Courtney has moved to her college campus and is not living here in this house with us. So very weird. I am having a hard time believing the noise level could go down so much just minus one child (and a quiet child at that). Oh wait, she is not a child. She is an adult. My baby is an adult. So hard to believe. She can do everything for herself and does not need me anymore. One could say I have been successful in raising one and just have 3 to go.
Instead of asking me if I feel successful in raising an adult, everyone keeps asking me how I am doing. Well, I am fine.
Maybe it would be hard if she was an only child.
Maybe it would be hard if the two littlest Bennett's weren't so....active.
Maybe it would be hard if she was far away.
Maybe it would be hard if I wasn't so confident in her.
She is an incredible young woman. She has a great head on her shoulders. She loves the Lord and knows she belongs to Him.
She also has a healthy fear of her mother. I am not a mean mother, I am just a mother like mine. My mom was great. She just hinged on crazy, you never knew what she would do or where she would show up. (I can't believe I am saying this, but I strive to be like her.) A great mom with just a little touch of crazy. You never know what I will really do or where I will show up. (It will keep her honest and always looking over her shoulder for me.LOL)
But in all honesty, she is and always will be my baby. They all will. Of course I miss her, but I am so excited for this part of her life. I want her to enjoy every minute.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Nail polish
Have you ever had a moment in your life when you knew something was terribly wrong. You just couldn't put your finger on it? I had that happen today when my darling 3 year old kept looking at me in such a strange way. She kept walking by with this weird look on her face.
Then I saw her foot. Her foot that she had tried to wipe off the spilled paint or something and her foot was stained. My heart sank. I said, "Haley, what is that? What did you get on your foot? Did you spill it anywhere in Mommy's house?" By the way, that is too many questions to throw at a scared 3 year old that knows she is in BIG trouble. So she asks the most important question.
"Mommy, are you mad at me?"
At this point I am not sure if I am mad. I am not sure if this is paint..then it hits me square between the eyes. She was in Matty's bathroom that is that awful purply black nail polish. I start pacing. Then I start looking all over the house.
"Where were you with the nail polish? What room were you in?" I am sure I looked like a madwoman.
Then I saw it! In the very middle of Haley's bedroom floor. A circle a little bigger than a golf ball of purply black nail polish. I had forgotten that I was on the phone with my friend. She started searching the Internet and told me to try Windex. So, between Windex, Nail polish remover and Scrubbing bubbles and lots of minutes scrubbing on my hands and knees, I have decided everyone gets to live today. (Even my Boy who was telling me his opinion and squirting more cleaners and just talking non stop.)
On days like today I think will I ever be able to have anything that isn't food, paint, or something stained? How many cleaning products does one family need? Usually, I end up thanking God for all these very messy kids. Kids that get into everything. Kids that say, Mommy are you mad at me? After all there are carpet stores all over town or I could pick up a throw rug at Walmart. What is a little stain. We live here. They will grow up someday (at least that is what I have heard).
So, I told Haley, "No, I am not mad at you because you showed me the spill."
Then I searched the house high and low for any nail polish and put it under lock and key. Life really is too short to worry about spilled nail polish.
Then I saw her foot. Her foot that she had tried to wipe off the spilled paint or something and her foot was stained. My heart sank. I said, "Haley, what is that? What did you get on your foot? Did you spill it anywhere in Mommy's house?" By the way, that is too many questions to throw at a scared 3 year old that knows she is in BIG trouble. So she asks the most important question.
"Mommy, are you mad at me?"
At this point I am not sure if I am mad. I am not sure if this is paint..then it hits me square between the eyes. She was in Matty's bathroom that is that awful purply black nail polish. I start pacing. Then I start looking all over the house.
"Where were you with the nail polish? What room were you in?" I am sure I looked like a madwoman.
Then I saw it! In the very middle of Haley's bedroom floor. A circle a little bigger than a golf ball of purply black nail polish. I had forgotten that I was on the phone with my friend. She started searching the Internet and told me to try Windex. So, between Windex, Nail polish remover and Scrubbing bubbles and lots of minutes scrubbing on my hands and knees, I have decided everyone gets to live today. (Even my Boy who was telling me his opinion and squirting more cleaners and just talking non stop.)
On days like today I think will I ever be able to have anything that isn't food, paint, or something stained? How many cleaning products does one family need? Usually, I end up thanking God for all these very messy kids. Kids that get into everything. Kids that say, Mommy are you mad at me? After all there are carpet stores all over town or I could pick up a throw rug at Walmart. What is a little stain. We live here. They will grow up someday (at least that is what I have heard).
So, I told Haley, "No, I am not mad at you because you showed me the spill."
Then I searched the house high and low for any nail polish and put it under lock and key. Life really is too short to worry about spilled nail polish.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
LIFE
After 3,319 miles and a month and a day we all still like each other. In fact the kids are all at the table playing the game called LIFE.
They asked if I wanted to play and I said, "I am playing the game of LIFE and my car is full."
I thought LIFE was a fun game too! Then LIFE hit me upside the head and now I think why did I even play the game. I guess it would be fun to play now if I wasn't so busy playing real LIFE.
So LIFE is busy here!! We have had great friends to come and visit. One came all the way from Texas! We have been to two weddings. We have been buying books for the new school year. Courtney is getting ready to move on campus. We have been working and playing hard. My brother Sean is staying with us for a few days. He had to have an emergency appendectomy. He is doing very well. The biggest problem is he feels good.
I keep saying, "They just took your appendix out through your belly button. You need to rest." Perhaps he will listen. ( that would be a great space on the LIFE board....You didn't listen to your sister. Pay $1000 and go back 4 spaces. ) Maybe I will write my own game of LIFE...oh wait I am!!!
Hey y'all, pray for my baby brother. In the Lisa version of LIFE if you cross your sister....you don't get to just pay and go back...she has creative ways to torture you!
And so the Bennett Odyssey continues....let's see where the journey takes us.
They asked if I wanted to play and I said, "I am playing the game of LIFE and my car is full."
I thought LIFE was a fun game too! Then LIFE hit me upside the head and now I think why did I even play the game. I guess it would be fun to play now if I wasn't so busy playing real LIFE.
So LIFE is busy here!! We have had great friends to come and visit. One came all the way from Texas! We have been to two weddings. We have been buying books for the new school year. Courtney is getting ready to move on campus. We have been working and playing hard. My brother Sean is staying with us for a few days. He had to have an emergency appendectomy. He is doing very well. The biggest problem is he feels good.
I keep saying, "They just took your appendix out through your belly button. You need to rest." Perhaps he will listen. ( that would be a great space on the LIFE board....You didn't listen to your sister. Pay $1000 and go back 4 spaces. ) Maybe I will write my own game of LIFE...oh wait I am!!!
Hey y'all, pray for my baby brother. In the Lisa version of LIFE if you cross your sister....you don't get to just pay and go back...she has creative ways to torture you!
And so the Bennett Odyssey continues....let's see where the journey takes us.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Day 10
Well, we left Chicago and were to head to Indianapolis to a place called Conner Prairie. Conner Prairie is a living history museum we have been to before and love. But we all decided to head to a place we love more instead....HOME! We were all so tired and had had so much fun we were done. We were ready to fall into our own beds. Nine hours later we did just that. We came home to a very HOT south and a very warm pool. We are use to 82 degree weather and this 100 degree weather is too much.
After logging 3319 miles, we had a wonderful trip (you can tell by the mounds of laundry). We all were able to reconnect with each other. We all still like each other. We didn't get a ticket or get into an accident...well, I call it a very successful trip.
When you get ready to go with yours...call me. I have great tips on packing. Oh and I just can't wait to get on the road again.
After logging 3319 miles, we had a wonderful trip (you can tell by the mounds of laundry). We all were able to reconnect with each other. We all still like each other. We didn't get a ticket or get into an accident...well, I call it a very successful trip.
When you get ready to go with yours...call me. I have great tips on packing. Oh and I just can't wait to get on the road again.
Day 9
Chicago!! Wow! I had forgotten how much I love this city!! We had a very early start and had an incredible day.
Here we are taking a water taxi. Great way to get around in Chicago.
The Hershey Store!! We shopped along Michigan Avenue and after going into Tiffany's and Cartier's we went to the Hershey store. (We could actually buy something in this store) Christian Parks made candy, we bought candy, we had samples of candy....made us forget about the diamonds...Chocolate really is the answer.
Just a view of the city.
We took the kids to the Chicago Art Institute. We were able to see Picasso, Monet, and several other great artist. My reason to go to this museum is the Thorne rooms. I couldn't wait to show the kids exact replicas of period rooms completely to scale. (My degree is in interior design and these period rooms are painstaking reproduction of European and Early American rooms.)
Here we are in a skybox at the Sears (Willis) Tower. We are 103 floors above the earth. They literally built a glass box for you to step into. It is extremely freaky, very strange feeling. Some of us ( me and little cb) weren't really excited about it. But, we got the picture.
Here we are taking a water taxi. Great way to get around in Chicago.
The Hershey Store!! We shopped along Michigan Avenue and after going into Tiffany's and Cartier's we went to the Hershey store. (We could actually buy something in this store) Christian Parks made candy, we bought candy, we had samples of candy....made us forget about the diamonds...Chocolate really is the answer.
Just a view of the city. 
We took the kids to the Chicago Art Institute. We were able to see Picasso, Monet, and several other great artist. My reason to go to this museum is the Thorne rooms. I couldn't wait to show the kids exact replicas of period rooms completely to scale. (My degree is in interior design and these period rooms are painstaking reproduction of European and Early American rooms.) 
Here we are in a skybox at the Sears (Willis) Tower. We are 103 floors above the earth. They literally built a glass box for you to step into. It is extremely freaky, very strange feeling. Some of us ( me and little cb) weren't really excited about it. But, we got the picture.Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 8
We said good-bye to Gary and Mike and Minnesota and headed in a direction we have come to love....SOUTH. After 8 days on the road we are all glad to be on the way to Chattanooga.
We stopped in Wisconsin for a Pop!
The ride down was very uneventful except for the fact Haley talked the whole way. She made up songs. She chatted nonstop. Until we were 4 blocks from our hotel, then she went to sleep. There is something that says the Bennett's have arrived when Haley gets out of the van crying and Christian Parks is turning flips. The girls and I were laughing uncontrollably. It may be time to come home.
Here is the view as we came into Chicago. There were 10 lanes of traffic completely full. We actually had to sit in traffic for a while. Hello, we have been in Nebraska, we haven't seen this many cars in 8 days. I guess we won't complain.
We got to our hotel and saw it was about to rain. We thought we would give it a few minutes before we headed out. Well, the bottom opened up. It poured. It stormed. Then we saw the weather. Tornado warnings in our area.....about the time we saw it on TV. The sirens went off. Christian Parks had a panic attack. (HARD TO BELIEVE BUT MATTY WAS FINE) We went down to the basement of the hotel with the other people in the hotel. So as it turns out... great memories....no tornado, just panic attacks. As I always say....It will be OK...or it won't! Today it was OK.
Happy Anniversary!!! Christian and I were married 20 years ago today!!! Hard to believe---time flies when you are having fun!!
We are blessed to have 4 great kids that wanted to spend 10 days in a mini van visiting 10 states with their parents...even were excited!
We are blessed every time we buy them something or take them somewhere they all say thank you.
Speaking of being blessed...there is nothing like Chicago deep dish pizza. We love Giordano's!!
We stopped in Wisconsin for a Pop!
The ride down was very uneventful except for the fact Haley talked the whole way. She made up songs. She chatted nonstop. Until we were 4 blocks from our hotel, then she went to sleep. There is something that says the Bennett's have arrived when Haley gets out of the van crying and Christian Parks is turning flips. The girls and I were laughing uncontrollably. It may be time to come home.
Here is the view as we came into Chicago. There were 10 lanes of traffic completely full. We actually had to sit in traffic for a while. Hello, we have been in Nebraska, we haven't seen this many cars in 8 days. I guess we won't complain.
We got to our hotel and saw it was about to rain. We thought we would give it a few minutes before we headed out. Well, the bottom opened up. It poured. It stormed. Then we saw the weather. Tornado warnings in our area.....about the time we saw it on TV. The sirens went off. Christian Parks had a panic attack. (HARD TO BELIEVE BUT MATTY WAS FINE) We went down to the basement of the hotel with the other people in the hotel. So as it turns out... great memories....no tornado, just panic attacks. As I always say....It will be OK...or it won't! Today it was OK.
Happy Anniversary!!! Christian and I were married 20 years ago today!!! Hard to believe---time flies when you are having fun!!
We are blessed to have 4 great kids that wanted to spend 10 days in a mini van visiting 10 states with their parents...even were excited!
We are blessed every time we buy them something or take them somewhere they all say thank you. 
Speaking of being blessed...there is nothing like Chicago deep dish pizza. We love Giordano's!! We tried to go visit the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower), but the visibility was 0-5 miles. Hope the weather is good tomorrow. Wonder what tomorrow holds?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day 7
Our last day in Minneapolis....what to do? Well, we love the Minneapolis sculpture garden and don't think a trip to the city would be complete without seeing the spoon and cherry. So we started our day here.
Here is a picture of our four bars. At least that is what they look like to us. After posing for pictures we headed downtown to see the two story Target!!
Walking around downtown Minneapolis is so much fun. I love the skywalks (enclosed pedestrian bridges that connect the buildings). We went to check out the new Target Field the Twins stadium....fabulous. 
The jucy lucy, lived up to its name. Who wouldn't love a cheese stuffed hamburger. The waitress will warn you. Be careful...with the first bite it will burn you. We loved them. Amazing. Incredible. Worth the trip! I wish they had smelloblog.
Well, we needed a little more retail therapy before we left so back to The Mall of America. We had to get Uncle Gary on a few of the rides. The girls and I needed to buy a few more things. We are doing our part to help the economy.
Here is a picture of our four bars. At least that is what they look like to us. After posing for pictures we headed downtown to see the two story Target!!
Walking around downtown Minneapolis is so much fun. I love the skywalks (enclosed pedestrian bridges that connect the buildings). We went to check out the new Target Field the Twins stadium....fabulous.
By this time we were hungry, so we found Matt's Bar. Matt's bar is the home of the jucy lucy they won the 2010 "food wars" Matt's bar is a step back into 1950's. Great place.
The jucy lucy, lived up to its name. Who wouldn't love a cheese stuffed hamburger. The waitress will warn you. Be careful...with the first bite it will burn you. We loved them. Amazing. Incredible. Worth the trip! I wish they had smelloblog. 
Well, we needed a little more retail therapy before we left so back to The Mall of America. We had to get Uncle Gary on a few of the rides. The girls and I needed to buy a few more things. We are doing our part to help the economy. After shopping till we dropped, (literally the guys were laying on this couch in the middle of the mall) it was back to Gary and Mikes for pizza and goodbyes. We have had a great time and had wonderful hosts. We hate to go, but are ready to see Chicago. Thanks for a great time in your great city.
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