Introducing Jack

Last Wednesday our family grew by one feline friend. We had picked him out a week or so ago and were planning on waiting until he was 2 lbs. to bring him home.... but he's a little guy and it was taking a long time!! Every day we talked about what we would name him until finally the day came for him to live with us. His foster mommy decided it would be best for us to nurse him up to 2 lbs (he is 1 lb 6 oz right now) to get ready for his big un-man-ifying surgery.... on Wednesday he arrived after school and Ivy is so happy! He has become her playmate, her babydoll, and her proudest possession. She is doing a great job loving on him and helping take care of him. Even Kaya has decided to accept Jack.... after 4 days of hiding and hissing! I am hoping a new kitty will breath some energy into our large friend! Welcome, Jack, to the Smorstad family!!

Traveling by Boat

Ivy loves boats. I believe the fascination began as we would pass several boat dealerships on our daily journey from Lexington to Nicholasville last school year. She would point out the boats with all of their hugeness. She typically would obsess over the brightly colored boats. Then without fail, she would remind me that boats drive on water and we drive on the road. I think she thought we were only kidding when we began telling her that she was going to ride on a boat. Every day for the past month, she has been asking if that would be the day for the boat ride, and this weekend it finally came!


We traveled to the BIG city of Glasgow to Barren River Lake to hang out with my family. To be specific, we all crammed into my Aunt and Uncle's lake house, all 17 adults and 2 babies!!! We had a great time. Ivy loved hanging out with everyone and being toted around by my cousins. She loved showing Baby Cole what a big girl she was, except when she reverted back to baby land enjoying many adventures in his walker and shaking his rattle toys. But the best part of all... she spent 2 days on a big red boat and even took 2 rides on the bright red water mo-mo (jetski). Ivy was brave and jumped right in to the lake (Mommy pretended to be brave in the dark, murky, lake water)!! Here are a few pictures to capture our good time. Thanks to Aunt Dee and Uncle Paul for being the hostess with the mostest!

Ivy driving the boat with Shea!

Ivy, Harper, and Shea ready for the boat.

Daddy and Ivy swimming- so brave!

A great place for a nap- I loved holding my sleeping baby! This hasn't happened in over a year :)

Ivy and Nana taking it all in!

Ivy riding in Cole's walker. She liked being the "baby!"

Cousins :)

Rachel and Cole cheering for Auburn... while Cole's daddy roots for Alabama! Family divided~

Ivy brushing Harper's hair.

PS- I need a new camera ASAP! Mine is about to bite the dust, so apologies for the poor quality of these pictures!

Fickled Days

One of the most prevalent personality traits of a toddler is fickleness. She wants a pop tart, no a bagel- 2 ponies, no a hair bow- to go outside, no to play inside- to wear pink panties, no yellow ones- you get the point! She changes her mind all the time, and bath time is no different. Ivy once loved the bath but starting this summer she began despising that part of her day. Greg even had to lure her to the bath each evening with a little animal to play in the tub... we never said we were above bribery! Well, suddenly, out of now where Ivy is a bath loving girl! So much so that she refuses to get out of the tub. The water is out, she is dried off, and boom- turn your back, and she is back in the tub. She has insisted every day this week that she wants to sleep in the tub! CRAZY girl!

Not wanting to get out!

Showing us, how it would really work to "sleep" in the tub!

Canoe Fun

Once upon a time, on the coldest August day a husband and wife had a canoe trip planned. This was an adventure planned to honor what an incredible father that husband was. A day on the Elkhorn is the best possible day for that husband so his non-adventuresome wife decided to play along. But she was a little worried.... on this 68 degree morning she didn't want even a toe to touch the water. And then she saw old faithful-

This was our mode of transportation!!! AHHHH....

But LOVE conquers all... and with husband near by it would be okay!

Here is the handsome man in charge of steering.....


And here's the wife in charge of trip planning, snack packing, and watching for rocks....


And in the end we survived and had a blast together. I could only do adventures such as camping and canoeing with my calm and collected, laid back, counter part. Not another soul in the world could make me feel safe in a little red boat!

Happy Father's Day to an amazing Husband!

Kitties say "Hissssss"

Ivy loves cats.... seriously her first word was meow. She was amazed with our cat, Kaya. That was before Ivy started to move... at that point something changed... Ivy no longer hears Kaya meow she simply hisses every time that Ivy comes near. It is really sad. Ivy snaps and calls her and just wants to cuddle, but Kaya is a cat that prefers her space and she would rather lounge alone than play with a two year old.

For Ivy's birthday she got a wooden cat on wheels from my Aunt and Uncle. Ivy thinks it is her new kitty, whom she has also named Kaya. She puts it in her bed at night and wants to take her on walks daily. From the looks of this picture I think we need a new friend.... for Ivy! So a new friend we plan to get :) Can't wait to see Ivy love a new kitty and I can only imagine how Kaya will feel about the feline addition to the Smorstad household!

A New School Year

Many of you have traveled through this past year's journey with me; a journey with mommy-ing, wife-ing, and teaching- a journey with plans that fell through- a journey with disappointing news and times for rejoicing.... a journey that in the end leaves me going back to work full time and guess what? I am really really excited!

I am anxious to meet the 21 students that I will be nurturing and teaching for the next 177 school days. I am so excited to dive in to being the only teacher in my classroom. I am ready to try a new reading program and see my 6 year olds fall in love with books. I believe this positive attitude is one that God so graciously put in my heart after He pointed me in a different direction than I had planned. Imagine that... God ultimately is in charge of the plans for my life! This summer I have spent many moments in prayer and in God's word and have peace without understanding. I know that this year will be busy but I know that through His strength I can do it. This verse has been my encouragement over the past few months:

" If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen"

1 Peter 4:11

Before I became I mother, I knew that God had designed me to be a teacher. My first year teaching was absolutely amazing.... a honeymoon period if you will, the next year I had too many hormones coming and going to know what I thought, and last year with the job-share I questioned if teaching was really my calling. In the end, it is so clear that I am still meant to teach (sharing is not so much part of my calling- haha). I have a passion for opening a door for these children, a door that is opened through education and positive relationships. I am teaching for an audience of one... I am teaching because that is so clearly the will that God has for my life. This year, through all the obstacles, I hope to show my students, their families, and my co-workers the love of Jesus. I have already started praying for this school year and my students by name. I want to intercede on their behalf if they don't know Him. Clearly, I don't teach at a private school where I can teach about my faith specifically but being in a community like Wilmore those conversations are often started by my students and I willingly participate. I want to serve them and their families because that is what IT is all about, loving people unconditionally, and my job is more than the perfect venue for this. I am excited to teach, I am excited to nurture, and I am excited to do it all while bringing glory to Him!

Cheers to a fabulous school year for all!!

Ivy's 2nd Birthday!!!

Ivy had a great time celebrating her big second birthday! It is hard to believe that she is already officially a toddler. She enjoyed playing games and dancing at Chuckee Cheese, eating delicious dinner and cupcakes with family, and swinging and sliding on her new swingset! Ivy has been such a blessing to us and we are thankful to have such a fun and sweet (most of the time) daughter. Happy Birthday, Miss Ivy!