A Heart Full of Love

Valentine's Day this year was a day we shared with our Rudd Cousins-Gabby and Sammy and McKensie, Taylor, Conner, Gracie, and Emmy. Brian and Taya enjoyed much needed time together and Derek and Nicole went to San Francisco for the weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with their kids! What a great gift to have them close and to learn from their helpful ways.

The kids and I made Brian an apron for Valentine's Day---A Heart full of Love---their handprints. We love Brian so much and on the brink of tax season I am especially cherising him for his willingness to:

• talk to me about things I am moved by or worried by, and let me cry over them


• play with the kids in REAL ways and let the small things wait (most of the time I'm glad :))


• work, work, work such crazy hours to provide for us


• hold all of us and play Dr. Bentley when we have any serious need or hurt


• honor his priesthood and use it to bless us and our home and others


• love and desire things that are good and edifying


• serve others willingly, even when volunteered by his wife :)

Family Picture Attempt

One Sunday Morning in JANUARY, we decided to sit by this beautiful Ash Tree in our back yard. It's "Autumn" Leaves were about to fall and we wanted to remember them. We sat on the block wall that Brian built and called over Hal Maughan to snap the picture. It wasn't te best result without another to keep the kids smiliing and completely visable, but it's the only one we got of the whole family to date.

5 CUTE Kids

2nd Ever RB Bentley Reunion

---------------July 2008-----------------------

We had a great Bentley Reunion at Bobby and Angie’s home in Farmington, New Mexico. The Mark and Lori Bentleys, The Darren and Annie Rollins, Grandpa Ben, Mom and Blake, and all BJ Bentley came. We loved the time together. There is the greatest slide show that tells more than words can tell. We spent a day at a park with a super fun slip n slide and lots of food and craft fun. The kids loved it.

We also enjoyed fireworks on the 3rd and tried to let them off in their backyard on the 4th. Spike, their great dog, gets scared of the noise so they gave him a tranquilizer. Somehow he wondered off, so we stopped and prayed and searched. He showed up the next morning in the backyard.

We had a nice testimony meeting at the park on the 4th and a great sacrament meeting in their home on the Sunday. I really love all of our Bentley siblings and appreciate all the differences that make our coming together all the more meaningful and great.

It was wonderful.

San Carlos, Sonora MEXICO -----June 2008------

What a great tradition our Bentley Parents began in purchasing a condo in San Carlos. Seriously, life doesn't seem to go on without a visit here each year. We all SOOOOoooo look forward to the quality family time in Mexico. This year was especially nice as we were able to go down with some of our very best friends, the Woods. We spent a few days together in the same Condo and it was great fun. Then the Hatch Family came down for a week and we enjoyed playing with them. Finally, Richard and Chanda Bentley and family came down and we shared 9 whole days with them!!! They live in Denver, CO and we so miss getting together with tjm. Of course, the semi-San Carlos residents A.K.A the Lee Family, was there the entire time. We are so grateful to Mom Bentley for sharing her condo with us.

I was just a couple months from having our 5th baby and I can think of NO better way to spend those large days than on the beach in a place as relaxed as Conominios Pilar. Thank you MOM BENTLEY!!!

Here's the memories of the kids:

Mason-->
It is official. Mason is an adventurous, loving spirit TRAMPED in a one year old’s body. He wanted to swim, snorkel and do WHATEVER the other kids and adults were doing. He would launch is body into the ocean to be a part of the action. A nickname for him could be “BOOGIE BOY”. He loved the boogie board in the ocean. He would pull it around by its wrist string and drag it towards the ocean until someone would finally go out there with him. As all one year olds at the beach are, Mason was constantly covered with sand and full of sand on all parts of the body...inside and out. We won’t go into too many details about his messy diapers…but oh baby was I glad Brian is such a good man that way. He took some of the worst ones.

Bryson-->
“Sand Warmer” He would lay and roll in the sand each time he got out of the ocean. Instead of using a towel, he would just lay in the warm sand and get up looking like a sand boy. He loved everything about Mexico. He even went snorkeling with Brian. The mask was too big that it would push the snorkel out of his mouth and then he would swallow salt water. He did not even complain once Brian said. He would just cough it out and get back to it. When he finished he had such a head ache! Bryson also had a fettish with Ariane. He wanted to be with her and know where she was at all times. If we were driving it was, “Where is Ariane’s Car?” If we were at the condo it was “Where is Ariane sleeping?” It was so cute. This attachment grew to include Chanda when she came. One night he only let Chanda read him bedtime stories.

The first days we got there he had diarrhea. It was sad and I thought maybe he was going to start a step back with using the potty. It really was just hard for him to get to the toilet in time while he had the runs and as soon as his body got better he was back to himself pretty much. Well….there was that time that he sat in his poopy swim shorts on the back patio until we figured out what happened. That was SO grose. Brian took care of that too. Bryson also had this weird sore throat and cough the first night there. I was worried about him it sounded so croupy. I spent the night with him and he slept horribly. Other than a hoarse voice for a few days it did not last long.

He would take my running visor and tell me that he was off for a run. He would run in circles and run along the sea wall. It was so dang cute. I love that boy.

Ellie-->
“Flipper” She is a natural when it comes to jumping and flips. She has always loved the water and this year was a continuation. She loved snorkeling and just kept her head down and went wherever Brian took her. It was so sweet. He is seriously a champ of a Dad when he plays with them. He also taught her how to skin board and it was so fun to see her ‘get it’ a little (he kept hold of her hand).

She was so happy to be with Livy and Emma and Cameron…the big girls. It was fun to see her pretend with them.

She also loved to name shells. She made up names for the swirly button shells, chip shells, jelly bean shells, but most of all she loved the carrot shells, especially tiny, tiny carrot shells.

Olivia-->

“Independent Spirit” Olivia ventured the ocean alone a lot this year. She was our boogie boarder. She even ventured out on big wave day.

The first day we arrived the ocean was so calm. Olivia got out the kid snorkeling gear that we brought and went at it alone. She could see the tiny fish near the waves and thought it was cool. It was all unprompted and surprising to us. She loved snorkeling with Brian and although scared at the depth below her at times, she remained calm. Brian swam down and got her a star fish, which she brought back as proud as ever.

She is definitely getting to an age where she wants to be with cousins and friends. She and her cousin Cameron were inseperable and whenever possible Emma Woods was with her too. They loved to be together.

Everyday Joys

Go WEBELOS! Becky Lavender and I have been Webelo Leaders for awhile together and it's been fun. We put this picture in a frame one of the boys mad and it sealed the deal that we are a bit loopy at times.

After a family night of looking at prospective houses to buy, we stopped at a random retention basin and had a family night on being a light and example to otheres. It was fun as we sat and held flashlight or candles and talked about how light represents truth, which comes from God and the different sources of light. Oliva and Ellie helped the tone to go well as they willingly huddled together in the blanket to keep warm from the cold night (not really). The kids were fun and I was especially grateful that they continued to be cute the next morning, so I went to grab the camera to take a picture and noticed it wasn't there. I searched everywhere and remembered that I had last had it at that random retention basin. We went quickly there to look for it and found!!! What a blessing.

Olivia and Ellie are quite the friends. They play all sorts of pretend games and often I am touched by the way the "mother" each other or their pretend families and hope that I can be more like them. I woke up one morning to them using the cutting board as as serving tray once again as they ate breakfast. It was fun to see them happy and I was especially glad they chose to let the rest of us sleep.

Mason is quite the rough guy these days. It is easier to count the moments he is NOT biting, kicking, hitting, sitting on top of, or 'roaring' at someone. It seems that he got tired of being in sitting time and fell asleep. Good thing...because Bryson needed a break from his chompers.

"Mom look at us! We love pretzels!" Notice the boy is the one who shoves them up his nose too. Ellie and Bryson play so well together. Of all the kids they seem to just go for hours on end without any disagreements. I love to watch them pretend and to hear Ellie say, "Bryson can't marry me, because I am his sister...or else we would." Cute while their under 5 years old still :).

The boys love to ride and throw anything that moves or they can break and get to move. It was fun to see them push each other around and then decide that together would be even more fun. These boys are about the same size and I just hope they have each other's back more than they are on each other's backs. :)

Seven Years with Cap'n Livy

Olivia's 7th B-day

Pirate Ellie

The Pirate Gang

Cap'n Livy running the ship!

Cap'n Livy blowing up, I mean out the cake.

As requested, Olivia had a pirate treasure hunt for her seventh birthday party. We invited boys and girls and after decorating bandannas and a little snack we went off on a treasure hunt that included walking the plank, darts, ooey gooey relay, and a crocodile test. It was supposed to be simple, but somehow I was way behind schedule anyway (Mason's doing :)) and Brenda, Amy and Sarah Hatch came over and saved the day as they helped to prep. the place and put up the streamers and balloons. The party would not have been the same without them. Brenda even made Balloon Crocodiles and we put them in the pool where the kids "walked the plank". Daddy was home for the party and cooked and put together the "Hot Dog Boats". What a guy! Olivia said it was the best day of her life. That made it one of my best days too.

We did get her a new bike ($30 on Craig's List--yahoo!). Keri gave her a basket and bell for it and it was perfect. She was so excited to wake up to it in our kitchen and rode it around until Erica came to pick her up for school.

Notes to Olivia about your 6th year of life:

This year you learned and grew so much. It has been so fun to see you embrace the new challenges of all day school, piano, friendship quarrels and oldest child responsibilities.

You have been taking piano since April and you are AMAZING!!! Dad and I have both started practicing, so you hopefully don't pass us up before you are 8 years old. You have a natural gift for piano and we love to hear you play and make up songs.

You also sang your first solo at the primary program. You sang "All over the World". Olivia, it was so touching! Tears fell as I felt the power of your spirit. You so bravely went up and sang the song perfectly! You only let me go through the song with you one time, saying you already knew it and Sister Starks practiced with you already! You also sang in a trio with Ellie and McKenna Sweetnam as well (If the Savior stood beside me).

This year you have been all about emailing and texting. I often find that you have text messaged or called Jenna Allen, our dear friend who I coached in volleyball. You like to call Sister Cargill, your primary teacher as well.

You are a little missionary. Tonight we went to take a note and cookies to our new neighbors, Earl's daughter Gigi and her boys. You welcomed them to the neighborhood and then invited them to church, telling them it was OK if they didn't want to go. You insist on giving gifts to Nick and Jennifer, our other neighbors too and you took them some cookies too. I LOVE THE WAY YOU REMEMBER TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR PEOPLE! You even bought Dad and I a candy bar today when you went out with Jalen for your Birthday outing.

For Halloween, you wanted to be Mary, mother of Jesus. After telling me this three times, we talked about how it wasn't quite appropriate on Halloween, a playful holiday, to dress up as someone as special as Mary. You totally understood. I just loved that you wanted to be like her. We decided that Christmas was a better time to make sure you get a chance to be Mary. So, this Christmas we hope to make a real Mary costume for us to use each year.

Olivia, I love you. I love that I get to be your mom and you get to train me. You do such a great job keeping me on my toes and I so appreciate your willingness to forgive me always.

I love you always my dear... no matter what!

Mom