This is just weird!!!

Gone are the days (just last year we had them) of walking into the library or polling place to drop off your election ballot. My kids LOVED getting their "I Voted" sticker. Now we just drive on up and insert here:

I DON'T LIKE IT!!! It's so easy that people still don't take the time to vote!! What's up with that?

It's True!!

We like to have a little fun when we cook! And I tell you, taking cookies off of a cookie sheet with that Mickey Mouse spatula is guaranteed to make you SMILE!

Here's my Heart ...again!

Here we go again. I so love it that Stephanie Howell does this challenge. http://www.stephaniehowell.com/my_weblog/2011/10/blog-your-heart-a-challenge.html

It really gets me to thinking and to get those thoughts down on paper. So here we go!

• Why can exercising be such a challenge? I love how I feel after I workout. I love the way the numbers on the scale go lower when I do. Ugh!! I have to find the perfect balance.

• Fall!! It's here. I'm not excited about the rain. But I LOVE the gorgeous, sunny crisp days. There is no denying that it is just stunning in NW Washington at this time of year. These are just my cell phone pictures. They don't seem to capture it as vibrantly as my eyes.
  
  
  
  Driving up to WWU
  
  Walking on the trail by our house
  
  This leave seriously is the size of a dinner plate!
  
  
  
  
• Robert - yes, you worry about your grown children!! My boy is on my mind and in my prayers often.
• Pulling it together - I've been working on our office/my scrapbook supply room for a good month now. A tad embarrassed to show you the before but here it is.
  BEFORE - there was a large metal paper rack in that empty space.
  
  AFTER:
  
  
  BEFORE - A scrapbooking and crafting mess!
  
  AFTER - I still have some canvas boxes to fill but we're getting there.
  
  
  BEFORE - Utter ciaos!! Never wanting to work in here to even keep up with our financial stuff.
  
  AFTER - Still in progress as we sort out the computer situation. I mean, seriously take a look at that beast of a computer monitor!!
  
  It's been liberating to sort through things, sell things, give them away or just plain old throw them away. LOVE IT! But I have to stop being so hard on myself that I'm not getting it done faster. Thanks to my family for being patient.

• LOTS of other things that I will wait until next Blog my Heart segment. Anyone else on-board with this? Give it a try!!
  

Concerts and Halloween!

David had his very first high school band concert. Would you just look at this handsome guy!!


Here's a piece of Anderson Family trivia - David is wear the exact same jacket that his brother, Robert did when he was a freshman in high school. Yes, the records were still at the school to verify that too. It kind of made David feel like Robert was with him during his concert.


Then on actual Halloween night Amber and Tabitha had an Orchestra concert. It was a fundraiser to support the music library on campus which is constantly threatened to be closed due to budget cuts.

This is one of our favorite concerts! There is nothing like seeing a red crayola play the flute!

Or a bassoon playing unicorn!

And the Phantom conducting the orchestra

And an entire orchestra full of Halloween characters


Even the audience was strongly encouraged to dress up.


And here's our little Southern Belle Lizzie

Too pretty!!

Do you really listen?

When you ask a question do you really listen to the answer?

This situation has been on my mind for a few weeks now. I just can't seem to shake it. And honestly, it has made me more aware of my own behavior. Funny how an experience can make you look inward.

I was at an event a few weeks back, just minding my own business and doing what I was there to do, when a friend came into where I was and we started talking and catching up. Normal pleasantries and all that. Then they asked me a question: "How is your chocolate business going?" "GREAT!" I told them and that was all I said. They asked the name of the company and where they could buy it. I said "Fresco Chocolate and buy it at Chocolate Necessities". Basics - short and sweet! The person then asked me "So tell me - what exactly is it that you do? How do you make the chocolate?" Now I know not to bore people with all the details of our business. Most people just couldn't care less and that's okay. But I was going to answer her question as brief as possible. I started to explain "We import cocoa beans, roast them, blah, blah, blah". When I noticed this person, totally and completely looking around the room and not even interested in what I was saying.



So to test what I was observing I did this

Seriously - mid-sentence I just stopped talking. The person said "That's wonderful!" and proceeded to turn around and walk out of the room I was in. It literally left me

Just WOW! If you don't want to know - don't ask. I really will not be offended. But I have learned a lesson about this particular person and I saw them in a different light and it wasn't good. I could give them the benefit of the doubt and that they have ADHD or something. But it makes me think and make sure that when I ask a person a question, even as simple as "How are you?" that I really mean it and listen to what the person is saying.

What a weekend!

I skipped over our weekend because Lizzie's birthday was yesterday. And of course, she deserves top billing and her own birthday post.

This past weekend was fun, musical and scary.

FRIDAY night:
Lynden High School Homecoming Game
AKA in our house - spirit band game

It got a little crazy

In addition to being cold. On reason why I prefer basketball season - it's inside!

SATURDAY:
What a busy day! I had a youth dance to prepare treats for and Amber had rehearsal for the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra and Tabitha was working. I still needed to head out to get some things to finish the food and Amber needed to be picked up. While I was upstairs getting ready David called my name. You know, the kind where you just KNOW something was wrong. As I opened the door he yells "Dad fell off the ladder"!!!

I honestly have never run down the stairs so fast in my entire life. I was so focused in getting out to the garage that I didn't see that Rob was on the couch. He had made it inside the house on his own. After making sure he didn't have injuries that required a trip to the ER we went out into the garage to show me what happened. And that is exactly what happened - the tri-fold attic ladder broke on him while he was coming down with some Halloween boxes for us. We are so grateful that he didn't hit his head or broke a bone. He's been pretty sore but after a once over from the doctor and an x-ray yesterday he is recovering.

That changed the costume I was going to be at the dance. So this year I went back to being ketchup again and our friend, Katie was mustard.


Here are the treats we had and they were such a hit.

Creepy Truffle Eyeballs


Marshmallow Ghosts


Monster Mash


SUNDAY:
Amber had a wonderful concert with the Whatcom Symphony Orchesta


Are those the BEST bassoons or what?




Now on to take on the week!

Look who turned 4 years old today!!!!

Can you believe it?!?! Our little Elizabeth Nicole is 4 years old!!

And her Daddy got her a kitty.


This is "Wobble".

I think he is going to be one spoiled little cat.

Happy Birthday little Lizzie Bug!!!

Wow!!

Where did the time go? I had no idea that the last time I blogged was on September 23rd? I look at the calendar and it's filled just about every single night!! I think we need to slow down a bit around here. (Like that is going to happen)

We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise one morning taking David to high school for jazz band.


Went to the "apple farm" - Bellewood Acres


Gave away 4 iPods to band students!!


Went to a Boy Scout Court of Honor where David received 5 merit badges and his Life rank

And it's mandatory to give your Mom a hug after pinning the Mother's pin on her.


Got to Skype with this little peanut

and her Daddy


Went to a Spirit Band game. It was the rival game with Ferndale and so, so crowded. Yes, I had a trombone in my ear.


And Rob being filmed for a documentary on the chocolate making process.



Life has been busy!!