Snapped

Saturday, July 7

The Final Day

The final morning....JuJu and Kaebrie were having their last tea party and I just had to take another picture. The overall consensus was that Kaebrie looked like Kay, and she showed us some of her baby pictures and I could really see it!

We left for the airport at noon, getting there at 12:30 for a 1:44 pm flight. This picture with my sister Jacquie (aka Auntie Jax) was taken seconds before the overhead speakers announced that our flight to Atlanta was CANCELLED!!!!!

I was SO not happy with Delta. Then I had to stand in line for 45 minutes while they UNchecked us in and RETURNED our luggage. I do admit to having a minor meltdown. It was already pretty emotional getting ready to say good-bye to everyone (the WHOLE family was at the airport) , I was already exhausted and could feel a MAJOR headache coming on. There was just no way I was going to take a bus voucher and get me and 4 kids and our carry ons and our luggage and the stroller by myself to Atlanta with no car seats and no potties. Absolutely NO WAY.

Sam's parent were the only ones with a vehicle with enough seat belts to fit us all, so JuJu became our hero and drove us to Atlanta! (About a 3 hour drive).

In the rain.

The luggage stayed pretty dry....not that I cared much by this point.
We did make it to the airport on time. And not on my WORST enemy would I wish going through security alone with 4 kids and a double stroller and the carry ons. IT WAS TERRIBLE!!! Beyond terrible.

Then our plane was late. Then we finally got on and the kids forgot every manner and every ounce of obedience they had ever been taught. I was never so glad to get off a plane!!!

So, now we are home. And after being here for almost 2 years, it really did feel like coming home.

We had a wonderful, happy, eventful, memory-filled 5 state trip.

Thank you to EVERYONE for making this possible.

We love you all so much and miss you already.

Planes fly in this direction too, so please come out and visit anytime!!!!!

Saturday, June 30

2nd Annual Smith Summer Water WAR!!!!

The night before we left, it was time for the water war tradition that was started last summer. Poppa and JuJu got everything ready and loaded, then I went inside and told Collin they had found a snake in the garden, and he took off around the side of the house only to NOT find a snake...but grandparents with water guns!!!! The rest of the pictures speak for themselves. My mom was there and I had called Sam's sister to come over and join in as well. It was a LOT of fun!!!!!!

We had to have dinner outside because we were soaking wet, so we ordered pizza. Kaebrie went up and shot the pizza guy with her water gun. I think he was a bit surprised at what he drove into! :-)

Yet another great memory of this trip!

Returning to Louisville. Mississippi

We came to Idaho from Louisville, Mississippi. That is where Sam had his first church and was senior pastor for over 3 years. We have many wonderful friends there and it was so much fun to go and visit with everyone.

On the drive over from Alabama, Kaebrie asked where MR.Sippi was. Took me a minute, but I finally got it! (MRS.Sippi, get it?? :-) ).

Here is a group of good buddies who got together to swim Saturday afternoon.

One of my great friends was Sarah Hill. She gave birth to Kellynn two weeks after we left, so I have had to watch her grow up in pictures. It was so special to finally see her, and with Kellynn only being 10 months younger then Kaebrie, they were fast friends!

Kaebrie kept saying she wanted curly hair too!!!

Sunday afternoon we cooked out with more friends at Mike and Bettye Foresters cabin.

Here are the girls near the outdoor kitchen! The rain on the tin roof sounded so good!

After the rain stopped, the fishing hour began!

Collin first caught a small brim (?).

Kaitlynn didn't catch anything, but she enjoyed trying!

Collin then caught a bass!

Mrs. Dale was an honorary Smith while we were there. She was a special part of our family! I went into labor with Christopher while in her car, and believe it or not, with Kaebrie as well! Both times she took me to the hospital, which was 88 miles away from Louisville in Jackson.

More special friends, Payton and Trace.

Here is Mrs. Sarah!! She helped me name Kaebrie!

The final goodbye picture. Thought it might be blurry because my eyes were so blurry from crying. Thank goodness for auto focus cameras!

It was a special trip. We had a lot of reunions, got to know the new pastor and his sweet family, and it truly felt like coming home. THANK YOU ALL!

A bunch of pictures!!

This post will be a bunch of pictures from all over the place!

This first one is of Kaebrie that JuJu took when they were having a tea party.

Don't you just love that hat!?

JuJu also took this one on the first day it had rained there in about 7 weeks. She sent it into the the WSFA Channel 12 news in their "hotshots" competition, and this picture made the 6:00 news on the next night!

Christopher. No need to say more.

Our cousin Brooke was also at Poppa and JuJu's house for awhile, and this one shows how much fun they were having!

Daddy arrived! He drove from Idaho, and first went to our denominational meeting called General Assembly in Memphis, then he drove down to Alabama to join us for our beach trip.

We FINALLY got Tiffer brave enough to sit on Poppa's motorcycle!!

More of the "Welcome Daddy Water Fight"

Aunt Erin made one set of "t-shirt super hero capes" and they had a BLAST with them. JuJu ended up cutting up 5 more t-shirts so they could all have a set, then they ran around squealing and laughing till the sun set.

Two of my best friends from high school and college came to visit one night. The 3 of us and our 11 total children converged on my mom's house for a GREAT visit!!

Here is Kaebrie with Ella Grace , who was adopted from China over a year ago. I have been waiting to see her in person for SO long!

On another day we met some more friends for another reunion with all their children! The kids had a blast, but poor Mrs. Alex, we sure had a lot of cleaning up to do in her beautiful house!