Two nights ago this was the scene in our upstairs bath-tub. Benjamin loves his "diver flippers". He now reports that he wants to be a diver or a fireman when he grows up.

And for anyone who is wondering....we are surviving the blizzard. Another one is projected for Sunday. We got 40+ inches of snow. The next week's forecast is for snow every day. We should have a white Christmas.

The Woody present

We received a present from Benjamin's birth mother. Here is his take on it:



...and a big THANK YOU from us.

Boise n Logan

We got home late last night from Boise. We went for Thanksgiving and stayed thru the next week. We had a great time visiting family in the west. We flew in on Thanksgiving day, spent the next day in Boise and got to participate in the annual Ward doughnut party and then on Saturday headed down to Logan, UT where Aunt Karen and her family and Uncle Dennis live. We even got to see Uncle Jason which was a treat! We didn't have snow in NY so the snow was fun for the kiddos.


One of the favorite things for the girls is a trip from Aunt Diane because I will put make-up on them.
Having girls around was fun and Benjamin loved palling around with Alyssa. We would often find them on (or under) the couch looking out the window.

Then after a very quick trip to Lehi to see Joseph's sister and Jason's wife who was unable to come to Logan it was back to Boise. On Wednesday we got another large snow fall and schools were closed. We played on the toboggan and made an adorable snow family.

We were grateful for the lovely fireplace in Grandma's family room.
One of our most favorite things to do in Boise is go to Joseph's parents cabin. We thought that we might have to snowshoe in but the caretaker had plowed a trail and we were able to walk right up to the front door. The cabin is lovely. Benjamin had a ball. He climbed up to the loft and back down so many times I lost track.




This last picture was taken as we waited in DC to board our flight. We had a 4 hour layover. After sleeping Benjamin was ready to go. Joseph tied him to the chair and he loved it. Oh if only I had his energy!

Hard Hat

Ben doesn't want me to get on the computer or the phone lately. When the phone rings he says "don't talk Mom", so much for being Relief Society President. And, I'm too exhausted at the end of the day to post so, sorry for the lack of updates.
The other day Ben found Joseph's hard hat. He was in heaven. Of course he was mostly naked, because he tends to strip down given the chance and then the chase is on.
He has been so cute lately. He got an early birthday present (a Jessie from Toy Story) that he say's "I love her" about.
School has been going well. I am loving the parenting class that I get to attend for the last 45 minutes. The kids have free play time and we parents go to the next door room.
We are going to Boise for Thanksgiving. It will be fun to see my sister and brothers too. We will sneak in a trip to Logan along the way. We hope to see some of our friends too while out west.

Mom and Dad and Jenni and the kids came over last night to celebrate Mom's 68th birthday. We had a lovely time. It was so fun getting together. The kids love it. Especially Benjamin. We miss Kenneth and Heidi and their kids. Hopefully they don't stay in CA too terribly long.

Our dinosaur

We went trick or treating this evening. Here is a picture of our little dragon and then one showing his tail. He was so cute. At the first door we said "Say, Trick or Treat", (he had been practicing since he left our driveway) His response was "no, just do it." After being shy with the next-door neighbor he said it for the rest of the evening. We only went to about 10 houses in total. It was cold and rainy. It made us feel great that most of our neighbors and the people down Benedict Manor know Ben's name and have been watching him grow. I like where we live.


I read somewhere that "children will bring you more joy than you ever suspected existed in the universe. Even when they're driving you crazy, you'll fall in love with them again and again. I've never laughed so hard or found so much beauty in simple things since becoming a mother. It's an impossible contradiction. They're frustrating and glorious. They throw you life into uproar and they teach you contentment. You'll remember every mistake you make as a parent and yet your children will love you anyway. I'll tell you nothing on this earth can compare to a spontaneous, heartfelt hug from a toddler."
I so appreciate Benjamin's birth mother for filling these empty arms and helping heal my heart. He is the joy of my life.

Misc Musings

Tuesday we celebrated Joseph's 37th birthday. Ben and I got him a Wii. He has always joked about owning a Nintendo. Now he has one. We have had fun bowling and playing golf. The missionaries came over last night and enjoyed it too. In the picture Ben was helping Daddy unwrap his gift. Ben also gave Daddy a Rocky and Bullwinkle movie. Ben says "Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of a hat." Oh, the things Joseph teaches him.
A new family moved into our ward. They are lovely. We had them over for dinner Sunday and the kids loved dressing up.
This was Ben milking a cow at the state fair. He loved the tractors and hands on displays.
Lastly, this was taken on the Hill Cumorah. Joseph and I did a temple session with some friends of ours and split child care. While I was at the temple Joseph and Ben ran up the hill. Notice Woody in the grass. One of the toy story guys is never far behind.

School

A little nervous on his first day of school. Our school district has a 2, 3, and 4 year old program. There are 11 kids in Ben's class. He really wants to ride the bus.
Walking up the sidewalk to Park Hill Elementary.
He wouldn't take off the backpack.
Benjamin officially started school this week. Actually his first day was last weeks orientation and the picture is from last Thursday. Yesterday was his first real day of school. He of course loves it. I think he was nervous on his first day. He wouldn't pose for pictures and he was tired. School starts at 12:00 and we are done at 2:15. It is only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I get to be there with him. He loves gym, and having a cubby, and snack time. He used all his best words and said please and thank you. I was so proud of him. He is a star!! He likes having friends and being involved. I will admit it's a nice outing for mom too.