Anderson Adventures

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Picture History

I am bored. Brian is writing the worst blippity-blip publication on the face of this earth and I have barely seen him in the last four weeks. We see each other at dinner time and then the next day...at dinner time. I think I may have seen more of him while he was writing his dissertation. I actually got used to it that time and when he was home more I was confused and a little lost at him taking up so much of my time.

This time I have read countless books, some of them MAJOR disappointments, others so incredible that the loser books didn't matter anymore. I have watched and re-watched the other love of my life, Ron Swanson, so many times that I miss him when the day is over and I don't have a steak dinner cooking right outside my door. I have done "bed-time" by myself that I think I have accrued time-off from that duty for the next 5 months. I have played with my kids more and more and feel so sad that he can't join in and enjoy our family right now because, my goodness, they are so, so wonderful. I have built princess castles and zoos out of legos. I have built...and rebuilt....and rebuilt....and... you get the picture...train tracks only to have them demolished in absolute delight.

Tonight I was lazy. I looked back at pictures long before I was ever married. Life was pretty darn wonderful (although sometimes embarrassing) and it still is. It's better. Even if I feel so very single and my days are filled with monster sounds and not a single adult conversation, I am so lucky to have my lovely little family.

And now I can't wait to have that husband back.

Mexico 2007

Gosh, I miss those girls!

When Brian and I were dating...the first time. Also before he told me how stupid my smile was and I have since corrected it. Jackson Hole 2007

Family Cruise 2008- Siblings, doing what we do best....ICE CREAM!

And then Brian decided that he did indeed like me and I got to wear this big white dress.

Engagements

Then he married me...even after he told me to stop talking to him before the ceremony. Apparently my small talk was making him very nervous.

Haha...this picture makes me laugh. I used to really like it, but now I look at it and see those 10 pounds of post married life in my cheeks. I must have been a hearty eater.

Claire. Beautiful. Best day of my life.

Gosh, I miss those arm rolls!

First family campout!

Jared. Second best day of my life.

Oh... my... handsomely adorable!

Red cheek cheeser!

So tiny for so long!

21 month old Claire in the hospital. First scariest day of my life.

Going home!

Lake Powell trip 2012 - Natural Bridges National Park

Can best friends move states with you? Please!? Boy oh boy, do we miss these two!

And here we are...in Texas.

And this is why life is so wonderful!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Puddle Jumping

It is finally feeling like the end of August here in Texas. It is hot and muggy, but more bearable than it has been for a while. The season change is happening far to late for my liking, but I'm so excited that we can leave the house more often now. Today is super rainy and the little tots were far too excited to get out and get wet.

First of all....boys are a totally different ball game than girls. Claire daintily jumped through the water and I saw Jared do more than one slip and slide! I may be digging dirt out of his ears for weeks. We had so much fun! I even joined in and soaked everyone with some big kid splashes. Claire reprimanded me for making the water muddy.

Haha...her skirt got a little heavy.

He would throw a rock and get so excited when it splashed.

And...just because they're cute. We went for a walk the other day with four children. My two and their favorite siblings - the Bo and George.

Claire is going to be a cat for Halloween and got to wear her costume to a birthday party. She likes to chase me around the house meowing like a kitty. She even made me dress up as the cat while she was the bumblebee. The next morning she said, "MOMMY! Your whiskers are gone!" How could I ever wash them off? :)

Monday, October 7, 2013

Texas State Fair

I went to my first state fair! How appropriate that it would be in Texas since "everything is bigger in Texas" and I hope that the state fair is as well. I've never been to any other, so an expert would have to tell me just how awesome it was, but I had a great time! I'll have to get my friend Lindsey's expert opinion since this is her 15th state fair (why didn't I ask her when I was there with her?). I've never seen so much fried food in my life!! Imagine any type of food on earth and I'm sure they had it fried. Lindsey had a fried turkey dinner and although I was extremely skeptical, it was amazingly good.

Claire was super excited to be like Bob the Builder and get to ride in a digger!

Too bad we didn't get Jared's face here.

This was ADORABLE! The kids put apron's on and went on a tour through the farm. Everything was fake, but they got a basket to put their goods in. Feed a chicken-get an egg. Feed the sheep-get wool. You get the picture. At the end of it, they traded their goods for a dollar and then got to purchase a treat. My kids got chip faced and loved every second of it.

For some reason I thought I took pictures past this point, but I guess I got lazy. We saw lots of animals and the kids loved feeding the goats. We actually got to see a brand new, minutes old, baby goat....and then got to see the mom eat the placenta. Sick. We left before I lost my cookies. We had a blast!

Out of the mouth of Claire

Claire was asking me about Hailey nursing. She was sad to find out that Hailey wasn't nursing anymore. She said, "Well, when I am a mommy can you give my babies milk?" Uh...nope. Can't do that. "Why mom?" Well, my milk will be gone (thank goodness) and you'll have to do it. "Oh, well, I want a big, big, BIG family. TWELVE babies! But I don't want the littlest baby to ever get big because I do NOT want one hundred babies." March 2015
Claire: Daddy, do you stink? Brian: Why do you say that? Claire: Because I can smell you. 6/18/14
Claire walked out of her room and this is what ensued: Daddy: "Claire, get back to bed." Claire: "But Daddy, my bed is being crazy!" (We try hard not to laugh). Daddy: "What?" Claire: "My bed is being crazy!!!" He went back, she tangled her blanket so her feet were getting cold. 5/15/2014
Claire asked her sunbeam teacher what "this" was, pointing to something on her chest. She thought she was talking about the pattern on her dress. Claire said, "No, no! These. They are for milk for babies." 5/2014
Eating corn on the cob for dinner, Claire turned to me and asked, "Mommy, are you going to eat some of this YUUUUMMMMYYY corn?" 5/2014
"Mommy, can you do this for me?" She hands me my eyelash curler and I proceed to curl her eyelashes. She bats her eyes in the mirror and says, "There. That's better." For the record...I have never done this, so she didn't learn it from me. 1/28/14
I was doing Claire's hair , combing through it. "Mommy, stop brushing my hair, you're making me crazy." 1/28/14
Claire has a VERY hard time going #2 in the toilet. She will hold it for days and days, so she ends up sitting on the toilet for hours sometimes. This week, she had been in there for a good two hours (and never went). Anyway, during that time she called me in several times, "MOMMY!!!! Come here!!!" And then would tell me nothing. So, after what seemed like the billionth, "MOMMY come here!" shouting, I went in to find her with the ENTIRE roll of toilet paper collected in a heap in her arms. I looked at her and gasped in frustration. I had just changed that roll! Brand new roll. Think of all that! She looked at me, giggled, and said, "Mommy...hehe....I sneezed...hehe." 1/28/14
We had our first ice storm here in Texas. I took Claire to Costco and let her walk on the ice. "Mom, I need to put on my ice skates". "Claire, do you have ice skates?" "No mom, I don't." Good point though sweetheart!
Claire always wakes me up telling me that the sun is awake. The other day, she came in, told me the sun was awake once more and then told me that she wanted some candy. I informed her that we didn't have any, but she said, "Mom, all we have to do is say Trick-or-treat!"
We went camping and I asked if Claire had fun. Claire: "I love camping, but Jared was naughty. We should leave him home".
Me: "Claire, why are you out of bed?" Claire: "Because of this..." She starts moving as if she'll pee her pants. Me: What? Claire: "Because I have the wiggles."
While at the mall bathroom, "MOMMY! YOU DID IT! YOU PEED!" For everyone to hear.
We're still trying to potty train Claire and have her poop in the potty! She says she does it, but can't seem to have it happen and will hold it for days (which is very frustrating). In an effort to get the ball rolling, I said, "Claire! Let's both push. 1...2...3...push!" At that point I did a fake push and she quickly exclaimed, "MOMMY! Don't poop in your pannies!" 7/12/13
Jared was crying and wandering around the house this morning. He popped his head in the bathroom where Claire and I were, and started to cry. Claire said, "Oh Jared, stop whining". 7/3/13
Brian and I were talking about the frustrating expenses of moving. At one point I said (about our debt), "It's all my fault." Claire came to the rescue and said, "NO! It's MY fault! My fault....and Jared's!"
This morning Claire woke up at 5 am screaming, "I WANT A COOKIE!!!!!" I went in, she repeated her sentiments. I promised her a cookie and she went back to sleep. When she got out of bed at 10:30, she jumped into my arms and said, "Where's my cookie?"