I went to work one day and a lovely woman i work with named Jenny called me to her desk. She has been a bit of a mentor to me since I started at Ameriben. She is very understanding and kind. I appreciate her candor and ability to see me as I am. Most of all encourages me when I feel like i cannot go anymore. When i transferred out of Customer care it was difficult to leave her behind. Joy of joys when i discovered she had herself transferred to another position and works in the same building i do and i get to see her often. I do not hug many people freely but she is one. A bit before Christmas she gave me this beautiful cane wreath. I love it. It is on my door in all its splendor. I love the smell of it as I open my door. Makes my heart warm to know she thinks of me. Thank you Jenny, you are forever loved.
Every year we try to make it to our friend Dan Christensens house to ride with Santa. He goes a bit crazy with all of the decor, but he loves it. He is so happy being Santa. The photo above is a panorama of the front of his house. Someone is always walking by hence the dude in the photo.
It was cold and just as we got on the fire truck it started to snow. This year it was a good half hour ride for us to go to the ride but worth it. We stopped at another persons house on the way to drop off a surprise, then onto a ride. It was a nice night. The snow falling thinking of Christmas coming. We were going to go to the Botanical Gardens and see the lights but we spent far too much time with Dan. Unfortunately, we didnt get there. Fortunately, we have some tickets to go and i am hoping this week we can make a trip. it would be nice to see those lights. All the photos i have seen of it make me really want to be there. So I am hoping this week we can go sometime. Who knows maybe we missed our window. Either way the other photos i have seen are stunning.
I worked until the 23 and had a few days off. It was a joy to be home with them. Christmas Eve brought our usual Christmas Eve chow down. This year it was salad, chicken wraps, burritos and chicken nuggets. The kids love this time of year. We get things we dont usually eat and just sit around an laugh. This year we had no one at the house and we didnt have to go anywhere, it was a good change. Nice to be on our own.
I dont get that boy either. He is a strange one.
On Christmas we sat around and did nothing, absolutely nothing, just sat around and watched movies. It was glorious. Very rarely do we have Shane sitting doing nothing, but he did nothing. For my children it is a rare day when their father requests to watch movies and sit around. So they just went with it. We had turkey, ham, potatoes, veggies and bread. Delicious. My work gives out ham to every employee and we were grateful. It was something we would not usually buy.
My sister sent this to me, I love it. Its perfect in our house on the wall surrounded by photos.
One of the most surprising gifts was brought over by a sweet friend and her husband. I had made a comment to her quite a few weeks earlier about how much i missed having nuts in our house as Christmas. She said she always had them no matter where they were in the world. So low and behold she came over with a small bin of them. I have had a few a day and so have the kids. We have cherished having them in the house. I am so grateful for her thoughtfulness. I have grown to admire her and her husband so much. They are the people i just want to sit and talk to for hours and hours. Some day i will just takes a bit of planning.
We received other gifts as well and they are too numerous to count. I am blessed to have such kind people around me. More blessed to have my kiddos. They really thought of each other this year and found loving gifts to give, for not much money. They are wonderful kids growing into awesome humans. I am pretty lucky.
Hope your Christmas was wonderful and merry. Or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate. I hope you have great joy and peace in the coming year. I hope our next year brings us some stability and peace as well. This year was difficult but we found a home and a home we shall have for a while. Come over anytime, you are all welcome....well i think all of you??!!!
Every so often we take a sunday and stay home. We do nothing but be together and just chill. Well i say chill but if anyone knows my hubs that is virtually impossible. He does not know how to sit around and relax. I admire that about him but as he had gotten older he is finding its harder to keep going when his body will not let him. Shane had a cancer scare a few years ago, which was taken care of rather quickly and easily, since then his body really has been telling him to slow down. He is a tough man and a hard worker. I love that about him. He is strong, talented, kind, smart and really good at all the endeavors to do. Right now he is the Elders Quorum president in our ward. It requires much of his time being with other Elders and taking care of the needs of others. He is very selfless so often others are not aware of what is happening in our family. I say things to others but people really never know what is going on.
sometimes he lets me do selfies with him. Even though he doesnt want to be on the internet i tell him too bad, people need to see you. I realize people need to see me too so there we are.
Today was a day i had been waiting for. About a year or more ago my sweet friend took some family photos of us. I was so excited. When i got my job at Ameriben i ended up in a cubie right next to a lovely lady who has become my Homie. We call each other Holmes, we both have a deep affection for Robert Downey Jr and he being Sherlock Holmes i think we just started calling each other Homie. Another Homie has joined us but i have already spoken of her. Hailey is her name and she is the most kind loving caring person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She is young and absolutely beautiful. Her soul is so kind. She offered to take photos of my family when we were ready. My family on the other hand...well lets say they were not excited about photos. So I have been working for a YEAR to find a time when the fam would all agree. Homie has been so gracious just waiting patiently. I hope our payment to her is enough. Today was the day, the weather held and we journeyed to the College of Idaho campus to take some photos. I am so excited to see them.
We came home we just sat around for a bit, but then this happened:
yes that is my family cooking and my husband is making another blanket. Another friend of ours gave us a bunch of old jeans so we will have another blanket or 2 in the next few weeks. Shane is off of work for a while and he will keep busy. Cant keep him still....
My house is cozy and warm, the weather is crappy out. My kids are happy, Brenda is slowly moving onward in life. Most times i only have 4 at home. Christmas is usually tough for me, being in our first home makes it feel a bit different.
I was leaving work the other day and the sun was setting. It was so lovely. My camera on my phone does not do it justice. There was a wind and the air was cold. It was a lovely. I sent this photo to my friend who is photographer. She does a much better job than I, but she said it was a lovely night.
Jake came home one day and said to me he had some papers for me to look at. So he throws these two papers at me and walks away. He is a funny kid when others are around. He makes everyone laugh, but if the spotlight is really about him he is embarrassed. I met his teacher and his teacher stated he is one of the best kids he has in his class. No problems with Jake, in fact he is well behaved and very kind to everyone in the class. I like that kid. He hugs me when I need it the most. Maybe i am biased because he is my youngest and we went through quite the trial to get him here. The hubs says i hold him too close but we almost died together so i might just for a while longer, keep him close.
I went to work one Friday and came home to 5 more children in my house. Gratefully they were not of my loins which is fabulous. You are thinking did you take that picture 2 times of that baby on Laura and Johns lap??? Nope those are the cutest twinnies i have ever seen. Shaila(16mos) and Maila(16mos) so cute. Shane is asleep with Ryan(3) and in the other photo are big brothers Matthew(7) and Liam(5). These photos were taken on Saturday. They came to hang out on Friday night and didnt go home till Saturday night. It was a joy to have them. Lots of work but still a joy. We gave their parents a much needed break and time together. They were well rested when they returned to pick up their brood. I fear they may need another break and my kids state they are ready for the challenge. Something cool about my kiddos, they are always willing to help, to serve when needed. I like that about them. Just ready to jump into it.
As a side note Makayla and Brenda came in late in the evening early morning when we kept the kids. Somehow John ended up in Lauras bed with one of the twins. Brenda came in about 3am and looked stunned at the bed and wondered why John had a Cabbage Patch doll,then the baby moved and she freaked out. I had texted her to tell her they were here. She was so tired she didnt remember. Funny story for the future. Those twinnies are so cute though just like Cabbage Patch dolls.
When they came to pick up their kiddos we were handed a gift in return:
They brought us red velvet cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. We looked at it for a couple of days then one night we pulled it out and cut thin pieces for everyone. It was so rich and delicious. I am not usually a fan of red velvet cake but this one was so good. It was a nice treat, we sliced it up thin enough for everyone to have 2 slices over 2 days. Yummy!!! A great payment....So reminder Cheesecake always welcome at the Henrie house.....
Sometimes I take random photos of my kids so i remember who they are and people can see them. I have decided to add myself into them as I am not happy about the way i look I figure my mums family has the right to see me. I know most of them look at this blog and probably wonder what i look like day to day so i am going to make a better effort. Also it is good for me, its helps me get over the inhibitions i have about myself and helps me become better?
This year has been a particularly difficult year as I look back. We have been blessed beyond compare in many ways. I cannot complain about how hard it has been.although it is sometimes difficult not too. I have spent many nights this year in tears, in the arms of my hubs feeling despair, feeling his despair for our situations. At the same time through my frustrations seeing the gentle love of others bless my life. God has a hand in those precious moments. I have watched others take time out of their day to show me kindness, build me up, give me a gift (either small or large), take me to lunch, bring me lunch, kind words via text, facebook, lync(work) email. Not to mention gifts at our door when we didnt have what we needed and others didnt know or I stupidly put it on facebook. Love shown when it was most certainly not deserved, love when it was, kindness when I had not one ounce of kindness left in me. Encouragement from places and people whom i did not know.
We have met new people this year, gained lifelong friends who have become a part of our family. I am farther away from all of my friends and am still struggling to find my spot in our new place. Sure I am YW president but people do not really know me. They know what i show, which is not much. It takes a good person to find the real me. We all have an outer appearance, what is yours? Does anyone know you? Do you want people to know you? I have a friend who knows me, she can text me and see through my crap even though she is not in the same state. Do you have someone like that?
I was feeling despair the other night and realized i didnt have anyone around. Nobody i would go to to just be me. It was very sad, all i could do was pray, pour my heart out to God. Tell him how sad I was, how frustrated I am with this stupid month of December, with the ignorance of people, the sorrow i feel for some...He answered me in other ways i cannot describe and would probably not tell anyone...NOPE not even you.Say what you will there are those who struggle constantly, its an everyday battle to smile, be happy and live life...but we keep trying, keep moving and attempting to love...its hard sometimes debilitating but we keep going.
Now for some tunes Love the Josh Groban he has a smooth voice...
and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir maybe this will help with Christmas spirit.
Sometimes when I come home from work I am really tired. I feel like I cannot do another thing. Tonight was a bit different. I decided its is cold outside, really cold. We have had quite the snap lately and its making our house cold. We have a wood stove but sometimes it is not enough. Oh we have a furnace as well but that is expensive.
Tonight i decided to make some bread. It is not the best bread i have ever had, but it will suffice for tonight. made my boys happy.
This is Jakes lap with peanut butter on his warm bread, in front of the fire. He has been cold lately so He opens the door and sits with it open. Weird kid if you ask me.
John just swallowed a mouth full of bread and butter and enjoys every minute. I couldnt get a photo of Shane he was done with half a loaf before i got to him.
Speaking of weirdos they decided to cook outside over the long Thanksgiving weekend. My boys are working on their merit badges wilderness survival is one of them. So he cooked outside. They dug a pit and made a spit for chicken and put their veggies and potatoes in aluminum foil.
They also decided to make a lean too on the tree out back that Shane was cutting down. It was a huge pine and they made a lean too at the base of the tree it was huge.
My boys are really amazing. They are crafty and work hard to get those merit badges, they both want to be Eagle scouts before they are 14. They can do it. It is great to see them working so hard on something they enjoy.
Makayla turned 17 a bit ago. Her birthday is on the 19th of November. She is a great girl. I am not the greatest of mothers, I am not huggy or touchy feely, its a tough thing for me. I work very hard it but it is a weird thing for me. Makayla and I have been on a long hard road. She has had a not so easy life with a lot of illnesses and chronic issues. This year has been just as much of a problem as the last few. Her strength is amazing. She works very hard at her job. I am not surprised that she is so successful in all that she does as she works so hard.
Every year on the childrens birthday we let them have what they want for a birthday dinner. Her choice this year was clam chowder BUT we found an awesome deal on ribs and so ribs it was. She was pretty excited.
She also got a new pillow, something she has been wanting for a while. She is a well deserving girl.
We also did her hair. She does not ask for many things. She asks for me to color her hair and cut it. I try to do the best I can for her. I wish I could give her more.
There is a special young man out there who someday will give her everything her heart desires. She is treasuring herself, waiting for that man, working hard. She is discovering herself. Finding the talents that make her amazing.
She is a mechanic at heart and can work on a car like no bodies business. She deals with constant illness, eczema (sometimes very painful on her hands), tired from working late nights getting up and going to school. She gets really good grades, this is a struggle in itself.
Makayla has been thrown the trials of the world and yet she overcomes with joy and happiness. She is generally always happy and makes everyone around her happy. She loves people even when they do her wrong or treat her badly. She defends her family to the ends of the earth. She is an amazing girl I cannot say enough about her. She makes me smile. Through all, I cannot imagine having a more wonderful daughter. I love you girl, (i would include your nicknames but not allowed!)
