Christmas Day

We celebrated Christmas Day at Skip's parent's house in Rossmoor. Belen got her princess bike and blew out birthday candles on a pumpkin pie, how festive!

Happy 3rd Brithday, Christmas baby!
Grandpa Clause and Thyssen

Grandma Clause and Thyssen

Christmas Eve

A few pics from Christmas Eve at my parents' house in Palm Springs. For the first time in years, we had all five of us together with all our spouses and kids. What a great time!

This isn't the best picture to show it, but Mama is Thyssen's favorite person.. he cries if she walks by and doesn't pick him up!

Papa in the spa with 5 of his grandkids.

Chris and Alicia... I miss your faces already!
Belen and cousins celebrated her birthday... yum!

Seeing the lights on Candy Cane Lane with Nonni and PapaWe had all the grandkids dress up for the manger scene as Nonni read from the Bible. The boys got a little confused and started giving baby Mag a blessing... Pretty funny! The Stier Family caroling tradition lives on..... Ben's Family, minus baby Mag
Skippy, Brian and Chris just pouring with Christmas spirit

Catching up on weeks of pictures.....

Princess Wishes on Ice!

Bishop Durham from our old ward was nice enough to get us tickets to Disney Princess Wishes on Ice. We took our friends, the Ellsworths and had a great time! Carina and Belen have birthdays just weeks apart so it was a nice birthday treat for both of them.

Belen and Carina in a 3rd Birthday hug!

Whoohoo! Laundry time!

Thyssen has really been enjoying the spin cycle lately... he reaches in and tries to grab the laundry as it tumbles around. That darn glass is always in his way!

Viva Las Vegas!

We went to Vegas and visited some of our favorite people. I've known Jill since 4th grade and became everlasting friends with her in high school. She and her husband Don are chiropractors and live in Vegas with their new little baby-girl Hannah.

Here's Thyssen playing with Hannah... He's 2 months older, but Hannah is gaining on him.

Skip and the kids at the park by Jill and Don's house.

And here they are... the very photogenic- Jill and Don!

We went to a new out-door mall and it had an awesome playground in the middle of it.

Regan's Christmas Party

Today we went to Regan Presley's Christmas party.. No 3 year old can throw a party quite like Regan. She is such a gracious little hostest. She had ornaments to decorate, cookies to frost, and a stocking exchange. We had a great time. Thanks Regan! Merry Christmas!

Regan used more sprinkles than frosting

Abby showing off her creation

Nicholas just being cute.
Eli trying to move his cookie out of the way so he could finish eating his frosting.

Brooked placed every sprinkle just so

Belen took this very seriously..

I didn't get a picture of Lauren- but I love you!

Don't forget to Moisturize!!

So, Belen walks into the bathroom while I'm doing my make-up and she's got huge gobs of lotion in her hair. -- Five minutes ago I told her no more lotion, but stupid me didn't put it out of reach. Then, as I'm wiping it out of her hair, I hear Thyssen start to cry.. hhhmmmm "Belen, did you put lotion on Thyssen?" "no mommy" I went into the living room and found Thyssen absolutely covered in lotion, he had rubbed in into his eyes... ouch. I started to reprimand Belen but then realized that I needed a picture so I acted nice for about 5 seconds to get the picture and then I scolded Belen and put Thyssen in the bath. He's never been so soft. Notice Belen rubbing the excess lotion into the carpet... so helpful.

UUGGHHH! and other ramblings

So, Mandy and I went to the aquarium on Tuesday.. but do you think either one of us remembered our cameras? Of course not! Mandy and I are so not good for each other! We are both way too forgetful and flighty. And, I'm not allowed (per Skippy) to keep my camera in my purse anymore becasue that's how the last one got lost. So now I never remember to bring it anywhere..

I digress... we had a fun time and the girls were actually a lot more interested in all the displays than I thought they would be. Luke had fun running around and and saying "duh duh duh duh" at everything. Poor Thyssen stayed in the stroller almost the entire time.



I am so excited for Christmas this year! The entire family will be at my parent's house and I can't wait to see all the grandkids together. Maybe we sill actually get a big family photo!! For some reason big family photos are impossible with our family.



Belen found her presents in the closet the other day and she said, "Mommy! What's all this for me?" I then had to explain to her that I have to wrap them all up and put them under the tree... then she proceeded with a zillion why questions. Gotta love 3 year olds!

TAGGED

So, Trena tagged me, and I have to say I'm happy about it.

Six intersting things about me... I'll try to make it interesting.

1. At age 16 I was asked in a job interview what my talents were.... so, I showed how I was double jointed and turned my arm around in a complete circle... if you were wondering, I didn't get the job. My interviewing skills have improved slightly since then.

2. Going off of that last one- when my hand is planted flat on a surface, I can turn it around in a complete circle. When I put my arms out straight and lock my elbows, my arms look freak-ish.

3. My whole life I was told that I had a heart murmur and went to cardiology appointments every year until I was 18, and wasn't able to participate in sports or over-exert myself in any way... then when I was 22 I went to a new doctor and found out that I actually don't have a murmur and my heart is completely normal. go figure.

3. I was born on my mom's birthday.

4. I am one out of five kids that does not have curly hair.

5. I'm a natural teacher.

6. I'm silently/internally competitive, like my dad.

So, KARA!!! Tag, you're it!

A Princess Pirate and Her Parrot!

Belen had a great time trick-or-treating.. although she just stared at the people and said nothing when they opened the door. Thyssen was over his costume in about five seconds. I made Thyssen's costume with my limited skills... but I loved Belen's costume! I have to give a little shout-out to Julie Presley for making it last year for her daughter.. she's sooooo talented! It's inspired me to want to take a sewing class... I really want to be the type of mom that hand makes her children all their costumes and mends their clothes.... Why does that seem like a far-off dream to me? Anyway, we had a successful night and we're doing it all over again on Saturday for our ward party. Wanna come? Happy Halloween!

A few new pics from the week

My parents came to town today and so of course we went to Dland!We got there at 1 and we had a great time and were totally worn out by 5. I love living so close and having a pass.. it's so fun!














Our family actually went to the pumkin patch this year! Well, it's a California-Style pumkin patch- the pumkins are lined up in the dirt as if they were in a patch and there is a small carnival attached. Anyway, we got a family picture and that's all I wanted.














A few cute pics at Atlantis park with Luke and Penny.

Big Boy

Thyssen can sit up by himself in the bath!! Yay!!! It's so much easier to bathe the kids now. I don't have to use his bothersome bathseat anymore and he and Belen can splash and play now. It may not seem like anything that exciting, but it's huge for me!

Temple Night

We actually got to participate in our stake temple day! I think it's a first for us. My parents came to town because of my cousin's wedding reception and so they were here to babysit- perfect timing! We had a great time and really felt the spirit and the wonderful comfort that the temple can bing. Thanks mom and dad! On a side note- I may need to get a new temple dress- my bust was just about popping my buttons open! I had to keep my arms folded the entire time- everyone just thought I was very reverent. Let's hope that these babies shrink a little post nursing... it's just getting rediculous.

Good Day!

It's on these rare days that I feel like a well-accomplished mommy... Got laundry going, floors clean, grociery shopping done, kids fed and napping, life is good. I love days like this when everything just comes together... Yay me!

I'm Stuck!

So this is how I found Thyssen the other morning... I could hear him crying and when I went into the living room to get him, I couldn't find him at first. When he saw me he started smiling and giggling in hopes that I would pick him up. I had to walk away to get the camera and he started to crying again, and when I got back and he saw me again, he put on the happy face. It might be mean to toy with his emotions like that, but it's really cute.

Zoo Monkeys

This is Belen and Jack at the Santa Ana Zoo... this is right befire she got scared of the loud screaming monkeys. She and monkeys don't have a good track-record and these crazy monkeys didn't help. The second picture is one I tried to take of her infront of the oh-so-scarey monkeys. Besides the monkeys, we had a nice time. It's kinds of a sad little zoo, not many actual zoo animals, but there was a big playground and a farm- yes, a farm at the zoo.

Generations

Here are three generations of Andersen men. Note the pale Danish skin and red hair (well, if any of them had any hair, it would be red). So cute! It's all up to Thyssen to carry on the Andersen name! Good luck little buddy!

Feeling Thankful

Our family is just feeling thankful today for this home we have to live in and for the wonderful people who are letting us live here :) Belen has such a good time playing here, running up and down the side walk and walking to the neighborhood park to play. We are truly blessed! Thanks to everyone who has helped us out over the last few months. We love you all!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to....

Today was Penny's 3rd Bday party and she spent most of the party in the house watching cartoons and sulking. I think all the friends and people there was a bit too much for her to handle. She had a great time opening gifts, though!! She is so cute... Belen had a great time celebrating her little friend.

We're in!

We have moved in now and are very happy!! The house is almost all the way fixed up and is starting to look more like a home and less like a tool shed. We went to the new ward and loved it.. there are a lot of young families and Belen already made a little friend. We went to Dland yesterday for the first time since summer started, ate giant corn dogs, and visited with old friends.

The Waiting Game

Well, we officially have less than 10 days until "hackett house" is finished. That's when the shower doors go in.. So, we might be able to start living there by this weekend! We can't wait to have our own space again. We will also start the new ward then too. When we are all moved in we will have a huge blowout party to celebrate.. be on the look-out for invites!