1st year....

It's already been a year since I became Mrs. Tera Frank... it has been one of the most rewarding, challenging, exciting years I have ever had. After my first date with Ben in July of 08, I told my Dad and Dallin that I would never see that guy again... well the lord works in mysterious ways and we were engaged on October 31st 2008 and married December 27th 2008. I love Ben so much, he has made me a stronger and better person. I look forward to spending the rest of eternity being his side kick and best friend. We have experienced so much in the past year and I can only count down the days till we're together again to continue our ride on this earth together! I love you Ben, thank you for giving me the world and being mine! xoxo

(There are 3 more posts about Christmas and December that are new... check them out!)

Christmas Eve

All of these posts are out of order, but now ask me if I care?! At least they are blogged! These pictures are from Christmas Eve... I had all 4 kids from 2 until 8 PM that night. When they first got to the house they opened the Air force blankets and pillows that I made them, they turned out great and the kids loved them! They also got to open their clothes for Christmas day so that I could get them all packed since they spent the night at their other parents houses. After we were done opening those gifts we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's where they got to open all the gifts from them too! They boys received model air planes and Emery got a barbie! They got their Christmas Pj's, played don't eat Pete and we all had a great time hanging out as a family. We missed Ben lots and can't wait for him to be around next year!

Happy Holidays from Afghanistan! Ben sent a few pictures I thought I would share, he was on a mission on Christmas Day but they had a good meal at one of the COP he was at and they got the day off so they had some fun with whatever they could get their hands on... including a Christmas tree! So happy Holidays from Afghanistan, Ben's looking forward to 2010 and coming home to his amazing wife!!! hahahaha

Christmas 2009

I'm trying something new with blogging pictures since there are so many for Christmas... it's called LOTS of VIDEOS! I wanted to show as many as I could so that Ben could see them. I picked up all 4 kids at 1 o'clock on Christmas day from their other parents and we had our Christmas. The kids had to track down their presents since they weren't left at our house.... as tradition continues we have always slept at Grandma Cindy's and Grandpa's on Christmas Eve and Santa was fully aware of that so he left the gifts there! The kids had a great time opening gifts and playing with their new toys! We stopped by the Tennants house for some good food and then went past Oma and Opa's for the Frank Family get together, after it was time to go back on to the normal schedule with the kids and get them to the houses they needed to be at. So to say the least our Christmas was cut very short. Only a few tears were shed and the kids loved every minute of it... so enjoy the pictures!

Busy Bees

This post is mainly for Ben, he gave me crap on not updating the blog and since I have all the time in the world I figured I would update it for his Christmas present since we couldn't mail anything.

The only word that you can use for our family this month is BUSY! I feel like I have lived in the car and I can't wait to hopefully have a few quiet days this upcoming week. My goal is to get some things done around the house and do major cleaning of closets and DI runs! There are going to be a lot of pictures throughout this post for my wonderful husband. We had a "busy" yet nice Christmas... juggling different custodial arrangements is not the easiest thing in the world.But I made it work and the kids had a fantastic Christmas and that's the only thing I care about!

So to start off I attended 3 different Christmas programs the last week prior to school letting out for the holidays! Hunter, Aidan and Emery. They did a fantastic job! Mason had his earlier this month but I could not tell you where I downloaded those pictures to?!

Church wise we haven't attended our ward for the last 2 weeks... On the 13th of this month we attended a mission farewell for my cousin Bryant who is headed to Brazil. The kids love spending time with the White Family and all their cousins!

My cousin Bryant and my Bro Dallin, these two are very close! Dallin will be sending his mission papers in August 2010 and he's way excited!

Family picture opt at the dinner after the farewell! Say Cheese!

CHRISTMAS PARTIES!

Oh how I love the family parties through the hoildays! They are Caos, hecktic, rushing to get things done and made, traveling back and forth, keeping your kids in line and trying to show everyone that you have taught them manners, but most of all they are full of laughing together and building and sharing moments and memories that last a life time! I love all the family parties and this year we have definitely stayed busy with them! On Thursday the 17th we had the Frank Family get together with "Santa"... leave it to my 5 year old daughter to realize it was Opa and annouce it to everyone! Oma was not happy, and I could only laugh! On Friday the 18th we headed up to Ogden so that I could attend my Grandma White's 80th Birthday dinner. The kids went to my Aunt Lisa's along with Owen and their house was FULL of Children! 11 to be exact! The kids had a blast and I was informed that I could go out all the time when Dad gets home and they will gladly go play and be babysat! I may just have to take up the offer!

Saturday the 19th was the day of all days! It started out with a ward Christmas party that we were supposed to be attending, we missed it so that I could toalk to the love of my life and so that the kids could talk to Dad. After we got done with all that we headed over to our church because the White family party was being held there. The party was great... the kids put on a nativity, Grandpa and Grandma White talked with everyone for a while, we had great food, decorated cookies, made nativities and then had the gift exchange. The kids had a fubulous time being with all the cousins and running around. A lot of traditions were brought up as the party went on and it amazes me for the last 27 years of my life the things that have been carried on and then to think that these are the same things that have been going on through my own mom's life amazes me. It may very well be the last time that Grandpa and Grandma White make it to a Christmas in Utah, and if indeed it is... they left with a bang! Grandma White talked about the family accomplishments... who's served missions, graduated college, gotten baptised, married in the temple, etc. and it's so pleasing to be part of such a strong, amazing family. I hope my Granparents are proud because they have succeded in raising and having an amazing family. One that will carry on strong through the years.

After the White Family party we headed to This is the Place Heritage Park where we had the opportunity of having the Sweet Family party, in thanks to my uncles. It was a very neat expierence to be in the small house all together. We once again endulged in good food, and then we had the chance to go walk around the village. We took a train ride around the park, had a visit with Father Christmas, saw some real reindeer and then headed back to the party for gifts and goodies. It was a long day and the kids were exhausted but we had a ton of fun and the kids can't wait to do it all again next year! I on the other hand, welcome the rest for a little while!

Next post... Christmas!

Greatest and Latest...

I thought I would post a few pictures of Ben... this is like our family journal and he is in the family! Below is some of the group eating chow. We have no clue what they ate, but it didn't look very good. At least they have their coke's! Can you find Benny Boy?!

Here's a group shot of the EOD team and their MRAD... My guy is the one trying to look tough on the top! Notice his wedding ring in the pictures!

(He's not supposed to wear it, so I love seeing it on him!!)

This is Ben's only time you will ever see him sporting a mustache... I hate the thing! Ben does too, but they all grew them out in honor of one of the teams that just came back to the states. This picture was taken while they were helping in an air assault. Ben volunteered to go... That will be his one and only time volunteering! (He wants to come home to a happy wife!)

Ben is doing well.. the snow is finally starting to come down so he's saying it will slow down which makes him and I very happy. Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Now on to the happening on the home front...

Tonight I took the kids to the Festival of Trees... we were able to walk out with nothing touched or broken! The kids loved all of the trees and seeing everything. Emery asked "when the people who died come alive again, are they going to be able to come and get their stuff made for them and keep these trees?" Good question... food for thought. I really had no clue how to answer that one.

So happy! We were missing Dad there with us... but luckily Grandma Cindy is a good sport and tagged along with us! She was amazed at how well the kids did... Please they're mine, should you expect any less?!

We had a great Thanksgiving, I really didn't like how the pictures turned out. I have everyone except for my own kids... That's what happens when your sister and brother get a hold of your camera and only take pictures of themselves. (I won't name any names, you know who you are!)
The day after Thanksgiving we went bowling with all my siblings and the grandparents. It was fun having Scot and Elizabeth around, all the kids had a really good time. Here's some pictures...

The only ones I can't see is Shelley and Hunter, surprise surprise that boy is never around!

Grandpa helping Aidan out!

My cute kids! So much energy!

Emery and Mason chillin' with the siblings that think they make everything around them look good!

And last but not least... my beautiful Christmas tree! I have always wanted to have a snowman tree and I thought this year would be the year, I have everything I need to do it. But as I got thinking more and more about the theme of the tree I decided that we should have an Air Force/ American tree. You can't see all the little Airplanes and different decorations but the tree turned out Great! I bawled as I put it all together late one night. And yes I am one of those mean moms that didn't let her kids help with everything. BUT that's only because it was midnight when I did it and I was making the ornaments as I went along. Anyhow... I love it! I think it's one of my favorite trees I have ever seen, and no I'm not just saying that because I did it!

My wonderful husband...

I just wanted to post this picture that Ben emailed... mainly so I could see him whenever I looked at our blog but also to share with everyone. This was taken when he was on his way into country a few weeks ago, he's sitting with his buddy Anderson that he actually went through EOD school with 2 years ago when Ben joined the Air Force. Anderson is from Minnesota so it's such a small world that they got deployed at the same time. I love Ben so much, I am so proud of him and I miss him like no other. He has made me the happiest I have ever been in the short amount of time that we have been married. This is by far the hardest and worse thing that has ever happened to me having him gone and I won't lie... I hate it. I hate the tears that are shed daily, I hate feeling so lonely and scared, and knowing that I still have 5 more months to go makes it even worse.

I don't know how people can deal with deployments for longer periods of time or more often then Ben has to go. But I look up to and admire those families. I know it's not an easy task being a solider and having to go off into the unknown and deal with all the crap they have to. But I also know that's it's not easy for the wife and kids that they left behind and some days I feel like our job here is harder. What is so crazy about the entire situation though is I wouldn't go back and change anything. To know that I love my husband and miss him is a confirmation that we were meant to be. To have to face each day as a new one, makes me stronger and more humble then I think I could ever be. And to be a Mom, a friend, a rock for my 4 kids is a blessing that I know I was meant to face and I know that even at our worse and even when we are having our hardest days that because we are together and a family we will be fine and that we are being watched over.

Ben is my best friend, my soul mate I love him so much and I can't wait for his return.

St. George: We went, we stayed, and we're all still alive!

This year for UEA I was trying to do something that would keep all of us busy and doing things so that 1. I wouldn't yell at the kids all weekend if we got stuck at home. 2. I wouldn't have as much time to think of my husband who has decided that keeping our country free is better then being with me! hahaha Just kidding Ben, Love you! and 3. well number 1 pretty much sums up this trip!

So we hit the road after I had to beg and pleaded for Dallin to come with us, I didn't know if I could do everything we had planned by myself since Scot had to work a lot of the time. I found out that you never take Dallin anywhere on a Conference weekend! We had a great weekend though, a huge thanks to Dallin and Scot for everything! The pictures are out of order going from the end of our trip to the beginning. Enjoy!