In All His Glory

Ben is changing every day.

I wanted to document him before he moved on in his development.

Here is a day in the life of a 10 month old Benjamin Lee Roberts.

I heard him whining from his room.

Here he's caught between the crib and slide!

Poor Kid!

Ben can't get enough of this slide.

He's enjoyed learning how to crawl up by himself.

Ben will try to shove any size ball into his mouth.

Even if it doesn't fit.

I just love this little blue eyed kid.

The bath is still one of Ben's ultimate favorite pass time.

He'll even bang open any closed door if he hears the water running.

Ben is a fanatic for the foam letters.

I can NEVER get him to sit down. He always has to stand up!

Oh and here you can see just how much Ben looks like his dad,

with broad shoulders and a skinny waist!

This is to show Ben's other favorite thing...climbing out of the tub!

Served Cold and Frothy

An English visitor said in 1866, "Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew egg nogg for all comers; everybody calls on everybody else; and each call is celebrated by a solemn egg-nogging...It is made cold and is drunk cold and is to be commended."

I love the holidays. And it doesn't feel like Christmas time without a large cup of Eggnog. Personally I have already had at least 6 cups of it and it's not even December yet (and yes mom it was the low fat kind)! I enjoy the thick, rich, sweet coating as it fills me up. And for all you "nog-haters" remember silence is golden and feel free NOT to leave any comments.

Just in case you are daring enough to make it your own, here's a recipe:

12 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 quart cream, to taste vanilla, dash of nutmeg. Separate eggs at room temp. Beat yolks till creamed with about half of sugar, whites till peaked then add other half of sugar. Beat cream till stiff. Then fold all together. Add vanilla to taste - but remember that a little bit of vanilla goes a long way. Place into containers keep in refrigerator for at least one day. Shake before serving.

Sydney's Growing UP

Yesterday we had the Missionaries from our Church over for dinner and afterwards we were having a friend watch the kids so Larry and I could go on a date. Of course I was extremely busy running around, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, getting all gussied up for the date...blah, blah, blah. So while I was in the bathroom taming the afro, Sydney came in and asked...
S:"Mom, do you think that Sister Richins could just stay at her house and the Missionaries could babysit us?"
Me:"Well, I don't think that's a good idea because the Missionaries are VERY busy. They have lots of people to talk to and share the gospel with."
S:"Well then, could they at least give me a kiss on the cheek when the leave instead of shaking my hand?"
Me: (just picture a look of surprise with my mouth open and eyes bulging)"Mmmm...no missionaries don't kiss."
And yes that is the best answer I could come up with! Holy Cow, she already wants a kiss from the Elders. She's not even 5 yet!! Oh she's going to give us a run for our $$.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Thanksgiving where the kids out number the adults is a mush pot for "never a dull moment". This year we joined forces with our dear friends, the Richins'. It was just like being with family. I even think our children know each other like cousins!! Especially with all the play dates, babysitting switches and neighborly meet & greets. I believe the best part for us parents was being able to split up the outrageous amount of duties that go into a "Thanksgiving Dinner". (Which can be a daunting task.) Larry did his usual turkey, stuffing, gravy and scrumshish Peach Cobbler Pie. I contributed with my skilled knife techniques by cutting up veggies for him, and offering any words of advice. Oh and I also made the famous "Gurvine Blue Cheese Ball"...mmmm, delicious!

Travis and Chandra willing offered up their home as our meeting grounds. The kids really went wild in the boys room. I don't think there was one thing left in it's original spot! And who knew the bed was all they needed to have fun!

As I recall the evening a few treasured moments pop out in my head. Taylor babbling through the prayer unaware we were in the middle of it, all the kids taking turns hiding underneath the table, Sydney enjoying sweet potatoes so much she wanted 2nds, Chandra asking the kids questions about the original thanksgiving dinner and receiving very original answers,Travis playing his violin to entertain the kids,

Isabelle and Alex going off for an early bedtime,

and Ben finding a bowl of peas calling out to him..."eat me, eat me eat me". All in all, it was wonderful. Even a the cold temperature and a few snow flurries (yes, in Texas) made it feel even more like the Holiday Season. Now it's time to shop!

Eat My Dust

Over the past month Ben has been taking a step here and a step there. But really hasn't extended himself further than that. Which in reality I am grateful for. I'm not ready to hold his hand across the street, tell him to slow down and keep all the doors shut around the house. So far all of our kids have walked at 10 months. And I mean walking. All of those teasing first steps were in their 9th month. It's exhausting! Especially now with a handful of other kids to watch. I think I might just lose my sanity...Either way before I get committed to the asylum here are the few shots I got of Ben in all his glory!

Krazy Kids

Once again I met with my favorite friends for our usual afternoon energy release. The kids are usually thrashing the house the hours before dinner and are in need of some serious rowdy, rough and tumble play. And personally I'd rather not have it happen in my house. Here are some pic's of the kids horsing around the gym at the Rec' Center. Gotta love the good ol' hool-a-hoop! It makes for a great corral.

This ain't your mother's hair cut...

So a few months ago I chopped a big chunk of my hair off. And now after having it short I realized my likes and dislikes about it. Since my hair is ultra thick (and I mean THICK) and wavy my hair needs to be kept thin.

Otherwise I'm triangle head and I start looking like my mom from 1969 (sorry mom...no offense).

Thankfully Erin gave me the name of a WONDERFUL gal. She did a great job.

Also as it turns out, Sydney's hair is looking more and more like mine. We trimmed it and gave it layers. AND wal-lah it's wavy too. Who knew? I swear her hair was straight as a rod when she was a baby.

Oh and Emma "let me" braid her hair. She actually sat still that long.

Happy Thanksgiving (FHE)

To teach our children the "reason" for the upcoming holiday (it's more then turkey...ehm...Larry), we decided to have a Count Your Blessings topic for our Family Home Evening tonight. This is what everyone in the family was thankful for:

Ben- Family, Blanket & Bottle (which he couldn't sleep without), Toys & Cars (the few things that aren't pink or covered in princessness), and the Sun (which one day might help him darken his whiteness).

Emma- Ben (he laughs at all her silliness), Emma (she's such a self absorbed 3 year old...ha!), Mommy (ahhh) and books.

Sydney- Ben (she loves to teach him everything), Ben's Crib, Ben's blanket and Ben's bouncy. (I think she's a little obsessed)

Me- rain, love, nature and The Book of Mormon.

Larry- Family, Graduation from Law School, Money from a real Job, and Passing the Bar. (can you feel the relief flowing from every pore?)

Have a wonderful holiday full of all of your many blessings!

Larry's 30th Birthday

It's just downhill from here, right? It's been a pretty memorable year for Larry. Lots of life changes. Tons to be grateful for. Although we didn't celebrate with a huge blowout it was still a wonderful weekend. (side note: last year I threw Lar a 29th bday surprise party...just to keep it unpredictable)

Larry and I were able to have a little date on Saturday night. And then on Sunday the kids and I got things rollin' by singing Happy Birthday, with breakfast in bed, some delicious See's candy, we hung a homemade birthday sign and made birthday ties for Lar to wear to church. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to "shout from the roof tops" Larry's special day!

The girls loved spending some one on one time with Larry by playing games and going on a relaxing walk around the lake.

Lar also made his favorite meal...prime rib. Doesn't it look good? (And don't complain that he had to make his own meal. There's no way I could cook something like that. My skills are limited.)

But I did bust out my box cake speciality and made some ultra soft, light cupcakes.

It's a good thing Lar is secure in his man-hood and ignored the obvious abundant amount of pink!

Gotta Have It!!

Recently a new kids clothing store opened up in a mall here in Dallas. And I am in love with it!

It has everything that I have been looking for in kids clothes. Quality (lasts longer then 1 wash), Bright Colors, Loads of Embroidered Patches, A little Funky and Long Skirts (my girls LOVE to twirl). It's called "Pumpkin Patch". Check it out!

http://www.pumpkinpatchusa.com

At the Mauk's House

Sydney and Emma were REALLY excited to visit their cousins in San Antonio. The kids really get a long well now that they are all growing up. Eliza, Grant and Sarah are great at sharing their space as we impose upon them. They are also very happy to take turns feeding and entertaining Ben. I'm sure they would LOVE to have another baby in the family (hint, hint Kimmi). Kim and Ray even got a babysitter and treated Larry and I to dinner and dessert! Now that's what I call a great weekend!

Sarah Rose with Sydney and Emma on the hammock

Eliza Jane- a great babysitter in the making

Grant Raymond- now this boy has got some sweet moves

Ben really wanted to go outside with the other kids!

Ridin' With The Roberts'

As I mentioned...the kids zonked out in the car for a good 1 1/2 hours. Larry and I enjoyed the peace and quite. But it didn't take long for everyone to wake up.

Thankfully Emma was on a sugar high and...

...didn't let the whinny attitude of the other kids effect her.

She even wanted me to take a "fake" picture of her sleeping! What can I say...she's a character!

I Promise to be a Real Good Lawyer

Larry is one step closer to practicing the law. Yesterday in Austin he and about 600 other "lucky ducks" who passed the bar were sworn in by the State Judges. It was a moving experience but a little difficult to keep the kids quiet. Since it was more then obvious that Amy Breeden and I were probably the only ones with children there. Plus I totally felt under-dressed in my jeans. I hate when I forget to wear my POWER SUIT! Emma was so cute. She raised her hand with the other "inductees" as if she too was taking an oath! Plus she enjoyed the round of applause afterwards too. If it wasn't for spending a few days with Kim's family in San Antonio and seeing Brett, Amy and Minnie, I would have said the trip was a wash.

3 Hour Long Entertainment

This weekend we traveled to San Antonio for some one on one with the cousins, then cruised up to Austin on the way home for Larry's "swearing in" and then trudged all the way home. We usually stop 1 time to let the kids stretch their legs...but everyone had SURPRISINGLY fallen asleep. Hallelujah! Since I couldn't entertain myself by singing along to loud music I whipped out the camera and photographed anything that looked interesting. You'll see from the random photos that there were lots of construction, some scary rundown shacks offering some food, scattered hay bales, funny billboards, dirty cars and some great pic's of downtown Dallas.