The 1 year FLY by

Bennett’s first year has FLOWN by…  I really can’t believe how fast.  Bennett was born on Tuesday the 17^th we found out about him on Thursday 19^th and brought him home on Saturday 21^st.  His birthday is and was a week-long celebration for us, a week of nostalgia.  It started with his spotlight for family home evening and recounting the details, just brought us to tears.  It seems like yesterday but yet we can’t remember life without him.  As the kid shared what they remembered, I stopped for a minute and just looked at my family all of us smiling.  It was one of those perfect family moments, that can’t be in a picture or captured by words.  Oh the Joy of this little boy, he has rocked our world!!!

 

On his actual birthday we went out to lunch same place we did a year ago, He loves Dad!  Brant and I went on a lunch date at cracker barrel and it was after our date the agency called to tell us about Bennett, we knelt in prayer and KNEW he was our son. 

 

He was so cute welcoming our guests.  To celebrate we invited those who shared those first moments with us, I felt the same emotions rise up when the Nelsons came through our front door to celebrate.  I kept thinking about those 2 little birds that hung out by our house for that first week we had him home. 

We made little airplane party favors. 

I made a little banner with pictures of how much it was amazing to see how much he has changed, and he has changed us too. 

And of course an airplane cake for Benny the Jet J. 

He loved his cake and everyone watching him. 

 

Bennett is such a little social bug and is almost always smiling; he seemed to know everyone was here for him. 

Christmas prepped him for presents and he enjoyed them so much. 

Then we went to Kanab to celebrate again. 

 I did another little cake for him so now he figured it out and cake and frosting could go flying to grandma’s wall J. 

Natalie also did cookies; the last of her niece a nephew cookies for Bennett.  We have loved her posts about all of them!  The cookies were super cute and delicious too! 

Just like last year over the MLK holiday we went hiking with the Barton’s. 

This year we went to the sand caves and this year we took Bennett with us J. 

 It was so much fun. 

We also checked out the frozen waterfall

I could go into detail about how we have relived all the little miracles that came together for us to have Bennett miraculously join our family a year ago but “Ain’t nobody got time for dat”.

This little man Then...

Things I really want to remember about Benners right now…
He is such a cheeser.  He always has a big grin for anyone he sees, especially Sister Jirsa.  He loves the bathroom, toilet paper, toilet and of course taking a bath.  I love how he points at the pictures in books especially the referees in his football book.
I love how he curls or crosses his toes and rolls his ankles when he is tired.  His little waddle as he walks and how his hair flops when he moves. He is vocal but doesn’t really say any words.  We love how he smacks his lips, growls, and clicks his tongue and shakes his little head no.  He also has the cutest laugh.  I love his soft ears and expressive deep brown eyes.  I love the way he blows kisses and plays peek-a-boo.

I absolutely love his belly button for that precious reminder of the beautiful woman who gave him life a year ago and we love watching him learn how to live it!

Ho Ho No NO

The tree survived, a few ornaments didn’t. 

Bennett took his first steps at the beginning of the month and by Christmas he was officially walking.

Christmas Eve we didn’t get to have a nativity with friends or family so we did our own, it was still pretty cute.   

Santa came. 

 Bennett’s first Christmas was so nice, the kids were so excited for him and he loved that the fence had been moved and he could finally get to destroy the wrapping paper!

Heath got what he asked Santa for a BIG box he could fit in.  I think he spent most of Christmas morning in a box. Rianne gave Heath a boy bedspread and he was very excited. 

Heath was so excited to give Rianne a new laundry basket, I think he was more excited to give it to her than she was to receive it J, I love how close these two are they really do Love each other.

  Brant spent most of the month making a surprise for Rianne, Heath even helped and kept the surprise too. 

When we got through all the presents Brant asked Rianne, was this a good Christmas she said “It has been a great Christmas”  This coming from the kid who got a laundry basket, winter coat, hand-me-down levis and shoes. He said did I get you anything Rianne, she said yes dad thanks then Brant said what did I get you?  She looked around said I don’t remember what was from you but thank you for everything—then Brant handed her a gift, it sent her on a treasure hunt,

She was thrilled when she found a loft bed.

  She has been dreaming of one for over 3 years, Thanks to the Mortensen’s for making this Christmas magic happen.  

We spent the rest of the day setting it up and putting her room together. 

Brant is such a great dad, It was so awesome to see her excitement. 

The next day she got her tonsils and adenoid out.  She was a champ and didn’t seem a bit nervous until they wheeled her bed out to put her under.  The anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to tell me the last thing she said when she went under, he said he apologized for the cold monitors he was putting on her and she said “Its ok thanks for doing your job”.  Then the Doctor came and told me her adenoid was the size of an adult, I said oh and he said I don’t operate on healthy adult adenoids.  He warned me that her neck would be very sore.  Then a nurse came in and told me she was starting to wake up, I went into the recovery room and she said “Are you the nurse, I said no I’m your mom” she laid back down when she woke up again she said my throat hurts the nurse said do you want a popsicle and she said yes, she had a root beer popsicle which she thanked the nurse for it. 

Brant picked us up and we went home it seemed so fast.  While she was in surgery her little primary class came and decorated her room with purple snowflakes so sweet.  Rianne also had a friend bring over frozen treat.  And a few friends call to play games with her.  I’m glad they were so good to her with very STINKY breath.  She did great to keeping the fluids and by Sunday she was ready to come over to Kanab, her neck was still hurting but I was pretty impressed with how well she handled it.  This was the first and the least abrasive step in helping her growth and development.   We had a good time and rang in the New Year in Kanab.