Sophia Arrives!

Sophia, Welcome to the Family!

On July 25, Sophia Amy Smith joined the Smith family. 

She came in a fast and furious manner... which was fine with me :) better to get labor over as fast as possible! She brings peace, love, and the seeming presence of angels to our home. We are so blessed to have another daughter.

Another Year Has Gone Bye

Could it really be that it has been over a year since I have updated this blog? Sad, but true.

So a quick headline news version of life during the last year.

1. We moved from San Diego, CA to Southern Alberta (yes, Canada!). Brr!

2. Olivia and I survived our first farming season.

3. Olivia celebrated her first birthday.

4. Another baby girl will be joining our family late this Summer!

(see how much time you saved by getting a year's worth of blogs in four headlines :)

The real reason I was inspired to write today comes from an email I just received from Ken Alford. Below is a poem that was found in Mother Teresa's home after her death.

BETWEEN YOU AND GOD

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.

Till next year :)

Roll Tide!

Last weekend all the Stimpson girls got together for a girlie-get-away in Alabama. It was so much fun. New to the pack are Blair Kelly Oviatt and Olivia Smith. They fit right in, as they are great eaters, great shoppers, and love to smile and laugh - which is pretty much all we do when we get together. I'm sure they'll catch on to the talking part as time goes on. Here are some fotos (that's how they spell it in Spanish, and helps with the alliteration) from the fun.

From Left: Blair (Oviatt), Mommacat, and Olivia (Smith) bonding at the hotel.

Tessa has the touch with little Liv... they both were laughin' & a-gigglin'

We loved the desserts at Y.O.L.O. (you only live once), as is evidenced by the clean table!

Sunday brunch at The Village Kitchen.

The crew at Swoozie's - one of the greatest gift shops we've ever seen!

Here are some other updates:

Though you can barely tell, Taryn is going to have another baby in March... not sure that he'll appreciate the "girls get-togethers" like the rest of us - perhaps the boys in the family will have to start their own tradition so that he will have something to look forward to as well. The expanding Wheatley crew will be heading from Montgomery, AL to Tyler, TX in August!

And finally, Mike and I are heading north - to Canada - in March (two weeks away). Mike will be taking over the family farm in Carmangay, Alberta. I will be learning how to say "eh" and the difference between a tractor and a combine. Can we say adventure!

Summer's Here Again!

Are you seeing a trend? I only blog during the Summer time :) Ok, well not on purpose. I have a few unpublished blogs that I never quite finished, but if there is anyone out there who still checks this blog once and a while, I'll try to be better.

So, quick recap of the last 9 months:

1) Mike and I taught Seminary, the early-morning scripture study program that high school students at our church go to, to the freshmen. While it was quite a commitment, it was so worth it. Our students (16 of them) are amazing - each one unique and inspiring. I'm sure they taught me a lot more than I ever imparted to them. Hopefully we all grew closer to Christ, and strengthened our testimonies that

His gospel has been restored to the earth. Here is a picture from the morning we celebrated Mike's birthday. (If you can't see, I made a John Deere cake for him :))

2) I taught 5th grade at Evans. It was quite rewarding, and taught me a lot. I

love The Evans School! So, I might be a little biased, but I challenge anyone to find a school (students and staff) that is more close knit, academically challenging, and committed to character. Check out a picture from the Father's Day musical program.

3) Between work and work and work and church, we really took advantage of relaxing on the weekends: Padres games, NBA & NHL playoffs, a few weekend trips to see family, running a marathon (Catalina), taking hay rides in Montana (see picture below), etc.

So... that's about it. See, you didn't miss much. I'll try to find stimulating things to talk about more often this summer. Stay tuned for summer vacation pictures :)

Happy Summer to all y'all :)

Sionara to a Spectacular Summer

As I head back to school, this time as the teacher, I look back on what was a super Summer that sped by way too fast. Again, in Headline Form, here are the highlights.

1) Montana - Endless days fly fishing on the Flathead River, skiing and wake surfing on Lake Blaine, and chillin' with the fam - what could be better.

2) Padres Games - We went to a few, and had a great time at Petco. The first game we went to was with Lesley and Chris Meacham. We sat on the very first row! Adrian Gonzalez tossed me the ball at the end of an inning :) We also had a great time @ a game with our friends Jared & Jamie.

3) Meeting Peter Lik - an amazing photographer whose work dominates our home visited LJ from Australia. Here's a shot of us, and a sample of his work. You must see it in person!

Other Honorable Mentions:

*Young Women's Girls Camp - I went to Big Bear for a week with the young women in our church. Mike came for an evening to be "the knight in shining armor" for an activity called "Diving Duo."

*Computer Camps - I put on a computer camp for elementary school students. We had fun improving our typing, creating magazines, anti-smoking videos, and songs on garage band.

*Seminary Training - Mike and I got a sneak peak into the potential of our new calling - humbling yet exciting... it will be interesting to see how our body clocks adjust to getting up at 5am!

An Apple A Day - And Other Simple Pleasures

I have had the best time visiting Taryn, Michael, and Reese this week.
I arrived just in time to celebrate Michael's last law school final of the semester... Montana Ted's bar-b-que was in order. They have the thickest, juciest burgers I have ever seen - perfect for celebrating.
The next day, one of the top hair dressers in the world cut my hair - and Taryn Reese and I did the obligatory, entertaining, educational and exciting trip to Wegman's. Reese loved the train that goes around a suspended track on the ceiling. I loved the Cliff Kid bars (20 cents less than in CA), and the full stock of comida chapina (Guatemalan food). We also found some yummy brown rice sushi, and rice paper spring rolls.
On Thursday, we girls walked around Georgetown, and the National Mall - "my old stomping growunds." All very fun stuff.
Friday was Milu and Kevin's wedding. Great ceremony at the temple, then a very picturesque reception at the Bay, near Anapolis. It was fun to celebrate their wonderful marriage with them.
So - for one of the best parts of my trip - We got some apples at Wegman's. Later that afternoon, I was eating one - and Reese decided she wanted some as well. So I cut up some miniature sized pieces so she would not choke. She loved it... so much so that later that night, just as we were getting ready for bed, she came up to me, and pointed that she wanted another apple (they were visible in the fruit bowl). When I got it out, and before I could cut it, Reese laid into it - teeth first - trying to eat it as "big girls" do.
Now, think about this for a minute - Reese has about 6 teeth, none of which have fully come up. Also, when opened at maximum capacity, Reese's mouth only covers 1/3rd of an apple. Never-the-less, she was determined to eat that apple all by herself. Below is a video - one thing you may not notice is that her entire body was contracting as she bit into the apple - I could feel her stomach tighten as she nibbled away.




While she did not finish the apple, she gets extra points for aggressiveness, healthy choices, and determination in the face of fruit. I'd also like to think I scored some points with her as we read lots of books together, held hands as we walked to the G.Mason Law Library, and snacked on sweet potato fries togetehr! She's a keeper.

Golf, Girls and Grills

The month of April came and left leaving little time to blog... So, here are the top 10 things that happened in April. (Pictures coming soon)

10. Tessa's birthday - doube duce - we shopped all day long, and got free desserts at every restaurant for a week! Never turn down an opportunity for Birthday Cake.

9. Mom and Dad visited. Unfortunately, they didn't come together - their work conferences were at different ends of the month, and someone still has to be a parent to Dean. Nevertheless, it was lots of fun to have them here.

8. Teaching at Evans. I've been teaching the computer class (typing, keynote/ power point, photo-shop) to the 5th and 6th graders.

7. Interviewing at Evans. I've been interviewing kids in every grade for a program we're doing later in the year. They are too cute! One girl said, when asked what she wanted to be, "An ice cream scooper, because I really like ice cream, and then I would get to try every flavor to see if it tastes good."

6. Serving dinner at the Soup Kitchen. What a way to help others, and get outside ones' self. The people there are really inspiring.

5. Tweeting - this is not necessarily a good thing - but it is significant... there's no way I would do it for personal reasons (Is there anything of real value that one can communicate in 140 characters or less? Doesn't anybody work anymore?) However, the new business atmosphere almost requires it - so I am biting the bullet.

4. Easter & General Conference. I love new beginnings, spring, and the recharging of the spiritual battery that General Conference gives me.

3. Celebrating 7 months of marriage. You know you're in love when the thought of spending eternity with someone doesn't scare you.

1. Girls Get-away to Fort Lauderdale, Florida: sunshine, shopping, sisters (mom and niece included in that category) - what more could you ask for!

1. The Masters - yes, after 15 years of my dad taking my mom (and Dean occasionally) to enjoy the incredible beauty of Augusta and exhilerating action of the best golf in the world, I was invited to go along! (Thank you Dean for scheduling your college trips during that week, otherwise I never would have made it:)). Loved returning to the South, Loved meeting all the Casper Clan, Loved watching the Masters of Golf, and especially Loved hanging out with my Dad!