Welcome to the World of Anderson's

What sort of a mom lets their three year old son lick his melting popsicle off of the neighbors garage floor? Who would let their kids run around naked so often that some of them don't even have tan lines where the "sun don't shine"? And who, upon discovering a baby with a bag of flour would get out a camera instead of a broom?? Well, that would be me! However I am that same mom that makes their meals from scratch, keeps them home for school, and doles out a good ol' fashioned spanking when necessary! (There is a right and a wrong way to spank a child.... stay tuned).

I am a stay at home mom of four wonderful kids (one of whom I am convinced was actually raised by a pack of wolves when i wasn't looking). We just moved away from the lush and green Pacific Northwest (and by lush and green, I mean rainy and gray 8 months out of the year) to sunny and bright Arizona (and by sunny and bright, I mean SCORCHING and .... well.... SCORCHING! I hear the rest of the year is very temperate and comfortable, and we are definitely looking forward to it).

Thankfully i haven't yet ran into any scorpions or rattlesnakes. But I have also been having a hard time making new friends, which is strange for me. I am thinking this is a time for me to grow spiritually. And a time to lean closer to my Father. Speaking of which, we still haven't found a church home either. It's hard for us, since we (john and I) have never really felt like we fit into the christian mold, and yet we certainly don't want to blend right in with the world!! However, back in Portland we had found the best church for those kinds of Jesus following types that never really "fit in", Imago Dei Community Church. What an amazing place. Check them out if you are ever in the neighborhood. You will not be disappointed. Or listen to Rick online at http://www.imagodeicommunity.com/ . Rick has this unusual ability to tell the beautiful story of God's truth with sincere love and grace. Or read the book Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. It is my personal favorite non-fiction. He is really good friends with Rick Mckinley (pastor at Imago), and goes church at Imago as well. Of course, one thing I have noticed during my search for a church, is that EVERYONE, thinks that their church is something special. And why shouldn't they.... they chose it!!

So the purpose of this blog is for me to share some fun personal stories, pass on homeschool resources/advice, share parenting tips and blunders, post recipes, laugh, and encourage others with the love of Jesus. So thanks for joining me!

Here are some recent pictures of the family at the Grand Canyon. I didn't much get a chance to enjoy the scenery. I was way too preoccupied with keeping my kids from falling off! But we got some awesome photos!

Here is sweet Blaze staring off into the abyss! She may be 8, but I still had to watch that girl like a hawk. She has been known to trip over the color in a carpet. Don't get me wrong, she moves like a gazelle. And someday, she will probably run like one, but for now, she is more like a gazelle on it's first day of life, just learning how to use those things called "legs". My beautiful Blaze!

My jungle boy, thankfully kept two feet on the ground. He may be fearless, but he isn't about to take on the grand canyon....

Shade is always looking the part for the camera. I always have a dozen good shots to choose from with her. She loves the camera, and the camera loves her!!

Sweet little Lock. He's the baby. And even though he is no longer a "baby" he will probably always be treated a little bit like one. I know this is probably not a very good idea. But how can you help it when he is the last one?? He sure is adorable and cuddly!

Blessings to you and yours :)