Happy 1st Birthday, Benjamin!

Time flies.  I can’t believe my baby boy is one. 

 

Benjamin has been such a sweet addition to our family.  He is loving and crazy, seems to fit in just right.  He can be patient and quiet but if the conditions require, he has no problem in “speaking up”.

We love you Benjamin!  This past year has been so much fun, we look forward to spending forever with you!

  

His brothers were just as excited as he was, maybe even more.  I guess because they know what birthdays are all about!

 

 

He had no problem knowing what to do with the cupcake.  I guess you don’t get to be his size by picking at your food.

I know. I know.

I know I am very behind on blogging.  I’m going to catch up the summer the best I can.  We have been busy.  Doing what?  I dunno.  Just summer stuff.  Seems like I have at least 10 things that I could be doing at most any waking moment.  Unfortunately blogging gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

Some randomness of pictures

Benjamin might be our biggest boy yet.  In the above picture he isn’t even one yet, and well, he seems to be a gigantic baby.  Especially while sitting on his brother’s lap.

They all love the play tent but  Benjamin LOVES the play tent.  When I have to take him out, he cries so hard.  He just wants to be one of the big boys!

 

Ben spends a lot of time looking outside to see what his brothers are doing. 

 

I do love these crazy boys!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime?

 

We don’t have a “real” pool but the kids get good use out of our little wading pool.  I put Benjamin in there and he was pretty sure he was one of the big boys.  He loved it!

Benjamin got a little daring and starting reaching to the grass, he almost went out on his head!

 

Austin and James spend a lot of time under the shade of the tree, digging in the sand/dirt.  Benjamin would love to be out there too, but he can’t be trusted.  He likes to eat leaves and taste rocks.

 

This summer, we decided that we needed something fun for our backyard.  Trampoline won.  And of course, blue and orange.  So far we have all had fun jumping.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there won’t be any trips to the ER.

And of course picnics.  This one just happens to be a pancake picnic, but we like all sorts of picnics.

Before the summer is over, we hope to do more things like more swimming, camping, biking, etc.  We’ll see how much we can fit in!

Father’s Day

I didn’t get a mushy post put up about my husband and dad.  But I truly am lucky.  I pretty much have the best husband ever.  And my dad is amazing.  I also got an awesome father-in-law when I got Cam.

For father’s day, we got Cam a picture frame that holds a picture of each of the kids like the ones below.

 

Then for dessert after the Father’s day dinner, I made these fun hamburgers and fries.

The hamburgers are cupcakes with brownies and frosting.  Fries are sugar cookies.  Cam wanted a Big Mac, so his has 2 brownies.

Read, Read, Read

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.  Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.  ~Groucho Marx

Cam and I both love to read.  It seems that the love of books has been passed down to our kids.

Austin has become a big time reader.  Usually once a week we go to the library and he gets “chapter books”  like the magic tree house.  Most of the time he will have read 2-3 of those books before the day is over!

James is “reading” the children’s encyclopedia (it is a favorite at our house)

 

Below are Austin and James “reading” my anatomy book from PT school.  Then spent a whole day looking at that one.

 

Benjamin loves books too.  Right now he LOVES to empty every bookshelf he can find and look at the books and occasionally tear out the pages.  (Still learning the finer art of reading)

Graduation

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
William Butler Yeats

 

Austin finished kindergarten and I think, did a great job.  He loved to go to school and really loves learning.  He is already asking questions that I have to look up the answers for.

 

Austin with Mr. Green, principal/administrator

Austin’s teacher, Mrs Olsen.

Leila and Austin.  Leila lives in our subdivision and they rode the bus together.  They have become pretty good friends.