Marine Mud Challenge 2009

For the second year the JAG office entered a team in the Fort Gordon Marine Mud Challenge. The race is a 4 1/2 mile run in the woods and hills of the post with 16 obstacles. Most of the obstacles have large pools of water, good old mud, and there is was a creek or two to cross. All and all, good dirty fun I can tell the kids about.

CTP's O, M, T and I made up this years team. We called ourselves the Justice League (JAG pun fully intended). We showed off our super human powers and WON the co-ed class with a time of 46 min. This is a near 20 min improvement from last year. Very Cool!

Angie and Mrs. T. made some very cool team shirts for the race. In keeping with the team name every member had a justice league superhero symbol on the back. I was "The Flash."
The kids even got in on the act with team shirts, and they ran in the kids runs. Graham was the Green Arrow and raced in a mile kids run. He finished in the top third of the group and beat some older kids. Tess was Hawk Girl. She ran a Dad made up 200 yard version of the race. In both cases the Marines tossed the kids over the 7 feet tall obstacle wall and gave them dog tags for their efforts. Then we all took a shower povided by a fire truck.

I had never really won a race before, so this was very exciting. I would like to thank all the little people that got me to where I am... and Angie for the cool shirt.

A trip to the beach!

As many of you know, the second week of May is a very busy time for us! May 7, Dennis and I share a birthday, Mother's Day on the second Sunday, and our anniversary is May 12. We decided to come to one of our favorite places for a few days, the beach. We like coming to stay at Pawley's Island, in South Carolina. It is south of Myrtle Beach, not as commercial and there is a really nice resort on the ocean with several kids pools. The weather has been perfect!

On Sunday morning, to celebrate Mother's Day I really wanted to go fishing on the ocean. Graham and I really love to fish, and I had never been fishing in the ocean! It was a lot of fun. We went out on a boat with a guy named Capt. Pete. Graham and I really wanted to catch a little shark, but they weren't biting. We did catch several crabs and clam, I caught a toad fish, which is definitely not something you would find in the Brookville Lake! It is a really mean fish nick-named a clam-cracker. Graham caught a flounder too!
We spent time at the beach and in the pools. Had dinner at a place along the Murrell's Inlet Marsh Walk. It was called "Creek Ratz" where we were lucky, they didn't snatch Graham for their advertising. He looked just like the picture on the sign!

After our walk on the Marsh walk, we were about to go to the car, when a bird flew into my shoulder with it's wing. This probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but I have F.O.B. (fear of birds) and completely freaked out over the traumatic experience.

Birthday Fun

Thank you to everyone that called, left messages, emailed and sent cards! It was a really fun day! It started out with my father actually singing/shouting the "Happy Birthday" song into the phone. Then he told me how "odd" I am, because my birthday falls on all odd numbers, 5/7/1979, it was something he heard on the radio that morning because it was 5/7/09. Erik took off work, and we spent the day taking care of errands and selecting the pictures of the children that we are going to order from their photo session a few weeks ago.

After picking up the kids and went to Carrabas for dinner. We went kind of early, (not because I am that old and need an early dinner, though I can definitely see the advantages) there was no crowd. Our sevice was excellent. I even ordered a drink they no longer have on the menu, and the bartender took the time to write down the recipe for me.

After dinner, we went home and played outside for a while, then enjoyed chocolate cake and opened gifts. Fun! Fun! Fun!


I received a beautiful card (completely hand-made) by my friend Randi. She has a business where she does these cards, and they are really fantastical! Her Christmas cards are awesome to. My cousin Katie, phoned and sang (did not shout) a really sweet song that she learned from a really clever and wise person that she knows. I have a feeling that she has added clever and wise to the description of this friend because I am slightly older than her.

Before the kids went to bed we used SKYPE (this webcam/phone thing) to call home. Dennis and I share the same birthday, and growing up we really tried to make a point to be really obnoxious the day of. It seems like we have been on really good behavior as we have gotten older though. Showing my age and dementia, I tried to explain that our birthday was all odd numbers to Dennis, and how "odd" that makes us. But, I couldn't remember the word "odd"and told him the numbers were all "prime." Dennis was a good sport about my lack of math skills and dementia. He, being a math guy, just let me go on, and later in an email wrote "prime, huh?"

Tess has spectacles too!

This has quite the month for the Hendrickson family and our new found friends at the optometrist's office. Our relationship has really started to come into bloom with the most resent addition, Tessa. Tessa, as with Graham, is a touch far sighted.

I know what you are thinking. With this rash of far sighted children the Hendrickson's are polluting the gene pool, and will inevitably allow the wolves to take over again. To this I say poppycock. I say poppycock not only because it is one of the more entertaining words to say, but also to point out that the wolves took over because of the very slow footed folks. The Hendrickson's are still faster than your average bear, and therefore our genes have great value in this pool.

Also, I would like to point out that our girl looks very cute in her new spectacles. She picked out two pair, and Angie, the bargain shopper that she is, was able to find quite the deal.

Tessa is still working on leaving the glasses on her face, but as with any new addition to the her world she is playing with them all the time. So we have added a new phraze. "On your face or in the case. " This sounds good, but is not working all the time.

I will be next to see the optometrist and am sure to be adding a pair of Army Issue BCGs (birth control glasses) to the uniform.

Scout Camping Trip

This weekend I took Graham on the Spring Cub Scout Camping trip. This was a special trip because Graham and the other Tiger Scouts were becoming Wolves. This is the second promotion up the ranks for Graham. In order to earn the Tiger Badge, Graham completed several projects and worked with the pack every month. So, this was a big deal.

We packed up on Thursday and left Friday after work. After picking up the "THE Eagle Scout" Pete Meno and were off. The camp was in the Magnolia Springs State Park about 45min south of Augusta. The park has a 200 acre lake and camping area. We stayed in the the Pioneer camping area. It was a open clearing in the woods, and the pack had it all to themselves. Next to the campsite was a small sink hole with a tiny gator in it. Cool.

Friday evening, we set up the tent and Graham ran with the boys, we had a camp fire with the pack where we roasted marshmallows and enjoyed s'mores. The boys played kick ball and rode bikes. The party ended at 11:00. I under packed the bedding and had a cold night.

The next morning, G woke me up at 6:00 and we took the Canoe out on the lake. This was the coolest part of the trip. G was fishing off the boat and enjoying the cruise, when we started spotting alligators. Of course, we tried to get as close to them as we could. In total we saw 5. They were all about 4 to 5 feet long. Some of them would have their tails up on top of the water and as they swam around the lake. When we came with in 15 feet they would drop under the water and disappear. This is the first time that we have seen wild gators. Graham played with the boys and fished for rest of the day.

In the evening, Graham was promoted to the Wolf Pack. For the fireside ceremony, he had to drink tiger blood and eat some wolf jerky. He was brave and strong, a true wolf.

The next day we had a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Then Graham took a short hike and found a deer jaw bone. He was a true woodsmen.

This was the last big event for Graham with St. Mary's pack 8, before the move. We are so happy that Graham enjoyed the group and his scout leader, Sean. We look forward to continuing with scouts when we arrive in Heidelberg.

Graham Gets Spectacles!

It was G's first visit to the optometrist. It seems that since I have perfect vision (Lasik a few years ago) I have neglected to think about the rest of our family's vision. Erik just doesn't because he goes to regular eye and dental exams at work. I have started to get organized and tie up loose ends before our move, and decided to have the kids eyes checked. Graham and I had our appointment a week and a half ago and Miss Tess will have her appointment next week. Graham is far-sighted and has new glasses for reading, piano and school work. He looks very sophisticated and seems to like wearing them. He says "they are like wearing a magnifying glasses" and I suppose that is a good.