Happy Birthday Aunt Hollie!

Well it's Aunt Hollie's 28th birthday! I think I am going to start a tradition of uploading childhood pictures of my sisters and I on special occasions:)

We hope you had a great day and can't wait for the Missouri trip!

Love,

Aaron, Rachel, & Gabi

One Year with Gabriella

Here's a montage of some of our favorite pictures of Gabi.......

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What I Did On My 1st Birthday........

Ahhh......what a day it has been! Mommy and Daddy woke up with me and said 'Happy Birthday!' Then we went downstairs for some breakfast. Afterward I decided to relax a little.....

Then I thought it was a good time for some reading. But, I couldn't figure our what to read.......

Then Daddy came home for lunch to say hi to Mommy and me. We goofed around for a little while and took some pictures...............

Then Nana and Papa came over for dinner. We had some pizza and my very first ice cream cake.....

Then it was time for some cleaning up......

I had a fun first birthday. Now it's time for bed!

Love,

Gabi Rae

P.S. Mommy and Daddy say this has been the best year yet:) God has really blessed our family.

Lubbock Photo Shoot n' Visit

Last weekend the Benefiels headed to Lubbock to see everybody (except for the Martinez' in Palm Springs). You guys are missed too!!! The three days we we spent there were certainly eventful! We finally got to meet baby Caden (what a cutie) and we all swam EVERY DAY to beat the heat! My sister-in-laws and Debbie reminded me how far I need to go to be prepared for donning a bathing suit! GEEZ!!

Aaron and I couldn't believe how big all of the kids were! I think being at home w/ Gabi every day makes me realize how big and how FAST our lil' one is growing! Madi is about 6 weeks younger than Gabi and is taller than her by at least an inch or two! Little Salem kept us all entertained and on our toes! Mason worked hard at swimming independently. We all had to catch our breaths though when he took an unexpected dive and Uncle Kyle saved the day! Aubrey and Luke were such sweethearts the ENTIRE trip! I pray Aaron and I can keep w/ our scheduling and Gabi can be as well behaved and adorable as those two, one day! McKenna was the oldest of the bunch and did a great job posing and corraling her cousins during their photo shoot on Saturday. We got some memorable snapshots and really, for the most part, the kids did an AWESOME job!

Aaron and I talking on our way home and are already planning our trip back to Lubbock. We are counting the days to our Missouri adventure!!! Don't worry guys, no matter where we are, we will always find a way to come see all of you and the kiddos! Family is SOOOO important and the memories we make today and on every trip are priceless to us all, but especially our children! Thank you! We love you guys!!!

I had to include these pics of Gabi eating peanut butter for the first time because it was hilarious! She got more on her face and in her hair than anywhere else but LOVED it! Grandpa Benefiel will be happy to know we are continuing to expand her taste palate (seafood INCLUDED) and she DEVOURS it all!!!

California Adventures

We took off for California last Tuesday and wow what a vacation! Aaron and I thought we'd forgo our jackets and sweaters (it was well in the 90s, 107 TODAY) when we left. When we arrived in Oakland it was a cool and balmy 64! We couldn't believe it!!! Gabi did awesome on all of the plane rides and kept everyone entertained with her excited screams and goofy faces.

Wednesday we thought we'd try to brave the elements. I must admit my hubby is somewhat of a doppler genius. There was a storm coming in but somehow we bypassed it in San Francisco of all places! Gabi borrowed some of her cousin Alyssa's fits (she's 2 years old!) and we were actually sweatin' by the end of our trip! It was SOOO great to see Gabi with her cousins Alyssa, Elijah, and Noah. They are between six months and 3 years of her age so they had a ball! If you have never been to the SF Zoo, we HIGHLY recommend it! I took my kids to the El Paso Zoo for an end of the year field trip. MAN!!!! There is NO comparison!!! Before heading home we took Gabi to the Pacific Ocean for her very first visit...I cried!!! I know, I'm a big baby but it was such an amazing moment for the Benefiel family! Our baby was screaming with delight at every turn. We even found a sand dollar for her, completely intact.

Thursday was cousin Tiffani's graduation. We are SOOO proud of our niece! Despite so much adversity she has persevered and held it all down gracefully under tremendous pressure and drama. She will be attending CAL STATE FULLERTON in the Fall. You are living the dream, babe. May God continue to bless you Tiffy!!!! Onward and upward; we love you!

Friday we did some last minute shopping and scrambling. NEVER EVER go shopping with my sister Chon if you're not willing to put in HALF of your day!

Saturday was Tiffani's graduation party. It was great seeing cousins, aunts, and uncles, some who have never met our baby yet. Gabi was hamming everyone up, as usual. I promise I did NOT teach her this but she's begun to tilt her head back and flutter her eyes at people. It's soooo adorable!

Sunday was the main event: Gabriella's 1st Birthday. Her Nina, my sister, had reserved a space at Lake Cunningham Park in advance. We went all out!!! Aaron was a good sport about it. It was a fairy tale princess DREAM! I found this AMAZING made to order "princess" gown on Etsy and our Belle was all set for her ball! I had a princess castle and frog prince cake made especially for our guest of honor princess. We drove all over Oakland to find Gabi's princess castle pinata. I joked that Aaron could stay in the car when we finally found the place-in the ghetto. LOL!!! I got princess goody bags for the girls and knights for the boys. Skates the Clown did face painting, parachute games, and balloon animals. Lots more cousins, aunts, and uncles came to the party. The kids had a blast and the adults chatted and caught up. We will be eating beans and rice all summer but it was worth it! Gabi will have have to wait for her Quinceañera to throw a party like that again!

We are 18 days away from Gabriella's 1st birthday. Saying good-bye to everyone on Monday made me think about how badly I want us to be back HOME. It was so hard tucking our nephew Noah into bed the night before we left-knowing we may not see him for several months. Aside from all the party stuff and frill, it was good just to see our family again. You can't put a price tag on that and we are too far away now. I can't wait to see all these crazy kids playing together again. More than that, I can't wait for more birthday parties, graduations, and time just spent together, making memories that will bring OUR kids back longing for HOME when we're old. Love u guys, miss you already!!!!!