1 November 2015

The choices you make now will impact you and all your future generations. -Jenny Oaks Baker

Nobody who gave his best ever regretted it.

The worst disability in life is a bad attitude.

The mantle of leadership is not the cloak of comfort.  It is the robe of responsibility.

Events/Birthdays

October
8  Cort and Alicia wedding anniversary
12 Sawyer Smith
14 Ethan Webber
17 Robbie Smith
18 Charlotte Bailey and Dodie Blake
21 Amalie Webber
23 Ewan Mordacai-Smith and Harper Thomas
29 EmmaLee Smith
November
5 Sam Ouimette
6 Makenna Smith and Katie Blake
8 would have been Verna Smith's birthday.
13 Rachel Hyatt
15 Olene Walker and Elijah Ricks
16 Aubrie Campbell
18 Jeff Mordechai-Smith and Ginger Brakke
20 Kenny Barlow
21 Mariah Smith and Candy and Phil's Anniversary
23 Katie and Connor's anniversary
27 Nena Slightling
28 Cassidy Campbell


Updates from families...

From MaryAnne--in March, we moved to the North Ranches of Eagle Mountain (west of Saratoga Springs), where there is wide open land and no city lights.  I guess everybody thought the same thing we did, because within the ward, east of us, we have had several sub-divisions explode in the area.  Our ward had over 800 people, which made it seem like stake conference every week.  The ward just split last week, with the new bishop being here only a couple months.  Today was our first meeting, and most of it was taken up with the sustaining of new leadership callings.  Val was made the High Priest group leader.  What an opportunity!

While we were waiting for our house to be built, we lived in a tiny camper for 5 months in the driveway of Val's daughter, Jill.  Now that their house sold, they are living with us.  We're so lucky to have Mark and Jill, and their 4 kids with us, ranging from 8 to 17 yrs old.  It's been wonderful having a house full of family again!!  I really miss having my own kids around, so it's a blessing Val's kids are so good about pulling me into theirs.

  

School has started again... my 29th year of teaching.  Next year will be my last, so I'm making the most of it.  Here's the funniest part about it all.  My first several years of teaching, I taught with blackboards and white chalk.  The day we got colored chalk made the world shine with color!  Then technology came to the classroom.  I've taught with blackboards, white boards, document projectors, and now a SMART board.  I remember my first Apple computer in the classroom (yes, before Macs) where the students could practice math facts.  It was totally cool!  Now all their tests are done in the computer lab, and we're getting Chromebooks for every student soon.  From blackboards to SMART boards, not bad, huh?  Oh, one more thought.  Paul and Verna let me drive the "Mink Mobile" when I was getting my teaching degree.  And Verna babysat Cortney and Linds, who was a newborn, while I was at school.  Over thirty years of wonderful memories!

Of course, I have to mention my baby horse.  It is such a treat to look out the window to see her.  I am truly blessed.  A sweet husband, two wonderful families, a beautiful home, and a pony in my backyard.  I am one lucky girl!!  It really is true.  When you stay close to the Lord and serve others, even in extremely difficult life circumstances, He will truly bless you with all your heart's desires.  I am a living testimony of this!!  I especially love my family, including my Smith family, for the love and support they have given me throughout all my trying years.  I am now living a life of joy and happiness!! 

Lissa (and Severin)--At the beginning of July we took a nice almost two week trip up to Rochester.  Severin's brothers and their wives were all involved in the Hill Cumorah Pageant so we wanted to go up and see everybody while they were in town.  We went and saw the Hill Cumorah Pageant three different times while we were there.  Hamilton especially enjoyed seeing all the scripture stories enacted each time.  He also really liked King Noah's costume, so we made sure to snap a picture with him one night before the show. [SP: One of these days, I'm going to convince Liss that we should participate in the pageant as a family. One of these days....]

Severin and I went to a school tour of The Anderson School, where we are sending Hamilton for Kindergarten.  It was very impressive and we are excited for him to be going there!   [SP: Liss is so nonchalant here - it's amusing. For those that have been following along in our school saga, you'll know that getting a child into school here in the city is a ridiculous process. We were blessed to have two really good options for Hamilton and at the end we decided on The Anderson School (PS 334). It's one of three citywide GT schools here in Manhattan and it's ranked as the best public elementary school in the state of New York. I could go on ad nauseam about how complicated the process is, what the odds are, how special (we think) Hammy is, and how blessed we feel, but suffice it to say that a miracle was worked in our favor and God must want us in this city for a little longer.]

A few days after my birthday, a friend in the ward offered to watch the boys for us so we could have a little belated birthday date.  We went to my favorite burger place here, Joy Burger Bar, then got dessert nearby at My NY Bakery.  It was all delicious, and nice to have some time on our own without the kids!  (I also should mention here that Severin planned an awesome 30th birthday for me....he made me an amazing dinner and then had a "30 for 30" thing he did.  30 different little gifts, each with a note about something he loves about me.  It made my birthday last for over a month, and he came up with great gifts--I loved them all!  He is a super sweet, thoughtful guy.  I, on the hand, am totally lame.  I completely spaced Father's Day until late the night before.  Go me.) [SP: I go to ESPN for my inspiration:]

While Severin was practically living at his office during busy season, the boys and I went out to Utah for four weeks.  We always have such a great time seeing so many cousins, aunts, and uncles, and especially spending time with grandma and grandpa. [SP: It's lonely without them, but nice for the boys to have such fun summer adventures.]  To celebrate Pioneer Day, we went on a big family hike at Silver Lake.  It has a nice path/boardwalk around the whole lake so it was perfect for all the little ones.  While the old guys all went on the man hike, the women and kids stayed at the cabin.  The kids loved being able to ride the little zip line, play in the cousins clubhouse and on the playground, and explore down by the creek.  The moms just enjoyed watching some great chick flicks together! 

The three little toddler boys all had fire truck shirts, so we had to make sure to snag a picture of them together!

Katie--It’s been so fun to have college football season begin, so we’ve enjoyed watching the BYU games. 
Now that Emmeline’s in school, we don’t do as many fun outings anymore, but we do have a lot of time just hanging out at home in the afternoon. We did manage to go to the children’s museum once this month. We also try to go to the library once a week.

The highlight of our month was a trip to California. It was a super short trip—we headed there late Friday afternoon and headed back home first-thing Sunday morning. The purpose of our trip was to go to the BYU-UCLA game Saturday night. We stayed with my grandma, so we got there late Friday night. Then on Saturday, Connor, Emmeline, and I went to Seal Beach. We had fun playing in the sand and water and then walked down to the shell shop they have to get a little souvenir. (Emmeline picked a mermaid barbie. I was really trying to get her to pick an actual shell souvenir, but I finally let it go. I got myself a bracelet to fulfill my desire for a more authentic souvenir.) Then we went to Chik-fil-a for lunch before heading back to my grandma’s house. Then we just chatted with my grandma, made homemade lemonade, and hung out around the house. Then in the later afternoon, we left Emmeline with my grandma, and Connor and I headed to the BYU game. We met up with our friends Bryce and Camie (who also drove down from Las Vegas) and had a lot of fun at the game. There was a pretty big and excited BYU section, and it was a good game. Unfortunately we lost by 1 point, but we still had a great time.

Emmeline took art classes once a week this month (the same place where she did art camp this summer). She really wanted to do it and was so excited, but once the time came, she started having her anticipatory anxiety and getting really worried about it.  I think a lot of her nervousness is that she’s one of the youngest kids there, and she works side by side with kids anywhere between 5 and 11. So she sees 11-year-olds doing better work and needing less help, and she tells me, “I’m the only one who needs help!” I try to explain that it’s okay since she’s only 5, but somehow she can’t cope with it. But she did some really cool projects again and learned a lot.

Carol-- Halloween is sure a lot more fun when you have kids around.  Yesterday was a bore basically.  But we had fun the night before when we drove up to Natalie's ward's Trunk or Treat. 

All our grandkids were adorable in their costumes. Emmeline was Alice in Wonderland. 

  Natalie's family was themed.  Adelaide was Annie, Truman-Daddy Warbucks and Benson-Sandy

My "big" news is that after this newsletter, I will be suspending writing it. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS AS TO WHY!!

I always LOVED my Mom's letters.  It is the way I kept up with my aunts, uncles and cousins.  I looked forward to it and read it carefully.  That is why I told Mom I would continue the letter when she passed.  I have tried hard.  I never really believed Mom when she said she set aside almost the whole day when she did the letter each week.  But it's true.  It takes me from 2-5 hours to do a newsletter.  I do it on Sunday and it is a perfect time and perfect thing to do on Sunday.

But now the reason I am suspending.  I have written about 55 newsletters over nearly 3 years.  Each post is usually viewed 45-100 times.  My parents have 5 kids in their families, and there are dozens and dozens of cousins, aunts and uncles, etc.  But I am writing the posts almost entirely about 4-6 families, all those contributors are granddaughters of Paul and Verna.  Additionally, I sometimes get updates from an additional 4 granddaughters.  And occasional updates from all 8 of my siblings.  All this makes writing a family newsletter great. But it is nearly 100% about Paul and Verna's family.

In that 55 posts and nearly 3 years, I have had one update each from 2 aunts and three updates from 2 cousins.  Yes  Only 5 updates from 4 people in all that time. No updates from any of you for missions, weddings, new children and grandchildren.  Nothing on trips, new jobs, health concerns or moves.  This is no longer a way to keep all the cousins/aunts/uncles/ connected and informed. It just isnt happening.  I hope my mother understands.  Its impossible to write this with no news, and yet a feeling of guilt is ever present when I dont write. 

I will still be happy to send out updates or important life events if I get any.  But for now, thank you for letting me send this into your home.  I hope, HOPE, HOPE I will still see you every year or two (or three) when we come to Utah and have a family dinner.  Please come so I can continue to catch up.  The older I get, the more my family means to me.  And yet, the further we all slip away from each other.

Always remember family.  Mom would want that. And of course...

work hard, study hard, pray hard.

Carol