Turning 24

Michael and Jill Andersen were married April 11, 1981.  He was a part of a family of 9 children and she, the oldest of 10.  After they were married they received the hard news that Mom did not produce a needed hormone that would enable her to have children.    They fasted and prayed and saw many doctors.  I imagine but cannot understand the difficulty of this trial.  Her faith was strong and we believed that she would be able to someday have her own children.  With being the oldest of 10 it was hard for Mom to watch younger siblings having children before her.  After 6 years of constant prayers they met with a doctor that wanted to try a hormone replacement - it was new and untested.  She wore a automated pump on her hip for over a year which constantly released that hormone into her body.  A year later they found out the miraculous news that they were expecting! (I'm sure that was a happy day!)  and on May 21, 1988 Michael and Jill Andersen brought their very own, extremely handsome baby boy into the world!

Today Nathan still had to get up at 5am to be to work by 6 at UIS but was able to catch a ride with TJ Barton so that I was able to have the car at home.  That was thoughtful of him.  I was grateful to have the car so I could make those errands to the store to get last minute ingredients for our homemade ice cream.  You should have seen my cart...oreos, caramel, half and half, whipping cream, gram crackers, powdered sugar...the only healthy things were strawberries (which were going in the ice cream) and apples. 

For his birthday we decided to celebrate by having a homemade ice cream party with friends and some family.  We had such a fun group {Amber & Matt Schooff, Haley & Able Sng, Sydney, & Nick Whipple (kiddos-Sam, Calvin, & Emery), Abby & Spencer, TJ & Tara Barton, Dustin & Amy Hanson (Kiddo-Luke), Andrew & Grace Henderson, Aunt Monique, Conner Henderson, James & Bethany Davis (kiddos-Alessia, Cardston, Parker & Landon) Paul Rasmussen, LeGrand & Becca Laing (Kiddos-Brayden, Addy, Sophie, Kolby & expecting Brielle) and of course, Nathan & I and our perfect little Harlito!}  Thanks to all the lovelies who came to help us celebrate!  We really enjoyed it!

I made 3 different flavors: coconut oreo, strawberry gram cracker, and caramel cashew

all seemed to be a hit

I heard the chocolate cake was yummy as well, hard to know for yourself when you didn't try it

{I didn't pull the camera out until I was almost done with the dishes...I'm so lame!}

Nathan Harlow Andersen

~24 Reasons Why I Love This Man~

1. He is HANDSOME!! 
2. He has a tender heart 
3. He's gentle, like his sweet mother
4. He is logical and level headed
5. He is a "fix it" man.  He can fix anything
6. He makes me laugh everyday, multiple times a day!
7. He takes me to the Temple
8. He leads our family in scripture study and family prayer
9. I love the way he holds me in his arms
10. He lets me know how beautiful I am and makes me feel beautiful by the way he treats me
11. He loves me deeply, tenderly, and passionately
12. He is a wonderful Daddy to Harlow.  I love watching him with his son, kissing him, making him smile, and holding him in a tight hug.  It makes me melt.
13. He knows how to work hard.  I know that no matter what were to happen he would find a way to work, take care of, and provide for us, his family.
14. He's GOOD to the core.  He wants to be good and do good.
15. He serves others selflessly, many times putting others needs above his own.
16. He gets along with all different personalities.  People just love and are drawn to him.
17. He's positive and optimistic.  He's not a service project for me and I don't need to be his cheerleader...that said, I LOVE being his cheerleader!  But I don't need to be all peppy all the time in order for him to be happy because he's already a happy guy(...I don't know if how I'm describing this is making sense...)
18. He is busy working hard at UIS and going to school at BYU.  I am so grateful that he's working, allowing me to be home with our little Harlow.
19. If he's going to do something he is going to do it right!  He is careful and particular.  He studies all his options and finds out which method, materials, and tools will be best.  He never does things half  way.  He gives it his all.
20. He sings to me!  I love his high tenor voice. I love how he's good at harmonizing(*because I am not!).  I love how he's witty and makes up his own words to the songs.  I love how we sing together.
21. He teases me, tickles me, scares me, and laughs the whole time he's doing it.
22. He loves his family, he loves my family.  I knew, before I married him, that family was important to him and that he would make our family a top priority and that's exactly what he's done!
23. He served a mission.  From the way he talks about those 2 years I know he wasn't just a missionary but that he was a GREAT MISSIONARY!  One who worked hard and loved the people.
24. Did I mention he is super good looking, lights up my life with his hugs and kisses, sweeps me off my feel, is pretty fine, dips me back in a long, low kiss, makes me feel like a beauty queen, is incredibly good looking, gives me chills when he plays with my hair, and is MY HOT MAN!