Memorial Day

Today I remember my father Lawrence William Smith and brother Steven James Smith. Both were taken from us suddenly. It has been almost 12 years since Steve died and almost 3 years since dad passed away. Steve was so full of life and it was tragic to die so young. As Kenney Chesney said, "It ain't fair you died to young, like a story that had just begun but death tore those pages all away." I wished my girls would have got to know their uncle Steve. Dad was never the same after Steve died. When I am outside at night I think of dad and the stars. He could look up at any time and know what was up there and where. I miss them both so very much. There are so many things daily that remind me of them.

I would also like to say thank you to all those who serve this country. Thank you to Dave who served and thank you to my brother-in-law Stuart who is currently serving proudly in Italy with the Navy. I know I enjoy all of my freedom's today because of the sacrifice many men and women paid before I was even born. I am proud to be an American.

Mother's Day

I was sitting here thinking I did not post anything about my wonderful wife on Mother's Day so I thought "better late than never". I don't care what anybody says I have the best wife anyone in the world could want. Sure she's not perfect and has some faults. Oh wait this was to sing her praises. That is one the of the things I love about her is that she has such a great sense of humor. Well at least when it comes to me. I mean she has to right? She married me. She laughs at me when I deserve to be laughed at. She helps me be sensitive to her and my girls. She has let everyone in our ward know that I am a sensitive guy. You know what though I think that is why I have girls and not boys. I needed to have some sensitivity in my life. Growing up with all brothers and not knowing what women or girls are like seems fitting doesn't it? Anyways I digress. thank you to my wife for loving me despite all my imperfections and problems. Anyone that knows a Smith boy knows that they have many, regardless of what we say. I also want to say I love you and Thank you to my MOM who is the bestest Mother in the whole world. I got her a Dean Martin CD for Mothers Day. I think it was the best gift she received that day if I don't say so myself.

Another addition

My youngest brother Matt and his wife Lisa just had their second child. They were blessed with another baby girl. Bryn Lee Smith was born on Thursday. She has an older sister and 23 cousins. My mom has 24 grandchildren. 15 granddaughters and 9 grandsons. For someone who raised 8 boys I think it is nice for to have some females in the family. My oldest brother Dave just turned 41. My oldest daughter will turn 12 this coming week. It is hard to believe I have a child that is 12. She will be entering the young womens program at church and will get to go to girls camp this year. It will be nice because Natalee is the camp director and will be there as well. The month of May has started off really good. The weather has been really nice for the most part. No complaints from me.

April Birthdays

April is a big month for my side of the family and birthdays. Steve on the 3rd, Jeff on the 18th, Sean and Ashton the 21st, Camille the 22nd, Mackenzie the 30th. It has been 12 years since Steve passed away. He would have been 39 this year. It was fun getting together as we do each month. I think this month I will take some pictures and video of the birthday song. It is one of the loudest versions I have every heard. Grandma Great came out and said she could not hear us so either we did not do our best or her hearing is not getting better. I was able to give a talk on Sunday on "becoming a disciple of Christ." I think I did rather well if I do say so myself and the others that said I did. Over all the month of April is gone and we are almost halfway through 2008. It seems the older I get the faster the years go.