Our Behrmann Blog

July 2011 Pictures

2012-01-18T12:09:00.012-06:00

Most of you have already seen some of these pictures, but I just realized that I have never blogged them. I turn my blog into bound books to use as a family journal so I wanted to make sure I added these now...before I forgot. These pictures were taken by Amanda Behrmann at the Hampton Mansion in Towson, Maryland, in July of 2011. They are priceless to me!

Ben (6 1/2)

Kate (almost 4)

Jacob (16 months)

Group shots

The Purple Cast!

2012-01-18T08:10:00.007-06:00

When a sweet little boy like this,

decides to carry a toy like this

down a flight of stairs like these

good things generally don't happen!

The one thing that made it all okay (for his older brother) was a purple cast complete with a Ravens jersey during the NFL playoffs! We will pray they keep winning...at least until the cast comes off!

At least we got to see Daddy's work...too bad we won't get a discount...even if he did order the films!

Christmas Festivities!

2011-12-26T12:07:00.014-06:00

We started off our Christmas festivities with our annual trip to see the Washington D.C. Temple lights and international nativity scenes. They are beautiful. Kate loved the purple tree! And of course, we took advantage of proximity and stopped by Cafe Rio for an early dinner beforehand.

Here are some of our favorite Nativities.

South Africa

Cambodia

Thailand

Next, was our church's Christmas party. Ben was the only one who would sit on Santa's lap!

Santa stopped by our neighborhood one night. The fire department brought him in their truck. He handed out candy canes to all the kids and even called a few of them by their first name!

Next, was Kate's preschool Christmas party. They performed a play in which Kate was the "Mom." She was so excited to bring a purse to school and insisted on wearing a skirt to dress for the part. She decided it would be fine to sit on Santa's lap this time around. Jacob of course still refused!

Next on the list was our first visit to the well known 34th Street in Hampden, MD! The whole block decorates for Christmas. It was quite the sight! You know you are in Baltimore when you see crab lights and a Christmas tree made from hubcaps!

Our neighbors brought over a gingerbread kit for the kids! They had so much fun putting it together!

Next was Ben's Holiday party at school. He presented his project on "Chinese New Year," and built a graham cracker house! He did a great job and not surprisingly was the cleanest kid in the class post decorating!

On Christmas Eve, we opened our traditional pajamas, set up some cookies and milk for Santa, and read the Christmas story from Luke 2. We had pancakes shaped as mittens and snowmen for dinner.

On Christmas morning, David and I woke up at 6 and got ready for church. The kids woke up at 7. We opened presents and even had a few minutes to spare to take a few pictures before heading to church at 10. The kids loved all of their presents. Ben's favorite....his lego watch. Kate loved everything. My favorite of Kate's presents was her 1983 vintage Cabbage Patch kid. The smell of it even brought me back to the year I was 4! After church we had a fun, tasty and relaxing Christmas dinner with our friends, the Nelsons.

And last but not least, here is our 2011 Christmas Card! Merry Christmas!

Gobble Gobble!

2011-11-29T19:30:00.009-06:00

With no family within hundreds of miles, we spent our Thanksgiving with some of our Baltimore family. The Nelsons (our friends from Arizona) were brave enough to invite us to their home for the big day in addition to our friends the Dalleys (Texas) and the Christiansens (Utah). They were very kind to postpone the meal until 4 pm so David could join us. He was working nights during Thanksgiving week so he woke up, ate & ate & ate and then went back to work.

Our Hosts & the Turkey

The Moms (Krista, Liz, Karen & Heather)

The kids loved spending the day with their friends and despite the number of kids it wasn't as crazy as I had imagined it would be.....maybe because I'm use to crazy Thanksgivings with lots and lots of kids around! I guess it felt like home. Heather bought each of the kids their own coloring books and had a designated "boy" and "girl" table.

Kate insisted on saving her preschool crafts from the week prior so she could dress up for dinner...she "promised" her teacher told her "she had too"! She was a pretty cute little pilgrim though. As always, Kate loved our traditional cranberry mousse....the number one reason why I know she is my daughter.

The day was not complete without the special turkey cookies made by Ann Clover (ALL of the kids adopted Maryland Grandmother)! She dropped them off on Wednesday for the big party!

We had a great day! We have much to be grateful for, and on this Thanksgiving good friends were at the top of the list!

Seven!

2011-11-22T18:57:00.006-06:00

Ben turned 7 on November 14th. I still can't believe it. I don't know where the time has gone! Seems just like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital at a meager 3 pounds and 15 ounces! We were quickly welcomed back to reality from our cruise by celebrating Ben's birthday with his party on the 12th, the very next day. I knew it would be a little crazy to do it then, but I wanted to get it over with and not push things towards Thanksgiving. We also thought it would be fun to do it while Sue was still in town. I had nearly everything prepared before we left on the cruise. Fortunately, I got all my ideas from my sister Ruth so it wasn't too difficult to plan. The kids had a great time and by the time it was over we were more than worn out.

On Ben's actual birthday we spent the evening at Red Robin....Ben's choice! He was very proud to wear his new Ravens jersey to the restaurant. For those of you not familiar with Baltimore....nearly everything revolves around the Ravens in this town. Every Friday (when there is a weekend game) is purple Friday day at school. Up until now, Ben stuck out like a sore thumb without his Ravens gear. I'm not sure how he survived Kindergarten. One day when he unintentionally wore his BYU jersey to school on a Friday the kids on the bus teased him and told him BYU wasn't "even a real team" and there was no such thing as "the Cougars." A few tears were shed. We were thankful Jimmer turned that knowledge around during basketball season during which time Ben proudly wore his Jimmer gear at every opportunity! So this year, David researched the players and decided to go with #92 Ngata since our first choice Todd Heap had just been traded to the Arizona Cardinals. I think Ben looks great in purple....good thing since he will be wearing it every Friday!

We had a great time at Red Robin. Ben ignored everyone while they sang happy birthday to him but loved his birthday sundae....Kate on the other hand was not pleased that they didn't bring her one too! Fortunately, Ben decided to share!

We made it through dinner despite 2 long trips with the kids to the bathroom and a spilled full cup of chocolate milk. It was a special treat to have Grandma Jacobs with us for Ben's birthday. The kids loved having her here and were sad to see her leave. On the way home from Red Robin I asked Ben if he had a good birthday. His response, "No, a great birthday. A double great birthday. A triple great birthday!"

I am very grateful to be Ben's mother. He is a very special boy. It was a great treat to go to his parent teacher conferences this past week and hear absolutely nothing but praise. We are blessed to call him ours!

Cruising to the Bahamas!

2011-11-22T12:31:00.011-06:00

For our 10th Anniversary, David arranged for us to go on a 4 night cruise out of Miami to the Bahamas and Key West. Sue (David's Mom) accepted our invitation to watch the kids while we were gone! The kids did great....I'm sure I thought about them much more than they thought about me! Ben was so excited for us to leave....he couldn't wait to buy school lunch all week! We flew to Ft. Lauderdale and spent the first night in Miami.

Day 1. Our ship (Royal Caribbeans Majesty of the Seas) departed at 4:30 pm. We were able to get on board and enjoy our first lunch buffet. We eventually found our bags...in front of another room's door! We unpacked our suitcases and left to explore the boat and the people on board. Among many other people we noticed a gay couple that we couldn't help but smile at. They were the nerdy gay type. Jurassic park t-shirts tucked in to their hiked up shorts, black socks and sandals. Guess who turned out to be assigned to our dinner table? I could barely contain my smiles when they sat down with us that first night. Needless to say, it made for interesting dinner conversations. I eventually got over their Canadian gay accents. At one point, they asked us if we had Safeway in the US. David quickly replied that yes we did and in fact that was his first job....bagging groceries at Safeway. It quickly became even more awkward when the smarter of the two interrupted David's story and informed us that his partner worked at the local Canadian Safeway. Through it all, I learned that David has a natural gift of talking to anyone....something he no doubt inherited from his father. We were too scared to ask them if we could take a picture with them that first night, so David found one of the pictures that the cruise line had taken and took a picture of that picture with his phone. So this is the best we can do. It doesn't do justice.

Day 2. Day two brought us to port in Nassau, Bahamas. We had arranged for a sailing and snorkeling excursion. We brought a water camera with us, but unfortunately didn't get the greatest pictures. The water wasn't as clear as I had imagined. There were lots and lots of fish though. We had a good time, but it was a little chilly sailing back. We also spent some time walking through the little shops and were able to buy the kids souvenirs. We enjoyed our formal dinner night after we returned to the ship and caught the dancing and singing show that night.

Day 3. Day three was suppose to bring us to the Royal Caribbean private island of Cococay in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, after arriving the Captain deemed the weather unsafe for tendering to the island. Instead, we spent the day on board. We took advantage of the cruise line's activities for the day. First, we hit the dodge ball game. I had intended to play until I discovered the Miami Vice team had showed up. They really were from Miami too. David was placed on their team....he stuck out like a sore thumb, but ended up being one of their best players. It was fun to watch.

We spent a lot of time reading by the pool this day. I finished the Hunger Games book and was very annoyed that I ignored my friend Heather's advice to bring the second of the three books along as well. We watched the belly flop contest, before heading to the free throw contest. After seeing the lame competition, I decided to join the contest and ended up with a bronze medal. It technically should have been a silver (the 2nd place finisher crossed the line by at least 2 feet with every shot)......but, I'm not competitive or anything so I let it slide without vocal protest. After dinner we walked around the ship and took some photos before heading to the Love and Marriage game show. I was very grateful we were not contestants, but really enjoyed the show.

Day 4. Day four brought us to port in Key West, Florida. This was my favorite day. We roamed the shops of Key West and enjoyed an hour or two on the beach. I found the perfect shirt for my Mom and just had to take a picture....I knew she would never actually wear it.

We found the Hemingway house, but were too cheap and too uninterested to pay the $40 to go inside.

We found the Southernmost point of the Continental USA and stood in line to take our picture. We were joined by a friendly iguana.

The highlight of the day was the old man at the beach. Actually, watching people's reactions when they first saw him was better. I won't even begin to describe his swimming suit to you or even think about posting a picture of it here (yes, I couldn't help but take one....everyone was taking them). I'd like to keep my blog porn free so I'll spare you the details. Here are a few more pictures of Key West.

After getting back on board we headed to dinner and spent the night at the shows.
Day 5. We arrived back to Miami, deboarded and headed back to the airport where we waited for 5 hours before our scheduled flight left. Southwest wouldn't let us catch the 2 earlier flights despite open seats without paying the $460 premium. So we sat. And again, I was so upset I didn't have the second Hunger Games book! Instead, we caught up on every fine detail of the Penn State fiasco. We eventually had a smooth flight home and were excited to see the kids again. Jacob just stared at me for awhile, before deciding he was not going to let anyone else touch him but me. Sue said of all the kids she thinks Ben actually missed us the most. Those school lunches wore off fast! Overall, we had a great time and created great memories. It was so nice to spend time with David and get a break from our everyday routines.

The Whole Gang!

2011-11-21T20:58:00.006-06:00

Halloween was a hit this year. It was one festivity after another! As always, the kids loved picking out their pumpkin and carving it with Dad.

Kate had a fun preschool party and David was able to make his first Maryland preschool party appearance.

Ben decided he wanted to be Fred from Scooby Doo this year and quickly persuaded Kate into being Daphne. I'm not sure how they did it, but I ended up being Velma and David was Shaggy. We decided to turn Jacob into Scooby after he refused to wear his lion mane at a friend's Halloween party the week prior. I made a collar for him and we made due. Ben and Kate loved, "The Gang". My favorite part about the whole family costume thing was that no one even recognized David with his wig on. And better yet, when he took the kids trick or treating so many people asked Ben and Kate if their older brother wanted a piece of candy too. I guess his wig looked a little too real and did resemble Justin Bieber....the most popular teenage haircut.

Fortunately for Jacob, Kate was eager to share her candy. He was sitting in his high chair one day eating lunch when I ran downstairs to move the laundry on. He started fussing while I was downstairs, but stopped before I returned to find this. Kate looked at me and said, "He just really needed it to make him happy and look it worked." And it did!

Playing Catch Up!

2011-11-21T20:39:00.006-06:00

Jacob finally started walking and climbing all at once near the end of September at 19 months! It already feels like he's always know how to walk. He's a fast little guy now. He continues to be an absolute joy for everyone.

Kate had a fun field trip to Cromwell Vally Park this fall. She looks so grown up to me in these pictures. She continues to fool everyone into believing that she smiles 24-7. If I didn't know better myself I'd believe it too. Her happiness is contagious.

Kate had a small taste of life as a dancer and gymnast. I found a great Groupon and enrolled her in a local gymnastics/dance class. She got to go 4 times. Unfortunately, life as a resident on the East coast won't allow us to continue, but she sure loved it while it lasted. I'm hoping the Thanksgiving and Christmas season will distract her, but she still asks when her next class is.

Our First Half Marathon!

2011-10-20T13:19:00.009-05:00

It is no secret that I can put on the pounds during pregnancy. And each pregnancy has gotten worse! Once I stopped nursing Jacob, I was determined to get rid of all those extra childbearing pounds. The occasional treadmill running and Jillian's 30 day shred videos just weren't cutting it for me this time around. While running on the treadmill one night and watching, "The Biggest Loser," I got this crazy idea that I should run a half marathon. I thought, "If those people can do it, so can I!" I began my search on the Internet and discovered the Baltimore Running Festival to be held on October 15th. It was a Saturday! I had more than 7 months to train. Somehow, I convinced David to sign up with me. Misery loves company. And most of you know that if a Behrmann pays money to do something, they will do it. Funny how that $75 got me to run on more than one occasion when otherwise I would have skipped out. I mentioned that we had signed up to my sister Alison and told her she should come and run it with us. You can imagine my absolute joy when she agreed! A visitor and a running partner!

Our friend, Destry, provided me with a 16 week training program. It called for 3 days of running per week and 2 days of cross training. He loaned us his water belt and schooled us in the world of gus, gels, sport beans & energy bars. During the week, I ran on the treadmill at night after the kids were in bed. I did my best to get outside on Saturdays. For my cross training days I did random P90x videos (something I eventually grew to enjoy). Near the end of the training schedule our Saturday runs got much longer and took up much more time. Many thanks to my expert full marathoner friend Liz for watching the kids on more than one occasion so David and I could get those long miles in together. I can't tell you how many times I thought, "What have I gotten myself into" and "David and Alison are going to kill me." My mother will tell you that I am a pretty determined person (and just a tad competitive) so for me there was no backing out.

Alison arrived into town on Wednesday, October 12th. We had a great time together. I loved having someone in my family visit Baltimore and it couldn't have been a better time to visit. Baltimore is beautiful in the fall. Kate especially LOVED having, "Aunt Alice" here. Kate even made Alison a purple P necklace at preschool and claimed she was her best friend. The kids loved playing on her ipad. On Thursday, we ventured to the running expo at the convention center to pick up our bibs, goody bags and orange shirts. We were all set!

On Friday, Alison and I had fun shopping together while Kate was at school. Friday evening we went to Nick's Fish House. Alison and David enjoyed the crab cakes while I stuck to my traditional pasta dinner. I bought some last minute songs off of itunes for the big day before we headed off to bed. Alison quickly learned that I am still listening to the same 80's songs she introduced me growing up.

Saturday morning, we dropped Ben off at his friend Cooper's house and took Jacob and Kate to Liz's house. We drove to the light rail and after some stressful malfunctions with the tickets we successfully headed to the city. We arrived at the starting line just in time to see the full marathon's head pack race by. They were AMAZING! They looked like gazelles. The Baltimore running festival is huge. In addition to the half marathon there is also a full marathon, a relay marathon, a 5k and a kids fun run. All together there were over 25,000 runners (not to mention their cheerleaders). It was very crowded!

We lined up in holding bins according to our "predicted" finish times at registration. Unfortunately, we were placed in the 3rd bin. This meant a lot of passing. I spent the majority of the race weaving through slower runners. The worst was when the person right in front of you decided to stop and walk with no warning. I thought things would spread out after a couple of miles, but at mile 3 our race merged with the full marathon and the relay marathon which created even more traffic. Nevertheless, mile after mile slowly ticked away. The course was incredibly hilly. Every time I saw a hill, I thought "Alison and David are going to kill me." We had run a 12 mile course preview during our training and for some reason I didn't remember so many hills that day. I had told Alison the course was pretty flat. Definitely not the case! The weather was perfect (60s) minus a strong wind which of course we had to run against from mile 7 on.

After crossing the finish line it became a very difficult task to find each other. David and I had our phones and even then it was hard to find each other. We were lucky to find Alison! We reminisced about our runs, complained about our aches and pains, and slowly recovered while heading towards the results tent to get our times printed off on stickers for our bibs. We walked back to the light rail and were fortunate to get seats for the ride home. We needed them!

After taking the best shower of my life and resting a bit, we headed to Fells Point (near the Inner Harbor) for some pizza. We were STARVING. Alison had seen the pizza joint "Brick Oven Pizza" featured on the show, "Diners, drive-ins and dives." It did not disappoint. It was some of the best pizza any of us had ever had. Maybe we were just that hungry. David found the absolute best parking spot nearly in front of the restaurant. We needed that! And his parallel parking job (in the van) was actually more impressive to me than any of our finish times! I had never been to the Fells Point area before and afterwords found myself wondering where this side of Baltimore City had been all my life....I wasn't even scared for my life!

All in all, we had a great weekend. I met my goals....I lost all of my baby weight and I finished. It was actually better than any cross country meet I ever attempted to compete in during high school (but that's not saying much)! It will be something that I think David, Alison and I will always remember doing together. And I would even do it all over again.

BEFORE

AFTER

OUR BIBS AND MEDALS

The Red Rockets!

2011-10-01T21:15:00.006-05:00

After years of watching Ben play soccer, today was Kate's turn! She was soooooo excited! She picked out her new pink shorts and wouldn't you know it her jersey turned out to be red! Somehow, she made it work. Unfortunately, Ben had a game at the same time so I missed Kate's game. As a good husband should, David thought to take the camera to capture some moments for me. He has been trained well! David and I were a little worried that Kate's feisty personality might show up to the soccer game, especially when someone took the ball away, but she proved us wrong. Her other half showed up instead...she was all smiles! She even scored her first goal! I have a feeling she is going to be one good little player!

SEPTEMBER!

2011-10-01T20:25:00.007-05:00

Where did September go? We had a great month. Kate started preschool again and continues to love it. She is in the 4's class now and gets to have "a job". Her favorite so far...trash helper! Here is Kate on her first day.

The highlight of our month was our big visit from Boo and Nana (David's Dad and Step mom)! The kids (and I) loved every second! We of course were all spoiled rotten. It was so nice to have two extra sets of hands around the house. Every time I turned around the dishes were magically done and Jacob's diaper had already been changed! Not to mention the constant entertainment and attention they provided the kids. Ben asked Boo one afternoon, "Are you rich?" Boo replied, "No." To which Ben asked, "Does Nana steal all your money?"

We started off our weekend with a trip to Hershey Park and the Chocolate Factory. The kids loved it. Ben especially loved riding the "Super Dooper Looper." David was proud to have such a brave son. Kate's favorite ride was the Frog Hopper. And of course they loved playing the fishing game...especially since they both miraculously won a prize on their first round. Jacob was a little trooper as usual and was rewarded with a ride on the carousel at the end of the day. Here are some pictures from the day.

Randy spent most of Monday and Tuesday at home with the plumber! Unfortunately, we were having some issues with the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and toilet. Randy mowed the lawn for me and was put in charge of bus duty for the week. It was so nice. I wondered this week how the mail man knew David and I were running a half marathon in October. I told David and without hesitation he smiled and said, "I bet my Dad told him!" We are guessing Randy became friends with the mailman during his walks to the bus stop. :) Not an uncommon thing for him! Jerry graciously offered to help me with some things around the house that are too difficult for me to do alone with David's busy schedule. Ben was sick of the bunk beds so we debunked them and in order for them to fit on the ground we had to switch Ben and Kate's room with Jacob's room. It was a lot of work. We had to take apart both beds and the crib. Jerry is a hard worker! I've decided her help was an answer to my prayers before I even realized I needed to start praying for it. The kids love their new rooms! We had some great trips to Sam's, Ikea, Costco, Lowe's, Walmart, Tuesday Morning and Target. Jerry knows how to get things done! On Tuesday night, we went to Ben's soccer game and Red Robin.

By Thursday, Randy declared it was time for his day. He deserved it! We spent our morning at Fort McHenry and then had lunch at Nick's Fishhouse. It was a fun lunch atmosphere. That night we headed to D.C. to visit the Temple and the visitor's center. It really is a beautiful temple. Afterwords, we met up with David at one of our favorite places...Cafe Rio! The kids of course made sure to take advantage of the toy store just down the strip...Nana was there afterall!

On Friday, we fought terrible traffic and rain to go to the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor. Normally, it only takes about 30 minutes to get there, but it took us over an hour and a half! One of my least favorite things is driving in the city so you can imagine this was not fun for me. We finally arrived at the aquarium and were able to see the Dophin show and the 4D Planet Earth show. Then we headed to the fancy, "Rusty Scupper" for our dinner reservations. It was great and the kids were even greater...thankfully!

On Saturday, David and I were able to wake up early and run a 12 mile course preview of the half marathon. It was much more fun than I could have imagined...scary I know! About 500 people showed up so it wasn't to risky to run downtown. It was so nice to be able to have someone watch the kids so we could run together. Jacob was still asleep when we got home....he was worn out from a great week! For lunch, we all headed to Friendly's for some appetizers and ice cream before we ventured to the airport.

We already miss Nana and Boo. Our only request....Come Again!

First Day...First Grade!

2011-09-04T19:41:00.004-05:00

Ben was so excited to start school this year! He LOVES school. When I told him about the Hurricane heading our way he started crying. I told him we would be safe and that he didn't need to cry. He told me he was just worried he wouldn't be able to start school on time. His fears became a reality. School was cancelled for the first four days because the school had no power. He prayed every day that his school would get power back...no mention of our house! He was beyond excited when Friday rolled around and his prayers were answered. He is extra excited that this year he gets his "own locker and his own desk." Kindergarten "only had cubbies and tables!" His first day went great. Kate missed him...instead of asking me when Ben was going to be home she kept asking, "How long is first grade?"

Ben's new teacher is Ms. Varlack. David asked Ben if he liked his teacher after he met her at the "sneak a peek at your seat" day. Ben's reply was, "She's great! (pause) But, I thought she would have the same color hair as Ms. Cox (his blond Kindergarten teacher)." He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different about her. I love his pure innocence.

On the way to the bus, I told him to look for the airplanes when he was looking for his locker. He started laughing and said, "Mom, they are helicopters." I guess I'm getting old!

Waiting for the bus!

Happy to see Miss Betty again!

An EARTHQUAKE a BIRTHDAY a HURRICANE and a 10th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY...all in one week!

2011-09-04T17:16:00.008-05:00

When David was applying to residency I was very open to moving just about anywhere he wanted to go (hence Baltimore!) but I did rule out a couple of places. 1. Baylor (Houston)...I was scared of hurricanes. 2. California programs...I was scared of earthquakes and the cost of living. So I suppose Baltimore can blame me for both our recent earthquake and hurricane...all in one week. My sister thinks natural disasters follow me, but they still have tornadoes in Oklahoma...with or without me. When the earthquake hit, I was brushing my teeth with my Oral B Sonic toothbrush. I was amazed at the extra vibration it was creating, until David informed me we were really experiencing an earthquake. Fortunately, we had no damage.

Just days later, Irene made its mark on the East Coast. She left us without power for 60+ hours and Ben's school was closed for the first 4 days! Many thanks to our friends who saved the bulk of our refrigerator and freezer foods, let me and the kids crash their houses for meals, and even shared their hot water so we could all bathe! . We were the lucky ones. Two of our neighbors had very large trees fall on their houses, but fortunately no one was injured. Here are just a few of the pictures I took of the damage.

Our Neighborhood

My friend Liz's back alley (just a couple of miles away). This spot made the front cover of the Baltimore Sun! She was one of the last to get power restored!

Through it all, we still managed to celebrate David's 32nd birthday. I think I finally mastered the traditional Behrmann German Chocolate cake.

For our 10th wedding anniversary I made David a 100+ page digital hardbound scrapbook of memories and pictures through the years. It was quite a project! While I was working on it, Ben told me, "You should really thank yourself for that book." I asked why and he said, "You are the one that really wants it." Such a smart boy! David also made arrangements for us to go on a 4 night cruise in November. Grandma Jacobs will be flying in from Colorado to take care of the kids! I am very excited! We were even able to go out to dinner on our anniversary thanks to the Ebert family. They brought their family to our house and falsely claimed we were doing them the favor (they were still without power and ours had just come back on). We are thankful for so many good friends!

Mormon Night at Camden Yards!

2011-09-04T17:07:00.004-05:00

David took Ben and Kate to "Mormon Night" with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Unfortunately, the Orioles lost by one run, but you can't beat $6 tickets and a good time!

Hershey's Chocolate World & Dutch Wonderland

2011-08-15T20:46:00.011-05:00

David had the week off so we took a quick trip to Pennsylvania. First, we headed to the Hershey Factory. It was very crowded because it was raining so all of the people that were at the Hershey Amusement Park came over to the Factory to be indoors. We were able to take the quick tour though. The kids loved it and it smelled so good! The kids picked a bag of Reese's pieces (I may have persuaded them a bit) as a souvenir before we headed to nearby Lancaster, PA.

We made a quick stop at the outlet stores in Lancaster and were able to fit all of the kids into a new pair of shoes for the new school year. We checked into our hotel, grabbed some dinner and then headed to Dutch Wonderland for the evening. The kids absolutely loved it! It is an amusement park designed especially for younger kids, complete with a water park and mini golf. Ben and Kate were the perfect age. They loved every second it of. At least every second except for my adventure with Kate on the bumper cars. I may have caused a head on crash that just might have scarred her for life...or at least make her never want to ride another bumper car ever again! David and I really enjoyed watching them have so much fun. My favorite part was the entertainment provided at the high dive theatre. They told the story of the Frog Prince and the Dragon's tail. The actors/divers were very animated and talented. They threw in some adult humor which made it fun for the parents. Ben loved it, but Kate and Jacob were terrified of the villain. It didn't help that we sat in the splash zone and he actually did splash them. We spent all day Wednesday at Dutch Wonderland as well. Near the end of the day on Wednesday, I asked Ben what his favorite part of Dutch Wonderland was. He said, "When Daddy said I could play a game." Now mind you....up until that time Daddy had never said that! We had made it very clear that we weren't going to play any games and explained to Ben that you never actually win. Of course how can you resist when he says something like that....his favorite part hadn't even happened yet. What a smart boy! He got his Mom to convince his Dad. And his Dad even forked over $12 until he got that darn Papa Smurf. And then of course, Kate just had to have Strawberry Shortcake. We had better luck with her and got her for only $6.

Pre-crash!

Ben purposely placed Kate and himself in those specific tractors. They matched their ages!

After the trip, we vowed to do more things like this. A memory worth every cent.

She's 4!

2011-07-20T22:25:00.006-05:00

How did my little girl get so big? Kate turned 4 on July 17th! She had a great birthday. Since David was working nights on Kate's birthday we just had a little family party for her on her actual birthday. She requested her favorite dinner...chicken wrap ups, she opened up a few presents and had cake #1! It was a nice relaxing day. Kate's favorite gift was by far the hand crafted wooden bunk beds and high chair that the Ebert family passed on to her! Her dolls are in heaven and so is she!

Kate insisted on having a friend birthday party this year and since she has never officially had one we obeyed. It was to be a Strawberry Shortcake party and I think we pleased her. I had to order everything online and it arrived the night before the party! We had a strawberry pinata, played pin the strawberry on Strawberry Shortcake, ring toss and freeze dance. We had pizza, strawberry fanta and chips for lunch. Her cake was of course strawberry and the ice cream...strawberry. What more could a little girl want? It wore me out!

After the party was over, Kate and I headed to the doctor for her 4 year physical. She was an angel! She got 4 shots and didn't even flinch. In fact, she smiled while two nurses simultaneously gave her shots in both legs! And boy was she excited to get those 4 Dora stickers afterwards. And can you believe that we actually have a child on the growth chart? She is 39 1/4" tall (39th%) and weighs 32 pounds (24%). She just may outdo both of her brothers! We love you Kate. You are one of a kind!

Jacob's Favorite Spot!

2011-07-20T22:12:00.002-05:00

Jacob is no longer my little baby...it was great while it lasted and yes I know it lasted a long time! He is changing so fast! He has moved on from army crawling to his hands and knees. And when he is on the wood floor he does one awesome bear crawl. He can pull himself up to stand now and even crawls up to the 5th of 6th stair! He will finally drink from a sippy cup and put food in his mouth. He empties the trash on a regular basis and attempts to get to the toilet on a daily basis. He spits at me when he eats and throws everything. He plays fetch with himself all day! Nearly every time we are in the basement he heads to his favorite spot....the treadmill. He crawls on it and just sits there! I'm not sure why, but he loves it. Maybe he has a running career in his future? He can be on the opposite side of the basement when you head upstairs for a minute and inevitably when you come downstairs there he is on that treadmill! I think the slight elevation makes him feel powerful!

Just a couple of random pictures & a few of my favorite things about Baltimore!
Beautiful flowering bushes...

And our new summer pool membership...

Our 3rd Crab Feast! July 9, 2011

2011-07-20T22:01:00.003-05:00

David's residency program hosts an annual radiology crab feast in July to welcome all the new residents. Although the kids will not eat the crabs (neither will I) they look forward to this day every year. They have an endless supply of root beer, they love to see the crabs dumped on the table and this year they really got into hitting the crabs with the mallet. Things were going great until David's program director walked over to say hello to the kids. Jacob picked up a mallet and keeping in tradition with his usual behavior he threw it before I could stop him. And of course it hit her. I prayed it didn't stain her shirt! After the dinner we enjoyed a little walk around the harbor. Only one more crab feast to go....hard to believe!

Independence Day!

2011-07-20T21:27:00.005-05:00

We started off our Independence day with our church's pancake breakfast. They were blueberry pancakes with strawberries and whip cream....red, white and blue! We came home and gave Jacob a nap before we headed off to Washington D.C. for the 4th festivities. We drove to the metro station and rode the train into the city. Once in D.C., we headed to Capitol hill where Amanda picked out and reserved a spot for the Capitol concert and fireworks show. The rest of us headed to the Natural History Museum for a quick stroll. It was incredibly crowded (which wasn't hard to believe) and it was almost impossible to even walk through it. After a short while, we met up again with Amanda and waited for the concert to begin. There were some pretty impressive people on the concert lineup....Josh Groban, Steve Martin, Jordan Sparks, Kelli O'hara, Matthew Morrison, Jimmy Smits and the National Symphony Orchestra. While waiting, we had McDonalds for dinner and took lots of short walks. Jacob was amazing and made lots of new friends with those sitting nearby. A couple even asked to take pictures with him. The concert was great and the fireworks incredible. It was so neat to see them behind the Washington Monument. After the show, things were a tad crazy getting back to the metro and waiting until there was room to ride it home. But, we eventually made it and the kids were incredible. It will be a fourth of July we will always remember. We thank Jae and Amanda for coming to Maryland and getting us there. I am confident we would have never done it otherwise!

Cunningham Falls and Antietam: July 2, 2011

2011-07-20T18:55:00.006-05:00

David's brother Jae flew into Baltimore for the long fourth of July weekend. On Saturday, we journeyed to Cunningham Falls for an afternoon 3 mile hike. Although it was a hot day, the shade from all of the trees made our hike quite enjoyable. The kids did great. David carried Jacob in a backpack and I ended up giving Kate a piggyback ride on the return trip. Kate loved using her hiking stick...even when I was carrying her! The falls were pretty, but mostly it was just nice to enjoy nature and get some exercise.
At the top of the trail there was a nice little nature center that the kids enjoyed. Amanda got some cute pictures!

After our hike we ventured on to Sharpsburg, MD to the Antietam battlefield (the bloodiest single day of the Civil Way). As a teenager, Amanda's family visited Antietam for their traditional concert and fireworks show. It was a great night, although we had to park more than 2 miles away. I was grateful David was smart enough to bring the double stroller. We enjoyed listening to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and watched some great fireworks. I was nervous that Jacob would be scared, but he ended up being the least scared of the three! It made for a long day and a late night, but definitely well worth it.

Washington D.C.: June 28, 2011

2011-07-20T18:26:00.008-05:00

Ben, Kate, Jacob and I ventured to Washington D.C. for the first time thanks to Amanda, my sister-in-law. She and her kids made the incredibly long trek from Texas to visit us....and of course all the sites we are near. The kids were so excited to have their cousins visit. It had been a long time coming for them! During our day in D.C., we successfully navigated the Metro and were able to first see the Library of Congress. It was beautiful. Ben was quite disappointed that they did not have kids books that he could check out!

Next, we walked to the Supreme Court Building. Unfortunately they were in session so we were not able to go inside, but we did take some photos on the outside.

Amanda was able to get tickets for a Capitol tour which we did next. I really enjoyed that and again marvelled at the beauty of the Capitol. My favorite part of the tour was viewing the dome. It was incredible. I was hard to believe that the Statue of Liberty could fit inside the dome and the painting on the top was larger than 4,000 square feet.

We really enjoyed D.C. but, it definitely wore us out! It was like going through airport security every time we went inside a building. Although I understood the importance, it was tough to do with 3 little kids. Next time....I'm bringing David! This is a picture of us on the metro on the way home. Kate was wiped out and I wasn't too far behind!

3's Preschool Graduation: May 26, 2011!

2011-07-20T16:34:00.004-05:00

Kate had a wonderful year of preschool. She is definitely a social butterfly so this was no surprise! She was so excited to get her bug kit (she remembered Ben getting one the year before). She was very insistent that she would be getting one. I informed her that she wouldn't be getting one, but what do I know? She did!

Kate loved all of her little friends, but John was her favorite.

Kate can't wait to be in the 4's class next year. Who wouldn't...in the 4's class you get to be the trash helper!

Kindergarten Graduation: June 14, 2011!

2011-07-20T16:15:00.006-05:00

Ben loved every second of Kindergarten. He was spoiled with a brand new school and he absolutely loved his teacher, Mrs. Cox.

I teared up at the graduation ceremony when the kids sang, "The World is a Rainbow." They were all wearing tie dye shirts they had each made. I wasn't expecting to cry, but somehow I wasn't surprised! Ben learned and grew so much this past year! We were all surprised to see David show up at the last minute. It took great effort for him to be there. Ben was so excited when he spotted him in the crowd.

And of course, whats Kindergarten without your first crush? This is Olivia and I have to admit I was proud of Ben's choice. I thought she was the cutest too.

Our First Visit From the Toothfairy!

2011-05-23T15:36:00.004-05:00

Ben has had two loose teeth for quite some time. We attempted to convince Ben to let us pull them out but he was determined to let them fall out at school. If they fall out at school they get to go to the nurse's office and get a special box for their tooth. Ben got sick of waiting and asked David to pull the first tooth out. He was so excited when it came out and even more excited when the tooth fairy came. He even wrote her a thank you note and drew her a picture the next day at school. He had to figure out how to give it to her so he asked David to pull out the second tooth the very next night. What a true Behrmann.....you get a taste of money and you'll do anything to get more.....even if it's only a dollar! Ben informed me that the tooth fairy would be leaving him two things on the second night. One for the tooth....the other because he worked so hard to make his handwriting look extra nice on his card. He's a smart boy. How can you disappoint that?

If you look closely you can make out the bunk beds (Ben is on the top bunk, Kate the bottom). The tooth fairy has a dollar in her very large bag, the tooth is on top of the ladder, and the light fixture is on the ceiling!

We have two little boys in our house.....one losing his teeth....the other working so hard to get them. Together they now complete the full set!

Kate's Surgery

2011-05-23T14:32:00.003-05:00

Little Miss Kate held onto her original ear tubes for 3 years. And they only came out because they were surgically removed a couple of weeks ago. She was a perfect angel the entire day. She didn't even complain that she couldn't eat and was so excited to go to Daddy's work. She loved every minute of the attention. My favorite part was when she woke up from her anesthesia. One second she was fast asleep and the very next she shot straight up in bed. You can't keep her down for long! In addition to removing the tubes, the ENT took a small deposit of fat from behind her ear to create fat grafts inside her ears to close the holes. Hopefully they will take. On the way out, I asked her if she had fun. She said, "YES!" Then I asked her if she wanted to do it again tomorrow. "Um........well....no that's okay." She thought about it though!

Green Machines!

2011-05-23T14:06:00.005-05:00

Ben has really enjoyed t-ball this season. He is proud to be a member of the Green Machines. He has definitely improved from the beginning of the season. When we first started he use to run to every ball, regardless if he was playing 3rd base and it went to 1st. He has mastered his ready position and now stays put in his "area." The team has graduated from the tee to coaches pitch. Ben gets a piece of it every now and then.....definitely something we need to work on. Maybe it would help if we bought him a bat?! Sometimes I wonder if he can see when he wears the helmet or if one of these times he just might bite that tongue off. I was grateful at the beginning of the season when he seemed to be the only one who would keep his white pants clean.....didn't last long. His favorite part.....running the bases and sliding whenever he gets the chance. Kate LOVES going to the games. She remains the social butterfly of every game and of course can't wait for snack time! And Jacob...happy to be a spectator...as usual.

We Celebrated!

2011-04-25T08:53:00.008-05:00

Ben has a fascination with calendars. He loves crossing off the dates, seeing who has a birthday coming up, and looking forward to planned events. A few weeks ago, he asked me when Easter was. I told him in a few weeks. He wanted to know the exact date so I told him to go look at his calendar and it would say "Easter." He ran to his room and I heard a big disappointed, "OH MAN!" I asked him what was wrong and he said, "It's on a Sunday! Are we going to be able to celebrate it?"

(Rewind to Halloween....it was on a Sunday and Ben chose not to go trick or treating. Instead he told his entire class and their parents that he would not be going trick or treating, but would be going to "church instead." Then there is the "Westy Walk," the school's huge fundraiser/festival next month.....again on a Sunday. The school does something nearly everyday just to prepare for it. Pep Rallies, t-shirt design contests, etc. Ben decided he wanted to "obey all of the commandments" and has chosen not to go. But now Easter? Would this be his breaking point?)

I smiled and informed Ben that Easter is always on a Sunday. I asked him why we had Easter and suddenly he had clarity. He was so relieved that "we would be able to celebrate." Just in case things were still a little fuzzy we took some time Monday night to review the Easter story. The kids loved learning about it.

We started off the festivities with an egg hunt at the Ebert home on Thursday! The neighbors invited the kids to a second egg hunt Friday night. They had so much candy already, the Easter bunny didn't even need to come, but of course he did!

Ben decided everyone needed to get ready for church before they started looking for their baskets. Sometimes I'm not sure where this kid comes from, but I won't complain!

We had a yummy Easter dinner with our friends, the Nelsons. Ham, cheesy potatoes, salad, cranberry mousse, rolls & chocolate pie! When you don't have family around you make your own family!

NYC in a DAY!

2011-04-25T07:55:00.011-05:00

David and I took advantage of a great groupon and booked a round trip 3 hour bus ride to NYC for only $25! This was David and I's first trip to NYC! We tried to take advantage of every minute of our 8 hours! We had a great time exploring and just taking it all in.

Our first stop was Times Square. From there we wandered around 5th Avenue and quickly learned we wouldn't be shopping at SAKS.

Next, we discovered the Rockefeller Center. Unfortunately, we didn't go to the top of the Rock because there was zero visibility that day. It was much chillier than we expected. We carried our umbrella around all day, but were happy not to have to use it!

Somewhere along the way we ran into the Magnolia Bakery. It was meant to be! I enjoyed a red velvet cupcake and David loved his brownie.

We are proud to report that we successfully navigated the Subway. Well actually, David did. I just followed. I'm not to proud to admit he has a much better sense of direction than I do.

We walked past the Manhattan Temple near Columbus Circle. A refuge from the world has a whole new meaning!

From there we walked to and across Central Park. This was one of my personal favorites. I was surprised by how big it was and by how few homeless people we saw roaming around. I don't think I saw a single one. Next time I want to rent a tandem bike!

From there we walked to the MET. We didn't have time to go inside...next time for sure. We took the subway down to Wall St. Once upon a time, David did get a business management degree in finance after all....before all this medicine madness began! We also got some great pizza at Steve's Pizza.

Our next stop was to see the Statue of Liberty. Of course the view was obstructed by the thick fog, but we did our best. How could we not at least try?

From there we walked through Chinatown. David got a pair of sunglasses for $5. We had offers to see some "Prada, Coach & Tiffany's," but we just didn't have time. I really enjoyed Chinatown and wish we would have had more time there. We attempted to make it back to the top of the Rock hoping the sky had cleared enough, but by the time we reached it at 4 PM, tickets were selling for the 5:55 ride. Unfortunately, our bus departed at 6. So instead, we wandered around a few more stores like the M&M store and the American Doll store. We grabbed some dinner at a sandwich place before we headed back to the bus. A huge thank you to my friend Krista for watching all 3 of our kids for 16+ hours! I can't tell you how many times I was so grateful we didn't have them with us. It would have been disastrous! We had tons of fun and didn't even scratch the surface! I already have my wish list for our next trip!

Jacob's New Do!

2011-04-25T07:45:00.004-05:00

Jacob got his first haircut on tax day! For some reason, David really didn't want me to cut Jacob's hair. But, he was past due! My great and talented friend Krista did a great job! Somehow the cut instantly made Jacob look older, chubbier and his eyes more blue!

BEFORE

AFTER

Playing Catch Up!

2011-04-25T07:31:00.007-05:00

David got some free passes to the National Aquarium! We were planning on going for Jacob's birthday, but had to postpone our trip a couple of weeks thanks to the stomach bug! The kids had a great time. Their favorite part is always the dolphin show.

Kate was terrified of the sharks. She really thought they could "get her!"

Bath time is always fun! I have decided 3 is a little too much at once though. I have successfully convinced Ben showers are better and I LOVE that he can do it all by himself now! Jacob LOVES the bath!

Wearing Green!

2011-03-19T08:05:00.004-05:00

St. Patrick's Day was beautiful this year. Unfortunately David was at work, but the kids and I enjoyed playing outside. Ben and Kate loved my rainbow and added their own pot of gold and leprechaun.

At the bus stop on Friday, one of the neighborhood Dads asked me, "Did you party last night?" To which I immediately responded, "Oh yeah, because BYU won?" He said, "Um, no because it was St. Patrick's Day." I guess my version of a party is just a tad different. I ran 6 miles on the treadmill. Wore green. Watched BYU win. With all 3 kids sleeping. Seemed like a party to me!

My Perfect LITTLE Boy!

2011-03-15T18:55:00.006-05:00

How did I get so lucky to be Jacob's mother? He is my angel. A. Pure. Joy. I am so grateful he came into our lives one year ago. Here are just a few of my favorite things about Jacob:
1. His whole body shakes with excitement when he sees me in the morning.
2. He loves to watch his big brother and big sister. They are the only entertainment he needs.
3. He loves strings! He never misses them....on balloons, hooded sweatshirts, strollers, bumper pads, shoelaces, etc.

4. He sleeps 12 hours through the night and doesn't even whimper when I lay him down!
5. He has the most content disposition. Calm, easy going and happy.
6. His rosy, chubby cheeks.
7. He can adjust to whatever schedule the day entails.
8. His giggle.
9. His beautiful blue eyes and blond hair.
10. He's mine!
Saturday was Jacob's first birthday. We had great plans of going to the National Aquarium to celebrate, but instead the stomach bug hit Friday night (AGAIN!). We spent the day at home. Nevertheless, Ben and Kate enjoyed helping Jacob open his presents. His caterpillar was a HUGE hit. Ben and Kate thought it was so funny to see how mad he got at them when they took it away and how happy he got as soon as they rolled it back to him.

Fortunately, my good friend Heather saved the day with her cute Superman cupcakes and mini cake. She didn't even know that I had just bought Jacob a Superman onesie!

Today was Jacob's 1 year check-up. Here are his stats: Height: 27 3/4" (3rd %) Weight: 17 pounds 4 oz. (Below chart) Head: 47.5 cm (75th %). Obviously he is a little peanut, but we are use to peanuts around here! I told David if I had to pick one thing to be on the charts I would pick his head.....seems important right!

We love you Jacob!

2010 Family Pictures

2011-01-18T09:40:00.012-06:00

Here are our 2010 family pictures taken by Kate Ash. Forgive me for including ALL of my favorites, but I want them recorded in my printed blog book! David was such a trooper for these pictures. This was his weekend: Friday Night from 4-8 pm: Ben's birthday party at Chucky Cheese: directly followed by a night on call. Saturday he slept for about two hours before I woke him up for family pictures: directly followed by another night at the hospital! Sunday he slept for a few more hours before I woke him up to celebrate Ben's real birthday with our little family: And you guessed it....directly followed by 5 more consecutive nights of call. He must know that a happy wife equals a happy life! I had to schedule them last minute so literally this was the only time we could take them if we wanted them done. I think they were worth all the stress and although it may be a blur to David, I think he thinks they were worth it too!

Family

Girls

Boys

Kids

Ben and Kate

Ben

Kate

Jacob

Christmas 2010!

2011-01-09T21:50:00.011-06:00

Christmas already seems to be a distant memory, but I can't let it go by completely without first blogging some memories. We had a relatively quiet Christmas. We stayed in Baltimore, which proved to be a good thing because we all came down with a stomach bug. Fortunately, the kids got sick just prior to Christmas, so they were feeling well for the big day. David and I were not so lucky. I was sick on Christmas Day so David put together some chicken nuggets and corndogs for their Christmas dinner. I was feeling a little better on the 26th, so I decided to make up for Christmas and cook a nice dinner...ham, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls, etc. David enjoyed it until he threw it up just hours later. It was a nasty and persistent bug. I can't say I know a single family in Baltimore that escaped it. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our little family. On Christmas Eve Day, the kids enjoyed visiting an extensive train exhibit at the local mall. That evening we read the Christmas story and opened our traditional pajamas.

Jacob looked so cute on his first Christmas!

I can't quite remember what Kate was so cross about in this picture...maybe because I didn't fix her hair? Can you tell I wasn't feeling well?

Ben (and David) enjoyed all the Legos!

Ben and Kate were so excited for the big day. My favorite part was watching them hug and thank each other for the presents they exchanged.

All the festivities made for some tired little kids!

Christmas Card 2010!

2010-12-15T15:41:00.005-06:00

So I printed Christmas cards again this year and I was so annoyed with the print quality of our picture. I can't quite figure out what happened. If you know me I just had to redo it and post it somewhere! This is what it was "suppose" to look like! Merry Christmas!

And here is our 2010, "Life According to Ben and Kate" section.

Discovering Kate playing in the bathroom sink... Karen: "What am I going to do with you?" Kate: "You're going to keep me. I'm your best person. Your best kid." (12.20.10)

Karen: "Stop picking your nose." Kate: "But I love to pick my nose." Karen: "It's gross." Kate: (in a voice of defeat) "Thats what my teacher said too."

Attempting to convince Kate to let me braid her hair: Karen: "It will be so pretty. Like a braided pony's tail." Kate: "Well, I am not a horse!"

Karen: "You have skids in your underwear. We need to change them." Kate: While taking them off and seeing for herself...."I didn't do it. Really. It was Ben. I promise." Her eyes were so wide open and she truly, truly believed what she was saying! And even better...Ben looked on with a puzzled face and said, "I don't think I did that?!"

Preface: David's stepmom's nickname is Nana. His dad's is Boo. Kate: While running away from Ben, "Nana. Nana. Boo. Boo. You can't get me."

Karen: "Wash your hands Kate." Kate: "I didn't pee." Karen: "Whenever you touch your private parts you need to wash your hands." Kate: "I don't have private parts." Karen: "You don't have a penis, but you still have private parts" (she has two brothers).
Kate: "I have a penis. I have lots of them!" (as she lifts her foot in my direction and curls her toes) It was priceless!

While playing and lifting an object in the air, Kate: "Up, up and in the way!"

After going #2 (in a very, very excited tone) Kate declared: "My bum made a carrot in there!"

Kate: "When I grow up, I am going to be somebody! A baseball hitter."

Kate was not feeling well and laying on the couch, Karen: "Do you want to watch Mulan?" Kate: (in a very upset tone) "NO, only daddy mows the lawn!"

While driving by a water fountain, Kate: "Look its a water mountain."

While waiting for the elevator at the Doctor's office, Kate: "Which alligator we going to ride?"

After seeing me nurse Jacob for the first time, Kate: "Why you letting him eat you?"

After breaking the news to Ben that it was too late to read lots of books before bed...Ben: "I just wish one thing was perfect in my life." (12.22.10)

Karen: "Who's Mrs. Rider?" Ben: "The insistent principal." (Assistant Principal)

David: "I'm going to be working at night this week and sleeping during the day." Ben: "Oh cool. You are like nocturnal now."

Shortly after saying a family prayer: Ben: "Why did you pray for her?" Karen: "Well, she is a teenager now and sometimes teenagers need extra help choosing the right." Ben: "Oh, does she listen to strange music and have strange friends? That's choosing Satan's side."

Ben: "Don't bug daddy Kate. He's studying. Don't you want him to win his test?"

Ben: "Who designed our house?" Karen: "I have no idea Ben." Ben: "An architect. I am going to be an architect when I get bigger. Then when you get old, I will build you a house and let you live in it."

With his head to Jacob's chest, Ben:"I wish I had a heartoscope!"

Karen: "What color eyes do you think your brother will have?" Kate: "Brown" Ben: "No Kate. They will be blue and then turn to brown. Its called metamorphosis."

While driving to Gettysburg and crossing into Pennsylvania, Ben: "Do they have lots of pencils here?"

Thanksgiving!

2010-12-10T13:10:00.010-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we were fortunate enough to be able to travel to Oklahoma and Missouri to be with our family and friends for the holiday. We flew into Oklahoma City and enjoyed the 80 degree weather! We first spent a few days with Boo (David's dad) and Nana in Lawton. Ben and Kate enjoyed the royal treatment that Nana always provides. While in Oklahoma, we also spent a day in Edmond visiting old friends. It was so good to see everyone. Although a year and a half has gone by, Ben and Kate jumped right back into their old friendships like no time had elapsed. We will always treasure the lasting friendships we made in Oklahoma. I truly felt like I was "home."

During our quick drive-by, we were happy to see that our old house is being well taken care of. And of course we checked in on Rob and Di's as well.....moving to opposite coasts has made me realize how much I enjoyed living next to them. While driving through traffic one night, David and I knew for sure we were no longer in Baltimore when I spotted this.

From Oklahoma, we drove onto Branson, Missouri, to enjoy Thanksgiving with the majority of David's family. Along with Randy and Jerry, we met up with Michael, Jae, Crissy and their families. We welcomed the incredible Thanksgiving buffet and laughed as we watched Ben's excitement as he got 6 different plates. Of course, most consisted only of one triangle of a PB&J sandwich.

The kids really enjoyed the amusement park, Silver Dollar City. While we were there we met up with my brother Jared and his family who now live in nearby, Springfield. It was fun to see them as well. I was especially glad we took the time to visit their beautiful home.

The highlight of Branson for the kids was definitely the Polar Express train ride. Each of them got their own tickets personally punched by the conductor. While wearing their pajamas, they enjoyed hot chocolate, cookies and a special visit from Santa after we reached the North Pole. Santa even gave them each a bell.

We enjoyed our vacation. It was refreshing to see family and friends. And just as usual, Jacob was a dream through it all! I was indeed Thankful!

6 years!

2010-12-10T11:59:00.010-06:00

I am just a tad late getting this post up. Ben turned 6 on November 14th! Where has the time gone? Its seems just like yesterday that he surprised us all and arrived 5 weeks early at a meager 4 pounds! Sometimes, I honestly can't quite remember life without Ben. I am so grateful to be his mother. Here are just a few of the reasons why...

Ben loves school! He gets so excited to go each and every day. On his Kindergarten report card Mrs. Cox wrote, "Ben is a kind and caring student, and he has made a tremendous amount of progress in school this fall. Ben listens and follows directions in class, and he works well with other students." He is so proud of the fact that he has not yet had to move his bee from the green hive to the yellow or red hives at school.

Ben is a great big brother! Kate absolutely adores Ben and for the most part he is very good to her. They hug when he gets off the bus at the end of the day. Ben loves Jacob too. No one can make Jacob laugh quite like Ben can.

Ben is kind, caring, loyal and sensitive! This is one of Ben's greatest attributes. He looks out for his neighbor and especially for me. Ben has always expressed his desire to have lots of brothers and sisters. Recently, however, he told me he had enough. When I asked him why he changed his mind he told me that he didn't want me to have to be sick again.

Ben is obedient! He is a rule follower and is always aiming to please. He knows what is right and what is wrong and he is not afraid to stick up for it.

Ben is clever! He figures things out and comes up with the funniest things. He likes to make deals with me. We enjoy the entertainment that he provides.

For Ben's birthday this year we decided to take a few of his friends to Chucky Cheese. Surprisingly, it was a good experience for all.

And here are just some of my favorite pictures of Ben through the years.....

Halloween 2010: The year of Woody, the Frog & the Shark!

2010-11-04T13:21:00.011-05:00

Ever since Toy Story 3 came out, Ben has wanted to be Woody for Halloween. We realized (once again) that we weren't in Oklahoma anymore when it became impossible to find any cowboy boots in Maryland. Ben thought about switching to Superman, but decided against it. He had told his friends that he was going to be Woody and he didn't want them to think he had lied to them. So Woody it was! Ben enjoyed his parade at school and loved the trunk or treat party at the church. Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, Ben decided not to trick or treat on the Sabbath. He had no shame telling his entire class and their parents at their class party that, "he would not be able to go trick or treating this year. He was going to church instead." He later informed me that he intended to obey ALL of the commandments. I have learned a lot from Ben this past month! I am grateful for my little missionary, his tender spirit, and his strong desire to choose the right!

At first Kate wanted to be Jessie. Ben was going to be Woody after all. But, with a little bit of persuading she was wholeheartedly convinced and proud to be a frog. After all, she is a great hopper and she really can do a great "ribbet." (Oh yeah and mom already had the costume!).

Jacob had two costumes this year. An indoor and an outdoor one. He made one cute little Baby MD and an even cuter shark. These pictures really don't do him justice. I couldn't pass up the $9 old navy shark costume.

And we can't forget about the werewolf pumpkin that David spent hours carving. Too bad we didn't get a picture before it fell out of the car and lost part of its head!

And here are a few random pictures...just because!

"Go make Dinner!"

2010-11-03T13:54:00.003-05:00

How can a little package this cute stir up so much trouble?

Very easily and here is my evidence!

A couple of weeks ago Kate decided she wanted to be an artist. She used the new yellow couch as her canvas and a black ink pen as her medium. Fortunately for her mother: #1. Her big brother stopped her before the masterpiece was complete and #2. Her father was wise enough to purchase the "Guardsmen Furniture Protection Plan." Seconds after the disaster, I was scolding Kate in time out. She interrupted my repetitive and very persistent reminders that you "only write on paper" with this command......"Stop talking. Go make dinner!" As you can imagine, she fueled my fire! Fortunately for Kate, the thought didn't enter my mind to wash her mouth out with soap, like Grandma would have done, until it was much too late.

Thank you Mr. Guardsmen for successfully scrubbing my couch for an entire 45 minutes today. Kate quietly watched his every move. The only words that came from her mouth while he was in our home were..."You love me Mom!" I was thankful for the reminder.

One of These is Not Like the Others!

2010-09-21T13:06:00.003-05:00

I took this picture of Kate the other day. This is one of her classic faces. For some reason, it looked really familiar and I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I came across this one of Ben. Do you suppose she learned it from him? I decided not to look through my old scrapbooks in fear they both picked it up from me! Will Jacob pick it up too? Only time will tell.

Jacob is 6 months old already. He weighs in at a whopping 13 pounds, 12 ounces and is 24 inches long. Hey....at least this boy is on the chart. Well sort of....that's the 3rd and 2nd percentiles. But, you would never know it looking at those chubby, chubby cheeks of his. Jacob is a true joy. We cherish him and feel so blessed to call him ours.

And she's off!

2010-09-19T19:57:00.005-05:00

Little Miss Kate has started preschool! I am not sure there has ever been a little girl more ready for preschool than Kate. She was soooooo excited, she could barely contain herself. She was quite disappointed on the first day when I told her to get in the van....she was determined that she was going to wait for her bus. She informed Jacob that he was not big enough to go to school and made sure to ask him and Ben if they missed her when she returned. I was instructed numerous times to take pictures of her on the first and second days....here they are.

Miss Tracy & Kate

Kate showing her new friends where to find the dinosaurs

Kate and her best friend John

Kate and Mom

He came back!!!!!

2010-09-03T08:34:00.007-05:00

In Baltimore they have a gradual entry system for Kindergartners. Last week, they had a "sneak peek" day. For two hours, Ben got to tour his new school, meet his teacher, see his classroom, and go on a mock bus ride with me on his actual route. On Monday, Ben went for an hour with a parent. On Tuesday, he went for half of the day with only half of the class. I had to drop him off and pick him up. On Wednesday, he didn't have school while the other half of his class did their half day.

Thursday was my real test. Full day: 9:20-3:50 with a bus ride to and from school! Ben could tell I was anxious as we walked to the bus stop. He looked at me and said, "Don't worry Mom. I will always come back!" Of course that just melted my heart even more. You can imagine my concern when the bus pulled up and I noticed he had a sub driver! Where was sweet Miss Betty? She was my angel during the mock bus ride. She instantly became Ben's grandma and reassured me she would take extra good care of the Kindergartners. No! How could she miss the first day and who was this dude that ignored my neighbor's plea to take good care of the new kindergartners.

Ben and the "Dude" sub driver!

The doors closed and the bus left. I slowly walked home, resisting my urges to follow the bus to school. I new David would never let me live it down. I could just hear him saying, "You have to let him grow up Karen. He needs the independence." I walked home. Ate two Twinkies in 10 minutes. Debated calling the school. Refrained. Didn't want to be "that" parent. But did he make it to his class? He can't even see out the window when he sits down! I think my neighbor sensed my anxiety. She called me after a few minutes and reassured me Ben had made it to his class. She had called the school and checked with her son Cooper's physical therapist who had met him at the bus. She asked if "Benjamin" had made it too. Thanks to my label (complete with first and last name, room number, teacher's name, bus color and stop number, and my cell phone that I stuck on Ben's back), he could easily confirm Ben had made it as well. Why did I still wonder all day, "Did he really make it?"

Fast forward to 4 PM. David miraculously was home early and got to walk to the bus stop with me. I made him tote the video camera while I used the camera. The bus approaches. Was that Miss Betty? Yeah.... Miss Betty was back! The bus stops. 10 or so kids pile out (including Cooper the other Kindergartner at his stop). The kids stop coming. There is a long, eternal pause. My heart stops. David even puts down the video camera. I start chanting, "Where is Ben?" But after what seemed like an eternity a little body turns the corner and starts prancing down the big steps with a huge smile on his face!

Ben and Miss Betty!

I questioned, "Why did you take so long to get off Ben?" To which he replies, "I just couldn't see, Mom. And Olivia was sad that I had to get off." HE DID COME BACK and I'm pretty sure I didn't take my eyes off of him all night long as he filled me in on every detail of his wonderful day!

Today was much, much less stressful. No Twinkies. And I did learn that a specific school employee is assigned to each bus. They walk on when it arrives (before any kids are let off) and personally take each Kindergartner to their class and return them to the bus at the end of the day. In case you are wondering....yes I did label him again today. What if "Dude" drives him home today? Does Miss Betty know how much she means to me? Thank you Miss Betty!

Ben and Cooper

Jacob was the star attraction at the bus stop. At one point I couldn't even see the stroller!

Time doesn't stand still....

2010-08-30T13:05:00.011-05:00

9 years ago today David and I were married in the Salt Lake City, UT Temple! Where does the time go?

We have been through a lot these past 9 years...
...SCHOOL (BYU)

...BEN

...MORE SCHOOL (OU)

...KATE

...MORE SCHOOL (Hopkins)

...JACOB

...and yes we are still in SCHOOL!
In fact, today also marks Ben's first day of KINDERGARTEN! He is attending West Towson Elementary School. A brand new $22 million school with lots of bells and whistles. The school motto is GO WEST! They will promote the pioneer spirit! Couldn't help but remind me of home as we pioneer the EAST!

And after 9 years.....I wouldn't change any of it for the world!

5 months!

2010-08-12T09:28:00.009-05:00

Jacob is 5 months old today! Where has the time gone? Here are some recent pictures of my little angel. LITERALLY, he must be an angel! When I think I just might go crazy, all I have to do is look at him. He sleeps through the night. He doesn't insist on being held. He eats well. He tolerates, and even seems to enjoy, the constant poking and proding he receives from Ben and Kate. He is so content and easy going! He is my dream! I needed a dream baby! They really do exist!

Jacob was born with a full head of thick, brown hair, just like Ben. Over time though, it has slowly fallen out and appears to be growing in blonde. With his beautiful, blue eyes I fear he may be attempting to follow in his sister's footsteps! He even giggled yesterday as he watched her climb the pole in the basement. Lets just pray he didn't notice yesterday when she bit Ben or when she locked Ben and I outside when we went out to move the sprinkler! Please don't get any ideas little Angel!

Ben at 5 months!

Kate at 5 months!

Gillett Family Reunion Pictures

2010-07-24T08:13:00.010-05:00

Its been a long time coming.......nearly 15 years to be exact........since all nine Gillett siblings have been together. Here are the photos to document the event. Unfortunately for me, it occured right after Jacob was born......keep that in mind when you look at these pictures. I have some extra baggage to lose!

How it all began 50 years ago...

The Original Gillett family!

The Better Half!

My Siblings and Their Spouses

Everyone!

31 of the 33 Grandchildren. Now that's a challenge for any photographer!

My Little Family

Ben

Kate

Jacob

She's THREE!

2010-07-19T12:08:00.011-05:00

Can you believe that we actually survived Kate's terrible twos? We did!!!!!!! And yes, I have already started praying Jacobs are much, much, more mild! I took a stroll through Kate's pictures this morning and attached some of my favorites. She truly has tried our patience, but has also given us so much joy! She is one of a kind! I don't think it would be a stretch to say she is one of the happiest little girls around....she always has a smile on her face! Looking back at these pictures I have realized that my first warnings of what was to come should have been when she started doing push-ups before she walked or when she opened up the oven door to reach the Doritos! Oh, the memories she has created! I even had her tested for leukemia! I should have known that yes, a child this active, would bruise that often!

Kate had a wonderful birthday. She wanted a party sooooo bad and specifically requested white cupcakes with pink frosting! She also included that she wanted Brooklynn's mom to make them....not me. Heather was kind enough to share her yummy frosting recipe and loan me her cake decorating tools so I could attempt to come close. I passed Kate's test, but I am sure Heather would have gotten a good laugh at my decorating skills! They did taste yummy though! And her gift to me....she finally decided she was ready to be potty trained. And once SHE decided, she became a pro overnight! Another lesson learned....don't try to get this girl to do anything she doesn't want to do!

We love our Kate and if you know her too.....chances are.....you love her too!

Utah Bound!

2010-06-23T11:41:00.010-05:00

What a great & eventful week! Last Saturday we flew to Utah. We made it through airport security and even survived our 5 hour flight. I was quite amused when Kate managed to pee through her pull-up while taking a nap on David's lap. Never crossed my mind to bring David an extra change of clothes! David had his turn to laugh at me next when Jacob successfully completed a major blowout! We landed in Utah and were greeted by David's dad, Randy, at the airport. He had flown in from Oklahoma an hour earlier to be present for Jacob's blessing. We loaded into the rental car and headed to Cafe Rio where we met Rob and Di and family (who drove from San Diego) and David's mom, Sue (who drove from Durango, CO). Ben was quite surprised to see Natalee and Katherine and promptly asked, "Are we going to Sea World?" After Cafe Rio we headed to Nielsen's Frozen custard. We had a great time catching up and visiting. I had forgotten how nice it was to have Nat and Kat around to entertain my kids!

On Sunday, we blessed Jacob in my parents' ward. In addition to David's family, my parents and brothers Eric and Stephen and their kids, joined us for the event. We had a yummy lunch afterwards before Rob and gang had to head back to San Diego and Randy flew back to Oklahoma. It really meant a lot to have everyone join us. My brothers enjoyed watching Kate's energetic and mischievous behavior at my expense. They claim to remember a similar little girl.....but I plead the 5th!

On Monday, we headed to the Little Bear River Resort for a Gillett family reunion. We surprised my parents with a 50th wedding anniversary celebration! It was the first time that all of my siblings and their spouses have been together in 15 years! 31 of the 33 grandchildren were also present. Ryan is currently serving a mission in Nicaragua and Michele was home working in Wisconsin...putting her husband through med school! All of my mom's sisters & spouses came into town for the event...from Wisconsin, Idaho, Washington & Utah. Many of them are in their 80s so this was quite the surprise for my mother who was brought to tears at their arrival. All three of my Dad's brothers & spouses also joined us. We had a WONDERFUL dinner prepared by my sister Alison. Eric arranged for a photographer to be there. She took countless pictures of everyone! Eric also put together a slide show of old wedding slides and various pictures. I presented my parents with a 100 + page hardbound digital scrapbook I have been working on for the last year. The final product was worth the countless hours it took me to compile it. We even had an exact replica of their wedding cake. I am sure it will be a night we will always remember.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we continued on with reunion festivities. Crafts, soccer and football games, visiting, playing, eating and more eating. Ben and Kate loved every minute with all their cousins! They were in heaven and played and played until they dropped. Jacob decided to really start smiling and laughing while we were at the reunion.

We took Thursday to recuperate from the weeks festivities. We took a trip to Macy's to get our ice cream cones and yes David got the Kong Cone! We were also able to visit David's friend Garrett (from Colorado Springs) and his little family who now live in Logan.

On Friday, we ventured to Layton and surprised Ben and Kate with a visit to see the Judds from Oklahoma. Cambrie and kids were in town visiting family. When Ben saw Dyson, he had a moment of silence followed by a puzzled expression, "Dyson?" He then bolted out of the van and played and played just like earlier days. Kate and Kendrie didn't miss a beat. I think Kendrie was quite surprised that Kate could talk now! It was so fun to see their new addition, Jakobe and for them to meet ours! Time doesn't separate good friends.

Next, we headed to Provo to the BYU bookstore. David and I decided it was time to update our BYU gear. It was so fun to see the campus and play the "remember when" game. We both have fond memories of our BYU days! Next, we headed to Ruth's home in Eagle Mountain. The kids had a great time playing together and David and I had fun visiting. Oh how I wish we lived closer!

On Saturday afternoon we headed to Alison's house in Bountiful. We enjoyed a second night of Cafe Rio and Nielsen's custard. Alison made a yummy Father's Day breakfast before we headed to the airport Sunday afternoon. On our return flight, we had the privilege of sitting behind some essential oil pyramid scheme salesmen who claimed their scents had put Kate to sleep and kept Jacob from crying. I wanted to tell them otherwise, but kept to myself and attempted to block out the overpowering aroma. We couldn't have asked for better kids on the flight.

We were welcomed home with temperatures in the 90s and humidity off the scales...Ben nailed it when he said, "Maryland smells like mold." We enjoyed every minute of our trip and cherish the time we spent with good friends and family. But, for the first time since we moved, it really was good to be home.

Almost All Smiles!

2010-05-20T12:41:00.003-05:00

Jacob decided today would be the day that he started to show off his smile! I really needed it.....It's been a long week! I haven't captured the perfect shot yet, but we are getting there. Here are some of Ben's favorites from today's photoshoot! Ben cracks up at the mad face and thinks its hilarious that Jacob is raising his hand.

2 months!

2010-05-13T13:47:00.003-05:00

Jacob turned 2 months yesterday! Time has really flown by! I have been terrible at taking pictures of him (too busy either attempting to keep Kate out of trouble or cleaning up after her). David bought me a new camera for Mother's day so it was the perfect excuse to capture a few shots this week. So far, Jacob has been my easiest baby. He is a true joy. At his appointment on Tuesday, he was 8 pounds, 9 ounces and nearly 21 inches long. I can't believe how fast he is growing! I am excited to capture his smile one of these days. I have only seen it a handful of times, but it's beautiful.....chubby cheeks and deep dimples!

Thanks Uncle Mike!

2010-05-04T16:26:00.002-05:00

Uncle Mike came to visit again! We really appreciate him taking the time away from his orthodontics conference in D.C. He even used public transportation so I wouldn't have to get stuck in D.C. traffic with 3 kids! We went to Baltimore's, "Five Guys" hamburger joint and out for ice cream. It was so refreshing to see family again, even if it was for just one night! Ben and Kate all but smoothered him while he was here and were very disappointed to see him go so quickly! Congrats to Mike and Christina on your lucky win! Good things happen when you visit!

For Sale: Two Year Old

2010-04-30T12:16:00.006-05:00

Before you start your bidding there is one disclaimer I need to warn you about.....looks can be deceiving!

All in a days work for Kate:
1. Locked both her parents in the basement (good thing for us her big brother had just gone upstairs to use the bathroom)
2. Hid the lemonade filled pitcher in the crisper (It spilled everywhere and it literally took me several hours to find it. Originally, it was on the top shelf behind a gallon of milk).
3. Found the hidden black permanent marker and colored on the play table and ruined her brand new shirt the first time she wore it.
4. Got red and purple marker on the week old YELLOW couch. Thankfully, they were washable markers.
5. Has lost all interest in potty training but, hates wearing wet and poopy diapers.....yes that means she takes them off herself. She even gets out the wipes and changing pad and then practically floods the bathroom washing her hands afterwards.
6. Somehow manages to make me feel like I am the bad one.........
Karen: "Kate, I am sick and tired of it!"
Kate: "Mom, I am sick and tired of you yelling at me!"
7. Literally destroyed the laptop and somehow managed to put a password lock on it.

In her defense:
1. She does it all with a genuine smile
2. She never hesitates to say, "Sorry, Mom."
3. She now has to share her mother's attention with a pretty cute, new, little brother.

If anyone wants to visit........NOW........would be an excellent time. I could use the extra hands and eyes!
I have found myself in tears more than once this week.......and it's not because of the new baby or Ben.....they are angels.
I believe the saying should be, "Thank Heaven For Little Boys."

Any Similarities?

2010-03-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

Jacob: The earliest! 5 pounds 3 ounces

Kate: The biggest! 6 pounds 6 ounces

Ben: The smallest! 4 pounds 5 ounces

Jacob William

2010-03-17T22:12:00.003-05:00

Early Friday morning, March 12th our little boy decided he wanted to top both Ben and Kate and arrive at 34 weeks. I was literally awakened at 3 am to a popping sensation. After awakening our friends to come stay with the kids and packing those last minute things we headed to the hospital. We checked in with the triage nurse at 4:15 am and he was born at 5:10 am! He wasted no time. I only pushed 3 times. Fortunately, we live within a mile of the hospital. Jacob was taken to the NICU right away as a precautionary measure due to his prematurity. He received IV antibiotics for 48 hours and was monitored closely. His blood sugar dropped at one point, but was quickly corrected with a little formula. He never even required any supplemental oxygen. He was discharged Monday and is doing great. He is nursing, sleeping, peeing and pooping like a little champ! We are so grateful. My biggest struggle at this point is my enormous milk supply, so I can't complain. The NICU nurses teased me that I could feed the whole NICU. Their census was 32! Jacob reminds me a lot of Ben...wearing the same little preemie clothes, etc. I have found myself calling him Ben on several occasions already. Now I understand why at times my mother went through all my sisters names before she got mine right! David was given the week off so we are enjoying our time together. Ben and Kate are in heaven and doing quite well for such a big change. We are so grateful to our wonderful friends.....especially Ann, Kristen and Heather (you too Destry!). They took such great care of Ben and Kate, allowing both David and I to concentrate on the baby. They were in perfect hands and I never worried about them once. That was a great blessing to me. No matter where I have gone, my church friends have literally become my family. My mom will be coming on March 25th. We are looking forward to her visit. Several of my pregnant friends are jealous Jacob has arrived....hang in there. I have all but forgotten how uncomfortable I was. He was more than worth it all.

Sneak Peak!

2010-03-02T10:33:00.002-06:00

Today we got to have a sneak peak at the baby! He was measuring right on....about 4 1/2 pounds at this point; 33 weeks. I think he looked like Ben, but David thinks it's all in my head. He does have David's widow's peak though! We will get a final report from the Doctor later about the fluid levels. Ben and Kate love looking at the new pictures! They seem so much more real to them in 3D. Kate is so excited for her, "little baby" to arrive and Ben wants to "rock him or something tomorrow!"

Random Bits & Pieces

2010-02-22T13:27:00.006-06:00

February has been an interesting month in Baltimore! We have gotten more snow this winter than Anchorage, Alaska! Needless to say, today was Ben's 1st day back to school in over 2 weeks. He was thrilled to go back. We had a fun time in the snow, but it did get old after about 4 feet of it. Everyday in February felt like some sort of weird Groundhogs day to me. We passed some of our time making sugar cookies for Valentine's day.

Kate took up running on the treadmill. She even got out my ipod, plugged in the headphones, and took off her shirt (just like Daddy does) to go for her jog.

On Thursday, I turned 31! I feel so old, despite Ben telling someone I was only 15! I got to go out to eat twice that day and got lots of birthday wishes. After many pleas from some friends in OK, I will post a picture of my belly. This will be the last! Now you can all agree that its a fact.....I am huge! Do I really have 8 weeks to go? I think I am even more ready for this baby to come than Spring!

On Saturday, Kate got her first haircut. She was an angel and absolutely loved every minute of it. She didn't want it to end!

A Record Snowfall!

2010-02-08T13:47:00.008-06:00

I can't remember the last time I was literally snowed in! Saturday marked a new record for Baltimore! We got about 26 inches at our house in 24 hours. It was pretty crazy, but fun since David was off this weekend and we never lost power. It took David nearly 7 hours to shovel the driveway and sidewalk! Maybe now he can finally empathize with my sore pregnant back! For the first time, I was relieved my due date was still far off and I didn't have to rely on David's 6 week OB rotation to deliver this baby! David spent most of yesterday playing with the kids in the snow. They sure had a good time sledding in our backyard and building a snow cave. Not only did we surpass the record single snowfall this weekend, but we also surpassed the record snowfall for the winter. Looks like we moved here just in time. And looks like Nana's best investment all year will be Ben and Kate's snowsuits. They sure have been put to good use!

I REALLY MUST BE HUGE!

2010-01-31T15:56:00.002-06:00

I am 29 weeks now and feeling bigger than ever! And apparently I am! When I was pregnant with Ben and Kate I never got any "big" comments. This time around things are very different. Is it because I am on the East Coast? Is it because its number 3? I think I have finally realized its just because I really am HUGE! So some friends at church suggested I start a section on my blog dedicated to these lovely comments I have received. Someone might as well enjoy them and be grateful its not them! You can read them along the side of my blog in my new section, "Life, when you are pregnant."

Thank you for your prayers!

2010-01-26T09:36:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to update everyone on Samuel. Rob texted me yesterday and said Sam had done so well Sunday night that they transferred him out of the ICU to the regular pediatric floor. He is smiling and much more comfortable. They have decided to go through with the first of 2 operations tomorrow.....a fundo or nissan.....in hopes of preventing his reflux and thus decreasing his risk of aspiration. Thank for your prayers. Keep them coming! He is a fighter!

Prayers for Samuel

2010-01-22T16:47:00.003-06:00

Samuel is my hero. He is the toughest little boy I know. For those of you who do not know Samuel or his family, I will give you a little background information. Relatively from birth, Sam has suffered from an unknown seizure disorder. Over time, these seizures have rendered him completely dependent on others for all of his cares. He is fed through a G tube in his stomach. Samuel is now 8 years old and has undergone numerous episodes of pneumonia, surgeries, tests, procedures, therapies, treatments and hospitalizations. He is a trooper and never ceases to amaze me. Currently Samuel is in the ICU in San Diego and has been for the last 15 days. As requested by his parents, I am writing to you today to ask for your prayers....prayers for both Sam and his family. Over the next few days, they will be facing some very tough decisions. Decisions that I hope to never face. They are seeking guidance from our Heavenly Father to know and understand His will as they face these important decisions. As you pray, please ask, above all else, that Samuel will not suffer. For those of you who are able, our family will also be having a special fast for Samuel and his family this coming Sunday and would invite you to join us. Rob and Di are amazing parents. Over the years, and particularly the years we shared living in Oklahoma together, I have watched them display amazing courage, unconditional love, and unwavering care in Samuel's behalf. I have no doubt Our Heavenly Father is aware of them, Sam and their current struggle. Thank you for your faith and your prayers.

Our First Visitors!

2010-01-22T12:21:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday, we had our first visitors! My parents won the prize! We had a great time showing them around and being with family. Its been really hard being so far away from EVERYONE....friends and family, especially for me!

On Saturday, we drove to the Chesapeake Bay and looked at the lighthouse in Havre De Grace.

On Monday, we drove to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and toured the brand new visitors center along with the auto tour around town.

On Wednesday, we visited Fort McHenry and ate seafood at a nice restaurant located on the inner harbor. Ben and Kate really enjoyed getting reacquainted with, Grandma and Grandpa (or "that" as she referred to him as). The kids were very disappointed to discover they had really left this morning as I had forewarned. Kate kept asking, "Why? Why?" They are already looking forward to seeing them again. We are awaiting our next visitors.....everyone is welcome!

2009-12-20T09:51:00.003-06:00

Here is a copy of our 2009 Christmas Card if you didn't receive one by mail this year. We are doing well and surviving the 20 plus inches of snow we received yesterday! Enough to cancel church and close the malls on Super Saturday! It reminds me of Minnesota....except for all the closures! Ben, Kate and I have cabin fever already! Unfortunately, David is stuck at the hospital this weekend. Ben doesn't understand why daddy's work isn't closed when everything else is! They are expecting a rush of broken bones and car accidents to start flooding the ER soon! Hope you are all well and have a very Merry Christmas!

And here is our 2009 "Life According to Ben and Kate" section!

Kate: (Speaking to Karen) "Want Daddy come home, you boring."

While making dinner, I started the mixer. Kate yelling above the noise: "Mom, Annoying!

After showing Ben a preview for the "Walking With Dinosaurs" arena spectacular on the computer I asked, "Would you like to go see that show with Daddy?" Ben: "I can't mom." Karen: "Why not?" Ben: "Mom.....we just can't get into the computer."

Breaking the silence while driving in the car on the way home from turning in our pikepass: Ben, "I sure am going to miss this Oklahoma place."

Ben requested I stop the car as we pulled out of Rob and Di's driveway leaving Oklahoma. He said he needed to tell Natalee one more thing. I motioned for Natalee to come over, rolled down the window and Ben said, "Expect the unexpected!" Our parting tears turned to laughter.

While at the Baltimore Zoo, Ben: "I'm SO glad we moved to Maryland so I could see that goat poop."

As David walked in with the mail on his birthday...Karen: "Did you get any cards?" David: "No." Ben: "Is that because you don't have any friends dad?"

Seconds after Kate pooped in the toilet for the first time...Ben: "Yes! That means we can have a baby now."

While buckling Ben in after church, Ben: "I know church is good for us, but sometimes it sure is boring."

Ben: "I want a Wii for my birthday." Karen: "Oh Ben, Wiis cost lots of money." Ben: "Okay, then I'll just ask Santa for Christmas, he doesn't have to pay for anything!"

Ben: "What if boys had babies and girls had the Priesthood?"

While visiting an elderly lady in a classic nursing home today, Ben: "Are there germs here?" Karen: "Probably" Ben: "There are. I can smell them."

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2009-12-05T20:45:00.009-06:00

Ever since we moved to Baltimore, Ben has been waiting for it to snow. A couple of months ago Nana sent gorgeous snow suits, boots, mittens, hats and jackets for the winter. The kids put them on immediately and wore them around the house the day they arrived in the mail and a few days since then. Today.....all their dreams came true! Beautiful snow...perfect for playing in. David joined them outside and even sported his own ski pants, boots, gloves, hat and Northface jacket. When he was headed outside I told him it wasn't that cold out! I think he was just a little excited too. He did admit later that he got a little hot, but now he is telling me that it was only because he was working while he was out there. :) They made a family of 4 snowmen and snow chairs for Ben and Kate. Kate enjoyed catching snowflakes on her tongue! Afterwards we all had hot chocolate and watched football. A great day in Baltimore.

It's a.....

2009-11-18T18:30:00.003-06:00

BOY! And there was no questions about it! Before the ultrasonographer even told us Ben said, "Look...I see a penis!" Ben is already a radiologist in the making! We are excited to have another little boy join us...especially after enduring the terrible twos with a very strong willed little girl. Any name suggestions are more than welcome! Here is a recent picture of my huge belly!

5 Years!

2009-11-14T19:51:00.007-06:00

Today is Ben's 5th birthday! Where has the time gone? I can hardly remember life without him. He is a true joy and a great little friend to me. Not a day passes by that he doesn't make us all laugh. He is clever, sensitive and genuine. I will be forever grateful to be his mother. Ben enjoyed his "Spiderman" birthday party today and a dinner trip to Red Robin this evening. He said it was, "the best day ever" and while he was playing with one of his new toys I heard him say to himself, "I'm soooooo spoiled." We love you Ben!

Embarrassed while the Red Robin crew sings Happy Birthday!

The Birthday Party Crew!

The "Spider Web" Cake!

Halloween Happenings!

2009-11-02T15:56:00.010-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year. On Friday, Ben had a fun Halloween party at school and we went to our Church's trunk or treat. Ben invited his friend Brady, "Superman" from school. They had a great time.

My friend Heather's little girl, Brooklyn was "Bat girl". It made for a cute picture.

On Saturday, David carved a pumpkin with the kids and we enjoyed our neighborhood festivities.

We got in just the right amount of trick or treating before it started raining. Now the task is attempting to hide the candy from Kate. She can climb anywhere and is very good at discovering my hiding places. She inherited her mother's sweet tooth! As you can see from the pictures, Ben was Batman. I made his costume this year. David was a little worried, but admitted he was very impressed with the final product. I will admit Kate's care bear costume didn't turn out as well, but she loved it and that's all that really matters, right? I took advantage of David having vacation this week and got a much needed haircut(as you can tell from the picture). It had been 5 months, way too long! I feel almost as blond as Kate now! It took too long to get settled in and get over the really bad morning sickness before I could go. I have missed Diane desperately...my friend who has cut my hair for the past 5 years!

Cromwell Valley Park Field Trip

2009-10-21T13:16:00.010-05:00

On Monday, Ben had his first official "field trip." His class visited Cromwell Valley Park and learned how to harvest pumpkins, apples, black walnuts and corn. He got to pick his own pumpkin, make and taste apple cider, crack a black walnut, grind corn into cornmeal and eat cornbread. It turned out to be a beautiful fall day. It was fun to watch Ben socialize with his classmates and see firsthand that he really has become everyone's, "best friend."

This last picture is one of Ben and his friend RJ. Ben loves RJ. I love to watch them together. RJ is the biggest kid in the class and Ben is one of the smallest, but they don't seem to care or even notice.

B&O Railroad Museum!

2009-10-21T13:02:00.007-05:00

Anyone know what the B in B&O railroad stands for? You guessed it...Baltimore! I ventured to the railroad's museum last week with my friend Kristen and some of her kids. Kate insisted on wearing Ben's railroad hat the entire time and chanted "Choo Choo" the ENTIRE time we were there. We had a good time.

Go Stingrays!

2009-10-21T12:48:00.004-05:00

We made the sad transition from the Tigers Soccer team to the Stingrays. Now that the season is nearly over, I am finally beginning to accept the fact and post some pictures. Sometimes Ben and I find ourselves accidentally cheering "Go Tigers" at the end of the games. Whenever Ben scores he tells me he did it for his Tiger friends. Ben has really picked up on playing defense this season. He has learned how to get back quick and get between the other team and the goal. The head coach tells us every game he is a natural born sweeper. David has continued to help coach whenever he gets the free time to do so. I hope Ben continues to enjoy playing soccer as much as I enjoy watching him.

Where Have I Been?

2009-10-08T12:37:00.005-05:00

For the past 7 weeks, I have been looking into one of these...

Today, it all became worth it when I saw these...

Our little miracle is expected to arrive in April!

Packing His Bags!

2009-09-28T18:53:00.002-05:00

Ben disappeared for a few minutes, when I heard him yell for help in his room. He had his little suitcase filled and needed help shutting it. I asked, "Where are you going Ben?" His reply: "I'm moving back to Oklahoma!" If only I could fit in his bags!

An Eventful Week!

2009-08-31T14:38:00.018-05:00

David had this past week off so we took advantage and explored. On Tuesday (David's 30th birthday) we rode the light rail train to Baltimore's inner harbor and visited the National Aquarium. Although it took longer to ride the train Ben and Kate loved every minute of it. Kate said "choo choo" the whole way. At the aquarium, Ben and Kate especially loved the Dolphin show and all of the sharks. Ben thought it was so funny when the dolphins splashed the crowd. When Ben grows up, he now wants to be a "fish doctor". That evening David and I were able to go out to dinner for David's birthday, while my new friend Kristen (I do have 2 friends!) watched the kids. I don't think I will ever take for granted a meal without little kids around!

On Wednesday, we decided to drive to the nearest beach in Delaware. It took us about 3 hours, but it was a very pretty drive. Kate was terrified of the tide, but loved playing in the sand. Ben had a great time burying David in the sand and building a sand castle. On the way to the beach, Ben informed us that we needed to review the beach rules which according to him were: #1. Don't wander off. #2. Don't go into the water without mom or dad. #3. No coconuts on the beach. #4. Have fun! Apparently, he learned these on the television show, "Little Bill." Ben remembers everything. While we were there we even saw a group of dolphins swimming very near to the shore. It was pretty cool to see them in the wild, just a day after we had seen some at the aquarium.

On Friday, we went to the Baltimore Zoo. We had planned on going to the National Zoo in D.C., but the weather called for rain so we stayed close. We had a good time. Ben's favorite animals were the polar bears, penguins, a baby elephant and the camel that he got to ride with David. After about 3 hours it started to downpour...quickly ending our trip.

Sunday was our 8th wedding anniversary. We had a pretty relaxing day. David let me take a nice long nap and I made him lasagna for dinner. It's crazy how time has flown by. We decided to buy an area rug we really liked for our family room as a gift to each other. I had been eyeing it for quite some time.
It's monday and it's back to the grind...working...bills...laundry...errands...cleaning and of course blogging!

Bullets fly in Baltimore!

2009-08-07T19:07:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday alone, there were 18 shootings in Baltimore! At least it made for some pretty interesting radiology films on a sunday afternoon! Not surprisingly, it also ranks #1 in homicides among large cities over 500,000 people.

I think it's WONDERFUL that David commutes.....don't you?

Krazy Kate!

2009-07-28T13:20:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder why Kate always has a bruise on her forehead or why we don't have 3 kids yet? Wonder no more! Cute little girls aren't always innocent.

Crab Feast!

2009-07-28T12:52:00.004-05:00

As a welcoming event David's radiology program hosted a Crab Feast at a nearby restaurant located in Baltimore's inner harbor. It was quite the experience. At the end of the meal the waiters brought out trays loaded full of crabs and dumped them onto the tables. Fellow residents quickly taught David the tricks to getting the meat off of the crabs, but in the process he cut his finger and got slimed from the waiter's tray. Ben was horrified by the crabs. We aren't sure if he thought we were going to make him eat one or if he was just scared of them. He never took his eyes off of the pile and even teared up looking at them. Since I do not like seafood of any form, David tried to blame Ben's response on me. But, I quickly reminded him of a similar story Rob and Di have shared many times about David when he traveled to Thailand at a MUCH older age then Ben. He cried at a Thai restaurant when they brought a large fish out to the table. Before we moved out here, David made me promise to try the crab at least once while we lived here, since Baltimore is known for its crabs. I decided to get it over with and....I still don't like Seafood!

MVA

2009-07-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

It's official. I am now a Maryland Resident. It was NOT an easy process. Last Saturday, our whole family arrived at the MVA (30 minute drive) at 8:30 am in hopes of beating the rush. Saturday was the only day David could go. We stood in line for 45 minutes only to be told that we didn't have enough information to get our licenses. I had previously checked out the website on-line and brought everything that it said we needed. When I asked about the website directions she said, "Oh, yeah sometimes its just not accurate!" I would have thought that a social security card, 2 proofs of address, a valid OK license, proof of insurance, safety inspection certificate (which we had to replace the windshield to pass), OK title and proof of insurance would have been enough. Nope...they also wanted a marriage license and a passport! So today I went back by myself to get my license and the title/registration. I had been waiting for about 30 minutes with my number when they announced that the computer system had shut down! Great...I decided to stick it out when I saw others dropping like flies. I had dropped off the kids at a friend's house and I was determined to get it done while I was alone! The computers finally came back on and I was able to get my license. Next...the car title and registration. At first they tried to tell me I couldn't do it without David because the title had both of our names on it. I pointed out the big fat OR between our names and explained that was different than AND! I requested a supervisor and in the end (3 hours later) I finally got everything I came for. The sour lady at the counter said, "You are all set. You don't have to come back until 2014." To which I replied, "Great, that means I will NEVER have to come back." Oh and I forgot to mention you have to pay an outrageous 6% of the value of your car just to register it...EVERY 2 YEARS! Today I miss Oklahoma. It brought back distant memories of waiting in the DMV lines with my mother when I was little. I am sure it was just as painful for her...I only hope my presence didn't make it harder on her.

Happy Birthday Kate!

2009-07-19T16:05:00.005-05:00

On friday, July 17th Kate turned 2! Sometimes its hard to believe, but other times its hard for me to even remember life without her. I took the kids to a nearby nature center that morning and then when David got home from work we went to Red Robin for dinner. Kate loved it when they sang to her and brought her a little sundae. She finished off nearly the entire thing all by herself. She held her little chin up so proudly and smiled so big while they sang to her. She got a baby for her birthday and she carries her everywhere. She has really turned into a little girly girl just since we moved. Don't be mistaken....she hasn't lost that non-stop, mischievous side to her we all know as evidenced from the fresh shiner on her forehead. Kate is one of a kind. Although she doesn't talk much, she manages to let us all know exactly what she wants. She loves Ben and wants to do EVERYTHING that he does. And boy does she know how to push his bottons. She is very independent and would not allow me to do a single thing for her if she had it her way. She is beautiful...big blue eyes...golden curls...continuous smiles. We all adore Kate and wouldn't trade her for the world!

The Star-Spangled Banner

2009-07-19T15:24:00.005-05:00

On July 3rd, we ventured to Fort McHenry, for our first American History lesson since moving to the East Coast. For those of you who need a quick refresher (like I did) Fort McHenry is the birthplace of our National Anthem. Francis Scott Key, a young poet-lawyer, witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry while under British guard on an American truce ship in the Patapsco River. Seeing his country's flag still flying over the Fort the next morning, he was moved to pen the Star-Spangled Banner. The words have much greater meaning to me now.

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming!
And the rockets's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the mornings' first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation
Then conquer we must when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

We had a great time visiting the Fort. While listening to the Anthem, I was reminded of the first time I heard the National Anthem after returning from a 6 week study abroad in Argentina. I was at Rob's medical school graduation and I cried the entire song. I love America! Ben and Kate loved playing in the prison and looking at the cannons....at least until Kate got bit by a wasp.

Never Say Never!

2009-06-29T19:29:00.005-05:00

Once upon a time David said: "I will NEVER buy a minivan!"
Last wednesday.....he ate those words!

More of My Favorites!

2009-05-22T13:39:00.009-05:00