benedictcrew

Megan Eline Benedict

2011-07-02T16:59:00.000-06:00

We are so very excited about the arrival of our little Megan. It seems like just yesterday Jason and I were beginning our journey down the road of parenting when Caitlyn was born...time flies.

My Apologies!

2010-07-31T19:40:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, there are no excuses for not blogging in nearly 8 months so all I can say is SORRY! Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing and I'll be sure to post again in another 8 months...kidding...well, maybe.

Caitlyn and Aubrey were in a 4th of July children's choir.

Watching fireworks at Rigby Lake

By Jenny's Lake in Wyoming

Watching fireworks in I.F.

Swimming at Heise with Aunt Ashley! Thanks for coming Ash!

Happy Birthday to Jason!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:04:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Pretty close to a perfect day...

2009-11-15T19:10:00.008-07:00

The morning started with a little trip...
However on our way we ran into a herd of sheep...actually they ran into us, we held still :)
And enjoyed the ambiance.

And this is why...
...we love living in the country.

The friendly sheep herder even took a picture of us in the van, how nice was that!

Then we reached our original destination and picked up this little beauty.

And we played "pass the kitty" in the van.

Aubrey named our kitty Misty...Welcome Misty.

Then Jason and I went on a date while Mom and Dad Benedict watched the kids and we picked up this little beauty to surprise the kids.

We asked Caitlyn to come out to the truck by herself and this was her reaction when she opened the door and saw our little puppy...Priceless!

Caitlyn loves dogs and she truly was in heaven at this moment.

One happy girl!

And suddenly we are a family with a kitten and a puppy. By the way, the 1st day with a pet is always perfect...I'm sure we'll have some not so perfect days along the way, but I'll look back on this perfect day and always smile.

A Happy Halloween

2009-11-15T18:29:00.005-07:00

Brandt as a pumpkin checking out his loot. He wasn't as excited about Halloween as I had hoped, but then again I was dealing with a 2 year old...what did I expect?
The daddy's and their munchkins.

Jase, our boy wonder.

Aloha!

Way to be in character honey :)

The Ladies and our babies.

Adorable Ellie.

Trunk or Treating

Troy was a good sport as I "aloha-ed" my way to him while picking him up at school (he,he).BBQ in the backyard, it was the perfect night!

Me and My Momma, Love YOU Mom!

We took a quick trip to Utah for Halloween this year. Although it was short we had a wonderful time! Thanks Utah family we had a wonderful time, maybe we could do it again next year?!

Family Reunion '09

2009-10-22T14:43:00.014-06:00

We recently had the Stan and Brenda Benedict family reunion. Here are a few highlights from our time together. Enjoy!

All of us...this photo turned out surpisingly well considering the "weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth" the children weren't too bad either :)

Laura Lou

Caity-lynny-lou

Hailey K

Jonathan

Grandpa Jay "watching"

the kids ;)

Nathaniel

The girly cousins trying to pick up a toy out of the claw vending machine. "Ohhh, so close I'm sure if we put in ANOTHER quarter we'll definitely get it next time!"

Aubrey-Girl

Bowling

Audrey K...even adorable with pizza on her face!

Jase and Asher...bowling buddies.

We have two Ashley's in our family...Young Ashley and Younger Ashley, this is Younger Ashley :)

One of my favorite moments of the reunion...Mallory and Heidi told me they were going to San Diego to catch wild animals and eat them! Yikes! Watch out, behind those precious little faces these two are fierce!

Auntie Brooke

My honey bunches of loven' oats :)

Uncle Jason helping Ethan

"Pool anyone?"

Lovely Amy and two of the three Stanger menfolk.

Nice form Bruce

Uncle Jason and his amazing baby balancing trick. Mommy Lindsey and Baby Max...aahhh.

Grandma K, Brandt, and Buster

Greg, have you ever considered the NBA...seriously check out that arm span!

Part 1: Josh preparing to bowl with baby Zachary in arms.

Part 2: Josh bowling with baby Zachary in arms...and thats what you call "multi-tasking."

Elisa and I had a fun time on our grocery store trip...Elisa, we ARE classy gals even if we have a few faux pas along the way!

Ethan letting everyone know he had been hanging out in his car for a while...by the way Amy and Jason how was your car after that?

A bunch of red necks :)

Go Jordan, go!

"That's right son, throw that tire with all ya got!"

Brrrrrr!

Young Ashley/Run Ashley

Josh and Sam in the wheelbarrow race...how was your ankle after that Josh?!

Natalie, how do you like the pile 'o weeds in the background of this photo? Nice touch huh.

Jase, Grandpa Jay, and Jonathan

chillin

The awards ceremony for our little red necks...such a proud moment for children and parents alike.

Travis, overachiever in our red neck olympics.

The girl cousin sleepover, with two boys who just so happen to enjoy the feature film of the evening "Barbie and the Diamond Castle"...we'll keep that in the family though ok.

Max and LuLu entertainment

Blow up toys entertainment

Caitlyn teaching the family how to draw a dog...well done sweetheart!

McKenzie chatting with Grandma and Grandpa Craner.

Alexa and her harvest gourd friend Auntie Lindsey taught us how to make.

The Chinese Buffet Brooke whipped up...Delicioso! (said like Dora)

Max Kingstan Benedict and Zachary Atle Benedict in their matching sweaters and facial expressions :)

Thanks everyone for the good times...for those of you who we sent home with the swine flu we send our deepest apologies! Hope you are all doing better! Can't wait till next reunion, we'll be sure to have the latest pandemic again! Let the good times roll!

Here we go again...

2009-08-23T00:39:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but summer has officially come to an end now that the girls are back in school. Back to school time is such a bitter-sweet time for me. I ache that the days are flying by so quickly and that my baby girls are in the 4th and 1st grade. But I also love who they are becoming and I am excited for the new opportunities they will have. Go, Fight, Win!

31 and proud of it!

2009-08-23T00:17:00.003-06:00

Yep, I'm 31 and I am happy to be here. Who wouldn't be with a pan of brownies and candles strategically placed to read 31? Life is good, and keeps getting better...happy birthday to me.

Summer Time

2009-08-22T23:50:00.003-06:00

This is a cave at the Craters of the Moon National Park in Idaho. Jason has named this photo "Tiffany O'gill and the Little People"...look closely over my shoulder and you can see little Atle :) No photo shop or anything, pretty tricky huh! Well done Jason!

This is my youngest cousin Oyvind who came to visit us with my Uncle Bjornar and Tante Gyrid from Norway. My kids loved having Oyvind around and they didn't want him to leave. Now they all want to go to Norway so they can see Oyvind. :)

A visit to the Splash Park...free fun, you gotta love that!

Watching 4th of July fireworks.

Grandpa and Grandma Patterson at the Benedict Family Reunion.

Here are just a few random photos of different things we did during the summer.

New Cousins

2009-08-22T23:33:00.005-06:00

Beautiful Ellie Arianna

Adorable Max Kingstan

I'm proud to say that we have a new niece and nephew! Scott and Jessica welcomed Ellie into their home in June, and Travis and Lyndsey welcomed Max into their family in July. These babies are just beautiful and I find myself checking their blogs all the time just to get another look at them...so CUTE! By the way aren't their names amazing?! Love them!

Car Show

2009-08-22T22:30:00.002-06:00

We had never been to a car show before and soon found out that we love them!

Zachary is getting BIG!

2009-08-22T22:05:00.003-06:00

I just love this little guy!

Here is a little progression of Zachary's growth over the last few months...I seriously can't believe how quickly he is growing up, it is way too fast for me to be able to take in all of his sweet baby self!

Yellowstone Bear World!

2009-08-22T21:14:00.004-06:00

We took the kiddos to Yellowstone Bear World this summer and we all agreed it was a pretty cool spot.

Zachary's Blessing

2009-08-22T20:54:00.005-06:00

Zachary's blessing day was a wonderful experience. We were fortunate to have both sets of Grandparents here along with a couple of Aunts and some fun cousins. Thanks for making the day wonderful everyone!

California Cousins

2009-08-22T20:42:00.002-06:00

We were so excited to have Aunt Natalie and cousins Sam, Mallory, and Audrey come visit us this summer from California. Aren't these kids just ADORABLE!!! Thanks for the visit, we love you guys!

Girlfriends

2009-08-22T19:55:00.004-06:00

Soon after Zachary was born some of my girlfriends came by to visit me. We used to all be in the same ward where we were able to develop friendships. Now none of us are in the same ward together but we still love each others company. Whether we are talking. eating, or watching a movie it is always wonderful. Thanks Malinda, Elizabeth, and Miriam for the visit...it meant so much to me!

Zachary Atle Benedict

2009-06-04T14:30:00.005-06:00

Zachary Atle Benedict

Grateful Parents

The crew has grown! :)

Meeting Grandpa Jay

Grandma K and Zachary

Beautiful Aunt Ashley and baby Zachary

Meeting Mormor

GREAT Grandpa and Grandma Craner!

Zachary meeting his Bestefar...who he is named after!

I LOVE this little guy! I don't think he was enjoying this photo shoot as much as me :)

We are so grateful for our newest addition, Zachary Atle Benedict. He is a sweet baby boy and his brothers and sisters absolutely love him. His middle name is my Norwegian father's name and also cousin Benjamin's middle name (thanks Benjamin for letting Zachary share your name!)

10:48 am 5-29-09 9 lbs. 9 0z. 21 inches!!!!!!!

2009-05-30T08:49:00.005-06:00

WE HAD THE BABY!!!!!!

HE IS HEALTHY AND TIFFANY IS DOING WELL.

CHECK OUT THE AWESOME PICTURES ON MY PARENT'S BLOG:
http://www.benedicthome.blogspot.com/

By the way...

2009-05-13T12:31:00.000-06:00

Self portrait of my belly :)

I'm sure many of you already know this but in case you didn't we are expecting baby #5 in about 3 days...so if you didn't know SURPRISE! Also, as usual I wanted to wait to find out the gender of the baby until birth...but Jason was seriously studying the ultrasound (stinker) and thinks it is definitely a boy...anyway whatever we have it will be perfect!

Grateful

2009-05-13T12:18:00.000-06:00

Aubrey Girl

Playful Jase, he was playing hide and seek with me as I took his picture :)

Brandt was seriously giggling as he was splashing in the mud...adorable!

Caitlyn and Daddy planting our first tree.

Our Spot...black shutters coming soon!

After a year in the making we have finally moved into our home that Daddy built (with a lot of help from family and friends as well! THANK YOU!) The best part of it all is being together as a family. These are pictures of an FHE where we planted trees, so wonderful!

Caitlyn's Baptism

2008-09-14T21:43:00.000-06:00

Caitlyn turned eight in August and last Saturday she was Baptised! It was a wonderful day and we were so happy to have friends and family there to share the experience!

"Technologically Challenged" not "Antisocial"

2008-09-14T21:11:00.001-06:00

Me doing dishes today...picture taken by Aubrey

Hey Everyone! Wow, long time no blog eh? Well, I just want to thank you all who have updated our comments to let the world know that we are still alive and well...you sure made me laugh when I did read them. Also, thanks to everyone who actually checks out this blog. I have loved seeing comments from elementary friends, high school friends, and college friends, and of course family...you are all AWESOME! I have posted a few pictures of this summer...I need to add more...but honestly I don't know how soon I'll be able to do it :) We have been super busy and seriously our computer/interNOT connection doesn't allow me to update our blog from home. So with that said please know that I truly appreciate all of your friendships! We recently sold our home and then moved to and apartment only to have the offer on the home withdrawn 4 days before closing. We are also in the process of building a home that should be done the end of January so we are now trying to juggle our 3 homes...ha, ha! Hopefully everything will work out for the best. In the mean time I am still busy with the 4 children and Jason seriously runs from work, to building the house, to church callings...and sometimes sleeps! Life is busy, but good! I'll update more as soon as I can!

This summer...

2008-09-14T20:37:00.000-06:00

Tessem Family Reunion

The Girls' dance recital...feathers and sequins...good times!

Brandt's 1st Birthday

Jason's Birthday

FHE :)

Happy 14th Birthday Dad!

2008-03-15T17:42:00.000-06:00

We were so excited to celebrate Dad's leap day Birthday this year! We had a ton of fun at Blast Off, a local playland and then finished off the evening with banana splits! We'll have to do it again in another four years!

Finally!

2008-03-15T17:34:00.000-06:00

Ever since kindergarten Caitlyn has watched all of her friends start losing their teeth and has awaited with much anticipation the time when she too would experience the euphoria that comes with a loose tooth. So needless to say this 7 1/2 year old 2nd grader was super excited when her bottom left middle tooth started to wiggle! She even yanked it out herself!

New additions

2008-03-15T17:25:00.000-06:00

Recently we were able to go to Utah to meet Melinda and Taylor's new little guy Jackson! He is a beautiful little boy and we are so excited to have him in the family! In addition we also want to welcome our newest niece Audrey K Benedict to the family..we can't wait to meet you Audrey!

Rexburg Temple Open House

2008-01-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Cool temple, chilly family!

Grandparents make life Grand!

Today we were able to go to the Rexburg Temple open house. It was wonderful to take the children; we were even lucky enough to get Grandma K and Grandpa Jay to come too! Very cool experience!

Our Shining Star!

2008-01-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Star!

Singing those songs.

The audience

A little ice cream to celebrate the night!

Caitlyn had her "Bunker Shining Star" musical performance this past week and it was adorable. Thanks for the entertainment Caitlyn! Love You!

We love Ashley!

2008-01-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but when I have a moment to myself I tend to do something selfish like go shopping. That is why I was so impressed this past Tuesday when Ashley dropped in for a visit because she had some "free time." Seriously, so sweet! In addition, she also spent time with the kids putting puzzles together, We Love You Ashley, thanks for making our day!

Merry Christmas to all!

2007-12-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Jay reading the Christmas story and Aubrey acting out the part of the angel.
Caitlyn as Mary and Brandt as Baby Jesus...Brandt wasn't so sure about his part :)
Lining up.
Christmas Morning!
The Big Kids

We spent Christmas at Mom and Dad Benedict's home in Rexburg this year. It was so fun to be with family and enjoy the excitement of the children. We were so glad that Amy and Jason (and children!), Travis and Lindsey (and puppies!) were in town, and what's not to love about the locals (Dad, Mom, and Ashley!) Thanks for letting our wild bunch stay and enjoy Christmas with ya'll...Merry Christmas to all!

Jase is 3!!!

2007-12-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Jase with his artilary, mask, and birthday cake.
Back view :)
Jase helping make the frosting...notice the powdered sugar all over the counter.
Aunt Brooke and Jason making the "Super Jase" cape...isn't it amazing!
Uncle T carefully placing each M&M on the "Super Jase" cake...well done Travis :)

Our little man Jase is 3! We decided to have a "Super Jase" birthday theme this year and it turned out so fun! Because of the Christmas holiday we were able to be with most of the Benedict family which was wonderful. I do have to say it is really nice to have married into a family of artists...I can't take any credit for all of our "Super Jase" paraphernalia. Thanks Jason, Brooke, Travis, Lindsey, and Mom for making the cake and cape just perfect!

Cabo San Lucas

2007-12-23T22:52:00.001-07:00

One of the amazing sights.

Our tour boat for the afternoon.

Sea Lions resting on the rocks.

The docks at Cabo.

The Golden Princess.

Our last stop was in Cabo, and unfortunately it was our shortest stop. We would have liked to stay here longer because it was really beautiful. However, while we were there we were able to go kayaking and snorkeling. It was an amazing experience and we need to send a BIG THANK YOU to all of our family who made it possible for us to go...Thanks Mom, Dad, Ashley, and Brooke for taking care of the children while we were away...you will never know how grateful we are for your help! Also, thanks to Trav, Linds, Josh, Nat, Sam, and Mal for making us feel so welcome during our short visits in California...it was so good to see you guys, we definitely need to do that more often! What a great trip we had!

Mazatlan

2007-12-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

The cliff diver...crazy,huh!
Driving around the city.
Jason and friends body boarding at the beach.
Two whities on the beach...definitely not locals :)
I loved the bright colors of these homes.

Our second stop was in Mazatlan, Mexico. We had fun wandering around the town and playing on the beach with friends. It was a beautiful warm day, great for just hanging out.

Puerto Vallarta

2007-12-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't this bird beautiful!
This is what we drove in...that was one wild ride!
One of our activities was a zip-lining and rapelling course in the jungle canopy, here are some of Jason's co-workers we did the course with.
In Puerto Vallarta.

This was the boat...our room was the top most room on the right side with a balcony.

Cruise!

2007-12-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

It was so beautiful on the ocean
This was a putting contest that Jason won! He even got a metal!
Jason and I both read parts in a mystery readers theater, we both did our best Italian accents...Jason's was awesome and the crowd was laughing out loud.
Jason also enjoyed karaoke several times...he is so brave!
These were the group of friends we met while we were on the cruise...they are wonderful people, and they made it so fun too!

At the beginning of this month Jason and I were able to go on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera compliments of Jason's work. These first photos are pictures of some of the activities on the cruise. It was so fun, and as you can tell from these photos Jason took advantage of many of the cruise activities.

A "Brite" idea for a Christmas gift

2007-11-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody, do the words "I'm a VIP in my Family," or "Captain Dependable" ring a bell? Well, if your childhood was like mine then you are familiar with "Brite" music by Janeen Brady. I wanted to let anyone who is interested in purchasing Brite music for their families know about a blind couple in our ward who is selling it to help their family. Just a brief background on this family Sylvia (the wife) was born in India. At about two years of age she was attacked by a tiger which left her blind...to make a long story short, eventually she was adopted by a family in Utah where she later learned about the church and joined. Jason (the husband) has type 1 diabetes and sometime soon after high school he lost his vision due to the disease. One cool side note however is that they both went to the same high school and before Jason became blind he was able to see Sylvia...cool huh! Anyhow, Jason was baptized about 3 years ago (another cool side note my Jason was the ward mission leader at the time and asked him if he wanted to meet with the missionaries and the timing was just right so we were able to see him join the church and be baptized). Sylvia and Jason are also the parents of two children, a 6 year old boy and 4 year old girl (SERIOUSLY, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!) It is not uncommon to see them walking to pick up their son from school tapping their walking sticks the whole way to stay on the sidewalk...they are amazing. Anyhow they are wonderful people and they try to be as self sufficient as possible, and this is something they are doing to try to support their family. So with that said if you are interested in Brite music you can go to www.Brite Music.com and with any purchase other than the Music by the Month Program you can get a 10% discount if you enter their code number which is 2070904 when you check out. Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope you all have a great day!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T18:51:00.000-06:00

The kids with the huge pumpkin Bestefar grew!

Caitlyn the Witch

This is what Aubrey calls her "Mommy Face"...apparently that is what I look like when I am mad.

Jase as Blue.

Little Brandt as Eeyore.

Happy Halloween! We have actually had a crazy "HalloWEEK" at our home and although it has been a lot of fun celebrating Halloween, I am officially ready for Thanksgiving...so bring on the Turkey!

A few more photos...

2007-10-24T16:50:00.001-06:00

Just a few more photos from the weekend...thanks again ladies, it was fun to hang out with you all!

Ladies!

2007-10-24T16:32:00.000-06:00

I have to admit I'm not the most crafty girl west of the Mississippi, but that doesn't mean I don't like to hang out with people who are! This past weekend we had some Ladies time where everyone was able to come to Aunt Teresa's House and work on some sort of craft project. It turned out to be a great weekend...wonderful company and yummy food, what else could you ask for!

Snow storm!

2007-10-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

We had a crazy snowstorm last Saturday that knocked the branches off of our front tree. What was even funnier though was that the weather two days later was in the 70's. Notice Caitlyn playing in the snow with no shoes on but ear warmers just in case of frost bite!

Circus!

2007-10-10T20:41:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago we headed to Utah for a quick one day trip to see the circus. It was amazing and we were so glad Mormor and Bestefar could join us!

Kids and Crops

2007-10-10T20:36:00.000-06:00

Check out that corn :)

This was the final product of our summer garden. It really was cool watching it grow from week to week. However, as I look at these pictures I am more amazed at how much my kids have grown...time sure flies.

The Boys

2007-10-10T20:30:00.000-06:00

Jase definitely has a mischevious look...even in his Sunday best.

Little Brandt

I love his smile

Here are some recent pictures of our boys that just make me smile, so I thought I would share.

Aubrey is 5!!!

2007-10-10T20:17:00.000-06:00

I know it has been a while since I have updated our blog but now I have a whole gaggle of pictures to show you; to begin with, our little Aubrey turned 5 on September 11. You'll notice that Aubrey enjoyed a big milkshake at the restaurant...well not to toot my own horn but I took all 4 kids to the restaurant by myself because Jason had class that day and lets just say although there are no pictures documenting it, Aubrey wasn't the only one enjoying a big strawberry milkshake. We also want to send a belated happy birthday to cousin Nathaniel and Uncle Jeff who share the special date too! Hope you both had a great b-day!

Lucky number SEVEN!!!

2007-08-29T23:54:00.000-06:00

Caitlyn turned 7 on August 23 and for her birthday we were lucky to have Grandma K come have dinner and help us make Caitlyn's Barnyard Birthday Cake. The kids had so much fun making the pigs, chicken, and sunshine cupcakes and Grandma's art skills came in very handy with the barn...if you look closely you can see the different textures she gave the sky, the barn, and the grass. However, we do have to give Jason credit for the spider and the spider web...it took one steady hand to pull that off :)

2nd Grader

2007-08-29T23:20:00.000-06:00

Our little Caitlyn is now a 2nd grader! She was so excited to begin school again and it was extra special because Mormor and Bestefar were here to wish her luck on her first day of school.

More of our vacation

2007-08-10T19:23:00.001-06:00

Aubs and I at Mesa Falls
Cave Falls...this is incredible!
This is just to the right of the cave we were standing in.
We were so glad Grandpa Jay could come up too.
Brandt is teething, can you tell?

Just a few more pictures of our vacation. By the way if you have never been to Mesa Falls and Cave Falls I highly recommend it; they were amazing!

Our Vacation

2007-08-10T18:02:00.001-06:00

We saw a moose in Island Park

The Hot Pots in Yellowstone...stinky!Old Faithful
The waterfalls in Yellowstone
The kids playing in the Snake River

For our family vacation we stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Craner's cabin in Island Park (THANK YOU!) and visited the local attractions which included Yellowstone, the Snake River, Mesa Falls, and Cave Falls. It was wonderful!

More of the Reunion

2007-08-10T17:25:00.001-06:00

Here are a few more pics of the family.

Benedict Family Reunion

2007-08-10T16:46:00.001-06:00

Dad and Brooke on the water slides

A game of kickball

Captain Greg and the Crew

The egg hunt...can you see how many eggs!

Cousins!

We had our Benedict Family Reunion a few weeks ago at Mom and Dad's home in Rexburg. Brooke's family was in charge of planning the events which included a pirate treasure hunt with Captain Greg and also an egg hunt with 100's of easter eggs! It was so fun to see the excitement in all of the children's eyes during each activity. So fun!

Aunt Brooke Saves the Day...AGAIN!

2007-08-09T17:35:00.000-06:00

In the past few weeks our family has been faced with a few challenges and each time we have not known what to do Brooke has stepped up and saved the day for us. Let me explain...

1. Our 2 kitties (Bunker and Shaye) wore out their welcome with our neighbors because they kept running under their deck. Jason and I decided it would be best to keep our relationship good with our neighbors and therefore told the kids that the kitties had to go. However not wanting to cut their lives short we weren't sure what we could do for the kittens. Well, hearing of our dilemma Brooke invited our kitties to come live at her animal paradise in Dillon, MT. This news made all the difference for our children and instead of it being a terrible end to our kitty experience, Caitlyn and Aubrey were so happy that Bunker and Shaye could run happy and free on 3 acres in Montana ( as a matter of fact I think they were just a tad bit jealous that the kitties got to go and they didn't!)

2. During our Benedict Family Reunion are aqua blue mini-van died suddenly. This seems to happen at least once a year and we end up juggleing everything with our one car. However, with the addition of Brandt we can no longer fit all of the kids in our sedan, especially with the carseat laws. Well it just so happened that the van broke on a Saturday and we were leaving Monday for our week long vacation in Island Park. Realizing that we didn't have enough room for everyone in the car I mentioned to Jason that we would just have to stay home instead and try for Island Park next year. Hearing of our new problem Brooke without hesitation spoke up and said "You can take our van." I don't know about you but lending out your vehicle isn't exactly an easy thing to do and as of right now Brooke has not had her van for 2 weeks. This was one of our best vacations ever and we owe a HUGE thank you to Greg and Brooke for saving the day...again! WE love you guys!!!

Happy Pioneer Day!

2007-08-09T16:57:00.000-06:00

My little pioneer children

The girls got to carry the sign for our ward

Our Stake has a little parade each year in honor of the 24th of July where the primary kids can dress up and walk around in the church parking lot...it may seem small but to all of these little children it was a BIG deal!

Elder Tessem

2007-08-09T16:39:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe it but my little brother Troy is a missionary. He entered the MTC on July 18th and will be serving in the Oslo, Norway mission in a few months. We were so grateful to be able to see him one last time before he left. We were also glad we could see some extended family while we were in Utah.

4th of July

2007-08-09T15:49:00.000-06:00

We spent the fourth of July in Rexburg with family. We had a wonderful time visiting with Damon and Emily and also Jared and Liz while they were in town. By the end of the day the kids were completely exhausted...and the adults were even more tired!

TAGGED!

2007-07-02T23:02:00.000-06:00

OK, Elisa Tagged me so here I go!

Tiffany Benedict
JOBS I'VE HAD
Babysitter
Dominoes Pizza Flyer Hander Outer (I think that was the "official" title)
Dominoes Pizza Banner Carrier (Oh, yea)
House Cleaner
BYU Caterer
Book Binder

PLACES I HAVE LIVED
Orem, Ut
Lindon, Ut
Provo, Ut
Atwater, Ca
Idaho Falls, Id

PLACES I WANT TO VISIT
Norway
Europe in General
Hawaii
Church History Sites
Alabama

PLACES I HAVE VISITED
Norway
States: WA, OR, AZ, MT, WY, CA, NV, CO, NM, ID

TV SHOWS I WATCH (occasionally)
Good Morning America
Oprah
Ellen
Super Nanny
Wife Swap
24 (on DVD)

FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT
The Roof
Prestwich Farms (I don't know if they are in business still, but they had the best Halibut)
Olive Garden
Johnny Carinos
Fongs II
Jaliscos
Macaroni Grill

WEBSITES I VISIT
Family and Friends Blogs
When I am expecting babyname websites
e-bay
amazon
LDS.ORG

OK, now I tag these 5 people
Jeffery Tessem
Kathleen Tessem
Brooke Leonardson
Natalie Benedict
Ashlie Richey
If you have already been tagged go ahead and disregard my message :)

Our Brandt

2007-07-02T00:35:00.000-06:00

Time sure does fly and now our little Brandt is approaching his 3 month old milestone. Here is a recent picture of our boy.

Fathers and Sons

2007-07-02T00:15:00.001-06:00

Last week Jason took Jase to his first "Fathers and Sons" camp out. Jase was so excited to sleep in the tent and he keeps asking if he can do it again...good times.

Our new additions

2007-07-01T23:09:00.000-06:00

Caitlyn and Bunker

Aubrey and Shaye

Jase and Bunker

Bunker

Shaye

I thought that once school was out I would be able to do more with our blog but just the opposite has happened. I can't believe it is already July and our summer is approaching the half way over mark. With that said it has been a wonderfully busy summer. My days with the children are spent enforcing our chore routine, going to picnics in the park, visiting the library, and protecting our new CATS !!! Yep, you heard me right..we now have not one but two cats that call our backyard home. The kids absolutely love the kittens who we have named Bunker (the grey boy) and Shaye (the striped girl). Bunker and Shaye will be visiting the vet pretty soon so I am afraid for those of you who wanted a Bunker/Shaye purebred you are going to have to do without. However, if you are looking for a kitten to join your family too I just picked up a thrifty nickel and apparently free kittens are in season! Kittens for everyone!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2007-05-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there and especially our sweet Mothers. We love you so much!

Brandt's Blessing Day

2007-05-10T23:25:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday was very special for our family with the blessing of our little Brandt, what a wonderful day.

24601!!!!!

2007-05-10T22:56:00.000-06:00

For our eighth anniversary Jason got tickets to Les Miserables being performed at the Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City. Inasmuch as Jason and I don't get out that often we thought we would go big and get "all dolled up" for the performance. Little did we know the dress code at the Pioneer Theater wasn't the same as on Broadway; and we found ourselves overdressed compared to the rest of the audience. However, our transportation for the evening which was a filthy aqua blue minivan with a missing hub-cap seemed to balance us out...ha!

COACH

2007-04-28T16:47:00.000-06:00

Currently Jason is the coach of Caitlyn's 5 & 6 year old soccer team. Jason truly amazes me every time I see him coach his team. I have never known anyone to be as kind and patient as he is. I get a smile on my face every game as he encourages the team to do their best. Even if most of the girls avoid the ball the whole time or the boys run the ball to the wrong goal Jason will still say "nice try" and give them a high five. So regardless of the fact that our team hasn't won a game yet, each child goes away having had a good time because they did their best...Way to go Coach! -Tiffany

Tough Love

2007-04-27T19:16:00.000-06:00

Jase certainly loves his little brother Brandt...however, he loves him a little too much at times. Because of this Brandt spends his days locked in my room or guarded by the rest of us. Here are a few photos of Jase "helping" Brandt.

A new brother

2007-04-24T23:45:00.000-06:00

Because we waited to find out what we were having the kids didn't know until they came to the hospital whether they had a new brother or sister. When we told them it was a boy the girls were so excited because Jase would have a buddy. It was so fun to see the look on their faces as they met Brandt for the first time...Priceless!

Pictures of Brandt!!!

2007-04-24T23:12:00.000-06:00

Yea!!! We finally are able to add pictures to our blog! So here he is, Brandt Tessem Benedict!

Brandt Tessem Benedict

2007-04-11T22:24:00.000-06:00

On April 3, 2007 we welcomed Brandt into our family. Brandt was born at 11:54 a.m. and weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. He is a sweet baby and we feel so blessed to have him in our home.

Here We Go!!!

2007-03-20T13:06:00.000-06:00

Welcome everyone! We thought it would be a good time to join this world of "bloggers" inasmuch as so many of you have joined too. We hope this little web-page will help us stay updated with all of you; so sit back, relax, and enjoy the crazy lifestyle of the benedictcrew.