Oh dear....

Oh my. This is bad, very bad. :) I haven't posted in a very long time. I am really truly sorry, really I am. I could give you a bunch of lame excuses like, I have my own blog, school, we went to Florida, holidays....Wait, did I just say that we went to FLORIDA! Yep! And that is what I will write about today.
        A couple of weeks ago, we woke up super pumped to get on an airplane and leave for Orlando FL!!! But, this is way to much to write, so I will pick from the 2000+ pictures my dad and I took and tell that way. :)

We spent the night in a hotel in Omaha, because our flight left at 7:00 the next morning. Our grandparents were there too! The next morning we woke up and groggily ate breakfast and loaded onto the shuttle. We were very, very tired. Thankfully, the only thing lost the whole trip was my mother's cellular device. Even though that was a big deal at the time, she got my dad's old one and it all worked out. smile....

God blessed us with a very easy flight, nobody was fussy, had ear trouble or got sick... Every thing was a breeze!! My other family (Aunts, Uncle, Cousins) were all flying different airlines, but we all landed in Orlando within 20 minutes of each other. Talk about a serious whoa.....

 PS: They really are not kidding when they say mini pretzels...

Neither me, Erna, Oggie or Squeakers had flown before and Bear and Dash really don't remember it, and all I have to say is it was sooooo cool. And very very pretty!
We had to transfer flights in Georgia and that went smoothly, and the rest of the ride to FL was quick!

We met up with our cousins in the FL airport and let me tell you.... It was a very happy reunion! My cousin Bears( Same nickname as our Bear) brought 4 lightsabers so our boys and Bears were happily cuttting off eachother arms and using the force to slam each other into the walls. :) Just kidding!

As you can imagine getting a group picture was impossible. literally impossible. But our group was a pretty good size.... We had rented to 7 passenger vans for our 17 people (that's including 8 carseats and luggage and 2 strollers) and thankfully, when we got there the shocked car renter person gave us a 15 passenger and a 7 passenger. We had room to spare! That really was a huge (literally) blessing. We would have had to make 2 trips and check into the resort and then manuver back to the airport to pick up the remaining troopers.....Jeepers. Thank goodness we didn't have to do that.

 We made a quick dinner stop at Cici's! Yum, all you can eat pizza/pasta/soup/salad/desert buffet. I think we need one of these in our neck of the woods....

The resort we stayed at was great! There was plenty of room and a full kitchen which was nice.

Well, that's all for now, but here is a preview of what is next.....And I promise I will post again soon...

~Bugg

Out and about...

A couple weekends ago, my mom found a gift card for a restaurant that we had received and forgotten that we had. So they surprised us and we ate out! Our family loves to go on outings, whether it be going to church, to a friends house, even just to the park, but eating out is a special treat.. =) We had a great time and it was fun to eat dinner together in a different setting than the regular dining room table. After we ate, we decided to go to the Morningside College campus and take a walk. Boy, am I glad I brought the camera. There were so many good places to take pictures; fountains, tall evergreen trees, tall brick walls with ivy and flowers spilling all over them... If you ever need a good place to take a family picture, I would definitely recommend it. We took a pretty good distance walk, then went to the gym and ran around the track several times. It was very, very fun. Did I mention that's were my mom and dad met? They loved pointing out to us where their old dorms were and their parents old dorms. Yep, I had grandparents that met at that college too...weird....Here are some of the pictures from the night.

 We are jumping off what my dad kept calling the 'spoon-holder', I don't know....It looked more like a horseshoe to me =) By the way... it took at least 7 tries to get this picture... just trying to get balanced took awhile..

                                I think my sister is just adorable, and so photogenic...

Mr. Dash is pretty stinkin' handsome too! I loved being with my family and eating with them and walking with them and being silly with them. =) It will be sad when we are all grown up and not together anymore...
     I have to write about one more thing. Friday night we went to our friends the D's house and had a bonfire!! It was so much fun. They have a girl and a boy around my age, and they live on a farm! (Which is very fun and exciting for us 'city slickers' as my mom would say) While we were there we did a hilarious skit (it's our tradition) and told scary stories while sitting on fence in the dark. It was a great time of fun and fellowship and I wish I would have brought the camera and taken pictures. bummer. Anyway, have a great week and thanks for reading!
~Bugg

Fun in the Fall~Part 2

See? I told you it would come! :) I am feeling very accomplished, because I actually followed through with a part two.....
     A couple weeks ago, we went to an apple orchard with our friends the Nordstroms and the Etheringtons. We had a great time, the weather was perfect and the apples were amazing! When we got there we ate our packed lunch and set right out to pick apples!! After picking too many plenty of apples, sampling cider, and walking around the orchard for a while we were ready to go. But not ready to go home, oh no! The day was just getting started! After leaving the fruit farm we drove through a beautiful place called the Loess Hills. Really though, beautiful is not the word to describe this place, it was more like stunning, magnificent, breath-taking, marvelous, to name a few.....
Apparently, the Loess (pronounced Luss)  Hills are a rare land form and the only other like it is someplace in China! Wow....  Impressive... We took a hike and had the privilege to marvel at the wonder of God's glorious creation. Here are some pictures from our delightful afternoon.

 We got quite the kick out of seeing a (full) pack of gum hanging from this tree. It was weird...

All of the kids found sticks and posed with them, even Squeakers!! It was so fun to be with friends and enjoy the seasons, food, and weather God has given us!
   A few days after picking apples, guess what we made? Apple Crisp!! It was the perfect way to use the apples we had picked and it was scrumptious! We have been very thankful for this lovely 60 to 65 degree weather, because in the middle of October, that can be pretty rare.  Other than visiting friends and family, playing outside, and school work, the Hennhouse hasn't been up to much. Thankfully, that also means we haven't been to the E.R in a while and hopefully it stays that way. I will try (really try!) to post again soon. I know I get behind sometimes...
~Bugg
Oh, and by the way.... I started my own blog!! Here it is...
Dingy, but Loved   =)

Boyz doing freestyle Tricks in the driveway

A little taste of some of the tricks the boys have been learning to do in the driveway.

We also have some cool stuff they've done in the back alley with dirt ramps and stuff.  No broken bones yet, but the bikes are taking a beating!

Fun in the Fall~Part One

Oh my! So much has been going on since the last little update. We recently started football and the boys are LOVING it!! Playing football  and being with friends is a perfect combo for them. 

My friend Natasha (from the blog Unto Him We Live) took this last picture. It usually looks like this every Monday night at practice. Beautiful!! 

      Since July we have been working on a bedroom in the basement for Oggie, Dash, and Bear. About a week ago the boys started sleeping down there. Erna moved into the boys old room and I moved into her old room. It was quite the flip-flop and is still a work in progress. But it is wonderful to have all the boys in the basement and I am loving having my own room.....=)

Bear in his new Bed!!

In the mail the other day was a package with two very special things in it....

                                       Dash and Bear's citizenship certificates!!

 Although they were officially US citizens in 2008,

It has been a very long and tedious process to get the actual certificates. Even though it was fun to get those in the mail it was slightly confusing to some. Dash looked at mom and said, "But, Mommy, It's just a piece of paper." It reminded me that no piece of paper or official court date could ever make Bear or Dash more a part of the family as they have been or ever will be.
         The final thing I wanted to write about is the wonderful Ethiopian experience we had last Sunday.  It would take a bit too long to describe in words, and it was so wonderful and fun filled I don't even think I could describe it in words. =) Here are some pictures though....

Our hostess Senait did a marvelous job cooking plenty of Ethiopian food. She and her husband Ron did a fantastic job making you feel welcome at their house. My dad (who's been to Ethiopia a couple times) kept telling me it felt like being back in Addis! (The capital city)

                          Dash and Oggie were so into their food they could hardly pose for a photo!

                       My and my bud SUNSHINE!! (from the blog  Room For More) If you want to read even more about the time we had eating and fellow shipping Ethiopian style, I would definitely check out that blog....
  Well, I think that is the end of part one... Don't worry, Part two will come, soon!
~Bugg

A Little Update...

Our chubby little Squeakers isn't so little anymore...... She is walking and running all over the house, and into everything. We have been calling her our little bird, because she looks like one when she waddles throughout our house. The last time we had a toddler in the house was when we brought 16 month Bear home in 2007. But how time flies! Now Bear is 5 and the basketball star of the Hennhouse! Anyway, we went to Grandview Park for a back to school picnic about a week ago and Squeakers was toddling all over the Bandshell, crawling all over the stairs and of course, posing for pictures. :)

 She is just about as cute as they come!

This is her new look, we call it the Smolder. She pooches her lips then leans forward and smacks her face on your cheek. SO ADORABLE!

YUM! Mom found a subway gift card from Christmas that we didn't know we had. Score!
              The day after my birthday (which was FABULOUS) we headed out for our annual Church Retreat. Our Uncle JT was the speaker this year so my Aunt Lea and my cousins were there...I didn't take a single picture (whoops) and I can't do justice trying to explain with words......But check this blog (Unto Him We Live) and you can read all about the wonderful time we had. Also, we are finishing a part of our basement as a bedroom and as I am writing the carpet is being put down. Eeeek! We are soooo excited to move bedrooms around and I will post pictures of it later....Thanks for reading this little update!
~Bugg

Fierce Tenacity

I pretty sure my kids think their daddy is nuts.  I tried to make this as dramatic as possible. 

Bugg is turning thirteen

It is really hard to not cry as we look at these pictures and think about how fast the time has gone by.  Our first little baby was born 13 years ago!  There are so many things we want to say about her and how special she is. Our family is so blessed by Bugg each and everyday.  She has a special gift of serving and loving.  Bugg is usually ready for a new challenge, especially if it comes to her in the kitchen or in the form of music. It is amazing to see how God is using her and we are even more excited to see what He has in store for her future!
Happy Birthday, sweet Bugg.

Please wish her a happy birthday!

Minnesota Vacation Memories

This is a list the kids and I generated driving home from our vacation this summer.  I wanted to log it on the blog to remember.

Tubing
Indian Pies and smores
Bathroom floor sand
laser guns
Nate/ butterscotch pie
Becca/ blue cupcake in the face
crafts at the lodge
Kaylee and daddy write a song about Nate and Becca
worship time on the beach
beach volleyball
lodge games(pool, PacMan, pinball, Deer Hunter)
checkers
"Big Boy" (mad dog down the lane)
hide and go seek in the dark
shopping for tea cups
going to town-getting  birth stone rings at the Trading Post
Bella's Cafe-coffee......
eating Claira's fish she caught
Levi catching a rock bass
looking at the stars on the dock @night
deer on the side of the rode on the way to visit Papoose Bay
reminiscing @ Papoose Bay (swings, shuffle board, lakefront)
bare feet all week
skiing/ tubing and knee boarding on the "Shell Bell"
orange and grape soda in glass bottles at the lodge
bike rides
bike ramp off the side of the road near the golf course
riding in Jerry's Gator
sleeping with the windows open with a lake front breeze
double tubing with Logan/ Andrew and Kaylee
being near extended family all week long

Planting Trees.....

Recently, our family just returned from a family vacation in Northern Minnesota.  We do not take this blessing of a vacation for granted.  We realize it is a gift to take a family of 8 anywhere for a week.  God used our phone free, clock free, computer free, calendar free week to remind me of my calling to be a mom. This is my attempt to remember what God taught me last week.

Andrew Peterson wrote a song entitled: "Planting Trees".  The words resonated  with my heart as I was surrounded by the beauty of the Minnesota cedar and birch trees.  God has given Layne and I six beautiful young saplings to take care of.   Some of the lyrics of the song say, "So many years from now, long after we are gone these trees will spread their branches out and bless the dawn. These trees will spread their branches out and bless someone."  Our hope and prayer is that these "young trees" will ultimately have roots that grow deep into the soil of God's Word and a love for the Lord.

God in His perfect timing has also given me some practical application as to  "how"  to nourish and encourage my kids. The book: Everyday Talk by John Younts is a great read!  I had read it years ago and picked it up and flipped to the chapter 8 "Your Home is God's Greenhouse". I was reminded of the verse Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."  If I am not encouraging and building up my children with my words, my words are considered to be corrupting.  

This was convicting........I am praying for God's grace to help me to look for opportunities to find ways to encourage them throughout the day. This becomes a challenge when they are fighting and whining and complaining.  My flesh wants to sometimes whine and yell back.  This is a serious battle.  I am trying to pretend that I put tape over my mouth and not respond until I pray.  My prayer may be short, " Lord set a guard over my mouth.....Lord help me.....Lord help me to LOVE...Lord remind me of my own sin......I am asking Jesus to help me see my calling as a mom, to care tenderly for my trees.  I long to use the short time they will be at home to nurture them in the ways of the Lord. 

Lord, thank you so much for my children.  Only by your grace can I love my children the way you love.  Help me to bear with them when some of the days seem challenging.  Thank you for gentle reminders of your love and goodness.  Thank you for the lives of my children.  I ask in your name, Jesus, that they would have strong roots that are clinging to YOU!

Tanya August 2011