Christmas 2008

1966 Norm and Sylvia before marriage at Bryn Mawr College. We are standing in front of the library. Taylor Hall spire is in the background. The buildings were beautiful.

1967 Sylvia holding Stacy and Norm holding Janna in front of brick fireplace wall. I still have one of the light pink terry cloth outfits. I love to remember holding our children in my arms. Clothing helps bring back those precious memories.

1971 June. Gritman Memorial Hospital. Janna and Stacy meet their new brother, Matthew. They kept saying “I's so glad you borned this baby.” Matthew was the first “Smith” grandson

1971 Matthew's first year. Included this photo to show the hanging swing in our bedroom. We used to have a narrow, medium height dresser in the background. It was the wrong scale for that wall. The bathroom window is in the background also.

1971 Janna almost 4, Matthew a baby, Stacy almost 4, Sylvia (29). I loved the girls in these dresses and loved the outfit on Matthew. Note the grey walls. Dismal, but Norm loved the color.

1971 Matthew's first year. Note the corner of the baby-grand piano that we baby-sat for several years. I pined for one a while after it's owners came back to the US. We could never have purchased our current home with a baby-grand piano, nor could I play it while Norm watched TV as I can with the digital piano. All is well and as it should be.

1971 Matthew's first year. Janna and Stacy (not quite 4), Norm (35), Sylvia (29). Amazing how much Norm looks like Landon. Note the battleship grey on the wall, the stereo system hung on the wall, and the corner of the baby-grand piano.

1973 Sylvia (31), Stuart (11 months), Stacy (5) Matthew (3), Janna (5), Norm (37). This is the smile I remember on Matthew's face often. He glowed.

1976 Norm (40), Stacy (9), Sylvia (34), Matthew (5), Janna (9), Stuart (3). In front of our Roan Drive home with the old Filbert tree and the scratchy juniper bushes. Stuart's boys look like him.

1977 Eric's first year. Stuart (4), Stacy (10), Sylvia (35) , Janna (10), Norm (41), Matthew (6). Matthew looks like many of the current generation (2008) generation of children. Mom has her hand on Eric's thumb so he won't put it in his mouth.

1979 Stuart (6), Janna (12), Sylvia (37), Stacy (12), Matthew (8), Norm (43), Eric (2). Note the popular velor shirts. Stuart could trade places with Micah. I sewed the pink blouse I am wearing. I went through years of trying to be a "good" Mormon woman and sew. It was not my talent, not my love.

1981 Stuart's baptism at President Street Chapel with Grandma and Grandpa Barrus. Janna and Stacy helped sew their dresses. 4-H time with Sister Burnett Grandma Barrus has Lou Gerig's disease. She visited us often when Grandpa traveled for the University in the summers.

1982 Janna (15), Stacy (15), Stuart (9), Matt (11), Norm (46), Sylvia (40), and Eric (5)

1992 Marc's blessing. At Janna and Steve's apartment in Provo, Utah. You will all be happy to know that I left out some very dorky pictures of everyone taken in Uncle Mike's front room. That was the time when Janna and Steve were newly married and we had gone to visit them.

1992 Marc's blessing. Stacy and David's back yard.

1992 Stuart's mission farewell. Liz and family. Marilyn and family. Us in backyard corner by Sequoia. Note height of arbevitae

1992 Stuart's mission farewell and Marc's first year. In back corner of yard. Notice how small the trunk of the Meta-Sequoia is! I tried to hide all the yard work we hadn't finished with the fake lattice. Also note my attempt to build a brick and board garden bench behind Norm. Evidence of my mother's resourcefulness.

1993 Matt and Kris's wedding. Stuart was in Germany on his mission.

1994 Stuart's return from his mission. Norm's return from a summer in the hospital. Adrienne's and Austin's arrival to the earth and to our family. We are in Hendricks Park, a favorite family spot for a walk each spring. We tried to make our yard a mini-Hendricks Park.

1996 Sylvia received Ph.D. Front side yard at 293 Roan Drive. 3 grandchildren (Marc, Austin, and Adrienne) with Hannah on the way.

2005 July Norm and Sylvia Smith Family Reunion. All here but David. Gavin is our newest grandchild

2007 July Norm and Sylvia Smith Family Reunion. David and Steve are missing and Austin is trying to be missing. Asher is our youngest grandchild. We are about to move to WA.

2007 July Norm and Sylvia Smith Family Reunion. Steve and David are missing.

2008 July Norm and Sylvia Smith reunion. Everyone is here, including Austin under the towel! Note there are still cherries on the tree even after all the picking, drying, canning, and freezing. A bumper crop of cherries and grandchildren. Our family is the most precious blessing anyone could have!. We are grateful to be here in our new home where we can see and enjoy all of you more easily.

2008 - 2005 Sylvia and Norm in front of Capitol Lake and Washington State Capitol. In 2007 this became our new home.

42nd anniversary - family ties

We decided to explore our new state for several weeks to celebrate our anniversary.

1st trip: Westport, near Aberdeen, a beach within an easy day's drive. Photo of Norm at beach.

2nd trip: To Forks, WA for Chelsea. Stopped at South Beach on one of the most perfect days at a beach. Wonderful sun, little wind, pleasant temperature, sparkling water and sky, wonderful company. A glorious day. One photo of "good company."

3rd trip: Sylvia and Norm to Mt. Rainier for another perfect day, glorious beyond description.

Photos: Norm on the trail. Sylvia looking at Mt facing Mt. Rainier, also beautiful and interesting.

Mt. Rainier and Paradise Lodge. Sylvia on paved trail to Myrtle Falls. Mt. Rainier and fields of wildflowers, an extreme experience with abundance of life and gloriousness.

Photo of hydrangeas and geraniums, home where we started and returned, ala Mr. Snow from the musical "Carousel".

This was, as usual, a humbling experience with technology. The pictures were not placed as I wished. You will see progress - I hope.

Following are musings from the night of the 9th, our actual anniversary. We watched a PBS special on Pavarti's life. The special was organized by themes in his life, which led to our discussion of themes in our marriage - a wonderful discussion with Pavarti's voice in the background.

42nd Anniversary: Themes in Our Marriage

Children and children’s families
Shared interests
Beauty
Music
Books
Nature
Bookstore
Mutual support during service to others
Mutual love and enjoyment of Sylvia’s family
Mutual love and devotion to church
Love of people, sociality
Cohesive partnership in all things - unity
Five-year commitment to singles’ ward
China Teachers service

Of the five languages of love (words of affirmation, time to enjoy each other, gifts, service, physical affection) our strengths have been words of affirmation and service. “Gifts” may be the joke of our relationship but we have become equally conservative. It took me a couple of years not to expect my father’s language of love to my mother 'corsages to my mother' and realize Norm’s expression of love was different and for me, even more security producing. And a balance to “gifts” has been a mutual caring for other’s needs and the family as a whole. Cars were kept serviced, the home was kept orderly and reasonably clean, money for needs was always there even if it meant 3 jobs, etc.

For the future we are focusing on the following themes and languages:
Time together
Physical health and vitality
More knowledge and appreciation of Norm’s family through family history
Enjoyment and relaxation as well as service