Two parents and a 1-1/2 year old!

Well, we've had quite the month around this joint! Between finals, travels, and Easter, the past four weeks have flown by! We ended March on a good note - Joel finished up his classes in Vermillion. He worked so hard and so long, but now he's officially done with the "coursework" aspect of his education! After 18 years, he deserves it!!! He had a couple days off to rest and relax with Benjamin and me at home, then he packed up and moved off to Parkston, SD. He's spending six weeks there for a rural preceptorship. We miss him, but he's having the time of his life! Joel has had some incredible experiences so far. It's been a very hands-on learning experience. He's had patient exposure, scrubbed in to surgeries, and assisted with tons of procedures. He loves the small-town feel and friendliness of everyone who works at the hospital. I am amazed at the variety of things they see on a daily basis, and what Joel's capable of doing. I've only seen him with his head stuck in a book for the past two years... how does he know how to perform surgeries already?!? We're so proud of him.

Anyway, Benjamin and I have been doing our best to keep busy while Joel is off. We spent the first week here in Vermillion doing our normal things. The second week we left town for Mitchell and spent some time going back and forth between the grandparents' houses. We stayed for Easter, which was so fun! Benjamin had a great time. He opened up a few Easter baskets filled with toys and goodies, colored Easter eggs, and went on egg hunts! I was so delighted that he knew how to hunt for and collect those eggs! Each one found was as exciting as the last! He's such a little joy. We also ate tons of delicious food and saw friends and family we rarely get to visit! We love our family, extended and adopted (party group!!!) On Easter Monday Joel's mom and I took Benjamin and flew to Irvine, CA to visit her sister, Beverly. We spent the week and had an amazing time visiting her! We worked hard helping her organize her closets but also had lots of fun. My favorite part of the trip was going to see the Pacific Symphony where we listened to the amazing Chris Botti, a contemporary Jazz trumpeter, violinist Caroline Campbell, and vocalist Lisa Fischer. It's hard to describe the amazing performances, but I laughed, cried, and my sister-in-law and I had the best seats in the house. It was a fantastic night. Anyway, now Benjamin and I are back home and glad to be here for a little while. I'm really excited to sleep in my own bed tonight! :)

On to Benjamin... He's had quite the month! He's officially 18 months old! He's such a big boy, and acting/talking like it! He's communicating better and better, adding more words and short phrases like "down", "go outside", "no-no", "stuck", "slide", "weeeee!", "bubble", counting 1 through 4, and asking for things when he wants them. He still babbles a ton - they sound like these long, involved sentences of bla bla bla but he always ends them with at least one real word, like "dog." It's hilarious to watch him communicate. I also love when he comes up to me, takes my hand, and leads me to places or to look at things. He knows everybody's name - including Maddie and Zach, his cousins. (He got some practice last week.) He folds his arms for prayer - it's so sweet! He's so fun to watch! He loves life and is so amazed by the simplest things. His little face is so full of expression! A family friend describes him as having a rubber face, which I think is perfect. It's been interesting to watch how he's been these past couple weeks away from home, where he pretty much gets whatever he wants from the grandparents! :) There were moments when I saw a little glimpse of playful defiance and rowdy behavior! Granted, he spent a lot of time being sleep deprived, so it's hard to blame the poor boy! Overall, he's so sweet and I'm very proud of what a nice little boy he is.

Well, I feel like I'm pretty caught up! I hope this next month is as fun as the last!