Elders Å la Mode

Pearl's Percentiles

2012-01-30T16:13:00.001-08:00

I love this little girl.

I can't believe how much fun she is. It has been so fun hanging out with her all day (and night:). She is definitely my little buddy already.

She changes so much everyday I'm trying to soak up all I can.

She had her 2 week check up on Friday and we got her percentiles.

I was surprised that in a week and a half she had already grown an inch and gained a pound.

She's definitely falling into my evil plan to get her chubbified ASAP.

Pearl's Percentiles:

Head Circ: 35 cm 32%

Length: 20 1/2 inches 60%

Weight: 8 lbs 3 oz 38%

Sorry there are so many pics, she's too cute to just pic a couple!!!

Just for the record, she already hates tummy time.

This is the only photo I could get of her on her stomach without her screaming.

This one is Danny's fave:)

I call this one, "Baby Duck" for obvious reasons.

The bow made her a little top heavy:)

She's a snuggly little thing.

I love Pearl Girl:)

A Day in the Life of Millie... with Grandpa.

2012-01-26T13:10:00.001-08:00

Millie is Grandpa Ricker's little buddy. She will be the first one to tell you that.

Working full time I haven't been fortunate enough to experience their fun activities for a while. Since I am now on Maternity leave, for the next 10 weeks, Pearl and I are living it up with the duo.

For example, today I watched William Shatner's 1977 Kingdom of the Spiders while eating take out.

Plot Summary: Tarantulas strike back at man for destroying their food with pesticides.

I know. With this plot and Shatner. Win win right?

Right. It's a great life.

Anyways, back to Millie.

A. So she's way too cute. and B. She owns the Ricker.

Grandpa Ricker takes Millie to Wal Mart frequently to go on, "the rides."

Grandma Cher and I spectated. Millie loved the audience and wouldn't stop

yelling, "Look at me Guys!"

She rides every ride at least twice, squealing and laughing the whole time.

After riding all the rides, Millie gets to peruse Wal Mart on Ricker's scooter for her favorite treat.

This particular day, she nabbed a bag of Cheetos bigger than her.

My favorite Millie quote of the day... "When I'm potty trained, I'm going to High School."

Millie loves her cousin already and insists on calling her, "Pearl Girl."

I love it.

And the icing on the cake?

A Corn dog in one hand and a giant ice cream cone in the other.

With these two handfuls life is a bliss complete.

One of These Things is Not Like the Others...

2012-01-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

One of these things is not like the others....

Look closely for Pearl.

Here's a closer look to help you out. Clue: She is not 2nd in from the right though the hair is very similar.

There she is! By the looks of it, she's not trusting that teddy.

Cute baby Pearl is 9 Days old today:)

B.A.B.Y. P.E.A.R.L.

2012-01-20T08:29:00.001-08:00

This story begins last week. It was weekly Sister Night Wednesday, since Danny is at school til 9:00 p.m., Rox and I were doing what we do best... shop. We ran around pretty much everywhere buying baby clothes, baby accessories, ect. I felt great still being a couple days away from my due date with no labor pains whatsoever. It was a fun night filled with Cafe Rio Pork salads and talk of how to get baby here faster. The week before at my regular appointment my Dr. said he thought our baby weighed about 8 lbs and that if I didn't go into labor on my own they wouldn't induce me until Jan. 24th!!! Ugh. It was disheartening to say the least. It wasn't the fact that I would have to be pregnant 11 days past my due date, it was the fact that this baby was growing bigger everyday and only had one way out. If any of you remember Millie's birthing story I was pretty much a rock in the delivery room... Oh wait, my memory has failed me once again. I would more accurately describe myself as a wet noodle. I nearly fainted, threw up twice and peed my pants forcing me to wear Roxanne's maternity clothes home from the hospital. I think my concerns for my own labor were valid considering my only other experience in a birthing room was pretty much disastrous. As Sister Night came to an end Rox said, "I wish you would just have this baby already!"

I replied, "I feel way too good to have a baby. There is no way she is coming anytime soon."

Danny got home from school and asked how I was feeling. I told him I felt good, same old same old. Even with me telling him this he was still convinced she was coming tonight. He went to sleep and soon after I started having some pains. They were different than any other pain I had ever had so I started timing them. They were occurring about every 4-6 minutes so I waited about 2 hours to make sure they weren't leaving. They were definitely not leaving but getting stronger. I didn't want to wake Danny unless this was the real deal since he already gets no sleep with his crazy schedule. (Right now he is working about 65 hours a week and taking 16 credits at school. He's an animal) With the expertise of Mindy, Rox and my mom I decided I would wake him up. I've never seen Danny look so excited/nervous when I told him I thought I was going into labor. We grabbed our hospital bag and were on our way.

Riding the elevator up to the Labor and Delivery floor.

They checked me in at 12:00 a.m. and I was only dilated to a 3, but my contractions were still consistently four minutes apart. They said they wanted to watch and see if I kept dilating. My parents and Millie came to the hospital to say hi to me and Beetle who was checked into Intensive Care a few hours before I was admitted. It was a weird night. It was nice to have them there keeping Danny and I company while I was having contractions and no epidural. Emphasis on the no epidural. Around 2:30 they gave me the blessed epidural, which is fantastic by the way. Definitely the only way to go for me:) Rox, Grant and Mindy came to say hi while we waited. My doctor said he thought I would have the baby around 8:00 since most first time moms push for about 2-3 hours and I was still only dilated to a 4. So we told my parents to go get some rest. The nurse came in at 4:00 and said your at a 10 it's time to start pushing. I told Rox to call my mom and get her here. My mom left the house immediately.

I didn't really know what to expect so I asked the nurse, "Is there anyway you could give me a quick rundown of what I need to be doing?"

She laughed and said we would start out with a practice push. I did 2 practice pushes as my doctor sat casually on the end of my hospital bed when he gasped and said, "Don't push anymore!" He ran out of the room and put his lab coat and gloves on returning with his tray of tools. One more push, no baby. My mom came in. One more push....

And she was here!!!

Pearl Ann Elder born 1.12.2012

at 4:12 a.m.

Weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz

Healthy baby girl!

Proud Daddy holding his little girl for the first time. I've never seen Danny beaming quite like this. He still hasn't stopped smiling:)

The Proud Parents literally 2 minutes after she was born!!!

Neatest experience of my life yet. I can't believe how much I could love this little girl instantly. Love at first sight with this one! :)

Danny pretty much nailed everything about the little princess. He said he knew she was going to be a girl, he knew she was going to have red hair and he knew she was going to be born on the 12th. If you were wondering I was dead wrong about everything... I'm glad I was.

T H E F L A M E ! ! !

Me lovin' on Pearl Girl:)

Pearl looking up at her Dad:)

And just for the record, I didn't think Danny could get any cuter...then I was wrong. He is so dang cute holding his baby girl and has seriously been so amazingly sweet to me.

Pearl had many visitors while in the hospital:)

Beetle is not pictured, but he was definitely at the hospital:(

She loved having the luscious locks washed...

And getting her hair did. Already a Diva:)

We feel so lucky that everything went so well. We really are blessed to have the opportunity to be this little cutie's parents. We are home from the hospital and loving life with little Pearl.

Stay tuned.... Photo shoot with Pearl Girl to be posted soon!!!

Rockin' The Beer Gut.

2011-09-17T19:20:00.001-07:00

You may notice a few odd things in this photo. 1st, Danny is "smoking," a piece of beef jerky and 2nd, I am rocking the beer gut...

a little more than usual of course.

We are expecting a baby girl this January!

WE ARE SO DANG EXCITED!!!

I found out I was pregnant on my birthday, best present ever? Yes:)

Since that day Danny said he KNEW it was a girl and instantly started calling her, "Pearl" since she was about the size of a Pearl/Lentil.

And just for the record, she's already fareaking cute:)

I'm 6 months along and am still gettin used to, "Rocking the beer gut."

Danny says, "Don't worry Rach, from experience, it gets easier with time. "

Since I am no longer vomiting 7 times a day in front of my co workers

and falling asleep while eating a bowl of cereal, I'd say I'll most definitely take the 2nd Trimester over the 1st.

Before I was pregnant, I found it a little odd that women were always comparing their developing babies to fruits and vegetables. What a hypocrite I have become.

From a lime to a cantaloupe, I stay up to date.

I am CONSTANTLY annoying my family with facts about our growing baby and OF COURSE what size fruit or vegetable it is this week. A couple of weeks ago I was spouting off my annoying facts to my parents and the next day I came home to find this lil' cutie on my doorstep.

I named it Eggplant Elder:)

My parents are so cute.

The other best part of my pregnancy is being pregnant with my sisters!

We have four new babies on the way all being born within 4 months of each other.

Here we are in order of pregnancies...

Rachel: Due January.

Sarah: Due February

Mindy: Due March

Michelle: Due April

Can you think of anything funner?

Ricker has already named this batch of babes the fearsome foursome.

I'm not sure if he's talking about the babies or the irritable pregnant women....

Must be the babies...

We don't look too irritable.

As long as I can keep eating my weight in cold cereal everyday I'm a happy lady:)

Happy Rangi De Mayo!!!

2011-05-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Rangi De Mayo Hombres!!!

This strapping young buck turns 36 today!

A shout out to the, "bad A" pie connoisseur that has

probably tripled the Red Head population of Rancho Cucamonga.

Atta Boy!

Happy Birthday Rang! We all love and miss you so much!!!

Hope you're having a fun day:D

Two Lips.

2011-04-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

This one time, 2 years ago, I was walking through rows of tulips....

with this handsome guy:)

Perfect Day. Perfect Date.

When to my pleasant surprise I found a beautiful ring in a giant tulip!

I was pretty happy:)

And still am!

Love you babe!

Happy 2 year Engagement Anniversary:)

Once again to Portugal.

2011-04-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

The gang and I recently went to another Portugal. The Man Concert. Sheesh can these boys rock. It was LOUD.

LOUD & AWESOME.

I went with a heinous ear infection and was 50% sad.

Now I can't hear in either ear... but it was worth it.

I wore my Portugal shirt, as always, to show my support for our favorite group. Surprisingly enough, I felt like a total creeper when I ran into the lead singer...

Oh well. They really are great. If you haven't heard their music, well do somethin' about it!

Love

Portugal.

The

Man.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST??

2011-04-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

Winters in the Smart House can be cold and drafty to say the least. The Pioneers definitely built these houses sturdy, but it seems that they are usually a bit colder than the average home. Growing up it always seemed like we were dibs-ing the various, "hot spots," around the house. AKA, the heater vents. How did things usually unfold?? Survival of the fittest came into play and the bigger and stronger siblings got the more comfortable heater vents.

It seems as though history is to repeat itself. Now it seems the fight for heat is between Boldie and Millie.

Millie VS Boldie

Stats:

Millie-

Height: 2'3"

Weight: 22 lbs

Signature Move: Look of Death

(inherited from her mother)

Boldie-

Height: 1'4"

Weight: 28 lbs

Signature Move: Rock Solid to Blob in .056 seconds.

(inherited from his adoptive mother)

If you want to make Millie mad, take away her heater vent. Boldie, the handicapped French Bulldog, also has an obsession with heat. When he is in front of his vent he seriously melts into a blob. As seen in the above and below photos. When Millie comes over to our house that is one of the first places she'll go. Boldie isn't shy and will let Millie know it's his. Even if it means pushing her away with his snout to protect his domain.

Doesn't he look like a fighter??

It's sad when in the "Survival of the Fittest," a blob wins. Better luck next year Millie. Gain 6 lbs. and its in the bag!

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-03T11:49:00.001-07:00

Hello Blogging World!!!

How I've missed you. I haven't read any blogs for so long. Danny got a new work schedule and I spend as much of my after work time with him as I can. I feel disconnected from the cyber world! I plan on catching up on all of your blogs in the next couple of days.

This week my family, excluding Beetle & Co., has been out of town and it has been so weird to say the least. I think I got a little taste of what living away from family would be like. It's a bitter taste, I hope I never have to experience it fully! Don't get me wrong, we've had a good week we just missed the fam!

We have had a good week we just missed the fam! The weather has been beautiful the last couple of days. We have loved being outside and riding our scooter.

With the good weather we got started on what seems like a never ending project, our yard.

I love working in the yard. Some of my best memories growing up were working in the yard with the family. Daylight donuts and Diet Coke getting us through the grueling work:) I think I was probably just catching snakes and playing House with Roxanne while the brothers and parents actually worked. Good memories nonetheless. So Danny and I are now attempting grooming and whipping our yard into shape. It is a lot of work but it has been really fun so far.

I found this guy, and later two more of his buddies, while weeding. I can't believe I used to touch them. Yuck. Now I can barely get close enough to hurry and snap a pic.

We were loving the blue skies and the 74 Degree weather!

After a few loads to the dump, digging, weeding, ect... we needed a little break.

We may or may not have stopped and grabbed a Daylight Donut...:)

I can't believe how these little flowers can make me so happy. Walking on green grass in bare feet, blue skies, birds hopping around my yard, plants sprouting, buds blossoming. Oooo! I love Spring.

We are excited for Spring and to whip our yard into shape and especially for the fam to get home tomorrow!

P.S. I swear the weather in Utah likes to mock me. Today it snowed 4 inches! How dare I get so excited for Spring...

Never too late for a New Year's Resolution.

2011-02-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year several people make promises and set goals to become a better person.

-Go to the gym more.

-Eat healthier

-Do more service.

-Ect....

We've all done it.

What start out as good intentions are usually forgotten by the time February rolls around.

Right after Christmas, when our pants had gotten tighter and our bellies seemed to have grown, we all sat around the table talking about our New Year's Resolutions. My mother in law came up with a great idea. She had a goal she wanted to help us achieve.

The resolution: She wanted us all to learn something new this year. Whether it was learning to budget or learning to play the guitar, she wanted us to choose something we felt inclined to learn about. She gave each of us a cute fabric pouch containing $20. This money was to be used to purchase a book concerning what we chose to learn about. I was so excited to learn something new! I love to learn and there are so many things that interest me. Danny and I went to Borders one afternoon and had a blast trying to decide what we wanted to learn about.

We had just walked over to Border's from Happy Sumo and naturally I had Sushi on the brain. I found a Make Your Own Sushi Kit. It included various items needed to make sushi like recipe books, an instructional dvd, sushi mat, wooden rice spoon, decorative chop sticks, ect.

I was so excited. The next day I came home from work to find Danny had gotten all of the necessary ingredients for our homemade sushi.

There were so many ingredients that I had no clue were in Sushi.

Especially ingredients for the rice. It's just rice! Not really. The rice is the trickiest part. It has to be sticky but not too sticky.

Some of our beginning rolls struggled.

But we still had such a fun time making them. We all made our own rolls just how we liked them. (Mine with a ton of fish eggs and lemon:)

They actually started getting a lot better with each one we made.

We have had a few different Sushi Nights at our house and each one is more successful than the next.

At least something good comes from New Year's Resolutions.

We plan on keeping this tradition of learning at least one new thing a year.

2011= Homemade Sushi.

Thing-A-Ma-Jig

2011-01-31T20:21:00.000-08:00

Civil War has broken out between two of Hershey's delicious chocolate bars.

The fraternal twin candy bars have pretty much left our home a house divided.

I am most definitely partial to the Whatchamacallit.

A divine peanut flavor crisp laced with carmel and coated with cheap chocolate.

What's better than this timeless triple threat?

Thingamajig, Whatchamacallit's ugly brother, in recent years has swept local gas stations and grocery stores trying to compete with it's "cool" older brother. Made with cocoa crisps, a layer of Peanut Butter and covered in chocolate one would think poor carmel-ie Whatchamacallit doesn't stand a chance... Right? Wrong.

Thingamajig is like a cheap knock off of the Whatchamacallit. Why would Hershey's waste their time, and everyone elses, by boot legging their own candy bar???

Just like all fads people have realized what was cool this week is lame the next. Which is why my dear Whatchamacallit wins the prize.

This puppy has been around since 1978 and has boldly held up to all scrutiny.

Tonight Danny looks over at me and says,

"Where the heck can I find a thingamajig? I'm starting to get so pissed off."

I kindly responded,

"You can't find them anywhere because they're sick and Whatchamacallits are bomb."

Danny obviously wasn't having this, so we set off to find his inferior chocolate bar.

7 Gas stations later,

We saw not one Thingamajig.

But do you know what was at every gas station we stopped at? That's right.

Whatchamacallit. I did the right thing and bought a King size.

Don't worry, I gave Danny a bite.

Better luck next time Thingamajig.

Danny Man

2011-01-22T20:34:00.001-08:00

DAN THE MAN

This blog is dedicated to my best friend Dan.

He turns 26 today.

Old and Moldy right???

He looks pretty dang good for old and moldy!

He really is my best friend.

This is why....

HE. MAKES. ME. LAUGH. EH. VRY. DAY.

I seriously cry from laughing at least once a day.

I guess thats why my abs are so great...

-He's a scootin' maniac!

-He surprises me at work with flowers.

-He's not afraid to go to Classic Skating dressed up like an old person.

P.S. He is an awesome skater

-He's hot. I mean seriously, look at that strapping young man!

-At our wedding dinner he sang me a WEDDING RAP. It was the coolest thing ever.

I make him sing it to me like once a week. I love it.

Even though he's a Lone Peak "Knight," (P.G's rival) he still comes to all of our games and cheers on the Vikes.

-He always makes me Breakfast in bed. A lot.

-He always makes sure I'm taken care of.

-He's very athletic.

He can hold his own, even with the Smart Brothers, and that's sayin' somethin'.

He's even been know as, "The White Rhino."

You don't get a name like that being a sissy.

-He takes me on adventures.

-He tells me I look pretty every single day. Even in the mornings when I know I resemble a gremlin.

-He encourages me to do what makes me happy.

-He helps me with my homework.

-He is SO knowledgeable about our Church and it's doctrine.

-He takes me camping.

-He is extremely good at budgeting.

-He fits in with my family so well.

He loves to eat, and he doesn't mind milking wild cows once a year.

What a gem.

-He loves little kids.

-And they love him:)

He will be such a great dad.

-He's hits like the Great Bambino but is much more attractive.

Double threat.

-Danny is such a hardworker. He is always keeping busy and trying to help. He started his own pressure washing business.

-He is very organized.

-He gives me foot massages... ew SICK I know.

My hobbit feet are nast times 10.

-He looks DANG good in hats....

-And turtle necks for that matter.

-He knows I love surprises and does them often.

-If you take him karaoke-ing you will not be disappointed.

-When its snowy outside he makes me Chamomile tea.

-He always shovels our walks and scrapes the car windows:)

-He's a worthy priesthood holder that can take me to the temple.

-He's great to talk to and always has good advice.

-He gives the best kisses.

-He takes me yard sale-ing.

-I seriously have the nicest husband. When Im running late, he'll curl the red fro while I do my make up!!! Crazy, right?

-He's been a very good sport throughout our relationship.

Exhibit A

(P.S. And looks supa fly in gold spandex)

-Exhibit B

-Exhibit C

(Catch my drift??)

-I always have fun with him:D

-I love when he pulls me in close on the bench seat of our car.

-He's not afraid to watch a chick flick with me.

-Danny is hands down the funnest person to go dancing with. Just ask Roxanne and my friends. This brothas got moves!

With a rump like that it's hard not to....

(This could also be labeled exhibit D)

-He's brave/stupid.

-He's strong.

-He buckles me in when we go snowboarding.

-He's my other half.

My rap co-star, DeLi$h.

-He always opens my door.

I know this blog is long, but there is seriously more I could put. Danny is just great.

I love you tons Danny!

Happy Birthday:D

Happy :^D

2011-01-13T20:01:00.001-08:00

Do you ever catch your self smiling just at the thought of something?

Or do you ever see a photo and it instantly makes you feel happY?

I just saw this and couldn't help but smile.

Terrible 1.5's?

2011-01-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

Millie has been growing up so fast! She is a smart and cunning little thing.

She can be such a sweetheart but she definitely has become a little sass lately.

Petite. Curious. Busy.

Whether she's being a wild woman climbing on tables

Or making a home out of cupboards, she's busy.

Don't get me wrong, at times she is very polite and well mannered.

Then you turn your back and...

She's rolling in cereal

Or trying to drive a Suburban. No biggie.

She's got all of us wrapped around her little finger.

Especially, Danny....

And the Ricker

She may have reached the terrible twos 6 months early...

But how can you stay mad at that face?

Welcome Home.

2011-01-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

I'm instantly happy when I pull up to our house and see these two sweet silhouettes.

Awwww.....

Its a Christmas Miracle!!!

2010-12-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yes its a Christmas Miracle folks.

Sometimes your husband brings home a dead mallard.

What I might call disgusting, he calls a Christmas Miracle.

Happy Holidays Everyone:)

Go Jazz!!!

2010-11-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

I love me a good Jazz game. Especially when we win!

Even in the nose bleed section people are still hootin and hollerin. So exciting.

Does this look like $16??? Ugh...

GO JAZZ!!!

Halloween??

2010-11-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

*Disclaimer*

Yes, I know Halloween was a month ago and most of you are already filled with Christmas cheer decorating your tree. But October was such a fun month, so bah humbug. Im blogging my favorite holiday anyways. At least its not December yet, right?

Ricker and Cher had their annual Halloween Party and it was one for the books. They made their legendary chili and the most addicting caramel apples ever.

The house was looking extra SppOOoooky this year with Ricker's new fog machine.

We played games and had the annual costume contest. It was so fun!

Here are some of the costumes...

The Avatars looked SO real!!

Peter Pan & Tinker Belle

Mr. Incredible & Syndrome!!

American Gothic.

Roman always thinks of the best costumes!

Frankenstein.

You dont look this good with ordinary face paint. Thats house paint folks.

Ricker's Italian meats

Witch riding her broom:)

King Triton and Ariel

(Have I mentioned how good of a sport my husband is???

Or how hot he looks in gold spandex???)

We cleaned up in the games!! My luckiest year yet:)

The Elders at the party

What a fun party!

The fam also went on the Halloween Cruise down the Provo River. It was really fun.

After the cruise!

We also went to The Haunted Forrest with a bunch of friends.

It was so fun until...

I gave Danny a black eye. Lets just say I spook easily.

Whoops.

Also in October Ricker celebrated his 62nd birthday THEE only way with...

62 POUNDS OF RIBS.

NO JOKE.

GO BIG OR GO HOME.

We love October!!!

Boomer Lionel Smart

2010-11-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dec. 1991-Nov. 2010

Boomer was born December 1991 in Pleasant Grove, Utah. The Smart Family (Rachel & Roxanne) immediately fell in love and decided/begged Ricker til he caved, to adopt Boomer as one of their own.

Boomer was an especially small pup being a miniature dachsund, on top of that he was runt of the litter. To give you a reference point....

He was small:)

As a young pup Boomer was fortunate to play with his twin brother, Buddy Butterfield, who lived just across the street. He enjoyed running up and down 200 North chasing birds and hunting snakes. At times his 3 inch legs just seemed a blur.

Similar to a cat, Boomer had nine lives. Whether it was taking on a huge German Shepherd or drinking antifreeze, Boomer lived life on the wild side.

Boomer was a very righteous dog praying on his haunches with paws folded at every family prayer. He was also a very giving dog. His favorite thing in winter was laying by the heater vent. When Boldie was born he was glad to scooch a cheek and share the warmth.

Other favorite pastimes include sleeping behind our legs and drinking sugar water from the Christmas tree stand.

Boomer is preceded in death by Buddy Butterfield (brother and fellow wiener dog), Jersey Smart (the cat), & Quillbur Qwilliam Smart (the hedgehog).

Boomer is survived by cousins Boulder William Smart and Stitch Jamal Elder.

Boomer had a very happy disposition and always appeared to be smiling. He was always happy to see you. Boomer Smart was a great companion and will be missed greatly by our family.

R.I.P lil' Boomie:)

Timp

2010-11-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

This month I have been thinking of all the things I am grateful for in my life.

I feel blessed to be able to look out my classroom window everyday and see this beautiful sight.

Im grateful for mountains.

Especially, Mount Timpanogos.

I took this photo a couple weeks after this semester started because it was such an odd sight. I could hardly recognize the landscape without any snow on it. Timp has snow, at least on it's peaks, almost all year round. There are only a few weeks you will find it looking like this. It looks beautiful, but definitely different.

This is the Timp I recognize. I think we'll be seeing a lot of this in the near future.

Im trying to feel grateful for that too.

From Dust to Glory

2010-11-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Meet the O'Smart Co-Ed Softball Team.

How did we get our interesting team mascot/name?

Our team was made up of 70% O'Smarts.

Which means we had a 30% chance of a successful season.

To put it delicately, we had a rough start to our season.

Our first game I still remember Beetle saying,

"Is this anyone else's first time playing softball?"

More people answered 'Yes,' than I hoped would.

"Struggle," was an understatement of our first few games.

Most teams we played had been together for 5+ years. This game we played the, 'Wall Bangers.' A particularly talented team that more than humbled us. They even had black shirts.

So intimidating.

Though our softball skills were lacking, our jerseys looked good.

RRrrreally good.

So we scheduled extra practices and hit the batting cages.

Coach Ricker was ruthless.

He drilled us til we dropped.

(Im not being dramatic at all, am I?)

Everyone really started improving. It felt good to win a few!

It was common for Danny to smash it over the fence a couple times per game.

Who knew I married The Great Bambino??

It was our team tradition to quench our thirst at Sonic Drive Inn after every game.

Romeskinner leading off first.

The batting order

Danny's goal for the whole season was to climb the fence and snag one that was going over.

That's him on the fence, and he most definitely snagged it!

Roxy was an All-Star catcher. She was quick on her feet to catch those pop-up fowl balls.

Our newest member of the team was born just a few minutes too late for one of our games.

No worries, he was able to make it to our next game.

AnnaBelle was such a great babysitter for all of her cousins.

Millie was a good sport too.

Our awesome Coach Ricker and player #55, Cher Dawg

Me posing with local celeb #3, left fielder for the O'Smarts.

Beetle & Mindy

Rocky & Sarah

Rome & Michelle

We had fans travel thousands of miles to witness an O'Smart softball game.

Die-hards!

Several injuries were inflicted.

Body parts were sacrificed, namely the epidermis, for the sake of the team.

No pain, No gain.

Sliding into home to get that crucial run.

And then there were some of us who tripped on first base and got a mouth full of red dirt and a gnarly butt bruise. I swear my teeth are still gritty.

Also, did I mention I was the only one to get out the whole season because I ran into the ball I had just hit. I didn't even think that was possible??

Maybe next year I should stick to team photographer/water girl...

The Championship Tournament was upon us.

Nerves ran wild. Tension was was thick.

We got our game faces on and were ready to take on anything.

We played excellent and were even able to beat the, 'Wall Bangers.' The above photo shows our score against them! 6-5

Mike snagging an extremely fast line drive.

Meet the 2010 Co-Ed softball champs!

From Dust to Glory!!!

Go O'Smarts!!! Can't wait til next season!!!

GAME FACE.

2010-10-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Its Game Day, so get ya's Game Face ON

Introducing star Quarter Bark, Boldie...

Our starting Wide Retriever, Stitch Jamal...

This little cutie making sure the players are taken care of.

Go Cougs!!!

Girl's Day Out

2010-10-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Fall Break. I had Saturday off and Danny had to work so we planned a girl's day out. Rox, Cher, Ricker and I woke up early Saturday morning and headed up to Salt Lake City to pick up G. Phyl. We went yard sale-ing until about 12:00 then we were headed to Kyoto, an amazing Japanese restaurant in Salt Lake.

This is the gang about to dig into our delicious lunch. I may or may not have already snagged a bite...

And of course I got the Tempura Shrimp, its legendary.

After lunch Ricker was on babysitting duty while the girl's spent the next 6 hours shopping.

It was a splendid and definitely much needed Girl's Day Out.

I love my mom, sister, and Grandma so much. It was fun to laugh and talk with them, get/give opinions on clothing items, and reminisce of old funny stories (much at my expense).

Long live Girl's Day Out!!!

Children Of The Corn

2010-10-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ever seen Stephen King's film, "Children of the Corn?"

We pretty much had our own version of Children of the Corn this week.

The minor difference?

We came out alive.

Barely.

No, I'm just kiddin. Even though our boys were CARAAAZY at this activity.

Neat rows of corn do something to young boys.

I shoulda worn my Nikes!

We took them to Thanksgiving Point's CornBelly's Corn Maze.

They absolutely loved it.

We earned our Maps belt loop.

The pumpkin tower!

I was loving the perfect weather!!

I wondered what they did with all the corn from the maze.

Oh of course, they turned it into a giant play pen.

Why didn't I think of that?

I learn several life lessons from these boys every week. These are a few of the, "lessons" I learned at this activity.

1. I learned that ten year old boys would rather listen to Taylor Swift than Vampire Weekend.

(Yes, Joseph is singing into a pumpkin stem and yes they knew every word)

2. That while being stuck in stopped traffic with your gas light on Taylor Swift can really start to bug...

3. That if you tell them to pick a treat off the bottom shelf they will whine for ten minutes on why they would rather you buy them these sweet sunglasses.

4. If you go to a gas station, LEAVE THEM IN THE CAR.

5. A big, "You're the coolest Den mother ever!" Makes it all worth it:)

We love our boys!

GATOR-ON-A-STICK

2010-10-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Recently we went to the Utah State Fair.

I LOVE the fair.

The Freak Show, Prize winning pigs, rinky dink rides, deep-fried-everything, the different booths/boutiques, and ESPECIALLY the people watching. To think I thought the freaks came out of the woodwork at Lagoon!

This was Danny's first time EVER experiencing all the fun the Fair has to offer!

To think he went (GASP) 25 years without deep fried gator!!!

Yes. It's true. I HAD to buy the, "Alligator on a Stick."

I asked the robust woman in the trailer selling the strange delicatessen how good the gator on the stick really was.

She said, "Honey, it's to DIE for."

Man was she honest.

When I bit into it, I wished I WAS dead.

"Unusual texture," and "Smoky Flavor," bring on all new meanings.

Though the Fair stands for adventure and trying new things...

I think next year I'll stick to Funnel Cake.

This is Roman on his first try getting a bite of the gator down. Though it was unsuccessful, at least it was in his mouth longer than the second try.

There was a really cool show with these cute seals. I could believe how well they were trained.

It made me feel like a failure with my dogs.

I wish when the song, "I like Big Butts," came on, Boldie would start shaking his butt. Or that we could start a Congo line in our living room like the one above.

Where did I go wrong?

The prize winning pigs always hit close to home.

Remind you of anyone???

How about these guys?

At least we don't have to deal with all that saw dust.

I love our prize winning pigs:)

Of course Millie is smiling, look who's holding her....

Elie and I in front of the GIANT gator!!!

(who in my opinion looks totally fake)

This is the Beatles Tribute Band, Imagine. They played a free concert the night we were at the fair. We have been lucky enough to see them twice in two weeks! If any of you know Roxanne, she is obsessed with the Beatles so it was a good birthday present to see them twice in her birthday month!

This is Danny Burt. He is the drummer, aka Ringo Starr, and one of Ricker's best High School buddies. They traveled all across the country right after their missions doing odd jobs. We met him after the first show we saw this month. It was fun to meet one of my dad's old friends. He is a very talented musician. His drumming and singing was definitely impressive.

Roman and Michelle enjoying Imagine.

Millie, can you say, "Diet Coke?"

Next time you see her you should ask her.

Because she can...

I know I shouldn't have taken this pic!!! But you have to admit it's a little funny.

Its always a good time at the fair!

The Beatle's Concert was the perfect way to end our evening.

Danny said his first time to the Fair was a success and he definitely wants to go back next year.

That is, if we don't have to eat anymore Gator-on-a-stick.

I don't blame him!

Roxy turns 21!!

2010-10-14T11:52:00.001-07:00

Roxanne, aka Pop Rox, turned 21!!! So of course we were headed down to Wendover to celebrate.

Los Gs hopped on the Fun Bus to give our luck a try...

We even brought Rick and Cher along for their maiden voyage on Le Bus.

Nothing is better than a Cowboy hat behind a slot machine.

Then I remembered...

Nothing is better than TWO cowboy hats behind TWO slot machines.

Cher and I dressed in Black and White standing in front of the Black and White Band.

Clearly they asked us to join the band and gracefully we declined.

We had some monies to win!!!

Though none of us won big, we were all winners at the epic Montego Bay Buffet.

Never disappoints:)

Beginner's luck!!! At least somebody won a little!

Happy Birthday Rox!

Be Nice.

2010-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

I got this from my friend Rachael's blog. She has an amazing blog full of adventure and creativity. She is very crafty and sells the cutest hats, headbands, paintings, ect on Etsy. Her blog is, talk2thetrees.blogspot.com You should all visit!!
Anyways, this has such a good message I thought might as well get as many people to read it as possible. I hope she wont mind me sharing it. It really made me think if I am doing everything I can to be the best person Im able to be. I hope if I was in any of these situations I would act accordingly.

Five Lessons About How To Treat People
-- Author Unknown

1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."

5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

My cheeks look like a chipmunks...

2010-09-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

The last two days I have been feeling like this...

Or this...

And sometimes even this.

My wisdom teeth are growing in!!! My mouth is in A LOT of pain, and my cheeks are REALLY swollen. They look even chubbier than normal. I swear I look like this baby. I really need to get them taken out, but I don't have insurance. Does anyone know anywhere thats kind of cheap or even any research studies? Let me know!

Im sick of these cheeks!!

Elie Belle

2010-09-22T16:10:00.001-07:00

Meet Elie.

(Aka Elie Belle)

I love this little girl.

Isn't she a cutie??

She is an adventurous little thing!

I could barely get a photo because she always wants to explore!

Tomorrow she turns 2!!!

I wish her boots fit me. I'd totally borrow them.

But let's face it.... they look much cuter on her.

She pretty much has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen...

I love the faces she makes:)

Happy 2nd Birthday Elie!

Labor Day Lift Ride

2010-09-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day some of the fam went up to Sundance to ride the lift. It was such a beautiful day and perfect weather for riding the lift!

The beautiful mountainside.

The mountain bikers about to head out.

Rocky and Cher tearin' up the trail

The classic 4 Generations pic

Elie smiling at Sarah on the way down the lift

G. Phyl, Cher and Ricker on the top chair, and Roman and Michelle below.

The Pink Ladies enjoying their suckers Grandpa Ricker bought them at the bottom of the lift.

Totally content. They had never been so quiet.

Timpanogos looking awesome as ever....

I feel so lucky to live so close to such beauty. Just a few minutes and I can enjoy sights like this. There is such peace found in the mountains. I do not see how anyone could be in a bad mood when surrounded by this!

Elders:)

2010-09-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

This is the Elder Family. My sister in law Heather, her husband Cale and their little one, "Bean," came and visited us from Boston. We haven't seen them since Christmas so it was fun to get the whole family together. We were able to hang out a lot over the two weeks. These are some pics of some fun stuff we did.

We all went up to Tibblefork where we had a picnic and went around the lake in the paddle boat.

Danny and Bean taking the dogs for a walk around the lake.

Danny and I before it started pouring rain...

Cute Bean! I freaking love this kid.

He is in the middle of saying, "Hiiiiii!" in this pic.

I really wish we got to see him more. It was so cute how he would give Boldie and Stitch hugs and boss them around. He is the sweetest funniest little man!

Rach and I jumping into the FAREEEEEZING cold lake right after it rained.

We're the Rachels of the fam and we're intense.

Rick with the fruits from his summer fishing in Alaska. We had a totally legit fish fry that was AMAZING. Oh my mouth is watering thinking about it...

I played croquet for the first time.

Let's just say there's always room for improvement.

Steph and Bean on the hammock

We ate so much good food while Heather was in town. Her and Pam were definitely busy in the kitchen. They are gourmet cooks and never disappoint! I am lucky to have in laws that are good at cooking. I always look forward to meals at their house!

My mouth is watering again...

Cary celebrated his birthday!

(I love this pic:)

We drove our scooters all over Alpine. This is my brother in law Cale, notice the Mtn. Dew 12 packs on our scoot rack.

My adorable nephew Michael G. and me:)

The boys were SO into shooting the mice in the aviary. These boys get very competitive in two areas: Halo kills, and Mice kills.

We had so much fun spending time with the whole family. It was great to get Rick home from Alaska and fun to have Heather and Cale in town for a few weeks!

Baby Simon

2010-09-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

Simon is already two weeks old and getting cuter by the second...

I have never taken photos of a newborn, and with Mindy's help I was able to take my first set.

My model was at an ultimate level of cuteness, but I may be biased...

How can ya not fall in love with this little guy???

He's so tiny! Does he not look like a toy doll?

I LOVE his little chin in this one...

Sharpei?

I love the little fur on his shoulder:)

His hair keeps growing...

And so do his feet!

I like to call this one, "Stroke Victim."

I cant get enough of those cheeks!

He's such a good baby and was an awesome model for my first newborn shoot! But honestly, I don't think this little guy could take a bad pic.

We love Simon!

Tribute to Varm

2010-09-05T20:13:00.001-07:00

Varm, You will be missed!!! Bawled my eyes out yesterday thinkin of all our good memories! We had so much fun. You were my best friend growing up. Night Games, catching snakes and bugs, swimming at the PG Pool, playing dinosaurs, exploring fields, Lake Powell, Chuck-a-Rama, sleep outs in my backyard, ect.

I still remember the last day of school it was pouring rain and how mad your mom got when we filled your Jurassic Park back pack up with worms! We felt so accomplished. You were always SO much fun. The Smart Fam loves you and will always cherish our memories we had with you. Gabriel is such a cute little guy and looks so much like you! I hope he knows how great his dad was. I'll always be grateful that I knew you:)

The "Thongs and Flip Flops are NOT the Same Thing," Song.

2010-08-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

Los G's decided to switch things up and try an R & B Birfday song. Maybe we should've stuck with rapping...

or not.

Both are scary.

We know we suck. We just wanted Pop Rox to know we love her and hope she has a great 21st B-day!!!

She's the best sista ever!!

Sneaky, Conniving, Liar.

2010-08-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have never been a very sneaky person, I stink at lying, and Im even worse at budgeting.

When Danny and I were getting engaged I asked him what kind of engagement ring he would like. He said he didn't want one and that he would just wear his Joseph Smith ring on his left hand. I asked him if he was sure and he said yes.

A few months after we were married he ended up telling me that he really wanted a wedding ring, but he didn't want to stress me out (money wise). I was ticked! We were now poor, and had no money to buy him a nice ring. I was sad. I really felt bad because he sold his dirtbike to buy my dream ring! What a horrible wifey....

So about three months ago I decided to be a sneaky conniving woman and save my pennies to buy my sweet heart some new bling.

As many of you know I am a server and sometimes I make a lot and sometimes I make a little. I was able to "fib" about my earnings for a few months and save up almost $300!

(I kept justifying my lies to myself because I felt SO guilty! It was for a good cause though....

Right? Right. Guess we'll find out in Heaven.)

Next was to get his ring size. First of all, Danny NEVER takes off his ring. Ever.

So I asked him if I could take some pictures of our wedding rings. I hurried into the kitchen and traced the inside of his ring onto the closest thing I could find, a Kohl's receipt. Yeah, Im classy. I hoped with this I could figure out his ring size.

I took Roxanne and Brad ring shopping with me to get some input. I wish you could have seen the jeweler's faces when I pulled out the old crumpled Kohl's receipt with Danny's traced ring on it. After a couple stores I found the ring. I was SO excited to surprise Danny!

Our anniversary came and I was nervous because he kept telling me he knew what he was getting! (I would have been so mad if he had found out!)

So I wrapped the gift in a bit of a disguise...

As I said, I had to disguise it. The outside box isn't wrapped because my wrapping paper wouldn't fit around it! Once again displaying how ghetto fab I can be.

Each box he thought he knew what was in it...

Some of the boxes had weights to make them heavier.

He was yet to guess it!

This box he guessed a pair of sunglasses.

He still didn't know..

Look at his face. He totally knows what it is at this point!

He got to it! He was so excited and it made me so happy:)

Danny's ring fit perfectly! It's titanium and gold.

Look how good our rings look together....

Danny surprised me with an antique gold locket and a night at The Anniversary Inn! I have always wanted to stay there.

We stayed in The Mississippi Serenade. Our bed was on a raft, and all the walls were rock. The lighting was really cool too. There was a really big jacuzzi and a waterfall in the corner of the room. We got some red boxes and watched em from our bubble bath. What a fun anniversary!

The old house had so much character. I loved exploring the 4 different floors.

The Front of the hotel.

Nothing like a little b-fast in bed! The hotel had a lot of fun extras. We really enjoyed the sparkling cider on ice and cheesecake in the fridge.

This is the waterfall in the corner of our room.

I love Danny so much. Our first year of marriage was such a blast! I have never been so happy. I feel so lucky to have such a great husband who is truly my best friend. He is such a hard worker and I know I can always depend on him. He always keeps me laughing and makes sure Im happy. Cheers to an awesome first year of marriage and an amazing husband!

Happy Anniversary Babe!

LAgooN! IT'S WHAT FUN IS!!

2010-08-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love Lagoon.

I don't care if people say:

The rides are lame.

The roller coasters aren't intense.

The food is over priced.

Freaks and ghetto people come out of the woodwork.

Its all a bunch of bologna.

Everything except the freaks coming out of the woodwork. That's definitely true. But who doesn't enjoy a little people watching??

I have so many good childhood memories at Lagoon.

I remember mainly hanging out with my cousins and always looking forward to our annual trip to Lagoon, Grandma Phyl always having the cousins go to all the Musical Shows and the boy cousins being so mad but secretly liking it (run on sentence), eating our home made lunches in the park, my dad winning us prizes at Wac-A-Mole, Big El buying us ice cream, ect.

These are just a few of the reasons I love Lagoon. My parents, Brad, Rox, Danny, and I were able to go this last week and we had SO much fun!

It POURED on us the first three hours we were there.

There seriously wasn't a dry spot on us...

Not to mention we were THEE ONLY PEOPLE without Ponchos.

But we didn't let a little rain get in our way!

Posing like the retarded clowns in the picture behind them.

Wow.

We jumped in puddles.

It was fun.

If you read ANYTHING on this post read the picture above.

CRAZY.

This one was getting a bit out of hand so they threw him in the slammer.

The Girls:) Roxanne was smart, she wore water proof...

The Sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day!

Rox, Brad and I on the Cliff Hanger. Notice we're dry...

Not for long...

Ever since I was little I would go to Pioneer Village and look at my, "Dream House."

Isn't it cute? Im gonna have to make Danny build it for me.

Front row on Jet Star

The rest of our Caboose.

Ricker and Cher about to take off on the Flying Aces!

Ricker and I front row on The Old White Roller Coaster!!!

There were practically NO lines all day!

Gotta love the Sky Coaster...

I was lucky to get this shot when the Colossus was upside down.

What a fun day, cant wait to go back next year!

Introducing....

2010-08-26T13:16:00.001-07:00

From the People Who Brought You Maxwell....

Now, Introducing...

Simon Reid Smart!!!

Born August 25th, 2010 around 11:00 pm.

8 lbs. 6 oz

20 1/2 inches long

Equipped with A FULL HEAD OF HAIR!!

The proud parents!

He is such a chubby little guy! THEE cutest newborn!

Proud Grandpa Ricker

I already love him so much:)

Rox with the handsome little guy

Grandma Cher was there too, but her pic didn't turn out:(

LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR!!! I've never seen a baby with so much hair!

You can't help but touch it!

Beetle thinks he looks kind of like a Sharpei...

This is a Sharpei...

Mindy is doing great and looks annoyingly good right after giving birth!

Good work Minde!

Sweet baby Simon!

Welcome to the Fam!

What July Brought Us...

2010-08-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

July was really busy and I failed to blog most of it. So here is a re-cap of somethings that we did last month...

We saw Carrie Underwood perform at Stadium of Fire on July 3rd. She was amazing live! She seemed like a really nice person too. We had a lot of fun with the Elders!

Rox and I were able to have a, "Sister Day" and to lunch and to some of our favorite antique shops.

I saw a cloud that looked EXACTLY like a Stegosaurus. Can you see it?

Danny got me a new Scoot-Scoot! Its a Vespa Bajaj. It has gears and is SO much fun to drive. You would never know by my face in this pic, but I LOVE it.

Rangi and Sara came up for the 24th and we had so much fun going to the lake, BBQ-ing, doing fireworks and such. Its always fun when they come up!

I got these sweet red leather shoes for 0.50 cents at a yard sale.

Rig is getting brave in his old age! I think his dad is wearing off on him..

Grandma Phyl Phyl and Caroline snuggled up watching some fireworks.

At Ricker and Cher's for the 24th

We enjoyed all the Summer Thunder storms and the sunsets that came along with them.

We went camping with the WHOLE family up behind Timp. It was beautiful!

Practicing for a future rodeo event??

Our house was freakin Homeward Bound for 2 weeks while we babysat our landlord's giant wiener dog, Chico.

Some people say the way you treat animals is the way you'll treat your kids.

My kids might be in trouble....

That's Boldie stuck under our sheets.

Better believe Sunday Scooter Posse is still wreaking havoc on streets 25 mph or less...

We found a free Karaoke Bar 5 minutes away from home...

This is Danny singing, "Rockin the Beer Gut!"

One of the funniest things I've ever seen!

We sold snow cones at the Steel Day's Parade while Cher sold antiques at Christy's.

It was a really fun month!

They Chubby Challenge

2010-08-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

If any of you know my husband, you know two things...

1. He loves KSL.

and

2. This boy can eat.

Saturday the fam went to Chubby's Neighborhood Cafe in Pleasant Grove. If you haven't tried it you should, they have really good food and its really cheap. Anyways, they have what's called The Chubby Challenge. It consists of a 1.5 lb. hamburger patty, not including the bun, cheese and condiments accompanied with a brutal pound of french fries. If you eat it in 15 minutes or less, it's free. So of course Ricker got Danny trying it.

This is a pic of the Chubby Challenge. It looks even bigger in person.

Over 2.5 lbs of food folks!

Danny's fans cheering him on.

The first three minutes were his strongest, he had almost half of it eaten by then.

Soon after, he really started slowing down and even lost a few of his fries into a napkin.

With ten seconds left he still had a portion of the hamburger equivalent to a McDonald's burger and he wasn't looking too good.

I was worried Danny might have to surrender to the Chubby Challenge...

But he powered through it and became the 4th person ever to finish!!

He is now a local celeb with his picture on the wall. Its no challenge for the faint of heart, he had some serious stomach pains for the next 8 hours and couldn't eat another burger for 48 hrs.

Danny gave a beautiful acceptance speech,

"I'd like to thank my mom for raising the hefty son she did. And for the Ricker for making too much food on Sunday dinners and always pushing me to go back for thirds."

Danny with owner "Chubby."

He's a champion at Chubby's.

Now we're starting a detox diet to try and get those years of his life back...

1,2,3...,

2010-08-15T22:00:00.001-07:00

In one week we will celebrate our First Anniversary! My, time flies...

In two weeks this cute little family of five will grow to a cute little family of six!

Also in two weeks this total betty will turn 21. Can we say FUN BUS?

In three weeks Mills and I can no longer get a much needed churro after an exhausting swim. Depressing huh?

Im sure we'll figure out some other sugary fatty substance to take its place...

We always do:)

I Can Only Hope...

2010-07-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

Last week I pulled up next to a gold van with tinted windows, a dream catcher hanging from the mirror, complete with a 65-ish year old woman with a bleached blonde mullet.

And this was her decree...

I can only hope Im that cool in 40 years...

Llama Fest

2010-07-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am a student reporter for the UVU Review and this was my most recent piece.

Llama Fest 2010

The Annual Llama Fest was held in Spanish Fork on July 16. Thousands of spectators experienced llama races, dancing, obstacle courses, a llama show ring, crafts, and food.

Llamas originated from Peru, Bolivia, and Chile where they were used to carry heavy loads, where cars were impassable through the Andes Mountains. They are the camel’s cousin, padded with thick skin to protect them from rough terrain and jagged rocks. In America, they are now kept as pets used for carrying camping gear and their fur used for clothing and rugs.

Llama owner Veronica Steeli and her family have been participating in the Llama fest for the past eight years.

“It’s a fun summer activity for any family,” said Steeli Inexpensive food, free demonstrations, dancing, and some really special animals. There’s something for everyone at Llama Fest.”

The festival was held at the Krishna Temple. The temple has had llamas on its grounds for more than 25 years.

Eleven-year-old Benson Ricks, who has attended the Llama Fest the last three years, said, “I get so excited every year my family comes to Llama Fest. My favorite part is the baby llama corral because I get to play with them.”

Originally, the small festival began to show off people’s prized llamas to the public. Food contests and llama competitions were held with prizes. The festival has grown into an event ushering more than 4,000 people to celebrate the animals. The event offers free weaving and spinning demonstrations, booths selling different llama paraphernalia, authentic Indian food, as well as continuous live music all night.

Utah Valley Llamas brings over 50 llamas to the festival but also encourages other llama owners to join in on the fun and bring theirs. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 per child. The festivities begin around 4p.m. and go until 9p.m.

More information can be found at www.utahvalleyllamas.com

Since we're on the subject of Llamas...I thought Cher would like this...

And to think we've been calling him Goatman this whole time...

You Know Your Brother Loves You If...

2010-07-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

you look on Facebook and see this young beauty tagged as "Rachel Smart Elder."

To think I wasted all that time Cheerleading.

You know your brother loves you if he hacks into your Facebook account and puts this photo as your profile pic.

Since, I learned from the best I tagged Roman in this.

And Rox in this. Why not get her in on the sibling love?

If you ever need a good laugh just google, "people in spandex." You will not be disappointed. I pretty much just laughed the last half hour of my life away looking through these. I have collected a few of my favs to share...

Yin and Yang

This is Hank.

Anyone looking for a unique family photo? I already own the nude colored unitard if you'd like to borrow it.

Rawr

All this spandex is getting me excited for Halloween. I've got big plans for my nude suit...

Birds of a Feather

2010-07-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

In Danny's parent's backyard they have a sixty foot long bird aviary. Its full of hundreds of different birds such as parakeets, cockatoos, pheasants, parrots, doves, quail, finches, love birds, ect...oh, and one giant pigeon. In the four years I have know the Elders I have never been inside with the birds. Danny was helping his dad put another waterfall inside the aviary and Danny asked if I wanted to feed them some chips. I was so excited!

Please excuse my stupid face.

In my defense, I am not used to having several flapping squawking birds within a three ft. radius of my head.

It was exciting and overwhelming.

These two birds loved Danny. They were on his shoulder the whole time!

I was surprised how friendly all of the birds were. They really love people! This one even gives kisses:)

And this guthrie here would be the previously mentioned giant pigeon, PigeonZilla. The average person would naturally think dont leave a cat alone with a bird? Bad news for the bird right?

This thing could eat a cat alive. Dont mess with this grey boy.

About to dig into some din-din

If you had to say these three birds looked like three best friends, who would you guess is who? I'll give you a hint who the three friends are, Lily, Roxanne and I.

I dont know why my twisted brain looked at this and automatically thought it was a picture of us three. To answer, The one on the left is Lily because it has black feathers, the one in the middle is Roxanne because of it's abnormally small forehead, and the big fat albino one is me.

Isn't is obvious to you now?

I think that might be Lily on Danny's shoulder...

How can ya say no to that face?

Life of a Random Redhead...

2010-07-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

I wish Sarah Hughes could've written this for me instead.

Wake up in the morning, two bulldogs on my bed

My reflection in the mirror alotta red frizz on my head

Eat the breakfast of a champ, Diet Mountain Dew

Grab a kiss from my sweetie then off to UVU.

Courageous on my scooter reaching speeds of 45

Pull up to the school thanking heaven I’m alive.

Student by day, Mexican Restaurant by night

Smiling, piling, serving those hot tamales up just right.

Work hard play harder, that’s always been my motto

Now out to go dancing, end the night with some gelato

Two bulldogs and my sweetie cuddle me in bed

Sleep, dream, wake, repeat eleven lines previously read.

PORTUGAL. THE MAN.

2010-07-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Recently a bunch of friends and I were able to attend a Portugal. The Man concert at The Venue in SLC. If you haven't heard of them, shame. Look em' up! You won't be disappointed.

They had an impressive psychedelic light show. I can only imagine how sweet it looked to the stoners.

We had to buy matching shirts.

This photo shows you how we were able to squeeze our way through the sweaty bodies to be on the FRONT row. Amazing.

Roxanne has been fortunate enough to see them in concert 6 times.

This was my third concert.

This is Brad...aka Teflon B.

Thanks to this crazy kid for buying me two tickets for my birthday! What an awesome gift, huh? Danny couldn't get off work:( It was such a bummer. So my date for the night was Rox, she's a great concert buddy. Oh and yes that is a drum stick, that was thrown into the crowd, shoved up Brad's nose.

This is a pic of the Smart siblings with lead singer, John, last year at their concert. Sadly we weren't able to get a photo with any of the band members this year. We even ran into them before the show! And *get ready to die of shock* I didn't have my camera with me! So no pic:(

The Smart siblings O'10:)

The group of Portugal Die-hards! Cant wait til next year!

SCOOT OR DIE

2010-07-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

This story begins with a fleet of four scooters out to conquer the impossible.

Many said we were crazy. They said it couldn't be done.

We were out to set them straight.

We were scootin' to Salt Lake City.

Our Motto: SCOOT OR DIE.

And we almost did...

Danny would impress any bystander with his impressive scootin' tricks.

We call this one, "Man Conquering Scooter."

It wasn't too long before one of the fleet could go no more.

So we put it here for safe keeping and did the only logical thing...

And then there were three.

Its amazing I even got a pic of the fleet of four. Especially with Roxanne driving by herself, it only lasted for about thirty seconds.

We found this little guy when the first scooter broke down. Things were lookin up.

I couldn't help but think of Boldie, bulging belly, bugs eyes, and their personalities are much too similar.

I thought about asking this chap to join? We're always looking to add to our posse.

Roman and Michelle enjoying the journey up to Salt Lake.

Low and behold...SALT LAKE CITY!!! Only short one scooter and one serious exhaust pipe burn inflicted and we were there.

We had fun driving around seeing the different sights in Salt Lake, even if people were pointing and laughing at us. Haven't you ever seen a three headed scooter? At one stop light the car next to us completely missed the light because they were staring at us and taking pictures. Another motorcyclist exclaimed to his fellow biker, "Dude, there are three people on that scooter." It was fun to feel like a celebrity/freak for one night.

Um, Of course we stormed The Capitol by scooter.

After checking into our sweet hotel and eating at Litza's Pizza, we rode up through the avenues and hiked up an uncomfortably steep hill that looked over the city. It was beautiful. It was a really fun and eventful adventure. Even though it took us triple the amount of time it would've in a car, we felt accomplished.

LONG LIVE SCOOT OR DIE!

Lucky Duck

2010-06-30T20:21:00.001-07:00

While Rangi's family was visiting us from Cali we went to Adventure Learning Park one afternoon and fed the ducks. It is a really fun and inexpensive activity to do in the summer. You can go to a Bread thrift store and buy the old bread for like 50 cents a loaf. Im not sure, but I do not think ducks can tell the difference between day old and freshly baked!

Rox and a very unsure Millie, getting their feet wet.

The Rangi Smart fam and Grandma Cher

Pretty sure Jillie was more into the stale bread than the ducks.

It was such a beautiful day for walking around the park!

I love this girl. I cant get enough of her thighs!

Danny and I enjoying the awesome park. He especially loves this park. His family lives really close and he grew up going to this park everyday in the summer. He told me about a massive 3 incher (fish) he once caught that he later took home, prepared, and ate. I married such a manboy. I love it.

They dont get much cuter than this!

Try and tell me this pic doesn't make you happy?

Strawberry Days

2010-06-28T15:49:00.001-07:00

Strawberries & Cream...

Oh how I will miss you until next summer. Oh how I will miss the whole week of fun activities and memories you bring every year without fail. However, my hips will not miss thee. Its a good thing its not Strawberry Days everyday because I might be a bit of an addict:)

This last week was Strawberry Days. Pleasant Grove's yearly celebration packed with fun events such as week long carnival, rodeos, baby contests, Huck Finn day, a parade, music in the park, and of course Strawberries and Cream! It is seriously my favorite time of year:)

One of my favorite lines from the Ricker, "I swear I'll be a carnie rat in the next life."

D lish and I at the Carnival. I LOVE the Carnival!!! I love riding all the spinning, twirling, rinky dink rides til' I wanna puke. The world's best, biggest, greasiest corn dogs. The people watching. The Carnie rats with small hands that smell like cabbage. It's the best.

All cowboy-ed up! Danny was so sad he wasn't able to be in the Rodeo this year. Both of his teammates dropped out. He said that if he cant get a team together next year he's going solo. Good luck with that Dan:)

The Smart brothers weren't able to do it because, as many of you know, Rangi really hurt his knee and just got off crutches. They all decided not to do it if Rangi couldn't. Hopefully next year they will all be able to. It makes the rodeo way more fun!

The only Smarts to be found in the Strawberry Day's Rodeo were those in the cash cow event. Rigdon, Livi, Lini, and AnnaBelle proudly represented by chasing the cow covered in cash.

No, this is not me.

CAN GUESS WHO THIS IS???

Hint* My red headed brothers like to steal my hair extensions.

Mmm! I love me a good set of twins.

Ricker and Cher enjoying the Rodeo

Los Gs

Two of the Wild Cow Milkers and I.

Mills an Rox. If you look close you can see Millie's fangs! Its so funny those were her first teeth. Also, she started walking this week!

Ricker, Cher, and & Grandma Phyl Phyl.

A very angry cow giving a quick jab to Kyle, a kid on Grant's Milking team.

After the Rodeo Ricker and Cher had a wienie roast for everyone. It was such a fun night!

Then we all laid out under the stars talking til everyone fell asleep. Im pretty sure it wasn't til'

about 2:30!

It was so fun sleeping out under the stars. I have never tried to take a photo of the stars, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I didn't have a tripod and the lens was open for roughly 30 seconds so its not as focused as I'd like. I am excited to play around with the tripod and the stars soon.

The morning after we all rolled out of bed and went yard sale-ing. It was the great end to a great week. Can't wait for next year!!

Ode to The Ricker

2010-06-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

1. Just to start things off... He has killed one of these. Yeah, he's hardcore. He's the Ricker.

2. He's a softie. No matter how tough he might think he is or how intimidated my friends are of him, he has a soft spot for others. Rox and I bring him to tears every time we sing "Sisters."

3. He is always looking for opportunities to help people. He gives of his time to others.

4. He's a party animal in every sense of the word. He is the reason our family has so much fun. Which could also be due to the fact that

5. He throws the best parties.

6. He's 100% Irish.

7. Recently we just found out he is also belongs to one of the most chosen people, the Jews. ha ha, just playin Ricker:)

8. He's a very good liar. Growing up he always told me I was so cute. Looking back on my Junior High photos, during the ages 11-16 were the acme of his lying career.

9. He'll do anything for his kids/grandkids.

Example: I was living in St. George and it was the day before my birthday when the Ricker called and asked me what my plans were for my birthday. I told him not really anything. The next day him and my mom surprised me by driving the 4 hour drive to say Happy Birthday in person! They drove down to St. George and took me back with them in one day. When I walked in the door they had a whole birthday party planned for me. It was a good day:)

10. He tells the best scary stories. I.E. The Golden Arm, The Ratman. The best part of all these stories is they are 100% true and factual.

11. He bought me a giant parrot, a hedge hog, a puppy, ect, that I had to have.

12. He resembles a young Robert Redford.

13. Seriously THEE most loyal person you will ever meet. I always know I have someone ready to back me up or fight for me:) Everyone should have someone like The Ricker in their life.

14. He treats Cher like a Queen. He made me realize how I wanted my husband to treat me and set an example for all of our brothers how they should treat their wives.

15. He is so supportive. He sat through countless wrestling tournaments, swim meets, football games, softball tournaments, and of course his favorites Choir Concerts and Cheer competitions with no complaints.

16. He always encouraged all of his kids to do anything and everything they could.

17. He's convincing. He gave me my confidence. He always told me I was talented, beautiful, and could do anything I put my mind to. I think if someone tells you something enough you really start to believe it. I've always felt like if I worked hard enough I really could do anything.

18. He secretly likes Boldie and Stitch.

19. He is the O'Smart's Softball Coach.

20. He makes the best treat bags for special events.

21. All growing up he worked SO much to make sure all of us kids had everything we needed and wanted. It wasn't uncommon for him to work 90+ hours a week.

22. You can guarantee he is friends with the meat and produce guy at all the local supermarkets in PG. The fruits of these friendships are awesome.

23. He loves when Roxanne and I sing together. I love this. Even though singing "Sisters" at age 23 in front of your whole extended family can be extremely humiliating.

24. His man crush is "The Rock."

25. He taught me how to throw a softball. One of my favorite things when I was younger was playing softball with my dad.

26. He loves his mom so much. He makes sure Grandma Phyl is always taken care of and present at all of our parties.

27. He gave me my love for a good deal. The only person who loves Flea Markets and Yard Sales more than me, is the Ricker. Whenever I get a bargain he's the first person I cant wait to show and tell.

28. When I was little, or even in High School, he would always say, "Here's some money just for being so cute." or "Let's go buy you girls an outfit just because you're so cute."

29. He won the Wild Cow Milk.

30. If Ricker is going to do something you can guarantee he will go all out. He volunteers to take dinner to people in the ward all the time. We're not talking about any weak sauce meals. This brotha can cook! Delicious seven course meals complete with ribs, rolls, corn, salad, a full pie, ect. Yeah people are faking illnesses to get these meals, and frankly I dont blame them.

31. He takes pride in and LOVES our house.

32. He is THEE Grill Sergeant.

33. He bought me a Pink Convertible for heaven's sake...

(Also, I dont know what the crap Roman is doing in this picture, I couldn't find another one)

34. He set such a good example for his sons by serving a mission.

35. He set such a good example for all of his kids by working hard and being honest. Ricker lives by the motto, "Work Hard, Play hard." and of course by "Kiss the Cook:)"

36. He made sure I had the picturesque wedding I always wanted. I really wanted to have it in our backyard and he worked so hard, as well as the rest of the fam, to make sure it looked perfect. He put countless hours in, and the house looked awesome.

37. He loves my red hair, maybe more than me.

38. Whether he is rooting for The Vikings or The Cougars he is True Blue through and through.

39. All of the cheerleaders at our High School loved him because he would bring us Einstein Bagels to our early morning cheer practices.

40. He has a testimony of our Savior.

41. Not many people can say they've owned a Rolls Royce, he can.

42. My dad loved his dad. I know he always cared so much for Big El and always wanted to make him proud. When Big El got sick my dad was right by his side. He drove to Salt Lake EVERY SINGLE DAY to take him dinner and visit with him. Through his example and by watching how he interacted with his dad, my dad has taught me that we need to honor our parents and make them proud. I know Big El is proud of my dad. I am proud of my dad and proud to say Im his daughter. I know everyone thinks this but I truly feel I have the best dad. My family has been truly blessed by the Ricker.

Love you dad!

Happy Father's Day!