My Babe

My babe. He turned 41 yesterday. And how lucky this world is to have enjoyed him for the last 41 one year... and me, the last 12! Here are just a few reasons why he is better than anyone else.

1 He is quiet as a mouse when he wakes up super early to head out to weightlifting

2 He tells the kids stories about when he was little before they go to bed each night

3 He makes a mean brownie

4 He still listens to "hip" music (music that current teenagers are listening to)

5 He loves to marinate in a hot tub

6 He thinks his eyes are brown (nah...they are more green than anything)

7 He will eat just about anything I put in front of him

8 He has the worlds greatest "family man" job

9 His head is super shiney

10 All our kids look like him

11 He bears his testimony often in church

12 He looks good in a teeshirt and shorts

13 He looks good in a suit and tie

14 He looks good in boardshorts

15 He looks good.....

16 One of his steps is nearly two of mine

17 I can beat him in a race....in the water that is

18 He can beat everyone I know in a foot race

19 He watches my reality shows with me

20 He gives the kids fathers blessings

21 He can do manual labor like its no ones business
22 He can win any staring contest

23 He loves to throw the football with the boys

24 He hugs the kids everyday

25 He knows more about football and how to get boys to work for him better than anyone

26 He likes mushrooms

27 He loves a good gas station run!

28 He lets me go out with my friends

29 Birth control can't stop him

30 He disposes of any and all bugs in and around that house for me

31 He lets me celebrate my birthday week...not just day

32 He lets me and the kids go to Florida for extended trips

33 He still thinks I'm pretty

34 He still thinks I'm funny (right, dear?)

35 He can put in a load of laundry...and fold it

36 He found us the most amazing, perfect for our family, house ever!

37 He keeps our family reading and saying family prayers together
38 He has promised to take me to Hawaii

39 He passed on his camel eyelashes to all his children

40 His laugh is amazing, his eyes participate!

41 He is all mine

Burn Pile Night

Over spring break, we did a LOT of yard work...raking...pruning...weeding. We accumulated quite the burn pile. We told that kids that if the weather cooperated, we could have a fire and campout on the Friday of spring break (who are we kidding...I say "we"....I was inside with the baby). The stars aligned and the weather was mild. Tyler set up the tent. I bought smores ingredients. And the evening fun began. Its amazing how mesmerized with fire all kids get. It was all we could do to keep them all away from it. Everyone had a stick that they kept putting in the fire to light it.....pyros!

I was surprised that everyone stayed out. Tyler did say that every dog in the world was barking all night and that it was "booty cold" but the kids had nothing but rave reviews of their night outside.

Saturday Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, we had the annual Anderson Easter Egg Hunt at our house. All the local cousins/aunts/uncles came over for FHE and dinner.
Ace with cousins Mason and Tannon
Grandpa Anderson arranged the hunt in heats...the first heat was for the little kid 4 years and under. The older cousins were more than happy to help the little ones find all the hidden eggs.

Avery was in charge of Ace. She got lots of help from Brinn and Kacey.

After the little kids were done, it was the big kids turn. More eggs were hidden and then we turned them all loose. Kids were sprinting all around the yard in search of the treat...among were white money eggs! Boo-yeah, folks.

When the hunt was over, Aunt Lori gave a FHE lesson and then we ate....a lot. There was sloppy joes, fruit and veggie trays, potato salad, chips, deviled eggs, and of course, desserts...chocolate sheet cakes, red velvet cake and vanilla sheet cake with strawberry topping. Delish! It was a wonderful afternoon. The sun was shining, the kids were laughing and the adults were chatting. Just why we moved here to Utah!

"they say its your birthday..."

We had a very quiet family party. Being the 6th child in the crew, some might say he is getting ripped off...but I say....he doesn't know what he's missing. I wasn't even going to buy anything new for him, but the other kids were HORRIFIED...so I ran over to Ross and got him a pillowpet (Ross's generic version at a fraction of what the real ones are)...Dang...the uproar that caused..."But mom, he's only one. He doesn't even know what those are. Can't I have it instead?"

He loved his cake, which was simple enough to make. At first, he ate off the little white decoration dots. Once he realized that everything was delicious, he dove right in. Happy Birthday, Ray Ray!

Ace

My baby is one today! I've loved everyone of those 365 days....the nights...uh....maybe another story.

One man's trash

Is another man's treasure....

While at DI over the weekend, I picked up this wooden bookshelf...not that particle board junk. She was a little rough around the edges....literally....but I saw her potential.

Ta-da! Nothing a little sanding and staining couldn't fix. Now that's a makeover!

Dance Recital

The girls had their dance recital Thursday. I know I'm their mother, but I thought they were the absolutest, most awesomest, gracefullest, most amazingest dancers out there. They each preformed two dances, complete with two costume changes.

I remember being a little girl and seeing some of the other girls get flowers after the recital and how I wished I had some, too. So I made sure Tyler had a little bouquet to give each of them. I'm not sure what Tee was more upset about....not being able to wear Jo's dance slippers or not getting flowers for himself!

He's a pro...

My baby is a walking fool!

Date night with the UTAH JAZZ

Tyler's sister gave called us Friday to see if we wanted tickets to the JAZZ/KINGS game the next night. We said absolutely! We got our babysitter lined up (filled my purse with contraband--diet coke, mtn.dew and a few boxes of theater candy...no security guys looks in a wipes container!) and headed to the game.

Our seats couldn't get any higher...seriously...our backs were again the cement wall...but I was happy about it. We had marvelous birdseye view of the game. And a couple from our ward were in the "box" above us and she kept handing us down cups full of popcorn.

As I was looking through the game pamphlet thingy the usher gave us, I had a sad realization...I'm getting old. I am older than the ENTIRE Sacramento Kings roster..every single one of them. Yup...I guess it is true...this old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be!

Ok...so I got a little bored at the game. I ate my candy a little too quick and was looking for a way to entertain myself....ah ha....my camera!

I kept trying to sneak pictures of Tyler, but he'd move his head and it always turned out blurry...so I had to settle with myself as my muse...and he caught me a few times...hence the laughing shot!

The game actually got good towards the end. I found myself on my feet a few times, cheering. I guess the Jazz have lost quite a few of their recent games and this was a much needed win. The with seconds left, the Kings tied it and the game went into overtime (I moan) But my wonderful husband must've sensed my "serious!" because he looked at me and said "Let's go" (or maybe he wanted to beat the post game traffic. We got home and our greatest neighbor girl babysitter had all the kids in bed! Thanks, Ro, for a great night out with my babe!

hmm...

This is what we woke up to this morning. And since Tyler is Las Vegas for the weekend, it was up to me to shovel it all.

This is what it looked by this afternoon. Probably should've waited to shovel and let the sun do all the work. I guess that's why Grandpa Anderson told me, "You never shovel until after noon."

First Tooth

Avery has been very discouraged that she hasn't earned any money from losing a tooth. But her time has come. He adult teeth are already starting to peek through behind the baby ones. I told her we were going to have to make an appointment and have the dentist take them out. That motivated her for start working on them. And that she did. Her persistence $paid$ off in the amount of one crisp dollar bill!

Hard up for some outdoor fun

The winter dulldrums are hitting me hard. I need some sun. I need some warm. So when the sun was shining on Presidents Day, we took advantage of the kids and Tyler being home from school and took them over to Scera Park.

Since he can't get down and crawl (there being snow and everything....) Ace was restricted to the stroller and swing. This was actaully his first time in a swing and he quite enjoyed it.

SWING TIME

Thanks you Presidents Day for giving a fun afternoon in the park with the kids.