Spring Flowers

My flowers seem to be coming back nicely this year. That makes me happy!
The side yard:


The park strip: (this should be nicer next year when my new ground cover grows and spreads out.)


The front of the house:




The front by the driveway:


The front fence:

Out With The Old And In With The New

My friend posted about her "white trash" table so I thought I would do the same!
I had a 'white trash' tile top table. I thought I would paint it, started sanding the chairs and even half painted a few black- decided it was more work than it was worth. Lived with that for awhile. Then my brother/sister-in-law moved and I got their table, the same only not tile top so I sold mine with the half painted black chairs, (the KSL classifieds are great!) but kept two 'better' half sanded chairs,

(as I need 6 chairs). We have lived with this table for a long time with my half sanded trashy looking chairs!!
We all fit around it but with a new family member it is quite squishy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, so without further ado this week I should be getting my new table that I ordered almost 3 weeks ago. So excited! It came with 6 chairs and then I bought the bench so we should easily be able to fit 9 people around the table and then there is room to squish others in, if needed. The greatest thing is the table leaf is a butterfly leaf so if one would like the table smaller you just pull it out, fold the leaf inside, close it up and whola- no trying to find somewhere to store the leaf and then trying to remember where it is when needed!

New Addition to the Bennett Family

No not prego, but we are adding a family member. Jared and I are soon to be legal guardians to his 13 year old cousin, Rachel. We have known it may happen for about 8 weeks but it happened all so fast last week to make it real! We are excited to have her in our home and the kids can't get enough of her. She stayed with us last weekend and the girls took her everywhere, like she was their own personal rag doll!
She will join us sometime in June when school is over.
The kids ask everyday if today is the day she is coming, it's like Christmas for them!
Now I need to get busy and rearrange my house but for tonight I will just go to bed!
I am tired and need some sleep.

ungrateful

If you or your kids are having a day where you/they are feeling ungrateful for what you/they have, just click onto my partens blog here, or to the left and it should give you a whole new appreciation for where you/they live and what you/they have! They are happy about a toothbrush and soap...


I posted on my ward blog, a great article link and I think I will post it on here too to go along with being grateful.

America's 'Narcissism Epidemic'

Me, me, me! America's 'Narcissism Epidemic' From everyday people hiring fake paparazzi to follow them around to 16-year-olds expecting red-carpet treatment, current trends show an underlying shift in the American psychology: the relentless rise of narcissism in our culture.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30312181/from/ET/
This is such a good article and clip to watch. I have not read the book but, I am sure it is a good read. We need to teach our children they need to work hard and earn things and that they are not entitled to it. And to
BE GRATEFUL.

Easter

I forgot to take pictures of the kids decorating their eggs however, I did get one of the microwave....Aubrey decided to put her already boiled egg in the microwave - not sure why but, I think she learned her lesson!

Princess and the Pea

Yesterday Anika comes into my room and says, "that sun and those birds are waking me up!"
Today, I was making rolls and had the mixer on and Jared overheard her in her room yelling, "Hey, what's that noise? Can't you see I'm sleeping in here?"
Yikes, we are going to have to nip this in the bud before she becomes a teenager :)

First Derby Car Race

I remember when my brothers were in cub scouts and my dad working with my them on their cars and melting weights to be poured into the bottom of the car. It was a fun night or Saturday to go to the races at the Stake Center were the tracks were lined up, the noise, anticipation, and excitement you could feel in the air! It was crazy with boys running around and the dad's getting the final touches on the wheels and all the family members gathered along the side lines anticipating the races. (They must have been done on a Stake level.) I remember the announcer on the microphone and all the boys excited to run up and put their car on the track and the dad's not far behind! I think my brother's cars did well...and I know some dad's really got into it! I am sure this is why someone made the movie, Down and Derby! (a must see for anyone who has experienced these races)
My dad wanted to melt the weights (Jared tried to let him know you didn't have to melt the weights but they made them to just be able to stick on now days!) and so in the cold dark night we borrowed a flame blower from a neighbor friend and got to work! It was fun to help my dad with Alex's car and see him 'back in time!' We got it turned in just in the nick of time. Our ward level Derby night was a lot less low key!
I think I will start studying on how to make a good and fast car tomorrow (it's all in the wheels) for next year and not leave it to the day before/of!!

Funny Anikaisms

Everyone seemed to be getting things done with their hair last night at my mother-in-laws house so Aubrey wanted a trim and Anika wanted a trim too. As I have stated before, Aubrey likes her hair short right now and therefore, so does Anika. I walked by to see Anika getting her trim and she says, "I'm getting a hairshort"
Later that night Jared's cousin was over and had gone out with the Young Woman. Anika was at the counter eating icecream when they returned and as they walked in with her chirpiest voice she says, "Hi Ladies! I eating icecream, want some?" as she holds out the spoon. Jared's mom told them they could go downstairs and watch a movie if they wanted too and Anika says, "Ya, go downstairs ladies and you can pick a movie if you want too."
Aubrey has a pair of Sketchers and Anika has a pair of Nike's. Anika sometimes calls hers Sketchers and I say, no yours are Nike's. So now when I say get your shoes she must be trying to remember as she says, "My Snikes?"

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Come Back Another Day- When It's Not Spring Break!
Hopefully all the water is being enjoyed by my grass and my garden seeds. Yes, there are things you should be planting right now that won't grow in the summer heat!

Cute!

Look at this cute blog to see a new "healthier" kind of cake mix and look how cute the chicks are! I just wish I had the patience to make them...!

Poor Andrew

Andrew had a hard afternoon at the dentist yesterday! After a few minutes of coaxing him into the chair and to open his mouth the dentist was on his way- Andrew likes to have the dentist work for his money! Once the "laughing gas" kicked in he was great laying there watching t.v. up on the ceiling! First he had to have an impression of half his teeth made (so they can make a spacer), then do 4 sealants, pull a tooth and I'm not even sure, but there could have been one more thing...! I'll know when the bill comes! He had a very loose tooth going into the dentist so they just popped that out while in there! All in all, he did a great job at the dentist! The tooth fairy will have to make a special visit tonight.

new addition

Hurray for Chan, she had her baby- well about 5 weeks ago!