Christmas Greetings!

This is for all of you out there who didn't get a hard copy of our Christmas letter! I had to cut back on the amount of people who received the letter because my list is getting so long. Love you all and hope that you have a very, Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas to all of our dear family and friends! We pray that this season you keep your focus on the One true reason we celebrate Christmas- Jesus Christ who came to earth as a baby so that He could die on the cross for our sins and raise from the dead so that we can have eternal life. What a joy and comfort it is to know my Savior!

So, here are life updates from the Hendricks Home:

Nathan has had an incredibly busy year. We started out the year knowing that we would be moving to Warner Robins, GA because Nathan would be training to fly the J-Stars aircraft. We moved in May, Nathan has completed his training, and he is preparing to leave to go overseas before the end of the year.

Brianna has grown into such a big little girl! She is now four years old, and is so eager to learn anything and everything. She has missed her friends in Alaska, but has made new friends here in Georgia. She is involved in gymnastics, AWANA, preschool choir, and loves going to “playschool” one day a week. (“Playschool” is really Mom’s Morning Out, but we don’t tell the kids that!)

Nate is now a big two year old, almost three year old. And, he is really smart, but he doesn’t want anyone to know it. He is really a quiet guy, until he decides to start talking. Then, watch out!!! One day, he just up and told me the entire Pledge of Allegiance. I didn’t even know that he knew it! He has just learned it from our school time with Brianna. He has also started his Scripture memory, and can say the first three verses of Psalm 100 as well as Eph. 6:1.

We were so blessed with the arrival of Miss Kinley Brooke Hendricks, born February 4^th, 2009. She came a couple of weeks early, and weighed 8lbs, 5 oz and was 20 inches long. I was kind of glad she came early after she weighed that much at 38 weeks! She has been such a blessing to our family. She crawls all around the house, following her big sister and brother, and her smile just lights up the house.

As for me, as always, I stay busy keeping up with all of the others. I do miss my Alaska friends, but the Lord is faithful to provide friends wherever we go. I am involved in the local MOPS group and in the choir at our church here in Georgia. I have also made it back home to Oklahoma three times already -twice with Nathan and once with just the kids by myself…that was fun!

Please keep our family in your prayers over the next few months as we face our first deployment. Pray for peace for Nathan as he has to leave us all here, pray for strength for me as I take care of these little blessings by myself, and pray for our children that they will understand what is happening and that they don’t drive their momma crazy!

Merry Christmas!

Nathan, Beth, Brianna, Nate and Kinley

Why I Don't Like Santa

Let me start this off by saying that I don't mean to sound cynical here, but this is how I really feel. I try not to judge others who do celebrate with Santa, so know that even if you do celebrate Santa, I still love you! So, here's the post:

Maybe its because I grew up having never celebrated Christmas with Santa. Or maybe its because my husband sees no need for lying to our children about Santa, because he was told the truth when he was young as well. However I think that the real reason I don't like Santa is because he takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. So many people today celebrate Christmas and have no idea of why they are celebrating it.

Nathan leaned over to me in Sunday school a couple of weeks ago and said, "Isn't it ironic that the one time of year that people EXPECT other parents to lie to their children is at Christmas time?" So, don't expect me to lie to your children about there being a Santa, OK? I won't do it...just letting you know. In respect for you, I may try to totally avoid the subject, but if asked, I won't lie to them.

Christmas is about Jesus. How He came to this earth as a baby, so that He could die on the cross for our sins. The message is so simple, even my four year old gets it. Up until this week, I had never even heard her mention Santa. I don't know why people, why Christians, feel the need to incorporate Santa into their Christmas celebrations. I remember last Christmas we went to a Christmas pageant at a church in Anchorage, and there was Santa in it. Seriously, can't a church have a Christmas program without Santa? It made me so mad!!!

So, you will be very hard pressed to find anything "Santa" in my house. I avoid him at all cost. He makes me mad, because he has distracted so many people from the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus Christ. And, please don't tell my kids about Santa...I want to keep their focus on Jesus!

Think about this, people tell their children about Santa, who they are supposed to believe in, even though they don't see him. They also tell them about Jesus and God, who they can't see, but are supposed to believe in. Then... down the road, these kids find out that Santa isn't real. What are they supposed to believe about Jesus and God?

Oh, and one other interesting fact about Santa that Nathan pointed out to me...rearrange the letters just a bit, and what do you get? SATAN! I think he is at work distorting the real reason for Christmas!

Little Nathan, growing up

Well, Nathan is growing up, we had just watched on old episode of the Lone Ranger, so after the pledge, he blurts out, I'm gonna shoot you! We just laughed and laughed over that. He speaks so well, and has a good memory, as you can tell.

But on a sad note, he and Brianna played a little too rough today, and Nathan ended up breaking his clavicle! Poor little guy. He's ok most of the time, with full range of motion, but every so often, he'll tweak it wrong, and let out a sharp cry of pain. Beth and I both feel so bad for him, we just want him to get better. He went to the emergency room today, and will see a orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for further diagnosis. Gotta tell you, I love that little boy!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that Kinley had a good check up with the doctor this morning.

2. I am thankful for our church's Mom's Morning Out program. My kids love it!!!

3. I am thankful for getting lots of errands run today.

4. I am thankful that all of my children are either sleeping right now or are playing quietly in their room so that I can catch a quick nap this afternoon.

5. I am thankful for the local MOPS group here in Warner Robins.

6. I am thankful that the Lord is teaching me some kinda tough stuff right now. I will be stronger for it.

7. I am thankful to be a part of a wonderful choir at our church.

8. I am thankful for discipleship.

9. I am so thankful for my wonderful, loving and caring husband. What would I do without him??? And, he is pretty cute too!

What are you thankful for??? Take time to tell the Lord today.

Wow! It's been awhile...

I didn't realize it has been so long since I last blogged. So, what has been going on in the Hendricks household...

Well...the kids and I went to OK for about ten days. The drive there really wasn't that bad. Thank the Lord for a DVD player in my car and little gerber puffs to pacify Kinley. The next trip should be even better because I will be able to turn Kinley's car seat around so she can watch movies non-stop for two days as well! (I'm kidding...I did turn it off some!) We met my parents and went to the lake with them for the first weekend we were there. We had a great time for two days, and then the last night we were there, Brianna got sick and I got no sleep and it was just all kinds of fun! However, my parents were a huge help we got all packed up and headed home without any big messes. Brianna was sick for a couple of days...don't really know what it was, but she was over it by the following Monday.

I was able to meet up with a good friend of mine on both Monday and Friday. That was really good for me, because when you move, it just takes time to become close friends with people. It is really good to have someone that no matter how long you have been apart, you can just pick up like you were always together and be able to chat and share.

I was also able to see all of my grandparents two times, and I had really good visits with all of them. I have been so blessed to have four grandparents who are still alive and who love me so much. I love them all and I am so thankful for the time that the Lord has given me with them.

Ok, so other than the trip, what has been going on? I don't know...life has been happening fast and furious.

Nathan passed his check ride and is now "officially" a JStars pilot. He has been flying a lot since then and even participated in an exercise the first week in his new squadron.

Brianna is doing really well in her gymnastics classes and is starting to read. She is such a big girl. We bought her a princess dress up kit and she LOVES playing princess now. In fact, she wears that most days...maybe I should wash it soon!

Nate...well, is Nate. Always getting into something...I'll spare you the disgusting details of the latest fiasco, but it was totally gross. But, he has that sweet smile that just melts my heart, no matter what he does. He is also starting to sing more, which is really sweet. Before bedtime, I always spend time singing and praying with the kids. With Nate, I sing his "fishing" song (which I just made up), Jesus Loves Me, and lately, "Lord, You Are". Yesterday, for the first time, Nate sang "Lord, You Are" with me. It is the sweetest thing to hear your children sing praises to Jesus!

Kinley, well, lets just say that I cannot wait for those teeth to finally break through. And, I think she has seasonal allergies, so that just compounds the misery. She crawls, pulls up to things, and is starting to wave. She also just has the brightest smile and an adorable little laugh. She is sleeping now, so that is why I have time to type.

As for me, I just keep up with the rest of the family. I was able to decorate the house for the fall this past week, which is a ton of fun. I went to Home Depot and bought some wheat straw, pumpkins and mums to decorate my front porch. Other than that, I was able to get a lot of cool stuff at Hobby Lobby on sale...and some on a better sale thanks to my brother!

OK, so enough rambling by me...eventually, I will post pics, but probably not today, unless Nath decides to do that!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that it is not raining right now...its drizzly, but not raining.
2. I am thankful that Brianna does not have hand, foot and mouth disease (so far) and that she was able to go to mom's morning out this morning. Although, mom isn't getting much of a morning out with two other sick children at home!
3. I am thankful that Kinley only woke me up once last night...the motrin worked!!!
4. I am thankful that Nate is such a sweet little boy and wasn't too disappointed that he couldn't go to MMO at church this morning.
5. I am thankful for SONIC- medium vanilla diet dr. pepper, please! (BTW...they did not have Sonic in Alaska, so this means a whole lot to me)
6. I am thankful for good friends in a new place.
7. I am thankful for my FAMILY...all of you!!!
8. I am thankful for a Savior who continually convicts me of areas in my life that I need to work on.
9. I am thankful for Nathan and his job and his diligence to provide for our family. Not everyone has a dependable job these days.
10. I am thankful for an abundance of leftover food from our Sunday School party this week, so that I can share some with a family that really needs it.

What are you thankful for? I would love to hear from you!

Pictures!

Beth had herself a happy Birthday, complete with a Sooner game, an exclusive "all-by-yourself shopping trip" and some wonderful children who were extremely excited to light the candles and sing the Happy Birthday song!
SUPERMAN TO THE RESCUE! Nathan and his friend Luke were able to show off their superhero skills after a not seeing each other since we left Alaska in May.
What? Do I hear a schoolbus full of kids hanging off a bridge?? (Sometimes I really do think he believes he's Superman... it's a new phase for him)
Calling all Sooner fans! Idaho State didn't stand a chance.
Just lounging on the beach!

Here's a picture that would be a perfect desktop background. HAPPY DAY!
Nathan: Feather Mustache Man

Brianna's eyes... such a happy girl.
AAAUGH! What was that???
Kinley, the cute kid special
And, and artistic closeup of a butterfly we snapped while visiting Alabama. The lower wings look like a snakehead... A defensive posture, no doubt!

Thankful Thursday

It has been awhile since I have done this, but hopefully I get in the habit of expressing my thankfulness more often.

1. I am thankful for the Lord showing me how I can be a better wife and mom. I am also thankful for the time to study His Word! Sometimes that is not an easy thing for me to "find".
2. I am thankful for my husband who loves me so much and shows me that every day. He even planned a date night for us this week!!! He is also a wonderful father who LOVES spending time with his kids.
3. I am thankful for my three little munchkins who bring me much joy, laughter and yes, even frustration every day. :)
4. I am thankful for my new church family and the passion for lost souls that is evident in all of the different programs that they offer.
5. I am very, very thankful for mom's morning out at my church.
6. I am thankful that I got to go grocery shopping by myself this morning.
7. I am thankful for new life...a friend had a baby yesterday!
8. I am thankful for my grandmother. She has always been such a godly woman to look up to. She is failing in health now, and doesn't remember much and I honestly don't know how much longer she will live. But, she is an incredible woman and has been an example for all of her children and grandchildren. What a blessing!!
9. I am thankful for my father and the patience he has with his mom and the love that he (and his siblings) are showing her every day. It is taking a lot out of them, but they are doing everything that they can to care for her, and my grandfather, themselves.
10. I am thankful for my mom and her selflessness in all of the situation mentioned above. She gives up my dad every weekend, and helps take care of not only his parents, but her parents as well.
11. I am thankful that all of my siblings now have jobs. Praise the Lord!!!
12. I am thankful for another blogger friend reminding me to do this today. It really does renew your mind to express thankfulness for all God has done in your life.

Now, what are you thankful for...leave me a comment about it!!!

Our Georgia summer winding down

These pictures nearly made it up about 2 months ago, but I just got too busy! So here are Brianna and Nathan after a 5am wakeup to go fishing. They were so excited to fish with me, they didn't mind in the least getting up that early... incredible. Nothing like an early sunrise and some fishing with worms... (which they ended up throwing directly into the lake without a hook... AARGH!)

But as for the fish we kept, it was a delicious feast. All three of us just kept eating and eating and eating...

We must have had 2 spoonfuls!!!!

What's Been Going On...

Well, let's start with the fact that my computer has had some terrible virus lately, and was very difficult to use. So, that is why I haven't been around much lately. But, my wonderful husband fixed it, and now it is really fast again and there are no weird things popping up at me!!!

I finally had my house cleaned by someone else last week. It was absolutely wonderful. Now, to just convince Nathan that it should be a regular occurrence.

I started potty training Nate. Last Monday, I actually ran out of diapers. So, I just showed Nate that we were all out of diapers and explained to him that he was going to have to be a big boy because there were no more diapers for him. It actually worked!!! He has had a few accidents, but for the most part has "kept it dry", as we like to say around here. It is really funny when he goes potty though. He pretends to be Superman!!! It is quite adorable. He gets up on the step stool, puts his fist into the air, and "flies" to put his hands on the back of the toilet, holds on, and goes potty. When he is done, he declares, "I'm Superman!!!" LOL...a lot!!!

We joined our church, officially, this past Sunday. We are now members of FBC, Centerville, GA. We really like it there and are excited about seeing how we can minister there. Great church. Love the people!!!

Kinley has really grown up the past couple of weeks. She is now six months old. Last week, I moved her up to her 6-9 month clothes and into size three diapers. She is getting to be such a big girl. She also started sitting up all by herself, and I have even seen her get up on all four hands and feet a couple of times. Of course, she just plops right back down, but she got up there. I don't think I am ready for a mobile baby yet...although, now my floors are really clean because of the cleaning lady. She is also eating baby food now...cereal in the morning and so far, just carrots in the evening. But, tomorrow, she gets to try green beans...should be fun!!!

Brianna is doing well. She started gymnastics two weeks ago. She wouldn't let me take her picture, so I will have to try to get some pics this week. She really enjoys it, and has done really well. She is also in AWANA at church and children's choir. She loves being involved in the different activities at church, and is even starting to make new friends. Although, when you ask her who her friends are, she still says Luke and Colton. Oh well!!!

Nathan passed his check ride last week, and will soon start to fly the actual aircraft. He is doing really well with his training. I kind of wish he could just stay in training, because I know that as soon as training is over, he will deploy shortly after. But, that just isn't possible. I am just praying for peace whenever the time comes. And strength to get through those difficult months.

I guess that is it for now...lots of rambling from me, but now you know what has been going on around here.

An Interesting Night's Sleep

Well, it is late evening now and I have been trying to post all day about last night's sleep...

So, last night was quite interesting. It started with the fact that I had a dull headache all day on Sunday. After eating dinner on the way home from church, I just felt awful. I put Kinley to sleep, and then told Nathan that I didn't feel very well and was going to lay down. Brianna and Nate told me good night, and Nathan put them to bed. I took some medicine and laid down. Another note, is that Nathan has to work late this week, so he was staying up late to get on the right schedule. So, here is the way the rest of the night until morning went...

9:30ish- laid down with bad headache
10:45pm- actually went to sleep (this is early for me...usually don't get to sleep until later)
(Sometime in here I woke up to a big thunderstorm, thought is was nice because I really missed thunderstorms in AK, and went right back to sleep)
1:30am- Kinley wakes up, I feed her, get Nathan who is still up
2am- go back to bed, or I tried to go to sleep...
2:30am- Brianna comes into my room because she had a bad dream. Gets into bed with me. I held her for a while, put her back into bed. BTW...she asked me if my headache was better during this time...how sweet
2:45am (or so)- try to go back to sleep, takes me a little while
6:20am- Kinley wakes up...like completely awake...I'm feeding her...she is not going back to sleep
6:30am- Nate wakes up...he is not going back to sleep
6:31am- I realize I am not going back to sleep...FRUSTRATED!!!

Somehow, I made it through the morning with a good amount of energy. We had a wonderful playdate with some friends of ours from AK who also moved here and just arrived a couple of weeks ago. Nathan was gracious enough to watch Kinley while I took a little nap this afternoon.

On another note...life here in GA is going well. We are pretty settled into our home. I have a few boxes of decorations still out, but I am still decorating, so that makes sense. I just can't decide where to put a few things. We have been attending a really good church here for the past month or so. It is nice to find "family" wherever the Lord takes you. Of course, all of the churches we visited were good, but this one just "fits" if you know what I mean. Nathan is in training and seems to be doing well, not that I would know much about flying airplanes, but he is enjoying this time, I think. Can't think of much else to update, because my life just isn't that interesting. That is why I blogged about a terrible night of sleep...

More Pics

OK, so these are just some random pics that my sis took...fun times!!!

Here is Nathan dressed up in his swing dancin' clothes...being a goofball as usual.
This is the guy I fell in love with!

Here is a pic that Brooke took of me walking with the girls to the woods behind our house. She did a good job with the editing too. I love it!!!

Kinley's little piggies!!!

All three kids on the playset that their dad built for them!

I absolutely love this one. Brooke is so creative!!!

Brooke was here on her birthday, and we had a Disney princess theme party. This is all of the girls dressed up as princesses. It was tons of fun!!!

Snapshot of Kinley and mom...

Nate was a cowboy for the party...so here are my cowboy and princess!

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.

Quick Updates

So, I don't have much time, but I thought I would update you on what has happened since I last posted...

Last week, Kinley was sick, Brianna was sick, and then I was sick. It was not fun.

We listed our home with a realtor, but the market isn't that great right now. We are considering renting our home. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom.

The volcano continues to erupt. Kinda puts a dent in some plans.

We sold Nathan's truck...and got more money than we thought we would. Praise the Lord!!!

We shipped my vehicle to GA...so you might ask what we are driving right now. We borrowed my dear friend's vehicle, because her husband is in Afghanistan, and it was just sitting in the garage. The Lord always provides. Thanks Ginger!!!

Nathan has to leave us for a little more than a week for work. BAD timing. I really just want to scream or cry or something like that, but I won't. I will just diligently pack everything that I can, and I know that the Lord will help me through this very busy, very difficult week. And, my children may get to go play with friends a lot while I try to get everything packed this next week.

I am trying to get everything scheduled and taken care of both here and a few things in GA. Plumbing issues here, inspection there, cancel this service, plan for that...it never ends. There is a lot that goes with moving across the country. TONS of fun...let me tell you.

I won't have the computer for the next week, because Nathan needs to take it with him on his trip. So, I will have to check my email and blog at a friend's house sometime this next week. Candance??? Ginger??? Nicole??? Anyone???

Pray for me this next week. Pray that I keep a level head about all of the stuff that needs to get done. Pray that I am patient with my dear children, because it is always hard when Daddy is gone, and the added stress of moving isn't their fault. Pray that our home sells. Pray for my sanity. And, pray that Nathan has a safe trip and gets to come home when planned, on Easter Sunday.

ERUPTION!!!

One more Alaskan adventure to add to our list...Mt. Redoubt finally blew last night.

I so wanted that good night of sleep. I went to sleep at about 10:30pm...had to feed Kinley at 11:50, and then work called at 12:30am to notify Nathan that the volcano had erupted. Which, of course sent Nathan into motion making sure we were completely prepared. Which we are, and the ash isn't even coming our way as of right now, but it could. Nathan may have to move the jet to a different location if ash does come our way, so he would be gone for a few days. Nathan didn't get back to sleep until about 2:30am...and he wasn't quiet in the mean time. Kinley woke up at 4:50am...and again at 7am...will I ever get good sleep???

And, I was supposed to have my doctor appointment this afternoon....had to cancel that because Nate is sick. Then the pediatric clinic called to have a follow up appointment with Kinley (if you missed that story, read the next post). So, now I am taking both Nate and Kinley into doctor's appointments this afternoon.

Who knows...if I don't get to sleep for more than two hours soon, I might erupt!

I was trying to link a pic of the eruption, but that feature isn't working on my computer right now. Hopefully I will get some later for you all.

Adventures in Mothering...

So, last night, I had quite the adventure. Let me start my story with the fact that the night before, I had not gotten a lot of sleep, and I had no nap on Saturday. So, when I put Kinley to sleep at 9pm Saturday evening, I was hoping to get to bed early. But, Nathan and I stayed up and looked at stuff on the internet and talked about moving stuff, and then I took a shower and by the time I went to move Kinley from upstairs to downstairs it was about 11:30pm. When I picked her up, I noticed she was burning up. So, of course I decided to check her temperature. It was 101.1 degrees...which is in the danger zone for children under two months old. So, we decided that I should take her to the Emergency Room. Nathan offered to take her, but since he can't feed her, I had to go, and he stayed home with the other two sleeping children.

And, of course, we had a snow storm come through Saturday night. So, the roads on the way to the base hospital were quite treacherous. I prayed that the Lord would get us there safely, and He did. I got behind a truck and followed its tracks all the way to base. So, upon arriving at the ER, they got us in very quickly, because she was under two months old- praise the Lord!!! Then, the torture started. If you have children under two months, pray that they don't spike a high fever. They proceeded to check her urine (with a catheter, which of course was too big for her small body, even though it was the smallest one they had), draw blood, do chest x-rays, and the worst for me- the lumbar puncture. And, she was so tired through the whole process. She would just cry during each procedure, and then fall asleep in my arms until the next one. By the time they were done, I was nearly in tears as well. But, we were done with the tests. It was 2:45am, and we had to wait over an hour for the test results. So, I got her to sleep and put her in her carseat, and then I managed to sleep for about 45 minutes with my head on the table in the exam room. Finally, at about 4:10am, the doctor came back and told me that she didn't show any signs of a bacterial infection, and we could go home. I asked if there was anything I could do for her fever, and he said no, just to wait it out. If it spiked up over 101 again, to come back. OK- so we endured all of that for him to tell me to do nothing. GREAT!!! He then proceeded to tell me that the roads were really bad and if I wanted to stay at the hospital until morning, I could. I took a look at the hospital bed, and said that I would head home. It had snowed about 3-4 inches while I was in the ER. But, I headed home cautiously, and made it home by about 4:45am. I only even say one other car on the roads on the way home. Since there were no lanes visible, I just tried to stay in the middle of the highway.

I was so tired, but at least I knew Kinley was fine. She has still had a slight fever today, but not as high. We have slept most of the day. I am really looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight!!!

First Outing

So, yesterday I went on my first outing with all three children by myself. It was quite the adventure, but all did go well. Earlier this week, I started going back to Jazzercise, which is really good for me, and I love it. But, Nathan had to go back to work on Wednesday, so I had to take the kids with my if I wanted to go Thursday. So, we got ready and went to Jazzercise. That wasn't so bad. I didn't put Kinley in the childcare room, because she is just to small, and she slept through most of the class. I missed some of the strength training, but I still got in a really good workout. After Jazz, I needed to go to the grocery store for a few items. So, in we went. Kinley cried the entire time we were in the store. Thank goodness I only needed a few items!!! And, of course as soon as we were finished, she settled down and slept again. My car needed to be washed, desperately, so we went through the car wash. Nate is so scared of the drive through car wash, it is almost comical. The whole time, I have to reassure him we are just in a "shower for the car" and that it is almost done. By that time, it was almost lunch time and I was exhausted. So, after my nice workout, we drove through McDonald's. So healthy, I know.

So, I know I need to update...

But, I have been really busy lately. Let me try to think about what all has happened since the last update.

1) Mom and Bryce have come and gone. It was a good time with them, and Mom was such a big help. Bryce had a lot of fun playing Zelda on our Wii.
2) Nathan has been home most of the days since mom left. Really, he has only had to go into work three days, and one of them was for just a couple of hours. Technically, he has been working at home, for one reason or another. It is kind of funny, but also much appreciated. Did I mention he is working at home this week too?
3) We have started having open houses to try to sell our house. Not that it matters much, because lately, people have just been dropping by unannounced to see the house. We let them. Please pray that we sell the house in the next few weeks. Hopefully sooner than later, because it is really hard to keep a house clean constantly...with three little kids running around. At least Nathan has been home to help out.
4) We have been packing up lots of stuff. I think that I actually have most of the non-essential stuff packed away. So, when it is time to load the moving truck, it shouldn't be too overwhelming.
5) We got the proofs from Kinley's baby portraits. If anyone wants to check them out, you can at www.vanessamcdonaldphotography.com. Go to proofs, and then the username is Kinley and the password is Hendricks. We have had a hard time deciding what to get, because my children are just so beautiful.
6) Nate had a cold earlier this week, and now Kinley has it. Which means that I did not get to go to church today. I really miss church lately. I seems like it has been awhile since I have actually been able to sit through a church service.
7) I really need to go grocery shopping...maybe tomorrow.

That is all I can think of for now. Life is flying by these days. We have less than two months left in Alaska, and we have so much to do.

Several Posts at Once

I am trying to catch up on my posts, so make sure you read all of them. This is the fourth one in one day, and they are all about Kinley, of course. And, I expect each of you to comment on each post...j/k!!!

Here are all three of my beautiful children.

Sorry about this being sideways...but this is Kinley after her first bath!

Of course, Brianna and Nate had to be right there for her first bath!

I love baby's hands in their Daddy's hands. Her hands are so small compared to her Daddy's.

Oh, How He Loves His Ley-Ley!!!

Well, we weren't quite sure how Nate was going to respond to Kinley, and it took a bit of warming up to her. But now, he doesn't want to leave her alone. About a week or so before she was born, we were trying to get him to say her name, and he started saying "Ley-Ley", pronounced "lee lee", and it has officially stuck as her nickname. It is so cute. When Nate wakes up in the morning, the first thing he asks is "Where Ley-Ley go?" And, when he wants to hold her, he says "Hold Me?" And then of course, I find him like this a lot...

He loves to stop the swing and kiss her and hug her, which is really sweet, except when it wakes her up. And then, there is this...

One day, I found them in pack-n-play like this. Nate had pulled a chair over, crawled into the bed with her, and was going to take a nap with her. Somehow, she slept through the entire process. So, before I removed Nate and talked to him about why he couldn't do that, I snapped this photo. Unfortunately, he has done this several more times, and now gets in trouble when he climbs in bed with Kinley. But, oh, how he loves her. It is absolutely adorable!!!

The Birth Story

So, I thought that I would take the time to share about how the birth of Kinley went. It was very different than either Brianna or Nate's births, which were of course different, but had some similarities. Both Brianna and Nate came very quickly. With Brianna, I was induced and was only in labor for four hours and I did have an epidural with her (at about the third hour). With Nate, I went in for my 40 week appointment, and I was so far progressed that they kept me, broke my water, and Nate was born an hour and a half later, with no pain meds.

So, with that in mind, I was a little concerned about how quickly Kinley could come. And, I had never experienced contractions before my water broke. So, when at 38 weeks, I started having consistent, hard contractions, I didn't quite know what to think. I stayed home for awhile, and then I realized that they were only a couple of minutes apart and were lasting about 45 seconds. So, I called L&D on base, and they told me to come in. So, we dropped the kids off at my friend Nicole's, and headed in to the hospital. Once there, they monitored me for about an hour, and although they didn't want to admit me yet, they also didn't want me to leave the hospital. So, we walked around the hosptal for a couple of hours, and then they checked me again. I was still having consistent contractions, but I had not dilated any more (I was at a 4). But, they did admit me at this time. After doing the paperwork and getting the IV started, my contractions got farther apart. But, when they checked me, I was dilated to a 5-6. So much for my body working together. So, the doctor (whom I had yet to see) came in and was going to pop my water to get things moving again, but then decided not to. I never saw him again. I kinda think he didn't want to deal with it (although I have been told that he is just really laid back). During the next few hours, I labored on the labor ball and in the labor tub. While I was in the labor tub during this time, we were so tired. I would actually sleep in between contractions. During this time, Nathan was kind of complaining about how long it was taking this time. I was like, "Come on, its not like you are in any pain here!" Actually, I think and hope that I just thought that, because Nathan was really a great help throughout the entire process, and I couldn't have done it without him. Well, I could have, but it wouldn't have been pretty.

So, when the midwife, Major Rossio, whom I absolutely love (she delivered, or caught, Nate), came in at the shift change in the morning, she decided it was time to pop my water...I was now a 7. So, she did that, and the real labor began. I labored in the labor tub most of the time...I was going natural again...no epidural. So, about 11:30am I told them that I needed to push. The nurse called the midwife, who was at her office at the other end of the building...she would come soon. The nurse checked me and said I was only an 8 and I couldn't push yet. I told her that I really needed to, but she said I wasn't ready yet. That was at 11:44am. I got up to go to the bathroom, and when I stood up, the baby just started coming. I yelled to the nurse, "Something is coming out of me!!!" and she just said, "Sometimes it happens that fast." Major Rossio had just walked into L&D and heard me yell that, and she rushed in. They got me back on the bed, and Kinley was born at 11:52am. So, it didn't take long once she decided to come.

She weighed in at 8lbs 5oz, was 20 1/2 inches long, and had a full head of dark, dark hair. She is just so beautiful!!!

Kinley's Baby Shower

The sweet ladies in my church here in Eagle River threw a baby shower for Kinley the week before she was born. It was such a sweet time with friends. I am so thankful for the godly ladies of our church here. They truly spoil my children and have been such an encouragement to me. They are always willing to help out...I just cannot say enough about these ladies. We will totally miss them when we leave in May.

The ladies were so sweet to include Brianna in the shower. She (and Nate) even came away with a few gifts of their own. Mrs. Karen made a special balloon for Brianna that said "Big Sister" on one side and "Mommy's Helper" on the other.

And, here is Brianna and me (very pregnant with Kinley) posing with the cake!

Kinley Brooke has arrived

Beth, SEVENTEEN hours into labor, and the spirits are still high. She is one tough cookie!


Two and a half hours before Baby Kinley is born, Beth is starting to feel some "pressure", but the labor tub is helping to ease the pain.
The cute feet of Kinley Brooke and here she is.....

A proud Mama... Beth, you are wonderful!!!

There is Kinley with her Dad, we are so happy to welcome her to the Hendricks family.

The Big Sister and Big Brother couldn't be more proud

Brianna's face says it all, she LOVES being the big sister.

Uncle Josh seems to get along just fine with his little niece.

Taking care of Baby Kinley will wear us all out!!
A sign of things to come.

We thank God for His gift of Kinley Brooke Hendricks, an absolute wonderful blessing on our family. It really is an amazing thing when He entrusts one of His little ones to us, we are going to do everything we can to raise her up so that she honors Him with her life. And along with the great responsibility, we eagerly look forward to getting to know her and watch her grow up in our family.... THANK YOU God!