berretts

Saturday Chores

2012-01-28T18:10:00.001-08:00

We spent most of the day in the backyard raking, mowing, sweeping and bagging leaves. We have definitely neglected our backyard (just like our blog) over the last few months. It was a first Saturday in a while that the weather was perfect and we didn't have anything planned, so we definitely took advantage of the situation. We have two orange trees and a banana tree that add to the yard work so it took most of the morning...I'm getting distracted...

...The reason for this post was not to talk about our yard but to post about a moment that I know I'll forget if I dont write it down.

So Benson has be on a wild streak for the last few weeks and is finally coming off it. The last few days he has been as sweet as little boys can be. Last night we let him stay up late with us because we were having so much fun together, he also was so sweet that I let him in our bed with us to go to sleep. When I asked Scott who he wanted to say the prayer- Benson piped up and said he wanted to

Me: Benson, you wanna say the prayer?

Benson: yah

Me: okay, do you want me to help you? (I've always helped him)

Benson: No....Dear Heavenly Father..

he continued to say the entire prayer all by himself. I know this sounds like nothing special- many kids his age can say a pray but it was Benson's first time and when he spoke there was something so tender and sincere in his voice that it just melted my heart.

What else does that have to do with the yard work?

He has continued his sweet attitude through out today while we were working in the yard. He had his boots and rope with him the whole time. He helped sweep and pick up handfuls of leaves and put them into the bags. He even helped put all the old banana leaves into the back of the truck. I was proud of him.

It was worth the last few weeks where there were more tears than laughter, more stares than smiles from strangers at the store and more time outs than diaper changes.

Happy Kings Day

2012-01-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today is Kings Day in the big easy. It is 12 days after Christmas and the beginning of the Mardi Gras season. They take Mardi Gras pretty seriously down here. Most people start getting Kings Cake to begin the celebration and I thought I would join in on the festivities and get one for tonight.

I went to a recommended bakery that does ONLY king cakes, it was around 330 and they only had MASSIVE ones shaped in LSU (they are serious about LSU down here too) and there was only 4 left..despite the massive price tag it came with, I was very excited to purchase my very first Kings Cake. In each Cake there is a little plastic baby and whoever gets the baby throws the next party. I dropped off part of the cake to two different friends since each of the letters took up an entire cookie sheet- we didnt need that much cake. It should be fun to see who gets the baby!

And since it has been so long since we've posted anything on here- I'll give you a little piece of my Christmas present...how awesome did these pictures turn out!!

Happy Birthday Benson

2011-07-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Benson turned 2. I can't believe I have a 2 year old. I dont think he grasped the concept of his birthday quite yet. We kept things simple and got him some ballons and a banner to wake up to in the morning. We also had playgroup at our house- the kids played in the kiddy pool and we decorated cupcakes and then sang Happy Birthday to him. His favorite thing was the plastic fireman hat we got him which i'll post later.
Just a few days old

one year birthday

Play Time

2011-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

Benson and Henry are starting to notice each other more and more which for the most part is adorable and warms my heart. Other times it makes me feel like my heart is going to stop beating- like the time Benson tried to pick up Henry, or hit him with his toy or kicked him on accident. Good thing little boys are tough.

Henry's picked up my love of reading and Scott's love of nice cars

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Me and Scott pretty much have the greatest mothers out there and so we wanted to remind them how great they are and send our love to them both. Happy Mothers day to everyone!!

So I am totally stealing this from another blog that I read (Thanks Hinckleys! and sorry I didnt ask to use it before I posted this!) and I have been thinking of this story all day today.

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe.I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder, one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Family Time

2011-05-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Weve had quite a few vistors over the last two months, hence the lack of posts. We've also been busy getting into the swing of a summer schedule and adjusting to two children. Just a few highlights from the last few weeks:

My mom came out the day Henry was born (great timing Mom!)

Then Scott's mom came out a week after my mom left and helped out so much! She even took Henry for two nights for me so I could get some sleep. (our moms are pretty much amazing). She was here over Easter as well.

We celebrated our 4 years of Marriage...Love, Love, Love this man!
Then a few weeks after that my Dad came to visit and we ventured downtown with the boys to ride the ferry, visit the french quarter and ride the trolley down St.Charles Ave. My Dad got Benson and early present- his first Tricycle!

and then a few weeks after that my sister Maddie came to visit. My parents were going out of town for 10 days and she didnt want to jump around house to house so she came and stayed with us. Don't be deceived by her mature beauty, shes only 14...apparently everyone thought that Henry was her child.

Dedicated

2011-04-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Scott...Happy Anniversary!

Four years ago today we got married and I can't believe how fast its gone by. Here's to the last four years of being married to an amazing man and to the next fifty as well. I am so lucky to be a part of his life and he is a wonderful father and husband.

"What is love? This may be hollywoods version and the interpretation of those who write love songs and love fiction. true love is not wrapped in such flimsy material. one might become immediately attracted to another individual, but love is far more than physical attraction. it is deep, inclusive, and comprehensive. physical attraction is only one of the many elements; there must be faith and confidence and understanding and partnership. there must be common ideas and standards. there must be a great devotion and companionship. love is cleanliness and progress, and sacrifice and selflessness. this kind of love never tires or wanes, but live through sickness, and sorrow, poverty or privation, accomplishment and disappointment, time and eternity"
Spencer W. Kimball

And then there was four...

2011-04-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to introduce Henry David Berrett to the Berrett family. He joined us April 9th at 10am. He weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces and 20.5 inches long.

The morning he was born, I started having contractions when I woke up and started to get ready to go to the hospital. I told Scott to take his time and shower because they weren't super close and I felt like things wouldn't go very fast. An hour later I really regretted taking our time. We showed up at the hospital at 8am and I was very paranoid they would send me home because I wasn't dilated. she checked me and said I was at a 6- I then asked for an epidural asap- which didn't happen very asap if you ask me.

I think (from what I remember) I didn't get it till after 9am which is a very long time when you are in labor and feeling labor pains. Poor Scott got the brunt of the labor pains...and his hand- I was holding it so tight, you'd think I'd of bruised it.

As soon as I got the epidural they broke my water, had me push four times and little Henry arrived. It all happened very fast but everyone is doing well.

Benson is interested in his brother sometimes but most of the time he goes about his business. Having two kids keeps me on my toes and there are DEFINITELY more diapers to change but I love these boys and am SOO glad not to pregnant anymore!

Spring to Summer

2011-04-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

I feel like we skipped spring all together this year. Going from 20 degree weather to 85 really does that to you. Today was so hot that after walking to our car from the library, we decided that water was a must in our next activity for the day.

Oh Baby

2011-04-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Baby Boy,
I know your due date isn't for another week but since your brother was two weeks early, can you please come early as well? and come during the day? and maybe even right now? you will like it here, I promise. You'll have a lot more room to stretch out and you even have a brother ready to play with you.

I would like my body back soon, So please come now.
xoxo,
Your Mother

(i found this video of Benson the day after he was born. )

Chicken Lickin

2011-04-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks, dinners in our house have been the same 10 recipes over and over. I don't know why but I hit what I like to call a "Blah" phase...nothing sounds good to cook or eat and I would rather have cold cereal or oatmeal than make dinner. I have been trying to get out of this rut for some time and may have succeeded tonight. Chicken is a staple in our home and so I was glad to find a recipe that was new and had chicken as an ingredient. You should try this recipe I found on myrecipes.com

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwiches

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices fresh pineapple
4 (1.5-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted (I used hawaiin sweet rolls)
Light mayonnaise (optional)
4 large basil leaves

Preparation

1. Prepare grill.

2. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done, brushing occasionally with lime juice. Grill pineapple 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned.

3. Spread mayonnaise on bottom halves of buns, if desired. Top each with 1 chicken breast half, 1 pineapple slice, 1 basil leaf, and 1 bun top. Serve immediately.

Welcome to New Orleans

2011-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

So lets be honest, when I don't blog for awhile, it normally means that I'm having a hard time with life and I would rather keep my troubles and trials and struggles in my personal life rather than sharing them with the whole world.

Many people know that we moved to Minnesota for the training part of Scott's job and that we were told within six months we'd be assigned a store to manager. Starting in October we started hearing rumors that we'd be moving before the holidays, and then it was we'd move by the end of last year and then it was by the end of February and then it was the end of April or sometime in May and then it was "You're moving in March to St. Louis" and then three days later it was "No, you aren't moving yet" and then two weeks later it was "You're moving to New Orleans and we need you there in a week".

So for the last few months we have been on edge waiting to hear where we will move and when. This has caused some struggles for us and especially me, because I have had no clue where I would deliver this baby until I was 36 weeks pregnant.

Now we know, and we have moved and Scott has started him job. I finally unpacked the last box this last week and we have (I think) Everything ready for this baby. I found a doctor, a hospital, We've started going to our new ward and I've even had a chance to meet our new neighbors.

We are really enjoying the warm weather, the fresh oranges from the orange trees from our backyard, and i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing green grass.

This is from our second day in being in New Orleans...yes, that is the street I was driving on...I soon will be a professional at driving in 3 feet of snow AND 3 feet of water. We must be destined to live in extreme weather conditions.

The Big Move

2011-03-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

1 budget truck,
2 days,
1200 miles,
9 day notice,
8 months pregnant,
unumbered bathroom stops,
20 hours of driving,
3 adults,
6 movies,
7 states,
5 nights in a hotel,
20 month year old child,
Equals= I'll never do that again.

Hibernation

2011-03-28T10:43:00.001-07:00

I know its been quite some time since we've posted anything on here but when the Minnesota weather fluctuates between -20 and 3 degrees, there isn't much to do. The holidays were good, except us all getting the stomach bug and other than that we've just been doing a lot of the following:

Eating

Getting Cabin Fever

Playing in the snow (when it gets above 20)

Sleeping

That wraps up the past three to four months at the Berretts home up until the last three weeks...

With 9 days notice we packed up our little apartment in the frozen tundra and moved to New Orleans! Details of that little excursion will come with the next post, which will hopefully be posted this week! I'm back on the blog wagon!

18 inches

2010-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Minnesota has been nice enough to give us a good taste of their winter wonderland and sub zero temperatures over this last week. This morning it was -10 and the high yesterday was 5. I think we might hit 24 for this week - watch out for that heat wave!

Not only is it numbingly cold here but this weekend we got hit with a blizzard that dropped 18 inches in our town. The wind was the snow's steady companion and so some of the snow drifts around our neighborhood ended up being several feet high. Here are just a few pictures we took one night. Now they have the roads plowed and cars dug out but the snow pile down the street is almost to the top of the lamp post.

God Bless the Walmart Man

2010-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

I hate going to walmart. What I hate worse about going to Walmart is having to go and get help from someone who works there- especially around the holidays. Everyone is in a hurry or grumpy. Today I had to go and have the battery in the LC (Land cruiser) tested. It sat for a week in sub zero tempatures and had to be jumped started a few times. Scott asked me to just take it in and have it tested. I didn't want to do it. I've been dreading it since he asked me.

This seems like an easy task but like I said, I hate Walmart and running any errands with Benson has been less than delightful since he's discovered that he can stand rather than sit in the cart. Luckly I had a doctors apt today and had a friend watch Benson for me. Before I went to go pick him up, I drove over to Walmart, around the back side and parked. I went in and a nice man behind the counter asked what he could help me with. I explained to him the situation and told him I needed the battery in the car tested. He said ok.

This is where I was waiting for him to growl at me or tell me I'll have to wait 20 mintues. Or explain the machine or whatever it is they test the battery with is broke or being repaired. Instead he grabbed a brick looking thing that has two cords attached to it and started walking around the counter and outside to my car. dumbly, I followed him as he politely, without making me feel like an idot since I know nothing about cars, explained how it'll be tested and the numbers the results needs to be for the batter to be good. He tested it and the results printed out on his brick thing and he gave me three options of what I could do then. One option was to just make sure to run the car everyday (I picked this option).

AND THAT WAS IT. I thanked him and he smiled and said sincerely "your welcome". It took a total of 5 maybe 7 minutes. I know this doesn't sound like that great of a story but to me it was. I feel like during the holiday season I can get so caught up in what I need to get done, what I haven't done and what a hurry I am in to get those things done, that I don't feel like I don't have time to help other people around me or even just stop and say "Thank you".

This man seemed like his whole day was revolved around me coming in and him helping me and he was happy to do so. And he was nice. And helpful. I just stood there for a second wanting to hug this man and tell him how wonderful he was. God bless the Walmart man for teaching me a lesson.

take two

2010-11-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

Last night we went in for the routine 20 week ultrasound and we are so excited that we're going to have another BOY!

I remeber when Benson was born, he would pee EVERY time we changed his diaper, i saw these at the time and never made them but now that we've got another little boy on the way, i'm tempted to make them this time around.

they are little wee wigwam, you cover them up while you change their diaper- how funny.

Remember, Remember the 5th of November

2010-11-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

I stole that from some peoples facebook status, i think its from a tv show or something.

But its a great way to remember Scott's brithday! (I'm awful at remembering dates, just ask Scott- the other day we were talking about our anniversary in April and I told him the 26th of April was the best day of my life....he looked at me funny and asked "Why? because it was two days before we got married?" Oh Right- We got married on the 28th)

So here is the late shout out to Scott for his birthday!

We celebrated by going to Chipotle and getting 2 free burritos! (no- i didnt steal them)
and visiting the Minnesota History Museum where we found out that there is a lake somewhere in this great state that when the water freezes- over 30,000 people move onto the lake and create a town- they have roads, speed limits and even a towing service... amazing! It doesnt make me any more excited for winter here though.

He had to leave tonight to go out of town for the week-We'll see how this week goes - I'm a bit nervous I might go crazy by the end of the week but I've made a huge TO-DO LIST that will hopefully keep me busy and sane.

pictures will come later.

Love Him

2010-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

a little more to add

2010-10-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

In my update from the last post, I forgot to add one tiny thing- because it is definitely tiny as right now-

a baby!

I'm due the beginning of April and am just so glad to be out of the first trimester. it was awful and am not sure how many more times i can handle a first trimester. i am currently obsessed with Coleslaw and Apple Juice and can't stand the sight of meats. Poor Scott. We are really excited and we find out the gender of the baby next month! Scott thinks it'll be a girl but i keep dreaming of boys- as long as its one or the other, we'll be happy.

Here's to a warm winter being pregnant and no more bonding time with toilets!

3 month catch up

2010-10-23T10:05:00.001-07:00

I have no idea how to get this to stop being underlined so i'm just dealing with it.

I have no particular reason why I have neglected our blogspot for the last three months, it started when I got really sick and then there was so much to catch up on I just kept putting it off. And then I got lazy.

Here are just a few highlights over the last few months

We went to an apple orchard and picked some apples, they had a few animals which Benson loved. This goat wouldnt stop trying to eat his shirt and he thought it was so funny
Instead of a sandbox, they had a cornbox- Benson could of spent all day there
This picture is a little goofy of him but he LOVES LOVES LOVES tractors, big trucks, construction trucks- i would even say he's obsessed because every time we see one he tries to either climb on it, stare at it or scream bloody murder when we leave.

We are now a two car family- yah! i'm so happy to have two cars, it has made life so much easier! It was a great deal with a great price and it gets us to the important places we need to go- like the grocery store, the library, the park and the mall.

Since fall has arrived i got my jump start back into the kitchen- i took a hiatus from the kitchen for some time and am getting back into the swing of things. We've froze raspberries, peaches, and started baking danish pastries, artisan breads, and pies.
To help along in the kitchen, i have my Sous-Chef de Cuisine - Benson. He now has to help me with every meal or anything i make in the kitchen if I want to avoid any tantrums being thrown. He is even willing to help with the dishes...
Another great trait Benson has to contribute to his help in the kitchen is that he can multi-task...He can eat and do dishes at the same time. although he started to intermingle the two by dipping his muffin into the water and then eating it.

We have been enjoying our time in Minnesota and the weather has been good to us( no snow yet!!) We just can't believe how big Benson is getting!

(Scott said he was making a booty call)
(yes, my husband thinks hes funny)

Family Time

2010-07-29T07:04:00.001-07:00

I can't believe its the last week of July! This summer has gone by so fast! Scott's parents came to visit us this month from Hong Kong. It was so good to see them and we had so much fun! We got to celebrate my birthday, Benson's birthday and my graduation while they were out here. We took them to some of the sites and showed them where Scott works.

They travel a lot for Grandpa's job- so we got some awesome gifts from Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines.Here are a few highlights

Benson loves Chipotle as much as his Dad, can you tell?
One of the many presents from Hong Kong, I can't wait for him to wear it!
We went to this AMAZING restaurant called Akita, its a Japanese place where you pay a flat rate and get to order anything off the menu, they had great sushi, teppanyaki and teriyaki. It was so much fun.
Grandpa and Benson in their coordinating outfits.
We went to the pool for a bit and benson loved showing Grandpa and Grandma his skills of jumping in the water
Benson loved having Grandpa Berrett around, he always wanted to play and make sure Grandpa was watching him.

We also took them to Mall of America right before they left and there were hundreds and hundreds of girls.....and Zac Efron there. I'll admit I was a little excited hearing that he was at the mall but then hearing hundreds and hundreds of girls scream when he came onto the stage hurt my ears and I walked away.

Celebrate

2010-07-27T17:44:00.001-07:00

Coconut Curry Chicken

2010-07-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of Scott's favorite new meals. I'm trying to expand our dinners a little and he likes it so much, he told me I should post it right away. The only thing i change, is the amount of sugar - I just put a little less than it calls for. We have it with rice, broccoli and nann (i tried making my own nann but then found out that trader joes has them in their freezer section).

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-07-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

“We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith.”

the last few months have been really hard on me. being home is not as easy as i once imagined and dreamed. i was so excited to be home with my child once i was done with school and my husbands job settle down. Ive had this image since i was a little girl what a mom's life was like, and in this image, it was great.

life is great for being a stay at home mom but its nothing to sneeze at. watching my girlfriends who don't have kids yet accomplish things that seem so much more important than dusting, changing diapers and playing peek a boo. they are out fulfilling careers, traveling the world and furthering their education.

I've felt like what I've been doing at home is not important and has little meaning in the scheme of life. Ive thought on occasion that this life is maybe not what I want and that its not fulfilling. That i'm not good at it and I shouldn't of chosen this path. But then I realized that when you try something for the first time in your life, when do you ever just get the hang of it on the first day? Grant it, there are those women out there that as soon as that baby pops out look like they've been a mother their whole life. I'm not like that.

I've had to start making goals for myself and thinking about what things I want to fill my time and life with. Between the several emotional breakdowns to spending my hours with self pity I'm finally learning a little bit more about my role here at home. I saw this video today and it really put things into perspective...

Happy Birthday Benson

2010-07-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Benson turned one! We really wanted to get him the child size table and chair from Ikea but they are out of stock right now, so he'll have to wait. But he did love his cupcake, so much that the following day I walked in the kitchen and he had grabbed the cupcake wrapper out of the trash and was eating it and getting the crumbs off it.

He was so sad the party was over and time for bed.

The apple and the tree

2010-07-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just after we got home from our big trip, Benson started taking his first steps. He's hasnt quite mastered the task but he tries. The only thing that can really get him to walk is if we pull out the bike pump. I think its genetic that Scott likes bikes so much and it has been passed onto our child. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Beach Week

2010-07-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

My parents rented a house just across the street from the beach. I was so excited for Benson to see the ocean for the first time! Here he is with grandpa and me with his first trip to the ocean.
The day before we left he had woken up with some type of sores around his lips, he had three of them and i just knew they were cold sores. i panicked. there is something about having a first child that makes you so worried when they get sick. It a whole guessing game- does their throat hurt? do they feel achy? are they okay? why are they sick? where did they get it from? how long is it going to last? should i take him into the hospital? how much tylenol is too much? why wont he sleep? is he drinking enough? should i try to force him to eat more? is he eating enough?
i hate it. i dont handle it well at all.

The following day, he had more on his face and it made me more stressed. the first night at the beach house, Benson got up at 2am with a fever and didn't got back to sleep till 4 in the afternoon. When he first got up, I went and put a onesie over the lamp in the bedroom to try to keep it dim, hoping he'd go back to sleep. It was around 2am when all this commotion happened. i was holding him on the bed and i could smell smoke- like a bonfire. it really bugged me. Why would some idiot have a fire burning on the bay side at 2am. Then I realized it must be one of our neighbors because the smell was so strong. But normally at a bonfire there are people talking and some type noise. it was quiet. really quiet. The whole time I'm thinking about weird people who have bonfires at 2am and don't make a peep, I'm holding Benson and just looking down at him. My eyes started stinging and i look up and the whole dang bedroom is filled with smoke. I turn to the lamp with the onesie on it and its on fire. uuh-hu.

I woke my mom up in a panic holding the onsie that was on fire with my sick baby on the other side. the rest of the week my room smelled like smoke and i'm sorry to say that we are short one onesie. (sorry Kristie!)

The following night Benson wouldnt sleep unless someone was holding him, by this time his sores started to spread to his eyes and we were giving him medicine to keep his fever down every 4 hours. my mom and i took turns holding him through the night and the next morning we went to the doctors. He said he contracted the virus that causes cold sores and he'll be likly to get cold sores the rest of his life, espeically if hes in the sun too much or stressed. He said that the first time small children get the virus, it breaks out really bad but wont ever get like it again. I felt so bad for the poor guy.

This is the worst it got, but it takes about a month to heal. he has small red spots where the sores were, the doctor promised no scares would come from it.

Me and Dallin took him to the aquarium one day, and he loved it. you can see that Dallin is very sympathetic towards him.

The trip to D.C.

2010-07-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

While out on our east coast trip, we drove up to Richmond to see my sister and spend the weekend and then we went to D.C. to see my brother and his family. They just had a new baby and it was so fun to see my new niece! I forgot how small newborns are! We also were planning on visiting my girlfriend from high school but the day that we were going to head over there she called and said her little girl got the croup. As much as I wanted to see her, I didn't want to have to risk Benson getting the same thing. So we ended our trip early and headed home.

The hard part of the trip was when we stayed with my parents friends and Benson was out of his schedule and screamed the first half of the night, and when the a/c in the car broke and it was 100% humidity in 95 degree weather and when the car suddenly died on 395 while everyone around is going 70mph.

We did stop by and see the Washington monument and went to the American History Museum. One of my favorite parts was the first ladies dressed. This one below is Abe Lincoln's wifes dress and then below that is Michelle Obama. The dresses were gorgeous.

They also had a child station me and Benson stopped by and played with the blocks and toys for a bit.
We went and saw Julia Child's kitchen, it was really interesting. I think I'm going to have this quote put up somewhere in my house to remind me that i should have a good time because that picture below of Julia is not the same expression i have on my face every time i make dinner, just ask Scott.

The trip to NC

2010-07-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from visiting my parents. They were able to get all the grand kids together for a picture (you can see spots on Benson's face- the story will come).
I think we might of found him a Halloween costume
You can tell he got to do whatever he wanted while he was at mimi's, including pulling off almost every roll of toilet paper in the house.

belated fathers day

2010-07-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting my parents, Benson discovered his best friend was my dad. My dad is a professor and so has some extra time in the summer. The days when Benson would start to drive me crazy, my dad would take him out to the hammock and they would sit there and just spend time together. Their other favorite thing to do while at the beach was to sit on the porch that faced the bay and watch the birds fly around.

When we were growing up a lot of our vacations were at a beach and the best thing about the beach to us when we were kids, was boogie boarding. We would spend hours trying to ride in the surf. My dad would go out there with us to help and to celebrate when we got "the perfect one". It had been years since the last time i boarded but this trip to the beach, one afternoon me and my dad went out and caught some great waves. It was so much fun and although his brown hair is now gray and his wrinkles are becoming more and more familiar through his face, he's still my dad and he still knows how to catch "the perfect one".

We were away in North Carolina for Scott's first Fathers day (yes, i know- it probably wasn't the best idea to leave my husband alone on his first fathers day). We missed him terribly and the night that we got home, Benson was so excited to see his dad that he didn't want anyone else to hold him. Since we've been home and over the three day weekend, Scott has been able to catch up on some playtime with Benson and he loves it. Scott is a great example to Benson and we are so lucky to have him in our lives.

Scott is a great dad and husband, we're so glad to be back home with him!

This one time on "vacation"

2010-06-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

My Sister in law, Kristie, gave me some wise wisdom last summer while she was visiting her family in Utah. She said that when you have kids, its not a Vacation, its a Trip.

The last month I've spent on the east coast visiting my family. It kinda all came together due to several factors. I normally don't plan month long trips without my husband but since his schedule for work made him busy and out of town a lot for the month of June and my parents booking a beach house on the NC shores, and getting to see my new niece I decided it would be a great idea to just spend the whole month out east.

I had this great idea to drive to D.C. for a week and see some sites, old friends and family. Stop by Richmond and see my sister. Then spend a week at the beach with my parents and the rest of the time, spend it with my family and have so much fun.

In between all that fun that i was planning for, some incidents happened that made me never want to travel again. I will be staying in my home for the next three years.

I have to go finish this scouting video so i can be a qualified cub scout leader but pictures and stories are on the way!!

Educated

2010-05-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

This is me, wondering why Scott is taking a picture of me after he went and got the mail:
Until I saw this:

and celebrated by doing this:

and this:
and this:

“Our education must never stop. If it ends at the door of the classroom on graduation day, we will fail. And we will need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn. We cannot waste time entertaining ourselves when we have the chance to read or to listen to whatever will help us learn what is true and useful. Insatiable curiosity will be our hallmark.” Henry B. Erying

#4

2010-05-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a husband and wife. They loved each other a lot and trusted each other enough that the wife would cut the husbands hair. It started as a good way to save money and ended up the same way it started.

One day the wife sat her husband in a chair to cut his hair and after the first stroke of the razor said "whoops, that was a 4 not a 8". The husband lost all color in his face until she said "just kidding".... two minutes later she said the same thing but this time there was no "just kidding" but only a lonely "whoops".

Luckily, hair grows back and the husband works in a warehouse and still loves his wife.

Sorry Scott!

Under Water

2010-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day Weekend, we went to Mall of America to see the underwater aquarium. We ended up going through it twice because it was so pricey, we felt like we should have to get out money worth and go through it a second time. The first time, it was REALLY crowded and Benson had just woken up from a nap so he had no idea what was going on. We went and walked around the mall for a little bit and then went through again. The second time was WAY better. There was hardly anyone there and so we got to take our time.

They had sharks, fish, jellyfish, and giant turtles! Scott's favorite part was the turtles and mine was all of it! Benson's favorite was the glass that held the sharks between him and them.

Swing, Swing, Swing

2010-05-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

The weather here turned cold and after being stuck in the house all last week, Friday I couldn't take it anymore. we braved the cold weather and went to a park that had swings. It was Benson's first time in the swing and wasn't sure what to think at first. He clung on to dear life at first but then realized he was pretty safe. We had a lot of fun but I think I might of swung him a little too much because he threw up some cheerios at the end...lesson learned.

eye of the tiger

2010-05-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

For some reason or another, this last weekend Scott and I decided to watch Rocky III. Neither one of us have ever seen the Rocky movies and so we thought we should educate ourselves. I know it was filmed in the 80s and I've never been a Sylvester Stallone fan, you could even say I avoided any of his movies at all costs but I LOVED this movie and I cried.

We have since watched Rocky and Rocky II. I think my favorite is Rocky III. I don't know what is about these movies but they are soo good! And for the last three days Scott and I have been singing 'Eye of the Tiger' through out the day.

so go and watch them. they are on netflix or amazon. its totally worth your time. Then you can start quoting Rocky too!

"Yo Adrienne, Adrienne!"

Graduation

2010-04-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today is commencement for school. Obviously I'm not attending but I can't believe I'm done. It doesn't seem real at all. I am hoping that when I get my diploma in the mail it'll feel more real. I have to keep reminding myself - you don't have to go back to school EVER, unless you want to.

I almost feel like I have to split my diploma between me and my family. If it wasn't for their support, help and love, I would of quit a long time ago!

So here's to finally GRADUATING and pushy mothers that don't stop pushin till your done!

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was me and Scott's three year anniversary. i can't believe that its been three years since we got married. We celebrated a few weeks ago right before left Salt Lake. Scott took me to the Roof, which was amazing. When I got to Minnesota, there was a surprise waiting for me as well. He had bought an image of the Salt Lake Temple that I have been eying for the last year! I was so excited!

I am very grateful for my marriage to Scott and the fulfillment it brings to my life. I have always loved this quote and it has always reminds me the important things in life.

“Let us not live a life … that would bring regret. … It is not going to matter very much how much money you made, what kind of a house you lived in, what kind of a car you drove, the size of your bank account—any of those things. What is going to matter is that dear woman who has walked with you side by side as your companion through all of the years of life and those children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their faithfulness and their looking to you … with respect and love and deference and kindness.” President Gordon B Hinckley.

fabric, yards, and needles

2010-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Scott got me a sewing machine for Christmas. Today is the day that I'm actually going to pull it out and attempt to thread it and use it - to make curtains.

The first time I used a sewing machine was when I was in High School. I had to do a project for Young Womens but after 30 minutes of trying to hem some fabric, my Mom took over - The fear was in her eyes- having the same sewing machine for years, she wasn't about to let it be destroyed by her teenage daughter. Since then I have attempted to use a sewing machine, but it normally ended up with the owner of the sewing machine taking over for me.

So this day may the blessings of the sew masters fall upon me and that the sewing machine will make it through this day.

We made it

2010-04-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to fly out to Minnesota this last Tuesday but a week and a half ago I really wasn't doing very well and decided to come out a week early. It was a last minute decision and so I didn't have a lot of time to say my good byes to all my wonderful friends in Utah, I'm sorry!
I think that's what I'm going to miss most about Utah, our friends and family. But not so much the inversion or the brown landscape.

After two flights that felt like forever, we made it and me and Benson have been here just over a week. I still can't believe we're living in Minnesota now. I'll miss Utah, but we feel this is where we should be so we're going forward with it.

I've never been to this state before but so far, I've really enjoyed it. We live close to the twin cities and so of course that means we are SUPER close to MALL OF AMERICA!

Scott took me this first weekend I was here and it was a little overwheleming even for me. It has a theme park in the middle and every store you could think of....even MAC and yes, H&M (I just found out there is an H&M less than three miles from here, my heart is full of joy). over 4 million people a year come to Mall of America to visit - if you decide to be one of them, you should come stay with us!

this is the theme park area...so fun!

Bittersweet

2010-04-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am officially done with student teaching! Yesterday was my last day teaching!! People keep asking me what I'm going to do now and if I'll miss teaching.

I am planning on turning in my senior portfolio along with my student teaching analysis and then sometime in June I'll receive my diploma! I can't wait! I'm so excited to get everything turned in and get my degree! It seems like I've been trying to get this thing my whole life - that's what happens when it takes 10 years though, i guess.

I don't plan on teaching or working for a few years. I'm very excited and feel very blessed to be able to be back home with Benson. I am going to miss teaching in a bittersweet kind of way. My Student Teaching experience was extremely hard, stressful but very satisfying and I learned so much more than I ever thought I would.

the last couple months have been full of drama and interesting events while teaching. Here are just a few (ok, so more than just a few) :

- Being asked the following questions in this order: "Are you married?", "Are you happily married?" "Is your husband good looking?"

- Having a cat fight in the middle of class

- Being yelled/sworn at by a student

- Having not one, or two but three students be suspended for either beating people up, getting caught with drugs or packin' heat.

- Having a student sing to me the song "Lean on Me" after class so he'd know what a great singer he was (so awkward!)

- Being told by a student that F.E.M.A. stands for Find Every Mexican Available

- Being told by a student that the Punic Wars were mini wars

- Having a student tell her story of how her parents escaped from Burma, then to Thailand and then to the U.S. because they wanted to experience freedom. She told how her uncle was killed because he refused to join the Army and everyone in her home country is forced to be Buddhist, join the military and restrictions of internet, phone and conversation were strictly enforced. She said that she was so grateful for the chance that she has to be here because of the freedoms this country offers.

- Seeing the light go out of a 14 year old boys eyes after finding out his mother committed suicide.

- Watching several students having to deal with the pressure from gangs, peers and parents.

- Finding confidence in the future of America in 18 year old seniors who have goals, and are dedicated, honest and hopeful for their future.

It was definitely bittersweet.

Pictures

2010-03-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures with cousins.

One of his eyes have been a little unaligned and we are thinking about getting him check out. Some people have told me that it'll clear up on its own and it just takes time but I have no idea if he needs to see the doctor about it. You can see it in this picture a little bit. I hope that its nothing major but we'll find out next week.

Team Scott

2010-03-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

This was taken when I had known Scott just a few weeks.....He comes home today after being gone on a business trip for the last two weeks ....... I feel like a school girl.

9pm can not get here soon enough!

Jumping too soon into Spring?

2010-03-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

........Can we put away out winter stuff yet?

Should I wait another few weeks...?

Confessions of a single mom

2010-03-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

Scott is away for business for two weeks. I'm on my 5th day of being a single parent and although we have avoided going to the ER, I can't say that its been going smoothly...

There must be a study somewhere that when you are around high schoolers, you lose brain cells...it has to be a fact.

yesterday i was cutting up some strawberrys for Benson and the water on the stove started to boil over, so i quickly got up to turn it off and after a few mintues i heard benson banging something on his highchair. I look over and i had left the steak knife that i was cutting the strawberrys with on his highchair! he was banging it around... luckly he grabbed it at the right end.

HOW COULD I LEAVE A STEAK KNIFE ON HIS HIGH CHAIR?!

So my coping mechanisms with being a single parent and having to start every morning at 5am and end it up 11pm includes:

- Diet Coke for breakfast
- Eating Girl Scout cookies for lunch
- Edema-me for dinner
-allowing Benson to play in the bath for 30 minutes or longer
- allowing Benson to play with our laptop as he pulls the buttons off (Don't worry its my parents old one)
- bribing him with TV and puffed snacks so i can finish my work.

Here's to my respect to all those single parents out there - I dont know how you do it but you are amazing!!

8 months

2010-03-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Benson's 8th month birthday. He is getting so big! I put him on the scale and he sat pretty still - it told me he was 19 pounds which sounds about right. He has gotten his two bottom teeth in and has started to crawl, roll, and scoot to just about anywhere. Last week was his first time pooping in the tub (It was so gross!) and he also got his first diaper rash (sad!)

He loves to watch people and try to make eye contact - hoping they will give him a smile so he can smile back. He loves yams, cheese and crackers. He does not like mashed chicken. He loves baths and his toy trucks. He is very ticklish and is a very good sleeper.

The other week we had put oral gel on his gums to help with teething...it was my first time putting it on and so i was pretty liberal...so much that he couldn't keep his pacifier in his mouth....every time I'd put it in, he'd start to suck but couldnt feel it really and it would fall out. we tried several times but then had to give up till the it wore off. it was pretty funny.

He is still teething...do they get fevers and fussiness with EVERY tooth or just the first couple? if its for each one this is going to be a long couple of months!

we are excited for his 9 month check up and can't believe how old he is getting!

Hogle Zoo

2010-03-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

Since we are moving soon, Scott and I have made up a long list of things to do here before we leave. Hogle Zoo was definitely on there. It was a little cold but worth the trip. We got to see a lot of animals and half way through Ethan and Alison joined us with their little man. (Warning: there is a lot of pictures!)
Benson was more interested in his snacks and watching kids
around him but he did like the meerkats a lot.
(i think that's what they are)

Scott's favorite part was the tigers and cougars

I liked seeing the giraffe's
Benson also noticed the parrot that was eating his food.

This is Benson's concerned look - Where's my snack?
The elephant got hers!

The baby elephant was my favorite.
she was having so much fun playing with her toys.

Trenches of Motherhood

2010-03-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school, I was a trouble maker and by the time I was a senior had started to hang out with the wrong crowd. Luckly the fates of destiny intervened during my 7th period Government class with Mr.Patterson out in the trailers.

Mr. Patterson didn't like me. I talked to much and couldn't understand the basic's of the way our government is built (What comes around goes around, how ironic that i'm teaching government now?) He had one of those signs that said "Welcome" on one side and "We're closed" on the other. One day i stole it from him. I told you, i was a trouble maker. To this day I regret taking that sign.

point being- he had plenty of reasons not to like me. One day a girl who was sitting in front of me turned around and commented on how she liked my shoes. She had dark long curly hair and the most gorgeous lashes that came with big brown eyes. I had never seen her at school before but I told her thanks and explained how I worked at nine west and....before i could finish, Mr. Patterson interupts and asks me if i want to share with the rest of the class what I'm talking about. Being the disrespectful-senior-who-thought-she-owned-the-school I said I would Love to share with the class the story of how I got the shoes I was wearing.

Poor Mr.Patterson didn't know how much I loved to talk...10 mintues later i finish my story and he just stared at me and then went on with his lecture. The brown haired girl in front of me couldn't stop giggling. She thought I was funny and it turned out she was hilarious.

Alison was her name, and over the next few weeks we realized that we not only had the same birthday but the same car (just different color), same shoes, pants, shirt, and bag. this list could go on and on and on.

In the end this brown eyed girl became my best friend and greatest example. She was the answer to my mother pleading prayers - someone to pull me out of hanging out with the wrong crowd. We still got into mischief but it was more of an adventure than anything. Like the time we went to the mall and a huge thunderstorm came and cut off all the electricity. By the time that we had left the mall and gotten into the car we were drenching. For some reason or another we had the great idea that if we took off our shirts and pants, the seats wouldnt get as wet. That didn't go so well when we realized that we couldn't even drive on the road because the water was too high. we had to pull over to the side of the road and some innocent man who thought he was being helpful stopped to see if we were okay.

Took that man by surprise.

I've learned a lot from her over the years and to this day I still firmly believe that she helped me become who I am today.

Alison started a blog, Trenches of Motherhood, and after rolling around on the floor with tears streaming down my face while I read it because how funny it was, I HAD to share it with you...it is hilarious.

http://alisonwelti.blogspot.com/ for some reason i can't get it to link directly..weird.

Sick Day

2010-03-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a sick day for Benson. We stayed home from church and did this all day.

Benson

2010-02-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

Sneak Peek

2010-02-28T16:38:00.001-08:00

We took a stroll through Temple Square the other day since the weather was beautiful and caught a sneak peek at Spring. It made me so excited for warmer weather and spring time!

My two favorite boys!
We also saw this dude...what a bike!

3D Please!

2010-02-25T18:46:00.001-08:00

This last weekend ( i know, its been almost a week! its been insanely busy!) Me and my cousin's wife, Alison went out for a girls night out. we left our baby boys at home with the men and ventured to see Avatar in 3D. I've been wanting to see it for some time and it was a good excuse to go.

I think my new favorite thing is 3D movies... I don't know what makes it so fun but I LOVE it! The movie was entertaining, very liberal but i enjoyed it. The special effects were amazing. Needless to say I keep having weird dreams about the movie.

(Do you like our friend in the background?)

Minne - What?

2010-02-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sooo...

Scott got two jobs offer a few weeks ago. One for Goldman-Sachs which would keep us in Salt Lake and one with Ostler International which would relocate us after moving to Minnesota for a few months for training. After a lot of prayers, tears and sleepless nights we've decided to take a chance with Ostler International. Scott will fly out in two weeks for two weeks of a pre-training and then if he likes what he sees - we'll move in April.
We will be very sad to leave our friends and family here in Salt Lake but we are excited for a new adventure. The new job will be a great opportunity for Scotts career and it'll be fun to see where we'll end up after our training in Minneapolis if all goes well.

I am a Shopaholic

2010-02-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks for a great tip off from my blogging friend Mindy, I found out that Gap was having a 40% of sale on EVERYTHING yesterday.

I've been trying to be really good about not going shopping because we are trying to keep in our budget and save money, etc, etc. BUT i couldn't resist - 40% off!!

So.. i went. i didn't find a lot for me but the baby section, i gave in and found some super cute onesies for Benson and some tops for our nieces.. can't wait to show them! this one was my favorite:

There is something about shopping and getting great deals that just makes me feel soo re-energized! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOVE good sales! Its like a high. seriously. I like to think shopping is my way of dealing with stress, and its cheaper than a shrink.

Scott says there is something wrong with the chemicals in my head...

.... which may be true...

Presidents Day

2010-02-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate Presidents Day...Heres a little background info on this great day:

Washington's Birthday is the official name designated to what many of us know as President's Day. During the month of February the birthday of two of our greatest President's takes place. Both George Washington who was born on Feb. 22nd and Abraham Lincoln born on Feb. 12th.

However, Washington's birthday has been publicly celebrated since he was in office, before Abraham Lincoln was even born. Much of the debate over the name of the holiday springs from the fact that state's can follow their own holidays how they see fit and many of them chose to also honor Lincoln, calling the celebration President's Day.

Presidents Day also means NO SCHOOL!

Here's to no school and may everyone's Presidents Day be as lazy as mine!

Memo to the tooth fairy

2010-02-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

We all know the process of losing our baby teeth...you lose the tooth and put it under your pillow. When you wake up the next morning, there is money from the toothfairy!

Now only if there was the same process when baby teeth come in. The other day I thought Benson had a crumb in his mouth but it was a tooth! his bottom two teeth are starting to break through his gums! He is now 7 1/2 months old and just growing like a weed. we have been making it through the teething process with Tylenol AND Motrin.

Here is the latest picture of him. Grandpa and Grandma flew in from Hong Kong and we got to spend time with them - it was so much fun and we miss them already! Benson LOVED his grandpa and grandma

Student Teaching

2010-02-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

I started a few weeks ago teaching World History and Government at Cottonwood High School. I will be there till the beginning of April. I know this dates me but high school has definitely changed over the last 10 years! I enjoy my Government classes a lot and actually get excited to go and teach. Unfortunately i can't say that about the 10th graders...its an endurance race with them.

Great things I've learned from student teaching so far:
- Kids can give you germs just by looking at them (I'm going on my third cold so far!)

- Cell phone and ipods are more important than anything else in the whole world to a 10th grader

- ALL high school-ers have a hearing impairment...you have to repeat yourself at least three times for them to hear you or understand the words that come out of your mouth.

- Students will lie about anything to get out class so they can walk the halls...which is way more interesting than sitting in class...those high school halls are just so much fun

- Lastly - high school girls can be nasty, hormonal and ravishing brats.

Mondays

2010-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Mondays are the worst days. Today was the worst Monday I've had in a long time. With the limited amount of sleep I got, losing my keys, leaving my lunch in the car to melt and having to drive two hours for a one hour class... I'm ready for the day to be done.

I should be writing lesson plans right now but obviously I'm not. I am supposed to have 65 days in the classroom and I start teaching next week. I'm still observing for this week and it has been a good experience so far. My biggest concern about this whole student teaching thing was leaving Benson. Luckily we have an amazing family who has helped out and so I always know he's in good hands. This week was so nice to get out of the house and do something that is my own thing but now that excitement is slowly dying and each day I miss Benson more and more... its only been one week.. it'll be okay.

at least that's what i keep telling myself. I wonder if he is going to be confused who his parents are now? what if one day I go into his crib to get him and he doesn't want me?

He's six months old now and is very aware of his surroundings...hopefully aware enough to remember who I am at the end of the day. 5 days down, 60 more to go.

Christmas Review

2010-01-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. It was really nice to be home and not have to travel anywhere. A few highlights that we've learned from the last few weeks are:

1) Benson loves to watch his train go around and around. (and he can sit up now!)

2) I have very mixed feelings about the idea of putting two long waxed skis and having them buckled to my feet and "skiing" down a mountain. I'm not sure why people like to call it a hobby or a sort of recreation... I think of it as a great form for punishment though.

(no pictures for this lesson learned...no need to rehash past trauma experiences)

3) Eating desserts and adding either butter or whipping cream to every meal can lead to excessive weight gain...like 7 pounds of weight gain.

baby steps

2009-12-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I went and put Benson down for a nap...45 minutes later, he was still playing in his crib with his stuffed bear. I went in to explain to him that he needed to nap and he just looked up at me and put his arms out for me! It was his first time to reach out towards someone....It made me feel like a million bucks.

Santa Baby

2009-12-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

This post goes out to my dear friend who is expecting a baby sometime soon. Her due date isn't for another few days but I made a prediction that the baby would come today...so

dear baby,
please come today. We are all very excited for you to come and we are all just waiting to meet you...and if you don't come today my husband will never forget to remind me how I didn't guess the right day. Your dad took his last final so he has free time and your mom doesn't want to go back to school...Pleassee Pleassee come today!
love,
Gini, Scott, Benson

Tis the Season

2009-12-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for hussle and bussle, for getting things done, and trying to remember the Holiday spirit.

Things always seems to get crazy this time of year and it definitely has for us. It started with our boiler breaking...and after 20+ hours, seven different repair men, three space heaters, two flooded carpets, one melted bucket and a blow dryer..we believe it is fixed. they are coming today to check on it and hopefully we will never hear from Manwill Plumping again!

Thank goodness that great food comes along with the holiday traditions and Benson is just old enough to enjoy it. He has now tried pumpkin pie, pears, bananas, yams, and avacodo. He loves them all! I'm very grateful for Scott's parents idea of buying a highchair for their grandkids and then leaving it behind when they left for Hong Kong...Benson loves being in it!

We are celebrating this Christmas at home and my parents are flying out today to spend it with us. They live in North Carolina and wanted a white Christmas this year.

After the holidays I will start my student teaching! I'll be teaching US Government and World History...I am so scared! but very excited to finally finish school!

So, if the postings start to slow between now and April..you know why. I'll be up to my elbows in grading and lesson plans!! Wish me luck!

Play Date

2009-11-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Benson had his first play date this last week and it was soo funny to watch him and his cousin play together! Benson can't quite sit up on his own so I think when he can the play dates will be a lot of fun! They were so cute we couldn't help but take a few shots. Thanks for the pics A!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving
This year we have a lot to be grateful for. The last couple months have seemed to have some dark hours but each time we have been blessed with tender mercies that have pulled us through the hard times.

Here are things that we are grateful for (not in any order):

- Family
- Scott's job
- Ice Cream
- Our home
- A healthy baby
- airplanes
- gchat
- Friends
- King size beds
- Pacifiers
- Dishwashers

Happy Birthday

2009-11-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Mom,

Happy Birthday!!

Hope its a wonderful day and I just wanted to say thanks for being such a great mom to me and a great meme for Benson. I hope one day I can be as great as a mom as you are!

We love you even though we tease you about being from Oregon and being a tree hugger...and shuffling your feet...and your garden that you know more about then your own child....

its raining, its pouring...

2009-11-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

After being out of town for a long weekend, we came home to this:

a flooded dining room. The radiator pipe that is outside on the balcony busted while we were gone and it leaked into the apartment. Luckly, our personal handy man took the long drive up from Provo on a late Sunday night to help us out.

Thanks Todd (and Lori of course) for coming to help us out...by the way, can you tell Todd's got a new pair of jeans?

Fashion of a Mom

2009-11-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I made it to my favorite store H&M while I was out east. During our visit I was totally sick and so didn't feel up to thrashing through the whole store like I normally do but I did purchase a pair of leggings....and i finally wore them today..inside of course. Well, we did go for a walk but it was dark and we didn't see a lot of people.

I'm still deciding whether or not the public can handle me in them and whether or not I can really pull it off. Between diaper changes, cleaning kitchen floors and piles of laundry my wardrobe has taken a nasty hit of the not so stylish but comfortable and practical. I really like wearing them around the house and I feel like I got a great deal, 10$ for a pair of pants, which is way better than the 60$ jeans that I really want from Gap.

I think I'd be more tempted to wear them out in public if I found some cute tops like these to wear with them...

NC Trip

2009-11-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

My brother Dallin came home from his mission and so my whole family flew out to NC to welcome him home! It was such a fun trip that I ended up staying an extra week (well, i got sick and wasn't about to fly home alone with a baby sick.) Here are just a few pictures of what we did!

went pumpkin picking...we got 8 or 9 pumpkins and then forgot to carve them!

The boys...doing what they do best... I have no idea.

Belle picking out the small pumpkins

Belle with Benson

Emily was out in SC visiting friends from the mission and came by for a few days to hang out, it was a lot of fun to have her come!

Each year the lake that my parents live on gets drained a few feet for the winter season, we were able to go out on the boat before they drained it this year. I'm pretty sure everyone else thought we were crazy but it was just warm enough to go without a wet suit and the sunset was so fun to ski with!

4 months

2009-11-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Benson is 4 months now and his check up went really well. He's just over 14 pounds which is in the 30% for his age. He's 26 inches long (he grew three inches in two months!) which is the 87% for his age. He got all his shots and the doctor recommended that both Scott and I get the flu and the H1N1 vaccine since Benson is too young to get it. I was a little torn whether or not I should get it but since I've had two run ins with my asthma already and been sick twice, both Scott and I are going to get it.

Benson loves to play with people. He likes his toys but LOVES it when someone just talks to him. Its pretty easy to get him to laugh if you just talk to him. He also really likes to be held, which can sometimes get difficult when there are things to be done.

He hates being in the back of the car by himself, every time we go somewhere he fusses unless someone holds his hand. He also lately has been a big cuddler which I'm glad. I can't believe that he's already 4 months!

Belated Birthday

2009-11-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is a little late but I still wanted to post a little Birthday wish to Scott. I wasn't able to be with him on his birthday but thanks to family, Scott got tickets to the Jazz game and went with some of his friends on his birthday!

I want to wish him a belated birthday and am sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate! Scott is now the big 2-5 and I'm so glad that he was willing to marry me. He is probably the most patient person in the world and I have no idea what I'd do without him.

Maybe one day I'll be able to make him a cake like this...

Happy Birthday Scott!

Family Photos

2009-11-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Todd was nice enough to take some photos for us down at hobble creek canyon a week ago and they turned out really good. I always dread family photos because it seems like they dont always turn out great but thanks to Todd's mad skills and Lori's assistance, we are very excited about them. We're even going to attempt to do Christmas cards this year because they turned out so well! So i need addresses! email me at giniberrett@gmail.com

Moab

2009-10-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Scott's sister, Angie, ran the half marathon this fall and we went down to support her. It was Scott's first time going to Moab without a bike...what a trooper!

we got a there the night before and left Angie and Benson to rest and hang out while me and Scott went out to cause trouble on the town.

First stop, the general store where we found this awesome lava lamp and enough nick nacks to keep up entertained for awhile. Then we went a Mexican restaurant and splurged on dessert....fried ice cream!

The next morning Angie had to get up at 530 to be at the transfer bus on time. She did AMAZING and actually ran so fast we missed her by a few minutes at the finish. We don't have any of the pictures on our camera but will post them up when i get a hold of them.

It was a great trip and everyone slept on the way home. Benson loves Angie and would only sleep if she held his hand on the way home.

Janice Wedding

2009-10-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Toby just married his sweetheart Lyndsay and it was very exciting that we got to be there for it. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a blast! Congrats Toby and Lyndsay!

The Bride and Groom

Benson with his good friend Kade who He'll miss- Kade is reporting to the MTC in Jan and will be going on his mission to North Carolina. (Benson really did have a good time, he just looks a little out of it here)

Me and my HOT date.

good idea...

2009-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to try this...

14 days....

2009-10-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

In 14 days my brother will be home from his mission. He is currently in Portugal and has been there two years sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as a missionary for our church. My whole family will be flying in to surprise him and i'm so excited! its been two and a half years since we have all been together!

Proud Owners

2009-10-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

I am now a very proud owner of a bumbo. I've always wanted to get one for Benson and now that he holds his head up, he can use one!

Friday night me and Scott went to Target for our date night and got a green one, along with a few other baby needs items.

Today, my niece Brooklyn was visiting and this is how our conversation went:

Brooklyn: "GiniBerr, whats this?"

"oh, its a Bumbo, for Benson to sit in"

Brooklyn: "Ohhhhhh!! A Bum Bum! I wanna sit in the Bum Bum, oh Giniberr I like the Bummm Bummm"

the whole rest of the visit she referred to it as "the bum bum".

For the family

2009-10-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Him or Her

2009-10-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

So many people ask us who Benson looks more like, me or Scott. It's pretty hard to tell since we used to be confused as brother and sister and Scott's mission president to this day still exclaims when he see's us "Just like brother and sister!"

it sorta makes me feel a little uncomfortable when he says that.

here are some pictures of me and Scott when we were little and you can tell that we are family by way of husband and wife and not brother and sister.

this is Scott i think around 7 months?

This is Scott's baby blessing day

Here I am... I have no idea the age though

And this is Benson at three months

Conference Weekend

2009-10-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was General Conference for our church; its very exciting for us because we get to listen to the the Lord's servants and gain spiritual strength and knowledge from them. We also get to hear from President Monson who is the President of the LDS Church and Prophet. There are two sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

During the Sunday morning session of conference, me and Scott attempted to make danish pastries while listening to conference. Scott's grandma Wall used to make them and the recipe has now been handed down to her grandchildren. They actually didn't turn out too bad for our first attempt, i believe we are going to try again and try different fillings.

it was a almond filling with a custard base

the before and after baking picture

During the Sunday afternoon session, we listened to conference on the radio and drove the alpine loop. We ran into some snow and a lot of other drivers but it was still so much fun to see the leaves changing. It reminded me of my home back east and made me miss the east coast terribly...

This was at the top, when the snow started coming down

Benson's first snowfall...sorta...

Thanks Scott for driving me the whole way and stopping every 5 seconds when i wanted to take a picture!

i love love love love the red leaves!!

New Do

2009-10-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Its funny how history always repeats itself...

In my own history, I've tried bangs several times- especially since i grew up in the 80s.

and then there was an incident on my mission....and somehow thanks to Emily and Lyndsay I went to a zone meeting looking like this:

Yesterday I was so tired of my bangs looks about as gross as the picture above, I decided I'd just cut my bangs myself...i was surprised they didn't turn out as bad as i thought they would

I never thought I'd have they same style from second grade...

how do i love thee, let me count the ways

2009-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking about Scott or Benson, although i do love them so much my heart could break....but this time my love goes out to Sunflower Market! I got the following items for 20$, which I think is a pretty great deal:

3 Onions
2 lbs of strawberry's
5 pds of apples
one bunch of bananas
3 cantelopes
1 cucumber
2 zucchini's
2 squash
3 avocados
2 bell peppers
5 huge tomatoes
1 large can of minced garlic
and maybe a bag of chocolate covered pretzels....(i couldn't say no!)

how great is that?

3 Months!

2009-10-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

Benson will be three months tomorrow, I can't believe how fast time has gone by! So many things have happened since his birth, and instead of writing a long post, here are few pictures of whats been going on...

Scott graduated!!! i'm so proud of him!!

My family came to visit and meet baby Benson

Scott's parents moved to Hong Kong, we are going to miss them so much but hopefully we'll be able to get out there and visit before they move back to the states

Luckly, both of our parents were able to be here when we blessed him. Here he is with both his grandpa's... a lawyer and a professor....what a combo!

We are now in Salt Lake and loving it!

Love You Forever

2009-09-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Benson is now ten weeks and can hold his head up more and more. He also smiles a lot more and loves to coo at one of the walls in our bedroom. All the hard work of caring for him definitely pays off when he smiles at me.

While I was pregnant with Benson, I had several friends and relatives tell me that when they had their babies, they just felt so much love and never realized how much you could love one person until they had their children. They retold their stories of the first time they held their newborn baby and how emotionally it was because their hearts were full for this child and just love them so much.

I was excited to have this feeling and when Scott put Benson in my arms for the first time, it was not the thought that I had and the only feeling I felt was nervessness. Secretly I felt like a bad mother but never told anyone of this disappointment.

I've been trying to get a night schedule down for Benson and part of the routine I'd like for him to have is reading stories to him before bed. Last week I read to him "Love you forever" and after the second page of the story, my heart started to fill and i began to cry when it read

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be"

I finally know what so many of these women were telling me. I'm so glad that we have Benson and he has brought so much happiness in our lives

Book Club

2009-09-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

So my sister in law suggested I read Mr.Darcy's Diary since I was looking for a good read...and i loved it! its a diary format of Mr.Darcy's side of the story, I highly recommend it if you are a Jane Austin fan

What I like about Salt Lake....

2009-09-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

I think I can get used to living in a city because all of this is within a mile of our condo....

Farmers Market Saturday mornings

The Gateway Shopping Center

Salt Lake Library

Memory Grove walking trails

short or long?

2009-09-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

So i have been debating whether or not I should give up growing my hair out and just cut it...

or be brave and try to grow it out long one last time.......

Benson's Birth

2009-07-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

so I realize that i haven't updated this blog in quite some time, things have been very busy so this might be a long post, if you dont want to read it all, i totally understand! lets start back with the 4th of July weekend post that i've been meaning to post but never did :

(Warning: it talks about the delivery!)
This has been the best 4th of July I have ever had! Normally this holiday is a curse for me but my luck has finally changed! To help get us excited for the holiday we doubled up with our good friend the Campbells to go see the Wolverine movie in the dollar theater.

It was pretty cheesy and a little violent for my taste but overall I enjoyed it, especially the company since Joseph and Chelsie got Creamery Ice Cream for us afterwards- Sooo Yummy!
Saturday morning me and Chelsie dragged our husbands to the Provo 4th of July parade- which if anyone doesn't know, is one of the biggest events Provo does and people go crazy with trying to reserve spots along the route. We all thoroughly enjoyed the parade. Scott and Joseph's favorite part was the big army tanks. i'd have to say that I really liked the kilts and bag pipes and Chelise just loved all of it!
Afterward Scott and I made our way up to Salt Lake to celebrate the 4th with his mom and sister. We got the all American KFC dinner and watched Independence Day. To top it off we were able to get on the roof and watch the whole valley shoot off fireworks. We were able to see six different shows from across the valley. it was beautiful.
Sunday we stayed up in Salt Lake most the night and got home kinda late and went to bed around midnight and around 1215 i started having contractions, but they weren't close enough together to go in so i just hung around the house for another 2 hours till they were getting harder to push through. we got in the hospital around 2 and just watched me and the contractions for an hour to see if there were in changes- there wasn't any but the doctor ordered my a morphine shot. i dont know how people have kids without medicine!! because of the medicine both scott and i got a little bit of sleep from 3-6 but i still wasn't making any progress. the doctor ended up breaking my water which spend things up very fast- the nurse had me push for 40 minutes until the head was crowning to call the doctor, i told her i felt like he was just going to come out- she left the room for one minute to call him and then when she came out - everything went crazy cause he was coming.. the nurse told Scott to go in the hall and yell baby on the way.. the nurse actually ended up delivering him on my bed even before the doctor on the floor got there- it was really really fast... he just appeared! it was amazing and something so hard to describe- Scott couldn't stop smiling and was so proud to be a dad. Benson came around 130pm and weighed 6 pds 13 ozs and is 18.5 inches long. I still can't believe how little he is! especially with me and scott's gene's.. but he did come early and we love him so much "

.

Tummy Tub?

2009-06-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my mom called me to tell me she saw on the Today show a new type of baby bath tub that has come from Europe that is now beginning to get popular in the U.S. I tried to find it on line but she didn't know the name or how to describe it. Then tonight at dinner with our cousins, one of them brought it up, again, that he saw it on the Today Show. Luckly they found the site for me and I thought it was soo funny, especailly with the little babies in the tub, i just had to post about it. how funny is this!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

June is for waiting

2009-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of waiting going on the past few weeks, hence the lack of exciting posts. Waiting for 7 peaks to open (finally, it has!), waiting for this baby to come- I'm now at 37 weeks and feel like if he gets any bigger i'm going to pop, and waiting to hear back from jobs..

In a quick summary, Scott graduated in April and has been looking for a job, he got an interview in the same town as where my parents live in NC with a management training program with Enterprise rental car. He got another interview in D.C. with revolution cycle, which is a bike company whose clients include secret service, the president and other government officials.

Both interviews went very well, and seemed very interested in Scott. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to each one, which I won't go into because they are pretty lengthy. We're just waiting to hear back and applying for more jobs out East and in the area.

I did find a job where I can work from home, which is very exciting for us that I will be able to work and be at home with the baby.

We went to one of those classes that the hospital offers and even though it was very long (6 hours!) it was very helpful. I think we have most everything ready for the baby, at least the basics. I'm starting to get really excited for him to come and not to be pregnant anymore!

The Hunger Games

2009-06-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Way back in April I had a friend recommend me some summer readings. I love reading all kinds of books, but for summer I really like easy reads or ones that are just for fun. When I went to the library to check out the books she recommended, one of them - The Hunger Games- had a waiting list of over 100 people, I went ahead and signed up for it and never thought about it till the library called me yesterday and said it was ready to pick up. I started reading it yesterday and finished today around noon (Scott has been at work all day and its been down pouring all morning, what else is a girl to do!?)

The book was really good- I don't know why I liked it soo much, partly because of how easy it was to believe the characters, the style of writing the author has and the fact that it has romance but the good kind- you know, the kind that makes you think of the one person you love, the real deal and that it had enough action and twists to make a it a page turner.

I would recommend it to everyone, but there is a catch that made me pretty mad at the very end of the book- ITS A TRILOGY! and the next one doesn't come out till Sept. 1st! I almost started crying when the book ended by saying "end of book I"... I HATE waiting for books to come out.
So read the book as long as you dont mind waiting, but if you do- Don't read it! it'll just kill you!!

Free Rice

2009-05-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

This morning while I was checking all my daily websites (facebook included), I had a friend who posted about this website www.freerice.com and for each question you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. It's fun to see how much you know and its for a good cause all at the same time!

Dentist Visit

2009-05-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Today I had a dentist appointment. Whenever I think of the dentist, I shudder and think of sharp obejects nailing away at my teeth. I've always had a bad experience with dentists and knew that today would be just as worse as the last visit when I saw this next to the dentist chair:

this is what they used to put their tools in...duh, its a tool box...what was i thinking? The dentist ended up being pretty nice until i confessed that i didn't floss regularly, then i saw a different side of him. thankfully, no cavities! The girl that cleaned my teeth wanted to have a full out conversation, which is really hard when your getting your teeth cleaned ..bill cosby knows what its like.

Little Helpers

2009-05-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

For everyone that doesn't know (which i'm pretty sure is very few), Scott is very passionate about a few things other than me; Mainly his nieces, Taco Bell, mountain biking and bikes. He already has our kid's first bike planned out and I bet even yours. I tease him that his heart is split into two parts, one half for me and one half for his mountain bike.

This last week we watched our nieces. Scott got Brooklyn who is only two, out to the garage to help with fixing her Dad's bike. This is what I found when I went out there....I'm pretty sure he's determined to not only have our kids get into biking but Brooklyn as well.

Good Bye Toes

2009-05-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ten more weeks to go...

Dreams

2009-05-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

The last two mornings I've had dreams about breakfast food and when I wake up I have the worst craving for them! It has been super weird. The first morning, I was dreaming of eating breakfast at Mcdonalds with pancakes, blueberries and loads of syrup. I woke up and thought "I HAVE to have pancakes!". This morning I was dreaming about a doughnut shop and got to try all different types of doughnuts. Well, sure enough when I woke up the first thing I told Scott was "I want a doughnut...pleeaassee". Because my husband is the nicest person in the world, I just had to slip on some flip flops and we were off to Provo Bakery! Hopefully tomorrow morning's dream will be a little bit healthier....

2 Year Mark!

2009-05-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

This last Tuesday was me and Scott's two year anniversary! i can't believe that its been two years and how much as happened in that amount of time! I had a final that day but we found time to celebrate with the all you can eat french toast at Kneaders, grilling steaks for dinner (can you tell we love food?) and then Scott took me to go see "He's just not that into you"...it was a good movie but i would recommend it to celeberate anniversaries..it was kind of an anti-marriage movie...it was still a lot fun though!

I'm going to get a little cheesy and sentimental, so there is your warning, leave if you don't want to read mushy stuff...But I am the luckiest girl in the world to be able to be married to Scott. He has been my best friend and my support and I can't imagine being happier with anyone else or anywhere else. He is so patient with me and espeically with being pregnant, my emotions have gotten the best of me more than he probably wants but he has never compained and always trys to make light of every situation, even when he doesn't mean to.

...for example...

latly its been getting harder to get up off the floor or low places to a standing positions and I may grunt a little (it helps my momentum). The other day I asked Scott to help me up and as he was helping me he said "Why is it so hard for you to get up? you used to way a ton more than this before?"......how can you not love that?

Tums, Tums, Tums

2009-04-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

So I am at 29 weeks and just recently experienced what it's like to have heartburn. I woke up in the middle of the night and had a tightness in my chest that hurt so bad I couldn't breath. I thought I was having a heart attack! it was awful! We went into the E.R. and after ultrasounds and tests, they think its that my esophagus had a spasm from all the acid build up. I am on some very potent ant-acids and have been best friends with berry tums for the last few weeks. I can't leave the house without 'em!

time flies...

2009-04-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

So many things have happened since the last time we blogged...

my mom came into town and celebrated Easter with us. We had dinner at Scott's parents hosue and dyed Easter eggs! (and got some great naps in!) we also got a ton of spring cleaning done and made room for the baby when he comes... it was so nice to have her come and help us get things going.

It was also my sister-in-law, Lori's Birthday! This is her and her family, how cute are those kids!?! Happy Late Late Birthday! The only bad things about this chick is that she is so photogenic that it makes the rest of us look bad and her hair always looks perfect..i know what you are thinking...how do i handle in laws like these? someone's gotta do it and i'll just have to deal with it.

We missed her on her birthday but we love it that she is so close we can see her almost any day! and most of the time we see her when we all get together to play Settlers of Catan- its our new addiction! So far Lori has the winning streak, 3 wins out of 5.

last of all Scott is done with classes!! Now its just time to find a job! I have one more class this summer, its only seven weeks and then I'll just have my student teaching left!

And the winner is...

2009-04-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

So i got my student teaching assignment today and I'll be doing my student teaching at.....

Oak Canyon Junior High in Lindon!

I was a little nervous at first but I'm so glad that I'm teaching at a Junior High and that its not super far from Provo (unless we move to Salt Lake and then its going to be a long commute!)

I don't know what grade yet but I do my Cooperating Teacher. It finally feels like I'm really going to graduate finally!! yah!!

now if I can only get through this semester and that 18 page paper!