Fred Smith Family: Updates for a month?

I can't believe that one person can experience so many great, sad, painful, wonderful, and exciting things in such a short period of time. But, it has been it has been an interesting time!

I will try to update you on just a little of what has been going on in our lives. Last Friday, Fred and I went to dinner and a movie to celebrate the last of our many remodeling projects both inside amd out since returning home from our mission last Dec. We have put new seat covers on our kitchen chairs and bar stools, new inserts in our French patio doors, torn out the carpet in our main bathroon, and put in new tile, and sink counter top, re-painted the kitchen where we tore out the wall and cabinet to make more room for the fridge that went out, bought a new washer, dryer, and stove as well as the new refrigerator. We have re-painted our bedroom, and our TV room, and frontroom where we took the drapes and sheers down and put up new valances. We also tore out the front entry door and side lights, and, now with the drapes and sheers gone and the lighter windows in the door, our house has taken on a whole new look. We have put all new pereneal plants in outside that will hopefully NEVER have to be planted again in our lifetime! In addition to that, we have spent many hours at our proprty at Sour Dough cleaning, ripping, cutting down hundreds of tree sprouts, and have hauled 11 ton of gravel and spread it out around the property and road. I have managed to squeeze in two surgeries on my shoulder and hand. I had a lot of trouble with the first surgery with a few complications, but the last one seems to be better, and although I'm typing all of this nonsense with just one hand, it seems to be okay.

It has been an eventful last two days, and, although we are tired, we loved spending time with our family.

After we left Orem we came back to the baptism of our youngest, and last grandchild, McKinLee Jo Smith. How proud of her we are to have made such a good choice to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She looked like an angel, and is very special to us. She was baptized by her older brother, Jared, who did a supurb job. We are proud of him as well.

McKinLee was confirmed by her dad.

McKinLee at her house after the baptism

I feel bad that grandpa wasn't able to get a picture of "Kinner" alone, instead of me in it with her. Something happened to our camera, Darn!

Yesterday was a wonderful day, spent celebrating one of our great-granddaughters (Jersey Renae Smith, daughter of Robb and Jen, and granddaughter of Lane and Laurie) first birthday.

Can you believe all those presents for a one-year old?

Jersey is looking that cake over

And, mom gets some cake, too!

And, Jersey is walking all over the place!

On the 28th of Aug.. I underwent my second surgery on my hand. All of us thought the Dr. who had done the previous surgery had severed a nerve in my hand, as I continued having pain, numbness, and great sensitivity in it from two weeks after the first surgery on Feb. 02 until now, back thankfully, the nerve was not severed. The nerve was encapsilated with enough scar tissue to shut the nerve off. Hopefully this will relieve my pain and suffering.

Fred and I spent two days shopping and cooking enough meals to take care of us until I get full use of my hand again. We cleaned, washed, ironed, and got almost everything done on our "return home remodeling plan", before I undergo surgery #2.

After all of our family left on the 17th of Aug., Fred and I were riding around on the four-wheel, and just a short distance from our place, we came across these two bull moose.

There really are moose at Sour Dough!

And, by the way, when I downloaded more of my pics, I found one of a mother deer with twin fawns!

Look closely, and you will see mom and one baby. The other one is standing in back and is nursing his mother.

Brandy, Jake, the girls and Hayden stayed overnight with us, and we sat around the bonfire, had smores, and enjoyed visiting with one another. Brandy and the kids slept with us in the trailer and poor Jake about froze to death in the tent, and ended up sleepimg in his sleeping bag by the fire. We so much enjoyed the time we had with them. What will we ever do when they leave for

Virginia!

Grandpa and Jake checking battery cables on his car

On the 15th of August, we had made plans with all of our family that could, to come to Sour Dough and celebrate grandpa's (Fred's) birthday, but it rained off and on most of the night on Thursday, and it was really cold. We waited until noon and finally called our kids and told them not to come, as it was still sprinkling off and on, and really cold. Shara, though, thought everyone should come, as the roads weren't too muddy, and so Todd's family, and Tammy's family (except Kyle) came. Lane's family had by then made other plans. And, of course, Gordon and Jeanne are now living in Massachusettes. How we miss them! We had a great time with the kids riding the four wheelers, and the big boys playing hoseshoes (grandpa, Jim, Jake and Zach), and of couse, a good dinner with birthday cake.