Samuel's smiling and laughing...and so are we!

I just posted a couple videos of Samuel on YouTube. We spent a week and a half in Utah over the Fourth of July and caught these precious moments while there. :)

Samuel Laughing with Daddy

Samuel Recognizes His Daddy

Samuel Harrison Smith - 4 Weeks Old

Here are a few pictures I took of Samuel at 4 weeks old. He is such a cutie, and so alert. I love my little boy!

Four weeks, and a happy guy!

So alert, and always looking around, especially to his side.

Still has those dark baby blue/gray eyes.

He's a growing boy!

Hanging out with his lion friend, and showing that his eyes are starting to focus  on us.

Amazingly caught mid-sneeze!

Here he is next to a picture of me when I was 4 weeks old too.

It's a BOY!!!

Oh boy, oh boy; it's a boy, it's a boy!!! We are so excited to be having a SON this spring. It is such a good feeling to know a little more about this little one coming to join our family. We had the ultrasound last Wednesday, and what a special day that was. Here are a few of the pictures of our little guy.

This is my favorite. I love his little hand waving "hi" to us!

Waiting for Baby

We are getting so close to that big ultrasound and can hardly wait! It's nice to see the chain getting shorter and shorter!

I Believe in Christ

Yeah! Choir has started up again in our ward, and we went to our first practice today. The song we spent the most time on is a Mack Wilberg arrangement of "I Believe in Christ" (like the one the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings)." I've always liked this song, but today I have decided it is now my current favorite hymn.

A couple lines from the last verse really spoke to me today...

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."

I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I'll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.

As we sang "From him I'll gain my fondest dream," I thought of being together with my loved ones forever, being filled with true joy (the kind that spills out like light, or the phrase, "my cup runneth o'er"), and being with my Heavenly family again too. It was all of those wrapped up in a moment of feeling, and a slight flash of image.

Then we moved to the next lines: "And while I strive through grief and pain, His voice is heard: 'Ye shall obtain.'" This is where I felt the spirit testify to me the most. Here on the earth there are so many distractions, trials, and things that would otherwise discourage us or make us doubt, or even lose focus of our eternal goals and potential. What a message of hope, what a great blessing it is, that the Lord truly does whisper repeatedly to us "ye shall obtain." It is possible, and it will happen through Him. How sweet it is to hear His voice reaffirm that to us! I am so grateful that our Father provided a plan for us, and that our Savior stepped up to make it possible. I feel so loved when I remember these great truths I've known all my life. I feel like singing as strongly as I can, "I believe in Christ; so come what may, With him I'll stand in that great day!"

Weekend Getaway

In mid-August, we enjoyed a fun weekend together staying a couple nights in Las Vegas. The drive in our new car was pleasant, and we had plenty of time to talk, listen (and sing) to the iPod. We got a great deal on a nice new hotel called the Vdara. It's always so fun to stay in a nice hotel!

Our main purpose for the trip was to go see The Lion King at Mandalay Bay. It was fantastic! The costumes and set were quite creative, and, of course, the story and music were very moving. It has been one broadway show I've always wanted to see. I'm grateful for a husband who not only enjoyed it with me, but also came up with the idea for the trip in the first place!

Before the show, we spent some time walking up and down the strip checking out the amazing architecture and water fountains. A definite favorite was the Bellagio. I already knew I'd love the fountains (I found them enchanting in the light and the dark), but I had no idea how much I'd love the garden room inside which they apparently redecorate every few months. The room is a haven from the cigarette smoke of the streets and the casinos. Immediately upon walking in, I felt rejuvenated and refreshed. The scents of the real, fresh red, white, and blue flowers on display filled the air, and it was so pleasant. My favorite display there was a framed "painting" made of flowers. We also enjoyed ice cream and a trip to the ABC store where we purchased some coconut-pinapple syrup. (It was delicious on our french toast at home.)

Our last stop on the trip was to join in with a ward that was meeting in a church we saw just off the freeway. We really enjoyed all the meetings there, and the members were so friendly.

Best of all, we got to spend time with each other. I love being with my Knightly!

(Click here to view a slideshow of the pictures we took during the trip.)

Our wedding photos have arrived!

We hope you enjoy looking through our wedding photos as much as we did. Let us know if you want any full-sized images for printing.

Click here for slideshow.