The Henderson Family Chronicles

Yes, I studied photography in college..5 classes worth. No, I am NOT good at REMEMBERING to take pictures, or share them. So here are some oldies that have been hiding out on my camera, some for a very long time... Nate & Em got into the dress-up, and this was the result...I believe they were both super heroes. This is one of my most favoritest pics ever:  First day of third grade, September 2013. Goofy Smile, but the other one had closed eyes:  Gomers on the couch, very recently. I can tell because the shirt was purchased in July or August:  New Haircut, Saturday last. I can now shower, dress and dry/style my hair in 12 minutes flat. Can I get a HALLELUJAH???  Today, Halloween 2013 - Fit-it Felix and mean old Taffyta Muttonfudge:  About a year and a half ago. She has a tendency to fall asleep all over the place. See later in the post for further proof:  My Bestest and her Lovah, the night before the wedding: ...

Well, big things folks!!! First, our stake had some very uneven ward boundaries, as in ITTY BITTY wards, and GREAT BIG wards, so we had a realignment happen, and I got shuffled out of my ward, away from nearly all of my friends, and stuck in the ward on the other side of the highway. My mom, who lives a block north of me, was in a different ward. She got shuffled out of HER ward, and into the same ward as me! My dad is the Ward Clerk in the new ward. While we are EXTREMELY sad to leave some of the people in our old ward, we are very excited about the new ward, and the change in general. We've learned in our little family, that change brings new opportunities, mostly good ones. The new ward seems to have good energy, and we are so far very happy. Well, mostly.... :) I got a calling! It's the same one I've had for years - Teaching 4th Sunday. I LOVE it!!! It was a little sad, because I thought "Well, I can do other stuff too!!!!" But I also know I love this call...

I've been thinking lately about friends. Dear friends, I love you all. I could type here what I love about each of you. I probably should, but I am terrified that I'd forget to mention one, and then we'd both feel horrible. So many touch my life, and enrich it. Life would be so bland without all of the colorful faces and personalities that I like to pack my world full of. But I've been sad, because I didn't feel like I was giving enough to any of them. I told Andrew the other day that I felt horrible because I don't ever feel like I have enough time for my "everyday friends"... You know the ones. You'd like to talk to them nearly every day. Check in on them, hang out, let the kids play, make lunch together, run errands together, work on projects together.... I used to have that with Amy J. I miss it! We'd rearrange rooms, and make things, and be all sorts of productive together. This summer my Rosie-Doodle was husbandless much of the time, a...

I am very happy about that. NOT because I was dying for Nate to go to school, but because I HATE summer. Spring is nice, Fall is my favorite. I can even thrive in the winter. But I Can. Not. Handle. Summer. I hate yard work, I hate being hot. I hate it. Hate it. That is not too strong of a word here. At least three times this summer Nate barfed because he was too hot. Just one reason I HATE it. And have you heard of SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder? It's the one that makes you lay on the couch, dying from depression in the late winter when all you want to do is GET OUT IN THE SUN. I get it in the Summer. I don't want to talk, I don't want to play, I just want to die, or at least celebrate my self pity by laying on the couch, possibly with ice cream. But maybe not. Getting up to get said ice cream might be too much. So in comes slightly cooler weather, and I am seeing glimpses of the shell formerly known as Maren coming back out. If I didn't call you, or play with yo...

Emmy came to me yesterday afternoon, with a baby in each arm, and pronounced this: (presenting Baby Merida) This is my brand new baby. Today is her Birth day. The day she was birthed. The doctors had to cut her out of my belly (sad face), but we're ok.  (presenting Baby Tangled) This is my other new baby. She was born today too. But she wasn't in my belly. She was in my husband's belly. He's dead now. (dramatic pause, and uber sad face) He was getting ready to go to war, and she just fell out of his belly, and he didn't even know! So he brought her home to me, and then he drove to war. But when the bad guys came, he didn't have a weapon, and they just chopped off his head, so he's in heaven now, which is in the attic, but just in our game. Okay, Mom??? Ok, Em. Ok....

While in the shower (because that's where I have ALL my good thinking thoughts) I discovered the right way to say what I was trying to express in point #4 on my thinking thoughts post: Finding out that we are 99% sure that we won't be having any more kids allowed me to give myself permission to just enjoy what I have.  I think I always felt like "It's great to have to two awesome kids, but we should have more. More will be coming. Don't get comfortable, it's going to change. Soon. Any time...." Now that I know that this is what I've got, I can just relax and enjoy WHAT I'VE GOT. All I've ever wanted, All I've ever dreamed of, Everything I've hoped, and all the things I've prayed for Couldn't hold a candle to what I've been given. I've been given what I need.

You ready? Here we go... 1. I'm trying to lose weight. Well, let's be a little more concise here. For the umpteenth time I am attempting to battle my hormones into releasing stored fat, by making an effort to make permanent healthy lifestyle changes. I am using MyPlate by Livestrong to track my calories, fat and such. I've done it 4 full days now, and am starting to learn more about what is appropriate portions and balance. I hope in about 3 weeks I will start noticing a little difference, and I hope that by then I will not need to put every bite that goes into my tracker. But I have been pleasantly surprised at what all fits in under my daily goal. It really just comes down to make a few healthier choices, (light sour cream? water down the juice? THAT'S all I get in a serving?) and not going back for seconds. I got really hungry one night, but I was 200 calories under, so in the evening I had half a bowl of Special K, and felt much better. So. Hopefully this works. A...