an attitude of gratitude

Next week we will have been back in the US for 6 months already! In some ways it has been super easy to transition back to normal life- Target, Walmart, 2 cars, 24 hour pharmacies. And in some ways it has been really difficult- tighter budget, more time commitments, trying to make new friends.

But this past month we decided to try and focus on our blessings and to try to do more for others. There are a lot of people (in the US, and throughout the world) that are struggling far more than we are, and we are truly, truly thankful for our material, spiritual, and all of the other blessings in our lives. :)

I forgot to put this photo on the last post- Spanish Moss. :)

We are thankful for the beautifully diverse world we have to live in.

We are thankful for 3 healthy, happy children.

Jacob has learned to hold things and now everything goes into his mouth as quickly as he can get it there. We find it's a challenge to teach our children about gratitude. We want to give them what they need, and many of their wants... but we also want them to understand that there are so many who have to go without and to have compassion and charity. I know little kids are pretty naturally egocentric, but we're still discussing ways to help them understand this. Any suggestions?

This is our "Thankful Tree."

Throughout November we talked about things we were thankful for at dinner time and put them on our tree. Some of my favorites: Halloween, 'snowmans' & Father in Heaven (from Toby,) my brothers, cheese, & Ariel (from Charlotte,) a singing voice, the mountains, & Julie (from Rob,) and Robert, Chinese take-out, & prayer (from yours truly.)

Oh look, it's the Savannah river again. (My organizational skills could use a tune-up.)

Fall photos from the CSRA

That's the Central Savannah River Area ya'll.

We heard about this place not far from us where you can walk or bike along the Savannah River and canal, so one Sunday afternoon when the leaves were prettiest, we took the kiddos for a stroll...

Pensive Charlotte- see it does happen sometimes.

This face! I love it.

I am really loving this Fall weather in Georgia.

Summer was brutal, but if the other 9 months of the year are this lovely, then I'll take it!

Halloween happenings

Hello again.

Three children certainly eat up more of my time than two did! I've also upped the ante by joining the YMCA gym and trying to exercise there 3-4 times a week. So, along with ballet, library storytime, and playgroups, our days have become quite busy. I will do my best to not let the blog go too long without posting.

The Halloween festivities this year seemed to go on and on and on.

Two weeks before Halloween we went to Kackleberry Farm.

This was the gentlest, sweetest, most lovely donkey I have ever seen. He actually wanted to be pet by children-- even when they clearly had no food to offer. I want one. ;)

We did the first stage of the corn maze.

(By all reports stage 2 was much more challenging and time consuming, so we opted out. Maybe when our kids are a bit older.)

We had our family photo taken on a giant rocking chair!

We did some other fun stuff too. The kids did a zip line, rode slides, watched singing rooster puppets, and fed the goats, sheep, and other animals. And we also picked out 2 pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. It may have been a real pumpkin patch, but it was not very sincere, and with the addition of the fire ant hills throughout... well, next year we may just pick them out at Walmart.

A week later we carved our pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns. (Actually, I carved pumpkins to Toby and Charlotte's specifications - because it was too "cold and smooshy" for them to be involved with- while Rob held the baby on the porch swing. Sometimes I wonder why I am the only one who cares about these traditions in our house.)

Toby is ready to fight bad guys... as long as they're not too scary.

Charlotte's pumpkin is a witch stirring her brew from one of those pattern dealios. Charlotte is attempting to look sweet and innocent like Snow White.

Charlotte's ballet class encouraged the kiddos to wear their costumes to class. This was also the day the parents were allowed to come in and observe. I took several short videos, but Charlotte was often behind another little girl and out of sight. I like this one though. I'm glad she is enjoying it and engaged in what the class is doing and listening to her teacher. :)

We also wore costumes to storytime at the library.

Then we attended our church Halloween party and trunk or treat.

Snow White, Casper, and Spiderman.

And THEN it was finally the big day.

REAL door to door trick or treating! Rob took Charlotte and Toby around the block while Jakey and I handed out candy. The kids were back after an hour and fully satisfied with their booty. They helped hand out candy for the next hour and had so much fun with that, that Charlotte wanted to hand out the candy she had collected as well! (Weird kid.) Rob and I however were quite done with Halloween at this point so we vetoed that plan, blew out our pumpkins, and outened the lights.

The kids had a blast. Which I think is the point of Halloween for us. It is the one holiday that is just about being silly and having fun and eating treats. And that is ok. :) Before bed that night Charlotte told me that some people had given her "whole handfuls of candy! I don't know why! I'm just a little kid, I can't eat that much candy you know!"

Happy belated Halloween.

belly laughs

I can barely get a little laugh out of Jacob. He smiles at me all the time and is cuddly and adorable. I figured he just wasn't a big laughter kinda guy. Then yesterday, I saw this....

Clearly, Rob knows something I don't.

I'm so glad he is our kids' daddy and my sweet husband. :)

Charlotte is 5!

Our baby girl turned five last week and we took a family trip to the ZOO in Columbia, SC to celebrate. We were really impressed with this zoo. It was small-ish, but had some enormous exhibits and lots of space for the animals. And no animals escaped. While we were there. At least, that we know of. ;)

Our very own 3 little monkeys.

I loved this family of giraffes. They were so beautiful.

Our visit wouldn't be complete without a ride on the carousel.

And a long time spent watching these amazing creatures.

Back at home, we enjoyed Charlotte's birthday cake that I made to her very exact instructions. (Chocolate cake, strawberries, pink frosting, chocolate hearts- NOT frosting, but real chocolate, and so on. She even made me a drawing to look at... but I improvised anyway: 2 tiers, not 3. I'm a rebel like that.)

Happy birthday Bubba!

Charlotte has her own flair for drama and love of life. She loves to laugh and dance and adds so much energy to our home. She is a great sister to her brothers and looks out for them when we are with other kids or in unfamiliar situations. She is my mini-me... and yet she is completely her own person. We love you Charlotte. :)

Charlotte's birthday interview:

What's your favorite color? Pink

What's your favorite movie? Rapunzel (Tangled)

What's your favorite song? Hmm, that's hard. My favorite song is Sunbeams. (Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam.)

What's your favorite food? Macaroni shells and popcorn and strawberries and treats. I love treats.

What's your favorite thing to do with Toby? Play with him in my dollhouse and my kitchen.

What's your favorite thing to do with Jacob? Talk to him.

What's your favorite thing to do with mommy? Fold laundry. (LOL)

What's your favorite thing to do with daddy? Play 'big ball' with him.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a cooker.

What makes you feel happy? Sunshine makes me happy! (laughs- she has a shirt that says that.) I laugh when Jacob moves around his hands and does silly things. I like that.

Jacob at 2 months

Jacob is already 10 weeks old! At his 2 month check-up last week, we learned that he is in the 95th percentile for height and weight. He was 24 1/2 inches long and 14 lbs. 6 oz. so he is a BIG baby. Just for the sake of a reference point though- Toby was that same length at 1 month old.

We've been getting to know Jakey more and more each week...

He is a cuddler. (And therefore spends a lot of time in the sling pictured above.)

He will only sleep on his tummy or side.

He's quick to smile, but slow to laugh.

He studies Charlotte and Toby like there will be a test tomorrow on how to be a big kid.
He is the cooing-est baby I have ever met. (I have a video of this, but it wouldn't upload.)

He looks so much like Toby that I mix their names up daily.

Every night I sing "Row your boat," the alternative "Glub, glub, glub your boat, gently down the stream, ha, ha, ha, I fooled you, I'm a submarine," and "Three little ducks" to him.

He does NOT like it when I eat: broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, onions, garlic, or salad. (I eat them anyway and just get less sleep.)

He despises the bouncy seat.

And finally, he loves his mommy. :)

the art of doing nothing

Last Monday my spontaneous spouse and I made the decision to go to Hilton Head Island for a couple of days to visit with Rob's cousin Nathan who was there on vacation with his family. On our way home we detoured to the Columbia, SC airport to pick up my sister Pam and her son Connor who were coming to visit through today. So this week has ended up involving a lot of driving, eating out, lounging on the beach, more driving, watching movies, going for walks, playing Scrabble, more eating out, and spending time together. Also, Rob & I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary.

In other words, it's been a pretty awesome week. :)

Nothing says October like warming up after a swim in the pool.

This is what happens when you wear a regular diaper in the hot tub.

Thanks for the Public Service Announcement, Wyatt! ;)

I don't know why Toby poses like this, but he sure was cute with his poofy hair. (I've since had it cut quite short again.)

Nothing says 'vacation' like digging a moat boys!

(Can you tell that Nate got the short Nichols gene? He's only a smidge taller than Rob, poor guy.)

Emily helped me keep Jakey out of the sun and wind. I kept him in the sling all day because the wind was UNREAL. Thankfully they had this fabulous umbrella to help block it, but still the blanket just about disappeared under all of the blowing sand.

Back home with Aunt Pam, we spent a lot of time chit-chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather. This seems to be a favorite spot for rocking the baby. And what a big boy he is already! I can't wait to hear how big he is at his 2 month check-up soon. He spends most of his time eating, sleeping, and growing, though he is gracing us with a few more smiles these days. (I'll try to capture one this week.)

On Saturday we went over to the Fall Fest behind the Library.

Charlotte, Toby, and Connor rode a couple of rides.

Cowboy Toby.

I always feel bad for the ponies at these type of things, but these ones seemed exceptionally clean and well fed. They also were rotated out and got to take breaks in the shade.

Connor at the wheel... potter's wheel that is.

He loved doing this so much he did it twice. I wonder if it had anything to do with the very pretty pottery teacher??

And Charlotte had her face painted as a butterfly, and struck a pose to show it off.

It was great fun. And greatly relaxing. And Rob and I even got to have dinner out at P.F. Chang's while the kiddos stayed with Aunt Pam. But alas, now the company is gone, the laundry is calling, and it's back to work tomorrow for all. :)

babies are a blessing

Dear Jacob,

Today was a special day for you. It's a tradition in our church to give new babies a name for the church records and a blessing in front of the congregation, and today your daddy gave you yours. You are too little yet to remember it, so I'll do my best to record the event so some day you will see these pictures and read these words and know what an important little person you are to our family already.

Love, Mom

Rob with Jacob this morning.

Jacob wore these little shoes today.

They were Rob's when he was a baby, and Rob's mom recently gave them to us, so I wanted to use them on this special day. I'm glad Jacob's feet weren't any bigger! They just fit him.

Oh dear. We tried to get a good family photo.

This was the best of the bunch.

Rob gave the following blessing and was joined by Chris Henley, Danny Devine, and our Bishopric.

Our Father in Heaven, by the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, we come before Thee to give this baby a name and a blessing. The name by which he shall be known is Jacob Murray Anderson.

Jacob, you have come into this world in a time of strong confusion and chaos, when many will seek to mislead you. We wish to bless you with a desire to know the good things of the gospel. We bless you with a desire to study the scriptures and the words of the prophets. We bless you with a desire to learn the gospel and share it with others. We bless you to have a desire to serve a mission and to be prepared to go to the temple and be endowed with power from on high. We bless you, that when the time comes, you will seek a wife and be married for time and all eternity. Jacob, we bless you that you will seek to be a peacemaker and to be an example to your family.

We bless you with these, and all other blessings which your Father in Heaven might bestow upon you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

This post is brought to you by the number 3.

Toby turned three this weekend!

He is still my beautiful boy with the big brown eyes.

He asked for a blue cake with fish on it.

I made this to (try) to look like an aquarium. Toby really liked it, so I guess it was a success.

We had just a couple of Toby's new little friends over for dinner and cake. And we got Toby 3 goldfish for his present. He gave them all names that start with T, (his favorite letter,) Tiny, Tubby, and Todd. So far they are all still alive. :)

3 little monkeys.

Birthday interview with Toby:

What is your favorite color? Blue.
What is your favorite food? A hot dog. And corn on the cob too.
What do you like to play? Balls.
What's your favorite animal? Fishy.
What's your favorite movie? A monster movie. (Monsters vs. Aliens)
What's your favorite song? Lullaby. (After some digging I found he means "Rockabye baby...")
What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanna build bridges.
What's your favorite thing to do with Charlotte? When Charlotte plays in my room.
What's your favorite thing to do with Jacob? Getting his pacifier for him.

We are so glad to have Toby as part of our family. He is very loving, gentle, kind, and polite. He can recognize most of the letters of the alphabet now and can almost write his name. (The letter B is arch nemesis at the moment, so he skips it and writes T-O-Y instead.) He spends HOURS building things and always wants to help dad work in the yard. Our Little Man wants to do anything that is 'grown-up' and can be quite stubborn about it.

We love you Tobs. ;)

time flies

I wish I could say that I haven't blogged in the past three weeks because I have been lounging around and soaking in all the newborn cuddles... but the truth is that life is rarely that simple, is it? Take a deep breath and sit back and relax, because here are just a few photos and explanations of what we have been up to since our bouncing baby boy was born.

Charlotte started ballet at Columbia County Ballet.

She loves going to class every week and coming home to show me what she has learned every day until she has class again. She has dreamed of doing something like this and I am thrilled to see her so happy. :)

Not to be outdone- Toby is a budding engineer.

He was trying to build a 'bridge' across the legs of the highchair, but the magnets were too weak, so he came up with the idea of building this support structure. lol He is really very clever with mechanical projects and will spend buckets of time building and tinkering.

I started using a produce co-op called Bountiful Baskets.

The first week I came home with broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, honey dew, pears, oranges, and bananas. The next week was a completely different assortment. I can't wait to see what's next! We are eating a LOT of fruits and veggies these days!

Of course there has been bonding time with baby Jacob.

And Toby has embraced his big brother-hood and had his first diaper free day today!

Rob's mom came for a week long visit and we all enjoyed being a little spoiled by "Grandma" as she cooked, cleaned, babysat, and helped make life easier in a million small ways.

Also, the day Jacob was born, Rob's Grandpa Anderson (in Atlanta) fell and hit his head. He was not taken to the hospital that evening, and by the next morning was in a coma that he never awoke from. He passed away on August 30th and the past weeks have been a bittersweet time of visiting with family and celebrating a kind, generous family man's life, and of course of mourning for his loss. We did enjoy the time we had with Rob's dad (above with Jakey and Rob,) sisters, brother, in-laws, and a few of his 80-something (I'm estimating) cousins, and are glad we happen to be living just a few hours away at this time.

Also, Rob threw his back out and needed an MRI and a bit of downtime himself, and Monday would have been my mom's 69th birthday, had she not passed away 3 years ago. So... we've had a few things on our plates. It's completely dorky, but many times lately I have thought of a quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off-- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So, here's to taking a deep breath, and pausing to appreciate all of our many, many blessings. :)

on the catwalk

Just after Jacob was born we had a phone call from Nicole Bolinger. We had met a few weeks previously at church, and her family is new to the area as well. She asked if she could come by and take some photos of Jacob for practice shooting infants. "Sweet! Free photos!" ;) So here are a few of my favorite 1 week old shots of Jacob- our 'model' baby.