Picture Post

Jed with Kota's kite--it was windy right there off the lake
Daddy and Kota flying the kite

Lulu and Kota looking at the water under the dock

Lulu..she loved being on the dock

Lulu and Kota

We found a vehicle!!

It has been about 2 months since our Kia Rio threw a rod. We decided it would be cheaper to just replace the vehicle than it would be to have it all fixed. So, for the last 2 months, we have been looking for a vehicle with space, low miles, a reasonable price, and dependable--> used! Every morning and evening, I would check the used car websites, craigslists (in many cities-->Dallas; East TX; Temple; and Orando, FL) , kijii.com, and some others. And every afternoon after the gym, we would drive around looking for cars for sale. Every time we found something, there was always that little bit of doubt. On Thursday (2/19), I was driving home from Marg's house (driving the Buick..the same Buick that we have had sitting in our front yard parked since a little after our 3 yr old was born) and I saw about 5 vehicles parked in this fenced in lot....It was a small used car lot. I pulled in, checked them out, and then headed home to tell Jed about it. We drive back out there and Jed decided to test drive a few of the vehicles. Well, we bought the last vehicle that Jed test drove...a '97 Dodge Caravan. It had 125K miles on it (a little higher than we were looking for) but the asking price was $2,500!!!! So, we are now the proud owners of a minivan. Our first vehicle to buy as a family. The kids love the van...they can see out the windows and Dakota loves all the space.

Clockwise: Samantha, Lilyann, Cash, and Dakota...we were headed to the park

"Having a heat wave" Texas Style

It's 77 degrees here in East Texas...we are sporting shorts and t-shirts. I guess this is a little Texas heat wave...in the middle of February.

Everything is going good with us...we are still looking for a car/truck/SUV/minivan-->pretty much all of the above. Something within our budget and is dependable.

Lilyann is almost walking like a pro. The above video was taken on Monday night (2/16). And you will see vivacious Dakota running through the house at the end of the video.

Enjoy!

A Time

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8~

It has been quite a time at the Smith house the last week. We have had ups and downs and all arounds. Not even 24 hours after posting about Dakota's 3 yr checkup, Dakota was back at the doctor's office being tested for the flu. The test came back positive...Dakota had the flu! Thankfully, the flu only lasted about 7 days..and no one else caught it.

As the week goes on, our car decides to have a mind of it's own and stall when it feels like it. If you don't know already, our main car--Kia Rio--threw a rod over a month ago. And surprisingly, my car--the Buick--decided to start running again. As Jed says, "the Buick rose from the ashes yet again." So, as the Buick gets us from point A to point B, we are hunting for a good dependable car.

Lilyann has really picked up on her walking skills this last week. She is getting in more than 4 steps before she falls. She is doing great!! Teetering and Toddling all over the place. And the climbing is getting more intense. Oh, she is all over the place and quick. Somehow, she can crawl super duper fast...now you see her, now you don't!

This weekend (2/7/09) was Annual Kid’s Fishing Day at Teague Park here in Longview. So, we headed off to the park to do some trout fishing. I didn't know this, but the bait for trout is corn. Our kids thought the corn was their snack not the bait for the fish. Dakota and Lilyann both ate that can of corn like it was going out of style. We didn't catch any fish that day, but the next after church, Jed and Dakota went back out to the pond at the park and caught 3 trout.

Dakota with his fishing pole..he loved reeling it in.

And lastly, I would just like to ask all our readers-friends and family, to say a prayer for Grandad. This is Jed's Grandfather. He is not doing well and not expected to live much longer. Just ask the Lord for his will and to keep Grandad as comfortable as possible in his last days.

Grandad and Lilyann~~November 2008