Life & Times of the Anderson Family

My Girls.

2011-11-02T15:28:00.004-07:00

I just can't tell you how important my girlfriends are in my life.

I adore my husband... I'm in love with being a mom to my two kids... I've even been blessed enough to find two career paths that I am passionate about... you could say I have it all.

But there are still days where I feel like everything is overwhelming me, or I'm not doing a good enough job at something... or maybe I'm just having a rough day.

Enter 5 amazing friends.

I'm pretty sure that when God designed my being, He designed me to be a companion. I love companionship, I love communication, and I love my friends. The six of us have this perfect combination of different personalities- each that balance and compliment one another in different ways- and all combine to make a pretty fantastic group. We balance raising our kids, being wives, running our households, balancing careers, and finding time to still get together to uplift each other and pray for one another. And once a year, we escape somewhere out of town to reflect, drink lots of wine, laugh, talk and relax.

Perfection.

This year was the first year that we didn't have any babies tagging along! One is on his way, but that doesn't count ;). We drove a few hours up to a new place in the mountain town of Strawberry, and spent a glorious weekend relaxing and talking.

Seriously- lots of talking. We had no cell phone service, no internet and no TV... and we didn't even miss it. Honestly! You know you are in the midst of true friends when an entire weekend goes by and you have spent the entire time just talking with each other. I could go on and on about our funny conversations, hilarious new inside jokes, and our favorite traditions that we enjoyed- but you probably wouldn't find it nearly as funny as we did ;).

But the best part of the weekend was a fantastic evening spent belting out karaoke at a local dive bar. We dressed in our boots and jeans, and put on quite a show for the poor locals who never saw it coming... Strawberry will never be the same.

Have you ever heard me sing??

Exactly. It's not pretty.

But we had the time of our lives..in fact, it was probably one of the most fun evenings I have had in a long time. And it gave us LOTS of material for our stories and inside jokes for the next year =).

I could tell you the details- but then I'd have to kill you ;)

Love you girls! And stay tunes for the special picture... you know what I'm talking about.....

Home Sweet Second Home

2011-10-27T12:46:00.007-07:00

Ahhhh San Diego.

A place near and dear to my heart since I spent many of my own childhood years on these beaches... and then met and fell in love with my husband in San Diego many years later =) It's a little piece of my heart, and we escape to it as often as we can. This time, we stayed for a week- and it was seriously one of the best weeks' we've had in a long time. Sleeping in... morning walks on the beach to get breakfast and coffee, spending out afternoons at parks and beaches... totally perfect.

Ty's new favorite thing to do this trip was to use his shovel to collect sea shells.... which are obviously in plentiful supply in San Diego... and so I had about 5 pounds of sea shells by the end of the week. I just didn't have the heart to throw any back, each time he ran up to me eagerly with a new tiny shell =)

One night we took the kids to our favorite ice cream shop when we were in college. And I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach because I really overdid it with my portion! I don't have the metabolism of a 19 year old anymore! ;)

We played in the pool each day after wearing ourselves out at the beach, and the kids were more entertained by climbing and wrestling with dad, than anything else.

And one of my highlights of the trip was an afternoon spent at the La Jolla Cove, which has always been one of my favorite places ever. I remember going there as a little girls, and hunting in the caves with my bucket- searching for tiny sea crabs and cool things that were nestled in the tide pools. If you haven't ever been to the Cove before- you really need to go! It's a little gem of San Diego, and it made me so happy to see my kids enjoy it as much as I did when I was their age =)

We played mini golf, went to Belmont Park, and even went on a real pirate ship (more to come on that soon!)

And of course, we spent an afternoon at Disneyland =) I can't even count how many times we have been this year.. we are sure putting our passes to good use, that's for sure!!

And nothing says, "We had so much fun at Disneyland" like this picture:

More to come soon!....

My Little Sunshine

2011-10-27T12:14:00.011-07:00

One of the most fun new things about Bella's school life this year is the "Little Eagles" cheer squad that she cheers on. It's for 1st and 2nd graders, and it is about the darn cutest thing I have ever seen. They practice once a week, and it's more about the friendship with her buddies on the team, and the fun of practicing- than it is about actual performances. But they do have a few performances through the year, as well as the ability to cheer at a few of the football and basket ball games. This particular night was her first time cheering and performing at the varsity football game, and we loved every minute of it!!

Here is my baby, practicing before leaving~

Each girl had an older varsity cheerleader who was her "coach". They stood by their coaches and followed along through each cheer with them. John and i were cracking up at how Bella would confuse which arm to raise when- but she had a huge grin on her face the whole time, which is all that matters!!

Ty preferred to sit in Arece's lap and eat a whole bag of popcorn :). Seriously though- he wouldn't even share it with me!

Then at halftime, they performed their dance routine which was sooooo awesome! The girls were actually much more polished and coordinated than we expected, and we were so proud of her little moves and the smile on her face. My particular favorite was when she threw her arms up with such exclamation as she was atop the pyramid ~ absolutely A-dorable!!

Bella is the tiny one in the middle front, right on the 30 yard line :)

I love you my sweet little sunshine! Daddy and I are proud of you, and the incredible girl that you are.

Me & My Boy

2011-09-26T14:59:00.003-07:00

So now that Bella is back in school, I get to spend some special one-on-one time with my favorite boy in the whole world... my buddy Ty =))

Ty constantly keeps me laughing during our outings, running errands and hanging out at home together. He doesn't mind when I drag him all over town running errands or grocery shopping- usually because we always try to sneak in at leads one fun thing together during the day ;). A special Mom & Ty lunch out, or maybe stop at the mall to ride the carousal and the train, or cap off an afternoon with a trip to his favorite frozen yogurt place. Sometimes after John and Bella leave in the morning, we even go down to Starbucks in our pj's for a special treat, or to Dunkin Donuts to get his favorite chocolate sprinkle donut. I just can't help it- I'm a sucker for that little boy. One of the best things about Tyler is that he is a love-bug with a capital "L". I swear, he gives me more hugs and snuggles and kisses then any little boy I've ever seen. He's such a sweet momma's boy, and I know that someday he won't be hugging me and kissing me so much... so I'm soaking it all in now.

I love him to the moon and back, and I absolutely savor these days at home that we have together.

(and thank goodness for my iPhone! Since it's always with me, I'm constantly snapping pictures of my boy during our days together :) )

I love you buddy!

I love being with you during the day, I love your company and our little talks, and I love the little boy that you are.

Love, Mommy

First Day of 1st Grade...

2011-09-26T14:42:00.004-07:00

Man, I just can't seem to escape it!!

Every time I turn around, my little daughter... the one that I can still picture holding as a newborn... has grown even more. After a super fun and super busy summer, we were all ready for the changes that fall brings... one of which being school starting again. Last year was kind of our "fun" school year, since Kindergarten was her introduction to "school life". But now, she's in the big leagues. First grade is like a whole other world, and my little Bella is now such a big girl.

It's hard to admit that!!

She was eager and ready that morning.... and me? Not so much :(

She found her best little buddy Lauren right away. It's so funny for me to watch her giggle and whisper and socialize with her friends... when did she become this little person of her own??

The two of them walked off hand in hand to their new big 1st grade class... and I pathetically followed them with my phone... snapping pictures as I held back my tears.

Can you even imagine what a mess I will be some day when she graduates high school? College?? And when she gets married???

Oh boy, it won't be pretty.

We got her all settled in her new desk and {reluctantly} said good-bye. Poor Mrs. Goss had to practically throw all of the parents out of the room, because every parent seemed to linger for just a fewwwww minutes extra :)

(PS- the handsome boy sitting next to her is Calvin, who the darling son of my friend Robin :))

Now that it is almost October, we have definitely settled into our new family routine with the school year starting. Bella has cheer practice once a week, regular homework, and all sorts of social things that we seem to juggle.

Life is definitely changing.... and so far, I'm doing ok with it all!

Under the Sea Tea

2011-08-18T15:57:00.007-07:00

Bella likes swimming and mermaids...

Bella likes tea parties...

Mom likes having someone else throw the party and not having to deal with the details and mess....

Perfect! We decide that this year, the perfect place for Bella's party would be at Girly Girlz. You can not possibly get any more girly than this place. It looks like a fairy exploded in there. But Bella is getting older, and I may only have a few years left to enjoy this young, girly stage with her, so I am embracing it all. And I have to admit, the party was just about the cutest thing I had seen!

Each girl got a mermaid tail when she arrived at the party, and the tea room was decorated in all sorts of "under the sea" stuff. Waaaay more creative than I could have come up with!

First stop was the salon, where each girl got her hair done in a special "mermaid braid twist" , complete with fake hair and glitter. * Note to all moms: the glitter sticks to their scalp and stays for a while no matter how much you scrub their hair. I have discovered this the hard way!*

And then after hair, came the nail salon, where each girl got her nails and toes done all pretty =)

Then they played some fun games like "diving for sea pearls", making sea shell bracelets- and of course, a little freeze-dance session =)

I think maybe the funniest moment to watch was when Bella pulled out her new camera that she got from her birthday, and instructed all of her friends to pose for her. It was hilarious!!

One of the things I loved most, is watching and observing Bella with her girlfriends. She is so social and bubbly and giggly.... and just such an adorable little friend. They all had their own little conversations going on, and talked about which first grade teacher they got for this year... it was kinda surreal to see her have her own little life. She's not just my little girl anymore, she has her own little world at school with all her friends, and this is just the start!

Happy Birthday Isabella!

You are so so so so SO loved. =))

She's 6.

2011-08-18T15:37:00.005-07:00

Six.

Six.

I still can't believe it.

Our little girl is growing up so fast, and each year I feel like I'm still in denial. But despite the fact that I don't like it, it still happens. She's getting older, and I am just loving every minute I have with my sweet girl. I took her out to take some special birthday pictures (you can see them HERE), and as I was looking at the images, I could already see the change sin her face from last year.

Less round and full. A little older looking. More expressive and mature. Ugh, it just kills me.

Grandma and Papa came into town, and we started the fun with a party on Saturday night with just a small group of family and Bella's godparents, Uncle Matt and Aunt Heather. We played and had desserts, and most importantly- sang to our sweet birthday girl.

Then on Sunday, we started her birthday with a special breakfast (certain items at her request) and then she was eager to get into her presents. This year was really fun shopping for Bella because she is growing into a new and older phase of gifts. She got some "real" make-up and a make-up case, cute clothes and shoes, an adorable purse from a "grown-up" store (I got it from one of my favorite boutiques, and Bella felt sooo special that she got a real purse and not a pretend dress-up purse), new earrings, books (she is such a fabulous reader- I'm SO proud!!), and then her BIG present.....

Like mother like daughter- what can I say.

And notice we keep it in the Nikon family. Had to represent. ;)

She's always bugging me to let her use my camera, which isn't a great idea since my camera and lenses could cover the cost of her school tuition. But I want to allow her to explore this new passion of hers, so I thought it was only fitting that I got her a real camera- just for her- and in a lovely shade of purple of course.

And boy, was it a hit. She has that thin everywhere she goes, and it is absolutely hilarious to watch her "pose" all of us for pictures. In fact, I think I'll make a blog post out of her pictures from her camera pretty soon. She's really got a talented eye for it! I love that we are in that phase where we can share interests, hobbies and activities. I just love my little girl!!

* modeling her new purse and getting ready for her party with her friends,

which is coming up.....*

Painting, and Bowling, and Skating.. Oh My!

2011-08-18T15:07:00.009-07:00

For those of you local friends reading this- you understand my quandary.

We live in a desert. Yes, the shopping and restaurants and entertainment spots are all awesome with their cool AC and misters everywhere you go. In fact, I find that there is more to do here than when I lived in California (northern- not southern). But let's be real- it's still a desert. And as a California-girl, born and bred, I still never fully adjust to the summers as I have been told I would. There are 9 gorgeous months during the year... and then comes summer.

And as a side-note, I am really tired of people reminding me that "at least it's a dry heat and not a humid heat". It doesn't help. I'm still hot.

So when it comes to keeping kids entertained and happy (and mom happy), I seek out all the ways to play inside or in water! So here are a few ways that I enjoyed playing with my munchkins, while avoiding the heat:

Pottery Painting

Bella loves it, and I'm not gonna lie... it's pretty therapeutic. I may have made a "MOM" mug that I kinda love... =)

Ice Skating

What is the opposite of boiling? Freezing! Enough reason.

And it doesn't hurt to add in a little ice cream before skating... and a sweet kiss from a cute little brother.

Ty wasn't sure about it at first...

But then quickly caught on, and had a blast.

I have tons of video I took with my phone, so I'll try to figure out how to post it all.

Bowling

My kids have played that bowling game on Wii Sports about a million times, so I was pretty impressed by how well they did at actual bowling! I think Ty may have thrown the ball a few times.... we may have left a dent or chip in the flooring if you looked closely enough. Oopsie.

But what's better than bowling?

Disco bowling!

We stayed and played a second game when they turned on the disco lights, because you just can't deny how much more fun that makes it!

Anything Water...

And of course, we live in our pool during the summer. But it's also pretty fun to meet our best friends at the aquatic center and play in the beach pool and float down the lazy river =)

Lots of Indoor Play Areas

And I mean lots. I can count at least 8 places that we frequent regularly, just to play and let them run off some energy in the nice cool indoors. We have everything from indoor bounce house places, jungle gyms, indoor mini golf and amusement parks, indoor trampoline parks, make-believe "play cities".. I mean really, you name it, and it can probably be found here. Indoors. Thanks goodness for A/C!

So here we are. Summer is almost over... and I'll have 9 months to enjoy the weather until June hits again. Sometimes I don't think 9 months is long enough to recover!

There Are Times...

2011-08-18T15:02:00.004-07:00

... they fight non-stop.

And don't even get me started on the tattling. Sheesh.

But then there are times, every now and then, I walk into a room, and find them like this.

Snuggled together. Totally on their own. Just because they love each other.

And a little part of me melts.

We must be doing something right.

Anderson Adventure #3

2011-08-18T14:54:00.004-07:00

Playing catch-up again... don't judge. ;)

Before I can fully take a step into the fall (although we are still enduring the hot temps of summer, so I can't quite wrap my mind around fall just yet...), I need to catch up on all the fun things we had filled out summer with. I guess it's a good thing that I didn't have all this extra time to blog- because it just goes to show how much fun we were having! Sorry computer, I know you got neglected. But the Anderson family was out doing fun stuff like this! ...

It is imperative that we take little trips and get-aways as a family, to help stay balanced and have fun together, so this was the perfect afternoon trip. We loaded up all the kids (and by all, I mean Em and Arece too ;) ) and headed up to the mountains for an afternoon of four-wheeling. The kiddos were super excited, and not even the least bit scared, so I was surprised by that. But when Emily and I decided to hop on one together and take a little spin with Arece leading the way...

well, let's just say that we had some mechanical trouble, and Arece {ahem} forgot to check on us. So we stood there stranded for a while until he finally came back to get us.

Sad face =(.

But we had so much fun, and the mountain air did us all some good.

Sometimes you just have to get away... =)

Time Together

2011-07-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

So, I'm trying to find ways to spend time with the kids this summer without doing all the same things over and over again. Maybe more for my sake than theirs, right? It's just that they are getting too old for some of the activities we used to do, and so now I'm exploring the ways to have fun with them, and still keep their interest. Not easy with a five and a half year old, and 3 and a half year old... but I'm trying!

One recent development in the little life of Bella, is that she has developed a love for reading. This totally brings me back to my childhood, because I seriously l-o-v-e-d reading. I would beg for new books whenever we went shopping, and I just gobbled them up in the same day. And with as active as kids are these days, I love that Bella has found some rest and happiness in going int her room and reading on her own. I often hear her reading out loud (or sounding our difficult words) all by herself in there, and it just warms my heart. So now that she loves to read- what better than a mother-daughter reading date at the library!

I used to take the kids there for toddler story-time or music class, but now I get to enjoy perusing the shelves for books with Bella, and then we find our own little corner somewhere, and snuggle up together as we read our piles of books. There is something about the smell of a library, and sitting in the cold air conditioning, all snuggled up with her and reading, that I just adore.

And maybe we treat ourselves to Dunkin Donuts afterwards =)

Perfect summer day =)

Anderson Adventure #2

2011-07-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my heavens- I think I found a little piece of paradise tucked away in the desert.

I heard about it from a friend of mine, and immediately starting bugging John about taking a day trip there. Luckily, he didn't need much convincing because he was just as excited to try it out- so off we went in search of an adventure!

Our kids are still too young to actually "hike" for a while, and they are too heavy to carry, so we found a little piece of the creek that was accessible without having to do a major hike. The water was unbelievably clear and auqa-tinted, and you could see hundreds of little trout swimming around near your feet. The kids used our granola snack to feed the fish, and they would swim right up to us! Note to self: next time, bring a net!

We brought a picnic lunch, and we explored all sorts of nooks and crannies of the creek in all areas. There were these awesome flat rocks that you could sit on.. almost like you were sitting on a bench in the pool! The water was perfectly refreshing- even a little warmer than I expected. There were areas that were only about a foot deep, so the kids were able to walk around, swim and chase fish by themselves. There are definitely areas of fast rapids in the creek, but we stayed in a pretty mellow area. But next time- we are going to search for the waterfalls! I can't wait to go back again, it was such a fun day of cool memories for us and the kiddos.

You can call us D-Land experts.

2011-07-20T14:49:00.008-07:00

Seriously.

We got season-passes for Christmas, and I think we have used and abused those bad boys! We have been to Disneyland at least 5 times already this year, and each time we go, we are there for at least 2 days. It's so darn expensive there, that we are so proud of how much we have gotten our money's worth!! Our kids have graduated from "tiny toddlers going for the first time" to experienced "run-as-fast-as-you-can experts" at Disneyland. We know exactly which rides to hit first- when to get fast passes, and the perfect hour to eat lunch before you get inundated with crowds. John and I always marvel at how clueless some tourists seem to be at DLand... walking around all slow and overwhelmed, and then wait in lines for over 40 minutes for a ride... don't they know how to use fast-passes?? Don't they have some sort of a plan when they get to the park? Even Bella knows the routine! I get in line with the kids, and John sprints to get a fast-pass somewhere else. So as soon as our first ride is over, we can jet to the front of the next ride, and so on and so on... simple!

This was the first time that we could convince Ty to ride Splash Mountain... and by convince, I mean trick. We've taken him on Space Mountain and even the Tower of Terror at California Adventure, so he is now wise to our tricks when we say "oh its not scary, just try it!". ;)

So we told him it was a boat ride... and it worked. He was happy and having fun-

until......

I took a picture of the picture with my phone, so it's a little blurry. But you can still manage to make out the look of sheer terror on his face. Oh my poor boy!

Bella, on the other hand, is a bonafide thrill seeker. She loves roller coasters, and has even grown immune to many of them... so John is just counting the days until she is old enough to go to Magic Mountain with him, and he can take her on real roller coasters.

(about to get on Space Mountain here)

This picture of her and I on Space Mountain cracks me up. She was trying to raise her hands on the fast part, but her arms didn't get up very high, and check our her closed eyes! Hee hee :)

Ty's favorite ride are Thunder Mountain Railroad (which he pronounces "Funter Mountain") and Pirates of the Caribbean, and Astro Blasters with Buzz Lightyear. He only likes to ride sitting next to dad though... I think it makes him feel safe :)

Can't wait to do it all again in a few weeks. Yep- we're going yet again. See what I mean? We are experts! :))

Beach Bunnies

2011-07-20T13:45:00.007-07:00

Oh how I love the beach.

I was born in San Louis Obispo, and then spent many of my childhood years living in Huntington beach, and grew up with constant sand in my pants. Literally. I was baptized in the waters of Oceanside, and spent my older years going to the beaches of Carlsbad, Oceanside and San Diego. I wish you could go back to the days where it didn't bother you to have sand in every crevice of your body, and your hair was all sticky from the salt water, and there was this tiny crunch of sand in your mouth when you would eat the sandwiches and food that you brought. Those were the carefree days, and that is the beach lifestyle.

As a mom, I now realize the work that goes into a family beach day, and the planning and organizing of towels and toys... and now I realize how hard it is to keep the kids from getting sand all over me and the clean towels... but I guess that's all part of the charm. My poor husband, who cringes at the sand fiasco in the car when we leave the beach, would argue otherwise ;).

But nothing gives me greater joy than seeing my kids enjoy the things in life that I enjoyed when I was their age.

I have a feeling that San Diego will always be our second home, and I am so grateful that my parents still live there so that we can have our little escape there anytime we need it!

* please excuse the quality of pics here- I tried zooming with my iPhone, but it turned out kinda grainy. And don't even think that I would bring my 10 pound Nikon baby to the beach... makes me squirm just thinking about it! *

Ty, in typical boy form, just like the dig mud. And then dig some more. And who knows why...

We brought the boogie boards, so John decided he was going to teach Bella how to catch her own waves and boogie board to shore.

We also built a pretty epic sand castle... and this is John celebrating when the wave washed up and filled the moat he built. I'm not sure who is more excited... him or the kids. I think him.

And Ty put his shovel to good use by digging up sand crabs. I couldn't get him to touch it with his hands though ;)

Bella takes after her mom, and enjoys relaxing on the towels and soaking up some sunshine :) I just love my girl.

Next up - a few funny pictures from Disneyland! ...

Motorhome travelers..

2011-07-20T13:34:00.008-07:00

The first day we spent in San Diego, we kept it pretty low-key, playing around the Mission Bay motorhome park. Yes... the motorhome park. Don't judge. ;)

We had brought our bikes along with us, and we are a family that looves our bike rides, so we rode around for a while, even stopping at the pool to swim and play in the hot tub. We brought park games like croquet and bocci ball to play, and we even flew a kite for a little while when the wind picked up.

Yep- just an all-Amercan day at the motorhome park.

Stay classy San Diego ;)

Kids playing together in the Bay-

Hugging on our bike ride... OK, maybe I told them to hug, and then this is what I got- a choke-hold of poor Ty.

And John thought it would be funny to bury Tyler and make him into a mermaid-

Which, then of course Bella wanted to be something, so John made her into a muscle-man. Lovely.

More soon! ....

Anderson Adventure #1

2011-07-20T09:49:00.008-07:00

OK, so I'm finally catching up with blogging... seems to be the line I always use.

But there isn't much time to blog when you are having as much fun as our family is having this summer =). We have had all sorts of little adventures, and I've been keeping pretty busy with the kiddos, in my attempts to keep them engaged and active this summer... plus cool in this darn heat.

I've started to come to terms with the idea that once kids are in school, the only true quality time you have with them is on weekends and in the summers. The school nights are filled with too much activity... sports, errands, homework, dinner, and if we are lucky- a little bit of time before bed when were can read with the kids, play in the pool or play in the playroom. But then, its off to bed, and the day starts all over again with the rush to get out the door to school. And that is just not ok with me! God has given me this teeny tiny window of opportunity with my kids while they are this young, and while they are forming and shaping who they are... and I just feel like I need more time with them to make a true imprint. And this mutual desire to be with our kids is what has made me fall even more in love, and appreciate even more, about John. He's not the kind of guy who wants to sit around and allow our kids to interact more with the tv than with us.... he wants to get out there and make fun memories, and have quality time as a family. Gosh I love that about him!!

So thus begins my posts on our family adventures... beginning with the first (and biggest!)... our very first family motor home trip!!

The kids were having so much fun with the idea that you could get up and use the bathroom and walk around on the trip out to San Diego, but the trip was definitely not without its hiccups! Both kids enjoyed lounging on the couches and watching movies while we drove.. and I guess Bella felt like this was the perfect opportunity to travel in her underwear =)

Here was our fearless captain in his chair. And no, we weren't in California yet, so its perfectly fine for him to use the phone ;)

Ty liked sitting with me in the co-captain chair =)

And sometimes he was able to be daddy's co-captain all by himself.

I will spare you the details but basically, here is a rundown of our funny mishaps:

* the motorhome overheated on the mountains just before San Diego, and we had to turn off all the AC and sit in a hot motorhome on the side of the road while it cooled down enough to continue. Not fun.

* Ty was walking around with a blanket on his head (I have no idea why...) and ran into the counter, producing a small gash above his eye. And lots of tears.

* The refrigerator was doing something funky.. and started to smell like the worst gas every time you opened it. We started a routine of spraying Febreeze before and right after anyone opened the fridge. Ugh.

* We failed in trying to start our BBQ. I still don't understand why. But nevertheless, we sat there with cold, raw, hamburger patties until John had to practically light them on fire to cook.

But those were all funny memories made... and we have laughed about it since then. It just wasn't too funny at the time! ;) Once we got there, we enjoyed family bike rides around the bay, trips to Sea World, the beach, and of course- Grandma's house. Bella even made homemade cookies and lemonade with Grandma, and they had a cute little lemonade stand in their neighborhood (which by the way- thank goodness for their neighbors in the cul-de-sac, because you wouldn't believe how many people would just drive by and wave instead of stop! I mean, c'mon people- you don't have 50 cents to make a little girls' day?! Sheesh!)

At the end of the trip, we hit up Disneyland in our good ol' motorhome :) And actually, it was quite convenient to park in the parking lot and be able to go back during the day for snacks and a nap! I'll be posting pictures in different installments, so stay tuned! But let me warn you... I took a "fancy camera hiatus" during the vacation, so pretty much everything was taken with my iPhone! Yippee for Apple technology ;)

Not Enough Time

2011-06-28T10:29:00.004-07:00

So true, right?

So, we are back from our little vacation.... scratch that- our little adventure. I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and unpacking.. and cleaning.. and grocery shopping... and somehow, I need to get my bible study done before girls' group tonight. Yes, I just totally called myself out on the fact that I haven't done it yet. Hope you girls are reading this and understand ;).

Is it possible to create a day with 36 hours in it???

Oh- and just to brighten the day, I found a grey hair. Add it to the few that I have been finding here and there... and I'm pretty upset about it. I'm too young, right?? So I will be heading to the salon this week... maybe it will be just the refreshing break that I need :)

Gotta get back to unpacking- updates on our adventure coming soon! :)

Here We Go.....

2011-06-22T08:49:00.002-07:00

We are hitting the open road in this bad boy.

We have never done this before, and I am nervous but super excited for the fun memories we are going to make with the kids. We've got beach toys, kites, bikes, boogie boards and all sorts of vacation toys packed away, and we are ready for some fun :).

I'll be taking pictures and documenting this adventure, so that I can share our hilarious outtakes with everyone once we get home.

In the meantime- pray for John as he navigates the road behind this massive machine. The open desert road I'm not worried about.... but the crowded streets of San Diego, and then Anaheim?..... Watch your toes, children, bikes, small dogs, or even your car that might be parked on the street.... What we can't see when we side-swipe it, didn't really happen!

Woopsie! :))

Post Without A Picture.

2011-06-20T19:54:00.002-07:00

I know- boring, right?

But I have no pictures to share today. I am exhausted after finally finishing last week... which was no less than the week from ****. Seriously. I am overworked, over-committed, over-tired, and now my body is finally catching up with me. I am really starting to learn the value of boundaries- and I'm vowing to start making them in my life.

Right after I say yes to one more commitment... because seriously- I can't stop myself. I have a a problem.

But you know what? Amidst my crazy busy week, God found a way to sneak some incredible blessings into my life. I enjoyed coffee and exploring for photo locations with a friend, I had a blast swimming in the pool with John and the kids, and enjoyed a relaxing bbq party with a close friend who was celebrating his birthday. And just like that- all was well in my world.

Tonight I even got to slip away for some time with a friend and a glass of wine at happy hour. So maybe instead of allowing my head to spin with all of the commitments and to-do lists I make, I should relish in these small enjoyable moments that bless my day.

I will add that to my to-do list :) .

Where Do I Start?...

2011-06-01T16:25:00.011-07:00

In my attempts (weak attempt, at that) to catch up on the Spring activities that I missed blogging about- here are a few highlights:

*this may be a long one...

1) An obvious one here- but my babies are getting so big. Boo :(

Bella graduated Kindergarten and starts 1st Grade in the Fall. Am I old enough to have a 1st Grader? Apparently I am. I'm not sure which is more upsetting.

2) Speaking of Kindergarten, Bella had an end of the year performance, where she performed songs with her class and recited the entire Psalm 23 all by herself. I'm not kidding. It was AWESOME. I was so proud of her, and I felt the hot tears welling in my eyes the entire time. I kept telling myself, "don't blink, don't blink" because I knew the tears were about to start flowing.

Each child received a medal after they recited Psalm 23 individually, and Bella proudly wore hers all day :). Then their teacher presented each child with an award for a specific character trait that they displayed throughout the year. It was really cute the way she personalized each trait for each child- it made all of them feel special. But I was seriously welling up with pride when Bella received hers. She received a certificate for displaying "virtue" all year. It was written that it meant, "Doing what is right, in a Christ-like way". As a parent, I cannot possibly think of anything more beautiful that could be said about my child. I am so proud of her I could burst.

3) And as usual, we split our time between our home in Scottsdale, and our home-away-from-home in good ol' San Diego. As much as I bug my parents about moving out here to be near Emily and I... I secretly love that they live in SD because it allows us to visit. A lot. Which we do. A lot. :) We spent Easter in San Diego this year, and enjoyed some relaxing time (as you can see in this next picture, Ty was very relaxed as he slept on top of poor Em and Arece)

And we did the usual traditions of dying easter eggs... and picked out our own personal eggs that would be used the next morning in our traditional "Riolo Family Egg Fights". If you've never heard of said tradition- you are missing out. Big time. But more on that later...

And the little man who stole my heart is getting bigger and more handsome every day.

How could you resist that face??! Ty is 3 1/2, and he has absolutely blossomed recently. He can write his name (and "mom" "dad" and "bella" ) with really good penmanship, and he is constantly amazing us his imagination. He draws pictures of his favorite machines, like excavators and bulldozers, and he creates imaginary scenes wherever he plays. He's asking really smart questions lately, and you can just see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to figure out the way things work around him. But as independent as he is- he just loves being Bella's sidekick, and he would happily follow her anywhere. The two of them are best friends, and his little face just lights up when his sister walks in the door. I love watching the relationship that they are forming, and the way that they protect each other and defend each other whenever one of them is in trouble :).

I'm a pretty blessed mom, indeed.

So that was a pitiful "catch-up", but it will have to do for now. We have a lot going on this summer, so I'm determined to jump back on the wagon of documenting these precious memories! And as busy as it can be- I love summers with my kids.

And dare I say- they love summers with me as well :) .

2011-06-01T14:36:00.002-07:00

I know. It's been forever. Like 5 months, really.

The truth is- life just got in the way! But when I took a step back and realized that this meager little blog of mine is the way that I document our everyday happenings around the Anderson family (I even print the blog at the end of the year as a pseudo-album for myself), I realized that I really should dive back into it. Make it a discipline even. If I'm dedicated to it, it will come more naturally, and then I'll have all these cute stories and pictures of the kids to document and look back on to remember.

So hang tight- there will be a mini-catch up (because really- I can't completely catch you all up on everything!) and then I will be back on the saddle :) .

Lot's going on in our family, so hang in there! :)

Let The Games Begin!

2011-01-12T18:23:00.003-07:00

Literally.

I always knew that some day our little man Ty would have a schedule full of sports practices and games, and I would be that proud (and slightly crazy-protective) mom sitting on the sidelines sipping her coffee and marveling over how amazing her son is.

Yes, I will be that mom.

And now that he is 3, he can finally join some organized sports! This is his first experience with a sports team, so we thought it would be fun for him to do it with his cousin and best buddy, Little Dave. The two of them looked absolutely heartbreaking in their adorable tiny shin guards and big smiles. And just like I always thought he would be- Ty jumped right in there and loved it.

I was super worried that he wouldn't listen to the coach (primarily based on my personal experience at home with him not listening to me) but apparently, coaches are cooler. Ty not only listened to every command, but he picked up on all the drills and moves, and he had this permanent grin on his face the whole time. He and little Dave were just too cute for words.

I am seriously having so much fun with the kids at these ages, how can I freeze time???

Best buddies and teammates.

Love you Ty!

A Boy And His Papa

2011-01-09T10:43:00.002-07:00

They like to go to the Italian barbershop together for haircuts and a little male-bonding time. Ty loves his Papa, and Papa is crazy about Tyler.

* I love both of them :) *

My Christmas Angels

2011-01-09T10:27:00.002-07:00

Oh I just love these two. So much that it hurts.

On our way rushing out the door to get to Christmas Eve service at church, I snapped a few pics of my babies to remember these fun ages. I think this was the best Christmas yet because at 5 & 3 years old, they were both over-the-moon excited about Christmas and all of the festivities involved. Both of them really understood the meaning of Jesus' birth, and Bella even impressed us all by memorizing the longest bible verse I had ever heard her recite. I will try to post a video, because it was that impressive.

I can't even believe how much she has changed since last Christmas. Ugh, it both melts and breaks my heart at the same time. She is so beautiful!

We spent the entire day of Christmas lounging in our pajamas (matching of course... thank you Grandma :) ) and playing with the kids' new toys. I was really excited to share some old classics with our kids this year, like Operation. Remember that game?? They loved it!

And Ty worked with Dad to practice swinging the bat with accuracy in preparation for T-Ball in the Spring.

Notice John's snowman pj's :) And notice Ty's lack of pj's :))

And when you are a 3 year old little boy, and don't want to waste your time going inside to go to the bathroom, you do this. Oh my sweet little boy. You are ALL BOY for sure.

Let's Go Eagles!

2011-01-09T10:11:00.002-07:00

Is this the cutest little cheerleader you have ever seen, or what??!

A little while ago, Bella participated in a one-day cheer camp at school, to try it out and see if she liked it. She was one of just a few Kindergarten girls that participated, and I was so amazed by how much she loved it! All the girls learned some cheers and a dance routine from their "coaches" (older girls from the high school squad), and then they performed them that night at a Varsity basketball game.

John and I were absolutely dying as we watched form the stands. It was so stinkin' adorable to see Bella standing in the front row, yelling out the cheers, and watching her coaches intensely as she followed along.

Her cousin Marley did it with her, and we are so excited that next year, the girls get to be on the 1st & 2nd grade cheerleading squad together. It will be so much fun to watch them at football games cheering together!

Oh my little Bella ~ we have so many fun times ahead. I can't wait.

And then again... let's try to soak it up for as long as we can =)

Just For The Grandparents

2010-12-03T19:51:00.009-07:00

Last week (like I said earlier, I'm trying to catch up!) was Grandparents' Day at Bella's school. Her Kindergarten class had worked so hard to prepare the most adorable song, complete with sign language to go along, and a few other small songs, dances and bible verses. My parents happened to be in town for Thanksgiving and Ty's birthday, so Bella was thrilled to have them attend! In fact, she was double blessed because John's parents live right down the street, so she had both sets there to watch her perform. There was a strict rule that parents we not allowed...only the grandparents~ but I had a sneaky way in because Mrs. Sia asked if I would come be a class helper that day, so of course I said yes!! {and I maaaay have snuck in a picture or two) My little princess got to stand front and center for the performance in the gym (you know the proud mom in me was secretly super excited about that) and I have a better, more close up picture that is still stuck on a memory card somewhere... that always seems to happen to me when I'm looking for pictures :/

This is Isabella with her two best friends, Lauren & Grace

Performing their songs and dances in front of all the grandparents in their classroom :)

And here's a recent oh-so-lovely development... Bella like to shmoosh her chin in when she smiles for the camera, giving herself like 4 double chins. Super cute.

I'm In Love With Two Men.

2010-12-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

And they both love me back.

I'm a lucky woman.

Turkey Day 2010

2010-12-02T13:54:00.003-07:00

Yep. I cooked that sucker.

I offered to host Thanksgiving this year, and this was my beautiful bird in all its glory.

We had my parents here for Thanksgiving, as well as Emily's roommate, and three of John's cousins and Jazz's girlfriend Lexy. Full house! The dinner was pretty good if I do say so myself, and the best part was that I used paper and plastic (the fancy kind that looks like real silverware! Is it weird that I used fancy plastic utensils?) so that the clean up was a cinch.

Here are Jazz and Lexy (I also did a photo shoot with them that you can view HERE)

but Ty decided to crash this picture, so he jumped in :)

Siblings, Arece, SunShine & Jazz

And of course, Arece's girlfriend just happens to be my little sister. I know- it's a weird mash-up of families. But John and I checked it out to make sure there wasn't anything creepy with them dating :) They aren't related, so its all good :)

All in all, it was a fun weekend of visiting, and now its off to prepare for Christmas! I must be getting old because I swear we just had Christmas. Time to flying by me insanely fast...

Time To Get Away...

2010-12-02T13:07:00.004-07:00

We're at it again.

The six of us escaping up to the mountains for our annual retreat. You know the rules- no make-up, you must stay in your sweats, we eat and drink as much as we want, we stay inside by the fire talking, playing games and watching movies.... even give up cell phone service (well I did. Darn AT&T.)

It's a rule in our group that the only kids allowed are babies under 9 months. Well, basically if they can crawl.. they are too old. We learned that lesson after I brought Ty when he was 10 months old. Let's just say we had to move very trinket off the shelves low to the ground, and Hudson had a traumatizing experience with a jumper-swing. So, this year it really was an all-girls trip, because all of our babies were beautiful little girls! We had Lily, Grace and Sienna join the big girls for a little getaway :)

Grace was the oldest, and the social butterfly. She had lots of great heart-to-heart talks with Sienna and Lily.

Lily's pudgy cheeks and full lips give me baby fever. But the look on Amanda's face when she had been up since 5am, quickly cured my fever ;)

We cook, drink, laugh and have fun. It's just what we do.

Here are the five women who liked our special cocktail recipe for a sour limon gimlet. It was a cross-breed between my recipe ad Kerri's recipe (with secret ingredients that can not be shared).

And here is the one weirdo who did not like the gimlet ~ and instead, preferred a bottle of hideously sweet white zinfandel.

The rest of the pictures shall remain unseen by the general public :)

Love you girls!!!!!

Happy Birthday Buddy

2010-12-02T12:26:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little far behind in blogging... but now I'm trying to catch up to speed :)

I have t start with Tyler's 3rd birthday. I just can't believe how big he is, and how fast these three years have gone by. There is a spot in my heart that will forever be Tyler's... he has truly stolen my heart.

He is my brave little protecter :)

I wrote a tribute to him for his birthday on my photography blog, and I have decided to make a birthday video for the kids every year. That way, I will have a whole video library of each birthday... documenting each milestone as it passes. If I close my eyes, I can still picture him as this tiny little newborn, all snuggled on my chest. If any of you know how to time travel- please let me know.

Ty, I love you more than I could ever describe in words. You are the perfect little boy, and I am enjoying every minute of being your mom.

hugs and kisses, Mommy

** You can see his birthday post and video HERE **

My Beautiful Rapunzel & Brave Knight

2010-11-02T15:30:00.005-07:00

If you were to ask Tyler a month ago what he wanted to be for Halloween it was not a knight. In fact, it was quite different.... he would of emphatically told you that he wanted to be "an EXCAVATOR!!!!" with his big ear-to-ear grin and sparkling blue eyes gleaming with excitement.

That's right.

An excavator.

A big, yellow, dirty Caterpillar machine that digs dirt.

(At least I think that's what it does. To get an accurate job description, I should really ask Tyler)

Ty is obsessed with big trucks, any kind of construction equipment, semi-trucks and all-around boy stuff. And if it has lights or a siren- its even cooler. I kid you not- the boy stands out on the curb in his underwear every Tuesday morning, just so he can wave to the garbage man and marvel at the big yellow truck. I promise to take a picture next Tuesday... :)

Anyway, John researched how to make a home-made excavator costume, but with only a few days before Halloween, we decided it was too big of a task to take on. So, a knight it was! Bella had already decided months ago that she was obsessed with Rapunzel, so that was already a done deal. And what better to go with a princess, than a brave knight to defend her?

I actually snapped the above picture just as Ty had picked a flower and was giving it to his sister!! How sweet are those two??!

Bella loved her costume. She twirled around constantly, and flipped her hair back and forth for emphasis of her diva status. It was pretty hilarious to see her in the wig... kinda made me smile at the end of the night when she took it off and I got to see my curly-haired beauty again.

But they had fun running around at our church's Fall Festival, and then partying it up and trick-or-treating with their cousins (I'll try to get a picture of all the kids together).

And at the end of the night, John and I had successfully picked out all our favorite candies from the kids' buckets, and we had happy, exhausted kiddos.

Just the way we like it :)

The Words I Can't Forget....

2010-10-26T20:30:00.009-07:00

The other day I was working on a project, and I was going through some home videos of Bella and Ty when I first brought home Ty from the hospital. I couldn't get over how much life has changed. How much they had changed. In fact- how much I had changed! And it reminded me that it had been a while since I had blogged about the cute little moments and things they say that make me smile. I want to keep them etched in my mind forever- so I have to document them.

One of our favorite "Ty-isms" is the way that he phrases every question as a statement. For example, when he wants juice he will say- "You can get me juice?!" or "You can help me up?!" He's asking a question, but he always forgets to say "can you.." So everything sounds like he's making a demand, and it cracks us up. Our favorite (or maybe not...) is when he poops on the potty, and we hear him yelling to us from down the hall- "YOU CAN WIPE ME?!"

And a few of our favorite "mixed up" word that Ty uses.....

"merote" - remote

"banilla" - vanilla. Anything that tastes sweet, Ty tells us "yummm, it tastes like banilla!"

"mother-trucker" - john thought it would be funny to tell him that's what a semi-truck is called. But now we can't get him to change it, and he yells out this inappropriate term every time he sees one. Oh brother. Thanks John.

"prayroom" - playroom

And for Isabella, lately we just crack up at her stories and comments about school. It's like she has this whole other world in Kindergarten that we don't know about- and hearing her tell us about it is like seeing her as this new little person. Some of our favorite stories she's told us-

* The time that two boys in her class got a red card for pulling down their pants.

* Hearing her light up with joy when talking about what "job" she was assigned in class.

* The time she excitedly told us about her first bus ride on a field trip- and the joy of not having to wear a seat belt!

* She told us Cole said he wants to marry her. Apparently, this little boy has quite the crush on our Bella.

* Watching her practice and perform the songs they learn in class. My favorite is when she sings "America the Beautiful". Its so adorable!

* The pride she felt when she got to have a special lunch with the teacher for having a green card every day for a month. That's right- we have a little teachers' pet on our hands :)

I just love them so much, I could burst!

{ps- thank you steph for the priceless pics of my babies}

Pretty in Pink

2010-10-02T11:25:00.003-07:00

Last night Bella had a pinktastic date with her Aunt Emily.

The two of them donned perfectly pink outfits, and made their way downtown to see Pinkalicious: The Musical , which happens to be an adorable theatre production of Isabella's favorite book- Pinkalicious.

To make the date even more special, Aunt Emily bought Bella a Pinkalicious crown, a new Pinkalicious doll and a few books to bring along to the show in case someone could "autograph" them for her. And what do you know- Pinkalicious herself signed Bella's book for her, and told her that she look absolutely beautiful in her pink outfit! Bella was in heaven.

A new sparkly wand, an evening watching a pink-errific musical, and a few hot pink cupcakes later... Bella was sound asleep in the car ride home.

What a day- and what an Aunt! We love you Aunt Emily!!

New York, New York!

2010-09-27T11:07:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I have waaaaaay to many posts to start posting, because I know I have fallen way behind.

But in order to start it off right, I have to do a quick post about our fabulous trip to New York with our fabulous friends Brad & Megan! =)

It started a few months ago when we took a San Diego vacation with them and all our kids, and we all agreed that we needed an adults-only getaway together. Brad and Megan had already started planning a trip to New York for Brad's birthday (big 3-0!), and asked us to come along, so how could we say no??! Count us in!

{I will pause for a minute to give a HUGE thank-you to my sister and Arece for watching the kids for us and allowing us to enjoy ourselves while we were so far away! We love you guys!}

The place where we stayed was unbelievable. A 25th floor penthouse on the corner of 48th & Broadway, just blocks from Times Square. I have too many memories to post, so I will simply condense it all by listing a few fun highlights:

* exploring Central Park

* shopping

* lunch and coffee in Bryant Park, watching old men play bocci ball =)

*private walking tour of New York... walked for 7 hours with our tour guide and saw everything!! The blisters on my poor heels prove it.

* learning the Subway system =)

* Top of Rockafeller Center

* Wandering the east village one night in search of the perfect restaurant (maybe not such a highlight, right Megan?!) again, I have the blisters to prove it.

* Best pizza ever at John's Pizzaria

* ferry to statue of liberty

* sitting second row at Promises Promises. I felt like I was close enough to reach out and touch Kristin Chenoweth!

And this one is just for you Megan,

"You don't like creamed spinach?" ;-)

The time went by too quickly, and we had such a fun time. I thought I didn't take enough pictures, until I started to make a highlight video, and realized I couldn't fit everything in! So below, you will see a video of a few favorite memories of our fun {maybe too much fun in some of them! ;-) } Some were taken with a phone, so the quality may be poor- but the pictures still make me smile.

And Megan- you are going to LOVE me because I found a song from GLEE to go with the video! Do I know you, or what?

You're welcome :-)

*quick note* The file may be big, so press play then pause it and allow it to load before viewing. Enjoy!

Sunday Funday

2010-09-06T09:56:00.006-07:00

We've seen every kids' movie out there, we've done all the splash pads and played in the pool all summer, and all of the usual indoor play areas didn't sound like too much fun... so we came up with a new idea that the kids had never tried before - bowling!

To my surprise, the bowling alley was actually pretty empty for a sunday afternoon, so we got a lane right away {with bumpers of course... which helped me just as much as the kids!} and Bella went on the hunt for a perfect ball. Of course, she was choosing by the color and the amount of sparkles the ball had, so we had t steer her in the direction of the lightest ones other wise she would have been bowling with a 15 pound ball :-)

And how cute are bowling shoes in toddler sizes?! So adorable!

First up was Ty.

John explained the instructions to him, and helped him with carrying the ball.

STRIKE!! =)

Bella insisted on doing it mostly on her own. She actually had a pretty cute walk and technique to it.

And check out this cool contraption! Its like a bowling ball slide for kids- I had never seen one before! Bella actually preferred throwing the ball herself; I think that was part of the joy in bowling :-)

It was a perfect way to get out of the heat and do something new and fun with our sweet little munchkins. And since its a three day weekend, we are off to do something new and fun with them today too! More pictures of today will come later =) Happy labor day!

Today Was The Big Day

2010-08-24T11:50:00.009-07:00

Today Bella arrived at her new school.... Scottsdale Christian Academy.

I've been talking about this day, and thinking about this day for a long time now. But it didn't seem real until we watched her line up at the sound of the playground whistle, and enter her new room. My baby seemed so old now, and thank goodness my big sunglasses hid my tears because I just couldn't stop them. I didn't want Bella to see me cry, so I smiled beneath the tears as I waved her good-bye. I had totally kept it together all morning, and even as we arrived at the playground and watched her play. But when she actually lined up, and marched right into this new phase without even turning back or hesitating for a second... I started feeling that lump in my throat- and it was all tears from there. I made a beeline from the school straight back to the car- really unable to even talk. I honestly didn't anticipate on feeling so emotional! But I'm a mom. And those kind of emotions just come with the territory. Bella and I have a very special bond, and I'm thankful for these types of emotions because it just reminds me of how deeply I feel about her, and how special she is to me.

We started out the day with a family breakfast, and John made her special mickey mouse pancakes {her request}. Then I got her all dressed and ready, and braided her hair {again, at her request. She is very opinionated these days}.

She looked so stinkin' adorable, and she had her cute backpack and matching lunchbox in hand- all ready to go!

I packed her lunch last night, and included a special shortcake desert and a little note for her as a surprise :-)

Of course we made her pose for pictures all morning so that we could forever remember this big day with our little girl.

Of course, Ty had to hug his big sister and wish her good luck on her big day :-)

She gave him a little pep-talk and told him that she would be fine, and he needed to be a good boy :-) They are so precious!!

Then it was time to head out for school, so we had a quick family prayer for Bella's big day, and then we all went as a family to see her off.

We arrived at school early, so Bella played on the Kindergarten playground while we waited for the whistle (and of course, took more pictures)

The time had come for her to go into class, so we watched with heavy hearts as she lined up and walked away.

Sometimes I feel like I love my kids so much, that my heart will burst.

Isabella and Tyler mean the world to me, and I never in my wildest dreams thought that being a mom would change me in the way that it has.

And although I can't do anything to stop her from growing, I feel so blessed. Blessed that Bella and I are so close... blessed that we are able to send Bella to such a wonderful school... blessed that she is happy and healthy and blessed that this is only the beginning of all new adventures waiting for us..... :-)

Tasti-Delite

2010-08-18T14:32:00.006-07:00

So our little Miss Bella Jade turned 5 this past weekend (and I still can't believe it).

We celebrated by doing a small get-together at her favorite ice cream shop, Tasti-Delite. Something small, but pleasantly refreshing on such a hot weekend here in the valley. All Bella was primarily concerned with was her cousin (and best buddy) Marley being there :-)

They decorated their own ice cream bowls to take home, and everyone enjoyed their own ice cream and toppings.

And we tried to get a picture of the kids... but who were we kidding. Getting everyone to sit still and look at the camera?? It just wasn't going to happen.

Because this is what happen when you make the cousins try to look like they love each other.... it starts out as a "hug".....

... and ends up as a choke hold.

But really, they honestly do love each other :-)

Happy birthday again sweet Bella!

You are truly an amazing little girl, and we can't get enough of you :-)

This Week...

2010-08-09T07:49:00.002-07:00

Our baby girl, the one responsible for making me a "mommy", will be turning 5 this week.

My heart is heavy at the thought of her growing up so fast, but I am looking forward to so many amazing memories we still have yet to make together.

So peek over at the photography blog for a special photo shoot and video of our baby girl -

www.briandersonphotos.com

We love you Bella!!

Let The Traditions Begin!

2010-08-07T15:07:00.005-07:00

When I was a little girl, I l-o-v-e-d back to school shopping.

My mom and I would make a whole day of it, complete with going out to lunch together and hitting the malls. One summer I even worked odd jobs around the neighborhood so that I could have even extra money to shop with {so apparently, my habit started young} and to make the deal even sweeter, my mom told me she would double whatever I earned. Now that was motivation!

So with Kindergarten looming {just a few weeks away!} it was time for me to begin the tradition with my own little girl.

Isabella and I got up early and went out to breakfast, just the two of us, to IHOP where Bella got her first chocolate chip smiley face pancake. It looked totally gross to me now that I am an adult, but I remember ordering that when I was little...and eating chocolate for breakfast seemed like a dream.

{ignore the quality- it was taken with my iphone}

Then we began hitting the stores and crossing off things on our shopping list. We stocked her closet full of new shoes, sweaters, cardigans and adorable uniform outfits {yay for uniforms! It made shopping soooo much easier} and we got all the school supplies that her Kindergarten teacher requested. Bella was an excellent little shopper, and it was so wonderful to spend an entire day with just the two of us.

I just cant believe that my baby is turning 5 next week, and I am so thankful for every moment we spend together. She is becoming this amazing little person, and I just can't imagine life without her!

Never Too Old...

2010-07-17T21:07:00.004-07:00

... to enjoy playing with some slime :-)

John got this idea recently to make home-made slime with the kids, and so he bought the ingredients, and helped Bella and Ty make their own slime batches to play with.

First, it was Bella's turn-

Oh the wonder and joy!

Bella, of course, decided hers had to be the perfect shade of pink.

A few minutes later, the finished product was ready to be played with, molded, cut by cookie cutters, and ready for imagination to take over.

* and please note that even when playing with slime, Miss Isabella is wearing her pearls *

:-)

Then it was Tyler's turn to make a batch of his own... in blue of course.

And let me just say- pouring glue into a bowl and mixing it with random ingredients until its squishy and slimy is like a dream for a 2 year old boy!

Ty can just never seem to contain his joy.... it's just beaming all over his face :-)

Sometimes it's the simple things that they enjoy the most!

Big Man On Campus

2010-07-14T14:31:00.004-07:00

A new dawn has arrived.....

There will now be a few mornings a week that I have to myself!!

Yes, it's true!

Ty will be 3 this fall, and we decided to get a little jump start on the "school" routine. Obviously, it's not so much school at this age, as it is "learning to play well with others" , but we felt it would be good for him to spend a few mornings learning, playing and interacting with kids his age. I think it's good for him to have some time away from the house and learning to play and understand a social structure outside of just his family. And to be honest, the first day didn't go so well.... but today was a little better, so I'm feeling encouraged!

This was my best attempt at getting him to stand still long enough to take a picture on his first day :-)

Even as I look at the pictures, I just can't believe how old and tall he is looking. Definitely more like a "big boy" which just crushes me :-( To me, he'll always still be my baby!

Gimmie a B-E-L-L-A!

2010-07-14T14:22:00.004-07:00

Bella has been taking cheer classes this summer, and oh-my-goodness, it is too cute for words! I love when she comes home and performs new cheers for John and I :-)

So the other day before we left for class, she was in a fairly cooperative "photo mood" for me {which is rare!} and she let me take a few pictures of her adorable self.

And by the way- who taught this girl to pose? I swear she is just too much!

Look out Tyra!! :-)

Bella tries to demonstrate a jump she learned....

A day without Bella is like a day without sunshine :-)

Conversation with Bella....

2010-07-02T16:24:00.002-07:00

Bella: Mom, when I'm 5, can you buy me a kitty?

Me: A real one?

Bella: Yes, one that eats real food. 'Cuz it's real.

Me: I'll think about it.

Bella: Ok, because it's want I kinda want.

Me: You just kinda want it?

Bella: Well, I want a doggy. But you can get me a doggy after you get me a kitty.

Me: {smiling} And why's that?

Bella: Because doggies are a big 'susponsibility' {her own word}

Me: {laughing at this point} And kitties aren't?

Bella: Nope. You just give them food and they do the rest. They don't really do anything. I think they just sit there. So I can have one because they aren't a big 'susponsibility'.

** I {heart} these conversations of ours **

A Little Taste Of Our Fun :-)

2010-06-22T11:45:00.002-07:00

Here is a little highlight video of some of our fun over the past week!

I especially loved watching how adorable Bella & Jacob were together...

ahhh summer love! ;-)

Enjoy!

Where have I been??

2010-06-22T08:10:00.004-07:00

Oh let me see.... we've been at the beach, at Disneyland, at Sea World, at the zoo, riding roller coasters and hanging out with good friends. Rough life :-)

Oh I know..... I've been terrible about blogging our family lately!

I have decided that I will be making this August my "Anderson Family Photo Catch-Up Month", where I will dedicate my free time to organizing, storing, printing and filing all our family pictures into albums, photo boxes and blogs. I can't believe I've let myself get so far behind... which is kinda my downfall when it comes to digital photography. You have to be so committed to remembering to actually print the photos and not just let them sit on the computer!

After a very busy 6 weeks of working, traveling, photography sessions, kids' activities, John's busy work schedule, etc etc.... I am slowly organizing myself piece by piece and getting back into gear. Can you believe my little Isabella starts Kindergarden this fall??! I will totally be that mom who brings her camera and video camera on the first day of school, and jumps up down waving like a lunatic as my baby walks into school. And holding back tears of course. Oh who am I kidding, I won't be able to hold them back... tears will be flowing freely.

And my baby boy is growing up too fast too. Fully potty trained, talking non-stop, figuring things out, and starting a 3 year-old preschool in late summer.... what happened here? When did I open my eyes to find that my babies were growing up??

So stay tuned- I promise there is more to come. I just need to get myself organized!!

A Grand Finale.

2010-05-31T15:02:00.006-07:00

Well, the adventure of Uncle O'Neal and SunShine on The Biggest Loser was capped off perfectly by a fabulous weekend of celebration, accolades and a beautiful finale.

John and I went to L.A. to be in the audience and cheer on team yellow at the finale, and it was seriously an awesome experience. We all got decked out in our team colors of black and yellow, and julie and stacie made awesome signs to hold when they cheered. The seats for our family were amazing..... but maybe not as amazing as front and center?? ;-) Oh yes, that's right. I was able to sit as up close as possible due to many thanks to a little connection I have.... hee hee.

And I maaaay have had a little chit-chat with Curtis Stone as we sat in our seats before the taping started....

Ok, we only said 'Hi" and spoke for a brief moment, but I'd like to think he will always remember it just as I do :-)

And how gorgeous did Sunny look??? Like a model! And Uncle O'Neal did not disappoint, looking suave and dapper in his suit and signature hat :-) Both of them are incredibly amazing, and we will forever remember this experience with them. And really, it's more than just filming of a tv show... they have truly transformed into these healthy, positive, confident, beautiful people- and that's the real prize.

And since my camera is the size of a small country, I sadly decided to leave it back at the hotel and just enjoy the night without pictures (which is very hard for me to do!) But lucky for me, lots of other people had teeny tiny cameras that they brought with them, and I was able to snag a few of their pictures to share.

Here are a few highlights of our night-

Congratulations again Sunny and Uncle O'Neal.

We love you so much and are bursting with pride!!

Notice Anything Wrong Here?

2010-05-20T07:55:00.005-07:00

Proof that you can literally never turn your back and stop supervising them...even for a second.

Bella thought he needed a haircut, and apparently, Tyler sat very still for what was probably quite a while! I don't even want to imagine the scene in my head.... its a miracle she didn't cut his poor scalp somewhere.

But I suppose its like a right of passage for a younger sibling. At some point the older sibling will either cut your hair or try to convince you that you were adopted.

Back in the day, I did the latter:-)

So Long Diapers!! We are DONE with you!

2010-05-12T11:29:00.005-07:00

This is a monumental moment in the Anderson household.

We are officially done with....

...wait for it......

Diapers!!!

Tyler has joined the leagues of "big boys" and has crossed the threshold of potty-training. I don't really know how we did it {it's all still a blur to me} but after what seemed like hundreds of accidents on the floor, and weeks.... no- months, of him running around naked, he has finally caught on to using the toilet like a "big boy".

The final "aha!" moment that told me he was ready, was when we were at Macy's just me and him, and he starting frantically telling me "mommy I have to go potty!" So I hesitated for a minute as I considered whether or not he was really ready to go, and then decided to put down the clothes and find a bathroom. And sure enough- the boy peed for like 5 minutes straight. He really had to go...and better yet, he held it until we had found a bathroom!

And lately, when john and I check on him before going to bed at night, we often find that he has taken his night-time pull-up off and is sleeping naked! We were worried he'd have an accident at first, but we let him stay undressed, and he has never had any accidents!! He gets up in the morning and goes potty just like a big boy!

** So proud! **

So now that John and I have passed through the right-of-passage as parents known as the dreaded potty-training, what's next?

Baby teeth falling out?

T-Ball leagues?

Learning to ride a two-wheeler?

Whatever it is, bring it on!

We are patting our backs {and holding back a slight tear} as we have officially watched our two babies move on into the next phases of childhood. Although it kills me to see them becoming older so quickly, our family is moving on to new and exciting things, and I plan on savoring every moment :-)

** { Ty ponders his next move as a big boy } **

May Birthdays Unite! :-)

2010-05-12T11:21:00.004-07:00

Apparently, May was a popular month to give birth!

My own sweet wonderful husband celebrated his birthday last week, and we had a celebration for a whole group of friends who were also celebrating May birthdays.

We found this deal with Benihana's restaurant, that you if sign up for their rewards group (or whatever) you get a free meal during the month of your birthday....so we all went! And by all, I mean we celebrated the birthdays of John, Emily, Kerri, Alison & Amanda! Each couple in the group had one person celebrating a birthday :-) I'm sure our server loved that.

And in true birthday-dinner form, we got a jolly round of "happy birthday" along with some free desserts and a lovely picture as our memento for the night.....

Notice someone tickling Blake's ear as the picture was being taken...

Was it is wife? Was it Amanda? Was it John?......

We laughed and laughed at the mysterious hand, which still makes me giggle to myself as I look at the picture :-)

Happy Birthday all you May Birthday's!!

Hmm....Where's Tyler?.....

2010-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

During a game of hide-n-seek with Ty the other day, I found him in the most hilarious hiding spot I had seen in a while....

You have to admit- it's pretty creative.

He even placed the pillow in front of him just perfectly!

I ran back to get my camera so that I could remember the creative and quirky genius of this little boy of mine- and as I took a picture, I could hear him behind the pillow saying,

"shhhh.... I'm hiding."

SAW THIS-

2010-04-29T21:20:00.003-07:00

- DIED LAUGHING.

When I wrote the post below about Bella's day riding the rides at Castles and Coasters, it reminded me of the funniest picture on earth.

{took a picture of a picture- so it's not that clear}

The ride picture from Bella's very first experience on a "real" roller coaster at LegoLand.

John and I still get tears in our eyes from laughing when we look at this picture.

Note the following hilarious components to it:

-1- The obvious- the look of sheer terror on Bella's face.

-2- The way that my too-tall husband and his long legs are jammed into that teeny tiny ride.

-3- The look on the kids' face behind Bella.

It's all just too much. Priceless!!

It's A Bird...It's A Plane....

2010-04-29T21:13:00.003-07:00

..... it's Tinkerbell!

John brought home a surprise the other day- in the shape of a 3 foot wide Tinkerbell kite.

Bella was ecstatic {Ty kept asking about a dragon one for him, but eventually got excited about Tinkerbell} . Bella and Ty couldn't stop asking about kites after seeing them at Costco one day.

* by the way- does anyone else get excited to walk up and down the isles of Costco...just browsing all the fun gadgets and "deals"? Just me? Ok.*

So when the wind picked up the other night, we all ran out to the cul-de-sac and watched Tinkerbell take her maiden flight.

It's the simple things in life, you know?

She's All Mine.

2010-04-29T21:05:00.004-07:00

She's saucy.

She has a bit of an attitude.

She's confident, goofy, caring, creative and smart-as-a-whip.

She has a big imagination, and an even bigger heart-

... and the girl knows how to work a camera.

Yep.

She's 100% adorable.

She lives up to her name as beautiful, both inside and out.

And she's all mine.

Castles and Coasters

2010-04-29T20:33:00.005-07:00

One thing we have discovered about Bella is that she loves roller coasters.

Loves them.

We have passes to LegoLand, since its just minutes from my parents house, and Bella is brave enough to try even the tallest roller coasters. We may have even fudged her height a bit last summer by letting her wear her wedge sandals that give her an extra inch or so. Those big brown eyes were just pleading for us to let her ride the "big kid" rides, and we couldn't say no. Lucky for her, now she is the perfect height and can conquer all the rides they have to offer.

So last weekend we came up with a spur-of-the-moment idea to take the kids to castles and coasters, which is just a fun amusement place with a few rides- but to Bella, it was heaven.

In fact, John went there when he was a kid, and the roller coaster with the loop scared him to death! And he was 14!

Bella handled it like a champ :-)

So we had lunch, rode all the rides and had a fun Sunday together. Even the boys got to go on a few rides that maaay have scared them. Just a little. Right boys?

Ty was able to go on a few rides all by himself, and he was a little nervous at first....

Then he started getting excited......

...and then he had a blast!

Spring Is In Full Swing

2010-04-16T11:45:00.003-07:00

And what better activity during the spring than an outdoor picnic with your friends? With cold juice boxes and princess dresses....crowns and all :-)

Bella and Tyler have been busy little kids with lots of friends, family and activities going on lately. So busy, in fact, that I have had trouble keeping up on everything! And more specifically, we had a very special house guest this past weekend...Uncle O'Neal!

He is busy working out and staying focused until the finale of the show, but he was able to sneak out here for a quick visit to surprise his son Arece and spend time with his AZ family. So we had to throw a party of course! We got all our friends together and threw a viewing party to watch Tuesday nights' episode together with Uncle O'Neal. He looked AMAZING and he worked out so hard while he was here, so I can only imagine how much even more amazing he will look by the finale :-) So because the show is still airing, we can't post any of the pictures we took of him, sorry! But soon enough, you will see the new-and-improved O'Neal Hampton!

So we got all decked out in our yellow, and celebrated with him on Tuesday as we watched the show together. And if you watch the show on Tuesday, you saw that he won a prize challenge! Oh, it was just something small.

Like. A. New. Car.

As soon as he won, he promptly handed over the key to SunShine :-)

Excuse me while I hold back the tears and lump in my throat.

So touching and awesome!

Bella even owns a "SunShine" Barbie that Aunt Katherine made for all the little girls in the family.

And lastly, just because I thought this was the most adorable thing ever....I found the kids sleeping like this when I went to check on them before going to bed last night. Ty had quietly snuck out of his room, and climbed into bed with his big sister. The two of them were all cuddled and fast asleep when I found them like this. I just had to take a picture...not even the flash woke them up!

My little sleeping cuties.

It's been busy few weeks around here, but we are having fun and loving this weather!

I've got lots of photo shoots coming up and family activities...so stay tuned :-)

A Very Special Date.

2010-04-05T21:37:00.005-07:00

Bella had a very special date on Saturday night.... with her papa.

We surprised her with tickets to Disney on Ice (for the record, this is her fourth time to the show....different shows but still same idea :-) ) and we even surprised her with a brand new princess dress from the Disney store. The look on her sweet little face was priceless :-)

So she got all dressed up...a little lip gloss and everything...and headed out for a date night of just the two of them.

( a little Top Model action here.....)

Papa (of course) was a sucker for his granddaughter and bought her snacks, a princess purse and a sparkly wand at the show, but she came home with a huge smile and lots of fun memories of her special night with Papa.

On a side note, can you believe I am the mother of an almost-5-year-old???!!!

Dear God,

Please keep my little girl little for as long as you can.

In fact- freeze each sweet moment in time for me so that I never forget her beautiful little face just the way it is right now.

Love, Me

Where Has Time Gone?......

2010-04-05T21:30:00.004-07:00

Oh my poor little blog.

I have been severely neglecting you.

And then I realized that this blog is more for me since I print at the end of the year and it serves as somewhat of a memory book for me to keep...and so I'm going to try to be much better about my blogging.

So let's play a quick little game of catch-up! First off- welcome the newest Scottsdale resident and our favorite house guest...Arece Hampton!

Arece is John's cousin, and he has been the most delightful addition to our local family here in Scottsdale. Many of you have heard me brag on and on about his dad and sister O'Neal and SunShine, who are currently on The Biggest Loser. Well, now he calls AZ his home, and we couldn't be happier to have him here. The kids are pretty much obsessed with him, and they drop everything to play with him when he walks in the door. He is staying with us while he looks for a place of his own, but the kids will be devastated when he does! :-)

We love you Arece- and welcome home!

Morning Trouble.

2010-03-22T13:14:00.002-07:00

This looks like a sweet little angelic face, right?

Well, don't let him fool you.

Recently John and I have pleasantly discovered that we can get at least 30 more minutes of sleep in the morning because the kids have been getting up and playing together quite well lately. They read books, watch cartoons in Bella's room or go play in the office or playroom together...and we get to sleep some more!

However-

We have come to learn the consequences of letting them play without us knowing what's going on. This morning I woke up to find that Tyler had taken a purple marker to the playroom carpet...and the sliding glass doors....and his arms and legs. I started scrubbing it immediately (thank goodness for washable markers) and then promptly threw every marker I could find in the house, into the trash. As for his arms and legs- oh well. Yes, I am sure we got some stares as we ran errands together this morning. Yes, I am the mom who is so tired of scrubbing marker off her son, that I finally just came to the conclusion of "whats the point?"

But the part that gave me the biggest laugh was when I was cleaning Ty's face this morning he randomly said-

"Bella draw on my back."

What?! I said to him. She what?

So I took off his shirt, and this is what I found:

Yes. Bella had indeed drawn on his back.

Apparently, she wanted to be sure he (or anyone else) didn't forget his name, and so she tagged him.

And this is what happens when we try to sneak away with those 30 extra minutes of sleep.

I've Got The Luck Of The Irish.....

2010-03-17T17:00:00.006-07:00

... and it comes in the form of these two beautiful little munchkins :-)

In celebrating my ethnicity of 1/2 Irish (thanks to my mom and the Irwin side of the family), I enjoy getting the kids all decked out in their green outfits and preparing a traditional Irish meal of corned beef, cabbage and baby red potatoes. The recipe for preparing corned beef is actually quite easy...but somehow, I'm still confused and find myself constantly checking on it all day long. I may have also called my mom about 5 or 6 times to verify that I was doing it right. But now the house smells delicious, and I'm fairly confident that it will be cooked correctly. Note that I said "fairly confident"....you just never know until you cut it open and take a few bites. Fingers crossed!

On a more serious note, St. Patricks Day marks exactly 5 years since we said good-bye to my Opah. He was my mom's dad, and the patriarch of the Irish brood on that side of the family. His funeral was appropriately on St. Patrick's day, and had beautiful Irish flair- complete with bagpipes and all. We miss you Opah, we will remember you tonight as we enjoy our Irish meal in your honor. You would be proud to see my corned beef! :-)

We Better Start Saving...

2010-03-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

....because Bellas wedding someday is going to be a doosey!!

She our baby girl...our princess...and the only one we get to throw a wedding for- so believe me when I say that every last detail will be tended to. :-) The reason I started daydreaming of her future magical wedding is because this past weekend we spent time with our awesome-amazing good friends the Squires, and Bella and Jacob fell even more in love.

Yes, Bella & Jacob.

Megan pointed out to me it's like a Twilight romance....too bad I have no idea what she's talking about since I've never read the books. Megan is probably rolling her eyes at me right now :-)

But seriously- it's not even that us adults tried to "force" it in any way. The two of them just kept holding hands, hugging and giggling with each other every time they were together. At the end of each day, we kept having to listen to Bella tell us over and over that she missed Jacob, and kept asking, "when is Jacob coming back?"

It was honestly the most precious thing ever. They genuinely enjoyed being around each other.

Megan and I were pregnant at the same time together, and Bella & Jacob are only about 3 weeks apart. It's like they were meant to be! And the best part? We would be in-laws with the Squires!

{Jacob isn't so sure about this kiss....}

At the end of our trip, the kids had to say good-bye at dinner, and then sadness ensued in the separate car rides home. Megan texted me a picture of Jacob pouting in sadness, and Bella just kept asking when we would see them again. So after the kids were in bed, Megan came by to watch the Oscars with me, and she brought along a "love letter" that Jacob had written before he went to bed. Actually, he dictated it to Megan, and she wrote down exactly what he wanted to say to Bella......

In case you can't read it, it says:

"I love you. I'll kiss you and hug you. When you come back I will hug you forever."

So adorable! Bella is a very lucky little lady :-)

Small Things To Remember....

2010-03-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Time to freeze a few memories in time. I wanted to jot down a few things about the kids as of lately, so that I would always remember the little things :-)

{ Miss Bella }

* Loves playing board games like Pretty Pretty Princess, Trouble and Chutes & Ladders

* Sings a hilarious rendition of "Hey Diddle Diddle" that cracks us up

* Is obsessed with drawing, painting and coloring. She could do it for hours.

* She told John the other night {I was gone at bible study with my girlfriends} that when she grows up she wants to "be a nurse and a mommy and go to bible study". Hmm... watching her mom closely perhaps? I melted when I got home and John told me.

* She gasps with delight every time we pass the Barbie aisle at Target. It never gets old to her.

* She loves cheeseburgers. And every time we ask her for her order, she tells us "a hamburger with cheese on the top and steak on the bottom. And no sauce."

* Still loves to be a nudist at home. Or run around in just underwear.

* Still petrified of people in animal costumes. She freaked out at a birthday party at Chuck-e-Cheese when "Chuck-E" appeared. And she still won't step foot in Red Robin ever since she saw the bird costume.

* L-O-V-E-S ballet. She loves twirling and frolicking :-)

* She's getting very accustomed to people commenting on her hair. Whenever someone stops her and compliments her curls or tells her how beautiful her hair is, she now answers with "I know." So modest and humble! :-)

{ Mr. Ty }

* Wakes his sister up every morning by going in her room, turning on the light, and crawling into her bed.

* Whenever he tries to sneak a snack from the pantry, he announces that he is "getting one for tyler and one for bella", and he brings her one!

* Tells us exactly what he wants, then asks and answers it himself. For example, he says

"I want to get ice cream, ok? Ok! "

* Eats like a bottomless pit, and yet looks skinnier and taller every day.

* Loves hiding in "tents" {when he puts a blanket over his head}

* Has learned about his "boy parts" and tells us what they are every day :-)

* Has has the cutest little voice when he says, "Mommy I hungry".

* He is still a dancing machine.

* Loves having both mom and dad tuck him in at night. He especially loves it when we kiss both his cheeks at the same time.

** And John and I still think we are the luckiest, most blessed two people on earth :-) **

My Little Ballerina.

2010-03-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well, she did it again!

Another performance that was adorable and incredible all in one. I think she found her confidence after the last performance went so well, and this time she did even better!

She was in an older class this time {mostly 5 year olds}, but that didn't seem to bother her, and she followed along perfectly. One of the first thoughts I remember having when Bella was born and I saw that she was a girl, was- "oh my goodness, I get to take her to dance class!" I don't know why, but I instantly had this vision of a curly-haired little girl in a tutu dancing around on stage. I envisioned being able to share in those girly moments with her, and they are moments I wouldn't trade for anything.

The best part of the recital was when each girl has her moment to shine by performing a solo when her name was called. I actually felt nervous for Bella because she usually gets shy in situations like that- but she was the BEST! And of course, I am her mom...but seriously- she was amazing. I have the video to prove it :-) She pranced around stage and twirled so gracefully and with such a huge smile of accomplishment on her face. I was bursting with pride!

Then after her recital, we took her out for in ice cream celebration for a job well done, and then she got to go to a sleepover at Aunt Emily's house and have some really girly-girl time painting nails and eating popcorn :-)

Girls will be girls :-)

And believe me- I love having my little girl to enjoy it with!

Bravo Bella!!

Welcome Girls!

2010-02-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Our sweet friends, Andrew & Sandra welcomed identical twin baby girls this morning.

Kaelyn & Brielle are the epitome of perfection....and unbelievably healthy sizes for twins! Each weighed over 6 pounds, and they did beautifully after delivery.

I was excited to head over to the hospital today to visit them and {of course} take a few pictures of the girls. I took Sandra's maternity pictures a few weeks back, and everyone kept commenting to me how amazing she looked for being 8 months pregnant with twins....well, in true form, Sandra looks radiant and beautiful even after having twins just hours prior. Not fair!

Congratulations again you guys, I can't wait to watch your sweet daughters grow!

To see a sneak peek of some of the pictures taken at the hospital today, see my photography blog HERE.

Sweet Valentines.

2010-02-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ah, young love!

What do you do when you want to see your girlfriend on valentines day, but you are only 2 years old?

A family/group date! :-)

Tyler and Allie spent their valentines afternoon with their families, picnicking in the gorgeous cool sunny weather {I would not want to live on the east coast if you paid me to! Picnicking in the park in the middle of winter?! That's right!!} and spending time together.

They took a romantic ride on the train....

Played a friendly game of soccer.....

And strolled hand in hand through the park {until Ty got too antsy, and decided to run away}

But that didn't bother Allie, she decided she wanted to walk with Uncle John anyway :-)

All in all, it was a great morning for the two little love birds. Ty even brought her a balloon and heart-shaped box of chocolates, like any true gentleman should.

Thanks Abram family, we love you guys!

Go Get Em' Uncle O'Neal!

2010-02-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you watched this weeks' episode of The Biggest Loser

{you better! }

Because this week Sunny and O'Neal kicked butt.

They both won individual challenges, and proved that they are a force to be reckoned with on that ranch!! John and I look forward to Tuesday nights so much...we eagerly wait to put the kids to bed, then we watch the show intently - savoring and soaking up every moment.

This week we were so excited to watch the challenge where the contestants had to race laps and use laser guns to shoot each others target, because you may not know this- but Uncle O'Neal is an EXPERT marksman. If there is anyone on earth that I would trust with a firearm in an emergency situation, it would be O'Neal. He was a paratrooper in the Army, and even wore the distinction of a green beret during his time. He has seen some scary stuff....probably more than he ever wants to talk about, but he came out of it a better man- and an amazing marksman. As a certified sniper for the US government, you do not want to mess with O'Neal! Oh, the poor boys that want to date SunShine! :-)

When we visited Minnesota a few summers ago, John and Uncle O'Neal convinced me to come along with them to the shooting range to try shooting for my first time. I am not a big gun fan- and I am very uncomfortable around them...but I couldn't have picked a better person to go and learn from, than O'Neal. He took his time to carefully teach us about proper handling and the proper way to stand and hold our arms. And he kept me calm and taught me how to focus and keep myself in the perfect stance when I shoot for the first time. My heart was pounding out of my chest, but I felt safe knowing that I trusted O'Neal completely, and that he would keep me safe.

We had so much fun that day- and in a weird way, it was a very cool bonding experience.

In fact, I actually enjoyed it so much that we went back the following year with Arece {O'Neal's son} , and this time, our group grew! Everyone in the family wanted to learn!

So when we saw that shooting was a challenge on this weeks' episode, we knew that O'Neal was in his comfort zone :-)
And in my usual fashion, I couldn't keep the tears from running down my face as I watched him win and celebrate his victory. Sunny and O'Neal got their moment to shine, and I can't imagine two more deserving people.

We love you guys!

Go Team Yellow!!!!!

The Outtakes.

2010-02-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Something I am learning more and more about as I play with photography, is sometimes the "outtakes", the pictures that I usually think are pointless, end up being the best.

Sure you may not frame them or use them in a future wedding montage {actually, some people might!} but they are the ones that make you laugh the most. They bring out the honesty and the true personality of the person. In most cases, kids look their most authentic selves in those goofy pictures that we erase too quickly off the camera.

Someone once made a comment to me that I am so lucky to have kids who love the camera. After all, all the pictures I post of them and frame in our home, are gorgeous pictures of the kids in perfect lighting, perfect smiles and perfect composition. But boy do I have you all fooled!! Like any 4 and 2 year olds, my kids would much rather twirl, run, make silly faces and ignore the camera altogether. But there are those rare moments when I see their little faces soften and hold still just long enough to snap a picture. And trust me, my shutter speed is fast. It has to be.

And especially when we have photographers take pictures of our family, the kids morph into these little tasmanian devils that usually go out of their way to make the poor photographers job especially hard!

So here are a few "outtakes" that I have found that just crack me up:

Ah yes- classic Bella.

I'm trying to smile, John is trying to keep Ty from running, and Bella has decided to flash the camera. Perfect family portrait.

Here's another classic: Trying to get the cousins to pose for a picture. Lexi is bawling and wants nothing to do with it, Nolan is off in his own world smiling, and Marley and Bella can't stop looking at each other and talking.

And yet another way to show the grown-ups that you are done with pictures : pick your nose with both fingers.

And this is what I call "The Over-Smile"

....because sometimes a simple smile just isn't enough.

And this picture is just plain hilarious.

Judging by the look on Tyler's face, he is totally embarrassed by his sisters' hair.

You see?

Family-of-perfect-pictures we are not.

But we sure do have a ton of good embarrassing pictures to use during their teenage years!

You just won't see any of these framed as 8x10's :-)

Another On The Way......

2010-02-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yep. Another little one will be gracing our group of girlfriends!

No, it's not Jessica. {That would give you a heart attack right about now, right Jess?! :-) }

It's AMANDA!

Her and her sweet hubby are letting people in on the secret, so I'm allowed to tell people, and I pretty much want to scream it from the rooftops. For some reason, I am sooooo excited for them to have a little baby. She's just one of those women that I can't wait to see be a new mom!

She's hilarious, honest, bubbly....and completely new to the world of pregnancy and babies- which will make this a very fun experience for all of us :-)

Man, between us 6 girlfriends, we have 9 kids.

Nine.

And the oldest is my sweet Bella who is only 4 years old!

Talk about a crazy brood of kiddos!

Like I said before, there is something seriously contagious in whatever we are drinking at our usual Starbucks on Tuesday nights.

We may need to find a new coffee shop :-).

Still Exploring....

2010-02-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that I see everything differently now. I used to pass by things without a second thought- but now I view everything through the lens of camera...and judge it on whether or not that would make a good picture spot.I just recently discovered a new overgrown field that I love {I blogged about it on the photography site} and then I found another fun little place!

The other night we were out running errands as a family, and we passed an area that I had never given a second glance before. But this time, I noticed the perfect rolling land, and the view of mountains in the background. So last night we took the kids out to the park to play and we stopped by this new discovery of mine. Trust me, I would have walked by this place a hundred times before and not even thought twice. But last night- I saw it's potential.

So we set the kids free, and I tried to capture this new place.

{Tyler had his own agenda, and did not like me following him around with my camera...as usual. But Bella humored me for a few minutes :-) }

And thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of me trying out photography! I have booked quite a few sessions for this month, and I'm so excited about it!

***And on another note- don't forget to watch Biggest Loser tonight!!! The yellow team makes their comeback....and we can't wait to see it!........***

My Budding Artist

2010-02-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have a little cupboard in our office where I keep a stash of all the cute things the kids make. I'm on the hunt for a cute, vintage treasure chest for each of them, so that I can store up all their childhood "creations", but for now, it's just in a cupboard.

Ever since Bella started going to preschool, I have been able to add volumes to my little collection. Sometimes John and I laugh at the cute explanations she has for all her drawings- and sometimes we are amazed to see what she sees through her eyes.

Lately, she's been on a big kick of drawing our family. One of the most recent drawings just melted my heart, so I had to share it.

Bella's on the far left, then myself, then John and then Tyler.

Notice how she made me have long curly hair, and she gave herself short curly hair, just like mine. Bella also pointed out to me that her and I are holding hands, and she is holding a flower in her other hand that she picked for daddy. I was cracking up when I saw how she drew John and Tyler to look just like each other. She used the same colors and everything, but John is just much bigger :-) Then, with her adorable writing- she wrote, mom loves Bella {with a heart for "loves"} and Ty & Dad with a heart up at the top.

Ugh! How adorable is that?!!!!

I just love being their mom! A day never goes by where I don't laugh :-)

And for the record- that's a butterfly in the center of the picture. I made the mistake of asking if it was an airplane. Oops.

2010-01-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Soooooo.....I'm actually putting it out there.

I remember when I was in high school, I really loved to write.

I actually didn't mind essays and reflective papers....I dare say I even enjoyed them.

One day, a certain English teacher pulled me aside and told me I had a great talent, and that my writing was actually good. I walked away with this feeling of immense pride, but almost felt embarrassed because I suddenly realized that I was quite shy when it came to actually discussing my writing.

Fast forward to now, and that is exactly where I sit with my enjoyment for photography. It was intriguing when we got our first "fancy" camera, and even more fascinating to me as the years went by and I starting learning more and enjoying it more. Then, I ventured outside of taking pictures of my own family, to taking pictures of our friends' families, and so on. However, I still remained to have the same hesitation with photography as I did with writing...secretly loving it, but hesitant to share it with others.

I started thinking- what would I say to Bella or Tyler if they came to me and told me about some hobby or sport or talent that they were really excited about? I would encourage it of course! I would tell them to pursue it and see where it went!

And as I began to pursue this hobby of mine, I have discovered that I love using that creative side of my brain. I love that I can be a good wife and mom to my family, a good nurse at work, and a good friend- but also have a creative and outlet that is just for me.

And I'm excited to use my hobby to bless others!

So, I've started my own photography blog to help me in "putting it out there". I still feel like that young girl in high school who would rather keep this to myself out of fear that I won't be good enough, or that a compliment might just embarrass me. Not to mention the fact that I loooove the work of some local photographers around here...I've even been a client of such rock-star photographers....heaven forbid they see my humble little blog! It's like I'm a freshman walking into Varsity tryouts.

So here I go. I'm trying out.

Even if I do just get stuck on the freshman team.

Wish me luck!

www.briandersonphotos.com

I'm Back!

2010-01-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the time between posts- it's been a busy time around the Anderson household. We recently went to visit my parents in San Diego {our home away from home it seems}, and had such a good time relaxing and spoiling the kids with fun things to do. We were pretty shut in from the bad weather the first day, so we had to be creative with our activities.

Grandma and Bella spent some time making delicious cookies for everyone...but I think Bella had more fun just rubbing her hands in the piles of flour :-)

Isn't this the cutest picture of Bella with Grandma and Papa? Such genuine laughter, it cracks me up.

Finally it cleared, and we decided to head out for some fun activities-

We spent some time in La Jolla, and took the kids to see Seal Beach and the aquarium.

Yes, those are seals laying around- Bella thought it was cool, but Ty was less enthused. Go figure.

The best part about hanging around Grandma and Papa's house is getting to see the kids wrestle, snuggle and play with them. It just warms my heart!!

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to see my adorably pregnant cousin Lindsay, and take her out for some fun maternity shopping! It's a tradition among the women in our family, that whoever is pregnant- we spoil them by taking them out for a maternity shopping spree followed by going out for food! Lindsay looked gorgeous in everything she tried on, and it was so fun for me to share this moment with her because we have been so extremely close since the time we were little toddlers running around together. I can't wait to do your maternity pictures Linds!! :-)

Is that a little baby bump I see?! :-)

And lastly, I'll leave you with a pretty picture I took of my parents one evening.

Thanks mom and dad for everything! We love you so much.

A Date With My Daughter

2010-01-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, it's good for Bella and I to get away for some "girl time".

She is quickly becoming this little girl who is growing up too fast. I still see her as my baby...my first-born.....my sweet tiny Bella. But with each day, she is changing.

So we left the boys at home, got dressed up in a beautiful princess dress {not me- mind you. Just her} and went out for an evening together to see Disney on Ice.

Since John and I have taken Bella to these types of shows before, I knew what was about to happen. She would see all the bags of cotton candy, tall Disney cups of snow cones, see the sparkly wands and featured trinkets, and beg for all of them. Whoever puts together these events know exactly what they are doing. What parent wouldn't feel terrible saying 'no'? So this time, I was prepared. I packed us a bag of candy at home and we ate a big dinner so that she would {hopefully} be full. As we left, John reminded me to "stay strong" when Bella sees all the souvenirs.

But I'm weak.

We headed to our seats, and Bella spotted a sparkly Ariel wand that lit up and played music. She jumped and begged....what could I do? A girl has to have a sparkly wand, right?!

So now she does :-)

We enjoyed watching performances by Ariel, Tinkerbell, The Lion King and Cars, while munching on our candy and playing with her new wand.

Despite having her own seat, she spent most of the performance on my lap, snuggling with me and gasping and smiling at me when a new character came out onto the ice.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

I Have Inspiring Friends :-)

2010-01-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

This morning I was able to help enjoy and celebrate the talents of two inspiring women.

I started the morning by attending church at Scottsdale Bible North, where my close friend Amanda attends. I've mentioned her before on this blog- but to brag even further, she is a multi-taleneted, multi-faceted woman in so many ways. One of her passions {and greatest talents!} is for singing. The last time she performed a solo at her church, I had to go out of town. So this time I didn't want to miss it! Well, she was fabulous. She has heart and passion in her voice, and she led a beautiful worship song for everyone to enjoy. I could never get up on stage and sing {plus, you wouldn't want me to. Trust me} So thank you Amanda for inviting me to come this morning, and I was so proud of how beautifully you did!

Then after watching Amanda, I rushed back to the house so John and I could pack up the kids and head out to the Rock N' Roll Marathon to cheer on our friend Christy! Christy and John have known each other since grade school, and her husband was one of John's best friends' growing up. I met Christy in college, and she is just the sweetest thing :-) Her and I were pregnant together {delivered only a few weeks apart} with our boys Tyler and Oliver...and then Christy welcomed another son just 18 months later, Wesley.

YES- that's right...she has a 7 month old, and she ran a half-marathon today! Puts me to shame, let me tell you. So John helped me plot out the marathon map, and we timed it perfectly because we were able to stop and see her at two viewing points during the race.

That arm you see above is me trying to point out Christy for the camera. She is the one in long black pants and a light pink tank top. It is so crowded there, and hard to take a picture of a moving target- but we did our best.

Yay! Thumbs up for Christy!! You looked great out there and we were so excited to cheer you on!!

There is something about seeing runners nearing the finish line that actually gets me choked up. It's such an amazing accomplishment- and I was truly inspired to see her out there doing something so awesome.

Congrats girls! I am so proud of you both!!

Robin Hood?

2010-01-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am so confused.

Last night I took Bella out for a special mother/daughter date to see Disney On Ice {I'll post about that later}, and when I reached into my wallet to pay for parking at the arena, I noticed some cash in my wallet. Figuring it was my wonderful husband who must have put some extra cash in my wallet- I didn't think anything of it.

When I got home later in the evening, I thanked him for putting cash in there- but he said he hadn't! "What the heck?" I thought.

So I opened my wallet, and counted what was in there......and I KNOW I did not put that there myself. I can count the number of times I have gotten cash out of the ATM in the past few months, on one hand. I rarely ever carry cash....unless we are on vacation, or I'm going somewhere where I know I'll need it. Without disclosing the amount that I found in there....I can say that I definitely did not take out any cash in that amount recently.

I racked my brain thinking about where I had been this past week....but everywhere I went, I've left my purse in the car because I didn't need it. And really, I've barely left the house this week because I have been so busy with the kids and editing photos. I thought maybe it was Emily {since she still owes me money....*ahem*}, but she swears it wasn't her. And I believe her, because if it was her, she would definitely take the credit :-)

So where did this come from? Am I losing my mind?

What's next? Will I find jewels under my pillow or a new car in my garage??

I just had to share this story because I'm totally perplexed, and I'm getting quite the kick out of the thought of some modern-day Robin Hood secretly handing out money to people.

Thoughts???!!