USMC Bentleys

K- Bay Air Show

2011-02-15T12:53:00.000-10:00

This year we went to the K-Bay Air Show because Lowell now works on the fire trucks on the air field. So if I wanted to see my husband at all that weekend I had to go to the air show. So Saturday we took some friends in with us and were there all day. Here are some highlights of our day. If you want to see more pictures you will have to go to Facebook and look me up.

2011-02-15T12:03:00.000-10:00

2011-02-15T11:57:00.000-10:00

It's been a while

2011-02-15T10:41:00.002-10:00

Wow it's been a while since I last posted. It has been at least a 6 months or so. So we had a great Halloween this year. We also bought a new car. We now have 2 cars. We had an awesome Thanksgiving at a friends house and we didn't have to cook at all. On Thanksgiving we went to the park and played for about an hour and then went back to our friends house and headed home. On Christmas we were all so excited to get all of our presents, but we didn't wake up until 8 am, unlike last year when we were up at 5 to webcam with the in-laws.

For New Years Lowell was on vacation and so we just played video games and watched about 3 fireworks shows from our front and back yard. Danika went to bed at her regular time, because she was tired and didn't take a nap. For Valentines Lowell got us yummy treats with cute animals connected to them. I got him some dark chocolates that he loves and I made a new chicken dinner and home made cookies. Well I hope everyone is well and safe. I will add some photos of things we have done since my last post.

Little Grey

2010-08-05T13:32:00.003-10:00

This year we spade Baby Bunny and got a new bunny whose name is Little Grey. I got to name him this time and you can see why he is named that.

Easter this Year

2010-08-05T13:30:00.006-10:00

We colored our own eggs and bought plastic ones that were pre-filled because Lowell is lazy. We took "Little Grey" around and took pictures of him hiding the eggs so Danika would have to know where the picture was taken to find the next egg. She had loads of fun.

The starting point was the eggs in the basket with Little Grey on top. He is about to jump off the bucket so it's not a very good picture. Now he is on the potty. Next to the blocks bag.

In the drum set upstairs. In the tub in Danika's bathroom upstairs. In the laundry room. On the bongo drum.

Theses are the eggs we colored in water and vinegar.

Danika decided that we should color them with our markers as well.

So here is an egg starting out being colored and hiding Danika's face.These are the finished products of the egg coloring and dying.And the finished product of Danika's hands and face. Isn't she so sweet to show me how messy she can get?

New Skates for Danika

2010-08-05T13:23:00.003-10:00

A neighbor down the street saw Danika eyeballing her daughters old Dora the Explorer skates. You know the kind, the ones you have to wear shoes and then you put your foot in and tighten them with that one strap in the front. Anyway she said her daughter no longer used them because they were too small for her and she gave them to us. We went to the exchange and got her some pads and gloves and a helmet at the thrift store. She forgets about them and then remembers them and has a real hard time so we don't wear them much.

Baby Bunny

2010-08-05T13:19:00.003-10:00

We got a new bunny last year and her name is "Baby Bunny". Can you tell who chose her name? You guest it Danika did. Anyway this is her then, isn't she the cutest. Newer pictures to come when I tell you about the other bunny!!

My Birthday

2010-08-05T13:16:00.004-10:00

Lowell got me a lei for my birthday to wear to church and show off how much he loves me. Unfortunately we are in the car on the way home and I am trying to drive so my faces are a little funky. :P

Danika got a hair cut

2010-08-05T12:58:00.004-10:00

In January Danika got a hair cut by mommy and a little help from daddy. Since she would never sit still to let me brush it or to let me put it up out of the way we decided to cut it off. This is the only picture we have of the event. The one where she is holding the stuffed animals is a before photo.

Christmas time at the Bentleys this year

2010-08-05T11:25:00.005-10:00

This is the wreath I got when Lowell deployed back in '07, I put the bows on, but in the old house they were right side up, so next year I will have to remember to flip them. The bows came separately and they twist on in the back. Lowell watched as Danika and I did most of the decorating so Danika said to take a picture of daddy and this is what I got This is an Angel made out of Tea Leafs or something and then I decorated it with a halo of seashells and a necklace that will probably get shortened next year. This is our wonderful small and just the right size tree for our small family. We don't have very many ornaments on it, but we are going to get more real soon I'm sure. These are the stockings, Danika's is in the middle with the bear. I made 2 of these and when I took them to Texas 3 years ago I lost one at the inlaws house or something like that. The outer 2 our Lowell's and mine. His is the snowman and I chose the elf. This year we got a fake tree so that we wouldn't have to deal with Danika playing with the water in the bowl. We put up Stockings, decorated the tree, put up lights outside and also had a wreath on the door, it's my favorite, but Danika had a blast helping me decorate everything. Lowell did the lights since he is so tall and I am so short.

Sorry it's been so long

2010-08-05T11:07:00.006-10:00

So it has been almost a year and so I will catch you up one event at a time starting with Christmas. and ending with Danika's Birthday Party at Chuck E Cheese.

So the first photo is of Danika being on the computer. She is really good at moving the mouse and pushing the buttons to go to games and on Netflix to go to the next episode.

The next picture is of a frame I made with pictures of Jesus Christ's life on the earth.

The Flowers I got because Lowell was thinking of me and he bought them because they are yellow.

The other 2 pictures are of Danika in her Halloween costume last year. She loved being a bumble bee. These are actually the day after, because I am so forgetful. She was just as cute on Halloween night.

Marine Corps Ball Night

2009-11-10T14:35:00.002-10:00

So yesterday was our units ball night. We got to the Hawaii Hilton about 5 minutes before we had to be there. We start walking toward the ball room after getting our car checked at the valet and my shoe strap breaks. So I was surprised that they had lasted this long in the first place because I have had them since my freshman year in High School. So about 10 years. So I am walking barefoot through the Hotel Plaza Shops outside looking for a shoe store with fancy shoes. We found one and looked at the clearance rack, because really who wants to shell out more $$$$$$cash when they don't want to. So we found the last pair of the perfect little black shoes for about $60.00. Yes that is on clearance. Then we go to the ball and do all of the ceremonial stuff and listen to speeches, and drunk marines yelling out at the worst times. We left the ball early and walked around the shops just so we didn't have to go home. We stopped at a shop with animation things and got Danika a little monkey from the show Ni Hao Kai-lan and then went to pick up our car. As we are waiting for the valet to bring the car back a woman about 60-70 years old stops Lowell and tells him,"Thank you for all of the service that you do for this country, Happy Birthday!! We are so glad that you are there to do it."" Her husband looked like he had been in the service at some point in his life and also said thank you as they passed by. It touched my heart to know that a complete stranger could be thankful for what Lowell does and might even know of the sacrifices that he has made or will have to make for his country. God Bless America and Happy Birthday to Lowell on the 10Th of November 2009. I love you and am glad you serve our country.

Clothes that grandma Barb made

2009-06-23T16:20:00.002-10:00

So while my mom was here we made some clothes for Danika because they are just too expensive to buy when your child is growing like a weed. So here are some pictures of Danika in some of her outfits. I still have to sew 2 pairs of shorts and put the elastic in them before they can be worn. Grandma couldn't finish them we were just having too much fun together.

We made Lei's

2009-06-22T11:40:00.002-10:00

Sister Ah Nee showing the three leis together

Sis Ah Nee showing the finished product

one of the trees was white flowers

ther other was lilac flowers

So when my dad came into town a few mondays after my mom a sister in our ward asked us if we wanted to make a homemade lei for him. So instead of paying for a few we made a few from her trees in her yard. We had a great time and she had a turtle that Danika tried to help with big rocks, it was a little scary when she threw it into the turtle's swimming area.

Random pictures of Danika

2009-06-22T11:32:00.003-10:00

While mom was here she learned very fast that Danika is not a child who will sit still for a picture. So she did the best she could and here are some of the better ones. Danika also got to play on the drum set while Lowell was in Okinawa because it was in the room with grandma and she always found a way to sneak in.

At the pool

2009-06-22T11:25:00.002-10:00

So when my mother came to town we thought we would be at the pool a whole lot more, but we really only went a few times. Here are some pictures of us at the pool across the street from our home.

The Honolulu Zoo

2009-06-22T11:19:00.005-10:00

Trying to get to the goats at the petting zoo!

Peacock on the loose

getting mooned by a bird

on the bus before leaving

Before walking up to the bus to go to the zoo, Danika loves to play in the dirt and grandma caught her!haha

This is the cow in the petting/interactive part of the zoo for little ones who have to sit in the stroller all day.

Hurry and take the picture grandma please!

peacock posing

golden redhaired monkey (or something like that)

On the bus right before we left!

So a few weeks ago my mother came to town and we took Danika to the zoo for military appreciation day. We got in for free, we got a sack lunch for free, and we got transportation for free. Danika had a great time and loved seeing all the animals. Here are some pics of her on the bus and at the zoo. The peacocks at the zoo aren't in cages so you would see them all over the place as you were walking around. I didn't want to get to close so my face is telling mom to hurry and take the picture already before Danika tries to tackle the bird. Hahaha!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T13:46:00.003-10:00

Alena (playgroup is at her house.)

Robinson (left) Tanner (right, Danika's "boyfriend)

Danika running away from getting dried and going home.

Danika and mommy saying cheese at the camera, sort of.

We go to play group every other Wednesday and this week we dyed eggs so here are some pictures of that. Also we had a neighborhood bbq at our home on Saturday with the Elders there as well. It was a total success and everyone had a great time. There were 5 kids and no one threw any punches so I count it as a plus in my book. We missed our new friends the Hollenbecks, but they had other plans. We hope your Easter Weekend was just as fun as ours.

Mommy and Danika

2009-03-24T14:28:00.005-10:00

Danika on her new skates. With her new helmet and pads and gloves.

She is actually pretty good at balancing if there aren't any boys or friends around.

cheese!!

I am trying to watch a show here!!

This is pretty interesting did you hear about this?

Is it bed time yet?

Lets go to bed already guys!

On the airplane going to Texas before getting to Hawaii

Same airplane ride, but with a cheese!

All of these are of Mommy and Danika just being together were ever

I call these "chilin pics" Enjoy !

2009-03-24T14:15:00.004-10:00

Hey dad I found these on the floor so I figured you didn't need them so I am going to wear them now!! Ha

No you may not have them back they are "MINE" now

Hey follow the parade it is going up stairs

unpack those boxes lets go 1, 2, 1, 2 lets see some hussle

Making music with a home made trumpet/bugler

I see you, can you see me?

At the McDonalds by our house before the food has arrived

Where is the food you guys

Okay now you made me cry

At the McDonalds by our house.

At the old house before we moved after my nose surgery

Nose surgery laughter. I love this picture

New house photo after recieving our goods

Helping mommy around the kitchen is always fun

My Birthday Lei

2009-03-24T14:09:00.003-10:00

Nice face right?! hehe

Just trying to get out of the parking lot

Smiling away from the camera as we turn out of the church! Haha

Not really wanting to have my picture taken, but oh well it happens.

So it was my birthday a few weeks ago and Lowell got me this Lei for Sunday to wear and show off that I had gotten older and we didn't take any pics until after church on the drive home with a cell phone. So enjoy!

Thanksgiving Fun !!**

2009-03-24T13:59:00.004-10:00

These are Lowell's pants after letting Danika out of the stroller to run around and be Danika. She touched his pants with dirty hands and tried to get mad at me about it !! I thought it was funny.

People in Lowell's Unit that are single or had no other plans on Turkey Day!

This is Valerie McCarley. She is a good friend and is a part of the FRO thing with our Unit.

The food and drink table

Danika and some little girl talking about the monkey that makes noise.

Let me see what is in your bag??

Isn't that nice to see when you are trying to have a meal that is based around giving thanks for everything??

The Turkey

So if you remember I spent Thanksgiving in a gross dirty mechanic shop and loved every minute of it well here are a few pictures of it. Also a picture of the turkey that they deep fried instead of oven cooking it.

Baby Bunny

2009-03-24T13:50:00.011-10:00

Danika and Daddy with Baby Bunny Trying to give the bunny a carrot. It got pretty interesting after a while.

So a few weeks ago Lowell decided that we should get a pet for Danika and we both knew we did not want to take care of a dog. So we were at the local pet store one day and we were looking at the birds and bunnies that they had and Danika got to hold one. She was so gentle and loving to it, that I think it broke Lowell's heart that she didn't already have one. So the next day we got one after going through all of the base channels to have a pet. So here is Baby Bunny at our home and more pictures will follow as we venture out into the world more.

Our New Home in Hawaii!!

2009-03-24T09:34:00.003-10:00

This is the back yard view with a fence so Danika can go out by herself.

This is the side of the house with the back yard fence and outer fence

Stairs yeah for stairs and all the fun we have on them

this is the kitchen with two pantries and more space than our family even needs.

front bathroom as you come in the front door and hallway area.

Front entrance hallway to the living and dining room.

This is our new home front view and we love it with all of our hearts. We are the last house on the block so if you go past our house you go off base. The neighborhood kids get into trouble if they go past our house. It gets pretty interesting being that close to the entrance and the crazy drivers not going the speed limit.

Sorry it has been so long so I will do some catching up for you.

You all know that we moved to Hawaii back in September and we got housing in October. So here are some pictures of our home before all of our things got here and before we bought a whole bunch of stuff. ENJOY!!

My New Favorite Thing

2009-02-14T19:13:00.002-10:00

So as most of you know Lowell has been out of town for the past month and just barely got back. Most of you also know how much trouble it is to go out with your children when you just want to have a relaxing day by yourselves. So today we had a life saver come and watch Danika from 11 am to 3 pm so that Lowell and I could be together without Danika fighting with us. So we went to the Mall near our home and then we went Mini Golfing for the last part. It was so nice to get to be alone and remember why we fell in love with each other and be able to focus on just each other and not a whining screaming who knows what else baby girl. So what is my newest favorite thing you ask. Well that is simple. Baby sitters who love to watch your kids no matter the day or time. I told Lowell that today was the worst day to be out at the mall because it was pay day, a Saturday, and it was Valentines Day to boot. But despite the crowded mall and horendous traffic we had a great day. My advice to anyone who likes to get away from thier children once in a while and is in a new place is to find a teenager who loves your kids and loves to earn $$$$$ lots of cash. Oh by the way Sara won at Mini Golf by 4 points.

Lowell is back home!!

2009-02-11T19:59:00.002-10:00

So most of you know that Lowell went to Kona Island for a month to do some support for guys who were training. So he is back now and getting ready to go on leave so that we can catch up and so that I can maybe stop going insane. Danika the week before he got home was just grating on my every nerve, and I didn't know what to do. She kept asking were daddy was and when the door bell would ring she always thought it was Lowell. When he went to Iraq I didn't have the problem I have now. I always wonder does it get any easier? I know the answer is not right now, but someday when I am old and gray it might think about letting up on me.

Sunday we went to church and Lowell forgot were the primary room was so of course we were running late and the priesthood were running early. He and Danika kept trying to find me, but couldn't until I got out of class. He was almost in tears with Danika because they couldn't find mommy. I guess I should have re-oriented him with the way our "chapel" is set up. We have 3 buildings that are connected only by a ceiling and a tiled floor. It is a very open place. The Chapel and cultural hall is one building. The bishop's offices, library, and adult classrooms are in another building, with a men's and women's bathroom as well. And the last building is the Primary room and kid's classes and a bathroom in it. So unless you know exactly were someone is it could take a while for you to find someone. Anyway Happy Valentines Day from our house to yours and tell someone that you love them today, they will smile and love you for it!!

Just a little Humor

2009-01-31T18:37:00.002-10:00

Today when I put Danika down for a nap she of course didn't want to sleep so when I heard her complaining I just ignored it. When I went to wake her up two hours later I looked under the door and saw her pants and a diaper on the floor. I wondered how she got a diaper in the first place and then opened the door. She had pooped and taken off the diaper and then gotten into bed with a nudey bottom like nothing had happened. So incase you are down here is a laugh for you. I know I laughed inside anyway so that I wouldn't wake her up on acciedent.

Why there is no J street in Washington DC

2009-01-17T20:31:00.002-10:00

So as I was watching NCIS on the computer the other day they posed a great question and since I watched it all of the way through they told the answer at the end. But for those of you who don't watch I wanted to look up the answer myself and make sure it was really true. So this is what I found from Yahoo! searches. I am a volunteer national tour guide in Washington DC. There is no J street in Washington DC, for the simple reason that during the time period in which Pierre L'enfant was planning Washington DC, the letters I and J looked almost the same typed, and when written were indistinguishable from each other. It would just be too confusing to have two street names that looked the same, right next to each other would be too confusing. For this same reason, the army has no J company. Some tour guides will tell you that Pierre L'enfant hated John Jay and deliberately left out J street in order to slight him, however there is no historical evidence to support this. In fact, in 1994 the Washington Post printed a story which completely dispelled the John Jay myth. I found some online sources that can reinforce these facts: http://www.snopes.com/history/american/jstreet.asp http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2005/10/17/Life/Whats.The.Deal.With.No.J.Street.In.D.c-1022571.shtml

Teen killed mother in Halo 3 row

2009-01-13T18:18:00.001-10:00

So I just read about this on the news since I don't have television I read about it.. Totally crazy and uncalled for that is for sure. Petric's lawyers argued he was not guilty of murder on insanity grounds A US teenager killed his mother and wounded his father in revenge after they took away his violent computer game, a judge has ruled. The defence team for Daniel Petric, 17, had argued his addiction to the Halo 3 game, in which players shoot invading aliens, had made him insane. But the judge rejected this, saying he had planned revenge for weeks. Petric, of Ohio, was tried as an adult and faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison without parole. On the night of the shooting in October 2007, Petric used his father's key to open a lockbox and remove a 9mm handgun and the game, the court heard. His father Mark, who was shot in the head and survived, testified that his son came into the room and asked: "Would you guys close your eyes? I have a surprise for you." He said he expected a pleasant surprise. Then his head went numb from the gunshot. The Associated Press news agency reports that Microsoft, which owns the intellectual property for the game, declined to comment beyond a statement saying: "We are aware of the situation and it is a tragic case."

Power Outage in Oahu

2008-12-30T12:58:00.002-10:00

So as many of you might know already last Friday Oahu lost power over the entire island. You also may know that the Obama family was vacationing here at the time so I would just like to show you this article written about the outage. WASHINGTON (Washington) -- Emergency crews were working to restore electrical service to Honolulu and across most of the Hawaiian island of Oahu following a storm packing heavy rain and lightning Friday night, reports said. Some 800,000 residents and thousands of tourists, including President-elect Barack Obama, were affected by the outage. The storm triggered failures in a pair of power generators operated by Hawaiian Electric , a spokesman for the utility told the Associated Press. The utility's reportedly aiming to restore power by morning. Authorities dispatched an emergency generator to serve the compound where Obama's vacationing with his family, according to Gov. Linda Lingle. So they took generators to a resort where the Obama's were staying and the enitre island lost power, how awesome is that. Danika loved it, she got to play with the flashlight and see what happens when you push the button. Lowell and I were not so happy about it. We went to bed and it was freaking hot without a fan at least and no a/c either. We got power back on at 6am on Saturday morning and then we had to wake up and we didn't get much sleep. Well if this makes your day let me know.

Fun Pics of Danika

2008-12-24T08:02:00.004-10:00

Here are some pictures of Danika being Danika, enjoy!!

Things Danika Says

2008-12-22T14:19:00.004-10:00

So here are a few things that my 2 1/2 year old says, and most others can understand what is being said without translation from mom or dad: tower, water, shoes, socks, Wall- E, Eva, Mo, pants, poop, butt, deer, Manny, Tootles, castle, yes please, light pole, playground, head/hair, bed, seat, car ride, draw, open, MINE, cloud, sky, sun, moon/Luna, tree, rock, window, clock, bear, Einstein without the s, Turner, onkey(monkey), bunny, bald eagle, she can also count to 12 and then back down to zero. I am not sure if she really knows what she is saying is actually being understood by that tiny brain of hers, but it is fun to listen to. She also says away, paper, doodle, as in doodle pro, church, popcorn, cheese, piano. We watch baby Einsteins and they do the signing with the pictures and she will try to do some of the signs like book, flower, tree, and window. Who knows she may do a whole lot more when I am not looking, but I like to just watch sometimes because it is so fascinating to me how fast she is learning and growing. So next time you don't think you have anything to do, go and watch your kids and see what they are doing and learning when you are not around, who knows they could amaze you!!!

Just the cutest thing

2008-12-04T15:09:00.003-10:00

Today we were at a play group and Danika loves going to this house because it has everything you can imagine. It has been through 11 kids and now lets others play with the toys that have been acquired over the 20+ years of growing up. Anyway today Danika just couldn't wait to go and she had found one of her hair ties. She likes to put them on her wrist and use them as bracelets. I asked her nicely to take it off and give it to me. You will never guess that she was going to give it to me, but she did, I then asked her if she wanted me to put her hair up for her and she went to her seat, sat down and said hair please. Which obviously means okay mom you can put my hair up. After I finished putting her hair up with out asking for a thank you she said, "Thank You Mommy!" How cute is that when your kid is polite without being asked to, and shows that she is learning the manners that you are trying to teach her.

Well we hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and ate til you could no longer breathe, if that is what you are into, Lowell did, but I only ate what would fit without feeling like I needed to barf all over. Have fun today and tell someone a silly joke to make them laugh.

Lowell's Helo Dunking Experience

2008-11-20T13:51:00.005-10:00

For those of you who don't know what that means or entails I will explain a little, there will be a video of it at the end. The guys get dressed in full uniform, flak and kevlar too and sit in a simulated helicopter, buckled in and all, over a pool of water. They are then dunked into the water and then it gets flipped upside down and they have to get out as quickly and safely as possible. They also have to hold their breath for one go through and the other 2 they get breathing apparatises with limited air supply. They had to do this about 3 or 4 times and they also did it blind folded once or twice. Lowell sayed he was scared out of his mind until he did it and then it wasn't so bad. This whole thing took 3 days to do. The 1st day he learned how to do everything and the other 2 days he had to actually do it with 6 or so other marines there as well. Here are some pictures of him and the equipment. Also a video of others that have done it. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a video of what it looks like in action go to the website and watch it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ikn3_xsbSc.

Bug play

2008-11-04T10:32:00.002-10:00

The other day in our back yard we were playing and Danika put her hand on a bug but didn't kill it. It ran real fast to get away, and she didn't even know she had touched it. later in the playing at a different part of the yard she found the bug again. She then proceeded to put her hand on it and squirsh it until it was no longer moving. Here are some pics for you to see the happening. Bugs beware of the DANIKA!!!!

Outside in our backyard

2008-11-04T10:10:00.002-10:00

Danika finally has a back yard to play in that I don't have to follow her to make sure she doesn't go into a street or steal some other persons toys out of thier yard etc. We have a cute little back yard and she loves to play in it. She is such a tom boy just like her mom. I at least had some help becoming a tom-boy with 3 older brothers to show me how to do it, I don't know why she is one. Anyway some times we take our Dora table and chairs out with us so we can play on them and maybe have snack time as well. we love to play with the rock area and the plastic cars, airplanes, and tractor to move the rocks around. Here are some pics, enjoy!!!

Bedtime on our borrowed furniture

2008-11-04T10:03:00.002-10:00

It is definately hard to move to a new place, but when you get furniture that looks like my grandmas linai furniture it just makes you laugh. We got a double bed with plastic on it that we could not take off or else. Even with sheets and a cieling fan we could not stop sweating. We were given a tip to stop the sweating, but I didn't have enough towels to support the thoery. We got a table for four, which was great and Danika loved sitting like a big kid at the table. We also got three chairs and a couch made of bamboo and whatever else it was. So our bedtime routine was on the bamboo couch watching our little portable dvd player every night. Thank goodness we have our stuff now.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-03T18:03:00.003-10:00

We did a trunk or treat this year at the church and it was a lot of fun for Danika and us too. We decorated our car and dressed Danika up too. She was a little red devil with a bow tie, tail, horns, and pitch fork too. She only kept on the bow tie and tail. The horns were too big and the pitch fork was too dangerous for her in the dark. She wouldn't stand still for a picture so you get what you get. No one came to our house for Halloween because we don't have across the street neighbors to go the other way with. We had a great Halloween and we hope all of you did as well.

In Hawaii

2008-09-30T15:04:00.002-10:00

Hey everyone we finally made it to Hawaii on the 25th at about 1515 a 1/2 hour later than planned. We had a bit of turbulence, but it was fine. Danika was a real trooper through the 8 hour plane ride. She didn't sleep a wink, but Lowell and I took turns sleeping and playing with Danika, we needed the sleep more than the play. Saturday we went to the beach for about 2 hours and Danika loved it even though we lost our shovel that goes with our pail. We'll have to go get a new one. We are on the list for housing and it is a 2-6 month wait at least, plus I have to do my own house hunting out in town or else. Lowell has already started work because we took the entire month of September off he started work as soon as we arrived. Not that I am complaining because someone has to do it and I like not answering to some all high and mighty person who probably doesn't even want to be there either. We still have our phones just remember when you call that it could be up to an 8 hour difference in time when you are calling me at 10 in the morning. We love and miss everyone and wish you were here with us having fun. Pictures to come shortly I promise!!!

NO MORE NOSE PROBLEMS!!!!!!!

2008-09-14T09:02:00.003-10:00

So as most of you know I got my nose fixed last month on the 20th and have been breathing better ever since. They did the surgery at 10 am and were done by 11:30 am. They didn't do all that they thought they would do, but what ever they did made it so that I could breath like I am supposed to. My septum was broken (deviated really), and they went in and cut the cartilage all the way up to my sinuses and took out the middle junk that was making it impossible to breath the right way. They thought they could straighten my nose, but after my accident as a baby they fixed it just so and if the doctors today would have straightened my nose I would have been right back where I started and I would have looked retarded because my face would be crooked.

For a day I had tubes in both nostrils that were as long as a pencil before it is sharpened and just as wide too. After they took those out I still had some dripping from my nose, puss and blood if I was lucky. I thought it would gross me out like when I got my finger slammed in the door at 7 and I had to see the stitches all of the time, but it wasn't like that. A week after the surgery they took out some more things. I had wedges holding my nostrils out to where they should be for better breathing. When the doctors took out these wedges they didn't tell me that the wedges were still stitched into my nose. So he tugged a little turned it and then yanked it out as if pulling my brain out. It was almost as uncomfortable as giving birth. He did the same thing to the other nostril. As they did it I had tears coming down my face, but I didn't make any crying sounds only a couple of groans and moans.

Just this past Friday I had to go back one more time for what I thought was just a check up to say you are healing nicely good luck with the rest of your life. Nope. I apparently have some cartilage still up there in my nose that was taken out and there is even more up there. He didn't say how much more just that there was more. At least it wasn't as painful as the last appointment. I have to wait for Lowell to find the picture of me with a swolen nose to show the difference. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of me with the tubes in my nose or I would be able to show the real fun. Well until next time keep smiling and keep the spirit with you always.

misc pics

2008-09-07T16:08:00.000-10:00

Lowell Got His License

2008-08-18T10:35:00.002-10:00

Hey everybody, Lowell finally did it. He got his license last month and has been driving to work ever since. Thanks for all of the support you have given us and keeping the crazy coments about him not having one to a minimum. He was really nervous and the first time the instructor guy was a big butthead. He is still a little nervous on the road but it saves on gas and mileage for the car. Today on his way to work he had to swerve to miss a stray dog in the middle of the road and was a little shaken up about it. He will be fine and be able to drive home from the hospital on Thursday no problem. Yes that is right the hospital. I am getting my nose surgery finally. My appointment is on the 20th and I won't be back home until the 21st some time. We are driving to Chapel Hill 3 hours away because they are the best in the business and the Military already approved it so it will cost us nothing. We are even getting re-embursed for travel expenses of every kind because I am a genious and don't feel like paying for that trip 4 times now. So when you see me next I will look a little bit different but I won't hold it against you if you don't say anything or even notice. Have a great Labor Day and be safe, We love you all the NC Bentleys

New Callings

2008-06-09T04:44:00.002-10:00

Well it's finally summer here in Jacksonville and you can feel it. Even at 5:00 am it is already humid and sticky. Not fun at all. But good news is that Lowell got his permit again a couple of weeks ago. He told me the other day that he is going to take a week or two off in July to get his lisence, Hurray!!!!! He is a good driver, but I still get car sick when other people are driving sometimes. It is harder when I have to tell him how to get where we are going because I can't just relax and have a conversation because he is concentrating so hard on driving. The best part is the starting and stopping. Holy Cow!!! If anyone wants to take my place please come on down and help. Two weeks ago I was released as the Teaching Coordinator and sent to the primary as a floater in-case person. Lowell was also released as the Executive Secretary and called as a primary worker (Valiant 10-11) and the 11 year old scout leader assistant. He loves being there in primary and he also loves to help the scouts out. He is almost like the scout leader because the real one is gone all of the time for work. He is always in the field doing some kind of training. So now all we are doing is waiting for orders to go somewhere else and work our butts off there. At least we won't have to worry about getting deployed for the next 3 years. Hiippyyy!!!!! Well keep smiling and we will talk again when Danika goes in for her check up next month. Pictures are on there way I am just waiting for a CD from MaryBeth who took the pictures.

A lot has happened in the past month

2008-04-15T08:21:00.002-10:00

Well if you didn't hear about it we had to move out of our old house and had a month to find a place and do it all. So we did it all by the 7th of April and we didn't miss a minute of Conference!!! So we actually moved across the street from our old home to 137 and we are liking it except for the water pressure in the shower stinks so we will have to fix that. Danika is finally use to sleeping in a different bedroom, but still tries to go and play in the back yard of our old house. The storage space is a little bit smaller and the attic doesn't have a shelf to put stuff on like across the street. So right now I have a living room full of boxes and other things, but we are all moved in for the most part.

The other new thing that has happened even more recently than that is Lowell got promoted to SGT on Friday and me being the silly one that I am forgot to bring the camera so there are no pictures of that event in our lives. This week he is the acting Platoon SGT because all of the other sergeants have things to do so he gets to try his hand in it. He was so excited to hear that he was getting promoted that the day he got the call he pretty much stopped working and called a whole bunch of people while I had to keep busting my chops to get the other house ready for inspection, which we past with flying colors.

Finally, if you didn't know Lowell re-enlisted before he went to Iraq and signed up for when he got back to get the option to live where ever he wanted to without deployment. So last week he put in his papers for either Hawaii, which he really wants to go there, or Okinawa again because we loved it so much. I have no idea when we will hear back about the moving situation, but it will probably be between 4-6 months before we get orders. That's the news in our neck of the woods and now here's the weather!!

Lowell's new calling

2008-02-22T10:32:00.003-10:00

Well Lowell was home all of one week and then he was asked to be the ward executive secretary. I thought it was interesting considering he is always asking me who people are and I don't always know myself. Even though he is being a little challenged he is loving his new calling. As for Danika she is growing like a weed. She is 34 inches tall and wieghs 25 pounds. We are also getting ready to move to another home here in Jacksonville because my landlord is a big dummy. We think we are just going to move across the street for a little more rent, but an easy move is the best move. I am still working with the Cub Scout program and right now am getting ready for the Blue and Gold Banquet next Thursday. This year we are celebrating the Chinese New Year because it fell on Feb. 7th. Well here are some cute pictures of Danika and the family.

Danika's first Day in Nursery

2008-01-11T09:50:00.000-10:00

O-Kay so it wasn't exactly her first day in Nursery, but it was for our ward. She stayed in the entire time and had a blast. Her dress was so messy on top where she drools and eats so that's how I knew she had a great time. I still didn't go to Sunday School, but I do plan on going when I am not getting the Missionaries fed. Well I am so glad to be able to have the option of going to class I totally want to go because I miss the intellectual conversation.

Christmas Time in Texas

2008-01-11T06:30:00.001-10:00

Hey everyone, It was a great time this holiday season in Texas with Lowell's family. We went on the 19th of December and got back on the 3rd of January. Danika had a great time with her auntie Hope and her cousin Kaiden. She of course had a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandpa Bentley as well. Yelly wasn't there as much as we hoped but she loved playing with Danika too. Liz and Brandon had a blast watching everyone interact together and having fun with the babies. Lowell wasn't able to make it though he really wanted to. For presents Danika got some new clothes from her Great Aunt Beth. She got some stuffed animals from grandparents and Santa. She got books and a Bee Smart toy to learn about the letters in the alphabet. She got some toy train connectors from her Auntie Yelly. She got some clothes from Aunt Liz and Uncle Brandon too. Auntie Hope gave her some books that she thought she would love and she did. I got some clothes too because I have lost some weight and need new clothes. I got a nice comfortable robe and a blanket with the same material. They are so soft and fuzzy it is so nice. Lowell will be home by the end of the month and he is already starting to send stuff back this way from Iraq. He is really excited and is counting down the days until he gets here. I can't do that because it is too nerve racking. So stop sending things to him because it will take twice as long to get to him, it will get to Iraq and then be rerouted to NC. Here is a movie of Danika at Grandma Bentley's house.

Danika's First snow

2007-12-06T17:46:00.001-10:00

Look at how much fun she is having in the snow with no boots or gloves because she wouldn't wear them.

Thanksgiving Fun In Idaho

2007-12-05T17:07:00.000-10:00

Well I hope that everyones Thanksgiving was as fun as ours was. We got to go to Idaho and stay with Kate and see Mom as well. Danika got to meet three more of her cousins and had a blast at the Residence Club with them. She is now a pro at climbing a going down stairs. She did however scare mom a couple of times while becoming pro status. We got a little snow while we were there as well so check out the playing in the snow time video. Danika loved playing with Greg because he played with her like she was one of his own and he wasn't afraid to ruff her up a bit. She thought he was the coolest thing ever since her daddy left town. She learned a few table manners as well by watching what the other kids were doing. We are going to Texas for Christmas and are going to see some old friends who have a little boy the same age as Danika. Well have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy new year because I won't have pictures or updates until we get back after the new year. Keep praying for Lowell so that he will come home on time.

Fun in DC

2007-11-06T17:05:00.000-10:00

Hey everyone Happy Halloween!! We hope all of you had a great Halloween and a safe one too. We went up to Nelson and Karen's house for a couple of days during Halloween. We had a great 6 hour drive both ways and no accidents either way. Danika played on her first playground while we were there. She loves the swings and playing pick-a-boo while on the play-set. She went down her first spiral slide and did a somersault in the middle one time. She had a blast and you couldn't help but have a blast with her. I don't have the pictures yet but I will have them by the time we get back from Idaho. We will also have Thanksgiving pictures as well and fun with the cousins and other relatives. Lowell has told me that he should be leaving Iraq between January 15-17th but I won't believe it until I see the whites of his eyes. Lowell just wants you to know that if you are going to send something to Iraq send it before the end of November and it should get there on time or before. The rush of mail that goes out there backs up the system of USPS and it doesn't get there on time. If Lowell is coming home when he says he is then you will want to send it soon or it won't get there on time and you just might get it back. We got sister missionaries in our area finally. So now I have the joy of getting them fed every other week along with the Elders. It is a little harder now because everyone can feed the sisters and want to meet them too. So I have my work cut out for me, but it's nothing I can't handle. If I need help I have a great Ward Missionary Leader who's wife used to have the same job that I have so she knows the work you have to put into it. Well we hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and a safe one if you are traveling like we are. We love and miss everyone and think about you all of the time especially when you don't call to say hey. Just kidding we know you are busy. Keep smiling and mom and dad are coming home soon.

Illinois/St. Louis Vacation

2007-10-23T10:06:00.000-10:00

Hey ya'll, I hope that every one is ready for Halloween and is having a great day. Danika and I just went to Crystal's house in Illinois for a week at the beginning of October. We had a great time and we went to the St. Louis Zoo. Danika's first trip to the zoo ever. We took some pictures and hope that you like them. We are back home now and are getting ready to go to see Nelson and Karen's for Halloween. We are driving up there and are hoping for no mis-haps. An update on Lowell is this: He told me that he will be leaving Iraq between January 15-17th and should be home by the end of the month. So if you want to say hi to him then you better do it quick or it will come back to you. I just sent him a package with our Anniversary gift, his birthday, and Halloween all in one and he should get it next week. Danika is growing like a weed and just cut two new teeth last week. Thank goodness that is over. So keep smiling and have a great day if there are any questions that you have feel free to leave me a note or give me a call.

Just an update

2007-09-22T16:05:00.001-10:00

Hey all, It has been a couple of months and I haven't had anything exciting to tell so I haven't felt the need to say anything. But the past month has had some news for the Bentley family. Lowell since he has been over in Iraq has eliminated 2 medications from his daily regiment and has lost some weight with working out every day and using GNC products to help. He found out that they might extend him until March instead of coming home in January. He is so upbeat and sees people from church all of the time. Our friends JR Norris and Ben Magleby just went over there at the beginning of August. Something funny about the people he sees over there is that my OB/GYN that I had when I was pregnant is now his doctor in Iraq. So they get to talk and he gets to show off his baby girl to her. She didn't get to deliver Danika she was deployed on my actual due date and since Danika was late she missed that beautiful day. Danika now gets to wear shoes when she wants to which she loves to do all of the time. She is growing rapidly and wears some 18 month clothes and some 12 month, but that is a stretch. She loves to play outside in our yard and all of the yards all around us. Because we live in a Duplex community area she thinks that our yard is your yard and your yard is my yard. She will go to someones house and if they have chairs she will climb up in them. If they have kid toys or balls she will try to play with those too. She loves pushing things with wheels if she is strong enough. She has actually pushed the lawn mower at least 3-4 feet if not farther. She loves to take baths and she is like me and only takes about a 10 minute bath and then tries to climb out which is her way of saying I'm done now. I am now in the cub scouts at church. I am the bear assistant cub master. We have about 3 boys that show up regularly and probably 5-10 that are on the list. I am still making sure that the missionaries get fed every day of every month. I still don't get to go to Sunday School because Danika isn't old enough yet to go to Nursery, but when she is she is going to love it and I know because I filled in for the nursery and she came with and had a blast. The Laurel class at church made the ladies whose husbands are deployed dinner and dessert the other week and it made me feel like someone was thinking of us and noticed that we needed something. That is all that is new with us. Here are some pics from Iraq straight to you. That's what is going on in our world and we hope that everything is good in your world. xoxo

Danika is 1

2007-07-09T17:20:00.000-10:00

Hey everyone!! Today Danika went to the doctors and got her shots and check up all in one shot. She weighed a whopping 21 lbs 1oz. That is only a 1lb 1oz difference from 6 months. She was 30 inches long, which is 1 inch longer than last time. Thank you to those who sent her birthday gifts or cards we really liked them. Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. We went to someones home for the afternoon and had a blast playing out in a clean yard with other kids. After the party we came home and watched the fireworks on Capitol Hill trying to find Nelson on the camera. We didn't see him because the show got boring and we flipped back and forth. Here are some cute pictures of the hottest red head in NC. If you want to see more photos of Danika go to snapfish.com. Login as sbentley@ec.rr.com, password is 0307seb and see lots of cute pics. You can also click on the Pictures of Danika Link and it will take you strait to the pictures.

New Calling

2007-06-10T08:29:00.000-10:00

Hey all Danika is now 11months old and loving life. She is teething on her right side right now and gets cranky when they start to hurt. She is also climbing on everything. She can get on and off of the couch all by herself without any accidents. The other day she crawled into the dryer and just started playing in it. Hope you like the pictures. In other news I got a new calling last week and am trying to do my best because it isn't as easy as it sounds. I am the new teaching coordinator for the Missionaries. Pretty much what I do is to make sure that the missionaries get fed every night of the week. Some of the people here are not quick to feed them even though they know we are a main source of their missionary work here. So today in Relief Society I got up and gave a cute little speech that said it was fun and enjoyable to feed them, everyone laughed and then I got an okay response. I still have the last week of June to fill out.

Two week vacation

2007-05-24T11:00:00.001-10:00

Hey everybody!! We had a mini birthday party for Danika last week while Lowell was here. We forgot and messed up taping the opening of presents, but we got the cake eating on tape. The file is too big to put on here so we took some pictures instead. Hope you like them and the toys too. Lowell goes back to Iraq on the 25th at 0900 and will be gone for 7-8 more months. So keep those prayers, thoughts, and care packages and letters coming. Pictures coming soon so keep a look out for them. Lowell didn't take the time to write anything to everyone. He did tell me that he was happy to be back for the two weeks and he was sad to have to leave again. He and Danika played a lot and had so much fun together. We got Danika two super cool toys for her birthday. She got a drum that is not only bilingual, but it teaches numbers, letters, and is just super fun. She also got a sit to stand Activity Walker that is like a piano and it plays a bunch of noises, songs, and is helping to build her confidence when it comes to walking. She is walking great these days and loves to see how far she can go before she falls over or before she gets to someone she is going toward. Anyway she is loving life and her new toys. We love you all and hope all is well with your families and friends.

Lowell is home finally

2007-05-19T10:32:00.000-10:00

Lowell got back to the states on the 9th of May at 11:00am. We went to pick him up and Danika wore a cute little Devil Dog outfit. We have had a great time with Lowell being here. Everyone at church is so surprised that he is back and at how he looks. He lost 40 lbs over in Iraq and I am not sure if he is going to stop there. We are just hanging out and having great quality family time. We are going down to Wilmington on Sunday to get our Temple Recommends renewed so that it doesn't laps in November. Hopefully Lowell will write something to answer all of the questions you are asking yourselves about Iraq and being over there. He no longer has to go on Convoys when he returns. Just one more reason to be thankful he is safe. I am going to add a picture or video from our new camcorder, so I hope it works. Stay safe and keep those care packages and letters flowing in.

Danika's 9 month check up

2007-04-25T07:21:00.000-10:00

Hey everybody!! Danika had her 9 month check up Monday and we found out that she is a whopping 20 lbs even and she is 29 inches long. She had a real hard time with this check up for some reason. She cried the entire time the doctor was looking at her to make sure everything was okay. I think she just doesn't like the lady who is a PA. Her PA is also my PA so maybe my vibes of dislike rubbed off on Danika so she screams every time she sees Dr. Ferrand. Lowell is coming home on the 1st and will be staying for about 2 weeks. We are having a mini family birthday for Danika while he is here so we can video tape it and he can take it with him to the desert. Well we hope all is well with you and ask for your prayers and thoughts to be with Lowell while he is in the desert.

Danika getting teeth/Lowell coming home

2007-04-18T06:46:00.000-10:00

Danika is getting 4 upper teeth at the same time. She is loving life. She is almost walking. Right now she cruises around the furniture and crawls so fast that I miss place her sometimes. Lowell is coming home on May 1st. He will stay here for about two weeks and then he will go back to the desert for another 8 months. We will find out how much Danika weighs and how tall she is on April 23rd and then I will do another blog for that appointment. Danika is eating solid foods like cheerios, bananas, bread, the basics. She loves to play with kids even though she can't keep up yet she loves to watch them play and tries to catch them. Until next time keep smiling.

New pictures at snapfish

2007-04-02T16:59:00.000-10:00

Hey all, I created a snapfish account so that I can put up lots of pictures and you all can look at them. I also put the link in the link area. Here is the site:northcarolinabentleys.snapfish.com. Well take a look at some cute Danika pictures and tell me what you think!! Stay safe in all that you do, Sara

Just keeping busy

2007-04-02T11:48:00.000-10:00

Danika turns 9 months this week and I will write again to tell about her check up, but I wanted to give a Lowell update as well. Lowell is the Group Leader in his "ward", which is actually called a group out there because there aren't very many people there. He said that there is only about 15-20 people that go in the morning. He doesn't know about the ones that go in the afternoon. His Group Leader Assistant does Sacrament in the afternoon. Here are some old and new pictures of Danika growing up. He is doing great, but at the same time he is struggling with his own demons and he really needs to be in your prayers. He also needs your support and letters would really boost his moral and spirit. Until next time keep praying for Lowell and our troops.

Lowell's Art Work

2007-03-21T10:41:00.000-10:00

Hey all, Lowell sent us this picture that he colored and shaded. I think it is pretty good for a color blind person. What do you think? Anyway he says hello to all of you and that he misses everything of the "free life". Well please send him something to say hello and that you are thinking of him as well. He would really appreciate it and he will write you back and let you know anything he can tell you about his days and nights over in Iraq. Until next time keep Lowell in your prayers!!

Danika is growing

2007-03-15T15:51:00.000-10:00

Danika had a cold the other day and a super yukky diaper rash. Sara took her in to see what she could do to fix it and make it better. Danika weighed in at 18 lbs 12 oz and is 28 inches long. She is getting so big and so smart. She climbs on anything that is short enough and eats anything that looks fun to put in her mouth. She is finding out that she can get Sara's attention when she uses her vocal cords to make real loud screams that are high pitched and annoying to me. We were at Toys'R'Us the other day and got a play yard for her to have her own space. Also so that I can eat and do things on the computer without having to watch her like a hawk. Until next time stay safe and keep smiling.

A quick update

2007-03-01T20:04:00.000-10:00

Danika is doing fine and she is growing so much. We went to the doctor for an ear infection and she weighed in at 18lbs 10oz. She is over her infection in her ear, but now she is getting over a diaper rash caused by the Pampers Diapers with the blue gel stuff on the inside of the diaper. The PA said that it was her 10Th case of it in the past couple of weeks or so. We'll try them again later on in life. Danika is climbing all over things especially mommy. She gets on the love sac which is usually where mommy is sitting and she climbs over mommy and then over mommy again. I keep telling her that I am not a jungle gym, but she just giggles at me and does it some more. She definitely misses Lowell because every time she sees a guy in uniform she lunges toward him thinking that it is daddy coming to see her. She is being very good and learning lots. She eats cheerios and bread. She tried ice cream the other day and pizza crust, but it didn't agree with her and she barfed it back up. Anyway Lowell is doing fine and he is going to his allotted hour of church on Sunday. He only goes for 1 hour because that is all they are aloud to be away from work not including lunch. He has gotten a couple of packages and is happy that he got them. He hasn't told me of anything that I can't send to him, so if you aren't sure of what he is aloud to have there in Iraq just let me know and I will investigate or be able to tell you yea or nay. We love you all and appreciate all of your support during this hard time in our lives. Hugs and kisses from us to you. Danika Sara and Lowell

Lowell's new address

2007-02-17T18:16:00.000-10:00

Hey everyone!! We hope all is well with you all. Lowell is doing fine and just wants to be back home I'm sure. He is now in a barracks and has a place to put things. He does have access to a refrigerator so if you wanted to send him anything that needs to be cold you can. He has a new address:

CPL Bentley, L.E. 2 MEF FWD CO TRUCK CO MAINT UNIT 73920 FPO AE 09509-3920

So please send him something to let him know his is missed and loved by everyone he knows. FYI it takes about two weeks for anything to get there. So if you are thinking about sending something for St. Patrick's Day you need to send it by the first week of the month. Danika and Sara are doing fine. Danika is getting over an ear infection and next week we will see if the pneumonia in her right lung is gone. Danika is getting into everything around the house and now when I leave the room she either cries or comes to look for me, which is a new thing. She is going on searches by herself as well and finding the bathroom and kitchen that are across the hall from each other. I am glad I have the time to keep both clean so that she is not crawling on a dirty floor before I get her out of the room. Until next time, keep in touch and stay upbeat.

Family is sick

2007-02-14T12:48:00.000-10:00

Danika has an ear infection and we caught it early thank goodness. She also has a yeast infection/diaper rash infection too. We got the medication needed and we are trying to get better. Sara is getting over a cold but doing fine. Just an FYI Lowell's address has changed so I hope that no one has sent anything because I did and it came back. Also when you do send something send it priority so that if it does come back you won't have to pay the fee. I will be getting the new address soon so please just be patient. Love you all from the NC Bentley Family, Lowell, Sara, and Danika

Getting settled in

2007-02-02T18:08:00.000-10:00

Lowell is finally in an actual living area with walls now. He is awaiting any kind of care package you feel like sending him. If you don't want to make one yourself, I think that you can purchase one to send to him. His address is Cpl. Bentley, L. E. HQ BN TRUCK CO Unit 73550 FPO AE 09509-3550 Also in case anyone is caring about Danika, she has gotten two front teeth and has had two back molars. She is crawling like crazy and lifting herself up on anything she can get to. Lowell would like even a letter just saying hello. Keep in mind that there are certain things that he cannot talk about. You could even send him an email. His address is LOWELLBENTLEY@ec.rr.com. He would really love to hear from you over in Iraq.

Danika's 6 Month Check Up

2007-01-25T11:28:00.000-10:00

Danika went to the check up on the 23rd of January. She weighs 18 lbs 4 oz. She is 27.5 inches long. She is now crawling all over the place and she loves to pull herself up next to things and stand there drooling. She just cut in her left front tooth and there is another one coming in soon. Before her check up and over the Christmas holiday she got sick in Texas on vacation. She had a pneumonia in her right lung. We will go back after February 14th to get another X- ray. Lowell is finally at Fallujah. He says he is living in a tent with 20 - 30 other marines. He isn't at his final destination. When he gives me his address I will give it out. He could use calling cards that go internationally so he doesn't spend so much trying to call here. He is working hard and sleeping fine. He says hi to everyone and that he misses everyone too. The only thing going on is Sara's life is she is getting a crown on a chipped tooth. She chipped it on some stuff that is like Fiddle Faddle over the Christmas holiday.

On the move

2007-01-20T12:12:00.000-10:00

Danika is crawling more than she was last week and I have to keep an eye on her a lot more than I used to. She loves to come find mom if she leaves the room for an extended period of time. I am sure that she is looking for dad too, but she won't find him until she is walking. Danika also started cutting in a front tooth last night so neither of us got any sleep. A friend at church told me about the teething tablets so we will see if they work for us. So far so good.

Danika is walking

2007-01-19T14:50:00.000-10:00

Danika is totally mobile. I can leave the room for not even a minute and she is somewhere totally different. You were asking about the 2 surgeries that Lowell had. Well he had the first in Okinawa where the original injury took place. He then tried to do his physical therapy the way he was supposed to and it tore out the original screws and holdings. So we had a second surgery done in April and he is now fully recovered and can do anything he could do before. Lowell is finally in Camp Fallujah. Other than that I have no idea maybe tomorrow.

The Bentleys

2007-01-18T11:56:00.000-10:00

This Year has been an eventful one for our family. We have added a new person, Danika, and Lowell is fully recovered from his second shoulder surgery. Danika was born on July 7, 2006. She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 21 inches long born in room # 7. She is now crawling on her own and getting into everything she can get her hands on. Sara is a Ward Missionary and a substitute Primary worker. She is a full time mom and wife, no jobs outside of the home for her. Lowell is doing great. He is now in Camp Falujah Iraq for about 1 year. He is also a Ward Missionary and plans on doing as much missionary work while in Iraq that he possibly can. He is a great Daddy and a huge help around the house when he is here. We just recently re-enlisted for another 4 years in the Marine Corps.