How to Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike

August 12, 2011
How to Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike

… in 15 minutes or less. She’s seven years old.  There are kids here half her age and a third her height riding circles around her. It’s time. First, You take the plastic pedals off the bicycle. Then the kid learns to balance on the new “glider” bike.  [Palm trees not...
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Happy times keep on rolling…

August 5, 2011
Happy times keep on rolling…

Another lazy post. Pictures Because that’s why you’re here anyway, right?  Sure, I could take the time to explain what happened, but I could just show you and spare us all a few minutes: Something you may not get just from the pictures, however, is that I...
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Chink chink chink chink…

August 1, 2011
Chink chink chink chink…

Guess what! School starts tomorrow. Huh?! Yes, you read correctly.  School in Hawaii starts August 1st.  Most of my brain is still reeling from that revelation. “WHAT?!! August first?! So… since it always feels like summer here they figure they don’t actually need to have a summer break?” Hmph. School...
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Check it out…

August 1, 2011

I wrote a posty over here while my hubby breaks then fixes updates smithfam.us. Thanks, Sweetie!  You’re amazing! Okay, the imbed link thing doesn’t work.  No problem.  I’m sure you’ll take the time to cut/paste this address because you know since I wrote it, it’s going...
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French-Italian Toast

July 29, 2011
French-Italian Toast

I have a funny story, and here it goes. Once upon a time… Mrs. Smith learned to make bread operate her bread maker.  She had fun experimenting and tried making plain old whole wheat bread a little more exciting by using an Italian-spices-enhanced macadamia-nut oil in...
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Cute Song

July 28, 2011
Cute Song

Just thought I’d share. This is a cute song that might actually have solved an annoyance.  You see, Creativity has had a couple of songs stuck in her head for about a month. They aren’t particularly evil, but they aren’t particularly uplifting, either, and I’ve been...
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It might get better…

July 25, 2011
It might get better…

But I don’t know. Probably not much better than this. Remind me of that when I wake up ornery, k?   Creativity and I were quite the pair this morning, until I pulled her onto my lap and tickled her, chanting, “Crank Number One! ...
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You know she’s sick when…

July 22, 2011
You know she’s sick when…

and Just a fever. I’m sure she’ll be fine soon. …
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Firsts

July 22, 2011
Firsts

Since moving here, we’ve had quite a few exciting firsts.  It will probably take an hour, but we’ve got sick (read: sleepy) children today –another first since moving here– and I have FOUR of the five SLEEPING right now. So!  Let the picture-loading begin! Our...
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Just a yiddle.

July 18, 2011
Just a yiddle.

The three year old climbs onto my lap.  I smile down at his big blue eyes while we both take advantage of my lap not being filled with the 4mo baby brother. “I’m a baby,” he says, assuming the rock-a-bye position.  “Really?” I ask as though...
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Wordless Wednesday

July 13, 2011
Wordless Wednesday

Because I can’t ever be truly Wordless, PS: Yes, Wendy, Hawaiians do indeed wear Hawaiian shirts, but here they’re called “Aloha” shirts. John can even teach in them if he wants to. It’s a much more relaxed atmosphere here than at BYU-I...
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Just for me

July 12, 2011
Just for me

I found this today and it jumped out at me.  I share it now so it can be just for you, too. If I could have found it Friday I might have saved myself from a rotten day on Saturday, but hopefully it will keep...
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Favorite Things

July 11, 2011
Favorite Things

The lazy man’s update. It’s all about the pictures anyway, right? For the record: That wasp nest housed about 25 wasps, and John made it through with only 1 sting. I aughta get a picture of said nest, where it is still sitting in...
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Accomplishment

July 8, 2011
Accomplishment

So maybe it’s a little silly, but I feel like I’m on top of the world. This is why: Thanks, OhNuts.com, for the awesome almond milk recipe! Now I need to crunch the math and see if 1.5 cups of almonds = 1 quart milk = good...
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To Comment or Not To Comment…

That's a very good question.
I am happy to hear from you, thrilled to hear from you!, but I am also content to have you drop by, read a little, laugh a little, and move on quietly to whatever else you have to do. This is a guilt-free blog. ;)

Just a Reminder…

The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement, support, and service to each other as we press on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father. ~Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, (May 2005 Ensign)

Why I Try

God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future - to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers, and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe.

~Jeffrey R. Holland, "This, the Greatest of All Dispensations"

"It is not for you to be led by the women of the world; it is for you to lead the...women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and... purifying to the children of men." Joseph F. Smith, in this talk by Elder Ballard