Shiloh's 2nd Birthday party and an unsuccessful attempt at a family photo

My two babies

More outdoor fun!

So, we were VERY lucky, today was so auspicious, we went to Home Depot and immediately upon asking someone if she carried rubber mulching she said "Yes, there's an opened bag over there on that plank, we'll have to see what the price is"
I got excited when, after a few minutes, they said, you can have all opened bags for $16 bucks. 8 bags! It made my day! We bought a couple other plants and then we came home. I Spread them out and realized, I have so much work to do! I am really looking forward to all of it!

Outdoor fun!

Never have I wanted to spend time outside more than I do now. Benjamin and I enjoyed last winter and our walks and days in the park (many times with Linz and Aaron) so much that this Summer is becoming horrendously long. Not only has it been too unbearably hot but I obviously have never stayed home with an active toddler (I have cabin fever). I've spent hours online looking in to what kind of landscaping I am planning on doing because our grass is dead from the heat and lack of water. I need something very maintenance free because although I am grateful every single day for my loving and wonderful husband, yardwork is not his passion but he can disassemble, reassemble, build (you get the picture) Computers with the best of 'em .

Auntie Grace came over for a visit this morning (which was so fun, by the way) and I was sharing some of my ideas with her, it got me aching to get started. So today was the first day of our "Project". It was a blast to get soaking wet while we cleaned the patio, hosed off the table and chairs, got some pots ready for planting and started a little walkway. We made mud puddles and splashed around in them and loved playing in the hose!

I kept thinking how blessed I am, spending days getting dirty with Ben is really some of the most fun I have ever had in my life, thus far. His laughter and smile, curiosity and enthusiasm are contagious! It's the little things that really make my heart swell. He went down for his nap without a peep, all tuckered out from our outdoor fun. I have a feeling we are both going to enjoy gardening, playing and spending time making our backyard a lovely place to be.

Why do we buy expensive toys?

Benjamin's new favorite things to play with are the measuring cup and my paint brush. I can only attribute this interest to my cooking and painting and wanting to be part of it, it entertains him for HOURS! He has so much fun pretending and using his imagination, it cracks us up! What a guy! We get such a kick out of him!

Funny little man

So today when we left the gym Ben said "bye" as always, to the caregivers but then when we got in the car he kept saying something after "bye" that I couldn't totally understand and then he said it again and again and I finally got it. He said "bye, see ya!" Ha ha ha! I always say "See ya later. Have a great day". He cracks me up! See ya!

Children's Museum....The coolest place to hang out on a hot Summer day!

Sedona

We decided to take a much needed
break from this heat and head up to Sedona to cool off. We left Thursday when James got home from work, Ben got to run around Grammy and Papa's back yard at sunset and then we enjoyed a delicious lasagna dinner. Grammy wanted to not only sit next to Ben but to bathe him afterwards, what a relaxing night it was for me! The next day we decided to head up Oak Creek Canyon and hike West Fork, such a cool and breezy hike. Ben loved playing with all of the rocks and riding on Mommy and Daddy's back in the cool pack Lindsey lent us. By the time he was getting sleepy we were back at the trailhead and headed home. Grammy offered to stay home with Ben while he napped and we went to lunch ALONE and played tourist in uptown Sedona before heading home to get ready. Dinner at my dear friend Julie's was a blast and a half, a few of my Sedona friends stopped by to say hi, which was treat! After breakfast at the Coffee Pot, a Sedona staple, we headed home. It was 81 degrees when we left Sedona, felt like 801 when we returned home. I think we need to do that again soon!




























































































































































Gorgeous Sedona Sunset

It happened overnight!

It seems like just yesterday our Son could only say Mama but now when we ask him to say something he repeats us! James just asked him to say "Yes" and he said "Yes" over and over, and this was AFTER greeting his Daddy by RUNNING as fast as he could over to the kitchen when he got home from work, with a the biggest smile ever and a loud "HI!!!!". He is finally starting to really talk, "bye" at the Gym to the ladies in dayare, every single day. It's amazing how much pride you have as a parent over these types of things. Nothing else seems to matter but the fact that my beautiful boy is really starting to talk and understand thing! Ahhh, what a proud Mama I am!

Sink bath

Sometimes after a particularly messy dinner (which ones aren't?) we just pop Ben right in the kitchen sink and add a little soap, making baby soup! He loves it because not only does he love water and normal baths but I think he thinks it's sort of funny that he gets to be in the sink.

Yo Gabba Gabba

Ben has just been mesmerized by this adorable show lately. He dances and smiles when they sing about the "party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy". James and I find humor in songs like "Don't bite your friends" and just now, after naptime, while sitting on my lap cuddling they were singing the face song "There are eyes on my face, there's a nose on my face..." and Ben kept pointing to his nose. We already do the "where's this body part?" game and he loves grabbing my nose because I BEEP when he does it, to make him laugh, but watching him point to his nose just brings such happiness to my heart. He is staring to "get it" more and more. I love my beautiful boy and although it makes me happy he is growing up, this means my baby is becoming more and more of a toddler and less my little baby. Last night, in bed, I told James I love this age and he assured me that I said that 6 months ago, 6 months before that and will always love every stage of our boy. He just adds the biggest amount of completeness to my life that I have ever felt. His hugs, kisses and cuddles are the most rewarding and amazing signs of affection. Life is great!

With the temps being so high I am trying to find fun things for Ben to do, indoors. He loves playing at the Gym but I like to play with him too!

Ben loved this Bouncy castle!

Grandpa, Grandma and Auntie Julie came for a brief visit . Ben enjoyed playing with them and eating Korean food!