Anderson, Party of 13

Recently (OK, over a month ago) we drove on over to Utah (Yew- tah for those non-familiar with the state) to visit Mark's brother and family. It had been 3 years since we've seen them and it was high time.

Matthew and Chandra live south of Salt Lake City with their 5 children. They head up the team of Plant Utah and do a great job of telling people about Jesus. They are planting a churches in the Utah Valley. 

While with them we stayed up extraordinarily late (considering we had 9 children between us all that would be wanting breakfast rather early), we laughed. 

Oh my goodness we laughed so hard. 

We made meals together, we played games together, and after the kids were in bed we drank bulletproof coffee together. 

(Don't get weird, it's coffee with coconut oil and butter in it. It is yumilicious--MY word.)

There were times I giggled knowing WE were the adults in charge.

While visiting we took advantage of fancy big cameras to take family pictures.

Matthew is a for reals photographer whose has owned a fancy camera for many a year.

I fancy myself a wannabe photographer. I've owned a big camera for a year.

I'll let you just rest on your own mercy when viewing the photos that Fatty and I have taken side by side.

Mark calls his brother Fatty, because in no way shape or form is Matthew fat. 

And ridiculous nicknames are an Anderson passion.

Right outta the shoot (chute, works also) Fatty gets a frowning 9 year old and a distracted 40 year old...

Better, but that boy and his look...

Regroup.

Then we get it together except the 4 year old battling the sunshine.

I'm showing you all these because this is a hard thing, y'all.

There's a winner chicken dinner!

And the top pick for our Christmas cards that I kind of sent out...

And another!

Aren't Utah mountains so unusual? 

I mean there is not a one foothill around there.

It's lovely.

Sweet baby girl.

My precious precocious first grader...

True story: this child has lost 2 teeth that weren't ready.

One incident involved duct tape and a lack of scissors...

Miss Model 4 year old.

She ain't never met a camera that didn't like her.

Oh boy this kid.

He's usually another of our photogenic children, but this day...

He got weirder and weirder.

Later he told me he had a canker sore in his mouth altering his smile.

Let's hope so, son.

Moriah and Aberdeen are twin cousins born 2 weeks apart in the same hospital.

They're both sassy pants.

Hottie McHotterson turned 40 the day before this.

And because I'm not even close to being there yet I like to point out his 4 decades.

Darn it I hope not, but I think this is a normal face for me.

*sigh*

Matthew, Chandra and family.

They've got Noah, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Moriah, and Judah.

They cute.

Fatty's got a beard any Robertson man would envy.

And since I brought it up, no he's not copying them. 

His beard was in the works long before he'd ever heard of a Dynasty of waterfowl.

Anderson men were bearded when bearded wasn't cool.

And they're proud of it.

Nehemiah is sweet and an amazing wrestler.

PS- I love bokeh

Isaiah is Mr. GQ.

Booookkkkeeeehhhhh, you are so lovely in the background.....

Chandra has her one girl, Moriah, 

and she's hilarious.

Chandra is the very first of the Anderson brides 

so I consider her the mother hen.

Wait, maybe that's the Old Woman in the Shoe...

NO, 

that's definitely not it.

Maybe I just consider her a big sister.

Yep, that's it.

Noah, this child, this BABY, was the ring-bearer in our wedding.

I mean, what?!

We had such a fun time with family...

And we were totally reminded that dang, the Anderson genetics produce some good-looking kids.