Cole got baptized, Adam, Mindi and Ruby flew out from Colorado to be here for it. Ivy, Shane, and Christian drove down from DC. Le Anne and Ellery (who are still here!) flew out from Washington. We're blessed. Le Anne and I sang for Cole's baptism. Here's us practicing..

The VA Bennett's LAZY 2010 Newsletter

I wanted to write out a nice 2010 Bennett family letter, but of course wanted to add a little taste of Geof. so I emailed him the rough draft and this is what he came up with. He added his touch, that's for sure.

-this year has flown by

-started the year with lots of snow and stuck inside

-Geof. doing very well in work and staying extremely busy. So busy, in fact, that he had to move his office out of the dining room (doorless) and into Cole's room, where he listens to random pod casts on any topic which sounds interesting. It has been a renaissance year where he's actually learned about topics which interest him. He was able to run an incredible half marathon in West Virginia this year and feels that if his children don't kill him he should be able to run it next year, as well.

-Darla (hopefully) finished off the last of her generals, a math class..., a lot of people go to college for a couple of decades, so don't judge. Darla has stayed very busy helping out in the kid's class rooms and always coming up with exciting and at times impractical outings for us to go on. She did an amazing job leading the stake youth choir and they performed wonderfully this year. She has done very well feeding us healthy food and constantly reinforcing the fact that sugar is actually the devil. Who knew?

-Cole: soccer stud, doing well in school, making friends in the neighborhood, video game obsession and loves to spend time teasing sisters. After reading that list I realize that some of these traits have caused a lot of wrinkles for Cole's parents this year. He also loves to get a laugh out of anyone and is quite the entertainer, especially when we have a house full of little girls (which is often). He has a huge heart which when it controls his actions, makes us very happy.

-Dayne: started Kindergarten and although it took her a while to adjust to schedules and the art of listening, she's adapted quite well and spends her days with "busy work". Our home and the local recycling plant is saturated with all her art work. She asks us on a 10 minute basis how to spell different words and at least tri-weekly brings a card over to our beloved neighbor, Rick. She is starting to read, too, and we're sure if we spent more time with her, that she would be reading chapter books by now. However, much good an education does for women, so we just let her do her own thing. She LOVES to read! She, too started soccer this fall, but did not enjoy it like her brother. In fact, she chose to sit on mom's lap her last game while poor Dad had to coach her team! Dayne is also very stylish and puts a great deal of thought into her hairstyles and clothing choices (even if they don't ALWAYS coordinate).

-June: Our singer and entertainer. Is happy in front of the tv as long as it includes music (any Disney or musical). She's our homebody and even on family outings she's been known to ask when we can "go home". She shows little interest in reading or writing (unlike her sister), but does like being read to, danced with, or sung to. She keeps us laughing with her speech impediment (yittle). Mom took June and Dayne to a local production of the Nutcracker before Christmas, and you could hear Junie's (high pitched) "yittle" voice after each dance, "I wanna go dance now! It's my turn to dance!". And if we'd let her, she would have! She's very comfortable on stage and finds any opportunity to perform (although in public situations, she's not an in your face, theatrical girl..she just loves the idea of a stage, I believe). She also learned to swim this year! The girl knows what she wants and how to get it.

We hope to travel, travel, and travel some more this year. We also hope to do something good for mankind, or if not, at least enjoy ourselves in the year ahead.

Happy New Year! May we all look to be a little bit more like the Savior this year.

We miss and love you all and promise to show you all the great historical sites of the east coast..IF you come visit!

The VA Bennetts

How's that for cohesive writing, eh?

Snow day, Christmas..and you know, our life!

We went to DC for a few days before Christmas. It was so nice to finish off directing the youth choir at "Miracle of Christmas" at the zoo and heading north right after. I had a wonderful birthDAY in the in nation's capitol. Geof.'s getting really good at this birthday stuff. I think I complained enough over past years' lameness and he got the hint (or the blatantly honest, in your face, Darla).

It was freezing, however! I'm lame in cold weather. Can barely stand it. Geof.'s the same way. We still got out and did things (including visiting with my cousin Chelsea, her husband Justin and their two babies-who were in town- at the Botanical Gardens train display and the Lego museum)..until June threw up and then we stayed in and watched movies and visited with some DC friends. Now, that's happy making.

The week before Christmas, the kids school was cancelled due to snow (that hadn't fallen yet) and once again, I stayed inside while they ventured out to the freshly fallen white stuff.

SHE'S getting closer to 40!

To honor my sweet sister Amy on her 38th bday (!!), I didn't wash my hair or get dressed, watched 7 extra kids, cleaned and re-cleaned the kitchen two or 3 times (not bad..) and the last group of girls that came to be baby"sat" (what a funny word), all in honor of Amy's special day, sat down on my (kinda) clean kitchen floor, painted toenails, and applied "yittle girl" make-up. We love you, Amy! We really, really do..

tonight, last night, and last week

We put up the Christmas tree tonight. It was a big pine needly mess. Even my Oreck (which I thought could handle any mess) had a hard time sucking it all up. But it's done, and now we don't want to leave the front room (sleepover under the Christmas tree? I'll leave that to Geof. and the kids). The girls were very excited to play with the nativity. I caught June mid-sentence talking with Mary. (; Oh, and I just noticed i have that pic twice. Who's the favorite...?








We discovered a new part of Richmond that the kids and I had never been to last week. Church hill. The last few colors of fall were holding on just for our viewing. It was beautiful. As I always say, our family is happiest outdoors.

Cole turned eight on the 2nd and we had a bday party for him last night. We went to one of those indoor inflation places. Lame. No, not really. Just the price. I guess that's what happens when your house is too small to accommodate a bday party and you chose to have a kid in the dead of winter (we didn't really choose, though). He invited three boys and one girl who actually moved away during the summer. His first love... (:

And that adorable little pilgrim down there? That's Dayne, of course. Not to be confused with me when I was five (and just happened to be living in VA, as well) and came home during the Thanksgiving festivities wearing close to the same EXACT outfit (but we didn't stop with just the pilgrim/paper bag costume, we ALSO made an indian). I wish I had that5 year old pic of me to compare the two of us.

..and, goodnight!

He's EIGHT!