The Nature of the Popcorn

Sometimes I get a good feelin....

2012-01-29T16:30:00.002-07:00

We are still here...

2011-10-03T22:13:00.004-06:00

We are still here...Life is just busy

These cute kiddos are the

center

love

happiness

hope

gift

blessing

of our busy lives

We love our little family!

How Momma Is Feeling

2011-09-06T22:43:00.002-06:00

The beginning of the school year is always a little overwhelming. I found this lovely prayer 'doodled and colored' on this cute blog that just says how I feel every morning. There is that point when I take that deep breath as I open those doors to let my cute kiddos in, I just know my heart is whispering it.

7 years old

2011-08-22T12:10:00.005-06:00

MaCree turned 7 in June!

We sure love this girl. She is amazing, smart, beautiful, creative, fun and a wonderful sister and daughter. We are so lucky that she's ours!

Silly Kiddos

2011-07-11T22:57:00.003-06:00

Nothing like summer and ice cream

siblings and sundresses

long evenings

and

love

Biker Chick

2011-07-02T13:42:00.002-06:00

Despite the heat Daddy and MaCree have been working hard to get this 7 year old off the training wheels! She is AWESOME...as long as there aren't any turns or stops.

Happy 1st Birthday!

2011-06-11T21:30:00.005-06:00

Our cutie pie just turned one!

She was so much fun to watch.

She loved her presents (thanks everyone!) and LOVED her cake!

She has brought so much happiness to our family.

Our perfect little caboose.

School's out!

2011-06-06T07:20:00.004-06:00

Our year ended on a great note. Happy, smarter kids....that is a sign of a successful school year, right? A few things that Erik and I have really noticed this year. Treyson is an awesome student. He is so intent (should I say inTENSE? lol) on accomplishing everything he is assigned. He loved all the 'reports' that were assigned this year and truly embraced becoming an expert on different topics. He has really blossomed this year and we have just seen his confidence soar. MaCree is really amazing at math...ya know, one of those kids that just 'gets it'. It has been so much fun (and sometimes challenging) to have her in my class. She is a free spirit, completely disorganized but a great student. My favorite part? Both kids are avid, nope VORACIOUS readers. This makes this reading momma so happy! The library will be a definite hotspot for us this summer! Here are some photos from the awards ceremony at our school. Both kiddos earned their RISE award, which is an award students from our school earn by achieving a set of goals that are above and beyond their normal curriculum goals. (Wow, that was said like a teacher, lol.) Love our kiddos and we are so very proud of them.

This is Kasey, we call her the 2nd momma! When things

are too busy and not enough hands to go around at the

Andersen household, she helps us out. We probably wouldn't

have made it without her this LONG school year. Seriously folks, the

change from year round to traditional was BRUTAL!

Thanks Kasey!

MaCree and some of her besties, Brynnley and Megan.

MaCree getting her award.

MaCree and her teacher :)

Treyson receiving his award. I had to run in, watch him get

his award, snap a photo and then get back to my class.

I feel bad there aren't more pictures of him!

Way to go kiddos! Bring on the summer!

The numbers

2011-05-07T22:31:00.000-06:00

Life is crazy busy right now for 1 Andersen family, but we are still hanging around. 2 of us are working like crazy, 3 of us are growing like weeds, 1 of us is almost a year, 3 of us have 18 teaching days left of school, 2 of us do not get enough sleep, 3 of us cuddle before the sun is up, 2 of us read in bed until all hours until 1 of us threatens to take books away FOREVER. One of us has 3.5 teeth can sign 4signs (thank you, cookie, dog and more), is crawling everywhere, walking some, waving bye bye, clapping, blowing kisses and climbing the stairs. 2 of us adore 1st grade. 1 of us is loving scouts, can't wait to shoot a bb gun this summer and just completed a research project on Macaws. 2 of us are looking forward to a weekend vacation in September to Seattle, without 3 kiddos. 2 of us may faint from the shock of being alone together when said vacation rolls around. 5 of us are looking forward to warmer weather. 2 of us are playing soccer. . All of us are happy and healthy. We couldn't ask for anything more.

(do you think 2 of us need orthodontic work?...hahahaha)

So this is a post I was working on awhile ago, it posted to a March date, I reposted to today. Wonder if I'm reposting something I already published.lol Oh well.

FULL

2011-05-01T22:03:00.005-06:00

This girl is FULL of personality. Somedays it's ALOT to handle, most days....we laugh and laugh and laugh. I was flipping through school pictures and came across this one. I was working with my students on retelling stories. What happened first, second, next and finally, you get the picture. They each made stick puppets to help in their retell of The Three Little Pigs.

What does the mustache have to do with it?

Nothing.

She just wore it to school that day. Chuckling to herself most of the day thinking she was in disguise. See? FULL. OF. IT.

EGG-cellent

2011-04-23T19:09:00.003-06:00

Just in case your wondering, it takes many a photo to get a decent picture of a baby. Sometimes mom even has to act SUPER excited. Funny. Quincy is to that "just put me down, NO, just kidding I don't want to be put down" stage. At this very moment she has crawled under a chair and now can't get out. Self-imposed baby prison. Seriously. Treyson and MaCree had an Eggciting (haha) time coloring eggs. As usual, there were not enough eggs to go around. Well, not enough for all the artistic expression they needed to get out for sure. Well, the prisoner is screaming up a storm....

How cute is this?

2011-02-26T10:55:00.003-07:00

So my baby sister got married last weekend. LOVE this picture of her and my dad.

Day 17-Family pic

2011-02-16T21:11:00.006-07:00

We have a family wedding coming up this weekend so I will be able to update this one, but as for these pics, well, they are the only ones we have with the 5 of us (Plus extra cast and characters...)

Oh and a bonus picture from 4-5 years ago. I LOVE the little chubby faces and hands. Silly kiddos.

Day 16-A song that makes me cry.

2011-02-16T16:58:00.002-07:00

I don't have a recording of this song so her is my best typing of how it goes:

dun-dun-dun-dun-are youuuuu reaaaaady?--dun dun duuun dun dun duuun

Ya, it's the alarm on my phone telling me to get my keister outa bed. HAHAHA!

Day 12-15

2011-02-16T11:29:00.004-07:00

Okay, totally cheating--I know--pushing four days into one. I'm having issues with my camera and I think that blog posts without pictures are boring....so here I am going to be boring.

Day 12-Contents of my purse. Well I don't actually carry a purse. I have my school bag and my diaper bag and that's all I can handle. I really carry my "must haves" in my wallet. A cute bright purple/pink number. Driver's license, debit card, "purchase and earn"cards--you know the ones "buy 10 drink get 1 free" ya, I'm a sucker for those, 15 cents off gas coupons and that's about it.

Day 13-I LOVE to read. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite fiction book. My favorite fiction book that I read last year however is:

Day 14-Favorite Nonfiction Book. I really don't enjoy nonfiction. I read to 'escape' and for total

entertainment. Of course I do love this book:

Day 15-My favorite Outfit: There is just something about babies in pajamas :)

Day 11-A recent picture of me

2011-02-10T11:22:00.003-07:00

Harder than you think to find a picture of me alone....haha. This was in the fall, I'm at my home away from home.

Day 10-Celebrity Crush

2011-02-09T10:28:00.002-07:00

What can I say, I love him...(despite what my husband says about him)

Oh and some additional eye candy...

Day 9-Pet Peeves

2011-02-09T10:25:00.002-07:00

Pet Peeves

1. People who lie

2. Whining

3. People who don't do their job

That was easy...

Day 8-Favorite Food

2011-02-07T20:11:00.002-07:00

My favorite food is lasagna. I actually like my recipe the best and not surprising, it is of the meatless variety. Layers of Ricotta, sauce, spinach, mozzarella, Italian seasonings and noodles. Yumola! I am wanting to try this recipe from my favorite foodie site.

Day 7-A Photo that makes me happy

2011-02-06T08:18:00.003-07:00

My Brother's wedding. First family picture in maybe a decade.

Everyone is present (except Quincy, but she wasn't born yet).

Love it.

Day 6-My Day in 6 Words

2011-02-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Relaxing

Curry

Errands

Cuddling

Runny noses

Kids

Day 5-Favorite Quote

2011-02-04T18:27:00.003-07:00

So I have posted about my favorite quote before. It was found on a teacher calendar that my hubby gave me...of all places. It just sums up how I feel about doing the job I love so much (most of the time).

Wish I had said THIS.

Day 4-Something I Crave

2011-02-04T18:09:00.002-07:00

Vanilla Diet Coke

The Dr.

Dr Pepper that is!

From the fountain with lights of ice.

Sigh...liquid happiness!

Day 3-Favorite T.V. Show

2011-02-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

I love Biggest Loser.
I love Bob.
Enough said.

Day 2-favorite movie

2011-01-31T19:42:00.003-07:00

More than music, movies are my thing. I will watch anything! I'm also a rewatcher. My standards are low when it comes to movies. You won't catch me checking movie reviews or watching according to the amount of stars they received. It's not very often that I dislike a movie either. One movie stands out though. I force everyone around me to watch it EVERY year. Let's just say I have an affinity for elf culture:

Yes, that is a photo of my DVD. The 2nd DVD of Elf I have had to purchase. I will not be defeated by my inability to copy and paste a google image into my blog! After all, blogs without pictures are boring!

Day 1-Favorite Song

2011-01-31T17:48:00.004-07:00

This was REALLY hard deciding. I love music. LOVE. I like music from every genre, well almost every. When I think back over periods in my life, each one is defined by a song or songs. Deciding on just one, was difficult.

Here it is. This song warms my soul. Reminds me of when Erik and I were first married. We listened to it countless times. It's the kind of song that is so familiar you ache when you hear it.

Oh and here's another one....that's just me...

Ya know, deep down, there is a punk rock girl trying to get out....

30 days!

2011-01-30T18:43:00.003-07:00

30-Day Blogging Challenge

I came across this 30-day blogging challenge while reading one of my BFF's blog today. It seemed like a fun way to motivate myself to blog. The list of topics for each day is below. Hopefully I can keep up with her:) This is actually a combination of two lists she found. Go ahead, challenge yourself! Day one starts tomorrow for us.

Day 01 — Your favorite song
Day 02 — Your favorite movie
Day 03 — Your favorite TV show
Day 04 — Something you crave
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Your day in 6 words.
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — Your favorite food
Day 09 — Your pet peeves
Day 10 — Your celebrity crush
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — The contents of your purse
Day 13 — A favorite fictional book
Day 14 — A favorite non-fictional book
Day 15 — An outfit you love
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — A photo of your family
Day 18 — A favorite animal
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite website
Day 23 — A favorite YouTube video
Day 24 — Something you always have with you/Can't leave the house without
Day 25 — Your typical daily routine
Day 26 — Something you bought recently
Day 27 — Something you want to buy
Day 28 — A child you love
Day 29 — A place you love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

*I have no idea why she underlined the first paragraph. HAHA.. let the good times begin! This is almost a direct copy of her post...totally cracks me up that I cheated and COPY and PASTED. Wahoo. Work smart not hard folks!

National Chocolate Cake Day

2011-01-29T21:35:00.002-07:00

WHO KNEW?

Well, we didn't.

January 27: National Chocolate Cake Day.

Feeling shame and regret for our oversight, I made up for it today.

Something soothing about baking for your family.

Love making them happy.

Don't worry...there is still time.

Go ahead, face YOUR shame and regret.

Your family will thank you.

Here's To The Mundane!

2011-01-19T09:04:00.004-07:00

Sometimes blogs are funny. Most never really posting anything but the "out of the ordinary". Most of our days are filled with routines, schedules, to do lists, school, sleeping, sports, cleaning, homework, meal prep, errands. Ya know, life. I like the mundane. It give me peace knowing what to expect. It's the "out of the ordinary" that throws me for a loop. It doesn't usually fit in my plans.

So here's to the Mundane. I love it.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-26T15:49:00.005-07:00

Christmas Eve. VERY exciting! There was a mop and broom rock show in the kitchen, tracking Santa on Norad, Mom and Quincy making clam chowder, new Christmas jammies, a wii showdown, cuddling/torture from Daddy, magic reindeer food and on and on........

Confessions of a Procrastinator

2010-12-12T15:05:00.004-07:00

This is why I can't get anything done. This is why the dishes and the laundry aren't done. This is why my lessons aren't planned. This is why I haven't showered. This is why I make dinner one-handed. This is why there are three in our bed, which is why my back hurts. She is the reason. Isn't she cute? We sure think so.

I'm afraid if I blink this stage will be over. I'm afraid if I don't enjoy every second of her babyhood, she will be big all the sudden. It is already flying by so quickly. So this is why I choose to play and cuddle and nurse and sigh happily....oh and ignore all the stuff that has to be done. I will do it later.

A Conversation Overheard

2010-11-20T18:51:00.005-07:00

Treyson: "MaCree, do you even know how to cook a turkey?"

MaCree: "Yes! (indignantly) First I kill it, then I take off all the fur, then I put it in the oven for like a couple a minutes or so and then I will take it out and put the white cups on it."

Treyson: "That is totally wrong. You forgot all about sucking the blood up and then spreading it all over the turkey. Oh and then ya gotta put a thermos in it before you put it in the oven."

MaCree: "What's the thermos for? Do you put it in it to make it hot or something?"

Treyson: "Ya, it makes it heat it up. Now MaCree, what do you do when the turkey is all gone?"

MaCree: "Ya throw all the bones away."

Treyson : "Wrong! You first need to get the wishbone and let it dry and then break it to see who wins. Except last year, remember Grandpa broke it by himself?"

MaCree: "Ya and then ya-ya tried to do that with a chip and she still beat me."

Me: "Where do you put the little white cups?"

MaCree: "On their legs mom. I'm thinking it's pretty much for decoration."

Treyson: "Yup, now your done. Good job MaCree."

For more turkey tips, check here. Love the holidays!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:02:00.002-06:00

4 months!

2010-10-04T17:11:00.003-06:00

Yup! Our caboose is 4 months old!

Have we mentioned that we think she is darling? Wonderful?

Amazing? Adorable? Brilliant? Fun? Sweet? Perfect?

We do and she is.

Love our Quincy Mae!

Toys and Toes

2010-09-18T09:16:00.003-06:00

Quincy Mae is now playing with both her toes and her toys! So cute! She is gooing and cooing a ton now! I think her favorite toy is her fist though. She eats it like its an ice cream cone.

Love that she is so full of smiles. Such a happy 3 1/2 month old!

Blessing Day

2010-09-12T21:34:00.003-06:00

We are so blessed. The day was beautiful. Family and friends were there. Truly, we think she is the sweetest baby ever. Thank you, Quincy's Grandpa, for blessing her.

Thank you Quincy Mae, for being such a wonderful, amazing little spirit.

We love you!

Camping

2010-08-28T02:20:00.003-06:00

So the "Big Kids" went camping with my parents this summer. Every year we camp on Beaver Mountain, a tradition my kiddos have grown to love. I wasn't actually there this year since Quincy Mae was only a few weeks old, but they said it was A BLAST!

Kindergarten End

2010-08-11T09:53:00.005-06:00

I got to go to MaCree's end of kindergarten party (since Quincy and I were on maternity leave). It was so much fun watching her with her friends and seeing how much she has grown in the past year! Kindergarten was a blast. She had the best teacher ever, we have a special place in our hearts for Mrs. Sharp. She's AMAZING! Her favorite part of the party was the water bottle rockets they blasted off with pvc pipe and a bike tire pump. Wish I had a picture! Here's hoping 1st grade is just as amazing! (shocking to me that she is a soon to be first grader, she seems too little.)

MaCree and her class singing the abc's backwards!

MaCree and her cute friend Jordyn

Schools out!

2010-08-07T14:46:00.004-06:00

Treyson had an amazing 1st grade year. He grew by leaps and bounds and I was so impressed by his dedication and curiosity in the classroom. I absolutely adored being his teacher and I will miss his sweet face in my classroom each day. He worked hard to earn his RISE award and also received a special principal's award for "Always being aware when someone needs help or is left out. He quietly helps them without ever being asked". We are so proud of him!

Look Who's 2 Months

2010-08-07T14:41:00.004-06:00

She is an amazingly sweet, calm, cute, wonderful little one.

We adore our Quincy Mae.

Cousins

2010-08-07T13:49:00.004-06:00

We were so excited when my

brother Nathan and his family popped in for a visit.

Cousins are awesome and we definitely don't see enough of ours!

Pictured: Bianca, MaCree, Jacob, Dylan, Alex, Treyson, Quincy and Jason!

Big Brother

2010-08-01T21:30:00.003-06:00

He is an AWESOME big brother.

Happy 4th!

2010-07-11T10:02:00.007-06:00

We love the 4th of July!

For the past few years we have celebrated with Susie's family up at Brighton.

I love it! It is SOOO small town fun. I laugh at the cars intermittently showing up between floats. Sometimes (this year) parade 'doers' get antsy and start the parade early. We saw one group do the parade route 3 times! So awesome! The kids get lots of candy and there is a lot of patriotic spirit! This year we got to see a MOOSE! I don't think he was part of the festivities (since our back was to the parade) BUT he sure attracted quite a bit of attention. I only miss two things: the high school band and the veterans.

On Sunday night, Erik bought the kids $10 worth of fireworks. Best 10 bucks spent in awhile! You would have thought we took them to the best fireworks show around. I don't know who had more fun, Dad or kiddos. There is just something about fire.

She's 6!

2010-07-05T09:06:00.005-06:00

MaCree is officially 6. We had the best birthday party, complete with cake, candies and fun friends. MaCree wanted to decorate cakes like "Cake Boss" for her birthday, so each party goer got their own cake, icing and plenty of decorating do-dads. They had so much fun decorating, although as time went on ( and more decorations were added) I wondered how edible they would be! We didn't get the cute aprons done (although my mom gave it more than a valiant effort-my poor time management planning) but everyone had a blast. A highlight was the cake/cupcakes my friend Lyndi made. All the little girls (okay and big girls) were in awe at how pretty she was. Things we would like to share that we love about MaCree:

She is a free spirit.
She LOVES her brother and sister.
She loves playing dressups.
She loves to draw and paint.
She loves dresses and skirts and wears one almost EVERY SINGLE DAY. (She only deviates from this plan when forced by her Momma.)
Love that she calls me Momma.
Love that she has her dad wrapped around her finger.
She can make friends with anybody!
We love this little girl!

Happy 6th birthday Bean, WE LOVE YOU!

3 weeks

2010-07-02T09:41:00.001-06:00

Quincy Mae at three weeks.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T21:13:00.004-06:00

Erik surprised us all be taking the day off work to celebrate Father's day.

We celebrated with a big homemade breakfast, cuddling, naps, wii playing, bike riding, playing at the park and trying to avoid the dang wind.

The kids had made daddy cards and drawn pictures. Treyson

made a footprint/handprint poem at school for him.

Love watching him with our kids. Love hanging out with him.

Love this man.

(Notice MaCree is bike riding with her purse

and Treyson doesn't actually look away from the

wii game they are playing. Oh they make us laugh!)

Note: For Erik's mom, two pictures with no hat! He does still have his hair :)

Chalk Art

2010-06-19T20:57:00.004-06:00

The kids, my friend Susie, Susie's girls and I went to the Chalk Art Festival at Gateway today. The sun was shining, the art was amazing and the kids ended the day by playing in the water and meeting some characters from their favorite movies.

My kind of day!

5 Days

2010-06-18T19:24:00.002-06:00

Approaching 6

2010-06-13T15:37:00.004-06:00

MaCree is 11 days from being 6 years old. This blows my mind! Well, this little kindergartner has big plans for the birthday party. She may be a tiny bit obsessed with the show Cake Boss. So we are having a cake decorating party. Being that I have absolutely ZERO talent in that area, I am so glad that it will be the 6 year old version! Bring on the mess!

My sister and I got thinking about what would be fun for their 'take-away' item. Lightbulb moment=aprons, of course. So today The Bean, my sis and I messed around with some material, looked at a couple of blog ideas and came up with this little number as our pattern (please ignore the outfit underneath, it's the weekend--I don't care what she wears!):

She has requested that we add a pocket, which makes total sense seeing that she will need somewhere to carry her Little Petshops. I am actually super excited to throw this little shin-dig. I usually hate all the work that goes into it, but she is so excited and we have so many cute ideas. My best idea to date for the occasion? Getting one of my besties, Lyndi-lou, to make the actual birthday cake. Now that girl has talent! I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Sisters

2010-06-11T21:54:00.001-06:00

Love these cute girls!

Makes Me Smile

2010-06-11T21:24:00.004-06:00

So frustrating when it is a short day at school,

you've been making plans all week to play outside in the sun,

your mom has errands to run AND it is pouring rain.

Unless of course you are this kid and you are a MASTER at rolling with

whatever comes your way.

We Are In LOVE!

2010-06-06T21:52:00.005-06:00

Quincy Mae Andersen

Born: June 2, 2010 @ 11:49 a.m.

Height:19.5 inches

Weight: 7 lbs 4 oz.

We are all totally and completely in love.

Complete

2010-06-03T21:16:00.005-06:00

Amazing how a perfect little 7lb 4oz package can make you feel so complete.

Date night

2010-06-01T09:33:00.005-06:00

Dinner at our favorite sushi place (sans REAL sushi for prego momma):$35

A couple of hours with Robert Downey Jr. (aka Iron Man): $24

An evening out before baby #3 is added to the mix: PRICELESS

THANKS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!

Aquarium

2010-05-30T08:56:00.004-06:00

Grandma, Grandpa, Treyson, MaCree and I had a fun trip to the aquarium. As always, we love the octopus. Treyson likes the poison dart frogs and the eels. MaCree loved the new penguin display and the cute seahorses. This was the first time for us with the penguin encounter. They were awesome diving in, racing and jumping out. The kids took a bazillion pictures and asked me to post their work.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!

2010-05-26T11:32:00.004-06:00

Treyson tried flag football this Spring and (drumroll please) LOVED IT. Mom isn't into tackle football, so I am really hoping that we can do flag for another year or two. He was so cute running plays, telling me the positions and he even scored a touchdown!

38 weeks +

2010-05-20T19:16:00.004-06:00

Okay. So I am officially ready to meet this baby. Her Daddy has her name picked out. We have all the newborn clothes we need. Diapers and wipes are in the diaper bag, which Daddy and MaCree picked out. Car seat is installed and the bassinet all set up. My friend Kasey is 'on-call' for big kid duty and my sister will be here Tuesday. I'm actually indulging in wishful thinking...Saturday would be great...for her arrival. With the other two I really just felt like they would come when they were meant to. Erik keeps saying 'today is the day', so far his psychic abilities are, well, not so great. They only serve to make me feel more antsy. Luckily I am still spending each day in the classroom. I'm so busy helping my 1st graders be 'ready' for 2nd grade that the days are passing quickly.
I wonder if I had 10 kids if I would stop being nervous about the whole labor and delivery thing....not gonna test that one. Baby #3 and I still have butterflies and a racing heart when I think about it.
Anyway, thought I would post some big'ol'belly pics. (Treyson was the photographer, posing us how he wanted. Cute.) I am going to start copying Erik with the No smile smile so I don't look so dang old with the wrinkles around my eyes.
Only thing left to purchase? Juice box and animal crackers for the husband, who I am sure will keep up his tradition of passing out. Seriously.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T20:39:00.002-06:00

This is the best thing about Mother's Day!
I am so lucky!

Update

2010-02-25T11:37:00.007-07:00

We are busy. There are just not enough hours of light during these winter, oh woops, now it is spring, days. Erik has started working at Iggy's in Orem. The transfer down there has been a good one, but definitely a change. The three weeks the kids and I were at home for track break he took one day off. Yes one. Sigh. He started the day we went off, so it was good timing, but rather lonely for the momma. I have some awesome pictures that Iggy's took of him and another chef/friend Antonio, that they will be using for marketing, but they look to small when I tried to post them.
The kids and I did lots of fun things while off track. We went to the aquarium, which is small, but I LOVED it. We also went to Cedar to see Grandma and Grandpa. So fun to play in the snow and see all the deer. That same weekend was a Girls weekend with kids. My girlfriends and I have never actually done a girls trip WITH all the kiddos (the point is usually to have a well deserved break), but it was so much. The kids loved sledding and playing with each other and the mom's still got their bonding in! I worked on lots of projects. I made several cute skirts for MaCree, a car seat cover for the babe, some quilts were tied (with help from my Mom), a cute bag was completed and I taught myself how to do applique. I have never accomplished so much in such a short time! OH, oh, oh, oh I also read The Lightning Thief (again), Hunger Games (which I loved!) and a vampire book that has nothing to do with Twilight. I also, oh, I mean Treyson and I also, defeated several worlds on Super Mario Games. A total flashback to my childhood....I flippin' love that game!
I am officially getting huge. Big ol baby belly. My sis says I have baked potato syndrome...that is because I carry straight out in front and feel like I am going to split down the middle (like a baked potato). I am, however, getting really excited and so content and happy about this little caboose joining our family. The kids like to put their hands on my belly to feel her kick, roll and breakdance. MaCree talks to her and tells her how cute she will be. I can wait until she gets here, they are much easier to take care of on the inside, but I am heart-racing excited to see and hold her.
Next on our list? Soccer season is about to start--fun, fun, fun and I think I might break down and let Treyson play flag football.

Sugar and Spice

2009-12-16T20:45:00.005-07:00

It's A Girl!

I knew it.

Erik is trying to figure out how to do 2 'Daddy's little princess(es)'.

MaCree keeps telling me she is so proud of me.

Treyson, well, hopefully he will be used to the idea by the time she gets here.

....and the name game begins. So much responsibility in choosing a name.

Estimated Arrival

2009-12-12T11:00:00.002-07:00

June 1st.

We are so thrilled to being adding a wee-one to our little family.

Babies are wonderful.

Chaos

2009-09-05T07:45:00.003-06:00

Chaos.
That's the only word that I can think of to describe the last month. I wish it was organized chaos, but I think that would be stretching the truth...just a tad. Baseball is in full swing. I love watching Treyson play. We played 'up' this year, which means he is young compared to most of his team. I was really worried about it, we try to help out in the SUCCESS department with our kids, BUT I shouldn't have worried. Treyson has held his own. He has learned a ton and is having a blast. Between practice and two games a week we are hopping with baseball alone. Now add Soccer. I adore soccer. If I were to choose the path for the kids 'sports lives', it would be full of shin guards, cleats and soccer balls. Treyson, being 7, is not ready to pick baseball OR soccer...so he is playing both. MaCree is also playing soccer. They both scored the first goals of the season on their teams, so much fun! MaCree is hilarious to watch. A head shorter than most of the players on the field she is aggressive and speedy. It's darling. Last week she woke up before the game and informed me "I've gotta be tough today momma!" Her dad replied in prime parental fashion, "It's all about having fun MaCree, okay?" To which she replied, "No Dad, it's about winning the golden medal!" I laughed and laughed. MaCree and I? Ya, we are cut from the same cloth.
Back to chaos. The topic at hand. Along with all the sports balls we have in the air (witty I am) we need to add the fact that Treyson started first grade, MaCree started kindergarten and Superteacher (ahem, that's me) is trying to be, well, Super.
Done? Of course not.
We have finally moved! Wahoo! Our temporary (unbelievable we spent two years there), tiny apartment? A thing of the past! We moved last weekend into a darling townhouse in South Jordan. I've never been one to want a big ol' house. The townhouse is small by most standards but it's shocking how much more comfortable we are now. Now that we aren't piled like sardines. I love this little place. I can move in my kitchen. The kids have their own space. We have a balcony, a porch and a small patio. There are two and a half bathrooms! It's the little things. My favorite feature of all? A dishwasher that actually cleans. Cleans as in SPARKLING glasses....just the sight of them pleases my little heart. I am now back to cooking meals for my family. Not just throwing something together, but thinking...what do I WANT to cook? Sigh. Thank goodness for family and friends who were willing to help us move and take kiddos off our hands for the day. I'm always amazed at the amount of STUFF (read:crap) we have. I donated bags of stuff, recycled much, threw away lots and still had oodles of boxes to slug down 3 flights of stairs. My dad is awesome. He probably did the same amount of work as the rest of us put together. The husband and I didn't kill each other (moving is one of the most stressful things on a marriage...lol) AND we are all recovered from our aches and pains.
This weekends plans? Organize the chaos. I'm done stepping over boxes.

(Side note:blogger isn't letting me add pictures...any suggestions?)

13

2009-08-25T06:29:00.001-06:00

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY!

I love you.

1st day of 1st grade

2009-08-23T21:01:00.004-06:00

This past week has been CRAZY! School started on Monday and after a fun day of meeting parents and new 1st graders.....1st grade was in full swing. I love my class, they are so cute! A fun, chatty little bunch that are already making me laugh and inspiring me with new ideas for this years adventures! Hands down, I think I adore this little first grader.....how lucky am I? He is so quiet, does everything I ask, gives me feedback at the end of the day and brags to his little sister that 1st grade is AWESOME! It is going to be a fantastic year!

A Trip to Primary Children's Hospital

2009-08-12T21:26:00.004-06:00

MaCree has had a tiny growth on the side of her mouth for awhile now. We decided to have it removed before she started kindergarten (but after she started calling it 'her bump'). Our pediatrician referred us to an awesome plastic surgeon and after our consultation we made arrangements to have outpatient surgery on the 31st of July. We were all pretty nervous about her having anesthesia, but we knew the surgery was minor. We signed up for a class that Primary's offers to familiarize kids (and their nervous families) with the sights and sounds of their upcoming hospital day. MaCree was a trooper! She played littlest pet shop while we waited in her cute hospital pj's, played with the camera, decided to have cotton candy scented anesthesia and was an amazing patient. Erik and I walked her to the hall leading to the operating room and she gave us both a hug, then walked away with the anesthesiologist--without even looking back! Everything was done within 3o minutes and she was awake when I got back to recovery and slurpin' her slushee. Her lip looks awesome, recovery was nothing and I don't think our experience could have gone any better! We truly feel blessed to have such healthy kids!Groovin to the Jonas Brothers to calm her nerves on the way to the hospital

Getting loves from her daddy

Taking silly pictures with Momma!

"The Bump"

In recovery-rootbeer slushee(:

Uncle Derrick gave her a ride out of the hospital in this sweet ride!

Thanks Primary Children's for taking care of our Little Bean!

YOU ROCK!

One more little bean...

2009-08-08T15:48:00.004-06:00

The birthday posting had me reminiscing about when our little bean was, well, littler(: This picture is of her when she was two. So sweet!

Birthday Girl!

2009-08-07T20:14:00.007-06:00

Our Little Bean turned 5 at the end of June. Unbelievable that our little princess is that old! We spent the birthday celebrations mini-golfing, eating pizza and playing in the water. She truly was the princess for the day and ate up EVERY minute of it. Thank you to all her cute friends for helping us celebrate and the thoughtful gifts. MaCree is one lucky girl!

We are so lucky to have her in our family. We love how spunky she is. Truly a firecracker (a fancy firecracker of course) in a little package. She keeps us on our toes, but makes us laugh a lot! She is one AWESOME kiddo!

Birthday cake from one of Momma's and MaCree's favorite stores "Nothing Bundt Cake".

Celebrating at "The Pie"-MaCree's favorite pizza place.

Silly Faces

Playing in the waterfalls

Cutie pie girls!

Golfing girlies!

Big brother trying to splash all that came near!

Future pro!

Our sweet, beautiful, little girl!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-08-05T07:46:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it is August already! Time flying by that quickly is a sign of a very successful summer in my book. I love the 4th of July. LOVE IT. Once upon a time I never missed the hometown parade and park celebration in Cedar. However, the last two years we have gone up Big Cottonwood to Brighton's BIG celebration. It's so big, the 'parade doers' go around twice to make it long enough. I love it! We are 'parade goers'--more candy thrown than you could get at any Halloween celebration--but next year we are contemplating The Red Sox float(: Looks like traditions have changed. Susie and I made 'the girls' red/white/blue flipflops for the occasion. So cute!

The cute flipflop project

My cute kiddos

Ready to dive for candy

Proud to be an American!

Lia's nice daddy took the picture for us, but he was there(:

After the parade their neighborhood gathers for a backyard bbq. The kids spent the afternoon swinging on the swing and in the hammock, playing in the sand box and eating! So much fun. Erik worked the morning, but we all met up that evening at Jordan High School (which was CROWDED!) for the evening fireworks!

Hope your 4th was just as fun!

We are off....

2009-07-10T10:12:00.004-06:00

I have so much to write about! A bazillion pictures to post, BUT we are off for the annual camping trip! After our bugtrapping, fish catching (Treyson and his lucky scooby-doo pole are sure to score again), mosquito swatting, s'more eating (yumola with coconut marshmallows), frisbee golfing, craft making, four wheeling, book reading, belly laughing adventures....I will blog, blog, blog. I do have to leave a favorite pic of the past few weeks...okay two.

4th of July in the hammock

Pie eating contest

It's My Birthday!

2009-06-22T17:54:00.002-06:00

I'm 5 today!

Yuck

2009-06-03T17:17:00.002-06:00

Being sick is terrible....

Being sick with a duck while wearing a pretty dress.....a little less so.

Friends

2009-05-31T21:27:00.003-06:00

These just make my heart smile.

Sugar and Spice

2009-05-25T14:27:00.005-06:00

Our Little Bean is now a preschool graduate! She has big plans for kindergarten and tells everyone she meets that she is a kindergartner now (though technically she doesn't start until August). So here are some highlights of MACREE over the last little bit.

First day of school

Mother's day program

Last day of school

Favorite obsession of the moment
(littlest pet shop)

Our 'baby'...truly the perfect combination of sugar and spice and everything nice (;

Notes about Mommy!

2009-05-11T00:37:00.003-06:00

Mother's Day 2009

I KNOW MY MOTHER WELL!

by MaCree

1. My mom looks prettiest when she wears a matching shirt.

2. My mom's favorite food is chicken.

3. My mom's eyes are blue.

4. My mom likes to teach school.

5. She is happy when my dog lays on her.

6. My mom is 33 years old.

7. If my mom could go anywhere she would go shopping.

8. Her best friend is Kasey.

9. Her job is school.

10. I love my mom because she helps me.

Can You Guess Who?

by Treyson

She is 33 years old.

She is 5 inches tall.

She weighs 45 pounds.

Her favorite food is fish.

She likes to wear her dress.

While I'm at school she teaches 1st grade.

She likes to watch me play soccer.

She doesn't like to exercise.

I love it when she takes me to school.

You guessed it....my mom!

So some of their answers may be a little off, some are right on, either way I love my two littles very much. They are the highlight of my life. I am amazed each day at their insight, their laughter, their growth and their love. I am one lucky Mommy!

Release the hounds!!

2009-04-11T20:43:00.004-06:00

So our egg hunt was ULTRA-SUCCESSFUL, ahem, to say the least. Apparently last year there were 40 'hunters' in attendance. This year? Maybe a dozen. Treyson developed this 'evil laugh' as the hunt progressed and MaCree ended up not being able to carry her own basket. It was insane! They absolutely had a ball...although I have a feeling future egg hunts may lead to disappointment. Oh and please note--MaCree's hairdo is our version of bunny ears (: 4-year old requested, of course.

Little post

2009-04-06T18:11:00.003-06:00

I feel overwhelmed thinking about updating our little blog with all that has happened since my last post. Computer problems annoy me, to say the least. Anyway, I've just added some of my favorite pics from the past few weeks. Top one is my bro Trevor and MaCree faking a nap at my dad's bday party. She adores him and it shows(: The next two are of our happy, newly one tooth less, Treyson. He went from a loose tooth (and plans to hide his tooth so the tooth fairy can't find it!) to a tooth under the pillow, inability to sleep from all the excitement and then 4 shiny new quarters. Fun.

The Itch

2009-03-22T16:41:00.003-06:00

So I am using my work computer to get my blogging 'fix'. I don't really have any personal pictures on it, those remain on the home computer. The computer which should currently have a skull and cross bones on it, danger sign, THE EYE symbol...what have you, it is on my list!grrr

Why am I stuck not blogging? I love blogging--with PICTURES. Hmmmm. So I am going to find an allowable school picture on my computer and post it with this blog. The blog post about nothing but scratching an itch.

The blogging itch.

Sounds contagious.

This is Moi, that would be "Mrs. Andersen" to 22 6-7 year olds. I am posing for my leprechaun picture, lol. Hey a girl has gotta have bulletin boards! (okay so my leprechaun never made it to fruition, but the 1st grader's were darn cute!

Grrr....

2009-03-19T16:01:00.001-06:00

We are experiencing technical difficulties with our computer. (:

I miss being a blogger.

All ya need is love....

2009-02-22T14:59:00.007-07:00

We had fun with Valentine's (or ValentiMe's as MaCree would say) Day this year. I usually think it's kind of a silly holiday, but the kids LOVED it. We made some treats for a few friends, MaCree had a party at school, Erik and I had an early Valentine's date (thank you Yaya for takin' care of the kiddos)-sushi and a movie-OUR FAVORITE and Erik brought me a beautiful vase of flowers. As you can see from the photo MaCree adored the flowers just as much as I did. She said, "they are so woah-mantic", lol, heaven help me!

Wish I had said this...

2009-02-19T16:52:00.002-07:00

Teaching is the focal point of my universe.
I'm at peace in the classroom. I'm called to
teach just as any priest or nun. Aside from
family, it's the most sacred part of my existence.
I can't conceive of ever leaving the classroom
entirely. Very few people are lucky to find where
they are supposed to be in life. There are a lot of
wanderers out there. I was lucky to find it.
---Former California Teacher of the Year
Richard Chapleau

It's all in the puddin'

2009-02-15T15:23:00.004-07:00

I thought I would share my hubby's newest creation (that I love), yum. Erik works downtown running the kitchen at a restaurant called Iggy's. He decided that they needed bread pudding on the menu, so he and a co-worker, Antonio, put their talent together and came up with this:

Boston Bread Pudding (did I mention YUM?)

Sure wish the Chef in this family would cook at home more often (and bring a cleanup crew for the inevitable disaster cleanup(: just teasin', love you honey!)

What do we do....

2009-02-14T13:25:00.004-07:00

...when we are off track? We like to swiiiiiiiim! Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho! I love to swim! When you want to swim you want to swim!--Dory

Fun little game...

2009-02-10T17:20:00.005-07:00

So cute, I am copying this from one of the blogs I read (it's modified a tiny bit). Rules of the game are: the first 3 people to read this post, comment and then post the game in their blog will receive a handmade gift from me sometime this year. (Please remember that this year ends December 31..lol). Thanks to everyone who reads about our little world. I love your comments and feedback, but mostly I love your blogs. I love that you inspire me to have fun, be a better mother, explore new things, enjoy my life and realize that everybody goes through 'stuff'. Love y'all.
Ericka

The Blah's

2009-02-08T13:59:00.003-07:00

I'm in a rut.
Cabin fever in this hut.
I'm sure the Inversion is to blame.
Admitting it, there is no shame.
Looking for my boot strap pull.
"I'm the planner!"...that's my role.
Yet my brain is empty, I have no thought.
I cannot move from this 'blah' spot.

Puppy Love

2009-01-17T13:18:00.007-07:00

Okay, so I am a dog person. From the tip of my head, down to my toes. I often wish I wasn't. Dogs are a pain. That first year (or 3 if you happen to have a lab) are downright frustrating and annoying. If you can get through it, however, the companionship of a doggie is the best. My daughter has inherited this 'dog trait'. MaCree adores our Dagny (our thought to be Chihuahua, but more of the Chihuahua/Great Dane breed). Erik thinks we love anything with a heartbeat....close, but there are a few beating hearts that I don't need running around our house...a potbelly pig --just for example. Treyson loves having a dog, but leans towards "well behaved" as his favorite characteristic. Last week he lamented that "we should have gotten a parrot, instead of THAT dog"...after his webkinz was toted away in the jaws of our "Beastie"--as she is often referred to. Erik insists on calling her "stupid dog" when the kids aren't around, a fact that drives me crazy. I know he loves her though (since half the time he is the one inviting her to jump up on the bed)! I know she can be a BEASTIE, but I love our little Dagny Salsalito!

Treyson LOVES this picture of Dagny. EVERY TIME he sees it he laughs hysterically.

A post about dogs can't be done without mentioning the original dog, Andy. I love that dog. He lives at my parents house, roaming the land, chasing skunks and barking at the moon. I can't believe he is over 13 years old. He is huge and hairy, definitely slow moving, favors the winter months, but seems to be "keepin' on". My Kmart dog (Erik got him out of a box in the Kmart parking lot for me for Valentine's day, 1996 I think) seems to be happier there, than I think he would be being a 'city dog'. I hope. I need to take a current picture of that sweet boy to add to this post.

Oh and one (or 3) more 'anything with a beating heart' pictures---

MaCree and Lullabelle--our (read:my classroom's) hairless dumbo rat. thump-thump, thump-thump

Grandma Judy and Papa Bruce

2009-01-11T09:55:00.007-07:00

We were lucky to be able to have guests this past December. Grandma Judy and Papa Bruce made the journey from Boston the week before Christmas. We tried to pack in as much fun as we could for their short stay. There was wii instruction from the 6 year old, bowling, a jazz game, eating out, ice skating and playing with Christmas toys! We think Grandma and Grandpa probably went home needing a vacation from their vacation, lol!

Disclaimer:All photos of adults (in all their perfection) were taken and are the property of one 4-year old shutterbug. All rights and privileges belong to MaCree Andersen.

Note: I rarely can snap a photo of Erik smiling. I love the last picture for that reason! Good job MaCree!

Christmas

2009-01-01T10:30:00.010-07:00

I love Christmas. My heart beats with anticipation, just as much as when I was a kid. Well, maybe more. I could not wait to see the looks on Treyson and MaCree's faces Christmas morning.

Making cookies for Santa.

Sprinkling Magic Reindeer food to help the Reindeer find their way.

The goods in their corners.

Can I wake them now?

Those smiles made it all worth the wait.

Christmas Card

2008-12-24T16:26:00.003-07:00

To all our family and friends,

We wish you a Merry Christmas

and a

CRAZY-HAPPY New Year!

Polar Express, Santa And A Pretty Dress

2008-12-21T17:16:00.008-07:00

MaCree received a ticket to ride The Polar Express in her preschool class this week. They wore pj's to school, drank hot chocolate and had a grand time.

We invited our friends Lia and Susie to come visit Santa with us this week. After Susie helped me make a wreath for my door (thank you!) we ventured down to have cookies and eggnog and tell Santa our wishes.

MaCree had her Christmas preschool program this week. She was more excited about her 'pretty dress' than anything else. Her daddy took her to Costco to pick it out, mommy found sparkly tights and cute black shoes that she said were 'perfect'! It was hard to get any pictures of her, there were so many kiddos! She had told everyone we know that she was going to stand on the stage and say her part into the microphone. When her turn came around, sure enough, clear as a Christmas bell she said, "It is Christmas Eve!". So fun. Feels like she is getting so big!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TRADITION

2008-12-12T19:01:00.003-07:00

Treyson and I had a fantastic day in his kindergarten class today. Mrs. Sharp, Treys teacher, hosted a family tradition day in her classroom. It was so much fun. Each child and parent took a moment to talk about their families ancestry and then a family tradition. I told Treyson he could pick his favorite family tradition, so he chose to tell about our Friday nights. On Friday night we have movie night at our house and we each take turns picking the movie. Simple, but fun.

Treys and Mommy

Sharing our family tradition

Treyson and his fantastic teacher Mrs. Sharp!

Its Just Jazz!

2008-12-07T09:38:00.008-07:00

Apparently, we are raising Jazz fans. I've always enjoyed basketball (I'm from the Chicago Bulls/Jordan era) and Erik loves March Madness, but it is even more enjoyable is watching our kiddos become fans. Erik has 'hooked us up' twice in the past couple of weeks with tickets. We love the roar of the crowd. The kids LOVE the Jazz Bear. They are even cheering at the appropriate times!! We are trying to get MaCree to stop yelling "GO JAZZES"--Treyson repeatedly reminds her "its just JAZZ". My favorite is when everyone is yelling "DE-FENSE" and my little angel thinks we are yelling "B. S.", lol, the untrained sports ear I guess. Treyson is disappointed that we didn't buy The Jazz Tree at the Festival of Trees ($1500 didn't fit our Christmas budget<:) and both are hoping for Jazz shirts for Christmas. Oh what fun it is!

MaCree and I waiting for Daddy to come back with our treats!

MaCree LOVES the Jazz Girls (as evidenced by the open-mouth adoration)!

Serious fans!

Not so-serious fans!

Banging the 'decorations' takes concentration!

GO JAZZES!

Turkey Day

2008-11-30T10:01:00.006-07:00

Thanksgiving was fun, but quick this year. I think we managed to spend less than 24 hours in Cedar, sheesh, but we left stuffed!

Grandpa Rick and Uncle Derrick

A smile from Yaya!

Yes, that is the ENTIRE leg on Treyson's plate.

MaCree continuing the olive-on-the-fingers tradition (:

Last, but not least, the turkey induced coma!

We hope everyone had a fantastic, thankful, holiday!

(Somehow missing from pics: moi, Aunt Brianna, Uncle Trevor, Grandma Sue and Great Grandma Cripps. Sheesh, I thought I had tortured the fam with my picture taking!)

Through the eyes of our boy...

2008-11-13T18:21:00.002-07:00

Treyson loves taking pictures. We were out and about one day and he pipes up from the back seat, "Mom, I wish I had a camera! Look at those flowers!!" I just happened to have my camera in my bag, so we stopped and these are the pictures he took. I think they are gorgeous and while not perfect, pretty darn good for a 6 year old!

Reflection

2008-11-09T08:28:00.006-07:00

I start back to school on Monday.
I truly miss my kids when we are apart all day long.
Thankfully, I love my job.

Really. I feel a lot of pressure and responsibility to teach everything that I can to 23 first grade minds. Some days I feel it is impossible. Each day I try. I teach with some great educators whom I learn from all the time. I feel lucky, knowing that this is not always the case. It is important to me, no, it is ESSENTIAL in my mind that I am good at my job. Really, the foundation is laid in my classroom each day. What kind of foundation am I giving them? Will they develop a love of reading? Will they be Super Math Wizards? Have I covered how to be a good friend, habits that make you a good student, how to function 7 hours away from parents and be confident in 'who you are'? Am I providing enough support for my students that are lower than they should be? What about those students that need to be challenged? Am I challenging them? Am I helping each student in my classroom to be the best they can be? Frankly, I don't know. I try. I try and I wonder...will I ever feel like I can handle all of this? Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands in the air and saying "I am not the one"!

Tomorrow I will get up. I will be excited. My heart will race and I will be anxious to get to school and try. For a moment I will ignore the list in my head, a million bullet points long of things I need to accomplish that day. I will smile and greet them. I will know in my heart that I am lucky to love what I do!

Kids-n-pics

2008-11-03T18:46:00.004-07:00

So this totally cracked me up. Susie, Lyndi and I took the kids to Gardner Village this past month. Perfect place to snap some photos, right? LOL--How many pictures does it take to get 1 good one of 5 thrilled kids? Obviously more than I took:

Park City Hometel(:

2008-11-02T13:56:00.009-07:00

Last week, Erik's work set us up to attend a food show and stay overnight in Park City. We loved the thought of getting away, even if it was just for 2 days. The kids were thrilled about our 'vacation'! Thank goodness my friend Tina, The Dog-Whisperer, was able to take Dagny because we couldn't get her in anywhere for room and board(:

The beloved (but crazy) Dagny Salsalito

So we spent the morning at the food show, played outside at the park and then off to our accommodations. Erik and I laughed about Treyson calling it our 'Hometel' even after he was corrected. The kids were so excited about the pool and the hot-tubs that Erik (bless him) braved the water with them. We were so proud of Treyson at dinner, he tried Sushi and LOVED it! MaCree pretended to throw up on the tablecloth, sigh, but ate lots of bread(: I also thought MaCree was gonna have a mental breakdown, she kept asking to go home to be with her dog-she REALLY missed her.

That night, I crashed far before Erik and the kids were done eating their oreos, cuddling in the the comfy beds and watching t.v. That translates into a truly successful trip in my eyes!

Halloween Awesomeness!!

2008-10-31T23:21:00.012-06:00

So the big day started bright and early (well, 8:30 is early when you are off track) with costumes on, waffles in hand and into the car. We have been planning for weeks to do the parade at our school, Rosamond Elementary, with the rest of my co-workers and 1st grade! So fun! Treys and MaCree loved seeing all the costumes. Treyson picked the Captain Pirate costume and MaCree was Lullabelle (our pet rat) or the book character Angelinna Ballerina (depending on when you asked her). The student's did an AWESOME job with their costumes. Treyson loved "Mario" the very best, MaCree's favorite was her friend Hannah as a mermaid. I was baby bear and some of my coworkers were the rest of the characters from the three bears (I'm still waiting on a picture since I didn't get one with my camera). Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love going 'all out' for the occasion.

After the parade we headed out to party kid style--

Treyson's buddy Weston and some student's of mine invited us to their neighborhood party. The kids had a blast making crafts, mummy-dogs, bobbing for apples, getting tattoos and general fun and chaos.

After the big party, we went home so the kids (read:MOM) could have a break. As soon as Daddy got home we headed out to Herriman to the Trafny's. Lyndi (my cute friend pictured below) makes FABULOUS chilli and homemade scones! Yumola! We trick-or-treated through the neighborhood, ate good food, visited with friends and then called it a night.

Fun Halloween Awesomeness!

Too Much Free Time--

2008-10-27T17:39:00.004-06:00

5 minutes looking up a recipe for pumpkin pancakes...

5 minutes looking at facebook...

5 minutes looking at my email...

15 minutes of creative beauty!

...seriously.

Should there be any confusion about how we feel....

2008-10-19T19:21:00.002-06:00

GO RED SOX!

We love S-O-C-C-E-R!

2008-10-19T13:57:00.006-06:00

Smiles Offense Crazy ball Cute kids Exercise Runrunrunrunrun!

Treyson's team is the ShArK's! He plays with several of the kids from his school class. I find this amusing since it took awhile for us to convince him that his teacher's name is Mrs. Sharp, not Mrs. SharK, lol. He loves soccer (almost as much as baseball) and we love watching him play! Go SHARKS!