Mayor of Slackerville

I have so many things to journal from the last month, Seattle girls trip, Uintahs with the fam, San Diego, Vegas, Florida, Bentley (of course), but I thought I would just throw this in for the halibut.

My mom has really wanted an updated family picture for some time. We agreed to turn our Sunday picnic into a photo session since our last one excluded Brade and Mark and I am pretty sure I was barely legal to drive.

The smell of Autumn was upon us and the typical brown sweater family picture was inevitable. Snowbasin is absolutely beautiful this time of year and we have the cutest stinkin little mom that desperately needed a photo to adorn her wall.

We picnicked and Trev's darling girlfriend snapped some shots. I have not gotten any of the "real ones" yet, but here are some sideline snapshots!

I LOVE this one of the kids. This completely captures their relationship!
Jackson despises his useless girl cousin and she just sits and stares in amazement. Thanks Cass!
Stay tuned (if you want) for Jeff's 50th surprise birthday party and a Mother Goose themed baby shower!!

To My Close Friends...You may Pick Your Jaw Off the Floor!!

I have been thinking about this so much lately, I thought I would award my thoughts with their own post.

Two years ago, I was the proud member of the DINK (double income, no kids) crew. Happy to be there and really thought I would spend my years as a faithful member. This all changed last summer when Brade and I found out we were having our beautiful little girl. We were both estatic. After a VERY difficult pregnancy and delivery, I knew she was going to be our only. She is beautiful, perfect, humbling and the most precious of gifts. There is nothing I need more in this world...except a sister/brother for my special little princess!

I know I am preaching to a choir when I say the love of a mother can hardly be contained within the confines of my chest, but I just can't imagine there is only enough love in there for just one. I never knew I could love someone SOO much. I never knew the joy that comes from every smile. I never knew the hurt that comes from every painful tear from her eyes. I never knew the laughter that can be shared by someone so naive. I never knew the joy that can be shared between a father and a mother. I never knew it was in me. It was buried for some time, but there is no denying it and there is no need to contain it.

Tall and thin...just like her mother!!

I need to post about Bentley's 6 month appointment before I forget all the details!! Remember Bentley, the child I birthed a few months ago, I know it has been a while since I posted so I thought I would just remind you of who I am talking about. Brade and I took her to the doctor yesterday for her six month routine check up. It was anything but routine!
She has been a dream lately, but started to act really grumpy on Sunday and made me a little worried... I found out why.
When I picked her up from the sitter yesterday to take her, she was doing the "sniffle". You know that one that says "Mom, I would like to rip on the heartstrings and let you know I have been crying solid for the last two hours." That one. She was miserable. I felt so bad!
We got her calmed down by the time we got into the office, just in time for her to be stripped from my hands and placed on the ICE COLD scale! (little exaggeration) She starts screaming again. Heaven forbid they want to measure her head...wow you would have thought they decapitated her with that little measuring band. OK, the MA is finished and we once again get her calmed down, sleeping soundly in my arms...snot dripping of the cap sleeve of my new black shirt...the same one I was supposed to be wearing to my afternoon sales presentation...no biggie.
Dr. Ann (the best pediatrician out there) walks in and starts speaking jovially, as she usually does..Bentley awakens. We discuss some details about Bentley with her...the constant need for mmmmmmm....how do I put this....bowel assistance by her parents, our growing concern about the shape of her head, Bent's runny nose the last few days and how grumpy she has been etc. etc. etc. We are now talking twenty decibels above normal to overpower Bentley's now raging cries. Dr. Ann decides to start at the ears. My child produces enough wax in her ears to feed a small nation, always has. Dr. Ann has told me not to try and clean them, so I just let it be. If any of you have ever had to hold down a child while they get the large chunks of ear goodness cleaned out of their ears...you feel my pain, or Bentley's pain. Come to find out, her poor little ears are FILLED to the rafters in an infected mess!! I felt like the world's worst mother. Every time my child gets a cold, it goes straight to her ears. ENT here we come and tubes it is.
So we get that done and she decides she needs to feel her stomach because of her belly issues...yep, folks, you guessed it, rock hard abs. I am pretty sure this isn't the rock hard abs a six month old should have. We are now giving Bent a "special diet" of prunes, apple juice, dark Karo syrup and Mucilax..or something like that.
Meanwhile, Bentley cries so hard she vomits all over my skirt, in my shoes and down Brade's leg!!
Dr. Ann takes precise measurements of her head in order to assess, in one month from now, the rate of change with her skull before she decides to order a CT scan. Bentley continues to cry...or should we say...scream!
I am sweating, Bent is gagging and crying, Brade is a nervous wreck and Dr. Ann again keeps her cool...love her. Brade gets her calmed down with a bottle while Dr. Ann goes over some dietary and developmental guidelines.
All is well on the home front...oh wait, she is six months old...she needs four shots!!!
WOW, that about sums it up, except for the title of this post:
Bentley J. Ketcham
6 Months
Height: 27 3/4" 95th percentile
Weight: 15 lbs. 25th percentile
Head: 17 1/2" 75th percentile

Aside from this last couple of days, Bentley is a very happy baby that is content to do most anything. She sleeps nearly thirteen hours a night and takes two to three naps a day. We are so lucky!!
She rolls as soon as she is placed on her back and LOVES to grab at all toys and faces. She especially loves her dad's scruffy face. She is happiest when she is lying on her back, eating her feet. She smiles at anyone that talks to her, but it takes a certain "charm" to get her to full belly laugh. She loves her thumb. She takes it with her wherever she goes and it accompanies her to bed and nap time daily.
She love, loves her dad and gets so excited when he walks in the room and smiles at her. She sits if she is assisted and loves her bouncer chair.
She has the most AMAZING little sitter, Mel. I found her through my best friend, Stac. It is her sister in law and I tell you, this has been an answer to our prayers. Mel and I were in the hospital together. Her little boy was born the day after Bent and is so DARLING! Mel has gone through several classes at WSU on childcare and is SO thorough with everything she does. I can not say enough great things about she and her husband, Cody!!
On a sentimental side note, I can not believe how much our lives and hearts have changed over this last six months. Bentley is the best thing that ever came into our lives. She makes everything in this world seem so significant, yet so insignificant. She is what matters and what makes our hearts melt daily. She has shown Brade and I what love is and why the love a parent feels is something no one can ever explain. WE LOVE HER MORE TODAY THAN WE DID YESTERDAY AND THIS LOVE CAN ONLY GROW!!

Adios August....

I can not believe it is nearly September and my last real post was in JUNE, on Joanne's birthday, in fact!!
I said I was going to post a little catch up when I got home from Florida, well Las Vegas, San Diego, Texas and the Uintahs have since passed and I still have not updated.
Bentley is nearly a grown woman, I traveled from sea to shining sea in a matter of weeks, I came home from my last trip to a little surprise from my darling husband...some much needed landscaping and Brade, well, he is just Brade...darling, wonderful husband that has been home with Bentley by himself for 16 of the last 21 days, and just plain lovable!
OK this is NOT my most proud month as a mother, to say the least. We are just packing for one more trip this weekend and then I have really set a goal to get my blog updated from the last two months!!

Alive and Rolling!

No, I have not given up on the blogger world. I am still what you would call an avid blogger on sabbatical.
From Fourth of July to Flu Virus...two a.m. office closures to TOO many IKEA boxes to even count...outdoor summer concerts to outdoor fun in the Uintahs...boating at Pineview to basking in Florida, we are still here!
It has been one crazy month, but I will give a little summary, mostly for my own journal reasons, when I arrive back in town on Wednesday!!
Welcome to Blogsville Nate and Keepic!!

Fashion Friday-ish!

Brade has been out of town this weekend and...when the boys are away, the girls will play. Bent and I have not been home all weekend so Fashion Friday comes a bit delayed. (I really should have picked a less busy day of the week, but what do you do?)


Last week I promised...jeans/pants for every size and occasion!


A good pair of jeans is ESSENTIAL for every gals wardrobe. When I say GOOD I don't mean expensive, just one that fits well and is comfortable.


First, a few basic rules when shopping for jeans.


Take a real objective look at your body type.


If you are stick thin and a bit of a boyish figure-we all hate you, but that is another story! No, really, you look great in almost anything you wear. To accentuate your bottom or to create a bit more of a curvy look, opt for some dramatic back pockets. This will create the illusion of a more drastic shape. This year's skinny jeans look great on a boyish figure. Pair them with a great ballet flat for day or a black strappy sandal for evening!!

This pair is a little pricey at $69.95, but a great investment. This is the BKE Sierra from the Buckle. It has a great wash, a little bit of stretch and great pocket detail.

If you are bit vertically challenged, like myself, opt for a wide leg capri that does not taper and falls just below the knee or right above the ankle. This will give the illusion of height and will not accentuate a large bottom or thighs.

This is great linen pair from the Gap. Notice that the hip width is the same as the leg opening, giving the illusion of less curve. This is the only style of capri I wear!! Love them!

This is perfect pair from Target. They are Isaac Mizrahi tie waist cropped pant.

This same concept is true for pants as well. Do not choose a pant/jean style that tapers at the leg opening if you want to draw the focus away from your hip/thigh area. Pair a wide leg DARK jean with bright colored shirt to draw attention upward. Do not try the opposite. A light colored jean and a dark shirt will automatically dry the eye to the brightest part of your body, the lower half! Opt for flat front and cuff free to give the illusion of longer legs!

I just picked up this pair at the local JCPenney I love them. They have a wide band at the waist to keep in the "unmentionables". They have just enough stretch to make them ultra comfy. They have a sewn in seam to give a bit of a more formal look. They are wide leg and they are a dark wash! Just exactly what I like. Yah, the model looks stick thin in the photo, but I promise, they will flatter any body shape! Go check them out!



One last bit of advice-do not wear pants that look like you have been poured into them! Nobody wants to see every little fold and crease of your skin underneath your skin tight pants. I don't know how else to put it. Wear something comfortable, a bit loose fitting and flattering. Opt for a pant that minimizes the dreaded "muffin top" while in a seated position. i realize no one is immune from this problem, but just choose something that minimizes, rather than accentuates!

Home from the Big-D...I do mean Dallas!

This last week we had the wonderful opportunity to swelter in 100 degree weather and a little 100% humidity to boot!!

I had a conference in the good ol' Lone Star State and I dragged Brade and Bent along with me! They were such troopers! The conference hotel was absolutely beautiful! We really lucked out on this one! They were out of "regular rooms" when we checked in so we were upgraded to a penthouse suite!




This was Bent's bed. Notice her tiny little body up in the corner!!



We had a blast while we were there. I did work, but we had some time to see the sights! We first headed to the "Grassy Knoll" and the Book Depository...where JFK was assassinated.

Brade is a huge history buff so was first on his list of things to see. It was my second time going and I am glad I went again. I learned a lot more the second time!! Highly recommended if you are ever in Dallas!

We then found this AWESOME little BBQ pit. Dinners on vacation are a little different now with the wee one!

Brade's coworker has an unhealthy passion for the Dallas Cowboys. His home is literally plastered in memorabilia. He was a little bit angry at Brade for taking a trip without him to his beloved "hometown." Brade says it wasn't, but I have a hunch it was to rub it in is face, we took a VIP tour of the stadium. Mind you, Brade is not and has never been a fan of the Cowboys, but he was giddy like a school girl the WHOLE time.

The view from the Suites that circle the top of the stadium. A mere 2 million for the season!!

Brade trying his hand at throwing a touchdown pass!

He had to call his coworker while standing in Terrel Owens locker. Really? It wasn't to rub it in?

The Fort Worth Stockyards!

They have the MOST enticing malls~ Bent was a trooper while her dad looked for that PERFECT golf outfit!!

She actually did Beautifully on the plane. She did scream for a minute when we landed in SLC, but other than that-just a little shut eye for both of us!

I don't know if I have ever mentioned how much I love my job!