The Red White and Blue

Continuing on with things that make me smile:
We put up an American flag and it has been SO great having it wave in the breeze! We had this flag at our first office. We were in a small corner office - Colt had his desk out front, and there was enough room to walk by the desk on one side. Behind his desk was a tall hutch. My desk was behind that in the back. It was tiny, but there were a lot of good memories there - we were in that office for a year. We would put out the flag when we got there and take it down either when we left or when it got dark - we usually went home after dark! It was such a neat thing to put out the flag every day.
It's a really neat experience to put up the flag and take it down everyday. To stop for a few seconds twice a day to reflect on the blessing it is to live where we do!
I did some research today:
Colors:
Red is symbol of courage , hardiness (endure hardships of life) enthusiasm, valor, blood and life.
Blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice, freedom, the azure sky and symbolizes respect for God .
White means the purity, innocence, liberty and peace.
The stars symbolize hope, prosperity and heaven - the goal man has been striving for.
The stripes remind us of our proud beginnings and of our resolve to be free.
The field of blue represents the freedom to expand and explore the world and beyond.
We are a people that love to discover, to enlighten, and to create.
Here is a great article about the flag where I got most of the above info: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1194117/the_meaning_of_the_american_flag.html?cat=37
Some other things that make me smile:

I love bringing order and green to the desert: Stage1 we have a little bit of grass - I like the contrast with the weeds and the grass! This will soon all be grass
I love watching River play with Silver - she loves her so much!

Our Princess - in her princess dress and princess slippers digging holes -
Truly a River moment!

It makes me smile to see River clean - She LOVES making things clean.
River: "Mom, can I clean??" Mom: "YES!"
She loves cleaning her toys, the floor, dishes and the tv screen.
Oh how greatful I am for all of our many miracles and blessings everyday!

Our Backyard Beauties

One of my mottos is "Surround yourself with things that make you smile" One thing that makes me SMILE is our yard. We are making it such a lovely place to be. With green plants and trees that birds love. Our yard is full of the twittering sounds of birds.
I love the hummingbirds - they have a high pitched whirring sound of their wings. I love how they flit and fly. These are pictures of the varieties that we have seen in our yard.

Their feathers are SO beautiful - with the sun gleaming off the feathers, even the green females just SHINE!

Last year they got quite tame. When I would take out the feeder after re-fillinig it, they would drink out of the feeder while I held it in my hand.

I have one outside the kitchen window - so I can see the birds while I do dishes and cook, and one out the front window so we can see them while in the front room. They are getting more used to being around us again and will visit the feeder while we work in the flower beds.

They are quite territorial and some will fly to a nearby tree and watch the feeder, chasing off others. Sometimes they let others share, we have had up to 8 at a time at the feeder before.

This is a picture of one in our yard. I love this kind of feeder as it is easy to clean and has 10 feeding stations. Some have their nests in the big willow tree out back. It's really fun to see them come out of the dense green tree to drink their water. River has named her hummers "Solutnee" Mom, I saw our Solutnee again! It's fun to have pets that are so low maintenance and bring such fun!

This is the first year we've hung a seed feeder. I've found they like sunflower seeds the best.

This is hung just right outside our sliding glass doors out back so I can see them while at the computer. We are truly blessed to have such fun birds! Their songs are like a medicine to my heart.

My Other Half - Colt

Life Has SO much for us to be thankful for! My Biggest Blessing is Colt.

Colt and I met in the 2Tall Club. When we tell people that they don't know if it's just a joke 'cause we're both so tall. It's TRUE! It was the first time for both of us going to the club - and the last time! Everything just clicked after that, and there was never a moment's doubt or hesitation after that. If you know me and how indecisive we are about most things - you'll know this was highly unusual for us.

Picture: Halloween 2008 - River Magenta on Blues Clues -

Colt Cowboy - Karin and Baby Silver - pumpkin

The summer we were first married we worked together in Ron's rock shop. We then went up to school for our last year and took care of an elderly couple (Larry and Gloria Ward). This was great because our job was being home :) We alternated our classes so one of us was always home and got to spend quite a lot of time together. While starting a business was stressful for me - I really enjoyed working with Colt and creating something that wasn't there before.

Colt opened an insurance office with me as his secretary. We were together literally every minute of every day except for 2 hours on Sunday while I was in Primary while he was in Sunday School and Elders Quorum. River came to work with us after she was about 3 weeks old until she was 2. We've opened a new chapter of our lives recently. I became a full-time Stay-At-Home mom for about 6 months now. While I LOVE being a mom and homemaker - I miss being with Colt all the time. He has a contagious laugh and smile that is SO fun to be around.

We love being outside - River LOVES adventures with her Daddy!

2008 - Fishing with Daddy

River's favorite person = DADDY!

Colt would never be one to toot his own horn - so I'll tell you a few of his accomplishments. Colt is truly gifted at anything he puts his hand to. He is quite handy around the house - he's putting up a wood fence around our yard and our "Rock Wall of China"

It has turned into a big project, but will be really nice when finished.

Our current project is to put in automatic sprinklers for the grass we will put in shortly.

Colt is a Fabulous insurance agent! He has done what very few have done in the business!:

*Agent of the Year for 2 years in a row (2007 and 2008)

*1,000 autos and homes in 3 years - this is truly amazing, and quite an accomplishment.

*Has hired 2 secretaries - many agents never make this jump to have 2 staff.

*He has agents call him all the time to ask how he sets things

up and does things because he has been so successful.

*He truly cares about his clients. I feel as though they are the luckiest because they

have Colt to walk them through a claim or retirement when they need him.

*He has not only jumped into Insurance with gusto, but has also jumped into Retirement Planning with Professionalism and Personalization.

It would feel good putting my money with Colt because he takes the time to find the plan that's best for his clients, and truly cares about their future.

I know I'm biased, but he is the greatest!

Orange Smilies!

River in Pretty Princess Dress with with Deer horns Daddy

brought back from his Adventure for River!

River loves shaving in the morning with Colt!

River will call Daddy! If there is no answer she'll call COLT!

Colt is such a great Dad! He loves being with his girls.

Silver really loves to be held by Colt!

She'll settle right down with him and be happy as a clam!

Colt LOVES hunting and fishing. This picture reminds me of all the times he's kissed me at 3:00 am to say "I love ya" before going hunting! Funny, Colt has a hard time getting up in the mornings, but for fishing, hunting or anything outdoors, he's up before his alarm goes off at WAY before light!

Colt and River enjoy wrestling most every night. River is heart-broke if her Daddy isn't home to wrestle her. The bunny ears are the "power" it's a wrestle to get the bunny ears. Colt is really great with his girls - giving them the time and attention that they crave! Silver just giggles and laughs with him. When he walks into the room, she breaks out into a HUGE smile!

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With Colt, Every Day is an ADVENTURE!

I love him with all my heart!

True Aggie

Utah State holds a very special place in my heart. I enjoyed going to college, studying and learning. I very much enjoyed being on my own and knowing that I was going in a good direction. I was involved in a lot of social activities: institute, church, clubs, ag activities, and roommates. I enjoyed being active with many different pursuits: ultimate frisbee, racquetball, running, all sorts of free productions and school. The fun thing about USU is because it is a state school, everything is free - all sports events, musicals, concerts, orchestras, folk dance shows, etc. It was great to be able to do things while on a tight budget. I loved the small class sizes and the variety of options available. I loved the Institute program. I enjoyed just being able to go to the lectures and not worry about being tested on the material. I also enjoyed living in the dorms. I lived in Moen hall for 3 years - it was what I needed. The 2nd year I was there, they converted the all-girl dorms into boy and girl dorms. There were girl rooms and guy rooms with a common room in the middle - this was very good for me. Because I had been responsible and made good decisions with the freedom I had: dating, school, guys, etc. this was a great fit for me. There were quite a few return-missionaries in the dorm and it was there that I gained my testimony.

The Bishop called me as a Stake Missionary and I laughed. I said, I'm sorry, but I don't know it's true, so how could I teach people about it. He said "Oh" and I got the Stake Missionaries visiting me that year. That was such a great experience for me. I looked up to those missionaries and their lives. That set of sisters took the time to teach me and to care about me. It was a huge turning point in my life. To have someone care. I had TONS of questions - I grew up in the church, but had never internalized it, never made it my own. The return-missionaries in the dorms sat with me Sunday evenings and taught me from their scriptures and from their testimonies in their hearts.

There was one girl in particular: Christine. She had a fire within her - a glow, a conviction, a happiness that I wanted. I would talk to her and found it was the spirit. I knew then that I had found what most people are searching for. It changed my life so profoundly, that I wanted to serve a mission to share with people what changed my life completely - I mean night and day difference. To have peace. To have happiness no matter what is happening to know that God knows me and where I am at.........What a Blessing!

I got my Patriarchal Blessing while attending Utah State - in it it says that God Loves Me, and was aware of me. This was such a hard concept for me to grasp before, with the Spirit that accompanied me the whole day, I knew it was God that gave me that blessing, and my life changed forever.

Is there any wonder Logan is my favorite place?


Last weekend we took a trip to Southern Idaho and Colt took me on a Saturday night date in Logan. I showed him Moen hall - we went into our lounge area and we slid down the banisters. I told him how we would have Sunday morning devotionals - I would play the piano while everyone sang. I showed him the quad where we would play frisbee and the Library where I did so much studying. We walked around campus, and I became a True Aggie! (Kissing on the above "A"). I found out that Colt went to lectures at USU - his parents were going to school there and he would wear his little backpack and go along.

I showed him the plasma donation center where I would give my plasma to get through school. Plasma donation was about an hour process: pump the blood out, separate the plasma from the blood, and pump the rest of the blood back in. I would get paid per time: $20, $30, $20, $40, $20, $30, $20, $40. You could do it twice a week - I found I could do it one week twice, the next week once, any more than that and I would make myself sick. It worked out really good for me because I could do it on my schedule and didn't have to worry about work interfering with classes. I rode the bus everywhere and made it through school eating a big pot of spaghetti or potatoes for the week. Anything you sacrifice for, you love. I absolutely loved my time there. It meant a lot to me that Colt took me to Logan for the evening. Logan is my favorite place in the world with a lot of great memories!

Great Family Reunion Idaho

We went to Idaho for the weekend - quite an adventure with a 4 month old and one who has only been potty trained for around a month! We're glad we made the trip! Colt's family had their family reunion - they had only seen River when she was around 2 months old, so this was a treat for us to see everyone and for them to see River and meet Silver.

River with Great-Grandma Delora Henderson. Delora tells "Bunny Foo-Foo" stories. These stories are famous with the Grandkids - River and Shado tell me that they loved to sit around Grandma while she made up the stories. River and half dozen other grandkids sat around totally enthralled while she told the stories.

4 generation picture. Great-Grandma Delora Henderson, Grandpa (Paca) Ron Henderson, Dad Colt Henderson, River and Silver.

Left to Right: Selina, Kin (Brother) Great-Grandpa Blair Henderson, Ron, River, Colt, Silver and Karin. There are 12 brothers and sisters in Ron's family, and they had all but one who lives in Saudi Arabia. Delora plans a humanitarian project for every family reunion. There is plenty of fun and chatting for everyone while we tie quilts and paint toys for orphanages. We tied quite a few quilts (I think around 20) and painted 120 toys. These will later get wheels.

It was such a great time! The kids fell in love with the toys and asked if they could take them home. It was a great learning experience when we explained that these toys were going to kids who didn't have toys, and didn't have mommys and daddys either.

It was Easter Sunday while we were up - there was even a baby chick born Easter morning and River got to see an Easter bunny too! I love that area! If I could live anywhere, I would choose Logan. I love the green and the farms - the cold doesn't bother me either, in fact, I handle the cold better than the heat. There is also something about farming communities - they make the best missionaries and the kids have responsibilities and things to do.
It was a fun weekend with lots of memories!

Return to Health and Spring

We’ve been sick! It wasn’t anything serious, just tons of coughing, sore throats, fevers, ear aches, runny & stuffy noses, River had a urinary tract infection, chills, hot flashes, etc. It’s been a long 11 days. We’re finally coming out of it. Silver still has a lingering cough – but her well-child checkup is tomorrow so she’ll be able to see the doctor. I’m so thankful for modern medicine – just to know that we have antibiotics and medical doctors nearby if needed is a huge reassurance! There were a couple of days that River just laid on the couch with no energy and those sick eyes pleading to get better.
We usually enjoy really good health in our family. While I never welcome a cold, I’m always glad to get over it. It gives me a new perspective on my health that I take for granted much too often. I love to be able to breathe through my nose again and breathe deeply without coughing all over. That I can sleep and not hurt. What a beautiful thing our health is! 2nd Nephi 2:11 “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” Health/Sickness Winter/Summer Dry/Rain Hungry/Satisfied Happy/Sad Youth/Age Sleep/Alert Work/Play Absolutely everything, the trick for me is to be grateful for the experience and to not take for granted the good!

Another thing that makes today such a wonderful day is the coming of spring! The end of winter and the beginning of trees leafing out – the coming of tulips and flowering trees! It is such a happy thing to have birds and flowers around. The green that returns to the desert! Colt promised me that if we were to move to the desert area he would make it green for me. Above is pictured some of the flower beds Colt made for us. We have around 30 fruit trees, beautiful plants. flowers, vines and bushes! We’re planning on putting in grass this spring.

Grateful for everyday!!