Look At Me Grow!!!

Hello fans of me! It's been a loooonnnggg time since I've given you an update on all the things I can do, so I wanted to catch you all up on how grown up I am becoming....

Of course I'm still the cutest thing that there ever was, according to my Mommy who knows EVERYTHING!

And it's nice that the weather is cooling off, so I can wear my hats that Daddy loves!

I call this one "Cute Elf"!!

Being spoon fed is nice and all...

But I've been ready for something a little more challenging for awhile...

First I started with this mesh bag type thing, so I could learn how to chew...

And now I've moved up to eating all by myself! This is toast, and I love it!

I've mastered cup drinking too, and it's great after spa-sk-etti!!

All that eating was making me put on some extra pounds, so I had to get some exercise! So, I decided that I would start crawling instead of just laying around all the time. Now I go EVERYWHERE!

I've also become quite a sociable little guy. This is me and my cousin Riley-Cate. We were discussing the economy and the state of world affairs over dinner!

I like to hang out and play too. Here's me with Riley-Cate and my friend Aidan.

Mom says the living room looked like a tornado hit it afterwards, but I say it's a nice "lived-in" look!

This is me with my cousin, Katelyn. She had pink hair in this picture...I wonder what her Mommy feeds her?! =0)

Here's me with my Grandpa Richard. He's teaching me all about football and why the Cowboys should rule the world!

I have lots of cousins! Here's me with Richard, Robin, and Dakota!

And even more cousins...this is me with Katelyn and her Mommy Lori...
I love my Granny Cindy, and her chair is really fun to climb on too!

Of course Paw-Paw is still right where I want him, in the palm of my hand!

And no boy is ever too old to take a nap with Mommy!!!


I'm growing up fast, if you blink you might miss it! Stay tuned for more updates...I'm learning new things by the minute!

Love and Can-You-Believe-I'm-This-Big,

Benjamin G. Ross

To My Great Uncle Dan...

Dear Great Uncle Dan,

I'm sorry that you had to go away, I wish I could have shared my Gummy Bears with you and made it better. I never got the chance to know you, but Mommy says you were really neat. She has the bracelet that you made, and I think that you were a very talented man. I think that this poem is a good one, and I'm posting it here for you and those who loved you....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who go to war,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.


I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

~Author Unknown~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

In loving memory of my Great Uncle Dan, we'll play catch when I see you in Heaven someday!

Love and Sadness,

Benjamin G. Ross

For The Love of Ben...

Here are some updated pictures for all of you Ben-lovers out there! Oh, and I would like to send out a very special hello to my brand new Condray cousin! Good luck in there, and see you soon on the outside!

Love and More Love,

Benjamin G. Ross

Move Over Ansel Adams!!!

'Cause my Uncle Jason could take you on any day! Of course, he had excellent subjects to work with, but he's still the bestest photographer ever...and my Aunt Melanie is the bestest Uncle Jason helper ever! Here's some pictures from our photo shoot...

How Will You Teach Me?

Exactly 5 years, 148 days, 15 hours, and 21 minutes before I was born, on September 11, 2001 some people set in motion a series of events that will affect me throughout my lifetime, and perhaps even my children in their lifetimes. Because some grown-ups that I have never met could not reach an agreement with each other without fighting over it, thousands of innocent people have died and more are dying each day.

Today is Patriot Day, named so in rememberence of what brought you all together as a nation on September 11, 2001...when the unthinkable was thought up and then carried out.

Because I am only 7 months old, I can't remember what it was like on that day, but I know that you all who are reading this can. You can remember the pain, but I ask you not to dwell on that. Nor do I want to see you reminisce the feelings of vengence or anger that may have burned in your heart when the reality of those tragic events set upon you.

As a child that sees how all of you deal with the bad and the good, I ask you to remember the feeling of unity that flowed through all Americans in the aftermath of those terrorist attacks. I ask you to remember how you all stood together, united and strong, regardless of race, creed, religious preference, or sexuality. I ask you to remember the humanity of that time and savor the pricelessness of it. Times such as this test the fabric of our society and we have withstood that test thus far, even though our fabric is made up of many colors, textures, and threads.

I learn how to deal with those who are different from those that I look up to. Please teach me tolerance and love rather than prejudice and ignorance so that when I grow up I may be able to be as strong as you all were on this day.

Love and Peace-Be-With-You-All,

Benjamin G. Ross

Pioneer and Other Cuteness From Yours Truly...

Mom's been pretty busy lately with making straight A's in school and all, so I haven't really bugged her much about putting stuff on here, but I think that if I don't share some of my cuteness with you, I may E-X-P-L-O-D-E!!

Enjoy the slide show, and stay tuned for my take on the Texas-Arkansas game results coming soon!

My Visitor From Up Yonder...

My friend Aaron from up yonder in Arkansas came to visit me the other day. At first we just kind of stared at each other, but then we had lots of fun...



Here we are introducing ourselves...Well, as best as we could considering that we cannot talk yet.




Next, Aaron coached me while I practiced my crawling skills. I haven't quite mastered the art like he has yet, but I'm getting close!



Then I had to show Aaron all the neat things on my walker to play with....



Except that...no one must ever touch that...wars have been won and lost over such things!



We felt like some music, so I played some piano. Beethoven, look out!



I think Aaron was star-struck, or at least he really loved this toy!



A good time was had by all!

Love and Hugs,

Benjamin G. Ross

Let's Make A Deal...

We had a sale this weekend for my Meme, and I got to help run the register and everything! We sold practically everything from the house. Mom even tried to put ME up for sale by putting a "Make Offer" sticker on my forehead, but she said that no returns were allowed...whatever that means, I don't know why anyone would want to return me!! Nana won the bidding at a whopping $3.00! It was a steal of a deal! =0)

Go Ouachita!

This message is especially for my cousin Amy, who started college at Ouachita Baptist University today!

Dear Amy,

Good luck in college!! I have some pointers for you, as I have been to college too! (Hey, it may have been in utero, but I still picked up a thing or two!) I've even included pictures to illustrate my advice:


# 1:



If you get frustrated, chewing on your highlighter always makes it better!


# 2:



In the event that you get into a pinch on a homework deadline, just come see me and I will eat it for you. Then you can just tell the teacher that your cousin ate your homework!

# 3:




And most importantly, work hard, but always remember to relax and have fun with your friends!

Love and Midnight-Madness-Study-Groups,

Benjamin G. Ross