GIVE THANKS!

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I hope everyone else did as well. Denise and Arnold organized a 5K turkey trot around our neighborhood bright and early Thanksgiving morning. Family and friends met at the park to run, walk, ride the behemoth man-trike in Mr. Bennett's case, and just hang out. There was hot chocolate, snacks, good company and Grandma Grace even brought a fun craft "for the kids."

Behold, the picture-fest below.

I love this girl. She is so cute and fun and spunky. I ran the first lap while Jessie bladed and we had a good time goofing off. She loved being rocketed ahead by the Mom slingshot. I ran one more lap with Dave and Toby riding their bikes. Toby is a speedster. We call him our sight hound because he sees the goal and doesn't stop until he's there. That crafty Denise. She made this cute sign and organized some delicious "puny snacks" as they are known in our family. The huge man-trike. Mr. Bennett, aka Gimpy ;), couldn't walk or run because of the sprained ankle, so he opted for the conspicuous pair of wheels. That thing takes up 1/2 the floor space in our office/storage space at the apartments. I think it comes out once a year. I guess it is worth the novelty because everyone took a turn on it and it does have a basket for carrying things. Just look at the sweet cargo it had that morning. Sydney was the designated water girl. She was so thoughtful to drop bottles every 100 yards or so for people to have as they ran laps.

The siblings. It's nice that all the Bennett's live close to each other. We miss Ken and Cassie A LOT when we get together for activities like this. We missed Tori too who was in Hawaii. loser. We missed Dan and Lauren who were up at her parents cabin too.

Our kids all biked and bladed the first lap which was a mile. Logan barely made it the one lap around. Toby could have ridden 5 more but wanted to play with his friend Jacob more. Jessie's feet were sore after one lap, so she ditched the blades and started crafting with Grandma. It was the perfect set-up to have our route start and stop at the park so the kids could play there while we started the day with negative calories. If only I could find the time and motivation in the morning to do that every day........this baby weight would be gone quick! I have to change my night-owl tendencies first so I can get up before the kids. That's a hard one for me.
Grace saw this in a magazine I think and brought all the supplies for us to make one. Jessie started one for our family, but got frustrated because we asked her to stop using so much glue. We had all the park gathered around watching us make these. It was a great activity to do outside and we hung ours up for the rest of the weekend. Thanks Mom!

We ate our Thanksgiving Feast, as Toby calls it, late afternoon. My parents, Tom & Kristy, and our neighbors the Gilstraps all squeezed into our apartment and had a good time. Some of the food was a little cold (dangit!!) but still delicious. The big and little kids watched Wall-E and then we scooted over to Gram's for Dad Sr.'s b-day.
It's always fun to get out the china and set a nice table once in awhile. Jessie had fun folding the napkins and the big kids helped peel potatoes, set the table and general gopher chores. They were pretty good helpers.
"Uncle Tom Sandwich"

Mr. Bennett has been training for a mini-triathlon next April. He rolled his ankle on a rock in the road and sprained it badly last Wednesday or Thursday. He could barely walk the first few days and really wanted to keep running, swimming and biking. Admittedly, I have been teasing him a lot. Not because he sprained his ankle, it was a freak accident after all, but because he wants to keep training/swimming like nothing happened. If he were one of his patients I think he would tell them to rest longer than he is resting himself. That whole doctors are their own worst patients saying comes to mind. ;)
So we have both been having a frustrating week since then. He wants to keep on his work out schedule and mad that it happened in the first place. There were a lot of things on the honey-do list that my honey can't do. I rely on Mr. Bennett a lot during the weekend for apartment jobs and heavy lifting that he is not able to do yet. The kids are going crazy too. Their rough and tumble Dad is relegated to sitting on the couch or computer chair with his leg up. I am trying to pick up the slack in silence. Until Mr. Bennett tells me he is going to go swim today!! We have a friendly wager going. I think it's too early and he's going to relapse. He thinks his ankle is healed enough and will be fine. For all of our sakes, I hope he wins. We'll find out in the morning.

thankful for you!

In my need to catch up on family and friends through their blogs I came across this story, life rather. It's the life story of an amazing young woman, mother of 4, funny, creative, child of God who has touched many by sharing her life through her blog. Stephanie, or NieNie as she is known in the blogoshpere, is truly tuned into what is important in life. And now she is fighting for her own life. She and her husband were in a devastating plane crash. Her life that was filled with yoga, creating, changing diapers, fixing meals, endless laundry, savoring her children, and enjoying her young family is now concentrated on staving off infection, undergoing countless surgeries and skin grafts, and healing her body that was over 80% burned. Her husband is also in the middle of a long recovery from burns and broken bones. They are both an incredible example of strength and courage. I ache for those sweet young kids who miss their parents so.

And after a good little cry, I am most thankful for MY four chillies who are the light of my life. Mr. Bennett is my love and together we are enjoying this wild ride of life. I am more determined to find joy in the little things and make my home a place of peace and comfort for my family.

Rarely is an entry complete without a photo so here is the latest. Dave decided it was Hawaiian Day for the kids Sunday morning so they all matched at church. I snapped these after church when the kids were tired and cranky so there was not a good one of all 4. I totally photoshopped someones head in the group one below. Any guesses who? ;)Yesterday, during a particularly crazy time of day when Syd was tired and crying, Coop was whiny and self-destructing from lack of food, and we were stuck in the car waiting for Jessie after school, I lost my temper and yelled for everyone to please be quiet. I got the quiet I asked for, but Toby so innocently and quietly said, "I want to go back to school." Oh that hurt. I know exactly what he meant and then realized I am smarter and better than letting the mundane craziness get to me. These little spirits just want love and attention and I need to put some more effort into listening and being the Mom I imagine myself to be. Someday the peace and quiet will come when they are older and I will never get these days back. I want to be able to say that I lived every day to the fullest.

Check ya later. I'm going to rock some playdough sculptures with Coop.

i'm gonna love you forever and ever.

Dan and Lauren were sealed in the temple on a beautiful, clear afternoon last Friday. Dave and I took Jessie and Sydney with us and enjoyed sharing this special event with them. Uncle Tom and Kristy watched the girls while we were in the temple and Lauren's family was waiting outside when we were done. There was just enough daylight left to get some group photos. We left the boys with their buddies at home which ended up being a good decision! (thanks Scott & Sami!) Afterward we all enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Jack London Square to celebrate (thanks Katie and Jeff!!!).

Our Jessie is getting so grown up. She loved being with the adults for the evening. She learned why there are so many forks and spoons at a formal place setting, and how to twirl long noodles on a spoon instead of playing tether ball with her tongue. When we sat down at the long table for dinner she picked up the menu and started to look at all the items. I leaned over and asked her what she wanted to eat, to which she replied, "I'm looking for the shrimp! I want something with shrimp or crab!" Her and I both ordered Fettuccine Alfredo with Prawns which was DElicious. It ended up being a little rich for Jessie because she got sick that night. :(

So, in case one didn't know, Lauren is a big fan of cake, especially frosting. Her wish was to have cupcakes for dessert from a shwanky bakery in Los Gatos. These cupcakes looked fabulous and they were just as delicious. A very sweet end to a wonderful night. Thanks for sharing your special day with us Dan and Lauren! We are so happy for you!

I'm not a wild pig!

My Mom sent this story to me a few days ago and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It's been going around, so many of you may have read it already. I think it is so pertinent to our times right now, especially after seeing who won the election.


A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He has been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming.

When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side.

The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught.

Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut!


Sadly, the fence-building commences January 20, 2009. How long will we tolerate it?


"The inherent vice of Capitalism is the unequal distribution of blessings, the inherent vice of Socialism is the equal distribution of misery."
- Sir Winston Churchill