So Long. Farewell.

I am enjoying my grandsons so much.  A and J spent some time with us last night while their mom and dad went to a church training class.  Both boys are so sweet and loving.  Little boys are full of energy, but these two make up for the raised volume with their faces.  These two love to always tell Gran that they love me.  I just adore those two rascals; they melt my heart.  I don’t get to be grandmother to C, D, and O very often.  Fort Worth seems further and further away the older I get.  However, the miles seem not so far when I get to see pictures and to read blogs.  Those three are so much alike yet so different.  C loves science and reading.  D is passionate about creating – drawing, painting, building.  O laughs and smiles constantly.  He appears to be a combination of his brothers in a one year old body.  All five of my little men are Lego-maniacs.

I hope that they remember the times they had growing up.  Both of my girls are such great momas whose focus is making memories for their sons.  They both have made amazing choices for husbands.  I am blessed to have my “girls” make such wise decisions.  Watching the video of S and W’s wedding and the DVD of B and J’s brings back such pride.  Keeping up with their lives through S’s blog and B on Facebook brings me joy. 

I remember when I was in high school my tiny school put on a production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  It definitely was not Broadway quality, but it was a big deal for my little town of 500 people.  There were only 13 in my entire grade!  Anyway, I was given the part of Maria (There weren’t many choices, and I at least could carry a tune!)  I do remember the song the Von Trapps sang when leaving Austria - "So long. Farewell..." Life is not like high school anymore.  My life is a bit more complicated.  It's time for me to say goodbye to blogging.  It’s been “real.”

Do not ever forget....

My stars!!!!

Happy Birthday, America
Owen

The Albuses
Rebecca, Jeff, Jonathhan, Angel

The Carpenters
Wade, Clayton, Drew, Owen, Sarah

Happy Birthday, Angel

Drew's Infecous smile

Clayton is fearless

Jonathan on Graduation Day

I can still hear my Mother saying "Oh, my stars"..  It was funny then.  Now I just smile.  My daughters have matured into blessed godly mothers.  And my grandsons...  It goes without saying..  All five are perfect boys.  Well, not always.   ; )  BUT, I feel like I miss so much because they grow up so quickly.  I don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like to, but even daily would not be enough.  Both daughters live out of town, and both have lives of their own. They are so busy. I get to see a part of their daily activities through Facebook and blogging.  Isn't technology amazing.  I have evolved from swearing computers were stupid to a very semi geek experimenting with all the latest creative tools.  I even have a Facebook page.  Since I am retired, I so enjoy seeing my kids (ex-students) graduate from college, get graduate degrees (lawyers, doctors, etc), get married, and have children.  The move from Dallas was hard but necessary.  I still miss my friends in Big D.  I never quite felt the same connection with Houston "society".  I still can feel blessed when I look into the eyes of my grandsons.  They are the greatest gift I could hope for no matter where I called home.

Middle Chiild Syndrome

My older brother and sister were born one year apart.  My Dad was in World War II so I was a "war baby".  1949 was a year of MANY births!  My younger brother was born eight years later,  At some time in my life, I was the oldest, baby, and middle child.  That birth order thing was confused by me.  Even so, I consider myself a middle child.

Middle children are unique.  There were many baby pictures of my older siblings - first born - and an abundance of my younger brother - the baby.  The youngest picture of me that I had seen was when I was six.  At about ten, in my mind, that could only mean I was adopted.  One of my childhood friends had just discovered he was adopted, so adoption was on my mind.  This deduction was totally silly.  My sister and I look somewhat alike, talk alike, and defiantly have the same genes.  I could even fool my sister's boyfriend when he called her into believing I was she.  But that's another story.  I asked my mom if I was adopted. Her reaction was shock, tears, and then assurance that she definitely remembered my birth.  My childhood friend was shocked and confused when he first found out he was adopted.  That emotion quickly turned to pride when his mom assured him that he was specifically chosen to be a part of their family.  I soon began to feel that adoption was pretty "neat."  Having a chosen, loved child is just as much a reason for celebration as that of having a biological child.

I have a middle child grandson.  His mom and dad give no more attention to the oldest or the baby than they do to him.  There are just many pictures at various stages of his life.  I'm sure it takes an effort to always give equal attention to each.  I cannot even imagine keeping up with three very active boys. They all are so different - the scientist, the artist, and the never-stop-moving.  As babies all three resembled.  It was definitely obvious that they were brothers.

As I look back over my blog, it doesn't seem that I paid as much attention to my precious Drew.  Maybe this post will make up for it.

And they all grow up...

Where does time go?!  Angel will be in third grade, and Jonathan will be in first grade,

Clayton will be in second grade, Drew in Mother’s Day Out, and Owen learning life lesson at his Momma’s feet.  I know I’m getting old – we Senior Citizens have trouble remembering what day it is – but these boys seem to be growing too fast. Before I know it Angel and Clayton will be driving.  Oh my…  I don’t think I or their parents are ready for that. Children grow so quickly.  It wasn’t so long ago that our two “girls" were up to mischief and providing joy to Popa D and I.  Enjoy those little ones. Make a Bucket List, cobwebs can wait….

So much has happened this spring and summer.  Owen had his first birthday, learned to test his moma, and learned to walk.  What a busy boy!.

The Easter picture of the Albuses was beautiful, and the boys looked so handsome.

The Carpenter boys and their momma looked amazing at Valentines.  All the outfits were selected by Clayton.

Clayton won the spelling bee at his school.  I'm glad he didn't get my spelling gene.  He also was given gold medals at church for memorizing 75 scriptures.  He was the only 1st grader honored.

Speaking of medals... My nephew Trey lived with us when he first moved to Houston.  Getting to really know him was a joy.  He recently swam, biked, and ran his first Ironman.  What an accomplishment.  He couldn't have made it without the support of his family. 

What's up?

Poppa D did great with his bionic knee. Dr. L did a fantastic job. I guess it helps to have an orthopedic surgeon with mechanical engineering as his first degree before going to med school!! D did not run the Houston Marathon – as if he would have anyway –but he is walking to the mailbox and all around the neighborhood.

Both of our oldest grandsons accepted Christ in the last few months. Poppa D and I are so thankful that their tender hearts were open to Him. We were able to watch O being dedicated and C being baptized on video and thanks to YouTube. At least Poppa D and I will be able to see A’s via webcast. Both boys came out of the baptistery with huge angelic smiles on their faces.

All five grandsons are growing up too fast. The youngest one is out of control growing. He is the happiest little guy. He and his mom came to visit one weekend – just the two of them. Even after a long 5 ½ hour drive in horrible Houston traffic and cutting a tooth, O was grinning and cackling while jumping in his Johnny Jump up. He is an amazing child. He is just like his dad physically, “a tall glass of water.” He now is standing up on his own. Walking will be the next milestone. All of the other C boys are growing up equally as quickly. C boy will be in the 2nd grade. He loves science and Math. I guess he takes after his mom. He is going to a classical curriculum school. I was amazed at the types of assignments he has. I don't remember learning what a bar graph was in first grade. He has completed his first basketball season. I think he has found his sport. He loves it and seems to be quite good. D is the artistic one in the family. He loves to draw and create. His sense of humor is amazing. He loves to tell jokes. One that I thought was funny was”Where do pencils come from? Answer: Pennsylvania” He can make a dreary day fill with sunshine. In fact, one of his favorite songs is “You are my
Sunshine". The wheels in his head never stop. He is always thinking. He is convinced that he can do anything the "big boys" can.



The A boys are not letting their cousins be the only ones that are joys. A will be in the third grade. He loves to draw. He is fortunate to have a momma who is a talented artist. He has a live-in art instructor. He also loves rocks; he has quite a collection. A has joined Scouts. He participated in his first pinewood derby recently. J will be in first grade next year. He has been in a unique kindergarten program; he was taught in Spanish half of the day and English the remaining part of his day. He was at our house several weeks ago and decided that he would explore the mechanics of our scales. We were not aware of his experiment until A came in frantically exclaiming that he weighed 125 pounds! Poppa D proudly remarked that he was going to be an engineer. Will first grade be ready to challenge his inquisitive mind?

Here's what's new...

Life for the Hendricksons is changing. September 18 will be an exciting day. Clayton will follow his Lord in baptism,and Owen will be dedicated, an outward picture of his parents' commitment to have him grow in God's teachings. My oldest grandson Angel has also given his heart and soul to Jesus. Seeing a grandchild being born again is even more exciting than seeing my own beautiful baby girls for the first time.

After getting some unexpected news at my last doctor's appointment, I have determined that I need to begin an additional blog. Tentatively it will be entitled "You have a voice; Use it!" I have begun writing, but it is still a work in progress. More updates later.

My how they've grown!

When my "girls" were toddlers, I remember a poster or plaque that said something like cobwebs can wait til tomorrow; babies aren't babies very long. The older I get, the even more precious are my grandchildren. The five grandsons are growing much too fast.


Owen at three months


Johnny and Angel in Colorado


Four cousins
Clayton. Angle, Drew, Johnny


Three brothers
Clayton, Owen, and Drew

What great excuses for not dusting those silly cobwebs! What a waste of precious time . . .

Love,
Gran

Owen - 1 week

Owen is already one week old. I have only seen pictures, but I have been told that he is sleeping well, eating well, and is a champ at all the other things newborns do. My younger daughter and her family are going to see him soon. We get to keep the grand-dog while they travel. I miss being able to see the Dallas "kids", but I get my gran "fix" with Angel and Johnny. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see them regularly. Johnny is "graduating" tonight. I plan to get pictures to document this milestone.

Owen

New babies are a miracle. Being a mother of two girls made it necessary to be taught how to interact with boys. I have five grandsons now. Owen Thomas was born May 7, 2011. His big brothers have been waiting patiently. My family grew to five grandsons with the addition of not only Owen but also Angel and Johnny in November 2010. All five are very different but also share similar characteristics. Angel is blessed with gigantic dimples and a tender heart. Clayton is always thinking; he comes up with the most amazing stories. Johnny is a creative amazing little guy. You have to work hard to stay up with him. Drew is another tender hearted one. He is such a snuggler. Owen will be his own person. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us all from these five very active boys.