Family Game Night

Being a family is such a blessing and I don't want to miss any opportunities to spend time together.  We always make time for each other and do A LOT together because that is what is most important.  I was raised in a close family and want the same for our children.

 Noah loves to play games.  He picked "LIFE".  It is such a fun game and he has the Spongebob version.  We all had a blast and we played several rounds.

 Chris won each time but we still all had fun.  Being together and laughing and just enjoying each others company is what made it fun.

And here is a picture of Noah and I sporting our pajamas.  Chris was still in his church clothes but Noah and I decided we wanted to be comfortable.  Game night is now a tradition in our home!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know that there are people who do not like Valentine's day.  I personally LOVE it.  Chris and I are really good about making each other feel loved every day all year long but Valentine's day is a day where we can celebrate our love even more.  I like making a nice romantic dinner at home.  Chris and I have never been big on gifts for Valentine's day.  Chris does get me flowers each year and then we have a nice dinner.  This year was no different......it was amazing!

 For dinner I decided I was going to plan what we had this year.  I choose the PF Changs freezer meals.  They actually were really really good.  We did the beef n broccoli and then we also had General Changs Chicken.  Then I made a pot of rice.  It was soooooo good.  We topped it off with Cranberry Apple Sparkling Cider and I made a cherry cheesecake for dessert.

 Dinner was nice and romantic.  It was nice to be able to be at home and have a very intimate dinner with my Valentine.

These are the beautiful roses that my sweetheart got for me.  He really knows how to make me feel so special.  I am one lucky girl!

BYU Mens Basketball

With this possibly being our last year in Utah there were some things that I wanted to do.  One of them was going to a men's BYU basketball game.  Noah loves basketball and so does Chris so I thought this would be a great opportunity for us as a family to go see the Cougars play!

This is our little COUGAR fan!  He was super excited to go see the game and got all decked out for it.

This is his "too cool" pose.  hahahahha He is so funny!  He always has us laughing about something.

And then of course the Mr and Mrs had to have their picture taken.  We had so much fun at the game!  BYU has been good to us!  We have loved our time here!  Utah is beautiful and we live in the best neighborhood ever!  We are extremely blessed!

Noah the athlete

Noah is playing basketball again this year.  He has the same coach he had last year (which is great cause he is great).  The first game of the season Noah made the first shot of the game!  He was super excited.  Since then he has made at least one or more shots for the team.  I love that they are keeping score this year.  I will have to say it gets a little heated in there with some of those parents.

He loves going to practice and enjoys his games.  This year it is nice to see that he is hustling instead of just going with the flow.  He wants to win and is really working for it.  I am very proud of the progress he is making.

Fundraising for our adoption

Adoption has become a HUGE part of our family over the past few years.  Chris and I want nothing more than to have a house full of kids, but the Lord has a different plan on how we are to get our children.  They may not grow in my tummy, but they will definitely grow in my heart.  With that being said, Chris and I have decided to raise some money for our adoption so that when we do get that special call, we can put our money to providing the best possible environment for our new addition.  How are we raising the money?????

COOKBOOKS!!!!!!!!  I have spent the past week collecting and typing up recipes to make into a cookbook as a fundraiser.  As it has been fun, it has also being a lot of work.  The cookbook will have 250 recipes.  We are selling them for $10.00 each and are hoping to sell 500 of them.  This will pay for a good portion of our adoption.  The books will be in the end of February!  The cookbook is called "Southern Cooking"  "Friends and Family Supporting Adoption"  It is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Adoption has blessed many families all over the world and we look forward to the blessing we will receive through this wonderful miracle.  Spread the word....Chris and Amy are hoping to Adopt!!!!

We are blessed

There are days when I feel down and lost.  There are days that I question the trials that we are given in this life.  Then there are days that I feel hope and feel so blessed for the trials that the Lord has given to me.  In particular, our family.  That is what has been on my mind a lot lately.  I have found that the more I focus on how blessed I am and focus on the important things in my life the more blessed I feel.  Instead of focusing on the things that we don't have or how we think our lives should be at this particular moment, it is comforting to know that the Lord has a plan for us and he is aware of how we feel and what we need.  The adoption process is not an easy one.  Infertility is not easy.  When your family and friends are growing their little families it is easy to question "why not me".  I have been thinking lately that although yes I do wish it was me, I also feel so blessed that the Lord feels confident in me and my family to be able to overcome and work through this together as a family with his help.  I feel like he loves me so much to entrust in me the opportunity to raise a baby that needs our family.  The way we get our family is not important.  It is what we do with the family that we are given that is most important.  
Today I dropped off some paperwork at our agency and while waiting for the secretary to get in I was reading the bulletin board they have posted.  It made me super excited for this amazing journey that we are on.  Seeing other families who have been placed with sweet little children through the miracle of adoption was so encouraging.  Seeing the pictures of those who are like my family, waiting for that miracle was heart warming.  I went to the office just like any other day, just plugging along and left with this overwhelming feeling of love.  I walked out of the office feeling like someone had their arms around me telling me, your time will come.  WOW, how blessed I am to have a Savior who love me!  That's right HE LOVES ME!!!!!!!!!  I know that he is aware of me and hears my prayers and knows the desires of my heart.  I left that building with a heart full of hope.  I know that their is a little baby waiting to join our family.  I know that when the time is right we will be able to bring that sweet little baby into our home and into our hearts.  It's crazy how much love you can have for a child that you don't know and have never met, but I already have so much love in my heart for our little baby who will join our family one day.
I am grateful for this experience that we get to go through as a family.  I am grateful for my wonderful mother who is always there to listen when I need her the most.  I am grateful for my husband who holds me when I cry and laughs with me when I need it most.  I am grateful for a little boy who is super excited about being a big brother who is also super excited about the adoption process.  I am grateful for a mother in law who is maybe more excited about this than we are.  LOL  I also have amazing sister in laws who are happy for us and who are always there with a listening ear and comforting words.  I am most grateful for my Heavenly Father.  He has helped heal my broken heart and given me hope for the future.  I could not have come to this point in my life without him.  I am also grateful to the birth mother who will choose our family for her baby and pray that she is lead to us.  Her sacrifice is one that is not easy and we pray that she will find peace and comfort when finding a family for her baby!

Welcome 2012....

I am so excited for 2012.  So many great things are going on for our family.  We are heading into our final semester at BYU, Chris will graduate from BYU in April and also commission as an Army Officer in April.  I start my bachelors program in February, Noah turns 11 years old in April, we find out where and when we are going to be stationed in February, Noah finishes up 5th grade in May, I become an Aunt again in July and hopefully we will add to our family through adoption this year.  So many amazing things.  I also have a few personal goals that I am going to work on this year.  I am so excited for this upcoming year and all the many miracles and adventures that are going to happen to our family!

Christmas 2011

Christmas this year was a lot of fun.  Instead of doing dinner on Christmas day we decided to have Christmas Eve dinner with Josh and Jadey at their place and just relax on Christmas day.  That was such a great idea.  Christmas day was nice.  We got up early and I put the breakfast casserole in the oven and then we started to open our gifts.  Noah made a haul for sure.  I spoiled Chris of course and I too was spoiled.  Then Chris and I went back to bed because Noah got us up at like 5:45am.  Then we went to church.

Church was great.  We have an orchestra in our ward and so all the music was accompanied by them and the piano and organ.  It was amazing and so spiritually uplifting.  Then we came home and Noah played with a ton of his toys and I spent the day on the couch relaxing and just enjoying being with my family.  Then we had steak and baked potatoes for dinner.  Super easy to make and clean up.  What a great season it has been.

 Noah was spoiled by all of his Aunts, Uncles, and grandparents.  What a lucky little boy.  He got too many things to list them all but you know that little boy got tons of legos.  And what better gift to get than money right?!  Uncle Josh and Aunt Jadey gave Noah $20 and he was super excited!

I Hope that all of our friends and family had a great holiday season this year!

Christmas fun

 There are several things that we do as family traditions for Christmas and then there are some things we just add each year.  One think we added this year was going to Thanksgiving Point to see the Christmas lights.  If you don't know what Thanksgiving Point is, it is a place with tons of activities and shopping.  It has the greatest pumpkin patch and is always tons of fun.  We have never gone since we have been here for the Christmas lights so it was something I wanted to since this may be our last Christmas in Utah.

 Im glad that we decided to go.  It was nice to just drive along the path in our HEATED car.  I know I know....the lazy way of seeing lights but it was so nice to be warm so we could enjoy the pretty lights.

 If you live in Utah and have never been to see the lights, you need to.  It is $8 per car but soooooooooooooo worth it.

 Then on to the traditions.  Every year I get Noah a gingerbread house and he gets to build it then eat it.  I found this really cool one at Big Lots and so we decided that tonight would be a great night to do it since tomorrow we will be at my brothers house for Christmas Eve dinner and movies and then the next day is Christmas.

 We needed a little assistance from dad on putting it together.  They had so much fun.

 Only one problem.........IT WOULDN'T STAY TOGETHER!  So we ended up just eating all the candy and trashing the rest.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Maybe next year we will have a little more luck. 

Family Fun

 We decided since we don't have a ton of time during each semester to do a ton as a family, while Chris is on Christmas break we have wanted to do tons of FAMILY  stuff.  We decided to go bowling this afternoon.  Let's just say, we need some practice for sure.  The first game we played nobody made a score higher than 100.  That's pretty bad huh?  Anyway second game Chris and I both made it over 100 but barely.

 Noah is the cutest little bowler and he had a blast.  He kept telling me that he wasn't doing very good so I told him it didn't matter as long as he was having fun.  Once I told him that he decided to just have fun and not worry too much about our scores.  He did really well.

 The bowling alley was packed.  I guess everyone had the same wonderful idea that we did.  So many families with their kids just having a good time.  It was nice to see.

I am going to enjoy this next week spending time with my two favorite guys!  Then we are on to our final semester at BYU!!!

Temple Square

We made our annual trip to Temple Square.  This year Chris' cousin Nichole was able to come with us since she was visiting us before she headed home to Virginia for the holidays.  The lights are always so beautiful although pictures at night a little harder to get to come out just right.  I love going to see the lights at the Temple.  I remember as a child my parents would take us to see the lights at the Washington D.C. Temple which was always so nice.  Temple Square is absolutely amazing at Christmas time.

 Of course you have to get this picture every time you go, right?     I absolutely love the Salt Lake Temple and enjoy visiting often.  We got lucky this year as it wasn't too cold.  I remember last year it was freezing and I couldn't wait to leave.  This year it was cold but totally doable.  I didn't want to leave.  I could have stayed all night.  I am so glad that we are able to give Noah these

great memories and traditions!

Have you ever seen a cuter couple.  I am so grateful that my husband loved me enough to take me to the Temple when we got married.  I love that we can be a family forever!  He is the best and gives us so many great opportunities and I just love it!

 So Noah was going to make sure he wasn't cold.  He looks like he is going to rob a bank but I promise he is not.  It was funny, Noah asked Chris why he wasn't wearing his.  I can only image the looks we would have gotten had Chris and Noah wore those wonderful ski masks.

Merry Christmas from The Smiths!!

Getting ready for Christmas

I have been ready for Christmas for awhile now.  I shopped early and put the tree up early.  I love to shop for Christmas because I favorite part is giving gifts to others.  I wish I was rich cause I would buy everybody I know something.  I just love it.  I do most of my shopping online because I hate fighting crowds and long lines.  I do not shop on black Friday specifically because I hate the crowds and the rude people who come out to shop.  I got Chris the most amazing present ever and can't wait to give it to him on Christmas.  I also of course went overboard on Noah again this year.  This will have to stop once we adopt a child.  I made gifts for all of my sister in laws and got my mom and mother in law a great gift too.  I thought about it and realized that ever year I buy for my husband, son, parents, in laws, nieces and nephews, and make something for all of my sister in laws but I never get anything for my brothers or brother in laws.  OOPS!!!!!!  Maybe I will be nice next year a get them something special.  So I absolutely love decorating and so Christmas is one of my favorite times of year cause I get to decorate my house in such fun ways.  I have tons of Christmas nick nacks and love them all.  I have a specific way I like to decorate the tree and Noah is so great at helping.  I started collecting the St Nicholas Village and have a few pieces and add to it each year.  I LOVE IT!  I also found some really cute BYU ornaments and a BYU nutcracker.  They are awesome.  I think this year after Christmas I am going to buy another tree so that next Christmas we can have two Christmas trees up.  One for me to decorate all by myself and one for Noah and Chris.  That way I can have a very fancy one!  We need to plan a trip to Temple Square to see all the lights.  It is amazing there and I just love it.  We are also doing Christmas Eve dinner at my brothers instead of doing it on Christmas.  Christmas we will open presents, go to church, and then hopefully skype with all of our families.  I am hoping next year we will be closer to home and can make a trip home for Christmas.  We will see if that works out for us or not in February.  Anyway, the wonderful part of having all of the shopping and decorating done early is that I can now totally focus on the true meaning of Christmas which is the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I hope that each of you will also take time to focus on his birth and the amazing sacrifice he suffered for all of us.  Merry Christmas to all!  Stay safe!

Thanksgiving 2011

So I am sad to say that I did not take any pictures this Thanksgiving.  I must have been too busy stuffing my face with all that yummy food!  Anyway I wanted to take a few minutes to list just a few of the things that I am thankful for...


1.  My Family--They mean so much to me.  I have a great family with 3 brothers who have all married and given me sisters.  I have amazing in laws who I love dearly.  With marrying Chris I got two extra brothers and two extra sisters.  I have 4 nieces and 3 nephews with an additional nephew on the way.
2.  My husband--He is amazing and loves me through everything.  He puts up with a lot and lets me shop til I drop.  :)
3.  Noah--Noah made me a mother 10 years ago and I love being a mother.  He is so sweet and affectionate and really really smart.  Oh and SUPER CUTE!!!!
4.  My Heavenly Father--I love that whenever I am thankful or having a hard time he is always there to answer my prayers.  
5.  My Savior Jesus Christ--His Atoning sacrifice has made it possible for me to repent and return to live with him some day.
6.  Adoption--This year we have started the adoption process and are hoping to add to our family through this wonderful miracle.  I am grateful for all that I have learned through this process and I am grateful for how close it has made Chris and I as we have gone through it together.
7.  Shelter/Food/Clothes--Sometimes we may take these things for granted but some would be grateful for just a little of these things.
8.  My education--I have completed my Associates Degree with the help and support of my amazing family.  I am halfway there.  :)
9.  Living in Utah--The past 2 1/2 years have been amazing and so many opportunities have been opened up for us while living here.  Most of all Chris got his dream of going to BYU.
10.  Great friends--I have great friends here in Utah and I left many great friends back home.  No matter how far apart we are we are always friends.  


There are so many other things that I could add to this list but we would be here forever.  I can honestly say that this month I have pondered a lot about what I am thankful for and have realized that I am truly blessed.

Time Out...........

OH MY GOODNESS...........  I had the opportunity to go to Time Out for Women this year.  For those of you who do not know what it is, it is a weekend conference with inspirational music and speakers for my church.  This was my first year going and after the experiences I had I can promise I will try to go back every year.  So Friday we had music by Hilary Weeks (who is amazing).  If you have never heard her music you should totally google her and listen to it.  You will fall in love.  She is super funny and very very talented.  We then had two amazing speakers.  Brad Wilcox spoke to us about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  One thing that really made a lot of sense to me and totally got me thinking was "We should be thankful for what the Savior has saved us FOR not what he has saved us from."  A lot of times we think about the things that he has saved us from when in all actuality he has saved us for much more.  Another quote from Brad is "One who chooses Christ chooses to be changed."  I love this because if we want to be like our Savior and become like him we have to be willing to change bad habits and other things in our lives so that we can become like him.  Brad was an amazing speaker.  Sherri Dew was the other speaker.  WOW!!!!!!!!!!  She is a phenomenal woman.  She talked to us about Testimonies and how we can strengthen them.  She used a very great story and analogy about our testimonies.  The analogy she used was that plants can be dug up if the roots have not been attached to the ground yet.  Like with plants we need strong roots that are planted to the ground so that it can grow.  Our testimonies are very similar.  We need a strong foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and with proper nurture it will continue to grow and grow.  She was just great.  Then my friend Robin and I went to Olive Garden and had lots of talk and laughs.  It was a lot of fun.  We got home a little after midnight only to be up and on the road at 6:45am.  So we got to the event and they had another great day planned for us.  Jericho Road wer the musical performers for the Saturday event.  THEY ARE AMAZING!  Google them too.  You will love them, PROMISE!  Stephanie Nielson was our first speaker!  There are not words to describe the spirit that filled that room.   She is such an amazing woman and has overcome a horrific ordeal but remained faithful and her outlook on life is just amazing!  Check out her story...http://abcnews.go.com/2020/stephanie-nielsons-story-tragic-crash-mom-lost/story?id=13574901#.TshpwPKwUso
There was not a dry eye in the room!  We then had the privilege to hear from Emily Watts.  She was great.  She is a funny woman and shared so many stories that were just great.  Her talk was about Habits and what habits we should try to become happier women.  She had 5 ways we can learn to develop happy habits...
1.  Develop thick skin.  She said that we cannot choose how people judge us but we can control how we let it affect us.
2.  Expect hard things from yourself and your family.  She said that we can not progress if we are not challenged.
3.  Few well Chosen traditions.  She said that traditions do not have to be hard or expensive.  They just need to be something that your family will enjoy and remember.
4.  Learn to think of yourself as a person.  As women we often find ourselves very busy and tend to forget about ourselves because we are taking care of our families.
5.  Catch your children doing something right.  Instead of always focusing on what your children are doing wrong, find the good things they do and let them know how proud you are of them.  Each night tell your child 3 things that they did right before you sing or read them to sleep.
She was great and gave me many great things to think about.  Then we were able to hear from Wendy Ulrich.  She is hysterical.  She talked about what we should not do if we are trying for happiness.  She gave us 7 great tips....
1.  Stop worrying about your weaknesses.  Instead focus on your strengths.
2.  Don't try to get motivated to exercise.  If you wait to get motivated you will always be waiting.  Motivation follow action.  You will be more motivated to exercise after you have worked out.
3.  Stop trying to find friends.  Instead learn how to develop the skills of friendship.  This will help you become better friends.
4.  Don't try to be happy.  Instead try to be grateful.  That will make you happy.
5.  Celebrate failure.  Learn from failure and see how you can learn and grow from your experience.  Rely on the Atonement.
6.  Don't get help with your problems.  Instead serve someone and your problems will seem not so bad.
7.  Don't endure to the end.  Instead enjoy life.  Savor everyday delights.
She gave me some great things to ponder about.  Then we were able to hear from Laurel Christensen.  She was another wonderful speaker.  We talked to us about faith.  Don't be the one thing standing in your way.  Pray with Faith, think with Faith, and Live with Faith.  What a great things to think about and apply in our lives.
I know that with this weekend my testimony has grown so much and I have learned so many great things to apply in my life.  I can't say how close I felt to my Savior this weekend and felt of his love for me.  Im so grateful Chris made it possible for me to have such an uplifting and inspiring weekend.

Does excited even describe how I feel right now?

Does excited even describe how I feel right now?  I just got the email from our case worker and we are officially approved for adoption.  Now we just have to wait for the right birth mother to choose our family for her baby.  I AM GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR AND CANT STOP.  This was such a fast approval process for us and we are so excited to expand our family.  Check out our profile on itsaboutlove.org


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