Some Serious Updating (iPhone update #2)

I just Benson that he was so cute.  He didn't even pause before saying, "Mom, you so cute too!"  He's turning into such a sweet boy - with minor bursts of mischief.  Frequently.

 

This happens way more often than I would like.  On walls as well as bed spreads and couches.

Don't let his Superman cape deceive you.  He can be a "Super" handful.  I believe this picture was taken immediately after he had pulled the sink head out and flooded the entire kitchen floor (and leaking into the basement where the missionaries are living).  It's a good thing he's "Super" cute!

But when he falls asleep, he's SO cute!!

and when he sings...

 *I'll try to post this video again soon*

Speaking of flooding - Benson may have caused ours, but the High River flood has caused some incredible damage.  I've had the opportunity to go and help some people gut their basements a couple times now and it's so humbling to see the disaster out there.  Railroad tracks overturned, boats strewn across the highway and many houses a complete wreck.  It's put a new priority on "stuff" for me.  Family is really all that matters.

That's also why I've been so excited that my sister, Brittany has come home!!  She moved back in April and we have been in heaven to have her back around!

I love that my Dad is out there on the trampoline too.  He's such a great Grandpa.  It was his birthday in May and we were able to go bring him a Peanut Buster Parfait and surprise him at work.  It was so much fun!

Really the best thing these days is just hanging out and playing.

It's especially been fun to see the boys play so well together!!  Life is going to get much easier from here on out!

It might look like Jay wasn't having so much fun here, but he did it all by himself.  Lol.  He makes me laugh!

Of course, dinner and a movie in Pajamas always takes the cake on a nice relaxing evening!

We got to see Weird Al, Jenny Oaks Baker and the Piano Guys over the past few months.  I'm realizing how much that shows that we have a very diverse taste in music.  All 3 concerts were fantastic!!

 

This was after Time Out for Women.  Jenny Oaks Baker is my girls new hero!

 Weird Al is awesome!  He really puts on a show.  It's not just a concert.  Second time going, and hopefully won't be the last!  This was during the Jungle Cruise Ride song.  Hysterical!

We got to meet the piano guys after the concert and took pictures, but I haven't put them on the computer yet.  They are the most awesome, humble musicians ever and totally what I would love my family to be like one day.  This was during a trip to Vegas.  I think I could be a roadie for them.  Lol.  My girls need to see them perform live!

The older girls trained hard for the triathlon with me and have kept busy.  Kienna turned 9 last week (yikes) and we went to Calaway to celebrate.  It's been fun to spend some time with just them in both of these events!

The cake I made for the family party yesterday.  My darling Mother-in-law made cupcakes for the Calaway trip.  Saved me a LOT of craziness.

 Oh and we also were able to go to a ballet a few months back.  That was also a great event for just us girls (although we all could've done with a little more clothing on the dancers).

Grandpa Bucey broke his foot overworking - yet again, so we got to go with the Youth and help him plant his garden.  The kids had so much fun learning about gardening.

That's pretty much it.  With summer comes a much more lose schedule, but we're still trying to get our scripture study in, which goes SO smooth and we all look this happy all the time!  NOT!!!  But it's worth it (or so they tell me).  ;)

Best Mom Ever!

 I'm pretty sure I just won the "Mom of the Year" Award.  I was cleaning out my kids closet two days ago and found this Mother's Day card that Kaia wrote in Primary.  I was wondering why all the other kids gave me theirs and not her.  I guess I now know.

My favorite part is when she crosses out "smart" and puts "know-it-all".  And "When she is not lecturing me, it makes me so happy".  I also love that she crosses out the word 'rocks' in the "My mom rocks!" sentence.  Can't say this was my favorite card ever, but I know it was done "light-heartedly".  Still, when you feel it's a weakness, it's not the most fun to receive.  Either way, that's my Kaia.  She will always let you know where she's sitting.  I guess that can be a good thing, right?

Letter to Portugal

I figured that since I write in my blog about as often as I write Brooklyn who is on her mission in Portugal, I'd just take some of that letter and put it here for reference.  Enjoy:


I'm so sorry that I've been a terrible writer.  Technically I have no excuse, but life just goes SO fast.  Cleaning up from the floods etc. has been crazy!!  We've been in Vegas and then doing a complete re-organization of the house to get rid of any extras that we can send to the evacuees from the floods.  The kids are done school, but we've been having fun just chillin' and getting stuff done.  Jaymeson just got a guitar that is really sweet... Kaia is learning some Wicked songs on her violin and Kienna got the Les Mis book for cello.  I went and saw Les Mis and it was amazing!!  Benson is so crazy busy - and it just keeps getting worse.  Today he toilet papered my bathroom by dipping it all in the toilet and throwing it around the bathroom.  It looked like giant spitballs (but toilet water) stuck to the mirror, the shower and all over the floor.  It was SO gross.  We saw Piano Guys when we were in Vegas and it was amazing.  We also saw a Cirque de Soleil and had our minds blown (actually just about a week after we saw this performance, one of the people died while doing it - crazy!!). 

I got to clean the temple on Thursday night - it was SO awesome.  I actually got to go down under the font and dust the oxen which is SO cool, because how often do you get to go down there??! (I got to vacuum all the mens change rooms too, which I also never get to go in, but it just didn't have the same thrill behind it).  Somehow, life has seriously just been going 100 miles a minute and I feel like I never get a second to think... but it's been the good stuff.  Can't complain about that.

Speaking of time flying, Kienna turned NINE on Saturday.  We took a couple friends with us to Calaway Park and did a low-key birthday party there.  We went on Friday so that we could all volunteer for flood relief on Saturday.  I was really impressed with Kienna wanting to help babysit people's kids so they could go to High River on her birthday.  It's super exhausting and overwhelming to work there and see all that these people are losing.  It's motivated me to really clean out a lot of my house.  I don't need even half of what I have and it would be fantastic to have more room and space.  It's been a theme.  I actually went through all my clothes and am down to just a few outfits that work better.  I have very few clothes that fit right now regardless because I've finally been losing some weight.  In fact, I'm down about the same amount of weight as you are it seems.  I started at 199 in January and am down to 182.  It's been super encouraging to see it finally coming.

Well, that about sums up last week.  Hopefully I'll write again soon!!

Windstorm

A natural disaster?  No.  Just Jaymeson.  While I was tucking Benson in tonight, Jaymeson came up from behind me dragging a fan in from the hall.  He told me that he knew there was already a fan in his room, but I needed to get prepared, because he was going to start a wind storm!  He plugged in both fans and put them on high and kept asking me if I was too cold because it was a crazy storm.  He's so imaginative sometimes it really cracks me up!

PS - going to bed on a new mattress tonight.  Hope it helps my circulation and Jarett's back pain...