Caught red handed

Carson loves peanut butter.

I left an open jar on the table this week...

Next thing I know....

Sneaky, sneaky little man!!

Fall Favorites

A few of fall's favorite pictures....just for fun....

Out in the backyard, with Daddy's Halloween hat and a juice box...

Mommy and her love

This is the day that I dropped Carson off at "Discovery Day" at the Merryhill preschool, just to see what he would do.

He loved it. Next up...preschool for Carson!

This is from tonight....Samantha loves to read and she will come up and throw a book at you....like "Read this to me, NOW!"

Tonight it was a book and her Daddy....it was all she needed.


The best first birthday gift ever comes in a little blue box...
Thank you to Nana Caryn for the beautiful necklace that came inside!
Only a daughter of mine would be reaching into that Tiffany bag with such enthusiasm -
good job Sam!!


She smashed a Nothing Bundt Cake in her own face and loved every minute.

The day that Samantha discovered the pantry...

Probably one of her favorite rooms in the house - the other is the bathroom - and then the backyard rock pit - notice the playroom is not on that short list.

Things that aren't toys rock!

A great pic of Carson on the day that it rained in Las Vegas and he took a "puddle walk" in the backyard. Anything that involves water and getting wet gets a big thumbs up from Carson!

So many memories this fall......

So many more to come!

Happy birthday Sam!

Our sweet Samantha turned 1 on Wednesday!

We had a quiet night - I made her favorite meal (pork tacos) and we had a special cake and some cupcakes, baked with love by Carson himself (he loves to cook)!

Our little Samantha got many lovely gifts for her birthday, including a new kitchen set, some beautiful new clothes, a baby doll, and some books.

She is also getting four brand new teeth, which always add a lot to the birthday fun. :)

It was a very special day for a very special lady.

We are going to celebrate again next weekend when Nana Caryn comes to town.

My mom saved many of my baby clothes and sent them to me when Sam was born.

The shirt she is wearing above says "My 2nd Birthday" -

The story is that I tried to put the dress I wore on my first birthday on Samantha.

It was a no go....it would barely fit her big toe.

This shirt that I wore on my 2nd birthday fit her perfectly.

Samantha goes to the doctor today to see just how big she's gotten!

The answer, for me, is BIG BIG BIG!!!

World Cup 2028

Samantha's walking has progressed SO much in the last few weeks. She is now able to dribble a soccer ball across the backyard. Maybe USA Soccer will have a new star for the future?

Happy Halloween!

We've had lots of Halloween fun going on here in the Smith house.

Jason and I went to an adult Halloween party last night with all of our friends - it was a blast.

We were Tiger Woods and Elin, circa Thanksgiving 2009.

Carson is Superwhy today and Sam is a ballerina - It's a lot of cuteness to handle!

Samantha and Baba get ready to cheer for the Hawkeyes against MSU.

Go Hawks!

Carson and Samantha at their Teeny Weeny Halloweeny party at the Bicklers on Friday.

Samantha and Daddy at the pumpkin patch

Carson and Mommy take on the Super Slide at the patch...

Brother and sister enjoying some treats!

Happy Halloween everybody!

Lucky us!

Well, we are getting ready to celebrate Sam's first birthday in just a week and a half.

We are so lucky to have her in our family - I really can't express my deep love for her or how I feel like I have known her so much longer than one year.

It's like we've been together forever somehow.

Samantha has taught us many things in her short time on this Earth.

For example....

She's taught us that you can eat many, many things with only two teeth.

She's taught us that you can make mince meat out of someone much bigger than you

if you are keen and sneaky.

She's taught us that the second child can be as bright and brilliant as the first in so many other ways that we never imagined.

She is cool. Calm. Collected. And silly.

She claps to music that Papa Dennis used to love.

She loves to play ball.

And Daddy makes her laugh the hardest.

She lives and loves with passion and wears her heart on her sleeve.

She studies the world carefully and seems to know things you are sure you never taught her.

What a special year it has been to know our perfect, beautiful, and one and only

Samantha.

I can't wait to see what this next year will bring.

Another lifetime of love is in store for us every day that she is with us.

How lucky we are, and we'll never forget it!

Take down

Carson and Samantha had their first knock down, drag out last night. It was all out of love.

It was a great match-up....I do think Samantha won (sorry Carson)....She's scrappy!