The Best Cook in the Whole Wide World

It is amazing how kids pick up on phrases. Tassi baked wheat bread today. It was delicious, as always. Really, beyond belief. Brooklyn (the almost 3 year old) is no stranger to it, as well. After taking a bit of slice smothered in butter and honey, she turned to Tassi and said, "Mom. You are the best cook in the whole wide world."

Deer Crossing

Last night while I was cleaning up after dinner and puting the kids down. I looked out of our kitchen window and there stood a male deer grazing on our grass right outside. I then looked around the corner of the house a little bit and he had a friend. It is so crazy to see this kind of wildlife right in your backyard. It used to be I would only see this while being in the mountains.

Tagged by Tassi

This is Brandon's summary...

Jobs I've had:

1. Hogi Yogi (1994)
   
2. odds and ends for my father's medical practice (1995)
3. Gilbert Collision Center (1996)
4. SMART Engineering (1996-1997)
5. SMART Engineering (1999-2000)
6. Casino Arizona (2000-2002)
7. Firstwater (2001-2003)
8. Insight (2004)
9. Microsoft (2005)
10. IBM (2006-present)
    

Places for weekend getaway:

1. lake
2. cabin
3. new york
   

Movies I can watch over and over:

1. Sixth Sense
2. Waiting for Guffman
3. This is Spinal Tap!
4. Legally Blonde

Guilty Pleasures

1. Did you not see Legally Blonde?
   

Places I've Lived:

1. Mesa, AZ
2. South Africa: Durban, Umlazi, KwaMashu, Ladysmith, Morningside
3. Pittsburgh, PA
4. Cary, NC

Google Map

What I thought when I first saw my significant other:

1. That girl sitting in the chair is cute
   
2. Awesome calves
3. Don't hit that rock (she jumped off of Fossil Spring's dam and nearly died)
   

Places I've been on vacations

1. Groom Creek, AZ
2. Yellowstone
3. San Diego
4. Hawaii
5. Cast member in Hill Cumorah Pagaent
6. New York, Pennsylvania (dutch country), Washington D.C.
7. Niagra Falls
8. Disneyland, Knott's Berry, Magic Mountain
9. Salt Lake area skiing
10. Beijing
11. South Africa: Kruger National Park, Cape Town, Drakensburg Mountains
    

Favorite Foods

1. Anything chocolate
   

If in a "jam" with spouse, tactics used to get out of the doghouse:

1. crawl
2. try to make her laugh
   

Websites I visit daily

I subscribe to the following feeds

Places I'd rather be
In bed, asleep, next to my wife. I stay up too late.

people I tag are...
I'm going to be a leaf on this one. Sorry.

Tag, You're It!

Jobs I've had:
1) receptionist Pomeroy's Men's Store

2) after school sports supervisor
3) summer and winter sports camp director

4) receptionist / dispatcher

Places for weekend getaway: I don't get away much on the weekends so I will write where I would like to go.
1) Pizza and gelato in Italy

2) walk through New York City's Central Park

3) lay on the beach

4) In a cabin with a tin roof in the mountains during a thunderstorm.

Movies I can watch over and over:
1) Sleepless in Seattle
2) Wedding Singer
3) BBC Pride and Prejudice
4) Hitch
Guilty Pleasures
1) Death by Chocolate Brownie Cake
2) Chantilly Brownie Pie

3) Ben and Jerry's Brownie Batter

4) My version of Ben and Jerry's Brownie Batter Homemade ice cream
Places I've Lived:
1)AZ
2)PA

3)Washington

4)NC
What I thought when I first saw my significant other:
1.) Who is this random guy wearing green jeans and a black sweatshirt standing behind me at this concert. He must be an RM.

2.) Who is this guy that just gave me butterflies in my stomach. Wow, that was weird but cool at the same time.

3.) Cool, he likes me and not one of my friends.
Places I've been on vacations
1.) Yellowstone

2.) Showlow, Prescott, Springerville softball tournaments
3.) New York, NY
4.) Palmrya, NY

5.) Niagra Falls

6.) Disneyland

7.) Nauvoo, IL

8.) Washington D.C.
Favorite Foods
1) Desserts: Chocolate

2) Baked or roasted Sweet potatoes

3) Anything that can be grilled

4) El Charro Hot sauce. My mouth still waters everytime I think of it. It is watering right now as I type this.
IF in a "jam" with spouse, tactics used to get out of the doghouse:
1) I bat my eyes
2) I slap his arm softly and tell him how funny he is with a flirtatious laugh

3) While I slap his arm I then stop and grab a hold of his bicep and tell him how strong he is.
4) Lastly, I just give him a kiss and say sorry.
Websites I visit daily
1) Blogs
2) weather.com
3) recipe sites
4) email
First kiss locations:
1) Brandon's parents' pool house (yep Brandon was my first and only)

Places I'd rather be
1) This might sound strange but right now I would rather just be here at my home.

4 people I tag are...
1) Ralphie Jacobs
2) Brian Jacobs
3) Brandon

4) Crystal Bowman

Reunion Down. Now for the Real Rest!

We just got back from a Edward and Linda (Brandon's parents) Smith family reunion. The reunion was in Nauvoo and we stayed in a large home that fit all 30 people. Yikes! I thought we were going to explode with as many kids that were in the house. We all survived and had a wonderful time. All of the kids were amazing and very well behaved for the most part under the circumstances. They all enjoyed dressing up in pioneer clothes and playing mob and mormons. The kids would start yelling the mob is here everytime an adult would come into this play log cabin. My wonderful Brooklyn took on the role of a pioneer mother. She came out of the cabin with a babydoll wrapped in blankets and sat down in a rocking chair and preceeded to lift her shirt up and begin nursing her babydoll. The pictures are from a mock handcart trek we did. The temple is amazing. We were lucky enough to perform a session. I literally felt like I was transported in time with a few nice modern conviences (air conditioning). I strongly recommend anyone that has not been there to take time to visit. Amazing and such a great testimony builder. I am so glad I was able to share it with my own family and my wonderful in-laws (not brown nosing, I really do mean that).

http://www.hyrumkimballinn.com/Village%20Home%20Info.html Great place to stay if going with a large group of family or friends. If planning on cooking full meals plan on bringing extra cooking equipment. Kitchens are not fully equipped for large party cooking.

Brooklyn and her cousin Madison.

Cute little Simon Smith.

Smith Family walked and walked and walked.