Happy Birthday Emily!

Wow, Emily, this has been a year of milestones for you. You are becoming quite the accomplished woman. I am so proud of you for going after your dreams and being such a unique individual.

Today you entered the final year of being a twenty-something. I am excited to see where you are headed from here. I wish only goodness and mercy for you. Happy Birthday, friend. I love you!!!

Angie

Sasha's FIRST haircut

Today was a very big day for Sasha (and for Mommy). Sasha got her first haircut. We had it done by a friend of mine, Nicole Schulte. And I was so nervous about but it ended up not being as stressful as I thought it would be. She was a champ, did a great job, and got a sucker and a baloon when she was done. Here are some pictures of before and of after and the durring...



ps. I had about seven other photos that I tried to share but I was unable to (after I tried it three different ways, ugh.) So all I got is the before and after. Sorry. Maybe I will do better next time.

Smith Family Update

On Friday February 6th, we found out that our family of four is about to turn into a family of five. I am expecting baby number three, and he/she should be due in the middle of october. Nick and I are very very excited but Sasha has not jumped on the baby bandwagon yet. And MacKenzie is sweetly oblivious just like any other four month old.
Just in case anyone was wondering, yes we did this on purpose.
Shawn

MacKenzie Update

MacKenzie had her four month check up on Tuesday. She weighs 16 pounds now and is 25 inches long. 90% if anyone was wondering. Sasha was the same way. Everything checked out just fine, and she does not need a helmet to work out her lumpy head. She gets to start eating foods now and we started her on cereal this week. It was a new experience and she wasnt' so sure about it at first but now she is cool with it. It is so cute to see her open her little mouth wide when she sees the spoon coming. Like a little bird. I think we will try bannanas next. So much excitement at the Smith house. ha ha ha.

"Gabrielle with Golden Glasses On" by:Gabrielle

I miss you family. I want you to see I have my golden glasses. I love you. I hope you are having a good time. I'm happy. I am going to a new school that is why I got new glasses; I was kind of twisting my eyes with my old pink ones. My hair is growing longer. I love you, once again. Good bye.

Ali's Announcement

Allison had a surprise today. After not being able to eat a sandwich as she normally could she said,

"I have something in my teeth."

"Do you want to toothpick?"

"No. It's not food."

I checked in her mouth and with a laugh said,

"You have a loose tooth!"

Her mood quickly lightened and she giggled happily, grabbed a mirror and can't stop talking about it.

Sharing Shoes

As these photographic images prove we have moved into the phase of our relationship that my ten year old daughter and I share shoes. In all actuality Raimy's toe has outgrown the size of my foot by a few millimeters.

(click image for enlarged version)

Esmarella

If you are following the comments then you will see that there were some rather lively comments made to the kids by a woman named Esmarella. Her other (real) name is Rehanna. She lives here in Bolivia but is from England. She is a single missionary working with street kids. She stayed with the kids while DaRonn and I were in Peru for our anniversary. The kids and her got along swimmingly and they all created fun personalities for themselves. She was Esmarella and had a thick Island accent on top of her thick English accent. It was a riot when they demonstrated when we got back. The kids had funny voices too.

Video January Raimy

Video January Timothy

Video January Gabrielle

Video January Tyler

Happy Birthday Shawner!

I hope you are carried away with fun and celebration this year! I love you little sis'.


(I found this pic on a very interesting website: http://www.clusterballoon.org/ Who knew such a hobby existed?)

Family

Christmas in Omaha

Allison as Angel

Allison played an angel in the Christmas program at church the Sunday before Christmas. She was the most beautiful angel I've ever seen!

Making Christmas Cookies

Allison, Oma and I made Christmas cookies before Christmas. We had a lot of fun! Ali liked licking all the utensils. We also created our gingerbread house (not homemade though). Detail shots of all the treats are included. And since then everything has been eaten, even the gingerbread house!

Christmas Money

Oma and Opa gave the kids Christmas money and this past weekend we were able to take them out to spend it. It was a fun time.

Raimy got a doll and a couple movies. Timothy purchased two building sets. Gabrielle got some Play-Doh kits. Tyler got a couple sets of blocks.

Thanks Oma and Opa!

While I am thinking of it I had a cute little story about Raimy...

We got Timothy some Iron Man stuff this year so I thought it would be good if the kids saw the movie. There are some strong parts that I didn't let them watch. For the most part Gabrielle was disinterested and the older two liked it. Tyler was napping. So, the end credits rolled and the little mysterious bonus clip with Samuel L. Jackson as a recruiter for a special team showed. Then Raimy goes, "Is it over?" I told her it was. Then she said, "It can't be over yet; we don't know who he marries!"

Ha! Such a girl.

Oh, now I am remembering a little thing about Tyler...

This season he was introduced to mint M&Ms (thanks to a package from Becky Gomez). I have never seen a kid do this, but he started peeling them. It was hilarious to watch him meticulously picking at the candy shell.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and that your New Years celebrations are safe and fun. We will be at our big sha-bang at church partying.

Love you!
Angie

WSU Graduation December 2008

In the midst of the holidays a great event took place. On Sunday, the fourteenth of December 2008, the Wichita State University Fall Graduation Commencement Ceremony was held in the Charles Koch Area. Emily Jane Houtz graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Fine Arts.

"My Make-up" by Raimy

This is my Christmas present: real grown-up make-up! It was fun learning and doing it. I felt like I wanted to do it over again and I felt like a grown-up. It was fun!