5 MONTHS!!

I know I know I missed the 4 month post, but ya know life happens and it is often too fast to keep up with! July is one heck of month for us, it always has been; with holidays, my birthday, family reunions, and summer trips. I'll have to do a post on our California trip later on, it deserves its' own post. I want to have that documented while its fresh in my mind.

Anyways, without further ado here is our little (big) boy at 5 months!


QUICK STATS
- 18.4 pounds
- 29 inches long
- 90th percentile (not sure how important this is, but i looked it up anyways)
- SMILES ALL THE TIME
- loves mango, watermelon, peaches, apples, avocado, rice, sweet potatoes, water from MY cup!


PERSONALITY
- climbed out of his crib..... yea, I cried. Thought he was going to be traumatized, but when I RAN into his room to see him lying ON THE GROUND he smiled at me. Scared me half to death.
- SY absolutely loves face time with just about anyone but his cousins in particular are his favorite people to be around.
- uncle Noah brings a smile and a laugh to his face, always.
- Sy LOVES cheerleaders.... no other way to put it. I don know if it is their sparkly pom poms or makeup drenched faces that he likes. This new found love was realized at our small town parade last week. I had to walk along side the cheerleaders during the parade to keep him from crying. Oh boy.
- He is trying to be more and more independent at the table, reaching for the spoon and feeding himself. If I don't let him try alone he makes sure I know that he is frustrated by that.
- The only time he is ever really fussy is when we are all eating as a family and he can't have exactly what we are having! It could be worse, I am glad that is the extent of his worries :)
- outdoor lover, we walk everyday for miles
- I am sure he recognizes Shawn T's voice from the INSANITY workout tapes ;) yes I do that, and yes he loves to watch and even laughs when I move really fast.
- Sy does this intense sitting up position from his back  that looks like boat pose, his abs are certainly strong as a result.
- He thinks he going to get up and walk before learning to crawl.
- He loves sitting in the tee-pee in the morning while I get breakfast ready. He plays with toys and his toes.
- Since the discovery of his own feet he can't get enough of them!
- Loves dads nose... I mean LOVE LOVE LOVES his nose. He must think if he tries hard enough milk will come out.
- Getting more adventurous in the water and started splashing around in the pool and bath tub

We love you honey bear.
every roll, every dimple, every smile, every spit up, and every blow out poop.

You are the happiest babe ever :)

The Ambassador of San Luis Obispo is....

Bentley Murdock

Congratulations honey, you work so hard, all the time- but extreme effort was put into this campaign the last TWO months! Out of 40 + contestants, 3 weeks of voting, an hour and a half long interview in front the mayor, Rosetta Marketing reps, city reps and so many more...  YOU have proven yourself to be the best representative for Share SLO.

Boy the anticipation has been brewing like no other 

This has been such a fun experience so far. I can't wait to watch my husband in action representing the city. They really chose the right person for the job. 

I am one proud wifey!

 HUGE THANK YOU 
to everyone who voted, wether it was one time or once a day for the entire campaign! This was a very demanding process, one that we felt hesitant about pushing too hard for fear of annoying friends and family, eventually running them off. 

But here we stand because of your support and enthusiasm!

WE really appreciate it.

I wish I could hug each and every one of you.

You can go here to check out what he will be doing as this adventure continues!

Christmas Eve- traditions and announcements!

This is my first christmas away from my family with Bentley at his parents cabin in Duck creek Utah. It has been different without my mom, dad, and brother, but I am really enjoying getting to know and spending time with my in-laws. 

Especially in such a magical place. 

This cabin of theirs- covered in snow, full of  family, and a cozy fireplace is lovely. I really could not have asked for a better family to marry into, for me this is perfect. I feel as though I blend in like another pair of boots at the front door.

Right where I belong amongst all the other pairs with my sole mate ;)

Their family tradition for years has been to have Bethlehem dinner on christmas eve and dress up like wise men or shepherds.

 The food is always something similar to what might have been eaten during the time Christ was born. Food is served on a low table lit only by candles, with pillow cushions for 'seats', no utensils and grape juice is the 'wine'. This year we didn't dress up for dinner, but we had cornish game hens, cucumber and hummus, cranberry sauce, olives, dates, fry bread, and cheese. 

It was delicious and so much better when eaten with your hands!

 

  


Dig in and drink up!

Yum!

Christmas morning... I'm always one of the first up!

Now for the announcements, dont get too excited I am not pregnant. 

But one of my sisters in law is!!! She told the family christmas eve by having Mimi, George and her 2 boys unwrap a gift that gave it away.

My favorite was the card with the #31 written on it in big black sharpie to her dad since it will be their 31st grandchild.  There are quite a few babies in this family right now. Emily just had one in September, Chandler is 4 months along and now another one due next August

Babies, babies, babies!!!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones!

A Christmas Card- Our First One!

I am pleased to say I got around to making our card this year! 
It's something I wanted to do last year since it was our first christmas as a married couple, but that just did not happen.
Lets be real...

last christmas season was blissful but busy. We had only been married 3 months and time seemed to be fleeting from us quicker than this year, which is almost impossible.

So here it is!

Front & Back

The disclaimer about babies is truly relevant now that we are officially 

the last on the Murdock side of the family to procreate :)

Merry Christmas everyone, 
hold your loved ones tight and give thanks!

365 days of happiness

Our first anniversary  

wait, what?!?

this has been the fastest & funnest year of my life so far-

Thanks Bent

for all that you do

all that you are

all that is

ours

you wash the dishes... all the time :) seriously thank you for that!

rub my feet

take care of A LOT of busy work I don't like to do

go above and beyond to show me your appreciation

tickle my back

play with my hair

bring home flowers for no reason, often :)

you sing me to sleep- LOVE LOVE LOVE that!

remind me to be nice to myself when I am being too self critical...

leave me sweet nothings in the form of love letters and art all over the house

you open my eyes everyday to this reality we call our life, I still feel like is a dream

How did I get so lucky?

typical bentley and michelle right here. 

G. Brothers Smokehouse BBQ to go (they catered for us), fortune cookies, and limonada con soda under the Gazebo at Mitchel Park. 

Our little space in SLO, the one where we held our ring ceremony.

Only A QUARTER of the year has passed since my last post....

Summer went by too fast, as it always does. We had an unusual summer, we spent the summer in one of the last places you want to be during the summer months, Las Vegas.  Needless to say I got a pretty good tan, lots of swim time, and napped a lot. The heat has a way of putting me right to sleep! 

My birthday dinner in Duckcreek, Utah during the crazy Murdock family reunion! Bentley thinks, and plans for EVERYTHING! Love my eagle scout, always prepared for whatever the occasion. 

family prayer outside church 

 did I mention I got to read a lot this summer?

I also had an exceptional amount of quality time with my in-laws. I will always hold this summer near and dear to my heart. The amount of time I got to spend with them is priceless.  

Bentley worked his butt off in the heat, literally. 

I don't know how he did it in 115 degrees somedays- I am so proud of my hubby. He provided a way for us to spend the summer   with family and still able to come back to our place in the SO much more appreciated San Luis Obispo.

Nothing like a little distance to make the heart grow fonder...

right?

I mean, I cant walk down the street without thanking the good lord above for my job, and apartment, and roots in THIS city! We couldn't be happier at the moment anywhere else.

We are so blessed to have work elsewhere over summer just to return to this :)

Oh San Luis, how we love you!

We came home with  new car too :) Well a new to us car any ways... 

A spiffy black Honda Element (pictures to come soon)

It made for the best date night at the drive-in on one of our first night home. Perfect Bentley and Michelle style. It is so roomy, and the back seats come out super easily and an entire twin bed fits in the back!!!

Anything beats the trooper, bentleys previous car with 200,000 miles on it!

Yes the troop got a lotta lovin' and can now love on another family.

We had some wonderful adventures this summer, I will be documenting on the blog (no matter how many months late they are) the family reunion, my parents moving out of Coarsegold, my sweet Papa passing away, my Nana quit smoking at 80 YEARS old! 

Way to go!!! 

and so much more to look forward to on here :)

Happy Monday  

xoxo

Presidents Day Last Year. . .

A year ago tomorrow I was having a much different kind of day.
It was still a holiday thanks to presidents day. So Bentley and I decided to take advantage of the time off and put together a BIG group of friends to hike Bishops peak in San Luis Obispo. . . 
here are some of the finest of that hike :P

note the blood on the bridge of my nose!

 This hike has such great views, its not hard but you still get a good work out. 

Especially if you run it!

We love Bishops Peak. When we first met we would hike it about twice a week in the mornings for sunrise and then go to school.

However last year on Presidents Day, on that very familiar hike I was bit in the face by a german shepherd!! I didn't realize what had happened at first. It was so quick and cold outside that i didn't even feel it. It wasn't until my blood ran down and hit my lips that I knew something 'serious' happened.

This was a first in many ways for me...

• My first dog bite
• My first 'bloody nose'
• My first stitches
• My first hand holding with Bentley :)

Yes I had to get stitches. TEN of them and some super glue.

And yes, Bentley was there to hold my hand the entire time. Looking back on it now, knowing that I will never forget when, where, and why we first held hands is totally worth it.

It's a great story.

Plus I was fortunate to have a great doctor in the ER that holiday who stitched me right up with hardly any scar!

We finished the hike to the top of the peak and ran down since the numbness started to wear off, and I was bleeding pretty badly.

Those three dots under my nose is from the dogs lower jaw clamping on my nose!

He really went for the whole thing!

Tomorrow we will be running around on the North Shore of Oahu :)

Enjoy the last day of the THREE DAY WEEKEND

Stay away from dogs you do not know :)