Meet Mater

We ordered this last week and it arrived in the mail today. We thought it would be a fun toy for the boy, especially since he is so into standing and trying to walk. The dashboard lights up and it makes all sorts of sounds when you push the different buttons. There is even a little cell phone with Mater's voice. His eyes and carburetor move, and there is storage under the seat for all one's treasures. Micaiah was pretty excited, as you can see by the video.

It's Silver Season!

This past weekend we went out on the boat to try our luck trolling for silver salmon. We went out fairly late in the day so we weren't out long, but Mike did manage to catch a nice fat one (which was incredibly tasty, I might add). It was Micaiah's first time salmon fishing, and his second time on the boat. He wasn't quite sure what to think about the hubbub that took place when we got a bite, and he got a little scared when Papa whacked the fish, but he loved being on the boat, and especially helping to drive. The first of many fishing trips to be certain.

A Cop's Kids...

(So Mr. M and the hound weren't actually in trouble, we just swung the fireplace gate across the entrance of the kitchen to try and corral the kids as we were getting ready to go-- It made for a good picture though, especially since Micaiah happened to be wearing his little striped jailbird onesie.)

The Boy

Today I was emptying the dish drainer while Micaiah played on the kitchen floor with some toys. I looked down to see Bella laying upside down on her back with her head by Micaiah's feet, where he was knocking on her teeth and nose with a block. Bella just lay there, happy to be loved, while he played dentist. It was quite silly. When I spoke to remind him to be gentle they both just looked up at me all innocently as if to say, "What??". They make quite the pair.

Micaiah now has four teeth which he doesn't particularly like to have brushed. He can army crawl like crazy and just recently started pulling himself up to standing. With all this going on, he sleeps very little these days, but seems to be a pretty happy little guy. It's so fun to watch him learn and to see him flash that toothy grin. Simple things, outstanding joy.

What's In A Name

You may have noticed that I finally got around to updating the look of our blog. We decided to title it "Paid In Full", instead of simply "The Henrys" for several reasons. The term has had significant meaning to me ever since high school, when my brother wrote it on my hand before a volleyball match. I had been struggling with shaking off mistakes and moving on to the next point. It was to remind me that no matter how much I messed up, I couldn't lose God's love or nullify what He had done for me. My mistakes were forgotten, my sins were forgiven, and I was "Paid In Full". Lately Mike and I have been especially convicted of our shortcomings as we struggle to run the race. How often we falter. We get bogged down by everyday life, and become frazzled by the busyness, instead of taking joy in His blessings. The world absorbs us, and we lose sight of the prize. So it is once again a reminder to us of God's great forgiveness and mercy, and a challenge to us, to, by His grace, live in a manner worthy of that to which we have been called. It is also a reminder to us that we are not just "the Henrys", but because of His great love, we are indeed Paid In Full. To God be the glory.

Construction Zone

Our home has officially been turned into a construction zone. The owner of the property is having a caretaker's quarters built which will be a nice two bedroom apartment above a garage. We are very excited and have gotten to help design it, which has been really fun. So far they have torn down the existing garage, put the water tank in place, hauled a bunch of gravel, and poured the footer. Also, there is currently a guy working on sanding down and refinishing the house that we are currently living in, which is a huge job. He works with his girlfriend/wife and brings his little kids sometimes too. They are really cute and it reminds me of when my brother and I got to go and play while my parents were chinking houses. He also has a little weiner dog that is super cute and has made friends with Bella. It is quite dusty and loud, and feels a bit like a zoo here at times, but it will all be really nice when the work is completed. Here are a few pics of the action. More to follow in the days to come.

The Beach

This past weekend we went to the beach by the Diamond Ridge trail. It was a beautiful day and a nice little hike down to the water. Micaiah rode in the carrier and seemed to have a fun time even though it was pretty windy. He especially liked watching Bella swim and "fetch" rocks that Daddy threw.