This is our life...

Random

2008-10-17T22:29:00.001-04:00

My Fav Chicken Recipe

2008-05-29T18:22:00.003-04:00

I am very blessed to be married to a man who will eat almost anything! Ilove trying new recipes and if I don't like them, Ryan will eat it! I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes. It's one I've had for years. The ingredients can get a little pricey, but it is worth it!!

Greek Feta Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup chopped, drained artichoke hearts
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes
2 T chopped, pitted black olives
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 T toasted pine nuts (I use more-yum!)
2 ou feta cheese, crumbled (I use the whole container- what calories?)

Marinate chicken in italian dressing and put in the fridge at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish with Pam and arrange drained chicken in it. Bake for 20 minutes. Mix all other ingredients except feta. Top each chicken breast with the mixture and put feta on top. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is softened. Serve immediately.

If you try it, let me know how you like it in the comments!!

Update

2008-05-07T18:58:00.003-04:00

It wasn't until we went to Brushy Creek last Sunday that we realized we have done a bad job of keeping everyone updated on our crazy life! Well, we are having another baby. S/he is due November 19th. I am very excited to be seeing my second trimester approaching in a couple of weeks! We have been telling Kristen that she is going to be a big sister, but I don't think she really understands that she will be sharing the spotlight! ;)
We are in Greenville right now. I am sorry if we haven't gotten to see everyone- we have been visiting 3 to 4 sets of people a day! Whew! Tomorrow we are renting a Penske and moving our family to Summerville, SC. Ryan is going to be working as a manager for a CFA there. We are excited to be near the beach and to be closer to family.
Kristen will turn a year old (where does the time go?) this Sunday- Mother's Day! We are so excited to be in Summerville for her birthday! Ryan has something special planned for me that day for Mother's Day. It will be a NICE break from all of the chaos!!
Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there!!

Busy, busy

2008-03-13T09:47:00.017-04:00

We have been very busy! I am 10 months old now and have flown 3 times! I'm a pro now like mama and daddy!

I always watch football, basketball, really whatever sport is in season, with daddy! Mama and daddy took me to an Airforce basketball game and I learned how to clap and say "Yay!" from watching all of the fans. Now, out of nowhere, I start clapping and say "Yay!".

Grandmama Baughman came to see me! We had so much fun! I showed her all of my toys and we played a lot!

I don't have any teeth yet, but I still want to learn to feed myself, so mama gave me yogurt!

It was so fun!

What I have to stop?

Ok, here's your smile!

Can I stop smiling now and go back to making a mess?

I've been a bear:

and a dinosaur:

I tell ya- it's a busy life! Here I am talking with Austin. I have been standing by myself without holding anything for a few seconds. I did it twice in this video but our camera doesn't have 'zoom' and 'unzoom' on the video part, so mama couldn't get a good angle. I think it's because she has to stay close so I don't hurt Austin.

All in all, I've just been having fun and being a sweet girl!!!

Prayer

2008-02-29T13:13:00.003-05:00

Please pray for my sister, Elizabeth, her husband, Jay, their five kids and the rest of our family. Elizabeth was 28 weeks pregnant when her placenta abrupted and she had to have an emergency c-section. She and the baby were fine, but while in the NICU, the baby caught an infection. It destroyed her brain. Today, at 3 weeks old, Hunter Kate died in her father's arms. Please pray for strength as they try to be strong for the kids. They don't understand why God didn't heal her when they kept praying for it. Thanks.

Kids Club

2008-02-19T16:38:00.005-05:00

I (Sherry) have a part time job working in the Kids Club at a gym. It's great because it gets me out of the house one day a week and I get a free gym membership! It's great for Kristen because she is a social butterfly! She loves playing with the big kids! I'm not sure how the laws work here, but at times I watch 25 kids by myself! Whew! Makes having another baby seem easy!

Welcome to the jungle...

Poor Kristen, the other kids don't pay her much attention ;) haha

Not only does Kristen learn a lot from the kids, I do too. Today I learned about 'Island Barbie'. She can entertain the kids for a long time! The girls know the songs by heart- so cute!

Come Visit!!

2008-02-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

It's time for visitors! We hope that they can see some places that they want to visit from our blog. Uncle Anthony came yesterday. Of course, he wants to go straight to the slopes!!

Here are some pics from a trip that we took to the Rocky Mountain National Park last fall. We got an annual pass, so we can take visitors! Right now, part of the park is closed until April or May, but you can still see a lot.

Cre was still preggo when we went!

We met Bullwinkle's wife...

Purple Mountain Majesty

2008-01-27T19:47:00.001-05:00

Today was in the 60s and sunny, so we had to get out of the house and into the mountains! We actually went into the mountains yesterday, too, but we didn't have a camera. Here are some pics:

We went to the cliff dwellings of the Cheyenne Indians in Manitou Springs

Hey! Just my size!!!

Dad! Get me! I don't know about this guy!!

We love the Garden of the Gods. We go there a lot and since it was right beside Manitou Springs, we decided to stop by. I don't usually post pics of the Garden b/c they don't do justice at all. But, here are a couple. You can sort of tell how huge these rock formations are by the guy rock climbing in the first picture. Notice he's above the trees...

I can feed myself!

2008-01-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

We are so glad that Kristen is starting to feed herself (it gives us a break!). She likes zwieback toast, boiled egg yolks, and, of course, she puts her hands in the pureed food that I feed her and tries to feed herself! I think her holding her own bottle is the best!!

I found the perfect workout partner

2008-01-23T22:51:00.000-05:00

Sherry and I have started working out together. We are finally feeling settled and have made time to work out. We are READY to get focused on living a healthy lifestyle again; mentally, spiritually, and physically. So we started Body For Life on Monday. http://www.bodyforlife.com/ It is a very good but challenging program but we are doing it!!! I love that you have to eat six times a day and I love that the meals are a good blend of protein and carbs... and I LOVE that we get a "free" day each week to eat what we want. The workout programs are good too. Its intense but I am feeling the difference already. So watch out because we are going to look different the next time you see us! If you are interested in doing it check out the link and do it with us! We rented the book from the library and most of what we need is on the website.

Gettin healthy one day at a time...

Are we raising a bully?

2008-01-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

Kristen, who is crawling faster than we can keep up with these days, LOVES her cousin Austin. She will completely ignore other babies but when she sees Austin she gets to him as fast as she can. In this video Austin was minding his own business and Kristen decides to come on over and check things out. After the video camera cut off, Austin let Kristen know that he did not appreciate being attacked while playing!!!

8 Months Old!

2008-01-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

Kristen turned 8 months on Friday. We had a fun day! Here are some pics of the big girl. She is growing up so fast! We have loved every minute though!

Hey, Dad, wanna do lunch?

First taste of ice cream...

Hey- there's snow outside!!

I have really grown in the last month! Look how much taller I am than Austin!!

Helping mommy and daddy do Upward. I taste-tested a couple of basketballs for them.

Leaving Parker... we live in the most beautiful place!

And She's Off!

2008-01-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Yep! Two posts in one night! On Christmas Eve, Kristen started crawling. Now, our world has changed! A couple of days after she started crawling, she started pulling herself up to standing. The magazine on the stool got torn, the blinds turned around and Ryan's Bible on the couch got eaten. Then we got smart. We baby-proofed the house and bought a baby fence to keep the little booger in the den. We had to take everything out of the den because she was pulling herself up on things that weren't very stable. Talk about a mom losing her breath!! Kristen crawled head first into a mirror (goose egg on the forehead), fell down after trying to climb up a Santa (small cut beside her eye), fell down after pulling up on her walker (raised marks on the side of her head), and crawled face first into her reflection in the entertainment center (very red nose). Kristen just looks dazed when these things happen, Ryan laughs, and I stop breathing.

Whoa! Maybe I shouldn't try one hand yet!!

I'm OK mom!

Now what can I get into?

I'm too young for jail!

Hey, Dad, if I give you a sad face, will you get me out?

White Christmas

2008-01-08T19:18:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas!!! We were pretty much settled into our new apartment. We slept in, ate a huge breakfast, hung out as a family, watched Kristen open her presents, and played in the snow! This was a very special Christmas because we had a lot of time to think about, talk about and talk to the Lord. Here are some pics:

making snow angels...sort of

playing video games with Daddy...

Little Monster

2008-01-05T20:37:00.001-05:00

Sorry we haven't posted in a while. Kristen is teething. Need I say more?

Cuddly Cuties

2007-12-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

Austin is almost as big as Kristen! Here is a pic of them at Halloween:

and at Thanksgiving. Look how much he's grown!!

When we are out in public, people can't believe that he is so big for almost 2 months and can't believe she is so little for almost 7 months! It's all in the genes, though. Rusty and his family are very tall and I (Sherry) was in the 8th percentile when I was a baby (Kristen is in the 5th percentile). He may get bigger, but she will always be older!! ;)
Here are some pics in their Christmas outfits! One would smile, and then the other, but never at the same time!

Here is diva Kristen- she loves the camera!!!

Sign Time

2007-11-17T13:28:00.001-05:00

Ok, Kristen is 6 months old now and it's time to really start learning baby sign language. I've been toying around with it up until now, but it's time to get serious. She has started shrieking when she wants something (everybody in the grocery store probably thinks I'm being mean to her!). Will all the moms out there who have/had signing babies (Ginger Parks- are you out there?) give this first time mom some words of wisdom? I have Baby Signing Time and Baby Einstein Sign Language DVDs. Ryan and I sign to her also. Thanks!!

Seven Falls

2007-11-15T18:39:00.000-05:00

We went to a beautiful place called Seven Falls. Kristen absolutely LOVED it! Ryan had her wrapped in front and we couldn't see her. Everyone that walked by started laughing and said that she had the biggest smile on her face the whole time! She's gonna be a mountain lover like her mama! Christina and Ausin and Kristen and I joined a group called the Colorado Mountain Mamas so we can go hiking with other moms and their babies. Here are some pics:

Crazy Weather

2007-11-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

The weather has been hot, cold, hot, cold... We don't know what to wear! It is really cold in the morning and we have the AC on in the afternoon. Every day can be totally different. For example, a couple of weeks ago, it was in the 70s one day and snowed the next! It was back in the 70s a couple of days later! Here are some pics of Kristen's first snow:

Yes, she is trying to eat the snow in the last two pictures (you can see it better if you click on the picture). She tries to eat everything!!

Here is Pike's Peak one week when we went to Colorado Springs- and again a couple of weeks later after a snow:

We don't have many thunderstorms here, but when we do, all hail breaks loose!! :)

Halloween

2007-11-03T21:19:00.001-04:00

Wait a minute... there is A LOT of candy going around, and I haven't gotten ANY. What's up with that?

Oh...elephants don't eat candy? Ok, that's cool...

PEANUTS!!!! I mean... CHEESE!!!

Kristen's 5 month bio

2007-10-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

Kristen is 5 months old today! It has flown by! Here are some Kristen stats:

Weight: 12 lbs

Height: 24 inches

Clothing: still in 0-3 months; we try 3-6 month clothes but they fall off of her!

Favorite Movie: Baby Einstein: Baby Neptune- Discovering Water

Favorite Colors: Red and orange (I think orange reminds her of her daddy b/c he wears it all of the time)

Favorite Hobbies: sucking her feet, talking to pumpkins, watching football, laughing at the crazy dogs, strolling around the neighborhood, drooling

Favorite Game: taking her paci out of her mouth and throwing it so mama and daddy will have to pick it up

Favorite Food: bananas (unfortunately, she had an allergic reaction to them and won't be eating them anymore, but she loves them!)

Favorite restaurant: Chic-Fil-A (she can talk as loud as she wants; plus, they are the only place in CO that has sweet tea- it makes mama and daddy happy!)

First words: mom (she only said it once); meme (we aren't sure that this is a word, but she says it ALL the time); hey (she is talking early! my mom and sister started saying words at 4 months also!)

Favorite book: Llama llama red pajama; all Dr Seuss books

Bad habit: gagging herself

More Austin Pics

2007-10-09T19:01:00.001-04:00

Austin is getting a suntan today! He is under a jaundice light, but they think he will be off of it tonight. He weighed 7 lbs 5 ounces and is 19.5 inches. He wasn't so happy today b/c the light is keeping him awake and he is SO TIRED! He smiled for the first time and it was so cute!

Austin is here!!

2007-10-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

Austin was born this morning at about 4:30 am. Mama and baby are doing fine. He is so cute!! Here are some pics:

Marinade

2007-10-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

I have to post this yummy marinade. It is the best marinade I've ever had!! That is saying a lot! We have had buffalo in it and tonight I made ostrich steaks in it. It would be good with beef, chicken- I think I could eat it by itself! Ok here it is:

Juice and zest from 2 limes
2 tsp cumin
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Leave comments and let me know what you think if you try it!!

Tummy Time

2007-10-01T22:13:00.001-04:00

Here is Kristen doing her 'tummy time' on a blanket that my Grandmother made her. She is so funny! I kept trying to get her to smile at me, but the Disney princesses were more fun than smiling at Mommy!! My sister says these are 'reality' pictures- drool and all!!!

Estes Park

2007-09-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

Going to the park...

We went up to Estes Park last weekend and had a blast. Its a cool little town with mountains all around. The wild life runs the town it seems. Elk and other animals are all over golf courses, trails, and frequently stop traffic to cross the street.

Apparently it's mating season for the Elk and they were making some funky noises! LOL

The male Elk does that to draw attention to himself in order to bring more females into his "harem". Haha, guys dont you wish it was that easy to find the perfect woman and get her to marry you. LOL Most of what came out of my mouth hurt me more than helped. hahaha, well thats not totally true.

This last shot was of me trying to teach Kristen how to skip rocks. So she's a little too young right now and I was a little rusty... we'll keep working on it.

Boulder Pics

2007-09-23T23:47:00.000-04:00

We LOVE Boulder! Here are some pics from our trip:

Gearing up for our hike...

Ummmmm, I've never seen a sign like this at Paris Mountain State Park...

It's a long way up! Not really, but it felt like it since it is 1000 feet higher than Castle Rock and we still weren't completely adjusted to the altitiude!

We finally made it to the top!!

Kristen loved walking along the Pearl Street Mall

Just throwing in a cute picture of Kristen in her Bumbo seat! Her cute little bell bottoms fit in nicely around Boulder!

Kristen singing

2007-09-18T00:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Kristen and I were hanging out while Sherry and Cre were shopping. She was getting tired and fussy so I started singing to her. Immediately she started talking back to me and trying to sing with me - it was hilarious! Then she let out the loudest laugh. She laughed twice and I almost lost it. It wasnt just a cute cuuuuu, it was a real laugh. I dont know if she thought my singing was funny or if she was praising the Lord with me but either way it was awesome! So last night we tried again and I got Sherry to video tape it. No laughing but she was talking... She is awesome!

Things Happening...

2007-09-17T19:30:00.000-04:00

First of all, we found our camera. Sweet!

Church yesterday was AWESOME for me. As we spent time in worship it was evident that God was there. One of the last songs that we sang was "Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord"; what a great song. My mind immediately went to Upward training sessions several years ago. Our worship leader at Upward, David Guthrie, sang this song at each session that year. In the midst of all of the behind the scenes chaos that made each session a success, I always paused to worship with David and the attendees. This song in particular revitalized and inspired me every weekend! The words really allow you to put the focus back on Christ and not your circumstances, your past or even your present. Its ALL ABOUT HIM!
Unfortunately through the circumstances of my life this last year, I have not been able to sing that song because the words did not ring true too me. Its tough walking through the valley... but as long as you keep walking you WILL come out. I finally walked out of the valley yesterday morning. That song brought back all of the emotion of the training sessions several years ago. It brings a sense of strength and confidence to my walk with Christ. It reminds me that He is our Rock no matter what the circumstance. I can not adequately describe how thankful I am to have moved from the valley into a new stage of life. We are so excited to be in Colorado and we sense the Lord doing something major in our lives. We have no idea what it is but I say with confidence - God brought us out here!
If you haven't heard the song or if you just need to refocus right now, click play and listen. Really listen to the words. They are words of exaltation, words of strength, words of praise. He loves us, so walk in strength and power today no matter what your circumstances! David, Robbie, Travis, Julie, and Jennifer - y'all rock! I had so much fun being out on the road with y'all. Keep pressing forward and keep praising Him!

Matt Redman - Blessed Be Your Name

2007-09-17T19:29:00.001-04:00

Oh where is our camera????

2007-09-13T12:39:00.000-04:00

So no picture updates yet because we have misplaced our camera. I HOPE it wasnt left in a hotel room somewhere, but at this point we cant find it. It may turn up somewhere...

So as of now it has snowed nearly two feet here and all of the roads have been shut down. It is the coldest place on earth! LOL - just playing. It has been in the 80's most days. One evening it did get down in the 40's, which was awesome! The air is thin and dry up here so we are adjusting to that. Kristen is also adjusting... she went through about two days of being mildly dehydrated but we got it taken care of with lots of water and some pedialite. She never had a problem in SC but 6000 ft. up changes things a little.

We are going walking every night and it is more beautiful than any walk we have ever taken. Where we are living there are not a lot of city lights so the stars are really bright. The other night we saw a shooting star and it seemed like it was right in front of us. You could even see the red color on the tail of it. Very cool! Sherry wanted to keep doing laps around the block in hopes that we see another. LOL Needless to say after the 4th lap I was worn out! Hahaha

We started a 6 week class at a church down the street called Extreme Makeover by God. It is about getting your priorities in order regarding time management, fitness, nutrition, and peace. The idea is that for all of these things to be balanced, and everything in your life for that matter, you have to be doing them for God first, then your family, and the natural outflow of that is good for you. So God, family, you... We are very excited about it! It is very much like the Financial Peace University class that we have gone through.

Well, we are still looking for a car (we sold both of ours before the move because we didnt want to drive or pull them across the country). We have found some good options but we havent gone to see any of them yet.

Thats about all for now. We are going to Boulder for the afternoon. It reminds me a lot of Asheville, NC - very hippy... but its a cool place.

More updates to come. Leave a note - we love reading them!

Ryan

We are here

2007-09-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

quick post because I need some sleep.

Yesterday was a good but long day. We drove through IL and MO into KS. We met Davelyn for dinner then drove a little more. This morning we got up and drove the rest of the way through Kansas, which is beautiful, and got to Denver about 5:00pm. We are so glad to be here. Thank you to all who prayed for us during the trip. Keep praying because the adventure is just beginning for us! Ill post more soon

Ryan

A New Start

2007-09-05T00:17:00.000-04:00

Well after much discussion and prayer, we are moving to Denver, CO. We talked about Charleston, Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Florida... but Denver is where we are heading. God seemed to point us in that direction so that is where we are going. We have no idea what He is going to do but we excited about the journey.

Speaking of journey... we left today! Mike and Lindsay came in on Sunday to help us pack our 26 ft. Penske truck. We packed most of Sunday, Monday until noon, and finished up on Tuesday morning. I also got to go to the Clemson vs FSU football game on Monday!!! It was AWESOME. If you have been going to Clemson games for a while, have you noticed that things are different than they used to be? The tailgating seems to get better every year, the fans have really bought into wearing orange to the game, the crowd is amazing - I remember years back we were loud for the first half of the first quarter and then it was silent. Last night the crowd was loud on every down while our D was out there and sitting on the edge of our seats while the O was on the field. So impressive! Anyway, knowing that this my last game for a while, I took it all in... and came away more impressed than ever with Clemson. I will miss being there so much, but I think they will be ok without me in the stands. These days there are a lot of loud and proud fans. This could be a great season, huh?

So back to the trip... today was a great day. We finally pulled out of Greenville about 1:00pm. Me, Sherry, Kristen, and Myrlot (the dog) all in a Penske Truck. We are actually pretty comfortable in there... Sherry and I love to drive anyway so this isn't so bad. We get to know each other best while talking on long drives. We talk about anything and everything... We also saw some beautiful country today. We drove through the mountains in SC, NC, and TN and ended our day in KY. We are about 20 miles outside of IL we we overshot our goal for today. Leaving so late I didn't really expect to get much past Nashville. Tomorrow we are going through St Louis and into Kansas. We are meeting up with one of my best friends - Davelyn Hill. We should get into Denver sometime on Thursday unless we find something fun to do along the way...

We will update and try to post some pictures tomorrow. I am so excited about our lives right now. Possibilities are endless. My wife is an amazing person. She is truly my best friend - I can go anywhere with her! My baby girl, Kristen, is just like her mom. She rocks! She didn't cry one time in the truck. Apparently she doesn't care for Cracker Barrel but other than that she was great.

Time for bed, got more adventures tomorrow.

Charleston

2007-08-07T17:27:00.000-04:00

We went to my uncle's beach house in Charleston for a wonderful time of visiting family, playing, and RELAXING! Here are some photos:

Ryan and Hannah walking out to the dock

Great Aunt Susan and Kristen

Rhodes trying to catch a fishy... right before he thought he was sitting on the dock and actually took a plunge! Too funny- wish I had gotten a picture of that!!

Daddy, Aunt Susan, Uncle Tommy- we are just missing Uncle Anthony!

Hannah caught the first fish!! What a whopper!!

What? I already caught one the hard way and it took FOREVER!! Can't I just get one out of here with the net?!

Man, cousin Wade is looking more like his mom every day!!

It was so good to see everybody! You can tell that my mom, Ann, and Karen stayed near the house- they aren't in any pictures! It was cool b/c they kept Kristen while we were playing!! Uncle Anthony was cooking most of the time- except when he went to his neighbor's and got his toe pinched by a crab! We heard him holler three docks down!!
Fishing, boating, crabbing, eating- what an awesome time!

2007-08-03T12:03:00.000-04:00

A puppet
Strings held tight
by people all around you

Dictating what you do
"Give me more time"
"Come see me more"

The frail wood is no match
For the pressure from the strings.
Eventually the puppet will break

Cut the strings loose
From your loved ones.
They may get hurt
They may get mad
They may think you are selfish
You may feel guilty.
Give the strings back
To the One who should have them

A puppet works best
When its strings are held
from Above

Then your arms are free
For your husband and child
Your hands are free
To reach out to the unsaved
Your feet are free
To go where He leads you

Strings on each corner of the mouth,
When held from above,
Create a smile

Kristen

2007-08-02T17:50:00.001-04:00

Getting a suntan...
My cousins stare at me all of the time!

Happy baby! 11 weeks

Pictures...

2007-07-01T15:59:00.001-04:00

Enjoy - She is hilarious! 7 weeks old now and almost 8 lbs. She is doing GREAT!

Coming soon...

2007-06-17T22:25:00.000-04:00

We have tons of pictures but we havent had time to upload them so keep checking back!!!

Things are going well here at the Smiths. Everyone is adjusting well and Sherry and I love Kristen more than I ever thought possible. She is an amazing child. She has changed sooo much in five weeks its unbelievable. She is 7lbs 1 oz now and 20 1/2 inches long. She has tons of personality already. She can hold her head up and look around, her eyes will focus in on us and other things, she follows and knows our voices, and she is getting stronger every day. She is awesome. Lately she has had a lot of gas, which is fine as long as it comes out. The problem is when it doesnt come out - she SCREAMS!!!! I guess I would too if I didnt have tums or something... At any rate, everything is going really well.

Ill get those pictures posted SOON.

Later

Ryan

Week Two: POOP and POOPED!

2007-05-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

Well our baby girl is two weeks old now. She is doing great. As you can see, we have experienced some new things this week - poop and being pooped. This week we stopped all formula to "regulate" her and boy did it work. She went from pooping once every 24 hours to 4 or 5 times every 24 hours. I'm sure you are wondering why I am talking about Kristen's poops. Its because during the last week she has pooped on me twice! Both times all over my shorts!! Once it came out of the diaper all over me and the other time I was changing her when she got me. And just like last week, Sherry laughed hysterically at me. She better watch it cause her time is coming.

In other news this is a tired mommy and daddy. Kristen is doing fine sleeping and she doesn't cry through the night, but she just doesn't want to sleep at night. About 11 pm each evening she decides its time to have a party. These pictures of her in pink were taken at midnight. But we are working on it with her and she has gotten better each day. Hopefully she will be content sleeping in her own bed, at night, soon. We will see...

We have been out of the house some this week. Kristen loves being out as much as Sherry and I. We've been to some low key restaurants, to Starbucks, and to visit with family. She met all of her Great Grandparents this week! Here are pictures of some of them.

And last but not least, I have been teaching Kristen some yoga. She doesn't quite have it yet but she is getting there! Haaaaaaaaaaaaa (seriously though, what the heck is she doing?)

That's all for now. I will get back to posting about our lives sometime... but for now just posting about Kristen is good enough for me.

Ryan

Week One: Burps, Hiccups, and Pee

2007-05-18T15:18:00.000-04:00

Today Kristen is one week old. The week has really flown by, but not because we have slept it away! As all of you parents know, infants dont care what our sleep schedule is. Kristen has actually been really good. She is laid back most of the time but some nights she just wants a little extra attention. One thing that we have to do at night is feed. I say we because even when Sherry is feeding, I am awake for the diapers and burping. I was burping Kristen today and realized that I had been doing it for almost 10 minutes. Its amazing that someone so small is perfectly content with dad beating on her back for so long. I would not be so pleasant if I were in her position. Then there are hiccups... apparently that happens when she doesnt burp enough and her stomach is upset. She has had hiccups several times for 15 - 30 minutes at at time and again, it doesnt seem to bother her. AGAIN, I would NOT be so pleasant in her position. Babies are extremely resiliant.

So Ive covered the burps and hiccups... heres the pee. We were at her first doctors appointment the other day and she needed to be changed. I had her in my lap so naturally I get to do the deed. So I undid her diaper and before I could get another one, Sherry had taken the dirty diaper away from her bottom. DANGER DANGER!!! As soon as the air hit her, a river of pee came flowing - all over MY lap! By the time we got that under control it looked like I had peed all over myself! And Sherry was laughing so hard I thought she was going to pee all over herself. Haha... what can ya do but laugh.

Here are some pictures from today. She looks great and is doing really well. She is very alert and is able to focus her eyes on things, like me!

She's here!!!

2007-05-17T14:25:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a while and alot has changed. The biggest and best change has been the birth of our little girl, Kristen Marie Smith. She was born on May 11th and weighed 5lbs. 9oz. She was almost 5 weeks early, but she is as healthy as a full term baby. She is beautiful and amazing. In the last year and a half I have experienced a whole new level of love. Sherry and Kristen are what I live for these days. I will do anything for them.

Here are some pictures from the hospital - which we stayed for 5 days and Kristen stayed for 6.

Denver Pictures

2007-02-02T15:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Denver. I was going to do commertary on all of them but instead you can do it. In short; there was a lot of snow - we got to climb on rocks, play in the snow, use the emergency bathroom for emergencies, and catch up with old friends.

We're In Denver!

2007-01-22T12:30:00.000-05:00

We decided to come visit Sherry's sister and brother-in-law, Christina and Rusty, in Denver. We got here on Saturday and are staying until Thursday. In Gods wisdom, He knew that this was the perfect time for us to get away on a vacation.

Here in Denver its all about the snow right now. When we flew in there was snow all over the ground, but the roads were clear. By Sunday morning, snow covered everything. It snowed all day Sunday and into the night. We didnt let the snow stop us... We went to church on Sunday morning. It is a contemporary church full of young people, so we really enjoyed it. God definitely met with us, and I am becoming increasingly more aware of His providence in our lives. I wont get started preaching about all that God has been doing, that is for another time. So after lunch we hung out for a while and watched football - Bears and Colts in the Super Bowl - it should be a good one!

Then we decided to go sledding. We put on our layers of clothing and headed out to find a sled and a hill. Our first obstacle came when there were NO sleds! What the heck, if you are in Denver you should always have a supply of sleds at your store, but they were all sold out. We finally found a plastic storage tub that we thought would work. Next we went searching for a hill. We found a golf course with some hills. If you have ever tried to sled down hills where the snow is not packed down, using a plastic storage tub as the sled, it does not work! LOL We sure did have fun trying though. In the end, we threw some snowballs at each other and headed to Starbucks for some coffee. Sunday was also mine and Sherrys 1 year anniversary. We cant believe that a year has gone by already. It has been amazing! Life in the last year has been full of laughter, many changes, and even more blessings. I love this woman more than I have ever loved. She is full of love and compassion and I am blessed to have her in my life. The next year should bring even more laughter and more changes. As long as we are together, we can get through anything!

Fast tempo!

2007-01-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, during Thanksgiving we decided to put our house on the market and see what happened. We did for sale by owner to save on realtor expenses since we werent necessarily in a hurry to sell. It took all of about 4 weeks and right after Christmas we agreed on a contract to sell our house. Initially we found a great house in Spartanburg, but they need to sell quickly and the contract on our house does not close until April. We feel like we are doing the right thing by waiting and it gives us plenty of time to figure out whats next. So, we will be closing in April, hopefully moving into a new house in April, and having a baby in June! Then life gets really fun! See ya old house - Youve been good to us...

New Years News

2007-01-03T11:15:00.000-05:00

We're Having A ... GIRL! that's right, soon I will have two women in my life and I cant wait! I already have the most amazing woman and hopefully our baby girl will be just like her. Its almost time for dresses and barbie dolls, but hopefully she will like football too!

Sherry heard that drinking coke before the ultrasound would ensure that our baby would be active enough to "show" us if it was a girl or boy - and man was she! If the ultrasound was any indication of her personality, we will do good to keep up. This little girl was moving the whole time. Even the nurse doing the ultrasound had a tough time keeping up with the baby. But in the end it was quite evident that we are having a girl. Everyone says I am going to spoil her... but I don't know what would give people that idea. :)

White Christmas

2006-12-26T17:33:00.000-05:00

My younger sister, Christina (aka Cre), lives right outside of Denver and they got almost 4 feet of snow from the blizzard last week! Here is a pic of her crazy dog playing in the snow! Every time they let her inside, she sat at the backdoor begging to go back out! Rusty gave up on shoveling the driveway and they just stayed in for a couple of days.
Cre and Rusty are driving to Gville this week with their 3 dogs. Please pray for their safety (and sanity!).

Life Changes...

2006-12-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

Well, we dated for 4 months, were engaged for 6 months, have been married for 11 months, and are expecting a baby in 6 months!!! Things move quickly in our lives... but were cool with that. We are 14 weeks now and things are going well. Sherry has not been sick at all, but she has had a lot of back pain. It comes and goes and she is doing an amazing job of dealing with all of the changes. The strength of my wife impresses me more every day! Anyway, heres a picture of the little one... we should know in January if its a boy or girl. Apparently it has a lot of personality, because its waving at everyone... hahaha. We are SOOOOOOO excited!!!!!!

Scenes from the airport...

2006-10-25T14:06:00.000-04:00

So was traveling on business the other day. While in the airport, I sat down in a comfortable chair in Starbucks to read. It didn't take long for my ADD to kick in so I started people watching, and man were there a lot of people to watch! I was there for about 45 minutes and the line always had at least five people in it. The interesting thing was that no one in line was under 35. I didn't poll them or anything but it wasn't the typical young crowd that you see at Starbucks. I was honestly perplexed. I had previously assumed that the Starbucks fad was for young people and the older generation thought we were crazy for spending so much money on a cup of coffee. Well either my perception was wrong, though valid since I have heard that statement before, or the trend is changing. Whatever the case, Starbucks coffee seems to be like music... Its spans across generations and cultures, and connects us all through an experience. So I started thinking, wouldn't it be great if we made Christ the center that spans across generations and cultures? If we let Him define who we were every day, if we truly loved people unconditionally, if we served people, if we showed grace because it has been shown to us, I wonder if it would permiate the world in a way that we have never seen? Then we would all be connected by an unexplainable and amazing experience, that is Christ Jesus our Lord. What if it started with me or you.... I wonder?

Relaxation and Nail Biting

2006-09-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

Bye bye mall...Hello Myrtle Beach!! Ryan and I got some much needed R & R at the beach last week.

and we said our goodbyes to the Pavillion...

So after we destressed... we took a road trip to Tallahasee so that Ryan could get stressed out again. He didn't sit down once during the game. It was fun- just being together all week was fun! I even wore a salmon colored shirt to the game! Ok, it's not orange, but it's close...

Things change...

2006-09-07T09:13:00.000-04:00

So as you all know, we have been in the mall doing the Veggie Tales thing for 3 months. Let me tell ya, it has been 3 looonnnngggg months! While the new venture has been fun, and semi lucrative, it was weighing heavy on us and we werent sure why. I have been into this questioning thing lately (some of you would say that I have been into that for 27 years now) so I began to ask questions. Sherry and I spent a lot of time thinking, talking and praying about the buisness and our lives. We came to the conclusion that the number ONE priority for us is to be at home together - or be on the same schedule. Especially the first year of marriage, it is important to spend time together doing every day stuff... and we werent doing that. Sherry would often have to work the late shift, or a 12 hour shift at the mall, and our time together was put on the backburner. Its true that starting a business lends itself to that, but due to our newfound priority - things just didnt line up so we had to change somethign.

The next question was what do we do about it... and the obvious, but very tough answer was to get out of the mall. After much prayer, we swallowed our pride and scheduled a meeting with the leasing rep at the mall. She was very encouraging and understanding, so by the end of the meeting we all agreed to terminate our lease and she would find someone else to fill it as soon as possible. That was one of the more humbling experiences I have had in my life, but sometimes you have to go through things like this for the good of family.

No worries though - we are still in the bizz... We still have our website, http://www.justmemusic.us/upstatesc , and we will still be doing shows and fundraisers. If you are interested in a CD or Book, give us a call. It may be easier for us to do it and ship it to you than you order it through the website. If you dont know our number, leave a post and we will get back to ya!

Alright well thats all about that... if ya didnt know, now ya know! If ya have any questions, let us know...

Later,

Ryan

2006-08-17T14:40:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry we haven't posted in a while! Between my 3 men- Ryan, Bob and Larry- it's been a busy summer!!
For me- things have been busy at the mall. People are already starting their Christmas shopping! Smart people.
For Ryan- things have been busy at work and at home. This is his traveling season, so he's been gone a lot. When he's home, he's been doing home improvements. I work a lot of weekends and Ryan isn't the type to sit around, so he's been painting the kitchen, pulling up bushes, replacing the outside light fixtures, painting the front door, planting grass and bushes, and installing a peep hole so I can see who's knocking! He's been busy and our house looks great! He is taking a little break in August for more traveling. Then he's going to finish the yard in September. We are hoping to get the house on the market soon...
Well, that's all for now! I'll post some pictures of the home improvement soon!!
Sherry

Randomness

2006-07-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

Here are some random pictures that were taken with my phone. The first is titled "Take A Break", starring my size 12 feet.

The next is entitled "Scenes from a Gas Station", very introspective, dont ya think? LOL

Next we have "The Mailbox" ... and last but not least, "Beauties, and the Beast"!

Veggie Tales, Barney and Wiggles, Oh My...

2006-06-08T14:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been a while since our last post. We are almost through our busiest stretch of the summer so some things, like posting, have been cut out. In the last month we have done 2 shows, hired and trained some people for the cart, gone to Seattle, WA, Philadelphia, and opened in the mall! Things are going great though! God has been our rock through all of the chaos. He is our provider and our sustainer and we praise Him for leading us down this path.

The cart set up went well. We started at 6:00pm on Sunday and finished at about 10:30pm (dont tell my grand-ma, she would shoot me if she knew we were "working" on Sunday). It was hard work but very rewarding. I am the type of person that works best when I can see a finished product. Well, our finished cart looks pretty good! We still have some things to add but for the most part it is done.

Well, thats all for now. Have a great day!

Ryan

Something for the Singles

2006-05-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

This is something we received at VeggieTales training. It touched both of us and we wanted to share the encouragement with you.

A letter from Jesus:

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone- to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God to a Christian says, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfiled and content with living loved by Me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me- exclusive of any other desires and longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the BEST. Please allow me to bring it to you- keep watching Me, expecting the greatest thing- keep experiencing that satisfaction knowing that I am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you...you must wait.

Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

And, then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than anyone would ever dream. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready, I am working even this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time. Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me...and this is perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love, I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied"

Jesus

Freedom Weekend

2006-05-25T20:31:00.000-04:00

Its Memorial Day Weekend and that means Freedom Weekend Aloft (thats a hot air balloon festival for those who dont know). I have been going to Freedom Weekend since I was a kid. Rides, concerts, hot air balloons, fire works... its a fun time! This year will be a little different though. This year we will be at Freedom Weekend as vendors. Yes, we will be selling Veggie Tales CDs. It goes from Friday at noon through Monday night and we will be there the whole time. We hope it will be a busy and profitable weekend. After this show we start in the mall.

Come see us, it should be fun!

Seattle

2006-05-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are in Seattle! We have had an awesome trip! We saw the space needle... went shopping at Pike's Market...

had drinks at the original Starbucks..

and, amidst all of the fish throwing, met a monk fish.

I can never order monk fish again without seeing this image in my head! Better stick to salmon! :)

Sherry

First one OVER!!!

2006-05-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

YES!!! We got through our first show and we are still alive! Actually it was a great first show. We knew that it would be a lot of work but we had no idea that it would be so rough. We got to the show on Friday around 1:30pm and set up. The wind was blowing like crazy so the tent tried to take off a couple of times. Luckily I like hanging on things so I didnt mind keeping the tent weighted down. The show started at 4:00pm on Friday and we left around 9:30pm. Before leaving we had to tear down everything except the tent and tables, and take it all home with us. Saturday morning we got there at 8:15am to get set up AGAIN and the show started at 10:00am. It was a long day but we made it through. By 5:00pm the money crowd was gone and another type of crowd came out... after an hour of no sales we packed up and headed out.

For the first show, we felt pretty good about how much we sold. We were and are still learning how to sell these products but it is getting easier... Friday I was the top seller by far! However, Saturday Sherry got the hang of it and kicked my butt! Her sister Elizabeth worked for the afternoon too and she did GREAT as well! Next up, Freedom Weekend Aloft in Anderson. Then we start in the mall on June 1st. We are excited about getting into the mall because it will be more stable than the shows.

Well, thats all for now. Catch ya later on...

Ryan

Here we go...

2006-05-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

Its finally time for the new business to start! We have been preparing for this for months and its go time now. We officially start our business tomorrow and Saturday at the Greer Family Fun Fest! One of the most exciting things about getting started is getting our house back! Veggie Tales and Barney and the Wiggles have taken over! Once we get going, especially in the mall, our house will be back to normal. For now we are making due, but relief cant come soon enough! Come see us if you get a chance... we have the perfect gift for any child in your life!

Just Hangin Out...

2006-05-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

During my business trip to Dallas, we were able to attend a minor league baseball game. I got a little bored before the game started...

Husbands

2006-05-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

About a year and a half ago, I was reading a Christian Women's magazine and saw an advertisement for a VeggieTales ministry that gets the Good News into the hands of children that may not have heard it otherwise. I felt like the Lord called me to do start this type of ministry in Greenville. So I prayed about it- and waited. And prayed about it- and waited. Over a year later, two months before my wedding, I felt like the Lord said 'OK- now'. What? Two months before the wedding? Wow! Sometimes it's hard to understand the Lord's 'perfect timing'! So I started the endless paperwork and planning. I remember putting the deposit down for a franchise for the upstate 2 weeks before the wedding. Suzanne, the lady at the corporate office who takes care of all of that, said 'Ok, you have your territory locked. Now don't call me again until after the honeymoon!'
You may wonder why I titled this 'Husbands'. It's because God knew I couldn't have done this without Ryan. That is why His timing is perfect and why at the time, I had to just trust His timing. In hindsight, it was the perfect time.
Throughout this whole thing, Ryan has covered me. When I got so discouraged that there was no way we could come up with the money to start this, Ryan kept praying with me and reassuring me that God would provide. And He did! You know it's God when someone that you have only met once hands you a check for thousands of dollars! In fact, after Ryan and I told them about what we were starting, the wife looked at the husband and said 'We wondered why we had that extra money in the account this month'. Wow! God has shown us miracle after miracle through all of this!
There have been times when I would get so worried and upset, and Ryan would call me and tell me to skip ahead and read a chapter in the Bible study we are going through. It would be exactly what I needed. There are many times that I would cry and think about quitting and Ryan would grab me and pray with me. When I am overwhelmed, he somehow knows it, and tells me what a good job I'm doing and how proud he is of me. I worry about our future finances from this- we have put all of our savings and money on the line- and Ryan constantly tells me that the Lord would not have brought us here to let us fail. While my faith has been tested over the past few months, it has helped to see how solid my husband's faith is- EVERY DAY. It helps increase my faith because with Ryan, I do things that I would be scared to do alone, and I see God work- and my faith increases.
So many people congratulate me on the new business and Ryan just smiles. If they only knew to congratulate him, too, because without his constant covering and encouragement, there would be no business.

Birthday Boy!

2006-05-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Ryan's Birthday! The big 27! We went to lunch with a group of his friends from work...

and laughed as the sweet lady that makes cookies sang him a "Marilyn Monroe" version of Happy Birthday on the microphone!

For dinner, we went to Ryan's mom's and celebrated! Ryan made a few comments about how funny my homemade cake looked (it was topped with melted marshmellows instead of frosting), so I think he may be getting a big Barbie cake from Publix next year! :D

Ryan loves reminding me that no matter how old he gets, he'll never be as old as me! :-<

He had a great day! He is spending his Birthday money on Clemson season tickets, so that makes him VERY EXCITED!!!!

Just Me Music

2006-04-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

Hey! Ryan is out of town for work so I get to post!! :) I use more smiley faces than he does! ;) I just received news that our website is up! If you want to check it out, it is http://www.justmemusic.us/upstatesc. We are so excited! We have already been making sales (thank goodness- you wouldn't believe how much the mall rent is!).
Since I get a chance to post, I want to share something that I've learned from the 3 months I've been married...MEN will freeze you! Whether we are in the car or at home, Ryan is always hot! And, therefore, cranks the AC, which means... I am always cold! I thought this was just something between Ryan and me, but my mom reassures me that most men are hot natured!! :) Well, at least it will save us money on the power bill this winter!

Sherry

New Ventures!!!!

2006-04-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

We are back from Nashville and very excited about our new business venture! Ok, are you ready... heres what we are doing... ready, you sure? OK, here goes...

Veggie Tales, Barney, Wiggles - sound familiar?

We are now selling personalized CDs and Books for kids. These products are pretty amazing! Imagine the face of a 5 year old when she hears Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales talking directly to her. Calling her by name and asking her to sing along... I have never seen anything like it. In Nashville, a mother heard her daughter's name and almost started crying. We believe in these products, and that by itself makes this business venture worth while!

So, heres how it works... Beginning in June, Sherry will be running a cart at the Haywood Mall. We are able to custom make all CDs and books right there at the cart! The CDs teach kids morals, values, and character qualities through their songs. The books do the same while taking the child through their own "mission possible". I am telling you, I have never seen any products like these!

So, we are hiring. If you know anyone who would like to work in a sales environment, doing something that actually matters - send them our way! Ssmith@justmemusic.com We will have a website up soon where people can order products online, but thats not available yet.

Alright, thats all for now. We will keep you updated as we get closer to opening day! If you want a CD or book now, let us know. We are ready to sell!!!

Ryan and Sherry

Travelin...

2006-04-20T19:33:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all - We are in Nashville at a training session for our new business. I say "our" because are are both owners of it, but she will be running everything! More to come on this later...

On another note, there seems to be two things that Tennesseeans love - UT Football and Crackle Barrel! There was one at almost every exit on the way up here. Naturally we had to stop at one... but who can resist good ole country cookin'!

Hope your curiosity is arroused... check back later!

Ryan and Sherry

Home Improvement...

2006-04-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

Its time for HOME IMPROVEMENT! This font color is in honor of our newly painted room, and has nothing to do with the fact that I LOVE ORANGE!

Since Sherry has her own business, she needed an office at the house. So we decided to take one of the bedrooms and do a little retro, post modern action to it. (I sound like I know what I am talking about huh...) We had a brown couch and very cool picture that needed to be relocated from the den, so they found a home in the new office. When Sherry said that she wanted to do brown and orange, I couldnt believe it! Orange isnt exactly one of her favorite colors, if ya know what I mean. But orange it was... and we began painting!

All of the orange reminded me of my college days, but Sherry quickly reminded me that this room was NOT a tribute to Clemson! As we finished the room, i couldnt believe how good it looked. Sherry and I should host one of those remodel TV shows! LOL, well she could anyway...

Finished product... Pretty cool, huh!

Ryan and Sherry

MOOOOOOO...

2006-04-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

We love our house. It has a private back yard full of trees, and backs up to a pasture.

Well ole Bessie came to visit this afternoon.

Yes, we have a cow living in our back yard! She lives on the other side of the fence, but she might as well be in our back yard... The funny thing is, we have a cow living in the house too! Our dog, Myrlot, loves eating grass in the back yard. Sounds like a cow to me, dont ya think? Her and Bessie get along well from a distance, but as soon as Bessie gets close, Merlot is no where to be found. Some guard dog, huh...

Honeymoon!!!

2006-04-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

I am trying to get everyone up to date here...

Our honeymoon was unbelievable! We went to St. Lucia which is near Aruba. I highly recommend Sandals for all inclusive vacations. I have never been catered to like we were that week. As with most countries, everything outside the resort was poverty but once we got into the resort it was phenomenal! The thought did run through my mind that I was enjoying the life of luxury and there were people all around me stuggling to live day to day. But since it was our honeymoon, I let that thought go and just enjoyed!

So we had a conceigre room on the beach. That means that someone was available all day every day to help us with anything we wanted! We spent a lot of time just relaxing... but neither one of us can just sit by the pool all day long. We played volleyball, pool races, darts, and shuffle board, went snorkling and did a zip line tour through the jungle!

Aside from all the fun - the food was awesome! Remember all inclusive! That means all the food you want, any time you want! I am all about that!!!

Well, enjoy the pictures. We just left 2 months ago and are already planning a trip back; though

that whole money thing could delay that for a while.

Ryan

The Wedding

2006-04-02T22:37:00.000-04:00

Our wedding was amazing... but boy are we glad it is over! We were engaged for 6 months and we spent most of that just wishing that we could get on with "normal" married life. We spent our time dreaming of how married life was going to be and longing to hang out all day at the house, and not have to leave each other at night! For all of you who are engaged now, hang in there... its worth it!

Sherry and Ryan