Celebrations!

Sunday was both Ben's birthday and mother's day.  Honestly it's not as much fun when they fall on the same day, but we did our best to celebrate anyway.

Since Ben turned 30 this year we got together with some of our friends.  We ordered some yummy bbq sandwiches and and sides from a local restaurant and sipped on some old fashioned sodas at the park.  We finished the night off with some Rita's Italian Ice.  It was fun to joke around with friends and watch the kids play at the park.  What a great way to celebrate the start of a new decade.  Ben also opened most of his gifts Sat since we knew Sunday would be busy.  There were no surprises, because Rhone excitedly told Ben everything his was getting about a week before :) .  He got the new ipad and was pretty excited about it.

Sunday morning was crazy.  Ben had to be at church at 6:45 am.  I scrambled to get the kids, my talk for sacrament meeting, and crafts for the primary kids ready and out the door.  After church we were all pretty exhausted and by 2:30 pm everyone was ready for a nap.  We were shocked when we didn't wake up until 4:30, but I guess we all needed some sleep.  I got to open my presents and then we had dinner and Ben's birthday cake.  Whew what a busy weekend (pictures of the fathers and sons' camp out coming soon).

Ben opening his present that Rhone picked out.  It is 2 super soaker water guns (rmember how cool those green ones were when we were kids).  I spent about an hour in target one night while Rhone picked out this gift.

Rhone helped me make this pack of bottle treats for Ben and a book with 30 things we love about Ben.

Ben and and kiddos at the park.

Me and my sweet kids after church

Sylvie turned 2 months on Ben's birthday.  She weighs 12.2 lbs and is 22.5 inches long

I sure am so grateful for these two adorable spirits.  I really have the most amazing career!

I got these cool keepsake boxes for each of the kids and a necklace with Rhone and Sylvie's names for my gifts.

Blowing out the birthday candles

Rhone gave me this pretty long stem rose and a card he made in nursery.  He has the best nursery leaders.

Dover Days

Dover had a colonial celebration every spring.  This year they added fireworks the Friday night before.  We were able to meet up with some friends for the show.  The next morning we headed down town to the parade and festivities.  One of the large churches holds an international food festival during the celebration, so we were able to get some tasty food.  Then we finished the day up with our friends for some Cinco de Mayo tacos. The Thursday before we went to a tiny traveling circus that came to town.  Rhone was pretty excited to see the show.  Whew it was a busy weekend!

All ready for the show under the big top

The boys playing with their glow sticks waiting for the fireworks

Watching the show

Oh the fun of running around the road with bubbles waiting for the parade to start.

The Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile made the parade!

The babies enjoying their daddy time

Rhone and his friends doing some colonial work with pulleys

This and That

 We were back from our trip for only 2 days before Ben left for a mission.  So we settled back into reality and life with Ben on the road.  We have done a few fun activities with Rhone to fill the time and it's a good thing we have kind friends who help fill our time.  There was a carnival on base that we went to.  It was a little tricky with 2 kiddos, but I managed.  When Ben was back home on crew rest we spent a rainy morning at a local bounce house place.  Rhone has been dying to go to the beach, so one evening we went to one of our little local beaches.  We didn't last long, but it made Rhone happy.

A spring chick made entirely of fruit

Rhone with a carnival prize

Shooting hoops at the

Sylvie with her shrinking Kangaroo

My adorable kids

Mom and Sylvie at the beach

Making a sandcastle

Jumping of the sandy ledge at the beach

Sliding Fun

Our little dare devil

Rhone and his friends building with Styrofoam and golf tee's at the Bob the builder story time

land that we LOVE

Oh how I love spending time in Idaho with family.  But let me tell ya, it's a lot of work to get ready for trip with a 3 week old.  Miss Sylvie did an excellent job on her first flight and since Rhone is a pretty experienced traveler everything went quite well.  Oh except that security was SUPER long at the Philly airport, so after Rhone's potty break I was running through the airport with him in my arms to catch up to Ben and make the plane.  

The first few days at home were busy getting ready for Sylvie's blessing and spending time the Ben's family.  After everything was over, we had a chance to just settle in and relax.  Rhone got to ride around all day in a tractor with Papa and go fishing.  Ben went on the hunt for some great deals on used snowmobiles and put a new scope on his gun.  Sylvie got held and spoiled by everyone.  And I got to sleep in and spend a day shopping with my mom.  It was an amazing trip for all of us, but I am thrilled that we are done with cross country flights for the next few years.  It was pretty darn tough to come back home and then send Ben off to the middle East 2 days later.   

The 5 hour flight from Philly to SLC

Sylvie's 1st flight at 3 weeks old

Sylvie meeting her Great Gramps and 2nd cousins

Rhone and Sylvie with Great Grandma and Grandpa Rose

Rhone with a fish on his line!  I used to fish at this place when I was little too.  I don't know if Rhone had more fun or if the grown ups did watching him.

He liked catching them, but he was not interested in touching them.  We did take our fish home and smoke it.  And he ate quite a bit.

Fishing all by himself.

Sylvie and Nana came fishing too

When Rhone would wake up early, we could just send him upstairs to play with Nana, while Ben and I slept.  Here he is helping make breakfast

Since there wasn't any snow, Ben tried out he snowmobile on the meadow grass.

Even Nana and Papa took a spin

Pretending to be gunsmiths

Sylvie turned 1 month old!

The cousins

We took Ace out for a little training session.  Rhone hiked all over by himself.  My dad asked him if he needed a ride across a gully and through some tall grass.  Rhone said, "I don't think so, my legs work pretty good."

The gang

This is the only picture of Nana and Papa with the kiddos.

snow slush with sprinkles

Papa and his little worker

Bert riding dusty. He sure loves Ed and Aunt Mary

Sylvie loves her Papa