Anderson Reunion

This year for the Anderson Reunion, the family headed to Flaming Gorge for five days. We had so much fun!  We had lots of fun activities for the kids, fun games with the adults, lots of good food, and not enough sleep!  One day, Mitch and Marlin were kind enough to rent us all a boat, and it was so much fun! We all had a stick rodeo one night that was a blast!  And I won fastest overall time!

The girls right before we jumped off the cliff.  Those who know me won't believe that I jumped, but there's a first time for everything!  I was scared to death, and it took half the day, but I did it!
Lance swinging from the scary rope swing.

Parker thoroughly enjoyed his S'more!
The world's most adorable pirate!  Kayc took the kids on a pirate treasure hunt, and they all loved it!  
The cutest baby ever!
Kaeson and his wild hair.  He got so hot during his nap and his hair was dripping in sweat, and then Kaycee kept coming it back until it was dry, and this was the result.
The kids going on a dinosaur hunt.

We had an awesome weekend, and I am so excited for next year!  

Surprise Visitors

Last Wednesday, I was sitting on the couch folding laundry while both boys were napping, and I look out the front window and see my Lance, and my parents walking up the sidewalk.  I had no idea my parents were coming!  They let Lance in on the secret, so he picked them up from the airport on his way home from school, and there they were!  I couldn't believe it!  He had admitted there was some sort of surprise in store, but I had no clue it was going to be such an awesome surprise!

We didn't do anything too special while they were here, but I hope they had fun.  We sure did!  We went to the zoo, to Downs after Dark to see some races at Churchill Downs, shopped a little, went to Chuck E. Cheese, barbecued, and did a few fireworks!  

Parker loving being at the races.  It was Grandpa's idea, but I think Parker enjoyed it the most.

Playing dress up in the gift shop.

Grandma and Grandpa.  They are so cute!

Our little family.  

4th of July fireworks.  Parker didn't love them.  He was good with the sparklers, but he hated the noisy ones!

Grandma and Kaeson
Grandpa and Parker are into the races
This is Parker when we left the races!  He was not so thrilled!  He really liked watching them!
Watching  the race.
Grandpa and Kaeson.

Thanks so much for the awesome visit Grandma and Grandpa!  We are so glad you came!  Parker cried the whole way home from the airport because he didn't want you to leave!  You guys are the best!

Measuring a year

WARNING:  long, emotional post ahead!

Today marks the one year mark since we arrived here in Kentucky.  It is so hard to believe it's already been a year! This year has flown by, but a lot has happened in the last year as well.  I'm not sure I've ever been so scared in all my life as I was the day I drove into Louisville.  I was nervous, anxious, and terrified about what might lie ahead of us here.  

And now here we are a year later, and so much has happened.  We had our beautiful baby Kaeson here--and he is now nearly 10 months old!  We spent our first Thanksgiving as well as Easter without family.  Parker celebrated his 3rd birthday. I was given the most challenging church calling I ever been given!  We made lasting friendships; some of whom we are lucky enough to spend more time with, others who we miss dearly!  Lance survived his first year of dental school!!!

One of our first weeks at church in our ward here, the Relief Society lesson was on goal setting.  The teacher asked us to right down a few short term goals, long term goals, and steps and a timetable to reaching those goals.  At the time I just kept thinking about how hard the next four years here were going to be.  The only thing I wrote on that sheet of paper was "To learn to be happy here."  At the time it seemed like such a steep mountain to climb, and I fought back tears at the prospect enjoying life here!  Now I can look back at that day and laugh at how silly that goal seems today!

I feel so blessed to call Kentucky home right now. As I sit here righting this, I am getting a little teary eyed thinking of this past year and realizing how much I love it here!  As silly as it sounds, I truly feel like I have grown so much in the last year, and I know I have so much more to learn from our time here.  I have said it before, but I sincerely feel that the Lord sent Lance to school in Louisville for my benefit! We are surrounded by people here that teach me so much, and I pray that while I'm here I learn and grow all that I know I should.

We miss our family every day, and look forward to being closer to them someday, while at the same time hope that our time here doesn't go too quickly.  Thanks to all you who have made this such a great place to live!

Little of This, Little of That

Here are a few pictures of the kids lately. They are all pretty random.

Kaeson got haircut number 4 this week.  I went back to doing it myself, and I actually think this one turned out pretty good.  The picture makes it look bad, but it's not.

The popsicle worked wonders for keeping him still!

Parker jumping into the pool.  Good action photography, huh! He insists on having his regular clothes on instead of changing into his swim trunks!  He runs in a circle all around the yard, jumps into the pool, and then repeats the process about a thousand times.
Just a cute picture of my little baby!

Kaeson is biting his crib and scratching it like crazy, so here is my tacky solution to saving the crib!
Kaeson being a model in the swimming pool
It took him a while to get used to it, but once we got him in the pool, he LOVED it!
Parker and Ella!  He is going to love this picture someday!!!! 
Aren't they so cute!  

Splish Splash

We are so excited that summer is finally here!!!  It is already pretty hot here, and we have been having so much fun in the sun!  We tried swimming at Calypso Cove but realized their water is like ice, so we just swam in the indoor pool that day.  That was fun and good for Parker!  Thanks Ashley!  He has been pretty scared of the water lately, but that day he did really good in the pool, so I was glad we went. We have been to the splash park at the zoo a couple times in the last week, and have spent a couple days just splashing around in the backyard.  

Parker didn't love sliding down the slip n' slide, but he likes running through the water and playing in the pool of water at the end.
He loved when we put the tramp over the slip n' slide.  He was so excited because he says the water makes him jump higher!  I don't know why he thinks that, but it sure makes him happy.
We were at the splash park at the zoo for two hours on Monday, and he just ran in circles in this same corner of the park the whole time, but he was in heaven!  He loved this little spout, so he would stand, or sit on it for a few seconds, then run in a circle around the pool, and stand on the spout again the entire time!
Austin, Parker, and Paxton in front of the gorillas
Kaeson is not much of a fan of the splash park just yet.  Hopefully he starts to enjoy it more soon, cause we will be there a lot!

We've Moved...Again!

Our little apartment was getting too small for our family, so we have moved into a house!  We could not be more excited to have our own house and our own yard, and a little more space.  It's nothing fancy or big, but it's perfect for us!  Another dental school family was living here, but have just graduated, so we are now renting it.  We are so excited to stay in our ward and in the same area that we have grown to love.   Here are a few pictures of  the place.  We haven't gotten much decorated yet, so it's pretty plain.Master bedroom and bath
The people who were here before left their trampoline, and the kids LOVE it!  Kaeson just lays there and lets Parker bounce him all over the place.  Kaeson will get up and try to crawl around, but the bouncing always knocks him down,  and he gets up and keeps trying, all the while making very little progress, but he doesn't seem to mind.
Kaeson and his wild static-y hair!  I love it!
I made these little canvases to match the monkey stuff in the kids bathroom.  It's not quite the vision I had, but oh well.

The kids' toy room. It's supposed to be a dining room, but we just put the table in the kitchen and turned this into a toy room.
A view of the whole yard.
Our living room.  I was really nervous about it, because it's tiny, but it's actually not bad.  We just got rid of the big entertainment center, and used this corner one instead to open up a little space, and it's not bad.
I put this vinyl up in the toy room.  I think it looks so cute!

Time Out For Women

This weekend I had the amazing opportunity to travel with a few friends to Cincinnati and attend Time Out For Women.  It was so worth the trip!  I'm so glad I was able to go. I'm so glad my wonderful husband was willing to watch the kids and give me a weekend away!  We left Friday afternoon and got there just in time. Friday night we heard from Wendy Watson Nelson, the wife of Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve, as well as Sheri Dew, and music from both Hilary Weeks and Jenny Oaks Baker.  Saturday we heard more music from Hilary Weeks, and the speakers were S. Michael Wilcox, Kim Nelson, Emily Watts, and Kris Belcher.  Every single speaker was so good!  I laughed, I felt the spirit, I was inspired, uplifted, and edified.  I learned so much about being a better mom, wife, friend, and daughter of God. 

The theme was "Sweet Assurance", and throughout the weekend, we were asked to ponder what is one thing I know no matter what.  I would like to share some of the things I was reminded of that I know no matter what. 

I have the sweet assurance that my Savior loves me and that He died for ME.

I have the sweet assurance that when life gets difficult, I can remember that there is someone Who walked before me, and someone who walking with me.

I have the sweet assurance that He feels my sorrows.  He doesn't just know and understand, but He feels my sorrows.

I have the sweet assurance that Heavenly Father has entrusted His choice spirits in my care.

I have the sweet assurance that Heavenly Father will not give me more than I can handle with my Savior's help.

I have the sweet assurance that if I give what I can, He will take that and use it to bless others.

I have the sweet assurance that I am a Daughter of God  

and so much more!  I have about 20 pages full of notes from the weekend of all I learned and I wish I could share it all with you!

I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of my Father in Heaven, and that He gives us great opportunities like Time Out For Women to remind us of all that we believe! I hope that this weekend makes me a better person.   If Time Out For Women comes anywhere even remotely near you, I would highly recommend you find a way to be there.  I promise you it will be worth it. 

Me, Heather, Janelle, Stacey, and Jennifer