Happy Birthday, Jack...3 months ago!

I'm sure that no one really cares, but we've had some technical difficulties lately and my wonderful husband has been able to resolve almost all of them! So, I think I may actually be able to start posting again! Thanks, Austin, for putting up with all of my whining and complaining and for helping to alleviate some of these frustrations!

March 2009

So, for Jack's 2nd birthday, both he and I got a present! For the first time in over 8 years, we took the crib down! He had figured out how to climb out in 2.2 seconds, so we decided to bite the bullet and get him a bed. I'm sure most normal moms would view that as a sad moment in motherhood, but I was thrilled! I'm ready to be done with the "baby" stage and move on to the next! You always want what you can't have, so who knows, maybe once I'm completely moved out of it, I may want it back. But, as for now, it's a good place to be. We, however, were not looking forward to the next several months of teaching him to stay in a bed! In the past, the only reason our kids were ever moved to a bed was because we had to use the crib for the baby behind them. So, to voluntarily make this move was a little hard, but it all worked out! He now does a very good job at staying put (for the most part), but I do recall a night where I counted at least 14 times of walking up the stairs to lay him back down! It's a good thing he's cute....

Happy Birthday, Jack! Our birthday tradition is to serve breakfast in bed, but we didn't think that would be a good idea for a two year old in a brand new bed. Maybe next year!

Aebelskivers...if you've never had these, oh, what a shame! They are a piece of fried heaven! My lifelong best friend, Kamae, gave me the pan for our wedding because she remembers having them at our house for the first time! Thanks, Kamae! We've put it to good use!

Forget the fork, I'm just gonna shove the whole thing in...

Ah, the beautiful post-church nap...

This is the best picture I have with him and his cake. He kept snatching pieces of candy from the cake and so in all of the pictures he is chewing! He loves trains and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so this was the best of both worlds for him!

Aunt Kristen singing her lovely rendition of Happy Birthday....it's not a real Andrus birthday without it! You should have seen Jack's face! He kept looking at her like she was crazy! I guess if the shoe fits!:) (This picture looks straight up 70's...what's up with that?)

All of the grandkids! Back L-R: Kamae,Kami, Paige, Talia

Front L-R: Peyton, Nate, Abby, Brady, Spencer, Jack

The gluttons for punishment! Both of my sets of grandparents regularly join us to celebrate! With all of us there, it gets a bit loud and crazy, but they always come back for more! How lucky we are to have both sets of grandparents that live relatively near by, who enjoy relatively good health and who relatively enjoy being with us....relatively!:)

Grandma and Grandpa Andrus

Grandpa and Nana Rader

She sure does have a way with the nieces and nephews! We love you, Kristen!

Check out that tongue!

It's not a true party without an Orton cheeseball!Awesome gift from Grandpa and Grandma!

Processing...processing....what is this?

Anxiously waiting...

"My ball!" With so many other anxious kiddos around, he staked his claim really fast!
Nice form, Mr. Man!

Happy Birthday, Jack Jack, Mr. Man, Monkey, Jack Man, Dude-alicious!

How can one little boy be so cute and loveable and so trying at the same time? Terrible two's gained a reputation for a reason and you aren't about to let that reputation down! I have no room to complain about your attitude and demeanor....you are generally a very happy kid. However, you just don't stop! You're so curious and adventurous, but I just have to keep reminding myself that that is how a 2 year old learns about the world around him. You are so kissable and hugable and are willing to shell those out at almost anytime. You've got the pucker and the audible "smack" sound down! I've got you trained to where if you are on my lap and you want to get down, all I have to say is, "Do you want to get down?" and you'll turn to me and plant a big fat one on me! If we are walking down the stairs, you know that if I stop on the stairs, the only way to get me to take the next step is for you to give me a kiss! So, I get about 15 kisses the whole way down the stairs and I could get another 1000 more without getting sick of it. You now give kisses with a hand on each of my cheeks and it just melts my heart! I love that you have three or four other "moms" in the ward and you are always so excited to see them and greet them with a hug, kiss, wave or a low-pitched "hi". You love moving my hair back with your pudgey little fingers all pressed tightly together and blowing in my ear because you know it tickles me and I love to watch your face as you watch mine! You are so good to stand against the wall when you get in trouble and so eager to say sorry and give a hug. Anytime you hear a horn honk, you wave, no matter where we are. A car alarm went off in the parking lot the other day and the horn kept honking and you kept on waving, even though you weren't even sure where the sound was coming from! You are not a man of many words, yet, but the few you can say are just so cute and you have the deepest little two year old voice. Whenever you are just chillin', whether it be in your high chair or sitting on the couch or laying down waiting to get your diaper changed, you always cross your fat little feet. You've done that since you were teeny tiny hanging out in your car seat and Grandma Andrus is always one to notice...she loves it! Your feet are so fat top to bottom that I could only find one pair of sandals that fit you. I don't like them very much at all, but I wasn't left many options. Even then, when I put them on, every time you say, "Ow...tie" (tight). I pretend to loosen them because they are already as loose as they'll go and you fake contentment and move on. And everytime I take them off, I can see the detailed imprint of the inside of your sandal. Poor guy! You love, love, love to be massaged! I was laying in bed with you the other night and I was just tracing my fingers around your cute little face. Your eyes were closed and you were expressionless, so after about 5 or 6 minutes, I naturally assumed you were asleep. No way. You were just thouroughly enjoying laying there. Then I started rubbing your foot and after a couple of minutes I patted your foot and said, "Goodnight, Jack." Without opening your eyes or changing the non-expression on your face, you picked up your other foot and shoved it in my face. I chuckled and I rubbed that one for a little while, too. Then I patted that foot and said, "Goodnight, Jack." Again, without opening your eyes or giving any other indication that you were even still awake, you shoved your hand into my face. I laughed out loud for a good 20 seconds and still no expression from you, but your hand stayed in the air, waiting to be massaged. I rubbed that for a little bit, and just to see if you'd continue, I put it down and patted it and said, "Goodnight, Jack." You didn't let me down! You picked up your other hand and shoved it in my face! I laughed and laughed and you just laid there motionless. After I was done with that one and patted it and told you goodnight for the last time, you opened your eyes slightly, gave me a half smile and rolled over to snuggle in for the night. Oh, I just wanted to eat you up! The other day you were in the shopping cart and you were giving me fives. I would move my hand out of the way right before you hit it. You caught on quickly and started holding my hand in place with one hand and giving it five with the other. Then I put up both hands and you grabbed each hand with each of yours. Then you looked at me like, "Now what do I use to give you five with?" Then you looked back at my hands and gave each one a kiss right in the middle of my palms. I just love to see how your little mind works! Despite the ripping down of curtain rods (for proof, look closely behind him in the first picture of his birthday breakfast), painting yourself, the table, chair and floor with black paint, writing on the wall with silver Sharpie (that still shows through after 3 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint), drawing lovely pictures on my windows with green and yellow crayons, eating all of the candy out of my piano lesson box and leaving trails of wrappers all over the house, dumping out a whole bottle of Wacky Melon shampoo (leaving the bathroom smelling very reminiscent of my Strawberry Shortcake doll from my childhood), plucking off the F9 - F12 keys from my laptop keyboard, using everyone's toothbrushes (even when we are at someone else's house...sorry about that!), spraying aimlessly almost an entire bottle of aerosol hairspray, countless experiences of you playing in toilet water, shoving batteries in the VHS side of the VHS/DVD player, I love you, Jack and I always will! Look at him...how could I not?

You'll always be my little man.

Girl's Weekend

Danielle has been one of my best friends since our first kids were born. Since we became friends, we have only lived near each other for about 6 months. We have since gotten together about once a year for a girls weekend. We alternate who visits who and in the past we have just hibernated in a hotel room or a basement and scrapbooked for days on end, watching movies and eating tons of junk. Scrapbooking has become so burdensome in so many ways that we decided to do something different this year....sewing. Now, for those of you who know me and sewing....pick your jaws up off of the floor! I know, I can't believe it either. I was open minded and it actually didn't turn out to be that bad! We made some really cute kid's aprons and Danielle got adventurous and made a really cute shirt for her little girl! I tried that and made a wrong cut that wasted a ton of fabric and threw it across the room...I think I'll stick to aprons for now.

It was a miracle that we were able to pull this trip off this year. We didn't get together last year and we were having a hard time finding a time this year that worked for both of us. She called me on a Tuesday and asked what I was doing that weekend! She had found a cheap flight that left on Saturday and came back on Tuesday. In a matter of hours, we had the flight booked and childcare arranged! And several days later, I was in Texas! We stayed in my Uncle Brent's hotel and it was perfect! Thanks, Brent!

What trip would be complete without a Sunday trip to the "Doc in a Box" (as my Nana called it...I told her I was adopting that term!)? Danielle's kids had had strep the week before and Saturday night her throat started bothering her. So, instead of waiting to see if it was going to ruin our trip we went and nipped it in the bud!


So, post trip I was confused at why we didn't take more pictures. Then I realized why. This is what we did for 90% of our trip! Just envision this setting with more or less mess, change of sweats, and less and less junk food on the table and more and more in our guts...
And what girls' weekend would be complete without a pedi!? :) I've had my share of pedicures and this one was by far the most unique! They put this cooling cream on my legs that made them feel like they were swimming in dry ice! Then they wrapped my legs what felt like nearly scalding hot towels. My senses have never been so confused! Were they hot or cold? Both...so weird. They tingled for hours!
Thanks for the great getaway Dani! You're the best! Counting down the days until our next one!

Ideas? I know you have them...

So, I was recently called as the assistant girl's camp director in our ward! I couldn't have been more ecstatic! I've been in this primary tunnel for so long, that I never thought I'd see the end of it. Don't get me wrong, I love working in the primary, but except for a few short stints in the relief society and the choir, (probably 8 months combined) I've been in primary for nearly my entire married life...almost 10 years! And...yes, I am still in the Stake Primary, but at least I am dabbling in young women's now! So, we are knee deep in the planning stage and I am wanting this to be the best year ever! I haven't been to camp since I was like 14 or 15, so I can't remember all of the cool, fun things we did. So, if you remember any fun crafts, songs, traditions, skits, pranks, games, etc. please....I'm begging you...please share! Our theme is Royal Princess Academy...Fit for His Kingdom. Not that your ideas have to go along with that, but just wanted to get those wheels turning!

A new favorite...

Seriously...he's amazing, funny and simply inspiring! His pieces are my absolute favorite to play...I am anxiously awaiting this sheet music!!

What a slacker!!

Wow. It wasn't until tonight that I realized what I slacker I have been. I'm going on almost 6 weeks with no new posts and hmmm...when was the last time I actually posted a picture? That's a question that I don't even have the patience to find the answer for because I'd have to go so far back in all of the posts! I think the technology gods have convened and decided to plague me with the curse of the cord. What is the deal? We no longer have a desktop, just two laptops. Mine, however has been battered and bruised by the children, during which, my power cord has been snapped in two...twice. In the same spot. After the first severing, we ordered another online. Once I finally got that, the cable that goes from my camera to my computer was no where to be found. Austin has since found my cable and ordered me a new power cord, but post-purchase decided to do a little more researching and realized that it's being shipped from Hong Kong or Taiwan or somewhere crazy like that, so it'll get here...NEVER! At least it feels that way. So, I've been without a computer for a little while, but no where near long enough to excuse such slackerish behavior on this blog! So, I'll try to be a little better. I'm using Austin's computer and I'm not sure what pictures he has on here, but I am bound and determined to post something. So, I'm going to peruse and I'm just as interested as you are (who am I kidding to think that someone else is interested...) to see what I come up with. Wish me luck...I'm going in.

Oh wow....it's been even longer than I thought. Not sure on the date, but these are the cupcakes I made from the (embarrassing) BYU vs. U of U game. At least we started hopeful....
And then I realized that I never posted Christmas! Someone slap me upside the head... Here are just a few of the kids.


Aunt Stephanie, Uncle Andy and Jennifer came out to ski and we met them up in Park City. Here's Jenny and the kiddos! Stephanie ran with the kids in circles around the hotel for about a half an hour! She's so great!
Two mellow guys....My grandpa Rader and Mr. Jack Jack. They were just cuddled up on the couch and Jack stayed there forever!
And, apparently this is what happens when you leave your camera just laying around for anyone to pick up on New Year's Eve! Serves you right, Moke!
"Come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!" Every year, my parents hold off on giving us our Christmas presents until New Year's Eve and then we have to win them on the Andrus Family Price is Right game! My mom goes all out and creates games from the show for each one of us to play! It can be pretty cheesy, but as you can see, we get genuinely excited about it all!


And...Happy New Year, 4 and a half months later! This is the best picture I got of the two of us...he wouldn't stop pulling faces!
So, there you have it folks. My attempt at doing something....anything! And, it'll be a little while before there's more because we are leaving in 4 days, 5 hours and 5 minutes to fly off to Cancun for a week with our best friends, Scott and Linda to celebrate our 10 year anniversaries! My, how time flies! We've been talking about taking a trip for our 10 yr. for hmmm....let's see now....ten years! We've been talking about it for so long, that I really can't believe that it's almost time! I am so excited to enjoy some lovely weather, no responsibility, food galore, beautiful oceans, sun, sun, sun and to have some uninterrupted time with the love of my life! Can't wait!

Kidism

Man, this kid just keeps 'em comin'! He is such a crack up!

We are driving in the car...
Spencer: (pointing out the window to a girl walking on the sidewalk) "Mom! There's our babysitter! Mom, look!"
Me: "Yep! That's her!"
Spencer: "She's so nice!"
Me: "Oh, I am so glad you liked her."
Spencer: "Yeah. She was so nice. I wish she could be my mom."
Me: "Really? Oh, that makes me sad."
Spencer: "But she was so nice. I want her to be my mom."
Me: "Spence...that hurts my feelings."
Spencer: (after realizing that he really had hurt my feelings) "Oh, it's just a joke, Mom. I was just kidding...I was just joking. It's just a joke, Mom."
Me: (somewhat chuckling) "Well, that wasn't a very funny joke."
Spencer: (after a little pause....and he says this with such concern and seriousness...) "Why, Mom? Because it didn't start with knock, knock?"
I just busted up laughing and then I said, "Now, that was funny!" He didn't get it...



The other day Spencer and I were talking and he was telling me how much he liked to watch movies. Then he said, "I like them so much, that at night, when I go to bed, I watch them in my sleep." I had to explain to him that those are called dreams! He has been having some very interesting and vivid dreams lately that he tells in full detail, so that's how I knew what he was talking about. I just found it so interesting that he thought he was watching movies in his sleep!:)

25 Random Things About Me

I think I've been tagged a thousand times now and I usually don't fall into such traps! However, I have really enjoyed reading these random facts about others, so I felt that it's only fair to do one myself. So...if you want to do this about yourself, then consider yourself tagged. If you have no interest, then you are hereby declared "not tagged".


1. My arms don't straighten all the way. When I was a cheerleader, they'd make fun of me and say, "Everyone do a high V...Emily go ahead and do a high U." Hahaha....very funny people...sniff, sniff.

2. I once had a pet octopus that I brought home from an elementary school biology lesson. I put it in a plastic beef jerky container to bring it home in (you know, the ones that looked like a tennis ball container). He didn't even last a day....poor guy.

3. I am absolutely terrified of heights. It makes my legs weak, my palms sweaty and my stomach sick. I even get those symptoms when I see someone else stand on the edge of something high up (like tonight on The Bachelor when they were standing on that cliff...I had to turn away and my heart was racing!)

4. I grew up without a middle name (it's now my maiden name), but when I was little I would say that it was Paige (now the name of my 1st born). As I got older, I seriously considered changing my first name to Emma and making my middle name Lee, because...why not?

5. I jump every time I have to open those stupid cardboard crescent roll containers.

6. At the end of our sophomore year, the night before our biology final, we toilet papered our biology teacher's house with 96 rolls of toilet paper (class of '96, baby!).

7. I am scared of most animals.

8. I am horrible at keeping up with things that require continual maintenance. It's why I don't have a garden, highlight my hair, own a pet or buy clothes that require ironing. It's a miracle that my children are still alive!

9. I am getting more and more forgetful as I get older and a lot of the time I end up just looking like a big fat flake. I don't mean to...promise!!:)

10. One of my simple pleasures: an empty dishwasher.

11. I thoroughly enjoy being a product of the 80's. Cabbage Patch Kids, legwarmers, neon banana clips, crimped-haired side ponies, Kirk Cameron, Goonies, Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth perfume with the pink spiral that went up the tube, Malibu Musk, Jane Fonda's Workout, Locomotion, Smurfs, voting on the new shape in Lucky Charms, charm necklaces, jelly bracelets (oh, I could go on all night).

12. I graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree even though when I first went to college I really never intended on finishing!

13. I once belonged to a "club" in high school called B.A.B.E.S. even though I shouldn't have been allowed in because I never did do what it took to be initiated!

14. Very few things make my heart happier than to make food for people that they just love...mainly desserts and treats.

15. My older brother and I are 11 months apart and the deadline for school was right in between our birthdays. Therefore, we were always in the same grade. What's funny to me is that I am learning that there are still people out there, who (whom? How do you ever know?) we have known since kindergarten, that think that we are twins.

16. I am definitely challenged when it comes to sewing, jewelry, decorating and doing my hair.

17. It frustrates me when people assume that because I can play the piano, that I can also lead music and/or sing. I despise leading music and although I don't mind singing, I am not good at it. It's one of those things that I am looking forward to in heaven...an angelic voice.

18. I played softball and tennis in high school, but always wished that I could be a much better volleyball player. I love that sport, but I am really not very good at it.

19. I am addicted to candy. I could eat it all day every day and would generally choose it over dessert!

20. I can't wear sunglasses. I feel like I am a massive wannabe and that if I wear them that no one will take me seriously. I think they look great on other people and I wish I could wear them, but I really just feel like a big fool! Plus, my eyelashes usually brush up against the lenses and that is super annoying.

21. I took acting classes in San Francisco when I was a kid and then I auditioned for commercial placement agency. I got the acceptance call the same day we found out that we were moving to Twin Falls, ID. Nothing ever came of it other than that I can still recite most of Shel Silverstein's poem, "Sick" ("I cannot go to school today," said little Peggy Ann McKay. "I have the measles and the mumps, a gash, a rash, and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I'm going blind in my right eye"....etc. I will spare you the rest...you're welcome!:))

22. I could listen to my husband tell other people funny stories all day. I think he's a pretty good story teller!

23. I love spicy food! If it makes my eyes water and my nose run...sign me up!

24. When I get legitimately scared by someone, my instincive reaction is to hit them or throw something at them. Ask Austin about the plastic bear bottle of honey I chucked at him...

25. When we were little, my best friend, Kamae, and I would sneak into her Grandma's closet, pull down a big box of See's chocolates from the shelf, and take a bite out of each one until we found the caramel one. It wasn't until I was older that I realized how rude that was and how much money those cost! Sorry, Gram Bernie!!:)

Kidism

Spencer: "Mom, will you hot this up?" holding a roll and pointing to the microwave.

Kidism

This actually happened about a year ago, but this past Sunday in church reminded me of it! Austin plays the "ring game" with the kids during Sacrament meeting...the same ring game that he says his dad used to play with him. You just take off your wedding ring, clinch it in your fist and then the child currently sitting on your lap tries to get it out. (Mind you, a couple of weeks ago, Austin's ring flew several pews in front of us during church and then he forgot to get it. After a late night trip back to the church and multiple phone calls, it was regained...whew!) Well, about a year ago Spencer wanted me to play this game with him. I had never played it and I thought that the point was to try as hard as I could not to let him get the ring. Well, he was struggling to get it out of my fist and after a couple futile minutes, he looks up at me, exasperated, and says, not very quietly, "Man, this is a hard level." I about died laughing! And, at this point in time, we didn't even own a video game system, so how he knew what different "levels" were at the age of three is beyond me!

Kidisms

I just found these in my "drafts". Not sure why I didn't post them...they are about a year old as well!

Spencer crying in the bathtub. I ask him what's wrong and he says, "My eyes hurt!" I ask him if he's okay and he says, "Yeah, but me and my eyes want to get out...I think."

Mom: How long are you going to be in the bathroom?
Spencer: Uh, I dunno. Like 4 hours, I think.

(Paige, walking away from the TV, silently crying)
Mom: What's wrong?
Paige: I really want those QuickGems (hair beads from an infomercial), but I can't have them.
Mom: Why not?
Paige: Because they say you have to be 18 or older and I'm not.
(I know, it sounds like a cheesy blond joke, but this conversation actually happened.)