Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to the most wonderful mommy! God has blessed me so much with such a great role model in my life. You are such a servant and even though you aren't perfect, and can have your 'days', you look to Christ as your example and strong tower. Thank for all that you do, and words could never begin to express the love I have for you. You are a cook, baker, chauffeur, laundress, seamtress, dish doer, teacher, floor scrubber, good night kiss giver, band-aid putter onner, encourager, lover, and most of all a servant of Christ that is willing to submit to whatever task he sets before you, even if it isn't the most pleasant or what you wanted to do. Thank you for pointing us to the cross, and being there to tell us that you and daddy love us, but most of all Jesus loves us. I love you sooo much and I hope that we can grow closer and closer together throughout the years!
~Bugg

Oggie turns 11 today- Happy Birthday, ICEMAN!

Someone at  work said to me yesterday, "man, you are ALWAYS having a birthday at your house!" 
The Iceman (aka, Oggie) turns 11 today and we will celebrate starting today and through the weekend.  He is very excited for his birthday!  I peeked in on him while he is still sleeping right now and I can't believe how fast this time goes.  He is becoming a young man!  He loves to mow our yard, he plays soccer with boys who are as tall as his dad, he has become more difficult to wrestle with and is reading books like the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other classics.
He is an intelligent, FUN, loving, and strong, individual and I am so thankful to our Lord that I get to have him as a son!
Post him birthday wishes in the comments!

Overheard at the Hennhouse

(As we are driving down the street Dash spotted somebody out walking...)
Dash: Look at those people over there!
Bear: Those aren't people!! Those are humans! You are so mean.

(Oggie and I were discussing who we know that are social butterflies...)
Oggie: Yeah, she is definitely a  social butterfly.
Bugg: So... am I a social butterfly?
Oggie: Well, um I think you're perfect. Not too butterfly-y but still pretty fun.

~Bugg

Piggy Toes and Picky Fingers

~Bugg

Sorry for leaving you all hanging for such a long time....
Dash and Bear both had birthdays in March and they are getting sooooo sooooo big. I love those two to death and I'm very thankful God put them in my family.

They are getting so big and handsome. I love them so much! Happy Birthday Boys!! Mommy and I spent her birthday in Ethiopia!! We had a wonderful, God-filled, life changing time and I will have dedicate a post to that subject entirely... Here are just a few sneak peeks of our time there.

                                                 The travel was exhausting.....

                                                     The coffee was to die for.... :)

                                    

God totally blessed the time we had there and gave us so much grace even when we were at our weakest points. Once we got back, we realized that getting back into the swing of things was going to be difficult, and sometimes even now it still is....
We had an amazing Easter, and I don't know if I will ever be able to express how ecstatically grateful I am that Jesus is ALIVE!!

We drove up to our cousin's house to celebrate Easter, and we had so much fun. (Sadly though, I forgot the camera, and the phone pictures aren't on the computer yet, so you'll have to wait...) The weather has been so beautiful here, and we have been enjoying it as best we can. Oggie and Dash started soccer and they love it. I have been running with my friend once or twice a week and Bear is the basketball KING! Erna is a total bicycler and Lillers, well she just hangs out...

Our baby is getting so big... Pretty soon we'll be celebrating her second birthday....Wow! Time surely does fly! Well, signing off for now, and I will be back soon with more hennhouse updates...
~Bugg

Sick House.....

Yes, we here at the hennhouse are all sick. very sick. Squeakers was rushed to the hospital on Sunday because she was having a seizure, because she has a fever, that's how sick we are. But the few good things about being sick: Daddy being home, Starwars all DAY, no school,time to make packing for Ethiopia lists!!,  Pop, chips and extra attention, and pancakes! The bad things: Runny noses, fevers, coughs, sneezing, icky medicine, (but we are thankful for it!), and the other sickness symptoms that aren't worth rambling on about. Thanks so much to the friends and family that prayed so hard for us on Sunday! That was so hard and scary to see little Squeakers so helpless and not knowing what was going on! Thank also to the people who have been so sweetly bringing us meals, flowers, coffee, and tea!! Please keep our family in your prayers and thanks to every one who has been praying for us! We are slowly on the mend!
~Bugg

A little bed night levity

It's always fun to get little people ready for bed at our house (tongue-in-cheek).  It seems like this song has been coming up more and more as we start the process of getting ready.  Enjoy.

it comes from this part of the Dispicible me movie:

a little help can go a long way

Check out the link below:
http://nordstromsadopt.blogspot.com/2012/01/swing-set-for-orphans-please-help.html

As many of you who would read our family blog already know, Ta and Bugg are getting ready to travel to Shone, Ethiopia to serve with Look Development.

Last year, the day after Christmas, I went on a similar trip to the exact same area with a group of 28 people.
Below are some pictures from the trip I was on.  It was such a joy to see the families that we sponsored.  They loved spending the brief moments we had together and wanted to talk about our family and their love for the Savior!

I will never forget my time there, and I hope to return someday. I learned so much about faith in God and the power of prayer in a place where depending on God takes on a whole new meaning.  Bugg and Ta will be truly enriched by the faith of the people they will meet there, the Look Development ministry and the beautiful work of the gospel as they bring the Good News!

There are so many ways to pray for them as they embark on this journey.  They need prayer for funding, medicine, formula for the infants in the orphanage and all the preparations.  May God bless their journey!
I'm posting the link again, there is a place to give your donation at the bottom of the linked post!
http://nordstromsadopt.blogspot.com/2012/01/swing-set-for-orphans-please-help.html

End of the Year Review

Oh! Every year we wait patiently (or not) for Christmas and the new year, but it seems that every year it manages to sneak up on us! God has blessed us so much this past year, I don't know where to begin....

Last year was a year of blessing...

Daddy in Ethiopia last January. Lord willing, Mommy and I will be able to travel there in March! Praise Him!

I was baptized in September...

 A year of fun..

And many lost teeth...

Lots of silliness...

A year of birthdays and celebrations...

Happy 10th B-day!

Our 4th Famiversary!!

This one says it all!

It was also a year of hardships...
You can't really take pictures of hardships, and if you could, they wouldn't be a feast for the eyes. We had flooding all summer, and believe it or not, we are going through a drought right now.  We said goodbye to our cousin who joined the Airforce... And we miss him terribly! But there are the spiritually hardships, and emotional ones too.  God is right there and even though it doesn't always feel like it, He works all things for good of those who love Him.

We had a year of family,friends, fun, and fellowship...

Vacation in MN....

Disney World!

Apple orchard with good pals! 

Monday Night Football!! 

This post could go on for a year! :) Everybody is growing up so fast....We are still homeschooling, and we finished our basement renovation a few months ago, watched some friends bring their daughter into her forever family, and are excited with the friends and family who are starting the process of adoption! We made some connections with some Ethiopian and Eritrean friends, and started bringing them to church, and rejoiced when a friend serving overseas came home. (See that story Here)   With love,

The Henn's!  Wishing you a Happy New Year...

~Bugg~

Yeah! Christmas Break

 Merry Christmas from the HENN'S!!
Today we start our Christmas break from schooling.  The next few days we will spend with family and friends celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ!
Erna has drawn us a festive Christmas tree picture and below, i'm posting a picture of the Solar System model the kids made from balloons!  It fits right in with the rest of our Christmas decor!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy, happy new year!

Love, The Henn Family!