RIP Grandpa

Our amazing Grandpa Henderson passed away today after defying all odds and surviving long past any time frame any doctor gave him. He was a father, grandfather, painter, craftsman, musician and so much more. He was probably one of my greatest fans in the music world and it didn't matter what I played for him. As long as it was music he loved it. I have a beautiful hope chest that he and my dad made together, to remind me of his beautiful wood work and love of all crafts. He loved to tell jokes and make people laugh and he was a wonderful grandfather. I remember many vacations, and trips that he and grandma accompanied us on and have so many wonderful memories. I'm grateful to have been able to see him one more time over the summer and to be able to have him spend some more time with the kids. I'm grateful he no longer has to suffer in this life and that has been able to return to Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for the joyous reunion I know he is currently having with those who already departed from this life. This reunion was a long time coming for him. I know he is helping watch over the sweet spirit that is set to join our little family in a few months and I know he is happy. Without a shadow of a doubt I know that he is happy. We love you Grandpa! Rest in peace.

1923-2009

Mr. Men and Little Miss

I'm not sure why I haven't posted about this before, because I am thrilled about it....Lainey has been officially potty trained for at least a month now! We are so very proud of her! It is nice to only have one in diapers (at least for the next 6 months!) There was a small amount of bribery involved, though not much, and once she was ready it happened very quickly! Now if she could only reach the light switch by herself! :)

Lainey has always been more outgoing than Aleece. She hasn't seemed to suffer from the shyness that Leecy T has dealt (and continues to deal with!) and is very open about talking about anything and everything! If you listen for two minutes, she would keep talking to you for thirty, given the chance! She is our Little Miss Chatterbox! Since Aleece has started school she is also turning out to be a great little helper like her big sister! She especially likes to help Mommy in the kitchen! So I guess she has a little bit of miss helpful in her too!

Mr. Lennon has learned to giggle and it is so funny! He giggles in his car seat, in his high chair, in the bathtub, at his sisters, really at just about anything! He loves to tease (especially his sisters) and he seems to be growing up more and more each day! He no longer just walks, he is usually running and he has learned how to climb onto his sisters' beds and just about anything else he can! They have a Mr. Funny and Mr. Tickle (who loves to make people laugh), but Lennon may have to be the poster child for Mr. Giggles! :) (I'll try to capture it on video! You can't help but join in with him!)

Aleece continues to do amazingly well in kindergarten! She loves school and that makes us very happy! She is adjusting very well and I am so glad she is making so many new friends, learning new things and continuing to amaze us with her quick wit!

It's crazy to think of how quickly life is changing and I'm determined not to let it pass us by! We are enjoying every moment and living life to its fullest!

a little Moore.....

Val made up this witty little poem (along with a power point presentation!) and sent it to all of our family members, but for those of you who don't know what's going on, enjoy!

We know there have been a lot of questions about Stephanie Moore
“Is she a little feistier now?” and “Haven’t we seen this before?”

Have no fear now, all is well, her throat’s a little parched
And her belly’s gonna swelly now until the beginning of March

And at this time we’re pretty sure her feet will be in stirrups
We’ll have another joyful day – our eyes are gonna tear up

For we’ll no longer have three kids – we’ll welcome number four
So on March 6th will you help us welcome a brand new Baby Moore?!?

Leecy T's 1st day of Kindergarten!

Aleece is now an official kindergartner! She attended her first day of kindergarten this past week and she did awesome! Thanks to a friend of mine, I was able to drop off Lainey and Lennon to be babysat, so that I could focus 100% on Leecy T. We walked into school, found her classroom, met her teacher, deposited her zillion supplies that are required, and Aleece got right to work! Her teacher seems very nice and there were no tears, no long goodbye's....it was as though she suddenly grew up over night! She has always been shy, so I have to admit to feeling a little worried about her first day, but she is already a pro! When we picked her up after school, she had a big smile on her face and told us that she had a great day! She got to go on a "bear hunt" all over the school, she got to color and cut out a project, she got to eat her lunch in the cafeteria, she had recess, she made new friends..... I am so incredibly proud of her! She can't wait to go back and learn more and I am excited to see what she learns every day! We love you Leecy T!
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ready to head to her first day of kindergarten!

such a sweet girl!

A KINDERGARTNER!!!!

already hard at work!!!

Mommy anxiety....

So Aleece starts kindergarten tommorow and I have to admit to being a little bit of a nervous wreck...... I know she is going to do amazing, but the thought of her being away from me for 7 hours every day is a little terrifying, to be honest. I am so proud of her and all that she is becoming. She is so smart and continues to amaze me with all of her questions and how in tune she is to what is going on around her. She is so creative and I love to listen in on her and Lainey playing to see what kind of "adventure" they are going to create next. She is a sweetheart and I know she will make lots of friends and be a good example to those around her, just like she is to her younger brother and sister. I'm so very grateful that Val honors his priesthood and was able to give her a Father's blessing in preparation for her going back to school. It was such a sweet blessing and gave me great comfort in knowing that she will grow in so many different ways this year.
I'm not sure why I never got around to posting these pictures of Aleece's preschool graduation (probably because we left on vacation the night of graduation!) but I thought I would post a couple tonight and then take a couple of pictures of her for her first day of kindergarten tomorrow. It always amazes me to look back at pictures of the kids and see how rapidly they change. They literally change every day and I love seeing what incredible things they are doing and becoming!!!


Leecy with her preschool teacher Ms. Tami

Aleece's 2008-2009 Preschool class

Lucky #7!

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life! Today marks the 7th anniversary of our eternal family and I couldn't be happier! I am so lucky to be married to my soulmate; to someone who continually makes me want to be better at everything that I do. Even though Val and I are different in so many ways, we seem to bring out the best in each other. I read this poem, loved what it said, and thought that it was very fitting for this moment in my life.....

The Lake

The beauty of the lake is always changing,
With the light, the weather and the season.
Yet each change holds a splendor all its own,
Each viewing precious for its own reason.
In sunshine, golden stars dance across the water.
Moonlight shines a beacon in the peaceful night.
The wind causes whitecaps to erupt and roll,
While calm brings assorted reflections of light.
The water has a new costume each day,
Perhaps gray or green, aqua or blue.
Though each view is different,
the lake is the lake,
Lovely in its every color, mood and hue.
My thoughts of the lake remind me of you,
My wonderful, loving partner in life.
Through sunny days and stormy times,
We've stayed together as husband and wife.
Your love is my beacon, my star and my light;
All your colors and moods are precious to me.
You make every day an enchanting delight,
And I'll love you for all eternity.
By Karl Fuchs



My love continues to grow each day, even when I think my heart is too full to hold any more. Our life has been full of many adventures, which have helped us to grow and learn and every day with you has been beautiful and amazing Val and I'm so grateful to be your wife. Happy 7th Anniversary my love!

Catch up....

One of the things that we did on our return trip home this summer was to visit the Oklahoma City National Monument. We thought it would be a good learning experience for the kids and we were right. We were able to teach them about love, about the effects of violence and hatred and how we can prevent it, about survival, about comfort, strength, peace and hope! It was incredibly hot and we didn't stay a very long time, but we were there long enough to learn about what really happened and the amazing efforts of the community to build this now beautiful place. My personal favorite thing there was the Survivor Tree. It is an American Elm that bore witness to and survived the attack and they have built the memorial around it. It is a beautiful place and I'm glad we had the opportunity to go.



One day when Val and I were traveling home a butterfly struck our car and managed somehow to stay in place until we arrived home. Val gently removed it from the car and showed the girls how beautiful it was and Aleece quickly asked if we could return it to it's family and it's home. We explained we didn't know exactly where that was, but we agreed to let her take it to Shelby Farms, a very large park, near where we believed it first hit the car. So, Granny and I took the girls to the park and Aleece was so gentle and kind to this poor butterfly. We knew it wouldn't survive, but Aleece made sure she found the perfect place to lay her (Madame Butterfly as she was referred to) so that her family could come and rescue her. It's amazing to see the compassion and caring that your children have. Aleece has matured into such a sweet, loving little girl and it makes me smile to see how tender she is with animals. She still has a strong desire to be a veterinarian, and I know she would make an amazing one!



Val and I got to celebrate our anniversary a little early this year by going to see Wicked! Words can not possibly describe how good it was! Amazing. Fantastic. Better than I even expected.... Seriously. If you haven't seen it, find someplace where it is being performed and GO! We are so grateful to my mom for watching the kids so that we could do this! We were able to go to dinner beforehand at PeiWei, which was delicious, and then head over to the Orpheum Theatre. I love the message behind this musical and the story it tells. I think often times we are quick to judge others based on appearance, without giving them a chance, and this story goes a long way in showing the harrowing effects that that can cause! The music was beautiful, the performances perfect and the atmosphere was incredible! What a great way to celebrate an anniversary to the man I love with my whole heart and soul!