Things to Remember. And some pics :)

What's Up around here?

1.) Beth is almost 8! Gulp! She has her own room which she has full of all her "treasures". I remember those days myself, and yet how does one girl collect so much, um, stuff?? She just started violin lessons and is thrilled. She made the honor roll for our online school we are doing. Is reading like a pro now, and just started Spanish as an elective. She cracks me up how good she is at accents. I need to get her in some serious language classes I think!


2.) Ben is doing alright. He continues to have challenges due to his epilepsy. We really have no idea what the future holds developmentally. That can sometimes be scary, but we really have confidence that God's plan for Ben is the plan He has had before the beginning of time. He is having a few less seizures on the ketogenic diet, and we have a few things we are still working on "tweaking". He LOVES to vacuum and sweep. All day. That also means that he intentionally creates messes in order to vacuum and sweep. Which means.....MESSES. ALL DAY LONG. Between Ben and his brother, the house is in shambles by the time Beth and I finish school. Whew!

(side note: as I was typing this, the boys spread dark purple fingernail polish on the carpet. this just may be the last time I ever blog....)

3.) So, it has turned out that Beckham has the word "ham" in his name for good reason. He is just a goofball and talking like crazy. Just yesterday he put on a necklace and said, "My name is Sarah." What?? I think he was talking about their baby sitter Sarah who he really likes. He counts really well and says his alphabet. Beck was 2 in November. When we arrive somewhere that he is eager about going, he says, "Yay, I so excited!"

Please scroll down to the next posts to see some recent pics !!

A Baby Too...

Chris' sis Jenny had a baby girl at Christmas, so we were able to see all the family when Chris' folks flew to Medford. New babies are always fun. Beth was especially entranced by her baby girl cousin (those are hard to come by around here :)

Beth and her cousins



Baby Taylor

Where did she go? Tiny little thing :)

Us :)

Photography by Laurie Passey

A Beautiful Wedding...

December was a busy month for us. I will start with the wedding pics! My beautiful sis Grace got married to Mr. Drew Aspinwall. Here are a few of my faves from the special day. Enjoy!

Ketogenic Diet

This is a link to an excellent article on the ketogenic diet. This is the diet treatment we are doing with Benjamin in hopes of eliminating his seizures. I will (really) try to post an update on us soon! (that is IF there is anyone out there that reads this anymore)


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/magazine/21Epilepsy-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=magazine&src=me

Life With Busy "B"s

I don't want to forget:

- How Bethany just lost her first top front tooth; after letting it dangle for-ev-er (drove her impatient momma crazy), and then while practicing cartwheels on the living room floor, fell on her face, knocking the tooth almost out. Only then did she come to me and say (as it hung there bleeding), "I guess you better pull it."

- How Beckham has this goofy habit of sucking on his food for as long as possible before chewing it. It almost puts him to sleep in the highchair as he sits there and sucks. He never took a pacifier and does not suck his thumb. I am about ready to give him some thumb-sucking lessons so that he will actually eat his food. Goofy guy.

- How Ben still is our resident garbage man. Everywhere we go he is on the look-out for garbage and the closest garbage can. That is his mission in life. To throw things away. The rest of us just celebrated earth day, but for Ben, every day is earth day...

- How Beckham is taking his first steps. This week. At 17 months. And even then, he only will walk if you remind him that he can. Preferred method of transportation: crawling...really fast. Oh, and don't think for a second that just because he has not been walking, that he has not been "getting into everything". Believe me...

- How much Bethany loves her new bunny, Coconut (her 7th birthday present. Yes, she is 7 now!!). I also love how when they bring the bunny in to play, Ben's personal job title is "pooper scooper". He follows closely behind with a tissue, ready to collect any presents Coconut leaves behind. And believe me, Coconut is very generous....

- How, in a matter of seconds, the "double-trouble brothers" can go from being upstairs under my full supervision, to downstairs throwing things into the toilet while the other is peeing in the toilet, or kindly opening the fireplace so the other can reach in and get enough soot out to do some pretty cool face panting (just after a bath, mind you).

- How Bethany is the best help a mommy could have. She has been a lifesaver to me this year, as I have two boys who get into everything. Particularly with everything going on with Ben, she has been so helpful, and has a great attitude.

- How Beckham says, "yeah" to everything you ask him, in the cutest little high pitched voice
He is talking quite a bit, and if you don't hear an "actual" word, rest assured...he knows what he is saying. He talks...a lot...and he knows how to get a laugh. I think we have our resident clown.

- How much Ben loves his brother. If someone asks him a questions about himself, he immediately starts talking about his brother instead.

- How much Bethany eats. Seriously. She is always hungry. She may just like to eat (like her mommy) but I also think she is just plain hungry. She has grown at least an inch since January.

- How Benjamin recently "aquired" a new dimple. Yes. It wasn't there before. He hit his cheek on the corner of the table, and split the muscle tissue inside in just the right spot (it didn't break the skin). Tada...new dimple. It's been there a few months now. Funniest thing I've ever seen. Also the cutest thing I've ever seen. I think it's a reminder that the Lord is giving us to look at in the future and remember this time that he took us through in Ben's life. He is constantly hurting himself; whether it's because of a seizure (bonking his head) or just because he isn't super clear-headed, and will often just not watch where he is going or what he is doing. I think the dimple is a reminder of the wonderful things the Lord intends through the trials in our lives!

See the dimple???

Growin' Up

My Big Girly

I know I have not blogged in forever. Just not been on the to-do list, but thought I would post a pic of my big almost-7-year-old and her new glasses. Yes, she is taking after her mother.

I am VERY nearsighted, and we both have an astigmatism as well.
Sure is cute though, don't ya think??