Bennett Brief

Let me explain...

2011-04-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

So those of you who saw my JOKING rants on facebook last night know that Ryan and I took the kiddos to the circus last night along with Auntie Rachel, Uncle Tony, Addi and Lilly. In some regards it was really fun. The anticipation was probably the trump card in the whole situation. The kids all took naps in anticipation of this fabulous upcoming event they knew little about. For all they knew it would be Disneyland. I sort of pictured a big red and white striped circus tent with huge elephants, tight rope walkers and probably even a lion tamer or two encompassed by the smell of hot popcorn. I got BMX trick riders (like the kind you see at the fair), lots of cute little dogs who could do tricks, dirt bikes riding in a cage, and some not-so-funny clowns. We went to the 7:30 pm (supposed to be over at 9:30) showing because the Ryan couldn't get home in time for the 4:30 show, so we had the kids take LONG afternoon naps in anticipation. The circus got started a little late and the 15 minute intermission turned into a 35 minute intermission so they could make lots of extra money selling pictures with a boa constrictor, pony rides, elephant rides and face painting. Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a stickler on time, but it was getting rather late. Our kiddos were ready to go so we finally ducked out at about 10:00 and it wasn't even over. The very best part of the whole night was the light-up swords we got for the kids. They LOVED them. Logan, Mason and Mya waved their swords proudly at the circus, shined them brightly on the car ride home and even slept with them last night (a little gross, I know). It was a fun evening out but Logan suggested that if the circus comes to town again next year we should stay home and watch a movie to which I replied, "DONE".

PS: At least it was for a good cause, right?

Lately...

2011-03-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

We were loving the nice weather and enjoying the great outdoors...trucks anyone?

The tee-pee at Bauman Farms. All of us plus cousin Ella (2nd cousin counts, right?)

Who'd have known that playing in a tube could be SO much fun!

Big overgrown trikes, but we love 'em.

Who'd have known that pushing the tube would be just as much fun? Mason and Ethan could have done that all day, seriously!

Ryan got a remote controlled helicopter for his birthday and let me tell you, IT IS A HUGE HIT. Ryan and the kids play with it EVERY single night. What a great gift Nana and Papa!

Is that cute or what? I think Mason likes it!

Lent

2011-03-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

This year for lent I wanted to give up something meaningful that could be a constant reminder of the Easter season and all that it entails (that is the general idea, right?). In order for this whole 'lent thing' to work, I would have to give up something I love and do often. Hmmm...I thought about giving up exercise, but then I remembered I don't do that anyways. Then I thought about giving up coffee, but in all honesty I could do that pretty easily. Then I thought about giving up vegetables. Now that would be really noble, right? Ahhh, bummer...not really. So this lead me to the insane notion to give up diet soda (all soda really but I only drink diet coke). You are probably thinking, "What!?!?! That is crazy????". I know, I know...this is HUGE! For those of you who spend any time with me at all know that I am a diet coke junkie. I pretend that I'm not but I totally am. About 6 hours in I knew this was going to be SO TOUGH on me. So far I find myself drinking a lot of water and doing a lot of dreaming about soda. It sort of reminds me of being pregnant the first time when I followed all the rules of pregnancy explicitly. So, that is where I'm at. Craving soda but thankful for the CONSTANT reminder of Easter and what Jesus did on the cross.

Choo-Choo!!

2011-03-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Logan's 5th birthday was yesterday! Happy Birthday Logan James Bennett...March 10th 2006 feels like it was just yesterday in a lot of ways. I threw in this hospital picture for nostalgic effect. Did it work?

Brings back the memories! Our first photo op as a family of three!

Thomas the train party!

Usually I 'decorate' the food/buffet table, but since the kids are getting old enough to actually sit and eat I figured I would make their table the 'fun part'. A motorized Thomas went around and around the track all through dinner.

I made each of the kiddos special cups with their names on them.

Our cupcake picks didn't show up until Monday (and the party was on Suday) so last minute I had to make homemade cupcake picks. Thank the Lord for the scrapbooking program that I use for everything.

Why I threw in a pic of the party favors...who knows?

A group shot of Logan opening presents!In pictures like this one I always look like I am telling people what to do or yelling at somebody (haha), but I just talk with my hands, I sware. I can't help it Noboby is in trouble here... At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Jessica and I always have to get one of our famous 'sister pictures'

Logan is blowing out 5 birthday candles on the yummiest ice cream cake ever. Nana (Ryan's mom) makes this ice cream cake that is fabulous...they call it the bomb. She presses soft cooked brownies into a bowl, freezes it, adds ice cream, freezes it again, flips it out of the bowl, and drizzles chocolate syrup on it. Mmmmm......!

Where on Earth?

2011-02-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

Where have I been? Life has just flown by. Gone are the leisurely days of not having any set time to do, well anything. With school (both Logan's and mine) it seems like most of our 'free moments' are gone. That coupled with all the random projects and parties I manage to tackle there doesn't seem to be much time for blogging. I am going to try to change that! With a little more discipline on my part and acceptance of
less-than-perfection, I should be able to make this happen! Life is good, God is so faithful, and the kids are growing so incredibly fast. I don't want to miss any of it and I don't want you to either. If you could see me right now you would know that I am raising my coffee mug and offering a toast: "Here's to rejoining the adventures in Blogland!" CHEERS!

Snow!

2011-02-27T01:51:00.000-08:00

Since our big 'snow storm' ended up leaving us with nothing more than a generous dusting, Ryan and I took the kiddos up to Silver Creek Falls to enjoy a little more snow. It was so beautiful, breathtaking! Yes, the kiddos are wearing JEANS. Crazy, I know. I hadn't bought them any snow clothes this year because, quite frankly, I didn't think they would use them. So when a big 'snow storm' hits, do you think they have any snow pants left at Target? Um, no! All that to say the kids wore jeans and warm coats. Oh well, they survived and had a blast. Thank you Lord for the snow!

Logan begins pre-school!

2010-10-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Better Late Than Never, Right?

2010-10-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Man oh man...blogging is falling by the wayside these days. Things around here have been really busy (really good, but busy).

***Logan started pre-school at Willamette Christian (3 days a week)
***I just started working on my Master's Degree in Education (specifically reading)
***Mason has had some stomach pain issues (lots of blood work and an CT scan)
***I am back to MOPS (co-coordinator this year)
***BSF has started back up (we are all attending and studying Isaiah)
***Mason and Mya are potty training (yuck! yuck! yuck!)
***Onion Harvest is in full swing (which means I am an onion widow and single mama for the time being)

Thursday is our only 'open' day and that is typically reserved for catch-up around the house or playdates with people we don't get to see due to this new crazy schedule. I used to use my free moments to update our blog, but now I have set the time aside for homework. I am trying really hard to keep up our family scrapbook so when I get a few moments I will upload the current pages. Blessings!

Melts a mama's HEART!

2010-09-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Chic...

2010-08-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is my new chic, cash-only organizer. I am super excited because I love ANYTHING and everything that is CUTE and allows me to be more organized! I have struggled to find a way to make myself more accountable for my ‘discretionary spending’ (coffee, clothes, home décor, crafts, party planning…). This is the what I came up with…I will let you know how it goes!

Saving Money in Style...1000 Markets! Love it, Love it, Love it!

It Starts Early!

2010-08-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

Lately...

2010-08-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

Guaranteed Laugh!

2010-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2_9H0jzXRM

Mya's Monster Truck Adventure!

2010-08-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Homer Davenport parade in Silverton. Our friend Dan was going to be in the parade driving his monster truck (the Full Bore enforcer). Ryan was going to ride with Dan so we thought that Logan might get a kick out of riding with them in the parade and throwing candy rather than just watching from the curb this year. To our surprise, Logan declined and instead wanted to go to the parade with Grammy, Nana and his cousins. Since Logan turned us down I figured for sure Mason would want to ride in the monster truck with us and throw candy. Nope, he too declined the offer. That left little Miss Mya (the more unlikely candidate in our minds) who was ecstatic at the idea of riding in the parade. She LOVED every minute of it. She waved and smiled like a true little princess. I think she ate more candy than she threw, but she really loved it. Here are a few snapshots of our ‘parade debut’!

House Envy

2010-08-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Each time I check my e-mail, random articles and pop-ups appear in an attempt to lure me away from my original goal, which is to check my e-mail. Typically the distractions that appear on my screen are links to articles about really strange things and people or random tidbits relating to pop culture. All that to say, this morning there was an article about house envy. I succumbed to the 'time-wasting' temptation and checked out the article. It turned out to be a really insightful! I bet most of you will agree that many of us have been there at one time or another. Check it out, I think you'll find it interesting and even a little bit humorous!
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/08/03/in-love-with-another-house/?icid=mainmaindl3link1http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shelterpop.com%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fin-love-with-another-house%2F

Tutorials!

2010-08-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked about those various tu-tu and flower tutorials. Here they are... Thanks Amy for sending them my way!

1. Flower (very cool video tutorial)
http://houseof3designdistrict.blogspot.com/2010/02/rolled-fabric-flower-tutorial-using.html

2. Tu-tu
http://www.designmom.com/2008/12/tulle-tutorial/

3. Satin Ribbon wrap
http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2009/10/diy-satin-wrap-tutu.html

Presenting...my first tu-tu!

2010-08-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the completed project. My very first no-sew tutu! Last week at a birthday party, one of Logan's little grill-friends (as he so affectionately calls them) received one of these as a gift. I was SO impressed, and the crafty-mama who gave the gift was kind enough to send me some tutorials. Did this come out cute or what? Truth be told, I would have chosen a different color scheme, but when I went to Wal-Mart last night (with my kids at 8:00 pm...not very smart) I was determined to get ALL the supplies necessary to complete the project and Wal-Mart's ribbon selection was extremely limited, to say the least. So, I just got what they had so I could get to work. I even made the little broach myself (thanks to another tutorial that crafty mama sent over). Well, thanks for humoring me! I hope you like this!

Documenting History!

2010-08-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

Is this mean? I can't help myself but snap pictures whenever the time seems appropriate (or I see it as a funny blog post in the future). I am just documenting life as I know it, that's all.

Well, Mason officially has one loose front tooth and one crooked front tooth. I called our family dentist this morning as well as a pediatric dentist in the area and there were mixed responses. Of course the pediatric dentist thought he should be seen by the dentist and the family dentist thought that I should just monitor him and bring him in if the teeth didn't firm up in the next week or so. I choose to follow the advice of the latter. Both dentists said that he was too young to x-ray so I figured that I would just keep an eye on him. Mason slept fine last night and has been up to his old adventursome antics already today so we will just wait and see. I think he will come out of this little episode totally unscathed and ready to face another adventure!

Seriously! Who does that?

2010-08-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a crazy day. We had two 'teeth incidents' in our home today!

The day started out in a relatively normal fashion until I heard my middle child (by only 6 minutes) cry out a SCREAM that any mama recognizes as 'a scream that may require medical attention'. I know you know the scream. The one that sends you running like a track star in socks on a slippery floor. Truth be told, I really didn't even want to know what happened because....well, I didn't have the energy for it (and daddy was home...I figured it was his turn). As Ryan called for me to come help him (which is never a good sign), I saw Mason holding his mouth. He was running, tripped and had fallen into the coffee table. One of his front teeth had found a new home, or position, I suppose. His tooth now sat sort of sideways and his gum was bulging and white. I was definitely worried about his little tooth, but I also knew that we had to get to my grandma's 80th birthday party in Eugene and I didn't think there was much we could do for him today (on Sunday) ,so we gave him so Motrin and continued getting everybody ready.

After an hour or so of cuddling and some reading, Mason was ready to play while I finished getting ready. (Boy am I lucky we started getting ready rather early today...a rarity in all honesty) . I kid you not, about 20 minutes later I hear another SCREAM (that same scream that indicates a potential need for medical attention) from my adventurous middle child. He had fallen off a toy car and landed smack dab on his mouth. This time blood was going everywhere and his mouth was swollen like a monkey. That same sideways tooth was now a very loose sideways tooth AND the tooth next to it had some wiggle to it too. What are the odds? Seriously, who does that?

Needless to say, we will be getting to the dentist bright and early tomorrow morning. With the help of Motrin (can I get an Amen?) and a car ride full of new videos and soft snacks, we did indeed make it to my Grandma's 80th birthday party. Praise the Lord!

Those of you who spend much time with us know that Mason is an adventurous soul with a mischevious spirit and strong will. I have a feeling he will be our kiddo who demonstrates great leadership potential, but as a two-and-a-half year old he is an accident looking for a place to happen. I pray for his safety in the upcoming years (seriously).

Wish us luck tomorrow!

Pickin'

2010-08-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

NOA

2010-07-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

There is an organization called the National Onion Association (NOA). They meet twice yearly in different places throughout the country, and this meeting happened to be in Portland, Oregon. It is attended by farmers and lots of other people associated with the industry. If you are furrowing your brow right now I completely understand. I distinctly remember when Ryan and I were dating and he mentioned the NOA (and then had to clarify for me what exactly it was). I was sort of chuckling (okay really laughing) inside simply because it seemed rather odd to me. A whole organization devoted to a vegetable that costs less than $1.00? Weird. Anyways, a lot has changed since then and now I appreciate onions as the means to our livlihood. I no longer see farmers as pitchfork toting, overall wearing old guys but rather saavy businessmen who go to college, dress totally normal and have a great love for agriculture. All that to say, I had to devote a moment to explaining the NOA. The first night of the meeting was a banquet and auction. Our good friend Dan was the auctioneer and it was a blast. Truth be told, I was thrilled to throw a dress on and get out of the house. Great food, good friends and fabulous entertainment. The second day included a Willamette Valley tour with a lunch stop at our shop for lunch. Greg and Judy (Ryan's parents) hosted a fabulous lunch with 250 people, a catered lunch and an antique car show. It was a really good time!

Happy Birthday Papa!

2010-07-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

High School Reunion!

2010-07-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to posting some pictures from my 10 year class reunion! It was so exciting to see my gal pals (and other classmates too)! We had a family picnic that morning and a dinner (minus kiddos) in the evening. I didn't take any photos at the picnic earlier in the day (which I am super bummed about) but these are some of the pictures from our evening. Our family stayed with Denee's parents along with she, Travis and Aksel. Staying up late with Denee', working on projects, laughing (you get the idea) totally took me right back to high school. It was a wonderful weekend to relax and enjoy my family while also reminissing with friends. I am so grateful to the Lord that I look back on my high school years with fondness. I truly enjoyed my years at TBS and loved the opportunity to revisit my old stomping grounds and great friends! What a blessing!

Me, Denee, Kristin and Becca! Now if we had just had Molly and Heidi, we would have had us all!

Everybody was cracking up at how much Ryan looked like this guy I went to high school with. I figured that we better take a picture so that you guys could decide. What do you think?

Look like twins? Or is it just the dark hair?

Cheers!

Denee', Elya and I worked together to plan the reunion for our class!

Still Besties after all these years!

Signature Tutorial

2010-07-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned to a few of you that I would share the tutorial I found on how to add a signature to the end of your blogger post. I AM NOT good at coming up with anything fancy for my blog, but adding my signature was so stinkin' easy (thanks to the great tutorial).

http://shabbyblogsblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/tutorial-how-to-add-custom-signature-to.html

I opted to create a signature online. I thought this site was awesome and so simple!

http://mylivesignature.com/

Good Luck!

Stars and Stripes...

2010-07-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July friends!

Signature Excitement!

2010-07-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! I finally figured out how to add my signature at the end of a post! WooHoo!

Joyfully embracing where we are at...

2010-07-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

This might sound strange but the other day it dawned on me that our kiddos are growing up.

While sitting at Red Robin the other day, I began reflecting on life. Suddenly our children looked like kids and not babies to me.... Cognitively I knew our children were in the process of growing up (obviously), but it hasn't really FELT like that to me. Having twins and a 22 month-old meant that I couldn't go anywhere alone and things were ALWAYS crazy and someone was always upset about something. At any given time somebody was napping, or getting ready to nap...eating or getting ready to eat....spitting up or getting ready to spit up....going to a doctor's appointment or coming from a doctor's appointment. Getting three little ones ready and in the car felt like way more effort than it was worth. Life was just hectic with a house full of babies (at least that's how it felt). I felt like we would be in the 'baby stage' forever.

As I looked at my three kiddos that afternoon all sitting in a restaurant booth, eating their own kid's meals (chosen by them), and coloring their menu, it occured to me that they aren't babies anymore. For the longest time I couldn't really take the kids anywhere by myself and now I can take them all without a stroller if I have to. I say all this because I am LOVING LIFE! I am loving this new stage of life that is bringing more outings, more adventure and less time at home. I relish the time I have with our precious kiddos, and savor all the memories, but I have to admit that I joyfully say good-bye to the baby stage and say hello to having 'kiddos'.

Faces of Summer!

2010-07-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Summer has it's own special tastes...popsicles, ice cream, watermelon and on and on and on! I love watching the kids chow into their favorite treats with a reckless disregard for messes...As I was scrolling through the pictures on the camera, these delightful summer faces brought a huge smile to my face!

Mmmmm...Ice Cream!

What's not to love about those lips?

A delightful watermelon treat...

Sticky watermelon hands feel great on the cheeks!

Visit from Aksel!

2010-07-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Travis, Denee' (my best friend since middle school for those of you who are just joining us) and Aksel came for a visit the other day and we LOVED every minute of it! I feel like I have a special connection with Aksel since I got to be part of his debut entrance into the world. He will always get great birthday gifts from Auntie Tara! Trav spent most of the day working with Ryan while Denee' and I hung out with all the kiddos here. Thanks to the precious Ax man, the Bennett kiddos now want a baby brother or sister. Naturally they are completely VETOED by the mommy and daddy of the house, but the pictures are still darling!

Six Years Already!

2010-07-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

On June 19th (a little late, I know) Ryan and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. In some ways, I feel like we just got married yesterday. In other ways I feel like we've been together our whole lives. I am probably the luckiest girl in the world! I have a husband who is a wonderful husband and an amazing daddy too!

The evening of our anniversary Ryan and I had dinner at Kyoto's. They cook the food on a grill right in front of you. The chef throws eggs, tosses his utensils, catches food in his hat...cool things like that. Eight people eat together around a cooking grill so you kind of end up making friends with the other people at your table. We met two other couples who were so stinkin' fun...we already made a date to meet at Kyotos again next year (they were both celebrating birthdays).

Debra, Chris, Harold and Donna...we will be there next year

Evenings in the park!

2010-07-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love playing at the park? We love to get dinner (typically Homeplace pizza) and eat it at the park. When the weather is nice there is nothing better than a warm summer evening in the park!

Bauman Farms!

2010-07-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

So serious!

Mya waves at them from a distance...

Mason was waiting for a hug from one of the goats...needless to say, they didn't take him up on the offer.

We love Bauman Farms during the summer! It's free, there's a coffee stand, they have homemade strawberry doughnuts, a play structure, petting zoo and a wooden fort that the kids love to explore. To top all that off...it's only a few minutes from our house!

Frustration floweth over!

2010-07-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

I am so stinkin' frustrated. I was trying to experiment with creating a 3 column blog...then I was checking out the new design tool. To make a long story short(er)...I ended up with crazy formatting and all of the info on my sidebar is gone! AHHHHHHHHHHH! I don't even know where to start....It's late so I will tackle this tomorrow. Anyone have any good ideas for me? Help!

I'm back...

2010-06-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Well school is officially over and I AM SO HAPPY TO BE BACK HOME! I was missing my kiddos and my simple life. Working added a degree of chaos that I wasn't completely prepared for. Overall it was a WONDERFUL experience, but I'm glad it was a short-term (temporary) position. I love teaching as much as I ever have yet at the same time, I have a new appreciation for the priveledge I have of being a stay-at-home mama! Juggling my teacher hat, mama hat, wifey hat, housekeeper hat, chef hat....proved to be quite the task. Sometimes I didn't even know which hat I was wearing or even if I had lost one along the way!

I can't wait to show you all pictures of all the fun we have had over the last couple of months...camping, visiting with family and lots of other exciting things. I'm hoping to upload some recent scrapbook pages soon. I have missed updating you all and can't wait to catch up on all your blogs!

Pet Parade 2010

2010-05-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Grammy, Logan and Mason (he's sort of hidden) waited for the Pet Parade to begin! Logan woke up so excited this morning...

Parade participant...a goat

Another parade participant...miniature horse

Mya and I watching all the animals parade mby...She barked at most of the animals going by!

The parade also featured lots of dogs dressed up in various costumes...

The kids had a ton of fun yesterday at the Silverton Pet Parade. I was pleasantly surprised because when Logan was about the age of Mason and Mya, he cried LOUDLY every time ANY animal walked by (including even the smallest of poodles). As you could imagine, we had to watch most of the parade from a distance. This year all the kiddos had a great time...we took the wagon, watched the parade and grabbed some lunch on our way back to Grammy's house.

So I have to explain the pet parade those of you who are staring confusedly at the computer. The pet parade simply features pets. Not particularly extraordinary pets nor pets that do extraordinary tricks...just kiddos (and parentals) and pets of all types. I have to admit that the first year I attended (probably 5 years ago) I was confused when I saw a child walking by pulling a wagon loaded with a small, orange goldfish. Since then I have come to appreciate the simplicity and joy of a town gathered together for a pet parade.

In anticipation, Logan popped out of bed this morning talking to anyone who would listen about all the fun that was ahead for the day. He doesn't have any pets yet, but he really wants to pull Mason and Mya in a wagon next year in the pet parade. He does call Mya his 'kitty' and Mason his 'Mas-dawg'. For now, they are the closest things to pets he is going to get. We will have to negotiate this when it gets closer to next year. For now, we will settle with being spectators!

Kind of random, but it works...

2010-05-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have spent some time over the last few weeks trying to find a nice way to organize my headbands and hairbows. I LOVE buying them and wearing them, but as a result they are filling up my the top of my dresser and jewelry box. I was trying to find a 'chic' way to store them (and still be able to see them) that didn't have princess stuff all over it. Most of the 'holders' and organizers are designed for little girls and all their 'little girl stuff'. I found this idea online and gave it a try. I wrapped a roll of paper towels with fabric, tucked the fabric into the end of the paper towel tube and PRESTO...a simple way to store my headbands and hairbows!

Mason and daddy!

2010-05-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

Mason got to spend an afternoon working with Ryan. It was so sweet and special because with Logan around, Mason doesn't typically get much alone time with his daddy....especially 'work time'. How fun!

Mason LOVES to ride on the gator.

Before the day was done, the rest of the kiddos got a chance to spend some time with daddy too.

The last couple of weeks...

2010-05-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

My very best friend in the world had a baby...welcome Axsel John Kroeger. I got to be with Denee' throughout the whole delivery and I will never forget the time we shared!

Next I've been gardening away. I have really loved planting flowers, shopping for them (surprise, surprise) and watching them grow. My amazingly sweet husband installed a drip system for my hanging baskets so I don't have to water them! It's awesome....I love it!

Our Mother's Day was super low key! It was great...we spent the morning together and had a great lunch with Ryan's parents. Nana put a pool up with corn in it for the kiddos to play in on the deck...

Nice weather brought fun times with the cousins....

The kids and I planted strawberry pots so we can watch them grow this summer.

Pretty much every afternoon the kids play outside, eat lunch out on the patio, play some more, and eat dinner out on the patio. Logan even got his first bee sting ever!

Working woman...

2010-05-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Working....9 to 5....Tryin' to make a livin'....barely gettin' by....okay most of that is a stretch and I don't sound much like Dolly Parton but I I do feel like an invigorated woman holding her head high. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel or how the kiddos would react to me working, but so far it has been wonderful. I leave home at 7:15 and my mini-van pulls back into the driveway promptly at 11:30. I am able to have lunch with the kiddos and have some time to play outside for a couple hours before we take our ever-shortening afternoon nap and get on with the rest of the day. I have limited myself to the 'hours of the job' (other than one, two-hour weekend session each week, to plan and prepare for the school week ahead). The cool thing about the 'weekend session' is that I can take the kiddos with me to the classroom to listen to books on tape, play in the kitchen and build stuff with blocks. During the work week, I get up earlier than the rest of the clan, get ready, get out, accomplish just enough to remind me that I am indeed a competant adult, and return home to be mommy. On Monday the kiddos spend the morning with my mom (which they do regardless of whether or not I'm working), on Tuesday the kiddos spend the morning with Nana (which they do regardless of whether or not I'm working) and Wed-Fri. I have a gal come to our house in the morning. It is actually a college gal who was in my small group at church when she was a middle schooler and I was a college student. How random is that? It is working out SOOOOO nicely. I won't lie, I came into a difficult situation (classroom wise) for a sundry of reasons but I feel as though it is going great. I still 'got it' (lol...but that is how I feel sort of). There are definitely days that I don't feel like going to work, but there are lots of days I have to leave the classroom before I'm ready to also. Sorry that it took me so long to update you all, but blogging and facebooking and two of the things I have trimmed back to make room for some new things in my schedule!

Gardening Update!

2010-05-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Update on my gardening adventures: Well I did indeed plant the whiskey barrels in the backyard and also some pots in the front of the house. I actually loved doing it. I realized that my real aversion to gardening is getting dirty. With closed toed shoes and some gloves...it's kind of a kick! The kiddos helped me and we had a great time. I used small starters in the pots (because they were a steal of a deal at Fred Meyer...2/$1) so I will post some pictures of them once they get to growing a bit.

Saturday morning, my mom and I took the kids to Fessler's Nursery to get hanging baskets and some other plants. A friend just told me about Fessler's (thank you Joy) and I was so thankful. They have a huge selection and awesome prices. The kiddos loved the wagon too (imagine that!). Cheers to spring flowers!

Trial Run....

2010-04-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

So God worked things out (as He always does), and organized a 'trial run' of sorts for me. After writing my 'rant' last week, I got a call about being a substitute teacher for a gal I used to teach with before I decided to stay home. The gig would be 6 weeks, morning kindergarten and it is even the same school I taught in prior to 'retirement' (that's what Ryan calls it)! How perfect is that? Naturally there was a bazillion and one obstacles including CHILD CARE and some other random things. The Lord worked them all out in a way that COMPLETELY confirmed that this opportunity was indeed from Him, and it was indeed right for me AND MY FAMILY. What a blessing to have that peace. I don't need any outside affirmation now that I know I am called to this, be it short-term, venture. I feel free from the desire to explain myself and seek approval of my friends. I don't know what will come my way for next year, but I know that this opportunity will be an amazing trial run. I can serve, seek the Lord, pray and make a far more educated decision about the next year! Thank you Lord for wisdom from You!

An asian restaurant or a wedding...

2010-04-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

The other day Mason was ' up to his old tricks'! I keep lots of rice in the house (hence the title 'An asian restaurant or a wedding) and Mason took the liberty of distributing it throughout the house! Grrr....I was less than thrilled!

and later that day he and Mya also did this...farewell to one of my favorite decorations!

Mason and Mya are so good (for the most part) but together it's like a slumber party gone bad. They sort of encourage the mischevious aspects of each other. Sometimes it's kind of funny and other times I want to cry! I wanted to cry about the rice but the bowl was sort of funny! :)

Gardening 101...preperation

2010-04-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got the grand idea of getting some flowers to plant the whiskey barrels in the backyard and all the random pots I have around. I'm sure this doesn't sound particularly abnormal, but the thing is...I hate gardening. I don't like working in the yard at all. In fact, I don't even like the garden section in stores. Everything is wet and dirty. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind getting dirty in the name of something fun, but gardening? Really? It just isn't fun, it's just work that gets you filthy! All that to say, when I decided to go get flowers...it was relatively out of character for this mama (Ryan definitely raised his eyebrows). What isn't out of character for this shopper is PREPARING for the activity. Yesterday my desire to go look for plants gave way to shopping for the gardening gear. I decided to go for green and pink (#1 rule: always have some sort of theme). I got cute little yard shoes (lime green), pink yard tools, a pink and green kneeling pad, green gloves and a few other odds and ends. I didn't just 'run into these items'....I hit Target, Wal-Mart, and Fred Meyer. Looking back this all sounds relatively ludicrous, but at the time it made perfect sense. Fortunately I did eventually get flowers, potting soil and all that good stuff but since it was raining I didn't get to start. I will definitely update you all on my new gardening adventures!

I had my mom take my picture with this 'statue thing' because it said, I love gardening!

This is my loot from Fred Meyer...I exchanged the gloves though because on my way out I found some that were a way better green!

Ag-Fest!

2010-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

The kiddos loved the pools full of corn. They dug, drove and played until we finally pulled them away!

The kiddos all got balloon animals (or swords :)) We had a tough time convincing Mason and Mya not to eat their balloons. Needless to say, these didn't last very long!

Chickens...

Mmmmm......

I love ice cream!

This definitely makes a girl VERY happy!

Ag-Fest this year was better than ever. I think we've made it every year, and we always love it. Ryan was working, so we went with Nana, Auntie Rachel, Addi and Lilly! What a fun Sunday afternoon...

Wisdom...

2010-04-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today I am feeling like I need some 'mama wisdom'. It is always the cry of my heart to do what is absolutely best for my hubby and kiddos. I love serving them by making a home that has meals prepared, bills paid, sheets changed, clothes washed, pictures scrapbooked, gifts bought, books read...etc (the real stuff that has to get done by someone) . A home that is peaceful and a blessing. On the flip side of all that is my personal longing to teach again--not just my own kiddos but in a professional setting. I long to get up in the morning and have a reason to wear real people clothes (not just yoga pants), and accomplish a task that is measurable. Motherhood is the most important job on the planet (and the highest of callings, in my opinion) but in the day to day grind of motherhood is scraping dried macaroni off of the heater vent, wiping pee-pee from the bathroom floor , washing the same shirt 3 times to get a stain out (with Zout and Oxi-clean), and cleaning moldy bath toys. Somehow those things don't feel like such a high calling in the moment. Are you tracking me?

I am feeling especially torn and confused as to what to do with all these feelings (besides the obvious answer of giving them to the Lord). I want to feel truly content with wherever the Lord has me...home, working part-time...I just don't know. What to do, what to do...

"If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach...."

Fun stuff...

2010-04-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

A few fun pics....
Shauna and I took Logan, Ella, Mason, Mya and Ethan to the Gilbert House. Naturally the kiddos had a blast!

the kiddos got soaking wet in the bubble room...

natural gardeners...agriculture is in the blood I suppose

and so is shopping...even if it is in a pretend grocery store

Ryan and I also made it to the Young Life auction this year....Our dearest buds Josh and Becca came too! It is always a hoot to see Dan be the auctioneer. This year he was cowboy Dan...Yeehaw! Not only was it a blast, we got some really great stuff too!

We got $1 bills in our balloons this year. A few years back we got the $100 bill in our balloon..It's hard to top that!

Josh and Becca...

New Baby...

2010-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

My best friend is having a baby. Denee' (and her hubby Travis) are due on cinco de Mayo...and I am so stinkin' excited to find out if this sweet baby is a boy or a girl. I am also so excited to see him (or her, but my insticts say him...) be born. This will be my first time witnessing childbirth (other than my own if that counts). Denee' is like a sister to me and we have been through a lot together. I am overjoyed to share this time with she and Travis.

This past Sunday I went to one of Denee's baby showers. She looks so incredibly amazing (as always)...she's a darling pregnant gal as you can well see. She got great gifts! I got her a bunch of random stuff off her registry and stuffed the remainder of a large box with nursing pads. It was pretty hilarious, even if I do say so myself. Just a couple of weeks left. Congrats Denee' and Travis. I can't wait to meet the newest Kroeger. Did I mention that I'm so excited?

Preganant ladies eat first! Especially at their own baby shower!

Together...

Dress that belly up with a bow!

Dress 'em up!

2010-04-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

Occasionally Logan, Mason and Mya bust out the dress up clothes! Mya loves to dress up, so I have started buying 'boy-approved' dress-up clothes (aka not fairies and princesses) for Mason and Logan. Logan has taken well to the fireman and railroad conductor outfits but I still have to work on keeping Mason out of the fairy and princess outfits. Needless to say, Ryan doesn't love his sons wearing pink and purple dress-up clothes. Even so, I think these pictures are PRICELESS! In fact, they should probably be in a Mastercard commercial...

Nana and Papa got Mya this purse for Easter and she LOVES it! She has a mirror, lipgloss, keys and sunglasses in it....It's her newest prize posession.

We'll miss you!

2010-04-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend Ryan and I took the kiddos up to Tacoma for a BBQ in honor of my brother who is leaving for Iraq. It was sort of a mini family reunion too. We 'camped' in a cabin for the weekend . The kiddos ran, played in rocks, explored EVERYTHING and Logan even got to do some fishing with his dadddy. We had a really nice time. These were a few of the highlights I just had to share...

The 'group shot'

The princess shared her ice cream cone with me! How sweet...

A patriotic theme is only fitting, don't you think?

What's not to love about that smile?

and that one too!

Right in front of our cabin was an unfinished walkway that quickly became a rock quarry for the boys. PERFECT!

Fishing...unfortunately they came home empty handed!

Super...

2010-04-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Aren't these shirts a hoot? I found them at Wal-Mart for 5 bucks each...It's hard to tell in the picture but Mya's shirt has ruched sleeves and the S is pink with sparkles. Mason's shirt has that 'old school' look. Talk about great play shirts. I also got them Batman ones similar to these. They weren't super excited about posing for a photo, but I just couldn't resist!

Good Morning God!

2010-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Good Morning God! This is your day. I am your child. Show me your way!

Out of the mouth of babes...Logan was singing this little tune around the house this morning (of course I jumped in too), what a blessing children are.

Lord, help me to remember the words of that little tune, remember what a blessing my children really are and cherish these precious, fleeting moments of life!

Click, click, click...

2010-04-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Imagine this as a slideshow of events over the last couple of weeks... Nothing too exciting, just enjoying the Easter season, spending time with friends, celebrating birthdays, and laughing really hard at our goofy kiddos! They seriously get funnier and funnier each and every day (that's why I stuck some of the random photos in here)...Enjoy!

Ryan turns 32!

Mason thought celebrating daddy's birthday was pretty cool! He found some crazy old sunglasses of Nana's in one of the kitchen drawers

We love play-dates with our good friends Kylie and Melia

This is my 'grill-friend' Melia

We painted Easter posters...

and the little kids made sticker scenes!

Later that week I made yummy Easter cookies with my cousin Ella

Logan's attention span for decorating cookies was minimal...but hey, they tasted great!

Logan at an Easter egg hunt with friends...

Logan and the Easter bunny

Family picture on Easter...no, the lake shouldn't look like that in April!

Ryan and I...

I didn't get a group photo of the kiddos on Easter (could have something to do with the fact that we left early because Mason puked all over) so I thought I would put this up so you could at least see their cute little outfits~

Mom (Grammy) turned 60! We celebrated and made a fun banner that said "Still Wild at 60!"

I forgot to take a picture of the table (cheetah..wild...you get it right), so I threw this photo in here so you could see our theme. We got grammy navigation for her car! Happy 60th birthday Mom...

too funny to keep out...

These two have the craziest antics....they are 100% best friends!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

2010-03-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

My sweet little angels (Mason and Mya) have been waking up early and destroying everything in their path while the rest of the family sleeps! The morning in this photo they broke open their piggy banks leaving 'ceramic slivers' all over their room along with all their money! The morning after this one was EVEN WORSE! The pictures were too disgusting to post (or even take for that matter)...use your imagination. We are in the process of trying to find a camera for their room that Mason can't disable. That task has turned out to be more of a project that one would think considering that he is only TWO! Anyhoo...here comes

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

Fireman's Breakfast

2010-03-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

We took our 'scrubby' Saturday morning selves to the Annual Fireman's Breakfast in Brooks. Yummy all-you-can-eat pancakes, ham and eggs. The kids LOVED checking out all the fire engines....oh the joys of being a kiddo!

Logan's birthday party!

2010-03-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

We had Logan's birthday party at NW Kids Club this year! It was a construction themed birthday party and he had a BLAST!

The best part of a party is all the friends who are there to help you open your gifts!

I would have been one stressed out mama without my helpers and awesome buddies!

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Logan and his gal pal Melia

Logan's AMAZING cake, and no I did NOT make it

Dessert Table...

Logan's "actual" birthday

2010-03-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

On Logan's actual birthday (the 10th) we took him to Pietros Pizza with our family, Nana and Papa and Grammy. Just the basics...pizza and games to celebrate Logan's 4th birthday. Logan was THRILLED to get some new Thomas stuff for his train table. I couldn't help but post the picture of Mason climbing on the ski ball table. He is always looking for trouble and it cracks us up.

Happy Birthday!

2010-03-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Logan's birthday. I can't believe that he is four years old. He is such a wonderful little guy with an absolutely amazing spirit. He is so sweet, kind, generous and a hard little worker. I have loved watching him grow up....thus far. Everyone says it goes so fast, but it really does. Happy 4th birthday Logan James Bennett!

Finally

2010-03-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

On our way!

The Old Lahaina Luau...by far the best luau....book early

Entertainment at the luau...

Dan and Annie's moped...the guys rented mopeds again later in the week to do some exploring!

Scenery on one of Ryan and Dan's mopedding adventures

More moments with the moped...can you tell what their favorite activity was?

Warren and Annabelle's Magic show...SO HILARIOUS! I would definitely recommend the attraction but you have to buy tickets before you go as they are sold out at least a week ahead. Very fun!

Playing in the waves at Big Beach

Hanging from the largest Banyon Tree (downtown Lahaina)

Ryan on the Banyon Tree~

Our view from inside a submarine...checking out a sunken ship

Annie and I inside the sub...

Dan and Ryan on the beach...

What romantic scenery!

one of the pools at our resort...so beautiful!

The guys tried to entertain themselves while waiting for the tsunami...

Our view from up at the coffee plantation waiting for the impending tsunami to hit!

Out the window on our way back home!

I have had the most difficult time uploading photos lately! Finally it worked and here they are. Maui at a glance, although these pictures definitely do it justice...we had a great time and a WONDERFUL vacation.

crushed.....

2010-03-03T08:48:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I experienced a real blow. After BSF I took the kiddos to Target to grab a couple of misc. items and some lunch before we headed home. Since becoming a stay-at-home mama, Target has become one of my greatest joys. I can get clothes, groceries, sundry items, toys and more and there is also a Starbucks, Pizza Hut and snack bar inside. I can wander aimlessly with my kiddos in tow while they are happily munching on popcorn. I usually grab a Starbucks (also in Target) and a monster cookie from the snack bar (my favorite since being pregnant with Mason and Mya). It's true that Target does have fun kids clothes and random stuff but a huge part of the draw for me is the snacks. Anywhere I can buy kids' drinks and popcorn means that we are permitted to leave a trail of popcorn throughout the store and I don't have to plan ahead to make a quick stop there. This brings me to my crushing blow....As I paid for our treats at Target yesterday, I noticed a red pamphlet bearing the nutritional information for all our favorite treats! Yikes! I was afraid I was going to break into tears right then and there. Our (not so large) bag of popcorn boasts 300 calories and 16 grams of fat and my monster cookie pours 480 calories and 22 grams of fat onto my waistline. I won't even bother telling you about the personal pan pizzas and breadsticks we occasionally get for lunch or the sugar cookies my kiddos plead for quite regularly. I feel as though my 'Target bubble' has burst. I won't be able to carelessly munch on my monster cookie anymore and I will probably pop healthier popcorn at home and take it with us for the kiddos. I can't decide if I am happy for this new information or if I would rather have clung to the notion that ignorance is bliss...I'll let you know next week when another long rainy day drives us to spend a few morning hours roaming Target....with our homemade treats in tow!

Tsunami warning 2010!

2010-03-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Maui was AMAZING and beautiful (go figure) and I can't wait to post pictures of everything we did! But first I wanted to fill you all in on the tsunami warning that took place on Saturday. About 6:00 am on Saturday we awoke to an alarm in the hotel. The alarm sounded and directed us to listen to a voicemail message on the phone. It was kind of odd and quite frankly I was MAD. It was our last real day there and I had planned to sleep in. I kind of figured that some unattended kiddo pulled the fire alarm and then the resort sent out a message letting us know that it was a false alarm. Sooooo...we didn't even bother listening to the message, but rather slipped quickly back into slumber. About that time the Schachers (our traveling companions) rushed over to share the news. The weather forcasts were predicting a tsunami to hit Hawaii at 11:00 local time due to the recent earthquake in Chile. According to our calculations we had several good hours to spend at the pool before evacuations would begin. Naturally we got booted out of the common/pool area of the resort shortly thereafter so we spent a portion of the day sitting, waiting and watching the news from our room and the other part of the afternoon up in the hills in a coffee plantation. We were above the 3rd floor so technically we were allowed to stay in our room (as opposed to evacuating). To back up, earlier that morning we had gone to get gas (the line wrapped around the block) and get bottled water (pretty much empty shelves at Safeway). The quiet panic that was around created a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sort of eery really...this amazingly peaceful, but usually bustling with excitment place was a ghost town of sorts. Our typically PACKED resort pool area had not one lawnchair in use. A gorgeous sun-shining day in Maui and not a person in sight! The resort had sent all of the employees home, completely closed up the glass doors of the lobby (for those of you who visit the villas)....it was nuts. We ended up at the coffee plantation directly out and up from our resort...about 400-500 feet with TONS of other people. Annie and I layed our towels out on the side of the road (haha) to catch some rays while the guys played hacky sack (spelling?) and explored a little. All in all, it ended up being little more than a wasted day. On the other hand we were so fortunate and BLESSED that the outcome weren't different. And of course it is better to be safe than sorry... So that being said, we had quite the experience in Maui, and like I said there will be photos and fun stories to follow this post (whenever I get the chance).

Our little angels...

2010-02-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

This was Mason and Mya's first Valentine's Day...My how things have changed!

Just her Style!

2010-02-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

Miss Mya is such a crack-up. Each of the kiddos got to pick out a pair of sunglasses the other day at Gymboree (they were on special for $5 that day...that's cheaper than Target...score!). Mya got these big' ol' white ones...but they are TOTALLY her style. Who says you can't have style at 2? She modeled them for us many times this afternoon. What is even funnier is that I wear big ol' white sunglasses too. I love all the girly stuff that comes with having a daughter!

Valentine's Day Festivities!

2010-02-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

Heart shaped french toast for breakfast... Cookie decorating with friends...
Amazing Valentine cookies by Logan, Ella and Melia

Cupcake Making...

Gotta lick the beaters...

And eat the cupcakes...or at least the frosting! The finished product ready for delivery to Great Grandma, Grammy, Nana and Papa, and Addi and Lilly!

Valentine Crafts...also for deliveryLilly's Valentine... Nana and Papa's Valentine

The kiddos' Valentine flashlights

And mommy's flowers

Heart shaped pizza for dinner...

What a Valentine's Day! Logan is already planning for and talking about Easter! We love holidays around this joint.

Food for thought...

2010-02-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

The other night while out shopping with some gal pals, one of them shared a quote she had recently heard. Throughout the night I tossed and turned pondering it. It's especially pertinent to me as I am such a planner and organizer. So concrete in my thinking, weighing out all the pros and cons. Very seldomly trusting, leaping and simply obeying. Here's the quote:

"Obedience (to Christ) always trumps the worst-case scenario."

To me this said that simple obedience to Christ should always win out over my personal fears and/or perfectionistic tendencies that want to organize and control everything. Just obey...the details will be worked out...

Just food for thought this Saturday morning! Blessings!

My Valentine!

2010-02-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day coming up I thought I would put up a few wedding photos. I scanned in a few that I could find without taking our wedding album apart. Our photos weren't digital...crazy huh? On June 19, 2004 I married my best friend. The years have been FULL of joy! It's hard to believe how life changes and how the Lord gives and restores. I couldn't imagine my life any differently. Thank you Lord for the wonderful blessing of a life partner and best friend.

Fun Times!

2010-02-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks back the kiddos and I tagged along with Ryan while he checked out the Ag. Show. The kiddos checked out all the equipment, had a picnic lunch and took really good naps on the way home!

Logan the helicopter pilot!
Logan loved the trains--

Mason made himself right at home on most of the equipment--he is our fearless one!

The kids and I took Ryan lunch the other day and of course the kids begged to ride with daddy on the blueberry sprayer! I think they just wanted to pop wheelies...

Ryan was gone last weekend with a bunch of friends to "manfest" (they really call it that). They snowmobile, snowboard, play DJ Hero and take a break from family life. They also all grew beards for this masculine event. I will try to post some pictures later! All that to say the kiddos and I had the whole weekend to try to find fun things to do together.

Aunt Rachel and I took the kiddos to the Woodburn Outlets to play on the treehouse...

One of the best parts of the weekend was that Denee' came down to hang out with us! Her hubby went to Manfest 2010 too.

A kid in a candy store...

2010-02-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

These days I feel a little bit like a kiddo in a candy store. Not that I want everything I see, and not even that I see so many things I want. More like I have my hands in more jars than I can possibly even take from at once. My mind makes such lofty plans and has grand ideas. Despite the best of intentions I seem to fall short. Right now I am in the middle of what feels like a million and one very worthy projects. I want to make sure that Logan's party is planned and shopped for before we leave for vacation later this month. I need to get treats ready for the kiddos for while we are away. More specifically I would like to leave them each a Build-a-bear with a voice recorder in it so they have a message from us while we are away. I am SUPPOSED to be planning my high-school reunion which hasn't happened as of yet (SORRY) I am helping a dear friend with a project/fundraiser (WHICH I AM THRILLED TO DO),and have projects to get ready for MOPS this month (I'm on the steering team for a mom's group), as well as a BBQ to plan with my mom. All the while I have kiddos, diapers, bills, laundry, cleaning, etc. (just like all of you). Some days I just don't even know where to start. Today for example I am in my jammies and haven't even brushed my teeth and it's 4 o'clock IN THE AFTERNOON! In my past life I would have already been home from a full day of work and would be beginning dinner already! All that to say, some days I feel like an overwhelmed mama that gets nothing done. I need to seek the Lord for discernment about which projects are worthwhile, and from HIM and which projects are simply manifestations of my undiagnosed OCD (haha) that ought to be abandoned for more important endeavors. Fortunately God is the giver of wisdom...of that I can be assured. Blessings to you all and a big congrats if you made it out of your PJ's today!

Another birthday just around the corner!

2010-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

A visit from Mickey and Minnie...

2010-01-24T15:24:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Mason and Mya's 2nd birthday with a Mickey and Minnie party. We didn't have a REAL visit from Mickey and Minnie, but we celebrated Minnie and Mickey style. It was such a fun day to celebrate with family and friends. Fun birthday decor...

Mickey and Minnie ice cream cakes....thanks Nana!

Messy, but oh good!

Presents, woohoo! Mason and Mya each got a PB pre-school backpack...never too young to carry their own stuff!

Quick Life Update

2010-01-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

Quick update on life around this joint...nothing too out of the ordinary! Just some playdates...

and enjoying of the new playroom....

visiting with my bestest bud (we registered her at Babies R us...!)

enoying the playroom some more.....

trying to sneak downstairs to the WET basement (that's a whole other post)...

getting our cribs converted to toddler beds complete with NEW bedding...

and Miss Mya too...

celebrating Mason and Mya's birthday at Applebee's

making a Get Well card for Papa who just had surgery...Logan LOVES to paint...

the completed card....

and adding some new decorations to the playroom....It's hard to see the neutral wall dots in this photo...

more new decor...

Our Newest Blessings!!!

2010-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today we welcomed our newest blessings: Mason Gregory (5 lbs. 9 oz @11:47 am) and Mya Elizabeth (5 lbs. 13 oz. @ 11:53 am). In some ways it feels like they were just born yesterday and in other ways it feels like they should be turning five today! Here are a few pictures of how the day went...I must be honest, I think I have a touch of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder over the whole ordeal, yet my heart is filled with overwhelming gratitude to the Lord for His powerful hand that offered healing and restoration.

Ryan and I still find ourselves looking at Mason and Mya then looking at each other and saying, "I can't believe we have twins!" or "I can't believe there are two of them!" I'm not sure when the shock factor is going to wear off, but we are still in awe of the fact that God created two completely different children at the same time, in the same location.

As a side note, I am considering having a t-shirt made that reads: NO, they aren't identical...one is a boy and one is a girl! On the back of that t-shirt it would say: Yes, they are still twins even if they don't look alike." Yeesh! I don't need a t-shirt that says this but you wouldn't believe how many random people walk up to me OUT OF THE BLUE and ask about our fertility process. It is so off the wall...even men once in a while. We didn't use any fertility drugs or anything, but if we had I don't think I would want to discuss the details of it with a perfect stranger at Safeway.

I had to throw in a picture of my belly...(I would love to put a real belly shot on here (simply for SHOCK factor...I was HUGE), but I'm sure many of you would rather not see my bare belly :))

PS: Sorry about the random order, but I am (yet again) struggling with blogger. I worked on this dumb post most of today...Hoperfully I will get it all right one of these days...

Ryan with both babies at Mya's spot in the NICU
Still at the NICU for one of Mya's feedings...

Miss Mya featuring the latest bows and glasses...

Saying good-bye to the princess before she departed for her trip to the NICU Big brother Logan with precious Mason...I can't believe that Logan was only 22 months old when Mason and Mya were born!

This is one of those moments when I can't believe that we had two babies!

Mr. Mason

Whoa!

Miss Mya Our last photo as a family of three...

Party time!

2010-01-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night Ryan and I took the kiddos and some pizza over to the Schacher's house to hang out. We had a blast hanging out, but it always causes me to reminiss about the old days when we would hang out together into the wee hours of the morning watching American Idol on DVR and playing Ms. Pac-man. It is funny how life changes...Now we take jammies for the little ones and hope they make it until 8:00. What a crazy life!

Mason and Mya turn 2...

2010-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Mason and Mya will be turning two on the 20th....Time has gone by so fast. This year we are having a very low key, small party for the dynamic duo. I think making invitations is possibly my favorite part of party planning. Now if only cakes would make themselves...anyone have any good ideas for a Mickey & Minnie cake??? Hmmm....

Draft Blogger...

2010-01-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah! A pal told me about draft blogger (same as blogger with better, easier to use features) and it has added a little skip to my step. I love blogging, but have dreaded updating my blog because I have had so much trouble with photo uploading and rearranging. Draft blogger is great....just to pass that along in case anyone else has trouble with blogger occasionally (or regularly for that matter...)! WooHoo!

http://draft.blogger.com/home

Favorite Christmas Photos...

2010-01-09T10:17:00.001-08:00

These were some of my favorite Christmas photos this year...not for the great photographic qualities (obviously) but rather for the sheer humor of what they represent...those classic moments that are etched in a person's mental holiday photo album. Christmas 2009 will forever go down in history as the year of the vacuum cleaners. Grammy got the kiddos vacuum cleaners for Christmas and they have been running ever since. Mason got a green Dyson and Mya got a red Dirt Devil. They both have working attachments and actually pick up dust bunnies. Needless to say, they have been a huge hit around this house. Some of my other favorite moments were when Miss Mya tromped around the house in one of her new princess outfits toting a tool box and drill while making repairs around the house. Another classic was Mason walking around the house with his and Mya's new cell phones BOTH plastered to his ear. Mya's phone quickly met an ugly fate when it kept shorting out during the night and got sent to the great abyss of the front yard during a rain storm. Nearly each and every picture of Logan features his 'cheese' face....I will look forward to his growing out of that stage! Anyhoo...Blessings!

Playroom complete!

2010-01-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick photo update of how the garage went! It looks great and the kiddos absolutely LOVE it. All I can say is that this added play space is an absolute God send (honestly). The stress level of this mama has gone down significantly. All that to say I am thrilled…and I love my new washer and dryer!

A Quick look at ChristmasEve and Christmas...

2010-01-01T13:53:00.001-08:00

Phew! The work is nearly done around this joint! I am all cleaned up and 'disassembled' from Christmas and I got our 2009 family scrapbook complete, uploaded, and ordered (all 80 pages of it)! I worked for about 14 hours yesterday to get it all done-the scrapbooking that it is. Our garage project is nearly wrapped up (100% complete on this upcoming Tuesday morning....YES! I think I might have a garage-warming party...or something else kinda goofy like that. Anyways, here are the scrapbook pages from Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and the afternoon at my grandma's house too. What a blessed Christmas we had! I must say that my favorite part of Christmas this year was Christmas Eve at our house where we had a birthday party for Jesus. The roar of kiddos laughing and running as well as the smell of food and sights of loved ones was really fun. Nevermind that the evening ended with tired kiddos melting down (mostly Logan)...all in all, it was a really nice evening!

Christmas crafts and projects...

2009-12-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Today I have been working on projects for Christmas Eve (we're hosting)...We are doing a birthday party for Jesus...cupcakes, treat bags and other goodies. These are the placemats for the kiddos... Logan and I decorated the dining room with paper chains...which we made while Mason and Mya were napping...

Tonight I pieced together ornaments to use as placecards. I think I am going to write each person's name on the roofline of the stable. Fortunately our Christmas Eve is just immediate family so I only had to make 10 or so...I must confess that I got the craft kits from Oriental Trading (kind of cheating) but I still had to assemble the WHOLE thing...stick by stick and person by person...I have a couple of welts from the hot glue gun. Just as a sidenote I am a HUGE believer in craft kits. If I order several projects right before any given holiday we have them on hand and they actually get done. If I wait for my creative juices to begin flowing...they don't.

Gingerbread Train- Polar Express

2009-12-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

These pictures are backwards from the actual process (I am beginning to be bitter at blogspot because I can't ever move my photos anymore!). Anyways Logan and I made a Gingerbread train today and he did SUCH A GOOD JOB! We had a really good time making our own Polar Express. Logan was especially excited to 'clean-up' the extra decorating candy! Blessings~

Wheelbarrow Races...?

2009-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

Pretty amazing for a Nana, huh? I think Papa was feeling pooped! Papa's make really good horseys!

Logan's turn being the wheelbarrow!

I think I need to begin an exercise regimen....

Daddy was a pro.

On Friday night we went over to Greg and Judy's for a yummy birthday dinner! My actual birthday was on Tuesday but it didn't work out to do dinner until Friday. It was a pretty standard evening...laughter, conversation, good food...wheelbarrow races? After dinner Greg was playing on the floor with the kiddos and somehow the grown-ups got going on wheelbarrow races. Me and my big mouth piped up about how easy it was. Needless to say I am slightly out of shape and could HARDLY do it unless Ryan held me by the knees rather than the ankles. It was really funny and I was actually laughing out loud. I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of the chaos that was occuring!

One of the best parts of Christmas!

2009-12-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of Christmas for me is sending and receiving Christmas cards. I love Christmas cards for a variety of reasons. I love seeing the updated family photos that fill the cards. I love the letters that accompany many of the cards--it is wonderful to hear from many of those we love. I love seeing the cards displayed in our house as a constant reminder of the community of friends and family we are SO RICHLY blessed with. I love the way all of our kiddos grow and change throughout the year...and I love saving the cards (at least those with pictures) and keeping them in a jar on our dining room table ALL YEAR. The goal of this is to be able to pray for a different family at each evening (and it is nice for the kiddos to have a picture). We did this last year, but weren't as faithful in the practice as we had set out to be. We are going to give it a whirl again this year so keep those photo cards coming! I LOVE THEM! This is the only time during the year when I check the mail. The minute I see our mail gal pulling up...I go running (literally)! Blessings and Merry CHRISTmas!

Everyone's a Critic!

2009-12-19T21:27:00.001-08:00

When I walked in the living room the other day I found my precious babies DUSTING! I was cracking up because what kid doesn't love cleaning with a baby wipe but I really did need some dusting done around this place...

Logan aka Man of the House!

2009-12-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Well our playroom is coming along quite well (as far as projects go) and I am getting so excited. The space will be such a blessing, but having contractors around has created MANY funny moments. Logan is under the impression that when his daddy is away he is the man of the house. He is prepared to keep those contractors in line (haha...they are wonderfully polite guys NOT in need of being watched over) letting them know the house rules and preparing for possible enforcement of those rules. Here are a few of the funny moments:

***On the first day the contractors were here, Logan sized them up and told them that their boots were dirty and they should NOT come in the house with them on as to "make his mommy's floor filthy". He informed them that he would clean their boots if they needed to come in the house!

***Later that day he asked one of them not to park the work van in the driveway because that's where his mommy parks.

***Upon noticing that sheet rock was being ripped out, Logan loudly declared, "My daddy is not going to be happy about this guys!"

***One afternoon he told the guys that they needed to be quiet because Mason and Mya were sleeping.

It just cracks me up that he feels the need to supervise the coming and goings of the construction guys. He thinks he needs to 'hold down the fort' when daddy's away...Aren't little boys the cutest?

A 1 Corinthians Christmas

2009-12-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

A First Corinthians Christmas- A friend read this at our last MOPS meeting and I was quite fond of it! Blessings!

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strand of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the tree with shimmering angles and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties anod sing the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, even though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and lots of presents.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Bonus room, playroom...etc.

2009-12-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

This last week has been filled with holiday festivities and errands for the garage turned bonus room/playroom (that is still up for debate and the answer is completely dependent on whom you pose the question to). Anyways we are coming right along and hope that the project will be completed by Christmas Eve. WooHoo! I am so thrilled and excited about the new year with this added space. I took these pictures this morning, but I should have waited until this morning as lots of things changed today. Have I mentioned I am SUPER excited?

Snow...Maybe...Please...

2009-12-11T21:50:00.001-08:00

In honor of the (potential) snowfall in the forcast, Logan made some snowflakes for the kitchen window. We thought if the snowflakes saw some friends in our window they might hurry up and come to our yard (that wasn't really our idea so much as his idea). All that to say our little budding artist (Logan) has all ten fingers and toes crossed that we wake up to a blanket of beautiful, white snow!

Wednesday's Holiday Fun!

2009-12-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today while Mason and Mya were taking their beloved nap, Logan (& I) made Christmas cupcakes. Some were for dessert and others were to deliver to his cousins and a couple friends. He did the pouring, mixing, watching and cleaning (I use that term loosely). He had a GREAT time baking and was so proud to deliver his wonderful treats later that afternoon. It was definitely pretty sweet.

Later that evening we had a special Christmas/ Family movie night. We got pizza and watched a fun Christmas movie together. The anticipation of the big event was probably as fun as actually watching the movie, but the kids thought it was the coolest thing. I found a video at Target that compliled Christmas episodes of Bob the Builder, Thomas and some other favorites. It was right up the kiddos' alley! What a special treat....Pizza, a movie, andpopcorn all in the same night...

Christmas Joy!

2009-12-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

This year I got one of the Little People Nativity Scenes to put on top of the wood stove (which we don't use) and some GREAT Christmas books to display nearby. The kids have been enthralled with the manger scene and all the different storybooks that tell the story of Jesus in a slightly different way. When I am reading Mason or Mya one of the Christmas books, Logan will go find the coordinating figurines to help them better understand (usually the three wisemen). It has been such an exciting, PEACEFUL season thus far. The only exception has been shopping for the kiddos Christmas outfits. I sort of saved that project because I really enjoy shopping and dressing them in coordinating clothing. I thought when I got a free afternoon I could get a coffee and do some shopping I enjoyed...bad idea. There aren't really a lot of Christmas clothes to be found right now, so that proved to be a little more stressful than I had planned. Oh well, all's well that ends well, right? The other fun Christmas activity we have been up to (at least with Logan) is some good ornament making fun. So far Logan has made a couple of Santa ornaments and two reindeer ornaments. He is making them himself (foam shapes) and he is sure to let us know who they are for. What a blessed season to rest, create, be, celebrate, relax and focus on Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Now if only I could get the letter done...

Christmas Card Photos!

2009-11-30T23:04:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had some family photos taken in hopes of getting our Christmas card out sometime in the near future. It was pretty cold outside and Mya was completely uncooperative. She gets a little freaked out in new places...Here's to family photos!

The Great Christmas Tree Hunt!

2009-11-30T22:39:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we went to Reinhart's Christmas Tree Farm. We tackled the Christmas tree search with the Schacher's and also with Grammy. We decided that if we didn't take Grammy we would risk losing one of the kiddos in the sea of trees. The kiddos had so much fun and we found a beautiful tree. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

PS: So sad but for some reason I can't move the photos around AT ALL...occasionally this happens to me, so you will have to use your imaginations about the order (shouldn't be too tough).

Marathon Friday...

2009-11-29T21:29:00.001-08:00

Friday felt a lot like a marathon. My mom picked me up at 4:30 for our annual after Thanksgiving shopping trip. We didn't need much, just a few odds and ends. It is just tradition for us to shop early the day after Thanksgiving as sort of a 'kick-off' for Christmas. We got home about 3:00 in the afternoon and I began taking all the fall decorations down, packing them to the basement and clearing out the regular decor to prepare for the Christmas decorating that would take place. It is always a big job that I need my sweet hubby's help with. He was kind enough to pack all the Christmas totes up to the garage so I could begin decorating. For the remainder of the night we decorated the house. Yes, the Christmas season is in full swing at the Bennett home!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T22:26:00.000-08:00

I give thanks for wonderful friends and family as well as a savior who is amazingly faithful. That being said, we had a pretty uneventful day. We had dinner at Ryan's parents house with plenty of family and friends. Probably the most interesting part of the day was our dinner guest, Tim Taylor from 104.1 The Fish (The family safe morning show, yadi, yadi, yadi). Naturally my personable hubby kept the questions rolling and it was fun to have a radio voice at the table.

Apart from that it was business as usual. The table was beautiful, the kiddos were darling, conversation was good, and the day was wonderful. Happy Thanksgiving!

the kiddos were darling...

Cousin Eric and our dinner guest Tim Taylor...the table was beautiful...I took some glow bracelets, bouncy balls and other random treats to Nana and Papa's house to distract the kiddos. Later that night, Logan decided to go to bed with the glow sticks (ALL of them). He was excited about his new night lights. He was less excited the next day when he realized his 'night lights' weren't going to stay lit for long. Oh the disappointments in the life of a 3-year-old.

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!

Mya's First Nightgown!

2009-11-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why it took me this long, but I finally got Mya her first nightgown. I tried desperately to get a photo of her sweet, little girl but she refused as she couldn't figure out why I was bothering her by chasing her around with my camera. Mason on the other hand couldn't figure out why I wasn't chasing him around with the camera (our little ham). Finally I put Mya on a stool to get a picture but I couldn't keep Mason away. They sort of come as a pair! Hooray for little girl jammies!

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walki in the Truth!

2009-11-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

I love the things that Logan notices about the Lord and His working. Yesterday we drove by a cross and Logan said, "Mom, that's like the one Jesus died on." So we talked a little bit about it and continued on. Just a nice teachable moment to reflect on what Jesus did for us.

Whenever someone is singing a song Logan pauses and says, "Are we singing to Jesus?" (That's what we do around this joint, and since he doesn't always appreciate my singing I have to remind him that Jesus doesn't assess our vocal quality but just our heart.) Hallelujah for that!

Last week he was telling me about Jesus feeding the 5,000. He didn't remember a ton about the story but he looked at me with awe and amazement as he said, "Jesus fed all those people with just a little boy's lunch." I love hearing his insight about the Lord, His power, and His word.

We do Logan's Bible Study at night and he is really committed to it. The other night he fell asleep in the living room so I quietly carried him to his room and slid him into bed. With one eye cracked he whispered, "Mom, don't forget my Bible Study. Despite his grogginess and exhaustion he didn't want to miss an evening learning about God and His Word.

Not too long ago when Logan had a friend over I heard Logan repeat something he often hears. They were having a three-year-old conversation about sharing and Logan told him,"Everything in this house belongs to the Lord and we share it all."

Talk about warming the heart of a mother. We pray for our kiddos. For their character, spirit, joy and an open heart to things of the Lord. I rejoice when Logan notices the little things in life and relates them to Jesus. That means Jesus is on his mind and that brings me inner joy while also reminding me that what I do as a mommy is important. The lessons of character I teach my kiddos will make a difference and the prayers of intercession I offer to the Lord will have a positive impact on their lives.

Our baby's growing up...

2009-11-22T22:48:00.001-08:00

Today I snapped this photo. When I was reviewing pictures later my jaw dropped open. My little baby Logan looks like a big boy! He says the funniest things now. He reminds me to do things, he tells jokes and acts like a kid rather than a baby. My how time goes fast!

Portland Children's Museum

2009-11-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Ryan and I took the kiddos to the Portland Children's Museum. The kiddos had tons of fun and got some wiggles out! It was so nice that Ryan could come with us (his first time to the museum) because he seems to have so much more enthusiasm than I these days! I get kind of tired of the same old things we do day after day, so Ryan offers a breath of fresh air. While we had a great time, I realized some things that really bug me:

1. People that don't use soap when they wash their hands (especially after the bathroom or diaper changes)-- GROSS!

2. Parents that don't use the word OBEY and expect their children to do it! It seems that a good chunk of America thinks this will damage a child's psyche. We saw several kiddos being outright rude or disrespectful to their parents and receiving little to no correction.

3. Mean kids (I don't know if it is the kiddo or the parent who is paying no attention that bugs me more).

We really did have a great time! We love it there. I didn't mean my little list to be negative, but rather sort of humorous as I state the obvious. Blessings!

Mason in the Clifford exhibit

Logan, Mason and Mya on the play stage with the drums

Mya sort of gets that 'deer in the headlights' look when there is a lot of new stuff going on. She just sort of takes it all in.

Logan got so wet at the 'water play area'

Hello down there!

Mason's New Trick!

2009-11-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Mason has a new trick! He loves to get out of his crib. I put him back, he escapes, Ryan puts him back, he escapes, I put him back, he escapes...you get the idea. His new trick has made for some long nights and even longer 'to bed' time. We typically follow the same ritual that works like a charm (as far as quickly and quietly getting everyone to bed). Now that Mason is able to get out of bed, he feels completely stifled to be forced to stay there. It has been one big BATTLE! The natural reaction would be to convert his crib to a toddler bed, but we're just not ready to do that. Mason and Mya share a room and they are a little peanut gallery together. They are the best of friends and I have a feeling that it would be hard to keep them apart during the night if they were both in a toddler bed. Sort of a slumber party so to speak! All that to say I am committed to teaching Mason to obey and stay in his crib. The last few days have been getting better and better....we are on the home stretch! It is pretty funny watching him escape though! He has gotten a couple bruises out of the escapades...

Dead Camera Battery!

2009-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Logan and my 'date day' after Bible Study (BSF in Salem). We typically go to lunch and do something fun together (and more often than not Shauna and Ella come too). I was so excited to take pictures of Logan & Ella eating lunch, playing at NW Kids Club and eating ice cream at the mall. Naturally I realized that my camera battery was dead so you all are going to have to use your imaginations in regards to our SUPER-FUN day! Bummer....

Achey, Breaky Body!

2009-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

So I sound like a bad country song, but I am so stinkin' sore. I wish I could say that I am stiff and tight from massive physical exertion (leading to massive calorie burning, of course) but that would be a big, fat FIB! I have been scrapbooking for two FULL days. Yesterday I scrapped from 9-9 at an scrapbooking event and today I finished up at home from this morning until right now. I was determined to get my holiday gift projects done this weekend.... by done I mean, completed, uploaded, ordered, etc. The whole shibang! I always wait until the last minute and one of two things happens. 1.) I just skip the sentimental, meaningful projects and figure I'll do better the following Christmas or 2.) I pay astronomical shipping costs to get something I've known I needed before Christmas all stinkin' year! So all that said, I have been sitting on my duff for two days working tirelessly! I am thrilled...really thrilled but have one aching body! This year I will be done shopping and creating well before the Christmas season begins so that I can bake cookies, enjoy the the sights and smells, do crafts with my kiddos, focus on the Lord, not be grumpy, and not have to hit the malls at rush hour! Praise the Lord, and bring on the Christmas season!