The Grim Meeper: January 2014

I've had a really hard time deciding what to put in this blog post and I finally came to conclusion. As you can tell it’s been awhile since my last post. Well that’s because so much has happened in the last few months I’m not quite sure where to start. I've decided that since this blog is for my children, I don’t want to leave anything out. So here it goes, the good the bad and the ugly. The good is great! The bad will be brief and the ugly will be obvious…. I’ll start with Halloween.

Halloween. The kids had a blast and looked so adorable. They were both cutest pirates I've ever seen. Owen loved trick or treating and wanted to knock on every door in the neighborhood. We went trickier treating with the other Anderson crew so Owen was chasing Ian and Duncan as fast as he could. Little Mason wanted to as well, but he would get distracted and run in circles with a big grin on his face just happy to be alive! The two things I kept thinking the whole time we were trick or treating was how the heck did Owen get big enough to run up to the door by himself? And how last year when Mason was two weeks old I took them both trick or treating at the Law School. I was so excited to show off the cutest grim meeper you ever saw and his adorable baby skeleton brother. Halloween is wonderful with children.

At the first of November I was getting so tired and stressed out. I was feeling very overwhelmed because was trying so hard to work on building my business with Mary Kay, and Mike was working 12 hour days between school and work. I’m usually a very high energy person and I like to stay busy so I was frustrated with myself for being so tired and stressed. By the weekend I was not only tired and stressed but very very sick! I was so sick the thought of getting out of bed was not even an option. I felt like someone slipped me a sleeping pill while I had the flu. There have only been few times in my life that I have felt that sick and both times I was pregnant. Sure enough I took a test and we were on our way to having baby number three! It was amazing and terrifying all at the same time. So many emotions first reaction was this is amazing our family is growing so fast! Second reaction was filed with a little more terror… Oh my goodness I’m going to be a mother of three! And have a family of five and all of our babies will be like a half a second apart! I know that whenever you have children it is a big responsibility and I remember feeling scared and excited with both Owen and Mason as well.

For about 3 weeks I was extremely sick. Then I started to feel better. I wasn't sure what was going on because I knew I wasn't that far along, and I usually stay sick for longer. So I called the doctor and they said I was probably fine and that maybe my body was just adjusting better this time. Or maybe it was a girl and you won’t be as sick with your girls. I figured they were right and decided to relax. But I could help but notice that my symptoms were disappearing and that I was feeling less and less pregnant every day. Finally it was time to meet with the doctor and find out just how far along this baby was. The doctor didn't have to say anything. I knew something was not right and I could see the baby on the screen but there was no sound. I’m not sure if I was even shocked. The week prior I had been feeling very strongly that I was losing someone. One night everyone was asleep but for some reason I was so sad and scared that I was going to lose someone, I checked on both kids and then woke Michael up crying and told him how scared I was of losing one of them. I didn't know why I felt this way, but I knew something was very wrong. I called Michael and both of us cried. (He claims he wasn't crying, just flexing his eyes in a manly way). Even though the baby's time was with us was very short we love he/she very much.

After going through such a sad experience. We held each other and our boys a little tighter. I knew that they were a miracle that heavenly father had given us. But now I realized just how fragile of a miracle it really is to have these to very healthy happy boys here with us.

Christmas was surprisingly very big for us this year. We were planning on have a pretty small Christmas with a lot of love. Both our families gave us more than we deserve. Our kids thought they won the lottery and so did we. It was so fun watching Owen start to understand Christmas and really getting in to it. To this day every time he wants something he tells me Santa will bring it to him. Ha I love it! He also keeps asking where’d all the presents go? That happens every time we go to a grandparent’s house. My very favorite is that he thinks Grandma LouAnn stole our Christmas tree because we returned it to her after Christmas. He just keeps saying over and over again "gramma tooka our tree away" and "StopaGramma" "We got to-a-go get it back!" Kids really are the best! I could laugh for days at the things they say. Especially when he speaks like a little Italian stereotype.

The boys weren't the only ones spoiled this year. Mike and were given a ton too. And we didn't even buy each other anything. Ha Ha that’s sad… but we were planning on just have a very small Christmas with a lot of love remember! My parents decided to take all the girls on a shopping spree which was awesome!!! Both mom and dad kept urging Michelle and me to try on more clothes. It took Michelle a second to catch on. But… I pretty much picked up right where high school Megan left off. The whole thing was hilarious and we had so much fun being kids again with mom and dad. We wanted to get all the girls together at the same time. But that wasn't happening with the busy holiday season… So we had to divide and conquer.

2014 This year has brought so many changes and experiences. I used to think eventually thing will slow down. Law school is only three years and then we will get a job and house and there won’t be so many life changes all the time. I’m beginning to realize very quickly that whatever the circumstances may be in life things will always be changing. Whether you are adding a new person to the family, changing jobs, church callings, kid’s growing up and changing themselves, moving states or even just moving down the street… change is part of heavenly father’s plan. Change is a necessary evil that can make you into an amazing person or not so amazing… I know that the more we cling to our father in heaven the more success we will have in all aspects of life. Because I know this, I’m always looking to him for answers. As Mike and I are constantly making grown up decisions that we don’t always have the answers for. . Sometimes I just think we are way too young for this! Who in their right mind trusted us with these two very beautiful boys that we love so much, and how do we make sure they have everything they need to have the happiest life they could possibly imagine. I’m sure there are many parents out there that feel this way and have all of the same questions.

Mike and I had the opportunity to go to the temple today which was much needed and we were very grateful that grandma LouAnn could watch our minions while we took some time to remember why we here. I love going to the temple and for a brief moment in time realizing just how simple this life is. Heavenly Father has given us everything we need to have the happiest lives possible. I love those moments when I’m able to see my purpose so much more clearly. Sometime just remembering that it is what we do today with our family that counts. It’s the moments we spend reading books together, saying prayers. Even the times when the boys are chasing each other around the house pulling all dishes out of my draws and turning their mother into a crazy person…. Some of my personal favorites are of all three of my boys wrestling around and the way Owen and Mason look at their dad as the play or even as I watch them fall asleep in his arms. For example, the other night I got to go to a movie with my mom. When I left the kids were sound asleep. The movie didn't end till 1am so when I got home I tried to be very quiet. I turned my flashlight on low and walked to my room first where I found all three of my boys sound asleep. Owen in one arm, Mason half way in the other arm with the exception of his head which was falling completely off the side of the bed. That alone makes all the hard work worth it. But I can’t leave out the times Owen sees a pictures of the prophet/Jesus and insist that its daddy. Or when Mason is dead asleep in my arms and sits up just to give me a kiss then lays wright back down. This is why I’m here. I’m here to love these people and for Mike and I to find a way to bring them safely home to their father in heaven where we can make these moments forever. When I remember that, I remember how simple this life really is.

My Little Pirates on their way to the trunk-or-treat at Grandma's house!