Happy Birthday, Ben!

Our middle child and first son, Ben, was born 26 years ago today.  He was such a fun child to raise!  Ben was all about adventure and there were NO dull moments in his childhood!

Ben was a quaint little kid.  Once, after falling down outside when running, he asked me to make a "no running" rule.  I declined and he cried, "Then this sort of thing is going to just keep happening!"  This picture was taken after he'd broken his arm falling from a piece of playground equipment.  I guess I should have made a rule about that.

Ben's first dog was Chloe.  They were so cute together!

I always thought he was a particularly handsome little boy!

This was an adventure that went askew.  He was stuck in the roll-away!  Although I was horrified when I found him, realizing he could've slipped further and suffocated, I still stopped long enough to snap a photo.  What kind of mother does that?!

Ben LIVED to climb.  At age 2 he asked me, during church, if he could climb the walls after the service as they had some interesting indentations and such.  At age 6 he got into some trouble for climbing on top of a library!  Yikes!

Ben loved his siblings.  I especially liked watching him teach Sam (8 years younger) how to do things such as play Nintendo.  And Ben always deferred to Maria (4 years older) on important issues.  He sometimes referred to her as his other mother.

Ben grew up into a nice looking young man as well.  He has a grown-up job...

grown-up responsibilities...

and a beautiful wife...

...Who made a 2 day drive with him to surprise me when I was in the hospital last summer.

But he's still my sweet little boy!

I thank God I am Ben's mother!  He has enhanced our lives more than he knows!