Rexburg!

WARNING: I am extremely unfocused at the moment and cannot seem to put out a decent blog post. After several drafts I have given up on producing anything worth reading. Therefore, I have decided to just post what I have (random babblings of nothing) and a bunch of pictures. Maybe one day I will come back and edit this to be more worthwhile...

We made it! After several hours of driving, flying, layovers, flying, and driving again, Bennett and I arrived in Rexburg, Idaho and we are loving it!

As far as the trip went, Bennett did as good of a job as can be expected of a busy, busy one-year-old. He never cried or fussed, but since he has figured out the whole walking thing sitting still for twelve hours was asking a lot. Luckily, the little couple sitting next to us on the first flight was extremely baby hungry and just adored every noisy, slobbery thing Bennett did. The second flight was less occupied, so Bennett got his own seat (something which seriously made me consider spending the extra money next time) between me and a very friendly man who never once complained when Bennett quite forcibly discovered his arm hairs. This world is just full of wonderful, patient people.

My mom picked us up from the airport in Salt Lake City and we drove straight to Rexburg four hours away. So much has happened already since we got here Wednesday night, it is amazing it has only been four days. We have gotten to see fabulous family (both immediate, extended, and extended-extended) and all of my friends from high school who still live in the area. We have gone on walks, attended several birthday parties, shopped, eaten, viewed tennis and basketball games, relaxed, seen babies that were born while we were away, and have generally been having a wonderful time.

We actually left our home Tuesday morning so we could spend the day at Bennett's Maimie and Pop's house. While there, Bennett discovered their dog, Lady...much to her distress. I only post this because "puppy" is also Bennett's first official word (besides Mama, Dada, and bye-bye, which I don't really count because those are pretty much every child's first words). Of course, he says, "puhpuh" not "puppy", but we are proud parents nonetheless.

He also found Shelby, their cat...and her claws.

It rained and rained while we were here, but during the little spots in between storms we went outside to play in "Maime and Pop's Park." Here's Bennett with Maimie on his first teeter-totter, and of course, we had to swing.

Speaking of rain though, HOLY COW!!! I do not ever remember a time in my life when I have been afraid of thunder or lightening. On the contrary, I have always considered these forces of nature quite thrilling. That is why it is a little hard to admit that the night we spent here, I laid in bed and almost cried from sheer terror while the most horrendous storm I have ever been in raged outside my window. Did you know lightening makes a sound when it strikes close enough? And no, it's not the thunder I am talking about. I am talking about the actual strike of lightening making this menacing, I-Am-Going-To-Kill-You-And-Anything-Within-A-One-Hundred-Mile-Radius-Of-You, cracking sound, which is immediately followed by the loudest, most awful, And-If-By-Some-Miracle-You-Are-Still-Alive-After-That-You-Won't-Be-For-Long, thunder roar that shakes the house and makes you want to cover your head with the sheets (which I did.)

I am not being dramatic. It was seriously one of the scariest weather-related things I have ever been though, and it lasted a good half hour. Which is a long time when you think you are going to die. In fact, I thought several times I should probably go check on Bennett in the next room, but couldn't bring myself to get out of the bed to do it.

Bennett never made a peep anyway. He is much braver than I am.

Well. That had nothing to do with anything really, but I hear it is therapeutic to talk about life-threatening events after they happen. Unfortunately, typing this has only brought back several unhappy memories I never wished to relive...

Oh, wait. I did have a point in saying all that. The point was, that the next morning the storm was still going on (though not quite as bad), and we weren't sure if,

A: We could even get to the airport because of all the flooding possibilities, or

B: Our 6:50am fight would be delayed, or even canceled.

So we hoped for the best while we hurried and packed our bags in the car at 5:00 in the morning with torrential rains and lightening all around us and everyone being very sleep deprived from the loooooong night we so graciously survived and we jumped in the car and drove through some very big, big puddles (but no flooding, thank goodness) and made it to the airport just in time to...

find out I had left my purse and every form of ID at Mary and Wayne's house. Why, purse?! Why do you torment me, so?!

We called Mary, who so wonderfully brought my purse to me while I talked to the tired-looking woman behind the SouthWest Airlines Desk who was also wonderful and changed our flight to 7:45.

And we made it.

And thank goodness we did, because if we hadn't made it, I never would have been able to post this fabulous picture of my sister Courtney in her one-piece pajamas for all the World to see.

Yes, she wears these nightly.

Bennett discovered the piano since we have been here, and has not given us many breaks between his incessant pounding on the keys. I keep telling myself maybe he will be a musical genius...or maybe we will just find a way to close the key cover so he can't open it himself...

Sunday dinners are a weekly event here in the Hazard home, with every family member, cousin, friend, roommate, and cousin's cousin in attendance. I love it!

This Sunday also just happened to be my bestest cousin Colby's birthday party, so here he is making a wish over his homemade ice cream cake.

And blowing hard. He actually got all 24 candles out with one breath, Impressive. Since we have been here I have also been able to go the the birthday party of my bestest friend Amanda's two-year-old little girl. We have been partying hard!

Bennett was very concerned about all the candles. He kept staring at them and then up at me with this alarmed look on his face like, "Mom, did you know there's fire in here?!" We all made it out alive.

My sister Allison and I went to my cousin Sierra's basketball game at the college. I cheered my little heart out for Team Thunder, waving my hands and yelling their name with everything I had. Come to find out, their team is the Vikings. Which explains the weird looks I was getting from the other spectators in the stands. There is no Team Thunder.

Allison and me (looking like I have even less hair than I actually do.)

One night Courtney "babysat" our way cool neighbor Gavin while his mom and dad went out to dinner together. Gavin is 15 years old and has Down syndrome. He is super awesome. He loves basketball and Matt, and asked several times about "That hunting guy" and his "Army guns." And just so you know, we have talked to Matt several times since he has gone to training and he is doing great. Which is good, because we sure love him :)

This is a cute picture to end on. Bennett and Grrr-am-paaa eating at Joes Diner (a favorite of Matt's and mine.) These two are good buds.