Fischer James

Fischer has arrived! He was born December 22nd. He weight in at 6 lbs even and was 19 inches long. He came just in time (5:05 pm) to watch the BYU bowl game with his Dad. We Love You Fischer! Mom and Baby are doing well.

I thought this picture of him holding his nose was cute.

Cutest Neighbor Ever!

So I have the cutest little neighbor in the world. Alexis is our neighbor's daughter that lives directly behind us. She is about 7 years old. Anyway tonight as she was bringing treats over she gave Karl the following coupon to give me.

It totally made my day and I couldn't' help but smile in regards to her sweet and innocent generosity. In case you can't read it the coupon says the following:
This coupon is good for:
Help with anything
From: Alexis Barnes
To: Vallerie

Rub-a-dub dub, there's a doggie in my tub!

So last night I decided that I would take a nice hot bath. I get the water started, wait for the tub to fill up, and as I'm about to get in I realize I don't have any soap. So went to the closet to grab some and upon my return I found Sadie... leisurely soaking in my bath tub. Guess I'm not the only girl in the house that likes hot baths.

The Painting and the Room

I've had some people wanting me to post a picture of the painting I had done for Karl. My friend Rick Kennington does AMAZING paintings. (You can view his blog for more of his paintings under my contacts-A.R. Kennington) He custom made this painting for me using pictures of Karl fishing, the dog, and adding a little kid. The picture above really doesn't give this painting justice. I love it. Rick is so talented and I was so glad he was willing to do it for me. Rick actually ended up liking it so much he did a slightly different version of it for himself.
Below are some updated pictures of Fischer's room.

The Dogs I Love

So for Christmas Karl got me a Nikon D3000 camera. He gave it to me early so I could learn how to use it before the baby came. Of course I had to have a subject to take pictures so the dogs unknowingly volunteered to be my guinea pigs while I learned the little tricks to my camera. Here are a few shots of the dogs I love.

Sadie

Gus
Sadie

It's Christmas Time!

I love this time of year when family and friends get together. My sister-in-law Brooke always puts together the cutest little Christmas party complete with Santa and Mrs. Claus. It's weird to think that next year Karl and I will have a little one to place on Santa's knee.

Who Knows, You might learn some new things about me!

I saw this on my friend's blog and thought I would copy it cause I thought it was kind of fun (Thanks Bree)
Have you ever...(if it is bold I have)
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to a charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Held a lamb
25. Gone skinny dipping
26. Taken an ice cold bath
27. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
28. Seen a total eclipse
29. Ridden a roller coaster
30. Hit a home run
31. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
32. Adopted an accent for fun
33. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
34. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
35. Loved your job 90% of the time
36. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
37. Watched wild whales
38. Gone rock climbing
39. Gone on a walk on the beach
40. Gone sky diving
41. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
42. Bench-pressed your own weight
43. Milked a cow
44. Alphabetized your personal files
45. Worn a superhero costume
46. Sung karaoke
47. Lounged around in bed all day
48. Gone scuba diving
49. Kissed in the rain
50. Played in the mud
51. Gone to a drive-in theater
52. Done something you should regret
53. Visited the Great Wall of China
54. Started a business
55. Been in a movie
56. Gone without food for 3 days
57. Made cookies from scratch
58. Won first prize in a costume contest
59. Got flowers for no reason
60. Spoken more than one language fluently
61. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
62. Bounced a check
63. Read and understood your credit report
64. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
65. Called or written your Congress person
66. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
67. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
68. Helped an animal give birth
69. Been fired or laid off from a job
70. Won money
71. Broken a bone
72. Ridden a motorcycle
73. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
74. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
75. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
77. Had your picture in the newspaper
78. Read the Bible cover to cover
79. Changed some one's mind about something you care deeply about
80. Gone back to school
81. Changed your name
82. Eaten fried green tomatoes
83. Read The Iliad
84. Taught yourself an art from scratch
85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
86. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
87. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
88. Been elected to public office
89. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
90. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
91. Dyed your hair
92. Rocked a baby to sleep
93. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
94. Raked your carpet
95. Worn a mood ring
96. Ridden a horse
97. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
98. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
99. Buried a child
100. Gone to a Broadway play
101. Been inside the pyramids
102. Shot a basketball into a basket
103. Danced at a disco
104. Played in a band
105. Shot a bird
106. Gone to an arboretum
107. Tutored someone
108. Ridden a train
109. Brought an old fad back into style
110. Eaten caviar
111. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
112. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
113. Published a book
114. Pieced a quilt
115. Lived in a historic place
116. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
117. Asked for a raise
118. Made a hole-in-one mini golfing
119. Gone deep sea fishing
120. Gone roller skating
121. Run a marathon
122. Learned to surf
123. Invented something
124. Flown first class
125. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury hotel
126. Sang a solo
127. Gone spelunking
128. Learned how to take a compliment
129. Written a love-story
130. Seen Michelangelo’s David
131. Had your portrait painted
132. Written a fan letter
133. Spent the night in something haunted
134. Ran away
135. Learned to juggle
136. Been a boss
137. Sat on a jury
138. Lied about your weight
139. Gone on a diet
140. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
141. Written a poem
142. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
143. Gotten food poisoning
144. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
145. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
146. Gone to the opera
147. Gotten a letter from someone famous
148. Worn knickers
149. Ridden in a limousine
150. Attended the Olympics
151. Can hula or waltz
152. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
153. Been stuck in an elevator
154. Had a revelatory dream
155. Thought you might crash in an airplane
156. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
157. Saved someone’s life
158. Eaten raw whale
159. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
160. Laughed till your side hurt
161. Straddled the equator
162. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
163. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
164. Sent a message in a bottle
165. Spent the night in a hostel
166. Been a cashier
167. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
168. Joined a union
169. Donated blood
170. Built a campfire
171. Kept a blog
172. Had hives
173. Worn custom made shoes or boots
174. Made a PowerPoint Presentation
175. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
176. Served at a soup kitchen
177. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
178. Known CPR
179. Gone fishing
180. Found a long lost friend
181. Voted for a contestant on American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance
182. Successfully convinced someone you were of a different nationality
183. Received a promotion
184. Movie-hopped (Gone to two movies in a theater and only paying for the first movie)
185. Planned a surprise party for someone
186. Beaten all levels of a video game
187. Driven more than 2,500 miles on a cross-country trip
188. Cried yourself to sleep
189. Stayed awake for more than 24 hours
190. Crossed a national border by car
191. Been to an island
192. Been completely out of debt (student loans, house, and all)
193. Read a book from the Twilight series
194. Traveled to Italy
195. Given birth
196. Found a bra that fits perfectly
197. Learned to meditate
198. Owned your dream car
199. Learned to love eating raw vegetables
200. Seen all 50 state

The Andreason Shower

On November 14th my sisters and my mom through me a baby shower. It was so nice seeing everyone. It had been awhile. Thanks to everyone who came. I loved everything I got and can't wait to have Fischer try everything out.

A Montana Bird Hunting Trip

Last week Karl, Andy (my brother-in-law) and Marvin (a family friend) decided to pack up and go on a 5 day Montana bird hunting trip. Karl's grandpa was nice enough to let the guys hunt and crash at his place up near Shelby, Montana. They had a great time. The guys and the dogs got to hunt to their hearts content. Below are some pictures of the guy's trip.

Heading out at 4:00 a.m. Wednesday Morning. Poor Rosco (Marvin's Dog) was the one that got to "hang" off the edge of the truck.

Morning of the first hunt.

Marvin got the first Sharpie of the trip. In the picture is his dog Rosco.

Thursday Mornings Take.

This is the porcupine (now dead) that got poor Casey (Andy's dog). The two guys had to hold her down while Andy pulled the 30-40 quills out one by one. From what I'm told one of the quills went straight through her tongue. Ouch!

Friday morning the wind was howling, It was 15 degrees with wind chill. Friday afternoon wind slowed, still cold, but they were able to find some sharpies and one rooster.
Did I mention it was cold???

Casey and Bo.

The Christensen Shower

On Saturday November 7th, Karl's side of the family through us a baby shower. It was so much fun opening all of the baby gifts. Thank you to everyone who came and to everyone who wished they could come but couldn't for personal reasons. I really appreciate all you do for our little family. Everything will be such a big help when Fischer arrives.

How He's Grown

As a Puppy: Now:

Okay so for those who didn't know, my dog Sadie had a puppy over the summer (yes just one puppy). The neighborhood kids called him Oscar. The new owners named him Bridger. I can't believe how big this little puppy that I helped raised from birth has grown. Thanks Jacki for sending the picture! We love getting updates on our pups.

Alive In Me

I love Sunday's because they give me time to sit back and reflect. The other day I was going through some old journals of mine and found this poem I had written years ago. Since then it's kind of been on my mind. I had hoped at the time to extend the poem so that it would flow a little better and eventually turn it into a song but I never did get around to it. In the meantime here is what I wrote back in May 2003.

ALIVE IN ME

There's a man they say from Galilee
I'm told he is the King.
Born of humble birth,
Living of the earth,
Giving unselfishly.

I was not there when the blind man saw,
Nor when the lame stood up and walked.
I did not see his agony
As they nailed him to a cross.

This King of Kings
Gave just for me
As he suffered in Gethsemane.
And I know as I'm upon my knees
I could never be just as he.

But I believe
He lives in me
He knows what I can be.
I close my eyes
So I can See
That it is He
Being Alive in Me.

What Heaven Sees In You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMfr9Ewp8o4
My sister sent me this video and I really liked it. I think as women we tend to be really hard on ourselves. It was a great reminder of what Heaven sees in me.

Pieces of Heaven

Lately I have found it very easy to be down on myself or feel very overwhelmed. I have forgotten that there are things everyday that tell me I'm important or that some of these things that I worry about all the time just don't really matter in the big scheme of things. So I started to look for the little things in my life that make life worth while. As I did so, I began to see the little pieces of Heaven that are all around me. Here are some of my Pieces of Heaven what are yours?

• The way Gus (my dog) walks me to the door when I leave for work in the mornings, sits down, and looks at me as if he were telling me to have a great day.
• The change in the leaves at fall.
• The feel of rain on my face.
• The first tulip in the spring.
• The way Karl talks to Fischer through my belly.
• A song that happens to play on the radio at the right time when you least expect it and you realize that those words were meant for you at that time. At that moment, you have the realization that someone greater then yourself is telling you He heard your prayer.

Fischer's Room

So, the pictures aren't the best because I couldn't get the light I needed and the flash was being temperamental but here are some pictures of Fischer's room I still have a few things I want to do but so far this is what we have.

Our New Car

So last week as Karl was driving home from work I get a call saying that he is stranded on Redwood Road and that his little Hyundai had died. Karl is thinking that its the timing belt that went out on it. Since we were planning on getting a new car for him next Spring (his old car didn't have any air conditioning, which doesn't make a good car with kids in the heat of summer), we decided it wasn't worth putting any more money into this car. So we began the process of looking for a new car. Karl's parents let us borrow his brother's car (Thanks Kelly) who is currently on a mission until we could figure out what we were doing. After about a week and a half of searching Karl decided on a 2009 Nissan Versa. It's a great little car and we hope it will give us MANY years of use.

THE BEST INVENTION EVER!

So I have to say those Magic Erasers are the BEST invention EVER! They work for EVERYTHING. I've often used them to clean soap scum and hard water stains off of my tubs but when Karl picked up a dresser we purchased off of KSL for the baby's room and it had some big stains on the top, I thought what the hey, lets see if this will work. Well it did. There's still a little bit of stain but you can hardly tell and it looks 99% better then what it did before. You can hardly see the stain if at all. If I had known it was going to work so well I would have done a before and after shot.

Happy Birthday Karl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARL! So today Karl turns 29 years old. For his birthday he received an ITouch, some dry flies, jerky and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (his favorite candy). Yesterday I surprised him at his office with balloons and donuts to share. This morning I took him to IHOP for breakfast and then this evening we will be celebrating with his family having dinner while watching the BYU football game.

Doggie Park

So yesterday I experience my first official dog park. My brother Glenn invited us to meet up with him at the dog park in Sandy. I have to say the place was pretty cool. Gus got to join us and ended up making lots of new friends. He had a grand old time. It was a cute little setting with lots of rocks, benches and other areas to sit and watch your dog play. I'm looking forward to our next visit. Thanks for the invite Glenn.

It Came!

So the bedding for Fischer's crib finally came. I have to say I was so excited and love the way it looks. Karl and I even went to Home Depot to pick up some paint sample colors so that we can start the process of painting the room.

Our Computer Generated Baby

So a friend of mine sent me this funny little link to a website that lets you create a digitized photo of what your baby will look like. All you have to do is download a picture of you and your partner. So apparently this little guy is what our little Fischer should look like based on the photos submitted. Guess only time will tell. In the mean time it sure is funny to see the photos they come up with based on the photos you submit.

Mixing and Matching Pictures

So I was going through some old photos and ran across some baby pictures of Karl and I. So it got me thinking as I was looking at the two photos what our little Fischer will look like. Will he have my eyes, Karl's bone structure? Anyway it's always fun to imagine what your little one will look like and who he will look more like (Mom or Dad?). Here are two pictures of us as baby's.

A Day of Fishing

So Karl has been meaning to take me fishing so I could learn for some time now. He planned on taking me out for our anniversary but ended up hurting his knees while on his big fishing/hiking trip in Montana. So on Saturday he took me on an all expense guided fishing trip (Karl being the guide of course), lunch included. Which I have to say he put together all himself and it wasn't half bad. So for my fishing adventure we decided to try Current Creek. We left early in the morning and we're on our way by 6:00 am. Once to the river (which is about a hour and a half drive) we started to put the fishing rod together and to our realization, Karl forgot to pack the waders and boots. I wondered how anyone could forget something like that since that typically is the first thing you grab next to the fishing pole. (Some fishing guide...Just kidding Karl you were great).

So after Karl finished beating himself up for being stupid enough to forget something like that and me getting my sides to stop hurting since I was laughing so hard about the "fishing pro." forgetting the waders, we decided we would just rough it out and go wading in our clothes and what ever shoes we happened to be wearing. The water of course was nice and cold but once the toes went numb we were fine. Anyway, I did manage to catch myself a whopper of a fish (A whole 3 inches long). Yeah Me! I did miss quite a few and actually missed a decent size one. It was fun though and can't wait to go again. Karl was a great fishing guide and very patient to me learning. Gus also got to join us and had a grand old time running around the woods. After fishing a few holes and having lunch we decided to pack up and head home. Not a minute later after we were in the vehicle on our way out, we hit a big rain/hail storm. Luck must have been on our side.

This isn't the best picture but if you look at the dirt you can see how hard it was coming down.

Just to give you an idea of the hail that we ran into I took a picture of this as well. Look closely on the window wiper and you can see the small size hail.