NEW HENRY FAMILY PHOTOS!

Alece, Ellia, Joey, Maxy

Cutest kids in Oswego? Quite possible...

Our jazzy niece, Alece

Ellia and Aunt Carrie

Um, okay Ellia..seriously, you gotta stop that cuteness.

And in case you wondered what color the grass was that day...

Curly Joey, Crazy Maxy, and Piano-Rockin' Alece

Don't you want to go back to this age?

And Little Walnut is a...

Well, first, we'll let you guess. What do you think?


If you thought a precious, beautiful little girl, you are right! This last Wednesday, Mari and I heard the amazing news. We are SO glad and excited to meet our daughter. Another boy would have been cool, but to have a girl simple wrecks me (my heart is already melting). This is the most beautiful thing in the world. I am so pleased by her, and she's won my heart already. We are so thankful for the Lord's generosity and kindness! Here is our first family photo!

First AMAZING Spring Day

Wow. Today was simply incredible. It started with sunshine seeping through the curtains on the east side of the house, illuminating the kitchen and even reaching its serenity into the living room. This was the day we would first hit the yard with some serious outdoor-play, and boy did we enjoy ourselves!

Hangin' out on the front step.

I love my little boy with all of my heart :)

Mommy and Dominic picking up sticks! (Daddy slacking and taking pictures...)

"Puth! Puth!" Dominic exclaims as he pushes his red "gow".

Three wonderful neighbors enjoy burgers, hot dogs, and good conversation!

Enough said.

Dominic's playmates, Levi and Zoe!

"Wee!" Dominic says as he's about to go down the slide Grandma Henry got him!

"He can't have my water bottle."

"I'm going to get your face, Zoe!" Dominic

...then Zoe brilliantly blocks her face to ensure that it doesn't happen.

"Wee!"

1-2-3 Smile! Is this the best you've got?

Teeth Brushing 101

Well, apparently Dominic has mastered the art of brushing his teeth. We were well aware that he thoroughly enjoyed it and that he understood how to move the brush in his mouth. What we were unaware of was that he's pretty much nailed down the whole process just by watching us.

Watch what happened when we let him sit on the bathroom counter :) It's a true testimony to how amazing children are at learning!

How Big Is Baby Dominic? So Big!

Look at our little boy reading his favorite book with mommy! Mari does an incredible job teaching Dominic to enjoy books. Because of her consistency and commitment to read with him, Dominic has over 50 words he uses at 18 months of age :) Go Mari and Domo!

"You've Lost Everything" (Part 1)

And so, I start to type...not knowing exactly where I am going, or really what I'd even like to convey. That's a great goal, right? This post is off to a fantastic start :)

There has been so much happening in this heart of mine. It seems that God does not give up on molding and shaping me. It is this for which I am thankful. However, I must be honest- He has chosen to teach me in ways that I never ever imagined He'd use. While it's all beautiful in the long-run, it most definitely is a stretching of everything I am right now. When I say "everything", I mean absolutely everything. I think that for anyone to follow me 100%, I'll need to start at the very, very beginning of this "heart surgery" the Lord began to perform on me.

A DREAM OF SEARING LOSS

Approximately a year ago, I received a dream that radically changed my life. This dream not only imparted a rich revelation into the depth of my understanding, but it also prepared me for the events that would soon be intermingling with my family.

In my dream, Mari and I were coming back to our apartment from an evening out. As we approached the complex, we quickly realized something was horribly wrong. Firetrucks crowded the parking lot, while yellow tape sealed off the complex doorway and our patio entrance. Charred siding along our patio window indicated that an abusive fire had made its claim. A fireman approached us, and with grief he spoke a phrase I would never forget: "I am so sorry, but you've lost everything."

Silence. My heart dropped.

"What do you mean we've lost everything?" I asked, bewildered.
"I am so sorry, you've lost everything." he repeated, solemnly.

We were taken inside the complex to see the damage of our home. Everything was solemnly dressed in black. If we were lucky, some halves of decor remained untouched by the flames, but that was it; nothing was salvageable. Every single wedding gift, our furniture, our collection of family pictures, our memorabilia from some of our favorite experiences we had- all of it was consumed by the fire. There we stood, peering across what used to be our home- our safe house- wondering how this could have happened to us. I called my mom to tell her about this tragedy. The only words I could seem to muster up were, "Mom, we've lost everything...We've lost it all."

The agony I felt was nothing I've ever experienced. My heart has never been so alive in a dream. Though I slept, my heart was fully experiencing this tragedy. I cried.

"What are we to do now? We've got nothing." My heart lamented.

This was the lowest point to which I have ever been taken. I was completely stripped of everything with which I identified myself, and the hard thing is, I experienced it as if it was actually happening. This portion of the dream stuck with me beyond that night. During the next morning's worship session at church, I found myself singing and worshiping Jesus as if I had actually just lost everything. I could not contain the pain of searing loss to stay within my dream. As I worshiped, tears continued to flow. It was at this point that the Lord brought to mind the conclusion of my dream.

GOD'S VICTORIOUS WORD

As the flames that destroyed all of our possessions began to take aim at my helpless heart, the Lord made His mark- a spoken revelation. At the very last second before this tragic, dark dream concluded, I distinctly remember this sudden "knowing" proclaim itself from my inmost being.

"Because I have lost everything, I have found everything."

In one phrase, the dark lighting of the dream dramatically shifted and the last snapshot that I can recall was seeing the joy of the Lord coming to replace all of my sorrow, hurt, confusion, and worry. In an instant, I went from mourning to dancing, for I realized that in my desperation I would finally see the reality of a faithful God. The Apostle Paul writes:

But he (Jesus) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corithians12:9)

I saw that my desperation would literally be my only escort to the true revelation of my Father in heaven. Because I lost everything, I would have to *rely on God. There was no more room for confusion...no more blurred lines of who my Provider is. I was at His mercy. God taught me that my desperation for Him is the best place to be- regardless of the status of my life. He wanted me to start embracing hardship as an opportunity to know Jesus and to know that the greater my need, the more I would see how real He really truly is.

A few days after my dream, I was reading my bible when suddenly the Lord gave me a strong impression. The impression that I had was that very next scripture I would read would be imperative to understanding my dream. So, not knowing what was next, I eagerly flipped the page and read:

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him... (Philippians 3: 7-9a)

Wow! Isn't God good, that He would teach this to me in such a powerful, unforgettable way? I was so blessed by His faithfulness to teach me what He wanted in that dream. It was as if God wrote a movie that vividly illustrated the scripture in Philippians, and then let me partake in it. His grace was demonstrated greatly when he allowed me to learn through a vivid dream an essential lesson that many people have to learn in reality. A year later, I am even more thankful for the revelation that He gave to me as we have come face to face with calamity- but this time it was not a dream. God prepared my family to endure, and that makes me want to love Him even more. What a WONDERFUL God to lead us through the fire of testing with the utmost love and gentleness, that we would come out on the other side more like His son, Jesus! This is everything to me- my heart's desire. I look forward to telling more about our "heart surgery". It's been challenging, but it's been wonderful because the heart of the Father is behind it all!

...and just for the record, "heart, heart, heart, heart, heart". There- I said the word again.

*SIDE NOTE:
Isn't it interesting that blind eyes are being opened every day in Africa by the love and the power of Jesus? Did you know that deaf ears are hearing once again after being touched by the love of Christ? Did you know that the dead are being raised to life again in several Third World nations because desperately praying communities called upon the only Faithful God?

Desperation is the escort to seeing how real God truly is.

Our New Nephew!

It is with great joy that we celebrate the brand new addition to the Olson family! Nathaniel Malcolm Olson was born on March 17th, 2010. Dominic, Mari, and I had a blast visiting Matt, Jaime, Zach, Rissa, and baby Nathaniel! Of course, it was really great to see Grammy Poulos as well! Here are some photographs of their amazing little man. God is a wonderful creator :) Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary!

I just wanted to give one...HUGE...shout out:

Happy Anniversary, not to my wife, but to our Anticipating "Forever" Blog! It has been one year since we've posted anything. Wow, the Henry's relationship with their blog is going strong...yikes. It's pretty pathetic, actually.

However, I don't really regret my lack of posting. Mari and I have been really enjoying this parenthood thing, all the while, continuing to fall in love with each other all over again...every single day. Given my work schedule and the fact that I usually type the blogs, it often comes down to blogging or family (and tonight, I chose blogging! Just kidding, Mari's on the phone). However, we do hope to be more on top of posting thoughts, pictures, family updates as they occur. There is just so much happening to remain silent!

A sneak-peak, you say? Alright! We've got one talkative, handsome little man, Dominic, a new precious gift growing in Mari's belly, our EXCITING new little nephew Nathaniel Olson (wahoo Jaime and Matt!), and the life-altering lessons the Lord has been teaching us. Not to mention, we are well settled in our new home! We should definitely show some pictures of that, too!

God has been so faithful to us in this last year, as He always has been. As much as He has poured out blessings, He has also poured out the flames of testing. In all sincerity, however, we are honored and privileged to be called "children of God". Our Daddy in Heaven is so amazing! Mari and I have been growing stronger in our marriage and our faith as a result of God's gentle shaping. I'm sure there will be more to come regarding this subject, so stay tuned :).

As for now, let's get you caught up with the pictures- that will save my fingers for trying to redeem a year's worth of words. We look forward to cultivating our relationship with our Anticipating "Forever" blog, especially since it's feeling rather rejected since last March 23rd. We hope all of you are doing well. Please send us an email letting us know what's new in your life! Rhenry526@gmail.com or Mhenry526@gmail.com! Enjoy the pictures!

First trip to the Oswego Public Library!

Our little percussionist.

He's totally loving this condenser mic.

Not so happy about the fleece snow pants. He represents the Lollipop Guild.

Uh-oh. Someone's sitting in Grandpa Henry's chair!

And the Easter Bunny has arrived!


What'choo say?


More fun at the library!


Stellar! Stunning! Beautiful! 17 weeks pregnant and going strong!
Who's that awkward guy in the window?


Aww, those are great shoes to walk in, son. GREAT shoes.

And as daddy began to blog, Dominic laid down for a long evening's nap.

Here's our home in the season's first major snowfall.

Our little town.


How can you resist the bird smile?


He's got the Grandma Poulos pointed cheeks :) Thanks Grammy!

Dadda is silly when he's outside!

COLD cheeks.

Daddy and his buddy.


A wonderful evening, free of children, for the Mrs. and myself. I'm a lucky guy!


Some decor...minus Mari's purse.

Boy, did he LOVE the fountains at the Kalahari Resort!