Ben’s 7th Birthday

 

Every year to celebrate Ben on his birthday we go to the store together as a family to buys toys and clothes that we think he would like.  We then donate the items to someone in need.  We each write happy birthday messages, attach them to balloons and send them to him in heaven.   

Happy birthday, baby 🎈🎂🎈

We love you! 

We are so grateful for the many friends and family who remember and celebrate Ben. They are such a comfort and support to us. We are so blessed!  

Yes you can!

This afternoon I could hear Ty talking to Jake in the other room and the conversation went like this....
Ty - Jake, will you untie this?
Jake - I can't
Ty - yes you can
Jake - No I can't
Ty - YES YOU CAN!
Jake - NO I CAN'T!
Ty - YES YOU CAN! YOU'RE A SCOUT!!! AND SCOUTS DON'T GIVE UP!!!

As I listened I wondered how loud the shouting would get and how long they would go back and forth.  When it all ended with the unexpected scout comment I couldn't help but laugh. I went to find Jeremy to ask if he heard it too.  I found him smiling - he had heard it :)

He asked me if I had heard what Bo had said just a few minutes before - I hadn't so he told me that Bo came up to him to tell on Ty and said "Daddy Ty just took something that was legitimately mine."
Jeremy was laughing as he told me - how does he know the word legitimately!?!?

I love listening to kids!

a new school year

Summer campout!

Beaver Mountains 4th of July Weekend

 The mud took off Ty's shoe as he tried to jump the little stream.

Puffer's Lake

 The Anderson Family come up to spend the second day and night with us. 

Big Flat, Beaver Mountains

The Bradshaw Family come up for lunch on Friday

 Tee-Pee hut the boys built with their Bradshaw cousins

Buck and Chief love the cool mountain air!  They also like to eat everyone's hot dogs so they have to be tied up when there is food out 

Oh, the things Bo says. . .

This last week Bo has said a few funny things that I want to remember:

Last Monday when Bo and I were watching Will at wrestling practice and I asked him if he would like to do wrestling too and he said, " Yeah".
A little surprised by his answer I asked, you do? and he said, " Yeah, if I start now when I'm Jake's age I'll be the bomb!"


On Thursday We were getting our shoes on to walk down to the school and he said to me, "little kids don't know anything."
And I looked at him and said, "really, little kids don't know anything.  Bo, you are a little kid."
To which he looked at me like I didn't know anything and said, "no I'm NOT, I'm 5!"


Today we had to drop Jeremy off at the airport and when we were pulling into the terminal Bo asked Jeremy where he was going and why and how long he would be gone Jeremy answered him and told him he would be gone 5 days. Bo said, "I'll miss you daddy."  Then Jeremy got out and shut the door and before I even pulled away from the curb Bo said, "WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT FOR 5 WHOLE DAYS, THIS IS GREAT!" I had to laugh a little because he was totally putting on the sad act for Jeremy's sake and then showed his true colors as soon has the door shut.  I asked Bo what he meant about doing whatever we want while daddy is gone and he said, " We won't have to clean all day."  I said Bo you'll still have to clean up your messes and he said, "I know, I'll still clean up my toys but we won't have to clean all day for daddy."   (poor Bo has never cleaned more than 5 minutes in his whole life!) - He is a little bit dramatic :)

Happy Birthday Baby Ben

 Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy.  How has a year come and gone since your miraculous birth when I didn't feel like the sun could even rise without you in my arms. . .
"The longer we are apart the closer we are to being together again" (sweet words of comfort sent to me from my dear sister, Holly) I think of this everyday - one day closer to having you back in my arms.  I love you baby boy.

I am still overwhelmed by the love and support we continue to receive from our friends and family. All year long we have received expressions of love and concern, service, and prayers but we have had an extra outpouring today and this whole week.  It means so much to us that Ben is remembered and that we are thought about and loved so much.  And I am completely in debt to my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the strength each day to get out of bed and accomplish the things that need to be done - to be wife and mother.  I am still completely broken and so not fulfilling these rolls very well not to mention that I am still a long ways away from being normal enough, or healed enough to function very well in normal social settings or to be a very good friend or very good at my church calling but I am surviving - I get out of bed - and I stay busy.   I am grateful for my incredible, loving, and patient family and friends.  I am most grateful for my knowledge of our Loving Heavenly Father's plan for Eternal Families.

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving.  

We spent our Thanksgiving with our whole Bradshaw family at Disneyland :)

I am so thankful for my 6 boys (Jeremy, Jake, Will, Ty, Bo, and Ben) and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that makes it possible for us to all be together forever.