After a canceled trip at the start of 2024 and months of counting down the days, weeks, and months until their next scheduled visit, Gimmy and Pappy finally made it to Montana! It was an emotional trip filled with unforgettable moments, including celebrating Christmas all over again (Rost was thrilled by the surprise of a second Christmas), my parents experiencing the delightful chaos of a toddler birthday party (Happy 3rd Birthday, Rost!), and creating some truly amazing memories together.
Unfortunately, during their visit, my 91-year-old grandmother, Gommy, experienced a serious decline in health. This heartbreaking turn of events sent my incredible mom on an early return trip to Pennsylvania to be with her mother in her final moments.
Grieving my mom’s early departure and the loss of my beloved grandmother, I was determined to make the most of the time left with my dad. We shared some beautiful moments: skipping rainbow-colored rocks into the iconic waters of Lake McDonald, soaking in the healing warmth of Wild Horse Hot Springs, and indulging him with as many sweet treats as I could without pushing him into a sugar-fueled diabetic meltdown.
I’m deeply grateful for this time with my parents. Losing my grandmother has been a poignant reminder of how precious our time with loved ones truly is. I’m already looking forward to making more memories when Rost and I make our annual trip back to the East Coast in early June.
My baby is officially three years old! Continuing our cherished tradition, we celebrated with $300 worth of fireworks, a beautifully decorated cake, a feast of Rost’s favorite foods—both homemade and ordered—and welcomed the New Year surrounded by some of Rost’s favorite people, including Gimmy and Pappy!
I’ve always been a firm believer in the sacred rule: no Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. But then, along came one irresistibly charming toddler, and suddenly, I’m the kind of person who would happily string up Christmas lights in August if it brought him joy. So this year, the moment Halloween bid its spooky farewell, we dove headfirst into the Christmas spirit, determined to stretch the season’s magic as far as we could. Here’s a little glimpse into our wonderfully extended holiday adventure. Xoxo.
Flat Stanley was so excited—he was going on a big adventure to visit the Bennett family in Montana! He packed his little paper suitcase and slipped into an envelope. Whoosh! Off he went through the mail, all the way from Pennsylvania to Big Sky Country.
When he finally reached Montana, he popped out of the envelope and waved hello to his host family. “Welcome, Flat Stanley!” they cheered. “We have so much planned for you!”
The next day, the family decided to take a road trip. “We’re headed to Seattle!” said Dad. Stanley climbed into the truck with his new friends, ready for adventure. But as they drove through Idaho, the sky turned gray, and snowflakes started to fall. “Uh-oh,” said Mom. “It’s a snowstorm!” The snow swirled and piled up on the road, making it hard to see. Stanley held on tight. “At least I don’t have to worry about being cold!” he joked.
After making it through the snowy drive, they crossed into Washington. But just as they thought the worst was over, the truck made a funny noise.
Clunk!Clank!Chug-chug…
“Oh no! The truck broke down!” said Dad, frowning. The family wasn’t sure what to do… but Flat Stanley had an idea. “Don’t worry,” he said, grabbing a wrench from the toolbox. Flat Stanley used his mechanical skills to check under the hood. He turned some bolts, tightened a few screws, and said, “Try it now!” Dad started the truck and—VROOM! It worked!
“Flat Stanley, you saved the day!” the Mom and Dad cheered.
Finally, they made it to their hotel safe and sound. Stanley was so tired that he fell asleep right on the pillow.
The next morning, the family explored Seattle, Washington. Their first stop was Pike Place Market. Stanley loved seeing all the fish being tossed in the air by the fishmongers. “Catch that fish, Stanley!” joked his host Mom. Then, something caught Stanley’s eye—it was Zoltar, the fortune teller machine!
Stanley put a coin in the machine. Zoltar’s eyes lit up, and a card slid out. It read, “Your future is full of adventure and fun!”
“Wow, that’s perfect!” said Stanley.
After that, they walked down to Pier 57 to see the big Seattle Ferris Wheel. Stanley got to ride all the way to the top, where he could see the ocean and the city below. “This is amazing!” Stanley shouted.
But the fun wasn’t over yet. The family hopped onto a catamaran and sailed through Puget Sound. Stanley felt the sea breeze on his paper face and watched seals playing in the water. In the distance, he saw the Space Needle—it was so tall and shiny!
At lunchtime, they stopped for something delicious. “Let’s eat at The Crab Pot!” said Mom. Stanley tried crab legs and corn on the cob. “This is the best seafood I’ve ever had!” he said.
Later that evening, they cheered for the Green Bay Packers at an NFL game. Stanley waved a foam finger and shouted, “Go Pack, Go!” The stadium lights were bright, and everyone had so much fun, even if it wasn’t the Pittsburgh Steelers he was cheering for.
After a fun-filled trip, it was time to drive back to Montana. But guess what? It snowed again on the way home! This time, Stanley wasn’t worried. He looked out the window and admired the beautiful snowy mountains.
Back in Montana, Stanley had even more adventures. He went swimming in a big pool and pretended to swim with native Montanan fish. Then, he joined the family’s kids at gymnastics class. Stanley tried to do a flip, but he ended up spinning like a pancake. “Nice try, Stanley!” laughed his host brother.
Finally, Stanley got to sit on Santa’s lap at the local mall. “What would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked. Stanley smiled and said, “More adventures with my friends!”
It was the best trip ever, and Flat Stanley couldn’t wait to tell his friends in Pennsylvania all about his time in Montana and Seattle.
Brian has been a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan ever since the team played for the Super Bowl title on his 9th birthday back in 1997.
Fast forward to May 2024—the Packers’ 2024-2025 season schedule was released, and we saw they’d be playing in Seattle. An eight-hour drive? Totally doable. We snagged two tickets, booked a two-night hotel stay with reward points, and promptly forgot about it.
The trip nearly snuck up on us. We almost forgot to remind Brian’s parents they’d be watching Rost while we took this quick getaway. Honestly, we love our little third wheel, but we weren’t about to shell out the outrageous price of an NFL ticket for a two-year-old. Even the nosebleeds cost a small fortune.
Saturday morning, after a goodbye breakfast with Rost, we hit the road. The weather was perfect, the roads were clear, and six hours into the drive, we were already looking forward to dinner and drinks with Brian’s Army buddy, Scott. Then—my little blue trucklet shuddered. A slight drop in power made me glance at the dashboard just in time to see the oil light flick on. [Insert expletive here]. I immediately pulled over and killed the engine.
We stepped out to investigate and were greeted by the sight of oil pouring out of the bottom of the trucklet. [Insert second expletive here].
I called a tow company while Brian frantically searched for a mechanic who’d actually answer the phone on a Saturday afternoon. Long story short, we were saved by the kindness of an amazing mobile mechanic and a little bit of luck. The tow truck hauled us 30 minutes into the nearest town, where Conan, our hero of the day, met us in the AutoZone parking lot.
Turns out, Brian had gotten the oil changed the night before we left. Since it was a last-minute decision on a Friday afternoon, our usual shop wasn’t available, so he went somewhere new. Big mistake. They installed the wrong oil filter. Thankfully, it didn’t destroy the engine—or our weekend. Three hours later, we were back on the road, rolling into Seattle a little later than planned but grateful it wasn’t worse.
Sunday before the game, we played full-blown tourists with Scott and his beautiful family, exploring Seattle with fresh eyes.
And the game? Even this die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan had to admit—it was a blast. Now I’m already looking forward to catching more NFL games in the future. It turns out, football is a pretty great excuse for a little adventure.
Last spring, we took Rost to a reptile and amphibian show in Missoula. It was meant to be a fun family outing, but it sparked something unexpected in Brian—a realization of how much he missed having a bearded dragon.
A few months later, we welcomed Chester Lizard Bennett into our home.
Brian has embraced his role as a dedicated beardie dad, even building Chester a fully customized enclosure for when he’s not exploring the house. Rost, of course, is absolutely smitten with him too.
Today, Chester turns 1! I know I’m a bit late introducing him, but I’m still catching up on posts from 2024. My goal for 2025 is to finally get ahead. Say hi to Chester—and wish me luck on staying on top of things!
This Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful for the wonderful friends in my son’s life. They bring joy, laughter, and companionship that enrich his days and help him grow into the amazing person he’s becoming. Their kindness, loyalty, and shared experiences create memories he will cherish forever, and I am so thankful for the role they play in his journey. Knowing he is surrounded by such good-hearted people fills my heart with gratitude this holiday season.
Rost got sick this week. And not just a little under the weather—this was full-blown, feverish, clingy, “don’t you dare leave my side” kind of sick. The kind of sick that turns your house into a laundry factory and has you questioning how one tiny human can produce this much vomit.
By ten am, we had officially reached Laundry Mountain status. Pajamas? Changed a dozen times. Favorite blanket? Soaked. Even the couch cushions weren’t safe.
In the midst of the chaos, Rost found deep emotional support in… his chainsaw. Not Rost Cow, not the sttractor pillow—nope. The plastic chainsaw has been with us everywhere. It’s been snuggled, slept with, dragged through the house, and politely placed next to his juice. If you’ve never seen a two-year-old fever-nap while spooning a toy chainsaw, you’re missing out on peak toddler weirdness and charm.
And because we like to live dangerously, we decided that this would be the perfect time to say goodbye to the binky. Why not? We were already in survival mode. So, we swapped it out for a shiny new crane truck and crossed our fingers. Somehow—miraculously—Rost agreed to the trade and hasn’t looked back.
So this week, we’ve been surviving on snuggles, YouTube, laundry cycles, and lots of popsicles. And while it’s been exhausting and messy and loud (so, so loud—thanks to the new crane truck), there’s also something kind of beautiful about it. Because even in the chaos, there’s growth. There’s comfort. And there’s a tiny boy wrapped in blankets and bravery, ready to face the world without a binky… but never without his chainsaw.
In the moonlight’s glow, on a Halloween night, A toddler dressed as a cow gave quite a fright. With spots of black and a tail that swished, They wandered the streets where shadows hissed.
Little hooves pattered on the dark, cold ground, While eerie winds howled their ghostly sound. Candy bags rattled, a spectral scene, As the toddler mooed, “Happy Cow-O-Ween!”
