Talon's 1 YEARS OLD!

To Talon:

You turned one on a Wednesday and we were kind of caught by surprise, just like when we knew you would join our family :). I had your gift for months and so I didn't stress the details. We quickly invited family, Maughans and Hatches over for cake and ice-cream. Grammi Becky, Blake, Gma Rudd, Jalen, Hal Maughan and Wes Reader came to watch you attack your cake. You were mesmerized by the candle and it took you about 5 minutes to fully attack your cake and decide it was worth eating. We had fun watching you. (The Hatches came by the next day.)

You began taking steps around 11 months old. We thought you’d try earlier and we're so glad you didn’t. Now, you can walk quite a distance, but you are much faster at crawling so most often you have a hybrid type move so you can switch between the two.

You are a good eater. You eat nearly anything we put in front of you (I hope I am not jinxing it). You loved bananas those first few months of solid foods, but now you you only want them sparingly. You especially love cheese quesadillas and peanut butter sandwiches.

About 2 months ago you started the funniest move we call the “break dance”. You do this quick spin on your bum or even on your back and then bounce up and down. It is so hilarious. We have spent many a day trying to capture this move on video, but no luck. We hope to still get it before you completely retire the move.

Your brothers and sisters revolve their lives around you. They love to hold you and put you in anything they can pull or push. Olivia and Ellie especially keep you on their hip and to be quite honest, you are lucky to be alive. Between the girls’ lack of good judgment by putting you on high surfaces and Mason’s Monster Attacks, we pray in gratitude that you are still here. You will be tough and you already are a clown. We all sat there for 5 minutes tonight laughing at you perform with a balloon as we were waiting to start scripture study.

Talon, I love you. You were an unexpected surprise and joy in my life. I love to hold you and look into your eyes as you suck on those two fingers. You let me sing to you and rock you. You play games with me before I lay you down and often go down giggling and smiling. You are a piece of heaven and I truly love to be your mother. Thank you for being so patient with me as I tend to the needs of all that I can. You are very patient. ..you just suck on those two fingers if you feel forgotten and have all the love for me when I get to you. Stay happy!

I love you always Talon…or as Jalen says AzROE or Azie.

Mom

Marathon Maddness

Now, for the tale of our marathon in St. George, Utah this last weekend:
Two weeks or so prior to the marathon, I get a yucky cough that lasts, and lasts. Less than one week before the marathon I am flat in bed with the flu. 10 ½ years ago…I marry the RIGHT MAN a choice that leads me to many happy moments…. Including the END of this marathon.
We arrive at Mark and Lori Bentleys in St. George just after Bobby and his girls get there. Our girls are so happy to play with their cousins and we catch up a bit before Lori prepares dinner for all of the kids as the rest of us (including Jared and Rachel) drive the course. It is fun to take a picture at the top and fun to remember the pretty views. ( It’s a good thing I got a look then, because through the race it was hard to notice.) We then picked up our numbers at the Expo, went home for pasta, prepared for the next morning and went to bed. The blessings for me immediately begin.
Blessing #1 I slept better that the three nights prior to it.
Blessing #2 I woke up feeling excited to run.
Blessing #3 I emptied my bowels BEFORE the race. 
Blessing #4 We found the Bogles and Coxes immediately upon arriving at the top.
Blessing #5 Only Manda Bogle sees me as I accidentally pull both my sweat pants and my running pants down as we are taking off our warm clothes. 
Blessing #6 I found a bush to pee in right close to the start, just before the start.
Blessing #7 After many, many prayers Manda and I found Brian at mile 3 after getting separated at the start.
Blessing #8 I saw Bobby just before Veio…an upper I needed before the climb.
Blessing #9 I ran all the way up Veio Hill while still breathing, or panting whatever you want to call it.
Blessing #10 Brian refused to listen to me as I ordered him to go ahead while running up Veio Hill. I was a little ticked. I thought, “Did he know how bad I felt? What if I have to shuffle through this race because I am coughing my brains out and my mouth is so cottoned up because of my dog gone panting that I can’t even tell him. It’s only mile 7, GO! Get a real PR for you. Please. I left you last time we ran and that was at mile 17! I understand. I’ll do the best I can and be OK. Ok, that’s all the energy I can give to that. Onward. You are just my bestest friend, just don’t push me too hard, because REALLY I might not make it. I hurt.“
Blessing #11 After all those thought waves, BRIAN WOULD NOT LEAVE ME (He privately told me later in a very sweet moment, that he would NEVER leave me. Yes, I know…this blessing alone makes life worth living.)
Blessings #12-1000 I kept running. I remembered the PRAYERS of my sweet children, especially Ellie’s prayer that I would make my goal. I saw the faces of my SWEET BOYS. I felt Brian’s spirit just pulling me along, BELIEVING in me. I felt HOPE as he told me I was doing OK and we could still make it. I TRUSTED in him to get me there and just followed him. I was able to drink water and Gatorade if I stopped moving completely for a few seconds at each water stop. The intense pain in my right upper leg felt better going down steep hills. The blister on my right foot overpowered the knee discomfort. My body allowed my mind to trick it when I misrepresented the miles it had left to run. My body kept going and going. I know it was hard. I know I gave it my all…but there was more that pushed me along. REALLY. I am so thankful. Thankful for the FAITH of my children. Thankful for the MEMORY of their faith and the desire to do my part so their prayers would be answered. It was a humble and GREAT moment to cross the finish line at 3 hours and 37 minutes.---A Boston Qualifying Time. It may not be a personal best as far as performance, but it felt like an even greater accomplishment and I just wanted to collapse to the ground to allow my body to more easily get a breath. Brian carefully guided me once again over to a place where I could talk with my girls and sit (oh well about the muscles cramping up…breathing was more important). Brian then went and trotted back a mile to find Mark. He ran in with Mark, who gutted out a marathon after fighting a pneumonia, bruised ribs, leg strain and a cough. Mark was heard to be saying, “Come on Baby, Come on. You can do it!” during that last mile. I wish I was there to scream for him and tell him way to go. I was thinking of him as I sat against that blue dumpster telling my girls that their prayers carried me. Telling them how hard it was and how often I wanted to quit but didn’t. Feeling the love as Ellie’s eyes watered up the way they do when she feels something deeply. Loving Olivia as her eyes showed she was thinking intensely about something (more ice cream? Running a race herself one day? What I looked like there in my pathetic state?). I knew it was another miracle in our lives. A non-significant one on some levels, but HUGE for me as I was the recipient of so much love, from earth and from above. Maybe Dad once again was there cheering me on. It’s nice to think about.

When we got home Brian and I took an ice bath. Then I sat in a very hot bath in a steamy bathroom for over an hour as I talked with Marcelle, texted the family, talked with the boys, and let my lungs relax and calm down. Lori took care of all the kids, as she did the whole trip. What a sweet friend and sister!

We went for a walk, painted toe nails with the girls and talked until the boys came home from priesthood with some yummy Thai Food for me.

WONDERFUL TRIP!!!

First Day of School...the Bentley School

Sometime after our summer workshop with Miss Jenee, Olivia had the following conversation with me in the car:

“Mom, which school are we going to next year?”
“I don’t know yet Livy. “
“Why don’t you know.? I thought you fasted and prayed about it already. Why don’t you know yet?”
“I just don’t feel anything yet. I am not sure of the right place for you, but don’t worry it will all work out.”
“I know why you don’t know Mom.”
(Uh-oh I think. Do I really want to know what she’s going to say? Curiosity wins out in about 5 seconds)
“Why don’t we know Livy?”
“Because you are supposed to home school us Mom.”
“How do you know what home school is Livy?”
“It’s when we would do school at home and you would be our teacher. That’s what it is and that’s the right thing to do.”

I felt something right away as my little, independent 7 year old shared her thoughts and feelings with me. I kept it to myself for a few days and then I had a conversation with Brian. He responded with, “I didn’t know that home school was an option.” To which I replied, “It’s not.” However, even then I knew it felt right…more right than any other option has felt. SOoooo, after a fast and pray and temple visit and research and a very short time, we decided to home school the kids this year---or at least the semester.  We are nearing the end of our 4th week and it is going well for the most part. Overall, I am nowhere near where I want to be, but we are making progress. I truly love to teach. I love to be with my kids. I love to see them improve. I love to learn with them and teach them History especially. It is fun. It is hard giving the young ones the time they need while we are working things out and for the most part they are all a mess. Bryson and Mason have done enough that we now have a list to repair, clean, or fix the things they have destroyed while I am in school. BUT, I feel blessed and fortunate that I can teach the kids. What an experience and there really wasn’t any negatives when we went through the pros and cons…well, my sanity was a concern  Anyhow, I hope the Bentley School improves more and more each week and that I can remember to always cherish these moments….for they will not last forever

Homeschool

Well, school is going more fluid and I have many moments when I think how enlightening it is to be with my kids and teach them all sorts of things…and as always they teach me by there unbridled desire to have fun, share and know things. I love it…almost all the days we do it.

I have felt strengthened and able to get most things done and at times when I feel that my fuze is fried, I try to talk myself into remembering what matters most and get everyone cleaning up the chaos together.

A visit with Grandpa Ben

Grandpa Benner AZRO is 91. 91 and wonderful. 91 and super fun to visit and talk about life lessons. I learn so much as I listen to him. I love that he wants me and MY KIDS in his life...or so it seems. I love that he let me crash his peaceful Heber life and spend hours with him. I love Grandpa Ben and am SO GLAD that Talon AZROe shares his name.

Trip to Heber

Cheri Dagupan, our primary president and dear friend, invited the presidency and our kids to go up to her/her sister's lodge in Heber for a few nights. It was so much fun! The kids just loved hanging out and I enjoyed gettin to know the ladies with whom I serve. I was inspired by their goodness and love for others. The kids loved the zip line. Mason would go on my lap and the others went sitting or hanging or both. We saw some drawings on a small cave nearby and enjoyed the rain that fell one night. It was a great time. Amy king and Jamie Ashdown were there with their kids.

Ellie's 6!

It was Ellie's year for a family outting birthday. She chose camping...with a water fight in the creek. Jalen and Derek came and made it all the more fun. Seriously, I love my brothers--almost as much as they love Ellie. We played "Baby Pudding Feed", had egg tosses (Conner and Brian were the winners), walked and splashed in the creek, had a talent fireside (Go Gracie, McKensie, Olivia, and Ellie), laughed and Jalen and Brian catching a snake, and had lots of treats. It was a FUN time! Ellie enjoyed a princess bath and her presents when she came home.

Dearest Ellie,

You are six! Once again you began your birthday saying you didn’t feel any older or different. I think that is because you find joy in things each day of your life and in small ways you always celebrate those joys.

Today I watched you lay on the trampoline with Monster Mason. He was a little disgruntled, had a poopy diaper and still you somehow managed to get him to lie down next to you, calm as can be. I watched from the window as I did dishes and it was a pure joy to me. Thank you.

You finished kindergarten this year and you seemed to enjoy making new friends more than anything else. Your friend Aubrey moved away and it was the first time you dealt with anything like that. You still talk of her as your best friend. You also made friends with Brookee, who you have loved to get together with on occasion. Daddy and I loved to watch you run or walk to your class. Seriously, we smiled at your cute ways. I loved to pick you up and to hear all about your day, which usually meant a quick run down of procedures and who you played with at recess.

You loved to participate in Miss Jenee’s Summer Musical Theatre. We had a blast watching you perform! You are often singing, dancing or talking in front of your closet door mirrors. I can barely get you or Livy to look at me if I am down there talking to you. You and Livy are pretty inseperable at home. You are playing and singing non-stop. I can barely get you to focus to clean your room or anything .

You and Bryson became even better friends this school year as Livy was gone all day at school. You played for hours on end without any disagreements. I think your two spirits seem to have always known each other and you both bring a calmness to our home.

You still have a joy and love about you that calms the waters, encourages me to be better and reminds me that motherhood is the greatest blessing. I love you Geri Elizabeth.

Mom

School Of Rock Summer Music Theatre

Olivia and Ellie LOVED the summer musical theatre class with Miss Jenee Prince. They rocked and rolled their hearts out non-stop as they learned from wonderful teachers, trained by Jenee. We loved to watch their performance. Ellie made friends with a few girls, including my friend's girl, Deija and of course Emilie Weidman. Olivia enjoyed being with the older girls and idolized quite a few of them. She was more of a rock star then we knew. We loved every minute of it!

SAN CARLOS MEXICO

As usual, our time in San Carlos was heaven sent. Mom Bentley let us stay in her condo (for the second year in a row!!!) and it was a glorious-filled 9 days of water fun. All the children loved the ocean and the pool. We soaked up the hours of booggie and skin boarding, snorkling, running, digging, building, floating, sea monster gaming fun! We have the usual mounds of pictures that leave us longing for future family trips to San Carlos. Joanna Lee, our sister, took some excellent family pictures and we may finally have a family picture for the wall that will someday hang the picture frames still stowed away in the office closet since we moved.

Highlights for Brian and I were the fortunate moments we were able to run together each morning as Sarah Hatch stayed with the kids in the condo...most often they were sleeping. If we finished early enough we would float in the ocean after and just welcome in the day. One particular day the water was full of HUNDREDS of birds, mostly pelicans. As we ran we noticed a lot of dolphins (actually porpoises). We even stopped a moment to watch a small family of dolphins just 3o yards off shore or so. Anyhow, when we jumped in the ocean and floated we heard the squeeking of dolphins and I got on Brian's back to better see the dolphins just 20 yards away. Then unexpectedly a dolpin swam up within arms reach of Brian and I. We were actually a little startled and didn't even think to reach out and touch it. The dolphin circled back and then swam away. It was so cool!

Another highlight was when Ellie and Brian were out snorkling. They were noting this octupus under a rock when a man speared the octopus and brought him up above water. We were on the shore and could see it wiggle around and we laughed as Austin Woods jumped as he touched it. It was very cool to see the octupus as I have only ever saw part of one. The man continued to snorkle and find several octupus that he intended to sell.

Brian and Bret Woods were able to go out to San Pedro Island with Dwight Udall, a long time San Carlos friend. They had a spectacular scuba dive out there and I was so happy Brian got a chance to dive and spend some good time on the ocean. He loves it.

Olivia---> She snorkled completely solo this year. Brian put her in the water and ended up leaving her there to come and get another child. She loved it and was quite the adventurer. She also had fun boogie boarding and learned to catch a wave so well. She did some skin boarding with Brian this year and enjoyed it---then on a dime she is done and ready for something else :). I was proud of her responsibility in caring for her brothers. She is very dependable and we are so grateful for her independent and confident spirit.

Elizabeth-->Her happy ways are evident in her body movements. She is willing to try just about anything and is as cute as a button as she does. She almost mastered a back flip and as Brian says, "her back dive is better than ours." She didn't always catch a wave with the boogie board and often got flipped, but she was fun to watch and fun to be with. She continued to explore for shells and to name them. Emma Woods and Ellie's friendship grew even more this year.

Bryson-->He is such a stud! He loved to snorkle. Once he just jumped in a tube and had Bret Woods pull him all around the cove with him while he and Austin snorkled. Bryson loved to be included with the boys and to spend time near Austin. Bryson also loved to float out in the ocean in front of the condo and would beg any of us to go out there with him. He became more confident with making his way past the stronger tide near shore and getting out there after a few days. Once he decided to walk down the beach about 1 mile with Brian. Brian and I discovered our skin board down there while we were running. Bryson got tired so Brian told him to sit and stay put while he walked the remaining 50 yard or so and then Brian would walk back to our condos with him. Apparently Bryson got nervous and just suddenly popped up and started running back to the condos. Brian would see him look back down the beach at him and keep running. Brian was unable to run with the skin board and thought maybe Bryson was playing with him and trying to beat him back. I saw Bryson coming back alone and went to him as another lady stopped to see if he was alright. Bryson was crying and said he got spooked and didn't know that man motioning for him to come was Brian. :( He ran almost one mile! Seriously, the boy has stamina.

Mason--> What a funny man. He was happy doing just about anything. He loved to stand in the ocean at dusk and feel the sand being pulled back towards the water as the tide came in and out. He would laugh and laugh and then run down aways and do it again. He loved to jump over the waves as they came to shore. He loved to swim back and forth to us in the ocean. He loved to do crazy jumps off the side of the pool. He loved to NOT tell us he had a poopy diaper, which led to a few days of not being allowed in the pool. After one time of pooping in his swim diaper and NOT telling us, we decided our of respect for others and our own health (including Mason's) we would ban him from the pool until he chose to tell us he had a messy diaper and was willing to jump right out of the pool. We will spare the details. We are just glad he decided to cooperate, because he is so fun to be with in the pool.

Talon--> What a trooper. Being only a crawler, it was inevitable he would be heavily impacted with the Mexican germs. The last 4 days we spent time trying to keep him hydrated and fed and cleaning up a lot of throw up and poop. His last vomit came after 45 minutes of crying in the car ride home and was a BIG pile of unsettled food all over him and his car seat. Good thing home was less than one hour away! Poor guy. He was pretty easy going when he felt well and when he didn't feel well we spent most of our time loving and holding him and keeping him from eating charcoal, sea weed, sand, and other garbage from the ground.

"These are the days to remember....for they will not last forever!" I think of this song each time I am with my family in Mexico. I truly love to be a wife and mother and can say this is a time of life that I absolutely love and care to remember always.

Monster Mason--Feb-Mar 09

This is Mason. He is kongked out after a little recovery time aka. sitting time. He found a way to calm himself right into a VERY deep sleep.
This last winter and spring it seemed that we were all blessed with mild sickness. We are so grateful. Maybe Mason's sicknesses were a little more intense...or at least his crankiness seemed to suggest that. One day I just put him in the swing with his blanket and within a few minutes I had to run out and check on him to make sure he was still breathing as he had put the blanket over his head. Soon enough I realized he was sleeping and just fine. Yeah! I was actually able to give someone else attention.

Rrrrr! I now have bigger teeth to chomp you!!! Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I am Mason, the funny man!

Mason found some of my semi-non-washable make up and well...not even the bath got it out, but it is a little more subdued now.

Mason our sweet, funny guy once again seemed cranky and mad, so he ended up on the couch were he assumed the "Dad position" and fell right to sleep.

Talon at six months

Livy taped a pink pom pom (as if it were a wig) to Talon's Head and put him in this car to go for a little ride. He loved her pretend games. This is the beginning of many forced dress up games I am sure.

My toes are almost as good as my fingers!

Eye-to-Eye


Soul-to-Soul

Talon is six months!

March 29th, 2009

Quick notes on Talon:

Finger Obsession—We actually spent MONTHS putting socks on his hands to prevent him from sucking his fingers as he slept, etc. We did it until about 6 months, at which point he became upset by this small form of torture. J We have come to semi-accept he will suck his fingers.
Dive crawling by 6 months, total crawl before he reaches 7 months—most of kids have crawled “for reals” around 8 months. He is trying to join the party for sure.
Eye-to-eye/soul-to-soul –Talon has always loved to see eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose, soul-to soul. It is a precious moment to gaze so closely into his pure soul. He generally grabs my hair so hard and attempts to eat my face or cheeks and it forces me to “stay close or else”
Chews on toes if he’s on his back…whatever he can reach to his mouth!
Interlocks hands while nursing—Being the skinner that Talon is, he regularly interlocks fingers with mine as I hold his hand while I feed him. It honestly is a heavenly and even sacred moment for me to love and hold him this way.

“Skinner” loves to feel face, others or his own, loves to taste and feel skin in general YEP, often is found making zerberts on one’s arm or skin