From the Mouth of Children - Calling Sesame Street

This evening I needed to call Ernie, my boss. After I talked to him about what we needed to, I said goodbye. Joshua immediately piped in and said, "I'm going to call Bert." I guess he felt that if I was calling Ernie, Bert deserved a phone call as well. You didn't know I have direct ties to Sesame Street did you?

Celebrating 5 Years

Elissa, thanks for being willing to spend life with me. I am a blessed man. I love you Babe!

Elissa and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this last weekend. Our family has been sick this last week so on our actual anniversary I think we laid around the house and didn't do much. However, the next day we were able to get these great pics over at Elissa's parents place. We hope to be able to go out for dinner this week to actually celebrate together.

From the Mouth of Children - Tools

Several weeks ago I was lying bed with Joshua. Elissa had been reading with him earlier so he asked me what my the writing on my shirt said. So slowly I read and pointed to each word...

"Handyman's... Creed:... If...at...first...you...don't...succeed...get...a...bigger...tool."

He asked me to read it several times, to which I gladly obliged.

And then Joshua came up with a beautiful interpretation.

He said, "Daddy, we need bigger tools."

THAT'S MY BOY!!! (as a wipe a tear of joy from my eye that he gets it)

What HE knows HE will do

The following is an excerpt from a message given by Stuart Briscoe in the series he did on "Heroes of the Faith." The particular message out of Matther 14 (John the Baptist is beheaded, Jesus feeds the 5,000 with a few fish and pieces of bread, Jesus walks on water). The following excerpt is from the section on the feeding of the 5,000 men and there families.

"In the work of Christ it is what HE knows HE will do that is important."

"[You see] Human resources, however limited, willingly offered, divinely empowered are more than adequate to achieve divine ends."

"Do we look at the enormity of human need confronting the church today. And when we look at the enormity of the need do we say, 'Send them away. They are not our problem,' or do we say, ' Ok, you've told us they are our problem [Jesus told the disciples to feed them] but what in the world can we do,' or do we look at it a say, 'Our resources are abysmally limited, the need is utterly enormous. What in the world can we do among so many except for one factor. We realize that Jesus Christ is the key. And HE knows what HE will do. And therefore we will willingly offer our limited human resources and anticipate that he will divinely empower our limited resources and prove they are move than adequate to achieve what HE had in mind'."

"Is my vision broad enough to embrace this principle?"

Out with the Old, In with the New

These are boots that have been worn every work day for about 2 1/2 years straight.

These are boots that will be worn every work day for as long as they last :o) After putting on the new boots it's amazing how comfortable the old boots...were not (by the end)!

America's Pastime- A little runner

The other night Joshua picked up a beanbag baseball, threw it and then started running around! He did it for about a half an hour straight! I thought it was fun to watch him and I was excited he was getting his endless amount of energy out! He did this again the next day at his Oma and Opa's house with a football.

America's Pastime - More pics from the game

Here are some more pics of the game for you to enjoy...

The family getting to the ballpark...

...with two Cardinals fans...

...and two Brewers fans...

...and what we look like at 11pm at night when the game is over :o)

America's Pastime - What a game!

I was pretty excited to get to attend a Major League Game this week. I was even more excited to get to see the St. Louis Cardinals play! I have been a cardinals fan for as long as I can remember and have been able to see them a handful of times over the past 15-20 years. I think this game may have been the most exciting for me for several reasons.

1. I got to take my family to the ballpark. Going to the game was my father's day gift and while the boys may not fully appreciate the game I was glad to have my family with me!

2. I got to see John Smoltz pitch. He is a player who is headed to the hall of fame for all his accomplishments with the Atlanta Braves. This might be his last year pitching so it was an honor to get to see him pitch for the Cardinals.

3. I got to see Albert Pujols play and hit a home run! Albert is another Hall of Fame caliber player who has the potential to be near the top of all-time home run list if he stays healthy.

4. I think being older I can appreciate the game more. I really liked the game growing up, but I think I can really appreciate the difficulty of playing and the strategies the managers use to win games. I was in my lower teens in the below pic :o)

5. THE CARDINALS WON...in the ninth inning...on a home run by Matt Holiday.

America's pastime- I like the game!

I REALLY like the game of baseball.

I like the pitcher/hitter challenge. One man chucking a ball at 90+ MPH. Another man swinging a really big stick trying to rip the ball out of the stadium. It's incredible to me that in the moments it takes for a ball to leave the pitchers hand to when it crosses home plate a human can react quick enough to tell if it's in the strike zone or not. It's incredible to me that a man can process quick enough to know whether to swing his bat to hit the ball, locate the bat in the right place at the right time, and do it on a semi-regular basis.

It's also incredible to me how an outfielder can tell from the ball comes off the bat how far and where the ball is going, get his moment going within a fraction of a second in that same direction he perceives the ball will go and run to catch the ball.

These are great reminders of how God has made us. I'm reminded of Psalm 139...

Psalm 139:13-16

¹³ For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Alright boys...

...put a smile on your face.

Johnathon - A Comparison

John two days old

John at 5 1/2 months

Joshua- a comparison

Joshua at 2 weeks...

Joshua at 28 months.

Joshua at 5 months...

Joshua at 28 months.

Crazy, man, Crazy!

Here is a U-tube video a friend found and put on their blog. Crazy!

Summer Fun - Bennett Family

While the purpose of us getting together was not fun (my grandfather passing away), it was good to be together with my parents and siblings. We have not been together very often as a family since Dad, Mom, and Pete live in Tallahassee, FL. Betsy has been living in Bolivia for the last 5 years (up until November of last year) and Jamie is in Indiana. It has been fun to see how each time we get together I think we have a deeper appreciation for one another and the opportunity that we have to just be family.

We really enjoyed being on the farm. It was nice to have space for Joshua to fun and play, though I think his highlight was getting to drive the tractor with Papa! Everyday we were there he would OFTEN ask his Papa, "Can we go ride the tractor?"

"Nana" was as close to heaven this side of eternity as she could be...she had her 3 grandchildren with her. Some of the hardest choices she had to make during the week was which one to play with :o)
When Joshua got home from being at the farm he sang this song..."Old McDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O, and on the farm he had a tractor E-I-E-I-O. And on the tractor there was a Papa, E-I-E-I-O!"

Joshua being suave on the hood of his ride!

Joshua playing with Uncle Pete. He loves being with all his uncles and aunts!

Summer Fun - Brooks Family

We have been able to spend time with Elissa's brother Andrew, and his new bride Hannah a couple time this summer. First was when we traveled to Indiana in early June to be a part of their wedding day. If you want great detail about the wedding ask my wife...from a guys perspective it was a great wedding and we are very glad Hannah is a part of the Brooks family. It has been fun to see the boys interact with her and how the mutually love each other.

We were also able to see the Brooks Grandparents at Andrew's wedding, many other Brooks family members, which is always a pleasure.

Andrew & Hannah came to Wisconsin to visit several weeks ago so the boys got to love on their Aunt and Uncle. A weekend with the Brooks family is always a weekend of playing all kinds of board games. Lately we have primarily played Dominion.

Summer Fun - Camping

Our family went camping several weeks ago for the first time. We have been looking forward to getting out to camp all summer and we finally decided to just do it. We went to Governor Dodge State Park at it was GREAT! We realized how much we miss being out in the woods and enjoying simplicity in life. When we arrived at our campsite it was amazing how much we just relaxed inwardly.

The camping went pretty well with the boys. We had a shelter tent that we ate in and also a sleeping tent. Joshua enjoyed being outdoors in open space and just being able to play without being confined to a small apartment. All the camping locations where fully wooded so you could only see 4-5 of the 200+ campsites and it was incredibly quite for as many people where there. I really enjoy the camping scene cause it seems everyone there is of the same mind of enjoying the outdoors and be respectful of the other people who are enjoying the outdoors as well.

We were able to enjoy a campfire, hiking, and swimming at the lake. We hope to go camping at least once a month next summer! Anyone want to join us?

Summer Fun - The Park

Elissa reminded me that we have several summer events that we have not shared with you Here is the first of some of our summer fun events.

We have enjoyed taking walks around the town. The town is a quaint small town with seveal small hills so it is an enjoyable walk and a little bit of a workout going up and down the hills. There is a town park 4-5 blocks away from us so we have stopped by the park often on our and let Joshua play on the equipment. Here are a few pics from Joshua playing at the park.

Joshua is trying to climb the pole like he has scene daddy do.

"Look at me Uncle Pete! Aren't you proud that I am standing on a horse like you did when you were young (though I'm not good as you were to go without hands). "

"Ah, I'm sure this makes the grandparents a little less worried!"

Goin' down the slide!

"I'm pinning around really fast!"

War and Compassion

It is an easy thing to de-humanize

a man with whom you are at war,

It is a hard to thing to de-humanize

a man on whom you have compassion.

Ephesias 4:31-32

³¹Get rid of all bitterness,

rage and anger,

brawling and slander,

along with every form of malice.

³²Be kind and compassionate to one another,

forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you.

Check out other references to Compassion

from the mouth of Children - Remembering

When we put Joshua down for the night I sing songs with him as we lay in bed together. Elissa's friend Liz was over as we were putting him down so we tried to get him said goodnight to all Joshua was being really shy a not wanting to give Liz a hug or say goodnight to her so we just went to bed. We started into our songs and got around to "He's got the whole world in his hands."

We sing several verses:

1. He's got the whole world...

2. He's got mama and daddy...

3. He's got Baby John and Joshua...

4. A combination of the above

5. Extended family - Uncles & Aunts, Grandparents, and cousins

But Joshua pleasantly surprised and amused me when I asked what verse we should sing next when he said, "He's got Elissa and her friend Liz."

It was amusing that he picked up on Liz calling Elissa by her name and encouraging that he picked up on Liz's name.

It's another reminder that Joshua is always listening.

From the mouth of Children - Thanks

My wife is incredibly patient and consistent with teaching Joshua manners. Thank you and please are two big things that we want Joshua to learn so we try to always make sure he says them appropriately when he would like something or has received something.

A few days ago Joshua was offering me some of his food (I can't remember what it was). I wanted him to eat it and wasn't particularly hungry at the time so the conversation went like this:

Joshua: "Daddy, do you want some of this?"

Daddy: "No thank you, you can eat it."

Joshua: "Daddy, say, 'Yes, Please'"

As were driving home from Southern Illinios this weekend we had another fun conversation...

Joshua: "Daddy, will you read this book to me."

Daddy: "I can't read it to you right now. I am helping mama with directions" (as we were driving)

Joshua: "Daddy, say, 'Yes, I'll read it to you'"

Smart Boy!

From the Mouth of Children - Awareness

Kids say some of the coolest and most hilarious things. Joshua has often kept things light in our house. So want to share some things with you for a couple reasons. First, I hope they lighten your day and second because I want to remember. So here is the first of what I hope to be a lot of "From the Mouth of Children" blogs.

We have been teachings Joshua boundaries. An example of what this often looks like goes something like this:

Joshua: "AHHHHHH" (yelling at the top of his lungs)

Parent: "Joshua, we don't yell inside, only outside" (spoken in a gentle, corrective, serious manner)

Joshua: "Only outside. Ok." (in a serious two year old voice)

Joshua: "What is this mama?" (as he is grabbing a breakable item)

Parent: "Joshua, we don't grab that item, we only look at it" (spoken in a gentle corrective, serious manner)

Joshua: "Only look. Ok." (in a serious two year old voice)

So we were eating supper the other day when we were with my family. Joshua enjoys eating ketchup so he grabbed the ketchup bottle and started to lick the top of the lid. So the correction went as follows.

Elissa: "Joshua, we don't lick the top of the bottle." (spoken in a gentle, corrective, serious manner)

Joshua: "Only the bottom!" (Spoken in a serious two year old voice)

Yes, son, we only lick the bottom of the Ketchup bottle :o)

In Memory

Gail Edward Bennett

July 22, 1924 - August 16, 2009

This week we buried the last of my grandparents. As my my siblings and I stood by the casket for the finale time two things came to mind that stood out that Grandpa has passed on to his family.

1. Work Ethic. Grandpa worked with his hands to farm and build all kinds of things. Grandpa "retired" and was able to reap the benefits of paying in to social security for years, but he never stopped working. He continued to invest in the local church and community until he could no longer physically invest.

2. Spiritual Life. All my grandparents lived out their faith not in a bold, "look at me, I'm so spiritual" fashion...they just simply believed God and lived in who God said He is. They all had faith, not religion.

For more thoughts by siblings on Grandpa check out:

Jamie's Blog

Betsy's Blog

Psalm 23

Joshua memorizes things very well. I have been surprised when he will say something or sing a song out of the blue that I had no clue he knew. So I decided it was a good time to start quoting scripture to him at bedtime since he is memorizing things without much effort. We have started with Psalm 23. This morning I was going over it with him as we were in the family room. It went like this:

Andy: The Lord is...

Joshua: ...my shepherd I shall not be in want

Andy: He makes me...

Joshua: ...Lie down on daddy (as he laid on top of me)

For a two year old, lying down on daddy is a peaceful thing. It's resting knowing daddy takes care of him and is not going to hurt him. I think it was a good insight to Psalm 23.

A Reminder

I have dreamed of having a house of my own. I have a notebook entitled “If we ever build a house.” I write down ideas in it when things come to mind. I'd really like to have my own house.

This weekend I saw one for sale that I thought looked GREAT! It had a 2 ½ car SHOP with a with a nice 3 bedroom detached house. The house had a finished basement where the boys could get their energy out in the winter and a nice yard with a playset in the back that they could go spend hours getting out their energy in the summer. Over the weekend I dwelt on and was longing to have a place of our own.

Then God gave me a couple reminders.

1. There are people in the world who don't have a whole lot. A pastor from Africa was at Elmbrook recently who has 6-9 natural children. He adopted another 6 kids whose parents were killed in the civil war going on in his country. When asked a question concerning if he had enough to get by he said, “We don't have enough to live on, but we have enough not to die.”

2. I was reading a Bible story to Joshua last night. It was the story of how Israel wanted a king. The prophet Samuel warned then that he would make their children slaves, make them go to war, take the best of their crops, among others things to the point of them begging God for help. But they still wanted a king. And they got what they were asking for...and all the problems that go with it. What the story teaches: What we want most may not be what the Lord knows is best for us. Thus far the Lord has brought us.

So I'm working on being thankful for our cozy apartment. We have food on our table. We have a roof over our head. We don't have the daily worry of gunmen running rampant to rule the local land. We have two healthy boys. I have still have a job. When you really look at it, life is pretty good.

A Pleasant Wake Up

This morning we had the pleasant wake up call by a chorus of little guys. Joshua was chatting away about a number of things and then eventually Johnathon added his two cents worth with his baby coos. I think I was most amused and delighted when I heard Joshua start to sing, “Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Brother John? Brother John?” They keep us smiling.

Joshua has become quite the monkey! He is climbing all over the place. We went to a park a few weekends ago and before I knew it he was 1/2 way up the 10’ tall monkey bars and 2/3 the way up by the time anyone got to him. He did fine coming down on his own with daddy closely watching. I figured that he needed to learn to come down if he was going to go up. He has been climbing about anything he thinks is climbable. Thankfully he can’t get into Johnathon’s packn’play...yet!

Joshua has also become so much more verbal over the past couple months and particularly the last couple weeks. I was hanging out with him the other night and asking him about his day and he said, “We saw monkeys and orangutans at it was (a)mazing’!” (He had gone to the zoo). He also has picked up most of the alphabet song and a few others.

Johnathon is growing up too. I feel like he has started to develop into a little person. He has been smiling at us for the last month and has a little giggle when you laugh or tickle him. He is also satisfied to sit by himself for a while as long as he is not hungry or tired. Yesterday he turned over from his tummy to his back for the first time and then again this morning. Elissa doesn’t think he’ll stay on his tummy anymore. Though, he was trying to turn over from his back to tummy as well yesterday, but just couldn’t get enough momentum to overcome his shoulder. He has also learned to grab stuff and stick it in his mouth