Summer Treats

If only I could get this grass out of my mouth.

Uh Oh, my hand dirrrrttty.

The Big Two

Our little birthday boy enjoyed every second of his birthday. He took playing hard to a whole new level. We had a great party with friends and family. Jonathan grilled out and we had lots of good food. It was a great 2 year celebration.

He knew it was an exciting day when Granddad and Grandmother came to spend some special time with him. He loves them so much.

Every gift totally captured his attention. The hardest part of the whole day was getting him to open the next gift. After he opened each one he was done and wanted to play. It was sweet.

Miss Kylie was willing to help open the gifts while he played.

Evening Family Walks

Now that it is getting warm we love to be outside. At least a few nights a week involve a walk around the pond in our backyard.
It is all about the dogs for Benjamin. He likes to talk and bark to every dog along the path.
About halfway we take a little break. Sometimes watch the little baby ducks.
Only until he spots more dogs, inspiring many claps and squeals.
Jumping on our shadows.


Every walk is topped off with a juice box.

Easter Sunday Cheese

Benjamin decided the week of Easter that screaming cheese with all his might is the only way to take a picture. So we have a ton of pictures with his intense cheese face. This new way of taking pictures is quite welcome. He at least stands still. For the last 4 months Benjamin has been blurry in every picture because he is always on the GO. He knows one speed. Fast.

Benjamin loving on Grandma.

This was the best we got for a family picture. Most of them have Benjamin's mouth wide open screaming cheese and we are laughing our faces off.

"CHEESE"

And here are a few pics more for Nana...

After church on Easter we had our family over to celebrate Jesus! What a blessing it is to see our family growing! All the little cousins did an egg hunt after dinner. It was hit.

Once Benjamin discovered the eggs are full of candy the hunt was over. He would just stop and eat the loot from that egg before going back to the hunt. However, his cousin Tanner was very experienced in egg hunting and had a basketfull in minutes. I think Benjamin had 3 total eggs in his bucket at the end.

(please excuse the poor pic quality here - camera phone)

Benjamin realized that is was much easier just to take all the eggs from his cousin's basket after the hunt was done.

Ethan sat here for over 30 minutes eating candy. He was too focused to even look at me for picture.

It was a wonderful Easter Sunday! We are blessed.

Easter Egg Hunt

Our church had an Easter party the day the Saturday before Easter. It stopped raining just long enough to allow the kids to be outside. What awesome kids we have at our church! Way to go Dana on hosting the festivities!

I love this picture of the little kids hunt. It is all the parents just pointing at the ground.

A few would join us for a picture. I love you all!

Snow Fun

Snow! Oh, how I love huge record breaking snow storms. It was like pressing pause on life and enjoying the ones I love most without any interuptions. Quality time gets me every time. It was a wonderful few days of being locked in the house. A week of fun, baked tastey goodness, cleaning, and relaxation. As busy as we can be it was so great to spend 3 days in pjs. Here are some pictures of Benjamin enjoying the snow. We actually took him out when the impressive 14 inches were still on the ground. HE HATED IT. Apparently, it is a little scary to fall off the sled when the snow swallows you up to your chest. Once it warmed a bit and the roads were a little more packed down Benjamin could not get enough. Enjoy...

Christmas Program

Our Christmas season has been packed with extra time with family and friends, parties, and programs. Little Benjamin was in his first program. To be honest when I first found out he was in the school program I thought, "why - he is 18mos old." I quickly got past the idea that one more thing would be a blast and rather cute. Well, it was not more than 3 minutes after I walked in the auditorium that I learned why they really have the 18 month olds in the musical. It is to equip you for when they are a little older. I followed all the rules about getting seats and when I could enter the building. Little did I know the only people that abide by the "picture taking -saving seats -when to enter the building rules" are the first time parents to the school. You have to have a Mama's fight rise up in you to get those seats and a good picture. Haha. You just wait next year other parents...I am coming to the game ready to play.

Ever since his program he likes to carry around his jingle bells and shake them to anyone who will sing Jingle Bells.

Benjamin's class dressed up as Legos for the Christmas Program. He did not want his picture taken AT ALL. This is the best we got.

I have tried several times to upload a movie of his program. For some reason I get an error every time. Sorry Grandparents...