I grew up in a family of Scouters.

My Grandpa Smith has always been a huge scouter and recently was awarded the Silver Beaver Award.  My Dad and all five brothers earned their Eagle Scout.  And when I started attending the single adult ward at 18 I was greeted by more than one guy with “Hey, aren’t you Byron Smith’s Daughter? He was my scout leader!”  I think through all of this I generally took scouting for granted, it was something that was there, that everyone did.

Earlier this year it occurred to me that Jon would join Cub Scouts when he turned 8 in June (close your eyes Grandpa and Baden Powell) I was very much dreading it! It seemed one more thing to do on a very long to do list. My mind raced through the next 8 or so years: First Cubs, Wolf, Bear, all those belt loops.  Soon Webelos, pins, Arrow of Light. Then, before I know it, 11 yr old scouts, scouts, merit badges, Eagle project.  Keep in mind not just Jon but two years later Brigham, then Sam.  If Sam earns his Eagle at say, 15?  This means I can look forward to working on scouts for the next 13 years.  Yes, I realize this doesn’t hold a candle to the 24 1/2 years, from the time Jared enter Cubs to the time Nathan finished, that my Mom has been in scouts.  And perhaps part of the dread stemmed from the fact that I was knee deep in trying to help with Jake and Nate’s Eagle projects.

June arrived and Jon joined our little pack here in the ward.  He came home soooo excited, cubs is great!  Together we worked on the requirements for his Bobcat.  We memorized the motto, promise and law of the pack, the salute and hand shake, and what it means to be a Scout!  This combined with attending round table as a Primary President over 11 yr old scouts and Ben’s recent calling as Scout Master has made me appreciate why I grew up in a family of scouters.  I cant wait to watch each of my boys become Scouts.

So what has all of this been leading up to?

Pack Meeting

Last week Jon received his Bobcat award at Pack Meeting.  He was SO excited and spent the whole day reminding me and talking about the awards he would be receiving.  And when the moment came he couldn’t have cuter and I couldn’t have been more proud!

Here he is pinning on the Bobcat mothers pin with little Sam watching on.(taken with my phone so it’s not very clear)

It’s kind of sweet and fitting that the same month I received my first Scouting mothers pin my Mom received her last.  Jacob and Nathan were awarded their Eagle Scouts at the Stadium of Fire on the 3rd.  I guess you could say it was a sort of passing of the torch.

A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.   And so are their Mothers.

p.s. Jon also received his collecting, gymnastics, archery, bb shooting and soft ball belt loops as well as his gymnastics pin and Freedom Festival patch.

One of my new favorite things!

Every Monday night I log on to www.bountifulbaskets.org a great produce co-op and contribute my $15 toward baskets of produce.  Then Saturday morning I take my laundry basket to the pick up area and load it full of fresh fruits and veggies! Each contribution buys a basket of fruit and one of veggies (as shown above).  Last weeks had a watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, bag of apples, bananas, tangerines, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, broccoli, brussel sprouts and corn but each week is different so you never know.  It’s a great deal and has helped us get our five servings a day.  Anything we don’t finish in time goes out to the chickens who are getting spoiled.  It’s an all volunteer run program and  is available in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Arizona, Nevada & Washington so check it out!

p.s. you don’t get to take the baskets so bring your own to transfer your food into!

Way back in the predating stages of Ben and I, I remember sitting at a singles activity and listening intently as a hansom young man told of his recent trip to the family ranch in Montana.  Having a little ranching blood myself, and finding it all so romantic, I was smitten.  The first summer we were married we took our first trip to the big sky country and spent some time at Ben’s Uncle Dale’s beautiful ranch in the Big Hole Valley as well as the equally breathtaking family homestead ranch of his Uncle John’s at Sheep Canyon.  It was a fun and humbling experience to see this amazing place where they live in a small house and work long hours and to hear all the family stories. Ben has traveled back once or twice nearly every year.  In the fall for Christmas trees and to bring home a sheep for the freezer or the spring to help with the lambing.  We returned as a family a few years ago for his grandmothers funeral and all the Conover Montana Men have made the drive to spend a week in true male bonding.

Last week Ben, Jon, and Brigham as well as Ben’s parents, Sister Becky, Brother Jason and his boys, loaded their camping gear and traveled again to Dillon Montana to attend Uncle Johns Funeral.  (Unfortunately Sam was so very sick I didn’t feel I should take him along and spent the week at home with Emma and my little sickie).  They had a great time attending a true Montana funeral.  Uncle John choose to be buried at the ranch in one of his best hand stitched cowboy suits and hat and after what Ben described at one of the best services he’s ever attended they loaded the simple pine casket in the back of the suburban and drove from town up to the ranch where everyone changed into work clothes and picked up shovels.  Brigham’s first report was that he got to burry uncle John with a shovel and rake.  Ben found it very comforting to help bury his favorite uncle with his own two hands in true ranch work fashion.  Then the whole family spent the night there around the grave to be sure their husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend was not alone.

After the family went back to their homes Ben, Jason and the boys stayed and camped a couple nights, enjoying the chance to get away in one of Ben’s favorite places in the world.  They hiked and biked and waded in the stream until Thursday after noon when it was time to return to the hustle and bustle of life back home.  With the future of the ranch looking a little uncertain I’m so glad the boys got the chance to see it again.  I hope Jon learned a little more about his name sake and that this was an experience they will never forget.  I hope someday my Sam Dillon will be able to visit the place he was named for.  Mostly I hope my boys inherit the Montana blood of the great men that came before them.  To be simple true men, hard workers and great examples to all that follow.

As spring rolled around and I started to consider what races I wanted to do this year I felt pretty overwhelmed.  I had a pretty full plate at the time and training and racing seemed like more than just a straw that would break the camels back.  So I decided to take a year off from any training or racing  (bad idea weight and emotional stability wise).  Then a few weeks ago I started to hear whisperings about putting a team together for a team relay, something I have dreamed of doing!  Red Rock Relay was the goal however it looks like I will be unavailable that week…  SOOO here’s the plan!  RAGNAR Las Vegas!!

Imagine this: Red rock, then views of the strip at night, then more red rock.  You and 11 of your closest friends running relay-style day and night. Starting in the red rock oasis of Valley of Fire State Park, your team of 12 maniacs will be embarking on a 195 mile adventure-fest sure to fill all of your desires. The party in your van will only get better as you leap frog your way past the breathtaking views of Lake Mead, stunning views of the strip at night and then catch glimpses of Mt Charleston as you run through Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, then it’s onto the majestic cliffs of Red Rock Canyon. The race (and your stamina) will wrap up at Red Rock Resort and Casino in the one and only city of sin, Las Vegas, NV.

Doesn’t that sound like a blast!

Calling all runners and wanna be runners, I am putting together a 12 person team and I need YOU! So far (and I started an hour ago) we have 5 including myself,  we need 7 more.  The date is Oct 22nd and 23rd.  Here is a link to the race site so you can check it out RAGNAR The deadline for early registration is June 30th.  Look at your calendars and give me a call I am so excited!

Wow!! It’s a little hard to believe we were married 11 years ago today! We look soooo young!

It’s been a great 11 and I look forward to an Eternity more!

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday, Baptism

We’ve finished the first full week of summer vacation!!  A very eventful week of summer vacation!  Having Emma and Jon home from school has taken some getting used to for myself and Brigham.  Brig has had to deal with the return of sibling pecking order.  Sam is always number 1 however the other spots varied by time of day depending on who was home.  Now with everyone home all day it’s a full on battle all day which has taken some patience on my part.  Things are starting to fall into place somewhat and I’m hoping by the end of this week they will find the joy in playing together without needing to be in charge.

Emma’s Birthday

We Celebrated Emma’s birthday on May 19th with a fun surprise party at The Chocolate a cute dessert parlor close by.  Christina was sweet to help out, meeting the girls and getting them hidden so when Emma and I arrived to “check the place out”  we almost walked right past.  The girls had a blast giggling and decorating cupcakes.  It was fun for me to just sit back and watch then leave the mess behind!

Ben turns one year older and wiser too!

We celebrated Ben’s birthday on Thursday June 3rd.  Nothing fancy I spent the day painting the house while he was at work then Grandma Conover picked up the kids so we could go out for dinner.  It was a nice date night out and time to celebrate the amazing man I married. Ben is a hard worker and great husband and father.  I love how willing he is to help throw in a load of laundry or make cowboy stir fry for dinner.  He has a smile that lights up my day! I love you sweet heart!

It’s great to be 8- Jon’s Birthday

Of course every year we get turn right around from Ben’s birthday on the 3rd and celebrate Jon’s on the 4th! Another relaxed summer day, the kids played out in the yard all day, Jon’s favorite activity.  When Ben came home he and I took Jon out for his 8th birthday dinner.  It’s so neat to get to spend time alone with Jon.  I loved seeing things through his point of view as he told us what he wants to do when he grows up and reminisced about family trips and activities.  Jon has started to peek out of his shy shell a little in the last year.  He has a truly tender heart hidden under layers of tough guy exterior.  This spring at gym team tryouts he was one of only 3 from the level 4 team to make the level 5 team.  This means 9 hrs a week at the gym, but he loves it.

For then I’ll be baptized you see!
And to end a great week Jon was Baptized on Saturday the 5th!  A perfect sweet day! I really don’t think I could have asked for anything better than this day.  Jon was so excited and ready to be baptized and receive the holy ghost.  Most of the family and a few friends showed up for the service where Grandma Conover and I gave the talks, Uncle Nate played the piano and Emma Sang beautifully.   Jon was as calm as  he always is and seemed to be taking it all in and learning as much as possible.  One quality I admire about Jon is the time he takes to consider what he is doing before he acts.  He is very quiet. but I know that he is pondering and often learns the most this way.  After the service we came back to the house for dinner.  Our next door neighbors and adopted grandparents Ten and Julene let us use their shady back yard and everyone gathered for some great food and visiting.  2 years ago at Emma’s baptism we had a pot luck salad lunch, Sean was appalled by the lack of meat, so this time I asked and he readily accepted to cook us some ribs and chicken in his smoker.  It was delicious  thanks Sean! Julene made some of her famous home made ice cream to finish it all off. A perfect day of Spirit, Family and Friends!!!!!!

Our little .33  lot is pretty small to be classified “Farm” but when I look out and see the garden and chicken coop I cant help but feel like putting my hair in pig tails and running bare foot through the field (aka back lawn).  These feelings are only intensified by hanging laundry on the line Ben stretched for me or watching Sam carry the chicks around the yard.  The cold, rain, and late season snow have slowed our garden progress a little but Ben my hansom farmer husband has worked hard this last week to get everything planted and growing.

I know when you see these pictures of the chicks the thought on everyone’s mind is “Why new chickens?”  Our break into chicken farming last year had it’s ups and downs so here’s the rundown.

1st We love our chickens!  It has been so fun to watch them peck around and collect fresh eggs.  I can honestly say if you have a desire to raise chickens GO FOR IT!  Now to give an accounting of the 9 chickens we started with last year.

Clucky, our first loss.  Poor clucky was my favorite lady.  She died when Brigham sat on her.  Prompting a reminder of how fragile these little chicks are.

Maybell and  Fluffy started crowing at about 5 am every morning until a nice Mexican family happily took them off our hands.

Tasty, Beatrice, Feisty, and Blossom each decided the grass was greener on the other side.  One by one, each on a Sunday, they jumped the fence into the neighbors yard and were promptly eaten by the horse sized dog next door.

Ted, Jasmine have been renamed Ruby and Pearl in honor of my new favorite show Lark Rise to Candleford (BBC) and are still happily clucking around the higher fenced enclosure we put up last fall.

So here we are.  Starting again a little chicken wiser.  We bought new chicks and the kids love them. This time we bought a couple mix breed and some Easter Eggers (lay green and blue eggs) I can’t wait for them to get big enough to join Ruby and Pearl in the biddy barn.

Have you had those moments in life when you look around and think, Wow my life is so great!  Everyone is happy, healthy, the house is generally clean, and I even have a little extra time for myself! ?

If so knock on wood!!

I think the last time I truly felt this way was when I decided we should add baby #4 and soon Sam joined our crew.  Which led to (including pregnancy) about 3 years of chaos.   Then, in March, I looked around with that same content feeling (no, we’re not having another baby!).  As it seems is normally the case with me, this is the calm before the storm.  Like having my sweet Sam, this was a storm of good things.  PTA, School Community Counsel, family and Church responsibilities all seemed to collide.  Leaving me turned upside down, running from dawn till dusk and worrying long into each night.  Quilting, Scrapbooking, nights out with friends, BLOGGING all fell by the wayside as I ran.

As I sit here tonight I can’t help but feel so blessed by the Storm.  These past weeks I have been blessed with increased strength and energy.  I have been blessed with amazing new friendships and support from surprising past acquaintances.  I have gained an even greater appreciation for the support of an amazing husband, best friends and strong family.  Mostly I am blessed to have grown closer to my Heavenly Father.  To be able to feel His Spirit directing me and know of His love.  I am thankful for the calms of life.  But I know that for me, I grow during the storms.

With school out for the summer and things running a little smoother, I hope to pick up a few of the things I had to temporarily leave behind.  Including my blog.  So check back often and to all my angel helpers Thank You!

p.s. I finally finished my January post below

I still plan to post about our Christmas but… not yet, maybe before summer.  This last month has been a combination of VERY busy and great fun.

Jenny’s Wedding.  Ben’s sister was married On January 8th.  After a long sad hard year we are so happy to see Jenny(and her 5 kids)  find her Prince (as well as his 5 kids).  All the kids were so cute at the wedding.  They make quite the Brady Bunch!

Jon Gymnastics Meets.  Jon had 2 meets this month. The first was held at his gym. Grandma Smith and Great Grandma Forsyth came to cheer him on!  He did AMAZING!!! Here are some pics and if I can post it, a video.

mvi_08081

His second meet was in St George.  We made a fun family trip of it.  We enjoyed swimming at the hotel, shopping the outlets, a visit to the St George Temple and most of all the beautiful spring weather!  Jon’s meet was fun for all.  Even Emma kept busy helping hold up the scores.  It was great to get away!

Between meets was the grand event of the month Justin’s wedding!!!!!  Justin married the sweet and adorable Christina Roper.  We had a blast doing all the girlie wedding things.  Showers, Tea Parties, Manicures and Pedicures.  We also put in a fair amount of work.  With the help of my Mom and Grandma Forsyth I sewed up a tulle tent to line the church gym walls.  Brigham, Sam and Ava spent a few mornings playing around the gym while we folded, cut and sewed in the only space big enough to work with that much fabric.  It was worth it!  The reception was a magical end to a special day.  Congratulations Justin and Christina!

p.s. Jon went to the State Gymnastics Meet in March where he took 3rd!!! Way to go Jon!

Family pictures with 2 or more kids are one of those ideas that are great on paper but nearly impossible to pull off well in real life.  This year we put off our family picture for Christmas cards until temperatures dipped well into the very very cold range (below 20).  I thought we were lost but then it warmed up a little (high 30s).   My beautiful, talented sister in law Kim was so sweet to take time from in her busy life as a morning sick mother to meet us and take pictures. (Kim you really need to start charging people)

Thank You Thank You, THANK YOU!!   To Kim for taking our pictures this year.  You are an amazing photographer!!