a motel room; Darin had gone for the night. The sofa in the hospital made down into a pretty ok bed. Justin and I gave it our best shot to try and get sleep. Even the nurses, who I have never met a more patient group of people, were starting to have their fill of "Eric, our neighbor". They seriously called the nurses station more times than our monitors beeped. They even called when Justin's i.v. ran out and was beeping! One nurse, bless her heart, finally asked that they take the balloons out of the room so "Eric" would stop beating them on the ceiling. At about eleven, the staff asked "Eric's" dad if they wanted to go home; dad didn't think they had enough pain medicine to get through the night and he was really too tired to drive home; I thought to myself ***you can add your own part here***. The night ended, morning came, "Eric" and family were released and peace on Earth was felt throughout the halls.

Monday, Monday

2011-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Monday in the hospital starts off as busy as any other. Dr. Murray is in first, same speech. Dr. Hourigan is in a while later, he leaves with a " I will talk to you soon." I am too tired to read between the lines. Same routine with Justin, they bring in a tray for breakfast, we try to be excited but he wants nothing. They make him stand up and walk to the scale to weigh, no weight gain yet. A nurse comes in and asks if I can take a phone call at the desk, I am already confused, now what? Dr. Hourigan is on the line, he is apologizing for doing this over the phone but he has already consulted with Dr. Murray and with a pediatric surgeon in Spokane and wants us to prepare right away....
I am trying to focus on what he is saying but at the same time, I can hear Justin in the room, now he is getting louder, I put down the phone and tell the nurse to explain to Dr. Hourigan....
Back on the phone, he continues, we are not going home, Justin has to go to Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, the ambulance is on the way. He asked when Darin will be here, he asks if I am ok, he then promises that this is the best thing for Justin. He will be with doctors and staff that have a lot of experience with this. He will be able to have a pic line put in for medication and nutrition. He has to get stronger, he is slipping by staying here.
I go back to the room and start making the phone calls, I hate to have to tell Darin. The next forty-five minutes are a whirlwind, I was packing, filling out papers for the hospital, answering calls. It seemed like all at the same time, the paramedics, Darin and my mom show up in the room. We are trying to sort things to go back to Royal, things for Darin to bring to Spokane for us and prepare Justin for the ambulance ride. I can't stop flying around the room, my mom gave me a hug, she was crying, I was numb. I couldn't start to cry, I knew it would be a complete melt-down, there wasn't time for that and Justin couldn't see that.
Justin is being strapped on to the gurney, he has blue elephant and my hand. Amazingly the ride went by quickly, not comfortable though. By the way, if you are ever bored, try holding the pee cup for a six year old boy strapped to a gurney in a moving ambulance going seventy + down the interstate.
We arrive in Spokane and try to find our way through the maze of halls and elevators and find Darin. Once in our room, it is another round of new i.v.'s, new bed, new hospital gown, new people. But best of all was our nurse, Tawnee. She made the difference in the chaos for Justin. She was tiny, quiet and spoke to Justin with pure love. He trusted her immediately.
It would be a long day of waiting. We felt like everyone was bustling around with something to do and someone to tend to and we were sitting in the corner watching. The staff was very helpful in talking to us about where we could stay, eating arrangements, parking; all the not-important stuff that makes the whole experience easier. We got to finally meet the doctor; she was very supportive in assuring us that Justin was on the right track, it was just going to be a long road. She stressed that looking at his information he was very lucky to be in the condition he was in now, everything had gone according to plan. Now, he needed a little help in fighting any infection that may be left and getting the criticial nutrition that he needed. Tomorrow would be a big day for Justin, he would get his pic line and another phase of this journey would start.

The First Week Comes to an End

2011-01-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

The weekend is here, no signs we will be going home but no one is saying we won't be going home either. Justin's drain tubes will need to come out; he will be taken to surgery, put under anesthesia and those annoying 18" of tubing will be taken out. No wonder he hates to move and there can't be any room for food with all of that stuffed in him. Time is vague in a hospital, of course when it is time for Justin to go downstairs for surgery, Darin is not here yet. I know I can do this but I sure wish he was here. As we are wheeling Justin's bed into the elevator he begins to get agitated, he knows something big is about to happen. We hold hands all the time, I know it doesn't hurt him for me to squeeze his little paw. An anesthesiologist, a nurse, Justin, me, and a very long, empty hall. Justin has had a stuffed, blue elephant for years; he is here with us too. I don't know how much Justin understands when they are talking to us, but I know he can feel things. We squeeze harder, please let him be asleep before I leave......they say "this won't take very long, we will bring him back up to his room, you can wait there." How can I wait there if I am holding his hand here? They are pushing the bed away, Justin is reaching for me, my heart hurts, the doors swing close. I try to focus on the maze to get back to his room. Oh, thank you God, Darin is here.
They bring Justin back, he is still sedated and on morphine so the rest of the day is spent sleeping. I think he already looks better. Finally, progress!

The kids and family have made it through the week. Everyone has made it to school, homework done, practices made, food keeps appearing at our house and everyone seems to be doing ok. It is not easy for Justin's siblings to come visit; he is not himself, it is unsettling for all of us. The weekend is here, we are all waiting for good news from the doctors.

A Long Week

2011-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Justin was starting to stay awake for longer periods of time. He was obviously uncomfortable. The incision was left open, a gauze pad covered it. The drain tubes were taped to his stomach. Everything hurt, the surgery had involved moving all his internal organs and flushing out as much infection as they could. The inflammation was everywhere. He had no appetite. He cried when the lab techs would come into the room, he yelled for me when the x-ray machine loomed in the doorway. He could not get up to use the bathroom. He was scared. He would ask for the pain medicine himself. He would turn his head to the side when people were in the room. He would stare blankly at the tv when the doctors would come in to talk to us. His mom or dad was always in the room with him, he was not getting better.
Dr. Murray, boots and all, came in to check the incision. It would be the first time we had seen it. We failed Justin in preparing him for the sight, we were not prepared ourselves. We cried as they were pulling the tape off, Justin was trying to push them away. At first we see the drain tubes coming out of his stomach, three 10"-12" tubes with clear, plastic bulbs on the end. A thick yellow/pink fluid filled the tubes. They would need to take out the gauze that was in the opening; I had pictured in my mind the small roll the dentist has you bite on when you get a tooth pulled, I was wrong. The gauze that was stuffed inside Justin looked like two pairs of rolled up tube socks. Dr. Murray is touching, peering and says "It looks really good." I do not believe the gaping slash in his stomach looks good. Justin looks down. Horrified, he yells at the doctor, "that's not good, YOU CUT ME!"
*Note to parents: six year olds do not know what the word "incision" means*
They would leave the wounds open to heal from the inside out, letting the infection escape. Through all of this, Justin would only have one stitch. After seeing this and without the gauze, Justin was more timid in his movements. The tubes were still in, three tubes 6"-8" each wrapped up inside of him, irritated and tugged with his every movement.
Dr. Murray, was directing us from the surgeon's standpoint. "Try to get Justin up more, have him sit in a chair, have him walk, get him to eat." Dr. Hourigan, was cautious from the family doctor standpoint. "Don't get your hopes up, we are not out of the woods, I am concerned about his weight loss, hang in there." We were still hoping to go home Sunday. Justin still did not have a fever; his white blood count was elevated but not spiking, he still showed signs of inflammation, he was still on morphine and he had no appetite.
Each day of that week was also filled with many visitors, calls, texts and scheduling shifts to go home for a shower, a few moments of quiet, and some much needed time with our kids. Lane continued to sleep with one of his sisters, Dani was keeping things running, and the grandma's were at our call for anything we needed. We would see the sadness on people's faces when they would visit Justin; I would listen to the beeping of the machines so I wouldn't break down during those times. Darin had to witness the saddest littlest visitor of all. Justin's buddy, Jett and his mom came to visit. Hospitals are intimidating to a lot of people, for wild, rambunctious boys they are haunting. Jett came in and like so many others was overcome by sadness, words escaped him. He held on to his mama, tears filled the room.

The Other Pieces

2011-01-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

There were so many other things that were going on at this same time; a few other pieces of the story that will make it complete.
*Dani had been away at college since August; we were all adjusting, things were different when she came home from Christmas. The minute I called her on that Sunday night, her heart was broken. She needed to be home she said, we convinced her to wait until Monday morning when we knew more. She packed, made class arrangements and her "sisters" at Pi Phi helped her get on the road. Having Dani home settled my "mom" brain, she knew everyone's routine, their activities, habits, and unique needs. She stepped in not because we asked but we needed her and she needed to be here with us.
*The time you spend with the hospital staff is brief, you don't learn a lot about the person but you do have a feeling when you meet and talk with them. Justin's favorite nurse was Jenny, she referred to herself as Ginormous, like the girl from the movie "Monsters vs Aliens" (she was not ginormous just tall!) Nurse Jenny was actually a nursing student, a young, single mom who will be a fabulous nurse because she is a fabulous person. We had days where we would have four-six nurses, two lab techs, two xray techs, two-three aides, housekeeping, the dietitian, two doctors, and other hospital staff. We learned that this was Justin's experience, he had fears and needs that we would have to verbalize for him. We learned it is ok to tell staff and guests when he needed to be alone, to come back later, to close the door, and when to say we needed assistance.
*If you need sleep, do not stay in a hospital. There is no difference between day and night, the same beepers, buzzers, poking and prodding go on 24/7. There is a chair that lies flat, if you can get it to fit between the hospital bed and the window, and stay out of the way of the I.V., sink, bedpan, and monitors.
*Twins are special. Unless you are one, you will never understand the bond. Lane was thrown into his own situation of loneliness and fear. He had never slept alone since conception, he had always had a wingman; now he was flying solo.
*We live and love in a Christian community. Matthew 22:36-40 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Our "neighbors", friends and family of all religions showed their love to our family in so many ways during this time. We have forever been touched by this.

Realizations

2011-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Monday passed quickly, we were so tired and everything that was happening was new. We were trying to understand everything that was being told to us and everything that was being done to Justin. We were meeting dozens of hospital staff and learning the routines of the hospital.
From this point on, days and nights would start to run together. Justin was sleeping most of the time. Now I realize that even when he was awake, the morphine was controlling him. We would get little rest in between the constant beeping of his monitors, blood draws, vital checks and Justin's occasional cries. Darin and I were making plans for work, the kids, going back and forth to home.
Early Tuesday morning, Dr. Hourigan came in to check on Justin. After a few minutes, he asked me to go into the hall with him. I was alone, not only was Darin not there, Dr. Warner was not there and I was feeling lost at what he would need to talk to me about.
Reality, Dr. Hourigan is a kind, knowledgeable man. He put his hand on my shoulder and explained to me the seriousness of Justin's condition.
Justin's appendix had burst, probably about 10-14 days before surgery. The infection had formed abscesses in his abdomen during that time; atleast one of the abscesses had also burst. His quick decent from "not feeling well" to Sunday night was actually a long battle his body had been fighting. Sunday's symptoms were the signs of his body shutting down from the massive amount of infection in his system. Dr. Hourigan's opinion was that on Sunday we were just a few hours away from having a different outcome. Justin was better, but we were a long way from being ok. We would watch his white blood count, the drainage tubes and his temperature very close for the next few days.
I was crushed, not only was I beyond scared for my baby but the guilt of not taking care of one of your children was beyond what I could take. The overwhelming burden of failure would and does linger; thankfully there was not time for that, we had to hold everything together for the rest of our family. And more than ever before we had to be Justin's voice in his healing process now.

Part III

2011-01-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

What I remember the most about the recovery room was how cold and empty it seemed. There was one nurse tending to Justin, another doing paperwork in the hall, Darin and myself. We were scared, we had never seen any of our kids so sick and lifeless looking.

There was one defining moment that changed a lot of things about us. In Darin's profession he has seen and will see more than most of us could ever handle or should have to see. He has always amazed me with his ability to handle the experiences of trauma and death he has witnessed. In that room, in a flash, all of reasoning was gone. He looked at Justin and saw not our little boy but another boy that he had given CPR to a few months before. At the time I didn't know what was going on, but I looked at Darin and could see he was not there with us, I was so scared he knew something about Justin that I could not see. It would be several days before I would know what Darin had seen this night; it would be several months before we could talk about the depth his experiences have affected him.

Justin was gray, sweaty, and restless; he had three open incisions, two had drain tubes coming out of him. He was still under anesthesia and they had given him morphine. His body was fighting a battle we did not fully understand.

We were finally taken to a hospital room around 4:00 a.m. Justin was incredibly unsettled, trying to pull the tubes out and get out of bed. That morning would start the routine of the hospital staff taking blood, checking the i.v., temperature, blood pressure, oxygen , tube drainage monitoring and pain medication. This first night we didn't sleep, by mid-morning Justin had finally settled and was in a medicated sleep. The day had started for us, as we had family and friends to keep updated, kids to keep organized, medical staff to talk to and Justin to pray with.
Our first discussions with the doctors were general information; mostly what a normal appendectomy surgery and recovery look like; a short surgery, small incision, possible hospital stay. So far we had not experienced any of that. The discussions would always end with a "but we are watching him closely because the appendix did rupture, let's see how his blood work is" The seriousness had not set in yet.

Sometime during that first morning I realized how lost we felt because Dr. Warner (our doctor for the last 19 years) had moved in December. Dr. Hourigan, who is in the same clinic has been Darin's physician, had agreed to take our entire family; little did he know what our first interaction would be like.

Part II

2011-01-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Emergency Room usually means a long wait without a lot of urgency.

This was not the case this time. Everyone was very attentive and compassionate with us on this night. I think they could sense the seriousness of the situation and yet see that we had not yet come to that realization.

I stated the facts to everyone we talked to: Justin did not have a fever, he was walking and alert this morning, he has never complained of pain, and now he was pale and not responding to us. In a blitz, he was given an i.v., poked, tested, measured, xrayed, had an ultrasound and then sent off for a ct scan. Right before the scan, a nurse told us they were looking for appendicitis. We were shocked, Justin had not complained of any kind of pain, or showed signs of pain. At the scan the tech was very quick to point out that the appendix had already burst, he then looked at us and said the surgery team was on their way.

In a matter of minutes, Justin was being prepared for surgery. Looking under the curtain in his room, we saw what would become a friendly sight to us...cowboy boots. Our surgeon, Dr. Murray, was not like any doctor I had met before. Not only was he 6'5" plus he was dressed in baggie jeans, a sweatshirt, and cowboy boots. The nurse was kind enough to reassure us that he was a good guy.

Justin was taken into emergency surgery around midnight. By now, we had called the rest of the family and was just asking that everyone sit tight, help take care of the kids and we would know more in the morning. The staff had said we should just wait in the e.r. waiting room and the surgery usually only takes thirty minutes to an hour.
Darin's friend, a Moses Lake officer, just happened to be in the e.r. on a case; he sat and visited with us to help keep our minds off of the situation. After three and a half hours, surgery was over and we were taken back to wait in the recovery room with Justin.

Part I

2011-01-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

The weekend was fast approaching and we were so looking forward to it. Darin and I had planned a quick weekend get-away, we were going to Moscow for Saturday night, combining a trip to see Dani (I had not been to her house yet) with an extended date night.
Friday morning before school Justin comes in to our room and says "I don't feel good" followed by a quick trip to the bathroom to throw up. Let's just say throwing up at our house is not a big deal, it is a weekly occurrence. I stay home with him that day and he is mostly laying on the couch and throws up again later that day.
Saturday morning comes around and he is actually up and walking around, still says he doesn't feel that great, but still wanting to drink juice and watch cartoons. After a VERY lengthy discussion, we decide that I will still go up to Moscow with Katrina and her mom, Rhonda to visit Dani and come home first thing Sunday morning. Hopefully to be back before anyone else gets the "flu" that Justin has.
Sunday morning I talk to Darin, he says Justin is not feeling better and is laying around a lot more. By noon, I am back in Royal. Darin goes out to watch his favorite Vikings play in the football game as I get settled back at the house. After a little while, I notice Justin is just not "right". Having a little bit of experience with sick kids, I convinced myself he was dehydrated. He didn't have a fever and had lost interest in trying to eat or drink.
On a whim, I called the nurse hotline through our insurance, just to see if this was an emergency room run or take him to our regular doctor in the morning for dehydration. After a lot of questions, the nurse agrees that since he has no fever he is probably just run down from this flu. A final question she says, has he spit up anything that looks like coffee grounds? I said no and she replied good because that would mean he has internal bleeding.
Meanwhile I keep checking on Justin and he is becoming more and more lethargic. I call Darin and tell him I am taking Justin in, I can't wait until morning. He says he is on his way and we can go together. By the time Darin gets here, Justin is now somewhat unresponsive at times. I mention the nurse's question about coffee grounds to Darin, he stops and says well yes he did have a little of that this morning. Our hearts sink, we are on our way to the emergency room.

Challenges to blessings

2010-04-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2010

That was the first day I sat down in front of the keyboard to work on this. I knew the "blog" had been low on the priority list, but I set my mind that I would write about this before I wrote about anything else. I have sat, cried, typed, cried, prayed, edited, cried, procrastinated, prayed and am still struggling trying to put this all into words.
2010 will be defined as the year our family experienced appendicitis. I say the whole family, even though it was Justin who suffered, all of us were changed by the experience.
It has almost been a year and I am surprised how much harder it is to think about now then last year.
I have tried different ways to write this and am going to give this my best shot...a little bit at a time.

Halloween

2009-11-02T19:43:00.001-08:00

Let's start with the buddies...our favorite "skelekons".

Lane told me they are the bone ones not the bird ones (skeletons not pelicans.)
yes, Lane is on the left!

Our favorite Monster Bride in a dashing lime green.

7th graders Rock, or atleast this one....

We couldn't let the kids have all the fun...

trick or treating at the Miller's.

Lane showing how we all felt at the end of the night.

and we can't forget our favorite college girl...

3 years running

2009-10-31T10:49:00.001-07:00

Gracie has received an award at school in October for the last three years. Looking back on her pictures I hope we remeber that it was Halloween dress up day and that she didn't always go to school looking like this!

Good Job Gracie, we are so happy for you and know the many great things you are capable of.

RHS Graduation 2009

2009-10-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Thirteen years of school, great friends and in a blink everything changes.

Here are some of those that have made it so memorable...

Tanner Freeman, Dani, Blair Collins

Dani, Janae Anderson, Tawnee Gonzales

Chanet Stevenson, Dani

Connor Paysse, Dani

Dani, Roman Trujillio

Katrina Werlinger, Dani

Sam Villegas, Jordan DeLay, Cierra Miller, Blair, Dani, Angel Ledezma, Megan Bezona

Dallas White, Dani

I miss them all, you don't realize how attached you are. I wish them all the best...

Green Dot, Yellow Dot, Red Dot, Gold

2009-10-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

I found this draft of a post I had started and never finished in May.

If you don't have elementary kids you are missing out on the daily run down of who's who on the dot list. Green (everyone starts here, good place to be). Yellow (just like the light, a warning you had better stop what you are doing). Red (not where you want to be, usually a loss of recess). Gold dots are given randomly to kids who are caught doing extra good things, they are announced on Fridays and given prize bags.
Needless to say my boys have spent a fair share of the year on yellow. They are quick to let me know when it was NOT a red or yellow day. I was a little worried one day when I helped in the kindergarten room and noticed the yellow dot had completely fallen off the chart. I just knew my buddies had worn it out. Lane has pointed out to me that he mostly has been on yellow because he just didn't know all the kindergarten rules. Now that he has learned more he can do better.
Justin surprised us with receiving a gold dot for helping pick up papers from under the table for Mrs. Vasquez without even being asked. Gracie was the next to receive her Gold Dot from Mrs. Vermeer, for always trying to be the best she can be. Last but not least Lane received his gold dot award and was thrilled beyond pieces!
We now have car stickers to let everyone know of their accomplishments.
I know of a few red dot days I have had and can certainly work harder at doing gold dot deeds more often and without being asked. Thanks kids for the life lesson for all of us.

End of School

2009-10-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Carley & Angie Gilbert, her piano teacher.

The debut recital.

Waiting for the Moses Lake Parade to start,

Gracie, Justin & Lane at the circus. Even as skeptical as I was it turned out to be a pretty fun time. The animal tamer was lame but the kids were overly impressed with the tricks from the tightrope walker and the girl on the balance boards. This kooky clown stole the show...

At the end of the school year the kindergarten class has a big production to showcase all of their many singing, dancing and acting talents. After Lane acted as a goat for one song and each boy had their turn holding an alphabet card we got to see their dosie-do skills. And then to cap things off they all dressed up in their bee costumes.
I know the boys will be happy to have these posted all over!

Lane

Justin

ok, ok

2009-09-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

OK, enough with the pressure. Mostly from my own family! I will try really hard to get us caught up, I thought about just skipping to the present and wondered if anyone would notice....I heard a few comments about that.
The end of school and summer were so busy, I still read everybody else's blog but just couldn't put anything to words for mine. Maybe I will just update with pictures and let everyone else narrate their own captions......

TAYLOR SWIFT

2009-05-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Spokane Arena

We left Royal and met at the Freeman's (Darin, Angie, Dani, Katrina, Carley, Gracie, Deana & Taylor). When we got to Spokane we went to Rocky Rococo's for pasta & pizza. As we were leaving there was a girl (cowboy boots, blond, wavy hair, teen) who had us all do a double take. She was an amazing look-alike, we even got her to talk to Gracie (who was convinced it was the real Taylor). We saw her again at the concert and Darin went to talk to her and apologize for all of us gawking at her at the pizza place, she thought it was pretty cute how we were so star-struck. Waiting for the start of the show they had several things you could walk around and do, we convinced our girls to karaoke in front of the green screen (they were supposed to email the videos but we have not got them yet). It was one of the funnier things I have seen in awhile...

The concert started at 7:00, Gloriana played a few songs first and then Kellie Pickler opened. Taylor Swift started at 8:30 and played for over 2 1/4 hours! Lots of lights, costumes, dancers, she really made a production out of her songs. Carley and Gracie were a little shell shocked. There was a lot going on and it was loud (I actually like loud, but add in the 10,000 screaming girls and this was really loud). It was so long, Gracie actually fell asleep for the last two songs! Big Thanks to Darin who was man enough to take his girls and safely drive us all home!

Waiting for the concert........

Trying to pick the perfect t-shirt.

AIM Gymnastics Rocks!

2009-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

That is the cheer Gracie ends her practice with every Monday. She just started gymnastics this winter and had her first Fun Meet on Saturday. Gracie won an award for her awesome balance beam! The whole family came to watch, even Grandma GG and Grandma Janet stopped in. Keep working hard Gracie, we are proud of you and hoping you are having so much fun!!

A quick blog journal post

2009-05-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 3:30 pm
one dad, one mom, five kids, one softball game, three little league practices
Never will this happen again but today Dani had her last home softball game, Carley and Darin had DAC Dragon softball practice, Gracie practiced with her 2nd-3rd grade team and Lane, Justin and myself had k-1st team practice. So our whole family was playing ball on four different fields with four different teams and all at the same time.

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Top Ten List

1. Adventures! From tidepools to dark caves anything we do together seemed like an adventure. Even the most amazing Hide & Seek ever, if Gracie didn't give up Ted would still be looking for her!

2. Great House, if I say so myself Deana and I outdid ourselves this year on finding the house. 4 bedroom, theater room (yes big screen tv and movie theater seats), hot tub, sauna, fireplace, foosball, pool table, and it was right on the beach. Click here for The Beach House information.

3. Going to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch, ice cream lunch to be exact. Do I have to count this twice if we did it two days in a row?

4. Seaside Aquarium, everybody loves feeding the seals.

5. Great food, each night one group gets a turn to cook dinner. Darin made his Tomato Street Penne Pasta, Dani made sweet and sour meatballs and Ted & Deana fixed bbq steaks with shrimp. Carley & Taylor made pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast one day and I fixed french toast for everyone. Katrina made cookies and brownies at night. Besides Tillamook, we ate at a great little place in Seaside called the Big Kahuna. Yes, it was a fattening week.

6. Foosball / Pool Challenges - by the end of the week everyone had perfected their game.

7. Dani bodyboarding in the freezing weather. Maybe K-poop will send me some more pictures since she was such a good sis and stayed down at the beach with Dani and Darin.

8. Glenwood Cabin - Ted & Deana let us extend our vacation by stopping at the cabin. The kids (well except Carley) loved the bunk house. The scenery was breathtaking, Mt. Adams, elk, deer. The five million snakes in the ditch I could live without.

9. Doing nothing, everytime we go the best part is not having a plan, not having to go anywhere, not having to answer the phone and enjoying every minute.

10. Seeing the kids smile.

2009-03-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be fun to do:

The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you ! I get to pick what I make for you, but it will be especially for you.

**Here is the deal:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. You will receive it sometime this year.
4. You have no clue what it will be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

** The Catch
The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FABULOUS homemade gift by me!!! So come and play along.

Junior Miss

2009-03-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Junior Miss Katrina Werlinger !!!

Congrats Trina, we are so proud of you. We know how hard you worked and know you will do a great job representing our community. Thanks for letting me be your "backstage mom" and we look forward to many exciting float adventures.

Monster Trucks

2009-03-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

A Day with Dad - Gracie, Lane & Justin got to spend the day with dad while the big girls were busy with Junior Miss stuff. It was a great day, all of them said they had so much fun.

This is how Lane was most of the time "mesmorized"!

Taking a break from the action, nothing like cotton candy to keep dad busy.

BRAD PAISLEY CONCERT !!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-01T19:22:00.001-08:00

Tacoma Dome 2/28/09.....Paisley Party Tour!!

Darin and I left Saturday with Mike and Robin for a mini-road trip to Seattle. Laughs, good food, great concert and home again on Sunday. We really enjoyed our easy-going trip, thanks guys!

Sad?

2009-02-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

Thursday was Senior Night for our basketball player.

Dani has bounced a ball almost since the time she started walking. She has always loved the sport, a true fan of the game. In grade school, Mr. Stark asked her to be the MS girls team manager. By season's end, he had a whole stack of scribbled on papers with all of the plays she had drawn for him. She started playing AAU in 6th grade, in Moses Lake. We have a lot of memories from those years. High School basketball has brought a lot of ups and downs. Torn ACL, new coach, team dinners, a lot of losses, six three-pointers in one game and a lot of new friends.

I was sad on Thursday, not because it was the end, but because it didn't end the way we thought. Dani wanted so badly to make districts, this was our year. I don't understand why or how it happened but it wasn't meant to be. It is sad when your kids are so disappointed when "life's not fair", when they work hard to reach a goal and are inches short. We have hugged and cried but certainly not talked about it. I feel sad that everything we have said over the years "set your goal" "be coachable" "work hard" "be a team" they did and the results did not equal the work.

We are so proud of Dani! You did work hard and overcome physical and emotional challenges. I hope one day you see that you did accomplish many goals, some that you were not even aware of at the time. Just like the first time Dain announced your name and you got to run through the cheerleaders, we will always be standing in the crowd cheering you on!

This is getting so much easier....

2009-02-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Monday - Moses Lake
Tuesday - Tri-tip Roasts, Baked Potatoes
Wednesday - Kona Chicken over Rice
Thursday - Salad and leftovers
Friday - BBQ hamburgers
Saturday - Split Pea Soup

I've Been Tagged

2009-02-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the rules:
1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six '8' items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment.

8 favorite TV shows:
1. My Name is Earl
2. The Hills
3. Dexter
4. Survivor
5. Boston Legal (even the reruns)
6. Diners, Drive Inns & Dives
7. Two and a Half Men
8. MonsterQuest

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Wii Yoga
2. Regional Wrestling (for 10 hours!)
3. Laundry
4. load dishwasher
5. read
6. give my kids and sweetheart valentines
7. answered a million kid questions
8. Did I mention sit at Regionals for 10 hours

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. going on vacation
2. fitting in to a new pair of Calvin Klein's
3. Summer
4. Spring Break
5. being caught up on laundry
6. Darin not being sick
7. raising confident, kind children
8. growing a vegetable garden

8 favorite restaurants:
1. Steel Pig, Seattle
2. La Cabana, Royal City
3. Killer Tacos, North Shore Oahu
4. Brunswick, Othello
5. Lariat Burgers, Naches
6. Chili's
7. Tony Roma's
8. truckstop breakfasts

8 Things on my wish list:
1. a raise
2. tropical vacation
3. happy, healthy, giving children
4. a chef and housekeeper
5. peaceful family
6. a tan
7. college tuition
8. Win the lotto so I don't need a raise, can visit my own tropical island with my happy, healthy, giving children, hire the best chef and housekeeper to go with us and our peaceful family, while I am getting a tan, and sending my kids care boxes while they are in college.

8 people I tag:
1. Sue
2. Courtney
3. Becky
4. Elaine
5. Tiffany
6. Gari lynn
7. Melanie
8. Carley

Smiff Funnies

2009-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Lane "Mom, do you know what my dog likes to do? He smiffs, you know just like us Lane Smiff."

Justin "Mom, today at school Mrs. Mueller said the groundhog saw his shadow. In six more weeks it will be Christmas and I want a bike."

Carley (at the dinner table) "Mom, why do they call this angel hair pasta?"
Lane (gagging and scraping his tongue) "You mean this is really hair!"

*&^%!!#

2009-02-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

I know for a long time we have had a secret stalker out there. Someone who is faithful in reading the blog but will never comment. Someone who secretly has been waiting for me to blog about them. Oh, believe me I have had my chances but have tastefully refrained. Until now.

Sunday was an ordinary day. Church at 11:00, annual meeting. (Hmmm, don't see Mike & Robin here, I thought that was odd since there might be big news to share.) The meeting started, numbers and voting, nothing that I really had to ponder or look deep into my soul about. Then, a cute story from the pastor. Something about a great coach and the words he taught his players "Don't drop the ball." Take this into our daily lives, the tasks that come before us, "Don't drop the ball." Next, a challenge to the congregation, catch these Nerf footballs, they will have messages/challenges for us all....Don't drop the ball.
And then it happened, I caught the ball destined for Mike Scroggins. I am sure of this because I know God does not give us more than we can handle, so this football with this message in no way could be mine.......Don't Curse.

Thanks Mike for not being there!!!

Part II

2009-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Next they decorated their t-shirts at Mike & Lisa Christensen's. After judging they received their clue that would lead them to Chad & Jande McGary's. The kids had to act out movie titles for the McGary's to guess before they received their bag of goodies (the movie they acted out, popcorn, movie candy). I wish I could have heard what some of the guesses were for "Pretty in Pink", "Never Been Kissed" or "Blades of Glory"!

Everyone was then off to our house where they had to make their own version of RiceKrispie Treats. They delivered them to Mike & Becky Noftle's who judged them on taste, presentation and use of a special ingredient.

Finally they were given the clue to go to Jana Gonzales' for pizza and Rock Band, after that the guys and girls split up to actually get ready for the dance.

I think between the activities, taking their random pictures and finding the variety of scavenger items, they kept busy and it was a pretty fun afternoon.

Again I am glad we live here where such good neighbors are willing to be a part of a teenager's date! Thanks everybody (and especially Ted & Jean Christensen, who were not on the list but somehow all the kids just gravitated to them!)

Connor & Dani, Paul & Katrina, Oscar & Tawnee

Winter Formal & Scavenger Hunts Part 1

2009-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Winter Formal. Since it was girl asked guy, Dani escorted Connor Paysse. It is always neat to see our kids that have grown up together and known each other since diapers still enjoy each other's friendship and have so much fun together.

This whole event started by Dani "asking" Connor by writing her name with pepperoni on a pizza for his mom to bake for lunch one day, followed by the "answer" of several chocolate cupcakes to spell out YES along with some great elementary pictures of them.

On Saturday, the 3 couples started out at our house with their directions for a scavenger hunt that I put together, along with the gracious help from our friends. They were first given a list of items to find during the day along with a list of pictures they were to take. Then they received the first clue that led them to the laundromat; there they found their t-shirts in dryers along with scrambled song lyrics they had to rearrange and sing before they could receive their second clue. I am pretty sure some of the patrons at the laundromat thought I was nuts when I ran in and tossed the shirts in three different dryers and didn't put a single quarter in any of the machines and then just sat down and watched them! They were just as confused when Paul Nunez started singing "Bubbly" and Connor singing "All the Single Ladies".

..........stay tuned for Part II

Monday Menu

2009-02-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Monday - Burger & Swiss Dips, cottage cheese, dessert chocolate pie
Tuesday - Chicken & Broccoli over Angel Hair Pasta, breadsticks
Wednesday - Crab Louies, dessert pumpkin muffins
Thursday - Wacky Jacky Soup ( Gracie's variation of a recipe she found)
Friday - Subway or leftovers (Basketball Game)
Saturday - pasta (carb-load, another Basketball Game), broccoli & cheese
Sunday - Roast, vegetables, dessert ? I am looking for a new recipe to try...

Dinner Anyone?

2009-01-25T20:52:00.000-08:00

Monday - Hot Turkey Sandwiches

Tuesday - Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Wednesday- Salmon and Rice

Thursday - BBQ Meatballs *

Friday - To Go Sandwiches (basketball game)

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Sunday - Baked Potato Bar

*Darin's BBQ Meatball Sauce

16 oz whole berry cranberry sauce

12 oz chili sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

2 T brown sugar

1 T lemon juice

2 t minced onion

Calendar Daze

2009-01-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

If you have ever been around my house, you have heard me say "check the calendar"! It is one of those things I think I have said so much that no one hears me anymore. Our big calendar on the office wall ended in December. I didn't put much thought into replacing it because, frankly, I didn't think anyone ever looked at it and since I keep my own planner in my purse I didn't need to update that one just for me to look at again. Well, last week "the calendar" was brought up, Carley was the first to question it and then even Darin had to admit that yes he actually did look at it and was wondering what had happened. Darin even mentioned that he was looking at a new phone so he could have a planner on it to keep track of everything going on because sometimes he forgets! Now I am not kidding myself that since two out of the six want the calendar back that things will magically stay on schedule or that anything will be different than the past, I know I will still answer most questions with "check the calendar"!
My friend often (ok all the time) kids me about "the schedule" and even posted her schedule one week to challenge me! We really don't do a lot of things, but there are seven of us and we each have interests and commitments, along with encouraging and sharing in each others activites. Since this year I wanted to use our blog as more of a life journal I am going to do this just so I can look back in twenty years and realize how much I enjoyed this time.....
Monday - wrap and deliver Nayeli's birthday present, pick up Gracie and take her to Moses Lake for gymnastics, remind Dani to pick up boys after school, Carley goes to photography until 4:15, arrange ride for Carley, make sure Dani has clean uniform and picture money for basketball pictures at 5:00, Dani late practice
Tuesday - Carley and Gracie to Achievement Activity until 4:15, remind them to walk to Red Rock when they are done, pick up boys at 3:00, go with Katrina to Jr. Miss as her Back Stage Mom at 3:30, possible - 6:30 Scentsy party only because Christine will be there
Wednesday - 7:00 Church Breakfast, 1hour late start for kids, remind Darin to take them to school, Darin is on call all day, 3:00 pick up Gracie and boys, 4:15 pick up Carley, 4:30 go to Jr. Miss mock interview to judge
Thursday - 3:00 pick up Gracie and boys, 4:15 take Carley and Samantha to piano
Friday - pack for game, 3:00 pick up kids, 3:45 leave for Tri Cities, 6:00 basketball game
Saturday - 10:00 leave for Warden to watch Dallas wrestle, afternoon - help Dani get ready for Winter Formal, 7:00 get ready and go chaperone dance.
Sunday - church
Not a bad week for us, I didn't put in the daily stuff like homework, dinner, chores, laundry, work, there is always room for those. Wish me luck....

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

So, last week went pretty well. I did end up going to the store a lot more than I wanted to, I didn't really figure in to my schedule that we would run out of cereal, ziploc bags, you know the extras that were not on my list. The Sunday turkey dinner got postponed since I forgot it was potluck Sunday at church.

Monday - McDonald's (I know this sounds funny but the new Moses Lake McDonalds is open and has an indoor playland, since Darin is taking Gracie to gymnastics while Dani and I go dress shopping I thought this would be a perfect way to combine dinner on the go and entertain the kids)

Tuesday - Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad, mandarin oranges with cottage cheese

Wednesday - RiceYukAMuchy (rice, hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, celery and chinese noodle casserole), apples & raisins with vanilla yogurt dressing

Thursday - Darin's Sausage Tortellini Soup !!!!

Friday - dinner on the go (leftovers), basketball in Tri Cities

Saturday - tacos

Sunday - Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn

Mini Cheer Camp

2009-01-18T21:33:00.001-08:00

Carley, Gracie and the Royal Lady Knights Basketball Team!

Here are my cheer girls with the Cheer Advisor Mrs. Lasen.

Kindergarten Family Fun Night

2009-01-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Lane and Justin invited the family to Kindergarten Family Fun Night. This was something new at the school and I think they had a great turnout. All the activities were designed to teach parents some of the games and skills the kids are working on so we can also play them at home.We have been lucky to have the BEST kindergarten teacher. Gracie had her so I knew (and have been preparing her) that I wanted the boys in her class.
This is Mrs. Mueller playing "top-it" with Lane, Justin concentrating on his "roll and record" and Dad and the boys making marshmallow/toothpick shapes.

It was fun to see the boys so excited to show us everything. We were a little sad Dani wasn't there, she had a basketball game in Yakima. It just made us all realize what next year will be like.

Monday Meal Planner

2009-01-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am always into making lists and checking things off. I am hoping this site (I'm an Organizing Junkie) will help. Today's list is to meal plan, so here goes.....

Monday : Homemade Bean & Cheese Burritos and Salad
Tuesday : Baked Fish and Corn Bread
Wednesday : Boil in a Bag omelets and roasted red potatoes
Thursday : Philly Sandwiches (steak, pepppers & onions on hoagie buns)
Friday : Spaghetti
Saturday : Leftover Buffet
Sunday : Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing

The omelet recipe was given to me by my cooking friend but you can find it at allrecipes.com.

The day the Tooth Fairy went broke...

2009-01-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Tuesday
5:05 - Carley having a "Fruit Gusher" snack
5:06 - Carley "Mom I lost my tooth", with incredibly blue ooze covering all her teeth, inside her mouth and out
- Mom "Great, that tooth has been just hanging on."
- Carley "no mom, that tooth is still there, this one was in the back"
5:10 - Carley "Mom, I just pulled my loose tooth!"
6:15 - Gracie "Mom, I just lost a tooth (squeeeeeel)"
10:00 - Tooth Fairy "Smith House - 3 teeth - $ 15.00. I wonder if I can get a government bailout for this?"

I would post pictures but to be honest these girls are not that cute with all of the gaps in their smiles.

The first week of January

2009-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

January brings with it so many memories for me. January 6th is my "other" birthday, the day my dad officially adopted me. After my mom and Jack were married, I was an Underwood. We usually say that Jack actually married me and my mom came along with the deal, there is even a picture with me standing in the middle at the ceremony. As a family we waited several years before making the adoption legal, my dad was too sensible about things, and wanted to make sure I understood the process. I remember having to tell the judge that it was ok with me for Jack to be my dad.

Now in January, before I get to celebrate on the 6th, I have to manage through the 4th, the day my dad passed away. The cancer, the pain and the medicines took him away from us before this day but this is the official day. I miss him more than I can write about. I regret all the things I didn't say and the missed opportunities. I miss the feeling that everything is going to be ok because my dad is here to fix it. And I hate more than anything that my babies don't get to know their Papa.

A year after my dad passed away I had a visit. The man that let me be adopted and gave me the biggest blessing of being Jack's daughter. There have been times when I have thought about him and what I would do or say. If anything I hope I learned from Jack how to be accepting of people, how to always have a hello and a smile for someone, and to believe that people are trying to make their own best decisions, rather I agree with them or not. My mixed emotions about all of this leads me in many directions, trying to do what is best for my family along with doing what gives me peace.

I know these days are so close together to remind me that you can not have joy without experiencing pain. With all of God's challenges for us, I know he has given me the tools to get through this, I just have to figure out how to use them.

The End of 2008

2009-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

2008
Scariest Day - The day Justin was so sick, he looked like he had a stroke.
Greatest Doctor - My old faithful Dr. Warner, been through everything with us, once again calmed me, sent us to the hospital with Justin and made us believe again that God works through others.
Best Day - June 28, not just because it was my 40th birthday, but because I was with an incredible amount of my favorite people doing what I love to do, bbq - hang out with friends - laugh - dance - laugh a lot more
Saddest Day - sending my babies to kindergarten, I'm still not over that one
Stressed for nothing weekend - Deer Camp at our house, I was overwhelmed with the week of running around after kids and so worked up about having Darin's friends from East Wenatchee, Renton and Texas stay with us. Of course, a fun weekend: soccer game, pumpkin patch, LaCabana, good friends, and everyone was too gracious about my sub-par cooking. Lesson learned again - relax.
Work Ups - my best friend since grade school now works at the school with me
Work Downs - a wonderful co-worker left in September and left me with her job =}
Sports Highlights - Dani breaking the school record in basketball for most 3-point shots in one game (6), Carley playing second base in softball and making her infamous double plays, Gracie being brave enough to waterski, Lane & Justin participating in their first year of soccer, on different teams of course!
Bucket List Check Off - going to the George Strait concert
Biggest Regret - gaining all the weight that I have this year
Learned - how to sync my new ipod, how to blog, water slides are still fun
Favorite Quote - "The best way to help yourself is to pray for others."

2008-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

I think my husband had something to do with this poster.................(click on the poster to enlarge)

Looks like me...acts like dad

2008-11-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

2 cute 2 sew

2008-11-18T21:29:00.001-08:00

Carley and Grandma Janet have been working on this little project for a couple of weekends.....

Carley did most of the sewing herself. Her holiday apron is soooo cute! I have suggested strongly how good I would look in one of her handcrafted aprons but so far Carley just giggles.

You've Got Mail

2008-11-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

First day of kindergarten, little league, report cards, AAU, first dance, SAT's......Dani receives her first college acceptance letter from University of Idaho. Wait, that happened in a blink of an eye.

It really happened,

now we will wait for the other applications to be returned and then wait to hear the big decision! Will we still be wearing black & gold (Go Vandals!) or will you see us in crimson & gray (Wazzu!)

Stay tuned.....

A "Royal" Field

2008-11-16T19:49:00.002-08:00

Build it and they will come.....ok, our turf project wasn't quite like the movie but I know there are plenty out there that think we are just as crazy. Earlier this year, the idea of putting in artificial turf for our football and soccer field started buzzing around. By the end of May the buzz was over and the sting of action was in place. September came and the field was in use. I wanted to share a few thoughts on this endeavor.
We have an incredible Booster Association that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to provide our kids with facilities and activities that others only consider luxuries. Darin and I have both served time on the Booster board and many years as members. I have always been impressed with the "greatness" of the projects. Football field, bleachers, new lights, baseball lights, softball/baseball complex, the first rubberized track in the Basin, a weight lifting room. When any of these projects start there are always a few rumblings about the expense of such projects, I have seen the Booster Hunt Club raise funds year after year to support these projects. I have seen volunteers and equipment from the entire slope come together when it is time to work on a project.
Our high school soccer coach also blogged about the field and said it perfectly (read it here)
Dani has finished her soccer season and had the incredible opportunity to play on this beautiful field. It is so awesome to watch our kids play in this great stadium. Thank you to everyone involved in this, I hope we continue to have the opportunity to work hard and do great things for our kids.

Teenage Wisdom???

2008-11-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

Spend an unearthly amount of money on braces so your daughter has a perfect smile.........
forward five years...............
spend an unearthly amount of money to pay someone to cut open that daughter's mouth and rip out four "wisdom teeth" so they don't ruin the perfect smile.

Dani and I started our day at 7:00a.m. driving to Moses Lake for the Checkup, she refused to call it anything else as she was already on her second anxiety pill. It is now after 10p.m. and I hope we are going to have a restful night. She had a lot of bleeding this afternoon and that along with the meds have made her sick. After emptying numerous "puke buckets", I think I have the bleeding stopped and an entire vicadin is in her system. Wish us luck......

Halloween & Homecoming Week

2008-11-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

More dress up days than one mom and five kids should have to do. Everything from pajama day, superhero, 80's Day (and no they did not raid my closet for this), 50's Pink Lady, Transformers and Ninja Turtles. Even a hippie showed up, the boys are still confused and called me a Hobo all day.

Random Thoughts....

2008-11-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

Election '08 - It's over, really what can you do but pray for our country no matter who was elected. On the lighter side, Justin has shared with us that Rock O-bana is the president, that is the guy that waits on us at our favorite restaraunt LaCabana!

College Applications - I am having a hard time understanding why I am paying them to let our Senior apply. Shouldn't they be paying me for encouraging her to go to their school and really how much more can they squeeze out of you.

The answer to prayers - Why can't I figure out that the more times I pray for patience the more "opportunities" God gives me to test that prayer.

My parent's TV - Did I morph into another generation or are tv shows crossing the line way too often. I'm not a huge tv watcher, we stick pretty close to the Disney Channel and TLC but more and more I run across something that was truly inappropriate.

Christmas shopping - Will anyone notice if I don't do any?

Where did the water go???

2008-10-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer is over. My kids have had so much fun in the water this year, it seemed like once it was hot enough we were always swimming. Some of our favorites...

Scroggins pool...slide, dives and jumping in from the side!!!!!!!!

Ted Christensen's...without it my boys would still be sitting on the side and never getting wet. We are so lucky to live in a community with someone like Ted, he put these wading pools in for the little grandkids several years ago and has always encouraged everyone to use them. It is always fun to go and visit with a variety of moms during the afternoons.

Allred Pond...another great benefit of the Royal Slope. Rope swing, big toy, sandy beach, hammock, zip line, kayaks, ..

.

the River...always cold. This year we were able to spend a wonderful day with the Schwilke family from East Wenatchee. They are the water ski pros but we did get Dani to go a couple of times and Gracie even braved the board.

We can never go a summer without the aquatic centers in Moses Lake and Ephrata, this year ML added the Wave Rider, a big hit with Lane & Justin. Carley, Gracie and the boys attended swim lessons in Ephrata.

Callahan slide...still in its early days but this is going to be a favorite. We were fortunate to try it before it was officially done. The little kids did great on it and loved it. Sadly we heard later in the week that it didn't hold up so well for some big guys. But we can see work being done on it and are anxious for next summer.

Favorite Family Words

2008-08-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

I know everybody has these, I thought it would be fun to share.

"firecracker" - the doctor in Moses Lake that breaks mommy's neck

"crocagator" - animal with sharp teeth, sometimes seen in canals around Royal

"fluffs" - farts, mom tries to make us go into the bathroom

"dambaid" - we put these on every owie we have

"glubs" - we were these on our hands to play baseball or if we are cold, the same pair

"fuds" - the store where we can get sandwiches and chilly willies

"chimichanga" - just a word that makes us laugh, we won't eat them because we like burritos

"chihuahua" - another word we like to say over and over and over again, just to make us laugh

"bean" - our affectionate name for granpa blaine

"rice-yuk-a-muchy" - actually a rice casserole mom makes for dinner, we even like it

"handcops" - those things dad uses to tie up the bad guys

Anybody like to share some of theirs?????????

Fun and Run ???

2008-07-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Darin decided he was a runner. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of his achievements; he finished the Seattle Marathon, the Moses Lake Triathalon, ran several 10K runs and was on a twelve man team that ran from Blaine to Langley in the Ragnar Relay.

On the flip side I have never, I mean never put those two words together. Darin is slowly sucking our whole family into this idea of running for fun in public places. Lane thinks this is a great idea and was very excited for community days. Dani, Carley, Gracie, Lane & Justin all "Ran for President" this year.

On Saturday, July 26, Aunt Dawn somehow convinced me to have the whole family do the "Dam Run". Darin got to run across Wanapum, but the rest of stayed dry and on land. Everyone came home with a trophy and Darin is now googling "family fun runs".

Idaho

2008-07-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, the Smith family ventured to Idaho. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but I have five car sick kids. There was a time when Gracie couldn't even make it to Moses Lake without throwing up. Several people have noticed the emergency kit I have carried around in my van for years, plastic bags, water, paper towels, air freshner. After a complete round of Dramamine we were on the road. The week was filled with nothing spectacular and again the kids amazed me at how much fun they were having. We had a wonderful stay in Boise where Dani attended softball camp at BSU,

while we got to spend the day at the zoo. The next day while Dani was at camp, we went on the wildlife walk, pretty interesting until we were getting ready to leave and there was a deer laying in the shade behind the information center!

In Meridian, they have a great Glow in the Dark Mini Golf place. It is so awesome, everything is in black lights and they have all these great themes with dinosaurs, monkeys and it was air conditioned.

We stayed an extra day with Uncle Donald and Aunt Carol so we could float the Boise River. Andy & Jennifer let us use their raft so as soon as we rented life jackets we set sail! The first hour was a little rough, not with rapids but being stuck in the raft with four hysterical "I hate this, we are going to drown" kids. And let's not forget that somehow Lane's flipflop got tossed overboard only to torment us by floating by just out of reach. About midway we were treated to being bombed by a three hundred pound college kid jumping in the river about two feet from our raft, we were soaked. In the end I think the kids had fun, I know I did.

More Birthdays !

2008-07-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Carley was lucky enough to turn 11 while we were in Idaho. She was so excited to go to Olive Garden for dinner. I can't believe she is going into middle school, this summer she started babysitting also.

We got to spend the day at the zoo, with Carley's new camera she took a ton of animal pictures. Thank goodness for digital.

Who would believe the buddies are 5 !!

The day started with a stack of five pancakes!

Lots of friends over for the party, Elliot DeLay, Trent Freeman, Zek Naylor, Justin, Lane, Ellie Fanning, Zoe & Carter Noftle.

The girls getting a turn on the slide.

What a pair, a football cake and a motorcycle cake.

The big present this year, a 4-wheeler! Justin ended the day with "Mom this is the best day of my life!"

40.........

2008-07-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Really, what else can one say about being 40. I entered into fortyness with a bang, atleast as big as a bang as AARP would allow. We had a great party, with good food, wonderful family and friends (around 100 in all) and an "epic" dance floor (it's a teenage word I borrowed). It was so fun to have so many people in one place at one time, it made me really thankful to live in a community that we can be friends with so many. Of course the big birthday surprise happened on the Wednesday before my birthday, Dani and Katrina organized an extreme bedroom makeover. The results are amazing, for the first time ever I have a real grown up bedroom, they organized the expenses, cleaned out everything, painted, bought new artwork, bedding, and made beautiful handprints of all the kids. I can't thank everyone enough for everything they did to make turning forty a great experience. My family for all their hard work, the moms for all the extras, great friends that made salads, everyone that took the time to come to the party, my kids, mom, mother in law, and best friend Sue for the bedroom and of course my husband (even if he is still offering to trade two twenties for one forty!)

The decorators painted one wall a beautiful teal color and then used that paint to make handprints of all the kids, so cute!

A few of the partygoers....don't worry I won't put up any of the dance pics (Tom, Ryan, Wiley...)

Softball

2008-06-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Another year of ball games is over. Dani started practice at the end of February and Carley had her last game Thursday, 6/26. Since softball is my favorite sport to watch, the season usually goes by too fast. I was a little worried during the HS season as we were not exactly playing the best ball I had ever seen. But with a lot of heart and the coaches completely changing everyone's position the girls rallied back and not only played into district but earned a spot at State. The outcome at State wasn't the highlight but the changes made in attitude, heart, batting and fielding was a huge accomplishment.

Carley was once again a DAC Dragon and what a year it was. She played second base, pitcher and first base. Her highlights were catching fly balls and then throwing out the runner at first. We love to joke with Carley (not that she loves it) that she looks like the fastest runner on the team, that is because her short little legs have to go around twice as much as everybody else to get her half as far! Great Job Carley!

Gracie played on the Worsham Cougar team for t-ball with her good friend Nayeli. The girls were super fast and are ready to be pitched to. They were good sports since their season was only during the school year so it was a lot of rushed, late dinner nights at the ballfields.

Like I have said before, every Tuesday and Thursday for 13 years I have been at little league, now we only have 8 years left !!

06-07-08 The Wedding

2008-06-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

We were very honored to be able to attend the wedding of Earl Romig and Tami Canfield. Earl worked as an officer for Darin and then went on to be a Grant County Deputy. On the evening of Jan. 10th, I walked in to our room to see Darin with his police computer out, his service radio on (something we never do at our house) and a look on his face I will never forget. I took this from Earl's website at caringbridge.org/visit/earlromig "Deputy Earl Romig (GT-50) was shot on January 10th, 2008. Earl spent 4 weeks at Harborview and has now returned home for continued treatment and physical rehab. His critical injuries include his lower abdomen and spinal wounds which has caused right leg paralysis.
Earl Romig is lucky to be alive according to all accounts from the doctors. After being transported and undergoing emergency surgery at Samaritan Hospital, Earl was transported to Harborview Medical Center via Lear Jet. Because he is young, fit and strong he is making all of the healing and surgery process easier. Earl was shot with a 30-06 hunting rifle from 81 yards. He was shot in the lower spine and exited out of his lower abdomen. Miracles have saved Earl's life and prayers are being answered (please keep them coming). When he left Samaritan Hospital his condition was extremely critical and his right leg was paralyzed and severe wounds to his intestines, bowel, colon, bladder and urinary track."

Earl has the sweetest smile I have ever seen. I have met a lot of officers through out the years and can honestly say this one walked in the door and we thought he had been a part of the family forever. My buddies can tell you the earl-got-shot story without missing a beat. They were so excited to see him again.

The wedding was amazing, to see Earl walk down the aisle, the beautiful setting, the heart-felt vows. There could not have been a dry eye or more smiles.

We give our thanks to God for Earl's strength to recover, and for allowing us to witness the miracle of love.

Mr. & Mrs. Mark and Camille Woodward

2008-05-21T20:18:00.001-07:00

(OK, I know this post is way out of order, but I had technical difficulties with the pictures...about a month ago.... and then I forgot to actually publish the post. Remember it is the thought that counts.....)

Love. Hard work. Sweet moments. Good food. Old friends. Fun family. Dancing shoes. The perfect makings for a wedding. We were very blessed to be able to share in this wonderful event. My mother-in-law Janet and I got to spend Friday cooking for the wedding. Saturday morning we had a double header softball game and then somehow between 2:30-4:00 we managed seven showers, curled hair, clean clothes and we were off to Ephrata. It was especially fun to see everyone cut loose and enjoy the music! Gracie danced every song, (special thanks to Josh Scroggins!) Carley broke loose and danced with her dad and we were even able to get Dani out there for the dollar dance and a slow dance with her brother. Extra special for me was getting to visit and share stories with Nick and Drew DeLay. What else can I say, I love weddings!

Roadkill and Smiles

2008-05-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a snake! Why they look so happy I have no idea. Friday, Darin took the three little kids to Subway for dinner, when they came out of Spud's this dead snake was coiled up right next to his pickup. Of course the next best thing to do is stretch it out and take pictures. I am glad to see atleast Justin is keeping an eye on him, just in case.

Carley's 5th Grade Adventures

2008-05-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

Carley has had some fun experiences in 5th grade this year and I hear that there are some exciting things planned to wrap up the year. What an awesome sight to watch all the 5th graders launch their hot air balloons. Friday, May 16th, Carley and I enjoyed the field trip to Point Defiance Zoo. My chaperone skills were really challenged as the only two I had to keep track of was Carley and Sarah Clouse! One of our favorites at the zoo were the seahorses. We had perfect weather, a nice lunch with some Dipin' Dots dessert and really did get to see and touch some interesting animals.

Bedhoppers

2008-05-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else in Royal have those little bugs called bed hoppers? You know the ones where you bathe, pajama, read and tuck them in one bed but before morning they have hopped into someone else's bed. Pesky critters!

My Favorite Day of the Week

2008-04-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone with kids knows how confusing it can be ...Monday, Thursday, Sunday... they all kind of sound the same to little ears. For the buddies there week is summed up like this

Church Day

Mrs. Garza Day

Mrs. Garza/Preschool Day

Stay home with Mom Day

Mrs. Garza/Preschool Day

Stay home with Mom Day

Everybody Stay Home Day

Sometimes we have to add a game or going to town but this pretty much is our schedule.

I have been pretty sentimental lately thinking about the last of our Stay Home with Mom days, seeing the buddies jump up and down, scream woo-whoo, and give big hugs because they are so excited it is our day. It gives me a little smile to know that we never do anything that exciting, it is just us, hanging out, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches......

Gracie Pulls Again

2008-04-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Gracie has surprised us again with her strong willpower (stubborness?). She has pulled out another semi-loose tooth she had. Beware molars, any movement on your part and Gracie will have you shook from your roots in no time.

Cousin Leroy

2008-04-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunday April 20th, we not only enjoyed a day of hail/sleet/snow but we got to see baby Leroy. I can honestly say I never thought my sister was going to have a baby, but now I know we were just waiting for Leroy's time to come to us. He is a very entertaining baby. Lane refers to him as "baby weewoy" and it is quite a chore for everyone to get a chance to hold him.

Spring Break 2008

2008-04-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

It is shocking to my kids that we have a slide show of spring break considering the week was sooo boring! And now that I am writing about it I can't believe how many pictures I don't take (new goal...take camera everywhere and remember to use it). No, we didn't have the most amazing week ever but when I look back it was packed full of moments, those everyday things that make you smile, love, appreciate and look forward to the next one. Let's see if I can remember all the moments of Spring Break....
it really started Friday the 28th, Carley enjoyed a primary activity that took her "Around the World", Gracie was in camo at Trent's birthday party and yes it was snowing! We continued Trent's birthday party with the family by Ted treating us to LaCabana. Saturday we spent some time finger painting and Dani and I were able to sneak away with Rhonda and Katrina to the mall. Sunday, Aunt Dawn, Carley, Kayla Smith and Brianna Diaz performed a song at church. I appreciate Dawn taking the time to do this with the girls, they were great! Later that day we loaded up and spent the night in Tri-Cities (swimming, eating out and shopping...what else do you need for a great vacation?). Tuesday, I spent the day with my friend Sue at Deal or No Deal auditions while Dani stayed home with her siblings so I could go (mac and cheese and a trip to the playground, what else does a good babysitter need?). Wednesday the s* word was back, Dani's strep throat was getting the best of her and we were back at the dr., Carley went with Grandma GG to babysit cousin Leroy and the three little, blonde ones spent their afternoon decorating rice-krispie shapes. Thursday, Gracie got to join them babysitting. I spent my day shampooing carpets and getting Dani and the boys to wrap their minds around the idea of spring cleaning. Dani and I were also treated to an afternoon with our favorite hairdresser ever.......Courtney. I really do enjoy our visits and her sweet, genuine, funny spirit. She is one of the most "real" people I know and a great stylist. That night dinner was hotdogs and smores over the bonfire, a family favorite. Friday, it was time for Uncle Donald and Auntie Carol to arrive and it was a long wait for the kids. We are lucky to have such a close bond even if miles keep us apart, they are truly loved. We spent some of the afternoon shooting the bb gun, I even showed off my skills by hitting the pop can on my first shot. It was really cold so the girls and I didn't stay out too long. That night at Blaine & Janet's we shared birthday brownies with Amanda "22", Jennifer "39" and Camille "22". (You were wondering how I was going to work that age thing in, huh Jen). It was a full house of family as we were able to visit with Blaine, Janet, Kyle, Donald, Carol, Jennifer, Andy, Brian, Amy, Justin, Emma, Dick, Dawn, Joe, Ronna, Page, Mark, Camille, Amanda, Abraham, Adrian, Deana, Taylor, Trent, Debbie, Tara, Chance and the Smith Seven. Saturday, we attended the wedding of cousin Buffie and Peter. It is fun to see everyone dressed up. That night we gathered back at our house for food and fun. We got to initiate the family into Hoopla, I will never think of Nadia Comaneci, the Redwoods, a mechanical bull or big Justin's little whatever, without laughing. Sunday morning rolled around and Grampa Bean (Blaine) made pancakes for those that were awake and the rest of our day was spent recuperating from this boring week.

What are Friends for........

2008-04-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today, April Fool's Day, I spent with my friend Susie. No it wasn't a joke, she has wanted to try out for the game show "Deal or No Deal" and guess what......they had open auditions in Spokane. We left Royal at 8:30 am, stood in line from 10:30 until 3:00 (half of that time was outside) and then here was her big chance. After showing the casting director her application she got an entire 30 seconds to tell them her name, age, occupation and something that they will remember about her. She did great, even though I stood in line just as long there was no way I could put myself out there like she did. I'm sure she will add all the great details to her blog, be sure to click the link below to go to her page. My main job today was support, so any of the great pictures you see on Sue's page of the "interesting" people at today's event were taken by me. Sue taught me a great lesson today: no matter the circumstances, putting on a great pair of shoes can make you believe you can do anything!

Cold - the other four letter word

2008-03-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Cold, snow and Spring Break! I am ready for the winter to be history. Everyone in our family and most the people we know have been so sick this year. Dani is home today with strep, I was able to forcibly convince the clinic to give her a shot before the actual strep culture was complete, so we are twenty four hours ahead of the game. Our baby, Justin was by far the worse. We spent a crazy day in March rushing him from one doctor to the next finally ending up in the hospital. He had a terrible form of strep that settled in the glands in his throat and within hours was in bad shape, he couldn't swallow, his neck was bigger than his head, and he was completely lethargic. A blessing that day was our family doctor, Dr. Warner. He has been there with me through all the kids and is the perfect fit for our family. As soon as he told me we had a plan, I knew things were going to be okay. Justin, with some steroids, antibiotics and iv fluids, made a heroic rebound and by the next day was "driving" his bed and giving rides to anyone brave enough to sit on it. Even through the sickest of winters for our family, there is something to be thankful for......amazing grandmas who took over the controls and kept the rest of the crew in line whenever there was a sick one for me to tend to, jobs that allowed us the time we needed to recover, friends who were always asking how we were.
So after months of fevers, coughs, colds, runny noses, etc. I am more than ready for this winter to be over. Besides, it can't really snow in April, can it?

Not As Easy As It Looks

2008-03-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's only the second day in blog world and I spent hours (like I really have a lot of those) trying to customize our page. As you can see we look exactly the same as yesterday. I am open to suggestions from anyone who knows the easiest, cheapest and fastest (this sounds like my idea of dinner) to get all the cute stuff on our page.

The First Time

2008-03-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

The first Smith family post, I'm not sure we are ready to share what really happens at this Smith house with the rest of the world. I am hoping that joining this "blog-thing" will just help me see that we are normal and if you just keep prying into other people's lives far enough they will have similar stories to ours (!). It's a hope. I am just thankful that we were not blogging earlier; like Darin's first months of fatherhood (dropping Carley off the counter and the carseat hitting her in the face) or when we had our epileptic dog (and could share the stories of watching him pee all over in a crazed state of bird-hunter) or the entire potty training of the twins. Well, maybe if things get too boring around here I could reminisce.
Really our goal is to be able to share with you some of the wonderful moments we have as a family. We are just starting so be patient with us...