It's Random but it's Me

I love going on walks.

I don't enjoy steak unless it's from Texas Road house.

It's very important to me that people feel welcome and happy in my home.

I would rather people around me are happy than for me to fell happy.

I worry a lot about my spelling and grammar, but I don't like it when people point out mistakes to me.

I've always thought I have beautiful eyes.

I love laughing but I wish my laugh wasn't so loud.

I cried after Ben was born but not with Miriam, I was worried about her safety.

I'm very expressive with my hands.

I don't like my hands to be dirty.

I don't like jewelery.

I like having a place for every thing.

When I'm alone and I think some thing is funny I usually don't laugh.

I love watching comedians. My favorites include: Kathleen Managan, Brian Reagon, Mitch Hedbreg, Dan Cummings and Jim Gaffigan.

I could listen to "Time to say good-bye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman over and over and over.

I am very protective of my family.

Every night before I go to bed I check on my kids one last time and ask an extra prayer for their safety.

I only like to drink soda if it has ice.

I like to cross-stitch.

I like sewing but I'm not patient enough to do a good job.

I love playing the piano, it's a stress reliever for me.

I think I'm to naive.

I try very hard to see the good in every one and there are few people I absolutely can not stand.

I love it when I hug Ben and he pats my back or gives me squeezes.

I love it when Miriam is funny without meaning to be.

I love going to movies by myself.

I talk to my mom at least three times a week, and I consider her one of my closest friends.

I wish I was more patient when I'm trying to teach my children things.

If I had the money I would probably get a nose job and a lift to another area that will remain nameless.

I picked both of my kids names. Miriam was the third name I presented to Ryan after Emma and Hannah. With Ben I said his name is going to be Ben and deal with it.

I hated middle school but I loved high school.

I got a scholarship to Utah State University but I didn't take it because I was afraid if I went to Utah I would get married to soon. So I stayed in Flagstaff and was married the next May. Nice plan Becky, nice plan.

Growing up I always said I liked guys who were tall dark and handsome but I always dated short brunettes or tall blonds.

I think David Hasselhoff is the creepiest guy ever.

....And then you blink.

Getting ready to see Santa on Polar Express.

You can pull any thing off when you're so darn cute!

One year and finally crawling.

Great-grandma Cutchen, me, dad and six month old Miriam

Only a week old and 4 pounds 11 ounces!




How has seven years gone by so fast? It isn't Miriam's birthday or any thing but I've just been thinking about her baby days a lot lately.
Miriam has been all her own from the very beginning. If being a surprise wasn't enough she also came six weeks early with THREE thumbs.
She was VERY fussy and literally didn't smile until she was six months old. After a visit from a chiropractor she was the happiest baby of all time. Due to her early arrival her body took a while to do things being a year before she crawled and 18 months before she walked.
She had surgery at 20 months to remove her extra thumb. At first she HATED her caste and she would hit me with it in hopes I would take it away if she couldn't behave.
She has been so much fun and before she went to school we had so much fun going to movies, lunches and even pedicures together.
I LOVE MY LITTLE GIRL, even if she isn't so little any more.

Farwell to a great cousin, bodygaurd, and friend.

In March I got an awful phone call from my sister telling me that my cousin Ben had passed away. I honestly can't tell you how sad I was to lose a beloved cousin who had always been so much more to me.  I've spent three months wondering if I should do a blog about our many adventures and how to even express all the good times we had. For the past three months I've thought so much about him and I think it's time to put into words my feelings about Ben. 

Now comes the hard part. I have no idea how to do this in any reasonable order, other than to type things out as they come to my mind. Forgive me if this is completely random but I just can't think to do this another way. So here it goes...

Remember when.....

We would play cowboys. I was always the bar lady and you were the only Cowboy who could drink "Wake up" juice. (We watched a lot of 'Back to the Future 3')

We played shipwreck in the pool but we just kept playing when the ship exploded because we only liked jumping in the pool.

Our long walks.

When we decided to pick up trash at our hang out, only to find out it was a sort of unofficial neighborhood dumb. When we discovered this from teenage street tuffs you simply said "At least it can be organized".

When you taught me how to ride a dirt bike.

When you told me a good car was the best way to attract chicks.

When you got angry when guys would double take me and you would shout out "She's not a piece of meat you know!" I would always remind you about your car attracting chicks statement and you would say "That doesn't apply to cousins!"

When you kept reminding me about my goal to finish college and to never give up on it.

When I asked you if I slept pretty because one of Chris's friends saw me sleeping on the couch and you just said "It's depends on if he likes girl's who fart in their sleep." And how I beat you up after you said that;)

When you put up with me when I was going threw my annoying boy crazy stage.

When we ordered Jack-in-the-box after sucking in some helium and we were the only ones laughing.

When you came with me to my after graduation party and you had to help me over the obstacal corase because my arms were to weak but you didn't tease me.

When I taught you how to play volleyball and you were better than me.

When you taught me how to do some basketball fake outs.

When you asked me to help you with your hair and I ended up putting way to much gell on it but you wore it any way so you wouldn't hurt my feelings.

When you came to visit over fourth of July and told me all about your amazing trip to Africa and how much you loved being with the amazing people you met there and how much you loved service.

When I told you I was naming my first son after you and you gave me a hug and said "That would be cool."

When you held Ben for the first time and he just stared at you for the longest time.

My cousin Ben was such a great man. He had a great love of children and they all loved him so much, I used to be jelouse of how good he was with them.

He LOVED serving otheres and I think one of the best time's of his life was spent in Mozambique with the Care for Life organazation. 

He was great at sports.

He was very humble and kind.

He was very protective of the people he loves. Even though I was older he looked out for my in so many ways. 

He had a great love of cars and liked working on them. 

When I think about Ben I still get sad. I'm sad that my kids won't get to know him. I'm sad that he wont be around to remind me about my goals and see how I'm doing with them. I'm sad that I won't see his big smile and hear him laugh. I'll miss sitting with him and remembering all the fun we had as kids and teenagers. But when all is said and done I know he's in a better place and doing great things. And I know he's still looking out for me and my Little Ben.

I'll miss you Ben. I need you to look out for me (and my kids) just a little bit longer until we get to see each other again. 

Thank you for being the best cousin I could ever ask for, I'll never forget you and

I LOVE YOU!

Ta da

FINALLY! After six months I finally figured out how to make a collage.

Howdy Y'all (part one)

This is an especially long post since, if you are a faithful reader of Becky's blog, you have probably noticed that it has been ETERNALLY long since she has posted anything. So I, the good cousin that I am, offered to update her blog and let you all in on the happenings of one Arizonian family who found themselves plopped down in the middle of North Texas.

First, let me give you a little bit of background. When we (The Quinn family) learned Becky and her family were moving here, we were excited. I have never lived closer than eight hours to any cousins. Then, I realized, neither she nor I would be able to pick each other out of a crowd if our lives depended on it. So, I'm sure some of her thoughts were, "What if these people are dingy?" or, "What if they have kids who are drug-dealers and worship to the great Wicca-what-ever-you-call-her?" So, here it's been one month and, I am proud to announce,

Your loss is our Gain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, with that bit of gloating aside, here are some things this family is now experiencing in this great state of TEXAS. side note...we are not Texas natives (Cali all the way) so we are allowed to poke a little fun here and there... Wait...one of is!!!!


Texas Highlights........



What our Relief Society president found in her pool....Yep, it's an armadillo, folks...deader than a door-nail! (hope you don't mind me using this picture, Jane...it was too nasty to resist)

Food in the shape of the great state of Texas!

What every home in Texas should NOT be without!!!!!!!

Yep! Those are Texas-sized jelly-beans because everything is bigger in Texas (including naturally curly hair...it's a crime)

Keep on reading the next post to hear more. Becky will soon be back to the blogging world.......

Howdy Y'all (part two)

Where else can you go where they have pools in the shape of the state???? Colorado? I think not....Wyoming? Nuh uh.... Pennsylvania? Nada... What more could you want than to live in a state with soooo much pride it hurts?

So, finally Ryan was able to live out his life-long dream of a white-trash stamp on the back right shoulder, and what chick wouldn't go for a guy with a Texas tat? Becky looks forward to pool days in 90% humidity when she can admire and drool over this baby.....

But Seriously (for a short moment), here is the picture of the GIANT living room they get to enjoy, though now, of course, their furniture is brightening up the spot and the big screen is making Ryan feel happy (yeah, we know Becky really is the one who pushed for the behemoth

TV)

And here is the front of their new digs, though the yard is now a million times greener. Notice the stars on the house because, after all, this is Texas and a house is not home without a star (or two...praise all glory).

By now you may be wondering what is in store in this grand adventure (besides wondering where her cousin has been all her life). Here it is:

1. Thinking their daughter is on drugs when she announces at the dinner table that Texas has its own pledge.

2. Wondering how they ever thought dry heat was worse than humidity.

3. Cringing when Miriam uses the words, "fixin'" "y'all" and the plural of "ya'll"..... All Y'ALL!!!

4. Wondering why everyone is "fixin'" things in Texas

5. Stopping in the middle of the road to name-that-road-kill because it's an animal you never knew actually existed outside of Montana or Wyoming-and actually meeting a real-live family who really does taxidermytheir own road kill for kicks

6. Dying when Ben is old enough to tell Chuck Norris jokes...because he lives here, you know

7. Actually watching Walker, Texas Ranger (Becky refuses right now, but give her time...)

8. Learning the gazillion armadillo jokes (Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the armadillo that it could be done!!!)

9. Making fun of people's accents

10. Trying to turn one syllable words into two syllables.

11. Searching high and low for a field in which to take the Texas-obligatory Kids-in-the-Bluebonnets picture (surrender now....you know it's only a matter of time...)

So, there's much more in store for this Arizonian family plucked down in the middle of North Texas, and when it's all said and done......

They aren't Texas natives but they got here as fast as they could!!!!!! (for those not up on their Texas bumper stickers, this is one particularly obnoxious one)

Happy Birthday Ben!

Happy birthday my dear sweet little Benjamin! You have no idea how glad I am to have you in my life. I think everyone pretty much knows how long Ryan and I had waited for an another baby. I had seen doctor after doctor and taken pill after pill and NOTHING was happening! After four years of praying, fasting and blessings Ryan and I had finally decided we should try to adopt when my friend Linsey (bless you sweet Linsey) recommended I try one more doctor. I had no interest at all, I was so ready to try adoption but Ryan and I decided just one more try. I wasn't going to get involved this time. I didn't pay attention to the medication, I just took it and I stooped begging Heavenly father for it to happen. And so three months later on the day I was so go in for surgery I received a call from my doctors office. They apologized but they had to cancel my surgery...I was going to have a baby! I was so dazed I could parley focus. I yelled to Ryan and we immediately thanked our Heavenly Father and got geared up for another pregnancy.

It's funny that I wanted to be pregnant so bad because they are so hard on me. With Miriam I was so sick I lost 11 pounds in a week. With Ben if I walked a mile I bleed and I had to go on bed rest...fun stuff! But as funny as it sounds I LOVED having both babied inside of me. I loved feeling them move and I loved knowing I was creating my two sweet miracles.

Ben was definitely full of surprises. I was on and off bed rest but when the end of February came things were getting weird. One day I had a feeling to go to the hospital (this is no ordinary feeling, we live an hour from it) and I'm so glad we did. My blood pressure was around 180/120. For those of you who are like me and don't speak blood pressure that is HIGH! I know a girl who had a lower number and went into a seizure. I was quickly taken to delivery and put on magnesium and told Ben would be joining us later that night. The mag dropped my blood pressure so quickly the delivery plans were canceled but they couldn't let me return home. I got to spend five days in the lovely Banner Desert dungeon laying on my side all day and night. I was lucky enough to be realised to my sisters home for another five days after that. Then finally on March 1st my body just couldn't handle a baby any longer and I was induced. After a smashingly wonderful (I am not joking Ben's labor was a breeze) our beautiful Benjamin Ryan Greer joined us at 9:55 pm weighing only 5 pounds 10 ounces.
Since the night he was born Ben has been such a good baby. Happy, content, and hungry. He is so quick to smile and laugh and people just fall in love with him left and right. I know I'm his mom and completely biased but he just has such a goodness about him.
Right now Ben loves standing by himself, pinching, climbing on the couch, pushing things, clapping, dancing and making us laugh.
I love you my little one year old!