ANDERSON ANTICS

oh yeah, that christmas thing happened

2012-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

to all you die hards who had time to blog in december, good for you. i didnt and i dont care, at least the memories are getting published at some point. the kids' class parties and teacher gifts kept my head spinning and hands moving, but it was all worth it. among all the heckticness we did enjoy the church ward christmas party. the kids were in the navtivity story and jared and i sang a duet. it was a very nice nite, and our little sheep whose floppy felt ears were bouncing since he had the hiccups, got a lot of giggles.

we had to send our lincoln home to Provo, Utah to be with his real family for the holiday. it was a long 2 weeks for us. but he got us a gift, a whirly pop popcorn maker that we enjoy too much.

we had christmas festivities with the Anderson side. cookie making was a hit and very deeeelicious. unfortunately Heather was very sick so her family wasnt there with us. presents were opened, grandparents were hugged, it was lovely.

christmas morning came, the kids opened their stockings as excitedly as ever. brady was trying to sneak back to his room and while walking backwards he bonked his mouth into the cabinet, hence some pictures with him holding a wet paper towel to his fat bloody lip.

i have to admit the only thing i dont like about the mayheim of christmas day is all the assembling that is required. good thing daddys are good at that. i just keep watching their cute little faces and i dwell on that as i tune out their impatience waiting for daddy to get the screwdriver etc.

when it all settled down jared and i took a moment to be cute in our matching pajamas, then had our christmas kiss and biscuits and gravy breakfast.

turkey mayheim

2011-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

this thanksgiving has been discussed for a while now. my side of the family traveled down from Washington and we filled every day of their 5 days with us. the pictures really say it all but i want to state very clearly my gratitude for having a family that is a bit nutty, fun and loving. we always laugh a lot when we are together, we know eachother's imperfections and it doesn't matter because thats what family holidays are all about.

a couple things i dont want to forget: while delivering the treats the kids decortated to the homeless people, one man said that these brought back family memories. cheering on Lincoln at his bball game--there was a sense of family pride, playing duck-duck-goose outside of Hartnell was a nice memory too. also, jeff was quite the jokester as he handed out the presents, watching the cousins completely enjoy each other, and all the smiles, laughs, and hugs that were shared--that's really what the holidays are all about.

cuties in costume cravin' candy

2011-11-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

holy halloween havoc on my house. somehow we jam a ton in on every holiday. the kiddos chose their costumes, and kendra and brady's school parade was first. ray ray's preschool program was next.

in the middle of the fun jared and i hosted our annual couples' halloween party. our friends are hilarious and we ate well and enjoyed time together. the zombie prom king and queen were my personal favorite--actually my REAL fave was Lincoln (the college bball player living with us) being the 3rd Wheel, with caden's bike wheel strapped to his back.

then it was good ol' trunk or treat time at the church parking lot. the kids love circling around and its so fun to see my friends' children all dressed up.

my montessori kids preformed "thriller" and they were so happy that i stopped in to watch them and see them in their "historical halloween" costumes.

we finished up all the hoopla with trick or treating around Spreckels neighborhood. rob, tanner and emma joined us, the kids had the process figured out, caden was always a house or two ahead of us. we wrapped up the holiday with too much candy but a lot of good family time together.

can i just show you what we've been up to?

2011-10-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

its been too long (again) since i've blogged. the summer ended, school snuck in on us and took over our lives. so can ya just figure out what has been happening by these pictures?

these first two might be tough. the new addition to our family is Lincoln. he's a Hartnell basketball player who moved in with us. we love love LOVE him. more stories and pics to come.

last day of the season at Raging Waters--it was a goodie--Emma, Bella, Tanner, Parker, & Lauren joined us.

now for just some silly pics of the children being....the wonderment that they are.

as you can see, school activities have added much fun to our lives. new friends, festive times, just all around good family fun. the end.

just the facts folks

2011-09-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

time has flown and lots has happened so i'm just sticking to the facts on this post.

long story short, i lost too much blood after a miscarriage and fainted in the shower. jared had to call 911, i was carried out of my house on a gurney, rode in the ambulance and the doctors fixed me all up. uhh yeah...im still in shock too.

lots of friends were very supportive and loving with heartfelt sentiments.

on to more enjoyable times, big papa came to visit and took us all to the black lit mini golf, good times.

this looney tune started school the earliest. he is in 3rd grade with the same AMAZING & WONDERFUL teacher as last year. we couldn't ask for more.

these two cuties began their first and fifth grade together. we scored with great teachers and they are both so happy and excited.

little miss sassy here is starting her new preschool at an inhome place of a friend of mine. she is going to have an adventurous and awesome time there.

jared and i were invited to our first "mission call opening" ceremony(is that the right word?). tanner (one of jared's young men who is now part of our family) will be serving in Rancagua, Chile come this november. what a moment to witness--love him.

speaking of spiritual highs, this is brady reading the scriptures (on daddy's tab) for the first time. he did pretty well considering there's some doozie words in there.

buckling in his rat, what??? he begged, kendra has wanted one for a while, and we caved. caden named his junior, even tho its female.

he needed to report this to us our first nite with his new pet. he meant bit, if you dont read kid writing. ps he wasnt bit.

meet "misty". we are all getting used to these lovely pets. i personally dont touch them, but the kids are liking them.

kendra chose to celebrate her birthday with her bff at raging waters (a repeat from last year). very sweet girls and they LOVED every minute of their special day together.

my oldest child has made it thru a decade. dang i'm old and dang, i'm old.

she totally loved her gifts this year--a DSi from grannie, her big bear, collectors rocks from heather and money to spend.

so besides our big bump in the road we've been chugging along. quite busy but extremely happy. my report now is done.

girls' camp baby--another highlight of this year!

2011-08-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

oh my wonderful girls, i miss them SOOO much!

this year i was the stake assistant camp director and one of my main duties was to help the amazing YL's (youth leaders) pretty much run camp. i was the proud momma to 18 wonderful girls who i just watched and admired all week.

they conducted the campfires--which were totally epic as they would say. my personal fave moment was after my team lost the ABC song battle, evidence of the other team cheating was presented to me and i had a blast calling them out on it at the next campfire. ooooooh yeah!!!

the YL's were such a great group this year, the best ever im sure of it. they are beautiful, responsible, loving, fun and spiritual girls. we tried to kick things up a notch or two with fun costumes, new games and popcorn at campfire time.

cute danielle taught us new verses of "baby shark" which was awesome but not as awesome as when danielles prayer one nite got cut off prematurely by a couple girls who thought she said amen. i peeked up at danielles face and she was like, "?????" and she very cutely just smiled and shrugged it off, but man oh man did we bust up over that for a good long time. and i'm not sure what song the next group is singing but they were cute and funny so a picture had to be taken.

after lots of silly times we got a chance to show our love and appreciation to all the leaders who dedicate and sacrifice so much in order for camp to even happen. this was Pres. Steve Locke's last year with us, and there's no words to express how much we have benefitted thru the years of having him with us. his priesthood, influence, sunrise devotionals, and kitchen help have been a big part of our camp experience.

we also acknowledged emily stewart who very deservingly won the service quilt. she has a heart of pure gold and her name was submitted numerous times by many leaders for her countless acts of kindness.

camp takes a good team and these lovely yet wacky stake leaders pulled off a huge victory. the destiny lessons were incredible, the crafts were super cute and very popular, and all the behind the scene extras like capers, activities and the reporter (sweet slide show and newsletters btw) came together and worked so hard so the girls could have a memorable week. andre and i tried to express our gratitude to them with a little camp block that held their camp picture.

quilting 10 quilts and assembling 150+ activity bags for the women's shelter was our service project of the week. the girls all got involved and were rewarded with a little fun of making ice cream balls afterward. so fun but a tad dangerous if you play with those crazy tongan girls.

the cooks rocked as always, we always enjoy their dinner serenade of a booming hymn. this year one of their performances was quite comical when the accompanist and them were NO where in sync with each other. but these guys are great and we were fed well.

two fun highlights: a huge game of "bust a move" after testimony meeting, which was by FAR the most wonderful meeting i have been to in forever. these girls are so strong and sensitive to the spirit. they all have a wonderful budding relationship with their Father in Heaven. its such an honor to witness that and see the light in their eyes. oh highlight #2 is definetly the tongan girls and their ukelele. they sang "pricetag" the first nite and were asked to do a encore the next nite of some cool lullabye song.

speaking of my talented polynesian princesses, they stinkin' c r a c k e d me UP this year. they are so dang beautiful inside and out. we joked, hugged, got gansta, and i just loved being around them.

girls camp has always had a huge and special place in my heart. it has nothing to do with the camping and everything to do with these funky, adorable teenagers who share special times with each other and grow in every way possible. love love love them!

oh what do you do in the summertime?

2011-07-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

the children are home from school, i love it but its messy. there is a whole "kids craft cabinet" in this house but that doesnt contain their creativity. this is brady's robot, "robey". he lived with us for much too long.

caden draws a mean sponge bob, too bad he somehow found a sharpie, that wipey board is history as well.

summer produce cant be beat. after they shucked they turned into super corn heroes.

gotta make 'em work too. they all love to pitch in especially when our big boys are here working.

ok, this was CLASSIC, this is kendra's art club where you pose for a drawing, these two totally kill me.

we tend to frequent places like the Farm and the library. raylee just likes the free strawberries and to goof off with Scout at the farm during story time. but our library trips are quite successful.

she doesn't read yet, so what else would she be doing, besides forcing her animals to do puzzles?

yep we need to hit the beach, i prefer a nice clean pool with cement rather than sand, but im sure i will give in soon. probably after summer school is over. happy summer times to you all.

ya-hooooo SF zooooo!

2011-06-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

we wanted to sneak in a quick little family vacay before caden started summer school. so we had daddy take a day off, headed to the San Francisco Zoo a first for us and stay in a hotel and swim (a must for caden, that's his definition of a summer vacation). then we had our first visit at raging waters and got our season passes their first usage.

oh my goodness the peacock!! what a crack up, the boys were so excited when it hopped right onto the sidewalk. they got up close and personal with plenty of fun, stinky, but cool living things.

why does my sweet little ray ray have to love the huge cricket things and the tarantulas??? ewww

they loved every minute of every aspect of the zoo. the train was a huge hit. penguin island was brady's favorite, kendra loved everything, caden was in a constant state of jumping and humming,and raylee liked the cotton candy--what sillies, but i love em and it was a big BIG success for this family.

his baptism--brrrrrrr!

2011-06-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

we've thought about and discussed this day for a long time now. we didnt know how caden would respond to being baptised but he interviewed with the bishop and we just kept the process moving. saturday june 4 it was. one of the most perfect days EVER.

he picked out his white jumpsuit and scurried off to get dressed. the excitement level was building big time at this moment.

we were off setting up a little display table and a second table for everyone to sign in at. grandma vofo and big papa flew in that morning and helped out with the festivities.

big sister showed him around and was quite excited herself. they have a special bond these two. kendra's expertise with special needs kids has even rolled into her own classroom at school when an autistic boy got placed in there. she explained things to classmates and yelled at them when they were laughing AT him. what a sweetheart huh?

after lots of lovin, his little hiney was too too adorable in that jumpsuit, so as soon as i could stop squeezin him we got things started.

he was so ready, he kept walking up to guests saying, "hello, welcome to my bath-tism". absolutely the perfect host.

the program itself was simply, utterly, plainly PERFECT. it started off with caden so sweetly singing "i am a child of god" and then my dad giving the opening prayer with the gentle spirit that he has. yeah, i was already GONE at that point. actually i was a bit nervous for what caden was going to say when he came out of the water, so my nerves kept my tears at a minimum.

auntie heather gave the talk (we combined both topics to save on time and attention span) and she EXCEEDED my expectations. i knew months ago that she was the one to give the talk, and she had cute cute caden come up and hold pictures (great visuals kept him listening--i think) while she beautifully taught both principles of baptism and the Holy Ghost. we had 3 nonmember friends attend so we were thrilled for them and know they were well taught. at one point caden was still doing his job of holding the pictures but he decided he needed to add facial expressions. so for about 30-45 seconds his eyebrows were doing a little dancing. we all giggled and just loved every minute of it.

so the moment came. jared led him to the "secret door" as he called it. daddy took him down into the water and on the third or fourth step caden let out a relieving "ahhhhhh". i guess it was nice and warm. when he came out of the water he let out a tongue rolling "brrrrrr". so i guess he got cold suddenly. the crowd chuckled. and i was grateful that he didnt demand for his popsicle, since he knew that was coming.

the confirmation was tender and powerful. the spirit was very strong and there was a lot of love in the room that rainy june day. he got hungry and started to whine, "i dont wanna do all that!" so i quickly got him a piece of gum so he could make it thru. he did. jared and i were holding it together quite well too UNTIL caden, with all his might, tried to sing every word of the closing song, "baptism". and bishop's closing remarks reminded us that simple obedience brings the best kind of happiness. i was wiping jareds tears-- it was a marvelous marvelous day. i turned around and just saw rows and rows of people i love. it reminded me of the overwhelming feeling i had on my wedding day. our sealing room was full of people who mean so much to me. this was the same great feeling just 11 years later. the gospel is such a blessing, to have wonderful brothers and sisters to share special moments with.

cadens refreshment of choice was popsicles so we licked and mingled and headed home. he recieved fun gifts and the love just continued. friends and family are so very kind and generous.

when everything settled down he needed some computer time and to have a little wrestling time with one of his buddies. it was a great ending to a great day.

good job making a good choice buddy, you are SO VERY loved.

ooo ooo an update finally!

2011-05-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

it has been a couple weeks because i was having trouble with blogger. i reset my format settings so i think we are all good now. it was one of my soul sister's 40th birthday so we had to celebrate and capture this moment. jenny asked me to make her a crown so there it is in all its glory. then i framed the picture of the dinner out together we just had a couple nites before. it created quite the moment--since she is moving away. we wiped our tears and tore up the dance floor with a little bit of salsa-ing. tammie and i are heart broken but very excited for what is ahead for this amazing woman.

Saturday May 21 was quite the day. i had been half dredding it(only because it was a lot of planning, coordinating kids etc) and totally looking forward to it for a long time now. the anticipation i had in surprising my sweet katie with our Autism Walk t-shirts was HUGE. she was thrilled with it, as was the online company i ordered thru. they were so "impressed with my design and message" that they overnite shipped it to me (on them of course) so i could have them as soon as possible. katie and i were so SO proud to wear our shirts and attend this great event in the autism community.

the morning of the walk was also the annual 5K/10K race held right here at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital. so i had to squeeze it in. this is my 3rd time at the event, the past two years i did the 10K. its a fun challenge and very cool to do something good for yourself with people who enjoy it too.

well that was the last couple weeks. we had a flu run thru all the kids except kendra. so accomplishing and enjoying all this in the midst of puke, endless laundry, and being a 24 hour nurse is pretty dang good i think.

i know, i know but it's his birthday!!!

2011-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

i freely admit that i talk a lot about caden. i try really hard to not show favoritism. it's just a whole different world with him. anyway, yesterday he turned 8 and he wanted certain things so i will highlight those and add a couple cute specific details.he insisted on popsicles for his class at school (a repeat of last year). he properly introduced us (brady and raylee came with me) to his schoolmates, i showed them a couple baby pictures and a preemie outfit he wore as a baby. they licked, laughed and tore into their goodie bags from caden. once we brought him home he had a little quality time on the computer with his gift from his teacher. the only thing on his birthday wish list was a parrot. thank you teacher kim for coming thru for me and for it being the low maintenance kind. the time came for his scary scooby doo party to begin. he wanted everyone to be in a costume. "mommy we need to go to kmart to get the terrifying werewolf mask!" as you can see we compromised on the scooby suit which only stayed on for about 4 minutes. most of us were done up in some sort of way. jared was the 'ghost of hyde' and i was the haunted clown, both from specific scooby episodes. caden loved it. i loved the pictures of caden on the back of the hanging scooby signs. sometimes its the little things that make us happy. a few of my favorite moments were: munching while talking to uncle jeffie on the phone, willingly giving his favors and being so gracious when opening his presents. a couple gifts into it he paused before opening one and said softly, "hmm this is gonna be good!!" and in true caden climatic fashion, after blowing out the candles the crowd let out a collective "awwww" when after he exclaimed, "i wish to go fishing with my daddy". we managed to sneak in one party game. he let us all know several times that we had to play a party game. so i made a big scooby poster and they all pinned the tail on him. he gave em goodies and the official party parts were complete, (i had him stand on a chair and give a thank you speech too. uncle ryan said it was sappy but i love those forced thank yous). a few close friends came and made the day even more special. tanner, rob and katie just mesh right in with our family and we appreciate their adoration for our little guy. everyone gave great gifts which all the kids are enjoying. big papa and gramma vofo sent a card and caden was so excited to get "a dollar!!!" (it was a check, i got a good chuckle out of that). he felt loved and was so excited and pretty cooperative the whole time. it made for a very happy birthday.

"it's gotta be a good life" with my caden

2011-04-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

my new favorite song is by One Republic titled "Good Life". yesterday was our big triannual IEP meeting with Caden's 'team' so i've been evaluating him leading up to it and then was filled to capacity with more Caden-isms. while driving around i play and replay the song just appreciate the blessing caden is in our lives. how could you not just love this adorable gentle little boy??!! in the meeting with all the professionals that work with our autistic child, jared and i found ourselves grinning, giggling and cracking up at some of the stories they shared. he definitely beats his own drum in his own unique band. my favorite was hearing about when he starts to get frustrated in class he takes off his shoes and hangs them on his ears saying, "i cant hear you, what are you saying?". he's the master joke teller and keeps everybody smiling and laughing all day long. as a toddler he found his fair share of mischief. he developed very typically and did everything a 2, 3 year old should do. looking back now, knowing what we do, there was an excess of jumping, going to his own little world, and running off that could've clued us in. but we have no regrets on any of the assessment process and feel grateful how much intervention and help we have received post-diagnosis. our smart mister man is testing about grade level in most areas. which we are THRILLED with. his academics have come so far, it was interesting to measure his success from his past goals. this is the boy who couldn't answer the questions, "how are you, what did you do today?'" in the past you would get some scene of a spongebob episode recited to you. now he always answers, "it was great, i did everything!!" i can get more details if i probe him at the right time. we used to have to tag-team all our errands and outings, but with a lot of preparing and coaching we are able to do many more family fun adventures. daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, going to siblings' sporting events etc have all become much more bearable. he doesnt sit and watch and he always got some gummy worms to keep him happy but we can at least attend them now as a family. society in general is still tricky for him. this past winter, following the rules while sledding down a hill caused a big meltdown. we are always prepared to exit early or split up if situations are too tough for him to handle. his brother and sisters are accomodating. but lately brady keeps huffing, "why does he...., how come caden...???". kendra understands and sweetly explains it to her friends as well. we can only hope that the other two handle it as gracefully. as his parents we have so much to learn. the nbc show 'Parenthood' is a good portrayal, i cry at every episode. it has become distinctly clear that he is a dominantly visual learner. he doesnt want to listen to us go on and on about anything. one or two questions is all you get at a time. but he could sit with daddy on his tab (like an ipad) and stay engrossed in just about anything. his current obsessions are the smurfs, scooby doo, and his love of animals could never go away. there's a health insurance commercial on tv right now with a dad stating that his son has autism and he is ok with that, he loves him just the way he is. i was so happy to see that. theres so much science and speculation about theories and cures and its easy to get wrapped up in that. but at the end of the day i just wrap caden up in my arms and love and accept all that he is and isnt. do i get sad sometimes? for sure. do i wonder if he is going to do this or that? of course. this picture of him and i at the aquarium makes me sad and happy at the same time. i asked a stranger to take the shot for me, (it was a nice looking lady) and she was trying desperately to get caden to look at her for the picture. he didn't, of course. after a couple of attempts i told her its ok, it'll be fine. she frustratingly commented that she just couldn't get him to look at her. i reiterated that it was OK!!! she didnt know. but i do. and the people around him do. and that's gonna have to be ok. at the end of the day, meltdown or not, running off by himself not always needing or wanting us, socially successful or not as much, it's gonna be alright. when i squeeze him at nite in his bed, i tell him, "i love you, you are my heart and my soul". we love him so undescribably much, we will make everything ok. it's gotta be a good life.

eggs, treats, & roosters

2011-04-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

egg hunts at school were fun but ancient history it seems. easter falls on the end of our spring break, so i have just been keeping the kids busy busy busy so i can stay happy happy happy. we had at least one recreational activity per day and i tried to sneak a daily educational activity in there as well. this post will just show the easter related outings. i wanted to keep them very happy on my birthday which fell on the thursday of their week off. so i made em pose as a present to me. then we headed out to enjoy the bunnies, goats and fresh strawberries at "the farm" here in town. the next day grannie annie hosted her annual easter party for the kids. they dyed eggs, made krispy trest eggs (idea from the cute commercial) ate bunnies in a blanket and hunted for their eggs. it was quite the success. on easter eve we headed out to the Barlocker Ranch for our ward's easter get-together. i spent most of my time at this rooster cage with caden. he was fascinated for some reason even though the cock-a-doodle-doo was too loud for him. (notice his fingers in his ears) the other kids ate and ate then loved exloring to find bunnies, cows, and horses. and yes, that is my oldest holding a chicken--have mercy. it was a great turn out, it was great to see and chat with friends we don't always get to. and the day was beautiful, so they hunted for their eggs, and we headed for home. a pretty successful holiday thus far considering easter morning is tomorrow.

i have a man cave???

2011-04-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

so there's some guys (jared's former young men+ a friend) who have come over to hang out. it started with PS3 playing & snacking into the midnite hour,and now has progressed to wrestlemania with the kids during a "fry party", a meaningful converstion here & there, and family scripture reading/prayer quality time with my clan. the boys use the fried food, video games and binging on junk food as an excuse to hang out with jared and i cause we are so cool. nah, not really, but these guys are great and we love having em over. sorry the pictures are blurry but these are definite action shots, my phone's camera isnt fast enough to keep up with the body tosses and human catapulting into the couch cushion mountain. the boys catapulted me too, its pretty safe and the kids love it. after the food and fighting frenzy we settle down for some quality time. that consists of raylee demanding on stories read by whoever is her favorite that nite, then we get a kick out of including them in our family stuff at the end of the day, picking on them for prayer etc. this great group of guys are growing up and going on their separate ways in life. but as one of them said at Spenser's going away party, "this is like our man cave". and one of them is famous for referring to me as, "the old lady we hang out with". we are excited for their upcoming adventures and so proud of who they are already. they will always be welcome to come hang with the old fogeys in the cave.

my kids' first sport--besides gymnastics

2011-04-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

even before i knew about the gym closing i finally braved the big bad world of childrens sports. i settled on the rec center's basketball program. this was a risky move considering where we reside and how i'm a bit of a coach-snob. i swallowed my pride for the sake of brady and kendra who really wanted to try this sport. i was very happy with their coaches. kindergarteners playing this sport is more than a crack up. the amount of ball hogging and traveling that happens is unbelievable. brady only took about 4 shots all season, and he made one. he was so shocked and thrilled in that moment. he looked at me (as i was quite the spectacle standing, screaming and jumping for joy) he paused and wanted to come hug me since he was so overjoyed but i shewed him back to keep playing. he was on cloud 9, it was adorable. we had a good cheering section for both of the kids' seasons. lots of family support, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma vofo and tanner and rob made it to see them in action. kendra had a blast learning the game. she did pretty well and maybe shot the ball once. she gained some skills and loved that her coach nicknamed her "smiles". her games got pretty competitive for 4th graders which meant i was shooting my mouth off at the refs and other team, which meant jared was shushing me and shaking his head. and we've only just begun. brady and kendra had a blast, that is what matters most (i suppose). nah, it was great to watch them acquire different skills, work with a team and respond to their coaches so well. bring on the next sport for this family.

my boy and some fishies

2011-03-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

10 ASD kids for a couple hours at the monterey bay aquarium--like i would miss that!! these kids were so enthrawled with every little thing. it was wonderful to watch. caden enjoyed posing with the statues, he gave them a lot of love too. so much to see and get right up next to. the kids had a blast. the teachers did a great job at leading them thru. i loved every minute with my little guy, watching him be so fascinated is such a joy and to see him conform, listen to direction, and be well behaved is always comforting.

teenagers and gymnastics--an interesting combo

2011-03-20T20:38:00.001-07:00

im way behind on my blogging, lots of fun stuff has been happening. this week the gym ive been coaching at is closing. before all my fun is over, i squeezed in a youth activity there and a field trip for caden's class. i was only able to get a few shots of the youth, as i was slightly busy making sure nothing or nobody got broken. i started the nite explaining a little bit about the sport and how different body postions transfer to all the different events. then we warmed up, stretched out and i taught them some basic tumbling on the spring floor. most of them could roll but when it came to handstands and especially cartwheels, it got a little ugly. but totally hilarious and we all enjoyed ourselves. as we split into groups to hit the other events, i gave them a few facts explaining the equipment etc and they gave it all a try. the young men on the balance beams was a total HOOT. they were actually quite good and graceful even. the training and uneven bars were challenging but a few of them were able to get a pullover which isnt easy. they vaulted off the vaulting table--which really just looked like a bunch of guys falling all over the place. then at the end they all got to just have an open gym and try the ropes, rings, and trampolines. it was a BLAST and i am so grateful no one was hurt, i had prayed several times for that. i wish i could do that every year with them, they were so fun and funny and gracious, they were humbled by what they couldnt do but were proud of what they could. LOVE THEM!

brady boy is 6!!!

2011-03-09T20:53:00.000-08:00

braders, brade-inator, turbo, frequently referred to as "crazy boy" is 6 years in the making now. this dude is funny. he has always made us laugh as soon as he smiled. as his birthday post i just wanted to put a bunch of silly things he's done and capture his loving sibling spirit that he has. of course he's gotten into his fair share of mischief, he loves lizards, the mud, trucks and action figures. he's 100% boy. this first year in school he has taken pride in the fact that his teacher called him the funniest boy in town. he also is the self-proclaimed class clown (way to follow in mommy's footsteps). he's a great brother, he cried on kendra's first day of kindergarten and he randomly comes up hugging his family members and declaring his love for them. we are extremely happy with our extremely hilarious but serious and intense little boy. happy birthday brady!!!

good thing i have them

2011-03-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

i always tell my kids when they are being neat that it's a good thing they are cute. well i've been appreciating them for the good times and the neat times even more lately.we've had a lot of time together since jared was sent to Clearlake (Cobb Mountain) area to restore power to that area when it was hit really hard weather wise. kendra and brady's basketball season provided lots of entertainment (caden loved this tree right outside the rec center where the games are). we mainly hung out at home, there was lots of extra hug tickling tackle attacks by me. and anytime i offered to take them on a little outing they were thrilled. its as if they realize that mommy is on her own here so lets cut her some slack. 6 days and 5 nites later when daddy/husband returned we were so happy. i'm still adjusting to not having to do and handle everything myself. it was for sure a very up and down period of time for all of us. he loved working in the snow but it was exhausting of course. and the nites were quiet and lonely for both of us. but it was a short time and things change so quickly around here. we have some exciting things coming up and as soon as i can get my stupid injury healed (its either my reoccuring torn hamstring or my sciatic nerve acting up) we will be up and literally running as normal--whatever that is.

no business like snow busy-ness

2011-02-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

we found lots of snow when we were up in WA for the holidays. CA has got tons of snow lately and i wish we could go play in it--school and daddy working afar is gonna keep us home and living off these memories. we hooked up in the middle of Spokane and Sammamish (i dont remember the actual town) with some dear dear friends and their awesome kids. went to lunch, caught up, and headed for a little park with some hills. we layered and geared up. snow angels happened immediately and we didnt even have time to instruct the kids on the how-tos of sledding--they were off. the most HILARIOUS moment occured when (oh dear goodness i'm crackin up just picturing it again) matt and i were watching all the kiddos fly down the hill and we turn around to see who's coming next and caden is heading straight for a decent sized bush, we couldn't do anything about it we just watched him get totally avalanched, buried in the snow. it was too funny. he handled it well and got up saying "mommy look i am covered in snow!!!!" matt and i were literally doubled over, tears coming out, not breathing since we were laughing so hard. raylee enjoyed making the snowman, i thought my construction was just fine till matt and jared came in. it turned into a snowball fight and good ol family fun. my kids couldn't get enough of the snow so the next day we went to a snow park in Snoqualmie. they had this huge hill and we attacked it and had a blast. i love brady's multitasking of trying to peg other kids with a snowball AS he's flying down the hill. he's such a boy! our other boy had a hard time following the direction of the snowpatrolman--sled down the middle and walk up the side. he much preferred to switch it up and become a human target for everyone else. i sprinted up the hill to yank him outta the way and daddy had to sit him out on the sidelines several times. it was tough on poor caden. but we managed to log in plenty of snow hours and experience (but gratefully leave behind) the freezing white slick stuff.

valentines shmalentines--just kiddin

2011-02-13T20:20:00.001-08:00

so we kinda celebrated early this year, the kids dont have school on monday, valentine's day, so we already did the parties and goodies this past friday. so im fresh out of feelin the love on this love-filled holiday. but this shot of me and my honey bunny in the snow makes me happy.anyway, the kids were troopers addressing their 100 valentines. i baked all the goodies and packed healthy party snacks and they all returned with tons of sugar and loot. i was able to go to brady's class this year, he was so thrilled, which was adorable. parents of kindergarteners are....funny. they totally hover over their children. maybe because he's my third im more kick back but it was entertaining to see all these moms get a bit carried away with their festiveness. my holiday spirit picked up today at church. my little nursery angels decorated the windows with heartsy clings and then we made big heart crowns that said their name and "you are loved". the kids wore their huge glitterey crowns thru sacrament meeting which made me giggle frequently, but then jared gave an amazing talk so it was quite a mixed bag of emotions, all good of course. they were adorable and ya can't help but just love em to death. tomorrow we will have a nice chill day at home. i have the kids' singing/dancing animal valentines ready to keep em happy and feelin the love. happy hearts day to you all.

my fourth is four!!!!

2011-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

oh my little ray ray, four years ago in the hospital i was watching the superbowl after you finally decided it was really time for you to enter the world. i was so excited to have another girl so kendra could have a little sister and i could play pretty dress up again. kendra was smitten with her real life doll and the boys were fascinated with this little thing that was pretty noisy, still is in fact. everytime the camera came out i got this super cheese face from her. funny how she has grown out of it now and currently gives a sly grin. she got in her fair share of messy trouble but for the most part she has always entertained with herself, her "babies" phase with shampoo bottles lasted a while and still cracks us up to this day. funny enough kendra did that too at that age but only in the tub. i love how she puts herself in time-out, makes household objects into the best toys and how she still asks for hugs and lots of lovin. rayray's hilarious and has been as lovely as a toddler should be. she's my big girl now, and we all love her to bits! happy 4th birthday booger wooger!!

he wants me to ignore his birthday

2011-01-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

really jared??? really??? he doesn't want me to tell the kids, no cake, no dinner, no buying anything, no mention of it. well he's getting a blog post so THERE! my funny posing beefcake of a man is always cracking me up and keepin our house a wonderful place to be. Of COURSE i'm grateful he was born and for every year that he is alive and with me. i love that he enjoys his boys and all the fun things they do together. not only his sons but the young men from church totally have a special place in his heart. he loves to have his daddy dates with the kids, which make everyone else left at home completely jealous. but he's wonderful at doing the crafty holiday projects and having the patience to make our family fun times truly enjoyable. as his gushing wife i most selfishly am grateful for the even-keel demeanor by which he uses the priesthood power in our home. our greatest blessings that we enjoy year after year, moment after moment are those that the gospel brings us. mister jared randall daddy pants, we love you and happy stinkin' birthday!!!

just not feelin' it

2011-01-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

this is how i feel about bloggin lately. i still haven't documented our little christmas together once we traveled home. the break was so nice, the kids and i totally vegged and chilled. once they returned i just haven't bounced back into my normal motivated self. blogging has taken a back seat. everything's fine, jared's been workin more on kendra's room, work and church are just fine. the kids were thrilled to go back to school--except kendra. raylee is a big girl in primary now at church and loves it. jared and her birthdays are coming up soon. those will push me back on the bloggin boat. sometimes my busy brain just needs a break.

christmas=water park, don't ya know?

2011-01-06T20:53:00.001-08:00

this place had to be repeated, all the kids were just in heaven last year. so big papa hooked us up, we set up fort and got wet and wild at the great wolf lodge. Raylee was usually frolicing aroung the spouty fountain things, and kendra was grabbin a cousin and zippin down water slide after water slide. my boys (all 3 as you will see) were commonly found in the snake pool, where they climbed across the lily pads and tackled the floating snake and beaver. not sure why they enjoyed those so much but it gave me plenty of rides on the tornado with what ever brave souls i could find to go with me. this place is a blast and we appreciate my parents' generosity in providing such a fun family get together, makes me wonder what our next adventure will be. merry splashy christmas.

the best kind of christmas cookie

2010-12-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

these zany VoFo kids are up to no good again. actually no. dad's plan for our special family service project was having the grandkids decorate sugar cookies for the same homeless shelter we took lunch and winter gear to last year. the nite before the frosting fest began, taylor and kendra rolled out, cut and baked up the cookies, and caden loved stirring the glazes and watching them change into their desired colors. the blank canvases quickly became mountains of sugar. there was close monitoring for some (hu hum, caden) then there were the meticulous ones who worked so hard to create their perfect edible masterpieces. it was fun for all the aunties, uncles, grandma and big papa to be at the kids' beckon call to help them out and create special cookies and special memories. the goodie drop off was short but sweet. we decided next year we gotta throw in a little VonTrapp caroling as we get the smiles and thank yous from the less fortunate people in the shelter. it was a wonderful way to start all the family fun that was coming up.

Santa pics on Santa's Day

2010-12-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

this year's christmas was totally different. we are usually at home doing our normal little family thing but this year the big VonForell family trip was moved from thanksgiving to Christmas instead. so we packed up the blue beast (my new car) and headed up I-5 to good ol WA. the main event of the trip was to hang out at the Great Wolf Lodge--again, last year it was quite the hit. once we arrived the cousins were posing for lots of pics, and getting ready for tons of fun. we took advantage of the amenties the lodge had to offer, seeing santa, the big clocktower show with a snowfall, a bedtime story and big Papa got each child a stuffed animal to snuggle and remember the coziness of this fun place. the kids couldn't get enough of each other and were always smiling, hugging and having a blast. more stories and pictures to come.

i finally gave in about the dang tree!!!

2010-12-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

i had to put this pic first cuz its my fave of the season thus far. anyway, we always let the kids decorate the tree and its great and then they go to bed happy. in every year past i have always snuck out and rearranged the ornaments and garland to ensure perfect and even distribution, but NO MORE!! jared innocently asked if it was ok to just let the kids do it and let it be. ok fine my sweet husband, kind daddy, manly voice of reason. so they did their thing and the top third has about 6 inches of garland on it and...i'm trying every nite to just grin and love it for its imperfections. knowing the cute little hands that did it, make it pretty easy.

turkey day twenty-ten

2010-12-01T19:00:00.001-08:00

we are usually up in Washington with my family for thanksgiving but we are doing christmas there instead. so it was good ol Anderson-side turkey time this year. there's not much to report besides the obvious, eating (i insisted on doing one savory and one sweet turkey--they were...ok, the honey butter injected one was pretty tasty) laughing and eating some more. there was a killer cold game of kickball at the park since Heather and Dan hosted and their backyard opens to the park. jared was happy to play in the turkey bowl, he got like 3 touchdowns or something--that's my man. as for us, 5 dozen orange rolls later it was a lovely holiday centered around food. no complaints, except for the bloating and obligation to now work it off. it's totally worth it to spend the day with family and just enjoy each other and the abundance of blessings we have.

i'm thankful for my little turkey

2010-11-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

caden was asked to either recite (totally his forte) or sing a solo of the Third Article of Faith for the children's primary program this year. he chose, we practiced--shown here, and the amazing 7 year old had it down after about 5 attempts. please just picture him, so handsome, hunched over the podium, clearing his throat to begin, singing ever so sweetly, warming the hearts of everyone. he received TONS of praise and really thought it was no big deal himself. after refusing to recite his line last year, i love these little victories for him. and for the record: kendra beautifully bore her testimony of feeling the spirit when i gave the homeless guitar playing man money at costco, brady recited (i think he was the only memorizer/non reader) his line about Joseph Smith--you couldn't understand him but he tried to talk slowly and clearly and raylee happily sat in daddy's lap watching her siblings. gotta love the little innocent joys of the gospel.

oh yeah, the pumpkin patch

2010-11-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

is that a GLORIOUS picture or what??? we did sneak in the pumkin patch this year, and it must be documented--better late than never. the kids love "the farm" by Spreckels cuz of the live animals. luckily my children choose rather quickly and we are usually waiting for daddy's prime pick. they got em wagoned up and headed to see the animals. it's always nice to share these holiday moments with family, kendra was more than willing to help Zoey choose her squash to carve. ryan and company soon joined to make masterpieces and we all continued on with our halloween.

4 costumed kids, 3 different schools, 2 parades to watch and a partridge in a pear tree

2010-10-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

im pretty sure children were put on this earth to make us laugh. i gave up my hopes and dreams of themed costumes for the kids and let them pick their own, and boy did it show their personalities. the kids' teachers had different ways to celebrate. so this is just a hodge podge of what they all did. dont ask me how caden got that pumpkin in his backpack but his teacher reported that he worked at it for a while. ray's preschool class took the oh-so-coveted bus over trick or treating at the district office. Brady and Kendra's school had parades. everyone had a great time, you couldn't wipe the smile from Brady's face. we were grateful to have family there, we were a great cheering section. we love this time of year, and there's still so much fun to have.

halloween is for grown-ups too!

2010-10-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

these pictures say it all, we love our friends who wanna be silly, chow down and just enjoy this super fun time of year. jared wanted to have photos up of halloweeen pasts so this year was pretty nostalgic for us and our guests. the hubby also requested my trifles, so those along with a cauldron filled with chocolate lava satisfied all sweet teeth and we enjoyed greeting our party people as they arrived. we missed our friends that couldnt make it for varied reasons, but new faces came and added new entertainment. jared and i will always be thrilled to host, this is in fact, one of our favorite nights of the year.

daddy date with child #3

2010-10-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

we have been trying to sneak in solo dates with the kids so jared HAD to take brady to the california air show when i heard they were gonna have monster trucks this year. they scoped out all the big planes and then settled in for the big show. brady was well equipped with his headphones, beloved hat, spiderman shades, and backpack of snacks. he loved the planes that shot smoke out, and of course the monster trucks. jared liked the jet dragster--i think thats what they are, anyway that was daddy's fave. when brady arrived after a tiring 4 hours he was all smiles and reported that this was "the best day of my life"!!! so in appreciation he wrote daddy this lovely thank you note--unprompted, cuz he's just that sweet.

i shouldnt share this but i will...

2010-09-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

parents of the decade right here baby! just hand us the trophy. here's a caden story for ya, don't freak out, everything is fine, but wow, jared and i are very aware of protecting Hands over us and our family. this picture is two classic caden things: nesting and holding his good behavior treasure from school. last saturday afternoon jared and i were working on house clean up stuff. our latest plague is rats. the double bee swarm hit then a flea infestation and now rats. we were moving furniture around, vacuuming behind things etc. etc. caden was booted off the computer at that point and there was no tv on either. unbeknownst to me he was upset and was kicking the front door. as i was picking up stuff, dropping it here and there i noticed i had made a good lap around the house and i didnt know what caden was doing/playing. NOT GOOD. you have to know what he's doing every minute of the day--literally. i made another loop around the house and backyard calling his name--nothing. i asked the kids to start looking and i told jared, "this is not good, i dont feel good about this". then i heard a car braking on the road behind our back yard. i KNEW right then that caden was walking out on blanco road. he ran away. looking at jared, i reiterated that i didnt feel good about this. jared got in his truck to cruise around our half mile block. the other kids were commanded to stay in the front yard, i started walking the other direction. i was about 4 houses down when a guy in a big escalade said, "are you looking for Aiden???" (close enuff) i said yes, and he told me that he was driving on blanco with his family and his wife said, "that's caden from my school, he's autistic, we HAVE to go get him!!!". so she got out of the car and started walking with him. so i see jared's truck come around, pull over and they have their exchange of gratitude and concern. in the mean time another car pulled up to me, it was a gymnastics mom from about a year ago, and she asked me if that was my son walking around. her and her husband were out and passed by caden but kept driving. the mom said that she knew she knew who that was and she wanted to help. so they looped back around and tried finding him. i explained the save by one of his teachers. THANK YOU WORLD for having decent people who want to help. all caden would say is, "i was lost daddy, mommy how did you feel when i was lost?" he was clearly reciting an episode of the cartoon "Little Bear". we tried to talk to him and warn him of the dangers-- it just doesnt register. he just kept saying lines from the show. believe it or not, jared and i just shrugged our shoulders, shook our heads and giggled. what else can you do? our hearts are filled with gratitude for sure, and we will reconcentrate our efforts with him.

a happily ever after for my homegirl

2010-09-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

it's just the best thing ever when one of your friends from high school snags a great guy and makes a gorgeous bride. robin, myself and shannon were lucky enough to watch our little perfect Kehaulani do this. the Loo family has meant a lot to many people in salinas. some of us were able to travel up to oregon to be there with them for kehau's wedding. this branden guy knows he scored big time. he seems wonderful and the californians can tell they will be an extremely happy couple. after settling in the hotel, we went thru a session, grabbed dinner, hot tubbed and got ready for her big day. of course the sealing of their marriage was more than wonderful. i just remember the happy couple smiling thru the whole thing. they made their grand entrance and i was so proud of her awesome shoes. it was definelty a beautiful, fantastic occasion. the reception was at a country club, crazy golfers were playing away even with the downpour. everything looked amazing and was completley organized and well carried out in true kehau fashion. it was definetly a partaaay for us. we were greeted with candy leis and we were able to tear up the dance floor. we reverted to our youth days with our favorite young womens leader, sister loo, and we did our traditional "jump" by KrisKros routine. it was awesome, to say the least. her big brother did a geat job hosting the events and making the formalities of a wedding reception super fun and enjoyable. but the highlight had to be the surprise kehaulani planned for her mom. she wanted to perform a traditional hawaiian hula in honor of her father (papa/bishop loo) who passed away about 3 years ago. it was touching, graceful, flawless, and the most honorable act i've ever seen a daughter do for her father. we all felt overwhelmingly privelaged to witness such a moment and so blessed to know this favorite family of ours. this was for sure a fairy tale wedding, this polnesian princess deserves her happily ever after. aloha!

oh yeah, this was fun!

2010-09-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

daddy and his spontaneous plans: came home one day and said lets cook dinner over an open flame tonite in the back yard. uhh... ok. i grabbed the hot dogs and marshmallows, (cause that's really all that is needed). after i made some orange julius for everyone i had to try some asparagus, then we had a nice little smokey nite. it was around this time that caden lost a top tooth and asked the tooth fairy to bring him a squeaky toy (we grabbed a squeaking mallard dog toy at 10pm to fullfill my precious child's desire). after speaking with a lisp due to one dangling front tooth, he lost the other one, no dog toy this time. anyway those were a couple fun times we had 'round here on the ol' anderson ranch. now its the back to the school grind. which is nice too.

the goose turned 9!

2010-09-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

our first-born is 9 years old, this is kinda making me feel like an aged woman, like a real mother--that's just nonsense. but jared and i have realized that Kendra being the first to enter our family has been a huge divine blessing. i see pretty much every day that she sets the tone for our home, and leads her younger siblings in a way that we are proud and pleased about. to celebrate her birthday she wanted to have hawaiian haystacks for dinner and take her bff ashley to raging waters.

we granted her wishes and she celebrated for hours upon hours. she loved her handmade blanket from her cousin Taylor, and everyone choked down her ice cream cakes that mommy went a little over the top with. kendra said that brady could be my date for the water park. the four of us had a great time. brady held my hand from ride to ride, ashley and kendra were just big girls doing their big girl thing. i did have to take ashley on the shotgun slide while kendra tried to capture it with the camera.

it was a lot of celebrating but kendra is totally worth the spoiling. we are very proud of her in every way.

school is in session

2010-08-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

we are one week in to all 4 kids being in school. i think i am getting all 4 different schedules down. the anticipation leading up to that first day of school was HUGE. the kids asked every half hour when was it time to go to school. it was just lovely. we took out a small loan to fullfill the endless school supply lists and dividing it all was a task in itself. ray insisted on the princess backpack (not my first pick but oh well. this "class clown" shirt for brady was a must have, and the hysterical blue shirt for caden just made the shopping bearable and worth it. we loaded up that fateful morning and headed off for the drop offs. they were excited and proud. preschool, kinder, 2nd grade, and 4th grade here we come! have mercy on those teachers. just kidding, they will be amazing and we are so happy our kids love school.

seriously??? school already???

2010-08-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

it's 7:28 a.m and i just packed caden's specific lunch (5 homemade PB cracker sandwiches, fresh fruit, rice cake and a juice) combed his handsome hair, reiterated his plan for the day's events, squeezed him repeatedly and waited for the bus. it was only yesterday that i was chillin' in bed, cereal being everywhere and cartoons going all morning. dang it, the summer is over. but this morning the chant was, "HOORAY for second grade". he insists on waiting for the bus by looking out the back window. he spots it go by and we get all excited to grab the backpack and go get buckled in. since it is frequently asked what is going on with caden's school, i will quickly explain. when we got his diagnosis he was turned over to the county for special education. there are several programs in the area for autistic children. i had a big meeting with the principal and various teachers from these programs, they invited me to check out a couple of recommendations then we all made our decision. he attends New Republic elementary school out in North Salinas. the county has 4 classroom there for this specific program. it is the least restrictive program for caden, since he is pretty high funcioning. they dont really like to label the program but just know its a perfect fit. he has one main teacher and 4 paraprofessionals to assist him and the other 8 or 9 students. these women are WONDERFUL and i've watched them work tirelessly and so lovingly with these special kids. the tools they use and their cirriculum is a perfect blend of mainstream education and all the avaliable materials specific to the needs of an autistic mind. we are totally thrilled for caden's second grade year. i hope that explained things. now i wanna share just a couple little quotes he's said lately that have warmed my heart. i was hanging with some girlfriends one day and he came in to ask for a snack. i took him over to the cabinet and i inquired of his desire, he said, " mommy i want milk's favorite cookie, of course". i always double check to make sure i hear him right, and he repeated it. i cracked up and said, "oh you want an Oreo?!?!" well of course, him being so cute, he got one and went on his way. the other funny ha-ha was when i was prepping Brady for his tidbits he needed to know to start kindergarten. he needed to know his address. i said, "Caden, can you tell Brady what our address is?" he glanced at me not fully engaged yet, so i added "Caden what are the numbers on our house, where do we live?" and he looked at me and picked up a book, saying, "well it's right here in the Book of Mormon" and he started thumbing thru the pages. Oh man, i just died. it's like he's on a stage. he innocently just recites lines and phrases that don't always match up but are almost there. even though it's challenging at times, we see him as such a unique blessing in our lives. we love our funny funny little guy.

Eleven years ago today....at this very hour....

2010-08-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

saturday,august 7 1999 i was in a hotel room in oakland with my bridesmaids getting all primped up for my big day. of course there was no sleep the night before. i was up and starting hair preparation between 4 & 5 in the morning. the nite before we had just settled the HUGE fiasco with the tuxedos. the shop was closed and all te men's tuxes were locked inside. gotta have a few little hangups along the way. anyway, i did my bridesmaids' hair, steamed my dress (again), stressed over every little detail of the reception then finally put on my dress and finished my hair. i remember looking in the mirror and telling myself to take a big breath and headed with the entourage to the temple. the most beautiful moment was about to occur. i'll spare all the super personal details but just know that jared and i had a quick second to look at each other and smile as we sat outside our sealing room. it has been 11 years since we walked in, and shared that wonderful event with the perfect people in our lives. we are celebrating our anniversary today apart, unfortunately, but for good reason. i am off to the temple to witness one of my young women repeat this for herself and her soon to be hubby. after that i will enjoy a few hours of alone time, probably school shopping for the kids, then i'll be doing the music for the reception. jared and i had our weekend away a few weeks ago, and this thursday we are having a big ol' long date at Raging Waters and the Cheesecake Factory. we are both super stoked for that. this morning as i woke up i couldn't help but reflect on how much we've been thru these years together. i think we've done pretty well, 2 apprenticeships for him, 4 kids, great church callings, making great couple/parent friends and just as in love with eachother today as we were years ago. this year he has proved to me in a huge way my favorite quality he has. i've always told him he is the most understanding person i have ever met. he totally gets me, understands why i do what i do, and he thinks it's all amazing. i got him fooled huh? nah. anyway, cheers to us. love you my little honey pot.

the BIGGEST day of my life!!!! --next to my wedding and childbirths

2010-08-03T22:48:00.001-07:00

so i might slightly be exaggerating but MAN it was so UNBELIEVABLY EXCITING to show up at a 30th birthday party for a friend and end up meeting a player for MY DENVER BRONCOS! if you don't understand my sheer enthusiasm you can stop reading now. what a STELLAR nite schmoozing it up with a STAR--it was like a glorious gift from above for me to get to know Ephraim Salaam, a starting left tackle in the NFL!!!

oh my heavens, i'm still pinching myself wondering if i just imagined this or if i'm in some sort of warped reality. now i'll tell my fairy tale.

my family and i headed over to Seth Word's birthday get together. we got our plates of food, the kids ran off and played, so jared and i headed out to the patio to sit with the birthday boy and chat. seth introduced me to his friend sitting at the table with him. he explained that he's the football player that he met while he was at the Biggest Loser Fitness Ridge. i thought--oh yes, seth has mentioned him before, thats cool. then seth says, "oh yeah, Ephraim here played for the Broncos a couple years ago". WHAT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I slammed my hand on the table in disbelief, stood up, picked up my plate of food, and relocated my little self scooting my chair even closer so i could sit right next to 300+ pounds of utter AMAZINGNESS!

as i was literally rubbing shoulders with him, the fellas at the table were giggling at my star-stricken behavior. so we sat and ate and most importantly talked "shop". he blocked the left side of the offensive line back in 2002 and 2003 when Jake Plummer was the quarterback and Clinton Portis was running for us. Oh yeah baby, I was so in my element and LOVING every second of it. we discussed coaches, his teammates, and the fanatical fans (like me of course). It was just one of the most phenominal moments EVER!

it is true i followed him around like a little puppy, but he was totally chatting it up with jared and i all nite. he told us about what its like in the NFL, his injuries, his upcoming plans, his house in Texas (he has played for Houston for the past 4 years) and his engagement story --his wife was in WA with her family--she sounds awesome but would've been in my way. hee hee

anyway, he's a completly down to earth kind of guy. he's extremely humble and very personable. he made me feel like we've been friends forever. i wish him luck in his pursuit in hollywood. i'm so glad him and seth are friends--i can tell it's a special connection that they have. they are both wonderful people. and now i'm privelaged to know them both, #74 wants to be in MY fantasy football league this season, now that he is not the one making the stats. its gonna be of pure EPIC proportion! as i said my fond farewell Ephraim said, "oh no sweetheart, you're getting a hug". ummmm OK!!!!! i melted, seth photographed, dont worry jared laughed and holy happily ever after!

raging loonatics at raging waters

2010-07-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

the much anticipated mini family vacation has finally come to pass. we have been sniffin' out this water wonderland for a while. since i wasn't able to go to girls' camp this year (boo hoo) we took the opportunity to dive in for double days of drenched delight. once we settled in, established our spot: by the fountain, in front of the small slides for the boys, and not too far from ray ray's river and caden's endless river, we split off for some crazy times. after the first day they all found their fave spots to hit up repeatedly. Ray floated on her tummy down her little river, brady rode the Great White Shark (huge water slide--5yr old daredevil), caden insisted on swimming upstream in the lazy river and Kendra loved the wave pool and any big slide we got her on. only one small moment of panic: caden had ditched brady in the river and the next thing i see is my idolizing son brady being escorted by a lifeguard to reunite us. brady thot he was big stuff walking with one of those cool rescue guys. these slides where there's no tubes were our only shot of adrenaline for jared and i. not a lot can measure up to the "Tornado" ride at the Great Wolf Lodge in WA but raging waters gave a valiant effort and it has more than plenty for the kids to enjoy. Two full days of lots of daddy fun time were great, its hard giving him back to PG &E to work, but that makes these family moments that more valued. our season passes will be well used i'm pretty positive.

my boy got married!!!! ok, he's not really mine

2010-07-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

sometimes in life you come across someone who changes your life. about 3 years ago Elder James Heiner from Virginia did just that for jared, myself and our little family. he was a brand new missionary out in the field, happy to be in salinas--what a guy huh? he had a spark about him, he loved being on his mission, he loved us, our food, our kids and the gospel. he was perfect. jared was the ward mission leader and was privelaged to see first hand and close up what a determined and warm spirited missionary he was. he was able to serve in salinas again at the close of his mission and our attatchment to him grew even closer. i chatted with his mom on his christmas phone call, i wrote her a letter praising him, we played, hung out and just formed an extremely special bond. since his departure, he has kept in touch with us by calling, texting, and he even brought the then "just girlfriend" out to visit and for our approval. we knew when this blessed day came we had to be there in the sealing room to share in this monumental step in his life. so jared turned the van into a hotel room and we hit the road, utah bound, arriving to attend the family dinner the nite before--which both their families were so hospitable and grateful we were able to come out. wedding day we helped the bride's family by gathering and preparing the food for the reception. jared and i completely loved being of assistance and working in the kitchen together. this is the kitchen of the rental mansion where the bride's family all stayed--what a great, super impressive family by the way. the Mount Timpanogas temple was a gorgeous sight. it was a tad hot for us, and there was a few spurts of rain, but the wedding party could care less, we were so happy for them both. we were able to meet up with Elder Kim--the groom's trainer from his mission and 3 other mission companions that jamesey had here in different areas. we had a blast catching up and just enjoying their youthful vibrance. who let these beautiful wedding crashers in? ruth and devon now live 3 minutes away (good friends from salinas), so they had to sneak a quick visit in, and yes, we boogied on the dance floor. too fun! the reception was at American Fork Amphitheater, it was a gorgeous nite, the cake cutting on the balcony was picturesque, the happy couple was just too perfect. grandma vofo made our weekend possible, the kids totally enjoyed having her take care of them, spoil them and love them, but boy did daddy get a huge welcoming home. i loved capturing the moment. we had a wonderful time, wouldn't have missed it for the world and are so grateful for such amazing people that we call friends. we love you jamesey and tracy--Mr. & Mrs. Heiner!!!

fun, food and friends!!!

2010-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

sure, no school, water activities, and fun events are all great parts to the summer months, but i really love this time of year when my friends come back home to visit, and we all get to hang out like the "good ol' days". at this seminary class reunion i made us all play a group game of "guess something i did in high school and something i've done since high school.lets just say the room was hootin and hollarin' and someone is a skinny dippin' fool! no one was nude at this pool party tho. the super cute lowrey family had us over for a nice bbq and we had a great time with them in their beautiful but freezing pool. i got to sneak over and see newborn Brynn. the proud new mommy, brittany didnt want a postbirth picture--cant blame her, so you just get to see her adorable baby. visiting with friends just isnt complete with out a girls nite out, and chocolate cake! this is what summer is all about!

finally the FOURTH!!!

2010-07-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

wow, its been busy around here. it seems like the fourth of july was about 2 months ago. we loved having family over for quaint fireworks on our driveway. i was just thrilled for this event. nah, it was adorable to watch the kids get such a kick out of little silly sparks. the kids were too cute, they love their cousin Scout. for the evening we headed up to gilroy high school to see a fantastic fireworks display that our friends told us about. thank you to the Staley and Lowery families, we had a blast watching the blasts and enjoyed your company. great suggestion. jared and i always appreciate this time of year to feel patriotism. we love to be reminded of the freedoms we enjoy because of those who have sacrificed. go team USA!

ruby--our real gem, saying goodbye to grandma

2010-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

a 14 hour car ride was not a sacrifice at all in order to get up to Washington for my mom's mom's funeral. Ruby Fife lived 81 marvelous years, accomplishing so much and loving more than we can comprehend. her and grandpa raised 6 wonderful children, had a super cute relationship, and served 5 missions for the church. they are too amazing. dan and roxi were heading up for their family vacation, so i hopped in and after driving thru the nite we rested for a while then dan and i headed up to the viewing. aunt tammy made a wonderful slide show of her life and reuniting and hugging that fife clan was great. the funeral was beautiful--the family's musical number was incredible, my knees weakened when my mom so powerfully played the intro. i was impressed that we all didnt fall apart as we sang. but watching our dear cute little grandpa quietly weep and slowly wipe his eyes during the program was the hardest part for most of us. these are the Fife kids with their dad. its quite the crew. my uncles are talented, hilarious characters always full of suprises. my aunts are super loving, caring and involved. we laughed, we cried, we ate, we hugged but most importantly we were just there together to remember a wonderful, inspiring woman. one of the more touching moments to me was my brothers and dad being pall bearers. we are all very grateful that grandma is not suffering anymore but it's still unreal to imagine her being gone from us. we know her spirit lives on and that she is filled with joy, but it was hard to see her body put in the ground. my dad dedicated the grave and i was reminded of the great assurance that the blessings of the priesthood give us. it was comforting. afterwards the cute little relief society provided a nice lunch for the family. we had a lovely time to visit and just enjoy seeing eachother. this is my cousin melanie who we wanted an updated picture together since the last one we took was 32 years ago. so fun to catch up. the dividing of grandmas jewelery turned out to be quite humorous. my mom pulled out her jewelery she didnt want and we went shopping and had some fun with the dated accessories. we ended our trip with dan taking us geo-cacheing. its like a real life treasure hunt where you use your GPS to get clues and find hidden stuff. its pretty fun. we found this one in the woods by the golf course in my parents' neighborhood. all in all we had made and recalled great memories: bumping into my mom at the viewing and her not recognizing me, reading moms past yearly newsletters, spending quality time with andrew and megan, singing a beautiful number at the funeral with my extremely talented Fife side of the family, looking at pictures, and feeling so blessed to have had grandma in our lives. we love you grandma.

uhh there's a weird guy trying to come in my house!!!!

2010-06-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

so before the details get fuzzy i want to blog our little COPS episode that happened yesterday and this morning. it was about 4:30 on monday afternoon, i was play wrestling with Caden and Raylee back on my bed. Brady comes running back, "there's a guy knocking on the door, he's in a gray shirt". ok. so i get up, thinking its a salesman etc. i see nothing, decide to lock the door (which is pretty unusual) but jared texted that he was working late. i start dinner, picking up toys and as i'm waliking around i hear someone push on the door handle and try to come in. but it was locked. i ran to look thru the curtains and see a 50ish yr old in a gray shirt walking away. hmm, must be that pesky salesman, with his beer belly and shaved head. kinda weird. i keep cleaning and cooking then the sound of the door handle being pushed happens again. my heartrate picked up quite a bit. ok, there's a weirdo trying to come in. i watched him walk away again. this is freaky. i call randy who was in his room, no answer. i knock on his door, he must be asleep. ok. i'm all alone, i see the steak knives, and know i have a plan. i quickly shove the kids in their rooms and get on the phone. i called julie, (her husband is salinas pd) he was gone and off duty. i called ryan (pacific grove pd) no answer. getting ready to call 911 and some neighbors are gathered outside on my sidewalk. i go talk to them. a little earlier this guy actually walked into my neighbors house and said, "i'm just looking around, maybe i'll go for a bike ride, i'm just looking around". the big buff husband told him to get out. the weirdo walked down to my house and sat on my front yard. his boots and hat were on my little park bench outside against the house. they shewed him away and called the police but salinas dispatch told them they were too busy. randy poped out of his room i tell him whats going on and he grabs his baton and starts patroling the house. no sign of the guy for a little bit, everyone goes into their houses. i moved my kids back to my bedroom, put a show on for em, told em everything was fine and locked em in their bombshelter. i had a feeling to peek thru my curtains, and now i see the guy but he's shirtless at this point and walking toward my house. ryan had called back at that point and i yell to randy, "HE'S BACK, SHIRTLESS, CROSSING THE STREET, HE'S HERE RANDY!!!!" other neighbors were spectacting as calm collected randy talks to him, questions him and tells him to put on his boots and hat, go home, take his meds, and stop freaking people out. in the meantime i get hold of jared, he's pretty much freakin out--away, helpless but making plans for our shotgun purchase. and he had me call Turtle and Dani (pg&e friend who lives 12 doors down on our street) and make sure they are ok. i had to leave a message, but turtle (he has a name, Marcus) called me back and asked if jared was home and if he should come down. so he comes marching down with his huge killer (she is a sweetie) dog and a baseball bat. randy had just sent the weirdo on his way, so i sent turtle to go escort him home. i hear that 2 cops are on their way. and i see one turn into the side street where he went. turtle came back and reported that the cops were talking to him and checked to make sure we were ok. dont think its over.... its not! 2:15 a.m. we are woken up by a knock and a doorbell. jared hops up and i hear him say, "yes sir, yes, my wife, yesterday, yes, ok. ok. yes. thank you sir." he comes and reports to me that weirdo just tried to go in our neighbors house again, just then. so they have him in custody. i try to fall back asleep, eventually i did until Kendra busts in our room at 5:30 and says, "daddy i just puked (she's been having one of her migraines for a few days now) and i heard something so i looked out the window and the policemen were telling the guy to put his hands up and then they handcuffed him and pushed him in the car. i pop outta bed, and take a final picture hoping this is the end of our lovely encounter with wacked out mister gray shirt. ooo my doorbell just rang and my heart skipped a beat. i think it's gonna take a while to come down from this. i'm just extremely grateful for my kids being door-safety smart, for randy living with us, for good neighbors, men in my life and their weapons, and for my prompting to lock the door after that initial knock.

a few glimpses of jared as a daddy!

2010-06-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

father's day 2010: i'm feeling a bit nostalgic thinking about how cute my hunky jared has turned out to be a tender, kind, loving daddy. pictures say a lot and we have a lot of good things we can say about the father in our home. my kids are super lucky to have a dad who very unselfishly does all this and so much more. he is the one to read to them at nite, have special daddy dates with, introduce fun new adventures to and who leads by gentle example the right and joyous way to live. we love ya jared, daddy, honey pot.

last week of school=marvelous mayheim

2010-06-15T20:12:00.001-07:00

oh dear goodness. preschool graduation, end of the year parties, field trips, and the teacher thank you gifts are enough to knock a mom down. brady recited "wee willy winkie" at the microphone beautifully (despite his unclear speech) and he and his girlfriends were so proud of themselves. kendra's end of the year bowling party was cool. rayray and i surprised her and hung and hugged her homegirls for a little bit. she made great friends this year. hallelujah. brady's class field trip was to chuck e cheese's. we had a blast. brady took raylee around like a good big brother. and he had to win enough tickets to buy a prize for all 3 of his siblings. im doing something right with him. sweet caden gave these little treasure boxes to his teachers and aides. i spent some time in the classroom and at events and im so extremely impressed with their patience so they deserved a lot more than a hand stained box of candy but it's what spoke to me. all in all we had a great year. the kids were successful at school in every way, thats all a mommy can ask for.

such proud NON-parents

2010-06-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

SHS--GOOOOO COWBOYS!!!! high school graduation is such a huge moment--the ending of silly self conscious rambunctousness, but the beginning of trying to be an adult in this crazy ugly world. jared and i were so excited to go roast in the sun for 2 hours watching 5 FANTASTIC boys make this big step. jared had the privelage to serve, teach and play with these great young men in our church. we feel so lucky to have been able to be in Jon, Kyle, Louie, Tanner & Rob's lives for such a short time. these guys totally melt our hearts with their smiles, testimonies, respect and love for their families, and oh-so-cool fist bumps that my brady loves to get from them. of course we wish them the best, we are already so impressed with the wonderful people that they are, we have no doubt (even though we aren't even their parents) that they will grow to be amazing, productive, influential and just DANG AWESOME men. and yes, jared and i did scream like adolescents everytime one of their names was announced.

father/son/son campout

2010-05-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

3 silly boys in the woods--goodness gracious. i'm so pleased to say that this event was successful. the boys held up great, fell asleep by 9ish and returned such happy campers.other dads were alarmed and asked, "who's kid is in the water??!!??" well of course its just brady chillin in the bacteria pond. apparently you could almost ALWAYS find caden by the water tossing rocks in it, that truly fascinates him for hours. brady and daddy had big boy meat ribs, and caden is enjoying his meal choice of the month: peanut butter on ritz. don't even get us started on the pure obsession with the flashlights. it continued at bedtime for the next few nites at home as well. these are my favorite guys in the whole wide world. i'm so glad they got to be together and enjoy their manly-man time.

another caden post--legit reason--his 7th bday

2010-05-02T19:22:00.001-07:00

i'll spare a ton of details since caden has taken over my blog lately. his celebration of his 7th started the friday before with popsicles for his class. he shared a baby picture, led the birtday song, and played musical chairs. birthday boy got a special phone call from his favorite, "teacher simkins". caden handed out sunglasses to his friends, then started a water gun fight, which was a hoot. his family get together was on the actual day. he asked for a spongebob party (again) and since i've made a spongebob cake before i went with his sidekick patrick the starfish. he was a great sport for the gift opening and even though he asked to play computer several times during his party, i think he had a great time. he ended the day with telling everyone, "thanks for coming to my party and i love you". that's really i could ask for huh? love you cade!!!

To Date: BY FAR our PROUDEST moment as caden's parents!!!

2010-04-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

The moment i read the flyer from caden's teacher about participating in Special Olympics, i was mushy-gushy inside. Jared and I saved the date and prepared to be entertained. Little did we know what was to come... As we were waiting for the parade to begin, the announcer said, "I need Caden Anderson"..then named two other girls. My heart stopped. What do they want with my Caden????? we waited for a few, then curiosity killed us enough that Jared hopped the fence, marched across the field and found his son to bring to the hostess. she explained that Caden had been chosen out of a thousand participants--kinder thru high school--to lead the Pledge of Allegiance for the Opening Ceremony. (does Caden even know the pledge???) Apparently he does. He performed it "flawlessly" as the local paper reported. so with his unique cadence and emphasis he was TOO adorable as one of the youngest kids to do that. his teacher nominated him even though other teachers said they dont choose the young ones to lead the pledge. they don't know the memorization skills of my 6 year old. the best part was the repeated bows he gave to his crowd as the applause poured out. he even gave a high five during his stint of affection and gratitude. he's still bowing at this point, if i had to put a number on the amount, i'd say around 30 ish. jared had to wave him over while the announcer continued on, or he might still be there bowing. what a CRACK UP!!! the torch lighting was cool, i found it funny that they immediately extinguised it. saftey first with this crowd. this was Jared and my view for the events. after his big show he participated in the softball toss, the standing long jump--in which he was a total pro (all that jumping around when he's self-stimulating paid off) and then he finished the day with a 50 meter run. the proud daddy taping from the stands, mommy couldnt get enough hugs, and just to be with all those special needs kids was a huge life-changing event for us. there's not enough gratitude and love i can express to the teachers and aides that tirelessly give and try and give some more, to lovingly help these challenging children. we thoroughly enjoyed watching the similarities, and just feeling that acceptance and pride we have for our special son.

a proud mommy on her tiny soap box

2010-04-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

April is Autism Awareness Month and it seems i've been bombarded with this topic lately. So i would like to express my feelings on this "epidemic" and try to avoid getting too preachy or opinionated. Within my circles of family, friends, and facebookers i know of 8 families with children on the autism spectrum. The current stat is 1 in 144 children are diagnosed with some sort of this pervasive developmental delay. When jared and i saw some points of concern with caden at age 3, the scary "A-word" never came to mind. As his speech plateaued for over a year and his social behaviors were extremely difficult, the exact problem was still undetected. We had begun the assessment process, nothing clear came out of it except a speech delay (thank you very little). I will never forget that day at church when a good friend becky threw the word out there. I sheepishly brought it up to Heather, and her confirmation of her concern reignited our efforts to find an answer. It's now been a year and a half since Caden was given the label of High Functioning Autism. there are days where i'm still in denial--thinking of his future, questioning, will he... what if he...i'll be sad if he never gets to... all go thru my head and pierce my heart. which is why i can not dwell in that place. EVERY day i get a good morning from him and we have our huggy moment as we wait for his little bus to take him to his special school. EVERY day he cracks us up with his memorized scripted comments and questions. and EVERY day i am in wonderment at how his brain processes so differently than mine. Kendra the big sister said, "it's ok, that's just Caden being autistic". With the unknown causes, medical ambiguity, and even more diverse theories of "cures" and treatments, it is indeed complex and overwhelming to formaulate a plan on how to manage this for him. At the same time Jared and I feel very relaxed, at ease even, with how our son is. It's ok that he climbs the counters, cuts open his bag of snack,and microwaves his pizza rolls. Since that day I called Rosie looking for advice and help for a private preschool till now, he is a COMPLETELY different kid. I didnt expect him to put together his own creative thoughts, to ask appropriate questions, or to follow ANY sort of schedule. He reads like a champ, attends church and classes, plays with a few kids spuratically and can conform to most social situations. Roller skating, birthday parites, the park are all do-able for him now. I'll get sucked in for hours watching parents' videos of their stories. I keep up on the info, stay involved with the local support group, he's getting both his speech and occupational therapy, and we are participating in the big Autism Walk in June. There's always new studies, laws, ideas, and hints that are available and helpful. Strangely enough, I feel lucky to be part of this group and share this awareness with others. I was recently asked if there was a "cure" for autism would i want that for Caden. I had a really hard time answering that, of course I want the best for my child, but my heart tells me EVERY day that Caden is who he is for a VERY special reason, he is mine and i love him for it.

all this and its not even easter yet

2010-04-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

the kids are out of school, first day off chef caden and daddy made pancakes for everyone. daddy was eager to start demo in kendra's room so my FAVORITE young men came to smash up the room. she's bunking with raylee and its truly brought them closer. they are both very nurturing and sweet sisters. the easter extravaganza started on tuesday when the kiddos received invites to "grannie annie's easter party". they were so EGGScited. the party day arrived, raylee was ready to go to the park for the easter egg hunt--that was last week. the party was at our house. once the dyes were out, all was well. after making "peep-sicles" chocolate covered marshmellows--yum. we got them all tied up and ready for, "put the eggs in the basket" game. they all loved being blindfoled we let them wander around for a while then played the game. we finished up with an egg hunt in the back yard, ate lots of goodies and a pretty tasty lunch. the easter bunny is coming tonite so the celebrating isn't quite over but they've already had a blast thanks to grannie annie. this is just my handsome guy with his new hair cut. just in time to go back to school. their break went fast and it was nice to just chill and do the normal stuff with 'em and have them around more.

a glimpse of caden's emotions :(

2010-03-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

it's time for bed, it's a normal nite, except daddy's working late--which is infact normal. the other 3 are brushing teeth, choosing books etc. then i hear the sniffles and a big ol "booooo hoooo hooo, i missssss daddy!!!" i start to comfort him and the sadness is settling in fast. daddy happened to call so i quickly put the phone to Caden's ear. i figured that would pull him through. it did not help. caden continued for a few minutes and i (being the blog conscious mom, wanted to grab the camera) since i saw this was not going to let up. he left the room saying he had to "see the pictures of him". i follow him ready to snap the shot. he looked at the beach pictures that are up in my room. the sobs continue, we all pitch in to nurture him. kendra's sweeping his face. they all look out the window to await his arrival. good thing he pulled up after this 15 minute ordeal. my little caden so so very tender. his heart and his mind continue to amaze me. he is a wonder but a delight. to think he didn't even create his own thoughts a year ago, showing this emotional connection (with a flare of the dramatic) thrills me as his mommy.

holy birthday BATMAN!!

2010-03-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

his day started with "birthday eggs", and green slime cupcakes for preschool. raylee sent him off with big hugs for a great birthday. his dinner menu for the batman party was: orange juice, dad's bbq chicken, my pasta salad, green jello, corn and batman birthday brownies with green sprinkles. we enjoyed the brownie bowl--good choice brady! family and his bff Shea (and her fam) arrived, ate dinner, had brownies, and opened the presents. he had to wear the ironman mask immediately. silly boy. then it was pinata time--a great gift idea from uncle ryan and audrey. violence and candy--always top children's entertainment. it was a HOOT! some hitters were scarier than others and at the end brady got to jump and attack the pirate. all in all it was a great time, its so fun to watch him be super excited to be 5 years old. couple memories were: brady insisting on his bff sitting in a barstool next to him for the cake ceremony, noisemaker mayheim in the garage, and brady sneaking way too much candy, and totally rejecting kendra's homemade walkie talkies-- "NO! i wanted REAL walkie talkies BAHBAH!" Then after it was all done, him asking, "where's more presents?". hmmm the greed is luckily still cute at this age, his dimples helped too.

Brady boy is 5 today!

2010-03-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

oh my goodness five years ago the agony I was in. jared and i decided to wait to find out the gender of this 3rd child. it's a good thing we kept the happy news for the delivery room because he was a BEAR to get out. pacing the hospital halls, being sent home, returning and once in labor being put in a sound proof room--all made for a thrilling birth story--100% oh-nat-u-ral birth by the way, not really my choice. this 7 pound baby boy definetly made up for it with his dimples and his killer grin. no matter who he is with, he manages to steal peoples' hearts. i can't exactly pinpoint it, but this little dude has got something special. brady you crack us up, make us wonder what you're saying, marvel at your daddy alikeness and WE JUST LOVE YA TO BITS. happy birthday my very funny little guy.

mommy-daughter-grannie weekend getaway

2010-03-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

kendra, grannie annie and i have been waiting for megan's baptism trip forever--it seems. it lived up to our expectations and more. kendras first plane ride (that she can remember) went just fine then we were greeted with this lovely sign, goodies and great plans for the 2 1/2 day trip to Washington. after a hilarious lunch out with shannon we went to their home and played (andrew was a cat the whole trip--too funny), danced, laughed and enjoyed jeffies soup for dinner. the ladies then headed for our night out. the girls got spoiled and we had a great time spoiling them. everything Panda & jewelery! saturday was the big day for my niece, with a tasty start of roly-polys for breakfast--family tradition. we attended her beautiful baptism, it was quaint, super spiritual, and PERFECT. 12 years ago jeff baptised Shan, and now she watched him baptise their daughter. everyone was touched and we were so grateful and lucky to be there and be part of it. megan's cute politeness always makes me smile. when she recieved her gifts, it was no different. we all celebrated by eating our weight at Red Robin (a first for me). they know jeffie by name there and took great care of us. swimming at grandma & papa's was where we spent the afternoon. we capped it off with my dad's amazing chicken and WAY TOO MUCH laughing and reminiscing over photo albums. of course we are more than fatigue, could be due to all the delicious food. highlights from this trip are: dj laur giving out awesome cds, lullabying andrew with spongebob theme song, oh the eating, chipotle and gnocci, and my gut bursting jokes about chewbacca and helmet head--early nineties hair styles is all i need to say about that. food, family, fun, more food and a fantastic moment in my niece's life made for the PERFECT little getaway.

when mommy is sick.....

2010-02-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

so last wednesday raylee threw up all over me right? and on sunday kendra was sick and cried because she couldn't go to Stake Conference. so who would get it next??? maybe us girls just have to be knocked down first, at 5am yesterday (thurs) the excess of saliva gave me a clue that the prior nite's tator tot casserole was not going to digest fully. this is what i get for kissing my kids way too much. when i'm sick jared is very good at locking me in my room, getting my sipping water, phone, and remote control within arms reach. it's so hard to listen to the tantrums and the cuteness and not be there to hug and squeeze the kiddos just on the other side of the door. i do know that the Playstation was on for most of the day, and one load of dishes were done. i guess i just miss my job sometimes, cuz now that i'm at 75%, the house is spotless, disinfected, kids off to school, nursing the now barfing brady, and ready to watch a friend's girls (they had the flu earlier and mom said it was ok). oh and i'm blogging it all by 9a.m. i love my husband and am grateful i'm not the one climbing poles and electricuting myself. i can't wait till food sounds good again and my body isn't shaky. plus it was kinda nice to watch olympics, text a bff all day, and only move twice throughout the whole day.

please tell me this happens to you too!!!

2010-02-18T08:20:00.001-08:00

like this mystererious photo i found--i'm hoping it wasnt one of my boys so i've been really "off my game" lately and after i'm done laughing at myself i wonder if my lovely associates in life have any of these ridiculous things happen to them: Example A: after putting on my deordorant i thought to myself, "hmm that was extra sticky today" then i looked at my deodorant and saw that i forgot to take the cap off.--ouch. Example B: waiting for caden's bus to come, i figured i better check if he changed his undies, he was commando, so i literally ran to grab and throw on him a nice clean pair. Example C: while playing on facebook, i look over my shoulder and see a roundish brown little mass half under the couch,---please let it be some sort of ball or toy that i can't recognize, NO, it wasn't. and i don't have pets, c'mon now, how do they just drop that and walk off??? And last nite's super fun time: watching a SHS JV b-ball game holding my little 3 yr old, and suddenly my legs and arms are wet, and raunchy smelling, chunks were flying. jared wigs out, i quietly and discretely continue to catch the fun with her skirt and my jacket, climb down the bleachers and try to make a clean get away---wonder if anyone noticed. i know motherhood has its picturesque moments and i know i'm blonde, but do i really have to be blessed with such occurances, i really don't learn anything from them. i know i know, that's the problem. maybe someday i'll grow up untill then i just love my funny stories.

showing and feeling the LOVE!

2010-02-12T13:19:00.001-08:00

happy hearts day to you all. i love LOVE, and my kids are so so SO following suit. The valentines are being handed out as i type. its a pretty commercial holiday but it can never be a bad thing to show anyone your affection. when big papa comes for a visit he always shares his love. kendra (my craft and activitiy coordinator) designed this big sign for him and since he flew here we took pictures to capture the moment. i'm not thrilled about all the candy that is flying around but i guess thats what my valentines present from jared is for. he caved, and got me a super nice yummy treadmill. my newest baby will be photographed and blogged as soon as it arrives, i'm sure. hearts, candy, and smiles, you really don't need a whole lot more in life huh?

the ballerina birthday bash

2010-02-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

all raylee wanted to do was "party in the U.S.A" by getting down with her little friends. the pinkness was all around and the tiny ballerinas were arriving more adorable than ever.

raylee had to load up on veggies and olives before she could go crazy.

the girls all got curly ribbons to twirl around and they loved dancing to p!nk, beyonce and taylor swift--the playlist that raylee made herself. good taste baby girl!

after raylees menu of mommy's macaroni and cheese, green beans and pink applesauce, the girls in tu-tus watched the birthday girl open her OH SO CHERISHED presents, then she turned into a complete wack-a-doodle by being hysterical for the cake fun. oh well, we all laughed at her moodiness (she didnt want to leave her goods). we sent her friends home with little ballerina goodies and the fun filled nite was over.

raylee vaun: 3 years in the making!

2010-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Nine days before we were expecting any birthing fun, the morning of SuperBowl Sunday i was forced to walk the hospital halls all huge and pregnant for too many hours. my labor finally progressed enough to give 3 pushes and get this little addition out. She was a pretty good baby, none of my babies slept well (i blame weird anderson sleep habits) but she ate well and traveled along with all mommy's endeavors. the boys just LOVED her. they would hold and pose with her constantly. i always got comments how brady and her looked so much alike. as time has passed and her personality has come out, those two are SO similiar, its cute but frustrating too--their temperments challenge us--even though their cuteness allows many shenannigans. to our little booger we say happy birthday squirtball, we love having you in our family, you complete the craziness. "Bah Bah" and the boys always love playing with you if you're not too busy yelling at them. Your "babies" (shampoo bottles, countless figurines) enjoy your imaginative play--i'm sure 'cause boy you are a funny little girl. you truly are our little ray ray of sunshine!

my biggest birthday boy!

2010-01-28T07:26:00.001-08:00

When i chose this great guy years ago I never imagined that it would feel like paradise even after all this time. Jared turns 33 today and I want to celebrate him by showing just SOME of his cuteness that we as his family enjoy everyday. he is the only man who could get me to go to the end of the earth with. that was a crazy hard fun time and his loving support made it an adventure of a lifetime. we all know he's a dang hard worker and i'm so happy he loves his very cool but dangerous job--plus he's semi-sexy in a hard hat. As the children started rollin in the real family fun began. Pregnancies and births were of course monumental but I will never forget his tender yet shy adoration he had for the tiny newborns. Jared is indeed my gentle giant (just like my own father). Holidays are of course joyful and full of memories. I appreciate how Jared always takes over with festive activities for the kids and lets me just watch and enjoy my favorite people in the whole world. It's been a great ride already babe. You make our world the happiest place on earth. Happy birthday my sweet sweet.

double wedding weekend--woo-hoo!

2010-01-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

love is in the air or something. my sparkly brittany and cute cute kristen got married this weekend. i've watched these girls thru the young womens program and now they have to be out in the big bad world. at least they now have life partners that better treat them as the royalty i see them as. raylee was asked to be the flower girl with kendra as an escort--in case raylee melted down in the aisle. she didn't by the way, and i was choked up to see my little squirt hold hands with kevin the whole way to the stand. however she quickly yelled "MA MA" as she was done and needed to find me. --too cute. brit had me do her cake--just the display one for them to cut into. it was...o.k. seeing as it was my first one. my back still hurts from crouching to smooth out all the imperfections. this was jared and my view for kristen and hunters reception--we played the music for them and enjoyed every minute watching the happy couple dance the night away. thank you double wedding weekend for reminding me of my own beautiful day. our reception was at the same building as these so it was awesome to sit and reminice with jared. we cracked up at ourselves and realized how much we are still so much in love. we hope the newly married couples will be just as blissful.

a shower, a power outage and a photographer

2010-01-20T17:46:00.001-08:00

One of my original young women is getting married this weekend. the phone calls and planning have taken my spare time but its fun and she's a crazy girl who i have a lot of history with. all i can hope for is her happiness. this was our "model pose" she insisted we take--Brittany's always been known for her sparkliness. reading by candlelight--too cute. i think they were there for like 20 minutes. SOMEONE got hold of the camera during a car ride..... hmmm i wonder who??? this kid cracks us up.