It was Benj’s birthday recently. When you’re turning 9 it is a BIG deal! You know it’s going to be a GREAT day. You can feel it when you wake up and that feeling stays with you the ENTIRE day. When Benj woke up that day (to streamers in his doorway, which he requested) he knew it was going to be the best day of his life. He repeated throughout the day, at random times, "This is the BEST DAY of my LIFE!" He requested a treasure hunt when it came time to open his presents. He requested that he open his presents with duct tape wrapped around his wrists. He requested his favorite dinner (Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings—yay! no corn dogs!) and cake (vanilla cake with chocolate pudding in between the layers and homemade chocolate frosting) and even specified the ice cream (chocolate chip cookie dough). This day was his dream; he had looked forward to this for a year!
What he didn’t know was that a migraine was coming. Benj has been getting migraines every month or two for about three years now and we still don’t know what sets them off. What a rotten thing to get on your birthday! It started soon after dinner and before presents and cake. He enjoyed dinner, snitched some frosting, and went in the family room while I finished the cake. About 10 minutes later he came back in crying because he knew what was coming. I left the cake unfinished, got him some ibuprofen and took him upstairs to a dark, quiet room. Oh yeah, I grabbed a barf bowl on the way--he usually throws up with a migraine but not always. The thing that has always made it better is to get him to sleep and when he wakes up it’s gone. He was almost asleep many times but he just couldn’t let go—he wanted his presents! He wanted his fun, well-planned birthday!
After about 20 minutes he sat up, said he was better and he was ready to go. Then he moaned and went back down. After another 10 minutes or so he did the same thing and pushed through the pain. We went downstairs and started the treasure hunt. He ran from spot to spot around the house looking for the clues that would lead him to his stash of presents. After about 3 or 4 clues, he was done. Jace did a couple for him and then Benj made himself follow the last clue that led to the presents. He insisted that we duct tape his wrists and then he started to unwrap. He was unwrapping presents with taped up wrists while trying to keep any light out of his eyes. We had the lights down low but of course the flash on the camera was a bit much. Anyway, after presents, he was done and he went to bed. It was so sad. He couldn’t even enjoy his presents.
( I love this pic of Benj. His suit's as low as Michael Phelps.)
The next day he was better and we went to Galveston for the day. It was the only day this entire summer that all 8 of us had work off and could go. We enjoyed the beach and played a lot and got a little too much sun. We took a picnic and a canopy that still had San Diego sand in it. We also visited the strand (shopping) and saw the movie about the Great Storm of 1900 in the Pier 21 theater. We try and have a fun family event with every birthday and this was Benj’s pick.
(Ike aftermath note for you out-of-towners: There is still a lot of damage on the island but there are a lot of things that look to be in pretty good shape. Most of the new construction wasn’t damaged and/or has been fixed. There were a few tourist shops located out on piers that are gone and a hotel that was built on a pier that is also gone. There were still some boats where they shouldn’t be and some condos with the front half still livable and the back half destroyed. The beach is gone along the seawall—the ocean comes right up to it. The cruises and ferries are running.)
After we got home Benj wanted his cake and ice cream. We are so awful--We made him wait! Erin and Katie had a singles ward party to go run to and Cait and Stef had started their fast for one of their YW friends who was starting her first round of chemo. It’s not fun to have birthday cake without everyone. So Sunday after Chris got home from interviews/appointments and whatever else he does on Sunday we pulled the cake out of the freezer and sang "Happy Birthday" to Benj—9 years and 2 days old!
All of the kids at the beach -- you might be seeing this shot again in your Christmas cards.
Benj turns sideways and disappears.
This is the condo that's livable in the front and totally destroyed in the back.
Aptly renamed the Mullet Condos.
In San Diego with cousins Conner and Cameron.
In the moat of Uncle Matt's huge sand castle project.
Wanting to help with the plumbing. (see photo above for Michael Phelps low-rider style.)
I love this picture.
Benj loves to help with dishes. He's an expert rinser. He can reach now, but used to scoot over a chair, take his shirt off, dunk his head under the water, get a little drink, and then he was ready to rinse.
Here's the recipe for our Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings. I don't know if this originally came from Grandma Doxey or from my mom but if they both have their names on it, it's got to be good!
SWEET AND STICKY CHICKEN WINGS
Elithe Doxey
Michal Miller
Sprinkle cut up chicken (about 5 lbs of wings) with garlic salt, let stand one hour. Dip in beaten egg, then flour. Fry in ½" fat (cast iron if possible) till nicely browned.
Cover with sweet and sour sauce and bake at 325 for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes in sauce. Do not cover.
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
½ c. chicken broth (may be made with bouillon)
2 T. soy sauce
½ c. ketchup
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. cider vinegar
1 t. salt
Mix together in a saucepan and dissolve sugar over medium heat before pouring over chicken.
p.s. Don't ask me where he got the idea for duct tape around his wrists for opening presents. It is not a family tradition. He just got in his head and wanted to do it!
Cotton growing at the farm. We all picked a bunch to take home. We're going to clean it, spin it, weave it, and make our school clothes out of it. :)
Benj (with Stef's help) trying out a musket.
Independence Hall (reconstructed in the 1970's).
Megan W. and Stef running through the drying corn.
Black walnuts--There were also a lot of pecan trees there. Yum!
Jace in the tool crib. 
Katie V. being a little cotton-picking cotton-picker, picking cotton.
( I love this pic of Benj. His suit's as low as Michael Phelps.)
All of the kids at the beach -- you might be seeing this shot again in your Christmas cards.
This is the condo that's livable in the front and totally destroyed in the back. 
In San Diego with cousins Conner and Cameron. 
Wanting to help with the plumbing. (see photo above for Michael Phelps low-rider style.)
Benj loves to help with dishes. He's an expert rinser. He can reach now, but used to scoot over a chair, take his shirt off, dunk his head under the water, get a little drink, and then he was ready to rinse. 
