Snow Sculpture completed by Kerri and Brad

so Excited to see the pic of the completed snow sculpture. very impressive and it turned out great
this is a quote from their blog about the experience:
"

We really wanted to finish it Friday night, but our minds and muscles were slow and tired. Plus, spectators were everywhere, asking questions and taking pictures. We're sort of glad we didn't finish it because we would have missed out on the spectators. It was so fun to see people react to ours. Everyone had something to say about it. A little two year old girl thought it was a bunny (adorable!). One woman said it was the victory sign. (?) Kids were always excited, I think they loved the fact that their parents didn't have to explain what it was to them (some of the sculptures need explaining). Lots of people stopped and took pictures with it, holding up their own peace sign. Neither Brad or I realized how much happiness it would bring other people. We knew we were sucking as much joy out of the experience as possible, but... seeing others smile to see what we had done made us smile"

wish we were there to see it in person--way to go--all of you Forrest, Kaci Kerri and Brad good team work

10 Days off

From time to time I find myself with a block of ten days off from school, I wish I would think ahead and plan a trip or something. for Now I'm just looking to finish a few random projects
*my blog book
*bind quilts (that were tied by women at Hiland cove assisted living )\
*clean
*help anyone who needs my help (just let me know)
*go skiing once
*go Visiting teaching
*Go to the rec center
*go outside for a walk in the snow
*visit a friend
*organize a drawer
*assist dad in finishing our remodel job
*make cookies
*watch the movie "Courageous:" (one I've wanted to see for a long time-) I highly recomment it
So far so good I am getting things done --slow but sure.

we are happy to have snow

wow--fun to wake up to snow this morning --fun to enjoy the bright sparkling refection of the sunlight in the snow--
it brings a joy to my heart to look out at the winter wonderland--even though it was melt and be short lived
also enjoyed looking at brad and kerri's snow pic and seeing the beginnings of the snow sculpture best of luck with that.

Tiles in master bath

the tiles in the master bath are set--dad and bryan worked hard to get them that way and we are surely happy with the outcome--our main push will be to complete the grout process on Mon and put sink/vanity and other things like base boards and such back in as the week progresses --yahoo

a Happy 33 years for us

Dear Family-
Just a reminder that Feb 16 marks the happiest day of mine and dad's mortal life--getting sealed.
glad we found each other and that we feel the same about the gospel teachings, and about the important things in life- We have been richly blessed this past 33 years--how could we have known what joy would await us as we knelt across that alter so many years ago.

more snow shoeing

this pic shaking the snow off is for Kaci -- just for fun we tried..


Bryan and I up the trail.



say cheese



looking at the large trees and mountains makes me realize how we are small and yet still significant ..

more snow fun this time up to Donut falls really pretty day friday --very fun snow shoeing --lots of blue ski fresh air and good exercise.

happy Valentines day

Happy Valentine Day....
Ever wonder how it was that Valentine day came to be...well my aunt Lucy collected info on various holidays and compiled a booklet...and this is what she found to be true...(to recap a few fun facts)_
*Evidently...its a holiday called ST. Valentine's day
*Evidently...No one is quite certain who should receive credit for this special day of friends and well 'lovers' to expre appreciation and send well wishes
*Saint Valentine is a name given to the three different martys whose feast day falls on February 12 one of these was a priest living in th 1700's by the name of Valentine. He was put to death for preaching about Christ.
*Before his death people came appreciate Valentine because he was a preist he could secretly perform marriages for them even though the ruler Claudius and forbid men to marry for a time.
Valentine felt sorry for these unhappy men and their sweethearts, so he performed the marriage
* The reason they were forbid to marry was because This mean old ruler Claudius mentioned above thought the men would more readily join up as soldiers for his army if they were not worried about leaving wives and children behind as they went to battle.
..*another legend tells that St Valentine grew flowers and gave them to children, then while Valentine was imprisoned, these children wrote him little letters of Love. --and these letters were called 'valentines' --as one time Valentine wrote back to the child--and ended with "from your valentine:"
*Valentine was described as a most charitable person, with compassion --feeding the poor
and many other charitable acts.
* the Valentine idea (to write little cards --saying from your valentine) spread all over Europe
Valentine notes became artistic and by 1895--many cartoon or comic valentine came to being
*In modern day many school children celebrate at school, with card exchange and boxed and sometimes parties are held
*Valentine day is only second to Christmas for the holiday for the largest number of cards sent

like old times..

today was a fun day because Jacki stoddard is getting married in a few weeks and the ward had a bridal shower for her today. It was fun to see Jacki, Hayley, Chelsey, Amanda, Kayla all sitting around visiting together. It wonderful to see good things happening to all the smith and Stoddard children and grandchildren.

new project... here we go..

bathroom remodel number #2 ...looking good so far we're good at tearing things out. (: its the putting back together we run into the difficulty--but we have high hopes.

rode up chair lift with a gal who performs on broadway

broadway star =carey anderson look her up on youtube

had a great time skiing and met a girl on the chair lift who is a singer on broadway-- and has been for the last 10 years her name was carey anderson==she was nice.

gathering around smokey

gathering around mario kart

gathering around Bryan

gathering around the new little valentine tree

Ta DA.......yes the bathroom is remodeled

out with the 'old' in with the new--what do ya all think? of the bathroom floor now?

mayley and hunter helping put the new rug in the bathroom for the finishing touch

mom standing in the new 'improved bathroom" admiring the brightness of the new floor


dad is hard at work wiping down the last of the grout film before the toilet and sink go back in

loving the before and after of the bathroom downstairs--its is clean and nice and I love dad for all the hard work that he put in on completing it. (I ask myself --why we waited so long to make this improvement--like cleaning out a closet, I say to myself --hum should have done this long ago")

The more we get to "GATHER"

gathering around the computer

gathering around the table

gathering around the cakes
including brad's


gathering around the kids table
My dream is to always have our home as a "GATHERING PLACE" at the last funeral I went to so much was mentioned about Jo Kirby's ability to make her home a great place to gather.
So..then.. "GATHERING"--for family dinner As always was something we enjoy very much
*watching the little kids gather around the ping pong table to draw--
*watching the family gather around the pot luck dinner, the women gather around the table to visit after the dinner.
*gathering around the computer to get ideas for the Kirk's floor plan.
*Gathering around the TV for the superbowl.
*Gathering around the phone to sing HAPPY BIRHTDAY to Brad and talk to Kaci. (especially fun when I did finally dial up the right number and we really are singing to brad and not to my newphew John T. Lund that's another funny story)
*gathering around a book to read to a grandchild or to have them read to me.
*Gathering around the TV (up stairs )to play mario Kart with the kids and hear them giggling.
*gathering around the piano to hear someone play a song
It can get loud crazy but except for the risk of waking up the sleeping babies (kyle and Hogan) we it wouldn't have it any other way.

fresh air fresh snow

after we finished our housework and remodeling work on Sat. then we went up in the mountains and went walking on the packed trails. We had tried hard to find some snow claws that just fit onto your snow boots. We got them at Christmas time and just used them for the first time yesterday as life had been so busy. it was a beautiful day--blue ski --fresh air--fresh snow--good exercise

Everyday tender mercies (recognizing them)

the miracles of our family our too numerous to name them all --but please ponder on them this month K? In short we have been protected in our many days of riding, flying , biking, hiking, delivery babies, all the sports, rugby-surfing, basketball, football, lacross, softball, soccer, to name a few...we've been protected in driving, serving, learning, kayaking, it is amazing to me
glad you are all here to do what the Lord would have you do.

brad and kaci "pondering.." ..

Miracles of the Bryan Call and extended family

Dear family--take a minute to ponder about this as you do the dishes or wash your car--or make your bed, or drive to work......

I’m slipping a little—On Jan 29- of last week –Bryan Scott and I were talking about the tender mercies of Heavenly father.

*that was that day seven years ago when Bryan was spared in his serious accident. Then we talked of other miracles that our family has experienced. Previous to that dad and I had also talked about so many miraculous blessings have been given to us. We could hardly name them all. It reminded me of the movie “Seventeen Miracles” that came out in theaters a year ago.

*Well then I got to thinking about dad being spared not getting hit with lighting. *Hayley waiting long enough at a green light to avoid being hit by a car…just because of a feeling.* Brad not getting swept away by the ocean wave when he clung to the rock in NY.* Anna recovering from a burn on her face from hot soup* brad not getting lost in the mountains on his bike in Payson lake --when it got late * Mom not getting hit by a car when stopped on a icy bridge between Midway and Heber. *hayley not getting hurt by the whales--when they kyacked so close *Nancy recovering from a spin out on a moped bike in Hawaii. *Stephen getting struck while riding his bike as a child, *Joe avoiding accidents while –racing his bike,* and all the missionaries in our family- avoiding harm when in un safe areas.* and kerri being safe during surfing and *brad recovering from hitting his head surfing and *bryan brad being safe skiing, *the and Anna not getting cut more when hitting a ceiling fan, *kerri being protected in all her paulvaulting ,and *Dad being protected when he hit a deer * kerri getting Forrest here safe and sound after being on bed rest.* and then remember about all the safe arrivals of the babies in our family and how each one has been a miracle.* then remember too of hunter recovering from his staples in the head and broken arm all in one season. * Remember How Hayley got so dehydrated from having her tonsils out--but was blessed to get through it--remember how nancy, cracked her head against Julia's hip, remember how* Brianne was protecte in Brazil? *remember how hayley ran into the tree and scraped her face--but the scars healed..

There are so manyI'm just glad that you are all here to fulfill your mission in life and build up the kingdom--we'll never get to make a movie most likely but at life's end--it was be nice to Meet our Father in Heaven and express our thanks to him and let him know that we acknowledge and saw his hand in our lives and protecting and guiding us.

Well the list goes on and on—and I’m sure you could all add to it and I think we should until we get 100, because I am sure throughout the years there are even many more than that!! if anyone doesn't want my spin on their miracle --included in the above list --just edit it out. K? or edit and add more miracles in--I'm just one person I can't brain storm them all help...

forever painting

I keep saying that the painting days are over--well they are for me--but glad the grandkids still keep the painting and holiday windows going--it brings us such joy to see things painted by them.