Getting Warmer

Yes, our weather is getting warmer. When we left for church this morning it was 71 degrees in the Suburban. I believe it is about 84 or so now. Super blue skies and a bit on the windy side. We are suppose to have very nice weather through the 4th of July. I am so happy because, tonight we get a surprise of Dad (Jade's Dad) and Mariah coming! Melina has NO idea that she is coming. I love it. It will boost her spirits up miles! I can't wait to see them. However, we will be missing mom our special Meme Sugar.

Yesterday we were able to enjoy some time with our neighbors up at Schweitzer Mt. It is the first weekend to be open for Jade. The start of all the summer activities. There were so many people there. I have never seen it that busy in the summer time. I suppose that is what happens when Schweitzer offers a "free" day.
We rode the lift and enjoyed the sunshine. It was great. Then afterwards the kids and I drove down the mountain and met up with our neighbors later for dinner. Jade was able to join us and we had a very great evening. We are blessed to have great friends.

While I was cleaning the bathroom today, I was scrubbing a spot on the ceiling. A piece of the ceiling came off (very small piece) and landed right in my EYE! OUCH! I had to take my contacts out right away and try to clean it. It burned so bad. The kind of burn were your eyes are watering and so is your nose! So now I am wearing my glasses which I cannot stand. I am hoping that I will heal fast so I can enjoy our company coming. My parents will be here on the 3rd and I really hope I am not damaged! My right eye is still blurry and painful! Eyes heal fast right?

So that is about it. I hope all our families are doing well. We love you all so much. Meme Sugar, if you are reading this...we love you with all our hearts. We truly wish you could be here with us. Our prayers are with you and your spirit is here with us. We miss you and can't wait to have you here on the next trip! LOVE YOU!

Love you families. God Bless.

PICTURES

These were taken yesterday 6-24-09 after we went to the doctor. There is a little wellness garden that is so cute. Hope you enjoy!

Sick in Summer

Well I've been sick these last few days. Not fun! Mostly a bad sinus cold and headache (super bad headache). Yesterday seemed to be the worst of it. I had a little stomach upset also! I felt it coming on Father's Day that evening. We had a good day other than some of us were not feeling good. Jade was even under the weather. That morning Melina and I made a good breakfast for Jade. He opened a couple gifts and we went to church. It was such a nice morning. Then after that we all kind of went down. Even Melina had been coughing and had a little sniffle. NOT sure what is happening. So Monday it just got worse. Then by Tuesday morning I needed Jade to stay home with the girls. They all missed swimming (SO SAD) and Jade had to miss out on an important meeting at work! :( I just thank the Lord for him because I don't think I would have made it without his help yesterday.
This morning I am feeling a bit better, at least my stomach isn't turning, and I am going to the doctor at 2:45. Whenever I get a cold it infects my sinuses! EVERY TIME! So I am hoping they will give me antibiotics to kill it quick. I am hoping that I am not sick for tomorrow! I really thought that sickness was suppose to be in winter, NOT summer!!!!!

So my girls are my angels and have been so understanding and sweet. They argue with each other really well, but they are good. So far they are not getting this bad sickness. I am watching Melina with her nose, but she fights things so differently than anyone I know. She is so strong and nothing really ever gets her down. I am hoping that we will all be well and can go to swim tomorrow morning! I know that prayers are being said and I can feel them. God is good and I rely on His strength for everything. Thank you.

Looks like we are having a nice sunny day. A few clouds out there, but I believe it will be warm. Maybe I will sit in the sun for 10 minutes to boost me up a little.

Hope you all will have a great day! Stay healthy (unlike me) and draw on the strength of our Lord! God Bless.

Olline's First Meet

6-17-09 Olline in the pool!

We made it to our swimming! It was a very good one. The teams got to participate in a swim meet! It was Olline's first race and she did so well. She had no idea what she was doing, but she caught on quick and she was happy! She raced her little heart out in 25m butterfly, breast stroke, backstroke, and freestyle! She won two races against two other little swimmers! We are all so proud of her. Melina also did very well, however, she was a little more experienced! We are so PROUD OF THEM BOTH! So cute and they both got ribbons! What a great morning.

After all that the girls rested at home and Melina got a phone call from a friend to have a sleep over. Seems Melina has been doing a lot of sleeping over so far this summer. So we missed her last night! Though Olline got to spend the evening with her parents, we went down town to the Taste of Sandpoint feast. You buy tickets and then go try all the different foods from Sandpoint. There really wasn't a lot to choose from. I was a little surprised, but there were a lot of people there enjoying the social time. They even had a "Iron Chef" cook off. Olline sure enjoyed it, and was able to play with another 3 year old little girl. They were so cute!

Today, Jade is out with a few Schweitzer people golfing for a cause. I hope they are okay, because here it is rainy! He will come back for the girls later and take them to Tom's (the GM) house for a dinner. I cannot make it because at 6pm I am going to a home school dinner with all the mom's and teachers. I hope to learn a bit from all of them. They will be talking about different ways to organize and teach our kids. Should be very good.

So, I pray your day is great. Stay well and healthy. Know God is guiding your every step! Love you all. God Bless.

Times flying

Do you feel that June is just flying by? Since school stopped, I just feel that time is flying by and I am not taking time to truly enjoy it. I just pray God will slow my brains down so that I can enjoy every part of this summer. I'm already filling my head with an overload of thoughts for next school year. I think I have OCD with it. Trying to figure out how I am going to school Melina (5th) and Olline (1st) with two full curriculum's. WOW! I am so excited and terrified at the same time. I just need prayer.
Yesterday my neighbor (a teacher) offered for us to come in her public school and pick out all the left over school books we wanted for FREE! They were throwing them away! I took so many books. Mostly reading, writing and math for Olline's level. I just got some really cool things and I am so grateful! PTL!

So today the girls swam early. Summer hours are different. Melina swims on Tues. and Thurs. at 9am and Wed. at 8:15am. Then Olline swims on Tues. and Thurs. at 9am. We are enjoying the earlier times. However, sometimes I just struggle at getting up for the earlier hours. Melina is my morning girl and she is great...Olline and I like our sleep! Hee Hee.
Though I just enjoy watching them swim. With fewer kids Melina is getting great instruction and I see more improvement. PTL!

It is cloudy today, but humid. We did get some rains the other day, but it has been very warm and moist. We are not as used to the humid weather. Usually Idaho is dry. I believe it will be this way for the week. We sleep at night with our widows open so that we don't sweat at night.
Just think of what it's like in the pool room during swim!!!! I am always so hot in there and sweating like a pig! LOL!

So I got my chili on and my bread going and now I will make the girls some lunch. Hope all our families are in good spirits today. I love you all so much. God Bless.

Pirates at sea

6-11-09 We got a special visit from our friends Amanda, Ben and their new brother Luke from China!!!!

6-13-09 Daddy and Olline at Joel's

6-12-09 Diana on the boat

6-12-09 Girls being silly on the boat

Well, we really are not at sea, but sometimes I feel like we are pirates. Just being on the water a lot so early in the summer. It does feel great. Jade had Friday off, so we are able to go out and enjoy some wonderful family time.

Saturday we just did somethings around here and in town. Melina went on a bike ride with the neighbors and Olline hung out with her parents. It was so warm! The storm system was coming in, so it felt so hot and sticky. The humidity must have been high. We did get storms in the evening. Thunder and lightening!

This morning we hung out at home until Jade found a great deal on a canopy for his truck. We just didn't know if it would be possible for him to get one, but God does work in wonderful was when we are patient. A man had listed his on Craig's List and it was the high end LEER canopy in Jade's color! So perfect. We traveled to Rathdrum and checked it out and we bought it. It is great and Jade is so happy. Now his Hunting rig is complete! Well...I think it is anyway...hee hee!

So we are home and resting, while Jade is outside cleaning his new canopy. Stormy weather seems to be passing us a bit, but we can see it all around the area.

I pray the Lord is keeping all of you safe and sound. We love you so much! God Bless.

Circus Pictures

6-10-09 Girls at the Circus

6-10-09 Can you see the tiger on the floor

6-10-09 Girls ready to see the tigers

6-10-09 The big Lion

Circus Circus

Yeah we went to the circus this evening. It always comes to Sandpoint in June and is held at the Bonner County Fair Grounds, right up the street from us. I got two free kids tickets the other day at a bookstore and I knew the kids would love to go. We didn't tell them until the moment we got there. We decided to go to the 7:30pm show and it was just cute.
I think the girls really loved it. They had the tigers, lions, acrobat girls and a funny lady clown!!! Speaking of clown...she came out into the audience and was pretending to "frame" men with her hands. Well first she came out with a huge book that said "How to find a man"!!! So then she got closer to our family and Melina pointed to her dad! LOL! So the lady clown "framed" Jade and asked him to come up to the center stage!!! LOL! It was so fun! She measured his biceps, had Jade dance, pick up a handkerchief for her, put on a red nose on him, all sorts of funny things. She even pretended to have him kiss her cheek (and Jade looked over at me!) and turned her face and they bumped noses. I think it surprised Jade so much! Then she kept him, because she "found her man" and brought me the book that said "How to find a man". She stole my guy!!!! It was so great. I think the girls just loved to see their dad up there! Jade was apart of the circus!
So I really couldn't get a good photo in there! My friend who also came tried to get Jade, but I don't have those photos yet. So here are just a few! Love you all. I'm going to rest now. It is almost 10pm!!! God Bless.

PS...ok I am having photo uploading problems...so I will try to get them up tomorrow! Good Night!

Just tired

6-8-09 Olline fishing

6-8-09 Diana caught a fish!

6-8-09 Melina and her daddy fishing! I love this photo! They didn't know I took it!

Is there a full moon or something? I just feel off. I am not sure if I am getting sick or if the moon is becoming full! I have been really tired lately. Not too bad, but I feel something hanging over me. I think we have been going so strong and doing lots of active things, maybe my body is adjusting to that. Who knows?!

Today is a good day. The weather has been strange. It was so cloudy and dark and cold. I even turned on the heat a little today, because I got cold. Then the sun will shine for a bit and then dark clouds again. NO RAIN. We got a few sprinkles and spits, but not enough to call rain.

This evening is beautiful. The sun is out and everything looks gorgeous. Jade is out with the girls right now shooting arrows! So cute. I love when they all do it together.

Melina had a sleep over last night at a friends house. Her name is Emily and we met her at our Home school Co-op classes. Very sweet girl. It was her 10th birthday party and she invited Melina. I hear they didn't go to bed till 1am and woke up at 5am! Melina has been really good, but you can see she is super tired. She feel asleep on the couch just before I had to wake her up for swimming! She swam her little heart out and did super well. I am proud of her. I just can't believe she is still standing.

Olline has been hanging out with Jade and I a lot. Last night she wanted to play a guessing game. One person had to think of something in their head and the other two people had to ask questions to figure out what "it" was. We did that for a while and had a super fun time. Olline felt proud of herself, and felt that she invented that game.

This evening Jade hooked up my bike with Olline's bike extension. We rode around the neighborhood a few times and it was fun. Very strange to ride your bike with a wobbly girl attached to you. It was a lot of fun though. We hope to get out more on our bikes as a family. It's nice Olline can be right there with us. We are also hoping it will help her ride her own bike without training wheels.

Well, that's all here at the Smith house. We are all well and happy. Jade continues to work hard at Schweitzer. We are so grateful for him and his job.

All the schools here had their last day of school today! SO...now summer really begins with all the kid madness!!! Hee hee

We love you all. Our prayers are forever with you. God Bless.

made it myself

I am trying to list a few of my crocheted bags! Please check it out...http://www.madeitmyself.com/user/jdmsmith0625.aspx

Let me know if it works!

How's your weather

Well our weather is WINDY! All night and all day today! WINDY! The temperature was about 65 too, which is way cooler than what we were having.

Jade went to work for a few hours in town to set up a booth and talk about Schweitzers bike trails. So, Melina headed over to Amanda's house and Olline and I went to town to see dad. First we went to a book store and found a few books for the girls. Then we went to the Farmer's Market and looked around a little. Olline bought two small birds made out of wool for her and her sister (only $4). Then we searched out Jade and visited him for awhile. Olline and I decided to go for a walk around town while dad was working and we ended up at a used/new book store. I have never been in there before and it was fun! All sorts of books. I found a book for my mom that she was looking for and a little book for Olline. I could have looked in there for a long time.

After all that we met up with Jade again and then went our separate ways. He went to visit Rich for a bit and Olline and I went and had lunch at Jalapeno's! YUM! Melina was still with Amanda at her house.

So we are all home now. Just relaxing because this weather is so crazy! I think rains are coming now with the wind. We wanted to go out on another bike ride like we did last night, but I don't think that will happen.

Well...here are a few photos from yesterday and maybe one from today. Hope all our families are well and happy! We love you all! God Bless. P.S....It is RAINING HARD and WINDY!

6-6-09 Today at Jalapenos with Olline!

6-5-09 Dad caught a big fish!


6-5-09 Girls coming up to see the fish

6-5-09 Mom enjoying the boat trip

Hot SUN

It has been so hot! I believe it was about 91 yesterday! We were so hot we went out on the boat and JUMPED IN! It was cold. I jumped in twice and was done! It did feel super good and woke my body up fast. Melina stayed in the longest and Olline just couldn't get her whole body in. She just dangled her legs. Jade jumped in also a couple times. At the end Melina even tried to kneeboard and Jade also got on it! The water was so smooth and Jade had a HAPPY face on the whole time! So here are a few photos of yesterday.

6-4-09 Beautiful Lake-can you kind of see the sailboats out there? There were about 12 or so boats racing!

6-4-09 Melina out on the kneeboard

6-4-09 Diana Jumped in! COLD!

6-4-09 Dad, Melina and Olline just sitting on the boat!

OTHER PHOTOS...


6-3-09 LUCY (mom's baby) yawning!

6-2-09 Kiwi (my baby) Yawning

OK...I just had to share these wild photos. My mom and I are always trying to take a good YAWN picture of our cats. It is a very tricky thing to do. But these two photos are just crazy! Enjoy!

Today at the Smith's

6-2-09 Can you see my "red headed" swimmers?

6-2-09 Swimming Beauties

What beautiful weather we have had! We were about 80-85 degrees most of the day. Tomorrow will be the same. I keep hearing that thunderstorms are coming, but not sure when.

So...I am not sure if I mentioned, but we are officially done with school. PTL for a great school year. Can you believe we did it? I am in awe of it all. I am so proud of my girls this year. They both did very well. I hope to have it more organized next time and I think practice does make things better! I am so grateful for all our family and friends who have supported us on this journey. It is not an easy journey (homeschooling) and though I struggled here and there I have never once regretted our decision to keep the girls home. The Lord is great!

Today's swimming was good. Olline just plays while Melina has her team lessons. We like Wednesdays because there are fewer kids. I think there was only 4 in her group instead of the Tuesday and Thursday group where there are about 15 to 20! Melina's coach Mike is encouraging Melina to go to the next team group. She would be with older kids (teenagers) plus a few girls her age. It would also be twice as long (45 minutes longer). The girls now are swimming from 3:00-3:45pm. If Melina moves up she will be swimming from 4:00-5:30pm (school hours)! In the summer that changes (June 16th) to 6:45am-8:15am! WOW! I would be there forever! Olline would stay in her group and that means I (mom) would be there for 3 hours! We will have to see. We are not moving her up yet. I will let you all know when that happens! So in other words, Melina is swimming very well. (I hope you understood all that)

It is a nice quiet evening. All our windows are open to let the nice cool air in. It feels so good. The girls are having quiet time in their beds before they have to sleep. I am tired also...I have been up since 5:30 and I am ready for relaxation!

I just thank the Lord for all He has provided us with. He is our strength and guide and everlasting Lord! I am so glad He is in our lives.

I pray that you will all sleep well tonight and know that God is with us and watching over us! God Bless.

Pictures to enjoy

5-20-09 Pretty Hummingbirds feeding

5-20-09 Here are three hummingbirds!

5-25-09 I think God is coming in this photo!

5-25-09 Handsome Jade on the boat

5-25-09 Beautiful Melina on the boat!

I downloaded a few more photos from Memorial weekend. Also two of some hummingbirds. Hope you all enjoy them.

Today was gorgeous but WINDY! I think it was about 80. Tomorrow it sounds to be about the same.

We love you all! God Bless and know that we are thinking of you all and praying for you!