Our Christmas Vacation

Happy Birthday Ben!!!

Today, December 17th, is Ben's birthday. He is the big 3...1!!! I know, he is getting old! We both are! Despite being old, Ben is an incredible husband and daddy. Logan and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. Ben is the most selfless person I know. Not only will he do anything for me and Logan, but he would do anything for family, friends, ward members, and even complete strangers! He is a very hard worker, which is a wonderful quality that he learned from his parents. Since Ben was young his motto has always been, "Work like a beaver, be an achiever" a song that he often sang to me while I was needing extra motivation in pharmacy school. He is the second oldest of 7 kids, so he has always been a natural born leader, example, and friend to all of his siblings. He will never fail to volunteer to help anyone in any situation.

Coming from a big family, he also learned how to go with the flow, be easy to please, and adapt to and make the most of any situation. In college, he lived with a bunch of guys in an apartment and all he had for his room was a sleeping bag, his dinosaur blanket, a foam mattress, his clothes, and of course his ski gear tucked in a little corner of one of the rooms. All of his friends called it his "nest" and Ben was completely happy with his little set-up.

Ben also is one of those naturally smart people (which I despise)who hardly ever have to study to get decent grades. He actually would go to his classes 30 minutes before a test and START studying for the first time and he would pass! I like to say that Ben skied his way through college, but he learned all that he needed to become successful in his career. Ben is also very confident, but not arrogant. He doesn't get nervous to public speak, approach people he doesn't know, or teach an Elder's Quorum lesson with 5 minutes notice! He is very approachable, sincere, and completely dorky...which I love! For example, every time he is in the bathroom for whatever reason, he always starts to sing "76 Trombones Led the Big Parade" in the most cheerful and upbeat voice possible. He always has a song in his heart, which I think is one of the ways he maintains his positive and silly personality. People are drawn to him because he is so genuinely nice and fun.

He is such a good man and I couldn't ask for a better example for me, Logan, and all of our future children. I just want to thank him for all that he does for me and the happiness that he brings to my life. Happy birthday Ben and I am so thankful to be able to spend eternity with you! Love you!

An Eventful Week

This week we had Ben's brother, Tom, visiting us from Logan, UT. He wanted to come and spend some quality time with us before he takes off to the mission field. He will be serving in Indianapolis, IN and leaves for the MTC December 19th.

Tom went to work with Ben almost everyday and they also went miniature golfing and bowling. Tom is such a good kid and a great example to us all. We really enjoyed having him here and we are going to miss him, but we are so glad that he has chosen to serve the Lord.

Also, this week we went with the Ropers to the Mesa Temple to see the lights. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty bad and was cold (60 is cold to us now...I know we are going to be shocked when we go back to UT for Christmas)!
Despite the weather, we were determined to go and I am glad we did. Logan was mesmerized by the lights...he loved it! Wade and Seth had fun too running around like maniacs in the rain! We also went into the Visitor's Center to check out all of the Christmas displays and Seth was so amazed with the enormous Jesus statue. He kept running around with both arms in the air yelling, "It's Jesus, it's Jesus!" I think that it is so neat that a little two-year-old could recognize Jesus so easily and be so happy to see him. It was like he already knows who He is. Props to Jen and Matt for their wonderful example of how we need to teach our children who Jesus is and what he did from the day they are born. I could feel the spirit so strong through Seth's excitement over the Jesus statue and the Sister Missionary said that she has never seen that kind of response from a little kid before. We all were touched.
I love the temple grounds and it made me excited to visit the Salt Lake Temple when we get into town. The Mesa Temple was decorated beautifully, but nothing beats the SLC Temple at Christmas. We were going to end the night with breakfast for dinner at IHOP, but that plan fell through when as soon as we were seated all three of the kids started screaming/crying! Oh well, it was still a fun Christmas activity and one that we would like to do every year!

Last, but not least, Logan has finally achieved what he has been working on for the past few weeks...he finally cut his first tooth!!!
I am happy to say that all of the gnawing, slobbering, and biting has finally paid off...at least for the time being! He also experienced another "first" this week.
He met Santa at the ward party! I had to work, so I missed it, but Ben said that he loved him!


He also has been working on, but not yet conquered, sitting up on his own. He can balance for about 2 minutes or so and then he goes crashing down. It is so fun to watch him go through all of these little milestones and before we know it he will be driving, going to college, and even getting married!!! Well, I guess I have a while before I have to worry about those things, but I can't believe how fast he is growing! Anyway, we had a good week and we are so excited to come to UT this week and see our family and friends!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Where to start about my dad...next to my husband, he is the most incredible man I have ever known. Not only is he my dad, but also my friend, confidant, role model, and even my mom (at least in this life)! I will never forget what he said just moments after my mom passed away, "This is the first chapter of our new lives." He didn't just say that, but he lived it and transformed into a new person (not that the old one was bad, just different). He took on the hefty job of not only being a father of three girls, but being our mother as well. He was and still is the ultimate "Mr. Mom"! He also made it possible for our family to be sealed for all time and eternity, which meant the world to all of us! I am thankful that my dad was able to hold us all together through the tragedy of losing our mom and we are a much closer family having gone through this experience.

I also admire my dad for the intellectual giant that he is. He has and always will inspire me to never stop learning and expanding my knowledge. He has a photographic memory and is one of the smartest men I have ever known. His knowledge of the Gospel, history, politics, chemistry...you name it, he has studied it and is ready to spout off facts and figures at anytime! In fact, when he visits us in AZ he spends that majority of his time with his grandsons playing in the orange grove and hunting for ants/etc. and watching the ever dreaded Military channel! He refuses to get cable at home, so when he visits it is a special treat and he can't get enough of all of the "geek" channels: Military, Discovery, History, National Geographic, etc, etc.

My dad is also the "bestest Ampa" in all the world! He adores "his boys" Wade, Seth, and Logan. They go on a number of adventures together and my dad really enjoys re-living his mischievous boyhood through them. Logan is still a little small to really participate in the fun, but he is perfectly content with "Ampa" holding and loving him. They all just light up when "Ampa" comes through the door!

He is an incredible dad and I am so thankful to be his daughter forever! I always look forward to our long/deep conversations and love teasing him about all of his little quirks. He was the first man that I fell in love with and will always hold very special place in my heart. I love you dad and hope that you have a very wonderful Birthday!

PS: Thank you Paula for being such a wonderful wife and for keeping my dad on track all of these years!