My Birthday

This year I had an amazing birthday! My sweet, thoughtful husband made the day special. He really out-did himself this year and I am still stunned. He got me the softest bathrobe in the world and I love wearing it. He also brought home flowers and my "official" gift....a Mac computer! Not only did he get the Mac, he loaded the computer with every program imaginable! So yes my blogging buddies, I am writing this blog from my new Mac computer thanks to Mike. My family-in-law also got me the cutest purse and I can't wait to build an outfit around it. ;) All I can say (which seems to be a theme for this blog), is that I am very blessed. 

Turning 25 today has made me stop and ponder the things I have learned over the last year and I want to share some of my thoughts...

1. No matter what happens in life, my family will always be there supporting me.
2. Marriage is fantastic, but getting married in the right place and the right time for the right reasons makes it phenomenal.
3. Any question can be answered with a little pray and faith
4. Life is uncontrollably messy ... and that's okay because I don't have to clean it up.
5. If I can laugh in a hard situation, I can get through it
6. Cuddling with Mike is Chicken Soup for my Soul... not the stories in the book.
7. My parents always told me "You'll thank me one day" ... Thanks Mom and Dad
8. No matter how many times I ask, Mike will still forget to put his socks in the hamper. It's okay though, I love him enough to do it for him
9. There is always my plan and Heavenly Father's plan... Heavenly Father's plan is better
10. There is nothing wrong with a good, hard crying session... let the mascara run!
11. My college professors lied to me... in the real world, I've never used the statistical equations they made me memorize.
12. There is nothing more fulfilling than sitting around with my family playing Pictionary
13. You can't control everything. As my family always says... "Let the blood flow"
14. I can quote all the movie lines I want to Mike... he still doesn't know what I'm talking about. I guess that will always be a college roommate thing.
15. My parent's are the world's best wedding planners. I think the 3 of us should open shop!
16. I will never understand some of Mike's missionary pictures
17. After running 90 miles an hour for a few weeks, you have to slow down. It's your choice whether you relax yourself or a cold does it for you.
18. People are always afraid to call us because we are "Newlyweds"... newlyweds like friends too!
19. No matter how many times my sister-in-law teases me, I still like the cheesy sayings and Kodak Moments
20. My brother always has a special place in my heart. He knows how to tease me, talk to me and love me like big brothers should. 
21. The older I get, I start enjoying TLC shows more... Like Jon and Kate plus 8
22. It amazes me that Mike always knows exactly when to hug me and tell me everything will be alright
23. Traveling is always better when Mike is with me... he usually takes the middle seat and lets me use his shoulder as a head rest. 
24. I am just starting to realize that my parent's were just like me not so long ago. They had fun dates, an exciting engagement, and a love-filled wedding. I always knew my parent's were cool, but I'm starting to see them in a different light... and I like it. 
25. I never knew love and life could be this amazing. With friends, family and Mike... my love tank is full!

New Calling

So it is official, I am the new 2nd Counselor in the Young Womans Program for our ward. I'm responsible for the cute Beehives. (12-13 year olds). Today we met with the Young Woman as their new Presidency and they are just a sweet bunch of girls. We were so welcomed into the program and I think I got more hugs today than at my wedding reception! I am so excited to teach, lead and befriend the girls and I can't wait to get started! If anyone has any good suggestions, let me know.

One perk about this new calling is the fact that I get to spend more time with Carissa, my cousin (in-law). Carissa and I became fast friends while I lived with her family before Mike and I were married. She and I always manage to have fun...even if it means working 3 hours to put together an IKEA dresser. Even though I love being married and wouldn't trade it for the world, I do sometimes miss the chats we had late and night. But, now I'm just around the corner from her, so we can still have the late night chats.

Not to boast, but I am really lucky to have such a loving family so close to me.

Where Did Fall Go??

My goodness! My Fall season just slipped away from me! It felt like blur. This time of year is always pretty busy for Mike and I. Not only are we working more, but we had birthdays, holidays and stressful days! I kept telling myself, "You need to update your Blog" but it just slipped through the cracks.

Well, let's take a trip back in time to recap what has been going on in the Pless world. At the beginning of October, we had Mike's 24th Birthday. Now, you will notice that there are no photos...those are coming. Just be thankful I'm writing. For Mike's birthday party, we decided to throw a family party at our house! I made him a fabulous Mexican dinner with Chicken Stuffed Quesidillas and Chicken Enchiladas. (Mike loved Mexican food) Then for dessert, I tried to bring my creative brain into the cooking world and made Lego cakes. Mike got 4 (smaller) chocolate cakes that looked like Legos. It was pretty fun, but they didn't look as good as the picture I was going off of. (Dang you Betty Crocker!)

After Mike's birthday, we prepared to go to Mexico with my parents and Aunt Patty. Mike will tell anyone who asks that the trip was his birthday present from my parents...so apparently my parents love Mike more than anyone else in the family. He's just so darn loveable I guess. I was just lucky to be able to tag along for the birthday festivies. (wink wink)

Once we got back from Mexico, I was out of commission for a week due to some bug I picked up in paradise. But, I can't complain...getting sick in paradise is still better than sick at home. Then, right around the corner was Halloween. I was looking forward to Halloween so very much, but that holiday flopped on us. I bought a big bowl of candy and only got 3 12 year old boys come to my door. I was bummed. Basically Mike and I watched a movie and watched the door like two homesick puppies. Very lame. Oh, and our pumpkins rotted 2 days after craving them. I had no clue that the warm weather here would dampen my spooky spirits. Lame pumpkin mold!

Well, that moves us into November. We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday on the 11th and had a great time going to dinner as a big family. After that, we worked as hard as possible in preparation for Thanksgiving. This year, my parents decided to come to our house and be with us. It was so much fun having them here, but as Mike will point out, I get stressed out over everything. I had visions of the perfect holiday and dinner and I was determined to host a fabulous holiday weekend! Well, my hard work paid off. We had a perfect Thanksgiving and my dad and I cooked a fabulous dinner. Thanks dad for teaching me your super professional chef skills! I had so much fun learning for the master and spending quality time with my dad. After Thanksgiving Day, Mike unfortunately went back to work and my parents and I headed down to San Diego to see my grandma, Aunt Patty and Uncle Danny and Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Todd. It was so great seeing everyone. I think my favorite thing about this time of year is the great love families bring into my life. It just fills me up and radiates throughout the day. Well, my Uncle Danny - another fanominal chef - prepared a fabulous dinner and we had fun eating as a big family. On Saturday, we were off to the San Diego Zoo with Patty and Gram. We have been going to the zoo since I was a baby and I bet some of the same animals are there 24 years later. But it is always fun to see the playful animals...except the snakes. For some reason I just can't get into the snakes.

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over and we are well into December, it makes me wonder how 2 months can fly by so quickly. Now we are preparing for Christmas, my birthday and other activies. I have to toot my own horn here for a minute and let everyone know that I am 99% done with my Christmas shopping! WoHoooo!! Just a few details to add and then I'm offical done! I love it when all my organization pays off. Mike thought I was crazy starting my Christmas shopping in September...but who is the crazy one now? Not me!

Hopefully this months slows down a little bit - enough for me to add pictures to my blog!

Husband Tag...

Apparently I was tagged a month ago and didn't even realize it! Oops! Better late than never...

• What is your husband's name? Michael Adam (get the religious undertones?)

• How long have you been married? 10 months

• How long did you date? Before his mission...2 months. After his mission, first date in June 2007, Official Proposal in October 2007 (we knew we were going to get married in August...but waited for the ring to seal the deal) and married in February 2008.

• How old is he? 24

• Who eats sweets? Both of us. It is our weakness.

• Who said I love you first? He did. I was about to say it, but he beat me to the punch.

• Who is taller? Definitely him! I'm 5'5, he is 6'3

• Who does the laundry? Me...always me.

• Who pays the bills? He does...but I do all the grocery shopping and make the budget for it.

• Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do...but lately Mike has been stealing my side. I guess he just naturally gravitates to me which ever side I'm on. So...my official answer is...I sleep on the right side and Mike sleeps in the middle.

• Who mows the lawn? Our Landlord hires a cute little family to mow the lawn around our house....so I'm not sure what their names are. They come when Mike and I are at work, so the grass magically cuts itself!

• Who cooks dinner? I do. Mike makes great Chicken Soup out of the can when I'm sick though.

• Who drives? He does. He is so patient with his nervous, up-tight wife though. What can I say, the freeways here scare me! It's like people have no concept of keeping a healthy space in between cars. They think the space you make is for them and they push their HUGE SUV into a small space between you and the car in front of you. So, to save my sanity, Mike drives.

• Who is the first to admit they are wrong? I think we are both good at this, but definitely Mike. He is really patient and has such a loving personality.

• Who kissed who first? He kissed me first, but I think it was more of a joint decision.

• Who asked who out first? He did. Before his mission, we talked for hours at an FHE bonfire and he asked me out to dinner. It was super cute. Then, a few days after returning from his mission, he drove to Utah to see me and date me. Now that's dedication.

I feel so lucky to have Mike as my husband. He always makes me laugh, holds me when I'm sad and just loves me for who I am. I didn't know life could be this good! Love you baby!!

The Vacation Comes to an End

Mexico was beyond amazing and the views were breath-taking. Mike and I felt so blessed to be able to be together and experience all Mexico had to offer.

A sunset view on one of our last daysGetting ready to go to a fiesta!

This was the view from our room. Our hotel had amazing water activities. This pyramid was actually a slide with two wave pools on either side. We went down the water slide with tubes and I kept getting water up my nose! Oh well...it was worth it!

Another view from our room. You can see all the different pools and activities the hotel offered. Also, there are little private cabanas where you get massages!

More views from our room.

Overall, we had a blast in Mexico. The boys went dune buggying on our last day (which was Mike's favorite activity) and the girls relaxed by the pool and painted pottery. Overall, the whole trip was a success (besides the fact I got food poisoning towards the end of the trip) and we can't wait to go back for more!

How many pictures did we take??

During our City Tour, we went to this tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant which served fresh, fresh seafood. We all decided to get a sampler plate to share and the food was amazing! We had fresh lobster, red snapper, mahi-mahi and shrimp. It was an Anderson Dream! Fresh seafood and great family memories.

One stop on our City Tour was to a Tequila factory. This was the actual factory...not the courtyard outside the factory. Mike is standing next to the plants used to make the tequila and they basically mash things up and make tequila. (You can tell this part of the tour really held my interest!)

Having fun with the locals...

Christmas Card Photo! (kidding)

Mexico Continued...

So many pictures to share! On Thursday, we did a City Tour which was really fun. We saw amazing views and had a fun day touring the city as a family.

Mike and I had our 8 month anniversary while in Mexico! Keeping the love alive!!Scenic View

I loved this little shop in town! These guys make statues, art and these colorful eggs by hand using beads! Each egg had a meaning to it and Mike and I just had to have 2 for our Christmas tree. Mike picked the Scorpion egg which symbolized a Protector. I picked the flower egg which symbolized Life.

All of us in downtown Puerto Vallarta on our City Tour

The city...so pretty

Still More Mexico...

As our week continued, we relaxed, swam, tanned and the girls had amazing outdoor massages! If I could, I would live at the hotel spa! Just lock me in the hot tub area for the night and I will be a happy camper.

Here are some more pictures of our adventures...

Just because we are in Mexico, doesn't mean we can't be our dorky selves...My dad is always curious and gets bored just sitting still as a passenger on boats. So, he always talks to the captain and some how starts driving the boat. This has happened about 4 times before on various trips, but he always manages to get his butt in that Captain's Chair. Just one of the many reasons why I love him!

Here Mike and my dad are relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere.

A cute little beach town we hiked through

This was the town we hiked through to get to the waterfall. It was so peaceful and quiet.

More Mexico...

One of our first days, we were able to go snorkeling, boating and hiking to a waterfall! The day was so amazing and we had a blast. When we snorkeled, we saw and held starfish, saw sea urchins, and the cutest puffer fish in the sea! After that adventure, Mike did this hilarious imitation of our cute puffer fish and it made me laugh all week long. Here's the cute face caught on film...
We hiked through this tiny village and up path to this gorgeous waterfall.

On our boat ride to the small village and snorkeling spot, I got sea sick. I hate the fact that I get sea sick, but there isn't much I can do about it. My Aunt Patty gave me some great tips that helped me keep my mind off the nauseousness and one of those tips is to pretend to drive to boat. As goofy as that sounds...it actually worked! Thanks Aunt Patty!

While we were in the harbor area, we had to wear our life vests. So attractive in bright orange!

This picture is more of an inside joke. When you walk into the entrance of the Grand Mayan, you walk into this black marbled corridor that is barely lit and there is Mayan tribal music playing in the distance. Also, there are 14 40-foot Mayan warrior statues that scared the crap out of me when I walked in. You just don't expect to see these huge warriors standing in front of you when you walk into a hotel entrance. Well, in this picture I overcame my fear of the Mayan warriors but I still thought it was a creepy room.

Our Mexico Trip

Mike and I were lucky enough to go to Mexico with my parents and my Aunt Patty! We went to Puerto Vallarta and it was amazing! I was blown away by how beautiful everything was and I offically classify Puerto Vallarta as paradise. We were able to do once-in-lifetime activities and we just felt so blessed to be able to go and relax with family.

We flew into Mexico on Saturday morning and checked into the Grand Mayan hotel. This resort took my breath away (as you will see in later pictures). We started the vacation with virgin Pina Coladas and pool time.

Here Mike is while we are arriving at the Grand Mayan hotel. Our hotel had their private beach with these cute cabanas to escape from the sun's rays.

Our hotel from the ocean

We were so ready to relax and be care-free for a week! I didn't realize how stressed we were until we got there and decompressed! Mike has just finished a semester at DeVry and I had just finished a few major projects for work before we left. I have to say, it was perfect timing! I think my parents were inspired to take us on this trip so we could relax and keep the gray hair away!

How gorgeous is our view? It's a hard-knock life for us...sipping fruit drinks and laying out in this weather.

After we settled into our fabulous hotel room, we figured out the excursions we wanted to do while we were there. We signed up for a City Tour, a fiesta, snorkeling, a dinner cruise, hiking to waterfalls and much much more!

Busy, Busy, Busy....

So many things have been happening these last few weeks and sometimes I feel so overwhelmed! I can't even imagine thinking about what kids will do the stress...and thank you for those individuals that tell me it just gets worse. Very inspiring. Makes me excited for more stress.

On top of Mike going to school and working full-time, my schedule picked up without warning and somehow I seem to thrive on the chaos. At work, some exciting things have been happening. I was promoted to THE Manager of Account Management at my company. No longer am I the Jr. Account Manager! So, basically that means that I am the one in charge of everything. We are going to bring on Jr. Account Managers for me to train and help spread the load while I deal with all our huge, money-making clients and keep everyone at LACED on-track and focused on projects.

I love this company and the opportunities I have to prove my abilities and talents! We have been lucky enough to land some huge accounts in these last few weeks and these are clients that actually prosper in hard economic times. (Such as Educational clients). So, things have just been great at work and I feel so blessed to be a part of a company that I support and believe in the product we give.

Now, with more responsibility comes way more stress and I feel like there is never enough time to accomplish everything, but it keeps me beyond busy and out of trouble.

Along with the stress, we have some great opportunities coming our way and one of them is a week in Mexico with my parents! Mike and I are SO grateful I have parents that love to travel and take their kids on vacations with them. I don't think Mike and I would survive another week without this vacation driving us forward.

So in conclusion, here are my thoughts...I love my job. I am so grateful I magically found this company after moving to L.A. a year ago. I can't believe I've been with this company a year and I am just so excited to move forward and kick some advertising butt! Second, I love my family! Mike has been the most supportive husband I could ever ask for. When I came home around 8:00 p.m. one day, he had dinner ready for me (sandwiches) and the house was clean! What a blessing it is to be married to someone that supports your dreams and wants you to reach all your goals! But also, I love my family and Mike's family for just being there for both of us. Like I mentioned before, these last weeks have been insane and it is nice to know that we have a solid support. I'd also like to thank the academy...just kidding. I'm not giving an Oscar acceptance speech, but I wanted to let everyone know that my family (Anderson and Pless) rocks and I love them all!

Hockey Game!!

Mike and I were lucky enough to go to a Kings Hockey game. (My first hockey game...ever!) One of his clients gave him 4 tickets in the Premier Seating, so we invited some friends and set out for a fun-filled evening. Now, I'm a natural worrier. I worry about everything and anything thanks to my long family line of worriers. It is in my blood, so whenever some one tells me not to worry, I just assume they have no clue who I am. But what sparked my worry streak on the way to the game was the fact that a warning is printed on the tickets in Bold letters letting us know that pucks might fly at high velocity and to be aware at all times. Great...that just soothes my worry-wart self and you know I was watching that puck every second we were there.

Proof we were actually at the game and paying attention.Ok, so we didn't pay attention the ENTIRE time.

Overtime!

Mike's (natural) reaction to Overtime. Ok, well it is staged, but this is a close reenactment.

Well...I have no comment about this photo besides stating the obvious - Mike changed his face last minute like he does in most of our photos. I swear it is just to get a reaction out of me.

Overall, the game was so much fun and there were only 5 fights! I can't wait till Mike gets another set of free tickets so we can root for a team that we really know nothing about. What can I say, we aren't big sports people. Oh, and I think the Kings lost...Bummer!

My Craft Projects

As some of you might know, I love doing crafts. It is one of my favorite hobbies and I love making cute accessories for our house. Here are some of my latest projects.

Someone in our house has a hard time remembering which dirty laundry hamper is for whites and which is for colors, so I made these cute signs in an hour! Now there is no excuse for leaving dirty clothes on the floor. (Cute AND affective!)

















Here is another craft project I've been working on...it is my Pless Plaque. It is cuter in person, but I just love it. The letters are cardboard cut-outs and the frame is called a floating frame. Add a little raffia and accessories, it turns into the cutest decoration.








I finished my wedding scrapbook and I couldn't be more happy with it! Here are a few pages of our happiest day. Let me know what you think.

VICTORY!!!

The ants have lost the battle! I don't know where they went...but we haven't seen a single ant in 2 weeks. Not even a search party. I hope they aren't gathering more troops for a stronger retaliation. Either way ... we have won the battle! And the war...hopefully. Now peace can ring throughout the land!

Battle of the Kitchen!

Mike and I have been involved in World War 3 in our little house, That's right...we have ants! If you leave one little scrap of sweet food out (they aren't fans of veggies we found out), there is a 6-lane freeway of ants in a matter of minutes. Clever little buggers! We just bought traps for the problem, but I am doubtful...these little guys are clever. I just know they are plotting to take over my kitchen! We have been vacuuming them up and spraying solution in their paths, but they multiply! I mean...in the grand scheme of things, ants are WAY better than a smoker below us, but still annoying. One good outcome is the fact that our kitchen has to stay spotless so we can starve the little suckers...but once in awhile we forget to wipe up a spot and the masses are back! We are crossing our fingers and toes and hoping the traps work! If not...we will have to take drastic measures.

*On a side note - Mike and I have been watching seasons of 24 in our down time and I can't help but think that I'm President Palmer giving the go ahead to kill the colony and Mike is Jack Bauer doing the dirty work. Mu ha ha! (This confirms what a big dork I am ... but anyone reading this blog should already know that.)

Twilight Series

Like so many other people I know, I am addicted to the Twilight Series! I just finished the 4th and final book and I absolutely loved it. I try and contain my excitement for the movie coming out this year because I don't want to look like a 12 year-old, but I can't help it. I was skeptical about these books before my sister-in-laws both told me what a great read they were. Now, I know these books don't discuss world peace or heavy world-changing issues, (unless Mike is a vampire) but they are great vacation reads! I'm just bummed that there isn't a 5th one for me to read. What will I read on my next vacation? Any suggestions?

Our Perfect Vacation to Boston

Mike and I finally went on our Boston vacation to see Adam and Marci! Adam is a student at Harvard studying Ancient Languages. He basically is going to be Indiana Jones - which I think is awesome! All he needs now is a whip and a hat. Marci is a dietitian and personal trainer for an expensive health club and they are both loving the East coast. I completely understand their love for Boston because I fell in love with the East coast too! So beautiful and so much history!

Our vacation was perfectly orchestrated by Marci. We had our travel suggestions and day trips planned. We flew into New Hampshire on Wednesday night and stayed with Mike's uncle Richard for a night. The one thing that was less than perfect was the car rental company. Mike and I are 24 ... one year under the age limit. So, we were charged an outrageous age charge. It is amazing...we are married, financially stable, employed, responsible adults, but we still can't rent a car without getting hit with extra fees. The system is flawed! Moving on, we drove into Cambridge on Thursday afternoon and met up with my brother Adam. We toured the city of Cambridge and Havard's grounds and I am convinced that Adam goes to Hogwarts in disguise. I loved the architecture on the East Coast! Just stunning. Here we are touring Harvard yard.

One of the stops we made on our trip was to Rhode Island to hang out at the beach and to tour the Vanderbilt Mansion. This mansion was crazy and right on the coast line. I was just a little jealous...but I would have decorated the place completely different. But that's just me.

Mike loves this picture because you can see his "cool" sideburns. Adam wasn't much help in this department...he kept encouraging Mike to grow them out even farther! Thanks Adam. Sideburns or not...he still is a cutie to me.

Mike thought it was funny to jump into my scenery pictures right before the camera flashed. I have about 15 pictures of Mike and this awkward face. Thanks hunny!

We had so many adventures with Adam and Marci and it was so nice for Mike and I to get away from our chaotic lives for a few days. I think I have the sweetest, most handsome husband in the world! I am so grateful for him and all the hard work he does to take care of me and let us have wonderful moments like this. Even if he ruined half of my pictures with his mischievous self!

Boston Sites!

Boston has so many sites to see!! We went to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Ichabod Crane met the Headless Horseman! Adam was trying to recreate the spooky encounter and I think he accomplished it. Here is Adam without his body. Spooky things happen in a cemetery in the middle of the afternoon...with other tourists around. Very spooky!As you can see here, Mike was so freaked out by Adam's version of the Headless Horseman, he fell into a deep sleep. Actually, Mike wasn't feeling too good, so he decided to lay down. Both Mike and Adam were a little sick ... Marci and I think it was the oysters they shared...hmmm, a mystery!

Here we are at the North Bridge...where the British was trying to cross over to fight the Americans. It was really cool to see monuments on both sides of the bridge: one to remember the Americans that fell defending their beliefs and the other monument to remember the British who fell defending what they thought was right.

Us going to the bridge.

Adam and Marci on the North Bridge.

It was so great to tour the East coast with Adam and Marci. Marci is the best tour guide and made a perfect itinerary for our viewing enjoyment! Thanks Marci!