Monday, December 20

December Goodies!

December was a busy month! But we spent it doing worthwhile activities and having lots and lots of fun!
Above, the Children's Choir performed the night of the Evening Music service. They did so good! SO hard to believe this was Kaitlynn's last performance. In a few short months she will be in the YOUTH GROUP!!!
After the performance, we have a special Fellowship Hour, where everyone comes for food! Now, back in February, I was asked to be in charge of it. And back in February, it felt like Christmas would never get here, so I said yes.
That was a mistake.
I made known my stress to a good friend and all the church ladies jumped in and they all helped take care of the many details. I was so thankful! It turned out beautifully! If they ask me again, I will lovingly say "no thank you."
Ann came and did the decorations. She showed me how to do this beautiful natural greenery. I really want some of that shiny spray!
My dad, Bumps (as he was named by Collin), came for that weekend. And he brought early gifts! Auburn SEC Championship t-shirts! We had to get a picture of everyone in their shirts before we left for school Monday morning. Tiff did not want his picture taken, and Collin didn't care if his hair looked like this. He had class too, but in an online class nobody cares what you look like.
Tiff just needed a few more minutes of rest. We had had a LATE night the night before having Christmas with Bumps and we were all sleepy. We were thankful he came over, even though it was such a quick trip.
Grades 1-6 performs the Messiah musical every year. Here is Kaitlynn with two of her classmates, Erin and Sierra. They HATED having to wear the red bows in their hair.
Here is Christopher with a few of his favorite second grade classmates, Will, Staten and Lilly.
And all the 6th grade girls: Amber, Erin, Kaitlynn, Sierra and Nettie Taylor. Looking at the picture above and below this sentence, when I say my children are extra tall, I am not exaggerating!
All the 6th graders! Everyone except Kaitlynn has been performing this musical since they were in the first grade. This was a bittersweet night for their parents as this was their last performance.
Also this month was the piano recital. Her sweet teacher, Stacy Nott, and the other students did an afternoon performance that went wonderfully.
Stacy and Kaitlynn!
Siblings were asked if they wanted to perform since the class was so small. Collin and Noah both did a guitar solo. Their teacher is Pastor David Gilbert.
The week before Christmas Collin opened most of his gifts.
Why?
Well, he and Sam were going on a backpacking trip to Arkansas the next day! So he got a new, bigger backpack, a new headlamp, socks and other necessary gear.


There were so many other things I did not take pictures of. The Christmas caroling hayride we do to the shut ins every year. The school parties. Visits and visitors. It was a really busy few weeks! But we are so blessed and so thankful with the people God has put in our lives.

Thursday, November 25

Thanksgiving Day!

One of the things I am very thankful for about moving closer to family is the continuing of traditions. We started the annual Smith Family Thanksgiving Picture when Kaitlynn was just a baby. When we were in Idaho on Thanksgiving Day, I did miss the great cooking I knew was going on, but what hurt my heart the most was knowing that the picture was being taken....and we were not in it. But we are back and once again thankful to be able to celebrate special times with our families in person. The only one missing above is Brooke, our sweet 10 year old cousin. Hopefully next year she can make it.
This was the first year we did NOT take it on the front porch. But the lighting and sun spots were so bad that we voted to move it. I am glad we did. These turned out better than if we had done it in the normal spot.
Below is Poppa and JuJu with all but one of their grands! Sam was behind me doing crazy sneezes making Noah and the rest of them laugh.
Sam's brother, Phillip, with his wife, Heather, and Noah and Heather's parents. I had to put this one in. Sam was sneezing trying to get Noah to smile and he kept cracking Heather up.
There is the good one!
My mom, known as Haha, with four of her grands.
I just like this one.
That's it? That is all the pictures this so-called photographer took on her Thanksgiving holiday?
yes.
Why?
Well, my battery charger had fallen out of my camera bag in Mississippi and we were in Alabama and my battery was blinking "almost dead - almost -dead" so I was thankful it held out long enough to get these pictures!
Even though I don't have pictures to document it all, we had a WONDERFUL time. Filled with lots of laughing and way to much eating!

Friday, November 19

Thanksgiving celebrations at school and church!

The above picture was accidentally uploaded here, but I didn't delete it because I like it so much. Kaitlynn was "working" for me. Sitting here making sure the light was set correctly in the camera before the real customers were brought it. I love her natural smile.

Anyway, we had many Thanksgiving celebrations this month! The first one was at church, with our annual Thanksgiving Feast. And feast we did!
The ladies here know just about everything about cooking, that is for sure!




Christopher, and the rest of us, enjoyed, EVERY bite!
Sam with Lilly.
The kids choir performed and they sang so nicely.
Lilly and Kaebrie
Then two days later it was the Thanksgiving Celebration at school. And again, a ton of great food!
Most of the 5th grade girls dressed up.
Here is Tiff with Ashton Blake.
The 6th graders got to eat FIRST! They were very excited. Collin joined us for lunch.
The 6th grade girls were in charge of the face painting. So Kaitlynn went to town on her little brother.


See what she did?!?!

It was a great week celebrating being thankful with so many special friends and people.

Christmas Pictures

One of my very favorite parts of the Christmas season is doing Christmas pictures for everyone else! I do not enjoy doing my own kids very much, but LOVE doing others! I had many "jobs" this year and I had so much fun! Here are some of my favorites. They look blurry on here, but if you click on a picture they will open up large and in focus!

Above, the Austins, from here. It was Avery's first Christmas!

Below, the beautiful Greenlees!
The Byrds - from here, with all their dogs. (we tried to get the cat in too but the cat absolutely refused)
-and without the dogs.
The adorable Everett boys!
(and Macon)
The Bryants - From Texas
The Baughs - from Chicago
The Clarks - From here!
The Carvers - In Montgomery
More Carvers - In Montgomery
ALL the Carvers - In Montgomery (on Thanksgiving morning)
More Carvers - In Montgomery
The Peelers - from here

The Dents - from Jackson
The Bonds - from here
It wouldn't be Christmas without doing so many pictures. Fun fun fun for me!