Thanksgiving 2016

We all have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! We have a wonderful loving family!! Jacqueline is the love of my life and I am so lucky and honored to call her my wife. Madison is so sweet, loving and caring. Madison is smart and studies very hard to get such great grades in 3rd grade. Hannah is sweet, loving and caring. Hannah is smart and studies very hard to get such great grades in Kinder. What a wonderful family! We had an excellent time with Bubbie and Papa Rich and loved spending time with sweet cousins, Baby Jake and Emily. All the aunts and uncles were there and we had so much fun with Auntie Erin, Auntie Stacy, Uncle Mike, Auntie Jennifer and Uncle Mike. We had such an amazing time with Gigi and Papa David!

madison and hannah

Hannah is so happy that she gets to keep her guinnea pigs from Mrs. Briles classroom this week. It is a big responsibility because, she has to keep them fed and water in their bowl. She has to keep the cage clean. It is also a reminder that she is to keep her own room clean and neat and clean up after herself as well.

Alaska trip 8/26-9/2

9/8 The 3rd grade and K school year is in its 3rd week now and the girls have had a great start and are pumped for swim lessons(we can do this well into October here in sunny Houston), cooking class and gymnastics. Jacqueline, Joan and David and I had an AMAZING time in Alaska. I can't talk enough about the great ship, great food and amazing ports we traveled to. Bubbie and Poppa Rich watched the girls while we were there. The first day we toured Seattle's famous Pikes Market place where they tossed fish quickly from person to person with an amazing show of bantering back and forth in the market. We saw a great view of the Sound (Bay) and then went to Chihully Gardens next to the Space Needle and saw some amazing blown glass. On, Saturday, was a sea day where we wandered the ship and saw a blown glass show and toured the Celebrity Solstice. Sunday we arrived in Ketchikan and David and I boarded the Knudsen pass ship and fished for Pink Salmon and caught one while I was in the back eating a sandwich (LOL) She was about about 22" and was fun to reel in! Monday we had a great tour of the Endicott Glacier and arrived in Juneau, AK for a Mendenhall Glacier tour and whalewatching where we saw lots of playful humpbacks and orcas and bald eagles. Amazing wildlife! Tuesday we arrived in Skagway and traveled north on the White Pass Express railway across the continental divide in northern British Columbia close to the Yukon Territory. 2800 feet. The streams were actually flowing north at that point towards the Arctic Ocean. Sunrise on August 23rd was 4:30am and set at 9:30pm Very cool. The Butchart gardens in Victoria, Canada was really rainy but, beatiful with amazing flowers. The best part of the trip was coming home to tons of kisses and hugs on Friday night to Madison and Hannah!!!! Missed you SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! I am so glad you had such a great time with Bubbie and Poppa and Uncle Mike and baby Jake came in from Portland, OR. They are moving to Baltimore soon with Under Armour.

Summer '16

I am so amazed at the learning processes of a 5 year old and an 8 year old and how they constantly feed off each others energy. They creatively think of stories and pretend lands and scenarios where they are best friends or they just met. They usually choose unique names and addresses and have dogs that play together. Summertime is nice because for the most part is play time. We are doing lots of swimming, laughing and parties!

Madison and Hannah at play in summertime

We are having the epic summer of 2016! The girls are knee deep in camps, running, playing, coloring, reading, math. It is 4th of July weekend and they are ready for watermelon, hotdogs and decorating their bikes. Just taking it all in!!

Sharon Maloney

What legacy do I hope to leave? How do I want to be remembered? What part does my work and my personal philosophy about work career play in my legacy? When you were born, you cried in the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice. Personally and professionally I have worked hard to maintain a higher moral code of ethics. The belief that I can make a difference in the way people behave around me is directly related to how I behave there's a true synergy in the way people relate to one dollar and that synergy is directly affected in my actions all that I have achieved in life is a process for specific goals and aspirations to legacy I want to leave Is the positive force I have in fused into my life, and how I have maintained the ethical and moral values I live by personally and professionally. The affirmation of always being positive is a direct result of infusing my mind with creative and healthy thoughts. I have been very fortunate in that my professional identity is defined by my effective manner of communicating through my ideas and thoughts with a positive approach to problem-solving. This approach is allowed me to be successful in life and personal relationships. The force behind these thoughts is disciplining the mind. We are continually tempted by things in life that are negative forces. Moods change as a reflection of attitude. The being able to maintain a positive outlook on life is the way I can control this affirmation. I wish to leave this positive force as I can see reflected in who I am as an individual.

Jacqueline's 37th!

My oh my! What a big birthday! It is so much fun celebrating birthdays! I love you Jacqueline more and more each and every day! What a wonderful wife and mother to our two beautiful daughters.

Happy Birthday, Madison! 8 years old today!

Happy Birthday! I cannot believe the past 8 years has flown by so quickly!! Madison has grown up to be such a mature, sweet, intelligent, caring daughter and sister. She has such a sweet group of friends. I am so proud to be called your father! Mommy and daddy love you more than the sun the moon and the stars! We will have such a great time tonight sharing this 3/24/2016 with Bubbie and Poppa, Gigi and Poppy, Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Mike and Emily!! Lots of love to my dear sweet Madison!

Lots of friends

Madison's best friends are Mar, Anita and Riley Hannah's best friends are Mary Mae, Bella, Ella and Devon.

Hannah's 5 years old!!!

I am so enamored by your wit, grace and beauty. What a wonderful sweet young lady you have become!! Mommy and daddy are so proud to be your parents!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! SWEET HANNAH!!!

Hannah's birthday - 5 years old HOORAY!!!!

1/24/16 Hannah is going to be 5 years old on Wednesday!! Pinch me now! I am so proud of the bright, young, sweet girl she is blossoming into! I cannot believe how this little baby turned into such a wonderful little Pre-K girl. Every day she amazes me more and more. Hannah is becoming such a great little reader! She can read!!! Hannah puts words together like no ones business. She is so funny though. She will read, " My cat is fluffy . . STOP. My dog is big . . STOP" You don't have to read the period. . . LOL. Jacqueline is doing such a great job getting together her big birthday party next weekend. I am totally impressed with all the zeal and effort that Jacqueline is putting into this "Candyland" party. Together with the mud - chocolate castle and gum drop castle and gingerbread house. The kids will be actual pieces in the candyland game! So awesome. We will have Carter Blackburn to do the amazing magic show! Hannah is the big birthday girl!!! 5 years old!!! Love it!!!! All of her grandmas, grandpas and aunties and uncles and cousin Jacob Ryan Maloney and Emily Cara Larsen are so happy for my Hannah! All our love, Daddy, Mommy and Madison Haley Smooke