Random Stories

So about that last post with Cookie Monster...Ben is doing a group project for his class about intercultural communication. Leave it to Ben to find a way to incorporate Sesame Street into his grad program!

I realized last week that I need to get a hobby. We were at the elders quorum presidency bbq with the presidency and families. I was sitting there eating on a blanket with the kids and the wife of the first counselor. Everyone starts talking about how the men do the Ironman and she was training for a triathalon. She turns to me and says,"So what do you do?" Stupidly, I look at her and say, "I...uh....read." Not that reading is a bad thing. I love a good book. But it isn't the most interactive activity. So we will see what I can come up with. I have been inspired to start working out again and can wear a few things from my pre-baby days. Yay!

Now on to the kids. This is the topic that everyone reads my blog for anyway, so here we go. Momentous occasion at the Pingel house! You know that scene from the Swan Princess where the evil villian looks at King William's carriage from afar and says, "Today's the day Willy..." well, I didn't have evil intents but the same thought went through my mind when I laid Brandon on his tummy while I did the dishes. Before I knew it, he just rolled over like it was nothing. I know, I know, some kids roll over much earlier than this. However, Brandon HATES tummy time with a passion. He always cries when it is tummy time. So it was amazing that he laid there contently until he was ready to take this step. So then I called Ben in and we rolled him on his tummy again and captured the moment!



Little Rachel Brooke is seriously her mommy's little girl. Lately we will try to put her down for nap, and she will just get out of bed and start playing with things in her room and reading books. Twice we have gone upstairs to check on her and she will be laying asleep in a pile of books. The girl is hilarious. This is a picture of her latest experience with nap time:

Rachel's favorite book is called "I Like Myself". We read it to her at least seven times a day (not an exaggeration). Ben and I both have it memorized and just start saying it together in the car when Rachel is fussy. I even started singing it to the tune of "The Other Day I Met A Bear". Sometimes I try to read something else, and she will walk over with her book and put a stop to the other story. What a funny girl. Here is just another illustration of her randomness.

We Love Cookies!

Okay, we're geeks. But that's okay. We love cookie monster! He just brings us such happiness! So, take a minute, sit back and relax, and enjoy some wonderful moments with our dear, dear friend.

Anyone in the mood to make some cookies with us?

Our Little Wonders

Ben made this movie starring the two cutest kids in the world. They really are our little wonders and help us appreciate the little things in life.

Brandon: The First Three Months

Brandon is three months old today! In ways I can't believe he is already three months old, but at the same time it feels like he has always been part of the family. He has been such a blessing. So I decided since I didn't have a blog at the time Brandon was born, I would backtrack a little bit and tell his story.





Rodney Brandon Pingel was born April 15, 2008 at 7:12 a.m. Just like his big sister Rachel, he tipped the scales at 8 lbs 2 oz. However, he was 20 inches long as opposed to her 19 inches. Also compared to Rachel, labor with Brandon was a breeze. I woke up at 1:30 a.m. because Rachel was crying, and realized I was having contractions so we went to the hospital, got all set up by about 2:45, and Brandon was born four hours later. I can handle that!

This is a picture of Brandon and I on his birthday. I realized that I never post anything of me...but that's because the kids are the ones worth looking at! But I will try to post pictures of myself sometimes. So anyway, here we are when he was freshly born.


We had an interesting experience before we got to the hospital. We were living with Ben's grandma and we didn't have a driveway yet. Well it was April, so it was very rainy and muddy. When we went to drive to the hospital, our wimpy little car got a little bit stuck in the mud. This is a picture that shows what it was like. This picture was from being stuck another time...but it will give you the idea. Luckily, Grandma had a small SUV so we could get out of the mud and into the hospital!



Brandon has been a joy to have around. He is such a good baby. So content most of the time. He is a very sweet little guy. He just coo's and giggles all day long, when he's not spitting up, that is. This is one of my favorite pictures from his "early days"


Isn't he precious? Notice that his binkie is the same shade of blue as the gel pack he is laying on. Talk about good planning huh? Rachel was an angel when Brandon was born. She was curious about him and I think she liked him from the start. It was hard trying to make sure I gave Rachel enough attention with Brandon around. So my mom took a picture of us girls while we had some bonding time.



Fast forward three months. Brandon is all smiles and all spit up as you will see from this video. Again this was with a cell phone so the quality isn't so good...oh well. We have been so blessed to have him and are so excited to see where the future takes us.

Everyday Life

So nothing too exciting has been going on lately. My foot is being mysterious. The swelling goes down and then it is back up and then down and then up. I guess it didn't help that we walked on "The World's Longest Floating Boardwalk" on the Fourth. I need to rest my foot, you know keep it propped all day...like that's gonna happen!

Grandma and Grandpa Rupp came up for the Fourth and bought Rachel and Brandon a double stroller. No pictures yet, but it is fun. The fireworks were a bit...disappointing. And being among these northerners reminds me that we aren't in Rexburg anymore! We had to park in an area that I call the bar district of Coeur d'Alene. Lots of crazy people up here. But I guess that's too be expected anywhere you go.

We didn't actually take any pictures of the Fourth (oops!) but we do have some fun pictures of everyday life. Here is one of Rachel helping me do the dishes. Ok so when she plays in the dishwasher she takes things out...but it's fun to have her around.






Also, as I said before, Rachel loves books. Lately, she will have a book in her lap and jabber away as if she is really reading it. Ben captured the moment the other day. We thought it was pretty funny.







Last but certainly not least is Mr. Brandon. He doesn't spend too much time on his tummy, but he did the other day and lifted his head really good. He doesn't roll over yet, but then Rachel never really did much as far as that goes.

Brandon is going to be a jabber just like Rachel. Maybe even more so. Sadly, whenever we try to capture him during a talking moment, he stops. But I will try to get something in the future. But this picture will show how good he is at holding his head up. Sorry it's a little blurry, but it's the best we could do with Ben's phone!

Our Day at the Beach

On Saturday we took the kids to the beach for the first time. Okay, actually, Ben took Rachel to the beach. Brandon and I sat on a grassy knoll overlooking the water. I didn't think I should get my boot wet, and Brandon wouldn't enjoy the water anyway. But it was lots of fun. Rachel looked so cute in her little swimsuit!



Getting sunscreen on before the big day!



Since Brandon and I didn't go in the water, here is a cute pre-beach picture of him. He is a very happy little guy with quite the personality already.



Rachel wasn't sure about the water at first. It's colder than bath time. But she had fun!