Day of Celebrating!

Oh what a day! What a wonderful fabulous relaxing day!
We woke up early this morning (what's new?), got packed for the pool and headed out the door. This pool is amazing! I'm not sure if I've ever seen one that equals it.....hmmm.....nope, I haven't. There are kiddy pools and wading pools and swimming pools and pools with fountains and pools with slides and more slides and kayaking and inflatibles and, and, so much more I can't even begin to describe!
Taylor had a blast is the short way of putting it. But he seems to tire very quickly and he is more than a little afraid of the water. Since he just barely started walking, he is not sure at all in the water so he won't do anything without holding on to something. That really doesn't allow me to do anything else but I really can't do anything else anyways and why would I want to do anything else but be with my little fella?
We split the day in half by having a picnic outside the pool grounds. Kim is an amazing picnic packer......chicken salad croissant sandwiches, fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese with angel food cake for dessert.....amazing. She impresses me all the time....one day I want to be just like her when I grow up! :)
After swimming for a little while longer, we decided to dry off and get ready since the fireworks in Nashville start at 9pm. We went down to the Opryland Mall which is very impressive and so close to the Opryland Hotel but since it was close to dark we really couldn't see anything and on top of that it was downpouring so I'm hoping that we will be able to come back and see it. We ate at Chilis Too and while we were there found out that since the thunder storm had come through earlier, they had decided to start the fireworks earlier so we didn't even get to go down there and see them. We were really disappointed that we missed them but were able to leisurely stroll back to the car, leisurely head home, leisurely start another movie and leisurely eat some more icecream! Yeah! My kind of night! :)
I'm not sure if I've said it yet but it was a fabulous wonderful relaxing day!

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Firworks!

Last night was a great night! We ended up relaxing most of the day, just hanging around the house and talking. So fun! Towards late afternoon, we all decided that it would be nice to get out and get something to eat. Getting everyone ready is a little chore but its worth it because we all look so nice! (so proud!) We went to this great steak place and of course, being pregnant, I had to have a steak and baked potato (the waitress was carrying one out right as we were being seated and I knew immediately that was what I was going to have) which was fabulous. We then headed to the waterpark some distance away and got our seats right down by the water. There aren't hardly any mosquitoes there (thank you, Jesus!) and it was a beautiful calm night. After the fireworks, we headed home to another movie and more icecream. A wonderful day!

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Happy Fourth of July!

There is the National Flag. He must be cold, indeed, who can look upon its folds rippling in the breeze without pride of country. If he be in a foreign land, the flag is companionship and country itself, with all its endearment...The very colors have a language which was recognized by our fathers; white is for purity; red, for valor; blue, for justice. And altogether, bunting, stripes, stars, and colors, blazing in the sky, make the flag of our country, to be cherished by all our hearts, to be upheld by all our hands.-Charles Sumner

First full day in TN!

We got settled in last night....we met Tim at their church because they were selling fireworks and thought that we could all meet there and then follow them home. The boys were so good with Taylor and it was so good to see them! Then we walked across to Little Ceasars and picked up pizza to take home.
Once we got to the house, we got the full tour which was incredible because Kim is an amazing decorator. I think you could spend a full day in her house and just take your time looking at everything in full and just barely get the whole thing in. It's truly a beautiful home and you can tell the kids love it so much!
Kim, Ashley and I then headed to Walmart because there was some things that Taylor needed for the week. Ashley and I picked out 6 different kinds of icecream! Should be a wonderful six days! ;)
We got back to the house, dished up some icecream and put a movie on which immediately puts all of them to sleep (truly hilarious!). Finally we got to bed which was too late because Taylor woke up bright and early with it being a new place and him sleeping on the bed with us. He sat up wide awake and didn't understand that we would still want to sleep so I took him into the family room where he wouldn't wake anyone else up. Such a funny little guy. We should be able to rest today. We are planning on going out to eat later tonight followed by fireworks at the waterpark. Can't wait!

TN - Here We Come!

We are heading out to TN today to visit Tim and Kim and the kids! We are so excited and so thankful that God has allowed this trip! We will be staying with them until next Wednesday - almost a full week is going to be amazing!
I am not sure how Taylor is going to do on the plane but I've been praying for the last 24 hours that everything will be wonderful.....maybe I have too much faith or not enough but I'm just not sure still.... :)
I will try to stay up to date while we are there but you know how vacation is....never know exactly what's going to happen from day to day!

Absolutely Adorable!

This has to be my most favorite picture ever....no words!

Connie & Gary

Aunt Connie & Uncle Gary have come up to MN to visit their family and to see us! We are so excited to see them! We had thought that we would be able to get together with them sooner but their schedule has been understandably busy. Today however, we were able to plan a cookout at my parents house and spend some time with them which was very nice. It's not often that we get to see them (actually years go by) so this time is very special. I hope we get to see them again soon.

Back to the 50's 2009

This time of year we always welcome the "Back to the 50's" car show. They come to the State Fair grounds and a lot of the food booths open and it just gets us even more in the mood for the State Fair (yes, the count down has begun!)

We always go with Mom and Dad Henderson and this year was no exception! The night was pretty good but we had to dodge a bout of rain and luckily I found shelter under an awning but unfortunately had forgotten that though I was dry the other three adults that had to walk couldn't get at the umbrellas that were in the stroller that I was so eagerly pushing! Doesn't make for a very happy husband! :)

Mike and I left Taylor with Mom and Dad while we went and got footlongs and drinks for everyone. Taylor can't quite help with that just yet.

It was a great night and this year, amazingly enough, not so many pictures were taken of the cars.....hmmmm......not sure what happened with that but then again, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the hundreds of pictures I have from previous years! :)

Baby #2 Is On The Way!!!

We are so happy and excited to announce that our second little one is on the way! I had hoped that Taylor and this little one would be closer together (I know I'm crazy!!!) but God truly knows best and I am so thankful!
It was very exciting to be able to tell Mike as a pre-Father's Day present and he is so very happy and excited! From my calculations, since I have not been to the doctor yet, this precious baby should arrive around February 21st. A winter baby!
I think that I am going to be pregnant during the perfect time because I am always cold so being a little warmer during those cold months will be a blessing! Also I will be able to eat whatever I want during the Fair (only 11 more weeks to go!!!) and during the holidays and feel okay about it! :) Then once the baby arrives, I will have March, April and May to get healthy and back to pre-pregnancy weight before the summer!
I'm so thankful that God has gone before us and picked this time for us and I cannot wait for Taylor's little brother or sister to be here!

A Trip to the Zoo!

The Como Zoo....always so much fun and always the same, really never different. But today, we took all the kids to the zoo to celebrate Ryan's 4th birthday. I can't believe how fast he's grown up and how big he is getting. After we looked at all the zoo animals, we had a picnic in the park. Heather made cupcakes for the first time and they were really good! I hope that Ryan had a great birthday!

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Garrett's Family Night

Last night, we all got together to spend one last night with Garrett before he left for college. One our most favorite places to eat is Carbones Pizzeria but normally we don't eat at the restaurant itself, we just take the pizza home. This time though, since they have a pool hall, my parents rented it out for the night and we all played pool and ate pizza there. It was a wonderful time and will be a great memory!

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Garrett's Graduation Open House

Today we celebrated Garrett's Graduation with an open house up at my parents' house. I did all the invitations, thank yous and scrapbooking along with the decorating design and the only thing my mom asked me to make was potato salad so this day hasn't been too hectic because most of my work was done before! Heather and I went up there pretty early and Mike and Taylor came later so that I could focus on helping my mom as much as possible. The guests started arriving right on time. My mom and dad know how to make good food so I think everyone really enjoys coming over. My aunts were there in full force just like they have been for each one of our graduations. They are so awesome at making sure all the food stays stocked and ready. The only bummer about the whole day is that it rained consistently from morning til night and that can really put a damper on things especially when there's not enough room in the garage and you're trying to keep the traffic from the house....but what can you do? Nothing! :) So we all just did the best that we could. Oh and the other sad thing is that I barely got any pictures of Garrett....wow.....another lesson learned to take pictures constantly even if you think you are taking too many. It still was a great day even though I cannot believe that we are already to this point in our life! I never thought the day would come when Garrett would be graduating and on his way to college. He's such a good guy and I pray that God will lead and direct him in every step that he now takes as it determines his entire future. Love you Garrett!

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Garage Saling!

My sister Jess loves to garage sale and since I haven't been since we were little, we decided that it was time that I should go.....I'll have to wait to see if I agree with that until after we are done. Anyways, we packed the kids in the car and emptied the back of the truck to store all our goodies, and away we went. I found some really good deals for Taylor, from church clothes to pajamas and only ended up with about $8 lost! So I'm happy! The steal of a deal was this Pottery Barn coat storage rack thing - not quite sure how to describe it so that's the best I can. It's what I've always wanted to get for the entry way but of course, anything Pottery Barn is just a little out of my price range so this was the blessing of the day. Here's a picture of the kids after all the events of the day......so very sweet!

Garrett Graduates!

Garrett is finally graduating! Since he was home-schooled, he graduated with other home-schooled students in one big ceremony through YEAH. Each student was able to put together a profile with personal pictures that they narrated and added a meaningful song to. Garrett's was very good except for the lovely picture that he put of me in there - my mouth is wide open....wow, what a great brother! :)
I had to sit in the quiet room with Taylor the whole time but that's okay because he was able to walk around. Sitting right now is a very hard thing to do. I'm sure that phase will pass. Actually, not very hopeful but I can dream, right?
After the ceremony was over, we all went to Red Lobster to celebrate Garrett's birthday and since seafood is his favorite, we obliged.
What a memory and what a time - it feels really strange now that we are all "grown up".

Birthday Sunday

So I indulged myself and put Taylor in a seersucker suit yesterday for church. It was the most adorable outfit ever and I'm sure that it will only be this once that he will wear it because already he is almost too big for it.....so sad how quickly they grow.

We sang to him in the morning and he put his penny in the world and we also got to sing to him at night. I took him out of the nursery just for that song and then had to put him back in and that's not the funnest thing when he's going through that separation anxiety and just screams and clings as I drop him off. But I've found that once I've walked away, he is just fine and plays with everyone very well. Out of sight, out of mind, huh?

I took a picture of him and Keira in the morning and just had to post it so everyone could see just how adorable he was. Thank you for indulging me! :)

Taylor's First Birthday!

We celebrated Taylor's first birthday on Saturday!!! We were able to do it on his birthday because it fell on a Saturday. So we invited the entire Henderson clan and the entire Anderson clan along with Auntie Erica and celebrated in style! I'm not sure that Taylor actually knew what was going on but he did LOVE the cake and presents....what child wouldn't? :)
The whole family came out except for Heather & Donald and the boys since they had planned something months previously. We had a hotdog cookout and my mom brought her famous potato salad. It was a beautiful wonderful sunny evening and we had a great time!
The funniest story of the entire night was when we lit Taylor's candle for him to blow out and put it on the high chair. He looked at it for a few seconds and then proceeded to touch it with his pointer finger and burn the tip of his finger! Which accounts for the tears right in the beginning but as soon as there was some frosting on that finger, there were smiles all around!
It was a wonderful wonderful day and I'm so thankful for all the family that showed us how much they love Taylor - it means so much to us!

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Play Date!

Today we met Heather with Ryan, Trevor and Blake, Esther with Ethan and Owen, Jessica with Blake and Keira and Sara with Luke and Colton at the Foley McDonalds to play together and eat a very nutritious lunch :)! I know, I know we are totally sane to be doing that right?
I am very tired after getting back from 2 1/2 hour play date and I didn't even play!!! But I sure did eat! HA!
The kids really did like all the time they got to spend together - even though there were a few crying episodes and at one point one of them had his pants off....won't mention who that was! But it was hilarious, hilarious for everyone except the mom of that crazy little boy!!!
Esther and Sara are a blast to be with and make being a mom so fun! And I never miss a time with my sisters so it was a great play date!

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Preparing for Graduation!

Garrett is graduating this May and since I am the self-proclaimed scrapbooking queen, I have been nominated to help him with his graduation mementos and pictures. He came over yesterday to go through the pictures and figure out how we were going to display everything. Even though we live so close we hardly ever spend one on one time together and this day was special. I made marinated grilled chicken breasts with oven roasted potatoes and it was delicious! It's very hard to compete with my dad in grilling but Garrett kept complimenting me so maybe, just maybe I can grill as good as my dad! :) We spent alot of time talking so there is still quite a bit to be figured out but we had a great time doing it. We ended the night with raspberry chocolate crumb bars which where heavenly! I think there is gonna be a few more times to come before the whole graduation party is planned.......

We Are In The Clear!!!

The last pox has scabbed over! We are now welcome into the world! I don't know what to do first but looking at my calendar for next week, I can tell that I haven't seen anyone for quite a while! I really need to go grocery shopping so I'm sure that will be the one of the first stops that I make. I cannot relay how happy I am that the normal life is almost back! Can't wait to see everyone!

Matt and Jess moved!

Today I went to my sister Jessica's house to help her move - from the top floor of her apartment to the first floor of her apartment - really, straight down the stairs. Mom Henderson watched Taylor for me since I was going to be helping paint the rooms (hers and the kids'). The nice thing was that we were able to just go down the stairs and put things away in the new apartment - no packing required! The set up seems to be so much nicer and I am so happy for them because now they will be able to let the kids play out on the patio and grill. It was a busy happy day but it was very fulfilling!

And it gets worse!

The chicken pox have attacked and attacked again! I feel so bad for the poor little guy.....his head is the worst but then again, his chest and back don't look much better either!!!
Last night was the worst night ever - he woke up every 45 minutes crying because of the aching and the itching and the scratching and just about everything else. I ended up sitting up with him all night just waiting for the next episode with cool wet cloths all over his head and neck to help him rest well for the little that he did sleep.

Today, thankfully, Grandma Henderson went to the store for us and got items that are probably going to make tonight a much better night: coloidal oatmeal baths, callamine lotion, baking soda and a cute little stuffed doll that says a good night prayer. She is so sweet and has been so helpful through this whole ordeal. She also brought back a warm meal from Arbys for me - thank the Lord for Mom-in-Laws!

Now it's here...

Okay, so what we thought was chicken pox must not have been chicken pox or it must have been the little chicken pox before the big chicken pox. I don't know. But what we have now is chicken pox and chicken pox it is with a vengeance.

Last night, as we are getting ready to go out to eat with Mom and Dad Henderson, I found a spot that was a little bigger than normal on the back of his head and one near his forehead. I asked Mom Henderson what she thought and she wasn't sure but of course we both agreed that it was definitely something we were going to watch. By the time we got back to the house later that night there were spots all over the back of his head.

This morning, when he woke up there was more on his chest and back. I posted some pictures below to show what is happening and to document this wonderful event :) We will definitely be seeing how this turns out - and continuing to document each stage.

MOA!

Brother Kurt left today......a sad day for all of us because we miss him so much when he's gone. We picked him up around 11 this morning and then went to Chili's for lunch. Yum! Mike and I then drove him down to the airport to catch his flight. I had to drive around and around the loop until he was able to get Kurt situated. From there, since we were so close to Mall of America, we decided to stop and shop a little since we haven't been there with Taylor yet. It was so much fun! I was able to get some gadgets from The Kitchen Store (always a weakness for me!!) and walking around and seeing Taylor have so much fun was also great fun for us! We stopped at Caribou for an afternoon snack and then decided to try and beat rush hour and the snow.....but alas, neither one was beaten and in fact beat us! The drive home was incredible but as long as we are together, we never mind......it's just fun to be together and make the memory!

Last Night!

The MidWinter Banquet was wonderful! The food was excellent and Susie planned for just the right amount! We had a fabulous dessert buffet that was way too tempting - I think I succeeded in getting a little bit of everything and boy, that will probably show in just a few days. Think diet, Christy......yeah whatever. Isn't there a famous quote that goes "Tomorrow is another day!" That is my motto and I'm stickin by it until they roll me where I need to go!!! :)
Okay, so back to some semblance of sanity.
The banquet was great and all the ladies efforts really paid off. It's amazing how a church basement can be transformed. :)
Mike is really treasuring his time with Kurt. He's so laid back and enjoyable to be around and that's nice for Mike. They pretty much just get together and eat and check out music on ITunes. I get a kick out of Kurt's humor and I think he gets just as big a kick out of me....these times are so short and we always look back on them with fondness.

Kurt LaBouve is Here!

We've gotten through the toughest part of shingles and PRAISE THE LORD, Mike is no longer contagious! Such an answer to prayer because we did not want to miss seeing Kurt and spending time with him....we so enjoy our time with him when he is here.
Tonight is our MidWinter Banquet.....since we were sick this past week, I couldn't help Susie like I had hoped but we are going early tonight to see if there is anything that I can do to help before hand and so that Kurt can get situated with the way the platform is set up. Hopefully everything will go smoothly. There are so many ladies that have been involved with all the big and little details (and there are many of each!) and I know that we are all praying that everything goes great! Which I'm sure it will! I'm looking forward to it....
Alas, Taylor has broken out with little dots - not sure how they are going to progress but we are hoping that he won't have too bad a case. My dad is coming over to babysit tonight (how cute!) so that I can go with Mike to the banquet. Yes, he would be going with my mom but my mom isn't going either as she gets to babysit Heather and Donald's three little boys. Aren't my parents the best? I think so!

Wii Weirdness

Mike took a picture of this to document that in Wii golf, him and I landed on the exact same spot! Cannot happen very much. And here it is for all the world to see....

Exploring!

Now that Taylor is "cruising" (walking along with help of the furniture), he seems to be getting into things that I never thought he would get in to. We were hanging out in the living room - I was writing letters and he was playing - but I had to leave to get something. By the time I got back to the living room, he had gotten my address labels of the couch and stuck them to everything in reach, including himself! :) Here are the pictures to prove it!

Standing in the Crib!!!

Never expected to see this when I walked into his bedroom this morning but here he was! AND so cute, I might add. I'm so glad that we put his crib down when we did because I'm pretty sure that he would have flipped over the side if we hadn't.....but thankfully, he is learning in a very safe environment!

Still hangin' in there...

Well, we're still quarantined. I had to call the kids on our bus route and tell them the bad news - I know that Mike feels really bad about having to cancel Kings Kids but we did remind them all that we would make sure that Brother Matt and Miss Jessica pick them up on Sunday. Matt and Jess are so awesome when it comes to filling in the gaps! They are so willing to help wherever we need them and that truly is a blessing. My brother Deron is now helping with our kids ministry at the North Campus and that too is a big blessing.
Mike is doing much better now that he has pain medication. But he is working from home so there isn't a lot of rest to be had! :)
Oh have I mentioned that Taylor will probably get chicken pox? Still waiting for those to show up - finger are crossed and prayers are being sent heavenward! :)

Quarantined!!!

So Mike has been complaining about his body hurting and then we noticed a rash. Not really thinking anything of it, he scratched it......unfortunately, that made it much worse so I made an appointment for him with our clinic. The minute he started telling the doctor what his symptoms were and revealed the "rash", the doctor just nodded and said that without looking at anything she knew for sure that it was shingles!!!! SHINGLES!
Never in our wildest imagination did we think it would be diagnosed as shingles! I'm still in shock, just slightly. So....that leaves us with being quarantined for the next 7 days. Mike has to work from home, which thankfully is an option, Praise the Lord, but this is still going to be a slight change from the normal. The doctor also warned us that Taylor will probably get chicken pox (that truly is something to look forward to! :))
We were able to get some medication to help shorten the life of the virus but there isn't much more that we can do. Oh, he did get some strong pain medication and life is much better now! Again, wow......we'll see what the world is like these next few days! :)

He's such a cutie!!!

I love these pjs! And had to post a picture of him in them. Well, maybe I just wanted a picture of his adorable smile! Either way, I just love taking pics of him and posting them!

My Guys!

I love my guys so much! Mike is the best dad a wife could ask for. He always wants to be with Taylor, playing with him and just enjoying him. I love when I can get pictures of them together just having fun! They are the cutest boys ever!

Bathtime!

We've had to upgrade the bathtub! Taylor is too big for his baby bathtub and since we don't have a normal bathtub (just a shower) we've had to upgrade to the kitchen sink.....I think someone loved it! :)

Girls' Day!

Today is the day that we girls get together to celebrate our birthdays. Instead of having four separate birthday parties, the four of us just get together and spend the whole day together pampering ourselves and making incredible things to eat. We enjoy this day very much! :)
We started the day at 9am and Mom made breakfast for us. We did a craft and Heather had a facial that we did with eggs. It was amazing how good it worked - our faces were so smooth! It was incredible! The day was as good as it could be and we ended the day by celebrating my mom's birthday since today was her actual birthday. My dad went down to Cosetta's in St. Paul and picked up pizzas that we had ordered and brought them back for us to enjoy at the house. The day was great!

Taylor Claps!

Taylor clapped for the first time tonight!!! I've been doing it with him every day, numerous times a day but of course, he didn't choose to do it until Auntie Jessie was right there doing it with him. Did I mention that she found his first tooth when I had been checking every hour on the hour for a week? So naturally, she would be the one to get him to clap for the first time. :)Jess and Matt came over for dinner and we were in the living room. Jess looked at him and started clapping and he did it with her. The little stinker would ONLY do it with her but it was fun to get it on video!

The Cousins at Church

I got to be in the nursery this morning so Taylor was able to enjoy his cousins. They all looked so cute that I just had to take pictures! Blake is 2 1/2, Keira is 6 months and Taylor is 8 months. I'm posting both pictures of them all together because the one is cute and the other is plain hilarious! :)

Together!

We love being together! I love how Mike always likes to take pictures of us together. And this one turned out as perfect as it could! And it was probably the best idea to get the picture before the shots, not after! (on our way to the doctors for one of those check ups and vaccinations!:) I love our family!

Date Night!

Mike arranged for Mom Henderson to watch Taylor so he could take me to Olive Garden for my birthday. We couldn't go on my birthday day because it landed on a Wednesday this year so we went the next day! I love Olive Garden! Don't know why but I do! :) We totally enjoyed our time together and how much we were able to talk and enjoy that dinner! I always treasure my time alone with My Honey! And he spoils me unbelieveably!

Birthday Dinner!

Tonight, my Mom and Dad had us over to celebrate my birthday with the dinner of my request - my Mom's homemade chicken pot pie! It's amazing and we hardly ever have it. Come to think of it, I only have it once a year......hmmmm....I think I need to change that! :) We went over there and enjoyed a wonderful time with them. It was so thoughtful of Mom and Dad to do that for me and I loved every minute!

Taylor Eating Crackers

Today I tried feeding Taylor some crackers and he was actually able to eat them without choking! Yeah! I get so excited about these little milestones and I just love them! I had to post a little video of him eating them.....so cute!

Our Christmas!

This Christmas was our first Christmas as a family and it was so special! I was so excited to see Taylor open his presents from Mommy and Daddy! Especially the talking Cookie Monster! That one's my favorite! It was amazing to see him try to rip off the wrapping paper and see what was inside. And of course, the wrapping was just about as cool as the presents! :) That figures.....we should have just wrapped wrapping paper! Can you imagine? :) It truly was a very special Christmas! I loved every minute! After Taylor opened his presents, Mike and I opened ours while he played with his new toys. We both love him so much and loved that precious time together!

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Merry Christmas!

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself,

and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him,

and given Him a Name which is above every Name:

That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,

of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Today was Christmas Eve!!! It was a different Christmas Eve because it landed on a Wednesday and the day got broken up into quite a few sections!!! We all got to my mom and dad's at 11 to have a fabulous brunch that my mom prepared - egg bake, monkey bread, baked fruit and punch....I ate way too much! We played games and hung out, Jess got into a tennis tournament with Steven and Deron and I ate way too much! :) We girls were in charge of dinner and the appetizers afterwards. At around 3:30 we started getting the Chicken Parmesan ready. Heather and Jess did a wonderful job while I worked on getting the appetizers ready for after the church service. We ate at 5 just like we planned and then everyone scampered to get into their church clothes because we all piled in the blue van to ride to church together - all 17 of us!!! It was the best time! The service at the South Campus perfect - we three girls were able to sing together for the special and our old youth pastor was in town for Christmas so he brought the message. Mike and I were able to sit together for the service and that was something that we haven't been able to do in a very long time......I really enjoyed it.....
After the service, we stayed around til the "place closed" and then we all jumped back in that big blue van and took the trip home!!! When we all got home, I don't think that I have seen 17 people change faster into pj's!!! We prepped the food and got the buffet ready and then we all opened presents.....it was as magical as it could be! The food was awesome and after, we all played games. We didn't get home until 3 this morning but it was wonderful! Merry Christmas Eve!!!

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Birthday Party!

Tonight we celebrated Mike and Mom Henderson's birthday by reserving the party room at the Olive Garden in Coon Rapids. Both sides of the family were invited but as life would have it, Andy and Angie and their kids, and Mark and Amy and their kids were sick and couldn't make it. Then Heather and Donald, at the last minute, got tickets to Disney on Ice so they took Ryan and Trevor to see that which I don't blame them for that at all! ;) If I were three and had a choice between Disney on Ice, popcorn and fun or a dinner at Olive Garden with a bunch of adults, I know what I would pick! :)
But my parents, Garrett and Matt and Jess were able to make it so it ended up being a cozy wonderful night! And I love Olive Garden no matter what! It was so nice though, that everyone took the time out of their schedule to come and celebrate these birthdays! We love our family!

Christmas Shopping with Erica!!!

We went Christmas shopping with Erica today. We didn't have any shopping left to do (most of my presents are already wrapped) but Erica had hers left to do and it was a great excuse to get out and have some coffee and spend a ton of time gabbing! We met at Caribou and then headed over to the Rosedale Mall. I had to post these pictures because Taylor is so cute and they look so precious together! :) She's such a good "auntie" to him!

Celebrating!!!

Today we were able to celebrate Mike's birthday as we normally do - we go downtown after getting breakfast somewhere and end up at Macy's. We walk through the floors and do some window shopping then end up at the holiday exhibit on the 8th floor. This year was really cute and I was glad that Taylor was able to see that one for the first time. There's been a few in the past that have gone a little on the weird side but this one was original and cute! We headed over to Target after that to look at the toys together and see which ones we wanted to get for Taylor. We picked out some that he will be able to use in the next year as he grows. I'm going to pick them up from the Target near our house since we can't haul them all the way back through the skyway to our car...:) It was an awesome day! We ended up back at the house with Taco Bell and a movie - what a fabulous way to end the day!

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Joy to the World!

The Childrens Choir Christmas play is finally here and gone! I can't believe that we got through it tonight and it's already over!!! Each year, it amazes me how much you can prepare for one hour in time and how quickly that one hour can go. This year, the children did a reading and singing program. There wasn't any acting or specific story but each child had a reading part and all the children either sang in groups or as a big choir and it turned out really well! And each one did so well! They memorized their parts and songs so well and I was so proud! Afterwards, Mike and I gave them their Christmas presents and we all went downstairs to enjoy cookies. I'm so proud of each child and how well they did and how commited they are to Christ and church each week!

Mike's Birthday!!!

It was Mike's birthday today!!! Because it's Wednesday, he had to work and we had church tonight, but because I'm not working any more, I was able to plan a surprise birthday party for him at church! I baked a cake and Mom Henderson picked up balloons and it all just came together. I had to tell Dad Henderson to let out a little early and that almost gave it away because he was so excited about it but we were able to keep it a secret until Mike came downstairs. The kids loved surprising him like that and I know that he enjoyed it! When we finally got to surprise him, he was totally shocked! It worked out so well! I love that I was able to do that for him! I love him so much!

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