Can't Help It

I just can't help myself, I think this shirt is absolutely, roll-on-the-floor hilarious...

A sweet friend gave it to Benjamin for his six-month birthday. I've laughed every time I've looked at him today ... which is miraculous, since we've been up since 4:30 this morning. It also may have something to do with Monday night's poop-of-the-century that ended in all 3 of us yelling and a very long bath. Rice cereal evidently does wonders for the digestive system.

Also, I realized that I neglected to post a picture of my anniversary red roses...

Ok, so forgive the horrible picture ... I was trying to catch the afternoon rays streaming through the window but didn't think about all the clutter on the counter right behind the vase. But then, I guess that's an apt metaphor for six years of marriage ... beautiful blooms in the midst of the daily grind?

I suppose it's also an apt metaphor that I talked about anniversary flowers in the same post as the poop-of-the-century. Poetic, yes, very poetic. :)

Happy Anniversary!

Six years ago, I married my best friend.  And the crazy thing is, he is more my best friend every day!  I love you, Will!

We celebrated our 6th anniversary by spending the whole day together, just the three of us.  On our own schedule, no appointments to keep, no deadlines to meet.  It was wonderful.  It was tough letting Daddy go back to work today!

As we looked back over our years together, we were amazed over and over again at God's faithfulness to us.  If you had told us on our wedding day where we'd be six years later, we definitely would not have believed you.  But isn't that the amazing part of walking with God - its more perfect for you than you could know yourself.

Busy Busy Busy

My goodness, has this been a busy week!  We've gone to the park, the grocery store, the library.  We joined BJ's, our area buy-in-bulk-for-cheaper-per-pound-but-then-have-nowhere-to-store-it place.  We volunteered at our local crisis pregnancy center, where I volunteer to work on their Baby Bottle Boomerang project, and Benjamin volunteers to distract all the staff with his supreme cuteness. 

Another of our crazy jaunts this week?  We went to ... THE ZOO!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!  (if you look carefully, there's a bear in the enclosure behind us)

Beautiful springtime!

Under the shade of that tree is a reindeer! I guess Syracuse is the off-season vacation spot for Santa's fliers!

So much fun, he just couldn't handle it.

After such a busy week, with more to come tomorrow, we are looking forward to a weekend just the three of us ... with its own momentous event ... oooh ... like that air of mystery?  :)

You wanna know just how tired Little Bit is?

Yup, that's him sleeping in his highchair.  Nuff said.

Superman!

Another Weekend of Firsts

We managed to eek out quite a fun weekend here in New York State, despite the damp, chilly weather.

On Saturday, Benjamin went to his very first birthday party!  Our friends' daughter was turning 1, so we got to share in the festivities!  It's hard to believe that our Little Bit is halfway to that milestone himself ... nope, I can't think about that right now.

Then on Sunday, Daddy and Benjamin grilled out together for the first time!  I had picked up the ingredients for chicken kabobs earlier in the week when it was warm and pretty - silly me, didn't see the 40-degree temperatures coming the forecast.  Thankfully, Sunday afternoon the sun came out for a little while, so Daddy drug out the grill!

Just for the record, Benjamin was wrapped up in a blanket immediately before and after this picture, but Daddy insisted that a man's first grilling picture should not have to be of him wrapped up in his blankie! :)  But Mommy insisted on keeping the bear-hat on, because after all, it was chilly!

Kitchen Therapy

After a delightful time at Bible Study this morning (delightful except for the two very loud dirty diapers that Little Bit produced - one during prayer, the other during a quite serious discussion of 1 Cor. 13), we came home only to find the construction at our apartment complex in full swing.

Now, I am a person who needs to be surrounded by order and beauty. (I mean this in a general sense ... i can ignore dirty dishes in the sink for far longer than is responsible).

Anyway, so for my little heart that longs for order and beauty, imagine my excitement to find this outside my kitchen window ...

Yes, that would be rain and construction. Then, to make matters worse, they rammed the outside of our wall with a forklift backhoe large construction vehicle which caused all my collectibles to fall out of the cabinet they were stored in.  TGIF.  So, desperate times call for desperate measures.

There are any number of needful chores I needed to do this afternoon - laundry, the aforementioned dishes, ironing ... but instead, I did this ...

Chocolate-dipped coconut shortbread.  Desperate measures, my friends, desperate measures.

A Day in the Life...

Look, Mom, no hands!

King of Drool

Very interesting toes, these are!

You're gonna catch me when I topple over, right?

Tasty book!

Tasty face, Mommy!

Tennessee Recap

I've come to the conclusion that there is no way I can sum up our trip to Tennessee last week. It was so full of love, tears, friends, family, memories (both remembered and made) and we are still exhausted! It was profoundly refreshing to be in a familiar place, surrounded by familiar faces. It was bittersweet, knowing that we would have to leave so quickly, and this week I have grieved last year's losses all over again.

Oh, and we managed to eat at Chick-fil-A a total of four times throughout the week ... or was it five? :)

At our favorite Jackson Chick-a-la - it was a little windy! :)

Benjamin was again an awesome traveler, making it way easier on Mom and Dad than we deserved. He was, however, a little road-weary by Easter Sunday morning, resulting in expressions like this...

...for our pictures in our cute outfits. In spite of the exhaustion, he did manage a smile or two...

Precious little thing! Anyway, all I can say is ... sweet sweet times! Here are some of our favorite pictures from the week...

Soakin' up some Grandpa love!

Nuthin' like gettin' kissed 24/7!

Benjamin even made a new friend or two! Sweet little drooly boys!

Benjamin's first visit to my parents' house held several surreal "full-circle" moments... like walking in the park with him in the stroller ... the same park I played at when I was a little kid...

Just chill-axin' in Grandma's sink, Mom! What's the camera for?

Aw, man! Just because we're back in NY, I have to be all wrapped up in blankets again?!?!

So this week we are slowly getting adjusted to being back home ... wearing sweaters, restocking the pantry, talking on skype and via email instead of in person. And I'm so grateful that, even here and now ...

"You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways...
You hem me in behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me...
Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me...
In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them"
Ps. 139:3,5,10,16

The First Bite

Well, we are home from our whirlwind week in Tennessee. We had an amazing time, so full of sweet family, friends, and memories. I'm still processing all that went on (and still working on getting all the pictures off my camera :) So instead, here's this little tidbit from Sunday...

Benjamin is now officially six months old! My word, how time flies! Anyway, its high time that the boy had some solid food, don't you think? So we decided Sunday was the big day. In hindsight, this was probably not a wise choice, as I was exhausted from our travels and Benjamin wasn't in that great of a mood either.



Note the growing look of concern on his face ... "What in the world are you doing, Momma?!?! It isn't enough that you've drug me all over God's green earth, and let a million strangers hold me, talk to me, and pronounce that I am so sweet, they could 'just eat me up with a spoon!' And now you're trying to feed me with a spoon?!? I have had it! I need a nap!"

So, since the initial feeding of cereal failed in every sense (except the fact that we got hilarious video of it), we tried just giving him the spoon to play with, thinking a little familiarity with this new utensil might be helpful...



Note that every other thing he gets his hands on goes straight for his mouth, but nuthin' doin' with this spoon nonsense!

So today we took a break from cereal, but we'll try again tomorrow ... he's got to get the hang of it at some point, right?

(Disclaimer: After watching these videos again, I realize that they are probably only hilarious and adorable to Daddy and me ... and grandparents. :) oh well!

He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

New Discovery

Sorry for the lack of posting lately ... we have been so busy! But in the midst of all the comings and goings, Benjamin has made a new discovery ...

...Toes are very funny things!

And tasty too, but he was too fast for Momma to get a picture of that! :)