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.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Tomorrow is my oldest Dallas grandson's 6th birthday. It seems like yesterday that he was born. Clayton has grown up so quickly.


He is so funny and smart. Of course, I'm not biased. He loves science. For Christmas he wanted a microscope - a real one. He asked his mom recently for a sewing needle so he could prink his finger, make it bleed, make a slide, and look at his blood under the microscope. What five year old would even think of that? I'm sure he keeps Mom and Dad hopping. I just hope and pray his teachers keep him involved at school; he could be a real problem if he is not occupied. His new brother is going to be named Owen. His younger brother is Drew, so Clayton decided he wanted to be called Reid, his middle name, because all the other brothers have names with four letters! Happy sixth birthday, Clayton.

Gift of Being a Grandmother

Being a grandmother is really grand. I birthed two girls; they are as different as can be. Rebecca is creative; she paint and draws. She was an art major then a social work major. After graduation she got a masters in Social Work. Sarah is analytical. Her major as an undergrad was Chemistry. She graduated from Nursing School. She became a ICU pediatric nurse BC (Before Children).
My two girly girls are mommas of very active males. Sarah has a two year old, a five almost six year old, and son due in May. Rebecca is the mom of a seven year old and five year old. All four boys are joys who keep all of us hopping.


There is never a dull moment. The stories those boys tell are only surpassed by their long eye lashes, their amazing smiles, and their drop dead handsome good looks.
The following hilarious parody could easily be the creation of any of them.

"A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible.

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!'and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother..

Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the
fence fell over on the town

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot.. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 300 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me..

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums.

The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Democrats and Republicans put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead ..
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.."


Yes. It surely is great to be a grandmother.