The Andersons

We got away last weekend and took the girls to the Great Wolf Lodge. The highlight was the arrival of Santa and 4 elves. They jumped out of a plane and skydove (is that a word?) to the Lodge! Mom and Emma got brave and rode The Tornado together. It was lots of fun once I got past the initial - "I'm going to puke and I'm only in line" - part!

This is Emma during the performance section of the Music Olympics. She got 99% for this portion of the competition!

Emma just got 3rd place in our local Music Olympics competition!! We were so proud of her. Her friend Hannah got 1st place for her age group and Hannah's sister Chloe also placed (can't remember which - but it was good)!

Wow - it's already been one year. So hard to believe. God has blessed us with an amazing staff and an exciting first year. It's a lot of hard work, but we would easily do it all over again.

Freaky guy, peaceful gal, Hannah Montana and Dora!

Every year we go to our friend's church (Believer's Fellowship) for Halloween. They do an amazing party. Every room is filled with different activities and the kids have a blast. Here is Emma with her fellow third-grader (and best friend) Lauren. The doctor meets Hannah Montana. Next is me with Lauren's mom (also a Stacy - highly confusing). And below is Emma with her friend Leah. Oh yeah - and then Ross decided to sport another outfit. I have no idea what he is supposed to be.

What other time of year can you find a Mormon missionary at a party with an inmate, Madonna, numerous Princesses and a baby riding on his grandmother's back?

Just need to record a couple things Elena said over the last week that made us laugh.

1. Ross made Elena a sandwich. After the first bite, she exclaimed "Daddy - this sandwich is damn good!" She later clarified that she was trying to say darn good but she said it wrong. We tried not to bust up laughing in front of her, but it was tough.

2. "Momma - how come you and daddy don't have any toys to play with in YOUR room?"

3. I said "Elena, you're amazing." To this, she responded "Yeah. And I have a good nose too."

4. (After giving Emma French braids, I began to do Elena's hair in different braids). "Mom - is this an American braid?"

So sad to say (especially seeing how dang cute she is), but Daisy is not going to stay with us. She just hasn't taken to the girls well (and I've discovered I am a bit too busy to be a dog person). Our school receptionist is considering taking her. She'll do a trial few days next week. We hope that this will work out and make it all make sense. Maybe it was never about us ... but a way to provide a puppy for someone who couldn't afford a Havanese. Her mom is also ill, so it may be a welcome distraction.

So my sister Shannon is officially on "modified" bed rest. I was blessed to be able to spend nearly 4 days in Bellingham helping her with the home and 3 kiddos (and husband and his gang helping build a fence - oh and church at their house). You can tell how busy it got because these are the only 3 pictures I managed to take!

The top picture is Lucy trying on Will's new Spiderman costume (which mom quickly told her to remove one she realized it was a garage sale purchase that had yet to be washed and Lucy was wearing no underwear).

The middle picture is Lucy giving her own sermon after daddy was done. The title of the sermon was "The Indians who do and don't love Jesus." The basic theme of the talk was that the Indians who don't love Jesus eat fish. And the Indians who do love Jesus eat all sorts of food." I think it's in the gospels somewhere but I'm not sure.

The third picture was taken as Shannon's friend Kristen and I were folding laundry. You can't see it very well, but there were two HUGE holes in the bottom of Nate's jeans. The whole "I don't know how we got pregnant with twins" mystery ... soon to be solved.

When I returned home, I said to Elena "Too bad you don't live closer to your cousins." To that, she replied, "Well at least they don't live in space!"

I love optimism.

First day of school close-ups!