Saturday, May 30, 2015

Happy 6th Birthday, Benjamin!

 May, 2014
At the end of the month, we had Benjamin's birthday party.  Everyone was given a  ball of dough and they could roll it out and make their own pizza!
I couldn't believe Benjamin was 5 years old!
 Tattoos were a hit at the 2014 birthday party...
just as they were this year!
Ron and I stayed in a hotel last year...
and the boys had a great time coming to the pool.  Last year, Benjamin wasn't a swimmer...
but this year, he can swim!

June, 2014
 At the end of June, Papa and I brought Emerson down with us.  I only got to see you a couple of days because I was flying to China.
 You and Emerson played basketball...
Well, William tried to play too..


July, 2014

 When I got back from China, I stayed and visited with you. Uncle Joshua had flown in from Thailand and he and Papa flew to Texas. 
 We played outside...swinging and on the trampoline.
 We went on a walk...with you riding your bike.  Here you are with training wheels...
and now, you are an expert on the bike....no training wheels anymore!
 After Uncle Joshua and Papa got back from Texas, we came up to Mimi and Papa's.
Aunt Erica and Thalia had flown to Southern California...and they drove up here.
  You came up...along with your family and Emerson!
Patrick's Point and Agate Beach was one of our destinations.


 You loved playing in the waves...letting them chase you.
 We also went to Wedding Rock.  Your Mimi was a bit nervous when all of your family started climbing rocks!

 Fern Canyon was another place we went. 
We had to take a picture before we took off!
 The zoo was another stop.  Thalia has always loved to go there and especially to the petting zoo. 


Another group shot...this time in our backyard.
 Moonstone Beach was another place we went. 

August, 2014
 This was August 10th.  
You had come up a couple of days earlier to be with me on my 60th birthday!
We played croquet!
I had bought all 3 of  you dragon shirts when I was in China.  I definitely wanted a picture.  Your brother was ... well, a little less than cooperative!
 We also played soccer in the backyard.

 You are amazing with mechanical things.  You've always been that way.  When you were a little man, you would try to figure out how fans worked...always studying them!

You're also amazing with legos.  You and Emerson worked on building with them.
After we were finishing our game of croquet earlier, friends of ours started showing up.  Your Papa threw me a surprise party...which is really why you had come up! I was definitely surprised!

Later in August...
You started Kindergarten!!!

September/October, 2014
 I didn't get to see you in September.  I think we were all busy with a new school year starting.  
The first weekend in October, I stopped and picked up Emerson, and he and I came down for the weekend.  
That Saturday morning, we went to the park...and it was HOT.  You can see in these pictures how hot you were!

 I just love this picture of you boys!
 Your garage is what I call, the Man Cave!  
You and William have a lot of toys...mostly cars and trains...out there. 
I think you spend a lot of time out there. 
 Of course, the trampoline was one of the things we did. 
You came up with a new game....I sit in the middle...and try to grab you boys as you run around. 
 What an accomplishment!  
You told your dad to take off the training wheels...
and with a little bit of coaching, you took off on two wheels!

November, 2014
 We came down for Veteran's Day.  There was a day off of school, so we had an extra day!
 Reading with the 3D glasses made the pictures look so cool!
 The play group all went to this open gym.  
Jumping from the platform into the foam was probably the favorite...at least it was with you and William!

Papa and I came back down for Thanksgiving.  Your Grandma and Grandpa were also there!
You wore the hat you made in kindergarten :)

 Back at home, you were busy with legos!

 For Thanksgiving, Oma and Opa came over.  It was so much fun having everyone together. 
 ...back out in the 'man cave'!...

You, your mom, and I went for a walk around the lake...it was a gorgeous day!


 The morning after Thanksgiving...
we were busy making either pancakes or waffles.
You love to help cook!
 After Thanksgiving, your mom wanted to get a picture for your family Christmas card.
We took pictures in your backyard...


 and also at a park that was close to your house.


December, 2014
 Christmas!  You had written on a piece of paper the number of a lego kit you wanted. #60052  You would ask me every once in a while if I still had it.  
You never asked me to buy it for you, just if I still had the paper with the number on it.
When you got to our house for Christmas, you started looking at packages.  When you found a large one with your name, you told me, "This could be legos #60052!"
 We went to Lady Bird Johnson grove...
  


 We also went to Wedding Rock.  We were trying to show Eliza all the sites.



 I tried to convince your mom NOT to climb...
It didn't do any good...


 Eliza was here from Chile.  Uncle Joshua was here, too.  He had just left Bangkok...and would be moving to London after Christmas.  I was sad that Aunt Erica and Thalia weren't able to come :(
 When Emerson came, all 3 of you got pretty wild!  There was a lot of wresting going on!

 You were helping your mom wrap gifts.  Actually, the gifts were ones you bought!
 Christmas morning, you dived into your stocking...

 You were excited to get the lego set you had wanted!
As soon as things calmed down, you were upstairs working on your new Lego set!
 Before anyone started to leave, we took a group picture!
Having  you all here for Christmas was definitely so much fun!

January/February, 2015

 I didn't get to see you in January :(
I was with you on Valentine's day...because Papa and I were flying out to Colorado for the week!
When we came back from Colorado... I got to see you again!
 You're a soccer player!  I loved watching your practice...



 Well, Benjamin....as I was walking through the house, I saw this!  Oh my...this is dangerous.
I talked to you about it, but you felt it was perfectly ok...and you could reach what you wanted!
 This is Benjamin's 'before the haircut' look...
Look at these handsome boys and their mama!!!
(The 'after haircut' look!)
 February 28th, we came back again!
Today was William's 3rd birthday...and his party!


MarchApril, 2014
 I didn't get to see you in March, but when I flew back from Denver on April 11, I came to your house!  This night, as you were brushing your teeth, you started making all these silly faces in the mirror.  I was there, of course, with my camera.
 I think we're always on the trampoline!  It's so much fun!
 You and William were both studying Lego catalogs.  You had a birthday coming soon...and your Mimi wanted a birthday list!
 We went for a bike ride.  Your new thing on the bike was to get up some speed, slam on the brakes, and see how long of a skid mark you could make!


 After studying the catalog, and before I left, you made me a list.



 I came to your house again at the end of the month.  Papa had been in Texas, so I came to pick him up.
Our normal morning routine...making waffles (or pancakes)!
 
I got to watch you in a gymnastics class...
 Back in the car, out came the Lego catalog.

May, 2015

 May is a big month for our family.  You and Emerson both have birthdays...along with Uncle Joshua!
Emerson's birthday was May 13...but his party was may 16.  It was a bowling party
and you were a bowler!





May 23rd, Papa and I came down and brought Emerson with us.  We were coming to celebrate you turning 6 years old!
 We played a lot of catch and baseball...
 and on the trampoline, of course!
 You and Emerson traded nights sleeping on the bed/airbed.  We read books before going to sleep.
 Do you know how much I love being 'Mimi'?
 Papa took a picture of my two 6 year olds!!!
 Playing catch...
 My boys and their mits...
 You and Emerson were being hams...

Papa is always wanting to measure...so we measured.  You're slightly taller, by about .5/.75"
 Here it is, May 25th...
Even though it wasn't officially your birth DAY, it's the day we celebrated.
Because you love Legos...everything was Lego colors!
Happy, happy birthday, Benjamin!

6 years old!  Wow!