4 Weeks

4 weeks ago this evening I was taking a crazy fast ride in the back of my mini-van.  

We had been waiting for this sweet baby girl to arrive for a couple weeks, after all ALL my babies come early. 

 This one was going to be different. 

 I think I had finally convinced myself that she would come when she was ready and that would have to be okay with me.  

This isn't the first time I have questioned the timing of something only to later look back and see God's hand in my life.  

I can't express the gratitude I feel to have this baby.  

Tricky

The boys got some Wii games from Santa for Christmas.  It took a while to figure them out, but they have figured out Lego Batman and really love to play it.  However, there is limited Wii time. So a few weeks ago they got tricky on me. 

It was bed time.  We sent everyone up to brush teeth and put on p.j.'s.  They did.  And then I noticed Asher and Aidan  both had walkie talkies when they went up to bed in their p.j.'s.  My motherly antenna were raised, but I quickly forgot about it and went about my business doing dishes.  A few hours later when I was headed to bed I stopped by their bedrooms to check on them like I do every night.  Asher was all snuggled under the covers, but I noticed he had on a hoodie?  Hmm?  So I whip back the covers and what do I find... he has removed his p.j.'s and is fully dressed for school.  So I check Aidan, same thing (except Aidan is wearing church pants and a soccer shirt for school clothes).  They also both had their walkie talkies on and laying beside them so they could communicate (yes, they were sleeping in the SAME room).  I was cracking up at these two.  They had laid out these fine plans to save some time in the morning so they could have extra time to play the Wii.  

The next morning they were up in the 4:00 a.m. hour going to play the Wii.  I heard them in the hall and said, "I know you're already dressed and all, but it's WAY to early to be up.  Go back to bed you two. No Wii ."  

9 Years of Smasheroni

Asher means "happy".  That was one of things that really drew me to the name.  And lo and behold we were blessed with our first little boy with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon.  Oh he was a cute one.  The drool just ran from that big smile and we just loved every minute of it.  He's 9 today.  He's growing up so fast.  He's a good boy.  A boy with a lot of responsibilities.  I am often reminding him of his importance as the oldest brother.  He is looked up to by his brothers and I want him to remember that and choose wisely.  When Scott found out about his brain tumor Asher had just turned 5.  He was just a little guy, but he soaked up a lot.  I never imagined the road our family would travel over the next 4 years, and I definitely didn't think of all the things I would come to depend on my then little 5 year old for.  Just this Christmas I picked out a tree and had it shoved in the back of the van.  Being very pregnant I thought I'd need some help, and so Asher was the man.  He and I together pulled that 7 foot tree out, carried it in the house and lifted it into the stand.  He does the dirty work of garbages and dog poo, he does the heavy work of carrying the heaviest grocery bags in, or helping his Mom move furniture.  Nothing warms my heart like when I ask for his help on a difficult task and he responds with "I'm on it!"  He's Scott's go-to-guy when he needs help loading his power chair. He is Scott's steady little hands when there is a project Scott needs to accomplish.  He is fun and funny.  He makes friends with ease.  He loves to sing, loud, random songs.  He is my mini-me with his cute freckles and button nose.  He is growing up and I am so proud of him.  I cannot wait to see the young man he will become, but I sure love to cuddle him up when I can.   

ArtWORK

Of all Scott's art that he did last year this one was my favorite.  I thought others might enjoy seeing what he can do left-handed.  

A Hitch in my Giddyup

I went to the store the other night.  It was dark and I was alone.  I had hurried to get some ice cream for the family.  I secured the goods and went out in the freezing cold to the parking lot.  As I was circling in front of my car to go unload my groceries my shin met up with the hitch of the guy parked in front of me.  OH MY!  The pain, oh the pain.  I was sure it would be dented, maybe permanently.  Turns out it left a nice bruise and a bit of a hitch in my giddyup. 

The Week in Review

What a crazy week it has been.  Sick kids are definitely no fun.  I was lucky enough all last week to have my little sis, Molly come to visit.  This in itself is no small feat.  She came all the way from Boise, she made arrangements for 2 of her kids to stay home, and she brought her 2 littlest ones.  Her husband picked up all the slack that she left behind so she could come.  I am grateful.  Let me just say, that girl can get stuff done.  She's a list maker (I believe this is an Anderson trait).  But, I believe Molly takes extreme pleasure in crossing things off that list and so that list gets done.  We got a lot of things done that just don't get done around here, I mean she cleaned my shower with a toothbrush people.  Probably my toothbrush, as payback for cleaning my shower.  No I jest.  Anyhow, as always it is so fun to have a sister here to sit and talk to in the day (while we're organizing of course), go get ice cream with at night, and basically just spend time with.  Let me take you back for a minute to our growing up years.  When we were kids (teens) Molly always had the chore of ironing. I think she was particularly good at it (is that right Mom?) and that's why she always had that chore.  So, I didn't get in a lot of ironing practice.  I'm not necessarily bad at it, but I don't really enjoy it.  So the night before Molly is to leave she comes up to my room and enters THE CLOSET.  There she finds the laundry/mending basket.  It is overflowing onto my closet floor.  Holy Cow Molly almost croaked.  "How come you didn't show me this when I got here!?" she exclaimed.  It was pretty funny.  We sorted through it and she decided I DO have some cute clothes, they just all need ironed!  Anyway, I miss her already but I'm sure Tristan is so happy to have his little homemaker back home.  Love you Miss Molly.

And now.... some pictures.

Cole keeps putting these disgusting fake teeth in and saying, "Look Mom, I lost a toof".

Molly captured this one of Aidan out ice hunting.  This chunk ended up on the front steps in pieces- a kind of obstacle course for me to see if I could make it in the house without injuring myself. 

Here's sweet baby Grace giving a concerned look. 

Here's Molly holding Grace.  Most days it was a ponytail and sweats as we were "gettin it done" around here, but here she is looking beautiful with my baby. 

Here's Cole making good use of Chloe's Littlest Pet Shop. He decided it would be fun to use a ping pong paddle and launch them all over the living room, and so he did.  

This picture is worth a thousand words.  The look on my face, hello!  Chloe made Grace and I these crowns.  I'm feeling like a Queen, could I please have some sleep!

Here is sweet baby Grace on her 3 week Birthday!  Yeah!

And lastly, this is another picture that must be labeled "Makin' do".  I found this one morning after I had obviously not gotten up when others were hungry.  So here is the remnants of Cole's breakfast.  He poured himself some wheaties on a PLATE.  Thus the milk spilled over and ran through the crack of the table onto the floor.  He was just makin do. 

Makin' do

This picture is going to sum up how I've been feeling at times.   When Cole came outside in one cowboy boot, one of Chloe's old boots, his brother's shirt, using the neighbor's shovel the 1st thing that came to my mind was, "he's just makin' do".  He wanted to come out and help shovel, so he found what he could and made it work for him.  That's what our house is like a lot of the time.  We're just makin' do.  Doing the best we can with what we've got.  Sometimes that's all you can do, right?  I'm good with that.  

Sisters

Aren't these sweet?  Chloe just loves to hold Grace, change her, burp her, pick out her outfits, make her homemade mobiles for her, etc.  I can't wait to watch this relationship blossom.

What did you learn today?

Cole has a few favorite shows.  He goes through phases.  It started out with SuperDog, then it went to George (curious george), then Diego, and lastly Tom and Jerry and Droopy.  

Can I just say those first 3 didn't bother me nearly as much as the last two do.  I REALLY dislike Tom and Jerry.  It's just violence set to music.  really it is.  It drives me crazy.  It's pointless.  

So tonight, Aidan comes to me and says, "Look at this Mom".   I can see he has used pen on his eyelids.

  hmm?

Then he proceeds to lay down on the floor and close his eyes. 

He has drawn X's on his eyelids.  

"Look Mom, I'm dead."

Time to put a parental block on Tom and Jerry!!!

just some pictures

Cole loves the snow.  He goes in and out of the house to enjoy a little "snow time", or maybe he's just hungry?

This is how Asher did his reading yesterday.  cute.

Smarty Pants

Guess who made the Dean's List?

That's right, my husband!!!

That, in and of itself, is pretty cool, but when you take into account that he has to write/draw with his left-hand (he's not left handed), he has to record lectures, he struggles with double vision, he has some hearing loss, he got up every  morning at 5:00 and would crawl to the bathroom with his socks in his mouth to get dressed, he braved freezing temperatures, rain, and snow in his power chair sometimes coming home soaked to the bone, he rides public transportation to and from school and remains on campus for at least 8 hours every day, he is also the father of 5 and a scout leader!

I am proud to say the least. 

One Week Old

A week, already?

We just can't get enough of her. 

Grace

Our sweet baby Grace was born on Tuesday, December 30th, 2008.  

She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces.

My feelings are still very tender and so that is all I will write right now.

We are so glad she is here.