Christmas Tree Time!

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It's time to get the Christmas Tree! I love this tradition! Each year, the day after Thanksgiving, Mike and I go to Menards (of all places) and pick out our REAL Christmas tree. We've always had a real Christmas tree and we talked about getting a fake one this year since Taylor is now here but we want him to enjoy a real tree and we didn't want to change the tradition so instead we have a fire extinguisher right next to the tree which in turn creates an even more magical feeling! :)
This year was more special because we got to share it with Taylor and I know that he enjoyed it because he loved smiling for the camera! I love when we can capture those moments! It wasn't too cold either and Mike loved that because he didn't freeze to death while he was tying the tree to the roof of the truck. And we were able to set up the camera to get a picture of all of us together! I can't wait to decorate it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to let everyone know how thankful we are for each and every one of you

and the important and precious role you play in our daily lives.

We wouldn't be the characters that we are :) if it weren't for you all!

I especially am thankful for my sisters and Mom.....

they are important to me in more ways than one

and I can't begin to think of all the ways that they continually bless and encourage me. Especially with me being a new mom and needing all the advice and help I can get!

They are always so willing to encourage and support and I am so very thankful for them!

I love you, Mom, Heather and Jess!

Chocolate Covered Cherries

The Christmas traditions are already here! I can't believe it's already that time of year!

Today we went to my Grandma's to make chocolate covered cherries......yes, making them in the middle of November for Christmas seems to be a little ahead of schedule but we always make them at this time because the close to Christmas the more hectic the schedule and also, they need time for the insides to soften......so.......we start now!!! ;)

The day started early since it takes quite a while for all the steps and this year we are going to try to make almost 600. Our first step is to make all the nougat that surrounds each cherry so I worked on that while my sisters took all the stems off the cherries. My Grandma is really just there to "supervise", taste test, :) and wrap a few cherries......

The nougat has to harden before we can start wrapping it around the cherries

so we try to get at least one going and then go in stages.

Once the first batch of cherries is wrapped they go into the cold garage to harden in order for us to be able to dip them in chocolate. Once the dipping starts, we are close to being done. But today, the dipping didn't start until around 4pm which got us home later than we expected.

It was a good day though - 560 cherries wrapped and dipped and ready to eat!

My favorite way? FROZEN!!! :)

Happy Halloween!

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Payten Grace...

was born on October 29th! We went up to the hospital to see the new baby and tired mom! They both looked great when we got there and Ang looked really happy that it was all over! :) Mom and Dad Henderson were visiting Tim, Kim and the kids in TN so they weren't able to visit them in the hospital but Mom had me bring all the presents up to the hospital to have Angie enjoy them. I should have taken pictures of that but I didn't.....I think Mike had the camera and I was holding Payten. :) Steve and Melissa were there when we got there and it was really nice to see them - Melissa looks really well and the baby is doing really well. Payten is so beautiful and precious and we can't wait to see her again!

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Harvest Party!

Each year, we have a harvest party at church. The kids dress up in costumes and we have a contest. This year, I was able to decorate really cute and everyone had a great time! We had hotdogs, chips and brownies and played some awesome games. I believe everyone enjoyed themselves.....no, I know everyone enjoyed themselves, especially me!

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The Cold is Here!

The windy cold weather is finally here and we got to put Taylor in his first hat! I just love him in any kind of hat but these are the cutest!!! He didn't know what to do at first but he doesn't seem to mind them now. I just love all the "firsts" and getting to document each one.

Family Party '08

I can't remember the exact year that this tradition started but it was a few years ago when Mike and I decided to have my family over for a get-together. Each year, everyone comes over to our house and we provide all the food and drinks and we just hang out all day and play yard games and then enjoy a bonfire......it's really fun and we always have a great time. This year we didn't get as many pictures as we normally do so there isn't much to see but we still had a great time. Steven couldn't make it because he had to work and Deron wasn't there because of school but everyone else made it! The older boy cousins always have a fun time together :) and this year we gave them these balls to play with so they had a fun time throwing them around the yard and running to catch them. I got some awesome recipes online from Food Network and from what everyone said, everything turned out great! I love these times together and I love that we have made this a tradition. I know that I look forward to it every year!

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Family Picture

We were able to take a family picture today. A first! And it turned out really well! Not sure when this will happen again so I had to post it!

Another Day at the Fair!!!

We went to the Fair again today! Where else would we go and what else would we do? :)
This time we met my parents because we always spend at least one day with them at the Fair. This year though, Dad and I did not split one of those 5 foot hotdogs which I think my stomach is much better this year because of that!
The day was so beautiful and we just leisurely walked around enjoying the weather and food. Again with the food but it's so much fun! I'm sure that I will gain back some of that baby weight! ;)
We are hoping to go again a couple more times and I can't wait!!!

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The State Fair is Here!!!

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The Fair is finally here! It's one of our most favorite times of year!!! And now that Taylor is here, he can share it with us!
Yesterday, we went to the fair with the Henderson Family!!! Since Tim and Kim just moved to Tennessee, we weren't able to go with them this year but Tim was able to fly in for the afternoon before he went back to South Dakota for the weekend so we were able to spend it with him which was awesome!!!

We were able to see a lot and eat a lot! But that's what the fair is for - eating!!! It was so awesome to be there and we loved every minute!!!

Fishin' with Mom and Dad

We finally planned a night with my parents! We've been trying all summer to get together and enjoy the boat but it hasn't worked out until now. But we had a beautiful night! So last night, we met Mom and Dad at 'Za, this awesome pizzeria in Forest Lake right off the lake and enjoyed some great food. Dad was a little eager to get out before the sun set so we had to eat fast! :)

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The lake was so calm and the sky was unbelievably clear - just a beautiful night! We went over to the channel near my Grandma's house and the guys started fishing. Mom and I played Scrabble (I have a travel set) and enjoyed the weather. Taylor slept the whole time! We made this little bed for him on the floor of the boat and bundled him all up. The weirdest thing though........we passed this one inlet where all these white cranes were up in the trees roosting for the night. There was about fifty to sixty cranes just sitting in the trees......it was so creepy. After that, we headed back to my parent's house to enjoy coffee malts. My dad makes the best malts! The night was so relaxing and wonderful, just a great Friday night!

Baby Kyle is Here!

Baby Kyle is finally here! Mom and baby are doing great! Again, another very easy delivery and handsome little boy! He is 8 lbs 11 oz and 22 inches long! Almost as big as Taylor, just 4 oz shy......but Heather had a much better delivery, which I am so happy for her and thankful that everything went so well! He's just the cutest little thing - lots of blond hair! I know, blonde hair on brand new baby, but it's true.......and its adorable. Again, Taylor stayed with Daddy while I was at the hospital and it was a very quick time at the hospital. Just had to let everyone know that he's here!

Wow! VBT is here! We went out to eat with everyone tonight just because we don't have to work this week. Oh wait, Mike doesn't have to work but I do........since I just got back from maternity leave a week ago, there wasn't any way that I could take another week off. We'll have to see how this works out. :) We went over to Applebees because they have their appetizers 1/2 off after 9pm and we take advantage of that deal! It was a great time and we got to brain storm about VBT and make sure we had the bases covered. It was awesome! We should make it a tradition!

Baby Keira is Here!

Baby Keira was born early early this morning! Mom and Baby are doing great. Jess had such a great delivery and everything went so well - Praise the Lord! She is absolutely adorable! She has a lot of dark hair and she's 7 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long. Just a tiny little thing! Taylor was never that little so I don't know what that feels like! ;) Taylor stayed with Daddy while Mommy was at the hospital. I don't have any pictures because I forgot my camera and had to take pictures with my phone. I don't know how to upload those so I'll have to put a picture on here later. Had to let everyone know right away that she's here!

Trip to Tim and Kim's

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We just got back from Tim and Kim's - our last time out there since they are moving in August to Tennessee! I can't believe that they won't be out in SD anymore! We are going to miss them so much! They are such a neat family and so special to us in every way! We got out there on the 4th just in time to eat a wonderful dinner (Kim is such a great cook) and then head over to Brookings for fireworks. Taylor and I had to stay in the car because they were so close and loud and I got the fireworks of his spitup - it went everywhere! All over the door, all over me, all over him, really all over everything! I had to open the door and ask Mike to come over and help me. Saturday, Mike went golfing with Tim and the boys and then they went to the pool while Kim, Ash and I went shopping. We went to Hobby Lobby - my first time ever - and I fell in love. Since our car was already packed going out there, I had to limit myself to what I could buy and that was really hard because everything was so amazing! Kim really helped me pick out some good stuff - she's so good at that, you should see her house! Sunday was church with an afternoon picnic and softball game. Tim asked Mike to preach and he did such a good job - I was so proud! :) We just relaxed the rest of the night and then relaxed on Monday and drove back leisurely! It was such an awesome weekend!

Taste of MN

Mike and I were able to go on a date to Taste of MN tonight. Mom and Dad Henderson offered to watch Taylor so that we could spend some time together. Mike and I didn't want to take Taylor to Taste because it's so loud and there are so many people there plus he's still so young. So it was the perfect opportunity to go on a date! We stopped at Arby's first for dinner so we could save our money for treats! :)

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We always park at the Science Museum so we can watch the fireworks from the parking ramp and beat the traffic. This year though, there was a family sitting right behind our car so we had to move down a little bit from our car but we still beat the traffic. It was such a fun night! So relaxing and a wonderful time alone!

Taylor's First Bath

Taylor got his first bath this morning! He loves getting his hair washed! Its amazing how he settles down when I start massaging his head! And he's so cute when he's just sitting there waiting for me to finish washing him up - I just love giving him a bath!

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Back to the 50's Car Show

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Back to the 50's Car Show has been a tradition since Mike took me on a date there in 2001. We go every year and enjoy all the cars. Mike and Dad take so many pictures and they seem to all look the same from year to year. :) This year was Taylor's first time and since he was so little, we had to protect his ears from the cars but he seemed to enjoy it by sleeping through it all! Is there any other way to tell? He even helped us carry all the hotdogs! This is always the first taste of the Fair and just makes us long for those Fair days - but they will come soon enough. The night was beautiful and we enjoyed every minute! It's always such a memory!

First Sunday Outfit

Today was Taylor's first church service and Auntie Kim bought him the cutest outfit! We, of course, took pictures to mark this very special occasion! He looks so adorable! The outfit is a little big but that makes it even more cute. He did so well. When the kids got on the bus, they just loved seeing him. They are so good with him, they kept telling each other to be quiet since he was sleeping. Kakuru just sat in the seat behind him and stared. It was so cute! And in church, he just slept in Grandma's arms while Mike and I served. We are so proud of him and what a good boy he is! Church is so much more fun now!

Keys Cafe Breakfast

We love Keys Cafe - it's the perfect place for breakfast! Their cinnamon bread french toast is amazing! Anyways, this morning, since I'm on maternity leave, we decided that we would meet Mom and Dad Henderson at Keys for breakfast. It was fun to take Taylor out even though he slept the entire time except for when he was eating! :) It's so much fun to have him with us all the time!

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First Day Home

It's our first day home! Getting up in the middle of the night was a new thing......one that I'm sure I will get used to. I've waited so long for this time with him that I can't complain about having to get up. He's so precious! Mike and I are doing the diaper duty together since he was circumcised on Saturday. I just can't handle all of that by myself because I feel so bad for him. But Mike's really good with it and we just do it together. I'm waiting for the first time we get sprayed......:) What a surprise that will be! Here's a picture that Mike took of him holding his monkey. Aren't his hands huge? This picture makes them look bigger than they really are but they are still pretty big and he loves to spread them really wide. I may be biased but I do believe he is the cutest baby ever!

Going Home

We came home today! A production in and of itself but so much fun. Nana had bought Taylor an outfit to go home in so we dressed him that. Since it's Sunday, we didn't have any visitors but Grandma and Grandpa Henderson came to escort us home. And Taylor got to experience his first dinner out at Culvers! He's still throwing up but the doctors said that since he didn't lose more than a couple ounces which is normal with any baby, they are not as concerned. Again, they think that once all the yucky stuff from being born is out of his system, things will get normal. I'm so glad that we are home now and able to get settled in. Amazing how quickly your life can change - I thought I was going to be pregnant forever! I'm so glad that he's here!

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So Many Visitors!

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Today was a day filled with love, family, memories and laughter! We enjoyed every visitor that we had and tried to get pictures with each and everyone of them! Everyone was so thoughtful and kind and we loved every minute. The first visitor came a little after 10am and the last visitor left just a little bit ago.......we were tired but wouldn't have changed a thing! Pray for Taylor, he's throwing up everything that he eats and he's not keeping anything down. The doctors say that this is because of the trauma that he went through in delivery and that it should get better day by day, so we will continue to pray. It's just so hard to see him choking and gasping for air - last night was so long.....he such a cute sweetheart and we love him so much!

He's Here!

Today finally happened! We've waited so long and with such eager anticipation that it's so hard to believe that it's over. Taylor is 8 pounds 15 ounces and 22 inches long! Such a big baby! Mike and I are so thankful that he made it through the delivery. I was just a couple of minutes away from a c-section but the doctor was able to help me get through those last few minutes and he arrived. Every contraction was making his heart rate drop dangerously low so there was quite a few people waiting to examine him as soon as he arrived. I didn't get to hold him for 40 minutes! We're doing fine now and enjoying being a family! God is so good!

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Tomorrow's the DAY!

Mike and I had our final doctor's appointment today. When we met with Dr. Gilster, he discovered that I had toxemia which can lead to complications and seizures in both the mom and baby so he scheduled me for inducement right away tomorrow. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I like things to be scheduled so being induced is very nice. I hope that everything will go well tomorrow.

I finally felt him!

Had to post again.....everyone's been asking me if I have felt him yet and up til now I had to honestly say that I didn't feel him. Obviously, I didn't know what I was feeling. Anyways, I posted the previous post and then laid back down (we took another day off for my birthday so of course we are sleeping in!!!) and was laying on my left side and just thinking about everything that happened yesterday when all of sudden I realized that was I thought were air bubbles in my stomach were not that at all! The revelation of realizing that there is a human being inside of me was so overwhelming and so wonderful and so amazing all at the same time that I have laid here for almost an hour just feeling him move and trying to figure out what he's doing. Mike put is head on my stomach and Taylor actually kicked him in the cheek!!! It's so much fun and so incredible! I am amazed that God gave us this ability, honor and privilege! I so can't wait until he's here!

We're Having a Boy!

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I can't believe that I haven't posted through the holidays! I don't know what happened but life must have, had to of, gotten too busy! I promise that now that everything seems to have quieted down, I will post more often with updated pics.

Yesteryday, it was my birthday so that made the day special but even more than that, I am 21 weeks so we were able to schedule the ultra sound on my birthday and find out that God is blessing us with a boy! Halfway through the appointment, he kicked his legs while the tech was measuring his femure and I knew right away that we were having a boy. But I didn't say anything because Mike had been so sure that we were having a girl so I thought it best to let the tech tell him. A few minutes later, I asked the tech if she had been able to tell yet and she said that she hadn't really been paying attention to that so no. At the end after we found out that he is growing ahead of schedule by 2 weeks!!! (moving on quickly from that point since Mike was a 12 1/2 pound baby and over 2 feet long) The tech said that we might be able to tell for sure since the baby had been so active during the appointment but all of a sudden she let out a little "wow" and said, "I can tell you a for sure!" and then said that we were having a boy. Of course, Mike wanted a picture of that which she said most people don't ask for but printed anyways to take with us. What a wonderful moment and now I am just going nuts thinking of all the things that I want to buy!

We met Mom and Dad Henderson at 50's Grill to show them the pictures in person. Then we went to Macy's where of course, I bought boy clothes (so cute!!!) We then met my parents for dinner at The Melting Pot downtown.

The day was so special and amazing! I'm so thrilled that Taylor Michael - that's his name - is healthy and doing so well. And most of all, I'm so excited that I can actually call him by his name! These next months are going to go by so fast so I'm praying that I can live each day to the fullest, not rush each step and just enjoy where we are at!

Family Party 2007

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Mike and I host a family party every year for my family and we love it. Everyone comes over, we play games outside, eat a ton of food and just enjoy the day. This year we had perfect weather - it was the most perfect tempature with beautiful skies and just the right amount of breeze....absolutely beautiful! Whenever we can spend time together is such a blessing! The boys had fun playing with eachother and I think we covered every bit of ground playing bocci ball. The day was wonderful and we had such a fun time!