The Anderson Bunch

Chloe Dances to Elmo's World

2010-06-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is a little video of Chloe dancing to "Elmo's World" theme music. I don't know what it is about those little puppets (Elmo in particular) that kids love, but the Sesame Street creators really nailed it--these characters captivate kids!

It has been a LONG time.

2010-05-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

So I think we have all found out and determined that I am really bad at this whole blog thing. Let's try again. So since the last time I wrote Chloe had her first Birthday and both grandparents were able to attend over skype. Chloe is not much of a talker but loves to read her books, play outside--she can go down the slide all by herself--, and go on walks with Peanut. She absolutely adores her Dad!

Brian is busy with super block and studying for the GRE. We are anxious to start applying for Ortho programs. It will be interesting to see where life takes us next.

I am busy with work and taking care of little Chloers--and Peanut takes care of me. :)

Chloe Meets Santa

2009-12-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

Chloe met Santa for the first time at our Ward Christmas Party on Saturday. I was so excited for her to meet Santa to see what her reaction would be. She really has no stranger anxiety so I thought she might do ok. When we set her down in his lap she was fine at first and then she looked up at him and just started screaming and crying. I guess she doesn't like Santa afterall.
It was hilarious! I didn't like Santa when I was little either, so there you have it.

Conference Weekend

2009-10-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Joan, My Mother-in-law, came into town for conference weekend. It was so much fun to have her out and have Chloe spend some time with her Grandma. We were able to go to the temple and Apple orchard. We were also able to go on a shopping spree for Chloe. Grandma Joan really spoiled her with the cutest outfits. Chloe is our little model. Isn't that hat to die for?!

Chloe had her first experience on a swing and absolutely loved it. It made we want a yard with a swingset so badly. She is wearing the cute hat that Aunt 80 got her for christmas last year.

My Daughter?

2009-08-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Chloe had her 6 month check up yesterday--even though today is her 7 month Birthday. Things got a little delayed due to us being in Utah all summer. As I was saying, Chloe had her check up and everything is great! In fact, she is sprouting like a bean. Last time she had a perfect growth curve and was at 50% in everything. She is now in the 25% for weight--no surprise there. The 66% for head circumference, and get this, 90% for Heigth!!! I had to ask them, "are you sure, my child?!" Well, she certainly does not get it from me. It sounds like she is not going to be short like her Mom. I thought I would share because I was quite surprised.

Chloe is now crawling and pulling herself up to things. This kid is a go-getter. She will be walking in no time. She loves to have you hold her hands and walk her everywhere. I will post some video of her crawling here soon enough, since I know Grandparents and Aunts are eager to see.

Brian Rocks the Boards!!

2009-08-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Brian! He just got his score back for part 1 of the dental bard exam. He got a rockin' 95!!! He knew he needed to get around a 90 to have a good chance of specializing. All that summer studying really paid off. We are so very excited! Thanks to my family and Brian's for entertaining me while he studied this summer and for supporting Brian in his studies. Hurray!

Chloe has two teeth

2009-06-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Big Eyes like her Dad always had when he was little!

So I can't believe how much Chloe is changing right now. She discovers new things everyday and it is so much fun. We had her 4 month appt. and she is now 13 pounds and I can't remember how many inches. She is exactly 50% in everything. The day after her appointment I found two little teeth coming in! She has also discovered her feet and loves to put her toes in her mouth. Yuck! I try to keep her from doing that. :) She also LOVES Peanut, our dog. Peanut really likes her, especially when she spits up. Peanut runs over to her every time she spits up and licks her. Nasty huh! I try to keep her away, but sometimes I am not successful. Chloe pays her back by latching onto her hair with a death grip so Peanut can't get away. It is so cute because Peanut doesn't know what to do. She knows she is not supposed to bite her so she just sits there and tries to lick her hands away or yelps to us like, "please, Help me!" They are going to be great friends.

Baby Birds

2009-06-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago I wanted to grill some hamburgers out on the grill. It was a nice summer day and seemed like a fun thing to do. Well, I went outside to get the grill going and found it filled to the top with twigs and branches. A bird was trying to build a nest in our barbeque! I got a big plastic sac and cleaned it all out and we were able to grill that night.

The VERY NEXT DAY I was out on our balcony just enjoying the warm weather and saw aome sticks sticking out of the barbecue. "I thought oh no, that bird has started again, I had better stop him before he gets too far." When I opened the grill I was surprised to find it filled to the top once again with twigs and sticks. I was shocked! It was Brian's turn to clean it out this time. Well, with Brian being so busy he didn't get to it for a few days. I wanted to grill and sent him out to clean it out and he found 6 little eggs. We knew that we had missed our chance and couldn't do anything now beacause if you tousch them the momther will abandon them.

Just yesterday I thought I would at least document this and get a few pictures of the eggs and then the birds as soon as they hatch amd found out I was too late. I opend it up and there they were.

They are so cute and must have just hatched because they have hardly any hair and there is still one egg. Next to that egg there is also a little bird that just hatched.

It will be fun to see them grow up...I just hope they don't ruin our barbeque.

Chloe Turns Over

2009-05-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Chloe Laughs

2009-05-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

More from the Photoshoot...I just can't get enough!

2009-04-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures from the photo shoot. The blanket that she is wrapped in is one that her Grandma Joan made her.

Chloe's Blessing

2009-04-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

We went to Utah for Brian's Spring Break and had Chloe blessed there among family and friends! It was so nice to go home and see all of our friends and family. We were able to bless her at my parents home, so it was very nice and intimate. Brian gave a beautiful blessing. She was blessed in the same dress that I was blessed in. My mom and grandma made the dress all by hand.

These are some pictures that we had taken of her by the same girl in my ward that did the others. I don't know what I am going to do when she moves. I love having her take Chloes' pictures and she does a fabulous job. You will probably see one more photo shoot of Chloe before Jessica moves away in June.

Chloe's first Photoshoot at 6 weeks old

2009-03-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Brian and I had Chloe's pictures taken on Saturday by a girl in our ward. She is just starting up her own photography business and gave us a great deal. Here is a little preview. We absolutely love them and can't wait to get the disc with the rest of them.

Announcing Chloe Lynn Anderson

2009-02-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

So, Monday morning I went into the doctor's office expecting to be induced (as we had scheduled) since I did not go into labor over the weekend. To our great surprise, my doctor had changed his mind and said he would not induce me. I was shocked and a little disappointed (I had been all geared up and looking forward to going into labor!). He checked me and I was dialted to a four; then, he stripped my membranes once more. He ordered me to walk around the mall and call him later on that day.

I left feeling very frustrated, but determined. I sent Brian off to school and told him I would call if I progressed at all, and my mom and I headed off to the mall. We walked and walked and walked and walked and then walked some more. I started to feel some contractions but nothing really regular or intense at all. We decided to head home and get something to eat. While my mom prepared lunch I ran the stairs for as long as I possibly could and then walked around some more. After lunch I did jumping jacks, squats, ran in place and even took Peanut on a walk. NOTHING! I was actually feeling more at the mall so we decided to head back there. When we arrived, Brian called to see if anything had happened and decided to meet us at the mall. By this time I was so tired and my legs were hurting so much more than the contractions that I thought I wouldn't even have the energy to go into labor if I did. After walking around for another hour and not feeling much-except for very aching legs and some minor contractions-I decided to call my doctor and see what I should do. I told him what was going on and he told me to call labor and delivery and let them know that I might be in labor and that he would meet me there. I reluctantly called and told them how I was feeling and they expressed that I could come in if I wanted but that they usually don't have you come in until you are breathing through contractions. I decided to go in with hopes that my doctor would just get me started.

When I arived at the hospital I was so distraught that my efforts had not produced results and was convinced they were just going to send me home. I was so tired of anticipating and anticipating and have no results that I just wanted to go home and just let things happen. So I undressed and got up on the table and had the belts strapped to my tummy and prepared to be sent home. As I sat there I started to pee. I told the nurse, "oh my godness, I think I just peed my pants!" And then it just kept coming and coming and coming, and it finally occurred to me that my water had just broke!! Hallelujah! I would not be sent home!!

After that I walked around the hospital some more to get myself to progress--much happier, I might add. I went into the hospital at about 5:00 pm (eventually gave birth to Chloe Lynn at 1:14 A.M). At about 9:00 pm I finally got the epideral when I was dialted to a six, and was very nervous. My anesthesiologist was not very nice, unfortunately, and so my experience wasn't the greatest. For some reason it did not numb all of my nerves and I was in quite a bit of pain when I hit transition. The doctors ordered for the anesthesiologist to come back in and give me more. He rudely and reluctantly did, but it did not work for quite some time. I finally started to feel some relief right before I began pushing. Pushing was the best part by far! I loved it. I could do that over and over. I pushed for about 20 minutes before Chloe was born.

It really was such an amazing experience! Brian and I are so grateful for our sweet little girl. She is so beautiful and sweet. She doesn't really cry much but has quite the raptor squeal :)--I think that she gets that from her mommy! We love her so much and are so happy!! Thank you to everyone for all the support and calls! We love and appreciate you all so much and are happy to share this wonderful event with all of you.

Tuesday January 27th at 1:14 AM
6lbs 13 oz
20 inches

We are READY!!

2009-01-23T11:57:00.000-08:00

This morning I went into the doctor and had my membranes stripped and found out I am dilated between a 3.5-4. I am really hoping that I go into labor sometime this weekend, but I still have not experienced any contractions. If I don't go into labor this weekend my doctor agreed to induce me on Monday, since he will be leaving out of town on my original due date, Wednesday. Here are some recent pictures of the basketball in my tummy! I have also included pictures of her room! It really turned out so cute.

My Grandma and Mom were really a big help in getting everything done and made for her room. My mom and I made all the little animals that you see and the lamp. My Grandma and Mom made the curtains and bench seat--without a pattern, I might add. They are genius! I helped my Mom make the dust ruffle and bumper pads. The Caterpillar was my mom's idea that we put together. (I am also going to do her name in those same bright colors above her crib once we make a final decision on a name.) And last, the giraffe picture is my colored pencil project from advanced art in high school. So there you have it. We are set...we just need this baby to come out now. Hopefully my next post will be pictures of our new little girl!!

Prego

2008-10-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

I know I have not done well with keeping up on my blog. Here is a picture at my progression. This is at about 25 weeks!

IT'S A GIRL!!

2008-09-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture from the ultrasound that we got today. As you can see already a drama queen. That is her hand right across her face. It was so amazing! I can't believe how much you can really see. She seems to be very healthy and right on track. She weighs as much as a pop can and is about 10 inches long. We got a lot more wonderful pictures but we thought this one was appropriate.

I have seen pictures before of the ultrasounsd of my friends and sisters but it is so amazing when it is your own. It's awesome to see and know that there really is a little life in there. We are so excited!! So a girl it is!! The last tally was 6 votes for boy and 5 for girl. So I guess that as a whole we were wrong as well. Well, that makes me feel a little better about having no insight. We couldn't be happier though. Now the planning!!

Cast your Vote!

2008-08-18T16:17:00.001-07:00

So Brian and I want to see where the votes lie. Who thinks we are going to have a boy, and who think we are going to have a girl? Brian and I really have not had any premonition, so we want to see what all of you think.

I feel kind-of jipped at this point. I hear about all of these expecting mothers having dreams about what they are going to have. I have had ZERO! I have not had any dreams at all. Well, I guess I have had one pregnancy dream except my younger and unmarried sister was the expecting mother. I was so happy for her in the dream but I kept trying to resolve the fact that she had fornicated and that was not a good thing. So, Shae...anything we need to talk about? :)

Brian and I find out on Sept. 5th what we are having!!! So look for a post to see who has better insight than the parents.

Our Family Keeps Expanding!

2008-06-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yes! I am pregnant! Brian and I were planning on getting pregnant this year and originally decided we would start trying in June. Well, we got a little ansy and one night just thought let's just do it! So here we are 17 weeks later....very happy and pregnant! I am still in awe and keep wondering "Am i really pregnant or am I just making this up?"
I really have been very fortunate, I have not really been that sick. I get nauseated, but happy to say, I have not thrown up. I feel like all I do is Eat! If I eat every 2-3 hours it helps with the nausea but nothing really ever sounds good and I don't really feel like eating but I know that I need to and that it will make me feel better. I seriously feel like all I do is eat!

I know that I really don't have room to complain. So many people have it far worse than I have. Brian and I were able to hear the baby's heartbeat today! The doctor said it was right where it should be so that is comforting. I have also started to feel the baby mave this last week! It is really light and just feels like little taps right now, but it is so exciting to feel that there really is a baby in there! I am also starting to show quite a bit (to me at least) Everyone I see keeps saying "oh my gosh! You aren't even showing yet." I can no longer fit in my clothes though so I know I am not making it up. Well, I will try to do better with updating my blog now that I have something fun to blog about.

My new little companion!

2008-06-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

Brian and I just got a new little puppy, Memorial weekend. WE went to look at the cats and ended up getting a dog! She is a little nine-week-old Shiranian (a cross between a shitzu and a pomeranian). Right now, she's about three pounds, and they say she should only get to be about 7-10 pounds.
She is a lot of fun, but a lot of work too. Right now we wake up twice a night to take her out to go potty. She wears a diaper while in the house to reduce the amount of accidents. We had no idea what to name her so my little neice, Avalee, did the honors. I told her we were thinking about getting a puppy and asked her what we should name her. She said "Peanut" and well, it stuck. Both Brian and I really liked it and it really fit her well. So Peanut is the newest addition to our family!

My Trip to Australia!!

2008-04-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

This month really has been a great one starting with a trip to Australia. I was able to go to Australia with my younger sister, Shae, and my Mom and Dad. It was so much fun! I regret to say that Brian was unable to come and to top it off had the busiest week of his dental career thus far. I hope that someday we can make it back there together because it really is a beautiful country.

So I had my first expereince flying over on a 747 Double Decker plane. I was super excited. Although, it wasn't really that different because only first class is allowed upstairs--but I still thought it was cool.

This is the view out of our Hotel of Surfer's Paradise along the Gold Coast! It is really neat I thought that it was kind of like Venice except without all the old buildings and history. The bay weaved through the streets of the city and many people had big huge yaughts and boats.

This is a view along the way to the rainforest. It was BEAUTIFUL.

That is the road we took to get to the rainforest! It seriously made the road to Hana seem like a piece of cake! Most of the way it was a one lane road and yes, you had people coming down while you were going up. Just to top it off, they drive on the wrong side of the road over there, so it was pretty scary, but very scenic.

I was able to hold a Koala bear and feed the Kangaroos. This was probably my most favorite thing that we did. We also did some scuba diving which was awesome and another of the highlights of my trip.

Tagged! 10 Things you may not know about me

2008-04-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

1. When I was younger I had an imaginary friend named Alice! We did everything together. When my younger sister Ashley was born I never mentioned her again...coincidence?

2. I love to scuba dive! It is a totally different world down there. I will be posting some pictures from my latest dive soon!

3. I have to sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door. I don't really know why? I think I feel clausterphobic or something next to a wall.

4. I remember my great great grandma (the white haired grandma is what I called her) really well. I can remember her house and how she always had nilla wafers. I am told we had a really close relationship. I was only 3 when she died.

5. I have a major sweet tooth and seem to always have a cavity whenever I go to the dentist, hence my dislike of the dentist. (sorry Bri) I once had 20 cavities in one visit! Good thing Brian is giong to ba a dentist--our kids are going to need it.

6. Brian actually wrote in my yearbook when I was a sophomore and he was a Senior saying "If anything goes awry with Adam (my boyfriend all through high school) give me a call" When in fact he was the one to make things go awry. Funny huh!

7. I am very competetive and pretty subborn. Ask Brian!

8. I was in singing lessons at a really young age and did not continue once I moved from Orem to Salt Lake. One of my biggest regrets.

9. When I was younger I screamed SO LOUD and shrill (usually at my brother Aaron for teasing me UNTIL i screamed and cried) that I would immediately get a sore throat right after screaming. I have quite a set of lungs--just ask my family.

10. I really love to cook or bake! I think I can contribute this to having three AMAZING examples to follow in my life. My grandma, my mom and my mother-in-law.

There they are! I tag Paul and Corinne, Adrea Reynolds and Ashley Andrew.

The Easter Bunny Came!

2008-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Brian and I had a great Easter! It was the last day of his Spring Break :(
We decided to do a little basket exchange and I got Brian some of his favorit candy, an i tunes card, and the King of Queens last season.
Brian and I like to watch the reruns of this show and really find it funny. We have been trying to rent some of the seasons and have not been successful because none of the movie stores have it out here. I am reminded that I live in a small town when I go to the 2 movie stores in town and can't find what I am looking for and realize that if I really want this I am either going to have to buy it or drive for 30 minutes to Cedar Rapids to rent it and then make that drive again to return it. It seems like a little too much work to just rent a movie, so when I saw the last season for sale I thought I would buy it.

Brian got me my favorite, Reese's Eggs! He also got me Enchanted the movie, this fun shirt, and a new game! The shirt has kind of a story as well. The other day Brian and I were in the mall and we were talking about the old cartoons and how great they were when we grew up and how lame the ones are now. The Greats, you know, like Duck Tales, Gummy Bears, Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Smurfs, all those good ones. While we were talking we passed Hot topic and saw a shirt with the Ducktales logo and one with Talespin. It was such a funny coincidence. We thought they were awesome. Well, Brian went back later on that week to get me one for Easter and found out that they only made them in the men's sizes. Lame! But, he did find the shirt that he ended up getting for me, which I really love, and a Ducktales one for him! It worked out great, but I still wish they made the ducktales one in a Women's size.

It was a fun day and great to spend some time with each other. It was sad to see that Spring Break come to and end. I forgot how nice it is to have a husband again...until the summer I guess.

Grandparents are the best!

2008-02-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

Today I just wanted to expree my love for grandparents--I am so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents in my life. My Grandma and Grandpa Andrew have both unfortunately passed on, but their love and example live with me always. My Grandpa Andrew is probably the sweetest man I have ever known! He had no guile and just the sweetest, biggest heart ever!

My Grandma Andrew was the same, always such a delight to be around. I remember going to visit them and she would always have oreos in here blue jar on the counter. We would sit on the couch and visit with them and then raid the cookie jar and head downstairs to fight over who would get to play the frogger game first.

My Grandma and Grandpa Jolley are the funnest grandparents EVER! My Sweet Grandma is the most amazing seamstress and best cook in the whole world. She made all of my prom dresses and altered my wedding dress to make it perfect. She has lovingly and willingly shared her talent with so many around her. She is also the best Hand and Foot partner ever because she NEVER loses. I think that is one of my favorite memories with them, staying up into the wee hours of the morning playing hand and foot! I also never left grandma's house without getting my take-home treat!

My Grandpa is the sweetest and cutest old Grump you ever saw! His loving, twinkling eyes can make anyone feel happy. I remember one of my favorite memories as a kid was going up to grandma and grandpa's house and taking long walks with grandpa over to the golf course or just sitting out on his swing looking at the beautiful mountains or star filled sky. Grandpa is the funnest to have on your team in Hand and Foot because he cheats the best! Grandpa is also the best to watch movies with , especially comedies because his laugh is so contagious.

I never got to meet Brian's granparents because they both passed away before we met, but I know how much mine mean to me and I am sure they were just the same. It is so hard to accept that my grandparents won't be here in my life forever. I love them so much and hate to think of life without them. They really are the greatest ever. I just wanted to pay this little tribute to them and let them know how much I love them!!

I am woman hear me roar

2008-02-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, this post is a little late in coming, but at least I am posting something new! We have recieved tons and tons of snow here lately. Last Sunday we had an unexpected snowstorm and then were hit pretty hard on Wednesday with another huge storm. Brian was barely able to get out to school before the snow piled too high.
They cancelled school for Brian and work for me at about 9:30 because the roads were so terrible. I knew that once the snow stopped I would need to get out there and shovel the driveway so that Brian could get the car in. It finally let up and this is what I was left to shovel! The pictures really don't do it justice.

We probably had over a foot of snow in some area on the driveway with the drifts and this was perfect snowball fighting ammo. Super dense and packed. I was so proud of myself that I was able to shovel half of our driveway all by myself! It was quite the task, but never fear Mindy is here!....(we still only have half of it shoveled)

After accomplishing my huge feat I rewarded myself with this!

A luxurious Bubbble bath! Brian thought it was such a good idea that when he got home I had to run one for him as well!

Presidential Primaries

2008-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

So....today I am using my blog to blow off a little steam--I am so bugged, angry, and disappointed in the coverage of the presidential primaries from the media. It is so compeletely biased and ridiculous. Brian and I have been watching this year's election really closely with all of the debates, forums, caucuses, and polling. The only people they give time to on the Rebulican side are Huckabee and McCain. Ewwww!! I can't stand either one of them. I feel like Huckabee is so out of touch with what is going on in the world. All he knows how to do is play the religion card. He has no real substanitial plans on any issues and just seems way too idealisitc.

McCain, on the other hand, will probably die on us in office, if he even makes it that far. I do not agree with his constant personal hits at Romney. Romney at least attacked McCain's record and stand on issues, not his personal character. I really don't like McCain's idea for immigration and I just really think that he lacks the skills and mind set to change what needs to be changed.

I really like Romney's ideas regarding health care and immigration. I think that he has the experience and business mind-set to really improve our economy, which is seriously struggling. I like how he presents himself and I think that he is very concise in his responses to questions. While no politician is perfect, I would much rather see Romney head this country than any of the before mentioned, and for sure any democrat running.

Romney took 2nd in Iowa, 1st in Wyoming (which the media never covered and barely even mentioned), 2nd in New Hampshire, 1st in Michigan(which the media also downplayed due to the fact that his father was a governor there) 1st in Nevada today (which they are not covering because it was "uncontested"), and for the first time will probably finish 3rd in South Carolina.

There is not one other Republican candidate that has that stong of a record and yet, they continue to make excuses for his wins! He does NOT get the amount of positive air time that everyone else does. However, they will be the first to report anything negative on him. I am so absolutely frustrated! At least in the end it is the number of delegates you win and not the media that decides, but seeing as how the media has such a strong influence on people I wish they would try to be a little more objective!

Home for Christmas

2008-01-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like a Utah Christmas. Fresh snow on the ground, the beautiful snow covered mountains, and a bright blue sky morning. We had so much fun this break Skiing with family up at Snowbird, sledding and snomobiling with family at Emron and Aaron's cabin, Playing games with friends, going to the Nutcracker on Chrimas Eve, Seeing our new little nephews...and one one the way, and just spending time with family and friends that we haven't seen.

Our new little nephew

2008-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of our new little nephew Darren! (dosen't Brian just look like a natural! :) Darren is such a good baby and what a joy! Congrats again Paul and Corinne!

New Year's

2008-01-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

New Year's Was awesome (when we finally made it) Brian and I were returning from California after visiting our cute little nephew and Paul and Corinne. Our flight kept getting delayed and we finally made it up to Midway for the New Year's celebration with all our friends just a few minutes into the New Year. It was a blast though!! It was sooo much fun to see everyone that we have missed so much. It was great to just talk and catch up with good friends! Thanks to Nate and Lauren for holding it at your place and letting us crash after calling it a night no later than 5:00 A.M.! We hope that all of you are having a wonderful 2008 and can't wait to see all of you again soon. I was so disappointed that we didn't get pictures with everyone. :( We definitely have to do it next time.

Christmas in Iowa

2008-01-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was a blast! We really enjoyed being with friends and family so much. Brian and I had our Christmas together on the morning of the 23rd just before flying home to Salt Lake City. My favorite gift would have to be my new Coach purse. I really love it and I was in dire need of a replacement. My coworkers were pleased to find out that I retired my last torn up purse to the garbage.

Brian's favorite gift this year was his excercise bike. He has being eyeing this upright bike at Walmart for the past month or so and I kept trying to downplay it and push it aside so that he would not just run out and buy it before Christmas. His running arguement was that his parents were giving us money for Christmas this year and that he could just go buy the bike now and then when we got our chistmas money he could just deposit it in the bank. I kept insiting that we wait...so he wouldn't spoil his Christmas. It all turned out though and he was surprised.

Flying back home was quite the ordeal! We were delayed in Iowa City for 6 hours and then finally were on our way to Minneapolis and the pilot came over the speaker and said that if they didn't get approval to land from air traffic control soon then we would be forced to fly back to waterloo...which is really making no progress at all. Luckily we did get the go ahead from air traffic control and made it to Minneapolis. In minneapolis our flight was cancelled and we ran the risk of having to fly out the next morning, but gratefully the flight attendant back in Iowa City booked us for both flights flying out that night to Salt Lake City just in case. So we decided to take the risk that this later flight we were booked on would not get cancelled as well. By doing so we ran the risk that if we did not get out successfully that night by then tomorrow's flights would be much more full and we probably would not get out until late afternoon or night of Christmas Eve. However, the risk paid off and after sitting on the plane for an hour and a half we were finally on our way to Salt Lake City. We arrived at 1:00 in the morning when we were supposed to arrive at 4:00 the afternoon of the 23rd, but we were happy we made it!

Walking Home

2007-10-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

So out here in Iowa we get AMAZING thunderstorms and the rain just pours! They are really fun to watch because you can see forever since there is nothing to really obscure your view....like mountains, or even a hill, for that matter. So, you can see these amazing thunderstorms that seem like they are right there next to you, when in fact they are miles away. They can also come on very quickly and just down pour like a monsoon. It's nuts!

So I was at work the other day (I work downtown by the university) and there is virtually NO PARKING. Needless to say, I am perfecting my skills on parallel parking. In order to get to work I have to leave an hour early just so I can find a parking spot 6 blocks away so that I can walk 6 blocks to work and get there in time. I actually don't really mind the walk, seeing as though it is the only excercise I am getting these days and holds as a good excuse to justify my lack of exercise. But yesterday, I found myself forgetting that I am in Iowa, and it is the Fall. I got off work at about 7:00 that night and gathered my things to make the trek to my car, and right as I got to the door, I noticed it was raining and I had no umbrella. I waited for a few minutes to see if it would let up. It didn't. I decided to just take the plunge. It really wasn't that bad for the first 1/4 of the trip and then it decided to just hammer down. I started to pick up my pace and run, but really, I was not even half way to my car so I knew there was no avoiding it. When I finally got to my car I was DRENCHED! It was really quite the show to those sitting out on their porches watching me frantically try to find refuge from the monsoon. Yet another lesson I have learned being out here. ALWAYS, carry an umbrella in the Fall because you just never know when that drizzle is going to turn to a flood.

Tornado Warning

2007-10-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was sound asleep in my bed this morning and was awakened by this shrill siren going off outside. I had no idea what was going on. It lasted for about 2 minutes and then came on once again! I was terrified because their I am in my pajamas, alone in a home without a basement, Brian is at school, my phone won't work and I think I have just heard sirens for a tornado warning. Oh yeah-just to top it off last night we had a terrible and severe rain and thunder storm, confirming my concerns. I have no idea what I am supposed to do. So, I run downstairs and manage to get the internet up to see if their is anything in the headlines. I can't find anything so I google it. Sure enough, I find it was indeed a tornado warning....that they routinely perform the first Monday of the month--granted that their is not occasion for a real alert. I check the weather just to be sure and find.....nothing alarming, thank goodness! Geeze, scare the bejeebers out of me! I did however take the opportunity to read up on a few tips about what to do in the case of a real tornado warning so that next time I won't be so clueless.

Our Humble Abode

2007-09-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of our new home that we were able to purchase out here in Iowa. We absolutely love it and have had so much fun decorating, painting, and getting things into place to make it our own. It is a split level entry home but really designed very well so we don't really mind it. We really like the area that we are in. The neighborhood is really nice and quiet and we have a lot of walking and biking trails around us.

This is a view from our deck into our backyard.

This is our Family room! This is our dining area. The family room is to the right and the Kitchen is to the left. You can also see a glimpse into our bedroom and bathroom from here. the red accent wall extends into the kitchen. Tha was a bugger to paint. It took us a primer and three coats of red to get it the color and coverage we wanted. But in the end it turned out grat and we love it!

This is our kitchen! This is our bathroom. You can't really tell in the picture but we did paint it a light yellow it is the exact color that the lighter stripes are in the nursery below.

This is our bedroom. We painted it sage green and hopefully soon it will have a quilted bedspread that Joan is making for us that is absolutely beautiful! The room below to it is the nursery to be...no there is not an announcement...but someday we hope to fill it with a sweet little Mindy or Brian. This is mine and Brian's favorite room. It really turned out so much cuter than we anticipated, But holy cow it was a ton of work. I knew I wanted yellow stripes but we came up with the final design by accident with a little input from Brian, Joan and myself! It was a good thing that I had Brian around though, because I could not make a straight line with that tape if my life depended on it! But, we finally made it through it. My giraffe colored pencil from high school is what I think I want to design the room around. I haven't decided whether to go with just a giraffe theme or whether to extend it to zoo animals, but I still have time so no rush!

This is our basement family room or living room off of the garage entrance. The sliding doors lead into our backyard with the pond. This is Brian's study, or what I like to call it Brian's Dungeon, because once he emerges into there ther is no knowing when he will come out. However, it really is nice to have a place in the basement for Brian to get away from the noises of upstairs and focus on his studies. It is really nice as well because he has a great view of the pond from his window at the desk which makes it nice for him.

And finally this is our bathroom downstairs. We just painted the one accent wall red and it just happened to work great with the decorations I had for our bathroom when we were first married. I couldn't use them upstairs becase they just didn't go with my decor in my room, so I was glad to be able to use them downstairs.

As I said before we are really enjoying our new home and are SO GRATEFUL for all of our family that helped to make it possible for us. We really fell so blessed and fortunate to have such a wonderful home. It is a great feeling to have a place you can call your own and we couldn't be happier with where we are.

This Year's Fun Events

2007-09-14T13:59:00.001-07:00

Our New Life

2007-09-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Brian and I are really enjoying living here in Iowa City, Iowa. There have been so many changes for us in the last few months that things have been a little crazy! Now that we are all settled in things are going great though. Here is a little update with our lives:

I am dying of boredom at the time since we have finally got everything with our new home into place and decorated for the most part. It was fun to paint and have a place that we can call our own. We are truly very grateful to all of our family that has made it possible for us to own our own place out here. We really love the neighborhoood we are in and just have one set of immediate neighbors at the time. They seem like a really fun couple! Our neighborhoood is very safe and is surrounded by quite a few walking trails, a beautiful pond in our backyard and wetland area to the left of us. The bugs are a different story! Our garage is a cricket graveyard!

I will finally start my full time job on Tuesday this next week. I was teaching part time at a Cosmetology school as an Esthetics Instructor but have recently quite there and moved on to the Spa once again. I will be doing the same thing I was back in Salt Lake as far as services go and am excited to get back into the pampering business. I really enjoyed teaching and would have loved to continue but a part time job just doesn't pay the bills. It will be nice to be busy with work once again. I really quite miss it.

Brian is really enjoying school and doing great! He is VERY BUSY but really loves his professors, the school and his fellow D1 students. There are quite a few LDS kids in Brian's group so that has been really fun and exciting. He is already making many friends with the students around him. School pretty much consumes most of his time, but we knew that would inevitably be the case.

New Additions to the Andrew Family

2007-09-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Adrea had her Baby a Month early while we were all in Lake Powell including Scottie! Boede was born on August 3, 2007. We were so happy he came before we left for Iowa though! What a little blessing!

The New Family!

Isn't he Perfect! 5 Lb 14 ounces of Love!

And that's not all! We have been blessed with 2 more additions to our family tree by March! We were so excited to find out that Emron and Harmony are expecting their first in February and on the Anderson side Paul and Corinne will be expecting a little boy in December! We Can't hardly wait! I feel like I missed the boat!