Hair CUT!

Craig and I seem to have this continual disagreement regarding hair.

He likes it SHORT, and I like it long:)

Such is true when it comes to both myself, and our children.

Benson's hair had gotten pretty long, and started looking a little shaggy around his ears, so I decided it was time for "a LITTLE trim"...my words exactly.

Craig was home, and he is our resident Barber (most of the time, but sometimes I'll get brave and do it myself...and that can be scary!), so I got everything set up for him.

tall chair...check

towel...check

buzzers ready with Longest attachment available...check

comb...check

water bottle...check

scissors...check

baby stripped down to diaper...check

strawberry sucker...check

We were all set, but my phone began to ring, so I ran out real fast to grab it. I made the call short, because I didn't want to miss the action. I walked back in the make-shift "Barber shop" just in time....in time to see Craig buzz right down the middle with the SHORTEST attachment!

Ahhhhh! Stooooop......too late.

Before

After

Still, He is so so super cute, and I just want to eat his little cheeks, but I miss his long strawberry blond hair. It's amazing how your baby can turn into a little boy in a matter of minutes!

He looks SO much older to me, and I think that is really the part I don't like.

wagon ride

We had a few moments of sunshine yesterday, so we ran outside to enjoy it.

Sweet little Layla decided to give Benson a "wide in da wagon" as she put it. It was priceless!

She was pulling with all her might, and moving at a snails pace. Benson kept looking at me, you know, the look that says "don't just stand there taking my picture, help me!". At least that's what I took the look to mean, but when I went to "save him" he didn't want to go.

So, I sat back and let them have their fun.

:)

Bensons Birthday

My Baby turned one! He is 1!

I have been reflecting a ton the past couple of weeks. I think it's in part because Benson just turned one, part because Craig and I just had our 9th anniversary, and part because that's kinda just what I do. I've been thinking mostly about where I was emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually a year ago, and where I am now. I'll take the now...for sure.

I have three very active, happy, and healthy children. We spend our summer days riding bikes, playing in the yard, swimming, reading books together, and laughing. I have a Husband that works very hard, so I can be home with our little Chickie's. He keeps our garden/yard looking amazing (and looks so hot while he does it), is Loyal, loving, and serves the lord. I love our cute little house in our quiet old neighborhood were we all know each other. What more could a girl ask for? I thank the Lord for the trials I have been through, the lessons learned, and the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so blessed.






Back to Benson. He is such a sweet little thing, and always tries (with success) to make us laugh. He loves his Daddy more then anyone, and thinks anything Carter does is hilarious. He loves playing peek-a-boo with Layla, but doesn't love it when she picks him up. He is master of going up stairs, but still working on the down part. Looks for every chance he can get to play in the house plants dirt, and rub it in his beautiful blond hair. His favorite food is watermelon...he thinks it's a full contact sport! Not kidding. I'm going to have to post a video of him eating a slice...fantastic. Benson has a great arm, and lets us know he is done by throwing his Binky, bottle, or food as far as he can with a solid grunt to add affect.
What a boy! I love watching him grow, and discovering who he is. Benson is a very LOVED little guy! Happy Birthday buddy.

So Funny!

There is this new blog called
www.mommygiggles.com
and it is so funny. It's just a bunch of funny mommy moment pictures that people send in, and they post them. Every Tuesday they post a picture and have people leave their own "tag line" for it in the comment box. The winning tag line for the week gets $15 at amazon.com . Today's Tag line picture is of my BENSON:) Go check it out. I submitted the tag line "you want to stick that thermometer WHERE?" with my picture, but when I went to submit it officially today someone had already written that WORD. FOR. WORD...dang!
Come up with your own, and have some fun.

San Diego Zoo - day 6

We Cruised on down the coast to San Diego for a day, and visited the San Diego zoo. That place is ginormous! We rode the tram thing over the top of the zoo, the bus tour that takes you around, walked, and walked, and walked, and still didn't see everything. It was so beautiful! Not only to they have endangered and unusual animals, but they have incredible exotic plants and flowers. Craig, being the closet plantologist he is, enjoyed the plants more then the animals. The kids, on the other and, are very much into animal life right now. Half the time Layla is pretending to be one, so they ate the whole zoo experience up.

Twiners

These are my Twin boys born 5 1/2 years apart. They love and adore each other, and Carter likes telling people Benson is his twin brother. It's funny to see Benson make all the same expressions carter used to make as a baby, but he has a personality all of his own. He is a sweet sweet baby, loves to chatter and laugh. Today Layla and Benson were playing and giggling together, I asked What she was doing and she said "we were just talking to each other in baby Spanish". Are you kidding me, that's the cutest thing I ever heard. Benson wakes us all up every morning with his squills and giggles, he is my little sunshine baby.

Benson

My goodness, where does time go? It's hard to believe, but Benson is six months old already. He is such a little ray of sunshine. He loves to sit with us whatever we are doing, whatever time of day. The other night I was holding him, and apparently his dinner didn't sit well with him, because it all ended up back on me. The picture doesn't to it justice, but it was a good one. We love our little Benson.

help me choose

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
We just got the disc of all Baby Benson's pictures, and we are having a REALLY hard time choosing our favorite for his announcement. Please help! vote for your favorite to help a sista out. Thanks.

Bensons Birth

On July 20 I went to the Dr. and he said I was dilated to a 3, 50% effaced. He stripped my membrane, and told me to go be active, and he would see me in labor and delivery that night.
I went and got Craig and the kids...and we went four wheeling. It was lots of fun, but didn't put me into labor. We tried everything we could think of to no avail. The next morning, July 21, Dr.C texted me to come to his office. You see, I wanted to have a VBAC delivery, and he is the only Dr. I trusted to do it...also the only one willing to try. He was leaving town for 2 weeks the next day, so we were down to our last day, last chance to avoid another C section.
I went to his office, I was now a 4, so he stripped my membrane again, told me I had until midnight to have my baby, and wished me the best.
I went and got a gyro from my Moms favorite Greek food establishment, because that's what she would have done.
I picked up the kids, picked up my seeester Judy, and went on a little hike up to the pillars (you only know what that means if you have ever lived here), and around the hill. Judy and I spent the afternoon trying to get my little guy to come. we ended up going on a walk at about 6:15, we walked to the hospital, and I felt like my contractions were getting harder, and closer. We decided we would just go in and see if they would keep me. It was now 6:45.
My Dr. had just finished another delivery, so he came in to check me..I was talking to my father in law on the phone.
The Dr said I was a 5 now, and my contractions were 2 minutes apart, he broke my water, I was still on the phone. I asked my Father in law to "please send Craig to the hospital..my water just broke" and ended my conversation. Craig came, Karen My Mother in law came, Judy was there...and my Mom was there too.
At 8:45 Benson was born...perfect.

Benson Hall...that makes five

It's true, We had our baby. YAYYY! We are so happy to welcome Benson G Hall into our family. He is such a sweet boy, and we all love him so much. Carter says "well, now I guess that makes five. Five is a good number"
Layla loves to hold him, and wants to do it with no help. She also loves to set up her stuffed animals around him, and Carter loves to take his picture, because everything he does is "just so cute".
i will post more pictures and the story soon, but for now...i have a baby to feed.