Abiding

Valentine's Photo Shoot

2012-02-12T00:29:00.000-05:00

We began our Valentine photo shoot as a nurse. Something along the lines of "I hear you're in need of a little something sweet, just as the doctor ordered..."

and ended the shoot with a sweet, girly picture. The perfect solution for any card!

Happy Valentines Day.

We are doing well. Everyone is keeping busy in our family and Lexi is currently snoring. Life is pleasant and we are content. I don't have much of an update but that we are good, and that we are staying up too late before church tomorrow morning. But, thankfully, Sunday's are for naps; right?!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2012-01-06T00:46:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, our little gal is 1 year old! We love her more each day and are so proud of our family. Our little cookie monster is walking, falling, bruising, laughing, and getting back up again for the next round! She is full of joy and the delight of our day, the center of our conversations. Yes, we need to be care to not let her take the Lord's place, but we are just so grateful for our gift that came to us one year ago.

God is continuing to show Himself to us in many ways, though continuing to stretch us greatly; our life story. We are thankful and blessed starting 2012. Riley Grace and the Lord's faithfulness has given me a new outlook on the drab start of each new year. I like focusing on the blessings rather than resolutions. Not so daunting and MUCH more motivating.

Mission Impossible 4

2012-01-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

Brenton's and my favorite movie currently. If you like action, it's a must see. B has seen it twice in theaters already and can't wait to buy it. Just sayin'...

Merry Christmas from the Benwares

2011-12-17T00:22:00.000-05:00

Eucharisteo

2011-12-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

Burdened by my weary soul, a few tears fell from my face to my winter sweater. A whispered cry for a miracle, so faint probably not audible, to the Creator of the Universe. Does my heart trust and believe that God wants what is best?

Blurred by my vision, I ignored the 11 month old daughter teetering toward me. Just awake, fed, alert, and jovial, she stopped infront of me smiling ear to ear. I picked her up and hugged her tight. She popped her thumb in her mouth and laid on my chest. Five minutes went by with eyes still open, ten minutes, eleven, twelve, and eyes shut. Eucharisteo; the Lord knows and is here. Thankfulness in the moment for what I do have; a moment so rare it must have been created by the Creator.

And then He speaks, "Thanks comes before the miracle."

A simple reminder repeated over and over in the book I've been reading, "A Thousand Gifts". Will I see my Christmas miracle? I pray I will a bit more fervently and live in the moment with eucharisteo, my only daughter nestled on my chest.

This is all I want; to be a "Mommy". Thank you Jesus.

A Few Questions

2011-12-02T02:15:00.000-05:00

Any insight is appreciate:

How does one pronounce "Worcestershire" sauce?

Is it normal to wait at the Pediatritian's office 1hr and 45minutes, as seems to be the norm for Riley's pediatrician?

Will Riley really notice Christmas lights in her room at 11 months or should I just wait for next year?

Why was "Drew" taken off of X-Factor? (She is the one I'd buy a cd from.)

Does anyone know the perfect room temp to keep one's place warm enough for the baby but not so hot you can't sleep at night?

Holiday Family Fun

2011-11-22T22:22:00.000-05:00

Riley with her cousin Bethany (Benware side), who is 5 1/2 months older. She is loving her play pals!

A mimic photo shoot by our awesome bro-in-law, Jeremiah. All inspired by a picture that I saw last Christmas and dreamed of re-enacting when Riley could sit. And thanks to the Santa hat found in the dollar section at Target that made the pictures possible!

Looking Back

2011-11-13T20:06:00.003-05:00

Riley at Daddy's practice field.

The 2011 soccer season has come to a close, at least for the University of the Cumberlands. The Patriots played the #4 team in the nation, Rio Grande, in the semi-final conference tournament game. The Patriots out shot and out played Rio the entire game but lost 1-2. The Rio commentators said they were lucky to have won and that the only other game that made them nervous, this season, was against the #1 team in the nation, Lindsey Wilson. As disappointing as it was to lose, the Cumberland men's team played truly well. Their final regular season record was 9-5-2 and their post-season record was 1-1.

On another note, I find it interesting that the other men's teams Brenton has coached, Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Montreat College, both won their conference tournaments. This means that those teams now advance to the national tournament. I'm proud of my husand and his ability to help build successful soccer programs. Though we have moved on, I know a good deal of Brenton's commitment and work made these programs what they are today. As humble as he is, he may never admit this; but I know it to be true.

Raw but Real

2011-11-09T17:41:00.003-05:00

Dare I say it? "Hope; it's paralyzing." I heard this phrase on tv. I have been living under this lie, numbly responding to each new day. Not feeling, seems to make functioning easier. I have thought it now for the past month and the Lord knows my every thought. Why keep it from Him, you; it's real. It is how I feel.

Dare I face it? "...Awakening to joy awakens to pain... they are but two arteries of the one heart that pumps through all those who don't numb themselves to really living." Last night, in my dimly lit room; alone I sat, there. Again, I am just here; I feel little, not wanting to feel, hope, or be disappointed more. My mother-in-law recently gave me the book, A Thousand Gifts. It is about finding thankfulness in every moment, eucharisteo. I read the first few chapters wanting to put it down and not feel. Hope seems false, and reading the Word only creates hope. And, how can I not feel hope when I read His Word? Yes, I confess, I have been avoiding God for the past few weeks. Silly and ridiculous, as one cannot avoid the omnipresent God of the universe. However, feeling is painful. Finally; someone understood and I don't feel condemned for my thoughts. Reality; I just want to face it and move on.

The difference, I want to face reality and move on, not having to feel; but eucharisteo calls for feeling pain which means I have to face disappointment. How does one choose eucharisteo? I know; I grew up in church. I must choose to be content. But, having someone else identify and recognize this hard reality is comfort. We will all face pain; the question is when. Everyone will die, people will disappoint us, our world is fallen; it's only a matter of time until we face this harsh reality. It was late and I didn't finishing reading, but I will. Eucharisteo calls.

Dare I believe it? "Hope against hope... there is no shame in hope." Dare I hope to find I am disappointed again? Will I choose to hope and take the chance that the answer is not what I want or need? God is faithful and always provides; His Word says those very words (above) that sustain me, though my heart wants to run the other way. Ironically, I am unable to run cause the very depths of my heart know God is able. That is why the walls.

However, they will not stand for long. He is able and He is everywhere. Garland twirls up the lampposts in our small downtown, netted lights tangle with the pine trees across the street, and jolly holiday songs play in Walmart. Yes, even before Thanksgiving! Christmas lifts my spirits; and I remember that Christmas is only because of the Savior, His birth. Hope. He came as a Savior, but not as expected. He wants me to hope, though knowing His way is often not as expected. I cannot run and I cannot hide; He is omnipresent and omniscient, so here I am... raw but real.

Fall Refresher

2011-11-02T18:56:00.001-04:00

As the weather cools and a few last leaves hold onto life, fall speaks loudly. Winter is coming and times are changing. Regular season has come to an end and the boys are preparing for conference tournament. Their first game is home this Saturday. Remember you can follow live stats by clicking on the soccerball to the right.

Last week, Brenton's parents came for their annual fall visit and were able to make the team's last three regular season games. All wins; the final score posted below! We had a wonderful time enjoying cool weather, taking walks and visiting Cumberland Falls. Thanks for the fun times Mama and Daddy B.

Oh yes, and Riley was a cow for Halloween. Thanks for your votes!

Riley's Halloween Costume Contest

2011-10-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

Which is your favorite? Help us choose Riley's costume for Halloween in the poll above...

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

2011-10-22T20:58:00.014-04:00

provided by: grouprecipes.com

One of my and Brenton's favorite soups. Found it searching Panera Bread's recipe. Not sure I'd say it is a match but definitely tastes like Broccoli & Cheddar from a restaurant. And, pretty easy to boot. Mmmm!

(Thought it was initially a bit strong and softened it with a little extra chicken stock. Also, careful with the salt, as it really isn't needed. I added a little more pepper to cut our the stronger nutmeg taste. I might go a little easier on the nutmeg next time... just being technical but it truly was amazing.)

Ingredients

1 tbls. butter, melted
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups half & half
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Saute onion in 1 tbls. butter
In another pan, cook melted butter and flour , whisking over medium heat for 3-4 minutes
Slowly add half & half while continuing to whisk
Add chicken stock, while continuing to whisk
Once it starts to simmer, let simmer for 20 minutes
Add broccoli, carrots and onions
Cook over low heat until veggies are tender
Add salt and pepper
Pour in batches into blender and mix or use immersion blender
Return to pot and over low heat, add cheese, stirring until well blended
Stir in the nutmeg

Acorn Donuts

2011-10-19T17:08:00.006-04:00

photo & recipe provided by familyfun.go.com

Ingredients

Chocolate Frosting or Peanut Butter

Donuts

Crumbled Toffee

Pretzel

Instructions

1.Frost a third or so of a plain or glazed doughnut hole with chocolate frosting or peanut butter.

2.Roll the frosted top in crumbled toffee (look for it in the baking section of grocery stores), then add a small piece of a pretzel for the stem.

Giggle Giggle Dada

2011-10-15T01:46:00.000-04:00

Craft of the Season: Waxpaper Fall Leaves

2011-10-12T14:36:00.002-04:00

Cutest, easiest and cheap fall craft. Here's for the next rainy day or to those of you who have kids that get bored easy. Just click on the following phrase, fall leaves, and you'll get step by step instructions.

Posers

2011-10-07T13:49:00.000-04:00

Here is our little poser who has learned how to get attention. She giggled and smiled everytime the flash went off. Her latest, she laughs at the most opportune moments and always in the car. Then we laugh back and on she goes, giggling away. We just had our 9 month appointment; Riley now weighs 21.2 lbs.

And Lexi, she is long-suffering these days. She sniffs Riley's bottom when she has a dirty diaper and bathes her any chance she gets. However, when Riley comes her way or starts babbling, Lexi leaves the childish play to go nap upstairs.

Featherbrained Nonsense

2011-10-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

I was at a prayer meeting with our young adult group this week as I have been trying to get more involved with church, and Brenton is often busy in the fall. And to have an outlet, a means of purpose. Our young adult meets weekly through a variety of activities. This week was our monthly prayer meeting in place of bible study.

First off, I was stupid in staying up until 4am the night before, so I went wishing I could stay at home with my man and baby. And, side note, for those with children, I do realize that stupid is no the new "s" word as our daughter begins to understand our words. Yikes!!! This is going to be a journey. And so I wondered how on earth I'd be able to stay awake with my eyes closed for an hour plus. Amazingly, the Lord helps you focus when you're willing to spend time with Him. I didn't fight the "zzzz's" until I got in the dark car to go home!

How I wish I was more faithful in really devoting good chunks of time to the Lord in prayer. What a renewing and refreshing evening. I went home rejuvenated and so peaceful. Even still, what stuck with me was confession time as we went through ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). A wise, seasoned lady prayed, "God, forgive me for not being more self-controlled with my emotions in the way they affect those closest to me."

I had just prayed, "Lord, forgive me for trusting myself more than You, and for often trying to keep hold of the reigns to my life." And, yet, when I heard this prayer on self-control, I thought how pertinent it was to my life also.

Isn't it ironic that we rely on ourselves and trust our instinct more easily than the Lord and His infinite wisdom? What is more ironic, I just agreed through prayer that I lack self-control and, yet, I find myself trusting in my own control more than the God of the Universe. What is wrong with me?

I sat a little befuddled and amused at the featherbrained irony of my thinking and actions, and grateful at how often the Lord chooses means to remind me who really needs to be steering my life in the right direction.

Ride, Swing, Smile: A Baby's Joy Ride

2011-09-28T15:02:00.002-04:00

Today was Riley's first day at the park. Daddy had an away game so the girls took a stroll. Riley leaned forward, curious about the world, as all our walks begin. After a while she lounged back in her stroller, until we came across the big play structure with twirling slides, multiple levels and colorful gadgets. Ms. Sleepy woke out of her groggy state real quick. She leaned forward again, her little head bobbling, as we off-roaded toward the swings. The smell of acorns and feel of fall greeted us as we crunched across last year's dead leaves. As soon as I put that presh doll in her swing she began to giggle and smile so big. Her innocent giggles floated along the breeze and away we went, swinging and sliding forward; as you can tell we are still a bit small for the swing. But, oh boy, was it fun for both mom and daughter!

Applauding the Savior

2011-09-24T00:27:00.001-04:00

Previously I mentioned our daughter's response to Jesus being nailed to the cross was, "Ha". We were encouraged tonight when she applauded to Christ's resurrection.

Thank goodness her daddy has been teaching her how to clap and give five. It's fun to see her using her new skills. Hopefully she is learning to be a little more reverent when it comes to the Savior.

"He's arose! Our Lord is alive!"

We rejoice with Riley and the angels in heaven, giving Christ Jesus the King a resounding applause.

The Only One Truly Deserving

2011-09-22T13:34:00.001-04:00

As I lovingly cut my daughter's profile out of ivory paper, I was so careful to perfectly shape every curve of her face. I wanted her beautiful face to perfectly mirror her image, without any imperfections. And, as I cut, I was filled with awe. How did the Creator make such a perfect nose, chin, forehead, and child? She could not be any more wonderful. And to think He created her with even more care than I used in the multiple profiles I cut and with even more perfection than I could imitate with paper. He is God and I am human, flawed.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" Romans 11:33 Oh God our God, you are beautiful and perfect are your ways. Who are we to question you and your ways? And, yet, you desire a relationship with us, one that allows us to ask, seek and question. Does this not warrent a relationship of reverence?

In Genesis, six times, Abraham petitions with the Lord to save any remaining godly followers from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The first time it says Abraham "drew near" to the LORD and asked. The second time he refers to himself as "dust and ashes" before he requests the LORD to change His mind. Two other times Abraham requests that the Lord not be angry, but petitions that the LORD would save the city even for 10 followers of God. (Genesis 18)

Abraham who knew God and spoke with God, treaded lightly. He approached the God of the universe with humility, knowing the LORD's ways were greater than his finite understanding. God's own son, Jesus Christ approached the father with brokeness. "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." (Hebrews 5:7a) And He was heard because of His "reverence".

Even though God allows us to call Himself "Abba Father", Daddy, and know Him intimately, should we not have a reverent fear of Him. Do we approach God too casually? And does this mean that God may not hear our prayers if we do not approach Him with the right attitude or motive?

And will we trust Him, "the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God" with whatever response He chooses? God heard both Abraham and Jesus, but He did not answer both their prayers in the means requested. God told Abraham He would save Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 10 godly people and there were not, so He destroyed the cities with fire and sulfur. Jesus, His son, He allowed to die on the cross though Christ asked that, "this cup be taken from me."

Is God any less for allowing Christ to die? On the contrary, He is glorified even more that He gave up His only son to save each of us from our own sin. God made the greatest sacrifice He could make and we question His wisdom. The least we can do is approach the only true God, who wants to know us personally, with reverence and trust His will completely.

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Riley Girl & Her Giggles

2011-09-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Our sweet, sweet girl loves story time. Everyday she curls up in my lap for a few stories, one of the few times she will stay still. Her favorite, the touch and feel books. She gently strokes the sheep's coat and the puppy's fur. And when we go through animal sounds she always softly copies the elephant's squeal.

A few nights ago we were reading about Jesus dynig and resurrecting. When I read to her the part that Jesus was nailed to the cross she let out a short, sarcastic laugh, "Ha". Brenton and I looked at each other, amazed at her timing and reaction. If I didn't know better, I'd say she is a bit sacrilegious. Hopefully, this is no indication of her future when she has the ability to critically think.

And, yes, those giggles now grace us often. We love the childish joy that radiates from Riley. It takes so little to make her laugh that the other day I was on the phone with AT&T, and everytime the automated answering service asked a question she laughed. The automated voice finally sent me to technical services when I called about a billing question. Oh this gal is so precious!

How Deep Is Your Faith?

2011-09-11T21:51:00.003-04:00

A generation of complacency and comfort, believing whisper after whisper about the "American Dream"; could it be that we have found ourselves in a broken and struggling country for our lust of things, more, and living lives of pleasure? Even if God did not allow such terrible happenings in America for this reason, would we put it past Him to use these very events to shape us and break us? Is He not a jealous God who wants our undivided attention and love?

We are a generation of comfort, and I strongly believe God did not create us to be comfortable. In Revelation He talks about spitting those who are lukeware out of his mouth. We are riding a fine line in our modern world. So how do we daily live non-complacent lives in America? The only answer I can think of is by falling so in love with our Savior that we want to be anything but honoring to Him. And if we don't choose a life of discomfort and one where He receives all glory, He'll take us there.

I'm not saying to get rid of all the things you do not need, never splurge on Starbucks or stop going out on date nights. Money and things are not bad, they just make it all the more difficult to leave us reliant on God. I don't think the Lord is saying we cannot enjoy life, but how do we find that balance? And it what ways is He wanting to stretch my comfort? Well, that's subjective to each person and their circumstances. That is an answer you'll have to seek from the Lord.

Where is all this coming from? Abraham was so faithful in leaving his home land, wandering the desert and believing that God would provide a son for him. He was so committed to the LORD that God gave him, Isaac. And what greater joy is there than holding your own child in your arms, knowing you get to spend the rest of your life pouring into such a sweet being? Abraham was so faithful that not too many years later the same LORD asked him to sacrifice this same precious gift. His child.

Your child; could you, upon hearing the word of the Lord, get up early to sacrifice your only child? Abraham did not delay. Knowing he served a faithful God, he got up early to give up one of the promises he had waited years for.

My first thought, "Why?" Abraham, over 100 years old, had lived a long life and finally received a blessing from above just to be tested again? Why? Hand raised, the LORD called down to Abraham and stopped him from sacrificing his son, "'Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.'"

Was leaving his homeland, giving up his people and his religion to go to a foreign place for a foreign God not enough? No, the LORD still wanted to know that Abraham feared Him. If Abraham, a man of great faith, and at 100 years is still being tested by God, then why would the Lord not also stretch our faith. Would God not need to test our faith even more?

How might the testing of our faith manifest itself in our culture today, you ask? What about a hurting economy, hundreds of thousands of people needing jobs, financial difficulties, loss, death, wars, and natural disasters worldwide? When our faith is tested, our comfort is shaken and the depth of our faith is revealed. Have you been stretched out of your comfort lately? If so, what was your reaction and was the Lord glorified by your faith.

The greatest truth I have been learning lately; it is all for His glory. What will it take for the LORD to receive glory from your life and how deep is your faith? Will the Lord have to stretch you to see how committed you are to Him?

Faith Counted as Righteousness

2011-09-07T00:50:00.001-04:00

At the age of 75, pagan and fatherless, Abram was told he would be made a great nation. Only a man, and not a follower of God, Abram did what any man would do and left Haran for Canaan (Genesis 12). Or did he? Would you leave your home, your people, and go to an unknown place with the promise that you would "make a great nation"?

Take note that this means leaving everything familiar, for the past seventy years. And not only that, but how would you ever make a great nation when you are 75 years old and fatherless? And why would you follow, the LORD, a God you had never served or worshipped because you and your people believed in other gods? Would you not at least want to do a little research or consult a few wise individuals before you uprooted everything familiar for a promise so far off and distant?

Abram did as instructed by God. With blind faith he left home, religion and his people for the Lord, not letting age or impossibilities hinder his decision. That is a man of faith. One that Romans says his "faith was counted as righteousness," just as ours can be (Romans 4:22). However, like any man, he was human and not perfect. Both he and Sarah laughed when the LORD told them they would have a child, Abraham at the age of 99. We see other times in the Word that Abraham lacked faith, and yet he is the biblical example of faith.

What does that say for us. We feel weak, we doubt, we struggle as Paul did and find ourselves doing the exact things we do not want to do. We are human, just like Abraham. We have made mistakes and we will make plenty more. Oh, but God is so much greater than our limitations. In Romans 4:24, we are told that our faith can also be counted as righteousness if we "believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord."

"He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." Romans 4:20-23

Did the same Abraham in the verse above have moments of weakness? Yes, emphatically. He is the same man that Genesis 17:17 says fell on his face and laughed when God told him Sarah would bear him a son. The same man who slept with Sarah's maid servant to have a son since he could not humanly see how he could patiently wait for God to provide his means of making a great nation. How many times have you tried to do God's job or made life more difficult for yourself because you could not wait for God's answer or timing?

And, again, this man is considered most Christian's spiritual example of faith. God apparently wanted us to know that, however human we are, we also can have "faith counted as righteousness". Abraham, in his finite understanding, could not understand how God could do these thing with all his human limitations. Like you and I, he had moments of doubt, unsettledness and questioning; but, he kept his faith.

God knows what we are thinking. So why hide it? Talk it out with Him. Share your battles with your Father, but always go back to His promises. If you go back to the ways He has been faithful, you may have moments of weakness but you cannot stay there. There are times you want to scream or cry, and believe me I do let those tears flow. Yet you will find yourself so much more intimate with the Savior than you knew possible. And that ever constant truth that He is faithful, just won't seem to let you cry for long. Why shed tears when you know you will be saved?

Blog Readers, Soccer Fans & Riley Lovers

2011-09-06T12:06:00.009-04:00

Thought it was interesting and have been meaning to tell my blog readers that during worship, two weeks ago, the pastor spoke about "abiding"; a few days after my post Abide. As you can tell, it is my current life theme, just going with it. And proud to draw attention to my Savior's name, Jesus.

And if you are interested in following the University of the Cumberlands Men's Soccer team, you can find updates on the right hand sidebar just under "Followers". Also, you can click on the picture of the soccerball to follow live game stats or pull up the teams webpage.

Speaking of, the athletic trainers are making spaghetti for the boys and using our place to serve the team this evening. We've enjoyed getting to know a new group of guys and have been blessed by our ministry. Please join us in praying for the team and that God would be glorified.

And for those Riley lovers... the boys on the team take good care of our girl. Some wave at her during warm ups and others make sure she gets to cover when it's raining. I often find they rush to her side much more quickly than I do! It's too precious.

Does Your Cup Overflow?

2011-09-04T01:29:00.001-04:00

I must say that over the last month, I have found true contentment. I know it is ultimately found in Christ alone, but in our modern, technologically advance society where everyone has all they need and more, I have really learned what this means. Used to being in a larger city, probably from growing up just outside of San Diego, I don't know that I really believed I could be so pleased in small town USA.

Sure, Dr. Quinn, Little House On the Prairie and Christy are among every girls dream. A chance to go back in time and wear a long, flowy dress is what we dream of and giggle about late at night, even after mom has been in the room to tell us to go back to bed for the third time already. But when you grow up and find yourself in a small town with Walmart and a few fast food joints, the thrill flies out the window!

As we have learned how to better budget and cut areas of spending to help us until we can sell our home, we have learned how blessed we are. We have all our needs met and so much more, even now. I go to bed at night in love with my husband and child, now thanking the Lord for giving them to me for however long He choses. Each minute is a blessing. I have never been more content to live in a clean place. We have beds, food, a car (we are now sharing one as our Exploder was donated to the "Make a Wish Foundation"... was in need of a new transmission), and the Lord keeps providing in amazing ways.

Don't get me wrong, life is not easy or perfect. Often when He has provided a safety net in our planning, we find a few months later that it is taken from us. He keeps providing and then placing us perfectly according to His plan, so that He has us dependent on Him. And what else is better than being in God's hands, knowing He will provide and just waiting to see how His hand will move. Faith. He is leading the blind, who do not see the big plan. And, I have finally felt true contentment amidst the unknown. I know He will always meet our needs. How can I not trust Him when I have seen His faithfulness over and over? Will I forget His faithfulness the minute I do not see the solution to the problem?

Have you found true contentment and peace? Are you thankful for what you have and where God has placed you? I know that I will find myself challenged many times in life, and that each time I will have to revisit where I will place my faith. I only pray that Christ will give me the strength to always trust. There is nothing as peaceful as living assured that He is God and He is faithful.

Abide.

2011-08-25T15:20:00.004-04:00

As I sat on the couch with our tired and restless, almost eight month old, daughter, I was filled with an overwhelming sense that this was utter bliss. Perfection brought in the form of a child; that is, when she would sit still. She fought the urge to cry and wiggle, only to cry more when I would put her down. We finally put the toys away and I firmly hugged her against my chest and rubbed her back. Comfort was found when she popped her thumb in her mouth and began sucking. It took no more than five minutes before I was cuddling the cutest and sweetest, sleeping baby.

I sat and held her for about twenty minutes, soaking in the moment; as this child now spends her moments crawling, standing, playing, and moving, moving, moving. I was reminded of how the Father holds me and comforts me so often these days. Time and time again, He has proven Himself faithful though He has no obligation to do so. He must long for the moments that I will just rest in His presence and fully trust, allowing no room for doubt or fear to creep in. All the while, waiting for me to stop fighting my insecurities and just believe.

The God who created the universe is the same God; He has not changed. He is just as faithful and just as able. Yet, how easy it is to forget or let my fears cause me to doubt the Savior who just wants me to abide. I realized I was just like the Isrealites I read about yesterday, that continuously saw God's hand at work and so quickly forgot who their Savior was when times got hard.

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, "They always go astray in their hearts; they have not known my ways.' As I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest.'" Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." Hebrews 3:7-12 (ESV)

Sitting, holding our daughter, I pondered these things. Two words spoke softly in my mind. The first was to abide. I thought, "How true." The Lord just wants me to choose to "abide" putting all else aside and choosing to remain in Him.

And then the word, held reminded me I was wrapped in the Father's loving embrace. I also was being "held". I first thought how different the words were, that I did not give Riley the choice to be held but I could choose to abide in the Father. And then I realized how alike they were. The Father does not force us to be held. And, Riley, fought her way out of my arms so many times. Utter perfection only came when she chose to be comforted by my loving arms.

Wondering if I just thought of these words on my own, I looked them up in Strong's Concordance. In reference to place, abide means, "to be held, kept, continually" and in reference to time it means, "to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure". How beautiful and perfect. The Father wants us to abide in Him as he tells us in the book of John, "abide in me"; meaning stay with me always so that I can hold you. We never need to leave the Father's arms; it is our choice when we become anxious.

Abiding in our Savior does mean to remain in Him. But it also means choosing to be held in His steadfast arms at all times, trusting in His sovereign plan even when you want to question His plan, curse Him, doubt He is able, or weep in angry bitterness. Choose the Father today. Let the Him hold His child in utter bliss by choosing to abide in Him.

This is Who I Am (Shane & Shane)

2011-08-18T11:45:00.006-04:00

"This is who I am

I've been born again
the Cross is my defense, my hope secured
now my life is in Your Hand
on Your every word I stand
Lord I’m finding who I am in all you are"

These lyrics in particular play over and over in my mind when I hear this song. The whole piece is perfection; it is all for the glory of the Lord. God we ask that you receive all glory and honor and praise. You are everything!

Riley's New Pass Time

2011-08-13T14:27:00.000-04:00

Rummaging through her toy basket!

Monumental

2011-08-08T23:47:00.001-04:00

"Mama."

I am a mom and loving every minute of it! This very minute I am watching the new version of "Charlotte's Web" and Wilbur is reminding me of Bentley. Oh how I miss my buddy! Riley is in bed and we are watching a kids movie. We have turned a new corner in life; it is different and perfect.

Today after nap time, Riley did her usual cry and babbled her new words, "Mama mama mama bam ba ba ma" beckoning me to come and get her from her prison. I walked in to find her standing in her crib for the first time! Earlier last week I was amazed and giddy to find her sitting in her crib, and in between the two monumental moments was her first word, "Mama". And what a sweet whispering to my soul. Knowing she favors the sound "ba" I don't think she first associated the meaning with the word, but we have been working on the meaning and who "Mama" and "Dada" are. As of today, we have heard both. I truly think she knows who "Mama" is, but that could be debatable. We are working on signing that deal soon.

Last night I had a dream that Riley was Brenton's and my baby but for whatever reason we could not have her. How wonderful to wake up to our baby waiting for me, saying my name and ready for a poopy diaper change.

My cup overflows.

Summer's Up and School is Back, or at Least Will Be Soon!

2011-08-02T14:17:00.002-04:00

"Hello!" After 3 weeks of traveling and transition, we are back home again. However, coming up this time was to a clean townhome rather than our mouse happy rental in the country. Thank you Jesus for a sanitary place now that Riley has taken to crawling, rolling, sitting, and standing, though varied versions of each. Brenton calls is crawling, I call it lazy. Two knees forward, bobble and a lunge; that's all it takes for our sweet girl to get to her toys. Sometimes she throws in a leg kick or a roll before taking on her crawling stance to move both knees again before lunging to the next victim.

Only one time has she pulled herself up on the ottoman to standing position, though she frequently tries to use me as her steadying pole. And we woke up this morning to find her in sitting position, leaning all the way forward and, yet, still fast a sleep. Sitting is like crawling. She has sat up on her own, though she prefers to lean forward and tumble into a role rather than exert the energy to sit and play. Really, Riley is far from lazy as every minute awake is spent moving, and if she has help trying to stand. I think the little girl wants to walk rather than crawl.

As you can tell, Riley's swirl of hair on top of her head has grown tremendously. The gel mohawk is from trying to remove her cradle's cap. Think we got it!

So the reason we have been MIA for the past month...

The first week of July, we were enjoyed the fireworks from our neighbors house and the 4th of July celebration in small town Jellico, an even smaller town than Williamsburg... which is small. We found out that we were going to get campus housing so Brenton can now walk to work. Perfect timing as we were about to head out on vacation and return just in time for Brenton to prep for pre-season with the University of the Cumberlands Men's Soccer team.

The next week, my family picked me up as the whole Dongell crew headed to Nana's farm in North Carolina. Brenton, ever so sweet, headed up a soccer camp in Kentucky and hurried back for a New Student Orientation for the college, missing the time at the farm. Third week of July, the Dongell crew drove to the beach for the better part of the week and Brenton meet up with us. Riley loved the wind and the water, as if the tongue is not a good enough indicator of that! She is a girl after her daddy's heart as she was sad to depart from the daily water outings.

And the fourth week, we were able to visit Brenton's parents and family in Texas as we had two airline tickets expiring the month of July. We flew standby, amazed that Riley did as well as she did and loving the business right outside of Dallas, Texas. Brenton was in heaven as he had all his favorites; Chipotle, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, In-N-Out, and QT.

The weather was amazingly HOT and Riley sported a heat rash our whole time there but we loved visiting the Benwares and the Fords.

And the last few days of the month, we hurried back to have our country rental cleaned out and get our campus housing all settled. I think we are about there. We got internet just yesterday, so forgive my month of blogging negligence. We are now back in session!

Riley is napping and Brenton is hard at work as his second assistant just made his way into town. The boys arrive for pre-season soon and NAIA is delaying in decisions regarding international players. So you can watch with us as we see how the Cumberland's Men's Soccer team shapes up this season! Just make sure you follow University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky as there is another university similar in name that makes it easy to get confused. Until next time!

Summer Lovin'

2011-07-02T12:40:00.000-04:00

And yet another successful trip to Asheville last weekend! Congratulations to Josh and Keri Riccardi who's new marriage gave us a wonderful excuse to head back into town. The mountain breeze and live music floating on the wind graced our lovely mountain views during the ceremony and reception. Riley casually hung out with the nannies and other kiddos able to attend. Once again we heard what a happy child we have, as we found her entertaining herself on the floor.

For those of us old enough to eat adult food, we enjoyed catering by the Biltmore and Cold Stone. I have to say the wedding rock it just from the fact that they had a Cold Stone station, yummy! We enjoyed visiting with some of Brenton's Montreat players and co-workers.

As always, Brenton worked hard at the landscape of our home, we pick raspberries and enjoyed walking on the lively streets of downtown Asheville at night. And our wonderful neighbors in Kentucky let us borrow their pool upon our return, as you see below. It has been a week of summer lovin', that's for sure.

And woohoo for my sister Jen who had her third baby. Their first little girl, Kirra Ashlyn, was born mid-June and we have been told looks much like her cousin Riley. We'll let you know what we think in a few weeks when we meet her!

Sepia Update

2011-06-22T17:01:00.001-04:00

Here's our sepia collage of the past few weeks...

Family Pictures at the Moonbow
Riley discovering the full roll and now loving her belly
Riley becoming a tongue-aholic
An unexpected breakfast with Nana, Aunt Esther & Becca

"Moonbow": Silly or Not, It is Real!

2011-06-19T21:12:00.001-04:00

provided by: unusualkentucky.blogspot.com

So I feel silly even saying "moonbow", like I've made up a childish word. However, I am here to say it is a very real thing. It is a rainbow but somehow caused by a full moon over Cumberland Falls. Yes, this is the same waterfall I just posted pictures of a few weeks back. We remembered a full moon was coming up so we went to the moonbow early this past week. It wasn't quite as breath-taking as this picture I found on the internet, though it was pretty amazing.

A few days before we went to see the moonbow, we visitied Cumberland Falls again during daylight and it was a whole new experience from our very first trip. The water was clear, clean and the view was stunning. I saw what all the craze was about. Then we went to the moonbow, so peaceful and perfectly made by an architect in Heaven. It was dark and quiet, all except the majestic roar of the falls, and perfectly accented with the sparkling stars.

I forgot a flashlight at home and the phones in the car, so we had to use the camera to guide our steps. It was all a little uneven and sandy, thankfully Brenton carried the baby so I didn't have to worry about the safety of our child.

~~~~~~~~~

What else is new, we are attending a small community church and I mean small. It is a bit unorthodox, not your average Sunday service. Yet, we have found a beautiful community of believers that is very intentional with those around them. It is a reminder of beginning with making a difference in the everyday, and that sometimes change is just seeing one life changed. The impact is far greater than one will ever know, as many of the planted seeds may never even be seen. And the fact that it is a small community has made it impossible to keep from getting involved; what great accountability!

Riley is rolling and moving; now trying to figure out crawling, though I pressume she still has a while until she will get that down. She is drooling and teething; often with random outburst from her aching gums, just waiting for the first tooth to peek out. And she got her first lightening bug last night, one daddy gave her. Sadly she decided to squish it rather than look at it. I tried to save the booger but her grip on the bug got tighter and tighter with no luck. Brenton thought it was all rather funny.

Our Rolling Machine

2011-06-09T13:45:00.001-04:00

While this video doesn't show justice, our little gal has gotten down the rolling business. She can roll back to stomach and stomach to back now!

Cumberland Falls (Williamsburg, Kentucky)

2011-06-05T21:06:00.001-04:00

Thanks for the cool hiking gear, that was passed down from the Fralic family!

Memorial Day weekend, we took a trip to Cumberland Falls about a half hour from our place. Here in Kentucky, it is compared to the great Niagra Falls. I do have to give credit to the fact that it is a huge waterfall and oh so powerful. It is amazing how calm and quiet the river is just up to the heart pounding drop; truly one of the next biggest waterfall I have seen next to Niagra. However, the brown water and the waterfall just did not quiet seem "Niagra"esque. It is truly amazing that we have such beautiful scenery basically in our backyard. Oh yes, and at night during a full moon, the falls apparently have a "moonbow". That will have to be an adventure for later this summer!

We hiked for a few hours to another smaller falls were you see from the picture the water is a beautiful turquoise. Brenton wanted to do the hike behind the falls but was limited with our little gal on his back. Riley, she loved the adventure out but was ready to get home and out of the warm weather.

I discovered that there are black bear here as well, not surprising considering we are still in the Appalachian mountians. They are not talked about much here and it does not seem like they are really seen where we live but the national park where the falls were had signs alerting us of the natural habitat. Our Asheville neighbors have sent, "Hellos" along with stories of a mama black bear and her cubs that are visiting the neighborhood these days.

Lexi is loving summer and longingly gazes out at the pasture from our porch, as the heat has limited her activity this week. The heat and the sun are welcomed, though a little draining as our air unit cannot keep up with the intensity of it. Considering we are still in the mountains, I didn't expect such humid heat, though Williamsburg seems to have it every year, according to the locals.

I attempted to be a part of the community yard sale this past Saturday. It was a failure as I had only made $0.75 by noon and had seen maybe two cars stop by. Brenton got a kick out of it, at least. By the end of the day I think I had accumulated about $18. Enough to make up for the melted cupcakes I had made to sell and our recent Starbucks trip. Had fun chatting with the neighbor ladies though and got a homemade doughnut from the local bakery, yummm!

And we finished our Saturday night having hamburgers with our worship pastor and his wife. We are attending a small, small church of about 30 on Sunday mornings. There are a great core of staff members that are bi-vocational and have been serving our Williamsburg community of mountain people for a little over 5 years. (If you ever watched or read Christy, it would the be the modern day equivalent. We live in a very poor and uneducated area.) We are really enjoying the community of believers we have been meeting and have connected with a small group as well.

I will sign off until next time as get up to check on Lexi and watch the elegant evening sky turn purple.

Sweet, tired little Riley at the end of the day and energized Daddy ready for the next adventure! "Wanna go again next weekend?"

Thunderstorms Across the Valley

2011-05-31T00:37:00.001-04:00

So our meals have improved a bit since the last journal. This week we had a spiced breakfast for dinner, eggs, pumpkin muffins and Kraft's "Pear Spice" recipe (pear with crushed vanilla wafer and cinnamon cool whip). We got creative as I have had the pumpkin bread mix in my cupboards since Christmas. The first month after having Riley Grace I took a bit of a break from cooking; now we are getting back around to everything I had once considered baking. Which reminds me that I still have peanutbutter balls in the freezer from Christmas! Wonder how long those will be good; guess I need to buy some chocolate chips to melt after our next trip to Walmart.

I'm currently watching one of our many summer storms clear through our eastern Kentucky valley. The view from our humble rental is absolutely stunning. We are set in a lush valley surrounded by green mountains. Not as large as the mountains in the heart of Asheville, but just as majestic as I watch lightening strike across the dark sky and listen to rain pellets pound on our roof. How mighty is our God.

I was wishing tonight that we had a covered porch like the one from our childhood parsonage in North Carolina (Dongell parsonage). I remember watching the thunderstorms from a safe, dry place, while cuddled in my parents' arms. And only because we are living in the south, do I also feel the need for an ice cold sweet tea from my Nana. Sorry Mama B, I did say sweet tea! My husband and his Texas family think that unsweetened tea is better but I am afraid I will always beg to differ that the south has learned best how to make tea. The secret, tons of sugar boiled in with the tea bags and water.

And just as quick as it came, the thunderstorm in our valley has passed. I had forgotten how much they used to scare me and how quickly they come and go. Ironic, I suppose this is much like storms in life.

May Madness

2011-05-26T21:40:00.000-04:00

Our Spring Sweetie

Two Peas in a Pod

Trip to Asheville for Yard Maintenance

After all our hard work, signs of a yard are visible. What once was a patch of woods is now close to manicured. We will be sad to not live here but glad to see what is in store next.

Cow Hearts for Dinner?

2011-05-16T22:21:00.001-04:00

As we have not sold our house and I have not been working the past few months, we have been trying to budget a little better. The most obvious area of our budget, meals. I will say it helps mothers who have limited creativity for dreaming up daily dinner concoctions. I make about two or three meals a week and we eat leftovers the remainder of the week, until Sunday comes. Our first stop after church are the ever so common letters W-A-L-M-A-R-T. Probably not the best time to shop as we are starved by the time we finish visiting with families at our church, and are craving just about everything we walk by on Walmart aisles.

So in effort to control how much we buy, while shopping at such a poorly planned time, we generally have our ever constant list. However, a few weeks ago, we decided to add a little variety and grill out all our meals. We got chicken legs as John Tesh recommends, hot dogs, and Walmarts great value hamburgers. The hamburgers were a great steal and would last over a number of weeks, or so we thought. While Brenton was getting the grill ready, I was getting the meat out and decided to read what the burgers were made of. The two main ingredients, beef and beef heart. All of a sudden the idea of burgers made me want to throw up.

Trying to be "tough", I ate the burgers last week without telling Brenton to avoid spoiling his meals as well. Well tonight, Brenton decided the burgers were such a steal that we should keep buying them. At this point, I told Brenton what we were about to eat for dinner cause I had been choking down every burger we had up to til now. We laughed about it through dinner, after dinner and through our walk, until Brenton became so sick he finally agreed that we could throw the rest out.

Yes! No more beef heart burgers! The funny part of the whole ordeal is that we really didn't save anything by our new steal. We actually spent the rest of the night drinking all our juice, soda and eating anything to wash out beef heart.

Good Night Moon

2011-05-14T12:39:00.001-04:00

Sleep tight little munchkin.

A New Legacy: Faith

2011-05-14T12:29:00.001-04:00

Riley Grace, our precious daughter, is teaching me many things, though two are engraved on my heart more deeply each day... the love of the Father and faith. Every morning I hold my baby girl and feel that I am going to burst at the seems, as my love overflows. I do not just love her; I love, love, love her. I now understand why the Lord asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?"

"Yes Lord, I love you."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes Lord, I love you."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes Lord, I love you."

How inadequate are these words. The meaning and the inner groaning of them reaches so much deeper. Just as I was reading this morning, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Rm. 11:33a) When read, "Oh," to me, is an inner groaning of the true depths of His wisdom and knowledge. How much greater and stronger is the love of our Daddy, Abba Father, who has called us to be His children.

Brenton and I purchased a home, just about two years ago. We prayed it through and truly believed God opened door after door to make it possible. We were overjoyed with our dream home, a reality come true. Ironically, that home has now become the burden of my day, as we need it sold. Then come the questions... "Where we wise in buying?", "Did God answer our prayers like He gave Isreal King Saul, who wanted a king though it was not best for them?", "Was this all to teach us a few lessons?" One thing I know, we cannot live in the past though my tendency shoots me right back there.

As time has passed and this burden has grown, we have begun to feel a little overwhelmed; and the more desperate we feel to have answers and make decisions. Speaking for myself, I know I initially tried to solve the burden on my own. However, being at home with my precious girl, I've been rendered helpless. Oh how I love, love, love being with her but how am I to help us? Christ reminded me, "Never be wise in your own sight." (Rm 12:16b) And then like clockwork, in my brokenness He became strong.

In a Sunday morning service a few weeks back, He probed me to come back to Him and sit at His feet, as He has honestly been on my backburner for sometime. First we, He and I, needed to deal with what was most important. I began reading in Acts where I had left off; reading about the apostles boldly sharing Christ, being persecuted and God's power being made known. Mixed with days of shedding tears, my faith slowly started to grow as I was reminded of the all-powerful God we serve. Our house, though major to us, is such a small feat to God, "The One who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." (Rm 4:17)

Continuing through Romans, the Lord challenged me to have faith like Abraham, a faith "counted to him as righteousness." Abraham claimed the promise that God would give him a son, and he held fast to this promise. Romans 4:20-21 says, "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." God has continued to bring many reminders of His truth to help me grow stronger.

I do not want to take scripture out of context and claim words that are not promises to all, but I do recall two promises Christ makes all believers. He will meet all our needs and He works all things together for our good, according to His will. The answer may not come as I hope, but I am not going to settle to believe what is easy. Until He answers this prayer, I am going to pray that He works in a mighty way because He is a Might God. In Romans 5:8, He says, "and hope does not put us to shame..." What is hope unless we believe God can do something greater than we can do ourselves?

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Rm 8:26) No, our house is not sold and I am no where near having faith like Abraham. But what I can say is that God is growing my faith daily and reminding me how dearly He loves me. Oh, He is breaking me, but somehow in this brokenness it all makes sense. And I am beckoned to remember, "Hope does not put us to shame."

Four Month's at a Glance (Riley)

2011-05-08T17:37:00.002-04:00

What Soothes Me Most (in order from greatest to least):
1) Eating
2) Attention
3) Being Held
4) My Thumb
5) The movie, "Bug's Life"

Interesting Fact:
I threw up warm milk down mom's shirt on our walk today, Daddy and I thought it was very funny! Then I pooed and messed through my outfit, on my blankey and on the floor... which got me a bath, my very favorite.

Who Are My Playmates:
Lexi (our family doggie), Lambie & Elephant (my blankie animals), "Oh, and the Sunday nursery workers love me too."

Most Recent Things I've Learned:
How to grab my feet and almost roll onto my tummy

What I Love (in order from greatest to least):
1) Attention
2) My Thumb
3) Playing
4) Water

Since Birth...
I usually wake up with a sniffly nose, have grown 5 1/2 inches (now at 26 1/2 in), and have gained about 7 lbs (almost to 16 lbs)

What the Doc Says:
I am very tall, and in the 97th percentile for my weight and height. And that I am very social and happy.

"And, yes, Mom and Dad are smitten with me."

"Heaven is For Real"

2011-05-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul."

For the first time ever, I sang these lyrics with true fervor and excitement, all as a result of a little boy's testimony. Ever since I was a little girl, I have feared "end times" or any discussion on the Lord's return. I struggled with this internal battle of being afraid and feeling guilty that I did not long for the Lord's return. My husband had to jokingly put me on probation from these discussions at times. I confess I still struggle with fear and worry, though a little boy's conviction and trust shook my faith in a radical way.

Please understand that I am a skeptic in many ways. I hear stories of others being healed, having dreams and visions, speaking in tongues; believing that the Lord is very capable of doing such things, just to turn around and critically judge every story I hear. I purchased "90 Minutes in Heaven" to only read a few pages before boxing the book up, thinking the story was simply fabricated. However, a similar book, "Heaven is For Real" struck me in a new way. The difference, I can place the family in context and trust a few different people who say the father telling the story is a credible man. Personally, I believe this story is very real, as I also believe "Heaven is For Real".

In short, a little boy's appendix burst and went untreated as the doctors misread his symptoms. During surgery, the little boy recounts his visit to Heaven. I was personally convicted a number of times in reading this story, two moments I want to revisit. First was when Colton tells his parents how he saw them from Heaven while his earthly dad brokenly cried out to the Father and his mother made calls to place her son on the prayer chain, facts that no one witnessed or discussed. Later in the story Colton tells his dad that he was with the Holy Spirit praying for him because he was so distraught. God's Word tells us that His Spirit intercedes on our behalf when we do not know what to pray. I have known this was true for years, but what a vivid reminder that this very day I have the Holy Spirit fighting on my behalf.

Second, Colton makes reference to Armageddon. I believe the comment I am remembering is when Colton's father asks if he was scared. Colton asnwered, "Yes, but Jesus wins." Colton made a few other comments that so purely exemplefied the faith of a child that Christ speaks about in His Word. Again, a simple truth I'd already known but so powerful. As I mentioned before, I have always known God wins and yet I have lived in fear. I know, "perfect love drives out fear," but I do not live freely. Something in reading this modern day testiment of Heaven sparked a new fire in me, one that made me excited for the Lord's return. It was such a beautiful story of what we cannot see and a reminder of what I am to be longing for. Now, I can truly say,

"And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul."

In Need of a Late Easter Basket?

2011-04-25T21:12:00.001-04:00

If so, we've got just the delivery for you! We have a beautiful woven basket, a soft, plush, pink baby blanket (from the Gap), and Riley Grace sporting her flowery pink Easter wear. I'm assuming anyone this late on Easter goodies is probably far enough in the dog house that they'd need a pretty good peace offering to win themselves out. And in that case, we've held onto a winner!

Good Morning!

2011-04-15T12:22:00.000-04:00

A wiggle of the head and a squinting of the eyes; "It's morning!" How about a good stretch before the games break loose, a lift of the legs and a long, slow arching of my back. I'm off... kick, kick, kick, flailing of the arms, kicking incessantly, and an intermingling of baby talk.

"If only I could last all morning, oh but my eyes are getting sooo heavy." Then begins the sucking of the thumb, and the inevitable happens. A morning doze.

"Am I dreaming? Oh, nope, I feel something." Eyes slit open and brows crease before another long stretch. "It's mommy! I know that face and voice. Yeah!!! It's time for breakfast." Lifting my legs to help, that diaper's been on way too long. "Yuck!"

Nothing like being clean, full, and a good cuddle... but that patting is going to put me to sleep again. "Oops, there goes a burp." Buddies, I missed my lambie and elephant blankies! "Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, I LOVE play time." A slow big smile emerges and off to the races again, but this time with her pals. Kick, kick, kick, flail, flail, flail.

Riley Grace with lambie on the left and purple elephant to the right

The Voice of an Angel

2011-04-07T23:55:00.000-04:00

An Overdue Thank You!

2011-04-02T12:20:00.000-04:00

To all my lovely friends and great support system at The Cove. It has only been a month since we moved to Kentucky and I (Kelly) already dearly miss my work buddies. When we moved to Asheville, almost 3 years ago now, I was told about the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I decided I wanted to work there and applied for the only opening at the time. It was for a "call-in" position proofing and editing their intensive training material. Though I had no idea what I was applying for, and with a resume catered toward my people skills, I got the job! And what a blessing it was.

Over the past two and a half years, I have been in four positions at The Cove, most often serving in two coexisting positions at a time. The Lord knows how to provide though Brenton and I had no idea how we would make ends meet with my working a part-time position. Every time an interim position would come to an end, the Lord would allow enough time to make us fidget before providing extra hours through the next part-time position. As a result of the Lord working, I was blessed to serve alongside various teams, become more well-rounded and develop relationships with most everyone at The Cove.

Each department I served with has taught me its own special lessons; whether, it was working with the intensive training material, overseeing and coordinating Seminar volunteers and registrations, helping coordinate administrative and on-sight aspects of the Schools of Evangelism, or simply putting nametags together with Reservations. Though most time was spent working with the Seminar volunteers, I ended my time with the Reservations team working a few hours a week with basic office tasks. This lovely Reservations group, that you see in the picture, was the inspiration for this email and so kind in our parting.

Let me back track to say the Seminar Department and all the other wonderful Cove connections threw us the most generous baby shower where even guys attended; unheard of and so wonderful to see all the support! Brenton was encouraged to see ten plus guys offering him a little masculine support amongst all the estrogen. And back the present, I wanted to send a "THANK YOU" to the Reservations team for helping with the shower and then going out of their way to throw a going away gathering a few months later. Along with the continued follow up with emails, texts and calls, I have never experienced a work environment where the employees were so supportive and warm, all across the board. To all my lovely friends, I think of you daily and constantly count my blessings from my time with you.

Kirk Franklin's "I Smile"

2011-03-21T18:09:00.001-04:00

The Latest

2011-03-20T22:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, we have officially moved to Kentucky. We made it out the first week of March. We are heart broken to sell our home but ready to adjust to our new surroundings and situation. Our home has had a good amount of interest considering the time of year and our economy. The showings are up as we had three this past week... just praying one of these lookers becomes a buyer soon! Please join us in our prayers.

We just returned from our annual trip to Texas to visit the Benware crew. Sadly, we realized we did not come away with the complete Benware photo but were given the sweetest Riley pics from our awesome bro-in-law who is crazy talented, and has a sweet camera!

A Few Riley Randoms...

2011-03-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

Our computer is having some major issues, hence a few pictures to tide you over 'til who knows when. But then, what's new about my lack of posting as of late!

Riley's 1st Swim

Riley's 1st 0-3 Month Outfit

Riley's 1st Toy - Lion Wrist Rattle

What happens if you leave Riley to sit on her own.

Riley's 1st Valentine

Restless Spirits

2011-02-03T20:33:00.000-05:00

The time for transition has come knocking at our door again. It can be chalked up to a number of reasons, but mostly I would say that our spirits were growing restless and the Lord allowed the wind of change to blow by. I could tell for a number of months now that a move was coming, though I would not have predicted quite so soon. All of our married years, we have worked in the college setting and do not like to think of working at a college less than four years. No, there is no magic in the number four, but in college life it takes us through a whole group of students, start to finish. Really both Brenton and I prefer to go into a new opportunity and think it is for the long haul though it does not always play out as expected.

When we married in 2006, Brenton had been coaching at Oklahoma Wesleyan University for two years and myself, one. We left two years after getting married and moved to Montreat College, where we are currently located. The plan, was to at minimum, stay in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina another year and a half, yet a wonderful opportunity opened up in the last month.

University of the Cumberlands, located in the mountains of Kentucky, only three hours from Asheville, has offered Brenton the position of Head Men's Soccer Coach. Brenton accepted the offer last week. Our house is currently on the market for any of you lookers and we will be moving to Kentucky in the very near future. I (Kelly) am so proud of Brenton as Cumberlands has been ranked in the top 25 of NAIA over the past few years. Brenton is stepping into a wonderful opportunity and another chance of ministry as Cumberlands is also part of the Southern Baptist affiliation. Brenton and I both look forward to ministering at, yet, another university and being a part of it's community. To Asheville, the Montreat Cavaliers and all of our wonderful friends, we will miss you very much!

Whirlwind

2011-01-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

This past month has been a whirlwind to say the least! After my parents visit, we headed up north for a quick trip. Our first stop was by my parents place and to Plymouth Wesleyan where Riley was dedicated. After the Sunday service, we trekked to Michigan to stay a night with my sister (Kelly) so Riley could see the rest of the Dongell clan. So great to see Jen, Brent, Brandon, and the kiddos. Love and miss you all tons!

Shortly after our return to North Carolina, Brenton's parents dropped in to love on our little gal who fell in love with her grandparents. Riley started to cry the day after all our company was gone as she was not held every second of the day. Our sweet girl is having to grow up, though not by her choice!

Riley will be four weeks this Thursday and is getting a belly to match her plump little cheeks. We are loving having more to love on. We have been blessed that she is sleeping a six hour stretch at night on her own accord, though we have been learning to adjust to her new fussy behavior as she stays awake more throughout the day. Guess there is no such thing as a baby that does not cry! However, I must make the disclaimer that she is a good baby and we have had it pretty easy, not sure what we will do with a baby that is not naturally as peaceful!

Our Little Sleeper

2011-01-10T15:02:00.002-05:00

So far Riley has proved to be a restful little gal. Of course she is up a number of times a night to eat, without us having to set an alarm, but then right back to sleep. It has been a blessing as she only cries when her stomach gets a little gassy, when she has made us a messy diaper, or when it is simply time to eat. Thank you Riley for letting us sleep a little!

While we are still tired, we are blessed with a sweet and beautiful charmer. The one who currently has us mesmerized and constantly wanting to cuddle her. She is more precious than we could have expected or imagined.

And even with another big weekend snow storm, my parents blessed us with a last minute visit this past weekend and early week to help spoil us and Riley. We are also looking forward to seeing the Benwares shortly, as both parents have been so gracious and flexible regarding visits due to snow storms, work schedules, and anxiously waiting on Riley's arrival. Thank you to both our godly and loving parents that have gone before us to model parenting and set wonderful examples for us to follow!

How Our Sweet Riley Graced Us...

2011-01-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

We cannot thank everyone enough for praying us through God's timing concerning the birth of our little gal. Had Riley graced us early, I really cannot imagine how different our experience would have been. The Lord's timing in Riley's birth was so amazing. We went in early Thursday morning to be induced. While the hospital staff was preparing for the day and monitoring the baby and I, they realized my contractions were 5 minutes apart (though I felt nothing). Within the half hour my contractions came on strong and were less than 2 minutes apart. From the point I started to feel contractions, Riley was born less than 3 hours later. Praise Jesus that we had scheduled this very specific induction date and for all the prayers. If the Lord had not coordinated these specifics so intricately, I would not have made it to the hospital in time to receive the epidural. I am amazed with anyone who has given a natural birth at this point! Thank you for your prayers and thank you Jesus.

Riley Grace Benware was 9lb. and 21in., to everyone's surprise. Her little foot prints were so big they went onto the writing space in her baby book. Our doctor, and the two nurses were all floored with her size, as we had been assured our baby could not be 9lb. or more. A few of the first comments in the room were, "Look at that mass of hair!" and "Those hands and feet are huge." We have plenty of loveable pudge, which just means more to cuddle, and tons of dark baby soft hair. Riley's little blue eyes are still taking time to open much as she is still a little swollen. It is fun to see her changing ever so slowly, even in one day. We love our little girl.

White Christmas

2010-12-25T12:20:00.003-05:00

Today marks the first white Christmas for a guy who has waited thirty years... you finally got one bud! It is also our first Christmas alone, which I have to confess I thought I'd be crying by now. However, we have had plenty of calls from family and we have been enjoying our last few weeks together before the little one decides to arrive, keeping plenty busy. Brenton and I have made about every kind of Christmas goodie one could think of, watched all our Christmas movies, slept in, gone to the mall for plenty of walks to try and hurry our baby gal along, and, with working, I have not had a chance to be sad. Exactly what I had hoped for, a fun and full Christmas, our last one with just the two of us.

And so today, Christmas day, we've been pretty lazy; watching the snow fall, resting, listening to Christmas music, waiting on the ham to cook, and watching the dogs frolic in the snow. It is absolutely beautiful and perfect. We've come to expect our weekly snow storm on the weekends here in the North Carolina mountains. It usually snows about two to three days and then clears up for the remainder of the week. Within a few hours this morning we already had two inches... feels like we are vacationing in a mountain cabin, though we live here. And it looks like the constant snow could leave us with 8-10 inches of fluffy white goodness with no trouble at all! Pray we make it to the hospital if our baby comes with in the next two days, and that I don't have to ride our neighbors 4-wheeler down the mountain by means of getting there. Although, I can imagine it could be much worse!

Merry Christmas!

Love the Benwares

And a little picture to leave you smiling! The pups trying on our baby's gifts...

A Benware Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T00:14:00.001-05:00

Happy turkey day! It was our first Thanksgiving without family and we decided to lay low.

A little bit of advice, I learned the key to self-control on Thanksgiving. I (Kelly) got a stomach bug this past weekend that had me out for most the week. Today I'm feeling fine though I've not been able to eat much. Sadly, it had to be on our first attempt at cooking a turkey, which turned out mighty fine. I ate a small portion of turkey, potatoes and corn before I felt I'd eaten a huge Thanksgiving feast! I'll say we had a feast on our table though I was the little bird that just did a fly-by.

Regardless of how much I ate, I must say that I am thankful for all that we have. We are thankful, thankful for family, friends, and everything the Lord has blessed us with when we truly only need Him. I left humbled from our local grocery store yesterday. We were in line behind a young mom with three kids, one a newborn. Whatever her circumstance, she had misjudged how much she could afford. It started with her her taking a few Thanksgiving items out of her bags and quickly became weekly groceries that were unloaded. The kids were oblivious that they were leaving with a few bags of groceries, as opposed to their weekly grocery list. Why I did nothing, I don't know. I do know that the family and their apparent need has not left my memory since I walked out of Ingles. So, again, all I can say is thanks to our Savior, while asking He'll make me a better steward. Happy Thanksgiving.

Here's a few days out of 35 weeks. Just about a month out from meeting our little girl... I told B that from this picture I look like I ate the whole Thanksgiving feast! One would never know.

The Blessing of Parents

2010-11-02T21:04:00.002-04:00

Brenton and I often talk about how blessed we are by both our families. We are grateful for godly heritage, loving parents, the prayers that bathed us before we were born and those that still cover over us now. Most recently, a few different blessings have brought this conversation up again.

This past week, the Benwares made their yearly fall visit to the North Carolina mountains to say, "Hey" and catch some soccer games. Thankfully the boys won both games we attended, finishing their season 10-6, and are now preparing for their first conference game this weekend. Sadly, the Benwares had a family reunion without me (Kelly) much of the time as The Cove had four programs in one week; a concert with Selah, a seminar with Erwin Lutzer, a Pastor's Institute with Johnny Hunt and Jerry Vines, and a seminar with David and Kay Arthur. While they were ever so gracious with my constant yawning and nodding eyes, Brenton and his parents relaxed and made some visits around the area. And they caught the end of our fall leaves, as our trees have become quite bare. It is truly amazing how quickly the leaves changed and fell this year.

All the other random pictures are of a cosmetic wall my (Kelly) dad added in our basement downstairs. We use to have a large living area that we only used one side of, which became our living room. The other side, we were able to convert into our third room, thanks to the Dongells. Mom and Dad, thanks for making the trip out here this summer to make this possible. Here is our new guest room and living room!

And I almost forgot to mention how infatuated our dogs are with both of our fathers. You can begin to get the idea from the few pictures posted! Does not matter how much time passes, grandpa is still a hit!

Molasses Bars

2010-10-12T22:05:00.000-04:00

And yet another fall delight. Jen and I used to rave everytime our friend in high school brought these. I finally called her mother a few years back for the recipe. Oh so heavenly!

3/4 cup Crisco
2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Molasses (Grandma's Yellow Label)
1 Egg

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
Use a 10" x 15" cookie sheet
Mix dry ingredients
In a skillet, melt crisco (right as it becomes liquid, set timer for 3 1/2-4 minutes to let cool)
Have egg and Molasses ready
As soon as timer goes off, pour the crisco into the dry ingredients and mix
Then add the egg and molasses
The quicker you work the better
Spread in pan and cook for 9 minutes (start with 8 1/2 minutes and find the time that works with your oven)

(NOTE: Recipe is sensitive to specific order of mixing ingredients and moving fastly once crisco melts.)

White Chicken Chili

2010-10-12T21:54:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite recipes given by a friend at The Cove. It's a must make in the fall and what we are eating for dinner this week! Mmm Mmm Good!

3 Chicken Breast (cubed or shredded... I buy the pre-cooked chickens from the bakery)
2 (15oz cans) Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Chopped Onions
2 (4oz cans) Green Chilis
2 (tps) Ground Cumin
1 (tps) Oregano
1 (tps) Cilantro Leaves
2 (tps) Garlic Powder
4 cans White Kidney Beans

Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low or simmer on stove top for 30 minutes. Doesn't get much easier!

The Cavs

2010-09-29T21:23:00.004-04:00

In North Carolina, we just create our own mascots. Especially when one has never seen a real Cavalier; we're forced to create makeshift mascots for Montreat pride! However, I will say this little gal will not be going to any games, ever again. I tried once the first year we moved here and after a few friendly faces passed by, she had my lying on my back at one of the home games. My only prayer was that she would not dart off into the middle of the soccer game. What a classy coach's wife... lying on the side lines with a dog gone mad!

On a more serious note, the Cavs had two unexpected losses this past week. Which has left this week as a chance to recuperate. The last of the two games were away and Brenton called to tell me the boys had lost. He added in that a number more had gotten injured, and that there were two going to the ER when they returned home. One of the guys came back from the ER with staples in his head and another just relieved to find he was not the second player this year with a broken leg. Thankfully none of the recent injuries have been quite as serious though it has left a handful of the Montreat men's soccer team needing time to heal and regain strength. The hope is that the majority are ready for this Saturday's game. The boys have amazing potential and half the season left, pray for healing and health for the next two months.

I will say, it seems that every year there is some type of obstacle; sadly I know it is a part of growing up. On the mature side, I know it is a chance to grow and develop character. Often I want life to just be easier, like my call to insurance today. All I could think of, while I was on the phone, is how I wanted to be a kid again and have my mom worry about life's details. I know I've written it many times before but stretching is not fun, though I know it is necessary.

Family Updates

2010-09-20T21:48:00.001-04:00

The Montreat Cavaliers are 4-2 after a close game with Bryan College, the 1-ranked team in conference. Though I was not able to be at the away game, it sounds like it was as heart-breakingly close as the final conference tournament game with Bryan last season. In both games we only lost by one goal and held out to the very end. The boys have two more conference games this week, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday.

We are officially at 25 weeks with our little girl, though the picture attached is from 24 weeks. Every fiber in me did not want to post a pregnancy picture since everyone does, but with all of you close friends wanting to see my belly... here it is. Our little girl didn't seem to move much the last week and a half, until today... she has been an active little gal! Which probably explains the odd rush of nausea I woke up to last night. Unfortunately, I could tell it was over as soon as I woke up and it did prove to be the most violent of the stomach episodes. I started to feel this way around dinner again tonight, now just hoping my stomach can stay settled enough to not have another rough night, while being thankful that the nausea is not anywhere near as often these days.

Came home to a sweet surprise after such a rough night and exhausting, late work day. My wonderful husband had gotten a chair for the nursery that some friends were selling. He knows how much I love the accent color... RED! May sound odd, but the baby's room will be in tan, black, deep brown, and red, as you can tell by the picture. We have a cream dresser to bring up and we registered for a wooden cherry crib this weekend.

Which leads to our Sunday adventure... we registered at Walmart and Target, mostly online. Walmart did not have scanners, interesting. Both had a lot of similar stuff, so we tried to compare prices as best as possible when registering. I'd say we are most excited about the crib, though the carseat/stroller combo was pretty amazing too. Oh yes, and I was really intrigued and stoked about my pacifier thermomether find. It is just fun to think we'll be meeting our little girl in less than three and a half months!

More than a little surprised today when I was told that North Carolina has decided a baby needs to be born before December 1st to get a full tax deduction. Supposedly, if the baby were born in December, we might get a small tax break but nothing compared to babies born by November. (If someone is smarter and knows better, please prove me wrong on this!) Really hoping this is not so as we began to hope our little girl would come around December 31st. Guess that means we'll have to stick with having the first baby of the New Year!

Oh and our friend that makes handmade wooden signs as a hobby allowed us to have one of his treasures. Our new rustice "Welcome" sign seemed to be the perfect touch for our mountain get-away! Thanks Heather and Wes!

Montreat Cavalier Men's Soccer Team Update

2010-09-09T23:42:00.002-04:00

The Cavaliers are off to a booming start! The season began a few weeks ago and the team is proving to be very talented. Their current record is 3-1. Though the team lost to Trevecca Nazarene, they out shot Trevecca 22-10. Their most recent victories came over this past weekend at a tournament held here in North Carolina. The Montreat Cavaliers beat Oklahoma Baptist University 1-0 and St. Francis (Illinois) 4-1, all four goals in the St. Francis game scored by freshmen. The skill shown at the tournament allowed two of the guys to earn "Player of the Week" in conference and currently ranked the team 2nd in conference.

With all their Conference games and the larger part of the season ahead, it has at least been an encouraging start. Regardless what happens, the boys' talent has been commented on by many; coaches, referees and fans. The Montreat Cavaliers have a good deal to be proud of though there is a lot of hard work and competition ahead. They have, at the least, made a real big fan of the coach's wife! And please be in prayer for one of their starting defensive players who just broke his ankle (during the OBU game), a tough break as this is his first year and for the fact that he is from Latin America, a good ways from home. Thankfully, the boys have rallied around him to build a community of support here in North Carolina. Keep watch, their next game is this coming Saturday.

Pregnancy Peculiarities

2010-08-16T21:04:00.000-04:00

I know I'm a first timer, but really?! One would expect certain things to happen to their body when they are pregnant, but there are others that seem a mystery to me. Some of them I won't share for the sake common courtesy, but a few of my peculiar favorites are listed below.

1) Leg cramps (Why does a potassium deficiency affect you only when your pregnant?)

2) Eating sooths nausea

3) Feeling claustrophobic during church or in big crowds of people

4) Having trouble breathing during Sunday worship

5) Starting a walk and having a sudden urge to use the restroom (Before the halfway mark is even in sight!)

6) Lower back pains before the belly has really grown

It's a Girl!!!

2010-08-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

We are thrilled! I think this is the most exciting part of the journey so far, to know something about our baby or should I say our daughter! It is amazing how much can be known and seen with technology. I took some advice given me and had caffeine about an hour before our appointment so the baby would be active for some good views, and boy was she! I loved seeing her little hands, fingers and feet, by far the most precious. The definition in other areas was not so clear to me, not being an ultrasound technician, but who doesn't recognize little fingers. And her profile was also very defined. You could clearly see her nose and mouth; how unreal that at five months the little one is so intricately created!

Brenton says he had a hunch all along; I knew nothing. It was fun to be surprised with no expectations.

Amazingly, the technician could tell the baby was about six days smaller than originally believed. The little one is healthy and the due date was not changed. They said they were just going to watch her growth over the next few months, as would be expected. And as I know nothing about the process, they mentioned if the baby had been 10 days behind or more, then they would have been concerned. Thank goodness we weren't the extra four days lacking. I'm hoping she'll be a small little thing, especially come time for delivery!

Heavenly Shoes

2010-08-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

This past week my Pappaw on my Mother's side went to meet our Heavenly Father. The previous weekend, before he moved out of consciousness, he told someone he was ready for his "heavenly shoes". It seems he knew his time was near and was ready to meet the Maker.

While it is sad to have him leave, I was amazed to hear so many people say they had never met a more godly man. Each of the three pastors that spoke at the funeral said just that as they choked on unshed tears. One saluted a fellow soldier for the last time as he concluded his portion of the funeral. His, was a life well lived.

Ironically, as I went to bed Friday night after the funeral, I imagined Pappaw, Howard & Benji (the students who passed at the colleges we've worked at) sitting together and joyfully chatting in heaven. I know there is no other place those men would rather be than with our Savior. And how can I be sad on that note.

Thankfully, just before Pappaw past, we were able to spend time with him at the farm. We drove Pappaw up on his trekker and he watched as we took family pictures, one of which can be seen above. Little did we know about two and a half weeks later, we'd learn of his passing. We are so thankful for the godly heritage on both sides of our family!

Family vacation at the beach was also a much needed rest. I think I'm still feeling a little lethargic from all the rest I took in that week! Unfortunately, all the pictures are on my sister's camera. The ones you see, I've taken off her Facebook page! Thanks Jen.

No More Food!

2010-07-23T21:09:00.001-04:00

I never thought the day would come when I would ever say this, but I am tired of food. Previously, before becoming pregnant, my daily excitements were meals and sleep, very exciting... and they were to me! So what has changed? To keep my nausea at bay and stay off the medicine, I have had to eat obscene amounts. Brenton brags to his friends about the fact that I can out eat him. And if your are wondering, sadly this is true. I do not think I would have believed it had I been told, until I got to this point! I guess I should be embarrassed but, in reality, I am just thankful to not be throwing up as regularly. Even with my new diet, I would say I have one or two uncontrollable moments per week. Not bad with the previous ratio, and considering the fact that I am not taking medicine for the most part. And while Zofran is what made life doable early on, it is nice to not have to deal with the side effects from the pill either.

Really, I should be and am grateful to not be throwing up through out the day. I feel great for the most part and have gotten to where walking/physical activity, in doses, does not bother me. We have made some big strides, all except for the lovely new diet!

My current prayer... "Dear Lord, help me be able to walk so that my eating habits won't take my weight out of control. Oh, and if you could make the nausea go away, that'd be nice too." Not superficial one bit, eh?! (*Wink*)

Last update, my pregnant belly is showing now. Were I to wear a more fitted shirt, it would be obvious I had not just gained a little weight at 17 weeks (this weekend). Thankfully, the current trend it baggy, not fitted, and comfortable. Shirts can be very deceiving and I love it! We are three weeks away from the gender appointment. We are excited to find out!

Guess What?!

2010-07-04T16:33:00.000-04:00

So I said we had lots to say and boy do we ever! This past winter in February, I went to the doctor for a check up as Brenton and I thought we were pregnant. We'd held off on Valentines as we were going to send belated Valentines saying we were going to have a baby... and our story changed. The first ultrasound showed there was no baby but there was an abnormal growth, what the doctor thought could be a mole... and would mean we had a molar pregnancy. I was taken in for a D&C quickly as they wanted to look at the make up of the growth. Thankfully, it was only a miscarriage.

I don't say that to be heartless, but the doctor had braced us for having to monitor my body for a year to make sure there were no other moles or regrowths. The doctor left out the part that the growths can be cancerous, but if curiosity gets you like it does me, it is "Google" time when you get home for the appointment. I will say that possibilities of the next year weighed heavily on me the two weeks we waited on surgery and the lab report. I was in a drug store when they called to tell me it was "just a miscarriage." It was almost as if the miscarriage part had been forgotten as it was jumbled with all the other news. I don't know that I really grieved the miscarriage as I was only eight weeks along, I think it would have been hard had we shared with everyone prior to the news. I will say it felt like life had been handed over to me again once we found out I was cleared. It was a huge burden released.

I don't share this to make everyone hurt or grieve for us, it is more of an update to further fill you in on our current news. Brenton and I are expecting! We will have the little one at the end of December or early January. Not sure it is true, but I hear 90% of babies are not born on their due date so we are thinking in more broad terms. Brenton's praying for a December baby for tax purposes and I'm hoping for a New Years baby, only because how cool would that be?! I'm just into the second trimester and the nausea has calmed down a good deal. It's still lingering but much more doable. My current trend has been a date with the toilet on Friday nights. Poor Brenton, our dates have been much less adventurous lately. However that is a blessing, as it is much less frequent than when the toilet dates started! In short, we wanted to fill everyone in on the details of our lives and that we are very excited! Oh and we just heard the heart beat for the first time this past week. The baby is a mover... guess we have another little soccer player on our hands!

The Chore... Not Family, Rather Discipline

2010-06-26T12:02:00.001-04:00

I never thought writing a blog would be such a chore, but like anything else, you get out of the habit and it takes discipline to get back into it. Don't honestly know why, but for the possible fact that I don't know what to say anymore and yet we have lots to say on behalf of the Benwares... ironic, an emphatic, "YES!"

The latest on our adventures was our trek out west to visit the Benware crew and a drop by Oklahoma for a day. One of the things we miss most about Oklahoma are all the wonderful friends and the history we had together. Oh we have met many wonderful people in the Blue Ridge Moutains but good ole friends, one just can't get enough! As always, it's hard not being able to see everyone as this is a prominent time for summer vacations... go figure. Everyone's schedules are hit and miss, like the ever constant game of cell phone tag in today's society.

And for Texas, boy had it been a while! It can best be summed up best by one of Brenton's blood-related nephews that looked at his mama the first night we arrived and said, "Mom, who's that boy with Aunt Kelly?" However, I must say that I felt special I was remembered! It is truly amazing how much we miss out on watching all 10 Benware nephews and neices grow up while we are out of state. We can't believe that they have changed so much and then they have to get use to us all over again. Guess it is just that constant story of... LIFE. Yet it is always a joy to go see family and catch up on lost time. Just leaves us something to look forward to the next time we all get together!

Jaeger Crew from New Mexico

Ford Crew from Texas

I guess I'll save the rest for next time... otherwise I really won't have anything to write about! You'll just have to wait and see!!

Montreat Cavaliers Men's Soccer Team 2009-2010

2010-05-04T23:40:00.001-04:00

Athletic Banquet

This years athletic banquet went three and a half hours... some how I always forget how long these occasions are! The guys' soccer team picture is above, minus Howard who passed and Shaka who is now playing professional soccer in Puerto Rico. We are so proud of all these guys!

Oh, and last weekend... Brenton saw his first wild black bear. We had some friends over to our house Saturday evening that hopped out of their car and said there was a mama bear and her cubs just down our drive. We headed down and apparently, the guys caught the mama with a rabbit (one Brenton and I had previously named, "Buddy") before heading into the woods. By the time us girls got down the drive, the mama came back out and crossed the road behinds us to her little cubs. They were beautiful, but I am more than thankful I was in a car! And funny enough the guys got out of their cars... who does that?!

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You...

2010-04-25T22:05:00.005-04:00

... Happy Birthday dear family, Happy Birthday to you!!!

Today is Brenton's birthday for a few more hours yet, and in addition to his birthday is that of all Lexi's pups. It has been our joke, for some time, that Brenton had to share his birthday with our youngest pup, Bentley, as he has slowly grow into himself. He's becoming a sweet little critter but it has taken some time to get him to where he is... Hence the idea to make a cake of Bentley for Brenton's birthday.

Ironically, B had a text from one of the couples who bought a pup asking if they could stop by. So, we were able to see the smallest of Lexi's litter today, who is now bigger than his brother Bentley. These critters terrorized our newly planted yard while we ate birthday sweets, as the couple had also brought Brenton birthday surprises. (Side Note: You can tell how quickly Spring has come as the trees are almost full compared to the bare trees in previous pictures.)

Another ironic twist is the Josh Mc Dowell was in town speaking at The Cove this weekend. One of my Cove supervisors was unable to take McDowell's crew to the airport, so I offered my husband as he had previously worked for McDowell... It was an early morning, which many of you know we are not morning people, but B enjoyed catching up with a few past connections and christian mentors.

On top of this craziness, Obama was in town this weekend. Today he was having lunch with Billy Graham and heading out of town, so we had security and cops swarming the freeways and freeway ramps.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband whom I love more than I did when we married. I treasure our friendship and marriage, knowing I always have my best friend at my side. He has been a wonderful friend, husband, provider, and support; as he always takes care of me first, wanting to make sure I am able to acheive my dreams and have purpose.

Our LOVELY Lives

2010-04-04T00:29:00.001-04:00

HAPPY EASTER from the Benwares!

(Brenton, Kelly, Lexi, & Bentley)

Here is my best job at a panoramic view of our land...

And all the work Brenton has done. We have added all the accent plants and shrubs. The rest, Brenton has cleared out, especially the far patch in the very last picture (previously wooded and covered with wild brush and berry patches... no worries we have saved a number of raspberry and blackberry bushes for you visitors). And again, Brenton has bordered the whole property with stone...

Property Updates

2010-04-01T23:50:00.001-04:00

We have been busy little beavers bustling around our property the past few weeks. With Spring here and warm weather, we are taking advantage of the prime time to upgrade the yard. We are loving our view for the time being, as the trees are starting to bud and soon to close in. The view is amazing and pictures do not do justice; we will have a hard time saying goodbye to the city lights for a season!

However, we really are looking foward to the yard improvements and the reason we fell in love with the home... Being up in the woods and completely surrounded by "green". We have spread grass seed in the far left lot surrounded by stones (picture above)... just waiting for the little blades to sprout out. I was so excited today when I saw a few sprouts, but B assured me they were only weeds. No good and a bit disappointing! In the mean time, it has been satisfying to see bits of progress. Brenton had to clear brush out of the whole area and surrounded the property with stone, both of which we still have an abundance.

As you can tell, our road has been paved! It has been just over a week and we are loving it. We both have said we LOVE our home ten times more with the improvement of our road. Ah, and the first picture was of the awkward space we finally made use of by pulling our table upstairs... You may be wondering, "Why the down low on the Benwares home?" This is more for those who saw it before and we are just obsessed with our home, because... We simply love it!

Charlie Bit Me

2010-03-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Honey!

2010-03-18T22:49:00.005-04:00

A word to my wonderful husband...

Just wanted you to know how proud I am to be your wife. I could not have asked for a better husband; you are a godly man of integrity and purpose. I greatly respect you and your desire to honor the Lord in all you do.

And a big CONGRATULATIONS on finishing your last masters class!!! You are done!

Everyday Updates

2010-03-13T13:49:00.009-05:00

What is it that you wake up to in the morning? Generally, we wake up a little lazy in our dorm apartment, let out dogs jump up on our "craiglist" bed, and smother them with attention for a few minutes before we are both off for the day. We usually come home to the pups ready to play and Bentley pulling Lexi across the floor by her collar. Never gets old!

After this strange and never-ending winter, our neighbors came to us requesting that we pave our road. This was an answer to our prayers as we were the only ones wanting to do so originally. And now that Spring is on its way, our paved road should be coming within the next month! No more mud... except for our back driveway. It is a huge step forward!

What is more exciting, Brenton and I will be able to enjoy the road so soon! We have had a wonderful time with the ladies in our dorm this past year, but we plan to move into our house officially this June. Brenton will still be coaching and I will continue my work at The Cove, we will just be moving on from dorm life. Kind of fun that we can say three out of our four years of marriage have been in a dorm! We have surely had some adventures, long nights, and good times.

Ebay Attempt

2010-03-09T01:20:00.003-05:00

So I ventured out as a seller on ebay tonight. I have not a clue what I am doing and I realized how much I do not enjoy being on the internet extensively. Took care of what I needed to take care of, but there are just way too many details to work through the first time! I pushed through as I thought about how proud my ebay sister-in-law, Claudia, would be. This is for you sis!

McGregor dorm at Montreat College is throwing it's second Clothes Swap later this month. Last semester we had a glorified "clothes" yard sale and sold everything for $1 to help cushion our dorm budget. The girls were a little reserved about the idea until they saw what it was about and how cheaply they could get nice clothes. Thankfully, my wonderful Cove friends are big time GW (Goodwill) shoppers, always looking for name brands and faithfully switching out items they are able to resend to GW. I took a few Goodwill runs off their hands and we had quite the Clothes Swap in our dorm.

I started to clean out my closets this week for round two but then I thought, "Why not try selling some items to a Consignment Shop first?" Then the nicer clothing items came to mind; "Why not ebay?" All the doubts came rushing in... More work, more time, may not even get a bid... but I did it anyways!

After Brenton's response, I am not expecting a bid. I think he helped me realize it was a fun venture but I really do not know what I am doing... but in NO way did he insinuate this. He liked my store prices as I took a few items down to the cent and he found my high starting bids humorous. (His heartfelt laughter was all in good fun and made the whole night worth the time!) However, I really do wonder if I started the bids way too high, but how do you ebayers do it if you do not want to get taken? I did not spend all this time on the computer to next stand in a line at the post office for $5. The question still stands... "What am I doing?" But then, again, I guess it really does not matter since I do not plan to get any bids. Just another chance to explore and another random adventure.

Our Little Ski Town... Or So It Looks

2010-02-26T22:22:00.002-05:00

When the Bosses Are Out

2010-02-10T00:44:00.004-05:00

An email a co-worker sent to me at work... "What my other co-worker and I do when the bosses are out!" A good, needed laugh last week.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

The Gentle Giant

2010-02-04T23:49:00.004-05:00

A shaken community, a life well lived and a future with the Father. For both Howard Fisher and the Montreat community, the last few days have been a glimpse into life with the Father. For Howie, it became a reality as he woke up in heaven early Wednesday morning. For the Montreat community, it is the image of Howard praising the Savior at the throne and a reminder of living eternally while still on earth.

Howard Fisher, the gentle giant from Jamaica, was a stellar goal keeper on the Montreat Cavalier soccer team. His smile would change your day and his light-hearted humor would make you laugh in a heartbeat. Howie was a senior, one semester away from graduation, and being looked at to play soccer professionally. He had a sweet girlfriend that he'd planned to married, also graduating this year.

At Christmas, Howard went home and visited the hospital feeling dizzy and weak. He headed back home for the holiday, but realized he was not getting better. At the end of December, Howie was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare condition. The developed state in which it was discovered, did not leave much chance of survival. The CEO of Duke was working with many to bring Howard to the states for treatment, and the school was raising hundreds of thousands to help make the flight and the bone marrow transplant possible. However, our almighty God had other plans.

Howard's mother would stand at his bedside in Jamaica and tell Howie, "Just trust Him." It is our almighty God, still just as powerful as He was Wednesday morning, calling Howard home. And there was no better testimony to this fact than the testimony of his own family, accepting the will of the Lord and His hand at work.

Howie's example, hard-work and love for the Lord will always be remembered. It was a life well lived and is a testimony continued, even after Howard's life here on earth. The memorial service today was truly evangelistic and worshipful, it spoke forth what Howard was all about. One of his favorite worship songs speaks forth his heart's desire.

How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied
Within Your presence
I see beneath
The shadow of
Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells

His soul will no longer faint or long for Him. Howie now understands this reality better than us, as He has truly seen the Father and is dwelling in His presence at this very moment, no doubt smiling. Never has he, nor have we experienced such inexpressible joy. He asked and sought, and has now seen "The place where His glory dwells."

Cold Weather & Bare Trees

2010-01-31T18:26:00.006-05:00

Winter, seemingly endless with it's cold weather and bare trees. And so it was that we had another big snowfall this past weekend. We had 10 inches of snow between 3pm and 12am Friday night. Steady sheets of snowflakes fell consistently. Walking from the car inside, my head and coat were covered in plump white flakes.

Brenton had to leave for the airport shortly after 4pm, with a good inch of snow already on the ground and during our "Winter Storm Warning". At 6pm he called saying he was leaving the airport. What is normally a 45 minute drive was taking a bit longer with the snow showers. An hour and a half later he called to say he'd sat on Interstate 26 without moving. At 11:00pm I jumped off the couch when I heard the dog bell jingle as Brenton opened the door. Ironically, the gentleman Brenton dropped off at the airport made it to Chicago, on a re-routed flight, before Brenton made it back to the college.

Sure enough the snow came down good and hard. I missed the good pics though, quite a bit thawed out today with the warmer weather. Guess that means there is still work on Monday! But at least there is also 24 to look forward to Monday night!

Lexi (left) & Bentley (right)

Hmmm...

2010-01-23T14:26:00.002-05:00

What to blog about... I'm headed to a jewelry party at my friend's house in a few. Brenton's currently working on his last class for his masters, while emailing soccer recruits and watching "Walk the Line". School is back in session... we've already had a mandatory hall meeting, a fire drill and my Resident Assistants have helped me plan our activities for the semesters.

I baked a cake for one of my supervisors at The Cove, it was her birthday on Friday. Chocolate cake, with a chocolate creme center and coconut cream whipped topping... a light tasty treat. Was a nice boost in between two three-hour meetings.

Running off to get ready and take a few of the college girls to the party this rainy Saturday afternoon.

A Little Bit Of...

2010-01-13T21:21:00.010-05:00

Random. What better describes this word than our weekend in Jamaica! Even the beginnings of the trip were a little sporadic. In mid-December Brenton had a contact touch base about a tournament in Jamaica. We decided to sign up just before Christmas. We left early this past Thursday morning, with a full day of travel, to find ourselves waiting for a few other coaches. Our taxi took us on the scenic route through the mountain, one to make your stomach churn for sure. The few hour ride to Jakes Place, with our new friends, was good prep time for the next adventure.

When we arrived, the place could not find our reservation. Shortly after a little follow up, they showed both of us couples to a little cottage we were to share... two bedrooms, one bath, with a little living room and kitchen to share. The other couple was kind to give us the bed with a mosquito net since the little booger swarm me and leave me itching with welts for days. And luckily, our room opened up to the patio and ocean. A serene, restful environment for sure. Brenton and I both agreed our bodies went limp from overcast breezes, resting from the point we woke up, and listening to the waves lap over the rocks again and again. Peaceful.

The sandy spot near the pool dropped off into a run-down coral reef, with strong under-tows. We never swam but walked around a few of the long dried out reefs once the tides came in. We didn't go far out of Jake's Place as it was communicated by our local contact that we should not venture out and about. There was one sunny day, the day of the tournament.

Brenton had a long day at the soccer tournament where over 300 individuals, both men and women, were entered. Two of his Jamaican players met up with him at the tournament, one whose father introduced him to the previous coach of Jamaica's national team. Brenton also gleaned a lot from the coach we stayed with, who has coached over forty years at a Division I college.

We left on Monday, fifty minutes later than expected. Luckily we made it to the airport an hour and a half prior to our flight. Lunch was a luxury for our beating hearts.

Wintry Views from Our Treehouse Cottage

2010-01-06T19:00:00.001-05:00

(Although, views since much of the snow has left.)

4-Wheel Drive Only, Please.

2010-01-02T14:02:00.004-05:00

So the very smart technological side of me did not copy my NC snow photos onto my computer file before deleting them off our camera. Sorry but no picture updates with this blog. In fact, I've become completely lazy with pictures. It's probably the fact that I'm not a photographer and do not know how to take great pictures like my brother-in-law Jer. All my photos start to look the same, even the unique angled shots are all alike. So sad, but light is being shed on my non-giftings at the moment!

That and we are lacking internet again at this phase in life, which leads to the lack of consistent blogging. Some day... altogether though, we're doing well. We missed the big snow storm that I've heard would rival the Asheville storm in the early 90's. So thankful we don't have them often, but Brenton and I thought it would have been fun to get snowed into our home for a few days. It's still been a trek getting up and down our slippery, bumpy and muddy drive.

Actually, it was just earlier this week that I was trying to get up the grooves, which were still partly icy and embraced by lanes of snow. Brenton had headed out of town and told me to keep momentum so I would not get stuck or have to back down the mountain on patches of ice. Perfectly enough, my neighbor and baby were also in the car. I got half way up and stalled for a van that had tried to go up our icy drive in 2-wheel drive, but slid backwards down the hill a ways, half in a culvert and halfway on the road. Inconvenient, yes. My neighbor and I looked at each other and said, "What in the world was he thinking!" The poor guy was shaken up, but thankfully no damage was done. My neighbor walked up the hill with her baby and my wonderful friends at The Cove sent a husband of a fellow co-worker to get both of our vehicles taken care of. I was probably a chicken, but did not want to be the lucky individual to wreck one of our vehicles. I left with a guilt trip for not being too friendly to the flustered gentleman who asked what house I lived in... Poor guy, just not his day. I avoided his conversations knowing his work would bring him up our hill on a somewhat regular basis, and the fact that my husband was gone.

Thankfully Brenton made it home and we have not been stuck yet. Today is in the twenties but feels like four degrees and I can surely vouch for the bitter Michigan chill outside. We had wonderful holidays over the past few months. Due to my lack of blogging... we had Thanksgiving with Brenton's immediate family and extended family from his mother's side. We met up at his grandparent's farm in Kansas with over 80 relatives, and still missing some. This Christmas we spent up north visiting my side of the family and a number of Brenton's connections; friends, a recruit, a previous supervisor and had a wonderful end to 2009.

Life Changes... Or Well Ironically Funny

2009-12-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

So I’ve noticed a trend the older I (Kelly) get, and I know many of you reading this blog would say that I’m not even “old”. It hit me this year as I looked back at the many changes in life and my preferences that went alongside those life changes.
What were those life changes? Well… in going back to college, when I first became an adult, I started to LOVE the channel TLC. You know, “What NOT to Wear”, “A Wedding Story”; I was not so much into the “Baby Stories” though I will say children are precious. Yes, I dreamed of meeting the right man… handsome, smart, a leader, a Christian… then I met Brenton. I had to do a little rearranging of that list for the guy… JUST KIDDING! He was that man and more. I am blessed.

Brenton and I got married 9 months after meeting and one of our hobbies soon became cruising for homes… and as follow up, we bought our first this year! I quickly found I was now bored with TCL and began watching the channel HGTV; one I thought was deathly dull before I was married. Now the exciting shows were “First Time How Buyers”, “House Flips”, (I’ve probably butchered these names, but you get the idea!) and all the other “home” shows. We planned out our dream home, took flyer after flyer, and still thought our first home was a ways away from happening. Then we found our dream home. Ritually, we visited it every weekend after breakfast in our pajamas… never even dreaming it could be ours, especially after accepting the Resident Director job at Montreat. Yet, low and behold, we got our DREAM home!

So the reality of this email “really” hit me this past month. Last year Brenton had the drive, this year I do… and by drive I mean a twenty minute trip to work. It’s not bad. We’ll I started this never ending game of channel surfing this year as I got bored with our Asheville stations. You know those days, weeks, months, where nothing seems to hit the spot. This was one of those months. So I succumbed to a talk show one afternoon and found it fascinating… it was on the “Japanese mafia”, for lack of remembering specific names and titles. Slowly I found myself channel surfing for this one channel.

At Thanksgiving I was talking with a relative and we were discussing how much storage in America is growing. About how we find ourselves with more and more; with smaller families, larger homes, and yet the amount of storage in the states is growing tremendously. It was an eye-opening statistic. I said to this individual, “I wonder where I heard that.” He said, “Could it be NPR news, I remember hearing it too.”

So now, I can openly admit that I really enjoy something I loathed growing up. I hated radio talk shows, thinking they were so boring. Now I find I’m more aware of what is going on in the world… where did this come from?! Their accents are even awesome. I love the personal stories when they have people interviewing on air. And yes, I look for this station when I’m on my way home from work. This is amazing, different, weird; I don’t know what you call it other than a life change and ironically funny.

Benware Visit

2009-11-30T22:50:00.004-05:00

(A Little Delayed!)

One benefit to living in the mountains, a little further from civilization... well, really family... is the amount of visitors we have received! We love it; not the being far away from our love ones but the amount of guests who've come our way. Recently we had the chance to spend a week with Brenton's parents. They made it in time for two home soccer games, both rainy and viewed from inside the car. Good for bonding time, that is except for when the ball came too near our net.

Unfortunately, their visit was at the end of August before my work schedule slowed down, so I missed out on some of the fun. The beautiful courtard of flowers is from their visit to the Biltmore home. Transition time at the Biltmore home; from flowers to garland.

The pups always love visits from the Benwares who give them good lovin'. Lexi has always perked up a little when Daddy "B" is around. The two both fought for attention most the time; loving every bit of their play dates and walks.

So This Is Christmas...

2009-11-22T22:19:00.007-05:00

I would make a slight argument that it is "that time of year"! Christmas music in on a number of stations in the Great Smokeys... and by the way, on my way to work this past Friday, I was listening to a Christmas classic when I saw Christmas right infront of me! There was a huge truck loaded down with Christmas trees. Can it get any better? Let me answer that for you; "NO"!!!

Brenton and I had our first free day in weeks this past Saturday. We slept in, had a free meal in the cafeteria, went to Biltmore, and got our Christmas tree. Biltmore has all its Christmas decor up and the most massive lit tree I have ever seen. Brenton and I did a speedy tour of the inside, bypassing all the guests with headphones.

I can almost guarantee we were the first to get our tree from the tree lot on Tunnel Road this season. The poor family camping out while selling trees; they were bundled up as Asheville's temperatures have been dropping. We decided to make a "classy" tree this year, to match our main floor decor. Got my tree topper idea from some artificial flowers I had sitting around and from my in-laws (mother and sisters) tree toppers.

After hopping back in the car from a movie that was sold out; we decided to stop by Duncan Doughnuts which just happened to be closing... SCORE!!! We asked for a few doughnuts and walked out with a dozen and a half, plus a bag of doughnut holes for $2.69. My advise; go to your neighboring doughnut shop right before closing. You might find that they're extra generous at night. Brenton, just about, took a bite of every doughnut before our next stop.

Sunday Sunset

2009-11-16T20:42:00.003-05:00

Enjoying our place when we get a chance and loving the views. Thinking this is our favorite time of year with the scenic view of mountains and city lights. We're ready to throw on our tennies and run down the hillside; though I'm pretty sure that'd only cause us to tumble down and return uphill with bumps on our noggins.

We sat on our little bench and watched the sunset, with chicken grilling and the pups a runnin'. And I mean a runnin'! The pups came back to our apartment, out cold, and were unnervingly still.

The Montreat Cavaliers' Soccer team finished second in tournament... and as I read in an email to the college, "with a heart-breaking loss to Bryan College, 2-1 in overtime." Our boys were playing worn out in the last game; a broken big toe, an open sliced cheek, inner bleeding leg, and aching bodies. Both colleges played tough, though worn. And the record I count, once most the starters were allowed to play, 7-3-1 was the record for the second half of the men's soccer season. The Cavaliers put up a good fight this year.

Puppy Update...

2009-11-10T22:13:00.005-05:00

So I think I experienced, in a very small way, what it is like to be a mother this week. I was the proudest, cheekiest employee at The Cove, when I came across an email from Red's owners. I couldn't focus; I was so excited to see MY babies... though they are not and were never really mine! I found some pictures of our little Runtie too; who I think now is much bigger than Bentley. Truly Amazing!

Thinking back, Runtie was a definite amount smaller than any of the other pups, with Bentley following right behind. Our boy is long, lanky and just under seven months. These pictures of the other pups are a little out of date and they still look so much bigger and more filled out! And, if you didn't notice, Runtie still has his gorgeous blue eyes and is now named Boone.

Both pups are in capable hands and with such good families; both owners young couples and so sweet. Red's name is now Bailey, that makes three Baileys out of the bunch... one yellow, one chocolate, and one black lab. Kinda fun, eh?!

A New Morning

2009-11-07T22:50:00.003-05:00

Pictures here in the mountains never do justice to the majestic scenery. Or maybe it is quality of our camera; what a thought! But in all seriousness; I cannot grasp how large and high the mountain tops are, how brilliant the colors, how peaceful the days, or how rejunvenating the chilly mountain air. Montreat is an exhilarting place to live; so high up and so gorgeous every morning. Just like the verse...

"Let morning bring word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8

And so it is, each morning a new start... so full of hope. The Montreat Cavaliers have finished their season and won the first game in Conference Tournament. After such a year, it would be a blessing for B and the boys to take tournament to a whole new level! We'll soon see the outcome... Life has been good but, yet again, busy. I've probably mentioned before, but my new timeline is Thanksgiving. Life will slow down immensely in a few weeks! The fall leaves have come and gone, though not as brilliant this year. McGregor Hall has had an IHOC(International House of Coffee and Tea), Punkin' Party, Clothes Swap, Chick Flick Marathon, and is now moving on to holiday festivities. The Cove's seminar season is coming to an end with Anne Graham Lotz, Kay Arthur and her son; then moving into Christmas at The Cove with the original Billy Graham crew (Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea).

The pups are adjusting well to dorm life and Bentley is now getting time out of his kennel... the pup is growin' up! We are doing well and looking forward to some holidays!!!

Updates should be a little more regular as time is more available... sorry we've been out-of-pocket. Yet, I know you understand!

Fralic Visit

2009-10-12T20:57:00.001-04:00

One of Brenton's sweet sisters and family came to visit us a little over a week ago. Tons of fun!!! We played at the playground, watched movies, played games, grilled out, jacuzzied, ate at a hip pizza joint, the crew drove around NC while I worked, and we watched one of the Montreat Cavalier games from the sidelines. The Cavaliers have won the last three games in a row, including the one the fam and I watched. They're back! The boys are talented and it has been fun to see most all of them on the field again.

The Fralics were a wonderful vacation at our own home. It was nice to pull away from the norm and have such cool visitors. The kiddos were great and so grown up since the last time we saw them. Eden had a light-hearted, pleasant persona always go with the flow. Judah was a little rascal who had a sweet, flirtatious smile. If it's like the stories I've heard, he's a lot like B was as a kiddo.

Livers and Jer were just great company, wonderful siblings we wouldn't trade for anything... that is unless someone wants to pay us a million bucks to say otherwise. Love you guys!!!

The Lil' Willow (Part II)

2009-10-10T20:22:00.003-04:00

As the storm raged on, Lil’ Willow noticed a small round critter moving in the distance. As it scurried closer, he saw it was a young lone ground hog. Willow greeted his friend with the wave of a branches and invited him under his cover. Baby ground hog’s eyes grew wide and he wobbled faster. In no time, baby ground hog had curled up in a tight ball, right against Lil’ Willow’s trunk. He chattered about all the water in his underground world and finding himself above ground, hoping no large birds would spot his movement to cover. “The wa-wa-water was so c-cold and I didn’t know what to do,” Baby ground hog shuttered.

Lil’ Willow comforted baby ground hog by drawing his branches closer and closer, providing full cover from any unwanted attention. And suddenly, out of no where, a familiar squirrel started squeaking into the drip, drop, drip, drop of the storm. “I found myself in these hills and all of a sudden the rain came. I was so frightened until I remembered you let me run up and down your trunk and branches a few days ago Lil’ Willow. Would you mind if I joined you; just one more day, please?!”

And the high-pitched squirrel quieted down upon the rustle of Li’ Willow’s leaves, finding a cozy crevice where the branches met Willow’s trunk. She twirled in a few circles to make her bed just right, waggling her puffy tail and fondly nuzzling Lil’ Willow’s trunk. She squeaked out a muffled, “Owe you” as her eyes slid shut.

And then, for a brief moment, a ray of hope shone through the clouds and Willow’s leaves sprung up with delight, whistling, “Hello” to the great Light. The wind picked up Lil’ Willow’s longest branch in one swift motion and Lil’ Willow waved a jubilant greeting to his greatly missed friend. Ironically, Lil’ Willow realized he had not been so lonely after all. In such a gloomy situation, he’d made four new friends; all still comforted by his presence.

“Greetings,” the loud bass of the great Light rumbled.

Lil’ Willow’s young voice replied, “I missed you Great Light! More than you will know.”

The Great Light delayed in reply as He tenderly said, “Son, I missed you too. You have no idea how much it means to me that you noticed our distance. I was lonely for you.”

Puzzled Lil’ Willow whispered to himself, “Why would the Great Light be lonely too; He is always warm, bright and He can see all things.”

The great Light heard Lil’ Willow and responded, “Lil’ Willow, why would I not be any more lonely than you; you are just a beautiful as all the other great things I see. I do not like to be separated by any of you lovely visions, as my soul longs for you. And what good is my light if is kept from those who need it most? My desire is for all of you to know and experience my joy!”

The Lil' Willow (Part I)

2009-10-06T22:31:00.004-04:00

(A short story)

by: Kelly Benware

Unassuming and with great effort, the Lil’ Willow broke ground. An earthy smell greeted the Lil’ Willow as the dirt crumbled around all him. Stretching for the first time ever, Lil’ Willow pushed his branches forth, yet could not keep the feeble branches held high for long. He then wiggled his tiny branches and sprouts as a breeze wafted by. Free, refreshing … life bursting forth and, “My is that big Light bright,” he thought.

The Light came and went for the first time; Lil’ Willow learned pretty quick the pattern of the great Light. Joy sang forth as exuberant colors exploded in the sky and the Light kept Lil’ Willow warm during the day. When the Light went down, the wind picked up blowing Willow’s branches back and forth, back and forth. The swaying motion lulled Lil’ Willow to sleep. The wind sent chills down his trunk many nights, all the while Lil’ Willow anticipating the Light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow was a lone tree on one of many grassy rolling hills. The grassy hills continued as far as Lil’ Willow could see. There were the occasional birds and squirrels that enjoyed the company of Willow’s branches and shade, but really all Willow knew was the company of the Light. Not knowing any different about being alone, Lil’ Willow only knew true loneliness when the clouds crowded in and pushed out his only consistent friend.

As Lil’ Willow woke one morning, his leaves whistled a mighty yawn and shook out the heavy sleep that hung over. The Light had not come out again, as it had not for many days in a row now. Today a cold rain started to drip, drip, drip, drip, patter, patter, patter… and then it poured. Willow’s branches hung low from the weight of the rain drops. Drip, drop, drip, drop… Weariness started to settle over Lil’ Willow. “Why, must the clouds stay,” desperately whispered Lil’ Willow.

Lil’ Willow had begun to crave the Light since he had tasted it and knew it was good. Two sparrows perched on a branch and nestled close together near Lil’ Willow’s trunk. They too seemed too long for the warmth and freedom of the sun. Lil’ Willow heard the cries of the sparrows shivering together. He tried to help get them toasty warm by rustling his leave tightly around them. The sparrows chippered up and sang, “Thank you, thank you, thank you our new friend.”

To be Continued...

A "Bandmember" of Mandisa

2009-09-27T23:09:00.004-04:00

Life is crazy and I am wondering how we have come to such a busy point. There are times when working a little more is needed and good, but, as a whole, the rushing part is not enjoyable. I have found that my impatience and preoccupied state are a result of hurrying from one job to the next. I don't believe stressed is the word, but I do know about rushing. Thankfully it is only for a time; come Thanksgiving, it will be a whole new world!

The last Evening at The Cove I worked was Mandisa, from the fifth season of American Idol. Her concert was good, but her testimony was truly moving. However, what has gone with me was my interaction with another special guest. He and his son were at registration and stood out, as they were not acting like normal participants. When a volunteer asked him about his nametag, he responded, "Do I need a nametag?"

In reply, I asked, "Are you a band member of Mandisa?" To me, this made a ton of sense, who else could he have been with?

His response was, "No."

"What is your last name," I asked.

"Baucham."

"That sounds familiar; have you attended a seminar recently?"

Slight delay in repsonding, "Not for a few months." Then I saw his son coming back from around the building holding green namebadges, which signify special guests. One of The Cove administrators then escorted the speaker for our seminar the following day inside, a speaker who'd spoken at The Cove a number of times. I shrunk in my chair as I realized I had asked Voddie Baucham if he was one of Mandisa's band members and then continued to insert foot in mouth. He was most gracious though I cannot say the same about my co-workers.

I like to attribute my lack of common sense with the fact that Voddie did not look like his picture and that we'd had a number of participants recently by the last name of "Beauchamp", insisting upon a specific pronunciation. However, I know any excuse sounds pitiful at this point!

A Reason to Grow & a Reason to Rest

2009-09-21T12:46:00.006-04:00

"We are always in the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things."
by: Henry Ward

GROWTH

Communicating has become the backburner to life over the last few months. Brenton and I have been in a definite refining period. What we have learned; to persevere, to always hold integrity, that God is our Rock, to pray that the "... joy of the Lord would be our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10b). What we are processing; what is the purpose, is there more to be learned, are we living grace-filled lives as we are being refined, is there something greater going on. Have we been perfect in the journey, no; have we grown and been grace-filled, I believe yes.

What has been encouraging, is to see how past experiences have prepared us for this year and how we have become stronger. Never, the less, it has been a rough few months. It has been beautiful to see the Lord at work in us and refining us. I will have to admit that I never think the process is fun at the time, but there is no better place to be. That may come back as a gentle little kick in the bottom at some point, knowing the Lord uses stretching times to mold us and answers our prayers, often not in the way we expect. Always be prepared; He will answer us in the way He sees best, not as we see best.

To shed a little light, Brenton and his team have dealt with a number of disappointments. For weeks, it was about every other day. The season is under way and hope has come in glimpses. If you are reading this, just pray that the boys would be encouraged and able to finish strong, as their performance is obviously affected by all these outside circumstances. As a proud wife, I must say that my lover has been a man of integrity and has taken on the semester with grace.

REST

Aside from the immediate, our project and release has been working on our new home. It is ready for the most part, just pending a few projects. The only pictures I have are of the main floor as the other rooms still need a few cosmetic touches. Enjoy, as we definitely are.

Bentley's Newest Hiding Place...

2009-08-16T19:46:00.002-04:00

Our little critter is getting big. The two pups have adjusted to dorm life pretty well... Lexi is getting a belly, and NO she is not pregnant. I have no doubts they are missing the yard, but the students love them! They all want to watch the pups and take them on walks, which they desperately need as their pent up energy is about to burst at the seams. Every once in a while we take them out back and they have what we call "Redbull" moments, zipping back and forth like the true maniacs that they are.

The best entertainment was coming home a few days ago. As a side note, we've begun to let Bentley out of the kennel unsupervised. Yep, he is getting full on big boy privileges now. (The worst that's happened is that he got into his food bag and didn't want dinner after stuffing his belly while we were out.) But again, the sweetest surprise was coming home and trying to find the critter. As you've now discovered, I searched around to find him in the tub... when I pulled the shower curtain back, he sat down as good as ever knowing he'd been caught red-handed. He thought I'd pop his nose and send him to the kennel, as goes our current routine, but instead I patted his head and walked away to get the camera. So he moved on over to the faucet, the root cause of his newest play space. The boy loves water as much as peeing. I try to limit his water since he's still learning to hold his bladder and squatting whenever he's punished. I figured a few leaking faucets won't make the problem any worse than it is! He's a handful but turning into a sweet little pup.

Ottawa School of Evangelism

2009-08-06T23:00:00.005-04:00

For the last number of months, I have been working two positions at The Cove. The second position, as mentioned in a previous post, was to hope with the programmatical elements of the Schools of Evangelism (SOE). We headed to Ottawa two weeks ago for an intensive school! Unfortunately, my supervisor found that she had appendicitis the day before the SOE began and was in the hospital for surgery as the school was starting. She is still out on recovery.

The participants seemed to be oblivious the fact that we were a little out of sorts; I only heard positive words. All I can say is that BGEA is very thorough in preparations. A huge ministry to me was the BGEA Canada staff; very impressive. They were very effective in tasks, but mostly ministry driven. True servant hearts.

Between Parliament and the Fairmont

Parliament (Right across the street from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier)

We stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada; I'm told this is where my father's parents had their wedding reception or honeymoon. I also was able to me Bev and Karlene Shea, who knew my father-in-law's parents...wonderful people as Bev recalled. I also recently discovered that my (Kelly's) father's great-grandmother knew Bev Shea, crazy connections!

Fairmont Chateau Laurier

After mornings starting around 6:30am and days ending around 9:30pm; it was interesting to arrive home right in the middle of moving! Brenton may take the prize for beating me with a hectic schedule as he was working on his masters, prep for soccer, moving out of the rental home, and closing on a home (Yes, we bought a home! I'll have to give an update on this in a few weeks...). We are tired; the soccer guys come tomorrow and the RAs have started to come in, as I will also be an RD at Montreat while continuing at The Cove. Pray for stamina and encouragement. B's had some crazy scenarios with students trying to come in and also needing housing; at this point the Lord is going to have to work. Please pray and now, as deadlines for the team are right now!!!

Round Two:

2009-07-24T23:33:00.003-04:00

F~ Family pictures again!!!
A~ Atlantic ocean; what else do you go to the beach for?!
M~ Mini golf
I~ Ice cream and brownies
L~ Little guys; nephews Jaylon & Kylan
Y~ "Yippee! Sleep!"

V~ Vast blue sea; aka "Big Water" by Jaylon
A~ Adventure; watching the guys parasail
C~ Christmas shop; the longest I've ever seen
A~ An air conditioning gone bad
T~ Twizzlers and treats...Mmmm!
I~ It's true; the vacations are now over and prep for the school year begins
O~ Optional... surfing, swimming, laying out
N~ North Myrtle beach with B for a night
S~ Sand and shells

An Afternoon to Forget, Or Not...

2009-07-11T22:53:00.005-04:00

After an eleven hour work day, Friday, I came home to a voicemail that my eldery neighbor had been taken to the hospital. Her daughter had called to let me know that she was having surgery on her heart this coming Monday. The mother and daughter have been so kind to us and made reference about my touching base when I had time.

So I made it my goal for today, after sleeping in, to pick some flowers and put a goodie basket together to run by the hospital. After a number of odds and ins, I drove off to the hospital. To start out on a poor note, my heart was not into going to the hospital mostly since the visit kept getting pushed back later, later, and later.

I pulled off to the side of the road after taking the exit specified to me, realizing I was not in the right spot. When turning into a nearby parking lot, my secured vase toppled over onto my work notebook spilling water all over the floor of the passenger side... the cute flower arrangement, smashed; the notebook, smeared; and the floor, sopping wet. I dialed Brenton's number, "Is 25A, the Sweeten Creek exit, the right exit headed toward Biltmore?"

"That would be the following exit..." So I headed to the following exit and turned between Mac Donald's and the Grand Bohemian hotel, following Sweeten Creek road that led me straight back to the first exit. I called B again, "Could you please mapquest Mission Hospital?"

I hopped back onto the freeway and found Mission without a problem, but the building where my neighbor was; a completely different story. I drove one way and turned around after seeing the emergency helicopters, parking in a structure on the opposite side of the hospital. I went inside where they told me my neighbor was not staying at the hospital. They finally found her and said she was on the other side and to drive passed the helicopter pad. I found the parking structure and notice only one spot on the upper level. I should have realized there was a reason no one was parked there, near the cement wall. I was sure I could fit but rather scraped our nice Honda on the cement wall; the parking spot was obviously too tight. I called B again, sniffling, "I just scratched the front right side of our car..." It was not the whole side but there is a good scratch.

The last thing I wanted to do was visit in the hospital while crying about the car. I dried my face off, and took in the crooked flowers and goodie basket. I didn't stay long, but both of my neighbor's daughters looked at me with teary eyes and said, "This means so much that you came to see mom."

I wondered why the Lord would let me scratch the car, when I was just trying to help my neighbor out. And I prayed that when I woke up it would be a dream, but I think the lesson I'm to remember is what things hold most value in life.

ROAD TRIP!!!

2009-07-05T20:38:00.005-04:00

Road trip to the Benwares and vacation with friends...

F~ Family Pictures... NOT complete without them
A~ All the food you could imagine
M~ Mosquito bites galore
I~ Ice cream after every meal, late night snack runs...
L~ Little flick in theaters with the Benware crew, "UP"
Y~ Yahoo, game nights

V~ Visit's with B's family, grandparents and friends
A~ And NAPS!!!
C~ Cardinal's Game
A~ And a stop in Nashville, TN
T~ Traffic for 2 hours after the Cardinal's game
I~ Inside for the 4th... rain in Nashville
O~ Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains...
N~ Nieces and Nephews

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2009-06-25T23:55:00.004-04:00

Our little Lexi has become a good mother... and Bentley, plain and simple, is a rascal. If mama goes somewhere, Bentley goes; if mama drinks water, Bentley drinks water... the only thing different is if mama leaves her bed, Bentley takes it! And boy does he curl up ever so cozy thinking he owns the world.

Surprisingly, Lexi has not acted annoyed, rather she gives Bentley her treats and lets him take her bed as seen above. I am truly amazed knowing how much she loves both her bed and "treats".

Bentley is slowly getting used to the smaller bed and not getting his way all the time. I walked in the house yesterday looking for Bentley and heard a rustling noise. I moved around our ottoman and saw a little tail waggling out of the Sunchips bag. My little boy was lickin' his choppers and loving every bit of his sourcream and cheddar Sunchips! He sure did put up a fight when I pulled him out, running right over to my cup of water to finish his evening snack off. Again I say, "The little rascal!"