The Smith Family Times

Father-Daughter Revisited

Click HERE to take a trip in the Wayback Machine to the Father-Daughter dance of 2004, when Tessa still had her leg brace on from her operation.

There's a cool short movie there that you might remember if you saw that post:

Danny Federici

(Rob:) I feel like we've lost one of our own.

"Phantom" Dan Federici, the keyboardist, organ and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band died today in NYC. We knew he had been very ill with melanoma and wasn't able to make it to Europe with the rest of the band last fall because of health reasons. His death comes as a bit of a shock to me because he just appeared with the band in Indianapolis less than a month ago.

Click HERE and scroll down just a bit to watch a clip (titled "VIDEO: DANNY FEDERICI WITH HIS LIFELONG COLLEAGUES") of his final performance and final bow with the band he'd played with for 35 years.

We'll miss you, Danny!

Spring Junk

Old eggs

(Susan): We have been tardy bloggers with all the activities, for sure. Tessa and Abbey played in a volleyball tournament in Columbus, OH last weekend. Easter came and went. Spring Break came and went. And still spring has not quite sprung as it is cold and rainy today. More volleyball is in store this weekend and a Final Four party complete with petit fours and maybe 4-square. Eat your hearts out, Minnesota. Everyone up there better be training for the annual Memorial Day weekend baseball/softball tournament. Sam is training and hits a mean whiffle ball (usually smack into the mom-pitcher, much to his delight). All must also be training for the Guitar Hero play offs as Rob brought one home tonight and I wish you could hear the howling coming from downstairs. I guess the responsible adult in the family better go put kids to bed on a school night no less.

Peeps are good food!

The Mizuno Mideast Qualifier Superstar All Girls and No Boys Olympic Team!

Tessa the Number One Flying Ace Server

Abbey at the net always at the ready

Professional photographer shots for kitchen contest

Giada Smith's Kitchen

(Rob:) The Herzberg grandparents came to town this weekend to help us break in the new kitchen in style! Here's famous buxom TV chef Giada cooking on the yellow stove (this is a family blog, so the photo had to be censored somewhat)

Gramma H whipping up some whole wheat bread using Great Grandma Jean's recipe (or a close approximation.)

The kitchen smelled great!

Tessa supporting Christiania in her favorite jammie shirt:

Tessa working on some Easter cookies:

Reading to Grandpa:

Sam from the week before sporting his medal for playing basketball:

Baseball starts next month!

Important Information About Zanny!

(Rob:) Please pay close attention to the following facts about my baby sister!

She loves to read:

She's a lot of fun to go to Bronco games with:

She's a great daughter:

She is a little wobbly:

She loves to party!

She has a secret relationship with Dale Earnhart, Jr:

She has an enormous head:

If you cross her, she will strike you down:

There has never been a better mom:

She is an expert dancer:

She is smoking hot:

She WILL take your bunny:

One last thing- she turned 40 last Thursday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZANNY!

Happy Birthday, Samuel!

Kryptonite from Copenhagen for the kids

(Susan): Samuel is now 7! Hard to believe the little guy is so grown up and a famous comic book artist to boot! I remember holding him solid for a whole day in the hospital. So sweet. Grandma and Grampi H. joined us for a little Sam celebration. The 7 guy opened gifts, ate cake, and then had dinner. A birthday in reverse. The next night he got to go out for his favorite dinner, Sweet Tomatoes. Mom and Dad had a dumb work party to go to. Imagine our delight when the cell phone rang and it was Tessa, calling on Grampi's phone, to tell us that Tenth Avenue Freeze Out was playing on the overhead in Sweet Tomatoes when they walked in. She truly is our child! "Say it again. . . . . . TENTH AVENUE FREEZE OUT!!!!!

Last day of being a six kid

Happy Birthday to You!

Making a wish proved to be hard work

Blowing out the candles

Balloons!!!!

That boy can run!!

The one time Sam touched the ball during the game, WARM UP!

The coffee garage is occupied!

Look at that lovely latte-ness!

Flashbacks From the Archive

(Rob:) We haven't done much lately besides watch Tessa's volleyball practice, so here are a few pics from the archives at Susan's request, because she called me from work today and is needing a litle blog fix.

These are a couple scanned pics my cousin Stacy sent me last year- the photo above is from 1968- I'm the short one in the crewcut, looking a little apprehensive about this whole "baby sister" concept.

Forward about 10 years to 1978- my brother Cody in his trademark white bow tie (which he still wears EVERY DAY) between me and baby sister Suzanne, all grown up. This was from my "really shiny shirt w/ bull head necklace" fashion period, best forgotten.

Forward now to Oct 2000, Suzanne and Jack's wedding- Tessa is bummed because earlier she had been too sleepy and crabby to fulfill her duties as wedding flower petal-sprinkler.

Now to 2001, a discreetly-framed shot of Susan with Tessa and a brand-new Sam.

From summer of 2001- 3 generations hanging out in L.A.

Gramma Judy telling Tessa some important stuff about the Pacific Ocean.

 

Tessa Jean in a pensive mood before the 2003 Father-Daughter dance

Sam with all of his teeth in 2004.

We'll try to put up some new photos soon, but American Idol is on three nights a week now, and we're already behind three hours on Battlestar Galactica, 24 and Heroes, so it's going to be hard to do anything interesting this week.

Self Study

Self Portrait

(Susan):  We are having a quiet, cold weekend in KC.  We received Grandma Judy's postcard from the Bahamas and we wish we could be there with you Grandma!  The kids are looking forward to Spring Break in another month.  We will be off to Colorado again for some skiing and relaxation.  It couldn't come fast enough.  Here are some shots from our last week. . .

Little Indian Guides converged to make dream catchers

Tessa connects

Ready to roll

Sam takes a pass

And dribbles it down

Super Bowl Sunday

Happy Cousins

(Susan):  Well, a week has past since our fun trip to Minnesota.   It would seem we brought the northern temperatures back home with us, and left the fun behind.  Tessa is playing in another volleyball tournament today.  Rob and I split shifts and I have returned home to let the dog out of captivity.  Tessa had 6 points when I left and two more matches to go.  Tonight we are off to friends for a fondue/SuperBowl party.

Way to go, Kat!

Surfer Dude!

Darn low rider jeans have a way of getting away from me!

Snow babes

Happy Birthday Little Sam and Gabe

(G--your presents are on the way!)

Happy Birthday Grampi!!

Thumbs up from Grandma before the race!

Mitchell and Sam- Master Thespians

(Rob:) Acting Class-

Here is a photo study by Mitchell and Sam from a couple of weeks ago, where they demonstrate a variety of emotions:

Thirst:

Craziness:

Disgust:

More Craziness:

Shock and Awe:

Intense Anger:

Unbridled Joy:

Apathy:

Still More Craziness:

This concludes today's lesson.