The Harding Family

Wilson's a Kindergartener?!!!!

2011-09-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

I am sure every mom of a five-year-old has a blog entry like this one about this time of year. I will add my sentiments of disbelief to theirs. I can't believe my baby is going to kindergarten! But, unlike a lot of moms, this does not make me sad and nostalgic for the days when he was a little baby. I am ECSTATIC for Wilson. He is starting his education and some of the funnest times in his early life. He is so smart and is going to do so well that I can't be sad!
The first day his teacher, Mrs. Partridge, allowed the parents in to the classroom to read a story, The Kissing Hand. We found Wilson's table, pinned his name tag on and just let him go. Within minutes he was coloring a picture and then went directly to the rug when asked. After the story, there were parents crying and kids screaming for their mothers. But, not Wil. He was just like, "See ya later, mom!" That moment right there made preschool all worth it. That is exactly how I wanted his first day to go. Yesterday, he brought home his first worksheets. I almost cried then, though. I will have to frame them because I think it's soooo cute. He has worksheets!
Now, I'm not saying that next year won't be difficult when he goes to school ALL day, but for now, I am just excited to see Wil come home every day and tell me all about letters and songs and recess. What a great time in our lives!

PS I am also carpooling for the first time. Wilson has a girl in his class from the ward. I am the drop off mom and the other mom picks up. I think it was more nerve wracking waiting for him to be home after school the first day because it was out of my control. I was giving my responsibility to someone else for my child. It was a very strange feeling, but I think it will be good once we get all the bugs worked out. I will also be a soccer mom starting next week. Wow, I am the minivan driving, car pooling, picking up and dropping off, kids in school, soccer mom. Isn't it great?

A Blessing for my Baby

2011-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

My mom only has three grand daughters. Each born in June and each 7 years apart. Weird, right?

I can't believe we did it, but we blessed Winnie on Father's Day. She must be a third child because I never would have dreamed of blessing either of the boys two weeks after they were born! Ben's parents came to visit from Virginia and were only here for a few weeks. We had to convince the bishop we were serious about the date and then it was on! Winnie's beautiful dress was made by her Nana Kay. It is completely hand made and will for sure be a family heirloom. As if the dress wasn't enough, I had to add the over-the-top feather headband to go along with it. Too much? Maybe....but our family only has a girl every seven years, so I thought, why not? Ben did a wonderful job on her blessing and it was fun to be surrounded by family and friends. It was a perfect day and I even managed to sneak in a nap! Can't beat that! I can't believe how much I am enjoying this little baby and how much she has already blessed our lives! We love you baby Winnie!

Welcome Winnie!

2011-06-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

Ta da, I'm here!
Big brother Wilson
Kisses from big brother Bennett
So sweet!
Proud papa
Every girl loves getting her hair washed!
Apparently she did not agree with my choice in take home outfits!
Ready to go home now!

Introducing the newest member of our family....Miss Winnie! We are so excited she is finally here! She is such a sweet little baby, so petite! She actually came with dark hair! I always secretly wished she would have dark hair, but never expected it to really happen. Chances are it will change to blonde soon, but her dark hair will be well documented! Her brothers both love her to death and always want to check on her to make sure she is okay. I think they will be big helpers for me. She is gorgeous and we are enjoying every minute of having her here!

Congrats to our Little Grad!

2011-06-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sitting by his friends Sebastian and Lydia.
Giving Mrs. Cameron a hug.

Wilson's pirate version of himself. Don't ask what that green stuff coming out of the side of his mouth is!

I can't believe Wilson is done with preschool! It was such an awesome year. His teachers Mrs. Park and Mrs. Cameron were phenomenal and I can't believe how much Wil has grown over the last year. He is so ready for kindergarten. The graduation was really fun to see. They sang tons of their favorite songs and each kid had a cut out of themselves on the wall. Of course Wilson's looked like a pirate! The teachers made each child a little bag made out of Capri Sun packages they collected over the year. How fun is that? Wilson kept asking me how many days he had left of school so I thought he was going to be happy to be done. He didn't even want to hug his teachers or anything, so I was completely surprised when he started crying outside the school because he was going to miss preschool! It was so cute. We are so excited to see what he will accomplish next year in kindergarten. Way to go, Wil!

Where's Teacher?

2011-03-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

This was the biggest bullfrog I'd ever seen!
Except for this one of course!

Wilson and MacKenzie
Wilson, Tyler (how tall is that kid), MacKenzie, Bennett and a guest of the teachers

Wilson's preschool does these cool little field trips once a month where you try to figure out where the teacher is going based on what they are learning about. They learned about sea creatures a few weeks ago, so of course we went to the aquarium! It was actually really fun because we haven't been there for over a year. I don't think Bennett remembered his last aquarium trip and Wilson was actually excited to see the sharks, penguins, the new turtle (at least she's new to us) and he even touched a stingray for the first time! I love Wil's teachers. They are so fun and you can tell they love what they do. I am so glad we put him in preschool. I also can't believe that Wil is starting kindergarten in the fall! Wow, what a big boy!

Happy V-day!

2011-03-02T17:37:00.001-08:00

In one game, you had to bounce a ping pong ball onto a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. Doesn't the heart shaped bread make you sick?
Ever tried to stack 3 golf balls? Not easy.
The Hansens went head to head in the Oreo challenge. In the end, Elena was victorious!
Jorga won the petroleum jelly and cotton ball game. LOL fun!
Julio tried his hardest and we laughed the hardest at his attempt!
Lisa was masterful at blowing up her balloon and knocking down cups but........
Once again, Preston showed us how full of hot air he really is!
The Walker's pulled out tissues from the box with one hand. Jessica beat out!
In the end there was a tie and we did card castles to see who won. Preston couldn't handle it on the table so he moved to the floor. He was not very successful.
This was all Lisa had to do to put it away for the girls!
Here are the winners of the first annual Minute to Win it Boys Vs. Girls Challenge!

Ben and I both really don't like Valentine's Day. Ben is one of those guys who doesn't want to be told what to do and I hate all the crowds and commercialism surrounding it. A few years ago we decided to start having a Valentine's Party at our house with friends. Since then I actually look forward to the holiday again! Our tradition has been to play Battle of the Sexes, but the women lost every year so I decided to try something new. We played Minute to Win it Games that require no skill whatsoever to level the playing field. It was hilarious and I am proud to say the women won! Yeah! The Sudweeks won back their title in the Newlywed game and it was a great time had by all (I hope). I am grateful for good friends that can make even the worst holidays better!

A dream come true

2011-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Proof of just how close we were! Row 8, baby!
Our seats were right by the camera guy. It was fun to watch him work.

The names on their jerseys. The sheer mass of their shoes. The size of the Bear's tail. Jimmer Fredette. These are all things that you can see from our seats in the lower bowl that you can't from our regular seats upstairs. Ben and I decided we wanted to spring for lower bowl seats for our anniversary and it was the best thing ever. I really didn't know how to act down there. Most people just acted too cool for school. They didn't really cheer all that much and were more interested in their beer and yelling at the refs than watching the game. I was way excited and probably embarrassed Ben with all my giddiness. You could actually see the plays unfold and you could totally see every foul. We even got to go under the stadium where the players go to use the bathroom. It was really fun. The only thing that sucked was that Deron Williams didn't play. He's my favorite. Oh well, maybe next time? Now I just hope Ben doesn't become a seat snob and complain about our upper bowl seats. I don't care where we sit, I just love the Jazz!

One Proud Mama

2011-01-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

Every year I do a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning so I can feel better about stuffing myself silly later that day. My sister and I decided to try the Bountiful 10k for the first time. This year I asked Wilson if he wanted to race with mom. He surprised me by saying yes. Now, I don't know if you remember how butt crack cold it was on Thanksgiving (18 degrees or so) but I thought for sure he wouldn't want to go. I left early and then called Ben to see if Wilson still wanted to and HE DID! I was so amazed. My race started about 5 minutes late so I was scared I was going to miss the start of the 1k. Wilson's bib was locked in my sisters car and she was behind me with a friend. I got done with my race and saw all the kids lined up, but I thought Wilson and Ben were in the parking lot. So I just kept running to the front of the rec center and they weren't there. By the time I got back to the starting line all the kids had already left. Still running, a nice lady pointed me in the direction of the race and I caught up to them! I grabbed Wilson by the hand and we just kept going. He ran the WHOLE TIME! He was even going onto the snow to get around people. I was so proud of him. I hope he got my dad's freaky running genes because I had so much fun with him and the whole family. He got his first racing medal and enjoyed his first free gatorade and fruit at the end of the race. It was definitely a Thanksgiving to remember!

How long was I out for?

2011-01-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked if I forgot I had a blog. I basically have to say um....yes. Life is nuts, but if my sister Heidi, who just had her fourth child can do it, I can post a little something here and there. I don't really have any super new pictures, but can post some of my favorites from the end of the year.

We went to California on vacation in September 2010 and it was the best vacation ever. We went with Ben's sister, Jennie and her family and Ben's parents. The hotel was perfect, the beach was perfect, the park was perfect, the weather was almost perfect and I would go back tomorrow if I could. To this day, Wil's favorite game to play is vacation. We pack up all our stuff(ed animals that is) and get on a plane, usually to Disneyland. It was awesome and probably the highlight of the year. Here are just a few pics to show you how much fun we had.

Astro Blasters was by far the winning ride. Second was Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise.
Save the Batteries!
Outside the Tiki room, it was the best 1/2 hour of the day in an air conditioned room when it was 100+ degrees outside. Thank you Tiki room!

Wilson was our map guide. This was at Sea World. Man was that awesome. Too bad my camera died shortly after so we have no pictures to remember it by!
Bennett loves Buzz!
Huntington Beach....cheese and pretzels and sand are a lethal combination.

I love this picture. I think it captures what Disneyland is all about.

Wilson and Parker playing in Goofy's backyard.
Bennett was sleeping, so he missed out on meeting the Big Mouse himself.
We lucked out here. Most of the lines to meet the characters were ridiculous, but we just happened to be leaving the dog pound when Goofy came out.
Now that is a strong boy!
On the train around Disneyland. I don't remember it being so fun, but the boys wanted to keep riding it over and over again. It must have been the dinosaurs!
Huntington Beach, I highly recommend it to any who have the means! (name that movie)
Bennett kept yelling at the waves because they just wouldn't leave him alone. "Mommy, the water just keeps coming."

Utah State Fair 2009

2009-09-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know I say it every year, but it must be repeated.....I LOVE THE FAIR! We went as a family one night and Wilson ate it up. I remember last year we had to drag him through the little farm. This year he was telling me to come on and hurry up! He was so excited to plant, harvest and sort the vegetables and couldn't believe he got a dollar for his efforts. He savored his cheese crackers like they were manna from heaven! We saw the shark show and he got such a kick out of putting his hand in the sharks mouth and going in and out of the shark cage. He loved all the lights and sounds and all the animals. I got to take him down the banana slide this year and it was so fun. He even liked the butter cow and understood what it was.

We went again with Lisa, Parker and Perry. The boys had to endure the quilt building and the scrapbook section, but they had fun. They had some Japanese students doing children's names in Japanese for them. We got all the kids' names done and they each got an origami animal or game to take with them. Parker and Wil loved sitting on the RVs and the huge cow. It is such a fun time and I hope we never stop going!

Sisters and Swiss Days

2009-09-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Of course I forgot my camera, so these are all camera phone pictures.

Look at those hot stems!

How did I let them talk me into wearing these?

We were going so fast the camera couldn't keep up! Lighting fast!

Heather finished like a second before me. Darn these short legs of mine!

Yeah for sisters and Swiss Days!

A long time ago I planned a girls' weekend in Midway for Swiss Days, one of my favorite events to attend. But, everyone baled but Heather and me. We decided to go for it anyway and booked at hotel in Park City (for $65 on priceline, go me) and signed up for the 10k race. It was such a fun time. We saw a chick flick and stayed up way too late just because we could! We got up early for the race and took pictures in our butt flap shorts (which Heather looks way better in than me). Heather and Ben both told me how much better it would be to run in these shorts, but I didn't believe them. Of course being in Park City, we had to stop at the outlets and they just happened to have a good deal on them, so I bought a pair. Let me tell you, the verdict is still out. Whatever you gain in comfort of running, you lose in self consciousness of people looking at you in your short shorts. The race course was beautiful and the weather held up great. I finished in 56:34 which is 6 minutes faster than the last time I ran it, so I am getting better! I actually finished 8th in my age group and 74th out of 500, so it was not bad at all! Heather's brother-in-law was so kind to bring his camera and take the after pics for us. Thanks, Robert!

Ben and the boys came up and we watched the parade. Wilson loved all the tractors and, of course, the candy. It was not even crowded so he got his fair share. We walked around the shops and I had a knockwurst sandwich with extra sauerkraut for good measure! Mmmmm. Sauerkraut. It was another great weekend and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the means!

13.1.....done.

2009-08-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is me at the final 10th of a mile. Do I look like I'm ready to pass out?

The race started 20 minutes late so the boys were really early. To pass the time Ben was teaching Wil to clap when he saw the runners go by.

Unfortunately, but the time I got there, Wil was all clapped out.

Bennett has one of his faces going.

What a happy boy for gettin up at 6:45!

Still waiting for mommy.

My good friend Rachel. Bennett is her secret boyfriend.

I was so happy when we finished!

My cute supportive family.

Wilson really liked my finishers medal. He calls it my running necklace.

I guess I did learn something in YWs. You know that whole setting goals, creating plans and carrying them out thing? Well, I did it. I don't normally brag about myself or my accomplishments, but I think this deserves a shout out. At the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to run a half marathon before I turned 30 (which is rapidly approaching). So, I set the date and began training. A short 10 weeks later I found myself heading up the Blacksmith Canyon at 6:00 am in a crowded bus full of runners thinking to myself, "Am I really going to do this?" My saving grace was that my ultra amazing more experienced and faster running friend Rachel was by my side the whole time. She pushed me hard down the canyon (not literally, ouch!) and kept me going at a pretty quick pace. By mile 9 I could feel myself getting fatigued, but she kept me going. I was so excited to see my boys at the finish line. That made the experience complete to have my family there rooting for me. My final time was 2:00:30 which is about 15 minutes faster than my original goal. It is probably one of the hardest and funnest things I have accomplished since Bennett was born. It will probably take me about that long for my body to recover from this! I am so grateful for a strong body and mind that helped me do it! While running I kept saying to myself, "Just finish and you'll never have to do this again." But once I was finished and was back at the hotel I was ready to do it again! Running is so addictive and I hope I can keep doing it as long as possible. It has been a good weekend that oddly enough was all focused on me! That like never happens, but it felt wonderful.

Prehistoric Peer Pressure

2009-08-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Are we seeing a theme here?

I finally got in a trip to the Ogden Dinosaur Park this summer with our friends Kari, Noah and Anslee. The best part is that Kari's kids love having their picture taken. So, Wilson followed suit and also wanted his picture taken. That never happens. Usually whenever I get the camera out Wilson bolts. We have a lot of pictures of his back side. Every dinosaur we came up to the boys would ask what kind of dinosaur it was. After Kari and I took turns slaughtering the names, they would repeat it like we were two world famous dinosaur experts and then say, "I want to take a picture with this one." It was really funny. I actually only included about a fourth of the pics that we took! The swings were actually open at the playground and Wil and Bennett had such a good time swinging and giggling together. It melted my heart. They finally had the pteradactyl slide open too and Wilson really liked it. It was a super fun trip and that park is one of my favorites!

Bennett's One!

2009-08-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just love first birthdays! They are such a celebration of survival for the baby and the parents. We had Bennett's party at the same park as Wilson's. It was supposed to be a fishing party, but the pavilion at that end of the park was already taken. My mom came with me to save our spot at the park at 4:30 and the party didn't start until 6:30. For two hours we sat in the windy, stormy park just praying that the 10% chance of rain wouldn't be over Bennett's birthday party! By the time people started coming it cleared up and it was a nice evening. This year went way faster than Wil's first year. It has been excellent and Bennett is the sweetest, cutest baby ever. We had a trivia game to see who knew Bennett the best. His Aunt Jennie beat out grandma by one tie breaker question, which I must admit I even forgot the answer to! It was a great party. On Bennett's actual birthday we went to grandma's and had dinner and we even had one present left for him to open. I am excited for the next year and can't wait for Bennett's first steps, first words, first day in nursery! It's so fun to watch them grow and learn every day. See how many questions you can get right!

Fishing for Facts
How well do you know Bennett?
True or false

Bennett can climb up a full flight of stairs.
Bennett has 3 teeth.
Bennett can sit on and push his ride on toy.
Bennett can feed himself with a spoon.
Bennett can stand on his own.
Bennett can say five words.
Bennett can eat an entire banana.
Bennett loves pickles.
Bennett can clap at appropriate times.
Bennett gives zerberts.
Bennett can wave hello.
Bennett can make cow noises.
Bennett loves water.
Bennett can place blocks into correct holes.
Bennett can do addition.
Bennett’s favorite toy is a monkey.
Bennett can stack two blocks.
Bennett can turn the tv and the lights off and on.
Bennett loves grapes.
Bennett gives kisses.
Bennett loves to play in the toilet.

Faces Only a Mother Could Love!

2009-08-13T08:33:00.001-07:00

This is Wilson at about 10 months. He and Bennett make similar faces. Both super cute!

This was just after Bennett managed to pilfer a marshmallow and pound it before I finally caught him. Note the gooey chin and look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Crazy boy!

Yes, that is mascara.

This is what Bennett will look like in about 20 years when he grows his first goatee. That is if he can grow facial hair, considering who his father is!

Friends, Fondue & Fun

2009-08-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a year in the making, but we finally got to go to The Melting Pot with our friends the Sudweeks. We found some pretty good coupons (which actually didn't get used) and decided we'd better go before we had to start our perspective diets. It was such a good time and as you can see we made sure we got every last little bit of it! ILisa and I were in charge of making all the decisions, like swiss or cheddar cheese and dark or milk chocolate. What a hard job! I definitely put my sugar-free week to a grinding halt, but what a way to go! Ben and I are glad to have good friends like Lisa and Preston to enjoy a good fondue party with!

Running Downhill Sounds Fun......

2009-07-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Poo flavored clif bars, the breakfast of champions!

I can run 6 miles, but I can't figure out the timer on my camera!

We rock!

Heather and I ran the Deseret News 10k this morning and had an absolute blast. It started at 6:00 am which made the decision to be up until midnight the night before a little crazy. Neither one of us thought about breakfast so we ended up sharing a mini Clif bar that tasted a lot like...well, poop. There were a ton of people running and the course was mostly down hill, which sounds like a plus, until you get to mile 4 and your calves are screaming, "Enough with the down hill already." The course went around the same way as the parade so the last two miles were lined with people you thought were cheering for you, but all they really wanted was for you to hurry up so the parade could start! It was my fastest 10k ever at 51:14 and Heather wasn't far behind! It was a great race and must be repeated next year!

Bennett is 11 months!

2009-07-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

These pictures encapsulate Bennet at 11 months. He is TROUBLE! He is now crawling, pulling himself up and along furniture, pushing buttons (literally and figuratively) and climbing stairs! I can't believe how much he gets into things and how much more I have to watch him than I did Wilson. He loves to egg Wilson on and chase him around the house. They scream at each other and laugh at nothing together. It is so cute and we hope they will always be good friends. Bennett has his two bottom teeth. That's almost 3 months earlier than Wil got his. How funny is that. I am excited that my 11 month old has teeth and I think he's ahead of schedule! He is adorable and still making the cutest noises. He doesn't know how to point yet, so whenever he wants you to look at something, you get a little Hitler salute followed by an emphatic "Oooo". He has learned to turn the TV off and on and just waits for you to tell him no, then he laughs and does it anyway. What a stinker! I can't imagine life without him and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Roller Babies

2009-07-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

This is our new favorite video. Wilson has watched it no less than 20 times today and it gives Bennett something to aspire to! It's super cute!

Fourth of July Fun

2009-07-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Bennett loved sitting in the little kid chairs. He didn't stop smiling!

Hanging with cousin Lil!

No Fourth of July party would be complete without the pool!

Uncle Roger brought his hammock and we all wanted to take a nap on it!

Uncle Ian made homemade chocolate chip ice cream. He let Wilson help. Just don't ask what's in it, then you feel guilty for enjoying it so much.

This was a present from great great aunt Harriet, the nicest lady in the world. We will have lots of fun picnics at this table!

Grandpa Mike and Kay are in town this year for the fourth so we got to go play at their house. It was super fun. There was a pool and pop-its and toys and home made ice cream and family and fabulous fireworks. We don't get together with Ben's side of the family nearly enough. It was good to see everyone and catch up on what's happening in everyone's lives. Bennett didn't nap well so he was down by seven and missed all the fireworks. Wil was not impressed by the fireworks. Next year maybe we won't take him to see the Taylorsville fireworks. It spoiled him!

Don't Let the Tradition Die!

2009-07-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is Bennett's first parade!

Wil's scooter looked really cute, too bad he wouldn't ride it!

Our Committee

Our 4th of July Neighborhood Parade and Breakfast has been going for 6 years. It has been one of our favorite activities. Because of a ward split it looked like the tradition was going to die out this year. We had no ward or auxiliaries to help and no budget. But, we knew that everyone still wanted to have it. So, with only two weeks to plan it and make it work, we put it together. It wasn't as grand or fabulous as in other years, but we kept the tradition alive. Allow me to get sappy for a moment. I am so grateful to live in a neighborhood of people that care about each other and their country. I was amazed that every food assignment was filled and every delegation was taken without complaint. Our "committee" let me take their time and let me whine when things weren't going so well. I am glad it went so well. Now we know it is a tradition worth saving and we hope it will continue every year. Just don't make me be in charge any more.

What a Day!

2009-07-01T15:01:00.001-07:00

Look at our patriotic little men!

A picture of my sweaty self after the race. It was super fun!

The babies fell asleep and dreamed of the day they could eat parade candy and ......

hug a giant armadillo?!

Bennett looking up to the sky

Crazy Neil Diamond fans! Just sing "Coming to America" already!

Bennett fell dead asleep on my lap even with all the noise! He was DONE!

After living in Taylorsville for 3 years now, we decided it was about time we participated in Taylorsville days. It started early on Saturday morning when I left to run the 5k with my sis, Heather. I told Ben he was in charge of getting the kids together and getting them all to the parade. I didn't really have high hopes, but Ben seriously impressed me. When I went to find my family after Heather and I finished a sub 30 race (you go, Hey) I was fully expecting to see all three of them still in their pajamas all huddled on one of Bennett's receiving blankets. Not only did Ben have the children dressed and ready, he brought a blanket, camping chairs and even a sippy cup of milk for Wil. What a man! He even coordinated with Lisa so she could sit by us! The parade was super fun and Wilson was quite the candy hound. He was out there chasing after all the candy with the older kids. No fear! He stocked piled it and shared it with Parker. The babies slept through all the fun, of course. That evening I was tortured by the loud and booming noise that is Neil Diamond before I was able to enjoy the fireworks. (Don't let Ben know I said that!) Ben and Preston took the boys to the bounce houses while Lisa and I helped save spots for fireworks. My parents and Heather's family came too. Despite the pain my ears went through, it was a seriously awesome day ending in awesome fireworks. I even got a funnel cake which is like my favorite fair food ever. Ben waited in line for half an hour to get it for me. Can you say true love? Ben makes fun of me because I keep saying I felt like part of the community, but I really did. We are blessed to be where we are and surrounded by good people and good fun!

It's a three thing, you wouldn't understand

2009-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy

I can't get over how cute he is!

Can you believe this is one of the first family pictures we've taken since Bennett was born? How lame are we?

I can't get over the fact that I have a three-year-old! Of course he acts like he's 7 so I shouldn't be so surprised. This year I let Wil pick the theme of his party. He told me all he wanted was party hats and chocolate cake. Easy enough. When I asked him what kind, he told me Elmo, which is really strange because we never watch Elmo, but whatever. At least it was easy to find the hats. I also felt compelled to make his cake this year because I've been seeing so many sisters and friends who have made phenomenal cakes for their children that I decided to give it a whirl. What I mean when I say give it a whirl is that I show up at Heidi's house, she has the cake and the frosting already made and she let's me do the nose and half of the fur before she kicks me off for doing to too slowly and tells me to do the cupcakes! (Love ya, Hides).

The party was supposed to be a water party with pools and water balloons and slip and slides, but the weather didn't cooperate, so I changed it to a puddle jumping party. I knew Wil would love that. But, when all the cousins came they disappeared into the backyard not to be seen until cake time. Apparently puddle jumping wasn't really necessary! Wilson had a great time and didn't even cry when we sang "Happy Birthday" to him! He got lots of good stuff and had the time of his life. Thanks everybody! Sunday was his actual birthday, but it was pretty quiet. When Ben got home from his meetings, he took Wil outside to jump in the puddles. Then when it got too cold we all went inside and had a cupcake carpet picnic and watched Mickey before bed. I can't wait to see all the shinanigans that we will see from Wil in the up coming year!

Party for Perry

2009-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Precious Perry

Proud mama with all her goodies!

Molly with Perry.

This is Elena. She is in our new ward and I really want her to be my friend. She probably won't be if she ever sees this picture!

My cute clothsline idea

The spread

These are Lisa's old high school friends, Chelsea and Erin who co-hosted the shower with me. They are cute girls!

My friend Lisa and her husband, Preston, just adopted the cutest little baby boy, Perry Jamal. So, of course we had to celebrate! We planned to have the baby shower in our neighbor, Molly's, backyard, but the crazy rain threatened to make us go inside. Well, I said my prayers and it didn't start downpouring until about 5 minutes after the shower was over. I felt a lot of pressure to put on a good shower because Lisa is so creative and over the top with everything she does. Every creative bone in my body hurt after this one. It was a really nice time and I am just so happy and excited for Lisa and her family. Now, if that little Perry could just learn to sleep at night and not all day long!

4 X 4 Farming

2009-06-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Supervisors

I have always wanted to have a garden, but it seems like we can't even keep our lawn alive, let alone any tiny seeds and plants. But, with a lot of help from our parents, we built and started our own little veggie garden. It is an above ground 4 X4 box garden. It was our fhe on Monday and it was really fun. Even Wilson wanted to help water (a.k.a. drown) the plants and planted his own pumpkin seeds. This may seem like a small thing to most people, but it was a monumental moment for the Hardings to get it together enough to do it. We are excited about our new project and hope to get some kind of miniature crop. I will be very discouraged if everything dies! I am glad we have had so much rain to give us a good start. We planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, one zucchini plant (enough for the neighborhood according to my dad), carrots, beans, squash, parsley, basil and one pumpkin. Happy farming!

Bennett is the Train Wrecker and GI Joe

2009-06-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

Wilson recently acquired the coolest train set from his cousin, Zach, who outgrew it. I knew Wilson would love it, but what I didn't count on was Bennett's reaction. Pretty stinkin' cute!

Bennett is now 9 1/2 months old. His head is in the 95th percentile while his height and weight are in the 50th. That is why it's such a feat that he can even move around! Just kidding, he's crawling, can you believe it? He chose the same mode of transportation as Wil did at around nine months, army crawling. He is really fast now and into everything. His favorite new forbidden zone to play in is the bathroom. I don't think we ever really baby proofed our house to the fullest extent because Wil was never interested in things like cords and outlets. Bennett on the other hand would rather play with my curling iron than his many toys. This one is trouble already. The best part is that now he never has to get left behind. Every time I have to leave a room for something and Wil goes with me, Bennett just screams because he hates being left. Now he just gets down on his tummy and follows us! Bennett's other new favorite thing to do is dance. It's super cute. It doesn't even really matter what song, he just loves to get down! He is getting funner by the minute and is such a sweet and happy baby. He, Wil and Ben are my joy!

Line 'Em Up

2009-06-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

Lately Wilson's new favorite thing to do is to line everything up. Chairs, pots, letters, boxes, you name it and we've lined it up. It makes me a little worried, but the only thing I've ever read about children lining things up is that it's a sign of potty training readiness, but I know that's not right! It's pretty hilarious though. Everything is daddy or mommy or Wilson or Bennett sized. Every family member has to have a pot or box or chair assigned to them. At least he's good at inclusion. My sister, Carina, my neice, Janae, and my baby nephew, Seth, all have lawn chair assignments on the back porch. He likes to spread the love. Let me know if I should be worried, if not I just hope he never takes my mommy-sized stuff out of the line up!

Twelve Years of Friendship

2009-05-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

So, my family moved around a lot when I was younger. We never stayed anywhere longer than like 5 years, so I never really had a chance to make really good friends until we moved to Utah. Now, boy do I have some good ones! I got to reconnect with two of my college roommates that I absolutely adore, Jana and Shelby and have lunch with them. Shelby surprised me first by telling me she was pregnant and second by telling me she was having a girl! (She's one of those stick girls that only looks pregnant in the belly and only if you look really hard!) We also reminisced about the good old college days and how we graduated from Snow 10 years ago and had known each other about 12 years. That may not seem remarkable to some people, but it's an absolute miracle for me to have friends for that long. It was a great time and I am so glad I got to stop and catch up with all they have been doing! I am blessed to have such good friends! Yeah for girl's lunch out!

Bragging on Ben

2009-05-11T18:45:00.001-07:00

Wilson busted sneaking strawberries!

Even Bennett ate his all up!

The culinary master himself!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

So, I fully admit that I don't give Ben nearly enough credit for everything he does, but this last week he outdid himself, so this post is dedicated to him. The week before last was a tragic week at our house. Ben and I were both sick and broken. It took it's toll on me. Last Monday I spent 5 hours at the doctors trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with my face (feel free to insert face joke of your choice here). It was swollen and I was Quazimoto. Anyway, when I got home from the doctor's that night Ben was there with flowers and declared it Mother's Day week. Every day for that whole week he did something nice for me. The list is as follows:

Monday: Flowers

Tuesday: Scrubbed my kitchen floor on his hands and knees

Wednesday: Chocolate iced cake donut from Holiday (white trash I know, but oh so yummy)

Thursday: Apple Pie Caramel Apple from Rocky Mt. Chocolate Factory

Friday: Another cake donut (can't get enough of a good thing)

Saturday: Full service date including a chick flick of my choice and the Cheesecake Factory

Sunday: Crepe breakfast before church, he made the pistachio salad for dinner and gave me an overnight getaway to Park City with my sister!

Can I ever go back to normal life again? I'll tell you, it was hard today, but I am grateful for such a sweet husband who is constantly trying to make me happy!

Bennett's First (Documented) Trip to the Zoo

2009-05-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Instead of looking at the rhino that's like 3 feet away, let's play on the fake rocks! Boys.

Wilson put his own shades on and I didn't have the heart to tell him!

Wilson wasn't even brave enough to sit on the spider! Maybe it helps if you have no idea what's going on! This really was Bennett's first train ride though. He really liked sitting next to big bro!

I think in Bennett's short 9 months of life, he has already gone to the zoo no less than 5 times. However, this last week was the first time his crazy mother remembered to bring and use her camera. Bennett still doesn't get what he's supposed to be looking at, but he did follow the two monkeys running around in front of his stroller (Wilson and Parker) really well and they were fine entertainment. Wilson found the landscaping in the animal exhibits (i.e. the waterfalls and rocks) much more fun than the actual animals and both he and Parker lost all will to go on until snacks were had. This trip we didn't make it past the penguins before we gave up and headed for the playground and the train on our way out. I guess that is one hazard to having a zoo pass, your kids get spoiled! Bennett is for sure more willing to pose for pictures than his brother, so there are some cute ones of him! I am just glad the weather has turned warm and we can get out and go!

2009-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

I think Easter has to be my favorite holiday, really. It is so much fun. I love the spring weather and the egg hunts. I even love the candy the best of any holiday. This year we went up to Brigham City to Ian and Bonnie's to have an Easter egg hunt. It was really fun and there were so many easter eggs that everyone got plenty. Wilson loved to hunt for the eggs but then immediately wanted to open each one up and see what was in it. That significantly slowed him down, but I had to stop my competetive side from taking over and dragging him up the hill to show him all the other eggs he was missing! I just had to remember that he doesn't know the difference and it's just fun for him to look. It was fun to watch Wilson's reaction with Bennett. When the Easter bunny came he had to show Bennett everything in his basket and show him the Easter ropes. The egg hunt at my mom's house was equally rediculously over stocked with eggs, but no one is willing to downsize. We also did something new this year, an adult egg hunt. The prize for Ian's was $20 bucks while our prizes were bags of the good candy (cadbury eggs and coconut creme kisses, mmmm) and $5. That was a fun idea and I would love to make it a standing tradition. I got all of my boys matching shorts and I think that will have to become a tradition too. I just love Easter and all it stands for!

Conference Weekend

2009-05-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sethy and Bennett in the WBWF- Worldwide Baby Wrestling Federation

For Conference weekend, which I can't believe was a month ago already, the Horsleys and we decided to visit the grandparents. Being the neglectful grandchildren that we are, we hadn't been to Idaho since my grandma Wilson's 90th birthday party last year in March! Man, are we lame. It is always a good time. Sethy and Bennett spent some quality smack down time together. It seemed like whenever they met on the carpet they would take turns pulling on each others clothes, smacking each other and then steam rolling over each other. It was really cute. Grandpa Allred couldn't get over how much they looked alike. Grandma had fun with the babies too! We taught Wilson to say Great Grandma's house because frankly we have too many grandparents to keep straight! Bennett loved all the open space to roll around and almost got squished when he found himself under uncle Ben's chair! I still can't figure out how he did that. Wilson's favorite toy was the grocery cart and he wanted to give his brother a ride in it. Bennett was a little too heavy and almost tipped over several times, but I think he liked it. It was a very fun and relaxing weekend and I was grateful for the chance to unwind.

Twilight Night

2009-04-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, any excuse to have a party with food is good for me. If it includes hotty potatty Edward Cullen, all the better. We had fun playing trivia games and eating theme foods like mushroom ravioli (the restaurant scene) blood red (almost) punch, and cinnamon popcorn (Don't knock it 'til you try it) that looked like it was coated in blood. Along with many other delicious treats. We were all Twilight fiends except for Alicia who probably wished she'd never come. I don't even know if she enjoyed the movie because of all our chattering, but it's hard to help yourself. It was a fun night and good times for all!

A Total Harding Weekend

2009-03-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

What a cute family!

Meghan, Emma and Hannah

Wow, boys and trucks. Does it get any better than this?

The Harding Clan

Cute Father/Son moment

We just had one of the best weekends in a long time. Ben's brother, Mat, and his wife, Britney, adopted a little girl, Lily Sue. She was born 5 days before Bennett and is the cutest little girl ever. Their adoption was finalized last week and they were sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple on Saturday. I can honestly say it was one of the sweetest and most wonderful experiences I've had in the temple since my wedding day. There is no denying the spirit when it let's you know that your family is and can be yours forever. I was just bawling the whole time. I was so happy for them and so awe struck at what a good girl Lily was. It was like she knew what was going on. She was calm and happy, like she was letting everyone else know she knew she was where she was supposed to be. I hope Mat and Brit don't mind me sharing that, I just can't get over how special it was and how grateful I was to be a part of it. That Sunday was Lily's blessing and it was a great meeting. Then, all the little boys got a special treat. The lunch was held at the Tremonton Fire station. Every other word out of Parker, Dalton and Wilson's mouths was fire truck! Uncle Mat (hope this doesn't get him in trouble either) snuck the boys into the garage to see all the fire trucks and the new ladder engine. Pretty soon the whole family had congregated there for pictures! These pics are courtesy of Kay, but they are too cute not to share. It was just a great weekend and it was fun to see the whole family on such a wonderful occasion! Yeah, Lily is now a Harding, whether she likes it or not!

Cereal Day and a Seriously Crappy Week

2009-02-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

The poor kid doesn't know what's about to hit him.

What is with this mush?

Seriously, this is what you people eat every day?

Gimmie that camera!

At least I get to play with my spoon!

Man, this is going to take some getting used to!

Bennett turned six months on Monday, so we "officially" started him on cereal and baby food. Can I just tell you how this kid is the exact opposite of his brother? Wil devoured everything I put in from of him (including prunes) and couldn't get enough. Bennett is going to be one of those kids that has to try the same thing 12 times before he decides whether he likes it. The first day he was somewhat open to the strange and mushy substance being stuck to the roof of his mouth. Every day since then his lips have clamped shut before I even get the spoon near him and if I happen to get the tiniest morsel into his mouth he sticks his tongue out and coughs until it all falls out. What a stinker! I keep telling him that this is people food and it's way better than anything he's getting now. I even tasted the sweet potatoes and pears myself to make sure I wasn't lying to the poor child! The funniest part is that I have been sneaking him cheerios and crackers for a few weeks and believe me, he knows the difference. When I come near him with those little oat circles his little mouth pops open like and automatic trunk! Crazy, no? His doctor says he may just not be ready for it yet, but I am determined to figure out something he might like! Anyone have any suggestions or stories?

I don't understand this phenomenon. Every time Ben goes away on a business trip all heck breaks loose. Last year Wil was so sick he came back from California early. Remember the Wil. vs. fireplace incident? Also when Ben was gone. This time was no different. This was the first time both of my boys were sick at the same time. Wilson did not leave the house for an entire week, literally. There were fevers, puking, coughing fits, loss of appetite and a feeling of overall yuckiness, for the whole time Ben was gone. It sucked. I almost didn't make it through, not even kidding. But, I know I was blessed to have a little more patience and it was actually nice not to have to go anywhere! I am just glad the boys are healthy again. Unfortunately its Ben and my turn to be sick. Lame. Spring, where are you?

Could I be any further behind?

2009-02-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing no one relies on this blog as their only link to me, or I'd be in trouble. To say the least things have been crazy around our house. This last week both Wil and Bennett were (and still are) down with colds. Bennett actually has his first case of bronchiolitis and we've ressurected the old nebulizer, but I've only had the heart to give him the treatment once. I don't think Wil has left the house since last Friday. It has been miserable for all involved. Luckily, I haven't gotten sick yet, so I've had the energy to care for them. Of course Ben is in California for training all week, which super sucks. I could never be a single mom, it's too hard. I can't honestly tell you what else has happened since 2009 began. It's been a blur and the time has flown by! I am pretty sure most of that time has been spent at the gym. Ben and I have been obsessed with the bet we made in October to see who could get to their goal weight first. I finally found something to motivate him. If he wins he gets a flat screen TV and if I win I get the money equivalant to his flat screen. (There was no way I could nail down just one thing to buy!) We have both been doing really well and I am proud to say I am already back to my pre-pregnancy weight and have 9 pounds to go until I officially kick Ben's butt!!! I promise I will get my Christmas background taken down and get something more appropriate up (like spring, is anyone else done with winter?) and try to get a few things posted. For now you just get random pictures.

I thought I ordered the large snow storm?!

2008-12-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

My favorite picture of the season!

It was an absolute blizzard at my parents house on Christmas. There had to be at least 18 inches of snow on the ground when it finally stopped. You couldn't ask for anything more! The older kids made a snow fort and when it collapsed they decided to start sledding down the hill. Wilson sat by the front door and stared while his frantic parents tried to find all the cold weather gear necessary to feel okay about letting him go out. His dad is not a good example, he was out shoveling walks in shorts and rain boots! We were afraid Wil would not like sledding down the hill, but once again he surprised us. He didn't want to come in at all! Even after all the sledding he still played outside with his cousins! His cheeks were nice and rosy when he came in, but man was it fun!

What a Christmas!

2008-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 was really awesome! Wilson actually kind of understood about Santa and we had fun truly spoiling him this year. Of course, he still liked all his cousins presents better than his own, but that's to be expected. We spent the night at Grandma's and no one slept really well (especially me) but it was a ton of fun. When Wil woke up Christmas morning I went in to get him and asked if he wanted to see what Santa brought him. Well, he thought I meant Santa was in the next room. He got really worried and said, "Mama, I don't want to see Santa!" It was really cute. The big hits were the kitchen that his Grandma and Grandpa got him, the kitchen pots and pans we got him, his fire engine, courtesy of Bennett, and his Lightning McQueen remote control car. Bennett totally got hosed, he got formula, a few little toys and rice cereal in his stocking. Good thing he won't remember anything, right? We are really grateful for my parents who put up with our craziness every year and take such good care of us, too. What a great Christmas and a great year, too!

Mmwah....Gotta Love Bennett

2008-12-23T12:08:00.001-08:00

We just got back from Bennett's 4 month appointment! He is getting so big! He weighs 15 1/2 lbs. (50th percentile) is 25 3/4 inches long (60th percentile) and his head is in the 85th percentile! He is hitting all his milestones and is getting more and more fun everyday. He is just now starting to chuckle a little, but it's way harder to get him to laugh than it was to get Wil to laugh. He loves to squeal and scream, especially when he gets a reaction from us! When he's well fed and rested he will just stand up in your lap with wide eyes and grin like he knows something you don't (I am pretty sure it's true)! Wilson has started giving kisses more willingly and one night Ben got him to kiss Bennett's cheek. It's about as precious as it gets, don't you think? At night I will kiss Wil all over his face and he will just giggle and say, "I want more kisses, mommy!" He has an outstanding memory and remembers things from months ago. We were in the car and he announced that his cousins let him have a cow and that his cousin Emma dumped chocolate in a bowl and shared with him. It took me a few minutes to realize he was talking about things that happened at our Harding holiday party which was before Thanksgiving! Then the other night he told Ben that Virginia was really far away. Then he told Ben that Grandpa Mike and Kay lived there. Would someone please call mensa? My boys couldn't be any cuter or smarter (said the unbiased mom)!

Our First Online Christmas Card

2008-12-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

I feel extremely lazy this year, but I just don't know where the time has gone! So, because Ben has refused to do family pictures and I can't seem to get my babies to smile in pictures anyway, we have opted to do our Christmas card online! So now, if you wonder where your card is, it's right here, so I haven't missed anyone! It's been a great and busy year and we are excited for the season and the New Year! I hope everyone has a great holiday too! BTW it's supposed to say a christmas card for you, not y. Lame.

A Big Week of Firsts

2008-12-05T21:27:00.001-08:00

What a busy week of firsts we've had. Monday morning I was changing Wilson's sheets and I had Bennett on the floor for some tummy time. He was already starting to squawk so I knew I didn't have much time before I needed to pick him up. I managed to finish and turned around only to find Bennett looking straight up at me. I had to think for a minute to make sure I hadn't turned him over myself. Then I said, "Do it again, baby," and flipped him over again. Bennett just looked up at me like, "Do what, this?" and his giant cranium tilted back, he pushed off with his feet and he was on his back again. What a smart kid! Of course I have no photographic or video proof of this occurance because every time I turned on a camera or my phone to record it, he pretended not to know anything about this rolling over business. But, if any of you doubt, please contact my friend Rachel or my sister Heidi who have both witnessed it first hand!

The second first is Wilson actually volunteering to go and talk to Santa. We were at the Festival of Trees and his friend, Parker, was in line to talk to Santa. At first Wilson wanted nothing to do with the bearded stranger, but then I asked him if he wanted to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas and he gave an emphatic yes. The whole time we were in line I expected him to change his mind. Even as Santa invited him over, I was waiting for the meltdown, but it never came! He sat right on Santa's lap and when asked what he wanted for Christmas, he replied, "A candy cane!", which was perfect because that was what Santa was giving out to all his visitors and I think that was the main motivation for seeing the big man, but it was a cute moment.

Next was Wilson's first real, professional haircut. Pretty sad considering the kid's almost two-and-a-half! He really needed it, though. They tried everything to get him to sit still, Little Einsteins, bubbles, a sucker, the hair stylist even gave him her comb, but he wasn't having any of it. He screamed and cried and even tried to run the stylist through with her own comb (I'm proud to say that Wilson was the first to try that one!). In the end he calmed down and looked very handsome and quite a little bit older with his new do. Thanks to my mom who came with me for moral and physical support in case it went really badly!

Wilson also had his first experience drawing on the walls with markers! He was supposed to be playing in his playroom when he came to the bottom of the stairs to show me his orange hands. He was very disturbed at the mess on his hands. I asked what he was doing to get orange hands and he very candidly told me he'd been coloring on the walls. Well, it was more funny than anything and it was my fault for leaving the marker out in the first place. For penance he had to help me scrub the walls, which he gladly did. That made it even harder to be mad at him.

Bennett and Wilson also ended up in the tub together for the first time that night. I had it in my head that that moment would come a lot further down the line, but Wilson was really good with Bennett in the tub and even shared his Mickey tub toys! Finally, since Wilson was a seasoned veteran with haircuts, Ben decided to let Wilson GIVE his first haircut! So, if Ben's hair is a little crooked, try not to be critical because his barber is 2 1/2 years old!

A Tent for Bennett

2008-11-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

I thought it was finally time to get out some baby toys for Bennett. I put up our aqaurium gym and Wilson immediately wanted in on the action. He told me he wanted to make a tent for Bennett. He got his blanket and threw it over the top of the toy. That's picture #2. Wilson soon realized how cool his tent was and wanted to play in it too. He climbed through the tunnel and came out the other end right next to Bennett (who was really lucky not to be squashed in the whole process). Bennett actually thought it was pretty cool to have his big brother play with him in his "tent". They played like that for about 15 minutes. It makes me excited for future camping trips with the whole family! It was too cute not to share!

Bennett's Big Day

2008-11-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Bennett's blessing day. We were starting to wonder if it was ever going to come because it took us so long to figure out when we wanted to do it! It was perfect though and we had almost all of our family and a lot of good friends there to celebrate. Wilson didn't get any pictures in his blessing outfit, so I was determined to get plenty of Bennett. We had our little photo shoot before Wil got up and Bennett was so good! Bennett slept through the entire sacrament and did really well being passed around all afternoon. Ben's blessing was beautiful and I am so grateful for him and his priesthood. We are so blessed to have Bennett in our family and we are glad we got to share him with all of you. Thanks for everyone's help to make the day so amazing!

Baby Salon

2008-11-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Last night after Wilson went to bed, Bennett went to Mom's baby salon. We started with a nice warm bath, complete with a head scrub. Then, we had a manicure and full body baby massage, followed by a slimming burrito wrap. All the while Bennett was dishing the baby dirt and telling me all kinds of fun stories. I couldn't believe how "talkative" he was and just had to share the video. He went on like this for about 5 minutes!

You can tell it's Jazz season when.....

2008-11-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

After Wilson's bath I decided to play hairstylist and see if his hair would actually, well, style. Using lotion as the only product, I came up with this do I liked the best. I think my subconscious was thinking about something else. Hmm...do you think we are excited for the Jazz season? GO JAZZ!

Sleepy Ghosts and Charlie Brown

2008-11-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Parker came over to trick or treat with us. We got off to a rocky start, but eventually we got the hang of it.

What a cute little sleepy ghost!

After fighting a kicking and writhing Wilson in the middle of the Costco floor to even try on a Halloween costume, I didn't really have high hopes for treat-or-treating. Wilson really surprised me though. He was very excited to go out and almost lasted as long as mom and dad did. It was really fun to go out and see all the neighborhood kids dressed up. It may be naive to think this, but our neighborhood just feels so safe and friendly. Bennett did well too, with the help of a little catnapping in the baby carrier. Halloween made an impression though, today Wilson wanted to take his play doh snakes out trick-or-treating! Now, how do you explain to a 2 year old that it only works one night a year?

Halloween Bash 2008

2008-10-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a party! Our guest list this year included several ghosts, witches, Aniken Skywalker, an evil sorcerer, Spiderman Venom, a cowboy, a princess, a red ranger, Santa Claus, Charlie Brown and even an evil conservative! We had a ton of fun playing games, mummy wrapping each other and eating pizza. Most dared to touch the monkey brains for a prize and all wanted to get tangled in the giant spider web! This is an awesome tradition and I'm glad that we got to have it at our house this year! Wilson got way too excited and had way too much sugar, but I guess that's what Halloween is for, right?

Can you tell the difference?

2008-10-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Baby #1

Baby #2

This Sunday I dressed Bennett in an old church outfit from when Wil was about his age. They both look super handsome in it, but can you tell which one is which? It's actually pretty obvious, but there is no doubt they are brothers! It was fun to go back and look at all the pictures of Wilson and think, where did the time go? I love my boys and am so glad they are still too young to tell me no when I want to play dress up!

Bennett's 2 month update

2008-10-22T15:58:00.001-07:00

If you can't believe Bennett is two months old raise your hand. If you could see me, both my hands would be way up! Bennett went to his two month appointment yesterday and I can't believe how he's grown. He has added 4 inches to his heighth (50 percentile for those who are keeping track) and is now 23 inches long. His noggin is in the 75 percentile, but he manages to hold that melon up high. He weighs 11 lbs. 13.8 ounces. I told the nurse that morning he couldn't be more than 10 lbs. Oops! It was interesting to look back at Wilson's records. He weighed exactly the same at his 2 month appointment, but was a half inch shorter and his cranium was only in the 30th percentile!
Bennett is very interactive these days. He loves to smile and coo at you and has the most interesting stories to tell. He has been an amazing sleeper the past few days. I don't even want to talk about it because I don't want to jinx myself. For the last 3 nights he has slept 8 hours! Now I am spoiled and can't possibly go back to waking up in the middle of the night or wee morning hours without feeling like I'm being jipped! He is a very sweet baby and is content to look at his parents, brother, and has even started watching toys for about five minutes at a time. It's great! I can't believe how big he is already, but I am glad he is still tiny and cuddly for now. More pictures to come if I can ever remember to charge the camera batteries!

Tag teaming mom

2008-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is Wilson on the giant rocking chair at cornbelly's this year. It was super fun!
This is Bennett being cute in his little halloween outfit. He was so happy at this moment!

What a joke. I got home at 1:45 to put Wilson down for a nap. He proceeds to kick the wall for 15 minutes before he goes to bed. Bennett finally goes down at 2:00pm and the rest of the afternoon goes a little something like this.

2:00-2:30-Stephanie finally has lunch and a few moments to herself.

2:30-Stephanie is excited to slip into bed for what she hopes is at least an hour long nap.

2:45-Bennett has other ideas and begins to cry. Stephanie rocks him back to sleep and goes back to bed.

3:10-Bennett wakes up hungry. Let the feeding begin.

3:28-Bennett dozes off and Stephanie puts him in his crib.

3:35-(That's right, approximately 8 minutes later)Bennett is crying and mad.

3:45-Stephanie gives up and puts him in the swing hoping to buy herself at least 30 minutes. She returns to her bed.

3:48-(Yes, that's 3 minutes later)Stephanie hears Wilson talking to himself in his room signifying that she has about 10 minutes before he's screaming her name to come and get him.

3:50-Stephanie gives up the blissful idea of a nap and decides this afternoon is too good not to blog about. Maybe I'll add some cute pictures of my kids to remind myself why I do this thing called motherhood because it certainly isn't for the hours!

Bennett's New Tricks and Boulders in the Way

2008-10-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

Have you ever just thought to yourself, "Could my kids be any cuter?" Of course, I think that every day, but yesterday was especially cute. Bennett has recently learned how to smack his lips. He has also learned that he gets a positive response when he does it. He's pretty good at it, too! We've also decided that Bennett is a little teaser just like his brother. For his nap I rocked that kid until he was completely out and then gently laid him down in his crib. As soon as his body hit the mattress his little eyes popped open. They were still glazed over, but he was conscious enough to let out three little cooes accompanied with a big smile. Then to make sure his message was loud and clear he ended it with the tiniest little chuckle. Needless to say he did not finish his nap in his crib! What a little stink, but it was so cute you couldn't be mad! I hope you can hear the clips, if not, just believe me that he can do it and enjoy watching 30 seconds of the cutest baby ever.

Wilson is learning new choice phrases, unfortunately not all good. One day he was frustrated with his truck and told me it was stuck. Trying to be sympathetic I said, "Oh, that dumb truck." Well, today I was trying to move the elliptical machine to a different room and it was wedged in the door. Wilson asked what was wrong and I said the machine was stuck. Wilson, also trying to be sympathetic, told me, "That's a dumb machine huh, mom." Oops!

Also, while playing dinosaurs, I was trying to teach Wilson to say, "Boulders away!" as we launched plastic boulders from a catapult made of dinosaur hand bones (I am still getting used to boy toys). When he tried it he kept saying, "Boulders in the way!", which I guess makes more sense because in a few seconds they were going to be in the way of the scantilly clad cavemen we were throwing them at. No matter how hard I tried he wouldn't change his mind that his phrase was better.

Peek-A-Boo and Cute Smiles

2008-09-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

We've recently discovered that Bennett likes to play peek-a-boo! Every morning after I change his diaper and get him dressed, I duck down by the side of the changing table and then pop up to say peek-a-boo. We have gotten a lot of cute smiles from Bennett this way. One morning Wilson wanted to join the fun, but wasn't quite tall enough. He disappeared into his room and came back this his foot stool. It was so cute to see Wilson playing with his brother. Of course Wilson's version of the game ws a lot louder and more intense than mom's, but Bennett ate it up. I love to see Bennett's little smiles and know that despite all the times I feel like I'm failing as a mom and how much he struggles to figure life out, there are some times when I can't help but think he's already enjoying his journey here on earth! What a cutie!

Our First Trip to the Emergency Room

2008-09-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

In case some of you haven't heard the story, here it goes. While Ben was in Idaho Falls (because isn't that how it always happens?) Wilson decided to smash his head into the fireplace. He was running around the corner into the living room like he's done a million times. He tripped over his shoes which he's done a billion times. But just the right combination of the two and ... BAM! I was on the phone with my dad and pulled one of these, "Oh my gosh, Dad, I've got to go...CLICK." I completely spaced any emergency training I may have had. I had to call Ben to see what I should do. I think I used the phrase, "I think I can see his brain" which probably made Ben panic a little, but the cut was soooo deep. Meanwhile, poor Bennett is on the couch screaming his head off because he was two seconds away from having dinner. I called a bunch of neighbors and of course no one answers. I finally called my sister and told her I was dropping the baby off. By now, Wilson had stopped crying and the wound had stopped bleeding which I thought was really strange. I was sure all the blood was going into his brain. Just as I was pulling out my parents pulled up and asked which kid needed stitches. I guess years of emergency room trips make you pretty wise to these things. They took the baby and we were off to the emergency room. The eeriest part was looking back at my son with the gaping head wound. He was just drinking his milk and reassuring me that he was okay. Once we got there, the ER lady was far from sympathetic. She just said, "Did he get a little scratch?" I was like, you call this a little scratch? Who gave you your medical training? Wilson was really brave and calm until they strapped him to the papoose board (a cute name for a toddler torture devise). The nurses had to numb the wound by sticking a thin needle into his head and squirting medicine directly inside. If that wasn't enough, then they had to irrigate it. I was like one of those people who watch horror shows even though they hate every minute of it. I just couldn't look away. I have never heard Wilson scream so loudly and it reduced me to tears. When the doctor finally came in to do the stitches, Wilson was just pleading to go home. The nurses had to switch off holding his head because he was thrashing so much. The grand total was four internal stitches and five external stitches. But, in true Wilson fashion, once it was all over he just sat on my lap and read a book and ate their popsicle peace offering. On the way home Wilson called his father to let him know he was okay and then we got chicken and fries on the way home. It was very traumatic, but I am amazed that we made it through. I'm sure the papoose board and I will become very well acquainted in the next few years, but I think I can handle it now.

While dad's away......

2008-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

It is common knowledge that Stephanie doesn't like to be home alone all day when she knows Ben isn't coming home that night. Ben took his first overnight trip since Bennett was born. So, me and the boys decided to have some fun. First, we went to visit Kay on her last day before she had to go back to Virginia. Jennie, Parker and Dalton were there too. The boys played while Kay held the baby and we all chatted. Jennie's boys are very curious about babies and Dalton climbed up on the couch next to Kay to sneak a peek at Bennett. It was precious. Then, Kay was in charge of snacks and all the boys swarmed around her like pigeons in a park. It made a cute picture with her and all her grandsons (well, besides the one still making his way here!).

Next we went to visit Heidi. I cannot believe how good her baby is. Not that I am complaining, but after she fed him, Seth laid on the couch and contentedly looked around for 45 minutes without making a peep! Then, Heidi just wrapped him up and put him on the couch and he was out like a light. Bennett wasn't quite so easy! Noah, Adam and Wilson had fun pretending the pillows were mud and pulling each other out to safety. Now Wilson's new favorite phrase is, "I'm stuck in the mud." Gotta love those cousins. We probably overstayed our welcome at Heidi's house but it sure made Ben being gone a whole lot more fun!

Fair Fun 2008

2008-09-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Our cute family at the fair!
Wilson really liked the fair food.

Bennett enjoyed his cozy ride around the fair under a blanket.
Wilson loved going down the banana slide with his dad. They went twice in a row!

BUNNIES!

Wilson was stoked about seeing the giant alligator. He only got to see it once since it was $1.50 a pop!

We went to the fair on Thursday with Ben's dad. Wilson was so excited to go. We kept telling him about all the cool stuff we would see. He was especially excited about the 1,200 lb. alligator. We went to see the cows and the bunnies and then ate corn dogs and pizza. Ben remembered going on the big banana sack slide and wanted Wilson to try it with him. I was skeptical about whether Wilson would like it, but they ended up going twice! Wil was mesmerized by all the flashy lights and rides and noises. I would often catch him just staring off at something with his mouth wide open. We stopped to see the tigers, which were very active at that time of the evening. Wilson thought that was pretty cool. I got myself a funnel cake (mmm, funnel cake) and before I could even finish, Wilson kept saying, "Mom, let's go see the cow made out of butter." That's my boy. So, we walked over and saw the butter sculpture. It was the best one I've ever seen. It's amazing how simple pleasures can make you happy. Wilson was happy just to see an oversized reptile and slide down a hill on a sack with his dad. Ben, Mike and I were all happy just knowing that Wil was having a good time. It was enough just to see him smile to make it the best fair ever. I love the fair and can't wait to take the boys next year!

Who is this kid?

2008-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Wilson recently acquired a collection of fun dinosaurs from his cousin (Thanks Drew) and he can't seem to get enough of them. He likes to climb into the tote and just hang with his dino-peeps. I took these pictures of him and when I went back to review them, my cute little baby Wilson was gone! I kept looking again because I couldn't believe it was him. He looked so different from the way I see him. He is his own little independent man with no pants on eating ice with his toys. Time really does fly. It makes me excited to see how he will continue to change in the future and how he will look years from now. What a handsome kid!

Brothers Gotta Hug (name that movie)

2008-09-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for three weeks to get this very picture of my two boys together. It's not the best, but the other ones I had Wilson magically erased from our memory stick. That kid is a technological genius! I love this picture because it puts all my illogical fears about Wilson hating his baby brother to rest. He will randomly ask to hold Bennett and of course we have to let him. Wilson doesn't seem to care if Bennett is freaking out or calm, but the holding usually only lasts about a minute. Then Wilson will announce that he is finished with Bennett and gently "push" him to get him off his lap.

Wilson also likes to pet his baby brother. I keep telling him that you don't pet a baby on the head you pat him, but apparently Bennett is his vicarious puppy. I am really glad that Wilson is adapting fairly well to life with a sibling. He definitely has his bouts of regression and fit throwing, but I guess that's to be expected. It's definitely a mother's payday to hear Wilson ask to hold Bennett or giggle at him when he has the hiccups or even when he loads his pants. Wilson thinks that is especially hilarious. Boys. Go figure.

Glutten for Punishment

2008-08-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

What's wrong with us? Like it's not hard enough bringing home a new baby and trying to juggle him with our two-year-old toddler. NO! Ben decides on a whim to put up Wilson's new toddler bed and give it a test run. Well, that was like half an hour before Wilson's bed time. Yeah, you can't put together a bed in that amount of time. So we end up putting Wil to sleep like an hour and half late and he's pretty much wired. He's jumping up and down on his new big boy bed while we are trying to say prayers and sing songs. Can you say disaster? We could hear him kicking the walls for an hour after we put him down. I couldn't bring myself to go see what he was doing. Eventually the noise stopped and around 7:30 this morning I could hear him saying, "MOMMY!", but when I went in his room he was still laying in his bed. I must say I was surprised. I guess my only comfort is that he hasn't learned to open doors, so we have at least a little bit of containment.

On top of that we have good news in the mimi department. Thanks to Aunt Jennie and her binky boot camp, Wilson has been mimi free for a week now! He stayed with Jennie while we were in the hospital. She told me she wasn't going to give him his binky unless he was napping or going to bed. I just told her good luck with that. But, turns out Wilson listens to his aunt better than his parents (typical!) Will miracles never cease. So, the binky weaning and the toddler bed are here a lot sooner than I would have wanted, but hopefully it will work out okay in the end! Now all we need is Kay with her bag full of matchbox cars!

Bennett's First Tanning Bed

2008-08-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is trip #1 of who knows how many to the lab at the hospital. Poor little Bennett's heels! I'm pretty sure he's thinking, "I didn't sign up for this!"

Well, Mr. Biliruben is plaguing our family once again. Ben and I were very excited to hear the nurses say how pink and healthy Bennett looked in the hospital. Then the next day we are told that he not only has jaundice, but his levels are so high our pediatrician has ordered a bili-blanket and an overhead light to be used until further notice. Yuck! There is no worse feeling in the world than knowing you are going to have to spend the night listening to your infant screaming inside this strange suitcase knowing there is nothing you can do to help him. It pretty much goes against everything natural. If a baby is crying, YOU PICK HIM UP! But, you can't. Needless to say, it was a very long night. On the upside, once we finally got Bennett to settle down in his new "bed" he slept from 2:00 am to 6:00 am. I think Heavenly Father was just giving us a little break. The next day his levels went down so we at least got to put away the light and just use the blanket. The dumb thing was that we were very diligent keeping the blanket on Bennett, probably about 18 out of 24 hours, and today his levels went up a little. Curse you Mr. Rubin! So, hopefully tonight will be the last night with the blanket. Bennett is being very patient with the whole situation and even gave us a few 2 1/2 hour stretches of sleep last night with hardly any screaming! He's such a good boy. Plus, if nothing else, we got some cute pictures of Bennett's first tanning bed.

He's Here!!!

2008-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Bet you didn't know the newer models came i pod ready, did you? My take home outfit

No, really, this is Bennett, not Wilson!

We pretty much figured this kid was never coming until we were finally heading to the hospital for my scheduled induction (which I highly recommend). I got my pitocin starting at 8:30 am and by 12:42 pm I was holding my baby! Introducing Bennett Ira Harding! He was 7 pounds 2 ounces and was a whopping 19 inches long. Even though Ben will tell you I'm crazy, he has dark hair around the sides of his head and has blonde peach fuzz on top. He is such a sweet baby and we already love him dearly. Of course we are making our way through the first crazy weeks of figuring out a newborn who thinks day is night and night is day and wants to constantly eat, but we wouldn't have it any other way! Ben and I are ecstatic about our little family and want to share some of our first memories with our new baby!
Wilson is coming along slowly but surely. He is no longer in denial about his baby brother because, well, he's here! It's cute whenever Bennett is crying Wilson will walk up to his bouncy chair and ask, "What's wrong?" If I tell him he's hungry, Wilson suggests that we give him chocolate milk. Hmm, what do you think Wilson's favorite drink is? We have yet to get him close enough to the baby long enough to get their picture together, so you'll have to keep watching for that!
I have been recovering remarkably well. I have been feeling really good despite having had about 2 hours sleep the last two nights. It is extremely hard to have a newborn again, but so worth it!

Sitting, waiting, wishing. . . .

2008-08-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I thought I would be okay with going past my due date, but I just looked at our baby counter that says 40 weeks and 1 day and I got an e-mail update telling me what to expect in the first month of my baby's life. Talk about a one-two punch in my big fat prego belly! I guess I just feel like the longer I wait, the harder it is for me to imagine him actually being here. Just a little venting, sorry. But, I know when he gets here he will be perfect and all this waiting will be absolutely worth it. I have a doctor's appointment today and my next post better have some darn cute baby pictures on them!

What do you remember about me?

2008-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

My sister's friend Kim did this on her blog and I am going to copy it and try it on my blog too. Here is how it works...You leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I shared. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments. EVERYBODY PLAY! I want to see what memories are out there!

The Big Mountain Rock

2008-08-04T11:56:00.001-07:00

This is Wilson's first trip to the mountains. He is soooo tiny!

As you might already know, Wilson loves rocks. When we are driving down the freeway he will often point to the mountains and say, "Mommy, look, big mountain rock." Apparently, it's just one big rock. So, we decided to take a trip up the canyon to let Wil explore the big mountain rock. It was his second trip to the mountains, but his first was when he was like 5 weeks old when Mike and Kay were camping at Tanner's Flat. Unfortunately, we spent most of that time in the trailer!

We took Grandma and Grandpa Wilson with us. It took a long time to find a picnic spot. Wilson got really restless, but once he got out of the truck, he was in heaven. He was surrounded by trees and rocks and dirt! We went down to the stream to throw rocks in and he almost had a damn built with all the rocks he threw in. Of course he ended up sitting in the stream, but can you blame the kid? Dad took him to see the "waterfall" (a man made one) and then we cooked hot dogs and smores on the fire. I was glad to see that Wilson was very cautious around the fire and kept reminding us that it was, "Hot, hot, hot." He loved being able to wander around and play with no interuptions. He also had to check out the wildlife. There was a man in the next campground that had fallen asleep on a blanket. Wilson kept going over to check him out like he was a sleeping bear. It was pretty funny. We stayed until it was almost too dark to see the stream. We got to see some creepy bats flying over the water. One even buzzed Ben's tower! It was a great break, but it wasn't that much cooler up in the mountains than it was at home! It was a fun trip and we decided that we need to do it more often!

Fun Trips with Cousins and Friends

2008-07-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

This was the slowest slide in the world, but Wilson still loved it.

Here we put tubes together to make a chute for some whiffle balls.

This is Wil with his friend Parker in a super sweet jeep.

Carrots, anyone?

Just want to be cool like my uncle Mat!

There was a mouse house too!

This week Wilson has been in heaven. We have taken some fun trips. This Wednesday, grandma took all the kids to the dinosaur park in Ogden. I made the mistake of telling Wilson the night before (in an attempt to get him to go to sleep) that we were going to the "dar dar park" as he calls it. From then on, that's all he wanted to do from the moment he got up. I had a doctor's appointment so my mom watched him for me. When he saw we were at grandma's house and not the dar dar park he was mad. The same thing happened when we had to stop at aunt Carina's house to trade cars and then at aunt Heidi's house to pick them up. I think he thought he was never going to get there! But, once we were, watch out! All the kids had a great time, but I was going to die of heat exhaustion! After a while, Wilson lost interest in the dinosaurs and just wanted to play in the puddles. Not that there were that many, but he managed to find and step in probably every puddle in the park.

Today we had our fieldtrip Friday to the Discovery Gateway. Can I just say if you've never been, you've got to try it. It is a little expensive, but so much fun. We went with our friend Lisa and Parker. They played with the balls, in a construction zone, the market, the farm, the pond, in a bird house, in a play house, with magnets. There was just oodles of stuff to do. A little warning, it was really crowded, but the border skirmishes were minimal. What a fun week!

Like Father, Like Son

2008-07-10T18:05:00.001-07:00

Ben took this self portrait wearing Wilson's goggles. I guess we'll let you decide who's cuter!

Cousins everywhere!

2008-07-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Gotta love those cousins! This Tuesday Wilson and I got to go play with Jennie's boys, Parker and Dalton. While Dalton was off with his mom, I let Wilson and Parker do naughty things like play in the pillows. Of course I'm not the smartest because then I took pictures of them doing it, which will turn into evidence later!

The boys have a fun new play set and slide that Wilson just loved. It was really hard to get a picture of the two of them together because they were such busy little boys. Wilson would let Parker in and out of the playhouse like he owned the joint and they did a good job taking turns on the slide. After a while we took a drink break and Wilson tried to "help" Parker take a drink out of his cup and ended up drenching the front of him. Parker didn't seem to mind.

Later that day, Jennie let the boys play in the pool. It looked a little crowded with all three of them in there, but it sure was cute!

The 4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T19:10:00.001-07:00

What a weekend! We were the parading fools. We started early on Friday morning. Our ward does a neighborhood children's parade and breakfast every year for Independence day. Ben and I agree it's probably the coolest thing we do for the holiday. Sadly, it's probably the most patriotic thing we do too. All the kids line up at the corner of what we call Christmas Street and then they follow the scouts with the flag down to the end of the cul-de-sac. The neighbors sit in chairs along the road like it's a real parade and cheer for the kids when they finish. Wilson still doesn't quite get it, but I think it's fun for him to see all the other kids. One kid had a huge electric hummer that Wil couldn't take his eyes off of. We had to make sure he didn't try to steal it when the kid got out of it! After the parade they honor all the people in the neighborhood who have or are serving in the military. Then we sing patriotic songs and have breakfast. It really is a fun time.
That evening we walked in the Sandy Parade with the Roger Harding for County Council campaign. That was a first for all of us and it was pretty fun, too! Luckily we weren't in charge of the candy throwing. People can get pretty hostile when you run out!! When we were finished I was completely bushed. We went home and I put my cankles up and Ben painted the night away. We didn't even watch any fireworks! How lame are we?
Don't worry, we made up for it on Saturday. Wilson went to his first Salt Lake Bees game. It was packed and I think the game was too slow for him to really be interested in. They lost
6-0. But it was all worth it to see him watching the fireworks with his dad. We were a little worried that he would be scared, but he just kept saying, "Look daddy, firepops!" I have to admit I was a little teary eyed! It was a great weekend and Ben and I have vowed to try and do more fun things for Wilson and our future children so they can have good memories of the holidays!

Beat the Heat

2008-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's officially July and with highs in the 100s for the last few days we have been trying all kinds of things to stay cool. Mostly we only go outside before 10:00 am and after 8:00 pm and keep the house around 73 degrees (Leave me alone I'm 8 months pregnant and already have cankles!) Today we actually managed to get the pool out and have some fun. Wilson discovered at his cousin Carly's birthday party that he really likes to play in the water and especially with the sprinklers. I am glad he isn't afraid to get wet because it sure is entertaining to watch him play!

What a Funny Boy!

2008-07-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

So here are some cute videos of Wilson. The first one is when he was about 8 months old and just starting to develop his cute sense of humor. The second is of a cool card his grandparents sent him for his second birthday. He loves to open it and just get down!

Wilson's Second Birthday

2008-06-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

For Wil's second birthday we went to one of his favorite places, the farm country at Thanksgiving Point. Besides Ben and me, Wilson had lots of company. His Grandma and Papa Wilson came along with cousins Janae, Max, Carly and Gus. One of Wilson's friends, Parker, and his parents Lisa and Preston came too. It was a really nice morning and the farm wasn't very crowded. We got to feed the goats and chickens, pet the horses, hear the crazy donkey braying and go on a wagon ride! Wilson also loved to see all the baby animals. There was even a little kitten that we tried to get dad to take home with us, but it didn't happen! It was also dairy days there so we got to make our own ice cream and play games. Wilson didn't want to play the milk bottle game, but the girl that worked there gave him some candy anyway because it was his birthday! It doesn't get much better than that! After the farm, we went back to grandma's house for cake and ice cream and presents! Uncle Joey and Aunt Heather came back from there cruise just in time to have cake with us and Aunt Jennie came by herself because her boys were home sick with dad. It was a really wonderful day. Now everytime we talk about birthdays Wilson always wants to know if there will be birthday cake! We also decided that he is not fond of the happy birthday song. Ben and I had him in tears twice that day because we tried to sing it to him. Maybe it was just our singing! We tried to teach him to tell people "I'm two" when they ask how old he is, but he only does it when he wants to. Go figure. Our new motto whenever Wilson is difficult is, "He's two!" and we love it!

We are the Hardings

2008-06-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

So pretty much everyone in my family is doing blogs, so I figured I should join in too! We are the Harding family. Ben and I were married after a long and highly tumultuous courtship. Basically I had to convince Ben that we were MFEO and he fought me pretty much the whole time. Now, he loves me, can't live without me (name that movie). We have one incredibly smart and cute son named Wilson who just turned 2 and another little baby boy on the way in August. Since this is my first try and the whole blogging thing, I think this will end my first entry and I'll have to check and see how nerdy I really sound.