Our Happy Family

Now and Then

    In honor of Steph's Birthday coming up this week, here are some pictures of all of us a year ago and today.

 

 

 

 

                                                                         

My Brother-In-Law Is Cool.

He took this:

And this:

And made this:

Wow Ben. And Welcome!

That last post, the one entitled "Crabs"? That was Ben. It was a nice idea. We did go crabbing whilst in Seattle. And it was lots and lots and lots of fun. (well, until the whole eating the poor little crab part. But I really don't want to re-live that right now.) I've been teasing Ben all day about his debut post. Does he mean that we're all grumpy? I personally think that it sounds like he's saying that we all have Crabs, and not in a good way. That's not a good title to have when you follow with pictures of your daughters, wife, son's football team, and Granddad. *sigh* I love that man.

From now on, Ben and I will both be writing on this blog. It is, after all, about *Our* Happy Family. As nifty as I am, I didn't create it all on my own, ya know?

And maybe we'll start having a "Wordless Wednesday" post that Ben can be in charge of. You know, a blog post with no words but the title, and then pictures. I can't wait to see what he'll come up with next! Hopefully he'll avoid any word that could double as the title of an STD.

Crabs

Aren't My Babies Beautiful?

Yes, Yes they are. They are sooo grown up! *sob*  I don't know what is going on with the order of the pictures or the way the text is, so sorry about that. I have a real live official, I'm back in the world of blogdom post all typed up. I just need Ben to talk pretty to the computer in order to  with get the pictures on to typepad. (I took the pictures with my cellphone) So stay tuned over the next couple of days while I update and steal lots of cool ideas from my Sister-in-law Tera's blog. Cause she's nifty.

7

Seven years ago today, Ben and I were married. Sometimes it seems like yesterday, and sometimes it seems like ages ago.

So much has happened in the last 7 years. We have three beautiful children now. Ben is almost a real live grown up with a degree. I'm almost a real live soccer mom. We  just need the minivan and the metamorphosis will be complete.

On our wedding day, if someone would have asked me what I thought our life would be like 7 years later, I couldn't have imagined now. I know that my projections for our future would have been far more boring and uneventful and far less meaningful than our life together has been.

But I couldn't have known then how much sharing every aspect of my life with Ben would mean. How partnership and parenthood would add so much and deepen and refine all that we had, that day so long ago.

I love it that my life has ended up being so much better than what I could have ever dreamed up for myself.

"Mom, It Tastes Just Like I'm Drinking A Brownie!"

That's what Elizabeth just said to me. Apparently, letting your almost 6 year old make chocolate milk for himself and his sisters is a bad idea. Who knew? Sorry for the quality of the pictures. I guess when you've just ingested half your body weight in Nesquik, you feel a little unphotogenic.

Do You Think That Ben Doesn't Trust Me?

This is the wrapping job that Ben did on a present for me. And yep, that's packing tape. I'm a snooper from way back, and he knows this. I don't know why he bothered wrapping it, though. He already had me open it because he was worried that I wouldn't like it and it had to be returned by Monday for a full refund if I didn't like it. I don't know why he doubted himself though. He always does so well at picking out gifts for me. I've yet to receive one that I didn't love and that wasn't exactly what I wanted!

Car Seat Saftey

I've recently become mildly obsessed with car seat safety. I don't know that Ben would call it "mild". He'd probably label it something like: if-you-don't-stop-talking-on-and-on-and-on-about-how-our-children-are-going-to-die-if-we-so-much-as-get-in-a-fender-bender-I'm-going-to-jump-off-a-cliff! He thinks he's SOOOOOO funny when he says things like: there was a time when your mom putting her arm across you when your car came to a stop as you stood next to her in the front seat was considered car safety, or his very favorite, I remember the good old days, you know, back when the kids were good enough to die with the rest of the family.

Ha ha.

I know, I'm probably obsessed. But I don't care. And I've talked to Ben about it enough that I now get the response that fills me with joy, the response that has taken hours and hours and hours of talking and talking and talking his ears off.

"Whatever you think is best is alright with me, dear."

YES!

So, I'm now coveting these seats. I'll put Will and Beth in them until we get a bigger car (looking like later next year before that can happen) and then get Will this seat and give Ella the one Will was using.

Here is cute Ella in her seat. My car-seat-expert friend Alicia, is going to look at the pictures and tell me what I'm doing wrong as far as installation goes. And don't laugh at the loverly blankets that are covering the seat. My Grandma would be so proud if she saw the back seat of my car all covered up and easy to clean. :P

The Faith Of A Child

My children love to play with modeling clay. They use it almost every day. One of their favorite things to make, of course, are snakes.

I have a terrible fear of snakes, and Will knows this. He, nevertheless, is fascinated by them. He always wants to learn more about them. The more he learns, the less afraid he is.

So today, he made a rattle snake. He was very proud of it, and showed it to me so that I could ooh and aww. I wasn't paying very good attention and heard him say "rattle snake" and replied with "Yikes! I don't like rattle snakes!" He asked why, and I told him that they scare me because they can bite you and you can die really quickly. Then he said:

"Oh mom! You don't have to worry about things like that. If you were bitten, dad could just heal you! He has the Priesthood. If you are good and have faith in Heavenly Father, you can ask for a blessing and be healed."

His faith is simple and pure, and something to be cherished.