WARNING! Overload of Information!

I keep coming to my blog intending to post and then get distracted or get lazy and then never do. So this morning I decided to stick to it and get it done.

Jake's 26th birthday is tomorrow! He doesn't get REALLY into birthdays like myself and my family so we have to compensate for his lack of excitement. :-) I tried to help him along by purchasing him a new JVC HD Radio for his car. He moved the nice sound system to my car forever ago and was going along with a HORRIBLE radio - it was definitely time. Especially since he is the one that drives to Downtown Salt Lake every day for work. He has been so excited about it and spent 5 hours on Saturday getting it all installed and hooked up. After some "tweaking" around with the settings he thinks he has it to where he wants it now and he talks about it all the time. I think we'll chalk this present up to a success!

So far for his birthday we have also had an amazing family dinner of White Chicken Chili, homemade rolls, lime and strawberry jell-o (his choice), apple crisp, and homemade vanilla ice cream. I can't take credit for most of that but I made the rolls. :-) My Grandparents gave him some new Gummy headphones and a $20 gift card to Yogurtland - I feel like my birthday has come early!

More about Jake... he is still really enjoying his job at the church and is learning a whole bunch of new things. He loves to be busy and is much happier than he was at Discover Card. He only has 5 weeks left in the semester so we may be entering survival mode soon but we're doing alright for now and got through midterms. We surprisingly received an e-mail about aid for the Summer semester and after completing the application process were approved! We are so grateful that, although I will be out of work for 6 weeks and we have a 10% maternity copay, the summer will cost us a little less even though Jake has to take a course. Our application for Fall is also still pending. We thought we would for sure be out of the running now that Jake has this new job at the church and is make $2 more an hour but the FAFSA is based on your 2010 tax return and your household dependents as of July 1st, 2011. So not only do they think that he is still at Discover, we get to count Aaron as another dependent! Hurray! We will find out later this summer about the aid for Fall.

More about Jake? Okay, if you insist. He got set apart on Sunday to be the new Ward Mission Leader. I was pretty blind-sided about the calling at first because he has always been a Sunday School Teacher, but I am happy for him and he is really excited to help move the work of the Lord forward in our corner of the world. I am doing what I can to support him and we have been blessed that we will still have the time for everything else in our lives - like each other and school and work and children, etc., etc.

I continue to grow horizontally in the middle section and do my best to try and enjoy it. I was told that boys move around more than girls but I never expected to spend a good portion of the day getting kicked and jostled. Lucky for me Aaron isn't strong enough yet for it to hurt but I figure it is only a matter of time. I have been working on Personal Progress again and enjoying the extra enlightenment I have gained from the program this time around.

Piano continues to go well and my students continue to bring me joy. I have been incredibly blessed so far to have all of them say they will be returning to lessons this Fall after I have Aaron and move locations. I have taught from my grandparents home for 11 years and have the opportunity now to move lessons to my house and my piano. It will be so much nicer for me to teach from home where my kids can be in their normal environment. But I will be honest, I will greatly miss teaching at my Grandparent's home. I have built a special relationship with them over the years by being the grandchild they have seen the very most and my daughter has also had that rare opportunity. It makes my heart hurt to think that Aaron won't have the same opportunity. It isn't like we won't see them, of course we will, but it just won't be the same as seeing them almost every day. I have truly been blessed these 11 years to have my life specially touched by these amazing people who have helped shape my life for good and helped me to become the woman that I am.

Okay... enough crying. On to other things!

Abrielle continues to become more and more outgoing and talkative every day. We moved her to a "big girl bed" in the same room. We left the crib standing in preparation for Aaron (and because it is a PAIN to take up and down) and it has been a great motivator to keep her in bed. If she gets out of "big girl bed" she has to spend some time in "baby bed." She likes the idea of being a big girl and gets very upset to be in "baby bed." Hopefully this motivational tool will continue to work.

We also put a night light in her room 2 nights ago because she was waking up 2-3 times a night. I read on Facebook that various other moms had installed night lights to help their children feel more secure after moving from the confines of a crib to an open bed. Abrielle still takes forever to fall asleep at night - she is such a busy body that she wants to keep going and going - but she has slept fully through the night for 2 nights in a row now... we will hope that that continues!

Well, if you are still reading at this point congratulations! You made it! I will wrap up now and say that I am very grateful and happy to have my life blessed with such a wonderful husband and daughter and I am excited to welcome our son to the world. We hope everyone is well and that life is treating you kindly.

Much Love,

The Jacob Bentley Family