Northwest Norsworthys: July 2014

Not sure who has more fun with Legos in this house, Daddy or Ben. Daddy made this helicopter.....just with what we had!

Fourth of July at the park with friends

The infamous kid picture....where hardly anyone is looking and even fewer are happy. :)

Both the kids love BIG corn (on the cobs with handles)

Ben has begun to enter the world of super heroes. Right now Batman and Superman are favorites, which of course means masks and capes and play acting....all the time.....with all of us. :)

Meggie and cousin Kenzie playing together!

This next string of pictures was just a small snippet of what the boys are like together. They were sitting together and we asked them to make faces and this is what happened.....This is "silly face"

"Roar" Face

Surprise Face

Scared Face

Batman Face

Excited Face

And here is the birthday party for our big 4 year old!

I couldn't help myself and I went all out for the fireman theme. Ben LOVES firemen and firetrucks so it was so fun to think about his face when he found this on birthday morning. :) And I was right, his face lit up and he said "Wow!"

And....the cake. This thing just about gave me a panic attack as the red frosting got kept bleeding into the other colors and all the frosting kept getting warmer and warmer as I worked and was dripping everywhere. It was a labor of love for my little boy. :)

Opening presents on birthday morning. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Payne sent a Lego firetruck set that Ben was enthralled with.

And a fireman water pack with hose...I do believe we will all get wet, at some point, by that thing!

And of course Megan had to try it out. :)

Some birthday favorites!

Ben's best birthday present was a visit from Gran. She is an incredible help and so much fun to be with!

Fireman Ben! Prepared and ready for action!

With partner Wes!

A warm summer day and lots of flames (ok, they were just paper...but they LOOKED hot!) don't do so well on frosted firetrucks. It looked like it was melting...or crying...or dying. But it tasted good!

We told Ben, "Good thing it is bath night tonight!" And he said, "Why do I need a bath?"

Cousin Kenzie is beginning to share Ben's love of hats!

New Batman cape from Grandma

This kid sure does love to dress up!

Cousins!

Playing with Legos this morning....such an imagination and he is getting so good at manipulating tiny little pieces. Almost better than Mommy!

One morning Jen brought the kids over in jammies to share breakfast together.

Ben went through a passionate train phase.....what am I saying....ALL Ben's phases are passionate! It is on hold right now as firefighters and fire engines have taken over as his love, but I am sure it will return.

This is a train clock just like Pops has, a train whistle and conductors hat-all from Gran and Pops, so VERY special!

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The cousins love playing together. Meggie loves to be like the "big boys" and do whatever they are doing. Wes will follow Megan around saying "Meggie! Meggie!" and give her hugs.

It wouldn't be a normal day in our house without a little hat action. These two have so much fun being silly together, and it is quite contagious!

Ben fell in love with firefighters and fire trucks after going to his friend Jack's birthday party which was at a fire station. Ever since then it has been nothing but fire trucks in our house. Gran and Pops found this costume and I think he has worn it every day since. We OFTEN go outside to spray water like a "real" firefighter and play out stories of rescuing people.

Our makeshift fire engine. Ben would have us sit in it with him and he would make the siren sound and then we would have to jump out and "climb up a ladder" and then spray down the fire with our pretend hoses. Since this photo he has gotten very creative with random items throughout the house and made his own hose (out of a broom stick), air tank (out of an old water bottle), mask (swim goggles), and ax (wood stir stick). Quite the imagination!

John and I had the incredible opportunity to go to Whistler, B.C. for a marriage retreat. It was GORGEOUS! Snow capped mountains, bright sunny days, forests and beautiful villages and streams and trails and we got to stay at the Four Seasons!! It was amazing and thoroughly refreshing for our marriage.

view from the gondola we rode in that crosses between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb mountain. It is the highest gondola in the world--over 1400 feet above the ground and the most amazing views!

And we got to ride with some pretty awesome friends! (Ben and Alison Potter)

Couldn't get more amazing than this--poolside with a mountain view and people waiting on us hand and foot. Surreal!

One of the many parts of Whistler Village.

Meggie loves to climb into this shopping cart and "read". Makes me smile every time!

Saturday morning reading session.

Love the face. Getting yummy ice cream bites from Grandpa. Best spot in the world!

Father's Day--best dads ever!

Ben got the thrill of his life the other day when we discovered that the local fire department were out at our grocery store doing a campaign and had their trucks open to view and climb on for kids. He lit up like a Christmas tree! My normally shy and reserved little guy went right up to those firemen and asked all kinds of questions (with polite and clear communication, looking them in the eye and being very respectful--made this momma so proud!!) about all their equipment. They were quite impressed with such a little guy being so passionate about firefighting and I was having so much fun learning along with him. It was such an incredible thing to enter into his passion with him and get excited about it alongside him.