Our NEW House!

BEFORE (walking in the front door.) Notice the wall

AFTER (believe it or not this is actually walking in that SAME front door:) NO WALL!!!!

Notice that there are NO WINDOWS

See the windows NOW!! We cut holes into the brick, so fun:)

I'm not going to lie............this house kicked our butts!!! It was stinky, old and disgusting but all I could see were the BONES (and price, lol;) and I knew the bones were full of amazing potential:) We knew we could do it, poor Riley spent MANY nights in the "Before" house.........not a happy place to be, lol! We had help from our family and friends and that was HUGE, thank you helpful people!! There were times when I thought, "Is it really worth it?!" I think a few people thought we were totally crazy but we ended up kicking this stinky houses BUTT!! It's beautiful:) The most impressive part is that we did it in 2 months, thats pretty fast considering how much we did, yay us!

This is most definitely the BEST before and afters but the whole house got this same makeover so there are more pics to come:)!!

Don't Mess With A Smith Bean

First the Disclaimer. My kids fight, kick, yell, and tease each other. It's just part of having brothers and sisters BUT............my kids also adore each other. I have been able to witness it out in public in the last few weeks.

Last week at McDonald's I watched Jack play with a new found friend. This new friend and Jack were laughing at something when London came up to them and this new friend pushed her down. Yes it took every fiber of my being not to go kick that little boys *** but I controlled myself and watched something beautiful happen. Jack immediately stopped what he was doing, got down next to London and said, "London are you OK?" As he was asking he sweetly rubbed her head and spoke softly to her. Once London was all better Jack turned to the new friend and said, "Hey, that's my sister!!!" The friend looked at him like "and your point is?" so Jack said it again, "That's my SISTER!!!" This time the new friend got the message and with regret in his voice he turned to miss London and said, "I'm sorry." London excepted the apology and played with them for the rest of our time there.

Today while we were at McDonald's again (I know we go way to much)I watched London have this same experience with my Dane. London found a little girl to play with and Dane came up to play with them. The friend started to say mean things to Dane and London wasn't having it. She turned to her friend and said, "Hey, that's my brother Dane!" The little girl didn't get it so London said it again, after that the little girl got the point and went and played with someone else. London was fine with that, she and Dane played together for the rest of the time.

When it comes to the smith family, if you mess with one Smith Bean your going to get the whole Smith Burrito, watch out:)!

Every mother has that MOTHER BEAR in her, we can't help it! BUT I am here to say that if we can control ourselves (sometimes I can't) then we can give our children the opportunity to do it for each other and themselves, which in my opinion is WAY MORE effective. Us moms more often than not need to take a chill pill, our kids need to learn the rules to society and socializing and when we get involved and fix everything for them they miss out on that opportunity to LEARN!!! I understand this because I step in way more than I need to but I have learned through watching my little monkeys that it is better for THEM to figure it out on their own. I have watched myself with this and when I step in I figured out that it makes ME feel good about MYSELF, yes it's for them but it's also about ME. If I get rid of making myself feel good and let my children do it then in return I watch THEM feel good about THEM. This is a principle that Love And Logic teaches and it's one that's hard to follow but very much worth it and it's also one I'm still working on:)

The Last Six Months

For those who don't know, it has taken us 6 months to buy a house and we are now in the process of renovating it. BIG renovation! IT has taken us MUCH longer than we had EVER anticipated.

I never thought I would be where I am right now...... 3 children, living with my mom, (most amazing, loving and supportive woman I know) away from my husband that we only get to see on the weekends. I mean you can't write this stuff, well I guess you can I just never would have inserted myself into the story.

They say hard things make you stronger.........I hate to go along with a "they say" but in this situation "they" are right. This whole thing wasn't just some sad story I fell into or some accident that brought us to this point it was all in the books and it was all for ME.

The truth is that things that happen in our lives happen FOR us not against us. Even when it doesn't feel like it, even when I think I can't take one more day, hour, or second, in the end it really is all for ME. We are given hard things to make us stronger, smarter, or in my case more humble. When given these "things" we ALWAYS have the choice to let it bring us down to our knees or just.......down. I always think I know what I need but usually I'm very wrong and the second I turn to the right source I'm reminded that what I need is not what I had planned at all.

On the outside looking in I know that this shabby little trial of mine doesn't light a candle to others but it's been very REAL for me and my little family. BUT through it I have finely REMEMBERED who I am, where I came form and most importantly what MY mission is. I feel like Oprah on her final show "find out what your mission is" lol, but she's right! Sometimes it takes hard things for us to remember but in the end it's ALWAYS worth it.

So I have VERY good news. After a very long 6 months we will be moving into our home within the next 2 week, we will finely be a family again and now more than ever we know what a PRECIOUS gift that really is.

Family, isn't it about time? I couldn't help myself, lol:)

Mommy Soap BOX!!

The other day I felt judged.......I know right. If you know me you know that I USUALLY could care less what others think, BUT this time I did......A LOT! I was so upset I didn't sleep. Do you ever have those nights where you think of all the things you want to say to someone but never really would, well that was what I was doing all. night. long! I felt like I was being judged as a MOTHER, and really in my book there is nothing worse. So guess what I did back.....I started to judge that mother!!! I have found that the only time I start judging is when I FEEL judged. What is it with us moms, we can be SO JUDGMENTAL!!!!

In the middle of the night I had a HUGE lightbulb turn on!!!! I FIGURED IT OUT LADIES!!!!! I know you may have already had this personal lightbulb for yourself but I found it so helpful I feel as though I must share:)

EVERYONE IS DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE!!!! Every mother only wants what is best for their child. WE may not understand it, we not agree with it, we may even despise it but for them it's their BEST! Why can't we just step back and respect that and NOT JUDGE!!

As mothers we should STAND together and SUPPORT one another, not tare each other down. We should stop giving advice and start asking for it. I personally struggle with that one, I feel like what I am doing is the best but sometimes it is NOT. I have much to learn from my fellow mothers, we all could learn more.

You can be sure of one thing, I WILL NOT be judging you as a mother, I know your doing your best and GOOD JOB!!! Nobody is the perfect mom, nobody loves being a mom 100% of the time, we all have bad days. SO GOOD JOB MOMS, YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL and.............. you all suck sometimes, lol, that's just the way it is and I love it:)

So there is my soap box:)

Shabby Chic Lamp Makeover

I have been looking for a little lamp for London's room for a while now and just couldn't find anything that wasn't a fortune. The other day while I was at the antique shop (I'm obsessed) I found this little beauty!!! I mean when do you find a tea pot lamp?!!!!

BEFORE

AGTER!!!

It was easy too:) I spray painted the base white, got rid of the old nasty ribbon, got some new white ribbon and gathered it with this see-through lastin, then hot glued it to the lamp shade. Then I went to HObby Lobby and found the cute little dangle things and sewed them on.

Lamp: $5

Spray Pain: $6

Ribbon: $6

Dangly Crystal Things: 5

Total:$22

LOVE IT!!!!!!

Londons New Friend Eena

Today at church London and I were looking through a coloring book and saw a picture of a hyena. I said, "London can you say Hyena?" Her response "Hi Eena, I liked you!" Oh Miss London, the things you say really are just to darn CUTE!!!

Kitty Balls & 2011 Summer Pic OVERLOAD!

Meet KITTY BALLS, that's right you heard me Kitty Balls. You may ask WHY is the kitties name Kitty Balls so I ask you to just sit and think....................got it yet? Lets just say this is a boy kitty and it's quite obvious/disgusting!!! All my kids call him Kitty Balls and we laugh every time, woops. This summer would NOT be the same if we didn't have Kitty Balls around, he gets more love (and abuse;) than any one Kitty Balls deserves. LOVE YOU KITTY BALLS:)

Bear Lake, that is just a MUST right?

Dane reaching.........I couldn't help myself, could you? I mean look at that fine specimen, SO CUTE!!!!

Bear Lake, London walking around looking so CUTE I wanted to eat her.

Poor London went to insta care two weekends in a row. 1st time to have them dig out a HUGE sliver. 2nd time to set her elbow because it popped out of socket at church. Poor girl but she was so cute. We had the same Doctor both times and he was smitten with her cuteness:)

Loving our regular Shaved Ice

We are BIG fans of shaved ices!!! So we get them WAY TO MUCH!!!

Cute mutts!

It was Angie's birthday and all she wanted to do was go DANCING!!! So............we did, lol:) My married sister, my engaged sister and myself and my slightly older mother went western swing dancing on a wednesday night. I have never laughed so hard in my life. My mom was the only one asked to dance, she was HOTT!!!! That was utile her dance partner dropped her, but still even then she was a hottie:) Love my sisters and mom, I really don't know what I would do without them!

Oh Kitty Balls, you make me smile:)

Pool TIME!!! Miss London being a little fish, she LOVES the water!

I mean really........he couldn't be any cutter!!

I would eat him up if I could!!!!

London posing again. That thing she is sitting on......... I can't wait to show you what I'm doing with them!!!!

My sweet Dane getting into everything AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, cut monkey!

Yes he is elbow deep into the jam.

Jack has been fishing quite a bit and we cook the fish and eat them:) Jack thinks he's cool and he eats the fish eyes and cheeks:) I know it sounds weird but when I told him that we used to have Chinese visitors and they ate the eyes and cheeks he thought that he must to the same:)

London does a lot of this, just being cute:)

Jack has hung out with his cousins that he thinks they are so COOL!!!! I mean this pic says a million words:) He prays for them EVER NIGHT, lol:)

Hanging out with some more FUN cousins:)