Sawyer is Two - Here are a few more photos from my camera - ridiculous, I know. Mom and Dad (and Grammy) were all taking pictures!

We were ready for the snow to be gone, but Mallory came to PC to see some snow. So, we went to the Park for some fun in what was left of the snow.



Dad's favorite gift for Sawyer - his first ski helmet.



Dad even got to dress like a Fireman! After all, he is Sawyer's hero!


The little man is now two! We are so blessed by our little guy and can't believe he is already two years old. As I am sure you will all agree - time flies! Grammy and cousin Mallory were able to come from Austin and celebrate with us. This made the day even more special! Since one of Sawyer's favorite things is firetrucks, we decided to have a firetruck party to celebrate year number two. We even had the real thing as the Park City Fire Department stopped by the party and let the kids have some fun. The firemen were extremely kind and allowed the kids to climb inside, wear the jackets and helmets, and they even shuttled them around the block while blowing the horn and ringing the bell. It was a hit with all the little ones as well as the dads. I think some of the dads were more impressed and excited than the kids. Especially when the firemen pulled out the Jaws of Life and started telling life saving stories. Thanks so much to Officer Vokel and Officer Cromm for their kindness and willingness to share with both little and big kids alike! It was a fun celebration thanks to good friends and good people like the Park City Fire Department! Happy Birthday sweet, little Sawyer! We love you!

Pray for Jonah!!

I know it has been such a long time since I have posted. I apologize. Instead of kicking things off with new photos of Sawyer (Don't worry mom and dad, they are coming!), I am posting a link to a blog that will change your day! It will make you thankful for your health and the health of your children, and you will remember this little guy for a long time. PLEASE pray for Jonah. I do not personally know this family, but they are friends of our friends on Young Life staff in North Carolina, and they need our prayers. They lost their first baby to this disease, and now their new baby is struggling with the same disease. He is so young and in a great deal of pain. So far, there is no cure for the disease but they are working on new stem cell research that may be able to help. God works all things for His good - even this! Enjoy reading about Jonah!

phones, cameras and automobiles...

So I have this cell phone - it's a Motorola razor phone that my students last year told me was WAY outdated. "Razors are out, iphones and blackberrys are in Mrs. Anderson. You need a new phone." This was last year, so I must be truly out of date and uncool now - it's 2009. However, my phone makes calls, receives calls and stores phone numbers. What else do I need? I am a stay at home mom, and a "phone" - something that makes and receives calls - is just fine for me. I have always believed that a cell phone is for MY convenience, not everyone else!!! Who cares what it looks like and who cares if it takes pictures or not (it does, I'll have you know) but I own a camera that also fits nicely into my purse or pocket. It's a camera, so it's made for taking pictures, and they come out better than most phone pictures. Cause, after all, it's a phone. And frankly, I am haunted enough by emails, I don't need to check them while I am at the store or in line at the post office.

So, this lame, outdated Razor phone of mine stopped working yesterday. It is on, but is says I have no service, so I can't make or receive any calls. Rob and I have tried everything to get it to work, but it won't. Ugh! So, I have to drive to Salt Lake and visit the Verizon store, which if you ask me, is equivalent to a root canal from a dentist with bad breath. Fewer places are more painful to visit than the Verizon store in Sugarhouse. And, to make matters worse, I may have to get a new phone. Before yesterday, I didn't need a new phone and I didn't want a new phone. Mine was serving me just fine. I don't want to get used to a new one. I liked my OLD one - archaic if you ask my former students. Can't wait to see what "deals" the Verizon people can offer me. Can't wait.

And, since I am so pleased with technology right now, we also discovered some exciting news about our video camera yesterday. Rob and I purchased a really nice video camera right after Sawyer was born. We used it a few times and then Rob took it on a Young Life trip. One of his leaders was using it to video the kids until he left it under the seat on a ride at DisneyLand - The Happiest Place on Earth! The place where people find a video camera that doesn't belong to them, and they keep it.

So, we replaced that camera with one identical to it. All was well in video and memory making land until the door on the camera became stuck open. Who knows why, but the door stopped closing. It sounds like something very simple to fix. Everything else on the camera worked, but the door wouldn't close.

So, last week we took the camera to Best Buy to see if they could repair the door. We paid $50 up front just for them to look at it and see what was wrong. (It's obvious what is wrong and shouldn't take $50 to see that the door won't close.) We did so and discovered that we were a month (ONE MONTH) past our warranty. It had expired. Of course it had. Doors close when they are under warranty. We heard back from them yesterday with the news that it will cost $300 to repair the camera. THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS to get the door to close. Really.

The camera is still sitting at Best Buy until $300 falls from the sky. We just spent that and more replacing the fuel pump in Rob's truck.

Call me and we can talk and I'll share my other thoughts regarding the camera. (Oh wait, I can't receive your call because my phone doesn't work. You can leave me a message and I'll check it from my husband's fancy phone when he gets home.)

Thanks for listening. I truly am not this bitter all the time.

Ahhhh Sundance...

Every year for ten days in January, a beast invades Park City. The beast is Sundance.

Sundance, for many, is a time of star gazing, movie going, late night parties, walks up and down Main Street, free gifts, concerts and wine bars, and brushes with fame.

It looks a little different from my perspective.
For me, Sundance is:

Lots of people - everywhere - all wearing black and toting sponsor bags, computer totes, designer handbags and hideous man purses that someone, somewhere should have deemed wrong a long time ago.

Traffic - lots and lots of traffic. What used to be a five minute drive has become a 45 minute drive - all because of the PIBS (People In Black) This is what the local high schoolers around here have labeled them.

More fur coats, fur hats and furry boots than should ever be in one place. It really is a spectacle.

An occassional glimpse of someone famous but it's highly unlikely since they don't hang out at Albertson's and they're probably not going to stop by my house. Last year I did see Screech from Saved By the Bell. Does that even count?

Road Rage! The limosines, buses, vans, taxis and private cars driven by people who don't know where they're going and don't care if they're causing traffic jams get a little old when you are just trying to get to the post office.

No parking spot for my haircut that is WAY overdo! What about the little people who just want to get their hair cut?

Houseguests (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we have had them come and go non-stop for the entire festival.) I have had a half day in between departures and arrivals to wash sheets and towels for the new guests. Two left today and two more arrive tomorrow. I literally just heard the buzzer on the dryer - the sheets are done. Time to do the towels.

Snooty people. Remember you are a guest in this town, and just because you are wearing black, were fortunate enough to get credentials and have them so humbly displayed around your neck, and you pulled out your furry boots because we have snow here, that really doesn't mean you are better than me. It just means you can get into more places than me for ten days, and you'll regret having ever purchased those boots.


Don't get me wrong. I am not a hater of Sundance. In fact, these past few days have been really fun. One of our houseguests is a musician who was invited to play at the Sundance Cafe. Others who played there this year were Damien Rice, Wynonna, Gin Blossoms, and the guitar player from the Doors (can't remember his name) to name a few. So, it was fun to hang with our friend Dave and see him perform. He was awesome.

Also, sweet Pete and Jenny invited us to a few films and one of them was a premiere. It starred Kevin Spacey, Dallas Roberts, Saffron Burrows and Robin Williams. Kevin Spacey and most of the cast were there after the show to answer audience questions. So, I actually got to see Kevin Spacey. I even got to hear him say the "F" word in the microphone.
This was all after a girl two seats down told me to shut up. (It's an extremely long story - too long for the blog - but I still can't believe it happened. I have never experienced someone as rude, and let's not forget I was a high school teacher! And let me say that today I discovered that she is no longer a Sundance volunteer. She was relieved of her duties after her behavior last night.)

Then, Jenny and I went to see a movie this morning and it was awesome. It wasn't a premiere so we didn't think there would be anyone special there. Until, the director and Anthony Edwards (Top Gun, ER) came up to the front! They answered questions from the audience and shared insight about the movie. I am a huge fan of Anthony Edwards after today. He was extremely casual and very humble - he was funny too.

To close, we have two more guests coming this weekend for a little Sundance fever. On Sunday they leave, along with the PIBS, the furry boots, the traffic, the congestion, the movies, the stars, and the craziness. It's been fun, but I am not sad to see it all go. The Sundance beast will return next year, only the fashion and the movies will be different. Everything else remains the same. OK, even some of the fashion remains the same - black coats and fur never cease to make an appearance. It is, after all, a beast.

I'm off to wash some towels!

Back to the routine...

I meant to add more photos that same day and never managed to get around to it. Here are a few more from the holidays. My apologies!

More to come from our time in Austin!







The holidays were great and full of good time with family and friends, but we are glad to be back to some sort of normalcy around here.

Here are a few highlights from Christmas in Park City and Austin!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Giving Thanks!!

Once again, this post is WAY overdue! Sorry, Dad, and sorry those of you faithful viewers who have been patiently waiting for an update. Here are a few highlights from Pie Breakfast, Thanksgiving, and the past few weeks.


Good friends...a HUGE mess...45 homemade pies...150 people...Pie Breakfast on Thanksgiving morning...PRICELESS!













This year we hosted Park City's annual Pie Breakfast at our house. As always, it was a huge success as The Marshes, The Joneses, The Schillingers and The Andersons (Annie made three and Jess made 2 as well!) made over forty pies to serve to friends and family on Thanksgiving morning. Because of the gridlock on our stairs three years ago, we set up the pies and drinks in our garage! Who knew..pies in a garage...It was awesome! It worked out great as the pie traffic stayed outside while all the moms and kids ate and played inside. The two Jack Daniel's pies went first as usual, followed by a few chocolate pies and some specialty pies. Every year I think, "why don't I make pies more often? It's not that hard'." Then, after the novelty of the first one or two wears off, I realize, I have no desire to make pies throughout the year, after making nine in one evening. Rob made seven bringing the Anderson total to 16 pies!
It is amazing how many people look forward to Pie Breakfast, and it is amazing how we reconnect with people we haven't seen since last year at Pie Breakfast. I admire Rob, Joel and Pete for starting such a great tradition. Of course, the wives have definitely kicked things up a notch since their bachelor pie days, and we do most of the baking as well. In the end, it is an incredible tradition and one that I feel very blessed to be a part of. You guys should start one in your own community!!!
After some clean up, a nap and a little cooking, we joined our close friends at the Jones house for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. Rob, Pete and Malone fried the turkeys and everyone brought their favorite dish or two. We enjoyed the meal and the company, and no one had pie for dessert. (Check out the Jones blog for a great slideshow of Pie Breakfast!)

Sawyer turned 20 months old this week - crazy! He continues to become a little man, and he continues to test the limits of right and wrong. He once responded to "no touch" but now he chooses not to hear it being said. That's fun. Oh, and the only way to play with a toy is to dump the entire basket, box or shelf in which the toy once was stored. That's fun too.
He really is fun and such a joy in our lives. I am head over heels in love with that little guy! I love watching him explore and grow and change. It happens so fast! Enjoy the pictures!!











GOD IS GOOD. I AM SO THANKFUL!

Yes, I do still blog...

Some of you were beginning to think I never came back from that girl's weekend in Aspen. I did, and life has been crazy since. Here are a few updates and some photos to catch up from the last month! Sorry about the delay, and thanks for not giving up on the Anderson family blog!

The last month consisted of the following, among other things:

An amazing fall in Park City (and some bike rides to take in the beautiful colors)!
Texas Tech making their way to #2!
Rob making his way to Texas to see them beat UT!!! Woo Hoo!!!
The raking of MANY leaves in our yard before the snow fell!
Rob's annual Young Life trip to California!
Halloween!
Snow - lots and lots of snow!
Cold and flu season at our house - and torn rib cartilege from too much violent coughing. So fun!
The end of the longest presidential election ever!
House projects before the snow falls - some during - and more after.
Warm fires and time together as a family. Rob and I have even protected our date night for two weeks in a row! Woo hoo!

We love you and hope you enjoy some new photos. Sorry about the delay and, no, it won't be as long before I update again. I promise!

Boys Weekend!

I leave town tomorrow for a girls weekend in Aspen. I am excited to connect with friends and spend some quality time talking about shoes, handbags, chocolate, ovaries, muffin tops (the ones at the top of our jeans, not the ones we'll be eating) and our handsome husbands and sweet little children we left at home! Meanwhile, Rob and Sawyer will be having a little boys weekend of their own.

This will be my first weekend away from Sawyer - not because I haven't wanted to get away, but because the opportunity never presented itself until now. It will be good for both of us - and for Rob too!

The boys are going to have a blast while mommy is away, and they have already said goodbye to mommy's silly rules and annoying routines.

I asked Rob to bathe Sawyer last night since he doesn't get the chance to do so very often because of Young Life. I told him he could practice for the weekend. Rob's response had something to do with Sawyer not needing a bath over the weekend.

Right.

So, last night while Rob was bathing Sawyer, I hear him yell.

"Should I let him drink the bath water?" Probably not the best idea.

A few minutes later I hear him yell, "Where is his towel?" I respond that it is hanging on the back of his door.

Sawyer came running into the kitchen dripping wet, but not before he stopped to pee on the carpet.

Then Rob comes and wraps him up in MY towel that was indeed hanging on the back of a door, but the bathroom door. Sawyer's towel was hanging on the back of his bedroom door.

Not long after that I hear, "Where are his pajamas?"

Let me just say that Sawyer turns 18 months this week. For a year and a half, his pajamas have been in the same drawer of the same dresser that we purchased before he was born.

I don't know, where are his pajamas?

I went in the bedroom just as he was finishing with the pajamas. I asked, "Did you put lotion on him?"

Rob's response: "Naaa, he doesn't need lotion. It makes him weak. We're going to have a no lotion weekend."

Right. Let me know how that goes when the little spots of exczema pop up.

Now, I should probably be a little concerned about the boys this weekend, but after the pajamas were on the no-lotioned, peeing boy, he grabbed three books and parked himself on the couch next to his daddy. Daddy read all three books and even added his own spin to the stories as usual. Who knew Curious George wanted new clothes, was looking into refinancing his home and struggling with this year's choices for president.

Sawyer didn't even know mommy was in the same room. Or he did and he didn't care, because "dada" is his favorite thing and when he is alone with dada, nothing else matters.

I sat in awe and watched my sweet boys. I am constantly amazed at how incredible Rob is as a father. Who cares where the pajamas are if you make your child light up when you enter the room. Who cares if you remember the lotion or not when you are able to make your son giggle and laugh more than anything or anyone else. Who cares if there is pee on the carpet when your son delights in life because you make life more delightful.

Rob has a unique way of making the ordinary exciting, and all things, not just Curious George or Bob and Larry from the Veggie Tales, all things are more delightful when Daddy is around.

So, my boys are going to have an exciting, no bath, no lotion, maybe even no pajamas, DELIGHT FILLED weekend, and I know they will be just fine without mommy!




I just told Rob that I posted a blog about his Boy's Weekend. He responded with, "We're gonna have so much fun. We're not going to pick up a single toy the entire weekend - until right before you get home.

What a rebel!