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!

Life in Alaska

The other day Nathan went to get me some sausage biscuits from McD's (yes, this baby makes me crave sausage) and saw five or so bald eagles in the trees next to McD's. So, here are some great shots of the bald eagles. It is really cool to live in a place where you can just go outside and see these beautiful birds.



On another note, life here in AK sure has been interesting lately. Just in case you haven't heard, Mt. Redoubt is getting ready to erupt...like any time now. Of course, they have been saying that for about a week or so, but they continue to say that it is inevitable. So, what does that mean for us? Well, Mt. Redoubt is really not that far from where we live...just across the Cook Inlet, and a little south. That means that Anchorage will be getting quite a bit of ash fall from the volcano, depending on the winds. Here are some things you are supposed to do/not do in the event of the volcano erupting:

1. Remain inside...this includes driving, because the ash could ruin your car. (So, if I go into labor, how am I supposed to get to the hospital? Just a thought)
2. If you have to go outside, wear a mask or damp cloth across you mouth so that you don't inhale the ash.
3. Do not wear contact lenses, and basically, try to cover your eyes as much as possible so that the ash doesn't damage them.
4. Wear long sleeve clothing to protect your skin as much as possible. OK- this is Alaska, who isn't going to be wearing long sleeves???
5. Cover all electronics to protect them from ash.
6. Have a weeks worth of food and water on hand.

So, that is a short list of what to do. There is so much to think about. And, on top of it all...I am 38 weeks pregnant now, so that means (at least for me), that I could have this baby any day. Let's just say that I am progressed. So, our option is for us to go live at the hospital if the volcano erupts. And, we have to bring all of our own food. And, we won't have a refrigerator. HOW FUN!!! So, the bags, for all in the family, are packed. I have a list of what food to take, we have a case of bottled water in the car. I think, that when this volcano erupts, we will be able to get to the hospital within an hour or so. At least, that is my plan...we'll see how it goes.

So, if you hear that there has been a volcanic eruption in AK, and don't hear from me for several days, don't be to alarmed. I should be able to have cell phone reception, and I will keep in contact with my parents. So, I will ask Dad to post something about how we are on his blog.

My question is...who will erupt first? Me, or the volcano? I am betting on the volcano.

I just saw that my friend Ruth posted about this volcano as well, and she has some awesome pics of the mountain and some interesting facts. Check out her blog here.

Happy Second Birthday Nate!!!

My baby Nate turned two years old on Monday, January 26th. We celebrated his birthday with all of his (and our) friends last weekend at McDonald's. It was so much fun, and the best part for me was that I didn't have to clean up!!! This is Nate saying "cheese" after blowing out his candle. Isn't he adorable???

This is a pic of most of the gang that was there for the party. Notice all the pregnant ladies sitting on the left side of the picture. We are all having babies in February. In addition to those three pregnant ladies, there were two more in attendance. I think that there is something in the water at our church!

This is Nate's friend from church, Amelia. What a cutie!!! She obviously loved her chocolate cupcake!

And, here is our good friend Aubrey, also enjoying her cupcake!

Brianna sure did enjoy playing in the big treehouse!

And, of course, Nate was probably the only child who actually sat and ate most of his food. I tell you, if you put food in front of the boy, he is happy. He especially liked his cupcakes that Brianna and I made for the party!

So, what do you say about baby Nate??? Well, I guess I can start with the fact that we are not going to be able to call him "baby" any more...just Nate. He has definitely grown up so much the past few months. He loves to play with his animals and trains. He absolutely LOVES to be read to...we could do that for hours on end. He has a contagious smile and laugh. He loves to play tackle with his Daddy. He looks so much like his Momma, it is sometimes scary. He has a tender heart. He started singing this week..."Jesus Loves Me." Except, when we get to the "Yes, Jesus loves me" part, he says "Yes, Jesus loves Nate" which is just way to cute. He has absolutely stolen my heart.

I love you Nate, and I pray that your heart will stay tender, that you will come to know Christ as your Savior at a very young age, and that your life will honor Him in all that you do.

Catching Up on Pics

It has been awhile since I have posted any pictures, because I didn't know how to download them onto the laptop, and Nathan wouldn't do it for me. But, he recently showed me how to do it, so here are some pictures for you all to enjoy!!!

Grandma Hendricks sent us a Rice Krispy Treat House Kit, so one evening Brianna and I made and decorated these fun houses.

This is a pic of my kids doing their push-ups with Daddy. They also do sit-ups...it is so cute.

Here is Brianna in her cute outfit that Grandma Hendricks sent her for Christmas.

This is just a really cute pic of Nate saying "Cheese" really loud!

And, here is Nate in the outfit that Grandma Hendricks sent him for Christmas. Again, saying "Cheese" but not so loud.

So, one day I told Nate it was time for naptime, and he needed to go to his room. When I got there, this is what I found. He was pretending to take a nap under his Cowboys floor mat. How cute!!!

This was our Christmas tree. Well, the second one that we had. We went and picked out a real tree first, and within a couple of weeks, it was completely dead, despite our valiant efforts to keep it watered and alive. So, a week before Christmas, we threw it out and got out my old, faithful pre-lit tree that I just love.

Nate got a "pound-pound" (as his father used to call it when he was a child) for Christmas.

Brianna got a baby doll stroller for Christmas. She actually got two, but the first one broke, so the second one came in really handy. I took the broken one back to the store, and she got some really cool Dora tennis shoes, that she just doesn't want to take off.

Positive!!!

Well, we have survived the great freeze in Alaska. It is officially out of the negative temperatures now. After over two weeks of extremely negative temps, it is finally above zero degrees. In fact, we are having a warm front come through...it is actually supposed to be in the teens today, with snow. Now, you may think I am crazy for saying that, but when it has been as cold as it has been for the past 2 1/2 weeks, the teens sounds AMAZING!!! When it is finally warm enough to snow, it is a good thing.

On other news, we haven't done too much lately, just because of the extreme temps, and Nathan has been taking my car to work because his is literally frozen (seriously, the tailgate will not go back up because it is frozen down). I do plan to take the kids to run errands tomorrow, probably just to Target and the Commissary, but that is exciting for me these days. And, we have MOPS this week, so that is always a fun thing to look forward to.

We have also been battling colds around our house. It started with Brianna last week, and then I have it, but I am getting better. I think Baby Nate has a bit of a cold, but not sure yet how bad it is- so far just a touch of a runny nose. And, then last night Nathan said he thought that he was coming down with it. So, the course continues. At least there is no vomit...yet.

The interest in our home has picked up a little bit. We really haven't done too much to advertise, but we are getting some phone calls and people setting up appointments to come and see it. So far, only one person has actually come, but hopefully more will start to come now that the temperatures are on the positive side. We created another blog so that people can view our house in more detail than just the few pics you can put on craigslist or whatever other site we are using. It is www.11734galenabayloop.blogspot.com if anyone is interested.

And, now only five weeks until our little girl is due. I guess I should wash clothes and get out the baby equipment, and that kind of stuff. But, so far, I haven't done a thing. I do plan on buying some diapers and baby laundry detergent at Target tomorrow. At least that is something. Maybe Nathan and I will get the other stuff out this weekend (we've been saying that for a few weekends now) so that I can get stuff washed.

And, one more thing. Baby Nate turns two in just two weeks now. For his birthday party, we are just inviting his friends to go to McD's with us to play. That way, I don't have to entertain people in my home. So, for those of you in the area, we are meeting at the Eagle River McD's at 5pm on Saturday, Jan. 24th, and you are all invited. I can't believe how big he is getting. He has always been my "little man" because he just looks like a little man, but now, he even acts like it. He is so adorable...I could go on and on about how cute he is, but I will save that for his actual birthday.

Thankful Thursday and Happy New Year!

1. I am thankful for a warm and safe house to live in here in AK. The weather has been so cold lately- I don't think that it has gotten above zero once this week. BURRR!!!
2. Since it has been so cold, I haven't gotten out of the house much, which means that I haven't spent any money this week. That is always a good thing!
3. My brother-in-law Josh came over today to teach me how to make Swedish Rolls, which is a very special, and secret, Youngren family recipe. That would be Nathan's mother's family.
4. I am thankful for 33 1/2 weeks of pregnancy that have gone very smoothly. At my last appointment we thought that the baby's heartbeat was a little low, but after going to Labor and Delivery and being hooked up to monitor's for about an hour, and scaring Nathan and the kids in the process, everything is fine.
5. I am thankful that I only have 6 1/2 weeks left until I get to hold my precious little baby girl in my arms. I seriously can't wait!
6. I am so thankful for a wonderful, understanding husband. I have not been sleeping well lately, and he has put up with my tossing and turning, and even crying. He will just lay there and hold me and tell me that it will be OK, not to worry, etc. He is so sweet, and I could not make it through this pregnancy, or any other time of my life, without him. I love you Babe!!!
7. I am so thankful for Brianna, who understands when Momma has had a bad night of sleep, and will take Nate into the other room and play for an hour or so, so that I can get a little more sleep. She has such a tender heart and is such a good playmate for her brother.
8. I am also thankful for my little Baby Nate, whose smile will light up any room, and it definitely lights up my heart every time I see him. He is such a joy and he also plays well with his sister, most of the time.
9. I am thankful for the time that we have had in AK. We have had so much fun exploring this wonderful land that God created, we have been able to meet our financial goals, and most importantly, we have become friends with some of the most wonderful people. We will truly miss them once we leave AK.
10. And, especially since it has been so cold this week, I am thankful that we are moving back to the lower 48. It is weird how the Lord prepares our hearts for the next adventure that HE (not the Air Force) is sending us on. Although it is difficult to leave our friends here is AK, and it is difficult to not move home to OK, I am so excited to move to GA and meet new friends and get settled in to our new life there.

I hope that you all have had a wonderful New Year and that each of you take the time to reflect on the great things that God has done in your life over the past year.