Meet the Smiths

I’m glad you’re here.

(Note: scroll to the bottom of this page to find out more about our life on the road.)

I’m looking forward to getting to know you by way of our active commenting community. And just so you know what to expect, I  almost always post on Mondays and will occasionally add a second post on some weeks.

I started blogging in January of 2003 and am amazed at the number of readers who have been with me since the beginning. That’s a long time to hang out with one family and I am incredibly honored to have them (as well as my newer friends) along for the journey.

Part of my journey has included some health challenges including breast cancer and a bilateral mastectomy in 2010. After being treated eight years for rheumatoid arthritis, the diagnosis was recently changed to erosive osteoarthritis. And after being treated for COPD for ten years, that diagnosis was recently changed to obstructive bronchiolitis, a disease that may eventually lead to a double lung transplant.

But health challenges aside, I love getting up each morning and living each day. I have a strong faith in God, a deep love for my family, and a blog that connects me to friends all over the world.  Thanks for being one of those friends.

 

Here’s a little info about the other Smithellaneous folks.

The man in this picture keeps trying to tell me that he and I have been married for forty years but that can’t possibly be true since I’m nowhere near old enough.    

Steve is an amazing husband, a pro-level bass guitar player, a pastor (here’s the church site), a book lover, a word aficionado, an outstanding communicator, a handyman extraordinaire, and a repairer of just about anything.  (Up to, but not including nuclear reactors.)

Our son, Nathan, married Meagan on July 23, 2011.

Nathan and Meagan and their family live in Bartow, FL. Nathan works at the corporate offices of Publix. Meagan is a teacher.

They have given us four fabulous grandchildren. From left to right the kids are: Andrew, Madison, Grayson, Noah.

So thankful that I have a second daughter and Sarah finally got a sister.

Gage and Sarah Long

Our daughter, Sarah, married Gage Long on May 22, 2021.

Sarah and Gage live just 5 minutes from us.  He works at Wanchese Christian Academy and also serves Manteo First Assembly as the leader of WowKidz, our children’s program. Sarah works at Food Lion and Surfin’ Spoon.

Sarah was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in 2002; her story is at her cancer website at Sarah Smith’s Spot.

Just two months before her wedding, she was diagnosed with a rare tumor called a desmoid tumor and spent a week inpatient at Duke University Hospital due to a severe case of mono hitting her at the same time as the tumor diagnosis.  She is currently being followed by Duke and a treatment plan is being worked out.

I had always wanted two daughters and two sons. It took a while, but I finally got them.  Steve and I are blessed!

 The last member of our family is our delightful Yorkie, Summer.

Although our family looks sort of normal, for fifteen years. we lived full time in an RV and did concerts in churches in thirty-five states. I traveled through both pregnancies and homeschooled the kids.

During our road years, Steve and I wrote our own music, played instruments, and did about a dozen recording projects.

We left that traveling lifestyle soon after Sarah’s cancer diagnosis and have been enjoying the last nineteen years of getting to live in houses with no wheels.  (As Sarah used to call real houses when she was a toddler in an RV.) 🙂

Again, welcome to the Smithellaneous Family.
Pull up a chair. Stay awhile.

 

Twenty years.

It's hard to believe I've been blogging that long. Many of you have been following since the first word was written all those years ago. Thanks to both old-timers and newcomers for being part of our story.

My goal is for Smithellaneous is to be a place where strangers become friends.

You are welcome here.

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