Happy Birthday Week Benjamin Riggs

Last Thursday afternoon we started our journey north.  Across the barren lands...oh wait, we were just going to Springdale, Arkansas to take Riggs home.  For a moment I forgot myself.  Riggs had been with us for two weeks!  Wow!  That's quite a bit of time for a boy turning 8 years old.  Riggs had spent an enchanting day with us a couple of months ago when we had visited a miniature farm and bought some sheep.  He had then helped us build the sheep pen.  Riggs is an animal lover.  His dad, our third son Ben, called at the beginning of May and said Riggs wanted to come and spend a couple of weeks with us when he got out of school.  Of course Pappy said, "Yes!"  I was still in school and in fact getting moved out of our building and getting ready for summer school in another building.  So Riggs spent most of his time with Pappy.  Ben called me and said, "Mom, Riggs has really looked forward to spending his 'Birthday Week' with you guys." 



When Riggs turned 5 he got to pick out a puppy.  Ken & I took him to a Jack Russell Breeder.
We still keep Underdog for him at our house!

 Seems he's heard stories about how Ken & I handled birthdays with our children.  We had four darlings and when birthdays seemed to be going "out the roof" with all of their friends, I decided to do a week of birthday.  They got a "treat" or small gift everyday for a week, they found it beside their plate at breakfast.  They did none of their chores during the week, another family member picked it up for them.  The birthday honoree got to plan their special birthday dinner with me and then of course there would be birthday cake and ice cream.  This worked very well for my family, I still enjoy it for myself!  It also worked well for Riggs.  He got a small prize every morning, and actually had 2 birthday cakes with ice cream here. 

Riggs helps to make birthday cupcakes for his cousin & sister!

His Uncle Jonathan came over with a bag of toys and his children.  On Wednesday evening, after Prayer Meeting, the church also gave him and 2 other members a Surprise Birthday Party.  Riggs thought he had hit a gold mine.  When he got home his mom had made a special Thor Hammer Cake and there were more cards and presents!  Benjamin Riggs Evans is a wonderful, vivacious person.  He delighted us for two weeks and we miss him already!!!  But he's coming back for Mammy & Pappy Camp along with 7 of his cousins second week of July!  Wahoo!!!