Family Picture Fall 2010

(uploaded off the scanner at work . . . sorry it is fuzzy)

Will is a First Class Scout!! Booyah!!

Had to get on and announce that as of the Court of Honor held tonight Will is a bonafide First Class Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He also earned 8, yes count them, eight merit badges since the last Court of Honor. He earned Indian Lore, Music, Wilderness Survival, Rifle Shooting, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, First Aid, and Environmental Science, the last four of which are required for his Eagle Scout rank.


In honor of Will, we commissioned a famous American artist to draw a picture of what will might look like in four years, well after he has earned his Eagle Scout rank. Well, okay, that picture of the Scout and his examples from history is really by Norman Rockwell, and yes, Will might look something like that, but it is really such a cool picture, and since the family still hasn't sent me any live pictures of them, I will just continue to browse the Internet and post what I find (whether it is really that applicable or not - see last post and the Topaz, Utah Internment Camp photo).

Way to go, Will!! We are so proud of you, and quite frankly, I am impressed with how hard you have worked to achieve your ranks and to earn your merit badges. Just so proud of you, little man, just so proud.

Summer 2011 Update

So we are pretty lame bloggers, but thought I'd post a summer update and some pictures.

The Update - Well, Dirk is (I am) still in Juneau, but hopefully returning soon. He loves his job, but is in utter despair living without his lovely wife and darling children, who are similarly barely holding on without their brave knight. Okay, THAT's pretty depressing . . . it isn't that bad. Plenty of folks have it much worse, and I am grateful that we still do have each other, even though we are 1,499.6 miles away as the raven flies.

HEALTH NEWS: In what we think is some pretty good "health" news, over the summer Brooklyn went to a naturopath, who helped her get rid of her chronic stomach pain, excessively dry skin, and regular bladder infections. It was all related to her body having too much strep virus in her body. The naturopath helped her reduce those strep levels, and she is a VERY happy girl. BTW, every year when the strep throat came around, at least SOME of the family got it, but Brookie NEVER did. We joked that she was a carrier, and so she never got it. Well, the joke is on us, because she WAS the carrier. I wonder if she'll get strep throat now . . . hopefully not.

Gideon got his adnoids out and ear tubes in. The surgery took all of 20 minutes, and he has had fewer ear infections and nasty colds. He, too, is much happier now.

SWIM LESSONS: One thing that Rory and I agree on 100% is that our kids need to learn how to swim! The youngest three did great, all improving quickly. Gideon is the family's little fish. He takes to the water so well, he can even swim around the 3 ft deep pool without his floaties. Evan and Brookie are getting much better, too. We all will remember our afternoons at the pool this summer!

BAND CAMP: Madilyn thoroughly enjoyed the Sky View High School (something just doesn't seem right hearing "Madi" and "high school" in the same sentence!) band camp, which lasted the entire last week in July. It was held down in Delta, Utah, at the Intermountain Power complex, which Dirk swears is a nuclear fallout complex. It is out in the middle of nowhere and has everything you'd need to live forever, including a gym, a pool, tennis courts, pool tables, ping pong tables, places to sleep, a full industrial kitchen, tennis courts, and a high-school sized cafeteria, complete with an industrial strength kitchen. Delta also happens to be where there was a Japanese internment camp during World War II. I couldn't find a picture of the IP complex, so I put a picture of Topaz, Utah instead.

AMERICA'S PASTTIME: Will, Brookie, and Evan all played their version of baseball this summer on city teams. Will impressed us all with a star pitching performance the night Dirk came home and surprised the kids in June. He ended the game with a diving catch on the pitcher's mound, and the coaches awarded him the game ball for his performance. Brookie was AWESOME on her softball team, and was very happy when daddy got to coach a game in June. Evan rocked everybody's world in his first year playing t-ball. That kid's got game!!! And we all are excited once Gideon gets playing. The kid can already throw and hit like a major league player. (Slight exaggeration inserted for effect.)

SUPERWOMAN: Her only kryptonite is herself. Rory is raising 5 kids, teaching summer school, a full-time college student, cleaning the house (she IS a McGrath, you know - that is a compliment, for those who may not understand), raising Gideon (he counts twice), watering the lawn (something is messed up with our lame timer, and of course it got really hot AFTER Dirk left), and did I mention Gideon?

A HOMECOMING . . . ? Dirk should find out by August 16th whether he will get home on September 3rd or October 1st. He is going to be an Account Executive and Development Manager for Tecuity, Inc., a software company located a whopping 1.5 miles away, only 1,000 times closer to home from where he works now!!!

We just want to THANK all our friends and family for all the support, both tangible and intangible, through gifts and prayers of support. The end of this trial is near. Where ever the Andersons end up, they will be there together!!! Soon, thanks to all of you and of course God's grace, power, and goodness to us.

Dirk's Christmas Eve in Juneau 2010

(In reverse chronological order)

The Willis family put on a great nativity story tonight.

The Wise Men Bringing the Gifts. Note the kind Mary showing them where to place the gifts.

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The Willis's tree was awesome!!

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At about 2 PM Brother Willis called and asked me to come help with the service project. I am so glad he did! THIS was where I needed to be. All together, they put together over 40 packages with a big bag of fruit, nuts, and some candy. And every family got a pumpkin pie. I was touched that the members would do this for the families in the Ward.
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One of the tables with the care package bags.

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I know it didn't snow where Rory and the kids are today, and I am pretty sure my Mom in Smithfield, and my brother and sisters in Illinois did not have fresh Christmas snow. But of course we had it in Juneau! Every where you go is like taking a tour in a national forest: so beautiful!!

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My Christmas tree, showing the Christmas package sent to me by my wife and children. It contained one present per day, including food, snacks, ties, slippers, and a new dress shirt. Thanks, family!!

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Just wanted my family and everyone else to know I was well taken care of this Christmas Eve. It was a great day, though of course not as awesome as it would have been if it would have been spent WITH my dearest Rory and the children.

Was able to help with the Christmas care package project at the church, it snowed, and I had a great Christmas Eve with the Willis and Gilbert families at the Willis's home over the bridge from Juneau on Douglas Island. And I got to pray with and sing to the children before bed. Other than being with the family, a perfect day.

Also, I want to share my gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for His perfect example, for the joy and peace His plan brings me and my family, and for His Atonement, which is really the perfect gift.

New Pics From Juneau.

Some kind of proof that I exist, here standing near the Mendenhall Glacier. The brilliant blue shines in the glacier; it really is pretty cool looking. It is even more impressive up close, and I hope to get closer in the spring, when the trail is clear.

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A close-up of the Mendenhall Glacier.

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Looking to the South from my apartment complex.
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This eagle was sitting in the tree right across the street from my apartment complex a couple of Saturdays ago.
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My neighbor's front yard to the South of my apartment.
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Subway is in the very next lot just North of me.

Words from Juneau

Thought I'd post some pics of Juneau, so you DON'T necessarily have to come yourself. ; )

I am having issues with Blogger's insert picture functionality while posting, so I'll just write a bit in one post and then post the pictures separately.

So . . . what more could a man want!? . . . I am sincerely, truly blessed. I mean check this out . . .

I've got Subway in the building just north of me, access to naval transportation in the lot just south of me (white trash yards in Juneau have inoperable boats in their front yards, rather than cars . . . ), eagles roosting literally across the street, Walmart is less than one mile away to the north, the chapel is less than a mile on my same road just south of me, and Costco and Home Depot are also almost exactly one mile away, and even work is only 6 miles and 10 minutes away. Every single couple I talk to says that this is a great place to raise a family, and many LDS families that know both worlds say they PREFER Juneau to Utah for raising their children.

I guess that the only thing missing . . . is my family. I miss you guys!!!

You can probably guess that all the reasons for living ANYWHERE don't mean anything if you don't have those with you who make up the substance of your soul, the purpose for your existence. It sounds pretty depressing, and thanks to the wonders of technology I can talk with my wife and children every day, SEE them every night if we please.

And yet while our current arrangement has its drawbacks, I have always had the attitude to maximize EVERY situation I've ever been in. I've got to spend this time working on myself, I guess. I am using the extra time to work out, read more, do other small and simple things that make such a difference. I hope I can use this extra time wisely, for I certainly am praying that this challenging and unique chapter of our lives lasts no longer than it needs. May I learn my intended lessons, accomplish my intended purposes, and unite with my family soon, whether that is with me coming home or with them coming up here.

Well, that is certainly enough for tonight.

Best always,
Dirk