First day of getting ready for Calendar

 Today is the first day of my more disciplined diet to get ready to get photos taken.  It will be for 12 weeks.  Right now that feels like a long time.  I am eating 5 times a day. So I don’t feel hungry. It is actually more than I normally eat, just way healthier.  I also drank a gallon of water.  Boy do I love peeing so much.  My biggest temptation today was the fresh fried tortilla chips at the restaurant.  No I did not even snitch one!  I am so proud of myself. Here is to my amazing hot body in 12 weeks!!!  I am also continuing to work out, both weights and cardio.  Toby is saying he is going to do this with me.  We will see how long he lasts.  Haha!

End of August

She is a funny 7 year old now. She is my little artist in every way!  This girl makes music wherever she goes.  The look on her face is sooo Tink!  I love this pretty little girl.  She has blessed our family in so many ways! 

The other three goofing off in the living room.  I look at them all and can't believe how big they all are!  I love these goofballs!!!

Back on the Blog

After moving to our dream home and getting all set up in it.  Figuring out a new normal and getting into a routine.  I am now ready to start the blog up again.  I love when I get consistent in recording our family life on a blog and now that some family is dropping off facebook..(a move I totally get) I want there to be a way that we stay connected.  :)  So I start with a brief rundown.

Gabe is 11....taller than his mama and on his first stage of braces.  He loves to go shoot voles with his pellet gun and run around exploring with his pup, Sofey.  He is very sweet and dependable.  Is such a good big brother.  In school, he works very hard and is pleasantly rewarded with the fruits that come from hard work....good grades.

Julie, who is now 10, is growing into a sweet young lady.  She is always looking for ways to help and her mama appreciates that a lot!!  As always, she enjoys all things crafty and keeps us chuckling.  Cooking food herself and helping Mom in the kitchen also keep her very happy. School comes easily to her, but she works to make sure that her grades are A's, she is only satisfied with a "B" if it was some really hard material.

Noah, 8, all boy.  He is always ready with a quick smile and a laugh.  He loves taking his bb gun and helping Gabe with our present vole problem.  He makes friends where ever he goes and always finds out their birthdays.  He is doing really good in school and is finally enjoying reading!  He also gives really great hugs!

Belle...aka....Tinkerbelle.....aka...Tink....aka Stinky Tink.....is 6.  Toby calls her my mini-me.  She is small, but knows her mind.  She is very independent and relishes her role as the youngest.  Playing with her cousins is her favorite thing to do.  This girl is always singing and catching her singing a song that she has made up, without her knowing we are listening, keeps Toby and I quite entertained.  She is reading soo well!!  Her favorite subject in school is Math.

Toby is 33.  Working hard at the Site as a Security Police Officer.  On the days he isn't working there, you can find him somewhere on our land, working hard to make it our own.  He has headed us up planting over 25 trees and raspberries and got us some chicks so that we can soon have our own eggs.  He has fun working on our land.  He is still enjoys basketball and cycling.  He keeps busy.  :)

Cassie...aka...me...I am 34 and haven't changed a whole lot, just a couple years older.  Reading, writing, crocheting, cooking, making music, being a momma and a wife.  I live a very charmed life that I don't take for granted.

Welcome back to our little family.
Here is a short video of our kids performing with Randall Goodgame, if any of you haven't heard of Slugs and Bugs....go check them out!  We all love them!!!!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowlege Him and He will direct your path.  Proverbs 3:5

 

Tink at Gabe's first basketball game.

Noah, with his front tooth coming in.  What a handsome guy!

Two of my handsome man!!  I sure do love them!

Gabe taking a shot.

Gabe (in the middle) hustling back down the court.

Jujubee with her hat that her Grandma Smith got her for Christmas.  I love this cute face!

We had two basketball games today and this is how Toby was through most of both of them....he is a little vocal.  A nice vocal, but vocal.  Julie snapped this one.  :)

She also took this one.

Belle took this one and it is a little blurry, but I still like it.  I love how Toby is still watching the game while getting his picture taken.  :)

Gabe's team won 26 to 6.

Now onto Noah's game.  Here he is with the black basketball.

Waiting for his turn to play.  Isn't he a sweet little man!

Getting ready to go into the game.

He did good, needs to work on the focus a little, but we were very proud of him!

Belle practicing her dribbling.  Yes, she is in pajamas...No, she didn't wear them to bed, she changed into them that morning.  Don't try to figure it out...I don't.  :)

Toby watching the game. 

My love and I enjoying the game.  I sure do love this man.

With my sweet oldest son.  It was a great day.  Noahs team didn't win, but such is life.  We also got to have ice cream and when Toby asked Noah whether he wanted Vanilla or Chocolate, to which Noah answered, "Daddy, you know how I roll....chocolate."  He makes me laugh so much!

A Wednesday in the Life of the Smiths

Wednesdays have all of the sudden gotten very busy here.  Both girls have swimming and Noah has basketball practice. This is Gabe ready to start our busy afternoon.

We received our other blog in a book form and had such a sweet time looking through almost 300 pages of memories!

Gabe got a yo-yo in Kansas and has been our Master Yo-Yoer ever since.  :)  Takes it anywhere I let him.  Noah...well....being his crazy silly 7 year old self. 

Yes, he had a oreo before we left.

Tink getting ready to get in the water.

We got there an half an hour before her swim lessons time, because Julies Swim club starts then, so Belle warms up. 

Another boy was splashing.

Julie swimming hard in the other lanes.  She is the closest swimmer on the left.

Then I look back here and Belle is swimming under the water.  Like, really swimming.  Her first time.  She just decided to do it.  Her teacher wasn't there yet and she decided she was going to swim for "real".  Which she did.  This continued for the 20 minutes before her class.  Then she showed her teacher and it continued through most of class.  Her momma was very proud of her to say the least.  :)

I am so thankful that the Lord has given us the resources to do these fun extra things.  Have a wonderful Thursday!!!!

A little bit from here and there!

We went up to use our new snowmobile that we got for Christmas.  Of course on the ride up there, the kids wanted a drink of hot chocolate.  After I warned them about how hot it was they drank some and Tink didn't listen to her mama and burned her mouth.  We pulled over and she ate some snow. 

 

So after recovering from the fun, we made it to the land.  Toby and the kids cleaned up the fire area so that we could drink hot chocolate there when we wanted to.  See Tink cleaning off the bench.  :)

The snowmobile

JuJuBee, she is my funny nerd.

Noah, my little daredevil.

Tink, she is so brave and just goes for things.

Gabe was ready to ride as soon as we got there.

Before we started the kids made some snow angels.

Toby pulled the kids and I behind the snowmobile.  We had so much fun.  Gabe and Noah caught some serious air and then mama switched out with Julie and had a blast.  We are so thankful for these fun extra things that the Lord blesses us with.

 

A couple pictures from Halloween....

Belle was a Southern Belle.  I think she fit the part perfectly!

Our mermaid....Julianne.  She is getting so big!

Noah was a red Power Ranger.  I think the snowboots finish the outfit off quite nicely. :)

Gabe was a black ninja.  I thought he looked scary, but he thought he looked cool.

All four munchkins together.

This is a picture from early Sept.  I just really liked this pic of Belle.

This man is so super sweet, who is always helping me out and looking for ways to make my day easier.

Juls and her Ruby.  She is such a good mama to her puppy.

Tink and her Daddy.  I am sure that you can tell that they can't stand each other.

Belle and I are good buds....most of the time.

 

My love and I.

Last section of this post was the big event of the summer.

Uncle Hannibal's and Jamie's Wedding!!!!

How cute is my little family!!!

My handsome boys who are getting so tall.

My girls...who both pose.  :)

The three of us girls.

We were so happy for Hannibal and Jamie!

The three boys being their normal "cool" selves.

I kinda like this guy!

I like this pic of Belle with other cousins in the background.

Uncle Monty with all the flower girls and ring bearers.

The girls decided it was their job to fix Jamie's dress.  They would fix it.....

Then, stand back and see how it looks.

Can't let it touch the grass!

My NoahbaBoah

Girls messing around while waiting for pictures.

Them all in a line waiting to walk down the aisle.

Jamie and her dad waiting to walk down the aisle

 I love the sweet Daddy/Daughter smiles.

Her dress was gorgeous!!!

Toby was the best man and true to form, he gave his speech and made everyone cry.  :)

Phew.....I think that is all I have for now.  Happy New Year you all!!!! May God bless you this year!!!