Friday night reading time with Daddy.

Our little Gabe just loves books. He loves us to read to him and will often dissapear in to his bedroom for long periods of time and can be found sitting amongst a pile of books looking through them. This past Friday night I found Daddy and Gabe sharing some story time and I couldn't resist posting these cute pics of my boys.

The pirate face?

Uncle Blaine calls this the pirate face.

The Mummy Walk!

Here are some pics that Uncle Blaine and the kids have taken of Gabe walking around. It is so cute to watch him walk. He looks like a mummy- arms straight out in front of him. He also gets excited when he walks and makes a funny excited breathing sound. Sooooo cute!

This is photographic evidence that my poor son is tortured when he is at Grandmas house. I knew it! Uncle Blaine, you better watch out when you have your kids! Don't forget Brad is Gabe's daddy and you know what that could mean for you and your future offspring! LOL.

Some Sunday pics

These are just a couple of pictures from this past Sunday. More for the benefit of people who don't get to see our baby very often...sorry for the rest of you who are probably sick of me posting pics of Gabe!

Look at those cheeks! Brad took this during sacrament meeting. Gabe had fallen asleep on me, he is just so precious!

Gabe kicking back in the stroller. I love it when he puts his little feet up like this. Check out his cheesy grin. Work it baby work it!

Thank heavens for laundry baskets

I've mentioned before that Gabe loves to help mummy do laundry and boy am I grateful! It is so funny to me how much he loves it. He actually gets excited if I ask him if he wants to help mummy fold the clothes. He loves to climb in and out of the laundry basket. He will climb in and shake the clothes, throw them out of the basket and then will climb out of the basket and throw them back in again and will do this over and over. As long as there are some clothes in the basket he can stay occupied for long periods of time. Some days its the only way I can get anything done. I have even resorted to leaving a few things in the basket so that he has some clothes to "fold" and something to keep him busy. Last night Brad took these cute photos I couldn't resist posting. He took them with his Iphone, so they aren't the greatest, but you get the idea.

Boys day out...Girls night in

This past Saturday Brad along with his dad, brothers (Blake and Brian), cousin Patrick and uncles Terry and Mark drove to Laramie, Wyoming to watch the University of Utah football game. The boys left at about 5:00 am on Saturday morning and were gone until 10:00 pm ish on Saturday night. While the game was a wipe out with the U kicking Wyoming's butt, the boys had a fun time hanging out and bonding. For us girls left behind, we were just grateful that the snowy weather didn't cause too many problems on the 5 1/2 hour drive there and back again. We were all relieved to have our boy's home safely!

That being said...while the husbands were away, the girls did play. I spent the morning cleaning my house and hanging out with Gabe, while my sisters-in-law Shanna and Liz did the same. Then in the afternoon Shanna came over and we worked on our quilting blocks together. Yes, I know it may come as a shock to some, but I did actually touch a sowing machine! AND I didn't break it! Shanna is a sowing wiz and so she was my oh so sweet and patient tutor. I actually had alot of fun and the look on Brads face when he came home and saw my quilting square was SO worth it. I think he may have actually been a little proud of me.

In the evening Shanna and I cooked a lovely dinner. Liz arrived with my nephew Andrew just in time to eat. After we shared a yummy dinner Shanna and I made a pie for dessert (Liz was busy on baby watch) and then we spent the evening watching a chick flick, eating yummy pie and chatting until our boys came home. We had so much fun together and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Having sisters is so much fun. I truly loved growing up with my four younger brothers and when I was younger never really felt like I had missed out on not having sisters. However, especially in more recent years, I have come to truly love and appreciate my sisters and am excited at the possibility of having even more someday. There is just something different about the love of and for sisters. I am so grateful to Liz and Shanna for all that they do and for the examples they are to me. I love that we can be there for each other and that we all bring something different to the table. We seem to learn so much from each other.

Here is a pic of the pie we made. Our first one! Boy did we feel domestic. Cleaning, sowing and making a pie from scratch all in one day. Look out Martha! I focused on making the dough, while Shanna made the filling. I found that it was so much easier using the shapes to cover the top of the pie rather than fussing with a regular rolled out top that you have to pinch etc. I also think it adds so much more interest. I can't wait to make more pies, using different shapes. The pictures aren't the greatest, but you get the idea.

This is the pie before we put it in the oven. I thought it just looked so pretty. I was quite proud of myself.

Ok so it isn't blood that is smeared across my benches, the pie was just extra juicy. =)

The Bentley sisters Top from Left- Shelbi, Nat & Shanna- Bottom left Liz & Savannah.

I'm all about cute and FREE handbags!

Check out this website and enter for your chance to win a cute handbag.

http://www.handbagplanet.com/

A family pic

This is my favorite family picture of the three of us...so far...

Shots Shots and more Shots!!!!

Yesterday I took Gabe in for his one year doctors appointment. Thankfully daddy was able to meet us at the doctors office in between classes and work. I say thankfully, because our little Gabe had to have 4 different shots. Poor little guy. Even though I know they are necesary and good for him, I just can't sit there and watch while they give my sweet little boy shots. I know it is pathetic, but I just can't do it. Daddy gets to be the bad guy while I wait outside and then as soon as they are done I rush in and take him. Yesterday was particularly difficult. I don't think I have ever heard Gabe cry as hard as he did and it broke my heart. Once the nurse left and Brad and I were alone trying to console Gabe I lost it and then I actually cried all the way home too (I know I know). This was one instance where the lolly pop did not help! Brad said that right before the nurse gave him his shots she gave him a lolly pop. He was sitting on Brads lap happily sucking on it until she gave Gabe the first shot, then he took the lolly pop out of his mouth and Brad said when she gave him the second shot he threw the lolly pop on the floor.

Despite the yucky shots, Dr. Doug said Gabe was developing wonderfully. He isn't the chubbiest or tallest little kid. He was only in the 20th percentile for weight and the 30th percentile for height, but Dr. Doug said that isn't a bad thing at all. Dr. Doug also said he was very advanced in his speech and abilities (or as we call them "tricks") and developmentally is about 5 or 6 months ahead. Currently Gabe can say Yes, No No No, Mum, Dad, Bubba, Nat, Nanna, O Oh, Jesus, Shoot! (whoops he got that from me), is close to saying "more", and is trying to immitate almost everything else we say and any sound we make. Yesterday in the car we were listening to a song that says "low low low" in the chorus and he was saying "low" along with the music. I had the hardest time driving I was laughing so hard. He is so smart and Brad and I marvel daily at how fast he picks things up. Thankfully we didn't have any initial reactions from the shots and Gabe fell asleep on the way home and by the time we got home was out for the count. He didn't even flinch when I moved him from his car seat to his bed. By the time he woke up from his nap, you wouldn't even have known he had had such a hard morning.

Yesterday afternoon, Gabe and I took a trip to the grocery store and while we were at the register he grabbed my wallet, pulled out a card and lunged forward trying to swipe it in the debit card machine. It's amazing how fast they pick up on things. Gabe is just such a joy to be with and I cherish my days off with him. I sure do love my little man!

Gabe's first haircut!

Even though I really didn't want to, I finally broke down and did it. Brad and I equipped with the camera and video camera (such first time parents!) took Gabe to a salon on Saturday morning to have his first hair cut. Technically speaking this wasn't his very first hair cut. When he was about 5 months old I did give him a small trim around the ears, but this was his first hair cut at the hairdressers and she definately had ALOT more hair to deal with than I did back then. I wasn't ambitious enough to cut his hair this time.

I really wasn't sure how well it was going to go. When we arrived the hairdresser put a cape on me first and then had Gabe sit on my lap. He wasn't too sure what to think about this strange black thing that was covering his mum. Then she put the cape on him and he really wasn't sure. He is at that age where he really doesn't like having his hands covered up and the cape draped right over them. Once I had found his little hands for him, he seemed more comfortable. The clincher though was when the hairdresser gave Gabe a lolly pop. When she first gave it to him, I didn't know whether to freak out and take it away because I really try not to give Gabe sweets but I figured if that was what it was going to take to get his hair cut then I could make an exception. I have decided that I can justify lolly pops for hair cuts and traumatic doctor visits. Once he had that lolly pop in hand he didn't seem to care what she was doing to his head...funny how that works. The lady who cut his hair was wonderful. It seemed to take all of about 5 minutes which was nice. Cleaning him up was the fun part. The lolly pop had created quite the sticky mess and his hair was stuck all over him...and me. Brad got some great pictures. Gabe was such a trooper and was even kind enough to even share his sticky and very hairy lolly pop with mummy. YUM!

Love the face!

Mmmmm lolly pop!
I love his face in this one. I think the hair was starting to itch him. It looks like he is about to sneeze.
"I like these lolly pop things Mum!"
By this stage we didn't want to sit down anymore...Such a good sharing boy. Yummy, hairy, sticky lolly pop! mmmmmm

Saturday night and the amazing Delta Goodrem!

This past Saturday night while Brad went to the Priesthood session of conference and dinner with his dad and brothers, I was lucky enough to go and see one of my favorite Aussie singers perform at The Keys on Main downtown. My amazing sister in law Shanna came to my house and watched Gabe for me so that I could go (THANKS SHANNA!).

I was like a little kid on Christmas morning, I was so excited. What made the evening even more special was that my dad and his wife, my brother Ben and his wife and my brother Josh were also there. It was so much fun to share the experience with some of my family. Delta was gorgeous and sounded phenomenal live. You have to have respect for someone who can write their own songs, sing while playing the piano and sound that amazing. She seems like such a sweet person too.

When she came out to perform she had to walk right past our table which was exciting. As she walked past I called out to her and said "Aussie Aussie Aussie". That certainly got her attention and she looked over at us and said "Hey!". Throughout her performance she kept giving a shout out to our table after I had made it known to her that we were Aussies. She even sang the song I requested first! It was so much fun. Her fiance Brian McFadden was also at the concert. He used to be a member of a boy band called Westlife and is big in the UK. Funnily enough nobody knew who he was at the concert. I don't know that anyone over here would have even heard of his boy band.

After the concert we were able to meet Delta and get a couple of pictures with her. It was so much fun!

Delta and Ben on the left and Josh on the right.

The girl on the left in this picture is a girl who I knew from home. She also married an American and lives here now. Her name is Jorjia Rancie. It was crazy to run into her at the concert. Dad knows her family well.

Delta at the piano

This is a terrible pic...oh well. It was fun anyway. Me with Delta's fiance Brian McFadden.