Spread My Wings and Fly

Well, the day has come. I am the oldest and thus far only Hendrickson child to not have my own blog. I actually have had people ask me if I would start one and have always said no. At some point in writing on the family blog I realized that I actually like blogging. So, I'm going to spread my wings and fly. That's right, today I started my own blog. I post this to 1) get everyone excited and 2) as a means of apology if my e-mail didn't make it to you or if I didn't have your address. (I'm gone private with my blog for work reasons, so the only way to access it is by an e-mail giving the okay.. . I can e-mail you if you want access, and let's be honest, who wouldn't.) :)
What do they say in blog world. .. happy blogging?!

Happy Birthday Paps!

Yes, I know that I'm a few days early, but I won't have access of a computer on the day of Paps' Birthday. I'd like to give a shout out to a few of my favorite things about him:

• His willingness to do the crazy things that we suggest, like having a spitting contest ala Titanic off the desk of the cruise ship (see the above picture)
• Dedication in his calling


• Scheduling/Planning--I only now truly appreciate "planning for the week" during Family Home Evening growing up


• "Mr. Wizard"


• Willing to help/drive whenever, where ever (and the ability to sound like he's never been asleep even though he has been)


• Basketball skills, which he still has even now


• All of the sacrifices he makes for the family


• Little kids love Dad. They all do.
• The amazing Drumming Skills
• Three words: Denny Hendrickson Toast

Love you Paps!!! Happy Birthday.

Five Favorite Books (not counting scriptures)

I thought this would be fun for our next opinion poll. Denise will have trouble limiting herself to five. I have trouble thinking of five, but here they are:

1. Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
2. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
3. Miss Nelson is Missing (???)
4. Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling
5. Fire in the Bones (biography of William Tindale)

In Search of the Obamas

So I returned from DC (yes, after the 4 1/2 hours spent in the plane on the runway waiting for the weather to clear, and then the 4 1/2 hours spent in the air actually flying). I had a fabulous time but took very few pics. . . I was the only one who brought a camera and it just wan't a picture-taking trip.

Though we weren't big into pictures, we were big into seeing the Obamas.

• We stayed close to the White House, so we walked by it I don't know how many times and learned all kinds of things from the random secret service people everywhere. (Mom, we did see the garden that Michelle Obama started, which I thought you would appreciate.)


• Any time there were sirens, we all watched to see if it was for them. And this actually paid off. We saw the President's motorcade once (the sniper in all black in the White House trees confirmed that it was him). The next day we saw Michelle's motorcade and I saw her head in the car, so I was able to confirm it on my own.


• I had dinner with Rustin while I was there, and we decided to go to Ray's Hell Burgers (the place the Pres. went to eat a few weeks ago). Knew we wouldn't see him there, but at least enjoyed eating where he ate. It's a very hole-in-the-wall place, really good food.


• We tried to get tickets to tour the White House, but those are actually hard to come by. My friend with us has a friend in the Secret Service who was helping to get tickets, then it went all crazy, but in the end the nice Secret Service agent there let us tour!

So all in all it was a great trip. We didn't actually find the First Family, but I think we got pretty close :).