Cramming it all in

There has been so much going on, I don't even know how to blog about it all. I can't even keep it all straight in my own head. We are having a good time here in Idaho. The family reunion ended yesterday and some of the family have gone home. I have another week until we move, so the kids and I are just chillin'. Here is some of our happenings from the last week, in pictures.


The Food

Everyone is in charge of dinner one night during the reunion. We eat like kings! Aside from that, there is always a lot of yummy somethings on the counter to munch on. This is Tyler and Jessica making their famous fry bread over the fire. They make the best Navajo Tacos in the world! Ryan and Juliet brought fish from Alaska for their dinner night. We ate out for my dinner night. (Hey, give me a break, I am in the middle of a move, have two kids, an infant and no husband...and the food was awesome!)

The Husband

Good thing we have cell phones. I miss Ben so much and it is good to talk to him.

The Cake

This layer of the wedding cake was rice crispy treat, and it was so yummy!


The Boating







Mary got out on the tube and the knee board this time!!! She loved it and laughed her head off. I was really excited to see my child enjoy something that I love so much. It has begun! Where there is water, there will be Belnaps.


The Swing.

This is a favorite spot for feeding the baby. Cool crisp summer evening, a gorgeous yard to look at, the swinging motion, and family close by. Pure Bliss.

The Watermelon.

Lots and lots of watermelon.



The cool cats.

Tyler and Jessica enjoying their last days with no kids. Jessica is due with a boy in September.



The crazies.





Ezra and Sam...a.k.a. E.Z. and Dam. These two were non-stop energy balls. They are tow of a kind and ALWAYS had us laughing. Obviously, they were totally into dirt, bugs, and playing outside. They became friends so fast, and could always be found with each other. They were best buddies and were rarely apart. It was so cute.


The Shopping

Shopping at Real Deals and eating at Buddy's. Girls will be Girls.


The Shooting

Shooting the potato gun was pretty cool. Obviously...it was VERY loud!


The Parade



Kelsey got to ride on the Junior Miss car as 2nd runner up. She looked gorgeous in her "princess dress." The kids got more candy at the parade than they do on Halloween. It was awesome! We love the Pioneer Day Parade. It is a great way to celebrate the holiday.


The Ride

Uncle Ryan is so cool! Ryan can't sit still, and he is really good at inventing all sorts of cool things to do. This one was a favorite for sure.

The Wedding




















Devin and Nichole looked so happy and in love. It was an awesome ceremony in the temple and the receptions and luncheon were a lot of fun. It was 104 in Utah that day, and we roasted, but it was still a great day. I can't believe my baby brother is hitched!!!!


The Baby






He is two months old this week. He has been very content this trip and he smiles all the time. He has also started sucking his thumb. We LOVE him.

A Quick Update

This is my first time on the computer since leaving Colorado on Thursday, and don't have a ton of time, but here is an update.

My sister flew into Colorado Wednesday night and made the trip from Colorado to Utah with me and the three kids the next day. She was a lifesaver!!!!

Leaving Colorado was horrible for me. I still can't talk about it much. On the upside...the trip went WAY better than expected, and we only had to stop twice! The kids did very well and William did great. I was so relieved to have it over with, and I was so grateful that all went well. The trip took a total of 10 1/2 hours. Not too bad.

Friday was the wedding, reception, and luncheon and we traveled to Pocatallo that night as well. It was a huge day. It was 104 degrees in Utah that day, and we roasted!!! The wedding was very neat, everyone looked so cute, and again, I was surprised with how well the kids did. My brother and his new bride looked like models and they were just beaming all day. It was still very stressful and exhausting to do it all without Ben, but all of the horrible scenarios I was worried about never happened. I was pleasantly surprised. Few!

We got to Pocatello at 2:00am Saturday morning. Saturday was spent setting up for the reception in my parents backyard, and of course, the reception itself was that night. Everything looked gorgeous and the weather was perfect. It was a very fun night.

Sunday was church. I missed my Colorado Ward like crazy, but it is always fun to go to the good ol' 7th ward that I grew up in. Lots of fun memories.

This week is my family reunion. All of my siblings are here and we are having a great time. There is never a dull moment, and I have done a lot of laughing.

I haven't had any time to check up on any blogs or facebook, but I haven't forgotten any of you. It is just really crazy right now.

To sum it up, things are going well. I miss Colorado and Ben. I am having a great time with family. The kids are doing well. William is smiling a lot and I am somehow keeping it all together. I don't sleep much, but my family is helping me get a nap in here and there. The kids and I will be here in Pocatello until Aug. 1st, when we meet up with Ben and move into our home in Utah.

Hopefully the next post can have some pictures or something, but it may be a while. We got some awesome pictures at the temple. The kids looked adorable! With the reunion, the move and all of the unpacking, I just am not sure when I will be back on the computer.

Take care everyone! Don't forget me, I for sure won't forget you. Peace out!

When The Going Gets Tough....

...The tough get going.

New job, new baby and a bitter/sweet move. Need I say more?

I guess I will.

In less than 48 hours, the three kids and I will be driving out of the driveway, away from our home, and down Ramblewood Drive for the last time. I will be leaving a piece of my heart behind. My heart has been aching for a few days now, and I am very very sad to leave this place we have come to love so dearly. This place we call home. A place of so many memories, friends, experiences and love. It will not be an easy goodbye. It is the hardest move I have ever done.

At the same time, however, I have slowly been feeling this chapter of our lives here closing, as our lives in Utah have already begun to open. I am excited to see what this new phase will bring to us. This move is the will of the Lord, so I have faith and peace.

I have packed almost the whole house this past week (somehow I was able to do it with two kids and an infant), but Ben will still have a lot to do in the next two weeks. The kids and I will arrive in Utah Thursday night. Friday morning at 10:00, my brother will be getting married. The wedding will be followed by a luncheon and then the reception that night. It will be a HUGE day. I am very nervous to do it all with three kids and no Ben, but I will have lots of help.

We head to Pocatello the next morning and another reception will be that night in my parents backyard. Then the next week will be the family reunion.

The kids and I will stay in Pocatello until August 1st. On that day, we will meet Ben in Utah at our new house and begin unpacking and starting our lives there. Ben begins working the next day. Mary begins kindergarten that week as well.

We have a very busy month ahead of us, and we have had a lot of change to deal with, but the Lord is on our side.

There have been and will be tears, but we will keep moving forward.

And with those tears, I will finally say....Goodbye beloved Colorado. Our hearts are tied here forever. We will miss you more than words can relay.

Blessing Day

Today was William's blessing day! It was also my last Sunday in the Briargate (9th) Ward here in Colorado Springs. What a special time for us. I am very grateful to be able to say goodbye to such an amazing ward in a good way. It was so neat to see some very special friends of ours standing in the circle to bless our baby. No family members we able to make it to the blessing, but in a way, our ward has become our family and I truly felt that today as I looked around at the congregation for one last time. I am going to miss these people and this place so much. I had a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart today as I said some goodbyes and thought about these past few years here, but at the same time, I felt so much joy and love regarding William and his special day. I am so grateful that we chose this place and this day to bless our son. It has a lot of meaning.

Our families were here in their own way. William was in a blanket that my mother made, and my family sent William these cuter than cute flowers to let him know that they would be thinking of him and all of us on this special day. We have also spoken to both of our families on the phone and have shared what was said in the blessing with them.

Ben gave a beautiful blessing. William was blessed with health. That was significant to me, because of all we have been through this past month. However, things have improved a TON and William is a much happier and calmer baby. He is even sleeping really well and in big chunks at night. It is wonderful.
He was blessed to be honest and friendly with his dealings with other people. He was blessed as a toddler to be happy, as a young man to prepare for and to work hard as a missionary, and as an adult to find a wife and marry in the temple. He was told of the love his family has for him, and of the love his Savior has for him. There were also some other blessings and feelings spoken of as well.
The spirit was very strong, and I admit, I shed a tear or two. My heart was so full of love for this baby of mine.

William looked adorable in his little white tux (Sam wore the same one when he was blessed), and he was wide awake through the blessing. He didn't make a sound, but I am sure he was well aware that something special was taking place. He had a very special spirit about him today.

We love William with all of our hearts, and we feel like our family is so blessed with him here with us. He is a very sweet and tender little boy, and he has a great life ahead of him.

What a special and meaningful day.

10 years

My 10 year class reunion is taking place today in Idaho. I would love to be there, but obviously, we have enough on our plates, and I just couldn't make it. I didn't think I would really even notice that I was missing the reunion, but now that it is here, I keep finding myself having all sorts of memories from high school pop in my head, I am thinking about all of the people I would love to see again, and I am really missing it. It is actually harder than I thought. My best friend is in charge of the whole thing, and she has done a great job. It is sure to be a huge success. I just wish I could be there. It would be so awesome to see everyone again, and talk about all of the great times and hilarious moments.
Unlike a lot of people, I had a blast in High School. I had wonderful friends, I really loved the sports and activities I was involved in, and I had a ton of fun.
I still stay in touch with many of my friends, but there are a few I haven't seen in the past 10 years, and I would love to see them. Dang.
Time sure flies by! I honestly can't believe it has been 10 years.
So...here is a shout out to my Highland High School Class of 2000...
GO RAMS! WE ROCK!

I decided to go ahead and post some of my favorite pictures from High School. Ben is in some of them as well. Enjoy.

Roll Those Rolls!

Look at what William did at just 5 weeks old! We had him do it five times (one for each week....j/k) to make sure he really could do it. He has since done it several other times. Sorry about the crying in the video. Those are tears of joy, he was just so happy to be able to roll over! O.K., actually, he was getting mad that we kept making him do it. He just wanted to snuggle with daddy. It was so fun though. Good job big buddy... roll those rolls!

Say What?

One of the requirements before Mary enters school in Utah, is an eye exam.
We walked into the pediatrician office, planning on the usual letter chart and a signature from the doctor on our paper. Simple, easy, no prob.

Were we ever shocked when Mary didn't pass the exam! I had no idea. Mary has never said anything about not being able to see some things, and I haven't seen any signs.(no pun intended)

We went to another doctor for a second opinion, and came away from there with a prescription for glasses. Crazy!

We looked at all sorts of frames, and Mary finally decided on one that she liked. Mary looks adorable in her glasses, and is proving to be responsible with them. The doc. says she needs them all the time, but so far she is just wearing them when she wants to, and I am not going to push it until school begins.

This picture was taken with my cell phone, and right after swimming lessons, so it may not really be the best, but you get the idea.

They are a great "accessory" that sit on her diva table next to her necklaces, earrings, and lipstick. She thinks it is great. She wears them proudly and with some spunk. Gotta love it!

Either way, she is so cute. I am so grateful she had to get that exam. We never would have known.

One Month

Beginning to do real smiles...not just gas.
Loves Mary's voice.
Follows us with his eyes.
LOVES to lie on the couch and look out the window.
Discovered milk protein intollerance as well as acid reflux
Went from 9lbs 3 oz to 10 lbs 8 oz in two and 1/2 weeks.
Full of love and has a very sweet countenance.
Molds right to you body when you hold him. He is so cuddly.
ADORABLE!


Look at how precious he is! We love our William so much.
Month one has been a lot of trial and error, but we think we have things figured out, and we have had a much happier baby the past few days.
Happy one month baby boy...love you!

From Fear To Fish

Last summer, it took 1/2 of a swimming session to get Mary to even put her feet in the water. The other 1/2 was spent getting her used to the idea of water being a fun thing.
We ended up putting her in another session, just so we could keep her used to the water. I was happy at the end of it all, just to have Mary stand in water without crying.

This year has been a complete 180!! We got to the pool, and I was all ready to start the whole speech of how water isn't scary, how her teacher would be nice, how there are no sharks in swimming pools, how she didn't have to put her face in if she didn't want to ect. Before I opened my mouth, Mary had her shoes off, her towel put down and she was literally running into the pool. The teacher had to tell her to slow down, and I had to catch her to take her flip flops off. I couldn't believe it!
She is half way done with this session and she absolutely loves it. She put her face in the water for 5 seconds yesterday and she put her whole head in today! That is something I NEVER thought would be possible. She begs to go to swimming and she grins and grins the whole time.
It is so wonderful to see her loving the water!
I really want my kids to know how to swim. It is something that I feel they have to learn...for safety. It is also a great sport, excellent exercise, and it uses up some of the never ending energy my kids seem to have. I like that part....a lot.
I am so happy for Mary! It has been a wonderful suprise.






Sam, on the other hand, screamed his head off during his class. We ended up pulling him out of the session. I am sure that part of it had to do with his ear infection and his fever. Not the best thing for swimming lessons. I don't want him to have a bad experience and to never get in the water. We will just wait until next year. I am not too worried. He is still really young. We will try again next year.

We have had another added bonus as well. I have been so nervous to take all three kids to swimming lessons. Especially with how often William eats and cries after he eats. For some reason, William zonks out right when we get to the pool, and sleeps deeply the whole time! It must be the noise, or the heat. It is a big relief for me. I am very grateful.

Swimming lessons is proving to be a great thing for us this year. Who knows, maybe we will have a swimmer after all!

Answers

William is four weeks old today!

And how did we celebrated it....
we went back to the pediatrician.

I just couldn't get over the feeling that William was in pain...it wasn't just colic. His screams were, and are, screams of pain. My heart just hurts for him when he cries. I love him so much and it is so sad to see my baby in pain and to not have a clue how to fix it. He has also been making a weird choking noise right before he starts crying. His is also really backed up in the bowels. Ben gave William a blessing this morning, and this afternoon we were in the Dr. office.
Again, the timing was perfect and we got to see Dr. Bong. She is only in two days a week, and today happened to be on of them! She is the best pediatrician I know, seriously! She is the one that caught the milk protein allergy so quickly.

We spent 45 minutes with her. She saw William react after eating a bottle and watched him scream. She kindly and sympathetically commented on the tired dark circles under my eyes, and I described this entire last month to her in full detail. While describing this last week to her, I was nearly in tears. I begged her for answers. And she had them. She knew exactly what was wrong.

William has acid reflux, and a pretty nasty case of it. He also has a severe milk-protein allergy (which we already knew he might have, but now we are certain). The specialized formula he has to take for this (which can only be ordered through a pharmacy and has to be covered by insurance) constipates him.

Basically Williams back and throat have been burning with acid, his stomach is killing him from all of the formulas we have tried, and he is constipated.
Hence: He is absolutely miserable and cries all the time.

We now have him back on the right formula (the one she originally prescribed, but we tried to stop giving him because of the difficulty in getting it and not being sure if he really had the allergy), he has a prescription medication for acid reflux, and he is on another medication for constipation.

The doctor predicts that within the next week william will be acid free, the allergy will be under control, which means a happy tummy, and he should be "flowing" freely.

Hopefully this is the anecdote for a happy, calm baby. The sweet baby I know William is, but has been in too much pain to be.

I am so grateful for the power of presthood blessings and for good doctors who take time to listen, watch and help.

Here's to a better week and a pain free baby Will. Heaven knows, he needs it. We all do.

Oh yeah..William was a whopping 10 lbs 8ounces at the appointment today! Somehow, through all of this, he has gained ANOTHER pound..and then some! I could kiss his fat cheeks and pinch his leg rolls all day. I love it! I love my chubby baby.

Just look at those hand dimples! I love how he folds his hands like this when he is just chillin.