we are across the Atlantic

We have been out of touch with the world for about a week on our transatlantic cruise. After spending a day at Casablanca Morocco and the island of Maderia Portugal the ship has been going strong. We turn our clocks back an hour every day or so. We are on an MSC ship, the Orchestra. It is a newer ship that caters to the Europeans and is going to spend the winter in the Caribbean. They have a lot to learn about customer service and with us just coming from a Disney Cruise we have been disappointed in quite a lot of things… They said they want to know how they can improve and Janell finally asked that we not write our cabin number on our suggestions. We are having a great time and have met many people from many countries. The entertainment team on board is wonderful and our cabin with the balcony has been fun. I may not be able to go back to an inside cabin. We can watch the ship dock and enjoy the sunrises and sun sets.

Kay and I have been sleeping on the balcony, we have a larger than single mattress from the couch hide-a-bed that we throw out and the temperature has been about 74 degrees at night. We enjoy the water and waves right outside our door…kind of like Lake Powell. Janell slept out once when we were still in the Mediterranean and she got cold so now the balcony is ours.

Christmas….. We watched the Nativity Story movie Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning we read what we had just watched, From Isaiah to Samuel the Lamanite to Luke 1 and 2. When I said we could read it or act it out it was unanimous, read. These teenagers who would have thought? We brought a string of lights we plug into our room and have a picture we brought…. our grandchildren dressed up as Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a wiseman. We have a wooden 2 piece tree you slide the two flat pieces together to make a 3D tree. Christmas morning we opened the few gifts we brought/bought and had a nice morning taking our candy canes to the buffet and sipping hot chocolate through them… An Anderson tradition (I think it came from Cynthia Clark) we enjoy.

Finally we are at an internet cafe and Kay can get his BYU scores. We have had no TV signals for most of the transatlantic trip. Now we are in Guadeloupe, some French Islands with an active volcano.

bags

sorry about the computer, in Casablanca the keybords are different. we got the bags and have been having a great time, this computer is driving me crazy so i will write later: janae

Is it Jana

We are in France right now and had an adventure getting here.
1) we had a 3 hour delay on the runway at Salt Lake City Airport because of snow.
2) we literally saw our plane to Paris leave as we were getting off our late flight.
3)we had to sleep in Houston TX and went the next day to Atlanta/Rome/Genova.
4) they lost ALL our luggage going from Rome to Genova
5) we took public transit to our hotel and found there was a water problem and we were moved to the place we started walking from... it was raining
6) still no luggage
7) we got on the ship still no luggage
8) we are in France... still no luggage
9)we're going shopping...... bye....
Is it Jana... our bad luck Niece.. you be the judge......

NYC Baseball caps and bonnets

When I was 8 (1969) we moved to NYC and lived in Columbia Student housing so my dad could attend school at Columbia University. 4 kids in a 1 1/2 bedroom apartment with a kitchen smaller than a very small bathroom. The fridge was below the counter. We were in NYC for 3 years.

The first year my mom got wind of the Metropolitan Opera Children's chorus auditions. We knew some kids from our ward (church) who were in it and my mom drug Merrill, Debbilyn and me down there to audition. I remember singing "My Country Tis of Thee" for the audition and I got in. Debbilyn was too young but got in the next year with Merrill after his year of singing lessons from a lady in the ward (his voice changed mid season and he was instructed to not sing- he had solo parts carrying a cross across the stage etc.)

I had short interesting hair. The interesting would be the way my mom cut my bangs. I think they learned in Relief Society (oldest female organization in the world) that you could cut straight bangs if you put a piece of cellophane tape on the bangs and cut. The problem was you needed to be a general contractor to get a straight line, so a bunch of us girls the same age had bangs that sloped this way or that and we were fine with that at the time..... I digress......

NYC... anyway my mom had me grow my hair out. If I was going to be in real Operas at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City I needed to look like a girl. My first opera was La Boheme where I was a little orphan boy that ran across the stage singing and bothering the toy maker. They put my beautiful hair in a cap!

Caps are good and I have gotten into caps now that my hair is long. When I wear a baseball cap I can go an extra day (or two or three..yikes!) without washing my hair. I even have matching ones. If only the pioneers crossing the planes had baseball caps...... you know what? they did!! They had original baseball caps.. bonnets to hide their gross hair too. I feel so connected with my ancestors right now.

Janell's Doctor visits

Janell had two Doctor visits this week. One was to the podiatrist where they looked at her strange feet (high/low arch). She has had the same orthotic for 5+ years and they were way overdue. The last time we went they mentioned surgery but the Doctor said this visit, because she has been dancing (6-7 hours a week) her feet are still weird but are very healthy and she only needs a new orthotic! great news. They also have cool new ones that weren't developed with the cavemen.

Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving she went in to the dentist to have her 4 wisdom teeth removed. One was stuck. We have been going to the same great dentist for 22 years so he deserves to be on our blog this week! She had mashed potatoes and ice packs for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 2008

Turkey by Sandy Inman

For Thanksgiving I was so excited Kay was coming home and invited his whole family to have Thanksgiving with us.... I guess they didn't miss him as much as I did or I am the bigger looser than I thought but no one wanted to come! Maybe Caleb is the one who attracts our guests?

Frances invited us to her home as she didn't want to leave. The two month old twins seem to have her more grounded than most new moms. You need an extra trailer to go anywhere with the contraptions of twins. (The newborn baby stroller she loves (thanks Davin) is almost too long for an elevator). Kay, Janell and I spent the WHOLE DAY, we're talking 12 hours with them and Marc's famliy. We watched the Maceys day Parade (where my family was- in NYC) on TV, Ate and ate and played a new game called the Farming game... If you like Monopoly and Settlers this is for you without the feelings of suicide (Monopoly- when you don't own a monopoly and everyone else does) and chlostrophobia or Island fever (Settlers- when you can't move and the game goes on without you).

And what would a family get to gether be without real entertainment...... babies!!!!!!!

Janell's Volleyball game

Janell (player in the back) was part of a Young Women's volley ball team that was pretty good and got to the final finals but couldn't win when two of the top players couldn't come. For the final game Janell was made the team captain (oldest there) and they played their hearts out but with only two of them... Janell and a foreign exchange student from Sweden, that had several years of volleyball experience we just didn't cut it. Janell had to step up. It was fun to see her playing harder than usual, being an example and encouraging the younger girls, a great positive leader. She is a really good consistent server and if we can play the serve there have been some games she has served almost half the points! We weren't winners but Janell was. I was pleased to be her mom.

The Good Samaritan Luke 10:30-37

After a Young Women's church volleyball game we asked several girls and a leader to stay after for a project Janell was doing. We needed to tell the story of the Good Samaritan in modern day. Luke 10: 30-37 It was cold, 30 degrees but we went outside and dressed Janell in a layer of clothes over her shorts she wore for the volleyball game and put a Mountain View High School tee shirt on her over it- just a little tight on her fleece jacket. We put two girls in Mountain View High School Tee shirts and one girl in an Orem High school tee shirt (rival). I took still shots. Remember we were right outside the church where we had our finals for regional Volleyball. Cars were coming in and out while we did the project, slowing down to see what was going on. Yes we were a spectacle.

Who is my neighbor? A certain Young woman was walking down the street, she fell among thieves, which stripped her of her raiment, and wounded her and departed, leaving her half dead.

By chance there came down a certain Young woman leader that way and when she saw her, she passed by on the other side

Likewise some fellow Mountain View High School students, when they were at the place, came and looked on her

and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Orem High School Student, as she journeyed came where she was; and when she saw her she had compassion on her. And went to her, and bound up her wounds... and took care of her.

Halloween and the grandchildren update

Halloween came went. We didn't have the scary house Caleb was known for. Kids were really disappointed. The ones that wet their pants especially. "What no alien jumping out of the bushes scaring me?"
No scary music? Just un dressed up me giving out candy bars. I gave out just under 200!

At the ward Halloween party Janell and I dressed up. She was Hester Prynn from the scarlet letter (notice the scarlet J on her uhummm) and I was Ellie Mae Clampet from the Beverly Hillbillies.

I went to Omaha for baby Chester's blessing. He was officially named Aaron but the kids have to keep asking what his name is, he has been Chester for about 6 months.... so at home he is Chester.

The twins are 6 weeks old but only a week old according to their due date. As you can see one has Frances's chubby cheeks. It is an event to go anywhere or do anything. I am going up to help (or just keep Frances company) twice a week. Frances's inlaws have been the most helpful spending many nights in the hospital while I go on vacation.

7 day Disney Cruise

Kay, Janell and I went on a 7 day Disney cruise with our daughter Lauren, her sister-in-law Lily, Kay's sister

Leah with her daughters Jana and Erica.

We loved the Disney ship with their larger rooms, no gambling, free soda and juice at meals, great shows and entertainment. Highlights were: Janell's first kiss- his name was ray

Snorkeling and swimming with stingrays in the Grand cayman (we got to meet ray's family there)

Lauren and Janell loosing several rounds in a game show only to beat everyone!

Key west city tour we made everyone go, and almost all fell asleep!!!!! High School Musical 3 premEARed on the ship so we watched HSM #1 and 2 by the pool and watched the new movie at midnight in the theater

seeing all the characters on the ship

Korea at last/ Hospitalization

Caleb left for Korea Monday and called me from LAX and Seoul(4:15AM). His long flight was 13 hours. He had a short one on each end. check out his blog at calebander.blogspot.com

I called my calling card to find the out-of-country access codes and any further instructions. There were 4 different ones. I wrote detailed instructions and put them with the card so he was one of just a few in Seoul to be able to make their cards work.

My Korean friend pulled me aside at church, she attends another ward, and said she saw Caleb at the MTC when she was serving there. She spoke to him and said "he has a very good accent and can say many words perfectly." He may not know what he is saying but he can mimic sounds. I had 4 pizzas dropped off to the MTC last week for his final week of packages. It was a little shady how I did it, so to protect the innocent I will not go into detail but thanks Derrald (my son in law). I guess it is time to "cut the apron strings." Let Caleb grow up. I did get a bunch of missionary thank you notes. Caleb said his apartment was the food place, if anyone was hungry they stopped by. His favorite was home made rolls with real butter.

I went up to Salt Lake to tend the twin 4lb granddaughters for a bit while Frances went shopping. They are like little kittens and sooo tiny. Frances said she thinks one baby would be easy. She is right I was feeding one and the other one started to cry. All my hands were full and If I stopped feeding one the other will cry, what's a grandma to do?

Alice (2 weeks old) is in Primary Children's hospital for 10 total days, this is day 3. She has a gastric intestinal infection from being a preemie and eating fortified formula supplement,her stomach wasn't ready for (instructions from the hospital). Frances is nursing. This will be hard but they moved out of their temporary city apartment. The cabin is closer to this hospital anyway.

a time for every purpose under heaven

We have pictures of our Omaha grandson Aaron Lewis Chappell. He was born 5 minutes after Rachael arrived at the hospital. Her fourth. My fourth was the same. Rachael beware..... if you are like your mother, the next one will be born at home accidentally. Ethan, Sean and Jenna were very welcoming... sometimes too welcoming.
The funeral of my brother-in-law Paul Lusk is over, we stayed to make sure Leah knew what to do about paperwork etc. We went with her to the temple, social security office, grave marker stores, cemetery, Paul's office etc. We were able to stay longer because she had a friend that let us use her mom's home while the mom was in China and she actually moved out of her home for a few days where we stayed at the beginning of our trip. Kay and I drove Caleb's car from Omaha to Salt Lake and picked up the casket at Delta Cargo in Salt Lake City, picked up Janell and went to Sugar City. Kay said "if we get into an accident with this casket on top of the car we WILL make National news." Kay bought the casket on line and saved a bundle of money and got what Leah wanted, a cherry wood casket which the funeral home did not offer.

The viewing was as large as the viewing from the Sugar City resident that was killed in the Pentagon on 9/11. The viewing line went 4 hours and Leah felt renewed after the viewing. The funeral was put on by Paul's family. Several brothers spoke. He has 8 brothers who were "Paul bearers" and lowered him into the earth. One of them said it was a nice way to have closure instead of letting the funeral home lower the casket later.

Paul took care of the family financially, they will be fine so that is a relief. Kay called on an expired life policy they replaced and found the life insurance local office forgot to inform the company of termination, the payment was still coming out of automatic withdrawal, so she was double covered! They said their mistake was a blessing!

Paul's brothers follow the Bible taking care of their brother's wife. They have called her and helped her.

We are at the hospital with Frances's twin girls born last Sunday, Claire and Alice. Claire will be released tomorrow and Alice should follow shortly. They have both lost a little weight but are over 4 lbs. This is my way of multiplying and replenishing the earth.

I went to the all men meeting... Priesthood session and saw Caleb singing in the MTC choir. A joyful grandmother and mother here. Janae