Lately...

Life has been busy. I had forgotten how many loads of laundry a new little one can generate. Truly it's amazing.


Livy has really fallen into the role of big sister wonderfully. She loves Jane so much and wants to cuddle with her often (sometimes draping herself over her) and kisses her everytime she walks past her. And probably the most amazing thing, she gives her "silky" to Jane when she gets too upset, all the while saying, "It's ok", over and over. Which is exactly what Peter and I say to her too. Now those of you who don't know just how attached Livy is to her silky, this is incredible for her to hand it over. Livy is getting so grown up, she's talking more and more, which is so wonderful for us. She loves reading books, but only the ones that she picks out. A couple months ago she started sleeping in her twin bed and she loves it. The last two Sundays I've been able to walk her to nursery and only have to sit with her for a couple minutes before sneaking out, but the leader informed me she didn't even cry (I think the transition was almost harder on me).

All tuckered out.


Helping Daddy plow the driveway.


Not wanting to stop helping Daddy =)


Getting so big!



Jane is growing fast! She is getting so tall, and I think she looks like a Benson more and more. She definitely developing her own look and is just such a joy to have. She started smiling a few weeks ago and just the other day she giggled for me while playing "Pat-a-cake." Of course I haven't gotten her to do it since. =) She's been such a sweet baby and has gotten into a pretty steady schedule already and goes to bed around 9 and sleeps until 6. She loves Livy. She will follow her around the room and whenever Livy talks to her she just smiles, unless she's too upset. Having two sweet girls in our home reminds me daily of the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father.

Smiles!


Lovin her jammies


Blessing day.


So cute!



Peter has senioritis =) but is powering through it and is excited for the next chapter of our lives. Graduation is just about four weeks away and I am so proud of him. I know he puts his all in everything that he does. He's been getting to know the Teachers better in our ward and he may not feel like he's making much of a difference but I know he is. He is such a wonderful man. I know you all know that of course =). He never complains about unexciting dinners or lack there of, and he's always willing to help out with the girls as soon as he walks in the door. Every time he comes home I feel like I'm complete again, he's like a breath of fresh air to me and I love him for it.

Such a great helper! =)


Bonding time



As for me, I continue to learn the tricks of having more than one child in the house and trying to keep the house in order. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I'm pretty excited to be moving to Provo. I'm anxious for Livy and Jane to get to know their other grandparents better, I too am excited to build my relationship with the Bensons. My best friend lives in Provo as well and I'm glad to be closer to her. I truly love my family and I'm so happy we are entering this new stage of our lives. I know I'll miss my family deeply and it'll take me a little while to get over not having my mom close (yes I am a mama's girl =)). Lyman's as far from my family as I've been so I know it'll be an adjustment but I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow, because I know that happens when we're pushed out of our comfort zones.

Simply Scrumptious

I've decided to rename our blog "Simply Scrumptious" because that is what my life is. And it truly is simply scrumptious.

So, as it's been quite a long while since I've been on here I have a lot of catching up to do. But, the most important update is Jane Elizabeth arrived December 16, 2010 healthy and strong. She was 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 20 inches long, exactly one pound smaller and one inch shorter than her big sister. She has been such a blessing and such a wonderful baby. Seriously, she sleeps from 9pm to 4 or 5 in the morning and she's so in love with all of us, especially her big sister. Anytime Livy comes into her view she just smiles and smiles. They're going to be kindred spirits in know it. One thing more that was much appreciated on my part, was that her arrival was much less dramatic and quicker. It only took four contractions to get her out once I started pushing and no vacuum this time. =) I was a happy camper!

Isn't she just a doll?!

I know this was short and probably unfulfilling to read but it's all the time I have for now...Livy's ready for a snack. =)

I have CONQUERED!!!

I better warn everyone that I'm going to toot my own horn for just a minute =) I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes with this pregnancy and it was really tough to adjust to a new diet and to prick my fingers multiple times throughout the days but at my last appointment my doctor said that my blood sugar numbers were so good that I didn't have to check them anymore. Hooray!! I'm pretty competitive and am proud to say I beat diabetes! So, if anyone happens to get it, don't let it scare you. If I can do it, anyone can.

So I have roughly 2 weeks before my new little angel gets here. Eeek (this is both an incredibly excited and incredibly scared eeek)! I was just wondering if any of you wonderful women out there had any tips about what to do to make your hospital stay easier. Not that I had a bad experience last time (the nurses and staff were wonderful) but I'm just not the biggest fan of staying in hospitals in general. Were there things you wished you brought? Things you did that you were so happy that you did? Things for before and after the birth...anything. So, if you'd be so kind as to share your secrets and such with me I would love it!! Thank you and I hope everyone is having a fabulous day!

Thankful for...

Peter and I wanted to do a thankful list so here it goes...

Heidi
1. My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
2. The Gospel-I have no idea where I would be without it, but I know I wouldn't be where I am today and I can't even fathom that idea.
3. Peter-The love of my life, the milk to my milkshake =) He is my best friend and with him by my side everything seems a little brighter.

4. My precious Olivia. She has got to be the cutest thing in the world! She is truly such a joy.

5. For family. People who love us no matter what and are willing to support us in so many ways.


Peter
I don't often write on the blog... in fact I think this is my first time. So much pressure:).
My number one right now is that I'm thankful for such a wonderful wife who loves kids, who loves me(some times it's harder than others :)) and who never ceases to amaze me with her everlasting love.
I am thankful for our wonderful daughter Olivia. She is such a bright spot in my life. I can't go a day without her melting away my stress with her precious little smile.
I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for living prophets who lead and guide us. Never has there been a better time to live on this earth than now with the plethora of guidence and direction from heaven.
I am thankful for temples and for the fact that my family can be a forever family.
I am thankful for wonderful parents who taught me all I know. Who lead and guide with love and by example.
I am grateful for wonderful parents in law who love me, like I said, not always easy. They are truly the best parents in law I could have ever dreamed of.
I am grateful for my siblings and their spouses/children.
I could go on and on, but I'll spare you... okay one last one. I am grateful for the opportunity to gain an education. My education at BYU-Idaho has expanded my mind so much than I ever could have imagined.
So there you are. Pete's 2010 thankful list. Pete signing off.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Where Do I Begin?

Tis the season! I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone already. This year has seemed to fly by without me knowing it. So, I'm sure all of you here in the Southeast Idaho area can agree that Monday and Tuesday were both super crazy weather days. Since I wasn't planning on going farther from my home than my sister-in-law's home, which is just around the corner, I wasn't too nervous about it. Well, Monday rolled around and Peter and I were so excited because we were going to pick up his brother, Josh and his family (consisting of his incredible wife Roxanne and their cute little boy J. Will) from the Idaho Falls airport, my wonderful mom let us borrow her mini-van so we could all fit. Well, we bundled up and started on our way. It took us about an hour to get there. It still amazes me how hard the wind can blow here. Well, Josh and company were coming from Arizona and even though they've lived here before for years, I still think they were pretty shocked at how cold and windy it gets. We did make it home eventually and Livy and J. Will hit it off right away and talked most of the car ride. I LOVE when babies talk to each other.

So, fast forward to Tuesday. Peter had been feeling kinda icky the last few days but by Tuesday he was pretty sick with a sore throat and a bad cold so I decided I needed to get into town (we live out in Lyman on the way to Big Judd's for those of you who don't know that yet) to get him some good medicine so he'd be feeling good by Thanksgiving. The wind was blowing fiercely throughout the night and I barely made it out of our driveway, but I powered through and was on my way. The trip to town and back was pretty uneventful until I turned onto our street and tried to get back into our driveway. Just past the first house on our street there is a wide open field and with the wind blowing I wouldn't see past the front of my car. Weirdly enough, I was grateful for the piles of snow on either side of the road from the plows because I nudged them a few times which saved me from going into ditches. Then I tried getting into the driveway. Pretty sure that ice hates cars that are trying to turn on it. So, I end up stuck with half my car sticking out into the road. I call my strong working man and he bundles up to come help me. We did leave Livy inside, but before anyone judges us for being horrible, negligent parents we left Peter's phone on speaker in her room (where she was napping) so I could hear her if she woke up on my phone. While I was waiting patiently for Peter to come help I was a little irked when this truck passed by me...twice, without even a sideways glance. HELLO!! I am a HUGE pregnant girl trying to dig my car out. Rude. Anyways, between Pete's huge muscles and my thinking of using our car mats for traction, we got back into our driveway. You may think this is the end of my story...oh no...so if you want to stop reading I don't blame you. Peter's family was due to roll in that evening so we were all pretty worried when the Blizzard Warnings, Road Closures, and Hazardous Driving Conditions started popping up on the radio and websites we were constantly checking. They left Orem at about 12:30 PM and didn't actually make it to Peter's sister's (Annalyn) house until about 7 PM. Geez... six and a half hours.

Now, rewind back to just after getting our car back into the driveway. I had Peter take his medicine and drink some herbal tea and relax so he'd start feeling better, then Annalyn's husband, Ryan, and Josh came to rescue us from a day of boredom in his Huge Man Truck. He got us all safely to his house where we could play games and socialize and wait for the rest of the family to make it safely. After hugs and greetings were done I was pretty anxious to get home before we couldn't. So Peter, Livy, and I piled into the backseat of the Huge Man Truck and we were on our way. As we turn up our street, we don't see it. It is white from drifts of snow and I'm thinking, "There's no way we're going to make it!" and we see a pair of headlights coming at us so we wait to see if whoever is coming will actually make it through. He does...barely. So, we're like, "We'll just follow this guy's tracks and be just fine." Oh, no. We hit the drifts and get about a truck length's in and get stuck. I mean stuck. And we're still about 150 yards from our house. Which may not seem far but with whiteout conditions, it is. So, Peter and I decide he just needs to tuck our precious Livy like a football and run and I would follow...slightly slower =) So we wrap her up tight and he goes for it. On my trek towards my porch light I couldn't believe Mother Nature's power. It's incredible. Unfortunately, once I got out of range from the truck's headlights I couldn't see much and I ended up twisting my ankle and falling pretty hard. Thankfully, neither the baby nor me were injured, just a swollen ankle and a good dose of being scared. Well, needless to say we made it home to our snug little house. I was pretty frazzled, hoping our little baby girl was ok and didn't suffer from her mother's clumsiness and just with walking in that weather, even for that short distance. Peter headed back out to help Ryan get out which he did thanks to some helpful people who were willing to stop and help. Livy was pretty scared. She wouldn't let us out of her sight or clutches. She was still smiling and her cheerful self but she needed some extra TLC before we could put her to bed that night. After this grand adventure I keep thinking how grateful I am to live in this day and age. I keep thinking of the pioneers and the fact that they had to walk for days and miles in weather like that, without proper clothing, the women weighed down with dresses and petticoats, and little ones so cold. I know it may seem silly, but I was gasping and freezing by the time I made it to my home and I just started crying thinking how happy I am to live here, to have a house, to have heat, and to be able to crawl into a warm, comfortable bed. I am just so thankful for everything in my life. I know it sounds pretty cliche, but I really am. So, thank you to all those who have played a roll in my life and continue to do so. There are a lot of you, and I'm so glad to have so many incredible people to look up to and go to for help and guidance. Most of all I am thankful to a loving Heavenly Father and to my Savior for never giving up on me and for providing the tools I need to better myself each day so that I can spend forever with those I love most. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks for sticking around long enough to read all of this =)

Long Overdue Pictures

Here are just some pictures from this last summer up til now. Pictures are way more fun than reading! =)

Peter and Livy getting ready for a ride



Pete and Livy and Doug and Emyli (our rockin friends) The girls LOVED it!!



Livy ready for our hay ride at Great-Grandma and Grandpa's. She's so cute!!



Livy's Halloween Costume (minus the leggings)


Heidi and Livy ready for the Trunk-or-Treat


Pete and Livy at the Trunk-or-Treat


Livy ready for treats

Livy had a rough night...getting out of the car one of her parents (I won't say who to avoid marital contention =) ) nailed her head on the roof and then shortly after she was so excited to get going that she tripped and smacked her forehead/nose on the sidewalk. We literally heard the smack...so sad! But she's tough and got up and kept going.


This is Heid at 33 weeks. Radiant...?



Just an updated picture of Peter and Heidi. XOXO


Well, I hope you enjoyed our photo update. Hope all of our friends and family are doing well. We sure love you all! Have a fabulous week!

Just An Update...

I haven't been on here for a little while and Livy's napping so here I am! =) Here's what's happening with the Bensons:
Peter
Peter is now the big 2-5! A quarter of a century old =) We ate out and had french silk pie for dessert. Yum!
Forever my hard working man, Peter's putting in long study hours and work hours. But we're both so excited that after this semester he only has one more before he gets his Bachelor's! How great is that?! After that he'll be doing his internship, probably somewhere in Utah Valley. Then we'll start preparing for Grad School. We're growing up! =) He's the ever-caring husband and pampers me a little bit everyday. Livy loves when she hears her daddy walk in the door and goes running for her hug and kiss from him. He also has a way of making me laugh harder than I have ever in my life! Which is not good in my present state of having a hard time controlling my bladder already...Love him!

Livy Lu
Oh my Livy! She's coming up on 17 months and getting so so big! I've been extremely blessed in that she still takes 2 naps a day. Both about an hour and a half each which gives me much needed time to get things done and get a little extra rest. Livy's discovered the joy of coloring! This has been a BIG help during church. She is so great at leading us to things she wants/needs and will say thank you when prompted. She is starting to talk more and more. She can now say: Mama, Dada, Nana, Papa, tank-you, more, uh-huh, no, dink (drink), and the other day she said Hadley (who is Chris and Hydee's little man). Whenever she wakes up she yells, "Da da!" when she's ready to get out. She still loves her books and is now fascinated with babydolls. We're trying to teach her how to be soft with babies now. If anyone has suggestions to help us ease her into the transition of having a baby sister around, I would love to hear them. She'll be going into nursery in November. I can't believe my little baby is getting so big. She loves to dance to the Hairspray soundtrack! It is so so cute!

Heidi
As for me, I am 28 weeks along and am really starting to feel nervous about being a mom of two. Things are so great though. I'm helping with Achievement Days and really enjoying going to Relief Society and getting to know the great women in my ward. My knee's been giving me issues so I'll be getting fit for a good brace to hopefully help me out. I was able to decorate for my best friend's wedding reception and I was so happy for her and her new hubby! Married life is so much better than single (no offense to anyone out there still single). I love that I get to spend each day with my best friend and that he loves me so much! I really can't believe how blessed my life is, even with the struggles. Peter and Livy brighten each day and make me feel so loved.

Well, that's about it for now. Thanks to all our family and friends for their never ending love and support!