MIA

So, I admit.....I've been bored with my blog lately. Sure, there are things that have happened that have been worth blogging about. The kids are growing, birthdays and holidays have been celebrated, sporting events have occurred. But actually wanting to sit at the computer and write about it, post pictures, etc have been of no interest to me. Work is insanely busy this time of year, which is sometimes a blessing and sometimes not. I like not being bored...but being overwhelmed isn't fun either. We always talk about how much fun summer will be, so much more time for fun and relaxing. Then the schedules get booked with soccer, dance, swimming, etc. I'm thankful that we can give our children the opportunity to do the activities they want to do, don't get me wrong. I'm also thankful at this point we only have 2 of our 4 children involved in activities. Dividing and conquering is easy. Cloning ourselves 3 and 4 ways won't be. So, as time allows, I'll post more, and get everyone caught up on what our family is doing.

What do the little ones do?

While their big sisters are playing sports, and while they patiently wait their turn to participate... Brieyn and Bradyn play with friends, sleep, eat snacks, and have a blast! :)

Soccer....again!

Yes, it's true. The Henley family are sports nuts! In case you are new to reading my blog, just a heads up. :) The kids are involved in all kinds of sports including soccer, basketball, volleyball, track, and everything in between. Derek coached Brooklyn's team again, along with Coach Matt. We are thankful for those parent-coaching volunteers who make the season great! It's nice to have parents who are involved with their kids, and do it in a way where kids are having a great time and learning a lot. Brooklyn's team even played at halftime of a WSU women's soccer game! Bella's team also had a lot of fun, and a lot of siblings from Brooklyn's team were on Bella's team. It's fun to watch Bella's abilities develop. Brieyn enjoyed sitting through soccer games day in and day out, as long as her friend Caroline was there. Brieyn will tell anyone who will listen how Caroline is her best friend! Bradyn spent most of the games either wanting to get down, or sleeping. The games where she fell asleep in the stroller were so wonderful, because then I could watch the entire game and cheer on the girlies!!!

Bat Girl!

Brieyn....is a 3 year old. EEK.... So, as an incentive for good behavior, I found this awesome bat girl costume on a clearance rack from Halloween. Of course, she wouldn't take it off, and I have visions of her wearing it in public, but it's totally okay....because as you can see from the pictures she rocks it!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween with four kids is always exciting! The kids dressed up and we did our usual trick-or-treating in the same neighborhood we always go to, then a few places around our house. The day after Halloween we had our annual party, the kids dressed up for pictures, then costumes were off and the kids ran off to play with all their friends. Thanks to the Kallaher family for hosting this year! As always, there was a ton of fun food and treats, and good company. We look forward to this party every year, because we've had one since our oldest children were not even a year old. I need to look and find the pictures of each time we've done it, because it's so funny to see how the kids have grown and changed in the last 9 years. Bradyn was not really "in" to the concept of dressing up, it was hard for her to walk in her cute koala bear costume, so she laid in the middle of the living room on her back and stayed there. Such a goof. We realized this may be our last halloween with her not really understanding what is going on. Poor kid got all dressed up then rode in the stroller while all the kids ran from house to house getting candy. I had brought a couple treats that she can have, so the last couple houses I let her walk up to the door, then I handed her the treat I'd brought and she was thrilled. Too bad it won't be that easy next year!

Pumpkin patch 2009

Every fall we go to Greenbluff. It's one of my favorite places to visit. I love the fall, and we go up there and visit the many orchards where we pick apples and pumpkins. I wanted to make it in June for strawberries, but never got around to it. We went on a Saturday this year and it was super crowded and cold. Brooklyn and Bella went on a pony ride, we checked out the petting zoo, let the kids pick a little pumpkin (the neighbors have large ones to give us from their garden) and called it a day. There was music, beautiful fall colors, and the smell of kettle corn all around us. It is really a wonderful place, and I told Derek on our way there I wouldn't mind living there someday!

My amazing husband!

Derek is amazing for many many reasons. First off, he survives in a household full of estrogen. He takes it all in stride, and shows us all patience and unconditional love. He recently remodeled our basement family room. He did everything all by himself, from the wood flooring, trim, and my favorite part...he redid the fireplace. He didn't tell me he was doing it, he just surprised me one day when I came home. He even built the mantle! On July 8, 2009, we celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary!! 9 years....4 beautiful daughters....we are blessed indeed! *The before picture of the fireplace was taken when we were seeing the house for the first time before we actually bought it. I think the previous owners liked wine. :)