Traveling with Toddlers

Lots of luggage, car seats, snacks, many hands, activities and a double dose of patience.

Andy got snagged at the ID checker when they questioned the validity of a Texas DL with the top cut off (seriously, why DOES Texas do that?) ... which sent him to the puffer machine when he got snippy. You get some sympathy in Texas with a baby on your hip, but not in Utah!


However, Utah does have the kid thing going on with play corrals in the terminal! You really need to run the wiggles out when you get off the plane and then back again before you get on. Who cares about germs at this point ... just peace!

Does this violate Child Labor Laws?
A tough travel day warrants luggage cart rides down those long hotel halls!

Wedding Bliss

It was a special day to rally as a family and celebrate Candy's wedding to Russ! She is now officially Mrs. Smart!










Andy was in charge of his table introductions and announced Tom as Heather's fiance'. Candy was giddy ... let the rumors continue!




After the reception we walked through Temple Square with throngs of people to enjoy the festive lights! It is incredible and am in awe every year of the magnitude of this lighting task! Justin, our personal lighting expert, also walked around in great appreciation as this is the ultimate goal! Temple Square tops Disney in excellence!




A great way to kick off the holiday spirit! xo

Motoman Tanner

We were taking pictures in our neighbors old museum (next door trash pit) and ran into a great bike for Tanner! He didn't mind it was missing an engine ... he's making his own sound!

Skunk Hunt or is it Earl?

A few nights ago, we came home from taking Haley Mae to see Madagasgar and let Roxy outside to do her thing. Within minutes she was howling and yelping like she had come face to face with a grizzly bear! Yep, she got skunked! And that stinker took his little ole time getting out of the back yard struttin' around with his tail in the air!
Poor Roxy got scrubbed up along with the porch and brick! Argh, not what you've planned for at 10pm!

So this triggered the makings of an 'Earl' episode. The guns came out and baited cages staged around the yard with targets! For several evenings he set up waiting for the skunks and added rampant squirrels to the hit list.

Cracked me up one afternoon to drive up to find Earl waiting for the squirrels!

It's a boy & girl & girl & girl & boy ... 60 of 'em!

This is a trooper mama! Our little Micky Mouse fish (note the ears on her tail) had 60 babies ... and she's a tiny little thing! My oh my ... this sheds new light on motherhood (and explains why they try to eat them)!

In a few weeks they will be big enough to let loose in the tank and hopefully not be bait for the others. The black Molly fish to the right of the net, is prego as well! Oh boy!

Murder Mystery Party

Todd and Abby worked for two days to stage the upstairs for a murder. We all brought spooky food and came in character making it a fun experience. Todd was Stretch, the Butler, and kept us in stitches all night trying to keep his teeth in.
They turned the tv room into a spooky maze that Abby carefully took us through while Todd manned stations to scare us along the way. It reminded me of the wizard behind the curtain in Wizard of Oz operating the hands and sound. Very well done!

A few days later the Bedford Ward youth came to do this activity and it was fun to be in on the secrets. Abby geared down the program and Todd staffed the spook room with extra hands to scare with revved up power tools and grab ankles along the way. Some adults were looking around their shoulders and holding tightly to their youth ... so fun when you get the big kids!



Thanks Todd and Abby for the fun! xo

halloween highlights