Happy Birthday, Laura!

(Since I composed a list for Ben, and since I am horrible with sending cards in a timely fashion---if at all---I decided to do the same for my one and only sister on her birthday!)

Laura and I are about as different as two sisters can be. However, there is a lot that I admire, respect, and love about this girl. Today at 11:00 pm EST, she turns 22 years old.

To my sister, on her birthday...

22 Things I Love About,
Laura Happnie

1. Of the two of us, she was definitely the cuter baby.


2. Laura is smart; the smartest in our family! She will soon complete her Bachelor's degree in secondary education...art major with a minor in math.

3. She is a very talented artist. She can paint, draw, and has an amazing eye for photography.

4. She is an amazing aunt! Jocee completely adores her! This is mainly because, they are so incredibly alike.

As Laura would say, "We are twins. Just born at different times."

5. Laura is hilarious! Anyone who knows her would agree.


6. I really love her fashion sense...90% of the time.

And the other 10%...she doesn't care!


7. She doesn't care what other people think...ever!
(Like when I relentlessly begged her to grow her bangs out. She may be growing them out now, but only because she wants to.)


8. She speaks her mind, and is never hesitant to put someone in their place.

9. She started wearing big sunglasses before they were trendy.


10. She is always there for her friends.


11. She loves animals...any and all!!

And they love her...


12. I admire Laura's ability to live in the moment. She is only concerned with the "here and now."

13. She lives without regret.


14. Laura is fearless. Almost nothing scares her.


15. She is open-minded. She'll try almost anything once.


16. Laura is a free-spirit. She is a bit of a hippy.


17. ....and a tree-hugger, and a PETA activist.


18. She has the prettiest, naturally thick, naturally blonde hair that I've always been jealous of.


19. It's safe to say that Laura is somewhat of an extremist. When she commits to something she embraces it wholeheartedly.

20. Laura is creative, and has an extremely expressive personality.

21. She is adventurous, and likes to make everything fun.


22. Laura will always be young at heart!


Happy Birthday, Laura!
Thank you, for being my sister!
Thank you, for being such a good auntie to my girls!
Thank you, for always being who you are!

Partners in Crime

I love Skype...and so does Jocee. After Ben got home from work on Thursday, Jocee asked, "Talk Papa and Omie? Skype?"

Ben took her upstairs to the desktop, and called my parents. Within minutes Sophie and I followed.

After talking to my mom, the girls started giggling and chasing each other. They played happily for minutes on end. Ben posted to his favorite site, and I sat on our bed listening to the cuteness.

As we talked about how we definitely have the sweetest girls ever, I thought about how happy I am that they are so close in age. Despite all the exhausting work they can be, it's the priceless little moments like this one that make it all so worth it.

Their laughter eventually died down.
And then...there was silence.
Knowing what this means, I asked Ben to check on them.
Sophie's bedroom door was closed.

I then heard Ben yell, "Hey, Mama! Come here quick. You gotta see this!"

They got into the Cetaphil lotion.
That new container was nearly half empty.

When will we learn?
Quiet Babies=BIG Messes!!

We love our girls!

Fun With Cousins

Last Sunday we finally got to see Joe, Sara, Adam & Tafton!

It had been too long! They all moved to OR about a year ago, but since Sara is now pursuing a PhD up at the U, we'll get to see them more often. (Yay!)

It was pretty last minute, but a lot of fun getting to catch up.

Jocee was very excited to share her princess couch and watch "Beauty and the Beast" with them.
(Although, sharing really isn't her thing--yet! Adam & Tafton were very patient with her.)

This totally made me realize how much little girl stuff we have! What will I do if we ever have a boy?!


PS:

Belle is the new favorite princess right now! She had been asking for "Princess Belle" for a while and couldn't be happier to finally get the movie. Jocee would watch it all day if I'd let her. She tries to sing along to all the songs (most words are wrong), and always explains what's going on in the movie to me--like I haven't seen it before.

I love this girly girl!

Disclaimer: Our bedroom doesn't normally look like that! I had just barely gotten back from Boston at that point. Ben was too busy with work to do much unpacking.

Just about had a panic attack

Until I realized it was an old one. Not having this would have put me out of work till I could get a new one, and the FAA isn't known for their prompt deliveries.

Black Thumb

Back in May I posted about how Ben bought this little tomato plant, in hopes of teaching Jocee about how things grow. (For more about that, click here.)

Since then, that little tomato plant has endured a great deal. Jocee would feed it crackers, Cheerios, chips & salsa, apple juice....even vinegar. But that plant withstood the abuse, and even seemed to grow. For a time, I wonder if maybe Jocee knew something about plants that we didn't.

THEN Jocee plucked nearly all of it's little green leaves off, leaving it almost naked. We were both sure the plant was done. Ben had tried, and his intentions were good.

However, despite our surrender that plant rebounded and recovered! Shocking.

While the girls and I were all in Boston, Ben moved us into a cheaper condo. During the commotion, he left the plant in Richard & Elaine's care. They took care of it better than we ever did, and returned it to Ben in good condition once the move was complete.

Last week, after taking the girls for a walk around the new neighborhood; I noticed this on the front porch...and laughed to myself....

Typical us!!

And the kicker...
Now that we have the space, I want to plant a garden next year.

Mommy's Girl

There's no doubt about it!

Sometimes looking at her is just as good as looking in a mirror...

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.

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.

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.

Happy Birthday, Love!!

Love,
Ginny

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...

• 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!