The Henrich Family

Cars obesssion

2012-01-24T21:59:00.004-05:00

The child is obsessed. It's ridiculous. He loves Cars. He describes them as "Cars 1 and Cars 2". He likes Cars that go fast. He knows all their names. He knows which Cars he doesn't have, and constantly asks to go to Target or ToysRus to buy them. We aren't sure what to do with the kid. The other day while doing some deep cleaning of my "crap" kids/crafting cabinet, I made a discovery. It was in the moon sand. The lovely, KING. He's been wanting it forever. He got Chick Hick for Christmas and was disappointed that Santa didn't bring King too. Well, I found a load of matchbox cars in the moon sand bag and the best find was King. I waited until Frank got home to give to him. It was priceless.

Typical, this kid has a ONE TRACK MIND. Give in and gift him something he thinks he wants and then immediately he wasn't something else. Immediately. He didn't skip a beat. It was heartbreaking. His latest malfunction is that he wasn't "Allinol" who we believe is Max Schnell, but we aren't totally sure. And, Spyplane. I love it when he says Francesco Bernoulli, it's about the sweetest thing ever. Heaven help us all...

Scout day at the OK Aquarium

2012-01-24T21:47:00.006-05:00

The kiddos were out of school for MLK day last Monday. The OK Aquarium had a special day for Scouts so we joined the Repke crew for a morning adventure. Our scouts were so handsome! They had a scavenger hunt for the kids to do along with a few extra activities. They even got to see a presentation on a prairie dog. Who would have thunk, a prairie dog at the aquarium?! It's not a new exhibit, fortunately.

Tommy & Josh, our little Cubs

Aaron, Joey & Sam all look like a bunch of knuckleheads. They are fun boys!

Saturday fun

2012-01-24T21:35:00.003-05:00

This Upward league the boys are in is great. Good little teams and lots of enthusiasm from the coaches and program. Both boys are showing improvement on their skills. It was another great morning of basketball.

Frank and Tate spent the afternoon drilling and tweaking the AR and fitting news parts. After hours of hard work, mission accomplished! They ventured off to the range. Good times.

While they were gone Sam came up with a great idea. "Mom, get some dental floss so I can pull out my tooth and surprise Dad!" I didn't know that his tooth was even ready to come out. Ready, set, YANK! This was an action shot...

He was so proud!

winter in Tulsa

2012-01-24T21:29:00.002-05:00

It tried to come, but immediately was gone. A light dusting of beautiful snow fell two weeks ago. I'm just slow to document it. The wind was bitter cold. The boys felt they should stay home from school. It was hard to convince them that it wasn't cancelled. They had their 10 minutes of fun before heading to the bus stop. The snow was gone by mid-day. Christmas snow prayers were finally answered...obviously things don't always happen on the timeline we wish. And, that is okay.

tis the season for basketball!

2012-01-11T22:15:00.005-05:00

The boys started their basketball season on Saturday. They are playing on a Upward league at a church near their school. Sam is on team Dynamite. His buddy William just happened to be on the same team, they are so happy. Sam's coach lives in our neighborhood and it seems like it will be a fun team. They won their first game and Sam scored his first basket at the halftime buzzer. Way to go Sam!

Frank is helping with Josh's team. He's the assistant coach for team Regulators. They too, won their first game. It will be a great season! Josh scored three baskets. Good job, boys!

the Henrich family is growing!

2012-01-11T17:35:00.003-05:00

Welcome baby Isla, born January 10th.

Congrats to Jake & Melissa. We love her already!

New Year's festivities in STL

2012-01-10T23:06:00.005-05:00

My Sweetie came to town on Saturday morning to join us. Hooray! We picked Frank up from the airport and took Dad and Kevin to the shooting range for the first time. Officer Brown had located one for us, and we all had a good time. When we got home, the boys wanted to play football with Kevin and Colt. I enjoyed watching them outside. The weather was SO nice.

Merry Christmas to Marc. The bacon lover that he is. We thought we'd spoil him by getting him some bacon treats. Toothpaste and bubble gum. He was excited about the bubble gum until he actually tried it. (see photo below) Then, Frank and Colt tried it...still not good. Most of the kiddos tried it but the only bacon bubblegum lover turned out to be Julia. Marc had to be proud. Everyone else immediately spit it out into the trash. The laughs were totally worth the $ spent. Archie McPhee has some great stuff.

Maddox Family New Year's tradition, BOWLING. We were at Dick Weber Lanes this year. Two hours of all you can bowl, the kids had a blast. Craig at one point had 4 strikes which I learned is a bagger. Didn't know that. I'm not a good bowler. Fun afternoon of bowling followed by Chinese food at Old St. Louis Chop Suey.

We came home for chillin', birthday cake (Happy 4th Julia!) and games galore. We all know that Maddox gatherings=game time. Kevin dared Frank to drink his Bacon tablet, Frank accepted the challenge. He said the burps were worth the $5. SICK.

Farkle, Monopoly, many photos taken for Fat Booth app and lots of laughs later, the evening was enjoyable. It was good to be home with the gang. Sam was in heaven playing Monopoly, his fav game. Thanks Mom and Dad for a fabulous week! I love you both so much.

These are my people, and I love them so much!

STL day 4

2012-01-10T22:41:00.004-05:00

Friday morning we took at trip over to Alton to see the Rivers Museum and Melvin Price Locks & Dam. None of us had ever visited before. I was a little sad that we were too early in the year for Eagle watching/nesting along the rivers. That's later this month into next. But, there was lots to see and learn about the Mississippi River and the area. Hands on stuff, a good movie and even a grand tour of the dam. I think the funniest part was my Dad and all his jokes including the word "dam". I tried to get him on video, but as soon at I busted out the camera he turned mute. Funny man. It was cold and windy, so our planned picnic was a bit chilly. Aaron was concerned that he would blow away. We all survived, fortunately. And it was a fun adventure.

Dam, it works! We were lucky enough to see a tugboat come through during our tour. It had a full load, 15 barges. We watched the water level go from 23ft down to 9 ft. It was pretty amazing. I still don't fully understand how it all works. I need to do some more reading.

Looking at these pictures you can just tell how windy and cold it was. Brrrrrrrr!

Hands down, THE cutest bunch of eagles I've ever seen!

You know you are in STL when you see a ghetto vanity plate like this:

STL day 3

2012-01-10T16:20:00.006-05:00

We ordered up a perfect weather day for a visit to the zoo. Mid 60's in late December in STL, are you kidding me?! Everyone was happy to be together. The animals were out and crazy. Zebras were biting and hissing at each other, the pigs (of some sort) were happily running wild, the camels were foaming at the mouth, and the antelope were at war. Pretty darn exciting.

Aaron really liked the penguins. As you can see the gang was very interested in what the man had to teach them...

Flashback reminder of yesteryear when Nile was deathly afraid of the fake deer up in the tree. Aaron also loved the Hippos. Who doesn't?!

FEAR THE MULLET. We ended the zoo with this observance. What a happy day it was.

This is the STL Temple. I went with Dad for their ward temple night and did a session with Marc. Upon arrival I was welcomed by none other than the lovely Sherry Rees! What a pleasant surprise. It was good to visit with her and get the update on her clan. Departing the temple wasn't so pleasant, however, as we discovered Marc's car had a flat tire. Booo! Good thing we were in good spirits and with a little of Marc's good elbow grease we were on the road home. Mom watched all the kiddos and they enjoyed a movie night and slumber party. Cousin time is so much fun!

STL day 2

2012-01-09T22:53:00.005-05:00

We spent Wednesday morning visiting with the Davidson crew. SO FUN to see them! I just love Drea and her kiddos. Everyone is growing up so fast. We played at the park near their home and the kids were very happy to find some leftover snow from the previous day.

Aaron, Jack, Josh, Sam, Laurie & Jeremy

That afternoon Grandpa let Josh & Sam shoot their gun off the deck. The boys set up target cans and bottles on the tree and fence line. Grandpa and Kevin had a great time shooting. Everyone did very well, and nobody shot their eye out. Success!

Wednesday afternoon we all met Scott & his gang, Craig, and the newlyweds (Colt & Elizabeth) at Dave & Buster's for 1/2 price game night. Good times had by all. No pics, I didn't bring the camera. All the kiddos came home with proud treasures from their tickets. It was a lot of fun. We had our traditional "talent show" later that night. Nile was a comedian, Josh did a trick with popping a ball on his arm, Scott juggled, Carolyn did some kickboxing, Claire, Sam and Brent all had talents displayed below. I think we have some gymnasts in the family. It was a GREAT show. Amazing!

Late Wednesday night, Mom & I went out to Chesterfield to watch Kevin play hockey. He plays on three different teams! It was nice to see him in action. Too bad the Chippers didn't bring their A-game. Better luck next time!

hello STL!

2012-01-08T23:46:00.003-05:00

Day 1: The boys and I rolled into town early Tuesday evening. Mom & Dad had some gifts for the boys and they enjoyed opening presents. Thanks Mom & Dad! Kevin opened our special gift for him, Bacon Drink Tabs. He looks happy about them, but sadly he was tricking me. He didn't even try them. More to come on that note...Kevin did make dinner for us all, the pizza man that he is. Dinner was delicious!

Marc dropped the girls off and we enjoyed cousin time. Playing games and eating Grandma's treats. It was a great night!

bang bang

2012-01-08T23:37:00.007-05:00

Watch out, they are armed and dangerous! The boys LOVE their new pellet gun. And, they have MADD skills. They take after their Daddy!

Christmas festivities

2011-12-26T11:08:00.008-05:00

It was a Merry Christmas after all. Santa came. The boys were happy with their gifts and surprises. Church was nice. We were able to talk to our families. Life is good.

Legos, their toy of choice. They are so fun.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:52:00.003-05:00

Aren't we just so cute?!

My heart is full. I'm thankful for the little blessings I enjoy every day. Very thankful for my beautiful family. Most grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I love this time of year where we celebrate his birth and life. I will never tire of hearing and singing hymns glorifying our Lord's birth. He is, "Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Merry Christmas!

Kirkland cookie party

2011-12-24T09:23:00.006-05:00

We enjoyed time with our friends, the Kirkland family the other day at their annual cookie party. It's such a great tradition and we're so happy to join them for it. Needless to say there was plenty of cookies, icing and sprinkles to satisfy all needs. The boys decorated cookies

to take home., but I think they ate more there. It was FUN. Cookies for lunch?!, sure why not. SO thankful for Carrie & her crew! We just love them to pieces.

The kids were in and out of that house all afternoon. They had all sorts of weapons and went on adventures. Guns, sticks, crossbows, whips, handcuffs...the supply was endless. It helps to have a Daddy that is a policeman. I wish I had gotten a photo of them all coming out of the woods on one of their expeditions. It was pretty cute. Aaron loves Daisy, and big brother Ben.

Frito, Ian's ball python is always very interesting and fun to manhandle. Josh wants a snake himself. I told him when he has his own house, he's welcome to get one!

something to remember...

2011-12-23T20:14:00.004-05:00

There are many, many reasons why I love my boys. But I write this little occurrence to document in my memories for safekeeping. During dinner, while eating our tacos Aaron turns to me and says so sweetly nearly grabbing my face, "you're my favorite mother." He then proceeds to smile and give me a kiss and a gentle hug, patting my back. My heart melted and it's moments like this that I cherish forever.

goodbye choppers

2011-12-21T20:44:00.004-05:00

Good thing that Josh loves his Dentist. Daddy did a great job yankin' some teeth out yesterday. Josh has some major crowding issues. Hope this will help. He thought the whole experience was pretty cool. Those choppers measured 1/2 inch each! He is ever so proud and claims them to look like shark teeth.
antes

despues

Josh thought of this shot, wanted to get the full effect for size viewing. Clever boy.

Gingerbread house party

2011-12-20T23:15:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we had a few amigos over for a little gingerbread house making party. The boys enjoyed it very much. I asked them about what was their favorite part of the day: Josh's response, "the whole thing!" Sam's, "playing outside" and Aaron liked "my vampire house." Yes, a vampire gingerbread house. That is what he claimed it to be. I don't know how he comes up with these things...

Josh piled his face the entire time. Gumdrops, chocolate, orange slices, gingerbread marshmallows...Good thing he likes to brush his teeth!

Sam was very careful in planning and plotting out his house. He worked hard at getting it just right. Afterwards, they all went wild outside. I was glad for the for a break in the rain. So thankful for nice friends for my boys!

school Christmas parties

2011-12-18T23:48:00.002-05:00

Josh & Mrs. Dammann

Both boys had school Christmas parties on Friday. Fun was had by all. With Josh's I didn't take any photos...too much to do! They started in the commons area where they held their reader's workshop skits. Josh's part was being a school nurse and a wild dog. It was quite entertaining. Then all the kids and parents headed back to the class. We had a wrapping paper relay race and several Minute to Win it games (Extreme Nutstacker, Christmas Cliffhanger, Do you hear what I hear?). The kids enjoyed the challenges. Hot cocoa with all the fixings and donuts. Doesn't get much better than that. Sam's party directly followed Josh's. Aaron and I busted over to building D and that's where we had our milk & cookies party. The kids had a Polar Express celebration earlier that day, it was one giant party. We did a wrapping paper relay in this class too along with pin the nose on Rudolph. The kids really got into the relay. They were chanting names and hootin' and hollering. Hilarious. Sam's team didn't win but they were proud of their wrapped package. Treats were abundant. Music filled the air. Children were happy. Life is good.

Sam & Miss Ricks

Aaron and I were wiped out come the end of the day, but it was worth it!

family pics

2011-12-14T16:20:00.004-05:00

We started last Saturday off with family pictures bright and early. You know, it's that time of year for Christmas cards. I guess we should get going on that. Well, it was a chilly 32 degrees, the boys were troopers. Add six hours to clock and we then found ourselves outside living it up in the unseasonably warm weather. Raking leaves, crackin' acorns, racing cars and whittling sticks. Too bad we don't live somewhere where like SAN DIEGO. Then maybe life would be perfect.

Santa Claus is coming to town

2011-12-10T15:37:00.006-05:00

Yesterday morning Aaron was excited for Santa to come. He loves singing this song! We had our ward Christmas party last night. Our Santa was a bit hit, the kids enjoyed his visit!

Requests from Santa included, an iPod (fat chance, Josh), Legos, remote control car (Sam), race car and car mat (Aaron). Hopefully the boys were good enough this year, only time will tell!

Chess club 2011

2011-12-10T15:31:00.003-05:00

Sam placed 2nd in his bracket. I love his happy, proud smile!

Josh and Austin had a fun semester goofing off, they are a bunch of knuckleheads. Until next year...

game on

2011-12-01T15:47:00.004-05:00

Black vs. white on Tuesday night, winners took all the glory. The big chess club tournament is over. The boys had a great time. We're happy for Sam who placed 2nd in his division, he'll be awarded his medal next week at the holiday party. Congrats Sam!

little things that matter

2011-11-27T19:55:00.004-05:00

It finally happened. Sam has been asking us all year when he'd lose his first tooth. This wiggly little guy made his departure yesterday. Sam was SO PLEASED. Tooth fairy came and left her $1. Life is good. He's officially a big boy now, and my heart slowly is breaking already.

Christmas is in full swing here at the Henrich house. Frank is already sick of Christmas music. Bah-humbug. We got all our decorations up on Saturday. Aaron LOVES the train, I have to remind him it's not like a real toy to push around and crash off the kitchen table. It's going to be a great month. This is THE best time of year. The lights, the glitter, the music, the joy of service. I LOVE IT. The best news of the weekend is that Aaron has done it! He does his business in the toilet and has all his fancy underwear to get excited about. Been accident free for a solid week. Cars, Buzz, Woody, Nemo, Shrek and Thomas...they make the process fun and exciting. He's rockin' the big boy pants. And it's awesome! Way to go Aaron, my baby is on to boyhood.

Thanksgiving.

2011-11-25T23:17:00.002-05:00

We had a happy Thanksgiving. It was nice to focus on our blessings and spend time together as a family. Our dinner was yummy. Aaron was a good helper in the kitchen. We had some friends come over to enjoy pies with us in the evening. Good day overall. Counting blessings can be so much fun...

fishing in Nov?!

2011-11-25T23:06:00.003-05:00

I had my doubts. The weather was so nice and the boys were begging to go to the lake. So sure, why not!? You couldn't have asked for a better day for lovely fall weather.

Sam had the magic luck, he was the big fisherman! He caught a perch, Josh measured the little guy at about 9 inches. Sam was pumped! I had told the boys on our walk down to the lake that if anyone caught a fish, we'd bring it home for Thanksgiving dinner. Joking of course, however Sam didn't get it. Once he caught the fish he was determined to keep it. However, he said he wasn't gonna eat it, but that I was. Because I like fish and he doesn't. typical

Thanksgiving break

2011-11-25T22:58:00.002-05:00

Kids out of school and needing things to do...Josh and I crafted a Christmas thingy for our door this past week. We used our pine cones from Grandpa Mason's house in WY. Josh was pretty pleased with his work. He's a good helper when he wants to be. Sam worked on his masterpiece while we were hot gluing and wiring. He picked out a gingerbread house at Michael's and enjoyed painting it. He was anxious to show Dad, he was so proud. Aaron, on the other hand was tired and cranky during this all so we put on Bubble Guppies for entertainment. This is how I found him shortly thereafter...

He was SLEEPING. Couldn't believe it, could you be any more UNcomfortable?!?! I sure do love these boys.

she's here!

2011-11-19T00:10:00.003-05:00

Welcome little Cora Margaret, she's a beauty! Congrats to Jill & Jared. Big brother Oscar is so proud. I'm in love...

Nutcracker

2011-11-18T16:32:00.002-05:00

Had a hot date last night. My sweetie took me to Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker. It was a lovely evening. Such poise and strength! I loved the music. I'm ready for Christmas!

Sam

2011-11-13T21:23:00.004-05:00

Ms. Ricks' class had their "marble party" on Friday. They have a jar that gets marbles added to it when they've been on good behavior or when they have been recognized as a class. It's taken them over three months to fill it. They celebrated by wearing comfy clothes & slippers, bringing blankets and stuffed animals, and having lots of fun activities during the day. All the kids were pretty excited.

I love this sweet face. He insisted on a silly face photo op. Sam has been faithful to our "thankful jar" this November. Every morning he gets up and picks out a new thankful activity for us to do. It's been a lot of fun. Here are his turkey creations. We used our pine cones that I stashed from our trip to WY. The wee ones are from the Snowy Mountains and the big fat one is Josh's creation, made from Grandpa Mason's pine tree in Laramie. Gobble gobble.

aaargh!

2011-11-13T21:20:00.001-05:00

Bubble Guppies. It's Aaron's obsession as of late. It drives us all crazy. Who comes up with these shows?! This past week Bubble Guppies went on a pirate adventure. Aaron wanted to join them. He is so cute.

shake, rattle and roll

2011-11-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

Day 3 of random earthquakes here in OK. It's been a little strange. Woke up early Saturday morning to a 4.7 quake rattling the walls and bed. Saturday night we felt another one which was a 5.6. That one lasted quite a bit longer. It was really creepy. Then tonight while were watching MNF things started rumbling and shaking and reports say it was another 4.7 quake. There've been plenty other aftershocks that we haven't felt. Now, let's hope that the tornado watch that has been issued for tonight will just move on by and leave us alone. House seems to be okay. I'm very thankful we've stayed safe.

Sam scores again!

2011-11-06T23:51:00.003-05:00

Fireballs' season is over. Good times had by all. It's a great little team Sam is on. He likes his soccer buddies and we're thankful to Coach Tony & Coach Julia for their efforts. Sam scored another goal in the last game. They had a pizza party at Mazzio's and were excited to get their trophies. Congrats Sam on another great season! We're proud of you.

This is a QUICK video clip of him scoring his goal.

I am awesome.

2011-11-06T23:43:00.002-05:00

I ran the Jenks 1/2 marathon yesterday. Wasn't planning on it. Went to lunch with Andrea on Friday afternoon and she told me her running partner wasn't able to do the race with her. She asked me to fill in. Um...sure, why not!? I haven't been training. I wasn't sure what it'd be like because I've been struggling with my foot issues for the past year. Plantar fasciitis completely SUCKS. Well, she and I rocked the race. The course was lovely, lots of trees and fall colors and cows and donkeys to view. And, hills and wind too. Overall a great run. My time was FAB 2:10:38. My boys loved my medal, thought it was awesome. Got several atta girls from Frank. Sweet!

Slime

2011-11-06T23:06:00.002-05:00

Josh made slime in his class earlier this week. He's been bugging me to buy liquid starch at the store so they can make a bigger batch at home. He wrote down the recipe and was so excited to share it with me. This slime was SO much easier than the other stuff we made a while back. Equal parts of glue and liquid starch. Add the food coloring you desire. Stir and it's done. Can't get any easier than that! They love it! Now I just have to keep it from ruining my house...

pumpkins taste good.

2011-11-02T10:05:00.003-04:00

'Tis the season for eating pumpkins. If you're looking for a new recipe, I suggest you try this. They are super easy, yummy and the kiddos eat them up fast! I would suggest using a mini-muffin tin for the perfect bite-size treat. Enjoy!

Halloween celebrations

2011-11-01T21:44:00.006-04:00

My Grandpa Craig's birthday was on Halloween. I loved him so, he was the best Grandpa ever. I know there are lots of folks that aren't crazy about this holiday, but I LOVE IT. My kids love it. What's not to like about costumes and fun games and lots and lots of treats?! This past weekend was some good times for the kiddos. Saturday night our church had a chili & pie cook off. The kids were all dressed up, they had lots of games for them. Even Jellybean the clown made an appearance. The boys were in heaven with their balloon guns.

Yesterday in Sam's class we had a fun party. Mummy wrapping, bean bag tosses and lots of yummy snacks and goodies. He and his buddy Cesar paired up for the wrapping. They were so cute to watch.

After Sam's party I headed straight across campus to Josh's class for his party. Being a room mom of 2 classes is SUPER fun and busy. The Limbo was the biggest hit for these kiddos. And, surprisingly Josh won the contest out of all the boys. He can get LOW. Way to go Josh!

Frank brought some dry ice home leftover from work's festivities. We made some "witches brew" and enjoyed that with our pizza. The kiddos got dressed up and we hit the streets about 6:30. The Super Mario Bros. costumes turned out great. The boys were so cute. Elle was just heading out too and she was a crazy vampire. Couldn't pass up a photo op.

This is me and my good buddy, Rebecca. We are so glad they moved in last year just around the block. Best neighbors anyone could ask for. I'm glad to have her as a friend. All the boys had a fun time cruising the streets. Aaron was so happy yelling "trick or treat" or "happy halloween!" to anyone and everyone.

He and I came home because he needed a drink of water. We sat out on the porch and handed out candy and he enjoyed his treat bucket. This is the look of pure happiness. This boy loves a good sucker. Happy Halloween!

Punkin carvin'

2011-10-29T17:32:00.006-04:00

Carved up some pumpkins last night during the Cardinals World Series. Hooray for the STL Cardinals, world champs!

So the carving began with the master planning. Frank even busted out templates for their creations. The kids had fun. I'm looking forward to toastin' the pumpkin seeds.

Sam thought he was being so gross because he wanted to stick his finger up the pumpkin's nose.

We are ready for Halloween. Costumes are made. Pumpkins are carved. Candy purchased. Now, hurry up Monday. We can't wait!

our big, bad Wolf

2011-10-29T17:21:00.002-04:00

Josh earned his Wolf badge this past week at Pack Meeting. We are so proud of him! He loves Cub Scouts. He recently joined the Jenks troop at church and is enjoying it very much.

hut, hut, HIKE!

2011-10-29T16:59:00.007-04:00

Evening football in the backyard seems to be the highlight of the kids day once they are home from school. It's fun to watch them run and play. They are such good buddies. They love playing with their Daddy.

Aaron shares secrets with Sam. Usually including an "I love you!" We always love his secrets. He told me he wanted to show us his "happy face" and "mean face." I think he definitely knows what he's talking about!

I want to buy this...

2011-10-29T16:23:00.002-04:00

Lately, Aaron is really into buying stuff. He tells us what he wants. Where we can buy it. How much it costs. The kid is pretty cute. He makes us laugh. We love him so much.

Sapulpa Fire Station

2011-10-29T15:51:00.005-04:00

Last week the kids were out of school for three days for Fall Break. We took a field trip with some friends from church to the Sapulpa fire station. Josh was ho-hum about it because he's "already been to a fire station before and it will be boring". Bah I said. Once again, I was on a mission to prove him wrong that he does not know all things. Aaron was so excited to see the fire trucks.

The Sapulpa Fire Dept is extra special because it has two Fire Boats and scuba dive teams. The boys thought the fire boat was super cool.

They got the grand tour of the station, checked out the engines, saw their classroom, bedrooms, kitchen. The boys were pumped to see that they get to watch TV and play on the Wii too. The Captain talked about all the different tools they use on the job. Even got out the Jaws of Life for the kids to see and handle. Here's Aaron hefting it.

Megan and Aaron then discovered the vending machine and thought that was much more interesting!

Josh learned that their longest job was this summer during the wildfires. They were gone for a solid 12hours fighting fires. He couldn't believe it. Overall, a fun time. Lots learned. Happy smiles. Fun with friends. No time spent watching TV. Mission accomplished.

Aaron & Emalyn

2011-10-29T15:45:00.002-04:00

Aaron loves his Tuesday play dates with Emalyn. She's a good little friend. We enjoyed painting last week during her visit. They each made beautiful creations. Aaron is all boy, slopping the paint together to make a nice brown color. Emalyn on the other hand, was careful to keep her colors separate and had purpose in her work. FUN kiddos, I sure love them.

what if?

2011-10-19T23:49:00.003-04:00

A megalodon farted and it created a fart bubble that floated up north in the ocean and froze into an iceberg. And then in the summertime, penguins were on the iceberg and it started to melt and it was a big blast of green fart gases that blew up all the penguins. Wouldn't that be funny?!

Thank you, Josh.

We are constantly entertained with his "What if?" questions and scenarios. I'm committed to write more of them down so I can remember our good laughs. I love you, son.

4 cute bikers

2011-10-16T22:15:00.002-04:00

It's our latest hobby. We're loving it. Aaron does NOT cruise around on his motorcycle. My neighbor just gifted me her bicycle trailer and so we've all the road. It's awesome. I'm so thankful to her. Nightly family bike rides through the neighborhood, cruising around the lake and on the trails. Our big task is now is to get Sam riding without training wheels. He'll be there in no time! So much fun.

got leeks?!

2011-10-16T22:10:00.002-04:00

Fresh from the garden, Aaron was so proud. He caught a biggon'! He was happy to help me make potato leek soup on Thursday. Yum-O. We are going to be sad once the weather gets colder and the garden withers away. My tomatoes are finally in full bloom and we'll have a TON if they hurry up and ripen before the night freezes approach. My hope is that we'll have a few more weeks, if not month? I'll keep praying. Our spinach is doing great, along with bean and peas and lettuce. Not sure if the broccoli will even have a chance to flourish, be we're giving it a try. Already plotting out plans for next spring. I think another garden box needs to be in the works...

Saturday soccer

2011-10-16T21:59:00.002-04:00

This is LOVE. Sam is such a good big brother. Aaron loves him so much.

Fireballs win again! Sam scores another goal. It was a beautiful day for soccer. Gotta love fall mornings and sunshine.

punkin patch

2011-10-15T22:33:00.006-04:00

Going to the pumpkin patch with Grandma Maddox was a treat! She loved all the different pumpkins. Even took a walk on the wild side and went in the dark maze with the boys. Aaron had a great time. Nearly lost his finger to a tortoise and a goat. The kid is a walking disaster! He loved all the squash and pumpkins. We came home with some big ones and some baby ones.

I love my Mom!

Feeding the goats was a treat. The babies were sooooo cute. Then there were some that were not so cute. Or nice. Aaron was offended when a big one took a nibble at his finger. Poor little guy.

The weather couldn't have been better. It was a lovely evening. Mom treated us to Los Cabos afterwards, it was yum-o! Thanks Mom, for all the good times. The boys loved having you here.

Who's the big winner?

2011-10-13T22:53:00.015-04:00

Me. I'm the big winner. Yep, won a trip off the radio station back in the spring. I'm chalking it up to blessings of an early riser! I won a "red carpet country music getaway" to Nashville, TN. Isn't that hilarious? And it came from an AM talk radio station. Go figure They flew us to Music City, we stayed at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort, had concert tickets and spending cash. It was something else! The Gaylord resort claims to be the 3rd largest hotel in the nation with 2,800+ rooms.

We stayed in the Delta area of the resort. It was a challenge to NOT get lost, even with a map. The place was HUGE. I loved the calla lilies glass sculpture in the lobby.

And, I loved all the greens. Over nine acres of indoor gardens. I was in heaven!

Thursday night we went on a dinner/show cruise aboard the General Jackson. It was a good time. We didn't get the memo about it being a geriatric cruise, but oh well. We decided early on our trip that Opryland in general is an old folks haven.

These are the lights of downtown Nashville from the Cumberland River. We saw the Country Music USA show on the General Jackson. Pretty entertaining.

We toured downtown Nashville on Friday. The Ryman Auditorium aka "the Mother Church to Country Music" is one of the finest auditoriums. In their tour video they claim to be only second in sound quality to the Mormon Tabernacle. That's exactly what it reminded me of! There were lots of cool artifacts/memorabilia around the place. They had a big case devoted to Johnny Cash & June.

After the tour, we wandered the streets of Nashville. Saw lots of bars and heard live music everywhere. We were disappointed that we didn't run across any antique stores or coin shops. Just plenty of souvenir type places that sold shot glasses, key chains and dirty t-shirts. Really, who buys that stuff?! Frank found the DR Pepper man on the street giving out free sodas. He liked that! Across the river was the Titans stadium. Overall we thought downtown was nice and fairly clean. We ate some good BBQ too!

Friday afternoon Clint picked us up. A childhood friend of the Henrich family, he's from Laramie. Lives with his wife and family in Nashville and works at Vanderbilt University. He showed us around town near the University and Music Row where all the recording studios are. Then we hit a ghetto shooting range for some good ol' fashion fun. And it was! Somehow I failed to get a photo of Frank and Clint together. Which we were sad about. We spent the evening with his family, eating and visiting. Good times had by all.

Saturday morning we got up and headed back downtown for some wandering. We had 1pm tickets to the Mel Tillis show at the Opry. Again, we didn't fit in AT ALL. I think the average age of the crowd was at least 65. He was quite entertaining though. At 4:30 we headed back to meet some dude from GAC to get a backstage tour of the Opry. That was very interesting. We got to see where the stars enter, their mailboxes, most of the dressing rooms and went on stage to see where all the magic happens. Got to sit on the balcony and listen to a few of the groups do their sound check before the show.

The show started at 7 and Little Jimmy Dickens hosted the first half hour. He was 90 years old and totally pimped out in his cowboy suit. I loved all his beads and sequins, he was pretty funny. Dirty old man. Then there was this other dude, Chuck Mead & his band that played some Cajun music. I loved his alligator guitar. It sparkled nicely in the lights. We were about 10 rows back from center stage.

Charley Pride & Craig Morgan were among some of the musicians that played that night.
The highlight of the show was Rascal Flatts. They were there as special guests. Little Jimmy Dickens presented awards to Rascal Flatts as they were inducted into the Grand Oly Opry family. Happy 86th birthday to the Opry!

All in all a fun trip. Came home with $100 still in our pockets, so we can happily say that we got paid to go on vacation. Not sure if that will ever happen again, so we were happy for the experience!

Speed? I am Speed.

2011-10-11T22:39:00.004-04:00

Aaron update. Haven't posted anything on his doings and sayings for a while. This kid is the best! Totally fun and full of spunk. Talking up a storm. Sam is often the translator for Frank, it's so cute. So he's almost two and half. He wears 3T clothes and is a whopping 32 lbs. He's a growing boy! I just cut his hair yesterday, again. It's out of control. But, we can't bear to part with all those curls yet. So, the madness will grow on. Some of Aaron's favs: cars, puzzles, trains and dinosaurs are very cool. He is in LOVE with the movie Cars. He totes his little Cars in his trick-or-treating bucket around the house, outside to play, when we are out, everywhere! He quotes from the movie. "K-chow!" "not in my town" speed, I am speed" are among a few of his favs. He is really good at telling you what to do and when to do it, with stern finger wagging. Often his requests are followed by a "you listen to me!" or "you hear me?!" Hmmmm, sounds a little familiar. One of his favorite things to do is play with his toys in his room. "Come upstairs and play with me Mom. C'mon." As he pulls on my arm or hand to drag me up the stairs. It's very sweet. We LOVE Halloween. Grandma Maddox was in town this past weekend and she brought him a few goodies, including a place mat. It has a spooky tree on it and he says "I not go in there." and points to the tree. But then claims it's a "Happy Tree!" I think he gets it from the Winnie the Pooh Heffalump Halloween movie. That is another recent fav. Aaron loves the OK Aquarium. We go there often to see Nemo, Dory and Mr. Ray. Another favorite place of his is the pet store. My brother Kevin has a cat named Yadi, and we go to see the "baby Yadis" and turtles on a near weekly basis. It's so close and easy. Aaron loves Sam's Club and we are happy that there is one 5 minutes down the road now. Hooray! He often requests "pizza at Sam's club. Pepperoni. Meatballs." The kid knows what he likes. He is sharing a room with Sam right now. He'll tell you that at night time Sam tells him to "shh, be quiet!" It's hilarious. He loves his little friends from church. Emalyn, Megan and Eli. And he adores his nursery teachers Bro & Sis Morgan. Frank reminds me that Aaron always says, "I want to see Mom" when he's sad or upset. Then, Aaron will ask Frank if I'm at a meeting when I'm not home. He's a Momma's boy. And that is OK! He is also my little garden helper. Aaron enjoys picking the veggies and will remind me always that "the peppers are hot! spicy!" Life is good for this little 2yr old. I wish I could bottle him up and keep him this way forever, he's just so much fun. I love you, Aaron.

he shoots, he scores!

2011-10-01T22:29:00.004-04:00

Another win for team Fireballs. Sam scored two goals this morning. It's been a great season so far! Our little soccer star!

play date

2011-10-01T22:23:00.003-04:00

Aaron loves his little friend, Emalyn. She comes over on Tuesday mornings to play while her Mom gets to go help out at the school with her other kiddos. This past week we decided to visit the OK aquarium. Aaron had been begging to go. It was fun to watch the two run back and forth checking out all the fish. They were so happy and excited. I didn't take too many pics, after all how many photos of kids with fish do we really need? I just wanted to get one of them together. They are cuties!

chess club, season 3

2011-09-21T16:51:00.004-04:00

The boys started Chess Club last week. Sam is thrilled to be old enough to do it now. He's in the beginner class with lots of new friends to play with. Josh called his buddy, Austin to remind him it was that time of year again. They are back at their weekly battles!

love

2011-09-18T14:03:00.002-04:00

Happy 12th to my Sweetie! What a grand day that was...I love this pic of us, trapped. Don't be fooled, he wasn't distraught. He just has the Henrich curse of blinking during photo ops. He can thank his Mom for that!

The boys snapped a few pics last night of us. We went out last night to celebrate. A fine feast indeed. "Market price"...hmmm, I guess from here on out I'll have to check what that is. OUCH. Sorry sweetie, but you know I'm totally worth it! I LOVE YOU, Frank.

soccer massacre

2011-09-17T23:16:00.006-04:00

Fireballs win 9-0. Great game. Lots of action...it is so much fun to watch Sam play! Congrats Sam! We're so proud of you.

Aaron and Josh had fun on the empty fields behind us. I guess that is one perk of having a late afternoon game. I think we may have another soccer starts up and coming. Aaron is pretty good at dribbling that ball...

Persimmon Hollow Village

2011-09-17T22:56:00.005-04:00

I saw in the newspaper that there was a "cowboy festival" going on in Broken Arrow today. I told the boys we weren't gonna sit around all day and be bums, so off went...they were kicking and screaming getting into the car. "I don't want to go to a stupid festival" says Josh.

Bah.

There were pony rides...

Lots of vendors ands little stores that sold a bunch of "antiques" aka CRAP. But they were fun to check out.

We even saw a magic show. Such AWESOME magic tricks. This Magician was amazing! We were shocked at his trickery and skills. Josh even wandered back to visit with him and watch more after our trip down antique lane.

On our way out Aaron happened up a rocking road runner. He wanted it. He didn't get it. So, to sum up the morning, "that was so much fun!" says Josh. Hmmmm, oh really. Perhaps Mom does know a little something every once in a while. PUNK.

evening at the park

2011-09-17T22:51:00.004-04:00

Our Sapulpa ward social...

Last weekend we had a ward BBQ at Liberty Park. The weather was FAB. The food was actually good (I love being in control...) and the kiddos had a lot of fun. Hooray for pleasant evenings at the park!

Fireballs are back in action

2011-09-17T15:57:00.002-04:00

Good guys win, 6-5! Last Saturday Sam's soccer season began. All the same players are back, with addition of two new friends. The team gets along well and the coaches are good. It was a fun game. The weather was nice, until about the 3rd quarter when it unleashed on us with rain. Aaron was none-to-pleased so I had to retreat with him to the car. The kiddos didn't skip a beat. They played hard and had fun. Sam scored his first goal of the season, that's my boy!

I love his sweet face

2011-09-11T23:42:00.004-04:00

Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe, one of the most-loved books in our library. It's Aaron's FAVORITE lately. I read it several times a day to him. This is his "mean, T-rex face". But he doesn't understand that he doesn't look mean. He just looks adorable.

And then there's this cute face...he's watching the boys fly airplanes in the street. He wanted to watch from the car.

we like fish

2011-09-11T23:30:00.003-04:00

Fishing is a hobby, it's fun, and it's free. And it's all the boys ever want to do. Good thing the lake is close by. We had Tommy over all day Tuesday. We hit the lake early and the boys had a great time!

Friday night we headed back to the lake to release all our turtle friends. They were loved all summer long and the boys took good care of them. Now, the 7 red-ear sliders and 1 cooter found happiness back in their original home. That dirty ol' lake. Goodbye little fellas, enjoy the cold winter. We fished for a while. Caught a bunch more perch. Just before leaving, I caught a biggon'! The boys were impressed.

summer nights

2011-09-04T20:34:00.008-04:00

Today we experienced our first summer night outside. Yep, it's been so dang hot here, we haven't played outside one single night. Tragic. It's been horrible. Needless to say it was a glorious evening. Temps in the 80's, cool breezes, kids running wild and the football was flying high. I love it!

The boys have this strange football game with Frank that they enjoy. Running from fence to fence, trying not to get hit with the football, trying to beat the football to the fence, getting points...and if you catch the football you get 100pts. WHO KNOWS? I just watch, I don't get it. I don't understand the thrill of getting beamed in the back with a ball thrown by Dad. Because he doesn't throw it soft. And, then there is always a casualty because someone, SAM, always seems to run into the fence too hard and ends up with splinters. So strange. Boys are so silly.

Here are our beloved turtles. All 8 of them. I'm looking forward to their release back into the wild in a few weeks.

this kid rocks

2011-09-01T21:56:00.002-04:00

Josh's new talent

2011-09-01T21:48:00.002-04:00

Earlier this summer Josh learned how to make these paracord bracelets at Cub Scouts from his leader Sister Lamb. It has become a new hobby that he enjoys very much. He and Frank went to the Army Surplus store and got a bunch of colors. Josh has been weaving like a mad man and selling them to his friends. Our little entrepreneur. Go ahead, feel free to order your favorite team's colors...you know you want one.

Sam happily wears any bracelet that Josh lets him have and is a good helper to big brother.

1st day of school

2011-09-01T21:17:00.005-04:00

the three amigos

My babies are growing too fast. They were excited for their big day. We were sad to have the bus stop change from the playground right around the corner, to the pool about 1/2 mile away. Mr. Deek, the bus driver is back. He has a new rule, "ladies first." What a gentleman!, teaching these boys such curteous manners. There are now 40+ kids who share all the same stop. You know, with the economy these days and budget cuts...

Aren't they so cute? I love these boys so much. I am hoping 1st & 3rd grades are magical for them and that they fall in love with reading and learning. Now go, read some books!

last day of summer...

2011-09-01T16:36:00.002-04:00

was spent with friends at the pool. That was the only way to end it, right?!

Aaron & Eli

Love

2011-09-01T16:33:00.002-04:00

This is what Bel's basement looked like for the week and a half we were there. It did get cleaned daily, but you would never know it. Thanks to the monster LEGO box. The boys loved every minute of their playtime together.

I love these boys. It was so wonderful to have cousin time, hopefully they will be best friends forever!

Sam, Will, Joel, Aaron & Josh

the Big 21

2011-09-01T16:05:00.004-04:00

Anna turned 21. We spent the entire day at Water World down in Denver. The boys said it was the best birthday party EVER!

I didn't bring my camera....BOO!

After a long, fun day at the park, we headed out for dinner at Whole Foods. That was an adventure in itself. We finally arrived back in Cheyenne around 9pm. Josh and Joel presented Anna with their "LEGO cake" they had created for her. She loved it.

Here's the birthday girl, in all her glory! Bel made a super yummy carrot cake. It was divine!

The big birthday surprise from Mom & Dad, Blentec. You can see from the photos, that Anna was pleased. She will be a powerful woman in the kitchen. There's no stopping her now!

We were so glad to be there to share in her big day. Happy birthday Anna, we love you!

potato sack race

2011-08-26T22:39:00.003-04:00

...and they are off!

Children's Village in Cheyenne

2011-08-26T22:02:00.008-04:00

Grandma & Papa treated us to a picnic lunch, Happy Meals from McDonald's. We brought them to the Children's Village which is part of the Botanical Gardens in Cheyenne. What a lovely place! First time visit for us, not sure how we haven't been before?!

It had lots of gardens and various activities for the kiddos. Water galore and many ways to be creative and curious. Bel was a good sport and took the potato race challenge.

They waded in the water, played music, caught lady bugs, watered the gardens...just a perfectly wonderful day. We loved our time with Grandma & Grandpa and cousins.

It is my hope that one day I'll have gardens like this. It was a beautiful place!

cousins are so much fun!

2011-08-23T23:39:00.002-04:00

Let the good times roll...

Aaron loves Peak-a-boo

Uncle Andrew, once again, proved to be the most fun out back. He played with the kids and they had a great time. Little Mia got to run around with the big kids.

Grandpa Henrich, performed a stunt that wowed the kiddos. Air can+ping pong ball=big smiles, oooohs and ahhhhhhs. The kids were totally impressed.
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark movie night. Grandma popped popcorn for the troops. She's the best!

Cheyenne's Big Boy

2011-08-23T23:32:00.002-04:00

1,208,750 lbs. Wow, now that is a BIG train. We took Aaron over to the park one afternoon to see the train. He loved it! It was exciting to see all the trains between Laramie & Cheyenne during our time in WY. Aaron is a train lover.

BBQ at Grandpa's

2011-08-23T23:05:00.007-04:00

After the funeral, all the family went back to Grandpa's for lunch. John hosted a big BBQ. Lots of family and friends to visit with, it was a good afternoon.

The boys always can find treasures at Grandpa's. Josh loves his bike. Aaron loved the fruit bowl. Here he was yelling, "bananas!" Of course, all the kids played with the Sesame Street house. That is the beloved toy.

I like all the smiles in these photos. Hearts were tender, but everyone was happy to be there for Grandpa. Frank and Heather were deep in conversation here...

I love these shots of all the kiddos who had retreated indoors. Good ol' Tom & Jerry kept them entertained. Uncle Bert was there with them too, he wasn't feeling well. Sippin' a Coke, and putting Aaron to sleep. It was so great to see him!

Grandpa and the boys, in his office.

Josh and Sam love the elevators.

Uncle John & Frank

Dorothy K. Mason remembered

2011-08-23T22:39:00.010-04:00

Cherished memories of Grandma Mason...

They came to SLC when Joshua was born to see him. We ventured out to Laramie many times during our time in UT. We all met up in Arizona for Joel's blessing. Here is a picture of Josh and Gma & Gpa in AZ. When I went to SLC for Rob's wedding, they came out to see us. Here they are with Sam.

These pics are from our last visits to Cheyenne. Grandma always was giving advice and counsel to her grandchildren. And Grandma even came to Tulsa in 2009. Here she is with Josh at the Philbrook Museum toting him around!

The funeral services were on Monday, August 8th. It was a nice service. All the boys did great on their talks. It was good to be together as a family. We will miss Grandma Mason. We loved her so.

John's family with Grandpa after the graveside dedication. Grandpa ran off before we could all gather, so we are missing him in our grand family photo.

Family gathers in Cheyenne

2011-08-23T22:18:00.006-04:00

When we got back from the mountains, everyone was hanging out. The girls took all the kiddos down to the park. Thank goodness for a great getaway that is close to Grandma's house. The kids played football and enjoyed the playground.

Aaron was talking with Grandma about the pine cone on the ground. Note: the Henrich stance both with Bel & Anna. hilarious.

The afternoon fun continued...picking raspberries in the backyard, jumping on the trampoline, heading back to the park for some good ol' fashioned ball later.

Kickball in the park. Jake is genius. Everyone had a great time! The weather was perfect.

Grandma's iPad was the coveted object for the week, for the kiddos. That darn Angry Bird game...we would often find them all piled on the couch together. It was cute.

We went to Laramie on Sunday to visit Grandpa Mason. His heart is so tender. He is so sad. We kept him company all afternoon. The kids played. Ate his ice cream. Peter, Georgie, Heather and her crew showed up. It was fun to visit with them. The sunset on the horizon on our journey back to Cheyenne was lovely.

The Snowies

2011-08-22T22:37:00.005-04:00

I think the best thing about flying is observing the heavens. I love the light, the colors, all the different clouds and the beauty everywhere. It is marvelous.

Sam snapped a photo of the double rainbow upon our descent into Denver. What a treat it was to see!

Saturday morning we packed a lunch and hit the road. We took the boys to the mountains. It was a great day. The Snowy Range is about 45 minutes outside of Laramie, WY. There was still plenty of snow around. We even spotted a skier way up on the mountain! The boys enjoyed throwing snowballs. Frank and I LOVED the cooler temps. 60 degrees versus the 115 we had been dealing with in Tulsa, literally felt like heaven. It was almost a shock to our system. We enjoyed every minute of our time outdoors.

We took a hike on one of the trails. Saw some wildlife, pretty flowers, enjoyed the smells and sounds of the wild. Got a great workout with the high elevation. The boys were tired by the end of our journey.

We stopped and had lunch at Lake Marie. Josh conveniently "dropped" his ham sandwich into the water "by accident" after I told him he needed to eat it all. What a stinker. We reminded him that we were kids once, and we tried to be sneaky too, with our parents. He just laughed. We aren't dummies. I think he got the picture.

After lunch we hiked down another trail that was by a big waterfall that came from Lake Marie. It was fun.

Sam stopped and posed on this "cool rock." He insisted that I take a photo. Aaron, of course followed in big bro's footsteps. But he proceed to declare that he was doing a "mean guy M&M" pose. This kid is a crackup.

Goodbye mountains! We enjoyed our visit. See you again sometime.

Hayes come to town

2011-08-22T22:32:00.002-04:00

We were so excited for the Hayes family to visit Tulsa. Frank and Lawrence are BFF. Natalie and I were joking about how often they are on the phone together. We were saddened that we had to leave town for WY that Friday they arrived in town. However, we were able to spend the afternoon with them, grabbed some lunch and had a few hours of visiting. It was real nice. Baby Lawson is adorable. The boys ate him up! Perhaps we'll see them again real soon!?!

Gazpacho aka FOUP

2011-08-03T23:05:00.003-04:00

Aaron and I made Gazpacho yesterday for lunch. He's such a good little helper in the kitchen. "what's that Mom?"...tomato? (he smiles) Yes, Aaron
"what's that Mom?"...peppers? (he smiles) Yes, Aaron
"what's that Mom?"...cucumber? (more smiles, another affirmation by me)
What a smart little fella. He was my master stirrer. And thought the "FOUP" was delicious. He helped himself to two bowls.
He cannot say his "S" to save his life. Another great example, Sam is MAM. I love this little man.

Grandma Mason

2011-08-03T22:49:00.005-04:00

Dorothy Knudson Mason

May 21, 1919-July 28, 2011

She and Grandpa just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last week. We will miss you, Grandma. We love you even more.

Sam is 6

2011-08-03T22:26:00.004-04:00

I love this little boy. He is so special.

Sam turned 6 last Friday. He's growing like a weed. He requested chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream for breakfast. He enjoyed opening presents before Frank went to work. He was pleased with his gifts. We met Dad for lunch and went out for pizza, another favorite of his.

Later that night he invited a few friends to play games with him at ChuckECheese. Because I love this boy so much, I agreed to the party on his actual birthday. Never will I go to CEC again on a Friday night. It was a total sweat box, overcrowded and as Rebecca put it well, "it smelled like sweaty, stinky feet in there!" Bleh. The kids had a blast though, go figure.

We came home and enjoyed birthday cake. His cake order was "a big chocolate cake with a lizard, turtle, and snake in a tree with a river". I tried my best. He loved it.

The party gang from L to R: Eli, Isaac, William, Joey, Sam, Josh, Ian and Joey.

there is always hope

2011-08-03T21:59:00.002-04:00

See that? That little round thing? I thought it would never happen with this blasted OK heat. I finally have some tomatoes growing. It's a miracle.

The garden is doing great. Lots of veggies, we love to see things grow. And, then eat them up!
Just planted a fall garden amongst what is growing. I'm hoping it will all work out. Potatoes, spinach, lettuce, winter squash, garlic and pumpkins.

goodbye beach...

2011-08-03T21:34:00.005-04:00

It was a great week. We loved every bit of the beach and Gulf Shores. We were sad to leave.

We took a different route home. We had seen enough ghetto Arkansas to fill our bucket so we headed west on I-10. Decided to take a pit stop and do some sight-seeing. Hello, New Orleans! Aaron loved the steamboat. It departed as we walked the riverfront. It's whistle was so loud that it made him a bit nervous. But he was excited too.

We wandered the French Quarter for about an hour or so and got some lunch at a cute cafe. Rice & beans, jambalaya, po' boy sandwich...YUM-O. I thought New Orleans was delicious. Here we are in the Place d'Armes, aka Jackson Square.

These were a few balconies that I thought were lovely.

STL Cemetery #1, in all it's glory.

A bayou in LA driving on I-10 west. Frank said he saw an alligator down in the water...

We stopped in Shreveport for the night and then continued our journey to Tulsa the next morning. We logged 1800 miles and it was an awesome trip!

Day 6: Beach, beach and more beach!

2011-08-02T23:40:00.012-04:00

Aaron and I hit the beach early Friday morning. Watched the sunrise and spent about an hour watching little crabs wander around, collecting shells and listening to the ocean. We spotted a dolphin swimming. It was a beautiful time. Aaron was not in the best spirits, but we made the most of it.

Rainbows at the beach!?!...doesn't get much better than that!

The watering hole, one of Aaron's favorite spots. He loved to wash his feet and play with the faucet. Josh and Sam were up once we got home and they were gathering all their shells and sand dollars. Grandma Maddox gave them come containers to divide things up. I just had to take a picture of the porch. It was always a cluttered mess. The drop off zone. It just showed that the house was well used!

Here in this photo, Grandma and Josh were comparing leg lengths. In no time Josh will be taller than Mom.

Here's the beautiful Mia! We were so happy that Andrew and Emily were able to come down to visit. Aaron liked Mia a lot. She is such a cutie.

Grandpa Maddox and Sam were snorkeling on Friday. There were always tons of fish around. Big ones. Frank and I were thinking just last night, since we have been watching lots of shark shows on "shark week" that we were pretty lucky. Colder waters, overcast days, swarms of fish...good thing we didn't get eaten! We didn't care, we had swimming in the ocean to do. I don't think there was anything that could have stopped Mom from swimming. She is like a fish. A happy fish when in the water. I love it!

Josh and Frank caught a bucket full of jellyfish Friday afternoon. I guess they descended upon the beach after Aaron and I left. Josh wanted me to see them and so he brought home the bucket. He was so pleased.

Tender. Hold me. Family photos at the beach. Thanks to our lovely photographer, the beautiful Anna. She did a great job. Dang we are cute.

The beach staches. In all their glory.

That night we got some BBQ at a restaurant that claimed they had the "best butts on the beach". It was pretty dang good. Aaron loved visiting with Mia during dinner. Afterwards we went to The Hangout and I got a caricature done of Aaron to add to our collection. It's darling! Then we went home and celebrated Sam's birthday. He had a tall cake order...brownie, ice cream and cake layers. With chocolate frosting and lots of sprinkles. It wasn't the prettiest thing, but I made it happen. He was a happy birthday boy! Can't believe he's 6. Where does the time go?

Day 5: Beach

2011-08-02T23:09:00.006-04:00

Thursday morning was tough. Aaron had a fever all night and was a bear when he finally got up. He had been sick all week, but Wednesday night it was the worst. We woke up and ate popsicles for breakfast on the dock. Which also included a BIG dose of whine. Poor kid. Josh & Sam found about two dozen hermit crabs, a few blue crabs and some sea snails...aka "blobs". It was a lovely morning.

Everyone else, including Andrew, Emily & little Mia enjoyed the beach while Aaron and I sat at home, sick. BOO. Double BOO. Hence, no fun photos. Frank took the camera out later that night to catch the sunset. He also snagged a pic of a real, creepy bird.

We went out for Mexican food and came home and played games. I love family time and game nights! Apples to Apples was a hit with Sam. He loved it!

Day 4: Fishing

2011-07-31T23:18:00.011-04:00

We got up early Wednesday morning to go fishing. Mom & Bel stayed back to tend to Aaron, who was a sick puppy. Thanks to them for being so good and kind. The rest of us piled in the car and headed toward the marina. We took a 6hr fishing charter. It was AWESOME.

We took about an hour and half boat ride out to sea. The captain said it was about 22 miles offshore.

Josh wanted to put Frank's sasquatch beef jerky stick on the pole. He thought the fish may like beef jerky....hmmmm

Sam and Dad were fishing partners. They did GREAT! Dad ended up catching the most for the day, which was 5.

Frank's catch of the day, a Porgie! And the Coast Guard even stopped by. Red snapper season had ended a few days prior, so they came aboard to make sure everyone was obeying the rules.

In the cabin...keeping cool and resting on the 2hr drive back to land.

Total fish caught was 12. It was pretty cool to watch the dudes cut and clean the fish. We came home with three bags full of vermilion snapper...and one porgie!

day 3: Pensacola, FL

2011-07-31T19:48:00.007-04:00

Some folks (my Frank & Bel) had major malfunctions with their sunscreen applications on Monday. They suffered severe sunburn and that compelled us to take shelter from the sun on Tuesday. We decided it was a great day to go to Pensacola and visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. This was a special treat for us because that is where Grandpa Henrich began his military career 4o years ago, at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The museum was awesome!

Here is Grandpa and Josh in front of the USS Lexington. This is the aircraft carrier that he was stationed on, back in the day.

On our way to lunch we stopped to watch some folks training. Frank's Dad did the same thing years ago. He was pretty excited to get out and show the boys what was going on.

Mustin Beach Officer's Club. Frank's ol' stompin' grounds. This is where Frank got a little bit rowdy...he was excited to see it again.

Pensacola Lighthouse. 177 stairs to the top. The view was spectacular.

Grandma Maddox and Aaron stayed below to watch our journey.

Sam really was happy up there, that is, until he tried to shove his head through the bars and it got knocked. And, then I freaked out and yelled at him and his feelings were hurt. This kid it total drama.

These beaches rocked!

the summer road trip

2011-07-29T23:41:00.003-04:00

800+ miles and 14 hours later we rolled into Gulf Shores, AL. We were all a bit stir-crazy by the end. It took us 3.5hrs to go 60 miles once we got into Mobile. NOT COOL. Everyone and their brother was arriving for Saturday check-in at the beach. Aaron had an attitude the whole time in the car. Actually the whole trip. He got sick which made things difficult. Good thing he's cute and that we love him.

Our house was the second from the right. These were our views into the Lagoon. It was lovely.

Mom & Dad were at the house when we arrived. The boys hunkered down for some good ol' fashioned GO FISH. We were so glad to be at "Grandma's house" as Aaron would put it. :) If only it were true...