Little Benjamin has finally arrived!

Benjamin Kirk Memmott was finally born on August 17, 2005 at 12:56 pm. He weighed in at 7lbs. 15 oz. and was 19 inches long. I definitely would like to say more about the birth of our latest edition, but right now I just barely have enough time to get some pictures posted. (I know there are many who are anxious to see Ben.)



Our first family photo.


I think I am still a little out of it.


Daddy with his new little boy.


Vanessa absolutely adores her new baby brother.




Finally going home...(his hat is a little too big).

A quick baby update

No, I have not had the baby yet... I just wanted to let everyone know that I am scheduled to be induced this Friday, Aug. 15. There is a small possibility that I could get called in a little bit earlier on Thursday night. We will definitely keep everyone posted with the birth of our new little boy, and we will also be sure to post pictures as soon as possible.

Rewinding back to July 4th

While I am waiting to have this baby, I wanted to rewind the clock a bit to post some pictures from July 4th, our last holiday in Utah before we left. I didn't have time to post them right after, or I would have. I thought there would be some family members who would enjoy seeing these pictures even if it is a little late. We really had a great time, especially Vanessa. She loves playing with all her cousins. She already can't wait until we see them again.

I'm almost there!

Well, I am finally nine months pregnant and counting down the days until our new little boy enters this world. I had forgotten how uncomfortable it is to be this pregnant. I feel like a big bowling ball just rolling around from one place to the next. Sleep is pretty much non-existent at this point, (I long to lay on my stomach or back again), and my feet and ankles are starting to swell a bit. But, we are very excited to welcome a new addition to our family. Vanessa is especially looking forward to meeting her new brother. She is going to love helping me out with him, even if it isn't the little sister she was hoping for. I am also very anxious to see how Evan will react to the new baby. We will keep everyone posted when our little boy arrives. Hopefully he will arrive much sooner, rather than later. I have an ultrasound on Aug. 4, to see how big he is. If he looks like he is getting rather large my doctor may set a date to induce.

Well, I swore I wouldn't do this, but I guess I will post a picture of myself nine months pregnant. This is mostly for Todd, who has never seen me pregnant and has been hounding me for a picture.





Vanessa can't get over how big I am, either.

Evan turns 5!

Evan turned five today. His birthday was pretty low-key this year. I bought him some of his favorite treats and some mini cupcakes, hoping that he would find some enjoyment out of them. We got him a few gifts and that was it. Overall, it was all fine for Evan. I still can't help but feel a bit guilty for not doing more. Having just moved two weeks ago and also with me being nine months pregnant, it was difficult to do much else.

While we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, Nessa held his hands away from his lit candles, (Evan doesn't quite understand the dangers of fire yet), and then she helped him blow them out. She is a great big sister. She is constantly looking out for Evan.



Evan did seem to really enjoy his cupcakes, or at least the frosting on top.







Evan's birthdays definitely bring about a lot of mixed emotions for me. It's always exciting to celebrate another year of his life. Our lives have changed so much since he was born. He has been a blessing in so many ways and I know he will continue to bless us in ways that I can't foresee. At the same time, I realize that to Evan, his birthday is just like any other day in his life. He doesn't get excited over his cake or presents, nor does he really even seem to comprehend anything that is going on. It's another year when I reflect back and think to myself that I should have done more for him, that he should be making better progress. But, no matter what, we love him and I know he loves us even if he can't tell us with words. He is a very special child who touches the hearts of all those he comes in contact with.

A few new pictures of the kids

I thought I would put a few of the "untouched" photos we just had taken of Vanessa and Evan for those in my family who have yet to see them. Pictures can be exhausting. Vanessa has a very difficult time just being natural and it is can be like pulling to teeth to get Evan to smile on cue, but we got through it and the results weren't too bad.

It's been 10 years!

Ten years ago, today, Marty and I got married. Isn't that crazy? I must be really old (or I just got married really young :) ) We didn't do much. I had imagined that for our 10th anniversary we would do something at least a little out of the ordinary, but, things are just too crazy right now. I'm 32 weeks pregnant and we are right in the middle of a move. We will have more years to do something special. We did have a fabulous dinner at our favorite restaurant, Carrabbas.

I thought I would stick in this photo of us from a year ago. I look a bit bigger and rounder right now. Vanessa took this picture of us at a park in Mariemont, Ohio. She really isn't too bad at taking pictures. Anyway...

We have had a crazy ten years... lots of ups and downs, but we have made it. I am not sure how he puts up with me. I know I am difficult to live with at times (especially when I am pregnant), but he handles it well. I really do love him and appreciate him for all he does for me and the kids. He is an amazing father and husband. I am blessed to have him and I look forward to spending many more years with him.

We are moving!

Well, yes, we are moving again! Marty was offered a job in Pasco, WA and we decided it was an opportunity we could not pass up. We will be pulling into Pasco on July 11. We just returned from a trip there to find a place to live and to check out the area. It's not the prettiest place I've ever seen, however, the Columbia river runs through the area, which makes the place a bit more interesting and appealing. When one thinks of Washington, I think places like Seattle come to mind. Pasco, is nothing like that. It is located in the southeastern part of the state where it is somewhat dry and not all that green. It's considered to be somewhat rural, but honestly it's not that bad. The area is definitely missing a few key retail and restaurant chains that will be a bit difficult to live without, but it really has most of what I need.

So, here we are again, packing all of our stuff up. I really wanted to be done moving around. Since Evan was born in 2003 we have moved from Utah to Ohio back to Utah to Arizona to Ohio back to Utah (where we are now) and now moving to Washington. Crazy. I am longing to be settled somewhere for a while. Marty had to sign a contract in which he agreed to stay with the clinic in Pasco for at least three years. So for three years we are stuck. I hope we can handle it. (ha, ha!)