Amy J. Bennett

Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life

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Archives for August 2007

Nothing like a good friend and late birthdays

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D and I have been friends for at least 10 years, right about the time each of us got engaged a few months apart.  She’s one of those people I just knew I was going to be friends with for a long time.  We had the same style in just about everything, even our mothers were similar.  Although now we have added 5 new people to the world between us and we both stay busy, I can’t tell you how cathartic just 2 hours is with her.  Tonight we met at Starbuck’s for coffee and just sat outside for over 2 hours actually and talked.  I felt sort of bad after I left after dumping weeks of drama and kids stories on her but somehow I know she enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed every story she had to tell. 

Her twins are going to kindegarten this year even though our oldest are only a few months apart, they made the cutoff while Emma didn’t.  I’m sort of glad too.  I don’t think she would mind if I told you the story of her having her one emotional moment about her kids going to school.  She was in the grocery store one day buying Capri-Suns that were on sale, knowing she would need them for lunches.  She questioned, as I did when she told the story, who would open their straws for them?   It’s that realization that they’ll be one in a sea of 20 kids and no one is going to reach over, without even thinking to make sure their little girls straw is opened.  That makes me choke up just thinking about it.    I’m very sure teachers are competent, attentive and loving but no matter what, it won’t be the same.  Oh, how we both are looking forward to 7 hours straight quiet house but until then, I’m really going to try to smile every time I have to open a straw for one my girls and more importantly, hopefully I can teach Emma how to open the straw so my big girl will be all ready for lunch time.

Weekend catch-up

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Wow, that was a pretty busy weekend. 

WW Day 11 or 12

I’ve been holding steady all weekend despite having to use Flex Points for two days now. 

Saturday

Saturday was pool day.  We got in and out of the pool from about 10 that morning to 3 that afternoon.  Scott and I were working on getting the water clean.  Turns out our filter had parts that were broken, causing sand to come out of the filter thing and also we needed chemicals so although the water is a little cloudy still, it’s a clean kind of cloudy now if that makes any sense.  Word on the street is this is the hardest year “pool people” have seen trying to keep a pool’s water clean, so I don’t feel so bad that we haven’t had crystal clear water since filling the thing up back in June.

Saturday was Heather’s birthday so we had dinner at my Mom’s, took the kids to IL’s and my sister and parents and us all went to see Bourne Ultimatum.  Wow, that was a great movie.  I’ll have to post a separate review on that.

Sunday

Sunday our church choir was having a spaghetti dinner fundraiser after church.  After all that, we came home and swam again.  It was definitely a “pool weekend”. With temperatures here hanging around 100, there wasn’t really much else you could do.  Yesterday evening we took the girls with us to a surprise outing with the youth group to a church member’s house.  Can’t really say just house though, more like ponderosa or something.  They live on 14 acres of land.  They have a log cabin which is fixed up as a retreat type thing with a big screen tv, pool table, etc.  They have in ground pool with a 13 foot deep end with an attached little pool house where you could change/use the restroom.  They had a frisbee and volleyball net set up.  It was really, really nice. 

Lexi was having a time with the diving board.  Everyone would clear out when it was their turn.  They’d see Lexi walk up and say there’s “daredevil” (they learned quickly she is no stranger to water) and she would jump off that board, trying to hold her legs up like the big kids to do a canon ball and jump right in.  Emma was much more timid.  She’d walk to the end of the board, hold her nose and sort of fall in.  That’s the way it is with them though.  I’m just glad they both aren’t scared of water and even went off it at all.

We had around 50 people go altogether and besides one leader about break her nose when someone dived on her right after she jumped off the diving board and then someone that pushed our pastor who doesn’t know how to swim in the deep-end and people had to jump in with all their clothes to literally save his life, it was a really good time.  Yes, some very serious close calls but honestly the rest of the time was enjoyed by all and I’m sure we will be invading their “house” again for another outing.

WW Day 10

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Woo Hoo!  I’m down another pound today!  Yesterday was a tough one too after going to the office and then to the baseball game.

For breakfast, I drank my instant breakfast and had to skip on the Krispy Kreme doughnut or Chick fil a biscuit I normally get. 

For lunch, I skipped on several good meals including a huge Mexican lunch I was actually wanting and opted to drag everyone to Applebee’s to get a 7 point shrimp and steak meal.  It tasted like 7 points too.  Won’t get that one again. 

For snack, no candy bar, but I did treat myself to a bottled frappuccino and a bite-size Krackel bar. 

For dinner, I got Subway and bottled water at the game instead of a hotdog and fries and a soda.  I only ate a few bites of dip and dots and funnel cake where normally I would have completely splurged on all the sugar.  When I got home and calculated, I think I stayed within my points and nothing could have rewarded me better than seeing that number on the scale.  To infinity and beyond!!  OK, I don’t know why I thought of Buzz Lightyear just then, I guess I’m just weird like that.

Knights game/NewSong concert

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I planned the Knights game for the youth group last minute.  I mentioned it to our youth council at our meeting Monday and then mentioned it to a few youth on Wednesday.  I had a youth call around to some people Thursday to see if there was interest.  By Friday, we had about 26 people going and I reserved tickets. 

We ended up having a really, really good time.  The girls were absolutley fascinated by Home the Dragon and even when he wasn’t in sight, they watched the game.  That is of course between all the eating.  By the end of it, they had had a little bit of chicken, hot dog, cotton candy, funnel cake, ice cream and slushie.  Yeah.  They were full of sugar.  They also had a merry go round and slides and air jump thingies I let them go on for a little bit.  Even after the game (which we won) NewSong came out and set up in front of first base and gave us a great concert.  It was 9 by then and Lexi stayed in my arms and fought sleep, but in a sweet way.  Emma stayed with Scott so we both got to enjoy the concert.  It was actually almost like a small worship service which was really cool out in a baseball stadium.  A lot of people had left after the game and everyone had moved over to the stands in front of first base.  Nate Sallie was there doing most of lead singing, not sure if he’s actually part of NewSong or not.  We left around 10:15 or so and they weren’t even done yet.  I think everyone had a really good time and I’m glad we went.

uh oh

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Apparently a couple entries about our drama has shown up on some news search engine sites and linked from another article about church leaders.  Sort of freaked me out, so I’ve made a couple posts password protected.  Please email me if you’d like the password, I may use it for future posts as well.

Ramping up

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Hadn’t really planned on it, but I think this weekend is going to be busy.  Tonight I think we’re going to try to go see the Charlotte Knights and the the NewSong concert with a couple youth.  Tomorrow morning we might help with a local block party with the church.  Tomorrow is also Heather’s birthday and she wants us all to get so Bourne Ultimatum together.  And then Sunday the pastor is taking the youth to some surprise location.  So I think today is the calm before the storm.   Or at least it seems calm to me…I’m at the office today and it’s so quiet here!

WW Day 9

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Holding steady again.   I put on a pair of jeans last night I hadn’t worn since the winter and I could definitely tell a difference.  Which is all I was asking for to begin with.  So that makes me happy.  I’m still going for 2.5 more lbs though.