My 3 Best Friends and I

I'm back....

2009-08-25T12:06:00.003-06:00

Okay. Wow it has been since...oops March since my last post. Oh sorry. I found facebook and ebay to take up a lot of my online time. No excuses though, right?

Matt, the kids and I just got back from a trip to my parents place in AZ. They have 41 acres of ranch property there. I call it a bed and breakfast because we go and my mom plans and cooks 3 amazing meals everyday we are there. It's like being on a cruise but better food. The kids just played in the dirt, sand and we rode them around on the 4 wheelers. It was fun but there is no place like home. I LOVE MY OWN BED!!!

On our way home, we were driving and could hear a little scratching noise in the dash board but didn't think much of it until a freaking squirrel, pop gut, whatever the crap they are called took a nibble at my toes. Oh crap!!! You haven't seen me fly to the back seat quicker then I did when I saw that little critter at my feet. To top it all off...we were in a construction zone with no way to pull over so the dumb gut popper, whatever he's called, ran up on the dash and I haven't found him yet. I haven't smelt any dead animals yet coming from the old pathfinder, but still trying to figure out how he got in my freaking car. Any suggestions???

As Easy as 1-2-3 Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-21T11:02:00.004-06:00

It seems as though everyone else has better tasting chocolate chip cookies then me. Mine always turn out like pancakes with little lumps of chocolate chips here and there. I hate it. So for years now, every time I see a chocolate chip cookie I like, I ask how they make it. Here are my 3 tips that I have gathered from many different domestic bakers that have helped me to perfect the old fashioned chocolate chip cookie recipe.

1. Use real butter, not margarine - margarine melts at a lower temperature. This is why my little boogers would flatten like pancakes.

2. Use more white sugar then brown - not too sure why on this one!

3. Add more flour then the recipe calls for - This is cause the chocolate chips cookies to keep a round and raised look.

California in February!

2009-02-19T11:55:00.011-07:00

I thought we would have a warm trip to California...well warmer then what I was getting here in Utah and that wasn't the case. Besides the cold weather, sick kids and a little soreness from the dodge ball game the Friday night we got there, we still had a great time.

158 Years Ago...

2009-01-27T15:40:00.004-07:00

My dad sent this to me and I thought since I am a Californian that moved to Utah 10 years ago, it was worth posting on my blog.

158 years ago...

Do you know what happened this week back in 1850,

158 years ago?

California became a state.
The State had no electricity.
The State had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.
So basically, it was just like California today; except the
women had real breasts and the men didn't hold hands.

What is the Grossest Thing your Kids Have Tried?

2009-01-08T12:12:00.004-07:00

When I was little, my family would call my sister and I the "Queens of Gross." We thought everything was gross and now that we have kids of our own, I have kids that test my ever so popular "Queen of Gross" name.

Yesterday, I went with a friend to the local jumping place with the kids. Of course the trampolines get old after a bit and the kids tend to wander into places they shouldn't go. Maya decided to try the bathroom out. I followed her in there not seconds after to find she had just taken the lovely green tampon applicator out of the nasty toilet trash. Yes..in the mouth it went. GROSS. Okay, so I made this big scream and pretty much barfed in my mouth and am still barfing right now, flicked the NASTY green lollipop tampon applicator on the floor and washed her mouth out until she squirmed out of my arms screaming.

I guess things are working as normal today with her but that image is not leaving my mind. What was the GROSSEST thing that your kids have sampled?

Christmas Morn

2008-12-26T15:08:00.004-07:00

More pathetic picture taking. Here are some action shots of our fun Christmas morning. The kids didn't roll out until 8 and Matt and I didn't know what to do with ourselves until they woke up. Matt's parents came for breakfast and to finish up the last of our presents. Fun had by all.

This year was the first time we had not been with families on Christmas eve. Christmas eve was spent with the Snows. We had yummy cordon blue, cesear salad, dip, rolls, jello and sparkling cider. We did a picture nativity with the kids participating. We had pictures strung from here to there and none of the pictures were going in the order the nativity was supposed to go. It was fun getting in the Christmas spirit.

Some Recent Pics

2008-12-14T09:52:00.008-07:00

I'm trying to take more pics but my camera or the operator of the camera is retarded and I'm never happy with the pictures it takes. So here goes the December haps around the Andersen home...

really intense sugar cookie making

sugar cookie decorating with Mac, Taft and Bryce...what a mess

2nd attempt with Santa

1st attempt with Santa

Glamour shots at the mall with BFF Sadie and Maddie

At the mall

Fun Christmas Tag

2008-12-13T13:54:00.003-07:00

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Fill out your answers then tag 5 people you want to learn more about!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping please. There is more fun in ripping off the paper then opening the bag.

2.Real tree or artificial? Artificial this year but real all the years before now.

3.When do you put up the tree? Usually Thanksgiving day or the day after.

4.When do you take the tree down? Christmas day or the day after. I hate Christmas after Christmas.

5.Do you like Eggnog? Gross. Just the sound of it makes me barff.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Talking Cabbage Patch Kid

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother and my inlaws. My mother who has a cheese grater on her list this year and 5 of us to buy for her.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Probably me! Is that bad?

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, I need one...I'm just afraid baby Jesus would be found in a purse somewhere around the house in May or something.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail them hopefully this year!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings so ask me in person on that one!

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Story, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? I shop all year.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? no, not Christmas but others yes!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's homemade cinnamon rolls!

16. White or colored lights on the tree? white...I'm kinda blah like that!

17 .Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, I'm Dreaming of a White Chirstmas, and Believe!

18 .Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love to travel but it's getting harder with weather conditions, getting work off and you know having kids.

19.Can you name all Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or Star? Star

21.Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? All on Christmas morning!

22.Most annoying thing about this time of year? The bank account depletes and you spend all year trying to build it back up!

23. Favorite ornament? Should I have one?

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Probably honey baked ham and funeral potatoes

25. Favorite Christmas cocktail? okay...milk or 7-up

26.What do you want for Christmas this year? wii, cruise money, website money, clothes, purse

27.What don't you want for Christmas this year? lump of coal

28. What is something you have never done that you want to do for Christmas? have a really snowy Christmas morning!

29.Who is the most likely to respond to this?

30.Who is least likely to respond?

I tag everyone!

Christmas Poem & Sugar Cookie Recipe

2008-12-12T16:03:00.004-07:00

I picked Haley up from preschool and she handed me yet another art project. This time a poem right in the center of the hand printed wreath from those cute 3 year old hands. It seems as though I get really frustrated these days with her and her 3 year old attitude but this poem actually made me cry:

Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small,
And always leave my fingerprints on the furniture and walls.
But every day I'm growing up and soon I'll be so tall.
That all the little fingerprints will be hard to see at all.
So parents dear I give you my hand as it was this December(2008)
Then when I grow up big and strong, you'll have this to remember.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

mix and chill dough
place on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 375 for 6-9 minutes. Cookies will puff in the oven.

Never A Dull Moment on Ebay

2008-12-05T16:31:00.005-07:00

Here is a good message I got after someone had purchased something from me. It was left as a comment at check out:

thank you! also, if you happen to have one that is red/or burgundy and has a fluffy flower or maribou I am interested! thank you for these adorable headbands!

What is a fluffy flower?

You have to worry about where you are sending some of these items when you get a confirmed ebay address that is like this (the name and street address blocked out by me):

XXXXX XXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

do not leave at door please

Brooklyn NY 11225

I'm glad I'm not the mail lady in that neighborhood!

Straight From the Garbage...Instant Bed for the Baby

2008-11-26T20:29:00.002-07:00

Who needs Santa to come when we already have a great bed for our baby?

Friday Fill In on Saturday

2008-11-22T10:34:00.002-07:00

1.The last band I saw live was wow I can't even think of their name. It's been like 7 years ago.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes with lots of gravy and looking through Black Friday ads.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is going to be severely less this year.
4. Thoughts of attacking Maya's snotty nose fill my head. She's getting too quick.
5. I wish I could wear sandals year round.
6. Bagpipes are depressing.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a night with nothing on the agenda, tomorrow my plans include work, a early visit to santa at the mall and an afternoon of go BYU football with a visit to see some old friends in SLC and Sunday, I want to go to church and chase the kids around the building...did I say want???

Calling All Pepsi Drinkers

2008-11-21T11:13:00.004-07:00

Okay so my husband is obsessed with making sure no yellow pepsi cap gets thrown away. So if you have one or see someone at work with one, make sure you get the code inside the cap. After all, I'm not going to Hawaii with all the points but Matt gets to fill his itunes library with more tunes. So if you want to help Matt get more music, email him at andersen.matt@gmail.com or leave me a comment with the code inside the pepsi cap or on a 12 pack.

Grandma's Been Sewing

2008-11-20T09:53:00.002-07:00

I love anyone that can sew because I can't sew worth crap. More times then not I get the bobbin thread all balled up and a few choice words come out and well it is best if I don't sew. I am really good at getting Matt's mom to stitch some things up for me. She made these cute skirts for the girls. Of course matching. That's why I have 2 girls...so they will match all the time like I did. Only I had to match with my twin brother. Here is the best picture I could get of these beauties!

10 Not So Common I Am Thankfuls

2008-11-17T08:41:00.008-07:00

1. Ebay
2. iPod - these days it is my vent out of "I'm not just a boring mom, but I do pump the jams like I did in high school"
3. my cleaning lady - worth every dime
4. kleenex with aloe - every home needs to be thankful for a not so raw nose during a cold
5. Roberts - we have become really good friends in the past year
6. Gap online - the only place I have found jeans that are almost too long
7. Comcast On Demand - Haley and I do get a break from one another
8. Active Learning Preschool - Haley's preschool that she just loves
9. Milk - that I can buy a gallon for $2
10. Gas - holy cow, $1.98 a gallon...that's awesome...I think that the pathfinder can come out of the garage now.

More eBay

2008-11-03T13:56:00.003-07:00

Okay, so eBay consumes a lot of my no time lately. I have to laugh at some of the messages that people send. It almost seems as though some people really are retarded. Here is another message sent to me asking about one of my items. I cut and copied exactly how it was written with the bold faced. Oh and just to let you know, these type of people go into my "I will not sell to you folder."

Are these new? What type of materials are your handbands made from? Are any of the materials from China? Are all the materials 100% child safe?

Visit From Mom and Dad

2008-10-29T09:37:00.007-06:00

Maya man handling the animals, and Haley afraid to touch them

Two LeRoy's

Checking out the bunnies

Are they for Haley, or Me?

2008-10-21T19:00:00.009-06:00

Does it seem like sometimes we shop for ourselves when we shop for our kids? You would think I bought these for myself. I just love them. I saw these on a little girl the other day at the pumpkin patch and thought I needed them. Okay, since they wouldn't fit me, Haley needed them. I asked the little girl's mom where she got them and she directed me to Pediped where they were sold out. My last resort was ebay were I found her a pair. It seems like lately most of my favorite finds have been for my kids. Their stuff looks cuter then mine anyway. These gems were a must buy. I just want to eat them. They look so cute on Haley.

Look at My Mess Tag

2008-10-09T10:10:00.012-06:00

Okay this is an interesting tag but I thought it might be fun to see other people's junk and maybe make me not feel so bad about my not so perfect home!

Fridge: Dirty, nasty shelves that you can't see. My mom is coming in 2 weeks. This is usually something she checks, so I need to get on that.

Closet: Never enough space to put my crap

Self Portrait: Gotta love taking picture of yourself

Favorite Room: It's always clean because not even the home teachers get to go in there.

Sink: Wow the dishes are done this morning

Laundry room: Don't ever buy a front loader washing machine!

Toilet: Okay this is the one that if you could see in the bowl, you would be able to see some pee left from our most recent potty trained in the home.

Where are your kids: Maya is ripping Haley's scarecrow and Haley is at school.

Dream vacation: Cancun, does it surprise you?

Favorite Shoes: A little dirty and lets be glad that it' not a scratch and sniff tag.

TAG...YOU ARE IT!!!

California for 10 Days!!! Yeah!

2008-10-06T09:10:00.019-06:00

I have been meaning to post our trip to California for over a month now and I'm just getting around to it. Here are the happenings...I'm a horrible picture taker.

Breakfast and a walk on the HB pier one morning

We took family pictures...everyone was in California to bless my sister and brother's babies(Nigel and Laney) The photographer did a better job then I did but this a snap shot I got of the girls

Family Fun Center

Beach with cousins

Finding Nemo ride. Not my favorite. In fact if the line is over 1o minutes, don't wait.

Disneyland with my sisters, their kids and my friend Courtney and her two kids. The princess lunch! Haley didn't want to talk to them, just give them a real good stare down!

Our anniversary dinner. Ouch $60 later.
I still love the Cheesecake Factory the best!

New kittens to strangle at Aunt Christina's house.

Before church at grandma's house

Cousins at the park

Busy Maya at the park

Friday Fill Ins

2008-10-03T12:13:00.004-06:00

1. October is an awesome month in Utah until it freezes towards the end just in time to put the ballerina costume on with a huge ugly jacket to cover it up.
2. Geriatrics on the road scare me!
3. Leaves are falling all around, it's time to do yard work.
4. My favorite horror movie is the post season NBA payoffs last year because I'm lucky to watch any movie let alone horror movies.
5. Some good friends+ a night with no kids = good memories.
6. It was a dark and stormy night and Haley ended up in our room saying the pirates were in hers.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the BYU game and Cafe Rio, tomorrow my plans include work and hopefully a nap and Sunday, I want to watch some conference with the Snow's while the kids fight!

Einstein Bros Pumpkin Bagels

2008-09-26T11:33:00.005-06:00

Okay, I am a sucker for anything pumpkin these days. More than anything though I can't wait for Fall to come around to go over to Einstein Bagels and get one of their pumpkin bagels with pumpkin cream cheese. Oh...good stuff.

Have you tried them or can you suggest any good pumpkin yummies I might not know about?

What Would You Do?

2008-09-22T18:11:00.004-06:00

So today the girls and I took a trip to US Bank inside of Target. There were 2 people in front of me; both had more then just a basic transaction. I started to check my watch. Ten minutes, then fifteen, finally after about twenty minutes of standing in the line with my squealing girls I felt a little tickle on my neck. I gave the quick itch and come to find out the tickle moved down my shirt. I looked down to find a HUGE spider down my shirt. EYYKKKKK! Yep that is what I said, not knowing whether I should take my shirt off right there or run to the bathroom and get back in the line which had accumulated about 6 more people and the same idiot was up front trying to pick out some checks that would work best for his business.

Well the shirt didn't come off but it was a quite a site at the US bank as I hurried and pulled the center of my bra, did a bra jiggle and pop, out comes the spider. The lady behind me gave me the courtesy, "was that a spider?" How could she tell?

What would you do?

Blogging Fun!

2008-09-21T14:34:00.002-06:00

Okay so my friend has organized a blog for all women, mothers, I guess men too if they like girl things. It is kinda fun. It has fun recipes, tips on handling motherhood, some real good stuff. You have to check it out. I just saw that she posted PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap recipe. Here is the link.
www.richfreshair.blogspot.com

Mom, do you want to play laundry?

2008-09-16T14:36:00.005-06:00

Today I let out a big sigh and told Haley, "oh I need to do some laundry." She told me in the cutest voice, "mom do you want to play laundry?" I was reminded of the good old days and spending hours with my sisters or my friends playing house. It was so fun holding our babies, doing our dishes and doing laundry. For some reason the babies slept all night and didn't cry, they never hit each other and when it was time to do the dishes or laundry...surprisingly they were all done.

I was remembering when my sisters and I would play barbie town and leave it up for days. The barbies never got sick and barfed all over the floor. They always were smiling and looking their best. Their houses were always clean. Their furniture didn't have milk mouth all over the cushions.

The reality of it, how boring would life be if we didn't have anything to do. Oh my do I love being a mother but wow the whole reality of it didn't hit until I had a house and children of my own. How about for you?