Christmas Eve

Loved having Christmas Eve on a Sunday this year. Got to dress up for church with the family and pose for pictures by the tree. 

Thankful 13

So proud of Kent for training hard and completing the Thankful 13 Half Marathon on Thanksgiving morning. Nearly 3000 runners in that race, so inspiring! The course is on 1500 N, right past our house, Stefanie and I watched them from our back deck.  We joined in on the last 3 miles--Stefanie even accepted a medal, haha!

Lehi State Champs

Went to the game tonight at Rice-Eccles Stadium to see our Lehi Pioneers become state champions. So fun to watch them beat our biggest rivals, the new school built just across town, an East vs. West showdown. We are a little envious that when my kids were in high school they never got to celebrate a winning football season, could barely get any wins. Then the year AFTER my last kid graduates they become State Champs!  What?? But I guess once a pioneer, always a Pioneer, and along with that the right to feel a part of every victory. Congratulations LEHI!!! 

Rachel's Baby Shower

Rachel had a beautiful baby shower today! Such wonderful gifts, and so fun to visit with all the people who love her. My heart is full.

Halloween 2017

I had so much fun dressing up like Little Red Riding Hood, and doing a photo shoot with my "wolf"!  

The awesome and exhausted first grade team at Lehi Elementary!

And Kent is looking fierce as Prince! 

Fall Break in San Francisco

Kent and I had such a wonderful trip to San Francisco for Fall Break! It was our first visit to this beautiful, historic city. 

We rode a ferry to a cute little town called Sausalito.

Postcard Row

From the observatory in Golden Gate Park. What a view!

On the top of Coit Tower.

China Town

Hard to believe this lush, beautiful park is in the middle of the city!

Loved seeing and riding the cable cars up and down those steep San Francisco streets.

Lombard Street--known as the crookedest street in America.

We rented bikes and rode them through Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean.

The exterior of Grace Cathedral

Stunning interior of Grace Cathedral. The huge stain glass windows were gorgeous!

Palace of Fine Arts

The loud and cute barking sea lions on Pier 39.

Kent took this picture!  Beautiful San Francisco skyline.

Gender Reveal: It's a Girl!!!

Exciting News!!

Things I'm Loving:  A Summer List:

-my backyard oasis

-sitting in my new porch swing

-evenings sitting on the deck under new patio lights

-bowls of fresh, cold, bitesized watermelon

-watching my husband working in the yard

-never feeling cold

-stunning sunsets

-lazy days with nothing too dramatic happening

-Fridays at the temple with my sweetheart

-a break from school and time to plan ahead

-plenty of sleep

-

*Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy lifeMarcus Aurelius

Ward Spotlight

Kent and Janeal Smith Family

Our family story began many years ago when Kent and I were students at BYU. Kent had recently returned from his mission to Louisiana, I was beginning my third year of college. Our paths crossed as we lived in the same ward, both of us majoring in education. Kent was a city boy from Chicago, me a small town girl from Idaho. Opposites attract! We dated for several months, got engaged at the end of the school year and married the next summer.

We have been blessed with three amazing kids, we can hardly believe they are all grown up!  Rachel is our oldest, she is married to our awesome son-in-law, George. They live here in Lehi so we get to see them almost every day. They are both working and going to school. George is a talented handiman, he loves doing projects around our house. Rachel loves interior design so between the two of them they are whipping our house into shape!

Our son Braden loves athletics and adventure. He was a soccer star at Lehi High School, served a mission in Honduras, then went to college on a soccer scholarship in Rock Springs, Wyoming. This summer he is in San Antonio doing summer sales with his college soccer buddies. He never sits still for long! We are so excited he will be coming home in the fall to go to school at UVU.

Our “baby” Stefanie just graduated from Lehi high school and is looking forward to moving out on her own. She wants to become a nurse and is finalizing college plans. She has worked for two years at Greek Souvlaki near Thanksgiving Point, go see her if you are in the mood for a gyro or baklava. We knew nothing about Greek food before she started working there, now we are all big fans!

Kent works at Copper Hills High School in West Jordan teaching medical anatomy and physiology, but his true love is coaching basketball, track and cross country. I love my job as a first grade teacher at Lehi Elementary. Our family loves playing together, especially snow skiing and snorkeling. We have lived in the Jordan River ward for over 15 years. We love it here and could not have picked a better neighborhood and ward to raise our family.

Jamaica, 2017

Jamaicahhhhhh.  Here are the highlights...

*snorkeling