Bennett Family Blog

Three weeks old!

2010-01-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Honestly, the past three weeks seem like a blur to me (Amie). It could be lack of sleep or the fact that Rebecca has established herself as the diva of the family expecting to be held all hours of the day and insisting that midnight to 2 am is her playtime.

We're all determined to spoil her and give her anything she wants...of course.

Happy 3 weeks old, Rebecca!

The Girls

2010-01-14T12:40:00.001-08:00

I had to post this photo of our two girls.

Can you tell they're already friends?

Welcome to the family Rebecca!

2010-01-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

I've successfully avoided updating our blog for over a year and a half. While much has happened in the last year or so, nothing can compare with the excitement of our new little arrival, Rebecca. We are all so in love with her! At birth she weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces and was about 19 inches long. Can you believe we have six kids! We can't!! Born December 28th, she arrived just in time to miss Christmas (I appreciated that) and was able to celebrate the turn of a new decade! ...and contribute a little to our 2009 Child Tax Credit.

Because of the flu scare, the hospital didn't allow children into the hospital rooms and around the babies, so the night Rebecca was born all the kids came to the window of the hospital nursery to see Rebecca.

Here's Breanna...gushing with excitement that she finally has her sister!

It snowed heavily for two days after Rebecca was born. Not everyone gets "Welcome Home Rebecca" painted in the snow with pink food coloring!

At two weeks old, Rebecca has adjusted well to the noise and chaos of a family of 8. She sleeps best when the house is rumbling with excitement, but not so well when it's dark and quiet.

...Amie yawning...

Photo taken around 2:30 pm today. Rebecca laying on the couch with brothers and sister running around the room.

Side note: Samuel just came and sat on my lap. After smelling him I said, "Sammy are you a little stinky?" He responded, "No, I'm big stinky." Oh, the joys of having two in diapers! Better run...

New Pics of the Kids

2008-04-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

We're heading off to a baseball game but I wanted to post these pictures really quickly. I'll write more later.

Ear to Ear!!

2008-04-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so thrilled that I caught this picture of Samuel's new smile last night at Christian's baseball game. Samuel is starting to sport this grin a lot lately but with babies you never know how long it's going to last! I love it! Isn't he such a cutie!!

The gummy grin also reveals the fact that although approaching nine months, Samuel still is toothless! We're just waiting for those first little pearly whites to break through.

Trouble with a capital "T"!

2008-03-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

We are officially in trouble! Samuel has become an aggressive and enthusiastic crawler. That coupled with the fact that he has an intense drive to put anything and everything in his mouth has created havoc in the Bennett household. Check out the photo below for an illustration of what can happen when Mom turns her back for more than about 10 seconds! Thank goodness we have the experience and foresight to know to purchase only non-toxic Crayola markers!!! Still...the guilt of having allowed this to happen!

In my opinion the black beard really makes his blue eyes pop! Don't you agree??

Fun trip to the Temple

2008-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we made the trek to Oakland for our monthly visit to the Temple. The Temple is about 70 miles away from where we live and requires a little bit of planning to accomplish for our young family. Usually, we are able to find a classroom at the stake center that sits adjacent to the Temple and Eric and I swap babysitting while the other attends a session. One unexpected blessing from this lengthy endeavor has been that our whole family is experiencing Temple attendance. The kids are more aware of the sacrifice and blessings than I think I ever was while growing up. We try to talk with them and teach them what we can while driving back and forth. While there we often visit the Visitor's Center or walk the Temple grounds. It's turned out to be a great thing for our family.....though we wouldn't be opposed to living closer to a Temple one day.

I shot this video of the kids playing in the classroom last night. It's a little lopsided in attention to Samuel...but so goes life these days.

Just Gushing with Talent!

2008-03-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Friday night was the culmination of several weeks of work for Andrew. He sparkled and shined at the Crossroads Elementary Talent Show! This was not just any talent show...I've been amazed at the seriousness of this production!

The experience began back in January when Andrew brought home a slip of paper announcing his audition time. Up to that point I had been oblivious to the fact that there was anything this exciting happening at the school. We arrived for auditions the following Monday night and I squirmed with nervousness as Andrew performed his piano piece for a panel of 6 judges. We were thrilled to learn later that week that Andrew had been selected from a bunch of auditioners to perform in the talent show at the end of February.

Then came the rehersals!

Dress rehersal after dress rehersal ensued bringing us several late nights in the school auditorium which added to our already hectic schedule. Every time Andrew performed his piece with style and grace and amazed me at his bravery in front of a large audience.

Finally, came the performance Friday night. The auditorium was packed with an audience who helped to raise over $600 for the school Accelerated Reader program. (Insert cheer here from Amie who is the head of the PTA - AR committee.)

All the acts were great, entertaining, exciting, etc. !!! But, we all have to vote that Andrew was the best! Here's a video of his outstanding performance:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2058909298955664747 - A link because I can't figure out why it isn't working here.

Seems that the siblings are the harshest critics. Here are their funny responses to Andrew's performance:

Link to the video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=257516098189431477&hl=en

Good job Andrew! We're very proud of you!!!

Video of Samuel Crawling

2008-02-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Samuel is getting faster and more confident with his crawling. We've tried to film him crawling a few times but he just sits up and smiles at the camera when it's on. Finally....a video:

Looks like the video isn't working. You can see it here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2924271882156856113

Backing into a corner?

2008-02-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Samuel has recently become an amazingly fast backwards crawler. This week he figured out how to back himself up to a sitting position and is very proud of himself. His forward crawling is a little slow, but in reverse he's like lightning. Unfortunately, unlike Mom...he doesn't have eyes on the back of his head. So, he usually ends up stuck in a corner.

But.....characteristically, he's happy about that too.

2008-02-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Pinewood Derby - Bennett Domination!

2008-02-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

After a less-than-perfect showing at the annual cub scout Pinewood Derby last year, the Bennett family turned the tables a few weeks ago and showed up with three amazingly fast cars!

(Partial, if not a majority, of the credit for the repeated victories needs to go to Amie for her innovative wheel filing and grinding design that caught a lot of attention the night of the race.)

The cars were beautifully cut by Eric and decorated with original paint designs and artwork by the boys. Christian, our only official cub scout, ended up winning all but one of the races he competed in. Andrew and Jacob, our underage racers, were graciously allowed to compete with their cars. They each won every race in which they weren't competing with each other. The night brought sweet victory after last years dismal 20-something place finish. (Truthfully, Eric was the only one who agonized last years defeat.)

Being gracious winners and optomistic losers are skills that still need fine tuning in the Bennett household. It was a fun night filled with cheers and cries of victory that carried even throughout the ride home.

Here are a couple of videos showing the amazing finishes and the obnoxious celebrations:

Six Month Samuel

2008-01-21T13:51:00.001-08:00

On January 9th Samuel turned 6 months old! My how the time has flown! It's always so amazing to watch the growth and development a baby makes in the first six months!! Here are a couple of pictures of Samuel's most impressive talents to date:

Talent #1: This first talent is probably his most frequently (literally daily) displayed. We've been joking lately that someone needs to invent a crack plug for this little guy. This talent was developed early and through much practice has been more than mastered.

Talent #2: More recently, Samuel has started grabbing things. Anything within his reach is at risk. His favorite thing to grab is food off everyone's plates, the plates, and the tablecloths. He's a disaster at the dinner table. I love this picture because it shows that even in his sleep, he's practicing this talent.

Talent #3: Smiling! We are all in love with Samuel's smile. He is an easy and generous smiler and we love it!

Talent #4: Playing the piano? Actually, no....Mozart doesn't live here. (Although Christian is sure Samuel will start composing something soon.) This picture shows Samuel's newest talent which is rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. Next step: crawling. We're crossing our fingers that he'll take his time. As soon as he starts to crawl all the legos, K'nex, marbles, and thousands of other small toys will be closely watched. (It's not easy to babyproof a house with four older kids around.) Wish us luck!

Talent #5: Rolling over. Samuel never really learned how to roll over months ago when he should have. I think that's partly due to the fact that whenever he made a peep someone ran to him to hold him and play with him. Now, as his independence emerges, he is anxious to get up and join the masses and believes that rolling over is going to get him there.

Talent #6: Overall cuteness! Enough said.

NBA Hopefuls?

2008-01-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a fun basketball day for the Bennett family. We've joined a pretty competitive basketball league this year and the boys are learning a lot and developing into great players. On Saturday I stood in the middle of the gym as Christian's team played on one court and Andrew and Jacob's team played on the other. Eric was coaching the younger boys so it was a busy juggling act for me to keep Breanna and Samuel under control, manage snacks for Christian's team, cheer loudly for three boys and one amazingly handsome coach, and try to take some video.....all at 7:30 am!!! Yikes!

I'm attaching some of the photos taken during their games.....

Well, actually they were taken on the trampoline later Saturday afternoon....but it gives you a good idea of how they looked in the games. Right?

Rainy Soggy Day

2008-01-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

The month of December was a crazy, busy, wonderful, festive month for the Bennett family. We had so much fun and we now have some great pictures that we will hopefully get around to adding to our blog soon.

I'm posting these pictures taken this afternoon at the basin that is around the corner from our house. A few months ago when we had some of our family here to visit they asked what the huge basins at all the parks are for. I explained that when it rains here it pours and that the basins are actually used to collect all the rain in order to prevent flooding of the homes in the neighborhood. They seemed reluctant to believe that we could actually accumulate that much water. Well....here's proof! This is the amount of rain that fell in just over an hour this afternoon.

Our back patio started flooding during the rain and we had water at our back door so I had to run out and find the drains in the grass to unplug them. Thank goodness my vanity is in check. I sacrificed my hair and makeup for our house. I'd say that deserves some praise! Ha ha!

Makes me laugh!

2007-11-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure who's funnier in this video...Samuel or Jacob? We'll let you decide.

What a pair!

2007-11-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Mom could make such a mess of Samuel's face....

Well, it's because Mom wasn't feeding Samuel...

It's so funny to watch Samuel's reaction to Breanna's crazy antics. He thoroughly enjoys her.

Yes!! I finally got a good picture of Samuel's beautiful blue eyes. Is it ok to say they're beautiful? I think so. They're amazing.

We're in Utah for Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T20:51:00.000-08:00

The kids are having a great time playing with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Here's a great picture of Jacob and Breanna wearing Grandpa's glasses.

Thanksgiving in "Too-ha"!

2007-11-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

We decided late last night to make the drive to Utah for Thanksgiving! The weather is surprisingly warm and dry and a normally crazy winter drive looks really safe this week, so we are going to go.

We shared the news with the kids this morning and Breanna immediately broke into song about Papa and "Too-ha". Sadly, the song ended as the camera turned on, but this video shows some of the excitement of the morning nonetheless.

We look forward to seeing as many of our family members as we can while we are in "Too-ha" for Thanksgiving and wish the rest of you, our wonderful friends and family, a beautiful holiday. We are truly thankful for you!

My New Blogging Partner!

2007-11-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

I admire Andrew so much! At seven years old he really truly believes he can do anything! For example, just yesterday I found him in the garage with bike tires removed from a few bikes, Eric's tools spread all over the floor, scrap wood in the process of being cut, and plans that he had drawn sitting in the center of all of this "creativity". He was building a car.

He has wanted to start a blog for himself for some time now. So, in hopes that his creative ambition will be satisfied by this....we have started a blog for him. He's been very excited today as he has learned how to search for and upload pictures and navigate the blog controls. All his posts are in his own words and the blog is completely designed by him (with my help where he lacked the know-how).

I'm very proud of him! And....Eric and I are hoping that by helping him find creative outlets that are acceptable to us, we'll hopefully avoid coming home to find the top of the car cut off, the exterior spray painted black, and flames painted on the sides. Grandma and Grandpa Bennett will definitely understand that concern!

You can view Andrew's blog HERE or you can click on the image he drew at the top left hand column of this page. We installed a chatbox on his blog so that family and friends could leave him messages. If you have the time, it would make his day to receive messages from anyone.

Quotable!

2007-11-08T14:23:00.001-08:00

Breanna is so cute...yet so much trouble. Last night I was on the couch feeding Samuel and she kept jumping on the couch and jumping on me. I told her a few times that she was hurting me and that she needed to stop. After several scoldings, she replied, "Relax Mom...It's ok you big clybaby!" (Occasionally her "l"s and "r"s get confused.) My frustration from the moment before turned into laughs at her funny response. Thank goodness for humor. I'd never make it through the day!!!

We've Been Tagged

2007-11-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristen tagged me on her blog earlier today. I guess this means I have to list six things about myself then tag six other people. Sounds fun...here goes.

1. Kristen alluded to my mattress fetish. Let me explain. I have a severe fear of touching mattresses when I'm sleeping. I actually think any mattress once purchased, unwrapped, and slept on is disgusting. Think about it. Can you launder a mattress? How much time in our lives to we spend sleeping, drooling, and sweating on mattresses? There have even been a few times when I realize in the middle of the night that our sheets have slipped off and the mattress is revealed. There is no choice in this situation but to wake Eric up and make the bed before we can resume a good night's sleep. My fear of pillows is similar, I never sleep on a pillow that doesn't have at least two pillowcases on it. And you can forget about sleeping on my pillow. No one touches it!

2. I hate grocery shopping and figuring out what's for dinner. I actually made myself a master grocery list about a year ago and I print it out every time I shop so I can shop as fast as possible and get out of the store. I try to shop for two weeks at a time and I've been known to eat bread and butter for dinner so my family will have enough leftovers to eat so I don't have to cook. I used to enjoy cooking. Picky, complaining kids must have stifled my cooking creativity. It's just not that fun anymore.

3. I love blogs! I figured out what a blog was this past year and started this one. The idea that you could design and maintain a free mini website is awesome! What a great way to keep in touch with family and friends! I actually love blogs so much that at one point I had eight blogs I was working on. I've since reduced my insanity to three blogs: This one, my scrapbooking blog, and an unlisted photo hosting blog. I love exploring new widgets, I love receiving comments, I love reading other peoples blogs, and I've even loved learning enough html to personalize my blogs.

4. I'm a sugar addict. I love sweets and can't seem to give them up for very long. I understand that sugar isn't healthy, but I just can't seem to convince myself to go without. Something about biting into a piece of chocolate relaxes my whole body and truly makes me happy. Think I've got a problem? I do.

5. I love digital scrapbooking. A few years ago I had accepted the sad reality that I would never enjoy scrapbooking again until my kidos were grown. Have you ever worked on a scrapbook page for 20 minutes only to return from changing a diaper and find that your two-year-old had used decorative scalloped scissors and expensive acid-free pens to destroy your hard work? Well I have, and that was the last straw. Discovering digital scrapbooking was so exciting! Now I can create pages anytime and anywhere on my laptop and publish them in hard-bound books, save them to DVD, or post them on my blog. I love it!

6. I'm a night owl. Even when I'm extremely tired, I can't allow myself to fall asleep until I've had a few hours quiet down-time after the kids are in bed. It probably makes no sense to anyone but myself, but I need that time and if I go to bed earlier, I miss the consciousness of experiencing it. I love getting the kids in bed and sitting in a quiet house scrapbooking, reading, or watching TV. It rejuvenates me so I can wake up the next morning excited (well, at least happy) about being a mom.

There are my six. Now...who should I tag? First, I'll tag my sisters Sarah, and Kat. I think I know everything there is to know about them....but they may surprise me. My sister-in-law Kacie has the cutest brand new baby girl! She could spend all six facts about herself bragging on Brystal. My fifteen year old brother Daniel is an awesome blogger and loves comments so don't forget to leave one. Finally, two great friends from BYU Kristen and Emily. It's been a long time since we were together so I'd love to catch up with them.

The rules of the game are: List six habits or facts about yourself then choose six people to tag. Link their blogs to yours and leave a message in their comments letting them know they've been tagged. That's it. Enjoy!

Halloween Spooks!

2007-11-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

I just said goodbye tonight to my Mom, Daniel, Sarah, Lizzy, and Katelyn. We had such a fun week while they were here in California. I have tons of pictures from the week....too many to post on our family blog. However, I know there are some grandparents in Germany who will appreciate these Halloween trick-or-treating pictures.

We met Grandma and Daniel at our favorite pumpkin patch the afternoon of the 31st. If it weren't for Grandma's amazing expert navigating through the corn maze, we may still be there!

Ready to attack the neighborhood:

Everyone successfully accumulated way too much candy Halloween night! Breanna, the princess, was chauffeured by her Dad in the stroller to most of the doors where people thought she was "so cute" that she deserved double the candy. She came home with more candy than anyone.

Jacob was truly "super". "Faster than a speeding bullet" he was usually the first one to every doorstep. His extra muscles definitely came in handy this night!

Thank goodness we had Matt, Kat, Mom, Daniel, Sarah, and her girls to help us eat the candy this weekend. The rest of it will hopefully disappear tomorrow morning when Eric heads to work....or I (Amie) will end up eating it.

Is this not the cutest picture! If Samuel only knew what was surrounding him!

Happy Anniversary! Eleven Years!

2007-10-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

Eric and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary on Thursday of this past week! I can't believe how fast the time has gone! All of a sudden we're just a little bit older with all of these kids all over the place. Where did they all come from so quickly?! I tell him that he's the only guy I've ever dated that I haven't ever gotten sick of. That's a good thing! I guess it's meant to be.

For our anniversary Eric surprised me with tickets for a date on the Sierra Railroad Sunset Dinner train. We had a great time! It was great to have some romantic alone time....with Samuel, who is my constant companion because he's still nursing.
Here are a few pictures:

The dinner was great, the sunset was beautiful, and the company couldn't have been better!

Samuel was so excited to get one-on-one time with Mom and Dad. He was definitely the "third wheel" on our date, but he was so pleasant and fun that we didn't mind a bit.

Now I have to include another infamous "Bumbo seat picture". Sanyo loves this seat! It puts him up where he can see and does an excellent job of keeping him regular....that's right, you read correctly. He poops every time he sits in it! Good thing it's made of a non-porous material! It gets wiped out almost every day.

Oh No!!! Breanna!!!

2007-10-28T21:25:00.001-07:00

Thursday something happened with Breanna that I've feared ever since her beautiful blonde hair began to grow! She and Jacob emerged from my bathroom with scissors and hair....in hand! I'm really hoping that a little creative layering will hide the damage they caused. It definitely could have been a lot worse!

Why is it that two-year-olds seem to get into everything they're not supposed to? Breanna is now talking so well and everytime she gets into something or breaks something her response is, "Oh Mommy....I sorry....but it's ok....we get a new one...relax." It's hard to scold a little girl who is so darn cute! So, yesterday as I was looking with horror at the hair in Jacob's hand, that cute little two-year-old monster said, "Oh Mommy....we sorry...but it's ok...I get some new hair....relax!"

I'm still trying to get over it.

Samuel laughing!

2007-10-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Samuel has started laughing.

Samuel is Three Months Old!

2007-10-16T09:14:00.001-07:00

I guess the addage is true that "Time flies when you're having fun!" I can't believe that Samuel is over three months old. He is a happy, smiling, funny little baby and we all grow in love and affection for him daily. His latest tricks are: sucking on his fingers until both hands almost fit in his mouth, laughing, talking (cooing), and sitting in his bumbo.

Here are some recent pictures showcasing his beautiful "gummy" smile. As you can see, Breanna loves him...almost to the point of suffocating and smashing him.

Man's Best Friend? Snappy!

2007-10-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is a "musing" I just posted on my scrapbooking blog. I had to include it here though because it's such a funny story about the kids.

As the mother of five young children, I have to put my foot down somewhere. No amount of begging, pleading, and whining will convince me to agree to adding a dog, cat, or hamster to our family until someone besides me is old enough to be its primary caregiver. This is my decision and I'm sticking to it.

When Andrew raises the issue...which happens every few weeks...I remind him that we have dogs and cats in the neighborhood to play with, and he's welcome to play with Breanna and Samuel. (They're pretty entertaining.)

Before I am condemned as an animal hater, I must insist that I am not! I love animals and have on several occasions been at the point of insisting that we get a small puppy myself. However, I know my limits.

The kids have not been without pets. We had a pet lizard that was found in a vacant lot and lived in a Tupperware container out in the fort in our backyard for about a month. Rattle Snack, as we affectionately called him, was a happy lizard who was well-fed, well-loved, and lived like a king...if that is possible for a lizard... until he quietly passed away of old age, no doubt.

Our current "pet" has actually been a member of our family for nearly six months now. His name is "Snappy". He is a medium sized beetle that was found out in our backyard one afternoon. Andrew found him, named him, and had a home prepared for him before I even knew we had a pet. Snappy lived on the dresser for about a day, eating (or not eating...we're not sure) grass and ants. This diet was perfect for Snappy, Andrew was sure of it. As a day and a half passed, I noticed Snappy wasn't looking too well, and we convinced Andrew that Snappy was sad. He wasn't out in the backyard with his family and friends enjoying the fresh air and sun. I felt bad for him and I thought we needed to allow him to live where he was happy. However, I promised Andrew that our fence was too tall for Snappy to climb, and that our whole family could visit Snappy as often as we wanted. We found a shrub in the flower garden in the backyard that was perfect for Snappy and agreed that he already looked happier as Andrew carefully placed him in down in the soft dirt.

Life with Snappy since then has been ideal! We visit Snappy quite often. As the kids are playing in the backyard, someone will find Snappy and call everyone over to play with him. Snappy really gets around our backyard! Sometimes he can be found on the fort, sometimes in the sandbox, in the garden, on the trampoline, and often on the picnic table. I don't think the kids even realize that there are probably 5,000 "Snappys" in our backyard. Wink, wink...Shhhhh!

Breanna!

2007-10-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'll write more about this later. The quick explanation is:

Breanna has made an art out of potty training.

Bragging on Christian!

2007-10-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last Friday morning Christian handed me a sealed envelope from his teacher. Inside was a letter that read:

Dear Christian and Family,

I have fantastic news! Christian has been chosen as this month's Courteous Cougar. It is always difficult to pick one student to honor each month, but Christian was an easy choice. Not only does he personify this month's character trait - respect, but he is always just a joy to have in the classroom. Funny, bright, with a quick smile and a ready answer, even just two months into the school year, he has enriched our class and its' atmosphere.

I am glad to say that Christian will be honored at our assembly tomorrow, Friday, September 28, at 8:45 am. If you want to be present during our assembly to watch as he is called up, helps lead the school in our school song, and is honored by me, you can meet us there.

Not only is Christian a great student, but he is talented, athletic, and friendly. I am so pleased to be able to celebrate his great attitude and amazing accomplishments this month. Congratulations!

Appreciatively, Ms. Tornell

We were thrilled to be able to attend the assembly as Christian was honored. Here's a video clip:

Way to go Christian!

Rattle Snake Bennett 8-25-07 to 9-26-07

2007-09-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

With deepest regrets we announce the passing of Rattle Snake Bennett, our pet lizard. He lived a good life in a tupperware box out in the fort for just over a month. He was loved and enjoyed and will be missed.

As Jacob and I were playing with Samuel yesterday, we were talking about how fun "Sanyo" is and how he's getting more fun and more cute every day. Jacob's response was, "Well, I sure hope he lasts longer than the lizard."

He already has.

Soccer Report - 9/22/07

2007-09-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday was one of the crazier soccer days we've had! The morning began with Jacob's team enduring picture day in the rain. Two 12:00 games and one 1:00 game meant Amie ran shuttle while Eric coached Jacob's game. Everyone played really well. Christian scored his second goal of the season! Way to go boys! Here are some of the cute, although somewhat soggy pictures:

Pictures of the Kids

2007-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of the kids! Having these three kids at home with me all day long is not always the easiest thing or the quietest thing. But, I can't imagine the day I wouldn't have a bunch of little kids around me all the time. I'm often told to savor these times because they won't last forever. As Christian gets closer and closer to passing my height, I'm more aware of how true that sentiment really is.

Samuel has truly found his smiles! We love his sweet, mellow personality. He has been such an easy addition to our family. We can't imagine life without him! I'm amazed every day how much his little face reminds me of all our other babies. They all definitely have the look of being siblings.

Hello, Hello!

2007-09-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

No pictures with this one, but I had to share this story! All last week Breanna kept telling me the same thing and I finally realized what she meant. Every time it would sound something like this:

"On Sunday, I go to 'Krimary' and I go up the stairs and they say, 'Welcome to Krimary'. Then they all sing, 'Hello, hello.'"

I finally realized that she had sat at the back of the chapel for Opening Exercises with Eric one Sunday and learned about how the Primary children welcome new or visiting children. She wanted them to sing to her. So, on Sunday she refused to go into nursery until we took her into "Krimary". When the Counselor asked if there were any visitors Breanna raised her hand as tall as she could. A very confused Counselor invited Breanna Bennett up to the front of Primary and all the kids welcomed her and sang (of all songs) "Hello, hello". She stood there with her arms folded and smiled until the song was over, then she walked down to her seat and sat through the rest of the meeting.

Now they're threatening to write her into the Primary Program. Eric and I laughed through the whole thing. Breanna is definitely a little girl who knows how to get what she wants and isn't a bit shy about doing just that!

Samuel is Two Months Old! Hard to believe!

2007-09-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

This week we marked two months of having Samuel in our family! We all love him so much and are so excited to see him growing and becoming more aware of everyone around him. He now thrills everyone by responding to any attention with cute little baby grins. He's looking more and more like one of the Bennetts every day. What do you think?

With every baby there's a new toy or gadget we wonder how we ever lived without. This time I think it's going to be the "Bumbo". Mom Christensen got this for us when Samuel was born and we are now beginning to use it. Samuel loves to sit upright in it and watch all the craziness that usually surrounds him. He sits on the counter while I do dishes and watches me. The other night I realized that he was in it on the floor and Christian was discussing homework with him. This thing is pretty cool!

Did anyone notice in this picture that Breanna is wearing underwear? I hate to speak too soon, but I do believe the miracle has finally happened! She started preferring underwear to her diapers this week and has agreed to finally begin using the potty! She's such a big girl!!!

Soccer Season Begins!

2007-09-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

We are officially in soccer season! This is a crazy time of year for the Bennett family because the three boys are in different age brackets and therefore play on three separate teams. A typical week includes practices Monday through Friday nights with three games on Saturday. To tell you the truth, this is my favorite time of year. I love watching my boys play sports and cheering for them in their games. I love sitting at practices and games and getting to know the families of the other players. I love the weather as it cools throughout the season and the colors in the trees begin to change. Most of all, I love the enthusiasm of the boys as we discuss their progress and success.

Eric is coaching Jacob's team this year and Jacob is thrilled! His soccer uniform has been laying out on the floor of his room since Tuesday in preparation for his Saturday game tomorrow. Last week on the day of his practice I caught him in Breanna's room drop-kicking all her toys. When confronted about all the ruckus he told me he had already done all the warm ups for practice he could think of and needed to practice his kicking. I love his enthusiasm!

Last Saturday was the first day of games. Andrew and the Red Hawks played first. Andrew was an aggressive player and an awesome goalie! Christian kicked the third of six goals his team made against their scoreless opponents! He was excited about the shut-out. Christian and I raced from his game to catch the last few minutes of Jacob's game and were able to watch the final two of the eight goals he kicked for his team. Jacob was "on fire"! I don't know how much any of the other players on the field touched the ball, but the entire team was excited about their win thanks to Jacob! Now I think Eric's focus with Jacob will be teaching him to assist the other players on the field in scoring goals too. His aggressiveness and coordination is no doubt the result of daily practice with his older brothers. Not many five-year-olds have the advantage of daily seven and nine-year-old competition.

Amazingly all three boys ended up with number 7! "Craig Biggio is number 7! And...we have 7 people in our family!" What luck!!!

Yes. That is Jacob hiding behind his brothers. He was happy about the picture of the back of the uniform, but unhappy about having to smile for the front view. Oh well.

Utah Trip 8/29 - 9/4

2007-09-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

At the request of several family members, I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from Labor Day weekend. Eric took a couple of days off of work so we could be with family when Samuel was blessed. We had a great trip filled with family and fun! This was our first trip to Utah with all seven seats in our van occupied and surprisingly we arrived with our sanity intact. Thank goodness for portable DVD players and husbands who are willing to drive through the night!

After resting a bit after our very early Thursday morning arrival, we gathered the troops Thursday afternoon and drove to Temple Square for a tour of the Conference Center and Temple grounds. It has been a few years and the younger kids didn't remember Temple Square. We were given a grand tour by a sweet guide and left with the kids feeling excited to watch the upcoming General Conference. I was reminded of all the times as a young girl that I would accompany my Grandma Bennion at Temple Square when she was a tour guide there. Great memories!

Friday night the boys enjoyed an exciting camp out in Grandpa and Grandma's trailer out on the driveway. After a great night's sleep we all gathered in the trailer for a delicious pancake breakfast. This is camping at it's best!

Saturday morning we gathered with Bennett cousins in Springville for lunch and swimming before the BYU football game.

Eric and the boys joined Steve, Tonia and their family at the game. Go BYU!!! BYU won and the boys were thrilled with the experience. Thanks to Tonia for the idea and for arranging the tickets! And thanks to Amie for enduring hours of BYU traffic just so Eric and the boys could be dropped off right at the stadium and picked up there after the game. (Just had to include that.)

I have to include this picture! Breanna's influence on her Dad is growing daily. On Sunday she was experimenting with dress-ups and found this headband. After telling me it wasn't a girls because it wasn't pink she determined it was the perfect color for Eric. As soon as he put it on Breanna stepped back, put her hands on her hips, and declared, "Oh Dad...You look so Cute!" I have to agree with her! It was obviously so comfortable that he fell asleep wearing it. Thanks for the great picture, Eric.

Sunday was a wonderful day as many of our family gathered together for Samuel's blessing. Christian, Andrew, Jacob, and Breanna sang "I Am a Child of God" together then Samuel was blessed with his grandpa's, uncles, and father surrounding him! We're so thankful for all those who drove long distances to be with us for this important event!
Here's a picture of Samuel with his Great-Grandpa Bennion. (Check out Samuel's smile!)

Hey, Mom and Dad Bennett. We really missed you this day but check out all the cousins that were here to represent the Bennett family! It's amazing how much the family is growing!!

Labor Day morning we gathered for a delicious breakfast with the Christensen family. I don't know whether it's embarrassing to show these pictures of my boys with their double plates or not. They actually cleaned their plates and went back for seconds....or would you consider them thirds since they started with two plates? I'm not sure.

Breanna loves her little girl cousins! This little girl with only brothers cherishes time with anyone wearing pink!

One mandatory tradition on our trips to Utah is a cut-throat game of nine pins. I don't think we've missed bowling on a trip to Bountiful in over three years. Christian, Andrew, and Jacob are getting better and better. Unfortunately, with Grandpa's new custom ball and shoes, they don't stand much chance of catching up with him. You're the pro DAD! (wink, wink)

Jewelry making with Mom. A new hobby for all the girls. I came home with a stunning bracelet and earrings set, and the satisfaction of having consumed sufficient Nielson's Frozen Custard to tide me over until the next visit.

Samuel Smiles!

2007-08-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just got the cutest video of Samuel smiling as Jacob kissed him! Here's proof of his newest trick for all to enjoy!

Breanna's Baby Wrap

2007-08-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

This picture perfectly typifies Breanna's method of dealing with a new baby brother in the house. She has become an excellent mother to her own little babies! She nurses her babies with Mom, she pushes them in the stroller next to Mom, and most recently has started wearing her babies in a wrap. Funny thing...Mom does that too! Thanks to Grandma for buying this scarf for us in San Francisco this week. It's the perfect size and length for Breanna's babies!

Sister Day in San Francisco!

2007-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning I took Jacob, Breanna, and Samuel and drove to San Francisco to meet Mom, Kat and Lauren for a day on the town. We met at Union Square and spent the day shopping and eating and enjoying a sister day. (Although we were missing our other three sisters, so it was only half the fun it could have been.)

Mom, Kat, and I..with the incredible sense of trendiness that we each possess...were great help as Lauren stocked up her closet in preparation for her "grand entrance" at BYU next week. You're welcome Lauren! Mom treated us all to a fabulous lunch at the Cheesecake Factory on top of Macy's. Then we pushed our strollers up those famous San Francisco hills and basked in the tourist haven of junky souvenirs that Chinatown provides. Jacob was in heaven there and never wanted to leave!

Somewhere in and out of the shops flowing with Asian trinkets Breanna, Caleb, and Samuel took naps in the strollers. We laughed that it was a little bit different from the last time we were in San Francisco as sisters over ten years ago when we took our infamous trip with Dad. Now we are counting kids, arranging bathroom and diaper changing breaks, and nipping the heels of tourists with our strollers. What an evolution we have experienced, Kat! Thanks to Mom for an amazing day in the city and for buying the necklace Breanna broke and spilled all over the floor of the jewelry shop because "it had beads you wanted anyway!" And, thanks to Lauren for enduring the humiliation of taking restless kids into fancy stores. I appreciate your healthy sense of humor! Have fun at BYU!!!

"Sanyo"

2007-08-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

We have all started calling Samuel "Sanyo" thanks to Breanna. He continues to grow and change and just started smiling this week. It takes so much time to get him warmed up but just one smile is worth all the work! Everyday he becomes more and more generous with his cute little grins. This was one failed attempt to capture a smile on camera. Oh well....still cute!

Company Summer Party at Micke Grove Park

2007-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Eric was responsible for organizing his company summer barbeque this past week. We made a football toss as a last minute entertainment idea and it was a big hit. It continues to be enjoyed by the Bennett family almost every evening in our backyard. The party was fun! (Incredibly well organized, great food, fun activities....Good job Eric!!) The kids love Micke Grove Park in Stockton. However, because Eric was so busy with the party and Christian and Andrew were in school that Friday, we went back Saturday to enjoy the park and rides as a family. Here are a couple of pictures of all the fun:

August 14th - Visit from Kat and Caleb

2007-08-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Kat and Caleb came to visit us the week after the boys started school. They stayed for two days and we all had so much fun. Here's a picture of Samuel and Caleb. Just imagine the trouble these two will cause us a year from now! What fun!

First Day of School!! - August 7th

2007-08-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

The long awaited day has arrived! We've observed the building of our new school for the past year or so and have dreamed of the day we will be able to walk down our street and around the corner to get to school. Christian and Andrew met their teachers Monday night and were excited as they went to bed the night before their first day at Crossroads Elementary!

Amie's been pretty involved with the PTA of the new school already and has been really excited as she's gotten to know the new principal and teachers.

We know it will be a wonderful experience for the kids!

Andrew's teacher is Ms. Barlow. We have several friends who have had her for a teacher and the kids and parents absolutely love her! Andrew's excited to be a 2nd grader and has already met some new friends in his class.

Christian is a 3rd grader this year! Hard to believe!! His teacher is Ms. Tornell and we think she was hand-picked for him. She's been highly recommended by the new principal who knows that Christian is an aggressive student who loves to be challenged. We're sure it will be a great year for Christian!

Can we take enough pictures of Samuel? I don't think so!

2007-08-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

He doesn't it know it yet, but he's a future all-star!

Someday he'll be shocked to realize that he once fit in his dad's baseball mitt!

Samuel has just started seeing at greater distance.

It's so fun to watch him focus on things and study them.

Pretty serious little guy!

Christian's 9th Birthday!

2007-08-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Christian's birthday was this past Friday, August 3rd. We can hardly believe we have a nine-year-old! He had a great day focused completely on baseball! He even used his gift card from Grandma and Grandpa Bennett to buy baseball cards. We're so happy with the great boy he is and are thankful for his funny sense of humor, his passion for achievement, and his sweet sensitive personality. Happy Birthday Christian!

New pictures of Samuel

2007-08-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

As promised...here are a few recent pictures of Samuel. We are all cherishing every newborn moment we get to experience with him. He's such a beautiful, good-natured little boy. We love him so much and are so thankful for the blessing of adding him to our little family!

Raingutter Regatta - July, 26th

2007-08-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

This past week Christian's scout troop had their Raingutter Regatta. Each of our three boys worked hard to design a boat to enter in the contest. We had a fun evening and everyone came away feeling victorious! That's a good thing for three little boys with high hopes that their hard work would pay off.

Christian's boat was so fast it won almost every race! He named it the "Super Sailer"!

Although Andrew and Jacob are not technically in scouts, they were anxious to work on a boat for the regatta. Andrew's was designed to look like a catamaran and was called the "Andy Attacker"!

You can tell the boys worked together to name their boats. Alliteration was definitely the theme. Here's Jacob's boat in classic regatta scout design, "Jacob's Jammer".

All three boats sailed really well. Maybe it was all the hot air blowing the sails, but we'd like to think it was the amazing designs that Eric came up with.

Crazy Kids!

2007-07-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

I had to post these pictures! Breanna is such a nut!
She wears these Mr. Potato head glasses everywhere. You should see the looks we get at Target!

Do these kids look like they have fun together?

This picture is destined to be on Breanna's wedding video someday. She's hilarious!

New pictures of Samuel!

2007-07-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Samuel loves his fingers!
It's so natural for him to have them in his mouth it makes us think he's been doing this for a little longer than two weeks!

Here are a few newer pictures of Samuel. He is so sweet! We have all fallen in love with him!

He has two baseball outfits which is important for a little boy in our family. He's already worn both of them to Christian's all-star games and is a great support to the team.....meaning he sleeps through the whole game and doesn't cause any trouble.

Samuel Junius Bennett - Born July 9, 2007

2007-07-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

We are so pleased to announce that Samuel Junius Bennett was born on Monday, July 9th at 3:59 pm. He is such a sweet good-natured little baby! He was 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. He has a little bit of blonde hair and definitely looks like the rest of the family! His brothers and sister are so excited to welcome him into our home and are showering him with tons of love.

Christian: "He's the cutest little thing!"
Andrew: "He only eats half his meals then he goes to sleep!"
Jacob: "He's the sleepiest little baby!"
Breanna: "I love Sanyo!"

We are so lucky to have Amie's mom here to help out for about 10 days and Amie's dad flew in this morning to spend the weekend with the family. What a birthday party!

Thank you to all of you who have expressed your love and support. We're so thankful for all our family and friends and know that Samuel is very blessed to come to such a wonderful extended family. We love all of you!

Here are a couple of pictures. We'll be sure to post more soon because we can already see him changing!

10 Days and Counting!

2007-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

We are now officially 10 days away from my due date! Most of our preparations for the baby are finished and the whole family is getting anxious to meet this new little brother.

I took the kids to the store yesterday so they could pick out a new little outfit for the baby to wear home from the hospital. They were so cute and so excited. We'll be sure to post pictures and let you know as soon as he arrives!

Love, Amie

Trip to San Francisco!

2007-06-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took a quick little trip to San Francisco to Stay with Kat, Matt, and Caleb. They had just moved to a new apartment and still had keys to the old one so for a limited time they had enough room to sleep a group our size!

Eric took Monday off of work and we drove out Sunday evening to spend Father's Day with them, stayed over night, and spent Monday playing in the city. Everyone had a great time and thanks to Kat and Matt we were well-entertained and well-fed!

Sunday evening after dinner we went to Golden Gate Park and Baker Beach. It was pretty cold but the kids couldn't resist racing the waves and digging in the sand. (I am including Matt and Eric in "the kids".) Sunset at Baker Beach was beautiful!

Monday morning we went to the San Francisco zoo with Kat and Caleb. The kids especially loved watching the flamingos, the grizzly bears, the lions, and the penguins. Those of us who have only been to Hogle Zoo in SLC were very impressed! It's an amazing zoo.

After the zoo we drove along the coast into the city to Fisherman's Wharf where we got some lunch and explored the National Maritime Museum. The boys completed the Junior Ranger program and were awarded their badges and sworn in as Junior Rangers. We learned a lot about life at sea.....I learned that life at sea is not for me! I'd die of closterphobia!

From the museum we walked a few blocks and hopped on a Cable Car. We rode the Cable Car all the way to Union Square where we got ice cream and caught a bus back to the Wharf. The Cable Cars were a fun adventure and felt like a roller coaster going up and down the steep hills of San Francisco. It brought back memories of walking those hills with Dad, Sarah, and Kat several years ago. (Dad knew exactly where he was going and all we had to do was walk up this "little hill". Great memories!!)

We ended our day back at Kat and Matt's apartment where we had dinner and packed up to come home. Probably the most miraculous part of the trip was that we made it from their apartment to our house in an hour and 45 minutes! No traffic in California? Amazing!!

Thanks to Kat and Matt for such a fun trip! We love living close enough to spend time together! It was the perfect little get-away for the family before we welcome a new baby into our family sometime in the next two weeks. We're really getting excited to meet this little guy!!!

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

2007-06-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jacob's 5th birthday!! He has been counting down to his birthday for the past 47 days. The day began with his favorite breakfast: breakfast burritos. He opened his presents then played with his new soccer goal and ball in the backyard. We went to Lowe's for the kids clinic where the boys (and Breanna) made picture frames for Father's Day. After Lowe's we went swimming. Make sure you see the pictures of the rocket rides Eric gave the boys in the pool. All the boys went to Bel Passi for Christian's baseball practice in the afternoon. The day ended with cake, ice cream, and a family movie party. Jacob was thrilled with the day and with the presents he got. We can't believe our kids are growing so fast.
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The next birthday in the family will be our new baby! We can't wait!!!

Family Update - Two very busy weeks!!!

2007-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

We have officially started summer vacation! Christian and Andrew finished school last week on the 23rd and Jacob graduated from preschool this week on the 30th. Now everyone is home all day and we are having a great time!

Last week was so crazy and great! Here are the details:

Monday, May 21:

Field day for Christian and Andrew. Do we all remember how fun it was to be in elementary school where the last week of school is all about play?! Christian was honored Monday as Citizen of the Month by his teacher, Ms. Weigand, for the second time this year. Eric and I were proud to be at the 2nd grade gathering as he received his award. Ms. Weigand told me she wishes she could clone Christian and have 20 of him in her class every year. That's a great thing for a mother to hear!

Tuesday, May 22:

Tuesday morning Christian and Andrew ran in the school Jog-a-thon. They are awesome runners!

After school on Tuesday Eric came home from work a little early and drove all the boys to San Francisco to a Houston Astros vs. Giants baseball game. A friend of ours had given them his company's club seats. They arrived early to watch the Astros warm up and had a great time getting autographs, talking to the players, and enjoying the ballpark. Jacob even came home with an official gameball that had been fouled out of bounds. The security guard had it autographed and handed it to him. What an awesome night!

Wednesday, May 23:

Last day of school! Christian's class had a pizza party, Andrew's class cleaned out the room. (Andrew's teachers are moving to our new elementary school next year.) They both said goodbye to friends and their school, gave their gifts to their teachers, and headed home for an end of school party and Andrew's baseball game that evening.

Andrew played a terrific game Wednesday night and ended up being named player of the game and given the game ball with signatures from all of his teammates! He had some great hits and was awesome in the outfield. He definitely had some of the major league vibe from the night before! Below is a screen shot of his team webpage with his spotlight.

Thursday, May 24:

The first day of summer vacation. However, the Bennett family was in charge of Pack Meeting that night, so we spent the day running errands, having family "cooking class" baking cupcakes, and preparing for "Bugs, bugs, bugs". The night was fun and the kids loved the Centipede races, the bug trivia, and the worm-in-dirt cupcakes. Did you know that a cockroach can live for nine days without it's head! Gross! But the boys loved it.

Friday and Saturday: Exciting Invitation and Fun with Matt, Kat, and Caleb

Christian got a phone call Friday evening from the All-star coach in the league and was invited to play on the 8 year old all star team! This is a big honor because he's the only boy on the team to be chosen his first year playing in the league. We're excited to be able to extend our baseball season through the summer now!

The Swans drove out late Friday night and spent Saturday playing with us. Breanna ended up with pinkeye Friday night so we all worked hard to keep her away from Caleb, but enjoyed the time together. The boys all washed Matt and Kat’s car while Kat and I ran errands, then we all headed out to swim and came home for BBQ tri-tip and the Jazz game. Have I mentioned how nice it is to have family close? We love any chance we can get to get together with them. Caleb is such a cutie! We all melt over him!!

Monday, Memorial Day: - Family bike ride and swimming with friends.

Wednesday, May 30: Jacob's graduation from preschool.

Jacob loves his preschool! I have never seen a preschool provide more craft activities covered with more glitter in my life! We're going to hold him back for another year before he starts Kindergarten so he'll be attending the same preschool next year. It's part of a local high school child development program so the kids got to wear gowns in the school colors and the high school principal handed out the diplomas. Very cute!

Thursday, May 31: Parents vs. Red Socks game.

Andrew's team had a parents versus the kids game for their final practice. The game was a little pitiful at the start because the dads were out there to prove they could win. Come on!! As the game wore on, the dads were more generous and allowed the kids to actually have some fun. It was fun to watch the acting as dads "dropped" balls and dove for catches but "missed" them. At one point, Eric had me bat for him just to make things more fair. Little did they know, that although I'm large and awkward, I can still smack the ball around! I made it to first base without any trouble. It was a fun evening.

Thursday, May 31: Where's Andrew's tooth?

Andrew cried Wednesday night because it hurt to eat anything and his tooth was so lose! He debated whether he should sleep on his face so he wouldn't accidently swallow it. The tooth was there when he woke up but only made it for a few morning hours before it popped out! Now he has the most adorable toothless smile!

Vote of Confidence!

2007-05-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this:

We were driving to church this morning (a little late because Eric had meetings and I was on my own getting the kids ready). As we were hurrying down the road, Christian spotted a police car with lights flashing ahead of us. Being the responsible and slightly bossy oldest child, he made sure everyone in the car had seat belts on and was behaving normally. Then he leaned to the front seat and said, "Quick Mom, act like you know what you're doing!"

Breanna, Jacob and Cousin Caleb

2007-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to live close enough to Kat, Matt, and Caleb that we get to visit often! Here's a cute video of Breanna and Jacob making Caleb laugh. He's such a cutie! It's great practice being a big sister for Breanna.

Andrew's Baseball Highlights

2007-05-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

We got to Andrew's baseball game yesterday morning and the weather was beautiful and sunny so I took the opportunity to take some extra pictures of Andrew. He's having a great season and we're really proud of the great athlete he's becoming.
Go Red Socks!

Friday, May 4th - Christian Pitching

2007-05-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Christian's baseball game. He pitched again tonight! He's really getting good at pitching and is becoming quite a good ball player. We're very proud of him. Andrew has a game tomorrow! We love going to the games and supporting the boys. This is sure a fun time of life for our family!

(Click on the picture below for close ups of the pictures.)

My Family Tree

2007-05-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a little book for the kids to read during sacrament meeting.
With another boy on the way, I'm trying to take preventative measures to prepare for crazy Sundays!
Here's a page I just finished for it:

Hot April Saturday!

2007-04-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a shockingly hot day considering how cold last week was! We did a little yard work then pulled out our pool from last year and filled it up. The kids loved jumping in the cold water and are really excited about the coming summer heat. We'll see how we all feel about it once August hits....

Family Pics 2006

2007-04-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

I loved these pictures of Breanna! She was amazingly photogenic that day!!!

New scrapbook page

2007-04-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm learning a new scrapbooking software program and loving it!! Here's my first completed page. All these pages will go into our 2006 family scrapbook which will hopefully be completed by the time the baby arrives in July. Better keep working! -Amie

Christian Pitches 3rd Inning and Strikes out 3 Batters!

2007-04-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

What a great game Christian had last night! His team played the Giants in their first experience with player-pitch. (His age group switches from coach-pitch to player-pitch at mid-season.) Christian pitched the 3rd inning and was awesome! He struck out 3 of the first 4 batters! Our hero!!! He also had a great hit and scored one of the two winning runs for his team! We're so proud of him!

Andrew's Baseball Game on Saturday

2007-04-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Andrew's game Saturday morning was a great one! He had some great hits and really hustled in the outfield. He was excited to wear the catcher's gear this game and did a great job. We're so proud of him! He's really becoming a terrific athlete!

It sprinkled throughout the whole game, but his team played great! What a bunch of troopers!!

Christian's game on Friday

2007-04-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Christian played an awesome game Friday night! He scored every time he got up to bat and got a few great outs for his team while playing second base and shortstop. We love to watch him!

Here's a clip of a great double he hit during the game:

St. George, UT Trip - 3/30-4/8/2007

2007-04-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

We just returned last weekend from a GREAT trip to St. George, UT. We loved the time we got to spend with Steve and Tonia and their family and the time with the Christensen family at the condo. A few of the highlights of the trip were:

Jacob learned how to ride a two-wheeler on Ethan's bike in the backyard.
Watching conference with Steve and Tonia and their family.
Swimming every day at the pool at the condo.
Welcoming uncle Taylor home from his mission!
Andrew's loose tooth that FINALLY came out at Steve and Tonia's house.
The kids going to Fiesta Fun with Grandma and Grandpa.
Playing with cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.
Eric and Amie getting a night away in Las Vegas.
The Christensen family Easter egg hunt in the dark.
The condo Easter egg hunt and treasure dig with amazing treats!
Celebrating Andrew's birthday.

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-04-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Breanna's ABCs

2007-04-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

2007-04-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a funny video!
Jacob and Breanna have so much fun together.
We never know what they're going to be doing next.

March 8, 2006

2007-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

March 2006

2007-04-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

February 2006

2007-04-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

What an adventure we had landscaping our backyard last spring! Eric's expertise in sprinkler design and installation saved us a lot of money, and we had fun working together and creating the backyard together.