summer heat wave

We are experiencing a bit of late summer heat wave. Provo broke a record of 101 degrees yesterday. Ace and his cuzzy, Hazel, are doing thier best to stay cool....

School Year 2011-2012

Its back to school time for the Andersons and the kids were rippin' and roarin' to go. Although I do enjoy the laziness of summer mornings, I do like the routine that school time brings our family...namely for bathing and teeth brushing. Duce confessed to me the other day that he couldn't remember when the last he brushed his teeth in the morning was and I'm pretty sure there are only so many times I can count the hose on the trampoline as a bath, right?! Josie doesn't start until next week but was super excited to do her practice walk to school with the big kids. With only Tee and Ace at home for half the day....I will be able to get so much done!

JETT 3rd grade

DUCE 4th grade

AVERY 2nd grade

Can you tell Jo is excited?!

going private

We're going private....not that too many people look at this anyway, but if you want an "invite" leave a message or email me.....

Birthday boy

Duce turned 10 years old last week. And we celebrated ALL WEEK...lunches, shopping, dinners....but for the official birthday dinner, he was debating between Golden corral ("They have unlimited desserts") and Red Lobster ("they have unlimited biscuits." He finally settled on Red Lobster, so we invited the JN Munns family down to celebrate. We left the little kids with a babysitter and took Anna with us. When we were all stuffed on coconut shrimp, alotta colada and cheddar bay biscuits, we came to watch the fireworks show put on by Duce.

All he wanted for his birthday were fireworks. So fireworks he got!

And what's a birthday without some spankin's! He was a good sport and actually insisted that everyone do it...including Ace.

BYU football camp

The boys went to camp this week at BYU (perk of their dad working the camps) and loved every bit of it...their sessions were held on the field of Lavell Edwards Stadium. Thursday was the last day and they waited around to get a picture with Cosmo!

Garden of Erika

Ahh, the Garden of Erika....well...actaully....of Roland. Tyler's dad has been SO amazing, prepping and racking and pruning and planting. Our garden is going to kick everyone elses in the tomatoes! Today we planted potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkin, and red bell pepper. Early this week, Roland put in 4 blackberry starts. Soon the tomatoes, corn, peas, beets, beans, carrots, strawberry starts, zucchini, and squash will go it. I can't wait!

My mouth is already watering at the idea of a tomato sandwich on wicked white stick to the roof of your mouth bread with mayo and salt and pepper. Heaven.

Ace in the yard

Today was a gloriously warm day in Utah, so we spent most of it outside. Even Ace got his swimsuit on to splash in the runoff from the car getting washed.

I wish fat rolls looked that adorable on me.

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.