Coming SOON

I have the MOST FABULOUS husband who has been working endlessly on our kitchen (more like HOME) remodel. It's looking great, but still not 100% finished. The "after" photos will be coming soon.

Please address any comments to Mitch and don't forget to mention how absolutely, amazingly wonderful (and/or talented) he is!

Tornado - Still blowing

After years of planning and research (Mitch's researching) we finally started our kitchen renovation. How it ended up invading our front room and spilling into the hallway, I'm not sure. It's been more work than we knew it would be. I have to give tons and gobs of thanks to our parents! Thank you Dave for working far too late into the night. Benson thanks his Grandma's for playing with him and loving him!

You may want to check out the pictures, just in case you might be considering to attempt this craziness.BEFORE

This is when everything started feeling a little chaotic.

Mitch worked so hard that first day while I was at work! So much filling and sanding and filling and sanding and . . .

The amazing stuff that filled in the ugly oak grain.

Taping off the inside of the cabinets was one of the hardest parts.

Benson's contribution.

Halfway painted. The smell wasn't as bad as we expected.

All white, all right?

Taking a break.

Now on to the floor

We figured that the linoleum installer thought he was a shoot 'em up cowboy with the nail gun. Is it really necessary to have 25 nails per square foot?

By this point Mitchell's knees were bright red and sore from all of the kneeling and nailing.

What do you think?

Now if we can only muster up the energy and motivation to finish down the hall. . .

Not your typical "Party Girl"

I really don't like to host parties of any kind, but I have to admit, I'm excited for Tuesday! Yes folks, I buckled and I'm hosting a party. I blame designer jeans. I love them and I love how they make me feel when I wear them. Vain, I know. What I don't love is the cost. (Have you ever visited Buckle or tried on a pair of True Religion jeans then checked the tag? DEPRESSING) So, I'll be cleaning my house and making a treat to share with any guest that would like to join me. (There will be shirts, jewelry, hats, purses and other stuff too.)

If you didn't get an invite in the mail or via Facebook and would like to come, please do.
Plus, as a bonus you can laugh at my new "BRACE FACE." Yet another thing I've decided to break down and do. It'll all be worth it right? Even more of a reason to have hot jeans, it distracts from the braces.

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.