The Henry Gang

Ms. Lisa!!!

2012-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Meet Ms. Lisa! Lisa is a friend from the YL days! When Jud and I did Young Life in Deerfield, Lisa was one of our awesome students. Don't ask me how we lost touch for a couple years and didn't have much contact with one another but, the important part is she is in our life NOW and we love every minute that we spend with her! We LOVE her and she LOVES us…works out perfectly! Tonight we had dinner with her and caught up a bit. We missed you over the holidays Lisa!

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

2012-01-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

Kate's DayCare Service:)

2012-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

This week was a week filled with kids, kids and more kids:) I have told you before that I love my friends and that they are so special to me. A lot of my friends in the area don't have a ton of family to help out so we like to watch out for one another and help when we can. I LOVE doing it. It brings me joy to be able to help friends and my friends have the best kids! So, if you are in the Chicago-land area and need some help, give me a ring:)

It is funny how kids can tell when someone is younger than them…King LOVED taking care of Cora and treating her like the "Baby."

Both Ali and Canyon LOVED Cora Mae!

(I am bummed that I didn't get a picture of Avalene but, we had a blast with her as well!)

Moon Dough Time

Sawyer

Kids taking turns sliding down there stairs

I decided to invite a play date over for Aliyana that day as well…what's one more right?

Brynnie Brynn

Aliyana's First Service Project

2012-01-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

Ali has been hard at work the past couple of days! At school they are collecting pennies for a month to help with African hunger relief and at church they are giving out baby bottles for people to fill up for a organization called CareNet. Aliyana came home right away and was determined to empty out her piggy bank, search the house, and ransack daddy's desk at his office. She is definitely passionate about collecting money for those in need and has been hard at work in the house to earn money to fill her jars! I would have to say that she is one determined and excellent worker! She earns a quarter for each task she does and has earned over 2 dollars since she started. I am really proud of her! One of my biggest prayers for Aliyana is that she would grow in kindness and love.

A Wonderful Evening!

2012-01-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

On Friday we celebrated Mr. Garrett! Alexis and I worked most of the afternoon preparing a Mexican Feast for our very special friend, Garrett. The kids loved helping us cook, decorate, and prepare for our big night. We are blessed to have Garrett in our lives and had such a wonderful evening! Happy 26th Birthday Garrett…the Henry's love you!

He Loves it!

2012-01-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Ice Skating Outing

2012-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

On MLK day, Ali's school rented out the local YMCA ice skating rink. My friend Jaquie watched Kingston so that I could "attempt" skating with Aliyana and Canyon. I had fun because I knew the kids were enjoying something new and exciting but let's just say I was SO GLAD that it was over after an hour and a half:)

Unfortunately my camera on my phone is not taking good pictures these days. It's hard sometimes to take my big camera everywhere so I just take pictures with my phone but, they are not turning out very good lately.

Our old neighbor Becky went with us…we LOVE her!

Let's just say Canyon "tried" to skate:)

Ali and Becky skating…she was brave at first:(

Becky brought her friend Abigail with her…we loved her too!

By the end of the time, Ali was doing the shuffle around the rink…she sure was proud of herself for not holding on to the side:)

More Winter Fun!

2012-01-18T21:24:00.000-08:00

Pop Pop…I know you thought that dump trucks could only carry dirt and rock but, no sir! Chicago dump trucks carry snow too:)

Sleddin Time!

2012-01-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we headed out on our first sledding adventure of the year. Aliyana spent the weekend at her GiGi's so unfortunately she missed out. Jud and I took the two boys to a nearby hill and they had a blast! King was tickled to death that he got to go!

It was so fun to watch Kingston since it was his first time. He is such a daredevil and I think that he is going to take after his momma…watch out world:)

Canyon LOVED going down the hill with his Daddy!

I know I have said before that King is quite the Tasmanian devil at times…so, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and send him down the hill by himself.

Totally Kidding:)

What a blast of a Saturday!

My Buddy!

2012-01-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today I got to play outside two times with CJ. We had so much fun building snow castles, making a trail in the snow, and of course making snow angles!

I'm Such a BIG Boy!

2012-01-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

King loves being a "Big" boy! He crawls right up on the stools just like the big kids and wants nothing to do with his high chair…So independent and only a a year and a half old!

A Visit from Beeba and Stef

2012-01-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a beautiful day! Two of my favorite ladies came to visit for lunch! The little lady, Ms Brooklyn Boyce, is growing so big and talking up a storm! I am so proud of you Beeba! The other lady happens to be her beautiful mommy who is preggo with number 3!!! I couldn't be more excited for her and Jut and for the blessing that is to come in June. Boyce family, we are praying for you in so many ways and love you with all of our hearts! Stef, thanks so much for coming by…I NEEDED some Stef time!!

Ali and Brooklyn

Snow, Snow EVERYWHERE!

2012-01-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it snowed about 5-8 inches and we were so happy:) We have anxiously been waiting for the first real snowfall believe it or not! The first one is always so fun, beautiful, and exciting. This is definitely not the case after the 4th or 5th heavy snow but for now, we will ENJOY it!

Brothers

2012-01-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

These two are buds…most of the time:) Kingston is getting to a really fun age and is starting to interact and play with the kids a lot more! It is really cute to watch because he tries so hard and oftentimes really holds his own. Canyon is Mr mild temper and King is quite the opposite! They are both getting so big and I really do love the mornings with just them.

We LOVE our family and friends!

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Ali decided she was in charge of putting up the pictures that we got in the mail for Christmas:) Some are sideways, crooked, and all over the place but, it looks beautiful and the wall is filled with folks we LOVE! Thanks to all who sent us a card, we love getting them!

Weekend with Mommy!

2012-01-07T19:23:00.002-08:00

Jud went out of town this weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday and the kids and I have been busy spending some Quality Time together! On Friday night, we went swimming at the YMCA and boy was that a challenge with the Taz. He LOVES to swim and was jumping in all over the place…he definitely thought he was a big kid and also thought he was a swimmer. Ha! We had a ton of fun!

Today we ran some errands, read some books, ate dinner at Costco:), and had a Play-doh party once King went to bed. I am loving being with them but at the same time excited for Jud to come home!

I don't know why I put up so many pictures of play-doh making…guess I was having fun with my camera:)

Where is the Snow???

2012-01-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

We can't believe that there hasn't been any significant snowfall this winter. It is out of the ordinary and I kinda like it but, it's WEIRD! When we got home from Georgia there was a little snow on the ground and the boys wanted to have some fun in it:)

Munz Family Christmas!

2012-01-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, the entire Munz family met in Georgia to CELEBRATE! The Florida crew packed in the RV, towed a trailer, and arrived at almost the same exact time as the Chicago crew. My parents rented a house on Lake Lanier that fit all of us perfectly! Because the twins were due right around this time, we all decided to skip out on Florida and meet in the ATL. Unfortunately, Anna and Kate were not home yet from the hospital but Phil and Mare joined us at the house which was a HUGE blessing. We are thankful though that the twinkies are doing really well and growing BIG and STRONG! Come home soon girls!!!

HERE WE GO…..

What a great Day 1…the Interactive Childrens Museum

The weather was wonderful! We spent a lot of time playing on the beach, taking walks, and enjoying every bit of time that we had together!

It is so fun watching these kiddos grow up together!

The TAZ was a MESS on the beach…Daddy had ENOUGH:)

B.L.E.S.S.I.N.G.S

Now THIS is a wild gang! Pop Pop even has matching jammies!

Every night the kids had a gift to open. It was kind of nice spreading out the excitement throughout the week. The first night we exchanged gifts between the cousins. We switched names among those 2 and up. They took so much pride in the gifts they were giving.

Ry Roo is a great older cousin! She is so sweet to all the kids and LOVES being the biggest cousin. She is an excellent reader and I am so proud of her!

And Phil? Seriously...he really needs his girls to come home from the hospital :)

One night we drove through Lake Lanier Islands, "Magical Nights of Lights". So pretty and so memorable!

We headed to the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve one day! Camels, elk, goats, bears, monkeys, lions, tigers, panthers and more!

One night we opened the gifts from the grandmas. Slippers all around from Grandma Jerri and engraved silver bells from Grandma Munz.

Check out the new shades…the girls got to go shopping one day and Pop Pop gave them money to spend:)

Ry and Ali LOVE their little cousin Allie Grace! They are waiting anxiously to meet Anna and Kate. Allie, Anna, and Kate are going to love tagging along with their big cousins:)

Everyone got to meet Anna and Kate while they were in town!

Sweet babies in their Christmas jammies :)

Lunch at the park was pretty chilly, so we decided to go to Chick-Fil-A to play and get milkshakes!

Lots of fun down at the "beach"!

Our Can Man!

Jake the Snake :)

The last gifts that the kids opened were sleeping bags from Pop Pop and Mimi.

The girls' were pink and the boys' were blue.

Here they are! All 12!

We are getting old...this is us ringing in the New Year, watching the ball drop! We were a lively bunch!

Seriously, we all could hardly stay awake :)

We were able to stay an extra day and head to the Batusic's. It was a great ending to the trip!

Andrew's marshmallow is a little overcooked :)

Really King??? What am I going to do with this kid:)

Every time we get together, I try my hardest to embrace every moment! I want so badly for time to stand still when we all get together because I love my family and love spending time with them. As I look back at the 500 plus pictures that our awesome photographer (Melissa Anne Batusic:) took this past trip, I am reminded of how incredibly amazing, crazy, and BLESSED that we are. Although I wish we all lived closer, I wouldn't change it for the world knowing that we get this QUALITY time together!

Dad and Mom, non of this would be possible without you. You keep on GIVING and GIVING! We are so thankful for your generosity and love! Thank you for the unforgettable memories, we LOVE YOU!

L.O.V.E.

2011-12-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas in the Henry house!

I titled this post LOVE because I was reminded last night that LOVE is what Christmas is all about. "For God so LOVED the world, that he gave is one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Everlasting life." Thank you God for sending your Son, the greatest GIFT of all! Amidst the presents, cookies, and craziness of Christmas we thank YOU for your LOVE and GRACE! We had a blessed Christmas and look forward to the next week when we will get to see the Munz CLAN down in Georgia!

The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Gifts Number 6 and 7…pj's, toys, and lots of little treats!

Kay Ray is 21!

2011-12-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

Josh and Kaylani are two of our favorite cousins:) We love hanging out with them and were blessed to have them stop by for a night on their way to Kenosha. Kaylani is Jud's cousin and we have been close ever since I started dating Jud years ago. It has been so neat to watch her grow, graduate, and get married! We love her and her hubby Josh! Thanks for stopping in…we had a blast!

Kaylani and Josh brought the kids a treat!

Slam DUNK!

Happy Birthday Kaylani! We love you!

The boys helped Kay blow out her 21 candles:)

Day #5 with GiGi

2011-12-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

Cameras for All!!!!

I don't think that she liked it…do you?

Yippee:))))

Even King got his own camera!

Cookies with the LaSage Family

2011-12-24T11:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we got together with our old neighbors (in their new house:) to make Christmas Cookies! Jaquie has become a great friend of mine and the kids LOVE spending time together. We sure do miss them on our street but, the good thing is…they only live a couple blocks away! We had a spectacular morning…I think it was even better than planned because TAZ stayed home with his GiGi (you know I love you King:).

The kids are READY to make some COOKIES!!!

We made a TON of yummy cookies! The kids loved it and iced and decorated every last one of them!

Thank you for a great day LaSage family. Santa sure is going to appreciate our hard work!

Day #4 with GiGi

2011-12-22T21:33:00.001-08:00

Yes, C.J. did in fact get a hair cut! I thought we should trim it up before he sees the Munz clan next week or he might become self conscious over all the comments…Dad, no need to bring the scissors or the pink bow:)

Day #3 with GiGi

2011-12-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Today, the kids went to Grammy Frey's nursing home for a Christmas party. They had a blast and are absolutely exhausted from all the fun, food, and excitement. I hope they aren't worn out by the time we go on our vacation:) We need them energized for their week long fun fest with their 9 cousins:)))

I wish that I could share this video with you on the blog but I am not that talented:) I told you that Kingston LOVED dogs. I am not kidding when I say that this kid started screaming at the top of his lungs with JOY over the dog puzzle that he got! It was absolutely HILARIOUS!

Everyone is SO excited for him:)

Canyon went up with Daddy to put Kingston to bed…He decided that he was going to read him his bedtime story…adorable!

Day #2 with GiGi

2011-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

Heading to the movies with their GiGi to see Alvin and the Chipmunks…a family FAVE!

Mommy had her a little one on one time with the KING. I loved getting that special time with him…poor third kid gets shafted all the time:(

He was loving the attention!

Night #2…

Cool shirts for the boys and a fabulous sparkly hat for Ali!

Brothers!

Pink looks good on my long-haired little man:)

Ali's First Book

2011-12-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Aliyana's Leaf Book

"Merry Christmas Jesus. I love you. You are my King. Thank you for sending your Son.

We love your church."

Aliyana has been wanting to make this leaf book for a while now. Her leaves have been drying for months in my devotional book:) She found the dried leaves and decided to put the book together herself! My heart melted as she wrote these words down in her book. It is my hearts desire that my children KNOW him, love him, and follow them all the days of their lives. Just had to share this with you all:)

Day #1 With GiGi

2011-12-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

GiGi is spending the week with us in Elmhurst! She decided it would be fun to let the kids open one gift every night that she is here. Of course the kiddos are LOVIN it!

First night…first gift!

Ornaments for all!!!

I have never seen a one year old so obsessed with something before! Kingston LOVES dogs…dog books, stuffed dogs, real dogs, and even dog ornaments:)

Hanging them on the tree!

Thank you GiGi!!!

My BIG Helper!

2011-12-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

Just playing catch up with some of the random pics I have taken in the past couple of days!

Canyon absolutely LOVES helping out in the kitchen! Whatever it is, he is willing to help out…even when little hands aren't especially needed:)

Cutting some mushrooms for the BEST pasta ever!

Jud decided to let the kids decorate their bodies with markers…this is what Ali came up with all by herself!

Random pic of my buddy

December 20

2011-12-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

When I joined the ranks of humanity, born into the humblest conditions, My Glory was hidden from all but a few people. Occasionally, streaks of Glory shone out of Me, especially when I began to do miracles. Toward the end of My life, I was taunted and tempted to display more of My awesome Power than My Father's plan permitted. I could have called down legions of angels to rescue Me at any point. Imagine the self-control required of a martyr who could free Himself at will! All of this was necessary to provide the relationship with Me that you now enjoy. Let your life become a praise song to Me by proclaiming My glorious Presence in the world.

It is by God's Grace that I am able to share in this relationship with my Savior. I am constantly reminded how lost and alone I would be without the precious gift of Jesus. He is my Rock and my Glory and I want my life to be a praise song to Him!

Candy Cane Lane 2011…CHI-City!

2011-12-17T21:35:00.000-08:00

We look forward to this day all year! The Petersens and the Henrys LOVE to have fun and have made Candy Cane Lane one of the best traditions that I have experienced! In the past, we have loaded the kids in the car for a night full of lights but, this year we decided to switch it up! Heidi hooked it up and we took the families down to the city for a night. 6 kids, 4 adults, 2 suites and a BIG city=MAJOR FUN! We all are the best of friends! The only bummer of the whole 18 hours that we got to spend together is that it had to END:(

Michigan Ave, State Street, Puppet show on a bike, Macy's windows, and the Kris Kringle Market

Great night out on the town!

Josh, "Where are we sleeping Heidi?"

Heidi, "WE are not sleeping anywhere, Katie and I are sleeping together:)"

DUGH!!!!!!

2011

Late night swim, Lots of junk food, Movie night…Every kids dream!

Time to Party!

2011-12-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

What a treat it was to be in Aliyana's class for the first time this past Friday! To avoid major chaos, there are only a few moms picked at a time to volunteer with different activities in the classroom. I was so thankful to be a part of the Christmas party!

I can't believe she is half way through Kindergarten!

Tis the Season!

2011-12-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

I was trying to think of something that I could do with Canyon the other day for a little one on one time. I love making gingerbread houses with the kids and thought it would be the perfect little holiday activity we could do together. I knew that Aliyana had a friend coming over the next day and would love doing it with her so I decided to buy three. We had a great time building the house, decorating it, and licking our fingers after it!

The beginning stages!

Love this kid!

He is so proud!

Finished product!

Ali and Molly!

The girls loved it too!

First Snow of the Year

2011-12-11T18:21:00.001-08:00

CJ Takes the Main Stage

2011-12-10T20:46:00.001-08:00

Canyon had his very first performance this past Thursday night. For weeks prior to the big day he would tell me that he did not want to be in his program. I wasn't going to push it and told him that he didn't have to if he didn't want to. To my surprise, the morning of the program he woke up telling me that he wanted to perform! Boy am I glad he did because he was shining like a STAR:)

He looks a little unsure about this performing thing...

Caught a glimpse of his family in the audience and couldn't help but smile:)

I am not kidding when I say that my little man did EVERY move!

He made his daddy and mommy SMILE big!

The gang after the show

Aliyana's Christmas Program 2011

2011-12-10T13:59:00.001-08:00

Last Monday, Aliyana performed in her last Little Lambs program. It was so special to see that she was even picked to be one of the Angels! Ali, you did a great job and Mommy and Daddy are very proud!

Don't judge…these are the first collages that I have ever created on my own:) Mel usually puts together all of the collages and I am just now learning to do them on my own. I know that the green clashes with the background of my blog…I'll fix it soon:)

"Here we come Anna and Kate!!"

2011-12-08T20:35:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, my two precious little angelic nieces were born the day after Thanksgiving! They have been in the hospital ever since but are doing awesome and making huge strides in their growth and development! Mare and Phil are doing an incredible job at being strong as the wait for Kate and Anna to come home. We are all hoping that they can come home before Christmas!

Mel and I drove back to Georgia from Chicago 6 days after they were born. As soon as we arrived, we ate dinner and rushed to the hospital to meet the Twinkies! Lets just say upon walking into the NICU my heart melted in awe of my teeney tiny and beautiful little nieces!

Scrub up!

We were there as often as we could be to see those little angels. We had some great girl time!

On Saturday Mimi got to hold Kate! Yay!

The first picture that they girls got together!

The first time Mare got to hold them both at the same time!

We are hoping that the girls aren't in the NICU for Christmas, but we still had to decorate their rooms a little!

Anna Elise and Kate Linley, I am BLESSED to be your auntie! You are gifts from our gracious God and I can't wait to see you again and get to hold you for hours and hours outside of those incubators, tubes, and monitors! I love you and am filled with JOY knowing that you are growing stronger each and every day…HURRY up and come HOME!

Best Thanksgiving EVER!

2011-12-08T20:03:00.001-08:00

This past Thanksgiving was one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I have ever had! Mel, John and the kids drove in from Georgia just in time to celebrate! I was honored to be the host and to get to prepare (with the help of my wonderful Mother in law) the Thanksgiving FEAST. If you know me, this was a HUGE task and such an INCREDIBLE accomplishment! Mel and Mare are incredible cooks and gifted hosts and oftentimes guide me along in my attempts to become one of them:)

I have to say the dinner was GREAT and the company even BETTER!

Our "Tree of Thanks" and blessing our Thanksgiving meal.

Yep, that's Jud at the bottom of the tree that said he was thankful for big muscles. Way to teach your kids to take it seriously... :)

The next day we took a family train ride to Glen Ellyn to eat at "2 Toots" restaurant. It was so cute!

It's a little diner that has a train track that runs through it. The train carries your food right to your table. The kids loved it!

John Andrew Batusic…ADORABLE!

Saturday was rainy, but you know what?? Who said a rainy day isn't a good day to head to the zoo??

The "Family Zoo"

A rainy walk to the Dolphin show.

An early Christmas present from my hubby…LOVE it!

Sunday was bowling day! We had the whole basement lanes to ourselves. The kids had a blast running around and occasionally knocking down the pins:)

That night Ali was pooped and must've fallen asleep doing her devotions :)

Mel is such a gifted and talented artist! She would probably say she wasn't but, this is evidence of her brilliant skills:) She is the best gift giver and the most thoughtful person. One of her goals while she was here was to make this project and not just to make it but to teach her little sis how to make one too. I am so blessed to have her in my life and don't know where I would be without her. I love you Mel!

A burlap wreath. So cute and easy!

Aunt Mel loved walking Ali to her bus every morning!

"Open Gym" at the Wagner center. It was chilly outside so it was nice to have a place for the kids to run around!

Making turkey cookies.

Sadly, this was the last day of our time together:( This is also where my sis left her camera not realizing it until that evening. Thanks to Elmhurst Park District and an honest woman, it is back in the loving arms of a beautiful, kind, loving, and incredibly amazing Georgian…Melissa Ann Batusic.

What a spectacular time we had with the Batusic Clan! John, Melissa, Andrew, Jacob, and Allie Grace, we will never forget the memories that we made Thanksgiving of 2011. We love you all and can't wait to see you in a couple weeks!!

Uncle Jay Comes to Chicago!

2011-12-04T21:15:00.001-08:00

We had the best time visiting with Uncle Jason the weekend before Thanksgiving! For his 35th birthday, Jodi bought Jay a ticket to Chicago to visit his fam! We were so thankful to have him here. Jay hasn't been to Chicago for a year and a half and we had such a special time in the couple days that he was here. The only sad part was that he couldn't bring the rest of the family and of course that he had to leave:( We love you Jay and miss you already! Jodi, Jordyn, and Jax, we LOVE you too!

The Kids were SOOO excited to see their Uncle!

Play time

Visiting "G" in the nursing home

Uncle Jay made the BEST train track only to be destroyed by TAZ minutes later:(

Visting Santa at the mall

King absolutely LOVED Uncle Jay!

Anna and Kate

2011-11-29T18:32:00.001-08:00

I am completely AMAZED at all that has happened in the past week! Anna and Kate have arrived and are growing stronger every day! Both of the girls have their breathing tubes out and are breathing all on their OWN! Sweet Anna is back to her birth weight and Kate is growing as well. Mary Anne is home from the hospital and is visiting the girls several times throughout the day. I am so very proud of my sister and the CHAMP that she has been through it all! I can't tell you how excited I am to meet my little nieces in a couple of days! Melissa and I are driving down to Georgia on Thursday and you better believe I will be going STRAIGHT to the hospital when I get there:) Anna and Kate, your auntie loves you! Thank you Jesus for these precious gifts! I am filled with JOY!!!

My Amazing little sis "one" of her little angels!

Daddy and "one" of his girls:)

The TWINKIES are HERE!!!!

2011-11-25T17:58:00.001-08:00

The Babies are HERE!!!!! At 1 am this morning, we (Mel is in Chicago visiting for Thanksgiving...crazy huh? Mare, I'm so sorry she couldn't be there with you!) got a call from Mare..."My water broke!" What? How? This wasn't the plan!:) But, our plan was definitely not GOD's plan! Those little girls were READY to come out! So, at 5 this morning they made their GRAND appearance! Anna Elise and Kate Linley entered this world at a whopping 3.14 and 3.11! They will be in the NICU for about 6 to 8 weeks but are doing well and are able to breathe on their own. We are so excited for Mare and Phil and are filled with JOY and feel so blessed to have two adorable and healthy new babies in the Munz Clan! We love you precious girls!

Kate Linley…13.11

Anna Elise...13.14

Henry Hat Day

2011-11-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

Operation Christmas Child!

2011-11-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

This week, we FILLED our shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse and for the two little children that are going to be blessed by them this Christmas! The kids were so excited to do this. I wanted them to take ownership of it and to understand what we were doing. They did an EXCELLENT job at staying focused on their "friends" and not themselves (which is a challenge at times when dealing with young children:)! Aliyana did have a little break down when she realized that the box was not going to Lala (our little girl who we support through World Vision). Such a beautiful time to share with Ali that now we can not only help bless Lala but another little girl and boy as well. It has been so neat to see Ali develop a heart for those less fortunate than us. She thinks of Lala all the time and oftentimes speaks of her as being part of our family!

We are READY to go!

Cj picking out a toy for his friend

Ali thought long and hard about what toy she wanted!

Boxes are FULL and ready!

Finishing touches…(Bummed I forgot to take a picture of the wrapped boxes)

Da Bears!

2011-11-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I got to go to my FIRST Bears game ever!!! What an incredible experience! Chicago fans are ONE of a kind! Tailgating for hours before the game, sold out stadium, crazy crowd, and an awesome team:) I know that Chicago teams aren't always the best but what I appreciate about Chi-Town is their fan LOYALTY!!!

We went to the game with wonderful college friends in town from Michigan, Mike and Liz Belmares!

Soldier Field is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

Bears vs. Lions…Bears WIN!!!!

Mike and Jud
(oh yeah, about that…we were definitely in the second to last row from the top:) hilarious! But, the view of the game was great! I told you the fans are loyal…those nose bleed tickets are even expensive!)

Last One!

2011-11-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we decided to take a family trip to the zoo. It is usually just me and the kids during the week but it was so beautiful we couldn't resist. Jud had not been to this zoo since we were dating…WOW! Great family day!

Jud told CJ before we left that we were going to "Swim with the polar bears." He was ready to go:)

Canyon has a giraffe blankey that he is really attached to…He was showing the giraffe his blankey:)

Mr. Garrett!!!

2011-11-10T20:07:00.001-08:00

Tonight, Mr. Garrett came over for dinner! The kids were so excited that they hid when he came in so that he would find them. The kids absoultely LOVE Mr. Garrett and so do we! We had such a great night eating, chatting, and laughing with one another. We are blessed to have him in our lives as such a dear friend! Garrett, thanks for coming over and hanging with the gang! You are a champ for chillin despite the broken conversations, Kingston screaming through most of dinner, and maybe a germ or two all over that dessert that Ali served you all by herself:)

What a sweet guy! He didn't come empty handed either but, came baring gifts for the kiddos…their very own animal sleeping bags! They loved them so much that Jud and I let them sleep in our room on the floor tonight with them! Thanks again G, we love you!

Randomness

2011-11-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the only thing that will keep King QUIET is to let him be independent with something, anything really! Today, I let him GO at it with a bowl of greek yogurt!

Can-Man…3 years and 3 months old!

King-King…1 year and 5 months old!

A New System

2011-11-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

I am gonna be a little honest…Life as a mom of a five year old has been TOUGH lately! Aliyana has entered a challenging stage for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE and ADORE my daughter but, we have our moments:) The past couple of weeks have been the most challenging! I decided that it was time to switch it up a bit…
About a week ago, the kids each got a behavior chart. When I catch them being kind, respectful, doing something without arguing or complaining, or just making their mommy smile, they get to put a sticker on their chart. When they get 20 stickers, they each have something in mind that they want:) I know that the "sticker chart" is not going to last forever but, for the time being it really is helping the kids with their behavior and of course keeping mommy SANE:)

Big Girl

2011-11-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast! For a couple of months now, Aliyana has brought home "homework" that she has to complete over a weeks time. The homework is usually quite fun and requires the children to work on the letter that is being emphasized at school that week. This past week, she had to draw a lion laughing, practice writing her capitol and lower case L's, write words that started with the L sound, count all of the left shoes in her house, and taste a lemon and tell why a lemon lollipop would taste good. I enjoy taking the time to work with Aliyana when she does her homework (I know that the enjoying part will not last forever:). I want her to get Kindergarten homework forever! I don't want my baby girl to grow up and I know once she gets a little older THIS mama will not be smart enough to help her with it! She is definitely going to have to call her Aunt Mary Anne at that point:)

Homework time!

Ali is enjoying reading books like this! She really is doing an excellent job and I am so proud!

Canyon Starts Gymnastics!

2011-11-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is Mr. CJ's first extracurricular activity:) Last Monday, Canyon started a gymnastics class with his friend, Bjorn. He was hesitant to go at first but LOVED every bit of it in the end! Happy that this little guy can let out some energy running, jumping, and swinging all over the gym.

Girls Day!

2011-11-10T19:17:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday Alexis and I had a girls day with Aliyana in Oak Park! We had a great time stuffing our faces with Chipotle, talking and catching up, and a doing a little shopping at the end! Loved the time with two of my favorite girls!!!

Just felt like writing...

2011-11-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning feeling sorry for myself. For the past year, I have experienced unusual symptoms that have caused me to see many doctors that has ended in no answers = frustration beyond frustration. The burning sensations that I felt throughout my body once left but is now back with a new added sensation of itching. Itching to the point of scratching it raw! For the past couple of months, I have gone to bed scratching my arms so hard they bleed:( It hurts and again is extremely frustrating! To add to all this weirdness, last Friday I woke up and could not move my neck. Literally, I couldn't move it up or down, left or right. I thought it might have been the way that I slept on it but, four days later it is still there and I can hardly sleep on it at night it hurts so bad. I say all of this because I was up all night with my neck hurting and I woke up this morning irritated, emotional, and feeling like "poor me." I didn't want to feel this way but, I did. I wanted to wake up and have energy to conquer the day but I found myself sitting on the couch with tears in my eyes! I know God wants us to rejoice when we experience challenging times and to cling to Him even more but, I just wanted to be LAZY and sulk in my pain. But, that is not what God wanted:) I opened up my Devotional this morning and this is what I read...

Learn to appreciate difficult days. Be stimulated by the challenges you encounter along your way. As you journey through rough terrain with Me, gain confidence from your knowledge that together we can handle anything. This knowledge is comprised of three parts: your relationship with Me, promises in the Bible, and pst experiences of coping successfully during hard times.

Look back on your life, and see how I have helped you through difficult days. If you are tempted to think, "Yes, but that was then, and this is now," remember who I AM! Although you and your circumstances may change dramatically, I remain the same throughout time and eternity. This is the basis of your confidence. In My Presence you live and move and have your being.

Amen!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

This Mama Squaw is DONE! Today, we trick-or-treated two times in Elmhurst! Early in the afternoon, we went with our old neighbors and mama Henry. We came back for some pizza and headed out again with the Ryan Family…by the end of the night only half of the Indians survived:)

Ready to head out!

So hard to get a good pic of King these day but, I'll take it:)

The crew in front of our neighbors new house! They love one another!

Mom, let's chat about what you had to go through in dealing with me as a kid! I am noticing more and more how alike Ali and I are…some good and some bad:) Not kidding you, she raced so quickly to each house today that I thought she was going to run over all the kids every time! You would have thought she was in a race! Funny thing is, I can remember being the exact same way as a kid…so sorry mom:)

Abi, Ali, and Can Man

Meaghan and Ali

King was in the half that survived the night:) He took it all in and at the end, he knew exactly what to do and did it all by himself (walked up the sidewalk, knocked on the door, and took the candy from the man)…so CUTE!

Our Three Little Indians

2011-10-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Let the fun begin!!! On Friday, we went to Grammy Frye's nursing home for our first round of Trick or Treating! The residents LOVED it, we made OUT, and my little Indians had a BLAST! Thank you Brookside Nursing Home for a great afternoon!

We love you Grammy Frye!

BOO!!

2011-10-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here in Elmhurst there is a little thing we like to call, BOOING. It is the Halloween version of the Ding Dong Ditch. Last week we got a knock on our door, opened it, and to our surprise found a package full of cookies and a paper telling us that we had been BOOED! I have actually never seen such a thing but thought it was an adorable and festive idea. The instructions were to put a piece of paper in our window saying that "We have been Booed" and to go and do the same to two other neighbors. Well, the prank wasn't gonna stop with the Henry's because we love PRANKS!! Tonight was the night:) The Henry fam successfully BOOED two of our friends and had a BLAST doing it!!!

They were so excited and ready!!

House number 1 here we come:)

The adrenaline was PUMPING! It was hilarious to see even the kids get nervous and anxious!

House number 2…it's ON!!!

What a way to end the night! What a HOOT!

Hip Hop Halloween

2011-10-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

At dance, Ali was allowed to dress up in her halloween costume. Today, the parents were able to watch! So much fun!

Ground Breaking!

2011-10-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a day of celebration!!! The Boyce's have started BUILDING!!! We all gathered for a chili cook off this past weekend to celebrate the ground breaking of their future home that will soon be built and that YOU have helped bless! If you would like to see up to date pictures and video of the construction and to continue to follow their story please visit their website at buildwiththeboyces.com. Thanks again for all your love and support…I know that the Boyce family is ETERNALLY grateful!

The kiddos…BUDS for life!

Aunt Ange and Canyon

The Huberts and Henrys:)

Jud Jr!

2011-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tell me he doesn't look like a mini Jud:)

Bounceland

2011-10-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Check out our new winter time fun! So excited to have this for the kids as the COLD is just around the corner!

Andrew and Jacob…PLEASE come over and PLAY!!!:)

County Line Orchard

2011-10-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the fam (which includes Alexis J. Roseman:) drove down to Hobbart, Indiana for some good ole fashion apple orchard fun! Fun is an understatement when you throw in a little donut tasting, family farm, moo choo train, apple picking, and of course PICTURE taking! The Henry's never leave home without it…FUN!

First stop..DONUTS!

First attempt at a kid pic…FAIL (King was not in the mood at all!)

So, this will have to do:)

Feeding the animals

All aboard the bus

Workin on the farm!

Love you LEX! Thanks for coming and putting up with the chaos:)

Jud assumes his position:)

Moo Choo train…they all LOVED it, even King!

Gotta love the midwest baby…such a great time of year!

Go get em kiddos!

They had a blast trying to find the perfect apples

Ali was very protective over her bag:)

Just walking along eating my Suncrisp apple

BUDS!! Aliyana LOVES her some LEXIA!

Attempt at a shot…not the best in the bright sunlight

Brycen William Munz is Born!

2011-10-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world sweet boy!!!!
Number 10 of the Munz clan was born last Monday, October 10th (Just so happens to be my daddy's birthday:)! We are so thankful for yet another healthy baby boy. Lauren, my precious sister, in law is such a trooper! Right after the little man was born, he was sent to the NICU because he was having trouble breathing and had fluid in his lungs. Brycen stayed in the NICU for about a week so that doctors could keep a close watch on him. I can't imagine leaving my little babe in the hospital but that is definitely what was best for him! Praise God he is home and in the loving arms of his big sister and two big brothers:) Chad and Lauren, congratulations on a beautiful baby boy! I love him already and can't wait to meet him soon. We love you guys!

Brycen William Munz was born at 9:20 a.m. on October 10th. He weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 20 1/4

Broker in Training

2011-10-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Jud took Canyon into the office for a little training session:) Canyon has been wanting to put on a tie and jacket and go into the office for a while to be like DADDY!

Ready to ride out folks!

A little McD's breakfast in the board room to start the morning off right:)

This peanut is ready to run some meetings!

Gettin Deals Done!

Puddle Jumpin!

2011-10-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

"Mom, can we play in the puddles?"

"Sure, why not:)"

Happy 31st Birthday Daddy!

2011-10-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Juddy Bug's 31st birthday! I guess the tradition now is to send him on a scavenger hunt to spice it up a bit:) The kids absolutely LOVE it and I know Jud gets a kick out of it too!

Clue #1

Got our flash lights and we are ready to GO!

Ali taking the lead with Daddy

Clue #2 at Ali's bus stop

Canyon had fun hiding (and finding:) this clue!

The FINAL secret spot…Jud found all of his birthday cards in the mailbox…isn't that BRILLIANT:)

Jud's mom made him a bouquet of rice crispy treats…adorable idea and SO YUMMY!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

The TWINKIES are coming!

2011-10-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to Florida to celebrate MaryAnne and her IDENTICAL TWIN GIRLS that are on the way:) Melissa, Allie, Mom and I spent all day on Friday getting ready for the big day. It was such a blessing to be with MaryAnne that weekend and to shower her with a special day!

Pep, our fabulous and dear friend, presented a devotion about what a gift it is to be a mommy!!

So many wonderful women in one place!!

Girls, thanks for coming out to celebrate with us! We love you all!

Then we got to celebrate Taylor's 1st birthday!! Grace is Melissa's best friend of all time and is like a sister to us all! Taylor is Allie's best bud…they are two of the most precious and adorable little girls ever!!!

Isn't she precious??

I told you they are precious!!

Another awesome part of the weekend was celebrating DAD! Happy birthday Daddy, I don't know what I would do without you!

WE LOVE YOU POPS!!!

Soakin up the NICE Weather!

2011-10-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Because we live in the midwest, we have to SOAK up every bit of nice weather we have around here:) Tuesday, I invited one of Aliyana's kindergarten buddies and her mom and sis to the zoo with us. Isabella and Ali have become great friends at school and I really enjoy spending time with her mom, Liza. My friend Sarah (who I adore) came with as well. What a blessing it was to spend a great day with great friends!

Isabella and Ali

Canyon LOVED the girls:)

We are only missing one…little miss Avalene

Kingston LOVED the cockroach

Paintin Again

2011-10-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, I babysat my neighbors little girls. She is a single mom and I have a big heart for her and her beautiful girls. I am thankful that she feels comfortable enough to ask for help!

Gotta love the paint:) King loves to be one of the BIG KIDS!

Family 5K

2011-10-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the Henrys were blessed to be a part of ShineAML! A family at our church lost their three year old son in a tragic accident and celebrates his life with an annual 5k to help raise money for a variety of organizations! My friend Julie (who actually won 3rd place, way to go!!) asked us to participate with her on Sunday. Katia and Ed are an incredible couple…the event was a little taste of heaven! May God continue to shower his grace over them!

Balloons, music, SUNSHINE…what more could you ask for!

The fam walked the whole thing together!

Was so proud of my girl who probably walked over 2 1/2 miles! Way to go Ali!

Collins Family Comes to the CHI!

2011-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Dave and Meg are some of our CLOSEST college friends! We love when they come in town because the crew always gets together. If it weren't for Dave and Meg, we all would struggle with staying in touch! Thanks Collins family for blessing our life with such a wonderful friendship! It is so neat to watch the kiddos grow together! We love you guys and please please please come back soon!

Logan and Ali…long lost friends!

Dave and the boys

Ali and her buddy Callie (Canyon's future wife:)

Sweet Callie

Jud and Little Kenny

Can you believe all the kiddies! Just 9 years post college:)

Almost all the girls…(we missed you guys!)

And…almost all the guys:(

Thanks so much Jager, Moore, and Collins families for a great time! It was wonderful catching up and sharing such a special day with all of you!

King's First Haircut

2011-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

He was a little OVER DUE!!!! Jud decided to shave it off over the weekend…we love the end result!

The Construction Site

2011-09-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Canyon, King and I LOVE going to the construction site to watch all of the diggers, dump trucks, and cranes! Behind our church they are building a massive retirement community. We like to bring a picnic lunch and sit and watch the "worker guys in hard hats:)"

Sean's Birthday

2011-09-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

The kids had a blast at our freind Gershawn's birthday party a couple weeks ago! They got to bounce and slide on the inflatables and even got a chance to try rock climbing. Happy 6th birthday buddy!

Flippin Burgers

2011-09-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Canyon loves to grill so they practiced the other day with bread:)

Twinkies!

2011-09-20T19:52:00.001-07:00

Can Man the Shopper!

2011-09-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

On Monday, the boys and I ran a couple errands. I found a new grocery store that I LOVE. Not only do they have great prices but, they have mini carts for the kids!

CJ loving his cart:)

Three Amigos!

2011-09-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Not a great picture but, I felt the need to post it! On Sunday the fam killed time at the mall while waiting to go to a birthday party. The kids and I got to go on the BEST train ride ever!

Number 2 Starts School

2011-09-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

So... our first day of "Pre-school" began with me chasing Canyon around the house convincing him that he indeed wanted to go to Little Lambs:)

He mustered up a smile for the camera

He is NOT sure about it all so I let to him bring his blankey with…I know my 3 year old should not be attending pre-school with his blanket but, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do:)

The one thing he was excited about was hanging up his coat!

Zoom in close and you will see how excited CJ was as I exited the classroom on Thursday

I told you Can Man! You DO NOT want to miss Little Lambs (this shot is right after I picked him up)!

Been Paintin Lately

2011-09-16T16:16:00.001-07:00

Loving the finger paint!

King wanted to try some too!

I think he got more in his mouth than on the paper!

Running for the BOYCES!!!

2011-09-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I've officially finished my SECOND half marathon! This morning, the Henry Gang woke up at 4:45 and took off for the city. This year, my goal was to accomplish this task for my favorite family, The Boyce Crew! Jayden and Brooklyn were on my mind the entire time! Before the race, I asked a number of people to sponsor me to help raise money for this beautiful family and the handicap accessible house that they are breaking ground on really SOON!! I can't wait to see JJ and Beeba running around and playing in their new home on Boyce Lane! My heart is filled with JOY knowing that I have the privilege of being a part of there lives and their journey! The best part about the race was…they SURPRISED me and came to watch!!! Stef, Jut, Jayden, Brooklyn, and of course Ange…I love you guys and am so thankful that you are in my life!

Today was the 10th anniversary of 9-11! Because of that, the entire race was a red, white and blue OUT.

You have to meet my running partner, Julie Devries! She is absolutely incredible and we both crossed the finish line at the same time (1:43 at a 7:55 pace..thought I would brag a bit)!!! Julie, you are my rockstar and I love you!

Julie and me after the race!

The gang…LOVE THEM!

Lex, Sam and me

Have I ever told you about Garrett?? He is the best! Thanks for coming out G…it meant a ton!

My American Girl!

JJ, Stef and Ali

Pooped out!

These gals ROCK my world!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day in Chicago...Go Bears and God Bless America:)

Kelly Miller Circus…Again:)

2011-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

While the boys were out doing their own thang on Friday, the moms decided to brave the circus with the kiddies. Is it bad when you start to recognize almost the entire cast because you have been there so many times:) Honestly, I was kinda dreading it but we really had a good time! We love spending time with the Warp family!

Emily and Ali

Elephant riding

Canyon chickened out on the elephants and decided for the ponies instead:)

Weekend with the Petersens!!!

2011-09-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

I was all smiles this whole weekend! Whenever I am with this beautiful family, time stops. Heidi and I have been best friends for almost 7 years. Our husbands love each other, our kids love each other and we love each other. It's just a PERFECT fit for us all! We started the festivities on Saturday night with a "surprise" party for Heidi's 30th birthday. The surprise flopped but, the party was fabulous! We laughed and ate the entire time…our poor waiter:) The next day, the gang came down to our place for a sleepover! I don't think I have voluntarily stayed up until 3:30 in the morning for a long, long, long time! But, the lack of sleep was well worth it until we woke up to the sound of 12 miniature feet stomping around the house at 7 am:) On Labor day, we headed to Naperville for a nice lunch, walk on the river, and a short time at the town fair.

Jud and Josh

Birthday Girl

Man did we laugh that night!

Happy 30th birthday Heidi!

2nd Birthday Celebration

We love putting Josh in charge of all the kids:)

They loved their hats

On the river walk

Cutest kid ever!

Pastor Josh to the rescue:) (He jumped in the water to help a kayaker who got stuck)

They LOVE each other

Justin Bieber and his crew

Happy Birthday ANGE!

2011-09-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night was a BLAST!!! You see, I have these two incredibly special girlfriends and we call ourselves the "threesome." One would think that three is a bad number in a group of friends but, three seems to work REALLY well for us! The lovely Ange wanted to have a girls night for her birthday…just the THREE of us. What a treat that was:) If you know Ange, you know that she LOVES to have a good time. So guess what she wanted to do for her birthday??? Yup, CAMP! Isn't she such a crazy girl:) Before we set up camp, we spent the evening eating, laughing, crying, and DANCING. It was a fabulous night with two of the most fabulous gals you will ever meet!!

Ps…I special THANKS to JUT BOYCE for being super dad and Uncle and watching all the kiddies for us that night! Jut, you ROCK my world!

Ready for dinner at the Boathouse

Friendship bracelets (they got me mine for my 30th birthday!)

Dancing at Pazzos

Can you see our tent in the distance:)

Happy camping Ange!

Stef thinks she is the master s'more maker…but really, I am:)

The THREESOME!

We slept pretty good considering we were in a tent in the backyard!

MASTER camper…no JOKE!

Day 3…Day of Tears:(

2011-08-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Before the bus breakdown….

This morning was rough! Aliyana did not want to get out of bed this morning because she didn't want to get on the bus! We were already running a little behind schedule and at this point, I started to feel a little anxiety. My little girl was in tears and I didn't know what to do. Do I make her get on the bus because she has to learn how or do I just take her to school and figure out the rest later? Her big worry was getting from the bus to her classroom. Timothy is a K-12th grade school and the bus situation is quite intimidating for a little Kindergartener to be honest. I decided to take her to school and talk to the teacher about it and get some tips from her. I am so thankful that Jud and I have the opportunity to send Aliyana to a Christian school. Throughout the year, I know that I will repeat myself many times because I really am overwhelmed by the fact that we are blessed with this school. Anyways, Aliyana's teacher was incredibly understanding and told me that she would personally take Aliyana outside during school and practice where she would go when she gets off the bus in order to get to her classroom in the mornings! We both agreed that she needed to get back on the bus Monday. What a wonderful teacher she is! When I left, Aliyana was in tears still which caused Canyon to start sobbing…rough morning!

When I picked Ali up from school, she was all smiles:) She really does love school and after talking to her, she seems more comfortable with the game plan for Monday! I am thankful for that because I was quite emotional walking away from her this morning. I know that this is all so normal but I don't think a mom could ever prepare themselves for these kinds of things!

ps…Stay tuned for Day #4…JK! I promise I am done now with journaling about every day of Kindergarten:) I just wanted to capture the first week!

Day #2…THE BUS!

2011-08-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, at 7:58 this morning, she DID IT!! Leading up to today, Aliyana couldn't wait to ride the bus to school. Although I felt her getting a little apprehensive this morning, she did such a great job at getting on the bus. I will have to say that this morning was a lot harder than yesterday. There is something about seeing the school bus drive off knowing that my little 5 year old was on board and was going to arrive at school and walk into her classroom without me:( Despite the emotions, we all made it through the morning and are looking forward to tomorrow at 7:58 when we can board the bus again!

Aliyana's First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the big day!!! I had one EXCITED 5 year old this morning:) After coming into my room in the middle of the night claiming she couldn't sleep (I think she was literally so excited she couldn't sleep!), it was finally time to get ready for her first day. She picked out her outfit the day before and laid it oh so perfectly on her toy chest. She hopped right out of bed and got dressed as fast as she could! We were all out the door by 7:50…mom, dad, Canyon, Kingston, and the big Kindergartener! Honestly, it was pretty surreal. I have mixed emotions about the whole thing but can honestly say I am READY for this next chapter of our lives. Please read below to see the words that God so graciously gave to me the night before my little girl entered the "real world."

Mrs. Vandernald(sp?)…aka…Mrs. V (She is an absolute sweet heart and I know will be a perfect fit for Ali!)

"Entrust your loved ones to ME; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one-as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measures I used with Abraham and Isaac. I took Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son-worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father's undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love."

"When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do. "

(If you read my sister's blog, you will notice that these are the same exact words she posted on her blog…we had NO idea we read the same devotional and NO idea that we would both post about it…totally a GOD THING!)

Canyon's Birthday Party at the Park

2011-08-23T18:24:00.001-07:00

Canyon has been wanting a Spider Man birthday for a while now. I can't believe he is actual old enough to voice his opinion…wow! Anyways, I oftentimes drop the ball on the boys for many reasons but this year, I made sure CJ got a little something:) We invited four families to the park for playtime, fun, and of course, CUPCAKES (notice my FANCY homemade cupcakes:)!!! CJ had a great time with this friends! Thanks all for coming out!

Mel, I know you are jealous of how good I am:)

Aren't friends a BLESSING from God!!

The parties are officially over now:)

The Day Canyon Turned 3!

2011-08-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

Remember how I told you my little man is changing…

For Canyon's actual birthday, we spent the day in Kenosha at Jud's moms house. We had been up there the day before and thought we might as well stay to spend the day with family. When CJ woke up in the morning, we decided to give him his first gift (he has been waiting for this for so long!) He opened up his hockey stuff and couldn't believe his eyes! He loved it! He started playing with it was having a ball. Just about that time, Aliyana got extremely anxious and wanted to give him his other gifts. I couldn't hold back so we did. After he was all done opening and loving the leapster and guitar, something clicked in that three year old and his birthday took a turn for the worse. Canyon got ornery and stubborn and refused to say "thank you" for the gifts that he had gotten. The battle had begun! Because he decided not to say thank you for well over an hour and a half, he got all of his new toys taken away and put in the car. Jud and I were bumming and couldn't believe what had happened to our sweet little two year old! After about two hours of stubbornness, crying, and being unhappy, Canyon decided he was going to thank everyone for the gifts!!!! And so began the more enjoyable part of our little Three year olds birthday:)

These pictures are most definitely pre-breakdown:)

POST BREAKDOWN:)

For part of the day, we hit up the parks at Petrified Springs in Kenosha

Aliyana doing a little posing for Daddy

The Happy little birthday boy!

We also hit up Lake Michigan

We ended the day celebrating with "G" and GiGi at the nursing home…Gotta love nursing home birthday parties:)

Happy Birthday Can-Man!

Boy #1 and Boy #2

2011-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

This little sucker is giving me a run for my money lately. It's like he knows he is turning 3 in a couple days or something! It was night and day: one minute he was the sweet little Canyon that we all know and love and the next minute he was an ornery, feisty, and disobedient little blonde…who is my new little man?:(

Kingston is now 14 months and cruising all over the place!!! He is loving being able to walk and keep up with the big kids! I hope he doesn't learn any bad habits from his new big brother in the house!

Dora Dora Dora the Explorer!

2011-08-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself for completing this task yesterday. Ali has been wanting to make Dora cupcakes for a while. They advertise these kinds of things on Nickjr and they are great ideas but oftentimes require a trip to several stores for the supplies. Last weekend we got all that we needed and decided to plan a day to create them. Aliyana invited her friend Emily over to do them with her.

You can guess what they are chowing down on…batter:)

Yum!

Making Dora's hair

We decided to invite our neighbors as well because we love them and because we had plenty of cupcakes to go around!

Step one: frost the cupcake and put the hair on

Step two: create the eyes with white frosting and chocolate chips

Step three: Add the nose and mouth

And there you have it…Wonderful looking Dora cupcakes:)

So glad I took the time to do this with the kids!

Identical Twin GIRLS!

2011-08-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

At 4:00 Chicago time today, I found out that I was going to be an Auntie to identical twin GIRLS! I am filled with excitement and awe. Congrats Mare and Phil! We are so excited for these sweet babies to arrive and can't wait to spoil them ROTTEN!

Jelly Belly Factory

2011-08-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Elvie and I packed up the kids and headed to the Jelly Belly factory today. She was talking about it one day and I told her that we used to live right by it. Before the school year starts, we decided to take one last field trip!

King LOVED hanging with the big kids:)

At the mall afterwards

Kindergarten Picnic!

2011-08-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is going to Kindergarten next Wednesday!!! I can't even believe she is a big 5 year old now. I have so many mixed emotions! I am soooooooo ready for her to go yet, sooooooooo NOT! She is going to do great and is excited about it but, I know once they start school, time really starts to fly! I don't want my babies to grow up:( I want to savor every bit of these sweet moments of life. I really do try to remind myself in the midst of the craziness of life when I am about to pull out all of the curls on my head that these kiddies are only kiddies for such a SHORT time.

There was a picnic at Ali's school on Monday to kick off the school year!

Water Balloon Fun!

2011-08-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

So, the kids have been wanting water balloons for a while. I keep avoiding them because they are so tiny and obnoxious to fill up! I guess the kids got sick of me saying no and weaseled (sp?) their way into getting them by asking Daddy while they were at Ace the other day together. Grrr…:) They had so much fun and who do you think ended up filling all of them….ME!!

Ice Cream Social!

2011-08-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Friday night the crew headed uptown Elmhurst for some ICE CREAM! Fun times: splashing in the fountain, Coldstone, watching the trains, throwing the football in the alley, and 9 kids just having a BLAST!

Baby Brynn and King are walkers now!

Now that's A LOT of kids!

Now isn't she the cutest little poser!

They LOVE each other!

It's Just the Beginning!

2011-08-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ali has started to show interest in learning to read. She is not one for sitting down and practicing letter sounds, numbers, or anything that requires an attention span:) Recently she has asked me if she could practice reading. Of course I am all for it and have the perfect set of books for it! These are great phonics readers that I grew up using. We are on book 1 of level 1:) She did a great job and is learning how to blend sounds, recognize basic sight words, and use the pictures in the story to help guide her! She was so excited to finish it and I was SO PROUD!

Wisconsin State Fair

2011-08-08T20:27:00.001-07:00

We had a blast at the state fair this past weekend! My friend from college, Corrie Carlson, opened for the band Casting Crowns. It was great to see her up on stage and I was so proud! After the show, we enjoyed the eats, attractions, and craziness of the fair…brought me back to the days of the Dade-County Youth Fair only, I forgot my Hulsom bread wrappers so we couldn't ride any of the rides…darn it:)

Rocking it out

The kids LOVED the show…we moved up in the bleachers and they got to run around, dance, and sing!

After the show

Loved the cows!

BIG Sleepover!

2011-08-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

Last week we had the biggest sleepover that I have had in years:) The whole Ryan gang stayed over for the night. The kids had a blast and loved camping out in the basement!

Neighborhood Crew

2011-08-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

We love our new neighbors! There is a precious family that lives a couple houses down from us. They are always outside playing like us. The kids have gotten to know one another and love playing together. Yesterday, we had a slip and slide party! Fun times! They are actually moving soon…we are SAD:(

Sienna is Three!!!

2011-08-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last night Sienna turned 3!!! The Ryan family are dear friends of ours who have kids our kids ages. Sienna and Canyon are buds and love playing with one another. Aliyana and Meaghan are buds as well and can't get enough of each other! We had a birthday party at the park last night for SiSi and it was a ton of fun!

Birthday girl

Knock-OUT!

BUDDIES!

Precious Brynn!

Kumpula's come to Chicago!

2011-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we were blessed to be able to visit with the Kumpula family over a meal at Buffalo Wild Wings. The Kumpula's are a dear family that we have known for years and share very special memories with! They moved to Ohio years ago and we do not get to see them often at all. When I first started volunteering at Immanuel Church in college, I met a precious little grade schooler, Mikey. I worked with the kids in the church and for a couple years he was a part of my small group. Of course we bonded with one another and spent time together in and out of church! To this day I can't help but call him Mikey even though he goes by Mike:) I also had the privilege of getting to know his older sister, Aly. She was one of the kids in our youth group that I really connected with! I remember the time I used the Kumpula's car and took a ton of girls out T Ping one night…Great memories! All this to say, Mike, Laura, Aly, Mikey, and Maddie hold a very special place in the Henry's hearts! We adore them and look forward to keeping in touch with them! Thanks for a great lunch Kumpula family!