Girls (or Moms) just wanna have Fu-un!

From Thursday evening ... until Sunday evening -- it was just the FIVE of us ... GIRLS -- MOMS to be exact! Our wonderful husbands all agreed to keep our little ones -- youngest (11 months) -and we headed to Florida for 3 days. The drive was a little long - but we MADE it and with lots of stories there and back!

Here we are going to the beach - bundled in ALL of the warm clothes we had - not much - we thought we were going to the BEACH!

Rachel, Hannah, Shari, Jessica and Megan.

This was the BEAUTIFUL sunset that we got to see as we walked on the beach. We picked up lots of shells, some starfish - that we believed wouldn't survive anyway, and saw more interesting animals than we've ever seen before!

A farovite beach picture.

We DID stay up late, got to SLEEP in, ate yummy meals, ate at That Place on 98, watched chick flicks, made cards, did our hair - and just got to be GOOD friends! We pretty much talked about EVERYTHING.

Some funny/not so funny moments...

getting lost VIA Tom-Tom trying to take us down dirt roads, asking if we were in Georgia/Florida, being scared to go downstairs or outside in the dark, boiling in the hot tub ... literally, hearing sweet voices on the phone and all the things daddy was letting Benjamin do at home, LOTS of ice cream, and many incredible memories.

I have to say that my all-time favorite - was kneeling together for "FAMILY PRAYER" Thursday night at 1:30 am ... so exhausted and ready to hop in bed - but that was most important to each of us ... it was the icing on the cake!

Chattanooga Aquarium!

So -- New Year's Eve day Benjamin and I went to the Chattanooga Aquarium with Charity and little William -- Benjamin could not be contained in his stroller the wholetime -- this is a FANTASTIC place for kids. He LOVED trying to pet the sting rays -

so long as they didn't come to close!

Here's Benjamin looking at the Sting Rays -

and Sharks and other swimming animals in the petting "water"!

Benjamin LOVED the Penguins and watching them swim! I think he thought this one was real - I'm not sure that he's figured out that in-animate objects are really not alive, but that's okay.

I think he would've taken this guy home if he could've!

We also enjoyed the butterfly house ... along with the most incredible looking seahorses... the only thing I could think of - someone sure had furn coming up with that animal!

Christmas 2008... I mean 2007!

Well these are REALLY late Christmas pictures from 2007 ... even though we are WELL into 2008! They got "misplaced" for a little white -- but finally after re-loading, they are back! We spent Christmas at The Harrisons ... and New Year's at the Owens ... most of these are fun pictures of Benjamin ... but a few with us!

Benjamin Owens and William Ray ... cousins!

Jonathan and Benjamin opening a TRUCK!

Jonathan, Rachel and Benjamin Owens - Christmas morning at the Harrisons!

Jonathan and Benjamin blowing out the Christmas Candles!

Kinsley Forscutt, Benjamin Owens and Mary Mitchell - different cousins!

Biltmore and the Bandaid Paw!

We have been excited to be on vacation in Asheville, NC. We were able to do the candlelight tour of the Biltmore Estate on Friday night - WOW is all I can say! That is a BIG BIG house! 250 rooms and 43 bathrooms ... but Jonathan and I decided that most of them were for the servents. We loved the indoor pool ... and all of the pantries! Think about how much food storage you could have! The house was beautiful --but I told Jonathan - that's what our mansion in heaven will be like ... except BIGGER and BETTER and hopefully not so many tourist!

These are a few pictures that we took at the Biltmore ... you will notice Benjamin's "BANDAID" ... well it's a BIG bandaid! Saturday morning after Jonathan ironed his clothes - he set the iron on the table at the hotel - and Benjamin went over to iron - needless to say- we couldn't get to him before his left hand was grasping the front of the iron. We rushed into the bathroom ... with Jonathan's pants around his ankles ... that was probably the only thing fun about the whole experience. Benjamin cried for more than 2 hours - he has one BIG blister - and lots of burns on his hand. I tried everything - as Jonathan went to get gauze and antibiotic cream -- we finally just had to put him in his carseat and he FINALLY fell asleep! When he woke up -- he was "BETTER" ... except for his hand - but he hasn't cried since! He had done pretty well with keeping his bandaid on and didn't cry when we had to wash his hand today.

We did get to do more touring yesterday at the Biltmore - which may have kept Benjamin's mind off of his hand. As you will see he LOVED the animals and walking to the bass pond. A really neat place to visit if you get a chance to go to North Carolina.

We LOVE the mountains! I'm planning to post Christmas pictures ... probably with New Year's! We did have a great Christmas - just haven't gotten my Christmas pictures edited :)

Polar Express!

Thursday - December 27th - we rode the Polar Express in Cherokee, NC to take Santa back to the North Pole. Benjamin LOVED it and would've hung his head out the window the WHOLE time if he could! He loved that he could see the engine and the stars, and Christmas lights!

He didn't mind Santa too much - but Santa also did not try and hold him!

Santa signed his Polar Express book, he got a jingle bell - and the best part - he got a Chocolate-Marshmellow Santa and hot chocolate! We had a BLAST!

Only at Grammy and Grampy's!

This is what you do at Grammy and Grampy's! Play in the mud with a really fun Uncle -- Albert! Benjamin had a BLAST -- Albert even tried to get him to pick the mud up, but Benjamin just wanted to "wash, wash." He even washed Albert's shorts - which took all afternoon to dry! We had a GREAT time seeing all the Aunts, Uncles, counsins - and especially Nana, Jared, Albert, and Grammy and Grampy!

Benjamin REALLY enjoyed getting to drive the "galf cart", saying "bock, bock" to the chickens and playing until he was exhausted! Nana gave him a track and some trucks and a tractor to bring home - the little track has been in our living room since we came home. I did get him to stack it up tonight - but I'm sure he'll have me re-build it tomorrow!

Can't wait until our next trip to Florida!!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Well we went to buy our Christmas Tree last Saturday (a week ago) - and Benjamin LOVED running around and looking at the "twees". He finally was so tired and just stopped and sat under the tree that we were trying to decide on - and we thought that that should probably be the ONE.

Benjamin REALLY enjoyed decorating the tree - and continues to help decorate it. His favorite is to pull up a chair and decorate it. He loves to help daddy give it a drink - and even makes a smacking sound, as if the tree is really drinking. Everyone is amazed that he doesn't try and open the gifts - we think it's because he probably just thinks that they are decorations too, and doesn't realize that there is something inside.

At the end of buying out tree - Benjamin HAD to go and stand by the big snowman. He loves any kind of Christmas decorations or lights - but don't get him near anything that looks like a real Santa, even if it is the Santa Cow at Chick-fil-A!

Whistle Stop Cafe...

So if you've ever seen the movie: "Fried Green Tomatoes" ... Well my Mom, Grandma, Benjamin and I went to the Whistle Stop Cafe on Friday for lunch!

The highlight for us was seeing Benjamin scarfle down the fried green tomatoes and turnips ... of all things. He did enjoy the "corn pudding" as well -- I didn't order it because I thought it was going to be like vanilla pudding with corn in it (so did my Grandma) -- but my mom knew that it was just "creamed corn"!

Benjamin LOVED watching the two trains that both came by within 1 hour -- and boy did they go by fast! What a fun place to visit! It definitely STILL kind of feels like it's set back in the

mid-1900's!

Cousins!

Well Chris, Elizabeth and Kinsley Forscutt (Jonathan's sister & family) came to visit as Chris interviewed at MCG's dental school. Benjamin loved playing with Kinsley -- and she LOVED playing in his room! She would've even played in there during his nap if we would've let her! It was so fun to have them together. Kinsley will be 1 on Tuesday! So Benjamin shared his "cupcake" with her!

Benjamin helped me put out the reindeer while Kinsley was taking her nap - so they were both in AWE when it got dark outside and the reindeer were lit up! I wish I could've captured their expressions -- the TRUE happiness that Christmas brings!

Thanksgiving!!

Well we spent a few days for Thanksgiving at my parents. Wednesday we did LOTS of yard work!! Jonathan said he probably walked 5 miles pushing the push lawn mower --since the riding lawn mower was broken! My mom was SO excited though -- she just kept "gazing" out the window at her NEW yard! It's always nice to help my mom out :)

Thanksgiving day was a little rainy - but we still made it outside a little to play in the falling beautiful bradford pear tree leaves. Benjamin got to help Mom Mom make a cake ... but he dumped the carrots for the carrot cake all over the counter not just once... but TWICE! What a big helper. He LOVES to make the hand mixer sound - and is really good at it! Benjamin wasn't too happy about Thanksgiving dinner. He couldn't figure out why we woke him up from his nap to eat at 4:00 -- so much earlier than his normal dinner time! He did eat cranberry sauce though :) We were sure ready for bed when bedtime came around!

Jonathan headed home Thursday night so that he could work Friday morning at 4:00 am... eesh! So early. I did do a little shopping -- only because my mom kept Benjamin - but I didn't wake up until 7 and still pretty much got everything I wanted! Lots of online shopping this year, which is so much easier -- and sometimes NO TAX -- which saves money!

So if you've noticed that I've been slow about posting lately -- other than the holidays -- our ward split, and I am the Primary President in our new ward... we still have about 90 kids -- I've also had LOTS of work lately -- so hopefully things may slow down ... at least SOME! We are so excited for the holidays -- to visit family, teach Benjamin more about "Je-sa" - boy does

Benjamin love Him already -- and enjoy Jonathan's time OFF from school!