Sanity, hmmmmm?

Occasionally I have one of those days that makes me question my own sanity. On those rare days, I resort to four of my favorite things. 1. a nice glass of wine 2. the newest Pottery Barn catalogue (I practically memorize them) 3. my laptop (to blog of course), and 4. a skinny cow ice cream sandwich. If those four things don't do the trick I don't know what would!

The Growth Fairy!

Do you ever wake up, look at your kiddos and scratch your head in awe of the fact that they grew overnight? Apparently the growth fairy hit our house last night and bumped little Miss Mya and Mr. Mason right out of their previous wardrobe. So, tonight when Ryan got home I changed out of my jammies (no that's not a typo) and into some ratty sweats, put my hair in a ponytail and set out for the Woodburn outlets in search of spring wardrobes for my little ones. I did pretty well and made it home in about an hour and a half. You are probably wondering why I didn't just hop online and order new clothes, but with Mason and Mya I really have to look at the outfit to determine if it is a small 12-18 or a large 6-12...how much will it shrink...yadi yadi. And I absolutely detest returning things...all that to say I had to GO OUT to shop. I had to take a picture of the receipt...I was cracking up. I even placed my cell phone next to it so you could gauge the size of this puppy. Two babies the exact same age is spendy. I tell you that it is not TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE (one of the many comments I hear SO often). Cheers to you all and hopefully the growth fairy is out of our area for at least a couple of months. She already hit Logan two weeks ago--we are ready for spring!

Lazy, no way!

Most of you know that when Mya was born she had a lazy eye. She wore a patch for a while...so stinkin' cute, but she hated it. She has continued to have check-ups, even though it hasn't been noticable for quite some time. Today, FINALLY, they said she doesn't have to come back until she is three. The doctor thought Mya looked great. I feel so blessed by all the good news we have been getting about our little princess.

You needa obey the yaw!

Lately Logan has been reminding Ryan and I that we needa obey the yaw (need to obey the law). He is so gracious to remind of us of that when we do something absurdly unsafe such as driving one-handed or accelerating rapidly (speeding in his view). I don't know what we would do without his precious little reminders--who doesn't love a backseat driver? All that to say it was especially funny when a police officer pulled us over in Gervais. I couldn't help but whip out the camera to get a picture for the blog. We'll call this one 'Daddy disobeys the yaw'. Just kidding...We actually got pulled over for an insurance issue (which quickly resolved itself) and didn't get a ticket (phew)!

Bennett Derby!

My mom got Mason and Mya each a ride-on car for their birthday. Mya got a 'Little Mermaid' car and Mason got a 'Winnie the Pooh' car. Logan had a 'Lightning McQueen' car from his 2nd birthday. I have to admit, I wasn't super excited about the prospect of 2 more cars (they sing, play music and are super loud on hardwood floors). However, Mason and Mya LOVE THESE CARS. Ryan pushed Mya, I pushed Mason and of course Logan can drive himself....and we zoomed all over the house. Mason and Mya were both belly laughing. The hilarious laugh where even their legs and feet bounce up and down. I take such joy in that 'belly laugh'. What a blessing to have children, a husband, a family, and a sense of humor.

Cake, Cookies and the Carousel!

Today at 12:30 we celebrated Mason and Mya's birthday at the Salem Riverfront Carousel with our truly amazing family and friends. I love birthday parties because I so enjoy celebrating people...and especially my kiddos. It brings joy to my heart to see people gather together to celebrate eachother. What special memories for Mason and Mya to be able to look back at pictures and know that their family and friends shared in their joy. I love the details of parties...everything from invitations and stamps...to favors, cakes and balloons. I could spend months planning a party (and for the most part I do), because it is all in honor or someone or something I love dearly. We are just party people! Thank you to Mason and Mya for giving us a reason to celebrate: life, health and another year!

PS: We had an M&M party (Mason and Mya)! I had to add purple M&M's to make it work with the theme. I wanted to have personalized M&M's made to hand out at the hospital when they were born but since they were almost Katelyn and Koleman....(not so much working with the M&M theme) I didn't have time to do anything like that...there's no better time than the present, right?

A Tag

The rules to play the Fantastic Four Meme are simple:
Copy/paste the questions into your blog
Type in your answers
Tag four people on your list
Don’t forget to change the answers to your own!

FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER AND OVER: Starbucks, BSF, Target, Physical therapy (with my little sweet pea)

FOUR PEOPLE WHO EMAIL/IM ME REGULARLY: Lauren Wall (to organize a lunch date with Angela), Becca, Costco, Gymboree...(I'm not a big e-mailer)

FOUR PLACES I LIKE TO EAT: Red Robin...(Hands down), Taco Del Mar, Home Place, Kyotos

FOUR PLACES I’D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: Jessica's house, Kim's house, Enez's house, Becca's house or anywhere I can get some scrapbooking done (ohhh darn that's 5),

FOUR TV SHOWS I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER: Law and Order, CSI, Dr. Phil, America's Most Wanted (somehow this seems more depressing in written form...I'm a geek)

FOUR PEOPLE THAT I THINK WILL RESPOND: Christy, Robyn, Kristina, Annie

Drumroll Please...

Little Miss Mya and I have been spending every Monday and Tuesday in Portland for speech therapy and physical therapy. In case you didn't do the math, that is EIGHT times per month not counting her eye dr. appts. (in Portland), and their OHSU appointments (also in Portland). To say the least I am super tired of all the commuting and having to leave my boys two days per week. I checked in with both her therapists to find out when we she will be reevaluated for possible discharge--or at least reduce her appointments. After her evals.....(here's where the drumroll comes in)...she will be going to PT twice a month and Speech ZERO times per month. WoooHoooo! Praise the Lord for His provision and healing for our precious princess Mya!

Happy Birthday to Mason and Mya!

Today Mason and Mya turned one! It brought back so many wonderful and really difficult memories. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting in anticipation for their arrival. Asking ourselves questions like, "Can we do this?", and "What will two babies be like?" On January 20th they were born, but things didn't go like we had hoped, prayed or expected. Mason was born happy and health...WooHoo! Mya on the other hand was born breach, stuck...really stuck, with no place for a c-section in the amount of time the doctors had to get her out (that is a whole other story). Fortunately she lived through the experience but she had a fractured femur, hip issues, MAJOR bruising (which later caused jaundice), and very low muscle tone. She wasn't moving her arms or even swallowing. She spent a day or so in the Silverton Hospital Nursery before being transported to the NICU at Emanuel Hospital. Ryan, Mason and I joined her in Portland while Logan stayed home with Grammy (he had croupe). She spent 9 days there before coming home, and is still in therapy to this day. She is making progress and I believe that God is restoring her physical body. The last year has been soooooo crazy, and busy. Mason and Mya are amazing blessings and add so much to our family. I wouldn't go back one year in time for anything in the world. All the unknowns and sleepness nights were more than I could bear again. We are so grateful for our precious babies--precious blessings--Mason Gregory and Mya Elizabeth! Happy birthday Bennett babies.

Bennett Family Gathering

Logan and daddy eatin' some pizza... Tony, Rachel and Addi!Nana, Papa and Ryan's grandma!

Logan and Jack having a really good time!

Mason and Mya enjoying the sights, sounds and FOOD!

Tonight we had a Bennett Family Gathering at Round Table Pizza. It was a good time for food, fellowship and chasing our kids around a restaurant. Ryan's grandma was able to be with all of her great grandchildren--kind of nice to make that happen from time to time.

The tractor or the jeep--I just can't decide!

Logan hauled Mason--finally he had live cargo!

Mason and Mya pose--no driving...

Logan drove the princess--in first gear and with hardly any bumps of course!

Today Logan has spent most of the day outside driving his jeep and tractor around while daddy worked outside in the yard (they are out there as we speak). We decided to let Mason and Mya go out for a bit to ride with Logan. They had a ball--and yes, they were super bundled up!

With hands lifted high...

Tonight Ryan, Logan and I went to Saturday night service at Salem Alliance. I think it might be the answer to our prayers. Why? Since Mason and Mya were born we have been really struggling with attending church. Both the babies get sick VERY easily and Mason takes medicine (4-5 times per day) that Mya is highly allergic to. If his medicine is mistakenly given to Mya, she will have a seizure like reaction(nuerological reaction). Anyhoo...basically we haven't found anywhere we can really leave the babies so I could go into church service with Ryan. On top of that, Logan cries until he throws up when we leave him most anywhere (besides his grandmas houses and now BSF...wooohoooo). So a typical Sunday consisted of Ryan staying in a class with Logan, me sitting in the nursery with the babies and then all the kids being sick the next week. As you could imagine that got old quickly so we started attending church service less and less frequently. All that to say that Salem Alliance has a Saturday night service....my mom is willing to watch the babies at our house (until we get past some of these issues), Logan loves his class and even knew some of the kids (no tears....CRAZY), and Ryan and I can focus and worship without rushing out of the service every 5 minutes. Last week it dawned on me that Logan really hasn't ever experienced a large corporate worship setting. Since Logan has been born we have attended a very small church in Silverton, so I thought it might be good for him to stay with us during worship tonight. I glanced over at him and he had his arms lifted up to the Lord--okay, so he was copying the worship leader but it filled my heart with joy and anticipation. I long for the day when my children know, love and serve the Lord with their whole heart. There is no greater joy for this mama than to trust and believe that my children will someday walk closely with the KING!

Update on Mas-dawg!

Thank you all so much for your prayers for Mason. His fever has finally broken and he seems to be feeling somewhat better. He still has a pretty bad rash head to toe, but we're not even sure why it's there so I think we will have to wait that one out. Hopefully it isn't an allergy to his new medicine because it has helped his reflux SOOO much. We hope and pray Mason has turned the corner and is on his way to healing!

Belly dancing me...

So yesterday I went to a belly dancing class in Silverton. I have to admit that I felt a bit silly at first--but it is actually really good exercise (our class happens to be a bunch of moms that want to 'tone up'). Just had to let you all in on the secret in case you are looking for something fun to do on Friday nights at 6:30!

The memory keeper--

I have to take a minute to tell you how blessed I have been to be able to scrapbook lately. I am making it an effort to spend at least 30 minutes or so (after the kids go to bed) to catch up our scrapbooks. I am scrapbooking digitally, so I can get it out when I have time and close her down (with no mess) when I need to. It has been an amazing blessing. In BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this year we have been studying the life of Moses. I was so amazed over and over that the Lord kept telling Moses and the Israellites to keep a record of what God was doing (save a piece of manna in a jar to tell the future generations of God's faithfulness, keep a written record, build an alter). I felt really called to be a memory keeper for my family so my kids would have a written account of the amazing way God worked in their lives and in the lives of our family. I finished up Logan's first year, had it printed and was so excited to get it in the mail. As I sat down with Logan to read it to him, his eyes filled with tears. He was so excited to see himself as a baby with the people he loves now. He said, "that's me and my papa, let's do it again sometime" (about Maui) and , "look my uncle Tony holds baby Logan" (at the hospital when he was born). He honestly wept tears of joy at the sight of himself with his family. What an amazing gift I can give our kiddos to record and teach them that God created them with a purpose in mind, gave them a family that loves, adores and supports them, and show them the many ways God provided for them and protected them when all mommy and daddy could do was ask God to be their protector. I feel honored to be the memory keeper for my children and to point them to the goodness and faithfulness of God! In addition, they love the whole digital thing because when it is printed it is like a real hardbound picture book...Logan thinks everyone has a "gogan book"!

Mason has pneumonia

So, Monday morning I took Mason to the doctor. He had been running a pretty high fever for a few days and seemed to have shallow breathing that night before. A visit with the doctor and a chest x-ray concluded that Mason has pneumonia. We learned last month (at our OHSU appt.) that he is penetrating his airway occasionally when he eats and swallows putting him at risk for asperating. That allows fluid into his lungs, which gets infected and produces pneumonia. We will be doing some scope procedures to learn more about what is going on in his little body. My heart breaks for him....I want nothing more than for him to gain weight and be healthy (If only I could give him a few of my pounds....). That's the scoop...best wishes!

Phil Wickham

Tonight Ryan and I (along with Dan and Annie) went and saw Phil Wickham at Salem Alliance. He sings the song "Divine Romance" that plays when our blog pops up. We had a great time! Ryan surprised me with a date night--dinner, the concert and dessert. What a sweet guy!

Mango Martinis and Pale Sand!

Martinis and sand...kind of sounds like a nice vacation doesn't it? Unfortunately I am just talking about an evening of painting this last week. Ryan and I stayed up most of the night one night last week to paint the dining room. Painting is much easier when the kids are sleeping...not able to get into anything. We painted it pale sand 2...(the paint color). To keep us company we made mango martinis and listened to music. It was actually a really fun evening. It felt a little like we were in college again. It is so nice once in a while to kick back and remember how much fun we have together when we don't have to worry about diapers, formula and nap times. We had a fun evening spending time together and got the dining room painted to boot!

Busy, Busy!

Mya doesn't get much time with her new baby stroller.
Logan likes to take Mason on rides around the house--this didn't happen on my watch. This happened while daddy was home!

Mason and Mya finally get to ride on Logan's favorite toy ever--Lightning McQueen.

I'm sorry that I haven't done better keeping you updated on life and the kiddos these days. Things have been busy around here catching up after the snow and the holidays. Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying their Christmas gifts this New Year.