AndersonPlanet

So I haven't left a blog entry in awhile. The laptop I am using during the day has a crash record so I don't trust it enough to compose an entry and risk losing it to a crash. Also, Jared's netbook has a super tiny keyboard (which I am using now) that makes me a slow typer.

The seller has agreed to pay for the columns and has gone with the first quote. Hopefully we will know soon when we can actually schedule closing. We should receive another addendum to sign after which they will schedule the licensed contractor.

Mom coupons

Have Elijah do the Dishes

Have Elijah do the Laundry

Have Elijah mop

Have Elijah sweep

Have Elijah do or
do with someone a
Errand

Have Elijah do or
do with someone a
Errand

Have Elijah do the Garbage

Have Elijah Clean up

Have Elijah Clean up

Have Elijah Clean up

Free Elijah

Free Elijah

As I am packing I am finding things I want to save forever but that I don't need to save forever. I found some fill-in-the-blank sheets from Primary that Maxwell and Xander filled out this past year.

Maxwell's reads:

MAXWELL
Thank You Mother for
nurturing me
I love the way you LOVE ME.
I love it when you cook orange chkk-en.
Thanks for teaching me to rede.
I LOVE YOU!

Xander's reads:

X
Thank You Mother for
A nurturing me
N I love the way you serving me.
D I love it when you cook Macoroni.
E Thanks for teaching me to about the gospel.
R I LOVE YOU!

emphasis on the parts they wrote.

Jared found a really nice structural engineer through a friend of a friend of a friend. He was helpful and willing to do the inspection for under $400. He determined that the brick beams were structurally safe but not structurally sound. We would have to replace them in the long term (around 10 years from now), but not immediately. He also checked out the foundation and structure of the house. He determined it to be in normal condition. He is going to provide us with a carefully worded certificate. Hopefully this will cover the appraiser's concerns.

So for New Year's I made a resolution to eat more cheesecake this year. So far I am doing a great job of that. I have had more cheesecake than I had all of last year. I like to keep my goals realistic. The Bailey Babes and Anderson boys have been begging for a non-emergency sleepover for quite awhile. Todd and Carey were generous enough to offer to take our boys for New Year's Eve. Jared and I were able to go on our first date in a few years. This was a lot of fun. We went and saw Avatar which despite all of its James Cameronness was the most beautiful movie ever. Stunning, seriously.

And the kids agree. Long story short (but I will probably expound later), the boys and I spent 3 delightful hours at Lowe's where I almost cried several different times.

Now to the happy reason for this entry: we have reserved the fields at the Stake Center for after the baptism. We have the building and the fields. So please, if you are coming to the baptism, bring a change of clothes with tennis shoes so we can have fun. We will bring frisbees, footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls, maybe even our baseball stuff. And it will be awesome.

Jared and I purchased a U.V. flashlight so we could see if the house was worse or better than we thought. It turned out to be worse. I am excited to have this new toy though. Just think how little sleep I could get in a hotel room I went over with a U.V. light.

We are also excited at the prospect of starting to clean the house and rip out the old carpets. Way gross, but it will be good to be doing something.

Well, Christmas was great. The boys all liked their pjs they got on Christmas Eve. Elijah got Jedi Knight, Maxwell got Paul Frank, and Xander got Darth Vader. Elijah and Xander both got inline skates and Maxwell got a camera. Maxwell was disappointed about the skates but he has been enjoying the camera. His old camera died and he loves to take pictures and he has roller skates. Jared had to buy himself used inline skates which were only $10 but seriously I should have made him wrap them and put them under the tree.

The upper left corner will feature the photos taken by Maxwell. If you click on it you will be taken to his album and get to read his descriptions. I think he is talented and will become the photographer Jared and I always wanted to be.