This week was the annual Tulsa Workshop. I look forward to it every year. It's always a great way to see old friends and get a recharge. This year I was very excited to get to volunteer at Workshop Central, and I thought it would be a great chance to see if some of the other young moms in our Bible class wanted to volunteer with me and we would have a chance to get to know each other better and maybe have lunch together or something. Well, no one signed up with me and Thursday morning I was feeling sorry for myself and missing some of my old friends in Ft. Gibson that would go with me anywhere any time I asked them to. Side note: I went to the doctor the day before and I have a sinus infection so I wasn't really feeling great to begin with.

I decided to suck it up and enjoy the days ahead with or without friends along side me. It turned out to be better than I ever expected it to. Both days that I volunteered I got to visit with some older Christians that I attend church with but have never had the chance to meet or talk with. It made me miss my Grandma Kelley and all the wisdom and quiet faith she had, and how after every visit with her I had such a peaceful feeling. Visiting with these older Christians left me feeling refreshed and new and made me see things from a different perspective.

Jonathan and I were talking about my experiences over the past few days and we got to talking about how much we, as young Christians, need the guidance and wisdom of older generations. Maybe even just the quiet and peacefulness they seem to have. We talked about the way classes are set up these days everyone grouped together by ages we miss out on so much that the older Christians could and should be teaching us. I wonder how we can correct this? I understand the importance of meeting together with others our own age, but I need the guidance from those older and wiser than me. Maybe it's just me, but I feel I would be a much better Christian if I had that.

Our Weekend

This weekend was one of the busiest weekends we've had in quite some time. I had signed up to fix a meal for Celebrate Recovery at our church with my cousin Jenny Friday night, we had a wedding to attend in OKC. Saturday night, our involvement minister at church signed our Bible class up to prepare and serve a meal for Contact Church for 125 people, oh and a birthday party Sunday afternoon at 2:30(normally we would have just skipped a party but this was a special one)! I knew not many in our class had the time or the experience of cooking for such a large group so I decided to head it up. I feel like God has blessed us with so many church experiences in the past and cooking for a large group of people is one of them. I really enjoy the excitement and hospitality involved in it and I think it is something not everyone can do. This weekend was exceptionally hard because I usually really depend on Jonathan for a lot of help when we are involved in so much like this. I knew with how busy and stressed he has been at work I couldn't depend on him much at all. He even had to work all day Saturday! So, organized I had to become. I had a schedule of events down to five minute increments for the weekend. I had every detail taken care of. I felt like my sil Jenny:) Everything went so well and we had no surprises. We really enjoyed the wedding thanks to cousin Annie and Chris who kept Jennah and Joel for us while we attended, and also Aunt Amy and Uncle John for keeping the kids Sunday morning for us while we prepared the meal for Contact. We have such a great family!

Joel has the Snaps

Joel's newest trick is snapping. He said Mr. Will (our children's minister) taught him how. That was last Wednesday night after church and he hasn't stopped since. It's so cute and reminds me of my youngest brother when we were little.

Time with Dad

Since I had Muffins with Mom this morning Jonathan took Joel to work with him. He wasn't real excited about it. He seems to be like his mom with mornings. The only way we enjoy mornings is if we get to sleep through them! Anyway after we finally got him up and around I think he was a little excited. Jonathan had taken his picture the night before and told him he would have it on his computer in the morning so Joel was looking forward to that and of course the sucker that he always gets when we visit Dad at work. He was also very happy to get this clown nose from Jonathan's office. Speaking of the clown nose I need to ask Jonathan where that came from kind of strange thing to have in a bank office. They were so cute together so I snapped a few pictures to share. This second picture is Joel sitting at Jonathan's table playing while Jonathan was trying to get some work done.

Muffins with Mom

This morning we had Muffins with Mom at Jack and Jennah's school. It is during the book fair so they try to get parents up to the school so we can all purchase some books to benefit the school. I guess this is the first time I've been to this event since we moved from Ft. Gibson. I don't know where I was last year for it. It was so much different than our small town Ft. Gibson Muffins with Mom. About a hundred crazy moms were packed in this little room with books everywhere. The muffins were on this tiny little table that looked like a dog had been up on it with muffin pieces strung everywhere, and only four muffins left. Huge contrast to the laid back quiet Muffins with Mom in Ft. Gibson where each kid serves his mother a muffin and does an interview with her while they enjoy a peaceful breakfast snack together. Needless to say I was disappointed and it really made me miss our little peaceful town of Ft. Gibson.

First Signs of Spring!

We had our first blooming flowers of the year yesterday. How refreshing it is to look out the window at all the brown and all of a sudden notice these beautiful and vibrant yellow flowers. God knows just what I need and I needed to see these bright blooms yesterday. I know Spring isn't here yet, but this will hold me over until then.

Jack's Africa Play

Jack had his annual class musical today. It is always so much fun to see Jack in his plays. He is so serious about it, no smiles from him. He had Jonathan, Joel, me, Grandma Janet, Papa David and Nana Ila all attend his musical. We all enjoyed it and I held it together pretty well, just a few tears. Anyway here's a video for all of you to enjoy.

Before and After

Jack has been growing his hair out for quite some time now. It has gotten very long and looks pretty cute but it drives me crazy! I can't stand for his hair to be in his eyes all the time. I have bit my tongue because I know it is just part of him getting bigger and wanting to do his own thing. Finally Saturday he agreed to have it cut. It looks so much better and I had forgotten how pretty and big his blue eyes are.

He is also ready to get braces. He is growing up too fast. He has been asking about braces and I told him he has to take really good care of his teeth to get them and so he has started flossing everyday along with brushing morning and night and mouth rinse. He does these things on his own I don't even have to tell him anymore. It will be a while before he can get braces but I think it's great he is wanting to take care of himself so well.

Cuddles the Kitten

As I've said before Jennah and Joel have become great friends over the past few months. They imagine all sorts of crazy things together. They really remind me of the cute little books and cartoon Max and Ruby. She bosses him around, but in the end he only really does what he wants to do. Saturday they were off in there own little world playing something that involved a kitten. Well then they decided they wanted a real kitten and both thought they could talk us into it. Jennah cracked us up with her plan to get a kitten. First she tells us this year she wants to get rid of Gravy. She has a friend at school that she wants to give him to for her birthday. Then she said for her birthday next year she wants to get a kitten. She promised to feed, water, and walk the new kitten. Jonathan explained that kittens don't have to be walked and that blew her mind and kind of distracted her for a few minutes while she processed the fact that they didn't have to be walked. Finally she was back with us and told us she would name the kitten Cuddles and that's where Joel came in and they started begging and then instead of asking for a kitten they started asking when we were going to get the new kitten. They knew all along we weren't going to get a kitten but I guess they knew it wouldn't hurt to try. Haven't heard anything about Cuddles since, so I guess they decided they didn't want a kitten after all. So funny!

Will and Rachel's Visit

This past week Will and Rachel were able to come home for a brief visit from Honduras. It was so good to see them and spend some quality time with them. The kids were so excited to see them and had been asking for two weeks when they were coming. Every plane Joel would see in the air he would say Will and Rachel were on. We got to spend several evenings with them. This picture is of all of us at Will and Rachel's favorite restaurant in Glenpool called Speedy's. The picture is a little dark but you can see we enjoyed ourselves. We also played Balderdash for hours and cried our eyes out with laughter. One evening they cooked a typical Honduran meal for all of us. The last evening they were with us we had a family and friends potluck dinner so everyone could see them and visit with them without them having to make a trip to every one's homes. Having them here and visiting about all their work there really made Jonathan and me want to go back again and visit and the kids can't wait to go to Honduras now. I consider Will and Rachel to be our best friends and it was so refreshing to visit with them and hear of all the things they are doing there.

Quality Cousin Time

The month of January has been filled with lots of time with the family. It's been a really busy month starting with little Ben staying with Joel and me on Tuesdays and some Thursdays while Aunt Amy is in school. Then the last week we had Ben I also had Abram for the week while his family took a trip to Disney World. Then this past weekend we had Cooper and Wyatt stay the night with us. It has been a great month and the kids have really been able to get some great cousin bonding time together. It has also been great for me to get to know and talk with Amy and Jenny more. I grew up close to my cousins and I am so glad my kids get to also.

Where to Start

It has been so long since I last posted that I have to think about what I have missed blogging about over the past two months. I do know I never posted about our ten year anniversary so I'll start there. On January 2nd Jonathan and I celebrated ten years of marriage together. That means we've actually been together for twelve and a half years! Crazy! I have always teased Jonathan about ten years being the big one and that I should get a huge diamond ring or a trip to Hawaii for making this long. Well I didn't get that huge ring or the trip to Hawaii, but what I did get I treasure and it means more to me than the other material gifts I wanted. I am always asking Jonathan what he's thinking and most of the time he replies nothing then we go through the old Seinfeld scene with Elaine where she argues with her boyfriend about him not thinking anything. You have to be thinking something, I always say to him. Anyway, for our anniversary Jonathan made me a book of our journey over the last twelve and a half years in his words and his favorite pictures and memories. I don't know why but for some reason just like when I ask him what he's thinking and he actually replies by telling me what's on his mind it meant so much to hear him tell our story. It was the best gift he could have gotten me and it brought back all those butterflies that I had when we were first dating. One of the best parts is how hard he worked to get it put together. He couldn't get our scanner to work then the computer crashed the last week he had to work on it before it needed to be delivered for the big day. Isn't he the best!

Snow Day!

The kids were out of school today along with about every other kid in this area. It really hasn't snowed but that didn't stop us from playing in the ice/sleet. The kids are really at fun ages right now and I think I enjoyed playing with them as much as they did. After playing we came in and had hot cocoa and a snack while I read to them chapter out of the book we are reading together. What a fun day!

Jennah's 7

Jennah turned 7 years old on the 13th. I didn't do this on her birthday so I thought I would add a few of my favorite pics. of her through the past 7 years. Jennah is a girly girl. She says she doesn't like pink anymore but everything she picks out ends up being pink. She is a singer and a performer. Whether it be on a stage or in the bathroom she's always putting on a show (I'm sure she will appreciate me telling that in the future!) I have always said she came out screaming and hasn't stopped since. She keeps life here in the Hendricks' house loud and exciting. We love our Jennah and can't imagine life without her. She definitely makes me enjoy life more than I normally would. She is always smiling and has a sweet heart. I pray Jennah grows up to be a strong Christian example to many; because I know she definitely has the leadership qualities for the job!

1 Down 1 To Go!

Jack had his birthday sleepover Friday night. He just had three boys stay and we thought we would just hang out here at home until I got a call from the organizer from the Ronald McDonald House (I volunteer there a few evenings a month) and she had some tickets to Rob Lake Magic Show and wanted to know if we could use them. That was perfect for Jack's sleepover. The boys had a great time. We were sixth row from the stage and it kept their attention the entire time. They were so funny because they would think they had the tricks figured out and he would do something different and they were left with their mouths wide open wondering how he did it.

Now we are planning on having Jennah's sleepover this weekend so hopefully it will go as smooth as Jack's. Wish us luck!

New Years Eve Fancy Dinner

Sometimes in the Hendricks' family we like to add a little excitement to meal time. A few times a year sometimes on special occasions (Valentines, New Years, Birthdays) and sometimes just for fun we have what we call a fancy dinner. I will fix something new or a traditional family favorite and we get all dressed up for a candle lit meal. We started doing this when we lived in Ft. Gibson and have continued the tradition here. Of course, Jennah lives for this kind of stuff and surprisingly Jack seems to enjoy it as well. The picture in the header is all us getting ready to enjoy the cornish game hens I prepared for us. It turned out great and seems to be a wonderful family tradition. As we were finishing up I told Jonathan I didn't know how many more years we had with the kids being so excited about our fancy dinners but I'm going to cherish every time we do until then. Then the kids made confetti and played until we all counted down to the new year. It was a great night!

We also celebrated Jennah's birthday today with all our family. I thought last year was going to be the last year we could get away with one party between the two of them but they graciously agreed to a joined family party as well as a joined sleepover around Jennah's birthday on the 13th. I know it will be a crazy night with seven year old girls and nine year old boys but I would rather get it all over with at one time. I have a plan to keep the boys in the small living room and the girls upstairs. It should be interesting.

We decided to have the family party at our church building gym. It worked out very well. Lots of room for the kids to run around and a fenced in playground outside for them to play without us worrying about them wandering off. We have a wonderful family that almost all came to the party. It warms my heart to see so many people that love and support our kids. I told them when we got in the car to go home you guys have a lot of people that love you. They both said very seriously "I know". I think is very important especially the older they get to know they are supported and loved by so many. So, thank you to all that came and even if you couldn't make it today we still appreciate your love and support of our sweet kids.

Party TIme!

Today is Jack's 9th birthday! I can't believe my little millennium new year's baby is 9 years old! My blue eyed boy is becoming quite the young man. Everything from his looks to his interests are changing. Before the past six months or so Jack and Joel were the best of friends and it seems like over night Jack has started liking older things (PSP, chess, and other older games). Joel and Jennah seem to play together much more now which is a scary thing. They tend to really cause a lot of trouble together. I'm so proud of Jack and can't wait to see the young man he will become over the next ten years. I pray God blesses him with a long, happy, and servant life for Him. Happy Birthday Jack!

Finally!

My computer is fixed and the cox guy fixed my internet connection so I'm back and finally ready to share my 8's.



8 Shows I watch



Iron Chef

The Office

The Hills

CSI Miami

Scrubs

Without a Trace

My House is Worth What

House Hunters



8 Favorite Restaurants



Famous Dave's BBQ

Ted's

Outback Steakhouse

Pei Wei

Bill and Ruth's

Popeye's Chicken

Chick-Fil-A

Speedy's



8 Things that happened today



The kids let me sleep in late.

Planned our anniversary trip to Padre.

Canceled the trip to Padre and decided on Hot Springs Ark.

Jonathan came home for lunch.

Canceled the trip to Hot Springs and decided on Taos New Mexico.

The cox guy fixed my internet and phone.

Decided ten hours of driving for a day and a half of skiing wasn't worth it, back to not having a plan.

I fixed Outback's Mac a roo and cheese and the kids said it was better than Outback!



8 Things I look forward to



Watching the kids grow up.

Our anniversary weekend together (whatever we decide to do).

Taking the kids to Honduras with us next year.

Remodeling our bathroom (hopefully sooner than later).

William and Rachel coming home to visit in February.

Spring time

Family pictures

Summer break for the kids

8 Things I wish for

A long and healthy life for my family

Christian spouses for my kids

An extra half bath off our small living room

No more laundry

Just one more baby

Longer summers

Shorter winters

A great 2009

Christmas Musical

Jack and Jennah had their Christmas musical last night. It was great. Jack really seemed to enjoy it and Jennah loved every minute of it. Jack agreed to be in it only if he didn't have to have a solo or speaking part. I was very proud of him for taking on this challenge. I love


watching the kids perform it is a memory of them I will cherish forever. Their innocence is priceless and hearing them sing songs about our God just makes my heart so happy and I can't control my tears. With me working some Jonathan has taken them to most of their practices and in the process Jennah some how lost the solo she was suppose to have that she has been practiced for over a month for. I told her if she wanted me to I would talk to them about it but she didn't mind she had a cheer leading part that she loved so that made up for it. Thank you to Grandma Janet, Papa Joe, and Nana for coming and sharing this event with the kids. I know it meant so much to them to share their hard work with you guys.