Our Suprise Thanksgiving Trip

WARNING:  LOTS OF WRITING IN THIS POST, PICTURES AND VIDEO ARE AT THE END!

So, this year we had the amazing privilege to completely surprise Ben's parents for Thanksgiving.  It was the Crisanto year for Thanksgiving and we always spend the holiday with the family whose "turn" it is.  But, this year was different.  I quit my job.  Ben is working full time and student teaching full time.  Financially there was no possible way to make it happen. We were sad about it, and honestly I felt horribly guilty.  Benson barely gets to see his Crisanto family so it's hard to miss those few chances.  But, there really was no way.  Then about 2 weeks before, Ben's brother Cowdery called and told us to look up flights.  He wanted us to come and was willing to pay for our tickets. He especially knew how much his parents would love to see Benson and wanted to do that for them. WOW!   I have no way to even explain the shock and gratitude we felt.  What a serious blessing!  So, we booked the trip and started to plan the surprise!

Cowdery told Lolo and Lola (Grandpa and Grandma) that their flight from Hawaii had a layover in SLC and they were flying in on Southwest.  He also told them they were arriving at 8pm, which was actually when our flight was arriving (he and Annaliesse were arriving later at 11pm).  Plus he told them he had a friend coming into town with his wife and baby and they needed a place to stay (to make sure we would have somewhere to sleep).  I was worried they would figure out the surprise, but they had ZERO idea!  Even when we arrived and Ben called them and was saying "Cowdery just called me and wants to know where you guys are.  Are you almost to the airport?  Where are you meeting him?"  HAHA.  They were so confused at why Ben was calling them FOR Cowdery and why he wasn't calling them himself.  I was so worried he gave it away.  But, while sitting out on the curb at the Portland airport and seeing Lola's face when she saw us, I knew that they had NO idea!

It was such an awesome moment and it brought tears to my eyes.  They were seriously the happiest I think I have ever seen them, especially Ben's dad.  It was so fun to see!  We got everything in the car and the questions started.  We were laughing about all the clues they were given and didn't get.  It was hilarious!  We went to Red Robin by the airport to pass the time while waiting for Cowdery and Annaliesse to arrive from Hawaii.  Benson was loving being with his Lolo and Lola and just being in a new place.  But, it was getting late.  Our flight arrived at 8pm PST, so 9pm Utah time.  Cowdery arrived at 11pm so 12 am Utah time.  So, ya, Benson was up extremely late!

It was a fun drive home, talking to everyone and catching up.  Then, arriving at the house and getting huge hugs from Elisha was tons of fun too.  We put Benson down and then stayed up and just talked and ate and hung out with the family.  It was so much fun!  We knew our trip was very short so we were trying to take advantage of every moment.

Thanksgiving Day was quite an adventure.  We got ready for the day and then headed out on our road trip to Puyallup Washington to spend the day with aunties and cousins.  We love that, obviously, but it is a 3.5-4 hour drive each way.  As many of you know, 8 hours in a car is hard enough, but with a toddler it is dramatically worse.  Benson actually did great on the way there.  Not so much on the way back.  The last 2 hours we were singing, playing games, giving him toys, and so on and so forth.  Cowdery tried to help by playing AC/DC.  Ya, screaming child and AC/DC were probably my least favorite part of the trip, haha!  But, like I said, it was an adventure.  We got to see family that we haven't seen in over a year that we love.  So that was fun.   Ben's aunt has a cat though.....Ben, Elisha and Cowdery are severely allergic to cats.  Yep, that was torture.  We only spent about 2 hours at the house because they were dying.  So, 8 hours in the car and 2 hours at the house......an adventure to say the least.  Not something I would want to repeat anytime soon.

Friday was much more calm.  Ben and I took Benson to the mall in the morning just to walk around and get out.  He really loves malls because he can walk and run and see lots of people.  At this mall he stopped and tried to "pick up" all the dirt and dark spots on the floor.  Yikes.  He also has been obsessed with trying to zip up his zippers while walking.  That definitely slows us down.  After the mall, we went to Olive Garden with Cowdery, Annaliesse, Elisha and Lola.  That was a lot of fun.  Benson was hilarious and keeping everyone entertained.  I was glad everyone got to see his cute and funny personality.  I was worried that the lack of sleep would just make him cranky (it did that too), but he was a pretty happy kid a lot of the time.

That night Benson was watching football with Daddy when Lolo got home from work.  It was one of the cutest moments I have ever seen.  Lolo walked in the door and bellowed "BENSON"...and Benson yelled back "LOLO".  Oh...my....cuteness!!!  He LOVES his Lolo!  Even when Lolo just went in his room to change his clothes, Benson was yelling "LOLO...LOLO".  I have included a video, because it is so stinkin cute.  Then they all watched the Oregon/Oregon State game together and Benson got his first lesson in watching football.  WOW!  He was cheering and jumping up.  It was a really fun, laid back night just spending time with Lolo and Lola and Tita Elisha.  We also had a visit from our good friend Antonette and her cute boyfriend, Kyle.  So it was a good night.

We left the house on Saturday morning at 5 am.  Our flight was at 6:50 AM.  On the way there and back Benson LOVED the plane.  He even loved the "bus" we drove in from the airport parking lot. That kid loves vehicles!  He has been talking about the "bus" and "airplane" all week since.  I think this trip to Salem was my favorite ever.  It was amazing to surprise Lolo and Lola and I think that feeling just permeated the whole trip.  It was great getting to spend time with Cowdery and Annaliesse.  It was just great all around!  So happy we had the chance to make it happen.

These magnets kept Benson entertained on the flight as well as on our long drives.  He LOVED the idea of being on a plane, that's for sure!

Tita Elisha kept Benson entertained on the drive to Washington. 

 Benson and Lolo playing on Thanksgving

 The entire trip wore this kid out

 Olive Garden!

Benson and Tito Cowdery became buddies

 "Helping" us pack

 This kid sure has a personality

Lovin daddy on the plane ride home

Entertaining us at Olive Garden

Calling for Lolo

Being crazy and cheering for football (the BEST is at about 1:10 and on)

Sorry for the overload of Benson pictures.  I did not bring my camera or else we would have had many more pictures of the family we were visiting LOL.

December 1, 2013

Benson has been growing and changing so much just over the past few weeks.  He is talking so much more and even saying full sentences like "I see you" and "I want toast", and his favorite by far "go away".  He understands everything we say (even if he chooses to ignore 50% of it).  

Each day he wakes up and the first thing he wants to do is sit and watch Baby Einstein and eat a piece of toast with garlic salt on it.  (don't worry, I feed him egg yolks and oatmeal a little later)  For a few weeks he was obsessed with "lion" so one day we looked up lions on youtube.  We found this video of lions playing with dogs.  He loved it!

 My little helper.  He has learned to do the whole sweeping and the dustpan thing all on his own.

 We got him some gloves and he just wanted to wear them around all the time.

 He loves his doggie blankie.   Lately he really just loves to "cuddle" up under blankies.  He puts them over himself or over his toys and stuffed animals.

 Ready for church.  Can you say handsome?

 He has started to climb up onto the doors on the bathroom cabinets.  Ya, makes momma EXTRA nervous!

 Benson's first time picking names for Christmas gifts.  He got Addy.  He is excited.  You should hear him say her name "Ah-yi".

 One day he grabbed one of my drinking straws, folded it in half and proceeded to "straighten" my hair with it.  This was the first time I truly realized how he is watching everything!

A new habit....not sure if it's really cute or not.

I have a few videos we have taken this month too.  He is just talking so much and changing so much so I wanted to share.

Our little hair dresser

Ben walked into the room and he was already doing this.  Crazy kid.

"I see you"

November 18, 2013

So, obviously I am done with the daily postings.  I am glad I did it and I have had a few people tell me how much they enjoyed the posts about the "little" stuff.  I really enjoyed doing it because it made me pay more attention to all of the things that happen each day, the momentous stuff that sometimes gets lost.  It has also made me more likely to pick up my camera and get photo evidence of the little things.  So, although I am no longer posting daily, I am glad I did that and hopefully will continue to post on a regular basis.  This post is just a few things from the first 2 weeks of November.

Ben and I do not decorate.  There are many reasons for this, but mostly neither of us has the creative brain nor the patience for it.  We have had these letters since Benson's first birthday and this is the first time they have been up, haha.  Yay us!

We currently have a love/hate relationship with rice in our house.  He LOVES eating it which makes me love it.  BUT....it is SO messy, and this kid loves messes.  Rice is practically impossible to clean :( 

He loves to copy everything we do.  Sweeping outside was his "chore" for the day.

 Lolo and Lola Crisanto sent Benson a package in the mail.  He was SUPER excited, as you can see from his expressions.  They included candy for Archie, DJ and myself and Ben.  Benson got fruit snacks.  Tita Elisha also sent him a book.  So cute.  

Notice anything out of the "ordinary" in this pile of loot.....hmmm, could it be the canned sardines?  LOL!  

Mascara.....waterproof mascara.  At least he got it in the "right" place.

He is newly obsessed with not only putting things in the toilet, but flushing them.  This rag ended up overflowing the toilet.  The best is when he rushes and throws things like my makeup, brush and so on in before I have a chance to even flush.....SICK!

I showed him the measuring tape and now it's one of his favorite toys.  There is a long history of tailors in the Crisanto line, maybe he will follow in those footsteps :)

 He is obsessed with Grandma's gum, always pulling it out.  Well, this day he QUICKLY grabbed as many pieces as he could, unwrapped them, chewed each one a little and then took them out of his mouth.  

Today he was fascinated with the vent.  At first I kept telling him not to take off the cover, but then he started trying to put this string down it and it was being blown back up because of the air coming out of it.  He was entertained for like 30 minutes.

He has recently become obsessed with "piggies" and wants you to do it on his toes and wants to do it on my toes as well.  "this little piggie went to market..."

 "and this little piggie went wee, wee, wee all the way home"!

October 31, 2013

So, it was Halloween and that is important, but first things first.  Benson REALLY went pee in his potty today.  He patted his diaper and said "pee" so I took him to the bathroom and he peed in his toilet.  WOOHOO.  Sorry for everyone who thinks this is gross, but it is a momentous occasion and one that I am documenting.  

On to Halloween :)

I was looking very forward to Halloween this year.  Benson was so dang cute last year and it was fun, but I knew this year he would "get it" a bit more.  I was excited to pick out his costume because this year he understands what animals are and I knew he would get a kick out of being dressed as one.  I was also very curious to see how he did with seeing other people in costumes as well as doing the whole trick-or-treating thing.  He did great with both.  All he needed to see was that when he knocked on someone's door they gave him candy and he was an instant fan.  It really only took one door and he was totally fine going up to strangers (this is the kid that still cries when he sees family members he knows and loves).  I guess all it takes is candy and he will be your best friend.  

Truly the cutest elephant ever!  He would not wear the hood when we tried it on, but once we were outside and trick or treating it was like he didn't know it was there.

The first house (Grandma and Grandpa's house)

 Crisanto family 2013

 Checkin out the loot

He chose "nerds" as the first candy he could eat.  (we had to take out all of the chocolate candy thanks to the nut thing....poor kid)

Hangin out with the girls.  I will definitely post pictures of them when I get them.  They were ADORABLE!

Halloween this year was fun.  Benson is just growing up and makes every single day so fun, but especially the holidays!