The Incredible Hulk

Sterling had some fun with finger paint one day. I had to capture the moment!







Don't believe his mean faces. The only time he gets this mad is when I take away his Wii priviledges. :)

Rain Fun

On Sundays we like to visit Nanny in a nearby assisted living center. It is just around the corner and on this particular day (July 3rd) it was raining. The kids were excited to use their umbrellas and rain boots. I was happy to take pics as we drove along next to them.

Fourth of July Weekend 2011

Friday, July 2nd we went to the nearby park and enjoyed Family Fun night. There were a variety of activities but since we didn't arrive until almost dark the kids just played on the bouncy house and then we all watched a fireworks display. It was quite good. I was impressed by the display put on by our little village. It was a little too loud for the kids because we were up close and they looked like they were right above our heads.

This year we really wanted to experience the fireworks from the water. n Saturday,we were able to take the boat out and see the show up close! It was very cool! We were happy to have Kristen's mom join us for the fun!




On the actual 4th of July we had a nice dinner and then set off a few firecrackers. We were squashed in our efforts because a neighbor called the police before we did very many. We were limited to sparklers after that. Oh well, I am not sure what the deal was there, especially since there were a slew of them set off further down the neighborhood earlier that weekend. We used the rest of the fireworks at Kristen's house a few weekends later. We had enough fun for the night, especially when we enjoyed rootbeer floats! :)

Smith Reunion

So as you may have noticed, June was BUSY! By the time we got to reunion I was ready for a little rest and relaxation. Mike and Taralie did a wonderful job planning the reunion! All the activities were very well done. It was great to see family members, especially those that we haven't seen in a long time.
Matt has awesome siblings!

Mike and Taralie's family



Kelly and Marcelino's family



Jeff and Stacey's family (minus Caleb)



Katie and Rodolfo's family



Look at our cute butterfly girls! Eve and Camille just happened to realize they had a match when the Sanchez family came to visit. Kelly passed the info on to Taralie who went shopping with Stacey. Hence the matching. We should have called Katie but didn't realize the matching was so wide spread. Good thing Mary Jane had a butterfly shirt with her!


This was a great hike, afterward we went swimming. Here are a few of the fun pics I got.










Somehow I missed a lot of photo opportunities after this, perhaps because I was so spent. I hope those that were taking photos for the family will pass them along! I know there were some taken of the whole clan. I can't wait to see them.. .

Here is one last photo. I couldn't resist including it. We were so glad that Matthew was able to join us.


Thanks Mike and Taralie! We appreciate all your effort! We can't wait to see everyone again!

One last Hurrah

Our wonderful friends, the Corless family recently finished dental school and accepted a new job in Texas. We have had so many wonderful times with them - from the first time they invited us to dinner (when we were first visiting, before moving to IL) to all the game nights, cook outs, birthdays, and play dates. We just had to squeeze in one more fun night. Here are some pics to enjoy!












We will sure miss them and all the fun we had. Good luck to our wonderful friends! We love you!

What Fun!

After Annie and Mary left us to return home we were treated with more visitors. We have really been blessed to have Matt's siblings living closer to us.

The Sanchez family came to visit us while Heleman (their oldest) went to EFY (Especially For Youth.) We had a wonderful time catching up and the kids had a great time playing together. I always love to learn from Marcelino, and Kelly. They are great parents! I love how positive and full of faith they are. They are always encouraging their children to help and serve. I was the beneficiary of this when they offered to mow and trim my lawn. That is certainly unexpected from company! But this is just one example of what they do so often. I really enjoyed hearing Kelly's perspectives and how they have balanced the needs of their family.

Eve and Camille particularly hit it off.



And Ster was so sad to see all those boys go! It's a good thing the Smith reunion was right around the corner!


P.S. - I don't think Sterling was crying in this picture. I think it was just very bright outside.

Eve's Dance Recital 2011

During Annie and Mary's visit it was recital time for Eve. She has really enjoyed her accro class as well as her ballet/jazz/tap combo class. Here are some pics.

Accro costume


Eve with her friend Genesis


The "dance."



Her Ballet Costume







Her ballet dance "How To Believe"



Her tap costume





Her dance "We're the Kids in America"



And finally, her jazz costume (Can you tell we had fun taking photos?)






Her jazz dance "Go Mickey"


Waiting for the recital to start.


Tired of all these photos, ok, one more smile.


I enjoyed watching Eve. She seems to be able to focus well in class and her musicality has really developed. It has been a very positive experience for us. I love to help her get all dressed and ready. Show time is so exciting, especially when on stage. What fun!