Our last post of 2007

As this year comes to a close we can't help but look back and ponder over the past 12 months. We have had immense joys: the birth of a new daughter, watching our other 2 children grow up, friends bringing home their adopted baby girl Josephine from China, more friends and family telling us the news of babies to come in 2008, dad being given the all clear after several biopsies and the list could on. It also brings feelings of sadness at the remembrance of the deaths of two dear friends, Gina Holland, our priest's wife and one of my mom's best friends(who was like a mom to me) and our "matchmaker", Janet Brown. They will be remembered in our hearts forever.

Reflection shows you how much can change in a year, and encourages you to embrace the little moments of each day. Yes, even when you are exhausted beyond belief.

Here is how much our bundles of joy have changed in just one year.

Jacob Alan (big brother extraordinaire):

Jacob has gone from being a big brother of one to a bro to two. He has embraced his new role and often helps Mom in the evenings when Brad is working. He will keep Iz occupied while Mommy puts E down to sleep. He has found out that Iz loves music and will play songs on a mini keyboard to keep her happy.

He has gone from 1st to 2nd grade....and from brunette to blonde. He started the year in size 7 pants and now wears a boys 10. What a growth spurt!!!! His hobbies are playing video games, drawing and playing the guitar (or at least trying to). He still plays soccer and has found a new passion...golf!!!

Jacob in Dec '06

Emma Elizabeth:

Emma has gone from being the youngest child, to acting like the oldest. She has grown from 14 pounds to 21 and somewhere along the way learned to walk...er I mean run. Climbing and dancing are her favorite hobbies. Her favorite toys are her babies, Daddy's remotes and Mommy's cell phone. She loves playing with others as long as mom or dad are close by. She seems to have shy streak about her, often clinging to our pant legs in unfamiliar situations. She gives kisses freely and has a larger-than-life personality. Although she still doesn't talk much, she understands simple commands in 2 languages. Brad is teaching her German, and she is soaking it up like a sponge. What a bright child!

Emma in December '06

Emma in Dec '07

Isabel Claire:

Our Izzie was born on July 2nd. She had a rough start and spent her first 2 nights in the NICU. Brad and I often watch her scooting across the floor, cooing and nearly crawling (yes at just months) and we are amazed, and thankful at how far she has come. This love bug can light up a room with her toothless smile. She is physically the strongest baby I've ever known. She can hold herself up in a yoga plank position or downward dog for several minutes. She has said "Mama and Dada" though who knows if she understands them. Her hobbies are jumping, crawling backwards and nursing. The child refuses a bottle or paci, which just warns us that she will be a lover of the finer things life has to offer.

Isabel on the 4th of July '07

Isabel in Dec '07

We look forward to 2008 and watching our babies grow more and develop their individual personalities and look back on the year thanking God for the blessings in our lives.

We hope your year is full of God's many blessings!!!

Happy New Year!!

Auld Lang Syne (Days gone by)

Courtesy of Wiki....

"Auld Lang Syne" is a song by Robert Burns (1759–1796), although similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686-1757) and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs, use the same phrase, and predated Burns.

In any case, it is one of the better-known songs in English-speaking countries, and it is often sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day. Like many other frequently sung songs, the melody is better remembered than the words, which are often sung incorrectly, and seldom in full.

The song's (Scots) title may be translated into English literally as 'old long since', or more idiomatically 'long long ago' or 'days gone by'. In his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase “In the days of auld lang syne” as the equivalent of “Once upon a time”.

Holiday madness

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to get shorter every year.

This is especially true with two babies in the house. I tried to capture as much as I could on camera.

Here are some special times this Christmas....

p.s. Jacob was at his dad's this year for most of Christmas, so I have only one picture of him...of the back of his head....boys will be boys.

Chistmas Eve:

E in front of Nana's tree before church

Mommy trying desperately to get a pic with E. Notice the blur (she was trying to bolt)

E with cousin Andrew

E with cousin Ethan at Angelina's for CM Eve dinner (a family tradition for 10 years or so now)

Cousin Andrew loves Mexican food!

Iz wants Mexican food...but can only sit and watch

Christmas morning:

E discovering she FINALLY got her own popper!
Iz: "Wait! Those are MY toys too!!!"
Here is E crying because daddy can't get the counting maracas out fast enough

Ah, there's that picture of Jacob's head, cousin Hannah, AND the mess of gifts at Nana and Papa's...

Other fun moments from the week:

E with cousin Brooklynn in Oklahoma

Iz and daddy watching one of the 50 bowl games...

Iz modeling her new shirt. E's says "Daddy's sweetheart" but she wouldn't let me take a picture.

Just us girls!

I'm a princess!

Merry Christmas!

From our house....

To yours !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside....I've got the month of May......


My dear friend, Dawn, is an AMAZING photographer. She took some pics of the kids for Christmas yesterday despite being all tired and pregnant. She has always been the on;y one who can capture my children's true personalities on film (well, now digital). I won't spoil the Christmas pics some of you will be getting....but here are some shots before the girls got dressed. J joined us after church so I have no pre-shots of him.

Here are my girls!

Gray day, ugly day

This morning as I was walking out the door on a cold regular dreary December day, I received word from a friend that our dear friend, Janet has passed away. We knew it was coming since Friday, but that never softened the blow of actually hearing those words. The beaming face, the posh British accent and the bear hugs that many times made my Sunday mornings will be no longer.

J and I had been planning the wedding of Jacob and her grand daughter Emily since they were in preschool together. We always talked about the beautiful children they would have. The kids both just looked at us and rolled their eyes as we snickered behind their backs every time they were in the same room.

She had a very unique and special place in mine and B's hearts. She was there the day we met. She was my biggest cheerleader in getting up the nerve to talk to him. She went on and on about how gorgeous he was and that I was the only single person who could do anything about it. J gave B a pink slip of paper to write down my phone number one Sunday. She honestly believed that she was the matchmaker of the century when we told her of our impending wedding...and we were happy to let her take the credit. She gushed over our baby Emma. Her cheeks, her blue eyes, her curly hair. Her husband W, told B he believed her to be the most beautiful little girl he has ever seen in the most genuine way you can imagine. 2 years after her famous matchmaking, she knitted the most beautiful pink baby blanket for E with little hearts all over it in remembrance of the pink sticky note.

I ran into her a few days before I delivered Isabel. I was going in for pre-op paperwork and she was just sitting in the waiting room to be admitted for a biopsy. They thought it was leukemia. I sat there an hugged her, we talked about baby names (her daughter was also pregnant with a girl). She really wanted us to name our baby Claire (it was so British) and promised to come up to see us right after the baby was born. Unfortunately after Iz was born, she was rushed to the NICU, and by the time she was out J was too weak and sick to come upstairs. I did hold her up outside her hospital room a week later. I could tell it made her week to see another Bennight baby. But other than that... she never saw our littlest angel...nor held her.

I can't really find anymore words. I can't imagine church or choir without her. We offer our prayers and love to all her family and friends as we celebrate the life of a truly amazing woman....our matchmaker.
May God grant her eternal peace.

A day at the park

We have had some beautiful, unseasonably warm days lately. Yesterday morning B said "Let's go to the park!"...so we did. We didn't get very many good pictures of E. On the way to the slide she tripped and did a face plant into the cement. She walked away with a minor scrape on her nose and another busted upper lip, but was not in the mood for a photo shoot....as per usual.

Swingin' sister.

I LOVE the park!!!
Blue skies and blue eyes

Daddy needs to learn to take good pics and not cut off heads

Much better, aside from the crooked glasses

Mmmmmmm, sweet potatoes

Well, I believe we have found something she DOES like to eat!

Our budding musician

I guess with two musical parents, our children are destined to love music. Emma now dances every time she hears anything that resembles music. And....when she has access to any keyboard she runs to it and starts to play with a huge cheesy grin on her face....