Rainy Day Remedy

I'm embarrassed to say that in the five years I've lived in Washington, I've done a lot of hot chocolate sipping, a lot of snuggling under warm blankets, a lot of pleasure reading by the fireplace, and a lot of lazy pajama party movie days, but I haven't done nearly enough of this:

A person can only take so much dark clouds and rain, before its time to throw on the rain gear and hit the puddles! I have to say, playing in the rain was actually quite invigorating!

The boys approved of our puddle splashing activity...Hank told me I was the best mom in the whole world!

Easter Highlights

Here are a few of the highlights from our awesome Easter weekend:

* EASTER EGG HUNT

If I was a better person, I would feel bad that my kids greedily filled their baskets to the brim with Easter eggs while other poor children got trampled by the crowd of egg-hunters and went home with empty baskets. Sorry. A few years ago, I tried playing "Mr. Nice-guy" at the egg hunt and we went home empty handed. Lesson learned: every man for himself.



When the Egg Hunt began, my competitive spirit kicked in and Hank and I raced past the pack of egg-hunters, to the back of the field, where Hank had ample time to fill his basket before the crowd caught up. Greedy!

 

The fun really is in the hunt (or race, more like it) because out of the dozens of eggs the boys grabbed, we came away with a couple Tootsie Rolls, a few temporary tattoos, some bouncy balls, and a couple erasers.

Oh Benjamin. Even that little pouty face makes me smile.

* SUNSHINE....Isn't life just a million times better when the sun is shining? We spent all day outdoors mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, thatching the front yard, pressure washing the porch, taking a family walk, playing at the park, and just loving life.

* DYING EASTER EGGS

I have fond memories of dying Easter egss as a girl so it made me happy to share that tradition with Hank and watch him have so much fun decorating his eggs.

We kept it pretty basic, but I think they look great!

* VISIT FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

The Easter Bunny was a little burnt out after delivering all of those Easter baskets to the Tree House earlier this month, so the Easter Bunny decided to just skip the baskets and leave a small toy instead. Max loved his emergency vehicle HotWheels and Hank is fascinated with his firetruck transformer. Thanks, Easter Bunny!

* EASTER OUTFITS

My dear friend Jean made Ben these custom pants so that he could wear slacks on Easter Sunday instead of his usual sweatpant style.

I love these people.

* EGG WARS.....this self-invented tradition is a huge family favorite. Each family member uses their signature Easter egg to try to smash the opponent Easter egg in an egg duel. Its like our own mini-food fight!

* EASTER DINNER

And this was just the dessert! I had a lot of fun cooking up a storm in the kitchen and then having Nana and Papa Grover over to share our Easter feast. And yup, these strawberry lemonade bars were as good as they looked.

* THE REAL REASON....On this special Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ, who atoned for our sins, died on the cross, and then arose from the tomb. In overcoming death, He made eternal life possible. Happy Easter!

Growing Boy

Benjamin's One Year Stats:
Length: 31" (95%)
Weight: 30.2 lbs (self-explanatory)
Head Circumference: 47 cm

** photo to follow documenting Ben's first tooth which arrived on his birthday!

The Tree House

We completed Ben's Birthday Service Project by delivering our beautiful Easter baskets to the Tree House the other night.

Visiting the Tree House again, nearly a year after our residency there last spring, was a very bittersweet experience. While Ben was in the hospital, the Tree House provided us with a place to rest for a few hours, a place to share dinner together with Hank and Max, a place where we could spend time with Hank and Max as a family, and feel kinda-sorta normal. We will always be grateful for the generousity we experienced while staying at the Tree House. However, stepping back into that facility, seeing other families with that familiar shell-shocked look on their faces, brought me back to a very dark time in my life--a time that I would rather not revisit ever again.

Though it is a very small gesture, we hope that these Easter baskets, made with love by the boys and their friends, will bring a little smile to the faces of the families who will be spending Easter at the Tree House this year.

Daffodil Parade 2011

We look forward to watching the Daffodil parade from the curbside of our little town every year. This year, it was a bit chilly, so we had to bundle up tight. Ben isn't much of an outdoorsman, and is a little sensitive about noise, so he and I enjoyed the second half of the parade from our warm, quiet[er] car. Hank was hardcore and wanted to stay and watch every float, every marching band, every dignitary, and every tractor and firetruck until the bitter end. Maybe one year Hank will get to march in the parade!

A Big Year

You were warned, remember? No apologies for the absurd amount of photos posted below (keep scrolling). It was a very eventful year and I earned the right to brag ad nauseum about my special birthday boy, Benjamin. But honestly, can you blame me?

[just a few of the] Things Ben Can Do:

• Cause random strangers to stop, point, stare, and smile at his total CUTEness
• Melt hearts with his SMILE
• Convey total HAPPINESS with his squeal
• Create MAGIC with the light in his eyes
• INSPIRE others to increase their FAITH
• Bring PEACE to our family
• Express LOVE to everyone who he comes into contact with
• Prove that MIRACLES do happen
• Provide AMAZEment with every developmental inchstone met
• LIFT others to want to become better
• TEACH values: compassion, tolerance, acceptance
• EXEMPLIFY courage and determination
• GIVE HOPE

And just think, if Ben accomplished these impressive tasks in only one year of life, what amazing things will he be able to DO next? Anything and everything.

Birthday Wishes

From Aaron on Facebook today:

Happy birthday to the coolest one year old on the planet! This little boy has been through more in the first year of his life than many will have to endure in their lifetime. It is an honor to call him my son. He is my little hero. Happy birthday Ben!