The Ben Master & Co.

So I realize it's been a while since I updated everyone on how our "crew" is doing. Life with Los Lemans just never slows down and blogging falls lower and lower on my list of things to do.

Joel and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary this past Tuesday. It was such a blessing as we were able to spend 3 nights and 4 days in Phoenix at the condo of a friend of a friend. I will hopefully post about the trip in greater detail within the next few days.

Now on to our crew. José (who is still 13 in case you forgot) is getting to be quite the little worker. He has matured so much in the past year, something for which I am thankful beyond words. He is definitely the first (and most often the only) boy offering to help without being asked. The complaints of "having" to work are significantly less than they were in the past, and overall he just seems more content, relaxed and comfortable with who he is. That isn't to say he doesn't have his moments (because and a teenager he definitely has some moments), but overall he has matured and settled.

Ángel (still 12) is kind of bi-polar with his behavior. No, he never is horrible, but he goes through what I call "valleys of laziness." He doesn't do his homework, he complains constantly about how much work he has to do, he stalls, he wastes valuable time, he procrastinates, etc. Basically, he's a typical kid who would rather laze about than have to put for effort to accomplish anything. He'd much rather play his Game Boy or read a book or play his newest game, Stratego.

Daniel (11)...I just don't know what to say about him. He is by far the biggest burden on my heart. With him more than any of the other boys I realize how powerless we are to change hearts. We can instruct, teach, guide, direct, prod, encourage, discipline, etc.; but only God can penetrate within. My heart aches for him. I get angry with him. I plead for him. I get so frustrated. I get discouraged. It seems like nothing ever changes. I rejoice in the smallest baby steps of progress and then a landslide sets us back further than where we began. I need wisdom. I need patience. I need to lean on my Savior.

Isaac turned 10 about a month ago. I just love this little man. He is still such a little kid (in a good way). He finds pleasure in the simplest things. He has quite the imagination. And even though he sometimes gets discouraged trying to keep up with his older "brothers" he's quite content to play alone or with Beni, too. Like any typical kid, I think he's ready for school to be over and for summer to begin. He still loves tagging along behind Joel (and definitely prefers his male companions as opposed to the females...a sign he is still a boy). :D

And then there's Beni. My biggest daily trial and yet a source of great joy. I was talking to my mom the other day and told her he has hit a whole new level of "I know what I want and I want it now!" I thought his fight for independence and self-assertion was frustrating before...*sigh* I find myself praying praying praying to make it through the day. I praise God that his mind is developing, that he's learning new things, that he even has a sense of independence; but his inability to understand and communicate can really be frustrating. So many times I find myself thinking..."IF YOU COULD JUST TALK THIS WOULDN'T BE SO HARD!!"

Sometimes I give myself a time out.

Sometimes I go into the bathroom and cry.

Sometimes I leave him in his crib even after he wakes up just so I don't have to face Sir Cranky Pants for a few more minutes.

Sometimes I take him to Joel because I have just had enough of him for the day.

And all the time, I beg God for more patience, better understanding, wisdom in discipline, help with controlling my own anger, etc.

But there are many joys to watching a mind grow and develop. He has "learned" so many things in the past few months. He has so many new "tricks" and he's quite proud of every one. On the language front, he still doesn't talk, but he has started mimicking a lot more than he ever has in the past...so maybe words are in the near future (here's hoping).

He's really into sorting, lining up his toys, stacking, etc. He especially likes to sort his bath toys.

And a few blog posts ago I mentioned the amazing "tower" Beni built...this is it. I promise I did not help him...and there was no one else in the house at the time he did this. However, when he tried to do it again he couldn't...so maybe it was just luck. :D He is pretty good at stacking...just not usually this good.

This is his typical "snack stance"...costume and everything. It doesn't matter where I put his snack, he goes and gets his shape sorter and sits on it. And inevitably, by the end of his snack he is wearing his camo hat and belt (oh-so-stylishly placed around his neck).

He is also really into climbing lately. He scares me half to death sometimes. He climbs his toys, he climbs the furniture, he stacks his books then climbs on top, he climbs in buckets, he climbs on benches, he climbs on Mack (poor Mack), etc. The other day he climbed up on a picnic table, but apparently the bench wasn't high enough for his taste so he climbed to the table itself and the proceeded to walk right to the edge and lean over as if he were going to walk right off. I only had a mild heart attack.

So there you have it...an update on life right now. Thank you for your continued prayers; there's no way we'd survive without them and the daily grace of our Father.

We love you all!

Blessings!