Ben in the Backyard

We've been here about a month now and are loving this yard! It's little and brambly and needs a lot of work, but we're really enjoying it. Benjamin helps out a lot. Here he's helping Mom sweep the deck. He especially loves all the big, heavy, dangerous garden tools and loves to follow Daddy around with them.

Paul really enjoys what he's doing at work. We're all still getting used to the normal office hours instead his old flexible thesis hours on campus.

The area is really beautiful. It was really hot and muggy when we got here, but then one day, it was like someone hit a light switch and it was really chilly. It's back to hot now. Benjamin loves to play outside and we were lucky enough to find a steal on Craig's List for a kid basketball hoop, a little race car, a table sand box with sand toys and a few Tonka backhoe loaders all for $25! So now we practically have a playground back there. Well, nothing to compare to the swanky, huge, modern playground down the road, but it's something!

We miss all our family and friends! But we're doing well. It's kind of fun being just us.

Leaving Utah!

So after almost 3 years together here in Provo, we're finally moving on! Paul accepted a job with Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri, and we're both really excited about it. Benjamin has no idea what he's in for, but he may just have suspected something when we dismantled his crib in front of him and showed him our totally vacant apartment after the movers had gotten everything out. He really liked the moving truck, and especially walking up and down the ramp about 100 times. It was pretty funny to see our stuff in the enormous truck, filling up MAYBE a quarter of it.
So this is our house! With a fenced-in yard, and a garage and a washer and dryer and dishwasher and air-conditioning and everything! It's about 50 years old, so we've got a few fixer-upper projects ahead of us, but it's an adorable house. We're excited to be living on our own, but will miss all of our good friends and family. There's an open guest room for anyone going on a church-history trip, driving across the country, or perhaps even coming just to visit us.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Benjamin! He's 1 year old already! Can you believe it?!?

Benjamin's birthday cake, made to look like his favorite stuffed animal, "Dodger Bear." Here, we were about to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. He was bawling though by the time everyone cheered. He just doesn't like being the center of attention.

He loved digging his hands in his birthday cake. Benjamin was a huge mess by the end and had to take a dip in the sink to clean off.

Benjamin got a new stuffed animal--a seagull! He loves his animals! They all live in his crib and are his nap-time buddies.

Here's Benjamin with his favorite new toy. He plays it with great exuberance and vigor.

Hooray for Summer!

If you can't tell by the picture, Benjamin LOVES the pool. It's nice that we have free passes to go swimming any time we want too!

The Zoo

We went to the zoo a few weeks ago. Benjamin was fascinated this time by all the animals, and wanted to climb over the cages and fences to touch them. After our trip, he's also taken a greater interest in his animal books, which he has me read to him repeatedly every day.

Here he's looking at a snow leopard, trying to wake it up. But it never even twitched.

Benjamin's favorite animal was the Meerkat. They were giving him high-fives!

It was a beautiful day, and all the animals were out, including the girraffes who posed nicely for the camera.

California Trip: 10 Months Old!

We had a wonderful trip to California for our "Spring Break" and met up with Mom, Dad, Michelle and David at Bryan and Jenilee's place. Benjamin was a champ in the car, especially considering the trip home ended up taking a lot longer due to LA traffic. He and Sarah got along splendidly, and by the end of the week were comfortable enough to steal eachother's toys. Unfortunately, we were not welcomed by balmy California weather that week, but it was still beautiful and green.

The crazy guys taking a dip in the freezing Pacific Ocean.

The rest of the gang was cold enough, even without getting in the water!

Benjamin enjoyed walking in the sand, and especially following the seagulls and pigeons.

During this trip, we had the opportunity to go to the LA Temple. We had a wonderful experience there, and Jeannine, Michelle and David were nice enough to watch the babies during those couple of hours. Benjamin wasn't too happy with us for abandoning him, hence his forlorn look in this picture.

Benjamin loved the hike in his backpack carrier. It was a beautiful trail!

We got to go to Disneyland on the trip, where Benjamin met Pluto and rode a bunch of rides. Paul was an excellent guide to the park, as the rest of us had never been there before.

Daddy's Mission Reunion

On Friday March 30, we got to go to Paul's Geneva, Switzerland Mission reunion, which also happens to be my brother, Bryan's. It was wonderful to see Bryan, Jenilee and their baby Sarah, who is just 2 weeks older than Benjamin, again. They now live in California, and we'll be going out to visit them and my parents this week! We're so excited.