A Lovely Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon Ben and I went to the park to get a little fresh air before nap time. The park we went to isn't just any old park... It's the new dinosaur park! Let me just tell you that if I were a kid I'd really have a ball at this park. There's all kinds of playground equipment including entrances to slides that seem maze-like and a few large sandboxes in which you are challenged to dig up dinosaur bones. There's a toddler section of the park as well with activities specifically designed with them in mind. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily buy all the stuff that scientists claim to be the truth about dinosaurs, but it's still a fun time. There are also a couple ponds right next to the park with walking trails so it makes for good enjoyable exercise, too! In any case, we had a nice afternoon. Ben particularly enjoyed the swings so I've posted a video to include you in our fun.

And here are a few photos, too...

I Love My Papa Because...

He gives me baths.

He takes naps with me.

He takes me for walks.

He keeps me safe and warm.

He takes me for rides.

He takes me to the park.

He takes me on trips.

He makes me feel big and tall.

He snuggles with me.

He leads me in the way I should go.

I am so thankful for my Papa!

Getting Ready for the Big Day

Here are some photos of the rehearsal dinner and prep time before Chris & Aubrey's wedding. I hope to have actual wedding photos coming soon but we'll see if I can get my hands on any. The weather turned out to be perfect for an outdoor wedding (except for a little wind that proved to be a bit of a menace) and it was a successful day. It was fun to see them finally get hitched!

Setting up the dance floor.

My beautiful mom and sister.

Ben and Auntie Livie trying to stay out of trouble.

The bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner.

Brian and I at the rehearsal dinner.

Ben playing in the grass while Momma and Papa try to get things done.

Snuggles with Grandpa G.

Me and Mom right before the wedding. Yes, I was the Matron of Honor and Holy Cow checkout how low that dress is! I have some pretty nice tan lines, too!

 Oh, the things you'll do for someone you love. ;)

Beautiful Big Eyed Bugger Nosed Boy

The Poor Boy Just Can't Get Away from All the Women

A couple weekends ago we (meaning myself, Ben, Grandma Mary, Mom, and Liv) all went to Billings to celebrate the second of Aubrey's two bridal showers and the first and only of her Bachelorette parties. It was fun being able to celebrate with her and it was also nice to meet all of her friends that we've heard so much about over the years. You know, the whole putting a face to a name thing. Anyway, we drove over Saturday morning and got things set up for the shower just in the nick of time. Everything went really well... we ate some good food, played some fun games, and blessed Aubrey with some great gifts. Later that evening we enjoyed a tasty dinner at the Olive Garden which was the kick-off to her bachelorette party. Grandma, Ben, and I all drove home together after dinner choosing not to hit the bars with the wild women. ;) I hear they had a good time and I know we were very tired once we finally made it home that night. Poor Benjamin had to spend the whole day surrounded by girls - that seems to be a common theme in this boys life! 

In any case, it's pretty hard to believe that my lil' sis is getting married this weekend. That's right - the wedding is this Saturday! It will be with great pleasure that we watch her tie the knot to the man she's been dating for 4 years. Can't wait to show you all pictures of this glorious occasion!

Grandma Mary feeding Ben lunch as Mom and I scramble to get things ready for the shower.

The Beautiful Bride with one of her friends.

Livie and Ben having a grand 'ol time. 

Notice the carrot still hanging out of Ben's mouth... that was a tasty lunch!

The towel cake (center) and delicious food that was provided by her loving friends and family.

Benjamin rummaging through his diaper bag. You just never know what you might find in Momma's bag full of treasures!

Life with Plants and a Mobile Child

So, a couple of nights ago as I was throwing some clothes in the laundry I heard a big crash in the living room. As I rushed out to see if my precious child was alright, I discovered one of my plants scattered all over the floor with the stand it had been sitting on still propped on top of Ben's head. He had been scooting around in his walker and accidentally backed up into the plant stand knocking it over - needless to say he was fine but a little surprised at what had just happened and getting a little irritated with this thing pressing down on his head. I was a little annoyed at the mess of dirt and muddy water spread all over my carpet and that I was now going to have to clean instead of cook dinner for my hungry family, but I told myself, "Ok, Ben's fine and accidents like this are bound to happen... No big deal." So I picked up the plant and the stand and set them aside so I could take care of business. Then, as I was mindlessly vacuuming like I'd done so many times before, I bumped into that same plant stand and sent the plant flying through the air again to land on the only clean part of my carpet... This pushed me off the edge and into the abyss of aggravation! But, I got my act semi-put-together and started cleaning all over again. This time I thought I'd be smarter by placing the plant on the kitchen counter where none of us could knock it over again! After getting all the dirt picked up and the muddy water sopped up as much as possible there were still mud stains all over my carpet so I called Catherine downstairs and she came to my rescue by lending me their mini carpet cleaner. It worked beautifully and I felt much better having completed my task and seeing my house back to normal order. So, I went into the kitchen to empty the vacuum bag into the garbage can not noticing that my curious and mobile child had followed me. Before I knew it, I heard another loud crash with an infant's cry immediately following. I look back and saw that menace of a plant lying scattered all over the floor... AGAIN!!! Ben had grabbed the vine of the plant out of curiosity and pulled it right off the counter. So much for my being smart about moving it where it couldn't be knocked over again! This time it landed right on Ben and I'm assuming from his cry that the pot hit him in the head - he had dirt covering every inch of his body. At the sight of this third disastrous mess even Brian was getting annoyed (probably mostly because I was over it and asked him to clean up so I could give Ben a bath... he's such a great husband!). 

Isn't life grand! Praise God for plants and curious mobile children.

Here's Ben after the last episode covered in dirt. 

Notice the loving nurturing look on my face - priceless!

The Amazing Tongue

Ben has recently discovered his tongue! He now knows how to "click" it but also just likes to play with it and the different noises it makes. It's quite entertaining to watch so I've posted a little video to share with you. Notice the little bruise on his forehead from head-butting something hard. Yes, he likes doing that now as well. We're trying to teach him not to head-butt people but if he feels obligated to head-butt other objects then that's his choice at this point. He's not doing it as much as he used to because I think he's realized that it hurts when you actually hit something of substance (thus the bruise on his head). However, he still does it some and you'll be able to see a small display of this at the very beginning of the video.