FAMILY PICTURE

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is a top ten summary of our year:
1. HOLLAND WAS BORN Dec 9- great health, great doctors, wonderful extended family
2. Mollie broke her tailbone on her 30th birthday tubing down the canal and it didn't re-brake in delivery!
3. Donny had ACL knee surgery that was very successful.
4. Trip to Portland to visit Donny's parents and grandmother.
5. Grandpa Bill gave each of our kids a grandfather's blessing.
6. Myriam started Kindergarten and loves it.
7. Hunter is potty trained and sleeping in a big bed so we only have one baby (usually we have 2)
8. Elisabeth and Logan (Mollie's brother) got married on Valentine's day
9. Mollie had a fun time with other mother's in our stake playing basketball
10. DONNY WROTE HIS FIRST BOOK, "Hanging By A Thread" and is in the process of trying to get it published!

-Donny, Mollie, Sadie, Myriam, Packer, Hunter, and Holland

NEW BABY

BABY HOLLAND is our newest member of the family.
Labor and Delivery were ideal- great health, doctor, and family support.
We feel very blessed. She is very sweet and mild.

Naughty or Nice?

This little Santa is constantly going back and forth between being good and bad. Today he threw his mush bowl like a frisby all over our counter while I was on the computer. He loved putting up the balls on the Christmas tree, but also loves taking them off and breaking them. He is obsessed with potty mouth words like "stupid," "poopy diaper," "bugars," etc.

Gingerbread Houses

We made homemade gingerbread houses this week.
It was quite the effort and ended up not being cheaper
than buying a kit because our blender died while making the dough.
But we did use up a lot of leftover halloween candy.

Myriam's 6th Birthday

Myriam turned a big 6 this week. While we at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, we had a party for her. She made cupcakes with her Aunt Robyn and then wanted everyone to watch her open presents by the fireplace. She loved the attention from all her aunts and uncles.
Afterwards, she found a bike we were hiding for her in Grandma's storage room for Christmas because she thought we were giving it to her for her birthday. So the big gift won't be a surprise this year for her!

HAIR CUTS

Last night I trimmed the girls' hair.
They got this sudden urge to chop it.
Dad tried to talk them out of it-
they have been growing it out for years.
Mom is secretly happy because
it means less snarls!

BUILDING

Hunter is a great concentrator.
He and Myriam are so creative.
He's really growing up-
Potty trained and in toddler bed.

Packer loves to build wood houses.
He loves tools and hammering.
He also loves magnetics.

HOMEMADE BREAD

Here is my latest wheat bread recipe.
I decided to master just one recipe ratio instead of converting it.
It makes 4 regular size dense loaves or 5 light ones.

5 c. hot water
6 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar or honey
1-1/2 T. yeast (2 T if in a hurry or doing 5 loaves)
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. wheat gluten
(2 T. dough enhancer and 2 T. blended potato pearls optional)
(2 eggs and 1/2 c. powdered milk if turning it into 5 dozen rolls)
- Mix. Let sit 10 min. so yeast can bubble
Add:
1 T. salt (heaping)
5-6 c. wheat flour
Knead 5-8 min on speed 1.
Oil hands and divide into 4 greased loaf pans.
Rise 30 min (or until just above pans)
Bake at 350 for 30 min. Freezes well.

The Boys

The boys are constantly on their bikes and in the dirt.

Packer(4) just learned how to ride a two-wheeler (no training wheels).

He is way proud of himself and it makes our ride to the school faster.

Hunter (2) is our violence factor. He also is our natural athlete.

Donny already has hopes for him to be a BYU quarterback.

School Girls

The girls started school last week.

Sadie is in second grade, Myriam is in Kindergarten.

We ride bikes every day. After school they jump on the tramp non-stop until dinner.

They are also part of a singing group- Northern Utah Children's choir. Mollie is the pianist.

Donny is teaching early morning seminary this year.

New Millville Home

We built a house in Millville last fall and love it here.

Donny had the yard in by May. Mollie and the kids planted and worked the garden all summer. He had knee surgery as soon as school got out- his ACL was reconstructed as a result of Elder's Quorem basketball.

Donny just finished writing a book/novel called "Hanging By A Thread" and is submitting it to Deseret Book in October. It teaches his economic and religious views through a fictional story.

10th Anniversary

Donny and Mollie celebrated 10 years on Aug 19, 2008.
The kids served us dinner in the living room with the food and menus they made during the day with mom. Then we went to the temple and did sealings. This was the cheapest anniversary we have ever done- Mollie's the budget queen- but it was very neat.

Current Anderson Family

Donny, Mollie, Sadie, Myriam, Packer, and Hunter are our current family members, with a fifth child (a girl) due in December.