A new (ad) venture

Anyone who knows Ben knows that he is ambitious! He is confident, smart, savvy and a risk taker. So far, these traits have greatly blessed his career and I think you have pretty good odds betting on Ben.

I remember the scene well, laying on the bed in our apartment as Ben was just graduating with his MBA and had finally decided to take a job with a company called Clarke American in San Antonio, TX. We both knew the decision was right but neither one of us had any interest in moving farther south. I felt ill.

Fast forward almost 8 years and here we sit. I don't think anyone would EVER have guessed that Ben would have lasted with Clarke for as long as he did. We figured we would put in a few years and then jump somewhere more "desirable." Boy were we wrong. We quickly fell in love with the city and people of San Antonio and Ben was challenged with opportunity after opportunity with what began as Clarke American, morphed into Harland Clarke and finished with the parent company Harland Clarke Holdings. He learned things as quickly as he could stepping up to take assignments that were well above him but luckily came out on top every time. He was blessed with great bosses and colleagues and is well into a new phase of employment now as a result. The girls and I were blessed by the good people at Clarke as well. Although he spent more time away from home and on the road than actually at home with us, I knew his superior was aware of his family and often sent me notes, gifts, vacations, etc. The girls even had ice cream delivered to our front door once in "apology" for a missing father.

But despite the constant opportunities and the nice paycheck that went with it, Ben still got the itch. It started small and mostly annoying but ended up being large and in need of a scratch. When we traveled to Glacier, MT this summer and Ben finally "unplugged" himself for a minute, he decided NOW was the time to make the change. He had been working quietly in his spare time on a new idea for employment for months and finally felt like he was prepared to go all in. He had set the scene with his boss months before, always being very honest about his ambitions and plans and so it came as no surprise when Ben went to lunch with his now friend and told him the time to depart was now.

To go along with the new career, we felt a new location was needed as well. Houston was an obvious choice with a major airport and Grandparents close by, so we set our dial east and mentally made the change. After all of our summer travels, we only had a few weeks before Isabelle would be a kindergartner so the move would need to take place quick! We took a weekend and looked for our new home in Houston and were shocked when one of the very first houses we looked in felt perfect. It was a spec house and ready in a matter of days. It was in a new master planned community and had an exemplary elementary school only a mile away. It was halfway between grandma's house and the airport, about 30 minutes to each, and it was a wonderful floor plan. With out a lot of thought we made a quick offer and headed back to San Antonio with a list of to-do's a mile long. We began packing, scheduled movers, sold our current house, registered Belle for school, transferred medical records, and left our wonderful home in a matter of days. It all happened so fast that days later I sat in my new home and thought What just happened? When am I going back home?

The moving company delivered all of our goods on the weekend and Isabelle began school the next day, Monday. First priority was the girls bedrooms and somehow we managed to have painters paint their bedrooms an ice purple late into the evening and we tucked them into their new beds to wake up the following day for the first day of school. Sadly, Olivia didn't sleep a wink and became seriously ill with a violent childhood virus called Roseola. She was so hot with a fever for 5 days and ended up in the urgent care in the middle of the night when her rectal fever was 105.5 while taking at home meds. It was not an ideal first night in our new home and first week of school, but we somehow survived.

The girls and I made the change and started life in the new place quick because we had to. Ben tied up loose ends in San Antonio and continued working at Clarke to help ease the transition there. They have been so good to Ben and really mourned his departure. They tried to convince him to stay but knew it was only a matter of time before his ambition over powered the possibilities with them. Thankfully, they have made his decision very easy, giving him the freedom to work as long as he wants and to make the change in whatever way suits him best. He has continued to be employed with Clarke since we left several weeks ago, but will finally have his last day at the end of this month. He will continue to offer his service to them as a consultant however, and already has signed a contract that he will be available to help them for the next long while.

I have been surprised how tough the change has been on Ben on a personal side. He really enjoyed the people he worked with all over the country and has had multiple lunch dates and constant phone calls from all of his friends. His buddy, Pete, continues to play a major role in our life and he and Ben chat constantly and already have many plans to get together in the near future. He also is blessed with lots of former colleagues whom have great trust in Ben, offering their capital to him believing he will be successful in his new venture. Clarke was a great home for the past almost 8 years and Ben will always owe them great respect for the career they set into motion.

Leaving San Antonio was difficult for all of us. We developed wonderful life-long friendships over the years and will always have two native San Antonions in our home. In some ways the quick departure may have made the transition easier on me and the girls. We didn't get to think about it very long or get to say all of the goodbyes we wanted to. But it also made it harder too. I didn't wrap up loose ends of my own and I still think to myself often when I get back home... But I have great confidence and faith in Ben and his strong work ethic and am supporting him happily in his latest exciting opportunity. So, off we go, with our heads in the clouds along for the ride of this new adventure!

A decade!

Somewhere in the middle of all of the summer fun, Ben and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. In some ways it seems the time has flown by, but in other ways I can't hardly remember life beforehand. Ben and I went on our first date at just 19 and 21 years old, and now here we sit a bit smarter, fatter, tired-r and older at 32 and 34 years old!

We had tossed around ideas for months in honor of the big day but neither Ben nor I could commit to any plans. We went from a beach vacation with the girls to a European affair alone to absolutely nothing at all. Does it say something about our lives that we literally were too tired to celebrate and to book another set of flights and have more fun? Instead, Grammie came into town the week after our anniversary and Ben and I celebrated with dinner and a movie and an early night home to bed!

Ben, being the smart man that he is, made a trip to Tiffany's once again to show his love with jewels! I love my newest wedding band and the XOXO design was very thoughtful on his part as it is my signature salutation. I showed my affection for Ben with a trip through the years with pictures and snacks each specific to a year in the past decade we've shared together. Along side of it was the box set of the TV series 24 which began the year we were married and filled our home for 10 straight seasons.

Maybe we will have more energy to celebrate for our 20th anniversary. Until then...

Off we go...still...

We weren't quite finished with our northern vacation after Montana, so we headed for the airport again and boarded a plane back to SLC rather than home. Ben's younger brother Jacob had recently become engaged and was planning a wedding for the middle of July in the great state of Utah since both he and his bride were students and athletes at Brigham Young University. We again found our way to a rental car and pointed the car south to Provo to check in to a hotel right next to the University.

Provo is beautiful this time of year with warm temperatures, but not hot heat. The mountain air is dry and we could have spent many hours outside enjoying the summer Wasatch Front. Of course we had to make a trip to campus and met up with some of the Cosby clan who were starting to arrive for the big day! We wandered around the Wilkinson Student Center and enjoyed Belle's favorite BYU treat...a LaVell's Vanilla ice cream cone. We danced through the BYU Ballroom where Alex, Tara and I all studied the foxtrot and samba many moons ago. We sat on the grass outside and chatted and we looked at the funny statues by the MOA. It was a fun relaxing afternoon and BYU is such a beautiful campus to visit.

Isabelle and Olivia loved seeing all of their Cosby cousins who were arriving from all over for their Uncle Jacob's wedding. Once again Belle and Lincoln were the best of friends and this time we had to explain just why it wasn't a good idea to marry your cousin! They all had fun running and playing in the mountain air and loved all of the special activities that go along with getting families together to celebrate.

Jacob and Lauren were sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Thursday July 14th, 2011. It was a lovely ceremony and Ben and I made it on time mostly this go around! (We caused the ceremony to be delayed slightly for his brother Sam's sealing.) Lauren and Jacob looked beautiful and were filled with love for one another. Isabelle was so enamoured with the idea of being a bride and being so dressed up with makeup and flowers and loved every minute of the day.
After the ceremony we enjoyed a yummy lunch and a few hours of rest before heading to the reception for the evening. Ben and I felt very fortunate that Grammie and Grandpa made a special trip back to Utah from Montana just in time to help with the girls on the wedding day which allowed Ben and I to fully enjoy the Cosby celebration. Little Olivia is always thrilled to go with Grammie and Grandpa and it was nice to not chase her around the wedding luncheon and late into the night at the reception.

After trying to keep the girls fully dressed with hair bows and smiling for the photographer, it was finally time to cut a rug and party at the reception. The food was yummy, the decorations were lovely and the music was great. Livi had fun for a while but then thankfully was taken back to the hotel with my parents to hit the sack. Meanwhile, Belle and her cousins took the reception by storm and made the Cosby family proud showing off their dance moves.

It was a beautiful day and we were grateful that we were able to share in the special moment with Jacob and Lauren. After a sparkler send off, the bride and groom were on their way and Isabelle finally realized that it was WAY past her bedtime and crashed in the car as we headed to the hotel.



Sadly, after many days, states, rental cars, beds, and activities it was finally time to board our last flight back to San Antonio, TX. The girls were rock stars like usual on the plane and we were even complimented as we exited the aircraft by the stewardesses on what great parents we were and what sweet children we have! Wow! (This is why we travel like we do...because the girls choose these moments to shine so happily!) We were instantly greeted by the humid and scorching hot Texas sun and knew that we were officially home. Like everything else, all good things must come to an end and we were all glad to unpack our suitcase and sleep in our own beds that night. It was a busy and adventurous vacation and we are grateful for all of the fun family memories we made along the way. Is it vacation time again yet???

Whitefish, MT 59937

After several days of fun in Utah, we decided to head even farther north (almost to Canada) and boarded a quick flight to Glacier National Airport in Kalispell, MT. My parents purchased a second home in Whitefish, MT a few months earlier and we were dying to check out the new place. Wow! The scenery is breathtaking with tall tall trees and valleys surrounded by huge Montana mountains and lakes. The air was light and cool and Ben quickly declared that he may never return to work and life in San Antonio, TX. We made the quick drive to Grandpa's new "cabin" and quickly made ourselves at home. The house is beautiful from the inside out and we almost feared the damage our two little nuts could inflict on a brand new home that had never before had such small guests!


We spent the next week living in a sort of paradise. We all loved the huge fluffy beds and slept until we wanted to wake up. We went on hikes in the mornings where we found railroad tracks and real bear hair on the trees and cooked over a fire in the evenings. (We even had to purchase jackets for the girls...what?) We did puzzles, took big baths and just enjoyed the quiet life. I never in the 10 years of being married to Ben saw him so relaxed and "out of touch" with his usual busy world. (And he never shaved his face while in MT and left with a full beard!) Whitefish was a turning point in Ben's life...but that is another blog post!

Each day we traveled into town once or twice and loved the antique main street and shops. One afternoon we happened upon a traveling circus and so we watched the show under an actual "big tent" like it was 1965. During intermission Belle rode a camel, petted a Llama and bought a bag of peanuts for a treat! It was a fun afternoon and one that little Jelly will always have fond memories of.

We also spent an afternoon at Big Mountain Ski Resort which is just minutes away. We rode the ski lift to the very top of the mountain and took in the view of the valley. Both Belle and Livi had no fear like usual on the ski lift and were literally dangling their hands and feet over the edge. I kept reminding them to BE CAREFUL when Belle explained to me that if she did happen to fall, she would just hike down the mountain and meet us there. I was glad when we were back down the mountain with both girls in the lift.

Of course, knowing the Cosby girls, we could not enjoy an entire week without an illness. Olivia was plagued with a seriously bad ear infection while in Whitefish and we once again were grateful for the trusty ear-tubes we put to great use every few weeks. Dr. Beidiger, although hundreds of miles away, was again just a phone call away and quickly called in two prescriptions on a Saturday morning before the local pharmacy had opened for the day. After a few days on the meds, our Livi was back to her happy self and we just kept wiping both her nose and ears! Ick!

We also celebrated Ben's 34th birthday in Montana and took him out for pizza and a pazookie at a local restaurant. It was a lovely way to spend a week of summer vacation and when it was time to head back to the airport I am not sure which one of us was the most disappointed. Grandpa has definitely carved out a little piece of paradise in this world and all four of us are itching to get back to the simple life as soon as we can. We can now picture The Sigh Bar Ranch and we are thrilled to witness one of Grandma and Grandpa's dreams as it comes to pass!

Celebrating the summer with a bang!

Summer hit Texas hard and rather early this year! We were swimming and boiling long before school was out for the season and we figured to survive we better plan a long trip North! We assumed July would be brutal so we bought airfare for the last day of June and planned to stay a few weeks and not return to the Lonestar State until most of the seventh month was history!

My Grandma Joan whom I have always had a wonderful relationship with (She is the ultimate Queen Bee) was turning 80 years old this summer and a family reunion was planned to celebrate her and my Grandpa Neal on the 4th of July. It was the perfect first stop on our family vacation, so off we flew to SLC and began our adventure. This was the first of 4 flights and the first of 2 rental cars and we were excited to get moving!

We always love visiting Utah and reminiscing about our college years while eating at favorite spots and brainwashing the girls just a bit. And of course we couldn't wait to visit with our loved ones that we don't see nearly often enough. Almost all of my Grandparents children and grandchildren made the trip for the weekend and we had such a wonderful time catching up with so many friends and family. Isabelle's cousin Max made the trip from Ohio and she was beyond excited to see her partner in crime! They played every waking moment they were together and told me they felt like they were brother and sister!

Several of us attended the Stadium of Fire celebration on BYU Campus and enjoyed the music of Brad Paisley and some of the best patriotic fireworks from across the nation. We were smart and didn't bring little Olivia for the evening but Isabelle was excited to go and almost stayed awake for the whole show. Sadly she fell asleep right as the fireworks began to shoot off, but with the time change on top of a very late night out, there was nothing we could do to keep her awake. Ben was lucky enough to get to carry her sleepy body the several blocks through the crowd to the car at nearly midnight.

Since Provo is known for their Freedom Festival we thought it would be fun to participate and woke up way too early on the 4th of July to run in the Freedom Run. We all had matching shirts showing we were part of the Thorpe Thunder and had fun getting our morning exercise while hundreds of people lined the streets for the upcoming parade. All of the excitement must have quickly caught up with little Jelly and of course she woke up hours before the race with a stomach bug. She was so disappointed to miss the action since she had a matching shirt too and had been "training" in the San Antonio heat for the 1 mile race. I took Livi and headed to the race while Ben stayed back with sick Isabelle and held her bedpan.

That afternoon the 80th Birthday Party began and all of the Thorpe family gathered at Canyon View Park and celebrated together. We enjoyed yummy food, games with prizes and lots of time just hanging out and chatting. Isabelle slept off her illness and decided she wanted to make an appearance at the party, but she quickly felt too warm again and had to say goodbye. She headed back for a nap in hopes that she could feel well enough to continue the party late into the 4th of July evening. Olivia on the other hand felt great and had such a good time swinging, playing with her cousins, and just wandering around while getting dirty. She wore herself right out and went to bed exhausted and happy from a busy 4th of July...sleeping through all of the noisy fireworks that evening!

The clan all met back at my grandparents home that evening and set off fireworks that we hope were legal! It was quite a show and all of the kids loved running on the soft, cool, Utah grass with their glow sticks around their necks. Isabelle has so much fun when she gets a chance to play with all of her 2nd cousins and loves each one of them dearly.

We were happy to be able to celebrate Uncle Hal's birthday with him in person this year and enjoyed lunch with he and Janice at one of their favorite spots. It seems we never have enough time when we are traveling, but we were glad to be able to sneak in a few special outings with some of our favorite people! One afternoon Isabelle, Hannah and Grace literally played outside under a big pine tree in Grandma's yard for hours decorating and playing "house!" The mountain weather is such a nice change from smouldering Texas this time of year and the grass is soft and cool for bare feet. Jelly looks forward to visiting her Great Grandma Joan and Salem, UT every summer and we are sure Livi will follow with the affection for the Wasatch Front! Ben and I always laugh because after the very many different destinations Jelly has been lucky enough to visit she lists Salem, UT in her top 3 always!

We love our country and feel so blessed to live in such a place and at such a time. We were grateful to be able to celebrate the land that we love with so many people that we love as well! God Bless the USA.

Movin' Right Along

Dancing is in Isabelle's DNA. With two professional dancing Aunt's, and my girls being the only nieces, they never really had a chance! Fortunately, Isabelle is a natural and sings and dances all day long!

This past year, Belle thoroughly enjoyed her ballet and tap dance class. She became friends with all of the little girls in the class and looked forward to Monday's each week. Ben knew this dance business was serious when I delivered him a rather large bill due in full by November for a dance recital he would be attending the following June!

After literally practicing the same 2 minute dance for months, it was finally time to get the show on the road! Grammie and Grandpa of course came into town for the big performance and both Aunt Alee and Aunt Tara made a special trip to support little Jelly. Isabelle loved wearing her fancy costume and didn't even flinch when we painted her eyes with mascara. She took the whole event very serious and wondered aloud if anyone would throw flowers onto the stage for her...just like in Angelina Ballerina.

I didn't take the time to record the official recital piece since I was busy watching Belle glow on stage, but I did record a rehearsal a few weeks beforehand. We were proud of all of Isabelle's hard work and are sure this was just the beginning of her career on the big stage!