Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Whose Birthday Is It?

MINE! MINE! MINE!

So I'm celebrating today by keeping my charming husband home from work - all to myself. . .
and with this collection of classic (random) Emily Smith moments. Enjoy!

Sadly, this is the only preemie baby picture I have of myself. I think I'm a little over a month old and just home from the hospital. And apparently not very happy - maybe a reason why this is my only baby picture. . .

But I grew and I grew. . .

and my mom kept giving me those same great bangs. . .

and experienced the proudest day of her life when I learned how to ride a bike.

And here's the real reason why Nate married me: Because even at age 10 I was into politics - out on the campaign trail for Governor Norm Bangerter.

And who is this hottie?
Oh yeah, this is the second reason why Nate married me.

In high school, I also had a short lived career as the lead fiddler in a cowboy band. I really need that job again. . .

So I can afford a babysitter to do this more often.

And after high school I was all grown up and became a beauty queen. . .

and went to BYU. . .

where I met Nate (and wore hideous clothes). . .

and discovered Disco dancing. . .

and hung out with these people and various boyfriends. . .

in between traveling the world. . .

and earning my keep on Ben Yehuda Street.
(and eventually a degree - two actually - and a real job).

Until I finally decided to settle down with the man of my dreams. . .

and move to a new city. . .

and start a family - thus ending my beauty queen days.
(don't I look haggard?)

But I continued to teach school. . .

until I had more kids and moved to several more cities. . .

where I keep having more. . .

and more. . .

birthdays.



Let the good times roll.



24 comments:

Emily said...

Briggy insists that the Norm Bangerter campaign picture is Clayton.
hmmm. . . for the first time ever, I DO see a resemblance.

Isaac loves the picture of me "dancing on the ceiling" - wish I could still do that. . .

Unknown said...

Awesome recap, my fav...
The cheerleader outfit where your nike swoosh matches your outfit. And in the pic above, who is that to your right? If it's Jenny I'm going to die, just DIE!

Unknown said...

PS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Pete said...

What a nice life. Loved the pictures, though that one disco picture was pretty scary. I'm glad I was only a baby in the 70s.

Jessica McKay said...

Happy Birthday! You are on my calendar and on my mind, but I sure didn't send you a card or give you a call. Sorry! Happy Birthday. I hope you smoked some licorice or something. And I can't believe you are knocking your CK hat. I have very fond memories (and very funny stories) of you and that hat.

Emily said...

Yep, Mark. That's Jenz. Eat your heart out!


And Jess, I'm not so much mocking the hat. I mean THE HAT (how could I ever?) as I am that horrid blazer? What was I smokin' to wear such a thing??? probably licorice. . .

becca said...

Happy (late) Birthday!!! You forgot to mention that you grew up to author the world's most entertaining blog :)

Kristie said...

Em, happy belated birthday! I warned you about that jacket and hat combo when you were down to the BYU. I still laugh about the beauty pageant thing you were always to down to earth for that scene. Oh but it made great entertainment! You defiantly have made a great impact on many people’s lives, more than you will ever know. Thanks for always being a good example, fashion excluded.;)
Take care!
Addison

NOBODY said...

I'm so late! Happy belated birthday! Best gift ever, having the hubby home. I might try that this year!

I loved this recap too. You are both funny and clever.

Enough so that I don't mind seeing pictures of my husband with other women on your blog....:)

Michelle said...

Wow, what a super life! Happy Birthday Emily!!

Stephanie said...

Fun pictures! Happy Birthday!

val said...

hee hee hee the cheerleading pic is still making me laugh!! Not sure why its so funny to me-I mean you looked HOT! Happy Bday-so glad you got to spend time w/the husband:)

Big Jay said...

Happy Birthday Emily. Your outfits never looked hideous. As long as I live I will never tire of that crayon picture from your student. And I hope you have many more birthdays.

Allison said...

Em, I hope you had a happy birthday! I LOVE you students version of the Smith family. It makes me laugh. So does seeing all those old pictures. I am glad Nate got to stay home with you.

Sara @ Our Best Bites said...

Okay, I hadn't read any of the comments before I came on here specifically to say (besides happy birthday, duh, but I already told you that) that Holy Crap that picture looks just like Clayton! That was the first thing I noticed right away. I never realized how much he looks like you, that picture made me just sit and stare!

Melissa said...

Here's some interesting background on that first picture:
#1...It was taken in the intensive care nursery at UC Hospital in San Francisco after they finally let me take you out of the incubator and try to feed you with a little bottle (you were still too weak to nurse, so I pumped for weeks).
#2...The little hat was made by one of the nurses, and was unique (back then, they didn't automatically put hats on the babies)
#3... It is the only picture we have of you as a preemie because we were still not sure you were going to survive and I didn't want memories of you all taped up and looking so frail in the ICU (that seems a bit odd now, but...)
#4...You were NOT very happy at that stage of your life, and who could blame you, having had a ventilator tube shoved down your throat and your feet swollen from being constantly pricked for blood, unable to nurse and being fed through a tube.
#5.. I am in a hospital gown because, even after I left the hospital, I had to "gown up" to visit you both in the ICU and later the nursery when they finally "let you out" of your box.
#6..By the time we took this picture, you weighed about 4 pounds. What a birthday that was!
What a blessing that you survived to appear in all of the successive pictures! Happy Birthday! Love you!

Emily said...

Wow! Mom, I never knew any of that - although I kind of remember you telling me about that little knit hat (which I still have. . .somewhere).

So how old was I in that picture?

The Gunnerson Family said...

(Sung to the tune of Happy Birthday)
Happy late birthday to you.
Happy late birthday to you.
Happy birthday my beautyqueencheerleaqdingfiddlingcardiganwearingbestfirend, Emily.
Happy late birthday to you.

Jesse said...

Happy birthday! Love the pictures! (especially the disco one!)

Melissa said...

You were probably almost three weeks old in that first picture.

Sheralie said...

So I have been thinking about you all week and knew it was your birthday and I still missed it. Lame lame lame. I hope you had a good one. I loved the pictures. I thought I knew you SO very well but I quite surprised by some of those things. Lastly - you ARE a beauty queen - a happy wife, brilliant mother and truly wonderful friend. Love ya.

Kristie said...

My husband is so mean. Don't worry, he loves to tease me about my stretch pants. Happy Birthday, way late that is. I am fast approaching my 30th and hope I can be as reflective on mine as you were on yours. I think I will probably just cry a lot.

Drew said...

Happy Birthday Emily, I'm sorry I didn't realize it was your birthday earlier. This especially makes me feel bad because I know you will not forget MY birthday on Tuesday. Your first comment and Sara's really cracked me up because when I saw the picture of you rowing the boat my first thought was how much it looked like Clayton and then I saw the Bangerter picture and wow, it's Clayton in a wig =)! I really like the last picture of the Fam as well, even though every head but Clayton's is partially cut off. You should have asked for a tripod for you b-day.

Christina said...

I love it. A beauty queen, a cheerleader, and somehow an ethnic woman (that hand drawn picture of mr. smith, mrs. smith and clayton)... amazing. Thanks for sharing!