Now we begin part two. Overlapping a bit with part 1 which went a few months past his first birthday. Let the fun begin.
Ready for some Action
Hangin with dad as dad demonstrates some gear he's purchased to use in Afghanistan.
Helping Dad put together his fancy new ride. He hadn't really thought about what the second seat was for.
Look dad, it's got a sun screen.
Reading with Dad.
His new bestest friend in the world. FISH!!! (When Fish got dirty, Da bought a second one. He now sleeps with a fish on either side of him at night.)
The day Daddy left for war.
These tears weren't because I was leaving, but it's still a really poingent picture.
Grandma holding a sad Ben as we moved outside to board the airplane. And whoosh, daddy was gone for a year.
The Man of the House. Still usually ready with a grin for the camera.
His very own slide!
Welcoming the new arrival in April. Not really sure what that thing is.
Mommy and the boyz. A picture for daddy.
Can you stuff an entire Peanut butter and jam sandwich in your mouth? Ben can. Well except for the PB&J that gets smeared on his face.
Checking out the flower/vegetable garden.
Have I mentioned this kid likes water?
And the park. He lives for the park, any park, just take him to a park.
Even better if a soccer ball is left lying around.
Ben likes all parks and loves this one, our neighborhood park, many a handful of sand has been scattered across the bottom of that slide. And he loves running back and forth across the bridge in the background.
Reading with Daddy. This was one of a couple DVD's I sent home like this. The USO runs this great program, where the soldier gets to pick out a childrens book for free, read it (and include a message to the children as well) on camera, and the book and DVD are mailed to the children, all at no cost to the soldier/serviceman. Ben learned his colors from this book.
Feeding the fishies at Cabela's. It's a good thing that place is officially partially a public museum, cause other wise Da might have felt guilty about all the time she spent there with the boys, without buying much more than Pretzels.
Bens first Bike. He got it for Christmas but this was the first time really started using it.
I know I've mentioned Ben and water before. He's not in this picture but his wet clothes are. Everything but his Diaper laid out to dry.
My Patriotic Boys.
If you recall the Picture of Ben pondering the Joys of being wet. Well that was on this slip and slide on July 4 2007, A year later he was really hesitant to get wet.
Wait a second I thought he loved getting wet? Well on this time he wasn't so sure.
He was more willing, after a couple cousins coaxed him into the water.
Ben and Simon modeling jewelry for Mommies Etsy store.
Okay, this guy isn't going away, and now he'll actually respond, maybe I will try playing with him.
How to feed the Baby. Sit in Big yellow chair, put a pillow on your lap, put baby (Fish) up your shirt, and read a book.
A boy, his fish and HIS chair. He loved that chair, and we had to sneak it out of the house when it broke.
Reading brother. That's an Mmmmmmm.
Ben and Elmo.
Ponies!!!
Note the date. It's late August and hes' wearing a Jacket. He loved that jacket. We are expecting a crisis in a few weeks when jacket weather returns, because that beloved jacket is no longer part of this household. Da snuck it to DI this summer, because it didn't fit him, but he refused to wear anything else.
Another random cute picture, just a few days before his second Birthday.
Birthday!!! Another book on DVD. This one I made myself. I ordered the classic "Where the Wild Things Are" and having realized my camera would film until it's memory chip filled up, I filmed myself reading the book and then sent the DVD as well as a Bear for each of my boys home for his birthday. He loved it.
Remember the first Birthday Cake? Well Here is #2 but this one is a Cupcake.
I don't know if he got any messier than this. This was the last picture of him eating the cupcake. I will note that today, he ate the frosting off the cupcake and that was it. He wouldn't even taste the actual cupcake.
At the Willden family September Birthday Bash (we have lots of Sept birthdays), he gets the best Birthday card ever. It's Elmo!!!
He loves this hat of mine.
Playing at the Thanksgiving Point erosion tables with Cousin Mickey.
His big boy bed. He was so excited to get it. After a few weeks of him not napping because he could get up on his own, he went back into the crib.
Watching TV with brother.
He loves Arts projects, colored paper, painting, and coloring with markers. He's not big on Crayons.
Playing with the extra Sevice flags we had.
Sweet angel. (notice Fish)
Attempt number three at a Halloween Costume. One and two had resulted in tears and the costumes being quickly removed. This was as close to number three as he got. Looking forward to trying again this year.
Christmas time! Daddy was home on leave, Fish was helping decorate the tree, and Ben discovered the joy of turning the lights on and off. At least we had a timer that he could turn to switch the lights on and off and he wasn't playing with the plug.
Twas the night before Christmas and Ben's reading Simon a Book. (Daddy was back in Afghanistan by this time.)
Christmas Morning, and these blocks were just a small part of the spoiling he and his brother both received.
Cute boy.
Painting with home made water colors.
DADDYS HOME!!!
At the Childrens Discovery Museum in the Gateway, notice the jacket.
Nuther cute picture.
Posing with Daddies pretty new truck.
Three weeks after getting their Easter outfits, Ben finally willingly allows himself to be dressed in his and poses for pictures.
Cute Boys on our new couches.
Bald head, sitting next to cousin Mickey on our first family picnic.
Another picture of Bald Ben. It really wasn't my intention to shave him bald. I should have started with a different attachment, but he was fighting us. One slip to far up with the number 1 and it all had to come off.
Fourth of July, Kaysville city parade, aka the Kaysville City Waterfight. Ben and Simon playing with our ammo bucket before the water fight started.
Cute kid at the Park on the Ward's 24th of July activity.
At Bear Lake, playing with the dog that loved to retrieve rocks.
Thanksgiving Point Childrens Gardens. Kind of a poor choice of day to go. The last Two-fer-Tuesday before school started. Ben didn't get much closer than this to the Noahs Ark because there were so0 many kids running around and splashing. (Yes that is my thumb or finger at the top. It's my new camera phone and I'm still getting used to where the lense is located.)
He looks so big.
Ben brushes his teeth almost every night before bed. This was his last time brushing his teeth as a two year old.
HE IS NOW THREE!!!
We didn't take many Pictures of him today. We'll have a better "Party" for him this weekend at Cherry Hill. But here is the Birthday boy this morning.
Years Old
With a tiny body, good lungs and a shock of blonde hair he entered our family and changed our world.
Granted he weighed as much as his two newest cousins combined, but look how tiny he was.
The closest we've ever got him to dressing up for halloween, the tears started approximately 30 seconds after this picture was taken.
My First steps. It was at Uncle Sam and Aunt Lisa's wedding reception.
His first steps in the snow.
Meeting Baby Brother on 4 April 2008.
