Sweet Baby Jane's Birthday Pictures!

These huge Poppy's grow in the garden that separates my grandparent's house from their neighbors.
Classic Jane-looking-up-at-the-camera shot.
Acting Casual
Cheese!

Workin' It!

This is me.

This is me after running a couple of miles WAY faster than I am used to running them.

Why would I do such a crazy thing you ask?

Well, my friend, I'll tell you.

I'm training for a marathon...

(Stop laughing, I couldn't believe it at first either)

But, it is true. Updates will follow, I'm sure, quite frequently.

Jane had a birthday!

Alright, I know, I am completely behind on this blog. I'm having a hard time keeping up with it. I'm a busy lady, you know?! (haha...ha....ha...)

Anyways, July 21st was Jane Jane's FOURTH birthday! We love that girl so much! Here are some pictures from her big day.





Jane was a rock star at opening presents! She has the most grateful face ever! Who can resist that huge, beautiful smile?












I can't bear it! 4 years old! She's got to stop this growing thing NOW!

We went to Cali, Baby!

We went to California and it was the trip of trips! We had a wonderful time.
I was so nervous about the flight but the kids were troopers. They did an amazing job. Jane was so sweet and sat with her arm around Sawyer while they watched a movie on their new DVD player.



My grandparents have a really cool player piano. You load the music and then press some pumps on the bottom of the piano and it plays for you. While Grandma Fites was playing the kids decided to get in on the action.


Jane with her favorite Auntie Jo. Jane was a lucky girl and got to go on a pony ride. Grandma Susan, Auntie Jo and I went with her.


My sweet little family on the Fourth of July. Jane was trying to take a picture of me and Jake when a nice gentleman stepped in and offered to take our picture.


Grandpa and Grandma Fites! The wonderful hosts of the vacation. We love these guys.


I can't even begin to post all of the pictures that I took. My grandparents live in the same town that they have always lived in (as long as I've been alive). In fact, I think I have more family history in this one teeny tiny town than any other town in the country. My Great-Great-Grandmother found the town in the 40's and bought four plots of land. She built on all of them and eventually handed them down to other members of the family. My grandparents and one of my Mom's cousins still live there.

When I was a child I used to swing on this old wooden tree swing. The best part of the vacation was being able to take my kids to that swing, and the mill pond and the Graeagle general store and to Mimi's cabin (and many more places). It was so surreal to see my kids playing in these same places that I played as a child. I didn't want to leave.

It won't be another 10 years before I go back.

Anyways, the trip was amazing. If you want to see more pictures you'll just have to come over! I'm having them all printed into a photo book.

La Chua Trail

We went to the La Chua trail again with our new friends the Luff's. It was a fun morning. Here are a few pictures from our adventure.


This tunnel has some mock tribal drawings on the inside of it. We went pretty early in the morning so the light was just beautiful.


It was HOT! We were all sweating and chugging our water half a mile into the walk.


The boardwalk borders the Alachua Sink and then heads out to the lake where all of the alligators like to hang out.


It's butterfly migration season again in Florida. One of my favorite times of year! Jane wanted to hold this butterfly so badly but she wasn't patient enough to let the butterfly walk onto her hand. Every time the butterfly would start moving in Jane's direction she would grab at the poor thing and scare it away.


We all got really hot about half a mile away from the tower that lets you get a panoramic view of Payne's Prairie. Jane was so sad when we decided to turn around!

Summer Time = Pool Time

It is summer time in Florida and, man, it is HOT this year. I think the last two weeks have had temperatures of 95 or higher. And that is not including the heat index. I'm hoping and wishing for some hurricanes or tropical storms to cool the place off! In the mean time, we spend nearly every afternoon at the pool.



Sawyer is a lover. He gives his Mom good kisses to show his appreciation and I love every second of it.


I love this girl so much! Can you tell?


The best job I've ever had.


Sawyer's cute swimsuit with an inner tube inside of it. I love this thing. He is completely independent in the pool. He can get in and out all by himself and swim safely any where he wants. It is the best. And it makes life a lot easier when I am trying to watch two kids at the pool by myself.


Jane loves the water. She is getting better every day at jumping in without holding my hands. She is also trying to get her head to go under the water these days. It is a huge improvement over last years fear of getting her face wet. Every time we go to the pool we spend the last twenty minutes or so letting her swim back and forth between me and the stairs. She loves it and is so proud of herself but she still could use some swim lessons to teach her how to keep her booty up so she can do more than just tread water.

Jane is one happy girl!

Our Sweet Baby Jane is one happy girl. Can you tell why?




She got her ears pierced!


Jake and I took her one week ago tomorrow and I must say that I was so proud of her! She didn't cry when they pierced her ear! She just said "OW" really loudly.

She hasn't LOVED Having her earlobes cleaned and prodded three times a day since the piercing but that only lasts for five more weeks so she can handle it.

Next time you see Jane give her a high five for being such a big girl! If you don't see me around, it's probably because I'm crying in my room about how fast my sweet little girl is growing up.

I don't want to forget!

Jane has been saying some crazy lady things lately and I just don't want to forget them:

1. (at snack time Jane says) "Mom, can I have a bag of meat?"

2. (at bedtime Jane says) "Mom, will you do me a really big favor? Will you clean the front of the house?"

That girl is so smart to know that it's a big deal to spend my free time cleaning!

3. (changing her undies after a close call Jane says) "Mom, you put your hands on your pee-pee and ruuuuuuun to the bathroom when you have to go potty"

Oh, really Jane? Bahahahahahahahahaha! I love that girl

Sawyer Smith has been doing some pretty grown up things lately.

1. He likes to walk around the house while doing the splits half-way. I'm getting a picture of this because it is so cute.

2. He has been copying my and Jake's hard core P90x moves by doing "Downward Dog" all over the house

I don't know what it is with my kids and downward dog. Jane was obsessed with this when she was Sawyer's age also.

3. When Sawyer sees a friend that he likes he walks up to said friend and belly bumps him! I'm not sure where he learned this at all but he did it to his friend when the little boy came over a week or so ago and then I've noticed that he and Jane do it to one another all the time!

My kids are wierd... and totally wonderful!

4. He got a bike and he loves to scoot around on it. In fact, if we put it outside of the front door he'll run out the front door and start riding, straight for the stairs! Good thing Jake and I are fast. SCARY!

Alright, I've got a lot of pictures to post in the next few days. Keep your eyes peeled!

Have you noticed?

Lately I've been noticing a disturbing trend.

Have you noticed?

No, I'm not talking about the reemergence of all things 1980's as a fashion trend. That is disturbing but not quite as disturbing as this...




Yes ma'am, it's the revival of the Rat Tail Haircut. Classy, huh?

I saw a few of these while I was visiting my Dad in the hospital, in an Atlanta suburb, over the weekend. I thought to myself "surely this is just a Georgia thing." But no. Oh, no. Florida had to one up Georgia. On my way to the Dentists office I saw a woman with the rat tail haircut. Crazy!

What do you think, Ladies? Is this the cut you'll request next time you go to the salon?

Strawberry Jam, sort of...

It's Strawberry season in Florida and I am in LUUUUUV! We went to a pick-your-own farm one Saturday morning and really went to town. When we got home we had two huge box tops full of strawberries. I think the lady said we had 14 POUNDS (!). So we decided to make some jam.



The Goods



Jake, mashing "The Goods"


My own home made version of a boiler for canning. I read about different ways to do this online to make sure that I did it safely. Don't worry, folks. There will be no botulism in my house!


The finished product! The only problem is that I tried to do the sugar-free recipe. I realized half way through that I had mashed twice as many strawberries than I needed. Well, I doubled everything except for the sure-gel box and didn't think twice. I realized about two days later when neither of the two jars that I had opened set correctly what happened. It's okay though. We roll with the punches in this house. We are using it as chunky strawberry syrup and it is real good on top of vanilla ice cream.


Sawyer likes it so it must be good!

Writin' it up!

Jane is learning how to write her letters.



I wrote the first letter on the paper above and Jane did her best to write the same letter right next to it. I think she did a pretty darn good job!



Jane really likes to "connect the dots" but she also really likes to color. SO, sometimes dots that should connect to spell "Jane Smith" just make fun shapes.

She's only three though...so I figure she's got time.

Shouting from the rooftops!

My sweet boy Sawyer has started to do something in the morning that mothers of young toddlers only DREAM about! He's been waking up in the mornings while Jake is getting ready for work so Jake gets him a little snack and turns cartoons on.

The awesome thing is that Sawyer will keep watching cartoons and let me keep dozing after Jake goes to work! I'm so grateful (for the first time) that we have a split floor plan! When Jake is getting ready to leave he comes in the room, we say our prayer and then Sawyer comes in and snuggles with me for a second and goes back out to watch his cartoon.

I don't stay asleep very long, usually just another 15 or so minutes because who wouldn't want to wake up and smooch on a little boy that is so sweet in the morning?!

I'm so excited to enter this new stage of life! We've been going to bed earlier, the house is staying cleaner, our money is lasting longer and we're starting to be able to sleep in!! I feel like I've hit the JACKPOT!

Easter Weekend Picnic

Easter weekend was great! Conference was wonderful and in between sessions on Sunday a huge group of families got together to celebrate Easter and life and love and anything else worth mentioning!


All the ladies at the picnic. We're a fun bunch of moms!


Jake and Sawyer on the park together. That kid is a hooligan!


Jane and one of her besties, Savannah.


Sawyer is a spinning king!


Jane, wearing her new Easter sunglasses the only way worth wearing them...upside down!

It's coming along...

Alright y'all (<--- note to all, I will never actually speak that word from my mouth)

I'm getting this rolling on my website! If you want to check out a ton of pure genius you'll head over to my "under construction" photography website. I'm pretty psyched! I've got the logo picked out. I'm working on colors and all will be revealed SOON!

Check it out!

www.starleighsmithphotography.com

Family Tea Party!

A couple of weeks ago we had our first ever (!) Family Tea Party (minus the tea, of course). Here is a peek at the festivities and a small look at our new palace.

The Grub. Those cookies from Publix are SO GOOD. Seriously, print off that picture, go to your nearest Publix and find these cookies. You will not be disappointed.


Daddy and Sawyer. These two are so much fun!


Sawyer is my little cookie/sweets/milk/banana/apple/juice monster. He's great and I love licking his little fingers when they are covered in the good stuff!


Sweet Baby Jane is chowing down! She is practically a woman now (look at her AND she's starting Pre-K in a matter of months!) but she'll always be my Sweet Baby Jane.


A sweet flower from the top of a sweet cupcake that was eaten by my sweet girl.


All in all, the tea party was a success. We had a blast eating treats that we don't eat very often and we got spend some good quality time together. We need to make it more of a tradition. Maybe next time we'll make treats out of my Hungry Girl recipe book. All the recipes are 200 calories or less! Imagine that!

Anyways, spring has officially hit North Central Florida so we'll surely be doing more activities outside! Keep your eyes peeled for more updates. :)

Kind of a downer...

So, I'm completely frustrated with myself right now.

I have tons of goals and dreams and plans and nothing is panning out! I feel like I'm always taking one step forward and two steps back.

1: I want to get out of debt and I feel like that is never going to happen. I need to be able to work outside of the house to make the kind of money we need to get out of debt quickly and anyone who knows me knows I'm not putting my kids in daycare (plus, there aren't many jobs to spare in this economy).

2: I want to take this photography thing seriously but I don't have the start-up money I need to get all the equipment that I need. ie: Photoshop CS4, new lenses, fancier camera, a better computer, lights, flashes, tripods...

I know, I know, I should take one step at a time but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'll get more work with the nice equipment but I can't buy the equipment until I get more work. Bah!

3: I have friends doing AWESOME things with themselves. I feel like I'm jumping up and down in a crowded room sometimes and no one even sees me. I feel like I'm disappointing some friends by not calling enough and I feel like I'm irritating some friends by calling too much (even though I don't think I'm calling that much)... Sometimes you just get a vibe from people, you know? I just can't find my footing.

4: We are so unsettled! We don't know where we're going to live, whether Jake is going to stay on the career track he's on or not, if we're going to have more kids or ever be debt free. I just feel like nothing is sure. All the people I'm surrounded with know exactly what they're going to be doing. They've made up their mind; they're in grad school and there is no turning back. We keep trying to figure out what exactly is going to work best for us and frankly, it's making me crazy.

Anyways, I know I'm a bummer but since no one even reads my blog anyway it shouldn't matter.

Jacksonville Zoo

Whew!

Alright, well, my eyeballs hurt! I spent the day catching up on my photos! I HAVE been taking pictures I just HAVEN"T been editing and posting! Well, that changed today.

If you want to catch a peek of my work you can head over to my photography blog: www.starsmithphotography.blogspot.com. I actually have MORE pictures that I need to sort through and post tomorrow as well.

Enjoy!

Mmmm, Spring!

I love spring in Florida. Have I said that lately?

I LOVE spring in Florida (and winter, too but I know I've mentioned that).

Anyways, this winter was particularly chilly in a delicious sort of way. I can still wear a sweater in the middle of March! It is amazing.

Today was GORGEOUS! We've been in the process of moving all week so today I took the children to the zoo in Jacksonville. We had a blast! Sawyer was such a good boy. He held my hand and walked around the exhibits and Jane was so polite and kind. When I asked the kids to get back on the buggy and move on to the next exhibit they did just that. Sawyer was practicing his jumping skills and had a ton of fun making new friends.

Sawyer, the poor boy, needs a little brother or boy cousin so badly. He just about jumps with joy anytime he sees little boys playing. You can totally tell that he spends all his time with girls.

Jane, as always, is just a joy. She is learning how to write her letters and numbers. She loves to connect the dots! Sawyer really thinks he is talking and bossing us around. He just walks around shrieking and commanding. The funny thing is that you can actually figure out what he is telling you. He knows exactly what I am saying and we can have whole conversations with him pointing in response or shaking his head yes or no. There are NO questions about what that boy wants!

In conclusion, I just have to say: I love my life! My kids are fantastic. My husband is amazing! Jake works so hard for our family and I am so grateful for his effort and the thoughtful things he does for me. The Lord has been incredibly generous with our blessings lately.

I really feel like I've had a total attitude shift in the last year and a half. I used to feel like things were so hard for me all of the time. Now, everyday feels like it's running smoothly and when I look back on things a couple of weeks later I can see the things that I really struggled with and appreciate how difficult a certain trial was. As an example: all year last year I kept seeing status posts on Facebook about how hard 2009 was and I kept thinking to myself that 2009 was going great. In retrospect though, 2009 was a really difficult year for us as a family. We were getting used to a new city without family close by, Jake's new job with crazy shifting schedules and a new baby. I didn't sleep more than 4 hours in a row once (!) in 2009. I was exhausted all year and lonely a good portion of it. But I got through and I grew closer to my family and Heavenly Father and Jake and I know that we work really well together under pressure.

Anyways, enough rambling. I make no promises about when this thing will be updated again. Hopefully soon but we'll see.