November

We started off November by anticipating a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Tregaskis. They came to visit the week before Thanksgiving and stayed for about week! We did some sewing, lot's of bird watching and even braved the freezing, middle-of-the-night, owl extravaganza. By that, I mean we woke up to the barred owl hoot at three in the morning and my dad went outside in the frigid cold to see if he could spot it. He was so tired and excited that he put his shoes on the wrong feet, in his rush out the door. He had no luck spotting it but it was very exciting nonetheless.

Because they weren't able to stay for thanksgiving, we made our own pre-thanksgiving dinner. We had steak with hollandaise sauce, roasted asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar dough gobs. It was fun to cook and eat!

It's always fun when they come and visit. It's so nice just to have them around to visit with and watch late night movies with. My dad literally STOCKED the freezer with everyone's favorite ice cream. We are still eating it. The kids loved having their grandparents' attention and missed a few days of school to stay at home and play. David was super busy hanging Christmas lights at the temple but was able to visit with us in the evenings.
Please come again soon!

Jacob has been learning to write and spell and has been cracking me up with his notes! He wrote this the other day to "play a Trick" on his brother. He left it on the table for me to find and I heard him giggling all the way down the hallway. He is so much fun! And don't worry, I didn't fall for it.



For the real Thanksgiving, we went to our other "family's" house. (You know who you are.) Thanks so much for including us in your family. We love you and are so grateful for your friendship. We had a blast losing to you at cards and the Turkey was delicious! I made a rainbow Jell-O salad, homemade green bean casserole and chocolate silk and banana cream pies. It was a good spread!

The weekend after Thanksgiving we took the kids to see the movie Frozen. We loved it! After that, we went up to old towne St. Charles to watch the Santa Claus parade. It was a bit crowded and crazy but the kids had a good time and it was nice to get out and see the festivities. I love this time of year and it was so fun to celebrate with my wonderful family.



Some other fun things of note:

Jacob had a nerf gun party at his karate school. IT WAS AWESOME! They set up barricades all over the floor and split the kids up into two teams. Then they set them loose! I have never seen kids so wild. It was hilarious! They had a blast and we can't wait to do it again.

Caleb participated in scouting for food as a cub scout again this year. I am so proud of him and his willingness to serve others without complaining. It took 2 Saturdays to pass out the bags and pick up the food and he went along willingly both days. He is such a good kid!


Our furnace broke and we had no heat for a week with sub freezing temperatures. It was not fun. The kids all got sick and we had to use 2 different companies to fix the furnace. We struggled a bit because we also had to fix both cars and get all new tires and pay for doctors and such. It was stressful, but since then we have been so blessed. Family and friends and anonymous people have been so generous and giving. Our Heavenly Father blesses us so much and we are so grateful for the amazing people the He works through. Prayers are answered!

October

October is one of my favorite months. I love the fall! It is an exciting time of year. I met David in the fall, school starts in the fall, the weather cools down and I can wear sweaters, scarves and boots, the colors are gorgeous and it is right in the peak of holiday season!

This was my view from my front porch the other day. Holy Moley, check out those trees!



We have been bombarded with acorns again. The squirrels throw them at us! They wake us up in the middle of the night when they hit our bedroom window. (The acorns, not the squirrels.) I love them though. (Again, the acorns, not the squirrels.)  The kids and I like finding "hats" for each acorn and Em likes to throw them on the floor. David does not like them on the lawn.Ü



We have been busy this month with lots of fun activities. Honestly, it's been a bit crazy for my liking, but a good crazy. At the beginning of the month, Caleb participated in the much anticipated, annual Valley Park Hawk Run. We were all sick for most of September, so he did not feel his best physically but he improved from last year and rocked it, finishing in 5th place!! This kid is a runner! I was sad that I didn't get to watch him again this year,(Emmy always seems to nap during race time) but David was able to volunteer again and I received lots of exciting texts from the other moms.

 

Emmy and I went to a playgroup at Stuckmeyer's farm. It was insanely crowded, as we showed up at the same time as 5 bus loads of kids, but Emmy didn't mind. She jumped right in to the festivities and had a great time. I really liked the pumpkin patch and the little petting zoo with chickens.

 

Jake took his first test to advance in belt rank. It was a BIG deal and he had his game face on the whole day. I was so impressed with his skills and determination. He did a great job and enjoyed his time with his new buddies at the ATA school.

 

He had to wait an agonizing 5 days to receive his new belt, but it was worth it! He received his new white belt, with one orange stripe (he is a Tiny Tiger, so they earn stripes).



Halloween was fun this year. I am still not a huge fan of the holiday but it's growing on me. The kids enjoyed using power tools to help carve their pumpkins this year and I did too! We carved our pumpkins, then set them out on the porch to see the final effect.
 

The kids had some fun costumes this year. Caleb was a soldier and trick-or-treated with his friends for the first time. We estimated that he got around ten pounds of candy this year. His poor friend's dad carried around a sack that they kept dumping their candy into when their buckets got full. Sheesh! He had a great time and enjoyed being with his friends Cole and Sean.
 

Jacob was a ninja again. I loved that I didn't have to get him a new costume and he was still happy. I found some ninja stars at the dollar store and called it good. We trick-or-treated with his new friend, Jon, and his family. Jon lives down the street and is also in his class at school. It has been so nice to have a little friend for him to play with. We went house to house for about an hour and a half, which is a lot longer than I would have gone, but they were having so much fun that we kept on going.



Emeline was a witch this year. She can even laugh like one now, but refuses to do it for anyone. It's hilarious. She was so excited to go get candy and had a blast with the "big kids". I love that she wears her shoes on the wrong feet. She played the part quite well and we are all enjoying her candy!

  

September

I know I said I was going private, but I decided not to. :) Thank you to everyone who sent me your email. It's nice to know people are interested!! Ha!

In September we spent a lot of time out doors enjoying the beautiful weather. Our first outing was to the Shaw Nature Reserve. I have been there with the kids before but David had never seen it so I was so excited to go with him this time. We spent the day hiking and watching hundreds of butterflies flutter around. We are right on the path of several species' migration routes and we saw the bulk of them on our hike. The kids had a good time and only complained a little.











Caleb received his wolf award for cub scouts and is really enjoying the scouting program. He has some wonderful leaders who are very generous with their time and energy, who help him accomplish all of his scouting goals. Way to go Caleb!!!

 

Emeline and I went to Eckert's Farm to go apple picking. This girl is the apple of my eye! We had so much fun and the apples were delicious. I missed the time to pick Honeycrisp, but we were apple to pick some Jonathans instead and ate a lot of them while walking around.

   

I love having the day to spend with Emmy. We get to play a lot and we spent one afternoon at Grant's Farm. She liked feeding the goats and visiting with the camel. She also really enjoyed the elephant show.

 

First Day of School

I know I am a bit behind but I really wanted to document this occasion! Caleb started 4th Grade this year and Jacob started Kindergarten. I am so proud of them and miss them during the day. Having said this, I do know that school is the best thing for them and know they are going to learn so much this year. Here's to Rockin' it in the noggin department!

Jacob's #6

I am a bit behind documenting but certainly have not forgotten about my Jakey's 6th birthday. As you can see, it was an exciting day full of wonderful presents and fun! Jacob likes to change his mind, a lot, on the things he picks for his birthday but we finally settled on seeing the new Planes movie as a family, for his party. All the kids loved it and we had a good time.



Opening packages from the grandparents was the highlight of the day! He was really happy with everything and has been so entertained these last few weeks with all his new toys.

Now onto the sad and very pitiful birthday cupcakes. Yes, I know they look like a bunch of smoking Santa Clauses but that was not my intention I assure you.  I crumbled under the pressure of making a Ninjago cake this year and couldn't quite get my head wrapped around it. What you see before you is the mini ninja version with six birthday candles. They tasted pretty good though and the kid was satisfied. My work here is done.



Our gift to Jake this year was Karate lessons and he has been LOVING them! I really think he is excelling and has really embraced some of the ideas that martial arts has to offer. We love his teachers and the "dojo" (is that what you call it?) is really family oriented. He is a Tiny Tiger and has already earned a stripe for his belt.
 

A few fun facts about Jacob:

He likes to eat the heel of the bread.
He will only eat jelly sandwiches and not PB&J.
He loves eating sub sandwiches and pizza at school.
He loves ninjas, Ninja turtles, Ninjago and My Little Pony. (One of these things is not like the other...)
He likes Cheetas and Falcons because they are the "fastest".
He is happy.
He likes his cereal dry, without any milk but then he likes his milk in a cup.
He loves playing with friends and cousins.
He has a chicken named Honey (she is a Japanese breed) and says he can speak Japanese chicken.
He has lost one tooth.
He is very good at choosing the right.
He loves his family.
He is a kid.

Etsy Site!!!!

Hey all! I just wanted to announce my new Etsy site called TheBarnNextDoor. I sell fine art photography of temples, (hope to add new ones eventually) landscapes and nature. Check it out and feel free to promote it and share with friends as much as you want!!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBarnNextDoor?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Going Private!

Please respond with your email if you would like to be invited to view my blog. I am taking the plunge and going private!

Vacation to Tybee Island

Dear Tybee Island,

What can I say? You were the best vacation we have ever had! Your beaches were amazing and the sand felt so good on our toes. Your warm water was perfect for swimming and body surfing and your beautiful blue sky was just right for long afternoons outside. We especially enjoyed the marine life that frequented the shores and the beautiful dolphins that were almost close enough to touch. Your sunsets and sunrises were breathtaking and the gelato delicious. May we come and visit you again soon?

Sincerely,

The Anson Family and Friends



Days 1-3:

St. Louis to Marietta, GA, home of our wonderful friends, the Gublers. They were generous enough to let us stay in their gorgeous house and raid their pantry for the weekend. Shannon made her son, Trevor, the best birthday cake I have ever tasted and we were able to share it with the sister missionaries hot on the route. We adults also got a few babysitters for all the kiddos and took off to eat at the best seafood restaurant I have ever eaten at. It was called Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen and I can honestly say, after sampling every one's food, that there was not a bad dish on the menu! Saturday afternoon we hit the pool and Sunday we tagged along to their ward. Here's to great friends and great food!



Day 4:

Monday morning we drove from Marietta to Tybee Island, which is about ten minutes off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. The trip took about 4.5 hours and seemed every bit as long, since we were traveling with so many little children, but it was so nice to have a kind friend to share the drive with. We chatted, ate trail mix and entertained the kids. The "big boys" all rode in the other car. We checked into the rental house as quickly as possible and then ran to the beach, which was right around the corner!

 

We stayed in the "Southern Charm" and it lived up to its name. Complete with 3 master bedrooms, a hot tub, large kitchen, outdoor shower, covered patios and decks, rooftop views and room enough for our family, David's parents and sister, and the Gublers!



We loved, loved, loved the beach by our house. It was on the north side of the island, close to the river so the waves were calm and the beach wasn't crowded. It was perfect for just relaxing while the kids built forts and moats in the sand. Dolphins liked to swim just off the shoreline too so we decided not to pay for the guided boat tour since we could see them just fine from where we were.









We spent a few afternoons at other beaches that were on the ocean side of the island but I was too busy on the boogie board to take pictures! Caleb was a regular surfing dude and spent the entire time coasting the waves. The little boys fought the waves with their fists and squirt guns and had fun just floating around. Emmy spent most of her time digging in the sand and filling up her bucket.






On one of the afternoons we stopped at the Flying Fish for a crab boil. Once again, I was too busy eating to take a picture but let me tell you, it was glorious to behold. I especially liked their fried shrimp  and the kids loved eating picnic style and making a mess.



I thought it was funny that the whole week we were there, it turned out to be "Shark Week" on the Discovery channel. Awesome.



I could not believe how gorgeous everything was. The sunsets and sunrises were so vibrant and we were so blessed with perfect weather. I really enjoyed looking for seashells and taking pictures of just about everything. Obviously. David was kind enough to indulge me and gave me time to snap away.



On our last morning, I woke up early and walked the beach for the sunrise. It was amazing! The clouds were glorious and the rainbow was the icing on the cake. I loved all the birds and the sound of the waves was so calming. I honestly think if I could do that every day, I might even become a morning person!






We visited Savannah one day to check off one of the items on my bucket list, y'all! We ate at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons, for lunch. She was such a great hostess, as you can see, and her fried chicken was delectable! I was not impressed with the collard greens, however, I guess I am not southern enough. I did enjoy the banana pudding though, and ate all of Jacob's leftovers.

We also ate at the 4th rated best ice cream shop in the United States called Leopold's. The guy who owns it, is or was, the VP for Paramount Pictures. Whenever they shoot a movie near by, all of the movie stars stop by for ice cream and their photos and autographs are hanging on the wall. It was delicious! Emmy really liked all the ice cream on this trip. A lot.



We left the beach house on Friday morning and parted ways with our friends to meet up with some more family in Atlanta. We met up at the Atlanta Braves game and enjoyed cheering for our 2nd favorite team. (Cards are still #1)



The rest of the weekend was spent in Newnan, GA at David's uncle Paul Ohie's house. It was so wonderful to sit around and visit with such loving and generous relatives. I was so excited to see them all again. We sat around visiting while the kids spent the entire day in the pool. I was so proud of my kids for swimming so well and so happy that they had a good time in the water. We ate, then ate some more and the whole time Caleb and Zac worked on their newest business venture, Anson Comics. Ally and Jacob talked each other's ears off and Emmy fell asleep on my lap while I rocked on the porch swing. Heaven.

It was so nice to spend so much time with my Honey and my family. I am missing the beach already!