Snow Sports

We took Parker snowboarding last week. We were going to buy him stuff for Christmas but decided we'd try a season of renting a few times first. Good thing we did. He loved it at first- hanging on to daddy as we went down this mini hill at a park by our house. But after an hour he was done and the next day he didn't even want to try it. But we'll go again and before we know it he'll be better than mommy and daddy!

Ben cozy in his carseat while Parker snowboarded.

This is how we went down. :)

We also attempted a little snowshoeing trip. Ben was bundeled UNDER a huge coat and in the baby bjorn while Parker was perched on top of dad's back. Parker loved it and hated it all at the same time. As you can see below.

Unfortunately we got a bit of a late start and by the time we got back to the car it was pitch black. Parker wanted to be in the car so much he wouldn't let us get him out of his carseat to take off his snowpants. Poor guy. That may be our last snowshoeing trip for awhile. But it was fun and beautiful. Next time we just need more daylight.

Ben Baby Blessing

On Jan 4th we blessed Benjamin Mark. Bry and Mindy blessed Cailin in the morning and we blessed Ben in the afternoon. It was a beautiful blessing and a wonderful day.

Oh the joys of being a younger brother. :)

Grandma Athinson and Ben

Aunt Angie and Ben

Grammy Clegg and Ben

Spencer Box (Spencer trainer on his mission), uncle Perry, Matt (Spencer's friend from school), and daddy.

Jayne, Aunt Donelle, and cousin Catherine

The Box's

our next door neighbors, Ruth and Bob

Holiday's with the Atkinson's

Angie and Angie flew out (from New York where they live) on New Years Eve for some family festivities- mainly two baby blessings. So we got to spend some time with Atkinson cousins too. Parker is now sharing the limelight with Ben and little Cailin (Bryant and Mindy's little girl).

Cailin is about 6 weeks older than Ben but twice as long!

We took a perfect snowboarding day with Ajay, Angie, Greg, his friend Harvey Unga, KC and I (Spencer got sick that day poor guy). It was perfect snow and I loved boarding with everyone

We ate at our usual Ottavios (where KC served us) and celebrated mom & Mindy's birthdays. We all sang to mom and she got a little teary- it was sweet.

Haylee and Ben

Mom and her grandbabies- Ben and Cailin (these pictures were actually taken at Thanksgiving so they are a little old)

Ben was baby Jesus in our Esplin (my mom's side) Christmas party. He participated great and fell asleep in the manger the whole time. He was the perfect baby Jesus.

Parker participated in the nativity for the first time this year. He and Asher are in the striped shepards uniforms. They were so cute.

Christmas

We spent this year's Christmas in Eden, Utah with the Clegg's They have a nice big beautiful home to house all of Spencer's 8 siblings and thier families. It's a mad house but that's the way we like it. Parker was in heaven with lots of toys from santa and grammy and grandpa and lots of cousins to play with. Here we are (yes Ben is in there- under the blanket) all bundled up for a sleigh ride!

Parker understood the concept of Santa this year. A little boy really makes Christmas magical.

Parker got a easel from grammy and grandpa and he loves lining up all the letters.

There as LOTS of snow in Eden and we had lots of fun playing in it.

We went on a sleigh ride, inside a tepee and warmed our hands in front of a fire- Parker has that part down as you can see.

Grammy with little Ben. Ben had a good old Christmas. He stayed up all night long for four nights in a row. Literally, he was up from 10pm-5am. It was death for Spencer and I- we took shifts. And I was about to throw in the towel and let him scream when we found out he had an earache! No wonder. We're back to sleeping much better. Thank goodness. It made for an interesting Christmas for Spencer and I. :)

Oleah and Stu Christmas morning

Parker and Cassidy- he loves his cousins!

Baths, shaving, poop and random

Here are some pictures of the boys taking bath's (this was when we were still giving Ben sponge baths because of his casts, the best part of his braces is he gets to take REAL baths now. But thought these were cute pictures...

Parker loves shaving like his daddy. And I think this picture is hilarious because of his face- we didn't tell him to do that, he just knew what to do after watching daddy(and don't worry, there is no razor on his razor)

potty training has slowly begun. We did get one poop in the toilet and a couple pees!! YEAH! But since then he hasn't been that interested...hmm. We haven't made the switch to big boy pants yet but looks like that is on the agenda.

My favorite time of day--- the stroller ride. Parker points out all the signs and cars and Ben, well Ben sleeps. :)

cute Ben

Club Feet casting and progress

At the beginning of December Ben had a little surgery to lengthen his Achilles tendon- they actually cut it. This would be major surgery for an adult, but little babies heal so fast it's not that bad! The surgery went well, they cut his tendon, then moved his feet into a pretty crazy (and very uncomfortable looking) position and then put them in a cast so they would stay there. They do this so tendon can grow back longer (with club feet the tendon is often too short). After 3 weeks Ben got those casts off- this is him getting his LAST set of casts off...

Now Ben wears these braces- we call it his snowboard. I was excited about the braces and they are better than casts but still pretty cumbersome. Oh well, he's a trooper and doing well. His feet are (amazingly) relatively "normal" now. While the casts were to move his feet, the brace keeps them in place so they don't move back (it's like the retainer after you have braces). He will wear this 23 hours a day (all day except for baths) for 3 months and then we will go to just naps and night for 2 years. We're getting there!