Just so you know...

I'm probably not going to be posting much on this site for a little while. I'll post a few things here and there, but I'll primarily be using our other site: sweetbabybendel.blogspot.com to post on. Please feel free to peruse there if you like, I love visitors.

Baby Bendel

Some of you already know, but I wanted to let all of you in on some very exciting news. Chance and I are going to have a baby!!! I'm over the moon with joy, well I would be if I wasn't so darn tired. We found out on the 30th and don't have very much information at this time. {Wouldn't it be my luck that my Dr. is on vacation when I finally find out that I'm pregnant.} He'll be back next week and I'm busting his door in on the 12th. We think that I'm due around the end of March, but obviously we're not sure. I also wanted a special way to keep everyone updated so I started a blog - in addition to the one I already have { chanceandsarahbendel.blogspot.com } our new blog can be viewed at: sweetbabybendel.blogspot.com I plan to later publish this blog into a keepsake book, so please feel free to comment, so that I can include our dear family and friends. Also, when I updated my email account I lost many contacts in my address book, so please help me in passing this along, I'd scream it from the roof tops if I could.

I'm so excited to share this news with all of you. I love you all!!
Sarah

Exciting news.....

We're going to have a BABY!!!!!!!!

One word

Where is your cell phone? Purse
Your hair? Gross
Your father? Gone
Favorite thing? Chance
Your dream last night? Non-existant
Your favorite drink? Lemonade
Your dream goal? Motherhood
The room you are in? Office
Your fear? Loneliness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
Muffins? Eww
One of your wish list items? Sewing machine
Where did you grow up? Paducah
The last thing you did? Slept
What you are wearing? Pajamas
Your t.v.? Broken
Your pets? Perfect
Your computer? Dead
Your life? Changing
Your mood? Unsure
Missing someone? Daily
Your car? Crap
Favorite store? Limited
Your favorite color? Red
When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Three people who email you? Deb, Gran, Brandi
Three of my favorite foods? Tomatoes, bacon, ice cream
Three places I would rather be right now? Disney World, Hawaii, Paris

A bittersweet sunday.. and an update.

Many holidays have become bittersweet for me since the passing of my Pawpaw in Oct. 2007. He was, for all intents and purposes my Daddy. He took care of me for the majority of my life, guided me through the treacherous waters of the teenage years, he taught me about the world- but taught me more about myself, and in a final act of selflessness- he placed my hand in Chance's on our wedding day. That was always his job, from the day I was born; though others have doubted my decision since then. I always knew it should be my Pawpaw who gave me away. So yesterday, Father's Day, was especially hard for me. I don't have a relationship with my biological father, so when Pawpaw passed away Father's Day took on a new "meaning" for me. Instead of being a day of celebration, it became a day of remembrance.

As I've written on here time and time again, my Grandfather was the greatest man I've ever known. I was immeasurably blessed to be able to call him Pawpaw. But more than that, I was truly able to call him a friend. There are few people in this world who know me as well as Pawpaw did {I can count them on one hand.} I never had to explain myself to him, he just knew. We were more alike than we were different. A handful of times that led to an explosive situation, but more often than not, it was wonderful. I'll always be incredibly thankful to the Lord for putting a man like my Pawpaw into my life. And even more thankful that he was there for me in so many more ways than he had to be {though he would have told you that there was never a choice.} I'll miss my Pawpaw everyday for the rest of my life, nothing will ever fill the hole that losing him placed in my heart. My only condolence is knowing that when Chance and I have children, I will be able to show them the love they deserve, because of the love Pawpaw showed me.

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On the sweet side of things, we celebrated Father's Day in our house in a n unconventional way. Since technically Chance and I aren't parents, we don't do the gift thing. That being said we very much feel like Mommy and Daddy to our "little ones" Tyler, Baylei, and Oliver. I celebrated for Chance in the morning with my best friend Maria, out in the pool; I let Chance sleep. We got a little crispy so we got out in the early afternoon and went to Chance's best friend's house for some relaxin' on the couch. We laughed until we nearly cried watching our favorite TV shows. {We got to see the Mythbusters launch a little girl [a dummy of course] 13 stories in the air, it was ridiculous- but amazing} Then it was back home for some night-time swimming. All in all I think Chance had a good day, which is all that matters to me. I on the other hand, am still dealing with the decision not to get out of the pool sooner.

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And for the update:

Oliver is recovering nicely after his surgery. He wasn't very happy when I first got him home {I have 3 very long scratches on my arm to prove it.} But I think he's adjusting to the no [front] claw/no manhood thing just fine.

Chance spent most of last week in Louisville and Lexington. Lexington: for a class, and visiting a friend of ours. Stephen Hunt. He is a blessing to us in so many ways. Louisville: for a much more upsetting reason.

One of Chance's friends, his college room-mate actually, Ian Moore shot himself last Sunday morning. Ian spent the next 6 days on life support in the CCU at U of L Hospital. He was mostly brain dead {there was only activity in his brain stem.} Chance was lucky enough to get to spend the last few moments of Ian's life surrounded by his family, telling stories and remembering Ian the way he should be remembered; as a friend, as an athlete, and as an all around great guy. Saturday morning Ian's family made the decision to take him off life support, he passed shortly there after. The reasons behind Ian's decision will never be clear. There are only two people in this world who truly know what happened and one of them is gone from this world forever. Ian was an incredible athlete. He played baseball all through high school and then again in college. He was very outgoing and good looking. He had the kind of personality that could light up a room. Ian and Chance were good friends all through their high school days, but lost touch after Chance left Murray State; a fact that I think will haunt Chance for a while. They had, in recent years, however started to put back the pieces of their friendship. Ian will be greatly missed by many people, his life touched so many in his short 25 years.

Oh Ollie...

* NOTE: This post was supposed to be posted on 6-12-09, but for whatever reason it was not.

The date has been set, his time has come. Our sweet Oliver will go under the knife Monday morning at 8:30 am.

Our Stephen...

This is one of mine and Chance's best friends Stephen and his nephew. Well technically he was Chance's friend first, but I stole him.