High on a Shortie

Well, the last few weeks seem to have just zipped by (like ALL of November). Lately my little shortie-cake, Taylor has been just full of entertainment! She has been trying to be extra good for Christmas, so every morning she asks me if she is being good (doing good things is being good, Taylor), if her sister is being good (she is good, but her actions are not), if the dogs are being good (no, chewing up papers and shoes and toys is not being good).



So today she and Kaylee decide to do a service project together while we are walking back from church. They are going to shovel the neighbor's walk since they have been out of town. They get all dressed up and excitedly go shovel out the neighbors, they are so cute! Well, when they are done, Kaylee leaves to go help her dad shovel our driveway, and I see Taylor bouncing from foot trail to foot trail out in the neighbor's front yard. While I am wondering what she is up to, she suddenly falls over backwards and makes a perfect snow angel. Carefully, she gets up and then stomps a nice circle around it before hopping back into the footpath and leaving. She comes up to our door and when I let her back in I asked her what she was doing out there "I was making a service angel for them". It about made me cry :) She is such a cutie!



(Shhhh...secret ahead) While I was looking for some ribbon in my sewing stuff to tie Taylor's new Princess quilt I am making her for Christmas, she comes across a little piece of fabric and starts wondering what we could do with it. She suggested a wrap for her hot chocolate mug, she could fold it up and keep it in a book, it could be a really little pillow... We decided to make it into a polly pocket blanket. I sewed it together with a little batting and she just lit up like I had made gold from tin foil, it was just such a blessing to see the wonder in her face that we could make something that she thought was useful from just a little ol' piece of cloth.



Later today, she was helping me give the dogs a bath and was telling Sparkle that she was such a good dog for getting clean and it was okay that she got us "a Little" wet during the bath, because "she just can't help it". I think Taylor is going to make a great dog groomer someday, she is just so gang-ho to try everything. Except of course, my nice scissors since "they are REALLY sharp and if they cut her, she would probably die, right mom?" I hope, REALLY, REALLY hope, I don't have that bad of a grooming accident!


And to top off the night, while we are saying prayers and getting ready for bed, she points out the tear in her old quilt and says "Mom, you know what would fix this tear? If I had a new Princess blanket for my bed!" It has been in every Santa letter and she asks every single day if I think Santa might bring her one. I looked all over for a cute one, but came up short and decided to make her one instead. I found some cute fabric and have been working on it, but just after I had bought the backing for the quilt, Chris finds an adorable fleece lap blanket! My AWESOME friends at work helped me tie it together at work on Saturday... In between appointments of course.... Snicker... So now she will get one from Santa and one from me :D I had to do one for Kaylee, too, wouldn't want any sad Christmas mornings!

Not to leave Kaylee out, this last week she got 100% on every single assignment. Talk about IMPRESSIVE! Now if her attitude could match her smarts... Well, that's a lot of things to be proud of in my two little "ANGELS".

Happy October!

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One of my favorite holidays is coming up!

Just a bit greedy.....

The view from the side:



And from the end:



As I went in to kiss my girls goodnight last night, I couldn't help but laugh at Taylor. She has a pillow on both sides of her bed, just in case she wants to sleep on either side, and this is how I find her :) I am not sure if she could take up more of her bed if she tried! Note how neither pillow is being used...

Sometimes, when greed comes into play, you get even less than you would have if you had just settled for what you had to start with. In Taylor's case, she didn't even manage to get under the blanket (although she has four on her bed there), let alone get to use one of the pillows.



However, her dolly gets a pillow, blanket and a baseball mitt to keep her from rolling off the bed, and I bet she didn't move all night long!

Yeah! Happy Birthdays and Back to School!

It has been a crazy, hectic last few weeks. I can't even begin to describe how lucky I am. With recent tragedies all around us, I just wanted to list a few things I am grateful for;

Friends that I can count on, a home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, only minor illnesses, family close by (Dakota is close, too), a mom who is willing to spend a few precious hours helping my kids with homework several days a week, clothes that are comfy and wash easily, books to take my mind off my worries, a good job, a husband who loves me no matter what, freedom to write whatever crosses my mind in a public forum such as this blog, cute things that my kids say and do, watching puppies play, safe schools (and school lunches), reliable transportation, cell phones (though sometimes I wish they didn't exist for a few hours), the love Jesus and the Lord give me and always have for me even when I really screw things up and the forgiveness of all those around me (I know I don't deserve it, but thanks anyway!)

We had a couple of birthdays this month: Cheryl! Yippie-Skippie-Yahoo! We had a ton of fun at the Olive Garden, and even got to eat our dessert nice and hot, WITH A SPOON! No singing from any live people... These are my two favorite pictures of Cheryl and her cute family:

















Dad Mark also had a birthday this month and we celebrated at the Cracker Barrel in Paradise. It has really become a nice place to eat with the last remodel. The food has always been good, but now the rest is just as nice.





















And finally, I am glad and sad and worried and happy and going crazy that my girls have gone back to school! They are adorable, but sometimes I wonder how I am going to get through the mornings without somebody getting hurt!

Lava Hot Springs!

I am so grateful to have such good friends! We took a little vacation up to Lava Hot Springs this weekend with our awesome neighbors, the Rindlisbachers and the Chambers, as well as Chris' brother, Brent's family. For all you who wimped out.... we missed you!

I really had a good weekend playing at the pools, sliding down the slides, and floating down the river. We stayed at Grandpa's campground where the air was clean and clear (except for the range cows) and the nights quiet away from all the noise and rush in the world.

Chris and the girls went down the river first, Kaylee was a bit terrified, but eventually got in the tube, however, she was dumped out a little ways later and I don't think she will be going down the river again for a long while. Taylor also got dumped out with Cheryl (who got a bit bruised and scraped). Taylor did decide to go down the slower part of the river with me later that day.

The rest of the kids had a blast going down the river! Most of the adults came back with only minor injuries (although my butt is still a bit tender from the one big rock!)

Elk and Deer and Bears, Oh MY!

We had a blast in Yellowstone and Jackson Hole in June, sorry it has taken so long to get the pictures together and posted! We went to Old Faithful, to the hot pots, the waterfalls, saw some wildlife and played around in Jackson. At least everyone else did, I mostly went to class for my continuing education requirements. I did get to go to Yellowstone with everyone for a couple of days.

We all had our ups and downs. The kids thought that the geysers were cool, the water was stinky, the one and only bear we saw was plenty of wildlife ("we saw a bear, we can go home now"), and the pool at the campground was the best thing about the whole trip!

Earring Party

Taylor said "Mom, You are the BEST MOTHER EVER!" I thought it would be because I finally got her ears pierced, or because I said she was the cutest kid in the world... "Why is that" I asked? "Because you let me pick a big sucker at the store." Hmmm...

We took Taylor into Walmart (I know, I HaTE Walmart, but the girl came well recommended), and had her ears pierced. She has been so excited for months. I promised her she could do it when she turned 6 and just am now getting to it. We went to pick out earrings, she of course picked the biggest pinkest ones in the case. Seriously, they would easily be 2.5 carots each!



BEFORE>>>>



Then, she convinces Jaycie to go first (all of a sudden, she is scared that it will hurt).



You have to watch the priceless expression on her face when they go in!



Then it is Taylor's turn :) I am way excited, but she wants me to hold her arms and hands and then doesn't want her sister or Josh to watch in case they are going to make fun of her or something. I don't have a video, someone was slacking (cough, chris, cough).... She was a little surprised when they said on three and then did them on one and a half.


But a few moments later, she was smiling again.





AFTER>>>



So Cute!



On the way back to the truck, Taylor asks: "Mom, can I wear the stuff you put on your eyes (mascara) and some color and I really want to wear your lipstick now, too. Cause I am big now." Good thing she is so big :) I might have lost her standing beside a flag pole! But now I can just look for the blindingly huge pink earrings!!!! Yeah, Taylor!

Back In The Saddle

The old saying goes "if you get bucked off your horse, get right back in the saddle." I have been a bit derailed lately, blog-wise with my actual life :) I think the month of May has to be the busiest next to December. I rarely have time to think, let alone do extra projects. So here is a quick run down of what I have been up to:

Taylor turned 6... She is growing up WAY to fast.



Kaylee and Taylor graduated to the next grade, Yeah!


Kiera took all first place ribbons at the last show in Logan. Still no points....



Taylor gave me an awesome plate she made in school that matches the one Kaylee made me when she was in Kindergarten.


I was released from teaching Sunday school to being a Relief Society "Self-reliance" committee member. I get to coordinate the Health and Nutrition aspect. (More about this later.)

Business has picked back up some so I have been working more of the day. Unfortunately, it is a ton of urgent care since everyone seems to have put off routine preventative care or coming in early in a problem situation.

Chris' grandparents, Charlot and Noble came to visit.



We had our first camping trip of the season up to Mantua. It was fun to get out and get into nature, even for a short while.

Our whole family got together at Hill Air Force Base for the spectacular Air Show.



I tweaked my back and haven't been able to work out for a few weeks... hoping to get back to "feeling the burn" soon.

Planted all my flowerbeds, but the weeds are going to take over the lawn since it has rained every day and I haven't been able to spray them yet. The sad watermelons have been dug up by the hail several times. We are down to two in the ground and one on the kitchen counter.



We finally finished the basement projects! I am so excited every time I go down there now. :)



And to finish it off... Cheryl and I had a pedicure with the cutest toes EVER!

Moms, Grandmas and Greatgrandmas

This Mother's Day had me thinking of all the great moms I have in my life; as well as the great ones that have passed away into the next life.

Grandma, me, Taylor, Mom

When I went to visit Brian on the Army base with the girls last weekend, I lost an earring when speaking on the phone. It really made me miss my Grandma Call. Why? Well... every time she would take a phone call, Grandma would take off her clip-on earring so it wouldn't clatter against the phone. We had a spot in the drawer for all her lone jewelery. I know everywhere she went, there must have been dozens of earrings left all over the country. My Great-Grandma lived to be 103 years old and still worked the farm well into her 90's, so when Grandma Call passed away a few years ago from a sudden stroke, just as I was beginning to appreciate all that she had done and what an amazing lady she was. Grandma was never afraid to try just about anything; from riding a Harley to every shade of hair color known to the rainbow. She was a great cook and singer, she loved to camp and play card games and stay up late telling stories.

Grandma Call on her horse

Thinking about her cooking made me think about my Abuela Rincon, who lives in Mexico. I was so glad to get to see her last summer, and although we can't communicate very well, the love she feels for her family is amazing. She has always shown the love she has for everyone by cooking, A LOT, All the time :) It never fails, as soon as you walk in the door, she is in the kitchen making something to fill your belly. Abuela used to live with my parents much of the time and so there was never a reason to go hungry. She is so amazing to still be alive at 92+ years and really still going. Mom goes to Mexico for several weeks each year to stay with her and take care of her since Abuela and Abuelo are too old to travel safely anymore.

Abuela helping feed calves

That brought me to thinking how wonderful my own mom is. Here she is, giving up her hard earned vacation and leaving Utah during the only time of the year that she is not cold, to go and take care of her parents. Not to mention, the years and years that she would have them stay with her at our house for three to six months at a time. My mom follows that same cut of fabric in trying to feed everyone who wanders by or suggests that they might come to the house for more than 10 seconds. Again, no reason to go hungry or be without friends when my mom is around. Mom is great to come over to our house a few days each week after she gets off work and help my girls with their homework and extra learning, reading, and play time. It means so much to me to know that she wants and takes an active role in their lives. It makes me a little sad that I didn't get to know my grandmas as well as my kids know theirs.

Chris' Grandparents came out from Wisconsin this weekend and all the kids and grand kids got to spend a little time with them the last few days. It was a little hectic, but well worth the effort to get to see them again, hopefully they will be able to come out again soon.

Four Generations of Bensons

That said, I think all the Moms and Grandmas in our family had a pleasant Mother's Day this last weekend, and if I haven't said it enough; THANK YOU for all that you do for us and WE LOVE YOU!