America, America...How Can We Tell You How We Feel?...

...You have given us your riches, we love you so!

(That was the words to a song we always sang in rounds at Young Womens Camp)

I took this picture at my sisters house in Pocatello, following a nasty hail storm...pretty sweet hu?I didn't get a chance to post our July 4th celebration, mostly because I wanted to write about how much I really love this great land, and I haven't had a chance to write much...until now.

There are FEW things that I have a TOTAL passion for - religion, family, and our country (I'm sure there are others mixed in there, but those are my top 3).

I admire those who currently serve, and have in the past left their families and homes to ensure our continued freedoms that we enjoy and far too often, take for grantid. Our freedoms have come at a great price. I feel nervous with where our country seems to be heading, but I have faith that our treasured freedoms will prevail.

During the summer of 1989, I had my first opportunity to learn what my country really means to me. I was able to be an exchange student to Germany, and while there I went on a religious youth trip to Berlin with my exchange partner, and one other American girl, and thousands of teenagers. On the way there, I slept in the bus, and when I awoke, there were guard stations and tall chain linked fences around us, and heavily armed guards walking towards me on the bus, checking everyones passports before we could enter East Germany (Berlin was surrounded by East Germany - so we had to go through East Germany - communist Germany - before we could re-enter West Germany). I reached for my passport, and it was gone. Panic set in as the guard got closer to where I was seated. Scrambling for what seemed like forever, I finally reached between the seat and the wall of the bus, and my passport had slipped between them. However, that nervous feeling I had at that moment, never fully subsided. We proceeded to go to Berlin, where we attended lots of youth activities. One night in Berlin, a riot broke out, and the police were hitting people with their batons, and again - that panic feeling set in. Remember, there were only two of us in this sea of teenagers, who were Americans, and didn't speak real great German. Our small group of friends decided we wanted to go to East Berlin - across the great wall to communism. The only way I can explain it was like going from a color television set to a black and white. It was a completely different world across a cement wall. We tried to bring a Book of Mormon across, but the guards compensated it from us since their people weren't allowed the freedom to read or whorship whatever they chose. I will never forget seeing a fruit stand in the town that was behind glass walls, and if you were fortunant enough to have extra money for fruit, you didn't get to feel and squeeze the fruit to chose which one you wanted. You were handed your fruit, and the fruit was wrinkly and well on its way to moldy. They didn't even have freedom to chose their own fruit!

When the time came for us to go home to our great land of America, I sadly said goodbye to the great country of Germany, a land I had grown to love and respect. A country that still felt the sting of regret and shame after so many years since WWII. I still hadn't realized just how deep my feelings had grown about my own great land...until our plane landed on American soil and I saw our beautiful flag blowing in the breeze. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of peace that enveloped me as I took my first footsteps on American land, and I knew that I was home...in the land of the free and the home of the brave. This is Ira's Grandpa Leon Smith who served in WWII. From what I understand, he was one of very few who survived in his group. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for him to watch his friends die around him, one by one. Their last acts in this life were to fight for each of us to have the freedoms that we enjoy today.

I took the above picture of the Brandenburg Gate and wall from the west side of Berlin

The bottom picture was taken from the East side of Berlin.

Along the wall on the West side were many markers of people who had tried to escape the East, but were shot on their way across the wall. Their bodies fell on the West side, but it was too late for them. The people on the West would leave markers as a solemn reminder.

The wall came down later that same year. I happened to be with my German friend when we heard the announcement over the radio. He was so ecstatic to get to celebrate this great step for the country that he loved.

(Thank goodness for digital! Now we can make sure there aren't fingers in the way of our pictures!)

Our Independence Day CELEBRATION :

We went to Pocatello where my sister Kelli and her family hosted our party

(see what I had to put up with when I was growing up?! :) )

We went to the swimming pool for the day. Unfortunantly for us, we spent as much time inside the building as we did swimming, waiting out the lightning storms that kept rolling in.

Jarin

Kamden, cousin Parker & Jarin REALLY liked the licorice

Ira and I with our baby boys. Don't they look thrilled?
My cute neice Tiana and nephew Ryan

My silly Emi girl

No July 4th celebration is complete without fireworks. We put on our own little show - (at least Uncle Derrick did, while the rest of us grown-ups enjoyed the house being quiet!)

Pocatello has a fantastic firework show, and what makes it even better is that the best view of the show in all of Pocatello happens to be from my sisters back porch - so we don't even have to fight any crowds!
Thanks for a fun party Kelli - we'll see you next year...same time...same place...same great food...same great company (minus mom and dad, a boo and a hoo and a sob sob sob ((that's what dad would always say when he was telling us a story, and someone in the story was sad)).

Making the Most of Summer

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? This week I found out that school is starting a week earlier than usual (where have I been?). So I am kinda mad, and really bummed. I think that families are being pushed aside too much - but that's a subject for another post. As for today's post, I decided that every day of what's left of the kids' summer break is valuable. So this week, Jarin and I went 4-wheeling (already posted), we went to Bear Lake with Amber and kids, and then I got the crazy idea to turn around the very next day and go camping and 4-wheeling again. By Sunday...well, I was tired! But tired with a big smile - we had a great time together.

I feel like I should start every post with an apology for how many pictures I post - but...since anyone who checks my blog are friends of mine, then you must know me well enough to know that that's just me! - I just can't help it! I need to learn from someone how to put several pictures together into one, so ya'll don't have to scroll down all night long.

We mommies with our sweet babies.I love going to Bear Lake. I love to watch the kids laugh and play. I love that we can have fun together. I really love that the kiddos can entertain themselves (a.k.a. not "bugging" me to take them all over the place, or have the neighborhood over to play) and I can enjoy the company of friends. I could do without the sand in the food...but you gotta take the bad with the good!I love to watch my baby Kam as he's walking.

Jarin & Kam



Emilie

Brayden

Who needs water with all this sand? Maybe I should have just put a big sand pile in my yard instead of any grass.They finally found the water!

Jarin, Jaxson, Emilie & Tyson

My beautiful Emi-girl

Next day...camping. Every time we go camping for just one night, I make a promise to myself to never go again unless it's for more than just ONE night. It's just too much work for one night. It goes something like this...

pack, pack, pack, pack, pack, UNpack, unpack, unpack...CAMP...pack, pack, pack pack, Unpack, unpack, unpack, LAUNDRY..........

The crazy part is that we call it FUN...and turn around in a few weeks and do it again!

Jarin saw the sunbeams shining through the trees, and exclaimed, "That looks like Jesus is coming!"Of course, we brought our 4-wheelers - no camping trip is complete without them.

A rare glimpse of Kam's cute smile/laugh
Jarins my little cowboy at heart

My Double Date

I went on a double date with Jarin and my parents yesterday. We went 4-wheeling in the mountains, and I can't even tell you how happy it made me!
Ira volunteered to stay back with the other kids, and let just me go (much more relaxing for me).
I decided to take Jarin along for our one-on-one time. It was fun to get to spend that time with him and with my parents. I treasure every moment with my parents, since they will be leaving us for 18 LONG MONTHS. I know, it's not Forever, but it sure feels like it!
Anyways, back to the subject at hand. It was a really, really, really Great day. Today I feel totally Refreshed and ready to Conquer the world.

I wish I could have captured just how Beautiful a day it was. I tried to capture it on my camera, but cameras can't capture the 3-D, the Smells of the pine trees and newness of the wet soil that snow had recently melted off of, the Refreshing Breeze, the Sounds of the water in the rivers and the insects and the birds. The wildflowers were Breathtaking. It was as if God just sprinkled seeds of Wildflowers over the tops of the Mountains. I don't know how anyone can see the Wonders of nature, and not know that there is a God. This kind of Beauty didn't just happen by accident. I feel so Blessed to be able to live in a place where I can witness this Beauty every day, and to have the Knowledge of our Heavenly Father who created all that beauty, and all of Us.

I think I'm a total dork for taking so many pictures of flowers, but I think you know me...

it's ALL about the picture!
Me and my Handsome date.
Jarin and his Grandparents

Parts of the trail we rode on. FUN STUFF!
Jarin took a turn riding with Grandpa.

Me and my Daddy on top of the mountain side that we hiked to.No, I don't make a habit of sitting in the snow. My Dad and I decided to take the steep short-cut back down the mountain. Right before the snow mound, I slipped and fell smack on my Keester, in the MUD. So I then sat in the snow to try to get some of the mud off. Right after this picture was taken, my snow mound became a Slide, and I slid all the way down until a Rock (and more mud), came in contact with my keester again, and stopped me from sliding more! OUCH.

My Dad on our little Adventure up the mountain side.Me and my Buddy with Cache Valley below.

I think that if you click on this picture, you can see it enlarged. My Preston friends, this is our little part of the world from up above. If you can see it enlarged, you can see the old Sugar Factory stack, and find mom and dads road from there.

Thanks mom and dad for a fabulously, refreshing day away from the busyness of life.

Could It Be???

It seems like yesterday that I was laying in my hospital bed, holding my newborn baby boy, checking out his chubby little fingers and toes. Could it possibly have been a whole year ago that I looked into his big, bright eyes for the first time, and held him in my arms? There is nothing that compares to that feeling of holding a brand new baby in my arms that I know just left the arms of God. I loved Kamden when he was only a hope and a dream for me, then even more from the moment I felt him move inside me, and more again the first time I saw him. A year later, I love him more than I am able to put into words. It is amazing how love works that way. Just when we think we love someone more than possible, that love grows even more.

In some ways, I'm glad we are a year later, rather than a year ago. It was a really hard time in my life with health issues, and no sleep, and adjusting to four children. A year later, I am healthy, Kam sleeps through the night, and I'm STILL adjusting to four children, (two out of the three isn't bad, right?). Now if I could just stop the clock right where it is.

Kamden doesn't smile a lot, but his eyes always have a sparkle in them. When he does smile, it is usually accompanied with a great big laugh.

He is almost always content, and is so easy to take care of and love.

Kam is so tender-hearted. He likes to bury his face into ours and give us hugs and kisses.

The last few weeks he has been perfecting his ability to walk. I LOVE to see that glow on his face when he has walked to where he wants to go.

Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy. I feel so blessed to have you as part of my eternal family. You have brought me so much joy, laughter, love and happiness - you are a treasure! I don't want you to be in a hurry to grow up, yet I can't wait for all our new adventures in the months and years to come. I love you!!