2009 Sweetheart Banquet!!

Well, here's the new one that was SUPPOSED to be posted last week. It's obviously old news for a bunch of you... so srry. =S But it's a post at least. SO here she be:

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Ok! I finally got the pictures and NOW I'm gonna FINALLY do a new post!! =D =D =D Aren't you happy!? I knew you would be. =P

Well, I will have to say that even though we had a lot of fun putting this together, I'm definitely glad we're done. =) Everybody did such an awesome job helping and serving. Laura and I couldn't have put it together without ALL the youth! The younger girls and a few guys did the AMAZING job of baby sitting for all the couples' kids. That's always a huge help. And the older teens stayed downstairs to help put together the plating and serving. The guys did an awesome job waitering, and they all looked great! And of course I would have totally lost it without my girls!
Rachel Haugaard was such a HUGE help! I think she brought half the decorations for the banquet!! They were leftovers and extra decos from her wedding, and she generously lended them to us to use. THANKS RACHEL! She ALSO did the amazing job of arranging all the the flowers. They looked beautiful. =) And she also got there on Friday extra early with Starbucks for Rachel, Amy, Laura, and I! You're so sweet Rachel!

Well, let's see...what happened that day.... Dubs and us Smith girls got up at about 5-ish that morning to leave at 6:30 for Sioux Falls. We met around 7 at Walmart and did last minute shopping for a few fresh foods and ice. We grabbed a few doughnuts and headed to Hyvee to get roses. When we got there we went in to ask how much roses were... It was insane!! It was 5.50 a rose, and around 25 dollars for a dozen! We were like.... no way are we going to spend 50 dollars on roses. And they weren't even that good looking! I had bought roses at Hyvee before, and i just couldn't remember spending THAT much on them. So we finally decided to just go ahead and TRY the other Hyvee on 41st. So we go in, expecting the same thing. I went up to the lady and asked if they had any white roses, and she came back with these GORGEOUS white roses. We thought for sure they'd be the same price, esp. since they looked so good. But when I asked she was like, "Well, since they're kinda on their way out... I'll give them to you for a dollar a rose." !!!!!! We were ecstatic. So we got a dozen white roses and a dozen red ones for a dollar each! We ran out of the store laughing and dancing all over the parking lot!! It was so hilarious! But we were too psyched to care. =P

So after that we headed over to the church at about 8:30. Laura and I started pulling out tables while Rachel and Amy set up the chairs. My dad had said we would probably have to wait to get the dividers out, but Laura and I decided to just try and see if we could lift them. We were pretty pessimistic at first... until we got all three dividers set up. =P We were feeling like we could lift anything after that. LOL. We kept running around trying to see who could lift the most chairs and other stupid stuff. LOL. Dorks. =P Anyway, after we got the main stuff put up we started decorating. Laura pressed all the table cloths while I sprayed glitter on rose petals. Amy and Rachel were dolls washing the dishes for us! THANK YOU GIRLS! Then Laura and I had the arduous task of matching silverware! AHHH! Now since not all of you know what our church's silverware drawer looks like I'll explain... There are about two or three drawers FILLED with mismatched silverware. Knives, forks, spoons, ladles, teeny tiny forks, serving spoons, serving forks, butter knives, steak knives, you name it! and we probably had it in there.... somewhere. SO we began trying to find decent matches. We thought, hey, only 38 sets... that's not too hard. AHHH!!!! Riiight.

NWAY, so that finally got done. By then we were all starving and wanting to go out to eat. So we all piled into the car and headed off to a gas station. Luckily it was Friday, so all the drinks were a penny an ounce. We checked out then huffed it back to church. By then we were all getting a little hyper so we decided to blow off some energy by singing and playing piano (and running around some!). =P We finally headed back downstairs to start getting ready. I've never seen so many cosmetics, hair supplies, and clothing all in one little bathroom! LOL! We had fun getting ready tho. Then about an hour later Rachel H. came in with STARBUCKS!! WE LOVE YOU RACHEL!!!!!! =D =D =D!!!! We started to speed up our progress as Emily Schuurmans, and a few Hanson kids came in early to help. By about 5 we were all in high gear! Laura and I were rushing around trying to get finishing touches done and answer about 10 questions a minute. LOL. Then within 15 minutes of the Banquet starting we realized we didn't wash any salad plates and we didn't have a lighter to light the candles!! So we had Daniel Hanson run to the store to pick up a lighter, and Michelle Erikson and I washed and dried dishes as fast as we could! There was a few frantic moments like when we had to have things come in and out of the ovens, or when we plated the main dishes. The main dish was probably the hardest part just because there were more components to it. But we eventually got it all plated and out to the guests.

The guys did a FABULOUS job this year once again. I got a little concerned when they didn't seem to be listening to any of the instructions I kept changing on them! LOL. But they pulled it all off. So I suppose they're more talented than I thought. =P They didn't dump any food on anybody at least... =P

Well, that's about it, besides all the mountain of dishes and clean up we had afterwards! Emily was indispensable the whole night, but man, she really took on a HUGE job... washing ALLLLLLLLL the plates and glasses and silverware and chargers and serving utensils! I think we counted around 250 dishes + 138 pieces silverware! Wow. I was definitely impressed. HUGE thanks to Emily for being such a trooper! Katrina Larson and Hannah Hanson took turns drying ALLLLLL those dishes. THANK YOU GIRLS!!! Everyone did such a good job jumping in to help clean. That's always the hard part. But we finally got it done at about 11 that night! I was definitely ready for bed. I crashed at about 1 when I got home. Getting up at 5 in the morning and going to bed at 1 doesn't feel too good the next day. =S lol.

WOW. That was insanely looong. Now that you just read my latest book... Here's some of the pictures! =P



Setting up tables...







Ok. Here's the proof that we actually lifted and dragged these things into the other room! LOL. Ain't we strong? =P



Here's all those sets of silverware we were putting together!



And here's those wonderful girls washing dishes! =D



Here's a pic that shows most of the dishes and stuff. There were so many!



And here's a pic of the table decos. =)

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Well, Srry this is it. These are all the pics that i already downloaded last week. I can't get to my pictures cuz they're all on the hard drive... in the mac... at the shop. (did i use enough prepositional phrases?) =P You'll just have to look at Rachel's blog to see the rest of the pics. (livingourlove) It's in my list of people I follow. She posted one about the Banquet too.

Happy Birthday Rachel!!!

Well, even though I'm a day late... I wanted to make sure and post RACHEL'S BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!!!

Yesterday was Rachel Anna Smith's 14th birthday! (Crowd Cheers!) =P Alright... Well, let's see. What can I say about Rachel... hmmm.

Rachel was born on January 16, 1995 in Oktibiha Hospital in Starkville, Mississippi. The first time I saw her I aked my dad, "Are they going to let her out?" LoL. She was in one of those rooms where everyone was looking through a huge window to see the newly born babies. She was a cute little thing. Ever since she came home with us we formed a close bond. I'm sure I drove my mom crazy asking every second if I could hold Rachel. I had been an only child for almost four years, so I was ready to be a big sister. As soon as she got big enough to play, we would spend hours upon hours playing together. We never really fought that much... at least when we were little. =P Rachel was always the quiet, sweet one. She grew up with a big heart that got broken easily. I was constantly sticking up for her, and since I was usually twice as big as most of her friends.... had no trouble (ehem) putting them back in their place should they step over my sister's distinct line. Rachel can tell you more than one "embarrassing" story how I stuck up for her when she was too timid to do anything herself. I remember one time when she was about 10, she came home from tennis telling me about this one guy in her class that kept hitting her with his racquet. Nothing hard... but just how little boys like to goof off. So I told her to tell him to stop... but of course she was too scared. So the next day she went to tennis I went with her. (I brought along my racquet which was quite a bit bigger than most of the little kids' racquets.) I sat on a bench watching this guy for at least 20 minutes... and then he did it. I got up, walked into the court, turned him around by his shoulder and said, "You hit her one, more, time..." i shoved my racquet in his face, "... and I'll hit you with MY racquet." His face turned white and he nodded so fast I thought his head would fall off. He never hit her again.

LoL,... Rachel's gotten quite a bit better at defending herself now... partly because she's had to defend ME now. Rachel has proven to stick up for me in more ways than just threats. Half the time I don't even know when she does, but I can always count on her that she will. Rachel has been my best friend for as long as she's been born. From the cute, shy, little kid that hid behind me, to the beautiful, outgoing, teenager that has blossomed into a amazing girl. She does everything! She cooks, she plays music, she dances, she softens the coldest hearts, she listens to whatever you want to talk about even if it mean nothing to her, she's smart, she's mature, she's the sweetest person you could ever meet, she's diligent, but most of all has a heart truly set on pleasing God. She amazes me with every year. She's now taller than me, and has assumed the position of care taker over me also. =P She is the most loyal, understanding, caring friend you will ever have if you are ever fortunate enough to call her your friend. I have been blessed with that friendship for 14 years now.

Rachel, thank you for all you are to me and everyone else around you. The secrets and jokes we share really are priceless. There's no other girl in the world that would stick by me the way you do. I hope we can spend another 80 years together laughing at all the little things. Thanks for being my friend through the hard times and not giving up on me. I love you SO much!

Well, I s'pose I should tell you what we did yesterday. We celebrated early that morning with some gifts (SHE GOT A CELL PHONE!!!) and of course the happy birthday song! Then we headed off to Sioux Falls to go to the semi-annual Crazy Days sale at the mall. We met up with a few friends around 10:30 that morning and shopped till about 3 in the afternoon. Laura Dubs and I bought Rachel and ice cream cake at Dairy Queen which we all had for lunch. Laura and I wanted to have her b-day announced over the speakers in the mall... but the lady at the desk said that she wasn't aloud too. Bummer! So we got all us kids to sing her happy birthday in the middle of the Food Court in the mall. (She was slightly embarrassed... lol) We had a ton of fun. After everyone left, Rae and I kept shopping till close to 6. We were soo tired we had to go sit (more like lay!) on one of the benches. Luckily it was a bench near Caribou Coffee, so it was more like a couch than a wooden bench. I can't remember if i fell asleep or not! LoL! My legs felt like they were going to fall off! Even I can't survive the mall THAT long. Actually, it was really weird... but earlier while rachel and I were in one of the stores, I got really light headed. It was the strangest sensation. I've never come CLOSE to fainting or passing out... but I really thought I was going to! Rachel had been talking to someone else, and looked over at me and gave me the weirdest look. lol. She said I looked like death warmed over. (thanks rachel...lol) But I could barely hear her! It was if everything was moving in slow motion and and the sound wasn't right. I just remember her pushing me out of the store and asking me something over and over. But five minutes later I was fine. It was soo weird. I could have sworn I fell asleep and was dreaming. Nothing felt real. I'm not sure why that happened... but I figured that I just hadn't eaten anything that day (besides ice cream) and I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before.... so I'm sure that along with a full day at the mall probably just temporarily overloaded my 1 gb brain. LoL! Go figure...

Well, enough about my weirdness.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!!!!!!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!





Holy cow.... I think that was the longest post I've ever written.... people are probably falling asleep! Oops!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

From your local department store employees.



There. I posted......... What?! I didn't have any recent pictures.

Happy Birthday Hannah!!!

Well, as the title says.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!!!! =D

Hannah Hanson, one of my best friends in the world, had her 19th birthday today! Ever since "The Claire's Incident"... lol... we've clicked. Our mall has a big sale called Crazy days twice a year where everything is marked really low. Our favorite place to stop is Claire's and Icing. Hannah and I had gotten at least two or three shopping bags full of jewelry! We didn't really know what all we wanted to buy, as we had just stuffed things in our shopping bags so other people wouldn't take them. So we both decided to just to plop down on the floor, dump everything out, and rummage through it all. LoL! It was hilarious! I'm sure we had quite a few people looking at us strangely, but we were having a blast. After that... we found we had a lot in common. (besides jewery...) =P Although we've both been branded "The Jewelry Queens".

Hannah, I love you SOO much!! I'm so glad I can call you my friend. I can remember before we came to Grace Baptist, I always wanted to have a friend that understood me better and loved me for who I was. And also just clicked with my personality. (That's always the tough one) =S Ever since I moved to SD, I never really found anybody who I could call one of my best friends. Until I met you! I thank God the day we met. He obviously decided it was time to give me some real friends. Which is what I have with all you girls at church. I don't know if there is any girl as blessed as I am... Cuz I have all you guys!! (ahem... Ya'll)

Thank you so much, Hannah, for just loving me for who I am. You are a wonderful, caring, FUN, artistic, talented, musical, FUN!, sweet, sparkly, jewelry-oriented, FUN!!, loving, smart, godly, FUN!!!!!!!, Totally AWESOME girl!!!! I love you bunches!! Have a day filled with blessings AND thankfulness! Can't forget Thanksgiving!! Which btw.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL YA'LL!!!! May your turkey be moist, and your pumpkin pie.... uh.... pumpkin-y! And may you all be thankful for everything in your life the God has blessed you with. I sure am thankful for YOU!

Love ya!

To my best and forever friend

I decided to dedicate this post to my faithful sister who has always been there for me throughout her 13 years! I love this poem because it describes you beautifully.

When I think of all the times we've shared
from the silly to the sad
You've been the greatest friend to me
through good times and the bad.
We love to get crazy from time to time,
that's what friends are supposed to do;
But when times get rough
there is never a doubt that I can count on you.
We have the kind of friendship
that endures till the very end.
Because I can't imagine life without you-
My Best and Forever Friend.

I love you, Rachel more than you could ever know. Even though we have our differences and I can't say that we have never had a fight, I can say that you are the best friend I have have ever found. Among the myriad of friends I have accumulated over the years, I haven't found one who loves me and is as faithful as you. I don't always show you how grateful I am to have you for my sister. I'm sorry I don't tell you each and every day. You are so special. Any other person would have given up on me long ago. You have to deal with all my idiosyncrasies. But no matter what I do I can't seem to shake your love and friendship. =) Thank you for seeing the good in me rather than dwelling on my shortcomings. The council you share as well as the secrets we laugh about. Thank you for not only being my sister, but my very best friend.

Thanksgiving

Summer has come and gone and fall is just about over too. Winter is coming and the weather is already making way for its approach. Animals start to get thicker coats, the last flower blooms fall to the ground, piles of brightly colored leaves are stacked high for cannon balls, people are putting anti-freeze in their cars, and just around the corner we'll all be getting ready to sit down for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving. Such a wonderful holiday. It's my second favorite next to Christmas. Families gather together from all over to celebrate. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends! All getting together to give thanks and to bless one another. It's sad to see the true meaning of Thanksgiving get pushed aside by food and football. These are the fun extras that we tend to put into Thanksgiving, but often can distract us from having truly thankful hearts. It's a wonderful time to recount and meditate on those things for which we are thankful. I'm so thankful for my church that is always encouraging us to have hearts of thankfulness.

I just want to tell all of you girls that I'm so incredibly thankful to have you all as my friends. Each and every one of you are special to me. You all have different abilities and gifts. It's wonderful to have so many girlfriends that love the Lord so much and who want to encourage one another to keep running the race that He's put in front of them. Thank you for being my friend and for loving me for who I am. I love you all! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

(photo by Robin Smith)

Friends Forever

Friends are such a blessing! Recently we just had a formal Proverbs Brunch for the girls at our church. We all memorized a chapter in Proverbs and then recited it to everyone. It was really a great way to study Proverbs as well as fellowship together. After the food and recitation we all had a good time talking, taking pictures, and making memories.

Every time I think about my friends I realize how lucky I am to have them. Friends are such a blessing from God. I know I can count on them to be there for me no matter what. They help remind what a friend I have in Jesus. He's always there for me even when I feel like no one could forgive me for the things I've done. I can always look up to Him for comfort and support. But I praise Him every day for giving me extra helps in my life: my garden of friends.
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(Photography by Emily Schuurmans, Daniel Hanson, and Rick Smith)