Benson the Model

I know that all parents think that their baby is the cutest, but this picture looks like Benson is striking a pose. We just thought it was funny...(and he is the cutest...so there)

Christmas Joy

Christmas was wonderful this year. We stayed up late with Erin and Thomas Grover playing games and following fun traditions. Then Camille, Benson, and I opened presents that Santa brought. We had a lot of fun surprises, but more than anything we were excited to celebrate the birth of our Savior, we have been very blessed and have much to be grateful for. In short, Benson's face is the depiction of our feelings this year.

Christmas Card

Hello blog readers! Merry Christmas! So, we got a few free Christmas cards when we took family pictures the other day, so I thought I'd scan one in and post it for you to see. Also, here is an end of the year Christmas Letter from the DeVries. Enjoy!



Merry Christmas! This past year has been filled with great memories and constant changes. Here is a quick update of 2010:

Mike has worked for four different companies within the past year. The list includes the Missionary Training Center, AXA Equitable, Engineering & Technology Start-ups and, BidSync. Starting February 2011, Mike will be working as a Business Analyst at Sears, and is so excited! Mike also said goodbye to his undergraduate days at BYU as he graduated in December with a degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing. As if a part time job, going to school full time and a busy calling weren’t enough, Mike has also spent the past year working hard as a manager of the apartment complex we manage.

I stayed busy this year taking care of Benson, managing the apartment complex and serving in my callings. Being a full-time mom has been the most challenging and the most rewarding thing I have ever done! Benson has grown so much and I am LOVING this stage of life with him. He is so much fun to be around. As for managing, it definitely has kept me on my toes (you basically become a part-time mother to 60 single college-age girls!). It has had its ups and downs, but I am grateful to have been a manager to keep my brain active while I am at home and to give me projects to work on!

Benson Dean has grown so much. I am always amazed at the new things he is learning. His most recent trick is to repeat what we say. The other day I was bringing Benson inside and telling him how cold it was, so I ended the sentence with “Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”. Benson immediately said “Booeeeeeeyyyyyyyy”. Now when I tell him it’s cold he repeats “Boooey”. He has also learned to fold his arms during prayer and knows when we are getting ready to end. He knows how we end prayers and usually when we get to “ In the name…” he will shout “aaaaa” happily. I know he thinks he is saying “amen”, but I haven’t figured out if it’s because he is excited the prayer is over and he gets to play again or if it’s because he likes saying “amen”. Either way, we think it’s pretty cute. He is learning to walk now and we keep on expecting him to start any day now. We love that little man more than words can express!

We have seen the Lord’s hand in all of the changes over the past year and we know that we have been guided to go where we are going. We are thankful for the blessings we have received from our Heavenly Father and we are most thankful for the gift of His Son. This time of year is so special to us because we know why Christ was sent here and that he fulfilled his perfect mission so that we too could attain happiness. We hope your next year is filled with joy and that you all will have a wonderful Christmas. If we could spend it with every one of you, we would! We love you and miss you all!

Love,
Mike, Camille and Benson DeVries

Going PRIVATE!

I know, I know. Don't judge us, but, we are going private with this blog! With Mike's new job, Benson getting older and a few other circumstances we have decided want to share the sordid details of our day to day lives with you, in a private sort of way. So, because I don't really know how this works, let me know if you would like to keep on reading our blog. Don't be shy. Even if you are my best friend from high school's cousin's girlfriend's grandma we would love it if you wanted to read our blog! Just let me know! We promise to keep the gushing over our baby to minimum.

Love,
The DeVries

We're Moving!

A friend of mine pointed out to me that we hadn't posted about this, probably because most of you already know, but...we are moving to Chicago in January (end of December or beginning of January...we haven't decided yet)! We are both so stinking excited. I'm sure Benson would be too if he really understood. We are moving because Mike got a job out there and he is excited to start his first real job!

Mike grew up in Adrian Michigan (about 5 hours away) so he is very excited to be back in that weather. I, on the other hand, grew up in Dallas, Texas and I'm quite scared of the cold! I know we still have a month left here but we can't stop talking about Chicago!

Retraction to the Retraction

My boy was obviously framed...

Retraction

Can I just make a retraction for the last post? Mike likes to think Benson eats flowers for breakfast, but here is the REAL story. Benson has taken a liking to headbands. Scratch that, loving to headbands. His mommy wears one every morning and I guessed he noticed because the other day he saw one of my headbands and started trying to poke it on his little head. I helped him out and put it on him and he laughed and laughed and I told him over and over how "pretty" he looked, this just egged him on. Eventually he took it off, and handed it to me, so I put it on. He started crying and patting his own head, telling me that is HIS headband and it belongs there. So I put it back on again and the laughing started again. We have played this game every time he sees a headband for about a week and I think it's hilarious. Mike...is not so thrilled. I guess his plans for a big, tough, football playing man are still in the works, but hey, even football players need to accessorize right?




This is what was really happening

Benson is Manly

Benson is so manly that when he sees a girly flower he eats it for breakfast.

Walker Boy

Watching Benson develop his walking skills has been a funny experience. If you hold his hands he will walk with you until he either a) finds something that distracts him, at which point he will stop to put that thing in his mouth, or b) he will start "running" (or moving his feet faster but not really placing them on the ground. Kind of like the Flinstones), if you don't hold him up at this point he will fall on his face...Well, Camille and I were both pretty excited to see Benson walk with the help of a little toy that a friend from work gave me. Because he will now go straight until he runs into a wall. Baby's walking has to be one of the cutest things I've seen - Chubby legs jiggling as they struggle to stay standing, who wouldn't want to watch?

Disney Mania

And this is a quick post just to tell you that Disney has entertaining shows. And they're clean. Mike has even gotten into them. So, if you are looking for good, clean television that you will really like I, for one, recommend the Disney channel. You will not be disappointed.

Toupees, Haircuts, and Cougars

Okay, so Mike already posted about this, but he really did not do it justice. I came across a picture of Benson the other day and the first thought in my head was "Holy Toupee!" Don't have you to be 60 or older to wear these things? And our little man looked like he was growing a real one at 9 months. This is what Benson was REALLY looking like 2 MONTHS before we gave him a haircut...way way overdue...




And this is what he REALLY looked like after. I was sad, almost in tears (that's a little embarrassing) over how different he looked. But I really like the short now, such a little man.




On a side note, Mike walked (pre-graduated) from BYU in August. His whole family came out, including grandparents, and we had a BLAST visiting with them, getting to know our new niece Elayna, and having everyone get to know Benson Dean. It was a fun filled week, Benson loved it, and Mike looked especially cute in his BYU robes. I am so proud of Mike for working so hard through school and still finding time to spend with wifey and babe at home. We are SO glad when daddy comes home! And although I loved it when my cougar husband graduated from my (soon to be our) Alma Mater, my ultra proudest moment was not at graduation. It was in July at the annual 4th of July parade in Provo, when the BYU float and mascot came charging down the street. Mike stood up and cheered louder than anyone for "BYU!" and "COSMO!". Don't get me wrong, Mike has always loved his school and has been grateful to go there, but he is not the "school spirit" type. So, when he stood up and cheered, I almost had tears in my eyes. I asked about it later and he told me that now that he is graduating he is starting to feel the BYU spirit. Yes, that was a moment of joy for me. Gooooooooo Cougars! And for your viewing pleasure, a few pics of the DeVries cougars.






I live with the best two boys ever.

The Hair Cut

So Benson has been mistaken for a girl a couple of times due to his beautiful and lovely strawberry blonde baby hair. Camille and I have not been looking forward to this day, but his hair was bangin' so we shopped it. He actually looks more like a little boy now instead of a little baby. Here are some photos.

Before


After

Happy Boy

Benson has finally mastered the art of standing with the help of a prop. He scared his mom the other day by almost climbing into the tub. Today Camille heard a loud BANG in his room and ran to see if he had fallen out of his crib. When she opened the door she found him happily standing against the wall of his crib and banging the little fan that we have on the dresser next to him. It's fun to watch, but we are realizing all the implications to his newly gained abilities. We love that boy!

Jillian Michaels

Dear Jillian,

There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just come right out. I've found someone else. Don't be hurt, we both knew this day would someday come. With your constant promises, I really wanted to believe that I really could become "shredded". I should have known the promises weren't realistic. Just know that I will always cherish our early morning/late afternoon times together and the laughter we shared. Don't worry, we can still hang out once in while just for kicks and giggles. How about Mondays and Wednesdays? My place? I'll bring the weights?

Not to rub it in your face, but here is a pic of your replacement. With those rock hard handles, what's not to love?




Love,
Camille

Only in Provo

Here is something that we will not see outside of Utah...although, I would have loved this kind of treatment in Russia.

Stroller Boy

Benson is now old enough to sit up on his own like a big boy in his car seat. Here we are on our way to the 4th of July parade and Benson is sitting confidently in his captains chair. (Sometimes we feel that in his mind, he is commanding his ship - The Stroller)

Sir Laugh-a-lot

Benson's favorite game to play is "peek-a-boo." And we love to play it with him because his laugh is contagious. It's also a game that we can play with him as he becomes a crank-a-frank before bed. So we can listen to baby cries, or baby laughs....we prefer the laughs.
(please excuse the side-waysness and shakiness of the film)

8 Months!

I was just sitting here thinking about the little Benson Boy and realized he will be 8 months on Friday! Gah! Where does the time go? So, in honor of the Benz's 8th month of life, I will give a quick update with some pics!

Recent Advancements:
1. Rolling EVERYWHERE...this one is so so fun! We are all lovin his new mobility. He is also getting closer everyday to crawling, still not for a while, but closer.
2. Saying "Mamamamama", "Mom", "Bababababa", "Dadadadad" and "dad". As much as I think he is, my child is not a prodigy and can say these words, but he has no idea what they mean. Although, I really like to pretend he does :) He is learning new sounds everyday and I will often watch him as he whispers sentences in garbly gook. And he really does whisper when he does sentences, its so funny.
3. Three teeth to boot! He just cut his third tooth on his upper gums and I think the other is soon to come (due to excessive crankiness and drooliness). He is going to look so cute with a little tooth popping through the top!
4. Sleep. This isn't a new thing, but Benson has been a great sleeper since week 6. We love it and he does too. I do have those occasional "Wake up every hour because I'm teething and hurting---why did I choose to have kids again?" Weeks. It's okay, like my dad says, it's all a stage. And we love him to death anyways.
5. First airplane ride. On the way to Tejas he did great, on the way back not so much. Let's just say there was lots of uncontrollable screaming and lots of tears (from the baby and the mommy).
6. New carseats! He is getting big enough to be in a convertible car seat! Fun!
7. Food Food Food. Benson basically eats anything we put in front of him. Makes his daddy proud. Except, he makes a sour face when we give him graham crackers. Can we say, weird?
8. Firs swimming trip! He loved this, and thank goodness because mommy got a season pass to Seven Peaks this year and our activity everyday is to go to the pool. I may be raising a little daredevil here because he smiles and laughs when I bring him on the slides. I even brought him on the adult slide with me yesterday (they let you do that here) and he liked it! So fun!

Okay, that's enough updates, time for what we all really want. Pics!

Book Reviews

I know I have much more interesting things to post about, but this has been on my mind recently :) (I just got back from a week long trip with my sistas in Texas. It was so fun! I will post pics later cause we are still playing with Brooke here in Utah...) Okay, I have read three books recently that I have L-O-V-E-D, so I thought I'd tell you all about them and hopefully give you the incentive to read them yourselves, here they are:

1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The only word I can think of to describe this book would be charming. I loved this book so much that for a week after I finished it, I was begging Mike to name our second son Dawsey, or our first daughter Juliet. I wouldn't mind if our future children turned out to be exactly like the fictional characters they were named after (Mike quickly vetoed the name Dawsey. I'm convinced he just needs to read the book and then he will feel the same way I do about it). The writing is witty and smart, the story is well thought out and perfectly pieced together, and the characters make you want to be their best friends. I'm not kidding. It's set in a sweet little town called Guernsey, and the story revolves around the whole town's experiences during WWII, what they did to persevere and how they became a tightly knit group. The whole book is a series of letters,which makes it that much more fun. It really is awesome and I could go on and on, but don't take my word for it...da da da dum.

2. These Is My Words. Okay, I have to admit, I have been told for years that this book is awesome but I really doubted it. It just sounded too (please excuse the term)"Utah" for me. But, after getting the recommendation from my librarian sister, whose judgment in books I have ALWAYS trusted, I picked it up to read it. I hated the first couple of chapters, too depressing (but my mom reminded me that this is how the life crossing the plains really was), so I kept going and man I fell in love. It's a story about pioneer girl who keeps a diary of her struggles and joys while trying to fight it out on the plains. It's also about her choice between two men, really romantic in a sweet sort of way. In fact, this will make you fall in love with your husbands even more because it might remind you of your husbands. Mike came home every night while I was reading this book to a wife who thought he was THE BEST, even though he hadn't done anything amazing that day. He loved it, and you will too.

3. Percy Jackson Series. When Mike and I got married, he really wasn't a big reader. He just wanted to watch the movie, and if it didn't come out to movie, the book wasn't worth reading. Thankfully, he has been converted, because I love reading and now he does too. I spent a lot of time trying to find books Mike would like when we were first married. I started with the Harry Potter series on tape, which he loved, then we moved on to Hunger Games and Catching fire, both big hits with him, and now we are on the Percy Jackson Series, which Mike loves and I do too. These books are just fun fun fun. Percy is a funny character and I feel like he is not as whiny as Harry Potter was, so while I still like the Harry Potter series better, I like Percy better as a Hero. Plus, if you have any children in High School and they are assigned to read Greek Mythology, have them read this book. I am remembering and re-learning tons of stuff I learned in high school and it's actually interesting this time!

That's all. So, if you find yourself with a little time on your hands you might want to pick up these books. They are good, clean fun!

Mr. "McHat"

My Mom sent a bunch of cool hats and stuff to us that she and friends from home gathered for Benson, so we decided to show everyone what he looks like with them on. Say hello to Mr. "McHat." Thanks guys

A Drinkin' We Will Go

Ok, I couldn't resist it, here is one of him drinking water. This video really shows how easy it is for Benson to get distracted...which makes feeding him an interesting process....

The Muncher Man

I don't know what it is about babies, but I love to watch them eat. Or maybe more accurate, I love to introduce them to new foods. It's like taking someone to your favorite restaurant and watching them take their first bite of your favorite dish to watch their reaction. Every time we feed Benson something it's a new discovery, and it's really fun to watch the process.

Benson The Bouncer

So, The Grovers let us borrow their bouncing play toy thing since their little boy is getting a little too old for it (or maybe it's because he is so good at bouncing without it...), but Benson loves this thing. The first time we put him in it, he bounced once, than looked up at us with the "I'm about to cry cause I don't know what's goin' on" face. So, we tried the clapping technique and he realized that he wasn't going to die. Ever since then he has loved to bounce away. Check him out!

"Gimme da Goodness!"

Benson is learning the emotion of jealousy. Well, as much as a baby can. He mainly feels it when he sees us eating food. If we're eating and he isn't, he is filled with only one emotion: "Gimme dat goodness!" Here are some pictures of Benson, two of which he has food. If he didn't look anything like his mother, you could still tell that he was a DeVries...cause he loves food.

On Another Note...

we love our son! He is getting so cute and so fun every day, even when he is crying because his teeth hurt! He has two teeth already and more on the way. We feel bad for this poor little guy who has had so much trouble with his gums and teeth. Here are a few more pics, one of him in his carseat on a walk to his friend's second birthday party, two of him messing around with daddy and one of him in his car seat, dazed and tired beyond belief after missing a nap at church. Enjoy!

Heil Benson!

Sometimes when Benson eats, he gets this little "Hitler 'stache" and I love it. Don't get me wrong, I don't want him to be anything like the infamous dictator, but for some reason I can't resist feeding him prunes and then waiting for the magic to happen. We love this little man!

(okay, so only in one shot does he even kind of have the hitler stache, but you have to admit, he does look like he has got some kind of fun mustache going on)

You would drink the fat for me?

There is an old Friend's episode where Rachel is mad at Ross, and he asks her what he can do to make it up to her. Joey says Ross should drink a cup of old bacon grease on the counter, Rachel agrees so Ross almost drinks the fat when Rachel stops him. She very sincerely asks him after, "You would drink the fat for me?" and it's actually kind of sweet :) This morning I thought that as Mike got up extra early to run to the store and pick me up some medicine cause I haven't been feeling well. He works extra hard at school and at work, and yet still makes time to come home and "drink the fat for me". I love that hard working hubby of mine!

PS

Jana, if you read this blog, I did steal most of your wording for that last post. Lazy, but effective!

Rachel's Run

One of Mike's old roommate's wife was recently diagnosed with cancer and there is a fundraiser 5K for her on May 22nd in Provo. So, for any of you who are runners, wanna-be runners, walkers, or anything in between, here is a great way to support a fantastic young couple!

http://rachelsrun.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

The Womens Expo

Guys, today I went to the Women's Expo at Utah Valley University where I found millions of cute-sy girly things. I was in heaven. The best part was, I got to meet one of my favorite (well, they are twins, so it's technically two...) craft bloggers. Sigh. Can life get any better than this?

Check them out: www.thediydish.com

My bags are packed...

And I'm ready to go! What do the following four things have in common?







We are going to be together in June! I will be reunited with all (minus Rach the snake, sorry preggo...) of my sisters from June 2 -10! I couldn't be more excited! Benson has three boy cousins who were born within two months of him and one that was born one day ahead of him! They all get to be together for the first time! Hallelujah for vacations with the girls! 6 sisters + 1 sister in law + one mom and dad + one house in Texas = a very happy Camille.

I'm just sad that Mike has to miss this all. I'm going to be sad to leave him!!!!

Life as of late

Just thought I would update everyone about things of late, especially because I rarely do the posting around here! First of all, I have an awesome husband. This morning, when Benson so kindly decided to wake us up at 2:00 AM, I poked Mike and asked him to go see what was wrong, and he did. And then when Benson decided he was hungry at 6:30 AM this morning, who went to take care of him? Mike did. And who got to sleep in until 9:00 AM? I did! Mike has been handling quite a bit this semester, I'm very proud of him for handling his classes, his internship, his family and his calling so well although it was so busy!

Benson is growing ridiculously fast, no joke. Oh how we love him! He recently started solid foods and can't get enough of them, truly his parent's child. So far his favorite food is pears, man are they his favorite. He yells at me to hurry up between bites when we serve those. I found a solution to that, just don't serve pears very often. He has also tried green beans, Sweet Peas, Bananas, Prunes (we give him these very often, we just have to watch out for the explosion later!), Sweet Potatoes, Squash, and Popsicles (probably shouldn't have given him this last one, but he LOVED them, who wouldn't love a lick of their mom's Popsicle on a hot day?
Benson started rolling over onto his back recently as well. He always looks so happy when he does this, like he accomplished a major goal. I was so proud of him the first day he did it that I called everyone I knew. Sheesh. I'm such a mom. We've also discovered that Benson might have allergies, and after one sleepless night things had to change. Finally, at three am the next night we threw him in the car seat and he slept the rest of the night. Funny how you go back into newborn mode when they start waking up in the night again because I had a really hard time falling back asleep because I was worried about him falling over in the car seat. He continues to laugh everyday and make our lives so happy. Even when he wakes us up at 5:45 AM, I still smile at how excited he is to see me. Benson+Mike+Camille=True Joy :)

As for me, I manage to keep busy with my little bub, cooking (very little of this, actually) cleaning (that too), looking after the apartments we manage, keeping track of them and trying to get them filled. So much to do and so little time! This is definitely the busy season at the complex, with tours, contracts, cleaning checks, furniture moving, apartment updating and everything else in between! We love it!

That's it for now! here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Singer Boy DeVries

We like to catch Benson singing every now and then. He has such a funny little voice.

I Piddy Da Foo!

Photo Shoot

About a a week ago we had such nice weather that we decided to do a Benson photo shoot. Here are so of the pictures we took.

Cousins

Cousins are great! They are nice to hang out with, to lay on, to steal things from, and to grow up with. Benson is glad (even though he can't say it yet) that he has Jacob nearby. We're so happy for Erin and Thomas and their sealing this weekend to their little boy. Families are can be together forever. Cograts Erin and Thomas!

I've never been so excited...

to throw a baby shower! My very favorite little sis is having a new sweet baby, and my other sister and I get to plan the shower! Hurrah! Can you tell that I adore anything that has to do with decorating and home made craft projects? Especially for someone who was my roommate for 23 years? I just can't wait until they find out the gender tomorrow to decide what kind of shower to throw. It'll be Christmas in March I tell you. Congrats Taylors!

4 Months!!!

Okay people, where does the time go? I was packing up my little Benson today to go to his 4 month appointment and I actually kind of started to cry (post pregnancy hormones possibly?) at how big he had gotten! I remember the first 2 week appointment me and my mom went to with Benson and he barely fit into the carseat! Now he is 14 pounds, 25 inches and completely wonderful! Stop growing. Now. Here are a few of Benson's favorite pastimes:

Playing with daddy
Laughing at daddy
Cuddling with Mommy
Barfing all over the couch
Barfing all over mommy
Barfing all over daddy
Barfing all over the carpet(well, you get the point. In fact, I am currently sitting COVERED in baby Benson barf. No, I don't think it stinks anymore, and no, I rarely give him a bath after he barfs. No mom has that much time to bathe their child in a day)
Trying to roll over
Sleeping! (this is a kid who requires a lot of sleep and I am definitely NOT complaining! I love it!)
Talking (kind of screaming) to himself all day
Staring at himself in the mirror
Staring at the TV (He is OBESSESSED with the TV..)

Some of mommy's new favorite pastimes:
Doing multiple loads of laundry a day (see the above post for reasons)
Working out with Jillian and the girls from my ward every morning
Searching craft blogs (I love all the craft blogs in the whole world)
Working around Fleur de Lis (the apartments we manage)
Hanging out with my husband
Making my little bub laugh, it's my new favorite trick of his!


In short, Benson is 4 months old and growing so fast. We definitely love having him around!

Dear Inventor of Chocolate Chip Cookies

You must have been inspired.

Love,
Camille

The Purity of a Baby Laugh

So I could probably watch this clip every day for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. I love laughing babies.

Benson, The Singing Baby

In this video Camille sings to Benson and he sings along the parts that he likes best...he's very selective in what he sings. It's pretty much precious, and it ends, like most of our videos with a little Benson surprise.

I Heart Benson

Today I was talking on the phone with our boss and holding Benson at the same time. I heard some cooing so I decided to finally look down and see how my son was doing. As soon as I made eye contact with my sweet boy he smiled SO BIG. Then he laughed and kept cooing until I couldn't stand it anymore and secretly (without my boss knowing) kissed that little man all over his chubby face. It was wonderful. It is times that like that that make times like this (he has refused to take a nap even though he is ridiculously tired for a good portion of the day) worth it.

Happy Birthday Camille!!!

Camille hit the big 25 on Tuesday and we had a wonderful day together. One of the traditions that we have started since being married is signing up for every possible restaurant Birthday club and redeeming like 5 or 6 free meals in one day. It was a lot of fun and fortunately for us, Benson was a really good boy all day. Camille really wanted to make a cheese cake for her birthday dinner, but since we didn't have time for it by the end of the day (sad) we put 25 candles in a pizza we got from Little Caesar's...while the pizza was hot...somehow we didn't realize that the wax would not only melt from the top where the flame was...but also down below where the cheese was hot and bubbly. Needless to say, we had a very waxy pizza, but we quite enjoyed it. I'm grateful that my sweet wifey was born 25 years ago so that I could join my life with hers through eternity. I'm a lucky man. Happy Birthday Camille DeVries!

Laughing Baby

Watch the baby laugh, he makes us so happy.

Little Man in the Tub

Benson can hold his head up pretty well now. He looks like a big boy in this picture...but if you're wondering how we censored it, Benson did it...by puking in the tub...for those of you who don't know...it turns the water a white-ish color...

True Joy

This is the face of true joy...just in case anyone was wondering what that might look like...he's got it...on his face...mainly around the mouth...and a little bit in the eyes.

Did You Know?

I'll bet none of you knew that my wife speaks Indian
(For some reason, every time we type something in the Title space...it translates it for us (how kind) into some Indian language...we don't know why...but we feel closer to our Indian friends because of it.)