Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben is 28!!!
We've had a great week of vacation, celebrating the beginning of the last year of medical school.  Here are some pictures of our trip to Guadalupe State Park.

Now let's all say one thing we love about Ben for his birthday. I'll go first. He has great legs. (No fair repeating someone else's).

Yes Eva, you have great legs too.

Let it be written

After much deliberation, (and at the suggestion of Dani Rowan), the name by which this van shall be known is Frost.

What makes a writer great?

In my own defense, McDougall wrote "Born to Run", which is causing a paradigm shift in the running world. So, in that way, I would consider him a "great" writer (even though he isn't already dead).

Announcing our latest addition!

So this happened on Tuesday.  Which really wasn't pleasant.

But then this happened today!  And it IS pleasant!

Introducing. . . (we're still thinking of a name.  Must be a famous American author.  Names already taken: Faulkner, Hemingway, Fenimore, Twain, Dickinson, Hawthorne[?]) Feel free to submit your ideas.  Ben's leaning towards McDougall.  Author of "Born to Run".  I like the idea of calling the van "Mac" but I hesitate to introduce McDougall into the pantheon of great American writers.  I think he mostly writes for "Runners World".

By the way, everyone is fine.  Eva and I screamed pretty loudly when that massive Tahoe plowed into our side, but thanks to a side airbag, and a good car seat, everyone (including the baby) was absolutely fine.  Clark said it wasn't scary, "just loud."

Just if you're curious. . .

This is my new hair style. And I really love it.

This is my Ben. I really love him.

These are my kids, and I love them too.

This is my belly.  I love what's inside.  Not so much the outside.

Scamp

Scamp (n. Skamp - origin: Grandpa Spencer) An adorable, somewhat mischievous child. One who gets away with being naughty because they have the right smile.

Example: Eva 

"what are you doing at the computer, little one?"  Just kickin' my legs. . .

Last night Ben and I were cleaning up a little, Clark was doing puzzles, and I realized that I hadn't seen or heard from Eva for quite a while.  We started shouting for her--no response.  So we started checking the rooms.  She had snuck into our bathroom, and then closed the door behind her so she could do her makeup in private.

She was very creative in how she mixed the colors together with the night cream. 

She is, truly, a scamp.

The end of the story actually happened this morning, at the ward 4th of July breakfast.  My friend wondered why I had a big purple bruise on my cheek and I said, I have no idea.  It isn't sore or anything.  Apparently, I had used one of the makeup brushes that the kids had used to "swirl" around all of my eyeshadows into the lovely color featured on Eva's cheeks above.  I started wiping off my foundation and noticed that it was a dirty, purplish-brown color.  So it looked like I had worn stage makeup to be a battered wife.  And my zipper kept coming unzipped.

Talk about good first impressions.