Blessing Day!

When Jill and I found out we were going to have our babies around the same time we had NO IDEA it was going to be TWO days apart! Way back when the thought of life with a new little one was still sinking in, we talked about trying to have both the baby blessings in Utah on the same day so all the family could be involved in both. I am sure neither of us expected it to really happen that way but it did and it was an amazing day! August 2, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Katherine Ann Beeson was blessed in the River View 6th ward. Afterward we gathered with friends and family at our clubhouse and had lunch and visited. Later that afternoon we headed to Centerville where Lee and Jill's new little one Abraham (Abe) was blessed in the Farmer home. It was a long crazy day but very worth it to have had the company and the memories! I am planning on copying Britt and doing a "Kate" blog with more details of the meetings etc... I also hope to have it be a little journal of Kate's development etc so look for an invite soon! (Anyone is welcome to view it I just think this one will be "private" since it's all about Kate! So, if you don't get an invite, (because I don't know you visit my blog), and you want one, email me and I will happily include you!) Until then, enjoy some pictures from the Blessing Day!

Afternoon in the Canyon

The Sunday before we blessed Kate we spent an afternoon in Provo Canyon with Mom and John. We packed a snack of PB&Js and Turkey sandwiches and some other treats we had on hand. We met John at a park about half way up the canyon where we visited with each other and made some new friends. The weather was beautiful- I don't think the pictures do justice to our views. As John was getting there he noticed an accident coming out of the canyon so we decided to skip sitting in traffic on the way back and took the Alpine Loop home. Here are some pictures of our afternoon! Enjoy!

I love to see the Temple!

Marshall and I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at the Draper Temple Open House last January, February and again in March. For the VIP days I helped with food service and Marshall worked with the facilities crew and for the actual Open House we both were ushers and Marshall did a stint in the cold working parking. I never had a chance to write about it before because I was pregnant and lets face it, tired and lazy, but I wanted to include our experience with this post.

My favorite part of the time I spent volunteering was when I had the opportunity to usher right outside the sealing rooms. My job was simply to organize groups and escort them into different sealing rooms where married, sealed, couples would explain the purpose of those rooms and what it means to be sealed as a family for eternity. Because I got to both direct people to rooms and then escort them from the rooms to the next exit, I couldn't help but notice the difference in the spirit as they left the rooms then as when they entered. During the quiet times I was waiting in the hall for one room to empty so another group could enter I reflected on the day Marshall and I were married. Maybe it was because I was pregnant, but I was overwhelmed with gratitude for family that came before us on both sides that sacrificed so much so we could have the Gospel in our lives and Temples to be sealed as husband and wife in and so that our children could be born into that covenant. I was ( and am) grateful for a wonderful husband who honors his priesthood and who leads our family with love and wisdom. We never got to actually go through the Open House ourselves but we were both grateful for the experience of serving together in the Temple last Spring.

Anyhoo, last week while Marshall's family was in town we had the opportunity to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It was hot hot this time instead of cold cold, but it was still a great day! The best part by far was the short (10 seconds) we were walking through the Celestial room. Unfortunately it was not exactly reverent during our tour but the short moment we were in the Celestial room together as a little family the spirit was strong. Marshall and I both agreed that that small moment made it worth the whole trip! Here are some pics from outside the Temple.

Leaving the Temple happy!

Marshall's family

Our little family

Lagoon Day- Beeson Reunion!

Marshall's sister Allye and her kids and his niece Meghan were in town this last week so we had a mini Beeson Family Reunion. One of the things we did while they were here was a Lagoon Day. It was both mine and Kate's first time to the Utah amusement park and we had a fun time for the short period we got to attend. Brittanie reserved a pavilion for the family to use as home base for the day so Allye and the older cousins went early and played all day long and Brittanie and I and the babies met up with them for dinner. Wayne dropped in after work to say hi but Marshall and Nate couldn't break away from their work day fast enough to make it. We missed them but we still enjoyed ourselves. Here are a few pics and highlights from the evening Kate and I spent there.

Kate smiling at her Aunt Britt.

Flirting with Cousin Isaac

Happy Baby!

Waking up from nap, just taking it easy.

Grandpa Wayne and Isaac hanging out.

Isaac playing with the car seat toy Marshall bought Kate.

The whole group. (The family in front came all the way from California to meet up with Allye and the kids!)

Me and Kate- our first time at Lagoon! Needless to say we rode no rides- unless you include her riding in her stroller!

Even though Lagoon day for us only meant eating pizza under the pavilion and hanging out with Britt and Isaac while everyone else rode rides it was still fun to be with family and see everyone else having such a great time!

Summer Fun!

Just a few things that have been keeping us busy this summer...

Even though there was an unusual amount of rain in June that kept us inside, there was some good that came from it. These rainbows are just a few of the blessings of the moisture!

This beautiful garden view is another!

Here is one of many puzzles we did while trying to stay dry and save money.

Here are some pics of Meghan's visit last week. Too bad she doesn't live closer, she is quite the Baby Whisperer!

Pictures from Michael's house warming shower! It was fun to see so many cousins and their families!

Fourth of July!

Pictures first!

We had a fun holiday weekend, here are some highlights.

We started the weekend Friday afternoon with a fun visit to Provo's Freedom Festival via the beautiful Alpine loop! That night we watched movies and hung out.

Then the next morning we went to the ward Pancake breakfast and enjoyed visiting with the ward and playing in the park.

Later that afternoon we hosted a small BBQ with hot dogs and hamburgers and all the fixins. Marshall's cousin Brock stopped by with his friend Stephanie and we roped them into doing a puzzle with us while we watched Nathan's Famous Hot Dog eating contest! Good times!

We skipped out on Fireworks last minute because we weren't sure how Kate would fare and we didn't want to get stuck in rain or traffic. It was a good thing though because Marshall was able to go with his dad to drop a car at the airport for Nate and Britt who were returning from Europe and I ended up getting a fever an hour after we decided not to go that lasted through the rest of the weekend. No worries though, we recorded the Boston Pops Fireworks show with Neil Diamond on the Tivo and it provided for some patriotic entertainment for Kate and I in the middle of the night!

I'm gonna rock with you all night!

When you are pregnant you have all these wonderful ideas about how you are going to operate as a parent. When I was pregnant, I thought I really wanted to try to make life as simple as possible once Kate arrived. I had all these ideas about how I was going to try to keep us from being dependant on "gadgets" to get everyday things accomplished. We made it to the second night in the hospital when that idea went out the window with the introduction of the paci! I don't know how I thought we were going to get away with no paci. Oh beloved paci, I'm sorry I ever tried to keep you out of our lives. I will happily wrestle you away at age three if you will just get us through this first year!

Shortly after we arrived home from the hospital, we realized it wasn't going to be easy to make it through the constant cycle of feeding, changing, and lulling to sleep with just the one couch that seats basically two and and three caregivers ( well one caregiver and two others hanging out nearby for support). That is when Nate and Britt and cousin Isaac stepped in and saved the day by letting us borrow their rocking chair! You don't ever plan on your child's lullaby being a Michael Jackson song either, but when the recent media hype happened to coincide with the arrival of the rocking chair Marshall couldn't resist!

Anyway, the next time I was humbled in my no gadgets idea was the first time I really tried to get ready to go somewhere that I cared about looking half decent for and my mom wasn't available to watch Kate during the process. My mom has been here all summer helping with the adjustment of our new arrival. And although I thought I was grateful for all those early morning and late night shifts she has taken so I could get 45 min of consecutive sleep, it wasn't until I tried to apply mascara with a squirmy fussy baby in my arms that I realized I was gonna be in for it when she returned to Texas! When I reported of my struggles upon her return, she suggested I purchase a bouncer or a swing to occupy my little ones attention while I get things done when she is no longer here to help. All good in theory but a little more than I was ready to splurge for financially. So this is what I tried to rig up in the meantime...

As you can see not too successful! Although Charger is very patiently trying to sooth Kate with his snuggles she is not so happy with being set on the floor while I try to blow dry my hair (or her bed or the couch for that matter!).

But don't worry, Grandpa Beeson to the rescue! Yesterday he purchased us this magical swing and it is fulfilling the measure of it's creation for sure! Now I just need to find another excuse to live in sweat pants and not do dishes!

A closer look of peaceful dreaming!

Another life saving "gadget" had been the "Cadillac of car seats and strollers"(as our hospital nurse put it) that Dad and Emmie purchased for us! The car seat is a necessity I know, but the stroller has allowed for hours of morning walks in the beautiful Thanksgiving Point Gardens! It's made for quality time with my mother and daughter as well as some much needed exercise in that continuing effort to loose the "baby weight". (Although, to be honest the "baby weight" was gone in the first two weeks it's the "Maggie Moo weight" I'm still holding onto!) Here are just a few pictures of our adventures and the breath-taking views we get to enjoy!

Other noteworthy "gadgets" that have been making life a lot easier these last few weeks are the Sleep Sheep Aunt Kelley sent us (two out of the four sounds are a little creepy but the other two and the snugly sweet face make up for it!) and the Mylicon gas relief drops Aunt Brittanie introduced to us! Phew! I don't know what I was thinking! Thanks to all the friends and family who have helped us out by either providing a gadget or being a real life gadget (mom!)! And a special thanks to all of you who simply nodded and smiled while listening to my pre-parenthood notions of no gadgets and tricks instead of scoffing and laughing in my face! I have learned my lesson!