Mini Laps 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

Can you believe it's almost been a year since Elliot started school at The Little Light House?! It's the best thing that's happened to Elliot! He has grown so much over the past year, and we are going to get to celebrate all he has accomplished at school September 26, 2009 at Mini Laps! Yes, it's that time again! If you don't remember or we didn't get to share with you last year, Mini Laps is a morning where we celebrate all the miracles and milestones the kiddos at the Little Light House have accomplished over the past year. Last year we got to celebrate Elliot being accepted into school, and learning how to sit up in just two weeks of being there! This year…. Drum roll please… we will get to celebrate Elliot WALKING around that track! He has gotten to be a pro at cruising around in his walker, but we hope (fingers crossed) that he will be taking off without it J.

Wouldn't you like to be apart of that? Elliot is motivated by school and all his friends there. He would not be excelling this much without The Little Light House. Did you know that The Little Light House runs solely on private donations? They do not accept any government funding or United Way money. They want to be able to keep being a ministry and teach the Bible to these precious children. It takes people like you and me who are willing to support them and their wonderful ministry to keep them going. As I sit here and write this letter to you, my eyes are welling up with tears just thinking about this school and how much it has done for just our family, let alone the other 64 families that are enrolled right now. I can't or don't want to imagine Elliot's life without The Little Light House, do you? I know that the economy has a lot of people worried, but even $5 will make a difference. You can eat in one meal can't you? Please help us pull together to support Elliot and cheer him on this year! Let's see how much money we can raise for this wonderful school and motivate Elliot to walk without his walker (maybe if I tell him how much money people are giving to see him walk, that will motivate him ;) haha!!)

So, here is how: log onto www.littlelighthouse.org and make an online donation in Elliot's name, it's that easy!

Thank you all in advance! I will be sending you pictures of Elliot walking across that finish line in September!

Sincerely,

The Bennett Family- Mark, Andrea, Rowin, Elliot, and Maggie

A Little of Everything...

Hey all! I just wanted to blog about this and that... We are having a great summer so far. It has taken me a couple of weeks to adjust to the new schedule.. just in time for Elliot to start his summer session next week ;) hehe. But that will be ok, it will get me back into a better routine.
We had some friends of ours visit this weekend from Arkansas, and we had a blast letting the kids run and play and enjoy each others company again. We went to a new park here that was so awesome. It is handicap accessible and has some water features that the boys loved playing in (that's what they are for). Elliot loved it, but got chilly quickly and very angry when we had to get him out and keep him out. It was a great weekend.
We are going to Arkansas tomorrow for some appointments and Mark is going to work while we are there also. It should be fun and exhausting for all! :) We will see how staying in a hotel room with all 5 will go. Wish us luck! :)
Have I told you all that I am so happy to have a girl?? She is Adorable! I love her! (Don't get me wrong, I adore my boys! But there is something about Maggie... she's my girl! ;)
Anyway.. Rowin asked about Elliot's school.. I don't remember how he asked about it, but as I started to explain, he lost interest and was on to something else. Mark and I exchanged looks knowing the day was coming when we would have to explain that Elliot has Down Syndrome and what that means. There is something inside me that dreads that day... maybe because I will have to admit it out loud (not that I haven't done it before), or maybe it's because I don't ever want Rowin to see his brother as different (in a bad way), I don't ever want to put limitations on Elliot, and I don't want Rowin to do that either (I don't think he will though), anyway, I just love the innocence that Rowin has with Elliot, and I don't want to lose that. ok, brief kid update:
Rowin is hilarious! He is a different character (in full costume) every day, sometimes every couple hours, or minutes. He loves our neighbors that are twin 5 year olds and he plays with them every minute he can now that they are out of school. I can't believe he is going to pre-k this fall!
Elliot is doing great! He is scootin on his butt and wearing out every pair of shorts he has.. he refuses to crawl. He is a pro in his walker, and I am sure he will figure out soon that walking is so much better than having a raw tush! He is jabbering more and more not many real words but throws in a hi or all done (especially when it comes to eating, don't get me started).
Maggie is Adorable as I said earlier. She is oh so close to crawling. Scoots every where and anywhere. She is a joy to have around and her brothers love her (although Elliot is learning to guard his toys). She loves her brothers! I don't think she will know what to do this fall when they are both in school!
Mark is doing good. He is awesome at his business and worship leading. He just amazes me more and more. He works his butt off for us and I can't thank him enough!
I am doing well. Like I said, I think I am getting in a summer groove (except for getting used to being hot all the time :( ). I am constantly feeding someone (I applaud mother's of multiples!) and that is what I have to go do now.. Maggie is awaiting me!
Until next time!