Audrey in June

Check out this emotional process

She was extremely disappointed when we all just kept sitting there clapping. Why weren't we hugging her, too?

Jane in June

Jane has blossomed into a dancer in the past few weeks. She sees me giving myself barre and then we take turns dancing for each other. Here are a few occassions of Jane's work. After each episode, she always takes a bow.

She also likes to sit at the piano and sing, wear this sunflower dress, and use whatever she can to quench her thirst.

Jane made this face at a birthday party, while with Adam on a canoe. I don't think I've ever seen her express...I don't really know what...excitement and fear? But it does show her personality. Voted best picture of the party by the hosting family :)

Utah trip for Christian's wedding (long post!)

FIRST WE...

had a bbq in the backyard. Neill and David made some delicious burgers (I LOVED not having to cook while we were on this trip. I mean, LOVED it. I was in such a foul mood my first dinner back home...) and the weather was amazing. My family made it just a little bit late. A HUGE thank-you to the Marriotts for having the Bennion crew over the wedding weekend! We also got in a couple visits with the fabulous Hanks family. Here are Audrey and Audrey. Aren't they lovely? The Hanks boys and Marriott girls got along really well, which is exciting for the parents :) Jane was loving all the cousins, too. In fact, the "bedtime story" for the trip was basically a list of cousins and she was happy with that!
THEN WE...

had a wedding at the Timpanogos Temple! This was the main event, as Christian tied the knot to Stephanie Raleigh, with whom I'm sure I will eventually talk for longer than 10 minutes. I can definitely vouch that Christian is head over heels. I am so excited for them.

Jane was a big fan of the candy dishes at the reception. Well, so was I!

FINALLY WE...

Marriotts and Bennions went up to the Marriott cabin for Memorial Day. Besides Audrey staying up all night growing some teeth, the cabin over-nighter was great. Jane (and Grant and George) and Adam rode horses. Audrey wore a cowboy hat. I made bean bags. No picture of the beauties. Marian had a birthday. Baby Grant got his first shoulder ride. Not sure if he liked it.Jane loved the slide. Adam and Will zoomed around on the revolving see-saw. Adam misses the mountains now.

We are totally out of focus. SLRs pose problems of their own. But I still like it.

I loved having both of my families together and am grateful that we all get along so well. We had a great trip. Thanks for getting married, Christian and Stephanie, so we could have a fun vacation!

Audrey's 1st steps

These are literally her 1st steps ever. She did this once before my turning the camera on. I just have to thank Adam for pushing her over on Sunday when she was about to do this during his Young Men's class.

I have a soft spot too...

Though I do appreciate good feet too (I guess) my soft spot is located around my waist. This desk job thing is way over-rated! One conversation we had today in "the cube" (workspace shared with my buying team in the midst of miles of gray, leopard-print cubicles) was about how much we weighed. Three were impressed that I am packing 175 pounds and still look like I haven't broken a buck fifty. The sad truth is that around my 27th birthday I noticed a strange vibration around my abdomen as I jaunted down the stairs for lunch. Could it be? I have been trying to fill our house with more love, but didn't expect to find it filling my shirt too! Love handles and a spare tire. It was like receiving the ugly, hand-woven, wool sweater from your aunt on your birthday...the one you have to wear with a smile at every family function. The only difference is that I can't take my handles off... or use my spare tire in a time of need. With 9 months of winter, a soft chair from which to allocate Britney Spears dresses 8 hours a day, and the best root beer on the market (Sprecher), what else am I to do but grow my very own root beer belly. Laura, on the other hand, has stayed thin as can be and continues to impress me with her fantastic figure. I am proud of her for doing so much. She is a wonderful, and active mother to our darling girls. She has a positive attitude despite all the frustrations of motherhood and being married to me (sometimes I'm the one needing mothering.) I am always impressed with her perspective - so often I am caught in the short-term worries and am soothed by her wisdom. I admire her passion for ballet and am excited to support her while she teaches ballet every Saturday afternoon during the summer. I love her so much. I hope to someday get in shape physically and spiritually just like her.

I have a soft spot for...

FEET!

Sorry the picture is so dark. I've been a horrible photographer lately.

Just look at that bevel!!!! One of Jane's friend's, Carter Hanson, happens to have the most gorgeous feet. I keep telling his mom he's got to put them to use somehow. Diving, swimming , gymnastics, flip flop modeling, ballet (where they would be most appreciated, but I don't know if Dad would go for it...), anything! Or, when they have a girl eventually (?) they should give her the same feet and definitely put her in ballet. Or any dance. These are the two best shots I was able to get, but this second one especially doesn't do his feet justice. But I can't help but post. When I see his feet on releve--he sometimes walks around this way--I literally feel myself start to drool. I'm jealous of a little boy. Do you know how much I stretched my feet to get a fraction of what he has naturally? I made my Dad stand on them! (Thanks, Dad, it really did help a lot.)

Another terrible, blurry, cute photo of that day: