Lost and Found

 Brown asked me if I had any stories about her as a little kid, so I sent her here.  I haven't looked at this blog in forever.  It was fun to see the pictures and reread the entries.  I will do a small update.  

In November 2020 we moved as a family to La Grande Oregon.  We ended up buying a house and 4 acres in a little town called Cove.  All the kids went to school there except for Yellow who had graduated from North Summit in May of 2020.  Blue and Red graduated from Cove High School.  Then in June of 2025 we moved to Pullman Washington.  Green is working at Whitman County Hospital. He had been at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.    

Lots of changes in our lives.  My mom died in 2024, Grandpa Dee died in 2023, we got another dog, and then gave him away, had chickens, ducks and geese in Cove.  We have been blessed by our Heavenly Father.  We have laughed, cried, won and lost through the years and are still trying to become who God knows we can be.  I love my family. 

The Eye (BROWS) have it!  Yes folks I did the unthinkable and went under the needles!  I had my eyebrows tattooed on and boy did it hurt!!  Here are a few pictures from day one!  Needless to say I am really second thinking going back to have touch ups done!  Now, here's . . . 

Guess who just joined our family!?!?  Her name is Cinderella.  She come last night and I put her right to work.  I love how quiet she is and how she is such a champ about cleaning!  Everyone needs a Cinderella.  Here's a picture our mine. . .

New Year, New Me

Can you believe it is 2014?!?!?  I cannot.  Time seems to fly by ever faster as I try to catch up.  This year has already been a busy one for our family.  My little brother got married in January, and Yellow turned twelve and became a deacon, and then little Red is now eight and was baptized!  I am amazed that I have children this old!  Green and I celebrated 16 years of marriage.
I have been reading other blogs, mostly women who have overcome great trials like the loss of a child or being in a horrific plane crash.  I have to say I rather feel like a Grinch because I am not the typical "fan" of these blogs.  I am blessed because I have not had to face these things.  I feel almost as if my life is charmed.  Day in and day out I am reminded of this.  Hopefully this year my blog will inspire my family to do and be better.

Chocolate covered cherries.   Green hates them, but I must admit that when the holidays roll around I look forward to seeing these little treats on the shelves.  They remind me of kind neighbors that brought them as treats when I was a little girl.  They remind me that the best part is often found within a person, and that what you see is never what you get.  Recently my siblings and I got together for a visit.  My older sister Michelle told us a story that I had never heard. 
My dad has six brothers and one sister.  They grew up on a farm in Idaho and never had much money. One Christmas after everyone had opened gifts my uncle Randy asked if there was anything for him.  My grandmother quickly realized that she had forgotten to buy him a gift, but instead of saying, "We'll go and get you something later", she went into her room and found a box of opened chocolate covered cherries.  She wrapped them and gave them to my uncle.  I don't know how he reacted or if he ever got over it, but I do know that he was loved and valued, that Christmas however meager was special to his family.  I wish my little family would be happy with receiving chocolate covered cherries. 
Christmas has become such a contest.  Trying to give your kids gifts that won't cause them embarrassment to tell their friends about.  Making sure that everyone has the same number of presents, or that you spent the same amount of each kid.  I tell my kids it doesn't matter what others think, but the truth is, parents care what others think.
I wish that just once, my kids would react with squeals of delight or tears of joy because I got them just what they wanted.  I wish that we could hide from the world for a day and drink hot chocolate and  eat breakfast casserole.  I wish that the phone wouldn't ring and that those picture perfect Hallmark moments occurred in my house.  I wish that Chocolate covered cherries were enough.

The Green Monster.  Everyone grew a beard to show their
support for the Red Sox!

Even our Halloween pumpkin had a beard!

Green grew a beard originally for Prostate Cancer Awareness, but ended up keeping it to show the world
that he is a Red Sox fan!  They won the World Series this year!!  Brown opted to show her support by being a green monster.

Brown on Coronado Beach near San Diego.

Orange, Blue, and Yellow jumping waves.  This was the first time our
kids had been in or even seen the ocean

San Diego Temple.  It was so beautiful.  We will have to go back to
California so that we can go in.

Sea World.  I told the kids to pretend they were under water.  as you
can see yellow was too grown up to play.

The many wonders of Sea World.  I think the whales and dolphins
 were everyone's favorites.

While at Coronado Beach a group of soldiers came running by.  They
ran into the water and then had to do sit ups in the sand and then run some more.
so grateful for the men and women that protect our country and are willing to
serve.  Very grateful for my dad and brother who served in the military.

Happiest Place on Earth?  I beg to differ.  Over the first week of September Green and I took the kiddies to Disneyland.  None of us had ever been or this trip might well have not happened.  Let's start with I HATE crowds!  Not a minor disliking but a full blown HATE.  I realize that the obvious is that if I hate crowds why would I go to Disneyland, well the answer is four fold. (KIDS)  I was amazed at how expensive not only tickets and food are, but at the shear amount of people willing to pay that price.  It gives me shivers just thinking about how much money walks through those turnstiles.  OK, rant over.  Here is proof that we went and saw.

Disneyland Day 3

Tea Cups

Merida and a big helping of Brave for the rides to come.

Cinderella's Castle

Areial

So after typing a very witty diatribe on our trip to Disneyland it was erased.  Here are the pictures.  I'll comment as needed.

Universal Studios.  Day 2

Despicable pricing, and our minions.

Sponge Bob and Orange.

Our favorite ride at Universal.

Optimus Prime.  He loved our matching shirts. :)

Wow!  Here it is almost the middle of July and I feel like we have done NOTHING!!  I guess here are a couple of things we have done.  #1  Green and two of my sisters, and I took my parents to the MTC in Provo, Utah on July 1, 2013.  They are headed to Kenya for 18 months.  #2  Green and I went on the stake youth trek.  As usual I picture a Hallmark moment and get a Griswold one.  It was a great experience and I did have a ton of fun, but boy I have got to have shorter legs than Thumbalina!  # 3  We went to a circus for the first time.  I sat there and thought, "How do people figure out they can do this stuff?', the whole time.  They had a lady flying threw the air by her hair, a foot juggler, and someone who could balance on 7 roly poly things.  Not what I do with my free time, but it takes all kinds. 

Elder and Sister Anderson
 

Well school is finally out!  we have made it through another year and are looking forward to a productive summer.  (hahaha)

Blue had cavities at our last dentist visit.  Here he is getting ready for fillings. (Woo ooo ooo feelings)

We went to the zoo.  They are sure remodeling there.

Brown and Red got prizes for Stopping Sucking Their Thumbs.

Red lost a front tooth.

Green took the kids to a BYU baseball game while I was in Branson with my parents and sisters.

Well it is finally here . . . Graduation Day!  Brown is graduating from pre-school on May 23rd.  Here are her pictures from the Blue Roof Academy with Miss Orlene and her classmates.

Our latest endeavor!  We bought 4 chicks at the end of March.  We lost one and replaced it.  Then just last week, I took the chicks into the back yard and left the gate open and the neighbor dog got one.  So we are down to 3 chicks.  Yesterday a friend gave us 3 hens.  So our final count as of today is 3 chicks and 3 hens.  We got our first two eggs today!  Hurray for Henny Penny.

Egg Drop Coop

Henny Penny laying eggs

Our first two eggs!!

Once again I made my girls' Easter dresses, but this time I also made coats.  What a production.  Thank heaven for Betty Crittenden!!  Here are our pictures from Easter Sunday.

Hope you all had a very "Hoppy" Easter.

This year for our family theme we are "Preparing for Missions."  All the kids received mission calls and have P-days (when they do their chores) we even get to learn the discussions!  Here is were we were Called To Serve!
Yellow:  Greece

Blue:  Scotland

Red:  South Africa

Brown:  New York

We are very excited to learn more about these places and try some of their food and learn more about the gospel.

Can you believe that it is 2013?  I can't, time sure flew by.  So much has happened that I don't even know where to begin.  I guess I'll start with In September of 2012 I became a GREAT Aunt.  Michelle's daughter Courteney had a little boy.  He is a doll and I love holding him and then handing him over to his mother.  Christmas was crazy.  The kids all got I Pods and we have the I Tunes bill to prove it!!  Blue figured out our password and charged $305 to our debit card.  We did get reimbursed, but he has had to do chores to pay us back. We also gave the kids a trip to Disenyland in September of this year.  We are all very excited!  My dad and mom both retired.  My dad had worked for 38 yrs and 9 months at the trona mine in Wyoming.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents that supported my siblings and I.  The BIG news is . . . my parents have been called on an 18 month mission to Kenya!!  I was shocked!!  They leave in July. 

Ellie at Christmas

GREAT Auntie M

Kids dressed up for 80's day at school



My sister and I as Winifred and Sarah Sanderson

Cindy Lou Who

Puppy Love

Well folks, I finally folded and let Green bring home a puppy.  The month of October brought a dog to our house.  The kiddies were so excited.  They never thought I'd let them have a dog, and here she was.  We named her Eleanor, but call her Ellie.  Brown picked her name.  She has brought a lot of laughs and love to our home, along with dirty carpets and new experiences. 

Another Move

I know you are all going to find it hard to believe, but Green and I are putting our house up for sale and hoping to move.  I always thought that it was Green with the gypsy blood, but turns out it is me.   We are looking at the house right across from our first home here in town.  It has a much bigger lot, and we want to give gardening and 'Urban Farming' a try!  We are talking chickens, goats and even a cat!  (What have I talked myself into). Needless to say we feel like this would be really great for our kids to learn about taking responsibility and being a team player.  I just started a new job working for a dentist one day a week and I love it!  It has been so interesting and fun.  Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon of the rest of our trip to South Dakota and also our trip to Boston!  Fingers crossed that this house sells and the bank is feeling generous!

Part 2

Trip  number 2 to South Dakota for Blue's 8th birthday.  Green recently bought a new Jetta so we got to ride in style. 
Day #1  Left Green River, WY and drove to Hot Springs, SD.  We stopped in Douglas, WY and had a picnic lunch there.  Did you know that during WW1 Douglas was a POW camp?  Who knew?  I guess the German and Italian POW's. 

Day 2:  We left Hot Springs and our Indian curry hotel room behind.  We drove PAST Crazy Horse because nothing had changed since the last time we had been there.  We hit Mt. Rushmore went and rode the Alpine Slide in Keystone wentto the RR museum in Hill City and then had a chuckwagon dinner.  YUMMY!!

Father and Son

The artists

Family Fun

Riding the tram up to the top of the Alpine Slide

President Wadsworth

Just a little one on one with Abe Lincoln

The men we came to see.
Day 3:  We spent the night in Rapid City.  We had a really nice room and a great view.  Today we went to Cosmos and Reptile Gardens.  We also drove through Custer State Park.  The only 'wildlife' we saw were some burros.  I got out to get some carrots to feed them and they almost shoved me into the trunk.

We will finish up our trip on the next post