Oh Ryan...

Apparently Ryan doesn't think I have enough on my plate. Saturday he made this ever so clear by adding numerous tasks to my already busy day! To start off, he produced thee nastiest blow out diaper I have ever seen in my life! I'll spare you the details, but trust me - it was memorable!

Shortly after that exploding surprise, Ryan decided he was hungry. Now mind you, he'd already eaten 2 bananas for breakfast! I kid you not - 2 bananas! That's actually standard for him these days. He eats like a little pig but it never shows. Anyway, I'm in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher when Chloe runs out of our bedroom announcing that Ryan had just dumped a box of Lucky Charms all over our floor. Dear heavens! How did the box get to our bedroom in the first place?

Upon entering the room, here is what I found:




Frustrated? You bet I was! But I couldn't help but shake my head and smile. It was the look of delight in Ryan's eyes as he stuffed his little mouth, then extended a sticky handful in my direction as if to say, "Here Mommy! There's plenty for you too!" that got me. Precious little stinker.

I suppose he looks a little guilty. But who could stay mad at this sticky-faced cutie pie? Not me!

Before I delve into Ryan's next mission of destruction, let me give you a little background. Earlier in the week, I helped Neil with a young men's activity where we learned about photography. Our Bishop, who shares this hobby graciously lent us an instructional booklet/DVD set to use during the activity. He then allowed me to take it home because included in the set was an instructional DVD specifically designed for my camera and I was curious to check it out. I had been so careful with it, keeping it out of both Chloe and Ryan's reach. Friday night I placed it on top of my diaper bag on the bench in our mudroom so I wouldn't forget to bring it to church Sunday. I placed it where I thought Ryan could never get to it. But whether it was within or without Ryan's reach, he found a way! Not only did he get his hands on it, but within a 30 second period, managed to open the booklet, get one of the DVDS out of its plastic sleeve, place it face down on the floor, and rotate it around in circles. Oh yeah, it was scratched big time! Upon discovering what he was up to, I rushed over and grabbed the DVD out of his hands, cleaned it with some special spray, and then nervously popped it into the DVD player to see the actual damage that had been done. It looked pretty destroyed, but miraculously, I played it from start to finish and it didn't skip once! I still felt horrible, and dreaded confronting the Bishop about it the following day.

As if the morning wasn't thrilling enough, only moments later, Ryan was onto the pantry for another snack. Apparently the DVD fiasco burned off the sugar high from the Lucky Charms, and he was, once again, hungry! So I'm in the kitchen freaking out about the DVD when suddenly I hear a spill. I turn to look around the corner, and what do you know? Another mess! This time, goldfish!

Oh Ryan...

The rest of the day was much less eventful, but Ryan still kept me on my toes.

To start, there was the "How can I make up for my transgressions of the day? Oh, I know! I'll help mom with the laundry!" (Right after this picture was taken, he started pulling the freshly folded clothes out of the basket. Good thing I was there to stop him!)

...Followed by the classic, "Let's see if this roll of toilet paper is longer than the last one I played with!"


And what could possibly be more entertaining than turning the TV on and off over and over and over and over and over and over and over again?

These were taken sometime last week when Chloe decided Ryan was a better fit for her stroller than her doll! I know I shouldn't have allowed it, but it was absolutely hilarious watching her push him around in this thing, and I had to capture it! Ryan was having just as swell a time as Chloe was. Their laughter was contagious.

My children certainly drive me nuts, but I love 'em. It'll be interesting to see what these coming months bring as Ryan really starts trying to get away with stuff!

Halloween updates just around the corner!

Recipe(s) of the Decade: Fall Favorites

In honor of the season, here are a couple of my favorite Fall recipes. This first one is a simple alternative to pumpkin pie, and feeds a ton!

Pumpkin Shortbread
(by Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
• 1/2 c. cold butter
• 1 (29oz.) can solid-packed pumpkin
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 2 (12oz. cans evaporated milk)

Ingredients:

In bowl, combine 1/4 c. sugar and flour; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Press into an ungreased 9x13 in. casserole dish. In another bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin, salt, spices and remaining sugar. Stir in milk. Pour over crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 50-55 minutes longer, or until filling is set. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate over night. Cut into squares. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

~~~

This next recipe I have loved for years. My friend Amy had it simmering in her crock pot one afternoon when I was hanging out at her house. One taste of it sold me. It's very basic, but so so good! Here's the original recipe, plus my own two cents at the bottom. Be sure to read those, because they offer great improvements to an already amazing meal!

All-American Beef Stew
(by Land O Lakes)

Ingredients:

• 1 T. butter
• 1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into cubes *(or see my "two cents" below)
• 2 c. vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 (14.5oz.) can beef broth
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1-in. pieces
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 t. garlic salt
• 1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 t. marjoram leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1/2 c. water
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. red wine or beef broth

Instructions:

Melt butter in large skillet until sizzling; add meat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned (5-7 minutes).

Place meat in crock pot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except peas, water, flour and wine/beef broth.

Cover; cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours, or until beef is tender. Uncover, remove bay leaf. Stir in peas.

Stir together water, flour and wine/beef broth in small bowl until smooth. Slowly stir flour mixture into beef mixture, stirring constantly. Switch to HIGH setting, stirring occasionally, until thickened (8-10 minutes).

My own two cents:

Here's an alternative to the stew meat. The night BEFORE you make the stew, brown a 2-3 lb. roast, then place in crock pot on LOW, along with 1 c. water. By morning (10-12 hours later), the meat will be falling apart tender, and the juices produced from the roast can be used in place of the beef broth. Last time I did this, I cooked a 3 lb. roast and used half the meat in the stew, then put the other half in a ziploc bag and into the freezer for later use. It is SO MUCH BETTER than standard old stew meat. Give it a try!

Happy Fall, everyone! Or should I say winter? That's what it's felt more like around here so far!

New business, an unexpected haircut and family photos

I have been such a slacker with this blog. Life has been busy, what can I say? Here is an overdue update!

To start things off, I registered my business with the state of Colorado yesterday! So Valeri Andersen Photography is officially official! With things taking off so quickly, I felt like I needed to do it. It will be tedious having to keep track of every little detail (thank goodness for Microsoft Excel), but there are plenty of advantages, and ultimately it's the honest way to operate a business. Things are beginning to slow down for me, which I'm happy about. For a while it seemed things were getting out of control. I have no one to blame for that but myself. Still, I am so grateful for the growth and confidence I've gained though the many opportunities presented to me in the recent weeks. It's been a great start to what I hope will be a successful business!

I have not updated my photography blog in weeks! A lot of it is lack of time, but I'm also so far behind, I hardly even know where to begin. I have easily done 15 sessions that aren't even posted on there. It's a time-consuming process going through and picking out the best photos from any given session, and then posting them. By the time I finish the editing process, the last thing I feel like doing is updating my blog. Instead I want to burn a cd, give it to the client and be done! I am also in the process of creating a website, so it's possible that the blog will eventually fizzle out. We'll see. I did create a fan page on Facebook, so look me up if you're interested! There are some recent photos there. I do love my fans and plan to offer some fun incentives in the coming months, so check it out.

Speaking of photography, we did our family photos last Saturday!



Since taking family photos is nearly impossible (or at least tricky) when you'd like to be in them yourself, my friend Rachael and I helped each other out. We each brought our own camera and took turns playing photographer. It was a great system! We ran out of day light quickly, so I didn't get hardly anything of the kids, nor of Neil and me, which I'd really hoped. Luckily both the kids have birthdays in the next couple weeks, so I'll be doing their year photos around then. And, well, maybe one of these days I can talk Neil into doing some good old husband/wife photos...











You wouldn't know it, but only an hour or two prior to our shoot, Chloe decided she needed a haircut! I'm sure you know where this is going. I was actually giving her a small trim when I left the room for a minute to grab a water bottle. Before leaving, I specifically told her NOT to touch the scissors. I really thought she would listen, but would I be sharing all of this if she had ? Probably not. When I came back into the bathroom less than a minute later, here's what I found in the sink. Let's just say Chloe almost didn't survive the day. I was so mad, mainly because she deliberately disobeyed me. But the fact that we had pictures that same day didn't help anything. I think I scared the you know what out of her! And I don't think she'll be attempting that again! Luckily she took a small chunk off each side of her head. Why she chose those areas are beyond me, but I think it saved the photos because I was able to lay the hair on top of her head over those areas. Needless to say she'll pretty much be wearing her hair down non-stop until the hair grows back enough that it doesn't look ridiculous! Crazy kid.

{This one's my favorite}

The kids are doing great. Yesterday and today I've spotted Ryan standing several times on his own, not holding onto anything. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he's taking his first steps, and then taking OFF! He still only has 2 teeth. That top left one is sure being stubborn. I've been watching and feeling for it for over a week now, and it still hasn't broken through. Poor Ryan. Hopefully the teething stage, at least for now, will be past him soon! He has a birthday in just a little over a week! Where did my baby go? Ah!

Not much more going on. Neil has quite enjoyed being able to relax and watch football on Saturdays without having to worry about house projects. I think we are all relieved to have them over with!

That's about it with us for now. Friday I'm going to try and venture out to a local pumpkin patch with the kids. I had originally planned to go today until the snow hit. So now the plan is Friday. We'll see if the weather holds up. Friday evening begins the Halloween festivities with a church chili cook-off and plenty of candy and games for the kids. Chloe is going to be a LSU cheerleader and Ryan is going to be a tiger (LSU's mascot). For those of you wondering what our connection to LSU is, read this post. Chloe keeps complaining that she wants to be a princess, even though she was initially excited about the cheerleader idea. Oh well! Once she has a decent amount of candy to distract her, I don't think she'll care what she is!

More October photos to come! Have a good night everyone!

Happy Birthday David!

Happy Birthday to my brother, and one of my very best friends, David!


{David with Ryan - October 2009 in Brighton, UT}

How else do I put it? You are awesome! I love your surprises. I love your sense of humor. I love your compassion. I love the way you love your niece and nephew. I love the way you value family. Thank you for everything you do. The Hallidays lucked out when you came along 36 years ago today! We all know it, and I hope you do too! Happy Birthday!

Chloe's tale of Princess Joseph

Apparently Chloe got quite the bedtime/Bible/princess story fill during Grandpa and Grandma's recent visit. Two weeks ago for Family Home Evening, she decided to read us a story. When we gave her the okay, she raced to her room with excitement, only to race back to the living room carrying 'The Chronicles of Narnia' set. She then opened the final book in the series, 'The Last Battle', and proceeded to "read" from it out loud. The story went a little something like this:

Chloe: "Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived a very beautiful princess!"

Okay. So far, so good. I especially like the "long, long ago." It wasn't just long ago. It was long, long ago! And this is a very beautiful princess we're talking about. Way to be descriptive, Chloe!

Neil: "Did the princess have a name?"

Chloe: "Yes! Her name was Joseph!"

Neil: "Joseph, huh?"

Interesting name choice....

Chloe: "But then one day she died."

Neil: "What!? She died? Well, how did that happen?"

Chloe: "Actually, um, well, the TV fell on top of her!" (giggles...apparently she thought this part of the story was funny).

Okay, so let me get this straight. This princess - Joseph - who lived long, long ago, and who was very beautiful, was tragically struck by a TV? Wow. That could ruin some one's day. And who knew TVs existed back then?!

Chloe: "But then she grew alive again!"

Neil: "Oh, okay! Whew, I was worried!"

Chloe: (giggling, again) "Then she died again!"

This is where the giggling turned into complete hysterics. I've never seen a child crack herself up to the extreme that Chloe did at this very moment.

Neil: "What? AGAIN? Well, how this time?"

Chloe: "A clock fell on her!"

And on and on the story went. Not really sure what she's been getting too much of that would produce such an imaginatively disturbing tale in the mind of a 3 year old! Too much 'Enchanted', perhaps? She has been a bit obsessed with that movie. Well, needless to say, Family Home Evening was an entertaining one that night!

{To keep with the theme of this post, here's Grandma and Chloe reading bedtime stories - Sept '09.}

Ryan's latest

My goal of writing monthly updates for Ryan vanished a while ago, but I have still managed to jot down most of the important facts. Here's the latest on our handsome boy.

He will celebrate his 1st birthday in 26 days!

He has a tooth! It isn’t much of one yet – more like a tiny white stump, but it’s slowly making its way through! It's his bottom left, and I noticed it Monday. His two top teeth aren't far behind.

Ryan's favorite things:

• Pulling every single wipe out of the wipes container.
  
  
• Pulling clothes out of dresser drawers, books off shelves and just about anything else that looks out of place to him! He has an eye for organization!
  
  
• Pooping right after a diaper change.
  
  
• "Helping" load and unload the dishwasher.
  
  

  
  Notice Mr. Daredevil's going straight for the steak knife!
  
  
  
  

• Dropping food off his food tray, whether he's full or just looking for further amusement.
  
  
• Mom's cell phone. He's quite the texter!
  
  
• Cheetos!
  
  
  
  Recent milestones:
  
  
• Can stand for 5-10 seconds at a time, but shows little if any interest in walking. He is so capable, but has no drive whatsoever. I'm actually just fine with that, to be quite honest!
  
  
• Raises his hands up in the air when he hears someone say, "hooray!" He learned it from his friend, Lasson.
  
  
• Waves and says "Dat, dat!" when he hears someone say "Night, night" or "Bye, bye".
  
  
• Dances on cue (or rather, bounces up and down while smiling with glee).
  
  
  
  
• Is climbing! He climbed his first flight of stairs a couple weeks ago, and continues to climb anything he thinks he can manage. His lack of fear worries me. You'd think after a handful of falls he would learn. But no. He just keeps on climbin'.
  
  
  
  My favorite things:
  
  
• He is more cuddly than ever. During Brady and Sara's family dinner the night before their wedding last Tuesday evening, Ryan fell asleep in my arms. I can probably count on one hand the number of times he's done this! It was so sweet that I just couldn't bring myself to go lay him down. While it isn't often that he'll fall asleep, he will rest his head on my shoulder peacefully and just chill. He's my little snuggler.
  
  
• I'm his favorite.
  
  
• His facial expressions. Especially when he gives me that gummy smile, closes his eyes, scrunches his nose and tilts his head back like Stevie Wonder.
  
  
  
  
• Whenever I tell him "No no!", he immediately shakes his head in agreement. Darling.
  
  
• Everything is "dat, dat, dat..."
  
  
• He continues to grunt, grumble, and groan. He sounds like he's pretending to be a fierce animal at times. Hilarious.
  
  

  
  Just for you, Grandma Susie! Geaux Tigers!
  
  My sweet little boy is just growing too fast! As Fall has clearly made its entrance, I've found myself reminiscing about last year at this time, when Ryan was almost here. My, how time flies. I look at him and can hardly believe he will celebrate his first birthday in less than 4 weeks! It's bittersweet. Of course I love witnessing each milestone and cheering him on. But oh, how I miss the itty bitty baby he was for only a few blinks of an eye.
  
  
  Love you, buddy.

{By the way, I'm aware that some of the photos in this post are cut off on the right side. I can't figure out what the problem is. They are centered just like the ones that aren't getting cut off are.}

My boys

I came home from a photo shoot this evening to find this...



...and I just had to capture it. So SO sweet. I love my boys.

Wedding bells...

I've been in Utah for the past week celebrating wedding festivities for Brady and Sara, attending Conference, spending time with both sides of the family, and building memories. Now I am home trying to catch up on the life I left behind. Just had to post this photo. If you're on facebook, check out my page for some others I took of the bride and groom! More updates to come soon. I have hundreds of pictures I need to get through!

An Anniversary wish...

Before midnight hits, I just have to quickly congratulate my amazing parents, who celebrate...

...are you ready?

43 years of marriage today!

Just look at these adorable children, who wouldn't even exist if it weren't for you!



I say you have a lot to be proud of! We love you both and hope your day has been perfect! XOXO.

A surprise visit

Saturday, the 19th, Neil decided out of the blue that he needed to get out of the house. I had a Primary Activity that morning followed by a baby shower that afternoon. Originally we'd planned to head out after the shower so we wouldn't have anything to rush back for. But as soon as I got home from the activity, Neil was strangely anxious to go right then. I was confused and a little irritated by his pushiness, especially when he wasn't clear about where we were even going or what we were going to do when we got there. He kept mentioning Cheyenne Mountain Resort, and how there were some nice areas there for potential photo shoots he thought we could scope out. While it still seemed random and weird, I went with it.

It wasn't until we drove into the parking lot and walked inside the resort that I was convinced something was up. Where, inside this resort, would I want to do a photo shoot? Come on! Not seconds after approaching the restaurant area just inside did I notice Neil looking around. That's when I knew what this was all about. So I asked, "So um, who are we meeting here?" Really, I was humoring him. I already knew the answer. Sure enough, sitting outside on the balcony overlooking Pikes Peak, was my wonderful brother, David! It turns out he had a music convention there at the resort that weekend - of all places! After the moment of surprise had passed, I learned that after the convention, he was planning to come hang out with us for a couple days! Double bonus!

We enjoyed a nice lunch (with a nice view), then headed home, leaving David behind to finish what he really came out to Colorado for. Sunday, when we got home from church, he headed over and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon of football and good company. The 49ers even won, which made the day that much better! David played his saxophone for Chloe, which she absolutely loved, and entertained her in other ways that only Uncle D is capable of doing! I wish I'd captured their music duets. They were priceless. Next time!! Monday, we had our traditional sushi date, and then just goofed around the rest of the day. I was sad to see him go Tuesday morning, but we made the most of our short time together. I'm so grateful for a brother who, despite his busy, crazy life, makes the time to come hang with his little sis when he can! Thanks again, David! And long live the Avalanche II roll!

Preschool!

Chloe started preschool September 8th. We divided last year's co-op group by ward, and welcomed 2 new additions, making a total of 5 kids. So far so good! Chloe's little pals include Abby, Ali, Scott and Ryan.

Here she is on her first day!

Proud mama with her little preschooler...

Since Miss Anna is expecting a baby very soon, she opted to teach the first two weeks. Here are the kids gathering around for circle time.

Chloe's been singing songs about the falling leaves and bringing home lots of fun Fall crafts. She's absorbing a ton, I can tell, but more importantly (at least at this point), she's learning structure and social skills. I am anticipating a great year! Yay for preschool!

Rock climbing at Red Rocks

September has been an eventful month, which explains the lack of blog posts. I am gradually getting my photos and updates organized, so be on the watch. For starters, here's what we did on Labor day!

Neil has loved rock climbing since high school. In the nearly 8 years I've known him, he's talked about how fun it would be for us to go together. And for the majority of those 8 years, I've been terrified of and unwilling to even consider it. Recently though, I decided that when the next opportunity presented itself, I needed to give it a shot once and for all! I didn't have to like it, but I did have to try it! And I DID! I know, Valeri and rock climbing? It's an anomaly!

This picture gives the illusion that I was up much higher than I actually was. Nice work, Neil!


Chloe gave it a try too, and did really well all things considered. She seemed to enjoy herself until she skinned her elbow on a rock. Then, well, that was the end of it!

She looks so pathetic in the second photo, it's adorable! That white blonde hair and red face - gotta love her.

Here's Neil waving hello from the top of a very difficult climb.

This was practically straight up. I still don't know how he did it.

Here's Chloe, pre-skinning of the elbow. Happy as can be and ready to climb a rock!


And my sweet Ryan... always smiley and mellow. He just sat and watched, kicking his legs with glee when he'd get particularly excited about something. Sure do love this boy.

So did I like rock climbing? Honestly? Ehh, it was okay. The repelling part was fun in a scary kind of way, but overall it just wasn't my thing. I'm still proud of myself for trying, and I think once Neil gets over the shock of my willingness, he will be too!

Soon...

...I will update this blog. I have been on overload with photos, and found very little free time to blog. Luckily tonight was my last shoot of the month, so once I get caught up on editing, I should actually be able to relax a little! It's been a crazy month to say the least! Here are some updates you have to look forward to:

- my first rock climbing experience (I know, pretty hard to imagine - don't worry, I have pictures to prove I did it)
- Chloe's first week of preschool
- Ryan's 10 month milestones
- house projects, which are now F-I-N-I-S-H-E-D!!!

I can't believe we're already halfway through September! Huh? I am loving Fall. The cooler days, the changing leaves, pumpkins in the grocery store, football, and so much more. Tomorrow I think I'll bake something with pumpkin. It's just that time of year! Love it. Updates coming soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Birthday wishes...

...to the newest member of the Andersen family! Happy Birthday, Courtney!

{May 6, 2009 - the day it became official}

I adore this girl, who I now call sister. Maybe part of it is subconscious because she reminds me so much of myself. Ha ha!

One thing that stands out to me about Courtney is her small acts of kindess. I remember last summer, after spending a week in Florida with Neil's extended family (and meeting Courtney for the first time), receiving from her a thank you card. While it was a simple act, it said a lot about the kind of person she was. Another thing I appreciate about Courtney is her directness. This southern girl is not afraid to say it like it is! I am especially impressed considering her age! I was about as timid as could be at 21! I feel a real connection to Courtney, and look forward to future years of growing closer.

Happy 21st! Gosh, you're young! If you were closer I'd bake you some chicken lasagna and a batch of chocolate chip free chocolate chip cookies! Have a fun day!

Brave little soul

My heart is breaking for a family in UT whom I've never even met. They live in my aunt's ward in Eagle Mountain and were recently faced with the ultimate trial of losing a child. 9 month old Lucas, after a 3 month battle with cancer, returned to his Father in Heaven last Wednesday night. Since June they've maintained a blog where they've documented Lucas' updates and progress. It's been tough to read, especially now that he's gone. I can't imagine what this has been like for Shannon to go from having a healthy child, to learning her days with him were limited, to then losing him and the reality of it all sinking in. No mother should have to endure such a nightmare. Ever!

While the Nelson's story is absolutely heartbreaking, it is also very inspiring. Even amidst the most difficult moments, Aaron and Shannon have remained strong, understanding and hopeful. Everyone has his weak moments, and I'm sure they have had their share too. But in reading their blog, you can just sense their genuine faith and hope that they will see Lucas again someday, and that this was all part of Heavenly Father's plan. My aunt Valeri said at Lucas' viewing, while everyone's intentions were to offer the family comfort, Aaron and Shannon were actually the ones offering the comfort. Can you even imagine?

This story has helped me recognize a whole new perspective. Life is truly so delicate and you really never know. I have found myself hugging Ryan a little tighter and rocking him a little longer. I've tried harder to find patience for Chloe, laugh off the small stuff and love even the most irritating quirks. My children drive me crazy some days, I won't lie. But when I look at the big picture and remind myself that these days, months... gosh, years! are going to slip away from me so quickly, I find that my children are dearer than ever. It's amazing how fast time is lost, and in the grand scheme of things, how this time on earth is really just a blink of an eye in comparison to the big picture.

The Nelson family has been heavily on my mind, and I'm sure many others'. With the funeral over and the dust settling, these coming days are bound to be the most difficult yet. Please keep this sweet family in your prayers. I'm sure they'll take all the prayers they can get.

HERE is a link to their blog.