Saturday, December 31, 2016

Holiday Greetings!

We have our winning pictures to go on our family holiday card!  We were a bit late on getting these out but they sure did turn out adorable!
The year has come to an end, and has just whizzed by in a flash... 2017 ready or not, here you are coming!
Some highlights that the 2016 year has brought:
Well, we welcomed a new little precious baby in to our family!  Keenan Drake Andrus joined us on April 14th, 2016.  Life hasn't been the same since.  We just love that little baby boy!
McKel started kindergarten!  We have decided to let her pick one sport to focus on at a time and since basketball is only offered in the winter season, she plays basketball in the winter and soccer in the spring... she always does piano lessons because mom makes her.
Avril started 2nd grade!  Her activity of choice is gymnastics.  She loves her gymnastics class and right now is going once a week.  She also does piano because well, mom makes her.
Mom is busy busy with work and family.  She got a promotion to accountant at the Clinical Trials Office in the department of Pediatrics at the U.  Next goal is to move up to a budget analyst... working her way up the ladder!  She pulled off a successful race year, this year being the first year the race actually made a little bit of money... she also completed the Spartan race in Sacramento with her husband :)
Mike is busy busy as well.  He is always doing house projects and restaurant work things that keep him on his toes.  He finds some time to play basketball and go to the gym to keep his body nice and fit!  He is the best dad to little Keenan that you could imagine.  He loves that little boy and it shows.  He also did another successful race director year at the First Dam Pancake Run, and completed the Spartan Race with his wife.
We are in the process of buying a lot to build our dream home, right behind the girls' elementary school.  It is pretty exciting and terrifying.  It will be amazing if we can ever get the funds to build the home though.
Anyway... see ya, 2016!  Bring on the New Year!

Happy Holidays from the Andrus Family

Ice Globe

This is what happens when you leave your snow globe in the freezing cold storage shed in the winter time:
it turns into an ice ball globe.  And you have shattered glass.  Don't do it.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Hi Keenan

Keenan loves to come visit me while I'm trying to take a bath or shower.  He mostly just wants to come in the water, since he loves baths so much.  He will come to the shower door and pull it open and make faces at you against the glass 😋 Silly baby!
Hi cute baby
Cutest smile you've ever seen
...just a random photo of Keenan in the high chair at Grandma Joyce's house:
he loves to be up high with the big people...
Love our little sweet boy.  He brings so much joy.  So much mess, but so much joy 😊😊😊 Throw the ball to daddy! Cute baby.
Keenan got some pretty cool new toys for Christmas and has been enjoying playing with them.  This play table from papa Dennis had to be one of his very favorites.  He just loves it!Love you Keeney baby.
So fun!
😍

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Truck in the Restaurant

Sometimes Mike's job stories are much more exciting than mine....actually most of his job stories are.  Recently a truck went right through the wall at one of his IHOP's.  It caused quite the mess.  Mike was not happy about having to deal with the repurcussions...







Glad to not have been dining at that table during this!

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas!!

Look at all the snow!!  We got ourselves a white Christmas for sure 😊  Our little guy LOVES to be outside, no matter what the weather is like!
this is the view of the roads by our house...
Merry Christmas!!

A pic of the ice caked on our car after our drive to Logan
Back at home we got to spend some time with Bret and Grandpa Dennis 😊
Bret was so sweet to get his little bro some toy trucks for Christmas!  (no surprise there)
3 smiling generations...
Happy, handsome boys!
 the creepy moving photo: actually pretty cute
After a drive through lots of snow, up to Logan, we got to enjoy some time with family, opening gifts and eating good food...
Keenan loved all the excitement
McKel looks forward to this day all year long...
Avril shows off some of her new clothes
the boys engaged in deep conversation 
grandma Joyce opening the gift we got her... a super soft scarf!
JJ reads a book to his cute niece
...And back at home in SLC we had more gift opening to do!!
Avril loves her new dress
McKel helps Keeney with his presents
Mr. Goofball eats his candy bar from Santa
lovely
Avril begged for one of these coloring books
Keeney baby got quite a few new toys!
Santa knows McKel loves her teenage mutant ninja turtles!
coolest new dump truck!!
so fun!
Bret gets a new shift knob for his truck!
Keenan is very intrigued
brotherly love 💗
So cute!
almost forgot!  Keenan also got this sweet new basketball toybox for all his new things!
So happy to get to spend Christmas with the people we love 💗

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Mr. Mischievous!

This cute boy is just in to everything.  He loves to explore every nook and cranny of the house.  I guess its good that we have a small house for that reason.  We are constantly chasing him around making sure he isn't pulling down something dangerous.  He also loves to stick everything in his mouth.
Some of these letters have lost their coloring now...
This is one of Keeney's very favorite activities - pulling everything out of the pantry
And baby bath pictures are just always cute.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

A Good Dad

He may complain about how we have a hundred kids all the time, but my hubbs is actually a pretty great dad.  He watches our cute baby for hours every day while mom is away at work or running kids around.  He loves to teach Keenan new skills and make him smile.  Often he will take photos or videos of Keeney baby while I'm at work and send them to me, which makes my day so much better 😊Keenan is already trying to take steps..
what a cute little man
This guy also took my little basketball player to a Jazz game and bought her a pretzel!!  I am not a huge fan of the Jazz and was tired after a long day of work so it was nice that Mike did that for me.  Thank you for taking McKel, I know she had a blast and it made her feel loved 💗
watching some basketball...
sleeping cute baby moments are just the best!
Mike sent me this video to show me how excited Keeney gets when his songs come on Sesame Street.  He jumps up and down like crazy, it is so adorable!
What's the letter?  What's the letter?  The letter of the day is..... 😊

Friday, December 16, 2016

Family Photo for the Christmas Card!

The time is ticking away as Christmas approaches.  I always try to do a family photo to put on the Christmas card.  It seems nearly impossible to get the entire family together in one spot and to remember to take a photo.  So we invited Bret over for dinner one night after he got off work and pulled out the super fancy camera to do a timed photo.  It was a bit of a struggle, but miraculously, we got a couple good shots of the family.
Mission accomplished.
Look at all those beautiful brown eyes!
...and one blue-eyed beauty
I have some good looking kids!
Crazy McKel!
...and we have a winner!  One for the Christmas card 😊