ONE

Lately we've been working on eating with a spoon. He's a little uncoordinated, but he's getting it. Also we have been practicing how old he is and how to blow kisses. I'll work on getting the latter recorded.

I have many pictures from summer vacations coming. We've been super busy lately, but they are coming.

Smart Like Daddy

If at first you don't succeed...

This is at our local library. They've got a great kids section, and Bennett loves to play and read books.

Fun in Utah

It's always fun to visit Utah. We have lots of friends and family to visit, so we keep pretty busy. Lincoln is taking his Step 1 Boards at the end of the month, so we decided to let him have a break and study hard.

Every time I come to Utah I get to go to dinner with some high school friends and their families. This time we took Aunt Lindi with us. Lindi is leaving fro Sao Paulo, Brazil in a few weeks for a mission. My friend Corbi served in Sao Paulo, so she was able to give Lindi some pointers.

Lindi and Bennett. Corbi and baby Julia and Amy in the background



Bennett loves the swing that Grandpa Torman put up for him.

Our new mini van. It's a 2007 Kia Sedona

Lindi and I were able to do a session in the Brigham City Temple before she left. We had to get one last picture.

First time swimming in Grandpa Torman's pool; well, first time this year anyway.

Recent Happenings

Bennett and I got to visit Springfield while Lincoln's parents looked for a house in Utah. While we were there we got to see Lillie present her science fair project.

acid or alkaline with cabbage juice

When you add cabbage juice the acids and alkalines change color. The blues and greens represent alkalines and the reds and pinks are acids (I think, it could be the other way around). The purple one is just water.

She did a great job, Bennett thought so, too, despite his incessant wailing!

Some other randomness...

Now that this guy is walking changing diapers has become extremely difficult. This is a very common scene at our house.

Because Lincoln's parents are moving back to Utah we've inherited a few things. The grill is probably my favorite. This is our first time trying it out.

We luckily had the middle seat open on the flight to Utah. He was great and even slept well. (His eyes may look open, but they're secretly not)

This was the nice surprise that was waiting for me when we got to Utah. An early Mothers Day gift from Bennett. They were yummy! 

Grandma's House

Lincoln's parents are moving out to Utah. We are really sad about this. It has been so much fun being able to come visit fairly frequently. Bennett and I are visiting for the last time before they move. We are really going to miss their big back yard. Here are some pictures, I'll have more later. 

I was trying to get a picture of Bennett with the pond. He wasn't very happy. 

Bridging Ceremony

Lincoln had a Bridging Ceremony at school to transition him into his clinical years. In about a month he will be taking his boards. When he passes he will start clinical rotations and the "book work" portion of school will be over!! We still have another two years here, but it will be mostly hands on learning from here on out. The end is in sight. 

The bridging ceremony was nothing more than a pseudo-graduation ceremony, but it was sure nice of Vladimir Lenin to show up and pin Lincoln's lapel.

 

We love visitors!

Lincoln's cousin Amanda came to visit.  She and her husband have joined the Peace Corps and will be going to Burkina Faso, Africa in June for two years. This was her last chance to come visit us while we're still in Chicago, and we're so glad she did. We had so much fun!

One of the highlights was her cooking. Amanda is vegan so I was a little skeptical at first. However, she made some really good dishes that we will definitely be making again. My favorites were her mac n' cheese and her lasagna. I also really liked her lentil soup. We were mostly vegan for the time she was here, and I must say it's not terrible when you have an experienced chef with great recipes. I do not think I could give up bacon, though.

We were able to see some of the fun sights in Chicago and enjoy a little bit of sunshine.  I wasn't very good at taking pictures, luckily she got some good ones with her camera (check her facebook page or blog). Here's what I have.

The Bean at Millennium Park

This is from the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier

This is at a conservatory that Amanda discovered. It was super cool.

Again, check Amanda's pages for many more pictures...