We're Ready!!

We've completed the Christmas orchestra concert . . .

We've got snow . . .

We've baked and baked and baked! Come on Santa we're ready!!

Thanksgiving 2009!

Wonderful holiday -- spent with family! We went to Colorado this year (yes, we drove our new Tahoe! -- it was great to have the space!) Would you belive that I forgot my camera!! Of all things -- thanks Lynnea for sharing your camera and photos with me! Daelyn and Tyler both came from Arizona. We partied every day -- stayed up late and woke up early when the kids got up! Thanksgiving morning we went to the zoo with Jessica's in-laws. It was a perfect day full of sun. The animals really put on a show for all of us!


Back to the house for the feast! We just keep eating, eating, and eating. Mmm, Mmm, Good! Shopping started at 10:00 p.m. -- so away we went to the outlets! I must say, the older I get the less I like to be in crowds. But, we had fun and Sid especially liked staying up with us until 2 a.m.!

The rest of the time was spent playing cards, playing catch with the football, playing in the creek, and napping!

To end our trip, we spent time with Aunt Carol and Uncle Larry on Saturday night. Aunt Carol is a great Grandma! She really entertained us with pizza dinner and making play dough with the kids. We laughed and laughed at some of the play dough art the kids came up with! The amazing part -- Cole's snowman and Sid's Christmas tree actually made it home! We are grateful for a perfect, relaxing holiday!

Pumpkins and Leaves!

Just a sampling of what is to come . . . the trees are still FULL of leaves!

Grandpa and Grandma Anderson came to visit this past weekend. Perfect time to carve pumpkins when Grandpa is in town to help!

Fall Break

This year for fall break we had the opportunity (thanks to Grandma Joyce and Gil) to go to Yellowstone! It was a Gierisch reunion! The kids would have been completely happy staying at the cabin for a week! We stayed the first night in Burley with Grandma and then headed to Yellowstone.


Joycie's turn to have HER picture taken!! I think this is the only picture I got of "adults."


The highlight of every "camp" experience (cabin is my kind of camping!) is the fire!!



Can't find the boys?

Landon is Rett's idol!

On our drive through Yellowstone this is what we came across on the side of the road! There was also elk, but I really wished we could have seen bears for the full experience!

The last stop on our Yellowstone trail -- Old Faithful! What a great trip! This may become tradition!

We Did It!

Yeah - yeah, we did it!! Rett has finally decided he is ready to be a "big boy" and not wear any more diapers!! What a happy day! The last potty training I will ever do! WOO- HOO!! It did take buying a couple of different pair of underwear before we found the right character who would help get the job done. Thanks CARS!

Tyler's Wedding

Twice in one year! I got to go to Seattle a couple of weeks ago to see my little brother get married in the Seattle temple! We had so much fun! All of the kids on my Dad's side of our family were able to be there. Dale was so good to me and stayed home to take care of the kids.


Daelyn hadn't been to Seattle for several years, so we got to go and do all the sightseeing. We ate plenty of fish and chips and spent time at Pikes Place and the waterfront. This trip was so good for both Daelyn and I to escape life a few days!


Dad took us around to see the "old houses" where Daelyn and I spent our summers growing up. It was so fun to bring back all of those memories. We even got to go inside one of the houses -- the house in Kent where we spent our "teenage years."



I finally got to meet Heidi - my new sister-in-law! It was great day!



This is all of us (excluding Tyler and Heidi who were long gone on their honeymoon!)! We were just heading out for our last bite of fish and chips on Alki beach, then off to the airport to head home!

First Day of School!!

Our traditional "first day of school" photo! Who is more excited -- the kids or me?!?! Clothes laid out the night before, up and ready an hour before school starts -- how do I make this happen all year?

Final Days of Summer

A few weeks ago we decided last minute we were going to Idaho to visit Dale's mom and step-dad. The day came for us to go and as luck always goes -- Rett got sick and had diarrhea that morning. ARGH!! But -- as the day went on he seemed to be doing better, so we packed up and left. When we got to Grandma's he had one sore little bum that stayed sore for a couple of days. We still had a great trip and were happy to stick around the house and relax!


I think one of the highlights of the trip was irrigation! The kids had so much fun playing in the water -- we didn't need a pool!

Cole was in heaven!! He could go out and ride whenever he wanted to! It is too nice to have 2 acres of land around to get dirty on!

A trip to Idaho is never complete without the famous photo on the tractor while visiting the farm.

Summer comes to an end and the kids are VERY excited to school to start on Wednesday. We have been counting the days!! Dale is off to Seattle for three weeks. We he returns, life at home will be very different from our summer schedule!!

Happy Birthday Rett!

Rett is having a birthday! He will be three on Tuesday. Grandma and Grandpa Anderson brought Sidney and Cole back from their week long vacation with them in Denver -- so since everyone was here -- we celebrated today! A perfect day with a motorcycle racetrack cake!

JULY 4, 2009

A July 4th we will never forget!! Last weekend was very eventful for our family! Cole was to be baptized on Saturday and Dale was to be ordained to the office of a High Priest. Both were to happen on Saturday morning. Wednesday, Rett and Cole start with runny noses. (okay just a little cold -- no big deal). Daelyn came to town on Thursday to participate and help with the events. We spent Thursday and Friday preparing - but not without hitches! We had throw up, coughs, we had rain, Dale had so many interuptions in getting the lawn mowed that as of Friday night -- the lawn was still needing to be mowed for the big day!

Saturday morning starts early when Cole wakes up at 5:30 -- SICK!! So sick he can't get his head off the pillow. Dale and I layed on the living room floor with him for an hour debating if we should cancel the baptizm or go through with it. Finally at about 7:30 a.m. we decided Cole was too sick to be baptized that day and we would have to reschedule. (I did however, make a phone call and ask that the water be kept in the font -- just in case he felt better in a couple of hours). We called all the family and informed them we would just be doing the ordination that morning and all were invited to come and eat -- as we were prepared to PARTY!! As miracles do happen, just 10 minutes before leaving for the church for Dale's ordination, Cole gets off the bed and states "I want to be baptized today." He had looked forward to this day for so long -- that he just couldn't put it off! There is no doubt he had help in feeling well enough to complete his bapitzm. We gathered up all he would need and headed to the church. A quick song, thoughts by Kyle, baptism, confirmation -- DONE! This was one of the most amazing baptizms I have ever witnessed. As soon as we got home --- Cole was back to bed. The end of the story -- Cole saw the doctor on Sunday, was diagnosed with the start of pnemonia. Started antibiotic and he is feeling better! A July 4th we will never forget!

Aunt Dae and Sid

Sid ate 10 -- yes 10 -- pieces of watermelon for lunch!

Rett couldn't get enough Grandpa swinging him!

Brigham was just happy to be there!

Driveway fireworks -- the best! Rett loved to dance with sparklers!

Sid and Rett dancing in the smoke bombs! I know you all did this when you were kids! Love that smell!

Mother of the Year

The benefits of owning a motorcycle for the kids!! Yes -- as Daelyn puts it -- I have earned "Mother of the Year Award!" Sid crashed and fell off the motorcycle last Tuesday. Yes, you read that right -- last Tuesday. I thought for sure she had just sprained or bruised it so I didn't do too much about it (obviously). But, yesterday she was still complaining about it hurting, so just to appease her, I took her in for an x-ray -- to my surprise --- it is actually fractured!! Not just one bone fractured, but two! No, I don't feel any guilt about making her "walking it off!!" I was just waiting for the swelling to go down, right?!?! Just four weeks of this and Sid will be back to normal! What kind of a mother . . .?!?!

All the News - wrapped in one post!!

Most exciting -- we are now the proud owners of a little motorcycle! We absolutely love it!! I love it as much as the kids -- why didn't we get this toy years ago?!?! As we wait to get to the store to puchase a helmet, we ride in first gear around the back yard -- Dale is not very happy about the lawn being made into a track, but hey -- we can't get enough!


For Memorial weekend, we decided to get away! We took the kids to Park City on Saturday and stayed overnight! We had a great time -- swimming and shopping! (Rett actually despises shopping - so we only hit three stores, but shopping is shopping, right!)



We planned to get up on Sunday morning and catch a ride on the Alpine slide and take a nature walk -- our plans were quickly changed when we woke up to rain. Home we go!

As luck would have it, it was nice and sunny by Sunday afternoon. So -- we went to see the ducks! We didn't take any bread to feed them, because, yes -- I admit -- those ducks are very scary when you have a bag of bread with you! They are aggressive little guys!

We had a great time walking around and seeing the new baby ducks!

Rett is loving lawn mowing season -- he followed Dale around the entire yard with the Fisher Price guy! I hope he loves it this much when he is old enough to handle the "manly" mower!!


We just can't get enough of the nice weather!!! This is the boys favorite!! Water in the sand box -- it doesn't get any better than this!! Lots of laundry for Mom!!

SURPRISE!!

Daddy's Home!!! Tradition still holds -- whenever Dale drives to the job, he likes to surprise us and come home unexpectedly. So -- yesterday was the day! I called Dale around 5:00 last night and I kept thinking "He is driving home. . . " So, I asked him and sure enough he said, "I'll see you in three hours!" We decided to keep it a surprise for the kids.

The kids and I were invited to dinner at our neighbors house (Lisa's) last night. All of a sudden I realized it was 7:30, so I told the kids, "We have to hurry home, American Idol is coming on." As we were walking home, Cole decided to run ahead of us. Just as he turned the corner of our driveway, he stopped, turned around -- his eyes as big as silver dollars -- as yelled "DADDY'S HOME!" Sid and Rett ran faster and all three kids ran in the house to find Daddy waiting! I couldn't have planned it any better! What a great surprise after 6 weeks he is finally home and just in time for Spring Break with the kids! It is going to be a great weekend

A Weekend for Two!

It has been such a long time since Dale and I have had a little get away! Dale has been in Seattle for four weeks now and I decided to go and visit him (minus three kids) for the weekend!! Serene and Brigham traveled with me to go and see Kyle (my brother). We had such a great time - it was a "no schedules" weekend!


We did everything we wanted to! My favorite was the ferry ride! We decided to take the ferry to this little island 35 minutes out. The weather was perfect. This was the first day Dale had seen the sun since he got there! He even saw Mt. Rainer for the first time while I was there! It was so relaxing to sit on the back of the boat and watch the water and see the skyline! Picture perfect!

We decided to go to Pikes Place Market on Saturday -- big mistake. I did get to take in all the tulips -- they are my favorite and I decided if I lived there, I would have a fresh bouquet on my table at all times -- how could I resist a bouquet of the biggest tulips you have ever seen was only $10.00! It truly was so crowded we couldn't see anything to shop, so we decided to walk to the Space Needle. We walked everywhere -- I definitely got my exercise time in!

We only saw rain on Thursday -- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were gorgeous, sunny days. Just what we needed!

On Sunday, before we had to catch our plane out, we decided to go and have breakfast at the Salish Lodge. This is a little Lodge and Spa getaway place. We were seated for breakfast right next to the windows that overlooked the Snoqualmie Falls. A perfect ending to a weekend date with my husband!! Ahhhh . . . when can I go again . . . . (This date was made possible only with the help of Grandma Lynnea who watched three kids for 4 days!! Thanks Grandma -- hope you have recovered!!)