HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please, someone help me. I am going insane. Madeleine won't go to bed at night any more. We just had almost a 2 hour battle with her to stay in her bed. She has gotten so bad that she is even waking Geneva up. I can't just lock her in the room because she will scream and wake Geneva up. But I cannot continue to have these battles with her. I am not sure that I am willing to give up her naptime yet, but that might be my only option. This post is a call to anyone who has ever know a child that won't stay in bed. Please leave a comment or call me with any advice. Sorry that I don't really blog anymore. I have been really busy making Christmas presents and our desktop bites the big one. We love you all and hope that you are doing well!!!
Love-
Kendra

So much fun!

We have had so much fun recently. And we have lots of pictures to prove it. Maddy and Kevin went camping and shared a tent with our good friends Audrey and Wayne. I think the girls had more fun than the dads.

We have also been to "fish mountain" (as Maddy says) which is really Simplot Square in downtown Pocatello, the we went and tried some bread from Great harvest.

Maddy had a great time playing "dress-up" for the first time with her friends Sydney and Morgan. While the kids played Shamae (my blogging guru) taught me all that she knows about blogging.

On Memorial day we went to the zoo and had a great time. Kevin and Maddy had lots of fun playing on the toys. Unfortunately, the slide had a huge puddle at the end so the "kids" didn't get to go down the slide.

We also had a special day with Maddy. We dropped Geneva off to a wonderful friends house and Kevin, Maddy and Kendra went to the fair. Maddy really liked all of the animals, lunch, and the funnel cake. Kendra really liked the huge pumpkins and the photo and needle work exhibits. Kevin really liked the funnel cake, the model train and the funnel cake. Did I mention that Kevin really liked the funnel cake? We were in a hurry so he had to share one with Maddy and Kendra. Maybe if we are around next year he will be able to eat his own. Also we missed out on the rides because they didn't open until 1pm and we had to be back to Geneva by noon. Oh well!

Lastly I wanted to share this picture of Kevin and Maddy and Geneva with all of their hair in hice ponytails. Madeleine has been pitching and absolute fit everytime I need to do her hair so this time Maddy got to do Kevin's hair while I did her hair. This is also the first time that Geneva's hair got put into a pigtail. It is pretty cute. If anyone has anytips about how to get Maddy to sit down and do her hair please leave a comment.

Busy, Busy, Busy

We have been so busy that we haven't even had time to blog. Not to mention the fact that our computer likes to make our life very difficult. The internet still isn't working properly, so tonight while Kevin goes to see a movie with a friend I sit here on my lovely sister-in-laws laptop updating our blog. Well, the girls and I went to Oregon and left poor Kevin all alone for a week. We went to a safari

and saw all kinds of animals. Maddy really loved driving the car with her Aunt Christy. I'm not sure which Maddy loved more, the animals or driving the car.

The ostriches liked to get close and personal. They were tapping our windows with their beaks. Also while we were there we had the opportunity to go to the ocean. It was really hot and much more humid than me and girls are used to. So we went to the beach and played in the sand.

That orange bundle is Geneva.

We had a great time but we were also very glad to come home and I am pretty sure that Christy and Elijah were glad to have their own space back. While we were there the girls and I had to share a room which turned out to be great because it trained them to share a room. Now at home Geneva and Maddy are in the same room and Maddy doesn't even wake up when Geneva cries in the middle of the night. Also, Geneve got put on rice cereal to help her sleep through the night which is turning out great. She has slept from about 8pm to 5am the last 2 nights. We will see how she does tonight. Well, this weekend we plan on going to the zoo and going on a hike on Monday. So, hopefully more bloggin' will happen next week. If not, I'll stick to the trend and post again near the beginning of October. (I really hope that my computer will cooperate though.) I am also planning on improving my blog so that I can keep up with everyone else. Best to everyone!!!

August was a busy month

Happy Switzerland!!!

Today we had the great honor of celebrating the Swiss independence. We had raclette, chocolate mousse, and listened to Swiss polka music. Kendra thinks the music is a little funny, but Maddy liked it and even danced to it. It was really fun and we should all try and be more like the Swiss.

Here is a picture of Maddy at the Idaho Falls Temple. She really had a wonderful time there and she has been saying that she wants to get married in the Temple (although Daddy says she has to wait for a while).

Finally, a picture of sleeping Geneva (because it is late and time for bed):

Loving the giggles!!!

Geneva giggled for the first time on Wednesday night!! It was so exciting and very rewarding after nothing but feedings, diaper changes, crying and sleeping. Her hair is turning more and more blond everyday! I looked at her today after her bath and she didn't even look like the same baby to me. She is going to bed at about 9pm these day and waking for a snack at about 2 or 3 am then right back to sleep for about 4 more hours. It is really nice to have some time with just Kevin.

Speaking of Kevin- He has been super busy lately. I miss him a ton when he is gone, but I'm gettting a good sense of what it will be like when he has an 8-5 job. The girls and I are getting into a routine that I really like. It gives me time to clean the house, exercise and give a little one-on-one time to each daughter. Kevin took a "Home buyer Education " class today. He learned a lot that we will need to know since he will be graduating in May and we will be moving into a place of our own.

We will be at home this coming weekend and then we will be out of town for the next 3 saturdays. I am really excited to get out of town again before school starts. The only thing that bites about traveling is the gas prices these days, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I am having a great time reading all of your blogs and comments, so keep up the great work and have a wonderful day!!!

Here is a picture of Kevin and Maddy on the Ferris Wheel at a park in Idaho Falls. She had a really great time. I am also really proud of myself that I have successfully add a picture. We'll load pur pictures from the 4th then add a little comment about that.

Now Maddy want to "help" so here goes. bgjhkihddooolp[[iuftfggyj,;'
]] 3 *****lkjlk===============------000

That is all for now. Have a great day!!!!

My first official blog

Hello All!!

This is the first time that I have officially blogged. I'm not even sure what to write. But here goes.

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy. We went of vacation with the Smtih's to the Columbia River Gorge. It was very fun and Geneva was blessed the day that we left. It is fun to see all of the family since we only get to see each other about twice a year. I loved having so much time to spend with Kevin. He is usually very busy with work stuff. I think my favorite parts of the vacation were the hot tub with a beautiful view of the river and playing games with the family at night. (I also loved the surprise birthday party that the family threw for me.)We also had the opportunity to ride on a train. Maddy thought it was pretty fun. One thing that is hard for us about traveling (especially with a newborn) is that we had to make the trip in two days. That means two days driving there and two days driving home. It is hard on all of us, but Maddy did a great job of staying in her sleeping bag even though we were all in the same room at the hotels. Also, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit in the back of the car and hold in Geneva's paci almost the whole trip. Let's just say that if I ever have to sit in the back of the car again it will be too soon.

And it was, because we returned to Pocatello on Monday the 16th and left for Idaho Falls on the 20th. We had a really fun weekend there where we got to see the family and relax. I also got to go clothes shopping with all of my birthday money. I am amazed at how much better I feel about myself because I am not in basketball shorts and a t-shirt everyday.

Enough about me. Kevin is still very busy with work and his internship. He leaves every morning between 7:30 am and 7:45 am to get there and he usually gets home around 1:30 pm. Then he has to deliver the mail eat a quick lunch and go do work stuff (show apts, check-ins/outs, make sure apts are ready for people, that kind of stuff).
Madeleine is getting so big and her motor skills astound me everyday. She can put her shoes on, hang from a bar (like at the playground) and she loves to jump and dance around. She also talks really well. Last Friday she fell/got bounced off of a trampoline and got a pretty good bump on her head. Kevin took her to the ER and she is doing fine now. We are about to start potty training, so if anyone has any great ideas please leave a note to inform me.

Geneva is becoming more of a joy everyday. She is starting to sleep better which makes me very happy. She even giggled for the first time today. She loves it when we stick out our tongues at her. She smiles and coos. She is also in love with sucking and chewing on Kevin's fingers, not mine, only Kevin's. That is ok with me. The one other thing that she loves to do is to stand. She is pretty strong for a 2 1/2 month old baby.

Well, that is all I have for now. I will try to keep updating this since Kevin is so busy, so if you have any questions, just let me know. Much love to all.

Side Note: I actually typed this entry a few days ago and I have been trying to add pictures, but our computer officially hates me. So I will keep trying to add pictures to posts, but I make no promises.

Time flies when you're having a good time

Hello All!!! Yes that is right, it has been two months since our last post. Many excuses but all are too long to type right now. Just wanted to let everyone know that we are all still alive and well and keeping very busy. And now that I (Kendra) know how to log on to our blog and our internet is working well hopefully we can keep it updated more. Hope to hear from you all soon. Much love!

Info about Geneva

Well, sorry it took so long for me to respond to the statistics about Geneva. It is very different going from one child to two. Nevertheless, here is her birth information:

Birthdate: 11 April 2008

Time: 1:34 pm

Weight: 8 lbs., 2 oz.

Length: 21"

That is about it. Labor was better for Kendra with Geneva than it was with Maddy. As the pictures show, the GPS unit has a full head of hair which is crazy all the time. She also likes to be awake in the middle of the night, which her mother and father do not appreciate. Other than that, she is a good little girl. As the picture shows, she is a little camera shy.

Announcing the Arrival of Geneva Patrice

Well, the wait is finally over. The birth of our second child came today. We had a beautiful little girl and her name is Geneva Patrice. She was born at approximately 1:36 pm on April 11, 2008. Both Mommy and Geneva are doing well. As the pictures show, she has a full head of hair, just like her big sister Maddy. Speaking of Maddy, she really does love her little sister. She is very affectionate.

Finally, Kendra is the most glad that the pregnancy is over. She fought tough during labor and only had to push for about 10 minutes (compared with over an hour and a half for Madeleine). She was a champion and did superb. Here is a picture of her and the little one.

Kendra is still with child

Tomorrow is Kendra's due date. The doctor thinks it will still be a while before the little one will pop out. As the picture shows, it looks like there is a soccer ball in the womb. But, there is a baby there (I have felt it or something else moving around). We are just waiting for the little one to arrive. It is really an exciting time and we can't wait. We will be sure and keep everyone posted on the status of the little one.

Maddy's Birthday/Easter

Maddy's second birthday this year was on Easter. Kendra made a nice Easter egg/birthday cake. Maddy had a lot of fun going Easter egg hunting and spending time with family. She didn't enjoy the cake as compared to her first birthday (she is getting used to sugar).

Greetings to All

Well, here is the Smith family attempt at a blog. We are learning what it all does, so hopefully it will work out. We hope that everyone will enjoy this page and be able to read and see what is going on with the Smith family.