7 years ago today...

...I became Mrs. Andersen.



Talk about wonderful!

Happy Anniversary, Neil. I love you.

Signing Time

We have a deaf family in our ward with a few small children. To help accommodate and make these little ones feel welcome and included, we've started incorporating a 'Signing Moment' in Primary each Sunday, where the mom of this family teaches the primary children a new sign. We just started this last Sunday, but I can already tell it's going to be an awesome thing. The kids were totally into it, and I sensed unity in the Primary room as they all watched and learned.

In the process of tossing around this 'Signing Moment' idea, it's occurred to me that I should introduce sign language to Chloe and Ryan! I never did signing with Chloe because there wasn't a need for it. Obviously that's not the only reason to sign with your child, but it just didn't really occur to me. Chloe was so vocal early on and even when she wasn't speaking, we still communicated just fine.

Well, I decided this would be the perfect time to start with Ryan, and Chloe's always open to new things. So I borrowed a handful of 'Signing Time' dvds from my friend, Tina. In the few days we've had them, it's all Chloe's wanted to watch! She's already singing along with the songs and following the signs like a pro. And I'm starting to use some of the basics with Ryan, which he's bound to pick up on eventually.

ANYWAY! Aside from this fun new educational tool, I made an interesting and ironic discovery last night. Chloe had finished the 'Move and Groove' dvd, which has won her attention over any of the others, and the credits were rolling. I was reading to her and so neither of us were really paying attention. Neil apparently was because suddenly he said, "Hey, Valeri, this may interest you!" He then grabbed the remote and rewound it back to where the musicians were listed on the credits. You probably know where this is going. That's right. Under "Saxophone", David Halliday was listed. I had to chuckle. So all this time Chloe's been learnin' and groovin' to the music of her very own Uncle D! I love it. I immediately called David to tell him how cool he was!

So if you have any of these dvds, be listening for that saxophone! It's my big brother!

Happy Birthday a day late!

Happy Birthday, yesterday, to my dad-in-law, Dave!


{Brad & Courtney's wedding - May '09; with grandson, Ryan}

Sorry for the belated wish! I literally remembered it was your birthday as I was hopping into bed last night. Shame on me! We hope your special day was relaxing and enjoyable! Thank you for the warmth and kindness you continue to show all of us. You're a great father and grandfather, and because of you we are better people. XOXO.

The kids

Wow, have I been a blogging bum or what? Life has been busy, what can I say?

Better grab some popcorn. This is gonna be long!

RYAN is 9 months old! He had his check up last Monday and all is (mostly) well. This little guy must burn a lot of calories getting around because he has only gained 3 ounces since his 6 month check up! At 16 lbs., 9 oz. he falls into the 1st percentile for weight! Yes, you heard me right. 1%!!! And 28 inches in length puts him in the 40th percentile for height. He's a petite little guy to say the least. Despite Ryan's mobility most likely explaining the lack of weight gain, the pediatrician was mildly concerned and suggested I start supplementing with formula. :( I was not happy to hear this. I'll admit it. It's a total pride thing. Chloe never tasted an ounce of formula and I hoped I'd be able to say the same for Ryan. I realize though, that it really isn't a big deal. I am so fortunate to have been able to nurse both of my children without issues. I have plenty of friends who have yearned for that and for whatever reason haven't been able to, and my heart goes out to them. I'm STILL nursing Ryan and plan to for as long as I can, just throwing an extra bottle of formula into the mix as needed. He's doing great with table foods and jarred stuff. Still no teeth, but I'm expecting to see the first break through any day.









Ryan is drawn to destruction. It's as simple as that. I'll be surprised if his first word isn't "No!" with the number of times a day he hears it! His latest favorite thing would have to be the knobs on the receiver. He is constantly messing with them, which doesn't go over so well when big sister is watching her daily dose of 'Tom and Jerry'. When he sees a cupboard open, he races to it, and if there's time, will pull out everything within reach, then proceed to climb in! He's standing up against anything that will support him, and sometimes things that won't support him too. He's also putting anything and everything in his mouth! Appearance and texture don't matter. If it's within reach, it's gonna go in the mouth! The other day I found two of those plastic googly eyes in his diaper! They weren't just placed there - they were fully digested! How he managed to swallow those without choking is beyond me! He's also started walking on all fours with his bum in the air. He's a funny, sneaky, mischievous boy who keeps me very busy!





Not much has changed with CHLOE. She continues to make us crazy. She also makes us laugh A LOT, so I guess it all evens out.



Here are some of the funny things she's come up with lately:

"Daddy kicked my bum and it hurt! That's why I'm serious! I'm serious about that!"

"Is it hot? It's definitely hot! That hot's a little warm!"

"Um, excuse me. Um, Mommy, I love you and Ryan, but he's more spensive." (expensive)

"Can I try yours to see if it's slurpeeier than mine?" (referring to my slurpee)

"I'm just teasin' around!"

"Let's make it for a run!"

"Soup turns into poop!" {slight pause} "...AND lettuce!"

As you can see, she picks up on a lot of what we say and then tries to mimic us, even if it isn't in the right context. It's hilarious. Whenever I say "shoot" or "dangit", she'll say, "Did you just say...?" as if I repeated a forbidden word.

She has mastered the art of talking back. She always has to have the last word, and sometimes our arguments get pretty heated before I realize how ridiculous it is that we're even arguing at all! She just knows how to push the right buttons. She'll say stuff like, "Well if you're gonna blah blah blah, I'm not gonna be your friend anymore!", or "..."I'm not gonna share with you!" She's also said the famous phrase, "Life isn't fair!" Tonight she was mad at Neil and said, "We're not best friends anymore!" then ran to her room in tears.

I cannot get over how smart she is. She has a crazy good memory and will ask about the most random past times, sometimes things that go back as far as 18 months ago! She loves being read to more than she ever has, and is constantly bringing books to me and begging to sit on my lap while I read. One skill that's really caught my attention lately is her ability to recognize musical instruments! It isn't anything I went out of my way to teach her, she just knows them! We'll be in the car listening to something, and she'll out of the blue say, "Is that a violin?" - AND - 95% of the time, she's right! I have tested her knowledge and she has been able to pick out a piano, flute, violin, trumpet and saxophone (which she'll often refer to as, "what Uncle D plays" if she can't remember the word itself). Perhaps we have a little musician on our hands! I'm sure the Halliday side of the family wouldn't mind that!

Chloe passed swim lessons with flying colors! To say she loved them would be a huge understatement. When her last class ended I think I was just as sad as she was, for her sake. It was fun for her to have something to look forward to every day. Here are a couple pictures I got of her during the last week of lessons. We'll definitely be enrolling her in more classes come Fall.







One of my favorite things about Chloe is the overwhelming joy she finds in the simple things of life.



Ladybugs (or just about any bugs), a tiny flower (whether vibrant or wilted), or a new treat in the pantry are just a few examples. It's inspiring to me to watch her eyes get big and mouth open wide with a smile. She makes me want to enjoy the little things more and to not stress the big things as much. Her simple optimism and cheerful little voice make it so easy to feel happy, and to love her.

How could you not love this blue eyed blonde!

These two sweet kiddos of mine have so much fun together. Ryan is old enough now that he and Chloe can actually play together. He often wanders into her room looking for her, and they end up playing together for several minutes at a time, 100% entertained. It's so fulfilling witnessing the bond that is growing between my two children. They are sure to be best friends.

So that's the latest with these two cutie pies. Forgive me for being a bad blogger lately. Life has just been too busy! It seems I've had something going on every day for as long as I can think back! And the coming weeks aren't looking much better. Oh well. I suppose keeping busy keeps me out of trouble. :) Hope you're all well. More updates to come soon, including Neil's last house projects and my photography. Changed my photo blog address, by the way. Now it's http://www.valeriandersenphotography.blogspot.com/. Be watching it. I finished some senior pictures last Saturday and did some family portraits Sunday evening. Am hoping to get some of those posted by tomorrow night.

Hope you're all having a happy week!

Happy Birthday, Mama Susie!

Happy Birthday to a special someone I like to call Mama Susie! What a wonderful mom and grandma you are!

We couldn't ask for anything more!


{Brad & Courtney's wedding - May '09; with grandson, Grant}

If we could beam ourselves there for the day, you could take the kids to the pool while Neil played handy man at your house and I cooked you a big birthday dinner! Too bad I don't have the super powers to make that happen. Maybe by next year I'll have it figured out! :)

Have a wonderful day and know you are loved! XOXO.

Finally...

...updated my photography blog.



Take a look.

Crazy, amazing, exhausting, wonderful weekend!

Wow, what a weekend! My brother, David, who is a well known jazz saxophonist in the Salt Lake area, was invited to open for Diana Krall, renowned jazz singer and pianist, at Red Butte Gardens Friday night! He announced the exciting news Wednesday afternoon, and that same evening I decided to make the 9 hour drive to be there. Aside from the fact that I love Diana Krall (and have since her 2001 album, 'The Look of Love' came out), I just simply couldn't miss witnessing this opportunity of a lifetime for David. And so, Thursday evening after Chloe's swim lessons, we packed up the car and headed to Laramie, where we stayed the night with a friend of my brother's. Friday morning I got up way too early, hopped back on the road, watched the sun rise over the hills of Wyoming, and arrived in Salt Lake around 11:30. David and I met up and headed straight over to my parents', who had NO IDEA I was coming. Ah, just icing on the cake. The look of shock in their eyes was priceless. And wonderful. Not only did I just see them a few weeks ago, but my mom is coming to Colorado Springs next week. So never in a million years were they expecting this!

I hung around with my parents for a couple hours while David did whatever he needed to do, then at 4:00 he picked Ryan and me up and the three of us headed to Red Butte for his sound check. As we were pulling in we saw Diana Krall's tour bus with a lovely Mercedes SUV parked right in front of it. While David and guitarist, Kenji Aihara, got ready for their sound check, Ryan and I explored the garden, which was beautiful, then sat down at the back of the stage and watched on as the stage crew got things set up, tuned the piano Diana would be playing, and got everything else squared away. I kept waiting for someone to tell me to get off the stage, but even with a few funny looks, no one said a word to me. I soooo wanted to have my camera out and snapping shots of anything and everything, but they didn't allow cameras, and I was afraid if I got mine out early on, I wouldn't have a chance to sneak in a couple shots during the actual performance.

Here's one that David got from basically where I was sitting.


Around 5:30, David, Ryan and I headed up to the catering tent for a fabulous dinner. I felt like quite the VIP. We kept waiting and hoping for Diana to wander in, but we knew it wasn't likely. And we were right. We did, however, meet one of her producers.

Doors opened at 6, and shortly thereafter Ryan and I were settled on a blanket in the front row, only 20 or so feet from stage, along with my parents and some family friends.

Here are the boys, ready to bring it!


At 7:00, David and Kenji opened. And might I add they sounded absolutely amazing?! They captured the audience instantly and really set the mood for the night. They were so compatible and well-synchronized. They just killed it! That's all there is to it.



I know David's my brother, so of course I think he's all that, but it had been quite a while since I'd heard him play and he really truly just blew me away! I was so SO proud of him. And I wasn't the only one whose heart he stole! He and Kenji received a standing ovation, and after their performance, people were practically swarming us with "Where does David play regularly?", "Does he have an album out and where can I buy it?", etc., etc. I was so honored!

Here's how Ryan kept himself occupied between performances...



THEN...

At 8:00, Diana Krall was announced and came out to stage with her band (Anthony Wilson - guitar, Jeff Hamilton - drums, and Robert Hurst - bass). Her presence alone gave me chills. She was so beautiful, confident and calm. She sat right down at the piano and without hesitation, began playing. Wow. I couldn't believe I was sitting just a matter of feet from her. It was an experience.







What was an even greater experience, however, was something she did about halfway through her performance. I had noticed her glancing in my direction a few times, but didn't think much of it. Well, after finishing a song and once again looking my way, she nonchalantly said something along the lines of, "I can't stop looking back at that mother rocking her sweet baby..." It took me a good five seconds to realize she was referring to me and not someone else! But it didn't end there! THEN! She proceeded to play a soft lullaby on the piano as prelude to her next song, "I'll String Along With You" (which is most likely playing right now, or will be starting momentarily - turn up the volume). It all happened so fast, that in some ways it's just a blur. But wow! Of all the thousands of people in the audience, Ryan and I were the ones that caught her eye. I was blown away. That song, which I already adored, holds a whole new meaning now. And how wonderful it will be to tell my son years from now, that when he was 9 months old, Diana Krall played him a lullaby?! Ironically, Ryan was due on her birthday. So really, their connections go back further than Friday night. :)

I love this one. Diana's glowing like an angel. Great shot, David.


It was an amazing night. Diana Krall rocked the house, and I love her more now than ever. She talked quite a bit between songs, which gave the audience a chance to get to know her a little. I learned that she has 2 1/2 year old twin boys, which of course made her all the more endearing to me (and probably everyone else too). It also became obvious in her talking that she values family. I was really touched by that, because so many celebrities nowadays just don't! She seemed very down to earth.

Here she is with her sons: Frank and Dexter. They were born December 6, 2006, which happened to be her and Elvis Costello's 3rd wedding anniversary. Love it.


This is the one decent shot I got of the band (David took all the others).

Sometimes having a big bulky camera is a disadvantage. I was approached by a security guard twice about having it out. He hee. Thank goodness David had his little point and shoot he could sneak some good shots with.

Neither David or I got to meet Diana in person (I was especially bummed for David's sake), however after the show, as we were loading his car, we noticed the rest of the band sitting in the van just a few feet away. David went and introduced himself to the guys, and I followed. I wasn't going to shy away from this opportunity. I had Ryan with me, which I'm sure helped. They were nice guys.

I slept good and hard that night. I was SO exhausted. And luckily, the kids slept well too. Ryan slept 6 hours straight, which is unheard of for him. We got up at 9:45am Saturday, and Chloe slept in until 11! Wow.

Saturday was just relaxing and low key. My mom took me early birthday shopping, we had lunch at Cafe Rio, and just goofed around. Here are some shots of Grandpa and Grandma with the kiddies.

Ironically enough, the matching shirts were NOT planned.

I brought this shirt for Ryan to wear to the concert, but because it was SO HOT Friday, I ended up putting him in something a little lighter. Then my dad shows up to the concert wearing practically the same shirt. So anyway, I put Ryan in it on Saturday and my dad put his shirt back on so we could get some pictures of the matching men.

I looooove this one.


Grandma and her girl (the pink hat was per the request of Miss Chloe).


Looks like Chloe's casting a spell on her brother. Poor kid.




Saturday came and went too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to pack the car up again and prepare for another long drive. We headed out Sunday morning at 4:50am. Ugh.

While every moment of insanity and exhaustion was worth this trip, I will never drive 18 hours in a 48 hour period again! :)

Here's Sunday's sun rise. Approximately 6:20am. Beautiful, isn't it?

A perfect ending to a perfect trip...

Thanks again, David, for this wonderful memory. I'm proud of you on so many levels, and I love you.