all about us.

So, yesterday...

  i recieved an annonymous postcard in the mail that said, "Erin, your brown purse is at the Bloomfield, NM post office in the lost and found box."

huh? ok....  first off...WHY is it in New Mexico?  second... i wonder what is left?

So, adam goes and gets it today (Bloomfield is only about 45 minutes South of us) and says that everything is there except the cash and coins i had (approx $48).  So weird.  but hey.  at least i have my stuff back!  Lame that i just went in to get a new license and everything. ugh.

anyway, all's well that ends well.

So, for my birthday, my friend Amanda took me to starbucks for some pumpkin lattes and i got a pumpkin pie empanada.  We hung out there for awhile, and our 4 year old's were getting a bit restless, so we went to the bagel shop to get lunch and took it down to the park.  We played and talked there, and then i went and got ashlyn from school and took my kids back up to Amanda's house for more playing and talking :)  It was so nice! Adam came home with roses for me, and tonight will be my offical celebration date with him.  i got a lot of birthday wishes from friends and family..... THANK YOU!

cheers to my 27 years..

i have absolutely nothing exciting going on today... it will be like any other day.  I got up at 5, got ready, poured my coffee... then ben came down saying he peed the bed. lovely.  The kids got up super early, i fed them, dressed them, and now i have 20 minutes till i leave to take ashlyn to school.  I'll be home all day, then i'll pick ashlyn up, bathe them, (cut ben's hair?), go to worship band practice, go home, go to bed.

tomorrow i get my birthday date with adam... so that will be fun.  But for today, i'll just think about the good time i had last year. :)

birthday's are kind of lame the older you get, huh? :)

ps, mom and dad...i got my birthday card yesterday...thank you so much for the gift card!

welcome to the world, chloe

Angela had Chloe Lynn Benson on August 27th!  She was a couple weeks early, and is a peanut!  She weighed in at 6lbs 11oz, and 19 inches long.  I was scheduled to go up Sept 20th and take photos for them, but my sweet adam was able to change my flight to the 6th!  i'll be back in Gig Harbor in just 8 days to meet this new little one.  i can't wait!

congrats, Benson family :)

ok, so today i cried.

it's hard to let them go... even if it's just a little thing like kindergarten :( .   It's like she is finally starting her own life-- seperate from me.  She has to make decisions, friends, learn things the hard way, and figure out her place in this world.  i am not around for her to ask me questions, to keep her safe, happy or from hurt.   THAT is very hard.  i watched her play on the playground before the bell rang, and i kept tearing up.  She had no idea i was still there, and it was just bittersweet.  i felt like mama bear, wanting to grab her up and take her home :).  It's a hard and interesting process.  I know next year when i have to take Ben, i will be a MESS.  leaving him to the world, hoping it doesn't ruin his sweet, happy, friendly personality, and having to say goodbye to both kids everyday.  that's too much to think about right now.

in other news, my purse was stolen (at Walmart) Saturday, so today i have to go to the DMV and the bank to replace my stuff.  UGH.

first day: update

so, ashlyn's first day went well.  it was a LONG day for her, and she was completely exhausted afterward. we picked her up, she happily started telling us about the funny story her teacher read, but when we got to the car, she out-of-the-blue BURST into tears saying she wanted to go home. Adam just held her and let her cry. It was completely obvious to us both that the day caught up to her and all of her emotions were just coming out. She was quiet and irritated with any questions asked of her on the way home. She was so tired and ended up falling asleep.
overall, i think she did like it... she says that she had a good first day of school.  her obvious disappointment of the day was that she couldn't do the monkey bars. I keep assuring her that it takes practice, and if she doesn't want to do them, she doesn't have to :).

his euphoria didn't last long

he missed her, and he felt it quite deeply about 2 hours after we got home.  His mood shifted and he became irritable with everything--including me.  He snuggled up on my lap, but wouldn't let me talk to him.  I tried to come up with things to do... just me and him. do you want to play trains? watch a movie? do a craft? read a book?  All i got was a shake of the head--no.   His best friend was gone, and i knew it would probably just take time.  I remembered the package of cookie mix i bought yesterday and asked if he wanted to make cookies for the "after school snack".  He finally smiled and shook his head yes.  He got his apron on and followed me upstairs.  we made cookies, and while they baked, we had a silly face contest and he snacked on a banana.

he's ok now :)

 

first day of school

the end of one era, and the beginning of another.

i have so many conflicting emotions about today.  I've been so excited for her, and yet, a part of me just wants to hold on tight.  to keep her home forever.  i tell her that, and she just sighs and tells me that she really wants to go to real school--that she'll miss me and she'll tell me all about her day when she gets home. 

this morning, i got up super early.  I took my shower, came downstairs and poured myself a cup of coffee (already brewed....gotta love that timer!).  I went down to my office to read my bible and pray for my baby girl.  I prayed for her and i prayed for me... that we would both fall into this new role with ease.  After a time, i went upstairs to wake her.  She was just lying in bed awake and waiting.  She popped up from under her covers the moment i went in, and sprang out of bed... SO excited to start her day.  She dressed, and i got Ben up so we could eat breakfast.  After teeth were brushed and Ben was dressed, we went outside for a few photos.  Adam came out, and we all drove down to school.  we walked inside (to an empty classroom), hung her backpack, and went outside to the playground where the teacher and the kids were.  Adam and i asked a few questions, and soon the bell rang.  Ashlyn gave Adam her good-bye routine (hugs and pats and squeeze and shakes and kisses and hugs and kisses and five and bones. {blow kiss}).  She stood in line with the other kids, and they filed into the classroom.  We left her to her day.  i totally wished that i could just stand and watch her all day long.  But, no. :) 

When we started walking toward the car, Ben said in a singsong voice, "no more ashlyn!"  i laughed.  i asked if he was sad, and he just smiled and said " No".  I think someone realizes that he is now the center of attention at home :) 

   

a visit with friends, silverton, and the train

  This weekend, some friends of ours from san diego, came to visit.  Jesse and Bethany are year old newlyweds, and are super cute and sweet together.  We had tons of fun, and among other things, we drove up to Silverton (a secluded, picturesque, very small town that was founded by miners back in the day) had lunch, coffee and ice cream, and then took the train ride back to Durango.  The train goes between 12-20 mph the whole way, so the ride is a good 3.5 hours.  I have finally seen the beauty of colorado... the stuff that everyone pictures in their minds when they think of this state.  Being on the very southwest corner, Durango isn't quite as green as the rest, so i've had a skewed idea of colorado this whole past year that i have lived here.  I'm glad i went.

anyway, here are some photos!

 

the best kind of flowers

are the ones that are given "just because"

 

i got my shootsac!

the shootsac, by photographer Jessica Claire, is such a great bag for on-location shooting... easy access to lenses, uncumbersome to wear, and totally cute to boot.  i've been eyeing it since before she got them on the market, so i'm quite excited to have my own!  looks like i ordered right on time too... this cover is now out of stock.