Guess What?!

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

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

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...

... 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

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

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!