Greetings From Yosemite Lodge...

(I didn't take that picture--but that is pretty much what I see out the window right now.)

It is lovely up here--really lovely.

We decided to extend our winter break by a couple of days and go up to Yosemite for some snow fun.

There was quite a bit of stress in making the decision to come up here (and even more stress in getting here...). You see, our family has been feeling kind of financially strapped for the last several months. Nothing drastic, all of our basics are more than covered and we had a sweet little Christmas. But taking three days to stay in a hotel, play in the snow and eat all of our meals out--that took some saving.

I worried.

But now we are here, Will has taken Lorien, Wyatt and Clare up the mountain to ski. I stayed at the hotel with Adell and we had a nice walk around outside. She is napping now and I am all snug in bed with the heat turned up. Yosemite got a bunch of snow recently and all the trees are covered with frozen fluff. Today the sun is shining and much of the snow is dripping off the branches or falling in silver flurries to the ground below. It is quiet and I am having a great time staring out the window.

It is lovely up here--really lovely.

Merry Christmas...

Guess who forgot to take a single picture of our Christmas morning this year?

Me (and Will).

With or without pictures, we had a wonderful Christmas and hope you did too.

Soooooo Excited!

I think Christmas Eve is better than Christmas Day.

I love how excited the kids get. Wyatt has been bouncing off the walls all day--literally bouncing off the walls. He hops around muttering: "It's Christmas Eve, it's Christmas Eve, it's Christmas Eve!" I remember that feeling--the anticipation almost makes you sick. Clare has told me several times she thinks she is going to spit-up.

I love the nightly prep for the big day. We read or act out the story of Christ's birth. We play games or put together a puzzle all while grazing the snacks spread on the table. We track Santa's progress via NORAD on the computer. Will and I stay up late finishing the last of the wrapping. I always go to bed with a sore back but so excited for the next morning.

This year I am super excited for Adell. We've had a few presents under the tree for a couple of weeks. She has been distantly curious about them. Mostly she just wants to pull them out and squish the bows stuck on top. She has nooooooooooooooo idea she can unwrap them. She is going to be so psyched when she figures it out tomorrow morning.

I cannot wait.

I hope you and yours are excited for Christmas tomorrow! And I wish you a very merry Christmas!

Oh--look what was standing at one of the busiest intersections of my town last week.

Can you see that? Let me zoom in.

Yep, it's a donkey--waiting to cross the road.

Merry Christmas!

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

The wind is whipping and the rain is pouring--downed palm fronds are every where and some roads have become lakes. We are experiencing an official "Winter Storm" in California. I am thankful that it is Sunday and Will does not have to drive to and from work. I am thankful we have a cozy apartment to keep us warm and dry. Most of all, I am thankful my kids are resourceful in finding indoor entertainment.

Except for Adell, whose indoor entertainment seems to require mess making.

Is It December Already?

I've been nursing a head cold for all of December. The cold isn't so bad that I can demand Will stay home from work. But my head hurts and I cannot focus on all the things calling for my attention (you can imagine how clean my house is right now). Will has been sick too so I am pretty sure if he stayed home he would put himself to bed for the day.

Really, I just want my Mom to be here. I want her to make my bed with clean sheets while I sit in my bedroom chair and complain about all the stuff I'm not getting done. Then I want to climb into the cool, crisp sheets--smelling that strange but familiar smell from the linen closet--and take a nap for three days.

Despite having a sick Mom and Dad we have managed to spread some "Merry" around our home. The Christmas tree is up (we went to Home Depot and grabbed a tree with out even opening up the twine to make sure it was whole...) the "Measuring Tree" is up, the kids made ginger bread houses, we've crafted letters to Santa, and the stocking are hung by the window with care.

On Thursday this past week I attended two "Holiday Sings" at the kids school. I really didn't want to do this. I was feeling particularly crappy the night before and Adell was up in the night. Thursday morning while the kids were eating their cold cereal I led with: "I have some bad news about your Holiday Sing." Instantly their faces fell. I tried to strengthen my argument by playing the "Adell will need a nap" card. Lorien put on a brave face, nodding agreement while her eyes filled with tears. Wyatt just looked at me in disbelief.

The whole scene will be a great addition to the clip reel when I accept my Mother-of-the-year award. Finally, I said I would try to come but I couldn't promise any thing.

I went. It was a pain in the butt--BUT--I went. Boy, oh boy am I ever glad I did. Wyatt sang "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" (beaming at me the whole time) and Lorien got to play the glockenspiel for one of the Hanukkah songs. Every parent was there sitting with their kids, singing and smiling.

It was an important day.

I'd post a video or two but then you'd have to listen to me singing, which is pretty bad on a regular day but give me a cold and you get a sound that would make an alley cat jealous.

Any way, I am glad the Holidays are here. I love this time of year--craziness and all. Hopefully, I'll kick this cold soon and all will be right in my crazy world.

Thankful...

I am thankful for (in no particular order):

My Family, School, Forgiveness

My Husband, Good Friends, Babies

Our Home, Will's job, Cars

Healthy Kids, Solar Panels, Computers

Food, Food, Food, Piano lessons, Movie nights

Sleep, Beautiful weather of every sort, The scriptures

Jesus Christ, Chocolate, Modern amenities

Hard work, Making mistakes, Primary

and so, so, so much more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Baby...

Having children makes me realize how short a year really is. In the weeks leading up to Adell's first birthday I spent some time flipping through pictures from exactly a year before.

Looking at myself all huge and pregnant, watching videos of my belly moving with alien-like independence and seeing pictures of my kids when I just had 3 to keep track of is crazy. That middle picture up there--that is the last picture I took of Lorien, Wyatt and Clare before I went to the hospital to have another baby.

My pregnancy with Adell was a pretty big surprise. We talked about having a fourth child and had decided it would be a good idea--some day. We started making a list of things that should happen before baby #4 could join our family. The list got longer and longer. I don't know if we ever would have checked every thing off. At long last, it took a serious laps in planning on my part and whoops--I was pregnant.

I found out just before we drove down to southern California to go to Disneyland for Clare's 3rd birthday. I had a brilliant plan for breaking the news to Will. I printed "Hey Babe I'm Pregnant" on a sheet of paper. I knew there were rides where your picture was automatically taken for keepsakes. My plan was to flash the paper at the picture point, buy a keepsake and surprise the heck out of my unsuspecting husband.

Brilliant, right?

I wish it would have worked out that way--but it didn't. Clare woke up puking the night before we were suppose to go to Disneyland and I ended up spilling the "I'm pregnant" beans with a heap of hormonal tears in my Aunt Colleen's guest bedroom.

Brilliant, right?

Meh--brilliant "I'm pregnant" reveals are way over rated.

The picture above is from a Disneyland trip a year after Clare's birthday trip. The note says: "I love you Will!"

Well one uneventful pregnancy later, we officially welcomed Adell Becci into our family.

She is a little dear and I will be forever grateful for the serious laps in planning on my part that kicked off this addition to our family.

Happy, happy birthday Adell.

His Two Front Teeth...

Wyatt lost his two front teeth last week (the Tooth Fairy still has not come for the second tooth--lazy fairy...). Adell's two front teeth appeared a couple of weeks ago.

They make a lovely pair.

Running The Birthday Gauntlet...

It is birthday season in the Anderson house.

Lorien and Wyatt on the 8th of November and Adell coming up on the 25th. Last year I decided we would alternate between "friend parties" and "family parties" every year. Last year I was as big as a house (pregnant and praying every day the baby would NOT be born on November 8th) and had no energy for birthday parties.

This year we had a friends-of-the-family party, a family party, a friend party for both kids and a celebration at school for each kid.

I never want to see a lit birthday candle again.

The parties were a hit and both Lorien and Wyatt had a great time. We stayed in within our planned budget--so Will had a great time too.

(At the friends-of-the-family party, the friends-of-the-family brought the cake and the presents...we just showed up. These same friends also bought solar panels from Will's company. Yhea, they are pretty awesome friends.)

Happy birthday my darlings. Please stop growing up. I cannot handle it.

Heaven Help Me Keep My Sanity...

I think my baby girl wakes up every morning with a stretch and a yawn thinking: "How can I drive Momma bonkers today?"

Between unraveling every roll of toilet paper in the house, dropping toys in the toilet and putting every thing she can get her hands on in her mouth--she keeps me pretty busy.

Good think she is super cute.