Spring Break #2

"Short " walk to breakfast.

Hanging outside the BART station.

About to take the train into San Fran.

Riding together.

Checking out a totally sweet hotel in SF.

Admiring the sea lions on the bay. Annie just couldn't handle the stench.

Time for some crab! I love crab!

Got some chocolate ice-cream at Ghiradelli Square.  

This was the sign posted by the silverware.

Cuteness overload: Mermaid statue with a baby mermaid. I love baby mermaids.

Riding the Trolly. Owen has been carried to so many places on this trip. Lucky for us, he's light. Lucky for him, he gets star treatment bc of his broken leg.

Norman and me on the Trolly.

***This post is for Tuesday, March 29th, 2016***

SF or Bust! & Owen gets a cast.

Owen got his cast this morning.

Norman officially loves to ride in his wheelchair.

The second opinion Dr gave us the go a head for Owen to fly, so San Fran here we cine (or came, we arrived at 5pm .)

On the shuttle bus to the rental.

Simon and the shuttle bus.

Dinner at a Japanes Steak house.

The kids loved it.

I love Annie's face of awe and surprise!

My boys taking pgtis of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ryan cuddling me.

Owen and Norman keeping each other warm.'

Happy Easter Quotes

Dear Friends and Family, today is the day where we celebrate Jesus Christ, the miracle of forgiveness and our potential for greatness. We we bask in the belief that our mistakes and sins can be thrown into the Grand Canyon size Atonement, that through our Savior we can forgive, be cleansed, find peace, and show love. It's a pretty epic day. Below are two of my very favorite Easter (Atonement) quotes that pretty much sum up where I put my hope.  May today and this week find you feeling a little lighter from sharing your burden with the Lord. He is strong and mighty to save.

“Well, my dear sisters, the gospel is the good news that can free us from guilt. We know that Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It’s our faith that he experienced everything- absolutely everything. Sometimes we don’t think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don’t experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means he knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer- how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced the gas chambers at Dachau. He experienced Napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism. 

Let me go further. There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that he does not also know and recognize. On a profound level, he understands the hunger to hold your baby that sustains you through pregnancy. He understands both the physical pain of giving birth and the immense joy. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion. His last recorded words to his disciples were, “And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) He understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say that the new baby has Down syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year-old, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children are visitors, when you hear that your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He’s been there. He’s been lower than all that. He’s not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don’t need a Savior. He came to save his people in their imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He’s not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief.  (from her book, Lighten Up) 

- Chieko Okasaki 

“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

― Joseph B. Wirthlin

Batman towel. I love Batman in the Lego Movie. If you haven't seen it yet, clear some time in your obviously too busy schedule to re-prioritize your life and watch the Lego Movie.

Look at those skinny little legs!

If you heard me during the broadcast tonight...

Getting Ready for Easter at my grandpas retirement center with a huge Easter egg hunt. It was soooo much fun. Lots of eggs but not a million kids.

And they even had a bunny for pictures!

Norman had fun banging tow eggs together.

His father had fun stuffing eggs into Owen's hoodie (a suggestion from my Aunt JoAn.)

After gathering the eggs, the kids opened them up to see what treasures they won.

If you are a Mormon woman, and happened to catch tonight's broadcast, and you hear a woman have coughing fit about half ways through the session, it was me. 10 points to the prepared girl scout who handed some cough drops to me. She was a lifesaver! 10 points also to my friend that was able to accompany me.

In the Tub...

This post must begin by stating the fact that Norman pooped in the tub today. He was all smiles and didn't care.  Mercy, I love that little boy, and I am so glad that this is not a regular occurrence. You've never really lived until you've cleaned baby poop out of the tub (okay, that's not true at all but sometimes you just have to tell yourself things to get through the moment. "You've never really lived until.." seems to help me along sometimes.)

The family went on a little walk this morning.

Owen had a visitor with a totally cool cookie gift. So glad for good friends.

Preston was cool and took all of us out to get a soda. What a guy.

Calvin had a sports physical and Norman joined us for the appointment.

I love that Calvin wanted to show Norman the fish,

Castless

Owen's leg is still too swollen to cast today. Cast day has been moved to Monday, which was also our departure date for San Fran by flight, but we won't be able to catch our flight on time, and he's not supposed to fly anyway with the plane's change in air pressure, etc. So the Smith's might be gearing up for another road trip in honor of Spring Break. Good thing we love Owen and are willing to accommodate his travel needs. He's been a real trooper.

Heading inside the hospital for another checkup.

Grabbing lunch post dr. visit.

Getting fitted for his very own wheelchair (for the next 30 days.)

He made a guest appearance at school for the last 2 hours of class. He's missed everyone and is ready to get back to class... in 10 days when spring break ends.

Flold

Instead of feeling healthy and wonderful, several of us feel a little bit like we've caught a flold, which is a flu cold combo. Coughing, stuffed up, fever, aching, chills, somewhat miserable and certainly cranky.  Like the jellyfish incident of October 2015, Norman (our 1 year old man-cub) has been spared.  He's all smiley and full of happy-nesses. Owen is hopeful that tomorrow will bring his permanent cast. And I am ready to_____________. Fill in the blank. I don't know what I want, but I really want more or less of something. Something different. Something exciting, or diverting, or calming or edible. I'm feeling mighty restless, which might just be a side effect of being pretty immobile with an infant and an invalid. Or it might be a side effect of having a flold. Or it might just be a side effect of being me.

Calvin and Owen hanging out at home. They enjoyed some soda and the movie Holes. I love that movie.

Owen got a visit from our home teacher (church friend).

Owen built this church while hanging out on his back.

Owen and another friend who gave him this fabulous green fluffy ball face.

Owen taking a picture of his leg.

Do Happy Meals Work?

A Happy Meal from McDonalds will indeed fill your belly, but does not have the power to make you forget that you broke your leg and can't walk.

Mr. Owen had several visitors and treats, wishing him a speedy recovery and 

offering sympathy, condolences and treats.

We dyed eggs in honor of Easter.

I have always enjoyed dying eggs.

And for the leg update: A few orthopedic surgeons reviewed Owen's x-rays and it looks like he will not need surgery or hardware (thank heaven!) We meet with the orthopedist on Thursday, and are hoping that the swelling in his leg will be down enough for him to get a permanent cast, and his crutches and we might even be renting a wheelchair. He can't put any weight on his leg. Not an ounce. Poor dude...Thanks so much for all of our friends and family that have prayed for Owen and sent messages of love and encouragement. They mean a great deal to us and him. It's officially totally lame to have a broken right leg when you're 7.

*** This post is for Monday, March 21, 2016***

Almost 17 Years Without a Break...

In honor of the beautiful weather Utah finally got yesterday, my sweet children were enjoying nature and each other outside in a very mild, totally non-competitive game of baseball (for reals.. we had no gloves, or bases, no one was running, and we weren't really even on teams.) It was all very relaxing and enjoyable until someone decided to slide into first base whilst Owen was attempting to tag his sibling out. It looked a little like Owen jumped up and out of the way for the slider, but in reality he flew up because of the force of impact and his right leg is officially broken. Both his tibia and fibula, about an inch above the ankle. With Ryan out of town last night, I called some friends to give him a special Priesthood blessing. Sooo, this kid who has been waiting for the baseball season for 11 months, and who was all signed up and ready to go, will be waiting another year to play.  Not sure what today will bring; another visit to the doctor at Primary Children's this time, temporary cast? final cast? surgery for some hardware? all are still options at this point. 3 cheers for tylenol with codeine! And high quality medical care! And friends! And crutches! And that Owen isn't a big pig... because he's going to be carried around a lot for the next few days.

Definitely a thumbs down kind of an afternoon.

Being brave. Looking sad.  Temporary cast.

Before the infamous (in-famous) baseball ball, and right before Norman's bath. Baby bum. Mercy.

Chocolate Fudge

It's a good Saturday when you have several pieces of chocolate orange fudge lying around the house. It's an even better Saturday when your mother gives you some, right after your bath.

Now that's a happy boy.

Who went summing a few hours later...

With his handsome older brother Simon, and his sister Annie and another brother Owen.

38 is Great!

March 18, 2016 = Lesley Jane Howe and Lindsey Joy Smith's 38th Birthday!, but Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, turns just 37 years old today. So there's that.

My sweet kids got up early and made a lovely breakfast.

Flowers form my mom, courtesy of Preston Edward Albert Smith

Loads of tea. Loads of yum. I threw myself a tea party for my birthday.

1) Scones

2) sandwiches, etc

3) More tea and desserts.

Love the hats!

Flowers from my husband.

Final performance of Annie. The cast did great.

Simon is getting his microphone on.

Big cast, lots of work.  It was a wonderful show.