The Water that Cleanses

Every Christian parent usually has very specific prayers they repeat often almost daily, regarding their children.  Bruce and I are no exception.  We pray for their health, their safety, their obedience, their academic success, their ability to make friends, their future spouses, a servants heart, and mostly, their salvation.  We also pray specifically for each child as they have different needs and challenges, but we know that their salvation is still the most important prayer we can pray. 

Our little William was a much prayed for little boy.....prior to his birth.  If you want to read more about that, you can follow the link here: William's Story.  Beau and I prayed for years before we decided to adopt and once we both were in agreement to pursue adoption to grown our family, we prayed for months leading up to Will's birth and adoption.  His arrival was a sweet one.  We KNEW that God had placed this little boy in our home and blessed us in a huge way. 

From the time he could talk, we could see Will's tender heart.  When Will turned 13 months old, we began fostering our first child, Oliver, who was 6 1/2 months old at the time.  Oliver's story can be read here:  Oliver's homecoming.  Will instantly turned an open and sympathetic heart towards Ollie.  Oliver required much of our attention from the beginning and continues to do so.  William was gentle, loving, and proud of his new instant brother.  It was almost as if Will never knew any different.  Then Carter came along, follow his story here, and we felt like we were busting at the seams in busyness.  We had 3 little boys under the age of 2 and all in diapers.  It was very trying sometimes, but Will always remained calm.  Oh yes, he had his 2 year old moments and his stints of mischievousness and "boy" tricks.  But ultimately, William always had the ability to be reasoned with and parented easily.  William often makes personal sacrifices for the good of his brothers.  He is quick to release a brand new toy to his brothers without complaint.  He is readily willing to give up something he desires so that his brothers can chose something instead.  Bruce and I, however, work very hard to make sure that his generosity doesn't go unnoticed. 

William has always made friends easily.  He is very compassionate with other people.  He sees others' sadness and always finds ways to help them.  He takes the time to care for others.  William is very sensitive to others' needs and constantly looks for opportunities to fill those needs.  He is generous with his toys, his friendship, and his loyalty. 

Over the last months, William has been very thoughtful with his questions and inquisitiveness about God.  We have had wonderful conversations over this time and with each one the conversation has been more intense and more intentional.  Driving in the car has been a time for many of these talks as we look at the beauty that surrounds us in nature.  All of God's handy work.  Will knows that he was a gift from God as HE joined him and our family together through adoption.  He understands that he is a sinner in need of a savior.  Will knows that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again.  The Trinity is still baffling to him.  I still struggle as I try to wrap my mind around that one too.  On July 16, William came running to me with tears welled up in his eyes.  He had this urgency about him and this intense desire to KNOW that he was going to go to Heaven.  Bruce came home for lunch and we prayed with Will and he asked Jesus to come into his heart.  It was precious, moving, and sweet.  But, the main ingredient that Will possesses is his child-like faith.  His wide eyes and open heart is just the beginning of a long relationship with Christ.  How I wish I could always possess that same ability! 

I look forward to watching William as he travels his journey with Christ.  For I know He has a plan for this little boy with a tender heart and I delight in watching his grow spiritually, physically, and mentally.  I love you William. 

We are very thankful for our church family.  Our church is led by a God-loving pastor and his wife couldn't be more of an example of a Godly woman.  We cherish their family who have gone out of their way to welcome the Bennett's.  The congregation is very open-armed as well.  The love of God is apparent every Sunday.  In New England, where people keep to themselves and are often hard to reach, this church stands out.  This church loves on people, loves Christ, and loves the Gospel.  During a quaint and lovely baptism we had several families join us to celebrate.  Thank you everyone who came and celebrated such a sweet time with us.  We love you all. 

PS  At first Oliver so badly wanted to get in the water with William and was very vocal about it during the baptism.  However, when he discovered how cold the water was, Oliver decided he no longer wanted to be hypnotized (baptized).  There's got to be a little humor in the midst of dysfunction!!!  Seriously though, I do continue to pray for Oliver and Carter's salvation and hope that one day they will be hypnotized.

 

Thank you Amy Lutz for taking the pictures while I bawled my eyes out and tried to keep Oliver under control!!  You are a blessing my friend. 

Pinterest Obsession!!

Oh, Pinterest is becoming an obsession for me.  My husband laughs at me because one of the purposes of Pinterest is to be creative on a small budget, however, he sees it as just another opportunity for me to find an obsession and spend money.  I assure him, however, that I can "design on a dime".  He's not convinced.

But I love looking at Pinterest and seeing the many creative ideas that people come up with just using household or dollar store items.  I am amazed to see how Popsicle sticks can turn a regular mirror into a work of art, or how cheap plastic plates can be a 3-tiered jewelry box, or how a 50 cent picture frame can be turned into an expensive looking frame, or a can of spray paint can turn a brass light fixture into a luxuriously beautiful chandelier.  I am not a creative person, but I look to Pinterest to find ideas that I can copy. 

I love to do little projects to help decorate the house.  It just makes me feel like I have added my own personal touch.  Beau won't let me paint the walls, mainly because I don't have the patience to do it well and he would end up just having to fix my "work".  Our current budget won't allow me to do any major renovations to the house like gutting a bathroom or redoing our kitchen.  So for now, I will have to lean on my little Pinterest projects to play with my creative side (or copying others' creative side). 

I have pinned so many projects that I would like to complete SOMETIME in the future.  That SOMETIME comes very rarely, but when it does, I feel so accomplished.  Since I don't really do much shopping anymore (my previous obsession), I now get a little anxious unless I have completed some kind of little Pinterest project. 

How many of you Pinterest?  How many boards have you created?  How many projects have you posted?  How many projects that you pinned have you actually completed?  I know that I will never do all the projects I pinned, but I will continue to pin away!!!

Some of the ideas on Pinterest are simply functional ones, which I totally love.  I like projects that help with the organization and functionality of items, while also being pretty.  Beau just needs to understand that he married a girly girl and that's one of the reasons that he fell in love with me. 

 

Happy Pinteresting everyone.   

So simple isn't it?  But I would never have come up with it on my own!

If I ever put batteries in the lights, this arrangement will be beautiful. 
 



Candlestick, Styrofoam ball, and flowers.  Duh!!  Maybe I need to add a ribbon?

Painted coffee mug holder.  Great for bracelets.  
 

Wine rack and hand towels.  How cool is that?
 

Fruit baskets (planters) on the wall.  Save counter space!  Functional and cute.
 

CD rack found at the dump that I painted and use for storing punches (for scrapbooking)

And since the ball of flowers were so fun and easy, I made another one!
 

Dollar store plates, glue, and candlesticks.  Perfect landing area at the end of the day for my jewelry. 

 

These are just a few of my projects but I have plans for a lot more.  Now, I am impatiently waiting to decorate for fall and start some new Pinterest projects.  There's just not enough hours in the day.......



 

Carter finally gets to go to school

For years, Carter has watched his brothers get new back packs, back to school haircuts, new clothes, and school supplies in prepartion for a new school year.  Each time, Carter has very patiently and excitedly shared in these experiences with his brothers hoping that his turn would soon come.  Well, today was the day. 

Carter quickly got dressed, rushed through breakfast, and hurriedly brushed his teeth.  He was excited that today was HIS turn to take a picture in the dining room to represent HIS "first day" of school.  I wished that his first day of school could have happened back when he was 3 years old, but paying for Will and Oliver to be in school was expensive already.  So, Beau and I decided that another year at home could benefit Carter by giving him more time to mature and would also benefit our budget.  I hope we were right.  Only time will tell. 

I pray that Carter has a good day at school and like all mothers, I hope that he shares, obeys, and learns.  Carter is quite a bit bigger and is older than his 3 other classmates, but he is learning to be more calm and more gentle.  Fingers are crossed.   

Have a good day little one.  I'll be thinking of you all morning.  I hope you come home with your  contagious Carter smile!!!

First Day of High School

I am not sure who was more excited about this day, me or Zander.  I am sure the excitement and mix of other emotions were different for he and I, but emotional none the less.  Zander's thoughts were of his first soccer game scheduled for tonight, seeing friends, and navigating through the high school.  My thoughts, however, are much deeper.  Am I parenting Zander the way God intended?  Will Zander have a successful academic year?  What will his focus be?  Is Zander going to extend the love of God, even in difficult times?  Will his maturity grow exponentially this year?  Will he learn to gain more confidence?   Will he have the ability to juggle a full schedule this year, without the prodding of mom?   I had a hard time sleeping last night as these questions rattled around in my mind.  I was also thinking back to Zander's first day of kindergarten.  He was so independent and yet, still needed mommy.  Today, he is still that independent little boy and although he needs me, he will go out of his way to not let me know that.  I try to quietly sit back and watch him grow, learn, and embrace his new life as a high schooler.  It's hard to do, but sometimes less advice and less hovering is better.  I know God has a plan for his life and I rest in that. 

Beau is always saying that Zander and I are just alike.  If that is true, then I sincerely worry and pray diligently for Zander.  I made so many mistakes, like many teenagers, and REFUSED to listen to my parents (even when secretly I knew they were right).  I was fortunate because I grew up somewhere in my early 20's with only a few cuts and bruises along the way.  But Zander? 

Zander's school allowed a "trial run" yesterday for freshmen only.  He and I were both very grateful for that as it seemed to ease his nerves.  He had the opportunity to meet his teachers, learn where his classes were located, and just get some of the first day jitters out of the way.  He came home yesterday with a huge smile on his face and lots of enthusiasm for this school year.  I only hope he has even just a glimmer of that enthusiasm left by the end of the year. 

. 


First day of kindergarten

 

First tooth fairy money

 

Cub Scouts

President's Report for school

Disney

Birthday

First school dance- 7th grade

Conway, NH

Sea World

Soccer!


 

Siblings....before Carter

Day he was baptized

 

So, I sit here while everyone is still in bed asleep and pray and look at old "first day of school" pictures and wonder where the time went. Now go Zander, and be the salt and light in your school. I love you and I am proud of you.

Summer Fun

School let out for summer on June 21 and all my thoughts were consumed with coming up with enough things to keep the kids busy for the summer.  I really thought it was going to be a long summer and that the weeks would pass slowly as I tried to be creative with things for the kids to do. 

But here I am, the summer almost ending, school beginning in a few days, and I feel like I blinked an eye and it's over.  It's like a blur.  A 120 mph tornado.  I feel rushed to get things ready for school and to finish tidying up the house in preparation for 4 boys being in school this year (woo hoo by the way). 

Our summer had a great mix of exciting adventures and some laid back family time.  It began with a visit from my parents followed by a visit from some dear friends from Florida.  There were many dinners on the back deck as we enjoyed the evenings (until it began to get too warm).  I simply detest the heat and I am not sure how I survived as long as I did in Florida.  Beau dislikes the heat almost as much as I do.  Many days were spent with the boys playing in the sprinklers and eating Popsicles at their picnic table under the swing set.  Speaking of the swing set, the boys became quite active on their new set that Beau built and we have definitely received our money's worth on that purchase. 

 

Later in the summer, Zander spent a week at scout camp and had a wonderful time.  He worked on earning new merit badges and got plenty of chess playing practice with the staff.  I think he secretly enjoyed the chess playing a smidge more than the boy scout stuff, but either way, he had a good time. 

After Zander returned from camp, I celebrated my 40th birthday.  This was a harder event than I had imagined.  I remember at 30 spending the day trying to hold back the tears.  I am not one of those strong women who look at their age as simply a number.

  I wish I did have that outlook because it would make turning older more graceful. But I vowed to not cry at 40 so I didn't.  Although I was a bit gloomy, I kept it inside.  Beau really went out of his way to make me feel special, as he always does.  Dinner and movie date night and a beautiful necklace made turning 40 a little easier to swallow.  

Soon after, I flew to Florida (without kids or hubby) to spend a few days with my parents and friends.  I worked hard at getting the house in excellent condition, the refrigerator stocked full, and all the laundry washed and put away.  It was only 4 days, but I packed it as full as I could and I got to see just about everyone I wanted to.  Beau did a fantastic job keeping the house in order (mostly) and the kids well nurtured while I was away.  He's a great daddy. 

A day after I returned from Florida, Zander had an opportunity to fly to his "other home" too.  He had a great time spending days in Daytona with Beau's grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  In fact, he was spoiled.  It was like he was an only child again with all the attention he received.  He got to play games with MaNew and help her feed the animals.  She lives on a large 10-acre piece of land with lots of critters to tend to.  His aunt and uncle took him fishing, they taught him to use a compound bow in archery, and they climbed the lighthouse in Ponce Inlet. 

The last half of his trip he spent in Jacksonville with my parents. 
There again, he was spoiled.  They took him clothes and shoe shopping for school.  What a huge relief that was for me!!!  His stuff is so expensive now.  He bought some new books, went to the movies, and hung out in their pool.  One day, he even got to invite a couple of childhood friends over for a short reunion and time spent in the pool.  Zander is so fortunate to have lots of family and to be so loved. 

One of the highlights of this summer was a day spent at Canobie Lake Park.  It's a small theme park about 45 minutes from our home.  We had a blast that day.  Zander roamed the park by himself some of the day so he could ride the "big" rides and Beau and I let the little guys ride things appropriate for them.  We opened the park and closed it down.  The kids did great.  However, we found out from one of the park employees that we had chosen THE busiest day of the year to come.  Oh well, we still had fun. 

The most special event this summer was when William accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.  Beau came home for lunch and he and I prayed along side Will as he asked Jesus into his heart.  Sweet, sweet time. 

This summer, we also celebrated Carter's adoption day.  It's been 2 years now that he's been a Bennett.  We celebrated William's 6th birthday.....however, his actual party was 6 weeks later.  That will be in a later blog (when I finally get around to it).  Zander had his braces removed and he made the high school junior varsity soccer team.  In between all of that stuff, we fit in school physicals, continuing to organize our house, completed additional interior painting (still much more is needed), trips to the movies, neighborhood party, and every day life with 4 boys.

All and all, we had a great summer filled with many new memories to be cherished for a long time.  But.....I am READY for school to begin. 

William's Birthday Splash

I am so far behind on my blog....as usual.  William had a special birthday this year because it was his first "party".  In the past, we have had very small family gatherings to celebrate our birthdays.  Although those kind of celebrations are quaint, low key, and intimate, William desperately wanted a party.  I'm not a Chuck E Cheese kind of parent, although it does have it's merits.  No clean up, no planning, and kids are entertained.  However, places like that the kids spread out, the parents don't have the opportunity to visit with other parents, they are dark, noisy, and germ infested.  Being a summer month birthday, Will misses out on classroom celebrations at school.  He was so excited that we were finally going to have a "real" birthday party.  The planning of his party began in April (well, Will began planning then).  I, on the other hand, put this together in late July.....already weeks after his actual birthday.  I know, pitiful on my part.  But somehow, my summer got away from me.  We had 3 trips out of town and Ollie had surgery and so on and so on.....and all of the sudden the first day of school was nearing and poor Will had been 6 years old for 6 weeks before we had his party. 

So, a Star Wars party, of course, was finally scheduled and on the calendar.  I even had nice invitations printed up and we ordered a store bought cake for the occasion.  Such simple pleasures, but for William they were firsts for him and were very special.  Since it was a summer party, we ordered an inflatable water slide for the kids.  They had a blast and this was one of the best parties we had ever hosted. 

We had a great system.  Beau help post at the bottom of the slide to catch the kids as they landed into the pool located at the end.  Zander stood at the top of the slide to make sure only one child went down at a time.  I was in charge of chatting with the other parents, which I love.  Only a few classmates were able to attend the party as many of them were still traveling with their families for summer vacations, but Will had a wonderful time.  I think he will remember this party for years to come. 

 

William

Madeline

Oliver



Carter

Zander (yes, the big kids liked it too)

 A little boy can never have too many Legos!!
 

Happy Birthday my sweet Will Will.  We love you very much!!!