Hope for Baby Bennett: This is the good stuff...

Sunday, May 26, 2013

This is the good stuff...

There's a country song I LOVE called "The Good Stuff," by Kenny Chesney. That song kept running through my head this weekend as I was watching the kids having a ball with my parents, and loving life at their local Strawberry Festival, which is an annual tradition for our family.

Supposedly, the good stuff starts after the Fontan. But I'll be darned if we aren't sitting right smack dab in the middle of the good stuff right now...

Enjoying blue slurpees galore!

(and yes, like a good heart mom, approximately 2 1/2 seconds after buying him the blue slurpee, I turned around and thought "Oh my gosh! Bodie is SOOOOO blue! What's wrong?!?" and then remembered "Oh...duh...blue slurpee!")

Face painting to the max

(and Bodie actually stood still long enough to get the snake put on! WOW!)

Massive amounts of playing in Gigi and Popo's awesome backyard.

LOTS of animal loving...

Hanging with (and feeding!) 2 HUGE tortoises at Steve and Dena's!

(thank you, Steve and Dena, for your amazing hospitality and entertaining our crazy kids all afternoon!)

Holding a chicken.

"Helping" dogsit my parents' neighbors dog, Mate.

Swinging with Popo in the backyard.

Enjoying lots of snuggle time with Gigi and Popo.

Traveling the Strawberry Festival in style!

(more than one person looked at me oddly for wearing a 3-year old, but seriously, I had to do it for my own sanity - between navigating with a huge stroller or letting him run wild and losing him, wearing him was definitely my best option!)

Conquering new heights

(he worked so hard to climb this thing and pretty much shrugged off help from anybody - this kid is SO strong and independent!)

Getting a haircut

(yeah, yeah, peeps, I know - it was TIME. It sure is nice to see his cute little face again.)

Capping off our trip with a visit to the sand dunes.

(this is what I love about pics - the kids HATED it. Whined the entire 5 minutes we were there about how cold and windy it was...but you can't tell from the pics!)

As a side note, I LOVE my camera. Seriously, one of my best investments E.V.E.R. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have some of the cutest subjects ever!

Here's to lots more good stuff in the months ahead...here comes summer!!!

1 comment:

StefenieJune 6, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Oh how I love this update! Great pics and I love seeing all of your happy smiles!!
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The Chosen Mothers by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly" smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she believes in you." No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"Selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them." She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side." "And what about her patron Saint?" asks the angel. His pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."