The Merrill Family

Front Flips & Toilet Troubles.

2012-01-10T13:56:00.002-07:00

Oh, what a day this has been.

The kids (and their cousin, Jackson) were playing in their bedroom this afternoon while I was cleaning up from lunch. All of a sudden I heard a big crash followed by absolute hysteria. I ran in there and couldn't tell what had happened except I could see that ALL 4 kids were sobbing. They all huddled around for hugs until I could get them to calm down and tell me what happened. WELL, the story went like this....

Bentlee: "I needed to do a flip off the bed and Riggy and Jackson were in my way so I crashed them."

Hudson: "AND she crashed right into my car track that I worked super hard to build." Still crying, dramatically.

Jackson: " And she crashed me right in the head." Still crying.

Riggin: So confused. Crying. Looking at all of us like we were insane.

I made them all go sit on the couch and watch a show so that nobody else could get hurt. After all the crying finally stopped, Hudson said, "But, her trick really was cool. She did a REAL flip- and she's only 3."

So, that's awesome.

NEXT, I ran to the bathroom for a moment. JUST a moment. I came back in and the 3 bigger kids were still on the couch, but Riggin was missing. I called his name just as I heard the toilet lid close in the other bathroom. I ALWAYS close the bathroom door, but apparently Hudson didn't remember that rule OR the flushing rule today. SO I ran in there only to find him with 2 fistfuls of a few pretty unpleasant surprises that Hudson had left behind. Seriously. I took him to the sink and bathed him in bleach (kidding of course, but I considered it).

THEN, Bentlee came in with her pants and underpants in her hands and a big smile on her face saying, "I had an accident. I need new pants and underpants now, please." Ready to lose my mind....I went in her room to get new clothes and went to get her all cleaned up. I was upset with her, but that never really seems to effect her. She saw that I had gotten her pink underpants and gave me a huge hug and kept telling me. "I am so exciting!! You got me pink underpants and those are my favorite! Just want I was wanting ALL day! I love you!!!".

That was all in about 30 minutes. 30 shining, perfect minutes.

Goooood times around here. All day, everyday.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I have a lot of catching up to do around here, but lately my time is spent doing.....other things. :)

Bentlee's 3rd Birthday!

2011-11-21T15:40:00.004-07:00

his Birthday has been highly anticipated! Ever since Hudson's birthday in September, she has been anxiously and impatiently waiting for her turn to come! She was so excited when it was finally here. We love our birthday traditions around here and it was fun to see her get so excited about everything! We have a picture banner with 6 pictures from each year, beginning at newborn. It's fun to see the banners grow every year and to see how they have changed! We also do a special birthday chair cover and candles at every meal. It's so fun to have kids around to party for!!
She wanted to have a birthday party with "all of her favorite friends!" Those friends happen to be my mom & little sisters and my older sister and her family. I guess we share favorite friends! Her and Hudson worked hard to set up for the party!

She is a pretty sweet (& wild) girl! It's so fun to see her get older!

The best part of the day was the way she reacted after we all sang to her. She blew out the candles, then looked all around at everyone, with a pretty expressionless look and started waving at all of us. It was such a funny reaction...almost like it was her duty. We love our little lady!!

Click here to see more pictures of her big day!

One more thing....she turned into some kind of puppy on us and decided that it was fun to bite the balloons until they popped. Here is a funny little video that might just make you laugh a little.

She certainly keep things fun around here!!

Pumpkin Patch with the Maughan's!

2011-10-26T12:50:00.000-06:00

Best Friends

2011-09-15T14:11:00.002-06:00

Bentlee was just twirling around the room with 4 measuring spoons that she was referring to as her, "very best friends!". When I asked he what thier names were, she told me they were, "Kaka, Miss Cheese, Papa & White. " Sweet names, sweet BFF's.

Cupid.

2011-09-09T17:00:00.001-06:00

I just told Hudson it was almost time for me to stop playing so I could go get ready for my date with Dad. He came a whispered in my ear, "You should wear a pretty little dress. When you wear dresses, it makes Dad kiss you like 20 times."

5 years old!!

2011-09-06T22:50:00.007-06:00

Hudson turned 5 this weekend! It blows my mind to know that he has been mine for the past 5 years.

There certainly wasn't any lack of birthday partying this year! We started out with a fun trip to the cabin...

We did a lot of cake eating...and some bow & arrow making...
A few campfires and a few smores....

Lots of new 5-year-old muscles to show off...
An awesome birthday-eve campout..
And a little birthday spoiling, of course.

Then, we came home from the cabin just in time for a BBQ with the other side of the family. Nana had the yard all decked out and all of his favorite people were there!

He told me that it was
"The best birthday of his life!!"

Marq and Melody were asking him all about turning 5. He told them how awesome it was. He thought it was pretty sweet that he was 4 one day and 5 the next. When they asked him if he felt different now he said, "Yeah, waaay different." They asked him what felt so different and he said, "Well, my underwear are super tight today."

So pretty.

2011-08-20T22:49:00.003-06:00

We spent the day playing at the lake today, which resulted in an awesome (kinda wavy, kinda big, kinda wild) evening hairdo for me. Bentlee looked up at me while she was eating dinner and said, "Mom, now your hair looks really nice and pretty." I asked her what she thought it looked like and after a long pause and a really good look at my head, she said, "Mustard."

All packed up!

2011-08-15T15:36:00.005-06:00

I must have been pretty knocked out this morning, because I woke up to the sound of Hudson and Bentlee dragging bags & boxes into my room and letting me know that it was time to get all loaded up!
Tomorrow, we are heading up to the mountains for several days. I guess they felt like they should do thier part to help the family get ready to go!? I thought the stack was funny & cute & wild, but when they left the room, I had to peek in and see what they thought to pack.
First, Bentlee's things were all packed in her Princess Dress-Up box. Her clothes were all neatly folded. She had sun-dresses, a pair of jeans and a jacket. On the other side of the box, they packed up some toys. They may or may not have come from the box they packed other things in.

Then, I unzipped Hudson's bag and this what I saw. If you know Hudson, you know he loves his "Meatball". Although Meatball & his swimsuit are the MOST important things, I dug a little deeper to find all the clothes he would need (still nicely folded) and even clean underwear. Impressive, right?

Hi special blanket was all packed up in a tupperware box.

And he stuffed his pillow and his lure box for fishing into another bag. That pretty much covers everything, right?

I peeked in the side pockets of his bag and one was filled with Hot Wheels and car launchers....

...and the other one was filled with crayons & art supplies. And a monster truck.

I got a good laugh out it. It was obvious that Hudson was the mastermind behind project "Pack it up" and I think he thought of just about everything a 4 year old and a 2 year old might need in the mountains.

When I gave him his clothes for the day, he said "Did I overpack? I packed these shorts in my bag and now I am wearing them? I must have packed too many."

Funny boy.

The wild one!

2011-08-04T23:09:00.004-06:00

This pretty much sums her up!

Pitstop

2011-08-04T23:05:00.001-06:00

The other night we were driving around an Hudson yelled, "Mom, we gotta make a pitstop!!! (long pause) A pitstop is when we go potty in the forest."

Trouble.

2011-07-27T16:54:00.003-06:00

Last night, we had the Maughan's over. Jackson and Bentlee were playing outside quietly, so we let them keep playing long after bedtime. Then, we looked out the window and saw both of them standing there looking at us absolutley covered in wet sand (both with pretty satisfied looks on thier faces).

That girl is going to be trouble. She was proud to admit that it was her idea to kick wet sand all over eachother and the entire side of the house. I am afraid that she might just be that cousin. It's a good thing we love her so dang much.

Who knew??

2011-07-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

Who knew you could love a face (or 3 faces) this much?

Twins?

2011-07-21T09:19:00.004-06:00

We found our old wedding slideshow the other night and the kids have wanted to watch it a few times. Ever since Riggin was born, everyone tells us how much he looks like Luke. We were all pretty shocked at the resemblance we saw in this picture of Luke at this age!

Kid Scientist.

2011-06-01T22:14:00.005-06:00

Hudson's mind was going a million miles an hour tonight and it lead to some pretty awesome conversation.

Conversation #1:
Hudson: Did you guys know that milk has fat in it?
Me: You're right, it does. Where did you learn that?
Hudson: (raising his eyebrows) I guess I am just a regular kid scientist.
Luke: What is fat?
Hudson: You know, that stuff that's always in my steak. You can't chew it.

Conversation #2:
Hudson: Is Riggin old enough to wrestle?
Luke: No, he is still a little too young.
Hudson: No he's not, he could still body slam you.
Luke: I think that would just make him puke on me
Hudson: Well....puke is weapon. So he can wrestle.

It's official.

2011-05-27T12:45:00.003-06:00

He has my heart.

FREAK SHOW.

2011-03-08T16:09:00.004-07:00

That's right. We are an absolute freak show. I love every minute with these crazy fools.

Riggin talks too....

2011-02-23T17:11:00.001-07:00

...in his own "I'm 11 weeks old" kind of way. :)

Bajection.

2011-02-23T15:39:00.004-07:00

Today, Hudson was playing with our bike lock. He was trying to get the numbers all lined up, but for some reason, it wouldn't work. I asked him what he thought the problem was and he said,

"Well, it's just that all the numbers aren't in the same bajection. That means the same aisle."

Hahaha...direction or position maybe?? Funny boy.

Baking Powder, Sour Cream & Freezard

2011-02-23T12:25:00.003-07:00

Bentlee talks every single second these days. It seems like she has learned about 400 words in the last couple of weeks...she says things I had no idea she had even heard before. Here a a couple of my favorite 2 year old Bentlee phrases:

"It is Sour Cream?? I should rub it on my belly??"
She calls ALL lotion, cream & sauce sour cream.

"It is Baking Powder??"
Similar to Sour Cream...she calls baby powder & powdered drink mix baking powder.

"It is in the Freezard??"
Freezard means freezer, but she has morphed the word with Lizzard, so it makes me laugh everytime she says it.

I love this age.

Luke's Birthday!

2011-02-17T07:38:00.008-07:00

Luke turned 31 yesterday! Here is a video the kids made for him:
(disclaimer: Bentlee is fiesty. She shows some serious fiest in the video that I just couldn't cut out. She makes up for her attitude in cuteness, though. I promise.)
Enjoy!

(Translations: Bentlee loves Dad because, because...something about a kiss. When she gets mad at Hudson she says "I'm not done Hudson!!")

Luke got the chance to come home early from work for some birthday festivities. We opened gifts when he got home, then went to Cabela's, then Tucano's for dinner. You know, man stuff.

In one of his gifts, there was giant "bubble wrap" pieces. He popped one by Bentlee's face and the reaction was pretty priceless. I wish I could have captured it better, but you would have thought there was an explosion.

He tried to get her to pop one in his face, but she wouldn't accept. I am pretty sure she will never touch one of those things again.

Hudson really had a hard time fathoming that we weren't having a big party. He takes birthday's really seriously. When I asked him what he thought Luke might want to do for his birthday, he figured we should take him to the tool store (Home Depot) or Cabelas so Hudson could push the cart around, while Luke filled it with all of his favorite things. So we went to Cabela's and did just that. :)
Then, we came home for Tres Leches cake & a game Hudson had all planned out.

We had such a fun night. Adult birthday's are much more fun when a kid does the planning! We love you, Luke!

House full of family!

2011-02-17T07:15:00.010-07:00

Kallie & Jeff came into town last week and we were lucky enough to spend a little bit of quality time with them. My kids LOVE thier cousins. Riggin & Lydia are 6 weeks apart, but there is no denying thier love....they even hold handss. :) My kids love having the Maughan's around. Jeff is always up for a wrestling match and Jackson is a great little buddy. Kallie makes Bentlee laugh like nobody else. Bentlee and Jackson have a little bit of a love/hate relationship at this point. They are 3 months apart, so there is a little tension between them. Whenever they are in a room alone, you can count to ten before both of them are running out of the room screaming. Sometimes they get along....like when they each have thier own, almost identical toy to play with...like these bumbo seats...those were happy minutes.

Riggin is just happy. And cute. He likes visitors too, I just know it.

We also got the twins for a couple of days. Not everyone is lucky enough to have twin sisters that are fun, funny, helpful & so willing to babysit anytime....but I am! They came this weekend and we made a bunch of Valentine's treats to send to Jake at the MTC. They made mint chocolate covered oreos.....

And they made red velvet cake balls & oreo truffles shaped like hershey's kisses...

And my personal favorite thing about thier visits...they entertained my kids for hours on end! (They are playing trains in the picture below...Hudson is the conductor...naturally!)

So, it was a happy few days. We love our Aunties, Uncles & Cousins and we are so glad anytime they get a chance to come visit!

Getting back to it!

2011-02-10T14:20:00.010-07:00

I jumped on my blog the other day for the first time in maybe a year. I read all stories about my kids and our lives a year ago and I felt so sad that I had stopped keeping track of the stories of our life. So, I am back at it. I can’t promise how often I will post, and the truth is, the things I write on this blog might not really be all that entertaining or amusing to anyone else, but I think our little family needs a place to document our journey. So for now, this is it!

I thought about playing catch up, but let’s be realistic, I can’t make up for so much lost time. I am just going to go ahead and pick up where we are right now.

Okay…a few quick updates might be necessary. We had some minor changes last year. First change, we moved to Meridian. We LOVE our home, our ward and our area. Second, Luke took a new job as a salesman for a container and packaging distribution company. It’s actually quite a fascinating company. He is really enjoying it, and I am convinced that a happy husband makes a happy home! Plus, he is awesome at what he does, so that is a sweet bonus. The 3rd and most important change in 2010….we added a baby boy to our family!

Riggin was born on Dec. 1st. He is the most peaceful, content baby. I didn’t even know babies like him existed. (But after baby Bentlee, I am convinced that we earned it!) He is now 2 months old and he is such a joy! He was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks (10pm-6am most nights!) , he takes a pacifier & a bottle, he nurses well, he smiles all the time and he is started to coo and “talk” to us. And also, he is a giant. He started off weighed 9 lbs, 2 oz and he is already almost 15 lbs. 6 lbs in 8 weeks? Impressive, huh? (He gets that from me.) The kids really love having a baby around. He has been such a happy addition. He has got me wrapped around his finger. I could eat him.

So yes, 2010 was eventful, but EVERYDAY seems to be eventful with 3 little ones. Things are as crazy (and loud and messy) as ever around our house, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything (most days)!

Hudson turned 4 in September and he is just getting more fun by the day. He is always coming up with funniest things to say these days. For example, the other day I was tickling him and he yelled, “Stop Mom...my laughing skills are starting to hurt!!” (Apparently your laughing “skills” are your cheeks.) Another funny one…he calls everything he does a process, so a lot of time, he says things like, “Mom, do you think you could help me with this tool process?”. His favorite phrase latley is “Oh my goodness!” He probably says it at least 10 times a day…super dramatically. It’s usually followed by some explanation of events using the words terrible, horrible, incredible, unbelievable or upsetting. (He might be a tiny bit dramatic.) One more…..the other day, we were on a long drive and he asked Luke how the car heater works. After a long, detailed, luke-style explanation, Hudson just said “Dad, you’ve got it all wrong. Let me tell YOU how it works.” And so he proceeded to tell it his way. Luke and Hudson are so much alike it’s hilarious. We love the little guy. Sometimes I think it might be hard to be the oldest, but he sure is good at it

Bentlee talks non-stop nonsense these days. For example, I was just feeding Riggin and she came in and started wildly swinging herself on the edge of the couch. Then she yells, “Look Mommy, I’n Fawingin! I am a Fawingin Monkey! (swinging monkey).” 2 second pause…same activity, “Look Mommy, I am exercising! I ove it, It is fun!”. 2 second pause, “Daddy make-a me popcorn? I ove popcorn!” Then she laid down on the floor, started rolling around and yelling “Steam-roller!” So, I think it would be sufficient to describe her as “non-stop.”
She sings, she dances, she twirls, she claims to be a princess…..and superman….and a wonder pet, she wrestles, she falls (a lot), she teases Hudson, she begs for treats, she gallops, she throws major fits, she sucks her 2 fingers, she scowls, she makes everyone work hard for her love & adoration and she brings a little bit of fiest with her everywhere she goes. She is such a fun little girl. We just love her to pieces….and how could you not love that face??

So, we are adjusting to being a family of 5. I would be a total liar if I said it was all rainbows and sunshine, but most days, I feel pretty dang lucky. We spend most of our days hanging out at home (eagarly awaiting springtime). Good thing my kids are so entertaining, or I might go crazy…and sometimes I get close. We have made a few fun trips up to the cabin and we feel pretty lucky to have such an awesome getaway so close to home.

So in a nutshell, life is good, crazy and good. I plan to get better at this blog. I hope to even post more than once every year!

Man oh man!

2010-03-22T07:26:00.005-06:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged in so long! I feel like this blog is kind of a family journal of sorts...and I am not doing so great at it!

I was watching Bentlee at church yesterday and she did so many cute things....she is at such a fun stage....I have to write this stuff down! Here are some of Bentlee's latest:

1. When she gets embarassed or when she feels shy, she will either close her eyes, or cover her eyes and look at you between her fingers. It's the funniest thing. If someone says hi to her, she usually does a little half smile, then closes her eyes. It's totally precious!
2. She is starting to talk a lot! Her current favorites are Mommy, Daddy, Baby, All Done, Grandpa, Nana, Outside, Please (she does a raspberry sound with her lips for this one), Thank you...and my personal favorite "Me!!". The other day I said "Who's hungry?" and Hudson raised his hands and said "ME!!!".....Bentlee looked over at him and mimicked him exactly. She hasn't stopped saying it since. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.
3. Bentlee is a little dare devil. We took the kids to the park the other day and she was a wild woman! She LOVES the slides and does NOT want help. She would get to the top and get half way sat down, then she would end up sliding down doing the splits, upside down, on her belly....then she would get to the bottom and just chuckle. She loves to climb on everything....she has no fear!

Hudson is growing into such a cute, smart boy. He certainly keeps me on my toes! Here are some of my recent favorite Hudson moments:

1. Lately, he is very curious about death and heaven. It all started this summer when my Grandma's dog died and it seems to be on his mind a lot. The other day we were in the car and he asked me if his friends would be in heaven. I told him that heaven is the happiest place. All the things that make him happy would be there....family, toys, games, friends, etc. He was kind of in a fiesty mood and he said "Mom, you don't even know what makes me happy." So I asked him to tell me what makes him happy and he said "Only 3 things make me happy. Dad, Grandpa and eating." This was pretty awesome. No pressure Dad and Grandpa!!

2. On PBS they have an ad campaign that says "Don't supersize me" which talks about portion control and choosing healthy snacks. We were in the car the other day and Hudson asked why those kids always say "Don't supersize me". So I told him that it was because they don't want to get chubby, because it's not fun to be chubby. He looked at Bentlee then looked right back at me and said "Well, Sis is REALLY chubby and she's happy!!". I am just glad he said Sis and not me. :)
3. Hudson is the master negotiator. We constantly have to remind him that he needs to respect adults and do what they say instead of trying to negotiate a "new plan". He always tells me things like "I ate a bunch of healthiest food so you should give me a brownie and icecream now beacause I was so good to eat the healthiest" or when I ask him to take his plate to the sink he will say "I have a new plan. How about YOU take my plate to the sink while I get down and play with trains because I love playing with trains." or when I tell him it's time for bed in 5 minutes, he will say something like "Okay, we can snuggle on the couch for 5 minutes, then I will get 3 books and you can read them to me, THEN I can go to bed......plan?" It's tough to tell the little guy no, because he ALWAYS has an idea of how the "plan" could be improved.
He is so much fun. They are both at such fun ages. Though absolutley exhauting at times, it's so fun to see thier personalities show and get to spend my days with them!!

Muffed up.

2009-12-10T09:44:00.005-07:00

This morning I was playing trains with Hudson when one of the trains somehow got off course and crashed. I asked him if he knew what the problem was and after examining the tracks, he looked at me and said, "The problem is that the track is all muffed up." Apparently, that means it wasn't 100% straight and secure. Now I know.

Hudson has developed a nickname for Luke. I have no idea where it came from, but he never refers to him as "Dad" anymore. His new name is "Punchy". It's pretty funny to hear him yell, "Yeah! Punchy is home!!!"....he sure loves his Dad.

Bentlee is also becoming quite a little character. She is walking more and more every day. It's all about the applause for her. If she has an audience that will clap for her after a long stride, she just goes and goes.

She knows that she isn't supposed to touch the Christmas Tree or the presents. She will get really close to them and wave her hand around to tell us she shouldn't touch them. Lately, she has been carrying toys over to the tree, holding the toy in her hand and touching the tree with the toy. Little smarty!

She HATES getting her fingernails clipped, but she KNOWS I love her hugs. When I try to clip her nails (or get her dressed...or do anything she doesn't want me to do) she throws her body onto mine and hugs me. She has figured out that I will stop at least long enough to hug her back.

It's been about 3 degrees around here lately, so I feel really lucky that I can just stay inside with the kiddos and spend lots of time playing and starting Christmas traditions. I am SO enjoying this season!

Bentlee's Birthday!

2009-11-24T10:27:00.005-07:00

Bentlee turned 1 on Nov. 18th. It's hard to believe that a whole year has gone by, but we can't imagine life without her! Here are some pictures from the celebration!

10 things I love about Bentlee:

1. Her sweet, toothy smile.

2. Her love for ANYTHING soft.

3. The way she adores her daddy.

4. The way she light up when we say "Chocolate!"..or when she sees ANY treat!

5. The way she follows her big brother around and giggles at everything he does.

6. The way it takes her a long time to wake up...she ALWAYS hesitates before getting out of bed.
7. Her perfectly kissable cheeks.

8. The way she says "mamamamamamama" so desperatley when she gets tired.

9. Her awesome dance moves.
10. Her sweet baby hugs.

#1 Mom Moment

2009-11-24T10:02:00.003-07:00

Last night I was changing Bentlee's diaper and Hudson was sitting really close to her. We both kept telling her "Diaper...it's a diaper...let's change your diaper....." She kept looking at us, then she smacked her diaper and said "dipa!" Hudson was so excited that she said it...I think that's the only "word" he has ever heard her say. He jumped around for a second, saying "Sissy is learning, cause we are teaching her. Now she says diaper! I am so proud of sissy!" SO full of joy and love for her!!

I finished changing her and turned around to pick some things up, when I turned back, he was really close to her face and he whispered, "I love you, sissy. I am gonna take really good care of you, forever and ever." Then, he gave her a sweet little kiss on her forehead.

Totally unprovoked...he has no idea that I saw/heard it. He is so sweet to her. It's so neat to see them develop so much love for one another. I love them both so much.

Bentlee just turned 1...birthday pictures/post coming soon!

Too cute not to post!

2009-11-10T22:55:00.003-07:00

We tried out Bentlee's hair in ponies today. I can't even resist this little doll. My baby girl is getting so big!

Hudson keeps getting more handsome and fun by the day. It's so awesome to have a funny little person to hang out with all day!

I am pretty sure we ended up with the sweetest, cutest kids ever. :)

Big Week for Bentlee!

2009-11-02T21:58:00.005-07:00

Sissy has been taking steps now for a week or so! When did she get to be so big?! She can do about 6 steps at a time now and she is really getting the hang of it! She is also getting 4 top teeth at the SAME time...which is just SO much fun. You can see 2 of them peeking out in the bottom picture, I think they are so cute. She also got to move from a baby seat to a big girl seat this week. It's so fun to see her go through all of these changes. I love this girl!

Boo!

2009-11-02T08:12:00.003-07:00

Can you believe I got Luke to dress up this year!? His costume isn't quite complete in these pics, he had a sweet earrring and eye patch as well. Our little monsters were so cute. Hudson loved trick or treating, seeing the other costumes and EATING all those treats. Bentlee loved putting the treats in her bucket, taking them out, putting them back in and trying with all her might to get them unwrapped. They are both at such a fun age! I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!

Mr. Logic

2009-10-27T22:37:00.003-06:00

#1
Hudson: So Mom, is church spicy?
Me: What? Spicy? No, church isn't spicy.
Hudson: Then why do we call it Sacra-MINT?
________________________________
#2
Hudson couldn't stop hugging Bentlee today (more like tackling), eventually she started getting really annoyed, squirming and yelling.....
Me: Hudson, Sissy can't talk yet so she tells us things in other ways. When she acts like that, it means she doesn't like what you are doing.
Hudson: No, I think when she acts like that, it means she is a beast!

Family Pics

2009-10-24T16:05:00.006-06:00

We had an adventure to take some fall pictures today. We found some decent spots downtown Nampa. They turned out better than I expected. You never know what you are going to get when you depend on a remote for family pics!

BRAVE GIRLS CAMP!

2009-10-22T15:10:00.013-06:00

Last week, I had the chance to attend the first ever Brave Girls Camp. My Mom and Melody have spent years dreaming about these retreats and it finally became a reality. They wanted to offer "Life-changing FUN for women" through Art and Life retreats. There were about 28 guests that attended the camp and it was a magical 4 days. The guests that attended were all the most incredible women, just cream-of-the-crop. This time, I went as a staff member to help make this dream come true. I didn't participate in the projects, but I felt the magic and I saw the changes that occured in people. I love the picture above. This is my Mom and Mel right before the guests arrived. They are so giddy...just SO excited for this experience!
Being around so many brave women is bound to lift you up, make you feel capable and strong....and it certainly did. I am not a gifted writer like some of the other attendees, but I would encourage you to read some of their blogs to get a feel for Brave Girls Camp:
Kallie
Cam
Jeanne
Lissa
Becky
Jeri Lynn
Teresa
If you EVER get the chance to attend one of these retreats, I guarantee you will go home a changed person. My view for the week was a lot different than the other guests....
....I was grillin' up a storm....
....Making sure little miss Bentlee stayed happy (I promise I washed that food out of her hair)....
...Cooking in the kitchen and making every meal as perfect as possible with my very favorite women...
But, I also learned a lot about life from all of these women...and a lot about being brave enough to do the things we need to do....brave enough to take care of business.
Grandma taught me that you are NEVER too old to work your booty off for something you believe in. She believed so deeply in her daughters. I am sure she was absolutley exhausted by the end. I hope I will be so supportive helping my children achieve thier dreams!

Mom and Lynda reminded me that the love in a family runs deep, especially between sisters. What a blessing that we can see eachothers accomplishments and cheer eachother on!

I learned that a enjoying a wonderful meal in a beautiful enviroment makes people feel loved. Making dinner for my family of 4 and sitting down to enjoy it together suddenly doesn't seem so impossible.

Carla and Jane taught me to enjoy every stage of life. These women were so beautiful and true. This is how I want to be someday.

I was reminded of the value of a good old, face-to-face, look you in the eye, listen with everything you've got conversation.

Sweet Jeri Lynn made me realize how lucky I am to be a part of my wonderful family. She also reminded me that you are never too young to go after your dreams and find your peace.

Carrie reminded me that you can never be too pleasant. It just isn't possible.

Becky, Lissa and Jeanne reminded me that girlfreinds are a treasure. Laughing often and lifting eachother up has a way of making life sweeter.

Cam taught me that being strong rocks....and that girls can do tough things (without losing ANY feminity). This woman is so incredibly talented in EVERY way. She was out in the rain waterproofing the tent with Marq and starting fires, but she can also create the most beautiful things you have ever seen.

I don't have decent pictures of all of the girls there, but I learned so much from every single one of them!

Beautiful Teresa taught me that it doesn't take a lot of words to brighten a room. A sincere smile and genuine eyes have an incredible way of doing the trick!

Mary taught me that we all have much more in common than we realize. She felt like family.

I feel so lucky to have spent this time with these wonderful women in my family and getting aquainted with so many new people.

I can't remember who said it, but one of the girls wrote that she decided that she wants to be a more "intentional" parent. I can't get this word off my mind. I want to be an "intentional" mom, wife and friend...and become "intentional" in taking care of my body and spirit. Instead of letting things end up however they end up, I have learned that I have choices to make. MY choices are the ones that will affect the outcome of MY life. I can choose happiness, I can choose how to spend my time, I can choose to be patient, I can choose how much love I show my family, I can choose to have a good attitude. Choices...that's what it's all about!

I am so thankful for this past week. I feel like I am ready to be the best me. I am ready to be BRAVE!!!

Hudson's 3rd Birthday!!!

2009-09-17T16:31:00.008-06:00

Here are about 2 million pictures from the birthday celebration. We had a great time and we are so thankful for our family and friends that made our little man feel like a king on his special day. As you can tell from his smile in these pictures, this just might have been the best day of his life! Here are 10 things I love about Hudson:
His laugh.
His ability to speak so clearly and communicate with adults.
His giant hugs.
The way he loves his family. (extended family & freinds, too)
His desire to know how/why things work like they do.
His conversations with Dad.
The way he ALWAYS has a plan in his mind.
How he loves to play pretend. All day, every day.
How he loves to snuggle "Meatball" every night and tells him he will "love him forever".
His playful, happy disposition.

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy! We LOVE you!

Our Little Turtle

2009-09-17T15:47:00.005-06:00

Bentlee has been crawling around like crazy for a couple of months. She has been rolling from front to back, sitting up, pulling herself up on things and now she even stands on her own. Through all of these milestones, she hasn't ever been able to figure out how to roll from back to front. When she ends up on her back, she just lays there so helpless, usually with arms and legs stretched out....angry. It is so hilarious. It is pretty much the only time that she is EVER still. If she ever ends up on her back, Hudson comes and tells me "Sissy isn't sad, but she has a problem and she needs you." Once I flip her over, she is back on her merry way. Just yesterday, she rolled over for the first time and it made me a little sad to think that she is growing so fast. Someone taught her that the cream is the best part of an oreo.
Love her!

Are you serious!?

2009-09-15T14:37:00.004-06:00

We just spent about 20 minutes in Sam's Club. In that short amount of time, Hudson made 2 grown men cry. Okay, so they didn't cry....but I was so humiliated, I almost did.

Scenario #1: (As we were walking through the isle, about 5 feet from the "scary guy".)
Hudson: (nearly shouting) "Mom! Let's get away from that scary guy!"
Me: "Hudson, he isn't scary."
Hudson: "But, he has that ugly mustache!"

Scenario #2: (As we are in the check out line, referring to the man in line behind us.)
Hudson: "Mom, did we see that guy when we were in the back of the store?"
Me: "No, I don't think we did."
Hudson: "Good, because he is really creepy."

Awesome.

Little Darlings...

2009-08-26T15:56:00.012-06:00

Bentlee

This little girl is giving us a run for our money (figuratively, of course). Here are some of my favorite things about her:

1. She is little Miss Independent. She has always had an idea in her mind of how things should work (since the day she was born)! She doesn't want to have anything to do with spoon feeding, she wants the food in her hand. She is not a big fan of nursing either, I guess she has too many other duties to tend to. She only likes to nurse when she is tired, when she has her blanket and when we are in HER rocking chair, in HER room with a loud fan on. Who knew keeping a baby fed could be so tough!

2. She is trying to keep up with Hudson every day. She always wants to be wherever he is. If he walks away while she is playing with something, she will usually stick the toy between her 2 little teeth to hold it and chase after him. She hates to be left alone, so she follows us around the house all day. If you get out of her range of sight, a scream will soon follow, guaranteed. She gets SO irritated when Hudson tries to hold her, or pick her up. She doesn't seem to mind when other kids do it, but as soon as Hudson lays a hand on her, she turns into a little squealer! They are good buddies and it's clear that they love eachother very much....as long as he keeps his hands off! :)

3. She is such a little snuggler. She loves to suck her 2 little fingers when she is tired. She has done that since the very beginning. In the past couple of months, she has gotten really attached to her blankets and just loves anything soft. We play a little game with her, where we lay her soft blanket on the opposite side of the room while she is playing. Then we say "So soft", and she comes trucking over at full speed, throws her head down on the blanket and gets sucking on those fingers. It's almost like it's her duty, she just can't control it.

4. As long as I can remember, she has had the cutest little involuntary leg kick. She kicks her left leg ALL the time....when she is going to bed, when she is sitting in her seat, when you are holding her. It is pretty funny to see. We love our little Thumper.

Hudson

Here are a couple of my favorite things Hudson has said and done lately. He is full of personality and really keeps us on our toes.

1. One night, while my sister and her baby were in town, Hudson came into the room to find Kallie holding Jackson. They had a little conversation...here is how it went:

Hudson: "Kallie, look at Jackson!"
Kallie: "Ya, I see him."

Hudson: "He's like....(long pause)......Creepy Baby!!!"

Kallie: (through laughter) "What do you mean!?"

Hudson: "Well, look at him!!"

Seriously? Who's kid is he? Keep in mind, Jackson is adorable. I have no idea what he was seeing.

2. He has really been testing us. He just figured out that he has the choice whether or not to like things. He learned really quickly that Mom, Dad and Sissy are things that he isn't allowed to "not like". These are a couple things he has said to me while testing this new idea.

"Mom, I love you, but your hair is really ugly." (I just dyed my hair darker...)
One morning, I was getting Bentlee out bed and I was singing a little "good morning" song to her. Hudson walked in and said "Mom, I love you, and I love Sis, and I love Dad, but I really hate that song. So, could you please never sing it again?" And he walks out with a big old smile on his face.

3. He has such a huge imagination. He shows me new tricks all day and assures me that he learned it at "Boy School". He also lets us know when Caillou stops by to visit, and makes sure I know when Caillou wants me to cuddle him. He could entertain himself for hours with a train made of kitchen chairs and all of his animals....he makes a great conductor. He also always asks if we can play pretend. He gets to be the baby, Bentlee gets to be the big brother and I always get to be the Dad. Who needs a Mom, anyway? Apparently Dads are the coolest! :)

I love these kids so much. They bring so much joy into our home.

Back to private...

2009-08-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

I decided that I am going to go back to private. I opened it up when I had Bentlee so I could show her off, and I forgot to set it back to private. Let me know if you would like to be invited. You can email me your address at chelseamerrill21@hotmail.com, or just leave a comment! Thanks!

Hydration.

2009-07-02T21:24:00.014-06:00

We had a really busy, fun June. Star Mule Days, Eagle Fun Days, Bentlee and I took a trip to Provo, Father's Day, a weekend camping with great friends, big family picnics, a car wreck, good times with friends....it's been really, really good. Except that car wreck part, that was lame. I have a ton of pictures, and I am bummed I can't post them all here, but they are on facebook if you really wanna see them! :)

This picture is one of my favorites. I have no clue what they are talking about, but this is such a familiar site. Luke and Hudson have intense talks on a regular basis. Luke is always explaining why and how things are the way they are, they are a logical little team, always talking things out. Let me just share one of my all time favorite moments with you:

When we were camping, Luke was trying to hand Hudson a drink, Hudson was refusing it and said he wasn't thirsty. Luke turned to him with a 'you know better than that' look, and said "Remember what I told you about staying hydrated?" Hudson must have remembered thier hydration talk, because he quickly accepted the drink. It made me laugh a little then, but it makes me laugh more and more every time I think about it. Hudson is 2. I was unaware, but they had already covered the important topic of hydration. I love them.

While we are talking about funny things, I gotta mention a few funny things Hudson has said lately:

1. When Luke gets home from work, Hudson always runs to hug him, but sometimes he gets distracted and gives a weak hug. Luke sometimes tells him, "Hug me like you mean it!". So, now anytime Hudson wants anything, he asks, "Mom, can you hold me like you mean it? Will you snuggle me like you mean it?"

2. I took him to the bank and the teller gave him a sucker. I unwrapped it and handed it back to him. Within about 10 seconds, he said "Thank you for the sucker mom, but maybe I don't like the nasty orange ones."

3. He has been watching Elf for the past week or so. Elf in July, why not? He started singing the other day, and as soon as his song began, he had a really confused look on his face. He was singing "Jesus Christ is coming to town..." Then he looked up at me, SO puzzled and asked, "Is Christmas for Jesus or Santa?"

He makes me laugh a million times a day.

Bentlee is crawling around like a little champ. She is such a spaz, full of life every second. She wants to be part of all of the happenings, and wants to be able to see Hudson at all times. She refuses to let me spoon feed her, she wants to do it all herself. She has got a big, bold personality, and we get to see more of it each day!

Luke is working so hard every day. He is doing Commercial Property & Casualty Insurance for a company called Premier Alliance. He only works a couple miles from home, so that has been really nice. He leaves at about 6:30am and gets home around 5:30pm. We are so thankful that he works so hard for us. Somehow, he still makes time to be an awesome Dad and Husband. We are hoping to be able to get up to the mountains again, so that he can make his big annual fishing trip in July. I would tell you where he goes, but he would have to kill me.

I am keeping busy too. I can't really say I have been doing anything really exciting, but somehow I am exhausted at the end of every day. I have been spending time with great friends, trying to be a better mom and wife, working on my sewing skills, enjoying the sunshine.....I have got it pretty good!

That's our update...sorry for the marathon post, I figured I would share it all, or I would forget! I hope you are all doing wonderful!!

Learning the art of frugality...

2009-06-09T14:55:00.004-06:00

I would say I have always been somewhat of a frugal person. I shop the sale racks, or I "dress for less" by shopping at Ross, I notice when grocery items are on sale, I consign my kids clothes...but, NOW I am learning the real ART of it all! I have been couponing like crazy, getting SO much food for free, and SO much food for pennies! For instance, today I got 8 free bags of shredded cheese....last night I got 6 boxes of free granola bars, and 4 more boxes for $.50/each.....that's just in the last 24 hours! I am building a stockpile of the things my family uses on a regular basis. I might not have a "job", but I feel like I am contributing! I am slowly getting the hang of this couponing business, and I am not sure I will ever be able to pay full price again!

Also, I have been trying to work on my sewing skills. I am a total beginner, but I learned to make cure little fabric flowers from a friend (thanks Jessica!), and another friend showed me how she was making clothes for her little girl out of old clothes and I was inspired! I decided to make Bentlee a little dress out of one of Luke's old shirts....I also used some old scraps for the flower....so this is her FREE dress!

It's not professional by any means, and it might not hold up in the wash, but it was FREE, and I made it!

Couponing, making clothes out of men's shirts....you might think I am 50! But oh, it feels so good!

4 years....

2009-05-21T21:35:00.004-06:00

It's been a wonderful, happy, exciting, crazy, busy 4 years. We are looking forward to many, many more! I'm so glad I found this guy to spend forever with!

Funny Fella....

2009-04-22T11:57:00.002-06:00

I just gotta write these things down before I forget them. Hudson is CONSTANTLY talking and singing and telling stories and using his imgaination. There are a few funny things I have heard him say lately that I gotta share.

1. He sings the songs he learns in nursery. My favorite rendition is "Popcorn Popping on the Papercut Treat". (For those who don't know, it's supposed to say Apricot Tree) Ha...and he sings it proud!

2. Another favorite song is, "Mr. Sun, Sun DON'T shine down on me." When I tell him that the song actually says PLEASE shine down on me because we love the sunshine, he reminds me that we don't like the sun shining in our eyes because it hurts. Silly me.

3. On Monday we went to the park for family night and took a walk down by the river. We passed some people that we knew, and Luke and I both said hello and continued on our way. Hudson was in the front, talking to himself (as always), and I heard him say this "Hello, what's you's name, mine name is Hudson Kiefust Merill. Nice to meet ya." He was pretending to pass someone else on the path. He had his middle name (Lucas) and Luke's middle name (Kieth) morphed. This one gave me a good laugh.

4. This morning he was in the bath and I was cleaning. I could hear him playing with his toys and talking to himself. I peeked in and I saw him with a little rubber duck, and he was pretending to wash it's hair. He had a little cup of water that he was dumping on it and kept saying, "One more rinse, and one more rinse, and one more rinse." He stopped and thought for a second, then he said, "Not really one more rinse, lots of rinses. I was tricking you so you don't cry". I wonder where he learned that.

He is so funny. I love this age!

Whoa Nellie.....

2009-04-20T21:33:00.012-06:00

2 Months? Really? I am seriously some kind of slacker. I guess there has been SO much going on that it's hard to take time to post and catch up on everything....

Since FEB. 25th....

1. Kallie had her little man! He was born on the Feb. 28th! His name is Jackson Jeffrey Maughan and he is the cutest little man this side of China (and that side of China). Bentlee and I were able to road trip down to Utah with my Mom and Mel, and we arrived at the hospital just minutes after Jax was born. We were able to stay for a lovely 4 days. It's so nice to spend time with your favorite people. We didn't do much of anything at all, but it was so wonderful to spend those days together and enjoy that sweet new baby.We got this picture of Bentlee when we were down there....it just tickles me when I see it. I love this little lady. 2. We embarked on the search for a new house. Well, not a house of our own, but a place to live for a while. We had to make a lot of decisions about what area to live in, whether we wanted to find a place on our own or team up with the in-laws and find a place together, when to move, etc. We spend a LOT of time searching on craigslist and walking through homes, but we finally made a decision. We will be moving around May 2nd to a home in Nampa near the Idaho Center (call it Burley if you must). It is just 2 miles from Luke's office, not too far from Star, and closer to my parents. It's temporary, but we found a really clean little house that is going to work out just great for us!

3. I knew that a move was right around the corner, so I started gutting my house. There couldn't be anything worse that moving old junk to a new space. I have spent every spare minute for the past couple weeks cleaning out every closet and cupboard. We had a garage sale on Saturday that went really well, but the rest is headed straight for the DI! It's so refreshing to have all of that done....I can't believe how much STUFF we had....I am SO ready to simplify! Weeks of "Spring Cleaning" unfortunately left my house a disaster. You know how it works....things are always messier until they are completely done. So...this weeks pojwect is to get it all cleaned up, then start packing....

4. Somewhere in there, Easter happened. Kallie, Jeff and Jackson were able to come up AND Tucker and Christy......that is my VERY favorite kind of weekend. Kallie came a few days early so I was able to spend some time cuddling that cute baby boy. It was so nice. We had Easter out at my Mom's house and it was wonderful as always. Here are some pics of the new Maughan fam and our Easter.

5. Bentlee turned 5 months old! Seriously, where has the time gone? She rolling over, and is eating rice cereal and baby food (mostly just sweet pototoes...they are her fav). She LOVES Luke and Hudson, and is really starting to interact...cooing, smiling, laughing, mimicking...this is my favorite stage. Bentlee is such a chubby little bundle of love!

6. Last but not least, SOMEHOW my kids managed to get EVEN CUTER. I know none of us thought it was possible, but they have proven us wrong. :)

I hope to do better in the future....but I can't make promises. This sunshine just makes me want to enjoy the great outdoors with my kids, and life is about to get crazy! This weekend we are going to see Kallie and Jeff for Jackson's blessing, the next weekend we are moving, and the weekend after that I get to go to Colorado/New Mexico to see Kristie and help her celebrate her graduation! Fun times on the horizon...yipeeeeeee!

I hope life is good for all of you....that's how it should be! XOXO!

My Cute Kids...

2009-02-25T15:46:00.003-07:00

I haven't posted for awhile..so I figured it was time. Luke had a birthday on the 16th and we had a great day...I will post pictures from that soon! For now, just some kid updates!
This picture was taken yesterday....he has been sick with some sort of cold/flu junk...feeling pretty bad. I know he doesn't look very happy, but can you even resist those eyes? Hudson becomes more and more of a little character everyday. Here are some of my favorite things he does lately:
1. He will put both hands under his chin and come sit really close to Luke or I and say "Hey Mom (or Hey Dad), What's yours ideas?" Then we just tell him how the day is going to go down or whatever is on our mind. He just wants to be in the know.
2. SOMEWHERE he picked up the term "Holy Crap"...but he says it more like "Hodie Cwap" and he says it in the funniest times. It makes me laugh... we are a real class act around here.
3. He loves Bentlee's chub. He loves to grab her cheeks and say "Chubby, Chubby Cheeks"...if you don't say it when he grabs them, he get's really upset.
4. I think he is getting a bit of cabin fever, getting sick of the same old thing. I have been trying to find fun little activities to keep him entertained. We have been painting, making books, building, etc....whenever we do something new, he gets so excited and tell me "Mom, I nuf dis pojwect!" (I love this project!) It's precious....it makes me want to do pojwects all day!

Bentlee is growing SO fast! The time is just flying by! She just hit the 3 month mark and it's so hard to believe. Here are a few of my favorite things about her lately:
1. She sleeps anywhere from 10 to 13 hours a night, then she has at least 2 good naps in the daytime. We LOVE this around our house!
2. She is so strong. She loves to straighten out her legs and "stand up". It's so funny to see because she gets SO stiff, but her little head just looks all around and wobbles.
3. She still doesn't have control of her hands. The other day she grabbed a big fist full of hair and started screaming and looking at me like I was torturing her. I tried to pull her hand out of her hair, but she kept squeezing tighter the more mad she got. I finally rescued her from her own kung fu grip...it was awesome.
4. She has become the happiest girl. She is always cooing and mimicking our noises. If I leave her alone, she will fuss for a minute, but as soon as she hears my voice from the other room, I hear her go straight back to cooing.

I love these kids. I am sure there is no better job than being a Mama. It's no cake walk, but it sure pays well! :)

Some wise words.....

2009-02-22T22:07:00.002-07:00

I just came across something that my wonderful Aunt Melody put together and gave to Luke for his birthday last year. It is just a few of the lessons her and Marq have learned along the way. I thought I would share.....

life doesn't always turn-out exactly as you planned....
....no matter how meticulous your plans were....
you learn the most during the rough spots...
...and you become more of who you really are.
it's important to make lots of fun memories...
because those will be a light that helps you find your way.
some of the greatest stuff happens when you're least expecting it....
...and lots of times you don't understand just how great it is until much later.
kind words go a really long way...
especially when they are least "deserved".
real love is completely unconditional....
and every condition that you take out makes it grow bigger.
you know a LOT more than you think you do...
...especially about your own unique path.
your spouse will always be your most important investment...
...and it takes investing every day...every single day.
you get a chance to start over every day...
...soon as the sun comes up, it's a brand new day.
the only opinion of you that matter is God's...
...and He loves you more than you could possibly understand.
uncertainty totally STINKS....
..but it brings you closer to the truth if you let it.
life is just a bunch of lessons...
..and sometimes we mistake it for so much more.
you can't possibly quantify the power of a sincere hug....
...so make sure you give & recieve them liberally.
not many marriages stay intact these days...
and those that do are not only a huge and happy blessing, but an insiration to everyone watching.
in a world and a country where you have the power to go out & be ANYTHING...
JUST BE YOURSELF.
keep everything in balance, don't take anything for granted...
...always listen to your gut...the one that God gave you...
...you'll regret it if you don't.
make & KEEP life simple.....
don't fight for titles or money or status...fight for what you really believe in...family.
there's lot of years to do lots of things...but......your kids don't wait around for you to figure it out.......they just keep growing.
forgive everyone....
...it's just happier that way.
ask God....
...and keep asking.

I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this. I just pulled it out and read it today and it reminded me of so many great life lessons. Thanks Mel...we love you so much!

2009-02-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

The past few days Hudson has been so wired and crazy....my little monster.

My little beauty....

2009-02-02T12:39:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was Bentlee's blessing day. She looked like an angel, acted like an angel and Luke gave her the most beautiful blessing. He loves his little girl so much...and she loves him right back. It was a perfect day with friends and family. I can't even describe how wonderful it is to see all of our family and friends come to adore our children like we do...it's incredible. Thanks for coming (especially Kallie & Jeff!), and thanks for loving our children!

Blessing Day...

2009-01-29T13:12:00.003-07:00

We are going to be blessing Bentlee this Sunday at 11:00 am at the church building in Star. We would love to have friends and family come if you would like to! Love you all!

2 months!

2009-01-20T14:21:00.007-07:00

Bentlee just passed the 2 month mark! It's so fun to see her smiling, and becoming familiar with her family. It's also pretty fun to have a little girl that I get to "decorate"! We just love her to pieces.

Going private...again!

2009-01-12T13:01:00.001-07:00

Hi all,
I am going to be making our blog private again next week. We opened it up when we had Bentlee, but I feel like I should go back to private. If you didn't use to have access to it and would like to, leave a comment with your email address and I will add you to the list! Thanks!

Chelsea & Luke

What a Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-29T18:26:00.009-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas festivities! One tough thing with 2 kids is getting pictures of everything! Between Luke and I, there isn't a free set of hands to capture things on camera! Here are a couple of the ones we did manage to get....

Hudson and Luke made a Gingerbread Train. It was quite a project. The next morning Hudson kept sneaking up to the table to have a "tiny little taste", as he called it. He was the cow for the Merrill Family Nativity. This is the face he made when I asked him to make a cow face....awesome.

I think this is the only picture I have of the 4 of us since little Bentlee joined the fam....I gotta do better!

Seth and Hudson at the end of the Christmas Eve festivities...do they look over-tired or over-sugared at all?!

This was Hudson's face when he opened Percy...his newest Thomas obsession. It was the only thing he wanted, and seeing his face when he opened it was so wonderful!

We had such a great Christmas! It's so fun to have our own little family and be able to see the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a 2 year old!

I hope you all had a great time with your families as well! Love you all!

Such a funny boy....

2008-12-18T09:07:00.003-07:00

I just realized it has been a few weeks since I posted...where did the time go? Since it's 9:08am and BOTH my kids are still sleeping (INCREDIBLE!), I figured I would do a quick post.

I just gotta share some of the latest Hudson-isms....he is becoming such a funny little man!

1. He has quite an imagination. Sometimes he uses it for fun, but sometimes it causes him trouble. He has been waking up in the night terrified that there is a monster, a lion, a bear or....a LADYBUG in his room. Don't worry, Luke smashed the imaginary ladybug...rest easy!

2. He has given us all "train names" from his Thomas collection. He is Percy, I am Thomas, Luke is Gordon, and Bentlee is Molly. More often than not, he refers to us in our code names....it's fantastic.

3. This one is my favorite. Having a new baby, I have been asking Hudson for help every once in awhile. I have been asking him to grab a diaper, get Bentlee's blanket, etc. At first, he was really willing, now he thinks its funny to see what happens when he DOESN'T cooperate. Now every time I ask him to do anything, he will walk really slow, and look around for a reason to stall and say "one second" really slowly while he finds something else he NEEDS to do. I don't know if you can even picture it without seeing it, but it's SO hilarious.

4. Since Bentlee's arrival, he has been acting a but like a baby every once in awhile. For the most part, he does really well, but when he is tired, it's a pretty funny sight. He pretends like he can't walk and acts like he loses his balance. He falls all over the place, then he cries and cries and tells me he can't walk anymore. He also acts like everything he picks up weighs 100 lbs...usually he ends up falling over just from the sheer weight! Pillows are apparently the heaviest....they knock him down every time.

Those are probably just things that Mom's get a kick out of...but I sure do love him. It's so fun to watch him grow.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this wonderful season!

Picture Day!

2008-11-26T16:20:00.008-07:00

We had picture day today for Baby Bentlee. Hudson thought it was pretty fun, so he got in on the action a little bit too.

What little angels. I am one lucky woman! Hopefully we will take some better ones of Hudson and some family pics too! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Showing off my girl....

2008-11-21T19:49:00.006-07:00

Just a few more pictures of our little doll. She changes every day. Pretty cute huh? We love her.

She's here!

2008-11-19T08:57:00.009-07:00

Bentlee Katherine Merrill arrived last night at 6:29pm. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 7 oz and was a wee 17 1/2 inches long. It was a long day, but once my body finally decided to dialate, I went quick...once I was completely dialated it only took 2 pushes and she was out! She is a tiny little peanut, with the cutest chubby cheeks and arms. We haven't had a chance to take any more pictures yet this morning, and she is already looking a ton different, but here are some pics from last night!

We are so excited to take her home and get settled in! Hudson and Luke both just adore her....there isn't anything better than that! More pictures to come once things get calmed down a bit!

P.S. Our blog is usually private, but I decided to open it up today. If you can't usually access it, or you would like to access it regularly...just leave your email address in the comments and I will add you to the list!

When it rains, it pours....

2008-11-03T09:33:00.010-07:00

No sillies, I am not speaking of an actual storm, but the wonderful baby shower my buddies threw for me....it felt more like a monsoon! Thanks to all of you who came, or sent your best wishes...I really feel SO lucky to have such great people all around me that are almost as excited to meet this little girl as I am! I didn't get very many pictures, though. I didn't get any with my mom, mother-in law, wonderful sister-in-law (who made the yummy muffins), or fabulous aunt melody (responsible for the decorations)...or a few of my other favorite people...but here are a few from the celebration!

one of my favorite freaks.another favorite freak.

just a freaky picture...I wanted to show off the beautiful quilt my mama made and this is the only pic I had. Let's be honest, it's sexy.

one more really great freak.

Kallie came all the way for the shower (she left at 3am and drove all night), Holly was the gracious host, and all the buddies pitched in with the food...complete with a yogurt/granola bar, fresh fruit and mini quiche...it was impressive! Thanks so much buddies! I sure love you all!

P.S.....15 days til Bentlee is here!

Bowling with the Fam...

2008-10-28T11:27:00.007-06:00

These pictures are from a couple of weeks ago when Tuck and Christy came up. We all went over to Westy's for a cheap date! The whole Wilkins fam (minus Kallie and Jeff), Marq and Mel and our little fam came..it was a good time. Anyways...I just figured I better post some pictures, or I would never get around to it! We just wish these guys lived here all the time...we miss them SO much!

Lucky me...

2008-10-22T14:10:00.000-06:00

I love him.

I think I am in love....

2008-10-17T10:00:00.002-06:00

Today is one of those really wonderful days with no real agenda, no commitments, nowhere to be...just a day to be with my little man. He woke up early this morning, so I took in some milk and decided to snuggle him for a bit (this rarely happens). When I climbed in bed with him, he wrapped both of his little arms around my neck, and nuzzled his cheek next to mine. He also likes to grab my arm, and make sure it's wrapped tightly around his chest. It didn't take long for him to fall right back to sleep. I just really can't believe how much a child is able to expand your capacity to love. I just laid there and looked at him, feeling his little arms around my neck and I just wanted so bad to kiss those soft, squishy cheeks....I knew I might wake him up by doing it....but I just couldn't stop myself. I could have laid there and watched him sleep all day long. Lately, I have been feeling large and tired and haven't really felt like Hudson has been getting the attention and stimulation that a 2 year old needs....but he is as happy as can be, and he loves me despite the lazy days I sometimes have. I just feel so lucky to be a Mom to this sweet little boy. I can't think of a greater blessing than to have the chance to love so much, and be loved so unconditionally in return. I love my little man!

PS...

2008-10-06T21:52:00.001-06:00

That little baby countdown on the side says 52 days, but she is inducing me 9 days early. That means only 43 days to go! We are getting really excited...and really quite nervous....!

Over-bedazzled....

2008-10-06T15:06:00.003-06:00

I think I have a tendancy to over-do it.

I have made a few backgrounds for my blog that have been way over the top and hideous. Just over-bedazzled I would say. Anyways...I couldn't stand the last one, so I am sticking to standard to give the eyes a little break.

I have also been doing some bedazzling in prep for this little girl. I had a few people over Friday night to hang out during the priesthood session and we made headbands and bows for my little gem. Thank heaven's Mel and Malary came...they really know how to spruce things up...they have some serious talent. They even sewed and embroidered on some of them! Anyways...we made over 40 adornments for Bentlee's tiny little head. I know they are hard to see...this picture doesn't do them justice.

These all have little clips on the back that will slide onto a little headband, or we will just slip them into her hair as soon as she has some! I think I made about 3 of these. Thanks Mel and Mal for all your help!

She may be over-bedazzled every second of the day, but she will certainly be cute, right!?

I let it happen again....

2008-09-24T22:05:00.011-06:00

Whoops...there goes another month! I will try to do better. I just uploaded my pictures and realized that I haven't taken ANY pictures since Hudson's birthday (Sept. 4th)...what a shame! I guess I will just start with that....

We had some friends and family come to the park for dinner and cake on Labor Day. For Hudson, the birthday concept was still sort of foreign, so as I made the cake, I kept telling him that we were going to go to the park and see all of our friends and sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles, etc. I didn't really think he was comprehending it at the time, but apparently he was. His cousin Seth stood right by him when it came to candle time, and I guess he just couldn't hold it back...he decided Hudson needed some help. Hudson was SO miffed. He didn't cry or get mad, per say...he just gave Seth the longest, crustiest look. The look in his eyes just said....
Candles = Birthday
Seth= Birthday Crasher
I handed off my camera to someone else at the last minute, and she didn't really see the priceless look on Hudson's face, but you can kind of see it in these pics. To this day, if I ask him about his birthday, he makes and angry face and says "Dat Boiy Hep Me Bwow Mine Cake". I don't think he will forget it as long as he lives. Anyways...here are some pictures of the day....

I love the picture with Hudson and his balloon, that's what gave him the most pleasure. After I slaved away making a goofy looking frog cake, Hudson was just interested in the cupcakes...he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into those marshmallow eyes. Next year...the more simple, the better. It was a GREAT birthday, and we are so happy that we got to share it with so many. It's hard to believe it's been 2 years! (and one month......)

Hudson has been talking a TON. It's so fun that he communicates now, no more guessing! He LOVES Thomas the Train, and any train for that matter. He is still obsessed with Luke...everything is more fun with Dad! He is finally starting to understand that we are going to have a baby sissy at our house. I don't know how the whole jealousy think will work out, but he is so tender about it all....he is going to be such a sweet, loving brother...I can already tell!

The doctor is going out of town around my due date (that's weird...who travels for Thanksgiving)!? So, she scheduled me to be induced on Nov. 18th. I know you can't really PLAN these thing, but I am doing my best to try! At least I know that is the latest that I will go....that's only like 7 weeks away...geesh! I am still feeling good, I am just started to get wiped out really easily. I think chasing a 2 year old is exhausting....how will I do it with 2?! I guess I will cross that road when the time comes......

Luke is about to start month 3 with his new job. He is just loving it! Forgive me for a minute, but I have to take a second to brag about him. If I don't do it, who will!? He has been working SO hard, I can just see the drive in his eyes. It blows me away how much he has done, and continues to do for our family. He already sold 2 commercial policies, and there are several more in the works. He wasn't expected to sell a single thing until November! He had a work party the other night and his boss came up to me and said " I want you to know how well he is doing. Even better than I could have imagined...I am even having a hard time keeping up with him. Really, he is doing phenomenal." Duh...of course he is, it's Luke.....I don't know why it was nice to hear it from him, because I already KNEW he would be awesome. It just makes me feel so wonderful to know that he is enjoying it, and that he is seeing results, and that he is in an environment where is efforts are noticed....I am just really thankful for this job, and even more thankful for my dedicated, hard-working, persistant husband. He makes life so good for us. He will probably kill me if he know I wrote this gushing entry about him, but what can you do, a wife has got to have pride in her man, right?

Well, I guess that's about it for us. I got my camera out and I will leave it out so that I will remember to take more pictures. I LOVE seeing new posts on other blogs, so I will do my best to be a better blogger....I promise! I hope everyone is healthy and happy! XOXO!

Time for an update...

2008-08-29T09:19:00.010-06:00

I am long past due for an update. I think I was just too overwhelmed with pictures to post any, but I sorted through them, and these will have to work for now....here is a little snip-it of what we have been up to.... Catching Frogs....Dad caught it, and Hudson thought he was in Heaven!

As requested, a picture of my ever growing tummy. This was at 25 weeks, so I have even gotten larger!

We made the transition to the Big Boy bed, and Hudson LOVES it! I think it has been successful, except we might have stressed the big BOY part of it, cause now he thinks his name is BOY instead of Hudson. We are working on it....

Kristie and Eva came to town and Luke was gracious enough to host a boat trip filled with girls and babies. We loved it!

We went to Silvercreek with my fam and Hudson got more dirty than ever before in his life. Check out his legs, and hands....you should have seen his back. If this boy has rocks, sticks and dirt....he is a happy camper!

We swam in the hot springs pool at Silvercreek. Hudson loved playing with Nana, Papa and the twins, pretending to fish with a noodle (that is an imaginary fish in his hand...surprised you didn't know that)....but, out of all of us, I think Luke had the best time as the marshmallow man. Good times.

Hudson was able to go fishing with Dad and Papa and learned to reel in REAL fish! He liked reeling them in, but wasn't too sure about touching them. I am sure that part will come. He also just loved playing in the water and throwing rocks...what a simple, good life!

That's all for now. I have been tagged, and I will get to that....I promise to do better! Love to you all!

our weekend at the cabin....

2008-07-31T23:30:00.007-06:00

We got the chance to head up to the cabin this weekend. It was a nice, relaxing trip. We did a little boating, a little fishing, a lot of lounging and enjoying the beauty around us. Mel and the kids came up, and so did the Ranstroms....the company was the best part of all. Hudson loved exploring the great outdoors, and I even caught a couple cute pictures of him doing his REAL smile, instead of the cheeseball one that Luke so proudly taught him. I hope you all had as great of a weekend as we did!

Going Private....

2008-07-18T14:06:00.002-06:00

Hey Dudes,
I have decided to make my blog private. I know, I know...it's SO annoying when you have to sign in everytime, but there are creeps out there, and I don't want the wrong people looking in on my fam! So....leave me your email address and I will gladly add you to the list! I will give it a week or so, and I hope not to block anyone out!!

What a slacker!

2008-07-15T12:19:00.011-06:00

I can't believe the last time I posted was in May! I have really let myself go! I just opened Photoshop with all intentions of sprucing up my whole blog, but then I realized that I wasn't willing to put in that kind of time today....today is a hang out outside, take a nap, hang with the kid kind of day....maybe next time! But I decided it was long past time for me to post! PLUS, we got some exciting news today that I have GOT to share! I know these pictures are a little bit "skeletor" as Luke calls it, but he is a picture of our little one.

Also....here is the next picture. It's almost impossible to tell what you are looking at, but see what it says there on the bottom of the picture? It's a girl! Appartently those 3 little while lines mean that it's a girl! We are so excited!

I have also been a slacker with the camera lately and I don't seem to have many good pictures. We have just been having a good old time camping, going to all the parades, visiting Utah, boating, hanging out with family, etc. These next pictures don't do our summer justice....you will just have to take my word for it...we are having a GREAT time!

Well....I was going to post some 4th of July pictures and boating pictures, but I will do that next time. I promise not to stay away so long! I hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful summer!

We love Springtime!

2008-05-25T09:52:00.009-06:00

It seems like we have only gotten a couple of weeks of spring, and June is only a week away! We have had some good times and have really enjoyed this time of year. I figured I should post some pictures since it has been awhile. These are just some randoms from lately....
(above) He loves making funny faces for the camera. I don't really have any normal ones. I wonder where he got that!?

(above) This is his best whining face. When he looks at me like this, you can bet he gets just about anything he wants! Maybe not...but it's tempting. What a funny boy.

(above)The first HOT day, we had our friend Sequoia over to run through the sprinklers and have popsicles. They loved it!

(above) Hudson with Nana, playing in the "creek". He loves going out there and seeing all the animals on the drive, and running around thier huge yard! It's paradise for a little guy!

(above) Hudson with the Twins. They were watching Bee Movie, so it's a miracle that we got him to look! The girls finally convinced Mom to let them cut thier hair short...I think it's perfect for summer!

Luke and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary this week. It's really hard to believe it has been that long. I know we are just getting started, and I am really looking forward to spending the rest of eternity together! It's been a great 3 years....with such a great Husband, what else could I expect?!

That's about it for us at this point. I am sure there will be more pictures of summer fun right around the corner! I hope everyone is doing well!

XOXO!

I guess the secret is out!!!

2008-05-13T17:25:00.003-06:00

We are pregnant! I told my Mom a week or so ago, and today I ran into one of my Aunt's and she congratulated me. I guess that means that ALL the Aunt's probably know, and there is no keeping it a secret anymore! I wanted to tell my friends in person, but I am not sure when this month's get-together will take place....so I had no choice!

Here is our first ultrasound pic from about a month ago. I know you can't see much, but we saw a heartbeat and it's all so exciting! I haven't been nearly as sick as I was with Hudson, so maybe that means we have a girl on our hands? Either way, we just feel so lucky to be able to add to our family! The little one is due on Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving!), I am just about 12 weeks along!

Our monthly update....

2008-04-30T13:39:00.005-06:00

Most days, I go and check the blogs of all of my friends and family and usually I get really disappointed when there isn't anything new. It has been brought to my attention that it has been over a month since I have written! I wish I had a lot of exciting things to say about the past month, but it seems like we have just been chugging along, doing our thing. I guess I have a few things to update!

Well, Tucker and Christy moved out this weekend. It was so sad to see them go. We had dinner together every night, did movie night on the weekends, went to church together...we were like a big, happy family. Hudson thought they were just an extension of the family, and he is so distraught every time he sees their empty room. We love them so much. Maybe they will need to come back sometime....and we would love to have them.

Luke is still searching for work. He puts in long hours every day looking at all the job websites, calling everyone he knows, driving around to meet with people, etc. It seems like there are a lot of people in this situation, things are a little bit uncertain right now. I am so impressed that he has the gusto to keep looking day in and day out. What a great man. I have no doubt that he will find something soon. If you know anyone that is looking for a wonderful, hard-working employee...let us know!

This transition has caused us to cut back on many things, and it has been so wonderful. There are so many things that we have come to look upon as necessities, and when we really come to realize it, the only things that are necessities are our families and the relationships that we have. While everything is up in the air, it feels so good to become grounded by the constant, steady things that really mean something.

Heather (my good friend) got married this weekend. All of us bridesmaids stayed busy the week before with all of the duties that come with being part of the wedding party. It was a beautiful wedding, and we are so happy for her.

Heather's wedding brought Kristie and her sweet baby Eva into town. it was so good to see them and get to spend quality time with them. Yet another manifestation that good friends can just pick up right were they left off. I am so abundantly blessed with my great circle of friends.

I have had a few issues in the girl department, so my doctor has me on progesterone supplements. Progesterone is a natural "relaxer" and it tends to cause drowsiness. I feel more tired than ever. I swear I could sleep all day and all night and still not have it be enough. Hopefully I will be able to get off them soon!

I am in Young Women's in our ward. One of the girls went into the ER last week and they discovered that she had a rapidly growing brain tumor. She went into emergency surgery the following day. 2 weeks ago she went on her first date, and now she is bald, with a large section of he skull missing, wondering what will happen next. It was cancerous, but she is healing incredibly and it looks like they may have gotten it all out. She is a beautiful, strong girl. Please keep her in your prayers, she certainly could use it.

I have had a lot on my mind for the past month. It just seems like things are so uncertain for so many people. Life just doesn't always (ever) go just as you had anticipated. However, I have realized that there are a few constant things that we can always count on. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, my son, my family, my friends, and the Lord, for being there when it seems everything is out of your control.

I promise I won't wait this long again....I will post pictures soon to.

XOXO!

Where have we been?

2008-03-29T14:22:00.007-06:00

It seems like it has been awhile! I thought I would share some of the recent happenings in our lives through pictures. These pictures were all from the Johnson Family Gathering at Celebration Park on the day before Easter. We have so much fun every time we get together with everyone (even if the "park" is not actually a park at all!) We had a great time!

Here are a couple of pictures from Easter. We had dinner at the Merrill's and had a great time with the family. Hudson loves to be with his cousins...and he LOVES Easter candy. I think I only have 1 picture from that whole day where he doesn't have candy in his mouth! It was a good day for him.

We feel so lucky to have such wonderful family on both sides! I hope you all had a great Easter too!

More people I love....

2008-03-20T14:51:00.009-06:00

I wrote a post awhile ago about a bunch of people that I love, but I didn't even make a dent in my list. So I thought I would share a few more today.... I am sure that I will only get a few more knocked off the list, but it makes me feel so good to brag about my favorite people!!
This is my good friend Holly. How could you not love her with sweet posing skills like this? She is the master of self portraits, and always good for a laugh. She has been having a rough couple of days, get she still manages to write me a good, laugh-out-loud email. She is fantastic! She is also my new business "partner"...her business name is Henry, and mine is Charles. When we have meetings, we bring breifcases. We don't mess around.

This is Kristen, Kripeeton, Porter, Bood...the one and only. She just had major knee surgery for the 2nd time. She is a total trooper. Her and I just have this bond, I can't really describe it. I guess 12 years of best-friend-hood will do that to you. It all started back in 7th grade when we were summertime penpals that lived about 6 miles apart. We have been through a lot of really good times together; we lived together, we traveled together, and we even got in a fight once. I just love my Port. She is one of the funniest people I know, possibly the #1 funniest.

This is my little brother, Tucker. Since they have been living with us, I think I have grown to love him even more. It might just be our creepy family, but we know just the things to make eachother laugh. Luke and Christy usually just look at us like we are freaks. But, at least we aren't freaks. This is a picture of him building a sandbox for Hudson. Hudson just loves his Uncle Buck so much!

Well, I only had time to write a little bit today! If you haven't been featured, and you think that I might love you....stay tuned!!!

Cobalt Bloom

2008-03-12T16:07:00.003-06:00

I know that several of you visited the Cobalt Bloom blog to help us decide on a logo. We are still deciding between a couple, but you helped us to narrow it down tremendously!! Holly has posted a few little design samples on our blog http://cobaltbloom.blogspot.com. We hope you will come check it out! We would also love to hear any ideas or suggestions that you might have!

Child Labor!?

2008-03-11T08:57:00.012-06:00

Hudson is my little slave. Here are some pictures of his new favorite chores. He cooks, he does dishes, he mops...I think I could learn to love this...

Luke was cutting chicken, with a sharp knife and Hudson was very anxious to help. So, he got to cut a banana with a butter knife. I am pretty sure it was the best day of his life.
He could "do the dishes" for hours. He gets so focused. Usually he ends up soaking himself and the kitchen...but he always helps clean it up....We got him his own little stool so that he can see/help with everything that we are doing. When he wakes up, he runs to the kitchen to find his stool. He is so proud of himself. He is pretty precious, isn't he?!

A full heart....

2008-03-03T15:17:00.004-07:00

All weekend I have just felt really overwhelmed. I can't believe how many WONDERFUL people that I have in my life. This weekend, I got to spend time with a lot of my favorite people, and it just makes my heart so full.

On Thursday night, I got to go out to Melba to stay with Marq and Mel's kids while they made a quick trip to Denver. I used to stay with them all the time when their parents were gone, but it has been awhile, so I was so excited!

I spent all day Thursday and Friday with Mitchy. What a little ball of fire he is. It was so fun to hear all of his jokes and body noises, and see him play with Hudson. I think he had a bit of a hard time giving up his spot as the youngest child, but he was very sweet to Hudson...and he taught him all sorts of really great new tricks. Never a dull moment with the youngest of the Ross clan.

When the kids got home from school, we were trying to get the house cleaned up, and Max takes his duties very seriously. He didn't come out of his room even ONCE until he was finished cleaning up the giant lego disaster. He is so focused on everything he does. Later that night, he was building a Lego city with Luke, when I came in and told him it was time for bed. He politely asked me for 5 more minutes so that he could finish one more tower, and then clean up his mess before bed, so that he can show his mom and dad how hard he worked. Never a complaint, never a mean word....I just LOVE this little man!

Then comes Madi, oh sweet Madi. I started cleaning the bonus room before they got home from school, and it only took about 5 minutes to realize that the bonus room must be Madi's "area" to keep clean. There were things stashed in EVERY nook and cranny...mostly her things. Sure enough, when she go home from school, she confessed to the stashing, has a good laugh about it, and helped me finish cleaning. She is one spunky little sister, so full of life. She can be a little rowdy at times, but I gotta tell you, nothing beats a good Madi hug!

Malary was my little life-saver as always. On Thursday night, we took on the task of making Sweet and Sour Chicken from scratch. Hudson has just about had it with all of the attention, so he needed some Mommy time. Malary was either stirring dinner, distracting Hudson, setting the table or making sure the boys were handled. She has a magical way of preventing chaos. It's so fun that she is getting older, she is becoming more and more fun to hang out with every time I see her.

I have to admit, I was a little worried about "parenting" Brock. I don't know how to deal with a 16 year old, and he has a history of being a bit of a challenge for me...I mean, he ran away from home when I was staying with him once...but that's a whole different story!:) But, he was so fun to talk to and laugh with. Still a bit of a little punk at times, but what could I really expect? He was really polite the whole time, and it's just fun to see what a great kid he is turning into.

Wow, this is getting SO long, but I have SO many other people to tell you about than just the Ross Family! I will try not to be so wordy, but I have to continue.....

While I was at the Ross's, my Mom came by and dropped the twins off. She was only there for about 5 minutes, but when she walked into Max and Mitch's room, she saw a stain on the floor (It must have been there awhile), she walked out to her car for a second and came back in with a bottle of resolve and started scrubbing. This is just the kind of lady she is. She didn't really say anything about it, when she was done, she just walked back into the kitchen, and said "I got it out". Then she headed home. What a sweet lady. It's NO WONDER I turned out so fantastic. :)

The twins were little jewels as always. They kept Madi entertained and outside for a couple of hours, they helped her with her chores, and helped with Hudson...he just adores them. What great girls.

Man...I am just getting to Friday....

Friday night we went to a little "going away" gathering in honor of some friends of ours, Ben and Lori Rydalch. They are moving away from Star, to be closer to their family, we are sure going to miss them. If you have met these guys, I am sure that you can understand why we love them so much. They are so happy, so positive, so easy to talk to. I think that when you get married, you kind of have to start dating other couples to make sure that everyone is compatible. You might say that we are going steady with the Rydalch's. Luke has always said how "pleasant" Lori is to be around, and I couldn't have said it better myself. It was just a really nice night, with really good people. How can you beat that?

I have to skip a couple of things cause I am running out of room...

On Saturday afternoon, we went to my little cousin Hailey's baptism. Her family lives in Idaho Falls, but she wanted to come up here to get baptized so that all of her cousins could be there. Sure enough...almost all the cousins were there. I think everyone that lives in Idaho made it, and I think it's safe to say that there were about 50 people there to support her. It was awesome. She is so sweet, and it was so great to see her go hug everyone in the room and thank them for coming. It's so wonderful to have such a BIG family.

After the baptism, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Root Beer Floats. As usual, the house was packed. I peeked into the TV room at one point, there were about 10 kids on the little couch, and 8 others on the floor, and Grandpa was sitting on the recliner, and they were all eating their root beer floats in the big red cups as they watched the old version of Little Rascals...they were all laughing so hard together, and Grandpa was laughing harder than all of them! I wish I had my camera with me! I remember doing the same thing when I was little, and it is one of my favorite memories. I just think it's amazing how Grandma and Grandpa can make each of their 40 grand kids feel so special, and so loved. They really are leaving a legacy.

It was so great to spend the weekend with such wonderful people...I feel so lucky to know so many incredible people!

Well...I guess I will stop there. I only got to cover the Ross Kids, The Rydalch's, and The Johnson's! I will have to do another post like this really soon to "spotlight" some more of my favorite people!

We need help!

2008-02-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

My friend Holly and I have decided to start a design company. We need help deciding on a logo. Please go to our new blog cobaltbloom.blogspot.com and check out the logos to help us decide! Thanks so much!

Transition....

2008-02-21T14:57:00.010-07:00

We have been going through a fair bit of transition lately.

Hudson making the transition from a baby to a toddler. He manifests his new stage in temper tantrums, taking LONG naps (he just gets so tried doing all that running around), grabbing anyone who will follow him by the finger and making them do whatever he wants, dancing and "interacing" with vroom noises as he watches Cars, trying to talk and make animal noises, etc. It's so fun to see him growing, but it does come with some challenges.

This is one of the wonderful tantrums. The chocolate chips are in the cupboard behind him, and his mean mommy wouldn't let him have anymore. This boy LOVES his treats, and he let's me know when he wants them!

We are also going through the transition of adding 2 more members to our house. Tucker and Christy moved in at the end of January to save some money while he is starting flight school. So far it is working out really well.

They are living across the hall from Hudson, so they might not get quite as rested as they used to, but I think it's working out for all of us. Now I make dinner for 4 adults, and it actually makes cooking dinner so much easier!

THEN, we have the biggest transition of all. Luke is transitioning into a new job. He is designing and creating websites from the ground up with his friend Jason Honn. (So, if you need a website, or know someone who does....these are the guys to call!) He has always had an interest in this sort of work, but we are so glad that Jason is willing to help teach him and give us this great opportunity. There is a couple of pretty hefty "textbooks" that he has to learn, but he is a computer wiz and is getting the hang of it really quickly. It's so great to see his get excited about what he is doing. Somehow he puts in at least 10-12 hours a day of studying and working on websites and still manages to be such a huge help around here, and SUCH a wonderful dad to Hudson.

Hard-working, ambitious, handsome....what more could I ask for? I just love him so much!

There are a few other things that have happened recently as well, so at this point, the future all seems a little bit unclear but, we are looking forward to see what will come next! Life is an adventure, and although it's not always easy to understand, we are doing our best to enjoy every moment!

Typepad just wasn't cutting it!

2008-02-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Team!

I decided to make the switch to blogspot, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get typepad to do the layouts and background that I wanted. It still looks a little gimpy on here, but it's my first day, what do you really expect? I will figure it out! Anyways....discard my other blog address, and save this one to your database...and I know you all have a database. Until next time....