The Bennett Bunch

Santa!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Santa came to our family Christmas party last night. It was lots of fun for all of the kids. This is all of my nieces and nephews with him at Amanda's house.

We're Expecting!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:31:00 +0000

We are happy to announce that we are expecting baby #2 the end of July. We had our first appointment today and they heard the heartbeat and everything looks good. We are super excited!

Fall...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:22:00 +0000

I love the fall. It is my favorite time of year. I love the colors and the smells and the activities. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving, and, of course, my birthday. It is so fun to see the leaves change and look forward to the holidays. It is also a time that I reflect more on what I have and am thankful for. I am so thankful for my family, both immediate and extended. We are very fortunate to have awesome siblings, parents, aunt, uncles...you get the picture. This is the time of year that I lost my Grandma Radford and Grandma Shumway and my Grandpa Radford. I think of them now, when it is cool outside and the season is changing and think how grateful I am that the made it possible for me to have the life I have. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and beautiful daughter. They are the light of my life and make every day wonderful for me. This year we are cutting back on gifts and stepping up the Christ-centered activities for Christmas and I am looking forward to it. We are so fortunate to live in a time and place that we have the freedom to choose how to worship and celebrate and live. I have set a goal to be less worldly and more Christ-like. I am far from where I need to be, but the journey has been good for me.
Katie watching BYU football with daddy

Katie being silly

Summer Fun...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:13:00 +0000

We are having fun so far this summer. Kate is getting so big and just talking all the time. She can say lots of words and she is starting to develop her own opinion and a little bit of an attitude. Right now it is more funny than anything, but I am willing to guarantee that the day will come that the attitude will no longer be funny. She is such a sweet baby and is so easy-going (mostly) and easy.

Fourth of July fun with cousins Hannah, Andrew, and Aaron Reading. Aaron is only 10 days old! We love cousins!

Cousin Kyle just home from his mission. Katie was born while he was gone so this is her first time meeting him.

Katie enjoying a radish.

Katie at Hogle Zoo with Daddy, Uncle Marty, and Grandma Dixie. Apparently all of the animals there say "moo" because that's what she told us!

Katie loves to swing!

Summer

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:23:00 +0000

We are waiting impatiently for summer around here. Not much has been going on. We are enjoying our baby girl and she is getting so big. We are still struggling with her reflux and trying to find a safe and effective treatment, but in the meantime, she is eating really well and getting big. She is thirteen months old now, and I don't know where the time has gone. We have no news, really, and we consider that a good thing!

Frankenstein

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:04:00 +0000

I am so excited. For those of you Harry Potter fans or Edward fans (I would be in both categories) compare this to waiting for the newest book to come out. You just can't wait for the next book and read it within the first day of buying it. Well, for me, this book is the same. It is the third and final in the trilogy. It was originally supposed to come out in December of 2007 and has been delayed...until now! WOO HOO! It will be out in July and I CAN'T WAIT!!! If you are not a Dean Koontz fan, I apologize for wasting your time. I have to say, though, you should try him out. He is AWESOME! If any of you out there want to read his books, I own every single one. Come on over...I promise it will be worth your time!!! Don't expect any conversation from me until I am done!

Birthday Girl!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:04:00 +0000

Our baby girl turned one! She had a birthday yesterday, on Easter Sunday. I cannot believe she is a year old. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that we were trying so hard to get pregnant and having no success, and now she is a year old! We had a fun birthday party for her on Saturday and another one on Sunday. Between the two sides of our family there are so many people, we decided to break it up. We had a ball with her. The day I had her, my nephew Mathew wanted to get in the bed with us. I have a picture that is so sweet of him and Katie (not so sweet of me...) I decided to make it a tradition to get a picture of the three of us on her birthday.

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Brady's father passed away on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. It has been a hard couple of days, and we are trying to settle in to being without him. He was such a great man, and I am eternally grateful to him for his son. I am also grateful for our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.

With Katie the day she was born.

Teeth

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:51:00 +0000

My daughter thinks she is a beaver.

Big Girl!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:40:00 +0000

This is my baby girl finally able to eat regular food. I know this may not seem like a big deal to some, but we have struggled with her eating since she was born. She never nursed or took a bottle very well and she spit-up constantly. She would eat solids, but the slighest things would make her gag and that would make her throw-up. We struggled with this since she was born and we kept being told that she was fine and would grow out of it. So, on we pushed. After a struggle with antiobiotics for a throat infection, and many visits to the doctor when she was about ten months old, she got to the point that she would only take one bottle a day over the course of a couple of days. We decided to take her in the next day. We prayed that night to know what to do for her and that the doctor would also know what to do. In the night, Brady woke up and kept getting the thought that she had reflux. He also got a strong feeling that he needed to write it down. He got up and did it. The next morning, we did some research on it and discovered that she had 12 of the 15 most common symptoms of reflux, and the previous illness was incidental to it. It was just a virus. Because she had never acted like she was in pain when she ate, and because she would still eat solids well up until that point, no one ever thought of it. We pressed the doctor on it and he agreed to give her a prescription for it. I am thrilled to say, that it has helped her immensely. I can barely feed her enough or fast enough. She can eat real food without gagging, so therefore no throwing up, either! This is a big deal for us. I am so thankful for a husband who listens to the spirit and for a doctor who will listen to us and takes good care of our baby.

Still Here....

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:49:00 +0000

We are still here. I have been a slacker about my blog. We really don't get out much and there is not much news.

Brady's dad has gone downhill very quickly in the last couple of weeks. He has been in the hospital and they are sending him home today with Hospice care. He is so miserable, I just hope it doesn't get so prolonged that he has to live like this for a long time.

Kate is getting big and into everything. She has 8 teeth now. It was so funny, she just got them all at once. She is sure wanting to stand up. It is funny to watch her try to figure out how to stand without holding onto something. She usually ends up on her butt, but I imagine she will figure it out before too long.

We are looking forward to spring and some nicer weather. Kate's birthday is on Easter this year, so that will be fun (at least for me!!) Our snow is almost gone and it has been raining. I feel spring in the air! Yeah!

We are looking forward to a couple of trips this summer and fall. My old work gave us a travel gift certificate for my five years of work there. When we got it I was hugely pregnant so we hadn't used it yet. We booked a couple of three day trips and we are really excited about it. We would never have gotten to go if we had had to pay for it ourselves! Brady said I could buy a new camera to take, so I am hoping for some fun pictures to share!

Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:52:00 +0000

I have been feeling very grateful lately. It has been on my mind a lot that we are really very blessed. I was listening to Good Morning America this morning while I was in my big chair reading and watching Katie play with her little kitchen set. It was 8:30am and I was still in my pj's and not feeling too bad about it, either. I was hearing them talk about childcare costs and how people are struggling with that more than ever right now and it struck me how blessed we are. I get to stay home with my sweet baby every day and just enjoy her. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, a home to live in, a reliable vehicle, food, clothes, the best family anyone could ever want, and I get to buy a new purse now and then when I have some extra dollars. I belong to a church full of wonderful happiness and purpose alongside some of the most awesome people ever. I cannot believe how blessed I am. I am overwhelmed by the feeling that I have this abundance of blessings in my life and that I have done absolutely nothing to deserve them. I guess that is my goal now. To try to deserve them.

New Year...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:31:00 +0000

We had a nice holiday and a fun New Year's and are now settling in to our routine again and getting along nicely. Things are usually quiet and slow and that is how we like them. We had a New Year's Eve party here and it was really fun. Kate was pretty sick before Christmas. We even made a trip to the Emergency Room. It was pretty scary, but she came out all right. After waking up all night with a high fever and needing more medicine, she forgot how to sleep all night and nap in her crib. After about a week of that after she was fully recovered, we had to remind her how it was done. I am glad to say it took only one night of letting her cry herself to sleep for her to remember and she is falling asleep on her own in her bed at night and for both of her naps. Needless to say, it is much better! She sure is a sweet little thing. I can't believe how mild-mannered and even-tempered she is. She just doesn't get upset easily. We are being spoiled and when we have another baby, we will get the full taste of that, I am sure. For now, though, we are enjoying her and watching her grow. She is getting teeth #3 and #4 now. She is getting a third one on the bottom, and of all random teeth, one of her top teeth - on the side! Not even a middle one. I have to say, it looks pretty dang funny. I keep trying to get a picture and will post it as soon as I can get her to stop trying to chew on the camera long enough for me to take it!

She has also finally decided she will sit and play instead of just rolling everywhere. And, just like everyone predicted, she decided to sit, crawl, and pull herself up to kneel and stand all within a matter of days of each other. She sure keeps me on my toes!

Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:15:00 +0000

We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent Tuesday evening with my whole family at Amanda's house. Santa came and Katie sat on his lap. It was so fun to see her with him. We got totally spoiled by everyone and had a yummy dinner.

On Christmas Eve, we went to my parent's house. Josh was there and we had a spaghetti dinner and just hung out. That was also really fun.

Christmas Day was so nice. We got up and had all of Katie's Santa stuff there for her to find. She seemed to like it and she loved opening the presents and ripping the paper. It was fun to get it all set up. The weather was horrible, but we braved it and got to Brady's parent's house with his whole family, where we got spoiled again!

All in all, we had a wonderful holiday. I just with it would have lasted longer!

Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Our Thanksgiving was really nice. We went to Brady's sister's house with Brady's whole family. We had good food and good company. Tammy (sil) and I went shopping on Friday. We got to Home Depot at 6am and I got home at 6pm. It was a lot of fun and we got lots of good deals! Needless to say, I was exhausted, but got what I needed!

Twilight...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:31:00 +0000

So, we went to Twilight last night at 12:30. It was so good. I went with Amanda, Amy, Amy, Kristy, Rachel, & Becca. We went and had pie first and then jetted over to the theater. We have had our tickets for ages, so we busted right in there and got our seats. We had a wonderful time. I forgot to take pictures, but I did get one of the marquis for today's showings. If you haven't seen it: GO!!

If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:03:00 +0000

I recently had a birthday. I can't believe that I am going to be in my twenties for only 50 more weeks! I turned 29 on November 1st. I got up to a beautiful package from Brady. He got me a CD I have been wanting and some perfume I have been wanting. He does a good job. We also got to go pickup shopping and out to dinner while our TOTALLY AWESOME neighbors had Katie. They are so great. It was a fun day. My "girls" took me to dinner at Garcia's and I got to wear a ridiculous sombrero and they sang to me. What fun! They all gave me some fun gifts, shirts, jewelry, a Scentsy warmer, a DVD, socks, all kinds of fun!

Also, my Katie girl has two little teeth peeking out the bottom and I have been trying to get a picture of them. They are so cute! She is a little eater now and will eat anything you put in her mouth! Hallelujah! I was so hoping I wouldn't have to deal with a picky eater. My problem is going to be keeping stuff OUT of her mouth! That kid will put anything in there. I experienced last night just what can happen. She loves tags and is always chewing on the ones on her toys. Last night she was playing on the floor and Brady and I were in the kitchen. We heard her gagging and coughing so I dashed in to check on her. She had a tag clear down her throat (it was still attached to the toy!) and couldn't get it out. I grabbed it out and picked her up to pound her on the back so she could catch her breath. I guess the gagging was too much for her and she puked all over me. Carrots, people. Needless to say there is now a white t-shirt and onesie in the garbage and a nursing bra (argh!) and pj's soaking in Spray 'n Wash. Oh, what fun!!!

And, last but certainly not least, Brady's dad is not doing well. I am afraid we will probably lose him before the year is out. He is arranging with Brady and his brothers what needs to be done for their mom in the spring. When I had Katie down there on Halloween he looked at her and just cried and cried and told me and my mil Dixie how he knew he didn't have much time left with her. I have never seen him absolutely break down like that. It was all I could do to maintain my composure. It was just me and Katie and my in-laws there, and it was a very bitterweet moment for me. He is such a sweet, wonderful man and just the best father to my hubby and his siblings. Brady is the only one of the siblings who will be speaking at the funeral. It is an assignment he is taking very seriously and wants to do well at. I am so thankful to this wonderful man for raising such a wonderful husband and father for me and Katie. He is one of the least selfish people I know and Brady is the same way. I have been so blessed to know him for the short time I have. I just wish that Katie could know him. She will have to delay that for a while, but she will have that chance someday, and I am so thankful for that knowledge.

Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:09:00 +0000

We had a wonderful Halloween! We had tons of trick-or-treaters. I think our subdivision is the place to go in Shelley these days. I had to run to the store for more candy. I loved it, though, and we had a great time handing out candy.

Katie was our cute little chicken. She was a really good sport about the costume. I love this picture of her and Brady. They are a cute pair!

We went to see Grandma and Grandpa Bennett on Halloween so they could see Katie in her costume. They thought she was pretty cute. Katie's Grandpa Bennett raises chickens, so we had to have a picture of him with his cutest chicken!

Tag...Longest Post Ever!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:19:00 +0000

I have been tagged by my cousins Melissa and Laura. I really didn't ignore you! I just needed to find a minute to get it done.

I: Meggan Lu Bennett
I am: Happy
I think: I need a nap
I know: I am a child of God
I want: To get a pedicure
I wish: I could lose 50 pounds without any effort
I hate: Mopping the floor
I miss: My grandparents
I fear: Losing the people close to me
I feel: Very thankful
I hear: Silence...ahhh
I smell: Cucumber Lotion on my hands
I crave: Pepsi with fresh Lime
I search: For my lost brain...has anyone seen it?
I wonder: When I will get to have a good night's sleep again
I regret: Too many things and they are too personal for me to be sharing here!
I love: My beautiful daughter and my sweet husband
I care about: What happens to my family
I always: Love to read
I am not: Skinny!
I believe: We are all equals and Heavenly Father loves us all the same
I dance: ...Never
I sing: Okayish
I don't always: Shave my legs
I write: Not nearly enough
I win: Unless I am playing Brady, then I always lose, and usually everyone else does, too. What is with that guy?
I lose: Way more stuff than I used to.
I never: Exercise (obviously)
I listen: Carefully
I can usually be found: Reading a book.
I am scared of: My children dying before me.
I need: A nap
I am happy about: All of the wonderful blessings I have

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:35
2. Diamonds or pearls? Did you ever hear "Pearls are a girl's best friend??"
3.What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Hancock
4. What is your favorite TV show? CSI...the original, not that knock-off crap
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? toast
6. What is your middle name? Lu
7. What food do you dislike? mushrooms...who eats fungus??
8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
9. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota Camry
10. Favorite sandwich? Turkey w/ bacon and provolone
11. What characteristics do you despise? No Manners!!
12. Favorite item of clothing? Shoes, of course (they always fit!)
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Anywhere in Europe, England, France, Italy
14. Favorite brand of clothing? No favorites, anything that fits and doesn't make me look fat
15. Where would you retire to? Idaho in the mountains
16. What was your most memorable birthday? Nothing specific, Brady always does a good job
17. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball
18. When is your birthday? 11/1/79
19. Are you a morning person or a night person? night...for sure
20. What is your shoe size? 8..used to be 7 1/2 until I had a baby
21. Pets? none and not getting one
22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Not so much. I shaved my legs today
23. What did you want to be when you were little? Lawyer
24. What is your favorite candy? Almond Joy
25. What is your favorite flower? Lilacs
26. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Thanksgiving and Christmas right now
27. What are you listening to right now? Nothing... Katie is asleep
28. What was the last thing you ate? Almond Joy
29. Do you wish upon stars? always
30. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Yellow, it is happy
31. How is the weather right now? Very chilly and clear
32. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? my friend Amy
33. Favorite soft drink? Pepsi with fresh lime
34. Favorite restaurant? Texas Roadhouse
35. What was your favorite toy as a child? Probably Barbies
36. Summer or winter? Winter...I hate to sweat
37. Hugs or kisses? either, I am very physically affectionate, although I could do without the old ladies kissing me on the lips
38. Chocolate or Vanilla? Either!
39. Coffee or tea? Neither
40. Do you want your friends to answer these questions on their blogs? yes
41. When was the last time you cried? Day before yesterday, I tend to overdramatize when I am extremely tired
42. What is under your bed? nothing
43. What did you do last night? Helped my friend Amy paint her little boy's bedroom in her new house
44. What are you afraid of? losing my family
45. Salty or sweet? either!
46. How many keys on your key ring? four
47. How many years at your current job? Just 6 months, but 5 years at my previous job!
48. Favorite day of the week? Friday
49. How many towns have you lived in? 10
50. Do you make friends easily? most of the time

I tag Mom and Amanda...and anyone else who wants to play along!

Bliss...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:58:00 +0000

So, the last three nights have been absolute bliss. Why, you might ask?

Because of this: Thanks to Denver Mattress, I actually wake up without my hips and back hurting every couple of hours at night. Amanda and Dave bought this mattress in a Queen, after deciding to downsize from their King. They decided they wanted a King after all, so they returned the Queen and got a King in the same model. I was the fortunate recipient of the returned mattress and got it for a song and a dance. It was the best money I have spent in a long time. Merry Christmas to me! Woo hoo!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Win a Free Handbag!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Handbagplanet.com is giving away 24 bags in 24 hours. Go to their website to sign up for free! They have tons of gorgeous bags!

www.handbagplanet.com

Not a good day to have teeth...and some random tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:41:00 +0000

It is not a good day to have teeth around our house. Brady got one of his wisdom teeth pulled on Thursday. It took the dentist over an hour to get the one tooth out. While he was doing it, his tool slipped and he sliced the back of Brady's throat and had to stitch it up! Whoops! It looks really bad and is hurting him a lot. Today we are pretty sure that it has a dry socket in it. He is in a lot of pain. I have not been impressed with this dentist up until now, and this just cements it. Hopefully he can get in tomorrow and have someone look at it, since the on-call dentist told him to take ibuprofen and call in the morning. (What is an on-call dentist for then? I could have told him that!!)

Also, Katie is cutting two teeth. She has two tiny little teeth peeking through on the bottom. She has been a little cranky bum and won't eat very well or nap much. I finally rubbed some Orajel on them and she got some relief. I am excited to have them come through so she can feel better.

These are my two sickies, comiserating over a Dallas Cowboys game and trying to get some rest! All in all, we could do without the teeth today!

Katie enjoying some green beans in her high chair. She looks so tiny in it!

What the SNOW?? She got teeth and snow for her six-month birthday. Who could ask for anything more?!

Returning to Virtue

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:36:00 +0000

I loved Sister Elaine Dalton's talk in Conference on Sunday. She spoke about "Returning to Virtue." She spoke of being "Poisoned by Degrees" and becoming slowly desensitized to the evil things of the world. She says that we slowly begin to tolerate, then accept, and then embrace the evil things of the world through false role models and persuasive media and we are slowly losing our divine identity in all of the worldly influences. She talks about the need for strict training to return to virtue and live a righteous life and prepare to attend the temple and be worthy of a temple recommend. I have often lamented the fact that it is now okay to curse in public and in front of young children. It is okay to be promiscuous, and it is okay to ignore God and the Savior in favor of something easier and more worldly. I made a decision after hearing her speak, and we will be "Returning to Virtue" in our house. I am making a concerted effort to make good new habits and get rid of bad habits. I am going to try to be better at church and temple attendance and be better at regularly reading my scriptures. I am going to pay my tithing when I get paid, not forget about the check I wrote out two weeks ago and finally give it to the Bishop. I am putting myself through "Strict Training" and I am going to do better. I don't want my daughter to think the habits I have now are okay. I want her to have good habits and she won't unless I do. I remember when swearing on TV and sex being frankly discussed in graphic detail were taboo. They are normal now. But, not in my house anymore. My sister-in-law, Tammy, made a comment to me that the Sacrament is the most important part of Sunday and that staying home because you are too tired is not a good enough excuse. She is right. And as of right now, I am trying to be less lazy and more committed. Join me, won't you, in Returning to Vitue?

Listen to her talk here: http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-947,00.html

The Day is Finally Here...

noreply@blogger.com (The Bennett Bunch) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:03:00 +0000

We have reached the day when I have to officially child-proof my house. I found her up on the stereo, under my bed, and at the top of the stairs (no picture...I was too freaked out trying to grab her....I need a gate.) When she was under my bed, it was funny; the stairs, not so much! We are up to two solids a day now and she is doing great with it. Next week we are trying some veggies for dinner, so we will see how that goes.

We had a fun craft day at Amy's house with all the girls and kids today. It was really fun. Of course, I forgot my camera and didn't get any pictures, but I am sure Amy will post some, so check out her blog. I am sure I look hefty, like always, but my mom and sisters will look cute, to be sure.

I also got her costume for Halloween this year. I will save the surprise for when I get a picture, but suffice it to say, she looked stinking cute in it! (Thanks, Jo!)

I had a bit of a traumatic moment this evening. I was looking at pictures on my camera, and I only had about 10 on there. This morning, there had been over 200! I FREAKED!! I was sobbing hysterically and yelling at Brady (???like it was his fault???) and basically having a meltdown. In my defense, I had pictures of the first time Katie rolled over, eating cereal, etc, etc. Needless to say, it was really bad....but cooler heads finally prevailed and I found them on my card. Apparently my camera automatically creates a new folder after there are so many pictures on there and you can only see them on the computer. I hastily put them all on my computer AND on a disc, so we are doubly covered. WHEW!!

Here is a cute picture of Katie with her cousin Isaac in their matching pj's. Neither one of them were overly thrilled with the photo shoot. Isn't Isaac adorable??!!