Happy Birthday, Laila!

Today is Laila's birthday! She turned 6 today, and my heart is feeling so bittersweet! Each day she grows into a more beautiful little girl than I ever imagined! She lights a fire in my heart I never knew existed, she makes me want to be a better person. On the same token, Laila is growing so quickly I can't believe my eyes. There are days she talks to me like she's a grown-up, and I have to remind myself she's just a child, and she needs to enjoy this time!


Since today was a Monday, we decided to play it low key for her birthday and just have a little celebration at home. I let her pick what we had for dinner, and we went to Yogurt Jungle for frozen yogurt for dessert! She chose to have pierogi, a personal favorite of mine, and I spent a good portion of the afternoon making dinner for everyone. Laila ate 3 and was begging for more, but when she remembered frozen yogurt for dessert, she decided to skip out on number 4. 


After dinner, Laila opened her gifts and I managed to take a few pictures, below are my favorites:

Nail polish! Andrea stopped by to give her a gift and have dinner with us,
and Laila was excited to find Andrea spoiled her with new pajamas,
2 bottles of nail polish, and Lip Smackers' chap-stick!

Laila's new denim! Hannah Montana jeans!

Laila's "big sister", Evelien, bought her a Taylor Swift CD!
 Check out her reaction here! 

She was so excited and proud to be a big girl with her own cd!
 Awesome choice to start a collection with!

Disney Princess Friendship Game!

Rock star in the making!!

Laila's cute toy from Dayna! She also received a new
Papparazzi Jewelry headband and ring!!
Any guesses what she'll be wearing to school tomorrow?

Yogurt time! With so many choices to pick from,
 I let Laila get whatever she wanted!
Chocolate, candy, fruit and 3 cherries on top!
Happy birthday!!

When I think of my sweet angel face, this photo always comes to mind:

Just minutes old, helpless and completely dependent on me, she was my everything. She was the only thing that no one could take away, and I loved her unconditionally. To this day, I still love her more than I ever imagined. As I put her to bed tonight, I thanked her for being mine. I let her know how much she means to me, and without her, I don't know where I'd be today. She is my rock, my anchor when I need to be grounded. I think we balance each other out, and even if she's only six, she gets me. She really, truly gets me. Now, as she grows into a beautiful young woman, she's making friends, relationships, and she needs me less and less. It's heartbreaking, but inspiring, I wish I had her courage.


I have never met a soul so brave, so strong and stable, yet so soft, lovely, and compassionate. When I see Laila, I see so much more than her curly hair and cheesy smile, I see a bit of myself in her, too. 

How Time Flies

Again, it's been days since I've blogged, and the only excuse I can come up with is this: I'm behind on life. I'm unorganized, I'm busy, and I'm completely, utterly overwhelmed. Each day I wake up thankful that I made it through the one before, and I wonder how in the world I'll make it through another one!


Thankfully, things have been running pretty smoothly at the Smith house. Dustin has been working tons of overtime, I think he calculated 36 hours in the past 2 weeks, so in addition to his original 80 hours, he has put in a total of 116 hours in 2 weeks. Ridiculous, I know. Without him, things wouldn't function the way they do, he really does help the world keep turning.


Since I can never remember anything when I do decide to blog, I'll just type whatever comes to mind and we'll go from there. Tonight was an open house at the dance studio, they have moved to a larger space to accommodate more children, and even started enrolling adult classes as well. Laila and Kenadi are both going to be taking just one class there this fall, the prices are a little on the high side, and though I'm sure we could afford it, I don't feel comfortable making that type of commitment. As we were leaving, her cheer instructor from the summer stopped us and asked to speak with me. She told me she resigned from the dance studio and would be teaching cheer through one of the local charter schools. I wasn't entirely sure what to think and she pulled Laila aside and explained she wanted to have her on her cheer squad. I let her know the prices were high, and she assured me the prices are much lower since it's an after school activity. I questioned why she wanted Laila so bad, and she said in her experience, she's never seen a girl with talent like Laila, and my sweet baby doesn't even realize it. So, I agreed to be a "cheer mom" to help forward e-mails and make follow up calls and such, and Laila should be able to take cheer for free! What a blessing in disguise.

Laila has been signed up to be a daisy in Girl Scouts, she's excited! I even considered being a troop leader, I have to decide how much of myself and my time I'm able to donate. I want Laila to have the best experience she can, and I want more than anything to be a part of it, but I don't want to bring down any other children if I can't give all of myself to them every meeting. I will have to decide as the time draws closer and find out more about the troop sizes and meeting times. Just one more thing to add to my busy life!

Dustin Jr, boy does he need a whoopin'! He's walking all over this house, emptying my cabinets, splashing in the toilet, and raising hell. I should have known any child named after my husband would be a little heart-breaker, he's got all the ladies wrapped around his little finger! I took the kids to a party tonight at my friend Bobbi-Jo's house and everyone was just gushing about his gorgeous blue eyes and his light blonde hair. What a little ham. He's sleeping 11-12 hours at night, and has decided it's time to move to one nap instead of two. This past week has been quite an adjustment period, I was so used to two naps a day, but he does sleep a solid 2.5-3 hours, so it's just taking some getting used to.

Little Miss Kenadi is blossoming into quite the dancer! At the open house today she kicked off her shoes, found a tu-tu, and went to town! She met her new teacher and we found out her classes are Saturday mornings. She's doing exceptionally well with the ballet aspect of dance, she loves twirling, pointing her toes, and tumbling on the mats. I can't wait to see her up on stage performing in the spring! I was nervous about keeping her out of preschool this fall, but I think I made the right choice for her. She's getting to be more independent with Laila at school, and her relationship with Dustin Jr. is growing every day, it's really a beautiful thing.


Last night, Evelien went to a football game at her high school! It was so wonderful to see her get dressed up and go out with her new friend, Rebecka! Rebecka is an exchange student from Sweden, and she's really a sweet girl. They seem to get along very well, and had a fun time. After the game was a school dance the girls attended, I had the pleasure of picking them up at 11pm! As soon as they climbed into my van all I could smell was sweaty teenager, and I thought I was going to gag. I take advantage how wonderful she smells and all the perfumes she uses, I can only imagine in 15 years when I'm picking my son up from football practice and that's the lovely aroma that fills my car. Yuck. School seems to be going well, Evelien has made a few friends and has plans for tomorrow, too. A local teacher at her high school is from Belgium and is also hosting an exchange student, she's hosting a barbecue and pool party, and both Evelien and Rebecka are going.  

The past month with Evelien here has been so much fun, I never dreamed I would enjoy being a host family as much as I am enjoying it now. Friendships take time to grow, mature, and bloom, and that's to be expected. I love when you wake up one day and realize you've let someone into your life, they've become a part of you and the things you love, it's inspiring. Last week, Evelien went to a game night with her friends, and a few friends came here to hang out with me. After everyone went home, Evelien and I sat around and chatted a bit. We bake together, cook together, and just enjoy each other's company. That night, for some reason, I could feel our bond sealing, it was just a neat experience. I hope when she leaves here, she takes with her the fond memories I will long cherish of her. I can't wait to share the rest of the school year with her, she's one amazing girl, I'm lucky to have her. 


I hope to be on a more structured schedule soon, and back to blogging. I haven't read a book in months, I can't remember the last time I slept in, and the laundry is going to bury me alive, I'm sure of it-but I'm happy. I love this crazy life of mine, and if you're in it, I love you, too. 

So Much Time And So Little To Do!

So much time and so little to do, wait a minute-strike that, reverse it.


Things in my life have been out of control, can't catch my breath, never getting a break, running on coffee and Coca-Cola kind of busy. Not my idea of a good time. There's no way I can possibly remember everything to catch you all up, but I'll give a brief synopsis of the things I do remember, and we'll just go from there.


One of my best friends from school decided to move here to teach at Maricopa High School! Let me just start by saying even though I don't see her, or even talk to her every day, knowing she's just 2 miles away is a security blanket I've been without for years, and I love having it back. We even managed to spend an afternoon indulging in retail therapy already, and she hasn't even been here a month. Before I get too carried away with all the great things about her, lets start with her arrival. She came in the last weekend of July in hopes of having her house set up and ready to go by Monday. No such luck, as she ended up spending an entire week on my couch. We finally found her a couch and chaise lounge, managed to get the cable hooked up and the new appliances placed, and she's in and happy! Well, almost. Southwest Gas has been giving her the runaround about fixing her hot water heater, the pilot light is out, and no hot water means no hot showers! Luckily she lives alone and isn't sharing hot water with anyone else. Slowly but surly, she's getting the house together and getting adjusted to life in the desert. I hope she enjoys being here as much as I enjoy having her.


Evelien has arrived safe and sound! Ironically, the same day Andrea arrived! She has been here 3 weeks and I can't imagine life without her! She's so beautiful, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a winning smile. The boys at school have already taken notice to her adorable ways, and she has already been on a date! It's wonderful having another person here to talk to, cook with, and bounce ideas off of. We have so many of the same likes and dislikes, it's so easy to talk to her. I can't even begin to count the pounds of grapes we have shared, or the laughs that went along with them. When I decided to host, I imagined this would give me a glimpse into the future, some insight as to what life would be like with Laila 10 years from now. Now, I realize that isn't the case. Laila is Laila, and Evelien is Evelien. I love them both, and they are so very different. I am so glad we made the decision to host an exchange student, and I'm positive I got the cream of the crop.


My son, my sweet, sweet son, has started walking. Running. Speed racing, even. His little legs don't quite keep up with how fast he thinks he's going, and he often tumbles face first into the carpet, but that doesn't stop him from getting back up for more! He is a bundle of joy, and now that he's walking, I fear I'm truly in trouble! I thought he was into everything before, now that he can walk, he has also learned to stand on his tip-toes and reach for things he can't even see! Boy, do I have my hands full!


Laila has started first grade. Each day, my heart breaks a little more as I feel my baby slipping through my grasp and growing into a big girl. She loves her teacher and is having a great time learning! I am so proud of her and the quality of work she is bringing home. She is now fully on the insulin pump, though we've had a rough start, I do believe it's for the best. I love watching Laila's face light up every time she gives herself insulin  and doesn't have to be poked. Now that school is in session, it's time to start deciding on fall activities! Today Laila sampled a Hula dance class! She said she really enjoyed it, and would like to go to another one. In another few weeks she'll start Jazz/Funk (aka Hip-Hop) and girl scouts! Hard to believe in just 12 days my daughter is going to be 6 years old. Wise beyond her years, she's as beautiful as can be, and I love her more than I ever dreamed possible.


My sweet Kenadi, that little girl is a hot mess! She finished the summer program at Jumpstart Academy with Miss Jen and she loved it! Dustin and I decided she's not quite ready to go to preschool full time, maybe next year. I can't promise that decision was based solely on her abilities, my feelings of empty nest have already impacted my decision! In all honesty, the tuition was something I didn't feel I could commit to affording each month. In less than a month's time my gorgeous Boo Boo is going to be 3 years old. I can hardly believe it when I look at her, she's blossoming into a sweet, intelligent, caring little girl. She definitely makes me proud to be her mommy.


Dustin has been working over time, bringing home the bacon! Things just seem to fall apart all at once in my house, first my computer took a dump, my car insurance lapsed, and among other things I need a new kitchen table. Every time we get ahead, even a tiny bit, it feels like something even more demanding comes up. No matter what, we are a great support system for each other and manage to make it through. I sure do love that man.


In the mean time, I have been baking my pants off! Meeting new people in the community, networking, and just having a blast getting to know my new life has really kept my on my toes! I am experiencing Arizona in a whole new light, seeing things for the first time I've never noticed, and giving boring old experiences a new glance. It's really an experience I can't explain, but a feeling I'll never forget.