We had a wonderful time celebrating Brent's 34th birthday this weekend. I can't believe he is 34. Thirty-four years ago I went into labor on Labor Day. Gary was at football practice. I called his sister, Kaye, to go get him. She had to walk out on the field to tell him his wife needed to go to the hospital. Brent was almost a month late. I had tried castor oil and the week I went into labor we had travelled the bumpiest roads ever in Springdale trying to make something happen! He weighed 9 lbs. 3 ozs. He has truly been a blessing in our lives and continues to amaze us. I am so thankful and blessed that he has turned out the way he has. He lives his life to the max. I love his adventurous side, his ability to take risks, his love of the Lord, his devotion and love to his wife, his adoration and leadership to his children, and his faithfulness to his parents. He is a true friend to anyone he meets. He is compassionate with animals. Brent, we love, love, love you!
We began the celebration by going out to eat. Brent always gets to choose where we eat. However, he was asking everyone else where they wanted to eat. That's the kind of person he is. He puts everyone else first.
We ate at Billy Sim's in Norman.
Bennett, 4 years old, enjoying the ribs! He also didn't want Ma taking his picture. It's over 100 degrees and Bennett has on winter clothes!
Sutton, 16 months old, eating a pickle. He loves pickles.
Jessica, Anna Claire, and Bennett outside Billy Sim's Restaurant. Jessica is having a birthday this month also.
Brent, 34 years old on September 4th, Bennett, Jessica and Anna Claire.
Brent's Birthday Party. He had a hunting (of course!) cake. Bennett wanted to put the deer and the hunters on the cake. I still like to have a birthday party with all the decorations for both boys and even my girls (Jessica and Jess) when I happen to be able to be with them on their birthdays. I told a story about how I was picking up the cake and a lady behind me in line asked "Oh, how cute. How old is he?" Brent responded with "Well, Mom, what did you say?" Gary said "I bet you didn't tell her how old he was." Brent responded again with "I would be embarrassed!" Well, I wasn't embarrassed and no, I didn't tell her my little one was turning 34!
Notice how Bennett placed the hunters. That deer doesn't stand a chance. The Field and Stream sign is upside down.
Anna Claire waiting on the rest of us to come on! Anna Claire put up all the decorations. She was so helpful! Bennett wanted to decorate but he looked at the decorations and then changed his mind. He did put the decorations on the cake.
The birthday boy wearing the traditional birthday hat! I can't remember when I started the tradition but the hat is really wearing out. I bought it at Rick's Bakery in Fayetteville. I need to go there and see if they still have any in stock. I doubt it as it was so long ago.
Anna Claire made this "34th" sign for her Daddy. She did the hanging all by herself!
Someone said cake and that's all Sutton heard. From then on he kept saying "cake!" "cake!" "cake!"
Gary and I will be in Indonesia on Jessica's birthday so after we celebrated Brent's birthday we celebrated hers. I have given Jessica the Christmas Southern Living book every year since she and Brent have been married. That wasn't her birthday present because she knows she will get it every year. The book comes in July but I can barely wait until September to give it to her. She likes to entertain and I know she enjoys looking through the book.
After presents and cake we played "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." Bennett is turning Grandad around.
Grandad is turning Anna Claire, six years old, around.
Now it's Bennett's turn. Grandad is turning Bennett around.
Bennett gets to turn Daddy around. Yes, the entire family played! The adults decided we were at a disadvantage. Anna Claire taped the donkey to the wall and it is the right level for her.
Anna Claire is turning Jessica around.
Now, it's Ma's turn.
Sutton, 16 months old. He can say anything. He seems to say the hard words easier than the easy words. For example, he looks at Bennett and says "Bennett" but he looks at Ma and can't say her name! He calls Anna Claire "sissy." He says "Gandad." Of course, he says "da da" and "momma" constantly.
Sutton can't get enough "sugar" from his Daddy.
Grandad and Sutton love to read together. Sutton loves to read. Last night Jessica told Sutton to go to his room and get "Goodnight Moon." I just figured he would bring back a book, any book. He brought back "Goodnight Moon!" Jessica can tell Sutton to pick up his toys and he will pick them up and put them where they belong.
The new puppy, Lucy, gets to come in the house a lot! Everyone (except Ma) had their Lucy time!
Lucy is Anna Claire's dog. At night Anna Claire puts Lucy in a dog box and places it next to her bed so that Lucy can sleep with her every night. Anna Claire told me Lucy can't sleep unless she's with her. Lucy will start whimpering in the morning and Anna Claire, who is not a morning person, will get up and take Lucy outside.
Labor Day morning. Sutton had just woken up and he needs his snuggle time when he wakes up. Bennett woke up coughing and didn't feel good and he needed his loving from Ma. Anna Claire was cold so she put on a robe and was drinking her chocolate milk. Morning is my favorite time of the day because everyone wants to snuggle with me.
We were at the lake by 9:30 a.m. this morning. It was a very hot day!I was sitting in the back and I asked Brent if he remembered the "bananas" back when he was little. We had a banana and Shane, Brent, and Jaime's kids would all ride it behind the boat. Sometime at the same time. Sutton heard "banana" and he kept saying "banana" "banana." He thought we had bananas in the boat!
Jessica slalom skiing!
Gary helping Bennett get started skiing. He did ski but I didn't get a picture of it.
Jessica skiing!
We went to Academy Sports yesterday. Bennett bought some camo crocs. Dillards has some hunting buttons to put on the crocs and Bennett wanted some of those really bad. He used his own money to buy those Monday.
Anna Claire and Ma had their knitting time. Anna Claire is knitting a red scarf and she was able to knit two rows all by herself. She was so excited. I really enjoyed sitting on the couch with Anna Claire knitting. She is so focused.
Anna Claire, Ma, and Bennett played troll on the bed. That's a game we have played even before Bennett was born. Now Bennett plays it with us. Ma lays on the bed in the middle and Anna Claire and Bennett try to go over her body to the other side. Ma swings them back to their side with her legs. (Ma is getting either too old for this or the kids are getting too big!)
Sutton had fun playing with the hunters and deer from his Daddy's birthday cake. He will point the gun at you and say "swoosh" "swoosh." He also has a very sensitive heart. If you say no to him he will walk away, turn his head, put his head in his hands and just bawl. Unbearable! I "accidentally" told him no once and I still feel bad about it. Bennett was the same way and when I needed to tell him no I would sing it. He wouldn't cry when I would sing no but if I said it in a regular voice he did.
Jessica was opening her presents from me and one present was in a crock pot box. When she saw the box she said "Oh good! I needed a crock pot so bad!" I felt awful because I knew a crock pot was not in the box! She does need a new crock pot and I have already added that to my Christmas list!
Bennett and I were walking around in Academy Sports and he kept showing me things he wanted for his birthday a year from now. I said "Bennett, why don't we just get it for Christmas." He said "No Ma! Please no! I want it for my birthday!" He thought his birthday was before Christmas! Anna Claire told me she wanted a horse for Christmas! ha ha ha She will have to talk to Grandad about that.
This year Anna Claire is taking horse training lessons, ballet lessons and tap. Bennett will be doing gymnastics. Gary and I always talk about how Jessica does it. I know Brent helps a lot but the driving around getting the kids to school and lessons is primarily Jessica's role.
Anna Claire is loving the horse lessons. Her horse that she works with is "Chance." I am so proud of her. Bennett is too young but he will be just as good. I'm glad he is in gymnastics. His first lesson is Tuesday. Sutton goes to Mother's Day Out one day a week. He loves it. I still can't figure out how Miss Pat gets him to sleep on a mat on the floor.
We began the celebration by going out to eat. Brent always gets to choose where we eat. However, he was asking everyone else where they wanted to eat. That's the kind of person he is. He puts everyone else first.
We ate at Billy Sim's in Norman.
Bennett, 4 years old, enjoying the ribs! He also didn't want Ma taking his picture. It's over 100 degrees and Bennett has on winter clothes!
Jessica, Anna Claire, and Bennett outside Billy Sim's Restaurant. Jessica is having a birthday this month also.
Jessica asked Sutton "Suttie, do you want to put the tail on the donkey?" That's all he heard. He ran, and I mean RAN, over to where we were so he could participate. Sutton wants to do everything everyone else is doing. What's amazing is he knows exactly what to do. He is 16 months old.
Sutton and his Daddy are big buddies. He looks at his Daddy and points and yells "da da."
Anna Claire and Ma had their knitting time. Anna Claire is knitting a red scarf and she was able to knit two rows all by herself. She was so excited. I really enjoyed sitting on the couch with Anna Claire knitting. She is so focused.
Anna Claire, Ma, and Bennett played troll on the bed. That's a game we have played even before Bennett was born. Now Bennett plays it with us. Ma lays on the bed in the middle and Anna Claire and Bennett try to go over her body to the other side. Ma swings them back to their side with her legs. (Ma is getting either too old for this or the kids are getting too big!)
Sutton had fun playing with the hunters and deer from his Daddy's birthday cake. He will point the gun at you and say "swoosh" "swoosh." He also has a very sensitive heart. If you say no to him he will walk away, turn his head, put his head in his hands and just bawl. Unbearable! I "accidentally" told him no once and I still feel bad about it. Bennett was the same way and when I needed to tell him no I would sing it. He wouldn't cry when I would sing no but if I said it in a regular voice he did.
Jessica was opening her presents from me and one present was in a crock pot box. When she saw the box she said "Oh good! I needed a crock pot so bad!" I felt awful because I knew a crock pot was not in the box! She does need a new crock pot and I have already added that to my Christmas list!
Bennett and I were walking around in Academy Sports and he kept showing me things he wanted for his birthday a year from now. I said "Bennett, why don't we just get it for Christmas." He said "No Ma! Please no! I want it for my birthday!" He thought his birthday was before Christmas! Anna Claire told me she wanted a horse for Christmas! ha ha ha She will have to talk to Grandad about that.
This year Anna Claire is taking horse training lessons, ballet lessons and tap. Bennett will be doing gymnastics. Gary and I always talk about how Jessica does it. I know Brent helps a lot but the driving around getting the kids to school and lessons is primarily Jessica's role.
Anna Claire is loving the horse lessons. Her horse that she works with is "Chance." I am so proud of her. Bennett is too young but he will be just as good. I'm glad he is in gymnastics. His first lesson is Tuesday. Sutton goes to Mother's Day Out one day a week. He loves it. I still can't figure out how Miss Pat gets him to sleep on a mat on the floor.
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