Project 365... week one!

 I've decided to try another year of Project 365.
I did this challenge back in 2012, but took a break in 2013.

While it can sometimes be a little overwhelming, it's so rewarding to try and capture the day in a photo AND it's fun to look back and see a years worth of photos and memories and especially see how much your kids grow up in a year.

I've captured a few more photos than "one a day" 
(mainly, because some days were more exciting than others).

Here's to a GREAT year of photos and memories!

2014-01-01
Freshly fallen snow...
a clean slate for a new year!

 2014-01-02
I SPY...
the face of a sweet hubby 
staring back at me through the hole in the snow pile!
(noticed this cool place to take a photo when we pulled up to Tracy's work)

 "Take your wife to work day"!
Our boys had to go back to school today
(BOO...no fun for them!)
and so Tracy took me to work with him.
SO much fun... we had a ball!

 

Goals for 2014...

Simple is the best!

After taking care of some things at the office,
 Tracy and I went and splurged on lunch at Chiz's.
Delicious shrimp & the boiled egg on my Chef's salad 
was even a "double yolker"!
 I'm quite certain that's a sign this is going to be a prosperous year
2014-01-03
We've had a warming trend the past few days.
Noticed this as I was stepping out of the car in our driveway...
love how the snow, ice and rocks looked together!
It's like a piece of art! 

 Weekend sunrise...

Weekend sunset...

2014-01-04
The sunshine lit up our room beautifully Saturday afternoon.
Best part about this photo? The sweet guy in the background that's washing dishes while I dry them!! The sun is shining brightly in the window while we stand and talk and work! This is one of the many benefits from having a broken dishwasher.
Life is SO good!!

2014-01-05
First Smith family snapshot of 2014!
The first time we dressed up and my men donned shirts and ties for the year!
I love these handsome men!

SO my friends, I encourage you all to get out there and capture your world through photos!
You won't regret all of the wonderful memories you'll preserve by taking a photo a day!
Life's too short not to capture each and every moment that you can!

Surgery in December

This bearded man is truly the 
most sweet, kind-hearted, caring and giving man that I know!

This past week was probably near the top of his most stressful weeks thus far. Not only did he have to assume his normal responsibilities, (which were crazier than normal, due to snow days and power outages), but, had to don the hat of mom, chauffeur, nurse and cook when I had my knee surgery all while dealing with a scout campout, work stress, a bad, deep cough, etc... He came through with everything in flying colors!

He treats me like a queen, in every sense of the word and last night as we snuggled on the couch with the kids and watched "It's A Wonderful Life", I got teary-eyed thinking of how my sweet Tracy is SO much like George Bailey... Always doing for others and sometimes putting his own life goals on the back burner because he's such a great family man (and maybe even losing it from time to time). 

I don't know a sweeter man in this world and I just LOVE and adore him more than anything, or anyone! I just feel SO grateful that I'm the lucky one that gets to have this guy by my side in this wonderful journey of life! I'm so happy to be feeling much better so I can be by your side once again, helping out and enjoying life together to the fullest Mr. Smith!!

Friday, December 13th, 2013 at 8:15 am
Kimmie had knee surgery to repair
 a torn meniscus and to drain a Baker's Cyst.
Surgery went well, however, I'm what they call a "light-weighter" and it took me close to 5 hours to be able to wake up enough to be able to go home.

Tracy made the following comment about this photo:  
"She won't wake up, I wonder if they'll haul her to the Jefferson Institute". 
(referencing the movie "Coma")

I was pretty out of it for the first 2 days.
I think the anesthesia stayed in my body much longer than it does for most people.
We had SO many wonderful people bring in meals to us and check in on us. I felt kind of guilty, but, it was SO nice for Tracy and the boys to not have to deal with fixing dinner for a few nights.
We are truly blessed beyond measure!

Monday December 16th...
Checking out my knee for the first time...
OUCH! 

 I made it through the most stressful week of my life 
AFTER my knee surgery.
I had to do a Pack Night for my Cub Scouts 
and sit in on my last 2 PE classes before Christmas Break.
However, after I got those behind me, I was able to take it easy and relax and let my body heal.

(AND I also made thank you notes and treats to 
deliver to all of the people that showed kindness to us during this trying time)

Monday December 23rd...
We met with the doctor to see how I was healing.
He told us that the anterior lateral horn of meniscus had a severe tear, requiring removal of 80% of the thickness. Medial side was 30%.
I also have stage 3 arthritis in my knee.  
(they rate it 1-4), 
so most definitely in the next 10-15 years I'll be needing to have a knee replacement. 
AND, my Baker's Cyst has returned.
However, we're hoping that with a few months of NSAID's 
(non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug)
 the swelling will go down.  
We'll see how things are when I see my doctor again on January 21st. We're most definitely hoping for the best! 

Life is good.

I'm healing.
I've been given the go-ahead to Cross Country ski, which makes me want to jump up for JOY!

However, all high-impact exercises are out of the picture for participation (like running, Zumba, down hill skiing, etc...)
I can however, show my PE kids
 jumping jacks and how to "Skip rope", as long as I do it in moderation.

So very grateful for my wonderful husband who has been such a ROCK and pillar of strength to me through all of this!
I can truly say that I'm the luckiest girl on planet earth!

Love and adore him...
and I LOVE his winter beard!

The perfect "Black Friday" weekend...

"Black Friday?  

Nope...
with a PERFECT Thanksgiving Day behind us, 
we're looking forward to Badass Friday in the Smith home!"
~~Tracy Smith

Black Friday was gorgeous!

As we looked at the five-day forecast, 

we realized that we only had 2 more days of good weather, 

before a winter storm rolled in!

We decided we wanted to enjoy our V-Strom as much as we could, before it would have to be cooped up in the garage for the winter!

Mr. Smith took us all on a motorbike ride! 

It was the perfect way to spend the day after Thanksgiving!
No consumerism and excess spending for this family!  

Ethan went first...

He had the TIME of his life!!

Jade decided he didn't want to go out today,

 so, next it was my turn...

We enjoyed some riding and then stopped 
and enjoyed some cocoa and Holiday Pie at McDonald's.
Here I am, 
checking in with the kids
 and talking to Ethan on the phone!

 Gorgeous fall weather...

Gorgeous sunset...

The perfect ending to Black Friday 2013!  

(Menan Butte in the background)

SATURDAY

November 30th...

We awoke and enjoyed a yummy breakfast and then got on our hiking clothes, filled our backpacks with some snacks and water and decided to head to the Menan Butte and enjoy one last hike of the year!  

WOW! 

The weather couldn't have been more perfect...

blue sky and sunshine and a gorgeous view when we got to the top!

 The scenery up here felt like we were 
in Southern, Utah, not, Rexburg, Idaho

Ethan scrambled to the top of anything he could climb today!
What a FUN place for kids to explore!

 Tracy is boiling water for TEA!

Felt SO good to warm up... 

 Leftover Thanksgiving Pie 
never tasted so good! 

 Tracy's such a patient and awesome dad...
Here he is trying to point out some places in Rexburg, to Ethan.

 My three favorite guys!
(I love your beard SO much Tracy!)

Such a gorgeous view!
I can't believe this is where we live!

 PRICELESS!

 One last view before 
we start heading back to the car..

 And of course, Ethan climbed yet, another large rock formation! 
Perfect, Perfect day of hiking together!

 We got home from our hike just in time to shower up 
and make it to an Eagle Court of Honor for one of Tracy's great Scouts! 

Sunday, the snow came down!
We reflected on three wonderful days, 
where we EMBRACED adventure...
where we bundled up and enjoyed 
some motor bike rides and a wonderful hike!
Where we added more wonderful memories and adventures to our life instead of excess clutter from shopping!
It was a perfect 5 days together as a family!

We enjoyed our Sunday afternoon with one of our favorites, that of soaking in the HOT water at Heise Hot springs and then we enjoyed yummy, delicious pizza afterwards!

Happy, wonderful and adventurous life!
Now we have SNOWY cross- country skiing adventures to look forward to!
(However, I can't wait until the roads are clear once again and we're suiting up and going out on the V-strom motorbike again. 
I LOVE IT it so much!!)

Adventure and FUN on our Thanksgiving Break!

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving 2013 has come and gone and here we are starting the 2nd week of December!  
We have LOTS of snow right now, 
school has been cancelled for 4 days in a row and we are experiencing below zero and single digits temperatures!  

So grateful for the wonderful weather 
we had on Thanksgiving week!

YES, it was only in the high 30's and low 40's, but that is WARM compared to what we are dealing with right now!

We had 5 days off from work and school together!
It was just AWESOME!  
I'm mostly grateful that we embraced the weather and ENJOYED the week to the fullest!

Mr. Smith came home on Tuesday evening and took me for a ride around the block on our NEW toy!
I was in heaven!
(I LOVE my hubby's 

"No-Shave November" beard.  

He's looking  pretty HOT!

We lounged on Wednesday in our jammies and slippers and read books, watched movies and Mr. Smith couldn't help, at least START his motorbike, despite the chilly weather!

I awoke Thanksgiving morning to a quiet house as everyone slept in. It was nice to be alone to my thoughts and so much fun to get the food ready and the table decorated so when my men awoke for the day, it was a SURPRISE!  

It was beautiful outside and as I looked at the contrails in the sky, I couldn't help but think that people were on planes, excited to be spending the holidays with family and friends!  

Our table looked so beautiful in the morning sunshine...

Going to the Tabernacle
 to hear the Thanksgiving Morning Program....
was the highlight of our morning!
Grateful for hubby and sons that humor me and go to it!

Such beautiful music and words
 were sung and spoken!

Tracy told us to keep our meal simple this year 
and so instead of making rolls, 
we made Grilled Texas Toast instead! 
It was a simple delicious meal, 
shared with my three favorite people!

I told Tracy the only thing I wanted for Thanksgiving day, 
was to enjoy an adventure ride with him on our V-Strom!
So we bundled up and off we went!

The road of adventure is always a JOY!

I just love being behind this awesome guy as we ride and explore together!

Absolutely gorgeous sunset we enjoyed 
on a road that is just a little ways from where we live!
The Menan Buttes are highlighted 
and the distant mountains are the Lemhi range.
This photo is just awesome!

No Thanksgiving day would be complete without PIE!
Coconut Cream,
Apple Huckleberry 
and Cherry Pie 
were on the menu and very much enjoyed!

Our day ended with the most gorgeous and vibrant sunset!

(part 2, here)