A few random things...

...that are on my mind right now.

We made play-doh. I forget how easy it is to make. The kids and I were bored one afternoon so we decided to make play-doh and it was (literally) hours of fun. The kids (and I) had a great time helping me make it and they have played with it almost every day since.

 He was in mid-word here in this picture, but I love his face here. It makes me chuckle.

 Sammie didn't get in on the play-doh action, but she's stinkin' cute, so I'll add her in there anyway.

Justin had his birthday this week. To celebrate I took him to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game. The Cubs have been his favorite team his whole life but he'd never been to Wrigley or seen a live Cubs game. I am so happy I got to surprise him with this. He was wide eyed and excited like a kid. It was cute. I love that I got to share that with him. Getting there was annoying (Chicago traffic = nightmare) but it was so fun I might be willing to go again...someday.

 Playing the Reds.

I'm not the baseball fan that Justin is (I like it, but I can go without). I will admit though, that live games are great. The energy, the peoplewatching, the food, the game - it's really fun.

 We lost.

 Justin with his favorite baseball player ever, Ryne Sandberg.

Sammie had some mac 'n' cheese. It wasn't the first time she's ever had it, but her yellow face and bright smile got to me. She's the fourth Smith kid to love this All American treat. She can eat her weight in mac 'n' cheese (which is saying something since she's so big).

With her newfound mobility, Sammie is starting to get into everything. I intentionally made my bottom drawer in the kitchen tupperware lids when we moved in so that I wouldn't be so worried about babies/kids getting into the drawer. Sammie found this treasure yesterday. Heaven.

 Poor Pootie. A few days ago we were all outside playing and I thought, "Wow, we've made it through a whole summer without Noah having a major allergic reaction and having to put him on steroids! Yay!" The very next day he woke up with a rash on his neck and a slightly swollen face. Still I thought, "I've seen it much, much worse. This isn't so bad. A little Benadryl and he'll be good as new." Nope. The following morning he came into my room at just after midnight insisting that he was too itchy to sleep. I turned the light on and found him with a raised rash and the right side of his face so swollen that he couldn't open his eye. Grrr. Poor kid. Needless to say, I called the doctor as soon as he opened that morning and he called us in a steroid perscription. Noah's face is looking better today, but it's still pretty sad. Serves me right for thinking we'd made it all summer without incident.

I still haven't posted about the week my family was here. I really want to, but I need the pictures (cough, cough, Anisha, cough, cough).

This is Jared and me when we were (I'm guessing) about 3 and 4. The thing that stands out to me is how much his face reminds me of his daughter, my niece Ella's face. The nose, the mouth, the shape of his face, his expression. That girl looks like her daddy (in a much cuter, girlier version of coarse).

This is my friend and old college roommate Jen. You can read her story right now here (part 1) and here (part 2). You're going to need tissue to read this. She's pretty much my hero right now. She's in my constant thoughts and prayers (and, after you read her story, I hope she's in yours too). I just have to say I hope that I can handle my challenges and trials with the same faith and grace that she is handling hers. I love her. She's so strong. Such a fighter. I believe that she will beat her cancer. If anyone can, it's definitely her.

Those are my random thoughts and occurances around here lately. I figured I needed to share them before the craziness of back-to-school next week.