Seventh Smith

CHD Awareness Post

2012-01-26T09:09:00.002-05:00

January 25th.
Its always a black mark on the calendar. With impending dread, the day approaches shrouded with a shadow of uneasiness....and gratitude all at once.
Its our "what if" day.

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you've heard fragments of Evie's heart journey. But being honored with a request to write down her story to be included in the "When Life Hands You A Broken Heart" Heart Stories as part of the upcoming CHD Awareness week collection, Ive been prompted to consolidate the snippets Ive shared here on the blog. Forgive the length.....experiences like these don't come in short, concise packages.
This very night four years ago seems like a good place to start.....

January 25th 2008
Our 10 day old baby girl Evangeline (Evie) was thriving, or so we thought. She was a whopping 9 lbs when she was born and aside from the brief moments after birth when she appeared "blue" and was given blow-by-oxygen, we had every indication that she was healthy and normal.

Her behavior began to vary slightly throughout the day. When I would nurse her, I remember her feeling sweaty and clammy. Odd, I thought. And then I noticed some bruising on her arms. I called the pediatrician who told me to watch it and bring her in if it changed or got worse.

It was a Friday night and we had dropped our other 4 children off at Grandmas house and gone to dinner with some new friends. I slipped into a back bedroom to nurse Evie. She refused to eat. I wasn't overly concerned.
Returning to the living room of our friends, we began to notice a strange breathing pattern in Evie. There was a "catch" in her breath whenever she would exhale.
Id had 4 babies prior to her and was familiar with "varying" breathing in new babies. They all breathe a little funny sometimes.....right?
"Is she ok?" my friend Wendy asked.
Looking back now, this was the first of many life-saving "red flags" that began to prompt something in C and I.

Leaving their house at close to 11:00pm, we decided perhaps it would be wise to swing by Urgent Care just to be on the safe side.
The lights were out and the parking lot was vacant.
Nuts.
They were closed.

Back at my mother-in-laws house, I tried to feed Evie again while C roused the kids to load them up in the car for our 45 minute trip back home.
Again I took her to breast.
Again she refused.
Again the catch in her breath left me feeling uneasy.

With a foolish sense that we were "over-reacting" C and I decided to leave the kids with Grandma and drive back into town and take Evie to the ER. The whole way there we speculated that we'd be sent home....eyes rolling by annoyed nurses....at our making a mountain out of a molehill.

I carried my bundled baby snuggled warm and safe in her blue fleece and wrapped in a crocheted blanket and filled out forms at the desk. We were kindly escorted back to triage where a routine examination began. It was here that my own blanket of security began to rapidly unravel and our world came crashing in on us....

Evies weight check showed a dramatic drop in weight. With a sense of alarm, the triage nurse called for help when she couldn't get a pulse ox read on Evie (this measures oxygen in the blood. Sats should be close to 100 for "normal" children...Evie's were in the teens) We stripped her down to her diaper. She was cold....very cold! The thermometer taking her temperature registered at 70 degrees. Evies body was shutting down and we didn't even know it.

The nurse urgently swept Evie up in her arms and ran through the double metal doors. "I need help NOW" she yelled.
(Looking back now, we realize that arriving at the hospital even a few minutes later would have been.....too late)

We found ourselves shoved in the corner of Evies room as doctors and techs from every corner of ER left their patients and came hustling to Evie's side.
Dr. B was a commanding presence that took charge.
A sick, sinking feeling washed over me as I watched the medical personnel file in one after the other.
This was not standard procedure. This was not “nothing”.

Twelve individuals in scrubs circled her bed jockeying for position.

In a matter of seconds, life seemed to drain from her tiny body. She lay still and unresponsive to their rough stimulation. She was in cardiogenic shock.

Her frame was ashen.

No color.

A picture of death.

My face felt hot. My hands were shaking. C held them firmly as we watched helplessly. This tiny baby whom I had protected, held and caressed was at the mercy of frenzied hands, probes and needles. A huge orange tackle box was rushed into the room.“Infant Crash Cart” in bold letters sent chills down my spine. Dr. B shoved a ventilator tube down Evie’s throat. I cringed.

Still, no movement from Evie.

Someone flipped her on her stomach as a six inch needle was plunged into her spine. Fluid was drained. I knew this was a spinal tap looking for infection such as meningitis. Normally this painful procedure would be performed under anesthesia. But, no cry from Evie.

No response.

No movement.

Words were swirling around me. Hepatitis. Group B Strep. Meningitis. All viruses I knew could be deadly in one so small.

C took me by the shoulders, urging me to leave the room. “Mandy, these images will stay with you forever. You don’t want to see this”.

The horror was unbearable, yet, not a single instinct could pull me away from the nightmare. I had an acute sense these could be my last moments with my baby and I had to be by her side. I couldn’t bear for her to be alone with strangers. I glanced up to see Dr. B who had stepped outside the door and was speaking in a hushed tone to another doctor. Her face was masked with doubt and I watched her close her eyes and shake her head with disappointed resolve.

She didn’t think Evie would make it.

Oh my GOD!!

She was giving up hope.

The reality slapped me in the face. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beg her to do something. C cupped my face in his hands. His gesture snapped me back to a reality that seemed untouchable in the chaos whirling around me. “We’ve given her back to the Lord Mandy. She’s in His hands.” I choked on my own words. “I know.” My world was crumbling.

“God, be here,” was all I could breathe. Fragments of a familiar song began to minister to the deepest recesses of my breaking heart.

“Blessed be you name when Im found in the dessert place

Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name.

Blessed be your name, on the road marked with suffering

tho there's pain in the offering, blessed be your name.

Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say;

Blessed be the name of the Lord

…you give and take away

my heart will choose to say

Lord blessed be your name.”

Dr. B snapped at a nurse who had unsuccessfully stuck Evie repeatedly to try to get an IV line in. Her angel-hair veins were collapsing. It was like trying to thread a needle in the dark. “I need that in yesterday!”, she barked. A new young blonde nurse cowering under the order took up a needle and began to prod for Evie’s tiny angel hair veins. Oxygen was cranked up, yet her saturation levels were still alarming at dangerous levels. The room was spinning. I calculated my breathing trying to take in oxygen for Evie.

And then, a break through. “Im in!” The nurse had successfully threaded a needle into a vein.“I want that secure NOW” Dr. B emphasized. A collective sigh erupted around the room. Fluids were opened wide to try to help stabilize our baby. Constant adjustments continued on her oxygen intake, more blood tests were drawn, but the census in the room began to dwindle. Someone explained to us that Richland Hospital downtown had been notified of Evie’s condition. They had a specialty Neonatal unit and were sending an ambulance to transport her to a better equipped facility.

Evie still lay motionless. She was only a shadow of the baby I had placed on the bed two hours before. There was no movement. No color. The only indication of life was the irregular beeping of the monitor mirroring her heartbeat. The nurse left us alone for a few minutes telling us that the transport team would be there shortly. Bruises dotted her arms where unsuccessful attempts to get a line in had marred her perfect complexion. Her tongue was forced out of her mouth aside the vent tube down her throat. Her lips were dry and cracked.

I rode in the ambulance as the transport team escorted Evie to the next hospital. Dozens of papers requiring signatures were given to me during the drive. Numbly I signed.

Once at Richland, we were separated while they tried to re-stabilize Evie. C and I were given a quiet private room to wait in.

Eventually, a team of doctor, social worker and support counselor filed into our private room. Seeing the looks on their faces made my own heart stop. We were told our baby was very, very sick. And then the news. The news that our daughter had a broken heart.

Her heart!

They explained that Evie had Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). Basically, the two main arteries coming out of the heart developed opposite. So instead of blood flowing through the body and mixing, her blood was not circulating through her lungs and oxygenating. So since birth, she had slowly been suffocating.

A rough sketch was drawn on a napkin representing a normal heart and her heart. They looked nothing alike. We were told that they were working to stabilize her enough to make a Life Flight to Charleston and that she would need surgery as soon as possible. At last they called us in to say good bye to her, telling us the chopper had just arrived and they'd be taking her soon. She was almost unrecognizable under all the tubes and wires. She'd been intubated a second time and harsh tape had left marks on her once flawless skin. Dark 'glasses' shielded her eyes from the strong lamp she was under to stabilize her body heat. Still no movement. No response.

We followed by car feeling utterly helpless. The Charleston hospital called to get a verbal release to perform an immediate temporary cath procedure that would insert a balloon into her heart to open a space and create mixing and oxygenating of blood until surgery could be scheduled. They stated the risk that she might not survive.

Upon arriving at the hospital, we were shown into the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. There was something almost sacred about this place. Within the confines of the busy, bustling, medical college hospital, there was a sense of reverence walking into the unit. Every tiny soul here was fighting for their life and the hushed tones of nurses and compassionate care of the patients families made this home to our girl for the next several weeks. Our family and friends came to be by our side as we waited for three endless days, for a schedule opening for Evie's life-saving-surgery. We were completely overwhelmed by the hands of support extended to our family.

A lovely home in Charleston was offered to us to stay in and bring our other children to be close to us for the weeks we were there.

Meals from friends and strangers were brought to us.

A prayer chain was established and emails began flooding in from literally around the globe from people who had heart about Evie and had small groups, bible studies, friends, family, neighbors and Sunday school classes praying.

The morning of her scheduled surgery, we arrived at the hospital at 6:00am to hold her..."one last time".

During the 7 hour procedure, we received periodic digital pages from the hospital updating us while she was in surgery. Never have I prayed so hard as the hours her heart was completely stopped.

Time stood still. Such a helpless feeling to only be able to wait.

We prepared for the worst. And hoped for the best.

Returning to the hospital, a nurse met with us to "prepare" us for what Evie would look like post-surgery. Our baby had been through unspeakable trauma, but our little fighter could not have been more beautiful to us.

This began a long, slow and sometimes painful road to recovery. It wasn't smooth sailing, but with "two-steps-forward, one-step-back," (and a lot of scares along the way), our Evie has come so far! Her road to recovery took a few detours through multiple dangerous heart rhythm (tachycardia) issues that had to be controlled through medication. Then 2 additional surgeries to investigate chronic lung disease. She battled Congestive Heart Failure for the first year post-surgery. She's overcome GERD, Failure to Thrive, and auto immune disorders. She's spent cumulative weeks in the hospital for recurring pneumonia of her weakened lungs. SHe's undergone over 20 chest X-rays, 4 urinary cath procedures, 4 blood transfusions, multiple CAT scans. She's been intubated 6 times and had 22 ECHO's and 16 EKG's. Lets not even count the number of blood draws to date!

Four years ago tonight began a long and very painful road for our wee girl. Four years ago tonight began a process that I wouldnt trade for anything. I would never have chosen it, but it has been incomparably redeeming! We have seen the hand of the Lord restore and heal what was broken. We have seen Him comfort in real ways that can only be experienced when the comforts of this world fail you. We have been recipients of the Body of Christ rallying to support and be extensions of the hands and feet of Jesus to us. Our marriage has been strengthened through walking a road of pain together. Our faith has been strengthened through seeing God meet us in our dispair. We have seen answers to prayer that astound us!

We have seen miracles!

8 Months

2012-01-25T14:16:00.000-05:00

What happened to my newborn baby?!

Cant believe how fast you've grown and can't stand that you're getting mobile!

Thats the difference between baby #1 and baby #6. With the twins, I remember coaching crawling and sitting up and couldn't wait for them to pass the next milestone.

You.....I just wish I could slow you down!

You have totally taken off this month. Last month at this time, you were just getting your balance sitting up. Now you've perfected your crawl and there is no stopping you now.

"Mischief" is your middle name! Im realizing my failings as a good housekeeper because I feel like Im constantly chasing you around swabbing your mouth for whatever you've found....paper scraps.....twist ties....dust bunnies....uuugh!!!

Just this week, you've discovered something new.

Standing.

Only problem is, you get up and then can't figure out how to get down!

Theres no denying you've got "ma-ma" down pat! Love hearing you babble it over and over and over! And we think you're trying to give kisses too. The kids all laugh so hard when you pucker up and smack your lips.

You are so entertained by your big brother and sisters. You light up when they get home from school and they obligingly take turns rolling around with you on the floor or carting you around the house like the baby doll that you are.

I have to say that Abi is one exceptional big sister! ....not your average 9 year old!

For the last two weeks, Abi has rocked you to sleep and laid you down every night while Mommy grabs a shower. She is so proud of her ability to get you to sleep all by herself and Mommy is so grateful for all her help!

You're still pretty petite with one exception....You've got some thighs girl! Sorry, but you've got me to thank for those rolls. Why is it that they look so much cuter on you than on me?:)

Your camera-crazy momma has had so much fun with you the past couple weeks. We've been super busy with bookings modeling and photographing several boutiques upcoming seasonal and spring lines. What could be more fun than having a job taking pictures of you?!

Special thanks to Dayspring Dresses, Klassy Kouture and Mia Carina!

Still no teeth yet, but they must be moving because EVERYTHING goes into your mouth. My earrings are currently your favorite teething toy.....ouch! You are showing interest in "real" food, but we've not introduced anything more than a few tastes of frosting and ice cream just to see your reaction. You loved chewing on a carrot stick yesterday. But nothing compares with momma's milk just yet!

Happy 8 month birthday baby girl!

A Very Fairy Birthday

2012-01-22T22:07:00.003-05:00

Evie's made a wish

please help it come true

She wants to be a Fairy Princess

and celebrate with you...

The invitations went out weeks ago. She's been anticipating and helping plan with such excitement.

On the eve of her party, I tucked her in bed and told her, "when you wake up in the morning, come straight to my room and we'll give you a bubble bath before your Fairy Princess Party."

To say she was excited would be a tremendous understatement.

At 3:54 am, she wandered into our bedroom, hoodie towel in hand, ready for her bath and for her special day to get started:)

Forgive me for the picture overload....these are a small smattering of the 200+ photos this camera-crazy mommy snapped at her party.

Evie's wonderful aunt Josie and her very own Fairy Godmother "Zephyr" got the girls all glitzed up for the party. Zephyr arrived with all kinds of fairytale magic to share. Fantastic wings adorned her costume and she engaged the party guests with a sweet quiet demeanor that enchanted us all.

Little nymphs lined up to get butterflies painted on their face, glitter hairspray and nails polished in Zephyrs very-fairy-boutique.

Zephyr unpacked garlands of flowers for their hair, sheer wings and colorful tutus for the girls to play dress up in.

With sweet Zephyr engaging the girls with dancing games and story time, I was freed up to do what I love doing at parties......

.....pictures!

I decided my favorite part of a party is that; the preparations and the pictures!

In my "spare time" .....some-day.... that would be my dream job....

Id plan parties. All kinds of parties.

I already have a dozen birthday parties in mind (Pinterest has become quite a vice!) Wonder if a business would ever take off where parents told me their "theme" and I could do all the shopping, planning, decorating, food prep and organizing. I just have too many fun ideas swirling around in my head and the next 18 years with my own 6 kids birthdays just isn't going to be enough:)

Brunch was next on this rainy cold Saturday morning....

Fairy Bread

French toast

Grapes

Lemon Tarts

Quiche

Cake pops
Cranberry Spritzer

Hot Chocolate

and...of course...butterfly CUPCAKES!

The "REAL" Fairy Godmothers pictured below. Evie's adoring grandmothers who have seen her through so much, kept vigil through sleepless nights, supported us physically and emotionally and prayed tirelessly for our little miracle girl!

She loves her Grandmoni and Patti-cake!

No fairy party would be complete without wishing "Pixie Dust".

Wings, wands and magic fairy dust went home with Evies guests as favors with strict instructions that the magic ONLY works if the dust used outside. :)

Happiest of birthdays to our little 4 year old Fairy Princess.

How blessed you are to have such a precious group of friends, wonderful loving grandparents, aunts and siblings.

You are one very loved little girl!

May all your dreams come true!

Mommy's Musings on Birthday Eve

2012-01-15T23:56:00.001-05:00

My playful, joyful, life-loving, beautiful girl....

Ive just spent the last while hovering over your sleeping body. Watching you all warm and wrapped in slumber. A mess of curls across your forehead, hands clinching your beloved blanket.

Sweet smell of sleep.

Hours ago, you gave me your last 3-year-old kiss, and asked me to sing "You Are My Sunshine" and scratch your back. And we whispered of our big birthday plans.

....Sleep was slow in coming for your excited anticipation of tomorrow.

The gentle, peaceful rise and fall of your chest takes me back to another time....

A time I sat slumped over a bed too big for the tiny body it contained. There I watched that same chest rise and fall and prayed strength for you to take another breath and for your heart to go on beating.

My miracle girl, every day you live and breathe and skip and giggle and cartwheel through my living room is a direct answer to those tearful prayers.

These weeks surrounding the anniversary of your birth and the storm that followed leave me contemplative and reflective every year. I still struggle to drown out the "what-if's" with the blessed assurance of "what-is". But the deepest comfort lies in the "who-is".

Who was.

Who is.

Who is to come.

He who formed you and knows the intricacies of your heart....He knows the days He has ordained for you and no-one and nothing can prematurely steal even a moment.

With burning eyes and a lump in my throat, my heart can sing with that full assurance,

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,

this is the power of Christ in me;

From lives first cry, to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He return or calls me home,

here in the power of Christ Ill stand!"

My blue-eyed-beauty.....your daddy and I pray that always, your little heart will shine for Jesus. That you will be satisfied with nothing less than Him. That you will take this gift of life He has bestowed on you, and give Him all the glory for His healing work and gift of life. We pray you will grow in inward beauty and a confident grace to share your story. May your scars be something you learn to see the finger prints of God in and give glory to the Great Physician!

We pray that this next year will draw your little heart closer to knowing Him as your Savior. Your precious questions and wise-beyond-your-years observations about heaven leave me in no doubt that He has held you in the palm of His hand. We thank Him for another year to love and hold and cherish you.

This year has been full of changes little one. Big milestones passed. You are no longer a toddler. 3 was a year of maturing and growth. You have so beautifully adapted to not being the baby of the family and we are so proud to see you embracing your role as big sister. How lucky Gigi is to have such an adoring older sister. You can hold your own with the big kids who love to tease, but adore and dote on you. You are so full of spunk and pluck and we know that strong determination has been there since day one.

4 years old kiddo! How can it be? We are so proud of you honey.

I hope you know how lavishly He loves you.

And so do we!!

Hope your day tomorrow is full of surprises that delight your heart. You certainly fill our hearts with joy every single moment of every day. We love you!

Christmas in Dixie

2012-01-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

My Christmas cards to be mailed out are still sitting on the desk....unaddressed. Sure, some things on my to do list are unchecked, but it's been a true vacation and we're enjoying what's left of Christmas break. At this rate, I would get a thought-out, reflective Christmas post published by......ummm.....Easter. So at the risk of missing the moment, this will be more of a photo album of our Christmas in Dixie.

Christmas Eve

Watching for Santa

My favorite gift under the tree!

Poor Gigi was too tired after the candlelit service to stay up and be baby Jesus for the Christmas pageant:)

Bedtime stories with Grandmoni and fun with uncles!

Puppy love! All the kids were a bit envious of Auntie Josie's Christmas gift!

Gigi with her 90 year old great-grandfather.

Christmas means LOTS of cousins!

How cute are these two in their new tutus?

What was Santa thinking giving this boy fireworks? :)

We are now extending our Christmas break with a few days at the beach now. Not a bad way to ring in the New Year! How can it be 2012 already?

I'm beyond frustrated that the Blogpress I'm working from here at the beach only let's me upload tiny thumbnail versions of photos....grrrrrr!

Location:Christmas in Dixie

7 Months

2011-12-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve marked 7 months we've been blessed with you as part of our family sweet Gabriella.

I dont remember the other babies growing and changing this quickly, but try as I might.....I cant slow you down. So we are savoring every moment. Every smile. Every babble. Every first.

After a funny looking little bald spot on top of your head (that we conveniently disguised with a huge bow for the last month) you've finally grown some cute new fuzz. We all love to pet your little "do".

In addition to mastering sitting up, you are also working on your crawl. We all get tickled watching your efforts which usually result in you scooting backwards instead of forwards.

Im bracing myself for the mischief you'll be getting into next month at this time now that you're becoming mobile.

Everyone comments on your big blue eyes. So glad you got your daddy's genes!

You are the sweetest tempered little girl! The only time you fuss is when you're hungry. Or when you want to come to bed with us instead of staying in your crib. And Ill confess....we indulge. But since you're our easiest most laid-back baby, I hardly think we've spoiled you. Our wee-hours-of-the-morning cuddles are one of the sweetest parts of my day!

"Da-da" was your first "word". You may not know it means "daddy", but its the first sound you repeated over and over and over while daddy was in India for a few weeks. Im so glad we were able to record that first sound you discovered so daddy will have it forever!

You must be teething because everything goes in your mouth.
Everything!

This whole Christmas has been magical watching the lights reflecting in your curious little eyes. And Ive been reminded again of the humble way our Savior and Lord chose to come to the world. He left his home in glory to come to our broken world as a wee, helpless, innocent baby.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Its Christmas Vacation!

2011-12-21T09:56:00.000-05:00

Schools out and the kiddos are home for a glorious 2 weeks. Im super excited to have all my little chicks under my wing for the rest of the holiday season. Their first day out, we made these.....

A Gingerbread Village
Holiday project # 5

Its a tradition that we make a gingerbread house every year. Last year the three big kids entered and won a competition with their "Whoville"(Grinch-inspired) creation. While it was a ton of fun, creating our own design, baking gingerbread from scratch and assembling with homemade royal icing was a three day event. We decided to streamline a bit this year. Pre-baked $9.00 Gingerbread Village......Thank you Walmart!

The set contained 5 individual structures, icing "glue" and all the candy decorations.

We decorated them outside at our picnic table, barefoot on a balmy 70 degree afternoon. And this my friends, is why I love winter in the South!

Holiday Home Makeover Project #5

2011-12-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

Saturdays are for projects. This was actually last Saturday’s project that Im just now getting around to posting. Abi and Britain worked tirelessly on this one with me. Id definitely recommend a low-temp glue gun if you’re going to have little people helping tho!

Popcorn Wreaths

Walmart is sponsoring several home-makeover holiday projects. These are all simple and budget-friendly. You cant get much cheaper than popcorn! I was a little nervous about whether we could pull off popcorn wreaths without them looking like an elementary school project, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Simple inexpensive foam pipe covers worked as the frame for our wreaths. ($2.97 at Walmart gives you enough to make 4 wreaths).

Cut to desired length and bend into a circle securing with clear mailing tape.

If you can find white foam, great. If not, simply coat black foam with a layer of white spray paint (tack on another .96 cents)

Begin gluing pop corn all over the wreath using glue gun. We found this to be a bit time-intensive, but took a short cut by not putting popcorn on the back of the wreath…..

....this will also allow it to lay more neatly against your window.

Leave taped area at top of the wreath without popcorn so you have room to wrap a ribbon and affix a bow. We dangled some ornaments ($2.50 for a box of 12 glass balls) with clear fishing line to add a little sparkle.

My kitchen is blue & white, but obviously, you could add whatever color ribbons and ornaments accented your room’s palette.

But, speaking of blue and white…..look at this little cherub I found under my tree….

Heaven-sent for sure!

Holiday Home Makeover #2 and 3

2011-12-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

C returned from 3 weeks away today. We are so excited to have him back and now it officially "feels" like Christmas to have our entire family under one roof. Poor guy tho, he noted that the bathroom (that Ive been in the process of painting for.....um......6 months) is still one coat away from being finished. "But," he said (attempting to validate my lack of progress) "there sure are a lot of decorations up"!
Indeed! I may have strung lights over the banister without dusting it, and it may be slim-pickings in the pantry because Ive been putting off going to the store, but Im checking a few things off my "Pinterest" list.

With Walmart sponsoring a few homespun Christmas crafts, the layer of glitter on the floor speaks for where my priorities have been.

Glitter Pinecones:

Walmart has all different varieties of glitter depending on the style you want. We went with classic silver. You may remember we shared the how-to on these last year. This project is super kid-friendly and we get the whole gang involved. This time, we tried using craft bond spray instead of painting the pinecones and found that the glitter just didnt stick as well as when you really get the pinecone "goopy" with glue from a paint brush. This year, it was warm enough to do it on our back porch which made clean up much easier. Its truly the eighth wonder of the world how far glitter can spread when you have 8 or 10 "helping" hands!

Cranberry Snow Globes/Mantle Decor
Epsom Salts .88c
Cranberries $1.68
Poinsettia Plants $3.47

A simple statement! Select various sized glass jars (jelly, jam, salsa, pickle, dressing) or mason jars. The more variety, the better. Layer cranberries over epsom salts and add a votive candle to the top for an elegant evening glow. Tie tops with ribbon or twine and sprigs of greens. Intersperse glitter pinecones, greens and a striking poinsettia here and there and.....Voila.

Our family just had a surprise package delivered from a dear friend in WA with new monogrammed stockings for the whole family!! Love, love, LOVE these cozy Scandinavian style stockings. Oh, and did I mention our friend hand-embroidered the personalized stocking tags! a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!

And this has been really funny! If you have children or nieces or nephews, you'll want check this out! Yes, we "do" Santa a little bit at our house. The children all know that Christmas is Jesus' birthday and that is the emphasis, but they are only little for a short while and pretending is fun.....

This is a link to a video message you can create personalized from Santa to your child, be they naughty or nice. Putting in pictures makes it really personal! The kids have each had a day that they got a video message and it has made us all laugh so much!

Enjoy merry, mess and memory making!

Visions of Sugarplums

2011-12-11T23:08:00.001-05:00

Its been a years since I tied up my pointe shoes and stepped onto stage to the strains of Tchaikovsky ageless masterpiece, but Saturday brought all the magic back! It was the first time Id seen the Nutcracker in years and for the first time time, I had my tiny dancers beside me looking on in awe and wonder. After sitting in the wings as a company dancer watching countless productions of the Nutcracker in Atlanta and having seen the Bolshoi Ballet perform in an intimate theater in Kiev. I can honestly say that the fabulous Columbia City Ballet rivals any performance Ive seen before under the supurb tutelage of artistic director William Starrett. I was profoundly impressed!

Our day Saturday began by opening

our "Advent" surprise = Tickets to a Nutcracker tea party and performance.

The girls spent the morning dolling up with their finest dresses.....a touch of "rouge"....and hot rollers and lots of hairspray (my stick-straight-haired girls cant get over wanting curls!) They asked for their special box that Mommy keeps their silver lockets and pearl bracelets in. Oh the anticipation!!!

My little belles-of-the-ball were so excited!

Abi and our friend Rachel

We were guests at an afternoon mother-daughter tea before the performance in the Koger Center for the Arts grand ballroom where cookies, cupcakes and peppermint tea (complete with cream and sugar of course) were served in real porcelain tea cups.

The Nutcracker story was read which gave the girls a wonderful background to understand the mystery behind the magic.

Special guests arrived....dancers Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Uncle Drosselmeier and Nutcracker Prince posed for pictures with little girls and signed autographs on their programs. What could be more fun than a "Character Breakfast" at Disneyworld?....this!

And a pretty-penny less expensive too!!

If you are fortunate enough to live in the Columbia area, there will be another tea party next Saturday. I highly recommend this as a special mother-daughter date that will be a life-long memory.

In fact, I had flash backs my own childhood. When Evie (3) ended up on my lap during the performance yesterday because she didnt weigh enough to hold her spring-hinged seat down, :) I remember the same problem and climbing up on my own mom's lap during The Nutcracker at the fabulous Fox theater in Atlanta as a young thing!

Every little girl remembers her first ballet!

The performance was refreshingly original with unique spins on a classic tradition. The Columbia City Ballet maintained the timeless Petipa/Ivanov choreography for the Sugar Plum Fairy, while bringing in creative diversity to classic dances we all know and love. Two hours of sheer delight and entertainment!

The snow scene remains my favorite - astounding!

The girls were spellbound watching Mother Ginger and her Bon-Bons, Arabian coffee and the Chinese tea peddlers dance and twirl gracefully across the stage.

Absolutely priceless memories!

Next weekend are the last performances if you are interested. Matinee and evening performances Friday & Saturday and matinee on Sunday. Call Lauren to book your tickets or inquire about the Nutcracker tea.

803-799-7605

803-777-9728

Im several years older and not as light on my feet :) but Im inspired to find an adult ballet class...how I miss it! My girls have been dancing pas de deaux (taking turns being the boy) non stop. Pretty sure we will all be sleeping with "visions of sugarplums".

Holiday Home Makeover #1

2011-12-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

Especially at this time of year, I know we are all trying to stretch the dollar. The opportunities are endless to give and bless others in need.....to treat our little ones to something special on their wish list....and hosting even simple holiday get-togethers can take a chunk out of savings. Then there is the home. The never-ending list of repairs and maintenance means the budget for "extras" is whittled down pretty quickly. It's going to be a homespun, made from scratch, Pinteresting sort of Christmas in the Smith home.

Every homemaker aspires to the art of making a house a home while still being a good steward and honoring the budget. Tho Im no expert and get completely overwhelmed by hard-core couponers, I do come from a long line of inventive make-something-out-of-nothing women I love finding creative uses for unusual things. Additionally, Im super excited that Walmart has teamed up and is sponsoring 8 Holiday Home Makeover Do-It-Yourself projects that I get to share with you. "Save Money. Live Better"....shall we? These projects will require very little skill (1) because Im just not that skilled and 2) because I typically have 8 or 10 little hands "helping":) and will be low-budget simple projects that make a fun statement.

Hope you can have as much fun creating as we have!

Here's our first:

Winter Wonderland Tablescape

Supplies:

Glass jars

Frosty Snow - $2.50* (a huge bag that we will use for other projects)

White spray paint - .96*

Twigs

Craft Bond spray adhesive $3.47*

Small silver balls $3.27*

*Walmart prices

Lay newspaper out in your workspace and select your jars. I used Jelly, Olive and Tomato Sauce jars. Wine bottles or cheap vases would also work nicely!

Spray jars coating them with white spray paint. Several white coats will sufficiently cover them. Once they are dry, spray a layer of Craft Bond Spray Adhesive over the entire jar. While still tacky, roll in Frosty Snow glitter.

*the kids loved this job!

Next, lay your twigs out on newspaper and spray them white as well. It will take several coats on these as wood tends to “absorb” the paint.

Stage your tablescape over a white tablecloth. I used small silver ornaments from Walmart, but anything you already have could be substituted. Intersperse with white votive candles in wine glasses or crystal condiment dishes. Add a little silver ribbon and some accent baubles, and your finished.

Super easy. Super fun.

It was a German Apple pancake dinner at our house aside our glittering winter wonderland.

And that, my friends, is as close as this southern girl cares to get to snow all this winter thank-you-very-much! :)

Advent

2011-12-02T19:22:00.001-05:00

Ive wanted to do this for years and decided THIS YEAR would be the year I actually followed through:)

An Advent Calendar

A countdown to Jesus' Birthday

Its a super simple "rough" design, but I was especially excited that it didnt cost me a dime.

Dowel rod, buttons and fabric scraps were all that I needed. I had a box of old neutral fabrics, though Im sure this could be recreated with "Christmas-y" fabrics or any other color scheme!

Sew two square pieces of fabric together with loops at the top for dowel rod.

I just used a zig-zag stitch and left raw edges which made this project much simpler.

Izzy's job was to fray the edges for me. What kid doesnt like to pull a loose string:)

Four strips of fabric the length of your square will be your pockets. Embelish as desired if you want a "patchwork" style.

Sew the strips across horizontally at the bottom in equally spaced increments starting from the top....

...working down...

...through each layer...

done!

Now before sewing the rows vertically which will make the pockets, add any desired decorations. Im sure you crafty people can do appliques and bling and baubles. Evie just raided the sewing box and pulled out all neutral buttons and everyone helped.

It WAS fun, but let me clearly state that this moment was not as picturesque as it may look. Britain stabbed her finger with the needle and Tristans came unthreaded no less than a dozen times. And Evie shed great crocodile tears when she lost "her favorite" button:(

Many hands make light work?

Now Im filling the pockets with a note for each day....something special we will do...

Open Elf on the Shelf

Drive around and see the lights at night

Hot chocolate and reading the real Christmas Story at bedtime

Decorating a Gingerbread house

Caroling at a nursing home

...hmmm?.....25 pockets are a lot to fill up:)

Id welcome simple fun ideas if you have them!

Come Ye Thankful People Come

2011-11-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

Holidays are the best when you come from a large family! The kids wanted to count it up today. They totaled:

9 uncles + 11 aunts + 6 greats and grands + 12 cousins = ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY!

We had a great time in Atlanta with a good representation of that bunch. I told my mother, I think one reason I love coming home so much is that I dont have to be in charge! Mothering 6 means I have to muster up some organization and leadership and get on my game early in the day...but that's not naturally me. Im very content for someone else to have a plan and be a "follower". The weekend home did me good and I got to enjoy begin a "daughter" in addition to a "mother" for the time.

Someone else planned the meals.

Someone else helped with chaperoning kids and coat buttons and shoe ties and hair bands.

Someone else even did the bedtime routine with my kids to I could enjoy a leisurely bubblebath in peace and quiet!

A gift indeed!

I know Im not the only mother who has an entourage every time I try to lock myself in the bathroom!

My brother and BIL even agreed to watch the kids so my sisters and I could do a little Black Friday shopping.

Sweet.

That is, until I received these pics on my phone as I stood in line at the mall.

Skater Dude Tristan doing a trick

Bungie jumping off the balcony

They're officially never allowed to babysit again.

Wait-a-minute! That was his plan all along I think...:)

What a riot!!

Im bound and determined to get my mother as addicted to Pinterest as I am. The difference between us is this...

I pin.

She produces.

Look at these cute Tepee's she made with the kids for our Thanksgiving table decor. C-U-T-E!!

And this little elf has been busy... Our tree is up....

...and she helped with Grandmoni and Grandenny's too!

It took the whole work force to get their 18 foot!!! tree all glitzied up!

Innumerable blessings to be thank-full for as we anticipate this season of Advent!

6 Months

2011-11-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

Half a year....already!?!?!?

Among the things I am most grateful for this weekend is this little Punkin' Pie and the 6 months we've been privileged to call her our own. Gabriella ("God is my might") has already exhibited to us the awesome grace of God through the answer to prayer her little life is. Amazing for me to think of last year at this time....

It was on this very day last year that we "announced" our news to our family that we were expecting.

There were so many questions and potential "risks" ahead of us, but all of this He knew!

God is my might!

Despite a risky pregnancy and early delivery, she couldnt be more perfect! We give thanks!

Breaking tradition of waiting for your first birthday, Uncle Isaac insisted on giving Gigi her first taste of icecream on Thanksgiving.

Peppermint.

Thankfully, she is not ready to trade up from Momma's milk to Blue Bell. She was unimpressed!

OK, this picture has me absolutely in stitches laughing! Lest there be any doubt.....just because they have a camera-crazy momma, doesnt mean my children just naturally pose and smile for the camera...apparently, neither do I:)

Could we possibly be any more scattered? Oh the dozens of outtakes we go through to get the (semi) perfect family photo!

LOL!!!

Sweet little baby blue eyes....we love you so!

You're tipping the scales at just over 15 lbs. Not bad for a "preemie":)

We set up a swing and a johnny-jump-up for you this month and you LOVE it. It gives mommy a little break when I need both hands for a project, but you still love your kangaroo pouch (Baby Bjorn) most of the time.

Your on an antibiotic for your 6th ear infection right now and have caught a version of Evie's respiratory junk. But you wouldnt know it....you are one happy baby!

You are bored with laying down and constantly do these little "crunches" trying to sit up when we lay you down to play.

And you have a LOVIE! I think its so cute that you have a favorite thing to cuddle with...your monogrammed Bunny-blankie from Mrs. Whittinghill is preferred over anything else. You're such a snuggler!

Everyone comments that "their baby would never leave a bow in their hair." I tell them that when you've had a giant bow affixed to your head since you were an hour old, you dont know that it isnt permanently attached:)

(and we'd like it to stay that way Uncle Derek....dont go teaching her tricks!)

Happy 6 Month Birthday little love!

Fall is for Food!

2011-11-19T22:00:00.000-05:00

There are few things that make cold weather just a bit more bearable for me.

A blazing fire curled up next to my honey.
Evergreens strung in white twinkle lights.
My featherbed.
Simmering pot of Chili
A new candle.
Afghan and a rainy Sunday afternoon.

And Campfire Brownies!

This was one of the first things I ever learned to bake as a young girl. So easy, your 9 or 10 year old can make them with just a little supervision and help getting the pan in and out of the oven. I havent made them in ages, but Izzy was my accomplace this time and they did not disappoint.

These are ooey-gooey-goodness!

Prepare Brownies according to box instructions.

As soon as they come out of the oven, drop handfuls of chocolate chips evenly over the top and return to the oven for 2 minutes.

Remove and spread melted chocolate like frosting.

Then place halved marshmallows in even rows on top.

Place in 500 degree oven. Watch carefully so they puff up and “brown” but don’t burn.

Remove and place rows of graham crackers on top….pushing into melted marshmallow to hold.

After it sets, you can cut.

DELISH!

All the joys of camping from the comfort of your own home:)

Happy Saturday friends!

Hello Old Friend

2011-11-15T22:03:00.001-05:00

Im feeling like a terrible mother tonight!

Evie has had this mild cough for nearly 3 weeks. It has only bothered her at night. It hasnt gotten better. But it hasnt gotten worse.

Im trying to not be an alarmist with my once-fragile child. She's taken such great strides in the right direction. She is the picture of health and its so easy to overlook what its taken to get her here. I dont want to always be the overly-cautious mother hen and fret whenever she's not feeling up to par. I dont want her growing up fearful....because Mommy is fearful.
So I kept an eye on it and felt confident that it would resolve itself.

Sunday night, her cough started sounding worse to me. Reluctantly I called the pediatrician Monday morning. Their appointments were all booked, but they offered to book an emergency slot if I needed to come that day. No, no, no. I was sure she could wait for Tuesday, no problem.
Then last night was horrid. She kept waking up in coughing fits and her breathing was labored.
Vomit.
Fever.
The whole 9 yards.

Arriving at our appointment, I was already wishing Id brought her in the day before. The pediatrician looked her over and diagnosed pneumonia and a double ear infection.

Oh-NO! Poor girl!

Im trying not to beat myself up for not taking her in sooner. And trying to stifle the urge to rush her to the ER the next time she mentions a tummy ache...or stubs her toe. :)
These heart kiddos are tough cookies. When you've been through everything she has, I guess pneumonia is no biggie. She had not complained a bit!

She was given a breathing treatment and we were sent to urgent care for X-rays of her lungs.

The orderly gave her a pink hospital gown.
She said it was her favorite color:)

Home we went with 4 prescriptions for steroids, breathing treatments and antibiotics.

Hello old friend. Time to bring out Mr. Fish. This little critter on Evie's nebulizer was her constant companion the first 18 months of her life. I remember holding it through the rungs on her crib trying to give her her middle-of-the-night treatment without waking her as an infant.....and trying to constrain a restless toddler on my lap for 15 minutes several times a day.....and packing all this racket every time we went anywhere. So glad he's retired to the back shelf of the medicine cabinet and we only have to dust him off once in a while!

Thinking we may have a stay in our pajamas and watch Disney princess movies and drink hot tea kind of day tomorrow!

Say Cheese!

2011-11-12T19:02:00.000-05:00

Ive been on a bit of a blogging hiatus this week. My 'creative outlet' focus has been on editing well over a thousand photographs from my Christmas mini-sessions last weekend. I had no idea Id have so much fun with the families that showed up. There was some great family-dynamic interaction going on and I really enjoyed capturing the sibling rivalries...the tender moments...and the candid giggles on camera.

Mini Session flash drives were mailed out this morning.

Festive. no?

And Christmas came early for me too....C spoiled me with a surprise...a new lens and gave it to me early so that I can use it through the holidays. YAY!!! I had so much fun trying it out at a shoot this morning!!

Please consider "liking" Mandy Smith Studio on facebook so that you'll be in the loop with specials and upcoming session themes. Im just dizzy with ideas:)

Just a Week Late....sigh

2011-11-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

Where has the week gone? I don’t even know. We’re staying super busy. Soccer season just ended. Im teaching dance. The girls are taking gymnastics. We’re enjoying time with C home after 3 weeks in Ukraine and Central Asia. School awards for the first semester took place last week. This seasons flu shots have all been administered. Our car is in the shop with some major, expensive repairs. Gigi’s getting mobile and I cant trust her to stay put when I lay her on the bed anymore, Im loving a Beth Moore Bible study Im doing with several ladies in the neighborhood. Izzy is on the verge of reading and loves our school time every morning. Im getting lots of opportunities to experiment with photography. The laundry pile is never ending. My days are full. Happy, but full! Life is beautiful…..and busy!

They're late but I HAD to post pics of my cute kids in costume. Evie-girl cracked me up. She's been talking about wearing her red tutu dress for months, though the character that she intended to represent changed all night. She told people she was Cinderella...Gabriella (from HS Musical)...and Belle. I think she was just a generic red princess:)

Izzy, my funny little Lady Bug.

Britain, donning her pixie Tinkerbelle ensemble.

Abigail all gussied up as Audrey Hepburn.

And T-man. The one. The only. Ironman!

Uncle Raisin took it upon himself to ensure that Tristan had a super-cool macho, manly costume to bring a little balance to all the fairy wings and glitter make-up floating around our house. This was one proud kid with his laser light, mask and bodysuit.

As tough as he looks, this favorite son of mine still has a tender heart. I had to go to court yesterday to pay a fine for speeding….ummm.... yes, you remember correctly, this is not the first time Ive been stopped. (not one of my proudest moments) Guilty as charged!....

Anyway, Tristan expressed a great amount of concern regarding the fact that I had to go to court. I went to his school to meet the kids for lunch the day I was to appear in court. When I showed up at school with Gigi, he wanted to know if I was taking her to court with me.

I was….there was no alternative to leave her because I was going to be out most of the day.

“Good”. Tristan responded. “I kinda feel better that you’re taking Gigi with you. She is so cute that I know they wont put Gigi in jail”.

HA! Not sure what that says about me, but I assured him that they would not be putting Gigi OR me in the slammer for speeding.

I love that cute kid!

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-27T16:51:00.001-04:00

Happy Fall Y’all.

Admittedly, this is not my favorite season. Im still wearing flip-flops and hanging onto the last shread of summer. I don’t usually decorate for Halloween. Not a fan of the holiday in general, plus, I don’t like orange and cooling tems just aren’t my forte. This week I completed my most dreaded annual tradition…unpacking the winter clothes from the attic and putting away sundresses and tank tops until April.

.....sigh!

But, we’ve been busy making lemonade out of the lemons and Im working on my attitude about this season that comes around yearly whether I like it or not:)

Thank you Pinterest for a little tablescape inspiration. A fun use for those of you who still have dried beans and peas stashed away from Y2K:)

I was optimistic a while back and purchased a SAMS sized bag of dried pinto beans. That’s a lotta beans y’all! Even for this hungry brood. We’ve hardly made a dent! I loved the way this all looked, except that it just begs little fingers to “stir” it. The layers are becoming a little more blended as time goes by:)

Evie and I spent an unseasonably warm morning on the porch carving a pumpkin today. This girly-girl sure isn’t afraid to get those hands dirty.

Such concentration!!

But this wasn’t just any pumpkin we were carving…..

This was THE GREAT PUMPKIN!

Poor Gigi…with this camera-crazy mommy, she’s going to find herself landed in all kinds of predicaments.

I think Im stuck....can someone tell me how to get outta here?

Im (less than fondly) remembering last year at this time. I was so violently ill from the early pregnancy hormones. We hadnt told anyone yet, but Im sure suspicion arose among my closest friends. You can only come up with so many excuses for why you are backing out of all your normal activities and fainting all the time. The first person I told was Evie's speech therapist when she showed up at 10:00 one morning to work with Evie and I was still in bed.

Sick, sick, sick, sick, s-i-c-k!!

I blurted out the truth to her....absolutely at a loss for any other explanation for being curled up in bed on a school morning:)

Those awful moments when waves of nausea overcame me, I couldnt imagine what had possessed me sign up for pregnancy again.

Fast forward 12 months.....this just makes it all worthwhile!

Absolutely in love with this little Punkin!

5 Months

2011-10-23T21:19:00.000-04:00

Slow down Baby-cakes! You're growing toooo fast!

Falling more and more in love with the sweet little personality that is emerging! You are such an easy-going laid-back easy baby. I feel so spoiled when I hear of friends with babies your age who are still having sleep woes. You've been sleeping through the night since you were two weeks old and you are so content with all the activities and outings that we drag you around to. God knew we needed and easy baby for #6! You're perfect for this crazy family!

Its been another month of firsts!

You've learned to roll over.

Your favorite "chew toy" is your toes.

You've started sleeping in your crib....well....some nights.

You've become incredibly ticklish and your sisters and brother like "pushing your buttons" like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

You traveled to the beach and proved yourself a Smith...you loved it!

You went to your first movie in the theater and quite contentedly sat through the entirety of Dolphin Tale with your siblings.

You've discovered your voice. You love to just scream....as loud as you can. You're not mad. Not asking for anything. Just a shrill, loud squeal over-and-over with a big grin on your face.

You had your second ear infection this month...not good!

Our wonderful pediatrician said if you get another, she's sending us to the ENT. :(

She said she wouldnt be so worried if it was summer, but leading into fall and winter months when infection is prevalent, she's worried about repeat infections and you developing resistance to antibiotics if we continue treating one-after-the-other. She said to prepare ourselves for the possibility of you needing tubes put in. This makes me really, really sad, but I know there are worse things!

We've dealt with worse....

,,,,,ears we can handle!

She explained the higher risk of anesthesia for babies under a year and said that there is now an option of doing the procedure without anesthesia, but the details she explained sounds horrific. Dont think I could put you through that! We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Praying we wont have to make that decision and that your tiny eustachian tubes will develop and clear and that surgery wont be necessary.

....anyone else dealt with tubes? Advice?....

Im happy to say, she has grown and passed her "companions" in size....finally. Izzy and Evie think it is the funniest thing in the world to dress all the babies up together and put bows in their hair and take pictures of them together.....after all, that's what Mommy does with HER babies:)

Lil' Peanut is not the littlest one around here anymore! She weighed in this week at 14lbs!!

Gabriella has had some precious blessings from some dear people this month. A friend of mine sent her the first book in the "Gigi ~ Gods Little Princess" series. Ever since we named her, Ive had a dozen people tell me I needed to find that book and its a new favorite. Evie and Izzy ask me to read it every afternoon at naptime - precious! And this is awesome....we started receiving anonymous packages in the mail shortly after Gigi was born. HUGE boxes ordered from Amazon. No note. No indication of who they were from. But regularly and dependably. Diapers!! Would you believe it? This sweet friend (whom we discovered) has sent us a massive box of diapers every month and to this day, we've not had to buy a single pack since she was born. How spoiled are we? Such a gift!!

And a sweet God-thing....His timing.... I was getting melancholy about packing away Gigi's preemie clothes as Im pulling out her next size....then the very same day I was putting stuff in a bag to giveaway, one of my dearest childhood friends adopted a teeny-tiny 4lb. baby girl! Soooo excited for her and thrilled for these sweet little pink things to get some more snuggly wear!

Funny Faces

2011-10-16T00:19:00.001-04:00

My mother and sister came to keep me company while C was out of town this weekend. That means I got to stay in my pajamas until 10 and the kids flocked to Grandmoni’s room for stories this morning before she fixed a pancake breakfast. I love getting to be irresponsible and letting someone else be the adult in charge in my own home!

A productive day. Primer coat of paint on a bathroom, a magic show put on by the twins (complete with an admission fee and concessions:) and baking and decorating 4 dozen Jack-o-lantern cookies.These are a family tradition….so yummy!
Only in the south can you have a Halloween cookie workshop outside in October. This is why I love this place!!

Someday, Ill make them all by myself and they will actually resemble faces rather than explosions of orange frosting peppered with chocolate chips. Izzy proudly held up her pumpkin cookie containing no less than 4 candy corn pieces and 3 even rows of 5 chocolate chips and exclaimed “isn’t he cute?”

But, you get the idea

Regardless of how they look, these are the best-tasting cookies…….ever! Mother still sends them to my 20-something year old brothers every Halloween and they LOVE them.

2 C. Butter (softened)

12 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

2 C. Sugar

2 t. Vanilla

4 C. Flour

2 T Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

2 C. Oatmeal (quick oats)

Cream first two ingredients. Add sugar and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then add to butter mixture. Form into pumpkins* on cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 mins.

Frost with orange tinted frosting and make faces out of candy corn, raisins, chocolate chips.

* We use this same recipe and make heart-shaped Valentine cookies in February. Substitute pink frosting and red-hots, conversation hearts and sprinkles.

Best served with a very tall glass of cold milk.

Mmmmm.....mmmmmm....goodness!

And speaking of delicious....how cute is she?

Usurping my authority, Mother gave Gigi her first taste of sugar....a tiny dab of orange frosting.

Silly Grandmoni!

Look at those thighs...she clearly doesnt need any additional calories!!

All tuckered out from her first big cookie projected.

Lots more of those to come little peanut!

Our Life in Ukraine

2011-10-14T16:18:00.000-04:00

Teaming up with Kelly's Show Us Your Life "International Day"

Many of you "met" us when this blog began with our very sick baby girl.
While Ive alluded to it before, Ive never really shared about the years leading up to Evie's birth.

In 2003, C and I had been married only two years and had twin babies when God led our little (growing) family to serve as missionaries in Ukraine. In faith, we began raising support, which the Lord graciously provided in a brief 6 months for us to go.

Our initial commitment was 2 years.
....which turned into 5.

En route to our new home, we layed-over in London for two days where we celebrated the twins first birthday.
...and contracted chicken-pox!
Arriving in the post-soviet city of Kiev was bewildering. I remember the hazy feeling of jet-lag and sheer exhaustion after a transatlantic flight with two fussy sick babies and carting 9 bags through customs. We landed in a temporary home and lived out of suitcases for 6 weeks until we could find an apartment to rent. Within a week of arriving, we discovered that we were expecting another baby.
Our joy quickly turned to sorrow as it became apparent at 12 weeks that I was loosing the baby.
Barnone, this was one of the most grievous experiences of my life. But God met us even in what felt like the most desolate place and confirmed His presence, His promises, and that He had not abandoned us!

Our first two years were really a struggle and taxed us emotionally and in our marriage. C was traveling 40% of the time. My two toddlers were my only companions. Navigating the city with trains and underground metros with a double-stroller in the bleak, cold winters made for some very tearful days! Snow fell September - April. When the temp dipped to -30, this southern girl thought she was going to freeze to death! I need sunshine to bloom and this country has a shortage of that! Looking back, I wonder if I may have been affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder. Gray buildings, stark landscape, clouded skies. But looking back, C and I have often said that if we could endure what we did the first years there, we can endure anything! The enormous stresses on our life brought a lot to the surface and drew us closer together!

I remember feeling a tremendous sense of guilt whenever supporter and friends at home asked if we really loved Ukraine, because I had to answer honestly, no. We werent there because we loved it, we were there because we felt that was where God wanted us at that time. It was a window of time that God was doing very exciting things in the country and we felt privileged to be a part of that, but it didnt mean we felt a natural "connection" to that place. I had traveled the world a great deal and love new cultures and countries....Bosnia, Croatia, England, Scotland, Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Egypt....but Ukraine was a very different place to live. The post-comunist mentality runs deep. There is a rough exterior and a seeming distrust. Life is hard on the people there and it takes a toll on them in every aspect of life! Families are shattered by alcoholism and drug abuse. Thousands of children roamed the streets...making their home on sewage pipes to stay warm and sniffing glue to numb the pain. The orphans we worked closely with to rehabilitate had all fled to the streets to escape abusive homes. Their stories horrendous! It was a dark and lonely season, but our relationship with these precious children tugged at my heart and softened me to this country.

It took time...and a lot of prayer...but our last few years there were much different. Once relationships are established and you earned the Ukrainians trust, they were very, very loyal people. Our precious landlords become some of our dearest friends....an older couple who had lost their only child to cancer. They took us under their wing and Demetri was the first one I called the night Abi (3) swallowed Drain-O. He rode with us in the ambulance and translated for us at this hospital as her chemical burns were treated.

Slowly, things became less "painful" and more humorous and I learned how to do so many things that I normally just take for granted.
~Like walking out our apartment building every morning and finding an entire pig carcass the local butcher had strewn on a table and was selling. Head and all.
~Dinner date with C to....drumroll please....McDonalds (because it was a taste of home!)
~Getting stuck in our apartment elevator that routinely broke down...groceries, babies and all. A great chance to practice language skills with the neighbors.
~Or taking 13 flights of stairs when the elevator was out.
~Learning to can and preserve. When strawberries reached their peek, an entire flat could be purchased for $4.
~Becoming resourceful...boiling water for an hour before bath time for the kids when the hot water shut off every summer.
~Birthing two babies in hospitals that we had to bribe the doctor monetarily to allow C to attend the birth (its just not something they typically allow:)

We returned home just prior to Evie being born in 2008. After her birth and the surprise of her heart condition, medical issues required an immediate and permanent move back to the states. All in all, it was an amazing experience and while it was hard, I would do it all over again! In fact, we are still very open to God sending our family back overseas. We are currently full time missionaries based state side. C spends a great deal of time traveling for work in a number of countries. When we went to Ukraine, we were young, ambitious...and naive. The stakes would be higher this time I think. The kids are older that uprooting them would be hard, and taking 6 kids would be a greater endeavor than taking 2 kids, but we'd do it! We'd go under the assurance that where He leads, He has always gone before and prepared the way!

Mom Decoded Cheat Sheet

2011-10-13T21:20:00.000-04:00

My kids insist it happened.
Humbly I concede. They're probably right.
Driving home from a dentist appointment, in the rain, 6 kids in the car, mind wandering to dinner preparations and making a mental checklist for grocery shopping the next day, apparently my kids took full advantage of my less-than-coherant state.
Intending to seem engaged and attentive to their chatter, allegedly through a series of nods and "u-huh's", I agreed to buying each of them a personal pan pizza.

....and a unicorn.

Distracted?
Ya think?

Got me thinking of the things we as moms dont say that we meant to say....or say that really mean something else...
And so I offer, to our poor kids, a "mom decoded" cheat sheet.

Here's what she really means when she says:

1) "Would you like to ____"
This is traditionally followed by, "____help me sort sock?" or "____clean your room?". Word to the wise, regardless of what you'd like to do, the answer to this is "yes!"
(with a smile and a willing heart of course!)

2) "What were you thinking?"
An acceptable answer is not, "I dont know". An apology is typically appropriate right about now.
I remember my siblings and I driving our poor mother crazy with this one. After blank stares and shrugged shoulders from us, she'd prompt; "...Im sorry?...drop dead?...go jump in the lake?"
My gutsy brother called her bluff and tried "go jump in the lake" once.

Only once.

3) "We'll talk about it later"
Trust me. You dont want to drive her to this point. This means that what she wants to say to you cannot be said in the company you are in. It means a storm is brewing.

4) "What do you want to say?"
This implies a question, but dont be fooled. What you want to say about the Bunny-foot-pink-pajama set from Aunt Clara or the big wet one the church pianist planted on your cheek would best be kept to yourself. The expectation is that you'll smile serenely and express appropriate gratitude.

5) "If you dont _____, I will ___!"
She probably doesnt mean it....
...But you dont want to find out.

This may be whispered to you through a forced smile if your answer to #4 is not the right one.

6) "Do you really think thats a good idea?"

Answer no!

Quickly!

7) "Just give me five minutes"
Use this timeframe loosely. It will likely be longer.
A true 5 minutes only applies when she's telling you how long you have to watch TV before you need to come unload the dishwasher.

8) "Hurry!"
Never mind this one. It will be a foreign concept until you are much older and nothing she can do or say is likely to accelerate your comprehension of this verb.

9) "I mean it"
Words are superlative really. Her eyebrows stapled to her hairline when she hisses this will leave you in no doubt that she means it!

10) "What did you just say"
Whatever it was that you actually said, you dont want to repeat. Think quickly and spout off something totally irrelevant that rhymes with the phrase you just said.

11) "Because I said so"
Her answer when you ask "why". It means she doesnt have a good reason and it means the conversation is over!
This gets tricky. While she may use this as a response to your "why", do not ever...under any circumstances...use it when the roles are reversed! Failure to adhere to this guideline will result in #10.

12) "Ill think about it"
This is what she says to buy some time. Its code for "I hope you forget about it".

13) Blank stare
As exemplified above, this means the lights are on but no one is home.
Now would be an excellent time to ask for a puppy!

No Greater Joy

2011-10-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

We'd seen it taking root.

Over the past few weeks C and I had noticed a change in her heart....sensitive....inquisitive....open.

Spiritually aware.

Seeds have long been planted. Cultivation and nurturing has been intentional. But mostly just prayer.

Prayer knowing that in His time, He would bring to fruition the seeds that have been sewn.

There have been many conversations.

Reflective moments.

And questions....innocent, sincere, faith-like-a-child questions.

Tenderly, sprouts have taken shape. Growth. Fresh...green....new.

Sunday night, tucking her in, she asked for her Daddy.

Shy smile.

"I want him to help me invite Jesus into my heart".

And daddy who's unshakable faith has weathered many storms and whose strong shoulders she has often seen bowed in prayer, took her hands and led her.

She confessed sin. And asked Jesus to make her heart clean. And gave her life to the Lord.

Simple.

Sincere.

But no other decision in her life will have such profound implications!

The prayer we've prayed for her since before she was born....answered! Praising Jesus! Indeed, there is no greater joy than seeing your child choose to walk with the Lord.

Out of the mouths of babes.

And there is fruit!!

New life.

And the promise of eternity.

3 John 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth"

Britain, this marks your most special birthday ever! Your new life in Christ. We are so happy you've chosen to give your life to the Lord and follow him. May you never loose the joy and enthusiasm about Jesus that you feel in your heart today!

Speaking of Britain and Birthdays, I forgot to share this last week.

We have a new favorite cupcake recipe in our house.

"Zebra Pudding Cupcakes"

Since Oreos are one of the major food groups in my book this recipe begs to be posted.

We made these for her class a while back and they were delish and super easy to whip up.

Start by twisting Oreos apart and placing one half frosting side up in the bottom of cupcake liners.

Save the other halves.

(or dunk a couple in milk and sample while you bake)

Select a white box-cake and prepare according to directions with a couple variations:

1) instead of water, substitute milk and add 2/3 cup more milk than recommended.

2) add a large box of vanilla pudding to the mixture

Add recommended oil and egg.

Lastly, chop remaining Oreo halves and extra Oreos into quarters and add to mixture.

After baking your cupcakes, top with cream cheese frosting:

1 pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter

1/2 t. vanilla

2 T. milk

Box powdered sugar.

Mix till smooth and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if necessary. Pipe onto cupcakes after they have cooled.

Garnish with more Oreo pieces..... (I told you I take Oreos very seriously!)

Cupcake wrappers and toppers just optional and fun:)

Serve with cold milk.

You've had a big week sweet girl. Happy Birthday and Happy "Re-birth"day!

Good CLEAN Fun!

2011-10-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

Hey Columbia friends....I only have 2 spaces left for shooting Christmas Mini-Sessions. If you'd like photographs of your family to print, enlarge or use for Christmas cards, these sessions are at a special rate just for this purpose. They will be reduced price family-friendly, short and sweet mini-sessions that I anticipate will be a lot of fun! Join us one of the first two Saturdays in November to get some fun family photos! Contact me to reserve one of the last slots.

smithmandy@mac.com

Mandy Smith Studio Photography Facebook Page

On another note...looking for something fun to do with the kiddos home from school on this dreary Columbus Day? These are a tradition in our house and the kids have a blast every year making a super clean mess...

Soap Boats!

Grab some Ivory soap...(this is key as its the only soap that floats!)

Give kiddos plastic knives and let them whittle their own Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.

Carve off corners and round the bar into "ship-shape"

Next, hollow out the middle...

...taking care not to do this....

If you do find that your little one is a little overly ambitious with the knife (and it becomes not-so-sea-worthy), simply use soap shavings to plug the hole.

Attach sails to popsicle sticks or toothpicks.

And if you're like me, you'll have at least one non-conformist child (can you guess who?) who will want to title their own ship.

Fill a huge bin with water or let your little ones spend an hour in the bath sailing their fleet of ships!

Simply shake off shavings and throw drop cloth in the washer....no laundry soap necessary:)

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!