Bennett's Birthday & Bailey Weekend

Our Benny boy is 7!

Such a sweet, content, helpful, imaginative boy. He has always looked out for me from day one. If our family is ever wrestling or play fighting or tickling each other, Bennett goes into instant protector mode whenever I'm the target. He's never turned on me :) He totally loves school. He's asked for a digital camera for months and seeing him open one and love using it constantly has been so fun. He's a friend to everyone at school and I love watching his calm in the chaos when I go volunteer in his classroom. He has worked so hard for years in speech, works so hard on his reading, helps out at home, and is so sweet to his little brothers. He likes learning new games, loves animals, talks about going to Africa someday literally 5 times a week, and has such a gentle soul. We're blessed to have our Bennett!

Grandma was in Denver this week so she brought Finn up for the day on Bennett's birthday, and that was such a happy bonus! We were so glad they were with us. We had a funny birthday dinner -- he's requested pizza every other year but this year wanted steamed clams (all because he learned those are his teacher's favorite food, and he loves her) and crab legs. Definitely a first in my kitchen for both those things. We all liked them though! I actually could only find mussels. But he didn't mind.

We had the Bailey kids all weekend while they were with their older girls in NYC. Such sweet kiddos and having 7 kids around was a party! We carted them to Westin's football game and Bennett's soccer game, and went to the community football game to watch Meg do her cute school mascot gig. We had a couple babysitters come Saturday night and we went out to dinner with a new couple in our ward at a Himalayan restaurant and it was so fun getting to know them. They just moved here from teaching English in Spain.

Camden and Michael got sick this weekend so we ended up playing Conference catch-up instead of church which I totally loved. Camden actually threw up at Michael's work's fancy annual party where they get food and music and offer flu shots to dental professionals all over Fort Collins. He made it to a trash can and we got out of there before most anyone had shown up, but... I really hate that I'm a traveling circus whenever we have to go to real world events, haha. Poor kiddo. I'm not ready for another sick season, I hope it's leaps and bounds better than last year's.

We're ready for a healthier and less busy week!

Sweet moments with sweet Luna

This birthday boy always requests cinnamon rolls.
And this year he went lemon blueberry with his birthday cake instead of chocolate!
It's a late night bake off the night before but worth it for sweet Benny boy.

Birthday breakfast!
He teared up and said, "But I didn't expect eggs with it..."
Wanted straight cinnamon rolls, and honestly this moment was so cute and funny to me because Bennett asks for basically nothing, complains about nothing, whines about nothing, and it was like, "It's my birthday and I'm gonna say it -- I did not choose eggs." Haha I laughed about it in my head all day, I just love him.

The never-clear counter is clear!
Does everyone have a struggle spot like this?
Drives me crazy.

Michael and I have always done well with our shared Google calendar but the boys are old enough that I could tell they have been trying to grasp when certain things are happening. I designed this calendar with an Etsy shop that makes acrylic wall hangings and I really love it!
Hanging it up was a journey along which many mistakes were made. But. It's done.

A Kitty and Luna face-off.
Kitty still hates her. But they'll be in the backyard at the same time sometimes now. Luna just walks slowly in wide circles around her, like, "Are....we friends?" And Kitty just makes a constant annoyed whining noise basically saying, "No, I hate you."

Bennett's birthday celebration at school!
He has the sweetest teacher who loves to make a big deal about birthdays.
Those are his favorite things and favorite dreams listed on the board so his class can write birthday cards.

The kid chose steamed clams and crab legs for his birthday dinner. We've never had either at home.
His teacher said steamed clams were her favorite food on the first day of school when they did "All About Me" pages and he declared then and there he wanted them to be his birthday dinner.
So funny.

Blueberry decorating time!

Grandma and Finn came for the day! We were so happy to have them here for Bennett's birthday.
Grandma was helping in Denver this week.

Most exotic birthday meal ever requested around here. We actually really liked it, but so much work to help kids eat it. And I made Red Lobster copycat biscuits as our back up... no one starves with those around.

7!
We love this boy so much.

The floormats of our car came in a box that can be turned in to a car,
and it was fun for a minute but now I'm dying to throw this box away but it gets played with daily. The first time it's ignored 3 days in a row I"m joyfully recycling it.

We watched the three youngest Bailey kiddos for the weekend, and they were so sweet.
Seven kids is a lot but all seven of them were so great!

We had fun going to the community football game, when the high schools play each other at CSU stadium. Meg was asked to be the mascot for her elementary school in the Schools Parade so we made a fun night out of it!

She was the cutest owl.

These two boys. Same ward, same football team, same serious love for the game.
Their future high school won with a field goal right at the end of the game and they lost their minds.

Last football game of the season.

Lunch crew!

Annnd dinner crew. Feeding 7 is a lot! I kept thinking about my friend in Fresno with 7 kids. Moms amaze me.

Camden and Michael got sick Saturday night so we stayed home and turned it into Conference weekend.

We have a little Halloween box of activities that my friend's wife sells, and we use one each week for family night. The boys totally love it. This one was tossing spiders into a fake web to see how many can sitck.

Bennett handles Luna so well.