Happy Birthday my love!

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It's Ben's 33rd birthday today and I just wanted to let him know how much I love him and appreciate all he does for us.  Here are 33 things I love about him.

Number 1: He is a great husband.  I have been sick the last couple of days and he has stepped in to help with the kids and  I have really appreciated it. He helps me in the house when he can and changes a mean diaper!!
  Number 2: He is a great dad.  The boys love when he spends time with them and goes out in the backyard to throw the ball.  He has been Jeremy's t-ball coach and he is going to be Alex's soccer coach.  I love that he is willing to do all that to be close to his boys.
Number 3: He is a great friend. Not just to me but to so many people.  Just look at his Facebook page. He has over a thousand people.
Number 4: He has a tender heart! He doesn't show it often but it's there and I appreciate it.
Number 5: He shares his testimony that he knows the Savior lives and his gospel is on the earth again to everyone! That is one of the things that first impressed me about him.
Number 6: He is kind and will go out of his way to help anyone! That is another thing that I first noticed about him.  He still takes our friend Eric, who is in a wheelchair, to the hospital and even took Jeremy one day with him.  That was such an example for Jeremy to see his father serving others.
Number 7: He is good at basketball and baseball (this is from Jeremy and Alex). And I agree! He got the chance to play some baseball this summer and he puts all of himself into it (coming home to sore muscles but loving it!).
Number 8: He is also good at tennis. I got to play my first game with him this summer and I realized how I don't know how to play!
Number 9: He is super cute (that is from me!)
Number 10: He is a hard worker! Many of you know that because he seems like he is on the phone all the time but he is working and trying to support us and I really appreciate it.
Number 11: He loves to learn! He reads all the time and is always telling our boys something they can learn.  This characteristic has really come out in our children, especially Jeremy, who loves school! Alex is very creative and Issac is very curious.  All of these come from Dad!
Number 12: He has a great heritage and he really honors that.  He tells us stories from his ancestors so that the boys  never forget.  And he encourages his family to tell our kids stories.
Number 13: He is friendly. It seems like there isn't a place we don't go that Ben knows someone and if he doesn't know them, he will get to know them!
Number 14: He is a great brother! He cares a lot about his brothers and sisters and I hope they know that!
Number 15: He is a great son! He has great parents and I know they love him a lot and wish the best for him and I know Ben feels the same way!
Number 16: He is a great grandson! His grandma's birthday is tomorrow and he talks about how he loves that he can celebrate with her.
Number 17: He is a great cousin, nephew, etc.. He loves all his cousins, aunts and uncles and extended family.  We attend as many reunions, etc.. as we can to show our love and support and that also shows our children the love for family you need to have.
Number 18: He loves my family. That was very important to me when I was dating him that he liked my family and they liked him and I think they do.  I love to watch him visit with them because it brings me joy!
Number 19: He cares about nutrition.  He is always talking to our kids about what they should eat and why and taking care of their teeth and how that will not only help their teeth but their whole body!
Number 20: He loves to make the kids laugh.  Whether it's making funny faces or getting down to wrestle with them, it makes me smile!
Number 21: He isn't the best at being on time but I am glad when he makes the effort :)
Number 22: He has a great memory! I wish I had that! He tells the boys about his teachers he had, the falls he has taken, the trips he has taken, etc.. I love that!
Number 23: He is protective! He is always trying to tell our boys how they don't want to be like him with all the falls he has taken and scars he has. And believe me he has had some really nasty falls! The other day one of the boys in our neighborhood crashed in front of our house and we brought him in to patch him up and all the rest of the neighborhood kids came in with him and Ben told them all about his crash in the gravel pit and it helped the little boy who crashed feel like his crash wasn't so bad!
Number 24: He loves God's creations! He loves that he can look out our window and see Mt. Ben Lomond and wherever we are, the kids will tell us that they are sure they can see Mt. Ben Lomond!
Number 25: This is the age that Ben was when we started dating.  I am so glad for this number! 
Number 26: This is the age that Ben was when we got married. Thanks honey for marrying me!
Number 27: This is the age Ben was when we had our first son! What a proud papa he was and is!! I am so glad he is the father of our children!
Number 28: He is passionate about his country and even helped a neighbor of ours to run for city office. 
Number 29: He is passionate about money.  And not in a bad way.  He knows how it works and loves to watch C-NBC and tells the boys about how money works in other countries as well as our own.
Number 30: He is a great mortgage officer. If he helps you with your loan, you know you will get a lot of knowledge and education behind your loan.  He is always studying the laws and procedures of the mortgage market. He works so hard to make sure things are done 110%
Number 31: He is spiritual.  I know that he prays and studies his scriptures and that is so important to me to know that he does that.
Number 32: He is willing to try! That may seem weird to say but if things are hard, he still try's to keep going.
Number 33: Wow that is quite a list but alas, number 33.  I love everything about you Ben! 
Happy Birthday my love!

Isaac's stats

knee walking!

I took Isaac for his year check up a few days ago. He is 23 pounds (60th percentile) and 30 inches long (62nd percentile).  His head is in the 66th percentile so he is growing! He is a big boy, nice and solid.  Everyone seems to suggest he'll be a football player, he has a few second cousins that could teach him rugby! He's very curious just like his dad was as a baby, so grandma and grandpa say. He has had a variety of alternative foods as well, not that we've neglected in feeding him, but rather that he puts anything and everything into his mouth, including dirt, dog food, grass, bugs, leaves, and more to come (just like his dad did!).

Isaac's first haircut

So I finally did it, I got Isaac's first haircut! His curls were so cute but too many people thought he was a girl with his curly hair that he had.  He really looks like a cute little boy now as he looks so handsome.  He did so good for the gal that cut his hair, he didn't wiggle much with the clippers.

Before

During

After

weddings, weddings!

Cleaning up!

Jeremy the server!

My sister Cindy made the cake!

Ryan and Brittney Nelson

Mr and Mrs Stowers!

Maria and I

This past two weeks, we have been to two different weddings.  One was one of my good friends growing up, Maria Johnson, now Stowers.  She got married at the Ivy Lane reception center in Ogden and it was so nice.  I am so happy for her that she has found Jonathan.  He is living in Pennsylvania so she moved out there to be with him the next day after their wedding!  My nephew Ryan got married to Brittney on Wednesday of this week in the Salt Lake temple.  They had their reception in Mantua at Brittney's parent's home.  They asked if Jeremy could serve and he was so excited!

swimming lessons

I love swimming!

Here's Jeremy floating

Here's Alex trying to float!

Jeremy and Alex both finally got to take swimming lessons.  They both did great but Alex was pretty timid so he will repeat his class next time and even though Jeremy did great too, he needs another time for his class too.  He's in level 3 and I think that's pretty good for a 6 year old.  He loves the water and his new thing is the high dive!

Isaac's 1st birthday

Isaac didn't quite get the blowing out the candle thing!

His monkey cake for being like a monkey & climbing everywhere.

His own mini cake!

What a mess! I had to hose him off afterwards!!

Isaac is now 1 years old. He is such a great little boy! He smiles most of the time and loves to climb (he taught himself how to climb up slides) and pull things out of the cupboard.  He can walk a few steps but loves to 'walk' on his knees.  We had a birthday BBQ on the Sunday before his birthday and had family and some close friends. He got his own little cake and he loved it.  His other cake was a monkey cake because he is our little monkey!

Swimming with the family!!

The last week of July we went swimming at North Shore and Dad was able to come. Alex insisted on bringing his customary backpack filled with his assortment of toys. Isaac had a horrible diaper while I was waiting for Ben to come.  It was so bad and it got everywhere, luckily prior to getting in the pool!! So that's why you see him in just plastic pants! Jeremy also went on the diving board in the big pool.  He is a very daring boy!!

Kennecott Copper Mine

This is how big the tires on the trucks are!

Towards the end of July, we went to the Kennecott Copper Mine.  I had never been there and Ben hadn't been there since he was either a young boy or a teenager.  I knew the boys would love it and I was right.  It's fun to do things in your own backyard.  Driving an hour and a half each  way is a perfect day trip with three little boys for now!  While we were overlooking the mining operation and the trucks drive up  and down  the roads, there was a big plume from a dynamite blast. Jeremy and Alex thought it was awesome to see the explosion from a dynamite blast.  We then went into the visitors center and watched a video on the history,  process and operation of the Bingham Copper Mine (now Kennecott Copper Mine).  After the video, we walked around the visitors center and Jeremy loved reading and looking at the history and seeing all the rocks.  His great grandpa Gerritsen would be excited to see how he loves learning about all the rocks, minerals and the industry.  It was more exciting than going to see Mickey Mouse, so it seemed.

Cottage cheese fun!

We let Isaac have his own bowl of cottage cheese and he loved it and evidenced in the pictures!

Jeremy's baseball party

Isaac  eating pizza left on the ground

trying to throw water balloons

Jeremy's coach pitch coaches had a water party for all the boys to celebrate a great season.  They had a great time! Isaac ate anything he could find on the ground.

The Gateway

We took a trip down to the Gateway to meet Dad and let the boys play in the fountains.  It was a blast for the boys!

Fourth of July

Outside on our deck

This is the family on the Fourth of July. We tried our best to wear red, white and blue.  We had a fun weekend attending Cherry Days in North Ogden and watching fireworks.