October Visitor

We found a little visitor outside our apartment door when we got home from dinner tonight. She was hanging out right above Benjamin's stroller... great, huh?

Paul stuck the black widow in a jar and she was show-and-tell for my RA staff meeting tonight.

She's about the side of a quarter, and is giving me the heebie-geebies as we speak. Her minutes are numbered, though.

I'm calling maintenance first thing tomorrow.

Benjamin's Birthday in Review

I'm backtracking here. For the sake of people who haven't seen these yet, here are the pictures from Benjamin's birthday party. We had such a fun time, and I'm grateful for all those who came and humored my need to have a little birthday bash for my 1-year-old.

Benjamin loved having friends over! We had some families from Wyview come over, and some of my RAs from this year and last year came, too. Benjamin's Grandma and Grandpa Duersch were there, and some friends from our ward.

The Carters and the Trumans

Alisa and Jason (current RAs)

The Wertz family

Benjamin and Grandpa Duersch

Benjamin and Viana

Melina & Laura (last year's RAs), and Laura's sister Sarah

A definite highlight of the rainy afternoon was Benjamin's birthday cake lunch. He had blue icing all over himself, including all over his hair. He liked the cake, but he wasn't as thrilled with it as I had hoped. That's probably because his parents fed him cotton candy and snow cone at the Wyview block party...

Benjamin loved his presents, including a way-cool Pooh car, some sweet John Deere tractor toys, snazzy new clothes from Grandma Key, and a handsome name plaque made especially by Grandpa Duersch. (If I forgot anyone, sorry.)

The beloved Pooh car

Plaque made by Grandpa Duersch

It was a happy happy birthday, and he loves being a "big boy" now, especially the part about a front-facing car seat.

Conference Visitors

Last Saturday we had some visitors. Vicky's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Debbie came to visit with their six kids: Kristen, Derek, Josh, Rachel, Erika, and Nick. They were up from Arizona to go to General Conference (the semi-annual meeting of members of the LDS church). It was a rainy day and we were happy to have some smiling visitors.

Nick, Erika and Josh enjoying Benjamin's toys

Derek, Rachel, Vicky and Kristen

Benjamin loved having friends over!

Great uncle and aunt!

(Sorry that it's not the best picture...)

Boy Time

Paul and Benjamin spent some quality time together tonight playing with tractors.

We Surrender...

After reading so many friends' blogs we have been inspired to create our own. I know, it's about time. We've been doing a blog with our extended family (although it could be argued that we haven't because our posts probably total 3), but there are other people we'd like to involve in our blogging efforts so we're giving this a try. I hope it's worth reading.