Coming Soon...

Stay tuned for my review on "Defensive Tactics" by Steve Westover!

Life and its complexities...(is that a real word?)

Do you know how many times I have started to write on this blog and ended up erasing the whole thing because all it contains is my whining? Yes, life kinda sucks right now...has since Richard lost his job in January. He's since worked at a job that paid minimum wage (that totally didn't work! Full time boring work, with no $$ at the end of it!) So now he's working for Rosetta Stone part-time and is making $.75 more! Wow!! We're moving up in the world! The search for a career job seems impossible. Isn't having 2 Masters degrees supposed to land you something in the working world? Apparantly not in our case. :P

This past May we couldn't afford the $1200 rent anymore, or any rent for that matter, so we moved in with Richards parents. Thank goodness for family who have the space and can put up with us for a bit till we can get back on our feet! I have to admit, it's been really hard! I'm trying to be patient, non-judgemental, non-whiney, and try the bloom-where-you're-planted outlook, but wow, I seem to manage to be the complete opposite! I sure hope we're learning whatever it is we're supposed to be learning!

I do have to say (and if I didn't I'd be totally ungrateful!) that we have amazing friends and family in our life that give us love and support and financial help! Without you, I don't know how we'd get through this! Thank you so much! I can't wait for the day when we can turn around and give financial help to those who need it, or surprise someone with a jar full of money on their doorstep, or slip $400 into someone's scriptures, give someone a gift card to a favorite restaurant, take someone's kids clothes shopping, or help someone with their car problems. All this brings tears to my eyes as I remember these things being given to us since March. I feel that the Lord is blessing us, even if it's not always in the way we want. We do have a place to live, the kids are happy and healthy, we have great friends, and our cars are at least in running condition! (Knock on wood!)

When it rains, it....hails!!

Here's our past week (or so):

Wednesday the 27th-Richard hurts his shoulder, ends up in a sling, hurts a lot! Richard finds out he won't move on to phase 3 for Foreign Service (a job we really, really wanted!!!)

Friday the 28th- Richard ends his job with the Joseph Smith Papers project. sniff and yay!

Tuesday the 2nd- Richard has a terrible sore throat, go to doc (no insurance now) Sara goes to doc, infection in her big toe. (weird!) Ethan calls home to say he's sick. Mom is skeptical. Ethan throws up all day. Mom no longer skeptical. Preston comes home sick with sore throat and
tummy ache. Mom is getting very tired and cranky!

Wednesday the 3rd- apply for medicaid. Nope. don't qualify right now. Maybe next month. Apply for unemployment- nope, don't qualify either. Church doesn't pay into unemployment. sigh.

Thursday the 4th- Mom's back goes out on her. Can't move much. Chiropractor will be more expensive now that we don't have insurance. sigh.

Friday the 5th- have to decide what we're going to do about our housing. (Recently found that landlord is raising the rent and he's really sorry.) How the heck to we find somewhere else to live when we're unemployed? We don't want to pay higher because we can't afford it because how do you save on church employment?

So there it is! Thanks for listening. Just nice to vent right now.

It's about time!!

FINALLY!!! I'm back at it! The g-y-m.

At least 3 days a week now and hoping for more. Mondays is step aerobics with some jump rope, ball, and other stuff thrown in between (kicks butt!) Wednesdays is pilates fusion which is where I discovered some muscles right behind my knees! It's been a long time since I've gone to that one and my muscles are really letting me know about that. Then Fridays is Zumba! Soooo fun and super intense. But, I picked up on the moves, now we'll see about fine-tuning those moves and actually look like I know what I'm doing. I know, I know, it takes a few weeks to catch on. Now that I have a friend to go with, it sure makes a difference so we can laugh at each other or with each other and push each other. Hopefully Saturdays will be raquetball and weights with the hubby. He got me a raquet and a cute pink/white glove for Christmas and I'm dying to use it!

The only thing I'm not good at and don't want to do is weights. I HATE weights! I took a power pump class a while back and I was good and actually went quite regularly, but thoroughly didn't enjoy it. Not sure who really does. Then my back had some issues and I had to stop going. It's taken me a while to get my back sorted out so in the meantime, got out of shape and added some more unwanted pounds to the tummy. But, with Richards help, I'm going to try out the weights and see if I can build up the muscles so that the aerobics will have more of an effect on me. Good luck to me!

So here's to the new year and a resolution to lose 20 pounds and feel good! My friend even started up a weight loss group so we can support and be held accountable to each other. We range in weight from 148-214. We have a group weight goal as well as individual goals. I'm also working on 1 treat a day if that, limiting my portion sizes (no seconds), NO sodas or sugary drinks, tons of water, and more protein and veggies.

What I'd like to know is what works for you to lose weight? Any tips that work? Please share! Good luck to all of you who are working on the same resolution!

I was thinking that I should get on here and tell you all that if you're living in Utah then get on over to the University mall and go to our kiosk which is Fun At Home Games and check out the games we have there! If you have any family/friends that love games, these are some great solutions to gifts. We have a smoking hot deal going which is, buy all 4 games plus a tote bag for $49.95! You're saving $20!!

And if you're not in Utah, then post a comment and I can mail you one! Or email me at kjabennett@hotmail.com.

We have a few card games which can make great stocking stuffers. They are CircleOut and Scum. We also are selling a reverse Charades game called Sedarach which is fun for groups. Then we are selling Swashbuckled as well and if you haven't bought that, well then.... you need to!!!

You can also hop onto the website which is http://www.funathomegames.com and order Swashbuckled.

In case you didn't know, Richard and his Dad created Swashbuckled and then started their own game company! We love games!! We'll be in the mall until Dec. 31.

An Angel On Main Street

Can you believe it's almost Christmas? If you're in the mood for some good Christmas reading, here is a tender story that will help you remember what Christmas is all about.

This story is set in Bolton, Idaho in 1953. Micah Connors, his mom and his ailing sister have moved there following the father's death in the Korean war and to get away from the trouble Micah had gotten himself into in Boise.

He promises to his mother that he will be good, but he seems to keep finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sheriff escorts him home one night a few days before Christmas. But how does Micah keep his mom from finding out the situation he was in? The sheriff works a deal with him to help shovel snow every morning after a snowfall, which Micah feels is unfair, but he agrees to it.

He also finds himself curious as to who is building the small stable down on main street which leads his sister to believe that angels are building it and that the baby Jesus is coming, and He will heal her. In his desperation, Micah begins his search for the baby Jesus which eventually teaches him that angels are closer than he ever imagined.

An Angel on Main Street is a sweet story of how a Christmas miracle touches this small family and how Micah realizes there is more to people than what's on the outside.

I really enjoyed this book which only took me about 2 hours to read! The author did a good job of helping the reader see and feel what was taking part in the story. I liked the small town, the people who lived there, and how the story developed. Micah is the main character portrayed here, but it would have been nice to have a bit more character development with some of the other characters.

For a nice get-you-in-the-mood-for-Christmas story to read this season, this is a good choice! This is one I'll probably read again when Christmas rolls around again next year!

To purchase this book, click here.

To view a book trailer made by the author, click here.

The author has started a contest called the Angel In Your Life contest. From Kathi Oram Peterson:
"The contest runs from now until December 15th. Anyone can enter by simply emailing me at kathiorampeterso@yahoo.com and writing about an experience you have had with someone who became an angel in your life. The winner will be announced on my blog (www.kathiswritingnook.com). A gift certificate from either Seagull Book or Deseret Book will be given to the winner and an "Angel" in his/her life. This contest celebrates the selfless, kind acts performed daily, many times unnoticed. If you are like me, many people have helped you through times of trouble. Let's face it, life is tough and the small acts of kindness shown to us by others needs to be remembered and celebrated especially during the holidays. Christmas brings out the best in people and I wanted to give others the opportunity to thank those who have touched their lives in a profound way. Hopefully this contest will remind us of the angels in our lives."

A week with the cousins

This past week, we had the boys cousins, Tyler and Jaemon, come and stay with us. It was a good thing too since half our neighborhood (which includes most of the boys friends) went on vacation! So we planned some fun things to keep the kids entertained (and make it so they want to come back, right?) I'll say, these kids had a lot of fun. There were just a few mini arguments mostly between brothers. We went to Kangaroo Zoo, set up a mini waterpark in the backyar, went up to Salt Lake for the Days of '47 parade for Pioneer Day to see their grandpa's float again, went to the Clark Planetarium, out to lunch, had a few movie nights with popcorn, and then a big day with Grandpa going to Ogden on the front runner train. You have to know my father-in-law. He loves trains! He becomes a kid when a trian comes into sight. You can imagine he was just as excited as the kids were to be around trains! It was pretty cute! We checked out all the old trains they have up there at the Union Station. Pretty interesting history. We saw an old train they used for delivering mail around the US, as well as a military hospital train, among other types. Then after all that, we went to an OWLZ game which is a local baseball team. They lost horribly, but we had fun being together as a family! Here's some pics to show all the fun the kids

had.

Spears Family Reunion

This past Saturday was the Spears Family Reunion. That would be my mom's mom's side of the family. I haven't been to one of these for a long time, so I was looking forward to seeing some relatives I haven't seen for a while. As Richard and I were driving up to Wheeler farm for the reunion, I had a flood of memories come back. Both of my mom's parents were born and raised in Tennessee. So during my growing up years, we made many, many, many trips there to visit, practically every year. I remember visiting this small town of Cookville where my grandma grew up and spending lots of time with my second cousins. I absolutely loved/love it there! We'd pick peaches, blackberries, raspberries, play childhood games, go visit local sites, go to Memphis, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, etc, etc! I would love to take Richard and the kids back there someday. It is so beautiful, green, hot, and humid! My grandpa's farm that he grew up on is still around and owned by some family. I have memories of staying there and the house didn't have a toilet! We used the outhouse. It freaked me out all the time. I remember not sleeping at night cause I had to go so bad, but going out in the dark to the outhouse was not an option. One great memory that I'm glad I have is knowing my mom's grandparents. I was young and they were pretty old! My great grandma died first, then my great grandpa missed her so much, he died a month later.
Anyways, it was a lot of fun being able to see some cousins I haven't seen for a long time at the reunion, including my second cousin, Emily who was also my companion in the MTC! My Dad worked there for a long time and probably pulled some strings to get us to be comps. She went to Winnipeg, Canada which is where my husband grew up. We had a good time catching up!

Me and Emily:

Here's my immediate fam:

Here's the extended fam: (my mom's siblings and families)

Here's the larger group including my some of my mom's cousins. Unfortunately, a lot of the family couldn't come or live in other states now.

Here's a few of my really awesome first cousins!

A 4th full of fun!

We had so much fun this past week, we really wore ourselves out, so that by the time Sunday came we didn't want to do anything! (yes, we did get up for 8:30 AM church! It was tough, but we did it.)

So here's what we've been up to this last week. Richard got Friday off from work so he took Wednesday and Thursday off as well to play! It was great! Hard part was to have Monday come around.

We decided to get adventurous on Friday and hike to the Timp caves. Little did we know that by the time we'd get there, there would be a 5 1/2 hour wait for the cave tours. Yeah, we didn't hike Timp. Maybe another day when we feel motivated to wake up at 6 am and try it! So, we hiked the Y on the mountain above BYU. No, we didn't take Sara, there's no way! But, we took the boys and they really liked it.

Then we brought the kids home and decided to let them cool off and play in the water while mom and dad die on the couch. I still have no idea where they get all their energy! Here they are finally relaxing on the steps.

After a while, we got our second wind and took the kids down to Provo to go to the Freedom Days Festival. They close off center street and fill it with way-too-expensive rides and food and tons of booths of people trying to sell their 'stuff'! It was CRAZY! But amazingly enough, Ethan wanted to go on the 'Tornado' ride so I let Richard be the chaperone. Ethan loved it. Richard didn't. Neither of us can stomach rides like we used to. It was pretty funny though! Then to my shock Preston wanted to go on it!! Now, if you know my kids, they don't venture out and do rides much. So when Preston says he wants to go, I'll pay the high price to get the tickets and get him on it! Thankfully our friend Steve seemed brave enough to go on it with the boys! :) (Since Richard was out of commission and I was getting over a headache. Yeah, I know, excuses.)

The next morning (Sat. the 4th) we ventured out way too early and went to the hot air balloon festival. It was really cool! Well worth getting up early for.

The parade came next and you know, people really are crazy in Utah county when it comes to this parade. They literally stake out spots and sleep there until the next day when it's the parade. You'd think someone famous was going to be there! We couldn't find anywhere to sit until 5am saturday morning! It was nuts. But, we wanted to go since Richard's dad was in charge of creating one of the floats and it was a really cool float!

We continued the day with bar-b-ques, swimming and fireworks at night! So by the time Sunday rolled around, we made sure to just hang out at home, sleep and drink lots of fluids!!

Just going a bit crazy, that's all! Nothing serious.

Once again, I haven't posted in a while! There has been a lot going on! First of all, I have to say my hubby is the bestest!! He finished his MBA last Monday (or technically Tuesday morning at 4:30 am)! I am so proud of him! It's been tough since it was an online program through his school that he got his first masters degree from in RI. It's taken a while, but HE DID IT! We can have a social life again, we can have a date more often, and he can spend more time with the kids again! Ahhh. It's a beautiful thing.
Now to fill you all in on what else is going on...our landlord has put the house we live in on the market. We weren't expecting that at all to happen when it did, but we started to plan to buy or at least look around for another place to buy if it wasn't this one. We love this house, and we like the neighborhood, the ward is okay. (We hate to compare to our wonderful, amazing ward in Newport, RI!!!)
Then about a week and a half ago, we got word from 3 of Richard's bosses that they will be terminating his job. He works for the church on the Joseph Smith papers project, but sadly a lot of the project was funded by Larry Miller and the stocks he held with GM. Now that GM has gone down, the funds have dropped. And basically law students or interns can do Richard's job. BUT, the good thing is that they're going to try to give him up to 6 months before he's out. I can't complain too much. So, we have some time to find a new job. But we're thinking this is the time to put his degrees to work, which means the jobs he'll be applying for will be out of state. Once again, we have to put buying a house on hold. sigh. Someday, it'll happen.
There it is in a nutshell! Just a bit crazy. But, I certainly feel that things will work out, just ask me on the right day. :)