There's no doubt about it!
Sometimes looking at her is just as good as looking in a mirror...
Sometimes looking at her is just as good as looking in a mirror...
30 August 2009
26 August 2009
Home At Last!
Yesterday was a really long day...
Dear Fellow Passengers (of flight 3993),
I am so very sorry you had to hear my oldest daughter scream her very loudest for almost the duration of the five-hour flight. Would you believe me if I told you that, she has never thrown a tantrum like that? (No? Err..Neither would I!) Thank you for you exceptional patience!! Thank you for sparing me from intolerant stares and dirty looks.
(Except for you, Old Lady in The Denim Jumpsuit. You got caught.)
Dear Person who sat in Jocee's seat before her,
Thanks a lot for sticking your chewed gum under her armrest. It was super fun getting it out of her hair...and clothes. You're super.
Dear Man who sat in front of us,
Thank you for being so calm and composed as the back of your chair was relentlessly kicked, punched and beaten by a cranky little girl. You are amazing, and your patience outweighed all!
Dear Woman who sat next to us,
Thank you for being so incredibly understanding and sweet! Thank you for playing with my baby and offering to help so much! We were very lucky to have you sit by us. I hope to be able to one day do the same, when my children are grown and in college, too.
Dear Flight Attendants,
Thank you for always being so kind and helpful.
Dear Woman waiting in line for the elevator,
Thank you for thinking I was 16-years-old. You made my day!
Sincerely,
Ginny
Long story short:
While yesterday was a day I would never wish to repeat, it could have been much, much worse. And for that, I am grateful.
18 August 2009
The Big 3-Ohh!!
It is so hard to believe that Ben turns 30, today! It's even harder to believe that when we met we were all of 19 & 23! And here we are...almost 7 years later, married with 2 beautiful girls. He has so many admirable qualities. In celebration of this milestone, I have decided to compile a list.
Here it is...
30 Reasons Why I Love,
Benjamin Hill
1. One of Ben's first major selling points was that he is so easy to talk to. Our entire relationship would not have worked otherwise. We met over the phone and our first conversation lasted for over an hour...and neither of us were "phone people." Serious!
2. I have always loved Ben's confidence. When we eventually met in person (in the parking lot of his apartment complex), he walked with a strong sense of purpose and made eye contact with me right away. There was absolutely no hesitation or nervousness...and I adored him for it!
3. Ben has always been chivalrous. I almost never have to open a door or pull out a chair. When we were dating he did 100% of the pursuing, and always paid for everything. Always.
4. I love how sentimental he is! He is the only guy I've ever dated that picked out "our song." The songs he chose (completely on his own) were Where Are You Going--Dave Mathews Band & I Wish You Were Here--Incubus. But really, he is sentimental over a lot of little things, and it has always meant a lot to me.
5. I also love how family oriented he is. When we were dating, he would drop everything to help his siblings. He was always concerned about his three little sisters. I knew that when he had a family of his own, he would be an involved husband & father.
6. Ben is surprisingly sweet. He has a way of doing things for me when I least expect it, and when I need it most. So many examples of this instantly come to mind. (Maybe I'll post about them all later...or not :)) I just love that he is full of little surprises that remind me how much he cares.
7. He is such a good daddy! He was absolutely meant to be a daddy of little girls. Jocee and Sophie have him wrapped around their little fingers. He is always mindful of them.
8. He is always looking for ways to spend time with the girls. Most recently, he has been trying to teach Jocee how to fly fish. Every morning she asks Ben, "Daddy and Jocee go fishing??!"
9. Ben is an amazing friend. He will help his friends in any way that he can (I.E. car trouble, moving, etc...). Most of all: He is my best friend!
10. I have always loved how Ben is not judgmental or critical of others. There have been times when I thought that he should be. But instead, he tries to be understanding and see the best in people.
11. I can honestly say that he never gossips. Never. He simply doesn't care to discuss other people's shortcomings or unfortunate situations.
12. Ben is an amazing pilot! Flying planes is not just something that he does for a living, it's something that he excels at. He definitely has found his niche. I am so happy that he gets to do something that he is so passionate about, as a means of supporting our family.
13. When it comes to politics, we are on the same page. Ben has said, "I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican. I am an American, and I want my country back." --I could not agree more!
14. Ben is articulate. He has no problem expressing himself, and always seems to know the best way to say things.
15. Ben is thrifty. Somehow he is always able to find what he wants at a third of the normal price. I never have to worry too much when he buys a new toy, or takes on a new hobby, because I know that he shopped around for months before he made a decision.
16. Ben is a total guy's guy! Everything that he enjoys is stereotypically masculine, and I love it!
17. Ben is extremely down-to-earth. He doesn't think that he is better than anyone. He never has to have the state-of-the-art, best of anything. He's not concerned with appearances.
18. He makes me feel safe.
19. Ben is innovative. If he can't find something that he wants, he'll find a way to make it himself. There have been times when he'll think of something and just create it. Sometimes I wonder if something he has invented will get patented.
20. Ben likes to be prepared. He thought of food storage and 72-hour kits first. He continually looks for ways to keep us ready for anything.
21. He is smart, in every sense of the word.
22. Ben has a very hands-on personality. He learns best when he can physically do something. He enjoys anything that allows him to use his hands.
23. Ben is a people person. Almost everyone likes him. He has a way of putting people at ease.
24. Ben is a chance-taker. While this is something that often drives me crazy, I do admire his ability to access risk and make decisions quickly. If he makes mistakes, they are simply lessons learned for next time.
25. Ben is always looking for ways to improve himself. His latest effort has been giving up caffeine, completely. This is huge! I've always though Dr. Pepper (among other beverages) would just be something that he always drinks. For now, he has kicked the habit! Hopefully the health benefits will be enough for him to continue the trend.
Here it is...
30 Reasons Why I Love,
Benjamin Hill
1. One of Ben's first major selling points was that he is so easy to talk to. Our entire relationship would not have worked otherwise. We met over the phone and our first conversation lasted for over an hour...and neither of us were "phone people." Serious!
2. I have always loved Ben's confidence. When we eventually met in person (in the parking lot of his apartment complex), he walked with a strong sense of purpose and made eye contact with me right away. There was absolutely no hesitation or nervousness...and I adored him for it!
3. Ben has always been chivalrous. I almost never have to open a door or pull out a chair. When we were dating he did 100% of the pursuing, and always paid for everything. Always.
4. I love how sentimental he is! He is the only guy I've ever dated that picked out "our song." The songs he chose (completely on his own) were Where Are You Going--Dave Mathews Band & I Wish You Were Here--Incubus. But really, he is sentimental over a lot of little things, and it has always meant a lot to me.
5. I also love how family oriented he is. When we were dating, he would drop everything to help his siblings. He was always concerned about his three little sisters. I knew that when he had a family of his own, he would be an involved husband & father.
6. Ben is surprisingly sweet. He has a way of doing things for me when I least expect it, and when I need it most. So many examples of this instantly come to mind. (Maybe I'll post about them all later...or not :)) I just love that he is full of little surprises that remind me how much he cares.
7. He is such a good daddy! He was absolutely meant to be a daddy of little girls. Jocee and Sophie have him wrapped around their little fingers. He is always mindful of them.
8. He is always looking for ways to spend time with the girls. Most recently, he has been trying to teach Jocee how to fly fish. Every morning she asks Ben, "Daddy and Jocee go fishing??!"
9. Ben is an amazing friend. He will help his friends in any way that he can (I.E. car trouble, moving, etc...). Most of all: He is my best friend!
10. I have always loved how Ben is not judgmental or critical of others. There have been times when I thought that he should be. But instead, he tries to be understanding and see the best in people.
11. I can honestly say that he never gossips. Never. He simply doesn't care to discuss other people's shortcomings or unfortunate situations.
12. Ben is an amazing pilot! Flying planes is not just something that he does for a living, it's something that he excels at. He definitely has found his niche. I am so happy that he gets to do something that he is so passionate about, as a means of supporting our family.
13. When it comes to politics, we are on the same page. Ben has said, "I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican. I am an American, and I want my country back." --I could not agree more!
14. Ben is articulate. He has no problem expressing himself, and always seems to know the best way to say things.
15. Ben is thrifty. Somehow he is always able to find what he wants at a third of the normal price. I never have to worry too much when he buys a new toy, or takes on a new hobby, because I know that he shopped around for months before he made a decision.
16. Ben is a total guy's guy! Everything that he enjoys is stereotypically masculine, and I love it!
17. Ben is extremely down-to-earth. He doesn't think that he is better than anyone. He never has to have the state-of-the-art, best of anything. He's not concerned with appearances.
18. He makes me feel safe.
19. Ben is innovative. If he can't find something that he wants, he'll find a way to make it himself. There have been times when he'll think of something and just create it. Sometimes I wonder if something he has invented will get patented.
20. Ben likes to be prepared. He thought of food storage and 72-hour kits first. He continually looks for ways to keep us ready for anything.
21. He is smart, in every sense of the word.
22. Ben has a very hands-on personality. He learns best when he can physically do something. He enjoys anything that allows him to use his hands.
23. Ben is a people person. Almost everyone likes him. He has a way of putting people at ease.
24. Ben is a chance-taker. While this is something that often drives me crazy, I do admire his ability to access risk and make decisions quickly. If he makes mistakes, they are simply lessons learned for next time.
25. Ben is always looking for ways to improve himself. His latest effort has been giving up caffeine, completely. This is huge! I've always though Dr. Pepper (among other beverages) would just be something that he always drinks. For now, he has kicked the habit! Hopefully the health benefits will be enough for him to continue the trend.
26. He has always been supportive of me, and what I want to do. Most recently I have wanted to go back to school. Ben is currently in the process of helping me figure out all that needs to be done to pursue this goal.
27. Being married to Ben has opened me up to new experiences that I would not have had otherwise. I'm a girly girl to the core, and he has successfully taken me out of my comfort zone on several occasions.
28. I adore his sense of humor!
29. He has the best laugh ever! It's infectious. Watching a funny movie or TV show is not complete without him by my side.
30. And lastly, (BUT definitely NOT least)...he is really really, ridiculously good looking.
27. Being married to Ben has opened me up to new experiences that I would not have had otherwise. I'm a girly girl to the core, and he has successfully taken me out of my comfort zone on several occasions.
28. I adore his sense of humor!
29. He has the best laugh ever! It's infectious. Watching a funny movie or TV show is not complete without him by my side.
30. And lastly, (BUT definitely NOT least)...he is really really, ridiculously good looking.
Happy Birthday, Love!!
Love,
Ginny
16 August 2009
Little Buggy
Sophie is now 9 months old!
Recently I realized that I haven't posted much about her since she turned 6 months old. She has grown and progressed so much within the last 3 months. Her cute personality is manifesting more and more each day.
It's time for another Sophie update!
At 7 months she started babbling, and has not stopped since! True to form, her first word was "Daddy." She also clearly says "Baby!" while holding Jocee's dolls & "Yay!!" while clapping. She is definitely going to be an early talker.
At 8 months Sophie finally started crawling! And when I went to get her this morning, she was standing in her crib! She has been pulling herself up on things (and trying to climb) all day today.--I love it! She has been doing things about 2 months later than Jocee did, but we are in no rush!
We love that she is so different from her big sister. Here are some of Sophie's cute quirks that we love...
Recently I realized that I haven't posted much about her since she turned 6 months old. She has grown and progressed so much within the last 3 months. Her cute personality is manifesting more and more each day.
It's time for another Sophie update!
At 7 months she started babbling, and has not stopped since! True to form, her first word was "Daddy." She also clearly says "Baby!" while holding Jocee's dolls & "Yay!!" while clapping. She is definitely going to be an early talker.
At 8 months Sophie finally started crawling! And when I went to get her this morning, she was standing in her crib! She has been pulling herself up on things (and trying to climb) all day today.--I love it! She has been doing things about 2 months later than Jocee did, but we are in no rush!
We love that she is so different from her big sister. Here are some of Sophie's cute quirks that we love...
- Sophie LOVES to cuddle.
- She gives hugs all the time!
- She likes to be tickled, and will grab people's hands so that they can tickle her.
- She is always trying to keep up with Jocee.
- Sophie wants to do anything that her big sister is doing, and tries to mimic her all the time!
- She is such a happy baby & laughs all the time!
- She has the cutest little sense of humor.
- Sophie LOVES playing with dolls! (Partially to mimic what Jocee does.)
- She loves playing with Jocee.
- Watching the two of them interact is priceless.
Of course, I could add so much more to this list. Sophie is such an amazing little girl! We love that she is so different from her big sister. Getting to know her personality is such a joy.
It's so hard to believe that she will be ONE in less than 3 months!
I want to savor each new phase as it comes!
14 August 2009
Hill Girls
Last month my mom had some friends from church take pictures of the girls. She babysits their kids sometimes, so Keith offered to do some in-studio photos for free. It was so nice of them to take time out of their busy schedules for us.
I got to look at some of Keith's work while we were there, and he is so talented! Check out his website! I wish he was around 5 years ago so he could have done the photography for our Boston reception...or even 8 years ago, for my senior portraits. haha
He was able to get a lot of cute shots, despite what he had to work with...
Jocee decided to be extra shy and disagreeable that day. She threw a few tantrums and refused any direction. Oh, and just a few days previous she decided to chop 2-3 inches off her hair (in some spots) & skinned both her knees.
Gotta love Little Miss!
I even tried jumping in a few to try and help persuade her.
Sophie was amazingly good, like always! He could have spent the whole time with her...and almost had to!
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