Minnesota so far

We have now been in Minnesota for one month.  It may be that this was the longest and shortest month of my life.  Moving in, meeting new people, settling into a routine, and exploring this new place we now call home has made for an interesting month.

 This is our new house here in Plymouth, Minnesota.  It's actually the back side of our house, but the kids (well, all of us) were so excited to have a fenced in back yard complete with a fort that here is where we took all of our pictures.

 Even though we started paying rent as of June 1, the movers didn't bring our things until the 8th, so we had a week to kill while living in an apartment.  Chase hadn't yet started work at Target, so our main job was to keep us all entertained while we waited for our stuff.  Though frustrating, it did allow us to explore the area.  Above is the beautiful French Park, just located off Medicine Lake.  There is an amazing playground and a beach that we enjoyed . . . until Logan fell in.  Swim suits next time!

One day we took a rainy 2 1/2 drive to Duluth, an industrial town located on the shore of Lake Superior.  There we took a train ride with the kids. It was really fun, especially in the outside car even though it was only 46 degrees!

 Moving day finally arrived, and we quickly began to settle into the house and our new routine.  One of our favorite things to do is to walk to Schmidt Lake Park that is about 5 minutes from our house.  There, the kids love to go down this big slide.

One of the best parts about living in Minnesota are all the lakes.  Our friends the Taylors have a wonderful backyard that goes right up to the lake, and they were nice enough to invite us over for an afternoon of boating and playing in the sand.

One weekend we were hit with some terrible thunderstorms that not only knocked out our power, but flooded our local streets and knocked out a great number of fences and trees.  Here is our next door neighbor's beautiful tree that fell over due to so much water and wind.

One of the most exciting things that happened to us was finding out that baby # 3 is healthy, due Nov. 14, and is a GIRL!  We are so excited for her to join our family.

A New Post With a Lot of Catching Up

So being morning sick and moving from one state to another does not a great blogger make.  At least in my case.  I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging, but so much has happened and I've been so sick during 95% of it, that I honestly was on low maintenance mode.  However, now we are moved in AND I am no longer throwing up everyday, so here is my catching up post.

 In March, we went to St. George with some of our England side for Chase's last Spring Break.  While we were there, we hiked the "Short and Scary Hike", went to the park, and had our family portraits taken, among many other fun things.

 I wish I could have devoted an entire post just to our family photos.  The kids posed so well, and we got lots of great shots with their cousin Jax, their Grandma England, and Great Grandpa Stander.

When we got home from St. George, I started feeling a little bit queasy.  The more I was around food, the sicker I got.  Well, that prompted me to take a little test, and we found out we were pregnant!  It was a wonderful surprise that we are very grateful for.  Our little baby is due November 14 (same due date as Courtney Cope's).  And thus began about 3 months of morning sickness which I will try my very hardest to forget:)

 The last week in April we celebrated Mckay's 3-year-old birthday.  He was really excited for his birthday, and I decided to throw him a birthday party with a Mickey Mouse theme.  It was a great way for him to have his first "official" party and also to have a sort of going-away bash with all of our friends in University Village.  The above picture is of our two youngest guests, Logan and Walter, and Grandma Sainsbury.

 Opening presents was fun for every kid!

 This is Mckay saying "Cheese!" so that we could take a picture of his new scooter.

The following week, my brother Stephen married the wonderful Courtney Cook in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful reception.  I am so glad that Courtney is in our family now!

Chase graduated from the University of Utah with his Master's in Business.  I am a terrible wife, and didn't get a picture of him in his regalia, but the ceremony was great and I am so proud of him!  We've been married now for almost 5 years, and school has been a big part of our lives.  We are both excited for the next chapter . . . working at Target Headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A week after graduation, we went to St. George with our Sainsbury side of the family.  Again, we love the "Short and Scary Hike", and went to the park, Nelson's Frozen Custard, played lots of games of Rook and Settlers of Catan, and went hot tubbing.

Upon returning from St. George, we spent the next three weeks in transition.  We moved out of our University Village apartments and spent two weeks going back and forth visiting both sides of our family.  The Copes were in town for part of this time, and Matt and Jaime were in town for another part of the time.  We were so grateful we got to see all of our family these last few weeks before we moved.

While with our England side we . . .

 . . . did some fun toy shopping,

 . . . went hiking,

 . . . went to Kamas and swam, barbecued, and went off-roading,

. . . and ate out at Chick-fil-a.  We had such a good time!

When we were in Payson, we. . . 

 spent lots of time on the trampoline and grandma and grandpa's garden,

 . . . went 4-wheeling and bike riding together,

. . . and spent lots of time with cousins (I wish Walter were able to be in this picture!)  They met their new cousins Brigham and Tacem (no idea if I spelled that right).  

We had such a wonderful, busy March through May, and since this post has been so long, I will end for now and blog about our new adventures in Minnesota another time.

For now, I just want to say goodbye to Utah.  Utah is where Chase and I were both born and raised, where we met, got married, started a family, and finished school.  Most of our major milestones happened in Utah, and most of our family is still there.  We will miss this beautiful state and all the memories and connections we have there, but are excited for this new chapter in our lives.

February

It's been awhile since I've posted.  Both Mckay and Logan are really fascinated by my laptop, so I hardly ever use it unless they are asleep, and when I have been blogging, it's usually to guest post on Rachel's blog.  So my family blog has suffered.  The good news?  There's lots of news and pictures to share!

First of all, we celebrated Chase's birthday on the 4th.  I have a picture, but it's on Chase's phone.  We went out to dinner for his birthday to Asian Star, and he got a washer and dryer for his birthday and a gift card to Olive Garden.  All of these gifts, I have to admit, really benefit me, but he didn't seem to mind too much:)

One balmy day in the beginning of February, my dad and Rachel came up to visit us.  We love visitors, and took them to the zoo.  The weather was gorgeous and the place was practically empty, so I really can't think of a better zoo experience.  My family hadn't been to the zoo since Rocky Shores opened up, so we spent a lot of time visiting the seals and polar bear.

The tigers have been, and will always be, one of my kid's favorites.  This time they even swam for us.

We celebrated Valentine's Day the following week.  Chase and I went to the Olive Garden (courtesty of his birthday present) for dinner.  After that we spent the night at my parents' house, because the next day we went to St. George for Presidents' Day weekend with our England side.

   St. George was a gorgeous 60 degrees, and we spent as much time as possible outside.  It definitely helped me get over a really serious case of winter blues.  We spent a day at Snow Canyon climbing the red rocks.  Mckay and Logan loved it, and it was a safe enough hike that I wasn't freaked out the entire time.

We also flew kites at the park nearby.  The weather was just breezy enough for good kite flying, and Mckay and Chase kept that penguin kite in the air for hours.

Mckay wanted to hold the actual handle, but occasionally Mom had to take over in order to keep the kite in the air.

 Logan started walking this month.  He loved to toddle all over the grassy park.

We also spent some time at the playground.  Mckay is  lean mean rock-wall climbing machine.  He takes after his Dad.

All in all, February has been a great month.  I am super excited for March though, because winter and I are officially sick of one another.  I am ready for spring!

In Between Storms

Yesterday we enjoyed a brief afternoon free of inversion, clouds, and snow (the falling type).  So we took advantage as best we could by being outside.

 Mckay loved going down the hill. . .

 . . . and loved being dragged to the top almost as much.

Cutest little Gumbi all dressed in blue.  He eventually went sledding as well but by then my camera had died.  Glad I captured his killer smile.

Winter Wonderland

This Christmas and New Years' was a fabulous, busy holiday season.  I could probably have posted five or six times but either forgot or got too busy with all the fun family get-togethers that come with the holidays.  So here is the abridged recap of what's been going on:

 We enjoyed the Winter Wonderland that was the holidays. . . and then even MORE snow after the holidays ended.  This winter is definitely preparing us to live in Minnesota!  Chase took the boys sledding outside our apartment, and later on, I used my parents' 4-wheeler to pull them on a tube.

 We enjoyed going to the Stander family and Sainsbury family Christmas parties.  Here is a picture of us at the Sainsbury party during the talent show portion.  I haven't been to this party for over 3 years, so it was fun to catch up with some of my cousins I hadn't seen for awhile.

 We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my parents on the farm.  Our annual picture on the stairs we take every Christmas morning is getting harder and harder as our family grows!

 Mckay and logan loved opening presents.  This year Mckay really began to understand the whole concept behind opening presents.  It was so fun to watch him enjoy his toys.

 After spending Christmas Day with our Sainsbury side, we journeyed to Kamas and enjoyed opening presents with our England side.  Mckay and Logan loved reading their Christmas gift with Grandma England.

 Mckay sure enjoyed all of his cousins on both sides of the family.

Tucked into all these other family parties, we celebrated Logan's 1-year-old birthday party.  I love my little peanut.  He is my sweet, snuggly little boy.  He will snuggle with me every day, and loves to climb stairs, play peek-a-boo, follow his older brother around, and play catch with Dad.  He love to say "Ma ma", "More", "No," and occasionally, "Mine!"  He eats a lot, doesn't like milk, still likes to get up once or twice in the night (ugh!), and can pull himself into a standing up position but is in no hurry to walk.

Thanksgiving and the Like

Long time, no post.  But isn't that just a symptom of the busy holidays?  That's what I tell myself, at least, when I see how woefully neglected this blog is. Oh well, that just means lots of catching up to do:)

First, let's start with my family's annual Halloween Murder Mystery.  Due to scheduling conflicts and a few family emergencies, this year's Murder Mysetery was actually held in November.  My parents planned and hosted this year, and chose the theme of "Disneyland".

 My dad dressed as Jiminy Cricket.  He was the fabulous host of our murder mystery.

Cast of Characters:  Rachel was Maleficent, Julie was Alice from Wonderland, Seth was Captain Hook, Marissa was Pinnochio's Blue Fairy, Anne was Cinderella, Stephen was Gaston, I was Snow White (Who else?) Uncle Spencer was Walt Disney, and Chase was Merlin.  Notice the lack of beard and flowy blue robe?  Chase is very "conservative" when it comes to costumes, but he did decide to rock a sorcerer's hat.
We had a wonderful time, and I was delighted to find out that I was the MURDERER/TRAITOR!  I have never been "it" in a mystery, and thought that made this particular party extra fun.

November also brought lots of Thanksgiving related festivities.  This year our little family went with my Sainsbury side to Denver, to visit all of my Anderson cousins for Thanksgiving.  It was fun to take Mckay and Logan and have them meet all their little second cousins.  It was also a great chance for Chase and I to catch up with my cousins, aunts/uncles/grandma, plus squeeze in an anniversary date.

 On Thanksgiving we all gathered together at the Broomfield chapel for dinner.  My Grandma and Grandad Anderson have gathered quite a posterity.  Someday, I hope Chase and I can take a picture like this of all of our posterity.

 Here I am with the "2012 Babies".  Julie with Walter, Summer with Kyler, Katelyn with Raleigh, Kristi with Jacob, and me with Logan.  The fourth generation is getting larger and larger.

 Mckay represented our family in the annual Thanksgiving pie-eating contest.  I am not sure if he entirely got the idea that it was a contest to see who could eat their piece of pie first, but he enjoyed himself nevertheless.

Uncle Jesse, Aunt Janela, and their family were so kind as to let us stay in their house with them for the week.  We loved being

We had a wonderful time in Broomfield.  I am grateful that my parents and siblings were so willing to watch our boys while Chase and I went to Skyfall and out to dinner for our anniversary.  We know that this year may the last year that we come to Broomfield for Thanksgiving for a long time, as next year we will be living in Minnesota, so it meant a lot to us that we could go and visit.

Gone, Baby, Gone!

I feel a little uncomfortable in writing this post, but I promised myself way back on December 29, 2011, that I would.  So those of you who read my blog, please don't think I am posting this to brag or to show off.  The reason I am posting this is because this blog is my journal and I want to remember what I have learned the past 10 1/2 months.  And if you happen to get something out of this as well, great!  I hope you do.  So here it goes.

I have finally lost all of my baby weight!  Hooray!

After 10 1/2 months of hard work, I am happy to say that I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I know that no two people and no two pregnancies are alike, but I learned a lot on this journey, and I want to remember what I've learned. So I've come up with my 6 rules of post-partum weight loss.

Rule # 1:  Everybody's different
If you are one of those lucky people who lose all your baby weight in 2 weeks, I am happy for you.  I really am!  I am also really jealous of you:)  Both with Mckay and Logan it took me at least 9 months to lose the baby weight.  I know that for some people it takes less time, others it takes more.  You will learn what your body is going to do, and when you do, please be okay with it.  Being unhappy with your genetics doesn't help you lose weight:)

Rule # 2:  Factor in Hormones
When I was on my mission I lost 30 lbs. through healthy eating and exercising. I lost a steady 1-2 lbs a week.  For me, losing baby weight was nothing like that.  Here's a few samples of what my weight loss was like:
Month Three:
Week 1:  1 lbs lost;  Week 2: 0 lbs lost; Week 3: 4 lbs lost; Week 4: 0 lbs lost
Your body was in major baby-growing mode, and the post-partum time is a time of great hormonal adjustment.  It affects your weight loss as well as your mood:)  So don't get discouraged if you go a couple of weeks without losing weight.  Give your body's hormones to adjust, and the weight will come off.

Rule # 3: Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare
By the time I had Logan I was so ready to get my regular body back. I remember when they gave me the after-labor meal, I skipped the dessert and buttered roll.  I followed a very strict meal plan (I did not cheat . . . not once!) and as soon as I was 6 weeks post partum I began exercising.  I was going to lose my baby weight so fast!  And after two months of this rigorous health plan, I had not seen much weight-loss success.  In fact, the only thing I was in danger of losing was my milk.  I was not quite ready to stop nursing Logan, so I opted for a healthy, though much less strict and well-rounded, eating style.  I even ate dessert every day.  And guess what?  My weight continued to come off at the same slow but steady speed it had been when I was killing myself slowly with celery-and-spinach-only meals. So my advice is this: eat healthy but give yourself some wiggle room so that you don't feel deprived.  You're in this for the long haul!

Rule # 4: You're just going to have to exercise
I know there are exceptions to this rule, but they are very, very, very, very (get the point?) rare.  We all know someone who is like this, but chances are, we know plenty of other people who are not.  And even if you are one of the blessedly slender ones, you should exercise too!  We all need the health benefits of exercise.  Is it hard to exercise everyday, especially with a little baby and possibly other kids?  Yes!  Very hard!  But you can do hard things and this is definitely one you should make a priority. Not only are you taking good care of yourself, you are setting a good example for your kid(s).  

Rule # 5:  The 80/20 Rule
I touched on this before, but it was important enough for me that I give it some more emphasis.  Like I said in Rule # 3, you are in this for the long haul. Healthy eating is a lifestyle, but nobody lives a lifestyle where they feel deprived for very long.  I love sugar and have never been successful in weight loss when I cut it out.  I just feel deprived.  For others, it's that yummy bread or the red meat, etc.  The point is, if 80% of what you eat is very healthy, then 20% of what you eat can be more indulgent.  Does that mean you can get the hamburger and the fries and the shake?  No.  It means you choose the one you want the most, and then order a salad to go with it.  Another helpful tip is to find healthy food you love.  I hate fish, but I love eggs so that's my lean meat of choice.  I really enjoy old-fashioned oatmeal, but am not so fond of rice cakes or brown rice.  So find what healthy foods you actually like and stick with them.  Then you never feel like you're eating "healthy".  You feel like you're eating "yummy".

Rule # 6:  Keep it up
You are going to have bad days and weeks where you don't do any of the above.  It's just part of life.  But don't get discouraged and think that because you had a bad week means you should give up.  Just keep trying!  Eventually good habits form and you achieve goals:)

Well, there you have it.  My six rules.  Are they for everyone?  No.  Are there lots of people who are exceptions to these rules?  Absolutely!  Remember, I wrote this mostly for me so that I can go back and read this later when I need to remind myself of what I learned and to pscyh myself up for doing it again. I hope it helps anyone else out there who may need to hear this as well, but if it doesn't, find what works for you:)