We Are Back!!

Wow! What has happened since our last post?!  Too much!!  Jackson is almost 6 and full of passion...  And Reagan is almost 2 and full of a completely different passion. Both kids are strong-hearted blessings of God and Jared and I could not be more in love with each of them. 

We've moved to Memphis (last year at this time) and we have a crappy rental home, but it has a pool. Both kids wanted nothing to do with anything beyond the first step of the pool, but now Jackson flips from the diving board and swims to the shallow end while Reagan splashes her way through the shallow and deep ends in her floater. 

Our jobs keep us super busy, but we are always up for visitors! Come see our home and pool and we'll take you out for a great Memphis experience!  Love ya'all!

Where has time gone?!

Since my last post, way too much has happened and I am beginning anew. Jackson has a new sister and he is very much in love with her. Reagan is a true blessing to our family. She will join the growing ranks of the Schoettlers and Andersons - David and his wife, Shannon, had a boy, Calvin, in December; Katie and Kipp are due any day now; Betsy and Rob had a baby girl, Hannah, just a few days ago; Naomi and Matt are due in December. With all of these babies and my beautiful baby girl - I am feeling so much love! I cannot explain the overflowing joy in my heart, but I am truly in love with my baby girl, Reagan, and my best buddy, Jackson. God has truly blessed me with the best children ever. This is true for all parents, but I can honestly say my heart and mind feel this truth in its purest form. I grow each day with these kids. Jackson has taught me true happiness and Reagan has taught me sincere love - what could be better. I am not perfect, but I can truly say I am the best I can be!

My good friend moved away and I found myself squandering for friendship again. I don't trust easily and find myself more content with being by myself with my kids, but this friend brought out a better side of me. I miss her, but I'm grateful she hasn't moved too far away - she's God's blessing to me and I'm so honored to have her in my life. She has also taught me that I can trust again - and for that I am forever grateful because I have trusted in another great friend and these two ladies are just the best!

Well, Baby girl is asleep and so should I be. Daddy likes to call her Honeybee and I often see why - she is sweet and so wonderful!

My posts will be more frequent and up to date so please keep checking back to get to know us better!

Happy Birthday Little Man!!

Where has the last two years gone?! Happy Birthday Jackson - mommy and daddy love you SO much! You are such a blessing to our lives and we couldn't be happier! We look forward to many more years to come!

Not so little anymore

We are only 2.5 months away from Jackson's 2nd birthday and where has time gone?! He is getting so big and learning so much! His recent kick is animal noises: cow, cat, monkey, goat, horse, lion, dog, duck, bird... He can also say two and holds up two fingers. Jackson is such a smart kid and so well-behaved. Of course he has his moments - usually when we don't get what he is trying to tell us, but then he'll take our hand or pull on our legs to get us to go where he wants us to go. He loves his big boy bed - as you read below in the Easter blog. Our tub is broken so Jackson will usually take showers, but last night he wanted to take a bath and demanded we use the sink. No joke! When I pointed to the sink, he started doing his white-boy slim dance and was once again happy! Although our little man is super skinny, he is really tall so he is quickly outgrowing the sink as a tub! Daddy will just have to get the tub fixed. We are in the process of finishing our basement. Thanks to my brother for studding the walls and my dad for the electrical work, we are able to afford new furniture and fixtures. We are one week away from the rough-in inspection and then on to sheet rocking and painting. Jackson will love all the extra space to play and mommy will love to get a scrapbooking room. Oh and daddy will finally be able to have his own office - not the dining room table anymore.

As Mr. Independent continues to grow, we are all learning new things about life. The following list is some things that Jackson has taught Jared and I over the last 20 months. 1. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. 2. patience is a definite virtue. 3. love can be found in the humor of a child. 4. A "muah" makes all owies better. 5. kids are flexible and prove it often when they continuously fall(jump) off furniture. 6. Daddy is the softy and Jackson knows it! 7. "Go now" means now or endure a screaming toddler. 8. Laughter is the best medicine for a tantrum 9. Cash is a good, well-mannered dog and can handle Jackson's love and affection aka - squeezes and collar pulling. 10. Jackson is an amazing disciple for Christ - he loves for us to pray with him at night.

Easter 2009

Jackson finally understood the whole Easter basket idea - eat everything as fast as you can before mommy finds you! We set his basket down for him to see and get quick pictures and before we knew it, he was digging into the bunny and eating its ear off. After church he dove into the basket again and ate more chocolate marshmallow bunnies. Then we were off to the Spencer house for Easter lunch. Jackson didn't eat much there but after his sugar high wore off, he crashed for a good 2 hour nap. The photo right above - is of Jackson's big boy bed and his cousins, Doran and Addison. Jackson loves his cousins and had a blast playing with them all night. Jackson's big boy bed has been an easy transition - he doesn't ever get out of bed until we come get him. Even if he is up earlier than us, he plays with the music player next to him or gets a toy and gets back in to bed. He is such a great kid - listens so well and his tantrums aren't too bad. He is currently caught in the communication hole - he wants to say something, but is not clear in his words so he does get frustrated at us when we don't get it. But we are working on it and he is learning more words everyday. Jackson is so smart!

Little Jokester

Thank you Auntie Kate for the 'toy' - we'll return your hat undamaged on the 20th... He just LOVES to run around with it on his head!

All on his own...

Jared has only been gone for one day and our little man has already changed so much and has become his own little man! Jackson no longer lets me carry him out to the car from daycare, he walks into the house on his own, and he goes up the stairs all by himself. Jackson has declared his independence on putting on his shoes, although zipping them up or pushing them on all the way is still my job, and he is now feeding himself. Even if some of the food doesn't make it into his mouth, Jackson is determined to feed himself. He continues to show us God's amazing blessings! What a joy to watch as Jackson grows and develops! Jackson is a true testiment to God's love for this world! His self discovery, determination, and love for life is truly a lesson for us all to take in and learn from!

"Pictures"

Jackson has been getting better at pronouncing his words and talks a lot more lately. Here are a list of his favorite words:

1. Pictures - he LOVES to watch slideshows on my computer and works the mouse himself. - see picture above - the top picture he is saying pizza...

2. Dog - the name for every animal he doesn't know the name for...

3. Bird - anything with wings except for:

4. Duck - any yellow bird

5. Moo - all black and white animals

6. Hot - when he gets close to the heat vent in the bathroom or when you take something out of the microwave or stove - its always hot to him.

7. Meow

8. Pizza - sometimes mistaken for Peta (Uncle Peter) - but he'll say that anytime he sees a picture of a pizza

9. Burr - whenever he gets outside in the cold or touches the cold window

10. mommy and daddy - although he uses the names intermittently for both us

11. Bubble - whenever he wants to take a shower or turn on his fish night light

He also uses other animal noises as their names - he nays at horses and oinks at pigs

He is such a smart kid and catches on to everything so quickly. Now is the time to be very cautious at everything we say! :) He is so wonderful and full of humor! He smiles 95% of his life and the other 5% is when he is sleeping, just up from a nap, or hungry. He also just ate half of a totino's pizza in the last 10 minutes!! Pizza!

First Sledding Trip

Jackson has been sick quite a bit lately, so we have not been able to take him out sledding. With a 48 degree day, we decided today was the day! He wasn't too big on the sledding, but loved the snow!! Grampa Chuck built a snow man and Jackson and daddy took to the hill. It wasn't until daddy pulled Jackson around in the sled (thank you Grama Julie Anderson for the sled) that he was at his happiest - until daddy pulled the sled over mommy in the snow. Jackson enjoyed that the most and wanted to roll around too. He is a true Minnesotan! Next year we may conquer the ski hills!!

The Best Aunt EVER!

I had the best Friday night! My favorite aunt Brenda came down from the cities and we talked until midnight-we haven't seen each other for over 7 years! Jared made his pork loin with raspberry sauce and Brenda brought delicious desserts from Biaggis! We shared updates on our lives, talked about memories from the past, and joked about Pretty Woman - the movie I went to with her when I was 10 years old. Granted she did close my eyes during the piano scene and bathroom scene, but I still got to see Pretty Woman at the age of 10! Back in the "day" that was a pretty dirty movie! :)

It was so great to see her again and catch up! She gave Jackson some coloring books and markers and also a dump truck he can ride on. Then she surprised me with a doll made out of my great-grandmother's pillow case. I will forever cherish this doll. I can close my eyes and still hear my great-grandmother's voice telling us to sit down and eat while she stayed busy around the kitchen.

Next time we get together, we will meet her husband and get to know more of what we've missed these past few years - maybe even whip out the karoake machine.

Watch out Fred Astaire!

Don't mess with me!
Have you seen my cracker?

Too much fun on New Years Eve

Update on the Anderson Krew - check out the pictures added below!

This year has been all about learning and growing as a family! Jackson is only 5 days away from 18 months old and is keeping us on our toes. He was walking by his first birthday, running shortly afterward and now he is jumping out of the main section of the carts at stores and running away! Nothing can get in the way of little man conquering the world! Jackson has been healthy - except for his occasional teething colds and runny noses. All of his scans have come back clear and his xrays continue to be clear! We truly believe God will keep Jackson PPB free to give hope to other PPB families! Although Jackson is currently moving into the tantrum stages of communication, he only throws tantrums as the last straw. He is good with certain signs and we have caught on to some sign language that he has made up on his own. It's actually quite cute when he signs something new and has a way of teaching it to us. :) He is definitely a very smart kid - knows a few animals and their sounds - cows, dogs, deer, birds, and fish. He also knows when he is doing something he shouldn't and will turn to us right before he does it. He listens well, but certainly picks his moments when he doesn't want to listen. He loves to gives kisses after he has done something wrong and thinks it will buy his way out of time out - sometimes it does - it is tough not to fall for it when he gives us those big blue eyes and sweet little kisses. No worries to the grandparents though - he is a well disciplined child. :)
Jared's travel has slowed down for now, but the busy season will pick up again in March. Until then, we are enjoying a little more consistency in our schedule - well as consistent as we can get during the busy holidays!
I am two classes down with only six to go before I graduate! I have a lot of help and support from Jared and our families! It is a lot of work, but with God's blessings and strength - I'll get it done!
Well - little man is awake from his nap so I should go, but there is more to come!

Have a fabulous New Year!

More of 2008

Road Trippin to Wyomying - see the Chocolate Smile
Skinny Man eating his mac n cheese!

Catching Up with 2008

This is it! 2008 is almost over and we are behind on our updates! Jackson is within days of being 18 months old and there is so much to be said about how great he is! I am going to do a quick update in a few days and for now - just post a bunch of pictures.
Enjoy!!

Super Man at

HalloweenCarving Mega Pumpkin with Daddy

Stuck!!

Touchdown!!

Where has time gone?

Wow! I can't believe it is almost October and I have not been very good at keeping up with posting news and updates! Sorry! Seriously! Where has time gone?
I have started back to school with the determination to get 'er done! If I stay on schedule, I will graduate in July of 2009 with my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. My biggest reasoning for going back to school is to appease the people! I was turned down for eight jobs last year because of my lack of a BA Degree! It was noted that I had more than enough experience, but their policy stated all new applicants must have a BA degree! I figure a few really hard months and it will all be over!
Jared is travelling a lot more lately and getting into his busy season. He is great at what he does and loves his job! Who could ask for more?! He will be home for another week and then he is off to another state. I am thinking of going with him to Vegas in November. We'll see when we get closer to that date.
And on to our most important news: Jackson is absolutely amazing!! He is growing so fast and learning and discovering so much! His recent thing is his climbing on and over everything. Two weeks ago he climbed on to a folding chair and fell - giving himself a black eye. He also LOVES to put the dish towel over his face and walk around until he hits something. Then he laughs hysterically and does it again. Just the other day, he couldn't find the dish towel, so he grabbed Jared's clean boxers out of the basket and put them on his head. Where is our camera at those moments?! He also loves to shake his finger back at you when you tell him no! His favorite game around the house is to chase me around the kitchen and then stop, laugh, and then run after me some more. After he catches me, he'll hug me, pat me on the back, and then kiss me! He is such a great kid! So full of love and happiness!
Please make sure to send up a prayer for Jackson. He is going in for a CT Scan and ultrasound of his kidneys on Monday morning. This is just a foundation CT scan to rule out any chances of PPB in his lungs or kidneys, but he does have to be sedated and Jared and I are really stressed and anxious about this. No one wants to see their little ones in situations like this and we are a bit scared at the possibility of PPB being evident in his body! Please pray for clear scans and a quick and successful sedation.
We will update when we have the results!
Other than this big update - our lives are chaotically blessed (is that a word)? Well, we are very busy, but blessed and love it! Have a great weekend!

Brussels to Germany - Day 5 - 7/28/08

Grand'Place, Brussels
Mannekin Pis
"Large" Coffee in Brussels
Enjoying a Krusovice Bier in Heidelberg, Germany
Official Cukoo Clock Shop in Black Forest Area, Germany

We began our early morning with a great breakfast and quickly loaded the bus to tour Brussels on our way to Black Forest Area, Germany. Our Tour Director, Babette (Hungary), took us to the Grand'Place in the center of Brussels. We walked to the Mannekin Pis to view the well-known art piece. It pees water on regular days, dressed up for special occasions, and has been known to pee beer for the people to drink during all special occasions. After the tour, we were given an hour of time on our own. It was raining so we made our way to a Cafe' and Jared ordered a large coffee. It was smaller then his four fingers put together. A large coffee in Europe is comparable to a small taste test cup in the US. They would think our Venti is HUGE!

We loaded the bus to make our way to THE Cukoo Clock Shop. Here they make authentic, hand-made cukoo clocks. With an average price of 500 Euro, we decided to purchase a beautiful hand-blown necklace for my mom. We missed the large Cukoo Clock (seen in picture above) in action because we were touring the shop. It would have been great to see the scene in action.

After 30 minutes on our own, we loaded the bus again and headed to Heidelberg, Germany. We stayed the night in a wonderful, family-owned hotel. We were served a lamb stew and enjoyed shots of Jagermeister-our tour director encouraged we try the local liquor and many of us did.

Since this hotel was located in the middle of the Black Forest, we had no access to phones, email, tv and the small village was shut down. We knew Jackson was in great hands so we decided to enjoy ourselves and take in the fact we were in Germany. We sat outside on the stoop and enjoyed a couple rounds of German beer with a couple of our new friends on our tour before heading to bed at midnight again.

Brussels, Begium - Day 4 - 7/27/08

The view from our ferry
Arriving in Calais, France - waiting to go through Customs
World Fair Atomium from 1958
The beds in our hotel in Brussels, Belgium

We took in the beautiful view of the English Channel from the top deck of the ferry before heading below for lunch. We had Fish and Chips again - least expensive item on the menu. We quickly realized in London that the US Dollar was weak in Europe (2.25USD to 1Pound, 1.65USD to 1 Euro). After we landed in Calais, France, we went through customs and experienced the harsh French border patrol. We stood behind five men and one woman from Pakistan and the French Customs Guards were not hiding their racial profiling. They first made a comment to one man that he did not look like his passport, saying his cheeks were too chubby. They took their precious time reviewing each passport and re-reviewing each passport, then telling each other to really make sure these people are okay to go through. After all that, I got up to the desk and the French Customs Guard didn't really look at my passport, stamped it, and said welcome to France.

We made a quick stop at the Atomium in Brussels before heading to our hotel. Jared and I were both caught off guard at the site of our room. First of all, it was tiny and second of all, the bed was actually two beds and we had to push them together at night. We went out for dinner on our own and of course, tried the local cuisine and drank Grimbergen double dark (mine) and Duvel (Jared). We sat out on the terrace and were soon hit up by a young gypsy girl asking for money. Fortunately a local woman and her family yelled for her to leave us alone. I have a weak heart for kids, but know better than to give money to beggers in foreign countries.

With an early wake up call - we decided to head in at midnight.

London, England - Days 2&3 - 7/25-7/26/08

Tony and Will - two English "blokes" we met at a pub on our first night.
Front of St. Paul Cathedral
Prince Charles and Lady Camilla's Guard
Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle - Queen Elizabeth II courtyard

Day 1 was the 8.5 hour flight with unlimited movies, two meals, beer, wine, pop and a short 4 hour sleep...

Jared and I had a blast in London. We took in as much local cuisine (Fish and Chips) and beer (Strongbow) as we could. Our first night, we met three englishmen at a pub. They were discussing the ridiculous lyrics of Kid Rock's new song and we joined in after they began mentioning his destruction of two classic songs. We agreed with their comments and soon began our rounds of local ales with the englishmen - Tony, Will, & John. The next day we set out for two excursions through the city via local guides. We saw St. Paul Cathedral, St. James Palace, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace. We drove by the River Thames and saw the Eye of London. We drove by Big Ben and the current residence of Prince Charles and Lady Camilla. We toured through Windsor Castle and took in the essence of where we were - we stood in places Kings and Queens have stood, we sat where Presidents and Prime Ministers have dined, and we walked through the bedrooms of some of the most historic figures of time.

After a very busy two days in London, England, we made our way via Ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France for the official beginning of our land tour.