Summer News!!!

Well, one of my goals lately has been that I would be better at updating my blog. So, here is a little note of what is to come. We just got back (well about a week ago) from a great 10 day vacation---we went to Lava Hot Springs, Bear World, Yellowstone, & Jackson Hole. It was a blast!!!

Bailee just turned 2!!! I can't believe that she is that old. It seems like she was just born and now she is so independent---but LOVES to be with her mom---which I LOVE!!! We also just took her to the Juab County Fair---she loves animals of all types. She wants us to get some piggies, moo cows, baa's (sheep), chickens and rabbits!!! We already have 2 dogs and a horse and my sister wants us to get two of her kittens!!! Sounds like everyone wants me to have a farm----Not quite sure if I want all that!!! We will have to see!!! She has been such a blessing in our lives!!! I can't really remember how life was for the 13 years before she was born!!!

I have TONS of pictures of all the above so I will get them organized and post them for you all to see!!! I will have to take the best of them cause on Vacation I took over 800 pictures---Crazy huh!!! Well there was a lot to see---we saw herds of buffalo, some bear, elk, bald eagles, etc. It was a blast.

EVERYONE BE SURE TO WATCH!!!!!

Hey Everyone!!!!! Please be sure to watch "The Celebrity Apprentice" this Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 9/8 central on NBC.

Slacker!!!

Sorry I am such a slacker!!!! I will get some new pictures on my site. Life has just been crazy lately----Busy, busy, busy!!! I haven't decided 100% if I am going private or not, however I do have all the email addresses you guys have sent me and I will add you all to my list should I do so. It is fun to keep up on everyone and see how their families have grown and what is going on in their lives!!!!! Hopefully this weekend I can update pictures---I found the cord to hook my camera to the computer---so hopefully I can find the time.

Private

I guess I will probably go private also. I keep debating on it, but I am nervous about all of the creaps and perverts that are out there that have to ruin a good thing. Please email me your email address (rachellebenson@msn.com) or leave it in the comments so I can add you as friends so we can all keep in touch.

It's Potty Time!!

I just have to brag about Bailee. I bought her a little potty at Walmart cause she acts interested anytime someone goes into the bathroom. She will pull at her diaper and try to pull it down. Her potty looks like a real one and had fake toilet paper and a flusher on it. So, I put the potty together on Sunday Night (November 9th) and the next morning she was doing the pull on the diaper so I took it off and sat her on her potty and she actually peed in it. I was shocked. I am not trying to force her we only try when she acts interested ---she has probably went pee 10-12 times now and on Sunday (November16) she was sitting on it and peed and was playing with the flusher while I washed my face and brushed my teeth and she stood up and she had actually pooped---I was totally shocked!!!! So, anyways I thought I would brag a bit. ;-) I will update my pictures soon!!! I have tons to update, I just need to make the time.

The Great Eight!

I got tagged by Natalie.

8 T.V. Shows I watch . . .
1. CSI: New York
2. CSI: Las Vegas
3. CSI: Miami
4. Without a Trace
5. Eleventh Hour
6. Ghost Whisperer
7. House
8. Numbers

8 Favorite Restaurants . . .
1. Goodwood
2. Red Lobster
3. Olive Garden
4. Sizzler
5. Samari 21
6. Los Hermanos
7. Ruby River
8. Outback

8 Things That Happened Yesterday . . .
1. Got up at 4am to make Andy's lunch
2. Fed Bailee Breakfast & when she was done she threw it on the floor
3. Took Bailee to my grandma to be tended
4. Went to work for a lunch meeting
5. Took my moms purse back to her since she left it in my car when we came back from Logan
6. Picked up Bailee at grandma's and visited with my grandparents for a couple hours
7. Fed the animals (horses & dogs)
8. Cooked Dinner & then relaxed and watched CSI: Las Vegas after it was all over.

8 Things I Look Forward To . . .
1. Spending time with Andy & Bailee
2. Spending time with my nieces and nephews
3. Someday not having to work as much
4. Going to Paige's Baptism on Saturday (I have to talk so I am nervous though)
5. Taking Bailee trick or treating
6. Hopefully having another baby
7. Getting my bills paid off
8. Taking Bailee to Disneyland & Sea World (and other places)

8 Things On My Wish List . . .
1. Money
2. More time with Bailee
3. Another baby
4. Finding Insurance so I don't have to work so much
5. Finding winter work for Andy that is closer than Las Vegas
6. A cruise or big trip
7. Getting my Christmas shopping done
8. Less Stress

8 People I Tagged . . .
1. Ashley
2. Bobbi
3. Mindy
4. Felicia
5. Becky
6. Leslee
7. Alyse
8. Nicolina

My sister-in-law tagged me too so I am adding the few additional "8's" from her tag on.

8 Things I am Passionate About . . .

1. Family

2. Happiness

3. Career & continuing to learn new things

4. Friends

5. Gospel

6. Cooking

7. Having fun (especially with Bailee and my neices & nephews)

8. Spending time with Bailee

8 Places I Would Like To Visit . . .

1. Cancun (Again)

2. Hawaii (Again)

3. Alaska

4. Church History Tour (Nauvoo, etc)

5. All of the temples in Utah

6. Paris

7. Italy

8. Texas (my great-aunt lives there and I havent' ever been there)

8 Things I want to do before I die . . .

1. See Bailee up and get Married

2. Be a grandma

3. Be debt free

4. Be happy forever

5. go on a cruise or big trip

6. Continue to have close relationship with Bailee

7. Retire and see how it is to not work (I have worked since I was 15)

8. Meet someone famous

8 Words or Phrases I Use All The Time . . .

1. Yeah (most of these are used with Bailee)

2. Shoot or Ot Oh (not sure how to spell that)

3. Wow

4. Fun, Fun, Fun

5. Darn It

6. Goof Ball

7. Oh my laws

8. Uh Huh

Bailee Turned One ! ! !

Getting ready for the big party!!! Aunt Daleen came early to help mom and she got the assignment to do the hair.
Bailee isn't sure about all the primping.
I had to buy the sign. After all she will only be "1" once.
Porter getting ready to eat. He grabbed him a nice cold Sprite.
Bailee enjoying a hot dog and some Cheetos
Her dad at the grill. We had a BBQ for part of the party. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, pink salad, green salad, chips, cantaloupe & watermelon. And to drink we had soda, Gatorade, & water.
Bailee---digging in.
Opening presents.
Her Grandma Benson gave her a rocking horse.
More toys. She got about 1/2 toys and 1/2 clothes. This is a Little People Animal sounds farm. She really likes it and puts the animals in and out of the barn and in the silo, etc.

Aunt Angie gave her a Leap Frog Number Buddy.
Tearing into the toys.
Her Cake---I was a bit disappointed with the way Smith's decorated it, but it tasted really good. It didn't turn out at all like the one I picked out of their picture book.
Smith's gave her a cake of her own since it was her first birthday!!
Sharing the cake with her cousins. She dove right in with her hands. Squishing it between her fingers, etc and then started sharing it with everyone. This is a picture of her sharing with her cousin McKenzie. She would give them a bite and the grab some more and offer it to someone else.

Squishy, Squishy!!!
Porter stealing a little bit of the frosting while Jonah watches Bailee dig in with her hands.
Lizzy wanting to steel a bit, but not sure if she wants to eat it off of Bailee's hands like the rest of us did.
Cake EVERYWHERE!!!!
Stopping to take a drink. Of Powerade of course.

Jonah with a party favor.
Maddison having fun.
This is just cause I don't have one of the 4 generations. This is of me and my parents and my mom's parents and Bailee.
Four generations of girls.

Yup---We had a pinata also. We also had those firecrackers that you pull the string and out pops confetti.
We didn't let them hit it because there was too many little kids so they just did the pull string on the pinata. We also didn't have a tree and no-one wanted to hold it if the kids had a bat. We were going to have the party at the park, but there was a family reunion there and Andy didn't want to bond with any of the people at the reunion so we had it in our back yard.
Maddison with some of the toys from the pinata.
Porter with some candy and watching all the kids scramble for more candy.
Lizzy & Paige enjoying the rewards.

Paige blowing up a balloon. We also had balloons. I bought a Helium tank, but Paige and McKenzie couldn't wait so they started blowing them up.
McKenzie working on her balloon.
Bailee in the thick of things.
Bailee & Lizzy picking up candy.

We had lots of fun. We just had a family party with both sides of the family. It was fun and Bailee got a lot of good gifts. Andy and I gave her 2 new pairs of pajamas, a bounce and spin zebra, a jewlery box, a webkinz stuffed horse that looks like our horse, and a little turtle that counts and says shapes. She also got ----early a play yard swing set--she loves to swing, but we had to buy the infant swing separately. My mom gave her a little lion that she can walk behind or sit and ride, she got her first baby doll from Scott & his family and clothes (really cute ones) from Ashley & Jason & Lizzy, Scott & fam, Grandpa Benson, Joe, Crystal & Bell, and Grandma Benson and more stuff I just can't remember it all. It was a bit windy so I didn't get to decorate like I wanted, but it turned out well. As you can tell I spoil her----but then again why not!!!---what else do I have to do that is more fun---NOTHING!!!