Celebrating Ben.

This past weekend we celebrated Ben's first birthday. In the twelve months he has been on this earth, our Ben has been through more than the average kid. But right now, we are not focusing on the hard stuff - we are just celebrating a sweet funny boy, and letting him know how much he is loved.

Ben seemed to realize that it was his special day, and he just would not settle for his afternoon nap before the party. Thankfully, missing  sleep didn't seem to affect his mood. He helped out by keeping an eye on preparations and supervising the balloon blowing. When the others woke up, it was party time!!

Of course, there was a giant cake - hand made just for Ben.

There were gifts lovingly given.

And this little guy was simply the best party host ever. Wouldn't you like to be partying with a dude as cool as this? Seriously - if the movie stars saw this, they would be ordering great big Bumbo seats, just to try and look as cool as Ben.

The party was great fun. Emily's parents are here at the moment, visiting with her and helping us out. They brought some wonderful musical instruments with them, so we decided to have a music themed party. Emily's Dad played children's songs on his harmonica, and the kids provided percussion to accompany him. There was a whole lot of shaking, banging, clapping and laughing going on. The atmosphere was perfect, and everyone was having fun. Jesse was especially excited by the music, and he loved making his contribution.

Life is such a cycle of emotions - some days in the Home break your heart, and other days make it soar. Ben's birthday was a day to lift your heart skyward. Happy Birthday little dude. You are so special.