Anderson Ave.

Birthday Bash and Out the door!

2009-12-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

I love my dad, and for most who have met him... they would say the same thing. He is a genuinely loving person with a kick of 'Goof' in him. With a surprise we all wished him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY this weekend! If I had to pick 3 things that were my favorite about him it would be:

1. His jokes... usually so corny you still have to laugh!
2. His affection... he is always one for giving hugs just to let you know you are loved.

3. and His generosity... seriously, he'd give his arm to you if you needed it.

We love you dad, goofy and all! :)

P.S. On the way out the door this morning I had to grab my camera and take a couple of pictures of the kids all dressed in their Christmas outfits. It was a very short session. :)

Even though I got some decent pictures most of it was like this:

and when it was over I felt like this:

CanDy? WhaT cAndY?

2009-12-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's tradition in my family to get together and make gingerbread houses or trains during the Christmas season. I LOVE this tradtion and most members in my family do too. What made it so fun for me this year was that this was the first time my kids were able to participate in the tradition. Thanks mom and dad for making this whole event happen!

He looks so proud of hiswork of art!

Cami hard at work while getting ready to pop in a tasty treat.

Cami's final project.

When all of them are finished, we always use them as centerpieces for the rest of the holiday. :)

Now part of this tradition is that you were to give your creation to someone you love. And Cami chose to give it to her kindergarden teacher. Cami has the most wonderful teacher! It's always a delight to see someone's eyes light up when a gift is given.

The Chef is in the HOUSE!

2009-12-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have often contemplated on the thought to switch seats with Jeremy. He can sew better than I, is handy at just about everything, a wonderful teacher and father... but above all that, I think he should be our all time cook! My poor kids get leftovers often, an occasional creative meal, cereal or pancakes for dinner, boxed dinners, 'snack' (miscellaneous foods) dinner/lunch, and every once in awhile pizza. But man, if Jeremy was cooking, it would be 'A la Gourmet' every night! (or so it would seem, cause every time he cooks it's fantastic!) The other night I wasn't feeln' the whole whip something up to feed the family thing... I was starting to think of what we had left in the fridge that I could pull out, when Jeremy started pulling out some ingredients. What was he making?... homemade Alfredo sauce poured on some tortelloni, seasoned chicken, and steamed broccoli! Mmmmm... I'd order that over any Olive Garden dish... it was divine!

The Best time of the YEAR!

2009-12-02T20:59:00.000-08:00

Before it's too late...

2009-11-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

I just had to post our big get together. I love having Jeremy's family over because they are a set of personalities that I have come to love, adore, appreciate, and respect. And some people can't say the about their in-laws. They sincerely are just wonderful people. Everyone piled in, pitched in, and ate as much as we could!

AND... the newest nephew in town! It was so fun to hold Peyton, you just forget how little they come.

WINNER here: Ugliest Apple Pie award!! My in-laws sweetly reminded me it didn't matter, because it was just for the taste buds anyway. :)

Where's Waldo?

2009-11-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

This last Saturdy my dad and the kids made a HUGE pile of leaves. We all know what that means... Geronimo!!! My brother, (up above) came into town and joined in the fun. :)

FIRST.... the big pile.

SECOND... the big jump. (Or in our case, a huge toss from Grandpa!)

LAST BUT NOT LEAST... a huge roar of laughter! :)

It didn't matter how cold or wet the leaves were, they all piled in! :)

As I have become a mom, I have come to regain the excitement for each new season and any kind of weather it brings. It is such a delight to watch kids get such a thrill out of the simplest things. Like a leaf pile... and it's free, nothing to it! They weren't kidding when they said 'children are your greatest treasures.' I thank God for these little treasures.

TriCk oR tReaT!!

2009-11-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

I have to say, Halloween this year was quite memorable for me. I'm usually pretty reserved when it comes to dressing up, but this year we went all out! In our house we love the Incredibles, So since our family is a perfect fit this year we decided we would transform ourselves in to some 'Incredible' superheros! Mr. Incredible, Elasta Girl, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack... Incredible!!

Every time I see this picture I just laugh!

They were so excited to finally get their costumes on! It took me all day... from the time I woke up to about 3 o'clock in the afternoon!

Now this little boy was the one who got this whole idea started. Ever since he was a little baby everyone called him Jack-Jack because of his spiky hair... he made it a complete 'Incredible' family!

And there is no way I would have been able to complete our whole ensamble without our trusty 'Edna'! (Jeremy's mom literally was at my side creating these costumes, despite how dizzy she was feeling.)

My brother Zack found this awesome Gorilla suit! Cami wasn't quite sure of him. :) It was an eventful Halloween... full of goodies, laughter, and fun memories!

P.S. We also had fun this Halloween season with decorated cookies and crafts with my mom... I LOVE this time of year!

The 'Spooky Spatula'! (Which can easily be converted into a snowman for Christmas.)

Anyone Cold Yet?

2009-10-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Absolutely!! Who else has been pulling out their fall and winter clothes yet? Or turning up the heat? Or grabbing a blanket, or 2, when hanging out on the couch with your hubby while watching your favorite TV series like 'Modern Family', 'Dancing with the Stars, or 'The Office'? Brrrrrr... and it's just gettting colder. Alittle while ago my kids and I looked outside and saw this...

The water by our irrigation pipe froze one night.... it surprisingly looks pretty!

I love the expression of Cami's face, because it is the perfect expression that the chilly air brings :) Bundle up your kids good this Halloween! Can't wait to see all your pics! :)

Man vs. Fish

2009-10-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

When you have a husband who is an avid fisherman, you tend to see him less when it's fishing season. So this last time he went fishing, he took the whole family! :) We must have been his good luck charms because he was the only one that caught a salmon amoungst the others around. I had fun watching it again, because the little stink of a fish kinda put up a fight!

Isn't it a beauty? Little did this fishy know, it's lot in life was to be smoked! :)

Even Tanner went with us. It was so funny to watch him freak out every time the fish flinched.

And of course the kids just couldn't keep themselves from rolling in the dirt/sand. I figure, it's part of being a kid, and they had a blast! As long as they weren't bothering the other fisherman.

They completely covered themselves in fun! We'll just hose them off when we get home, right? ;)

As for me and my little buddy, we sat back and relaxed. That's all you can do when you don't have a license. I like to think, WE were the good luck charms. :)

HerE a bIRthDay, tHerE A birThdAy!

2009-10-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

It seems like October is the month for birthdays. Jeremy is now out of his twenties and still looking good! He got a really fun surprise when his dad came up from out of town and brought his favorite dish.... BAJA FRESH!! Lot's of family came to celebrate this momentous occasion. His mom even flew in to be with him on his birthday. It was such a treat! It just shows how much we ALL love him!

For some reason I can't flip the picture... but Jer asked me to make his favorite,

Carrot Cake!

Next my littlest one had his 1st and I just can't how big he's gotten already! He is constantly smiling and a 'true-blue through n' through' Daddy's Boy! When dad's home he wants nothing to do with me.... unless I have food or he's tired. It's just too cute. :)

Jeremy made the traditional Birthday Bear Pancakes!

Now I'm sure you're wondering why the name 'Jack-Jack' is on the cake. Well... it's one of his nicknames. When he was little and when his hair started coming in nice and full, he had a peice of hair that just wouldn't go down. So my sister started calling him Jack-Jack (off of the 'Incredibles') and it's just stuck. He even responds to that name we've used it so much. Just one of those things.

Carson didn't really get all that messy with the cake. That kind of surprised me. It either went in his tummy... or his daddy's. He likes to share. :)

It's been a fun month thus far, but just for show, here's another cake I've recently done. Actually Cami and I made it for my neice. It pretty much was all Cami's idea and I was the supervisor.... it was alot of fun. :)

FALL HARVEST

2009-10-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

To begin with we had a wonderful harvest this year.... many types of produce coming out our ears!!! We feel blessed and I have quite enjoyed learning how to can our tomatoes and a few other things. (Melissa, thank you for taking the time to teach me! Even when you were sick and pregnant. :O]) We counted 41 pumpkins this year! I LOVE PUMPKINS! And we were able to make good use of them this year for the primary children in our ward.

Carson quite enjoyed his mountain of squash to climb. :)

While Cami was at school, Alex was our little harvester, right next to his dad. Thank goodness that squash can store all winter! NUM!!! (At least that's what Carson would say).

Change Is Here

2009-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

Wow..... it feels like I can finally sit down. We have thoroughly enjoyed this summer. Swimming, reunions, parties, boating, hanging out with friends and family, the starting of a new school year... it's all been a blast. But now it's a different time for year... Fall is here. It's getting cooler, the leaves are turning, and our hearts are getting set for the all the festivities and holidays. I LOVE this time of year. I love the cool crisp air, the beautiful autumn colors, and the smells of home cooking. We're going to stock up on our hot chocolate, rake up some leaves to jump in, and makes sure we have winter clothing that fits for all the kids! :) It's a different season and we're ready to embrace it!

But before I go any further I must catch up. These last couples of weeks have been full of events. So these next couple days, if you're interested, I'll tune you in on what we have been up to. :)

Sneaky!

2009-09-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Carson here is having just alittle too much fun. :)

He's at the stage... CUPBOARDS ARE SO COOL! There's something new behind each door!

Letting Go

2009-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

I had a thought the other day... I'm sending off my first and my mom just sent off her last. Hold on to them, hug them, love them. They grow up just way too fast.

My little kindergardener

Now it's me and my boys at home. :)

The boys Went FISHING!

2009-08-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Jeremy took our 3 yr. old Alex on his very first over-night fishing trip. Alex didn't know what to expect, but ended up loving it! It was so cute to see him when he got back, just alittle more grown up. He became and acted more like a little man instead of a little boy. They slept in a fishing boat on a lake. It was funny because he felt so proud of himself, not just because he caught so many fish or because he got to hang out with all the guys, but because he peed in a can! LOL... that one made me laugh.

Here Jeremy is filleting the stealhead... him and Alex brought home 12 stealhead. And that's not including the ones he brought home from the weekend before! Fish anyone?

As for Cami, Carson, and I, we spent alittle time with mom, dad, and my sister before she leaves to college in a couple of days. Here we are having breakfast on the boat. I can't believe my sis is going to college tomorrow! We're going to miss you Jess.

Another Wecommendation

2009-08-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

You've got to check this book out from your local library... I couldn't stop laughing! It took a minute for the kids to catch on, but it'll get you rolling! :)

ChicKeNs tO thE RescUe!

2009-08-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Lately we've been getting some daily visitors. First we sent our dog after them... then the kids... then we realized, why not make friends! :) So with our plethora of corn we decided to welcome them and embrace them (well not literally anyway).
Cami and Alex will be outside for HOURS just feeding the chickens. They just get a kick out of it!

I was slightly amazed at how accurate they were in pecking at each kernal.

They'd even jump up to get some... Jeremy took this perfect action shot. :)

After it was all said and done, this is what the cob looks like... just picked completely clean! And after this they fed the leftovers to the cows and horses. Who would of thought these visitors would be so fun!

P.S. If you are looking for a good children's book I would recommend "Chickens to the Rescue" by John Himmelman. Our friend recommend it to us and the kids loved it! ( Thanks Jaime).

History Anyone?

2009-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

This cute face is just a piece of our little history on Anderson Ave. (My sister-in-law took this pic when we were together at the zoo last month... it makes me laugh every time I see it. Thanks for all those pics Launa!!)

But as for our history in where we live... there's more to it than I realized. Yesterday we got to go to the 100th year anniversary parade for Grandview, WA. I was able to be apart in helping put together a little 'float' in the parade for our church. (Thank you SO much to all those who helped with this! ) The motto was "Faith in Every Footstep". I felt it was fitting for the 100th year celebration of Grandview.

The kids had fun collecting candy and watching the parade go by! We haven't been to very many of these, and I think if we can, we'll try to attend more! They are so fun!

P.S. To those who have already read this blog:
LOL.... if you didn't catch it... Harry S. Truman did NOT live in Grandview, WA... there is NOT a national site here.... He actually lived in Grandview, MO.... I can't help but laugh at myself, and many others laughing at me I'm sure. :) The only info that was true is that we did become a city on September 21, 1909 and we do average about 8,500 people here in our wonderful town of Grandview, WASHINGTON. :) That's what I get for trying to research some history with little ones around me. :)

SurFs Up!

2009-07-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was refreshing, literally and metaphorically speaking. We got to spend the day on my dad and brother's boat on Saturday, and it reminded me of how much I really did enjoy all those days on the water when I was a youth. Sadly to say it had been 4 years since I've even stepped foot on a boat. The water felt extra cool, comparing it to my parent's pool, and everyone enjoyed the ride.

Jeremy was the first to jump off the boat and feel the surprisingly cool, yet refreshing river. Then the kids jumped in after him. :)

Then... the tube ride. It didn't go as well as planned because once they took off the front of the tube submerged in the water and overwhelmed the kids. BUT... Cami got back on with Grandma to try it again after her cousins Kate and Brooke showed her that it was safe. Alex?... maybe another time. It was alittle tramatic for him. :)

As for Carson... the ride was just too relaxing to resist taking a snooze.

I think Alex's favorite part was at the wheel with Grandpa. It was just too cute to pass up this pic.

Cami, Kate and Brooke climbed up front with Aunt Haley to let the breeze fly through their lovely locks. That use to be MY favorite spot on the boat when I was a kid. :) (Haley... Brookie's little half cheek still cracks me up!)

At the end I got to try Wake Surfing! My brother Ezra was continuously, and might I add patiently, trying to coach me into being successful. I had tried it once before, but like I had previously mentioned... it's been a long time. Now this is a pathetic showing of wake surfing because I can barely go for more than 5 seconds, but nonetheless.... it was a blast!

ChoPeD the MoP

2009-07-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Before I say anything else I have to say, I LOVE shaggy hair on little boys. I just think it's absolutely adorable! Especially on my little AL. BUT... it was obviously due time for him to get a hair cut. For whatever reason we kept on delaying the event. Finally one morning our neighbor, whom we call Grandpa Dean, said he'd cut it for us if we wanted. "Uhhhh, sure!" He had been a barber for years, so we trusted his abilities. :)

BEFORE.....

IN THE PROCESS.....

TRANSFORMATION...

Yup.... still just as cute. :)

CHRISTMAS in JULY

2009-07-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today while watering the garden Cami and Alex decided to play in the mud... which turned out to be quite fun. They made a mud snowman, pud pies with giant blueberries, and mud castles. This picture makes me laugh because it looks like a 'designer poo'. The kids had a blast and I just had to capture their creativity. :)

Say Cheese!

2009-07-02T20:53:00.001-07:00

I wanted to have Cami and Alex's pictures taken this year, because I was quite the slacker last year. My friend Ashleigh was sweet enough to do it for me, and she does an amazing job! So here's how some of them turned out. I have still yet to get some good one's of Carson... maybe when he turns 1. :) (What do you think Ash? ;O])

FOREWARNING ---- THIS IS A PLETHORA OF PICTURES

(I couldn't decide which ones, so I said to myself, "Why hold back?")

Something to Ponder

2009-06-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

This quote was given to me yesterday, and I loved it so much I had to share.

"The Lord isn't asking us to load up a handcart;

He's asking us to fortify our faith.

He isn't asking us to walk across a continent;

He's asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor.

He isn't asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple;

He's asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built.

He isn't asking us to die a martyr's death;

He's asking us to live a disciple's life."

---M. Russell Ballard

It'S a ZoO aRouNd HerE!!

2009-06-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Momma bear speaking... sometimes I seriously feel like one. But I guess that's just the beginning of the tour of our zoo.

First off we have our genuine, one and only Cami-leon Spider Monkey. She climbs on, up, and around everything. I am constantly trying to keep her safe and sound on the ground. At the same time she has this calm and gentile nature that makes you just fall in love with her and calms the home. She's sincerely beautiful inside and out.

Second is our unforgetable and adorable Snuggly Bunny Alex-ator. This strong willed, cuddly, gentleman of mine knows how to bring out all sorts of emotions when caring for him. :) He knows how to put up a fight, make you laugh until you cry, and touch your heart by his sincere affection. Life wouldn't be the same without this little man of mine.

Lastly but not least, here is my Baby Bear Carson cub. He is constantly smiling, he'll let you know when he's hungry, and is very playful. And now that he's getting teeth, he has quite the bite! This crazy, cute cub makes the little things in life exciting.

Life has been a zoo, and I've been trying to keep up with it. I thank God for these perfect little, 'animals' of mine. :) (P.S. We got to go on a quick trip to the Portland zoo last weekend... so we really did get to enjoy seeing quite a few real, wild animals recently.)

(A poem from Momma Bear... this was given to me through email... I'd like to share it with you.)

I Want To Be A Bear

In my next life I want to be a bear.

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months.

I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.

I could deal with that, too.

If you're a bear, you give birth to your children (who only weigh half a pound) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs.

I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.

I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat. He KNOWS not to get between you and the food.

Yup... Gonna be a bear.

HFD!

2009-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Cami: "I love it when my daddy will wrestle and play with me!"
Alex: "I love it when daddy wrestles and plays with me too!"
Cami: "You know what's another thing I like about daddy? When he gives me hugs."
Alex: "I like it when daddy comes home."
Carson: "Woosheee Gaga! Dadadadada!" Translation: "I like it when daddy changes my diaper... it makes momma soooooo happy!"

Happy Father's Day Babes.... they just think the world of you.