Picture Updates

As many of you are aware, we are freaks about regularly having our kid’s pictures taken. As Benjamin’s 5th birthday was approaching and Abigail reached 18 months – the timing was perfect to have updated pictures.

I wish we could say this experience was as smooth as our past experiences. However, we now have Abigail! LOL! And yes it was drama and we didn’t think we were going to be able to get a single picture of her as the first 30 minutes she cried. Well, you would never have known by the way they turned out – enjoy!

Benjamin’s 5 Year-old Close-up

Abigail's 18 month-old Close-up

We could not resist on the looking down one!

So Pretty!

Sitting SO Tall!

Our Little Patriotic Girl!

Even though we have soo many pictures - we will never be able to replace these moments and I am glad we are trying to capture just a few as we will never regret having them!

Celebrating 5 Years!

Our little boy turned 5 this last week. It’s crazy to think he has been with Mitzi and I for five years. Where has the time gone?



On Saturday we had his birthday party where he was spoiled by his friends! He got more that we could have ever asked for! He was so grateful for all his presents and the party being just about HIM! He was adorable.

On Monday, his actual birthday, we allowed him to open his presents from family – and again he was spoiled. Later that morning we took him to the Zoo. We had a fun time and the weather was awesome! We came back and he was able to play with his friends for a bit while Mitzi and I went to the Dr’s for our scheduled ultrasound. It was hard to break it to Benjamin on his birthday that he was going to have another sister – as all he would talk about was how this next baby needed to be a boy.


In our attempt to lighten his mood we took him up to Lagoon and spent almost 4 hours letting him ride every ride he wanted to. The lines were VERY short, and the weather was again just right! He even rode the “Tidal Wave” for the first time and said he needed to do it again – which we immediately did!

Heres to our Benjamin Cole, we love you so much! You have been the perfect first child, big brother, and our favorite son - we can say that as you will be the only one! LOL!

Our Crazy Kids…

I just love having the camera always by us when we are home for moments like these. What will they think up next!

Summer and Winter Together!

Abigail Trying out Benjamin’s Sunglasses!

Happy Birthday Mitzi Jo

The month of June is a busy one for our family. Not only is it the start of summer, it’s also Mitzi’s, Benjamin’s and my birthday month. In celebration of Mitzi’s life/Birthday – I wanted to share 31 things (in no particular order) that make Mitzi soooo special!

1. She is beautiful – and her beauty is simple and elegant.
2. She is very dedicated and a hard worker. She takes her responsibilities very seriously.
3. She loves to exceed people’s expectations.
4. She is smart and has completed an associates in accounting and a bachelors in business management.
5. She is a fast counter. When playing games, everyone asks Mitzi for the updated score. She can also count money faster than anyone else I know.
6. She is a good game player – she usually wins every time regardless what the game is!
7. She plays the piano beautifully.
8. She is a wonderful cook!
9. She loves the young women she serves and takes her calling very serious - and does a great job.
10. She is known for her expertise in her line of business – and partners very well with her peers. She won a recognition event that only 1% of the company she works for ever gets to go to.
11. She is a mother of two beautiful children and one on the way!
12. She is an excellent house keeper – one will rarely find her house a mess.
13. She continues to step out of her comfort zone and excels.
14. She is a wonderful and patient wife. Always dealing with my teasing and short comings.
15. She is known for her sugar cookies!
16. She taught Benjamin how to write his name and is working on teaching him how to read – she is so patient.
17. She loves her baby girl, and enjoys buying her dresses and flowers to put in her hair!
18. She is a wonderful sister – always there to support in any way she can.
19. She is very giving and caring. It’s hard for her to see people in need.
20. She is very frugal and smart with finances. By the time she graduated and had an established career – she had purchased her own car, condo and furnished it.
21. She very rarely purchases anything at full price; she is always looking for a great deal – especially on clothing. She is known for her bargain shopping.
22. She is not a “rides” person, but will take her family to parks and not complain about it.
23. She loves her Heavenly Father, and has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
24. She is very organized and likes to have everything planned – I mean everything! That is why she can accomplish so much.
25. She is a full time mother and wife all while working full time – it amazes me how strong she is.
26. She appreciates recognition, but not necessarily in public – hence she may have a hard time with this blog post. LOL!
27. She loves taking pictures of the kids – I am soo glad we have soo many.
28. She is very witty – and has a very quick sense of humor that many do not know about. She keeps me laughing!
29. She loves to talk – to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Many people who don’t know her think she is shy when she really isn’t. LOL!
30. She loves to drive in the rain, camp, and spend time with family.
31. She is the love of my life! She is my angle in the night – the love of my life.
    

Here’s to you Mitzi Jo – we love you and we have all been touched by knowing you!

Preschool Graduation

This week, Benjamin graduated from preschool. Both Mitzi and I were able to attend the enjoyable ceremony and support Benjamin. He has been sooo excited for us to see what he had been working on – and he’s kept it all a BIG SECRET! His class sang 4 to 5 songs showing us what they had been working on. I am glad Mitzi and I enrolled him into preschool, it has been a great experience for him – and for us too!

Attending his graduation, made me think of all the “milestones” he would be going through and the ones I had as well. I continued to feel prompted to talk to Benjamin about his graduation. When I did, I had the impression to ask him if he would miss his teacher and class. He expressed some sadness about not going to preschool anymore. In wanting to reassure him, we talked about how in life he will meet many people and that even though we may not see someone for a longtime; we can always remember all the fun we had with them.

Here’s to many more graduations Benjamin – I am so proud of you!

Nursery

It’s crazy to think that in two weeks Abby will now be old enough to start going to nursery during church. Our baby will be turning 18 months old this month. I can’t believe that in six months we will no longer tell people how many months’ olds she is, she will go by years. I always thought that was interesting – for the first two years of a child’s life we refer to their age by months. Typically people stop after two and then you magically start counting years. Hmmmm. As we were getting ready for church Abby found Benjamin’s cowboy hat; we couldn’t resist but stop and take a few pictures.

Benjamin and Abby w/ Cowboy Hats!

Baseball Season for Benjamin is Now Over…

Benjamin has officially finished his first year of baseball. On his last game he received his trophy and team pictures. We are sooo sad to think we have to wait another year before it starts up again; but we sure did enjoy our first year! Benjamin improved a lot through the season; his last game he hit the ball twice! A big thank you to all the friends and family who came to see Benjamin during this season – we loved having you there! Below are some pictures from his last game!

Thumbs Up!

At BAT!

Running to Home

You're Almost There!

SAFE!