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!



I like...

Today was not my best day.
('nuff said)

And it went downhill from there.

When I have days like this

I find it helps to go through the things

that make me smile.

So in honor of sucky days,

here are some recent things that I like:

I like hungry baby birds.
(hiding in my neighbor's bush)

I like the bloomin' view from my kitchen.

 I like this dog.



 I like every hair on  this little head.

I love these little people.


There.
I feel better already.

Spring Break

Looking back at previous years,  I disappear from the blog right after our Spring Break for months on end.

I now have a theory.

I think its because the weather gets so nice that there is just no way I can justify staying inside on the computer when we have things to do outside!

Or anywhere  and everywhere else that's not the computer.

(that's my theory and I am sticking to it)

Good news is I am here. Now.

We took a sort of last minute vacation to my beloved Florida.

To see our beloved Florida friends

and hang out at our beloved Florida places.

(can you tell I still miss that place?)

We drove down at 3 in the morning and managed to arrive 14 hours later-

mostly in tact.

(tired as the kids decided that they no longer needed to sleep in cars.

And thank heaven for snacks, Kindles and even old fashioned crayons)

We didn't make any concrete plans, other to hang out with friends.

And it was nice.

In fact, it was so nice, that I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I would've liked

because I was having such a nice time enjoying the niceness.

Eric got to hang out with his oldest friend, Kaitlyn.

 Apparently brushing your teeth is THE thing to do if you are two!

We also managed to hang out with some old friends at our old favorite pool!

Of course we also went to one of my most favoritest places-

St Augustine Beach.

It doesn't have the bluest water, nor the whitest sand, but I feel at home here.

(and its always quiet, which I like)

Low tide syncronized swimming anyone?

I carried Eric this way most of the afternoon because unlike his big sisters, Eric does NOT like the ocean.

He does not like to touch it, and especially doesn't like to look at it.

(*le sigh*  2 year olds are fun)

Although, I talked him into making sandcastles

if we were about half a mile away from the ocean

(sheesh)

For the first time, Ava actually went into the water!

(and it only took her 6 years)

The rest of the time was spent just hanging

(but mostly eating) with our old friends.

It was a great vacation that always ends too soon.

Until next year my beloved Florida.