Birthday Party

Saturday morning we had some of Benjamin's friends over for a birthday party. They had a great time playing and eating basketball cupcakes, and we had a great time visiting with our friends.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Benjamin!

The big birthday finally arrived. Benjamin's been requesting a basketball cake for months. SO, we had dinner with the Prices, ate basketball cake, and went to a highschool basketball game. Fun times. We love you, Benjamin!!!

This was Benjamin's face while watching the basketball game--mesmerized!

Merry Christmas to all!

Deck the Halls

Over the river...and through the woods (New Jersey)

We had a fabulous time in New Jersey for Thanksgiving with Brian, Debbie, Hailey, and Nicole. Yes, it was a long drive-but Benjamin was fantastic. Anyway, the big surprise was how wooded the area was, they even had deer going through their backyard. Anyway, thanks Brian and Debbie for letting us visit at a pretty crazy time for you! (They just moved there!)

Sorry, Brian, I am posting this picture even though you did a crazy weird eye thing. Serves you right for ruining this cute picture. : )

We LOVE adoption!!!

Well, I have done an abismal job of being an adoption advocate on my blog, especially in the month of November. (It's National Adoption Awareness Month.) It's hard to even try to express in words how I feel about the blessing of bringing Benjamin into our family. I remember our Bishop reminding us around the time that he was born that we stand on "very sacred ground." That really sums up how I feel! We have so much love and respect for his birth mother. I have decided that placing your child (not "giving up"--a careful, deliberate plan is made) when circumstances are such that you cannot give him/her everything that you want for him/her (a mother and father, time and attention, financial and emotional stability, etc.) is a very "mother" decision to make. We have been been surprised to learn how many birth mothers actually have children already and when they find themselves with changing circumstances and an unexpected pregnancy they make the choice to make an adoption plan. Here are some pictures of an adoption walk that my friend organized here in Lafayette and we participated in. Awesome!

WE LOVE ADOPTION!

It's about love!

*If you would like one of my crocheted heart magnets for your fridge, like the picture at the top of this post, just comment and let me know. I will GLADLY send you one, two, or more! I want to spread them near and far--it's my effort at being an adoption advocate. : ) They are meant as a reminder that adoption is about love.

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween seemed to sneak up on us this year! David and I left early in the morning to go to the temple with a couple in our ward who just got baptized (I'll include a picture). It is incredible to experience the temple with somebody who is there for the first time!!!

Benjamin spent the day with Prices and went to Indianapolis with them to drop Grandpa off at the airport. We picked him up and got him dressed up in his costume, a BYU basketball player, and trick-or-treated around our neighborhood. After each house he said, "One more house, daddy?" He loved it. Also, notice the basketball pumpkin he carved with grandpa!

Let there be light!

Our home was built in 1997, when it was apparently not necessary to put overhead light in bedrooms. We got used to lamplight in all three bedrooms and in our living room, but always wanted to install some light fixtures. David's dad being here was the push we needed, okay--David needed, to tackle the project. David, Dusty (brother-in-law) and dad isntalled a ceiling fan in the living room and light fixtures in our bedroom and Benjamin's bedroom. Yeah!!!

Grandpa Blunck's visit

Last week we had David's dad here for a visit. He loves to be with "his boys" (three grandsons) and experience life at their pace. We spent an entire afternoon at a park playing in leaves, building a rock house, and -of course- playing on the equipment. Benjamin is incredibly fearless and will climb anything. There is also a picture from our outing to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. (Benjamin operating the digger.)

Grandpa and Grandma Sanders

We had a great time with my parents and made a trip to Brown County State Park to see the beautiful fall colors.

Lake Michigan with Grandma Blunck

David's mom was the next to visit, and we had fun playing, making jewelery, and swimming. We also spent one very chilly day at the beach (Lake Michigan). I think Benjamin's favorite part of the visit was the one-on-one lessons from her on dribbling. (She brought him a basketball that is just his size.) Every night in his prayers he says "thanks for going outside, for basketball..."

Let the family visitors begin!!!

We began a long stint of having family company the last week of September when my sister Katie and her family visited from Texas. We had a great time and were even able to celebrate her birthday with her while she was here. She has three darling children, who we got to have for a few extra days while she went to her brother-in-laws wedding. Here are a few pictures:

Benjamin at the park with cousins from both sides of the family!
Alana has a spunky personality and incredible natural curls.
Me and my sister.Another cousins picture.
Tanner and Benjamin had so much fun playing. Yes, Tanner has an awful black eye after an encounter with our piano bench.
I went to check on Tanner and Alana and they were asleep holding hands. SOOO sweet!

Lake Michigan Vacation, Benjamin's perspective

We went on a great vacation to Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan. The best part was that Uncle Dusty, Aunt Janeece, cousins Karl and Phillip were there. This is a picture of me with my best buddy Karl on a bug hunt.We had a lot of space to play tag, soccer, and baseball. The important thing was we got to do a lot of running.

My dirty face tells you just how much fun I had.So, there is a really steep and high sand dune called Mt. Randall. Karl and I both climbed to the top of it all by ourselves. Then we kept hiking all the way out to the beach. We tackled it!


Riding on a log is fun and everything, but....
I'm out of here, dad!
We all took turns being buried in the sand and I loved it! I laughed and laughed. Dad got really buried, but he was very strong when he broke out of the sand.


Karl wanted a "red treat" for climbing to the top of the dune and I wanted a "blue treat." Dad found a fruit stand and got red plums for Karl and blueberries for me. Yummy!
We went on a little drive to the city of St. Joseph and had a great time exploring. Here are some pictures of me at a fun park that we found on the beach.



We went to a great ice cream parlor in St. Joseph and I got some "Superman" ice cream. It was very colorful, so of course I picked it. (Mom didn't think it tasted very good.)
I was ready to drive mom and dad home, but I guess I'll have to wait a few years before I can do that. : )