thumb toes & thursday

2009-12-10T15:38:00.002-07:00

take a peek at a few behind the scenes shots here! and i promise this is the last i'll be talking about my new celebrity status. haha!

i'm a mini-celebrity - haha!

2009-12-05T16:50:00.003-07:00

it's true. i was on tv. for a whole 3 minutes!! it really was fun - and not as scary as i thought it would be. go here if you want to watch. just click play on the little video screen. (rod works is first so don't give up - i'm second!)

abandoned?

2009-12-03T15:11:00.006-07:00

ya, i've thought about quitting. abandoning the blog. and i still might. but, i just had to share these awesome pictures! don't we look good? (you don't have to agree...)

so check out tanelle's website. she's awesome!

and maybe i'll try to post more of the going-ons of our lives. cuz i'm sure you all are dying to know.

the other new toy

2009-08-13T16:03:00.002-06:00

not really a toy. but another mouth to feed.

welcome to the family, pepper.

max is 6!!

2009-08-13T08:50:00.001-06:00

hard to believe my little baby is 6. we (he and i) had a rough start 6 years ago. we've both learned a lot these past 6 years and i love my max more than ever! he is so smart. and says the silliest things. always surprising me with what he knows. max is more of a high five kind of kid. hugs and kisses are rare, but i steal them when i can. he loves to learn...and picks up on everything. i have to be careful about that sometimes. he loves games. and winning. i'm sure he gets that from me. he is great with numbers...a famous benson trait! he gets to start 1st grade this year. all day school. i hope i don't cry. i'm sure luke and i will miss him. max loves star wars. and transformers. and legos. and xbox. he's definitely turning into a big kid. makes me wonder where the time has gone...and afraid that luke will be 6 too soon! max is amazing. i love him so so much. happy birthday, maxer!

(oh, and he now has 2 loose teeth. he must be 6.)

new toy

2009-08-12T20:46:00.001-06:00

we have a new toy in the family. no name yet. but tons of fun!!

we're always looking for a reason to go...give us one!

island park 2009

2009-08-12T13:40:00.007-06:00

last weekend we headed to island park with 5 other neighborhood families. it was a blast! here are a few photos of the trip. we stayed in an amazing cabin - all 26 of us! it was so fun. we floated the river, went into yellowstone, saw old faithful, ate ice cream, laughed til our sides hurt, fished, ran, biked, froze, celebrated max's birthday and ate amazing food. thanks for a great time!!! definitely a tradition in the making.

take a peek...

2009-08-04T08:17:00.003-06:00

you know you want to. even if you don't - look anyway ok?

click here

2009-07-31T22:10:00.003-06:00

in an attempt to stay caught up i'll keep this brief. july has been a whirlwind of adventure. max had swimming everyday. we had our memorable green river trip. here in utah we get to celebrate pioneer day - another reason to eat great food, go to parades and light fireworks.

i ran in my second 10K race - in 3 weeks time. never ran a race before and i crammed two into july. i must be crazy. it was so fun -- thanks to the fabulous girls i get to run with! i was thrilled with my finish - i shaved 4 minutes off my time. still not in the winners circle...never will be...but i finished. and could still walk and breath. that's saying something!

next week the adventure continues...

just keep swimming

2009-07-27T06:33:00.000-06:00

max is in swimming lessons. here's a snapshot of what he's learning to do. one more week and he should be a pro!

floating the green

2009-07-26T17:14:00.004-06:00

i suppose i should continue to document our summer. much has happened and i have been too busy to sit and jot down the happenings. just after the 4th of july m y mother in law and her hubby came to town for a trip down the green river. the plan was to drive to the cabin on thursday, get a good nights rest and begin the float friday morning. we planned on camping on the river for 2 nights and then head back to the cabin sunday. nothing can go as planned, but we had a blast anyway! we floated friday and came back to the cabin to sleep.

saturday we packed up and were all prepared to float all day, sleep on the river bank and then finish the float sunday. we had a pretty laid back float and arrived at our campsite (which we had signed up and paid for on 'the board' like you are supposed to) only to find somebody already camping there. now, there really aren't any options. either you kick them out (which wasn't happening, because they were certain they had reserved the spot 2 weeks ago...) or you keep floating and bag the whole camping idea. we had to keep floating. i was pretty mad. i had planned on camping and the boy were SO excited to camp...but we didn't get to. it was frustrating. we got over it and floated to the end. back to the cabin to cook our tin foil dinners in the oven and make smores over the smokey joe bbq grill. make shift camping, right?

that night max decided to be sick. it was gross. i'll spare the details, but know there was puke and stink. glad we weren't in a tent on the river!

sunday mike ended up taking luke and jake out for another trip down the a section. they loved it! max and i stayed back at the cabin with grandma. we all needed the rest! one more night sleeping at the cabin and we headed home monday.

oh, how could i forget...the air matress i was sleeping on the first night had a hole. we tried to fix it, but i ended up on the floor after about 3 hours. the sewer line broke. we were flushing into the backyard. gross. as we were packing up on monday and cleaning the fresh water main pipe broke. no water. time to leave.

it was an adventure, that's for sure! the kids had a great time and we made the most of some pretty crazy circumstances.

enjoy the pictures. there are a bunch:

***once home, luke was sick. followed by me - for a day. not fun but we survived.***

playing catch up, again.

2009-07-07T17:18:00.019-06:00

boy. a lot has happened in the past month. where to begin? june was rainy...didn't feel like summer at all. i really didn't like it. now we're enjoying dry 90+ degree weather. heavenly.

mike spent a week at scout camp. i spent a hellish week at home while he was gone. a sampling of what happened: flooded basement, impromptu birthday party, park with friends, doctor appointment, 3 prescriptions, visiting teaching, haircut, car to shop, taught a stories by me class, did laundry, lawns mowed, house cleaned, pure exhaustion. i was glad when scout camp was over. i needed a breather!

the weekend mike got home my sister and her family arrived from california! then the real fun began.

sunday we enjoyed a yummy gourmet bbq at my mom & dad's house...cooked by chef janetha. amazing. dinner was followed by a fashion show - thanks to neefs leftover garage sale stuff.monday we spent at raging waters. all day. the kids were lobsters and i was so tired. no pictures of that day.

tuesday = lagoon. again, all day. it was so fun! we discovered that luke and izzy LOVE the music express and wanted to ride again and again. they would laugh hysterically. it was so fun! luke was quite the trooper and went on rides i didn't think he'd enjoy. so fabulous. near the end of the night my dad handed out $ for us kids to go on the catapult. oh my. so so so scary. and so fun. i went with mike. janetha and marisa. eric and doug. it was a riot! then right on over to the sky coaster. even more scary...wednesday was a little calmer. we went to the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. i love the temple. and i love being there with my kids. it was a beautiful few hours. my sister and her family headed down to provo for the rest of the weekend.thursday was busy - not sure what i did, but know i was up until 10:30 decorating cupcakes for our fabulous primary teachers! oh ya - i did an inspection for my mom, baked cupcakes, cleaned the house, did laundry and i am sure a handful of other odd jobs.

friday mike took the boys to the cabin to fix some plumbing and tile the bathroom floor. they stayed overnight and gave me a day to myself! once they were off, i was out getting patriotic clothes for our 10k race on saturday when my mom called me. doug and lindsay were at the hospital and the doctors couldn't find a heartbeat for their unborn baby boy. the weekend sort of fell apart after that. their baby (peanut) was to be delivered via c-section on august 11th. peanut didn't make it. friday at 6pm lindsay had the c-section. we are so sad. heartbroken and sick. wondering why. trying to be strong. thankful for the plan of happiness. digging deep for increased faith. praying extra hard for my sweet brother and sister-in-law and izzy. we love you.

with friday's emotions came a sleepless night as we prepared for the freedom festival 10k run saturday morning. but, i was SO proud of myself! i finished. and not only finished, but kept up with my rockin' little sister! it really was fun...and good to be distracted and working out some energy. thanks neef and eric for encouraging me...and not leaving me in the dust!i stayed in provo with my sis for the parade and then headed back home to enjoy a few quiet hours before the boys got back. i stopped at the hospital and had a good visit with lindsay. i love that girl...and am hurting for her.

saturday night we had a fun bbq with our neighbors followed by an amazing fireworks show put on by the boys. seriously. i think mike loses 20 years at these events. it's all good though!sunday was another yummy dinner at the benson house...followed by festive strawberries. yum!yesterday max started swimming lessons - loves it. after swimming we went with the cousins to kangaroo zoo. they had a blast! i don't think max and luke stopped for more than a sip of water. they loved it!after the zoo business we headed up holbrook canyon for an evening hike. it was beautiful and perfect. the boys did great and had fun making wishes and finding beetles.and here we are at today. swimming this morning and then running around here and there. then it was off to see the movie Up with nana sue and the cousins. again, a great time!

what a crazy couple of weeks. and it doesn't stop! late movie tonight with the girls. sewing and jewelry making tomorrow. then thursday we are off on a river trip for 4 days.

it definitely feels like summer now!

last day of school

2009-06-15T12:29:00.000-06:00

i had to snap a picture of max on his last day of kindergarten. he has had the most amazing teacher this year! i will miss mrs. wallace and the patience she has with this boy. i am still surprised that he is going to be in first grade next year. somehow he is getting older. i don't have a picture of his first day of school on my computer for a side by side...but just know that he is still growing. that's my boy!

and one with his shadow of a little brother...love them!!!

i LOVE target

2009-06-15T07:27:00.001-06:00

ABSOLUTELY FREE

a first for everything

2009-06-14T19:20:00.005-06:00

there has to be a first, right? well, we here at the mason household experienced a first on the last day of school. that first was the infamous chuck e. cheese. no, we haven't ever had the experience of mr. cheese's playland. and i have to say, we had a blast! the kids (mike included) got a little into the games and the ticket collecting. the pizza wasn't too bad. and it was a great evening of cheap entertainment!

a few photos:

playing catch up

2009-06-04T21:00:00.006-06:00

no excuses. i've neglected the blog. and lots of other things, too. here are a few pictures of the going-ons that have happened in our lives.

memorial day at island park.

*fishing under the bridge at mack's inn

*animals at yellowstone

*old faithful

*the hot pots
a fabulous weekend!

then i went on a girls trip to vegas. enough said.

and now back to real life. yard work. last day of school. primary duties. swimming lessons. summer. i love it all!

in full swing

2009-05-14T12:00:00.001-06:00

pun intended. t-ball has begun. well, it began a while ago and actually is almost over. boy how time flies. max has loved playing this spring and i have loved cheering him on. i am definitely a baseball instead of soccer kind of mom.

the cheeeekins.

2009-05-14T08:41:00.000-06:00

my sweet friend has a farm-like backyard. luke loves to go see the 'REAL cheeekins.' that's exactly how he says it and then proceeds to give them names - the mom chicken, dad chicken, max chicken, luke chicken, jake chicken, etc. etc. the kid is crazy. and loves him some barnyard fun.

i did it again

2009-05-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

all this for $25.42 thanks to money saving mom. pretty impressive.

soccer is over

2009-05-13T09:00:00.002-06:00

and it was a great spring season. max loved playing, but isn't so sad that all of the running is over. he prefers t-ball because 'in soccer you have run the whole time.' i don't blame him one bit.

we hosted an end of soccer season party - complete with horse rides. i think the kids had a blast! (so did mike.)

he's weird

2009-05-12T13:30:00.000-06:00

luke will occasionally doze off while watching some afternoon cartoons. i found him like this a few weeks ago. he's never going to get rid of that blanket.

look what i got!

2009-05-12T11:16:00.001-06:00

all of this for $13.75. not too bad.

moms to the rescue

2009-05-10T21:09:00.003-06:00

no pictures in this post. you'll understand why in a minute.

i don't have the energy or brain power right now to write a long beautiful post about mother's (but you can check out my sister's tribute to the best momma in the world right here.) this mother's day i was grateful for a boy who is adventurous and can scream loud enough for me to hear him.

we were lounging around a my parent's after a yummy dinner and even yummier strawberry shortcake dessert. luke was in getting a hair cut from papa randall. wasn't sure where max was. then i thought i heard a faint scream. i asked my mom and sis if they could her it...i went looking. out to the garage and the screaming got louder. sobbing, really. then i saw him. max, my insane child.

let me paint a picture really quick. my parent's live on a hill and when you pull into the driveway there is a fence with brick pillars directly in front of you. (the garage and house is to the left.) on the other side of that fence is a drop off. a big drop off. probably 10 feet (help me out here mom.) to the right of the fence are some rock stairs that get you into the backyard - those 10+ feet below.

anyway, max got this idea. he started over by the stairs and scooted his way along the ledge - on the DROP OFF SIDE OF THE FENCE until he couldn't go any farther. (it deadends at the garage) mind you, the ledge was maybe 6 inches wide and had 3 brick pillars that are close to 2 feet wide that he had to go around. the ledge near the brick pillars is only 2 inches wide.

so, i run out there looking for the screaming and see max hanging on for dear life - and i couldn't believe where he was or how in the world he had gotten there. i was trying to lift him over the fence (which is about 4 feet high) and pull him to safety. He was gripping the fence and screaming for dad to come help. dad didn't have a clue this was going on cuz he was in helping papa buzz luke. nana sue came out to see what was going on and with me hanging onto max's arms, nana sue grabbed the back of his pants and lifted him up. good thing she's been working out! he was scared to death. so was i. one slip and he would have fallen to a beautiful rock patio below. and broken a few somethings, i'm sure.

no pictures. no camera in my pocket. no time to capture the moment. just time to rescue.

so, today i am thankful for my mom and to be a mom. thankful max is safe. thankful we didn't have to take a trip to the er. thankful for a kid who is adventurous and daring. thankful he screamed when he got stuck. and thankful i heard him.

happy mother's day.

part 2

2009-05-05T13:08:00.002-06:00

so there probably won't be a part 2. here's what has happened:

*computer started acting weird. slow. took forever to load. error messages.
*gut feeling = back up your thousands of pictures.
*took 5 hours and 18 discs. backed up pictures.
*computer began a slow painful death.
*the blue screen of death became a frequent visitor.
*i panicked and began trying to get any critical files off the dying machine.
*email was the only option.
*began emailing myself files. a few at a time until the blue screen made it's appearance.
*waited for hours before attempting file retrieval again.
*this went on for almost a week.
*checked email a few times at mom's.
*lived a computer-less life.
*wondered how to plan primary sharing time without my technology. asked mom.
*construction paper and markers.
*used her computer instead.
*finally had mr. computer guy come last night.
*result = rebuilt computer that works like new.

ahhhh.

part 1

2009-04-12T16:45:00.004-06:00

i barely recovered from the 2 hour time difference from ohio to utah and jumped an hour back in california. my body needs a week to recover. here's the first of many spring break photos. we took the kids and left sunday morning. we made it clear to tooele before we needed to stop and get some cough medicine for max - i couldn't bear to listen to him cough the entire way. the boys were champions the entire drive. seriously. they were amazing. like, i was surprised at how good they really were. i was prepared for time outs, sitting between, threats, you know, all those terrible things. not a once. they did great. it took 11 hours, but we finally made it to yuba city. we got unloaded and put the boys in bed.

monday was absolutely beautiful. it got to 80 degrees. coming from snowy utah it was fabulous! we went over to a pond to feed the ducks. enter photos.
after our play date with the ducks we went for a ride in pat & cliff's new boat. it took a few hours to finally get on the water, but once we were there it was great. as you know, i hate the wind. the only wind i really enjoy is that created by riding on a boat. (on calm water when it's warm outside, otherwise i get seasick. i know, i'm picky.) luke loved the boat. it was so fun to be outside in the sunshine. very good for my soul. sorry, no boat pics. but i'll share a few more duck pics instead.

tuesday the rain decided to roll in and it was a bit chilly. we decided to head to sacramento, and if the rain let up we'd visit the zoo. well, the rain only got worse the closer we got. so, with a little direction from my sis via cell phone, we found our way to the blue diamond almond factory. wow. who would have known mike was so fond of almonds? well, i think i knew, but i was able to really witness it while at the gift shop. mike finally told me we had to leave so he wouldn't go back in the shop and buy more. seriously. he kept going back for more. we have lots of almonds.

once back to yuba city we took the boys to see monsters vs. aliens. they loved it! (well, luke didn't quite make it through the show and chilled in the car with mike for the last 30 minutes or so.)

wednesday....oh ya. the boys went to shoot guns for a while and i took mike's mom to run a few errands around town. pretty lazy day. i was able to have a stories by me class with a group of ladies from pat's ward. that made for a fun evening! always a good time.

part 2 will be coming.

ohio

2009-04-02T16:50:00.003-06:00

have you ever known one of those people who deserves the very best but it seems as though things in their life continue to go wrong? they try so hard to do what they know, what they feel, is right, but somehow never get the end result they are searching for? well, i do. and she finally got what she deserved after all these years.
my dear friend melnee hasn't had the easiest life. in fact, she has faced challenges that i hope and pray i never have to face. i'm not sure i would survive as gracefully as she has. melnee moved to ohio 12 years ago. inspired to move. she has lived an extremely full life and has exercised her faith in so many ways. while on her own personal rollercoaster, she recently met dave and fell in love. they are perfect. he adores her like no other and she is smitten. and finally has what she deserves.
i was able to travel back to ohio and attend their sealing. what an amazing experience. i wouldn't have missed it for anything. you see, melnee was like a second mom to me while i was serving my mission. i was in the ashland branch for 9 months - that's 1/2 of my entire mission. she fed me, drove me places, let me cry to her about my companion(s) and helped me laugh. i absolutely love this woman! when i got the news of her wedding i immediately began trying to figure out what it would take to get me there. another dear friend gave me an amazing offer - and made my travel possible. (thank you lauri and kevin!!!)

other sweet friends allowed me to stay at their house. they even drove the 1 1/2 hours to the airport to pick me up. (and drop me off.) now that's a real friend! mike and brooke are fabulous - and it was so fun spending time with brooke and her busy schedule. i enjoyed every minute!! thank you guys!!
while i was away my sweet husband really outdid himself. and i came home loving him even more than ever. (and not only because of what he had done while i was gone...) he moved luke into max's room and moved jake into a space of his own. in the process, converted luke's crib into a toddler bed and has luke sleeping like a champ! (no go on the binky weaning, but that can wait.) he built a new fort for the boys in the backyard. he did loads and loads of laundry. he cooked dinner. he took time off work to help with the boys. oh, and in his spare time he managed to surprise me and laid the tile in our basement bathroom never-ending project. seriously, does it get any better than that? i have the greatest man alive.

it was a fabulous trip and i am thrilled i was able to share the day with melnee. she is amazing.

and it's good to be home with my own busy schedule and crazy boys and even more laundry.

2009-04-02T14:25:00.001-06:00

i have so so so much to catch up on...but, before i forget. i just found this fabulous idea. i think we will be giving this a try this year. that is, if we make it home from california with enough time to spare saturday night!

reminder

2009-03-22T20:26:00.002-06:00

fabulous giveaway over at i never grew up. do check it out. if i win, here's my first pick. cuz sometimes i need to be reminded to soar...

beautiful stuff from cinnamon sticks.

happy anniversary

2009-03-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

8 years ago i became a mason. well, i'll always be a benson, but now i'm a mason, too. in some ways it seems like we just barely got married. and at other times i have a hard time remembering those first months together. i pulled out some pictures (pre-digital era) and scanned my heart out. so this post will be full of photos for your viewing pleasure.

mike is in california helping take care of his mom this weekend - an emergency trip. although our fun anniversary getaway got cancelled, i am so happy i married a man who will drop whatever he is doing or whatever he has planned to help his family. or anybody in need, really. he's the most kind hearted, accepting and service-oriented person i know. hopefully a little of him is rubbing off on me. i can only hope.

a few memories:

*my dress caused major stress, but was ready just in time. i loved it. i still do.
*the flowers and cake were amazing. i didn't know what the florist was going to do (i gave her my favorites), but i trusted her and loved how things turned out. beautiful.
*it was a chilly march day. sunshiney and perfect.
*our dear friend packed us a yummy lunch to scarf down after the wedding and before the reception. we sat on a curb/bench on temple square and ate.
*you can't tell in the pictures, but mike's leg surgery hadn't gone well and he was limping...even using a cane part of the day. i'll have to break out the vhs of that.
*i didn't get any of the refreshments we served at our reception. we even took leftovers with us when we left. they got left at the hotel. dang. i bet it was good.
*my little brother was serving his mission in italy when we were married. we made sure he was there.
*our former bishop's father-in-law performed the sealing in the salt lake temple. like everybody warned, i don't remember anything he said. i'll never forget the tears streaming down my face and the amazing happiness i felt. that i can't forget.

*the temple was being renovated so we got to make our grand exit through a side building.

*i wore white tennis shoes under my dress and a cute little grandma on temple square didn't think that was appropriate for a bride. and she let me know!

*not only did i become a mason that day, but i became a step-mom, too. one of the hardest things to become overnight, but i wouldn't change a thing.

happy anniversary.

winner

2009-03-19T21:35:00.002-06:00

elegance redefined announced the winner of the stories by me giveaway today...did you win? if not, thanks for your kind words anyway! and you can always check us out at scrapbook usa tomorrow and friday! oh ya - and mark september 4 & 5th on your calendars. stories by me will once again be at swiss days! yay!

craft talk...

2009-03-15T18:25:00.002-06:00

oh my. this is hilarious. enjoy.

found on the constant gatherer.

he's brilliant!

2009-03-14T19:30:00.001-06:00

i have an amazing little boy named max. have you met him? you will wish you had.

yesterday he came into me with this:

and asked, 'hey mom, what's this?'

me: 'a hair clip - you know, to hold hair.'

max: 'oh, i thought it was a pterodactyl nose.'

what the?!

another giveaway

2009-03-11T15:08:00.001-06:00

yep - another giveaway. this time head over to elegance redefined for all the details. seriously. why are you still reading this? you really should go post a comment and have a chance to win!

another project

2009-03-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

like i need another one. BUT. i need to learn how to make these! aren't they pretty? and i'm sure they'd be useful too. bonus. anyone willing to teach?

found here.

another oldie

2009-03-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

seems y'all enjoyed the old pic of little luker. well, here are a few more for your viewing pleasure.

yep, those are max. except for that last one. that would be luke shortly before he burst out of my belly.

2009-03-04T22:44:00.001-07:00

as this wave of winter blows in i found myself quite discouraged. again. then i read this:

"if we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

anne bradstreet

so, while in the midst of winter and adversity, i am looking forward to a pleasant spring and will welcome prosperity.

wow

2009-03-04T20:29:00.002-07:00

i think i found my most favorite recipe of all time - and i haven't even tried it out yet. seriously. these have to be amazingly yummy. coming from a true girl scout.
get the recipe here.

2009-03-02T20:21:00.004-07:00

i did it. i bit the bullet and bought a new camera. well, there really wasn't any biting of bullets or any other object. just the buying a camera part is true. lucky for me costco was having a automatic rebate on the camera i was looking at. how is it that the upgraded version of my camera was $55 less expensive than what i paid 1 year ago for my now dead version? i suppose that's how the world of technology works, huh? well this time, it worked for me.

meet the new canon powershot sd 790 is digital elph. how's that for a mouthful?:

and from what i can tell so far, it takes beautiful pictures.

temple openhouse

2009-03-01T15:18:00.004-07:00

this past week we were able to go see the Draper Temple. wow. i was amazed at the decor. the furnishings. the upholstery. the colors. the carpets. the paintings. all temples are beautiful, but this one struck me in a different way. can you connect with decor? if so, i connected.

something about being able to be in the temple as a family. all of us. i reminded my boys that the next time we would be able to be all together in the celestial room was when they were going on their missions. seems like worlds away. (even thought it will be jake in a short 6 years.) it was so amazing to be all together in the temple and feel of the spirit that is there. even luke - a not-so-still 2 year old was surprisingly good. i'm sure he felt something there.

i knelt down to max's level on several occasions to explain things to him or to answer questions. my favorite was when in the celestial room. i knelt down and told him that this was one of the most important rooms in the entire temple. he asked, 'why?' me - 'because this is what heaven will feel like.' the calm 'oh.' from him made my heart smile.

what a treat to walk the walls of such an amazing building, knowing the work that will go on inside once it is dedicated. i feel so very blessed to live so close to temples. and that i have opportunities like this to take my kids to feel and see and hear.

one bit of humor - when max saw the oxen around the baptismal font in the video they were showing he leaned to me and asked, 'are those butter pigs?' one too many trips to the state fair to see the butter carvings, i suppose!

sad, sad day

2009-03-01T14:07:00.003-07:00

i think my camera has officially bit the dust. i am quite sad about it, actually. it's been a great little helper for the past 14 months. why is it things like this aren't built to last much past the warranty? so, unfortunately i now need to buy a new camera. the timing couldn't be worse. oh how i would love to splurge for a nice slr camera. for now i'm sure i'll find a simple inexpensive point and shoot that will keep me content. perhaps next year when that breaks i'll make a real commitment to a real camera. until then, any tips or suggestions for a temporary replacement? (temporary = at least a year!)

2009-02-28T12:47:00.002-07:00

mike took all 3 boys with him to run an errand. it's so quiet. my house is clean. really clean. had to get it tidy-ed (is that a word?) for an appraisal this morning. i'm baking chocolate chip cookies and they smell so good. later we get to go to our nieces baptism and enjoy time with family. i think every saturday should be this nice. i can dream, right?

2009-02-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

enough said.

bit 'o business

2009-02-25T21:04:00.004-07:00

trying to get a little festive around here...i mean, it'll be st. patrick's day before we know it! feedback on the new look is appreciated. it looks funny to me...but i think that's because something is funky with my monitor. my mom got a new monitor and as 'payment' for some stuff i helped her with, i got the old one. yay! (thanks, mom.) but everytime i turn the computer on this little box comes up with the recommended sizing or something like that. it refers me to the owner's manual. and i don't have that. (do you have it, mom?) so until i can figure out how to change the pixels on my screen, i'll have a crazy layout and distorted pictures. (we all look like we are stretched really tall! doesn't do much for my face.) anywho - if it looks normal to you, good! oh, and the other news. my camera isn't working. i'm not going to say it's broken, because that implies that something happened to it and that i am going to have to get it fixed. i guess i'll still have to get it fixed, but nothing happened. i went to turn it on today and no luck. yes, i checked that the battery was charged, mom. :) i called a few camera places and they said that sometimes in these cameras a fuse could go out or a connection is just bad. let's hope it's nothing serious and that i can have it working again soon! and the timing couldn't be worse. we are heading to the draper temple open house tomorrow morning and how i would love to get some pictures of my boys outside. and mike's mom is in town and we'll be together with lots of family...again, photo opportunities missed. i'm sure i'll make up for it when spring decides to come and stay and we are spending every waking moment outside! for now, i'll have to post old pics like this:

(luke at 5 months. isn't he cute?!)

enjoy.

2009-02-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

bathtime is always happening around here. seriously. my boys love to take baths. how could you not with this selection of toys?! this particular time luke insisted i take pictures. of. every. toy. by. itself. honestly. the kid is crazy. so, here are a few of the pics from his most recent tub party.

the new-found skill of gurgling chocolate milk:

swimming with the dino

a picture of all the guys - as requested by luke himself

my sweet boy is getting so big!
making sure i took a picture of the storm trooper. mind you, we have pictures of each individual guy. alone.

and a picture of the cup. so important.

and luke's shriveled little foot.

the boy is silly and i love him to pieces.

2009-02-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

You can have anything you want if you give up the belief that you can't have it.

-Dr. Robert Anthony

(seen here)

late valentine's report

2009-02-19T16:28:00.004-07:00

i'm a bit late on posting our valentine festivities. the heart shaped pancakes didn't happen. neither did the pink milk. max had a primary party saturday morning where breakfast was served. mike was off helping with a food drive. luke and i enjoyed large bowls of cereal with regular white milk. yum. but the sugar cookies...those happened! and were so amazingly yummy. come to think of it, i bet the only picture i even have of them is one luke snapped and a few of us rolling out the dough. oops. slacking on the photo taking, i guess. trust me. they were delicious.

moving on to our wax-paper-crayon-shaving-hang-in-the-window hearts. those were fun. a lot of work sharpening all those crayons, but fun. max enjoyed himself and we now have these darling hearts dangling in our kitchen. should have made these a month ago! although i hate what i did to my ironing board cover in the process. (updates on that to come...once my long awaited 'package' arrives in the mail!)

oh, and this is how mike spent a good portion of valentine's day. he really needed a nap.

then for dinner it was a yummy heart shaped pizza - max's request that wouldn't die.

it was loverly. hope you had a happy heart day!

happy heart day

2009-02-13T22:45:00.003-07:00

happy valentine's day. make it a good one. full of love. here's what we'll be doing tomorrow:

heart pancakes with pink milk
decorating these heart sugar cookies
hearts to hang in the windows
heart shaped pizza for dinner - at max's request. (all week. seriously. saturday can't come fast enough for the kid!)

and any other love-ish heart things we can muster. hope your day is full of hearts, too.

kaylee's 8

2009-02-08T14:15:00.005-07:00

i can't believe that this little girl is already 8! i remember planning our wedding so that marisa and eric would able to come...after their baby was born! and to think she is 8 today. time is speeding up.

kaylee is a hoot. seriously. she is a talker and is so funny. and so smart. i imagine she keeps marisa on her toes. she is a fabulous niece and i love her to pieces. hope you have a happy 8th kaylee girl!

happy 35th!

2009-02-08T09:55:00.005-07:00

do you know my parents? if not, that's too bad. really, they are the greatest. today is their 35th anniversary. happy anniversary mom & dad!! i can't even imagine 35 years...i'm just too young, i guess. haha! truely, they are amazing and i am thrilled to have them close by. and for those of you who know me but don't know my mom, once you meet her you'll know what i will look like when i'm celebrating 35 years with mike! we are twins. and i'm proud of that. hope you have a fabulous day today cuz you two love birds deserve it!

budding artists

2009-01-31T08:31:00.005-07:00

usually messes my kids make drive me nuts. and all i can think about is cleaning them up. well, last night i let that all go and decided to make some chocolate pudding. but not to eat.

(although there was a little bit of eating going on...)and it was fun!!!

2009-01-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

read this!!!

2009-01-27T21:29:00.003-07:00

The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas.
The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising.
Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude.
If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow.
Today I am blessed.
--Maya Angelou

(found this here)

say what?

2009-01-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

luke loves legos. he especially loves it when dad or mom will build a ship for him. and this clip captures his request. what did you think he was saying?! i love this boy

too early?

2009-01-17T22:01:00.002-07:00

is it too early to be breaking out the valentine hoopla? i don't think so. i was having another blah january day today and decided adding a bit of red and pink to my house would perk things up. and actually, i quite like something new to look at. so, perhaps i'm a bit early. but that's ok. (and decided the winter-esque scene on the blog needed some lovin' as well.) january can't end soon enough around here.

apparently he was tired

2009-01-06T10:55:00.003-07:00

luke decided to follow in the footsteps of his brother and abandoned naptime just after turning 2. i can try and lay him down, but it's usually a fit of screaming and a fight not worth fighting. the trade off is he is a suberb night-time sleeper. 12 solid hours. occasionally he will doze in the car if we're running errands. i guess yesterday he was more tired than i thought. things were a bit quiet in the basement while max was at school. i went down to check things out and here's what i found. isn't he sweet?

happy late birthday mike

2009-01-04T20:19:00.009-07:00

i know it's late, but better late than never, right? mike had a birthday. yay! 2 days after christmas to be exact. and he's getting up there...closer to 40 than 30. scary. (he's 37 - wow.) i wanted to share a few pics of mike...and tell him how much i love him. mike's an amazing man.

just a few things:

*cowboy

*fishing

*camping

*wrestling with his boys

*serving others

*dedicated

*silly

*use it up, wear it out, make do or do without (it takes a bit of convincing to get him to throw out old worn out clothes (or anything for that matter) and buy new ones!)

*kid at heart

*thoughtful

*gentle

*great cook

*cleaning out his closet or the garage or shed

*always full of surprises

*compliments

*sincere

*takes time for family

*teaches

*great example

*encourages

*always searching for the silver lining

*positive attitude

*it'll all work out.

and it has. he is wonderful and i love him so so so much. happy birthday, babe.

and now for a few pictures:

burning cake! (it really was only 10 candles: a group of 3 and a group of 7. there was no way i was putting 37 candles on one cake. fire hazard.)

making a wish
eating yummy cake!

the christmas post

2008-12-29T14:53:00.007-07:00

i stole meghan's title. but here it is. mostly just a lot of pictures of the kids doing what they do best.

our impromptu nativity play at uncle steve's house. max was the shepherd, jake was joseph and luke refused to participate. it was good to listen to the christmas story as told in the scriptures...and to take a minute to imagine what it would have been like.

then christmas morning. not much explanation needed here.

after creating a pile of chaos at our house, we ventured up to nana sue & papa randall's house for more festivities.

and later than evening it was on to uncle doug's house for even more food and fun.

christmas was fun...the kids were thrilled and i got what i wanted. a vacuum that really sucks - in the good sort of way. and i'm amazed by what was hiding in my carpets.

hope you had a very merry christmas! and here's to a happy new year. (i better get working on those resolutions.)

warning - nose business

2008-12-19T17:53:00.007-07:00

mike has hairy nostrils. ya, that is too much information, but it is true. sometime in the last 8 months or so mike had his nostrils waxed. sounds painful to me. he said it was much better than pulling the hairs out one by one. well, i went and got him an 'at home waxing kit'. we put it to the test last night. it was hilarious. (at least to me.) the results were stunning.

meet tom

2008-12-19T17:50:00.002-07:00

yesterday mike drove to downey, idaho and bought himself a new horse. welcome to the family, tom. i don't know much about him - except that he's 8 and that mike is like a little kid on christmas. in fact, merry christmas mike. hope you love your new horse.

2008-12-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

mike sold ricky the horse. i think he's a little bit sad, but not too sad. he is in the process of looking for another horse to buy. anyone out there have a horse to sell?

izzy's hair party

2008-12-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

that's right. izzy's hair always has a party during naptime. well, luke's decided to join in the fun.

santa's #

2008-12-14T10:18:00.004-07:00

last night we were trying to get max to stay in bed. this kid has issues with staying in bed...seriously. any tips would be appreciated. anyway, he had come up about 10 times and i started in on the 'santa won't bring you any presents' threat. he didn't seem to buy it at first. i told him i would 'call him right now and tell him you weren't listening and to put your name on the naughty list.' max, very seriously, asked, 'you know santa's cell phone number?!' i tried to hide my giggle and said, 'yes, and i can call him right now!' then max asked me for the number. smart kid. i fibbed my way through that one - saying i couldn't tell him, it was only for parents to know. watching the wheels turn through that kids head was priceless. love this season for the magic.

neighbor gifts 2008

2008-12-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

this year my list of gifts given to neighbors went from 'anyone and everyone in a 3 block radius' to actual neighbors. i decided i didn't need to make 60+ gifts. i opted for 30 instead. here is what i gave. and to those of you who got one, i hope you enjoy it!

really, it's just a pretty way of packaging up 'yummy holiday smell'. (it's all about presentation, really.)

take an orange, a lemon and a lime. slice them up and layer them in a quart sized mason jar. add a handful of fresh cranberries on top. fill the jar with water and put a lid on. in the spice bag i put 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole nutmeg and a couple of tablespoons of mulling spice (bought at the local nutrition store). cinch the bag strings, tie around the jar, tie ribbon around the jar, add a cute tag and voila! just dump the contents of the jar and spice bag into a small saucepan. put on the stove to simmer on low and enjoy the smell. pretty simple and let me tell you, it smells wonderful!

thanksgiving #2

2008-12-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

mike is a fabulous cook. i'm so-so. surprisingly, neither of us have ever cooked a turkey. well, mike decided that last sunday was the day for him to take a stab at adding to his culinary skills. mike always cooks on sunday. he is wonderful! it's so nice for me to not have to worry about sunday dinner. even if i have something planned to fix, he'll usually come in the kitchen to help and end up taking over and finishing it up. i love it. (thanks, honey.) anyway, he decided we needed a 2nd big thanksgiving dinner. here are the results. it was delicious!!

now i guess it's my turn. i have images of christmas vacation running through my mind. maybe i'll try next year.

rs enrichment

2008-12-11T08:25:00.001-07:00

somewhere in all of these festivities we had our annual relief society enrichment dinner. which i was in charge of. sort of. that's a whole different story. anyway, here are some pics from the evening. really, i just took care of the decorations, a small program and the gift we gave each sister. simple. a little brown kraft paper and fun ribbons with empty boxes and there you have it!

for our gift i (with some help) painted 2" wooden blocks, sanded the edges, made them look old and then tied ribbon around to look like a gift. get great instructions on how-to here.
i attached a tag that said:

an act of service you can give

to family members where you live

leave this present, then depart

the truest gifts come from the heart

the idea is this. i make max's bed and leave the present on his pillow. he then takes the present, and picks up mike's shoes that are always left in the middle of the floor and leaves the present there. mike then puts jake's coat away and round it goes. the hope is that we will all look for ways to serve each other throughout the season. and remember the true meaning of christmas by looking for ways to give of ourselves.

tradition

2008-12-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

we have very few traditions. well, no really big ones anyway. i didn't have many growing up either. this is one we have started and, even with my attempts to skip this year, still happened and probably will for years to come. i doubt mike and the boys will let us ever not go cut down our christmas tree. this year was easy...we found the perfect tree right away!this is what we'll end up keeping:

mike revving up the chainsaw:

the cut:

and max just having a good time:

mike & luke

loading into the trailer with helpers:

luke was trying to put grass up my nose. what a sweet boy.

he thought it was hilarious.
a fun tradition. maybe i'll remember to take a picture of the tree all lit and decorated. it really is a good one!

thanksgiving

2008-12-07T21:09:00.012-07:00

this year for thanksgiving we went down to st. george with mike's family. his mom has a time share down there and we each had our own condo to stay in. it was nice! there was lots of relaxing and food. here are some turkey day pics for you to enjoy:

friday mike and i took the kids on a few little hikes up snow canyon.

fun until i saw this. i was nervous and jumpy the rest of the time. (yes, it's real and about the size of my hand.)then on saturday - a drive through zion national park

and over to see some property mike's mom and her husband own.

a long day...and here's the proof. all in all it was a great trip. fun to spend time together as a family and fun to see mike's mom and cliff (they live in california.) we have so much to be thankful for and it's good to be reminded.

242!

2008-12-07T20:57:00.004-07:00

yep. 242 pictures on my camera that hadn't been downloaded. woah. i'm really behind on life. here are a few highlights:

me putting christmas lights on our house. lucky for me, i learned a great lesson during the process. i put the plug at the wrong end of the house and had to take them all down and put them up again. i'll never make that mistake again. i really don't love getting on the roof. and coming down the ladder is the worst part. but, i was determined and knew mike was busy with other projects in the house, so i decided to do it myself. i had to have him come help for a scary part. while he was up on the roof with me max somehow managed to knock the ladder down. it barely missed him and luke...gave them quite the scare. so there we were, stuck on the roof. our fabulous electrician friend, josh, was in the basement and we had our cell phones with us. we called josh and he was nice enough to put the ladder up so we could get down. what a day.

here is what the kids were doing while i was on the roof and mike was inside. yes, those are leaves in the gutter. crazy boys.

the next week was max's kindergarten mother goose program. it was so fun to go listen to him and his class sing songs, recite nursery rhymes and put on a good show!
and luke continues to be a sneaky little 2 year old. this is what i found one day. he had climbed onto the counter and unrolled the entire roll of paper towels. and was so proud of himself!

2008-12-05T14:08:00.002-07:00

my oh my, how my blog has been completely neglected lately. i really do have lots to post - halloween pictures, thanksgiving festivities, humorous comments from the 5 year old, enrichment night, and plenty of other life happenings. unfortunately i haven't had the time - or rather, i haven't taken the time to download the hundreds of pictures that are on my camera right now. and to make it all delayed even further, we are leaving town this afternoon and heading to the cabin to cut down our christmas tree. sigh. maybe next week i'll catch up. just don't be surprised when you see halloween pictures in january, ok?

health

2008-11-24T14:45:00.002-07:00

today i'm thankful for good health. i feel crummy today. and sometimes it takes being sick to truely appreciate how blessed we are to feel well the majority of the time. so, i am hoping that good health returns soon. in the meantime, i'll enjoy the quiet while max is at school and luke is napping. it's not going to last much longer.

joy

2008-11-20T13:57:00.002-07:00

i am thankful for joy. and today is her 10 year anniversary. happy anniversary!

i have known joy for ages. literally. we've been through 25+ years together. although she now lives across the country, i still appreciate all that her friendship gives to me. i especially am thankful for her example. she has had some tough trials. and has always come out on top, taking the higher road, learning the lessons being taught and sharing herself with others. she is so so so patient. and i am so so so not patient. when i was back in new york for a few days after eliza was born, i was trying so hard to learn from joy. watch her interaction with her kids and how she remained calm during even the most chaotic moments. joy just goes with the flow. and flows gracefully. i love you, joy. happy 10th. thank you for being my friend. still.

my boys

2008-11-19T13:27:00.004-07:00

i'm thankful for my boys. aren't they handsome?

here is max's kindergarten picture. for some reason i think he looks so old. max is a lot like me. stubborn. i think he's brilliant. and funny. and payback for all i did to my mom. not that that is all bad. i love him and can see the amazing potential this kid has.

and luke had something going on with his tongue this day. here he is on his 2nd birthday...what a kid. like i've said before, luke is random. always something new. strange most of the time. most recently he is insistent on which legos he is carrying around, and heaven forbid a piece comes off and i try and put it back on in the wrong place. oh my. his world is turned upside down. luke is so gentle. and forgiving...even so young. he often stops whatever he is doing to come give me a hug. and if max hurts him, he just needs a quick love and is right back at max's side, copying everything big brother does.

and jake's first junior high picture. now, he really is getting old! jake is so sensitive to others. when he gets to come to our house the first thing he does is find his little brothers and give them a huge hug. he is also the one male in our house that NEVER fails to notice a change in my hair or new clothes or new picture on the wall. jake always notices and compliments.

these boys are fabulous and i am lucky enough to be a part of their lives.

2008-11-11T21:42:00.003-07:00

my thankful posts have been slacking these past few days. i'm sure none of you have missed them terribly. but i have. in fact, the whole purpose for recording something each day that i am grateful for is really just for me. a totally selfish purpose, i know. when the extremely early snow came mid october i was feeling a bit glum. well, more than a bit. i really don't like the cold. like, if it never snowed again i'd be ok. so, to ward off any bah humbug feelings, i decided to take a stab at focusing on the good. and it started off good. then grandpa died. amidst all the sadness, i have still tried to look for things i am grateful for, and have been surprised at how thankful i have felt these past few days. i've been more observant and reflective than usual and have been letting it all soak in...hoping to get back on track. so, thankful posts will be coming back. to help remind me all i have to be thankful for.

making up

2008-11-08T21:00:00.002-07:00

I'm grateful for a understanding wife that will still speak with me after I get upset with her or say things that are not very nice and shouldn't be said out of frustration. I'm grateful for the opportunity to make up later. :)

memories

2008-11-07T08:11:00.002-07:00

isn't the mind an amazing thing? i mean, the fact that i can remember what it was like to be in kindergarten with mrs. henderson and the really tiny bathroom stalls, or that i feel like it was just yesterday that i was sick, laying on the floor with my pink horsey blanket and marisa let me play with her my little pony and strawberry shortcake and it meant the world to me. sometimes the details are so crisp. other times it's just the feeling that is familiar. i am amazed how a smell can jog the mind and bring back an entire conversation or situation. some days i hang on my memories, hoping they can get me through whatever it is i'm dealing with. other days i want to forget some of those memories. i am thrilled we have the ability to keep memories alive. the key is to remember. looking at pictures, spending time with loved ones, talking with family. i'm spending my time remembering today. and i'm thankful i have the memories.

life

2008-11-06T10:26:00.004-07:00

life is fragile. you can be sailing along without a care in the world and the next minute your sail can fall and leave you regretting you didn't do that extra little bit of visiting, story telling, photo taking, just being. my sweet grandpa passed away today. i am sad. sad for my dad. sad for my grandma. sad that i didn't take the many opportunities to spend more time with him. today is full of regret. it is also full of lessons learned. i hope to focus on the lessons and not get caught up in the 'should haves' that i can't get out of my mind. i'll be hugging my kids a little tighter and taking the time to listen closer. i am thankful for life, and for the difficult lessons it gives me that help to make me better.

freedom

2008-11-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

i am thankful for freedom. i am thankful for our founding fathers who fought for this freedom so that i can raise a family how i choose. i am thankful i can choose what i want to believe. and how i live. and where i live. and who i am. and what i think. and what i say. i am thankful to those who continue to fight for my freedom. and to their families. i am thankful for freedom.

happy birthday blog

2008-11-04T12:59:00.005-07:00

blog is 1 year old today. who would have thought i'd really get so into this whole blog thing? it's been a fun way to capture memories - good and bad. here's to another year of sharing our lives with the world.

carving pumpkins

2008-11-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

after picking the perfect pumpkins at the pumpkin patch (you can read about that here) we decided - ok, so I decided - when mike got home from his week away for work he could help the kids with carving. really, no explanation necessary. this once again proves that luke is a strange child. so happy he's mine.

my vacuum sucks

2008-11-01T20:26:00.004-06:00

...and not in the good 'i want a vacuum that really sucks up dirt' way. so, i need a new vacuum. i don't think the hoover windtunnel from 8 years ago is doing much for my carpet. except for leaving nice vacuum marks that makes me feel like it's clean. only i know it's not. so, any suggestions? what vacuum to you have and do you like it? here's one i've been looking at:

good price. and i trust costco. but really, any tips?

wind

2008-10-31T20:38:00.002-06:00

The Wind.
Originally uploaded by Myles Smith

i really really really don't like the wind. it puts me in a bad mood. honest. today was windy. i tried to make it a good day anyway.

2008-10-31T13:36:00.001-06:00

hey - there's another random giveaway over at storiesbyme. do check it out.

oh, and happy halloween.

birthday festivities

2008-10-25T20:45:00.011-06:00

we crammed a lot into luke's special day. here we go, in my friend's favorite format, bullet points:

* luke waking up and being so excited about the balloons all over the couch.

*running around hysterical playing with said balloons.

*max waking up and insisting we 'open luke's presents, now.'

*luke opening presents and max being so excited for each one!

*max helping open the present he gave to luke. a bag of skittles bought with his own money. he was beaming with pride.

*the 'thank you' hug.

*a breakfast of donuts and fruit snacks.

*after max went to school, luke and i raced over to target to have his 2 year old pics taken. it was spur of the moment - no time to plan the perfect outfit or make sure he was all smiles. he seemed to do great and had this thing for sticking his tongue out. the pics were cute though.

*after pics we raced home to get max from school, quick stop at arctic circle for a corn dog/french fry lunch and home for max to take a quick potty break, get nana sue, over to jake's school to pick him up in the jr. high chaos of a parking lot and then off to the pumpkin patch!

*heading to day farms pumpkin patch for a hayride in bumper to bumper traffic... (during which luke fell asleep) and finally arriving only to find out hayrides didn't start until 4pm. (this was about 2:30ish)

*pulling into day farms and max having a breakdown because he wanted to go in the maze and this place didn't have a maze. breakdown was complete with big tears and took some serious talking to calm him down. back in the car to pack's pumpkin patch. (they have a maze there.)

*getting to pack's patch and finding the 'perfect' pumpkins! (nana sue - could you send your pics over, please?) and max got to run through the maze, twice.

*jake being the best big brother ever and helping both max and luke with their selections. luke was pretty uninterested, but enjoyed riding in the cart.

*picking up a $5 hot & ready pizza for dinner and eating it in the living room, sitting on the floor around the coffee table, at luke's request. the kid is weird sometimes.

*making cupcakes during all of the festivities (i honestly don't remember when i did that...)

*having luke enjoy a birthday song and candle experience. watch this: (be sure to watch the whole thing...)

man, it was a fun, full day. and at the end of it all, both kids went to bed very late - but happy. i got to go pick up mike from the airport, also late. yay for mike being home! (sidenote: i had given luke a little toy horse in the morning...well, this morning mike got the presents out he bought for the boys while he was gone and voila - the EXACT same horse for luke. what are the chances? our minds must be connected in some way.)

what a good day for luke. and for max. happy day little man. i love you.

happy day to luke

2008-10-24T09:13:00.003-06:00

it's hard to believe that luke was ever this tiny. i mean, look at those little hands...isn't he cute? he's still cute.

today is luke's 2nd birthday. i can't believe it's been 2 whole years. here are just a few things i love about my little lukey:

*he loves to carry stuff around - random stuff. one day it may be a lego piece, the next day it's elmo. sometimes a star wars guy and a train or just a uno card. he's a strange little one. don't fret, he'll always have something (or lots of things) in his hands. (always in addition to 1 or 2 binkies, his blankey and a sippy of chocolate milk.)

*for his birthday he asked for 'snacks' so a box of fruit snacks was bought, wrapped and is being enjoyed this morning.

*he loves to mimic max. like, everything. it can be scary sometimes.

*he is such a good helper - always quick to 'help' put the dishes away or 'help' me take a shower. so thoughtful.

*so silly! his latest is galloping around like a horse. he gallops everywhere. he's a little horse in a kid's body. (maybe he gets that from mike?)

*he loves to laugh. what kid doesn't? but really, he loves to be tickled or do anything to get a laugh going. and his belly laugh is the best!

*the best blue eyes ever.

*he's a tank. i mean, have you seen my boy? barely 2 and can fit in some of max's clothes from last summer! i'm interested to see what the scale says on monday. watch out.

*always quick to give a hug. for no reason he'll find me during the day and give me a huge hug - usually around the leg. then is off galloping to whatever he was doing before.

*such a good sharer - most of the time. when he opened his fruit snacks this morning, he got a package out for him and then one out and handed it to max. awww.

happy happy birthday luke. i love you!

(luke is 18 months old here...2 year old pics coming soon.)

it's official

2008-10-16T13:55:00.002-06:00

out with the old and in with the new. another new job. another new opportunity. with the buyout of washington mutual came some uncertainty in what j.p. morgan chase would have to offer. so, being the thinker he is, mike immediately began to check out his options. bank of the west came to the table and we've chosen to take their offer. so, mike is headed to omaha nebraska (anyone know where that is?) on monday for a week of training. wish him luck.

2008-10-12T09:39:00.002-06:00

this past summer we had our pictures taken and i've needed to get a frame for our 10x10 family pic. i finally found one and boy, isn't it fabulous! i mean, really. who doesn't need one of these gracing the wall in their house? i love it. and the picture in the frame isn't half bad either!

unbelievable

2008-10-12T09:34:00.002-06:00

are you serious? it's not even halloween. this makes me even less excited for what is ahead this winter. like it's a preview of what is to come. i think i want to go back to bed.

as you can tell, max and luke couldn't wait to get out and make 'sun angels' and romp in the white stuff. if only i had their enthusiasm. perhaps i could take a lesson from these two crazies of mine.

mikey

2008-10-06T21:39:00.004-06:00

what is his name? michael thomas, miguel the dirty mexican, mike, mikey, dad.

how long have we been married? 7.5 years

how long did we date? first date october 2nd. proposed december 8th. married march 22nd. you do the math.

how old is he? old. really old. 36 - soon to be 37. if you ask him, he's already in his 37th year and is going on 38. strange man.

who eats more? there are days i am sure mike has a hollow leg. other days i think i have one. i bet he wins this one more often though.

who said i love you first? that was totally mike. puttin' on the moves.

who sings better? have you heard mike sing? when he isn't trying, he's ok. i'll have to take the point on this one.

who is smarter? depends. i think i'm pretty smart. and i think mike is pretty smart. perhaps i'm more school smart. mike's more street smart. some of his smarts i'm glad i don't have. and he's probably glad to not have the complex math questions constantly going on in his head like i do. what can i say - i have a thing for numbers. it's a benson thing.

whose temper is worse? i'd like to say mike's, but i'd be lying. me, hands down.

who pays the bills? me.

who does the laundry? me. every monday. and usually thursday. and saturday. except if mike needs something washed he's very good about putting a load in. it's the transferring to the dryer and folding part he sometimes forgets.

who cooks dinner? usually me. at least during the week. mike always cooks on sunday. always. i love it. he's a much better cook than i am!

who drives when together? mike. unless we've gone to see the horses. in that case, mike has contaminated his hands and i don't allow him to touch my steering wheel or sit in the driver seat with horse all over him, so i drive. sometimes if i'm waiting in the car for him, i take control of the drivers seat. all of this is null and void if we are in mike's car. he always drives the classic benz.

who is more stubborn? me! me! me! for sure.

who is the first to admit when wrong? sometimes me. sometimes mike. neither of us are ever wrong. at least that's what we think.

who wears the pants in the family? pass.

who mows the lawn? jake if he's around. mike if he's around. lately it's been me. i actually love mowing the lawn. it's the 'dog poop clean-up before i can mow' that i hate.

who kissed who first? totally mike. again, puttin' on the moves.

who proposed? mike.

what is my favorite thing about him? he's a hard worker, great dad, good example, funny, kid at heart, serious when needs to be, plays hard, good at what he does and loves me. he's my favorite.

missing in action

2008-10-05T20:43:00.002-06:00

amazing how time seems to fly. i have been busy...but, i am sure, no busier than the next person. i could sit and spill my guts and share how overwhelmed i have been, how frustrated and tired i feel, how i need about 5 more hours in each day, but who wants to hear that? instead, i am just making a note that i am still alive. i am still pounding away day after day. i am still searching for that word balance...if you find it, please send it over to my house. i am grateful that i am busy. thankful i have things to keep me going. happy to have energetic kids to help wear me out through the day so i can sleep at night. glad to wake up to a new day full of whatever it brings...and that (so far) i can take whatever that is. i am one lucky girl. it's just that sometimes i need to be reminded.

sneak peek

2008-09-21T11:49:00.002-06:00

here's a sneak peak of my visit to ny. i was able to go see joy and help with her new baby, eliza, for 5 days. to some it may sound like work, but i had such a GREAT time cleaning, cooking, freezing meals, playing with kids, reading books, washing, sorting and folding laundry, grocery shopping, etc. maybe it's because i was doing these things for somebody who i really care about. it always feels good to serve and i am so thankful to joy and dan for letting me share in their lives for a few days.

most of our pictures were taken with joy's camera...and i don't have copies yet. (joy - the disk will be on it's way tomorrow!) so, when i have more photos i'll share the nitty gritty details. until then, enjoy a few pics from the sacred grove. we visited there last sunday. i have a hard time describing what i feel when i am there. it's my second visit and i am so grateful for those opportunities. joy and dan and their family live about 15 minutes away. what a treat! more to come...

saturday is a special day...

2008-09-21T11:19:00.003-06:00

and super saturday is complete once again. as the enrichment leader i am only 'in charge' of 4 events a year. this year for super saturday we had a class with stories by me products. it was fun to help the sisters get their family pictures scanned and formatted to use with a puzzle or memory tree. i taught the class with the help of bethany (thank you!) and it was a grand time. it was fun to see those who were able to finish their projects and they all turned out great! it's so good to see others working to preserve their family memories and create something that will allow those memories and stories to be shared for years to come. i hope those who came felt the spirit of those who have gone before and enjoyed preserving their stories. i know i did.

hard working ladies

cindy waiting patiently for her picture to arrive (they never did...)

now it's time to start brainstorming for next year...

state fair 2008

2008-09-09T20:32:00.003-06:00

so i've been a slacker on this whole blog thing. i have plenty of excuses, er...reasons why i haven't blogged any of our exciting life adventures. i finally got a chance to read my mom's blog and it reminded me, 'oh ya, i have state fair pictures i could post.' so here they are. if you want to read a good run-down of our evening, read more here. (thanks mom.) the fair is a tradition you don't want to miss in the benson fam. i love it. my kids love it. well i love most of it. i have to tell you though, the smelly pigs, horses, cows, sheep, etc. have about burned through my nostrils. i can only hold my breath so long. all for the memories.

another reason to check out my mom's blog - she has all the good photos! my camera battery died right after the chicken shot. oh well. i tried.

labor day bowling

2008-09-01T16:16:00.004-06:00

usually labor day is hot. hot enough to go play outside at the park or have a bar-b-que with friends. not this year. we went to bed to howling wind, sideways rain and flickering power. we got up to the same...a downpour of wet and freezing temperatures. so, no bird hunting for the big boys and no picnic at the park for me and the little ones. we decided to take it to the alley...and took the boys bowling. luke insisted on 'helping' me every turn and finally settled down with a zone bar and a bag of chips. what a kid. max did great and as usual, mike creamed us all. (my excuse is that luke was helping and i didn't have a fair chance!)

jake's great form...

me & my helper.
go mike!
don't max's feet look huge here?
love the excitement!

now mike is off with jake riding horses while luke sleeps and max does puzzles and hangs at home with me.

happy labor day. we hope you found something fun to do on your day off...besides labor.

soccer

2008-08-27T19:27:00.004-06:00

officially started yesterday with our first team practice. we are orange. the orange dragons. love it! these 5 little 5 year olds are such a hoot to watch. then tonight was the dragon's first game. max is on the same team as his friend britton. 2 other friends, sam and nicholas were on the opposing team for tonight's game. it was fun to watch them run around, throwing a kick here and there. and max even scored a goal! wahoo! here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure...

showing off his #6!
i love those eyes...
team huddle
in the game...
and the boy has quite the kick!

way to go max! great game.

max started kindergarten!

2008-08-27T07:20:00.003-06:00

is max really old enough to be going to school? it's hard to believe. well, he started kindergarten this week - just got to go on monday, then have his assessment on tuesday and he'll start for real after labor day. this week was just a teaser. he picked out his new robot shirt and was so excited to wear his new school shoes (thanks, nana sue). he loved his camo backpack from preschool last year and didn't want me to get him a new one...so, off to school we went. lucky for us, we live just down the street from the school, so max can walk to school and home again with the neighbor kids. i took him up on monday and stayed for a few minutes. at one point he came up to me, gave me a huge hug and said, 'i love you, mom.' *sniff* what a gentle boy i have. he was so excited and having him be so ready for school makes it easier to 'let him go.' it was a short day, but he was thrilled to have 4 of his church friends in his class. as long a mrs. wallace can keep those boys in line...it'll be a great year!

the boy can ride!

2008-08-25T22:13:00.000-06:00

max got a new bike for his 5th birthday a couple of weeks ago. it came with training wheels and we've just left them on...because it's easy. he can ride fine and i don't have to worry about him falling off. well, maybe mike was feeling a little bit of dad-guilt because he hadn't taught max how to ride a bike - without training wheels - yet. and he is 5. so, the wheels came off and mike set out to teach max. it didn't take much. after one attempt, here is what we have...

needless to say, i'm a pretty proud mama!

(sorry the video is a little shakey...i'm not too steady while looking through a camera and walking down the street)

sidewalk chalk

2008-08-14T17:21:00.003-06:00

one of the perks of mike's new job is the amount of handouts he brings home. first it was a visor for max. then a plastic basketball hoop you hook over a door. that one didn't last too long. then the other night it was plastic slinkys and sidewalk chalk. the slinkys lasted shorter than the basketball hoop. but the chalk...it's about the chalk. i'm always amazed at the amount of fun kids can have with sidewalk chalk. and as a mom, i love it too. sure, it's messy, but with a little water and effort, comes right off. and the enjoyment they seem to have makes the mess worth it!

old + new

2008-08-14T17:17:00.003-06:00

what happens when you take an old favorite

and put it with a new favorite?

absolute bliss. mmmmm.

max

2008-08-11T15:06:00.004-06:00

when hearing that it was max's 5th birthday, somebody at church asked me, 'can you believe it's been 5 years!?' yes and no. it seems like just yesterday i was hugely pregnant with the boy who always got the hiccups when i was trying to go to bed. it feels as though we just brought him home from the hospital and got him settled into his own room when the feeding fiasco began. those of you who were around when max was giving us a run for our money will remember the challenges of those first 2 or 3 months. not something i would ever wish on my worst enemy! and though all of this seems like just yesterday, i keep remembering that a lot has happened in the last 5 years! we made it through and i can hardly believe the kid i have!

here are some fun facts, memories, qualities and characteristics of our max:

*max is smart. i mean like brilliant smart. he remembers pretty much everything and is great at figuring out new + difficult things.

*he loves loves loves to laugh. he'll often ask for me to tickle him or show him something funny or tell a joke so he can laugh. he loves it!

*although adjusting to a little brother was hard at first, max is so sweet with little luke. he helps him get down from his high chair, reads him stories and shares his enormous collection of star wars guys with him. such a good big brother. (most of the time)

*speaking of good big brother, when max found out i was pregnant with luke, he immediately started thinking - where will the baby sleep? we told him that he would be upstairs in max's room. max quickly thought that through and said, 'we better move my bed downstairs!' this was when i was only 2 months pregnant, but max was ready to move downstairs and have his bedroom down there all alone. what a big kid!

*the other day while getting some lunch at a 'not-so-good-for-you-fast-food-restaurant' we approached the window to pay and get our food. the employee helping us must lead an alternative lifestyle and max picked up on it. he asked me, 'mom, is that a man or a lady?' i answered, 'a man.' he said, 'well, it looks likes a lady - he's a she, mom!' well...someday we'll get to have that conversation again, i'm sure.

*while playing at the park this weekend max stopped and pointed toward the mountains and told me to look. i looked in the direction he was pointing and asked, 'what?' he told me to look and i realized he was pointed at the temple. i said, 'the temple?' 'ya mom. the temple: i want to go inside there someday.' such sweet words from a kid who seldom takes a moment to stop and ponder. i too look forward to him going inside someday.

*his favorite color is green.

*max has a giving heart. he is constantly drawing pictures or making something with paper, glue and scissors for his friends, brothers or babysitters. we often have to drive his gifts around to sam, joey or britton.

*max has the best blue eyes ever -- thanks to his dad!

*the kid is solid. he's always been big for his age, always in the upper 80 - 90% range for his age. and he has huge feet. i'm not sure where his size comes from, but if he doesn't slow down i'll be in big trouble when those teenage years hit!

*max is a no fear kid of guy...willing to give anything a try, at least once. don't ask him about egg-drop at lagoon. that was a 'try once, never again' kind of experience. (thanks to papa randall!)

*max has enough energy to power 20 kids. seriously. i wish i could bottle his energy and enthusiasm and save it for myself! he keeps us going and wears us all out.

i feel so blessed and proud to be max's mama. he is a fabulous kid and helps me to want to be a better person. he is a determined and stubborn little guy a lot of the time, but those sweet moments make it all worth it. i love you, max.