Winterfest

If you have to have three feet of snow on the ground for 6 months you might as well make the most of it right?  How does a big sledding hill, horse drawn sleigh rides, snow painting, snow bowling, digging for burried treasure and a polar bear dip sound? 

Saturday Kayt, Ella my dad and I decided to head  to Rexburg's annual Winter Fest.  It was really fun.  I very simple small town festival.  It was a great place to bump into those you know and enjoy the best that winter has to offer. 

Thank goodness for the hot chocolate!!

Making the most of winter days 2

Last weekend Em and her super cute kids came to visit.  I love when my sister comes to town.  She always has something fun in the works and kind enough to include me in the action.  For example, she made a skirt for me this weekend and put together and valentine party for our kids.  My sisters it amazing, she is always doing something and knows how to do everything really well.

It was so great to get reaquated with Julia and Baron.  It has been awhile since I had seen them too.  I had only seen Julia in her carseat in September since she was born.  It is crazy how much you miss when you're not away.  Em's kids are so sweet and fun to be around.  Kayt and Ella especially enjoyed having a boy around to chase them.  Unfortunately they can't turn Baron off like they can a toy.  It was a hard lesson to learn.

The Valentine's party was so great though.  The kids had such a fun time.  We played bean bag toss, stack the hearts, find the heart and decorating cookies.  It's crazy how easy it is to things fun for little kids.  The simplest things are the so fun to them.  I think that favorite game however was the bean bag toss.  They didn't want to stop playing that one.

All in all, it was a great visit.  I am so glad to be close again.  I look forward to many more weekends with Em!!!

Making the most of winter days

Since coming home we have had great visits from my fam.  My little brother Jared and his family came up to visit just after we arrived.  It had been more than a year since I had spent any time with them.  We saw them for a few hours last summer but that has been it since August of 2009.  It was so great to just hang out with them again.  His wife Cassie is so fantastic and fun and his little boy Emmett is so sweet and hilarious. 

Jared and Cassie and movers and shakers and thus the weekend was packed.  We played in the snow where Jard and Scott and my dad made us a personal sledding hil and tried it out multiple times.  We had a big snowball fight, made snowmen, and snow forts, it was just fun.  Emmett wasn't sure how he felt about the snow.  But he looked super cute in his blue snowsuit!

We also played the game Ticket to Ride multiple times!  This is a good game for our family.  It allows for controlled competition.  Something our family needs.  There are a few games that have been banned from family functions, such as Settlers of Catan : (  it doesn't really help family bonding.  It does however provide good stories later. 

We went to the movie Megamind too.  If you haven't seen it, I reccomend it!  We all got ready to go and nobody could find my dad.  Thinking he must have gone somewhere without telling anyone and felling abit annoyed about it, we left him.  About 20 minutes into the movie my dad shows up.  We later found out he had fallen asleep in the crawl space under their closet (they had a bed down there as fort for Kayt and Ella.  It is very quiet).  When he woke up he though it was too quiet.  As he climbed out, the ladder broke and he hit his arm really hard as he fell back into the hole.  The poor guy yelled for help in vain.  He managed to get himself out of the space and  to the movie though.  That night his arm was litterally black and blue from shoulder to elbow.  We all felt bad but couldn't stop laughing at the whole situation.

Cassie, Sarah, Gabby and I had the dance off of the century.  I think we played just dance for 3 hours Sunday night.  It was super fun.  I think we all came away with a few new moves.  Even the guys and my mom got in the action a bit.

Thanks Jared and Cass for making the trip up.  We look forward to many more.

Rexburg or bust

So we made it to Rexburg.  It is hard believe we are really here and not leaving to back to Virginia.  We have been here almost a month.  AHHH!  We are currently living with my parents while we look for a house.  Once we have our own place I think it will feel much more permanent. 

It has been so great to be around family.  It has definately filled up our time.  It is a good thing though because there isn't much else to do here. 

At least not when it is 0 degrees outside.  The other night we needed to get a picture printed for Scott.  We went at 10 pm and everything was closed.  Rexburg is more small town than I remember it being.  But I love it.  I love the familiarity of it all.

I decided I would make a top ten (or more)  list for Rexburg and also a top ten (or more) of Virginia. 

So here we go:
Rexburg
- It takes two minutes for Scott to get to work
- Our family is here
- The mountains I can see down mainstreet
- Seeing the same person at the docter and the grocery store
- Having the store clerk be in your church ward
- The simple process of everything because people trust each other
- Gas Prices
- Running in complete silence on crunchy snow
- Running alone in the dark
- Clean, refreshing air and water
- Fast stop lights
- No traffic
- Quick trips are really quick trips
- small community events
- Silence
- Frosted trees on cold mornings
- Clean rivers
- Starry nights
- Affordable home prices

Virginia
- Wegman's and Trader Joes
- The frog pond
- Mediterranean food
- Having to fill up our own time
- Trips into the city
- Fantastic friends you have time to be with
- Diversity
- Shopping options
- Washington D.C.
- Eastern Market
- The big city
- Craigslist
- Unique

- Running trail right outside my house

- 10 billion day trip options

- Trees

- Awsome architecture, everywhere!

- The swimming pool

 All in all we are settling in here but I find myself missing Virginia more than I thought I would.  Like I said, it is hard to think we won't be living there anymore.  Virginia was an experience we will never forget.  It has really helped make me who I am.  I have lived there twice and both times I came back to Rexburg changed; more grounded, more aware of what I wanted to be and who I was.  Both experiences were very challenging but brought great blessings.  I realize already I am going to have to fight to be the person I was in Virginia, it is so much easier to live here and thus easier to become lazy about things that matter most.  I loved the annonymity of the big city it made it so easy to just be you and do what you felt was right and best.  It is much more difficult here.  You just couldn't make comparisons in Virginia because you didn't know anybody well enough and you would never see them again and it just didn't matter.  Everybody was just who they are and that was it.  I loved that and I already have to work hard to not fall into that trap here. 

Anyway, there was rambling.  But... we are back and I love it.  I love the smallness and familiarity.  I love how kind and personal people are.  I love that it is a bubble of happiness.  I love that people look out for each other.  I love that I can keep my car running when I have to grab something from the house.  I love that my girls can go play in the yard without me right there.  I love that you can get involved in the community.  Really, I just love that we are home~

New Years Resolution

I know it has been forever since I last put a post up.  It really is amazing how fast the time goes by.  I keep thinking, I will do it tomorrow and then all of the sudden it is 3 months later.  It is a real reminder to me that the most important things need to be done in the moment because another tomorrow often goes by.  I especially need that reminder when it comes to my two sweet girls.  I also think, tomorrow won't be so busy and I will sit down and have a tea party with Kayt and play doll house with Ella.  It still hasn't happened for awhile.

I am all alone in my little apartment right now, on the opposite of the continent from my babies and it has given me A LOT of quiet time to think.  It doesn't take much to remind me of how much I love being a mom and having Kayt and Ella around me each day.  Almost to  fault sometimes.  I am the queen of mom guilt.  However, it is that guilt that makes me put my work away, ignore the messy house and unfolded laundry and take the little moments with them.  Whenever I am feeling like I don't have time I am reminded of President Monson's message awhile ago about how quickly the time goes by when your little ones are little and just want to be with you.

How lucky I am to have two beautiful girls who love me and want to play with me....and a husband that makes it so I can stay home.

So here is my New Years Resolution...
Spend time with my girls more often.  Time where I am really engaged with them, not just working around them and half listening to conversations.  I think this time can spent more than just playing, it can be working, drawing, coloring, shopping, cooking etc.  But just being with them all the way, not just half there while my mind is focused on other things. 

Wish me luck on this one.  I just feel like time is slipping away.  I am sure you all feel it too.  It also seems like counsel from this last conference was focused on worrying about the things that matter most.  So here I go into 2011.  My attempt at letting the unimportant fall out of my life thus making room for what really matters.

List from the last 3 months

This is a personal list of what I need to catch up on and little summary of each event.  Feel free to read.

Easter:
Kent and Sue and there family came for Easter and to see the city.  Their site seeing days went so smoothly.  I was very happy, seeing as it was the first trip I had actually planned for someone. 
We took the girls to a local egg hunt at Fairfax high school.  The weather was perfect.  It was the first year the event was held and so the crowds were minimal.  Thank goodness.  I doubt next year will be so pleasant.
Easter day was wonderful.  We listened to conference and held the annual egg roll contest.  Always a joy.

May:
Sarah's Visit.  Sarah came to visit me for week after she graduated high school.  It was fantastic.  A good friend of mine watched my girls while she and I went into the city all by ourselves.  We were able to cover a lot of ground.  By the time the day ended we had both realized we hadn't eaten anything all day. 
A few exciting moments:
Taking our own personal tour of the Capitol.  I have been a very disappointed by the tours you get of the US capitol now.  Since, I used to give tours there, I know my way around pretty good.  So...instead of exiting the building when the tour was over we just meandered through a few more areas of the capitol, pretending to be part of different groups along the way.  I was never able to get us all the way down to the Halls of the Senate but we did see the old Supreme Court chambers and the Old Senate chambers.  Sarah was freaking out but I think she appreciated a more in depth tour!
We also went up to Ocean City, MD.  Our friends Cody and Skye live up there.  We went to the beach, which was very fun and hung out that evening with them.  It was so great to see them and also see the Atlantic Ocean.
Finally, the night before we were all packing up to go back to Idaho, Sarah and I went out to see all of the monuments.  We left about 11 pm and didn't get back until 1:30.  It was the perfect time to go and see them.  There was nobody there, only us and the guards and maybe one or two others.  We were really able to feel the spirit of the monument.  I know that sounds funny, but if you are able to go when there isn't many people, there is really a reverence to them.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip!

Trip home to Idaho;
I believe, blogged about this one already

4th of July
We decided to brave the crowds and go and see the fireworks on the Mall.  We sat right on the lawn of Lincoln Memorial.  It was super fun.  The firework display was awesome.  Getting home was not so awesome but we made it.

Birthday
Scott went all out for my birthday this year.  It is the only one I have ever had away from family so he felt h was justified in making it awesome.  And... he did.  I had all of my favorite food and a chocolate ice cream cake from Cold Stone to top it all off.  We had our friends over that night for some great Mediterranean food from our favorite spot.  He took most of the day off to just hang out with me and girls.  It was just a fantastic day.  I don't know that I have ever been so spoiled. 

My mom comes to town
My mom came out to visit in August as well.  I was involved in Girls Camp so she came to watch my girls for me.  She came out a little early so we could spend some time before I left.  It was so fun to have her here.  We went downtown one day and say the Natural History museum and the art gallery and hung out around our favorite fountain in D.C.  We also went to a farmer's market at the department of agriculture building.  It was just so fun to have her here, all to ourselves.  My mom is my best friend and it had been awhile since we were able to just hang out.  The time of her visit was also a tender mercy.  She was able to be here to help us as we worked through some health troubles that came up during girls camp as well. 

Grandpa Smith's Passing
Scott's Grandpa Smith passed away in September after a long battle with Cancer.  Scott's parents were kind enough to fly us all home for the funeral.  It was so nice to be back on the farm and with the family.  There was so much love in Grandma and Grandpa's little front room as everyone gathered there to just talk and be together.  Everyone told different funny stories about grandpa and family memories they all had.  Scott and Brad saddled up the horse and all the little kids went for a ride.  The only thing missing physically was grandpa, but we all knew he was there. 
I haven't had anybody close to me die since I was pretty young (about 13 or 14).  I had a really hard time with the idea of the viewing at first.  But to see him looking so at peace was comforting.  The experience really helped my testimony grow.  Life isn't over once we die.  And we will see our loved ones again. 

Freedom's Run Half Marathon


Bucket List Trip to Maine
Scott and I decided to bite the bullet and take our first trip together.  Scott planned a week long trip for us to Maine.  I have a list of all the things I want to do before I die.  (the list keeps growing)  One thing on that list was to eat a lobster in Maine.  We did that much more.
Day 1:
Drove to Boston.  It is a super cool city.  We stayed in a hotel right near where the Boston Massacre happened and the freedom trail.  So we went and saw Paul Revers's house, the church he lit the lanterns in, the pub they planned part of the revolution in and all of the other awesome old stuff the city has. 
We also did some temple work in the Boston temple.  Boston is a very cool city and i hope we can go back there some time.
Day 2 and 3
We drove to Maine.  We decided to take this trip in fall so we could see all the fall colors.  They did not disappoint.  It was beautiful.  The first two days we stayed in a cottage on the Southwest Harbor in Acadia National Park.  We woke up to a view of the harbor and all of the lobster boats and some ships leaving for the day.  It was so picturesque.  Words can't describe.  I will post pictures eventually.  Our cottage appropriately names Eagle Watch cottage provided us with a wonderful view of an eagle in the tree right outside our window. 
We went on a hike that gave us incredible views of the where the land meets the ocean.  It just runs right into it.  The hike ended up take a little longer than we planned because we lost our keys to the car along the way.  However, after hiking the trail three times we just happened to run in to some other hikers that had found them and told us where to go and pick them up.  That was divine intervention for sure.
We saw a super cool light house and, lobster boats and natural sea wall.  It was an incredible place.
Day 4:
We went to Bar Harbor.  We got up super early so we be the first on the continent to see the sunrise.  It was incredible.  Again, words can't describe.  It was freezing cold but the moment was worth it. 
We then went down into the town of Bar Harbour.  It is an old town that reminded me a lot of Jackson Hole, WY.  Except instead of mountains they have ocean.  There is big sand bar that you can walk across when the tide goes out.  We spent some time there collecting shells for the girls.  The only bumber part of the trip was that most sailing tours had been shut down for the season.  We'll take on next time we go.
It was here that the official bucket list event was fulfilled.  We had a Lobster in Maine and Stewman's.  It was a great experience.  It is funny, they give you an instruction card with your lobster so you know how to eat it correctly.  It is a pretty slick process and oh so good!
Day 5:
We traveled to the eastern most part of the United States, Eastport, MA.  Saying it is the end of world would be appropriate.  There is nothing there.  Our accomadations were super cool.  We stayed in a very nice bed and breakfast with a kitchen I will covet for the rest of my life.  The town itself was pretty run down.  There were a few shops and art galleries and other than that is was all but abandoned.  It had its hayday and then everybody left.  There were a lot of lobster boats still there and a few restaurants and a Mustard factory.  Beyond that we are not sure what people do for a living there. 
To reach the town you drive across a strip of land as wide as two cars.  During high tide, this drive was little intimidating.  It was fun to mingle with the locals at Ray's Mustard and here the accents.  It really was a different world up there.
We went to Quaddy Head lighthouse during a Nor Easter storm.  That was one of coolest parts of the trip in our opinion.  The wind and rain were insane, the ocean was going crazy.  It was super cool, the wind was so strong it literally almost blew you down.  We got soaked in a matter of seconds but to watch the ocean go crazy like that was awesome.  It was so powerful. 
Day 6:
We traveled back to Boston and spend one last night there.  We again, went out and explored around the town and enjoyed the pulse of the city.
Day 7:
We traveled back to Fairfax.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip.  Scott is the ultimate trip planner.  It is our first of many to come.  We are such compatible travelers.  We both want the same things out of vacation and we like to do the off the beaten path sort of things.  I can't wait until the next one!

Scott's Family visits:
We came home from Maine with a house full of Scott's family.  Hayley had come out to watch the girls for us and his parents arrived the day before we got home.  It was great to spend the week with them.  We took them to some of our favorite places downtown, and Harper's Ferry and Antietam.  During this time we also got to talk with them about moving back to Rexburg.  By the end of the trip, the decision to move home had been made.  So much family stuff going on was the last little push we needed to go home.   We also did some wedding planning while they were here which was super fun to be part of.

Halloween:
Halloween was great his year.  Pretty low key.  Kayt decided she wanted to be Cleopatra, a look she pulled off very well and Ella wanted to be a lady bug, a look she pulled off well.  For a week Ella wore here costume, in variations (sometime with a witch skirt, sometimes without) but the lady bug was a constant.  She loved it.  It was so cute to see here in it.  And of course Kayt was very regal in Cleopatra gown.  She helped me make her the perfect crown for the costume and would talk about how she wanted to look everyday. 
We had a preschool Halloween party at our house which went very well and the the ward Trunk or Treat.  Scott and I went as Toucan Sam and Fruit Loops this year.  It was a fun time for all of us.

Thanksgiving:
We hosted Thanksgiving again.  It was a great time.  We really enjoy hosting parties.  This year we even invested in stuff to make out table look pretty.  We realized we did not have enough silverware to feed all of the guests we had invited.  So...we decided to buy some and some chargers and some glasses.  Lets just say the table looked awesome.  I can't wait for the next event we get to host!

Hayley's Wedding:
The next big event was Hayley and Justin's wedding.  We again, were so glad we could be there.  They are such a good looking couple and from what we here very great together.  We can't wait to get to know Justin better.  They were both so happy and they just glowed.  The reception was incredibly beautiful with such a good fun feeling.  The little girls were adorable in there little white dresses and were so excited to get all dressed up for the wedding.  Even Ella acted a little more reserved in here pretty dress.
It was so fun to be part of the madness leading up to such an important day.  And as always, a real treat to be in a sealing ceremony at the temple.  It brings back so many memories!  Go Hayley and Justin!!!  We love you both.

Erickson's Come for Christmas
My family followed us back out to Virginia for Christmas.  It was so great to have them here.  Our place is small but we all did just great.  We did spend much time in the house, which made it easier.  My parents were kind enough to include us in a trip to New York the first two days of there stay.  We left the girls with a friend, which was good because it was FREEZING!!! 
New York at Christmas lived up to its hype.  It was so fun to see all the things your see on movies.  Skating at Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Battery Park, Wall Street, Broadway.  We tried to squeeze it all in.  To do Scott and I figured out the Subway system.  New York has it figured out.  We were able to get anywhere super quick! 
The first night we were there we walked out into Time Square and we all just froze.  Movies don't do it justice.  The lights and huge signs and energy there is crazy.  And...the people watching.  It doesn't get much better.
We ate a great Brazilian restaurant.  Gabbi, a foreign exchange student from Brazil.  Was so excited.  It was so fun to watch her read the menu and giggle with delight.  I can see why she misses her native cuisine.  The food was excellent.
We capped the trip off seeing Wicked!  It was fantastic.  I love watching musicals.  There is so much talent wrapped up into one incredible package. 

We then traveled back to Virginia for Christmas.  It was so fun this year.  Kayt and Ella were at a perfect age.  So much magic involved.  They both swore they head Santa Clause and couldn't believe he brought just what they wanted.  Scott and I and Sarah stayed up late playing elf as we finished off our homemade gifts for the girls and watched It's a Wonderful Life.  We got to talk to Jake and Jeff on Christmas as well.  Jake's mission president even let him Skype.  He looked so good.  It all made us miss him.
We also went to a traditional Swedish Yuleborg at our friends the Messenger's.  It was an experience we all enjoyed.
Sunday we went to church and were surprised to see Elder Oaks sitting on the stand.  That was definitely a highlight of the holiday season.  He and his wife had come to spend Christmas with his daughter Jenny and her family.  He reminded us of the three groups that were told of Christ's birth, The Humble, The Wise and The Heavenly.
We spent the last two days exploring the city and the area.  It was such a great time having them here with us. 

So.....in between all of this Scott and I have tried to make memories with Kayt and Ella.  We have tried to carve out family time and enjoy each moment we have had left out here.  There is so much here that we love we have tried to soak as much as we can in. 

Again, thanks for the personal privilege of catching up on this year.

Thanks (by Scott)

I'm sitting in the bathroom while the girls take their baths this Friday morning.  They smelled of turkey gravy.  Kayt and Ella are taking turns dumping water over the other's head.  Kristen is out braving the hordes of raging, sleep-deprived soccer moms doing Black Friday shopping. (Although, I know a couple of my most masculine/jacked friends are out there too.  I told them to lower their shoulder if they encounter anybody too crazy.)  She loves the shopping and the people watching.  I love staying home, listening to the girls play, and shopping online. 

It's supposed to be around 60 degrees today, the perfect temperature for a nice run with Kristen.  Afterwards, we'll start putting up the Christmas decorations.  Tonight we'll go over to a friend's home for a pie contest.  Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we spent it with more friends.  In the evening we talked and laughed with family at home in Idaho.

Maybe it's the nostalgia of starting of the holiday season, the annual accounting of all our blessings that comes with Thanksgiving, or simply having a few days off, but I'm just so happy with life.  I really feel I need to acknowledge the Lord's hand in all the good in my life.  I've had so many breaks, been given so many opportunities, been blessed with so many little things I never deserve - and they all come from the Lord.

Kristen is just getting more beautiful, more wise, more service-oriented the longer we're married. I've been close to her for 10 years now and still have nothing but admiration for the real Kristen.  She's a natural mother.  She's still a crack-up.  Everyone she meets becomes an immediate friend.  In crisis, she turns first to God.  Last night we laid in bed and laughed until our faces hurt.  She's almost been a single mom at times with my work, school, and church responsibilties but has never been a complainer.  In the mean time, she's become the expert on wherever we're living and my link to normalcy.  What an example for our strong little girls.

Kayt is so sweet that if she wasn't just five it would be hard to believe.  She has a deep concern for everyone and everything.  Movies and books that she's seen and read over and over still bring out the rawest emotions.  Real life is even more drastic.  She doesn't want anyone to be hurt or left out, and is so meticulous in caring for others that I'm afraid she'll wear herself out before she's a teenager.  I haven't come across a more intelligent child.  Yes I'm biased, but the details she remembers and concepts she grasps at first pass are really remarkable.  She also has some fire.  One time I cornered her while playing chase.  She looked around, picked up a board, and was ready to club me in order to get out.

Ella is the definition of childhood joy.  She runs everywhere, her thick hair always bouncing and trailing behind her.  She laughs hard, has great comedic timing at the ripe age of 2, and loves to wrestle.  She loves to hit playfully, and give squish-hugs.  She's picked up the alphabet, numbers, months, days of the week, etc. just as quickly as Kayt - probably quicker as she's attended pre-school with Kayt a few times.  She's also started calculating the cost-benefit of things she really wants but that aren't allowed.  I think she'll be our first trip to the emergency room, but is always the first to make us laugh too.

I'm so grateful for where I come from.  Living away from family has made me realize just how unique the loving, respect-filled relationships we have with our parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and extended family really are.  We're close to everyone, and can honestly say we'd like to spend any night of the week with them.  They're all just solid, good people and have been for generations.  You look at the virtuous daughters and can see the influences of mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers.  You look at the strong sons and can see the influences of fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers.  I feel that legacy.  It's been cemented this year with the death of my grandfather, and a scary period where we thought that Kristen and the baby she was carrying were in serious trouble.  The religion of our fathers, their prayers on both sides of the veil, and the way everyone circled the wagons was just another testament to the strength god-fearing parents can build into their families.

Friends here, in Columbus, and in Idaho have always been a wonderful blessing.  Our wards in Fairfax and Columbus have become family.  They've exposed us to so many new and wonderful things and have been there when family was just too far away.

I'm grateful for the blessing of education, and the breaks a lazy high school student was given that ended up leading to great college and graduate school experiences and a lifetime of security.

I know that all of these things didn't come from my own doing.  I was incredibly lucky to be born into my family, to be raised in my hometown, to meet my wife and become a part of her family, to be blessed with two healthy girls, to have the means to attend some great schools, to live in a place where opportunities are limitless.  All that "luck" comes from a Savior that is looking for me to use it.  I'm trying.

I'm going to stop the rambling now and I hope this isn't interpreted as boasting.  I know a lot of people struggle to find anything to smile about.  Sometimes it's just for a moment, but sometimes it doesn't seem to end.  I've been there too.  In one of my darkest times when I was ready to abandon the Lord, He told me to be humble.  I've found that humility and gratitude and joy are intertwined.  The first step for me is humility.  Again, I'm trying.

Be thou humble in thy weakness, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee,

Shall lead thee by the hand and give thee answer to thy prayers.
Be thou humble in thy pleading, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee,
Shall bless thee with a sweet and calm assurance that he cares.

Be thou humble in thy calling, and the Lord thy God shall teach thee
To serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love.
Be thou humble in thy longing, and the Lord thy God shall take thee,
Shall take thee home at last to ever dwell with him above.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and have a great Christmas.  Sure love you.