A boy and his tire swing.

Isaac and Luke built this tire swing on the big maple tree. Everything went well until the old rope they found in the barn broke!! But it was fun for a while! Millie

Finally!!!!

Yes, I finally got some pictures of Hannah's graduation to down load! So, here they are. Hannah waiting to walk! (She does not have those scary eyes in real life.)

Hannah and Marissa outside the new BYU-I building. Yes it snowed while we were there! Ya gotta love Rexburg!

Hannah walking across the stage.

Hannah with her diploma!

Actually there is no diploma, just a diploma holder!! The actual diploma came in the mail later. We love you Hannah and we are very proud of you! Mom

Cooking mini cupcakes

While Hannah and Marissa were here we threw a bridal shower. For refreshments we made the cutest little cupcakes (I have been watching way too many cupcake wars!). So Hannah and Marissa donned some cute aprons and went to work.

Do you know how many mini cupcakes a cake mix will make? About 90!! And we made two batches! So, we had a few cupcakes! Marissa did the most work on them and they came out so cute.

We made a lemon cake with raspberry jam in the middle and lemon frosting with a blackberry on top (could not find any raspberries). And our second cupcake was a dark chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse in the middle and a chocolate mousse frosting with mini chocolate chips. (Also had a fruit platter and a cheese ball!) It was really fun. Don't think we are ready for cupcake wars just yet but plan to keep practicing! Millie

I know it does not look like much.....

Okay, so how many of you out there have been to Wendell, Idaho, you know,the Hub of Magic Valley? It may not look like much but every time I head to Rexburg or Provo I go by these signs. And a flood of memories come to me. Wendell is where my mom and dad grew up and where they met working in a grocery store owned by both of my grandfathers at some time. It is where we went for every Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving until I was 6 and we moved to Alaska. It is where I made a quilt with my grandmother, ate crabapples with salt and corn on the cob with Maudie and played under the weeping willow tree. Where I would walk down to meet grandpa on his way home from work and get an ice cream cone (don't tell grandma!). It is where I tried to ride a unicycle and played for hours up stairs in the little kitchen. At one time my grandparents lived next door to each other and I would go over to the store and always get a treat from grandpa Doc (don't tell mom!). Wendell is where Rob and I would pull off the visit the Mechams and grandpa would fix us tacos. And it is where we would go to visit Maudie and Rick and family (some of our favorite people in the whole world). One day at work I opened a check from a business in Wendell. My employer asked if I knew where Wendell was. I said you mean the Hub of Magic Valley? Of course I know where it is. Recently at Cub scouts my fellow wolf den leader showed up in a sweatshirt that said Bliss HS. I said the Bliss by Wendell? She said how do you know Wendell? It is a small world and amazing how much a small town can mean to someone! Millie

I love these girls (who are now young women)!!!

While Hannah was home we had a bridal shower for Janelle (second from the left) and five of my laurels were there (including Hannah my girl). When I was called to be the YW Pres I had been serving with the beehives. I came home and cried!! I told Rob these laurels scare me and I did not know what I was going to do with them. He said just love them. So, I did and I do!! I am so proud of them all (there were 17 of them at one time!) and the women they are becoming. I miss having them in my home and seeing them each Sunday because they are all grown up and gone. But when I do have the opportunity to see them and I get my hug I am reminded of the examples they have been to me and all they have done for me. So to my beautiful and wonderful laurels I say thank you and I love you! Millie

Things I should have taken pictures of!!

So, this has been an eventful spring. And like usual I did not take pictures of some things I should have! David made the jv soccer team. They played 15 games and I did not take my camera to a single game! I know! What kind of mom am I? Isaac received his star advancement in scouts and again I did not have my camera with me! (I will regret that when he has his eagle court of honor and I don't have any pictures for a slide show.) Luke participated in his first ever pine wood derby. Did not have the camera there to take a picture of his car taking first place everytime it raced! We had a Henrikson mini reunion luncheon at the old school house. You got it, no pictures! Went to Hermiston for Caleb's deacon ordination did not even take the camera with me.
There are some events I did get pictures of and promise to get those blogged this week!! Millie

Today is Isaac's last day as a pre-teen. Tomorrow he turns 13 and enters into that teenage world. Another one of my little boys is growing up. You can already hear it in his voice that is now a man's voice with its occasional cracking! He is probably as tall as I am I just won't admit it or let him measure accurately! He goes on camp outs over night and packs his own bag. He will still go up to bed when told it is bedtime but I know that is coming to an end soon (poor Luke will have to go up all alone). When my kids were little I knew this day would come but it has been hard. They want to do things on their own and seem to need mom less and less. But I am still here if they need me and probably more than they want!! Love you Isaac! Mom

This is why I do it!

I was watching a segment on the news and they were talking about how much money a mom would make an hour if she was paid. They included house cleaning, chauffering (you know driving around), nursing, cooking and teaching. I don't remember what the amount came out too but I do know it seemed really low. So, if I am not making the big bucks, why do I do it. Yesterday morning I came down to strawberry crepes for breakfast. They made a triple batch! One day last week when I came down to get Luke off to school there was a note on a napkin thanking me for being the best mom ever. One day last week I got a text saying thanks mom you are the greatest. I received five cards from kids and one from the best husband ever telling me why I do this job. I have recently had some doubts about my mothering skills and a fear that I have messed up my kids. But thanks to some really great kids and a man I love very much, I know I am not doing so bad. There is always room for improvement but I love my kids and know they love me and are willing to put up with my imperfections!! Thanks for a wonderful Mother's Day Hannah, Sam David, Isaac, Luke and Rob. They could not pay me enough to give this up!!! M

Three of my favorite things!

Do you have these items in your home? I am in love with these things! First Gorilla glue. Okay I will admit I had seen numerous blogs where they praised this stuff. I was doubtful. It is just glue right. Boy was I wrong. We have a chair that we have used everything on and still when you picked it up by the back it came off in your hand. Used the gorilla glue and it is cured!! Glued on old crock pot back together and it is perfect! Second Goo Gone. This stuff is amazing. I am an avid goodwill shopper and as all you goodwill shoppers know they are infamous for putting their price stickers on the front of everything and those buggers do not like to come off. This stuff will take them off with an easy wipe!! Love it!! And third the flashlight. A few years ago Rob asked if he could have a big boy flashlight. So, I bought him one. It is big and heavy and a treasure to have around when the electricity goes out. It is big enough you can find it in the dark and it will actually work when you need it!! I am hoping to buy one for everyone (one at a time of course, they do cost around $25.00). Millie