Baby ?

So I had my first doctors appointment with this pregnancy yesterday. Mo came with me but my doctors office is not allowing children so the boys didn't get to come. I am officially 7 weeks along by measurement which is a little less pregnant than I thought I was. My due date is August 7th. It will be fun to have a summer birthday in the family. So far we have Fall and Spring kids. Mo and I are both really excited to have our last baby. 3 will be our number... boy or girl. I really hope to get feeling better soon. The doctor did give me a prescription for Zofran which seems to be helping a bit. But, I guess what I need to remember is that if I am sick the pregnancy hormone is strong which means there is a greater chance that there won't be a miscarriage. We can't wait to find out what we are having!!!

Robert Benton Vogt

My grandpa Vogt passed away over a week ago and I haven't had a chance to post. We had his viewing on Sunday and his funeral on Monday and lots of tears have been shed. My grandpa Vogt was a great man and he will certainly be missed. My grandpa was a wonderful example to me in so many ways and this past week I have been doing a lot of thinking about him and the life that he lead... My grandpa was humble- he was very content with what he had and he didn't have any need to try and look better in the site of other people- he didn't need to impress anybody because he didn't care what people thought of him. My grandpa was hardworking- he worked two jobs most of his life so that his family could live comfortably with my grandma at home to be in charge. After work he spent his free time helping other people. My grandpa is one of the best examples of charity that I know. If there was something that he could help with he was there to help... Mo and I can think of so many things my grandpa helped us with even just within the first 4 years that we were married. My grandpa was there to help us paint our first house (he would have been in his late seventies), he came out to help us till up the garden area of our first house and he didn't want Mo to have to till so there he was 77- tilling our garden and only when it had finally taken a toll on him did he let Mo have a turn. He helped us move from Clinton to Mountain Green and then back to Clinton. He helped my grandma take care of Jackson twice a week so that Mo could finish school while I worked. And even before I was married to Mo, my grandpa was always there to help me change the oil in my car, to replace a clutch, to give me rides to soccer, to help my mom with things around the house when my dad was gone, and to do whatever needed to be done. I even remember him making friends with some homeless people when we were on vacation and taking them our extra food, and I also watched him take plates of food every holiday to the lonely man who lived across the street. He always did it with a smile on his face. My grandpa took an active interest in my life growing up... he always knew what was going on with me, and he always took the time to ask how I was doing, and to listen to my response. I can't remember any major event in my life that my grandpa wasn't there for. My grandpa had a great sense of humor- even the last day I saw him alive when he probably didn't have a lot to smile about... he was still smiling and making jokes- he was very witty. Benton always poops when we go to visit my grandparents and so of course on the last Saturday that we went to see my grandp Benton pooped and I said," I can't believe Benton always poops when we are here" and my grandpa said, " must be a shitty place." :) He was there to cheer me on in sports, or to yell at the referee or umpire as he felt was needed. My grandpa was a great example of loving devotion to his spouse... there was never any doubt that he loved my grandma and he would do anything to make her happy. My grandpa had a lot of courage- he was in the airforce and was a belly gunner in a B17 and flew and survived over 32 missions... at the grave there were members of the military there to pay him the proper respect for what he had accomplished in the military. It made me realize that what he did in the military really did make a difference in helping us to live in the America that we live in today. He was grateful- he was a man of simplicity and he was grateful for what he had... everytime we visited he would walk us out and stand on the lawn waving to us goodbye with a smile so thankful that we had come. When I think of my grandpa leaving this earth this is how I think he would have wanted us to remember him saying goodbye- waving with a smile on his face and a coke in his hand. I hope my grandpa knows how much we all love him and appreciate the good influence that he has had in our lives. I hope that I can live my life in a way that honors his memory and makes him proud.

Benton at 18 months

Benton is 18 months old... we love our little Benton Boo, or Bents as Jacks likes to call him. He is such a sweet, happy, funny little guy and we love having him as a part of our family. At eighteen months he has a lot to say... he talks constantly. Some of the words that he says the best are ball, dadda, mamma, cartoon (yes, he asks for a cartoon and milk every morning when he wakes up), bird, dog, woof, and santa. Benton loves to play with toys and he loves to read books. He is really funny about books though- he wants to just sit next to me, and he wants to turn all of the pages. After we are done, he likes to take the book and keep looking at it himself. He is a very independent little guy. He actually thinks that he is just as old and capable as Jackson. He loves to climb on everything and he loves to play chase... he has actually gotten to be pretty fast. He also likes teasing his brother- I really think that he just likes to hear Jackson scream (we are definitely working on that...the teasing and screaming). He had his first dentist visit last night and he was such a good little boy. I think that it helped that Jackson went first and so of course if it was something that Jackson did, Benton also needed a turn. He climbed right up into the chair so brave and opened his mouth wide so they could brush and count his teeth- it was really so cute. Benton loves music and he is a great little dancer. He does circle after circle until he is so dizzy that he can't even stand up anymore. I am not sure why he thinks that to dance you need to go in a circle but it is so funny. Benton hates to get his pants on- he would probaly be the happiest kid ever if he could just be in only his diaper all day. He also doesn't like having someone brush his teeth. He loves to brush his own teeth and he does it about 10 times a day but for some reason (besides in the dental office) he doesn't coooperate very well. Benton is my little alarm clock- I know by his cry that it is 7 O'clock and he really doesn't ever miss a day of waking up right on time. Benton loves to play with kids and he gets so excited when we have friends over. He also really loves babies, which is good, seeing as how we are going to have another baby in this family the first of August. He loves hugs and kisses and he will give them any time I want- he always pats me on the back when we are hugging and it is one of my favorite things. I love playing with Benton because he is so much fun and he gives the best little smiles and giggles. I am so thankful everyday that we have such a healthy and happy little boy. Life couldn't be better.

Supplies :)

"Hey mom." "What Jackson honey?" "Are we going to get shot in this town?" "Why do you think that we are going to get shot Jacks?" "Well mom, these houses all have a lot of supplies."
This was a conversation Jackson and I had as we were driving through a little bit ghetto area of clearfield. The supplies that he was talking about were all of the junky cars and other junk outside of this run down neighborhood. Supplies...a much nicer way to look at junk I suppose.

October 25- November 8 Catching Up

Today is a perfect day for catching up on my blog... since Mo helped me to get all of my Monday chores done yesterday because someone was coming to see our house. Which,we have had no luck in selling- and having a house for sale that lots of people want to look at but no one wants to buy is really frustrating! Hopefully this will be the last house that we will be selling for awhile :). So, October was so crazy busy and so much fun! Jackson and Benton absolutely love Halloween. Starting with October 25... we went to a really fun Halloween party at my aunt Kristies where everyone(except Mo who hates dressing up)went in costume. My favorite was Brads costume(as Jackson said,"I think he is a muffin maker or something). We ate dinner and played games...my aunt Kristie since as long as I can remember has always been the one to plan and get everyone involved in games. For this party she had a donut eating contest, sucking m&m's with a straw, and a game where you had to pick up a bag with your teeth. It was all so much fun. October 26 was my dads birthday- because it was on a Monday we didn't do any special activity like we normally do (although my dad did go on a hike by himself) we just went to eat and had cake and ice cream after. I can't believe my dad is only 1 year away from 60. Time passes too quickly- It would be nice if it could just pause every once in awhile to give us a chance to enjoy the moment a little longer. I am happy to see my dad so concerned about being healthy at this stage in his life because I need him to be around for me and my boys for many more birthdays. He does so much for us and I am so thankful for the father and grandfather that he is. October 27th-Jackson had his first friend birthday party at Chuck e cheese pizza. He had it with one of his very best little buddies Cade whose birthday is exactly one week before his and they had a great time. Jackson loved everything...the games, the presents, and his Indiana Jones cake. October 29th Jackson had his first school Halloween party and a costume parade. Jackson was a cute little batman. On October 30th we had our ward trunk or treat. It was Bentons first trick or treating experience and he had so much fun carrying around his bucket to get candy. He still always wants to carry his bucket around the house and to have me put things in it for him. Jackson alreay knew that he really liked trunk or treating- in fact last halloween he didn't want to go to houses anymore he wanted to go back to the church parking lot with all the cars. October 31- Halloween- we got the boys all dressed up and headed to Peterson to visit Grandma and Grandpa Palmer and to Mountain Green to visit Grandma and Grandpa Vogt. My boys are lucky to have grandparents that love them so much. We were going to take Jackson trick or treating around Trappers Point but all he wanted to do was to pass out candy. He loved passing out candy and Benton loved helping. Everytime they heard the door they would both go running. Jackson was so funny... he took his job very seriously and he made really good conversation with the kids. I was happy about the homeade donuts from one of my parents neighbors...they were fabulous. November 1st- we had Jacksons family birthday party at our house. Gary, Kathy, and Steffan came... and all of my family. It was the first time that I made a homeade cake and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself (thanks to Nikki for the recipe). Jackson got a lot of really fun presents and he loved to have everyone sing to him. November 2nd- Jacksons official birthday. He was actually confused a little bit about his birthday since he had already had had 2 parties but he definitely didn't complain about more celebrating and more presents. We took him out to eat breakfast- which he loves- and then we took him to Toys R Us to shop around and pick out some more birthday stuff. We need to remember that choosing is hard when you are only 4. We also went to the park for a picnic lunch and out to eat at Red Lobster for dinner. You wouldn't think that a 4 year old little boys favorite food would be seafood but ours is- he loves shrimp and crab and lobster. It was a totally packed totally fun day. I am still a little shocked that Jackson is already 4- it seems like just yesterday that he was my little baby and now he is my little boy(big boy if you ask him). At 4 he is such a good little kid- he is so funny and makes us laugh everyday with the things that he says- he also is really thoughtful and he takes such good care of his mommy and his little brother. His favorite things right now are transformers and lego's. He loves going to school and he loves drawing and making crafts. He also likes Indiana Jones (which he has never seen :)). He is also starting to be pretty responsible. He is able to shower and get dressed himself (including socks, shoes, and buttons) and he also does a really good job at brushing his teeth. He does a really good job of picking up after himself and he is a really good little helper- especially with dinner, he loves to help me cook. He still loves his blanky and he still loves stories. He is a really happy confident little boy and I am so thankful everyday that I get to be his mommy. I hope he had a happy birthday! Benton doesn't have his binky anymore- we couldn't find it one night and we just put him to bed without it and he went right to sleep. So, we figured it was a good time to get rid of it. Since not having his binky he actually has a lot to say. We are not sure what he is saying but it seems pretty interesting :). He is saying more and more words that we do understand though. Ball, bowl (as in the halloween candy bowl), up, dadda, and he said pumpkin the other night.

Happy Birthday Grandpa

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What a sweet boy I have...

Jackson was so sweet today. When I got home from work he said,"Mommy you look tired and like you have had a hard day... you should take a little rest." "I have an idea for you, you can borrow my blanky- it is really soft." So as I layed down Jackson brought me his blanky and placed it right by my face- then he handed me his transformers (the ones he has been holding all week- even as he sleeps) and said that if I hold these that they will help me to have good happy transformer dreams. I am so thankful for a son that wants to take such good care of his mommy :).

Off to Mountain Green

Well- after our whole married life of wanting to and trying to we are finally going to be able to move up to Mountain Green. We will be starting construction ASAP on a home that we have already picked out, and it should be done by the end of March or first of April. We took Jackson and Benton to see it last night and Jackson was already making plans for his new bedroom which he and Benton will share. He said that he would sleep on the top bunk and that Benton would sleep on the bottom bunk and that if Benton gets scared in the night or something that he would just sleep in Bentons bed next to him. It was really so cute. He also said that he wants to paint it red. Red? Who knows why? I hope that as Benton gets older that they always still love and take care of each other as much as they do now. As for building our home... we have the home picked out now which lot?

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Jackson&Benton are really loving this month of Halloween. On Friday we went with some friends to Gardner Village and it was so much fun. We ate dinner and then took a wagon ride out to the witches house. Jackson and Benton both loved it...in fact Jacks was right in front the whole time and he even found a cockroach in the house and buried it for them. Thanks to Erin for this hilarious post idea in celebration of Halloween.

Benton at 15 months

Benton had his 15 month check-up on Monday. He weighed 25.6 lbs and was 33 inches tall which put him in the 90% percentile for height and the 63% for weight. The doctor said that he looks good and that he is developing right on schedule :). He thought it was really fun at the doctors and he especially loved the sucker that Doctor Hom gave him when he was done. At 15 months Benton is so much fun. He is a little ball of energy and he loves cruising around the house exploring and trying to keep up with Jackson. Wherever Jackson is at, that is where Benton wants to be. I am so glad that Jackson treats Benton so well because I am sure that he misses his personal space a little bit. Benton has started to go up and down the stairs and he loves to play in the play room. He loves toys that he can pull or that he can put things into and pull things out of. He just recently started to fill up the back of his little airplane car with toys and drive it around the kitchen(something that he has learned from Jackson). He loves books and songs, and he loves to play wrestling and go on horse rides with his daddy. He also really loves driving the car(the real car) and the boat and he knows exactly what to do. Benton loves water and he loves to sneak into the bathroom and turn on the tub now that he knows how to stand on the stool. Benton also loves climbing up on things-everything in fact, I just hope he doesn't break something(an arm, leg, neck). We love our Benton so much and we are so thankful that he is such a healthy and happy little boy.

August 2009

It has been such a long time since I have posted I don't even know where to begin...so today-today is where I will begin and I will work backwards. Today Jackson started his first day of preschool(he would correct me and say kiddie college). He was so cute and confident-and on his video camera interview he told me that he was going to be nice to everyone at school so that everyone would think that he was a nice guy. As he walked into the door I had such mixed emotions- I was so excited for him because he was so excited but I was also a little sad that he was already starting preschool. I can't believe he will be 4 soon... time really does fly. Miss Melinda is his teacher and when I picked Jackson up today she told me that one of the teachers is pregnant and when she asked the class why her belly was big that Jackson said,"she eats too much". I love my 3 year old :). On August 29th I ran the top of utah half marathon and I am really happy to say that I met my goal of under 2 hours (1 hour 52 minutes). I didn't prepare as well as I should have and I have been paying for it the past couple of days but it was worth it. On August 16th we went on a little trip up to Preston to stay at our friends the Taylor's cabin. Yep- Preston Idaho and it was so much fun- we took our boat (we finally got a boat)and went to Oneida Reservoir one day, we rode 4 wheelers to Bear Lake one day, and we went on a hike to a fresh water spring on the 3rd day. It was one of the funnest vacations we have had in a while... our friends the Dutsons came too. Jackson and Benton loved rideing the 4 wheelers- especially Benton... everytime one started he would start running towards it so that he could have a ride. This was our first trip of I hope many with our boat and it is so much fun. August 7th- After 2 months of looking Mo was finally able to find the boat that had everything he wanted (his dream boat) and we have loved taking it out every chance we have had this past month. I am loving learning to surf and Mo has been working on being able to land a back flip on the wakeboard. Our boys love just being out in the boat and being able to have swim breaks. Benton has started to try and talk this month. He has been heard saying gog(dog), babe(baby), mama, dada, fish, and kie(blanky and binky). He is such a busy baby... and I thought Jackson was busy but compared to Benton he was a coach potato. He loves to play chase(it is so funny to watch him try and run) and he also loves getting right in the middle of whatever Jackson is playing. He still loves the water and if I don't keep the bathroom door closed he has either turned on the tub and thrown things in it to get wet, or he has been playing in the potty(he does both with a grin). There is always a trail of where Benton has been. This month has been crazy busy but it has also been the funnest month of the summer. Hopefully September brings us some more good boating weather :).

Turning 32...

So, I had my 32nd birthday on Monday... Wow! I can't believe I am 32- that used to seem so old. But, I have heard that you are only as old as you feel, and I really only feel 26 so I guess I am 26. Mo is definitely still 28. We had such a fun day- we went to breakfast, to the clearfield aquatic center for Jackson's swim lesson and to swim after, and to SLC to eat at the Blue Iguana and shop and play in the fountains at the Gateway. I couldn't think of anything to wish for when I blew out the candles on my cake so I guess that life must be pretty good. Mo and my boys bring me so much happiness- I am thankful for them everyday. My goals for this year are to run the Top of Utah again, to start taking guitar lessons, to ski enough days to make my season pass worth buying, to have another baby(or at least be pregnant), and to read the BOM again.

Island Park 2009

One of the vacations that I went on most growing up was up to my grandpa Harts cabin in Island Park. We always had so much fun playing in the creek, trying to cross the log without falling off, going to see the fish in Big Springs, canoeing in Big Springs down to Mack's Inn, fishing, going to see Old Faithful and to get fudge sicles at the lodge, and spending time shopping around in West Yellowstone. I have so many great memories of time spent at the cabin and this weekend Mo and I took our boys there to spend the fourth of July. Things at the cabin haven't changed since the time I was a little girl... there is still an outhouse or as Jackson calls it the poophouse, there is still no running water which means no shower, the beds are as old and uncomfortable as ever, there is always mice to be caught, and it is still a great place for families to spend time enjoying one anothers company. We had a great weekend... on Thursday we took Jackson for his first canoe ride down the Big Springs- he was the captain of the pirates part of the ride and an indian brave the other part... on Friday we went to Yellowstone park to see some Buffalo (like on Dances with Wolves as Jackson will tell you) and to see Old Faithful and some of the other Geysers on the loop. We took our bikes and rode the trail out to the morning glory pool which used to be beautiful and blue but now has an orange edge from all of the things that people have thrown in to it over the years(which makes me sad). And after our bike ride the trip to Old Faithful wouldn't have been complete without fudge sicles from the lodge. After the park we headed to West Yellowstone where Jackson bought a bow and arrow and a rifle set and he and Mo played cowboys and indians at the park while me and Benton played in the sand. Jackson has such a great imagination and he loved playing with his dad. Then it was Pizza at Pete's Pizza Place which is such great pizza that we never miss eating there every time we go to West Yellowstone. Saturday was probably my favorite day- we rode our bikes to Big Springs to see the fish and to feed them which there were some fish but Jackson really loved all of the Seagulls. At one point they all flew off and then they all came back and we told Jackson that they were putting on a show which he thought was so funny. After showering in our new found free shower (the shower at the RV park at the Sawtelle resort) we headed up to West Yellowstone for some shopping, dinner, a concert, and fireworks. Jackson and Benton loved hanging out at the park playing. I have to laugh because for some reason people were taking pictures of my boys- some random drunk woman thought that Benton was so cute and so she took a picture of him and a crowd of asians spent about 20 minutes watching Jackson play on the teeter totter with Mo and took pictures of him. They thought he was so cute and Jackson was in the mood for the attention and so he was hamming it up. The band playing at the park (Blue Jack) was great and everyone had fun listening to them and dancing especially my dad. Jackson has some pretty funny break dance moves and we have no idea where he got them from... maybe Mo teaches him while I am at work =). Benton had fun playing with his grandma and aunt Sha and walking around with his blanket on his head. He was so tired but a little trooper. We left the concert just in time for the firework show. Jackson had prime seating on top of my dads envoy and he loved it and although Benton was so tired he liked watching the fireworks too. It was a great night and a great weekend.

If only we could find a boat...

After Mo and I got back from Lake Powell we agreed that it would be a really good idea to get a boat for our family. The problem is that we are having such a hard time finding a good boat for a good price- the market for used boats is crazy. We are watching KSL like hawks- I probably check for boats every 20 minutes all day long. Because we don't have a boat of our own we are thankful for our friends the Davies who invited us to go with them. Last night we went to Willard Bay and had a really fun time. It was Benton's first time on a boat. He really didn't like his life jacket and he didn't like sitting in anyones arms(like always). But, he liked standing up in the boat and he loved swimming in the water. Willard Bay is not the cleanest of places but at least the water is warm. Jackson had so much fun- we had to buy him a new life jacket so that Benton could use his old one and he loved it. He loved being in the boat and holding the flag, and he had a lot of fun in the tube with his dad and friend Kate. He loved making the hand gestures thumb up to go faster and thumb down to go slower. I can't think of a better family fun activity than boating and I hope that we can find a boat soon because this summer is quickly disapearing.

7 years later with 2 kids in tow...

Before Mo and I got married and had kids we used to have lots of outdoor adventures. One of the things that we did was to hike to the top of Mount Timpanogas. We haven't been back since until Friday when we decided to take our kids on a hike up to the cave. So, with the kids in their packs on our backs we headed up what Mo told me was an easy quarter mile hike- wrong! A very steep 1 1/2 miles would have been correct. Although it was a tough climb the cave was totally worth it. I went once when I was a kid but I didn't remember how cool it was. Jackson really liked it too, and Benton was better than I thought he would be. As long as we were on the move he was okay- because he is walking now(just started this week) he doesn't want to be in anyones arms for very long. Jackson had lots of questions for the park ranger... Does batman live in here? Are there skeleton bones? What are those rocks called? Is this another cave? The park ranger was really nice and he let Jackson help him turn on the lights by blowing like he was blowing candles on a cake. When we got to the part in the cave where he turned off all of the lights and there was no light- none- not even a little, he made a joke about if we wanted the lights to come back on we should raise our hands. When he turned the lights on Jackson was standing there so cute holding his little hand up as high and straight as he could raise it. It was a really fun day and even though our outdoor adventures are different I am so thankful that we have our boys to share them with.

Lake Powell 2009

Mo and I just got back from our second annual Beckstrom Lake Powell trip. It was so much fun and I am so glad that we got to go again this year (thanks April, mom, and dad for watching our kids). The weather was not great but good enough to go out in the boat every morning until early afternoon when it got windy. We played hard, stayed up late, and ate some fabulous food. It was a totally relaxing much needed vacation.

Benton turns 1!

I am so busy today getting ready to go to Lake Powell but I cannot let one more day go by without posting about Benton turning 1. I can't believe he is already 1. The time has passed so quickly. He is such a special boy and I am so thankful that I am blessed to be able to raise him as my son. He is so friendly and happy and he loves to play. He also loves trying to keep up with Jackson. He isn't walking by himself yet but he walks all around the furniture and he can stand alone without having to hold onto anything. At 1 here are some of the things he loves... He loves toothbrushes. He is always crawling to the toothbrush drawer to play. He also loves the toothpaste if someone forgets to put the lid back on. He loves swinging on the swingset in his baby swing and going down the slide. He loves the water and taking baths and showers. He loves to play chase with Jackson or anything with Jackson. He also loves to be upside down. He loves playing outside...It makes him so sad when Jackson goes outside to play and he can't go. He loves cars and trucks and he even makes little noises when he pushes them around. He loves books. He also still really loves good food (of course he does if he is my son). We celebrated his birthday with a big party on Sunday. All of our family and the Listers came. We grilled hamburgers, had cake and ice cream, and then Benton opened his presents. He really enjoyed opening his presents and he got a lot of really cute things. I am so thankful for great family and friends that we could celebrate with. Benton we love you. Happy Birthday.

Easter 2009

Our easter festivities began on Saturday with the Easter Eggstreme down at Thanksgiving Point. We went with our friends the Dutsons and Jackson had a lot of fun. He collected a whole basketful of eggs, went on a wagon ride, rode a pony, fed the animals, got his face painted with a dinosaur, and ate lots of treats. Benton had a good nap in his stroller and loved the muffin he had when he woke up. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great... maybe next year. After Thanksgiving point we went to Cabella's where we had lunch. Jackson always has fun at Cabella's feeding the fish, and shooting the guns. And I love to go to Cabella's to sample the delicious fudge. Saturday night we colored Easter Eggs and got ready for the Easter bunny to come visit which he did on Sunday. Jackson was really excited about the basket of candy that was just for him. He especially loved getting gum. Gum is still his treat of choice. Because I was still sick we didn't get a chance to take the boys to church in their new Easter suits instead we all went to the doctor to see if I had strep throat. At my moms Jackson had another Easter basket waiting along with a special new pet his little Darth Beta. He was really excited to get a pet fish. He has been asking for a puppy or kitty but I think that a fish is a much better option for now. Of course my mom fixed a great meal like always and my dad put together his annual big people Easter Egg Hunt. Mo won the prize... a dinner at the timbermine... which I hope to be included in. Easter could have been better for me but I hope that Jackson had fun which I am sure he did.

Flowers from Jackson

I have been really sick this past week with some sort of yucky flu/cold/sore throat thing and while I was lying on the couch last Friday wrapped up in a blanket because I had the chills, my cute little Jackson knocked on the front door and had a handful of dandelions in his hands. He handed them to me with a big smile and said,"here mom, I picked some flowers for you." Later he asked me if I was still sick and when I said, "mommy doesn't feel very good" he said,"but I brought you some flowers didn't that make you feel better?" He is such a little sweetheart. I am so thankful that he is so thoughtful and that he shows so much concern for me when I am not doing very well. His flowers really brightened my day.

Benton is crawling!

So, this is going to be a post full of lots of random things and thoughts. First... Benton finally started crawling this week. He has been on the verge of it for weeks now but he was so comfortable doing his army crawl that he didn't really need to crawl. He has also been pulling himself up to stand by everything that he can- the couches, the beds, the dishwasher, the bathtub, big toys, shelves, our legs... can you say dangerous! He has hit his face hard more than one time but he is very determined. He gets very upset when he can't get up, and he has a very loud yell of frustration. As Benton gets older I am realizing that he is not as easy going and laid back as what I originally thought. He is very happy but he definitely has a little fire, and he is soooooooo busy already. He has started getting into my drawers and cupboards and pulling everything out, and things from shelves are also very enticing. His favorite cupboard is the one with all of the pans- of course, because it is the one with the loudest toys. I am afraid that soon, he is going to be my little destroyer. I read a quote from a friends blog the other day and it said, "A mothers work begins at son up, and ends at son down" and it really hit home. I feel like I am so busy all day and at the end of the day I feel like I didn't get anything done. I shouldn't say anything, what I should say is anything on my list of things that probably aren't that important when I really think about it. What I need to remember is that my children care the most about the time we spend together playing and laughing, and they don't even know that my laundry is overflowing out of the closet, or that the car needs the crushed crackers vacuumed out of the seat, or that the mopboards need to wiped off, or that the blinds have dust an inch thick (this could be a really long list so I will stop there because I think that I have made my point :)). Despite all the of things I am not getting done, I can confidently say that at the end of every day that I have given my best effort at taking care of and loving my children, and that is probably what really matters. I can't even count the number of adults with older children that have told me to enjoy the stage of life that I am in and to enjoy the time that I have with my children while they are young because it goes by too fast and it can't be replaced. That it, is a time to treasure. I know that is true, but it is so hard to remember when Benton poops in the tub (which he likes to do almost every morning) or Jackson misses the potty and pees all over the floor and wall :). Second... Benton got his first hair cut this week. Word of warning- Walmart is not a great place to go for haircuts (I know, I really should have known that). Benton sat perfectly still which I was completely surprised by but his hair looks like she was cutting it while he was riding a bucking bull. Even with his knicked up hair he is still as cute as ever. Third... I ran my first half marathon last weekend. It was the Canyonlands half marathon in Moab and it was so much fun. Not the race, that was actually not fun at all- I can honestly say that I have never wanted to just give up at something as much as I did this race- I was really considering just jumping in the river. All I can say is that if I ever run a half marathon again (which I am running the top of utah half marathon in august) that I will train and be prepared. I went down with some friends from my ward- Rachel who is my running partner, Jen, Melinda, Natalie, and Joni. Once we got there (after 8 hours,being lost, and almost running out of gas) it was a good break from everyday life. My goal for my next half marathon is to run it in less than 2 hours. Fourth...Mo and I have our house for sell. We have totally set a new record though. We have been in this home for over two years. We are still a little undecided as to where or what we are doing if and when our house sells. I do know that I am going to be very sad to leave all of the good neighbors and friends that we have made. Fifth... Jackson is always saying the funniest things but yesterday while we were shopping with my mom he was holding her chapstick (I have never met anyone who loves chapstick as much as Jacks) and she told him that she need it back because it was her only chapstick and he said," you can use my mommy's dads". Which is so funny because everytime Jackson goes to my parents house he always takes my dads chapstick and so he knew that my dad would have some that my mom could use. Jackson is very good at calling bluff on some of the reasons he is given as to why he can't do something that he wants to do. He is very clever and always provides a very good argument as to why he should be allowed to do something. Like for example Jackson was going through this stage where he was talking about killing alot and of course as a mom I knew that it probably wasn't the best that my 3 year old was talking about killing so much so as I was trying to explain to him that it really isn't very good to talk about killing people and that we shouldn't do that he said, "well Nephi kills" yep- my three year brought out a book of mormon reference as an argument. How do you argue with that? Sixth... while I was gone to Moab Mo did great with the boys. He even took them to the zoo. He loves our boys so much and he also gives his very best effort at being the best dad that he can be. Our boys love their daddy so much.

Benton at 9 months

Our little Benton Boo or Bents as Jackson calls him had his 9 month doctor visit yesterday. He was such a good little boy like always- he seriously couldn't be a better baby. He didn't even cry when they poked his toe to get blood or when he got his shot. He weighed in at just shy of 23lbs(0nly 7 lbs less than Jackson) and was 29+ inches long. He is still in the 80-90% for both height and weight and the doctor said that Benton looks great. He was really impressed by the size of Benton's thighs(I wish that someone would be impressed by the size of my thighs :)). At 9 months old Benton is on the move. He gets around so good with every method you can imagine except for crawling. He is not doing that yet, but he does have his form of the army crawl mastered and he is getting up on all fours in the crawling position. He loves to try and keep up with Jackson. It is so cute to watch them play. Their favorite thing to do together is to take baths. Benton loves the water- when we went swimming last week he was all smiles. I put him in the little yellow tube and he just floated around or went on rides with Jackson pulling him around. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. Benton does a really good job of finding things to keep him entertained- everything is a toy to him and he loves to play and explore. He is so fun... he is constantly smiling and it is so funny when he tries to laugh. He loves being a part of our family and he loves when we are all spending time playing together. He loves food- not his baby food he doesn't like that very much but big people food- I haven't found anything that he didn't want to eat. We just bought a baby food processor which is awesome because I can put a little bit of everything that we are having for dinner in it and then Benton can have that too. I would have to say that ice cream is Bentons favorite treat. Benton also loves to go shopping and ride around in the cart or go on a walk in the back pack. He just likes to be out and about. I can't wait until the weather warms up because I am sure that he is going to love playing outside. We love our little Benton and we are so thankful everyday that we are blessed to have him in our family.

A really cute moment...

As I was walking down the hall to my room I heard a really cute little voice talking. I quietly peeked around the corner and Jackson had his own little photo album which we have spent many hours looking at and he was talking as if he were telling a story to someone about each picture. It was so cute to hear him say things like,"here I am, I weighed 5 ounces" and "here I am looking all around and,"here I am ready to go home, my mommy and daddy love me so much". It was a really special moment.

Jackson Skiing

He finally said yes! Every Saturday since the season opened we have asked him if he wanted to go skiing and he would say maybe next year, or maybe next time. As soon as he said yes we were so excited. We quickly got dressed, loaded up the car, dropped Benton off with my mom, and headed up to Snow Basin before he could change his mind. It was the perfect day for him to start. The weather was fabulous... not even a cloud in the sky.

Here we are getting ready for Jacksons first big ski day. He had everything he needed for skiing except for ski socks and an edgie wedgie which we bought in the lodge. He loved his new hot chillies socks- he told me that he liked stuff with chillies on it. He slept over at my parents last night and my mom told me that he carried his socks and edgie wedgie around all night and that he even fell asleep with them.

Here is us getting ready to go on the Little Cat chair lift for the first time. Jackson loved the name. I think he thought the name was special for him because sometimes I call him a little cat. He loved the chair lift ride- he thought it was cool to be up so high in the sky. He loved to say hi and wave to the people down below.

Jackson was a little bit nervous to start... he went from holding both mommy and daddy's hands, to being between mommy's legs, to holding onto mommy's poles, to doing it himself to ," get out of my way, I am going to go fast."

Besides skiing, we also spent some time making snow angels.

"I am going to catch you!"

"Let's take a rest."
What a fun day! I am so proud of Jackson, he did such a good job. He actually has really good balance. It was so great to be able to teach and watch him. It was better than the best powder day. And, we all know how much I love a good powder day.

Some funny things: There were some kids cheering for and waving at their friends and I told Jackson that they were cheering for him, and he just smiled and waved. Also, when my dad called Jackson told Mo to tell him that he was skiing pretty good :). We love our little Jackson.