to say i am behind is the understatement of the year

I open my blog and look at the post.  Halloween?!?!  Really, that is really the last time I posted?!?!

Yes. Call me what you want but once again our life becomes a chaotic mess around the holidays.

I miss having only the stress of present buying or what holiday wrapping paper will match the best.  Instead my list includes needing to find a rental home in order not to be homeless.  And, can we finish packing a 5 room home in under 2 weeks.  Or, "Honey, did we leave me any clean underwear?"

Oh the days of holiday worries.  Thankfully this will be the last of the craziness.  We finally can settle knowing where we will be on Christmas and every other holiday for that matter.

Blessed does not even begin to touch how full our hearts are.  We can not get enough!  Making wonderful memories with the cousins, walking around Storybook Island with grandparents or just simply being able to invite family over for dinner creates this wonderful world of contentment.  I am happy.  Like down to your toes over joyed with the decision we made.  The transformation in our home life.  The happiness in Ben's eyes.  The joy in the children's faces.  Every stressful moment has led to this.

Thank you all for the prayers and support.  Without the wonderful women in Texas, the family here in Rapid City and the prayers we received from Boston to Colorado to California our life would have been 10 times the stress level. 

 

 

My New Years Resolution list is a long one.  My goals are completely reachable.  Now, the time and energy of building a house and creating a home where roots can be grounded begins!!! 

 

EEEKK {we are just so so happy}!!!!

halloween

Halloween pumpkin carving is a must but unfortunately, as history has demonstrated, Ben usually gets stuck finishing it.  Yay for another solid year of Ben finishing!!

 

We also painted and glittered a small pumpkin

Daddy's helper

My sweet boy is having a proud moment!

We also had a belated birthday celebration for Carson!  He is one loved little man.  Grandma and Grandpa spoiled him.  He LOVES his Usborne Touch and Feel book.  He frequently will grunt at my feet and hold up the book, looking at me like, please do not turn this sad, pathetic face down.  Whatever, I don't ;)

He also enjoyed a brownie birthday treat.

We {Madison and Grandma because Mommy found these crafts for 75% off} enjoyed decorating a few scary insects.

And now onto the trick or treating

Her best friend, Abby :)

san antonio

My parents came to spend the last Halloween {first and last actually!} in Texas.  The weather was amazing and we had such fun exploring San Antonio for a few days. 

Sea World was the highlight.  We have always been that Benson family who attracts to water activities, maybe the reason we became swimmers...just possibly.  This was the third Sea World we have gone to {cross that off the "see every Sea World in the US" list}

Madison and Carson loved the animals.  Madison couldn't stop saying, "look over there" or "see the dolphin {which may have been a fish or whale a few times}.  The shows were super cute and made the kids laugh out loud.

We prepared for a typical 70 degree South Dakota temperature but add about 100% humidity and scorching Texas sun and we were sweltering.  This was the END OF OCTOBER!!  Welcome to Texas.

They had a gigantic play area

We tried to get Madison to count for him but nope, this lady was a little too nervous

Enjoying the Sesame Street Halloween Show

SO MUCH FUN!!  Note Carson's rosy cheeks...Texas is all I have to comment ;)

Her very very favorite.  "Mommy, a princess DOLPHIN!"

Begging the dolphins to come over and let us pet it.  Not so successful.



Dinner on the Riverwalk {quite amazing, look to the right of my dad}  I loved seeing the Riverwalk.  Shops and restaurants lined this river while the large mature trees engulfed the entire area.

The next day we went to the Alamo, my dad's request, which turned out to be quite a history lesson for this lady.  I couldn't understand why this was celebrated if we had lost.  "Remember the Alamo" is all I kept thinking about. Thanks to much reading and listening to the different speakers I finally put the whole picture together {and don't you even ask me to repeat, its called internet people!}

Secondly, as a mother who takes much pride in my kids clothing {and I know you noticed right away, jk} Carson is wearing the same outfit in most of the pictures.  That was due to projectile vomit and explosive diarrhea.  I had 5 outfits {for which my dad could not stop giving me s*&t crap about}, for a 2 day trip.  And yet, he was almost stuck in his pajamas if there was one more incident.  I find the memory just a fun quirk of our trip.

Shout out to Erica House for Madison's adorable monogrammed shirt.  That southern girlfriend knows how to rock the monogramming ;) Love ya lady.

Gorgeous greenery and beautiful flowers everywhere

Precious

Looking at the fish

We looked like crazy people trying to figure out which building was the Alamo.  We found it!