Self Portrait by Ella

I'm good at gymnastics. I'm good at surfing. I like how I can do all things and don't have allergies at all.  I like how God made me. I like myself because I'm made in His image. I like myself also because i don't have any injuries.

By Ella Flaming

Benjamin Lee, S E V E N

Today we celebrated Benny turning SEVEN

This guy kept throwing out last minute ideas and requests for his birthday, like balloons.

We always do the chalkboard for birthdays. And I always enjoy looking through the old photos, although I don't print off very many photos any more.

Benny picked chocolate chip pancakes for his birthday breakfast. Daddy makes pancakes almost every Saturday morning so Jake made them for his birthday too! We even topped them with whip cream and strawberries. Benny's breakfast request wavered from chocolate chip waffles to chocolate chip pancakes to donuts and back to chocolate chip pancakes. These are hard choices!

Over the summer, Benny has become quite the surfer. He has even been standing up on his boogie board. We told some friends that we were looking for a 54" breaker board but were sold out everywhere. We could not find any used ones either, for the right price.  Well, these sweet friends asked their adults sons and Benny was gifted a 54" breaker board and a 6' surf board.

After school, Benny put his new lego set together from the Levang family. We enjoyed dinner at Chick Fil A. His dinner choice also changed 4 times (Waffle House. IHOP. Pizza. CFA.). Then home to open his other gifts and enjoy cookie cake. Cookie cake is the one request that did not change. I made a chocolate chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter frosting.

Happy 7th Birthday, Benny! You are so creative and pretty amazing at building your own LEGO creations. You are helpful, thankful and kind. You are loved immensely.

Benny is currently 47.5" tall and weighs 46 pounds.