Halloween 2011

Kloe's preschool class went to Pumkinland on a field trip

Every Halloween we go on the haunted train ride in Lindon.  This is a family tradition we look forward to every year.  Its a little train ride that goes around someones yard with a ton of Halloween scenes and music all around you.

                                              Having fun at the ward Halloween party!

What a scary group of kids.  Getting ready for some trick or treating down American Fork Main Street.

What good friends!

8 weeks to a better you!

A few weeks ago I started an 8 week challenge with a group of people from my neighborhood.  There are 10 things you need to do every day.  You get a point for each one you do for a maximum total of 10 pts a day.  Whoever has the most points at the end of the 8 week wins money. It has been hard but  I'm doing a lot better then I thought.  So far I have a perfect score, but we will see how long that will last.

Here are the 10 daily things
1.  Exercise 45 minutes a day
2.  No eating after 8 pm
3.  Get at least 7 hours of sleep
4.  Drink 64 oz of water a day
5.  No sugar or white flour
6.  No soda, fast food, or junk food
7.  Eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables a day
8.  Write in your journal everyday.  (this is why I started blogging again)
9.  Complete at least 15 minutes of uplifting reading or scripture study
10.  Complete an act of service or a random act of kindness.

Summer Fun!

Summer, as always, flew by way too fast. We started off with baseball, baseball, and more baseball.  Between games and practice we had baseball every night of the week for the whole month of June.  Since dad works evenings it was me and the girls cheering them on.  We also spent many days in water; either at our pool, Seven Peaks, or running through the sprinklers, we did anything to stay cool.  It was a hot summer (second hottest in Utah ever recorded), so water was a necessity.

At the end of June we met up with Lisa, Lindsey, Brittney, my Mom, Aunt Diane, Melissa, and my Grandma  in Mesquite,NV at the Casa Blanca Hotel.  The cousins had so much fun playing together in the pool and hotel rooms.  Thye have a water slide that was the hit of the trip.  We spent all day at the pool going down the slide.  Also it was the first time for baby Wyatt, Sophie, Avery, and McKinley to all meet. Lets just say we caused quite a scene everywhere we went with 4 newborns and 8 kids under 9.

We also did our annual trip to Cherry Hill.  Once again the kids had fun with their cousins.  We went to the waterpark one day, Rob's house to swim a day, and the children's museum at the Gateway another day.  It was an extremely hot and our campsite was full of bees and apples, so next year we decide if we go again it needs to not be in August and we need a different campsite.  Plus, Kloe got bit by a spider that left a nasty mark the size of a baseball, if not bigger.

In August we went to Lagoon for the first time.  Adam's company had a party there and paid for all their employees to go and an all you can eat BBQ for dinner.  It was amazingly fun.  We didn't realize how much of and adrenalin junky kloe is.  She wanted to go on everything.  We even snicked her on The Bat.  Her favorite ride was Bombora were she would hold her hands up the whole time.   The boys and Dad's favorite was Wicked and my favorite was The Colossus.  It was such an amazing day that we had to take advantage of the bounce back and went again with Aunt Brittney, Sophie, Rob, Raelene, Zach, Tyler, and Abigail.  Dad couldn't come this time, but it was still a blast!

Like I said, summer went by way too fast.  We had tons of fun though.  Now time for another school year!

McKinley Mae Anderson

Here is the delivery story of our beautiful baby girl.  I was due May 1 and planning on being induce May 5 since I knew I wouldn't go into labor on my own, let alone early.  Plus, I was teaching school and had to prepare my students to take the CTE exam and the testing window didn't open until May 2.  I had been having lots of painful contractions all week but they were only 8 minutes apart.  I didn't want to go in until they were closer together and l was contemplating death because they were so painful. After not sleeping for three days (since the pain was so intense) and LOTS of family and friends telling me to go in I decided on April 28 I would appease everyone and go into the hospital.  The whole way there I was telling Adam that this is stupid.  They are just going to send me home because I'm not in active labor.  We even stopped at In-N-Out to eat dinner on the way down.  (By the way it was prom night for my students) We got to the hospital about 6:30 and the nurse who checked me in thought I was crazy because I walked in all calm and said I think I'm in labor.  They took me into a room and  the nurse checked me to see how dilated i was  Earlier that week I was dilated to a 2 so i was hoping maybe a 3.  Much to our surprise I was 5 cm and supposedly in active labor.  So they emitted me and broke my water at 7.  At 9:30 my mom came and about 10 I got my epidural.  However, with the full amount of pitocin in me I was only dilated to a 6 at 11:45 when they checked me.  That didn't last long though.  By 12:45 I was fully dilated and ready to push.  I only pushed once and out came Beautiful McKinley Mae weighing in at 8lbs 4oz!  My first thought was she looks just like Kloe and that she wasn't that big.  (They were estimating her to be 10 lbs)  I remember saying, "she's tiny!" and the nurse thought I was crazy, but to me an 8 pound baby was small.  I am so happy to have her in our family.  She is such a joy to have in our home.  I always tell everyone that she is the most popular thing in the Anderson home and we just can't get enough of her.

Before and after

A new baby sister was welcomed by all

Sophie and McKinley meet for the first time on earth!

I'M BACK!

I am doing an 8 weeks to a better you challenge and one of the tasks is to journal every day.  So, after three years of not blogging, I decide it is time.  Now WHERE TO BEGIN...

Lets go back three years years to fall 2009. Life was good. Adam was working and MIS and I was staying home with the kids. Kaden started kindergarten at Greenwood Elementary and Kyle was attending Funshine Preschool at the P.G. Rec Center. Kloe had her first birthday and was as rough and crazy as her brothers.  She loved to play anything superheros and her favorite was Bumblebee from Transformers.

In Fall 2010 I decided to take a position teaching 1/2 day kindergarten at Meadow Elementary.  I brought Kaden and Kyle with me to the school where Kaden had Miss Monson and Kyle had Mrs. Kendall.  I enjoyed teaching with my kids at the same school as me, especially having Kyle in kindergarten.  Everything was going great.  We had our home up for sale and was looking to by a house in the area.  However, that December everything changed.  Adam lost his job at MIS and life threw us some curveballs.  I learned a lot during this time of trial. I grew a lot closer to my Heavenly Father and was completely dependent on him.  I had never experienced such difficulties and needed the Lords hand in my life as much as I did then.  I grew to love and appreciate him in a way I never had imagined. I never realized how much you can learn and grow from trials in life as I did during this time.

After much prayer and fasting Adam decide in the summer of 2011 to attend the police academy. He started in June and graduated in December. We are so proud of him and this accomplishment.  The summer was kind of a challenge since Adam was gone every night and all day on Saturday (and I was primary president) but we still found time do do our summer traditions.  In May we went down to St George for a family reunion with my family.  We stayed in a beautiful home with a swimming pool where all the cousins could run wild and have fun together.  We also went to Cherry Hill, which is heaven on earth for my children, for cousins camp.  We had the pass of all passes so we spent many days at Seven Peaks and nights at the Owlz games.  Like usual we weren't home much because we were out having fun somewhere.

Fall rolled around and life changed real fast.  I decided to take a teaching position at Timpanogos High School teaching Early Childhood Education.  This was the best situation possible for our family.  I only taught every other day for 2 periods and I got to bring Kloe with me.  She attended the onsite preschool while I taught.  The night before school started we found out that we were expecting BABY # 4!  We were so excited and a bit overwhelmed. Kaden and Kyle were still attending Meadow  where Kyle now had Miss Monson (who became Mrs. Barton) and Kaden had Mrs. Sorenson.

After Adam graduated from the academy he applied for police officer positions EVERYWHERE! This was a challenging/exciting time in our lives.  We had so many mixed emotions and decisions to make.  We had to put a lot of faith in out Father in Heaven to guide us where we needed to go. In May Adam accepted a job at Nature's Sunshine were he is currently working now.  It's a great company and he had good potential to move up quick. We will have to see what comes of it.

April 29, 2012 McKinley Mae joined our family.  She was born at 12:52 a.m. at Utah Valley Regional Hospital in Provo, Utah. We have loved every minute spent with her since she has been born.  She brings a joy to our home that we couldn't live without.  After about a week, I went back to school to finish out the year while dad stayed home with our new bundle of joy.

As you can see life has been crazy but fun.  I have so much to be grateful for and have seen the Lords hand in many ways help me and my family.

More Family Pictures

Two weeks ago we went down to Cedar City to visit family and take a cousin picture since Ciera was in town. Once again Ciera did an outstanding job. You can only imagine how hard it is to take a picture of10 kids under 6 years of age. I think we got some cute ones showing lots of their little personalities.

Family Pictures

Adam's sister Ciera was down from Washington last week and she takes amazing pictures. While she was here she took some of our family. It was kind of a last minute thing but they turned out awesome. Check them our on her blog at http://pixiedustphoto.blogspot.com

The Big Yellow Bus!

I wanted to wait a few days to let Kaden ride the bus but he was too excited, so he rode it the next day. It's fun watching him get on and off everyday. We always have a big bus fan club made up of many toddlers and preschoolers who are fascinated with the big yellow mode of transportation. Kaden was a pro. He knew exactly what to do and didn't even need me there, even though I was there the whole way to and from school. Once again he is too grown up.

Kaden's First Day of Kindergarten

I can't believe my little Kaden is now in Kindergarten. Even more, I can't believe that I am a kindergarten parent. I am so proud of how well he is doing. He is learning so much and is a great listener. I have helped a little in the classroom and he is very well behaved. Amazing huh! I love and hate how grown up he is.

Kaden and his best bud are in the same class even though their teacher was warned. They sure are cute little trouble makers. Here they are showing off their new backpacks.

Gateway Children's Museum

In August we went with some neighborhood friends to the children's museum again. I love this place. My kids can be entertained for hours and all I have to do is watch. I also love how their is something fun for all ages, including adults.