Rest friend... find peace

I lost a good friend on Friday...
She was more than a good friend. She was like a 2nd mother to me.
Rest in peace Glenna. You will be missed, but I know Bob was waiting for you, and oh, what a sweet reunion it must've been.
I wanted you to meet B. He's such a sweet boy. He's starting to crawl and babble. I kept meaning to stop by your office and see you. But I didn't. And for that I am truly sorry. I didn't follow that prompting, even though it came to be several times.
I wanted you to see what I've become and I wanted a chance to pay credit where it was due. You had a large part in making me who I am. I looked for a man to marry that I would love the same way you loved your Bob. And I found him. I try my hardest to weather trials and hard time with a smile, the way you did.
I'm gonna miss you. You will always be special to me. You will always hold a place in my heart.
Someone once said, at the funeral of a good friend, that no death is untimely. Merely people are here on this earth to have bodies and return to their Father in Heaven when they are needed on that side. We all have work to do here and there. I believe it. And while I feel you had so much more life to live here, you were needed there more. And we will miss you. You made an impact on so many people. But I am happy knowing I will see you again some day. And I will be so happy to see you again. Because I believe in a life after this one.
Goodbye Friend. Until we meet again.

In light of recent events I came to realize a few things. And maybe most are too personal to share, but of one I have to share. This last year has been a trying one for my mom. On several occasions, if it had been His will, I could have lost my mom. This weekend I lost a good friend, and it made me realize that I still have my mom. And she is a wonderful mother. We have a tiffs from time to time. We joke about how much alike we are and at the same time, oh, so different. Growing up she was at every concert I ever sang in. She helped me through college. She encouraged me through dating (oh the drama). She taught me about the gospel and she raised me to know the good from the bad.
I love you, mom. You are the best a daughter could ever ask for. Thank you for being my mom, and my friend.

We all stand in a very fragile balance of losing someone. At any time. I'm being reminded that life is too short... Life is too short to hold grudges, too short to stay upset at someone you love (or even someone you don't love) and too short to spend your days worrying about things you can't change.
I'm gonna live life... even if I stumble and need to be reminded of it's fragile nature, I'm going to at least try.

A Bennett update

I really lucked out. I have a really cute clone of the man I love, and he's a good baby to boot.
We have a lot of fun together. We spend a lot of time with Noah and Quinn (just 2 months younger) and are learning about each other together. This mom gig is so much more than I thought it'd be and I'm happy.

Just woke up from a nap... He's a lot like his daddy - a little dazed and confused after waking up

People say they look alike... We're working on the smiling deal. Most the time you just get the shocked face.

Puppies are for riding. B didn't know what was going on.. and neither did Rho for that matter.

This was when he discovered that his belly was more fun... but for the longest time he couldn't get back to him back. Now, he's a rolling machine

Lovin' him some carrots. After we're done I usually give him the spoon to play with and he can usually get it in his mouth. Maybe we'll try food on it sometime :)

After a nice morning run. He was all snuggled and happy on that chilly morning. It even started raining and he just burrowed in and kept sleeping.

An awesome hat someone made me... if only I'd pulled it out sooner. When she gave it to me, B was still itty bitty and so I figured it'd be a while before it fit him... oops

I just can't get enough of this face. No matter how hard I try, I always end up getting food up his nose. Poor kid. And to think he chose me as his mother. :)


We've been doing this a while... Feeding his random things (supervised of course) Despite the face, he really did like it.

That's all I have for now (my computer takes forever to upload pics. I'm surprised I had this much patience.
He'll be 7 months next week. I really can't believe how the time flies.

House Update: All over the place

We have a shopping problem!
Phew! Now that I got that off my chest... You'd think we don't have a child the way I never talk about him... or post... about anything. But we do. I'll update this and then if he is still asleep (fingers crossed) I'll update on him... promises promises... Let's just go with it suffices to say I am in love with that kid. so cute.

About the shopping thing. We're working on it... But when I get a danged idea in my head, I cannot stop thinking until I get it out.. which leads to shopping and that always gets us in trouble.
In this post I'm proud to announce that one project is all Zac (so it his shopping prob not mine), and the other two I already had the stuff... as in I shopped for it a while ago :) that counts, right? (hey I know my grammar sucks. leave me alone)
Numero uno on my random list: Zac's surprise!
I went to Texas. It was a blast. Zac missed me. I missed Zac. It was two very long weeks, where in I had a ton of fun, but was SO excited to go home and see my husband. Then I got home and found he had done This.

He called me one day right before I came home and we did some face time on our pods and I saw our bedroom in the background. For some reason it made me really home sick, so I asked to see our room. He showed me around and I secretly thought to myself "Dang, I was really hoping he'd redo the bedroom while I was gone. Ohwell." I hadn't told him that, I just pulled a woman move and sent him mind messages.
Apparently he started like that night or something crazy. Worked 'round the clock for essentially two days and finished it literally minutes before he came and got me from the airport. It was the best surprise. And I love it. We designed it together, but he still took some leads to get it finished without having to ask me.



This was my original inspiration. I bought it on etsy probably 2 or 3 years ago.

I still want to do a couple things to spice up the room, but so far so good and I love the chair in the corner

The other two things don't have stories.

The kitchen curtains (don't mind the mess) were something I had on the ol' ToDo list forever.. I wanted to pull it into this.

That IS another story... later

and then lastly (B just woke up) I bought this fabric a long time ago... like when I was still prego... barely prego... and tried to work on the project a little at a time... but there were a bajillion staples.
Seriously, whoever upholstered it last was a spazoid with the nail gun. Every time I'd ask Zac to help me, he'd grunt something about having something else better to do and move on :) For my birthday I pulled out a favor, and he pulled out his Hercules muscles and went to town on all the staples.

It took a couple trips to the store for the decorative nails, etc... but we finished it in just over a day and a half. I'm in love. it changes the whole look of the room.

The End

Texas

The B and I went to Texas
I miss my sister... that's where she is, ergo that's where I go

... well that and Zac was going to be gone for two weekends in a row camping with the scouts... I hate being home alone.
I decided 13 days would do the trick... 13 days is a long time... but we had fun
I can't decide if I should just post pictures, or blog about everything.
Highlights of the trip

• Getting stuck in the elevator (been in TX less than an hour)
• The Alamo (where's the basement?)
• The San Antonio Riverwalk (super hot = super fun)
• Mission Tours (gotta love old buildings)
• Jaxon's First birthday (and Amy's awesome cake)
• swimming .... where Kaylee swam and the B slept

and then of course there's just the fact that I was in TX... with my sister... and Jefferson and Kaylee and Jaxon. And moments like when we gave B a good ol TX 'stache

Ole`!!

Lazy mornings.

Like Father like son..
and no. I didn't pose these and Zac was really sleeping.

Cute boys

BZT 4 months and getting big! (to me)

I only have a few minutes. I feel as though I have to feverishly type because at any second The B could realize that the awesomely cozy Sherpa blanket is not me, and wake! I know, I know what you're all thinking "the kid has to learn to go down somehow..." but I have nothing to say, but I may stick my tongue out at you (kidding... or maybe not)
Anyhoo... Yesterday was his four month check up and he's doing great!
I won't lie, I was half expecting to have them tell me he isn't growing enough and blah blah blah, put him on formula, but I was pleased when she had nothing but praise. The highlights on her comments:

• He's strong.
• Good head control... still a little wobbly
• Good leg strength (the kid tries to push off anything that come in touch with his feet and loves to stand... and I asked... no he will not have bowed legs if he stands too early)
• He's growing well, working his way up the percentiles (10th percentile at 2mo, between 25th and 50th now - woot!)
• and Oh SO CUTE! (I'm not kidding... she thinks it so cool how he looks so much like us.... but really she means Zac :))
  

So here are the stats:
But for comparison, here is this day 4 months ago
April 2, 2011
5lbs 7oz
16.9in



August 2, 2011
14lbs (even)
24.5in

I really love him!

and because I can't remember to write these things down anywhere else... a list of things he's doing

• loves to stand, or stretch out his legs... anytime there in something in contact with his feet ( grr like when we're nursing)
• loves techno-gadgets... no surprise (I have proof) stares at Zac's Ipod and Blackberry
• Smiles... even if I can't get it on camera
• will laugh, but it's sort of a silent laugh.
  
• babbles. this kid is SO related to us... a Truscott/Christensen through and through
• kicks his legs. He can get his bouncer going like crazy!
• sleeps (on average) 8-9 hrs a night (knock on wood)
• has just a little hair and we're wondering if it'll stay ginger like his party mullet in the back
• He also knows his mom and dad and tracks us as we move around the room
• His favorite toy is his bouncer and he has regular conversations with the plastic lion
  

The Coop

When all my family was in town we went to Thanksgiving Point's Baby Animal birthday thing-a-ma-jig... while there Zac and my nephew were looking at the baby chicks for sale and had this conversation.
Hayden: Zac you should buy some chickens.
Zac: Yes! Yes I should

Then he and I had this conversation.
Zac: I think we should get chickens ... blah blah blah all the reasons why... and it'd be super cool.
Me: ??? what just happened.
Zac: me and Hayden were looking at the chickens..
Me: oh... um... ok...

The following weeks Zac designed, built and perfected (with help from our good friend, Seth) the Hilton of all chicken coops.


TA-DA!!!