Meet the Smiths

Brent and I officially started The Smith Moments (well, ours at least) in May of 1999. To say that life is good is an understatement. Walking side-by-side with someone who works hard, loves completely, and serves whole-heatedly (and keeps getting cuter!) is a endless gift. And because we believe in eternal marriage, I can only look forward to the rest of forever with a heart brimming with joy and a smile on my face.

Our thoughts and efforts in 3 distinct areas make our family who we are today and give us a vision of the eternal family we hope to become:





If you and I share a passion for one of these hot topics, explore away and share your insights! Each can be researched and implemented individually...but deep down, for Brent and me, these 3 pillars of family life are inseparable and so critically intertwined. Luckily for me, brain development research wraps all three up together in a pretty little package, so it gets its own tab, too. There is also a 'Maintenance Moments' tab which will lazily collect our logistical experiments in running a household of 8...because they make for interesting tidbits.

Parenting sometimes feels deeply overwhelming and very complicated. But it can also be simple. The 'Mindful Moments' tab will be a gathering place for every day practical applications of "The Pyramid" (see the Parenting Tab): the moments where I can feel my whole brain leading, guiding, and walking beside my children in a mindful way.

And the 'Present Moments' tab? That's where I hope to record a few of the moments that lift me up the most as a mother: the times when I have enough maturity to still my racing mind, look into my children's eyes, and connect with them heart to heart. These precious 'Present' Moments are truly a Gift.

Also check out our parenting web site at www.presentparenting.org.

If you are new to our blog, here are a few favorite posts to get to know us:

12 Years, 24 Roses, and 890 Cinnamon Rolls
SEEING a Dream Come True
A New Addition We Have
It's A...??
Ten Years with an Amazing Man

We are grateful for every moment with these cute kids...

Kenny, age 12: As an aspiring architect and potential Mormon Tabernacle Choir singer (maybe in a few more decades), Kenny currently spends his time and energy practicing everything musical (cello, saxophone, piano, and 2 choirs,) and mastering anything with complicated directions (3-D puzzles, model buildings). He also plays soccer and is rapidly working toward his Eagle Scout award. And he loves to read.

Douglas, age 10: Nicknamed Diggy from birth, he loves to run, climb, and go barefoot. He plays the piano and trumpet. Diggy enjoys pondering while sitting perched on the roof above our garage. A spark inside him ignited when he first learned about Leonardo deVince's passion for yet-to-be-invented necessities and Albert Einstein's out-of-the-box day-dreams about world peace and a never-ending universe So he started his own collection of journals that contain miscellaneous drawings of just about everything...including a few new galaxies. Diggy is a vegetarian because he's beyond his years in being thoughtful and genuine toward all living creatures.

Kirsten, age 8: When trying to describe Kirsti, the first thing that usually comes bubbling out is her bubbling personality. She feels confident in meeting and becoming instant BFFs with pretty much anyone. Kirsti loves everything creative: making cards, sewing clothes, drawing pictures, doing hair, buying shoes, dancing ballet, pretending Little House (etc.), and baking cupcakes. She is a budding violinist and a fabulous big sister. When Kirsten turned 7 on a Tuesday, she wanted a pink parasol like Marta in Sound Of Music...and a year later, her acting talents landed her the role of...yep, Marta...with a fantastic local theater group.

Allison, age 6: Allison is thrilled to be school age so she can see what all the hoop-la at the elementary school is all about. She is anxious to do all the things she sees her older siblings do...school classes (aka buy new school clothes), violin, dance, and graduating from her booster seat. Allison adores flowers and has inspired her parents to pursue gardening. Her diligent efforts in scouting out the latest blooms and presenting them to her mother for display on the kitchen counter fill the home with delight.

Cienna, age 4: Cienna is highly everything: intelligent, emotional, sensitive, and talkative. These traits add up to never-ending excitement and drama racing through her young mind (often more than a little one can cope with...which I address regularly in my posts). By day, Cienna plays make-believe with anything and pretends to have a dog or be a dog. And by night every scary character she's ever seen (in a book, movie, school play, Halloween costume, or mascot uniform) stands at center stage to ensure that she maintain her favorite sleeping position...on a small mattress right next to Mom's bed.

MaryAnn, 22 months: The first thing most people notice about MaryAnn is her furrowed eyebrows, which are an indication of how closely she studies everything around her. MAES (her sibling invented nickname using her initials) has a genuine curiosity for new things and finds great joy in observing the peculiar behavior of her siblings...and then attempts to mimic it.


                            © 2007-2013 Amy K. Smith - www.smithmoments.org

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