My life, an open book

Lately, I have been compelled to share my life. Not just part, but all. I have no secrets. Now some would say that I have lost it and maybe I have, but you never know until you try.

So, if there is anything that you want to know, just ask.

Its Birthday time again

Today marks what would have been my mother-in-laws 61st birthday. She was a wonderful person, who raised three very bright and caring children. She also managed to find a man that she loved enough to stay with for 40 years. Isn't that amazing in today's society? A lover of diet Pepsi and three musketeers (the candy bar), a loyal follower of Jesus Christ and a good friend she is still loved by all who knew her. Here is a photo of her from my sister-in-law Dee Dee's wedding. (One week from today (Dec 8) marks the 1 year anniversary of her passing.) Wish us luck getting through it in one piece.

I am told that she loved the snow, though I didn't see that first hand, she would have loved today. Well, maybe, we haven't exactly gotten any snow. Just a full days worth of sleet and freezing rain. When will it end? :)

All day I have been asked, by my hug-a-bunch (Sierra-Lynn), "mommy, when can I go play in the snow?" My reply "when we get some snow." I know how frustrating it can be to want something so badly and not be able to get it. My want is a day of quite. Is that possible with a 4 year old? I'm thinking not. I'll deal with the noise, why? Because I wouldn't change to a life without her for the world.

One Down, A Million To Go

Christmas is one of my busiest, yet funnest times of the year. Every year I like to make the people that I love something for Christmas, I feel that it means more than going and getting them something that everyone can get. My favorite people to make things for are my beautiful little girl Sierra-Lynn and my niece Hannah.

Here you see the stockings that I made for Mark, Sierra-Lynn and myself. Aren't they cute? You can't really tell, but Mark's has yellow, red and green stars on a swirled background and mine is light blue with glitter and angels.

Last year they both got brand new wardrobes (which Hannah still can't wear), Sierra-Lynn also got a complete bedding set (pillow sham, comforter and canopy (which she has decided she no longer wants)). This year its embroidered blankets and Christmas Stocking and I am happy to say that they are done. I do still have to make 3 aprons and 2 table runners, along with Sierra-Lynn's Christmas dress. It will be white with a light blue over skirt (it has sparkles), the only issue that I have is shoes. She went from a size 9 to a 10 overnight and none of the dress shoes this time of year are light in color. I guess that I'll have to make it drag the ground so that no one can see that her shoes don't match. I'll figure it out (hopefully).

Well night all and I'll be back either tomorrow or the day after.

We've gone digital

That's right, the Bennetts have gone and gotten themselves a digital camera. God bless those after Thanksgiving sales. After Blitz shopping and a little relaxation we decided that it was time to put up our tree. Last year I was left alone to put up a 7 1/2 foot tall artificial tree by myself, telling my husband that just for making me do that he was responsible for putting it up this year alone. I meant to stick to that, but didn't. I'm such a softy. Oh well, we can't all be mean, I leave that to him. My nut. Pictured left, you see him how he usually is, topless, yet he doesn't want everyone else to know. How bizarre is that?

Once we finally got it all put together it was time for my favorite part, DECORATING. Sierra-Lynn helped us last year, but I don't think that she really got it, this year, however, she had lots of fun. She would have had more, but daddy was being a butt, thus bringing on a Bennett-fit (our name for her tantrums). Of course you would throw a fit too if every time you went near the tree to put on an ornament someone was yelling at you, letting you know that, according to them, you were doing it wrong.

When the dust settled (figuratively speaking) we were finally able to get back to the fun of getting the house ready for the holidays. Last year at a yard sale I found this adorable mother/daughter ornament. Its a two part ornament that is magnetic, Sierra helped me put it up and was amazed that it "stuck together" as she put it. Its got little mice on it that are gardening and it has 2002 on it (the year she was born). What do you think of the outfit she in? Its another thing that I made for her, a birthday present this year.

We finally got the last of the ornaments (as of now we could add more) up on the tree and were now ready to put up the Angel/North Star. After five minutes of talking Sierra-Lynn out of her room, she and her daddy put the topper on the tree. Isn't it beautiful. The presents are tucked under the bed waiting patiently for the chance to go under the tree, well all of them except my camera and the blanket that I made for her, I also made one for her cousin. She talked me into giving it to her early, isn't it pretty? She doesn't really need it on her bed, so it hangs on her wall, it goes well with the bedding set that I made her last year (blanket, pillow sham and canopy).

Isn't Christmas a wonderful time of the year? I sure think so. My only wish is that everyone has someone to spend the holidays with. I know that some people have no one. My Uncle David is one of those people. His girlfriend broke up with him two years ago on Valentine's Day and he has been alone ever since. I may just get to see him this Christmas though. He said that he might come up while his work is closed this year. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I miss him a lot. He was the one that taught me how to drive and took me to church where I was saved. He's one of a kind. No matter what the rest of the family thinks. Hey, they don't really care for me either.

I'm not a picture perfect carbon copy of my sister. Thank the Lord for that, I have no desire to be like her. She does drugs and steals and sleeps around. I do love her, but I don't agree with her life style. I pray for her to find peace and happiness. If somehow she finds this, I want to say that I love you Missie and I always have. I have missed you these last three years and all you have to do is leave a comment with contact info and I will get back to you.

I gotta go to bed now, I'm still trying to recoup the sleep I lost on Friday. Til next time.

Giving Thanks

In the spirit of the day, I'd like to say what I am thankful for this holiday season. First I'm thankful for a wonderful and loving husband, and for my sweet (when she wants to be) :) little girl. I'm also thankful for my friends, both old and new, but what I am most thankful for this year is that it is coming to a close. 2006 was one of the worst years in my life and that is saying a lot considering all that I have been through in my life. Here's to 2007 being a better year, with more time with family and friends, with more time for love and more time for fun. Because what is life without family, friends, love and fun. Its nothing more than a way to pass the time.

In tradition with the way I have done this blog I would like to tell a little something about my life. (Yes, I use this as a form of therapy, deal with it.) This time I would like to go back before I met Mark, back to shortly after high school graduation. For me college was not an option, I would have done good, but there just was no money for it. So, I did the next best thing, or so I thought, I signed up with the US Navy. I know what you are thinking, why would anyone want to do that? Well, the cold hard truth is it got me away from my sister and her kids. It didn't last long though. Two weeks before I was set to leave for basic, I got the living daylights beat out of me by my sister's boyfriend.
While at boot camp I had major pains in my back (they have never gone away) and was feeling a lot out of place. Anyway, one of the first things that you do is undergo a mental evaluation (the physical is before you sign your contract). Let's just say I didn't pass. I was sent to speak with their head shrink (pardon the pun). After more testing, on the computer, I was told that me and the Navy was not going to happen. Truth be told I wasn't to broken up about it. What I was upset about was the other thing that he told me. I suffer from depression, sure, and the Easter bunny lives with Santa at the North Pole. Of course, he wasn't wrong, shrinks usually aren't.

Well, that's it for today. Time to play Deal or No Deal.

"Summer Love"

On an unsuspecting summer morning is where this story starts. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Before the mist of dawn left the sun kissed sky, a small girl named Monica was walking to summer school. Monica was a small girl who got picked on a lot, mainly about her weight.
She was thinking about the boy she loved. His name is Ronnie. The night before she had stayed up half the night writing a note to him.
When she got to school she got Nathen Shoup to deliver it to Ronnie. A few hours later the note was given to him. He did not even read it, he just tore it up.
A while later Ronnie got with some of his friends and they put the note back together. Well when Monica found out that a boy named Clint was reading her note she started whining and saying "My life is over."
After a few days of listening to Monica's whining, a few of her friends told her to get a life.
She told them to get out of her face. She went off by herself and sat there until class was over.
She never came back to summer school........ever.


Now before you pass judgement of this story remember that it was written over 11 years ago by a freshman in high school. The who has yet to be determined, the author hasn't claimed it, yet.

I suck at titles.

I'm feeling much better today, thanks Juli. I guess that's what good friends are for. I had a nice long chat (IM) with her the other day and she did what she has always done, been my friend. The world needs more people like her.
I also received an email from ... wait for it.......my father. Yes, shocking, I know. Showing a real interest. Maybe there is hope for the boy yet (I'm not gonna hold my breath). What did he want? He wanted a picture or two of Sierra-Lynn's birthday party, ok, so there was a little prompting from me, but he still emailed. Non of it was readable, but he sent one, and that's all I asked. For him to make an effort.
I also received an email from Stoney Point Baptist Church in the Knoxville, TN area. Shane Gregg is going to put me in touch with some of my friends from there. I do miss them, Lord knows that the churches up here in the St Louis area leave much to be desired. I miss the down home God is in the house and you know it feeling. I miss the singing and the fellowship that followed. And I miss the way I felt when I was there, like I belonged.
You know, its funny. Life can take you all over, and you can meet hundreds of people, but very few will touch your heart and change your life. I have made friends all over this country and its seems like this is the predestined time for me to find them all again. Now if I could just find my best friend from Kindergarten, Jessica (Mason) Ford. The last thing that I knew, she was getting married to a man named Jeff Ford and they were moving to Amarillo, TX. They were supposed to work together at Southwest Baptist Church in Amarillo. I would really like to catch up with her. We haven't seen each other in about 20 years, but we had always managed to keep in touch, that is until we graduated from High School. If you know her (or are her) leave a comment or email me. We have so much to catch up on.
I'll be back.............in a minute with a story written over 11 years ago. Bye.

Third Wheel

Have you ever had someone harass you to the point where you find any excuse to avoid them? I'll bet that you think that I have, well, you'd be wrong. I have found myself feeling that way lately. I want so much to bring people back into my life that meant so much to me during times of crisis and loss, but I'm beginning to think that maybe I should just let them be. Maybe I don't fit in their world anymore. I am a firm believer that if you want something bad enough then go for it, but I get the feeling that some people wish that I would just go away. Now, for me this is not a new feeling, it has been with me my whole life. Ok, maybe not my whole life, just since my mom died, 13 1/2 years ago for anyone counting.

I consider myself to be a good judge of character and I have learned how to make friends, but with all of the moving that I have done in my life, I guess I missed the class on how to keep them. It seems like the harder I try the more they pull away. What am I doing wrong? Should I just stop? I really don't know anymore. I know that I should be grateful to have a loving and devoted husband, some women don't, and a wonderful little girl who loves me and wants to do everything with me, but I would like to have a real friend. Someone that I can laugh with, and cry with, someone that I can shoot the breeze with and bitch about things (our husbands, kids, the weather, whatever) with. I have wanted that for what seems like forever. Will I ever have that, probably not, but as always I'll deal and move on. I can always complain here, right?

On a much more positive note, I spent the day with my honey baby (Sierra-Lynn) :). We went for a walk, a short walk it was only 40 degrees and I don't want her to get sick. We played an ABC game, watched "Hannah Montana" and "Horseland", and played a game of "Monopoly junior". I got beat like a red headed step child, but that doesn't surprise me, Sierra-Lynn always beats me. I don't cheat for her and she wins every time. She was so tired that she actually took a nap, so I got Christmas cards ready to go out and worked on some presents. I'm making SM and her cousin Hannah quilts for Christmas with their initials and the digits of their birthdays on them. I hope that they like them. I'll leave you tonight with a photo of some other items that I have made and a website for more information on BJB Style.

http://www.geocities.com/sewbjbstyle/1.html

Scooby Doo Where Are You

Welcome to the ultimate Scooby Doo Birthday party. My angel loves Scooby Doo so much that the day after her "princess" party last year she declared that she was going to have a Scooby party this year. We had it all, bean bag toss, pin the bone on Scooby, a pinata, we even had real mystery for the new Scooby gang to solve, "The Mystery of the Birthday Bandit".
We started with our beautiful witch Scooby pumpkin (template found on-line). The kids (a.k.a. The Scooby gang) tossed mommy made Scooby bean bags into Scooby's nose. After that Sierra-Lynn showed off her room (which she does no matter how many times she has already shown it to you). Then came time for the children to witness the opening of the birthday gifts, only to find that they had been stolen. The search for clues was on.
Next came the pinata. Note to those of you planning a child's birthday party, pinatas are not for use in you kitchen, they are made for outside. Not that it was too terribly bad. We only broke 1 drinking glass, although everyone found the site of a 6 foot 3 inch man using a frying pan as a shield to be a rather comical moment. Alas no photo of that. Inside the pinata was our next clue, and our next game, Stick (because when you deal with children under the age of 5 you don't want them to have pins) the bone on Scooby's mouth.
Then it was time to bring on the cake (and other snacks). We had iced sugar cookies with sugar Scoobys, as well as biscuit pizzas and Scooby snacks. The kids, still on a high from "the thrill of the chase", were extremely well behaved and even said please and thank you. I was as shocked by this as you are folks. The clue found at the snack table lead us to the Birthday Bandit or the Tiki Monster, his capture and unmasking.
When the Tiki Monster came out of the back bedroom (out office) no one was expecting it. You should have seen how high they jumped, then they were running away from him, screaming as they went. They did manage to get him back into the kitchen, where there were not 1 but 2 rolls of toilet paper and proceeded to tie up the monster. Being the

birthday girl did have its advantages, Sierra-Lynn was the one to unmasked the monster, it was her daddy (Mark). As all Scooby villains he said those famous words, "I would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids." The mystery, however was far from over, they still had to find the presents. What else could the gang do, they tortured the monster with .............. tickles, until he gave up the booty.

Here is Sierra-Lynn with one her gifts (too many photos to show all her gifts). This is her first real bike, a 12 inch Disney Princess bike from her Aunt Becky, Uncle Mike and her cousins Zach and Shawn. She also received a Disney Princess tea set, a lip gloss and nail polish set from Aunt Dee Dee and Uncle Justin and from her cousin Hannah, she got a pink button up sweater. Her friends gave her a Scooby coloring book, crayons, a puzzle, and a Disney Princess mock CD player. From mommy and daddy (more than she needed) she got a helmet and padding set for her bike and skates, a Scooby bop bag, two outfits that I made, two Kids Songs DVDs, Barbie of Swan Lake on DVD and a Chuck-E-Cheeses play set. Thanks to everyone who came, she loved the gifts and has not stopped talking about it since (her party was Nov. 4). I'm just grateful that she learned that when you make the pedals go around in circles, you make the bike go forward. Now if it would only warm up some, so that she can ride it outside instead of in my kitchen. Oh well, that's what I get for having her in November.

The Greatest Man I've Ever Known

His name is Robert Jackson Bennett Jr. (.ak.a. Bob) and today
would have been his birthday. He was the dad that I always wanted yet only received as a father-in-law, and in the Bennett home, he is both loved and missed, so much so that I cannot keep the tears at bay as I type these words. Bob was a devoted husband, a loving Dad, a kind and generous papa, and a great friend.
He was my friend as well as my in-law, and everyday that goes by that I can't talk with him feels empty. I spoke with my sister-in-law Dee Dee today and during our conversation (I think) we both started to cry. She told me that when she met me, she was jealous of my "toothpick" size and asked me if I had been jealous of her size. I told her that I wasn't jealous of that, but that the only thing I was envious of her was her parents. I would have given anything when I was growing up to have my parents together and to have a love like hers did. Dee Dee, Becky and Mark don't know how truely lucky they were, to have that kind of relationship role model. I have heard many times that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, nothing could be truer than those words. The Lord took two wonderful people away from a family that loves them, but he also gave that family (in my opinion) a connection that will bring them all closer together.
So, in closing today, I say to all that are hurting today, as long as we continue to love and remember Bob and each other, he will always be with us.
Blessed Be

We have photos

Here you have my family. My sweet little angel in her Halloween costume, Dorthy Gale. My loving and wonderful husband Mark and myself with the sweetest little girl in the world. Sierra-Lynn fell in love with the idea of being Dorthy after Mark and I let her watch "The Wizard of Oz". She also wanted to be a cheerleader (she already has a cheer leading outfit made by mommy). Now I have nothing against cheerleaders, if I did I would not have made her a cheer leader outfit (not to mention embroidered P-jink on it), but I had spent the money and made not one but two Dorthy outfits, she was going to go trick or treating as Miss Dorthy Gale no matter what. Now please don't ask me what a P-jink is, its just what her beloved Papa used to call her.

As tomorrow would have been his 72nd birthday look for a special post in honor of him, a man that I was not afraid to call dad. Apart of me wishes that he was my dad, but then again if he was I would not have Sierra-Lynn.

Bob (my father-in-law) and Gloria (my mother-in-law) are both gone now, gone but not forgotten, but their relationship gave me something to strive for. A love that was able to make through all of the bad things that life throws at you and came out stronger than ever. I believe that I have that with Mark, and if he should ever think otherwise, well he can just rethink his train of thought. I didn't spend two years of my life changing Gloria's diapers and giving her her meds and her sponge baths and digging poo from her rear end for him to ever think about leaving me. Of course, I didn't do so that he would stay with me either, I did it out of love. Love for him, love for his parents and love for my little girl. I wanted to keep Gloria with us for a long time, but that was not to be. She was taken from us on Dec 8 of last year (the date of my first heart attack), and Bob passed away on Sept 2 of this year. They were both wonderful people and I am honored to have had them in my life for even a short amount of time.

I will leave you tonight with a word of caution to all diabetics or those whose lives are touched by diabetes, take care of yourselves. Diabetes is not a disease to be taken lightly. It turned Gloria from strong independent woman to a bed ridden double amputee who had to rely on someone for everything, even the simplest of task like changing the channel on the television.

Blessed Be

Happy Birthday Justin and Juli

Today I feel blessed, I have in one weeks time I have found two of my best friends, Jessica and Juli. Today Miss Juli turned 27, I know that I have told her this many times today, but Happy Birthday Juli. I had a nice IM conversation with her today, and no I am not ashamed to say that I cried. It is nice to have someone in my life that (at least at one point in out lives) knows me as well as I know myself. In middle school and our freshman year, she was someone that I could turn to when things were bad at home (which was all the time). And she was the one friend that would not believe me, when I had tears in my eyes and said that nothing was wrong or one of the many crazy excuses that I came up with so that I wouldn't have to let people know just what went on behind closed doors at home. For a long time, I didn't want anyone to know, but there has to be a point when you just have to stop letting the past run things in the present. The time for closure is now, I want, no I need to be able to think about the time in my life when I was able to see all of those who went to Webb City High School (grad class of 98) and not be plagued by all of the crap at my father's house. To the WCHS graduating class of 98, I miss you all.
Nancy Kay Capps and Richard Gary Jarmin, you know what you did and now is the time for me to stop blaming myself for it, it was not and is not my fault, I was the child, you were the adults. You are bad people who like to beat on a child just because things don't go your way. Hurting a child for any reason isn't right and I know that despite the two of you, I know that no matter what my little girl does, I should never and will never try to drown her, tie her up or beat her with a yard stick, baseball bat, or any other object. I have Juli and Jessica to thank for the courage to stand up and tell the world what you did. And Gary, if you should ever read this, know that you are not my daughters grandfather, I may have your DNA, but you are not my Dad, at this point I'm not sure that you know what a dad is. You have had more chances than I can count to be a part of my life and have thrown all of them in the trash. Life is to short to waste it on things that don't make your life better. Here's to making your life (and the lives of those that you care about) better everyday.
Going back to the title of this post. Today is also my brother-in-law's birthday. So Happy Birthday Justin, just don't ask me how old he is, because I couldn't tell you. We don't really talk all that often, but he makes my sister-in-law Dee Dee happy and he is a good dad to my niece, so I don't worry about it too much. Hey Dee Dee. Justin is an up and coming artist and if it is in the cards and something that he wants, I hope that he becomes a household name. Just as I hope that Juli's wish to become a stay at home mom comes true for her. I am and I know how much I love being at home to see all of Sierra-Lynn's firsts (and seconds), to teach her all that she needs to know, to see the look on her face when she learns something new. Like after her party, watching the look on her face when she finally learned what pedals on a bike do when used properly, where we live now is the first place that we have lived that she has been able to ride a bike with pedals. That and she got her Disney princess bike from her beloved Aunt Becky for her birthday (she loves it and rides it everyday).
It is once again time for me to get the show on the road. Till next time.
Blessed Be

Sierra-Lynn's Arrival

Now some of you may say that I'm weak for receiving an epidural, but I don't care. I am allergic to pain. No joke. I had a family friend cut out an ingrown toenail and turned green. The day that my little angel was born was hard enough with one I couldn't imagine not getting one. Of course there was no way that anything could have prepared me for the delivery room. I was, as any first time mom will be, scared beyond belief. I was already 2 weeks late and getting sicker by the day, so Dr. Jennifer Su, the wonderful woman that she is took matters into her own hands. On Halloween of 2002, I was up and at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. (I am not a morning person). At 6:00 a.m. a doctor came in to induce and then came the waiting. Hours passed nothing, there was even talk of me going home, like there was anyway in the world that I was going to let that happen. I was bound and determined that I was getting a Halloween baby. Fate, did not agree with me. It sided with my father in law. From the moment that Robert Jackson Bennett, A.K.A. Bob, found out that he was getting a grand daughter, he became very over protective. He was also quite sure that she would be born in November. I couldn't let him be right, could I? No.
Well, like I said, fate did not agree with me, Sierra-Lynn was born a tad bit more than three hours after midnight. On November 1, 2002, so once again the man was right. Who'd a thunk it?
But we have a twist. Unlike most babies who let their parents and everyone else know that they are in the world, Mark and I did not here that precious first cry. No, what we heard was worse, nurses yelling one another and a chilling silence. I had never been more nervous in my life. It was bad for Mark as well, all that he could do was stand there and watch, which for him is harder than you think, after all he is a trained EMT. But, after what seemed like an eternity, I heard it, she cried. The first and almost last, but not quite.
After six long hours, I was finally able to hold my baby and do what I had wanted to do for months, I looked into her eyes. She smiled, and I cried. That night she stayed in the room with us and I would have slept all night had I not heard her laughing, yes I said laughing. Sierra-Lynn was not a big crier.
Once we got home and she was big enough to move from her bassinet into a crib, we put her 'kick and play piano' in her crib and every night I was awakened by the sound of music instead of the sound of a ticked off baby. God bless the folks at Playskool. Although, if we hadn't had one she still wouldn't have cried, she would have thrown her binky at us.
Well, that's enough for tonight, its 10:42 p.m. and I have plenty to do tomorrow.
Blessed be.

Well that didn't work

I really wanted to show everyone my family, but apparently I'll have to get my husband, he's the computer wiz. For those of you who are married, you know that getting a man to do something that he may not want to do is almost impossible. Don't get me wrong I love Mark with all my heart, but sometimes that man drives me insane.
Anyway, back to our story. We were married in Mark's parents backyard and had a beautiful lake as our back drop. The officiant was a man named Kelley Hardcastle. In attendance was my in laws Robert and Gloria Bennett, my sister in law Diana, a coworker of mine named Lena, the preachers wife Angie and their son Nathen. And I guess you could count the twins, Hannah and Grace Hardcastle (Angie was pregnant). After the service we all went to my place of employment; Warrenton's own McDonald's for our impromptu reception, which was followed by a round of mini golf for Mark and I. That evening, we were treated to one night at the local Amerihost hotel by Bob and Gloria. As we left the house Bob pulled me aside and told me that he wanted a grand daughter, he had three grand sons now he wanted a little girl.
Around April of 2002 we found out that we were expecting a little bundle of joy, and that it would arrive around October 28. Mark and I were a little excited and a lot scared. Having lost my mom at the ripe old age of 12 1/2 I was questioning if I would even know how to take care of a baby, if I even knew how to be a mom. My pregnancy was one wild ride. Bob was certain from day one that he would have his grand daughter and that she would be born in November. And you know what, that man was right. Sierra-Lynn was born at 3:05 am November 1 weighing in at 9 pounds 2 ounces.
Back to before she made her appearance. Mark and I were living with his parents and unfortunately his little sister Diana was living there too. Now things between us have changed, but then, boy did she hate me. She thought that I was taking her brother away from her because he spent more time with me and less time with her. She also hated the way that her dad doted on me because I was having a baby and she couldn't compete with that. She would pick a fight daily. One time she stood behind her parents screaming that they were her parents, that my mom was dead and that I shouldn't forget that. HELLO, like I would ever in a million years forget that little fact. On another occasion, she stood at one end of the hallway while I was at the other and almost threw a phone at me. But like I said things have changed between us. We actually talk to each other like adults now. Its amazing what 4 1/2 years, her getting married and both of us having a baby will do.
Well folks, that's all for tonight. Its 10:06 p.m. and I have a busy day tomorrow. I'm going to try once again to get my little girl to learn her ABC's. If anyone has any ideas, let me know, PLEASE. And tune in for my next installment
Blessed Be

My Two Favorite People

Here's hoping that these photos show up. This is my little angel, Sierra-Lynn. She is the light of my life. Here she is dressed as Dorthy Gale for Halloween. She went through every costume that we had and decided that she just had to be Dorthy, which was fine. Her friend Lexi was
Dorthy as well. Let me tell you those outfits were not nearly as hard to make as they look.
God willing the photo is here then you will see my loving husband Mark and our little girl. He is one of those rare men out there (at least in my experience) that is actually willing to help around the house with only a little complaining on my part. And let me tell you the man can cook. Thanks in large part to me teaching him how. The other night he made a family favorite: Japanese chicken with special fried rice. It was his first attempt and boy was it good, it was almost as good as mine.
And finally a picture a me. Just know that I hate all of my pictures (I gained a little more weight than I really wanted to while I was pregnant and I am still working on losing the rest of it).

Meet the Bennetts

Hey, my name is Buffie. I am married to a wonderful man named Mark. We have been married for five years. I'm a stay at home mom to a beautiful little girl named Sierra-Lynn. She just turned 4 on the first of November. Mark works at our local Wal-mart. You may wonder what sewbjbstyle is, it is my company. BJB Style is the name and sewing is what I do.
In addition to taking care of Sierra-Lynn, I make one of a kind (okay, sometimes 2 of a kind) outfits. I specialize in children's clothing, can also do home decor, costumes, and adult clothing. And all for very reasonable rates.
In my childhood a moved from one place to another, making friends here and there. One such friend, a Juli Bradshaw, I just recently reconnected with. We have not seen each other for well over 11 years, I have been able to learn about her life through her blog. I hope reconnect with more of the people that I used to know.
Anyway, Mark and I met through a mutual friend, who turned out to be anything but a friend, in April of 2001, by June of the same year we were engaged. His parents, Bob and Gloria, were thrilled that their little boy had found someone to love. Bob even told me that he wanted a grand daughter and that he didn't care if we were married first or not. Then the traggic events of September 11, 2001 happened and we thought, why wait anything could happen at any time and moved the wedding to september 15.
For more of our story, keep reading. I have to go make my little angel something for lunch.