9 Years!

Bennett turned 9 last week.  How can it be?!  He seemed so grown up to me this year when all his birthday desires were high top shoes and an MP3 player.  We actually vetoed the MP3 player and got him a bike instead, which he was super happy about.  It was the first bike we've ever really purchased for our kids anywhere but DI, so even though it was a Wal-Mart bike, he felt pretty awesome.  Yeah, it's got pegs and hand-brakes, baby.  BMX power!

He had an excellent idea for his party.  I mean seriously excellent.  It was the easiest, cheapest and most FUN party we've ever done; I highly recommend it!  He invited a bunch of his friends (and I do mean a bunch- Bennett is blessed with lots of awesome pals) to play Capture the Flag with us on Old Main Hill at USU.  We have recently come to love spending time at Old Main.  It has the perfect climbing and fort-appropriate trees around.  There is also a lovely new picnic site, a little bit hidden off the sidewalk on the South side of the hill, which made the perfect meeting place.

All the kids drew a card to tell them what team they would be on, and they each received a bandana (made by my sister-in-law, Kate and her fabulous serger) to show which team they were on.  Jason was one of the team captains, and my little brother, Lee, was the other.  That way I was free to hang out with Harper, who loved crawling through the dirt and pine needles the whole time.  The kids played 3 rounds of the game, taking hot chocolate breaks as necessary.  It was really cold that day, but we had warned that we would play rain or shine, so everyone came dressed warm, and truly, the kids were hot from running across that massive hill for over an hour.

Before we started playing, I had all the kids introduce themselves and tell how they knew Bennett (kind of like at a bridal shower or something!).  It was SO fun to have his friends from church, current school, former school, scouts, family friends, cousins, etc.  What a lucky little boy to have such nice friends from all over the valley.  And lucky for me, because many of their parents are also dear friends of mine.  We are so lucky.  And all these kids who didn't necessarily know each other got along GREAT at the party. That is because they are kids, and pretty much the nicest kids ever at that.

The ferocious green team!

Girl power!

Waiting to be freed from jail...

Red team ruckus!

Harper!

Sacrificing their jeans for the game!

After the second round.

Heading back for cupcakes...

Happy birthday!

Bennett and his trusty sidekicks.

Proud papa.

This week I have been ordering some photo enlargements of the kids, which means hours of looking through the 20 bazillion photos we have on our computer.  I don't know where time goes- I really don't. Bennett was such a beautiful baby, adorable toddler, charming kindergartner, sweet first-grader, second-grader, and now he's in 3rd grade- practically in 4th!  I am starting to panic a little about how fast this time is flying.

Bennett's birth was the beginning of the greatest time in my life.  I love him so intensely!  I am proud of the person he is, and grateful to him for the journey we are taking together...  Happy birthday, my little buddy.  xxoo