-Baby Smith-

Hard to believe there are a few short weeks left before Baby Smith will be here! We are so excited!!! A few months ago I came across this quote and it really spoke to me,
"Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting. We want things a long time before we get them, and the fact that we want them a long time makes them all the more precious when they come" Joseph F. Smith

Very few people know but Baby smith did not come to be the way we had planned.
I can remember when we were first married and were talking about when we wanted to start having kids, I thought I was ready right then but Rope thought we should wait a year. I was sure that year was going to take forever to pass. Well fast forward 2 very speedy years and we felt ready to start our family. It was summer 2013 and the first month I was sure it was going to happen, I was so excited at the thought of a baby. Unfortunately pregnancy didn't happen that month and continued to not happen for us.
We were very fortunate to be living in Saskatoon during this time where there is a new fertility clinic. We started seeing a specialist in the Winter of 2015. We had a great doctor throughout everything and knowing that we were receiving the best care was so comforting. Our infertility was "unexplained". I can remember when the Doctor told us this after numerous test. I was relieved in a way, that it wasn't anything more serious, but at the same time it was so frustrating that there really was no good reason we weren't getting pregnant. I would get so down on myself feeling sorry for the situation we were in and how unfair it was. All around us people were starting and growing there families and it felt like we were stuck. However, I also had lots of experiences during this time that gave me hope just when I was ready to give up. There were moments of peace when I was sure that we would have a baby but that I just needed to be patient and remember that Heavenly Father truly is in charge. Since we had been married for 3 years naturally we had been asked the question "So when are you going to start having kids" the first few times it was hard for me to hold back the tears while I made up some fake excuse. I don't know if I can say that it ever got easier but I got better at brushing it off.
In the end we got pregnant the month we decided to take a break from any treatments or doctors appointments and just relax. The decision to sit and do nothing was a hard one because it felt like we would be wasting time, but I truly feel like we had to get to that point, we were relying on Heavenly Father to comfort us and help us get through it. Nothing was ever able to be explained to us about or infertility, but I don't care, we are just so thankful to have a baby on the way!

Our journey to start our family wasn't anything like how I thought or tried to plan it would happen, but I wouldn't change it either. It was not easy but the perspective I have gained through this trial is priceless. Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us and knows what we can handle and what we need better then we know for ourselves. I know that Heavenly Father is also ready and waiting to bless us,  those blessing will come in his timing, but they will come! I also gained alot of perspective on the lives of others, you really never know what is going on in someones life. I have tried to be more conscious and thoughtful of this and to just show more love to those around me. I want to be a person that lifts others and brings them happiness just as people were able to do for me when I was struggling.
Now hurry up and get here baby we have been waiting!

Waiting on summer

It seems like this year summer is taking its sweet time getting here! Maybe it's 

always been like this but I feel like we are still trapped in the eternal winter.

Despite the not so summery weather we still headed out camping last weekend up to Northern Saskatchewan! After driving for about an hour I felt like we had transported into a different province, We were surrounded by trees and lakes and it was gorgeous!  I loved spending the time in nature and with family- two of the best things ever :)

out with the old and in with the new

2013 was full of ups's and downs for us.
We have enjoyed our time in Saskatoon, Moved to a bigger and brighter house, had an awesome summer with each other and our families and have enjoyed our ward and new callings.
This year however we lost two special members of our family- My cousin Brynn and Rope's Grandmas Dixie both after battling cancer. We are so grateful for the wonderful example they gave us of loving and living life to the fullest everyday.

With this in mind we start the new year with a renewed motivation to always be improving ourselves. This year I have learned so much and have grown spiritually. I am more aware of how much I need and rely on my Heavenly Father everyday and this has helped me to develop a better realationship with him. I am grateful for the experiences I have had in my life and how they help me to recognize and appreciate all the ways I am blessed.

We had a wonderful Christmas in Alberta! We went to the movies, out to eat, watched Basketball games at the sugar bowl, played monopoly, catch phrase and heads up and ate a lot of treats.

We had some good laughs and some good cries- we are so blessed with such amazing families.

We are excited to see what 2014 has in store for us.

Annual Christmas Eve pyramid

One of my Favorite gifts this year- a homemade
dough artnativity from
Ropes Mom

My other favorite present from my Mom.
Rope LOVES the red and I can't wait to use it :)

Trying out Rope's present from his parents

I guess we're hunters now :P

Christmas time

One more week till Christmas Day! We are so excited to finish up school/work and head back to Alberta to celebrate with our families... Can it be Friday yet?!?

Merry Christmas everyone!

most wonderful

Christmas is by far my favorite time of year.

This year we set up our tree November 2. Yes I am one of those people.. And I am happy to be one! Our Christmas tree makes me happy so I think why wait!? I am loving how cozy our house feels with the tree on, I love having our beautiful nativity set up and I love all the red, green and gold.

I'm enjoying all the pre-Christmas prep but what I'm looking forward to most is going back to Alberta and being with our families. The last couple months have a lot of ups and downs for both of our families so we are so grateful for time this holiday season to be with them.

My family is all pretty big on Christmas and Brynn was one of the biggest fans of all. She loved to be cozy, she loved to get the tree up and start listening to Christmas music as soon as she could and she especially loved to give. She was a huge example to me of always remembering the true meaning of Christmas.

I'm grateful for this time of year and the chance it gives us to re-evaluate our lives and remember what is most important. I'm grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ, the miracles he performed during his life and the perfect example he set for us to follow.

Shall I falter or shall I finish

The last couple weeks I have been so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and the knowledge that I have that he hears and answers prayers. I am also so grateful that he is aware of our needs even before we know what those needs might be.
Looking back at this past conference I can now see how many of the messages are just what I need to hear now and I am so thankful for that.

The last couple days have been tough for our family as we lost my cousin Brynn and then Ropes Grandma Dixie a few days later, both after battling cancer.
Brynn was the sweetest person I have ever known, and will probably ever know. For the past couple days I have been able to reflect on my memories with brynny. She was the best at putting a smile on your face and gave the most sincere compliments. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to be there as their family was sealed in the temple last year, I will always remember how beautiful and pure Brynn looked all dressed in white. I am grateful for Brynns example of bravery and faith no matter what you are up against. I always loved to see her sweet smile and hear her infectious laugh. I am so thankful I get to have her, her parents and her siblings a part of our family forever. Love you Brynn.

I am so grateful that I got to have Dixie as a grandma for the past 2 years. I am especially grateful for the time we got to spend with her while we were home for thanksgiving. Grandma Dixie shared her testimony at ropes nephews baptism we attended while we were home. It was such a sweet and simple testimony of the things that she knew to be true. I'm so thankful we were there to hear it, it strengthened my own so much and helped me to remember those things that matter most. I am grateful for her example of courage and hard work. I feel so lucky to be married to Rope and that I get to be a part of her posterity.

One of the things that most recently stuck out to me from conference came from President Monson's talk during the Sunday morning session, while talking about adversity in our lives her said,
"The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure, A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us: Shall I falter, or shall I finish? Some do falter as they find themselves unable to rise above their challenges. To finish involves enduring to the very end of life itself."

I feel lucky to have known two amazing ladies who didn't falter and did endure to the end regardless of the difficult things they faced each day. 

In the same talk from President Monson he also says,

"We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were; better than what we were, more understanding than what we were, more empathetic than what we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before."

I hope that through these sorrows I will become better then I was before, and that I might be more able to help those around me who experience trials. I am grateful for the many experiences I have gained in this life so far and how they help me become more compassionate and Christlike. I am also grateful for my testimony and the peace and comfort it brings me to know I can be with my family forever if I live worthy. 

Sweet Summer

Between Rope studying and me working full time it has felt like summer has flow by for us! We did get away for a week at the end of July and headed down to Montana to spend some time with our families,

It was so nice! The weather was awesome and we loved being with everyone and staying up late visiting and playing cards. We love our families and have learned to appreciate our time with them even more since we have moved away. 

Going home was SO nice but now that we are back we have really enjoyed our Saskatoon summer, I don't want it to end!

We spent a few days at Kevin and Christy's cabin at Ashley Lake. We boated, kayaked and jet skied. We loved every minute of it and loved spending time with my family and the Lunds :) 

Then we headed to Bitter root Lake to spend a week with all Rope's family. More boating and staying up late, it was the best! We love being with the aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews :)

Rylee loves Rope!

Trying out the paddle board, Rope doesn't have the best balance..

Yes i am plugging my nose.. I hate water up it! :P

Last weekend we celebrated Rope's 24th Birthday with a BBQ at our house. It was so fun to have everyone over now that we are all back from our summer holidays. We love our Saskatoon friends! 

Rope teaching his friends how to be Cowboys.. haha

Our Holiday

Rope and I had a GREAT couple of weeks over Christmas. We spent lots of time with both of our families going back and forth not missing any of the fun. Here are a few photos highlighting our time back in Alberta.

Love these little girls! It was sooo fun to spend time with Ropes nieces and nephews.

Annual Pyramid {we switched it up a bit this year}

focusing on BINGO

Christmas Morning :)

MyBEST present from the BEST husband

Ice Fishing at the Cabin

preparing for next year- can't wait to use them!

learned how to crochet.. again.. and I'm currently working on some boot cuffs

Tradition

For the past I don't know how many years I have had the chance to either watch or be apart of a live nativity pageant during the christmas season. There's just something about being there with the live animals and people that makes it extra special to me. Last year Rope and I got to play Mary and Joseph in the live nativity for the Taber Stake. It was so nice to do with all my cousins, aunts and uncles and family. I even got to ride on a donkey! For the short amount of time that I had to be on the donkeys back it made me realize how extremely uncomfortable it is. Sitting sideway on its back there isn't a lot to hold on to, it makes it impossible to brace yourself so it takes a lot of balance to stay on it. I could not imagine travelling a long distance on it.. while also being pregnant! Knowing this makes me even more grateful that Mary was able to endure it all, and without complaining. She really must have know he was the Son of God.

Since we didn't get to watch or participate in a live nativity this year.. 

We watched This instead.

Merry Christmas 

a little something

I've been feeling guilty for the last couple days that I haven't posted anything in 2 1/2 weeks. {even though i'm pretty sure I have about 3 people that read this- but thats ok because I like to do it! And I don't want to get out of the habit}

Today while I was at the dollar store with Amy we were in the check out and we looked down at Trey and he was praying.. It was adorable. I don't know what triggered in his little head to say a prayer at that time but i thought it was so sweet to hear him going through his little prayer... after he noticed we were looking at him he did it a couple more times, because he could tell we thought it was cute, but even then it was even more precious.
I'm so happy that Rope and I get to be close to Trey and Claire and be apart of their little lives.. there's nothing sweeter then seeing Trey get excited to see Rote or calling out for Brookie when its time to leave.
One of the major things Rope and I have in common is the love we have for our families and that we LOVE to be around them doing whatever :)
We miss our other little nieces and nephews and can't wait to see them in a few weeks along with the rest of our family!

Well now its time to be with my little family and watch a Christmas movie while sleeping under the Christmas tree...

life takes bravery

The last couple days has had me thinking a lot about STRONG women.

I have been blessed in my life to have some amazing people around me..

Here are a couple I've been thinking about lately :)

My sister-in-law Lyndsay is AMAZING! To read about her story visit her blog... 
you won't regret it!

In short I am soooo impressed with how she has handled everything that has been put in her life this year and I continue to be impressed with her. Love ya Lynz!

My cousin Brynn is a little power house! She has recently been re-diagnosed with cancer. Brynn is the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful 13-year-old you would ever meet. She has the biggest heart and the biggest smile to go with it. I'm so grateful for her example of strength and determination! 

Go Team Brynn! 

{My sister Amy is running in the Santa Shuffle December 1, 2012 for a Childhood Cancer Canada Charity event, if you would like to support Brynn and all other Kids faced with Cancer you can make a Donation to Childhood Cancer Canada here}


And here's a happy thought..
"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. … If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." - Gordon B. Hinckley

thanks

It's Thanksgiving weekend and I have A LOT to be thankful for!

I'm thankful that we got to come back to Alberta this weekend.
I'm thankful that we could have thanksgiving dinner with both of our families.. We are so lucky!

I'm thankful that we were able to finally get to meet little Lane and also thankful for how healthy he is.

I'm thankful that I have a job.. even when I don't love every minute of it.

I'm thankful for my religion and the happiness it brings me.

I'm thankful that we could watch conference this weekend.
I'm thankful for Rope and that we have been married for 1 year! Time has flown by but at the same time I can hardly remember my life without Rope. We have both learned a lot this year about each other and about ourselves. He is so good to me and I appreciate all the little things he does. I'm also thankful for how motivated he is in school and that he sets his goals high. I'm excited to start year 2 and see what it has in store for us :)

This is one of my favorite quotes from conference this weekend

I love how motivated and uplifted I feel after listening :)

change

We have officially been in Saskatoon for 3 weeks! I feel like the time has flown by but a lot has changed! We officially have Saskatchewan drivers licenses, there are no boxes left in our house and I feel like I can get to most places {superstore,walmart, the mall and work} without needing a GPS.
We have really enjoyed living here so far and are excited to get more settled in the city and in our ward.

I am learning more everyday that change can be a good thing! 

We have LOVED having Brock and Amy and Family as well as 

Storm and Sloane and of course Oshi too! It's so nice to have family around!

And since i just figured out how to see the pictures from my iphone on ropes confusing mac.. here are a few of what we've been up to since we arrived :)

enjoying the nice weather while going on a bike ride to explore campus. The ride
turned out to be a little longer then i anticipated so there wasn't much exploring..

The U of S home opener. There were fireworks and a jet that flew over us.
They are pretty intense about there football here

A little face juggler.. good thing we have our own faces..

Trey having some uncle Rote time :)