Bye! Bye! Baby!

This little dude turned 3 yesterday.

      

We are truly grateful for our little caboose.  He is Amaaaazing.  He is so much fun to have around.  He's more than a little bit adored.  We can't wait til his words begin to match his understanding.

Here's a small sampling of Ben-isms:

Hi:  A sister (presumably from having Katie wake him each morning with a sunshiny "HI"

Big Hi:  Amy, a.k.a.  Second mommy

Bee-yah:  A brother.  No idea of the origins, but we like to assume it is a derivative of BooYah, which is representative of the emotion his brothers engender in him every moment.

Big Daddy Roar:  Any animal or dinosaur capable of doing damage or harm to a person.  May refer to a lion, dinosaur, etc.

HooHoo:  dog.   Obvious origins— our favorite quote being, whenever he sees a yellow lab:  "Me Hoo Hoo Die"— Story will be given later when the pain of it all is less intense.

We look forward to three.  This year marks so many things:

No more baby

Potty Training

Preschool

Talking

We can't believe how fast it went.

Quakies

Aren't These Quaking Aspen so beautiful?  While living in the desert has its advantages, I am definitely a woods girl at heart.

Walking on Sunshine

We participated in an Eclipse Party to view the solar eclipse.  We had fancy glasses and it's a good thing or we wouldn't have even known it was happening.

Gratitude List— q1 and q2 2012

1.  Rob, after 6 years of being practically, if not legally, blind had cataract surgery (at a specialist in SLC because of all his issues) and now has 20/25 Vision in one eye. And the doctor thinks he will qualify for surgery in the other eye because of the discrepancy in prescriptions.  It is truly a miracle and we know we are blessed.

2.  Ben, because of his speech delays, has qualified for intense (4days a week) speech therapy/preschool.  Finally, he'll be getting the help he needs.

3.  We've had so many opportunities to be with family this summer.  We went to Aspen Grove (BYU Alumni Camp) for a week.  It was a pretty amazing setting and incredible fun.  Then Rob had Surgery, Then we went camping and had an awesome time.  Finally, the boys are at scout camp and we girls are drawing, painting, sewing, watching silly mormon movies and having a great girls week.

Aspen Grove — TONS Of FUN

Canoing on Barker Reservoir

Fish, fish, fish

I want to steer.  I have a license you know.

Swimming at Calf Creek Falls.  Very refreshing after a 3 mile hike in the 100+ weather

Which reminds me:

4.  Even though it is 100+ and has been for the past few weeks, Today and yesterday we were blessed with evening thunderstorms.  If you live here you know, you go outside and play in the rain because it's so rare.  It reminds me of the Ray Bradbury Story:  "All Summer In A Day"   If you google it, there's a free copy of it in doc form.  Read it and you'll see what I mean.

O, Remember, Remember

I'm old.  Not super old, mind you.  But old-er than most bloggers I see out there.  I keep looking for the blogs of women with children my age and you know what— they don't exist.   And I know why.  If they're anything like me they're split a hundred ways to Sunday going to drop off, pick up, drop off, do a load of laundry, spend hours shopping for Scout camp, getting sewer permits, poolhouse engineering, leaving on vacation 3 weeks in a row and Stuff like that.  There are no bloggers like me cause they haven't got the time.  And at the end of the day, they don't know what to say because, like me, they haven't taken the time to count the many ways that Heavenly Father has been manifest in their life.


The other Day I stumbled across this book:

 

It is written by a woman who truly desires to be grateful in her life and it reminds me how incredibly beautiful I've got it.  So whether anyone reads it or not.  Or cares. Or Not.  I will use this blog to thank Him. Each and Every Day.  Or maybe once a week.  :)