A Tale of Two Kitchens!

Thursday, Caroline and I decided to take a quick trip up to the local farmer's market.  They had lots of beautiful fruit to choose from, so we decided to take advantage of all of the colorful choices to fill up Mommy's kitchen!

As soon as we got home, Caroline found the strawberry box pulled it out of the bag, then insistently kept signing 'more'!  I found this to be interesting because it had been a while since she had tried some, and when she did, she wasn't too thrilled.  So, we pulled one out of the box and she went right at it.

After completely devouring the first one, Caroline wanted more and more.  So, I tried to show her how to 'enjoy' her food by making it last a little longer.  Needless to say, that's what she did, one bite at a time :)

At church, we picked up a little table and chair set from the music minister whose girls had out-grown it.  We now officially have a kitchen area in our living room!  After our nap, we set up the table and one of the chairs (for now), right next to Caroline's princess kitchen in the living room.  Her toy box fits just right underneath.  Here are a couple of pictures of Caroline enjoying a snack at her table while watching Sesame Street :)

So, now there are 'two' kitchens here at the Henderson house!  Both have sinks to wash our hands, ovens to bake in, cabinets to clutter and tables to dine!  We hope you all enjoyed your first weekend of March too :)

February in a Flash!

 Caroline's newest and most favorite toy is now ... a Pink Bouncy Ball!  At the beginning of the month I took her to the BX to pick out a ball.  Don't know why I hadn't thought of it earlier!  She absolutely loves it and as soon as she spots it we hear "Ball, ball, ball!"

 On Valentine's Day, Caroline got a package from Grandma Webber.  It was complete with two picture magnets and a bag full of Yogurt Melts (one of Caroline's favorites)!  Caroline just loves to play with the magnets on the fridge :) 

 Thanks Grandma!

 Caroline and I had a week in the middle of February where we were both under the weather.  So, we had a lot of snugly, nose blowing, cuddly days!

 Yet, even when she is sick, Caroline always can whip up a cute little smile that melts away all of the aches and pains :)

 Caroline also enjoys Mommy's jewelry as much as Mommy does.  Every time I go to open my jewelry box that hangs on the wall, Caroline comes and points to see 'The Pretties!"

 Caroline has had a lot of fun with Lucien this month.  She likes to come up to him and give him random kisses on occasion :)

 Sometimes they even like to chase each other up and down the hall.  We never know what is going to happen next at the Henderson house!

 Soon they will be discovering the great unknowns together!

 He might be bigger than her, but she holds her ground and lets him know who is boss!  

 Silly girl waiting for Sunday morning breakfast in her high chair.

 Caroline has also started the 5-minute hair-do phase.  This occurs when we get her hair just perfect, then 5-minutes later we are back at square one :)  We snapped a quick pic before we were back to square one again!

 Does anyone recognize this dress?  This was the same dress that Caroline's cousin, Libby (my sister, Cindy's, daughter) wore to our wedding.  She was just over 9 months at the time.  Here is Caroline at just under 19 months :)

Caroline just wanted to say "Happy Leap Day" to everyone!  She was so excited to celebrate her very first one :)

Valentine's Day 2012

Well, since last night ended at 1:30 am, this morning, for me, Valentine's Day started early.  Clipping coupons and getting ready for my monthly shopping trip.  No, I don't only go shopping once a month!  Once a month, I make a list of all the things that we will need for dinners and buy them all at once.  Meats, cheeses, spices, pantry items, etc. plus whatever else we happen to need at that time, all in a day's shopping trip.

So, Caroline woke up bright and early at 7:00 am, so I got myself ready, get her ready and headed downstairs to a special surprise from Kevin ....

The mug with candies was from Caroline and the Conversation Hearts (which are my absolute FAVORITE candy in the whole wide world) were from Kevin!  Needless to say, this Mommy's heart was touched!

Then, Caroline and I headed out to the Farmer's Market and Commissary.  We went as fast as we could since we both were feeling under the weather and the weather wasn't too great outside.  So, off we go and 2 hours later we were back and Daddy just happened to be home to help unload the groceries from the car!  He is my sweetheart and I love him so much :)

So, while Caroline took her nap, I cut-up, wrapped, foiled and labeled 4-weeks worth of meat and arranged it in the deep freezer.  Then, when Caroline woke up from her nap we watched Sesame Street and colored a Valentine for Daddy!  Caroline is learning to color with crayons and not eat them ... a big step for a toddler :)

The cutest part was, when Kevin came home from work, Caroline was standing in the living room holding her card with a BIG smile on her face to show her Daddy!  If I knew it would have timed out so perfectly, I would have taken a picture of it, it was priceless... maybe next time!

Kevin took us out to Jason's Deli for dinner and a couple stops on the way home.  One stop was especially for his other little Valentine, a very special treat ...

 Caroline LOVES balloons!

Whether they are in a store or in a book, she just loves to point and giggle!  So, she had the best time hugging, tugging and simply loving her special gift from her Daddy.  She even chased the cat around the living room with it :)

A good day was had by all!

Lucien Come!

What happens when you have a hungry dog begging for food, Mommy making dinner and a baby in a highchair?  Well, this Mommy has to keep both the dog, Lucien, and baby Caroline entertained while she finishes up.  Hope you enjoy :)

Don't worry, Lucien was fed as soon as the camera was put down :)

January 24, 2010 ... Bittersweet to say the least

Many of you have heard this story before, but for those who have not today marks the 2nd anniversary of a bittersweet day in our lives.  Here is my story ...

My Grandma & Me at my Wedding 2005

Sunday, January 24, 2010 started out like any normal Sunday.  Kevin and I went to church in the morning, ate lunch and looked forward to a nice Sunday afternoon rest.  Before I laid down, I checked my email and found this one from my Mom to all of the kids in our family:

Subject:  Grandma has taken a turn for the much worse.....‏

....Grandpa called and let me know Grandma could die within the day.  Her aortic aneurism is leaking....they are giving her meds to keep her comfortable.  Dad and I are leaving for Deland now.  We will keep you posted.

Love you....keeping praying,

Mom

WOW!  I didn't even know what to think.  Growing up, I had always feared the day when my grandparents would pass away.  Sometimes I would cry just thinking about it or imagining life without them.  Other than people from church and friends from school, I had never experienced someone close to me pass away.  So, this was it... the first of my grandparents was about to meet Jesus.  

So, I prayed for peace for Grandma & Grandpa and the rest of the Larson family (she was my Mom's mom), safety in travel for my parents and cried myself to sleep. 

Later that afternoon, we got up to go to a membership class at the church we were attending since we were not yet members.  After finishing the class, we headed over to the sanctuary for church.  My cell phone rang just outside.  It was Mom.  Grandma had passed away about an hour before.  As she began telling me the scenario of what happened, I listened but tears filled my eyes and I felt like I couldn't breathe.  (Just thinking about it gets me choked up)  I remember her telling me that my sister, Cindy, was there with her youngest daughter, Leah, whom Grandma had not yet met until that day.  Cindy was holding Leah up, who was just shy of 10 months at the time, to meet her Great-Grandma and shortly after that she closed her eyes and passed away.  It is a sweet thought to remember that the last thing that Grandma saw was her Great-Granddaughter.

When the nurses had confirmed that Grandma had passed, my Grandpa suggested that they sing some hymns.  Listening to my Mom tell me this was like being there and was comforting.  We were standing outside the church, I started sobbing before I could tell Kevin what happened so we went to the van and drove home.  

Before I go on, I have to share a little something about why my Grandma was so special and important to me....

The first time Grandma & I met while they were home from the mission field.

I was born on January 5th ... just 2 days after my Grandma's birthday.  So, very appropriately, my parent's gave me her middle name, O'Neil, which I took very much pride in being named after my Grandma. 

Grandpa Larson among the Dani people

My Grandparents and their 4 children in Irian Jaya

 My grandparents spent almost 40 years of their lives as missionaries to the people of Irian Jaya, now Papua.  They came into a tribe who had never seen a white person before.  They did not have a written language or an alphabet.  My grandparents lived with this tribe and raised 4 children.  They came up with an alphabet, then a written language.  They taught them how to read. They taught them about God and about His Son, Jesus.  How Jesus came to the world, lived a sinless life, then died on the cross for the sins of all men and finally rose again!  The Gospel was taught to a tribe who had never in their lives heard it.   They believed.  They repented.  They learned more and told others.  Then this tribe was able to send out their own Missionaries to other tribes on the island and the Gospel spread.  In the early 1990s, my grandparents retired from the Mission field. Each year or so, they would go back (sometimes both and sometimes just Grandpa) to work with a team to translate the Bible into their language.  In 2003, they had completed the entire New & Old Testament... the Bible!  

I will say that, during this very hard time of loosing my Grandma, there was a comfort and joy knowing that not only was she in the presence of God in Heaven, but that (I can only imagine) she was welcomed into Heaven by the Dani people that she came to serve in Irian Jaya.  What a wonderful homecoming that must have been!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

I believe 100% in God's perfect timing and that he works everything for His perfect plan.  There have been so many evidences in my own life, my relationship with Kevin and so many aspects of our daily lives.  This day is just a testimony of that very fact.  I can say that i know wholeheartedly that what happened the rest of the evening was Philippians 4:7 being lived out in our lives right before our eyes.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:7

So, the story continues ....

On the way home from church as I was an emotional wreck, I asked Kevin if we could stop and pick up a pregnancy test. He could have said, 'Really?  Right now?  Again?' See, we had been trying to have a baby for over 2 years at this point.  I was a few days late and I think that Kevin felt bad with the circumstances, so he said, 'Sure, Babe, we can do that.'  So I picked up the WalMart 3-pack (ya know, cause we will probably need one in the next month or two again) and we went home.  

I know the instructions say to wait until the morning to take the test, and.... I WAS going to do that, but it had been a really rough day and I was impatient.  So, I took the test and then took a picture on my phone of the result.  I came out to show Kevin and he said, 'So, what does that mean?'  

That means...... WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!

So, as you can imagine, I was pretty excited at that point to say the least.  I remember telling Kevin, 'You know if we end up having a girl, she HAS to have the middle name O'Neil.'  He agreed.

"... the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  Job 1:21

So, yes, about 4 hours or so after my Grandma, Peggy O'Neil Larson, had passed away, we found out that we were pregnant with our sweet Caroline O'Neil.  My heart was filled with sorrow and gladness all at the same time.  A mixture that created 'the peace that passes all understanding.'  Sad, that I wouldn't be able to see, talk to or give my Grandma a hug in this life again.  Glad that she was not in any more pain and glad that she was in God's presence!  I do believe that God perfectly orchestrated that day so that we could make it through.  I remember telling Kevin that night as we were sitting out in the Living room that even if we find out that the test was a false positive and that I am not pregnant, I truly believe with all of my heart that He allowed me to have that test to 'emotionally' help get me through that day.  

Looking back on Sunday, January 24, it is more sweet than bitter, and each year is sweeter knowing that  we are one year closer to meeting Grandma again as she welcomes us into the presence of the Lord.

Grandpa Larson meeting his Great Granddaughter Caroline for the 1st time Thanksgiving 2010

When I look at Caroline, I not only see that she is a gift from the Lord as our child, I see that she was an instrument from the Lord as she made what (at that point in my life) seemed to be the hardest thing to endure a much lighter burden.  My prayer for Caroline is that she comes to know the Lord as her personal Savior at a young age and that she is able to continue the legacy that Grandma began.

Grandpa Larson and Caroline 12.29.11

Today, if you could take a second, please say a prayer for my Grandpa, Gordon Larson, as he remembers and reflects on the 63 years that he spent with his sweetheart, my Grandma.  

Grandma, we are thankful that you are in eternity with your Savior, but we sure do miss you!  Thank you for the legacy that you have left and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

A Henderson Christmas: Part 2 Christmas Eve

So, our Christmas continues a little further north than the first. After a long drive through the night, we made it to Michigan to celebrate  Christmas with the Henderson side of the family.  On Christmas Eve, we went over to Kevin's brother Ryan's house.  First thing we did was meet one of the newest members of the family, Grant Scott Henderson!  One of the cutest little 4 month-olds!

Having children around for Christmas really brings out the fun!  Their excitement is contagious!!!  Here is Ryan & Mary and their 3 kids: Aiden, Katie & Grant unwrapping a gift.

Caroline had so much fun getting to know her cousins and helping them unwrap their gifts too. They were a big help when it came time to open her gifts!

There is never a dull moment when Uncle Kevin is around!  Here he is helping Katie with a knot on the top of her gift.  Like they say, "Firefighters to the rescue"  :)

Caroline had so much fun exploring everyone's gifts!   Aiden's racetrack was a big hit for everyone!

Our neice, Jessie, and nephew, Tristan, enjoyed Christmas with all of us as well!

Here is Katie telling Mr. Frank "Thank You" for a special gift! 

 No matter if it was playing with Daddy, toys, boxes or even wrapping paper.... Caroline definitely enjoyed herself!

Caroline also had fun getting reaquainted with her Grandma Cathy too!  

Peek-a-boo is her favorite!!

Sweet friends share deep thoughts on the 'big girl' chair!  Talking about the memories of Christmas' past :)