Full of Thanks

We kicked off Thanksgiving with a Missouri tradition...Christmas in the Air on Thanksgiving Eve. It's a great 20 minute fireworks display over a very large lake in Lees Summit.

But it's not the 20 minutes of fireworks that draws us. It's not the two hour wait, fighting for a parking spot, the chilly air, and dealing with traffic on the way home.

No, it's the warmth of friendship and love of family time and friends that carry us there. It's BBQ-ing in the dark, eating food you cannot see, and laughing around the fire pit at life's quirks.

How grateful our hearts are for good friends. After a rather long week, I received a package from my friends in North Dakota. Great timing. In it was a a BEAUTIFUL Thanksgiving table runner. I was touched that they thought of me, spent hours quilting with little ones under foot for ME.

These Missouri Hendricksons express gratitude for wonderful friends, near and FAR. And how we love family, health, the gospel, our Savior. The list grows and grows.

We are FULL of Thanks.

What....PINK?!

Raising four boys and one husband (not really, Todd, you're great), I do know BLUE. But pink?! I admit to being uncomfortable when shopping for baby gifts for friends that are expecting girls. I get very overwhelmed with all the selections, styles; they're all so cute, cute, cute.

But I'll have to get over it because Brandon and Julie are expecting and it's PINK! Haven't heard much about "gender" tests, but they (B & J) claim 90% accuracy. And according to the test they took, it's a girl. Due early June.

I have a feeling I'll overcome my "pink" weakness...eventually!

A Builder, My Mom

I just had four days of undivided attention from my mom. Am I lucky or what?! She visited us here for the first time and we enjoyed talking, sight-seeing church history sites, driving through old historic neighborhoods, Union Station, and much more. We even had a chance to have lunch with her first cousin, Dave (below) who lives in the area and whom she hadn't seen in years.


I sure appreciate her and all she's done throughout her life as a daughter of God, wife and mother. Pres. Hinckley said it best, "You [mothers] are the real builders of the nation wherever you live, for you have created homes of strength and peace and security. These become the very sinew of any nation.”

With 9 children, 53 grandchildren, and ten and 3/4 great-grandchildren and growing (hope I counted that right), I'm sure she didn't realize the "nation" she was creating as she went to bed tired every night after long days of raising 9 kids.

Love you Mom!