Five months!

Benjamin James - 5 months old!

Benjamin James is 5 months old and is loving his first summer! He loves going on hikes, feeding the ducks, picking flowers (and trying to eat them), and laying on the grass. We really love having a swimming pool in our neighborhood and we go as much as we can!

Benjamin went to his first baseball game this summer....the Hillsboro Hops! It was probably the hottest evening of the summer. The sun was so bright, without a single cloud in the sky, so Benjamin spent most of the game hiding under an umbrella. He was a great sport, though! Maybe he'll be a baseball player like his Uncle Justin!

We have been starting to have him taste new foods this month, and he has loved it! The first thing we let Benjamin taste was a lemon sour patch kids candy. I couldn't stop laughing at his face as he puckered his lips on surprise! Since then we have let him taste blueberries, watermelons, plums, bananas, and green beans. The plums were definitely his favorite, and surprisingly, he seems to like the super sour ones best of all! Benjamin buries his face in the plum and sucks as hard as he can, never losing interest until you finally pull it away from him. I guess he inherited his love of sour things from his daddy! Benjamin's least favorite was definitely the green beans.  I guess we'll have to keep working on getting him to eat his vegetables!

Benjamin loves story time with Daddy! Ammon is so good at reading to him, using funny voices for each character and throwing in his own special effects and sounds on every page. Benjamin absolutely loves it and pays close attention the entire time! He also loves trying to turn the pages himself and, as soon as we get to the end of the book, he tries to open it up again.

We also took Benjamin to feed the ducks and geese for the first time! There is a beautiful duck pond right outside of the Hillsboro Public Library that is perfect for feeding the ducks. Benjamin was pretty excited to see all of the ducks swarming us, especially when a huge white duck flew right over our heads, and mommy screamed in fright!

Hazel, the puppy that lives upstairs, is Benjamin's new best friend. He squeals when he sees her and laughs hysterically when she licks his hands and face. Benjamin always grabs her fur and holds tightly whenever she is within reaching distance. Usually after playing with Hazel, Benjamin's fists are full of tufts of her hair! But Hazel is such a patient and loving doggy and never seems to mind. We are going to have to find Benjamin a doggy friend when we get home, because I know that he is going to miss his doggy kisses and snuggles!

Benjamin seems to be more independent every day. He can entertain himself for a long time, just playing with his toys and babbling to himself. It is so cute to listen to him from the other room or when his is in the backseat of the car. He seems so delighted with the different coos and gurgles and shrieks that he is learning to make.

We also love holding Benjamin up to the mirror so he can play with his "mirror friend", as we call him. He gets so excited every time and reaches out for the glass, smiling so happily. It's the best way to cheer him up when he is grumpy or sad, because, as soon as he sees his mirror friend, he completely forgets what he was upset about!

We love our Benjamin James! Even more than he hates tummy time..... :) Still no rolling for this boy!

Grateful for Beautiful Oregon

We have absolutely loved our summer here in Oregon! I can't remember a summer in my entire life where I have had so much fun every single day!  I feel so blessed to be living in such a beautiful part of the world and to have my dear husband and adorable baby with me. Here's some of the things we've seen so far:

Multnomah Falls

Ever since I started telling people that Ammon and I were going to Oregon for the summer, I've been hearing about the famous Multnomah Falls. I've seen plenty of waterfalls in Utah, and even jumped off a 30 foot waterfall in Ecuador, so I wasn't sure what the fuss was about. Until I went there.

Absolutely Gorgeous!

This 600 foot waterfall is incredibly beautiful! It was only a short walk to a picturesque stone bridge at the base of the first pier. You can get drenched from the spray when you stand on the bridge and it feels like you are right in the middle of a waterfall. Many people turn around at that point, but you can continue hiking another mile up the mountain to the top of the falls. The path to the top is steep and damp from the spray and we weren't sure if Benjamin would like being in his carrier for that long, so we almost turned back at the bridge. But the day was so perfect for a hike that we couldn't resist!

It was a gorgeous hike! Even though climb was steep and slippery and I had to be careful to watch my feet with each step, I couldn't help but stopping every foot or two just to admire the amazing scenery. It was so green and lush and the air felt thick with humidity from the spray of the falls. You couldn't even see the sky through the tall trees covered in thick green moss. However each clearing offered a perfect view of the gorgeous Columbia River, stretching for miles. 

Finally, as we climbed the last switchback, the path leveled off and began following a small, mountain stream. We followed the peaceful, slow-moving stream to the edge of a sudden cliff, where the water crashed down the 600 foot waterfall. It was so amazing to see the calm babbling stream suddenly plunge down the cliff and turn into a roaring waterfall! And the view looking out across the gorgeous river cutting through the tree-covered valley was incredible. I am so grateful to be reminded constantly of Heavenly Father's love. He filled this earth with so much beauty and wonder because He loves us perfectly and delights to bless us! 

Benjamin was pretty tired of being carried when we put him back in his carrier for the trip down the mountain. Ammon turned him so he could lean against his chest and we sang Primary songs as we began to walk down the path. Benjamin was asleep within minutes! He looked so adorable snuggled up against Daddy :)

Ammon and I kept singing hymns the whole hike back to our car. I love my little family! Nothing makes me happier than these precious moments that I get to spend with them!

Japanese Tea Garden and Portland Rose Garden

Downtown Portland is a busy, bustling city, but it is also home to many gorgeous gardens and parks. We were able to visit two of them last weekend. The Japanese Tea Garden was so beautiful and serene. Everyone whispered and walked quietly, so that even with the crowds of people, it was peaceful and relaxing. This intricate monument was donated to Portland by her "sister city", Sapporo, Japan.

I loved how everything seemed so miniature and delicate: from the tiny trees with fragile branches and leaves to the small, winding stone paths. I felt like we had left the world and stepped into a fairy garden!

Benjamin's favorite part was the koi fish. They were huge! He loved watching the big, orange fish with daddy. :)

We also got to see a Zen rock garden that I thought was very interesting. The sand is raked meticulously to represent waves from a stone dropped in a quiet pond. It was beautiful!

After leaving the Japanese Tea Garden, we decided to tour Portland's famous Rose Garden, since it is directly across the street. I was amazed by the variety of gorgeous roses! We found roses of every size and color you could imagine! It was fun reading the names of some of them. Our favorites were Enchantress and Moonlight.

  

What a wonderful evening with these two cuties! I love them so much :)