Our Mosaics

BEN


1) What's your name?
2) Favorite food?
3) Where are you from?
4) What is your favorite color?
5) Who is your celebrity crush?
6) What is your favorite book?
7) What is your dream vacation?
8) What is your favorite dessert?
9) What do you want to be when you grow up?
10) What is your favorite painting?
11) One word to describe you?
12) What is your nickname?

Linz

1) What's your name?
2) Favorite food?
3) Where are you from?
4) What is your favorite color?
5) Who is your celebrity crush?
6) What is your favorite book?
7) What is your dream vacation?
8) What is your favorite dessert?
9) What do you want to be when you grow up?
10) What is your favorite painting?
11) One word to describe you?
12) What is your nickname?

An Ode to Britney....and Dinosaurs

I met Britney through a friend when I was in High School. This mutual friend, Eleasha, had invited both of us to go to Johnny B's comedy club one night. We all met under the marquee of the high school to wait for her brother who would drive us there. I had never met Britney before, but my first impression of her was that she was very proper and quiet....and most likely would not like me very much, because I was neither. I have heard her tell the story of our first meeting several times, and as I would listen to her recount her memory of me singing "Do Your Ears Hang Low, Do They Wobble To & Fro" (however, those were not the lyrics to my version of the song) and then laughing at myself, I wonder how we ever became friends. None the less, she did become one of my best friends and is one of the few people that I know I will be telling my grandchildren about.

After Britney got married we lost touch. I spent the last five years searching for her; sending letters to her old address, asking every Hatch I could find if they were related to her, googling her name on the good ol' reliable web. I even considered asking an insider at the university she attended to look up her info. By some miracle Britney found me a few months ago. One day, out of the blue, I recieved an email from Britney letting me know that she lived five minutes away and had been looking for me too! I'm so glad you found me.

Here a a few pics of us with our kids at the Dinosaur Museum. LOVE YOU BRITNEY!!!

Britney's ever so patient baby girl.

Amelia, Matthew and Noah checking out the gigantic shark.

Hope

Noah, Matthew and Amelia

Amelia

During this lil trip I had a few of realizations
1) The fact that there is "real water" in the exhibits is much more fascinating to children than the actual dinosaur bones.
2) Ben helps me with the kids much, much, much more than I realize when we go out.
3) I need a better camera phone.

Tagged, Again.

I never did like playing tag as a kid. I was never fast enough and so I would always get stuck being "it" until I finally gave up. At least now I don't get stuck being it, and I don't exhaust myself running. Even still, I'm only doing this because I appreciate the visit and comments of the fellow bloggers who do not know me, but were kind enough to stop by. Thanks so much!!

Plain and Simple, that's me!: Tag I'm It - Next it's YOU!#links

Six UN-Spectacular Things About Me - Here are the rules:

* Link the person who tagged you
* Mention the rules on your blog
* Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
* Tag 6 bloggers by linking them and leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they have been tagged


1) I could drink Cherry Coke all day long and still want more.
2) I was on the swim team all three years of high school and didn't win one race. (This, by-the-way, is one of my biggest regrets. I wish I had cared about being a good swimmer, instead I just wanted to play around and didn't take it seriously)
3) I quote movies and sitcoms on a regular basis. If we are having a conversation and I say something that somewhat applies to the subject at hand, but you don't really get it...its probably a quote.
4) I hate cooking, but love FoodNetwork.
5) A sure way to cure one of my bad moods is animals. Watching The Planet's Funniest Animals, or looking around the local pet store is free medication....a cherry coke could do the trick too. ;}
6) I played the clarinet for a semester in 8th grade. My band teacher told me I sounded like a kazoo once and crushed my reed on the music holder thingie.

Who's next? Let's see...hmm.....Tara, Lori, Megan, Suzanne, Lacy and Heather.

I've picked you because I can't imagine anything UNspectacular about you.

One Cute Lil Froggie

Here are a few highlights from the last week or so.

I love looking out the kitchen window to watch the birds in our little bird bath, but they haven't been there for a while. I did see this hummingbird perched on the hook of a flowerpot though. It sat there for probably five minutes, watching the happenings of the backyard. I've never seen one be so still for so long.

I went to check on my little cupcake before heading off to bed, and this is what I found. What a great way to end the day.

This was taken at Thanksgiving Point. They have a ton of lily pads around in the ponds, but they were always frog-less, or so it seemed. As we walked over to this pond I was thinking how cool it would be to see a frog on a lily pad, just like in all those cute cartoons and viola! There it was. I was so excited to see this little froggie, standing there watching him with Noah and Keiley I suddenly had the urge to try to catch it...but Noah told me no.

We put up a gate in the hallway as a blockade for Hope. It is difficult to put up and get down, so every time Noah wants to leave that area of the house he asks me to pick him up and "throw" him over the gate. I guess he got tired of needing help and decided to try a different method.

Saturday was a Special Day

Ben's mom and g-ma were unable to come down to Hope's b-day party, so last Saturday we met them and our niece Keiley at Thanksgiving Point. I got to drive the golf cart this time around which was a little scary because we were all piled into that one little cart, but we all survived which is more than I can say for a few flowers that I apparently ran over.

Keiley and Nikki in the lighthouse of the Children's Discovery Park.

Noah randomly broke into a monkey act...just more proof that he is indeed, a monkey.

Grandma Verla...We love you!!!

Hope was able to visit with the ducks a while.


Keiley and Hope...Aren't they precious?



Look how much they've grown!!!!
The picture on the left was taken just over two years ago at mine and Ben's wedding. You can see that Noah isn't very happy about getting his picture taken with a girl. Keiley, however, doesn't seem to realize yet that boys have cooties.
The picture on the right was taken last Saturday. Once again, Keiley is just happy to be there, unaware of the cooties that Noah could zap her with. And Noah is a little unsure of this whole setup...flowers and girls.

***Ben let me know last night that I had referred to these pictures in the wrong order (left and right). I have since corrected the issue. I am one of those people that has to stop and think before I specify left or right, and on occasion make the "L" shape with my thumb and pointer finger before I can make the distinction. Despite what you may have heard, I'm not perfect people.***

I've Been Tagged....I think...

4 People I Love:

1. Ben
2. Noah
3. Hope
4. Mommy Dearest ;}

4 Places I Visit Over & Over:

1. North SLC (to pick up Noah)
2. Wal-Mart
3. Blogs of friends
4. The mini-mart (for a Cherry Coke)

4 People I Text/Email on a Regular Basis:

1. Ben of course
2. Cheryl
3. Donna
4. Ben is really the only one I text on a regular basis.

4 Favorite Foods:

1. My homemade tacos
2. Italian (pasta)
3. Seafood
4. Chinese

4 Places I'd Rather Be:

1. In bed
2. At the beach
3. 1998
4. Deep in the woods surrounded by trees

4 Things I'd Rather Be Doing:

1. Sleeping
2. Relaxing at the beach
3. Out and about
4. Walking in the woods

4 Movies I watch over and over:

None lately....but let's see if I can remember back to when I was able to sit through a movie uninterrupted by motherhood....

1. Clue
2. Grease 2
3. Three Amigos
4. Splash (yes, I realize I am no longer 4, but I still think it would be cool to be a mermaid)

4 TV shows I watch over and over:

1. FRIENDS
2. CSI: Las Vegas
3. The Office
4. The 4400 on DVD (no longer airing)

4 "Bands" I love:

1. David Archuleta
2. Heart
3. Lifehouse
4. Matchbox 20

4 Songs I love:

1. I Love the Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery (mine and Ben's song)
2. If You Leave - OMD (LOVE the 80's)
3. The Way I Are - Timbaland
4. The Weakness In Me - Joan Armatrading

4 people that I tag:

1. Michelle
2. Bobbie
3. Brian or Autumn (cause I know Brian LOVES doing these kind of things)
4. Natalie

Birthday Cards

Hope carried around this birthday card from Aunt Donna almost all day. Every once in a while she would look down at it and giggle. Thanks Aunt Donna!!!

*****Happy Birthday Hope*****

One year ago today, at about lunch time, I started having contractions. This was nothing new since I had been banished to bed rest a couple of months earlier due to preterm labor. This time it was different though and I could feel it. I knew she wouldn't last until her due date from the moment they told me what it was (August 19), and now she was on her way...for real this time. Hope Elizabeth Maxwell was born August 5, 2007 @ 9:25 pm weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long. This pregnancy was unexpectedly difficult, but if future pregnancies end with a precious little blessing anywhere near as amazing as Hope, then I would welcome all of the pains and frustrations that I experienced a thousand times over.

We celebrated her birthday last Saturday so that big brother Noah could be with us. Being surrounded by people who love Hope the most was a great way to celebrate her birth! Thanks to everyone who made the long, treacherous drive from Sandy and Bountiful, who helped make the day so special.

Here is Hope with G-ma Bosley & Great G-ma Hammond. Also, Hope with Great Aunt Pam.

Opening presents. G-pa Hammond & Noah helped.

So many presents.

And then there was cake...cupcakes to be precise. Mommy sure is glad she only has to clean up this mess once a year.

Cousin Caleb enjoyed the toys too.

We love you Hope and are so honored to be your parents!!!