So Ben and I are going on a cruise in May!!! I booked it before Christmas, without telling him ;) because it is for his 29 birthday on May 16th. I figured we've always wanted to go on a cruise, but it's always been an issue of time, money, you know...the usual excuses we find to not go and have a ball! Well I figured we need to have fun while we are still young, so I booked it! Ben knew something was coming up, but he he didn't know what or when and it was driving him crazy. He was getting downright pouty about it, so I told him about a week ago and he is really excited. I figured I should tell him since the anticipation is half the fun. And he only has to wait about 41 days now, wheareas I have know since before Christmas. It is a seven night cruise, and goes to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Peurto Vallarta. This is the cruise we've had our eye on for seven years now, and I got a pretty good deal on it. Of course when you add the airfare, transportation from airport to the cruise, and all the other stuff...it really adds up! But it is so nice because Ben now has paid vacation at work and that makes all the difference. Any advice from other more cruise-experienced people out there??? My biggest fear is going overboard (or getting mad at Ben and throwing him overboard! Just kidding of COURSE!)

Okay, this is why I love having a little boy. Just look at the picture...he is such a little dude! I'm sure if I had a girl I would be so excited about how she looked like a little princess, but right now I'm loving my little dude. So we got all dressed up this morning, but I am so sad because we slept in and missed sacrament. Easter of all days! Then after church Riley had a LOT of fun finding eggs and candy. A couple of years ago before we had Riley, I hid some eggs for Ben. I have to admit it was WAY more fun watching Riley find these eggs then it was watching Ben look for his eggs. Kids are just entertaining, especially when they are your own.

Sunday was our anniversary, so we went out Saturday night while Riley enjoyed a night with "his ladies" (my sister Kelsey and her two friends). We went to Brick Oven, and then to a movie. Before we went into the movie we took several dorky pictures of ourselves (like TEN!) before we realized there was a couple sitting in the car next to us and yes, they were amused with the wierd and ugly faces we were pulling. Trust me this is one of the mild ones :)
And of course we have to get one "normal" one in to redeem ourselves.
So as of Sunday, it has been seven years that Ben and I have been married! Time really flies, and I'm starting to realize that this getting older thing really is happening to us. I'm glad that I know what I know about life after death and being with my family forever!

These little cousins got together the other day for a few hours and had a lot of fun. Riley even told his cousin "Good job!" and celebrated with her after she went potty on the toilet! I will have to remember that and tease them when they are in highschool. But as happy as he was for her, he didn't want to try it himself.




Okay, I admit I love pictures of Riley kissing. I have several pictures of him and his cousin kissing, and I have to wonder how old they will get before they flat out reject me when I encourage them to kiss for the picture. I just love the innocence of little kids!








They each got their own little bag of candy and happily munched on that for a while at the park. Here's the interesting story about how we got to the park. I thought it would work out great to stuff them both into Riley's stroller. But they were too squished, so since Riley likes to run beside the stroller anyways when we go for a walk, I put his cousin in the stroller for the walk to the park and planned on having Riley walk next to me. Well Riley was NOT agreeing with that. He suddenly wanted HIS stroller. But his cousin didn't want to walk. So what ended up happening was I pushed Riley in the stroller with one hand while the other hand steading his cousin on my shoulders. This was the setup for several blocks, much of it uphill. And when it was time to go home.....same scenario, except I had just drank 32 oz. of diet coke and I was REALLY needing to get home. Needless to say it was a MISERABLE walk home for me, but the kids had fun and that's what counts, right! People were driving by looking at me like I was some idiot who had twins but was too stupid to get a twosome stroller :)

How many toys does it take....

How many items can be flushed down the toilet before we have serious trouble??? I have to wonder what is going on in our pipes, and if these items have made it safely to the main

lines, or if they are trapped somewhere "suffering". That would definately be a miserable existence. The top picture shows items similar to the ones that we know have been flushed down the toilet (this doesn't include a mystery item the other day, but I

couldn't get a description out of Riley other than "It's all gone, because.") The bottom picture are attempted flushes. Ben grabbed the bib just as it was going down, and the measuring cup luckily didn't fit. Yes I sanitized it!

The other day we went over to the Nuttall's house and had lunch. It works out great because the kids sit at this little table. Well, they were having way too much fun drinking their milk from their sippee cups. They would all take a drink and then SLAM the cups down on the table in unison....and as you can see by the second picture they thought it was pretty hilarious. I think the Nuttall kids have this nice big natural laugh, and then there's Riley in the back who was also laughing but there is that 10% forced thing that he always does. He throws his head back, closes his eyes, and opens his mouth and laughs and I have to say it is PRETTY CHEESY!

Later on we all went downstairs and enjoyed a little game of pool. Ben thinks he is a hot shot at pool. I like his pose in the bottome picture. Someday when we have a house we plan on having a pool table because it IS a pretty fun game.

My sister Kelsey is a junior this year, and so Friday and Saturday night was her junior prom. At North Sanpete High, prom is a REALLY big deal and has been for a long time. They do two nights, some girls wear two different dresses, they announce each student, and the students do a choreographed dance to a popular song of the day (this year it was Daughtry, Coming Home). After the "performance" the juniors are joined by there Mom or Dad, and enjoy a dance together. So I got a couple pictures of Kelsey dancing with my Dad too. Anyways, it was really fun to go and see Kelsey all dressed up. She looks just like Cinderella! I think she is just beautiful and I'm glad I got to go and be there for this moment she's been looking forward to for a long time. It also brought back a lot of memories from my prom. I can't believe I was once also 16. Sometimes I wish there was a way to peek back on ourselves to see what we were like at a given age. After the prom my Dad and Laurie and Ben and I went to get ice cream. Unfortunately there were two LARGE orders in front of us, so I waited at the counter for 20 minutes (and was butted in front of by some old guy) before I finally got my order in. then it was another 20 minutes before we got our two shakes and one ice water. CRAZY!

It was my friend Tanya's birthday Tuesday so I took her out to this really fancy restaurant called Carl's Jr. Her son took the picture of Tanya and I, and I have to wonder why my head looks twice as big as hers. I have noticed that in other pictures too. Anyone out there noticed how big my head is, and just haven't dared tell me? Cuz pictures don't lie. Now I've always thought Riley has a very large head. It's endearing on a child because they always look top heavy. But as an adult, I don't want to look top heavy (I'm not talking about THOSE! I'm talking about my big head). Anyways, the kids had fun. Riley and Sienna are good buds, until they start hitting or shoving eachother. Then they make up and are buds again. That pretty much happed eight times while we were there. And Hunter and Riley have a lot of fun too, even though

Hunter older. So we all had fun porking out on the healthy, low

calorie, organic food that they sell at Carl's Jr. I had the pleasure of sharing my lemonade with Riley and Sienna. I LOVE that string of saliva that two year olds have as they are pulling their lips off the straw. Then one end breaks away from their lip and slops right onto the straw. Mmmmmm.

Ever since Riley could walk, I have loved taking him to different parks. We have such a blast getting him loaded up in the stroller, and then making the long (sometimes short) trek to a park, and we usually stop for breakfast or lunch along the way. The other day when we went to the park there wasn't anyone else there since it's cold and snowy, but we still had a fun time. And the whole way home Riley wanted every nice looking rock he spotted so that he could throw it in the next puddle we walked past. It was IMPERATIVE that he had his chance to throw some rocks in puddles, or he would get so stressed out. The bottom picture shows Riley handing me a leaf, although he calls them flowers and acts as pleased as if he's found me a pretty flower. I love that he's into the age where he wants to give me little presents! I am so excited for Spring and Summer, when we don't have to bundle up to head out to the park! I'd like to take him to lot's of different parks

this summer. I never thought going to parks could be so much fun, but when it's that or staying in the house (a small one at that!) the park is a fun option.