A Few Sweet Pictures....

I'm at home today with a sick Ben bear!  I took him to the doctor to rule out strep (he loves to bring that home), but it's just a virus.  He's asleep on the couch with a 103 fever, but hopefully he will be back to himself soon!  It's so sweet to have him snuggle up with me and fall asleep, but I miss my wild man.  I thought I would take this rare quiet moment to update some pictures.

Hannah reading to her brother before church.

Jay and I have been teaching Hannah's "children's church" class for the past 3 weeks.  Every 6 months, you have to serve your time and conduct class for 10 - 15 kids.  I'm not used to the 4 - 6 age group, but we know how much Hannah loves having us in the class with her.  Ben has really been enjoying the nursery lately.  He used to scream like crazy when we would drop him off, but he has found some toys that he likes to play with and they also have a chalk board that he gets to draw on.

Naptime

Ben has been getting his 2 year old molars which have been so much fun for everyone in the house.  At times, his mouth really bothers him and he is a very grumpy little guy.  Since the teeth have started, he has also decided that sleeping in his bed is optional.  I am to the point that as long as he stays in his room for the 2 hour nap time, I don't care where he sleeps!

Champ, the spoiled dog, with his favorite girl!

Champ has also decided that sleeping in his bed it optional! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family pet.  Champ is a great dog that puts up with A LOT from the kids.  He still loves them and enjoys playing with them.  One of Hannah's daily chores is to feed him every day which I'm sure makes him only love her more!

Driving the tractor and trucks on Ben's new toy

Baboo sent Ben a Target gift card for his birthday.  We took him on Friday to pick out something special.  He chose a tractor with ramps to drive on.  This picture is very rare because usually Hannah is not allowed to touch the tractor or the other "beep beeps" that drive on it.  We are trying to teach the kids that toys in the living room should be shared.  If you want to play with a toy by yourself, that's fine, but you need to bring it to your room.  This will only get confusing in the next few months because, if our house doesn't sell, Hannah and Ben will be roommates.  This should be VERY interesting as both kids like having their own space.  We bought bunkbeds this weekend, and we're hoping that they work out for the time being.  The day after we bought the beds, we got an offer on our house, but it's not as close to our price as we were hoping.  I guess we will have to wait to see what happens next!

A Successful Camp Out!

After they woke up!

Hannah has been begging to try another camp out with her brother.  We finally agreed last week, and set up the tent last night.  We didn't know if Ben was going to be old enough to handle sleeping in a tent without keeping his sister up all night.  While Jay set up the tent, the kids were running around beyond excited!  They both gathered up their bears and books and spent the next hour and a half laughing and chatting.

Hannah laughing as she tickles her brother.

Just when Jay and I decided it was time to call off the camp out and have everyone return to their beds, we heard silence.  When we went in to check, they were both fast asleep!  Ben woke up first this morning and got his sister up so he would have someone to play with.  We are so proud of both kids for their 1st camp out.  This will be good practice if we don't sell our house in time and they end up sharing a room!

Hannah giving Daddy a big smile, and Ben with his bear.

Happy 2nd Birthday Ben!

Dear Ben,


I can’t believe that you are already 2 years old! You are no longer our little baby….you are becoming our little boy. You have changed so much since we first saw your beautiful face. You have been our wild child from the beginning. It was almost like you took everything we thought we knew about parenting and threw it out the window. You have always wanted to do things your way and on your time. When Mommy, Daddy, or Hannah try to change your plans, you make is known very quickly that it is not okay. Here are a few things about you at 2 years old:

Blowing out his candles....of course with a straw hanging out of his mouth!

Your favorite phrase of the moment is “Daddy mean”. Your Daddy is the light of your life, and there are times when only Daddy will do. When Mommy tries to wake you up in the morning, you cry until Daddy comes in to rescue you.

Reading with Daddy

Your favorite show is “Elmo’s World”. You will fight your sister all afternoon if she wants to watch something else. As soon as you hear the theme music, your face lights up and you start laughing hysterically.

Telling Miss Gloria how much you love Mommy and Daddy....."this much"

You love anything with wheels. As we drive home in the afternoon, you let Mommy know about every bus, tractor, and fire truck we pass. You love to play with your trains and “beep beeps”. Your big sister is so good to you by setting up your tracks so you can drive your trains. You know just how to get to her by tearing it all apart when she makes you angry.

Playing trains with your big sis

Your favorite books are “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?” (In Ben speak: Bown Bear See), “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” (Fly – Die), and lately “Good Night Moon” (ood night mooooon). As soon as we finish reading to you, you try to convince the next person around to read it again. You love to finish the sentences as we read and point out all the animals. You usually have 3-4 books in your bed, and we love to watch you on the monitor sitting up in your bed, in a pitch black room, flipping through the pages of a book.

Daddy is SO funny!

Your best pals are your buddies at Miss Gloria’s house. Every day you tell us who you played with and some of the things you have done. You love playing on the porch and driving the different riding toys. You are a rough boy, and when your friends don’t play the way you want them to, you don’t always use your “gentle hands”.

Your buddies at Miss Gloria's!

Your most prized possessions are your blue bears (Blue Bear and New Bear). Uncle Tyler tried to help us out by getting a back up blue bear. As soon as you realized there were 2 bears, you insisted on sleeping with both. Your other special bear is Brown Bear or as Daddy calls him “Bama Bear”. Every night before you go to sleep, you have us kiss each bear goodnight before we can finally kiss our Ben Bear.

Reading your new train book

If we could sum up the past 2 years with one word it would be…busy! You have changed our lives in so many amazing ways. We prayed for so long for God to bless us with another child, and he answered our prayers when he sent us you. He knew that you were the perfect fit for our family, and we are so thankful that we have the privilege of being your parents.

We love you more than you will ever know,

Mommy and Daddy

Blowing out your birthday candles on your actual birthday!