Beach Blues

Outer Banks, NC

We enjoyed a wonderful week in Outer Banks, North Carolina! Our beautiful home away from home on the beach! We shared the house with three other families - the Huffmans, Bettingers, and Shupes - 23 people all together! It was a BIG house! Heading out for a walk on the beach on Sunday.
Summer and Hannah enjoying a beautiful day!

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy... this picture was taken about two minutes after we suggested to Andrew that we not swim in the ocean on Sunday. The soaking wet Andrew responded, "But I wasn't swimming...I was looking for sea shells!" Right.
Logan LOVES sand!!!

The Andersons, Huffmans, Bettingers, and Shupes all together for FHE. Cindy did a really fun lesson comparing Sundays and Sundaes. Good things to do on Sunday were yummy toppings (chocolate, caramel, sprinkles, etc), while not-so-good Sunday activities were not-so-yummy toppings (sand, grass, laundry detergent, etc). It was a huge hit! Treats were, you guessed it, SUNDAES!
The kids really bonded during the week! There were suprisingly few fights, condsidering that there were 15 kids (ages newborn-10 yrs) in the house! Since being home, Andrew keeps asking if he can have a playdate...with all the kids from the trip!!!

The water was FREEZING... but we all took the plunge anyway! You kinda get numb to it after awhile!

Our first day on the beach, poor Logan fell over in the water and couldn't get up, thanks to the waves crashing over him and pulling him down. It scared him so much that he wouldn't even get near the water after that without his Daddy!

Bryan and Logan watching the waves.

Currituck Lighthouse

One of our outings in OBX was to the Currituck Lighthouse in Corolla.

We're going to climb HOW HIGH?!! 158 feet!
Logan loved climbing the winding staircase! It was hard to keep up with him! It's a LONG way down!

At the top! What a view!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Logan!

Name: Logan Mac Anderson
Age: 3
Nursery Teachers: Brother and Sister Tuttle
Best Friends: Gavin Shupe, Brigham Weight, Ruby and George Tugeau
Favorite Foods: Spaghetti-O's, cold cereal, and milk
Favorite Sayings: "NO!" "I can't!" and "Because yes!"
Favorite Activity: Throwing clean, folded laundry around the room when Mommy isn't looking, playing on the playground, and watching his big brother play PlayStation
Favorite Song: Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
Favorite Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Favorite Movie: Backyardagins: International Super Spy
Favorite TV show: Backyardagins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite Color: Blue
Do you feel different now that you're three? "NO! I'm two!"

Logan is our little firecracker! He sure keeps us on our toes! He is a fun rough and tumble little brother for Andrew and a gentle, affectionate big brother for Hannah. He brings so much energy, love, and laughter to our family! We love you, Logan!

No More Pictures, PLEASE!

I guess Logan got a bit sick of all the picture-taking on our vacation!

INDY Photo Album

In the rental car on the way to Indianapolis...

...or Arby's. Depends on who you ask!

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest children's museum in the world!

Five floors of fun - very impressive! There were plenty of things to touch and climb on!

Among the several exhibits was the Dinosphere - giant dinosaur skeletons surronded by a lush habitat and weather-changing dome ceiling.

And for all you Harry Potter fans like me, I give you Dracorex hogwartsia, named in honor of the famous wizarding school. It's name litterally means, "dragon king of Hogwarts." Pretty cool, huh?

One of the coolest exhibits was the tour through an Egyptian tomb replica. At the end, the kids were able to help prepare a faux "mummy." First they pulled the brains out through the nose, (a big hit with the kids!) and threw them away!

Then they pulled out all the internal organs. That's Andrew holding the lungs. (A budding anesthesiologist, Bryan said!)

Here's Kimball and Lakely wrapping the mummy.

At closing time, they had an ingenious way to get reluctant kids to leave - a musical good-bye parade that winded down the four-story walkway and out the door! Brilliant!

Dinner with the Shupes at The Old Spaghetti Factory, one of my favorites!

I was really impressed at what a clean and beautiful city Indy is! It didn't hurt that the weather was gorgeous too!
On the road again! Let's do it again next weekend!

Logan Likes Roast Beef

So I presented a case at an anesthesiology conference in Indianapolis last weekend, and since I was planning on driving and had already reserved a hotel, we figured "hey, why not make a family trip out of it!?" So we rented a car, packed up the kids, loaded it full of clothes, the stroller, diapers, etc and hit the road for a five-hour drive.

The kids watched movies on the portable DVD player most of the way, but we did stop for an occasional meal at a few fast food joints. Somewhere east of Columbus, we stopped at an Arby's to get some food, use their bathrooms, and feed the baby. The kids ran around the place like lunatics until we were afraid the employees were going to kick us out, and then it was back in the car for the rest of the drive.

When we arrived in Indianapolis, I went to the conference while Summer took the kids to the Indiapolis Children's Museum, which I hear was incredible. It had a dinosaur skeleton, a hands on science center, digging in the sand, tunnels to climb through with wildlife encounters, and numerous other exibits. Afterward, we went out to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory, went shopping through the mall, and later hit the pool. We stayed in a nice five-star hotel (thanks Priceline!) and the kids had a blast terrorizing the place.

Finally, after all was said and done, we made the five-hour trip home. At bed time, we asked Logan if he had fun in Indianapolis. His response: "Yeah... and ARBY'S TOO!!!!" Apparently, the kid is an Arby's fan, and next year, instead of planning a trip to Disneyworld, we'll just hit the local Arby's instead!

You're cooking WHAT?!!

Yesterday, I was cooking some chickpeas (garbanzo beans) that I had in my food storage. (What!-They're good!) Logan came into the kitchen and said, "What you making?" I said, "Chickpeas," and handed him one to taste. He looked at it for a second and then said, "You cooking BUMS?" I wasn't sure I heard him right, so I asked "What?"

"Right there!" he said, pointing to the pan of chickpeas, "You cooking BUMS?!"

Apparently, he thought they looked like tiny little rear ends! I will never look at a chickpea the same again!