Ian at the Timberwolves Game (Ian, Pictures, Video)

We had an incredible time this evening at the Timberwolves game. The pictures and video do it more justice than I can with words:

During the warm-up, Ian and his friend Aaron go to meet a few of the players. Here, the boys get to talk with Ryan Gomes

Before the game, we were able to have our picture taken with Ryan. In the front is Aaron and Ian. In the back row are Tom, Deb, Ryan Gomes, and Mr. & Mrs. Bassiere. Mr. Bassiere is Ian's physical education teacher, who wrote in a letter to a local radio station and made this possible.

This shows where our seats were. The two little blue caps are Ian and Aaron.

The Timberwolves gave Ian a prize bag. This included a pair of size 18 shoes. He's have to grow into them...

Al Jefferson making a free throw

During a time-out, Ian got to hold the game ball.

Ian and his buddy Aaron were allowed to give the starting T-Wolves high-fives as they were introduced:






We want to send out a huge "Thank You" to Laura Kellison and John O'Connell at the Minnesota Timberwolves for their hospitality and generosity. You gave us an evening that we will remember for the rest of our lives, and made a basketball fan out of Ian.

Small Mouse, Big Dreams (Tom, Pictures)

We just got back from seeing The Tale of Despereaux. It's a great kid's movie, with many timeless messages. It touches on courage, chivalry, honor and the power of forgiveness.

And, yes, Elaine--as you can see, we took Ian's little Despereaux with us. Ian thought that it was hilarious when the mouse used his enormous ears to glide, and recreated that scene all the way home.

Ian's Baptism (Ian, Pictures, Video, Temporal Echoes of the Eternal)

No two parents were ever prouder than Deb and I were on Sunday. Our little boy stood up in front of at least two hundred friends and family and declared in a strong, excited voice "I just love Jesus!" He took his first confident steps on the path that follows Christ, and did it with joy.

The service felt like it was thrown together, but looking back, it was orchestrated by God. On Saturday, Deb and I asked our pastor if it would be possible to have a baptismal service for Ian the next day, instead of waiting a week. By Saturday night, the arrangements were made.

First, a song of praise was lifted up; we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong. Later, a couple of friends said they could feel the Holy Spirit resting on the gathering.

Ian was a little nervous, but not scared. When it came time to speak, he answered confidently and clearly. When he emerged from the water, he had one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on his face. Afterward, he couldn't stop saying "I'm so glad I did that!"









A few friends had asked if they could bring some desserts for a small reception afterward. We expected a small, intimate gathering; what we got was a party!






During said party, I took a moment to pray a blessing over Ian, and to give him his values. In the last year, I led a group of men through a program called Heart of a Warrior. One part of HOAW is to determine what your primary values are. After identifying your primary values, the study leads you through identifying the values for your children. While giving him his blessing, I told Ian what his values are: Courage and Kindness. Anyone who knows Ian at all will see that those are definitely his. From now on, Deb and I will seek out opportunities to affirm courage and kindness in his life.





We want to say Thank You! to all who helped make this day unforgettable. The love we feel for our little boy was clearly echoed by everyone who brought food and party supplies, made calls, helped out and drove out of their way to attend. Thank you for showing your love for our son.

An Ian and Dad Saturday (Ian, Tom, Pictures, Graces and Mercies)

Today, Ian and I had pretty much an Ian and Dad day. I had the opportunity to all but spoil him (although, after our Make-a-Wish trip, that bar got significantly higher.)

Ian had his first dose of steroids last night, and the side effects are already kicking in. He was wide awake at 6:00 this morning. Thanks to a dose of melatonin, I had actually gotten some sleep last night, so I got up with him. While he watched a DVD, I checked email and kept refreshing CaringBridge, looking for new guestbook posts.

Later this morning, we hit Mall of America (after a 10:00 a.m. lunch at Subway). We got Deb's birthday present, then I gave him a choice of either playing mini-golf at MoA, or riding rides. Me being the soft touch that I am, "or" became "and", so we wound up riding a couple of rides anyway.

Ian's favorite ride at Mall of America is the Pepsi Ripsaw...

...his other favorite ride is Paul Bunyon's Log Ride.

A couple of shots from Moose Mountain Golf at Mall of America.

Ian doing what Ian does best: creating with LEGOs.

After a rest at home, Ian and I went to a HOPE Kids event, a video games night. It was hosted by a local home media shop, and it featured all the current systems and some really fun games. Ian paused from playing Wii long enough to try his hand at Dance Dance Revolution and Rock Band.






If you haven't read the latest CaringBridge post yet, and in case you are interested, Ian is being baptized tomorrow (11/16) at 1:30, at Berean Baptist Church. Afterwards, there will be a short reception in room 113 at the church.

If you are able to come, we would love to have you there to celebrate with us. This is something that Ian wanted and asked for without being prompted, and we're ecstatic that this could be arranged before we start any possible further treatments. I want to send a big "Thank You" to those friends who stretched to make this possible; you dear friends have no idea how much this means to us.

Can I Go Back...Please?...(Pictures, Make-a-Wish Trip, Ian, Fun Stuff, Video)

I came back from Florida for this?



And, as a follow-up to the last post, here is a video clip of Ian fighting Darth Vader:




We're still in the process of sifting through the pictures & videos, and I'm going to try flexing my video editing skills to come up with something that shows the scope of the whole trip.

Vacation Pictures, Ctd. (Make-a-Wish Trip, Ian, Pictures)

I tried in vain to get screen captures of this from the video clips I took over the past week. Now that we're home from our Make-a-Wish trip, I was able to rip this from the Disney PhotoPass site:


This was the first of many highlights from our trip. Ian took part in Jedi training at Disney Hollywood Studios, then got the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Darth Vader. As a parent, and as a Star Wars geek, this was very cool.

Once we catch our breath, I'll try to get things a bit more organized. There is so much to show and tell, though, that it will take a few days...

Make-a-Wish Trip, Day 1

Day 1

Exhaustion. Pure exhaustion, and the trip is just beginning. Hopefully, we will be efficient sleepers, so that we can be ready for the next few days…

We started off this morning at 4:30, getting ready to be picked up by a limousine, which was a first for all of us. The driver was very kind, and gave us the first of many thrills for the day. We were met at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport by a Make-a-Wish volunteer named Martha. She escorted us through check-in and security, and waited with us a while at the terminal.

When we boarded the plane, Ian was allowed to sit in the cockpit for a few minutes and work the controls.

We had an uneventful flight (the best kind), and arrived at Orlando to 70 degrees and lots of sun. We were met there by a volunteer from Give Kids the World (the name of the complex where we are staying) named Helen. Helen took us through the baggage claim to the car rental.

Half an hour later, we pulled into Give Kids the World. This place is amazing. It’s perhaps the most kid-friendly place I’ve ever seen (and, yes, I realize that how close we are to Walt Disney World). Within minutes of arriving, Ian was given a stuffed Mickey Mouse, and that wasn’t the last gift he received. We ate a quick lunch (with ice cream), checked in and then explored the village.

After supper at The Gingerbread House (an on-site restaurant), it was Christmas. Every kid got an age-appropriate present; Ian chose a Sorry game.

Click here for pictures of the trip. Click on a thumbnail to enlarge it, or just view the slideshow.

Tomorrow, we hit Disney Hollywood…

A Slow, One-Way Trip (Graces and Mercies, Pictures)

Deb and I were looking for a blank video tape last night, and happened to find one with some home movie footage from 2005. We watched Ian, then 3 1/2, looking for Easter eggs and playing in the rain. It has occurred to me before, but was driven home last night, that if I knew then what I know now, I would be heartbroken.

Our temporal-ness is a mercy. I was suddenly glad that I had almost seven years of getting to be with my son before we found out that he had a DIPG. If we lived our lives with full knowledge of what was to come...every blessing, every heartbreak...then I don't think we would be able to truly live in the "now."

A Weekend at Lake Sylvia (Ian, Pictures)

We had the opportunity to extend the fun half of our summer past Labor Day last weekend. Our friends the Conrads invited us to stay an evening at their cabin, then spend Saturday fishing and generally enjoying a lovely day outside. I believe that Ian showed that he is definitely from Deb's family that day, as he enjoyed fishing the entire day.

The lake is gorgeous, especially first thing in the morning.
If I hadn't been so dedicated in the pursuit of sleep, I would
have tried to take pictures of the stars early Saturday morning.
I had forgotten how gorgeous a clear night sky is when there's no ambient light.

Ian was ready for fishing, first thing Saturday morning.

This is Rika. Needless to say, Ian and Rika became good friends.

"Uncle" Joe was an extremely patient teacher Ian (and me, for that matter).

This is Ian with Curt Conrad, Joe's father. Thank you to the Conrads,
for giving us some wonderful memories. It was a great way to end the summer!

First Day of School (Ian, Pictures, Events)

I'm a little behind on posting some pictures of current events.  Here is catchup post #1:

Last Tuesday, Ian started first grade.  It was a big day: first day of school, in a new building (for Ian, and newly constructed) in a new school (Aspen Academy, their first year in existence).  Deb and I wanted to come up with some kind of first-day-of-school tradition, so after the picture-taking, we went out for breakfast.

At the school, it was the chaos that you would expect, given the circumstances.  It was a little difficult to take this step, especially given current circumstances with Ian's health.  But Aspen Academy has been wonderful about being willing to work with us to monitor Ian's condition and help him out however they can.  And, at 8:30 a.m., we let go of our son a little bit more...

One small step for a little boy,
but one big step for the Henderson family...

There was a whole lotta white shirts and khaki pants
at school that day.

Dad, you can put the camera away any time now.

Pictures, Video from Sir Ian the Brave (Pictures, Ian, Video, Fun Stuff)

As Deb wrote on our Caring Bridge site, we had a special day yesterday. We attended the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN. Deb was able to arrange for Ian to go backstage and meet a couple of the knights in the jousting troupe New Riders of the Golden Age. Ian was a little too nervous to ride on a horse, but they were gracious enough to allow Ian to teach a scoundrel a lesson in manners:






The members of the troupe were very gracious and friendly. We want to give them a special "thank you" for giving us another great memory.

Here are a few pictures from the event:



The master of ceremonies, Kelly Baker, is also the director of the group.
He took time out of his schedule to show us how things are done, and made it a very special day.


A knight in the opening ceremonies



We had great seats for the tournament.
One of the ladies of the court, Lady Jane (the one on the right),
was kind enough to let Ian stand with her to get a better view of the action.



Sir Orrin performs a tight turn. Well done!



A salute from Sir William

In addition, we enjoyed the talents of Tuey Wilson, a longtime feature at the Renaissance Festival (28 years!). The man has an uncanny sense of balance:





By the way, the interruption in the video is me being hit with a Nerf dart. You'd think he would have the first couple of rows of the audience sign a waiver or something...

All in all, it was a wonderful day. We're making it a point to cram as much fun into the second half of our summer to make up for the first half.

As a quick aside, the boy is losing weight. The first half of the summer, we kept having to buy new clothes because he was outgrowing them. Now that his appetite is ranges from diminished to normal, his weight is going back down. Pong!

Facial Hair (Pictures)

I've had a couple of people express some curiosity about what I look like now that I've neglected the razor for a month and a half. Well, not neglected, per se; we're mere acquaintances now. I have no clue why I decided to grow a small beard. The only reason I've been satisfied with is that I can do it, and that's enough.

Here's the current growth:

It was longer, but I mistakenly trimmed it with the clippers at the lowest setting. I'll post more pictures once I can get a better one. The other attempts at documenting my adventure in extended stubble had me looking like I was three sheets to the wind.


Also, contrary to what this photo shows, there is hair all around my mouth. It's just blonde...greyish blonde...yeah, that's it.

Spring, Now. Please. (Pictures)

As a local artist* sang one time, "Sometimes, it snows in April..." Yeah, especially if you live in Minnesota.

This year, I've thought of winter as that high school bully that would tease you into thinking that you can go on your way, just to yank you down and pound you when you least expect it. Now, winter is that dinner guest that just...won't...leave, even after you've announced that it's past your bed time.

For pete's sake, it was above 70 degrees a couple of days ago...

*Prince, from the album "Parade". Here's the song.

An Orthodontic Milestone

Yesterday, Ian lost one of his top teeth:


He's lost two bottom ones, but it's harder to count those; his adult teeth came in almost immediately, so it was harder to see a difference.

All I pray is that they keep coming in straight...

My Wonderful Son

Times like these, I love being a father.

On Friday evening last week, at the supper table I complained about the lack of snowblower we were facing in light of an upcoming snowfall. Somewhere in the range of two to four inches was expected, and I would have to do it all by hand.

I was woken up early yesterday morning by my lovely wife. "You've got to come see this," she said. I looked out the window and saw lines going across the snow in the driveway:


Before Ian had rushed outside a little while earlier, he told Deb that he felt bad that our snowblower wasn't working, and he didn't want me to have to shovel the driveway, at least not by myself.

A son like that is a treasure.

That doesn't mean that he likes having his picture taken, though...

Halloween

We had the joy of sharing Halloween this year with our friends, the Staskas. They have a lovely neighborhood with sidewalks and plenty of houses that participate.

This year, Ian is getting into Star Wars. Dad and Mom have allowed him to see the original trilogy (episodes 4, 5 and 6 for anyone keeping track). So, true to form, Ian was Luke Skywalker for Halloween:



The Staska children were a clown, and Obi Wan Kenobi. So, Luke and Obi Wan ran around the neighborhood, waving light sabers and shaking down the residents for candy. Having a clown join them made the experience just a little bit more surreal.



Things were just dandy until we ran across another little boy who was dressed up as a clone trooper (he's a bad guy, for those of you not in the know). Luke and Obi Wan used the force to confuse the trooper, so that there wasn't a confrontation ("These are not the Snickers bars you are looking for.")

Trip to Southern Illinois (Catchup Post)

A couple of weeks ago, we were able to go to Southern Illinois and visit family. It was great to see friends & family. It was also fun to get to show Ian the area where I grew up. He's old enough to start remembering people and understand that Daddy was actually a little boy once (a loooong time ago) and that this is where he was that little boy.

Here are some pictures of Ian at Giant City State Park...

As promised, some pictures...

I promised some pictures last time, and I'm ready to deliver. And in only 3 days, too!

Well, anyway, there's some catching up to do. First off, at the end of August, I went home to Southern Illinois to attend the funeral of my stepfather, Frank Robinson. I received a surprise on our driveway when I got back:


It might be a little hard to see, but the chalk drawing on the left is of some balloons. On the right are the words "Welcome Home Dad!" If you look at the top of the drawing on the rights, there are white chalk lines going into our garage; Ian drew me a parking space.

Next up, we have kindergarten pictures. A couple of weeks ago, Ian started Kindergarten:

He was anxious to get there, but graciously paused long enough for a couple of pictures. When he finally got to his Kindergarten room, his patience was rewarded:

As soon as he walked in, he was confronted by one of his best friends, Adam. No doubt, they were discussing something of cosmic importance from the Star Wars universe.

Finally, I have been claiming for a couple of years that we needed to paint the house, and that this year (whatever year it happened to be) was the year it was going to be done. I am proud to say that Deb and I are almost done with the south side (the front of the house). Or, at least as much as we can do without a longer ladder. But, as evidence of our Herculean endeavor, here is a shot that shows off the old grey vs. the new grey:
On the left is our old, dingy grey. On the right is the new, "bluer" grey. Once we get the shutters back up, I'll post some more shots.