Zebras, Elephants and More

“Get your popcorn here, fresh popcorn.” Or at least that is what I would imagine the vendors saying that the circus. That is right the circus is in town and we had the opportunity to see the Elephant Parade. We rushed home after exercising to change our clothes, feed the baby and wake up Ben to head downtown to see the elephants. Isabelle was so excited about the whole event. You would have thought the parade was just for her.

She waved at people we passed by along with those in the parade for good measure. She bounced with the music and cheered for the animals. I think she really enjoyed it. Barrett on the other hand felt that the time would be best spent closing his eyes but not really sleeping. After all it is not everyday that you get to see an elephant parade.


We enjoyed seeing the local school band, the clowns in their funny costumes, and of course the animals. We saw the horses, zebras and best of all the elephants, all walking in line holding trunk to tail. Ben and I had never seen an Elephant Parade so we were pretty excited as well.

Too Fast . . .

Ok time just flies by now a days! I can hardly believe that it is almost October. With the holiday’s coming up soon that just means we will be able to see more of the family in just a short while. Well during the month of September Mom and Dad Libby came for a short visit while they were here for the Usana convention. It was great getting a chance to see them for a while. If only our visit could have been longer. Dad and Ben had to leave early for business so Mom had some quality grandbaby time. Which of course is what it is all about anyway, right?

The kids are doing great. Barrett is getting so big, he gained 5 pounds over the last two months, which I can hardly believe and he grew four inches. So far he is going to be a pretty big boy. It just means he is getting the good stuff! Isabelle is picking up so many new words everyday. She amazes me with how well she does that is slowly staring to string them together into sentences. I think my favorite sentence so far is “love you brother.” It just sounds so sweet coming from her little mouth.

Ben and I are doing well. We stay pretty busy with work for Ben and the kids for me. But shortly I will be officiating soccer through our local rec center in an instructional league, which will be so much fun. I can hardly wait! Plus I figure it will help me get back into shape. We are still gearing up for winter here in Utah, and hoping to see some beautiful fall foliage; once it arrives I will be sure to send pictures. I understand that it is great.

October should be a busy one, with lots of fun holiday actives and this year the kids are going for the baseball theme for Halloween. I will be sure to send pictures of them all dressed up once I finish their costumes and we go to our first holiday activity. Other wise we are just getting very excited about our upcoming travels and can hardly wait to see everyone.

Don't Drive Away

I could not pass up the opportunity to show Isabelle “driving” the tractor. We visited this old historic farm here in Utah the other day and she just had to do what all the older kids were doing of course. So she had some help to climb up onto the tractor and was driving a way. She even tried to shift. It was too much fun!

Nothing New

I realize that I have not written an update in quite a while, so here it goes. Things are going well for all of us. Barrett is getting to be so big and he is smiling and making cute baby sounds all the time. He still really does not like the car but we manage some how. He as only rolled over twice and I keep hoping to catch it on video but not yet. Hopefully he will do it again soon so that everyone can see it.

Isabelle is as feisty as every! She is just so much fun. Everyday she does something too cute or silly that just completely expresses her Isabelleness; if you know what I mean. Her little mind is a sponge. She is learning so many new words and is slowly starting to speak in sentences. Her verbal vocabulary has surpassed her hand vocabulary but I still try to teach her new signs as I learn them. It’s pretty fun to watch her sign new words especially if it uses two hands. A lot of her signs you just have to know what she is trying to say to understand and process.

I can hardly wait until I can teach Barrett some new signs as well. I really do think it helps with overall communication. Ben is doing well, keeping the troops in line at work and trying to keep his “barn” running smoothly. He worked on Monday over the long weekend which I hope helped out, he didn’t really say. And of course I am doing well. I am ready to have a more consistent schedule so I can figure out when to get a work out in. I’m sure it will all come together soon. It is kind of hard when we don’t have a gym membership because I don’t have anyone to watch the kids so I have to wait on Ben. Either way, everything seems to going pretty smoothly here in Utah, we are just waiting for the weather to cool down.

The people we know here made it sound like right after Labor Day the weather makes this drastic change that upsets the balance of like; instead of gradual change. So far so good it is pretty much the same. I hope we adjust well to a real winter.

One Month Old

A month has already passed since Barrett entered the world. I can hardly believe it. Time just flies by when you are not looking. So far it has been a joy to have him around and getting to know him. I can sometimes hardly wait until he is moving around more and playing with his sister. He is going to be one tough kid! Plus I think that Isabelle will enjoy having a little playmate that is always around to play with. But what a cutie, I can already see a little personality developing in him.

Lake Jordanelle

Barrett had his first boat ride this past weekend. We went out on the lake with Ben’s coworker Casey and enjoyed the water for a short period of time. Barrett had his own life vest that fit great. I was so worried that it would be too big and would not work properly for on so young. But alas my worries were needless, as usually, the vest fit great. Barrett did wonderful on the boat, I think he liked it best when it was moving, but who knows. We even found a special spot for him to lie down right be the extra chair.

Isabelle thought the boat was a great adventure. She just wanted to explore the entire thing and figure out where she could go and do. While we were stopped getting ready to fish, she sat down to take her hand at driving the boat. It was pretty cute. Ben tired to get her feet wet but she was not too keen on that idea. She screamed so loud I think she scared all the fish away. I believe that she would have done just fine if Ben was in the water first and then she went in. Maybe next time she might like it better, after all the water was pretty cold.

Well our boating adventure did not last very long, because soon after we stopped we began to leak oil, because the cap came “unglued” and was not holding it in. So we decided that it would be safer to head back and pull the boat out instead of staying to fish out on the lake.

Instead we went down to the “beach” and fished from there. I did not think we would catch anything but Casey was actually able to catch a bass. We were all very surprised that such a large fish was so close to shore and that it ate up the hook. Every fish that is caught has a bad day after all. That was the only bite any of us got that day. I even tried but no luck. Isabelle thought the fish was pretty cool. We did not get her to kiss it but she did touch it, which is a good first step. Maybe over the holiday she will get a chance to kiss her fish.

While we were on the beach, I put Barrett’s feet into the water, and boy he did not like that at all. He might have been louder than his sister in his protest of being put close to the waters edge. After he calmed back down, he just rested for the remainder of the day. Over all it was a pretty good day and everyone got a chance to enjoy the fresh air, and beautiful scenery of Utah.

Support

I realized today that it has been a while since I have sent an update or any thoughts on life. So here we go! The kids are both doing great. Barrett is wonderful to have around and is really starting to get into a grove and settle on a good schedule that meshes well with everyone else. He is a great nursing baby and is always eager to eat when he is hungry. I think he will grow fast and continue to eat well. He also sleeps very well which as you know is every mother’s concern. He wakes up once sometimes twice a night, around 1 or 2 am and then again at either 4:30 or 6 am. I guess it just depends on how he feels. I personally like it best when he waits to eat until 2am and then not again until 6am. Other than that he is pretty much a go with the flow kind of guy. This is good since his sister has stuff she likes to do as well.

Isabelle is doing great and is adjusting very well to having Barrett around. She adds new words and understanding to her little world everyday. Ben and I really think she is something pretty special. But we are a little bit biased. But who would not be with two wonderful children. She helps out with putting Barrett’s diapers in the trash for, since the diapers I made him were all to small from the get go. Who would have thought that one, the pattern would run small and two that he would have been so big. Oh well, that just means I get to be a little more creative the next go around and figure out what will work the best for him.

As a side note I hope that everyone would openly support breastfeeding. After all that is what God intended the breast to be made for, not just as a sex object. The August issue of Baby Talk, magazine has a picture of a baby nursing, in profile, on the front cover. Over 700 people, including women who breastfeed, have written in to complain about the cover. Rather than show support or nature at its best. I hope that if you see a breastfeeding mother that you would tell her she is doing great and to keep up with nursing, instead of adverting your eyes or just walking by. For some women it takes courage to nurse in public while for others it is just a matter of daily life. That is how it is for me and many of you know that I would be the first person to make someone feel poorly for not showing support of a breastfeeding mother, no matter how old her child is. As with Isabelle I plan to nurse Barrett until he is done with “mommy milk,” no matter how old he is, nursing will always be an open option for him.

My irritation runs deep when you hear stories about women who are asked to leave stores, restaurants or parks because they have chosen to nurse their child. In most states, it is against the law to turn a woman away because she chooses to nurse. And for those people who have a problem with it they need to write their State Representative, instead of making rude comments towards the mothers. Fortunately for those negative people out there no one has made a comment to me or turned me away from any place I choose to nurse my child. After all it is his birth right.

Well enough for today and my soap box, but please do show your support for nursing mothers everywhere by congratulating those mothers who you see nursing. It is not so easy for everyone, as it has been for me.

New Arrival

Ok so I am a little slow with the update but here we are now. A family of four! We are three no more. We are very excited to announce the birth of Baby “O” at last. And so we welcome our new addition of Barrett Jack to the family tree. Big sister Isabelle is starting to figure out that Barrett is here to stay and I’m sure it will be no time at all before she figures out how much fun he will be to have around.

We did pick the day the Barrett would arrive which it seems to have turned out to be a great decision, because we could not be happier to have him home. Plus he was so big I think that if we let him stew any longer he would have been that much bigger. But you can never tell with these things.

Barrett is doing great, he nurses like a champ and is sleeping really well too. Only time will tell how that will go in later days. He has enjoyed much attention from Grandpa and Oma in the first few days of his life and will love all the attention he gets from everyone else when he gets the chance to meet them.

Isabelle can say brother and Barrett so we are well on our way to having a great big sister who loves to help out. She will bring over his diapers and try to get him clothes, if only she knew where to find his clothes. I’m sure one day I will find her trying to put on some of her clothes on Barrett who will most likely just sit there and not say anything about it. Needless to say she is adjusting very well to having baby brother at home. Plus I think with Grandpa and Oma here she has been seen to pretty well.


Mom and Dad are pretty happy as well and are doing great. Ben was a supper star during labor and delivery. He really helped me get through it all. The real challenge was waiting for the doctor to arrive when I really wanted to push, the nurses were saying, no you need to wait. But once the doctor arrived we got down to business and Barrett was out in six (6) minutes. I thought it was much longer but apparently not. I think they were all very surprised. I even remember apologizing for taking so long, now that seems a little funny to me. So for future reference, in my opinion, squatting while pushing out baby is the best way to go.

I even heard Ben say that we can wait to find out the sex again at birth. He decided that was pretty cool. I would have to agree, to here those words or see for the first time was just amazing. I think I even cried. I am very happy to have Barrett here in the world with us, not just because I am no long prego but also because we now have this new wonderful life to care for and love. Who could ask for a better gift?

The Predictions

The predictions are in; if you have not made a guess I suppose it is not to late. We are still all anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby “O.” Only a few days left until my due date I think we are very close to single digits. How much fun is that? It seems kind of wild to me I am still prego, I thought for sure that I would go early but this only goes to show that each kido is different.

Isabelle was ready to come early to be sure not to miss a thing. And she pretty much seems to be that way still. But what a joy it has been so far. I can only imagine what the rest of the years will hold. And then we have baby “O” who seems to be taking all the time he/she wants. Who knows what the future will hold for him/her.

Well just so you know what everybody guessed I will post the guesses online as well. I was very surprised at all the different dates and weights. I still personally hope for a July 4th baby to continue our holiday tradition but one can never tell. I was looking at the calendar of events for my Moms club and I was oh we should go to that and what about, that event, that sounds like fun. Then I had to stop and remind myself that I would have a new baby and might want to see how the baby fits into our schedule as well. So I guess I can hold off for right now on RSVPing to anything.

Name Sex Date Weight
Jordan Rowan Boy 25-Jun 8 lbs 6 oz
Avra Wallace Boy 25-Jun 8 lbs 8 oz
Rich & Roxy Boy 26-Jun 8 lbs 10 oz
Erica Chapa Boy 27-Jun 7 lbs 7oz
Grandma John Boy 27-Jun 8 lbs 2 oz
Monica Carmon Boy 27-Jun 9lbs
Anjie Behunin Boy 28-Jun 8 lbs 14oz
Don Libby Boy 29-Jun 8 lbs. 6oz
Scott T-R Boy 30-Jun 7 lbs 8 oz
Miranda T-R Boy 1-Jul 8 lbs 11 oz
Kathy Boy 1-Jul 8 lbs 6 oz
Jessica Libby Boy 1-Jul 8 lbs 3 oz
Mandy Davidson boy 2-Jul 9lbs 2 oz
Grandpa Libby Boy 3-Jul 8 lbs
Jodi Carcamo Boy 3-Jul 8 lbs 6 oz
Bernie & Susie Boy 3-Jul 9 lbs 8oz
Ben Thesing Boy 4-Jul 9lbs 2 oz
Grandma Libby Boy 4-Jul 7 lbs 14oz
Colin Behunin Girl 24-Jun 7 lbs 4oz
Amy McKinney Girl 25-Jun 7 lbs .5 oz
Josie Carcamo Girl 25-Jun 9lbs
Morvarid Rezaie Girl 27-Jun 8 lbs 4oz
Morgan T-R Girl 27-Jun 8 lbs 2 oz
Jory Dunn Girl 1-Jul 9 lbs
Ray & Kathy Girl 2-Jul 9 lbs 1oz
Missy Dunn Girl 3-Jul 8 lbs
Jodi T-R Girl 4-Jul 9 lbs 1oz
Colleen Libby Girl 7-Jul 7 lbs 4.5 oz
Nicole JeffersonGirl 8-Jul 8 lbs 4oz
Stacy Gress Girl 8-Jul 7 lbs 6oz

Happy Father's Day

Our Father’s Day weekend has been pretty good. Ben had a company meeting at the house and a little cook out afterwards. And he feels pretty confident that his management team is now more on the same page with him than before.

While he was having his meeting Isabelle and I spent the morning with Missy and Ariana. We went to the farmer’s market downtown and to the rec center to swim. A little something for Mom and something for Isabelle. While we were at the farmer’s market one of the radio stations had a sign posted, about making English the official Utah state language. I could hardly believe it. I wonder how many takers they had on that one. I just do not personally feel that a State should have to declare a specific language for its residents. And people wonder why American’s are thought of so poorly in the rest of the world. They do not take into consideration that America is a melting pot for the rest of the world and to declare an official state language would be similar as denying that there are other people in our country.

Ok enough of that for the moment, other than the blatant disregard for other cultures by one booth, the farmer’s market was very cool. I found out I could buy Isabelle’s goats milk direct from the farm, along with other products. The farm is really close to the house. Plus I could even have organic food delivered directly to the house from another vendor. Talk about a great use of time. After all with almost two kids soon, I might just want to save time shopping for other fun stuff.

I can hardly wait until everyone gets a chance to come visit, there are some great places that are close by for us to see and do. Isabelle and I recently visited some lovely gardens in the area, and hope to take everyone there so they can explore the beauty created in a mountain desert. Until then I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day and we are thinking about all of you.

And yes no baby yet. I think this time it might be closer to the actual due date! Keep reading and we will keep you posted on the impending arrival and the arrival of baby “O.”

Too Bad

Well tonight I thought I would send out short video of Isabelle at the zoo but unfortunately I was unable to get it loaded. I think they only take pictures. I guess I’ll have to do a little bit more research and see if I can later make that a change. Oh well for now, pictures will have to do.

Our Funny Life

Our house is almost complete! Just a few things here and there to put up on the walls and a few extra little items to purchase and I think we will have a nice little home. We are now just awaiting the arrival of baby “O” which could be in the next three to five weeks. One can never tell. But until then we just have everyday stuff to do and complete.


As usual Isabelle is a hoot. She is just so much fun. She would like to dress herself but cannot seem to make that happen with her own clothes so she uses Mom’s or Dad’s as an alternate source. She could not quite get her whole head to fit into one of Dad’s sleeves so she ended up being “Sister Mary Isabelle.” We thought it was pretty funny.

Oh and to top things off I will show you how big my belly is so far. We still have a little bit of growing time to go and I am sure that it will only continue to get bigger. In the mean time we just try to make sure that baby “O” is happy, fed and comfortable. Baby “O” has been sitting pretty low through most of my pregnancy, which has not been too bad except for times when there seems to be a lot of pressure. The doctor thinks the maybe that means labor will go fast because the baby is sitting low. Only time will tell.

We're Here!

The long awaited update is finally here. We have “settled” into our new rental house in Utah and are now just trying to get back on to a regular schedule. So far so good, we are really enjoying the extra space of the house, now if only we can get rid of the boxes and paper we will be doing a great job. Once those are gone I will even be able to park my car in the garage. What a relief that will be come winter time. All most everything made the move in great shape, just a few bumps and scratches here and there by nothing overly traumatic. Not like the last time when the washer and dryer did not make as well as the computer, just to name a few. It just took us a little longer to get the computer internet ready, but here we are so feel free to e-mail us any time.

Isabelle seems to be adjusting well to the changes we have placed on her. She is starting to sleep in a big girl bed. And by bed I mean a mattress on the floor. We do not want her to roll out of bed just yet and fall very far. But soon Grandpa Libby will be sending the remainder of her bed to us and we can hardly wait. She has requested a custom made toddler bed for the duration of the toddler hood, until she graduates to the next size up. It should be pretty exciting.

Our house is nice, like I said it has so much more space. We are actually able to have the hide-a-bed and foosball table in the house this time instead of in the garage. Plus I actually have a room to start out with for my office/craft space. What a great deal. And to top it all off we have a back yard, YEA! It is not just concrete and two and half feet of weeds. There is grass, a deck, a wonderful arbor where Isabelle has a swing and even some fruit trees. Plus it looks like they were going to put in a water feature but never got it finished so we are going to use that space for our garden. I can hardly wait. Have you seen the price of veggies at the supper market? Plus there is a sandbox for Isabelle which she absolutely loves. She just can not get enough of the outside world as it is and now she does not really have to worry about it, she can go outside and play whenever she wants.

Needless to say this move has been much easier on us than the move from Texas to California, and me eight months pregnant, but I guess a lot of that has to do with the fact that we had been through it all once before. Ben’s job is going well, if he could only get them to do what he wants and run their operation how he knows it will be successful, they will soon find themselves running at the top. But change is hard on everyone and he is still the “new guy” even though he is the boss. I think that this new challenge for him will be great and that his operation will come around to where he wants it to be.

We hope that everyone will come out for a visit to see us. After all soon we will be adding a new addition that is just always better to see right away so we can all measure growth. Now we even have a place for you to stay. So come to Salt Lake and we will see the sights, oh look a Mormon Church, and visit.

Baseball Firsts

Isabelle has finally made it to her first baseball game. When Ben and I were talking about it, we were both a little sad because last year she did not make it to a single Rangers game. After all we were moving during baseball season last year as well. Amazing how things stay the same! But she has now seen her first game and I think she really enjoyed the game. She would clap when everyone else did and got all excited when the rest of the crowd was excited. She even managed to take a short nap.

Roadway had a special event for some of their larger accounts and since they help to promote the Negro League Baseball Museum, it seems perfectly fitting that they should sponsor a day at the ballpark. We managed to get some tickets on the back side and really enjoyed our time at the game. We saw the Giants and Diamondbacks play and it was a game until the end. They were tied coming in to the top of the ninth inning and the left fielder for the Giants made two wonderful catches to stop the Diamondbacks from hitting in any more runs. So into the bottom of the ninth we go. The Giants send in their first batter, he swings and it is a homerun. The Giants win by one, 3-2. The excitement never ends.

Ben could hardly believe that people were leaving in the eight inning with the game tied. Never in the history of baseball would he ever do that. I think someone would have to very sick in order to make that happen. Needless to say he was pretty happy to get to spend some time with his fellow coworkers one last time. He missed last year’s games in Texas and in California due to the move, so he was pretty excited.

After the game we made our way down to Pier 39 for some seafood at Bubba Gumps. That’s right some ingenious person thought to make a restaurant based on the film. The food was pretty good. Isabelle enjoyed her Mac and Cheese and of course all the attention from the other diners. She draws them in like a fly trap. But who could resist those blue eyes and that infectious smile.

Returned Once Again

Salt Lake City was a success. I was able to find us a house to live in temporarily until we are able to figure out where we want to buy a house. And then if we want to go ahead and build a new house or not. I guess it all depends on what we can do after we move again. The ironic thing was that I did not find a house until Sunday. I had found one earlier in the week but I lost it because I waited until the morning to call on it. But that same company had others that we really liked and were able to get it all locked in. Yea! Now I don’t have to move our date back to pack and move stuff out. That makes me so happy. Ben and I will be back together sooner rather than later.

Now for the fun and exciting news, Missy had her baby while I was there. I was so happy to be there for her babies birth. Ariana was born April 22, 2006, so she and her mom share a birthday. What a special gift! Missy and Jory are wonderful parents and will have a great time raising their little girl. She is so cute, but so small. I forgot how small they can be when they are born. I hope the diapers I made fit baby “O.” Only time will tell. By the way, Isabelle loves the baby, so I know she will do great with our new bundle of joy.

On that subject we are still hoping that my placenta will move enough so that I do not have to have a c-section. I keep wanting my belly to get bigger because I know that will help. I think we should know the final verdict shortly after I return to SLC. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, that we will be able to have a natural birth. We were even able to find a doctor and register at the hospital while we were in SLC. The doctor is very close to where our new home will be located and the hospital is not too far off from there. We hope that everyone will be able to come for a visit.

The things that make me sad about leaving California are . . . not being able to leave with more wine. Leaving behind the best place to shop for food, Trader Joes. And of course the new friends we have all found through work, for Ben, and playgroups for me. But alas we will be able to make new friends and find new and interesting places to shop for food. Until then, we are all still happy to be leaving California. After all gas prices are already over $3 per gallon, who wants to pay that? Pictures will be forth coming, I was only able to carry one backpack with me and that happened to be the diaper bag.

Our Trip so Far

Our trip to Salt Lake City is going well. Everyone arrived safely via whatever form of transportation they took. And we have been busy looking for housing. My goal is to find some place to live before I have to leave and go back to California so that Ben does not have to worry about it.

Easter went well, we spent the day with Missy’s sister and her family. Isabelle was a huge hit for Jessica, she just wanted to play with her all day. Which of course Isabelle did not mind at all. The day was beautiful and sunny, just a little bit of wind. Why do I mention the weather you ask? Well let me tell you Monday it snowed; big fat, wet snowflakes the covered the ground. It was pretty cool but at the same time strange since it is April and you would not expect there to be snow on the ground. Either way things are going well.

I even have a doctors appointment set up to meet with a new doctor, which is great since I am on a little bit of a time clock here. This doctor was recommended to me by Missy’s midwife so we should have a good one here. We’ll have to wait and see. I just need to formulate all of my questions again. Since I left them all at home like a goof. Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and I will talk to you all again soon.

Isabelle has checked out with flying colors. The doctor I think was surprised at how independent she is and how well she is developing. They had me fill out a survey and she is doing all but two of the items they wanted to know about. Those are running and taking her clothes off by herself, which did not include socks and shoes. We are very happy with that report and she is getting taller by the day, she is 31 ½ inches tall. My goodness she will be three feet before we even know it.


Her stitches came out today as well, which I do not think she minded one bit, they were just a distraction for her anyway. One fell out on its own the other day; I guess it came untied, because it did not look like it had torn through her skin at all. Now I just have to watch it and keep her arm out of the sun for the summer and hopefully it will not leave a very big scar.

Ben’s first week went well, but he does have his work cut out for him. But I think he will do a wonderful job and will blow the socks off of Roadway. We are all going to be in SLC later this week to look for housing, which will be nice since the holiday is coming up soon. At least we will be together, we managed to figure out a good schedule and it should work out well for us over the next couple of weeks. We will keep everyone posted for when the expected move date will be. I just need to contact the movers and get them out here to survey the house and schedule the move and packing. This has all happened so fast, but I guess that is just the way things go.

Rain, and mpre Rain

Rain, rain go away, come on back another day! That is what everyone in the Sacramento area is saying. We are all very tired of the rain. It never seems to want to stop. I’m sure one day it will, most likely when we are going, but I guess it is just life. Better to have it now then none at all. I do not think that Northern California will have a drought this year to say the least.

Besides the rain nothing too new is going on here. Ben is officially in Salt Lake City, where I hope everything is going well. He keeps saying that there are too many cooks in the kitchen at the moment and he hopes that they all go away soon. They want to come up with their own plans for him to implement, when he has his own ideas. I’m sure it will all work out.

Isabelle is doing great! Her arm seems to be a little tender but that is about it. I’m sure she will make a wonderful recovery and never really know the difference. Hopefully she won’t have a very bad scar. Just a little update to get your through your day, much more to come later, I’m sure.

Going Away Party

Ben has worked with a wonderful group here in Sacramento and they are truly going to miss him. He has only been here for ten (10) short months and has made such a huge impact on the lives of his coworkers. I have never heard such great words coming from his colleagues before as I did last night. I always knew he was fantastic but to hear it from the heart of others makes it all more real.

Jack, Ben’s counterpart, gave him a going away party last night. People had the chance to come by and say their goodbyes and wish Ben luck and his hypothetical move. No one is supposed to know about the change until he is officially in place. There was food, music, drinking and of course bocce ball. I think that everyone had a great time. Many of the wives had never met and so this was the first time we all had gotten together. Kind of ironic that it also will be the last for most of us. I know that Ben has really enjoyed working with this team here in Sacramento and I know that he will build a new team that will be just as outstanding as this one. He had people from all over the operation say wonderful things about him and how much he cares for the people and the company.

I will say that he has some of the nicest coworkers I have ever met and such a great variety. One lady has lived on all seven continents, the chief steward and his wife are world travelers and I don’t mean just Europe, and his service team members are from all over the place. He has helped many of them develop into fabulous employees who now work their jobs differently because he has shown them a new way to look at the whole picture. I hope that his efforts stay with his previous employees and that his new employees will develop well beyond their potential.

We are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives as it begins on Monday. We will be sad to leave behind those who we have come to care about here. But it is a fabulous opportunity for Ben to stretch his wings and prove to himself exactly what he is capable of doing. I can hardly wait to see you all in Salt Lake City.

Our Trip

After four years we are now a pet free, smoke free home. I always see that on E-bay and laugh to myself, but I guess it is important to some people. Anyway, after an emotional evening and a stupid mistake we have decided to put Pudge to sleep. He and Isabelle were together in the hall and I’m sure she tried to pet him and he did not want her to so he lashed out at her. Isabelle is FINE! She has five stitches in her right arm and is super baby. I think that once Mom calmed down, which was probably after Isabelle, I focused and got things taken care of. Yes this was a scary incident and we are both very, very upset that it happened but please just call to see how Isabelle is doing. We feel bad enough already to hear any retorts back about not preventing this in the first place. Instead let me tell you about our trip to the emergency room.

Like I said before Isabelle is super baby. She was calm by the time we left the house and entered the ER. We were able to get in quickly and be taken care of in a timely and professional manner. She read books with Dad while Mom knitted, I had to do something or I might have burst. Now it is time for the numbing agent for her arm. A huge syringe filled with something, the doctor told me but I do not remember, was injected into the wound site. I’m sure she would have been fine if he had not have jammed it into her pour little arm. But she held on like a champ and cried for only a couple of minutes after they finished. She continued to read and then she got to “play” in her arm “bath.” They cleaned out the wound very hourly to help prevent infection and ready her arm for stitches. She mostly thought that was pretty cool. The little arm tub filled up with water and she splashed around a bit and just had fun. Once her arm is clean they were able to stitch her up I think that if they had let Ben hold her, she would have been fine. Once she was further away from her security she began to cry and did not stop until they were done. The doctor was fast and efficient and had her ready to go shortly after he started. Then we got her dressed in her night clothes and went home. I think we were there for about an hour and half, which was pretty fast considering the fact that there were random people just standing around all over the place.

Isabelle has made it through her first emergency room event with flying colors. None of the doctors, nurses, staff or Ben were injured for causing my baby harm. I think she will be a little be cranky today and needy but over all should be back to her regular self by Sunday if not sooner. We are very regretful that this has happened and will be correcting it as soon as possible. The important thing to know is that Isabelle is fine, and will hopefully not remember what has happened. Her stitches come out on the 10th, which works out perfect because we have to go in for a regular check up that day anyway. I expect to hear from some of you soon, so do not hesitate to call.