Crawling, Turning 3, and Making Memories

 Family dinner outside on our patio!

 

We got to spend a fun night out on our dear friends', Nick and Sarah, sailboat.  Ben shocked us all and LOVED it.  He was a regular sailor, walking all over the boat, learning from Nick how to work the ropes, and sticking his face in the breeze!  He was so brave and we loved watching him have so much fun!

 At the beginning of July we flew down to Texas to visit family.  We had a wonderful time hanging out with the cousins and the whole family, playing with the kids, having a little birthday party for Ben, visiting the Lego store for the first time (and fueling a building passion in our little guy :), and making some special memories.

 For Ben's birthday we really played up the "big boy" idea and gave him a helmet and a bike in exchange for his pacifier.  That's right--we are pacifier free!  He is such a big big boy now!

 Ben also got a tent to play in and a couple new trucks.  We have had picnic lunches and fun playtimes in that tent!

 Ben's present from Wes and Auntie Jen and Uncle Drew was a new hat--a black top hat.  Ben is in love with hats and continues to wear them all the time, whether they look good, match or are even supposed to be hats!

 And Grandma and Grandpa gave him a chef's hat (handmade by Grandma!) and books.....about trucks!  Can't get much better than that!

Making the birthday cake!!

"Is it ready?  Can I eat it?!"

Happy Birthday Ben!

Here's a video of Ben telling me about all his trucks.  He sure does love his trucks--every day there is a new favorite that goes with us everywhere, but Tow Mater usually gets to be favorite most days.  It is so much fun watching and hearing him play with his cars and hear his little stories and voices that he acts out with them.  Independent big boy play! 

And here are some fun videos of Megan learning how to crawl!  She learned how to crawl, pull up and cruise all in one weekend, just two days before turning 8 months!  And then the week after that she got better and better at crawling and started trying to stand occasionally without holding on.  She is a mover and a shaker!  It is a bit scary for this momma, because my own freedom is disappearing!