Riley is funny...

We took Riley to the live performance of "Freedom Train." Her mom told her it was a play.
This is one of the conversations upon Katy picking up Riley.

Katy: "Riley, did you like the play?"
Riley (making a sour face): "Mommy it was not PLAY, we had to sit in chairs, it was a movie with REAL PEOPLE!"
Katy, Cindy, Em, Kelly, and Lexy all laughed!

Happy hump day to you!

Super Swimmer .... Emily

Emily had a great weekend, she made finals twice, ending up 5th (100 back) 3rd (200 back). Don't ask me how I did it but I don't have any photos of finals.... I but I was there and saw it for myself!

This is one of my favorite photos of the weekend, I love the bubbles, the way her suit shines, and how she has great position in the water! It also really shows off her $150 suit we purchased for her! She promised it would last for the state meets in July and December!

This is almost the end, she really swam hard in this event, I could tell when she got out of the pool she had NOTHING left in her legs, she had a hard time getting her footing!

Happy Tuesday to you... we are headed to "Freedom Train" in Everett. Should be a great day!

Super Swimmer... Kelly

Kelly only got to swim one event on Friday, the first event of the meet the 100 yard backstroke, which happens to be her best event. She was very excited and swam a perfect swim. Setting beating her personal best by 2 seconds! She was stoked to find out that she had made PODIUM at AGS! It made the rest of the day perfect for her to just sit around and wait for her sister!

It is such a great experience for both of the girls to see their name in the lights.

While you were sleeping in we are at the BIG pool in town!

So we are south at the big pool for AGE GROUP SECTIONALS (only the top 5% qualify for this meet)... we have been her since Thursday night both of the girls qualified for 10 events but you can only swim six, today will be the last day (insert smiley face here!) I am pretty sure Emily will make finals (top 8) in the 200 backstroke so we will be here until at least 6pm! Glad the mall Trader Joe's, Super Joanne, Michaels, Costco, Family Christian Bookstore, etc aren't far away.

Here are a few shots I took of Kelly Soda on Wednesday when she turned 10 1/2. When Emily was little she always wanted to know if she could tell people she was a "1/2." So this has been a tradition in our house to acknowledge being __ 1/2. No gifts, no party just a happy 1/2 day to you!

Man it is sad to think that my baby girl is 10.5! Where did all that time go? I get it now children and are blessing from the LORD and they do grow up so fast, right before your eyes!

Oh I love this baby.....

Jimbo, Susan, David and Emma stopped by on Tuesday... She is a beautiful baby, I LOVE it when she smiles.

On a total side note if any one was wondering what I would most likely look like if I were male, Jimmy, we have the same smile, eyes, eyebrow and moles!!!! Of course I thank the LORD I do not have all that facial hair!

Shout out to Jimmy thanks for coming by!!!! I loved seeing you all!

NO David.... one of the best...

On Tuesday I took my Tuesday girl to the library! She wasn't sure what to do at first, then I told her she could get 4 books off the shelf and I would read them to her. We did this 4 times, that is 16 books... I was done with the germ infested part of the library so I found a couple of "Huffer Classics" for her to check out and bring to my house. No, David was her favorite. I had to laugh later after her nap Jimmy came over and she couldn't wait to show him she could "read the book!"
I hope I can help instill in her the love of reading. Kelly loves to read.... Emily will read if it is a GREAT book, but she really prefers movies, I guess she is part Bennett after all!

Okay here is a close up of our friend the Leprechaun.....

I should be doing something productive... but I do love this photo!

A very tall Leprechaun....

So we have this crazy but really fun friend.... last week he dressed up as an Amish man and attempted to sell stoves or wooden furniture! This week he sprayed himself green eyebrow and all, so I took the girls to his place of work and got their photo taken... Scott is such a funny guy! Now if I could just get this loaded to my facebook page!

Happy GREEN day to you and yours!

What a few chips did to me today....

I was just eating some Sour Cream and Onion chips and thought of my wonderful Grandma. Grandma Dorothy. I have only a few but very solid memories of her.

When we moved west from Chicago so did she, (Uncle Chuck & Alan were already here) but she had no desire not to live in the country so she moved to Seattle (the Wallyford area if my memory serves me correct). She lived at the bottom of a hill, on the top of that hill was a mom and pop type of store. I remember Krissy and I walking up there ALONE and making purchases, but that is another story.

On this particular day at the store they had some samples, Grandma was very proper, old fashion and lady like, and wasn't sure if children should have a sample but I was about 5 and took one anyway, (don't worry she gave me a talking to on the LONG walk home and then a paddle on the bottom). Anyways back to my story, I remember the taste of that chip, it was not like any other, Grandma purchased a bag and said "we will have something with these for dinner!"

Being with Grandma was always an adventure, maybe because she was only here for a small snapshot of my life or maybe it was how she shared her life with me. She is one of the fondest memories I have of being VERY YOUNG. Even though I made her crazy by not being perfectly sweet, lady like and quiet like Krissy, I have no doubt in my mind that she loved me and had a place in her heart for me, too.

So the next time you pick up a bag of Sour Cream and Onion Chips think of Grandma, I ate them in her memory today.

We love El Nino this winter....

We have had many BBQs since we have had very little rain and the girls will now eat some other veggies besides carrots! Isn't that pretty? Yum, it sure tasted good.
Happy Monday to you!

Art from Kelly

Kelly came home and said, " I have something for you." To my surprise it was this beautiful chalk pastel. She had been working on it at art class. I think that she has some talent in the art field. I am so thankful that she has been given the time and place to use it. I do have to say it is very well done, the only way I would have known a child had done it was the very large bee! Enjoy!

Super card maker.....

Most of you know that I have been making cards for years, in the last couple of years it has been less since it seems like my life has gotten so darn busy, (teaching, working, cooking, cleaning, taxing, etc). This year before Valentines Day Kirk said "I think I should make my mom a card, can you FIND me the paper and I will do the work?" SURE!!! Only if I can take some pictures. That was the part he didn't like. So here he is at work, he used way too much adhesive, didn't know how to "spare" paper when using a punch, but I have to say his card turned out really nice! I must let everyone know KIRK DID NOT CLEAN UP HIS MESS WHEN HE WAS DONE! He often harasses me that my desk is such a mess, but now he knows why! SOOOO intense, look at his face!

Final project time about 90 minutes, having these photos=priceless!

P.S. Maybe this should be our secret, (in other words don't tell him) he never looks at the blog! Happy Wednesday!

New home for many....

Last year I brought this plant home from work, after the staff almost killed it from lack of water. I managed to keep it alive all summer, last fall I brought it in and placed it in the garden window. It never bloomed any colorful flowers until last week but it was green.

This weekend Kirk thought he'd let it get some real sun light.

Well this morning I was enjoying the view out the window and noticed the flower had a spiders web, on further (closer) inspection I saw hundreds of little yellow things, I thought they were pollen but they were moving.... the plant is FULL of spiders!!! I loath spiders, except spider man but that is a different subject! Enlarge the photos and you can see them. The plant is now outside until next fall! Wish her luck!

L O N G Weekend...

Kelly Emily and I spent a very long weekend in Mukilteo (leaving OH at 0620 and returning at 2130)... of course it was swim meet the girls did great but it was WAY over booked and seating was miserable to say the least. Got only a few photos because it was so frustrating to take a picture and have some one walk in front of me!

When did this young lady grow up and where did she hide my baby!