Go and Check Out TheBlogFrog!

Why? Well, one of the many reasons is they are giving away $200 to Target!

Go and check TheBlogFrog out right away as a winner will be announced December 17th!

Wrap Frock & Dinner Party Frock Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win! Soooooo cute!

WRAP FROCK GIVEAWAY
DINNER PARTY FROCK GIVEAWAY

I'm Still Giggling!

So today my children had a lovely day at the dentist. I have a feeling that they would completely argue that! Edyn went first and didn't have a happy time at all! Last week she did ok when they filled two cavities but for some reason today was much different. She jumped every time the drill was turned on and tears immediately started flowing. I think last week's visit was still very fresh in her mind. I don't blame her, I can't even stand going to the dentist myself so I felt so sorry for her. Too bad we have to go again next week for her. So who's going to tell her?! LOL.

After she was done it was Ethan's turn. Chad was able to assist the pediatric specialist for Ethan's procedure and DANG they were in there a long time. Edyn and I waited patiently in the waiting room and I kept wanting to walk back into the clinic and make sure everything was ok and that he was still alive. After what seemed like forever Ethan popped out and walked over to me with his swollen and rosy cheeks and gave me the cutest, toothless, 1/2 smile ever and this is what he said. "Mom, they totally beat me up in there!". I still replay it in my mind and can't stop giggling.

Rhode Island

The weekend after our trip to Vermont we were invited to join our friends the Leishman's on a road trip to Rhode Island where Taylor was participating in a marathon in Newport. Rhode Island was on our bucketlist of things to do before we leave the East coast so of course we were up for it. I had been pretty sick and almost cancelled the trip but decided that if worse came to worse I could just sleep in the back of the van while traveling and hang out at the hotel if I wasn't feeling up to doing anything. I just knew if we didn't take this chance to go now we probably wouldn't have the time or opportunity to go again. So after dragging myself to packing our belongings, loading the kids in the car, picking up Chad and after an awful 6 hour trip, which was supposed to be 4, our hotel bed was a pleasant sight and the best thing that had happened to me all day. We woke in the morning and got ready to see if we could find Taylor in his race and cheer him on. I learned a bit about marathons and how they work and how you qualify and I think the biggest thing I learned after seeing Taylor finish was I should never touch a marathon as long as I live! Really, what is fun about running for 4 hours or more and barely walking when you are done?! Ha ha, I think I'm just saying that to make myself feel better cause I'm pretty sure I could never do it. Kuddos to Taylor for training for so long and finishing it. Hmmm, maybe Kaycee might be able to talk me into it some day, but don't hold your breath! Tee Hee!

After the marathon we checked out Newport a little and then got something to eat. We then headed back to the hotel to have some naps and regroup which was very much needed for everyone. Afterwards we decided to walk on a pathway called "Cliff Walk" along the coast and check out some of the famed gilded age mansions. Holy Moly! They were absolutely huge and never in my life have I seen anything like them. It started to get dark so we decided to pack it in and make sure that we took a tour of one of the mansions the next day. We picked "The Breakers" mansion. It is the grandest of the Newport mansions. This summer retreat for the Vanderbilt family was a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style house, completed in 1895. Sits on a 13-acre estate overlooking a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, where the waves crashing on the rocks below gave the house its name. The only pictures we have are of the outside as picture taking inside was strongly prohibited. All I know is that I absolutley loved it! I couldn't get over that this was just their summer home. Oh, and the children's playhouse was so ridiculous because it really could have been someone's home. We were so intrigued that as soon as we got home Chad wanted to find out more about the Vanderbilt family and the history of Newport. Rhode Island was amazing. I loved how it was surrounded by the ocean and it was so breathtaking and charming. I informed Chad that if he was to tell me that he was going to move our family to Rhode Island so he could set up practice there, I'd drop everything and leave immediately. I loved it that much! Too bad he's taking the wrong boards. The boards he is taking doesn't include the east coast to practice dentistry. Yeah, not really sure why we did that. After our mansion tour we decided to take one last drive along the coast in Newport and then head home. It was a really fun trip and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it even more if I had been feeling better.

Fall Foliage in Vermont

We've been up to so much that I'm really behind on posting where we have been travelling as of late. During the weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving we heard that it was the perfect time to check out the Fall Foliage in Vermont. So we decided to make the trip and we are sure glad we did! It was absolutely beautiful.

One week prior I had tried to book a hotel and to my surprise every hotel was completely full for that weekend. I guess it is a popular time for all tourists. So we decided to drive half way on Friday and stay in Connecticut and got ourselves a 3-star hotel for $50 a night (thank you hotwire!). The next morning we headed out bright and early for the two hour drive to Sharon Vermont, the birth place of Joseph Smith. The drive was breathtaking as we watched tree after tree in bright hues of red, brown, green, orange and yellow. We arrived at the visitor's center of Joseph Smith's birthplace and had a wonderful tour by a senior couple. The Elder was so full of knowledge and history and Chad just gobbled it all up. We then went out to view the granite monument which stands 38 1/2 feet tall (representing each year of Joseph's life) and weighs 40 tons. It was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of Joseph's birth. The shaft was sculpted from a single granite block quarried in Barre, Vermont, and is one of the largest polished shafts in the world. It was an interesting granite monument in that when the sun hit it just right it had quite the reflection.

When we were all done we decided to take the return two hour trip to our hotel through the backroads and see what we would find. We ended up finding this adorable little town called Woodstock and it was packed with tourists. We hit it late afternoon and wished we had known about it before so we could have been their earlier to check things out. I've completely fallen in love with this part of the East coast. I love all the millions of trees, the history, and especially the colonial style homes that New England provides. It really is a beautiful place and well worth a visit. Here's some pictures of our Vermont adventure.

The Start of Many Lasts

It's so weird to think that Chad will be done in less than 7 months. We really never thought it would ever get here and now that it is, we are soooooo not ready! It started out on Friday with Halloween being our LAST Halloween in Hoboken. And today was our last trip to the New Jersey Six Flags since this was the closing weekend of the season.

It really is sad realizing that we are now experiencing our LAST of things. I hope that makes sense. Anyhoo, here's some pictures of mostly the kids enjoying their day. Six Flags was still decorated for Fright Fest so it was pretty awesome and we got there right when it opened so the guys had their go on roller coaster after roller coaster before the crowds came. One coaster, El Toro--said to be the best wooden coaster in the world, they went on four times in a row. As we were leaving and walking to our car in the parking lot Chad and I both looked behind us at the amusement park as Chad said "say goodbye to six flags for the last time". And it hit me, I'm not sure if I like this LAST kind of stuff!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Finally . . . Halloween arrived! This is by far one of my most favorite days of the year. Halloween Eve was quite a chore trying to get two little kids to bed who were way too excited for Halloween in the morning. Edyn was so cute when I pulled out a couple of costumes for her to decide on for school and watched as she couldn't control her giddy emotions. It was truly a "kid in a candy store" moment and I really wish I had it on video. Ethan couldn't make up his mind so he picked one for school and wore the other one to bed. He really did! So Friday morning was probably the best morning ever for getting ready and getting to school on time. Total cooperation! So what did they end up being . . .

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Edyn was, I think, the cutest witch ever and Ethan was a zombie. After they finshed school we headed down to our favorite spot for halloween, Hoboken, for the Ragamuffin parade. The kids scored tons of candy just walking past the little shoppes and then we wasted some time going out to eat while we waited for people to get back home for the REAL trick-or-treating to begin. Now this is my favorite part! I love how this town decorates their brown-stone walkups and love how the majority of them wait on their stoops to hand out their candy and even some of the families take their little halloween parties out to the sidewalks. Decorations were faaaabulous this year and there were some really adorable carved pumpkins. Hoboken did not disappoint this year! Oh, and being 60 degrees today was awesome (since it's been so wretched cold lately)! So here are some pictures of our Halloween Adventure this year. It will be really sad not to be here for it next year. So glad we made the most of our last one in Hoboken! Thank you Hoboken for 4 years of awesome Halloweens!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy ChAd!

And the hubster turns 33 today! Hope you have a wonderful birthday today! Your little boy woke up this morning and asked where you were and after I told him that you had already left for school he pouted and said "I really wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday today!" I thought it was so cute that he had remembered and that it was the first thing he thought of as soon as he had got up this morning. We love you more than anything and are so thankful for all the things you do for us!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My Hubby the Nerd!

Couldn't resist! A couple of weeks ago Chad was doing some of his dental lab work for school and I just had to take a picture. I tried to do it secretly but as soon as he heard the click he looked up and asked "Your going to put that on your blog, aren't you?". Ummmmm, OF COURSE!

Oh, and thank you to everyone for your well wishes for getting better. I'm feeling better but still not my normal self. I guess I had a viral infection that turned into Reactive Airway Disease. So my lungs and body sure took a hit! So still trying not to do too much so a full recovery will come faster.

My brother is doing much better. He was transferred from ICU to the trauma unit in Calgary and then just a couple of days ago he was good enough to be transferred by ambulance from Calgary to Lethbridge so he could be closer to home. Thanks again everyone for your comments, phone calls, and acts of kindness! We really appreciated them!

Mommy's Aren't Supposed to get Sick!

I can't remember the last time I actually felt so crappy that I ended up in bed all day. Yup, did't get out of bed until about 3pm (well, except of course for a little bit around breakfast and lunchtime to feed the kids but as soon as I was done I headed right back to what felt like my deathzone). The best way to describe it is it really felt like someone had taken a sledge hammer and gave me a good whack upside the head. Oh, and then the dreadful dry cough I couldn't keep under control and the constant cold sweats - I hate those! My poor kids! Ethan was actually really cute and understanding as he would come in and check on me quite often and ask if I was ok and then say he was sorry that I felt so sick followed by a hug. All in all they were pretty well behaved and I think it was all due to me having no objection to them destroying the house today. That kept them pretty busy! LOL.

But I do have to say that I really have nothing to complain about. I found out early this morning that my brother, Ethan, took a fall last night and is currently in ICU. He was working on his house that he's building and I guess he fell a storey into the basement. He broke the T12 in his back, has internal bleeding in his brain and three fractures at the bottom of his skull (not the first time he's broken his back, and if you know my brother he's been through quite a lot in his life and he's really lucky to still be walking let alone still be with us). My SIL told me that he knows who people are but is still a little phased and doesn't make sense a lot of the time. They are waiting for another CT scan this evening to determine if the internal bleeding is still there or if it has subsided. I guess why I'm writing this is for all of those who know our family, especially Big Ethan, and those of you who don't, please keep him in your prayers. I'm just beside myself since I'm so far away from home and all I can do is wait patiently by the phone for updates. I just wish I could be there to show my support or just be there to help out in anyway that I can! Candace and especially Ethan we LOVE you and are definately praying for you! And darn it, quit doing this to us! **Said lovingly**

A Chance to Win a FREE Handbag!

As part of the launch of Handbag Planet's website they are giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours on October 15th! Head on over there and enter to win! Time is running out!

Handbag Planet Contest

Not Sure if it is Deserved, but Whatever! LOL.

Thanks Erica for this very prestigous award, I'm so flattered! Tee Hee. So here goes nothing:

Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others.

Here are the questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? KITCHEN
2. Where is your significant other? NYU
3. Your hair color? BROWN
4. Your mother? LOVING
5. Your father? KIND
6. Your favorite thing? PINKBERRY
7. Your dream last night? FORGOT
8. Your dream/goal? SLIMMER
9. The room you're in? OFFICE
10. Your hobby? SEWING
11. Your fear? ELEPHANTMAN
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? DEBTLESS
13. Where were you last night? BED
14. What you're not? SWIFT
15. One of your wish-list items? HUMMER
16. Where you grew up? CANADA
17. The last thing you did? GOODNIGHTKISS
18. What are you wearing? SWEATS
19. Your TV? UGLY
20. Your pet? NEVER
21. Your computer? STUPID
22. Your mood? TIRED
23. Missing someone? FAMILY
24. Your car? ANNOYING
25. Something you're not wearing? SOCKS
26. Favorite store? FABRIC
27. Your summer? BUSY
28. Love someone? FAMILY
29. Your favorite color? RED
30. When is the last time you laughed? AFTERNOON
31. Last time you cried? CHURCH


I pass the award on to:
Rachelle
Maile
Mistie
Emily
Amy H.
Kaycee
Breanna

Lion King was Incredible!

All I have to say is AMAZING! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Lion King to be as awesome as it was! The minute the curtain came up and the animals started to flood the stage my heart was pounding. I can't explain how but the show just immediately grabs you and pretty much doesn't let you go until the end. Well, even then you are still somewhat caught up in it as you mull over the magnificent things your eyes have beheld. For starters the costumes were insane! When the giraffes came out onto the stage for the first scene I swear my jaw dropped all the way to the floor and then it only got better from there. Besides the costumes the songs and voices were soooooo powerful! Seriously, I wanted to get up and start dancing and singing! LOL. Nathaniel Stampley was Mufasa and boy oh boy did he have an incredible voice! It was so powerful, which I guess is required for Mufasa, the role of a great King. He didn't disappoint! Derek Smith played the role of Scar and he was so amazingly nasty and was just so perfect for the part. He made you cringe every time he spoke as he plotted his way to ruling Pride Rock. But out of all the characters in the play my favorite was the role of Rafiki played by Tshidi Manye. If I would have been allowed I would have taken Rafiki home with me. Ethan loved her! He was so cute the way he giggled as a result of her presence on stage. We had a fabulous time and I think dates with just Ethan and I should be more often. Especially if it's broadway shows! Here's a few pics I took of Ethan before we headed into the show.

This picture was hilarious. I was waiting to take a picture of Ethan when all of a sudden this lady runs up to him right when I click to take the picture and his face was priceless. She scared him silly but he had a good laugh as she ran away.




Before Lion King started we were pretty early so we walked down the street and passed the theatre for "All My Sons". It was it's opening night and I guess Katie Holmes is in it. So I guess all the "Say NO to Scientology" freaks came out for the night to protest. I got a kick out of the sign "Free Katie, Keep Tom!". Honestly though, can't they think of a better way to spend their evening? Well, apparently not! But besides this and 4 half naked guys tryin to sell their calender (sorry I didn't get a pic for you! LOL.), New York City was pretty normal for the night. Awwww, we're going to miss this place when we move! Oh, and thank you NYU for your student discount tickets! We've sure appreciated you the last couple of weeks!

Never Will We Forget

I'm pretty sure that no matter how much time goes by, whenever someone mentions the date September 11th, I'll always get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though we weren't there to live through it, my heart aches for that awful day! I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the terrorist attacks were announced throughout the world and I remember the first time approaching the world trade center when we first moved here as tears quickly surfaced as I imagined the chaos and destruction and lost lives of that day. I will never comprehend the hatred of those who felt this horrific act was necessary.

This September 11th Chad and I were able to go into the city for a date. When we came home to pick up the kids from our friends we were so glad that we had made the decision to ride the ferry instead of taking the train. On the Southern tip of Manhattan were two beams of light shooting all the way up into the sky acting as a reminder to us all of where the two towers once stood and of those who had lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. It was an amazing sight and we couldn't take our eyes off of it. When we got the kids, and even though it was close to midnight, we decided to race home and grab our camera and head down to the waterfront and take some pictures as we knew that this was our last time to take advantage of this moment. It was an incredible sight to see and one that left us with lots to reflect on. Here's some of the pictures that Chad was able to take from the waterfront in Jersey City.

I think we've been in NYC way too long!

LOL. Not really but when you see these pictures of Edyn you'll agree with me that she sure knows how to get around in NYC and just how to look the part. I was removing pictures off of our camera and came across these two. I had totally forgotten that Chad had taken them. So here's our fashionable Edyn riding the train into Manhattan. Sunglasses and purse in hand are essential! Oh, and it cracks me up just how serious she is in this first one. I guess she's got places to go and things to see!

SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY OVER!

The day has arrived! Ethan and Edyn both started school today. With it being Edyn's first time to go to school full-time I found myself ancy most the day worrying about her and wondering if she was doing ok. I never thought I'd be one that cried when I dropped off a child for their first day but surprisingly it took everything in me to hold back a few tears as I left Edyn's classroom this morning. But really, I guess I had nothing to worry about. Her teacher mentioned that she did really well and cried just a tiny bit when they were asked to lay on their cots for a nap. She hasn't had a scheduled nap in forever so I really don't blame her, especially when there is toys in arms reach. LOL. When I picked both of them up they were completely drenched in sweat. No wonder! It was 90 degrees today, mixed with a ton of humidity, and there school has no air conditioning. Hmmmmm, summer doesn't really look like it's over! Oh well, they did look really cute in their uniforms, little beads of sweat on their noses and frazzled humid hair!

Tee Hee! One last thing . . . do you think I could fit Edyn in her Hello Kitty backpack? That thing is way too big!

Bah Bye Blankey!

Oh HaPpY DaY! Edyn's blankey (or rather lack of) has finally been put to rest! This day has been a long time coming and finally we mustered up the courage to break her of this awful habit. It actually went really smooth leaving us to wonder why we hadn't tried a long time ago. We decided to go camping for a few days and we did take her mess of a blanket with us (for just in case) but decided that since she was out of her element and comfort zone that we would keep it from her and see how it went. She asked for it in the car on the way to our camp site and after hearing me say that it was gone she didn't ask for it again for the whole trip. I was shocked!

The first night I put her in her sleeping bag and laid beside her thinking that it was going to be an awful night with her crying for her blankey but no, she played with her hello kitty flashlight but while doing so I noticed that she couldn't get comfortable and was constantly moving and throwing her legs and arms all over. I think she was semi-aware that she was missing something but just couldn't figure it out. She did this for quite awhile so I yelled out to Chad, who was sitting by the fire, "I think this girl is going through withdrawals!". I guess you had to be there but I thought it was pretty funny. One other added bonus to taking her blanket away is she has drastically reduced the time she sucks on her thumb. I think I've only seen her do it a couple of times and that was when she was asleep. But whatever, her dental daddy is pretty happy about it. Awwww, I'm so proud of Edyn and so happy we got this taken care of before she heads off to preschool next week! Oh, and for amusement here is a picture of her blanket in it's entirety. Can you believe how much of it was left (see above picture) and that we actually let her out of the house with it?! I'm embarrassed!

An Amazing Woman We Will Miss

Monday morning, August 4th, we got a call from Chad's mom informing us that his Grandma had passed away the night before. We knew this was coming, as she was just shy of her 94th birthday, but no matter how prepared you are for one's death it still is hard to take. So I just wanted to post a few things that I remember about her.

The first, and I'll never forget this, is when I was dating Chad I had gone over to the Wolff's home for dinner and grandma Dora was there also. After dinner she had heard that I wasn't feeling all that well and decided she needed to do something about it. So we were all gathered in the family room and on each hand she touched her index finger and thumb together (just like she was almost getting ready to meditate). She then started to tap the connected finger and thumb against the other finger and thumb and while doing so she started to name different kinds of herbs. When the two interlocked she then began to explain to me that this is the herb/medication I needed. She then did the same process again but this time she counted in numbers starting at one. When her fingers interlocked, the number she landed on was the dosage amount I needed to consume to feel better. Well, can you imagine my shock! I had never seen this kind of sorcery done before! But I must admit, I was a little intrigued and wanted to try out the given prescription to see if she was truly a witch doctor. I think the family got a good laugh out of me but no matter, that is one moment I will never forget about Grandma Wolff.

I will never forget the times that we dropped off grandma to her home and noticing that her lamp was on in the front window and with a smile on her face, she would lovingly comment "Oh, grandpa Ed must have been by." (He's been deceased for many years). Grandma Wolff is one who completely and wholeheartedly loved her family and you could see the joy on her face when they were in her presence. She loved every child, grandchild and great grandchild and was always interested in what everyone was up to. Not only was she a loving woman but she was a stubborn one! Her stubborness makes for great family stories that now just make me smile and remind me of just how much we are missing her. It literally broke our hearts that we weren't able to be there at the funeral with family to celebrate Grandma Dora's life. I'm pretty sure that Grandpa Ed is embracing Grandma right now, a reunion that has been long waited for and how blessed we have been to have had Grandma's influence in our lives for this long. She will be loved and missed dearly!

Ethan and Candace Smith

My brother, Ethan, got married last Saturday without us! We were so sad that we weren't able to make it but sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles. That's one thing that's been hard for us since living out here in New Jersey is not being able to attend weddings, baby blessings, reunions, funerals and just some good ole' getting together. The first year was hard, second and third got a little easier and now it's back to hard again. Maybe because so much has happened lately that we've had to miss, I don't know. But we have sure come to appreciate our families and all they have done for us since we've been out here. So back to Ethan's wedding. My brother, Nathan who took their photos, posted these on our Smith Family blog and I thought they were so cute so I grabbed a couple to show them off here. So to Candace, Gage and Thailan . . . Welcome to the family! We love you and are so excited to have you be a part of our lives!

A Time to Laugh and a Time to Cry

I can't stop being giddy over Joshua winning on "So You Think You Can Dance!" and at the same time completely saddened that SYTYCD is over until next summer. Yes, I'm a complete nerd when it comes to this show, as you can see by my "Do You Think I Can Dance" post, but seriously it was the best season yet! I was soooo rooting for Joshua and Katee all season long and here they are: Joshua the ultimate winner and Katee the top winner in the girls! The finale was awesome and quite a few of my favorites that I've posted in the past were some of the judges favorites that were danced last night so it was awesome to be able to see them again in good quality instead of youtube quality. However, I was so hoping that the judges would pick this dance so I could see it again but it wasn't picked. Even though it's not Joshua and Katee it is still my number one favorite dance of the whole season. I've posted it before but here it is again . . . Tim Burton's Wedding danced by Chelsie and Mark.



So to finish off this post and all "So You Think You Can Dance" posts by me until next year here's a dance by Katee and Joshua that I really liked and hadn't posted yet. But, really though, I don't think there was a dance that these two danced together that I didn't like and that's why they were my favorite couple that couldn't be beat!

I'm So Behind . . . Time To Catch Up!

Well, now that I took my week off of recooperating from 4 weeks straight of family and friends (which we loved and had so much fun but you wore us out! LOL.) it is now time for me to show you all what we have been up to. Shaneen, Bryn and the kids (Drake and Tori) were the first to visit. I was so nervous for them. They were flying the redeye and none of them had ever flown before! They did great for first timers! So below you'll see a few pictures of us at 6 Flags, Staten Island Ferry (so that we could see the Statue of Liberty), and the Beach. We did so much more but I think I forgot my camera most of the time.

One thing we got to do with Shaneen and family and a bunch of friends was head on down to Washington DC for the 4th of July. We had so much fun. We headed out early so we could hit the parade and then look around at all the museums which were all free! Can't beat that. Lunch time arrived and somehow everyone seemed to split up. Shaneen and Bryn went and found food with friends of ours and we assumed that they would be together the whole time since Shaneen didn't have a phone nor did they know where anything was. It was about 4 hours later we get a call from the friends we had been hanging out with previously that there was no sight of Shaneen and Bryn and nobody knew where they were. I instantly went into PANIC mode. I knew we were never going to find them. There was hundreds of thousands of people but that still didn't stop me from looking for them. It really was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. After awhile Chad saw how uneasy I was (well yeah! They didn't have a phone, they didn't know the town we were staying in and they had no idea how to get to the train to get back to the hotel!) So we split up on our way walking to the fireworks. The whole time I was praying that I'd find Bryn or he'd find me. After an extensive walk down "The Mall" Edyn and I got to the end and I just realized that we just weren't going to find them and started to head up to meet Chad for the fireworks. I looked up and guess who was walking right towards me! Bryn! I couldn't believe it I almost started to cry. We had last seen them at noon and here it was past 7pm. I was just so thankful that we had found each other. If you've ever been to DC at that time of year you'll know why this was a complete miracle. So here's some pics of our DC trip.

The rest of the pictures here are when Rachel and Cub Wolff visited followed by Kent and Kristi Wynder. It's been a busy summer so far but we've had lots of fun and it's been so nice to see everyone and spend time with them.