Merry Christmas

And just like that...Boom.

It's almost Christmas.

We are in the current frenzy of last minute shopping,

cookie baking,

gift wrapping,

holiday tv watching days.

So to all those that did not receive a card-

This is the photo we used.

It is accurate.

Can you tell who is naughty and who is nice?

Wishing everyone a Holly Jolly Christmas!



Since then...

See?

Back to my old usual ways.  I got caught up in life and boom-

its been a few months of posting here!

So in true "Jill" fashion a let's catch up what we've been doing the past couple months.

Hiking with the kidlets at my favorite gorge.  This is truly one of my favorite places ever, and its so close to us!

And some more hiking at another very cool, very local park.

My Halloweenies

(a black cat, a sharkie and an ice princess)

And tomorrow we give thanks to all we are thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!!





The First day of School

Such a bittersweet day for me.

Two weeks ago, I was ready to ship the littles out of the house,

and back to school, without a second thought...

But, today my heart was nervous for them.

And the hardest part is trying to hide that.

Trying to be brave and remind them (and myself)

just how much we love school!

Because we do!

Until about 2:00pm.

Then I feel my hearts have been away too long and I am ready to have them back at home,

safely under my wing.

But we all braved forward and put on nervous smiles,

took the annual "back to school Picture"

And waited at the the bus stop with eager friends.

I thought this year would be a little easier, but it wasn't.

There were no tears, (at least not on their end).

But I managed to buck up and watch them jump up into the bus like little pros.

I watched them wave with cautious smiles through the window,

and wished them every ounce of goodness I possibly could,

and I waved back, smiling at how very proud I am

of the little people they have become and at the same time wishing they would just stay this way.

Such a bittersweet day, every first day of school.

My heart always hurts a little more when I watch their little worlds get bigger

and another day closer to becoming farther.

For them, the world on a string...



the farm.

One of my favorite places to go is to Tom's parents farm.

So many cool sights that we city kids don't often get the chance to enjoy.

You know, trees, fresh air, tractors...

It truly is simple pleasures.

And I know it sounds cheesey, but I love to watch them play.

Really play and explore and imagine.

(especially when they don't realize they are being watched)

It ALMOST makes we want to live out in the wilds somewhere.

(and then I come to my senses because where would the nearest Target be?)

We spent the whole day playing in the creek.

Bryn manages to find every possible deep hole and potential danger in the waters..

always wearing a smile too.

And this dog follows this girl. Everywhere.

Even the littlest one gets all excited about throwing things in the water.

And this girl finds remarkable details everywhere.

I love their desire to explore.

Fishing for minnows- "Bennett-style"

We walk aimlessly around the old barns.

They are almost ghostly old buildings that I think would have a lot to say if walls could talk.

And the kids walk around on their mission to find a barn cat or two.

(yes, even without their pants which happen to be getting dry from our swim at the creek)

Playing on the farm equipment is apparently much more fun than all the silly climbers we have in the city...

The whole motley crew, following their Dad like little ducklings.

That man can really keep their attention.

And it makes my heart all melty.

My boys.

The little and the big.

And after all the sticks and feathers and rocks that we bring back to their new home,

I always turn to find the proof of a good day.

One that will bring back memories when they are older.

Thank you farm.

 

The Color What?

The Color Run.

You run and there are colors.

Lots of colors.

Colors thrown at you as you run.

And by the end of the race you are covered head to toe in colored paint.

I know- sounds like fun to run and have people throw things at you.

Well it is.
And here are the pictures to prove it.



Before- all clean.

 In the sea of bright white shirts...

Crossing the finish line. 

The color party!

After. 

We had lots of fun, but I think if I were to do this run again, I would do it with the kids.
There were lots of strollers and people walking.
Definately more "fun" than "run".

Plus where else can you get pink highlights and purple boogers?
(still finding color in places that's not supposed to have color)

Sparkler Day

Also known as Independence Day to the rest of you.
(and sometimes referred to as:
Hopefully-not-widow-maker-from fireworks-stunt Day too)

Although this was a low-key year
(as in Mr Bennett and friends did not spend a small fortune at a local firework store),

 we still managed to have lots of fun with sparklers.

(and there may have also been some BBQ, cake and frisbees too).

I have been wanting to take a cool sparkler picture
either with a word spelled out,
which is tough to line up a bunch of people
(especially when they are small and not so great at spelling)

or

a cool heart/shape picture...

And although I did not get my envisioned shot,

we did manage to catch some perfectly imperfect ones.

Teaching the boy all about sparklers now that he is almost 3.

He loved them.
Loved without fear.
Which means we will probably wait until nextyear to actually let him handle one.
(as I saw that gleam in his eye,
when he realized he could play with this fire)

Sam's beautifully symmetrical designs...

My kinda spazzy designs...

I think this was supposed to be a happy(ish) face.

And my supposed to be(ish) heart.

I love sparkler pictures!!!

Thinking this might make a fun evening again this summer.

Once we are done with these 1oo degree days.

And I am crazy enough to let the kids stay up late again....

but that's another story.

The Great Power Outage of 2012

..or at least it better be.

I can  not imagine having to go any longer than 2.5 days.

Without power.

Without lights.

Without air conditioning...

Did I mention its also 100 degrees outside?

Ouch.

So we were all caught off guard by a quick storm surge Friday evening.

As soon as I went to check the weather, the power went out.

Judging my the horizontal bend of the trees outside,

I knew it was pretty bad.

So I grabbed the kids and a few flashlights,

and we headed to the dungeon basement.

After trying to keep the kids occupied

and myself calm from basement spider sightings,

we headed back upstairs once the worst was over.

Looking out the window, I could see lots of tree damage.

Big trees were down.

Big trees were also laying up and sideways and about everyway

as they were ripped from the ground.

Branches, debris and garbage cans were everywhere.

Luckily, none of it was in our yard.

So we decided to take a short walk to wait for the power to come back on.

But it didn't.

Not for another 2.5 days.

We were lucky enough to have Tom's foresight to have a generator on hand,

so we didn;t loose our frig food.

(and neither did two neighbors with the help of some big extension cords).

We were also lucky enough to have water.

...and I never really liked cooking,

so sandwiches are always an awesome dinner choice to me!

Actually, now that I think about it.

I half didn't mind hangin out with the kiddos

and our "house-camping".

But it sure feels nice to turn on a light switch and actually have light.

(I would've made a sucky pioneer).



Ooooh Waaaariors!!!

Boom!

Two months have passed.

And I am now a Warrior!

Yep.

Warrior wounds and all!

I decided it wouls be fun to run the

Warrior Dash in Ohio this year.

And fun it was.

Well, until about half way through.

While trying to run down the mudslide of a hill,

I wiped out.

I took a tree, some twigs and I am pretty sure a cement block with me.

Ouch.

I spent the last half of the race wondering if my open gashes

were going to get some flesh eating disease as I waded through some pretty foul smelling waters and mud.

(good news:  I seemed to have made it).

Although had I known then what I found out afterwards...

I would've slowed down while running with bronchitis and a sinus infection.

Double ouch.

With my beast of a friend, A.

Happy and clean before!

(we made the shirts and bought the supa wonda' socks)

 

I think I chicked this guy a couple times!

(and this was after my not so awesome fall)

And after.

Not so clean, but still happy.



And a grusome look at my warrior wounds.

Almost healed...

And of course I am looking forward to my next obstacle race!

I am now, afterall, a warrior!