Last Post, Most Likely, From the U.S.

Okay, we only have a few days left and I can't wait. I'm about to go take a little nap, though I really shouldn't. It will only be about 20 min. but I need it. I woke up at 5:45 to try to get some things done and Ellyn popped her head right up. We had a fun morning though.

Sadie is busy throwing a fit and telling me she's frustrated because I didn't buy her anything at the Gap Outlet. Scary.

This really isn't even a blog because I am not even writing about what I'm doing, more or less just confirming that we're still alive and supporting the blog. I have about six million things to pack into five suitcases and I'm pretty dang nervous. In fact, I don't think I'll be able to nap until I have at least two of the suitcases packed so I had better go attempt that. Sadie is throwing items around the living room now so I'm going.

bg life

My Internet was down for a day maybe two, I don’t really know; it felt like an eternity.  Cory kept teasing me that he was going to cancel it altogether, not funny.  It’s my only connection to the outside world and by outside I mean you guys.  Spending time with you all was priceless.  Now if we could have multiplied that by a week it would have been much better.  I’m not kidding when I say you all get more beautiful every time I see you.  That includes the aunts who I’m sure, like my mother just think they are getting older and uglier.  Not true.  Beecher girls age beautifully; I just pray I have enough beech in me to do the same.  This weekend was incredible!!  Oh my word you should all come and do Hood to Coast some time.  It is more fun than I can even describe.  I ran faster than I expected, but it’s because first was a steep down hill, so I just let gravity do all the work. Then, I had like the two shortest runs ever, so it was like two 4 mile sprints.  I think I would have liked a slower longer run.  They are more my style, but the other was good for me.  So my first leg; the run down from timberline lodge, (the one from the Shining), you could see forever.  Mountains, trees, waterfalls, oh man it was awesome.  Then I ran along the riverfront in down town Portland for my second leg.  It was right at sunset and I got to run over a bridge.  That was beautiful too, except for the drunk guy he was just scary.  Then for leg three I ran at 4:30 am in a place called Mist.  Yeah they don’t just call it that for fun.  From 1:30 to 4:00 we tried to sleep there on the wet grass.  Oh so yucky!  I was frozen, sopping and shaking like mad.  When our runner came in 5 minutes early I was standing there in my sweats, without my ipod or headlamp.  They called our number and I throw off my cloths grab my crap and start sprinting down the road.  Ok probably not sprinting, but when it’s dark and you haven’t slept in 24 hours but have run twice, man you think you’re sprinting.  Anyways, I am booking it down the road trying to untangle my ipod, start my gps all the while my headlamp, which is not tight enough has slipped off my forehead and is bouncing on the bridge of my nose.  I must have been quite a sight, good thing it was so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.  I finally got myself settled and still ended up killing 18.  Every time you pass someone its a roadkill.  I don’t know if they do that in other races.  I have never heard of it, except on H to C.  I ended up 47 kills in all.  I really wanted 50, but didn’t know what we were trying for until after my first run.  Our team ended up coming in 10th for the all girl teams.  Not bad, seeing how we had girls who had never run further than a 10k before.  

Well my house is falling down around me, but I have decided that I am going to ignore it until after Brooke leaves and the kids start school.  Then life will get back to normal.  This year I have kind of been on perma vacation, playing with Brooke more than keeping up with life the way I would like to.  It was worth the mess.  I can’t even think about her being gone.  I just think about how excited I am for her that she gets to be with her love again.

Monny thanks for coming down and playing with us in Provo, you are so cool.  Geof. and Darla thank you for having all of us in your sweet little house.  It felt like home.  I miss you guys like crazy.  I pray that there is some way you can come to Disneyland with us.  

                                                                Love the blog and write on………me            

Home again, home again, rig jiggity jig

Tony and I went to St. George with his family over the weekend. We left Saturday and returned yesterday, Tuesday. Tony’s weekend was chuck full of golf. He played 18, 36, 18, and 9 holes over the 4 days. My weekend was chuck full of sleeping and lying by the pool. I would get up and eat breakfast with the golfers and then go back to bed. One day I was in bed until 3. Crazy…I hope that has something to do with the pregnancy because I could’ve slept all day. I did go golfing one day. It was my first “real” golfing experience. I say “real” only because I did go once in Washington, when Uncle Ellery tried to take all of us golfing. I ended up collecting golf balls instead of actually playing so that didn’t count. So I shot an 80 which would’ve been great had it been 18 holes unfortunately it was only 9. Besides the bad score I did surprisingly well. I kept connecting with the ball and I had great drives I just did poorly on the greens. I will keep practicing. Tony said it was the best time he ever had golfing. He is way excited that I am trying to get into it. His mom bought me a sweet set of clubs for my b-day so now I can try it out. I really did like it though and I only lost one ball to the drink. While we were there we went to this place called Sand Hollow and a lot of people call it “little Lake Powell” because it looks just like Lake Powell. It was awesome. We were cliff jumping and swimming all around. We should all go there! We also went to Tuacahn which is an outdoor theatre where we saw South Pacific (didn’t we see that at education year one time?) and Peter Pan. This is a tradition for Tony’s family to go to St. George every year but I think we should make it a tradition for our side of the family. Hint, hint mom if you are reading this.

Well I thought after a long weekend there would be a plethora of blogs, yet there was only one. Thanks Mindi, it sounds like Adam had quite the experience. Why don’t you blog about it Adam! Come on people, start blogging, Chels and I are dying at work without them.

Love you all.

Jess

ColoradoBennett

It's awful to check the blog over and over and see that no one has posted in 5 days. I guess it is about time I put our little update in. Sierra desperately needs to be in school. Today I was on the phone and she was literally jumping off the walls (off the couch, kicking the wall, and landing on the Foof), then she ran up to me and yelled "I LOVE JOY SCHOOL". Joy school is the LDS home pre-school that I do with 3 other moms and it doesn't start until Sep. 5th. This summer break has just killed Sierra, she really is attached to her little friends. Everyone else her age is going to afternoon ECE (early childhood education) but she misses the birthday cutoff by 11 days. But I'm still searching for a school that will take her because it will be good for both of us.
Poor Adam had to drive 1,614 miles this weekend. The student we had living upstairs, Mohammed #2, missed his flight to Montana on Friday and needed to be there to start school. At first I was thinking "wow, I'd like to drive to Montana, I'll take him." But then I realized that wouldn't work, so I volunteered Adam to do it. We looked it up on line and it was supposed to take 12 hours. But it really took more like 16 or 17. Sierra went with them, but apparently she did good (Mohammed gave her a lot of candy and Adam let her watch "King Kong" and "Van Helsing" over and over). Adam was dead tired by the time they got back home and I felt awful. He said, next time we offer to drive someone somewhere we have a 100 mile limit.

by Sum Yung Gai

Chick a dee china
The Chinese chicken

Seattle Bennett Living in Colorado

so after reading Cory's blog I decided to post this web site www.endurance50.com you should all check this site out it is intense spend sometime wandering through it, it has a spot where in one run he eats 28,000 calories and still loses 5 pounds. Also I can't tell you how exciting it is to see that Warren Miller has this years movie tour starting which to me marks the start of ski season I can already feel the warmth of my sorels, my puffy down jacket, and a tuke. I love fall and winter, football, leaves, general conference (in pajamas snuggled on the foof), air thats crisp and puts chill in the body you can only dream about in the summer. later Adam

ColoradoBennett

Alone Looking at the Mountain

All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I.

By Li Bai

Cory & Meagan, I'm overjoyed that you posted your newsletter. It's wonderful. Did anyone else write one (ie. Ellery or Brooke) and could we please have it on the blog? In my effort to be just like Meagan, I've decided to pick up Chinese poetry, too. As for the running, cleaning, cooking, and hair styling...that might have to wait until I have a resurrected body.

cory's news letter

The Allens….2006
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Hello there everyone.  Time for another round of "What Meagan and Cory and the Kids Have Been Up To For The Last Year."  It's been busy, but you'll read that on every other letter in this book this year.  Also, the kids are growing, work is busy, traveling, scholarships, tears of pain, tears of joy, yadda, yadda, so on and so forth.....  You get the point.  Here's a quick rundown of what's happenin in b-town:

I'll start with the littlest of the spawn.  Her name is Hazel, and she is beautiful.  Unfortunately, though, her leg muscles are failing to develop as they should because SHE NEVER TOUCHES THE GROUND.  Not content unless she is being held, Hazel is helping Meags master the art of running a life ONE HANDED.  And to back up those good looks, she is also brilliant.  She is quite adept at using sign language to ask for "more" and to let Meags know it is time to "nurse."  She is also just finishing up the memorization of several passages of Chinese poetry.  I can't really understand the stuff, but I'm not really into it to be honest with you.

The next oldest, Wil, doesn't like Chinese poetry.  He likes to kill things and dress like Batman.  In fact, while Jack and Bennett are at soccer practice, Wil claims that he is going to Batman school.  I wish.  But underneath that tough-guy facade, cape, and deep voice is really the biggest mamma's boy on the face of the earth.  He absolutely LOVES his little brothers and sisters, and is looking forward to the soon-to-be days when Jack and Bennett are at school and he gets to be the man of the house.  However, we are dreading the quickly approaching day of Brooke and Co. leaving to Germany, due to the fact that Wil and Sadie have become BEST FRIENDS.  Sadie was gone a couple of weeks ago, and Wil was a lost puppy.  It was quite sad, but neat to know they're such good friends.

Bennett is the most gorgeous three-foot-tall athlete in the world, and an absolute sweetheart to boot.  Even with the attitude that accompanies this little chick, she still manages to be the most caring and sympathetic in the family.  When someone is hurt or disappointed, leave it to Bennett to be the first to offer help.  This is a big year for Bennett.  She is going from a stay-at-home little girl to a school attending, soccer playing, ballet dancing, 5-mile-hiking-with-a-pack-on, superwoman sort of a thing.  She is also wonderful at spelling things backwards really quickly... this, in my opinion, is her greatest attribute.

Finally, for the kidsies, Jackson walks the fine line of being a little kid/big kid who is depended upon by both parents and baby siblings at the same time.  Jack has done some amazing things this year... he has broken three boards in Tae Kwon Do (as in kicking and punching pieces of wood, man), he begins his 3rd year of school, second year of soccer, and is heading into his second year of art classes (we don't force the art on him, he just REALLY REALLY LIKES TO DRAW).  Jackson has always had, and still does, a strong love of stories; so his discovery of reading is really starting to take off as well.

As for the a-dults, Meagan is seemingly beginning to figure out how to handle life with four children.  What once seemed overwhelmingly impossible is now becoming mere child's play, even as the kid's schedule gets more and more demanding.  Houses are clean, dinners are cooked, and everyone's hair is always done.  She continues to be an amazing woman, running upwards of 40 miles plus a week, wandering around the Cascades with a backpack on with her kids in tow, and memorizing gobs and gobs of Chinese poetry.  She has a couple of good runs to look forward to this summer, namely a 195-mile relay run from the mountains to the beach in Oregon, and a marathon in Eastern WA a little later on (hence the 40+ miles a week).  Her ultimate goal is the run the Western States 100, which is 100 miles through the mountains on a little trail (hence the Chinese poetry.  Read: crazy).  Someday, Meags, will no doubt run that race.

As for myself, I have just put the finishing touches on my magical staff and am in the process of changing my legal name to Cory the Grey.  I tried getting into Chinese poetry, but wizards are more my thing, you know what I mean?  Even though I am working and living in the real world (people tell me), I still spend too much time wondering what I'm going to do when I grow up.  But what the hey, life is great in the meantime, and there is nothing more fulfilling and fun for a guy to do than sit around and watch his brood get through this life.  No doubt, life is good.

Have a great year everybody.

ColoradoBennett

We went to a wedding up in the mountains last night. It started raining right when the ceremony was to begin, but we waited it out and everything turned out beautiful. Sierra and Kaia stayed with my sister, Janelle, and Tristan went with Adam and I. How are the reunion festivities going out there in Utah? Wish we were there.

Heck Yes!

Of course i remember that line, jessy. How could i forget? Trust me, i've tried! Even now the memory of Snoop Jeffy Jeff is almost overwhelming! i think "Jeff" i mean "Joseph and the technicolored dream coat" will be ruined for me forever.

ColoradoBennett

This morning we got to go to a birthday party at Six Flags. We got our first ever family of five photo, with the Looney Toons...very fitting. Note Kaia's little scared to death expression. She would start to shake anytime the big characters got close to her. Poor kid. Adam said he could never be a guy in a costume because he would see the scared kid and go after them. Lucky for Kaia her Dad will never apply for a character job, hopefully. After the party Adam had to take the youth from the ward to EFY. The kids and I came home for naps. Lucky for me, they all slept great and I was able to move all my maternity clothes into storage and pull out the things I haven't seen in nine months. In an amazing way LeAnne's pace and organization rubbed off on me, only to a much lesser degree. When everyone was awake, I decided it would be a good idea to take three kids and a dog for a walk. Half way through, the weather decided it would be a good time to dump buckets of rain. Kaia was in the Bob stroller, Tristan was in the wrap, and Sierra was walking, very slowly. In fact, the harder it rained the slower she walked. I'm sure people driving past thought it to be a strange scene. Tristan slept through it all, thanks to LeAnne's double layer, amazing, miraculous receiving blanket. That's my story.
Here is a picture of Adam & Sierra on Pop's new 4 wheeler. Adam drove fast, round and round the park and Sierra was in little speed demon heaven.
Last night Adam rented 'Sons of Provo' at our local video store. The movie was pretty funny (I laughed my head off when they were singing about forgiveness while having pies thrown at their faces). Even more exciting is that we now know that we can rent mormon movies here in the mile-high city.

So True!

Chels,

You better believe I check the blog every two minutes. In fact, I had just checked it not that long ago and thought there is no way someone has written but due to habit and pure boredom I checked anyway and there you were. I just left a voicemail for you with my work email address. I don't have access to hotmail at work and I never check that account, also I couldn't remember your email address to email you mine. Anywho, long story short, thanks in advance for any job info you will be sending me. It could very well save my life and the life of this unborn baby. JK!!!

Elly, do you recognize the title "So True"? You better and if not it really has been too long!

Love Jess

Jessica, I know you will see this because we both check this at least every two minutes. Anyways, would you please send me an email so I can reply to your correct address. I have some job searching info for you. I think you may be interested.

~Chels

more bg life

I forgot the funny story from last night.  Hazel wakes up at about 4:15 and I wake up Cory to go and get her.  (That’s his job, then I feed her)  so I ask him to go and get her and he just grunts, so I ask him again, because she is in bed alone.  So he rolls a little and says he’s going.  Yeah, he wasn’t so I asked him again.  This time he rolls out onto his knees with his arms on the bed.  I ask him what he is doing and he tells me he is just doing what I asked him to.  I say no I asked him to get the baby and he needs to hurry before she falls out of bed.  Now he goes down to the end of our bed and starts running his hands over the dresser.  Once again I ask him what he is doing.   And once again only a little more impatiently he says he is just trying to do what I asked him to do.  I tell him a little more impatiently that he really needs to hurry and get the baby.  So he finally makes it into hazel’s room and she goes from a little fussing to full on crying.  I ask Cory what he is doing and he says he needs a shirt.  I’m thinking why is he trying to change her cloths so I go in to try to save the poor little thing and Cory is just sitting on the edge of her bed doing nothing.  I ask what he is doing and he says he needs a shirt, the yellow shirt because her nose is bleeding everywhere.  Yeah her nose is not bleeding so I pick her up and carry her back to my room.  As I am leaving Cor says he really needs that shirt because ‘it’s’ leaking everywhere.  (Crazy Cory)  by this time I am kind of laughing because it is obvious that he is just way too out of it.  Then he starts talking about getting some metal and where is he going to get the tin I want for the walls.  I ask him what walls he’s talking about and he says the ones in our new house, like they did in 1940’s houses.  Now I am really laughing, because he has even gone in and gone to the bathroom and he is still going on and on about this metal.  He gets into bed and says he is awake and making sense and now I am just hurting his feelings.  So I apologize and take his hand and instantly I can feel him collapse into a deep sleep.  The funniest thing is he can’t remember any of it.  But he assured me after I told him the story that he isn’t mad at me. I don’t know if I even wrote that well enough to do it justice, but mom, elly, brooke and jane were rolling at lunch when I told them.

Better late then never, eh?!?

Happy late anniversary to Adam and Mindi. I remember that day like it was yesterday…it was wonderful. It sounds like you had a great day. Mindi, you are right…the boulder mountains are very pretty. Maybe one day we will see them in person. I was telling my friend at work I have never been to Denver even though I have cousins living there. Maybe one day we will show up on your porch. I loved the Danger story. Your bishop and ward sound adorable. Tristan will love these stories when he is older.

Happy late birthday to Brooke and Jane. I hope you both had great days as well.

Meags, my doctor’s appointment went well. We have our first ultrasound of the little lima bean. My for sure due date is March 13th, 2007.

I don’t think Alicia wants in on the joy of pregnancy quite yet but I think it would be fun if we were pregnant together. Maybe next time. Listen to how weird this is…our best friends, Neil and Allie, are pregnant too. In fact, Allie’s sister is pregnant as well and they are due on the same day, March 26th, funny huh. Two of my three best friends from high school are pregnant right now as well, Cassie Felix and Shannon Lawson. So we are trying to get Chelsea Vernon on the train too. I guess the pregnancy bug is going around.

I am at work thinking of all the millions of things that need to be done at my house but won’t get done because I am at work. The days are just flying by I hardly have time to accomplish anything at home. Our beach towels were hanging on the door to dry since the reunion on Saturday and everyday I thought I need to put those away. I finally got around to it this morning. I started watching Prison Break and I am flying through the first season (it is so good) so by the time I get home, make dinner, and watch a little Prison Break, it is time for bed. It doesn’t help that I am exhausted a lot of the time and hardly feel like doing anything. Last night I checked my hotmail and I have 324 messages and only 122 of them have been read. I told Tony I don’t even have time to check my freaking email. Oh well…one day.

Love Jess

bg life

I don’t know if I am excited or not yet about going down to Utah.  Oh how I hate that drive.  And Darla might not be there and Adam and Mindi might not be there, so it’s a good thing I have the coolest cousins in the world I can hopefully see, and dad’s family reunion.  And the cutest little brother I get to see.  That will make it worth it.  Now all I have to do is pack, clean my house, mow the lawn, weed the whole yard, do all the washing and finish unpacking from the backpack that was over a week ago.  I’m pretty sure there are not enough hours in the day to finish all I have planned, but I can’t leave it for Cory because he already has one honey of a ‘do list’ waiting for him.  Mom got back from Denver yesterday and my children are in heaven!!  She watched them last night so Cory and I could go to the temple.  And when Cory went to pick them up they were all wearing one of her t-shirt and begging to spend the night.  Cor thinks mom had it all set up so we couldn’t say no.  Who can blame them; we would all like to spend the night there.  If fact while I was at girls camp, Cor stayed there with the kids and said he could move right back in.  It could be that mom does the work of 10 women and 5 men so when you are there you hardly have to do anything.  

Cameron when is Monica due?  Jess how was the doctors apt; do you have a for sure due date? Chels thank you for your speedy response I will call Linds and yes you need to be righting on the blog way more often.  Oh and is Alicia feeling like she doesn’t want to be left out of the joy of pregnancy, so try for number 3?  I was crazy like that when Mindi and Darla got pregnant with their firsts.

Bennett had her first soccer practice last night, she was so dang cute, and good too.  You can tell she has been playing in the back yard with her big brother.  Jack’s first practice is tonight and I hope he likes it better this year.  He will do better with a different coach, I’m sure.  

Angel baby has just woken up so now I must start my list of chores all one handed, wish me luck!

                                                                     Love you all, just keep blogging………me  

DANGER!!!

Mindi and Adam, I love the Danger story. What a cute bishop you have! I don't know who is more adorable in that picture, Adam, Tristan, or your bishop. I agree with Darla, they love you.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes for Jane and me. I think the highlight was Sierra singing me Happy Birthday and Geof. remembering Jane's b-day. I have just about the best siblings in the world. I had a great birthday weekend. Saturday night my friend Patti got a babysitter for her little girl and my girls and arranged for a bunch of us to go out to dinner kid free. So... after a great day at the fair with Meags and Cory and kids (which included a killer truck show-not monster, just insane drivers driving beater trucks through lots of mud and over bumps, jumps etc...) we headed off to dinner. Sunday we had a yummy dinner and Meagan made me an amazing cake- caramel, chocolate, need I say more? It was possibly even worth turning 32.

So Sunday after church I find Sadie sitting on the stairs taking strips of paper out of her pocket. I ask her what she's got and she looks up at me with solemn eyes and says, "bad words." I read one of the strips and it says "someone won't share a toy with you." They were from her primary lesson. It was so cute. You might have had to be there.

Well I have more to write, but I also have to lay Ellyn and Sadie down for a nap. Hope you are all having a fun summer.

love, Brooke

darla

Happy Late Bday Brooke and Happy bday Janie! Today is my mom's bday and the kids and I FINALLY made our way over to my parents house. My parents are having a blast with the kids so I thought I'd take advantage of blog time. Anyway, we've been playing like crazy and we're exhausted but it's been fun. I miss Geof. like crazy. It's weird not to be with your best friend. Especially someone as funny as Geof. (: Tomorrow my sister's family and I (and my friend Emily who came out with me) are going to the Sacramento Temple open house. I'm so excited. There's so many good strong members out here and they deserve it! Well I have to go. I love the "Danger" story Mindi and Adam! They love you guys there! I'll be home by Sat. night. Darla

ColoradoBennett

Happy birthday, Brooke! May your wildest dreams come true.
The greatest thing happened at church today. After the opening prayer in sacrament meeting, Tristan was making a little fuss. The bishop stands up and says, "Do I hear a baby out there? Are we blessing the Bennett baby today?" Adam and I both say that we are not because we cannot agree on the name. Bishop gets a big smile on his face, ducks under the podium for a long moment, then shows the congregation a big, wrapped package. He said, "My councilors and I decided we'd try and solve the baby naming problem the Bennetts are having." He then pulls out a big, yellow street sign that says "Danger! As of 7-26-06". He said they would present this sign to Adam if he would agree not to use the name Danger in the blessing. The whole ward laughed because almost everyone is in on the "Danger Debate". Just before taking the above picture Adam agreed to the Bishop's terms and I gave him a great big hug. There is peace in the valley once again.

BoulderBennett

Thanks, Brooke, we had a great anniversary. We didn't end up going to the fancy-pants steak house. Instead, we took the family to my all time favorite place, Boulder. We drove up to Flagstaf Mtn., through Chataqua Park, ate at an Ethiopian resturant, walked through the Pearl Street, ate at Ben&Jerry's and watched street performers. I can't help attaching a picture of the flatirons. I told Adam that of all the places I've been in the world, I think these mountains are the most beautiful.
I've been spending a lot of time nursing in front of the computer. I ran out of things to look at the other day, so I was reading some old blogs from about a year ago. Alicia wrote the best blogs and I miss her being on here! Someone please tell her that we need her back.

Happy Anniversary Adam and Mindi

I hope you have a wonderful day today. Yeah that you have mom there and hopefully you can get a little alone time. I love you both very much. Love, Brooke

Chelsea

Hello everyone. I need to first apologize. I have been taking advantage of the blog completely. Reading and not writing. I have read almost everyday and as you can see I have not written.

Work has been insanely busy. I really like it, because the day goes by so much faster. Anyways, I literally only have a minute. I just wanted to reply to your question Meagan. I am almost 100% positive that one of the girls would watch the kids. Lindsey has been doing that for a number of families all summer. I'm not sure what her schedule is, but if she's available it shouldn't be a problem. So there you go.

I really need to get better at writing. I'm so excited for all the fun news with everyone!!! Baby Tristan, Baby Smith, engagements, awesome pictures ect. It's been very entertaining and so much fun.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

love,
Chels

bg life

Mindi you really would have wanted to turn us in if you had heard us yelling at Jackson and Bennett to run down the last two miles of the trail.  Jack at one point tripped over a rock and rolled three times then landed in a cloud of dust.  I made sure nothing was broken, and then told him to get back up and run.  He only cried for a minute.  (This part is from Jackson)…then I wanted to kill her and my dad.  I hope you saw my eye.  First my ear was swollen then it all drained to my eye in the night.  Me and Wilohm were twinners.  I had so much fun; I wish you were there.  

See so even though we tortured them they still had a blast.  Darla we were talking about how you have never been on a backpack with us and we decided it was because you got engaged and married in the winter.  Usually the boys torment their future wives by forcing them to get to know our crazy family while hiking in the wilderness for the first time.  But just because you already know how crazy we are doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come with us.  September works, just tell us when and we will be ready.  I like to daydream that Geof. takes a job up here and you and I get to go walking/hiking every day.  But I know it is only a dream and I am destined to me alone as mom and dad move, Brooke and the girls move and Ellynn and Brind go off to school.  But that’s cool I like talking to myself.  

Hazel started to sign ‘more’ and ‘nurse’.  It is so cute.   And she hums to go with it so as to draw attention to what she is doing with her hands.  Oh Darla you are going to Cali.  When are you going to be back?  We are coming Thursday night the 17th and will stay until Tuesday the 22nd.  I hope we will get to see you otherwise our trip will be a failure.  Adam and Mindi I think you need to come to the family reunion.  Triston will be plenty old by then.  Travel with you kids young.  The younger the better, then they will expect no different as they grow.  Chels do you think I could hire one of you little sisters to baby-sit my kids on sat morning the 19th while I golfing with my dad’s family?  Ok I think I have rambled on long enough and asked enough questions so I will go now.  We get to take a field trip up to Longview to go grocery shopping and have a picnic with Cory.  We are all very excited; he is so cute how could we not be?

                                            Blog on…………me

the Turtle

There were turtle nests all over the beach and this little guy hatched and was going the wrong way (away from the water) up the boardwalk. Bill stopped and picked him up and the lifeguard told us to just take him down to the water. We set him on the beach right at the water and he still went the wrong way so we put him in the water and away he swam.

Seattle Bennett Living in Colorado

Cameron quick question who is holding the turtle in the picture you posted
Adam

beautiful WA

I'll have to admit Meags and Cor, I was only slighty envious of your backpacking trip. I'm lying. I was practically in tears at the beauty of your home state! SOO jealous! Can't Geof. and I and the kids just pack up and head out (maybe early Sep.?) for another one with you guys? THat would be amazing. I have yet to experience real backpacking with the Bennett women. I was talking to Ellery the other night and he said it was "highly overated". (; Oh! And the poor boys with their swollen faces. Why only them? Bennett looks like she's 12 (scary!) and the sleeping Hazel reminds me of my not so little anymore Dayne. We miss you guys! Geof. is sad that he missed out on meeting Kim in his short time up there. Mindi, I can totally relate to your LeAnne experience. She blew me away when she came out when I had Dayne. Like I said to Adam, she did all those things that you never had time (or desire) to do: cleaning behind the fridge and stove, unpacking ALL our stuff when all I wanted to do was sit in the hospital with Dayne...oh, and lest we forget, dealing with my not-so-easy 2 yr. old Cole. WE lOVE YoU LeANNE!! Speaking of COle, he was doing so well but lately has returned to screaming fits, hitting and kicking tantrums, and Sundays spent in the hall on mom and dad's lap 'cuz he refuses to be in Primary. Any suggestions? Geof. was soo mad last week I thought he'd beat him to death. I'm dreaming of the magical age of 5 that so many tell me about. Dayne is almost perfect. She has some spunk but she's too dang cute to discipline, yet. Alrighty. Gotta run. I have a final to take in Philosophy. 2 more classes and I'm done!! Darla

ColoradoBennett

Our internet was down for a few days and it was just killing us to be missing out on the blog. Jess and Tony, congrats! There are few things more wonderful than having a newborn around. Brind and Kim, we are so excited for you. Please don't let me down by not having dancing at your reception. Cory, thanks for posting those pictures. LeAnne and I were just looking at them together. I was saying that we need to get out there and do that more often, until we got to the swollen faces and then I thought maybe we ought to turn you in. Poor LeAnne wanted to be there so badly. We are really taking advantage of her here. Last night she made a Mexican feast that was to die for (see picture). Gram, Pop, my Mom, Adam, Sierra, Kaia, and I were all here and she slaved away making everything perfect. In addition to outstanding meals, she has also rearranged our kitchen (cleaning under, in and around every appliance), organized the girl's closet, set up a sewing table to make blankets for Tristan, gave up her run yesterday morning to weed the entire yard, and the list goes on and on. I just sit around eating all the wonderful desserts she makes and daydream about keeping up this domestic goddess pace once she leaves next week. I've determined that it is not humanly possible. We are so grateful that she is here, even though she did have to miss the engagement/bug hike, miss meeting Ellynn's Jason, miss seeing Geof. this weekend, etc.

Danger

I meant to do this some time ago. Mindi you know i love you with all of my little girl heart, but i have to side with my brother on this one. Danger is probably the coolest middle name i can think of and preventing the official naming will unfortunately not prevent this little boy from developing an immunity to iocane powder.
cam i feel like a jerk that i haven't seen you guys. especially when paula and bill came all the way out here to see brind and i. i will be moving out there on the 10th of september and starting school on the 13th. i will be around. i can't wait to see you guys. that picture of monica and the girls is beautiful. alright, take it easy kids. blog out,
ellynn

Some pics from the Allen's...

Hey all. I've posted some pics from our hike this weekend. Click here to see 'em. Check out the one near the end that shows the boys' swollen faces. The mosquitos were potent!
.l8r.cdawg

Monica and Girls

It's me again. I was going through our Florida Pictures and found this picture of Monica and the girls and thought I'd share!

Ellyn, when are you coming to Utah this time. We would like to see you at some point now that you and Brind have both been here since you got home and we never got a chance to see either of you. Has Brind set a date for his wedding yet? My cousin who lives in Hawaii posted on our family blog that he will be getting married in Oakland on Dec 30th so we are trying to figure out how we are going to make it to everything in the busy month of December!

Well, I'd better get back to work!

Felicitaciones Brind y Kim!

Thanks for the pics of you two..whoever blogged 'em. It's now a reality to me..seeing the two of you together. I'll be honest, it's been quite a shocker to me. Don't ask me why. I guess I still think of Brind as 16 when I met him. But I guess I can't talk right? Geof. and I didn't even KNOW eachother when we got engaged (; You two are adorable. Anyway, i woke up with pink eye this morning and it's made me grouchy all day. That and the fact that I'm overly hot and can't seem to cool down. Oh well. My last day of class is Thursday. My friend and I are driving out to Cali. on Sat. for a week to play in the ocean, rivers, any water we can find. YEAH! life is good. Geof.'s almost done with his hours and we'll see who he decides to fly for. Love to all. Darla

I'm so happy!

Jessica is having a baby, Brind is engaged and all the world is right. congratulations to all involved on that front. jessy i just about peed my pants when i found out! i have waited for this day for so long...yes i mean the day when you would be fat! just kidding!! you will look amazing just like your supermodel sister. i love all the pictures that have been on here. especially the ones of brind and kim. yeah kim looks a ton like brooke and people at church think they are sisters. they will be soon anyways. well i've been trying to get caught up on the blog. it's nice to see so much is going on. quick update from me. i'm still working at the warehouse and getting lots of bruises but loving it. it's a ton of fun and it's great to work with brinders. other than that i spend as much time as possible with the family and at the lake. i've also been getting stuff put together to go to school. plans have changed again and hopefully you'll all be happy to hear that i'm coming back to utah! as it turns out i'm not allowed to live in approved housing up in rexburg and since that's where my two roommates have to live, it's not gonna work. so i figured, if i can't live with them, i might as well go back to utah where i have family and friends and jason. he's the "guy" brooke blogged about. he's a good one and i think i'll keep him around for a while. but nothing serious at this point. so that's the update on me. i'm way excited to come down to utah and play with you all again. especially with the baby coming!!!! take care all. i love you!
ellynn

What a doll...

Way to go Brinders. Kim is adorable. In the first picture she looks like Lydi and in the second picture she looks like Brooke. I had to stare at the picture for a second to make sure it wasn't Brooke. I am so happy for you guys.

Elly, what's this "guy" Brooke blogs about?!? You better update me immediately!

Cam, I want to apologize. It was funny because as we walked away from you I said, "I guess he hasn't seen the blog." Sorry...we should have said something but I thought I would leave it to the blog.

So I am due March 13th in the promised year of 2007! I have my first doctors appointment today. Fortunately I have been feeling great so hopefully that will continue. Morning sickness and bus rides to work don't mix. I will update more later. Thanks for all the blogs and calls. I love you guys.

Love Jess

Introducing...

Mr. and Mrs. Brind Bennett.... Congratulations to you two as well! (Mrs. Brind Bennett is actually Kim Nielson, by the way :)

WoooHooo!

Alright you guys!!! Way to go! Fantastic people will have fantastic kids...
Congrats-
cor -n- meags

Congratulations!!!

That is my stock title for news like this. I just can't think of anything better to say. I am so happy for you both! That is soooo cool! I loved your poem and your picture, although that test looks a bit complicated to me. I would have been sitting there dazed and confused "two lines means I'm not? But if there's a cross and two..." I really hope everything goes well and you don't get too sick Jess. Please fill us in on due date etc...

Besides that I want to tell Monica and Cameron how much fun we had staying at your house. Thank you so much. We all felt so comfortable and welcome and my girls talk about your family all the time now. Thank you.

Jess, I wish we could have seen your house, once our Saturday evening plan didn't work out I missed the boat on that one. And...while I thought I was going to be able to tell you in person, I really really appreciated the offer of letting us come stay with you. You can just breath a deep sigh of relief that Monica called first. We are like a plague of locusts. Eating everything in sight, followed by my two year old screaming through half the night, my four year old jumping off any and all furniture, and my ten year old inspecting every nook and cranny for spiders. Not really the dream house guests at this stage of life. But thank you, I'm glad I have so many wonderful family members that I can turn to when I come down to Utah.

So quick funny story before I go wake up Ellyn for pre-school. I'm chaperoning Ellynn and her man this weekend (okay just last night) while mom is out at Adam's. So last night when I got home from Stinchfield's I told Ellynn in my best mom voice "you only have one more hour, the Holy Ghost goes to bed at midnight" and Ellynn replies "I know, that's why we're waiting." She's so quick...and wicked.

Okay, I love you all. Lyd, I loved your morphing. That kid is going to be CUTE!

Mindi, I think you should let Adam do Danger, why be normal? You know he's going to be crazy anyway with Adam as his father. Ad won't have it any other way.

Love, Brooke

Jess & Tony

Ok so I'm a little ticked but before I express my reason for being upset I have to say congratulations to you both from the Crabb's and the Robbin's!!! Now for my being upset. Imagine going to church running in to Jess and Tony and talking for a minute (this is me and Jan) and then Jess and Tony leave. Because Monica and I don't have the internet I usually don't check the blog on the weekend. I happen to check it now while at Bill & Paula's and find out that you are expecting and you hadn't said a word!!! I could have congratulated you in person! Any way, congrats and good luck. We are so happy for you.
Cameron

isn't that rad!

i was thinking how cool this is gonna be, and i wondered how the wee baby was gonna look. i immediately thought about conan o'brien and his sketches of "if they mated" which made me think, i should put my multi media skills to work and bring photoshop into the play and see what i could do! long story short, it was to much time and work, i'm only in my second semester of graphic design and i'm not too quick! so i got one of conans. i figured the couple somewhat looks like tony and jess. one with red hair and the other with dark. so i went with it! congrats ton and jess, love ya! lyd

Seattle Bennett living in Colorado

SMACKTASTIC Wonderful news you two

Congrats!

Very clever Jess (or Tony)! That's soooo exciting! I hope the pregnancy goes well and you're not a sick mess. love from The Povo Bennetts

FINALLY

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
had a wonderful life.
They were a normal,
happy husband and wife.
One day they got news
that made Mr. Smith glad.
Mrs. Smith would be a mom,
which would make him the dad.
-Tim Burton

Voice of the Blog

Bad idea, Adam. No way. Boooooooooooooooooooooooo.

One More Day

We have safely arrived in Boise last night after another night with Darla, Geof., Dayne and "Tole." That kid is so cute, sometimes when he looks at me I feel like I am staring into the face of sweet Geoffie George twenty some odd years ago. It tugs at the heartstrings, which is good because he needs to with all the excitement he causes. Again, he and Sadie were a dynamic duo. We went up to Sundance Wednesday night and they had a great time running all over the place. There was an outdoor movie playing where they normally have the summer musicals (which I didn't see advertised anywhere). Well one of the ushers told us it was a documentary, rated G, on the history of breakdancing and we thought that sounded fun and so we headed up the hill. Oh the memories that came flooding back of beautiful summer nights, warm bread with honey butter, and so many fabulous musicals... Anyway we spread out our blanket and the kids started dancing to the music and... it was a documentary about hip hop. Quite a difference and as they started describing the techniques used for the stripper dance we elected to load up my very innocent 9 year old and the rest of the kids and head back down the hill. It was very fun anyway.

Well we are all actually ready to head out the door. I'll write more later. Love, Brooke

Florida

Hello all! First off congrats to Adam & Mindi on getting little Tristan here! That was quite the birth story and I'm sure Tristan will love to hear it in the future so it's a good thing Adam wrote it all down.

Jessica, Jordan's wedding is on the 16th but I don't think any other details have been finalized yet.

Monica and I took the kids and went with Bill, Paula and the boys to Florida. We had a blast just hanging out on the beach and playing games. It is always hard to come home and go back to work after spending all that time with Monica and the kids. I need to figure out how to strike it rich so I can spend all of my time with them!

Adam - I think you should throw Danger into the name for sure. Mindi's concerns are somewhat valid, my only concern is that when I hear the name Danger I think of the movie MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

Seattle Bennett Living in Colorado

I'm asking for the bloggers of the blog to unite in helping Mindi to understand that it is important the Danger not only shows up on the church records but also on his official birth certificate.
Adam

hi from meagan

Wow everyone has to stop blogging I just can’t keep up.  Oh wait yeah the only people who have blogged are on vacation or just had a baby.  They are the ones who shouldn’t have time, and we should be writing to entertain them.  Come on all we have really dropped the ball.  

We are going backpacking on Saturday.  We are going to Killen creek, remember that place leash?  We are taking brind’s sweet girl with us.  I hope she likes it.  It could be crazy with four kids and four adults.  I like to out number kids, but momma is in Denver with our beautiful new baby so we have to live without.  Which I guess is ok.  Um there was an earthquake last night, and because I was already awake at 1:30 for no apparent reason I felt it.  It was really crazy.  I thought it was an explosion or something or that I was just crazy, but this morning on the radio they said it was an earthquake.  It even cracked my neighbor’s driveway.  Oh I got a spot on a hood to coast team, I am so excited.  Leash I am running your leg, that is the first one that runs down from timberline and then through down town waterfront, then through beautiful farm country.  I have wanted this leg since Alicia ran it 6 long years ago.  Can you believe it was that long ago?  Well we are supposed to be leaving for the lake in a little bit so I had better bust a move.  

                                                  Blog on my friends………me

Oh ps and by the way.  My children and I get to go down to Utah for a couple of days with my dad for his family reunion.  I can’t wait.

Jordan and Brind...

Or anyone who knows the answer.

Exactly when and where are you getting married and what events take place around the marriages?

Jord, I know you said the 16th of September...is that still right? And your wedding dinner the night before...is that still right? Will it be in SLC?

Brind, I know you said the 18th of December...is that still right? Will it be in SLC? If not, I need to know the dates and places ASAP so Tony and I can find flights.

Thanks,

Love Jess

Family Reunion

Where: Aunt Joan's

When: Saturday, August 12th at 2:00 p.m.

What to bring: Your own food, towels and swimming gear

Who's all going to be there: Grandma Arlene's siblings and their families

Seattle Bennett Living in Colorado

So we lost Brooke and her girls again, its hard to believe they will be gone for 3 years and this will be the last we see of them for a while. They left yesterday and while it was not the most relaxing time for Mindi and Danger boy, we would not have had it any other way. Sierra needs someone her own size to pick on (Sadie) and 2 mothers (Mindi and Jane) and Kaia just stays on being the sweetest 2 year old in the world. If I had it my way Sierra and Ki would be frozen in time at around 20 months there is no cuter time then at that age.
Mom came in Tuesday and has been a great playmate for the girls, while Mindi goes on day 8 or is it 9 of not leaving the house a feat to her that far exceeds natural child birth. Work for me somehow managed to stay slow and easy for Tristan's arrival however it somehow senced my mom's arrival and has assumed a vigorus pace, only slightly halted by the late afternoon thunder storms.
Sorry no pictures but I'm sure Mindi will update soon.
Adam