Legacy

If anyone knows Tom, you know that he is obsessive about likes hockey.  From the time the ultrasound showed "boy!" you know he's been dreaming of the day his own son could be up on skates.  So, when the opportunity to enroll in a learn to skate program arose-we grabbed it.

and so the day came, the son of Hendricks would take to the ice for the very first time

learning the ropes

a father beaming with pride

and take to the ice he has....this is a boy with no fear.  This is a boy who will pop right back up on his feet after a fall.  A boy who at 4 years old, and after just two short lessons, can make it from one blue line to the other and remain upright.  And he LOVES it.

oh-hip checking is next week?  my bad.

I got this

Whoa!

And it only took 45 short minutes of breathing in the rink air before Tom was digging out his equipment and lacing up his skates.  Like father like son (and like son like father)  The legacy continues...

Catching up

I'm hopelessly bad at this blogging thing, huh?  My faithful 6 readers have probably been wondering what is up with us!  It has been a jam packed summer!  We took two trips to Michigan...One for the 4th of July @ the cottage

the cousins enjoying cookies for breakfast

learning to fish

and one to meet our new Niece Lilly!

sadly, the best cousins pic I could manage

isn't she just soooo precious?

 and of course opportunity to spend some more time with family.

Four Generations

There were beach trips, festivals, and days at the park

Michigan Gothic

Parades, ball games, and fireworks

like Mardi Gras for kids, only with lollipops

And now it's time for back to school!  

Nathan is in the 4 year old preschool class this year, with some familiar friends from last year and some new friends.  He's geared up for a great year!

first day jitters

with his best girl Ava

Whew!

Now fall is in full swing, the cool crisp air has set in, and we have a lot to be thankful for.  I hope to not be so lame and be a little better about keeping the blog up (I promise, Mom...)  Feel free to add your comments, you know, so I know I'm not blogging into thin air. ;)

If you're interested in keeping up with my crafties...I blog about them here

Anatomy of a first step

That's right, people...we are heading into the toddler phase one step at a time!  In the interest of full disclosure-these aren't her actual *first* steps, but it went something like this...

Whew...time for a break

And in case anyone was curious about the boy's seed project...here's the progress so far:
Tomatoes (and some basil in there)

And one lonely cucumber seedling...our peppers were a big fail.

Guess it's time to clean out the garden for these lovelies.  A beautiful weekend is on tap, so the kiddos and I will be working on that (read: I will clean the garden and attempt to keep the girl from eating dirt while the boy makes himself and everything around him into a big dirt mess)

A year in the making

Our little Ellie Claire turned one!  Even though having two kids has presented it's own challenges, I have to say it's been an absolute joy getting to know this little girl.  It's been fantastic watching how she and her brother have grown and the relationship they've built.  It's been *so* much fun shopping!  LOL  I can't wait for all the fun as we work our way towards age 2 (yikes!)

                                           Ellie enjoying her birthday cake

A little sneaky peaky at her 1 year photos-thank you to the great staff at Picture People for somehow capturing these great pics of a fast moving little girl!

Looking forward to a great year ahead!  Happy Birthday baby girl!  We love you!

Seasons Of Change

Fall is fully upon us, and as I watch the leaves change color and fall to the ground-it makes me think of all the cycles and changes we see in our lifetimes. Don't worry...I won't get all poetic and profound in this post. =p But, change is all around us now. Ellie sprouted two teeth this month. Nathan started preschool and is suddenly such a little boy-not one shred of baby about him anymore (except when I try to rock him before bed...which he willingly complies with. I think he understands.) The hubs and I have had many a late night chat about our goals as a family-and we're hoping with the rebirth of the spring will come the change that we need. In the meantime, we'll be enjoying the upcoming holidays with our favorite little people...enjoying a trip to the Midwest for some good ol' fashioned family fun (and pie!), and prepare for the next step. Hopefully a new laptop makes it in there, too, so I don't go weeks without a blog post.


Now, Please enjoy pictures of my gorgeous children!