tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85478973368610740282011-11-21T07:30:21.651-04:00Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.comBlogger1431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-35274659579990996732010-02-11T21:50:00.001-04:002010-02-11T21:52:06.565-04:00

For our interview: http://www.journey-through-grief.com/myers-benner.htmlAnd many additional resources found at http://www.journey-through-grief.com/index.html

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-22567530290795448522009-10-30T19:29:00.002-04:002009-10-30T20:05:49.802-04:00

We are not reopening this blog site to future posts (still putting any new reflections at: www.myers-benner.blogspot.com) but recently felt like it would be nice to put a link on the last post to the posting where we shared a summary of our journey with Nora. For those just landing on this site, it may feel cumbersome to navigate around. Going to http://myersbenner.blogspot.com/2008/11/

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-7597212838157457632009-06-26T21:01:00.000-04:002009-06-27T15:02:08.535-04:00

While our journey with Nora's presence in our lives is by no means complete, we are closing this blog to any future postings. We want this space to be maintained as a place that has focused primarily on our journey with Nora in life and death and in the year following her death. Future reflections can be found on our new blog "Encounters with Sustenance" at www.myers-benner.blogspot.com There

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-87459425935035616382009-06-06T22:23:00.005-04:002009-06-11T22:52:16.070-04:00

Who can say what the oldest human ritual might be? Certainly not I, but I feel confident that the pattern we and a largish group of our friends and family followed last evening must be among the earliest.Here is what we did: Having been invited by us, somewhere in the range of 55 people arrived at our home place, divisions of ornamental perennial plants (in pots, bags, and boxes) in hand, and

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-6220379401448208902009-06-04T21:09:00.004-04:002009-06-04T21:54:11.411-04:00

A day of much remembering. A week of remembering. A spring of remembering. We have been so grateful for some moments set aside to be more present to our memories and our grieving. We spent several days in WV this past weekend with family and for Jason and I to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We visited Blackwater Falls twice and Jason and I spent two nights at Douglas Falls B&B (which

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-61900264541154932192009-05-25T16:21:00.006-04:002009-05-25T16:31:08.678-04:00

Email sent today to all that received updates at any point before Nora was born, during her life or after her death:If you are receiving this email, you are one of those who wished, at some point along the way, to be kept informed of the progress of our family through the journey of our daughter and sister Nora Lynne’s new life and illness (or you were on our annual letter list or are close

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-77638779359057537852009-05-24T14:07:00.006-04:002009-05-24T17:56:05.780-04:00

Last night at our family meeting I put on the agenda to talk about ways we together as a family want to spend time together remembering and sharing about our time with Nora over the next number of weeks. It feels sometimes like the busyness created by the list of tasks to be done (even if many of them are to prepare for the event June 5th to commemorate her life and death), keeps us from being

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-33093478530169146092009-05-15T17:42:00.005-04:002009-05-15T19:00:46.779-04:00

Today marks Jason and I's 10th wedding anniversary. One decade together, and hopefully many more to come. We have spent it at home - the place that houses so many of our hopes and dreams for this next decade together. And we have spent it as a family. I continue to be addicted to picking lamb's quarter in large quantities to freeze and Jason worked hard breaking the sod and preparing the next

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-6649263278378278052009-05-10T21:21:00.004-04:002009-05-10T21:34:46.687-04:00

I packed a picnic lunch for us to enjoy together outside after church today. The weather was too beautiful to not be outside and a picnic at home would have been nice too but the "to do" list at home makes doing much other than working that down to a reasonable size difficult. So we went to the JMU arboretum, which Kali really enjoys and we do too. It just happens that the last time the three of

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-25318381302371066922009-04-30T22:00:00.003-04:002009-05-10T21:35:42.745-04:00

Well, I wasn't sure if it was going to be possible, but donating blood is getting so much easier. The hardest part was locating a blood drive happening in the area (and I hate the finger stick to check my iron level - I always jump). Kali got to come along and sit right beside me this time, and she was happy with that (also happy to get to have the snack AND to get a t-shirt without having

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-76054155182077400932009-04-19T17:22:00.005-04:002009-04-19T20:55:46.048-04:00

Sometimes rubbing salt in the wound is one hundred percent innocent and unavoidable.Yesterday we took part in the March of Dimes March for Babies that took place in Harrisonburg. We were walking on the "Tres Milagros" team, which was formed in honor of the triplets who benefited from Janelle's extra breastmilk during Nora's life and for some time thereafter. They and their parents have become

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-61699218603019819192009-04-02T07:47:00.004-04:002009-04-03T09:53:22.601-04:00

A portion of a longer letter written by Jason to family and closer friends: Today is a big day around here…the chicks have arrived! This morning at around 6:45 I got the call that the Penn Laird post office had our chicks, and I could retrieve them at my convenience. I found it convenient to be there by 7:08. I realized as I drove out our drive that I’d forgotten to brush my teeth.Upon my

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-602668173558568882009-03-29T08:30:00.006-04:002009-03-31T07:39:23.404-04:00

This past Saturday held another one of those moments that brings me up short. I was walking across the rug in the living room when something on the floor caught my eye. Sadly I realized that it was a walking iris bud that had somehow been prematurely disconnected from the plant, just a day before it was set to open its gorgeous delicate petals. The sadness I felt in that moment was so

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-65003871658177057672009-03-27T15:53:00.004-04:002009-03-27T22:01:46.600-04:00

This week I had an unexpected, in the end helpful and I think healthy, exchange with the leadership of a local Mennonite congregation. I pass this church several times a week on my way to take Kali to school. (I should note as a backdrop to this story that I don't tend to be overly appreciative of the little phrases that are chosen for church signs. I usually am able to laugh, shrug them off or

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-8716898092332975462009-03-15T08:28:00.003-04:002009-03-15T09:00:23.700-04:00

I am realizing, once again, how I feel drawn to use this blog for different purposes at different times. Lately, when I feel the urge to write something, I find that I have a new audience in mind, and audience of one: Kali. For whoever else may land on this page, I could wish that they might find something helpful or inspiring or comforting, but it seems that that is not my (current) main goal.

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-84319638246606825102009-03-06T18:12:00.003-04:002009-03-06T21:05:32.359-04:00

Kali has once again sacked out in the recliner before 6pm. While I'm ever so grateful for the alone time this occurrence gifts me with, it would be better spent time if I was not spending part of it worrying about her health. It seems that if nothing else gets our attention and makes us slow up, our bodies will require it! I've been feeling "off" physically for a good month or more now, but

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-9175134708461288452009-02-25T22:28:00.002-04:002009-02-25T22:36:40.299-04:00

If someone had told me two years ago that one day donating blood would be a healing ritual for me I would have wondered what turns life would take to bring me to that place. And that is where I find myself. Sweaty palms, shaking cold hands and all, I find myself dreading and eager to partake in this simple yet profound ritual of facing this relatively small fear in honor of a little person who

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-1974830303843649592009-02-23T23:08:00.005-04:002009-03-06T17:35:14.487-04:00

The last number of weeks have been tough! It seems that the second half of this first year is in some ways more awkward and challenging than the first. Who knows who is still thinking about Nora when they see our family of three, but the grief journey (for better or worse) has transitioned to a more private stage that sometimes carries a bit of loneliness with it. And for a perfectionist like

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-80457213175370253092009-01-30T12:32:00.002-04:002009-01-30T12:35:56.258-04:00

Look, the treesare turningtheir own bodiesinto pillarsof light,are giving off the richfragrance of cinnamonand fulfillment,the long tapersof cattailsare bursting and floating away overthe blue shouldersof the ponds,and every pond,no matter what itsname is, isnameless now.Every yeareverythingI have ever learnedin my lifetimeleads back to this: the firesand the black river of losswhose other sideis

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-51335260171709570522009-01-10T22:03:00.002-04:002009-01-11T08:44:21.778-04:00

Today we embark on a new phase in our journey of life without Nora. As of today we have lived longer without Nora than with her. Somehow it seems her life was much longer in many ways that the just over 7 months we have just waded through.Maybe that is why I felt a strong desire to again use the little bowl we weighed her in. As I brought it from our bedroom, where it has been housed since her

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-49383513324008992032009-01-04T18:36:00.003-04:002009-01-04T21:24:59.363-04:00

I spent the morning at home today journaling and watching our recording of Nora's memorial service. As the holiday break comes to an end and the work and school routine start up again tomorrow, I felt the need for some "all by myself" at home, while Kali and Jason connected with our church community and enjoyed the monthly potluck. It felt like choosing between two things I wanted, but deciding

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-25425475966484903332009-01-02T14:18:00.003-04:002009-01-02T14:32:22.216-04:00

Annual letter written to family and friends January 1, 2009: I, Jason, am sitting here in front of the woodstove in our living room while outside the bitter air methodically extracts the heat from every object with which it comes into contact, and I’m thankful I am now on this side of the wall. I am attempting to write a letter to you which will give you a taste of the way our family

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-38923417740727538362009-01-01T17:31:00.006-04:002009-01-01T20:28:54.872-04:00

The sun is setting on the first day of 2009. Kali is happily whispering to herself in the front room, clothed in her tutu and an apron. Dough for bagels is rising and will soon need our attention to shape and decorate. It's been a good first day of the year and a special end to 2008, spent with close friends Mark, Wendy and 1 year old Isaac. We last spent New Year's Eve with them 5 years ago

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-50796698395159002132008-12-29T23:16:00.005-04:002008-12-29T23:52:19.730-04:00

It's so good to be home (even if it was about 55 degrees in the house upon our arrival). As we were leaving Pennsylvania today and I was bouncing in my seat from excitement about going home, Jason commented that I seemed more excited to be going home than I was about our trip. I have to admit that that is probably accurate. Home is a space like no other for me right now.Pictures of our time

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-15088228490604616692008-12-20T21:59:00.007-04:002008-12-20T22:54:18.923-04:00

I am not sure the last time Kali and I have had such a low key day. Kali was clearly not herself, laying around pretty much all day and taking a nap before noon! She is sleeping again and upon checking her now her sweaty forehead confirms that her fever has broken, thanks to the acetaminophen which she very reluctantly took.We have yet to determine for sure if she has yet another virus coursing

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-65273779863440534112008-12-13T17:11:00.004-04:002008-12-13T17:27:28.873-04:00

*Just proof that I'm keeping my commitment! It's been eight weeks so time to get my courage up again and give blood! I didn't realize how popular I would be with O+ blood but I got 2 postcards and about 4 phone calls this past week about blood drives, including the one at Home Depot today. Honestly the most unpleasant part of it was getting there through all the holiday traffic. I was so glad

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-14033656525498895032008-12-12T23:34:00.004-04:002008-12-13T00:30:09.395-04:00

There are new pictures of some of our favorite little people online at:http://picasaweb.google.com/bennerj8/Phoebe# andhttp://picasaweb.google.com/bennerj8/TripletsTheirHomeOnThe7th#A lot of words could be added to them, but it mostly feels unnecessary. I think it goes without saying that we soak up their presence in our lives. We celebrate their vibrancy and health, enjoy each new thing they

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-70184440031837173452008-12-04T18:52:00.004-04:002008-12-04T20:30:28.071-04:00

The house feels a little strange without Jason's presence in it! He left around 4:30 this morning to take my Aunt to the airport, spend some time in DC with his sister, and then head to Harman, WV. He will be in WV helping my Uncle with the home they are building until Sunday morning when he returns home. Kali and I are having our first weekend at home together just the two of us since Kali

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-43950222644538666462008-11-30T22:47:00.004-04:002008-11-30T23:58:35.366-04:00

I'll be called for "cuddle time" with Kali here before too long but many thoughts have been brewing. We arrived home late last night after spending Thanksgiving with Jason's family (see http://picasaweb.google.com/bennerj8/ThanksgivingWeekend#) and a brief stop over in my parents' area for a funeral Saturday and a short visit with my sister and family. It felt so good to come up Fruit Farm Lane

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-15369233588628183522008-11-25T23:59:00.001-04:002008-11-26T01:07:37.565-04:00

Today has been another pensive day for me in many ways. It has also been one of those days that brings a whole host of various feelings. One year ago today we brought our little 4lb bundle, Nora, home from the hospital for the first time just a few days after Thanksgiving.I well remember entering our home to find it warmed by our woodstove that our neighbor Samuel had fired up for us. And soon

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-17805893030308202512008-11-21T22:59:00.004-04:002008-11-21T23:16:37.963-04:00

Recently I find myself in an odd space of living very much in the present and then for various reasons being flung emotionally back to a year ago. It started a number of weeks ago as the weather turned colder. I would head out to the car early in the mornings to go to work, my hair still wet from my shower, and I would have this sensation of walking to the car at Bill and Dottie's to head back

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-19774901654019907332008-11-17T23:19:00.003-04:002008-11-18T08:15:06.506-04:00

There are times in life when words abound and times when they don't. It may be partially the let down after the intense weeks of preparation for and time at the UVA retreat and then sharing at Shalom. It also feels like a time in our lives when there are more "unbloggable" things than there have been at some points in the past. Whatever the reason, this will be a very short reflection! Life

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-13704556202571190542008-11-10T08:31:00.003-04:002008-11-10T08:37:42.167-04:00

Yesterday we shared the reflections below with Shalom, the faith community which has walked with us over the past year. The following disclaimer was included in the bulletin: We would like for you to be aware that, due to time-length constraints, we have had to seriously narrow and simplify the focus of our reflections. This has caused what we are presenting today to be a grossly inadequate,

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-79847278856497089242008-11-07T08:22:00.002-04:002008-11-07T08:27:58.388-04:00

I don’t know much about (capital G) Grief. That is to say that my knowledge about the process of grieving comes from little nuggets I was able to pick up along the way, and now our family experience with it. And what I can say so far about it from this perspective is that it is one unpredictable process. It seems to have some things in common with onions (aside from making you cry), in that it

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-8163571612384977462008-11-03T23:41:00.004-04:002008-11-03T23:50:46.824-04:00

Jason, Kali and I returned late last evening from a weekend in Pennsylvania. Jason and I savored two nights in retreat just the two of us, thanks so my folks who cared for Kali during that time. Jason and I spent the majority of the time working down our 150 plus pages of updates into less than 10. We realized that we can really enjoy the process of working on something like this together if we

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-23628661856259532952008-10-30T00:07:00.004-04:002008-10-30T00:14:01.690-04:00

A few hours from now marks exactly one year’s time since Nora made her entrance in the world. She looked out on us with no judgment. I’ll never forget the first sight I had of her, the relief that whatever else might be wrong, and that she might not be able to do now or ever, at least she could cry! I’ll never forget the power of her birth, and the beginning of our long journey towards

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-70125240353699365212008-10-29T23:20:00.006-04:002008-10-29T23:29:31.283-04:00

9pm and the emotions have been clearly surfacing in this household this evening. As the day has progressed, it has been hard for me to not find myself traveling back to one year ago as we left home to travel to UVA for induction. At this time Jason, Melody (wonderful friend and midwife companion) and I had finished a round of Yahtzee and were just gearing up for playing Rook, while I balanced

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-60835682812028772222008-10-25T21:40:00.005-04:002008-10-25T22:55:31.354-04:00

Read the post immediately preceding this one to get Janelle's good overview of the past few days, which have been meaningful for our family (this does not imply pure enjoyment, but rather a density of importance).I've been spending my day making progress on a pair of tables for our kitchen and dining room. As working alone is my best way of processing life's events, I was also making internal

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-90951193401648401362008-10-25T16:28:00.004-04:002008-10-25T17:14:31.014-04:00

This week has been such a mixture. Thursday evening all three of us were quite emotional. Kali and I had stopped on our way home to print a bunch of pictures for a little album we have. I think I underestimate how these small events impact each of us on a deep level. Kali and I were kneeling there in RiteAid watching pictures spit out of the machine one after another - Nora vibrant and

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-16256866100153597392008-10-19T20:00:00.003-04:002008-10-19T21:35:15.045-04:00

This is Jason writing, and I will hope to explain the meanings of some of the photos to be found at:http://picasaweb.google.com/bennerj8/WVATripOctober1619#by way of briefly recounting our weekend. A preliminary bit of information to know is that there is a reason that Kali's visage looks a tad distorted (it seems only extremely familiar or visually perceptive persons are capable of noticing

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-66247789300801600242008-10-15T19:11:00.003-04:002008-10-15T20:29:42.905-04:00

Jason and Kali are out trying to successfully get all the things on my grocery list for me. Since their list of errands has delayed their arrival home, I lit my candle in silence and sat in our hammock alone for awhile. What I'm feeling most this evening is gratefulness for the ways Nora's life and my journey of parenting her continues to provide me with strength. For example, I gave blood today

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-75326717453538644052008-10-13T21:05:00.003-04:002008-10-13T21:17:19.870-04:00

The days have been full (of activity and emotion) for our family lately. The next several weeks involve many opportunities for reflecting and processing this past year and for that we are thankful. We are preparing for our participation in a retreat at UVA on pediatric palliative care later this month (days before Nora's first birthday). We feel excited about this opportunity and my email

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-2121734486522675502008-10-05T21:29:00.004-04:002008-10-05T22:37:35.524-04:00

Yesterday marked 4 months since we said goodbye to Nora. I guess it marks the passage of time that it was not until this morning that I thought about the date. It was a day for me that ended with a priceless time. I took a meal to close friends who recently had a little girl (and I went all by myself!). We were able to give them a number of Nora's things to use and had intentionally given

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-18394412881685932062008-10-04T10:06:00.004-04:002008-10-04T10:14:18.171-04:00

In Jason's post last night he didn't mention the highlight of Kali and I's day yesterday. After not seeing them for about a month we visited the triplets yesterday. They are on the verge of being very mobile. What fun! And the need for serious baby-proofing is right around the corner. Here's a few captured moments. When I first arrive at their home I don't know where to look first. It's almost

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-61385593628285594192008-10-03T23:04:00.003-04:002008-10-04T01:01:51.046-04:00

There are times when I would like to think that our family, while we have intentionally chosen some limited departures from the mainstream, could behave more or less normally if we so chose.And then along comes a movie night and I am obliged to come to terms with the reality that we really, really don't do "normal" very well.It started out innocently enough. Janelle got the hankering to watch a

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-67340298006256199422008-10-02T20:33:00.004-04:002008-10-02T20:44:33.705-04:00

I have an answer from our September 18th question! YES, a butterfly did in fact emerge. Yesterday, October 1st while Jason and Kali were in the Rocking R hardware our butterfly emerged and was sitting on a bag when they returned to the car. Kali had wanted to take it to school and Jason suggested that they leave it there overnight. Kali was insistent upon bringing it home. Smart girl!I don't

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-87043339152543914982008-09-29T23:11:00.003-04:002008-09-29T23:32:07.561-04:00

It's "happy minute" (11:11pm) as I write. I felt happier at most of the other minutes of the day than I do at once again being up at this hour, but it just hasn't felt like there has been an overabundance of minutes in the day... Overall it was a wonderful day today. I've determined over the last number of years that I tend to enjoy Jason's birthday even more than mine. I'm such a sucker for

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-71497903753055502072008-09-28T23:09:00.004-04:002008-09-28T23:29:52.549-04:00

This time last night we were just heading out of PA and homeward bound. Reading my last post I had to smile since once again we had an abbreviated weekend trip to PA! Some days I feel like there are just not enough hours in the day for all the life lessons coming my way right now. And I wanted to spend some time writing on my 30th birthday and have less than an hour of it left!! So a quick

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-5358835869213880902008-09-25T22:35:00.002-04:002008-09-25T23:03:50.450-04:00

After living with an odd, sporadic, annoying and highly mobile toothache for over a week my anxiety about the possibility of my teeth all of a sudden going into rapid decay and me ending up with dentures got the best of me and I made a dentist appointment (with a new dentist in hopes of having better experiences at the dentist and getting a second opinion on care for my two remaining baby teeth).

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-31723523833709147092008-09-22T20:52:00.005-04:002008-09-22T21:18:05.886-04:00

It feels so strange, thisfirst time. So many dayshave passed, that dustcould gather on the shelf aroundher image? Taking up a fractionof a sock, I dab and wipe awayaccumulated haze. I lose trackof the moments as I hold herin my blurred and achinggaze. And a

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-77566285289497605982008-09-22T01:47:00.002-04:002008-09-22T02:09:23.649-04:00

Kali's cold hasn't really slowed her up at all these last few days. And I don't think her daddy has lost much sleep over it, nor has she. I, on the other hand, seem to be woken easily by her coughing and find it impossible to rest until the coughing fit subsides. So I'm giving up going back to bed until this one ceases. In her sleep she pushes her water cup away, doesn't rest well if I try to

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-69914056545530786462008-09-20T21:40:00.006-04:002008-09-20T21:56:09.457-04:00

Kali saw her first real live Zebra today!!! For her birthday Kristin gave her a coupon book, including a trip to the Safari Park located in Natural Bridge, VA (www.virginiasafaripark.com). Despite her cold, she was still eager to get on the road this morning with Carl, Kristin and Phoebe.I've only heard snippets of their 8 hour adventure and seen 70 or so pictures. What I've gathered is that

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-65462385008427298522008-09-19T10:39:00.008-04:002008-09-20T15:39:06.325-04:00

I am a conjurer of infantsAugust, 2008M. Christine BennerThe times we findto talk about herare precious and hard,like gems.I darkly suspect they come easierto my brother and his wife.Everyone who knows themknows what happenedto their other daughter,knows that they bleeddry through the gashof her absenceevery day.And they have Kali,who lives without boundaries,who talks as if she’s seen her:her

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-75221938937567710742008-09-19T10:39:00.005-04:002008-09-19T20:57:57.606-04:00

Today while Jason worked up the hill replacing windows at Samuel and Margaret's, Kali and I had a low key day at home. Kali has gotten another virus of some kind - seems like a fairly minor cold thankfully. We puttered around home and in the afternoon got to enjoy having Phoebe with us for a few hours. She brightens up whatever space she is in!!We went for a walk together down to get the mail.

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-50626296609336356392008-09-18T22:11:00.002-04:002008-09-18T22:24:42.308-04:00

This morning a little girl, who had been dreamed of, hoped for and loved made her entrance into the outside world. I felt so honored to get to hold her just hours after her birth and marvel at her journey from inside to out. I wasn't quite anticipating the flood of emotions when I walked in the room. I wanted to celebrate with them and my tears were just a big mixture of celebration and grief

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-8226487691892628872008-09-16T20:56:00.004-04:002008-09-18T22:11:43.201-04:00

It's that time of year when every time we go out to our car, we can find another large handful of chestnuts on the ground that have fallen from the tree since the last time we headed out. Jason has been collecting them for a number of days to use in a "recipe" and yesterday was the day to do it! Jason and I are pretty different when it comes to cooking. He enjoys finding a new recipe to

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-45234281469568280452008-09-13T21:32:00.003-04:002008-09-13T22:56:46.987-04:00

It's been about 12 hours since we left home this morning. A good day. An emotional day. A day full of remembering and celebrating and missing Nora.After a birthday party at a local park for Kali's friend Maia who was celebrating her 4th birthday, we headed over to Charlottesville. As we neared and drove past the hospital, my body clearly remembered many of the emotions of our trips to and from

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-66822750246857159282008-09-12T16:42:00.005-04:002008-09-12T17:18:38.655-04:00

A week of silence on the blog front. I'm starting to realize that I'm needing varied spaces and ways of processing, and see myself moving away from utilizing this "online tool" as much in the future. We'll see. One of the things I've found myself pondering this week is our life's journey moving from being relatively private (other than with close family and friends) to relatively public (

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-84575323319228104822008-09-05T23:05:00.003-04:002008-09-06T08:15:16.695-04:00

Periodically I find myself in a situation where I have some control over my surroundings or circumstances. Construction projects, especially those involving inert materials, fit the bill nicely. The front walk project (involving dry-laying paving bricks in sand, at this stage) is a good example, and was the order of the day today for me. In light of that, I am interested in my mood this

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-23440736361634814322008-09-05T12:30:00.005-04:002008-09-05T12:51:49.284-04:00

Tuesday was Kali's first day of school at Shenandoah Valley Community School. She was excited (up off and on from 5:30am on that morning). However, I thought I might have to go to work without my pinky finger that day as she was reluctant to let go of me. The day went fine though and she was eager to return yesterday morning with Jason to "volunteer."I was not so thrilled Wednesday evening when

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-48886258733358597262008-09-03T22:55:00.002-04:002008-09-03T23:11:38.390-04:00

I sit here poised to type in the quiet and dark and I'm so tired I can barely see straight and in moments tears will probably blur the ability to see at all. Something has to change for me, and soon. I cannot keep going at the pace I am with work and stay healthy, emotionally and physically. I am not present to Jason or Kali or myself or to Nora's memories in the way I need and want to be right

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-65563271462877426862008-08-31T18:58:00.004-04:002008-08-31T19:07:42.285-04:00

What a special afternoon! We enjoyed the company of good friends and three very special little ones. The pictures are better than many words. They make us smile...a lot!

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-75781797142209969902008-08-31T13:58:00.003-04:002008-08-31T14:08:48.449-04:00

We've been doing some more food processing lately, some successful and some not so successful. We've now picked apples from 3 of our trees. You heard about the first trial on applesauce - UNSUCCESSFUL at least in producing a quality applesauce. Our second tree gave us a wheelbarrow full of perfect applesauce apples - the kind that makes applesauce just from cooking them down and the victorian

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-56023577380140089022008-08-31T13:53:00.002-04:002008-08-31T13:57:44.744-04:00

Kali is now the happy owner of a PURPLE (very purple) bike, thanks to Aunt Karen and Aunt Sue. She is also sporting her orange shirt hand delivered from Beijing by Aunt Sue who just returned from refereeing women's basketball at the Olympics. Thankfully the only warning on Kali's bike says to wear a helmet, which she is already in the habit of doing. She's become quite a cautious girl these

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-4493872847883215222008-08-29T22:23:00.002-04:002008-08-29T22:37:26.993-04:00

8/29/07 I wrote in my journal:"Today's the big appointment day. It's about 6:40 and I've been trying to sleep since about 6 but I think my mind is too full and I'm thinking a lot about our time with the midwives today...The appointment feels like it will be very significant. I'm hoping it will bring some of the reassurance I'm longing for! But I can't help but wonder how I will feel if it

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-64603700728764978542008-08-29T22:22:00.002-04:002008-08-29T22:22:45.173-04:00

The recent rain (finally), has kept Kali and I mostly thinking about indoor projects for the past few days, which has brought some disappointment in that the front walk will not be finished as quickly as I had hoped. However, anyone who has ever received an eye exam from a five-year-old in baby blue panties and a purple tutu top is familiar with the compensations. Slowing down is sometimes

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-23508320347799977552008-08-28T20:45:00.003-04:002008-08-28T20:51:32.927-04:00

The ache is so strong again tonight! It's like you want to run away from it and then you want to run to it and then you don't know what to do with it when it hits you in the face all over again. The reminders are everywhere:Kali wants to make a new toy with the old spools we have. She picks out three red spools and she and daddy devise a plan to make a new one. She nonchalantly says that the

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-51874585225796700692008-08-26T21:18:00.002-04:002008-08-26T21:23:12.626-04:00

Tomorrow feels like a big day and the start of the "one year ago's." This day one year ago Jason and I were eagerly anticipating our follow up 28 week ultrasound tomorrow. We were hoping for the best and fearing the worst. It was the day that started the roller coaster of unknowns and questions and uncertainties and hopes and fears. I had just made it through two very busy days of orienting

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-43629614405512400542008-08-22T21:33:00.008-04:002008-08-22T21:54:47.336-04:00

We enjoyed an evening with our neighbors, celebrating Kali's birthday (one week past). Dinner, complete with her favorites (macaroni and cheese, black olives, soybeans, etc...), followed by a fire to roast marshmallows and ending with Pin the Tail on the purple-striped zebra was enjoyed (hopefully by all). See: http://picasaweb.google.com/bennerj8/KaliSBirthdayPartyThe above link gives a taste

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-16579718476893424392008-08-19T22:40:00.005-04:002008-08-19T23:31:56.821-04:00

Today was one of those days that ends with that real good tired feeling from the tip of my head to the tip of my toes. I won't begin to capture it all here, and it may not be a real exciting read, but somehow it is one of those days that I want to remember. Not just for the mere fact that Kali and I packed a lot into the day... I haven't had a day quite like this since before I went on bed

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-86060826537619474502008-08-18T22:39:00.002-04:002008-08-18T22:51:06.254-04:00

I don't consider myself a natural born mystic, but after sharing the following story my dad suspects that I have more of the mystic in me than I realize. Either way, my morning started with another strong reminder of Nora. I was up well before Jason and Kali once again getting ready for a long work day. Drawn to the front room, I stood by our finished memory box for a few moments and then

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-28828042267771942192008-08-17T21:17:00.006-04:002008-08-17T21:36:08.394-04:00

We are home safely after a weekend in Mount Joy, PA. Kali turned 5 on Friday, August 15th. It was a day much anticipated by her and eagerly celebrated by us. Kali has been wanting to go to Grandma and Grandpa (Myers) Pennsylvania house for some time and so this seemed like a good weekend for it. The last time we had been there was when I was at the beginning of bed rest (Jason and I's

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-58204432504421174492008-08-15T21:41:00.007-04:002008-08-18T22:39:22.101-04:00

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-13483975615696228882008-08-11T21:26:00.003-04:002008-08-11T22:25:49.329-04:00

Seeing a 12 ton heap of gravel on a newly fashioned parking space can really bring satisfaction. That is, unless it's the wrong kind of gravel. I might have caught the mistake as it was being dumped and prevented all 12 tons from ending up where it didn't belong if I hadn't been occupied with directing the rollback tow truck that had come to pick up our disabled car at exactly the same moment

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-14115305840554075992008-08-10T21:47:00.007-04:002008-08-10T22:33:22.372-04:00

We've had a good and special two days at home, doing one of the things I love to do most in the world - food processing! Yesterday we got a taste of what we've dreamed of doing in our home - putting up food with friends, utilizing the luxury of having not one but two kitchens. Our good friends James, Donna and Ella, along with two more of their family members, joined us to process 16 dozen ears

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-34243179686258184692008-08-09T09:54:00.002-04:002008-08-09T10:02:14.565-04:00

I’m savoring some quiet moments here this morning as the rest of the family is still slumbering. It was a more restless night of sleep for me, with dreams and more frequent waking, not to attend to anyone or anything other than my swirling thoughts and emotions. It seems that both Jason and I find ourselves lately in a place of high emotion and deep sadness. I guess it should come as no

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-79346445387136803522008-08-07T22:47:00.006-04:002008-08-07T23:03:16.272-04:00

A fun "date night" was had by all!! Jason and I decided on our last "date" where we ate at a restaurant and meandered around town, that the next one would be at home doing what we love doing not what we feel we "should" do to make it a "date." So we canned peaches and pasta sauce. FUN!! The timing was special as today marked Jason and I's 10 year engagement anniversary.Meanwhile, Kali was

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-67724338211372366092008-08-06T19:37:00.003-04:002008-08-07T22:36:00.092-04:00

When I was pregnant, whenever we went around the table to say what we were thankful for, Kali always said, "I'm thankful for Drimpy (her chosen name for the baby)." When Nora was born, she changed it slightly and always said, "I'm thankful for Nora." Tonight at dinner we went around to say what we were thankful for from our day. We haven't done it quite as often since Nora died. Kali decided

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-21459154893361383112008-08-05T20:53:00.016-04:002008-08-05T21:21:19.279-04:00

We just came inside after starting to spread out our 24,000 pounds of gravel that was delivered today from Frazier Quarry. Another good family task to do together. I, of course, dove right in and worked up a sweat within minutes and didn't use gloves so had two blisters within the hour. Jason comes along with gloves and works steadily long past when Kali moved on to filling her shoes and socks

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-17234506443212517672008-08-04T21:23:00.008-04:002008-08-05T08:13:10.394-04:00

Jason is holding on to Kali with one hand so she can't get away and trying to brush her hair with the other. At this rate, I'm likely to finish this posting before her hair is brushed.The last number of days I've been wanting to write and then another day comes and goes and I think of more things I want to write but forget the thoughts from the previous day. And so life goes.We have had some

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-49610125997984814082008-08-01T07:31:00.006-04:002008-08-01T22:16:23.215-04:00

You'd think after pumping 5-8 times daily over 7 months and then several times a day for 2 more months, I'd be done. If I don't choose to quit soon, I'll be pumping for next to nothing as it seems my body is no longer fooled by this machine. I've gone from pumping2 full bottles of milk each pumping (12 oz) to working hard for 3 oz.Over 2000 ounces went to Wake Med Milk Bank and over 3000 to the

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-49869172688321293842008-07-28T07:51:00.005-04:002008-07-28T16:23:53.873-04:00

July 28, 2008Hauling rocks as a family - who knew it could be so fun. Kali chattering about buying this house and making a parking space and how perfect it will be and how it will be so much better since she is organizing and placing rocks. Us laughing at each other and ourselves and we strain to lift rocks larger than our means.

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-90277177077125339032008-07-28T07:38:00.000-04:002008-07-28T07:50:43.430-04:00

July 26, 2008 10:35pm and I’m typing to the sound of Jason’s distant snoring and Kali’s persistent chattering. We decided last evening during Jason and I’s marathon tear-filled processing session that we were going to temporarily give up on attempting early bedtimes with Kali. It was futile and only made all of us frustrated. So tonight we tried tiring her out instead but it seems that once

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-49979802610111475332008-07-03T16:27:00.000-04:002008-07-28T16:33:15.136-04:00

July 3, 2008 So I already hate going to the dentist, so I was not starting off in a very good mood. See I still have two baby teeth and one is starting to show that it didn’t intend to be in my mouth for this long. There is nothing underneath to replace it so I’m hoping to coax it along for awhile yet. This afternoon, I found myself sitting in the dreaded chair with half my mouth numb and

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-27058727533973791392008-06-28T11:22:00.002-04:002008-08-16T11:30:07.757-04:00

From Jason’s parents’ place in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania (PA) Some moments I feel so raw. One moment I’ll feel able to enter into a conversation and the next I need to get away, and the sooner the better. It seems innocent for a conversation to go from raisins in baked goods, to cinnamon raisin bagels, to sundried tomato bagels, and then the question is posed: What food is so good that you

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-13521228580945536872008-06-22T10:55:00.003-04:002008-09-20T15:48:43.066-04:00

I am writing this letter from Eliza Hoover’s graciously loaned cottage in Cape Charles, VA, which is at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Our family getaway promises to be what we hoped for in terms of a vacation environment. The family friendly beaches feature diminutive wave action and a shallow section that stretches some hundred or more feet

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-7516371414967296272008-06-15T10:27:00.003-04:002008-09-20T15:35:14.460-04:00

Father’s Day and Kali is officially 4 and 5/6 years old today This morning before Kali woke up, Mom and I talked some about the night of Nora’s death. I have yet to write much down about that night, though the emotions are clearly near the surface when I put words to the experience. I haven’t cracked my journal open for months and now the task feels daunting. On one level I know it is just

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-67235234864226700622008-06-15T10:17:00.002-04:002008-08-16T10:23:25.544-04:00

I am home alone this weekend getting a home improvement project done while Janelle and Kali are with Janelle’s mom in WVA at the Mountain House, preparing for “Curriculum Camp”, which is an academic planning retreat involving the faculty and other leadership from Janelle’s workplace. Since the tile mortar needs some hours to set up before I can proceed to the next step, I’ll take the evening to

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-78509776967924797532008-06-14T10:10:00.002-04:002008-08-16T10:16:58.072-04:00

The rain is falling gently outside and the thunder is rumbling around us. Kali and I arrived in Harman, West Virginia with my Mom yesterday afternoon and will be here until late on Tuesday. Each year after the Summer Peacebuilding Institute/SPI ends, we hold a “curriculum camp” with the faculty from my work at CJP (the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding) to review the past year and think ahead

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-48858943654875998892008-06-10T10:23:00.003-04:002008-11-03T22:53:57.159-04:00

Friends and family near and far, Here you will find a promised update and various attachments for all, but particularly those unable to be with us on Saturday. While this isn’t our longest update, it is an email full of attachments. Just a quick note of explanation on the attachments: Nora’s program – a scanned version of the program, because I wanted to include Aunt Christie’s

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-88510971221857888442008-06-10T10:06:00.002-04:002008-11-03T23:03:51.678-04:00

Heartfelt thanks to all who attended Nora’s memorial service on Saturday the 7th of June, and all who were there with us in spirit. It was a wonder to us to see so many friends and supporters from so many different facets of our community of connections. Some friends traveled substantially to be there, and that meant a lot. We also felt lots of gratefulness towards all those who participated

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-89184535334560159962008-06-04T23:04:00.002-04:002008-11-03T23:07:13.781-04:00

Thanks for the support pouring in at us from all directions. We are most grateful! And incredibly tired!! It is hard to believe that it has not even been a day since Nora died. It feels like an eternity since I cradled her in my arms this morning and my arms ache to hold her. The grief comes in big waves. Coming home felt so wrong and so right all at the same time. Sharing the news with

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-39094031720716355362008-06-04T14:51:00.002-04:002008-08-15T15:21:58.061-04:00

Dear loved ones, She’s free. Her last gift to us was that she did not linger when it was time to go. We do not feel that she was in any way suffering. Her lung function had been steadily decreasing over the past few days, and this evening after her cousins Joshua and Sabrina had visited her, things seemed to accelerate. Through the night there was a steady increase in her work of breathing,

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-85455634984899128542008-06-02T14:36:00.002-04:002008-08-15T14:51:02.611-04:00

Monday, 9:45pm and I write this with the dim light of the computer and the soft light in Nora’s room. The hospital noises outside are dulled by the Songs and lullabies for children of the world CD that has been on repeat in Nora’s room ever since we moved to 7 West several days ago. Jason is comforting Nora as she drifts to sleep, being disturbed occasionally by her worsening cough. I’m

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-21588117477664143762008-06-01T14:30:00.002-04:002008-08-15T14:36:31.371-04:00

This evening our friends and neighbors Samuel and Margaret Johnson came here to Nora’s room on the west wing of the seventh floor of the UVA hospital and paid us a visit. They had brought one of their fine, simple meals along, which tasted and smelled so right, in ways hospital and restaurant food never could, and they brought with them the warmth and caring that they take with them wherever

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-48316499926320518482008-05-30T11:29:00.003-04:002008-08-15T11:37:08.282-04:00

I’m hoping life will soon slow down enough that daily updates won’t seem necessary. It feels good to write that we continue to have a happy baby on our hands!! She even cooed and smil­ed for one of the nurses today. As of this morning she has been relieved the burden of at least 5 cords and 5 sticky circles all over her chest that have bothered her for the last number of days. They are also

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-31080177232159519082008-05-29T11:19:00.002-04:002008-08-15T11:23:40.689-04:00

If all a person ever saw of Nora were the pictures in the collage accompanying this update, that person would be tempted to wonder what all the fuss was about. When she’s not doing as well, it doesn’t exactly occur to us to grab a camera. Also, her shocking wrinkled skin on her arms especially doesn’t tend to get included in the viewfinder. About twice in a twenty-four hour period a resident

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-606584565527401312008-05-28T11:00:00.002-04:002008-08-15T11:18:29.050-04:00

9:30pm After over 15 hours in the PICU today without much of a break from the action (including nursing Nora often more for comfort than nutrition, meeting with countless health professionals and continually having my vocabulary, brain and emotions stretched to the limits, and trying to ignore beeping monitors) I feel pretty fried by this hour. As I type, Nora is doing her low grade “I’d rather

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-63919222884198586122008-05-27T10:55:00.002-04:002008-08-15T11:00:01.960-04:00

Please, be praying. Nora is at this moment being airlifted by helicopter from Harrisonburg to University of Virginia. She has been having increasing respiratory distress. Pray for Jason and Janelle as they try to be there and make decisions. That's all for now. I must run as I just got called for a stat consultation at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon as I'm on call tonight. I hope I can think.

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547897336861074028.post-32254903473668531342008-05-25T22:41:00.000-04:002008-11-03T22:43:54.697-04:00

In a moment of intense emotion Janelle wrote (but never circulated) soon after coming home from the hospitalization where the feeding tube surgery was done :"A few days not like herself and then she’ll bounce back." Is this bouncing back? Crying miserably…low oxygenation levels…struggling to know how much to feed her and when…not being able to get close to her belly without her grimacing…leakage

Janelle and Jason Myers-Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00395452909845692098noreply@blogger.com0