The Seven of Us

Isaac's 8th birthday was on August 23.  This year Isaac reminded me that he'd never had a "friend" party, so we invited a few of his friends to come play and spend the night. I made several pizzas, but first the boys played awhile. Here's "fearless Corbin" giving the slip-n-slide a workout. Isaac with his friends Jacob and Owen, and his brother, Fearless Corbin. The birthday boy, Surfin' the Slip-n-Slide. (That's Isaac's dog, Jess, his birthday present from last year.) Isaac was baptized on Aug. 27th.  His baptism was quiet, and none of our family could come, but he didn't mind.  All of his brothers and sisters were able to participate in the program, which was fun.  Isaac is a special son and we're happy to have him in our family. Happy Birthday, Ike!

I should be working on the 3 posts I've begun.  But I'm not. Here's what I'm thinking about: *Kids and parents.  I had a phone call this morning:  a parent wanting to discuss and keep tabs on their daughter. Isn't that the best?  Know what I learned?  1) Parenting a teenage daughter is difficult. (I say "daughter" because my teenage son is easier to parent than my daughters.  Age? Maybe.  Personality? Undoubtedly.)  Anyway, I love hearing from parents about their kids.  Lets me know how much they care and how hard they're trying to do what's right.  I wonder if Heavenly Father feels that way;   He obviously works a lot harder at parenting than we can conceptualize, and, like our teenagers, sometimes we fail to even acknowledge His efforts, or thank Him. *Abuse.  Collyn Ray's song says,  "I think about you, eight years old, big blue eyes and a heart of gold, when I look at this world, I think about you, and ...

I'm a recycler.  In high school, I had a "Love Your Mother" bumper sticker stuck to my planner.  I liked Birkenstocks, corn rows, andd activism.  (Not that I've ever owned Birks or had corn rows, but if I visited Jamaica I might.  And I've never marched or demonstrated, but I think the fact that we can--and that some are passionate enough to do so--is great.)   But I digress. In NY we had to recycle.  We lived in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.  When I was young I went with my dad to the landfill, where we tossed lots of trash, as did others. Fridges, couches, paper--it all went to the same spot. We also had a burn barrell, as did most people in the country.  When I got older, laws were changed. Recycling trailers were placed in landfills. Burning trash was outlawed, and we paid a fee to throw away non-recyclable trash.  I didn't mind; I liked recycling--and my pa...

One day during the summer I started snapping pictures with the idea that I'd do a post about an average day.  Well, I got about halfway through the day and had too many pictures to post, and I'd missed a few things, such as Caleb mowing some of the lawns he cuts (along with loading and unloading the mower, which seems to be something I do a lot in the summer),  Corbin going to the neighbor's house, the disastrous kitchen at lunchtime, and Kenna sprawled out on the couch watching PBS cooking shows all afternoon (when she can get away with it).  So, while these pictures aren't reflective of an entire day, they do show some of what we do.   Seeing Corbin in a tree was a pretty normal occurrance this summer. This was the first time Caleb had really paid much attention to it, and he was worried about Corbin and helped him down.  I'll have to post the third photo showing where Corbin was when Caleb found him. "Bros" Corbin and Isaac call one another ...

Well, I've been to Utah twice this year. I love it. I find myself wishing I lived there. (And when Jimmer was playing, I really wanted to be there.) If I lived in Utah, I'd be able to have Sunday dinner at Den and Sue's. I could attend Conference, do genealogy at the Family History Library, go on challenging, beautiful walks on canyon paths every day, check out uplifting books at public libraries, find friends with whom I could discuss the gospel, and see mountains constantly. It'd be glorious! Wouldn't it? I know there are things about Utah that I love: temples, mountains, beauty, stores, family...and memories. I remember--and sometimes crave- that season of life: young(er), extremely active, healthy, totally self-focused. (Okay, selfish.) Every day was a new adventure; every semester brought new classes and new aquaintances, every 9 to 12 months a new calling. I worked three or four different jobs. I learned a language. I got married, had a baby, and finished sch...

Taylor turned fifteen at the end of June.  It was a milestone in her mind because in Colorado kids can get their learner's permit at the age of fifteen.  Being the go-get-'em kid that she is, Taylor had told us months before her birthday that she wanted to get her permit on her birthday. So we did.  McKenna was playing in a softball tournament in Wray, so Taylor drove from Holyoke to Wray (30 + miles).  She did pretty well, despite my hand-clenching and instruction-giving.  (I'd forgotten that the road to Wray is narrower and hillier than Hwy 6. I've never liked sharing space with the shoulder, but I got through it.  And Taylor and I were still speaking afterward.) Besides getting her permit, other things that made Taylor's birthday special were having Gramma and Grampa Droddy here and getting a pair of "blingy" (sparkly) sandals.  Taylor is a great daughter.  She has some incredible habits (like reading her...

Is this the expression Jared made when he came home to find another window broken? y

Here is a short essay McKenna wrote at the end of last year (fourth grade). "My Disliked Chore" My chore that I dislike the most is babysitting Corbin. I don't like babysitting Corbin because he screams if he doesn't get what he wants, and that is super annoying, and very loud.  He also hits. When he hits me it stings, and sometimes leaves a big brownish purplish bruise.  Corbin tries to cook, but he just makes a big, sticky, gross mess. He also has to watch studpid non-funny Droagon Tales, and I have to watch with him.  (By the way I hate that show.) Corbin likes to run to our ditch with Charlie (his bear) so I have to go get him. That is why I hate watching my brother. Note:  Once I was frustrated with my kids and for some reason the thought "Will this problem be solved by maturity?" came to my mind.  Reading this essay confirms that maturity does change kids.  Corbin has stopped biting and running away when he's mad. Yay!   And Kenna r...

Gosh, summer has really flown by this year. We started our summer ball season in Mid-May and the first game was on May 21st.  Because of rain things began a little slowly but we made up for that later.  Our Little League Team (11 and 12 year-olds) had an interesting season. They started off terrible.  The team was inexperienced, and it showed. But they improved and won the Border League Championship!   Caleb played pitcher, catcher, and shortstop.  His favorite position is pitching (lots of contact and glory).  He also catches, which I enjoy because it's easy on his arm and because he's a great catcher. He knows how to think, he knows where the play is, he knows when to hold the ball and when to throw it, and he's willing to use his body to stop the ball.   The two games I most enjoyed watching Caleb play were a Babe Ruth game in Ovid, during which he caught for ...

This year McKenna decided to play softball. This was the third year she was eligible and the second year she played. She played with her friends Riley, Dawson and Molly from school along with nine or ten other girls.  McKenna's team ended up being very successful: they took second place overall. McKenna played catcher.  She learned a lot and seemed to enjoyit, except on very hot days.    Kenna was also able to try second base and left field this year.  She did realy well batting, too.  Great job, McKenna!

Georgia O'Keefe Ansel Adams Vivaldi Cool breezes Utah mornings and evenings Utah stores (Deseret Book, Zupas, Chuck-a-Rama) Going places Getting home Good books A challenge. Any challenge. Hiking the Y.  I'd do it more often if I could. It's gloriously sweaty and invigorating. Knowing that Jimmer has made a difference. Believing I can make a difference. Visiting old friends. Getting texts from my Young Women. Going visiting teaching. Good movies Great parents My family Lowfat ice cream Paychecks Creating things.  A little talent can be big fun. Robert Frost poems Quiet moments

My dad. McKenna, Isaac and Corbin Taylor and Gramma Droddy Kenna, Ike, and  Tay My parents on an air boat in the Florida Everglades. Dave and Bonnie Droddy, winter 2011, Marco Island, FL

 This post is about Taylor. The photos were taken at her 8th grade promotion on May 25th. One of the things I love most about Taylor is her sense of humor. She's always willing to laugh at herself or to make a goofy, off-the-wall comment about a situation.  Not long ago I'd taken her to Sterling to babysit.  I made a quick stop at Sunmart to check out their sale items (they usually have good deals on meat and cereal).  The line was VERY long and I was worried Taylor would be late, so I sent her a text. She fired back:  "Tell the line that your daughter is in LABOR in the parking lot!"   If I could laugh a little more  would life be a little more light-hearted?  I'm grateful I have a daughter to help me with that. Youth and laughter are great anecdotes for middle-aged and serious.  

Well, summer is here, which means my blog is in trouble for two reasons:  I don't have time to post anything, and I don't have a fast computer to use (unless I want to use Jared's work computer between 10:30pm or 6 am).  This post is really a reminder list for me to use when I do have time to elaborate, but maybe it will keep you updated as well.  *Taylor graduated from 8th grade on May 18th.  In spite of the dress drama, it was a nice ceremony.  She was complimented about her dress many times.  People's reactions were generally, "It was SO nice to see someone in a dress that was appropriate for an eighth grade girl." (Thanks, Stalina, for the dress.) +McKenna, Caleb, and Taylor all finished the school year on the Superintendent's honor roll. +Isaac finished the year reading at Level 15 in his Early Prevention books. He worked really, really hard to get there. He is glad not to have homework.  We are reviewing by reading, doing a math worksheet, ...

I have to admit:  I'm plaigarizing again.  I love this post, not because it's about adoption, though I do think posts about adoption are intesting. Nope, I love this post because it addresses something I think most of us struggle with: allowing ourselves to be offended.  My friend Lia (well, not really my friend, just my cyberfriend) is not LDS.  She struggles with a lot of stuff.  She's very honest (almost blunt). But I love her closing statement. If she can see the need to "drop all charges", then shouldn't I, a member of the Church who professes to believe in the Savior and follow him, also be able to do that?  Food for thought. Everything that follows is from Lia. Enjoy. Thunderbolt. Posted on May 28, 2011 So, I was watching a commercial for ancestry.com, thinking about how Before I would never have thought twice about said commercial, and After I’m like, man, it would suck to be in a closed adoption and see these commercials, the...

Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets. -Paul Batlden, MD Even me.  The results I get are rarely the results I want, but I can take heart in the fact that my Creator knows me, planned this, and, therefore, the results I get are okay. I can settle for that .

Spring is beautiful, but I am miserable. To paraphrase another blogger, I am miserably enduring my worst-ever spring allergy season.  Ten springs ago I had moderately annoying ear pain in the spring. That year I realized that my body had decided to stop getting sinus infections and was going to bless me with allergies instead. Maybe every spring has been miserable since, but I don't think any have been like this. (Lightbulb moment: I think progesterone, pregnancy, and lactation hormones inhibit the inflammatory reponse! They must, because that would explain why I probably had 3 or 4 years that weren't too bad at all.)  This year is bad. I can't sleep.  I can feel the postnasal drip coating my throat like chocolate dip coats an ice cream cone. I cough. I sniffle. I buy more claritin, take one, notice that it helps.  Twelve hours later I take two sudafed pills hoping that my pounding headache will go away. All of this from a person who is gravitating...

1.  Getting my BYU Alumni magazine in the mail and opening it up to find a full-size profile photo of Jimmer that  looks a lot like Caleb. Very fun. 2.  Hearing that the temp.erature outside may actually be warmer than 65* on any given day. 3. Knowing that baseball season is starting Friday. 4. Letters (or email, or facebook messages) from family/friends. 5. Along those lines, a good conversation--via text, of course--with my brother. 6. Extra money. 7.  Nowhere to go all afternoon (class is done). 8. Being excited about anything in life. 9.  Baseball is coming, and Caleb was asked to play up a level. 10. Hearing that the price if gas may go down.  That's good news, because if it goes up I'll be sending Caleb to ballgames with friends... 11.  Thinking about going home to NY sometime. 12.  Making my house better. Can't happen fast enough. 13. A good night's sleep. 14. Strawberries.

I've been gone from New York State for almost nineteen years, but sometimes, at the strangest moments, I miss my home.   Though I was anxious to leave and knew in my mid-teens that I liked the western part of our country, I find that I think of home and wish for it more as I get older.  I miss the lush greenery of the Adirondacks in the summertime, when simply stepping outside is an experience that awakens the senses.  I can smell the pine trees and feel the warm humidity on my skin, and I wish for it even though I know I don't like it.  I miss the peaceful serenity of my childhood home.  The porch wasn't screened in when I was home;  I'd like to go back and sit there, on my Nanna's old wicker furniture, with a good book and a cold drink. I miss the beautiful, plentiful lakes, rivers, and streams, surrounded by evergreens.  There is nothing similar on the high plains of Colorado! And for some reason, as I get old...

In February Jared and the four oldest kids went to Washington to welcome Uncle Matt home from the New York New York North Mission. It had been three years since all ten of Jared's siblings had been together and they had a good time.  Jared arrived in time to be at the Pasco airport with everyone as they waited for Matt's flight. Below:  Waiting.  Everyone in this photo, with the exception of the man in the white shirt and the bald guy in the middle, is an Andersen.  The guy in the plaid shirt is Jared's dad, Doug, and the girl in the white is his sister, Beth, with her daughter.  On Beth's right  is cousin Josie Bates, and another cousin, Kilee Chase (McKenna's age) is on the far right.  The photo below is of cousins Lauren, Hannah and Jake Andersen.  They look ready to greet Matt.   Finally! The smiling missionary.  Brothers Matt and Josh hug while Grandma Sally wipes tears away.  ...

Sometimes I see what others go through on their mortal journey and I'm glad I'm me. Cancer. Death.  Health challenges.  Children spiritually adrift. Job loss. Sometimes I wonder when my turn with [any of the above] is coming. And it's then that I say to myself, "You are a blessed lady.  When [   ]  happens, remember your friend [      ] and be like [he] is." And then I continue on my journey, packing a little more perspective with me.  Sometimes I wonder if Heavenly Father will give me credit for the learning-by-observing method and bypass me when he hands out [        ] and [       ].   And even as I wonder, I think I know the answer to that.  And then I wonder if I will be prepared for sometime to arrive, someday.

 March was a good month for McKenna.  Early in the month she received notice that she was chosen as a winner on a coloring/design contest on the Miss O. and Friends website.  She'd entered several completed pictures in a contest in January.  her prize was a $50 American Express gift card. Wow! Add caption On March 24, Kenna turned 11.  Eleven!  Actually, it doesn't seem weird. She looks eleven and we have probably treated Kenna as an eleven year-old since she turned ten (maybe I should apologize for that). In any case, we are glad to have Kenna in our family.  She's a great daughter.   Happy birthday, Kenna Beckah!

One Saturday morning in Febraury Caleb and I went to the MacGregor Apartments in Sterling to attend a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution.   We were there because Caleb had won an essay contest, which had actually been a school assignment. The subject was Paul Revere. The contest was for all sixth graders in the "greater" Sterling area (if there is such a thing).  Caleb really was not excited to attend the DAR meeting.  I could relate to his feelings; I remembered attending American Legion meetings and ceremonies when I particpated in the Oratoracle  Contest in high school. I was always uncomfortable.  Caleb was simply bored.  I encouraged him to smile and talk to everyone, which he did.  He survived--and he won $50.  Not a bad reward for talking with nice old ladies for an hour on a Saturday morning. On March 1st Caleb was inducted into Haxtun's NJHS (National Junior Honor Societ...