White Christmas

I hope all of your Christmases went well. Ours was one for the memory books. Mostly because of the foot of snow we got at our apartment between 6am and 1pm. Yeah....apparently you should be careful of the things you pray for. I prayed for a white Christmas and I got a blizzard that almost trapped us in our apartment. Fortunately, my husband has experience driving in blizzards (he served his mission in the South Dakota area) and was able to get us to Christmas diner at his parents house safely. Brewer and Roxi had a wonderful time playing with their cousins and Ben and I enjoyed being with family on Christmas. I love this time of year and the spirit that it brings. Although I am sad to see it go the New Year brings a wonderful opportunity to make goals. (Something else I love to do.) So here is wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

Ben reading Luke 2 before we opened presents.

Ben showing Roxi the drill.

Brewer has already got the drill down.

Opening her second present by herself.

A cute shot of the kids plus ...you can see a little bit of the storm outside.

We Moved!

So...it's finally happened. We moved out of our parent's basement and into our own place. Although we are sad to be away from Gwen,Terry,Brady and Jake, it's good for us to be on our own. We have a lot of fond memories about the time we shared a home with the Funds and I will be forever grateful for their generosity. It was also really nice to spend sometime learning about where Ben came from and how he grew up. However, it was time to move on.

The kids are adjusting surprisingly well considering that the house is all they remember. We love our little apartment and are settling right in!! The ward reminds us of our ward in Mesa which is, of course, a very good thing! There are tons of kids Brewer and Roxi's age so they will have a bunch of little friends. All in all it is a really good move and we are grateful.

Also, it looks like we will be joining the Border Patrol. Ben had his Oral board and he passed. Now we are just playing the waiting game. I will keep you updated on what's happening with that later.

So that's what's happening here! Lots of change! I guess it keeps me on my toes right!?!?! :)

So much.....

First things first...Brewer has been tagged!

Five Things we love about our Michael Brewer!

1~ The fact that he is all boy!! Brewer loves looking for bugs, playing with swords, wrestling, big trucks and construction equipment.

2~ Even though he is all boy he still plays with his little sister. Sometimes I have to remind him that she is just a baby. Like when he buries her in a blanket and hides from her while she's screaming because she can't get out or when he wants to wrestle with her. Yesh!! :) We love him though for being so willing to include her.

3~He is soooooooo social. So much so that we have a hard time keeping him with us during sacrament meeting. Brewer just loves everybody. He thinks everyone is his friend and he has no problem walking up to a complete stranger and saying"want to play wif me".

4~We love that sometimes he just wants to snuggle. At least once a day (especially now that it's getting cold) he walks up to me with a blanket and says "I wanna snuggle you". Talk about heart melting. It doesn't matter what kind of mood I'm in or wha tI'm doing that always gets me!

5~ We love how SMART he is! He picks up everything that goes on around him. He already knows all of his ABCs and most of the sounds they make. He knows his vowels, that they make 2 sounds and when they make those sounds. It's not uncommon to hear him sing "when to vowels go walking, the first one does the talking, O and A say O as in boat and goat." I am in so much trouble!!! But we love it.

Brewer is definitely a challenge but he has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. He has made me a better person in his short 2 and 1/2 years. We love him so much!

Brewer tags :

Preslee Hart

Cody Judd

Avary Fund

On another note....Roxi's birthday was the 3rd. I know I'm running WAY behind but life is crazy! We're trying to find both a second job for Ben (the Army didn't work out) and an apartment. While we apply to the Border Patrol and get ready for the holidays. (Yeah!!! That's my life, but I love it) Our little Roxi girl has all but shed her preemie days and is quite the little go getter! She is walking pretty well now and has 3 times the teeth that Brewer did at her age. She is very opinionated and isn't shy about letting you know. Especially when it comes to strangers. Unlike our little Brew, Roxi hates strangers and has already perfected her "touch me and I'll scream" look. It's actually kind of cute. She loves her Mama and we are like two peas in a pod!

I hope that everything is going well with all of you! I know I don't keep in touch as well as I should and I'm sorry. It's something I'm hoping to work on when I get my head above water! :)

Somethings missing....

So I had my Gallbladder taken out last Thursday. The surgery went really well which is more than I can say for the recovery! I am very aware that there is something missing. It is amazing to me how taking one little organ out (about the size of a golf ball) can through the whole thing out of whack! My stomach and lungs are not very happy with me and they remind me every time I try to take a deep breath. I guess it was necessary though. I had developed a few decent sized gall stones and they were making life VERY UNPLEASANT!!!

On a completely unrelated note...my little girl is turning 1 year old a week from Friday and I'm getting pretty nestolgic. She is getting so big and I find myself wondering where the time went. I mean, the first year went by fast with Brewer but this is ridiculous!!! It seems like just yesterday I was bringing her home from the NICU. I guess it just means that I shouldn't take any of the time I have for granted. That I should enjoy every minute I can. :)

Funny Funny!!!

I got these in an email and I had to share them!!! I'm really happy to say that my husband does some of these. I am so lucky to have him!!!

Lemons

LEMONS and SUGAR
This should probably be taped to my bathroom mirror where I can read it every day.
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to some one.
7. You are special and unique.!
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

And always remember.... when life hands you Lemons, ask for Sugar and call me over!

Bath time

Bath time in the Fund home is quite an experience and lately Roxi has been showing exactly how she feels about it. So I decided to share it with all of you. This particular night she was involved in playing with a toy that Brewer doesn't let her play with very much so it makes it that much cuter. (to me anyway.:) ) Pardon my dorky narration, and there was nothing actually eaten off of the floor...I checked. :)

New post

After a short beak from blogging....oh who am I kidding....after being completely MIA from the blogging world :) I have finally decided to make it a bigger priority. Not that I have much to post about. Ben has a new job working for the city of South Jordan. He is also busy with trying to get into the Army as well as a few other government agencies. I spend my time playing with my kids and trying to get Brewer potty trained. (I will be happy to take any suggestions you have!!!) We spend every Wednesday fro 4-7 at a place called "bouncing off the walls" (thanks Mom!!!) It seems to be the only thing in the world that completely tuckers Brewer out. It does a pretty good job on Roxi too!!

Every other day looks something like this.....

Well, I hope that this gives you the information you've been asking for. (you know who you are :) ) I actually forgot how fun this is!!! TTYS

News.....

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. To say that things have been and are crazy is a total understatement. So here's what's been happening.....

After 7 weeks of OCS the Marines decided that Ben wasn't going to be ready to be a Marine in the time he had left. (His Physical fitness wasn't where they wanted it.) So, they sent him home. While it is nice to have him back here with us it's also a very sad time in our lives. We both really wanted this for our family. We are dealing with it the best way we can. Ben is currently looking for a job in both the military and civilian sectors. We have been to the Army recruiter's office and are looking pretty seriously at that route but will go wherever the Lord wants us.

Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!

7 weeks to go

I was able to talk to Ben this weekend. He wants me to say "Hi" to all of you. He is doing as well as can be expected. He says that OCS is pretty bad. He seems to be making the best of it though. He has had a cold since he got there so that hasn't helped him much on the Physical Training, but he is hanging in there. He could definitely use all of your prayers! (and so could I) Thanks for checking in on us!

new subject!

I'm happy to have something new to talk about...Roxi cut her first tooth!!! She's only, say, 3 Months ahead of everyone else in the family. Brewer, Ben, and I didn't cut teeth till around a year and she is only 8 months old. I hope this isn't a pattern that she's starting. :)

On the old subject...leave starts this Sat and that means that I will actually get to talk to Ben. I'll post again then and let you all know how he's doing.

thanks for checking in!

8 weeks and venting! :) Warning...contains mushiness.

Today has been kind of a downer and I was told by a friend that venting would help...so here it is!

I really miss my husband. I never really realized how much I relied on him until now. Sometimes at night I roll over and expect to feel him in bed next to me and then I'll remember that he's not there. That really stinks.

One of the sisters from the ward at OCS called today and I wasn't home. When I got back my mother in law told me that she had called with a message from Ben. "He's doing great" is apparently what she said. I can't believe that my Benjamin is sending me secret messages. It's so cute and romantic of him, and if you know Ben then you know that he is NEVER like that. I can't believe I missed that call. :(

When Brewer woke up from his nap today he said " I miss daddy. That makes me sad." I about died. I started to cry and Brewer gave me a kiss and said "You feel better?" It is so amazing how fast kids get over things. I wish it were that easy for me but it's not so...what're ya gunna do?

Wow...I actually do feel better. Thanks for letting me vent! I promise I'll have something more relevant and cheerful next time.

8 1/2 weeks

I have a new found respect for single moms!!!!( and I don't even have to work! ) Holy cow. This last week has been really busy. It's really hard taking care of my kids without help from Ben! Except for the hour I take to go running I have them 24 hrs a day. Not that I'm complaining!!! They are amazing! Roxi is learning to crawl on her belly and she's getting really good. You can tell that she wants to be able to keep up with Brewer. Heaven help him when she can! :) Brewer is still being quite the little trooper despite the absence of his daddy. But you can tell he misses him. And everyday is an adventure!

I got a letter from Ben saying that he is doing well. The communication standards are a little more relaxed than last time. Normally there is No communication what so ever allowed in the first 3 weeks but this time they are allowing letters. So I've already gotten three from Ben and written him 2 in exchange. It makes thing a little easier to at least be able to write to him.

So that's what's going on with us. Hope everyone is doing well!!! TTFN

10 Weeks

Well, it's finally happened (again). I dropped Ben off this morning at the
Radisson hotel in Salt Lake. He is on his way right now to Quantico VA For the Marine's Officer candidate school. He will be there for 10 weeks. The worst part (for me anyway) is that I don't even get to talk to him for 3 weeks because they're not allow contact with the outside world. To say it stinks is an understatement, but I know that it's what will make him happy in the end. and who knows what kind of opportunities we will be able to have during and after our time in the Marines. All the same.....I really miss him. Brewer and Roxi seem to be handling it better than I am. They're such little troopers.
Please keep our family in your prayers. These next 10 weeks will not be easy for the Fund Family.

Update...

I know it's been a long time since I've posted but things have been pretty busy in our household. Ben is leaving on the 29th to go to Officer Candidate School for the Marines and we are trying to squeeze in every last minute we can. Also Roxi has been keeping us on our toes with her adventures in growing up. She is starting solid foods and is now pretty good at sitting up. We've even moved her into the "big tub". Anyway I have some pictures that I wanted to post so have fun!

I'm back...

I'm still having some issues getting my blog the way I want it. (Lyndsie if you're reading this could you help me with my header?) However there are some things that I wanted to post so....

First things first....I have some really cute pictures of Roxi with her first My Little Pony. She loves it!!! Well, to chew on it anyway. :)

The other thing i just kind of wanted to vent about is that I'm getting my wisdom teeth out tomorrow (Thurs. ) and I'm really nervous! I've been hearing all these horror stories from Ben about the amount of blood and pain and can I just say EWWWWWW! Any ways I'm probably just being a big baby but I wanted to get that off of my chest. Thanks! TTFN

Under Construction

I decided that I wanted to change my background and I didn't have time to figure out how to add all my widgets before "bedtime". :) So I guess that means my blog is still under construction. (Pardon my cyber dust! He He.) If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Lots of news.....

I'll start with Roxi's 6 month check up....She's doing GREAT! She weighs 15 lbs (25th percentile)and is 25 3/4 inches long (50th percentile). The doctor is really happy with how fast she is growing. She has come a long way from the 4 lb 7 oz 18 inch baby we brought home in October. However She will have to go back into seclusion starting today because the RSV season is still in full swing here and she can't get anymore antibody shots. So that stinks but such is the life of a preemie.

The next exciting thing is our trip to the Zoo yesterday! Brewer had SO much fun! He loves animals and was running all over the place pointing out all the different animals.

This is what Roxi thought of the Zoo.

It was good for her to be out though. :)

Last, but certainly not least, Ben got into OCS!!! yay!!! So he will be leaving on the 29th of May for 10 weeks in Quantico VA. I am so proud of him!!!! He has really worked hard for this!. (again)

Brewer's Latest battle

For those of you who are well acquainted with our son Brewer you know what a tough kid he is. From the first day he could crawl he has been adventurous and fearless!!!! Well we all knew this day would come..... (although I had hoped we could have avoided it for a few more years)


Brewer's first set of stitches! :(

He was being his typical self and running as fast as he could to get into bed when he tripped and hit his head on the corner of the bed. He ended up with 4 stitches. It was very interesting getting him to stay still for the doctor. They had us wrap him in a blanket and Ben had to lay on his chest while the nurse held his head. I was at his feet trying not to have a break down! He was actually quite the little trooper. And, also in true Brewer fashion, by the time we left he was completely over the whole thing and had totally charmed all the staff of the quick care we went to.(Plus a bunch of the patients.)

On a lighter note....Roxi has her 6 month check up tomorrow. (Time FLYS by!!!) I will post the outcome tomorrow. Thanks guys! TTFN

Hello all!!! This is our first adventure into the world of blogging. I know....how behind the times are we?!?!? Oh well better late than never right. We decided to start this blog to keep family and friends up to date on what we're doing so here it goes....

Ben is training hard for the Marine corps. He should know by the end of this month whether or not he has been accepted back to OCS. Although his Officer Selection Officer (OSO) has assured him that he has about a 90% chance of getting back in.

Roxi is doing really well she is now in the 40th percentile for weight and length so she is officially caught up to a non preemie. Yeah!!!

Brewer is learning more and more every day! He loves his family and is starting to be potty trained! ( I promise to leave out the gross details! :) ) He is getting so big.

I am in shock with how fast time flies!!!! Any way.......
Feel free to leave your comments and questions. I look forward to figuring this blog thing out! TTFN!