Smith Family

St. George- August 2011

2012-01-12T14:57:00.009-07:00

At the end of August, Justin's family headed down to St. George for one last summer get-a-way. It was fun! We got to spend time with Justin's Uncle Steve and Aunt Tara who live in Dammeron Valley.

Jackson is my little swimmer! He loves the water! Here he is taking a dip in the hotel pool. It was 108 degrees in St. George!

Jackson with Uncle Steve. He loves visiting Uncle "Steeb"

Justin and I went for a bike ride in Dammeron Valley. It is a beautiful place. And not nearly as hot as St. George.

We also went swimming at Baker Reservoir. Michelle, Amy and Matt Brooksby

Our family also bought a new car in August. It's a Hyundai Sante Fe and I'm completely in love with it!

Next up: The big announcement!

Where to start?!?!

2012-01-11T19:28:00.014-07:00

When I get this behind in blogging its tempting to just say "I'll just skip up to the present time". And I kind of want to do that because it would be soooooooo much easier! But after looking at some pictures from the past 5 months, I just have to blog about it! So here goes. I'm hoping to do a quick wrap up with just hitting the highlights.

AUGUST was a great month. We celebrated Justin's 29th Birthday, went to Yellowstone with my family and then a quick weekend trip to St. George with Justin's family. But the best part of August was finding out that me and Justin were expecting baby #2!

First up Yellowstone:

Jackson at Gibbon's Falls.

Yellowstone Lake

I love this cheeser!

Norris Geyser Basin

The best parents ever- at Upper Yellostone Falls

Uncle Mikey (I'm really missing him right now!)

This last picture was taken at the Old Faithful Lodge. Jackson is so photogenic-don't you think?

Next up: St. George and announcing baby #2! Stay tuned!

A Bear Lake Fourth of July!

2011-09-09T11:58:00.011-06:00

This year our annual Bear Lake trip was over the 4th of July. I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy the 4th if we weren't in Salt Lake to enjoy the fireworks show. But it turned out great. We were able to get in all the fireworks we wanted throughout the rest of July.

Bear Lake will always be one of my favorite places to camp in the summer. The Rendezvous State Park has a perfect beach for the kids to play, and shallow water so we parents don't have to worry excessively and you can have a campfire right on the beach! Here's some pics.

The Tiller side great-grandkids getting pulled on their floaties.

Playing in the sand

Eli posing for the camera.

Jackson trying to be "cool" like Eli. :)

Brooklyn

Sunset on the beach

Grandma Tiller

Quick June Recap

2011-09-05T16:09:00.011-06:00

This summer has flown by so fast, I can't believe it. Hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to catch you up on all the fun things we've been able to do this summer. First up, my youngest brother, Michael, graduated from Alta High School. Here's so pics from our celebration at the Olive Garden afterwards. We are so proud of him! If you haven't seen them already, check out Mikey's Senior Photoshoot. http://jsmithdigital.wordpr ess.com/2011/06/11/mikey-g/

Mikey with Grandma Gregerson

Next up is Jackson's 4th Birthday! We celebrated it with both sides of the family at the Smith's house.

Opening his slip-n-slide from Aunt Michelle

Jackson with Grandpa Gregerson

Uncle Matt putting Jackson's new "Cars" scooter together

Giving Uncle Mikey a "thank-you" smooch for helping put the scooter together.

Taking it for a spin.

I can't believe Jackson is 4 years old already! Time has flown by. This little boy lights up our lives and I'm so grateful he is part of our family. Love you Jackson!

Happiest Place on Earth May 2011- Part 3

2011-07-27T13:04:00.010-06:00

By now you're probably thinking I'm going overboard with the Disneyland posts, but they're some of my best memories! So obviously, I want to preserve them! Hopefully you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

Jackson with Grandma and Grandpa Smith

Isn't my mother-in-law beautiful? My mom lovingly calls her "movie-star grandma" because she is always dolled up and looking so pretty!

Aunt Michelle and Jackson on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Aunt Chris and Aunt Michelle on Peter Pan's Flight

Me and Jackson riding Ladybug Boogy

I've come to really enjoy Bug's Land at California Adventure. It has great rides for little kids and it's rarely crowded, which is always a plus at Disneyland!

And to finish it off-here's some cool photos Justin took. Justin always captures a side of Disneyland you don't normally see. Isn't he awesome?

Happiest Place on Earth May 2011- Part 2

2011-07-21T16:12:00.011-06:00

This trip Jackson was very interested in meeting all the characters so we decided to spend more time doing what he wanted to do. He met Mickey at least 3 times.

We were a little late getting into the line to meet Woody, but a really cool cast member let Jackson hug Woody as he left. Sometimes the cast members can be little strict with the end of the lines, but this one was awesome. He even made sure Woody knew Jackson was waiting for him.

In California Adventure, Jackson met Mater and McQueen. And the cast member thought Jackson was so cute she even gave in a rag to "wash McQueen". Jackson totally loved it.

This trip was also an "all things Spencer" trip! Jackson was Spencer's shadow all week! He especially loved going to Pirate's Lair (formerly Tom Sawyer's Island) with Spencer.

Happiest Place on Earth May 2011- Part 1

2011-07-19T20:49:00.009-06:00

After our cruise, Justin's family met us in California for a week at Disneyland. It was so good to see Jackson! I missed him so much while we were gone. We did Skype with Jackson once during our cruise and I just cried and cried afterwards because I missed him so much. It felt good to have our little family back together again.

This first picture is actually from the same day we boarded our cruise. If you didn't know it, Justin has lost his mind when it comes to all things Disney. He drove through the night to get me to Disneyland on Mother's Day. He is so sweet! It was kind of bittersweet though because Jackson wasn't there with us.

My Mother's Day cinnamon roll! Hmm. Nothing compares to the fresh baked goodies from Main Street USA!!!

This trip we decided to take Jackson on a few rides he had never been on before. First up... Gadget's Go Coaster in Toon Town. He's so brave.

Tomorrowland Rockets

Big Thunder Railroad. He loved the "fast choo-choo train"!

Jackson also went on Grizzly River Run for the first time. He saw it and talked all of us into it. We were hesitant because we didn't want to get wet. But it was so worth it to see the look on Jackson's face. He would squeal in anticipation of getting splashed.

After a long day at Disneyland, is there anything better than playing DS with Spencer?

Here's a video of him meeting Mickey Mouse. Jackson has met Mickey before, but it will never lose its magic. He loves Mickey. Every time he sees Mickey signing autographs we have to get in the line to meet him.

Enjoy!

Puerto Vallarta

2011-07-15T14:07:00.013-06:00

After Cabo, our cruise went to Puerto Vallarta. I miraculously talked Justin into doing the zip line that everyone was talking about. I'm so happy that he was willing to try it! It was really fun. No cameras allowed though. :( But I did get pictures of the ridiculous jeep ride we had to take to get there. I felt like I was going to die. The streets of Mexico are pure chaos. There were pot holes, random speed bumps, huge missing segments of the streets, forks in the road and then there were no street signs! And Justin's seat belt didn't work. I just held on for my life, and said a prayer! That yellow jeep in the background of this picture is our death trap!

I did feel a little comfort after I saw this LDS Church. It's so neat to know that wherever you go, the gospel is true!!

After the zipline we headed back to the ship for a nap! Then when sunset came, Justin got some beautiful pictures of Puerto Vallarta's coastline.

After visiting Mexico I feel very grateful to live in America! The experience humbled me and reminded me of all the blessings Heavenly Father has given me. Here's a few more pics from the cruise ship.

Formal night.

Next up....Disneyland!

Mexican Riviera Cruise!

2011-07-14T12:05:00.008-06:00

After graduation, Justin and I went on our very first cruise! It was amazing. We got a whole week to ourselves thanks to our families watching Jackson. Thanks so much to everyone that helped! And a special thanks to Aunt Stacey for driving us to port and picking us up. We are so spoiled. Our first stop on our cruise was Cabo San Lucas. This was my favorite port because of how beautiful the arch formation was at the end of the peninsula.

The first day in Cabo, we went on a boat tour that sailed around the Land's End Peninsula and then the tour took us to a beach where we could swim. I had a blast, but Justin didn't appreciate the water being so clear that he could see the fish swimming between his legs.

On the second day in Cabo, we hired a water taxi to take us to Lover's Beach which is by the arch.
Stay tuned for Puerto Vallarta, us almost dying on a jeep ride and Disneyland!!!

10 years in the making!

2011-06-03T10:18:00.004-06:00

I did it! After 10 years of dreaming of becoming a nurse, I finally graduated nursing school! It's been 10 years since I received my CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) in 2001 at the age of 17. It's weird to think back and realize how far I've come. I've been very blessed in my life to have so many family members and friends who have supported me and encouraged me to keep going. Justin has been my biggest strength. He has cheered me on, listened to me cry (and sometimes scream), and never let me give up. Thanks you, Justin for believing in me! And also a special thanks to Jackson for being such a good boy and letting mommy study for all those long hours!

Now on to the next obstacle--passing the NCLEX which is the Nursing Licensing Exam. Here's some pics.

Aunt Lynn, Grandma Gregerson, Grandma Tiller, my Mom and Dad, Justin, Justin's mom (Sharlene) and Aunt Chris. Thanks for coming! And thanks to Aunt Jenny for taking the picture-you did a great job!

Reciting the Florence Nightingale Pledge

My nursing friends

Getting my "diploma" from Claudia. Claudia was the head of the testing center. She was a big part of my nursing school experience. Every test day she was there for us.

This is the only picture I got of just me and Justin. That's the downside of having a husband who is a photographer, no one else knows how to work his camera. All the shots turned out blurry except this kissing one. :)

Me and my Dad! Besides Justin, he is my biggest supporter. Thanks Dad for always being there for me and seeing my potential. I love you!!!

My Martha Stewart Moment

2011-04-26T10:21:00.008-06:00

My sweet sister-in-law Amy got married last week and this is a recap of the Bridal Shower we threw for her in March. I had so much fun creating a dessert table! I hope next time I'll be able to host the event in my own house, instead of the ward building. But it turned out so cute! Big thanks to Michelle and Sharlene for hosting it with me. Here's some pics from the celebration.

Yummy Cake-pops!

The dessert table. (Makes me hungry just looking at it)

Reva, Heather, Grandma Bain and Grandma Denison making toilet paper veils.

Kaelyn, Me, Amanda and Marian

The bride-to-be and Olivia

The cute couple opening their gifts!

Thanks to everyone who came and partied with us!

Pizza Party!

2011-01-27T19:48:00.007-07:00

We celebrated Brooklyn's (my niece) 2nd Birthday last week at Incredible Pizza. It was a complete blast. It was our first time there and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Birthday Girl!

Jackson obviously had fun because it involved his cousin, pizza and running around!

Uncle Mikey

Brooklyn loved all of her presents!

Thanks to Amy and Mike for inviting us to such a fun party!

Yeah-I like it!

2010-12-31T09:24:00.004-07:00

Jackson was so excited Christmas morning he was speechless! Usually he's jabbering away, but this video shows him saying only 3 things: bicycle, cars and "yeah I like it". So cute!

Another classic moment from this year is my niece, Brooklyn. She's our little drama queen! The last video is of her opening some clothes.

We bought my dad a really nice pair of binoculars and they were a hit!

Nate

Our 5th Anniversary

2010-12-12T20:36:00.023-07:00

Justin and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary in November! The times has flown by so fast. I thank Heavenly Father every day for what a wonderful husband I have. Justin is the best! Here's my top five moments for our first five years of marriage:

5) Our first Christmas together- it was so perfect to wake up to my husband on Christmas morning!

4) Our May 2010 Disneyland Trip. Jackson fully enjoyed Disneyland for the first time on this trip. We were in Heaven!

3)The day Jackson was born. It was such a wonderful experience to bring him into the world. And on a side note: When Justin changed his diaper for the first time, Jackson started pooing and it just kept on going and going. I can still see Justin's face not knowing quite how to handle it. It was hilarious!

2) and 1) These two are tied simply because they both hold such a special place in my heart. The day we got married, Nov 16, 2005.

And the day we got sealed in the Salt Lake Temple as a family on May 3, 2008. They were both beautiful days.

Thanks, Justin for the most wonderful 5 years of my life. I love you, honey!

Turning 3 with Toy Story 3!!!

2010-08-18T13:21:00.006-06:00

Jackson celebrated his 3rd birthday on June 22! It's amazing to see how much he's grown and all the things he has learned over his first 3 years of life. It truly is a miracle to see children grow, and I love watching my little blond boy change before my eyes everyday.

Jackson loves Toy Story. Luckily enough Toy Story 3 came out right before his birthday, so we were able to go see it as part of his birthday celebration! The whole family loved the movie and we laughed our butts off. If you haven't seen it yet, shame on you! J/K.

Ready to see the movie with Buzz in hand!

How much longer do I have to wait for my movie?

Opening presents.

Yippee! Is there anything better than birthday cake?

And last, but not least, a basket ball hoop that can turn into a field goal for football too!
Thanks Aunt Amy an Uncle Mike!

Disneyland May 2010

2010-07-20T12:38:00.021-06:00

Sorry its taken me so long to post our latest Disneyland pictures! In my defense, Justin keeps changing programs on me and I can never keep up with his photography stuff. He keeps having to teach me new things. I still have no idea how to use Lightroom 3, hopefully it won't take much longer to figure out.

Our last Disneyland adventure was the end of May. We went to celebrate me being half way through nursing school! It was the best trip ever! Jackson finally enjoyed the rides. He was excited to go on each one, except Dumbo. For some reason he doesn't like it. We tried it twice, and both times he was scared. His favorite ride would probably be Casey Jr. or It's a Small World. I'm so proud of him for being brave and realizing that there is nothing to be scared about. He even puts his arms in the air to touch the fog in Pirate's of the Carribean. And he enjoys going down the waterfalls too!

Casey Jr.- Jackson shouts "All board" when we go on it.

Dumbo-before he realized he doesn't like it.

Jackson met Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger. Tigger was his favorite for obvious
reasons: they both have a ton of energy to bounce around with.

Jackson also enjoyed Bug's Land in California Adventure. He used to be afraid of Hiemlich's Choo-Choo Train, which is the wimpiest ride there, but now he loves it. He also had a blast on Tuck and Roll's Drive Em' Buggies. (Bumper Cars)

Jackson got a kick out of running into me with his bumper car.

Jackson meeting Mr. Incredible. His hat has Dash on it, so he fits right in.

Our beautiful host, Aunt Stacey. Maybe Jackson's blond hair comes from that side of the family.

Jackson with Uncle Matty

Grandma Smith
My two favorite boys in the whole world waiting for the Pixar Play Parade.

One of the other reasons that this trip was so special is that we set apart a day to go to the Newport Beach Temple. Me, Justin and Nathan did an endowment session. It was a wonderful experience and I'm so happy we did it.

We didn't take this picture of the temple, I found it at: lisajarviephotography.blogspot.com This is truly what the Temple looked like the night we went to it. Completely breathtaking!

Nate- Yes ladies, he is available! :)

See why it was the best Disneyland trip ever?!

Bus? Woody? Jessie? Buzz?

2010-06-15T13:26:00.003-06:00

These are the words that come out of Jackson's mouth at least once a day. Ever since we went on our last Disneyland trip he asks when we will be going on the Toy Story bus from Disneyland. Who knew that such a little thing would be the highlight of his trip. He doesn't seem to understand that the Toy Story bus is all the way in California. Me and Justin keep telling him that we will go on it "later". But I don't know how long that will last. Pictures to come of the best Disneyland trip ever!

My Little Man

2010-03-23T19:27:00.006-06:00

Lots of exciting things have been happening in our family. First off, Jackson started a special preschool for his speech delay. He loves going and he has made so much progress. He is doing a great job trying new words and communicating what he wants to us. Here are some pictures of his class room.
Next, Jackson got his crib converted into a big boy bed. I've put this off for a while because I felt more secure with him in his crib. But he started not wanting to sleep in it and so we thought it would be a good time for a change. In order to get him excited about his big boy bed we went and picked out a new bed set for him. Right now he really loves Buzz Lightyear , so we got Toy Story. He loves it. He constantly says "Look, Buzz!". And now he can say "Woody" too.The change has really worked out well for all of us and I'm grateful for that!

We are also putting a bathroom in downstairs! Hallelujah! It is so exciting. We are so blessed. Our ward is helping with the huge project. People have been volunteering their time to do the plumbing, framing, sheet rock and tile work. Heavenly Father has really been looking out for us. And we can't wait to have it done. It shouldn't be too much longer and then I'll post some pictures of it.

A Quick Christmas Recap

2010-01-17T18:27:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Holiday. Christmas is so much better with Jackson in our family. He had so much fun opening up his presents and I loved seeing the look on his face. He was so excited to tear off the wrapping paper and he loved being the center of attention.

New Year's came and went so fast, and the next thing we knew we were at Disneyland for one last time before school started again. There are many adorable pictures to come! Hope all of our friends and family are having a wonderful start to 2010!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-20T14:41:00.004-07:00

I always love the holiday season. I love seeing my friends and family and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. So far, we've been able to go to some great Christmas parties, see the lights at Temple Square and take some Christmas pictures of Jackson. Taking pictures of our wild 2 1/2 year old proved to be quite hard. As you can see in our family Christmas card we are sending out. Jackson was not willing to look at the camera! But at least we were able to get a few without him crying.

Justin and I went on a photo walk to Temple Square with Photowalking Utah. It was really fun. We didn't take Jackson with us though, so it made it kind of bitter sweet. The lights were beautiful and Temple Square always helps me feel the spirit of Christmas.

I'm so grateful to be able to have such a wonderful family to spend Christmas with. We are truly blessed! I can't wait to see Jackson open his presents. He has already tried to open a couple of them and he is so excited!

Merry Christmas!

So Much to be Thankful For!

2009-11-28T13:02:00.006-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was very nice to take a break from school and work and be able to enjoy our family and all the blessings Heavenly Father has given us. Justin's mom made a delicious meal for everyone and it was so fun to be able to see Justin's Grandma and Aunt Reva. We only wish that more people would have been able to come. (We miss the Tate's!)

Giving Back and Previsualization

2009-11-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

As of late I have been really into photography. I have had such a passion for learning more about it that I searched the web for a local photo walking group and found Photowalking Utah. This has been such a wonderful group of people. I have been to one event and one presentation.

The presentation was last night and was giving by Rich Legg and Scott Bourne. Melissa was nice enough to come join me. (I considered it a mini date.) Rich is a local photog (That's what photographers call each other) and he talked about giving back. He stressed the importance of giving back to your community in anyway you can, and in this case he was stressing our abilities as photographers. He challenges us all to give an hour a week. There were 150 people there and if everyone gave that one hour a week it would be the equivalent to 4 full-time photog. It was a great message that got me thinking about how I could give back.

Scott Bourne talked about previsualization in photograph. He suggested that we shouldn't go out willy-nilly to take picture but to go out with a purpose. He share his experience of having a certain picture that he wanted to take and that it took him 12 years to achieve it. (Picture Below)

photo from photofocus.com

I really enjoyed being able to learn from so many great photogs, and I encourage everyone to give back.

Disneyland

2009-11-12T18:23:00.007-07:00

Since Justin and I are playing catch up with our blog, I thought I would post some pictures of the Disneyland trip we took in October. We are so lucky to be able to go to Disneyland as often as we do. A special thanks to the Tate Family who always welcome us to their home. We love you guys! We can't wait to go again!
Jackson was still a little scared of the rides, but he did a lot better than last time.

Seeing Disneyland all decked out for Halloween was so much fun. Our favorite part was how they changed the Haunted Mansion into the Nightmare Before Christmas. So cool!

Getting ready for Toy Story Mania.

Changing things up a bit....

2009-11-09T20:28:00.003-07:00

Justin's been kind enough to teach me how to do this blogging thing and I'm really excited to start! Here's some cute pictures from Halloween to get me started in the blogging world.

My dad has become a softy in his old age.

2008-12-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. I thought that I would take a minute or two to wish him a Happy Birthday and let everyone know how he has affected me. It seems the older he gets the more emotions he show. (hence the title of the post) I have seen a new side of my dad emerge ever since Jackson was born. Does it have to do with him receiving the official status of being a "Grandpa?" Maybe it just him becoming a softy. Either way, I like it. I enjoy seeing him play with Jackson, and to give him hugs. It has also been wonderful for him to open up about himself and his childhood. Growing up I would only hear about my dad's childhood when he was telling it to someone else, usually my Uncle Steve or for some reason my Uncle Joe. It's wonderful to hear about his experiences. Maybe it is the fact that we ask him about it now and he knows that we are interested. I wish I would have asked him sooner. Anyways, keep up the good stories, Happy Birthday Dad, and thanks for being such a great Dad!

He are some pictures from our Thanksgiving breakfast with my Dad's side of the family. It was wonderful. We missed those that weren't able to make it. You missed out on some really good food and conversation.

I look forward to see you all on Christmas. - Justin

There is a new sheriff in town

2008-11-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thought that I would post some pictures from Halloween. Jackson was a sheriff and me and Melissa were a cowboy and cowgirl.

Jackson had so much fun trick or treating for the first time. He really enjoyed seeing all the different kids dressed up. He was so happy. He was also excited to get some candy.

We took him to our ward house for there trunk-n-treat. It was the first time that me and Melissa had ever been to one. I guess you have to be right on time or early because we were 30 min late and most of the candy was gone. I think that the trunk-n-treat is a really good idea for little kids but when Jackson gets older I think we take him door to door. It just seems more like Halloween to me if you do it that way.

The little monster

2008-11-15T09:34:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would post some pictures of Jackson. He is getting so big and he is getting into everything. The other day he found a new bottle of syrup and figure out how to open it. It even had one of the seals. He decided to have some fun with it oh the hardwood. (pictured above.)

We finally decide to give Jackson his first hair cut. As you can see it was starting to get a little too wild. Melissa has been cutting my hair ever since we got married and she was scared to do Jackson but I had to be done. She did a wonderful job and Jackson was really good for a one and a half year old.

We love our little Jacky boy so much! Isn't he cute?

We are the three year newlyweds

2008-11-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

This Sunday will be me and Melissa three year anniversary and I just thought that I would take some time to tell everyone how wonderful my wife is, if you didn't already know. Melissa, from the instant we meet each other, makes me feel special. She gave me a sense of purpose in life. She brings so much joy to anyone she is around. One of the first things that attracted me to her was her smile. She lights up any room she goes into.

Melissa has shaped me into who I am today. I, like everyone knows, am a very shy person, but she has some how opened me up were I am not as shy as i use to be. I still have a lot more to open up but in time Melissa will work her magic and get me there.

Melissa is my best friend! I don't like to brag but we have had people come up and say that they can tell the we are really good friends. We interact so well together. She understands my weird jokes and she just understands who I am. I love Melissa and I am truely grateful that she found me that day when we first meet.

Been a little busy

2008-09-17T16:42:00.000-06:00

Sorry that it has been so long since the last post. Things have been really busy. I started school at the end of August. I am taking 14 credit hours which is a little more than full-time. At work I was luck that I was able to switch to part-time to focus more on school.

I am currently applying to BYU (which was something I told myself I would never do.) I really like their graphic design program. It seems to be fitted more on the practical use of design as oppose to the more artist part of design like the U of U. This has been causing me to be busy in two way. The first is that I am applying for BYU which seems to be more of a process than I thought. I had to have an interview with my Bishop and soon I will be having an interview with the Stake President. I also had to let them know about my seminary that I took in High School, and there is the obvious paper work about why I should be accepted by BYU. I am almost done with that and then I will have some free time to work on the second part of the BYU business. The second part is for the graphic design program I am wanting to apply to. As part of the application I need to come up with a portfolio of fine art pieces that shows my artistic ability. I have been spending most of my time at night drawing or trying to be some sort of artistic. It is finally starting to work.

As far as the family goes we are doing well. Jackson has been walking now for about a month. He is growing so fast and learning so quickly. He loves his mom and his dad and loves to so us this by coming and cuddling with us when he needs it.

Melissa is doing well. She is still waiting to go to nursing school at Salt Lake Community College. Here estimated date of when she start keeps moving soon, so that is good news. We are hoping that she will be able to start Fall of 2009.

I guess that, that is all that is going on right now. The Smith families is getting ready for another trip to Disneyland in January. We hope anyways :)

Bye for now...Justin

Turning 1 and dialing 911

2008-07-01T17:34:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday, June 22, Jackson had his first birthday. Can you believe how fast this kid is growing? We had a small party for him in our backyard. It was my family and Melissa's family, no kids kind of sad because Jackson needs someone to play with. He even had his own little birthday cake. Now you would think that after spending a year of not knowing how good cake is that he would try it. He did not. He did have fun smashing it. He got a lot of cool toys which he is proud of as you can see in the pictures.

He also recently had his one year check up. He is healthy. He is a big boy. He was in the 90% for his weight. He was 92% for his height, and a whopping 99% for the size of his head! (Must be a smart baby with that big of a head) He was 26 lbs which makes sense since he is almost too heavy to carry. When is he going to learn to walk?

Now come what happen today. While I was at work Melissa and Jackson were playing in the living room. She gets a phone call from 911 asking if there was anything wrong because they just got a call from our number. Melissa remembered that Jackson was playing with the phone earlier and put two and two together. We had a culprit. Melissa explained to her that everything was alright and that Jackson had been playing with the phone. The lady preceded to ask her question just to make sure that everything was alright and that someone wasn't forcing her to lie. Melissa thought that was it and went downstairs with Jackson. A little bit later she got another call saying that there was a police officer knocking at our door and that she should answer it. She then explained the situation to him. Now I know that there would be a time when Jackson would call 911 but who would have thought that it would be when he was one.

I think that we have a monster on our hands!

How do we stop socialism?

2008-06-14T07:57:00.000-06:00

With the Presidential election coming up soon and the two candidates selected we are face with a really tough decision of deciding which candidate is the best to run this country. Obama, the Messiah as he is being called, is calling for change. I really haven't seen much change from the regular liberal agenda except for his call to take our change through higher taxes. McCain is almost as liberal as Obama. You would think that running as a Republican you would try and get the republican vote. John McCain has made it his mission to get the independent and democratic vote. What ever happened to his claims of being conservative?

What define someone as a conservative? When discussing this topic people say that Ronald Regan was the father of conservatism, but what did he do? I know that he was for low taxes. He seemed to know what he wanted and didn't change his beliefs to appeal to the democratic side. Is John McCain a conservative? I would have to say no. He was against the Bush tax cuts (but is now for them.) He is for amnesty. He believes in global warning and he wants to go after big oil.

The two things that have been bugging me lately are the way we are suppose to change our lives because of global warming, and the fact that oil is so expensive and congress doesn't want to fix the problem. It seems as if they are trying to make it worse.

We have all heard of the campaign "think green." This has been a advertisement of global warming. It's America's latest trend. If people did there research they would find out that there is no such thing as man made global warming. Do I believe that we should conserve, yes. At what cost? Our lives? I recently found out that the new light bulbs that the government is mandating that we use by 2012 (i think that when it is suppose to happen) contains mercury in it. If it break we risk getting mercury poisoning and we have to have a hazmat team com in to clean up the mercury. I have decide that I am going to start a campaign to fight against global warming. Any helpful tips on how to fight or if you would like to join this fight let me know.

We all know that gas has been a real problem lately. Who is to blame. The government seems to think that it is big oil. Big oil seems to think that it is the government. Just like every problem it is the government. The oil company need to make profits. I believe in that. I be that there profit margin of 8% is a fair number compared to other industries who make great profits. The beer industry makes 10%, video games make 26%. So what can be done to help this problem. Drill, drill, drill here in the U.S.! We have some many resource here that is just being unused because environmentalist want to say mother earth. They don't want the U.S. to drill but what is so amazing to me is that China is drill 50 miles of the coast of Florida and there doing this technique called side drilling where the drill down for a little bit and then the start drill sideways. Can you guess which direction they are going, yep towards Florida. You would think that we would have safer standards of drilling than China. What I don't get is why the government is going along with it.

I guess I'm done ranting about the worlds problems. Things on the home front our good. Enjoy Jackson, who can now stand by himself for about 30 seconds. Melissa was counting to see how long he could do it and she got so excited with how long he did that when he sat down she screamed for joy. This scared Jackson causing him to cry. He is now has 8 teeth. 4 top, 4 bottom. Well I better go -Bye Justin

Memorial Day Funny!

2008-05-27T23:07:00.000-06:00

When me and Melissa decide to do something we do it, and we usually get a few tag-a-longs too. This last weekend Me and the Gang (which includes Melissa, Jackson, Michelle, Amy, Matt, and Michael) went to Moab for our Memorial Day weekend. It was a blast!

The plan was to leave early Friday afternoon, which never happens when your with our family. With bad traffic and a serious accident, what should have taken three hours to get to Moab ended up being a eight hour trip. Then the fun began.

Saturday we went to Canyonland National Park and Sunday was spent at Arches National Park. These two parks are some amazing. I enjoyed Arches the best because it seemed to have more things to do there. We hiked at both place and I had the opportunity to carry Jackson in one of those baby backpacks. I swear we are feeding that boy too. He is heavy! There is so much to do in Moab and we keep discovering more things. Monday before heading home we decided to do some exploring. We went down this road that someone suggested to drive down. It was gorgeous scenery. We saw Indian writing and two dinosaur foot prints. All in all we had a really good time. I do have to make a plug about this wonderful resturant we went to there. It is a place called Zax. They do the best brick oven pizza that I have ever had.

One of the funny parts of the trip was that Michael and Matt had to sleep on the same air mattress. Michael during the night kept coming closer to Matt and Matt would them scoot away from Michael until he was off the mattress completely. Matt ended up having to snuggle with Michael in order to sleep. This is why digital cameras are a must. This is going to be some future black mailing I can just see it now.

Now it would be a blog unless there was a part that I talk about my little Jacky Boy. He is such a happy boy. He is going up so fast. He likes to get into everything a cause trouble. He like eating everyone else's food and not his. he is crawling and climbing everything. Below is a video of what me and Melissa like to call bucking bronco Jacky boy. He just started doing this one day. He only does this when he is very happy. He usually has his lamby too.

Well enough for now hope you enjoy. Bye - Justin

Some more of my Jacky Boy

2008-04-20T08:37:00.000-06:00

Jackson is now almost 10 months old. He is eating new foods and enjoy the funs of life such as Toy Story complete with his own Woody doll. He loves Toy Story. It is so cute to watch him he smiles and is so focus that when I leave for work and say goodbye he doesn't look and respond. I now know how Melissa feels when I am "working" on my computer. Sorry Honey.

Jackson is now learned how to pull himself up on several things such as his toy chest, couches, and anything within his reach. It is so hard for us to keep up with him and the next thing you know he will be walking around getting himself into trouble.

Life is good! I really don;t have anything to complain about. I am grateful to be a dad and enjoy being a husband. As some of you might know me and Melissa are being sealed soon. What a blessing that is to be together forever.

Well I hope that you enjoy the pictures they will keep coming. I'll write again soon. - Bye

P.S. - In my most recent attempt at photoshop I have promised for Mother's Day that I would fix some of me and Melissa wedding photos to give to Melissa. We didn't use a professional photographer we had Melissa cousin do them. She took good pictures but some of them had some bad color balance and other such problems. My first photo was to get ride of someone that was in the family at the time that isn't part of are family now. (I call him "He who shall not be named") The Before and After are below. My next attempt will be harder because he has his arms wrap around Amy.

BEFORE

AFTER

A picture says a thousand words

2008-04-05T09:41:00.001-06:00

So in a attempt to keep me going on this blog I am taking the easy way out of this and mainly just posting pictures. I know that everyone wants to see Jackson so that is why he is the center of all to most of my blogs, but I don't blame people. Jackson is my little buddy. I love playing around we him. His latest little monster trait is that he is now growling at everyone. He does it in a playing way but it is just so adorable. Jackson is now 9 months old. He is a chunk of a boy and as his doctor calls him, he is solid.

Last night me and Melissa had a much needed date. We went to the Olive Garden. (which was delicious, gotta love those bread sticks.) and we went to see Leatherheads. It was a really good movie. It always a good movie when you have someone from the Office in it.

Conference is about to start so I better go so I can be spiritual and all.

P.S. don't worry, I am wearing a swimming suit in this video.

Just like TV I was on writers strike!

2008-03-07T18:17:00.001-07:00

This is my attempt at starting my blog again. I guess I was just enjoying life too much and forgot about you people. Things are going great Jackson is getting huge. He has his bottom two teeth now and he keep doing new things.

I am now pursuing a degree in graphic design. I tried the Nursing degree and I enjoyed it but it wasn't a right fit. This semester in school I am taking Web Design and English. In english we are do a group project about illegal immigration. I gotta a chance to work my graphic design skills and make a poster in photoshop. I think that I will be stay with this major. (cross my fingers)

Just when you think your dad is weird he gets weirder. My dad was the reason I started blogging. he caught the bug from my aunt Stacy and in turn he passed that onto me. On my dad's last blog he somehow mixed his new found friend the kung fu channel and mixed it with his testimony about the gospel. How he does this and think like this i have no idea. It is entertaining to read. It has been a good thing for my dad to have a blog. This has been a window into my dad's world. He keeps to himself most of the time. (And yes dad if you are reading this. We do want to know your thoughts in life.) I don't want people to think that I have a unemotional father. He does care about his family. One thing that has been nice is that since my son, Jackson, has been born he has opened up a lot. So if it takes the kung fu channel plus a little Jacky Boy to get him to talk and share his feelings great. You can kung fu your heart out dad.

P.s. The next blog, and there will be a next blog soon, there will be alot more pictures I promise.

Funny Faces

2007-11-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is a post about Jackson many and crazy expressions that he has. These were just taken at Thanksgiving and I think that He is just the most hilarious boy in the world.

This one below has got to be the best one. This is a picture of my mom trying to kiss Jackson and if anyone know Jackson, he does not like to be kissed.

I just think that I am so lucky to have such a cute boy and know that I am blessed to have a wonderful wife and a wonderful son.

Thanksgiving...Smith style

2007-11-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

So another wonderful Thanksgiving has passed. Me and my brother in-law went and played football with the Denison side of the family. It is always good to get up and do something. I think that side of the family thinks that I can't play football or something because the whole game they threw the ball to me twice both times they threw it too far or too short. It was still fun because when I was defending my person I was doing really well.

Well I can back help Melissa with the mash potatoes and the broccoli and cheese. We got ready and then headed to my parents house for the dinner. Well all my family was there. (Mom, Dad, Mich, Amy, Matt.) We also had my Grandma Bain, My Aunt Reva, Michael, and my cousin Heather and her boyfriend Paul.

Well we had some delicous food to eat there was turkey, ham, mash potatoes and tons of other stuff. We ate it was good and then everyone went home except us kids. We stayed and played games, before my grandma left she said that she loves it that us kids are such great friends and that we can laugh and have fun together.

Two Years and Still Newlyweds

2007-11-18T01:54:00.001-07:00

This last Friday was me and Melissa anniversary. We now have been married for two years. We didn't do much just stay at the Anniversary Inn. We left Jackson with my parents Thursday night. We went to dinner at a place called Buco De Bepas or something like that. It was a Italian restaurant. Melissa had been there about two years ago and ever since she has been asking to go back. It was nice to have a meal with just me and Melissa. Then we went to the hotel and just relaxed. I surprised her with rose petals on the floor and some anniversary champagne flutes. The have the biggest jetted tubs there. It is so nice just to lay in those tubs and just soak. We were going to see a movie the next day but we both missed are bunky boy and ended up just going to my parents.

Melissa is such a wonderful wife. She has always been the girl of my dreams. I think that I am a lucky man to have her in my life. The thing that I love about me and Melissa relationship is that we are best friends. We talk about everything. We love doing things together. If the chance comes that I can do something with Melissa or with friends. I pick Melissa anytime. Melissa has definitely help me grow to be a better man. As everyone knows I am a shy person. She has help me crawl out of my shell a little bit. I think it is just amazing how she can instantly make friends with anyone. I always tease her about her best friend for the week. I ask her who it is, if it is somebody new... Melissa is such a great woman!

Well I can't post on my blog without talking about my cute bunky boy. Jackson is going to be 5 months on Thanksgiving. He is growing up too fast. We might give him some yams to try on Thanksgiving but will see. He is doing so much better on his baby cereal. He doesn't spit it out anymore, but that doesn't mean that he isn't a mess by the time he is done. The other exciting news is that he is getting blessed the first Sunday of December. So whomever reads this and can make it. Your more than welcome.

Well I'll finish by posting a picture I did in Photoshop. - Justin

My Lastest Crazy Idea!

2007-11-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

So my crazy idea for this month or week is starting a t-shirt business. My spin on it though is that it is a LDS based. Obiviously I can't go to far into actual church stuff , but make shirts based on what us crazy LDS people think and do.

My first idea is based on the idea of us LDS people thinking that anyone above the age of 25 and not married that you are menace to society. I thought that a wanted poster would be the best way to get the message across. It still a work in progress, but It will say something like if you see these menaces to society to please contact your local bishop. I used Kirby Heyward as the pictures of a person because he is a widely known LDS person.

My next idea is for missionaries. This would be a t-shirt that looks like a shirt and tie and the missionary badge. My idea is that even on p-day or when doing services you can still show that you are missionaries. I have made a test shirt of this one for my brother in law Nathan. It even comes personalized with the Elder's last name. If this is something that missionaries will really want I can make this with different ties.

The last ideas of my shirt has to due with the phrase "sweet spirit." I tested the idea on a couple people and half got it and the other half didn't get it. I don't know if this would be a good shirt just because not everyone gets what it means.

All of these shirts were designed using photoshop. I love using photoshop. I like to think of it as my way of being artistic. Below are just some of my other stuff I have designed using photoshop.

And of course I can't finish a post without having a picture of my Jacky Boy. - Justin

Raking Leaves

2007-11-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

There hasn't been much going on lately, so just like always I talk about Jackson. The other day we raked the leaves in the front yards. We decide to get a little fall pictures of Jackson in the leaves. He enjoyed it a lot. He did good but then decide that he wanted to eat some leaves. We had to hurry and pull him out.

Yesterday we had a family home evening with the Denison side of the family. It is still uncomfortable to be with that side of the family. It was good though to see some of the family. My cousin Christine has a new baby too, and it is so much fun to put Jackson and Isabella together. The lesson was about the second coming. It was kind of hard to follow the lesson because the were reading out of Revelation.

Well nothing really left to talk about. I hope that you enjoy the pictures of Jackson. Please fill free to write any topics that you would like to hear about. - Justin

Bottles are his reward......look out here comes spider-baby!

2007-11-02T11:35:00.000-06:00

As you can see it spider-baby. This was Jackson very first Halloween. We were pondering if maybe we should take Jackson out trick-or-treating so that we could get our own supply of Halloween candy. Obviously we didn't but we did go over to my parents house for a little party. My mom makes the best homemade chili which she only makes on Halloween. This is a tradition that started with my grandma. I am not sure that it started with my grandma but it sure does taste good.

The other first that Jackson had yesterday was his first taste of baby oatmeal. It wasn't so much eating as it was play time. His first spoonful was in and out of the mouth just like that. He had that oatmeal all over his face. It was so much fun to see him progress. To me that means that he is growing up.

Well enough for now. Hope that you enjoy the pictures. - Love all Justin

The hamster took a break....

2007-10-18T23:28:00.000-06:00

I have this metaphor about my brain being like a hamster and his wheel. Now there is two theory that goes with this. First the hamster is too fat and can't ran as fast as he should. I can just imagine this plump hamster trying its hardest to run. He tries really hard to run as fast as he can he get up to a certain speed and he is feeling good about himself. Then all of a sudden his little chunky paw gets caught in one of the spokes. That when all hell breaks loose. The chubby hamster is now tumbling inside the wheel hoping that the wheel will stop and he can be free of his spinning. Sometimes I feel as if my brain isn't working fast enough, and if I try too hard it just spins out of control. The second theory is that I don't have a very bright hamster and he doesn't know which direction to run on the wheel so he starts running on way and decide maybe this isn't the right way. He turns around and start running the other way. Melissa totally agrees with me on this theory. She like the fat hamster theory and mocks me constantly about it. The reason I bring this up is because the hamster is at it again. The last couple of days I have felt as though the hamster is just holding on for dear life and the wheel is out of control. I hate having that feeling. It is hard for me to want to do anything. I push through it most of the time and just deal with what feels like a daze. Today was one of the days where I could not push through it. I just was in a funk. I wanted to study for school but that is impossible when I feeling this way. The only thing that got me through this day was one of my favorite TV shows, My Name is Earl.

Besides the fog that is over me things are going great. Me and Melissa are getting ready to go through the temple. This is something that I have been wanting for a long time. We are also having Jackson blessed soon which is something we have been looking forward to. Melissa has been back to work now for about a month or so. She really enjoys it but hates working the morning shift because Jackson keeps her up at night. Melissa is going to move to the new hospital soon. She scared and I just keep thinking that if it doesn't feel right she doesn't have to stay there.

Tonight during scripture reading we read in second Nephi about how Satan tries to tell is to be idle. It is so true that when your idle you think all is well and that nothing is wrong. Then you start to forget things, like say your prays, go to church. I also like this chapter because it take about all the different churches teaching false doctrines. It kept bring my thoughts to how important the gospel is in my life. It also brought to my mind, the prophet Joseph Smith. I have always felt the spirit the strongest when anyone talks about him. I loved teaching people about him on my mission and I would say it with such great faith and a knowledge that he is a man of god.

Below is a video of Jackson. I was listening to my music, which you will also hear in the video, and it looks as if Jackson is dancing to the music. He is such a cute boy. He is now about 4 months old. He is starting to giggle and smile.

You will have to bare with me on the music. Some people might think that, that kind of music isn't something that Jackson should be listening to. I think he is one cool dude and can handle any kind of music I play. I don't play the really hard kind of music, just medium music.

Well enough for now hope you enjoy the pictures. - Justin

Don't you just need a vacation?

2007-09-25T21:45:00.000-06:00

It occurred to me on Friday at work that me and Melissa had this whole weekend off and didn't have to be back til Monday night. This is very unusual for us. We usually have something going on. I thought it would be fun to get away for the weekend. This is very unusual for me because I like to have thing planned out. We decided to go St. George. Melissa's Aunt owns a town home down there and we called her last minute.

We left Saturday morning and got there about 6pm we had to make a lot of stops for Jackson to stretch his little legs. We got there finally and went to the townhouse we were going to stay at just to find where it was and to unload our bags. This townhouse was really nice. It was more like a really house then a townhouse because it wasn't attached to any other homes. It was a pretty nice size. Me and Melissa would be more than willing to take it off there hands and we could live there.

That night we went out to eat and did a little shopping. It was ok but when me and Melissa go on a vacation we go to do stuff we can't do at home like shopping, but that was the only thing that we could really do since it was pretty late.

The next day we went to Zion. Whenever we go down to St. George it's a must for us to go to Zion. We hiked a little and went to some places we have never been before, like weeping rock, which was pretty cool. Then we did the river walk. The water in the river was pure brown because it had rained the night before. Walking the river walk leads you to where the end of the narrows hike is. This reminded me of when I was in Scouts and actually did the narrows hike. I must have been out of my mind. I can remember when I did that hike that it seemed like it took forever. My troop did it in two days. They have spots there where you can camp. Our spot that we got was cover in daddy long legs. Everyone was freaking out. I was so tired I did care. Anyways, I am proud of doing that hike. We finished our day at Zion. Jackson was perfect he did get cranky or anything like that. We got one of the front carrying thing that you put babies in and Jackson kept falling asleep in it.

Our next part of our adventure was to go visit Steve and Tara. I like going to their house to see what Steve has done next to that house. This time he had the theater room almost finished and he demonstrated the house voice recognition. It pretty cool. I think visiting with Steve because you can tell when he ask how you're doing he really wants to know. He always wants to know what everyone is up to and he is fun to be around.

Monday was the day that we headed home, but first we wanted to do one last fun thing. We went and hike around Snow Canyon. Both me and Melissa had never been there before. I like it because it wasn't crowded like Zion was. It was a really beautiful place to go. So we did that and headed home, which took about 6 hours again because we had to stop for Jackson to stretch.

It was a much need vacation, we had a blast, It was spontaneous, which made it fun too.

Hope you enjoy the picture. - Justin

It has been a while...

2007-09-01T15:58:00.000-06:00

This has been a really busy week this week. On Monday we went to Lagoon. It was a blast but really hard to go for very long. We did the popular ride like the rocket, rattle snake rapids, and the new ride wicked. It's always a blast to be with family and have fun. We went with Mich, Matt, Amy T (my Amy), Amy M (Melissa's Amy) Mike, Michael, and Emily. The sad part of it all is that in my old age I had to leave early because I was too tired. Part of the tired was the fact that I was getting sick.

I woke up the next day feeling really sick. This sucks! I now have been sick for five days. I not use to being sick that much for that long. It has been really bad pains, sore throat, coughing, pretty much everything. The bad part is that I have had a busy schedule of school and work. I didn't go to school on Tuesday because of how I felt, but everyday since then I have been at work or school. Even as we speak I am at work working a graveyard. So I am a little tired and still not feeling great.

Jackson is doing great he had his 2 month appointment just for a check up. He now weighs 14lbs. 12oz. which is a pretty plump baby. He is now in the 94 percentile for his weigh. We were so worried that he wasn't getting enough nourishment because he kept spitting up, but as you can see we don't have to worry any more. He is starting to smile when we smile at him and he is starting to be more playful. I am a proud dad. My Jacky Boy is the best baby in the world.

Well enough for now. - Justin

School's Back

2007-08-20T03:22:00.000-06:00

This week is the week that I go back to school. I have mixed emotions when it comes to school. I am really excited for the classes I'm taking, mainly Human Anatomy. When Melissa was taking this class a couple semester ago I was able to help her and learn some of it with her. There is a lot of memorizing of what bones are what, nerves, blood vessels, etc. Then there is a lab that goes with it, so there is some playing with parts of the human body. Most people I would think would be grossed out about that. I think it is cool.

The bad part about going to school is that you actually have to go. It hard enough leaving my wife and baby boy to go to work, but going to school is going to be more time away from them. Sometime I feel that my son is growing up without me being there. When I am there he is usually sleeping. I WANT MORE JACKY BOY TIME! That's what everybody is saying lately. I don't blame them. Where does the time go that makes us feel that we need more Jacky Boy time. I know that My dad has not seem him in a while. He definitely needs some Jacky Boy time. It's kind of interesting to see my dad interact with Jackson. It's a softer side of my dad that I haven't seem til now. There nothing wrong with this in fact it wonderful. I like to see my dad happy. I think that he treated his kids just like he treats his grandchild.

Today in church we had a lesson on reverence. When we generally think about reverence we think of being quiet and folding our arms. To a point this is true, but what we learned is that reverence has to do with a love for God to the point to were we want to be quiet and want to do thing not because we were told to. It was interesting to think of it that way but then I agree that we can force our children to be quiet and still have them not be reverent.

Well enough for now - Justin

Me and My Crazy Ideas

2007-08-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

In an earlier post I had a video of how my movie I wanted to make began. Here are some video that were made in hopes of making it to this movie.

In this scene, my mom was tell us what she learned about babies when she was Melissa age. It was going to have her watching TV and switching channels and watching random stuff.

I think that it is crazy the stuff they believed back then. The one part were the kid duck into a gutter is something I am very surprised that they would teach. We know now that nothing can stop a nuclear bomb. It's funny how the said that the guy that was gay had a sickness of the mind. Yes it is true but just because you are gay doesn't mean you go after young teenagers. It's amazing how much technology has grown. There modern hospital was funny, "just call for your baby and the nurse will send them thru a drawer, and doctor spanking the baby after birth to wake them up is something funny.

The next video was going to be a trailer for the movie that was going to be shown in July, but Jacky Boy decided that he wanted to come out early so it was never finished.

Obviously it's not finished. I was planning on having more video from the movie and I was either going to leave it with or without narration. The whole part from Tallageda Nights was going to make funny of my Uncle Dave who loves Nascar.

I hope to get into video editing and movie making a little more I have a lot of fun with it.

Bear Lake!

2007-08-12T16:59:00.001-06:00

This was the week of the Tiller Family Camping Trip. (The Tillers are Melissa side of the family.) Almost every year they go to Bear Lake. They have two boats and the rent Jet Ski. This year was Jackson first year to go to Bear Lake. We left Thursday morning it takes about two and a half hours to get there. We get there thru Evanston and we usually stop there to stretch our legs. We stop at McDonalds to get a little something to eat. It was a very high tech Micy D's. They have TVs everywhere. There was even a TV in the bathroom right where the urinal was. That to me has to be a guys dream to have TVs everywhere.

When we finally got there, Melissa had to run out to the beach as soon as possible. Bear Lake is Melissa favorite place to go besides Disneyland. We got in our swimming suits and went to the beach where we went and played in the water. Matt came with us and I was so surprised how much he was liking the water. He was just like a duck in water which is weird because Matt and I don,t know how to swim. We stayed at a motel near the beach because we didn't want to camp out with Jacky Boy, not this year anyways

The next day we got to go on a boat ride and some of us rode the water banana. It was a lot of fun. I didn't ride the banana because I had a panic attack two years ago at bear lake were in the lake I started freakin out. It had a lot to do with because I can't swim and my mom has put the fear of water into me and my siblings head for the past ever since we were born. I trying to over come this fear so that I can really enjoy the water. So I tried to get on the water banana this year and I was on it for about a minute before I started to freaking out. So there is always hope for next year. We are going to start Jackson early with water sports and water fun so that he will learn how to swim and enjoy playing and being in the water, so as for our first step to exposing Jackson to water. We put his little feet in the water, and we kind of got his little bummy too. Here is a video of the event. Isn't he so cute.

Saturday was our lazy day. We didn't get up til ten. We hurried a pack all our stuff and I suggest that we should go see this cave that was pretty close by. We went to Minnetonka cave. I had been there several years ago with my scout group but that was like forever ago. We really had a fun time. I held Jackson all the way down and other people took turns carrying him back up. There was so many steps in that cave, but I think that it was sure worth it.

Well enough for now. Here are just some random pictures and video hope you enjoy. Bye - Justin

PS - These are pictures of my Brother-in-law Mikey. He is a very funny kid. He kept telling us that he wanted us to take a picture of his bod and his really ripped abs. So that is why there is the picture of the bottle. There was going to be a picture of him with his shirt of flexing his muscles but he wouldn't let me put it up.

Our Little Monkey Boy

2007-08-03T16:03:00.000-06:00

This post is going to be about my little monkey boy. Jackson is now a very active 6 week old baby. The video above shows him turning from his stomach to his back. This is something a normal baby would be doing at 1-2 months old. Jackson did this at 2 weeks old. Jackson can hold his head up like he is a 3 month old.

Jackson is very good at holding onto things. Above is him playing with his ring toys. Jackson can grab, yank, and pull on pretty much everything. He has yank my glasses off my face and they have flown pretty far.

Jackson loves to cuddle.

There is one thing about Jackson that is just so funny. He has to sleep in weird angle, position and he has to have the perfect dream puff (that's the perfect pillow-cushion.) It took many tries to get the perfect sleeping spot for him. It took about three week to find the perfect spot. Below are the three types of sleeping trail we tried to get him to sleep.

Attempt #1 - Failed due to waking up 5 min later

Attempt #2 - Passed and failed due to us not having a bed but him sleeping.

Attempt #3 - Passed he was in his crib and he was sleeping.

Needless to say me and Melissa are both happy we have found him a perfect sleeping situation.

I love being a dad it has been the funniest time of my life. Jackson is a great son even though he is a monkey boy and throws himself everywhere. That probably why God made babies so cute.

See you later - Justin

Another week

2007-07-29T16:19:00.000-06:00

It seems as though time is flying by. Another week has gone by and it has been nothing out of the ordinary. Work was slow all this week so they did need me. Melissa and Jackson were just as cute as last week. Nothing really exciting happened.

Friday me and Melissa got to go on our first date since Jackson was born. It was much needed. We had Melissa's mom watch him while we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. We went and saw it on a IMAX screen and they had part of it in 3D. Through the whole movie we thought that it was in 3D and we had our 3D glasses on and I was thinking this really isn't that cool. Where is the 3D action? Melissa said to me during the movie that the 3D was pretty cool. We later found out that it was only the end that was in 3D. We both felt a little foolish.

Sunday was the first time that we took Jacky Boy to church. He did really good, he didn't cry and he was awake the whole time. After the meeting, everyone in the ward came and man handle him. It took about 15 minutes for everyone to finish their Jacky boy time.

Lately I have been thinking that there is something different I need to be doing for a career. I have my fantasy of doing something in the film business. I have some crazy ideas of different films. This year I wanted to do a spoof of High School Musical. I called it Smith Family Musical. It was about the different experiences of having a baby. Below is what the beginning was going to look like. There is some spelling errors so I apologize.

Let me know what you think. I'm trying to figure out if there is anything else that would interest me that would be great for a career. I'm planning on going into nursing but I am not sure if I still want to.

This up coming week is my birthday. I will be turning 25 and for some reason it feels like I am going through a quarter life crisis. I want to change everything about me. I have been exercising and lifting weights. I have been trying to eat better. My career is the main thing I want to change.

Enough for now. See you later - Justin

This is about Melissa

2007-07-25T12:53:00.000-06:00

Melissa is the one person that I haven't done enough talking about in this blog. So I am going to make this entry all about her.

Me and Melissa meet Feb 13, 2004. For those who don't know or remember, I was home from my mission only a week and a half before I meet her. We meet at a LDS singles dance. I was still in my girls are off limits mode from my mission, so I really did ask any girls to dance. This dance was kind of lame and my family who I came with kept asking if we should just go. For some reason I kept getting this feeling that we need to stay. They had ask if we were ready to go three or four times after that, but still I had this feeling that we should wait. It was the last slow song and I was still too chicken to ask any girls to dance. When from out of no where Melissa came and ask me to dance. I still remember what she did. She came from behind, tap me on the shoulder and said, "Do you wanna dance?..That is if you are not taken."

Our first dance was something I will always remember. It was like we knew each other for years. I still didn't talk as much as I should but I still felt something. Melissa felt so comfortable that she was rubbing the back of my neck as we danced. I know it sound kind of cheesy but when we danced it felt as though we were the only two people in the room.

After we dance we said the usual goodbyes and thank yous. Then I went to my group and she went to hers. Me and my group talked a little and they said "okay, are you ready to go now?" I still felt that I needed to wait. Melissa then came up and ask for my phone number. She also asked if we wanted to go somewhere to eat.

That is how we first met. We instantly started hanging out with each other. I remember how Melissa kept saying I can't date you right now I need to focus on school. Nothing could stop us. We dated for a year and a half. It was always fun, we would break up and then get back together. We did this three times. The last time we broke up it was for a month. I went crazy that month because I missed her so badly. We eventually got back together and on Nov. 16, 2005 we got married.

I know that the way me and Melissa relationship went was not perfect. I know we made mistakes that we should not have done, but I don't regret it at all. We grew so close together and got to know each other from are mistake and us breaking up. I became Melissa best friend, just as she became my best friend. This was because of all experience we went through together.

There is just something about Melissa that make her so special. Melissa can make friendships instantly with anyone. I always tease her and ask her, "Who's your new best friend this week?" I know that she makes friend easily because of her personality. She is a very spunky kind of person. She's a go getter. When there is a task to be done she is in charge. She know what to do and how to do it. This make my life a little easier when it come to certain thing. Melissa is someone who gets me. She gets my weird jokes. We both have the same goals in life.

I obviously think that she is attractive. The first thing that caught my attention was her smile and her eyes. I think she is the ideal woman.

Melissa makes me stronger. Just today when we were at target we were buying something for Michelle for her belated birthday. The price said 12.99 but the gift rang up as 19.99, if that would have happen before I met her I would have just bought it and went on my way, but without thinking I said we saw it for this price. Melissa said "I have changed you haven't I?" She has made me bolder than I was.

Melissa is such a great mom! She works so hard to take care of our Jacky Boy. I knew that Melissa would be a good mom before we had Jackson. She has always had a nurturing side to her. She pretty much took care of her younger brother Michael when he was young. She takes care of everyone. She can be there for you when you are down.

I just want Melissa to know how much I love her. She is my everything and she makes me so happy.

If you get a chance make sure you give her some praise. Because she is such a wonder woman.

- Justin

Fear

2007-07-22T22:36:00.000-06:00

Fear has been plaguing my life lately. Fear is something that when you let it in it takes over... at least for me.

Being a new dad, there is a lot of new things to learn. This kind of learning is something that is hands on, you can be taught but it doesn't mean anything in the real world. This fear is a fear of doing something wrong, a fear of taking care of a life. Jackson has had us diagnosing him as having colic, to having acid reflux back to colic. Him being sick or in pain is something that really scares me. This fear has had me wanting perfect health for him in exchange for my poor health. I think that dads are not as brave as the are, because I know that I worry and go crazy sometimes about Jackson.

I have a fear of a career. Lately I have been wondering if I am heading in the right direction. I want a career that I will like and enjoy, and lately at work I have been hating it and wanting a different job. What makes a career enjoyable? I have with this fear of career a fear of not being able to provide for my family. I have always wanted to be able to give the thing the my wife or kids need and not worry about money. This is something that makes me want a good career that pays well, not one that makes me happy.

The one thing that I don't fear is the fact that I know that I am going to be with Melissa and Jackson for eternity. It is one of the happiest thoughts that I have ever had. I know we are not there yet, but I know that we are going to get there soon.

I hope I haven't put the fear in you.

Love you all,
Justin

Trying Out the Video feature

2007-07-16T02:43:00.000-06:00

Today was a very good day. I was working a graveyard last night and things were really slow at work, So they sent me home early. This to me is one of the greatest feelings in the world know that you were going to work eight more hours and now you are coming home to your wife and baby boy.

My son Jackson has made me so happy. The last couple of days I have been working 12 hour graveyards. This means that I go to work, I come home and sleep, and then I do it all over again pretty much. I only got to see him for a couple hours each day. Today was a nice day for me just to be with him. We didn't do much today except for relax. It was nice to have the whole day with him. It is amazing how much he has already grown. I think that it is so funny how many different faces he has. I think that he is going to be a lot like me. I think that I have many different facial expression that are funny and that is how I show my emotions. Michelle already think that he has my "angry brow."

Tomorrow is going to be a great day. My aunt Stacey is in town from California, and we are getting together. We don't get to see her or her family very much. When we went to visit them last year it was such a blast. Stacey is the person that kind of got me started on this blog thing. She introduced it to my dad and then my dad started his and then I thought it would be a great way of having some sort of journal.

Thing at the Smith family are going well. Nothing to complain about. I hope that people enjoy what I have to say, and I hope that I can get to the writing ability of my sister Michelle

See you on the flip side - Justy Roo

Going to Work

2007-07-13T04:44:00.000-06:00

Wanting to go to work in the first place is a hard thing to want, but when you don't want to leave a baby and a wife it gets harder. I am currently working a graveyard and when you work at a hospital and it's in the middle of the night, you kind of have a little bit of time on your hands. I have been thinking about my baby boy and wanting to hold him so badly. I love my job and I enjoy what I do but there is nothing like being home with your family.

Jackson is doing great! He has been a little fussy but he has been so much better than I thought he was going to be. He really doesn't cry that much. He grunts and moves around a lot. The one thing that I thought that would be better is that he stays up through the night. I know that he would wake up but I thought that he would sleep a little more, but I can't complain. He now weighs 9 lbs 8 oz. which is a pound bigger from when he was born. He went in for another hearing test because he didn't pass the hearing test the first time. He passed it this time but only once. This is something that scares Melissa. This is because her family has some problems with hearing loss and she doesn't want her son to have the same problems and troubles.

Sleep sounds really good right about now. I am not really looking forward to working two more graveyards in a row. Hopefully some of thing make sense or maybe I should just stop and get some rest.

Things to be grateful for...

2007-07-10T15:16:00.000-06:00

Today I was just thinking about how I need to express what I am thankful for. I am so very grateful for my wife Melissa. She is such a sweetheart and she take really good care of me. I can't express how much I am thankful for her. I hope she know that I really love her with all my heart. My son, Jackson, would be another thing to be grateful for. He is a lot of work and sometimes he can be fussy, but he just looks so innocent. How can you resist him?I am thankful for Jackson because he has made me a stronger man, just within the 2 and a half weeks he has been in my life. I am grateful for me family. My dad has always been my hero and he will always be. I look to him on how to be a great dad. My mom I have to be grateful for because she puts up with all of my teasing. She is such a strong woman and she is an example to me of what moms should be. My brother and sisters have always been there for me. I can't remember how many times we have hung out together and still doesn't get old. I am so very thankful for their friendship and love.

Here is a list of other thing that I am grateful for but just want to mention.
Health
Shelter
The Church
Jesus Christ
God
Book of Mormon
Temples
Forgiveness
Family
Laughter
Food

There is a million more things that I could be thankful for but I better leave it at that.

The start of something great.

2007-07-06T19:55:00.000-06:00

This is the start of my blog. I am doing this for two folds. First I am proud to announce to the world that I am a Dad. This is going to be a good way for everyone to see him. The second reason for doing this is to have some sort of journal.

I HAVE A SON!!!!
Jackson Byron Smith
Born-June 22,2007

It came so fast. Wow! To think that this Jokester is a dad. I still like to think that I am kid. I am so happy that I have a son. There something about having a boy and being a dad. It is kindof like a right of passage. I have been thinking many nights (I have been up because of Jackson) about the exciting thing that I am going to do with him. I can't wait to play sport with him. I wonder what he will like. I wonder what kind of cartoons will he liked. I want him to be better than I was growing up. I don't want him to get asthma or anything like that so he can play and not worry about breathing.

Today Jackson had his first bath. We thought that he was going to be fussy, but he really enjoyed it. It was one of those surreal moments to see Melissa give Jackson a bath. He is such a cute naked baby.

Being a dad has also helps me relieves how important it is for me to take Melissa to the temple. Before he came, church was important but not as important as it is now. The sunday after Jackson came home, I went to two hours of church. This was the most church in a long time. I have to keep this up.

Hopefully through this blogging process, I will be able to write better and have some more interesting subjects.