Anderson Family

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T15:12:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Kelly

2011-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's always hard for me to believe when another year of my children's life has passed - and yet - here we are again. Our little Kelly turned 3 last week. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing this little angel home from the hospital. Kelly was our smallest baby and has continued to be quite petite. Maybe that's why its so hard for me to believe she is actually 3 years old. She loves to cuddle and do almost anything with mom and dad. She loves dancing, reading, playing with her babies and helping out any way she can. For being such a shy and quiet baby, she has turned into quite the talker. She starts most of her sentences with "Mom (or the name of whoever she may be talking to), you're a silly goose!" and loves to throw the word "actually" in wherever she can. She loves, Loves, LOVES sharing a room with her big sister. She seems to have a special relationship with each member of our family and we all love and adore her! Happy Birthday Kells!

Abbie and Kelly then...

Abbie and Kelly now. Not much has changed!

Kelly loved all of her presents. I'm not quite sure what is in her hand????

Kelly wanted a princess cake and decided cupcakes allowed her to have all the princesses with Belle (her current favorite) as the centerpiece!

Allison's Blessing

2011-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

I love this picture because is shows our kids personalities. They look so silly you just have to laugh!

Allison Ruth Anderson

Our little Angel

Lone Man

2010-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Poor Josh. This is what happens when you live in a house full of girls. Sorry buddy!

Minnesota Cold

2010-12-13T13:05:00.001-08:00

Temp: -24 degrees Farenheit (with windchill)
Snowfall: 16 inches in one storm

Vacation anyone?

Beatiful scenery from across the street

Pete all bundled up to face the cold

This is the view of our deck from our sliding glass door

Gratitude and 4 kids

2010-11-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been a little crazy with everyone adjusting to a new baby. Lately my attitude has been something like - "please, just let me make it through the day and still be sane".

Unfortunately, my family has probably received the brunt of my emotions. I keep focusing on what my kids aren't doing rather than what they are.

Fortunately, the lesson in Relief Society on Sunday was on the Divine Gift of Gratitude by President Monson. The following quote struck a cord with me. He said "We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings...We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude." After hearing that quote I decided I needed to change.

Today wasn't easy, but I tried to think of something to be thankful for when things got hard. Sometimes I did better than others. I guess you could say I am a work in progress. The one thing I can say, is that I did notice that my family did better when I focused on the things to be grateful for, rather than on the negative. That alone makes it worth while!

On a side note, here are some updated pictures of Allison.

Ali's first bath

Abbie being the best big sister ever

Dad and Ali - both fast asleep

New Addition

2010-11-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Allison Ruth Anderson joined our little family on November 3, 2010.

She weighed in at 7lbs 7oz and is 19 3/4 " long.

She is such a great little addition. She already fits in with her red hair and fair skin! We are so excited she is finally here!

First Day of School

2010-09-26T16:04:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! Abbie is a big 1st grader now and loving it. She wasn't nervous at all to go to school. In fact, if you ask her what her favorite part of being in 1st grade is she will tell you it's being able to go all day!
Josh is going to Bethany Nursery School for preshcool this year. He was pretty upset that on his first day, he had a fever and had to stay home. Luckily he felt better so he could attend his 1st "second day" of school. I thought he would have a hard time, but since they start out playing on the play ground everyday, he is in love!
He is such a funny kid. They made chocolate chip cookies one day and after eating one his teacher said he got kind of a wierd look on his face. She asked him how he liked his cookie and he responded, "It's not quite what I expected". What a silly boy!

Abbie's Birthday

2010-09-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Abbie is six. For her birthday this year, she choose to take one friend and do lunch. Madi and Abbie have know each other since they were born, so of course she wanted her to come. She choose to eat at the grape place (aka: Olive Garden) and then hit the mall for some shopping. She obviously didn't get that one from me since I hate shopping. It was fun spending time with just her which doesn't seem to happen often.

She has wanted an american girl doll for a few years now, but we wanted to wait until she was a little older and make sure she REALLY wanted one and could take care of it. She choose one that looked just like her. It has long red hair, fair skin, and blue eyes.

She loved all her gifts from her brother, sister, and grandparents!
Since Abbie told me I could make a fairy winx club cake, Belle cake, or a flower cake; I went with the easier of the three and made her a flower cake. She couldn't decide whether she wanted cupcakes or a big cake, so we made both.Happy Birthday Abbie! We love you and are so proud of the young lady you are turning into!

Summer Fun

2010-08-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

This summer has been lots of fun and a little crazy. Sorry for so much in one post, but at least its done! Abbie's last day of school was June 11th. That day we got together with some friends and had a little end of school party. She loved her teacher and really enjoyed her first year at school.

Abbie and her teacher Mrs. Sullivan

Abbie and her friends

The next day, Abbie had her dance recital. She has loved taking dance this past year and has made some good friends. I worried that she would freeze when she was on stage, but she smiled and did great. She loved performing for people and the fact that she got a rose and ice-cream afterward didn't hurt.

Abbie and her rose

Abbie and her best friend Maddi

My parents were able to come for Abbie's recital and stay for awhile. We spent a nice relaxing time with them visiting the Science Museum in St. Paul, going to Oxbow Zoo and just enjoying their company. I was even able to go with Pete to Wisconsin for his ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support for all you non medical speakers) course and enjoy some alone time. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Grandpa and Grandma Ashcroft with the kids

Josh and his scary dinosaur face

Our next big adventure was traveling to Utah for a few weeks of much needed family time. Thanks to everyone for making time for us. It was fun to see how much everyone has changed. We spent time playing with cousins, having BBQ's, water parties, taking family pictures with both sides of the family, and just enjoying everyones company. I guess I should mention that the "we" I refer to was mostly me and the kids. Pete was able to fly in late Friday night (or rather early Saturday morning) and spend Saturday with family. Then we had to leave early Sunday morning for the non stop drive back so Pete could be to work Monday morning. What a good sport he was!

Water fun with the Cousins

Kelly and Josh loved this crab

Family Picture

Sleeping Babes

(This is just a side note. In order to watch TV, my kids have a special spot to sit. They all love it, and no one will give it up, so this is what we get! How funny little kids can be.)
P.S. In case there is anyone we haven't told yet, we are expecting our 4th child November 10th. Much to Josh's dismay, it is a girl. We couldn't be more excited and while we are anxious to meet her, I am in no hurry for the craziness that will follow!

What's Missing?

2010-05-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Since Abbie started kindergarten, she has been constantly asking when she is going to lose a tooth. A few months ago we went to the dentist and she told Abbie that since she got her teeth later (around 11 months) she probably would be a little older before she lost any. She assured me that her teeth were in no way ready to come out. Well, a couple of weeks ago Abbie told me that she had two loose teeth. I blew it off and kept reminding her the dentist said it would be awhile. When I finally bothered to check, sure enough her two front, bottom teeth were loose. On Thursday she hit her mouth on something and the first of two teeth became loose enough to pull out. She was so brave when Pete pulled it out. This is our child who usually has a breakdown when any medical intervention - including but not limited to LOOKING at a sore- is needed. Today, Pete pulled out her second tooth out. I guess if it were Christmas we would be singing "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth". Congrats Abbie - and again - you were right and I was wrong!

The Big #4

2010-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Josh celebrated his 4th birthday. He is growing up so quickly. Pete had to be into work early, and so Josh kindly agreed to wait until lunch (when Pete could run home for a few minutes) to open his presents.

In case you can't tell, Josh absolutely L-O-V-E-S dinosaurs. He was in heaven.

Part of our birthday tradition is letting the kids pick what they will eat for their meals, so later that night we ate corndogs and cream of chicken soup. Some friends came over to celebrate with us and help us eat the cake. Suprisingly, in-spite of his love of dinosaurs, Josh wanted a Spiderman cake.

Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our family Josh! We love you.

Kelly's Birthday

2010-04-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 2!!!! Maybe she seems so little because with all of our other kids, we've had a new baby by now which makes them seem a lot older.

We decided to keep Kelly's birthday simple this year and just do family stuff. It was a nice and relaxing day. We started out the day with Kelly opening presents before Pete had to go to work. I think she was a little overwhelmed.

Then it was off to her favorite breakfast....hot cereal. After Abbie went to school; Kelly, Josh and I just hung out playing with her toys and going for a walk. For lunch we went to the park and had a picnic. Pete was able to join us, so that made us all happy.

For dinner it was grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. We ended the night with chocolate cupcakes and ice-cream.

Kelly is such a lovable little girl. She loves to cuddle. At night, she will wake up and call for dad. When Pete goes in, she will lay a pillow down on her floor next to her bed. She will say "cuddle" at which point, Pete will lay down on the floor and Kelly will lay down with him and cuddle. After just a minute or so, she will give him a kiss and climb back in her bed. Then she is fine for the rest of the night. The other day while I was cooking, Kelly came into the kitchen with her "baby" and was taking care of her. She said her baby couldn't sleep and needed to "cuddle" like daddy does, and then she laid down on the floor with her baby. So cute!

We are so thankful that Kelly is a part of our family. Happy Birthday Kelly!

Catch-up

2010-04-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

I guess I haven't downloaded pictures from my camera in awhile. So, I am going to do a quick catch-up.

Josh's preschool group went to the Nature Center for a field trip. I was very proud of him. Even though he was really scared, he went up and touched the snake. They had a lot of fun and saw lots of different animals.

Here are some pictures from Valentines Day. We got together with our best friends and the kids made valentines day chocolate suckers. They had a lot of fun...even the little ones got to get involved. This is the first year since 18 something that we haven't gotten snow in March. On one of the warmer days we decided to take advantage and go to the park. The kids love playing at "Allegator Park".

This is Kelly's version of dress-up. She has her legs through the arm of one of Abbies shirts with a belt. Very stylish. Maybe she'll go into fashion....

Vacation

2010-02-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time, we went with the kids to the Wisconsin Dells. They had so much fun, we decided to make a tradition of it and do it again this year. Pete's mom was able to come with us this time which made it special as well.

This trip is a nice break from all the boredom of winter, although it does make me get a little spring fever. The lodge where we stay connects to a walkway that goes to all of the indoor wateparks - so we don't ever have to go outside. Abbie loved being able to "swim" (with a life jacket), hot tub, and go on the waterslides. Apparantly you have to be 6 yrs old to go in the hot tub (Wisconsin law). I figured she was close enough and took her anyway only to be told by a lifeguard that we had to leave because she was certainly no more than 3 yrs old. Huh??? Josh loved trying to find the elephant (don't ask) and playing with Grandma. Kelly was a little more water-shy than we thought she would be. About the only thing she liked was riding on the intertube down the lazy river and in the wave pool. I forgot my camera, so JoEllen was nice enough to take a few pictures for us.

**Caution-you may need sunglasses to look at the following picture...remember red heads can't - not don't... CAN'T- tan.

Thanks to Grandma, Pete and I even got to spend some time at night by ourselves. It was a great trip and we look forward to going again next year.

With the rest of his time off, Pete replaced all of the upstairs doors. Pete wonders if its weird that he likes doing these home projects with his time off. I don't have a good answer. Anyone else.....

Ta-Da!

2010-01-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

You would think all home improvements would be done prior to or shortly after moving in. Not in our home. I think we've done more in the past 6 months than our whole married lives. (Ok, so in all fairness, most of our married life has been spent in apartments!)

Pete has had a little more time off this month, so we embarked on replacing the tile in the upstairs and downstairs entryway. I have HATED this tile since we moved in. Pete tried removing it when we moved, but decided that nothing short of an earthquake was going to do the job. Luckily, for a Christmas/Birthday present, Pete got the next best thing - an aircompressor with a tool on it like a mini jack hammer. It really isn't a big area, but it took a whole day to get the tile scrapped off the basement floor. The upstairs entryway was much easier.

Here are a few before and after pictures!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I was reminded why I rarely take pictures of my children. It started out with trying to take a Sunday picture in front of the Christmas tree. I finally got so frustrated Pete took over. This picture shows how the process went. At least Abbie and Josh were both looking at the camera in this picture.
For Christmas Eve, we were invited over to some friends house for a Scandanavian tradition.

We talked, sang a few carols, and then were visited by Santa. The kids were all told before we started caroling that if they heard bells they were to be as still and quiet as they could, and Santa may drop by, but if he heard them he would leave. We had a room full of kids and I thought for sure there would be plenty of noise. However, there was not a peep from the kids. They sat in awe as Santa dropped by and left them each a present. You would have thought Abbie had won the lottery from the way she acted. Her night was made!
After the visit from Santa, we went back home and read the Nativity while the kids acted it out using the Little People nativity. Then we exchanged sibling gifts and got our new Christmas Pajamas. After watching The Grinch, it was off to bed. I tried telling the kids that Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep, but Abbie reminded me all they had to do was be quiet like at our friends and Santa would never know they were there. Try arguing with that!

Christmas morning, Abbie woke up with the flu. After throwing up, she felt much better and perked up as the day wore on. Josh and Kelly slept until about 7:30am which made for a nice relaxed morning. The kids enjoyed themselves, while Pete and I enjoyed them. We spent the rest of the day playing with toys, talking with family, and snacking on food.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

First, we started off the holiday with the kids making turkeys! This was something I remember from my childhood and is a tradition I hope my kids will remember just as fondly. Pete was on call, so he didn't get to join in the fun with us but the kids did a great job and enjoyed eating their turkeys almost as much as making them.

For Thanksgiving, Pete actually had the day off! After not celebrating last year, it was nice to have a Thanksgiving dinner again. We got together with some wonderful friends and enjoyed both the food and the company. Thanks Jamie and Nick for including us in your family!

I am so thankful for all my blessings. I have a wonderful family, both immediate and extended. We are blessed with great friends and all the temporal things that we need. Most especially, I am thankful for my Savior. I have always thought it so appropriate that we start off the Christmas season with Thanksgiving because it puts me in the right frame of mind for celebrating the birth of Christ. May you all have a wonderful Christmas season!

Behold Your Little Ones

2009-11-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

I have been reminded lately what wonderful children I have. Each of them have made me very proud and I am truly grateful for them.

Abbie was chosen to receive the Character Acheivement Award at school by her teacher. She was chosen because she showed great teamwork and was a good example to her peers. She also gave her first talk in primary today. She worked so hard to try and memorize her talk. I would find her in her room or in the bathroom practicing all week. We are so proud of her and know that our Heavenly Father is as well.

While Joshua loves preschool, he has continued to be a homebody. No matter what we are doing, he always wants to know when we get to go back home. He has turned into such a big helper. He loves to surprise me in the morning by getting ready for the day without me having to ask. So, he will get up and get dressed, make his bed, brush his teeth, and say his prayers all on his own. He also loves to help me cook and help keep Kelly happy.

Kelly is growing quickly and has found out she can do things on her own. She is talking more and can even say "yes" now (everything used to be answered with a "no")! Abbie and Josh claim she is the best at playing tag and horsey (she rides on their backs). Her favorite past time however, is reading and taking off her pajamas. Oh the wonders of being a child!

Pete's Projects

2009-11-01T14:49:00.001-08:00

Since Pete only ended up working 74 hours the last 3 weeks he was able to complete some projects around the home. He made the following home improvements.
-New coat rack for downstairs
-New fireplace mantel downstairs
-New light fixtures in the bedrooms

Here are some pictures of the mantel

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T14:26:00.001-08:00

Halloween seemed to last longer than one day this year. Abbie and Josh both had Halloween parties at their schools. Abbie's school does a Halloween parade where they walk from room to room wearing their costumes. Abbie got to lead the parade and was very excited.

Halloween day was filled with anticipation for the kids and a little bit of dread for the parents. It always seems to take forever to get the kids dressed in their costumes and out the door only to have the kids want to head home because they are tired or cold after only a few houses. This year, the kids actually held up pretty well. Even Kelly insisted on walking and did pretty good at keeping up with her older sister and brother. After trick-or-treating we went to some friends house for a little Halloween get together.

All in all, it was a fun night enjoyed by both the kids and adults. And like most Halloween's, we will still be eating the candy for months to come!

Abbie as a Ballerina

Josh as Spiderman (yes, again)

Kelly as Little Red Riding Hood

A Month of Firsts

2009-09-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

What an exciting month for Abbie.First, five years ago on September 1, we added a beautiful baby girl to our little family. Abbie Marie has always had a happy temperment and kind heart. She is such a good big sister to Josh and Kelly and my little helper. She is always willing to do whatever is asked of her and tries her hardest to do what's right. She continues to be a bright spot in our lives who will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to!

The day after Abbie's birthday, she had her first dance class. She and her little friend Madi are in a creative dance class which she absolutely loves! She asks everyday if she has dance and just beams when she comes out of her class every week.

The biggest moment (for me anyways) was Abbie's first day of school! I had a harder time than she did. I cried the night before and while she did get a few tears in her eyes when we left, that was it. She came out of her first day excited to go back. Her teacher is due to deliver her second baby in just a few weeks, so I am hoping having a substitute doesn't change the way she feels. My baby is growing up!

Residency Madness

2009-08-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

If anyone ever wonders about the long hours and intense pressure residents are under, this picture says it all. Let me explain....Pete and his fellow residents on the Infectious Disease service decided that in order to fit in with their consultants they needed to grow mustaches. I am sure this was done during a very intense, sleep deprived moment - otherwise I have to blame it on insanity.....you decide.

Our summer in a Nutshell....

2009-08-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Building retaining walls and planting grass,
wrestling with dad,
making the kids own pajamas,
lots and lots of riding bikes,
and a quick trip to Utah for Ben's wedding!

(P.S. - does anyone else find it a little wierd that Kelly rubs her belly button to fall asleep?)

Rain

2009-08-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Luckily my children inherited my love of rain......

Fourth of July

2009-08-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

We were able to go over to our friends and have a BBQ, fireworks, and roast marshmellows! From their backyard we could see fireworks from several counties. It was fun to be with friends and celebrate since last year I opted to stay home (Pete was on call). Although Pete came out later, at least he got to be there!

Strawberry Picking

2009-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Some friends from out ward invited us to go strawberry picking at a local farm. What a fun thing to do. The kids got to help pick (and eat) the strawberries. They have decided they love gardening if it involves picking and eating yummy food! This is definately something we will do next year. Thanks Jen!

Hike

2009-06-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to great at keeping up on the blog lately. Oh well, here are some fun pictures we've taken recently.

Saturday we went to Oxbow park (a few miles outside of town) with a friend for some walking. We brought the strollers thinking it would be a paved trail. It wasn't and we ended up having to carry the little ones, but it was fun anyway. We will definately go back a little more prepared next time.

Here are some pretty purple flowers that were all over.

Here are Josh and Abbie at the beggining of one of the trails - notice the lack of hiking shoes!

Madi and Abbie

Happy Birthday

2009-05-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Josh had a wonderful birthday and we had a great time celebrating it. Josh is now an incredibly mature 3 year old. He continues to amaze me with his vocabulary. We started the day by opening gifts bright and early and then Josh got to be in charge of the rest of his day. Abbie continually sang to him and they played until they were both worn out. For dinner we had a BBQ where Josh got to eat outside - something he's been wanting to do for months now. We ended the day with white cupcakes and vanilla frosting - his favorite!

We are certainly glad Josh is a part of our family and especially glad that he is patient with his sisters and his parents! Love you Josh!

Utah

2009-05-08T13:16:00.001-07:00

We (meaning me the kids and I) made a quick last minute trip to Utah in April. We did the drive in one day (my dad drove with me) and while it was insane being in the car with kids that long, I was glad we didn't have to get up the next day and do it again. It was fun to see everyone even if it was for just a short period of time. Jeff and Steph were kind enough to arrange going to the Hansen Planetarium one afternoon. The kids had a blast and loved being together.

On Easter we woke up to a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny. The kids were so excited that the Easter Bunny knew where to find them. We went to church with my parents and then had an easter egg hunt in the back yard. We actually hunted them several times since Abbie decided they needed to be hid and found over and over again. Thanks mom for being a good sport.

That afternoon we were able to go to a dinner with Pete's family. Bailey was so good to Abbie. It was great to see everyone and how all the kids have grown.

1 Year Old

2009-05-08T13:02:00.001-07:00

I can't believe a whole year has passed already. Kelly turned one on April 14 and unfortunately celebrated the day in the car. We were on our way back from Utah so we waited to celebrate a few days later with Pete. Kelly loved all the attention she got from her brother and sister and while she loved all her presents, her favorite part of the day was eating the cake.

Kelly is such a sweet little girl. She has loved the independance she's gained from walking and being able to be one of the "big kids". I have enjoyed watching her grow and develop her own little personality. She has been more clingy than my other kids and while at time it is a challenge, I have to admit, I love that she just wants mommy sometimes. Happy birthday Kelly!

Friends

2009-04-01T05:11:00.001-07:00

About a year ago we made the move from St. Louis to Rochester leaving behind one of our best friends. Fortunately, we did this knowing that our friends were planning on moving to Rochester a year later. Abbie and Maddi have been friends since they were born just a few months apart. Then along came Josh and Spencer, and then again Kelly and EmmaLee. We felt like our families just meshed! When they came out earlier this month to do some house hunting I was a little worried about how the kids would react to each other. Would it take some time to get to know each other again? Would Spencer and Josh even remember each other? Well, I shouldn't have worried. They acted like they had never been apart. Abbie and Maddi just picked up where they left off and Josh and Spencer joined right in. I had forgotten how fun (and yes crazy) it was to have all the kids together. I am glad my kids will get to continue making memories with their best friends!

Abbie and Maddi on a walk

Decorating sugar cookies

Vacation

2009-02-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Last week we went on our very first, our family only, vacation. We went to the Wisconsin Dells which is about 2 1/2 hours from Rochester. It's an indoor waterpark. We were only there for a few days, but it was so nice to spend time together without any interruptions. The kids LOVED every minute and can't wait to go again. They had play areas for kids, wavepools, slides etc. The kids favorite was the wavepool and hottub. We stayed in a suite with a kitchen, living room area, and 2 bedrooms. We decided it was worth the $25 extra to pay for the 2 bedrooms so we could stay up without interrupting the kids sleep. Hopefully this is something we can make into a tradition. My camera died on me, so I don't have many pictures, but here is what I got.

Pete immediately relaxed by watching the plasma!

The kids discovered the bunkbed

Christmas

2008-12-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Let me start out by saying there is something about kids that makes Christmas completely magical. I think this is by far the best Christmas I have ever had. We started out celebrating a day early since Pete was scheduled to be on short call on Christmas day. On our Christmas Eve we made homemade pizza, acted out the Nativity, sang carols, exchanged gifts and watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". It was a wonderful night! Abbie, however, made our whole Christmas. Pete showed her a redlight that can be seen from our patio and Abbie started jumping up and down screaming "Rudolphs leading the way!" She ran all over the house saying this repeatedly. It was so fun to see how excited she was. Christmas day was just as amazing. The kids were so fun to watch and it was nice having a day with Pete home where we just layed low. My best gift came that night when around 9:00pm Pete got a call from a co-worker. Sahil doesn't have any family here and so he volunteered to come in and cover for Pete. I couldn't believe it! It was wonderful having Pete home 2 days in a row. I feel so blessed and am grateful Heavenly Father continues to be aware of me and my family's needs! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Eve Feast

The Nativity

Mary and Joseph

Christmas Pajamas

What, am I not supposed to eat this?

Daddy's Little Helpers

2008-12-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Abbie and Josh love using their shovels to help their dad shovel snow.

Kelly opted for a warmer climate!

FYI: Low tonight - 1 (that is not a typo)

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the Christmas picture, but it is the only one I have. Thanksgiving this year didn't turn out quite the way I would have hoped for. Pete was on call on Thanksgiving day which means he had to go in at 7:00 am and stay until 1:00 pm the following day. At first, we weren't going to do anything, but we decided at the last minute to celebrate Thanksgiving on Pete's day off which was Tuesday. I was really glad we did. Since my family is what I'm most grateful for, it was nice to be with them. Then on Thanksgiving the hospital had a dinner for those that had to work and I was going to have some friends over, but they ended up having to cancel at the last minute. This Thanksgiving has reminded me to be truly thankful for family and friends. So often I take them for granted and I now realize how special it is to get to have holidays like this where we can take time to spend with those we love and be thankful for all we have. So, Happy Thanksgiving to all! We hope you had a wonderful day and got to spend time with those you love!

Halloween Night

2008-11-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Abbie and Josh loved Halloween this year. They were really good about saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank-you". This was the only holiday Pete has off this year and I was glad. We all had fun walking around the neighborhood and seeing all the other kids in their cosutmes. I think it gave them some good ideas for next year. The weather this year was suprisingly mild. I guess in years past it's been quite cold. Even Kelly was a good sport and stayed nice and warm in her bee costume.

Abbie decided to have a pre-Halloween warm-up by playing drums on Halloween cups courtesy of Grandma and PaPa Anderson.

Spiderman, bee, and Sleeping Beauty

Abbie can never get enough of her sister!

The kids loved the fact that this lady was handing out candy by leaning "through" her door.

Halloween Fun

2008-10-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

We carved pumpkins for family home evening this week and here are the results. Josh's (or rather mine) is the puppy and Abbie's (Pete's) is the smiley face. Josh refused to help clean out the pumpkin because it would get his hands dirty. What have I done!

Some people in our ward and some from another ward had a little Halloween party for the kids. Abbie and Josh were so excited about dressing up in their costumes until we got to the church. Unfortunately, I have passed on the "shy" gene and once we were there they refused to stray far from my side. I couldn't even get them to smile for pictures. Several times Abbie broke into tears until we finally gave up and left. Once in the car they were talking about how much fun the party was and how they wanted to do it again. UNBELIEVABLE!

Haircut

2008-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went into my bathroom to get ready for bed and found a small surprise. There on the floor was a pile of red hair. Now, Pete doesn't have that much hair and I am not dumb enough to cut my own or Abbie's (thanks to my last cutting experience where it had to be evened out by a professional!). I showed it to Pete who said Abbie had been in the bathroom earlier and when he found her and asked what she was doing she conveniently replied "Not anything" and ran out. As you can see it was quite a chunk of hair but fortunately (again thanks to my last haircut) she has layers in her hair and for the life of me I cannot find where she cut it. I guess I will be moving the scissors to another "safe place".

Leaves, Leaves, and more Leaves

2008-10-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

All I am going to say is 21 (39 gallon) bags of leaves!

When I told Abbie we had to put all the leaves in bags - this is the look she gave me. Can you blame her?
Cute Kelly smiling in spite of the grueling hours spent stuck in her stroller.

Conference

2008-10-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking this past week about President Monson's talk in conference. What a great reminder to enjoy the precious time we have with our little ones and know that one day we will miss all the little things we think are inconvenient. I remember at our wedding my dad talking about how when we were little he was always waiting for us to grow up and how now he just wished we were little enough to hold his hand and cross the street again. I think I finally know what you meant dad! And if it makes you feel any better, I miss it to! Love you!

Best Friends

2008-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have to say that one of the best things about moving here has been how close my kids have gotten. They play so well together and look out for each other in a way they've never done before. Abbie even insists that she and Josh are going to get married and live with Pete and I forever! Whatever the reason I am grateful that they are best friends and can't wait for Kelly to get big enough to play with them. Here Abbie is helping Josh put on his Spiderman skates and then showing him how to use them!

Coming Through

2008-10-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when it was so simple to be a child? I watched my kids having a ball chasing each other around with dump trucks the other day and wondered why as adults we make life so complicated. All it takes is a few minutes of playing with them and I am laughing and smiling thinking how wonderfully simple life can be. Is it bad that as an adult I am having more fun playing with dump trucks than they are?

These kids are exhausted and panting like dogs after all that running around. You would think they would take a nap but not today. Apparently they have too much work to do. (At least that's what Abbie repeats to me.) Gee, I wonder where she heard that?

Appleridge Orchard

2008-10-02T18:15:00.001-07:00

We went with some people in our ward to the Appleridge Orchard where the kids learned how the apples were harvested and also where cider, honey and other goodies are made. It was alot simpler than I thought it would be.

After the tour we got to ride (at least the kids did) in a tractor up into the orchard to go through a corn maze and pick a pumpkin. Then when we were done we rode back down and got to try a Honey Crisp apple which was developed at the University of Minnesota. They are really good apples.

Abbie's Birthday

2008-10-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe I am old enough to have a 4 year old (ok, you can stop laughing now!). Abbie had a wonderful birthday with her family where Josh made sure to sing Happy Birthday to her what seemed like every few minutes. She spent the day playing with her new toys and was even kind enough to share with her brother. The highlight of her day however, was getting to pick who said the prayers! Oh to be young again.

Guess who likes Barbies...

and Sleeping Beauty!

Fellows Fair

2008-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Fellows Association here in Rochester hosts several free events for the Residents and Fellows and their families. We went to the fair grounds where they had pony rides, a petting zoo, pizza, cotton candy, firetrucks, Cinderella, Spiderman, Shrek, Elmo, Dora and others along with things for kids to play on. The kids were excited about the pony ride (until they actually got on the pony) and all of the other fun things they got to do. Mom and dad were happy because it meant they didn't have to spend an afternoon trying to keep the kids entertained!

Minnesota, Here We Come!

2008-10-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to say goodbye to such good friends - but here we are. I wondered if we would get everything packed in time. We loaded the truck on Wednesday, May 28th and then left Thursday morning for Rochester Minnesota. Josh enjoyed riding in the moving truck with dad. Abbie thought it was to loud and after her short turn, she was glad to be riding in the car with mom and Kelly. We got to Rochester without any problems and on Friday we signed all the papers and are now home owners! We love our home and the yard that comes with it. Driving in to Rochester I told Pete it felt like home. I love the small town feel it has and the fact that basically eveything we need is within a mile of our home. The only thing that isn't is the hospital and that is only 3 miles away. It will take some time, but we are starting to get everything unpacked and put away. I will post pictures when I actually take some!

Finally!!!

2008-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened! On May 15, 2008 Pete graduated from Medical School at Saint Louis University. Pete worked hard and we loved our time in Saint Louis, Missouri. We have made life long friends here and will miss it, but of course we are looking forward to new adventures (and a paycheck!). Does he look official yet?