The Wonderful One!

Benson is 1!  His birthday was officially on August 22, 2013.  It is incredible how fast the past year has gone and how quickly this little guy has grown.  On his Birthday, Benson woke up to a beautifully decorated kitchen with stringers running across the ceiling and a nice big milar happy birthday balloon attached to his high-chair.  Lisa made some delicious blueberry pancakes with smoothies and Benson was in heaven.  That night, we made some Shish-ka-bobs and opened presents.  Of course we had to get him a BYU cougars shirt in preparation for the upcoming season.  Other fun toys followed as he curiously studied each wrapping job before carefully opening them.

That night, we took him Cold Stone for his first real dessert.  Mmmm.

On Saturday, we invited friends and family over for his cake smashing.  We originally wanted to see the kids playing out in the sprinklers, but the rain took care of those plans.  Hot dogs and mingling inside until the rain stopped.  Towards the end of the party, we dished up cake.  Benson put on a pretty good show.  He started out by testing the texture of the cake, massaging it with his hands and squishing it between his fingers.  After finally tasting it, he was willing to stuff a few handfuls in his mouth and even lean over to lick the plate clean.  It was so fun and Lisa did a great job hosting.

Here are a few things the Benson loves at this stage:

• His Mom and Dad.
• Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.
• Music - Especially the Piano.
• Steering Dad's Car around the Cul-de-sac.
• Smoothies, Pears, Blueberries, and Garden Vegetables.
• Reading Books - or at least, page turning with whoever would hold the book for him.
• Yelling "Hi!" to each and every person in the grocery store and bringing a smile to their face.
• Walking, walking, walking.
• Things with lights and noisemakers.
• Laughing at himself in front of the mirror.
• Bathtime. 

And so much more!

Benson has brought so much light into our home.  Since the day he joined our family, we have known that he belongs in our home.  How grateful we are to have this sweet, kind, happy spirit added to our family.  Each day brings a new adventure and a new accomplishment.  Each day brings a fun story to share.  And each day brings with it a reminder that the family is more important than anything else available to us in this live.  Thank you Benson for blessing our lives and letting us share your Birthday with you!

Here are some pictures...

August 22nd - Birthday with the Family

August 24th - The Cake Smashing