The HENDRICKSON Family: Our December

Phoebe brought home some of her artwork from her Intro to Art class.

We decorated Mom's grave with Christmas flowers. I sure miss her and all she is and was to our family. If you still have your mom, hug her, call her, listen to her stories, take pictures. Time is a thief. Death is hard. Grief comes in waves. Visiting the cemetery and decorating a stone hurts my heart every time I do it. I need my Mom and I wish she was still here. (insert the sound of waves crashing here and tears silently falling, and me trying so hard to swallow that lump in my throat)

Silas had his first middle school orchestra concert in early December. They sounded great. Silas got to play the slapsticks at the end of one song.

Gus had his one-year-old vet check-up. He also had a little surgery (neuter) and so I had to pick him up later that afternoon. When I picked him up, he had on the "cone of shame", which the vet charged me $15 for. The cone was very flimsy and only lasted about 10-15 minutes until we got home and he ran into our porch railing on the way into our house and broke it. I called the vet, but they wouldn't replace the flimsy piece of junk that they charged me $15 for. They did suggest that I go buy a $40 blow up neck donut that he should wear for the next week to keep him from licking his surgery site. Good grief. Pets are lovely, but so expensive. Poor Gus.

The girls' basketball team had the opportunity to help build wooden trucks to donate to Toys For Tots. Only ten girls choose to help out with this cause, but this group of girls had a good time working and laughing together that night.

Eric and I went to the Hutton Christmas party. It had a Rock theme this year. Almost everyone wore a shirt representing one of their favorite rock bands or dressed as rock stars. The food was fantastic, the games were very entertaining, they gave away some great concert tickets and awards, and then it was time to dance. This was one of the most fun Hutton Christmas parties that I have attended.

Some of the girls from the high school basketball team went to a Wichita Shockers basketball game together.

We have done several Manhattan/KSTATE visits with Sarah, and she had been in talks with the rowing coaches for a few months. Early in December she made a big decision and signed her letter of commitment to be on the KSTATE ROWING TEAM. Yay! We are SO excited for her and what her future holds. GO CATS! EMAW!

Sarah and friends posed for a picture with Buddy the Elf (their high school principal).

Silas always has the best basketball fans to cheer for him at his games.

We let Silas get a Bearded Dragon. He loves bugs, reptiles, and all sorts of weird creatures and is very knowledgeable about them. He reads, watches videos, and researches things he wants to learn about so this was thought out and he was well-prepared for his new pet. When we were at the store he choose this cute little Red Bearded Dragon and named him Ralphie.

Eric, Phoebe, and I decorated the outside of our house and lawn with Christmas lights.

Silas and I were asked to be a part of the church Christmas play this year. It was a non-traditional Christmas play. It was set to the song, "The God Who Sees". The song talks briefly about different people and their stories of how God was there for them, saw them, delivered them, and saved them. Silas and I played the parts of Hagar and her son, Ishmael.

Here is a link to listen to the beautiful and meaningful song. I hope you like it as much as I did. It is a good reminder that God is ALWAYS with you, even when you think he isn't, HE IS THERE...protecting you, caring for you, being your friend, and loving you.

~ Click here ~ "THE GOD WHO SEES" ~ Click Here~

Silas's school had several spirit days leading up to the Christmas break. Grinch day was one of the spirit days.

Silas's Christmas concert fell on the same night as one of our girls' home basketball game evenings. This normally wouldn't have been a huge deal, Eric and I would have just split and watched different things for our kids that night, but Sarah was also being recognized for being in the top 10% of her class in between the varsity girls and varsity boys basketball games, and Eric and I were supposed to escort her out onto the court during this recognition. Our friends, Kyle and Jordan (Knova's parents) graciously picked up Silas and transported him to and from the concert for us. They took pictures and videos at the concert so that we could watch them later. Thank you, Kyle and Jordan! Below, is a picture of Silas and his friend Knova after the concert. These boys have played baseball together and been friends for many years.

Sarah, and some other students in her class, were recognized for being in the top 10% of their class. Congratulations Sarah! You have always been an exceptional student. Keep working hard!

Our church had an "ugly Christmas sweater" Italian themed Christmas party. We ate dinner together, did a fun gift exchange game, visited, and took some silly Christmas party pictures.

Silas's basketball team won the league basketball tournament! Yay!

Lindsee took me to an early morning doctor appointment and when it was over we went to Krispie Kreme to get some Grinch donuts. We surprised the kids with them!

After eating donuts we spent a few hours baking cookies together, singing Christmas songs, and laughing.

The next morning some of us decorated all of the sugar cookies.

We tried playing a funny Nerf gun game in the basement one evening with Lindsee, EP, and Will. The shooter is blindfolded and begins counting to 15, while everyone else hides in plain sight, stays in their spot, and silent. Once the shooter stops counting then the shooter tries to figure out where the others are and to shoot one person with the Nerf gun, while blindfolded. It was fun and we got in a lot of laughs.

I caught three of our pets having a meeting in the hallway one morning. Don't let those dogs fool you. They both are scared of the cat. The cat tolerates Gus most days, but for some reason really doesn't care for Belle, so this was a rare moment where they were all three this close together, and no hissing or paw swiping was happening.

Eric and Phoebe took part of one day and made Grinch kabobs, Grinchmas cookies and Grinch punch.

We drove around and looked at some Christmas lights a few nights before Christmas. We especially like the houses that have lights set to music.

Our community does a nice job of lighting a few areas where community members can walk around and enjoy the lights.

Silas's Dragon, Ralphie, is still getting use to us all, but he seems to like Silas. When being held, he likes to climb up and sit on Silas's shoulder.

On Christmas Eve day we enjoyed some great Chinese food from a local carryout place close to our house, watched some Christmas movies together, and went to Christmas Eve Service with our friends Carl and Michelle.

After the Christmas Eve service, we came home and opened gifts from Grandmas Sharon.

Christmas morning was filled with stockings, gifts, and remembering Jesus and the reason we celebrate Christmas every year.

A few days after Christmas with gathered with family for another fun time of gifts, food, and games. Lindsee and EP hosted us at their house this year. We had a baked potato bar for one meal and a taco bar for another.

Sarah does a wonderful job painting creative and beautiful canvas's that each person she gives them to absolutely loves.

Phoebe made some beautiful crochet gifts for relatives this year. She has AMAZED us with how quickly she has taught herself to crochet and can follow many different patterns.

Below, Phoebe, Paul, Will, Sarah, Silas, and Ernie.

Below, Patti, Phoebe, Will, Sarah, Jim, and Silas.

Ralphie the Dragon shed his skin. Silas thought that giving him a lukewarm bath would help some more of the loose skin come off his tail. I'm not sure if it really helped, but he tolerated it.

Gus hasn't realized how big he is and sometimes thinks he is a lap dog or just wants to put his paws on his friends.

There were a few movies in the theaters that we wanted to see, so December 30th we went to see "Mufasa", and on New Year's Eve we went to see "Wicked". Both were good movies.