The Seven of Us

We celebrated Corbs' second birthday on NOv. 7. All of us: Taylor, 13;Kenna, 9 1/2; Caleb, 11; Havilah, Isaac, 6; Jared, Corbin, 2 With cousins Madi and Ali Bradshaw on Thanksgiving Day.

There may be 14 days until Christmas, but there are 8 days until we leave for Washington. Two of those days are Sundays; so 6 preparation days. What?! What happened to "a week and a half or so"? Six is just not enough! What will we do? Run. All day, every day until we leave. We will go home teaching, visiting teaching, dental appointment-ing, bedtime story-ing, school party-ing, baking, budgeting, bill paying, sleeping, listing, buying, packing, and loading. What we will do en route? We will read, sleep (not nearly enough), squabble, debate (too much), check the atlas, check license plates, check road conditions, check what's for lunch and what's on the radio, read The Undaunted (until mom's poor imitation of an Irish brogue bothers someone too much), and endure through 2 mountain ranges, 6 states, and 2 days of togetherness. Oh, yeah, we'll love one another, too...enough to do it again sometime. What will I do between reading, enduring, and loving? We...

Well, it really may be. I think the Celestial Kingdom is probably pretty clean. But, my house isn't. Don't get me wrong; it's not a disaster, but we have a lot of stuff, limited space, and very little storage. (Our house was built in 1953, and I guess at that time people just didn't have much stuff. Plus, most of the people who lived in our home before us didn't even use the basement. That's prime space for us!) Anyway, I have been cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning! I have donated several boxes of stuff and given away more. Our bathroom project is nearing completion, so a few days ago I made a trip to the cardboard recycle trailer and got rid of several boxes. The "office"(a.k.a storage room/guest room) has been cleansed of construction stuff, too. The canners have been put away and stacks of paper sorted through; all that remains is the new FHE box and a couple piles of church magazines. The game cupboard is organized. The tub is so clean it loo...

In my opinion, red meat is yucky and disgusting and really doesn't belong on my table...except that it's a great source of easily absorbable iron. That said, I still remember my red meat-less days with fondness. (My kids love my saturated fat speech.) Next time I'll show them this photo. A picture really is worth 1,000 words.

If you see us often, you know that Corbin never wears his hair this way, unless his sisters do it for him. But this picture correlates with Corbin's new "style". It's his "I'm two and I'll do what I want to do" style, and his message is driven home several times every day when he lets out a high-pitched scream (his new favorite expression). This means "You're annoying me!" or "Your hand is where I want mine to be!" or "Can't you see I had it under control?!" or "I'll do it MYSELF!" And several times a day I speak these words to myself: "This too shall pass." Then I look into his eyes (if he'll let me) and remind myself who he REALLY belongs to...and all is right again...until the next expression tumbles forth.

* Be grateful that children are in bed, hopefully not wrestling with one another or reading under the covers, but sleeping peacefully. * Think about making tomorrow's lunches, but decide not to. * Wash a load or 2 of laundry. Fold socks. * Tell Jared 2 things I've already told him. Forget to tell him 2 things he needs to know. * Make guacamole. *Delete e-mail forwards that once sounded good, but have gone unread. *Organize Isaac's school binder. *Make tomorrow's lists. *Organize purse. *Listen to unhappy child who needs to "vent". *Go to bed feeling grateful for dark, quiet calm and the opportunity to live life again tomorrow.

Today I spent an entire day away from home. I honestly can remember only one other time that I have left Corbin for an entire day in the two years since he's been born, so today was very unusual and really fun. I went to our church's cannery and helped can pears to give to our community's food bank. I'd never done that before, and I really enjoyed it. The day was made more fun by having good friends around to talk with. After getting back to Sterling I went grocery shopping, and being alone for that was nice, too. I "browsed" rather than "ran". Then I stopped by the home of a family who is moving into our ward (church congregation) and helped them unload a few things before heading home just in time to get kids to bed. My day was a nice change of pace. Jared's day was a little hectic. He had planned to be here all day, but had to go to a meeting for a couple of hours. Taylor had a 7:30 am piano lesson, and just before she left, the plumbe...

These are pictures we took in August. I haven't mentioned much about the kids for a long time. Here's a little about them: Taylor- You can read her post (below). On Thursday night Taylor participated in the school's annual Dessert Concert. The concert is a fundraiser for the music department. I thought that the program was intesting and fun, not only because of the music, but because the audience chose the order of the program and provided some of the entertainment. As we entered the building, we were given programs. The programs listed the performer's names and the number they were peforming (there were 14). Fourteen of the programs that were handed out had a number on them. If a person's program had a number, the MC aked that person to pick the next performance. (So the "order" of the program didn't apply.) Audience members were also required to tell a joke or sing a song when they picked the next performance. I thought this was a great wa...

Hi Everyone! This is Taylor, Tay, T-Rae.....So I just wanted to let everyone know what I've been up to lately..... 1) I got a miracle...the newest iPod touch. Buy one. It's well worth the price! 2) Volleyball was done a few weeks ago....I played A team (Varsity). We did ok, it's been a good experience. 3) School's been keeping me on track. Last quarter I was on superintendent's honor roll. 4) I like the snow. Yes, I said I like it....It feels warm. 5) Rain, Thunder, Lightening...that's my thing. The feel, taste, smell....the risk. 6) Call me crazy, but at least crazy people know they're crazy. 7) I have more friends than I thought. 8) The highschoolers are not crazy. just stupid. 9) Sleep is good; nap alot. 10) Always put the tredmill on high speed. You run 1/2 mile in less then 2min.

Jared never gets any blog coverage, so today I'll show you what he has been working on: Our bathroom. This bathroom is in the basement. When we moved here 8 years ago it was just a chunk of concrete with a toilet (not much prettier than a prison cell). Today it's still not very pretty, but it's much more funtional and improving rapidly. About a month ago we tore down what was left of the 50 year-old drywall and the original studs. Since then Jared has re-studded the bathroom, added framing for a closet in the girls' room, which is adjacent to the bathroom, framed a linen closet for me (yay), and consulted with plumbers. He and Caleb have been working on the shower area for about 10 days. The first time the plumbers came they didn't mention that we would need to even out the floor surrounding the drain where the shower will be. (Fifty years ago people just used the floor drain, which was sloped, for their shower drain.) So we needed to cut a rectangle (rou...

Isaac being himself (Winding up rather than down as he became more tired. It's a trait most of our kids share.) in Atlanta. This picture is too dark. It's a waterfall that's across the road from my home. In high school I liked going here to think and to write. Taking my kids there wasn't quite the same, but they enjoyed seeing it. Riding the carousel at Martha's Dandee Creme in Queensbury. Stopping there was a tradition when I was in high school. Driving by it every Sunday as the tourists lined up to get their cones was a little tough sometimes. I learned to look the other way. Isaac and McKenna L to R: Me, McKenna & Isaac, my brother Conor, my mom (Bonnie), Corbin, my dad (Dave), and my cousins, Lauren Droddy and Rena (Droddy) with her husband Mark.

This is Corbin with my brother Conor at Rogers Rock Park on Lake George. McKenna and Isaac walking on my parents' driveway The flower garden my mom planted along the edge of her lawn.

I've been interested in Civil Rights since I was young. One of my favorite books was Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. The book tells the story of a black family who were sharecroppers in Mississippi during the early 1920s and 1930s. As a kid, and even as an adult, I am shocked by what the family and their neighbors endured at the hands of their "better" white "neighbors". All of my paternal ancestors are from the south (North Carolina & Louisiana), and at the age of thirteen I was also shocked to hear my favorite great-aunt refer to people of other colors and ethnicities really degradingly. And as a nine or ten year-old Girl Scout I was really interested to learn about female sufferagists on a field trip to the National Women's Hall of Fame in New York. So when I read this headline on the msn.com home page last week I was saddened: "Louisiana Judge Denies Marriage License to Interracial Couple." The judge's arguement...

McKenna and Isaac on the boulder in my padre's front yard.

Well, I am finally ready to give the New York report! I will post pictures separately, probably this weekend. Our flights, both going and coming, were uneventful; we were on time and had no problems. On the way to NY, the kids and I left Tuesday afternoon and drove to a hotel near DIA. (Otherwise we would've had to leave home at the crazy hour of 3am. And it's been a long time since I've parked in short-term parking and I didn't really want to "expiriment" in the dark, alone, with 3 tired little kids--so I did what I know best.) The kids were pretty excited to stay at a hotel and eat at a restaurant. We went to bed early so that we could get up at 4:15am to get on the 5:00shuttle. I didn't sleep well, but we got to the airport, checked in and paid our bag fees (I really hate those! I wish the airlines would just charge us a little more up front. What a hassle.) and cleared security and got to our gate--all within an hour. At the airport I bought Einst...

Well...a lot has happened since my last post. I will be adding more today and throughout the week, but for now, here's some stuff about McKenna. The day before the kids & I went to New York (August 4th) Kenna finished her summer gymnastics classes. I went to the class, camera in hand, planning to document all of her progress for you. Caleb went with me that day and reviewed pictures on the way there. When I was ready to begin taking pictures, I realized he'd left the camera on, and the battery was dead. I was pretty sad about not having any pictures. For now, you'll have to try to picture these things: *McKenna on the balance beam. She walks along, doing tuck jumps the entire way (I think I would lose my balance on the landing, but she didn't--her toes touched down every time.) At the end, she did a really nice roundoff for her dismount. As the class went on she worked on adding more "spring" to her roundoff and she was able to land farther away from the...

Well...to do this post justice I really need a picture. I'd forgotten that I grew up in the middle of the forest! The "Adirondack Park", to be precise. When we arrived last night I was surprised to see so many ferns growing along the sides of the roads, and when we got out of the car to come inside I said, "it smells like a forest". And it does. We're off to explore in a bit. More on our adventures later!

Corbin was emptying the water from the dog dish into the puddle created by the sprinkler. What fun! Notice his muddy bottom & his swimming shorts. This is his daily attire. Sooner or later, he finds his swim trunks and brings them to me with his "Aren't I cute? Won't you help me?" look. Being the mushy mom that I am (and having given up caring what my kids wear long ago), I take one look at him, quickly consider his innocence, and cave. He will only be this age today. Tomorrow he may be done, so I'm enjoying today. A few days later, Corbin decided to test his "climbing shoes". I'm just grateful he stays in his crib.

I need to clarify what I wrote below. Just for the record, there are NOT 2 vehicles on my front porch. Sorry. You all know we're weird already; that really would've had you scratching your heads.

Being knee-dip into summer ("over my head" better describes some moments) causes me to reflect on some things that happen here each year. I gave a mother's day talk at church last year, but didn't mention these things...I was trying to inspire, and these just aren't too inspiring! But since these things sometimes weigh on my mind, I'll share. REMINDERS THAT I HAVE CHILDREN: *Every time I leave home, I return to find that the back battery panel on the phone is MIA. Today, it disappeared with grandeur; we haven't found it yet. When will I run out of uses for duct tape? *I have a perpetually open, but empty, ice cream carton in the fridge. (Regardless of how new the carton is.) *In order to keep yummy food stored in the deep freeze, it has to be buried under several grocery sacks and yucky cuts of meat. I can only retrieve this food between 10 pm and 6 am, and only alone. *My 2-week supply of sacrament meeting snacks sometimes lasts 2 weeks if I keep it...

Jared's brother Jon and his wife Maritza just had their first baby. (Jon was 11 when we were married. Time flies.) I love the excitement of a first baby, and watching that happen in someone else's life is just sweetness. Sorry, I realize you don't all know them, but read on anyway. I stole this post from Jade, one of my sis-in-law. Her husband, Josh, lived with us several years ago and is definately on our favorites list, as are most of our family members! (Josh is pictured in the "proud uncle" photo and again at the end of the post with Aleeah and his little guy, Max.) Jared and I are blessed to have the relatives we do. And yes, sharing Maritza's post-hospital pictures makes me glad I didn't blog when my kids were born. Passing my picture around would NOT qualify as a First Amendment right. Here's what Jade had to say about the big event: Jon and Maritza welcomed their little bundle of joy on July 15th and she is CUTE! I had to post about her. Bab...

This was probably our best Fourth of July. Here are some things that made the weekend great: *Jared had the holiday off. That's a rare treat. He also worked the Saturday before the 4th so he and I were able to spend Friday the 3rd together. We went to Menard's in Scottsbluff (Nebraska) and bought a vanity and shower for our bathroom. It's nice to know that someday soon we will have a second bathroom! Plus, it was great spending an entire day together, without kids. (Yes, guys, I love you...but I loved him first.) *I got to play softball with Jared, the kids, and friends. I hadn't done that for years. Fun! The kids were amazed I could hit the ball. (I had warned them about my lack of hitting ability, but I think I have improved a little since high school. Boy, am I sore though! I forgot that old people need more warm-up time.) There was just enough cheating to make the game fun, such as when Jared used Taylor's friend Rece as a "body sh...

One of the things I am passionate about is what I studied in college (Athletic Training). This passion extends to all things relating to our physical selves. I absolutely LOVE to learn about nutrition, anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology & exercise science, injuries, rehabilitating injuries, and anything else related to any of that. I put this passion on hold for several years and focused exclusively on my kids, home, and church callings. But 4 months ago I decided that I needed to make myself a priority again. I've always loved to be active, but intense excerise had fallen by the wayside. I guess I was waylaid when my kids pancaked me as I tried to do crunches and when the phone rang or the baby woke up as I was exercising. Sure, I've worn out five (working on #6 & 7) strollers in my career as a mom, but the intensity has really been lacking. I was missing my old, motivated, fit, happy, pain-free self. At the end of February I bought a membership to Haxtun...

I stole this from a friend's blog. (These aren't copyrighted, right? :-) I couldn't have said these things any better. Lessons I'm not learning very well: (You'd think by my mid 30s I'd have some of this down.) Cake should not be eaten at breakfast. Of course I never do this in front of the kids. That would prove the double standard that I use in almost every situation. Nothing produces immediate results. Don't wear white after or before Labor Day. You have sticky fingered kids. Brown works okay. But, gaudy, multi-colored prints are the best. Just don't mop. There should be some natural law devoted to housework becoming undone within half an hour of completion. Let's call it Frustration's Law. They never teach that law in college when Newton's laws of Motion are getting all the attention. No matter what you do as a mother, you will often go to bed feeling guilty about something. Let go of the guilt. Enjoy the kids. I k...

Well, I miss my old template. Apparently I can't get it again?! And, kenna took great pictures of Jared (in last post) didn't she?

(Sorry, the pictures in this post are a little blurry.) Yep, Friday marks his 36th year on earth. No wonder he's so smart. And cool. And amazing. Do I sound awed? After fourteen years, I still am. (Most moments. ) :-) Jared celebrated by watching Taylor's last softball game. The kids gave him jeans (the standard birthday or Father's Day gift for many years now). I gave him a "remodeled" quilt--the one his grandma made for his high school graduation wore out, so I had the front re-done. It's one of the warmest blankets we own, and I'm anxious to use it this winter. (well, I sleep with Jared, so we'll share it. :-) ) We still haven't had cake; that will be after we eat tonight. (Today was Isaac's t-ball tournament, and cake at 8am just didn't seem right to most of us.)

Well....Corbin is a busy boy. He won't sit still for an entire board book, hasn't fallen asleep in a public place since three months of age, runs outside whenever he hears a door close, climbs all over the bleachers at games, and gets excited and dances whenever we sing his favorite songs. But hidden within his busy body is a very friendly little guy who absolutely loves other kids. He hasn't learned how to approach someone yet, so he assumes everyone likes a hug. (Or should I say, a squeeze? A very tight squeeze. ) No, this lucky little girl isn't an old friend. She was just in Corbin's path.

Well, Caleb is in his "June routine". During June he plays lots of baseball. He pitches, plays first base, and hits home runs for his team. He also helps with the t-ball and machine pitch games (someone has to feed to ball to the machine and be brave enough to stand next to a first-time t-ball player as they learn to swing the bat). When he's not at the ball field, Caleb can be found on the couch, reading Harry Potter books. He's a serious fan, having read most of the books more than once, and some (#1 & 7) more than four times!

McKenna really likes gymnastics. She is taking a class this month & she is learning a lot! Here she is, practicing a bridge. Kenna has also been doing a lot of swimming. She's pretty graceful, especially with the crawl stroke. She can also do the breaststroke. But the diving board is her favorite place to be!

Here's what Taylor has been doing lately: Pitching for the 9-12 year-old softball team Playing right field on the 13-15 year-old softball team Mowing (her job) Watering the garden (for a YW value project) Practicing for a swim test (So she can canoe at Young Women camp) Getting her hair cut (and promptly posting a new picture on facebook)

Some of you know that Isaac likes to be neat. And clean. I'm accustomed to finding clean baby wipes around the house because Isaac used them to clean his favorite toys (which are never dirty). Nevertheless, I was surprised by Isaac's latest cleaning tool: the vacuum. Before you wonder if I ever use mine, rest assured: I do, but not to vacuum lint from my favorite t-shirt! Wish I had a picture!

"Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys." -Anonymous "By the time a man ralizes his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -Charles Wadsworth

Just so you all know, I don't agree with every quote you see here. Some are good, others not-so-whoopy. Oh, well. That's the way things go.

1. Massage--I get a massage a few times a year. I first had one 8 years ago and loved it. Then I went on a seven-year hiatus. Why? I told myself, "When I get a job." "When I have more time." "When I have more money." Then I looked at my reasons and LAUGHED! I was working at a job I didn't like; my time, though very limited, is flexible, and as for having more money..right. A good massage is therapy for the body, mind, and soul. Worth every dollar, and then some. Better than the chirocpractor & as good as a workout, with less effort. 2. Good scripture study days. Enough said. 3. A good workout. No tight muscles anywhere, just a few semi-sore ones the next day. 4. A full night's sleep. Haven't had one in almost 19 months. I settle for whatever sleep I can get, wherever I can get it. I usually sleep in my bed half the night and in Isaac's the other half (Corbin claims mine. Isaac is easier to sleep with.) 5. Dessert. All to ...

Once upon a time, a little boy was born to the Andersen family. He played happily and entertained himself by building trains and arranging magnets, aluminum foil, rocks, and all kinds of other things until he was about 4 and a half years old. A new baby had joined his family, but the baby just wasn't much company. And he kept his mom too busy! The little boy wanted someone to play with. His mom thought about what to do. After a little consideration, she sent him to preschool, where he made lots of friends. Here they are at his preschool graduation. Here is the happy graduate in his cap & gown. And here he is, celebrating at field day. Whew!

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that "the Earth Laughs in Flowers". With that in mind, here are some reasons we love spring: 1. Smelling flowers, especially our lilacs. 2. Catching butterflies from the lilac bushes (Caleb was the expert) 3. Weaving things from iris leaves (Taylor was the expert) 4. Planting flowers! (Isaac is getting to be an expert. He's the proud owner of four pansy plants and two pumpkin plants.) 4. Having flowers in the house. (Jared finds great things, and Caleb brought me some hyacinths he found when he mowed at the other house.) 5. Fruit trees and bushes--not too much longer & we'll have pears and raspberries, along with our apricots and apples. 6. Being outside! 6. The smell of rain. (I first noticed this as a teengaer or college student working in Big Bear, CA. The smell of a desert rainstorm was awesome! It's amost as good here, but it's non-existent in the east.)

Isaac has a lot going on lately! 1-Cats!!! Isaac is the proud owner of a mama cat & 4 kittens. His kittens are about 5 weeks old. They are really making their presence known! Here's Isaac with Sunset, his favorite kitten. Oops...I may have a problem posting videos. I'll try to fix it soon. 2-Isaac is falling asleep alone! This is a big deal! After mom or dad (or sometimes Kenna) reads a book or two, Isaac goes to bed! It's a miracle! :-) For his efforts, Isaac gets a prize the next morning. This new system is working well. I like having another "pocket" of time in our day when Isaac gets read to. We try to read a scripture story each night, plus some of Isaac's favorite books, the "I Wonder Why?" series. 3-Isaac has a new toy addiction. It's a Backugon (back-U-gon); in English, that's a Pokemon transformer. He worked hard to earn money to buy one.

WEll....Caleb has earned his Webelos award! To do this, he had to complete four Webelos badges. He earned his fitness badge, citizen badge, readyman badge, and traveler badge. He learned how to wear his scout uniform (granted, he doesn't HAVE a uniform, but we're working on it)& memorized all twelve points of the scout law. Here is a sample from the "safety notebook" he made: From the section titled "HOw Can I Be Safe at HOme?" Caleb's answers: 1-Make goody 2 shoes choices 2-Obey the laws of the house! 3-Don't tell people I'm home alone. 4-Know the right phone # 5-Don't drink candles--I did! :-) (#5 happened when he was a baby; we spent a long night at the hospital) Sometime I will try to post some pictures of Caleb in his scout attire.

Every year at Christmas time, Haxtun's (teeny, tiny) newspaper publishes kids' letters to Santa. Isaac's letter expressed how badly he wanted a cat. An older lady called us and offered us one of her cats. Isaac was really happy to have his own animal! He was even more excited when he found out he would be the proud owner of kittens! (Yikes. Who really needs kittens--or animals--when they have children?! This is a discussion for a different day.) The kittens were born a month ago. Isaac has chosen one to keep and named it Sunset. Sunset looks just like his mom, Snowy. Some of us are anxious to be able to give kittens away, but Isaac and Corbin would not agree!

Last fall McKenna watched a lot of ice skating. She even decided she wanted to be a professional skater! The only problem: she hadn't ever skated! When we went to Utah, Kenna was able to try out the ice at Seven Peaks in Provo. She wrote: "When I went ice skaing I was not very good but before we left I was doing spinny things and other things like the pros do."

1. Thinking about flexibility assessments. And what's that little muscle under your scapula? The supraspinatus? Infraspinatus? Can I find my anatomy book in the morning? Will I have time to look at it? 2. Wondering if we folded enough socks for everyone to have a clean pair...or will we have to find some for someone in the morning? 3. Wondering why am I reisistant to penicillin and zithromycin when I have taken very few antibiotics in my lifetime? Will I remember to finish all of my clyndamycin, and will my strep throat LEAVE ME ALONE? 4. Thinking about the big spreadsheet I will make to track my progress at the "gym" (Haxtun's gym is too small to be a real gym, but it's not too bad). 5. Wondering when I will have time to finish an entire post before I need to go help someone do something.

Taylor is twelve. When she reads this, she will remind me that she is "almost thirteen and I'll be driving in a year [NOT] and WHY can't I have a cell phone if I pay for my own plan"? All of the above will be said as written, using one breath, accelerating as she speaks, and ending with a plaintive smile. Taylor likes 6th grade and enjoyed being able to play volleyball and basketball this year. She has NOT enjoyed science (teacher issues). She's debating whether or not she wants to oversee our garden for a young women value project. Taylor loves to pose for pictures and is a big BYU/Jimmer Fredette fan.