PUMPKINS!Who says you need LOTS of room to grow pumpkins?

Just look how little they are?!

We have this long spot of dirt behind our house that just grows weeds and looks yucky. So, the boys and I decided that pumpkins would be lots of fun to watch grow and even more fun when they are all grown! So when fall rolls around, come on by to the Smith's pumpkin patch... we should have a few to choose from.

Getting our garden ready to plant!

The boys LOVED this part. We will probably have pumpkins growing in the yard. Luke was chucking the seeds everywhere!!

One week later...See? There is lots of room!!

I'll keep posting throughout the summer.

Keep watching and watch the sidewalk disappear!!

Over the River and Through the Woods, to Grandmother's House we go...

or in this case...WENT...2 weeks ago (yeah, so I'm a little late!)

We spent 10 days in Michigan with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Dan, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Tad, and Aunt Hannah. What did we do?? Here's a little overview:

We start with another birthday party for LUKE!

Grandma made a DIRT CAKE with WORMS!!!

Playing with his new dinos from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dan. So cute!

MOVING ALONG...

What's that?

A TURTLE!!

BIG yard, lots of balls means RUN, KICK, THROW, HIT...

Grandma arranged a fun day at a GREAT children's museum in Kalamazoo
puppet show put on by mommy and aunt Hannah - really dumb show!


So, gramps...what are we looking for exactly?I am so cute!
So I'm sure all of you think this is real funny! Well, ha ha! Why do they always dress me up like the girl? Better yet, why do I go along with it?


The Highlight of our trip...
Ethan's first STITCHES!!

We were all cleaning up from dinner, getting ready to leave for Wednesday night prayer meeting when SPIDER MAN aka: Ethan fell from the line of chairs he was climbing across. (He had been told SEVERAL times to stop his climbing) Down he went and hit his head on the edge of the chair. Aunt Hannah to the rescue, lots of blood, and through the tears he cried: "I can't be Spider man anymore!" Grandma took us to the hospital where he was "wrapped up like a mOmmy", as he says, and stitched up. 5 stitches in all. It was funny because we had just seen a mummy ("mommy") the day before at the museum. He was so intrigued how it was all wrapped up. Well, I wish I could say he was ok with being wrapped up...BUT, not so much. He SCREAMED "STOP IT DOCTORS!!" Then, after that did not work he pleaded, "please doctors, will you please let me out of here?" Cute, yet sad. Another page for the ol' scrapbook!


Other random pictures of the week

Kate's bathtub - grandma's HUGE sink

Ethan and Luke's bath tub - Grandma's HUGE "sfimmin' pool"

SNUGGLE TIME
What did the girls do?

We BAKED
We CRAFTED
We SHOPPED
We GOT OUR NAILS DONE
We made LOTS of JEWELRY
Seeing family is always fun. It is such a treat! We love you all and can't wait to do it again!

LOOK WHO'S 2!

May 24th
This is one of the best parts of being a mommy - watching them grow and change. Some people would say that those 2 years went so fast, but as the mommy, the one who spends all of her time with these children, I can't really say the time just "flew by". I guess I am still in the "every day is an eternity" stage. I read just the other day:

Psalm 127:4 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward."

I love this verse because it gets me through those days. A reward! God has entrusted Ben and I to teach our children to love, obey, and glorify God with their lives. What a responsibility, a blessing, a "reward". I can say that I have greatly enjoyed Luke over that last 2 years. The way he has always been able to make the perfect car and gun noises, his sweet blonde hair and pretty blues, his fat little feet, the way he says "mommy", even eating poop (if you want to get the scoop on this, search our blog for a post entitled, "Bad Mother Award"). He is my crazy man and he keeps me on my toes, but I embrace the challenge and repeat to myself daily: "this is only a stage of life" and I go to bed at night saying: "it's a good thing he is cute"!!!
Now, on to the party!!

THE CAKE:

cookies and cream ice cream layered with fudge crushed cookies and LOTS of whipped cream - YUM!!

Now for the real fun, pushing the whipped cream dirt mound off the cake!

This was some seriously good ice cream cake!

Watch (and listen) as Luke eats his cake and Ethan tries to convince everyone that Luke needs help opening those presents.

PRESENTS

tee-ball

tool kit - daddy's new little helper

water guns!!

sand toys!

PLAY TIME!!

I love you Luke, and look forward to all the years we will have together!

Happy Birthday!!

Grandpa and Grandma Hatch come for a visit!

We were so excited when my mom called to tell us they got plane tickets to come and visit. They got to stay just over a week and we enjoyed every minute of it...however I must have been enjoying it so much that I did not remember to take pictures - I hate that!! We kept very busy! Day 1 (rainy) of our fun was at Chuck-E-Cheese - a huge hit of course! Day 2 we spent at Mount Vernon, then a day in D.C. to hit Air and Space, the Capital, Washington Monument, WW2 Memorial, the White House (from afar of course), and the Archives. The next day was a pentagon tour (Thank you Tayna!!) Luke's birthday was the next day. Mom and I spent this day shopping and then came home with lots of goodies to celebrate. Sunday was church, a picinic, and then sweet nothing. The last day we spent in D.C. to finish off all the memorials and Arlington. Then a kiss goodbye and up, up, and away back to Colorado! A whirl-wind, but great. The boys loved having then around to play with and to be spoiled by! We love you grandma and grandpa - come back soon!!

Mount Vernon

D.C.

Above: Ford Theater and the house Lincoln died in

Below: Navy memorial