We need your help...

The 3rd Annual Help Cure
Ana Maria Fundraiser

to benefit Heroes on Horseback

Featuring: Vessel of Honour & Soul

May 8, 2010 from 11AM-3PM
@ the Hwy 21 Drive-In

and if you can't make it...
Please consider donating to Help Ana Help Heroes. Donations can be made online or at Wachovia Banks nation wide. The Wachovia business account is the Ana Maria Bennett Fund a Special Needs Trust.
Check it out for more information
http://www.helpcureanamaria.com/

Cha- Cha- Cha- Cha-Changes

I say it every time...it has been awhile since I have posted but my reason this time is all the CHANGES our little family is embarking on...

We are moving...after 7 wonderful years here in SC the Navy has decided it is time for us to leave. Our next duty station is....

USS Iwo Jima (ship on the left)

Okay well it's my husbands next duty station and we are just along for the ride!
It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. I know God has a plan and a purpose for our family but I dislike having to leave behind such wonderful friends and our wonderful church. Even though I was not born or raised in SC, it is my home now. 3 out 4 of our children were born here. This is what they and I know. I am excited to see what God has in store for us at our next "home" but I will deeply miss SC and all those I have come to know and love. So with that said, Here is my short and sweet post saying Goodbye to SC and all that came with it...Thank you for everything!

My prayer is that God will continue to bless our "family" here in SC and the church. I pray that our move will go smoothly and that the children will adjust easily. I pray that as we move we continually seek God's guidance and will as we make decisions. I also pray for the people that God puts in our path on our new journey. I pray that God helps lead us to a new church home where His Word is taught so that we might serve Him. Amen.

Signing off for a little while so that the computer can get packed :(

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays.....

The past 2 months have been a series of celebrating birthdays! Each birthday is a reminder of the gracious and precious blessing that God lovingly bestowed to Wayne and I. Our precious and outgoing, first born daughter Hannah turned 8 in January. Our quiet yet quirky second born daughter Lillian turned 5 in January. And our little cuddly teddy bear with an explosive temperament son Lucas turned 3 this February. Wayne and I are so very thankful for the time that God has given us with each of HIS special creations.

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;"
Psalm 127:3-5

"Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you."
Proverbs 23:25

"He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children,
and said, "Who are these with you?"
So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Genesis 33:5

So today as I reflect on all these birthdays I pray that God help Wayne and I -

"Train up a child in the way he should go,Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

" You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy 6:7

Here is the blessing I would like to each and everyone of the children God blesses us with to have:

"In the Name of Jesus Christ: I bless you with the ability to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not depend upon your own understanding. Such trust will keep you in the right track. When you trust in the Lord you can expect Him to meet all your needs. When you depart from evil and seek peace, the eyes of the Lord are upon you and His ears are open to your cry. You can trust Him to hear and answer your prayers and give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 34:8, 37:3-4 ~ Proverbs 3:5, 16:20

Christmas Newsletter for 2009

Season's Greetings to All our Family & Friends...

Another year has come and gone and we would like to share with you some of the things our little family has experienced throughout the year.

January 09 brought about the numerous birthdays once again...Hannah turned 7, Lilly 4 and I turned 29! Hannah experienced her very first sleepover! Lilly had a nice little family birthday with her "flower" cake that Mommy made!

February 09 brought our son Lucas to the age of 2! What a big boy he is getting to be! February also brought the Awana Grand Prix! The kids had fun making their derby cars with Daddy! It was a great family experience watching their cars race down that track!

March was filled with sorrow and joy. My beloved Grandmother (Grandma Helen) went home to be with the Lord. We made the trip to NC to attend her funeral. While we were there we took advantage of the time and spent it with family and visited some museums as a homeschool trip.

April 09 wrapped up the Awana year - Hannah finished Sparks 1st grade, Lilly finished first year Cubbies, and Lucas ended his Puggle year. We also took a trip home for Easter. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends. We also took the kids to the White House Easter Egg Roll. It was a good experience for us and the kids. Also while in Virginia my mother and friend threw me a baby shower for the impending arrival of baby number 4!


May 09 was a busy month! Wayne’s Dad came down to SC to visit the weekend of Mother’s Day for Lilly’s Dance recital! We had a great time watching Lilly dance and visiting with Papa John. We also took the kids to the air show! However the weather did not hold out for the whole day and the show was cut short! Some friends and I went to the Women of Joy Conference in Charleston, where I had the pleasure of meeting Kirk Cameron! We ladies had a blast! As usual in May, we found ourselves at the beach, pool and our favorite ice cream shop downtown! Wayne had a birthday and is now 35 years young! We spent Memorial Day Downtown watching daddy march in the parade!

June 09 was filled with all kinds of excitement! We did our annual camping trip at the beach with Tara’s Family! (Yes, even me at 37 weeks pregnant!) It was the hottest week of the year & we were tent camping! At the end of the week I had the pleasure of taking my dad to the HM Birthday Celebration downtown! I would have taken my husband but I am proud to say he was the one who organized and planned the event! He did a fantastic job! Just five days after the event, June 18th 8:04pm, our second son, Hunter Anthony Gonsorcik, was born weighing in at 9lbs 7oz 20in.

July 09 was spent getting to know our newest blessing! We also spent the 4th of July at Parris Island! Hunter did not seem to mind the fireworks! Hannah, Lilly, & Lucas all took swim lessons! They love the water and it shows!

August 09 the kids and I spent most of it traveling. Wayne stayed home, busy with work with & a few rounds of golf and met us in Ohio for the weekend! The kids and I went to Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky! We visited family, went to a wedding, visited the Creation Museum, and the Cincinnati Zoo!

September 09 started our home school year! Hannah is now in 2nd grade! Lilly is doing some pre-k work! The new Awana year began as well! Hannah is in 2nd Gr Sparks, Lilly is in 2nd yr Cubbies and Lucas is in 2nd yr Puggles! Hannah started cheerleading and Lilly started soccer! Hannah and Lilly are also doing the children’s choir at church! We also learned that we had orders for the Spring of 2010 to move to Norfolk, VA. Wayne is headed to the USS Iwo Jima.

October 09 was filled with activities! The kids and I took a quick trip to VA. While we were there we went to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard! Lilly had her first choir performance! So cute! Hunter decided to cut 3 teeth! Lucas decides it is time to start potty training!

November 09 began busy and ended busy! I was busy preparing for the Christmas Musical at church! The kids were busy with their activities and Daddy was busy with work! We took our annual Thanksgiving Day trip to VA to spend with friends and family!

We hope that everyone had a great December, a great Christmas, and the happiest of New Years! Please know that each of you are in our hearts and prayers all year long!

Amazing isn't it?

Doesn't it just amaze you how fast a child grows in just a few short years?

We bring home a new baby with hope and anticipations of who they are and who they will become. We love to hold them and feed them. We get excited when they get their first tooth or when they start reaching all those milestones. Sometimes it seems like we hurry them through each of those milestones...I have come to realize after having my fourth child that I find myself saying stop, wait, no don't grow so fast. Hunter is already 4 months and moving right along and I have enjoyed each of those milestones he is hit but at the same time I know each stage doesn't last long and I want to savor it as much as possible.

Lucas, my first son, my how you have grown. Such a sweet natured little baby to such a big boy!
Here he is just a few weeks old, so tiny and new.
Here he is soon to be three in February...


He went from tiny babe to a potty training big boy who likes to: hug and kiss...sing Jesus Loves Me...talk to everyone...wave to everyone...just full of personality...slow to boil but when he does watch out! I can only hope and pray for him as he grows that he will continue to have such a loving spirit and that he will come to know Jesus and share Him with that loving spirit.

Some good friends of mine, Sandy & Diane, threw me a baby shower while I was pregnant with my second son, Hunter. They gave me a book "Bless your Children Every Day" by Dr. Mary Ruth Swope. The book is a compilation of blessings which the author put together as she blessed her grandson. I have enjoyed reading the blessings and using them to bless my own children in the different areas of their lives. What I enjoy most about this book is that there are scripture references to go along with the blessings.

So today I will write the blessing from the book that I prayed for my son Lucas today and maybe it might just encourage you to pray and bless your own children and grandchildren.

"In the Name of Jesus Christ: I bless you with the deep desire to love God with all your heart and with the will and the ability to do so all the days of your life. I bless you, too, with the deep desire to love both your parents with true affection for as long as you live. Loving God first and your parents next will undoubtedly lead to your loving yourself and your neighbors as yourself. I bless you with this kind of love. I bless you with the understanding to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for you. Today I flood you with the knowledge of how precious you are to God, to your family, and to your friends. Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12, John 3:16;15:10, Ephesians 3:17-19, Romans 8:38-39"

Where have the past 4 1/2 months gone?

I really let time get away from me...So much has gone on in the past 4 months and the last thing I do is update this blog! I guess in the age of facebook most people already know what the coming and goings of my life are...but for those of you still following let me update...

As of July, my last post, we have spent a lot of time getting to know the ins and outs of our newest blessing Hunter! God has truly blessed us with 4 amazing children and each one of them very different in their own special and unique way. Hunter is a very laid back baby and so observant of the things around him. July 4th we spent with friends at Parris Island! Hunter did not seem to mind the fireworks! We also spent the July days at the pool for Hannah, Lilly, and Lucas' swim lessons! They love the water and it shows!

The kids and I spent most of August traveling around! We visited with friends and family in Virginia. We took in the beautiful scenery of Sideling Hill in Maryland! The kids got to see their Great Grandma Victoria in West Virginia. Then we traveled the country roads of West Virginia and Ohio to go to a cousin's wedding in Dayton. The kids got to spend some time with the Gonsorcik side of the family! After the wedding we drove to Kentucky and went to the Creation Museum! That was a lot of fun! It was cool watching Hannah put together the pieces of History according to God's Word that we spent learning about in her 1st grade year come to life. After that we drove back to Ohio to visit the Cincinnati Zoo! We had loads of fun feeding the giraffes! We continued our journey back to Virginia then back to good ol' SC ! Daddy missed all of us! He did get to play some golf while we were away!

In September we started back up with all our seasonal activities! Hannah began her 2nd grade school year! Lilly started doing some Pre-K level work! Awanas, Kid's Life, CBS and Children's Choir began! Also this month Hannah started cheerleading for the county and Lilly started playing soccer! Our days and weekends began to fill up! Hannah enjoyed cheerleading and Lilly has found that maybe soccer isn't the sport for her! Both girls are doing an amazing job at learning and memorizing God's Word through Awanas! Hannah is loving the art and home economics class through Kid's Life! And Hannah and I both are discovering so much as we walk through our lessons in Revelation at CBS! Lilly is loving Genesis Choir! She loves singing and music and it makes my heart melt to hear her lifting to praises to our Almighty God! Nothing could be better than to her the voice of a child praising the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! On another note...it was also in September that we learned that we would be taking orders to Norfolk, Va in the Spring of 2010. Wayne is to be heading to the USS Iwo Jima. This brought a lot of emotions in our household. We are very touched that Wayne is headed to this particular ship because it holds many memories of person we lost just a little over a year ago. We also struggle with the idea of leaving a place and the people in that place that we have come to know and love dearly! This is where we built our lives and have grown but on the other hand God is moving us for His Purpose and His Glory and I hold onto that for comfort. It is also nice that we will be a lot closer to friends and family. That 8 hour drive one way was beginning to take a toll on our van!

October began just as busy as September. The kids and I took a quick trip to Virginia to attend a 1yr old costume birthday party! While we were there we visited the pumpkin patch and apple orchard! We beat feet back home and Lilly had her very first choir performance! Mommy and Daddy are super proud of her! Hunter continues to grow by leaps and bounds and has even cut three teeth! It is hard to believe that he is four months! He isn't the only one growing...Lucas is becoming such a boy! He is potty training and doing quite well! We have just really enjoyed spending time together as a family! Wayne and I went to the Navy Ball and had the opportunity to meet Philip Brashear. Philip is the son of Carl Brashear, the first African American to become a Navy Diver. October was filled with many activities and fall happenings!

Now we move into November and our schedule begins to fill up again. The adult choir has really begun to prepare for the Christmas Musical, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and before you know it it will be Christmas! I continue to reflect on God's Work in our lives. I am reminded that God's Hand is in everything and I should do all things for HIS Glory! I am not perfect and never will be and apart from God I can nothing but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So I leave you with this...

Philippians 2:1-18

¹Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

²make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

³Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

⁵Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

⁶who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

⁷but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

⁸Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

⁹For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹²So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

¹³for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

¹⁴Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

¹⁵so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

¹⁶holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

¹⁷But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

¹⁸You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

2 weeks old already???

Yes, 2 weeks old already! Hunter has been in our family for 2 weeks now! It is amazing to me how fast time flies. We have spent the past 2 weeks growing as a family with one more little member. We are a family of 6! I look at Hunter during feeding times and all the emotions of each and everyone of my kids come flooding back! I still remember when we brought Hannah home over 7 years ago, and how Hunter's cheeks look just like Lilly's when we brought her home 4 years ago, and how elated I was to bring home a son when Lucas was born 2 years ago. God is so good! He gave Wayne and I 4 little blessings that have been worth every moment. I look back at Hunter's sonogram pictures and then to the pictures from today and think "WOW" to go from a tiny little cell made up of bits of me and bits of Wayne with God's handiwork to this baby boy I hold in my arms is just amazing! I pray for each day that he grows and I pray for the future that God has in store for this little man. I pray for the relationship that my kids will have with each other as they grow. And as always I pray for the guidance of God to help me raise these two girls and two boys the way He wants me to. Also I pray that God continue to bless this family and my marriage.

Philippians 4:6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.