Mandy & Family

SURPRISES

2011-08-27T21:56:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday afternoon I was sitting on the couch nursing Eli while playing scrabble on my phone. Mallory was upstairs watching Between the Lions on PBS. Then, my house started moving. In an instant I jumped up from the couch with Eli on the nursing pillow and screamed for Mallory to come to me "right now!" Several thoughts crossed my mind.....a tornado is picking up our house, earthquake (nah!), back to tornado and what do we do again if it's a tornado to stay safe, then could it be an earthquake?...no way! So, as my heart raced and I sat on the steps holding Eli and Mallory at my side, I looked out the window at the sun shining and calm breeze, definitely not a tornado. And then I tried to figure out if I was going crazy because now nothing was happening and Mallory didn't feel it. I didn't have another adult around to look to for answers. So, I went back to the couch with my heart still racing and tried to reason things out. Could our old house be settling on its foundation? Did a train wreck nearby? What in the world is wrong with me?! So, when I received a text message from my sister-in-law in California a few minutes later that said "Could you guys feel the earthquake? Crazy!" I was so incredibly relieved. I called her immediately and said, "so I'm not crazy! Tell me about this earthquake." She had heard about it on the news. I could not, and can hardly still, believe that we experienced an earthquake here. Many people felt it, many didn't. My brother felt it 2 hours away, people around the rest of my family on the East coast felt it, but they did not personally feel it. CNN reported the many states that felt the aftershocks, but hadn't listed WV yet, but seriously, we're right next door to VA unlike many of the states reported, so of course we did. The next day I found evidence of the earthquake in the old cracks in our house which had opened a bit more, little bits of plaster that had crumbled away from nails, and the bits of debris on the things in my basement which had fallen from the ceiling. So, very cool that I was in my first ever earthquake, but glad that it wasn't severe at all.

And another surprise is pictured below......Brad and I returned from our late movie date night last night to find our daughters asleep in our bed. Sometimes Mallory sneaks in there and we move her when we go to bed, but we've never found them together in our bed. I had to take a picture before we moved them. :)

Bethany

2011-08-27T21:34:00.011-04:00

Those who knew me as a girl know that I wasn't exactly girly. My sisters and I were probably described as tomboys, though I was a little less tomboy than they were. :) I didn't get into girly stuff until I was a teenager, but even then I don't think I ever really painted my nails unless it was for a prom or something like that. My daughter wanted me to paint her nails when she was less than 2 years old. She would sit still and let me do a french pedicure on her tiny toes. For the past month or more she's been asking me to do "french tips" on her toes, so we finally got it done for the beginning of school. I took these pictures of Bethany because I thought that on this day she really was showing her blended interests. Take notice of these details:

baptism bracelet on wrist (I thought it was cute that she added jewelry to her outfit :)

blue painted fingernails (a contrast to her toes)

Nike tshirt and shorts (because they're comfy and sporty)

long hair, worn down (which she prefers to up/fixed)

and of course, she's reading which is something she really enjoys

(not pictured -- her pink and black Nike flip flops which completed her ensemble :)

Eli on the Swing.....maybe

2011-08-22T22:52:00.003-04:00

I don't know if this is going to work. I'm very new to YouTube. But I think this is the link to Elijah's first ride on the swing today at the park. I took the video on my phone, and my only way to use it is to upload it to YouTube because it is supposedly too large to email or text to anyone. Let's see if it works. http://youtu.be/4k3xufoehRQ (Oh, and my phone is taking photos and video sideways, and I can't seem to figure out how to switch it. Feel free to coach me. :)

First Day of 3rd Grade

2011-08-22T22:39:00.002-04:00

Bethany started third grade last week. She was ready to go back to school and really seems to be enjoying it. Today she was super silly when I picked her up, and it was so nice to hear about how much she enjoyed her day. I can't believe how tall she looks in these pictures.

A gift for Eli

2011-08-22T22:31:00.003-04:00

At a family reunion recently, my cousin-in-law, Jen (Calvin's wife), gave Eli a gift that included these super cute items. The first one pictured is called "washcloth lollipops". A spoon and fork have washcloths rolled on them.

And the second picture is a silicone cupcake holder, a washcloth and a tie dyed onesie all put together to look like an adorable, colorful cupcake. Cute, huh?

The Infamous Haircut

2011-08-08T11:13:00.009-04:00

I took a few pictures with my cell phone the evening of Mallory's do-it-yourself-haircut. They didn't turn out great, but here they are.

(blurry, sorry.) Some of her hair from the back is over her shoulder, but the sides have multiple lengths, now.

Side view - gives you a bit of an idea as to the damage
She took a huge chunk out of the underneath side of her hair....and cut a few outside areas of the back, too. It is starting to grow, but some of it is more noticeable to me now that it's grown out a bit. :(

I'm BACK!

2011-08-04T23:08:00.008-04:00

I kind of dropped off the face of the blogging world for a while, I know. My first excuse was that I was completely immersed in being Mommy to Eli, Bethany and Mallory. But, then I lost my means of blogging, my computer, back in March due to power outages during a terrible storm. I've stayed busy, but I've missed my friends in the blogging world. We live all over the country, and this is the only way I really stay in touch with you all. So, I'm so glad to be back. I'll try to get back into a regular blogging groove. :)

So, what have I been up to? Let's see, since January 31, my last post??

Bethany turned 8. She had her first "friends from school" birthday party. She was baptized which was so wonderful for all of us. I wish I had a recording of she and Mallory singing "I Know My Savior Loves Me".

Elijah was blessed the day after Bethany's baptism. Super special. Of course, we were running late and I didn't even take a picture of him alone in his sweet, little white outfit.

I turned 34 in March. Big whoop. Next year might be depressing, but I usually don't worry much about age. The aging in my face, however, is a different story. :)

We took the spring sports season off this year. But, we're gearing up for our first soccer season with both girls playing. Oh, boy, it's gonna be crazy.

We visited my parents for General Conference weekend and for Easter.

May turned out to be a busy month because our niece, Katie, graduated from Pharmacy school at WVU, my sister, Jessica, graduated with her Criminology degree from WVU - in the same weekend, and my sister, Heather, was in labor during graduation. My niece, Amelia Kate, was born May 16. She is adorable and precious.

At the end of May, Mallory broke her mommy's heart by taking scissors to her beautiful, long curls. I've said that I'm surprised that I didn't wake up with all white hair the next morning. I was so upset...I had to bag up all of the hair, drive 45 minutes to see Brad at work just so he could hug me. Really. I knew he'd understand how upset I was. It felt so personal, like it was worse than if it had been my own hair. Silly, huh? I'm actually lucky that her hair is curly because I can hide the different lengths with clips and headbands.

In June we started summer vacation which included a short vacation of Washington DC. We visited the temple, the National Zoo, and a few of the Smithsonian museums. It was a great getaway. My nephew, Ranger, turned one year old June 30th. He is adorable.

Our niece, Katie, got married on July 1. It was a beautiful wedding, and we love her husband, Ray. Amelia was blessed two days later. July brought with it Brad's 35th birthday, which he was not pleased about, and our 13th wedding anniversary, which we still haven't really celebrated. We went to Idlewild Park that day with our kids and my brother's family. It was lots of fun, despite the rain. Our family from California visited in July, and it was great to spend time with them. Our kids love that time with their cousins. Brad also traveled to CA for a golf-filled "Brothers' Weekend". I think the kids and I did pretty well while he was away, but we missed him.

There you go! A six month summary.....I probably forgot a few highlights, but good enough for now. Send me some love, people. I've been socially starved for those six months. ;)

Our beautiful girl and her Daddy

My brother Daniel, my dad, Brad with Elijah, and his dad

Big sister, Bethany, with Elijah

My squeezable, cuddly boy.....ready for a walk on a cool day.

Before church on Easter morning

First day of "shorts weather"....I just wanted to kiss those little legs. :)

Katie with Uncle Brad

Jess, 4 years down - 2 to go!

Our kids just love being on the temple grounds. Brad and I take turns in the temple.

Natural History Smithsonian....they LOVE the dinosaurs and animal exhibits.

Ranger

Jaxson and Mallory at Idlewild Park

Some pictures of "our son".....

2011-01-31T23:02:00.008-05:00

It is so weird to say that...."our son". I have been so out of touch, so here are some pictures of Elijah up through today. I'm doing well, and he's a great sleeper. I only get up once with him at night, and sometimes not at all. He's growing great, but not too fast so he's still little and smushy. Oh, how I absolutely LOVE having a newborn again!

5 days old

1 1/2 weeks old

2 weeks

4 weeks

5 weeks

He is getting ready to cry, yes, and he still has cord. Ugh...6 weeks.

I took these last three photos this evening. 6 1/2 weeks old....my sweet boy, Elijah.

2010-12-20T21:51:00.003-05:00

ELIJAH BRADLY BENNETT

Our son was born Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 12:59pm. He was 7 lb 12 1/2 oz and 22 inches long. We think he's just perfect, beautiful, and all of those gushy parent feelings.....I'll get up the energy sometime to post about his birth. Merry Christmas to all of you! We're enjoying the blessing of a baby boy in our home as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

What a special time of year....

Sooooo.....

2010-11-29T17:12:00.002-05:00

So, no baby yet....even though I had regular contractions for about 12-14 hours yesterday. 12 min apart, then 10 min apart and even up to 5 min apart during the wee morning hours. But, they never got intense, so no baby yet. :) The experience definitely got Brad and I inspired, though, to finish a few things up and get even more prepared. It really could be anytime now, and it's so exciting. Contractions are coming, Christmas shopping is pretty much finished, baby's room is set up, and only a few baby items need to be brought up from the basement and cleaned. I'll let you know when baby comes.....yippeee!

It's time to blog.....

2010-11-04T14:19:00.003-04:00

I feel like blogging, so I'd better take advantage of that while I have a little time. Some things going on here lately....

I was homeroom mom for Bethany's party on Friday, so I planned crafts and a game for the kids as well as state guideline approved snacks. You'd think that since I taught elementary school, it'd be no big deal, but I am so NOT creative. I asked a friend for some ideas, and ended up doing spider hands and foot ghosts with the kids. (tracing, cutting out, and gluing googly eyes.) By the time they finished these, and ate their snacks (pre-packaged apple slices, 100 cal pack fudge drizzled choc. chip cookies, and frozen yogurt) we ran out of time for the game. No biggie.
I finished writing the primary presentation parts, so we start practicing this week. I'm excited to see the kids prepare and share what they've learned this year. Especially the songs, that's my favorite part.
We had the Forest Festival in early October which is always lots of fun with the kids. It was especially fun because my nephew, Jaxson got to enjoy it with us. He stayed with us for about 6 days because his baby brother was in the hospital. That was scary for everyone, and the doctors finally determined that Ranger has severe reflux and that causes his apnea, which is why he was turning blue. (all of this after a bout of pertussis - whooping cough) Poor baby, and his poor, exhausted parents, spent around 4 weeks in the hospital.
Soccer games finished up. Whew. Onto basketball soon....
My dad had a heart catheterization (sp?) in early Oct., as well, and some blockage was found in one of his arteries. So, he had a stint put in and has been monitored by an external defibrillator since then. This has been scary for all of us, and Dad is now focused on his health. But, the blessing here is that the problem was discovered in the first place, before a heart attack. The Lord was watching out for him when an irregular heartbeat was discovered before his colonoscopy. I love my dad, and I'm so grateful that he has received good medical care.
Around the same time, I was going through my 2nd gestational diabetes test. You know, the 3 hr, 4 blood draws yucky one. I failed it. Oh, what a bummer. So, since then I've been super strict with my diet, and the doctor said I'm doing well controlling it with diet and exercise. 4 glucose tests per day, exercising 3 times per day, and planning meals and snacks very carefully.... for less than 6 weeks more, hopefully. When baby is born, it should go away. I was really stressed for a while about it, but now it's just the way it is. My chances for diabetes later in life increases, which was already a risk for me anyway. So, making healthy life changes is even more important now. I can do it.
I've started Christmas shopping. I need to get things done super early this year with the baby due on Dec. 14. I'm sure the last few weeks, I'll be too exhausted for shopping. So, my sisters and mom and I are off to Pennsylvania this weekend for some 0% clothing tax shopping.
I'm soooo excited to meet my baby and have a newborn in our home again. People ask if I'm ready, or tired of being pregnant. I'm ready, but not in any hurry. I enjoy pregnancy..feeling the baby move and grow, being a part of the miracle of procreation, being responsible for another precious life. I love it so much. I've been telling the girls all along that baby will come after Thanksgiving but before Christmas, and that time is almost here. I can't believe it.
A sweet, kind man in my home ward passed away unexpectedly this week. I've known him forever. His family was part of our small ward, and everyone knew each other very well. It's so sad to think of what his wife, kids, and grand kids are going through. He was too young, too full of life.....yet he knew what was most important. He attended the temple regularly, he served people all the time, he smiled and focused on taking care of his family. While it is incredibly sad, I am so glad that he was spiritually preparing for all of these years. Having a knowledge of eternal families and of Heavenly Father's plan gives so much comfort. I pray that his family will feel that comfort as they grieve.

Attempted photo sessions.....

2010-10-19T14:35:00.006-04:00

So many of you out there can get such amazing pictures when you ask your children to pose....I have to settle for silly or un-natural or eventually tears because they don't want to try anymore. They are so darned cute, but I have such a difficult time getting them to be cute at the same time........Sigh.

4th Birthday - Mallory

2010-10-12T16:41:00.004-04:00

Mallory turned 4 last month, and we celebrated at the park with family. Two days before her birthday she informed me that she wanted a Dora cake. Well, I wasn't up to finding a cake pan and doing it myself, so for the first time ever I ordered a birthday cake. It was yummy, and I still made cupcakes to make sure we had enough for everyone. She had a good time, and is very excited to be four. Below is a picture of her with Bethany and their 2nd cousin, Tyler.

Mallory at 4......

She uses her dimples in her "I'm so cute" way to try and persuade people to do what she wants. She has this beautiful smile, and she knows it. She likes to say, "pretty please with a cherry on top." We're in trouble, I think.
She finally is moving out of her crib, which she has loved sleeping in, and is going to share a room with big sister and new bunk beds. (this transition has been pretty smooth...whew.) She even got to pick out her big girl bedding which has purple trim and butterflies, flowers, etc. Very cute.
Mal loves TV, movies, talking to my parents on the phone, using the mini-vacuum, climbing all over her daddy, eating and running. If she goes outside, she wants to run up and down our sidewalk over and over again.
Mallory has quite the stubborn streak. Sometimes I don't think there is any consequence that could motivate her to just give in and do what we want her to do. Oy!
As ornery as she can be sometimes, Mallory can also be a very snuggly little girl. I love it when she crawls up next to me, or when she rubs her face all over mine.
Mallory is so excited about the baby that is coming, but does not want to feel it move. She laid her face on my belly once and it moved, which kind of freaked her out. But, she is constantly wanting to see my bare tummy which then makes her giggle.
Playing dress up and ballroom dancing with Bethany is one of her favorite activities...also, shoe fashion shows with dramatic modeling.
Mal can sing most of the songs on the "glee" soundtrack, and calls #1 "Don't Stop Believing" " my song".
In Primary, she sits in the front row and sings her little heart out....when she wants to. She has made tears come to my eyes as I lead the music and hear her sing every word of "I Know My Savior Loves Me."

Mallory - 1st Day Back to Preschool

2010-09-09T16:49:00.003-04:00

Last week, Mallory started back at her Montessori preschool. She was very excited and it's been nice for me, too. :) Bethany started soccer practices a couple of weeks ago, and piano started back up. We are definitely busy again after our relaxing summer.

After her first day......

I had to make her pose for this one to compare to last year. This is what motivated her to pose for above photo....

Ready for practice....

Update

2010-09-09T16:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had another ultrasound to check on the position of baby's placenta. I was pretty worried because I could tell the baby was resting its head against the placenta and was head down. The ultrasound tech did an internal ultrasound, too, to get more exact measurements from cervix to placenta. Just as I was telling Brad that I thought it was still too low, the doctor walked in and said, "you're good. we're out of the danger zone. now, it will keep growing higher." I told her I noticed it was still low, but she explained that the measurement for too close is 1.5 cm and mine was now 1.8 cm which was good. So, .3 cm seems pretty tiny to me, but I don't know what my measurement was last time, so as long as it had grown away from the cervix at all that is good news. Can you say 'relief'? I felt so much relief. When I looked at Brad I could tell that he did, too. Prayers have been answered. I'm now looking forward to hopefully a non-csection birth, but you know how labor is.....unpredictable. I'll just focus on trusting in my Heavenly Father and His plan for baby and me.

*Also, I'm getting super excited to squeeze this baby.....I could tell from the last ultrasound to this one that his/her cheeks were fuller and it kept playing with its hands and feet and moving its mouth. It's so fun to watch your baby's face and movements (that I could feel while I watched)....it made me feel even more connected to our little bundle.

*oh, yeah.....under 100 days now!! Wootwoot!

Another School Year Begins

2010-08-23T10:47:00.003-04:00

Bethany started second grade on Thursday of last week. She often says she doesn't like school when people ask her, which puzzles me because I know she enjoys it. She was secretly super excited about the first day. She was dressed and ready before we woke up, and couldn't stop smiling. It's starting to hit me that this growing up thing is just going to get faster and faster. I have to look closely now to see the little girl she used to be. Of course, what will I be saying a few years from now??

She couldn't hide her real feelings in this one, could she? :)

On my mind....

2010-08-07T20:47:00.002-04:00

I've had some things on my mind lately. Sometimes I don't share them because I'm not sure if it's appropriate, or I don't want it to sound like I'm being overly dramatic, or I figure it is probably boring. But, tonight...I feel like sharing.

I have been known to have a temper. It flared up this evening. I'm ashamed to admit it. I have this super-sensitive button when it comes to my cooking. I don't know why. I've had it for around 3-4 years now. I don't cook very often. I'm made fun of for it, and I feel embarrassed that I don't do better for my family -- that is one of my roles as mother, right? I deal with it, and sometimes I do better than others. Brad never comments or complains. (that, without a doubt, has saved him from my wrath :) Tonight, though, Bethany got grumpy with me when I served broccoli with her mac and cheese. How dare I?? She pretty much only eats chicken nuggets, fries, mac and cheese, microwaved hot dogs, and sometimes steak. Green beans, cucumbers, and corn are the only veggies, and corn doesn't really count. Well, when I saw her disapproval I asked her if my cooking was not good enough for her. (leading question, I know.) She said yes, then went on to say that she likes Grandma Judy's cooking better. I mean, yay for my mom, but ouch for me. I lectured her good, I left the room and was really mad and hurt, I came back and told her she better eat it all, etc., etc. I had both girls upset, and we sat there eating our mac and broccoli with tears and silence. How silly, right? I hope I never react like that again. The last thing I want my kids to remember about me in 20 years is how scary their mommy used to get when she was mad. Ugh.

When I had my ultrasound last week....wow, only last week - it seems like a month ago....Brad and I thought everything was awesome. The tech was the best ever. She took like 40 minutes measuring, taking pics, explaining things, and showing me the baby's face over and over. It was so cute because Baby would open and close its mouth and move its tongue around. It was just so cool. Then, I went to the bathroom afterwards to empty my bladder, of course, and the doctor met me in the hall on my way back. She said, "the placenta is too close to your cervix" and I immediately got scared. I knew the diagnosis before she said it, placenta previa. I got tears in my eyes and kept thinking about a dear friend of mine who went through the worst case scenario a couple of years ago when she had to have an emergency c-section and her sweet baby did not make it. When I got emotional I explained to the doctor about my friend, and she wanted to know more. She told me that it was very rare for that to happen, and that 85 % of her patients with this carry to full term and the previa corrects itself. They'll check by ultrasound in another month of so, and more often if needed. I'm on pelvic rest which is stressful for other reasons. (If that's TMI, sorry.) That's the only change in my lifestyle she has prescribed. We're okay if I don't start bleeding in the next 15 weeks, and I'll have a c-section if it doesn't correct itself. (also freaking me out because I haven't had one before.) After the first day, I calmed down. I have no control over this. We just keep praying for the baby and for all to be well. My pregnancy seems to be moving in slow motion now because I'm waiting to find out if the placenta grows to higher ground, so to speak. It's our time to focus on faith and positive thinking.

On a lighter note, I'm getting the feeling that this baby is a boy, and it's not based on anything logical, probably. I physically cannot get through 2-3 hours without a protein boost. I don't want chocolate, which is completely weird for me. A friend did her crystal thing over my belly and declared "boy." And, I checked the Chinese calendar which also said "boy". Why am I doing this when I say I don't want to know the gender yet? Why should it even matter? I don't know. Curious to see if these methods turn out to be accurate, I think.

A Brief Rundown...

2010-07-28T17:22:00.004-04:00

Okay, first off -- pregnancy sickness has finally worn off, just in time for vacation. Wootwoot! I felt pretty good for the long car rides, mini-golf and many other activities. I LOVE the 2nd trimester. Everyone keeps asking what we are having, and the answer is......whatever God sent us!! We don't find out the gender before it's born, and although it is tempting I decided to stick with the tradition. I mean what does it really change?? My nursery stuff will be the same stuff I've used before which is neutral, I have neutral newborn clothes, the walls are green in the nursery, and I just have to make sure we have a name for boy and girl. I can depend 100% on what I find out at birth, and the ultrasound tech can get it wrong sometimes. (Right, Rebecca?:) I really like the surprise at the end. Brad would have found out this time, though, if I hadn't preferred to wait. I think I'll stay strong through future ultrasounds. :) Summer will be over soon for the school kids, so we're preparing for second grade. And although I wish I was more like my super go-get-it-done friends, I am relaxing as often as possible. So, many projects are waiting for me around the house. Maybe I'll get some done before baby??

In June the Ginn Family visited us from North Carolina. We visited a couple of nearby state parks and the guys golfed. Below are some pics from Stuarts Park where there is a slippery swimming area in the river.

Bethany

Mallory

Aunt Heather with Jaxson and Mallory

Throwing rocks was fun for the younger ones

Here is Hannah....4 yrs old now.

Melanie and Mallory cuddling for movie night

June 30 my nephew, Ranger, was born. We got to visit him when he was 2 weeks old, and I finally was able to visualize having a newborn soon.

We forget how tiny and squooshy and perfect they are.

In early July, my mom, sister and myself had a bridal shower for Heather, with a WVU theme.

In mid-July our family took a vacation south. First we visited my brother's family, then some friends in NC ( Manns, Millers, etc.), and then headed on to Myrtle Beach, SC to have our beach week with Brad's parents and siblings and their families. I didn't take too many pics, but the humidity was off the charts, hence the foggy picture below.

It was so much fun, and relaxing, too.

We drove back north on Friday evening to be able to attend Heather's wedding in Oakland, MD. I like this picture of her and my dad. It was a beautiful day. We're happy for her and Jared.

Look at that view as they walked back down the "aisle". Beautiful!

Bethany

2010-06-11T13:30:00.003-04:00

Bethany finished 1st Grade this week. She did very well this year, and is super excited to be a 2nd grader now. Reading and math are favorites of hers, and PE and music, of course. I tried to take the traditional picture in front of our door, but her eyes were red and didn't fix right. Oh, well.

After school, Last Day of 1st Grade

Before school, last day of 1st Grade...let's compare to the 1st day of school this year below..

Mallory

2010-06-07T08:33:00.004-04:00

I want to remember this one from last night....

As we're getting the kids ready for bed, Mallory took some time with just me and "the baby". My tummy just started to pop this weekend and she was touching it and asking about the baby. She said, "Mommy, is the baby a girl baby or a boy baby?"

I said, "I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."

Mal - "Oh, we have to see if it has boy eyes or girl eyes??"

heehee, so sweet

Mallory's last day of Montessori ....for this year anyway.

Owner/director/teacher - Ginny (retiring), New Director/teacher - Pam, and Denise in background.

These teachers are amazing, so patient, and loving. We're very glad that Mallory got to go to this school, and will for the next two years.

You may have noticed...

2010-06-03T10:02:00.004-04:00

You may have noticed the new little widget to the right......yes, we are having a baby. I found out in mid April. As is usual for us, the news was shocking, even more so this time but I don't know why. I have felt like there would be another baby for us someday, but I don't think I was expecting it to happen right now. Though, the timing is great. Mallory will be 4 by the time new Baby Bennett arrives, and we found out last time that it is a great age difference. And, we'll all have a very special, early Christmas gift. :) We are excited, and I'm looking forward to the next phase of pregnancy. The last five weeks or so have been very slow and yucky for my body, my poor husband and kids have been dealing with 1st trimester mommy. I've hit the 12 week mark. I must say, Brad has been outstanding...taking on the dishes, laundry, cleaning, outside work, extra parenting duty plus his own job and normal responsibilities. He has made all the difference in me keeping my sanity. I'll have my 1st ultrasound next week, and after a conversation I had with my mom a while back, Brad and I are looking forward to confirmation that there is one little blessing in there, and not a twin shocker. ;) I told her that I've had every 1st trimester symptom in the book this time, and she said her third, and twins pregnancy, was like that..very different. hmmmm.....of course, we'll take what the Lord gives us, but I'd feel more confident with what I'm used to - one at a time. :)

Some favorites I haven't shared....

2010-06-03T09:41:00.003-04:00

impromptu "tea" party after school

going to daddy's bball tournament

egg hunt at Gma and Gpa Poe's house, also Elite Eight game day for WVU

end of season bball Bethany

last time they bundled up for snowplay 2010 (yay!)

My Life Recently.....

2010-04-27T14:44:00.002-04:00

I know it's been forever since I blogged. Sorry. I seem to be pretty busy lately.

I have been taking a cake decorating class during the month of April, and it has been mostly enjoyable. I stink at making flowers, so that part has been frustrating, but tonight is my last night of Course 1. The next course starts next week, and I'm undecided about taking it.
Bethany decided not to play baseball, so we're getting a much needed break from sports. (It was 3 practices a week, 1 1/2 - 2 hr practices, and 2 hr. games...ugh.)
Our friend, Chris, visited for Brad's Stake basketball tournament. It was great seeing him.
Spring weather has been awesome, and I don't even mind when it gets colder for a few days like it is right now. The sunshine is wonderful!
Mallory is keeping me on my toes everyday. She tells stories, sings primary songs, and even makes silly faces and tells little jokes. But, then she gets mad when you laugh because she thinks you're laughing AT her. 3 yr olds, right?
Bethany is growing up way too fast! She is learning to play piano and hopefully swimming and bike riding next. I love it when she reads....it just amazes us. I look at her and think, "you were a baby in my arms just a little while ago, right?"
Church is busy for us right now....primary activities, meetings, training, youth firesides and priesthood meetings for Brad, and on and on......it is good to serve, though. We wouldn't have it any other way.
I'll post some recent pics soon.

Finally....

2010-03-18T21:09:00.002-04:00

The fever has broken!! I know, you don't know what I'm talking about. Mallory and I have been stuck at home since Sunday. ( well, I went to church while Brad stayed at home with her.) She hadn't left the house since Saturday because she suddenly came down with double ear infections. Luckily, we played our pediatricians' team in basketball that day and they took us to their office to check her out. She was crying pretty much non-stop. Anyway, since that day she has had a fever and terrible nights and lethargic days and it has been awful to witness as a mommy. One of her ear drums was on the verge of rupturing...it may have, I don't know. She has been in terrible pain. This was a first for us -- Bethany had them a lot as a 1-2 yr old but they were never this bad.
I was reminded this week of how fortunate I am to have healthy children. As hard as it was for me to see Mallory in pain, I have nothing greater to compare it to, and for that I'm grateful. Friends of ours have lost children, suffered through their children's cancer, and had unimaginable trials involving their children. How blessed we've been....
So, no fever today!! Yay! We went to WalMart for groceries and to the park after school pickup and then on a walk this evening after dinner. Wonderful weather, healthy children, and exercise...it can't get much better than that.

Today is a good day!

2010-03-09T13:09:00.002-05:00

The sun has been shining for the last 6 days, and I'm loving it! There is just something about sunshine (vitamin D, maybe?) that boosts my energy, lifts my mood, and makes my days more productive. Mallory and I were able to walk around a downtown city block without snow boots today. The sidewalks now have enough room for people to walk on dry cement, although there are still mountains of snow piled up along the edges of every street, parking lot, etc. I'm going to soak up as much of this as I can until the rain starts tomorrow. :(
Another great thing about today -- I was able to eat out for lunch and have this very yummy white chili, (only 1 pt. WW) and half of the turkey sandwich, on whole grain bread w/ lettuce and mayo, with cranberry mayo spread (very lightly applied) and NOT feel guilty about eating out. Yay! I've been trying to watch what I'm taking in and have started using the Wii fitness programs regularly. I feel good, though I don't intend to weigh myself for at least another week or so.
To quote one of my kids' books, (CareBears), "Happy Sunshiny Day!".

It's officially starting to get to me....

2010-03-01T20:06:00.002-05:00

Winter, that is..... I've always disliked when people complain about the weather. I mean, really, of all the things to get upset about it's one of the things we have absolutely no control over. It's winter, so it snows, and it's icy and we're stuck indoors a lot. Today was the day that I realized I've been spiraling into the winter blues. So, tomorrow it's my goal to do something to snap out of it. Get motivated to stay busy enough to not even think about it....we'll see how that goes. :) Hope you're all getting along okay with winter.

Quote for the Day

2010-02-23T14:04:00.003-05:00

Brad called me today after he'd taken the girls to school to share a story about Mallory. He said that he had her stand on the sidewalk while he walked Bethany around to get in the car. When he came back for her, he picked her up and she started patting his back and said, "I love you Daddy." Then she shocked him with this: "Daddy, those birds are freaking me out." He was so startled, so he asked, "What?" She said, " You know, don't you see them? Those birds are freaking me out." (the black birds hang around for winter) He and I shared a good laugh when he told me about it. Neither of us had ever heard her use that phrase before, but, yeah....she probably learned it from me, as did Bethany. Oh, well...it's not a bad word in my book. (Although the women who play for the Pembroke ward basketball team would beg to differ....when I used it during a basketball game several years ago, the whole bench started screaming at me for using foul language. Me?! In a church game?! Puhlease. I turned to them and said, "freaking is not a bad word." So there. ;)

Dedicated Runners

2010-02-22T13:25:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, my sister Heather visited for the weekend. Some of you know her, but in case you don't I'll tell you a little bit about her. She is an elementary music teacher (and assistant band director at the high school) in Maryland, less than an hour and a half drive from our home. She is a temple worker at the Washington DC temple. She is an amazing friend and sister. She is also an inspiration to anyone who wants to get fit. She has worked extremely hard to reach her goal weight, and is doing things for the first time like running races and training for a half-marathon. (Brad is supposed to run it with her, but his training is kind of inconsistent.) When she visited our home Brad agreed to run with her, even though we were getting some serious snow accumulation. I had to take some pictures because they looked so cute as they got ready to take on the snow and ice. ( I know cute isn't a word they'll appreciate, but they really did look cute. :) When they got back from their run, they were covered with snow...Brad's eyebrows had melted by the time I took the picture, but check out Heather's hair. People think they're crazy running in this weather, but they really have no choice. We are having a real winter with snow every week, sometimes everyday. We've had 8 snowdays just in February and 3 2 hr. delays. Heather has about 5-6 feet of snow outside of her house and has had more snowdays than we have. But, the training must go on......

Just Because....

2010-02-17T20:57:00.003-05:00

Brad and I are pretty laid back about Valentine's Day, so we do our usual date night and sometimes we exchange cards. No biggie. Brad would ignore it entirely if I agreed, because "it's not even a real holiday." I don't entirely disagree with him. Besides, we have date nights every week and he lets me know everyday how much he loves me. A few weeks ago, we were having a rough patch with Mallory and her tantrums. It was a preschool morning and she was refusing to get ready and was screaming and crying. I had just woken up, and since I'm not a morning person, it just rubbed me the wrong way. But, Brad carried her to the car and delivered her to preschool where she immediately stopped her tantrum upon entering the building, walked off with her teacher and proceeded to play her little heart out for 2 hours. That afternoon the doorbell rang and a man stood there with a flower delivery. I was so pleasantly surprised. It included Gerber daisies and what looked like little red lilies (though I'm not sure they were), which are my two favorite flowers. The card read, "just wanted you to know how much I love and appreciate you. Your Loving Husband." I called to thank him and asked why he'd sent me flowers, and he told me that he knew I was having a rough day and wanted to do something special for me. How sweet is that?! I have decided that I would much rather receive flowers on an unexpected day than on Valentine's Day. But, that's just me. :)

I absolutely loved how colorful the arrangement was....especially during our white, white winter.

Bethany turns 7!

2010-02-15T21:03:00.002-05:00

I couldn't believe seven years had passed since I held my firstborn in my arms - January 31, 2003. These seven years have been the best ever because she made me a mommy. I never could have understood the happiness and love of parenthood without the arrival of this miracle. I'm thankful everyday for her. Here are some characteristics of and thoughts about my 7 yr old Bethany:

She has been smiling since the first week of her life, and when she gives you a real smile - not the forced, unnatural one that started appearing in photographs at around the age of 5 - she can melt your heart and lift your spirits better than almost anyone or anything.
She has had a ton of hair since before she was born, and I had the heartburn to prove it. She had lots of dark hair with highlighted tips, and even though everyone said it would fall out, it never did. She has had more than a few haircuts and donated her hair twice to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
She has been the little mother around here since the day she met Mallory. Though she gets frustrated with her from time to time, she is generally patient and loving, helpful and sweet. When I'm trying to get Mal to do something she doesn't want to do, Bethany always tries to encourage her to do what is right and offers to help her, too. She is an amazing big sister!
She was the first grandchild born into my family, and she nicknamed my dad "papa deer" when she was 2. Why? Because he was deer hunting over Thanksgiving week that year, and my girls still call him that to this day, only now it's "grandpa deer".
Any teacher or coach she's ever had, at preschool or church, has loved her. She listens, tries hard, helps others and is a delight to be around. (their words, not mine) You always wonder what your child will be like for other people, and I don't worry about her at all.
She wants to try and learn every sport imaginable, but is afraid to learn to swim or ride a bike. (We're working on those.) She is teachable and coordinated, and I love watching her play on and be a part of teams.
She is very, I repeat - VERY, afraid of fire. She has nightmares if she even hears someone talk about fire.
When she bleeds, or someone around her has an injury or cut, she can pass out. She always warns me with the phrase, "my eyes are getting fuzzy, mom." I got a phone call from her school a couple of weeks ago because they thought she was having a seizure. She had actually passed out because she got a paper cut on her finger, tiny paper cut I might add, and when the substitute teacher didn't cover it fast enough with a band aid or have her sit down, she started to shake and sway and became unresponsive. The teacher picked her up and ran down the hall to the office where the principal and other staff were quite concerned about her until they talked to me. Whoops. Now they know. :)
She is sensitive, funny, talented, spiritual, and a beauty and wonder in my life. She has taught me what it is to feel unconditional love.

Bethany decided she wanted the number 7 candle, AND seven individual candles. (sometimes she reminds me of a 14 yr old, so it was fitting. :) They barely fit on the cupcake, but she blew them all out with one breath. Wow!

Can you guess the theme? I was glad I splurged on this banner because it was so bright and colorful. We'll use it again, I'm sure.

Brad is holding his grand-niece, yep - I said grand. Her name is Lily, and she's adorable.

Gift opening time is her favorite part, I think.....she got a paper cut on the first card and I got to it before her "eyes got fuzzy", thank goodness.

One of B's favorite gifts, a personal water cooler that she is gracious enough to share with little sis. Good choice, Grandma!

Sweethearts

2010-02-15T20:52:00.004-05:00

As I sat in sacrament meeting yesterday, I had a sweet experience with my daughters. We were singing the closing hymn, and I don't even remember what it was now, but for one of the first times ever Bethany was trying to read the lyrics and sing along with me. She had her head close to mine and her arm around me, and as I looked down at her in admiration I realized there was another sweet voice coming from my right....Mallory. She was sitting up as tall as she could and trying to sing along with the congregation. She got some of the words right, and tried her hardest to keep up. I tried to soak it all in and was reminded of how fortunate I am to have two miraculous, beautiful, healthy daughters. And they love to sing, and are reverent during the prayers (usually), and they make each day brighter for me and for the other people in their lives. Oh, how I love them!

Got it back!

2010-02-02T12:02:00.002-05:00

Quick update....I got my purse back! It's smelly and dirty, but I should be able to carefully wash it and use it again. Yeah! The State Police said that everything in it had been handled too much by the city police, so it would not be useful as evidence. All of my keys were still in it, the shot records and a spa gift card, too, but my pictures of the girls were mostly ruined. Brad has copies of most of them, though, so it's all good. I knew that women would understand the frustration. :)

Stolen purse, anyone???

2010-01-29T09:57:00.002-05:00

Yes, for the second time in my life a criminal busted out the window of our Nissan (different Nissan this time) and stole my purse! (Remember, Alisa??? There were 3 purses in my car the last time which was around 10 years ago.) It's interesting to see how much my purse contents have changed in ten years. As I made the police report, I recalled not only the normal items like credit cards, lotion, makeup, sunglasses, etc. but specific items like pictures of my kids, their shot records, some left over b-day $, and a cell phone with ALL of my contact information (no cell phone in the olden days. ;)!! AAAAHHHH! I've told Brad countless times that he should backup his contact list because of broken or lost cell phones, and now I'm wishing I'd listened to myself. Whoops. This was my most favorite purse ever! My mom bought it for me for Christmas a year or two ago. It was quilted with the WVU logo and had the most amazing pockets all along the inside of the purse....6 pockets with specific items assigned to each pocket so that I didn't have to dig for anything. I knew exactly where to feel around to grab something quickly. I miss that purse! Yes, I'm looking for an exact replica to replace it. If you've ever lost or had a purse stolen, you may have wished, "if I could only get it back, even if the cards and cash are gone!!!" I couldn't sleep until 3am that night as I remembered the precious photos of my kids that I keep in there, my only copies. And then I remembered all of my keys were in there, my only original to my van, the new key my parents gave me to their house, the key to the church, to Brad's parents' house (which isn't good because their address was on my license), and I couldn't stop thinking about how they could somehow find us and break into our house with my own key! Irrational, probably, but I couldn't relax. But, the next morning I got over it and started taking care of business. Credit cards were cancelled, new drivers' license, all that stuff. I even went last night to get a replacement cell phone and good-enough-for-now new purse. All is well.

Funny thing, though, the police chief a few towns over called and said that he had my purse. Someone found it along the nearby highway, but I can't get it back now because the state police claimed it as evidence. Oh, well, what can ya do?

If you feel so inclined, could you email me your contact information, friends and family? That would be helpful. :)

Things I want to remember.....

2010-01-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

I've said many times that I wish I could carry around some little digital device that would record all of my conversations, especially with my children. Not only would I be more aware of how I react to their behavior, but I could remember all of the cute and surprising things they say.

The other day after my parents had visited at our house overnight I picked Mallory up from preschool and I told her that she is my baby, my big girl but still my baby. She said, "No, I'm Papa Deer's baby!" She has such a cute, sweet relationship with my dad.
Yesterday, Mal sat on my lap and told me about a dream she had where she called the fireman to help her out of the fire and by the end of her story she had herself, her sister and her dad in jail. I asked her why daddy went to jail, and she said "I told the peece (police) that he mean. He took one of my toys away, so they took him to jail." (one of our recent discipline techniques with her - now I know how she really feels about it. :) When she had spun her story for awhile, she said, "and that is the rest of the story. the end." (I, however, stayed at home while they were all in jail.....hmmm.)
For the last year or so, Bethany will randomly notice if I'm about to eat something sweet and remind me, "Mommy, remember you are supposed to get healthy so you can have my baby brother." Oy! I told her ONE time after the numerous times she has asked me if I'm going to have another baby, that I need to get healthier to have a baby. She'll never let me forget.....which is good of her, but bold - don't you think? :)
After a trip through the drive-through at the bank yesterday, Mallory said, "Mommy, mommy, the bank gived me a hiney lollipop!" "What?" I said. Bethany explained, " you know , Mom, the lollipop has kind of a line down the middle of it and the sides are puffed out...like a b-u-t-t." "Oh!" Mallory - " Yeah, Mom! The bank gave me a hiney lollipop!" Oh, I got a good chuckle out of that one. I love my kids!

My Thoughts.....

2010-01-14T23:58:00.003-05:00

My New Year changes are coming into my life slowly, and most of them are unrealistic because there's just too much I want to change about myself and my routine right now. For example, tonight I decided to get those dishes done so that I don't have to see them in the morning. While I was washing and listening to music I told myself I could start doing all of these things, in an "ideal Mandy" world.....

Start making a hot breakfast for Bethany which should motivate her to eat before school to avoid our daily "breakfast battle" and to spend some time together before her day starts

Wash dishes every night, so that there are few and things feel clean and ready for the new day ( I've mentioned before the lack of a dishwasher, right?)

Get the study guide for Sunday school and make that a part of my study weekly since I miss out during primary, and still study the Book of Mormon because I don't feel right leaving it out of my study ( I found this 365 day schedule for finishing the Book of Mormon which I'd like to do with Brad in addition to our personal and family study.)

Work out a couple of times a week at the YMCA, do Wii Fit/Biggest Loser/Cardio Wii workouts a few times a week, and find a walking buddy

Maybe join Weight Watchers officially?

Get back into a regular cleaning routine

Make more time for keeping in touch with friends

Even when I don't feel like it, play games with and do projects with my kids everyday
Get to know my primary kids better

Be a better Visiting Teacher, even though my list is pretty much "no visit"

Learn how to do lots of things I'd like to do, like quilt and scrapbook better, etc.

OKAY, I'm gonna stop there because I realized as I was daydreaming that it is impossible to change too many things in your life at the same time. So, my goal for 2010 is to focus on just a few things at a time - to try to get to bed earlier, get up earlier, be more productive and in tune to what is most important for me to work on daily - to be determined through prayer, study, and common sense. :) I love y'all and wish I could spend some time with some girlfriends that I never get to see......maybe that's a good goal for this year! Plan a weekend get-together with some of you! Happy 2010!

Mallory's first day as a Sunbeam in Primary.

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." Bethany lost one right before Christmas and one the day after. She actually pulled these two out on her own instead of waiting for them to fall out.

After Christmas...

2010-01-05T14:35:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with snow and family and all the good stuff this year! I realized after I downloaded pics from my camera that I didn't take very many pictures, but I captured a few moments from our holiday. The girls always start with their stockings, and this was our year to be at my parents' home for Christmas Eve and morning. My entire family was there, so it was awesome to be together with all of my siblings and my parents. We drove back to Elkins to have Christmas dinner with the Bennett clan. That was especially nice, too, because we had dinner with just Brad's parents and siblings and their families, so it was smaller and more relaxed. Although, we missed his brother, John, and his family who are in California. I'm still cleaning up from Christmas, though, because I got sick with this cough/cold stuff after Christmas, but that's getting better. We cleaned up decorations and the tree for FHE last night, so I'm starting to feel like it's the New Year. Time to set goals and prepare for 2010. My To-Do list is growing, but the continued snow days even after Christmas break are giving me a chance to get more done than usual. I am frustrated with the snow days, too, though. I mean, it's winter time in the mountains of WV.....so, it's gonna get cold and be snowy and icy, school administration people! ugh. I told Bethany we're doing school today and tomorrow, since I'm sure we'll have another one after 6 more inches or so tonight. I don't mind snow, really I like it, but I want the kids to be in school. That's the teacher, and the cabin-fever mom, in me. :) I'll try to be a better blogger. Let me get myself a bit more organized and I'll be back....Happy New Year to y'all!

I decided to take a picture of Mom and Dad's diningroom table Christmas Eve because it looked so nice.....set for 13 people and what a great meal it was! Mallory was watching the Wii game with Papa, and I just had to capture it on camera. Her relationship with my dad is so cute.....he is the one who got her to stop her screaming fit a few days after Christmas. (which was about getting her hair washed and having to get out of the tub....go figure?) These are new to me as a mom, but she can throw a screaming fit like none I've ever seen...for like an hour. What's up with that?!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T12:46:00.002-05:00

I know I've been missing in the blogging world for awhile, but I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! Isn't this just the best time of the year?! Brad and I watched "the Nativity Story" movie last night, and it was wonderful. With that and the Christmas Devotional a few weeks ago, I've been able to focus even more on Christ this Christmas, while doing all of the fun "giving" stuff, too. We've overheard Mallory talking over and over again about "baby Jesus" and all that she knows about Him and His story. It especially sweet to know that your children understand the true meaning of Christmas, even when they're super excited about Santa coming to town. :) I'll update when things get calmer around here. Probably after the new year.....so, Happy New Year, too!

These were taken after the snowstorm we got early Saturday morning. We got close to 2 feet of snow in about 6 hours. It's been snowing lightly since then, and school was cancelled the two days it was scheduled this week. We had a blast going out in it on Saturday to dig out at least one car and to play around. The middle picture was taken on the way to my parents' on Sunday. Those of you with fancy cameras could have taken gorgeous pictures of the snow-covered trees. It was BEAUTIFUL! The girls were eating lots of snow that first day. :)

Singing 3-yr old. and a Blast from the Past

2009-11-12T22:36:00.003-05:00

The other day, Mallory started singing to me, so I grabbed my camera. She has just recently started insisting that she get to sing "all by herself." Take a look....I almost cried when I watched them back. I love her soooo much! :)

"Popcorn Popping"

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" turns into the ABC's

Check out this blast from the past...........Lite Brite!! Do y'all remember those? Oh, I spent hours upon hours playing with my Lite Brite....creating masterpieces, if I do say so myself. :) I must say, though, that ours back in the day were nicer because you could make much bigger picture creations. But, the new $10 version has a handy-dandy rolling compartment for the colored pegs. Bethany bought hers the other day with her own money, and came straight home (after the H1N1 vaccination clinic) to work on this first picture. She was quite proud of it.

Bethany's PT Conference

2009-11-06T15:59:00.004-05:00

Brad and I went to the elementary school for Parent Teacher Conferences last night. We always try to meet with the PE and Music teachers as well as the classroom teacher. I know that the resource teachers get pretty bored during conferences, and I want to know how Bethany's doing in all of her classes. It's always great to hear that she is doing very well. The PE teacher said she's really come out of her shell this year and is really performing at a level above her age group physically and coordination-wise, and then the music teacher told me she is talented. She is recommending her to a piano/music teacher at the local college which she doesn't usually do for children as young as her. A mother's heart swells with pride....aaaahhh. :) Now, I need to find a piano....oh, boy. When we went into her classroom, the teacher closed the door and said, "what can I say about Bethany? I wish I had 20 of her!" I know - it sounds like I'm bragging, but, really, I'm just pleased to hear she's doing so well. A LOT of 1st grade parents have been complaining at our school about the strict teachers, the higher expectations for behavior, and the struggles their kids are having, so I'm relieved to know that our child is doing alright. Whew. The teacher pulled out a "squiggle" that Bethany had done for us to see. (a squiggle is a paper that starts with one small shape or drawing already on it and the kids add to the drawing while creating a character and writing 3 sentences about it.) This is the one she showed us:

This "squiggle" started with a bow tie. In case you can't read the words, it says, "My character is my mom. My mom likes to cook. My mom even likes to play with me." At first, I thought -- oh, how sweet! She made me her character. And, then I read the part about liking to cook, and I had to try not to laugh. (Brad was trying not to laugh, too...it's a good thing he knows better ;) You all know that this is not one of my strong suits, but I have been cooking more often lately. I can definitely say that although I don't always "like" to cook, it's great to know that she thinks I do. :)

HALLOWEEN 2009

2009-11-04T21:29:00.014-05:00

TRUNK-OR-TREAT

The Youth had games for the kids which Bethany really enjoyed. Mallory played a few games, and then she took a break........

to eat her winnings. I don't know how many candies she'd eaten before I noticed her hiding next to a chair in the foyer.

Brad walked the kids around because he would have to work on Halloween night. The girls got way more candy this night than on Halloween.

Afterwards, Brad went on a visit with the missionaries and the girls and I went home to sort the loot. Bethany is a "Butterfly Fairy" and Mallory is, of course, a "monkey".

My cutie-patooties!

Halloween night, colder and rainy.

I love this picture of them waiting for the people to answer the door and give them treats.

Bethany has become very comfortable with "Trick - or - Treat" and "Thank you", but Mallory was very shy this year. Except at one house where the man said, "you're the cutest monkey out here tonight!" and she cracked up laughing all the way back down his sidewalk. (??)

More Mallory...

2009-11-04T20:56:00.004-05:00

I feel guilty that I don't have more pictures of Bethany, but Mal and I spend a lot of time together and so I have to take pictures of just her sometimes. She actually posed a

bit for me, which is rare for my girls. There are a few Halloween costume pics from a

few days before Halloween when she just HAD to be a "montey" at home

while she watched WordWorld on PBS.

I COULDN'T RESIST A SHOT OF THOSE CURLS!

Whew, that's over...

2009-10-19T10:40:00.004-04:00

I prepared for, taught and am finished with my big nervous-feeling-causing class for the Stake Relief Society event on Saturday. I felt so relieved for that evening...then Sunday came and the realization that now I must take on the array of primary needs that have been put on hold for the last week or so. But, anyway, the class went well. I sat through training meetings for a couple of hours, and was too nervous to eat much during the luncheon, but when I got started with the first of three groups, things just fell into place. You know how it is - you prepare, and prepare, and condense, and then when the lesson arrives you get through about 1/10th of the material you have. I felt like that was how it was supposed to be, though. With each particular group of ladies that came into the room, the discussion went different ways based on what the Spirit led us to focus on. I love how that always happens. I felt like the 2nd and 3rd groups were a little too quiet sometimes, but we still had great moments. I am working on my "Priority" list now, and finding where I may need to make some adjustments now that I have new responsibilities in my life. The quote that I made into a magnet is this:

"A wise man once distinguished between 'the noble art of getting things done' and a 'nobler art of leaving things undone.' True 'wisdom in life,' he taught, consists of the 'elimination of non-essentials'." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Even though I was in the minority for a while, the women who find themselves with not enough to do, most of us have more in our hearts and minds that we want to do than we can possibly get done. It's tough to say, "No, I can't do that right now.", but sometimes it's necessary. I'm sure you've seen the object lesson where you try to fit something like large rocks into a jar with lots of little marbles or pebbles.....the big things won't fit if the little ones go in first. My big rocks, or top priorities, have to be the spiritual and family ones. God, spouse, children, church service...that's how Elder Oaks broke it down. And I put 'self' right there with God because if my relationship with God comes first, then I'm doing alright as an individual. I'll be strong enough to be who I need to be for my marriage, children, and church family.

I know some of you out there understand this......why is it that for the two days prior to this presentation I spent most of my time making handouts?? Bethany asked if kids were going to be there because of the candy cards, but I told her, "no, grown-up ladies like candy, too." :) I'll post a pic of the handouts. The little cards are the quote magnets, and in case you can't read the candy card, it says......

"Isn't it About Time? (the class title) Make a 'commit-mint' to yourself, and to your Savior, to make the best use of the time you've been given! (Andes mint) 'NOW' is the time to set your priorities straight, so that 'LATER' you can enjoy eternal life! (Now and Later)"

The stationary quote says,

"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

My sweet girl....

2009-10-16T00:48:00.003-04:00

So, today.....well, yesterday because it's now almost 1 am, and I'm not sleeping......I finally got the haircut I've been saying I need for months and months. 9 inches, people! Ok, some people probably think - haircut, big deal. Well, I've always had long hair....I might cut it here or there, but still it's always longish. I guess because I go through such a shock adjusting to a haircut, I expect the people I know to notice right away and comment. But, not one single person noticed today, and I saw all of Brad's family, some friends, and even my husband got home tonight and DID NOT notice or say a word!!! Now, back to the "not one single person".....EXCEPT Mallory. She say my ponytail sitting in the car when I picked her up from preschool, and said, "what happened, Mommy?!" with concern. I told her I got a haircut. She was super excited about it. She must have said three times throughout the day, "Mommy, your hairtut is awesome!" Oh, how I love that cutie! And, Bethany would have noticed right away, I'm sure except that I had a raincoat on and she heard me tell my mom on the phone before she actually saw my hair. I have faith in her observation skills. I'm a little disappointed in everybody else, though. I'll get over it. Well, Brad may have to suffer a bit first. ;)

On a more serious note....

2009-10-09T13:39:00.002-04:00

I just visited a friend's blog where she had posted a couple of other blogs that were inspiring to her. How often do we think, I really should take more time to do something for someone else? We serve our families everyday, but what about reaching out to someone else just because we can? I know most all of you do-- you all are nice people. :) But here is a simple way to help this sweet girl named Taylie who is suffering with cancer. By visiting this link and posting it to your blog or Facebook, then contacting this lady and posting a link to her blog (and letting her know by commenting on hers) money will be donated to this family to help as they face the challenge of their little girl's illness. Everyday I am thankful to have my children, and especially that they are healthy. I know we're blessed, and when I know of others who are not so lucky my heart goes out to them. A few minutes taken from your day to post this will be worth it....to Taylie and to those who love her.

This makes me laugh....

2009-10-09T13:28:00.002-04:00

We weren't feeling all that well during General Conference last weekend, so we stayed comfortable at home while we watched. Bethany decided to clip her play earrings on Brad, and when I saw that he actually let her do it I grabbed my camera. We had a nice little laugh and then I rewound the DVR to catch part of the talk that we missed. He's gonna get me for posting this! :)

Too simplified??

2009-10-06T15:48:00.002-04:00

In the last few years, I have drastically simplified my life. I only do what I want to do, or what my calling asks of me for church, or what I need to do for my family. There are very few extras going on in my life. I pretty much like it that way. I have felt like my priorities are in order for the most part. However, I do miss playdates, playgroup, visiting friends, having a friend visit me. I think my life has become too simplified. But, the Lord has seen fit to change that recently. With a new calling, and projects that have all come at the same time, I'm a bit overwhelmed now. I'm out of practice at handling more than a couple big things at once. Here is my to-do list for the next week and a half:

Do a Primary project board that overviews what primary is all about for the missionaries' Open House on Sunday.
Write the Primary program by Sunday, or more likely adapt one I found online to fit our smaller primary.
Write, create, plan a class on priorities for our Stake Relief Society meeting/activity on Oct. 17, where I will also be going to primary leadership training.
Get myself organized and ready for our first presidency meeting.
Meet with the staff at the elementary school to discuss the volunteer coordinating I will be doing with them.

Some of that stuff is kind of intimidating. My problem is that I want everything to turn out just perfect.....and I don't know how I can get it that way, so I think about it for another day or so and then I'm behind schedule. But, I'll get it done.....somehow. :) I know we all have some weeks or months that feel especially busy.

Fall has arrived....it's Forest Festival week.

2009-09-29T12:07:00.002-04:00

Bethany's allergies are going wild, hence the red, puffy eyes....mums are aplenty.....and the weather is bouncing around like a basketball. Warm and windy days, cold and windy nights, and then cold days, then more warm days.....that's okay. We are enjoying it. I took this first picture last night because it was our first night out to the Forest Festival carnival area. We walked downtown and rode carnival rides for a couple of hours, raced the piggies which is a carnival game, and had carnival food....yum. Their caramel apples are on the counter right now, and it's taking tremendous will power for me to not eat them while they are unattended. :) Hopefully, I'll get some better pictures this week and I'll share. We went to the Buckwheat Festival on Saturday, in the rain, but it was still fun. Mallory's new favorite thing is "harades" -- yep, parades with an h. She is excited for the parades this weekend, and she wants to see the "ween" - queen. We are going to have a week jam-packed with carnival, food, parades, crafts, park activities, and more. Wish you all could be here to enjoy it with us!

Mallory is wearing her new backpack in preparation for church Sunday. She LOVES this thing..thank you, Aunt Shannon. "Little Miss Sunshine"....do you all remember those characters from when some of us were young? There is a whole page of them on my Facebook Photos of Me page. The names aren't right, but there were little books with these characters named for their personalities and moods. Notice in a post below that Jaxson got a backpack that has "Mr. Strong" on it....very appropriate.

Because I took Mal's picture, Bethany posed for one, too. Doesn't she look like a little lady? Where has the time gone?

I loved this one....Game Day cheerleader.

Soccer

2009-09-29T11:18:00.003-04:00

Fall soccer started in mid-September for Bethany. She really enjoys soccer. This is her first season in the U8 league, so she's playing on a bigger field with more soccer rules and even a goalie. It's so different from U6. But, they do still tend to just all follow the ball instead of passing. It's a lot of fun to watch, and the kids are getting a great workout. Since Bethany enjoys running, this is a great sport for her.

I know this one is blurry, but I like the action. See what I mean, though.....three kids from the same team going after the ball.

I like that the kids are still friendly about the competition at this level. Friends on opposite teams are still friendly.

She's so cute in this one....I just wanna squeeze her!

Jaxson's 2nd BDay

2009-09-29T11:10:00.003-04:00

My nephew, Jaxson, turned 2 in September. These are some photos from his birthday celebration in the park.

Happy Fall!

2009-09-22T11:09:00.002-04:00

I think I used this background last year, but I had to use it again because IT'S FALL today!! I love fall.....you all know that. I'll try to take some better pictures this year of the leaves as they change. Some trees have already started, the nights are getting darker earlier, and it's cool in the evening and morning. I love it! Jackets, sweatshirts, soccer games, and football, too. Festivals are coming up....this weekend and next week. It's time to buy some mums. :)

My last 36 hours.....

2009-09-16T20:48:00.002-04:00

In the last 36 hours......

Mallory and I walked to and from Montessori yesterday, which meant about 40 minutes for me and I loved it! I felt so good I did yoga in-between walks, too. Yay me!
I went to WalMart -- twice! Ugh. It feels like I need to get better about combining my trips, but I'm forgetful these days, and it's so close to my house.
I put away most of Mallory's birthday gifts and sorted out some baby/not-played-with-so-much toys to make room.
Had Bethany's best friend, Brynna, come over after school yesterday and before school today because her mom was working....no problem, she's a sweet girl.
Went to Bethany's soccer field AGAIN, this time to do team pictures.
Went to the church to meet with the Bishop to turn in names for counselors to serve with me in Primary, and assorted other names were discussed for the many needs of our primary.....whew. Pray for me people - this is a first for me - always the counselor, never the president, which has always worked out nicely for me. :)
Put the kids to bed without Brad 2 nights in a row (two more nights this week to come, too)....argh, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right? It's nothing compared to my Army wife friends. (Young Men/ Scouts and work)
Went to the school THREE times today -- meetings with the principal and pick-up.
Had Girls' Movie/Livingroom Picnic Night......"Bolt", not finished yet - kinda cute.
Was stalked by an angry primary parent because of family feuding between her and her sister and their daughters, which played out in primary on Sunday......(seriously, she came to my house looking for me, but thankfully I was gone-- Are you praying for me yet? :)
Played Memory with Mallory, and she kicked my hiney!
Let my heart sing when Mallory opened her Barbie Happy Meal toy and said, "Mommy, I wuv it! Iss so pwitty! I WUV it! Tank you!"
Had a proud Mommy moment when Bethany's soccer coach said, "She is so good! She is the best listener on the team. How do you do it?!" She came to me a sweetie, so I just got lucky. :)

Mallory is 3!

2009-09-11T16:54:00.004-04:00

Mallory woke up at 6:30 yesterday in anticipation of her birthday. She got to go to "school" where she blew out the birthday candle and they sang Happy Birthday to her in sign language. Then she chose to go to the Steer Steakhouse with me for lunch where she overtook my BLT sandwich, and as a super-special treat got a teeny-tiny Diet Coke of her own. The people we ate lunch with, including Brad's parents, sang Happy Birthday to her and she smiled very shyly and jumped into my arms and said, "Thank you, Mommy. That was reawy nice." When she got to our house, I had decorated a little bit with Disney princess stuff and she said, "Mommy! I wuv it! I wuv my party!" She then attempted to nap, or at least pretend to nap while I baked more cake -- but most of that time she yelled for me. For the rest of the day she kept talking about and preparing for her party which wasn't scheduled until after dinner. When it was time to get Burger King for dinner, she refused to leave the house..where her party was, see. "No, I stay here." "We'll have to leave without you Mal -- Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for us." "Okay, bye Dad! Bye Mom!" I had a moment then that is not parenting perfection, but I didn't know how to get her out of the house without being really hard on her on her birthday, so I said "Oh, no, Mallory! The police are going to come and get Daddy and Mommy because little girls can't be home all by themselves!!! You have to come RIGHT NOW!" She was like, "oh! ok." And out the door we went. Don't worry....I then proceeded to tell her how police officers protect people and if they think parents aren't protecting their kids, the parents can get in big trouble...etc.etc.etc. so that she wouldn't think police are bad or scary.

Then, BK.....remember my post about Brad's experience a couple of months ago at a BK? It was worse this time! This play area was tiny and Mallory was afraid to come down. My sister went up first, but Mallory still wouldn't come out. Brad had to crawl up again and rescue her. I WILL remember to never let her go into these again...at least not for another 6 months or so.

So, we were almost late for our own party. Presents were opened, cake and ice cream were eaten, and little Mallory was celebrated!!! Good day!

I wasn't planning this cake, but Mallory kept telling people she was going to have a pink cake. What? I make cupcakes - Betty Crocker - nothing fancy, no decorating except for maybe some lettering and sprinkles. I had already made chocolate cupcakes, but I pulled out a flower mold and did another batch of cupcakes - went to Walmart again looking for pink icing and voila! She was happy and I tried something new. Tasty, too. Maybe someday I'll learn cake decorating like so many of my friends. It looks like fun.

Our weekend...

2009-09-07T16:52:00.007-04:00

We spent a couple of nights at Snowshoe Resort with my brother and his family this weekend. I wasn't sure what activities would be available since it's a ski resort, but I was pleasantly surprised. They have a shopping village right in the middle of some of the condo areas, and they run the ski lift down to the lake where there are lots of activities like paddle boats, canoes, a swimming area with beach and chairs with umbrellas, playgrounds, hammocks hanging in the trees, climbing walls, bungee jump things, volleyball, shuffleboard, etc. It was really nice. And, of course, swimming pools with slides which we had to visit even though it was around 70 degrees up on the mountain. In fact the difference in temperature from our condo on top of the mountain to the lake at the bottom of the lift was about 7 degrees.

We're now catching up on sleep because Mallory continued to keep us awake with her yelling, fussing fits at the condo, too. She did sleep all the way through the night last night...woohoo!!

(I didn't think I'd ever say that again after she turned 18 months old. ugh.)

the Pirate Ship was a big hit

Elizabeth, Jaxson, Daniel, and Matt

This is a picture of the girls wearing their "My Aunt Rides and So Will I" National Motorcycle Museum t-shirts that my sister, Shannon, bought for them. I will email some more to you, Shan. :)

My tired Mallory....

2009-09-03T21:25:00.003-04:00

Some background.....the night before last, Mallory cried, yelled, and screamed for her Daddy from about 1 am until 4:30 am, THEN she would not fall asleep during her naptime yesterday, THEN she would not fall asleep for her naptime today....( and yes, I'm scared that she is a. growing out of naps or b. growing out of her crib comfort and we're not ready for a big girl bed or c. both) ....So, imagine what kind of mood she was in for the rest of today.

(In the car this evening)

Bethany - "Mallory, did you miss me today when I was at school?"

Mallory - huffy "NO! I di naw misshu."

Bethany - "What?"

Mallory - extra loud "I DI NAW MISSHU!"

Bethany - "But, Mallory, my school was farther away from home than yours."

(whatever that has to do with this ??)

Mallory - very snooty "I know!"

Bethany - "Well, I love you and I missed you, Mallory. That wasn't very nice."

Mallory - with humility "I sorry, Betany."

But, the whole evening went this way....AND she cried and fussed for an hour after I put her to bed tonight.....seriously?!? How is she staying awake?! I had to rock her like a baby to get her to sleep....which was kind of sweet, but we don't want to make a habit of it. Hopefully, our Labor Day weekend away at a nearby resort won't be like this.

Oh, yeah -- Mallory started Montessori preschool today. She will be going 2 mornings a week, sometimes 3, and is super excited. She did not have any trouble leaving me, and I convinced myself to stay busy and do chores while she was gone to keep my mind and body occupied. It worked and my floors are shiny. :)

1st Day of School

2009-08-27T13:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Bethany's first day of school - First Grade! She was very excited. Surprisingly, our morning went quite smoothly. I woke up before everybody else, except Mallory, and I showered while Brad got breakfast for the girls. We all had time to fix hair, get dressed, and say our family prayer before heading in different directions. Mallory and I took Bethany to the school, and even though the "Safe School Guidelines" don't allow it, I walked her to her classroom. She really didn't want me to, but we had a huge and heavy shopping bag of school supplies to give to her teacher so she decided it was okay for me to walk with her -- THIS time. :) After school I expected her to be wiped out, but she was upbeat. She said, "Mom, 1st grade is really fun. I'm going to like 1st grade." I was relieved to hear this. Bethany goes back and forth on her opinion of school, likes it - doesn't like it- it's boring - it's fun, etc. I'm really pulling for her liking it because if she doesn't like elementary school, what's going to happen as she heads into middle and high school?

(I just realized when I was posting these pictures that she's wearing the same shirt she wore for her last day of school in kindergarten. It matches the skirt she wanted to wear which is a hand-me-down from her cousin. She had a growth spurt last spring so she got lots of new clothes toward the end of the school year, so we didn't have to get a whole lot to start off this school year....except jeans. I think she's grown at least 2 inches since her last birthday.)

The rest of our vacation......

2009-08-26T12:15:00.006-04:00

So, Wednesday we began the next installment of our Bennett Family Vacation Summer 2009. We drove to Canaan Valley to go horseback riding again because the kids loved it so much. Let me just say, though, that I am done - finished- retired from horseback riding. I think it's great for about 30 minutes, but anything after that is pure torture. ( at least on the mountain/hill trails) We had to do the 1 1/2 hr ride this time because the hour long ride was full. It ended up being 2 hours, not to mention the fact that they got started late and we didn't begin our ride until an hour after our scheduled time. So, we didn't finish until 1:00 when our ride was scheduled from 10:00 - 11:30am. But, the great thing about vacation is that I insist that we do things on our own time, no hurry, no "we've gotta be there by....." because that's when Mommy gets cranky about running late and I can't enjoy things as much. We went to have lunch at this great cafe that's in the mountains and then continued onto Washington DC. We stayed with my aunt and uncle who live in Silver Spring, which is like 10 minutes from DC and 5 minutes from the temple. We visited the temple Wednesday evening after eating dinner with our relatives. Brad and I took turns going in to do work while the other stayed out with the kids. Our girls were so excited to visit the temple grounds. They were singing " I Love to See the Temple" on the way into DC, and when we got there they were actually quiet and reverent. I took them through the visitor's center and walked around the grounds with them. Brad let them watch a movie while I was in the temple. It was very special that we got to include this into our vacation.

The next day we drove to the National Zoo and walked all over to visit the animals there. It was HOT! We love to go to this zoo because it's free and they always have panda bears. There was a baby named Tai Tai. When we left the zoo we ended up having some bad MapQuest directions and spent about an hour driving around in downtown DC. What an adventure! Once again, no worries, we had no place to be so we pointed out the monuments, memorials, museums, the Capital and the White House to Bethany while Mallory napped. Eventually my uncle was able to guide us out of DC over the phone. Whew!

Our last day we decided to take the Metro to the Mall and visit the Natural History Museum (Smithsonian). The girls love "Rexie", the dinosaur from the Night at the Museum movies, so they spent a lot of time in the dinosaur area. We visited lots of the animal exhibits and then they were ready to leave, and were quite excited to ride the "train" again. It was a short visit, but just long enough for our family, I think. We got out of the area before rush hour and were home before 5:30 that evening.

Brad said more than once that this was a favorite vacation for him because it was so relaxing. Sometimes when we go away for a whole week, we get overloaded with too many things to do and see. And not only was this laid back, but very inexpensive. When our kids get older we'll spend a lot more time in DC visiting more of the Smithsonian buildings and the other attractions, all free. If you haven't done this with your family, think about it. Many of us are lucky to live in the Eastern states where we can easily visit the capital city.

We still had the weekend which included the "Dive into Back to School" activity at Bethany's school where we met her teacher for 1st grade, and then Bethany and I had a Mommy/Daughter Date when we went to the spa together for pedicures. She also got a manicure, and was so excited about it. She chose a different color for her toes than her hands and had sparkles put over top of the color. She also had her glass of iced water and plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers. It was adorable. I just watched her the whole time when I was supposed to be relaxing to enjoy my own pedicure. It was great! (The only rough part was that I was fighting off some kind of virus from Thursday evening through Monday with a very sore throat and a fever and achy-ness. I rested Saturday evening and Sunday, and am much better now.)

Our weekend

2009-08-17T14:32:00.002-04:00

Brad and I decided to take a laid-back vacation this year. We are staying kind of close to home, and keeping it simple and inexpensive. Over the weekend we visited my brother's family near Charleston, WV...actually, Nitro is the name of the town. (named for nitroglycerin during WWII because of the plant that was there at the time - interesting tidbit, huh?) We had a great time relaxing, playing Wii Resort (my first time with Wii, and I loved it), and visiting the local water park. We had beautiful, hot weather for our pool/waterslide/lazy river day and lots of strangers around who won't remember seeing me in a swimsuit. :) We all really enjoyed the water fun, and Bethany even rode a tube on one of the waterslides all by herself. I was kind of surprised but wanted to support her, so I went with her the 2nd time (even though I was a little nervous about it). This slide was divided into 3 or 4 sections, each one ending with a big splash into a small pool. When I reached the second pool, Bethany was clinging to the side and crying because she'd been tossed from her tube and pushed underwater. I had been tossed under, too, but for her it was very scary. The lifeguard didn't seem to even notice her until he saw her mom coming over to see what was wrong, then he offered to walk her down to the bottom. Kind of irritating that he wasn't helping her before I got there. Who knows how long she was clinging and crying?! So, she is done with slides....at least for a while. Other than that, great day! We're planning a short trip to DC later this week, so I'll fill you in when we get back. And, we're doing Daddy and Mommy dates individually with the kids this week, too. Brad and Bethany are golfing right now, and I think I'll take her to the spa for pedicures before school starts. We're not sure about Mallory yet....probably movies and park. She's easy to please. :) Hope that you're all having a great August!

Can you feel the excitement?!

2009-08-13T16:14:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling in the mood for some school time fun!! Hence, the new background. :)

You still feel it, right? The excitement about a new school year, new supplies, school clothes shopping, finding good deals, and the children's anticipation for new teachers and seeing their friends again.....I love it.
I don't miss teaching, but it does feel good to know that I'll be involved again once school starts. I'll be coordinating the Parent Volunteer schedule for the teachers, staff, and parent/grandparent volunteers. I'm looking forward to working with all of these different people, and it will be fulfilling for me to be helping out with something the school and teachers need that hasn't been happening.
Although I'll miss having Bethany at home so much, I know how much she'll enjoy first grade, so I'm ready for it, too. And, yes, I'll get a break from the days where she is bored and the girls fight and annoy me. You all know what I'm talking about. I'm also looking forward to days that require more routine in my life. A specific time to wake up, lists, chores, pickup schedules, etc. It's all good for me and for my family....not that we won't struggle because we take our time about eating breakfast all summer long, like 9 am, and now it has to be before 8 am. That's our biggest battle with Bethany before school.

But, anyway, are you feeling it too?!

Mom's 60th Birthday

2009-07-31T16:50:00.003-04:00

My sisters, brother, and I planned a surprise 60th birthday party for our mom. While it was quite a bit of work, it was so worth it when Mom showed up and was absolutely surprised. We weren't sure that it could be pulled off, but Dad had the hardest job of keeping Mom occupied all day so that she wouldn't show up too early. We had concocted a story where we needed them to babysit for us that evening, but since it's her summer break she wanted to come up early and visit her sister. We couldn't let that happen because our other aunts were at her house and it would have given it all away. The timing was tricky because we weren't sure what time my brother would get here. It was a small gathering -- just our family and Mom's sisters and brother-in-law. We missed Shannon, our sister in Iowa, but she called during the party. We fixed steak and chicken kabobs on the grill and fruit kabobs, too. If my aunts and uncle hadn't arrived super early, there is no way we would have gotten those put together in time. Whew!

My sister-in-law, Elizabeth, made this cake. Beautiful and tasty!

The kids were super excited for cake-time.
Heather put countless hours into making a scrapbook of Mom's first 60 years. It turned out great, and I think Mom will treasure it.

Horseback Riding - Canaan Valley, WV

2009-07-31T16:07:00.005-04:00

One of our activities with the Bennett Family was horseback riding. It was my first time, and a first for all of the kids, too. They were so excited. Papa Ralph stayed back with Mallory because she wasn't old enough to go on the 1 hour trail ride. The trail took us up on top of one of the hills and through the woods, and the view was beautiful. My horse was "Prince", and I was lucky enough to ride up close to all of our kids because we were in a large group. I got to hear them as they talked about their horses, laughed, and enjoyed their ride -- especially when the horses would trot. Once again, lots of pics......

Bethany and Will

Mallory was super excited and absolutely fearless. I was shocked. She has not stopped talking about her horse, "Ben". His real name was Dan, but I guess she changed it.

Audrey on "Spot"

Tate on "Dan"

Will on "Princess"

Bethany on "Easter"

John and Anita on their horses, ??

Alison
Brad on "Dillon"

My Favorite Recent Words/Sentences/Quotes from Mallory

2009-07-31T15:51:00.003-04:00

Mal has been talking sooo much lately, and her personality is really starting to bloom. She has opinion, likes, dislikes, and wants to have little conversations with us. It's so cute. I must say, though, she is quite a feisty little one. Screaming, crying, whining fits have become a part of my daily life. But, the cute things outweigh the irritating things -- most days. :)

"You stop dat noise wight now!" (when I was changing her diaper this afternoon - ???
I guess I do recall using that phrase a lot yesterday evening. Ooops.)

"My bottom houts, for 2 owas! Don't touch it!"
("hurts", "hours" -when Brad forgot to take the diaper bag to the church)

"She my sisser." (about Bethany - with a little smile and head tilt)

"Mommy, you mean!"

"Bue hat, Geen hat, yewow hat, Ooops! heeheeheehee" (Sandra Boynton books, anybody?
She reads this one everyday all by herself.)

"I wuv/wub ______" (puppies, red, milk, dat song, you too!, Dora, etc.)

"I do it myselwf!"

"Mommy, where iss my daddy? I neeeed my daddy!"

"Mommy, mommy, I have a baa weam! I sared!" ( "bad dream" "scared" - most nights after
I put her to bed, within about 15 minutes, before she has even been to sleep.)

Time with the Cali cousins

2009-07-30T22:41:00.004-04:00

We spent a week in July with our California family. I'm including lots of pics, especially for them to see, so bear with me. My girls were so excited and thrilled to spend every moment they could with their cousins. They only get to see each other once or twice a year, so we treasure that time. They play so well together and we get to do some things that we

wouldn't usually take the time to do.

Mallory

Bethany

Audrey

Will

Tyler

Tate

Uncle Ed with Tate and Audrey - balancing and jumping on the bridge

We always make time for a family game of wiffle ball in Grandpa and Grandma's backyard.

All-Time Pitcher, Papa Ralph

She can eat a whole cob, devours it, really.

Pics of the falls that I took from different look-outs.

The Girls

The Annual Grandkids Picture on the Big Rock

Catch up...

2009-07-30T21:47:00.006-04:00

So, we've had a busy month or two. Family visits galore, birthdays, surprise 60th party for my mom at my house, reunions, and more to come. I am a little ashamed to admit that when something hasn't been going on, I've been just hiding out at home doing as little as possible. This has been a very laid back summer. We've stayed in our hometown the whole summer so far, but hope to do a few little travel outings in August. I can't believe it's going to be August already!

Helping Brad clear out some of our yard....notice their gardening aprons and tools. They were so excited to help out.

There is a local family that rescues animals, Hovatter Zoo, and we visited with my parents and my sister, Heather. The kids loved it. You get to go so close to the animals, and so many of the females had babies -- the monkeys, the lions, and the white tiger was getting ready to have hers. She was restless and pacing like crazy .

I had to snap a picture of the girls eating watermelon on the front porch together. Bethany's hair used to be the same color as Mallory's is right now. They change too fast.

Quick update

2009-07-08T16:36:00.002-04:00

It's a super busy week for me, but I'll fill you in when I get the chance. I hope you all enjoyed the 4th. It was an easygoing day for us. Huge stress has been overcome for the time-being, and I could not be more relieved. I'm still a little wary that it will come back, though. Now, onto more family activities and chores.......

A rare thing

2009-07-02T13:53:00.002-04:00

Late this morning, I was sitting in the bathroom putting on some make-up when I realized that it was absolutely silent in my house. Now, that is not common with kids in the house, right? But, the really exciting thing about it this time is that I knew that they weren't getting into trouble. Each of the girls were in their individual bedrooms ..one coloring and the other playing with her own toys. How rare is it to have silence, peace, and know that all is well with our kids in the house? I couldn't help but think that if I had boys, it might never happen. :) I think I'm lucky.

It's true....

2009-07-02T00:19:00.003-04:00

I've heard before that it can make things better to just be able to vent to a friend. Thanks to all of you for letting me do that yesterday. I vented to my friends about the status of my house and feelings of "blah", and guess what? Things got better! I washed dishes, did laundry, straightened messes, parented, showered and got dressed, payed bills, and more. I still have certain stresses, but that's the way it goes. Cycles of life, right? Things will be smooth-sailing for awhile and then it gets bumpy. Days are not productive, moods are funky, kids are whiny, then it turns around. Sometimes I just need to have a day of nothing, and then I can get back on track. I appreciated your comments and words of encouragement. Now, off to bed so tomorrow can be a good day...... :)

One of those days......(or weeks?)

2009-06-30T10:57:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to blog for days now, but I can't decide what to share -- my life has been consumed by one gigantic stress that I might not want to write about and remember. Maybe I'll come back to it if I decide to share. But, anyway, this is the state of my house:

*dishes piled high in my sink and on my counter (I hate washing dishes by hand!)
*laundry on the floor by my washer/dryer, in the dryer, in the laundry baskets
*me - in my pajamas STILL!
*boxes of photos piled on my stove because I moved them from my dining table (it's not like I'll be using the stove a whole lot, right?)
*separate piles of projects stacked on my desk, some of which need to be done NOW!
*piles of clean bedding, blankets, etc. in my guest room
*stain spilled all over my front porch from last week's "stain the front porch railings" project
(We were supposed to power-wash it and paint afterwards, but that hasn't happened yet due to previously mentioned stress and Brad's newly sprained ankle.)
*clover-filled grass in my yard which indicates it needs mowed, but now it's raining
*box of family reunion stuff next to desk which constantly reminds me I'm supposed to be sending out reminders, buying prizes, and putting together the family pedigree wall charts to display at this year's reunion
*Need I go on?

This is how I'm feeling today - blah! Too much to do, no energy to do it, and disgusted with the mess around me. Now, I've vented, so maybe I can get on with my day.

Before I forget....

2009-06-18T21:45:00.002-04:00

I just have to blog about this before I forget.....

Bethany, Mallory, and I drove about 30 minutes this evening to meet Brad in a town called Buckhannon which is in between where we live and where he works. We met for dinner at BK. They have a massive indoor play area, and so after eating dinner the girls went in to play. B was instructed to stay close to M and help her through the tubes and such, plus I didn't want M to get left behind and freak out. Well, after about 20 minutes of playtime I told B it was time to leave, so she went to find M. We waited and waited and waited, but no M. I finally saw B track her down in an area that was visible and noticed that M was shaking her head and trying to make a getaway, so Brad and I looked at each other and pointed to each other and then to the playplace. He thought I was going to go up after her.....hahahahaha....that is too funny. If only I had a video camera with me or at least knew how to work the camera on my new phone!!! My 6 foot tall, 185 lb Brad had to climb up through each level of this thing, very slowly and cautiously, to try to find our 2 1/2 yr old rebel. It was hilarious....for me anyway. After at least 5 minutes, maybe ten, they appeared at the end of the slide. Whew! I was trying not to laugh out loud as I reprimanded Mallory about coming out when we say it's time to leave, and that Daddy could have been thrown out of BK for going into the "Kids Only" area....well, that was probably a stretch. I imagine many parents have had to make that climb. Needless to say, Brad is going to have some bruises on his legs after that little adventure, but I'm really just glad that he was with me this time. :)

Motherhood.....Today's Thoughts

2009-06-17T16:04:00.006-04:00

Does it sometimes puzzle you to see the broad spectrum of characteristics and behaviors children have? How they can go from being the sweetest beings on earth to something resembling a heathen in just minutes? ( I know that is a strong word, but really....it fits sometimes, right?) Let me share some examples from my week.....

Sunday evening -- I'm reading scriptures with my girls when Mallory picks up a card with a picture of Jesus on it, which we use as a bookmark, and says, "My Jesus." Already sounds sweet, right? Hold on -- Bethany says, "No, Mallory, He's not just YOUR Jesus. He is everybody's Jesus. He loves us all, and He died so that we might live. (Seriously, she said it just like that.) He lived and died for us. He sacrificed. So, He is your Jesus, and my Jesus, and everybody's Jesus." I just kind of stopped reading and looked at her and listened to my sweet girl teach her 2 yr. old sister.

Monday evening ----We take a walk to the park up the street for our FHE activity which the girls have been wanting to do all day, and B insisted on playing soccer and basketball, so we took the balls along with us. Within minutes she is complaining about the way we play with her and crying when things don't go exactly as she wants them to. Let's just say that I watched my six year old have a 2 year old tantrum in the middle of that neighborhood park ...the likes of which I've never seen from her. Not as a 2,3,4 or 5 yr old. WHAT?! The whole time, I'm like "if somebody sees us spank her to snap her out of this, we'll get reported." She screamed, ran away from me, refused to go home, ran some more, cried, yelled at us that we are "so mean" and that she didn't care if she got spanked at home, or lost park privileges or anything else. Brad stepped in before I totally lost it, and I started walking home with Mallory. It's good that I had some time to cool. Eventually, we got her disciplined, punishments were handed out - some of which last all of this week and longer, and she went straight to bed. AAAHHH!

Tuesday ---- B has no TV this week, so she had to figure out ways to entertain herself all day without that. She pleasantly surprised me by starting to write a story, playing peacefully and sweetly (most of the time) with M for just about the entire day. Good day.

Wednesday ---- The kiddos are playing Tball in the yard when B swings the bat as hard as she can (softish bat, but not too soft) when M is standing right in front of her, smacking little M in the head and face. M starts crying loudly, which she only does when it really hurts. What does B say? "She should have gotten out of my way when I was swinging." Really?! I lectured her about how her first response should have been "I'm sorry." Or, "are you ok, Mallory?", or even, "oops". To her credit, she did realize the error of her ways and hugged her sister and said sorry.

So, today I contemplate the complexity of children and that this is my challenge as a mother for many years to come.....to keep on teaching, develop better patience, teach, forgive (which isn't too tough when you love them so much - might not feel that easy when they become teens, though), learn humility in the times when I'm in the wrong and say "I'm sorry" to my children, better model what I want them to be and do, and in all of this....teach some more!!! I learn so much from trying to understand my kids, and I'm so grateful to be able to be a full-time mom/wife/household manager/etc.

That said, I mowed the grass last night just to get a break from my "normal" role, and let Brad handle it all for a little while. :)

(This was the view under the table where I sat and watched their Grandpa's "show" a few weeks ago. They love each other......almost all of the time. :)

Still my Favorite Place......

2009-06-09T13:53:00.002-04:00

I took these photos recently when I visited the Washington D.C. Temple. Its beauty always lifts me up, and I feel such peace and contentment when I enter the doors of this holy place.

I am so blessed -- and each of you, as well, who get to attend the temple!

Kindergarten...the end.

2009-06-09T13:01:00.006-04:00

the 1st Day of Kindergarten

the Last Day of Kindergarten

Below are the pictures we took at Bethany's Kindergarten Celebration on June 3rd. We didn't really know what to expect, except that it wasn't called "graduation" anymore and that there would be some songs. Bethany didn't tell us anything else. Well, when we got there we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Bethany was the only child out of the 50 or so kindergarteners to have a part in the program because she was chosen to lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. We were very proud of her. We were so lucky to be here near our families so that they could attend. My mom took off work to come, my Dad is retired, my Aunt lives in Elkins like us, and Brad's mom, dad and sister also attended. (and of course, Brad, Mallory and I)

I find it hard to believe that my little Bethany is old enough to be done with Kindergarten. She reads, she computes math in her head, she writes....it all amazes me. I was feeling kind of sad after the whole thing was over and I had some time to myself. I thought, "well, this is just silly. Snap out of it." Then, later, Bethany was beaming with pride as she stated that she isn't in kindergarten anymore...she's a first grader! I was reminded of how much excitement I used to get out of completing a year of school, and how I couldn't wait to get older and do more and learn more and........you know. At that moment, I was able to just feel happy for her and be excited along with her. See, I'm growing, too. :)

Bethany with her Great-Aunt Bev

Papa Ralph, Aunt Anita, Grandma Barbara, & Bethany

Brynna, Bethany, & Grace

Grandma Judy, Mal, Bethany, and Papa Deer

Austin & Bethany

Daniella, Grace, Bethany, JT, & Will

Bethany with Mrs. Smith

The Field Trip - 2009

2009-06-09T12:42:00.005-04:00

We saw river otters, bison, white-tailed deer, foxes, bald eagles, lots of nocturnal animals that were hiding out and sleeping for the day like opossums, raccoons, etc. and some animals are pictured below. This was the WV Wildlife Center in French Creek, WV and it showcases many of the animals that live here in "Wild and Wonderful West Virginia".

Bethany's friends are natural posers, so she joined in.

I'm not sure what kind of bird this is, but it laid its eggs right next to the walking path. Every time people walked by it made this unique continuous chirping sound and lifts it's wings out to the sides. As soon as the people walked on by, it would stop.

Nasty WartHog.....Have you ever seen the teeth on these things?!

The WV State Animal, the Black Bear

Bethany, Grace, Brynna, & Daniella

Huge Mountain Lion...I've never seen one this big before.

A back-view of the new little pigtails

Bus Buddies - Grace & Bethany

I was only responsible for these two kids because there were so many parents on the trip.

The New-Do

2009-06-09T12:23:00.003-04:00

This was taken the evening we got her hair cut. So 80's!

Photos taken before school one morning

A back/side view.....Big Sis helping Lil' Sis...I love it!

Bethany has had a ton of hair since she was born.....lots and lots of it! We've cut it to donate before, but this time they cut at least an extra 4 inches off. So, here are some pics of the New-Do. She loves it, and so do I, but I'm excited that it will grow back, too. :) I miss ponytails.

A Visit with Treasured Friends

2009-06-09T11:19:00.005-04:00

Caroline & Bethany on the swings
Melanie, Kimberly, & Hannah on the old Spin-Around

Ancient teeter-totter of sorts : Deana, Melanie, Kimberly & Mallory

Mallory, Bethany, & Hannah climbing the banned-for-safety reasons-from-all-updated-playgrounds Climbing Contraption

The Ginn Family drove about 7 hours to come and visit us for Memorial Day weekend. Brad and Gregg were playing in a golf tournament that Saturday with my brother and my dad, which they thoroughly enjoyed despite the sunburn. Deana and I and the girls enjoyed the park up the street and a drive through the mountains, among other things. It was so special for me to see how much they loved the beauty of the landscape around us. How many kids do you know who appreciate just taking a drive and looking out the windows at the scenery? I'll never forget how excited the girls were to be here and how they soaked up every moment of their time with us. My kids had great friends to play with all day long, and Brad and I had our great friends, too. It was so wonderful to see them and so sad to see them go. Anybody else wanna visit???? :)

(P.S. -- the pretty scenic pictures are on Deana's blog)

Springtime in the Mountains

2009-06-09T10:49:00.004-04:00

I know I've been out of touch, but I'm going to attempt to fill you in and blog about what we've been up to since my last post in early May. Let's see.....

Stake Conference
Parent Advisory Council meetings with the school and county
Movies with the kids....."Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian" and "UP"
T-Ball , t-ball and more t-ball!
Kindergarten Field Trip to the WV Wildlife Center
a trip to the temple with my sister
PTO
a visit from the Ginn family -- woohoo!
Memorial Day and Mother's Day fun with family
Golf, golf and more golf for Brad
Chiropractor, dentist, and other appointments
Kindergarten Celebration, end of school
Yard Sale!
and another trip to the temple -- with my hubby!

This is a yummy dessert I made for Mother's Day to take to my Mom's.

Strawberry Punchbowl Cake

1 angel food cake (tear into small chunks), 1 package of sugar-free fat-free vanilla instant pudding (prepared ahead of time), crushed pineapple (drained), 2-3 sliced bananas, 3-4 containers of strawberries (sliced), lite Cool Whip (16 oz size) *All of these ingredients are listed in the order they go in the bowl, 1/2 at a time, so there are two layers of everything, then I topped it with strawberries. Delightful and light, too!

Running to 1st Base

Playing 2nd Base

Warming up with Daddy

Two Days in a Row

2009-05-05T13:06:00.002-04:00

I can hardly believe this, but I have been ready to go before 8:30 am two days in a row! You're probably thinking, uh - so what, or - is this chick lazy or what. The thing is, Brad takes Bethany to school, so I take my time about getting out of pajamas and leaving the house. What's the rush? Mallory and I lead a freestyle kind of life together. If we have something to do, we go and do it -- after 10:00 am, usually. No rushing around or stressing out.

We had a play date for the first time since I've lived here yesterday. My friend, Anna, and her recently turned 3 yr old, Ethan, came to visit. Things didn't go amazingly well between the kiddos because he wanted to play with his mom, not this strange little girl, and the moms just wanted the kids to go play and let us visit. But, I'm so glad they came! We did get to visit even though we had to put off our children a little bit as they bugged us for movies and going to Target, which is more than an hour away. We're anxiously waiting for park weather after the spring showers move on.
Then, today, I had to go to the mechanic to pick up my van and drop off my borrowed-from-my-father-in-law-car to another mechanic. Why? Because yesterday I drove it to the school to pick up Bethany, which I do everyday but usually in my own van. As I was sitting in the car waiting for B to come get in the car, while talking to Brad on the phone, a car hit my side view mirror and knocked it off! Of course this would happen when I'm in somebody else's car, during those tiny five minutes I needed to use it. Scared the cr*p out of me, by the way, because it made a really loud noise, and Mal and I were on that side of the car. Everybody thought she'd completely side-swiped me. Children and teachers were all over the sidewalks, so many people saw and heard it. A little embarrassing. At least the lady eventually stopped up the street and came back and gave me her contact information. Got the estimate, just glad it's not a huge deal.
I have been telling Brad for the past couple of weeks just how great it's been to take M shopping with me lately. She helps me shop, listens well, and is patient if we're there for a long time. In fact, she's been getting special treats because she has been so good. Well, that ended today....the day I needed to purchase storage containers. You all know I'm a shorty, so I have these containers balanced on top of the cart and I can hardly see over them or around them. Then Mal starts touching EVERYTHING on the shelves, including lots of boxes with jewelry in them, and she's refusing to listen to me when I tell her to stop. My phone rings, and it's Brad...so now, I'm steering this cart with one hand, holding my phone with my shoulder and my head, and pulling an obstinate 2 yr old with my other hand. Don't worry, it only took me about another 10 seconds to tell Brad I'd have to call him back. I figured it out. :)

Thoughts and feelings for today........

2009-04-29T22:36:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling........

happy to be so blessed! I have beautiful, (mostly) sweet children, and they are healthy! I can be thankful for that each and every day.
excited to be using my new computer! It's so advanced and spiffy compared to our old laptop. I can't stop using it!
a little buzzed from too much Diet Coke. ;-)
so amazingly touched by the Atonement in my life! No matter how bitter and painful life can be for a time, it can be made so joyful again because of Jesus Christ. He knows me, He loves me, and His love for those around me is so comforting when I'm not enough for them.
content to be here, now.
somewhat appreciated - by people outside of my family. I was asked to serve on the School Improvement Council earlier in the year, and then yesterday the Title I staff requested that I be on their Parent Advisory Council. I don't even know people around her very well, so it's surprising. I guess they think I have something to offer, and I hope I can make a difference in some small way in education even though I'm not teaching anymore.

I'm thinking.....

about starting a Square Foot Garden. Thanks, Natalie, for suggesting it. Check out this website if you're interested : www.sqarefootgardening.com
about my little Mallory, who fell pretty hard on the sidewalk last night and has badly scraped up knees. It hurts when she tries to sleep on them. Imagine -2 yr old falls and gets her worst "ouchies" yet, 6 yr old sees the blood and starts to pass out on the sidewalk next to me.....thank goodness Brad was with me on this walk because we were each carrying a child back to the house from the park. So sad....I just want to make it all better.
how much I love to visit your blogs, everybody. You each inspire, entertain, and fulfill me in your unique ways.

Does this cheer sound familiar?

2009-04-22T21:32:00.006-04:00

Okay, I debated about sharing these pics, but there is a funny story behind it. (and I edited for modesty's sake.) Mallory picked out a basketball potty seat, pull-ups, and a stool for potty training time because she wouldn't use the potty seats I already have. For the first couple of days she wanted to sit on the potty all-day-long!! Nothing would happen of course, but she was excited. (That has passed, by the way. Potty training is at a stand still. Ugh.) So, anyway, Mallory says she needs to potty, and I sit there with her to monitor her progress -- she likes to tear off toilet paper when I'm not watching and waste it -- I'm encouraging her and Bethany joins in...."Push it out! Push it out! Waaaaay Out!" She starts making this face and straining her little neck, holding onto her potty seat handles, and I just had to grab my camera. I was trying to make sure I took shots of only her face, but that was difficult. So, I hope these aren't offensive pictures.....I just found them hilarious. (Oh, and this was the only time so far that she actually succeeded in NEEDING any toilet paper, so I think the cheer worked. heehee :)

( I hope this isn't too tasteless. I was hoping to spread some laughter. :) Check out all the new posts below....does anyone know why I can only post 5 pics per post? I could have condensed all my Easter photos into one post, but I had too many pics to share. )

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-22T21:15:00.002-04:00

I said my parents' driveway looked like a car lot that day...7 vehicles, I think,

and eggs were hidden on many of them.

The spring flowers had come up and it was a sunny day, but it was cold!

More fun pictures from Easter

2009-04-22T20:58:00.003-04:00

"Here's our loot, Mommy!"

Uncle Daniel reading to my girls. (Jaxson climbed up there before long.)

"Cheese!" He's always ready with a smile, but moves so fast!

Sizing each other up....not too shabby!

Remember? I said he's fast!

Easter Pictures

2009-04-22T20:41:00.003-04:00

Posing Easter Morning

Mallory tries to get Jaxson turned around.

The little ones are so interested in each other....it cracks me up.

Egg coloring time....look at her focus! :)

Waiting patiently...

What's been happenin'....

2009-04-22T12:05:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a while since I posted, so I'm just going to start with a rundown of recent happenings here for the Bennett family.....

Brad was organizing a Stake Men's Basketball tournament set for April 18th, and although it was lots of fun for the guys, we are glad it's over with! He was on the phone and the computer quite a lot trying to communicate with all the wards and set up the tournament brackets, etc. The best part about the whole thing is that it gave our friends, Chris and Deb, a reason to come visit for the weekend. Chris and Brad used to get together and play ball quite a bit in NC, and it was so amazing that they drove all this way so that the guys could play some ball together again. They are some of the sweetest people we've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and this is the second time they've visited us here in WV. We're so grateful for their friendship.
Does anybody else feel like all we do as school parents is fund raise? The PTO at Bethany's school just finished a Krispy Kreme doughnut sale, so I'll be delivering those tomorrow evening. We also had Longaberger Bingo, Applebee's Pancake Breakfast, and the school carnival is next weekend. And all of that is in the same quarter! In the fall we had a big sale, too! Whew! I just wish our government had education figured out better, so that parent organizations didn't have to take on such a burden to provide the schools with needed improvements, materials, and technology. Our PTO provides almost double the dollar amount of what our county board of education gives to our school.
I finished my root canal at the end of March and had my teeth cleaned today, so that makes 5 or 6 dentist appointments in about a month and a half for me. Whew! Dental work has to be at the bottom of my list of things I don't enjoy.
I've been saying for about 2 months that I'm going to get Bethany's hair cut off again, but I procrastinate the actual doing of it. We'll get it done soon, I think. (another 8-10 inches)
I went to the temple with my sister last month and it was wonderful! My kids were a-okay at home with Daddy and I was able to just take my time and do a couple of sessions. The DC temple is about 4 hours away from here, so it takes quite a bit of planning to get there. I'm hoping to make it there again soon. It's so rejuvenating to do the work and spend any amount of time in the Lord's house.
We spent Easter at my parents' house this year, and it was so nice to be there with my family. We colored eggs, hunted eggs, went to church where I was able to attend Sunday School, and enjoyed our time together. I'll post some pictures.
I've worked it out with the principal of the school so that I can bring Mallory with me to volunteer more often. That way I get to help out in the library or something, and I don't have to find babysitting. She's a good kid, so I'm thinking it should work out just fine. I'm glad to be a little bit more involved.

Today...

2009-04-02T11:09:00.002-04:00

Today, I'm feeling the effects of being a little older and a little less in-shape than I would like to be. Why? Because I finally tackled a painting project, our guest bathroom, yesterday, and my body aches....thank you for Motrin. Ok, our downstairs bathrooms were painted two different shades of peach/orange -- very unappealing for 2009, probably lovely for about 1985? (I wish I'd taken a before picture, but I'll post one later of the other bathroom.) So, I had to prime it with a primer-sealer-protector stuff, which by the way does not wash off your skin very easily -- I'll know that next time. It dried throughout the afternoon, and when I put the girls to bed I went back and painted the trim. Have any of you ever painted a closet door that has all of those little slanted slats in it? That took most of my time, but by 11:00 last night I had the trim done and had washed out my rollers and brushes and pans, etc., sat down and watched the American Idol shows for this week. (What a season, right?! So much talent!) Today, I'm working up the courage to now paint the walls with my new can of Dusky Taupe, but I think I'll wait until the girls are sleeping again. (I'm a neutral, earthy-tones kind of girl. Then, I can change anything in the room and keep the paint, right?)
I'm even working up the courage to go buy this flooring I saw at Big Lots to use in my bathrooms and kitchen, so I'm measuring and trying to decide if I can do it myself....I'll probably have to recruit Brad's help for that, though.

2009-03-25T16:21:00.003-04:00

I just re-read my post and was reminded of how our Mountaineers bombed out in their first game of the tourney. We were all very disappointed around here, but when you don't play well - you lose, right? In a strange way I was just contemplating that last statement and it kind of relates to my personal life. "Play well" corresponds with me being a good wife and mother --- not always easy. Very recently, I got a bit too emotional about a thing that happened which led to lots of not-so-fun feelings. Am I the only one who does that sometimes? So, I end up feeling sad, tired, hurt, etc. which really only results in me "losing"....losing my clear head, losing my calm comfort from the Spirit, losing opportunities to bond with and serve my family, and losing my sense of self-worth. I hate when I do that to myself! I am a daughter of God, which means I have a divine nature. Why do I sometimes pull myself down, or rather allow Satan to lead me to do so? Luckily, it didn't last too long.....well, not "luckily" because I prayed and studied the prophet's words and was blessed with peaceful feelings. I am so thankful for the knowledge that doing so will bring me closer to Him.

(I hope you don't mind me being so honest in my posts. I share what I do with my blog friends because doing so brings me peace and feelings of friendship. I'll try to have some more upbeat posts in the near future. :)

I'm looking forward to.....

2009-03-14T23:25:00.002-04:00

1.) A new year, according to my birthdate, to work on me.
2.) My 32nd birthday - okay, not really thrilled to be aging, but 32 is better than 72, right?
( What has happened to my youthful skin? The mirror is unfriendly some days, you know?)
3.) My new computer that is being ordered as I write this post...via Dell Chat, which is
so convenient!
4.) Working out with the luxury of on-site child care.
5.) Spring!
6.) March Madness...sort of, mostly just to see what the Mountaineers do in the tournament.
7.) T-Ball, it should be very entertaining and yet boring at the same time. :)
8.) General and Stake conferences.
9.) My trip to the temple with my sister next weekend. ( and many more in the future
because she is a temple worker now and I can ride with her. :)
10.) Getting more painting done in my house....notice I said "done", not "doing". :)

Quick BBall update...

2009-03-12T13:03:00.003-04:00

We got the go-ahead from the YMCA to start a program there next year for 5-8 year olds, and we're so excited! We get a chance to work with the community and teach kids about basketball, too. Brad will be the director and of course I'll be helping with advertising and scheduling and phone calls and basically - organizing his management of the program. :) He is capable, but I have more time on my hands for stuff like that. Brad's dad is going to help with refereeing and such, and he'll give us advice because he spent lots of time many years ago doing basketball camps and workshops at the Y - as well as lots of coaching in the Jerry West league. (9-12 year olds) So, along with all of this basketball excitement we will be joining the YMCA as members and that should mean that I get to work out....finally! They recently added child care which was non-existent at the gyms around here. I'm trying to believe in myself....that I WILL work out regularly and get healthier - and happier with myself as a result!

Check this out....

2009-03-10T22:25:00.003-04:00

My friend, Deana, emailed me this article posted on the LDS Newsroom site. It is a wonderfully written response to what I blogged about last Friday....acknowledging our feelings and yet reassuring us that all is well. I LOVE our church!! Check out the article by clicking here.

Walking, Washing, and WalMart

2009-03-10T11:59:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a good day! This is so unlike the current me, but I woke up and as Mallory was eating breakfast I washed the dishes.....I didn't procrastinate, but did it right away - first thing in the morning. We spent some time doing laundry and watching PBS Kids, and then I did another unexpected thing. I got Mallory and the diaper bag ready, put her in the stroller and started walking around town completing errands. We walked to the post office to mail bills and a very late birthday card, the line was very long so we decided to come back later to buy stamps. Then, we walked to the chiropractor's office where we spent about 40 minutes of our time. We then walked back over to the post office and bought some Forever stamps because postage is going up in May. Our next move was kind of wild, but we then walked all the way across town to City Hall to pay the water bill. By the time we got home we didn't need our jackets anymore, and Mallory was happily licking her Tootsie Pop that the city clerks had given her. ( She had also collected a sticker and cup of water from the chiropractor's office.) I LOVE that this town has sidewalks! For FHE, we talked about safety and what to do if we get separted in a store. A field trip to WalMart was in order...we did a little role play where Bethany didn't listen to me say "come on" and stayed in the aisle looking at princess things while I moved on. We told her to yell for me, first Mommy! then Mandy!, and if she didn't find me right away to find a WalMart worker or a Mommy with kids. ( and because Mallory was with her - to hold her hand and take her along.....I can't imagine ever walking away from both of my kids, but strange things can happen.) We took her around the store and had her point out people who would be safe to approach if she got separated from me, and who might not be a safe choice. (discreetly, of course.) I hope we never have to test it out, but you never know. That was my Monday!

Ok, I'm ticked....

2009-03-06T14:48:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking about this for a few days now, and after talking to my sister -Heather- about it, I'm going to follow her suggestion and blog about it. I started receiving TV Guide out of the blue a while back, I think because Dish network gifted it to us for six months or something. I got my copy for next week on Monday and started to flip through it from back to front for some silly reason. I saw something that caught my attention and flipped back to it.....there on the page of a national magazine is a woman/actress wearing an exact replica of what I wear in the temple!!! I was horrified, shocked, and hurt.....a television show, Big Love on HBO, has decided to incorporate into its story line one of the wives in the temple, and she has been called to an "excommunication hearing". The producers seem proud of their "research", even hiring an "ex-Mormon consultant" to "help the set and wardrobe designers re-create even the tiniest details." It goes on to say, "We go into the endowment room and celestial room [areas of the temple], and we present what happens in those ceremonies. That's never been shown on television before." (the exec. producer's quote) Can you even believe this? I was in tears and had to go up to my room, kneel and pray for peace and comfort. Most of you reading my blog are members of my faith and probably understand why I felt this way. I'm in tears again just recalling this and blogging about it. HOW can people be so offensive? Why, for the sake of attention and money and television, would people willingly spit upon what is so sacred to me and millions of others? TV Guide goes on to say "The decision won't be without controversy: According to a church insider, 'If they are in fact trying to emulate those rooms in any way, that would be extremely offensive. The general public is not allowed in our temples yet. Not even all Mormons are. We consider them very, very sacred.' Heaven help us." I don't even know how to take that last statement. I am pleased, though, that the "church insider" chose to speak in a calm and respecful manner about this. I feel anger towards all people involved in this television show. I don't subscribe to HBO and before this show aired I signed online petitions against the offensiveness of it. I didn't even know it was still on the air, but now I see how intertwined Satan is with television, Hollywood, entertainment - more than I ever have before. I'm sure this is one of those things the prophet would tell us to just turn the other cheek to, but I don't know. What more can I do but pray that I can feel peace and that others will be inspired to not view the abomination called "Big Love"? I don't blog about this to start an uproar or to inflict any of the same feelings I have had on any of you.....but I couldn't ignore it either.

My new camera!

2009-03-03T20:32:00.005-05:00

I finally bought a new camera - thank you tax return! It is still a simple style, but my old camera was purchased when Bethany was a baby and is a 5 mp and this one is 12 mp. These are some of the only photos I've ever taken of Mallory where you can see the color of her eyes. I love them! Most of my old ones had red-eye or were just blurry. So, I'll be playing with it and taking better pictures, hopefully. The pictures above are just some of the ones taken on my new camera.

*Check out all of the new posts below! I took a month-long break from blogging, so I'm catching up.

Basketball

2009-03-03T17:39:00.004-05:00

Pre-Game

Going for the rebound.....mama is gonna teach her to box out. :)

When Bethany is on the bench, Mallory joins her for some Gatorade.

For the past couple of years, Bethany has been asking to play basketball, and this is the first year she has been old enough. There is a program here called Upward. The kindergarten students have their own division and there ended up being only two teams, so they play each other each week. She loves it - especially because she has been having special practice sessions with Daddy, and sometimes Mommy. She has come pretty far in a short time with dribbling, passing, and understanding the rules. Upper body strength is an area that needs some work so that she can shoot better, but she still tries. Unfortunately, the facility that operates this program is a church that is anti-Mormon and refuses to let anyone from our church coach. They say we're not Christian. We decided to let her play anyway, and hopefully our family can prove through our actions, attitude, and sportsmanship that we most definitely are Christian. We have decided that we are going to go to the local YMCA with several other parents and ask to restart the league that used to operate there. We'll even be in charge if no one else wants to be. Our main reason for this is not because of the prejudice we've experienced (along with a few other families from our ward), but because we strongly disagree with their basketball philosophy regarding young children and that this league is too expensive for many families ($55 per kid + $12 for game shorts). They assign members of their congregation to coach who don't understand basketball, in many cases, and then when the children show up on gameday they are thrown out there to just wing it....with no coaching of skills, fundamentals, or basketball rules. Their facilities are unavailable for practice to her age group. We feel like her age group needs mostly practices, rather than just games. So, maybe by next year we'll have another option available to the local kids.

More Yoga poses...

2009-03-03T17:22:00.003-05:00

Cat Pose #1

Cat Pose #2

I don't remember this one....it was leading up to another pose.

Birthday Gift in Action

2009-03-03T16:03:00.003-05:00

Down Dog Pose

Triangle Pose

Warrior Pose

Stork Pose

Mountain Pose

When we get yoga mats out, Mallory is a little perturbed that she doesn't have one. Her big sister told her she would share, but Mal's attention span lasts for about 2 poses and then she bumps into us while we do them. She thinks that is funny.

Cautiously Commenting.....

2009-03-03T15:57:00.002-05:00

I know I've made clear to just about everyone I know that I don't mind winter.....that, in fact, I love all seasons and have enjoyed the snow. I've even been frustrated with the complaining of others because, after all, we do live in West Virginia - the mountains, actually- so ,of course, we'll have snow and cold temperatures. Lately, however, I've cautiously mentioned that I do look forward to spring. That's not complaining, right? I don't want to be a hypocrite, but I am so tired of cold and spring teasers. It gets warm for a few days, or the sun is beautiful and makes you think it's going to feel wonderful outside and then your nose burns from the cold when you step outside. Spring, spring....please come soon! March is here, and I'm ready!

This is what Mallory did during the party.....

2009-02-02T14:07:00.003-05:00

Mallory had fun playing peek-a-boo with this gift bag. She enjoyed B's birthday very much because of all the fun grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who were there giving her attention, too. It's such a blessing to be within driving distance of so many family members.

Happy Birthday, Bethany KayAnn!

2009-02-02T13:22:00.007-05:00

Isn't this pretty? My sister-in-law, Elizabeth, offered to make it for Bethany's birthday. It was so nice of her....and so great that they aren't in Arizona anymore so that we can see them on special occasions like birthdays, now. :)

No problem blowing the candles out this year! Bethany wanted six candles AND the number 6 candle on her cake.......hey, it's her cake, right?

The yoga mat is the only thing she asked for.....and my mom and dad got it for her. I guess she'll help me do my yoga more often due to her enthusiasm for it. :)

Above, Bethany is demonstrating a yoga move as requested by her guests.

Saturday was a wonderful day! I found myself wondering about it that night, and I think it's because not only was it Bethany's 6th birthday, but it was Saturday. We had the whole day to celebrate however we wanted to and Brad took the day off. Can't birthdays always be on Saturdays? I wish. My sister, Heather, visited and spent Friday night with us. It was so nice to have her here that morning....she fixed pancakes and played with the kids while I did the many things I'd procrastinated to get ready for birthday fun. (thanks, sis!) Bethany was so excited and a real sweetheart all day long. We went out to lunch at McDonalds with my whole family, minus my sister Shannon in Iowa :(, at Bethany's request. The WVU basketball game was on TV before and after lunch which most of the family was enjoying, and then party time was at 2:30. Bethany invited our family and a few grown-up friends, too. It was a full house! (We told her we'd try the school-friend party thing next year.) More than one person remarked at the difference between a little girl opening presents and a little boy....she took her time, for sure, and so delicately removed the wrapping paper! It looks like Christmas all over again in her room! She is a very loved little girl, and somewhat spoiled, too. ;)
It was just such a wonderful day.......family, celebrating my child, happiness, and fun!

Recent lunch trends....

2009-01-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

For the last few weeks ,at least, my girls have been munching on very healthy - yet simple- lunches. It's actually amazing to me that this is what they want, but yeah! for them. I think they are definitely eating healthier than I am. Sometimes we substitute the PB sandwiches for saltine crackers with PB. (no jelly for these kids!) Today was a special occasion because I let them "picnic" on a blanket in Bethany's room while they watched Toy Story 2. Usually Mallory has a pile of grape tomatoes on her plate but I ran out. Those are apple chips, which I discovered that I love --but the girls -- not so much!

I almost took a picture of their dinner, to show the contrast, but decided not to. ....no need for evidence of their not-so-healthy dinner of chicken fries from BK. (with f.fries, apple fries, and chocolate milk)

Oh, and yes....this means Bethany had ANOTHER snowday!! UGH! I like being with the girls, and I love how they play together and occupy each other.....but, I'm concerned about how much school the kids are missing out on. What a winter!

A Terrifying Experience......

2009-01-28T16:36:00.005-05:00

Today, my little Mallory was eating a chicken leg, which she loves to do, and she is not a delicate little eater. She rips into it like a burly man- she'll eat any part of it that hits her mouth. All of a sudden she starts coughing, so I look up at her and watch for her to stop coughing, but I see that she can't catch her breath and her eyes are watering. I stand up and run around the table as fast as my body has ever moved, I think, and stick my finger in her mouth to sweep it out. I was able to sweep out a big chunk of chicken from her mouth, but had to stick my finger further down her throat to get whatever was still choking her. I could feel what seemed to be a bone about an inch or so long, but I couldn't get it out. I knew it- and my finger - was hurting her, but I tried a few times to get it out and was feeling so helpless. I stopped and looked around me and said, "I can't get it out!" My mind was racing, trying to remember what to do next.....then she started crying. Oh, I have never been so relieved in my life to hear someone cry! I knew when I heard her cry that she must have swallowed whatever it was. I grabbed her and held her to me and started crying myself. It all happened so fast, but I don't think my heart settled for at least another 10-15 minutes, though she seemed fully recovered within the first 5 minutes. This was a first for me as a mother......very unpleasant. I do know, however, that she/we were blessed when she stopped choking....I was losing my cool and the Lord helped Mallory for me. Whew!

I'm actually proud of me.

2009-01-28T00:06:00.002-05:00

So, you know it's gotten pretty pathetic when you are proud of yourself for accomplishing a short to-do list for two days in a row. But, I did it. It's been so long since I've felt very productive as a "homemaker", but hooray for me! I even cooked dinner last night - oh, yeah. I know, you're thinking "what? she doesn't normally cook dinner for her family?!" I must confess that I've been very bad about that the past couple of years. I'm working on it. And, I've even stuck to my daily cleaning schedule and still had time to play with my snowed-in kids, read, watch a little TV to relax, and went to bed before midnight (well, I'm a little late tonight). Dishes are not piled high due to my lack of a dishwasher (ugh!)...., and my house and laundry are clean. Yes!

I didn't forget my camera this time!

2009-01-22T14:58:00.004-05:00

Mal spent most of her time throwing "snowballs" at everybody.

Do you think she stayed warm in this getup? Yep!

My rosy-cheeked baby!

She's a pro at this sledriding thing....always goes the farthest.

Grandpa Ralph pulls the girls on the sled until we get to our hill.