Monday, June 12, 2017

Benjamin's 8th Birthday party

Benjamin had his 8th birthday party on the day before his actual birthday.
Party on the 29th, turned 8 on the 30th!
The last two parties, they've rented one of these jumphouses...
always a huge hit with the kids!

I love seeing all these kids twice a year...at Benjamin and again at William's parties.
 Many of the kids, I've known since they were infants...and now I'm seeing their siblings.

Donnie and Ron usually barbeque hotdogs...sometimes hamburgers...
always salads and snacks and drinks.
Their backyard is the perfect place for a party!
They have so much room...plus a great swingset...
and the trampoline.








Hi, Everest!




Emerson and his Papa had a mock game of baseball...
notice their arms?


Hi, Walt!


Benjamin, I can hardly believe you are 8 years old!

Emerson is also a new 8 year old..
17 days older than Benjamin.


I hadn't seen Gabe's flamingo shirt!








The Minecraft birthday cupcake!


It was a difficult task to get the candles lit...
a breeze had come up.

Happy birthday, Benjamin!



These are baseball buddies...they are on the same team this year.

Emerson enjoys the baseball net when he's here.






The "Look at our arms" shot.


And this is #3!

Betty, commonly known as "Oma" is neighbor extraordinaire!



 8 years ago...these two came into my world and forever changed me!





 Walt, are you being shy?












 And here are "Opa" (neighbor extraordinaire) and Papa!



 You're looking good, Nicholas!








 The party was winding down...
it had been a Minecraft theme...

 The boys love to have the streamers hung at their parties...

 Later, after all his friends had left, Benjamin opened his gifts.
 I love it when I see them looking at and reading their cards!
What a great party!
Happy birthday, Benjamin!


Saturday, June 10, 2017

Minecraft Inspiration

 Benjamin and William love to play Minecraft...
especially Benamin!
 He'll make secret tunnels/passageways to get to houses underground...
and so...
outside, he dug a hole....a deep hole..
just like Minecraft.



 I love this picture!  I told them NOT TO SMILE..
but Willliam just couldn't not-smile! 





 Boy does that smell wonderful!
 Benjamin told me he wanted to show me something...
so he took me over to this..
Um?  I wasn't sure about it...
and then he told me that he had taken the seeds out of the cantalope we left there 3 weeks ago...
and he planted the seeds!  In 3 weeks?

 After Benjamin's digging, his shoes were very muddy...

 He was scraping the mud off...
when William came to the rescue and offered his help!

 Brothers helping brothers!
That's a wonderful thing!

Thursday, June 08, 2017

The Youngest Johnston boys...and their faces!

 May 27th, we were heading down for Benjamin's birthday...and we stopped at Gabe and Emily's.
 Walt REALLY wanted to go for a walk in his stroller.
His Papa complied with his request!
 He started trying to get closer to the camera with his faces.
This little one makes me laugh!


 Ummmm?  I wonder where Walt gets the 'face-making'?
Emerson has done this for years.
You may also notice his 'Warriors cast'....
 Emerson is a great big brother...and his little brother, Walt, just wants to do everything his big brother does.  Hopefully, Walt won't fall and break his arm!

 Walt started making all kinds of faces when I got the camera out...


 Then Emerson sat down...Walt went over and sat beside him...
and we had double the fun with making faces!


 I think this one might be my favorite!

 I love this one, too.
I DO love them all,but some more than others!



 This was taken by the guy in the cast!
Emerson King..
 Emerson also took these two...

 His daddy took over then, and took one of us with both the boys!
 You boys are precious to your Mimi and Papa!