The Henry Chronicles

Memorial Day

2011-07-06T18:59:00.002-05:00

It's a tradition in our family to visit the graves of soldiers and leave some flowers. It's great living in the East where we can see the graves of soldiers that fought in the Revolutionary War. Awesome! We are so thankful to all of those who have fought for our freedoms.

Clarris turns 5 years old!

2011-07-06T12:11:00.004-05:00

"Graduation"

2011-07-05T21:17:00.006-05:00

Daesha finished the second grade with high marks. She had the highest number of AR (Advanced Reader) points in her class with a score of 100.
Jacob also did well. He had the highest AR points in the school with 425. He just loves reading. Jacob will be starting middle school in the Fall.
Brealle finished middle school and will be starting high school this Fall. She also participated in track this year and did very well.

Joseph

2011-07-05T21:15:00.001-05:00

Joseph is learning to be reverent for our family prayers. It is so adorable. Sometimes he will fold his arms on his chest. He always says, "Amen" at the appropriate time.

Alabama tornado clean-up

2011-05-19T20:58:00.003-05:00

Nathan went with other members of our church to help with the tornado clean-up efforts in Alabama. Nathan's cousin Ken, who lives just outside of Atlanta, was also there to help. What a sight! I couldn't believe it when Nathan showed me these pictures.

Atlanta Temple Celebration

2011-05-09T09:38:00.003-05:00

Prior to the Atlanta Temple re-dedication an open house was held for about 3 weeks. Nathan and I were asked to be tour guides. It was a wonderful experience. One we will always remember.

Just before the temple is rededicated a cultural celebration takes place where the local youth of the church perform songs and dances that reflect the culture of the area. Here is a picture of Brealle and her friend, Emma, just before it began. It was a fantastic show! The youth of our church are awesome!

Jacob's 11th Birthday!

2011-05-07T21:18:00.003-05:00

Jacob had his birthday at Gymnastics Unlimited. The boys had a great time in the gym. I enjoyed letting someone else do everything. I just showed up with the birthday boy!

A Visit From The Henrys

2011-04-24T18:11:00.008-05:00

We enjoyed having a visit from Nathan's parents. We went to the Infantry Museum and the Historic District of Columbus and just spent time together. Here are a few pictures of us visiting the home of Dr. Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola. Columbus is a relatively small town. This is it's main "claim to fame", other than being home to Ft. Benning, so we decided to drop by.
I did not take nearly enough pictures while they were here. I plan to make up for it while we're in Utah this summer.

This knotty tree in front of Dr. Pemberton's was more interesting to the children and frankly to the adults, too.

Callaway Gardens

2011-03-09T16:16:00.007-06:00

Joey saw the girls do this and walked over on his own to give it a shot. He is so stinkin' cute!

Sunbathing turtles

Brad Paisley/Darius Rucker/Jarrod Niemann Concert

2011-03-08T20:27:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun at this concert. We went to to dinner before the concert with friends. Brad Paisley came and sang for those of us sitting in the cheap seats and we were able to get a pretty ok picture.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T21:35:00.005-06:00

Christmas 2010

2011-01-13T21:10:00.002-06:00

Here are a few photos from Nathan's Christmas Party at work. There was a white elephant or "dirty Santa" gift exchange. We got a rockin' red George Foreman Quesadilla Maker.

Christmas Ball

2011-01-11T20:09:00.003-06:00

We had a great time with Nathan's co-workers. Even though we have been to military balls in the past this one was more fun than the others. Nathan told me he didn't know I was such a good dancer. I guess I did let my hair down a little. It was a pleasure especially since I had such a wonderful date!

More Orlando Pictures

2011-01-04T07:58:00.005-06:00

At Animal Kingdom, Disneyworld. We had such a wonderful time with our family

Thanksgiving in Orlando

2011-01-01T19:12:00.008-06:00

I loved the fun towel creations in our room at the Summer's Bay Resort. The jacuzzi was awesome too!

All the grandchildren.

Here we are on the shuttle the first day at Disneyworld. The rest of the days we wore our matching T-shirts. It really helped us keep track of everyone.

Baptism photos

2010-12-01T06:36:00.002-06:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

The Princess and the Frog Prince.

A little witch, a devil and a ninja.

A pretty little kitty.

Eight is Great!

2010-10-24T18:19:00.010-05:00

Daesha had a birthday, shout hooray! Since eight is such a special birthday (old enough to be baptized a member of our church) we take the child out for dinner with just mom and dad. But first we took Daesha to the mall to get her ears pierced. She was so brave. She didn't cry at all, but her eyes went a little big.

Before...

After. Still smiling.

We went to Smoky Bones and Daesha got an awesome steak and a huge chocolate tower cake for dessert. She ate about three bites of it and took the rest home to share.

Since we moved to our new house the kids have been asking to take a bath in our jetted tub. We told them it had to be for something special like their birthday. Daesha did not forget and had a luxurious bubble bath Saturday morning.

We had a family celebration with cake and ice cream on Saturday afternoon. We are so happy to have Daesha as a part of our family. She will be baptized next month when her grandparents can be here.

JoSePh TuRnS OnE!

2010-09-22T11:12:00.006-05:00

I made this farmyard cake for Joey. I found the design in FamilyFun Magazine. It went with one of his presents: A Little People Farmyard. We are so happy he is a part of our family! I love how each one of our other children thank Heavenly Father for him daily. What a blessing he has been!

Our stop in New Orleans

2010-09-17T11:59:00.006-05:00

On our way to Georgia we stopped in New Orleans for two nights. We stayed downtown at the Marriot so we were in walking distance of several attractions. We went out to eat at a fun Cajun style restaurant called Mulate's on our first night there. We had fried alligator for an appetizer (it was between that and frog legs) and danced a little to the live band playing Cajun music. It was a fun experience, but I'm not sure I'll have alligator again. Once was enough for me.
The next day we bought a pass for the Audubon Aquarium, Zoo and Insectorium. We didn't make it to the zoo instead we opted for lunch at the River Walk Mall. The Aquarium was so fun with great exhibits and an I-MAX movie. We got to see sharks swimming above our heads in a glass tunnel and pet small sting-rays that had had their barbs removed. The Insectorium was also interesting, especially the butterfly exhibit. Jacob kept teasing me about all the cockroaches on display, which I hate. They even had a little cooking area where a chef (I use this term loosely) made bug-laden food. There were chocolate covered wax worms, cricket ranch dip, and wax worms in red velvet cake. The older kids all tried them and Nathan and I each had a chocolate covered wax worm. Not too bad, actually. We wouldn't mind coming back to New Orleans some time. We had a good time.

Graduation!!!!

2010-09-13T20:48:00.004-05:00

Yay! Nathan graduated on August 12th! We are so very proud of him. He has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort. He now has his Doctorate degree of Physical Therapy! They had a graduation dinner that Nathan and I attended the night before.

Visit with the Henrys

2010-09-13T20:47:00.004-05:00

Nathan's parents came to visit us in San Antonio during the first week of August. We had a super fun time. We spent a couple of evenings swimming after eating yummy dinner. We took a trip to Austin to see the Capitol Building which was amazing and beautiful. We also went out to Fredricksburg for some fun shopping. It was great spending time with them. We can't wait for them to visit us in Georgia!

The floor and ceiling of the Capitol.

Track Nationals

2010-09-13T20:45:00.004-05:00

Brealle ran track this summer with a track club called the San Antonio Trail Blazers. She qualified for the National or Junior Olympic competition in Norfolk, Virgina. She ran the 4 X 8. It was a valuable experience. Here she is with a medal from one of her summer track meets. This was in the 800 meter. We're very proud of her accomplishments.

2010-09-07T20:47:00.002-05:00

On our last Sunday in San Antonio I got this quick picture of these two handsome guys.

Natural Bridge Caverns

2010-09-05T16:57:00.002-05:00

This was on our list of places to visit before we left San Antonio. Spelunking is interesting. We saw some awesome stalagmite and stalactite formations.

The crystals in this formation made me think of the song "The Big Rock Candy Mountains".

Clarris turns 4!

2010-08-13T11:57:00.005-05:00

For Clarris' birthday this year we invited our playgroup moms and kids over to our house. The kids made candy licorice necklaces, played, ate and had fun picking up candy from a Tinkerbell pinata.

I used small cookie cutters to cut out some of the melons for these fruit kabobs.

Playing Peter-Pan, Peter-Pan, Tinkerbell!

Sooo busy

2010-06-10T19:10:00.002-05:00

I haven't done any new posts for a while. We have been very busy getting ready for our move this summer. Last week we put our house up for sale OR rent. So far we've had two showings and will have a third tomorrow. Nathan is wrapping up his internship. Brealle left yesterday for Girls Camp. Jacob is busy becoming a Wii Mario-Kart expert. Daesha just started piano lessons. Clarris got tubes in her ears yesterday. Joseph is crawling all over and pulling himself up using the furniture. You can probably guess what I've been doing.

More updates to come....

Pinewood Derby!

2010-05-11T07:57:00.003-05:00

Nathan and Jacob worked together out in the garage to make the car. It was awesome seeing them together doing their "man" stuff with the power tools. Jacob named his car the blue wave. Nathan painted some waves on the side by the wheels.

Jacob won first place in his den and second place in his pack. It was great seeing his enthusiasm as he won each race. It was a great night!

Contest Winner!

2010-04-19T08:43:00.002-05:00

Over Spring Break we went out to breakfast at The Egg and I and Daesha entered their coloring contest. We got a call just after Easter Sunday that Daesha had won 2nd place! She was so "egg"cited to get this special bag of goodies for her efforts. I have a feeling this will not be the last art contest win for her. She loves to draw and color.

Photo session

2010-04-09T08:03:00.004-05:00

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T12:58:00.004-05:00

Easter Sunday Nathan and I woke up to this. Ahhh, so sweet!

Every 6 months our church has a two-day General Conference. We get to hear from our leaders with two, 2-hour sessions on Saturday and two, 2-hour sessions on Sunday. It's wonderful and so uplifting, but can be a bit much for the kids to sit still and listen for that long. I got this idea from my friend's blog to help the kids to listen better. We tried it last time and it was pretty successful. We don't buy cereal except for special occasions. This was one of them. We used bowls of cereal and a bowl of fruit snacks for the morning session. Each bowl has a word or two and every time they hear one of the speakers say that word they get to take some treats from the corresponding bowl. I think the kids were listening quite well and Nathan and I got to listen, too. Bribery can be a beautiful thing! :)

Easter going-ons

2010-04-06T07:58:00.004-05:00

During Spring Break we made sugar cookies with Easter shapes. The girls really had a good time cutting them out and decorating them. Daesha was cracking me up with her facial expressions!

Clarris had an Easter Egg Hunt with her playgroup. Joey enjoyed playing with the empty plastic eggs.

Bubble Fun

2010-03-29T22:29:00.002-05:00

At the Rodeo

2010-03-29T22:13:00.002-05:00

The Big Move

2010-03-25T08:19:00.002-05:00

Drum roll please...We are moving to Ft. Benning (Columbus) Georgia this August! We are excited for this new adventure.

Joe at 4 months

2010-01-25T11:51:00.002-06:00

Bathtime

Playtime

Daddy time

Distinguished

2010-01-25T11:39:00.006-06:00

Since Nathan is doing his internship in a civilian clinic he is able to grow a beard. I really didn't like it at first, but as his beard grew on him it also grew on me...figuratively, of course. I think it makes him look quite distinguished, in fact. I was a little sad when he had to shave it on Friday because of the quarterly training he took part in on Ft. Sam Houston. He won't be able to grow a beard like this one again until he's out of the Army.

2010-01-12T11:18:00.004-06:00

I babysat this little cutie and his almost 4 year old sister for a couple of hours yesterday. He's only a month older than Joey. It was a lot of fun to see them together. Clarris had a great time with them and playing with her friend. After this experience I definitely have a better understanding of what mothers with twins are feeling.
I love how Joseph linked his arm around Zach's. So precious!

The deer in the headlights look.

A Peek into Claire's world

2010-01-12T11:02:00.002-06:00

I came in to put Clarris to bed the other night and found this. I put her to bed and then I sneaked back in to take a picture it was so cute. I love how she gathered all the little people around for a party. It must be fun to be her toys!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T15:39:00.010-06:00

The missionaries came over for Christmas Dinner and a few games.

The kids made a bed for Joseph in his new red wagon and pulled him all over the house.

Christmas Activities

2010-01-06T14:01:00.004-06:00

Brealle had a holiday performance with her school choir.

Clarris had a Christmas party with her pre-school/play group.

We visited Daesha's and Jacob's school Christmas parties (I didn't get a shot of Jacob).

Thirteen!!

2009-12-22T14:11:00.005-06:00

Brealle is now offically a teenager! Her birthday was in November. Her friends came over for cake and ice cream and then I took them all to see New Moon. They all had a great time.

Breakfast

2009-12-17T09:02:00.003-06:00

So Clarris has been asking for unusual breakfast items lately. Things like macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, and roast beef are just a few of the options she has added to the breakfast menu. The offer of eggs and toast, blueberries with oats and milk and the like go unheeded. Today it was a peeled and sliced cucumber. She brought me the cucumber and I said smiling and laughing, "Where did you come from?" I was thinking something along the lines of left field or another planet, but immediately she answered, "The fridge!"

Joseph's Baby Blessing

2009-11-12T12:35:00.005-06:00

Joseph was blessed on November 1st. Nathan gave him a beautiful blessing. It was so nice to celebrate with Nathan's parents, sister and cousin Amber and her family.

Halloween

2009-11-12T12:18:00.007-06:00

Charlie Brown and "The Little Red-Haired Girl"

A Visit from The Henrys

2009-11-03T09:33:00.003-06:00

Nathan's parents and his sister Amber came to visit us and celebrate Joseph's blessing. Here are a few pictures. It was great to see them!

Kristi's visit/Jill's Birthday

2009-11-03T08:20:00.009-06:00

Kristi came to see us and meet her new nephew. It was so fun to see her even if it was a short visit!

There's that smile!

Nathan is holding Joseph while he grins. He is so much fun! And so is the baby...

Nathan gave me these beautiful lilies (my favorite) for my birthday this year. Kristi watched the kids for us while we went on a date. We decided to do some miniature golfing. Nathan got a hole-in-one!

I didn't feel like having cake again after just having some the week before at Daesha's birthday so Jake made me one out of play-dough and Nathan made me one out of meatloaf! Both nice and thoughtful surprises from two of the men in my life :)

Weather forecast: FUN

2009-10-23T08:11:00.007-05:00

For Daesha's seventh birthday this year she wanted to take a few of her friends to see a movie in the theater. First the girls made candy necklaces and decorated party favor bags. Then Daesha opened her presents. After cake and ice cream I took the girls to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was a very entertaining movie! Daesha is such a fun, cute girl. We are so happy to have her in our family!

The Love Creek Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-12T09:58:00.004-05:00

Last week for playgroup we drove to Medina, TX, about an hour away, to this great pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful place with a lot of fun things for kids to do.

Painting pumpkins

Hay maze fun!

These Native Americans danced for us. They were from North Dakota.

5 weeks old already!

2009-10-09T08:51:00.003-05:00

More pictures of Joe

2009-09-14T10:00:00.005-05:00

First bath at home.

Grandma Ann is here helping out. It's been great having her here.

Brothers.

Daesha and Joseph.

Just in case there be any doubt...

Our little guy has arrived!

2009-09-09T18:28:00.013-05:00

Joseph Eric Henry decided to come 9 days early and 5 days ahead of the scheduled induction. If you want to read about the whole ordeal you'll find it in the paragraph below. If you have a weak heart, the important information is listed just below the following paragraph.

I started have contractions just after midnight. I woke Nathan up about 1:00am. The contractions were coming about 3 minutes apart so we headed to the hospital. It took us about 35 minutes to get to Wilford Hall on Lackland Air Force Base...not a lot of traffic around 2 am. The doctor checked me at 2:30 and said I was 3 cm dilated and 100% effaced, but the criteria for admission was 4 cm. What!? She told me to walk around the waiting room for 2 hours and then come back in to be checked. Did she miss the part that this is my fifth baby? We walked around for 20 minutes of excruciating pain and then I threw up. I went back to be checked and I was dilated to a 9! They gave me a spinal block since they thought I would deliver in less than 2 hours. Shortly after the spinal block the doctor broke my water. But,the baby didn't come. He was still really high and posterior. The spinal wore off after just over 2 hours and I had to endure another hour of horrific labor pains coming sometimes only a minute apart and two more episodes of vomiting before I got an epidural. The baby just wouldn't come down and I was still dilated to a 9. The doctor tried to turn the baby in the right position hoping he would then come down and out. She turned him and got me dilated to a 10 and I started pushing with each contraction. The doctor checked me again and the baby was still high and had turned back to the posterior position. She tried again. Another doctor tried to turn him. After about an hour of this they talked about using forceps. They also checked to see how strong my contractions were to see if some pitocin would help. Well, it seemed like I could use some pitocin, but despite my asking and Nathan's asking I was never given any. Well, three different doctors tried with the forceps on and off for 2 hours and then I had a C-section anyway. I was so totally exhausted at this point and I just acquiesced to the fact that after 4 "normal" deliveries, a C-section was in my future. I'm so glad he's here. He is worth everything I had to bear. He is beautiful!

Born at 11:03am; 8 pounds 14.8 ounces and 22 inches long! How in the world did he get so big? I don't know. No gestational diabetes, no pigging out, plenty of walking and exercise...what the heck?! He must have gotten all the BIG genes that are on the periphery of our family tree.

I'm finally getting these pictures posted today because despite the fact that we were discharged from the hospital on Sunday evening Joseph ended up being readmitted to the hospital (only this time it was North Central Baptist, which is much closer to where we live) for jaundice. All the bruising made the baby more susceptible to jaundice. After two nights in the hospital under the phototherapy lights we were able to come home on Wednesday in the early afternoon. It's sooo nice to be home again. We are both doing well. The C-section isn't as bad in reality as it was in my mind. It's definitely been a struggle though.

Love at first sight!

The baby holding the baby.

9/9/09

2009-08-28T21:16:00.003-05:00

I went to the doctor today. I am scheduled to be induced on September 9th. Yes, wishes do come true. That is if the baby doesn't come early. Nathan says that absolutely can't happen, but, although he doesn't like to admit it, he has been wrong before.

School Days Again!

2009-08-24T08:12:00.005-05:00

Here are the kids on their first day of school. Daesha's in first grade, Jacob's in fourth, and Brealle's in seventh! Time flies when you're raising children.

The weather forecast says it will be 102 degrees today. It hardly feels like summer's over with these temperatures! At least the kids can wear shorts to school.

2009-08-12T18:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I finished this quilt for our new baby. I'm proud of myself because I've never made a quilt like this before. I did all the binding myself thanks to some instruction from youtube!

Inflatable Wonderland

2009-08-12T18:04:00.004-05:00

We went to this awesome and huge place in the mall with our summer playgroup called Inflatable Wonderland. The kids had a blast jumping and sliding and running around. The best part was that it was all air-conditioned.

More from our trip

2009-08-06T09:35:00.005-05:00

My sister Angie painted my girls' and their cousin's nails. They loved it!

We took a hike to the Dixie Rock.

Clarris loved playing ball with her aunt and uncle.

The resort has an arcade in the main clubhouse. Clarris loved pretending to race and never asked for a quarter or anything. It was fun without it!

Here are some pictures with me and my sisters. We got some professional pictures taken with Nathan's family, which I hope to post soon.

Family in Utah

2009-08-03T13:18:00.008-05:00

We arrived in St. George at the Worldmark Resort to enjoy a family reunion with Nathan's family. We also got to see a few members of my family as well. Of course, there was a lot of swimming going on.

On Friday evening we went out to eat at Chilli's with all of Nathan's immediate family and my Dad and his wife Linda and my sister, Angie and her husband Kyle.

Cousins with their dolls and rabbit ears!

We enjoyed playing games together. Nathan's sister brought a great game called Moods.

Nathan's sister and mom planned some crafts for the kids to do. They decorated T-shirts and sun visors with fabric markers, stencils, and foam stickers.

Eagar, Arizona...Our first stop.

2009-07-27T16:18:00.008-05:00

It was so fun for the kids to ride the mare in Grandma's and Grandpa's backyard. The mare's new colt would just prance along behind, never getting too far from her mother. She was only about 10 days old.

We also enjoyed a soak in Grandma's and Grandpa's hot tub.

My mom had a great project for the kids and Nathan to do while we were there. Each of them decorated a onesie for the new baby with fabric markers.

Here we are just about to leave for Utah.

He Passed!

2009-07-27T15:22:00.005-05:00

Nathan passed his Physical Therapy Oral Exams a couple of weeks ago!! Yay! We are so proud of him. He has worked so hard. I actually took these pictures before he left. When he got home the tie and jacket were off and we were ready to celebrate! Nathan and I went over to one of his classmate's house for a post-exam party. We extended our congratulations and receive some, too. Then we went home and got the kids and took them out for dessert at Applebee's. We left the next day for a well-deserved vacation. More to come on that!

The Fourth of July

2009-07-07T13:05:00.005-05:00

We got up early on the 4th of July this year. We got to the church at about 7:40am. The scouts did a brief flag ceremony. After the ceremony there was a bike parade for the kids. They got to show off their patriotically decorated bikes. Jake was really excited to ride his new Green Machine. Each child got a huge pixie stick and medal for their efforts.

After the bike parade and blessing on the food we all headed inside for the pancake breakfast. About half an hour into breakfast they started the Girls Camp Fundraiser Auction. Over $600 was raised to help pay for Girls Camp. The young women in the ward (aged 12 to 18) did face painting for the children. Brealle got to decorate both Daesha's and Clarris' face.

Nathan had to spend the rest of the day studying. His final, oral exam is this coming Thursday. He got home around 7pm and we had a family BBQ complete with watermelon. Afterward, we drove over to Schertz to watch the fireworks. I didn't get any pictures, but they were beautiful. All in all, a good day! I love celebrating our great nation.

Crepe Party/Study Group

2009-06-26T12:17:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we hosted a crepe party for Nathan's classmates. We had fruit and whipped cream as well as scrambled eggs and sausage to roll up into the crepes. I also made two quiches that turned out quite well. I didn't get a picture of the quiches because they were pretty much gone right after they came out of the oven. After everyone had eaten they were divided into 3 teams. Each team was given the names of various anatomy that they then had to draw. It was a contest between the teams to see who could draw it correctly and more quickly than the other team. Drawing will be part of their final oral exam next week. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and hopefully feel better prepared for the final.

Nathan found this crepe maker at an estate sale several years ago. I'm not sure they make them anymore. It looks like it was made in the 70's. I love the art on the box! Classic. It's been a lot of fun having this particular kitchen appliance, especially on Saturday and Sunday mornings when we all eat breakfast together as a family.

Missions Baseball

2009-06-26T11:28:00.006-05:00

Monday night for Family Home Evening we went to a minor league baseball game where the San Antonio Missions were playing. It was Mormon Night. A lot of people from our ward and stake were there. It was fun to meet up with friends that share our beliefs. They had a group of missionaries sing the National Anthem. They did a great job.

There was also a raffle for our group that allowed those that were chosen to spend half an inning with Baseball Hall of Fame Recipient and Mormon Jeff Kent. Brealle's name was chosen and she and Jake got his autograph and their picture taken with him. Pretty cool!

Jake is lovin' the cotton candy!

I love this picture of Clarris! You can see her freckles!

Girls Camp 2009

2009-06-22T13:11:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Brealle got to go to Girls Camp at John Knox Ranch near Canyon Lake. She had a wonderful time. She enjoyed learning about nature, doing crafts, hiking, singing songs and spending time with girls that share her same beliefs and values. They "roughed it" in cabins and had indoor showers and bathrooms. As the Young Women 2nd Counselor (a youth leader in our church) I got to go up one day and see the girls. This was a lot of fun. They are a great bunch of girls and I thoroughly enjoy working with them.

Can you see my pregnant belly? Less than three months to go!

McNay Art Museum

2009-06-20T11:21:00.004-05:00

Last week we went to the McNay Art Museum with our Summer Playgroup. They have some beautiful art work there by famous artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, and Picasso. Within the museum is an outdoor courtyard with a fountain. It was very nice for the children. We walked around and then let the kids play outside in the courtyard for a while and then back inside the museum; a little culture alternated with a little nature! It worked out quite well.

Below are some pictures of the grounds outside the museum where we enjoyed a picnic around the man-made pond complete with koi fish and turtles. A beautiful day.

Talk about a bunch of posers!!

Three!!!

2009-05-27T09:33:00.006-05:00

Clarris turned three last week! I can't believe how big she's getting. We were going to have a party for her on Friday night and invited several of her friends and their families. Then Thursday night she developed a fever. I took her to the doctor Friday morning and we found out she bilateral ear infections and pink eye. What a way to start out your birthday! Obviously, we had to cancel the party.

I made a smaller version of the castle cake I had planned and we had a family party for her Sunday night when she was feeling better. We got her a tricycle for her birthday that she loves! She also got several fun gifts from grandparents and friends.

Fiesta Texas

2009-05-27T08:35:00.005-05:00

In April we went downtown to the Fiesta Texas celebration. We saw a parade with El Rey Feo or the "Ugly King". He presides over the festivities.

There were also floats with princesses. The girls loved that. It is tradition for the princess and her attendants to wear crazy shoes or cowgirl boots under her gown. The people watching the parade call out as the princess float passes, "Show us your shoes!" and she obliges. We saw some fun and creative shoes. Below is my favorite. We got to see some high school girls from our ward in the parade, too. There were also a lot of horses to see and a few of these big blow up characters like Mr. Potato Head.

After the parade we got some funnel cakes and then headed to the Tower of the Americas. We went up to the top this time. There was a beautiful view of San Antonio, but not quite as pretty as the Seattle Space Needle view. I think it's the lack of water that makes the difference.

It was so windy on the outer deck we all felt like we were gonna blow away. It wasn't cold though and the kids actually had a good time running around in the winds. We also saw the 4-D movie-ride. I had to sit in a stationary seat because of the pregnancy, but it was still fun. The ticket lets you ride to the top as many times as you want. I think we went up and down four times. Elevators are always fun for kids, especially ones that take you 750 feet up!

Super models?

2009-05-12T15:42:00.009-05:00

Our family got to do something kind-of fun last night. One of our ward members is a professional photographer and owns an advertising agency. He asked us last week to come downtown to the Westin Riverwalk Hotel restaurant and pose for their web campaign for which he is in charge. When we asked him how to dress he told us business casual. Well, I had a hard time deciding what the girls should wear since little dress suits are hard to find :) I finally chose some nice clothes for them and we all got dressed up and headed downtown. Nathan had to meet us there after work so I had to get everyone ready myself. It was a little stressful, but we pulled it off.

It was fun. We had to do a lot of smiling and looking at each other while we held up our forks speared with various parts of the meal. A picture of someone chewing is less than flattering. When the children's food came they were supposed to wait to eat it and just hold it in front of them while smiling and looking at each other. Unfortunately, they kind of dug in before we could remind them to wait. Smiling and looking at your family can make you pretty hungry! I think he got some good shots anyway. A nice couple at the restaurant complemented us on how well behaved our children were. That always makes us feel good...even if we know how naughty they can be. We did get a free meal out of the bargain and a gift certificate so Nathan and I can have a night out later...sans kids. Here's the website of the hotel/restaurant http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1167

Oh Boy!

2009-04-25T16:20:00.005-05:00

Our Ultrasound confirmed we're getting a boy this time! We are very excited about it, but Jake is ecstatic! He finally gets a brother. Yay! When we told Jacob it was a boy he exclaimed, "I knew it!" Nathan told me later that during the ultrasound, before we got the news, he thought that the baby's profile definitely looked manly :) Now we just need a name. Feel free to submit names for consideration ;)

Kids say the darnedest things

2009-04-19T22:46:00.003-05:00

I was busy ironing some shirts earlier this week and Clarris walked in the room:

Clarris: "What are you doing, Mom?"

Mom: "I'm ironing some clothes."

Clarris: "Why?" (she's been saying this a lot lately. Did I mention she'll be 3 next month)

Mom: "To get the wrinkles out."

Clarris: "Oh."

The next day...

Clarris: "Mom, can you please iron my skirt and get out the sprinkles."

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2009-04-05T22:28:00.006-05:00

For Jacob's birthday this year he wanted to have a laser tag party. It was a lot of fun. The boys really had a great time. Mom and Dad even got in on the action. Nathan did pretty well, but I got shot quite a few times. Jacob did awesome; he's a natural. It's probably his video game experience that gives him the edge.

This is his oreo/dirt cake complete with "worms" and "mud".

We have a Bear...

2009-04-03T14:31:00.003-05:00

Bear Scout that is. Jacob received his Wolf and moved up to Bear this past week. He also got a gold and a silver achievement arrow. Way to go Jake!

Backyard fun

2009-04-03T14:17:00.003-05:00

Brealle decided the playset could use a little more privacy. She raided the recycling bin and together the kids built this cardboard and tape wall. They have a club (sorry, you have to be a Henry kid to join...I already asked). As soon as the addition was complete Brealle announced, "Club meeting!" I love it when they get along like this! It really warms my heart.

San Antonio Children's Musuem

2009-03-17T15:48:00.009-05:00

So, I'm finally getting these pictures posted. During Spring Break, the day after we went to the beach, we all went to the San Antonio Children's Musuem. Nathan miraculously had the day off. It was a perfect day to go since it was rainy outside.

There was an airplane cabin inside the museum. Daesha had fun hamming it up for the camera while she piloted the plane.

Clarris wanted a story in the plane and her daddy was happy to oblige.

Here are the girls going to work on the front loader. I remember playing with something similar to this when I was a kid.

This contraption was awesome. If you look closely you'll see that Daesha has pulled a bubble all the way over her head. Hey, bubble girl!!

Here is Daesha "milking" a cow.

Here is Clarris playing in one of the many displays. I think this was a cowboy bunkhouse.

They had a grocery store for the kids to shop in. They got to use little shopping baskets and then go to the check out counter and check out the "food" they had selected. I wish I had that much fun grocery shopping...

Beach fun!

2009-03-17T08:37:00.005-05:00

Over Spring Break Clarris, Daesha and I took a trip down to the beach at Corpus Cristi with some friends of ours. The weather was great! The girls enjoyed playing in the sand. Daesha and her friend, Hayleigh, were wave jumping for almost an hour. Clarris did not want to go into the water so she and I dumped out sand molds of sea creatures and dug in the sand. It was a fun day and we went home tired, but happy.

Ummm...how does she do that? That's a serious squat!

Jacob's Creations

2009-03-02T11:28:00.004-06:00

So Jake is a bit of a junk collector. These bits of string, empty packages, broken necklaces, paper clips, erasers, etc. that he picks up throughout the day either end up in his room or my washer and dryer. Those that make it to his room are often used to make interesting and creative things. Here is a sample of his latest work. Maybe he'll use his imagination and engineering skills to design and create an incredible invention someday. For now I enjoy seeing what he comes up with. The only problem is that his creative bursts usually take shape when he's supposed to be cleaning his room.

A bug carrier.

A bug catcher.

A bug whipper. I guess this is like a fly swatter.

Announcement

2009-02-26T08:39:00.006-06:00

So, it's time to officially announce that our family is expecting a new baby in September! At my first appointment this week they did an ultrasound to confirm our due date. I am almost 12 weeks along now. I've been very sick with nausea and vomiting. This is sicker than I've ever been with any of my pregnancies. I'm feeling better now thanks to some prescribed anti-nausea medicine. I'm also finally getting over a nasty head cold, so overall I can't complain. We'll find out in about 2 months if we are having a boy or a girl. We'll keep you updated!

Valentine's Day Fun

2009-02-20T10:50:00.018-06:00

For Valentine's Day we decided to take the whole family downtown to the Riverwalk. As soon as we got down to the river we happened upon a huge group wedding. There must have been 100 couples getting married. The pastor that was performing the weddings was pretty good and said some nice things. It was fun and unexpected.

We decided to stop for lunch at a little Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk. It was good food. I especially like the chips and salsa before the meal. The salsa was perfect for a gringo like me and the children's delicate tastes. After lunch we walked over to the mall to get some valentine treats. We went to the Sweet Shop. You've all heard the expression: I was like a kid in a candy shop. Funny thing is you never hear about that kid's parents. I was getting a little exasperated with all the grabbing and the little hands and the amount of sugar. Nathan just laughed and gave the kids their shopping orders. They straightened up and all went well. I'm glad I'm married to someone with management experience! Next, we walked over to the Hemisfair Park where the kids played for about a half an hour on a huge playground. The kids had to burn off that sugar somehow. We walked a little further into the park where they have a structure that is nearly identical to the Seattle spaceneedle called the Tower of the Americas. We thought about taking a ride up, but decided to save that for another day. It was a nicely spent Valentine's Day with the family. After we got home Nathan was going to take me out to dinner, but I was not feeling well, so we'll have to save that for another day, too.

2009-02-20T10:21:00.003-06:00

I'm finally getting this posted. Jacob earned his green belt in karate at the end of January. We are so pleased with the progress he has made during this past year. This will be the last belt for a while as he's decided to start gymnastics. We're excited for the challenges and fun of gymnastics!

Wow!

2009-02-02T09:14:00.003-06:00

Nathan and I took Daesha and Clarris for a walk around our neighborhood on Friday afternoon while Jake and Brealle were playing at friend's houses. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect. We were just walking and talking and Daesha said the most precious thing. She said, "I was just thinking about how you and Dad take care of me and help me with my asthma and it made want to cry. I have the best parents in the world." So Nathan and I choked back a few tears ourselves and told her how much we loved her and how glad we were she was feeling better. We've struggled with her health for months before we found out she has reflux in addition to her seasonal allergies. She's just so grateful and sweet. It was definitely a wow moment.

Hike to Enchanted Rock

2009-01-15T15:38:00.013-06:00

Last Saturday morning we set out for an hour and a half long road trip. We went to Enchanted Rock, which is North of San Antonio. A big group of Nathan's classmates invited us to come. The wind was blowing quite cold that day despite sunny weather. I thought we'd come pretty prepared with hats, jackets and gloves, but Clarris was still cold. Nathan took off his sweatshirt and wrapped her up in it and carried her during the last mile or two. She actually fell asleep while Nathan was carrying her. This happened to be right before the steepest, longest part of the trek--just before we reached the top. Nathan is such a MAN. Everyone was impressed at how he climbed that last leg of the journey with a two year-old in his arms. He's my hero! Daesha had fun collecting rocks. Our dog, Cinders was in heaven and proved to be half mountain goat! Jake, Daesha and Brealle were ahead of us most of the time and enjoyed visiting with Nathan's classmates. Daesha told us how she made a couple of grown-up friends. Everyone was so great to the kids and told us how it was more fun with them around.

Once we got to the top we stopped and took a good look at how far we'd come. It's amazing how scaling a mountain inevitably leads you think about the parallel it has with life's upward climb . It was certainly true with this hike. There were easy times and hard times, pitfalls to look out for, times we had to help each other and hazards we didn't even see until they were upon us (e.g. cactus spines). The difference is that on life's journey we have a never failing guide in our Heavenly Father and those He places in our life to help us. I'm very thankful for that.

Christmas Meals

2009-01-06T12:24:00.005-06:00

We started preparing our Christmas dinner along with breakfast. We all used our new Christmas aprons while we got it ready...thanks Grandma Henry/Mom! We also had the missionaries join us for Christmas dinner, which made it really special.

Christmas pictures!

2009-01-06T12:08:00.008-06:00

Yes, that's a scorpion sucker!

Aunt Amber

Our Holiday Adventures

2009-01-06T09:40:00.008-06:00

Nathan's parents and his sister Amber visited with us over Christmas. We went to the San Antonio Zoo, among other places. It's a good thing we did too because Clarris had been praying to go to the zoo to see the "aminals". She has developed a habit of saying her prayers during others. We wondered what she would start praying for next. It turns out she was also hoping to go to the park. We did that later too. Such simple and sweet requests, it's hard to refuse.

We went on a tour of the RiverWalk aboard the ferry. It's a great way to see the sights and get a history of the San Antonio River. After our river tour we ate at Texas Land & Cattle. It was a delicious meal.

We also went to the Alamo. Nathan hadn't been so it was a perfect opportunity. We enjoyed reading about the history of the Alamo and the brave men and women involved. There was a huge real Christmas Tree just in front of the Alamo. The tree had a school days theme. There were great big pencils, rulers and crayons. The weather was perfect that day: 76 degrees and overcast. We had a really nice day together.

School Christmas Party

2009-01-06T09:30:00.004-06:00

I got to help out with Daesha's school Christmas party. It was so fun to be there and see her interact with her friends and teacher. She is such a sweet and fun girl!

Caroling

2009-01-06T09:11:00.004-06:00

Brealle, Jacob, Daesha and friends from the neighborhood started off the holiday season right by going caroling. After caroling they went back to the Howell's house for a gift exchange and hot chocolate.

Faith in God Award

2009-01-05T15:56:00.003-06:00

In November Brealle earned her Faith in God Award in church. Our ward's awesome Primary President made this cookie cake for her. We are so happy about her accomplishment.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-05T13:30:00.005-06:00

We were so lucky to have Kristi come and spend a week with us over Thanksgiving. We all had a really nice time. Thanksgiving dinner turned out great thanks to some wonderful help from Nathan and Kristi. We decided to do ham AND turkey this year and had lots of yummy leftovers. We have so much to be thankful for. We have been incredibly blessed this past year. After dinner we relaxed and played board games, watched movies and played pac-man. Here are a couple of shots before we "dug in".

On Saturday the girls decided they wanted Aunt Kristi to play beauty parlor with them. I also joined in the fun and painted nails. Here they are getting a foot soak before their pedicures.

I love this picture of them doing each other's hair.

I've been tagged!

2008-11-13T15:27:00.010-06:00

HUBBY TAG...
What is your husband’s name? Nathan
How long did you date? Define dating...it was a long distance relationship that turned out extremely well, but technically about 9 months.
How old is he? 32
Who eats sweets? We both have a mean sweet tooth.
Who said I love you first? I did.
Who is taller? . Nathan, by almost 8 inches.
Who can sing better? Hmm, it's a tie.
Who is smarter? Qualify smarter...probably Nathan.
Who does the laundry? Usually me, but Nathan is great at helping out since it's my least favorite chore.
Who pays the bills? Automatic withdrawal or me.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me
Who mows the lawn? We both do.
Who cooks dinner? Me, most of the time, but Nathan is a pretty great cook.
Who drives? Mostly Nathan, but on road trips we take turns.
Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Whoever is wrong...we're pretty good at this.
Who kissed who first? He came 90; I came 10.
Who asked who out first? Nathan asked me out.
Who wears the pants? We both do.
Friends who should do this: I tag Heather, Joanna, and Ally.

A new belt and a new play

2008-11-06T16:36:00.008-06:00

Jacob earned his purple belt and received it on October 25th. We're very proud of him!

Brealle got to be in the middle school play entitled Till Death Do We Part. I think she had a good time and it was a good experience for her, plus she got to wear a ton of make-up including bright blue eyeshadow! Yahoo!

Henry Household Halloween

2008-11-06T15:49:00.010-06:00

(You've gotta love that alliteration!)

The brave ninja warrior, darling pirate, and cute little pink kitten just before we hopped in the car to go trunk or treating.

Clarris says, "Meow!"

Brealle is a ghoul with green Groucho Marx eyebrows! Her friend Haley helped her get ready.

Our pumpkin won Most Teeth...whatever that means! We had fun with it, anyway!

The spoils! When your child can no longer carry her own bag of candy because it's too heavy, you know it's time to come home. Everyone had a great time. Nate and I dressed up as a mom and a dad...maybe next year we'll do something creative.

October Birthdays

2008-10-29T11:19:00.016-05:00

Daesha's birthday party was a success. But, I think this will be Daesha's last princess themed party now that she's six and kind-of growing out of that. She didn't even want her guests to dress up this time. I made and decorated a princess cake, which Jake said "broke the record" for best cakes. We had a giant Disney Princess Castle pinata that held a huge amount of candy. I even got some candy molds and made princess, castle and carriage shaped candy suckers for the girls to take home. Before cake, presents and the pinata we tried playing a game. The kids had to run down to one end of the lawn, dress up like a princess and then pop a balloon with their bottom (who doesn't love doing that?) and then run back to their starting place. First, Daesha complained that her princess dress was itchy. Then another girl said she didn't want to run. We ended up just letting them play on the playset and jump on the trampoline and bagged the rest of the games we had planned. The point is for them to have fun, right?! Unfortunately, we lost the camera battery over Labor Day so I don't have any pictures to post. We borrowed a friend's camera for some pictures, so I'll get them up later.

For my birthday Nathan took me out to dinner downtown. We went to Biga on the Banks. The food was delicious and the company was just lovely...the best part in fact :) Brealle babysat for us and when we got home there were cute little signs taped on the door wishing me a happy birthday. Inside, the kids had cleaned up the downstairs and Brealle had the kitchen looking spotless. It was such a nice surprise! I am so blessed to have a family that loves me like this.

Ahhh sleep

2008-10-01T10:34:00.003-05:00

Here's Nathan taking a well deserved rest in the backyard hammock. Thanks to Kyle, our brother-in-law, for bringing it home with him from Brazil.

Here is a fun picture of Brealle and Clarris taking a snooze together. A couple of little angels!

Awesome 80's Party!

2008-09-16T15:39:00.007-05:00

We went to our friends, Eliza and Joe's 80's party last Friday. Here we are looking "Totally Tubular" in our Material Girl and Miami Vice get-ups. It was pretty hilarious to see what people came up with.

Lake Travis over Labor Day weekend

2008-09-03T09:16:00.007-05:00

Lake Travis is just North of Austin, TX about two and a half hours from us. On the way there Friday afternoon we stopped at the huge outlet mall in San Marcos and got a new pair of running shoes for Nathan along with a chip that goes in your sneaker and tracks your mileage and time with your i-pod. We also stopped at Harry and Davids and got some delicious and addictive candy. Saturday morning we rented a ski-doo and rode on the lake. Then the kids had fun digging in the sand on the shore and building mud-castles. Saturday night we went to a restaurant called The Pier on Lake Travis on the recommendation of a local resident. Nathan and I didn't really know what to expect and even wondered if we should have called ahead for reservations. We soon found out that the restaurant was literally ON a pier ON Lake Travis. There was a regular parking lot and then docks for boats. So not only did we not need a reservation we probably didn't even need clothes...a swimsuit and flip-flops would have done fine. It was fun for the kids though. They sold small baggies full of fish food, so while we waited for our meal the kids feed the huge catfish that congregated at the edge of the pier. Unfortunately, I didn't have our camera at the time. Sunday, we found a church meeting in Lago Vista, about 30 minutes away where we had a really nice visit. Later in the day we took a family hike around the Lake. Monday morning we had a good time swimming in the pool and then started home around 1:00pm. All in all a really fun weekend!

On Saturday morning just outside the condo a whole herd of deer showed up. The kids went out in their PJ's and fed them some carrots and lettuce. I never would have guessed the kids would have so many opportunities to feed the wildlife in Texas!

Little girls and their hair

2008-08-28T09:32:00.003-05:00

I've been experimenting with making hair bows and trying out some fun hair styles on the girls,lately. Here are a couple of examples. I think Daesha and Clarris enjoy getting their hair done, too. It gives us a chance to talk and spend time together. Brealle is more into getting her nails done. In June I took her to the salon and we both got pedicures as a reward for how well she did in school last year. It was a reward for me, too. I did get up at 6am all school year, but it was worth it! I love all the fun girl stuff I get to do with my darling daughters!

Miss Photogenic was making me chase her around with the camera!

Firsts...

2008-08-28T08:33:00.010-05:00

Monday, was not only the first day of school, but the first day of full-day kindergarten and the first day of middle school. I was a little emotional about these firsts. And then to top off everybody growing-up too fast Clarris was potty-trained this week. I told her I'd buy her a tea-set if she used the potty and voila, it worked! However, I find myself quite puzzled at my sadness over my baby not being in diapers anymore. Just knowing she's my last I wanted her to stay a baby for longer, but it turns out she had other plans. She has an independent spirit much like her siblings. I wonder where they got it from? ;) In any case, it has been nice having most of the day to spend with Clarris. We've been having some lovely tea parties.

Daesha's blowing me kisses!

The fruits of our labors...

2008-08-20T14:10:00.002-05:00

Actually, we didn't labor too hard! It's the first season we've had a garden in Texas and it was an experiment. We got quite a few grape tomatoes, squash and corn and a few banana peppers and 3 melons. We're excited to try again this fall.

Butterflies...

2008-08-19T08:34:00.007-05:00

We went to the Zoo last week and Nathan was finally able to join us. I got some photos of them in the butterfly exhibit. You go in a large greenhouse type structure and there are dozens of butterflies to see. If you hold still and you're lucky, the butterflies will land on you. I also added a few photos of when we went earlier in summer.

Backyard Makeover

2008-08-18T18:28:00.013-05:00

We still need to stain the deck and paint the rail and pergola, just as soon as the rain lets up and the weekend gets here! Overall, we are very pleased with the results.