Merry Christmas!

Christmas is coming and we thought this would be a great time to finally start our blog! Plus it'll serve as our first family Christmas card!

We are having a blast being married (going on 5 months!) and we love living in Provo. Our little apartment has become our cozy home and we don't like thinking that we will be leaving it in a few months. Ben is busy busy finshing up school with all his projects, papers, and tests. But he's a genius and works really hard so he will do well like always. He will graduate in April with a degree in Economics. I finished up my student teaching at Timpview High School and and am loving the freedom. It was a great experience and I learned a lot...probably knowing that I really did go into the right field is the best news coming out of it:) I graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics on the 15th which I was more than ready for. I had a great time at USU but am ready to be the "real" teacher:)
The latest greatest news is that Ben is signing on with a great consulting firm called Monitor Group. They flew us out to Boston this week for "sell week"...even though we were already sold:) We had a great weekend learning more about the company and seeing the sites in this cool town.
Next September we will be moving to Monitor's office in San Francisco!! We are really excited about it. We've heard nothing but great things about San Fran and what a fun place it will be to live. While Ben works, I hope to find a job teaching math at a good high school. We will probably be there for a year to a year and a half, then hopefully transfer to their Johannesburg office for a while, where Ben will feel right at home (having served his mission just northeast in Mozambique). Our plans from there are up in the air, but Ben would like to get into Harvard for his MBA so we might be back to Boston in a few years, but for now--we'll just take one city at a time:)

We love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

The Garrisons

Meet Alex

His name is Alex Benjamin Garrison
He was born on September 10, 2012
(via repeat c-section -- story here)
He got his name because his mom was going to be named Alex if she had been a boy. She has always loved his name.

He slept through the night at 6 weeks old
and continues to sleep 13 hours a night
He loves to eat
He adores his big sister
He rolled at 5 months
and sat up at 6 months
crawled at 8 and stands at 9 months
Finally walked at 15 months
and still hasn't said "mommy"
He's determined, cautious, and observant
He looks like his daddy
He has blonde hair and blue eyes
He is very happy, content, and sweet
He is so loved

Meet Claire

Her name is Claire Garrison
She doesn't have a middle name
She was born on July 23, 2010
(c-section after 40 hours of labor--story here)

She loves her mommy and daddy
She adores her baby brothers
She sleeps 12 hours every night
She rolled over at 3 months old
She sat up at 4 months old
She crawled at 5 months old
She walked at 9 months old
She is sweet and friendly and makes everyone
feel like they are her best friend
She will always cuddle with me
She is obsessed with dogs, horses, and water
She is adventurous, independent, and precocious
She has her daddy's dark hair and her mommy's green eyes
She is always happy and smiling
She is so loved

Meet Camille

My name is Camille Kendell Garrison

I am 28 years old

I have 4 younger siblings (3 sisters, one brother)

I graduated in 2007 from USU with a degree in
Mathematics and Statistics Education
I have been a professional photographer since 2006 and love it

I love cereal, Doritos, and french fries

I need my camera with me at all times

I am competitive (you don't want to play me at Settlers,
Dr. Mario, or Words with Friends)

I have to be organized (borderline OCD)

I play volleyball
I love to create

I love my family

I adore my husband Ben
and my daughter Claire
and my sons Alex & Jace

Meet Ben

His name is Benjamin Thomas Garrison
He is 30 years old
He has one younger brother
He graduated in 2008 from BYU with a degree in Economics
He served an LDS mission from '03 to '05 in Mozambique, Africa
He works for Zeta Interactive

• 
  

He loves Africa (where half his heart will always be)
He is always happy (and I mean, always)
He loves to play soccer
He's a genius and always logical
He reads National Geographic and Popular Science
He loves to dance
He loves his hot wife
He has a popsicle everyday
He makes people laugh
He adores his children

Meet Us

We are the Garrisons

Ben and I went to High School together, Ben a senior, me a sophomore

I knew who he was, he didn't know who I was

I thought he was the perfect guy, the kind I'd like to marry someday

We met at a Young Single Adults activity on Jan 6th 2007

Where I beat him (and all the other guys) go-kart racing

That evening was our first date and our first kiss

We were married 7 months later, in the Salt Lake Temple on July 26th 2007

We lived in Provo for 8 months while Ben finished school
and I student taught 11th grade math at Mt. Timp High School

We spent the next summer backpacking South East Asia

We moved to San Francisco, California for Ben's work in Aug '08

We moved to Johannesburg, South Africa in Jan '09 

We moved back to San Francisco in Feb '10

We had our first baby girl July 23rd and she is the love of our lives

We moved back to Utah in Feb '11 and currently live in Ogden
while Ben is pursuing some entrepreneurial opportunities
and I am enjoying being a full-time mom and pro-photographer.

We had our second baby, Alex Benjamin, on September 10th, 2012
and bought our first home and moved to Highland in May of 2013.  We are absolutely in love with our house and area and can't wait for our future here.

Baby #3, Jace Kendell, surprised us with his appearance as well as gender on June 9th, 2014, and we love our little growing family.

We love to travel and have been to over 30 countries together

We play lots of games (Rook, Settlers, Ticket to Ride, and Sequence are our favorites)

We love cheap dates
(Ben loves cheap anything)

We love to watch movies at home

We enjoy Subway, Warrens, Little Caesars, and In 'n Out 

We love taking long walks

We love our friends

We love our family

We love the gospel

Meet Jace

His name is Jace Kendell Garrison
He was born on June 9, 2014
(via third c-section -- story here)
We didn't find out he was a BOY until the doctor pulled him out!

He is a master of eating, pooping, and sleeping
and is an easy, chill baby
His big sister Claire loves to hold him
and his brother Alex likes to smother him with kisses
We think he looks just like his mommy
He turned out to be mommy's biggest and best surprise of her life