leaving the 3s behind

today, wes turned 4.  it's been a week-long celebration for him, but his excitement didn't dwindle at all.  this boy loves a birthday...and it's even better if the birthday in question is his!

this morning, he woke up to lots of goodies...

and chocolate donuts!

no birthday for wes would be complete without some cars and trucks!

he celebrated at school yesterday with joey cookies.  (joey is the snake that he sleeps with...are they not the cutest cookies ever???)

i know he was excited despite the look.

we need to work on our camera face!

last week, he got two early birthday presents...a V reader ("just wike weeyum") and his very own tent!  at what age do the boy scout campouts where daddy takes all 3 boys camping for the weekend start?? i'm ready!!!  :)

also, last week he celebrated at a local jumpy place with all of his buddies and a lightning mcqueen cake.  i don't know how we made it out of the bouncy place with all 30 kids still in one piece, but somehow they all survived...even wes' head!

happy birthday, bud!!  hope you sleep great your first night as a 4 year old! i know i sure will!

adding to the injured list

exactly one week ago, wes started feeling sorry for me.  he didn't want me to be the only one injured around here.  according to him, he "was wunnin' and i wan into a table."  this little episode resulted in this...

(sorry it's a little blurry.  i was still highly medicated at the time...all the camera buttons looked the same.)

one week later (and not in the mood for a picture), it looks like this...

why is it bigger and bloodier, you ask?  well, that's because he has busted it open 3 times since the table.  3 times.  i wasn't aware he hit his head this much.  y'all remind me of this in the coming years...it could explain a lot!

i was hoping that after the 3rd bust he learned a valuable lesson: don't headbutt your brother (at least when your forehead is in this condition).  however, seeing them on the slide earlier makes me think that learned lesson never was learned.  so...maybe in 6 months or so when it's finally healed, i'll be able to show you the nice, big, ugly scar above his eyebrow.

and after this, i think i now know why god gave him the biggest, bushiest head of hair of any kid i know!

i so special

happy mother's day to me...

and to all you other fabulous mothers out there!!

bingo was his name-o

this past week, the k-4, kindergarten, and pre-1st classes at william's school put on a play called "down on grandpa's farm."  they all worked so hard and did such a great job! i was especially proud of my little bingo who barked his way into the spotlight.  watch out, broadway!

if you'd like to see for yourself how close we are to broadway, click play below! :)



bingo from laura henson on Vimeo.

pain and prayer

i'm lying here in the bed typing with one hand.  this morning i had surgery to repair the torn ligament in my right hand.  yes...same thing i've been dealing with since february.  and yes, church basketball has seen the last of me.

the pain is just now becoming somewhat tolerable.  WOW...the pain.  i did not anticipate this afternoon being so bad.  chase told me i was still asleep in recovery with tears rolling down my face.  when the dilaudid didn't touch the pain, i guess i should have known what was coming.  oh well, my alarm clock will be set every 4 hours through the night tonight to pop a few pills...that's for sure!

i'm not trying to have a pity party or make anybody feel sorry for me.  i say all this because i know my situation pails in comparison to my friends.  remember the gillons?

justin was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in february.  last week he had a successful embolization that cut off the blood supply to his tumor.  tomorrow morning at 530 they will arrive at vanderbilt to have it removed.  it's a 10 hour surgery.  my heart is heavy for them.  heavy for justin and what he will undergo.  heavy for kim for what she will undergo.  heavy for noah and katherine for what they will undergo.  heavy but hopeful.

last week, i was driving william to school on a nasty, rainy morning.  wes was singing "rain, rain go away."  william piped up, "but, i like the rain!"  when i asked him why he replied, "because it waters the flowers and it makes stuff grow."  amen.  nothing like getting preached to by a 5 year old.  

so...kim and justin, i pray that when this storm is over and even while you are walking in the midst of it you will be able to praise god for his protection and bringing you through it.  and when you look back on this rainy season in the months and years to come, i hope you see just how much he made you "grow."

i know i'll be awake for much of the night, so i'll be praying for y'all lots.  to everybody else that's reading this...please lift them up as well.

psalm 121

i will lift up my eyes to the hills,

from where does my help come?

my help comes from the lord,

maker of heaven and earth.

he will not let your foot slip.

he who watches over you will not slumber.

indeed, he who watches over israel 

will neither slumber nor sleep.  

the lord will watch over you.

he is your shade at your right hand.

the sun will not harm you by day

nor the moon by night.

the lord will keep you from all harm.

he will watch over your life.

the lord will watch over your comings and goings 

both now and forever more.

(if i messed that scripture up, i'm sorry.  i'll read it tomorrow under less medication and fix it if need be.)