It's all about my BOYS!

In the Silence...

2010-11-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

What do I do? Kristen was here for the weekend with her boyfriend, Ryan & his friend, Dave. It was a fun, chaotic weekend with a houseful of fun! We learned a very fun new game, got addicted & played way too much...even when we should have been tending to other responsibilities. Oops! The children were cared for, loved upon & included in the game time...everyone was happy so everyone wins! (messy house but who cares? that will still be here tomorrow!) Kristen & Ryan took Xander back to Redding for a few days. Xander is having a sleepover with his Aunt Kk. He keeps telling me all about the little trip he is going to take with his Aunt Kk & Ryan. He is so excited...especially since he got to sit in the front seat of Ryan's truck! What a treat.
Brandon is at youth group tonight. We are doing a youth event with the high school students delivering Turkey Dinners to families in need. I really wish I could be there but right now I am focusing on keeping my family happy & healthy. This morning I noticed that Uzziah was sounding a little stuffy. He was breathing heavy & he was getting a little snotty (literally...not in attitude. that will come in a few years) So I decided to keep Uzziah home for the evening so that he would not get sick before the holidays. And I think he appreciates the little breathe of rest & quiet as well. He is all worn out from screaming last night...probably screamed about 45 min long at least 4 different times last night (oops! no more spicy mango habanero hot wings for me while I am nursing...sorry, Uzziah!)
So I sit in a living room cluttered with toys, and couches overflowing with laundry (did I mention Xander explored Kristen's make-up bag this weekend?) and I think about all the wonderful projects that could be accomplished while Uzziah naps. Yep! that sounds good to me- a nap! Good Night!

Aunt Kk

2010-10-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kk came to visit us this weekend & as always, we are having a blast. She is such a great Aunt & thoroughly enjoys spoiling my babies! (I still can't get myself to call Xander my "kid" or my "child"...he is still my baby...I just have 2 now!) She always bursts into the house with such enormous energy, showering us with thoughtful gifts, love, excitement & time. She takes time to sit with Xander & play, or watch his movie with him, read stories or just play pretend! She takes Uzziah for me so that I can have my arms free for a moment...changes his diaper, feeds him, or just love on him! It is such a blessing to me to have such a lovely break. I love her dearly & am really looking forward to having my other 2 sisters join us here for the Holidays very soon!

Now-if i could just get her to take the 3 am shift with Uzziah...

Weekend Getaway

2010-03-19T22:35:00.001-07:00

Brandon and I are having a great "alone" time on our Weekend Getaway. We are so blessed to have some wonderful friends who offered to take Xander for a few days so that we could get some much-needed uninterrupted time with each other. THANK YOU!!!
As we talked about our plan for the weekend, we decided to abandon our typical adventurous agenda and plant ourselves in our room & do absolutely nothing. We wanted to take advantage of the wonderful time we had on our hands so we brought along our videos & photos that we had yet to upload from the past several years. We have enjoyed reminiscing through the past and relishing all the stolen moments of Xander's first few years of life as we anticipate the arrival of his new baby brother! Yes- we have exciting news: Brandon and I will be having a baby boy in August!!! We are going to be very busy preparing for another little boy, while trying to cherish every moment we have with our family during this exciting time in our lives.

South Carolina

2010-01-23T19:57:00.001-08:00

We had an incredible time visiting Aaron & Carrie in South Carolina. Brandon spoke at a their camp for several days & then we got to hang out with them. They are such great friends of ours & we really miss them dearly. It has been so fun getting together with them & watching our kids grow up so quickly before our eyes. Their little baby Camille is just darling & I hate that I don't get to see her more often.
We also got to see my family while we were on the East Coast. We met in Jacksonville at my aunt's house and made the most out of a 24 hr whirlwind visit. It was lots of fun being with my family- such a treat that we don't get to have nearly often enough. We will be spoiled this month because they are coming out here next week for Xander's birthday!!! Yay!- twice in one month...that never happens!!!
Dear Sunday, Monday & Tuesday...please hurry up & leave.

We almost have a 2 yr old

2010-01-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

His first swing set

2009-11-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

When Mimi and GP were here, they surprised us by getting Xander his first swing set! It is really incredible. It has a slide, a glider, a teeter-totter, two swings and handle bars to swing from. He absolutely loves it (of course) and asks to go outside and swing every day!!! Of course, now he wants me to come out with him and push him really high! ;) It has been so fun watching him enjoy such a fun gift...Thanks, mom and dad!

Drive-In Movie

2009-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

We had a successful event with our high school students in Waterford last night. We hosted a Drive-In Movie @ Elly's house. Elly's family owns a lot of property & have a perfect location for hosting large events. They have been very gracious to let us have 2 events there so far.
It was a long day for Brandon as he left the house at 7:30 am and did not get home until almost 11 at night! He stayed in Waterford after church with a few guys from the high school group who helped him set up all the media equipment...of course there were a couple kinks & problems with the sound system so it was a good thing they decided to set up early. I got out there around 6 pm, after running to the store and getting all our last minute items & leaving Xander with our friend Charisse, who is so awesome to watch Xander when we need some help! We watched the Nightmare before Christmas & the students loved it. I was surprised that many of them had never seen it before, or did not remember it because it had been so long ago. They all seemed to have a great time & we were happy to have about 75 students come out for the event! It was a lot of fun & we are encouraged to see the students warming up to us & feeling like they are getting to know us.
After the movie, one of the guy's trucks wouldn't start so we had to search for jumper cables & took about 45 minutes to get his truck to turn on. Most of the crowd was gone by then. We were all packed up & ready to be home so we loaded up & drove away. As Brandon was driving up the hill to leave the property, one of the girls' trucks stopped working. She claimed her battery died and she coudln't get it to start again. They let her work on it for about 10 minutes until they finally decided to all back up & they would roll her truck backwards to jump start it. ONce they had all moved their cars, one of the guys got in her car to jump start it & as he turned the ignition it started right up. Turns out she hadn't had the clutch all the way in...
Always some sort of excitement at a high school event!

Potty Training

2009-10-15T01:31:00.001-07:00

So we have been dedicating the last few weeks to potty training. Xander is doing great...loves the treats the follow the time in the bathroom. It has been quite the adventure...

A student's prayer

2009-10-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

So things are going really well at the church in Waterford. Brandon officially started working there on September 20, and has really enjoyed getting to know the students and the staff. We had our first event with the students last weekend...we had a BBQ BOnfire at one of their homes. It was really fun & we had a great time talking with all the students. We have been meeting with the high schoolers on Sunday mornings for our large group gathering. This morning, Brandon decided to give the students an opportunity to pray for each other before he began his lesson. A few people shared about about some really deep issues or concerns and then one of the guys broke the ice. He reminded us that this month was Breast Cancer Awareness & asked that we pray for all the breasts...

Sunday Afternoon Update

2009-09-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today went well in Waterford. Brandon spoke & did a phenomenal job. Thanks for al the prayers. We were both able to connect with many of the students and enjoyed our lunch afterwards. We had a great time speaking with the parents & staff. There was a lot of interest in us and our plan for the ministry. Many of the students were very excited and kept asking us great questions. We are looking forward to what God has in store for us. Brandon will be meeting with the pastor this week. More news to come...

Waterford

2009-09-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Please be praying for us as Brandon has his final meeting/interview with a church in Waterford, Ca. He is speaking to the high school students tomorrow (Sunday) and then we are attending a luncheon with some o f the staff, parents & volunteers in the high school ministry. This is the final step in the process and we are really hopeful that this may work out. The church is about 20 minutes from our home, which would be awesome that we wouldn't have to move. We are excited to see what God has for our family next & anxious to begin ministering to high school students again. We know that this is what God has called us to and it has really been hard to be out of the ministry this summer. Please pray that Brandon would speak well, that the church family would be welcoming & excited to meet us, that their questions would be positive, that Brandon would have the best answers & that God would give us His clarity, wisdom, direction & peace throughout the rest of this process.
We are so grateful to all of our friends & family who have been such a huge support & encouragement to us during this difficult time in our lives. We love you very much & appreciate all of your prayers, friendship & love that you have given us. THANK YOU!

Hendriks 3 B&B

2009-09-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is what our house should be renamed: The Hendriks 3 B&B
We have had a fun time with our friends and family visiting over the past few weeks
We have had Shana & Kristena (friends from college)
Gerry & Anna (Redding family)
Tiffany & Drew (Oregon family)
Tiff & Drew again
Aaron & Carrie (Super friends from South Carolina)
And then we have coming up:
Kim (from Redding)
Aaron & Carrie again
My Mom & Dad
Hopefully some of the Faires family
And then hopefully Brandon's Mom & Dad

note: if you do not see your name listed about there is a problem. Please consult Melissa immediately so that we can get this sorted out & put a date on the calendar asap for you to come & visit!!!

Still...

2009-08-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Still Praying and waiting to see what God has next for our family. This is perhaps the hardest part of life...and transitions. The not knowing. And the waiting...and waiting...and waiting...
It is particularly hard on someone of my personality type who likes to have not only the next few days planned out minute-by-minute, but the next 5-10 years as well. I don't know why we are being allowed to go through such a long time of not knowing. I don't know why we haven't been led to the next place of ministry yet. And I don't feel entitled to complain, even though it really sucks most days. Because in my heart I KNOW that He is in control. And I know that so many people walk much harder paths than I could ever imagine. And i know I don't deserve anything. But I am ready now. Ready to know where He is leading us. Ready to move on to the next place. Ready to transition and get my family happily planted in our next place of ministry. But He keeps answering all our prayers "Wait." So that's what we are doing. And it is not fun.

Australian Grammer

2009-07-31T15:49:00.001-07:00

Muckin Around: Hanging out
Bloak: dude
Holiday: Vacation/ trip
Barbie: Bbq
Boot: Trunk of a car
Rubbish: Trash/ Garbage cans
Bonzer: Great/awesome
Way out: Exit
Give Way: Yield
Ta' : Thank you
Mate: friend
Good on ya: Good luck
G'day: Hello/ A greeting
'Avago: Try it/ Try it out
No worries: No problem/ Don't worry about it (used A LOT)
Maccas: Mc Donalds
Big W: Walmart
Nappie: Diaper
Serviette's: Napkins
Dammit: like our curseword, but socially acceptable here, so I am told
Trolly: Shopping cart
Bonnet: hood of car
Pram: Stroller
Bush Walk: Hike
Chips: French Fries
Crisps: Potatoe chips
Kangas: Kangaroos

Most questions shall be phrased as statements prepared for clarification, such as:
Going to Manly Beach, are you?
You are all students, are you?
Enjoying your Holiday, are you?

Many words will be shortened with an additional "ie" added at the end:
Housies: Housemates
Bickies: Biscuits
Expie: Expiration
Woolies: Woolworth's (a store)
Breckie: Breakfast

Austal-yer highlights

2009-07-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

We have been having an awesome time here thus far. Some of the highlights of our trip are:
-Xander fell asleep on the plane before we took off & slept until 9 am- for a whopping total of 10 hours! He slpet on our laps & then when he tried to roll over got a little crabby since it was not super comfy so we made a little bed on the floor under our chairs...he loved that!
-Everyone is so cute when they speak...I just love it & have to keep myself from giggling ;) They all drop their "r's" to make that cute little drawl, but then oddly enough they add an "ar" at the end of many of their words...like they say they live in asutraliar (pronounced austral-yer) or they will add it to peolple's names like Amanda is amand-er...
-I got to attend 2 incredible worship services at Hillsong the very first day we were here. Brandon and I attended their chapel service which was awesome and then Tiff and I got to attend a woman's conference at Hillsong that night which was also incredible!
-Mmm...we just enjoyed some yummy Krispy Kreme doughnuts! My favorite!!! Could this country get any better?!?
-We enjoyed some fantastic "kanga steaks" last night...they were very good, but definitely wierd to think about eating kangaroo!
-Being the brunt of all the jokes...everything is the American's fault!
-Traditional meat pies downtown...I have been told it's comparable to the popularity of hot dogs in New York City...kinda tastes like beef stroganoff in a yummy pastry crust
-Mmm...milk tea- so yummy but so hard to describe (nothing like you think it is...i promise)
-Heading into Sydney today...pics to come!

Finally Down Under!

2009-07-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yay! We're finally here...1 very long plan ride, an overstuffed car & 2 days later! Australia is many hours ahead of our California time zone, so when we left on Sunday night we traveled all through the night & finally arrived on Tuesday morning, hence skipping our "Monday" all together. The flight was dark until we were about an hour or so from landing since we were flying forward in time, which made a very wonderful atmosphere for sleeping! We were informed by many people on the flight that we have the best child ever, and that they have never seen a baby behave so well, especially on a plane. Even the flight attendants & frequent travelers were impressed. They also said they have never seen a baby sleep at all the "correct times." Needless to say, this was a huge answer to prayer- Thanks to all of you who have covered us in your prayers these past few days & weeks! BY the time Xander woke up we only had about 4 1/2 hours left on our flight, which seemed like nothing compared to the Looooooong international flight we had anticipated. Xander even fell asleep again for is morning nap, right on cue as we departed the plane & stood on several long lines to get through customs & baggage claim.

midnight yard sale?

2009-07-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

We are having a yard sale tomorrow morning and have been organizing, pricing & setting up all day. While we were doing our last minute preparations this evening, a family stopped by on their walk around the neighborhood. They stayed for about 45 minutes, sifting through everything we had laid out in our garage, continuously veering over to the things we had already told them were not for sale. They finally left after bartering with Brandon for about 10 minutes, requesting a ridiculously low deal on a bike. They returned 5 minutes later with some money & the amount we were asking! Hooray!!! Our first sale...praise God and thanks for all those prayers & donations! Keep praying that our yard sale is successful!

spoiled by aunt kk

2009-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

kristen has once again come to bless us with her presence in beautiful CALI. We love having her here because of her abundantly joyous personality, her sensational sense of humor, her huge bear hugs, her capability to keep Brandon in line, & her extravagent skills at being a doting aunt! She loves to play with Xander, wake up early & feed him breakfast, take him on walks & get him all hyper & riled up right before nap time-
she's AWESOME!
We are so excited to have her here with us on her layover to Australia & looking forward to some more time with her on her way back home. Today we have a very typical Melissa-Kristen agenda: organize a closet, make lunch, go to church, eat lunch, bike ride with Xander, organize the garage with Brandon, go shopping, make dinner, play with Xander, make souffles, KK & Brandon will fight, then Bran will play video games while KK & I cuddle in bed watching a movie!
Who could want anything more?!?

Here we go again

2009-05-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

So Xander got bit by a dog...again! We were at a friends house and there were a few children playing and a few dogs running around so we were all just hanging out when all of a sudden I heard the dog bark and saw a friend holding Xander. Immediately i asked, "did that dog bite Xander?" and of course, he did. The dog caught his cheek and his lip, which bled and bled. Xander cried until I offered him some food and then he was happy again ;)

The very next day, Xander was climbing on the gym slide in our living room and was trying to flip over when i heard a thump and a huge cry. Xander had busted his face on the slide while hanging upside down. He split his lip and it bled and bled for almost an hour! And this is my life: raising a boy with blood, tears and absolutely NO FEAR!

Later on, I found Xander on the couch, just chillin'. He is so big it is crazy!

Mother's Day

2009-05-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mother's Day in Florida with my mom, which was a real treat! ON our way home from church my mom saw an awesome field of flowers, and since I carry my camera with me everywhere, she just pulled over to the side of the road & we took some fun pics of Xander!

We have also been enjoying some time at the beach with my family. It has been so nice to get to spend some quality time with them this last week. I miss them all already!

Thanks Preston

2009-04-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

Xander LOVES the stuffed monkey you gave him...he carries it with him everywhere! He loves to watch Curious George & hold his stuffed animal monkey. He actually carries him onto his little jungle gym & pushes the monkey down the slide. It is so cute. He calls him "Jor" (like Geroge) or "Mundy" (like monkey). Thanks so much for the thoughtful gift Preston!
Watching Curious George with his "George Monkey"

1+1=0

2009-04-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it feels like one plus one equals zero...

more is not always better.

Deal of the Day!

2009-04-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

I just bought some really nice wood frames @ MIchaels for a great deal:

matted 5x7 or 8x10 frames for $3.99 (regularly 9.99)

They come in black, cherry or a light wood

So go print your pics, buy some frames & put your favorites on the wall...no excuses!

Veritas

2009-04-19T22:11:00.001-07:00

We just got back from our missions trip to Fresno, CA. We worked with an organization called World Impact. You can check out the Veritas blog: veritasbvg.blogspot.com if you want to hear more about that trip...
We are back to the daily routine now- Church this morning, lunch with friends after church & then we went out on the lake with our neighbor's & had dinner on their boat this evening. It was a good day... (Wouldn't that be nice if that was really our every day daily routine?!) Tomorrow I am scrapping with a friend, Brandon is playing tennis with a friend in the morning & then we have our small groups at youth group.

Easter

2009-04-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter with Kristen here-

We decorated eggs...

Hunted for Eggs...

Visited the Easter Bunny...

Attended the 4 pm service at our church...

And finished it all with a great meal!

Creative shadows

2009-03-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Xander woke up from his afternoon nap in a very determined mood. He wanted to go outside and play- right away! Unfortunately, it took him about 10 minutes to communicate that to me with a mix of his broken english, sign-language & foot stomping! Once I realized what he was asking for, I quickly put on his shoes (against his better judgement) and let him run wild outside in the newly found sun. It was such a beautiful day to explore. Xander quickly found all the things he shouldn't be playing with, like Malachi's dog food and Brandon's tools. He is such a boy! He loves to examine everything & analyze every inch of his surroundings. It was so entertaining to watch him fully enjoy our backyard. I am so looking forward to this summer!

Now I lay me down to sleep...

Lazy Days

2009-03-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a pajama day. Xander and I went to the gym this morning with Brandon and when we got back, Xander took a nap and I got ready for the day- by putting on my comfy clothes! We decided to lay low today because Xander is still teething and just not on his best behavior. He still has a great spirit and is actually very happy, but he has been more fussy than usual and a little more ornery. Actually, a better way to say it is that he has just been more needy. He wants to be held, then he wants down, he wants to play now he wants the a bottle, then he throws it away in the trash, literally just to get a reaction. He stares at me the whole time he is dropping it into the trash with this sly little smug look on his face. So in an effort to relieve any temptations from his life, we stayed in and gave him less to whine about or be distracted by or see things he needs or wants. Yes, it does already start at this age!
So he is down for the night now. We just got back from church. We had training for our spring break missions trip. THings are going really well and we are really looking forward to going to World Impact. This will be our first major event with Big Valley Grace and it will be interesting to see how everything flows together. We are praying for a smooth and uneventful trip, with plenty of opportunities to get to know the students and staff better. It brings back so many wonderful memories of all of our awesome trips with Focal Point. I love looking at our pictures and remembering all the crazy kids (and staff) we have had go on our trips over the years! I am so thankful for my scrapbooks that preserve all those interesting and precious memories for us! (Contact your local Creative Memories consultant on how you TOO can preserve your precious memories) ;) That's a little shot out for my girl, Kim Faires..she rocks the scrapbooking world like none other!

Molars & Creepers

2009-03-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Xander has been a little less exhuberant this weekend and we were chalking it up to an unusual schedule & irregular sleep habits over the past few days. He has still been extremely hilarious and entertaining but I could tell something else was going on with him. I started to think that he might be getting an ear infection or something until this afternoon when my mom suggested I check to see if his gums were swollen. I checked and they weren't just swollen...but he had actually already broken through one of his back molars! I couldn't believe it! It was already through and he hadn't even gotten any tylenol or anything. Poor little man had to go through it all on his own.
Later this evening Xander was sleeping and Brandon & I went in to check on him. I was going in to tuck him in and I knew he would be sound asleep because he had been asleep for about 2 1/2 hours. When I leaned over his crib I realized he was staring straight at me! I was shocked because he was not moving or talking or anything! I freaked out and started to back out of the room before he cried for me and then I realized he was actually sleeping with his eyes OPEN! Not like barely squinted open but staring open right at me! Creepers! I went in and checked on him again later and he had rolled over but his eyes were still slitted open a little. It looks very creepy...
BUt he's fine, mom! ;) I checked and he is still breathing. And his affect is much better today, although I have been giving him motrin now that I know he is teething ;)

Fire & Pee

2009-03-21T21:51:00.001-07:00

Brandon,Xander and I enjoyed a wonderful day with Aleah today. We had a great lunch at the Elephant Bar (mmm...Sweet Potato Fries) and got in a little more shopping before Aleah had to drive home. We then attended the Saturday night service at our church. Afterwards, we got to stop by and see our friends (Brandon & Abby) new house. Finally, we got home around 8:15 and I decided to make pasta for dinner. While i was boiling the pasta, I reached over the stove to stir the noodles & my arm caught on fire! Seriously! The sleeve of my (Really pretty black sweater that I just decided today that i really love) got charred and my arm was a little sore. Thankfully, I am not actually burnt. Somehow, the fire put itself out but there is a section about the size of a fist on my sleeve that actually caught fire and had flames shooting off of it. Brandon shouted, "Your arm was on fire!" and I responded, "I'm glad you saw that or you never would have believed me when you saw that I was actually not hurt!"
After dinner, I took Xander upstairs for our evening ritual of potty, books & bath. He strips down and sits on his potty while the bath is filling up and we read several books together. Tonight was very exciting, as he finally peed in his potty! It was so cute...he was so shocked and surprised that he was just trying to figure out what was going on and kept trying to grab the pee. Xander was so excited and grinned with his award winning smile when I congratulated him and he enthusiastically clapped for himself. "yeeeeaaaahhh Xander!!!" What a full day!

i have really missed aleah

2009-03-21T00:05:00.001-07:00

it is amazing how much more you miss someone when you get a little sample of what you have been living without. we have been totally blessed to have a very fun house guest this weekend. although, i really shouldn't call her a guest since she is actually family. aleah came down on thursday to hang out with us for the weekend and it has been really great talking and catching up. just like the good 'ole days. she is such a valuable friend to me, and has grown to be my "redding sister." i love talking, laughing and being silly with her. she understands my silly moods and occassional dramatic personality and loves me just the same! we are having a great time and i don't want her to leave! she is such fun to have around and such an awesome aunt to xander! we love her!!!

Brandon & I are in love

2009-03-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

The blog below had nothing to do with Brandon. He and i are very much in love, for which i am very thankful. He is a great husband and wonderful Daddy to our beautiful son. I am so thankful for him and all the other incredible people in my life. God has truly blessed me with many amazing friends and family. I love friends. I love community. I love relationships.

My house is complete

2009-03-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

I got to meet the Pringles in Sacramento this weekend to pick up my "babies" and bring them back to our house for the weekend. It is so much fun having them here again. It feels like my house is complete and full, now that they are here. It is amazing how quiet it seems when they are gone. Xander is loving having the extra attention, love & competition in the house. Elijah adores Xander, but still likes to be that baby at times, which is really funny to watch. Emma is the little mother at all times and carries Xander around, feeds him & is my little side-kick. Simon is a great big-brother like always & enjoys doting on Xander and playing games with him. Tonight we were giving Xander a bath & Simon kept making up new games to entertain Xander. We just enjoyed some late-night smoothies, you-tube & a game of cards before I tuck us all into bed for the night. I love them so much! It is so nice to have their joy & laughter fill my house once again.

Good Intentions

2009-03-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

Recently, I feel like my life has been very cluttered with good intentions left unmet. Good intentions to write thank you cards from Xander's birthday (thank you to all of you who came or sent gifts, cards & well wishes)***Good intentions to clean my house, deep clean my house, organize my desk & actually "move into" my closet***Good intentions to plan a date for Brandon***Good intentions to send care packages to my friends who are expecting (I have all the stuff, just sitting on my counter in the laundry room...it's been there for 6 weeks)***Good intentions to call a few of my friends/family who I love & miss so much (especially my not-so-little-anymore Pringle kids)***Good intentions to write thank you cards for Christmas, & dinner invitations, sweet gestures & kind words***Good intentions to send cards to my sisters...
The list goes on, and as I pour over it and realize how many I have failed at. To those of you who feel I have failed you, I am sorry. I already feel like I have let people down. All i can focus on is being a good mom right now. And thankfully, that is the one thing in my life that I am not failing at right now. SO, for that, I am not sorry!

Good times

2009-03-01T14:51:00.001-08:00

What a faker!

2009-02-24T21:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight Xander and I were playing and he accidentally hit me with a toy. So what did I do? Well, obviously I pretended to cry. I was like "boo-hoo-hoo...wahhhhh..." and then I told him that he hurt me and asked him to give me a hug. He ran over and with his most wonderful Xander-like-smile, gave me the biggest, most loving hug ever. I thanked him and we continued to play. A few moments later he looked over at me and made the funniest, most fake sounding whiny cry ever. He was like"wah-wah-wah" with a big smile & a twinkle in his eye. He was anxiously "crying" and awaiting my response. So i scooped him up and gave him a big hug, of course, which was exactly what he wanted. What a little tease!

the update

2009-02-18T16:13:00.001-08:00

so the update is:
xander had a fantastic birthday
he is now running, yes RUNNING, around the house
he has a friend here that he LOVES & they play together once a week
they jump up & down and run wild when they see each other
xander often will tackle him when they play, cade is not sure if he likes that or not ;(
xander likes to dance- he spins around then squats...repeatedly
he loves all his new birthday toys...thank you!
he sneezed & hit his head on the table last week- chipped the table & his tooth!
didn't even cry
xander signs pretty well now- please, more, all done, sleep, thank you, eat, bottle...
he says daddy, mommy, mimi, GP ("jihp"), doggie, "mELMO", peez, cheez...
he brings me the remote when he wants to watch tigger or elmo on tv
xander LOVES loves LOVES to read books
he performs for the camera & loves to watch himself in home movies
xander loves to give hugs & kisses- he will randomly stop playing to come over & hug me
he is SO loved

what a wild rumpus!

2009-02-08T22:05:00.001-08:00

Portland

2009-01-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

I had a great time in Portland last weekend. I went up Thursday to visit my friend Shana and to see her beautiful kids. She has a 3 yr old, Josiah, and she has a 7 week old Kaleb. They are both so adorable. Xander had lots of fun playing with Josiah. He tried very hard to keep up with him, though, which resulted in many bumps and bruises along the way. Josiah is such a sweet big brother and was such a nice friend to Xander. He would help him and play with him and check on him during his naps! ;) Xander sat at the big boy table with Josiah for all their meals, resulting in lots more table food than usual. It actually meant that I would feed Xander his regular breakfast, then when Josiah woke up Xander would eat second breakfast with him too! Not a problem for my little garbage disposal! He just eats and eats and eats! But it's no wonder with all that energy! He just never stops moving. They are living in a 3 story condo and the boys would run up and down those stairs all day long (Yes- we did have a big fall- although Xander is used to the stairs, he was trying to run and play with Josiah and did tumble head over heels down one flight until I caught him at the bottom...flipped him upright and saw the HUGE grin on his face! He thought it was so much fun!)
We even got a little snow while we were there, checked out some great coffee shops and a delicious dessert place! It was fabulous!

We also got to visit some of our good friends up in that area, Luke and Amber and got to see their 2 beautiful children, Emmitt and Ava. It is such a great city.I really can't wait to go back!

Now I am busily preparing for the big birthday this weekend! So much to do...and so little time with a little one under foot!

Fun times with Tiff & Matt

2009-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

We are having a great time with Tiff & Matt. They flew in on Saturday and we have been relaxing with them these past few days as they prepare for the biggest adventure of their lives. They are moving to Australia on Monday! We are taking them to the airport on Monday night and we will be the last family they get to see before they move across the world! The best part about their adventurous spirit? NOW WE HAVE AN EXCUSE TO VISIT AUSTRALIA!!! (like we needed one!) ;) We will be sad to see them go but know that this is a great decision for them and cannot wait to hear about their journey.
In other thoughts, it has been nice to hear from a lot of our relatives lately- I love to see the new comments and know that you are enjoying hearing about what we are up to and seeing all the lovely pics of Xander. Speaking of- I am still waiting to hear from you, Linda Jost... ;) I don't pass up any opportunities to develop new friendships!

Do something with your life! I am making a difference.

2009-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Alright friends.
It's time to do something with your life.
Brandon was just telling me about a very sad story of a man he met while he was in Africa last summer. This man was a father of five children. He was a farmer and they had just had a very rough season that year and there just wasn't enough grain to feed his family. He crunched the numbers and racked his brain to figure out how he could make more money, how he could stretch their food to make it through the dry season. He knew that if they could just make it through the year to the next season they would be fine. So he created a plan and explained to his wife and children that they would only be able to eat every other day for the next months until they grew more food. As it was, they were already only eating ONE light meal a day, but he had to do something to make the food stretch. He told them that if they stuck to this plan there bodies would be able to sustain themselves well enough that they wouldn't completely starve, although they would be very hungry.

But then the rains never came. And never came. And this father started to worry. How was he going to grow grain without an rain? By the time the rains finally came, it was too late and they were running out of food. He was at a loss. What was he going to do now? He had to feed his family but there was just not enough food! He contemplated going without food himself, but knew that then his entire family would starve to death because there would be no-one left to provide for them. If they missed any more days in between meals their bodies would go into starvation mode and shut down, but if he continued to feed them on the plan they had created, they would ALL definitely die! So he made the hardest decision of his entire life. He had to choose one of his children to stop feeding for the sake of the rest of his family. If he took one child out of the equation they could make it to the next season. So he looked into the eyes of one of his own little babies and told them that they would no longer be receiving food. Ever. He did what he had to do in a horrible, horrible situation.
DO NOT JUDGE HIM! You have not walked in his shoes. And unless we experience poverty and pain like he has, we cannot understand what it is like. We think we are living in economic hardship?!

With all the heartache and sadness in the world it is easy to feel helpless and paralyzed into thinking "I am only one person...what can I really do to make a difference?"
Well- I will tell you what you can do:
SPONSOR A CHILD!
Yes, it is a "hard time" for us Americans to think of spending our money on anything but ourselves. But I can tell you it is well worth it! These children have nothing. And I know that we can all afford the $32 a month. Sure, I would rather spend that on dinner, or a new pair of shoes, or jamba Juice, or coffee- but the difference this makes in their lives is exponential compared to the few moments of happiness it brings us. 32 bucks gives them food, healthcare, education-which gives them a future and the potential of having a better job to provide for their families, and the LOVE of God! Do you really want to stand before God on Judgement Day and explain to him why you needed that money more than they did? To justify how you spent you money he blessed you with on yourself, instead of making an eternal difference in the lives of these children?
Please- Sign up Right now! Today- It will be the best thing you have ever done. Because if I was a mother in poverty, I would want someone as wealthy as we all are, helping my children! You can afford it, if you want to make a difference.

These children have been waiting over 6 months to get sponsored. It is the difference between life and death for them. Go to:
www.Compassion.com
Click Sponsor a Child
Choose Advanced Search in the box on the bottom left side of the screen
Scroll thru the options and choose Region:Africa-Country:Burkina Faso-Longest waiting:yes
I would love to see all 5 of these kids sponsored today...please help!
You can even sign-up for Direct pay and it will sponsor them every month & you don't have to remember
You can write letters to your child online
YOU WILL NEVER REGRET THIS! ONE DAY YOUR CHILD WILL BE AN ADULT & BE ABLE TO THANK YOU FOR SAVING HIS LIFE!

i am still thankful

2009-01-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

we are a houseful of sickies. it started with xander on sunday, then bran on monday and now I have the flu too! this is no fun! i hate being sick. and this is the first time we have had to deal with both of us being sick and juggling a baby. xander has been pretty good. he is such a trooper, he just goes with the flow. we are dealing with a lot of different unrelated issues right now. kindof feeling like we are being hit in all directions. our new car needs to go the the shop, had some issues with the saturn that we sold, planning a mexico trip to a site we have never been to, new students, events & relationships, sickness & everything else that we routinely deal with in life. still can't believe our little baby is turning one! getting ready for my sister & brother in law to visit, then my parents & xander's birthday with all our friends & family that can make it down to celebrate with us! we are so excited...time is just moving so quickly!
although things are hard at times and our life certainly looks a lot different than we had anticipated a year ago, things are good. we are thankful for our many special relationships that we still have, while navigating a new community and trying to figure things out here as well. we are so blessed and so loved. so grateful for all the many special, loving people in our lives. you have made our transition here so much easier because we know our friendship will survive anything, even an unexpected move!

Another day in the life

2009-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Doesn't he totally look like a monkey?

Everyday life

2009-01-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

He likes the bows & wrapping as much as the presents!

He is so excited to learn how to throw a ball- and so proud of himself every time he is successful! He usually looks to see who is watching & half the time it goes backwards!

priceless...

He does NOT like that food! And he knows this behavior gets laughs...

Just like daddy! oh I remember those days! hahaha!

More of Christmas morning

2009-01-09T01:48:00.001-08:00

Xander's first Christmas

2009-01-06T01:17:00.000-08:00

Good times in the city

2009-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

We woke up on Thursday morning and thought to ourselves, "why dont we go into the city today? We live close enough to drop in for the afternoon now so let's take advantage of that." So we did! It was a very nice day with Joq and Laura. We walked around chinatown, enjoyed some delicious gelato in Little Italy and went window shopping in Union Square. It was a lot of fun. We were a little disappointed because a lot of the shops were either closed for the day, or closed early so we didn't stay as late as we had planned but it was fun nonetheless. Xander was such a great little boy. We carried him around in a backpack carrier and he loved it. He loved watching all the people and feeling like he had a little bit of freedom to kick his feet and play while we walked around. He loved wearing his mittens and beanie too- once we got them on him. He is so much fun. It was a great day and we can't wait to go back again!

Bloody lips & black eyes

2009-01-04T17:23:00.001-08:00

Xander received a few bumps and bruises the other day as he practiced walking around the room. He would walk from one couch to the other, back and forth, faster and faster, with such pride every time he reached his goal. He always looks up to see who is watching him and beams with delight and pride! It is always funny to watch him quicken his speed as he approaches his goal. He starts at a pretty even pace but then as he gets closer to the couch it turns into a short sprint before his legs get tangled underneath him and he lunges torwards the couch/chair/barstool/ottoman... or whatever he is trying to get to before he falls. Hence the bumps and bruises, as he doesn't always make it to his destination before he crashes to the floor and catches his face on whatever item was supposed to bring him safety. But he is such a bruiser and a cruiser. He just jumps up and starts his laps again, barely giving me time to wipe off the blood!

Joq & Laura

2008-12-29T21:42:00.001-08:00

We are really enjoying our time with Joq & Laura. They came up to visit us on Saturday, Dec 27th and are staying with us all week. We just love them so much and really enjoy hanging out with them. They are so easy to hang out with and so genuine and real that we don't have to do alot to entertain them. It is just fun being with them and doing life together. They have had fun spoiling their little nephew Xander. He is so lucky to have so many people dote on him! We have been playing lots of games and making lost of great food. Good times!

Xander's first Christmas

2008-12-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

Xander had a very great Christmas. He was hilarious with all of his Christmas presents. He loved to climb on top of them and slowly rip off the paper. And he would dance and laugh at the songs and sounds that they made before he had even completely unwrapped the gift. He was really funny and entertaining to watch. He was very blessed and was given many fun toys to play with. Thank you to all who love him so much and spoil him with your love! We miss you!!! Xander has been having so much fun with everything. We are so blessed and loved.

Fun in Florida

2008-12-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

We are having a great time in FLordia with my family. Xander has "wowed" the family with all of his amazing tricks! He has loved performing and hamming it up for all the friends and family here. He now "praises the Lord," makes snake, duck and cow sounds, tries to walk all the time and gives high fives like nobody's business. He especially loves it when I tell him high five...too slow (and take my hand away real quickly) He has also become quite a great kisser, thanks to Aleah Faires! hahaha! He loves kissing the ladies!
Some of our family from Jax came down to visit today and that was a lot of fun. We went to one of the down town areas and walked around, some some amazing lights, and a free outdoor gymnastic christmas performance. That was fun, especially since it was free.
The sad news is that on the way to the airport, my camera got dropped in the cup holder in our car. Unfortunately, the cup holder was already being occupied by a cup full of water...and there went the life of my good ole' faithful friend. So alas, just in time for Xander's first Christmas, I find myself without a camera.

Cindy-loo-hoo & the Grinch

2008-12-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

We dressed up for the annual youth group Christmas party tonight. It was a lot of fun to hang out and have a good time. We received many compliments on our costumes. Now I am tired and need to go to bed!

Just like old times...

2008-11-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

THis weekend has been very fun and a little chaotic at the Hendriks household. On Saturday morning, David brought down the Pringle kids to stay with us for the weekend. We have been decorating for Christmas, building gingerbread houses, playing games, watching Christmas movies (ELF!), and making pumpkin spice muffins...mmm!

We have really enjoyed having them here, playing at the house like old times. Xander has had such a great time having playmates in the house. They just adore him and play with him all day long. He thinks they are hysterical and laughs and giggles at anything they do!

They are early risers and tease me for sleeping in...I would hardly call 8 am SLEEPING IN! ;) This morning they boys got up at 6! I don't know how they do that...

We are enjoying our last day with them and making the most of our time together. We are so blessed to have them in our lives...chaos, joy, laughter, love, fights, fun and all that they bring! ;)

Date night?

2008-11-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight Brandon and I went to explore a little something new in Modesto and found ourselves at Johnny Corino's for dinner. It was very good. We split spicy chicken pasta with artichokes & sundried tomatoes. We wanted to go somewhere new and as we passed we both agreed that Italian food sounded really good. Xander was a joy to have along with us on our quasi-date-night. He ate some crayons, ripped some paper, banged the plate on the table continuously & dropped his slippery pasta on the floor! He is in a really fun stage right now. He likes to copy us when we do anything. Voice fluxuations, squeals & giggles, patting our hands on the table, clapping & high fives...make dinner and "date nights" so much more exciting! Brandon is currently putitng together a "big boy" car seat for him...where did the last 9 months go? I can't believe he has already grown out of his first car seat! He is such a joy! We love him so much & are excited to watch him learn and grow each day. He has been trying to walk a lot lately. Take a few steps here and there, it is amazing!

A hard day for Xander

2008-11-13T22:43:00.000-08:00

Today was probably the worst day of my life. literally. It started out pretty good. I painted pottery with one of the women from our church. That was really nice. It was fun to be creative and just relax without an agenda or a to-do list. Later I met one of the girls from my small group for lunch. Again, very nice to talk with someone and hang out. In the late afternoon, Xander and I took a walk with Brandon around our neighborhood and took the chance to talk and catch up on life. That was a very nice treat.

Then we fed Xander and headed over to a new couple's house for dinner. They are a nice young married couple that we just found out actually has the same anniversary as us. How random! We ate dinner and watched the Office! What more could you ask for in a day? So why was it so horrible, you might ask? Well, I will tell you. When we arrived for dinner, we spent a few moments greeting each other and talking about our day. We then headed into the kitchen to help finish preparing dinner. We talked some more until Xander wanted to get down to play with their dog. It was cute for about ten seconds until their dog started growling and barking at Xander!!! It was so horrible. We all freaked out, of course. We screamed and lunged at the two of them. They were right at our feet but I couldn't seem to get to them fast enough! They had to grab their dog off while we rescued Xander. Xander was already crying uncontrollably and I figured he was just scared from the sudden barking and our screams. I held him and soothed him until he had started to calm down, but he was still crying A LOT, especially for Xander. So after we closely examined him, we found that the dog had actually bitten him on his arm.

It was so awful. I just felt so sick. He was hurting and crying and actually had teeth marks on his arm! They felt terrible too, of course. It wasn't their fault. I know Xander is used to playing with Malachi so he is not scared of dogs. I am sure their dog was just intimidated by Xander. But it still sucks. I am so sad for him. Ugggghhh! Poor Baby! I think I need to get him a sick present, right?

Girls Night & a Baby!

2008-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

I hosted a girls event with the high school ministry on Sunday night. About 25 girls came over and made jewelry at our house. It was a lot of fun. We made earrings, bracelets and necklaces. It was nice for me to get a chance to meet some more of the girls and actually hang out in a smaller group setting. It was fun to see all of their creativity and personalities come out in their jewelry! Today was also a good and busy day. The Barnes family is here in town, celebrating the birth of Jonathan Ray Barnes, Gerald and Evelyn's new baby boy! He is very cute and so small (Aren't they all small compared to my enormous Xander!) It has been nice to spend some time with them...we hung out yesterday afternoon and even got some late night rumikub games into the evening! Then we got to go to breakfast together at Mimi's (Yum!- pumpkin spice muffins, my favorite!) Later we headed to the hospital and visited with Gerald and Evelyn, and their adorable baby boy (pictures to come soon!) We have really enjoyed getting to hang out with Gerald and Ev here in Modesto. It has been such a fun treat to get to know them better and have family in town already! Now Xander has a new cousin to play with here! Yeah!

the litle giraffe

2008-10-31T21:55:00.001-07:00

tonight was so much fun as we celebrated our first halloween with our little baby xander. he is not such a baby anymore! Dressed up as the most adorable little giraffe this world has ever seen...xander had such a great time! We went to dinner with the Barnes family and then came home to get him all dressed up. Mimzy and Uncle Les came over with treats for us all: candy for Brandon & I, baby snacks for Xander! As soon as he saw the baggie with his snacks inside, he was grabbing at them and trying to get them open. He was not content until he was gobbling them all up! And not one or two at a time, he was grabbing fistfuls! ;) He is such a chunker sometimes!
We bundled up and headed over to meet with the Pringle clan to do a little trick-or-treating. It has been our tradition for the last many years to meet up with them and the kiddos and walk around a neighborhood until the kids are good and tired. It usually only takes a few houses for them to be worn out! Especially Elijah- he starts with such exciting ambition but slowly tampers off as the night wears on. We had a good time walking with them and starting our new traditions with our own family now. Xander definitely enjoyed seeing all the people and watching all the kids run around in their costumes!

Back home...

2008-10-31T00:06:00.001-07:00

It has been nice for us to be able to visit Redding again. It just feels so good to be home for a few days. We get to stay with the Barnes, our family in Redding. It is nice to just relax and be with friends. Tonight I got to go out with the girls and enjoy a delicious dinner at Olive Garden. Brandon rode home with Gerry and they stopped in Sac to have dinner with Bryan. Later, Hay-Hay, Anna and I were entertained for hours with Xander's delerious giggles and hysteria. He is quite funny when he gets over-tired! After he went to bed, we enjoyed some more hours of our favorite TV shows together. It is so nice to have a break from life! And a chance to catch up with all my friends! I love all of you so much!

He melts my heart!

2008-10-28T23:54:00.001-07:00

Seriously. when your kid says your name for the first time, your heart literally turns to mush inside your rib cage. i could feel it just so full of love i think it exploded inside my body! last friday xander started saying "mama" to me to get my attention and now he says it all day long! nonstop- in the night, when he wakes up, when i am not feeding him fast enough at dinners, when we are playing, in the car...it is so much fun! i love it. i was starting to feel guilty and a little bad for brandon, but no worries. xander started saying "dada" on monday so we are even. now it is "dada" that he says in the middle of the night. HOORAY! brandon gets to take the night shift because xander obviously wants his dad ;) this is so much fun! i love that he is growing up and learning new things. he is just discovering the world so quickly. i can literally watch him trying to speak and say new words as he concentrates on the shape of his mouth and the articulation of his tongue. it is amazing to think how difficult that must be. and once he learns a new word, he just keeps saying it over and over again all day as if to practice the new mouth form. so cute! i am so proud of him. can't wait for you guys to all hear him! ;)

he knows what he wants!

2008-10-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

So I have known for awhile that Xander has a strong personality. He has been having temper tantrums for a few weeks now...seriously! It is kindof cute if it wasn't so bad! ;) Well, today he we playing with the "gliding" ottoman (it came with our rocking chair & moves back & forth). He was trying to stand up while holding onto it and when he lost his balance, he fell on his bottom & the ottoman swung back and bumped him. So he hit it! And it swung back and hit him in the head a little harder. So he grunted & clenched his fist & hit it again. This time it hit him a little harder so he got really mad & he grabbed that sucker with both hands & HE BIT IT! Seriously, his face was all red and he was growling & crying/screaming at the thing while he bit into it with all his might...LOOK OUT WORLD- HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS!

He's walking...kindof ;)

2008-10-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that Xander has been pushing his little stroller/bus around the house! It is so exciting to see him walking all over the place! It always takes him a few moments to get his balance before he starts pushing it around on the carpet. He does pretty well until he hits the hardwood and then the bus really takes off and he only makes it a few staggering steps before he has to let go! He is very committed, though, and he crawls over to it and tries to drag himself up again, all the while it is rolling away from him until they make it to the carpet again. ;) It is so cute! I just cannot believe he is already about to walk for real!

What more could you expect from the Hendriks'?

2008-10-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to hear Brandon hollaring for me from downstairs. I knew he had Xander, so i jumped up real quickly and hurried downstairs to see what was the problem. "I think I hurt myself real bad, " he told me as I came down the stairs. He had his hand over the right side of his face so I couldn't see anything. "My eye hurts very bad," he explained. I was a little bit freaking out because I thought he had actually punctured his eyeball! Evidently, he was playing with Xander and when he popped up over the counter to play peek-a-boo, his face collided with the edge of the counter and busted his eyebrow open. I had to play nurse and bandage him up with my awesome skills. All the while, Xander was perfectly fine and content discovering the toilet paper roll!

Fun from the other day

2008-10-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

Xander decided that the best place to explode from within by using all of the food and by-products that he had stored up from the whole day, would be...in the store...when mom & dad DON"T have ANY diapers! So i took him outside, stripped him down & let him hold onto the side of the car. We were quite the street show! Many people stopped to observe & comment. Finally- i got him all cleaned up, only to find that I didn't have ANY extra diapers in the car either! So we swaddled him up in a little baby blanket like they did in Jesus' time & got home as quickly as possible! (no surprises when we got home, in case you were wondering!)

Some more house pics

2008-10-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

I love it when he wakes up happy!

We didn't even have to paint- the color works great for his room

This one's for you- Mitch! Thanks for his soccer ball...he loves it!

Our bedroom...

And our wonderful bathroom- I love it!

hmm...

2008-10-05T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when daddies dress their babies:

hahaha! j/k

Brandon dressed Xander and left all the tags on his clothes so that he could play with them...He said it was like a built-in toy! ;)

Xander visits friends...

2008-10-05T00:57:00.000-07:00

Xander likes to hug his friend, Carter!

Elijah drops down from the cable on the Sundial Bridge

What a great action shot!

Xander loved being held by Simon

Elijah wanted his turn carrying Xander too!

My favorite four children in the whole world!!!

Our new house!

2008-10-04T14:55:00.001-07:00

I finally feel settled enough to take a few pictures of our new place...I know they are long awaited so enjoy! We are so blessed and thankful to have had such a beautiful home fall into our laps...it is a great, safe neighborhood, centrally located near Target, Costco & the mall! It is always very close to the church, which is perfect! We are really so thankful for the house God has blessed us with here...It is so much better than we ever expected!

Great hosts & sweet company

2008-10-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great visit to Redding yesterday. I had to go up to get Xander's shots done ;( poor baby- but he always does so good. He only cried for a split second with the initial prick and then he was laughing and flirting with the nurse again. He is such a tough guy! So afterwards, I headed over to the Barnes to wish Haleigh a sweet happy birthday & give her some homemade cookies, before she left to look at a college. A few of her other friends stopped by with cupcakes and brownies so we had a little birthday celebration after school with her. Next I went to the Faires' house to move in for the night. Now this may sound like a bit of an exaggeration, but when you have an 8 month old baby, you really DO have to move in when you go anywhere. You have to pack a bed, and some toys, blankets, his SPECIAL blankie, clothes, EXTRA clothes for when he pees, drools, poops or drops food on the other ones, a feeding chair (he is too squirmy to be held when he eats anymore), lots of diapers, wipes, more toys, bottles, back-up bottles, a special baby spoon (?), toys for the car, a car seat, stroller, front-pack, and grocery cart cover (so he doesn't lick the bars and get all germ-infested!), and his little giraffe that he likes in his crib...oh yeah- and a diaper bag, baby food, formula, special baby snacks that dissolve in their mouth, baby tylenol, a crib sheet and a crib pad! NO WONDER PEOPLE WITH KIDS THINK WE ARE CRAZY TO TRAVEL SO MUCH! It really is a lot. And that doesn't even include MY things! So an hour later after I had moved in, we enjoyed one of the famous Faires Family dinners, where they served one of my favorites: Oriental salad. It is so good- with sesame seeds, chicken & crunchy ramen noodles. It is so good. Later that evening, Xander fell asleep so Kim, Becki & I headed out to Dutch bros (bad idea that late at night- Beck & I had the hardest time falling asleep!) & then made our traditional rounds at Target...found some great deals, of course. When we got home, we were welcomed by Les & Xander sprawled out on the couch. Evidently, Xander woke up soon after we left so Les had graciously taken on the role of babysitter so we could hang out longer. How sweet!

The next day I got to see Lindz & Carter, Val, Jennifer & Jessica, Kim, Aleah, Gram, Chelsea, Holly and Becki & Dinah stopped by too! My day ended with another bit of normalcy- I picked up the Pringle kids from school and hung out with them for the afternoon...we went to the Sundial Bridge and took lots of fun pictures, climbed the cables & waded in the water. I met up with David & Cyndie at Outback, few Xander, visited & grabbed a quick bite before hitting the road again. Xander slept all but about 30 minutes, which was awesome! It made for a very smooth drive...looking forward to coming up again to see the rest of you!

A not-too-full but pleasantly-busy Sunday!

2008-09-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

He is so fast up the stairs...BUT he always looks back to make sure

I am watching him ;)

He is so proud of himself when he reaches the top!

He gets into everything laying on the ground,

especially anything that looks dangerous

He was only happy when we gave him HIS OWN menu to look at ;)

So happy drinking from a straw...and so messy too!

We had a VERY good day today...just enough of everything.

Spent the morning with the babe...then headed to youth group

Took Xander to childcare FOR THE FIRST TIME...He did great, of course!

Went to lunch at the Velvet Creamery...it was very good!

Used some coupons at Costco...found some GREAT deals

Xander fell asleep on the way home...took a long bath & relaxed

Spent some time catching up with Brandon...finished some conversations

Made some big decisions...working on a little church stuff

Headed over to the neighbors for game night...lots of laughs & I WON!!!

Took in a SNL episode...texted...facebooked...blogged

Made plans for tomorrow & even cleaned up the house

Time to go to bed...Good Night!

poor baby...

2008-09-26T22:03:00.001-07:00

Not Xander, but Brandon! He needs your sympathy. He fell down the stairs today while holding Xander. Brandon was bring Xander downstairs and when Xander suddenly flung himself backwards trying to see around the corner and in his attempt to keep Xander safe Brandon lost his balance and tripped on the next step. As they both bumped down the stairs, Brandon stuck out his foot to brace himself against the banister and caught his big toe in between the bars and stumbled down the rest of the way. After he safely deposited Xander on the floor, he exampined his big toe to find it black/ blue and swollen. HE HAD BROKEN HIS TOE! So he was in a lot of pain the rest of the day and has to hobble around all weekend. poor baby...

psycho scary repair man

2008-09-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today I had a scary confrontation with a very unbalanced repair man. Our air conditioner broke yesterday and in the Modesto heat, that just isn't gonna work for long so our landlord asked us to get 3 quotes to fix it. Well, we had one very nice guy come out and cleaned the unit for us, talked with Xander and I, and gave us a very solid quote. He was very kind and we chatted over glasses of ice cold water...and then the nuclear bomb of the century hit out of nowhere. The next man that was supposed to give us a quote showed up and saw that there was another guy at the house and totally freaked out. He started screaming at me that he just wasted his gas and that we were gonna have to pay him or he was going to take us to collections. OUT OF NOWHERE! He didn't even take a moment to talk, he just started screaming at me, while I am holding Xander on my hip in the doorway. I gently explained to him that our landlord wanted a quote (and she would have paid for his service call anyway) but he wouldn't even listen to me. He just flipped out and wrote a bill and threw it at me. I asked him to at least give us a quote, since that is what he was hired to do and he said he wasn't going to waste his time but if we didn't pay he was going to send it to the credit agency. I don't know what he was on, but he was seriously out of his mind. I was literally scared. I called Brandon and asked him to come home right away because I didn't know what this guy was going to do. Seriously, I think he lost his mind somewhere because he was out of control. Too bad I don't have any pics to post of the situation. That woulda been funny. If I was like, "say cheese- this is for my blog..." hahaha! Now I kinda wish i had done that...

He definitely has teeth!

2008-09-24T00:14:00.000-07:00

One of Xander's favorite games to play used to be kissing our faces and "chewing" on our arms, fingers, chin...pretty much anything available. Well, we have startled him a few times over the past week as he has tried to "play" with us and without warning we feel the sharp sting of his new little chompers gnawing at our unsuspecting flesh and we scream and jump up real quickly to end the game. So sad...we will have to find a new game to replace that one soon!

Too cool...

2008-09-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

My parents took Xander on a walk, so of course he needed his sweet shades to keep the sun out of his eyes. I really think he knows just how adorable he is!

They picked up an awesome toy for him to celebrate his dedication (just an excuse to spoil him, of course!). It is a little "bus" that he can ride, with wheels that he can scootch around the house. It has an engine sound, a horn and plays music, which he likes to bounce and jig along with the songs. He is so much fun and so engaging to watch play! He is just such an intense kid!

SO cute...

2008-09-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

Baby Dedication

2008-09-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well...Xander is good and dedicated now! We had a beautiful service this morning at church with lots of support from many of our friends and family who traveled the world to be here with us! It was a lot of fun to have everyone together here and get to hang out together with many of the people that we love so much! We had such a houseful...it was party all weekend. My Dad cooked breakfast this morning and all the moms made lunch which was super nice. They even cleaned up before I could offer to help! They are all so sweet and I love them so much. Everyone has gotten home safely now. We are so glad that they could make it a priority to be here. Such a great weekend! It is so quiet here now...

My Friends are here!!!

2008-09-20T22:36:00.001-07:00

We are having so much fun getting ready for Xander's dedication tomorrow. We have such a houseful. It is so nice to have everyone around. We have my parents, the Faires three, the Pringles, the Barnes and Brandon's parents in town for the celebration! We will have a full day tomorrow...wish all the rest of our family and Redding friends could be here...

YEAH! My parents are here...

2008-09-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

So my parents are finally here and I am very excited. Xander just loves playing with them. I really believe that he remembers them from the last time he was with them. They are so good with him and love him so much!

We had a great day. I picked them up in San Jose and then took them to the church where we met Brandon and showed them around. Then we headed back to our house and they were so amazed! It is fun being in a new place to decorate, now that I have some help! Later on, my Dad and I went to the grocery store and he already knows his way around this town better than I do...how sad!

This evening, Brandon and I went to a new small group and met a lot of new people. They were all very nice and interested in getting to know us. We felt a part of the group and very comfortable. We had a really good time and look forward to hanging out again next week! Gotta get some sleep now- my parents are here and I have to entertain them all day tomorrow! ;) (even though I know all they really want to do is hang out with Xander and watch him do all his amazing tricks!)- he learned most of those from his aunt KK!

Some more pics

2008-09-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

We're S.i.i.i.i.ck!

2008-09-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

Mega germs at the hendriks household. Xander is still not feeling well with his ear infection (although you wouldn't be able to tell by his ever cheersome demeanor) and Brandon passed on his sinus congestion/runny nose/migraine/whatever is was to me! Hooray! So I have been trying to get better all weekend. My parents get here on Wednesday and I certainly don't want to spend any part of their visit sick in bed! Xander has had a hard time sleeping because his ear is bothering him, so naptime was almost non-existent today. But Brandon has been a huge help with him. Youth Group started about fifteen minutes ago, and of course, Xander decided to crash out about thirty min ago- which means I guess we are skipping out tonight. I hate doing that. I feel so out of the loop...but I know that it is the best
for him so that's where I find myself on this Monday night. Looking forward to this weekend. Xander is getting dedicated so that should be very special. Well, I am gonna go try to grab a nap since it is obvious now that we are not going to church.

Brian Regan, two teeth and an ear infection!

2008-09-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

We have had a great time hanging out in Redding these past few days...just not enough hours to see all of our friends that we love and miss so much. Our initial plan was to come up to go see Brian Regan at the Cascade Theatre, but while we were here it just made the most sense to get Xander's shots too. Unfortunately, Xander ran a high fever last night and decided to miserably pop out his second tooth this morning, which meant no shots for him today! I pulled the mom card and decided that was just too much for his little body to handle. Good thing I am such a softie because just a few hours later I realized that he was consistently pulling on his little ear. The Doctor thanked me for bringing him in so quickly because we caught it early and put him on anitbiotics so he should be feeling better tomorrow. But, needless to say, hours of doctors visits, drugstores, sleepless nights and prescriptions is not how we planned to spend our weekend. But we were blessed to have the comforts of home when he got sick and have our doctor close by.

We did make it to Brian Regan tonight which was full of laughs and lots of friends. It was like a mini-Redding reunion...we saw a lot of people we have not seen in awhile and it was great to catch up! It is always fun to hang out with our close friends. And we just love all of you (well, most of you) ;) so much! So in the end, we had a great day...and still have a legitimate excuse (like we really need one) to get up here again real soon since Xander still needs to get his shots.

Thanks Gerry and Anna for letting us stay with you and for all your help with Xander! Haleigh is a lot of help too and really loves hanging out with the "baby" (if we can still call him that!) ;(

Our first overnight guest!

2008-09-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you , Kim Faires, for receiving the honor of being our first official house guest! We love you very much and are so blessed to have you be such a great Mimzy to Xander!

I had a great weekend with Kim. She and Tyler drove down this weekend to see us and then Tyler went on his way to Hume Lake. He is going to produce videos there, as well as lead worship. We are so excited for him as he begins this new exciting journey. I am very proud of him. He has done a lot of interesting things in his life as he explores the different skills and talents God has given him. I look forward to seeing what God has planned for his future as he continues to serve the Lord with his gifts.

Kim and I had a lot of fun exploring this new city I live in, while doing a lot of ordinary, everyday things. It was actually very comforting to feel like I was still in my old routine. ;) We went to Target and shopped all the little red tags: we love those clearance items...always looking for a great deal! And we found A LOT! Closet organizers, shoes, books and even an ironing board to name a few (yes- i have been married over 7 years and still did not own a real ironing board!) Then we headed over to Costco to see what great deals they had to offer, and of course we had to grab a coke while we were there! Afterwards, we took Xander to the mall to walk around and check out all the new stores. so fun!

Xander just woke up for a few minutes and I had to change him so when I picked him up to put him back to bed he just grabbed onto my neck and gave me the best hug ever. I let him linger there for ten minutes longer than I should have but figured- these are moments in time I will never get back. It was so precious. He snuggled into my neck and twirled my hair in his fingers. So sweet! He is such a loving boy! I just can't seem to spend enough time with him each day. I just miss him so much every time he sleep...wake up baby xander! wake up!

In a nutshell...

2008-09-04T23:46:00.001-07:00

Today we walked down to the park in our neighborhood and let Xander play-Yes, he actually played in the park. He swung on the swings and loved it! He giggled and squealed every time we pushed him. Then he slid down the slide with Brandon sitting at the top and me at the bottom to catch him. After the first time, he knew what to expect and started kicking his feet and laughing before we even sat him down again. And then his feet would get tangled underneath him and he would end up spinning around before he reached the bottom...which made him laugh even harder!

Later this evening he was playing in the bath and he kept throwing his toys out of the tub and then getting upset when he couldn't reach them. So I decided to test his determination and I put a toy at the other end of the tub from where he was standing him and he actually walked down to the other end to grab it while holding onto the side! He is so awesome!!!

I had a good day today. I watched a few boys for my friend, Sarah, while she got her hair cut. It was nice to be able to pay back the favor because she watched Xander several times while we were down here looking for housing. She has 3 cute little boys, ages 2,4 and 6 but I only had the two youngest. Later this evening Brandon and I worked really hard to get a few more pieces of our house put together to help it start to feel like comfortable. We are still missing a few items and playing the guessing game as we try to pick the right boxes to unpack. Brandon is doing well at the church and is starting to get to know some of the other pastors. We are really looking forward to his day off tomorrow! It will be nice to have a chance to rest and catch up a little bit on our lives!

He's not a baby anymore ;(

2008-09-04T00:04:00.001-07:00

YAH! Xander got his first tooth today! Finally!!! He has been a little fussy these past few days due to the fact that he was teething (which in Xander terms basically means he cries every once in awhile because his teeth hurt) It was wierd. Actually he was sleeping a lot today. Which I thought was especially odd since he slept pretty well last night. But i figured maybe he was just finally learning to sleep on his own. Well tonight his tooth finally broke the surface and so hopefully i am praying that he will sleep all through the night tonight!!! I am a little sad because I really love his adorable toothless grin. Good thing I have lots of pictures! It just seems a little sad because he won't look like a baby anymore...It really makes me sad. Oh no! I am gonna be one of THOSE moms! But seriously, I will never get those toothless grins back again. Ever! This is making me sad. He is only 7 months and I am already thinking he is growing up too fast and I want those moments back. I really shouldn't blog this late at night! I should be sleeping...like Xander is right now and for the whole night until at least 8 am! You will hear all about it tomorrow...Goodnight!

Get ready world...

2008-09-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here he comes! Xander is desperately trying to stand and walk! I swear this kid is so intellegent it is almost scary. He actually practices his skills! Seriously. Like the other day he was playing in the bath tub and he discovered that he could pull himself up by holding onto the side of the tub. So then he repeatedly would grab onto the side, struggle and grunt to pull himself, slipping and sliding, into a standing position, stand there for a few minutes and grin at me, before he scooted his legs back, stuck his little ba-donk-a-donk out as far as he could and then intentionally let go of the side and with a face full of fear/pride/wonderment, he would let himself splash down into the water...then repeat! He must have done that about ten times in a row!

And then the stairs...oh the stairs! He crawls over to the stairs, while he glances me a few looks over his shoulder to make sure I am watching...and then precariously wobbles onto the first step...and then a huge beam comes across his face as he quickly scans the room to see my reaction. And then he scootches and stretches to reach the next step and grunts to pull himself up the next one, followed of course by another quick glance to survey his audience. He has only climbed as far as the fourth step, but he is learning quickly...and we haven't yet mastered the downward spiral yet. It is still more of a tumble down to the bottom before he starts the uphill climb again.

He is keeping me very busy but is such a bundle of joy! I love him so much and am so grateful for the time I get to have at home with him each day. He is so full of life and can bring a smile to anyone's face...and he does! He knows no strangers and has opened many conversations for me in all social situations (like I needed any help!) ;)

We're Here...finally!

2008-09-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

My last month has been one long sad goodbye..in between making many trips down to Modesto to prepare for our big move, tying up loose ends, lots of lunches/dinners with friends and trying to find a place to live! But we are here...finally! And it is such a relief to be able to relax and rest in our beautiful new home! It is so big and fits our needs (and desires) so perfectly. We miss our friends in Redding very much, but are feeling very blessed by the home God has prepared for us.

I have been very busy these past few days unpacking boxes, trying to find places for everything in our house, organizing cabinets/drawers and unloading boxes and boxes of shoes, boots & heels! We have received a lot of help from the people at Big Valley Grace. We had a revolving door of help all day on Saturday, as people would come for a few hours to help unpack, clean and pull weeds! They have really blessed us and already made us feel welcomed! A few people even brought over dinner, so we are hooked up for the next few days (which is great since you all know- I don't cook!) hahaha! ;)

I will post some pictures of the house when I find my computer cord...it is still in a box, who knows where...we are still surrounded by boxes and boxes of STUFF! everywhere i turn, there is another pile, hidden under the table, desk, breakfast bar, in closets...They are everywhere! Please people! C0me down here and help me unpack!!! ;) Speaking of...we have already had a few visitors which definitely spiced up my day. Tyler, Ryan and Jillian dropped by on their way home to Redding. It was so nice to see some familiar faces, hang out and talk and get some great hugs! We also got to see the Barnes family several times this weekend, since they were in the area for Evelyn's baby shower. That was great too! we had fun playing games, eating dinner, and just hanging out like the old days! We look forward to seeing more of our friends from Redding...we love you guys and miss you very much!

he's not even 7 months!

2008-08-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

today i was hit by the crazy awareness that xander is really not even 7 months old yet. he acts so much older and interacts with us so much. he is so much fun and such a joy! i just love him!
he was playing peek-a-boo with me and trying to get me to chase him around the house. he would crawl a little bit and then look back at me. when i would tell him to get back here he would just giggle and crawl a few more paces. then stop and look back at me. then he giggled and went around the corner. when i went over to check on him, he was just sitting there watching the corner, waiting for me to come get him. he squealed in delight as soon as he saw me and tried to crawl away quickly. he is so cute! and so much fun!
he keeps me quite busy. i don't know how i will ever get everything done before we move! thankfully kim faires picked him up and gave me a few hours to get things done today...what a blessing! i got more done in those few hours than i have in the last few weeks! then i headed over to their house for family dinner which was very good-like always. but a day is not over, unless there is a little shopping to be had! which we did. 1 aleah and i hit up some bargain shopping and got some cute clothes for 3 and 5 dollars a piece! we love a great deal!!! (we did each pick up some pretty spicy shoes too...but we paid with cash so that doesn't even count) ;)

stress free = great hair!

2008-08-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have posted any new thoughts, but in case you didn't know- Brandon, Xander and I are moving in one week and still have no idea where we will be living!!! There is a lot of loose ends for us to tie up and deal with right now. Trying to get ready to move, find a new house in a new town we know very little about, say goodbye, clean, finish shopping at my favorite spots...the list goes on. There is just so much to think about that I have been reminding myself not to get stressed out. This is a hard thing for me to do since I like to have everything planned and in order beforehand. If you know me at all, you know that is the biggest understatement of the year! ;) So as I have been freaking out about everything that has to get done- I realized that I should just relax and let it all be! Hakuna Matata... But that wasn't as easy to do as it may seem. Until I realized that if I stress out too much, I will start to get grey hair and then I started having this vision of my hair all growing in wild and freakishly long and unaturally bright sliver and scraggly. Oddly enough, it was curly too and stuck out all over the place. I looked like a haggardly old witch! So now, I am convinced more than ever not to worry about it. Everything will work out...I am just anxious to have some answers. But I know God will provide. He always takes care of us. He never fails. We are so blessed- I don't know why I ever worry. But when my mind starts to get away from me, and I start to think about all the little things we have to take care of- I just envision the scraggly old "me" witch hunched over with knappy silver hair and I have to just laugh at loud and let it all go!

Breaking up is hard to do...

2008-08-15T00:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. We hosted an appreciation dinner for our high school ministry volunteer staff this evening. It was very nice to be able to relax with our friends and enjoy our last "meeting" with everyone. Although we are sad to say goodbye, the night was surprisingly filled with a lot of laughs. We all just love each other so much and really have so much fun together. Everyone had such nice things to say to us...it was really very special and made us feel so appreciated. The GIRLs were especially outrageous tonight! Good times...

This is following an especially emotional evening last night. The Youth Group through an awesome party for us, starting with the world's biggest limo as transportation to the church! There were about 60 students crammed onto the Mexico bus, hanging out the windows, waiting outside our house to take us to the party! The night was full of so many students, friends and parents with such thoughtful words for us. Thank you to all of you who helped make our night so special. We really felt so appreciated last night and love you all so much! We will miss you...

Another good day...

2008-08-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Any day that I can find time to scrapbook with a friend is a good day in my book. Becki came over this afternoon and we had a great time talking and scrapbooking while Xander took a two hour nap! That is a lot of scrapbooking!!! It never seems to be enough time though...

This evening we got to go swimming at the Trent's house to celebrate Jon's birthday. That is always fun because Xander can be quite entertaining in a pool. He gets so excited and starts flailing his arms and legs and squealing until he finally gets in the water. And then he just flaps around with this huge grin on his face for the whole time. It is quite cute! Needless to say we took a ton of pictures since Xander is oh-so-photogenic! Unfortunately they are on Becki's camera so you will have to wait a few days to see them! Until then...

$14.23

2008-08-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

As always, my Sunday mornings start out a bit rushed! It is a bit difficult to get myself and Xander fed, bathed, dressed and out the door by 10:15 am. This rarely happens on time, because inevitably there is some sort of untimely issue that always manages to save itself until the moment I am trying to load up the car! Plus, Xander always decides he wants to take a nap about 20 minutes before it is time to leave...which also tends to complicates things. Why can't he wait until we get to church to take his nap? Today, Xander decided to practice utilizing the full range of his vocal cords during the sermon. Up and down, loud and louder...he has quite a joyful little spirit! Finally Aleah decided to take him outside to walk and play with him until it was over. And THEN he decided to fall asleep!!! We enjoyed a nice lunch at Yuet Bistro and then Aleah and I met Jill at Khols to get in a little shopping. I found some great jeans and adorable sunglasses...on sale, of course! Afterwards, we were feeling a little tired (Shopping can really wear a girl out!) so we headed over to Dutch Bros to visit Chelsea and enjoy some cold drinks. I got my favorite- blended Chai tea, again. Later we got to hang out with the Barnes and the Faires' for Sunday Night Family Dinner and watched a little of the Olympics. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when i can look back on my activities and realize I had a very full day- all for the low cost of $14.23!

Brandon Hendriks the best real estate agent the world has ever seen!

2008-08-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

My day started off great with a lovely blended chai tea that Kim brought me. It really hit the spot! We were supposed to be scrapbooking, but we didn't get much done(ok- we never even pulled out our stuff!). Brandon was in quite the feisty mood with many sarcastic comments but we can't complain because he kept us entertained as he pretended to be a homemaker! Ha ha! We are enjoying watching Xander learn how to crawl around while we show the house to all the many renters Brandon lined up to view and potentially rent our house. It was quite eventful, in a very uneventful sort of way...Later, I went over to the Barnes and had some awesome guacamole! I was just telling Bran that I wanted Anna to make some. It is soooo good. And I don't even like guacamole. ;) Then my day took a sudden twist when we headed over to the Faires' to pick up some scrapbooking supplies. Anna and Kim played with their stickers and I got to talk to Tyler for a long time. It was really great to catch up with him...He is a good friend and I forgot how much I liked hanging out with him. ;) Now I am heading back to the house and hope that Xander sleeps through the night so i can get lots of beauty sleep!

Joining the Dark Side

2008-08-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

So, today Kim Faires came over to help we create my new blog. We decided that this would be a prudent choice, since "the Hendriks three" will soon be moving to Modesto and need a newand easy way to communicate frequently! I never thought of myself as a blogger, but I guess I am converting to the dark side! I am really excited to start posting daily pictures (of xander, of course!) so that I can keep everyone in the loop of all the happenings in our exciting lives! Stay tuned for more, coming soon...