baby ben is 2

so baby ben turned 2 this weekend. i really can't bear to think he's a big boy yet, so he'll keep his title until further notice. at least in my book.

a few things about our benny boy:

- he is still a little guy of very few words. his repertoire includes:  MOM/ mommy, dada, wow, owie, bayoon(balloon), hi, bye-bye, yeehaw, pease (please), no, do (dog), and peepee and poopoo {ya know, only the important stuff}
along with a myriad of sounds: lots of "uh!", beeps, various animal noises, and tons of giggles

- the above does not in any way hinder him from communicating exactly what he wants around here.
he's deservedly been dubbed bossy ben- using lots of grunts, pulls, and pushes to get people moving. plus all he really has to do is look at anyone with one of his cute, dimpled little facial expressions and he's good to go.

- his favorite book is "goodnight moon". we have to keep it on a special shelf in his room, read it before   nap and bedtime every day and then afterwards say good night and pat about 10 different objects in his room. this tradition must not be broken. the repercussions are intense.

- balloons are his dearest objects of affection, second only to his beloved blankie.

- balloons also bring out the very worst in him...i'm thinking idol maybe? ;)

- he loves to watch and mirror his brother and sisters like crazy

- his favorite foods are bananas and chocolate, in any form

- he loves to climb...tables, counters, dressers, cribs...which means he has also had his fair share of falls already.

- a few of his nicknames include: benny boy, benster, benny boo and chubby bubby (used almost exclusively as a nighttime salutation by madeline and sophie)

- he loves, loves, loves to color on himself with a marker. mostly just on his hands, but sometimes it reaches his mouth.

-he loves to be tickled, especially by daddy who can almost always get a real good belly laugh out of him

- he also loves to carry around water balloons filled w/ just a little water and he HAS to have a smiley face drawn on them. (handyandy would very much like this routine to phase out...something about the hazards of carrying around a balloon filled with water inside the house??...)

- he loves following his brother and sisters everywhere...especially into the lego room, into their forts, on their bikes, and in their rooms. and always while sporting an impish grin that gives away the fact that he is fully aware that he is driving them a tad CRAZY.

-he loves to swipe dollies, nail polish,lego guys, other people's snacks, silly bands and everyone else's' markers and hide them in his back pack.

- he doesn't sleep the best. we still have a crib tent over his crib to keep him in bed and are most definitely delaying the inevitable training that needs to occur once we take the tent off...

- he just started being interested in watching cartoons with the other kids. yay for a 20 min. of containment!

- he loves that his daddy flies airplanes. every time this is mentioned he giggles and points with an "eh!" to the sky.

- he still loves mommy...(maybe the best)
he'll still snuggle with me after he wakes up and will give me air kisses if i ask {especially if he's trying to get something} and he doesn't mind {too much} when i snatch him up multiple times a day to squish and cover him with kisses.

happy birthday {big} baby ben!

overwhelmed maybe...a little vent

sometimes everyday life can feel a bit overwhelming...every so often the reality of the responsibility of it all hits me, takes my breath away for a second and i get a little panicky.  

 i mean yikes! four kids! four individual souls that have needs, issues and personalities...and i'm responsible.

 holy moly! how did we get here??

plus there's a house to keep clean,

a marriage to invest in,

meals to cook

school to teach, 

laundry to tame,

friendships and family to nurture

not to mention my own heart to keep in check...ahhhh!

goodness gracious. i know its not really a lot, it just feels that way now and then...

and i know life really is sweet. in sooo many ways. and i know its up to me to see jesus in the midst of the crazy, and to believe that he is there to offer grace and JOY in the moment. i just have to do it.

so, thank you instagram for making it so easy to capture the sweet moments sprinkled throughout the overwhelming and chaotic that would be lost otherwise. 

and thank you jesus for giving me this life and these little munchkins to raise. i am grateful.

vent over. thank you for listening.

12 Months of Date Nights

first of all, andrew's beautiful little sister got married last week. the wedding was dreamy and lots of fun. today they drive to their new home in oklahoma...tears...

but anyway, before they left we were able give lots of hugs, say goodbye and send them off with some gifts.

when handyandy and i were married some friends gave us a big box with 12 little gifts.  it was so thoughtful and so much fun to have something to open on each month anniversary our first year.

so, we decided to do something similar and do a date night themed box. it took a good bit of brainstorming to think of 12 but here they all are in case you'd like to do something like it. 

** Bethany, if you happen to be reading...STOP ;)

{after i took pictures, i wrapped each gift up in tissue paper, wrote a little hint/description on the tags and then packed them in a big plastic storage bin} if you click on the picture it should enlarge it a bit.

1) something bubbly and holographic heart glasses like these 3) apple cider and pumpkin carving tools from Hobby Lobby

3) white ceramic mugs from Target, pen and instructions printed out 2) marshmallows and cocoa packets

4) Jenga  5) pack of 2 moleskine journals and Starbucks gift card  6) Skittles box and conversation starters- see below  7) pink football from Target and Root Beer

Conversation Starters 

* What is one significant memory or association that includes snow?

*What does your ideal birthday look like? (from beginning to end)

* What is your earliest memory from childhood?

* What are 2 things that happened this week and how did you feel about them?

* fill in blank: I like it best when you refer to me as_____________.

9) microwave popcorn and $1 bill 10) Coldstone gift card 11) trail mix and root beer 12) gift card to Noodles

the thought of having the time/freedom to go on all these dates kinda blows my mind. handy andy and i totally didn't take advantage of all the fun we could have had before our sweet kiddos entered the picture....ohhh well, that's what retirement is for...hahaha. just kidding. i think. ;) 

if you have any ideas for fun/cheap dates, leave them in the comment section. 

now go have yourselves some FUN!