This is a Post from the Andersons. The Name of the Post is Merry Christmas 2012

Another year has passed, another season is behind us. The challenges have made us stronger.  The joys have made us happier.  In the end, we're better than we were a year ago.  We're thankful for all those who have helped us. For the opportunities to help others. And especially for our Savior who's birth we celebrate.

Enjoy these notable quotes from 2012 and a few pictures of our family. 

Tate
 

On Trek
(A 4-day, 30-mile Pioneer reenactment)

Tate (on day 1): This is stupid! We’re going to die!

Dad: You are doing great! Just keep it up a while longer.
Tate: I’m going to invent a time machine and go back and kill the person who invented Trek!
Trail Boss’s Wife to Dad: He’s doing great.
Dad: I’m afraid his complaining will wreck the experience for the other Trekkers.
Trail Boss’s Wife: He isn’t saying anything everyone else isn’t thinking.
Dad: Really? Other people are thinking ‘I’m going to invent a time machine and go back and kill the person who invented Trek!’?
  
(later that night after an 11 mile hike to camp)

 Tate: Do you have my slippers? (integral part of the sleep routine)
Dad (realizing they weren’t packed, and panicking at the potential for unraveling): No buddy, I didn’t pack them.
Tate: Oh, well. You know what they say: ‘Win some, lose some.’ Good night.
 

It really was the 18th Miracle. Only a higher power can make changes to “The Routine” acceptable.

  

On Dessert

 Mom, I love you when you make cookies, and other sweets and treats... in fact, I just love you.

  

On the Sorry State of the Car’s Back Seat 

I think we need a new car; I think this one is getting old and germs have found a home!

Dane

On Biology

There are these worms in Australia that are as big as ropes. 
O’course, that would just be nasty for the horses.
 

On Religion

While talking about the righteous being on the right hand of God, Cyndie explains that we want to choose the right, so we’re with the righteous and can be taught by Christ.  Christ won’t teach those who reject him.
Dane: Why won’t he talk to those people over there? Can’t he turn his head to the left?
 

“Is St Patrick’s Day a holiday of the Lord?” 

(Essentially, we don’t celebrate it at church, but Veggie Tales talks about it...and do we get it off school?)
  

On Anatomy

(after Cyndie’s hysterectomy)

So it’s a ‘wombectomy’? And now you have that hollow space in your innards. 

 

My last baby tooth will fall out in January or February. I guess you can say I am in tune with my body. (While sitting in the back of the car, wiggling the stubborn tooth.)
 

On Diet 

I’m not picky. I’m just… specific.

 

Crab Walk

Not sure how this will play out on the blog... but go with me for a while.

Today we had the JDRF Rufus Breakfast. It's a great fair with food, fun, and a fair that highlights some of the new technology and such that impact diabetics. It was cool.

The amazing motocross team from Type1Racing set up some games and activities for the kids.

At one point, the instructions were to "crab walk" between two points. You know, the crab walk... on your hands and feet, belly to the sky. I say to Tate, "You know the crab walk, right?"

He smiles at me, says, "Sure, Dad!" and takes off walking sideways with his hands above his shoulders doing a pincer pantomime. It was hilarious!

Mama Grizzly Has Nothing. Nothing!

The other day, Tate was reading in the "parlor" while Cyndie was doing a few chores in the bedrooms.

He lured her down with the promise of a very important question.

When she arrived, he said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Since that was the whole reason she'd come down stairs, she, of course agreed.

"Mom, if you saw someone being cruel to me, would you do what any mother would do? And build a demonic robot to destroy them?"

He Is Risen

On this Easter Sunday, I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ.

His life was a perfect example for me and my family. His teachings bring peace. That doesn't mean that I'll never have problems; his peace is not the world's peace.

His death for my sins, insecurities, weaknesses and infirmities gives me hope.

His resurrection was the greatest day in the history of mankind. It's what made Christmas so wonderful.

He ascended to His Father's realm and will return in like manner.

I love this picture of the ascension. Notice that there are many planes in the image. The angles' robes are moving in the wind. No such wind affects the 11 Apostles being addressed. The Apostles are looking, longing steadfastly upward while the heavenly messengers are looking directly at the assembled followers.

A Holiday of the Lord

So Tate turned 14 this week. We had a small celebration at home in anticipation of a rim-rattling BBQ festeja on Saturday.

On the way home from school yesterday, Tate says to Cyndie, out of the blue, "Mom, is St. Patrick's Day a Holiday of the Lord?"

Cyndie wasn't quite sure where he was going and began to chuckle.

Without a response, Tate kept going. "Will Famous Dave's be closed on Saturday?"

Cyndie softly, but firmly, reassured him, "No, no, no. St. Patrick's Day is not a Holiday of the Lord. Famous Dave's will be open for your party!"



We know one kid that is pretty thrilled to learn that St Patrick and the Lord weren't really that close.

My Dorm Cat, Creepin' Death

The following was originally posted at my sister's way cooler blog which has better stuff all the time.
I'm guessing that most readers of this blog aren't huge fans of Metallica (and if you are, Rock On!), but lead singer James Hetfield was integral part of my freshman year in college. I've never met him, and while I'm not what you'd call a huge fanatic, my kids have been rocked to sleep with "Enter Sandman". Freshman dorm life is interesting no matter how you slice it. Lots of dynamics and lots of interesting personalities as well.
One of the things you had to account for in the dorm is diverse musical tastes... especially when rooms weren't what you'd call "sound proof" and iPods were still a thing of the distant future. With favorites ranging from Classical Tuba (yep, really) to Vanilla Ice to Garth Brooks to the Free to Choose soundtrack (for the non initiates-and if you read this blog, you know who you are-that's a collection of songs that accompanied a series of still-shot videos for LDS High School-age religious education), it was uncanny that one of the sounds enjoyed by all was the thrashings of Metallica. Truth be told, not everyone wholly tolerated it. The Free to Choose guy had among his goals (posted on the outside of his door) to shake at the sight of evil. One of the other residents routinely walked back and forth past the open door just to see what would happen.

So when we found a small kitten (without being too graphic, we were certain it's mom wasn't going to be able to help it) on a late-night Run for the Border, there was only one fitting name: "Creepin' Death" after the Metallica single which references the Biblical story of the Egyptian plagues.

We had that cat for 3 weeks in our 3rd floor dorm. It was a fun game trying to keep it a secret while packing food, water, kitty litter, etc. into the building. The RA had his suspicions, I'm sure. The beginning of the end came when Creepin' Death wouldn't stop crying one night. That lead to a flurry of activity to keep the noise level high enough to keep RA distracted. Backfire??? Yes it did. He was on to us. What happened next was just like a movie where you see the characters try to complete their tasks before something catastrophic happens. Think Valkyrie.

We started by shoving stacks of pennies between the door jam and door of the RA's room. This effectively locked him in the room. The pressure created was sufficient that he couldn't turn the door knob and open the door. He tries calling his buddy, the 2nd floor RA, to open the door, but we created a distraction and RA2 isn't in his room (and of course no cell phones in 1990 college dorms). So RA climbs out his window (where there was a ledge about 3' deep, which of course we were forbidden to access) to the neighboring room and convinces the occupants to open their window to let him in.

OK. Game on!

As RA climbs back into the room and out into the hall, we mobilized a quick relocation of Creepin' Death... into RA's room. Using the same ledge he had used to get out of his room, we moved Creepin' Death, the water and food bowls, the kitty litter and toys, the bedding, from the west end to the east end (probably 50 yards). While he was grilling residents about what was going on, and did we have a pet, etc. his room was re-set into a quaint feline lair.

We snuck back into the dorm from the ledge and into the rooms of our co-conspirators. Everyone on the floor did their best "what's all the hoopla?" face and a very frustrated RA went back to his room with no evidence and no information. We milled around in the hallway so very nonchalantly, that I'm unsure what surprised him more: the cat in his room once he removed all the pennies from his door, or the gaggle of 18-19 year-olds standing behind him laughing uncontrollably.

He had nothing to go with from there. The cat was in his room. No one was talking. He scooped it all up and took it to a friend's place where pets were allowed. We got a lecture, but nothing more... and we never heard anything more about Creepin' Death.

However, to this day, whenever I hear any Metallica song, I think of that little cat. And I remember that James Hetfield cares!

Daffy in My House!

Today in church a very spirited 8 week old girl was being blessed. As she wailed into the mic, Dane turned to Cyndie and said, in a spot-on Daffy Duck impersonation (induckonation?) "Well, it lookth like thith baby doethent want to go to the baby theremony!" My child is a toon!

How to Win at Telemarketing! (or Why They Stopped Calling my House)

I have been bad at posting, but I was recently commissioned to guest post at my sister's cool-as-heck blog. If you're so inclined, please visit her blog. It's better (both written and read) than mine. It's more interesting and more sentimental.

Since I have written for her, I'm gonna double dip and use what I sent there to keep this blog rolling. Two more to follow in coming days.

Here's my first post:

Remember telemarketing?

“Hi, I know it’s dinner time, but it’s really important that we talk. What I have to say is incredibly important, and in just a few minutes, I’ll be able to share with you the key to (fill in the blank here).”

Since I go by my middle name, it was usually a pretty good tip-off when glib and collegial callers asked for some variation of “James.”

After trying a few different get-off the phone techniques short of rudely hanging up, I got to the point where I would just respond that "I don’t accept phone solicitations."

I haven’t had more than two or three of said solicitations in about 5 years… since I got rid of my land line. I haven’t found a downside to having no phone attached to my home and name in the public record.

But what about all those people who are looking for you, trying to find you, unsuccessfully trying previously listed numbers from phone directories? I’ll tell you, I’m pretty sure those folks aren’t really out there. My insightful grandmother shared this gem with my father who, in turn, shared it with me: “You will worry significantly less what people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.” While that’s true, I digress… Plus I’m on Facebook and LinkedIn. If they can’t find me there, no phone listing is going to help… Now back to my telemarketing story.

Here’s a transcript from one of my last unwanted calls:

Telemarketer: Hello! Is this Mr. James Anderson?

Me: I’m sorry, we don’t accept phone solicitations.

Telemarketer: Am I speaking with Mr. Anderson?

Me: I’m sorry, we don’t accept phone solicitations.

Telemarketer: Actually, I am not selling anything.

Me: Did you know that “solicit” does not mean “to sell?”

Telemarketer (with a hint of trepidation): Excuse me?

Me (getting some momentum): That’s right! For example, you can be arrested for soliciting a prostitute when, in fact, she’s the one selling something.

Telemarketer (trying to regain control of the call): Well what if I just help you solve a really big problem?

Me (seeing my opening): Gee! Sounds more and more like prostitution all the time!

Telemarketer (gasping): Well! I… <*CLICK*>

Come to think of it, it was about that point that I stopped getting calls all together. I wonder if the telemarketing companies call each other to share notes.

The Endorsement

Dane has decided to make it official. While weighing the virtues of political neutrality up to this point, he's taken the gloves off now.

He's throwing his full support behind the man he thinks can really change the country: Stephen Colbert!

Here's the ringing endorsement:

"I think he'd make a nice president... He's got a wife, he's got kids... even though he cusses a lot."

In a statement, Mr. Colbert thanked Dane for his willingness to take a stand and for his unfailing patriotism. "Personally, I think that's the best endorsement any candidate could hope for: a full disclosure of my warts, with an acknowledgement that they aren't the entirety of what I have to offer, that there are virtues deeper than the surface."

D.A.R.E. To Say It Like It Is

Dane recently completed the D.A.R.E program at school. It's a national substance abuse prevention program. As part of the requirements, Dane had to write a report about resisting drug use.

Something you may not know about Dane, he watches the Today Show on NBC every day while getting ready for school. He's become kind of a news junkie. He knows a ton about what's going on in the world. He also watches Stossel and The Colbert Report.

You may remember that Dane (then age 7) posited that Barack Obama became President because he stopped smoking, which it turns out is not the case, incidentally. With all the GOP primaries on the news Dane reminded us that President Obama was elected by the people (Dane's leaning toward an endorsement of Stephen Colbert as the South Carolina Primary approaches) and Michelle Obama says PBO didn't stop smoking until early 2010.

With that background, I give you Dane's D.A.R.E. Report (unedited):

Some people think drugs, alcohol and smoking is fun, like Obama did. But, he eventually quit smoking. Drugs are not playthings, but people still use them illegaly. Did you know that in thirty days twenty percent of eighth-grade students drink alcohol? To much drinking can cause death. Smoking can turn your lungs black. Don't be a fool, smoking isn't cool. So don't get involved i alcohol, drugs, violence and crime. Dare to resist. Don't smoke, drink, or take drugs. All of these will do this --> (hand drawn)I, Dane Anderson swear to stay drug free.

Thanks, Dane. We have no further comment.