Playing Catch-up!

Well, we're officially back to school...soooooooooo, that means I'm behind in my blogging (I know, I know, not a huge surprise)!

We had a big milestone in our family last week.  Ben started preschool!  Wow, I still have a hard time saying it because it means he's growing up way too fast.  He loves it, of course, which makes me so happy, but secretly I wish he'd come home and just tell me how much he missed me!  In all seriousness though, I am thrilled that he enjoys school.  It makes life so much easier when they want to go!  He's been on green each day, so we're off to a good start...hopefully he'll keep it up!

I know this one is a bit blurry, but I love this look...can you just see him saying "Ok, Mom!  I've got it!"



Ben and I also went to Mom and Dad's a couple weekends ago to attend the Annual St. Ann's Fish Fry.  This was the 50th anniversary for the fish fry, so it was quite a big deal!  I've worked several in my 34 years of life, everything from refilling drinks to carrying fish, and I love it.  It's always a good night seeing people that I haven't seen in a year.  Lots of smiles and laughter!  This year was extra special because Ben got to "work" at it.  He started out in quality control in the back room (which just meant he ate a lot fish...he said one batch was just a little too hot, ha ha)!  Then, he graduated to helping Grandma Debbie fill up the veggie trays.  He was a good little trooper and worked clear to the end!

We also celebrated Andy's birthday on the 14th!  We started the night with preschool "Back to School" night, so that was lots of fun with Ben.  Then, I got a sitter and took Andy to his favorite Chinese restaurant...just a nice quiet dinner for the two of us.  No pictures of the birthday boy (funny, he's not as cooperative as the little guys are when it comes to photos)!

Well, that was just a quick little recap of August.  I can't believe we're heading into the Labor Day weekend.  Where has the month gone???  Hopefully we can all find some time this weekend to relax and enjoy the last few days of summer...I think fall is right around the corner, and personally, I'm ok with that!  Bring on the bonfires, the cool nights, the pumpkins and the changing leaves...I'm ready for my favorite season. 

Enjoy the weekend!



Happy Birthday!

I can't believe my little guy is 5 years old! It seems like yesterday we were in the NICU holding him, feeding him, and worrying like crazy about how we were ever going to handle this thing called parenthood!  Five years is such a short time, but it's time that we have enjoyed watching this guy grow and develop.  He keeps us on our toes!

Here's a glimpse of our Benners - he LOVES legos and builds them completely on his own. He averages one a night, it seems! He is a pretty good eater...loves peanut butter and jelly, fruit, and yogurt.  He's found a new favorite drink in unsweetened ice tea.  He considers himself already in the workforce...he's a farmer, don't ya know! He loves camping, riding his bike, swimming, and visiting his grandparents.  He will start preschool in 4 days (I'm gonna lose it), and is definitely ready for school!

We love you Ben! You are so special to us and we thank God for blessing us with you. You truly are a gift and one that we cherish each and every day. No matter if your 5 or 50, you'll always be our little guy!

Where has July gone???

Warning, warning, warning...this is a SUPER long post full of pictures!!!

Wow, I can't believe it is already the end of July!  Where has the month gone???  I know it's been a long time since my last post, but we've had good excuses...we've had two fairs, a camping trip, and our annual Michigan vacation.  Throw in the 4th of July and some get togethers with family and friends, and you have one packed month! Here are some photos from our busy, busy month!

These are from the 4th of July!  What a fantastic night...the weather was perfect!

Ben had his dentist appointment early in the month, and did great!  No cavities, which makes this mommy super happy!

My niece showed sheep in the county next to ours.  This was her first year, and she did a wonderful job!  She loved the project and definitely has the "sheep" bug...looks like this may be the beginning of a 10 year project for her!

The week after Katie's fair, we had our fair.  I'm on the fair board, so it was an extremely busy week for me.  Thank goodness for Andy, for taking care of the boys most of the week while I ran around the fair all week!

Here are some pictures of fun times we spent with our friends...we just love summer!!!

Last but not least, we finished up the month with our trip to Michigan.  We absolutely love Ludington!  A week is never long enough!  Of course, we went to Sand Castles Children Museum, which is a favorite of all the kids.

We added a stop at the Historic White Pine Village this year, and it was a nice place.  The kids liked seeing what it was like in the 1800's...very educational!





Of course, no trip to Ludington is complete without a stop at House of Flavors!

To sum it all up, July was a busy month but it was full of family, friends, and memories!  It was worth every late night and early morning...I think this picture sums it all up...a month on the go is worth it, but you definitely need rest at the end of it!









Fair Time!

This past weekend was the township fair.  It's always a good time to visit with friends and see the projects and animals that the kids have been working hard on. 

 Two techies

 

 Taking a break to play with the "guys"

 

 Max showing his lamb...cool as a cucumber!

 

 The little ones got to hunt for quarters after the show.  They had a blast!

 

Ellie and Ty working hard in the heat!

Helping the volunteer firefighters clean up after the show...I think that was the highlight of the day.



Kyran's first haircut

Yesterday was a HUGE milestone for our family.  Kyran had his first haircut, ever!  I have to admit that I was not very excited for this event.  Kyran had the most gorgeous curls and they made him look like such a little baby doll.  I knew as soon as they were gone, he would look like a "big boy", and I was right.  But, it was time for the curls to go and time for this mommy to accept the fact that her baby was no longer a baby!

 The before picture

 

 The first cut!

 

Look who's a BIG BOY!

 

Interesting side note, I went back and looked at Ben's baby book and saw that he had his first haircut around the same time, 16 months.  We just try to keep everything fair and consistent, ha ha.