Happy New Year 2009 *Reflections*

Seriously, 2009? I know. I can hardly believe it myself. I don't think this picture was made for the 2008 to 2009 hand-off, because if I was the 2009 baby in the picture, I would tell the old 2008 geezer to keep it! haha

But seriously, I know in a general global and economical sense, things are certainly not up to speed, but in reflecting in the last 9 years since the beginning of this decade, our little world at the Henrichsen Habitat has a lot of blessings and things to be grateful for! Sure, our home value has declined so bad we don't know WHEN we would ever be able to sell it and upgrade later, but we like our house and while on the small side now, we are happy to have it and continue to beautify and make small improvements to our abode. But I digress.

We spent New Year's Eve at a co-workers house (that I carpool with, so she is in the same neighborhood) and played games and let the kids run wild. We rung in New Years with a combination of Champagne for some of the adults and Sparking Apple Cider for others (Chris and I included). It confused Mikelle for a moment when I said she could have a sip from my Champagne glass! I told her it was Sparkling Apple Cider, which is was of course, but she was confused. Hey, one good thing about being non-drinkers, is you can let your kids drink out of your glasses and it's all good! Okay, maybe not too much of my Diet Pepsi (that Christian always seems to sneak as fast as Dash on The Incredibles), but you get my meaning.

So much has changed in the last 9 years. For example, a decade ago, we didn't have any kids yet and I wasn't even preggers. In fact, I wouldn't be pregnant until the end of 1999 and even though we spent New Years Eve1999 going into 2000 at a friend's house watching movies, I was SICK.AS.A.DOG. It was the Y2K New Year's Eve and I was so sick, a part of me wished the earth would just blow up at midnight and end the misery. If it did, I seriously wouldn't have cared. If that doesn't describe how sick I felt, this will, so it's clear it's not just my dramatic self. I was so sick as a matter of fact (howwww sick were you?!), that on January 2nd, I was put in the hospital and there for a week! it was initially supposed to be a 24 hour stage to get re-hydrated, but I was worse off then they thought.

But this is what resulted that following August:


But before the beautiful end result (well, she had to be cleaned up first, THEN she was beautiful) I ended up being on medical leave until the end of February 2000. Sure, that sounds bad, but Mikelle's barfing pregnancy was nothing compared to her brother's. The "being sick phase" of Christian's pregnancy was just 1/3 of that Armageddon. In fact, if I had an angel come manifest to me RIGHT NOW that a third pregnancy would be more like Mikelle's and not Christian's, I'd get pregnant again right now. Seriously.

New Year's Eve 2003 going into 2004 I was further along in pregnancy than I was with Mikelle's, and past the nausea phase, but I was mental mess. I graduated from college about 2 weeks earlier, but it did nothing for the state of darkness I was in. In fact, it was so bad, I won't even go there, and I am so glad it is more and more in the past of each given day.

Christian thankfully made his appearance the following St. Patrick's Day. All that hair, I believe, was a bonus from God since cooking him was so awful:



And I don't care how bad this sounds, but when he's a little older and gets grounded for something, I'm automatically adding an extra day on the sentence JUST for the pregnancy. Seriously.

But would I do it again? Of course. I need my little bugger. He is quite the little gadget-genuis, compulsive-smarty-pants-goofball, he makes me nuts and I couldn't imagine life without him!

I just wish those little babies of mine didn't grow so fast. However, I am embracing their fun stages and I am grateful for the close relationship they share. In fact, Monday night, Mikelle stayed over at the Crosby's with her friend Katie (her parents being our good friend's Bruce and Liz) and the next morning, Christian was really upset that Mikelle wasn't around.
















Anyway, the last 9 years have also meant our careers have gotten off the ground. Chris's took longer than we EVER would have anticipated, but looking back, we are so grateful for the blessings that finally came after enduring and waiting. However, sometimes, we didn't do such a good job at enduring. I'll be the first to admit that.

It's time to end these reflections and enjoy a night out with my husband seeing the Lion King at Gammage at ASU. We've been looking forward to this, but it also means I have to go back to work on Monday! Wahhhh! Lol (really, I'll be fine....)

Happy New Year all!

Remember, endure to the end. I know it may seem that whomever said, "God doesn't give you anything you can't handle" never heard of a nervous breakdown, but one of my favorite all time quotes is from Mother Theresa. I need to make a 12x12 layout of it and hang it on the wall:

I know God doesn't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.