Only a day away...

I feel so privileged to be my mom's first guest blogger,however, I will not be her first married daughter! If my mom had even a minute to sit down I'm sure she would say that she is at this moment 24 hours away from her first child's wedding and from adding another addition to our family. I am very excited about my sisters wedding, she has found the perfect man for her. She will be the most beautiful bride inside and out. I think everyone has tried to think of the happy things about Chelsea marrying Bo like they are both Christians, they are in love, and they are perfect for each other. However, there are some downfalls to this like.. who will clean my room, whose clothes will I borrow, who will make sweet tea for me, and who will listen to me when I'm upset or when I'm extremely happy. Yes, these are selfish reasons but I believe every person in this house could name a number of things that Chelsea does for them. She is a giver and a servant and she always has been. I always wanted for Chelsea to find someone who gives as much a she does, which I thought was impossible, until Bo came along. I am thankful for the perfect example of a Godly relationship that Chelsea and Bo have been to my brothers and sisters and me. Tomorrow will be a very happy day for the Smotherman family!!

I think I will end by asking everyone who reads this to say a prayer for my soon to be married sister and Bo, that God will bless their union and that they will always love each other the way God intended too. Love, Sarah

3 days....

I am less than three days away from my first child's wedding. Chelsea was born to me when I was 21 years old. I was younger than she is now! 22 years have passed, but this moment I still remember as if it were yesterday! This first picture was taken when Chelsea was 2 days old.

Scott and I enjoyed her so very much. She was such a great baby we wanted more:) And more we did have. But as our first of about all things...first loose tooth, first to school, first to college and now first to marry.

This is the sweet smiling face I should be looking at...

As we were going through a ridiculous amount of pictures to scan for Bo's video, I laughed at Sarah. Sarah asked, "Why are there no pictures of me holding babies? Every other one is of Chelsea holding someone!" I laughed and told her she didn't like holding babies. But she is right, Chelsea was always so maternal, always rocking or holding a baby. This baby is Jacob who looked at his and replied, "I didn't think there was that much age difference between us?" At 6"1' he towers over both his sisters and it is hard to believe that sweet little baby is so very big!


I do have a blue million of these "sister" pictures. They make me very very happy and very sad (in the I sure do miss so many of these sweet ages!)

It is hard to imagine Chelsea will not be here to play the "calm" to Sarah's "outrageous". It seems to be the picture of their lives....


I am still on the "I plan to enjoy every moment" line of thought:) And so far I have been able to do just that. So quickly the time slips through our fingers!

Pictures from Caleb:)

Yesterday I was in the laundry room folding clothes when my sweet niece Bailey called. She talked a minute (all that nice stuff that makes her so sweet) and then she said, "I was on facebook and Caleb asked me to call you and tell you to go get on facebook so he could talk to you." I laughed. I love technology:) So I thanked sweet Bailey and stopped folding (with great angst...haha...not!) and sat to talk with my Caleb:)



Caleb sent me several pictures. Showing off his new suit:) His sisters think he looks like a cross between the Beatles and the Jonas brothers:) I think he looks a whole lot like my little boy who is now all grown up!!

I laughed as we messaged via facebook(one of the reasons I love facebook). I assumed the white shoes and belt are "in", he assured me they were very fashionable and in his words "cost a pretty penny". I love seeing him look normal..although he never normally looked like this either..lol:) But there isn't camo in the picture and if he would just smile he'd look perfect!

I almost didn't put this next part in words, just the mere thought makes me cry.... I very much wish Caleb could be with us this weekend. I know the weekend it not about Caleb...it's about Chelsea and Bo. But it just seems my family is not complete without him here. And now? He's all dressed up and too far away! I will take comfort in knowing I can share the moment with him though pictures and videos, but sure will miss his hugs and humor!

A very special treat for me! Pictures of my guy:)

Where is it???

This has nothing to do with anything...just my opinion...and I am allowed it on my blog:)



Where is the personal ownership?? I'm really really sick of reading stories, well I really don't even read the stories just the headlines! I think everyone agrees Tiger Woods has issues. But why on earth would anyone what to listen or feel sorry for the women involved?? They KNEW he was married! The KNEW who they were having an affair with! They KNEW he had children! They KNEW it was wrong! To me that makes them all women of questionable morals THEMSELVES!

Where is the rebuke?? How embarrassing to have your face plastered on golf balls just because you had an affair with Tiger! I just hope Mrs Woods is getting all the money from the proceeds and not the endless women who are coming out of the Wood Works to bemoan their treatment.

They obviously allowed sin to overcome their lives too! I am not taking away from Tigers responsibilities at all....truly he is wrong. But why do we live in a world where people actually feel sorry for these poor adultering women?? To me, it's just the pot calling the kettle black!

Ship Shape

We are all home today, thankful for the Presidents who so greatly influenced our nation and history that we have a day of recognition. In their honor (haha...I am sure they had to be "ship shape" people) we are cleaning. So much to be done during these last few days! My children have been slouching, big time. I for a month quit asking them to do much of anything, I just refused to put for effort (aka MONEY) for them to do anything. I simply replied, " I am so tired from doing your chores I really don't want to do that" or "Time for bed, I am exhausted."(that being an extremely early 7:00 bedtime). The effort to show my children that I love them and will care for them (whether they do chores or not) has been successful. All have had clothes to wear, food to eat and a house to live in. But all have not had snack money for school, ice cream money for treats, Thump(except when dad let them go unknowingly while I was out of town), or extra stuff. Because it is all extra. It is a gift. It is earned. And frankly my kids have not been up to par lately.

This morning I sat them all down and tearfully (yep I cried...blame it on the week) explained "how life is going to be". No more chores (because they are not freely doing them ...meaning they cannot self motivate), so from now on...what I say...you do. Simple. If I am going to have to remind you to do your chores I might as well be telling you what I want done. I am also working on the second mile attitude. When my kids had chores they felt like they should not have to do anything that wasn't "theirs", missing the point of family and the attitudes I desire them to have(not to mention God's desires for them). I talked and my 10 little people listened. I do have some great kids. But that has NOTHING to do with great helpers. Someday they will quit being great if they do not learn service. If they do not learn to have a giving heart. Today is about working on those hearts.

I wrote a whole blog about individualism (which I have yet to publish) and as I type this I cannot help but think of that blog. But if there is anything all individuals need to have in common to be successful? It has to be respect. It has to be ownership. We all need to know where our strengths lie. We need to acknowledge that. BUT just because you aren't great at something DOES NOT give you permission to not do it. I may not be great at cooking, but my family still needs to eat. I know laundry is not my most loved pass time, but we still need cleans clothes.
Understanding this is about LIFE!! I sure hope my kids get it! If they don't, it won't be because I didn't try:)

Special gifts...

My Granny Holt died last fall. It was hard on us all, but especially Chelsea. Chelsea was planning to marry and she so very much wanted Granny to be there. Granny had said time and time again that she couldn't wait to have a grandchild married in our new church building. So the loss of her was especially hard. We really don't talk about it, we would all just cry.

Last fall Clara Ruth and Dad found quilt pieces. Not enough to make a whole quilt, but enough to use. It is a family quilt. Everyone signed their names and their signatures were put on the quilt. Sarah stitched most of our families names, Sandy did hers, even Alexandra helped Papa:) But Clara Ruth was the mastermind and the master worker:) A sweet lady quilted and it was a very very touching wedding gift. Unknown to any of us, the quilts squares were made with the material Granny used to make Chelsea's quilt so many years ago. Some things just seem to work out perfectly. I know Granny would have been so very proud:)

Impending Baseball...

My guys are already thinking about baseball. I smiled as I took this picture. I love moments like this, I love being able to "see" the importance of special people. Michael is such a special person to Seth. I watch my kids and I see the bonds that develop. Those bonds happen due to so many different reasons,regardless of the reasons they build and strengthen ties. Seth has 12 big brothers but Michael is the one closest to him in example and love. I do have Ryan and Daniel between these guys but just to close to have the same bond. Michael threw baseball with Seth for almost 2 hours today. I stopped them on the way into the house and took this picture. I love the protectiveness Michael shows...little brothers need that! When I pulled it up on my computer I noticed the "remnants" of other special people. The dog tags Seth wears nearly every day are from Caleb. The soldiers creed:) The hat is from Paden, new and too big it is a hat a little boy can grow into! Special people all shaping a little boy. Relationships that God intends:)

Last night Paden took Seth and they picked out a couple of movie for us to watch. We (Scott, me, Sarah, Paden, Seth and Michael) all sat watching "Glory Road". It was a great movie (a true story at that). Seth sat between Michael and Paden, talking the whole movie to Paden. Paden treating him as an equal, it was special to watch and special for Seth!