New Year's Resolutions

No doubt most of us are focusing today on what our New Year's resolutions will be. I, like the rest of America, love to make these resolutions but seem to fail year after year. I have only one resolution this year and am going to endeavor to keep that throughout the entire year. On another note, here are some New Year’s resolutions that are easier to keep. (Thanks to Ivmans' Blague for these.)

Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.

Don’t exercise. Waste your time in some other way.

Read less. Reading makes you think.

Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.

Take a vacation to someplace important, like to see the world’s largest ball of twine.

Don’t jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.

Get in a whole NEW rut!

Don’t buy an ‘83 Eldorado with a really loud stereo system, tinted windows, and fur on the dashboard.

Speak in a monotone voice and use only monosyllabic words.

Don’t eat cloned meat.

Create loose ends.

Get more toys.

Get further in debt.

Don’t believe politicians.

Don’t drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.

Don’t swim with piranhas or sharks.

Spread out priorities beyond the ability to keep track of them.

Wait for opportunity to knock.

Never make New Year’s resolutions again.

Run, Little Gingerbread Man!

When Mom was here on Christmas, she helped the kids decorate gingerbread men. They had a great time! Benjamin decorated his with mostly Red Hots and Sarah chose raisins (shows what they like to eat the most of!).

Top 10 List

When the Hensons are snowed in, here's our list of Top 10 favorite things to do.

10. Go for rides on Daddy's leg.

9. Play in the snow.

8. Dress up like a princess.

7. Play Empire Builder.

6. Sew some new clothes for the kids.

5. Take cool photos.

4. Eat yummy desserts.

3.Snuggle!

2. Draw pretty pictures.

1. Have fun with each other!

Christmas With Family

Christmas morning, Sarah woke us up about 7:30 and then went to wake Benjamin up. They were both shaking with excitement that it was finally Christmas! Rachel woke up when she heard the commotion, so there was no sleeping in for us! We opened gifts as a family on Christmas morning and were so blessed by the many wonderful (some fun and some useful) gifts from family near and far.


For breakfast, we enjoyed scrambled eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy.

My dad flew in on Christmas Day so my parents stopped on their way home for a family Christmas celebration. It was special to be able to spend the day with them. Rachel took a few minutes to warm up to my dad again, but then she was hooked.

We enjoyed ham, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, raisin bread, and apple pie for our Christmas dinner.

Of course, then we were all ready for a nap...

...followed by a monkey fight!

We had a wonderful day together with our little family of 5 and then later with my parents. We loved talking to other family members on Christmas and really missed them being a part of our day together.

Christmas With Friends

During our freak snowstorm, we were snowed in at the Savages' home, hoping to be able to make it to the Christmas Cantata (which ended up being canceled). We all had a great time watching the children playing, playing board games, and laughing like good friends do. While there, we celebrated Christmas with them. Typically we just buy gifts for family but this year we exchanged gifts with these special friends.




Josiah bought Sarah a gift with his own money. He bought her a princess set because the kids love to play that they're rescuing the princess from a tall tower or from pirates, etc. Sarah loved the gift! Of course, she also thought she should make Mommy a princess as well.


Jenny made Rachel a beautiful new jumper and plans to make a matching one for Keturah. It is so cute and long! I'm sure she will wear it a lot.

The Savages are such wonderful friends and we learn a lot from them. I just wanted to share them with the regular readers of my blog!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. May you have a wonderful day with family and friends as we all remember the reason for Christmas...our Savior's birth!

Buried Under a Mountain of Snow

The Northwest was hit by an unusual snowstorm this past week. It postponed our Christmas cantata at church and shut down much of the area. We stayed with some friends over the weekend so that we were closer to church for the Cantata, but then ended up getting some extra rest and enjoying some board games and coffee instead. Hopefully the Cantata will be able to happen this Wednesday, but there is more snow in the forecast. Please pray that the precipitation will come in the form of rain until the Cantata is over!

When we moved out here, we thought for sure the volume of snowfall that we had experienced in Buffalo was over...but I guess instead that we brought it with us. If you want to see some pictures of our snow in Buffalo, check out the "Another Snow Storm" post over here on my other blog.

I have some great pictures to post soon of some of our snowy activities. We are sure enjoying it!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The snow has begun! We received about 3 inches on Saturday that pretty much melted by Wednesday morning. Then the snow started again on Wednesday afternoon and has continued off and on since then. The kids were so excited to go out and play in it this morning. I'm watching the snow fall as I type this. I don't know how much will fall, but there's a good 2 inches out there already right now. We love the snow!!

The Privilege of Being a Stay at Home Mom

It is such a delight and an honor to now be a stay-at-home mom and wife. For several years, I had to work and I was thankful for a great job that provided the flexibility to be with my kids when necessary. However, it has made such a difference in our family for me to be at home.

An article that has provided encouragement to me can be found here.

I'm thankful for my "calling" to be a mommy to my quickly growing children and try to treasure each and every moment, knowing their childhoods will soon just be memories.

Happy 4th Birthday, Benjamin!

Happy 4th birthday, my little man! You have changed so much this year. You are always fun to be around and love making people (especially babies) laugh. You are learning to be more obedient and desire to please Mom and Dad. We pray that you will come to know the Lord as your personal Savior. We also pray that you will become the best man for God and that He will use you in a mighty way.

Tag...I'm It!

Jenny tagged me, so here it goes...

I AM … a stay at home mother and wife.

I WANT… obedient children!

I HAVE … everything I need.

I KEEP … my children's baby teeth when they fall out.

I WISH I COULD … fly our family to Guam for a visit.

I HATE … running errands on rainy days.

I FEAR … losing my husband or one of my children to death.

I HEAR … Benjamin playing with the dog.

I DON’T THINK ... Lily likes it when we're gone all day on Sunday.

I REGRET … not doing laundry on Friday.

I LOVE … my unselfish, loving husband.

I AM NOT … skinny.

I DANCE … with Garth in the kitchen after the kids have gone to bed.

I SING … to my children every day.

I NEVER... go to bed angry or upset.

I RARELY … miss a day without coffee.

I CRY WHEN I WATCH … Biggest Loser or Extreme Home Makeover

I AM NOT ALWAYS … looking on the positive side of life.

I HATE THAT … we live so far from church.

I’M CONFUSED ABOUT … outspoken women.

I NEED … a cup of coffee before bed.

I SHOULD … be getting ready for bed instead of writing a blog entry.

I TAG... April G., Cindy, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Jen V.

Happy 1st Birthday, Rachel!

Happy birthday, my sweet baby girl. It is so exciting that you are already a year old. Time has flown by so quickly! You were born in a snowstorm and it is snowing again tonight! May you become whatever the Lord wants you to be and always choose to honor Him in your life.

Birthday Party!

We had a houseful of guests (about 50 people) for Benjamin's and Rachel's birthday party last night. We had a birthday carnival theme including face painting, balloon animals, ring toss, and other carnival-type games. Thanks to everyone who came! You can see lots of pictures from the party over in the slideshow to the right. (By clicking on the slideshow, it will bring the pictures up in a larger window so you can see them better.)

Rachel's First Steps

Rachel is walking! She took her first steps a few weeks ago (right after she turned 11 months). She is much more confident now than in the video and actually prefers walking to crawling now. Our baby girl is growing up!

Don't Worry...We're Fine!

The men of our church are currently away on the Men's Retreat. Jenny and her 5 children are staying with us so we are definitely not bored and lonely! We have many things going on this weekend, but found some time for fun and relaxation last night. The kids used various methods of getting down the stairs (i.e., a cardboard box or a crib mattress) last night. (For all you of you concerned and worried, we DID put a very large cushion at the bottom of the stairs to ward off any injuries.)

I Corinthians 13 for Mothers

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love, I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love, my children learn cleanliness, ­not godliness.

If I scream at my children for every infraction, and fault them for every mess they make, but have not love, my children become people-pleasers, not obedient children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present "mommy," the taxi-driver to every childhood event, the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

All the projections I had for my house and my children have faded away into insignificance,

And what remain are the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture, dishes with missing place settings, and bedroom walls full of stickers, posters and markings,

But the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

-Adapted by Jim Fowler

A Birthday Carnival!

We did our best to pass out birthday invitations to everyone at church this weekend. However, if we missed you we'd still love to have you come!

Another Recital

Last weekend, Sarah had the privilege of participating in the Kitsap Young Musician's Festival. She was less nervous this time since she had already played these songs at her last recital. She didn't make one mistake! We are thankful for this talent that the Lord has given her and pray that she never tires of it.

What's Wrong With This Picture? - Part 3

Well, I hadn't intended to have a series on this, but it certainly has turned out that way! I have no idea why Benjamin is so fascinated with baby things. Rachel thinks it's pretty funny when he gets in them, too. He is one silly boy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. May you enjoy the time with friends and family today as we all reflect on what we are thankful for. Here's my top ten list...not in any order, but just ten things that came to mind right now.

1. My salvation and hope for eternity in Christ alone
2. My husband and children
3. My Godly heritage
4. Friends that encourage, uplift, and laugh with me
5. Cups of coffee...with those friends!
6. A pastor who preaches the Word unashamedly
7. The opportunity that my husband has to work from home
8. A good book
9. A larger home for entertaining and fellowshipping with others
10. The opportunity to homeschool our children

Miss Moneybags

I had just gotten home from the bank last week and was starting dinner. I heard squeals of delight from near the diaper bag and looked over and this is what I saw...

Rachel had gotten the money out of my wallet and was quite pleased with herself!

A New Niece

Lauren Nicole Abbott was born yesterday afternoon. Congratulations, Jon & Sarah! You can see more pictures over on their blog.

Household Chores

Every week I make it a priority to clean my house (sweeping the floors, vacuuming, cleaning each bathroom, dusting, etc). Having people into our home helps me reach my goal. There are not many people I'd want to come over with my house not in order! To me the worst kind of chores are the ones that just have to be done over and over again. Housecleaning looks great when it's done...for about 5 minutes. Then the dust settles back down, the kids get the toys out again, the baby drops Cheerios on the floor, and people must use the bathroom. Now don't get me wrong...I am happy to be able to do these chores. I am thankful that God has given me the ability to clean my home and make it a haven for my family. However, I'd like to hear what your favorite or least favorite household chore is. My least favorite is definitely dusting. My most favorite (if that's possible) is laundry...I don't really mind it.

Share away! I'd love to hear what your favorite and/or least favorite household chores are. Then get cleaning! = )

What's Wrong With This Picture? - Part 2

A Girl's Day Out

Recently we gave Claire's some business as Jaden, Sarah, and I got our ears pierced. Sarah was very excited at the whole idea until she got up in the chair and realized what she had committed to.



Rachel was curious as to what all of the commotion was about and why she had to stay buckled in her stroller.





Sarah was so brave and didn't cry one bit. The Claire's associates did both of her ears at once (by her choice) so that it would only hurt one time. Sarah chose which earrings she wanted to start with (gold balls). You can see my new earrings as well in this picture.



She loved the final result!