Benson Boys

Coach Blake

2012-01-14T21:01:00.000-06:00

I have mountains of admiration for Blake's dedication to coaching our boys. This is only our second season of basketball, but Braden truly loves it, and Blake does a great job coaching. Just to prove what an amazing community Pittsburg is, the Director of the YMCA, ordered Mason his very own team shirt. You could see how proud he was when Blake took him to the game today. It was team picture day, and Mason even got to pose with the team.

Above: Mason showing me how shiny his teeth are. Below: a few of the "coach poses" Blake strikes during the game!

Happy Birthday, Momma

2012-01-14T20:46:00.002-06:00

Blake and Mason did an excellent job making my Birthday cake on Wednesday night. It was a chocolate chocolate chip bundt cake, and if you've never had it, you haven't lived!

My birthday was perfect! I woke up to a winter wonderland of snow, and never left the house, until it was time to pick Braden up from school. From then on it was domestic bliss.....Mason had gymnastics, Braden had a basketball practice/scrimmage.....and after all that, we had some of the delicious cake, laughed at the singing cards, and opened my perfect gifts.

Mason's card was a huge hit, with blinking lights, and it played "Funky Town"

YMCA Basketball 2012

2012-01-14T19:36:00.000-06:00

Sarah's Graduation

2012-01-12T14:00:00.001-06:00

Chelsea's girls! Chloe 7, Brooke 6, and Amiee 3

Christmas on the Home Front!

2012-01-07T17:01:00.001-06:00

One of the ladies that work at the Chamber got this ornament for us the year Mason was born. It always makes me smile when we hang it on the tree.

Mason showing off his new Thomas rain boots from Granny!

The frame Braden and I made for Blake's marathon!

Mason cooked the cookies for Santa!

Sprinkling the reindeer food outside....

Arkansas Christmas: Round 2 Forrest City

2011-12-18T22:06:00.001-06:00

Arkansas Christmas: Round 1 Mountain Home

2011-12-11T16:38:00.001-06:00

Marathon Update | Second Place!!!!!

2011-12-01T09:26:00.001-06:00

There are a few websites out there with photos from the Marathon. The first two images above, I found by accident, but you can see Blake in the crowd. The next three and several more can be found at the following site: Race pics and look at images 321-340. The official photographer got some great shots of Blake and the boys after the race. I know the watermark logo is a little annoying, but the shots are great!

We didn't stick around to hear the results and Blake was pleasantly surprised to be contacted that he placed second in his age category with an official time of: 3:47:59

Mason's Happy Note

2011-12-01T09:17:00.000-06:00

Blake and I had our first parent/teacher conference for Mason yesterday, and I am pleased to say he is a very bright, perfectly normal, stubborn, mischievous, 3 1/2 year old. It's very interesting because she is the same teacher Braden had, and fortunately she has a oldest child much like Braden and a second son a lot like Mason. She doesn't deny that Mason loves to push the limits, but she said it all with a genuine smile. He is so proud of all of his projects and activities at Preschool, and every morning asks if it's a "Preschool day". He only goes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8:30-11:15, but we hope to start him in the afternoon Preschool program offered where he goes to daycare. We did the same thing with Braden and by the time he turned 5, he seemed more than ready for Kindergarten.

Attached is the letter she had for us, with a few pictures of him in action.

I know it's hard to read, in the picture, but the text on his Happy Note says:
Mason’s Happy Note
This semester we have seen Mason grow and mature. Mason is a very fun and energetic child. We feel that he really enjoys preschool. Mason can usually be found in the science center or in the sensory table. This semester we have seen Mason recognize his name, identify basic shapes and colors, he will sit and listen at meeting and participate in our activities. Mason can tell us about recent experiences and retell stories. He can also string beads, freely paste and glue, and loves to participate in sensory activities. Mason is on track with his social emotional development. He is regular in attendance and separates from parents with ease. He can follow our daily routines and changes activities without difficulty.

Breakfast in the Hills of Arkansas

2011-11-20T20:43:00.001-06:00

My Aunt Ann, Uncle Kenneth and Cousin Blake have perfected the Country Breakfast

The boys still in PJ's modeled their 3D glasses from their movie date with Ann and Becki.

Blake makes a "mean" chocolate gravy

Before the beating.....

My cousin, Becki, knows just how to handle Mason....literally!

The perfect spread even if you didn't run a marathon the day before....but even better if you did!

My plate!

Marathon Man

2011-11-20T20:32:00.001-06:00

Blake finished his first marathon (26 miles) on November 18, 2011, along the banks of the White River located in Cotter, AR. We are soooooo very proud of him! I believe his time was around 3:58, but we will get the official on here, soon! Braden was close to the road ready to give us the "big wave" when he saw him, and he and Mason were able to cross the finish line with him!

Random Snow

2011-11-20T20:26:00.001-06:00

Last Wednesday, the kids were greeted with flurries as school let out! It didn't stick long, but it was beautiful to watch!

Family in Pictures

2011-11-14T14:30:00.001-06:00

We had a quick little photo shoot after church, on Sunday. Once again our sitter, Kortney was kind enough to come over and take a few shots in the front yard! In full disclosure of my Photoshop skills, there were no major face lifts.....ok I removed a few blemishes on me.....and I blurred the background a little...but this is really what we really look like!!!!

Youth Sunday

2011-10-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

Mason had his first public speaking part during church, today. It was Youth Sunday, and all the kids performed and conducted the service.

Pumpkins & Peery's

2011-10-29T20:17:00.001-05:00

Once again we were invited to the Peery's for their wonderful Halloween party! The boys were exicted to wear their costumes. Braden wanted to be a mummy/zombie, and Mason is Batman. As you can see from the pics below, the food was fabulous as was the company! In addition to the hospitality, the kids got to play a few games, do a scavenger hunt, and smash a pinata.

Day Trippin' to visit Nana and Papa

2011-10-17T09:58:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we loaded up and drove to Alma for lunch with Nana and Papa. It was such a beautiful day, we were able to spend a few hours at the local park before heading home. Last week was Bonnie's birthday, so the boys each made her a card, and we did a little shopping for her. Braden was very serious about picking out the perfect wallet, and Mason "helped" pick out a ring.

We even put one of Braden's recent school pictures in the wallet.

Nana pitched to Mason and even let Mason pitch to her, while Blake and Braden tossed a football around with Papa.

Blake was making faces trying to get a nice smile out of Mason, but I think the best smile came from Papa, he couldn't hold it together!

Mason is constantly watching, listening and trying to mimic Braden in everything he does. Lucky for Mason and us, Braden is an excellent role model.

Nothing like a little spit bubble competition.....

Big Brother Shares

2011-10-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

Braden loves sour candy! There are a few kinds, Warheads and Sour Patch. It's hard candy that in about 10 seconds of eating it is so sour you can barely keep it in your mouth. Mason decided he wanted to try it and Braden was MORE THAN HAPPY to share. Having been a victim myself, I knew this was going to be a Kodak moment.

The Great Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

Go Gorillas!

2011-09-26T16:42:00.000-05:00

Soccer is Back!

2011-09-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

Fall soccer has started and Braden had his first make-up game on Wednesday. For the first time, his dad is not his coach. Blake is doing a great job assisting the official coach, who found out two days before the first game that he had the job! Keep in mind all of our sports are coordinated through the YMCA, and any coach, official or unofficial is 100% volunteer!

If it's any indication of how our day went, we made it to the game, but without the team shirt, so I ran home to get it. This is all the same day, but Braden has a costume change half way through the pictures.

Believe it or not, Mason will be starting his athletic career in the spring. Based on the number of stitches he's already had, we might need a few extra prayers!

Braden and his best friend, Will going for the ball!

School is cool!

2011-08-29T21:21:00.001-05:00

http://b3mlb.blogspot.com/

Mason's First Day of Preschool

2011-08-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

Mason was so excited to go to preschool! He was a little nervous as we walked through the gate....he didn't leave Blake's side as he signed in and got his name tag. But as soon as he started playing with the other kids, he waved bye and didn't seem to mind we were leaving.

Watching the other kids sign in.

Bye Daddy!

Blasts from the Past

2011-08-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

[John Lundy, Clay Hurn, Blake, Greg Forrester, Michael Curtis, Justin Thomas]

About a month ago we received a wedding invitation from a KA friend of Blake's. Clay and his bridel lived in Jonesboro, so we were surprised to read on the invitation "at the home of Bert Wright, Fort Smith, AR"

Bert Wright was a mover and shaker in Fort Smith, who had this amazingly landscaped yard and pool area. It was open for swimming, with the unspoken rule you cleaned up before you left. We spent many weekends at this pool before and after Braden, and even hosted Braden's second birthday party there.

Braden's second birthday party - 2006

It was such a pleasure to see so many old friends from Jonesboro, and also get to spend time with Bert. Turns out, Clay was marrying Bert's niece. Bert was raised in East Arkansas, and if you've ever read A Painted House by John Grisham, Bert claims that was his life to a T.

We are also very thankful for our friends Richard and Lexie Harris. They live about 30 minutes away from Fort Smith, in Ozark. Not only were we able to stay with the Harris' but they also kept Braden and Mason while we attended the wedding. It was perfect because both of their boys, Jackson and Ethan are about a year behind Braden and Mason.

Little Gorilla

2011-08-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

It's official, Mason is starting Preschool at the PSU Little Gorillas Preschool on campus! This is the same one Braden went to. Some of you might remember, they also have a one way mirror, for the student teachers and parents to observe through! I was addicted to this when Braden first started. It was mesmerizing to watch him interact with the other kids. He loves to hear the story how one day while I was watching, he picked something up off the floor and my first thought was, "Ah, he is such a helpful boy" then I stood there with my mouth open in shock as he ate whatever it was. Something leftover from snack.......

Mason felt like such a BIG BOY with his new backpack and handsome clothes, to meet his new teachers and see his new classroom. I think it was a big help to have Braden tell him how much fun he had and show him around.

I love that I got this picture of Blake! It couldn't be more out of place.....handsome guy in a suit, sitting on a paint splattered set of stairs, at Preschool! With the bookshelf next to him, he looks like he's about to gather the kiddos around and have story time.......I promise that didn't happen!

I love this picture that Blake got of Braden! Not just the scaffolding in the background, but Braden's shadow as he's jumping off the ladder.

Blake decided to tease Mason and ask if he could please wear his NEW backpack!

As you can see, Mason didn't like this plan!

We have a second grader!

2011-08-19T10:53:00.002-05:00

Last night was Open House at Lakeside, where we took Braden's school supplies got to officially meet his teacher. This was a family affair! Mason started out carrying the tissues with Braden carrying his very heavy back pack. We didn't even get to the corner before Mason was carrying my camera case, I was carrying the back pack and Blake was carrying the tissues.

I asked Braden if he wanted to take some note pads to his teacher, he said "Nah, I don't think so." Blake reminded him what a long year it could be, and how a little gift at Open House might go a long way! So, Braden thought note pads would be a good idea after all.

Braden decided to leave his back pack at school last night, so this morning he didn't have anything to carry. Mason of course had his back pack on, and we walked B-Man to school!

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Go Cardinals!!!!!

2011-08-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, Blake loaded up the car, both boys, two DVD players, their favorite stuffed animals, blankets, books and snacks, and headed East. They drove to "just outside of St. Louis" so they could hit the zoo first thing Friday morning.

Braden apparently got to pet a stingray AND a hammerhead shark.

Mason hasn't quite perfected the perfect "picture" smile yet! He loves to squint his eyes shut.

After the zoo, they met Pop and Nan at the hotel. They attended both the Friday night and Saturday games, swam in the hotel pool and rode the Metro...repeatedly.

While the guys were in St. Louis, I had time to have dinner with friends, catch up on chores at home, and go with our Young Professionals group to Joplin for debris removal. We met the Joplin YP organization and cleaned around the site of the Elk's Lodge near a former residential area.

It amazed me how many photos we found among the debris.

Hello 67 degrees...in LA

2011-08-03T15:50:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, August 3, Blake and I landed in a breezy LA, temperature 67 degrees. I was tagging along for pleasure, but Blake was working. It was a conference and awards ceremony, where he received his CCE designation (Certified Chamber Executive).

The event host was James Cunningham, from the Food Network. He was hilarious and perfect as a host!

The highlight of the night, was a special appearance from the Governor! We were sitting on the front row, so about 15 feet from the stage.

Immediately following the ceremony we had a delicious dinner at the hotel

This is how I spent my time.....I walked around the hotel area on Thursday, and took the bus down to the Santa Monica Pier area on Friday. On Friday night we went down with a group and were able to celebrate our 11th Anniversary with dinner on the pier.

My view while waiting on the bus

This was a shot of the rooftop pool....saltwater pool. If you look closely you can see my breakfast.

The view right outside of our hotel

I had lunch across from FIMD, the Fashion Institute of Merchandising and Design. This is also the home of the West Coast Project Runway.

Lunch was an authentic greek salad and hummus

This was an exhibit on display at FIDM

I popped into Bottega Louie for a delicious chocolate & raspberry tarte.

Wandered up to the Museum of Contemporary Art

Hello 67 degrees...in LA

2011-08-03T15:50:00.001-05:00

Blake and I just landed in breezy Los Angeles! I'm tagging along, he is here on business! Tomorrow night Blake will receive his CCE designation at an awards ceremony, attended by the California Governor....Aahhhnold!

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Hey, Baby!

2011-07-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a baby shower for my lifelong friend, Lissa. We met a few years ago....in kindergarten! I was able to go down to Fayetteville on Friday and spend time with the other "Flippin" girls who were planning the shower with some of Lissa's co-workers.

In addition to the invitation and thank you notes, I made some artwork for Riley's nursery.

Donnell, Brianne, Etta (Donnell's little sis) Lissa, Christel and Carrie

Catch & Release

2011-07-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Blake and Braden had the opportunity to experience a guided fishing trip. They left at 5 a.m., mainly to beat the heat, but also to accommodate the fish. All in all I didn't get a total count on the number of fish caught, but from the pictures I can tell they were all impressive. It was a catch & release trip, but the fight of the fish was the best part!

Kyle Wilkinson is the guide, his family has land here in Pittsburg, and the strip pits are stocked with fish. Hunting is also available on their land. Want to know more...check out his site here.

Garden Streaking

2011-07-19T14:32:00.001-05:00

For some reason the boys were picking veggies AFTER bath. Mason didn't quite get his PJ's on, so he decided to pick in his undies....without any hesitation whatsoever! That he definitely gets from his Dad!

Blake just spotted two tiny watermelons on the vine! This is a first for our garden so we hope they make it!

On Saturday we had friends drop in for lunch, and this is one of the dishes I was able to throw together....straight from the garden! A little basil garnish on sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. We also had a delicious pitcher of ice water flavored with fresh mint and cucumber slices.

Happy Birthday Blake!

2011-07-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

It took two days to fully celebrate Blake's birthday. We spent the weekend in Rogers, and he competed in a triathlon on Sunday. By the time we got home, we are all exhausted. We had a light dinner, and blew out candles on a flamingo brownie!

Smile like Mason!

The card Braden made of he and Blake playing baseball

The rest of the celebration took place Monday night, with his traditional birthday meal....fried chicken, okra, mashed potatoes and grease gravy. This year we added squash, because the boys picked two out of the garden!

This recipe was an experiment.....Chocolate Fudge Pie with a cream cheese drizzle. It had to refrigerate overnight, so the boys and I made it on Sunday night. I usually don't like to experiment with recipes on special occasions, so when we sat down for the first bite I was nervous.....but pleasantly surprised! It was heavenly!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2011-07-10T10:26:00.001-05:00

For Blake's birthday, he was out the hotel door by 5:15 am, to pick up Dusty and head to Horseshoe Bend in Rogers, AR, for a triathlon. Despite a balmy morning in July, he finished the event in 1:30:02.

We have been in Rogers since Thursday night, seeing lots of friends and family, and getting our moneys worth out of the indoor pool!

Along with the Kennedys and their girls, ages 6 and 18 mos, we have left our mark on NWA.

Because we have amazing husbands, Amy and I snuck away for 4 hours without kids, which wasn't enough to catch up on 4 years, so we snuck away after dinner, too. I saw midnight for the first time in a long time! Two of those hours was sitting in her hotel parking lot....still catching up!

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Lovin' the hotel pool

2011-07-08T15:02:00.000-05:00

In Rogers for the weekend, and the nieces came to enjoy the indoor pool!

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Mason makes the paper

2011-07-05T22:04:00.001-05:00

A story about the parade on Monday, was featured in the Joplin Globe. They snapped a pic of Mason on his trike!

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Machine Pitch Season

2011-07-04T12:45:00.000-05:00

This was our first season of Machine Pitch baseball. Braden left for Forrest City as soon as school let out, which was also a week before his first game. Fortunately Pop was able to take him to the batting cages a few times.

This was our last game, on Saturday. All in all Braden did well with the machine pitch, and even played pitcher well. He got a few hits, and was never fearful of the machine. His swings were so hard that his few foul balls went into the crowd. It's hard for him to stay focused in the field and keep his eye on the ball when swinging. He seems to have a great throwing arm, and runs fast!

Pop was able to be at his first game, helped coach and even helped get the machine aligned.

Mason so badly wants to be just like Braden. It's even harder during sports, because Blake is out on the field, and that's where Mason thinks he should be, too.

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T11:44:00.001-05:00

Once again, we were honored to celebrate our nation's birthday at the neighborhood 4th of July parade. I'm happy to add this is the 32nd annual parade, and we have had the pleasure of attending three of these. Check out 2008 and 2010 here. Unfortunately we missed 2009 because of the rain.

Blake ran a Firecracker 5k this morning, placing first in his age category!

Lemonade and cookies after the parade, in the hosts backyard.

After the morning parade, we had a little lunch at home, I took the boys to see Cars 2, Mason somehow fell asleep during the movie, dropped him off after to play at Sabrina's, and took Braden to buy fireworks. Blake has admitted that he is not a huge fan of fireworks, which I completely understand. Unfortunately our kids are fascinated by them. We were thankful for a dinner invite from the Arbuckles, a repeat of what we did last year, and Mark was our official pyromaniac.

You would think this broccoli was sprinkled with sugar the way Mason devoured it. He kept asking for more!!!!

I'm not quite sure how to interpret this expression, but it made me laugh.....

Last year Braden received this cap gun as a gift at his birthday party. He sees it as a firework on its own, and once he used up all his caps, Mason wouldn't put it down.

Run for your life!

Mason shooting poor Mark.

POOL TIME

2011-07-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

As if Blake hasn't already proven to be the BEST Dad ever.....he solidified it today!

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The Kitchen House

2011-07-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

Review it.......

On Thursday night, I hosted our June Book Club. In the past we've been outside, but it was too hot, and I was happy to showcase a few projects I've been working on.

Silvia was able to pop in, between her girls' softball games, and we were so happy to see Karen. She has been overwhelmed as the Executive Director of the Joplin Humane Society.

Dessert....Not! Dessert was actually a Strawberry Jello Pretzel Dessert.

Spicy Corn Dip

Blake and Braden had a scrimmage game, so Mason had the pleasure of attending Book club....lucky guy!

Pesto Chicken and 5 Layer Mexican Dip

Mason was the only guy present, but he had good company....Zadie Rhodes.

These are a few of the projects I was happy to display.....This has been a year long makeover. Due to a leak we had to have our ceiling painted last summer....and the walls....why not! Clint delivered the painting from Chicago. The boys call it our mermaid picture.

Tiffany told me about this awesome bench at the local flea market. I painted the base and she covered it for me. oxoxoxoxoxo

Left over from college.....after being handed down from my grandparents.....Mason and I painted this earlier this year, and replaced the hardware. The extra bench fabric is under glass on the top.

Matching night stands handed down from Tiffany, glass on the top lets me change out the look.

I made a few notes on the Corn Dip. On the strawberry dessert, the crust is pretzels and I did not use a food processor I crushed them in a ziplock bag. Also, I was out of sugar and used brown sugar instead.

The Six-Layer Mexican dip is below:

2-3 avacados

3 tbs lemon juice (I used lime)

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 15 oz can great northern beans drained and rinsed

3/4 cup salsa

1/3 cup shredded cheddar

1. Place avacados, lemon juice, garlic, salt and papper in a plastic bag, seal and knead to mash. This was extremely easy, and then I cut the corner off and squeezed it onto it's own layer!

2. Layer black beans, avocado mixture, great northern beans, salsa, sour cream and cheese. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

Pesto Chicken

This is the easiest thing I've made in my life. I cooked boneless/skinless breasts in the crock pot with a little salt and pepper. They shredded apart extremely easily. Then I mixed the jarred Pesto in. This time I added some of the broth from the crock pot, just to keep it moist. In the past I've added bowtie pasta, but I like it just as well without.

Our Father

2011-07-02T07:49:00.000-05:00

The celebration for Father's Day happened in two parts. Early because the gift I was most proud of arrived early, and Blake was going to be in Forrest City and I wanted him to be able to share it. I created a book using photos of him and the boys and then of just the boys. You can check out the book by clicking here.

The boys got a big kick out of seeing some of their baby pictures!

Blake made it back home safe and sound, ready for round two of us celebrating Father's Day! Braden was extremely proud of the new water bottle he got for Blake's upcoming races. In keeping with the race theme, he also got new shoes, and a new triathlon shirt.

Trying to guess what the next gift is......

Both boys had to try on the new shirt.....

Our First Tomato

2011-07-01T18:59:00.001-05:00

Mason had the honor of picking our first red tomato, from the garden.

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Mason celebrates 3!

2011-07-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

Mason celebrated turning 3, with Braden coming home from being in Forrest City for a week, and having Pop in town for his party! Since they arrived on his birthday, we had a small family celebration opening gifts. Nan and Pop got the wagon, Braden picked out a new Thomas the Train book, we got him a bubble machine, and Nana and Papa got him his own soccer ball, and bat that came with "soft" real baseballs. Lots of cards and money arrived in the mail, and some more books from Aunt Kelli!

Saturday morning Braden had his first ever machine pitch baseball game. So after we cooled off from that, we started getting ready for the party. Low key, cook-out in the back yard, with friends that have kids close to Mason's age. Most of these couples we've gotten close to, through our Young Professional's Dinners for Eight groups.

A pleasant surprise was that our good friend Andrew Davis and his sister Sydney were in town from Dallas, and were able to join in the festivities.

I started a new approach with the gifts. It was a success last year, so we did it again, this year. Each child brings a gift, we number them all 1, 2, 3. I put the same number of 1, 2, 3, in a bucket and each child gets to pick a number and then select a gift from the pile. So everyone gets a present!

Pop was quite the entertainer at the party! He held the five month old baby and pitched to all the little kids. Mason wasn't quite on board with sharing Pop.....or taking turns. He wanted to be the only one to hit.

The gift Mason chose was a set of maracas, and he loved them!

Let me just preface this by saying I saw how this was going to play out, but instead of stopping it, I grabbed my camera! I was across the yard, but I'm quite sure Pop was saying something like "No, Mason, don't get Pop wet."

And following up with "Boy, I told you not to squirt me." Again, that's just a guess. As you can see Mason was not deterred. I'm still not sure why Pop didn't offer to take Mason back to Forrest City with him for a week! Maybe next year!

Mason with his good friends (brothers) Weston and Emmery. They both go to school with Mason, but we've known them since birth. Weston is about a month younger than Mason, and Emmery and Andrew are the same age.

This is Mason's good friend Brocky Dell (translated Brock Radell) from school, but we've also spent time with Brock and his parents during Dinners for Eight.

One night at dinner I was asking Braden what theme he wanted for his party, and Mason was all too happy to tell me he wanted a Basketball party.

Thrilled to have everyone singing Happy Birthday to him

I think the cookies were good!

Girly Girls

2011-06-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

As soon as Braden got back from his week in Forrest City, we had my two oldest nieces, Chloe 7 and Hannah 6 for five days. When I took them back, for the first time I brought back the next to oldest girls, each of their little sisters, Emmery 4 and Brooke 5. Fortunately my mom came this time. I'm not sure I would have kept my sanity. They were all good, but the second two were a handful.

Brooke is starting kindergarten in August. She is my middle sister, Chelsea's middle girl. Her youngest, Aimee is about six weeks older than Mason.

Emmery is Sarah's second daughter. Her two youngest are Albert, age 2, and Bobbi age 1. Hannah, is her oldest, and she will start First grade in August.

Scavenger Hunt & Snow Cones

2011-06-29T11:09:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Braden's 7th birthday on Sunday, May 22. Instead of kiddie pools we had a back yard party with a neighborhood scavenger hunt and snow cones. As guest arrived, Braden sat with them on this bench and opened their gift.

We had two teams, blue and red. Keeping with the "Sheriff Woody" theme, each team had a bandanna and gold star.

Clues were at houses around the neighborhood. Before they could get the clue, the each had a task to perform; recite abc's in a funny voice, bounce on one leg and name all the months, say the pledge of allegiance, etc.

The birthday cake and cookies. We've learned the hard way that the kids love to lick the icing off the cupcakes but seldom eat the whole thing. So we ordered cookies to pass out to the kids.

Braden wanted to blow the candles before his dad could get them all lit!

Our neighbor from Paraguay, Juaquin

Juaquin's parents Ramero and Irene and their friends.

Romero and his friend held an impromptu soccer match

Opening gifts "on" his actual birthday

What Happened to May?

2011-06-29T09:39:00.000-05:00

On May 21, Blake and I each grabbed a kid and headed to two different graduations. Braden and I headed to Bolivar, MO, for Brandon's graduation from Southwest Baptist University. Blake and Mason headed south to Fayetteville, for Tyler's graduation from UofA Law School.

May is an exceptionally busy month for us, with me wrapping up my semester, and Braden finishing school. Somewhere in there the boys were able to help Blake plant the garden and celebrate Mother's Day!

Rollin' on the River

2011-06-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last summer when Blake and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a canoe trip in Eureka Springs, we decided it was time to take Braden. Before we knew it summer was over, so it had to wait until this year. In between trips to Grandparents, baseball practice and Silver Dollar City, the planets finally aligned, so that Blake could take the day off. We knew it had to be during the week, so that Mason would be at school, and the river is usually G-Rated during the week, as opposed to the wild weekends.

We drove about an hour to the Elk River in Noel, MO. We tried to talk it up to Braden on the way, but it didn't quite have the same effect as actually doing it. He wanted to know if we could pick our boat and what color it would be. It confused him even further when we loaded onto a school bus with 10 other people and two dogs.

His favorite part was paddling! It was a little difficult with the boxy life jacket on, but he wouldn't hardly give me the paddle, even when Blake needed me to help steer.

At one of our first stops we found some tadpoles. I remember catching a few of these when I was in Fourth Grade. Our teacher let us keep them in an aquarium and we got to watch them grow legs and lose their tails.

We found three, but only one of them had it's back legs.

There was a family in front of us that had two kids, so they had one canoe and a kayak, that the kids kept taking turns with. Braden was fascinated by this, and talked us into letting him try the canoe by himself. You can see the girl in the background.

Of all the years we've canoed, Blake and I have a pretty good record for not tipping. Not to say it never happens but we've had many trips where we didn't tip. We explained to Braden how easy it was to flip the canoe and he did a great job of staying still. There wasn't anything special about this little rapid, but we let Braden keep his paddle, and somehow got pushed sideways into the log above. The cooler was still tied in, and the rapid was keeping the canoe pushed up against this log. Blake and I tried for about 15 minutes to get it free. We even tried to wedge the oars between the log and the canoe as levers.

It literally took 5 guys to flip the canoe. Braden admitted he was a little nervous when it first happened, but he stood off to the side skipping rocks the rest of the time.

To be a kid predominantly exposed to swimming pools, he did not hesitate to plunge into the water. He got a big kick out of seeing the fish in the water and even caught a few minnows with some bread. We had our lunch on a shady gravel bar. I promise we spotted at least 200 turtles sunning on fallen logs, in all different sizes. Only one snake was spotted at the very start of the trip, and fortunately on Blake and Braden saw it. Traffic was very light on the river, so the wildlife was plentiful. Only one duck, but several blue herons.

Day Trippin'

2011-06-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Braden and I snuck away to Silver Dollar City today. He loved the underground cave....and amazingly Thunderation.

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Its raining cousins!

2011-06-10T20:28:00.001-05:00

After church on Sunday, I zipped down to Rogers to get Hannah and Chloe, my two oldest nieces. Its been a week full of summer movies, swimming and in this picture a puppet show at the library.

Everyone thought they were my girls, and with Braden tagging along I got lots of sympathetic stares for having three kids the same age!

The big sisters are home now, and their little sisters are here. Fortunately my mom came along, too!

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New Bedtime Stories

2011-06-10T20:21:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Aunt Kelli! New stories arrived in the mail today...just in time for our second round of cousins!

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Happy Biirthday, MASON

2011-06-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

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Happy Birthday Braden!

2011-05-26T07:38:00.001-05:00

Braden has been counting down the days to his party,which was Sunday...then to his real birthday....today....and now until he goes to stay with his grandparents....Saturday. Fortunately at seven he can count and has a great concept of time.

Wishing the best boy in the world a very Happy Birthday!

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18 minutes 54 seconds & 48 degrees

2011-05-02T19:35:00.001-05:00

Waiting patiently.....or not so patiently to be lined up for the first wave of swimming.

Getting advice from Dad. He's explaining how as soon as he climbs out, Braden needs to run out the doors to the area where his bike and clothes are set up in the rain.

He even made the news with his swimming! He's right at the beginning.....

Jumping in!

Drew helping him out the door. It was so cold and I know his instinct had to be "no way am I running outside"

Parents couldn't help, but a volunteer was able help him finally squeeze his wet body into semi-dry pants, socks and shoes.

He had to push his bike to where the sign is, before he could hop on and ride for one mile.

Once the bike was thrown down, his helmet got a little stuck, but then he was off for the 1/2 mile run. I promise at this point, none of the kids had a smile on their face.

It's hard to see him, I was juggling an umbrella and the camera, but here he comes for the big finish!
18 minutes and 54 seconds. He didn't place, but we are sooooooo proud of him for doing it! They had about 80 kids participate, and in this weather, that's amazing! All proceeds from the event benefit our local Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization.

Blake was a little nervous the whole time. He said more so than when he runs his own races.

Blake got his hugs in before they could get a medal on him. This is our good friend and swim teacher Jenny!

Not sure if ice water hit the spot, but we ran and got some hot chocolate as soon as it was over!

He finished!

2011-05-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

In 48 degree pouring rain and hail, Braden swam 50 meters, biked 1 mile on the Spiderman bike, and ran a 1/2 mile, all in 18 minutes and 54 seconds! We are so proud of him! Amazingly he said he would do it again next year!

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Braden's First TRYathlon

2011-05-01T12:41:00.001-05:00

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Overall Winner!

2011-04-29T14:23:00.000-05:00

A fellow racer shared this picture with Blake. He was recently the overall winner of a local 5K!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Braden is missing his bright smile because he just realized we are going out for lunch instead of home to the candy!

Someone took pity on us and offered to snap a family pic!

We had brunch at PSU last year, too. The sun was out last year, and Mason finished his meal extremely fast, so I spent a good part of the time taking his picture outside. Blake got a great shot of us last year in this exact same place. I love to see how much Mason has changed.

Our good friend Big Dillon. This of course is because we also have a friend named Dylon, that is Mason's size. Dillon is Suzie's son, and the boys love to climb all over him!

Blake was standing above me trying to get the boys to smile, but all Mason wanted to do was make silly faces back at Blake.

We had a delicious Easter brunch at PSU.

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday was the Community Easter Egg Hunt. Blake and Braden had a soccer game first, then Blake showed up just in time to MC the event!

Mason waiting patiently "on the line" to go get the eggs. This is a lot different from last year. He was not quite as patient.

Dylon spotted the Easter Bunny headed their way

Looking for the "prize" eggs

Blake trying to have a serious conversation while answering Mason's questions about the Easter Bunny

Soccer Mania

2011-04-23T18:01:00.003-05:00

During one of the time outs, the kids were guessing Blake's age.....between 59 and 100 million!

Mason wouldn't leave the house without his rain coat!

They've only had one practice due to rain, and every game has been a swamp, but the kids don't seem to mind as much as the adults.

Braden's BFF, Will and a classmate, Dallyn! She's very good!

This is how Mason spent most of the game!

Monkey around with Cameron

2011-04-21T13:34:00.002-05:00

It's so hard to believe that Mr. Cameron is turning 2!!! Maybe because we don't get to see him much, but it seems like just yesterday we were announcing his arrival! Carli had the adorable idea of a baseball card last year for his first birthday, and I think she's outdone herself with the Monkey theme this year! If he's anything like our toddler (almost Preschooler) Monkey is appropriate!

Not just Cameron is about to celebrate, but Miss Ivy Claire is also turning 2! I have so much fun with these invitations, and Ivy got an early birthday present.....her little brother Jett arrived on April 1. Nicole was on the ball with these invites and announcements. She had them planned and ready to go before Mr. Jett ever got here! With Ivy's we matched the plates and napkins she had already bought. For Jett, we tried to go with a sports theme, but not too over the top. She's pretty sure that "sports" will be a constant underlying theme for the rest of his life!

I can confirm this! Makes me remember how as soon as we confirmed Braden was going to be a boy, the UPS guy made a weekly stop with Cardinal memorabilia, that Blake had found on Ebay. Most of it is still hanging in his room today!

In the Genes

2011-04-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

Want to take a guess at the gist of this conversation?

Blake and I were invited to judge a lip sync competition during Greek week at PSU. Knowing how much Braden enjoys a performance, we let him tag along, while poor Mason had to hang with the sitter. Braden had a little energy to burn before the show started and when Blake and I looked up he was across the room mimicking the poor DJ. I wish I could say I don't know where he gets it, but after twelve years of Benson family dinners in Forrest City, I can say with confidence he comes by it honestly.

The best part.....I was not the one taking these pictures....they were sitting in my email, this morning. Taken by the PSU staff photographer.

Dinner with the Mad Hatters

2011-04-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

While Daddy was at a very boring meeting, the boys were a little silly after dinner. The big incentive for clean plates has been Easter candy from the early hunt. Mason polished his off and then wore his basket as a hat!

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Perfect Day for Fishing

2011-04-11T14:18:00.000-05:00

Bubble Boy

2011-04-06T17:29:00.001-05:00

By 8:30 am I had a call from daycare that Mason fell and hit his front teeth really hard. After x-rays at the dentist, we have to watch for a week to see if he develops an infection or his teeth discolor and possibly have to be pulled. He didn't seem to be in pain, but is now on another week of antibiotic and needs to eat soft foods.

I guess our only saving grace as parents is that most of his major injuries have been at school or witnessed by others! Lets hope this is all over when he starts contact sports!

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Braden Rocked the Talent Show!

2011-04-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

2011-03-30T10:28:00.000-05:00

Mason did great! As you see, his surgery went well and he's now resting comfortably with Mom. Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes.

Mason is headed back.....

2011-03-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Blake is a trooper! He and Mason took Braden to school then went to Walmart so he could pick out a special toy, and as a distraction that he couldn't eat breakfast.

Now Blake has just taken Mason back to the pre-op area. I am very thankful that Blake is willing to be the strong one. I know it will all go great, but when it comes to these boys, I tear up easily.

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Round two for tubes

2011-03-29T18:32:00.001-05:00

Please think about Mason tomorrow as he gets his second set of ear tubes and adenoids removed. We go in at 9:10.

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Spring Break

2011-03-27T12:51:00.003-05:00

We've had a really busy Spring Break. Braden sure felt sorry for Daddy, that he didn't get a Spring Break. He didn't feel too sorry for Mason though. On Tuesday, we drove over to Branson for the day, and met up with my aunt Ann and her dear friend Sharon. It was a great day, a little overcast, but not cold, and perfect for the boys to run around at the Landing and watch the fountains.

The boys were really, really good on the drive there and back, and especially while we were there. Thankfully they have a nice little playground area for the kids to burn off some energy.

This was down by the "BIG" fountains as Mason called them. Of course Braden couldn't keep a straight face with the camera around! Mason got a little nervous when they first shot the flames out and was very concerned that Braden would get burned by the fire. We didn't get a picture of the flames, but we have one from two years ago.

Blake had to be in North Carolina for a presentation on Wednesday and Thursday. The boys and I took another day trip to Springdale on Thursday, to meet our good friends Lexie and Jackson. Jackson is a year younger than Braden. We would take turns babysitting for each other when we lived in Fort Smith. Their youngest son, Ethan, is about a year younger than Mason. My sisters, mom and nieces were also able to meet us. We went swimming at The Jones Center. It's a wonderful community center in Springdale, with an indoor pool and ice skating rink.

The rest of the week was filled with a few play dates and me getting stuff together for a yard sale.

Oh and I did find time to reorganize the pantry and our linen closet, which is always a learning curve for the rest of the family!

2011-03-27T12:13:00.001-05:00

Play ball! Mason donning the catcher's chest protector Braden won a couple of weeks ago.

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Spring Break Excursion

2011-03-22T18:19:00.001-05:00

In keeping with our tradition of meeting the family in Branson, the boys and I drove over to meet Ann for the day. It was perfect weather to stroll along the Landing. The boys are still young enough to be enthralled by the fountains.

I started meeting Ann, Becki and Blake in Branson shortly after we moved to Fort Smith. We have met every spring break since. Becki and Blake didn't join us this year, but I don't blame them.....they are on a cruise with Brandon, Eddie and several other families.

Ok, I am a little jealous!

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Good Morning Daddy!

2011-03-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

I am trying very hard to fill Blake's role of Saturday morning chef! We bought this set of pancake molds last weekend, and they are a hit! See you soon, Daddy!

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Pride & Possibilites

2011-03-10T01:42:00.000-06:00

Thank you to the babysitter, Rose, for snapping this shot before we left.

Then Mason had to be in one!

A few of my book club friends. You hear a lot about Suzie, she is in the middle, with short dark hair. We honestly couldn't survive without Suzie! She picks the kids up if we have late meetings, has kept them overnight, and was our saving grace when Mason was an infant. She would have 20 minutes to spare and she would pop in so I could take a shower or check email! People around town call her our grandma, and well........she kinda is!!!!

Our friends, The Naccaratos

Our friends, The Wixsons

Harlem Who?

2011-03-09T13:39:00.002-06:00

Blake recently took Braden to see the Harlem Globe Trotters in Joplin. It's funny...Braden was thrilled to be going, but really had no idea who or what he was going to see!

He loved this guy, the nachos and some of the players danced to Thriller! It was a good night!

What's Mason Up To?

2011-02-21T18:58:00.005-06:00

At two and a half, Mason is very busy, very moody, very opinionated and independent. Far more so than Braden ever was. He's smart as a whip and remembers everything he hears!

He is a picky eater.
He knows exactly how to push our buttons and make Braden scream!
He's lost one of two ear tubes and about to lose the other, so has had back to back ear infections lately. He never runs fever, but is extremely cranky.
He can sing his ABC's and count to 20
Has unbelievable language skills
Has the biggest belly laugh every, mostly for Braden
Can select between 4 different games on my iPad WITHOUT help
Memorizes lines from his favorite movie, right now is How to Train Your Dragon
Loves to help do laundry; put the clothes in, put the soap in, turn the water on and shut the door
Just took his first shower last week, and loved it
Thinks he should be able to do EVERYTHING Braden can do.
Or asks if he can when he's "taller"
Is 100% potty trained
Loves chocolate milk, watermelon, rice, corn, green beans, chicken, turkey, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, biscuits, bacon, apple cinnamon cheerios, apple juice and suckers!
He loves to read a story before bed, right now the favorites are The Gingerbread Man, which Ann got me when I was pregnant with Braden, and a Cars look and find book, Aunt Kelli sent for Christmas.

He loves to take his giant basketball to the YMCA and let Blake hold him up to put it in the basket.
He can pedal his tricycle with no help at all, and loves the scooter he got for Christmas.
He loves to watch for the bunny who lives in our back yard, and loves to play in the back yard, regardless of the weather.

"Braden can sleep with me if I leave him alone" He has moved to Braden's bottom bunk, and it has been a process, but is finally getting the hang of not getting up 20 times.
He loves to talk on the phone, no matter who calls. I'm guilty of letting him talk to telemarketers!
He loves Sadie, Will's dog, across the street, and lets her lick his hands every chance he gets.
Loves to watch the Michael Jackson videos and dance "like Braden"
Loves to brush his teeth and hair
Loves to take a bath, but also loves to throw the wash cloth out of the tub!

Braden threw water on Mason.....

So Mason threw the whole cup at Braden. This is what I'm talking about....and we love all 2 1/2 years of him!

P.S. as soon as I finished this, Mason turned the TV off on Braden while he was playing Wii, is throwing himself on the floor screaming NO NO NO NO because it's time to stop playing and put PJ's on. He threw his PJ's across the room, and screamed until he turned red! We still love him.

I went to the computer to type that last sentence and while I was doing it, Mason pulled all of his PJ's out and threw them on the floor. At this very moment I am telling him to pick them up, and he is insisting Braden did it.

Highlight Reel

2011-02-21T17:04:00.005-06:00

Braden just finished up his first round of Basketball. We weren't able to play before, because the season was in December, when we were out of town. Blake was an excellent coach. To quote one of the parents "He's perfect! He makes it exactly what it should be about at this age, FUN!"

This is just a highlight of shots over the course of the season. I did ok at first, but the gym was dark and most pics have a yellow tint. Also, Mason would dash out onto the floor every chance he got.

Can you say "Air Braden"

Love the expression on Blake's face.....wait a minute! There were too many players on the court!

Student Success

2011-02-21T16:43:00.003-06:00

I am so proud to show off my student's success at the recent ADDY Awards. You can get the full story on the class blog that I keep. I cannot take credit for their talent, but I can take credit for twisting their arms to enter and driving their awards to Joplin. Not all of them were able to attend the dinner, and not all of them won, but they had a great time.

The best part of the event is that they get to see what real professionals in this industry are creating, and those same professionals get to see our student's work. A few of them went home with a few business cards from potential employers!

Being the amazing husband that he is, Blake didn't even mind that I "volunteered" him to MC the event. Our table mates were a little shocked, and I'm sure thought I was crazy, until they saw him in action. He's a pro! It was not a seamless presentation, poor guy, some of the script did not match the actual presentation, but he did great!!!!

I was able to take home a Gold ADDY for this logo

A Silver ADDY for this wedding invitation package. You might remember the fabulous shower for this bride, back in October.

Blake's Billboard Debut

2011-02-21T16:41:00.001-06:00

I had no idea Blake was going to be showcased on a local billboard, until I saw these pics on our camera! What a hottie!