Here Comes Santa Clause...

We have made SEVERAL attempts to get a good picture of Caleb with Santa Clause but none of our pictures have turned out like the Hallmark Christmas card I am so desperately wanting. Oh well though... On Saturday we attended the Flint Hills Christmas party and Caleb was able to sit with Santa for what will be the last time this year. They are not great but at least we have a few pictures.




After Caleb sat on Santa's lap Santa gave Caleb a toy... let's just say the Flint Hills Santa Clause is much more generous then the Santa coming Christmas morning. Caleb has been having so much with this truck and squealing with excitement as it rolls around the room, lights up, and even talks.

I hope you had a better night then Nathan's Gingerbread house, Merry Christmas!

He is getting dangerously close... but I am not ready to have him so mobile and into everything.

Since he isn't quite there yet but REALLY wants to be, most afternoons end like this:

Best Friends

5 Months older and Wiser

During our Thanksgiving festivities Caleb turned 5 months. Not much has changed from 4 months other than he is pretty mobile with his scooting and rolling. We are having so much fun with him and he has become such a delight. He makes friends everywhere we go when he smiles and coos at anyone who will give him a little attention. If you saw the 5 billion pictures we have of him on our camera you would notice that we seriously can't get enough of him.

30 days of Thanks

Day 28: Caleb's Blessing, It is customary in our Church for new babies to be given a Name and a Blessing. This is usually done by their Father and he can invite other male church members to join in (usually family or very close friends). These blessings typically take place within a month or two after the baby is born.

Sunday November 27, 2011 Nathan was able to bless Caleb at church. We waited a little longer because it was really important to us that our family was there. I feel so grateful that we were able to have so many wonderful family members and friends in attendance. I am also grateful that Nathan was able to give Caleb this sweet blessing.

My heart was truly grateful at this time for both Caleb and Nathan and the bond these two share. The blessing was beautiful and Caleb was on his absolute best behavior the whole time.

*I was kind of bummed because for the first time ever it was cold and windy and we didn't take very many pictures of this special day.

30 days of Thanks

Day 27: Water, I am so Thankful for water. Obviously water is completely necessary for our survival but I also love living by such a large body of water. We spend so much time out at the beach walking, eating, swimming, playing and just hanging out with our little family or a big group of friends. Best of all it is all FREE entertainment! I never thought I would live by the beach but now we do and we love it.

I also love water for so many other reasons. In fact I was born under water (my mom did one of those water bath births with my sister and I when we lived in California, which I hope to some day try). I love that I can draw a hot bath and soak in it after a hard day. I love to drink it and would chose it over any other beverage (as long as it's cold of course). I am grateful that I can jump into a swimming pool and cool off when it is 110 degrees outside. I am really just ever so grateful for water and all of its uses.

30 days of Thanks

Day 26: Contacts, A couple months ago I got some new contacts that you only have to take out once a month! It is pretty much AMAZING. There was a short and painful period in my life when I had to wear glasses. I am so grateful for modern technology and the creation of contacts. I don't know who invented them but whoever you are THANKS for helping me look not so awkward.

Don't these two boys look so cute hanging out together?

30 days of Thanks

Day 18: Fridays off, Nathan has every other Friday off and it is by far my favorite 2 days of the month. The rest of the week so easily becomes packed with things to do and places to be, but these Fridays most people are working so they are for the most part completely unscheduled.

I am thankful for them because Nathan usually gets up and plays with Caleb while I sleep in.

There is finally time for Nathan to work on "his list" and some of my projects even get completed. Like this set of night stands he built a few Fridays ago.

And mostly I just love them because we get to take family walks, and hang out together. See Caleb loves Fridays off too!

30 days of Thanks

Day 17: Motherhood: I love being a Mom and am so grateful for the opportunity I have to spend my days with Caleb. Having him is an amazing blessing. I think Motherhood and all that comes with it is so often taken for granted. It may not always be easy but it is wonderful.

"Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for." -Elder Anderson

30 days of Thanks

Day 16: For the Beauty of this Earth, I have been pretty blessed to both visit and live in some amazing places and it is a constant reminder of how amazing this earth is. It is beyond beautiful. Everything in nature is so detailed and intricate. Each time I travel somewhere new the beauty of this earth is a reminder of how much our Heavenly Father loves us.

First snowfall in Rexburg, Idaho 2010

Mesa Falls, Idaho 2010

Washington 2009

Washington 2009

Idaho 2007

Guatemala 2006

Guatemala 2006

30 days of Thanks

Day 13: Flint Hills Resources; I am so grateful for Nathans job. It may not be the worlds greatest job but it most certainly has been a blessing in our lives. Flint Hills has not only given Nathan a job but they have provided a job good enough that with a little sacrifice I am able to stay home with Caleb and we still have sufficient for our need. I also can say how grateful I am for those who work at Flint Hills with Nathan and their kindness. Ever since we have moved here the people that Nathan work with have been nothing but kind to us. When Caleb was born we were showered with gifts, meals, visits, and extra days off for Nathan. It was such a blessing after Caleb's ruff delivery and not having any family around to help. So thank you to Flint Hills for employing Nathan and thank you to everyone who works there that have been so generous.

30 days of Thanks

Day 10: My Health; I am so grateful for a healthy body. With Caleb's pregnancy and delivery I experienced a small glimpse of what it would be like to suffer from a very unhealthy body and it was awful. After Caleb was born and my body started to heal I realized how blessed I have been to have a healthy body that works and functions properly. I hope that I always strive to take care of this precious gift God has given me.

30 days of Thanks

Day 8: My little home; I am so grateful for this little home we have (isn't it cute!). But even more then this little house I am grateful that I have ALWAYS had a roof over my head, safe place to sleep at night and a place to call home.

Day 3: The Bob, after my run was cut short this morning due to a flat tire I realized how much I love this stroller. I take this thing everywhere, it came to Oklahoma with me, it was there when we took Caleb out for the first time and it accompanies on my morning runs everyday as I try to get back down to my "pre Caleb" weight. Literally this stroller has been nothing short of a trusty companion to safely carry around my most precious cargo. It was by far my most expensive baby purchase but after 4 1/2 months I know it was worth every penny.

Day 2: Families; I am so grateful for family, Immediate family, extended family, the one I was born with, and the one I married into. It is so wonderful to have a family, and it is even better to know that families are eternal and they will be with us forever.

A few friends are doing "30 days of thanks" on their blogs, I have decided to join them and spend the next 30 days posting the things I am ever so Thankful for.

Day 1: My Boys! I don't know where my life would be without these two but I can't imagine it would be a better place then it is right now.

We had such a wonderful weekend. If your an Anderson your bound to love BYU football... and if you don't you just might be disowned. Living in Texas though you just don't get to many chances to go to a BYU game. Last weekend they played TCU in Dallas. Friday morning we headed to Dallas for the game but knowing it would be a lengthy drive for Caleb we made a little stop at the San Antonio temple, mostly we just walked around the grounds and used it as a good opportunity to stretch our legs and eat some lunch.

When we made it to Dallas, we almost immediately headed to the Cowboys new stadium for the game. I will have to say that it is quite the stadium. We weren't sure how Caleb would do but we figured being a Texas baby he had to get used to football sometime, right? For Caleb the game started out like this:

Then it moved to this (which is how he was most of the time, what a relief):

and ended like this:

It took Caleb a little bit of time to get used to the noise but after that he was pretty great. Of course BYU lost but then again when your a BYU fan you kind of get used to it. We spent the next day exploring Dallas, hanging out at the hotel and of course eating.

Overall it was a fabulous weekend, we had a great time and it was really nice to get away for the weekend. Thanks Dad for making it possible!

Several people have asked us why we love living in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Maybe it's because we love taking family jogs along the bay front,
Or maybe it is because we love having picnics out by the ocean with great views of the Lexington and the water,
It might be that we have fallen in love with the splash park at the local aquarium,

or it even may be because Caleb will calmly watch the fish for hours if we would let him,


Nathan would say it's because we love living by the Ocean and spending family nights out having picnics, swimming, or just watching the birds,


It could be we love it here because we have made so many wonderful friends, because this is where Nathan's first "real" job is, or even because it is where we bought our first house, and where we brought our sweet baby Caleb into this world. But I think we love it here because we have made this is our home... and I hope we are here for a long time.