Family Updates

It has been such a long time since I have blogged. I really have had good intentions to, but I just haven't. So, I thought that I would give some updates on each member of our family.

Let's start with Miss Kinley Brooke Hendricks. She is now almost five months old. Time sure does fly when they are so young. She is a really good baby. She did tremendously throughout the move to GA, and all of the traveling that we have done since we moved to the lower 48. She is quite the trooper. She loves to smile, slobber and spit-up. She is just now starting to eat rice cereal and even learning to sit up. She absolutely loves her exersaucer, which is a big blessing to her momma, because I can put her in there while I am cooking and cleaning or unpacking or whatever.
Baby Nate...what do you say about this little man? First of all, we are really trying not to call him "Baby" Nate anymore, but just Nate. But he is just so cute, sometimes I can't help it. He is loving the outdoors here in GA. He would spend all day outside playing in the kiddie pool and on the play set if we would let him. He has developed quite a little personality lately, and he always brings a smile to my face (or a spoon to my hand...but we won't dwell on that). I have just started trying to potty train him in the last two days, and so far we haven't been too successful. But, we will keep trying...it has to work sometime...right???
Brianna is mommy's biggest helper. She is always eager to do whatever I ask her to do. She is a little bossy as well...but, she is the oldest. She also is enjoying being able to play outside all the time with her little brother. She is growing up. Sometimes I can't believe that she is already four years old, and she isn't a baby anymore. She has a very funny personality, a lot like her daddy. When she laughs, it is contagious. She also has become very good at games on our Wii. Brianna has a tender heart, always laughing with others, and crying with them as well. Today, she told me that if Nate hurt her again, she would call me to come and spank him, but I would have to take him to another room to spank him, or she would cry as well because she doesn't like it when he cries. How sweet is that???
Nathan has been hard at work since we moved here to GA. He started training for the J-STARS about three weeks ago, and is doing very well. He built the kids play set in just two weekends, with the help of my dad and a young man we hired to come and help with the job. I might add that it is a big playset. We got the Mustang back from my brother when we went to OK, but it is getting old, and needed a lot of work done on it. It is running well now, but Nathan decided it shouldn't be his everyday car, so last weekend he got a new truck. Another F-150 crew cab, but this time it is blue with a tan interior. Boys and their toys...I tell ya. I still have my explorer, but I told Nathan that someday I am going to get a red mustang...and I will, it will probably just be awhile, because I don't really even love the new body style of the mustangs right now.
I have been busy unpacking boxes, trying to keep this house clean, and playing with the kids. I also am enjoying the time outside with the kids. The above picture was taken in our backyard. I love just sitting on the back porch in the quiet of the morning. It is wonderful. I don't get to do it to often, but it is nice when it happens. We are looking for a church home here in Warner Robins, and we would covet your prayers as we seek where the Lord would have us plant ourselves to serve HIM over the next few years. Also, pray that we find some good friends in the process. I know that I could use some girlfriends, and Brianna needs some friends to play with as well. One night, she just balled her eyes out because she missed her Alaska friends. That breaks a momma's heart.
So, this is our house. We are so thankful that the Lord provided it for us, and we pray that we will be able to use it for His glory and to further His kingdom.

These photos were all taken by my sister Brooke, who spent a few weeks with us this summer.

Big Events

Well, I know that I said that my next post would include pics of our new house, but you are just going to have to wait. I forgot to take pics of the outside of the house before we left town. Someday, I promise I will get them posted.

So, in the past month, we have had some big events happen that I haven't blogged about. I mean, other than the whole moving thing.

The first important event was Nathan's and my fifth wedding anniversary on April 30th. I know I am a month late writing about this, but I have been busy. It was the day that we were leaving Alaska, and we didn't have a moment to spare. But, it was a good day. We did take a little bit of time to celebrate before leaving AK. That afternoon we went to a nice restaurant in downtown Anchorage called Orso's while my dear friend Candance watched Brianna and Nate. I had told Nathan not to get me anything because we were buying a new house and everything, but he bought me something anyway. He gave me a beautiful journey necklace, which I love and have worn several times. I could list several things that I love about my husband, but this post isn't big enough to do so. I will just say that I believe with all my heart that he is the man that the Lord provided for me, and I am so thankful for him and the love and leadership he provides me and our children. I know that this next year is bound to be one of the hardest we will face because of inevitable deployments overseas for him, but I know that we will make it through. Nathan balances me. Sometimes he frustrates me, and I am sure that I frustrate him more, but we always work it out quickly because we can't stand being angry at each other. Bottom line, I love him and am so thankful for him.

The second big event is that Brianna turned four years old last week. We did celebrate her birthday in Alaska with her friends before we left. It was really just a good excuse to get together with all of our friends one last time before we left. We went to the House of Bounce and had a lot of fun. We spent her actual birthday in Oklahoma with my family. On Memorial Day we celebrated with a cookout and birthday cake at Mom and Dad's house. My grandparents came as well as my aunt, uncle and cousins. It was a lot of fun. Brianna has always been such a sweet little girl. She impresses everyone that she tells her Bible verses to. She has so many that she knows...seriously, probably close to about twenty Bible verses, and some of them are passages. She is so smart, and I am looking forward to homeschooling her in preschool next year. And, Brianna has a very tender heart towards other people. She is a wonderful big sister and is Mommy's biggest helper.

And, the last big event happened today. Today I was able to witness the second best wedding I have ever attended. (That would be second to mine.) Today my little brother married the love of his life, Lauren Werner. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony made even more beautiful because of the love Britt and Lauren have for the Lord and their desire to let HIM have all of the glory. The Lord definitely brought the two of them together and has knit their hearts together so that they can serve Him more effectively. I am so pround of my brother. Words just cannot express how much. I have to stop now or I am going to cry.

Another Quick Update

So, we didn't get our household goods last weekend. There were apparently some communication issues, and we didn't even get to speak with the people until Friday around noon. So, we just scheduled it to be delivered Monday morning at 8am, so by the time anyone reads this, we should be unloading our trailer. We have some help scheduled to come all day tomorrow, and even additional help in the afternoon. Pray that all goes well! I promise, my next post will have pics of the house.

Since we didn't get our household goods, we went to Charleston, SC for the weekend. Nathan used to live there, and he knew someone getting married there this weekend. So, Friday afternoon, we loaded up and headed out. Saturday morning we headed to the historic district of Charleston and took a carriage ride through the city. We saw the most beautiful (and expensive) homes that I have ever seen. It was so gorgeous. And, of course we forgot the camera. But, we had a lot of fun. The history behind these homes and buildings is so interesting. After the tour, we went to the old slave markets and shopped for awhile. I didn't buy to much, until we reached a really cool bookstore, and then I had to buy some books about historic Charleston and about Robert E. Lee, one of my ancestors on my dad's side of the family. Saturday evening we went to the wedding, Sunday morning we went to church at Hillcrest Baptist where Nathan used to attend. They had a potluck after church, and we stayed and visited with the people there. They were so sweet and kind. It was a lot of fun for me to meet these people who knew Nathan before I did, and they all told me how much they loved him and appreciated him. I married a great guy!!!

Quick Updates

Well friends, we finally have internet. I have so much to share with you all, but I am just going to give you a quick overview right now, and I will post more later.

We left Alaska very early in the morning on May 1st. Flying with the kids was great...we had no problems, other than us trying to sleep on a plane, with three sleeping kids.

We had a wonderful visit with Nathan's family in Oregon. We went to Multnomah Falls, which is where Nathan proposed to me. We had a family cookout at Nathan's sister Anne's house, we had a wonderful breakfast, provided by his mom, we went to the zoo, I went shopping with mom and Anne, Sunday we went to church, lunch, and then just hung out with family (while I packed). And then we were off to Georgia early Monday morning.

We arrived in Georgia about 1:30 or so, and got a ride to the Vehicle Processing Center, picked up our car, and off we went to Warner Robins, our new home. Of course our first stop was at our new house. Which we absolutely LOVE!!! Besides the fact that someone else had it built for them, it was just made for us!!! We closed on the house just a few days later, and finally, last night we moved in. We are currently waiting for our household goods to arrive. They are supposed to get here sometime today, so maybe we will at least get them by sometime tomorrow. We have made several purchases since we have been here. We had to buy mattresses for the kids rooms, which is what we are sleeping on right now. We also purchased living room furniture. I LOVE it too...it is so beautiful. I will post pics soon.

The COX guy just left the house, that is why I am able to post right now. Phone and internet are now working. I will post our new information when I know it. Right now, it is just a bunch of numbers jumbled up in my head. Nathan knows them though.

I have never seen so many chicken and biscuits restaurants.

Sonny's has the best cornbread EVER!!!

The "General Lee" lives on in Warner Robins...really...I saw it.

There is also a "General Lee" road near our house.

There is also a Green Acres Baptist Church near our house.

That just tells you a little bit about where we live.

That is about it...at least in a nutshell. I will post more later...right now, the kids are ready for lunch.

There's A Lot Going On These Days

Lots. And lots. And lots.

Let me just try to remember all that has happened this past week.

We moved into TLF (temporary living facilities) on base on Wednesday. It is a fairly nice place to stay. Except for the bed situation. We have a three bedroom apartment style house. There are two full size beds and one single size bed. One full bed and one single bed are very high off of the ground, which is not good for small children. So, Nathan and I are on the high, full sized bed. It is snug. Brianna is on the low, full sized bed. That is fine. Nate is on the mattress of the single sized bed, but it is on the floor of Brianna's room. Kinley is in the room of the single bed, but in the pack-n-play. And, the walls are thin. So, if one person is awake, we all are. Loads of fun! But, in all honesty, we are thankful that we have a nice place to stay. The kids stayed at my friend Olivia's house that day so that we could get some packing done as well.

Thursday was the big day. We were to have the trailer (a 45 foot ocean-going trailer) delivered that morning. They called to say it wouldn't be until 10-11am. Later than we wanted, but do-able. We had hired some young guys from church to come and help us. The trailer didn't get there until 1:30pm. Frustrating, but we just got right to work loading it up. Nathan, the two guys from church, and another gentleman from church, and my brother-in-law Josh loaded the entire trailer of all of our household goods in about six hours. It was amazing!!! They worked so hard!!! Of course, we had a lot done beforehand, but that is still remarkable. The kids stayed at my friend Nicole's house during all of this chaos.

While we were waiting for the trailer to be delivered, we got a phone call from a couple who were interested in renting our home. They came by for a second look, and told us that they did in fact want to rent our home. YEA!!! We are still waiting on some of the legalities of it all, but it looks like they will be renting from us by the end of the week.

Friday I had my last MOPS meeting, which was a really good time. I love that group of ladies and I am sad to have to leave them. After MOPS, the kids went to my friend Candance's house, where she said they both took really good naps- I wonder why??? Anyway, after MOPS, I went back to the house to clean and work on a lot of things. I ended up repainting Brianna's room, because when I went to do the touch up paint, I realized I would have had to touch up the entire room. So, it was easier to just roll it out.

Saturday, we had to get up early and get back to the house to meet the carpet cleaning guys. And, we had to make sure that the carpets were completely cleared, so we had a little work to do. After that, we tried to take it easy for the rest of the day, but back at TLF, it was a wreck, and laundry needed to be done. Oh yeah, and Nathan had to go into work for a little while. So, while it was a more relaxing day than what we had been having, it was still busy.

Sunday...ahhh...our day of rest. Kinda. We went to church, grabbed lunch on the way "home" and then put the kids down for nap. Except, Nate wouldn't nap. Nathan had already gone to sleep, which left me to deal with Nate. I got Kinley down, worked on Nate, and an hour later when Kinley woke back up, Nate still hadn't napped. So, I was so frustrated, I just told Nathan to take the big kids to church that night, and I stayed home with Kinley and just rested.

Today, Monday, I still had to get the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and entry way cleaned. And, I still had to finish painting the edges in Brianna's room. Too much for me. I sent Brianna and Nate to my friend Megan's house, and I called a friend who cleans houses, and she came and did most of that for me. I did the painting, and she did everything else. Worth every penny. Probably should have paid her double.

So, up to now, that's all folks. We still have a lot to do, but at least it is more paperwork type stuff instead of actual hard, physical labor.

So, I just have to say a big thank you to all of my friends who have helped me out the past week, especially those who watched my children for me. We totally couldn't have done it without you!!!

Life and Death

Life is precious. I believe that with all of my heart.

I recently had a friend lose her unborn child at about 8 weeks gestation. I mourned with her.

I recently had a friend find out that she is expecting a child. I rejoiced with her.

"I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." Isaiah 44:2

Today, one of my dearest friends here in Alaska went in for her 20 week ultrasound. She was so excited to find out if she was having a boy or girl. Instead, they could not find a heartbeat. My heart breaks for her today. To me, she is a women who is an example of strength. I have watched her survive one year long deployment of her husband in Iraq. He is now in Afghanistan, on his way here as soon as possible now. Ginger always smiles- even today in her home during this tragedy, she smiled. Please pray for my dear friend. Pray that the Lord will continue to rain down his peace over her. Pray that things go smoothly in the hospital tonight and in the days to come. Pray that her husband makes it home as quickly as possible. Pray for her three other children, who were so looking forward to having another sibling. Pray that even when her strength is gone, God's strength will hold her up.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

One of my greatest fears has always been to lose a child. My husband is always so good to remind me that the children that we have are the Lord's, not ours, and He can take them home when He sees fit. But my flesh fights that. I am selfish and I want them with me as long as possible. I honestly don't know what I would do if I lost one of my children. Either before or after they are born. But, I know that God's grace is sufficient. God always provides the amount of grace that we need. I may not be able to fathom what Ginger is going through right now, because I haven't been there. But Jesus suffered and died for us. He felt every pain that any of us can feel. HE KNOWS. What a comfort that no matter what we go through, God is with us and feels our every pain. He will never leave us or forsake us.

I love you Ginger! Know that I am here for you, and I am praying for you.

Nath Came Home!!!

Early!!! With the military, that never happens! But, I am so thankful for the blessing of a couple of extra days for Nath to be home with us and help us pack up the house.

I made a lot of progress while he was gone, thanks to some wonderful friends from church who helped out with the kids. On Monday, my friend Lily came and watched the kids for a few hours while I worked in the garage and downstairs on some stuff. Wednesday morning, my friend Olivia watched Brianna and Nate while I packed up the entryway and coat closet. Thankfully, Kinley cooperated and slept the whole time. Wednesday evening, my friend Karen and her two girls came over, brought dinner, played with the kids, and helped my pack, repair my walls, etc. Ginger came and got Brianna and Nate Thursday morning to take them to play, and I met them later, after the plumber left the house. Nicole came over Thursday afternoon to hang out and I finished getting everything off of the walls and repairing the walls and touching up paint. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends. I am going to miss them so much. TEAR!!!

Nate had a completely different personality with his Daddy gone. I was at my wits end with him several times. And, since Daddy walked through the door, he has been almost normal again. I guess little boys really do just need their daddy.... a lot!

We still need to sell our home, or find renters. Pray that the Lord provides that in the next three weeks.

My dad has a new blog. You should all check it out. It is alertingamericans.blogspot.com. My dad has been a teacher at a christian school for my entire life, and has been a pastor for several years as well. He is putting his knowledge and passion for our American Christian Heritage into this blog, and it is really interesting. For those "CHA-ers" out there, it is a great reminder of what we learned at school, and for those who have no idea what I was just talking about, it will be a great education on the foundations of our country and our responsibilities as christians. Seriously, go there now.

I'm off to bed now...didn't get much sleep last night, but that is another whole blog.