Welcome 2011

Here is my official welcome to the year 2011. Sadly blogging is not my top priority this year but hopefully this will be the longest lapse between posts.
So what have we been up to...

Karl has gotten settled into his new job at The Lab and LOVES it!  Every Sunday night he looks forward to Monday morning.  What a difference!

I have started my next set of classes. I'm taking 11 units, Stats, Pol Sci, and Mythology.  Very fun!  I also decided to volunteer my time with Relay For Life.  I accepted the position as Event Co-Chair which means that along with the other co-chair, she and I are in charge of running the entire event in Tracy.  It has been great so far but I'm very busy learning how to balance all of that along with church callings and family.

Stephen has decided to not go into the military and since he missed the application dead line for State Colleges he is planning on Jr College, probably Los Positas in Livermore.  He just completed his senior project of building a large playhouse for the McHenry house, for homeless families, here in Tracy.

Natalie started tennis this year and really enjoyed getting a good work out.  She has mastered multiplication and now is going into division.  She has also scored extremely high on the reading state tests and is looking into going into the GATE school.  We will see!

Kylie turned two at the end of December but we are looking forward to celebrating with her in June for her half birthday.  She has not done as well as we hoped with her new gymnastics class so we put her back into her original one.  She loves it and is already excelling again.  She is very active and loves to sing.  She is having conversations with us now and learning how to communicate in pleasant ways.

Our kittens have been learning lots too!  We have had them for about 4 months now.  They are so silly and keep me cleaning up.  We are getting ready to let them explore the backyard.  They are excited and really need the outlet to get out their energy.  The girls love them to bits!

Well that sums it up but hopefully I can give you a better picture as I keep up with the blog.  Many family members have requested photos from Valentines since I did some new fun recipes to surprise Karl.

Natalie with some of her Christmas spoils

Natalie with her best friend Hannah trying out her new skates

Kylie is already starting to pedal by herself!

Karl loves taking photos of Kylie sleeping...  = )

Karl made his own customized workstation in his home office

This is Nicky's favorite position, nice...

One night the girls and Karl went crazy with a ramp of cushions in the family room

Great shot!

She would jump the whole way down and then fall like Natalie

We love her crazy curls!

The was taken at Stephen's school

I made Karl an Asian dinner of pork, fried rice, egg drop soup, egg rolls, and pineapple.
Here you see dessert of a homemade chocolate cake and gelatin white grape juice with strawberries.
Natalie and I hid love notes in Karl's stuff the night before.  He found them all morning long on Valentine's Day.
He came home to a house decked out in hearts, on the windows, walls and covering the floor.