Ben & Anna Wheeler

The Cousins

2011-10-17T20:32:00.001-07:00

Clara loves going to Aunt Audra's house. Several times a week Clara asks, "Audra? Tobin? Keynan? Julian?" Audra has a huge playroom downstairs and one day last week Clara said, "Audra? Stairs? Fun?" Audra's boys are so sweet to her and she is so content to play the entire time we are there. Today we went for a visit and the Halloween costumes came out. Even Rex got in on the action.

Splash pad

2011-07-30T21:28:00.001-07:00

Clara, Rex and I went to our new neighborhood splash pad earlier this week. Clara had a grand time. She enjoyed the other kids as much as she enjoyed the water. She's been so excited about putting her swimsuit on this summer. Whenever she sees it, she starts shouting "suit!" and tries to take off her clothing.

Occasionally, she'd come over and say "Hi Rex!" before hopping back to the water.

She got pretty worried when the water would temporarily stop.

House guest

2011-07-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

Can you see what was in our living room tonight?

As Clara would say, it's a hopper.

Cause & Effect

2011-07-21T14:49:00.001-07:00

Cause: Rex sitting in Clara's Bumbo

Effect: Hysterics

Yes & No

2011-07-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

Clara gets better every day at answering our questions with a "yeah" or a "no". Before taking this picture I asked her if she could smile. Can you tell what her answer was?

Catch Up

2011-07-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

I had a baby. A darling one. Here's Rex looking at his Daddy. He is such a sweet, well-tempered, smiley little man. Clara has suddenly grown up. She is learning to talk and repeats nearly everything I say. She is full of spunk and makes me laugh. Here she is on the 4th of July.I have a resolution to update my blog a little better. We'll see how it goes. :)

Sweet Clara Belle

2011-02-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

Clara is growing up so fast. One of my favorite parts of being a stay-at-home mom is seeing her learn new things every day. She's been changing so quickly and I've wanted to write down some of the cute things she's been doing lately.

A few times this week when I've told Clara we needed to change her diaper she has willingly gone and laid down on the floor so that I can change her diaper. This is quite a change from last week when she went and hid in her tent when it was time to get clean pants. She will also happily jog back to her room when I tell her it is time for a nap or time to go to bed. She loves her bath and as soon as I mention that it's bath time she is back in the bathroom trying to hop in the tub.

She loves her Daddy. Ben has been out of town A LOT. As much as I hate it, Clara's reaction when Ben comes home is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. I've never seen so much delight on someone's face. I usually end up cry/laughing because Clara's reaction is so darling. When Ben is home, Clara wants nothing to do with me. Occasionally it is a little offensive that she doesn't want me, but most of the time I just love how much she loves Ben.

Clara is learning new signs and words everyday. Tonight in the bath she signed horse for the first time. I love seeing her tiny little hands doing the signs. It is too cute. She can point out her eyes, nose, hair, mouth, teeth, ears, toes, and belly. She is getting really great at following commands and loves to throw things in the trash for me, put away her books and generally do anything that she knows will get me to say, "Good Job!"

She dances and jumps on command. When I sing her songs before bed she dances around the room. She got a little fridge barn/animal magnet set that plays songs and she always pushes the button so that she has music to dance to.

She loves to be around people. She gets so excited when anyone comes over to the house. The other day I was watching a sign language DVD with her and they began to sign Grandma and Grandpa. Clara turned around and looked at me with anticipation and then went to the door and tried to open it. She was sure Grandma and Grandpa had come to visit. When I told Ben's parents this story they came to visit her the next day. She was thrilled. She is always grinning and hamming it up for people when we go to the store. It's fun to be out and about with her because everyone responds to her sweet dimpled grin and constant babbling.

With this pregnancy I cry nearly every day. Just one of those awesome pregnancy side effects. It's been fun to see Clara learn some empathy. At first when I cried she'd have a mostly annoyed and slightly confused reaction to the tears. Now, she'll come sit with me and try to swat away my tears.

I love you Clara. I'm so glad to be your Mama.

It's me again

2010-12-21T13:19:00.001-08:00

April? That was really the last time I posted anything? When my darling girl was 6 months old? She has grown so much and is a little girl now. She started walking a little before she was 11 months and she learns new things every day. She keeps us busy! Here are a few photos we took right after Thanksgiving. It was freezing outside and so I've included a few to show you how majority of the shoot went.

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Clara is learning new words everyday. Her first word was Daddy, followed by doggy and Mama. She also says Grandpa, Grandma and shoes. She has several others that I'm not remembering and quite a few signs that she uses everyday. Her latest trick is eating with a fork. I gave her a fork last week and she just started using it. Last night she ate about 90% of her dinner with it.

Ben has been traveling quite a bit with work and I can't say it get's any easier. When he is gone, every knock on the door and phone call elicits a loud, "Daddy!" Clara loves when her Daddy is home and follows him from room to room. This past Saturday Ben was putting new hardware on a dresser we just refinished and Clara had to be near him the entire time. It was very helpful I'm sure.I've been busy gestating and we are very excited to add a son to our family at the beginning of April. I'm getting a little nervous to have two children under the age of two and I hope Clara will like being a big sister. I'm sure it will be a big adjustment for all of us.

Right now she is banging on the laptop screen because she sees Ben's picture. Very helpful. I guess that is my cue to put the computer down and play.

Clara's New Sound

2010-04-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Clara figured out how to make a new sound. She's been doing this all day long.

Condensed Blogging

2010-04-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Because I've not made the time to blog the last couple of months, I present condensed blogging. It's like condensed soup, only cuter.

Clara was blessed on February 7th.
My Dad came from Texas and it was wonderful to be with family!

Also in February, Clara got cuter and chubbier.

In March, Clara tried rice cereal for the first time. Yum.

In March, Clara started to sit up on her own for short periods of time. If we lay her down on the floor she lifts both her head and feet off the ground and tries to sit up.

For Easter Clara got a new dress, hair clips, a teething toy, green beans and carrots. Yum again.

This is what Ben and I had for Easter. Really Yum.

In less photographically documented news, Clara got tubes in her ears this past Friday. After a full six weeks of ear infections, we are hoping this will help her to be healthier and happier. The very next day Clara cut her first teeth. It's been a wild ride. In any case, I feel so lucky to be her mom. She is such a joy and delights me every day with her smiles and giggles.

Worst Mom of the Year Award

2010-02-12T17:31:00.001-08:00

So for the last 2 weeks, Clara has been fussy. Really fussy. I was at my wit's end! She fought me every nap time and several times throughout the day. There were many times that I just had to sit her down and walk into the other room for a moment. And then all of the sudden she was waking up several times during the night. I realize she's only 3 months old, but she had been sleeping wonderfully. Typically she'd go down around 9 and not wake up until 4 or 5 in the morning and then go back to sleep until 7. So when she started waking up, I decided it was time to sleep train her. For three nights in a row we let her cry herself to sleep. It was pretty awful. When she'd wake up in the middle of the night we let her cry until she fell asleep again or let her cry for a little while before we went in to get her. Meanwhile, a couple of weeks ago she started batting at her ear. I thought maybe it was bothering her, but then she didn't do it every day. I assumed she had just discovered her ear. On Wednesday however, I realized it was only her right ear she'd been grabbing. That same day, she wasn't very interested in eating. She loves to eat! At 3 months, she is still consistently eating every two hours. So we went to the doctor and she has an ear infection. So I'm guessing she's had it for about two weeks as that is when she first started grabbing her ear. I feel so bad! I made my baby cry herself to sleep when she was sick. Oh man, do I feel awful. She's been on her antibiotic for a couple of days and already she is sleeping better and my sweet, cheerful baby is returning. Worst mother of the year award.

As Time Goes By

2010-02-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Ben and I have been taking pictures every month of our sweet girl to gauge her progress. As you can see she's made definite progress in the chub and hair departments.

Smile, what's the use of crying?

2010-01-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

Sweet Cheeks

2009-12-15T20:30:00.001-08:00

The masked man

2009-11-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

While Ben was able to stay home with Clara and I last week, he caught a bad cold. Consequently, this is what Ben looked like anytime he was near Clara. Luckily, Clara has stayed healthy and at yesterday's checkup she'd grown an inch and now weighs 8 lbs 13 oz. That's an 18 oz gain in 9 days. She's a good eater.

She also got her first real bath on Monday and as you can see, she did not enjoy it.

And just so we don't end on such a sad note, here's a picture of Clara last night after she pushed her hair bow up on top of her head.

Clara Louise

2009-11-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pics of our sweet baby girl. So--I had no idea that taking care of a newborn was so exhausting. Everyone always said we wouldn't get any sleep but I never really knew that they were being literal. I have a new found admiration for all parents. Also, Ben is the most AMAZING husband ever. I don't know what I'd do without his love and support.

First bath

2009-10-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

Clara's first bath.

Taking a nap

2009-10-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Clara trying to sneak a quick nap in before her first bath.

A proud father

2009-10-31T16:32:00.001-07:00

Ben trying to figure out what you do with a baby.

Picture of Mom

2009-10-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Anna right after 12 hours of labor. She delivered Clara naturally and looks amazing!

Clara!

2009-10-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Clara was born at 5:00 pm on October 30, 2009.

Anna is amazing!

2009-10-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Anna just finished sewing this pillow for our baby girl. We are about ready, as ready as you can get anyway, now we just have to wait.

Pregnancy looks great!

2009-10-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

I look 4 months pregnant, Anna 8 1/2 months and my Dad, 18 months. One thing is for certain, Anna looks the best!

We love the leaves in fall

2009-10-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

We just got a new camera so we can take pictures of our baby girl when she arrives. We went up Millcreek Canyon last weekend to test the camera out. The leaves were beautiful!

It's a...

2009-08-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

I’ve thought about just deleting this blog since I’m so terrible at updating it. It just always gets pushed to the back of my priority list. Maybe I’ll be better at updating when I have cute baby pictures to post. Since I haven’t updated since we found out what we are having…it’s a girl! Unless she turns out to be a boy, her name will be Clara Louise. I just started my third trimester and we can't wait for October. Ben first felt her kick on his birthday which was mighty exciting.

My excuse for not blogging

2009-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

I am so good at blogging. In fact, I'm really surprised that I wasn't nominated for a Bloggie Award. At least this time I have an excuse for my prolonged absence. Okay, so I always have some sort of excuse. But it's really good this time. I promise. You ready for it? I'm gonna have a baby! Yippee! I'm a little over 14 weeks along with a due date in mid October. I'm finally getting over the nausea that makes me want to cry and am able to eat more than a few bites. Yay for the second trimester. We'll find out what variety of baby we'll have in just a couple of weeks and Ben and I couldn't be more thrilled. It's been quite a journey in getting here and wouldn't mind any extra prayers for the continued well being of our little one.

Goodbye Provo, Hello Vegas!

2008-12-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Ben is officially done with his Macc. Yippee! He's worked so hard and I'm extremely proud of him. In celebration, he's been loading and unloading our moving truck in a crazy snow storm while I sit under a blanket in my office. He's amazing like that. Once all the craziness has settled, I'm hoping to post pictures of our new basement home in Murray and (if the snow cooperates) our upcoming trip to Las Vegas to watch the Cougars in the Las Vegas bowl.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

September and October Condensed

2008-10-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

I've postponed writing a new post for a while. I wasn't quite sure what to say. September and now October have not been my favorite months this year. I'll start with the good news. Ben and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary on October 6th. We didn't do much in the way of celebration but we did spend the evening together which is a rare thing these days. Happy Anniversary hot stuff. I love you! Also, my friend Lanea got married at the end of September. Yay for weddings! She looked beautiful and I was so happy to be there for the special day.

On the sad side of things, my grandmother passed away on the same day. I've not written about it because I'm not good at talking about it or pretty much anything that involves my emotions. Just ask Ben. He loves it when I get mad and then don't want to talk about it. For most of my life I lived in the same town and then for several years on the same street as my grandparents. I was even lucky enough to share her name. Anna Christine comes from Louise Christine. During the time my Dad was a single parent, my siblings and I went to my grandparent's house after school each day. My grandma helped us with our homework and we helped ourselves to the cookie drawer in her kitchen. She was a never failing support system and influence for good. Any homemaking skills I may have were learned at my grandmother's side. She was always patient and always kind. I will miss her. She and my granddad celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary in August. I'm so grateful for eternal families.

As for October--I work for a costume company. Yesterday I came to work at 8 am and left at midnight. November never looked so good.

New Ben

2008-09-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

In my blog travels, I came across wordle.net and thought I'd share. Using text that you provide (in my case, this blog) wordle.net creates a "word cloud." Words that appear frequently are given more prominence in your word cloud. As you will see, I like Ben and the word new. Give it a try...you know you want to.

Back in a Singles Ward

2008-07-01T13:16:00.001-07:00

I think about updating this blog at least a couple of times a week...which is around the number of times I think about exercising and don't. Do I get points for consistency? I've really got to get a handle on self mastery folks.

Ben officially has one semester of school left--assuming he passes his classes. Okay, so I'm really not worried about that. I was just thinking of my last semester at BYU when I had a website to complete. I had moments of terror thinking that I wasn't going to finish in time. It was a case of severe procrastination.

In other news...I'm back in a singles ward. And this time around it's so much better. I can just watch other people have uncomfortable social interaction with the opposite sex instead of having to experience it myself. After a short stint as the Primary Chorister in our ward, Ben was called into the bishopric of a singles ward on campus. (In non-mormon speak, Ben has been asked to be a leader in a unit of our church for young single adults). We've been attending the singles ward for about a month and we've really enjoyed it. That may change come fall semester when we have to attend 2.5 activities every week. Social interaction is never at the top of my 'fun activities' list.

Other than that, Ben and I are looking forward to spending the 4th with Ben's family and also to our Oregon coast vacation at the end of July. Maybe then I'll have some exciting pictures to post.

Snippets

2008-04-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad blogger. Part of the problem is that lately I've been reading blogs that are really quite entertaining and my blog is not entertaining. Mind you, these are mostly blogs of complete strangers. Why do I read blogs of complete strangers? Well, come sit in my pocket-sized office for a day with roughly 10 minutes of human interaction and hardly any work to do and you'll do stuff like that too. However, in an attempt to periodically update my blog (for posterity and the two people who visit it), here are some snippets from my life.

On my birthday, I got a typed agenda from Ben. Yes folks, a typed agenda. It included several renditions of the Happy Birthday song, a shopping trip, a massage and a party. Yup--he's the best.
Keynan, my 5 year old nephew, called me at 6:44 one day this week. My alarm wasn't set to go off until 7:00. He knows the speed dial # for me on my sister's phone and I periodically get phone calls from him...just never quite this early. I sleepily answered the phone and a very energetic voice asked me how I was. I mumbled something and then asked if I could call him back. He said sure. When I called him back on my way to work I apologized for not talking to him earlier and told him that I had been asleep. He said, "I realize that Anna."
I got a new doormat. This is very exciting. For the past two and half years, I've told Ben I wanted a new welcome mat every other week (or maybe every week or every day--I really don't recall). I wish I would have taken a picture of the old mat before it was lovingly placed in the dumpster. It was one of those mats that carpet stores give away as a free sample. We inherited it from our landlord who used to use our apartment as an office. And let me tell you...it was deeeesgusting. I love my new doormat.
I.Want.A.Baby. Nuf said.
Ben has a new church calling. Before I tell you what it is, let me remind you that Ben is a macho man. In high school he had a pair of brass knuckles people! That he intended to use! I'll also remind you that Ben's most recent church assignment was the Finance Sunday School teacher--he's smart like that. And he's a stake auditor. And what is his new calling??? Primary chorister. Yup, you read it correctly. Primary Chorister. I've never seen him as mad as he was after he accepted the calling. I have to admit that I was pretty excited--I'm the primary pianist. We get to spend all three hours of church together! Last week was his inaugural Sunday and he did a great job. We'll have to work a little on leading the music on the beat--but seriously, he's gonna do an amazing job.

Something New

2008-03-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

I decided that it's time to post something new to our blog. And while Halloween is great and my husband makes a cute pirate, I thought it was time for a new picture. It's been a busy couple of months at the Wheeler homestead. One of the most exciting things was the arrival of our new nephew, Tobin Travis Thomas. Here he is looking a little worried.

He was 6 lbs, 1 oz and was born on February 2, 2008, nearly one month early. He is a healthy little boy and is out of his premie clothes as of this week. It was fun to be at the hospital with my sister--both of her other boys were born in Texas and this was the first time I got to be there for the birth. Ben and I have had fun holding our new nephew. He is so tiny and a great cuddler. I'd hold him all day if I could.

Unfortunately, his arrival coincided with the start of a new job for me and so I'm prohibited from seeing him nearly as often as I would like. No more working from home for me (i.e. sleeping in, working in my PJs, playing with my sister & nephews, enjoying mid-day visits from Missie & Caleb and eating lunch with Ben). I'm back to the 8-5 routine. I started working for the online costume retailer, costumecraze.com at the beginning of January. A new job is always tough to get used to, but I'm settling into a routine and the new job dread has faded considerably.

Ben is, as usual, busy with school and work. The credit union he works for opened a new Provo branch and he's been busy coordinating that and managing his always daunting homework load. But---the end is near! He'll be done with his MACC in December. That definitely deserves a YIPPEE!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

Introducing Ben...as Nicole Kidman

2007-10-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

We've decided this is pretty random...Nicole Kidman? C'mon folks.

2007-10-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ben and I spent the weekend at a cabin in Brianhead, UT courtesy of my friend Danielle (her in-laws own the cabin). We went with Danielle & Tom, their friends Trent & Christi, and Audra & TJ. It was nice to get out of Provo for a few days and to have some time away from school and work. We scrapbooked, played pool, ate a lot of food and enjoyed wonderful company.

2007-10-08T20:46:00.001-07:00

Ben and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary this weekend. Since it was conference weekend, we were a little limited as to what we could do. Between sessions on Saturday we got massages at a local day spa and then went to dinner and a movie after priesthood session. Ben gave me some beautiful earrings and these gorgeous roses. Here's to two years with the best husband ever!

2007-09-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that if you think that I am bossy, inappropriate or loud, I am afraid you just don't get me.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver

You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed.
Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections.
Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down.
You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine.

In love, you are very protective and supporting.
However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous.

At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential.
You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist.

How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

2007-09-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

After perusing Danielle's blog, I decided to take this personality test. My question is...what do a chef, interior designer and child psychologist have in common? Got me.

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer

You have a strong need to belong, and you are very loyal.
A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.
In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.
You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.

In love, you express your emotions through actions.
Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.
You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

2007-09-24T17:47:00.001-07:00

This post is a little late, but here are some pics from Ben's Birthday. Happy 24th!

2007-09-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ben and I just got back from a mini vacation in California. One of Ben's mission companions, Steven Haueter, got married over the weekend and so we flew out to Oakland to join in the festivities. While there we also went to the Muir Woods (a redwood grove just north of San Francisco) and the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. It was nice to be there for the wedding but the best part was spending all day with Ben sans homework!

2007-06-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Doesn't Norway look fun.

2007-06-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

What a great vacation! Norway was beautiful, the stops in Estonia and Sweden were too short, Poland was green and gorgeous, Russia was very serious and our stay in Denmark was long enough. Plus, I spent all day everyday for 14 days with my lovely bride, what could be better. And as if all that wasn't enough, our room steward Jackrawoot gave us bookmarks from his native country Thailand.

The excitement continues...James and Andrew are coming up to spend next week with us and the Thomas family. We have a week of fun ahead including Provo's Freedom Festival, Seven Peaks and maybe some jet-skis. Time will only tell.

2007-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Life is great when I get to spend every evening with my beautiful bride riding our bikes or going to the library or Seven Peaks (beginning May 26th when the doors open) instead of doing homework.

In 25 days we leave for our summer vacation and we are excited about that. We will be back for two weeks and then the accounting events begin. Ernst and Young July 9-10, KPMG July 12-14 and Deloitte July 17-20. Maybe then I will know where I want to work in 18 months when I graduate. Life is very exciting.

And one more thing, GO JAZZ!

2007-05-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Only four months since our last post. We are dedicated bloggers in the Wheeler household. Let's see...since our last post...

Ben's semester is over! This means that we actually have time to see each other in the evenings. Wahoo! He did really well in all of his classes and got offers to attend each of the Big 4 accounting firm's summer leadership programs. Unfortunately this also means that he will be leaving me for 2 weeks this summer. It's possible that I will be spending the night on the Huff's couch during those weeks.

In other news, I have been working at home for almost 3 weeks now! At first it was a little weird...but I'm really enjoying it now. As long as I get all my work done I have time to do all sorts of things. Today this involved going to lunch with Audra and her cute boys and then walking around Michaels looking at possible craft projects.

Sadly, this is all I can think of to write about.

We Are(n't) Wheelers

2007-01-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Fam. I was discussing the Wheeler Weightloss Challenge on Sunday night with a few fellow members of the challenge and we were thinking a Wheeler Weightloss Challenege activity may be appropriate to have a little fun and to provide goal to work towards. We were thinking of a Wheeler Weightloss Challenge 5k (walk, run, or bike). We woiuld have the 5k towards the end of March. Below is a link for 9 week workout program.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

The program takes someone from the "couch to running a 5k." As I already mentioned if we put together a 5k the intention is that anyone who wants to participate can and all participants will have the choice to walk, run, or bike the 5k. Let me know what you think.

2007-01-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

Well I think it is time for another post. The Holidays were great and we are two weeks into a new semester at school. The semester has been good so far. As for other news, changes are afoot at Allied Resource so stay posted, no pun intended, for news about Anna's work situation.

2006-12-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas List
Superman (DVD)
HP 10 2B+ Calculator--might be 10b+
New Dress Shirt and Matching Tie
Jospeh Smith The Prophet by Truman G. Madsen (CD)
Golf Clubs
Golf Bag
Office Chair
Shoes-Casual
A magic lamp
Electronic anything

2006-11-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas is coming and the goose it getting fat...unfortunately the bank account is not taking after the goose but I am very excited none the less. I look forward to surprising my dear Anna and sharing in the joy of the season with family and friends.

Maybe we will buy a little Reindeer to spice up the holidays.

2006-11-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas List
by Anna

iTunes gift card
CD-Vittorio
iPod stereo dock or speakers for iPod
Restaurant gift cards
Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook
Crockpot Cookbook
Tablecloth(s)
Slippers
Warm PJ Pants
'Shade' 3/4 and long sleeve shirts (sz L)
Hoodie (BYU or otherwise)
Doormat
Nalgene bottle
Memory Foam mattress topper
Bath & Body Works Hand soaps

2006-11-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays. It's been so nice to have a little time to relax and spend time with Ben. We spent Thanksgiving at the Wheeler house in West Jordan and it was a lot of fun. Caleb (our nephew) was the center of the party. It's hard not to be popular when you are that cute.

Only 2 weeks left in this semester! Hopefully next semester will come with a little less homework and I can see Ben beyond the 30 minutes we spend eating dinner together. Ben works really hard at school and so far it's paid off. I'm thankful that he's such a hard worker.

We are looking forward to the Christmas break as well. We set up our Christmas tree tonight. Our already small living room is now mostly just the Christmas tree...at least it's pretty.

2006-11-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I went shopping with Audra, Keynan, Julian and Lanea. Lanea, who works for her Dad as a dental assistant brought Keynan Spongebob Squarepants toothpaste and some dinosaur dental floss. I've never seen a kid so excited about toothpaste. Within the space of a few hours he'd brushed his teeth three times and had to take a nap with his floss beside him. At one point we even caught him flossing when he was supposed to be napping.

At the mall, a fit ensued when Keynan didn't get to push the button to open the trunk....a small tragedy in a 3 year old's life. In the first store we went to, Keynan crawled under two dressing room doors...thankfully it was just mine and Lanea's. Remarkably, Julian was delightful all day long. He smiled, slobbered, and did every other cute thing an 8 month old generally does. I don't know how Audra ever shops alone with her two boys. Keynan is an expert at escaping.

2006-05-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

A pic of Keynan holding his new brother Julian...looks awfully pleased to me.

2006-05-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ben and I have been married a little over 7 months now. We are living in Provo while Ben attends BYU. He has the summer off and was recently accepted into the accounting program. Woohoo! He'll start in the fall and is on track to graduate with his Masters in Dec. '08.

We've enjoyed Provo so far, but are looking forward to family moving to the area soon. Ben's sister, Missie, her husband Paul, and cute baby Caleb will be moving to Provo in the fall for grad school. My sister, Audra (along with husband TJ, sons Keynan & Julian) are moving to Heber in June. It will be fun to have friends (and nephews) to play with!

We have made a few (very few) friends in Provo, but have enjoyed attending a slightly odd (okay more than slightly odd) family ward. I was just called as the primary chorister in the ward and am slightly terrified.

I'll post more pictures soon.