Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas Party


Every year my friend Emily puts together a great party for our high school friends. This year we did a pot luck at Heritage Gardens. I always love coming back here, reminds me of my wedding day. I walked down these very stairs to get married. We had a great time.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas 2009

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas. Seeing the kids see the tree with all the presents was priceless. It was Drews first Christmas, and so it was extra special. The kids all got what they had wanted and a few extras. The favorite present was the singing machine. They all played with it all day.

Sage opening presents

Drews very first Christmas was amazing. He was so cute and LOVED the paper and boxes. Having a baby in the family really brought a lot of excitement this year.
It was SO much funny helping baby Drew open his presents. There is nothing like a "first Christmas".

Oh I love him



Aspen LOVED everything she got. She kept saying she wanted to write Santa to say thank you.

Grandma and Grandpa came over around noon to bring the kids presents from them. They had just finished opening presents from mom, dad and Santa. But we didnt have to twist there legs to open more.
They would have been happy if all they got for Christmas was the singing machine. It was such a hit. They sang some songs for their grandparents.
After we opened presents at home, we went to my grandmas house. It was so much fun. Just like old times. All my cousins and Aunts that Im so close to came. I just kept feeling like I was in Heaven.
Grandma Lorna and Baby Drew

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve

We had our Anderson Christmas Eve party at Ed and Lornas. We did our traditional dinner, soup in bread bowls with bread pudding for dessert. Yummy!! Lorna bought costumes this year for the play and the kids were really excited all day for it. They did a great job. Drew was baby Jesus, Raegan was Mary, and Sage was Joseph. Drew sad in the basket the whole time smiling and giggling. He knew he had the star roll and everyone was laughing at him. He LOVED the attention.

I snapped this picture of Grandpa during the play. I had a ton of fun trying to fiqure out my new camera.
Aspen sat on Hayleys lap while Ed spoke and Aunt Tasha sang. She sings every year and it is something very special that I always look forward to.
Nate and Drew
I was hoping to catch Ed in this picture so I would have Drew with his Daddy and Grandpas. But at least I got this picture.
Drews very first Christmas toy. Jeff and Leslie gave it to him, he laughed and laughed at it.

Christmas Eve always seems magical to me. Its is almost as if you can reach out and just grab the spirit. Every one seems to feel it in the air and I am always a bit misty eyed. It was a GREAT party and we had a lot of fun. We always focus on the Savior and have a wonderful time doing it with songs, the play, and testimonies.

Monday, August 3, 2009

The things they say..

I can not explain the cutest, most tender moment I had with Aspen a few days ago and give it justice. It was evening time and I was in my room. Aspen walked in and looked at me with her big beautiful eyes with such an intense look on her face. She said "Mommy will you come help me pray to Jesus?" I just wanted to die. She was so serious and really wanted to talk with him. I scooped her up in my arms and said "Yes, of course I will help you pray to Jesus." And what a beautiful prayer it was. I love children. They are so pure in there love and faith. They have total and complete trust and are so Innocent. One of my favorite moments!

It was so funny about a month ago. I had been super busy and was trying to adjust to life as a mother of four. We were in the TV room and Aspen said "Mom thank you so so much for all you do for us. You take us to Snowbird, you do our hair, you feed us, take us swimming, play with us. You need a break, you do to much. You can take the year off". I was laughing so hard. The way she was fluctuating her voice was hilarious. I love that there are those brief moments that my kids appreciate me.

Aspen told me she needed her miracle....she needed her Leapster to reapear. I wish that's what I wanted for my miracle.

Aspens Birthday is next week. Its on a Sunday and we are trying to plan her party. I asked her if she wanted to have a family barbecue. She screamed and said "No way mom, I want to keep the Holly Commandments." I am so happy keeping the Sabbath is important to her and had to explain that would be OK.

McKenna has always had her really cute moments of saying funny things. We were at the pool awhile ago and she said "Mom I LOVE going down the slide. I love going on my tummy and playing in the water and talking to myself." I was laughing and said "What do you say to yourself?" She said "I say McKenna is sweet, McKenna is kind, McKenna means happiness." Wow, wish we all felt that way about our selves and had our own little pep talks.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Our yellow baby

Surprise Drew has Jaundice. I don't know what it is, but everyone of my babies gets it. You would think I would be used to it. But I cry every time. Drew however had it the very worst. When we left the hospital they told me to go to my pediatricians the next day. I did and she called me and said It was up to me to put him on light therapy. Her advice was to hold off and wait one more day. So what do you do? Follow your doctors advice and wait one more day for it to maybe get better, but maybe get worse. Against my better judgment I followed her advice. The following day I went in again for more blood to be drawn. I immediately got a call letting me know that Drews levels had sky rocketed and were in the very dangerous levels. If it did not go down one point quickly we would be getting blood transfusions. I was not loving my doctor at this point. The IHC man was quickly at my door teaching me how to use the light bed and light blanket. Usually they just use the blanket or the bed. But because of his high levels and the danger we were in, they double treated my little guy. I was so scared. I had to go back twelve hours later to get him checked. Needless to say, the longest twelve hours ever. But to my great relief his levels dropped two points. YES!! So we kept him on for one more day. I was so tired of getting his heal pricked and the many trips to the hospital. He had a total of six pricks. Poor baby. But of course being Jaundice they are so sleepy, so he never even knew they pricked him. Thank goodness.




See how different his skin color is than mine.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Drews first few days...

McKenna and Sage wanted their pictures taken with Drew sleeping. We are all loving him so much. I thought I would have a hard time coming home to four kids all needing me. To my surprise I am doing so well. The kids are SO careful with him and are so helpful. Aspen is always asking what she can do for me. She is my runner. If I need water, a burp cloth, diaper, or anything I ask her.
I was worried about Bodie. I didn't know how he would act. He is super protective and knows the baby is part of the pack. He guards him and has gotten a bit more aggressive to anyone who is not our family. Not that a five pound dog could do anything, but he sure tries to protect his pack.




I am so happy Drew is so good. He NEVER cries. He makes a grunting noise to let me know he is hungry. He is doing great at night. He sleeps four to five hours and wakes to nurse, but goes right back to bed.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Coming home...

McKenna and Aspen could not contain their excitment! They were SO excited to show Drew his new home. They kept telling me all the things they wanted to show him. I was so nervous to drive home. We had two cars at the hospital because I had driven myself there. I'm sure everyone on the road was frustrated with me. Its funny how that first time driving with a new baby, your so careful. The kids kept yelling at me to drive faster. Pretty funny.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

One day old

I have been amazed at how calm and relaxed Drew is. There is nothing like the first few hours and days with your new baby. I feel I can sense what a strong wonderful person he is going to be. Through out my pregnancy I had many priesthood blessings. They all made me feel the same. That everything would be ok and Drew has a very special mission here. I know that he does and can not wait to see the impact he has on people for the good. He is so special. He is like a little light and just warms me.





Monday, May 25, 2009

Welcoming Baby Drew...

Drew Jerome Anderson is finally here. I can't believe it. This was the LONGEST pregnancy ever. We have all waited so long for him to come. I am so happy everything went so well and he is so healthy. Nate was working the night shift and I was home with the kids. About two in the morning I woke up and was having really bad back pain. My brother does a paper route in the night so I have gotten really used to calling and talking to him through this pregnancy. It seems I never could sleep due to stress and just being sick and uncomfortable. So I called him and told him my back was really really hurting. I thought I might be in labor. We talked for an hour and the pain never let up. He was laughing at me and didn't think it was labor because I was talking just fine and not really suffering. I decided to go clean out Aspens room. It was now three in the morning. I cleaned her room for an hour. The pain was not going away. I could not time my contractions because they seemed to just be constant. I called the nurse at the hospital. She thought I was fine too. I called my brother back and said "Ok I can't do this I think I'm going to go in." I couldn't call Nate because were not supposed to call out there unless an emergency. Well this kind of was one but I didn't even know the number. I figured I would go in and they would send me home. I have never been early like this before. Drew was not due for three more weeks. Well I called my mom and she came down to watch the kids for me. It was about five when she showed up. Then I drove myself to the hospital. When I got there, the nurse asked who was with me. I told her I drove myself. She said "well either your crazy or really not in labor." They hooked me up and there it was. My contractions were every two to three minutes apart and lasting one minute. Ouch is right. The pain was all in my back because Drew was posterior. At this time it was now six thirty in the morning. Nate was driving home from work so I called him. He came right to the hospital. It was a perfect day. I had wonderful nurses. Nate was tired so he laid on the pretend couch and slept and got a good nap. It was Memorial Day and no one had appointments to be induced. And no one else was in labor. So it was just me in the hospital delivering. It made it so nice. No one was in a hurry and my doctor came and hung out and kept checking on me. This was my longest labor, but it was great. The nurse I had does not like giving to much medicine to make you go to quickly. The doctor did not like her for it. She was cute to me but argued with the nurse. She told her to give me more and the nurse would come in and say "The doctor want me to up your meds but I don't believe in it. I think its better for the baby to come at his speed not ours." Well at Two in the afternoon he was ready to come. They got me all ready and i pushed four times and by Two ten he was out. I could give birth everyday. He was so beautiful and perfect. They let me nurse him right away. Then Nate got to give him his first bath and everything. It was perfect. He couldn't have come on a better day.
Through out my pregnancy I really felt my Grandpa with me. Seeing how Drew was born on Memorial day, we gave him the name Jerome because it was my Grandpas middle name and my uncle who passed aways middle name as well. It seemed so fitting.
Drew was six pounds six ounces and nineteen inches long.





Our family is now a family of six. Three girls and three boys, perfect!

Apen was SO excited. She was so great with him. She didn't need any help holding him. I hope these two become as close as Sage and McKenna.

It was SO cute when McKenna came to the hospital. She saw the two bulbs used for suctioning out the fluid from the baby and said "Oh look mom the baby has merocas". It was darling. We laughed and laughed.
Sage has waited so long for a brother. His primary teacher just told me that a few years ago he told her that when he is eight his mom will give him a brother. I never knew he said that then. I quess he just knew because he was right.

The Holidays, fostering, college, mission, and trips

 The Holidays are approaching fast, and here we are again facing them with 4 extra precious girls. I have been pretty emotional the last two...