The Bennion Clan

Rachel's Choir concert

2012-01-09T21:19:00.001-07:00

Rachel loves to sing and perform. Another one of her performances.

Rachel's Dance class and Christmas Dance

2012-01-09T15:31:00.002-07:00

Christmas 2011

2012-01-07T14:28:00.005-07:00

We had such a great Christmas. It is definitely the best day of year because there are absolutely no obligations for anyone besides church this. It is so relaxed and so fun. We got the kids five presents each. Something you want, something you need, something to watch and something to read, and also a game. Sam finally got a Nintendo DSi after begging us for years to get it. And we got Rachel an i-pod nano. She is in love and she uses it constantly. Jared asked for Lego everything, and Nate got an awesome jumping car. Tim got a stuffed puppy that barks. It was great!

Christmas 2011 - flash slideshow

Sam opening his Nintendo.

Rachel opening her I-pod nano.

The kids with their stockings.

Karl-Erik's 34th birthday

2012-01-07T14:24:00.002-07:00

We had a pretty low key birthday for Karl-Erik. We had the usual dinner which was milaneses and mashed potatoes. We didn't have cake. Keb and I went to Kneaders and got a piece of cheesecake each while the kids had ice cream bars. He received oxymoron presents: an adult scooter and a heating pad. ;)

Keb's 34th birthday - flash slideshow

Jared's 7th birthday!

2012-01-05T21:52:00.002-07:00

I can't believe Jared is seven! Where has the time gone? He is getting so grown up. He had such a great birthday and loved everything he got. He had steak and chips for his birthday and the decadent Chocolate Oreo Cake I made up for Sam's birthday. He had a great time and we are so happy he is in our family!

Jared's 7th birthday - create a slideshow

Jared blowing out his candles.

Baby #6 Ultrasound

2011-12-11T21:15:00.003-07:00

We had an ultrasound on December 6th. And no, we didn't find out the gender. That's part of the fun. :) Try it once. You won't go back.

Anyway, the ultrasound went fairly well, however we did see a soft sign to Down Syndrome. On a Downs baby, they have very thick necks, so as such they search for that in the ultrasound. Our baby was borderline. The radiologist came in and told us and totally freaked us out. I know he was required by law to tell us, but we really felt he blew it out of proportion. I'm not going to lie. I was scared.

So all evening, I was worried. All night I was worried. I woke even more worried the next morning because my dreams were just of me worrying more and more. I had a doctors appointment that day, and I knew my doctor would really give me a good idea on the likelihood of this baby being Downs.

And I was right. Dr. Thompson is a great doctor and spoke very truthfully with me. He did say the only complaint he had about the radiologist was that he does worry the parents more then he should. Dr. Thompson said he has seen this before with no other soft signs, and the baby came out fine. He said the highest chance this baby will be downs is 10%, and he said with your other statistics (heredity, age, etc...), he said it really is more like 2-3 % chance. He said we can do more test if we like, but he doesn't think it is necessary.

What a relief. The baby looks really healthy. He/she has no other signs of a Downs baby. We should expect the baby to be healthy.

Halloween parade 2011

2011-11-29T15:52:00.003-07:00

Halloween parade 2011 - Free Slideshow Creator

Couples Trip

2011-11-26T17:29:00.003-07:00

Back in October, Karl-Erik and I went on a trip without kids! It was so much fun and so relaxing. We went some friends, Eleace and Todd. We went to Huntington Beach. It was very enjoyable being able to not be on a schedule. We went to the beach, did some shopping and ate some very yummy food. We also saw the movie Big Year. It was a very good movie and surprising clean with Jack Black, Owen Wilson, and Steve Martin. It made you think.

We also went to the Newport Beach Temple. It was a smaller temple. We have been in a smaller temple for my brother's wedding but we hadn't done a session. We got a little lost on the way but fortunately they held the session for us.

We also had dinner with Shawn and Fawn, Keb's brother. They are living in Los Angeles area, while Shawn is finishing up his Phd. It was so good to see them since we hadn't seen them in about a year. My how time flies.

We hope to make this a yearly tradition but next year we will probably have a little one to take a long. :)

My brother, Matthew watched the kids for us while we were gone. He did a great job but was very happy to leave. As soon as we walked in the door, he walked out with bag, saying he was ready to go. I don't blame him. It is a tough job taking care of five kids. We were very grateful for his kindness.

And we are lame. We took one picture and not even with Eleace and Todd, but just believe us that we had a fantastic time!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T18:59:00.003-06:00

We had a great time doing Halloween this year. It wasn't too difficult, thank goodness. If you have ever seen Phineas and Ferb on Disney Channel, you will understand our costumes. It is one of our favorite shows. Sam was Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Rachel was Candice. Jared was Ferb and Nate was Phineas with Keb as Major Monogram. And Tim was Tigger.

We had spider dip for dinner
with worms

and of course witches brew. We also had mummy dogs, but forgot to take pictures.

Sam's first report card

2011-10-17T21:58:00.002-06:00

Sam was very excited to receive a 4.0 on his very first report card. He is a very hard worker and very intelligent. Great job Sam!

April 20, 2012

2011-10-17T21:29:00.000-06:00

Nate's 1st day of preschool

2011-10-04T12:12:00.004-06:00

I can't believe my little Nate is already old enough to be in preschool. He loves preschool so much. He started the week after Labor Day. Every time I come to pick him up he always asks if he can stay for a 'wittle' bit more.

Rachel's Birthday Party

2011-10-04T12:07:00.002-06:00

We finally got around to having Rachel's 9th birthday party. She had a great time. She roasted marshmallows, played games and watched Tangled. What more good a girl want? She has some pretty good friends around the neighborhood and most of them all came. Here are a few photos from the party:

Holy cow!

2011-10-02T21:19:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I have a lot of pictures, I think. Not much has gone on but school for the kids. I'll post something soon!

First day of school

2011-08-15T22:10:00.002-06:00

I can't believe school is here. It has been a busy summer, yet it has been long. The kids were very excited for school to start. Sam started sixth grade this year and went to Tonaquint Intermediate. I can't believe it. I have the same feelings when he started kindgergarten, a little apprehensize to let him go. He had a great first day. He's growing up too quickly.

Rachel started 4th grade this year. She has Mrs. Leavitt. Jared started first grade and has Mrs Hunt this year. Both of their teacher are great. Hopefully this year will be just as successful as last year!

Jen's wedding

2011-08-15T21:45:00.002-06:00

On Friday, August 12, my sister Jen married Tyler Parkinson in the Logan Temple. It was a good day. The kids had a great time. It was so great to get together with my siblings and just talk and catch. Unfortunately, Laura and Andrew didn't make it because Laura is due to have little Dyllan any day now. They were missed.

New kitchen

2011-07-24T22:05:00.003-06:00

While I was up north visiting my mom and dad, my hubby was at home. And while I was gone, he painted the kitchen for me. I think it turned out great. Also the pictures in the front room were my mother's day present. He got those printed and hung while I was away as well. I love them! I'm certainly blessed with a wonderful husband!

Rachel's 9th birthday

2011-07-18T21:50:00.003-06:00

This was Rachel's magical birthday because she turned 9 on July 9th! She was excited. She had a great day with beignets from Princess and the Frog. She had her favorite for dinner - pizza. And for dessert oreo toffee chocolate cake. She is such a sweet girl. So glad she is in our family.

Independence Day

2011-07-18T21:35:00.003-06:00

We had very low key 4th. It was welcome. We went to a parade in the morning. We then went swimming and had a bbq. Then fireworks in the evening. We sat in the sun bowl. It was crazy. We got rained on by the fireworks. We had a few huge pieces of cardboard fall on us or around us. At one point, a piece of cardboard was on fire and it almost landed on Rachel. Rachel was completely unaware of it, and Sam thought that was hysterical. Tim loved the fireworks and would hear and ooh and aah from him until he fell asleep. We had a great time.

Nate
Keb
Rachel and Jared

Tim

And Sam escaped the camera again.

Elephant

2011-07-18T21:20:00.001-06:00

There was an Elephant at the zoo that would shoot water out. It would play a song or act like it was sneezing and then spray water all over. The kids loved it. I tried to get everyone.

Other fun zoo stuff

2011-07-18T21:08:00.003-06:00

The kids loved the animals. We saw a peacock with its feathers all open. And found out that Tyler (Jen's fiancee) if half gorilla! Haha. Just kidding. We had a great time getting to know Tyler. He's a great guy.

Merry-go round

2011-07-18T21:05:00.001-06:00

We had a Field family reunion end of June. It was a lot of fun, short, but still fun. We went to the zoo and saw animals of course and rode the merry-go-round. The kids had fun.

Sam's 11th birthday

2011-06-13T23:15:00.002-06:00

Sam turned 11 on June 8th. I can't believe how old he is getting. I don't feel old enough to have a kid this old. He has grown up so much. He is becoming so responsible and on occasion will babysit for us.

For his birthday, he received the new Septimus Heap book , Darke, a box of See's chocolate and the edited Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows dvd. For his dinner, he had Carne Asada, chips, salad, and this totally delicious (actually to die for :) chocolate cake. It had oreos in the cake with a cream cheese/whipped cream frosting with toffee chips. Seriously the best chocolate cake ever.

Rachel's dance recital

2011-06-13T23:02:00.003-06:00

Rachel loves to dance. She had her dance recitals on May 31st and June 1st.

On May 31st her dance recital was called the Joyful discoveries. She was an oil painting. She also got to draw a picture with 'oil' paints. It was a beautiful recital. The owner of the studio is one of our good friends that's how we can introduced to the studio. She is the art director and she does such a great job. All their costumes are tasteful, age appropriate and modest for the most part. All the dances are so beautiful and innocent. I don't have to worry about inappropriate dancing which is so nice.

On June 1st, Rachel had her Princess and the Pea dance recital. She was a maid. She was so cute and you can tell she loves to dance.

It is amazing to see how much she has improved just over a year.

Cub scouts

2011-06-13T22:28:00.003-06:00

Sam received his Webelos award on May 5, 2011.
He also received his Arrow of Light on June 2, 2011. Sam has done a great job. I can't believe he is not a cub scout any more. Kids grow up way too fast.

Sam getting his Arrow of Light. I'm playing the 'Indian' drums.
Sam was a little embarrassed that he had lipstick on his face.

Read like a Rockstar

2011-06-13T22:05:00.004-06:00

At school we had a program called Read like a Rockstar. It was a great program. Each week each student could hand in a bookmark which had how many minutes you read that week. That bookmark was then put in a box filled with all the bookmarks from the whole school. That box filled with all the bookmarks would be used for drawings each week and at the end of the school year. You could win great stuff like gift certificates, books, shirts, and other activities. At the end of the year Sam had a total of over 28,000 minutes. Rachel had a total of over 14,000 minutes and Jared had over 3000 minutes! They all did so fantastic.

They had a drawing at the end of the year to win larger items. We attended the award assembly. Each child placed in his/her grade for reading the top minutes. Sam won three things from the drawing and Rachel and Jared didn't win anything. At the very end, they had a drawing for a Rockband guitar. I turned to Keb and said if Sam wins this we'll have to buy a PS3, but whats the chance? There was a girl that won it but she had moved. So they drew someone else and that happened to be Sam. That kid is the luckiest kid, I swear. Next stop Vegas, maybe Sam can win us some big money. Haha!

The kids with their awards. Sam was the top reader in his grade. Rachel was second in her grade and Jared was third in his grade.
Rachel and Sam with their trophies. Jared didn't receive his at the assembly. He received his in class. Rachel is trying not to cry because she didn't win anything. :)

Rachel getting her award for being second in her grade.

Nate's 4th birthday

2011-06-13T21:59:00.003-06:00

This is long over due, but my camera broke so I have had to rely on my hubby's camera which isn't as accessible.

Nate had a great birthday. He was so excited about his birthday. He kept asking me how many more days. Silly boy. He had many great presents including a golf set from Grandma and Grandpa Bennion, money from Grandma and Grandpa Field and great Grandma and Grandpa Bennion which will be legos, a star wars gun, and a few others. He got so excited over all of them. He is at such a fun age. For his dinner he had cheeseburgers, french fries and a very yummy strawberry cake. I made the cake a few weeks before when some friends came into town and he absolutely loved it. He asked if I could make it for his birthday. He got so excited when I told him I could. We sure love out Nate!

Nate and Tim's well check

2011-05-25T22:47:00.003-06:00

Tim and Nate went to the doctors last Monday to see how big they are. We have some fantastic news. Nate is getting bigger! Yay! He now weighs 32 1/2 lbs (22%) and is 39 1/2 inches (32%) tall. He jumped from 10% in his weight to 22%. The doctor was very excited. He says whatever I am doing to get Nate to gain weight, keep at it.

Tim is a cute little chunky boy. He weighs 24 1/2 lbs (52%) and is 31 1/4 inches (55%) tall. He sure is growing well considering how small he started.

We sure love our boys!

Tims loves getting in

2011-05-11T15:41:00.000-06:00

Nate posing with Tim

Jared's friend birthday party

2011-05-11T15:32:00.000-06:00

Jared had his friend birthday party in April. His actual birthday is in December, but because the holidays are so crazy, we postponed it. He had a great time. Playing lots of games and eating yummy hot dogs. He received a lot of fun presents.

Tim's bedhead

2011-04-28T13:09:00.002-06:00

We have the cutest little boy. He gets the best bedhead out of any of my kids. This is what he looked like one morning. His hair has since been cut so we may not see any more like these for awhile.

Vocabulary Blast

2011-04-15T14:48:00.003-06:00

At school Sam had the opportunity to participate in the Vocabulary Blast. This is where the kids are tested on vocabulary words on any subject. The words can be from science, math, any subject they learn in school. Last year Sam won against another elementary school in this activity. Needless to say his expectations were high to win again. Unfortunately, they had a little twist this year that no one knew about until it started. They could use phone a friend. Anyone that didn't know the answer could ask anyone if they knew the answer. Sam was asked A LOT, especially towards the end. I didn't get to see it all because of the miscommunication of where it was. He got about 11th. Unfortunately he didn't even make it to the top 10. He was a little tired because everyone kept asking him for the answer. He was so disappointed. When I finally got there, there were only three left. Sam's friend, Tanner, did really well and got second. I saw Tanner compete for first. He did well. By the time I found Sam, he was so disappointed. He was in tears, almost hyperventilating. It was so hard to see him so upset especially since he had worked so hard for weeks to learn these words. My heart was broken for him. So the only thing I could think of to make him feel better was ice cream. We went to Krave. If you have never been to Krave, you take a cup and fill it with whatever frozen yogurt you want and top it with whatever you want. I told Sam he could get whatever and how much he wanted. This is what he created. He feels a lot better now. :)

Saint Patricks day dinner

2011-04-05T16:31:00.003-06:00

This year for St. Patricks day we celebrated with a green meals. For breakfast, we had green pancakes. For dinner, we had corned beef, mashed potatoes, green jello, and cabbage with key lime pie for dessert. The kids seem to really like it. We didn't do anything really exciting, but the food was delicious.

St. Patricks day from Grandma and Grandpa Field

2011-03-16T19:36:00.003-06:00

This past week my sister, Jen, came down and with her was a present from Grandma and Grandpa Field. They sent a chocolate cake mix and star cupcake holders. The kids had a great time making the cupcakes. We made some very delicious frosting and added some sprinkles. They were so delicious. Thankfully they are gone now and I don't have to be tempted my them. :) I forgot to take pictures until after Jen left. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Field.

Nate's slippers

2011-02-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

Nate went outside to play in this. It isn't so bad until the slippers. They are Sam's, so they are about twice his size. He was being resourceful. Such a cutie!

Tim's first birthday

2011-02-21T21:54:00.003-07:00

We celebrated Tim's birthday on February 14. I can't believe he is one. We love him so much and are so glad he joined our family. He has been walking for a while now. He started just after Christmas with a few steps but wasn't really interested until about six weeks ago. He has taken off ever since. He is so smiley and is such a ham. At his year appointment, he weighed 24 lbs 4 oz (60%) and 29 1/2 inches tall (41%), still short and fat. Karl-Erik has said Tim looks like some just squished. He sure is cute.

Blue and Gold video

2011-02-13T19:02:00.002-07:00

One of the scout leaders is a cinematographer. He made a short video of some of the activities we did for the Blue and Gold. I think it's great.

http://vimeo.com/19878833

Blue and Gold

2011-02-13T18:37:00.003-07:00

Hot dogs on the grill.
Kabobs
Hamburger, pork chop and hot dog.

This year for the Blue and Gold dinner, we had the scouts decorate a cake or cupcakes for dessert. Sam made BBQ cupcakes. He made it entirely by himself except for baking of the cupcakes. I taught him how to shape the candy and that's about it. I think they turned out great.

the dumper

2011-02-13T18:34:00.002-07:00

Tim loves to climb into things. He'll dump it out so he can climb in. In this case, it was the Lego box. He is so proud of himself.

Tim's destruction

2011-02-13T18:31:00.002-07:00

This is what happens when mommy has dinner to make, and Timmy gets put in the johnny jump. Destruction.

Jared's creation

2011-01-01T13:46:00.004-07:00

Jared is quite the Lego builder. He sat down with his Uncle Blake and built away. This is what he created.

Water bottles

2011-01-01T13:32:00.005-07:00

Tim has become such a ham. He loves the camera. I remember when Sam use to love the camera. He'd look at me and just smile. I caught Tim playing in the water bottles. He is such a cutie and so curious.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T21:37:00.003-07:00

Christmas day was the best! We had a very fun time opening presents and relaxing all day long. We watched movies, ate popcorn, read books, and played games. Every year Sam exclaims, 'This is the best Christmas ever!" I'd have to agree!

Christmas Sunday

2010-12-30T21:09:00.004-07:00

Every Sunday before Christmas, the kids get the joyous pleasure of getting new Sunday clothes. I made Rachel's dress again this year. I think it is my best one yet. It was a fairly easy dress. It wasn't as fitted as I thought, but I think she looks beautiful. And this year all the kids made to church looking they way they should, not like last year!

This picture was taken after church. That's why they look a little disheveled. :)

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-30T21:01:00.002-07:00

Christmas Eve was so much fun this year. The older the kids get, the better it gets. The kids were so excited for everything. We had our adopted Grandma with us, Sis Boyce. We had our usual Christmas Eve dinner then we got to open one present each which was pjs.

Then we got to do something special for Sis Boyce. She had told me that no one had stuffed her stocking for four years! So we decided we would do it. I made her her very own stocking. We then stuffed it will traditional stuff like nuts, chocolate, orange. We had the kids pick our a present from each of them. Sam gave her a puzzle. Rachel gave her lotion. Jared gave her a book, Choke by Obert Skye. And Nate gave her a picture of the family. It was so fun to spoil Sis Boyce. Sis Boyce then gave us a few presents. She gave us big container of Stephens hot chocolate, Nutella, and some honey for food storage. She is such a wonderful person and we really cherish her friendship.

Jared's birthday

2010-12-30T20:11:00.002-07:00

Jared turned six on December 8. We had a very busy day, but we had fun. For his birthday dinner he had steak and french fries and a Transformer cake for dessert.

Jared is such a great kid. He's so sweet. He is still very athletic. He just started reading and he loves school. He can build anything out of Legos. We are all so glad Jared joined our family.

Karl-Erik's birthday

2010-12-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

For Karl-Erik's birthday, we had a good time. For his dinner, he had Zuppa Toscana (olive garden soup) with breadsticks and banana splits for dessert. For his presents, he just got yummy stuff. I had ordered some books which didn't come until after his birthday. I tried to order him the Prince of Persia DVD but only ordered the CD instead. He tells me when he listens to it, it feels like he is running for his life. Haha. We are all so gratefully for Karl-Erik. He is such a hard worker and such a great daddy. We love him so much.

Family Pics

2010-12-25T21:34:00.004-07:00

Love this picture.
Nate
Sam
Love Tim's face in this one.

How we usually are. :)
Jared and Nate wrestling

Beautiful Rach

Our photographer was Sharee Hale. She's the best.

Primary Tree

2010-12-14T20:00:00.002-07:00

We are moving into a new ward building at the beginning of the year. Our Primary president had an idea to plant a primary tree with a time capsule. In the time capsule were the names of all the primary kids, the activity days and Faith in God books, and other things we can't remember. It was a lot of fun. Our bishop dedicated the tree as well.

We had a unique experience with our Primary tree. The Sunday after the tree was planted, there was a very strong wind storm that went through our neighborhood. It destroyed three trees on the property. Our Primary Tree stood strong, but the stake to keep up the tree was snapped in half. It was amazing. The gardener said this was the first time this had ever happened.

Divas and Donuts

2010-12-14T19:23:00.003-07:00

Divas and Donuts is when the moms come to school with their kids and eat donuts and drink milk and go to the book fair. It was a lot of fun and I finally remembered to take pictures. :)

Reflections

2010-11-17T22:24:00.003-07:00

Jared's Avatar snake, not sure what it had to with the theme, but at least he had fun.

Jared's silly face

This year Sam, Rachel and Jared all participated in Reflections. I can't remember the theme, but Sam did music. Rachel did 3-D art and Jared did 3-D art as well. They had a really good time. Sam and Rachel both went on to district. Great job kids!

I didn't get a picture with Sam, but I did with Rachel and I have no idea where they are. Hopefully I can find them.

Jubilee of Trees

2010-11-17T22:10:00.003-07:00

This year I participated in the Jubliee of Trees. The Jubilee is an annual hospital fundraising event that raises money by selling Christmas trees and other items donated by those in the community. This year we were raising money for mammogram machines, purchasing needed equipment, and advancing patient education. It was so much fun. I decorated a tree with my good friend, Tiffany Nelson. We had a great time together, and as an added bonus we won Chairman's Choice! We were so surprised! Our tree was called "The Hope of all the World." Our sponsor was from the Jubilee foundation, French Hen Design, and 5000moms.com.

Timmy's first oreo

2010-11-17T22:05:00.002-07:00

He seemed to enjoy himself. :)

Trick or Treating

2010-10-31T18:42:00.004-06:00

Grandma Boyce with all the kids. Don't you love Timmy's pose?
Nate; Avatar Ang, Timmy, Baby Jack Jack; Rachel, Ballroom Dancer; Sam, Harry Potter; Jared, Ninja
Baby Jack Jack (Timmy)

Grandpa Bennion and Timmy
Nate, Jared, Rachel, Sam, Uncle Shawn, cousin Landen, and cousin Laralei

Halloween dinner

2010-10-31T18:38:00.003-06:00

We had a great Halloween dinner with Shawn, Fawn, Laralei, and Landon, and Grandma and Grandpa Bennion. We had mummy hot dogs (i didn't get picture of this), bone breadsticks, spiders, and witches brew.

Mischievous Nate

2010-10-18T22:01:00.004-06:00

Nate loves to color (or 'lolor' as Nate says it). He just so happened to find a marker late at night and got to work on his face, arms, legs and pajamas. And this was also the third night he did it. He found a different marker each time he did it. Doesn't he look lovely? I think the boots really add to the whole marker look. ;) We sure love our Nate!

Cute Tim

2010-10-18T21:55:00.004-06:00

Tim is 7-months old in these pics. My how time flies. He is so much fun and very easy going, except at night. :)

Jared

2010-09-28T13:38:00.002-06:00

We went and saw Jared' speech teacher again yesterday. She told us some great news. Jared is done with speech! Yay! He is still having a problem with his 'r's but he has improved since we took our break. The 'r' sound can change up until they are 8 years old. She tested him again and said he tested at 100%, meaning out of 100 kids, Jared would most likely be understood the easiest, a big change from last year. Last year he tested at 1%. He has made a big improvement! Yay for Jared!

Smart kids

2010-09-18T22:59:00.002-06:00

We had SEP conferences a couple of weeks ago. We got the results back from Rachel and Sam's end of year testing (for last year). Rachel got 100% on her math test and was in the 90s on her English test! Awesome! Sam did just as well. On both his math and English tests, he received in the 90s as well. What smart kids!

Tim 6-month check up

2010-08-29T22:56:00.003-06:00

18lbs 2 1/2 oz (57%)
26 inches (28%)
Short and fat.....awwww, but he's so cute.

First day of school

2010-08-29T22:50:00.004-06:00

Well......actually second. I always forget to take a first day of school picture but I had a reason. I had to be to court at 9 a.m. to defend myself against a ticket I didn't deserve, but that is for another post. :D

Sam and Rachel started on August 11, and Jared started on August 18. Sam is in 5th. Rachel is in 3rd, and Jared is in kindergarten.
Jared and his crazy face

And Nate just didn't want to be left out.

Rachel's birthday party

2010-08-11T21:04:00.003-06:00

Rachel had her friend birthday party the Saturday before school started. She had a late night party. Ate lots of junk food and watched the Tooth Fairy. She had a good time and got lots of artsy presents. Her friends know her well!

Nate being silly

2010-08-11T20:32:00.000-06:00

Brigham City Temple

2010-07-31T21:01:00.002-06:00

It will be done in 18 months. Yeah for Brigham City! I'm very excited. When I was at home, I always thought it would be so cool to have a temple in Brigham. Hopefully, I can make it for the dedication.

Rachel's baptism

2010-07-26T15:48:00.004-06:00

Rachel got baptized on July 24th at 11 a.m. She was baptized and confirmed by her dad. She was also baptized with her friend Sam Woolley. It was a wonderful day, and she looked so beautiful in her white dress. When I was sewing her dress, it felt like I was doing her wedding dress. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it was so fluffy. She had Grandma and Grandpa Bennion, Grandma and Grandpa Field, Uncle Matthew, Aunt Jessica, Aunt Emily, and Uncle Pete attend her baptism. She only had one friend, Kali, attend her baptism. There was a mix up with two of her friends with time and ride and one was out of town.

Rachel's birthday

2010-07-26T15:29:00.003-06:00

We had Rachel's birthday at my parents' house since we were at a family reunion. She loved having all her cousins from my side there. We made a castle cake, but it was so warm it kept tipping over. Rachel and her cousins decorated the cake with the candy. We then left for Salt Lake city to go to Temple square and then to a baseball game. It was a very fun day.

For dinner Rachel wanted pizza but I told her it would be too expensive to feed everyone pizza and I didn't want to heat up the house either. So she chose tacos. Ironically enough, we ended up getting pizza for dinner because we ran out of time to get dinner. Lucky girl.

blowing out candles

Eating tacos for lunch.
waiting to open presents

We got pictures of her opening presents, but her dad took them with his camera. I'll post them when I get them.

Independence Day

2010-07-26T15:22:00.002-06:00

We went to a parade that our Stake put on for the 4th of July. We hadn't been to a parade in ages and the kids were so excited. After the parade we went and got a free breakfast.

Jared, Tim, Melissa, and Nate
Sam and Rachel
chubby Tim
skinny Nate
Nate and Sam
Jared
Melissa making a funny face and cute Rachel.

Sam's 10th birthday

2010-07-26T15:08:00.002-06:00

I can't believe Sam is 10! Where has the time gone? He had a great birthday complete with lunch with Dad and one of his favorite meals, chicken nuggets and chips. mmm.... His dessert was the pudding cake with oreos on the bottom.

Sam's 10th B-day party

2010-07-26T14:55:00.002-06:00

Sam had a late night birthday party with 10 boys! It was a bit crazy to say the least. I don't know if I'll do that again, but he had a great time. They played a few games and then watch Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief and ate food. He got some great presents. He has a some great friends.

Half my boys

2010-07-26T14:34:00.004-06:00

My chubby Tim, wonderful hubby, and tiny Nate.

Tim's 4-month check up

2010-06-30T23:05:00.001-06:00

Tim weighs 15 lbs 5 oz (54%) and his 25 inches long (47%). He isn't short and fat any more. Well, maybe a little. :D He sure is a cutie. I will post some pictures soon.

Grandpa Nielsen's Obituary

2010-06-30T23:03:00.000-06:00

Ramon William (Ray) Nielsen

Ramon (Ray) William Nielsen 1927 ~ 2010 Ramon (Ray) William Nielsen, age 82 of Elk Ridge, Utah, passed away Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at Payson, Utah. He was born November 16, 1927 at Salt Lake City, Utah to William Joseph and Ida Leone Brown Nielsen. He married Shirley Reed Nielsen, September 7, 1948 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He served in the Military Police during the occupation of Japan at the conclusion of World War II and as a 1st Lieutenant in the Air Force during the Korean War. Ray graduated from Utah State University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dairy Manufacturing and worked for HyKo Chemical; Emmett Truck & Implement and Boise Cascade. He received his Teaching Certificate from Portland State in 1966 and taught at Hillsboro Junior High in Oregon. For many years, he was a food scientist for Carnation Co. in Van Nuys, CA. He also owned and operated Nielsen Pet Foods and worked for Flowell Electric and Stuart Electric. He enjoyed raising Beagles, leather work, jazz music and photography. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as: a High Councilor; Bishop and Counselor in two Bishoprics; High Priest Group Leader; Family History Indexer and served in Stake and Ward Young Men's presidencies. He also completed missions with his wife in the Puerto Rico San Juan, Cove Fort, UT, and Spain Malaga missions. Survivors include: his wife, Shirley Reed Nielsen, Elk Ridge, UT; children, Reed (Donna) Nielsen, Rexburg, ID; Les (Carol) Nielsen, Highland Ranch, CO; Steven (Sonia) Nielsen, Draper, UT; Patti (David) Field, Garland, UT; Nancy (Chris) Key, Washington, UT; Lauri Giles, Springville, UT; Heidi Nielsen, Riverton, UT; 34 grandchildren; 51 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and a great-granddaughter, Cora Lynn McInnes. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 26, 2010, 1:00 p.m. in the Elk Ridge 2nd Ward Chapel, 259 Alpine Drive, Elk Ridge, Utah. Friends may call at the Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Friday, 6-8:00 p.m. or at the church Saturday, 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Burial will be in the Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery, Sandy, Utah where Military Rites will be accorded.

Sad news

2010-06-27T20:28:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, June 22, I received word that my beloved grandfather passed away. I am so sad. He was just a great example to me. I have so many wonderful memories of their house in Fillmore. I remember many long summer days at their home. I remember his magic coin that made us laugh. His love of Jazz music that you could almost always hear when you saw him and his huge record collection of Jazz. When he would come home from work, I remember he would always kiss my grandma. His vitamin C was chocolate. He loved goobers. His love of the TV show MASH. His hard work ethic. His love of his old Mercedes.

And probably one of the most important things I remember of my grandpa was his unwavering testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served 3 missions with my grandmother and served in numerous callings. He was always serving. I hope I live to make him proud. I love you Grandpa and you will be missed!

Nate's 3rd birthday

2010-06-15T08:53:00.003-06:00

Nate's birthday was on a very busy day this year. He went to Father's and Son's for the first time (thats why he looks so dirty when he opening his presents). We didn't have time to celebrate his birthday on his birthday because of Father's and Son's and I had a concert in Zion that night. So we celebrated his birthday on Sunday. He is so funny and cute. He was really tired when he opened his presents. At first he wasn't excited at all because he was so tired but he eventually got into it. He loved his presents. (We have only these pictures to post because all his other presents were recorded on video.)

Exciting!

2010-06-15T08:49:00.003-06:00

Karl-Erik had his first gallery showing starting the last week in May! He, as well as me, are very excited. We are hoping this will open some new doors for us! His show will continue until about mid August. It is being shown in the Sears gallery on Dixie State College campus. His art is in the hallway. Come visit if you can!

Nate's 3 year check

2010-05-24T21:18:00.003-06:00

Nate has gotten bigger. He's still small but he is growing. At three he is 27.6 lbs (10%). He was 4% at two. And he is 36.5 inches (27%). He was at 12% at two. Yay! We've been trying to get him to eat more so he could put on some weight. Looks like it worked a little bit.

Baby Tim 3-months old

2010-05-24T21:14:00.002-06:00

Dance

2010-05-24T20:59:00.003-06:00

Rachel loves to dance. This past weekend she had her dance recital and she was so excited. She did really well. It brought tears to my eyes to see my little girl dancing.

The first recital she did was based on the book the Quiltmakers Gift. She was a Mexican. She had a really big sombrero she danced around. This recital was nothing like I have ever seen before. It was beautiful. All the dancers had modest costumes on, and it was just beautiful.

Her second recital was It's all Dance to Me. She was a firefly. She was secretive about all her dances. She wouldn't practice them in front of me. It was so cute.

This is Rachel's class all dressed as fireflies. They all got to choose where to put their "diamonds".
Rachel the firefly.

The blonde and blue eyed Mexican. :)

Jared's Preschool graduation

2010-05-05T22:15:00.003-06:00

Our cute little Jared has graduated preschool and is on to Kindergarten. We attended his graduation on April 28th. He sure loved preschool and is even more excited for Kindergarten next year. He's all registered and wants to start tomorrow. Silly kid. I can't believe how grown up he is becoming. He is still doing speech therapy, almost done. His speech has improved leaps and bounds and is so clear. He has worked so hard. I think we will have a little party when he is finally done. I'm exhausted from it all. :D

Baby Tim's 2 month checkup

2010-04-20T14:52:00.003-06:00

Weight: 11 lbs 13 oz
Height: 21 3/4 inches

He is one chunky little baby. :)

Beautiful Rainbow

2010-04-11T21:30:00.004-06:00

One of the fullest rainbows I've seen.

Easter egg hunt

2010-04-11T21:23:00.003-06:00

We had a pretty uneventful Easter this year. We had a small egg hunt at home and then had one with the neighbors. I think the kids ate all their candy by Saturday night. I think the kids had a great time. They are a lot of fun to watch get eggs, especially Nate.

Tim's Baby Blessing

2010-04-11T21:18:00.003-06:00

Timmy was blessed on March 28 by his dad. In the circle was Grandpa Field, Uncle Matthew, Grandpa Bennion, Great Grandpa Bennion, Benji Nelson, and Bishop Kidman. We had a great turn out. Thanks to all that came. We missed a lot of people, but we did have a lot of fun. Sorry it has taken so long to get pictures up. I've been a tad busy. :)

Tim's Delivery

2010-03-07T21:11:00.002-07:00

Well ya'll I'm completely behind. Imagine that. Five kids is doing me in, but I really can't complain. Life is a little more busy and a little disorganized and the adjusting is coming a long. Baby Tim is a very good baby, and the kids seem to be adjusting fine, it's just me. I don't seem to keep a kitchen clean or keep up with laundry or feel completely put together. Ah well. I'm sure it will come.

I'd thought I'd sit down and right the details of how baby Timmy came into this world, since it has been three weeks already.

The morning of February 13, I had numerous things to do that morning with a 5000moms meeting and other various activities I had to do to prepare for Sunday. I had a hot date with my hubby and was preparing for a special Valentines dinner for the kiddos on Sunday. That morning I had actually mentioned to my husband that I didn't want to have a Valentine's baby and didn't think I would, but because I said it, I did.

I had cramping and back pain that morning and thought perhaps this baby will come that day, but since I get that all the time I really didn't think much of it. But just for good measure, I called my sister, Jen, to see where she was on coming home from taking her endowments out up north.

My pain subsided, and I continued on with my day. I had a million things to do and didn't get everything done before we left for our date. We went to the temple to do a few sealings for some ancestors that I had to finish up for my mom. While we were in the sealing room, I had a hard contraction and then this sudden urge to go to the bathroom that came out of no where. So we dismissed ourselves from the room and I almost literally ran to the bathroom. After I got out I felt much better and changed to leave the temple. I did think that maybe my body was going through the cleansing process before labor, but I wasn't have any consistent contractions and sometimes the cleansing process can happen a couple of days before you go into labor. So again, I dismissed going into labor.

Our ward was having a Valentine's dance, and we had a really fun time last year so we went. I wasn't going to dance much because it is quite difficult to move when you are pregnant. I was having some hard contraction occasionally, but nothing consistent. We left the dance early because I had to get the house ready for Sunday and a lesson to finish preparing.

While at the dance, everyone thought I'd dance the baby right out. And that's what was said when they found out I had the baby that night.

At about 11:30 p.m. I was had the hardest contraction of the night and thought maybe this was it. I decided to get all the kids clothes out for Sunday just in case. I told Keb that maybe this was the night. I got ready for bed and laid down and after laying down for only 10 minutes or so, I had two hard contractions that I had to breath through. I decided it was time to go in at about 12:30 a.m. We called Jen and asked her to come back. We got to the hospital at about 12:45 a.m. (And that road on the way to the hospital was horrible. Don't drive that road when you are in labor. ;)) They wouldn't admit me because I was only 36 weeks, but since this was my fifth kid they figured I knew what I was talking about. So they put me in a labor and delivery room, but still had to observe me.

They checked me at 1 a.m. and said I was about a 3 and 50% effaced. I couldn't believe I was only a 3 because usually when I have painful contractions I'm at least a 5. At about 2 a.m. my doctor had come in because he had another lady in labor. He checked me and said I was a 4+ and about 70% effaced. They said they would admit me and I said give me an epidural. At about 2:30, after two attempts, I finally had an epidural in and life was so much better. :D I'm wimp, what can I say.

At about 3:15 a.m. I was feeling a lot of pressure and tried to call the nurse, but I couldn't reach the remote to call her. Keb was out like a light. So I just laid there hoping someone would come and check on me soon. Finally at about 3:25 a.m., my nurse came in and I told her I was feeling pressure. She checked me and said I was about 100% effaced and a 9. My water still hadn't broken and they wouldn't break my water, because the lady next to me, also seen by my doctor, was about as far a long as I was and she was all natural. We could hear her scream. :/ They had to wait and deliver her before me. At about 3:35 a.m. they broke my water, and notice there was some blood in my fluid. Then my doctor left me to deliver the lady next door, and told me not to laugh, cough, or anything that would push the baby out while he was gone.

Finally at 3:55 a.m., my doctor came back in and asked if I was ready. Of course I was! So after three pushes, my little 'peanut' (the nurses named him that) came out. He was healthy and had no breathing problems. While I was pushing, I had pushed out blood clots before Tim came out. And Keb almost fainted with the sight of them. After some examinations, the doctor told me my placenta had already started to detach which caused the clotting. It was a good thing I delivered early. We wouldn't have a little Tim.

He weighed 5 lbs 10 oz and 17 inches long and was born at 4:01 a.m.

Baby Tim pics

2010-03-07T20:09:00.004-07:00

Jared and Tim
Nate and Time. Nate is doing so well with Tim. Not jealousy yet. Let's hope that continues.
Baby Tim
Being weighed.

Introducing baby Tim

2010-02-21T12:59:00.002-07:00

Timothy Ramon Bennion

2010-02-16T14:19:00.002-07:00

We had a baby on February 14 at 4:01 a.m. He weighed 5 lbs 10 oz and 18 inches long. Everything went well and we are excited to see him. I don't have any pictures of him with me but I'd thought you'd like to know. I'll post more once I have some time and I'm feeling better.

Bringing back some memories...

2010-02-09T21:02:00.005-07:00

Many years ago I swam at this state swim meet. I never had an opportunity to toss my coach in the water because our team took state, but this picture is of one of my former coaches, Yolanda Bates. The Mountain Crest boys team took state and was coached by no one else but Yolanda. She was a wonderful coach when I had her many years ago and she is still at it. Great job Yolanda!

Guesses anyone?

2010-02-07T19:34:00.003-07:00

We are about to have a baby in the next four weeks. We are very excited for his/her arrival! So we are going to have a guessing game. I know everyone does this, but since we don't know the gender this will be even more fun for me. :D You need to guess when the baby will arrive (day and time), how much he/she will weigh, and whether it is a girl or a boy. So start guessin'!

Being pregnant

2010-02-01T22:06:00.005-07:00

This hasn't been my most enjoyable pregnancy by far, but just maybe, this will be my last. I love it when people say, 'you look like you're going to pop' or 'whoa, you look huge' or my favorite, when I was six months pregnant, 'are you going to make it until Christmas?' Ah. Gee thanks lady.... :/ But on the upside hopefully less than 5 weeks left! Yay!

P.S. This is what I look like right now...at least I feel that's what I look like. :)

Sam's question

2010-01-21T09:34:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, Sam got three teeth pulled. While we were going to the pharmacy to get his pain reliever, he posed this question.

"Is it worse to get your teeth pulled or have a baby?"

I chuckled and said, "I would say having a baby is worse."

Sam said, "Are you sure? Because getting your teethed pulled is pretty bad."

I said, "Sam, hands down I'm sure having a baby is worse." :)

Nothing New

2010-01-13T21:35:00.002-07:00

Nothing really has gone on since I last posted. Life is progressing as usual. Sam and Rachel started school last week and Jared started school this week. Nate was moved to a big bed, and loves his freedom. Life is a little stressful and such, but nothing we can't handle.

I'm hanging in there. I have to hold on for another four weeks before this baby can make his/her premiere. I've been having lower back pain and other ailments I don't think you want to know about. I'm carrying the baby low, which is unusual for me because I don't usually drop until right before I deliver. But considering my activity level, it is probably normal. :) I'm contracting like crazy, but that is normal for me. We have finally decided on names, which is a miracle! If we have a boy, his name will be Timothy Ramon. If we have a girl, her name will be Chloe. The kids are getting excited.

Keb's business is keeping his busy. Not as busy as we would like but busy still. He is preparing for the Blue and Gold banquet at the beginning of next month. He is also preparing for another art walk in February that will hopefully bring in some sales. :)

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T23:02:00.002-07:00

We had a great Christmas with our little family. Some of us were sick, but overall it was very fun and relaxing. The kids got some great presents from Keb and I and also from friends and grandparents.

Rachel and Jared

2009-12-27T21:48:00.004-07:00

This is what we found on Christmas Eve. We did move Jared, but he just got back in bed with her again. I don't know how they sleep like that.

Christmas Eve Festivities

2009-12-27T21:46:00.001-07:00

We open one present on Christmas Eve, as for now it is usually pajamas. The kids loved their pjs, and they sure look cute.

Christmas Sunday

2009-12-20T21:55:00.003-07:00

This year was quite interesting with the kids clothes this year. I had bought all the boys sweaters and laid them out the night before with what tie I wanted them to wear. I figured they could wear the same pants they always wear to church and it couldn't get messed up. I had to be church early because of choir, so I didn't get to see them until they got to church and by then there was nothing I could do.
This is what they looked like at church. Their pants didn't match their clothes very well, and Karl-Erik didn't know any different. They don't look too bad, but Jared got to church in his pajama pants. Since Karl-Erik is colored blind he didn't see they were black. He thought they were his church pants, which are navy.
This is what they were suppose to wear to church. I love their sweaters, but seeing this picture make me think they need some new pants. :)
And this is our princess. I made the dress and it turned out so cute! The dress was super easy, but the jacket was another thing, but overall I think it turned out very well.

Jared's 5th Birthday

2009-12-20T21:43:00.003-07:00

Jared turned five this year and has grown up so much. Jared had a lot of fun on his birthday. He got to go to ice cream with his dad and have his favorite foods which includes hot dogs, cheetos, waffles, chicken nuggets, and french fries. And got some very fun presents.

Jared's pathetic birthday cake. He wanted one like Rachel's birthday cake but with Star Wars figurines on top. He wanted it red, but I was afraid it would turn into a pink cake so I said I would do orange or green, but it didn't match his Star Wars very well. It was a yummy cake. At least he was happy. :)
Present from Mom and Dad. He loves the books, so we got him the game. He is very good. He beats me even when I'm trying.
From Grandma and Grandpa Bennion
From Mom and Dad. He loves to build and has played with this in his speech sessions. Every time he plays with it, he tells me thank you for buying it.
The coloring book and crayons are from Grandma and Grandpa Field. Aunt Jen got him so popcorn finger paints and a movie, but I didn't get a good picture of that.

Karl-Erik's Birthday

2009-12-20T21:35:00.002-07:00

This year was very busy for birthdays. Karl-Erik was at the Dickens Festival for his birthday so we didn't celebrate his birthday until Sunday. We have some carne esada, french fries, and soda for his dinner. For dessert we had his favorite, homemade pecan pie. It was a very mellow birthday because life has been so busy, but I did take some pictures! :)

Randomness

2009-12-08T13:12:00.003-07:00

In the movie "Emperor's New Groove, Kronk is Yzma's right hand man. He is a little ditzy and spacey, but funny. Do you remember the part where Kronk sits up in the middle of the night, and says, "The peasant at the diner, he didn't pay his check.....". Well that happened to me last night. I woke up at 5:30 a.m., didn't sit up though like Kronk, and said, "I added baking powder instead of baking soda to the waffle batter." I made a waffle batter last night for Jared's birthday breakfast, and didn't realize I made a mistake until I had that random thought. Silly. I'm must be rather tired or stressed or pregnant or all of the above. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T22:33:00.003-07:00

This year we went to Henderson, NV to visit Karl-Erik's side. We had Keb's parents, his brother, Shawn, his wife, Fawn, and their kid, Laralei. Also his grandparents and his Aunt Jackie came for the dinner part. It was good food with lots of good company. We had a good time. The kids adored Laralei! The also loved wrestling with Shawn a lot. :) And I didn't take pictures. Bummer. But really that is no surprise. I actually did bring my camera though, but didn't get it out. Oh well. A good time was had by all!