HOW TO Series: How to Cut a Pancake

This is a new feature on the blog called, "HOW TO Series."

Which basically means Mr. Anderson had a great idea a while back and told me I should put it on Pinterest. 

I'm not trying to knock his idea, but I just wasn't feelin' it. Until he mentioned it repeatedly every time we had pancakes the past year and a half. 

So finally I relented and got my camera out to make a tutorial.

So, without further ado:

How to Cut a Pancake

In a multi-step tutorial with way more photos than you'd ever need for comprehension.

In learning how to cut a pancake, it is helpful to start with a pancake.

I prefer to use The Pioneer Woman's recipe for perfect pancakes but any 'ol griddle cake will suffice.

One and Ten Years

Eleven years ago today THIS EVENT HAPPENED.

So naturally I got to reminiscing 

    (yeah, I totally had to use spell check for that word)

And usually when I reminisce 

    (didn't use spell check on that one--BOOM)

I go straight to my iPhoto albums.

Enjoy the previous 11 years:

2003, an engagement photo shoot in Cheyenne, WY.

This has actually never happened in all our married lives, 

so I'm not sure why I hogtied him for the picture.

My Very First Little Brother

It's another happy birthday time!

Mark's youngest brother, Joshua, had a birthday today.

If you know your historical turn of phrase you'll know how old he is:

Two score and eight years.

Joshua is the youngest of 7 children.

So when I married Mark I got 3 older brothers, one brother my age, a little sister, and one baby brother.

SO exciting! 

I never had a little brother growing up.

Joshua is the best of little brothers to have.

We ALL can universally agree Joshua is highly recognisable with his smile: 

His eyes disappear.

Whatever You Do, Marry a Handy Man

Ok, let me rephrase:

whatever you do, marry a man who loves Jesus first and foremost.
THEN
make sure he's handy.

Well, those are requirements just for me.
But they're not a bad start.

I had a list, that I didn't know I had, when I was growing up.
I wanted to marry a man who:

- loved Jesus
- could rebuild a carburettor
- lead his family spiritually
- would go hunting
- frame a house
- know how to handle firearms
- be a leader
- could grill

Ok, random, and not complete and most certainly not all in order but I think I got a man who fits all that AND can sing and play the fiddle.

What?!

Jackpot to Jordan.

Anyhow, sometimes on here I do completely-unrelated-to-anything posts and today is such a day. I wanted to share some amazing things my husband did for me.
If I can dream it, he can build it.

This is an invaluable trait to have in a husband when you are a Pinterest addict.
Amen.

It began when we were engaged. 

The man went all over his parents land finding cedar trees.

And he cut them down...

Awa' We Go!

Recently Mark and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We decided to spend a few days on holiday on Europe's 4th most popular island, and I know what you're thinking,

no, wait I don't know what you're thinking...

But I do know it's NOT what you're thinking.

We went to Orkney, Scotland.

Orkney is a magical group of islands just off the northern mainland of Great Britain. We drove up to one of the northernmost points in Scotland, got on a ferry, and traveled to Stromness, Orkney to spend a few days.

We did this whilst my parents were here (SCORE for babysitters!), but we do have a baby. 

And wither goest the cow, goest thou calf. 

But we like hangin' with Airdrie, she's cool.

I will be the first to tell you, I loathe "selfies."

But I made an exception because we made a quick stop by one of my favouritest places in this country: Tain Pottery.

The reasons I am not a fan of selfies are numerous; 

one of them being I look like a gigantic pear in the curved reflection on our car.

Our Wedding 5-15-04

On May 15, 2004 I became Mrs. Mark Allen Anderson!

And since the internet and blogging were somewhat of unrefined dinosaurs back then (or at least my knowledge of them was) here's my blog post with my wedding pictures, 10 years overdue.

If you were there see if you can spot yourself in the background, I tried to include lots of those kinds of pictures!

But in typical me form, a few prior-to pictures!

Our engagement ceilidh (party) right here in Scotland at Buckie Church of Christ!

Little did we realise we'd be ministering in the very same church 10 years later.

Cheater-Pants Post

This is a cheater-pants post because I'm a new mom and I ain't got the time (seriously) to sit and write posts and take pictures right now. We're watching other moms do fun Christmas cookies and parties and cards and I'm over here like, "I kept my kids alive today."

Since Mark ran back to the US the morning after Thanksgiving to see his dad in the hospital I've been running, running, running. In my week as a single parent of 4 I found that:

-I cannot sleep more than 6 hours at night not counting middle-of-the-night feedings. There aren't enough hours in the day to get things done so I have to borrow from the nighttime!

-Laundry never, ever ends. The washer and dryers here take about twice as long as the ones in the US so I'm half as efficient as I was (and to enlighten you; I am NOT laundry efficient).

-Plan, plan, plan. To get things done in a timely manner I have to lay out outfits for everyone the night before, set alarm reminders on the phone, make school lunches the night before, and even set out the toaster, Nutella, and bananas for breakfast to keep me on track!

-You might be an idiot to try and drag out Christmas decorations during all this chaotic time. ("you" means "me" in this case).

-I need lots of precious friends. People walking me home, helping me put kids to bed, doing my laundry (I know I just admitted I'm still behind despite the help, just some raw truth there). Caedmon's teacher even came and picked him up one morning for me when I had to get him to school and Nessie to her Highland Dance medal test at the same time. SO precious and SO telling that I'm not a great single parent!

So all that being said I'm telling y'all I'm going to do one giant post with lots of pictures and a few captions and say that's me done blogging for December!

Thanks for your understanding.

I'll do better when my 4 are grown and out of the house.

Maybe.

AirBear all dressed up (and hating it) at one month old.

She is a miracle and a living testament to God's goodness. 

We treasure each day.