Benjamin's Big Day!

I asked Benjamin what was special about today...

He knew... he put up his finger to show me that today...he is 1 year old!
He was hanging out with his Mimi (that's me) in bed this morning...and his mama came in at 8:54 a.m. and we sang 'Happy Birthday' to our little man... At 8:54 a.m., on May 30, 2009, Benjamin came into our lives... I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by...
I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he told me he wanted this cell phone. He took it and immediately started to call his cousin, Emerson, to tell him to hurry on down.
We told him we were impressed that our little one year old could use the cell phone!
He was telling Emerson about their picture on the phone.
"Look, Mimi!"

"I know, Benjamin. That's you and Emerson....Mimi put that picture on the phone!"
I asked Benjamin what he wanted for breakfast, seeing as it was his birthday, he could have whatever he wanted.
"Pancakes, Mimi...can I have pancakes?"
Of course, I made them for my little man...his mama helped him break it up.
He had never had pancakes before...so was a bit unsure of it after his first bite.
Then he realized they were pretty tasty! Yummers!!!
He decided he wanted the whole pancake, not the meager little bites his mama was breaking off.

After a while of picking some off, he promptly dropped it on the floor.

"Uh-oh" he said.
Benjamin's Grandma and Grandpa from Montana skyped so they could wish their little man a Happy Birthday... They couldn't come since Aunt Heather is getting ready to get married...Grandma and Grandpa were busy with the wedding... but just wait for birthday #2!
Cousin Emerson finally made it. Benjamin was so happy to see him! They decided to play with the caterpillar for awhile before the party started.
Saddie and Benjamin posed in his birthday shirt for a birthday picture!
Benjamin wanted his 'almost twin' cousin to be in the picture too...and Saddie, of course, was absolutely thrilled to have both of her great grandsons on her lap at the same time!
The boys just played awhile, with 2nd cousin, Sami, and Saddie supervising...
Benjamin was curious when his party would start...
He and Emerson had a little more time to play with the caterpillar... and the tupperware, of course!
It was time...
The boys watched as all the cute little girls came ... and other cute little men, too!

Annabell was one of the precious little princesses who came to wish Benjamin a happy birthday...
Kylie was the second little princess to come. She had a bow in her hair and flip-flops on her little feet!
Annabell and her mama, Robyn, couldn't stay long. Besides wishing Benjamin a happy birthday, they had a wedding to attend.
Madeline was another little princess to come celebrate with Benjamin. Her daddy, Scott, was keeping a close eye on his little girl!
Oh geez...Benjamin was SO excited! His daddy was telling him how special he was...
Emerson was also enjoying meeting all his cousins princess-friends!
Lynee held Kylie up so she could model her flip flops along with her clothes!
Benjamin started getting a little shy around all these beauties! His Saddie told him he was a special little man...
Annabell loved being on her daddy's shoulders.

Erycah came with her grandma...Sharon... to wish Benjamin a Happy Birthday!
Madeline...what a sweet name! Her daddy, Scott, kept her close by his side.
Emerson wasn't too sure if he should walk or crawl...
Benjamin's friend, Ben, came to wish him a happy birthday. Ben knew how happy this would make Benjamin...since he was 1 year old about a month ago. They hung out together on the trampoline.

Isabella is in the "I love Benjamin" club at day care. Sharon, the sweetheart who watches Benjamin, also watches Isabella and her sister, Emily.
The trampoline was definitely a hit...
Ben and his daddy, Rich, bounced around on it...
Benjamin, of course, joined in the fun!
Monaire, Sharon's daughter, and Sharon, were enjoying seeing their keeps in a different light... It was so sweet of them to come wish Benjamin a happy birthday!
Rich, Ben, and Jenifer hanging out on the trampoline with Benjamin and his daddy, Donnie!
Lindsey decided to show her little man a few jumping techniques...
Isabella just wanted to hug her Benjamin!

Uncle Gabe was there to help his nephew celebrate. He was explaining to Emerson how this was Benjamin's party, just like last weekend had been his...
My guy (aka Papa) was one of the chefs...some of the men hung out around the grill...
Judy, who works with Donnie, and Betty, who is one of their magnificent neighbors, enjoyed visiting...
Kylie, I just love that flower!
Sami enjoyed hanging out with Emily....
You may wonder who this is? This is Emily...not the same Emily who was hanging out with Sami...but this is Isabella's sister...one of the members of the "I love Benjamin" club that meets at Sharon's house!
Betty and Jean-Marie, the neighbors extrordinaire, just love Benjamin. Betty was only too happy to wish Benjamin a happy birthday!
Brooks came too. He knew Benjamin needed some .... well, some older male advice.
Emerson and Benjamin were both eager to listen to Brooks...

Emerson...he was enjoying just cruising around his cousin's party...
Papa and Opa (aka Jean-Marie) cooked a lot of burgers, garden burgers, and hot dogs...
Isabella...
Ah-ha! Here is little Emily! She decided to wake up and join the party....

Sami sat down to visit with Emily and Gabe awhile...
Brooks was diving on the trampoline while his mama Marisa was blocking his catapult off the surface!
Isabella was showing Sharon some of her trampoline tricks...
Here goes Brooks again...Marisa had a tight hold on her little man...
Oh my! Another little princess showed up! Jasmine...Her daddy, Simon, was only too happy to let me take some pictures of his little doll...

Benjamin was contemplating being ONE year old!



Madeline and Petrina...


Ahhh...Little princess Ayla also came...her beautiful dark, curly hair....those big brown eyes...ahhhh. It looks like her mama, Erin, is proud of her little one!
Oh my gosh! thought Benjamin. What in the world is this?

As Benjamin watched, the crowd, the people who had come to celebrate his 1st birthday, started to sing...Happy Birthday to you, Benjamin...and as his Mimi did at Emerson's party, she started to cry...thinking of all that we had been blessed with...it overwhelms me...
Yummers! Benjamin started to sample this humongous cupcake sitting in front of him...


His Uncle Gabe, in a John Wayne voice, boomed out, "Hey Big Man, you tackle that little cupcake!"
Benjamin loves his Uncle Gabe...and he was impressed with his 'John Wayne' voice...
So he continued to dive into his cupcake...
His Saddie was proud of her little man...
Papa wanted to give some assistance...
but Benjamin was doing just fine on his own...
He clapped for himself...we all clapped for him too!

He examined the candle...

and decided the cake was better...
I'm not sure if he thought he had had enough...but his Mimi thought he had...
Tammy, Isabella and Emily's mama, came to tell Benjamin Happy Birthday...

Sami was explaining something to her 2nd cousin...
Sharon was telling Benjamin how special he was...how she loves having him come visit...
Benjamin listened intently...he loves to go to Sharon's!
Uncle Alan and Auntie Carla were sitting back watching ... watching their little Benjamin, watching all the little princesses, too.
Brooks had to refuel after all his running around...
Emerson had to refuel after all HIS running around too!
"Where are you running to, Emerson?" asked cousin Sami.
Brooks was just hanging out...
It was great to see Scott...a friend of Benjamin's parents from their Cal Poly days...
Saddie enjoyed visiting with Jean-Marie... he has THE best accent... I think it's french...but it's beautiful!
Robert and Marisa were watching their little, excuse me, their BIG guy, Brooks, run around!
Judy and Betty were still chatting away...
What's that rhyme about the two people who were back to back?
Here are the remains of Benjamin's cake... a bit mutilated...
Brooks was doing a trick with his arm...
As the party was winding down, Lindsey was telling her little man how much she loved him...
How he had been such a big boy for his first birthday party...
Her brother Gabe said his nephew deserved a big kiss from his Uncle Gabe...
In the meantime, Brooks decided to play a game of chase with his daddy... on the trampoline...
Brooks was a little faster than Robert...
Kylie decided she had a better view from her daddy's shoulders...Kevin was only too happy to put his precious baby girl up so she could see...
Scott and Donnie discussed... well, I have no idea what they discussed...
Lynee and Kevin had some fun with Kylie...
Erin was explaining all that was going on to Ayla...
Auntie Carla came over to tell Benjamin Happy Birthday...one more time before she and Alan left...

Alan and Carla...

Benjamin was wanting a lot of water after eating all that cake!
Look at this! If Brooks was a little older, or Robert a little younger, they'd be identical twins!
Grrrr!
Rashida and Erin both were there with sweet little Ayla...
Alan and Carla finally broke away from the crowd...
The party was over, at least the party outside. Benjamin came inside and after resting a bit, opened some of his gifts...

His Bible...he loves his new Bible...
His shakers...not sure what they're really called...
Uncle Gabe was partied out...but Emerson was trying to wake him up...
Didn't work...
Benjamin was showing his cousin Emerson some of his new toys...one of the music shakers, Emerson mistook for a ball...

It didn't bounce...
Benjamin showed him how to make music with the shakers...
Oh boy! A ball! A ball with shapes...this looks fun!
Of course, Benjamin even liked the bag!
After opening his drum, both the boys gave us a little concert... a drumming concert...
Uncle Gabe slept right through the performance...
As Emerson continued to play, Benjamin was curious how the drum was made...

Once that was figured out, he took out his tambourine...
Papa decided to read a story to Benjamin from his new Bible...

Emerson was listening from a distance...
Papa finished reading, and Donnie picked up his little man and came to the table...Benjamin pointed at his cousin Emerson and said, "YOU...are my favorite cousin!"

They both started to clap...
and they continued to clap...
Emerson started to hoop and holler...
The boys were so excited that now they both are 1 year old! ONE YEAR!
Benjamin's birthday, his first birthday party, was now over...there was just family left at the house...
"Hey cuz, pretty fun being ONE, don't ya think?" Emerson asked.

It had been a long day...and Benjamin was starting to get a little sleepy...
He thought about all that had taken place... of all the people who had come to say Happy Birthday to him...
He thought about all the wonderful gifts he had received...but wasn't too thrilled with his mama when she wanted him to try on his jacket and jeans...
I told him he looked like Robert Redford! Benjamin could have cared less about Robert Redford...didn't even know or care who he was...
Emerson had had enough, too. He was getting a bit sleepy... laying over his Papa's chest...

I told my little man how much I loved him...about 1,000 times...
Emerson told Benjamin he loved him, too...

and then Uncle Joshua called to wish his little nephew a Happy Birthday...
He told Benjamin how much he wished he, Aunt Erica, and cousin Thalia, could be there...

Benjamin told him it was OK...he understood...but that he missed them...
As Gabe, Emily, and Emerson were getting ready to leave, we were talking about the last two weekends, celebrating the 1st birthdays of our little men... and Gabe summed it up and said,

What a year!

Absolutely! What a blessed year!

Happy Birthday, Happy 1st Birthday, Benjamin!