Randomness

Since I don't post very often I thought I would share some family randomness. By family, I mean, Benson. Mitch doesn't let me take too many photos of him. We really have a fairly uneventful life full of little fun and happy moments. Here is a sample of moments that make me smile!

This is just a few days after his birthday. This is one of his most common facial expressions. "Guilty, but lovable" is what I would call it!

Those teeth! Aunt Shanna calls them "Sponge Bob" teeth.


This is a baby head stand. Don't know the reason behind it. . . but it makes us laugh.


That one little finger is adorable. More people comment on him using that little pointer finger than anything else about him.


This photo has to be my favorite! First of all the mess those biter biscuits leave is atrocious. Second, that mass on his head is the sticky remainder of his biscuit. Third, that squinty face melts me and makes me grin. I absolutely LOVE it!


Trying to find his ball or binkie or whatever else he stashed under there.


Classic. Every kid needs the tupperware cupboard photo.


It wasn't the costume that scared him, just the hat.


Benson is a natural at getting attention from the ladies!


His favorite blankie and my favorite smile.


How do you fold laundry that looks like that?


This is after a mere 2 hours of shopping. Benson needs a little more endurance to survive his dad and myself!


This is how Benson likes to watch Jazz games.



If you want to see this boy MOVE, open the dryer door! That little button turns the light off if you push it. COOL!


There's that squint again! He plays cute when he knows he's in trouble.



Last, but not least, he can say and sign "more." He knows EXACTLY what it means too! He's smart like his dad.

It's fun to be one. . .not to be sick

We can't believe that Benson's birthday has come and gone!!!
Where did the past year go?

Thanks to MLK, I got to spend the entire day with my little guy. I let him have an extra long bath to celebrate. We ran some errands before he doctor's appointment and I noticed that his "little cold" seemed to be getting worse. His doctor recommended that we check for RSV and that is what confirmed that it wasn't JUST a little cold.
With a birthday party planned for 6:30, Mitch started calling our family members to warn them.

Luckily, we have some brave family members and nearly everyone attended. (We missed you Olivia.) He wasn't too interested in his own cake, but LOVED all of the attention. He played and played and laughed and laughed and THEN. . .HE WALKED! It was such a fun surprise.

I'm overwhelemed by all of the kindness toward us and Benson. Please know that I am so grateful for all of the love given to our family. The gifts were wonderful and having you in our home was a pleasure. I wish all of my family and friends good health (especially if you were in our home on Monday) and happiness. Thank you again.

And Benson. . .keep on playing!


Featured in this video:
Benson - the star
Grandma Ellsworth
Aunt Shanna
Uncle Blake
Dad's legs
Lots of little cousin voices
Mom voice (so nerdy!)

Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas?

Our very exciting trip to the local RC Willey ended with Benson having his first Santa encounter. It went exactly as I anticipated. See photos. The following day I got 3 seconds of video of the very same reaction. Only it was a different Santa, and he received a gift. A light up ambulance with sirens. How can a little guy be sad about that?

Oh well, at least he has a good sense of "stranger danger."

Doesn't that face just say "Merry Christmas to all!?" Well, more like "Mom, please save me!"

no such thing as nothing

I haven't written in SO long. It's not that my life is boring (as it has been here and there in my past), it's because it's so full! Benson is crawling, this makes life VERY exciting. I have been decorating for Christmas and trying to keep up with an increasingly more difficult job. The Young Women also keep me on my toes with activities and events and lessons.

Mitch, Benson and I recently spent some time with great friends in Island Park. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. Actually it was the most relaxing vacation I've been on ever. There is something so wonderful about having nothing pressing to do.

Thanksgiving was perfectly uneventful. Well, except for when Mitch's grandmother was lost. She'd forgotten where she was supposed to be for dinner and ended up at another relative's house. This was the day that Benson officially learned to crawl.

This time of year has been so fun for me because Santa is once again real, only this time I am Santa. I found myself awake at 4:30 on Black Friday to wait in a long line for a $9.99 Little People 50th Anniversary Farm. I just know that Benson is DYING for that little cow and tractor. As I waiting in line (a really long line. . .alone), I realized that kids really are the cause of their parents craziness.

THIS is a good crazy. One I hope to enjoy for much longer. I love all of you that put up with me and support me and give me therapy through being my friend and confidant. Merry Christmas and thank you.

These are going to be my Christmas Cards. At least, they will be if I get around to having them printed, get them addressed and actually mailed. Here's to hoping. . .

My little monkey

Benson's first Halloween was great. Nothing exceptional or out of the ordinary, just fun. He was a monkey and the cutest monkey I've ever seen. He paraded around Syracuse High School with the daycare kids. He didn't make it past my classroom though, because (bless his heart) he likes his mom more than he likes collecting candy. I'm sure that will never change. He visited Grandma Beth's house, then helped to pass out candy to the neighborhood spooks, then visited the Young family. Sad for the Young's though because by that time, the only scary thing going on was his attitude. The pink shades are part of Aunt Shanna's costume, but he thought they were awesome.

Aunt Shanna

To all who know her. . .I'm sure you are aware Shanna (my sister) is awesome! She is an extremely skilled person in many areas. Her photography is amazing and she's never even had any formal training. I made the following scrapbook page in honor of her and to show off her skills! She's also fantastic at home decor, child care (loving Benson), being a darling sister, and she's just about to graduate from Marinello beauty College! But, I love her most because she loves my boy and is SO sweet to him. Benson thinks she's pretty cool too! So check out a sampling of her talent and leave a comment if you'd be interested in partaking of any of her amazing talents.

PS. Shanna, I hope you don't mind me posting all of this information!

LOTOJA

This is WAY late, but still just as exciting. . .
Mitchell rode and rode all day long on September 12th. He rode into the finish line at 11 hours, 23 minutes (44 seconds if we are to be precise.) Every feed zone he would tell us that he was feeling good. The only negative thing I heard the entire day was that he couldn't possibly eat any more of his liquid nutrition. I secretly had hoped that he wouldn't have had such a great time, knowing that he's likely going to want to do it again. I know how he feels though, marathons are so addicting, I can't imagine LOTOJA being much less of a high.

Here are the pages that I made from that long, long day:

Vacation Convert

Many of you know that I have a less than positive attitude about vacations. You may have heard me say a time or two "It's just SO expensive and when you come home all you have is pictures. I would rather spend money on something that will last longer than a week." Well, I'm singing a little different tune. I still think that vacations are outrageously expensive, but I am seeing the value in vacationing.

We recently returned from Seattle and I really enjoyed myself. This is what changed my perspective:

1. Walking busy city streets
2. Police on horses
3. Shopping
4. Hole in the wall eateries
5. Relaxing in the hotel with my family
6. Kind hotel employees
   
7. Garmin GPS
8. Riding the fairy to an island
9. A nice couple with their baby at Jimmy Johns
10. Pikes Market
11. Walking the busy market
12. Performers outside the 1st Starbucks
13. A cute deaf family at the car rental place
14. A row of old men smoking on the street
15. Patient husband (while I shopped)
16. A whole package of Oreos
17. The Space Needle (mostly the gift shop)
18. Hot pink hair and too many tatoos (none on us!)
19. Valet Parking
20. Walking busy city streets

It was a very fun time. Thanks to Mitch for all of his amazing planning and for agreeing to go city this time rather than tropical!