A Southern Merry Christmas

Well Ben and I made it out of Rexburg. It was pretty chaotic because we were sick and had a huge power outage (meaning no light for cleaning for hours) and had to work until literally the last minute to get everything moved out and cleaned. Whoo. And we're alive. I knew that once we were done with the cleaning check the only thing I had to worry about was a day of flying. On our layover in Phoenix we got to see the Olsens!!! I hadn't seen them in two years! Here's a pic of Becca, Sami, Janie, Chrissy, and Jonathan. We love y'all!

Lake Lynn

Feeding the ducks..... unfortunately for the ducks Lily ate her share of the bread we brought.

Sky strolling around the lake....

My little puppy. It's amazing how Lily took over Mia's spot in my life..... anyway she really is chewing on Mia's dog toys. I guess it's a good thing Mia never really played with them....

I am allowed to post this picture because we all know how good-looking they are in real life. But what is Christmas morning without a little bedhead?!?!

Trying to teach Lily how to open presents.... she was always more interested in eating the candy that Santa had left her....

As a joke Preston bought Becca a Snuggie for Christmas. It actually turned out to be a really good gift since Becca ended up getting pretty sick on Christmas day. :(

My little Handsome got a Bumbo chair for Christmas. He likes it but would still rather be held.

I have to add this picture now while Sky's too young to say anything....mwahahaha.... but anyway, Skyler officially gave his wrist a hickey during one of his naps today. BAHAHAHAHA. He hasn't quite figured out how to suck his thumb and he's never taken a binky.... so I guess we might see more of these in the future.... hahaha....

This week has been wonderful and Ben and I can't believe how much peace we feel here. It has been such an eye-opening experience for me to be back in Raleigh. I didn't realize how much I missed NC until I got here (oh Southern hospitality! How I have missed you!) And although I know people are going to believe what they want to believe, I actually didn't make Ben come here. I knew we were supposed to come here but I didn't say anything until Ben knew it on his own. Now that we're here things are happening and we're in the right place. I don't know for how long, but for now we're on track. That has been a wonderful Christmas present of its own. We hope that all y'all had a wonderful Christmas!

This Wonderful Time of Year

Well, I believe that it is finally time for me to write again. As Christmas comes nearer, I feel that I need to show my appreciation for all of the wonderful things that have been happening to our little family. As most of you know this has not been the easiest Christmas season for us, but we really have felt that the Lord has poured blessings upon us.

Our families have been the best! We have had so much support and love that it makes everything seem less difficult. We are now in North Carolina and the love that we have felt in the past two days has been amazing. I have known since the day that Heather and I decided to come here that the Lord wants us to be here. With everything happening so smoothly we have no doubt that this is where we need to be for this time in our lives. Sorry mum.

We have grown to love Rexburg. Heather and I have so many good memories and friends in Rexburg that it has been hard to leave. So many friends and people in our ward have been so good to us. When we left Rexburg Saturday morning we both were looking at the beautiful temple and the city that we have called home for the past three years. We are grateful for the outpouring of love that we have received and the memories that we have. We pray that all those who have touched our lives in so many ways will be blessed in this special season of love, that they can feel the joy and love that we have so graciously been given.

I guess in closing I need to share my gratitude for my wife and and my two sweet children. I have been so blessed to have Heather. She is and has always been my biggest support. I know that I will always have her by my side and that she loves me unconditionally. She truely is the greatest thing that has happened in my life.

My children are the frosting on the cake. God has given me the two cutest little people in the world. Lily and Skyler have brought so much joy into our family with their games, dancing, laughing, snuggling, and attitudes. To be honest with you it is hard to put into words the feelings that I have for my family. I am really one of the happiest people I know and it is because of my amazing family.

As this Christmas season comes to a close I hope that we all can look at the wonderful blessings that the Lord has given to us that we can take for granted. In my life it is these small blessings that mean the most and have the biggest impact on my life. All of the Christmas decorations at our house have helped to focus our thoughts on Christ. I pray that we can all remember the Savior and all that has been done for us and never take for granted the love that Christ has for us. I am so grateful for the faith that I have and the joy that comes from knowing that I will never be alone. To know that in every situation I have the Savior, friends, my family, and my wonderful wife to bless my life. There is no better gift than this. I truely have the best gifts that can be found. God bless you all and may you all have a joyful and uplifting Christmas.

My Cute Babies

Here are some pictures of the babes and me....

Lily and Skyler tend to sit on me at the same time (it's a good thing I've got my mommy-muscles). And do they sit on Ben at the same time? No, not really. I've seen it a couple of times (I have to add that part in so Ben doesn't get mad at me :) ) but for the most part they just like to chill on me. So maybe that's why you never get your old body back??? So that you can be your babies' squishy couch....

My little Handsome. I swear if I hadn't carried him for 9 months I would really wonder if he was mine..... he looks NOTHING like me.

My little Cherub

Lily looks like quite the brainiac since she's holding a pen and a Sudoku book. I'm just impressed that's she chose a pen and not a pencil.....
Well my next post will probably be when we're in NC. So goodbye Rexburg!!! We love you!

Congratulations Becca and Preston!!!

So Preston popped the question today and he and Becca are officially engaged!!!! Congrats y'all! We're so excited! As of May 1st, 2010 I'm going to have a new brother!!! Woohoo!!!!

This Week's Adventures

When I woke up this morning and saw that it was snowing I realized that Lily may not have a chance to play in snow for a long time since NC doesn't usually get a ton. So outside we went!

I know a lot of people are going to think I'm crazy but I really will miss the snow here. I HATE the extreme cold but the snow I love. I'll just have to keep reminding myself how much I hate driving on it so that I don't miss it. Rexburg roads, we will not miss you.

I know I'm probably a horrible mom but this picture just makes me laugh. I love how Sky's face is all squished. But I promise that he actually laughs his little head off when Lily climbs into the chair with him.

My new 'do. I did the Locks of Love thing. So I hope I made some little girl's Christmas a little brighter.

There is only one more week until we leave Rexburg. Our apartment keeps getting more and more empty and cleaner (thank you Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, you are a LIFE SAVER!) A friend jokingly asked me a few days ago what I would miss about Rexburg besides their family. It's sad because at the time I could only think of people I would miss and not anything about Rexburg. Now I know that this really has become a home and I will miss it for more reasons. I'll miss the gorgeous temple here and how you can always see Rexburg forever away because of the lighted temple on the hill. I'll miss BYU-Idaho and it will always have a warm place in my heart. I'll miss the little places around Rexburg that Ben and I went to when we were dating. I'll miss being able to brag about how cold it is here. I always laugh when my parents tell me how cold it is in NC when it's in the 40's and it's around -35 here. Haha. I'll miss the security blanket of Rexburg and now I'm going into a world where it's not even normal to be married at 21 let alone have two kids! I'm going to miss the beauty of Idaho. I can laugh at that now because my first thought when I came up here to school was, "this is the ugliest state EVER." But now I've come to appreciate its beauty. I'll miss visiting the ghetto shack we lived in when we were first married. It was the cheapest place around but Ben made it beautiful by planting lilies (my favorite flower) all around the house. It had a tree house and a stream in the backyard and sometimes horses. Idaho has been a wonderful adventure and I really will miss it.

A Lot of Love

This week has been wonderful. A lot of things have made life so enjoyable. Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

• Lily started laughing like the Count from Sesame Street when I count with her. It is HILARIOUS. She started doing it when my parents were visiting us last weekend and it hasn't stopped!
• Lily is starting to kiss Sky now! I love being a mom and being able to see their sweetness! Ben and I tell each other everyday how grateful we are to be parents!
• Today Lily went to nursery for the first time! OK, OK, Ben and I are cheaters and she isn't technically 18 months old until Christmas Eve but she's been ready for nursery for a LONG time. We took her into the classroom and she ran right in to play with the other kids. So Ben and I made our escape quickly and the last thing I saw was her stealing some other kid's snack.... oops. But after church was over her teachers said she was awesome. This is a HUGE blessing because when Ben and I each are in charge of a baby for all of church we don't actually get to hear a lot. Now that we have one baby I'll actually be able to go to all 3 meetings again! YAY!

Lily modeling her toilet paper. :)

Ben and I have a lot to be grateful for. We haven't even really considered moping around that Ben's unemployed because we have so many blessings. We're grateful that we're moving and that my parents are not only letting us come live with them but that they're excited. We're grateful for good friends we've had in Rexburg who have meant so much to us. We're grateful for an awesome doctor who has been my ob/gyn and the babies' pediatrician who charged us way less than we owed him just because he's good guy. And as I was writing this post some random person we don't know knocked on our door and handed us an envelope full of money from an anonymous person. So if that person is reading this post right now you really brought us to tears. Ben and I have been brought to tears so many times this week because we know that although times can be tough we have so much to be grateful for. I really am excited to celebrate this Christmas. I decided a while ago that this year I really wanted my focus on giving to the Lord and I can already see a difference in the beauty of this time of year. So Happy Holidays Y'all! It really is the best time of the year!

Thanksgiving in Washington

Ben and I decided that we wanted to go to Washington for Thanksgiving this year to spend time with his side of the family (especially the Bishop family) and to get more of a career feel there. This was an AWESOME trip!

Puget Sound

Yeah, Lily, we don't eat rocks.

Glass art in a fountain

They were such good little tourists!

Chandelier of glass

Across the street from Pike's Market. I love how there's a guy on the corner playing the piano.

While touring downtown Seattle we stopped at an awesome restaurant called Ivars. YUM! Now before I begin this story let me first explain that this is no shabby restaurant. It's overlooking the water, more expensive, and is very nice. Some things are very hard to do when walking around all day. So I ended up nursing Sky in the restaurant. I thought that was awkward, wait until you hear what's next. So we were all done at the restaurant and thought it would be an appropriate time to take the babies into the bathroom to change their diapers. So I take Sky into the women's room, lie him down on the koala bear thingy, and surprise surprise! His diaper has exploded up his shirt and down his pants! In a nice restaurant, without a change of clothes, and getting poop everywhere. I just wanted to throw his clothes away because it was THAT bad. So April (being quite the supermom, I must say) ran out around downtown Seattle to buy him a new outfit. In the meantime I'm stuck in the bathroom with these sweet women who are all trying to help me clean him up. Let me just say that it was so bad it took me as long to clean him up as it took April to find and buy him a new outfit. All in a nice restaurant... sigh.

This is Pike's Market where they throw fish.

Although Erin and Alix are true twins, you could basically consider Lily and Sam to be cousin-twins. We actually went shoe shopping with all six kids and Ben was watching them for a bit when a store clerk walked up to him and said, "you have two sets of twins?!?!" But I can see how people might think these two are. Dang they're cute.

There was Rock Band to be played....

Let's just call Uncle Ben the human jungle gym..... the girls all played with him....

to the point of exhaustion. :) FYI this is TRULY a red outfit. I don't put my son in girls clothes. I promise. Haha.

Ben and I are really grateful that we were able to go to Seattle. Thanks to the Bishops for letting us come! Sorry for not having pictures of Thanksgiving itself. I forgot my camera. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come later.... we were really grateful for all the time we got to spend with the whole Macbeth side of the fam. Ben and I really felt all the love and support from all y'all! I definitely know we'll be back in Washington sooner or later. It is such a beautiful place (it reminds me of North Carolina so much). And speaking of North Carolina since most everyone already knows, I should update the people who don't. Ben and I are officially moving to North Carolina. We're moving in with my parents and we're going to do a bunch of job hunting along the east coast. We feel it's time to move on with our lives and starting fresh in a new place is a great way to do that. So watch out Raleigh, here we come! As of December 18th, Ben and I will be starting a new adventure.

Sky's First Haircut... Surprise!

Well we just gave Sky his first haircut (I'm still cracking up over that because he's only 3 months...) and he's a little blondie now! Yay! I never thought I'd have a baby with blonde hair but here it is! He's a handsome little man! And he's now rolling over! Good job, Bud!

Life Goes On

Lily's "magical chant." I had to add something fun to the post. :D By the way this is how Lily is 99.9% of the time. She's quite the talker. I wonder who she gets that from???? You can imagine how awesome church is....

This past weekend has been evil. Not only did Ben come home with his bad news on Friday but I also ended up getting what I believe to be food poisoning. It was AWESOME. Get any sarcasm out of that??? But I know that bad things happen when AMAZING things are about to happen and that's what I know is the real story behind everything. This is truly a wonderful time for our family. There are a lot of personal things that we're thankful for and some not-so-personal things like my new niece being born! Congrats to Lizzie and Brian whose daughter, Kate, was born Sunday evening. This was Lizzie's longest pregnancy, heaviest baby, and I'm thinking very close to the longest labor (although it was only 5ish hours....). We're excited to have another little girl in the family! And now my parents can finally claim that one of their grandkids looks like they come from the Whale family!

As for Ben and I, we feel a lot of peace. It's funny because when I fasted a not too long ago for Ben to find a job I felt like something was coming soon. And I'm not saying it definitely will. I'm

wondering if I felt him being laid off instead because although we are grateful for his old job, I actually see this as a blessing. So stay tuned to what happens to us in the future because we have an "almost official" plan but it's not quite written in stone. But like I said, we feel peace about the whole thing. My mind is so busy trying to figure things out that I can't sleep and today I even ran a load of laundry while forgetting to put the clothes in!!!

It's interesting to me that Ben's boss (who is a friend of Ben's) let him go because he wanted Ben to have a better shot at a career than working for him. He even told Ben that one of the best things that ever happened to him was being laid off because it gave him more incentive to find a job. So as you may have guessed Ben's new full time job is finding a job. And while I know he's going to go crazy being at home all day I'm just soaking up all the time I get to spend with him. I know this won't last long and I'm going to have to readjust my life when he goes back to working full-time.

Believe it or not but we really are in good spirits here. In fact, this weekend we're going to be making our way up to Washington to spend Thanksgiving with Ben's sister, April, and all of the other Macbeth relatives up there, and we can't wait! We're so excited! So as the great Paula Deen would say, "I wish you love and best dishes from our kitchen to yours!" But since I'm not on a cooking show right now I guess I'll just modify that to "we love all y'all! Thanks for all the love and support!"

We need prayers.

Wow, where to begin. Heather and I really need your prayers and support! I went in to work this morning and found out that I am being laid off. Today was my last day and so we really need your prayers so that we can make it through until I am able to find another job.

Just so that you all know it really wasn't done unfairly. My boss just thinks that I would be happier in the business world where my degree is. I don't want anyone to think badly of my boss. He really has the best intentions.

So if any of you have any leads into business or or the business side of a company I would love them. I know that I have people looking around in Washington, but I am willing to go where ever the Lord wants me. I know that we will be ok, but this is pretty tough.

Proof!

Sorry about the poor quality of the picture but it's kind of hard to adjust the settings on the camera with one hand and take the picture before the moment's gone. I took this pic while I was watching the news with Sky in my lap and Lily lying on the couch next to me. This will come in handy when they're teenagers and I have to prove at some point that they really do love each other. :)

Yesterday I tried this for the first time and they were laughing their heads off. They didn't this time but you get the picture.

My Life is Amazing

Yes, it's true. My life is amazing. I have to admit that I'm slightly embarrassed that I had pitiful thoughts about how hard life was right after Skyler was born. Now that Sky and I are sleeping better (which changes EVERYTHING) and Lily and Sky are bonding, I don't really have any complaints. I've gotten used to my new life and it's wonderful. But just yesterday I had a wonderful experience. I got the chance to go to Enrichment, or should I say a "Relief Society Meeting," and create crafts while socializing. I was gone for a whole 3 hours. Ben was kind enough to watch the babies and then let me take a nap when I got home. When I woke up he said one of the most rewarding things: "How do you do it?!?!" It feels pretty nice to know that having the monotonous life of motherhood is still a challenge and still very important. My life's pretty amazing and here are some pictures to prove it:

This time she was only giving him moral support by sharing her blankie with him. I always have to make sure she doesn't suffocate him with love..... they're starting to laugh at each other all the time. I'm pretty sure that's what the Celestial Kingdom sounds like..... :)

We're planning on giving him his first haircut soon so I decided to give him a little mohawk first...

My little cherub. :)

I fasted this week for Ben to find a job. Since I'm nursing and can't really fast I didn't eat/drink chocolate for a week instead. It has been an amazing blessing for me. Instead of getting what I thought I'd get, I found gratitude for the things I already have. And that's why my life is amazing.

Halloween Weekend

Ben's parents were able to spend some time with us before Halloween so here are some pictures of the fam:

The Twins

Sky and Mommy (I'm not looking so hot but check out that cute pumpkin! PS-thanks April!)

Mr. Chubb

Grandmum (or "Mum Mum" as Lily now says) and Lily

Two mother/son pictures. It's scary for me to compare them and think that Sky could be 6'3'' one day like his daddy....

Visits with family are becoming more and more fun as Lily is able to speak better. During this trip Lily said her first sentence: I love you. I don't think there is any better first sentence in the world!!!! Let me tell you I must be such an emotional mom but it made me so teary when she just kept saying it over and over and she's continued to do it. Just this morning after I put her in her crib for her nap she was screaming, "I lah you! I lah you!" Is it possible to be jealous of your own life????

On Halloween we just spent time with friends. I didn't think it would be a good idea to take Lily trick or treating yet because she probably wouldn't let us carry her and she's not very good at staying close to us when walking. And forget about the hand holding thing. Not once has she let us do that with her. But we did let her trick or treat at Dairy Queen so she could get a free ice cream cone and that was over with quickly because I had to immediately throw her costume in the washer. So no Halloween pics this year but to answer my question for the last post we were all Ghostbusters. We girlies were the ghostbusters and the boys were the ghosts. Sky was Slimer and Ben was the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man. I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween!