Smith House Poetry Day

A few weeks ago I started teaching my amazing 1st graders about poetry. I told them that poetry can be about anything and can be written in any way, even if it doesn't make sense. It is a way to express themselves. At first they were a bit timid to write in such a way that had no real format, but it didn't take long for them to see the freedom poetry provided. After we had been writing for about 3 weeks they decided that their parents should hear what wonderful poets they had become and we came up with the idea of having a poetry day in our classroom. We decided on a name, "Stuffed Animal Poetry Day at the Smith Coffee House." What else would you expect coming from 6 year-olds? :) We also decided that we would provide the same thing a coffee house would provide - coffee, doughnuts, and hot chocolate for people under the age of 10 (I guess a 10 year-old is allowed to have coffee according to a first grader! :) They also decided that they wanted to dress up for this special occasion - so cute! So, we made invitations and invited all our parents in for coffee, doughnuts, and great poetry this past Friday. We re-arranged our room to look like a cafe' and set up a directors chair and a microphone for poetry readings. They became such sweet authors as they read their poetry to the guests that came. Every parent smiled a proud smile as their child came up to read and everyone laughed at the things 6 year-olds say. It was such a special moment.

To the left is a picture of Hannah and I. Her poem went like this...
I have a loose tooth
Loose, Wiggly, Bleeding.
I have a loose tooth
Loose, Wiggly, Bleeding.

And to the right, is a picture of Ana. Her poem went like this...
I like Angelina.
She is my friend.
But when she cries, it makes me sad.
I still like her!

After our poetry day was over and we were cleaning up the classroom, I stopped, looked around, and watched them - in awe. I am in awe of what little people they have become. These children have such a special place in my heart. I have had most of them since the first day of kindergarten and now they are big first graders - almost second graders! They don't need me to read things for them anymore - they can do it themselves. They don't need me to tie their shoe anymore - they can do it themselves. They don't need me to help them go potty, line up at the door, remind them when to say sorry and when to forgive; they don't need me to help them write their name, put things away, use their manners, or remind them how to be a good friend - they can do all of it themselves. I was thinking this must be what it feels like when you become a mommy and your child doesn't need you for all the small things anymore because they are now big people and can do it on their own. I am so proud of my sweet little children. Even in the moments when they drive me crazy, I love them like I would my own child. After all, most of them call me mommy anyway. :) I just can't believe how independent they have become. The transformation is amazing. First grade rocks! :)

Our Family Grows...

Well, the Smith family now has 2 of their 4 children married off. We spent this past weekend in Tampa for Dave's little brother, Casey's, wedding. It was such an honor to be there as it reminded me so very much of Dave and I's wedding only 3 years ago. The ceremony was in the backyard with the beautiful lake in the back ground. Dave's dad, Pops as we all call him, and Rebecca's dad built a wooden platform around a large oak tree for the ceremony. Minus the 30 mile per hour wind, it was a beautiful ceremony.

The reception was in the front yard under a large white tent. The decorations were beautiful, as they did a beachy theme. The music was great and the people were fun. Uncle Richy played their wedding as well, but they did have a great addition that we didn't have, Mark Gaignard, who is an amazing singer. He is the one who sings Flawless, the music video Dave and I are in that I posted a while back.

It is such a wonderful tradition to me to get married at the Smith house, not that all the siblings have to follow in our path. There is just so much love to be shared there and for Dave & I and Casey & Rebecca it is where our relationships all started. We both spent that first summer we met our husbands on the lake at the Smith house, building a love that will last a life time. There are so many memories there that having our weddings anywhere else wouldn't have felt right. Rebecca, if you are reading this, please know that I am so glad to have you as a part of our family. I know we have had our differences in the past, but God works in mysterious ways and I really feel he used certain things to bring us closer together. Thank you for sharing your heart with me.

Four days of festivities are over. Bachelorette/bachelor parties, showers, and luncheons are in the past. We now have a wonderful future to look forward to with family, babies, vacations, and time to spend together. Welcome to the family, Mr. and Mrs. Casey Smith! We love you two!

Founder's Gallery

While Dave was in Nicaragua he took 1,600 photos to capture the life of the people who live there. As part of a project for medical school he picked his favorite 20, edited them, printed them, framed them, and put them up in the Founder's Gallery at Shands Hospital this past Monday and Tuesday. The above picture is one of my favorites because of the vibrant colors and how adorable this little girl is - full of life! Tons of people walked through the gallery and were very impressed with his artsy side. On Monday afternoon he got a call from the Dean of the College of Medicine asking if David could give him a special tour of the photos and if David would mind being interviewed by a few local magazines. Of course, David was thrilled. This small project for medical school has turned into a major event. The pictures are amazing! He uploaded the pictures onto his website. Yes, he has a photography web site if I haven't mentioned that before - a side of him I bet you never knew. :) Here he is standing in the middle of the gallery. I am such a proud little wife. :)

Check out his website for more incredible photos ...
smithartandphotography.com

Peds Residency - Here we come!

The wait has finally come to an end. Thursday was the long awaited Match Day! All the graduating seniors gathered Thursday morning at the Paramount for the day they have been waiting for since they stepped over the threshold of the doors of UF Medical School. This day is even bigger than graduation to most because it solidifies a job for the next few years and it solidifies graduation. The day began at 10:30 with breakfast for all and the ceremony began at 12:00 for all graduating seniors around the country. All the envelopes are put into a box and the students are called at random one at a time to come read where they will be working for the next few years. Most were very excited, but a few were a bit shocked as they matched at a place father down their list than they would have liked. David and I were very pleased to match at our first choice - UF! :) It is so funny to me because if you would have asked us this time last year where we wanted to go for residency, Gainesville was last on our list. We thought we wanted the adventure of living somewhere far away and experiencing a different kind of life. But, turns out we love living here in G-vegas. We have great friends, a great church, I have a great job, and David will get great training here. The training & faculty here are by far the best of the residency programs we interviewed at. Oh, what a wonderful pediatrician my husband will be. :)

So, four years of medical school is almost over and we look forward to 3 years of PAID training. Gainesville has very much become our home and we are so excited!

David in the Gainesville Sun!

What a Beautiful Day!

I, Danielle, take you, David, to be my husband, my best friend, and the love of my life. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, and love you unconditionally in good times and bad. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this day forward as long as we both shall live.

I, David, take you Danielle, to be my wife, my best friend, and the love of my life. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, and love you unconditionally in good times and bad. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this day forward as long as we both shall live.

Well, 3 years ago today I walked down the aisle and married the absolute love of my life; my prince charming. It is crazy to think 3 years has already come and gone. But, they have been the best 3 years of marriage I could ever ask for. I have such a sweet and Godly husband who sweeps me off my feet each and every day; and chooses to love me no matter what. God has truly blessed our marriage and I pray he continues to bless us for the next 80+ years of our lives! Here we are, 3 years later with so much love under our belt. :)

One of my dear students wrote me the sweetest note for my anniversary today. I loved it so much I took a picture of it and thought I'd share it with you. I can't wait to have these letters all around my house one day when we have little ones of our own. Three years of marriage and the baby fever kicks in hard core! :)I pray God blesses you as much as he has blessed us. Marriage is AMAZING! Thank you Lord for creating us, giving us life, teaching us how to love, and giving us someone to share that love with.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corithians 13:13

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Last Monday, March 2nd was Dr. Seuss' birthday. My 1st graders and I celebrated this joyous occasion on Friday with multiple book readings, some delicious green eggs and ham for breakfast, making our very own cat and the hats, and my kids even wrote a poem in honor of good 'ole Dr. Seuss. Check 0ut what great poetry writers they are below! :)I was doing some reflecting on my way home from work that day about how stressful teaching can actually be at times, but it's moments like this that make it all worth while. I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world, except maybe becoming a mommy! :)

Legacy

Last week was week 6 of my Beth Moore study on the book of Esther and I am learning so much. In class on Wednesday she talked about the reversal of destiny - how at one point in our lives we are on one path without God in our lives, and then once he swoops in and takes hold of our hearts, our destiny is reversed forever. This really made me stop and think where I would be right this very moment if I never allowed God to come into my life. Would I be the person I am? Would I be married to my amazing husband? Would David be a believer? Would the relationship with my family and friends be the same? There would be so many uncertainties. This reversal is the hinge of our lives and without it we may never truly know God. It is the resurrection of our lives.

I am sure many of you have heard the saying, "We have to die to ourselves before we can truly live." I am also sure many of you wonder what in the world that means. There was a time when I didn't understand it either. Dying to ourselves is the reversal; the resurrection of our own lives. Obviously it is not physical death, it's realizing that the way we are without God isn't good enough. Without God we are worldly individuals, concerned with the things of the world, rather than the things of God. Like Esther, we have to put on our royal robes because we will NEVER ordain our God given identities if we are straddling the fence. We have to let go of certain things in our lives, let the reversal happen, and see how amazing it is when we live our life for Christ instead of for ourselves. After all, we have to live in this world, but we don't have to be of it.

Here is a great song by Nicole Nordeman called Legacy. It truly makes me think about the purpose we have here on this Earth. I hope I can leave a legacy that points others towards the things that really matter.

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

You can hear the song and check out the video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbi4nSrhRxo

Nicaragua

David and I just got back from an amazing trip to Nicaragua. I only got to spend 5 glorious days there, which I'll talk more about later, but my sweet, sweet husband spent 2 weeks down there setting up clinics and serving underprivileged children & their families.

I just have to brag on him for a second and tell you how amazing he is and what a heart he has for children. He is going to make such a wonderful pediatrician. The stories he shared and the pictures he took really capture what an impact he and the rest of the medical team made while they were there. For his independent project in his final months of medical school he is setting up a photo gallery in Shands displaying pictures and writings to capture the incredible experience that was Nicaragua; the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see his work displayed.

Here, he and Z are racing with some of the local kids. Dave said the 10 year old kid beat him because he got a cramp...maybe he let him win, we'll never know. He got to work and play with the kids, which is equally important in my mind.

One day they were working in a community near the border of Nicaragua & Honduras and the team was able to walk across the border. Dave was so excited that he got to visit 2 countries on his trip.


On their 1st weekend off, the team got to spend some time on a coffee farm. Dave said it was absolutely beautiful! They went on a long hike up to the top of a mountain and then back down. They continued hiking for 3 hours and eventually ended up on another coffee farm. They were so far away that they had to hitch hike their way back to where they were staying. Here is a picture of Dave at the coffee farm.

On Wednesday of their second week I flew down to meet Dave's group with the second group of medical students. It took an entire day to travel there, but it was worth it! The country may be poor, but it is an absolutely beautiful place. The first full day I was there we traveled to Playa Maderas, which is one of the best surf breaks in Nicaragua, other than Rancho Santana, where our uncle is building a vacation home. The waves were 6-8 ft high, but luckily there was a smaller break as well for me to surf on. I was not about to surf 6-8 ft waves with rocks jetting out everywhere you turn; 3-4 ft waves were just fine with me! :) Dave however, loved the big waves and spent the day out there ripping it up. Here is a picture of the group that went surfing. Other than the 30mph winds and the sand pelting us on the beach, it was a great day! We finished the day back at the beautiful house Dave rented and watched the sunset over the Pacific Coast. It was the end to a great first day and a gorgeous sight to see.

On Friday we hopped on a small, 10 person boat and traveled up the coast of Nicaragua. The coast is beautiful with not much development. Every couple 100 yards there were small coves, some with houses on them, but most without. The houses that are there are huge and gorgeous. It was amazing to me to see a coast as beautiful as that, with no condos and tourism. That just doesn't happen in Florida. At the end of that day we were able to see another amazing sunset, but this time we were cruising along the crystal blue ocean, with cool wind in our hair.

On Saturday, we went zip-lining! What an experience that was. This is a picture of us AFTER zip lining. Unfortunately, we didn't bring Dave's camera because it was too big to carry around. Our friend Z however, had his small camera and took lots of pictures for us, but the sad news is that he is still in Nicaragua so we don't have the pictures yet. I'll post them when I get them. The views from the top of the mountain were amazing. Looking out at the beach, the cliffs surrounding the beach, and the community below us was breathtaking. Just from looking at that sight I don't know how anyone can say there is no God. Who else could create something that beautiful? That just doesn't happen by chance.

We spent our last night there, Valentine's Day, enjoying a delicious dinner at one of the nicest restaurants on the beach. We enjoyed 2 glasses of wine, shrimp with rice, an entire white snapper, and 2 deserts for only 23 dollars. What a deal! If you were to go to Bonefish and order that same meal, it would cost you at least $100. It was one of the most romantic Valentine's Day dinners we have had and it was in Nicaragua!

It was a great mini vacation and I am so glad I got to meet Dave down there to spend time with him. I hope everyone had a Valentine's Day weekend as wonderful as ours. Cuz remember, it's all about the love!

For Such a Time as This

Many of you who read my thoughts from Beth Moore two weeks ago have probably been wondering where I have been. I missed last week due to a UF basketball game, but I am back! :) The lesson we had yesterday was a lesson on being brave; trusting in the Lord with your whole heart - no matter what! I just can't get over what an amazing vessel Beth Moore is for sharing God's Word. Wow!

So, we are reading the book of Esther, which if you haven't read, is so far about a young Jew hiding her identity and becoming the Queen of Susa; taking place back in the day before Jesus. To make a long story short, the King, Xerxes, had some beef with a Jew named Mordecai, who raised Esther. Because of this "beef," Xerxes decided that he needed to issue an edict of government-sponsored genocide killing ALL the Jews. (Sound familiar? -- Hitler? hmmm) All except for Esther because no one knew she was a Jew, yet. Mordecai gets this edict in the mail, along with all the other Jews, and immediately goes to the Kingdom's Gates to talk to Esther, who knew nothing about what her husband had done. Mordecai pleads with her to talk with Xerxes, but she is afraid because back in that day, if you went to talk to the King without being summoned, the sentence was death. Yes, even for the queen! (I am so glad we didn't live back then, aren't you?) Mordecai reminds her that she is also a Jew and if she remains silent, someone is bound to find out and she in the end will die anyway. Finally, in the end of chapter 4, which is where we are now, Esther decides that she will go to the King and plead for her people because -- for such a time is this! Esther had to face her fear, trusting that the Lord would save her.

My first question was, what changed her mind? Why did she decide to speak out instead of remaining silent? Because if she remained silent, she would have been denying the reality she faced. How often do we do that? When we deny reality, we deny fear. God wants us to face our fears and trust that He will see us through. Want to know what the most frequent command in the bible is? "Don't be afraid! Fear not! says the Lord." Think about all the things you are afraid of, for just one second. Afraid of spiders, cockroaches, the dark, height, people, ... death. The list goes on. Beth Moore suggested to think about the WORST thing you fear. Maybe it's your husband cheating on you, maybe it's someone close to you dying, maybe...

God would say, "Ok, what would you do if that happened?"
"Well", you say, "I would just die if that happened. I would fall on the floor and be depressed for life!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Then, I would lay in my bed for days, weeks, months, and cry my eyes out!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Then, I would mope around my house and be completely useless!"
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, then I guess eventually I would have to start picking myself up again. "
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, I suppose I would have to start getting myself up in the morning and getting dressed again."
"Then what?" asks God.
"I guess I would have to go to work again and support myself."
"Then what?" asks God.
"Well, I suppose after a while, I would have to start living my life again."
"Why?" asks God.
"Because you are faithful, even when fear sets in. My God will take care of me!"

You see, Esther was willing to face her fears. She said in chapter 4, verse 16, "I will go to the King, even though it's against the law. And, if I perish, I perish." Basically Esther was saying, if this (fill in the blank here), then... God will take care of me! God will still be faithful! We cannot deny our worst fear; we must take courage over them. Not denying the reality, but denying it's victory over us! 1 John 4:18 says, "perfect love cast out fear." It is through God's love for us that we don't have to be afraid of ANYTHING! Does that mean it's always going to be easy? No! But, it does mean we have someone full of complete love for us to lean on when times are tough. Be brave ladies, for such a time as this! As Steven Curtis Chapman would say, don't miss the miracle of the moment!

Much love until next time... :)

Love is Not a Fight

Love is not a place to come and go as we please. It's a house we enter in, then commit to never leave. So lock the door behind you. Throw away the key. Work it out together. Let it bring us to our knees. Love is a shelter in a raging storm. Love is peace in the middle of a war. And if we try to leave; May God send angels to guard the door. No, Love is not a fight but its something worth fighting for. To some love is a word that they can fall into. But when they're falling out keeping that word is hard to do. Love is a shelter in a raging storm. Love is peace in the middle of a war. And if we try to leave; May God send angels to guard the door. No, Love is not a fight but its something worth fighting for. Love will come to save us; If we'll only call. He will ask nothing from us but demand we give our all. Love is a shelter in a raging storm. Love is peace in the middle of a war. And if we try to leave; May God send angels to guard the door. No, Love is not a fight but its something worth fighting for. Cause I will fight for you. Would you fight for me? It's worth fighting for! - Love is not a Fight, written by Warren Barfield.

That is the theme song for the movie, Fireproof. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it. The message it presents is amazing! Watching that movie made me think of my own marriage and the vows we made to one another almost 3 years ago. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one," Genesis 2:24. Marriage is a huge commitment, but a wonderful one. In my opinion, I am married to the most incredible man ever! You might beg to differ with your hubby, but let's just agree to disagree. :) The movie was such a testament to how tough marriage can be at times, but it's through Christ's love for us, that we can truly know what it means to love another. We are incapable of doing it alone because to most, love is a feeling, but really, love is a choice. Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. .. Christ chose to love us and he chooses to love us still even though we are sinners. He chooses us! We have chosen our spouses and no matter what we go through, we must continue to choose to love them each and every day we walk this Earth.

I don't know where you are in your relationships - married, engaged, dating, or single, but we can make the choice to choose to love everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis. God chose us and by choosing to love others, ultimately we are choosing to love him as well. Remember, love is worth fighting for!

Don't urge me to leave you or turn my back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God - Ruth 1:16

My Past Time

Many of you know that I coach cheerleading at P.K. Yonge High School and we are in the height of our competition season this year. For those of you who think cheerleading is a joke, do I have a video for you! This is just a glimpse of we have done over the last few years. It's pretty awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NCdTXnlz9M

Flawless

Interestingly enough, Dave and I are in a music video! Dave's uncle, Richy, is an AMAZING guitarist and has begun playing with an up and coming musician, Mark Gaignard. Who is also AMAZING! They play an acoustic set almost every Friday at the Wine Bar. Dave and I have been going and supporting them for quite a while. One night, we got a call asking if we wanted to be in his newest video for his first single, Flawless. Of course we said yes! We began filming with Dave's cousin/Richy's son, Kalin, and some of our good friends. After the long, anticipated wait, the video is done! You can check it out on YouTube for now at the link below. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmChmYt8HhY

It's Tough Being a Woman in a Mean World!

Last night I joined a woman's bible study on the book of Esther written by Beth Moore. There really are no other words to describe this study other than absolutely AMAZING! The entire study is geared towards women and how it's tough to be a woman. Here are just 2 of the most common toughest things about being a woman, as stated by various women around the world... (1) Being too much and not enough at the same time. We are always trying to be something instead of just being who we are. (2) Living among and comparing ourselves to other women. Trying to live up to someone else can create hostility and jealousy in a relationship. As women we should be working together and not fighting with each other. It is because of our own insecurity that we do this and we have to stop! ... It's a 9 week study and I thought I would turn it into a bit of a ministry by sharing my thoughts and what God is teaching me with you. Maybe it will transform your life. Beth Moore is a wonderful writer and an even more incredible speaker. I hope for you women out there it makes you think about your place in this world, just how valuable you really are, and how we can work together & stop being mean to one another!

So, the title, "It's Tough Being a Woman in a Mean World!" Beth Moore really challenged us to think about meanness and the things girls do to each other. She said that meanness perceives a threat - meaning that as girls, we measure ourselves up to someone who we perceive as a threat; someone messing with our territory. But God says in 2 Corinthians 10:12, "We do not dare classify or compare ourselves with some who comment themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." Why then do we do this? God plainly states here to be confident in who you are in Christ. He made us just the way we are, why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves to one another?

Beth also states that meanness catches like a virus. It can be passed down from generation to generation or person to person. When someone is mean to us, that strikes up the meanness in our own hearts. No matter how pure of heart we think we may be, each and every one of us has a mean girl within us. I loved her quote, "Coming in contact with a mean girl will bring out your own mean girl." I don't know about you, but I think that is so true! Thankfully though, meanness is curable! Romans 12:17-21 states, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome with good." Basically, God is saying that he will take care of it all. We don't need to be mean back for we have the love of Christ within us. Just as the old saying goes, "Kill them with kindness!"

Beth ended with a few descriptions about mean girls that I thought were pretty funny and true. Let me know if you agree. Mean girls will let you hang out with them if it's about THEM! Mean girls never take responsibility for their own actions. And, the funniest one of all... Mean girls dress provocatively around other women's men! Beth says to cover up the places that are meant for YOUR husband. :) She is so straight forward and blunt, I love it! I am really excited about this study and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. So, if you've got a mean girl in you, find out why. Identify the threat and ask God to help you overcome it. Remember Ephesians 4:26, "In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."

Until next time... Much love to you all!

Ped's Interviews - The Final Round

Well, the interview process is over and the waiting game begins. Dave had his final pediatric residency interview last week in Tampa. The program is actually a really good one. The residents float between All Children's Hospital in St. Pete and Tampa General Hospital in Tampa. This gives the residents the opportunity to see what happens in a children's hospital and a community hospital. I got the opportunity to go with Dave this time to the dinner the night before and meet some of the residents. They seem like a really great group of people, even though I only got to meet a few of them. They are happy and they like their job, but there is one major down fall. As a resident you work at two hospitals, which is a plus, but also a HUGE minus. The hospitals are 30 minutes apart without traffic. If you have ever been to Tampa, you know traffic is awful at rush hour. Dave started his interview at All Children's in St. Pete, which he enjoyed. Then, he got in the car with a resident to make the trip to Tampa General, which took ONE HOUR!! If you know Dave, you know he does not have patience when it comes to driving. I think he might drive himself absolutely in sane driving an hour in the car each day from one hospital to the next. And then, we would have to make the decision to live in St. Pete or South Tampa, which means depending on which hospital he starts his day at, he could have another drive ahead of him. For some of the residents, they enjoy the drive to take a break from the work, but Dave enjoys working with the people more than driving in his car. As it comes time to rank the programs, we are thinking we would like to stay in Gainesville. In comparison to all the programs, UF has more of what Dave is looking for and it provides a little bit of comfort knowing we already have a life here.

So now what? The waiting game begins! Dave ranks by February 25th and Match Day is March 19th. It will be exciting to walk across the stage, receive the envelope and announce where we will continue our life for the next 3 years. Yes, we are hoping to stay, but we are okay with wherever God wants to take us. After all, He can see the big picture when we cannot.

Wedding Showers, Christmas & New Years - Oh My!

Whew... The holidays sure do fly by. As usual, Dave and I spent our holidays in Tampa where both our families live. It is always fun to get back together with both families during this season. The Smith family usually has an annual Christmas party at their house, but this year, with weddings in the air, we had a wedding shower for Casey and Rebecca. It was lots of fun and everyone looked beautiful. They got tons of gifts to stock their new house in Minnesota and they played the Newlywed game, in which they did surprisingly well. We tried to stump them, but I guess they really do know each other. :)

Here is a picture of the Smith Family, significant others and all.

Christmas Eve is always at my parents house. The Russell family tradition is to open presents on the eve of Jesus' birth. It's the way we have always done it. It works out pretty well since the Smith family tradition is to open presents on Christmas morning. Everyone from my side of the family this year just did gift cards and simple stuff. We had lots of fun!

Santa, a.k.a Mama Smith, surprised us on Christmas morning at the Smith house with stockings and lots of gifts. It was fun to open up all the gifts from the siblings as well. This year David and I did something a little different for everyone and made shoe boxes filled with gifts for orphan children in Africa. We sent a gift in honor of everyone in both families. Our hope was to give these children the joy of Christmas morning we were so fortunate to have when we were children ourselves. Unfortunately, the only picture we took on Christmas morning was blurry. :(

On New Years Eve we hung out with Ryan, Missy, Jamie and her friends on the Smith family back porch playing games and having a good time together. At 10:00 we drove down the street to a neighbors annual New Years Party where we enjoyed a magician and some live music put on by various musicians including Ryan & Dave Smith on the bongos, Joe Smith on the block, Missy Beish on the triangle, Danielle Smith on the shakers, and Jamie Smith & co. as back up dancers! There were also a few guitarists and singers that cannot be named at this time. We had so much fun! I wish I had a picture of the craziness that it was! Jamie and I made new years resolutions to get buff this year! We'll see how long that lasts. :) We at least have to make it last until the wedding in March so we can fit into our bridesmaid dresses. I think we can do it!

Dave and I headed back to Gainesville on New Years Day after the Outback Bowl. It was nice to be home in our own home again and relax from our adventurous vacation in Tampa. We took down all the Christmas decorations and got everything organized before it's back to the grind tomorrow morning. Oh, how I wish to be in college again when I could go to class 2 days a week instead of working 5. I guess it could be worse. I hope all of you had a restful holiday and that 2009 brings lots of health, peace, joy and love to you all. Merry Christmas and Happy 2009! Until next time...