Rain and Rings and Swings Oh My

Monday we had our nephews Connor and Corey over. It was a day filled with boys playing with each other, some minor issues of feelings hurt, lots of noise and TV time. Benjamin seemed overall to enjoy hanging out with his cousins.

We decided we would break up the day with an outing. We walked down to the elementary school to play on the playground there. I knew it would help wear them all out a bit.

Sorry this one is a little blurry but I still love it. It was the first thing Connor did when we got there.

Jared is probably a favorite uncle because he knows how to get down and silly with the kids.

Connor was able to reach one of the rings and just hang there. I kept telling him he had to swing onto the first one and reach for the second. He kept telling me he couldn't. I told him yes he could he just had to try. It wasn't long before he was able to get to the second without an issue and onto the third. He had a blast hanging on the rings!

Corey of course got a little jealous and wanted to be like his brother. So uncle Jared stepped in with Benjamin in tow and helped him out.

Now Corey cracked me up on this. He did it a few times with his uncles help and following Connor's lead but then went back without either of them there. He got up to the top and then freaked out like he did with his uncles help about how he needed help and was stuck. We told him he was fine (the drop wasn't much if he did fall) and told him to keep trying. He almost fell off and then made it all the way across and back down the other side without any help. I was pretty proud of him.

We eventually went over to the swings. Corey only wanted little pushes until Connor got a big push from Uncle Jared. Then Corey wanted slightly bigger pushes. I couldn't resist the call of the swing. I sat there with Benjamin swinging back and forth for a few minutes. Then I handed Benjamin over to Jared so I could swing. Now this swing is meant to kids not adults so my legs could not go under me straight out and pump with the upper body. I got the boys' attention and jumped off. They thought it was pretty cool.

After swinging we packed up and headed home. Just in time I might add. It really started to rain once we were inside. On the way to play it started raining and I kept praying it would hold off so we could play and get back home without too much rainfall. We got there and it stopped and we got home and it poured. Another tender mercy from the Lord.

A Fort For Benjamin

Jared turned Benjamin's crib into a fort which Benjamin just loved. He would climb around underneath it and then pop his head out at the end by me. Then he would tear the fort down. It was so much fun for him and fun to us to watch. We love playing with Benjamin so much.

Rainbows, Pudding and Benjamin

I am taking a break. A break from making bread to blog. Well the bread is taking it's break actually so I thought I would finally post some pictures I wanted to get up a few days ago. Back to the bread though really quick...It's really kind of therapeutic making bread...more specifically the kneading of the dough.

On Thursday I looked out our back windows and saw it raining and the sun shining. I said to Jared, "There is a rainbow somewhere!" He respond, "You are correct." We decided to look around and see if we could find it.

And find it we did. Just out our front windows.

Jared brought in my workout steps from the garage (had to clean them off of dust and cobwebs...it's been awhile since I used them). He put them in front of the living room window for Benjamin to be able to climb up and enjoy the view. Needless to say Benjamin loved it!

Benjamin enjoys being on our laps at the piano but I think he enjoys being there on his own.

My little prodigy.

Wednesday I made some brownies with a peanut butter pudding topping for our young women's activity. I had leftover vanilla pudding that I had put in my fancy brandy sniffer glasses. I love fancy glasses they make things feel elegant or just more enjoyable at least.

We let Benjamin have a taste and he became a beggar. He was relentless. We had fun watching him beg and giving him little bits of pudding and whip cream (the homemade kind).

After our afternoon dessert I decided I would vacuum. Benjamin was super clingy and I knew if I vacuumed he would be fine. He followed me around the upstairs and tried to climb the vacuum when I stopped.

It was a great Thursday!

Exciting News

Benjamin walked yesterday!

He took 2-3 steps several times passing between Jared and I yesterday morning. I tried to capture it and force him to do it again in the afternoon. You can see here it does 1-2 twice. We keep trying to get him to walk but he doesn't seem quiet ready but he is on the verge.

You totally thought the exciting news was something else huh? Admit it.

Happy Valentines Day!

A group of ladies from church gets together every week to let our kids play together. This week Allyson who organizes our play group decided it would be fun to do a Valentine's Day exchange. I decided to jump on board. After all it is Benjamin's 1st Valentine's Day (yes Jared I know he won't remember).

This is what I made today for tomorrow!

I know not the exciting news yet. Be patient. I promise it's coming!

All I Want For...

My two front teeth! Well at least the bottom front two. The second one came in Saturday and I found it Sunday at church.

More exciting news to come later!

Had to share

I could not not share these two pictures! I was trying to get a picture of Benjamin's first tooth cutting through but of course he kept it hidden. But I got some great shots.

I love his blonde hair and blue eyes. I think he is just precious!

I'm a Coach

Several weeks ago I applied for a coaching position at the local high school. I am excited to report I got the position this week. I am an assitant coach for track and field. I will be coaching the shot-put, discus and javelin. I am so excited. This will help me get back in shape.

Yesterday I went to a coaches clinic on the javelin and left Benjamin home with Jared for about 4-5 hours roughly. When I got home Benjamin lit up to see me. I must say coming home to a welcoming like that is just wonderful!

And since Jared isn't working it works out great now because I don't have to worry about getting a sitter while I run to practice every day.

The Best Laid Plans...

Every week at the beginning on either Sunday or Monday Jared will ask me what the schedule is. We had a fairly busy schedule at first and then the week was going to calm down.

Scheduled Week :

Monday - Piano lessons at 6pm

Tuesday - Relief Society Activity at 6:30pm

Wednesday - Jared had a unemployment thing to attend at 1pm and I had my presidency meeting at 6:30pm and my young women activity at 7pm

Thursday - Invited to a partylite party at 7pm

Friday - Nothing

Saturday - Nothing

Sunday - Ward council at 8:30am and church at 10am

What actually happened:

Benjamin got sick starting Sunday night/Monday morning. So I canceled my piano lesson for Monday.

Tuesday Benjamin was still sick so I didn't attend the Relief Society activity. We went for 3 drives that night to get Benjamin to sleep.

Wednesday I got invited to go to the park. I did that for about an hour with Benjamin. I canceled the presidency meeting and went to the young women's activity for a little bit with Jared and Benjamin. Benjamin fell asleep on the way there.

Thursday we went to Azteca for lunch to celebrate Jared's mom's birthday. And in the afternoon I walked to the park in town and back with a good friend of mine.

Friday at 8am I met with the local high school's athletic director for a coaching position. 9:45am I left my house and drove to Seattle for a coaches clinic.

Saturday I am attending 3 more clinics on the shot put and discus.

Sunday I will attend my meetings and church.

It's funny how your plans get changed so easily. The week kind of went in reverse. Not much going on to busy busy. Oh and Benjamin cut his first tooth on Thursday! I felt it on the way home from lunch. So it explains being sick and extra clingy to his mommy.

Play Date

Last week one of my Young Women came over and brought her little brother since she was watching him so we could work on a project. We timed it early enough in the day that the boys could or would hopefully play with eachother. It was cute.

Blaine and Benjamin had fun learning how to share the walker together at the same time.

Faces of a baby

So serious!

Happy boy!

Help with the dishes

Benjamin has a new favorite thing to do! He loves to "help" with the dishes. It doesn't matter what or who he is playing with, if he hears the dishes being done he makes a beeline for the dishwasher to help out. He will climb up on the dishwasher and try to get a hold of things. Benjamin has not mastered climbing up onto the dishwasher after pushing the lower basket in.

Jared says that he never imagined he would have to tell Benjamin not to climb into the dishwasher.

Early Morning

Benjamin had a super full diaper this morning that leaked. I tried to change his diaper and clothes without fully waking him up. Good luck! That never works. So Benjamin and I got out of bed at 6:15am and got him dressed and came downstairs.

Somebody is still tired. I am hoping for an early nap.

Random Pics

More pics of Benjamin as per request!