2011 Christmas Letter

This year has been a whirlwind of fun, learning, challenge, and change. We are very blessed to have our sweet family to grow with. Everyone is doing well and happy. We have really been trying to focus on the important things this season and I love that my kids are all growing a love for our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he knows and loves each of us. We love the stories of his birth and the examples of his life. I found this quote that sums it up so nicely: "The greatest man in History, Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master, had no degree, yet they called him Teacher, had no medicines, yet they called him Healer, had no army, yet kings feared him, won no military battles, yet he conquered the world, committed no crime, yet they crucified him...He was buried in... a tomb, yet he lives today." We celebrate his birth!

I asked the family to each share a summary of the year in their own words, followed by their favorite thing about Christmas:

Sophie (3) I loved playing at my friend Makena's and our tea parties. I like to hike in the woods and go to the beach.
Favorite thing about Christmas: I like goats and I like to get one.

Ember (6) This past year, I accomplished soccer and the year was pretty good. We did some really exciting things like going on an airplane with my dad and he drove. And we went to the Big Island.
Favorite thing about Christmas: I like giving other people presents and their expressions and even more I like getting presents. And sometimes we do plays and I like that too. And I really, really like to wake up on Christmas morning and see how many presents are under the tree

Ethan (10) This year was fun and long like always. I surfed a lot and learned how to short board. I got a Kazuma for my birthday and I did my first surf competition. I got better at soccer and swimming and my ears got bigger - hopefully.
Favorite thing about Christmas: I like that there is no school. It is fun getting presents for other people, but funner to get presents.

Sydney (12) If I had to put a price on this year it would be priceless. I learned a lot. Learning can be really fun if you have a good attitude about it. Anything is good with a good attitude. I got better at mountain biking and swimming. I think it is really exciting to be in Young Women at church and I enjoyed giving my first talk.
Favorite thing about Christmas: When you see everyone open presents that you give them and how much fun they like and enjoy them. And I like when friends and family come to celebrate.

Amy (28) I am learning to let things go so I can get the important things done. I am also learning some discipline and self control. I can keep to a schedule - (almost) and I have made a meal calendar that is making my dinner life easier. I am looking forward to going to disneyland...anytime! I also learned that it is next to impossible for my family to take a good family picture.
Favorite thing about Christmas: The smells of pine needles, gingerbread cookies and peppermint. Having my kids home to play and their enthusiasm for everything. Drinking eggnog. Relaxing.

Troy (30) I really enjoyed my time in Moab discovering the desert. I had fun training and competing in my first bike race. Learning to enjoy where I live more and I really enjoyed my calling at church and learning so much.
Favorite thing about Christmas: Music

So there you have the Anderson Christmas letter. We love you all and miss you. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Big Island Trip 2010

Troy was working over on the Big Island quite a bit this summer and one weekend
we got to go and visit him and play!
The kids and I flew into the Hilo Airport, got some Taco Bell and then headed towards the volcano and found the funnest, free, zoo! It was the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo. It is free to get in and it has a white tiger, ant eater, deer and lots of strange reptiles which Ethan loved and lots of other neat animals.

Looking at the Tiger

Namaste

Ethan didn't get to hold any reptiles, but he did catch a baby chick.



Then we left the Zoo, got into the cool air conditioning of the van and headed to the volcano!

We could not see the lava, but the kids thought that all the smoke and the steam vents were so cool!

After our fill of the Volcano, we decided to head to Kona side. A 2 hour drive give or take some. We did drive through Hilo town and I had forgotton how beautiful the Japanese park, river and little harbor was. I would like to stay over there some day!

The drive is beautiful. Very lush and green all the way to Waikoloa where the landscape drastisticly changes to brown, dry and lava fields. It is quite a change. Painful on the eyes after all the green beauty.

We made it to Troy in time to go to dinner at the Macaroni Grill. It was yummy, but the best part was seeing Dad and going to our fun hotel. One day we went to the Hilton Waikoloa and did all the fun things at that resort. Troy and I had not been there since Sydney was about 2 years old.

There are these great vintage boats that take you around the resort property.




One of my favorite things is watching the Dolphins. There was even a 3 week old dolphin that we got to see nursing and swimming with his momma.


Then we decided to play in the lagoon. There are kayaks, paddle boards, bike boats, paddle boats, snorkels, and sand. We all had alot of fun trying everything out. There were turtles and lots of other sea life in the lagoon. Ethan and I even saw an eel out swimming!


The Lagoon...Sophie and I are sitting out there on a paddle board. Ethan and Sydney are swimming.
Sydney on a paddle board.

Troy and Ember on boards.

Ethan loved the kayaks.

Troy and Emmy on the bike boats. Ember could barely reach but she did it. She did get down on the side and try peddling with her hands on a single bike!



Sophie love it all, but she is also happy in the sand.


Sydney on a bike.

Ethan charging the waterfall.


Cycling with Daddy

There are so many neat statues!


So that was the summer 2010 Big island trip...can't wait for the next one !!!

I love Thanksgiving!

Thankful Tom the Turkey

Every Thanksgiving we make a Thankful Turkey. This year I decided to name him Tom. We hang him in the window and on Family Home Evening we write things we are thankful for on some feathers and make Tom a nice colorful tail.


So what is written on the Feathers? I will tell you:

Sydney writes:
I am thankful for - My family for all they do for me and teach me (sitting up straight) and all the fun times we have together.

For the light of the sun, moon and stars that let us see to do all of our sports and fun past times.

I love having the opportunity to have in education and go to school.

Books and the storys they tell me and the adventures they wiske me away on.

Ethan writes:
Animals
Pets
Sun
Earth

Ember writes:
I am thankful of the world.
I am thankful of ym bed.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful of ym frers. (not sure what this is...I will ask her later)

Sophie told me to write:
Jesus
Candy
Momma
Family

Troy writes:
I am thankful for trees, scriptures, bicycles, water, chocolate, agave, family, motorcycles and fruit.

I am thankful for my wonderful, beautiful, hardworking, pretty, patient wife.

I am thankful for my nice, funny, and happy kids.

Amy Writes:
I am so grateful for so many things in my life.

First I am grateful for the knowledge I have of my Savior Jesus Christ. I love knowing that he is my brother and that because he loves me, he gave his life to atone for my imperfections. I am grateful for the chance to achieve a place in heaven. I am grateful for my free agency and the ability to make decisions. I am grateful for a mind that allows me to think and weigh the consequences of my decisions.

Second I am so grateful for the love of Troy. I am grateful to be married to a man that sees me as his equal, his friend, his confidant, his support, his advisor, his help meet, his wife, his eternal companion. I travel down this road of life in good hands.

Third I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. I am blessed with 4 different and amazing children. I am also grateful to the goodly parents that brought me up with love and kindness. They showed me how to be the parent that I have become. Grateful to all the generations before that shared love with their posterity, a beautiful legacy to pass down.

I am grateful for the beautiful world that we live in. For each new day and the surprises that it holds.

I am grateful for friends and for all the amazing people in the world that have crossed my path and made me a better person.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jaws

No Sharks, Just really big waves. In the winter, Maui's north shore gets epic size waves. There is a famous break in Peahi called Jaws. We went out with Sydney's school (there are only 13 kids, so field trips are a breeze) on Election day to vote for our favorite wave. Ethan, Ember and Sophie came along.


Viewing the waves at Jaws takes some determination and some local knowledge. Off the Hana Highway there are two roads that offer some viewing options. The first is Hahana Rd. The other is my secret. Hahana road gets lots of traffic, its crowded, and sunny but a good fun place to view the action. Both spots require a hike through a pineapple field, unless you know someone willing to lend you a key to the gate. Both are amazing places to watch the awesome feats of the daring surfers that charge these enormous waves.


The waves move so fast that you cannot paddle onto them, so the riders are towed in by an experienced jet ski driver. These ski's are the pull as well as the life guards. It is fun to see them work together to do a rescue when a surfer gets into a bad place. They make it look easy, but I know it takes a lot of skill. To date no one has lost their life at Jaws.


Ethan was truly impressed by the size of the waves and the bravery of the riders.


Sydney liked climbing the trees with Lexi.


Ember was hungry and Sophie wanted to pick all the Amaryllis flowers.


I could have brought a chair and watched for the better part of the day.

The Nap and The Powerful Influence of Siblings

Yesterday I had to pick up Ethan and Ember from School at 1:00. We needed to head straight to town do some errands and then pick up Sydney by 2:30. Then it would be time to drop off Ethan and Sydney for Piano at 3.
Sophie's nap time is usually right after lunch. She is much happier with a nap, just like some adults I know, but we can get away without a nap and a early bed time if we have to. But at 6 pm we had a pack meeting for Ethan's scout troop where Ethan would be becoming a Webelo Scout, so I needed, wanted, and had to get Sophie down for a nap.

So after dropping off the kids at Piano, I said to Sophie, why don't you close your eyes and take a nap. She firmly responded with a sharp, "NO!"

Ember who was in the 3rd row back seat, behind Sophie, came back with the immediate response, "I am going to take a nap too Sophie. I am tired. Why don't we both go to sleep?"
Sophie responded with an agreeable, "OKAY." Closed her eyes, laid her head to the side and was literally asleep in the next 3 minutes.

Ember did not have any need or desire to sleep, but she has a way of seeing the big picture and making it work.

Sophie slept through piano lessons=1 hour, slept through my Costco visit=30 minutes, (Sydney stayed in the car with her) and she woke up on the way home...NAP = happy Sophie = fun pack meeting = happy family.

Thank goodness for Ember's quick thinking and Sydney's love of reading so that she was willing to stay in the car and babysit. And Ethan's hard work at Scouting. What good kids I have :)

The Happiest Child in the World

My Ember is a Joy. I am lucky enough to call her my daughter and blessed to be her mother. This kid was sent to earth to make my life brighter. She is my mini me in looks and spirit.


A typical day at the beach. Still holding on to one front baby tooth.



Hiding in a stick tunnel on one of our favorite hikes in Olinda. Ember is a great explorer.


A Tea Party with Sophie and Eden. Ember is very good at looking out for her little sister.



Did I ever tell you that she is part monkey? She gets that from her dad's side of the family.


Hanging out in the hammock while camping in Hosmer Grove. She loves getting dirty, dealing with the cold and sleeping in our cozy tent.


She still wears a dress almost every day. Some fancier than others. A true princess at heart.


Finely lost that other front tooth. She waits until they fall out. This one fell out at school and she didn't even notice. One of the boys at lunch told her and she found the tooth on the floor!


Ember picked the biggest pumpkin she could carry...those were the size limit rules at the pumpkin patch this year.


Ember has also become a student of the violin. She makes it look very easy and just seemed to pick up reading notes like breathing. It is so fun to watch her learn and practice. I go to lessons with her each week and we try to practice together every day. She is gifted. I am not. She also got that from her dad. Musical talent is beyond me.

Ember does not like her hair to be "fluffy", we brush it out each night and braid it or put it into a bun so that it does not get tangled while she sleeps. She has beautiful curls and long soft hair.

Ember's favorite spot to play is up on the roof. Over the garage there is a spot where a tree covers some of the roof and that is the best spot. She is always sneaking up there with her friends.

Ember loves to draw. She makes me books, recipe's, story's, and they are stapled and given with enthusiasm. Now that she can do a bit of writing she leaves me love notes and narratives of our day. For example there was a paper left in the car this morning that said: "WE ARE GOING TO SCHOOL"

She is my Soccer girl this season. I am her coach. Our team is the Golden Princesses. Ember wanted to be the golden retrievers, but she was out voted. We are not very good, (we border on really bad) but the girls try their best and they are so glad to finish the game and have...Snack.

Ember is one of those kids that don't complain or put up a fight when they don't get what they want. She just accepts it and moves on. She is a great example to me and some of my other kids.

I am so grateful to be watching this little girl grow up. Each night she wants me to massage her legs, she says they are sore. Growing pains? Or maybe it is a creative way to get just a few more minutes with Mom. I am thankful for those sore legs so I can spend a little more time with my Emmy Lou Who.

The Princess has Turned a Royal Three

There was once a little baby born, in a hospital, to a mommy that loved her very much. This baby was sweet, beautiful and healthy. The mommy and daddy named her Sophie after her great-great-great grandmother. Her middle name was chosen to be Malia after a dear friend.



This baby decided she wanted to test just how much the mommy loved her. So for many days, weeks and even months after she was born, this baby decided to cry. The mommy loved her, carried her, nursed her, sang songs to her, cried with her, danced with her and every once in awhile...got to sleep with her!



Finely one day the baby decided that she would stop crying and just start repeating everything that she heard. She was like a little baby parrot (or a Bunny). Mommy loved hearing her talk. By the time she was two, that little baby could almost sleep through the night. She still would cry for her binky or her bedtime snack...1/2 of an apple or 1/2 of a cucumber in bed, but at least now she could tell why she was crying.


By the time she was 2 and a half the mommy suddenly noticed one day that the crying was gone. The little baby that had demanded all the love that the mommy could muster, was now a sweet, happy, fun little girl. What joy! What rejoicing! That little girl did so much so quickly...no more diapers, (not even in bed), no more binkys (we took them to walmart and traded them in for a fairy doll), no more bedtime snacks (okay now and again), and no more crying (except when she is hurt or tired or...but not just to test the mommy).



Sophie loves to play with her little friends. Go to Joy School. Wear dresses. Eat macaroni and cheese, ice cream and go to the mall for See's candy. Play with Ember, Ethan and Sydney - in that order. Play with the doll house and have the dolls act out our lives. Go to the beach and swim, swim, swim! Swing. Watch PBS Kids. Hug Licorice the cat. Giggle. Get tucked in - especially her toesies. Sleep on the floor for her naps. Be silly.



My Sophie has turned THREE! She is my baby. She successfully weaned me from wanting any more babies. But I am so glad to enjoy the four that I have. Sophie, I love you.