Stitches, Take 2

Well technically, the last time Ben was put together again, it was with staples. But anyway, we have a brick wall in our hallway that juts out a bit. Ben was running at a full gallop with his push popper, and tripped over his own feet and fell straight into the corner of the wall. Needless to say, these pics aren't for the faint of heart. (Dad, if you feel like you're gonna spew, get a dixie cup and spew into that!)

The Swing Set

A dear family in our ward moved away about a month ago, and they gave us their swing set! We couldn't wait until all the snow melted so we could go out and give it a whirl. It needs a little cosmetic work, but the kids absolutely love it. Also, seeing pictures of this empty garden plot gets me excited about planting this spring. Can't wait!


P.S. A few things: Someday, Ben will actually LOOK at the camera. I can feel it in my bones. Also, isn't Ben's buzz cut soooo cute? He looks so much like his dad with that do. And if you don't like it (I've had some negative comments...) well, suck it. We love it!

I Want One of These

Isn't this the cutest thing ever? What, you don't know what it is? Why, it is a custom-made camera strap cover! I covet, seriously. So, if you (or anyone you know) would like to purchase it for me, please go ahead!

http://shealynnbenner.blogspot.com/
(she makes the camera strap covers and sells them on www.etsy.com)

Making Progress

As most of you know, Ben has been diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech. Basically, this means that his mind is moving very fast, and he has trouble helping his mouth catch up! We deal every day with his frustration, since communication can be very difficult for him. But he is a trooper, and with therapy he is making great strides. A huge leap happened on Sunday. Nate was helping Ben get dressed for church, and Ben said "I put on shoe." For Ben, this was amazing! In a similar situation, he would usually babble incoherently and then say "shoe" at the end. Nate was floored, and very proud of his little guy! We work with him every day, and we get so excited when he makes such wonderful progress.

The Draper Temple Open House

Yesterday, Sylvia and I went with some of the sisters in the Relief Society to the Draper temple open house. When we went, the weather did not look like this, and none of my actual pictures turned out. (Actually, they're embarrassing...) So please gaze upon this lovely picture instead. Sylvia's favorite part of the temple was the "diamonds," or the crystal chandeliers in many of the rooms. My favorite part of the temple was the Brides' Room. Gorgeous! The temple was absolutely beautiful, and surprise surprise--Sylvia behaved herself the entire time! She is so easy, and we had great time.

Just Being Silly

Ben and Sylvia decided to hop in an empty box and play for a bit. They're so cute, I just had to grab the camera. They're seriously hilarious!

The BYU Earth Science Museum

A week or so ago we took the kids to the BYU Earth Science Museum. Since we all have toddlers, we decided that the Earth Science Museum would be a good choice to visit. It is much smaller and less busy than the Bean Life Science Museum. The kiddos got to get up close and personal with dinosaur skeletons, a 150 million year old dinosaur egg, and other very cool fossilized pieces of Jurassic awesomeness. It was really neat that the kids could get hands on with many of the exhibits, and there is a lab on-site for the kids to check out. We had a very fun time!