Katie had a birthday!

Katie Marie is 18 years old! I remember when Katie was born early that morning in December. Her due date was Christmas day, but she decided to come early. I had a hard labor and delivery, and after Katie was born she cried for about 2 hours straight. I think she finally fell asleep from exhaustion. When she woke up several hours later, Katie was as sweet as could be.

18 years later, Katie is still sweet. She is such a blessing to our family with her servant's heart, gentle spirit, and joyful countenance. Katie is a peacemaker in our home, friendly outside the home, and a lovely young lady who desires to serve God with her life.

Happy birthday, Katie. We love you!

Katie at 2 and 1/2 years old

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving
from the Smiths!



Emily Nov. 2007 ~ 2 years old

Jacob Nov. 2007 ~ 7 years old

Ellen Nov. 2002 (5 years ago when Ellen was 6!)

Heather had a Birthday!

Heather Joy had a birthday and turned 21 years old! My, how time has so quickly passed since my little curly-headed baby was born! Heather is now a senior in college and is blessed with so many talents. She is an amazing woman, and I am so proud of her.

2 years old

21 years

Today is Jacob's Birthday!

7 Years ago Jacob was born into our family, and what a blessing that was! Jacob is such a sweet and good-natured boy, and we are so thankful for the treasure we have in him. This week Jacob learned to ride his bike without training wheels! He is growing up so quickly and learning many new skills each day.

Jessica, Justin, and Elliot came over today for the birthday celebration. It was wonderful to have the whole family back home at the same time. The children are all growing up, and it seems that our family dynamics are always changing. I treasure the times we have together and the memories we share. God is so good!

Jacob's Birthday Cake!

No More Training Wheels!

Victory Hill Critters

Okay, so maybe they're not exclusive to Victory Hill, Oklahoma, but we definitely have enjoyed the abundance of friendly critters on our property this spring and summer.

The big eyed froggie up there used to come up on our back porch every evening to catch all the insects that were attracted to the porch light. Our lovely little tarantula was found on the road just a bit from our house; we actually have two of them, and we think they're awesome. Mr. Green Caterpillar was just parading around our garden one day, so he had the privilege of his own personal photo shoot. And lastly, the grumpy turtle is just one of many that we see daily around here.

I should note that the welcoming attitude toward the critters expressed in this post is not embraced by all of those here at Victory Hill. The lady of the house (I love you, Mom!) has been known to go into near hysterics on more than one occasion from exposure to these critters, either live or in picture. A note of warning: Do not put a close up picture of a hairy tarantula on the family computer desktop background unless you want to be fined $10 and severely reprimanded.

Oddly enough though, it was Mom herself that commissioned me to write this post. Maybe she secretly likes them... :-)

-Katie Marie

Cherries!

Cherries!
We picked almost 4 gallons from our one and only little cherry tree!
Anybody hungry for some cherry pie?

Today is Emmy's Birthday!

Emily, the sunshine in our lives, is two years old today!
Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!
We love you!

Today is Dad's Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

way back then:

now:

We all love you, Daddy, and thank you for the wonderful father you are!
You know we couldn't function without you!

Katie Marie
for all of us Smiths

Today is Mom's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Mother dear!

many years ago

(wasn't she cute?)




February 2007
(isn't she pretty?)


Thank you, Mom, for being the wonderful mother you are! I don't know what I would ever do without you. Thanks for always being there--and for being my mother and my friend.
You're amazing!
Love you!

-Katie Marie for all the Smith Kids.

Beautiful Oklahoma

photos taken in Oklahoma by Katie Marie

Today is Jessica's Birthday

It seems like just yesterday Jessica was a baby, and now she is a mother with a newborn baby of her own. Where have the years gone?!

I can't begin to express how happy I am to see the woman that Jessica has become. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I enjoy watching her as she manages her own home, taking care of her husband and baby. It's good to see all those early years of teaching and training come to fruition in Jessica's life as she strives to be a godly wife and mother.

Happy Birthday, Jessica! We love you!

Today Is Matthew's Birthday...

How did he go from this

to this

in just 15 short years?

Matthew is a wonderful son, and I couldn't ask for one better. Matthew is a nice, obedient and respectful young man with a desire to follow God's leading in his life. I am so pleased with the work that the Lord has done in Matthew's life over the past 15 years, and I'm excited to see what will be in his future.

Happy Birthday, Matthew! We love you!

Baby Feet

For more pictures, check out Elliot's flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jusandjess

Our New Grandson is Here!

We are praising the Lord for the safe arrival of
Elliot, our first grandchild!

Elliot was born on February 12th.

little Elliot

Jessica, the joyful mother

Justin, the happy father

Ruth and Mark, the proud grandparents

Ellen Kristine

Ellen at 4.5 months old

Today is Ellen's 11th birthday. This little girl of mine is growing up right before my eyes. Ellie is such a blessing. She brings such joy to our family with her laughter and sense of humor. She is a diligent worker around the house and willingly helps take care of Emily. Ellen is growing up into a lovely young lady, and she has a heart for God. I am thankful that the Lord has given us this special daughter.

Ellen at 11 years