Dogs and Ducks

The biggest news over here is that Bennett is ONE! I can't believe his birthday already caught up to us. This baby boy is such a sweet part of our family and lately I sometimes just sit and think about the fact that his first year is already over. These little people change so quickly. I am always surprised at how much I can feel simultaneously buried in this stage yet also feel it slip away. Days are so different than weeks, months, and years. Michael said, "Happy birthday, Benny -- you pretty much rocked that first year." Then looked at me and said, "I doubt we'll have another baby like Bennett." And that's just the truth. He's a special little spirit and his joyful soul has felt like a blessing and honor to be a part of!

Other big news was turning our house into a farm this weekend. We had a Golden Doodle come back over to stay the weekend, plus a couple needed someone to watch their 4 chickens and 2 ducks while they're closing on a house in Fresno. It's hilarious over here. We have to herd them into their kennels at night and the process just cracks me up. Westin likes looking for their eggs, and our neighbors were cracking up at us over the fence tonight. Their grandkids want to come over and hang out with the ducks tomorrow. It's hard to get to know your neighbors in suburban America, but chickens and ducks help.

We loved General Conference last weekend, and I'm looking forward to studying those words again. This world feels increasingly complicated and heartbreaking. It feels more necessary than ever to identify what brings you peace and to focus on that.

I reserved tickets this week for the Cedar City Temple Open House and I am really looking forward to that. My hometown has such a special place in my heart and I'm so happy a temple is being built there.

We also have a new nephew as of this week! Rachel had baby Eli and we are so thrilled he's here and healthy and that she is doing well too. We can't wait to meet him.

Pictures for the rest!

My boys. I love them so much!

Sammy and Westin on the run. Such cuties.

Breakfast! Can you tell which is the duck egg omelette and which is the chicken egg omelette?

Left is duck. And there was actually a notable difference in taste, especially eaten side by side like this. Inside are peppers, onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and those eggs are as fresh as you can get. It made me grossed out in a way, which revealed to me how disconnected from my food I am -- why would store bought eggs be any better in my mind? I'm crazy.

One of the chickens MAYBE almost escaped. She was on the hunt for a place to lay an egg. So Michael built her a little spot out of a diaper box, and we've had 4 eggs in there since then. He's so funny. He just does stuff that I would never think to do sometimes and I love it.
Like... have chickens and ducks over for a week.

These two stick together always, and when you get too close or do something they don't like, they quack at each other like they're talking about you. It's hilarious yet also makes me feel super judged.

All four chickens.

My view down the hall most nights. They read stories on Westin's big boy bed... then he always wants to sleep in his crib after. :) But I love listening to them laugh.

Slide success! This was the first time Westin went down slides by himself. It's kind of been a thing.

But he braved them when I asked him to show baby how to do it.

Bennett got some pots and pans to bang around for his birthday! He's been loving them.

He just poked his cupcake until I put a piece in his mouth, then he was super into it.

This face. This is Bennett.

Westin was so excited to get birthday hats for Bennett's birthday. But....don't buy birthday hats from the dollar store. Big mistake. They broke so quickly and we barely got one picture out of it, but hey. 

Balloons, on the other hand, you should definitely get at the dollar store. 

Brinkley. He was a large and lazy thing and we loved him.

Those thighs, right?

Westin got a pretzel for "prayer" and a goldfish for "Jesus" and by the fourth session those guidelines were reeaaalllly loosely followed.

Michael and his plastics crew. Less than a month left on this rotation.

Magic colors! I love the easy but fun preschool activities from our little curriculum. This took zero planning, super easy clean up, and Westin thought it was amazing. Just a few drops of food coloring underneath baking soda, then pour vinegar on each spot to reveal the magic colors.

Q-Tip name painting. He did way better with this than the dot sticker letters we've done.

His first time measuring things. His giraffe is five legos long, now we know.

I thought for sure he'd paint every color on this pumpkin but he wanted only orange, and only a green stem. His most realistic art project yet. The bottom left is him trying to make the same face as the pumpkin :)

I love that Bennett needs a good snuggle time when he wakes up.

Always playing in his crib in the mornings and after his nap. He goes to sleep with a specific line up of toys each night and has to have each one.

Kids. Plants. Kitty's water. Whoops. This is the result of me trying to do my new social media/marketing side job while Bennett was awake. Now I know we'll just stick with nap times for that. This may have happened a second time that same day. Sigh.