Happy Day! #21

"A-zaah" is what Kate kept saying and saying as she flung puff balls and then rubber bands into the air like confetti! It was so cute! It makes me so happy that Kate is such a happy girl! Spreading "a-zaah" kind of joy wherever she goes!

I had been trying different shirts on her & was about to feed her dinner so I didn't put her shirt back on. I didn't want her to be immodest for the pictures so I grabbed a piece of fabric and draped it around her neck :) she was trying to put rubber bands on her toes at this point! Oh, and I know her pants look like confetti, too. Tim hates them :)

"Hi! (she says "hi" instead of "here" when she wants to hand you something:)) You wanna frow* some?" *that was for you, Mand & Lind :)

She tried to eat the rubber bands...

Which were yucky, obviously :)

Here's a kiss goodbye!

Happy Day! #20

A bunch of Kate's relatives (mostly Tim's sister, Michelle) has played "Patty Cake" (fondly called Patty Kate :)) with Kate via webcam and in person (when we were there in December) and we play it with her every so often. Well, today she did the "roll it" part all by herself! I thought it would take forever before she could actually do that part on her own! She usually just claps the entire time. In the video (I tried to edit it because my voice is SO ANNOYING) she wouldn't clap (and was actually interested in the camera more than the patty cake) but you can see that Kate can "roll it"! It makes me so HAPPY when she learns new things!

Ps. I thought this was interresting. I guess we've been singing it wrong!

Pps. There's those darn red socks again! How do they always make it in the videos?

Happy Day! #19

This will probably be one of my happiest "happy posts" in all my 100 days of doing this! Today, on her one month birthday, my cutie cute niece Jaela Shaye Bennett was able to go HOME from the NICU at UofU hospital!!! We have been hoping and praying for this day since before she was born. It has been a crazy roller coaster ride and the ride isn't over yet, but we are thrilled that she has conquered this huge accomplishment! Today is definitely a day of rejoicing for not only this little sweetie and her parents, but for all of us who were cheering her on and praying for her! She and her parents are an inspiration to us all. We love and admire them so much! You can read their story here if you would like more details.

Here's one of my favorite pictures of cutie Jaela. Even with all those yucky tubes she is so adorable!

I love this picture of her looking at her daddy! SO Sweet!

This was taken on a day when they were switching all of her tubes so her momma took a picture really quick! Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

We LOVE you cutie Jaela and are SO THRILLED you got to go home today! Happy One Month Birthday!!!

Happy Day! #18

It rained and rained and rained today. And then late this afternoon the sun came out and it was so warm! So, Kate and I stood on the porch for a few minutes to soak in some sun. Doesn't she look so HAPPY? :) We love the sunshine around here, that's for sure!
I love how you can see her eyelash shadow in this one! And no, that is not a dryer sheet :) It's a wipe! :)

All of a sunden the wind started to blow!


"Oh no! My hair!", thought Kate.


Oh wait, just kidding! The wind moved her bow making her aware that it was there! So, naturally she had to pull it out! Notice she turned away from me cause she knows she's being naughty! :)

She did not want to come inside and I don't blame her!

Happy Day! #17

I know I've told you a gazillion times that our sweet Kate is such a riot. Well, she is proving herself once again! I honestly have no idea where she got this because she has never seen Tim or I mop (shhh don't tell my mother-in-law :)...okay, I know she occasionally reads this. I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment in that area :( ) I walked in and she had this little bucket and a dryer sheet and she was "mopping" our floor and stairs! It was SO funny! She would stick the dryer sheet in the bucket, pull it out and "mop" the floor! In the video she wouldn't stick the "rag" into the bucket but I promise she really did it! It was hilarious! Tim and my mom both said the same thing when I told them about it: "she probably thinks. 'well, somebody's got to do it!' " :)

Ignore my crazy baby-talk voice and wacko commentary in the video. So annoying, sorry! And Kate went to YW with me yesterday and fell asleep on the way home so she is in her clothes from yesterday instead of her cute pj's (minus the socks-she didn't have those on yesterday! they don't match at all! :)) And yes, i know she has a runny nose! I wiped it right after. I do take care of my child, I promise! :)

Happy Day! #16

A package came in the mail today. A package that didn't have any postage came in the mail today. A package I was supposed to receive two weeks ago came in the mail today. A miracle package that I thought was lost forever came in the mail today! And I am SO BEYOND HAPPY! When we were in Utah in December we got birthday pictures of Kate & girly cousin pictures of Kate & Emi taken. We came home before JCPenney had them ready for us to pick up so my dad picked them up for us (about a month later!). My mom finally remembered to send them to us. She put them in an envelope and asked my dad to drop them off at the post office on his way to work. He thought it was a pre-paid envelope so he just stuck it in the slot and went on his merry way. I called my mom a week later wondering where my package was. We figured out the fiasco and my dad talked to the people at the post office. They told him one of three things could happen: A: the package gets sent to the return address since there is no postage. B: the package gets sent to me and I have to pay the postage. or C: it is lost in the mail forever. They said that we should stop checking our mailbox after two weeks. Two weeks was yesterday. I was mortified when we didn't get any mail yesterday! But today? TODAY I JUMPED FOR JOY!!! (really, I did! And I'm sure the lady walking across the street from our house thought I was a nut!:)) Here is what I found in my mailbox:

Kate doesn't look the best in this picture (she refused to smile!) but Emi looks SO CUTE!!! Oh, and ignore all the brown stuff on the edges of these, it's a picture of a picture so my chair made it in a few (okay, all but one :)) of the pictures, sorry! :)

We thought this was so fun! It's right after she really started walking all the time!


She was being so funny and didn't want to hold the "O" or leave it laying down! She wanted it on her foot! Silly girl! I think she looks so cute in this one so I took a picture zoomed in, too... see picture below :)


Oh man I have a cute little girl! Not that I'm biased or anything! :)

I love this one! So sweet!

I am SO SO HAPPY these arrived and aren't lost in the mail forever!

Happy Day! #15

Tonight after dinner Tim, Kate & I listened to this cdand danced in the living room together. Kate & I laughed at some of Tim's cRaZy dance moves (and Tim laughed at some of mine :)) but mostly Tim & I laughed at Kate's CrAzY-cutie moves. I'm tellin ya, that girl's a riot! By the way, I love that cd. I love Tim and Kate even more! What a happy night together!

Happy Day! #14

Tonight when Tim got home we all just sat on the floor and played together. It was so FUN and made me so HAPPY! Kate taught Tim how to put towels on his head (see this post if you are confused :)) and it was so SiLLy! Man I love those two!

In other happy news, this little beauty (and two others like it) bloomed the day after Love Day and are still spreading their delight!

Happy Day! #13

Today as I was giving one of my Young Women a ride to church she told me that she was at a party last night. She told me that it started out being fun but as more people started showing up they started doing things that made her uncomfortable. She told me that she wanted to leave and that she was going to call me. As she was about to call me one of her friends said she was leaving and my YW got a ride home with her. It made me so happy for two reasons: one, that her standards are so high that she would feel uncomfortable and two that she is close enough to me that she knows I would leave at any time of day or night to come & get her wherever she may be!

Happy Day #12 (part 2)

I'm SO ecstatic that the video of Kate worked on Happy Day #12 that I decided to do part 2 and add another video :) This is of Kate dancing and then just being cute!

For LOVE day Tim gave me two of Mindy Gledhill's CDs and Kate and I both can't get enough of them! Kate dances whenever this CD comes on no matter where she is (she even bobbed her head and waved her cute little finger in her high chair) and it's so funny!

Happy Day! #12

Kate said "Jesus" for the first time today! She has these cutest little books that Grandma Bennett's Relief Society made that have pictures of Jesus. One book has songs that go with each picture and one book has stories that go with each picture. I've been pointing Him out and saying "Jesus" in every picture ever since she got them at Christmas and today she said "Jesus"! It doesn't sound exactly like "Jesus" but you can definitely tell that is what she's saying! I even got it on video! It is the cutest thing and makes me so happy that she already knows the name of this important person in her life!

Kate holding one of her books and giving you a kiss :)

For the record, Kate can say: (I said "say" because she can also sign "milk", "eat/food" and "more"...we are working on a bunch of others at the moment...)

"ma ma"

"da da, dad, da-ee" -she screams it as she leans against the gate at the top of the stairs when Tim is downstairs. It is SO cute! He loves it!)

"baw" (ball)

"hi" -It's THE cutest thing! She does it all the time now when someone enters the room and as she pretends to talk on our phones (or anything she pretends is a phone at the moment) or when she watches herself on the video camera or when we are on the phone with someone.

"woof"-whenever she sees a dog or any animal in person, books, or movies

"mow"-It is so cute! Whenever she sees a cat in person or in books (after she says "woof" a few times :))

"ba pa/ pa pa" -not sure she associates this with the person yet, (sorry Pa Pa) but at least she knows how to say it! :)

"ba bai" (bye bye)- She says it sort of in a whisper. It's so cute!

"daysus" (Jesus)

Happy Day! #11

Today it was 76 degrees! Yes, you read that right-76!!! When Tim got home we went on a walk around Colonial Williamsburg, got some ice cream from Baskin Robins (we thought of you, Spence! :)), and walked around CW some more! Kate walked around outside for the first time! (usually she is bundled up in her carseat) It was so much fun and made me long for Spring! A very happy day together, that's for sure!

(Ignore Tim's face! He's trying to tickle Kate :))

Happy Day! #10

Some of the Valentine surprises that I mailed on Tuesday (see Happy Day #8 :)) arrived today! It only took TWO days for them to get there! AMAZING! I was so delighted to hear they had arrived to quickly! (I still can't tell you what they are because I sent the last of them today and the receivers of said Valentine surprises check my blog. But, hopefully in two days I'll be able to! )

When Landon (my 3-year-old nephew) saw the picture of Kate that was part of his Valentine he said "Yeah! Now we can look at her all the time!" Isn't that so cute!? He is the sweetest thing since candy! He is always saying nice things to or about me. I sure love him (for many more reasons than the ones aforementioned) He makes me so happy!

Happy Day! #9

Last Friday Tim & I saw "Gnomio & Juliet" (thanks SO much for watching Kate for us, Heather & Dustin!). We decided that instead of recycling our 3D glasses in the bins they provide at the theatre, we would recycle them by bringing them home for Kate to play with :)

She LOVES them! She is a such a riot! Not a straight face around our house, that's for sure!

Are you still taking pictures?

Happy Day! #8

I made it to the post office RIGHT before it closed & the man who helped me was so nice and very helpful! HAPPY! :)

... in approx. 3-5 days I will show you what I sent! They were SO FUN to make (even though they were time consuming!:))

Happy Day! #7

These little beauties got delivered to my door which made me SO happy because Tim was at school ALL DAY LONG! (He came home for a few mins for lunch) He got home around 8pm (i hate evening classes!) and now is getting us Chinese!

(ignore the mess!)

Happy LOVE Day!

Happy Day! #6

One of my young women brought her friend to church today and it made me so happy! I am so proud of her! She is such a good example to me. That's the way it always works, isn't it? That those we are called to teach end up teaching us.

Happy Day! #5

This sweet smile makes me smile every time I see it.

Happy Day! #4

One thing that has always brought a smile to my face (and often times a giggle and even an occasional belly laugh) is Kate's bedhead in the mornings! Since she was blessed with an abundance of hair when she was born we have been able to enjoy her crazy do's since day 1. Here are just a few of the ones we have documentation of (& it's not even the entire collection!) *please ignore our messy house in the background :) and a little disclaimer: some of these were taken with my phone so they aren't the best quality-sorry :)

(side note: Kate never had an interest in Binky's (& we were SO blessed that she rarely needed one) until her cutie cousin Emi came for a visit. Kate kept stealing Emi's to play with and chew on! Still to this day she loves to play with 'em!)

Aren't they so crazy!? They seem to get crazier the longer her hair gets! I love it though-always makes for a good laugh in the morning time! Yep- Kate's bedhead definitely makes me happy!