on to food #3...

Sweet Potatoes!

A Hot Weekend ~ Ben's first swim!

It was another VERY hot weekend in Santa Barbara (like, um, over 90 degrees!) Luckily, we have become friends with Shannon & Dave.... even luckier is that they have a pool! Thanks for a fun afternoon guys!

I'm 35 today!

My friend Sarah Paskin said it best... "35 is the new 21"! Thanks Sarah! :)

I've had a bit of a realization in my life today... I'm half way to 70. I don't really have any issues with aging & getting older, but this was a big one. Half way to 70... wow! I have a helluva lotta living left to do & I can't wait to get on with it!

For my day today, I hung with Ben, walked on the beach, had breakfast & lunch w/ friends and my adorable husband got me the most creative gift.... a cowgirl hat (that I've always wanted) combined with a day of horseback riding & dinner up on the northern beaches of santa barbara... I can't wait! He also made me a delicious candlelight dinner (after Ben went down) and tomorrow I have a lovely birthday massage. Ben got me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers & a very sweet card addressed to "mom". It was a great day as my first birthday as a mommy! Thanks to everyone for your cards, gifts, calls & emails.. I love you all!

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day... Ben is going GREEN! He's onto his second food after bananas... avocado!

Fun with Daddy!

Believe it or not... 99% of this is giggles & laughs... even though it sounds like he's screaming!

Look at me in my big boy Hawaiin shirt!

New food options...

Benjamin is officially a "big boy". We felt it was time to start solids, so this weekend, we set up the high chair that has been stored in the garage... and he got his first taste of something other than mommy's milk. He LOVED it & kept grabbing for the spoon wanting more... Dinner hour, as we know it is officially changing... for the better!

The funniest Peek-A-Boo you've ever seen!

Bennie was having a great time playing the peek-a-boo game with daddy... just try not to smile while watching this! Also, here's us landing in Minnesoooooooota!

How cool am I?

We've been in Minnesota for the past week & a half visiting my family and our friends here... introducing Ben to my world here has been SO much fun. I have lived away from my family since I was 18 years old and have been "coming home" to Mora, Minnesota for years and years to visit, plug in and then return to my real world... it's been way different with a baby... it feels so... so... hmmm... what's the word? GROWN UP! :) I have lots to blog when we return to Santa Barbara tomorrow, but for now... we took a ton of pics of Ben in the snow... here's our little snow bird!