Summer of 2012...1 to remember!

Well hello peeps! Where has the time gone?  I can't believe I am down to the last 2 weeks of the summer of 2012.  It has been one fabulous summer.  I'm not even sure I know where to begin. So much to say and report out!  If you're a new reader of mine, I should warn you.  I am not a "writer".  I just like to share about the "goings on" in my life and hope to at the same time, entertain with some of my musings.  So...you've been warned :)

I guess I'll begin in May.   Due to a lack of snowfall this year in the mountains of NC, I was out of school in mid-May!  IT WAS AMAZING!  Burn-out was at a record high and summer could not have come at a better time.  The Bennett family hit the ground running.  We were off to the "happiest place on earth"-- Walt Disney World!!!  I think Travis and I were more excited than Tyler.  We kept talking about all of the rides and how exciting this place was.  Tyler was excited, but he didn't really understand what he was about to experience.  He had been to Sea World and Animal Kingdom a couple of years ago, but Disney World...this had to be super amazing. 

The perfect planner in me KNEW that the best day to go would be the day AFTER Memorial Day.  Tuesdays are typically low attendance days at the park anyway since most guests arrive on Sundays and start their week of amusement parks on Mondays at Disney World.This would be super!  No crowds ,no lines,  minimal heat index, just perfect.  I couldn't have been MORE RIGHT!!  It was wet, rainy, and AWESOME!  We got up at the crack of dawn and headed to the park.  We were ready for excitement and happily ever afters.  Ponchos in hand, water bottles, snacks...you name it, we were prepared.  Travis and I had a BLAST!! Walked right on to "It's a small world".  I mean there were only 5 people in our entire boat!  It was just AWESOME!!!!  I know what you're thinking...what about Tyler?  I thought you were going for him.  Well, of course we were, but you know the kid inside of all of us :)  Tyler...not super impressed.  He took it all in, very serious, very calm, very matter of fact.  If you know Tyler at all, this is not surprising.  He smiled.  He rode "It's a small world" twice...He enjoyed Peter Pan and wasn't too sure about flying elephants.  It was so neat and strange to see Disney through the eyes of a child in this new technology age.  The castle was really not impressive to him..Why would it be?  He sees it before every movie he ever watches.  Mickey?  Minnie?  Donald Duck?  They're on TV every morning, so no big deal to see them wandering around the park.  That's the norm, right?  Don't get me wrong, he appreciated the trip, enjoyed his time there, but just took everything in stride.  He is a HUGE Captain Jack Sparrow fan now and that's cool.   We were some of the last riders on the Snow White ride which closed down the very next day.  So we can tell Tyler he was part of history.  He HATED that ride.  He was glad to know it was being replaced :)
A huge success in my book.

Next trip was to Turner field in ATL for our annual family Braves game.  Such a family friendly ball park.  Tyler enjoys running the bases up by the big coke bottle and we love our peanuts, hot dogs, and baseball game :)  Unfortunately, it was interleague play and Braves were playing the Yankees...so you can tell where this is going.  We did get to see A Rod hit a grand-slam.  I guess that's my "glass half full" approach.  This was also an early Father's day gift for Travis.  Great fun!

I should mention here that Travis spent the second week of May in Jamaica with the SMBQ.  His summer had already begun and he was livin' it up.  I won't spend too much time discussing this trip, mostly because I wasn't WITH HIM!!   :( I'm not bitter.  LOL

So now summer has come to an end.  Oh wait!  I forgot to mention a few other things.  What? you say.  There's more?  Well, actually yes!!  MUCH MUCH MUCH more!  How much time do you have?

This summer marked 15 years of marriage for Travis and me and Travis surprised me with a 5 day cruise to the BAHAMA's!!! So in mid June, we loaded up, dropped the kid in Tallahassee with the grandparents and set sail out of Port Canavral on the Carvinal Sensation.  We know how to party!  It was beyond amazing. Now would be an appropriate time for a shout out to Nana and Grandaddy for keeping Tyler while we were off cruising the Carribean.  The trip was great!  Relaxing, renewing, and so luxorious.  We enjoyed hot stone massages, breakfast on Lido deck, towel animals, etc.  We even went snorkeling off of a cattamaran.  I only freaked out a little :)  Met some great people and had great fun. I still can't believe that we've been married 15 years!  Makes me feel OLD, but we have been beyond blessed.  We are still madly in love and enjoy each other's company!  Heehee!

We were only home for a short while before one of the biggest adventures of my lifetime began.  For that you will have to read the next post.  It was so amazing it requires it's OWN blog.  I hope your interest is piqued.  All I can say for now is....STAY TUNED!!  Oh and I hope you've had a great summer too!  This has been one of the best summers I can remember!  And I've had A LOT of summers!  Toodles for now.

It's been a while....

It's been a great deal of time since my last post. Sorry about that.  No excuses, other than busy life.  I have had great things on my mind and pretty random topics, but no time to sit down and put it into words.  Here are a few things I have learned recently (or known, but have been reinforced in my life lately)....

1.  Parenting is HARD!!!

2.  God loves us, no matter what!!!

3. Work is hard and not always rewarding.

4.  Husbands are wonderful (almost all the time :)


Tyler is growing up so fast.  He's playing the piano, reading, changing, right before my very eyes.  I love him more than I ever could have imagined, but man oh man, he can be difficult!  I know my parents are smiling right now because they CLAIM, that maybe I was difficult at times.  I don't recall those times and besides, peception is reality right?  I had to have been the most perfect child.  Ok, maybe not perfect, but not difficult.  It's so fascinating how personality, something that we don't generally think of as genetic, shows up in the most annoying ways.  This kid is unbelievable.  He's stubborn, strong-willed, outspoken, smart; I'm going as far as to say "gifted".  Not trying to brag, but I've done my research and he's "textbook".  As wonderful as this may sound, I see a lot of difficult days in my future.  Lots of questions, comments, concerns, about things that shouldn't concern a 5 year old.  He needs details about EVERYTHING!! He doesn't forget!   He is and will continue to be blessed in so many ways.  I look forward to each day, despite the hard times. It's well worth it and even though my parents are reading and thinking "pay back", I'll cherish each moment.  :)

On to God loving me ;)  I love music.  Not the same way Travis loves music, but the way God has blessed me to understand, interpret and enjoy music.  It speaks to me more than any other medium.  If you want to inspire me, make me sad, happy, excited...play me a song with that intent and it is DONE!!  I don't know how else to explain it. God continues to use gifted singers and songwriters to speak to me in ways that no one else could.  There are too many songs to list right now that daily bless me.  I hardly have enough time in the car on the way to work to listen to all of my favorites and listen to God share his vision for my day through music.  I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity to experience music in a way that some can only dream of. 

Work, the daily grind, the part of the day that seems to drag on and on and on.  It's hard. It's a calling, a talent of sorts.  I enjoy being a teacher.  I enjoy working with high schoolers.  I enjoy touching the future, but as with all things there are those days.  I've seemed to have more of  "those days" lately and less of the bright spots, but I know I'm doing the right thing.  God expects us to be the best at whatever he calls us to do and right now, that is taking a LOT of work.  I'm NOT the best math teacher, but I'm trying.  I'm trying everyday to improve, to stay positive, to motivate the minds of tomorrow.  It's a long road ahead.

Husbands:  Well we all know everyone has an opinion on this topic :)  This year will be 15 years of marriage for Travis and me.  Can you believe it?  15 years!  I'm not much older than that! LOL  Anyway,  Travis is my soul mate!  God definitely made us for each other.  Travis is amazing!  I am so blessed and so proud to be his wife. He's remarkably successful at everything he touches so that means I'm not too bad either :)  He's loved and respected in his profession and the man that God made for me!  Of course it hasn't all been sunshine and roses....but true love is work and we work hard at it! 

I hope that this has been an enjoyable read for you.  It was fun to write and reflect.  Remeber, everyone has their "stuff", so thank God you have yours and not someone elses. ;) 


Yeah, I did make that up myself...hahahahah