Beach2Bay 2011

Last year when Anthony ran Beach2Bay I decided I wanted to run it in 2011. (This is a pretty big thing for me to decide to do; I am not a runner.) So last summer I started walk/running with some friends and got up to running 1.5 miles (I was pretty excited about that). Then came the fall, a surgery and getting Benson so running took a back seat until January.

Then a friend in my ward mentioned getting a group of women together to run Beach2bay. So I started running each morning with Benson. About 2 months before the race we started running together as a group, upping our running distance each week. It was wonderful running together as a team, helping each other motivate and encourage each other, not to mention just fun talking.

The race was this past Saturday and it was so much fun!! Because I have been running 4.6 miles the last 2 weeks it wasn't difficult to run it for the race. After it was over I felt like I could have kept going. My next goal is to do a 10k (there is one in the fall), so I'll have the motivation to keep running and to increase my distance.

Team MST (Mormon Standard Time)
Everyone on the team but one (thanks for running with us Lisa!)

Anthony and Bens were at the end of my leg of the race, cheering me on! It was fun to have them there supporting me! In the video below you can hear Bens crying because Anth had just yelled really loud for me and it scared him :)

This is right after the race, nice and hot/sweaty

We got Benson!

We've been waiting for this weekend for about 7 months. Adoption is an amazing journey!

We headed up to Houston Thursday night. Benson got to swim for the first time and loved it. The next morning we headed to the court house. There were two adoption cases before ours. (One was a little boy that was born a day after Bens, he was tiny! He looked about 3, maybe 4 months old. Bens looked like a one year old next to him.) Then it was our turn. As we stood in front of the judge our attorney asked me a few questions, like if I was satisfied with his growth and development, if we were prepared to take care of him for the next 18 years (she added it probably wouldn't end at 18), and if we wanted his name to be Benson William. Anthony was then asked to confirm. The judge then read through all the legal stuff and pronounced (is that the right word? Maybe "ruled") Benson ours!!! It was very exciting! The whole time this was all going on, Benson was flashing everyone super cheesey smiles. The judge and attorney kept commenting on what a flirt he was and how he was playing it up. It was pretty funny. (The judge also gave Benson a stuffed bear, he loved it.)

After court we were told we needed to get an adoption decree, which usually takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks to be sent. Of course we need it in two weeks, so we can go to the temple. So we went to the office and asked as nicely as possible if we could please get one that day. (The big deal is that the judge has to sign it and she was still in court, so they'd have to interrupt her and have her sign it, a big deal.) The lady in charge told us she'd see what she could do and came back with it about two minutes later!! (We're pretty sure Benson's smiles had a hand in getting it, he was really hamming it up to the office ladies :) So everything went really well! He is now ours officially!

(after swimming benson loved smiling to himself and licking the mirrors)

We then drove over to San Antonio b/c our friends were receiving their endowments and being sealed on Friday and Saturday. Anthony got to attend the endowment session while Bens and I went swimming again. On Saturday Anth went to help with our youth baptism trip and Benson and I slept in the car. He slept, I talked with some friends who came up for the sealing. After baptisms we both got to attend the sealing of our friends and then their sealing to their two little girls. It was such a neat experience! I'm so happy for them! The spirit was very strong and there was such a strong feeling that they were doing the right thing in the right place. It was a wonderful day! (And of course it gets me excited for the 28th!!! Our sealing date!!!)

7 Months

We can't believe Benson is really 7 months old! He's growing so fast!! This month he...

-says "da da da" a lot and "ma ma ma" sometimes
-loves to shake his head
-spits with his tongue
-went swimming for the first time and loves it
-doesn't like baby food, just the bottle and sometimes a cheerio
-sleeps 11 hrs straight
-is a flirt and has a smile for everyone
-loves to bounce
-has two bottom teeth
-almost crawling

Happenings

We've been having a lot of fun recently and I've been meaning to post, so here it is.

-Sandfest - pretty amazing sandcastles! We thought it was free so didn't have any cash on us but we took pictures through the fence. It was a beautiful day on the beach. It was in Port A and we left right after a baptism. Anth thought I was packing his flip flops and I thought he was - so he ended up wearing his church shoes :) But the beach was nice enough that we just went barefoot for most of it.



-Easter was wonderful! We colored eggs and ate yummy food with friends. We reflected on the Atonement of our Savior and how grateful we are that he made forever families possible.

An egg for Benson, Vance, the U of U and a couple others.

He's ready for church on Easter

-For this past semester I've been watching two of the cutest little girls while their mom went to school. It's been so fun! I'm sad the semester is over. Benson just loves them! He can sit and watch them for hours! They were always so sweet to him, calling him "baby Benson," and letting him play with their toys.


-I've been meaning to take Benson to the park and let him swing for awhile but last Friday was his first time. He didn't really love it. I'm hoping he gets used to it and will eventually.


-Another first, this last Monday he got to ride in the front of the cart. I'm so loving not carrying his car seat around! He really loves it and we always get lots of comments from people about how cute he is.


Other happenings to come...

-Friday, the 13th. We'll head up to Houston and go to court to have Benson's adoption finalized.

-Saturday, the 21st. I'm running in my first ever Marathon Rely (Beach2Bay). There are six of us running. My leg of the race is 4.6 miles. I've been training for awhile for this and just this week ran 4.6 miles twice!!! My personal best. Ever. Running really isn't my thing but I love it when I'm done.

-And then to the end of the month, Saturday and Sunday, the 28 & 29. Benson will be sealed to us in the San Antonio Temple!! Then blessed on Sunday. We are excited for all the family and friends that will be here and know lots more wish they could!