Santa Made A Special Trip

Santa came to see us this year!! He stopped off while delivering presents on Christmas Eve to visit all the kids!! We had all of my family together this year, which means alot of kids. Santa came to see them all!! Each child got a change to sit on his lap and they got a little present from him. I love the magic of Christmas and the joy the comes to the face of each child when the see that Santa knows their name and remembers them from last year!!

We went to the North Pole!!!

One of our highlights this Christmas was the trip we took the kids to the North Pole. We went on the Polar Express...complete with Santa himself. The kids had an absolute blast!! We did not tell Jacob too much about it, because we knew that it would be all we would hear about until we went. So, the day of the big event, we told Jacob that we would be going on the train ride just like in the movie. He loved this movie and would watch it everyday for months!!

The train was all decked out with Christmas decorations and elves. It even had the cooks who passed out Hot Chocolate and cookies. We took about a 13 mile train ride up to the North Pole where we picked up Santa and then turned around and came back. Santa then came through all the cars and talked to the children and gave them their very own Christmas bell!! We read the story of the Polar Express and sang Christmas Carols. I think it will be a trip the kids will remember.

mr bean christmas

One of my favorite memories growing up was watching Mr. Bean!! I found this clip and it really puts me in the Christmas Spirit. Merry Christmas!!

Some of you may have noticed that I added a new calender to my blog. Lets see how many people actually check this thing...

This is how I am going to tell people!!

The reason why I do what I do....

I have been working on something for Young Womens and came across this wonderful quote from President Hinkley. It really puts into perspective why I do what I do. I try to capture those precious moments of my family on video, scrapbooking, blogging, and journals as much as possible.

"To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest to you that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous education effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many--now and in the years to come, as you put on paper some of your experiences and some of your musings."

--President Gordon B. Hinckley

Tim Hawkins on Parenting

Tim Hawkins on Marriage

Another Admission

Some of you may know what a fan I am of this little show called "THE OFFICE." It is something we like to watch at our house every Thursday. Well, I have decided that I am going to admit that I find the goofish, lanky, witty, and messy-ish hair Jim Halbert kind of cute. There I said it!! Not the most masculine man I have ever seen, but come on girls...you know he is cute!! Admit it!!

Look at the ad I found he did for GAP. Cute right?

Well, I can finally come out of hiding! I can turn my Christmas lights on without fear of ridicule. Yes, I have to admit, I put my tree up the day after Halloween. I could not wait any longer. It almost went up BEFORE Halloween. I got all new decorations for my tree this year and could not wait to see how it would all come together. I love my tree!! Now I get to decorate the rest of my house. I love this time of year. I love the smell that comes with it. The smell of pine and cinnomon. Makes me so nestalgic. My parents are home this year for Christmas. They were out on a mission the last two Christmas's. I am excited for this year and the time we get to have together. I will post pictures soon of my tree!!

I am a dog pimp

I got a call last week from someone interested getting my dog Toby with their female. I have studded him out a couple time before and can always go for extra $$, especially this time of year. Anyway, I totally feel like a dog pimp. Just the talk alone about it makes me feel embarrassed. You have to figure out times to get them together and then hope that he "preforms" accordingly. This time around the other people were wondering how much Toby has "gotten around." I guess there is some him of HIV that can be passed from dogs and I had to detail who Toby had been with and how many times. Talk about uncomfortable!! We really do get some cute puppies though.

Well, it kind of worked

Yes, I guess I am proud to say that I got MOST of the things done on my list!! I do not know if posting for all my friends and family to see helped or not, but I did get them done. This week I am getting ready for Thanksgiving. It is at our house this year which comes with its own set of "To Do's."

I have to get the house clean and then the challenge comes in keeping it that way. It takes me so long to clean this house. Vacuuming it takes a good half hour alone. I was once told though that if you have a party at your house to not clean it until after it is done. That way, the house is clean for you and will stay that way longer. I do not know if I completly agree, but I guess I can see the idea behind it.

Week in review

Ever sit there at the end of your week and wonder where it went, what did I really get done, and why do things look the same as they did a week ago? Well, I figured that maybe if I review the things I accomplished last week and then set a list of "To Do's" for next, then maybe my days will seem more accomplished.

Sunday - church ( I can remember that one)
Monday - ?????
Tuesday - .....Mutual .....
Wednesday - ??????
Thursday - Sold a car
Friday - Shopping
Saturday - returned what I bought the day before and more shopping

Ok, so that did not help so much. Maybe I should just list my "To Do's" for this week.

Sunday - Church
Monday - Laundry, Paint upstairs shelves, Visiting Teaching
Tuesday - Grocery Shop, Get brakes on car done, Mutual
Wednesday - Clean House, mow lawn (probably for the last time this year)
Thursday - Christmas Shop, clean bathrooms
Friday - Finish Decorating for Christmas, Organize Toy room
Saturday - ????

Well, we will see if that helps any. I am sure that none of this is going to transpire, but it is a start.

Happy Birthday Son!

Happy Birthday Jacob!! I can not believe I am old enough to have a FIVE year old. When did this happen? It is the old time cliche of "Time Flies" but man, it really seems like it has. I watch this little boy grow up before my eyes. Watch him as he experiences the trials that come with it. I see his struggles and his triumphs and am so proud of who he is becoming. The job of being a mother is always so fulfilling when I look at the little people I am raising and am able to see the adults they are turning into. Before I know it, I am going to be sending this little man off onto his mission and then off to start a family of his own. I know my time is limited and I what to make a daily effort to raise the type of man that will be strong and courageous.

Jacob has such a tender heart. He is a pleaser and wants everyone around him to be happy. I can see the concern on his face when there is tension or sadness in others. Jacob has so many great qualities about him. He is a good friend and a good brother. I am proud of who he is and who he is becoming.

Jacob, know that I love you. Know that your Dad loves you and know that your sister love you. You are a special part of our family. I hope you continue to grow up with that smile on your face which spreads to others around you. I hope you know of the joy you bring to the people that know you. Happy Birthday to you!!

Where do they learn these things?

My two year old has started calling me by my first name. She hears other kids and adults calling me "Amy" and so she thinks that is what she can call me too. I can hear her from the other room calling, ..."AMY....AAAAAMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY!!!" She is only TWO!! She has not even learned to REALLY talk yet!! I am still getting the two or three word sentences and now she is calling me "AMY!"

I try to correct her and tell her that I am "Mom" to her, but she corrects me and says, "No, AMY" like I am the one mistaken. It could be because she is one stubborn little girl, some may call it her "terrible two's" but I call it STUBBORN!! I say it is black and she says it is white, but that is my girl. She did not learn it from me.

TWILIGHT!!! I am sure you have never heard of it

Yes, I have read the books!! If you have never heard of them, where have you been? I was encouraged by one of my sweet young women to read them. Honestly, I read them for her, but now I love it. I read all three in about 6 days and am now rereading them.


I do not know why they are so intriguing...it is about a vampire and a human who fall in love. But, man, if Edward was a human...he would be sooo HOT!!! I am also so excited to hear that they are in production of the movie!! Can not wait for that one.

Happy Halloween!!

I can not believe I am going to post this.....!!

So I have a new "most embarrassing moment." I should be more careful about what I admit too, but I really think this is too funny to pass up.

My sister and I went to Kmart today to see what Halloween clearance sales they were having and to look at the costumes. I felt the urge to dress up this year. Maybe it is because I am in the Young Women's this Halloween and they keep encouraging me. Anyway, I went to the area where the costumes were and found one I kind of liked. I decided that I was going to try it on over my clothes to get a general idea of how it looked. I showed my sister what I had found and she told me that I looked dreadful and to take it off...I had to remind her that it was on over my clothes and of course it was going to look worse then usual. Anyway, I gave up and pulled the costume up over my head to put it back on the original hanger. The whole time talking to my sister about my need to find a costume and debating what I should do. I held the costume in my hand for a minute before I decided to straighten the costume out and place it back on the hanger...it was then that saw that the costume looked different then I remember. It suddenly had my shirt I was wearing tangled amongst the costume. I quickly looked down and realized that I was standing in the middle of the isle with nothing my but my underwear and a bra. Panic swept over me as I hurried as fast as I could to untangle the shirt I had on from amongst the costume. Once I got it free I had to quickly turn my shirt back inside out and put it on. My sister was of no help, she could barely get herself up from the floor since she as laughing so hard. There I was, crunched behind a shopping cart trying to redress myself hoping the security guy in the back was enjoying the show.

Fortunately, no unsuspecting shopper came around the corner until I had my shirt back on. Looking back on it now.... it was a good laugh. I wish I had worn waterproof mascara!!

Watch at your own risk...

This video was sent to me from my hubby. It made me so uncomfortable to watch, but I know that it is necessary.... click on the link to see what I mean.

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

This baby does not even seem a year old...and I can not even get my four year old to let go of me in the water.

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!

I can not express how much I love fall!! Not only do people seem to be happier, but you get to see more of them. They are not hidden inside their homes because the heat hits you in the face as soon as you open the door. The kids LOVE to go outside now and they dread coming in. It seems like this nice beautiful weather never lasts as long as those hot summer days or those freezing winter nights.



I just have to take advantage of the beauty as much as I can. I love to grab my camera and take the kids up the mountains to hike. They love it too!!! I decided to take them up there middle of last week...just me and them. Just as I get that perfect shot of the kids running through those gorgeous leaves, the battery flashes on my camera and it shuts down!! I was so ticked! Luckily, I was able to convince Neil to head back up there with me over conference weekend to enjoy the beauty of the canyon.



There is a beautiful ride into the canyon not far from our house. I never knew it was there until a few weeks ago. It has several small lakes throughout it and nice trails. This time of year those colors are AMAZING!!! I literally sit in awe of the beauty that is around me.

I love the fall...I only wish it would last longer.

MY dogs....

Ok, so let me introduce my two dogs to those of you who may not know them. This is TOBY and MOLLY. Let me just say what a source of contention they can sometimes be between me and my hubby. Now, we got Toby before we even had kids. Hubby got him for my birthday and I loved it!! My family is allergic to dogs, cats, and most everything else, so this dog was perfect. He was a nonshedding dog and could stay in my house and my family could still come visit. Hubby used to love this dog, take him running with him and he would come in the car with us....well, then the kids came and things changed.

So when I wanted another dog for Toby to play with, we struck a deal. Hubby could get ANOTHER gun and I would get another dog. So, that is when Molly has come into our lives. We have had her for about 4 years now and the poor girl has had 4 different litters of puppies!! For those other pro rescue dog lovers out there, she is fixed now!! Anyway, the dogs have more then paid for themselves! Now my sweet husband is growing more and more intollerant of them. For those that know me, I am a HUGE animal lover. They would sleep in my bed, if I did not have to hear about it from someone else I sleep with. Hubby is not feeling the same. So, we have to go the rounds about it at times, but I do not believe in giving up an animal once you have commited to take care of it. My kids love these dogs and they are good for them.

I am sure I will have many future stories to tell about these events with these dogs...

This is my life....

Why is it that whenever you have something you REALLY need to get done...something always happens that make completing that task SOOO much harder?

I have been needing to get Paige's two year pictures done for a month now. I finally decided on what she was going to wear, I made the appointment with the photographer, and I got the OK from Neil. Of course, when I am giving Paige a bath in preparation of of getting these pictures done, she slips in the bathtub and gets her first big bruise on her eye!! So, I call the place and reschedule for a few days down the road, hoping her eye would look better. Then this morning, when I am getting Jacob in the car for preschool and Paige in to get her pictures done, the door opens and our two dogs see an opportunity for a joyride. The second that door opened even a crack, they bolt out of there and did not look back. I quickly throw the kids in the car and head down the street thinking that they could not have gone far, but they disappeared!! Now normally, I would drop everything until I found them because I allow my mind to wander about them getting hit by a car or someone dognapping them, but today I did not have the time. I just pushed ahead as planned and hoped they would be there when I got home a few hours later. Fortunately, I found Toby had but put on the lease outside our house by some kind hearted neighbor and Molly was laying there next to him. I will save my drama with my dogs for another post...but, needless to say, Neil would have been happy if they never made it home.

Paige cooperated during the pictures, although you can see the bruise on her eye in some of them. I guess it just adds to the memory and at least those pictures are done for another year!!!

Secret Visitor

Last night...after another long day, Neil and I decided to rent a video and watch it after we put the kids to bed. I look forward to this time of night. A time when I can just relax and not have to referee kids or tell friends they have to go home. A time when I can just unwind...finally!

After we had started the movie, we could hear a little noise coming from around the corner...Jacob. So, of course having to stop the movie and put him in bed is another 10 minute task. But finally, he was down...or so we thought. After the movie, Neil and I turn the TV off, clean up a bit and prepared to head upstairs. Just as I am about to make my way up the stairs I find my secret visitor, Jacob had fallen asleep on the bottom stair. Who knows how long he had been laying there. Who knows how long he would have stayed there. He was so deep in sleep that he did not even wake up as I was cleaning up around him and even taking these pictures. This was not the first time he had wanted to be close to us and fell asleep doing it. It has been a while, but we grabbed a pictures of that night too.

Happy Birthday Princess

Although this blog entry is a few days late, I wanted to make an entry wishing my precious little two year old, Happy Birthday. Our lives have changed so much having a little girl in the house. I was so anxious to get you here that I tried EVERYTHING in the book. Hot sauce, castrol oil (three times), walking, bumpy rides, loud music, and even a few that I do not want to spell out here. Your Grandparents were scheduled to leave on their mission in a week and I wanted them to be there when you came into this world. Man did I stress myself out over it!! Anyway, you did decide to come early...two weeks early!! My love for you was instant. There was no denying you belonged to me with your blonde hair, which quickly showed signs of curl. How I love those curls!! Although you stared out a quiet baby, it did not take long for you to find those lungs. Your brother adores you and we love him back just as much. You call for him around the house only it comes out..."Jay jay." Fortunately, Jacob knows you are calling for him.

These two years have been ones I will Cherish. You will always be my precious little princess. Just please... do not grow up too fast. I want to take in every moment I can and remember.

Rexburg... memories

Neil's grandmother passed away last week. She died on Paiges 2nd birthday and lived in Tetonia, which is about 30 minutes outside Rexburg, ID. We just got back yesterday from the funeral. Although we were there for sad circumstances, we really had a good time being together with Neils family. I think it was a good opportunity for all of us to get to know each other alot better. Although I have known Neil for almost 10 years, I have not spend extended periods of time with them.

We all stayed at the same hotel and rooms in real close proximity to each other. We were there for two nights and some of the highlights were just hanging out together and playing in the pool. It was also VERY weird to be back to the place of so much mischievous acts during my college years. Here I was with my husband and kids driving around my old stomping ground. Of course I had to drive by my old apartment!! Things have changed so much since I went to school there. The Temple is almost complete and campus has almost doubled. Of course, who could go to Rexburg and not find some mischievous prank to play. Luckly, my sister-in-laws were right there with me. We decided to attack the doors of the family members who decided to go to bed early!! Good times! Of course, I would have loved to call a couple of boys apartments and told them "the rooster crows at dawn" or "check the oven." I guess only some of you are going to get that!!

My little Man Jacob

Now, this is Jacob. He is a little Neil! Jacob also loves his Dad very much and they are sooo much alike. Jacob calls his dad, "my bestfriend" and anxiously awaits him getting home from work each day. I do not mind though, I get to spend my days with him and I know how important Jacob is to Neil too! Jacob is very even mannered. He does not like to ruffle feathers or upset anyone. He is very much a pleaser. He has a real shy streak to him though. He seems to be in a real phase where he does not like to talk to too many adults. He starts Preschool again in a few days and is going to a teacher who just moved into our area. I think he is getting bored with me during the day and is ready to get busy again.

Jacob loves Star Wars and his new thing is Transformers!! When did they come back in? Weren't these things out when I was a kid? I love to watch him grow and learn! I just hate that it is going by too fast.

My little tornado...I mean Princess!!

This is Paige!! I am writing this blog after a VERY long day of dealing with my newly turned 2 year old and what a day it has been. That girl really knows how to test my patience. I have never known anyone who can tear a room apart as fast as she can. I spend my whole day picking up after her, just to have her undo everything I just cleaned. You can tell by that look in her eye, that she is planning her next attack!! She is just waiting for me to turn my back to pounce on her next victim. Now, do not get me wrong... I love this little tornado to death, but man can she test me.
With Jacob life seemed easier. I do not remember having to do the time-out thing a whole lot. He never remember him having the "terrible two's", I remember the "terrible three's" but even those only lasted a week. I can tell that this girl is going to give me a run for my money. Trying to discipline her is a job. She smiles at you while you are trying to tell her no and then laughs as you place in time-out AGAIN!! I love this little girl to death...but she really is my little tornado.

Here we go...

Ok, ok ok...I am going to try this blog thing!! I was convienced by a very good friend of mine, that this is what I need to do to keep others up to date. So, not only do I have to make sure I keep up on my kids scrapbooks, but I need to make sure I post to this blog!! No, really I would like to give it a try. Maybe this will end up being more therapy for me then anything else. Even if no one else reads it, I will be able to record the events of the Andersen household.

This is my first rule though...even if I spelled something wrong, I meant to do it and/or I do not want to know.

Life has been good for us lately. Kids are growing like crazy and I am enjoying every minute of being their mom. I have good kids!! Jacob is into another year of preschool and is getting bored with the whole thing. He is ready for Kindergarden. Paige just turned 2 (two days ago)! She is definently my child...attitude and all.

I am excited to tell others about the events in our lives...so stay tunned!!