Summer break

We wasted no time starting our summer break. While on our way to a graduation party for one of Ben's former young men, we stopped at a cheese festival and got free fried cheese curds and lemonade thanks to a deal we made with some of the workers. They used our outside outlet to plug in the freezer holding the cheese curds, and we got free curds and lemonade!

While in the cities we had fun visiting with old ward members but also a stop at Ikea. Russell really enjoyed the kid decor area and wouldn't get off the little rocking moose they had.

We also enjoyed the Scoresby reunion in Nauvoo. Russell pointed at all the trucks we passed along the way and shoved lots of food in his mouth. Sylvia also reached the 100,000 mile mark on the trip. We decided it was a good thing Ben married me so he could put lots of miles on her.

After the Scoresby Scamper where Ben and Russell took home the Outstanding Award for pushing Russell on the almost entire gravel road.

 Some people would make better pioneers than others.

 My boys

 He was whispering secrets into my ear. At least that is what I was hoping, but I'm pretty sure he was trying to take a big bite out of me.

Russell loved Camille and her pink crocs. He also loved pushing her around in the stroller. He would have been happy doing that the entire time we were there.

Russell and I made out first trip to the pool yesterday. He was scared at first, but then decided it was pretty fun. He even would sit in the very shallow part by himself and splash. We are both looking forward to going again, but wish Ben could join us for all the fun we plan on having. Only 6 1/2 more weeks!

So we are Apartment Managers

What were we thinking!? 

Ya, it's nice to not have to pay rent and only have one utility bill to pay. Plus, we have the nicest apartment (probably so we didn't get scared away and not want to take the job). But, seriously!? This place is not what we would typically want to call home.

I think we should have known when we learned it was government subsidized housing.

But, it is free and so close to Ben's school. And, I just want to hide out in our apartment away from everyone.

The one good thing is the senior apartments. There are some really nice old people there who just want someone to talk to. Russell really enjoys them,too, and smiles and flirts with all the old ladies.

We moved

Our new place is quite different from all the other places we've lived. We have put about half our stuff in storage thanks to limited space. We our now out of the ground and on the second floor. Our neighbors are much different from all the other neighbors we have had.

But, it isn't too bad. I like the floor plan of this place much better than the last. I feel like it uses the space much better. We are also back to paying just electricity! Yay! It's the only thing we pay to live here. And, surprisingly, it doesn't smell. I opened a box this morning and the nasty stale cigarette smell of our last apartment came wafting out. Bleh.

Russell really likes this new chair in his room. He sat by himself on it for about 45 minutes yesterday while I was putting stuff away. It has replaced the futon that used to be in Russell's room. We got it for $12.99 + 30% off at Savers and are going to reupholster it in August. I'm a little scared of re-upholstery, but everything I've read says take lots of pictures along the way and you should be fine.

Oh how much can change in one year. Russell was super happy to drive away from our old apartment for the last time because he knew he wouldn't have to sit in his stroller for hours with only a few snacks and watching the Yo Gabba Gabba playlist on youtube. He was a trooper for putting up with it. All our hours of hard work sure did pay off in the 10 minutes the property manager spent casually walking through our apartment talking about how they wanted to put the nice cabinets (like the ones we had) in all the apartments but it was so hard to get it done instead of checking all the ridiculous things they made us clean. Anyway, we are done with that place and now we get to do the walk through with people.

He was trying to hide from me. Russell, not Ben. All of his cuteness sure impressed our new ward today. Ben and I are going to ride on the waves of his popularity until they realize what awesome people they just had move into their ward. Seriously, we are probably going to get ridiculously time intensive callings. Multiple people have commented that they were so happy that another family has moved into the ward and this ward will really need you. It is by far the smallest ward we have been in. Ben counted 30 total in priesthood opening exercises, and there were about 15 in Relief Society. We are happy to be in the same ward as some of our friends who moved from our last ward and some friends who moved from the ward before that (but they are moving soon so they don't really count).

And, last but not least, apartment managing has already turned out to be a super awesome experience. Not. Within the first week of us being here (and we hadn't even technically started) we had repairs, maintenance requests, fire alarms accidently set off by plumbers (really? they were working on the plumbing not electrical!), tornado warnings, big hail storms, boiler issues, complaints about the heat being turned off, loud neighbors, master keys and phone accidentally locked in office with no back up key, over zealous helpers, a move out, etc. Hopefully once we are trained things will be a little more sane. Who throws new managers into the job with no training?
  

While we move

Here is a little something to tide you over while we are busy moving over the next week or so.

 He must have a horrible life or something in order for him to do this. And, he does it all the time.

 This is his birthday present from us. He really likes it, and so did his babysitter the other night. There are a few thing he can't do yet, so it can grow with him as he figures out how to do them.

 I don't know where he gets these faces. I don't make them all day long.

 SSSHHHHH!!!!!

 Russell really loved this little piano toy at the people's house we babysat. Unfortunately, so did their 2 year-old and she would come and shove Russell off it. She even hauled it into her room once so Russell wouldn't get it.

We've been enjoying the weather and the chance to use our bikes. Russell especially likes it when we go really fast on the bike. He squeals in delight

Happy Birthday, Russell!!

We celebrated Russell's birthday on Monday while we were watching another family of children.

 The birthday boy wearing a crown the two-year old girl wouldn't stop putting on his head. He knew it was pink and kept trying to take it off, but she kept putting it right back on.

 An impromptu party. The other kids were very happy to celebrate (and have cake and ice cream). The other boy in the picture turned 6 the Friday before.

 Russell literally picked his whole piece of cake up and shoved it in his mouth. more of the cake made it in than the dinner we had.

Many hands make light work. Russell was so tired by this point and didn't care about opening presents, but all the other kids wanted to open them!

We are both so happy to have our little boy in our family! Even with all of his finickiness, he fills our life with lots of smiles and laughs. We love him!

Our Weekend Adventure

We did a practice run for our car trips this summer by driving to Aberdeen to celebrate Grandma's 80th Birthday.  It was a really quick trip, but Ben and I had fun. We aren't quite sure what Russell thought about it, but he wasn't too thrilled when we tried putting him in his car seat yesterday to go to Wal-Mart.

Sadly, this is the only photographic evidence we have of the entire trip--Russell crawling on Mom and Dad's hotel bed trying to chomp on the banana.

Luckily, other people managed to catch us in their photos. Notice how Russell looks completely unimpressed by everything.

It was fun to be with extended family and celebrate Grandma and her awesomeness. She has always been a great example to me.

How did I get a lazy bum for a son? When he is finished eating and we take the tray off the high chair we usually find that he is reclining like below. If he can, he also likes to put his feet up on the table while he eats. Ben must be teaching him things while I'm gone.

Russell also entertained the young men and young women yesterday at church by making this face at them. He started doing it on his own when I tried teaching him to blow on his food to cool it off, and now he does it all he time, but mostly when he looks at me.