I Believe

Here's pictures from our free visit with Santa. Not the best pictures, but the girls really loved going. I love that they believe in Santa. It is such a fun, magical time and it makes me think about when I believed Santa was real. Even though we had no fireplace, I thought it made perfect sense that he would visit our house. I always imagined him coming through the front door.

The girls got to enjoy a Santa visit earlier in the day at Brook's work party and then again last night. A different Santa of course. It amazes me how they just take it all in with virtually no questions. Lilian did ask where his sleigh was last night and I just guessed that maybe it was on the roof, that's why we couldn't see it.

Such trust.


Poor Rosie. She inherited her father's photograph face:


Daphne was a doll like always. If all babies could be like Daphne....

New Moon

***I promise no spoilers***

Just a few comments:

I loved it.

The audience giggled and swooned when Edward first appeared on screen.

The audience laughed when Jacob first appeared. Laughed at him. That was sad.

Jasper's hair is SOOOOOooooooo BAD!!!!

I'll be seeing it again tonight. What?!?

I love it when...

...kids dress themselves.

And I just love this baby.

My Girls

I had the girls' pictures taken today. As we all know, I'm no good with a camera and I have no photographer friends here yet, so today I relied on a department store. It was fun getting the girls dressed up and Daphne was a doll.

Hair Bows

I've been having a great time today making hair accessories for the girls. I set out to make something cream colored for their hair for photos tomorrow and it turned into much more.

I wish the girls would let me fix their hair like this everyday. Most days I'm lucky to get it brushed.

For Twilight Fans

I've already got my ticket for Friday and my special New Moon candy bar. Brook is taking the day off so I can go watch with some friends. YEA!!

Check out this new movie just for Twilight Fans:

Ha! Ha!

Video Recaps Full Episodes Webisodes

Who's That Girl?

This is the baby of many faces. Every time I see a picture, it's a different kid. It is amazing how different she looks from Lilian and Rosie as babies. I think she looks just like a little Brook here:

Thanks Melissa for the photo.

My Kittens

We had such a great Halloween and I'm so proud of how the girls costumes turned out. They ran and ran all night and after only an hour of trick-or-treating scored a huge load of candy. Unfortunately, I didn't think about how dark their costumes would be and once the sun went down they were shadows. So scary. Glad they had parents chasing them around to keep an eye on things. Next year, I'll find something reflective!

Kitten #1

Kitten #2

Kitten #3

Rosie is 3

I forgot to mention Rosie's birthday. Which is only right since she's now the middle child.

She had a lovely little birthday party with lots of fun presents and a few friends over. She wore these pink fairy wings all day long and I could tell she really loved the attention. She's been needing it.

Rosie is such a sweet, happy girl. She brings so much love and fun into our family. Almost everyday Rosie has a laughing fit which is so contagious and funny. I can't believe she's 3.

The Tinkerbell toys and coloring books were Rosie's favorites. Lilian played the entire day with a set of rocket balloons and pump I bought for party favors.

The ugly cake. It was so humiliating to present this. Rosie certainly didn't care but I was mortified in front of the other adults. I actually do know how to decorate cakes, this was just a weird fluke. It is a stuffed angel food cake with whip cream. The cake came out lopsided and the frosting just ran all over it. Oh, I was so embarrassed! I asked Brook if he would claim it but in the end I just hung my head in shame and lit the candle.

Oh yeah, on top...that is supposed to be an R.

A Room with a View

For a few days last week, this was Lilian's past time:

We've been so proud of how Lilian has handled her limited activities this past week. She doesn't complain about it and listens when we remind her not to jump or run. All fun will resume on Halloween and she can run, jump, and ride bikes as much as she wants with her new belly button.

In the meantime we are doing a lot of crafts around here. IT HAS BEEN A MESS! I can hardly keep up with all the paints, crayons, scraps of paper, tapes, sparkly stickers, jewels, glue, etc... Here is a tiara we made this morning. The look is flattering for the ears they inherited from their mother. Doesn't Rosie look delighted?

The Spider Web Necklace. So easy. Do it this week before Halloween.

All you need is string, hot glue, and a bowl of cool water. Drizzle the glue into the water and it forms a spider web shape. Hang it on a necklace. And don't be afraid to let the kids handle the glue gun. What's crafting without a few hot glue gun burns?

Ah, Daphne. What can I say? She's growing wonderfully. As she should. This child is awake all night eating. DAPHNE!!!!

Surgery Update

Lilian is home and well. She'll camp out on the couch all day today. She has complained about some tummy pain and isn't too hungry. The hospital gave us a sheet about what to expect after the surgery behavior wise and how to respond. It said to expect things like aggression or acting younger, wanting to be held all the time, separation anxiety, etc... So far she is a bit bossy and I feel like a slave, but I'm happy that she is home safe with us. Brook gave her a beautiful blessing last night that calmed my nerves. I'm so grateful for the protection Heavenly Father gave her and the doctors who cared for her. I'll wait to post an AFTER belly button picture till when it's healed.

This is her on the way home, a little groggy:

Before the surgery, all smiles! She was able to keep her puppy with her the whole time. You can see where they put a hospital bracelet on his leg.

Goodbye Belly Button

Lilian is having surgery Monday morning to repair her umbilical hernia (aka giant belly button). I'm a little nervous, it's real surgery. She can't run, jump, climb, ride bikes, etc for two weeks!! I have a lot of crafts planned. Maybe I'll post those!! Pray for Lilian!

Daphne 3 Months

I'm crazy about this girl. I can't get enough of her smiles and laughs. I love love love this baby. I can't imagine our family without her. Now, if only she could grow some hair...

P.S. Dayton Friends: What do you think about that sunny sky???

Sunday Hair

The only day of the week I make the girls have nice hair. I'm loving this new style: off-center buns with a flower.

Another Boring Post

But my mom has been wanting more pictures of Daphne so here you go. These are the only ones that I managed to take in focus. Life is pretty ordinary but busy right now. I'm excited for Halloween; this is the first year I'm making costumes. All the girls will be black cats: a classic costume! It's just an excuse to buy more black clothing and wear black nail polish. Black...my favorite color.

Daphne is growing so fast. Most people find this sad, I say 'THANK YOU!' She is a dear and finally sleeping better at night. I'm enjoying her little shows of personality. Another little kitten in my litter...what a treat!

Nearly 2 months now...

Daphne is getting bigger and easier. She actually napped in her crib a couple of times today...that is a first.

Nursing had a slow start as always so I'm excited to see how much she weighs next week. She's seems a lot bigger to me.

The girls are enjoying her more now that she is smiling and interested in being talked to or played with a little. At times they enjoy her a little too much. When I told them the other day to stop mauling the baby, Rosie said "Mall? I want to go to the mall."

When you leave them alone for just a minute. GRRRR!

I've been getting asked a lot lately what I think about having a third kid. Is it harder than I thought, etc...? The transition from 1 to 2 nearly did me in. It was so hard. I was so overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Rosie was a wonderful sweet baby who loved to sleep. Even still, it felt like I couldn't breathe for a year. This feels nothing like that. It is hard sometimes really really hard. I have days where I feel totally spent and exhausted, but I'm glad to say that those days aren't every day. It is usually just moments during the days that are frustrating. I'm so happy that Daphne is here. She is a great baby.

New Camera

No, I don't have a new camera but I need one. And I need suggestions. I'm looking for something small and not too expensive (under $200) and that is capable of taking good pictures by someone like me who has no talent in the picture taking field.

Case in point:

Why can't I take pictures consistenly? Honestly, half get deleted because they are so blurry. Brook is constantly trying to show me how to hold down the button just so and when I think I get it it turns out with lousy pictures again. It is luck if I get one in focus. So, give me some help and maybe you'll enjoy looking at my blog more!

29 on the 29th

It was my 29th birthday this past Saturday and it was lovely happy day. Brook surprised me with a trip to a spa for a 90 minute foot massage/pedicure. Early in our marriage Brook would rub my feet every night and I mean every night. He knew how much I loved it. But that lasted up until Lilian was born. So I appreciated the fact that he was attuned to just what I would want. My feet felt great.

Then after we left the two older girls with a babysitter, Brook accompanied me clothes shopping. Great guy. It's what I really wanted to do. Who has time to peruse clothing with three munchkins at your feet? I picked up a few things (quickly) and then we went a saw Julie & Julia. Very funny. It was a great birthday. I hope it is a sign of good things to come the next year.

6 Weeks

I don't have much to write about...or the time to. Just this: This is really hard. And by 'this' I mean children, motherhood, babies, etc... But for some crazy reason I'll press forward. The other night Lilian prayed that mom would be happy. Ouch. I realized the negative effect my stress has on the girls. So despite the sleepiness and extra work load, I'm really trying to show them how much I love them and our life.

Here are some new pictures:

The bears have Daphne in their clutches!!!


Those smiles are few and far between right now but they really make my day.


This baby has the scrawniest arms and legs I've ever seen. Apparently it's a Bentley trait. I don't think I've ever been scrawny.

The shirtless wonders. Rosie never wants to wear clothes and during Daphne's diaper change, Rosie thoughtfully shared her blanket.

How did I get so lucky?

It's been two weeks of bliss with baby Daphne. She is such an angel. We sit and snuggle and nurse all day long so really...what does she have to complain about? Other than a need for a new diaper, she doesn't fuss. Nights have been bearable and even enjoyable sometimes. I love being needed so much. She is growing right before my eyes and I'm having a great time.

(Of course my mom is still here so check back in another week.)

Rosie isn't adjusting perfectly. She needs a lot of attention right now but she seems to be enjoying having a new baby around. In her prayer the other night she thanked Heavenly Father that the baby came out of mommy's tummy. She is soft and gentle. She'll sit by the baby and stroke her head. She happily retrieves diapers and wipes for me and if it weren't for her behavior the rest of the day I would say she's a perfect big sister. Lilian isn't as hands on but she has been a doll. She doesn't seem to have been shaken up as much by the changes and continues to fight with Rosie as if nothing has changed. :)

Here's a shot of the girls sitting outside our front door watching an evening summer storm roll in. I love the view from the front of our house (you can see the hazy mountains) and I really love the weather here.