To the laundromat we go

For the past two weeks, our washing machine has been on the fritz. Each time it runs, water pours out the bottom of it. So, that means for the last two weeks, I have been making trips to the local laundromat. Actually, for the first three years of our marriage we frequented laundromats often. After our move to Snowflake, we used some of the money from the sell of our home in Mesa, to buy ourselves a brand new washer and dryer set, just for us. And now, approximately three and a half years later, my washer is failing. Last week, David and I tried a little investigating and a do-it-yourself repair, and it didn't work out. So for now, and until we have the extra money for a house call to a service repair guy and to pay for the parts, I will be running to the laundromat every few days, with the kids in tow. They have actually enjoyed it. They get to play at the nearby park while we wait for the clothes to get done. I am glad that they are enjoying it, because I am not. You never realize how much you love a functioning washer, until it is not working.....

On my soapbox.....

This is a pretty awkward thing for me to do, and never have felt particularly comfortable voicing my opinions about things, but I feel really pressed to share my feelings about a couple issues politically. In Arizona there is a serious, moral issue on the ballot this year. It is a proposition to be added to the Constitution of Arizona, stating that marriage is to be between and man and woman, only. Very rarely does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints get behind politics, other than telling us all to vote, but this time, the church has really stepped up, and is asking all its members to share and support this issue and vote YES on Prop 102. It goes back to Gods plan, and how He created us, gender specific, and how He wants the world to be. God created Adam and Eve, one man, one woman, and commanded them to be together and multiply and replenish the earth. Homosexuality has no future, it brings no lasting joy, it damages and insults Gods plan. Please do your part and help solidify this beautiful truth of marriage, of family, and of Gods ideals, and vote YES on Proposition 102 in Arizona!!!

The next issue at hand, is the future of our country. I have to say honestly that the choices we have for president of our great nation are pretty pathetic. They both have lots of words, bad decisions and agendas that I do not particularly agree with. Yet, we all have a responsibility as citizens of the United States of America, to voice our opinions and VOTE. It is important to do this, because if you choose not to vote, you have no right whatsoever to complain about anything politically. Everyones voice needs to be heard, that is the beauty of our land, and our government. That is what our founding fathers wanted. So as November approaches, and the politicians really begin to share their opinions on how this great nation should be run, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, study the issues, and vote for the lesser of the two evils. I will be voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin. My reasoning behind this decision is because I see them as a more conservative, REAL choice. I see them standing up for issues that affect me, like my marriage, my family, being pro-life, their approach on the failing economy, and other issues. They both seem more honest, more real.

Even if you disagree with me and my husband, and chose to support someone else, PLEASE go to the polls on November 4th, and VOTE!!!!! It is your right, take advantage of it.

A few more tid-bits about the cruise

After I had typed, edited, and published my blog, I thought about a few more things I could have added to it. Isn't that the way it always is?

Near the end of the cruise, one of our last ports was in Canada. We stopped in Victoria; which is the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. The flowers were just wonderful. There were flower gardens everywhere, and throughout town there were light posts with hanging flowers every 15 feet or so. Just look at those pretty flowers! There were also roses galore that reminded me of my grandma Higginson, and her famous rosebushes. So pretty.

And I have to add a bit about the architecture of the buildings there. My gosh, they are so ornate and spectacular. We happened to be there on a national holiday, so there was a large open outdoor mall that had artists with handmade things. There was a bagpipe band that was playing, and if anyone knows me well enough, they know that I love bagpipes. No, I seriously do, I like the sound of them. I am not joking....

So, the very last day of our cruise we sailed back into Seattle. I was honestly looking forward to a rainy place, but our tour guide told us that we were lucky enough to be in Seattle on one of the few sunny days of the year. Oh well, it really was nice weather. While in Seattle, and before our plane ride back to Phoenix, my family took a bus tour around downtown Seattle. We got to stop at the Space Needle. We all went up to the top of the Needle.... wow, that is high! This picture was taken from the top. Pretty scary elevator ride; it takes, I think like 9 seconds to get up to the top. David had been to Seattle once before we were married, for a friends wedding, and the two places he wanted to take me, were the Needle and to the famous Pikes Place Fish Market. It worked out nicely, that those were the two stops on our bus tour.

At the fish market, it smelled just as a fish market should.... like fish. Peeeeouew!!! But, what a cool place. The guy in this shot is literally throwing a 3 foot salmon to a guy at least 10-15 feet away, behind the counter. Yeah, its a bad shot, but it happens so fast! The guys are yelling back and forth to each other. It is a big production, and a fun thing to just stand and watch. Not only were there lots of fish shops, there were flower shops, trinkets, homemade stuff, all over the place for sale. It was very interesting to see the different types of people in Seattle. I wouldn't mind returning, just for a trip to see more of Washington state. It is a beautiful place.

We grabbed our flight back to Phoenix, and got to my parents house at about 9:30pm. We ran over to the neighbors house, and picked up our puppy Max, and headed home on our 2 and a half hour drive. We wanted to surprise the kids with the dog, as a little gift, and even now, they all think we got him in Alaska, on the ship! It is pretty funny. Anyway, we made it back to Snowflake at about midnight, took a quiet peek at the kids and went straight to bed! I know we could have waited to drive until morning, but I was missing my kids terrible!! I needed to see my babies. And sure enough, just like my mother warned, it was only a couple hours later that I was thinking how nice it would be to go on the cruise again! Isn't that like motherhood? We all want a break, and then we get one, and then we want our kids back, and then we get them back, and then we want a break again. It is an endless cycle.... and a true way of knowing just how much you love your kids.

Our Alaskan Cruise

I have finally caught up and am now blogging about the very thing that I started this blog for! Drum roll please.....OUR CRUISE!!!!

So, here is the history behind the cruise....This has been in the works and been talked about for a super long time. My mom and dad have been planning a "couples cruise" since before any of the four kids were even close to getting married. The plan was, that once we all had stopped having kids, they would take us on a family cruise. About 12 years later, we were officially boarding the ship. This could be a terribly long blog if I allowed it, but I will try and condense it down. So, Saturday, July 26th (the day after getting home from Rocky Point), Davids brother Ben, Amy and their son Isaac came to watch the kiddos (thank you, thank you again!!) and we headed down to Mesa. The next morning we carpooled to the airport at 5am. Super early! We all flew to Seattle, took a bus to the dock and got on board the biggest ship either David or I had ever seen! Our boat was called the Star Princess. Beautiful!! Each of the couples got there own cabin (pretty tight quarters, yet there was so much to do on board that you only were in your room to sleep, so it was perfect).

The highlights of the cruise were many. It was not a 'warm beaches' type cruise. In fact it was quite cold at some points. Early one morning our ship sailed into a fjord, and right up next to two glaciers! What a grand sight to behold. It took my breath away, and not just because it was FREEZING either!

There was much to explore, and too much to do on that boat. There were Broadway-type shows nightly, comedians, magicians, health seminars, classes, presentations, shops, etc..... What a great vacation! It would not be a cruise without mentioning the FOOD, FOOD, FOOD! In fact, my mom warned us that we would be gaining weight, and to pack a bigger sized pair of pants for the last few days of the cruise!! I think we both got off pretty lucky, but our clothes were a little bit tighter on our flight home, then they were on the flight there! The buffet was open 24/7, and David took advantage of that, at all hours of the night! The dining room was fancier then anywhere we have ever eaten. The food was unbelievably good, and the food presentation was amazing.

At one of the ports, we all went repelling and rock climbing. It was a lot of fun, and we managed to get quite a few "butt-shots" with the camera! It was quite a feat for my mom and dad, but they did great. I was pretty proud of myself for clawing my way up that cliff. And even more proud for stepping backward off the edge of it for a bit of repelling. Yikes!

Alaska is a beautiful place, with great little towns that are exactly what you would expect to see on a jigsaw puzzle. In fact, David and I kept saying, "I think we have done this puzzle before". All in all it was the best vacation ever. Even with a bout of motion sickness one evening, and even without the kids for a week (which is a GOOD and yet a sad thing for a mommys heart), I couldn't imagine a better way of spending my time. Very relaxing, very easy, and PERFECT. We have already started planning and saving for our next cruise, when Jay is about five. So, we have 5 years to get there, and we can't wait!!

The last day of summer

I am very sad to see summer go. I spent most of my life living in Mesa Arizona, where it is notoriously HOT. And that is how I like it. In fact, I would rather be hot and sweaty, then even a little bit cold. Being raised in a hot climate has made the move to a cooler climate a big shock. In fact, the idea that things are alive in the summer and dead in the winter (which is the normal everywhere but the valley) was a learning experience for me. I am a valley girl to the core, especially when it comes to the weather. I enjoy my flip-flops or barefeet, my shorts, my swimming pool, and my suntanning (or more correctly....burning).

The weather in Snowflake is changing pretty quickly now. It is getting too cold to leave the windows open at night, and the high is only getting up to about 75 or 80 now. I am watching our garden die, our trees beginning to turn, and my lush green grass fade. How sad! I began sorting though my kids clothes this last weekend, and took all their shorts, sandals, and swimsuits and packed them away. I replaced them with jeans, long-sleeved shirts and jackets. Oh well, seasons will come.

Now, before you all think that I hate fall and winter, let me defend myself. I think the changing leaves of the trees are beautiful, and makes for great fall frolics and picnics. And one of my favorite past times involve snow. I really enjoy snow skiing-- and some my favorite memories happen to be in winter. So yes, I love how snow looks, I love to play in snow, I love to visit snow...... BUT I HATE TO LIVE IN IT. I dislike driving in it, shoveling it, bundling up to go anywhere....

So as fall creeps in and then brings winter, just know that I will be counting down the days to spring, and then to blessed summer again!

Pictures: Nathan and Aubrey playing in the sprinkler. Summer 2008. (top)

Emily, Aubrey and Nathan building a snowman. Winter 2007. (bottom)

Rocky Point Mexico

Nearly every summer the Peterson family takes a trip to Rocky Point Mexico. This tradition dates back to the 1960's. Davids mothers family (the Pews) have been taking vacations down to Rocky Point long before it was a tourist trap. Now, in 2008, the beaches are lined with RV parks, condos, and high-rise hotels. Even with the beaches full, and the oceans crowded, it is still a great trip. We always try and avoid the super busy times like Spring Break, the first few weeks of summer, and extremely hot times. This year our trip fell near the end of July,(21st- 25th) which is definitely a HOT time of the year!
I have to admit, a trip to Rocky Point Mexico involves a LONG drive, a HOT week, and lots of sand and sun to burn in. It gets harder to plan a trip that involves camping on a beach, outside for a week, now that I have five young kids. BUT, the kids sure had a great time! I don't think Jay enjoyed it much, being only 7 months old, and even Betsy complained a lot from the heat, but my older three..... they had a blast!!! The second day we were there was filled with the kids having so much fun playing in the ocean, on the beach, and building sand castles/sculptures. Even with LARGE doses of sunscreen, every one of them got way too much sun, which led to a pretty miserable night of sleep for all of us, lots of aloe vera gel and a quiet following day in the shade. Even with the sunburns, this year turned out to be a good time. All the siblings got to be there this year, and it was a great little reunion. We are adding in numbers, and growing to be a pretty big bunch. There are now eight grandkids, and one on the way. Lots of little kids to keep an eye on!
Our trip ended Friday morning, when we all broke camp, and drove home. Long story short, our van gave us HECK!!!!!! We all made it home by Saturday afternoon. David and I arrived home Friday, did lots of laundry, cleaned house, unpacked and RE-packed for our Alaskan Cruise, which we left for Saturday night. I told you July was crazy busy!!! To be continued.....

Pictures: David, buried in the sand (top right). Nathan, playing in the ocean with grandma Peterson behind him (left). Emily, playing on the beach (bottom left). David, Andrew, Ben, the Peterson boys (center). And Aubrey, playing in the ocean, with grandma Peterson behind her. (bottom right).

The Pioneer Day Celebration

Snowflake Arizona has a great pioneer heritage. It was settled in July of 1878 by William J. Flake. It was a few days later when the apostle Erastus Snow came to meet with and help organize the little community. That is how our town got its name-- Snow Flake. So there is your little history lesson today.

Now, every year there is a large Pioneer Day Celebration filled with parades, arts and crafts shows, rodeos, BBQs, fireworks, baseball games, races, etc..... What a fun way to celebrate our pioneer heritage, and our great town. It falls on the Saturday before the 24th of July, but is still called and considered the "24th celebration". I have attended the 24th celebration every year of my married life, and it holds a special place in my heart, because it was at one such celebration, 7 years ago that David proposed to me. I, of course said YES!

My family also has added it as a tradition to come to Snowflake and visit with us, and participate in all the activities. It is always a great time! This year it fell just two weeks before our Alaskan Cruise, (more on that later!) so everyone decided not to come this year.

I have always happily observed the parade, but they got me this year! My ward asked me to ride on the float they had built. The theme for our Pioneer Day Parade was "Woman, the Heart of Pioneering" I think that's right? Anyway, our wards float was called "Learning how to Spell". It went along with a cute little children's song that was blaring from the float. The float had the words, "I am learning how to spell.... and on the back it said "Mother spells Pioneer". It had fun little things that moms do with their children. Gardening, reading stories, bath time =), bedtime... Anyway, as you can see from the photo, that is me, with Nathan, and Aubrey and Emily are in that bath tub. They are wearing their swimsuits, and playing in the water that they had piped into the tub. It was from the hose, so the kids kept getting in and out of the tub because it was pretty cold. They were pretty good sports nonetheless. David kept Betsy and Jay with him, and he is taking this picture.

After the parade we met at our house and enjoyed a lunch with all the Petersons on our front lawn. David's brother Ben, and his wife Amy and their son Isaac, who live in Provo, had just arrived in town, and it was fun to see them. We later went to the night rodeo. It was a train-wreck. I think the kids were just worn out, and burnt out..... hey, so was I. Anyway, we watched the first hour or so, and then decided that it would be better to just take the kids home to bed. We left before the firework show. But, because we live only about 3 miles away, after David and I put the kids to bed, we sat out on our front lawn and watched the fireworks there. It was a pretty fun day, and it was nice to relax for a few minutes. But it only lasted for just that, a few minutes. David and I had to get packing! We were leaving for Rocky Point Mexico the very next day, for 5 days..... to be continued.

My baby boy is 9 months old!

Like I have mentioned before, Jay is our last baby. It has become a hard thing to accept, and yet on the other hand, a wonderful thing. I have found that I am naturally enjoying Jay and the other kids 100% more, now that I know that we are done having children. I notice more accomplishments, more stages, just more... So here on the left is my sweet little baby boy Jay Clayton, the day after he was born on December 15th, 9 months ago. And then, a shot of him taken in August. Just look at those baby blues!!

Isn't he sweet? Such a wonderful baby. He is happy and content, and is quite an independent kiddo. I can't believe it has already been 9 months! Where did the time go?? One thing for sure, we all love our baby Jay!

My b-day trip to Mesa

It was a fun time in Mesa this weekend! I always enjoy our trips back home. We left Snowflake Friday afternoon, and got to Mesa in time to get ourselves ready and the kids dropped off at babysitters (it takes TWO babysitters for my little bunch=) ) before my mom and dad, my sister Heather and her husband Jacob, and David and I headed out to Macaroni Grill for dinner (yum!) and then off to the theatre!

We went to Hale Centre Theater where we saw the murder mystery, Wait Until Dark. It was a great production, good actors, neat stage set-up and a wonderful evening out for my birthday!

We returned home, picked up the younger kiddos from my sister Heidi's house (thank you again!), and got to bed pretty late, because when Jay woke up at Heidi's while putting him in the car, he must have thought that it was morning.... It was 12:30am before he went back to sleep! Speaking of sleep... my girls favorite thing to do this trip was to climb into bed with grandma and grandpa at all hours of the night. It was definitely a interesting trip when it came to nighttime!

Saturday started early (like always..) and all the girls went out to an early breakfast at Crackers (yum, again!) and back home. Then all the boys met up over and Jacob and Heathers house to play Halo on the X-Box. They always plan Halo parties, every time David is in town. We all gathered later in the afternoon for a family dinner with BBQ chicken sandwiches, spinach salad, fruit salad, and jello (for the kids!) I can always count on a great meal, just like mom used to make!

We were ALL there, Justin and Heather and their 4 kids, Heather and Jacob, and their 3 kids, Heidi and Wynn and their 2 kids, and us with our 5 kids! That is 14 grandbabies, all under the age of 8! It is a loud, yet fun, energetic house! Here is a picture of the whole group, taken in April.

We were planning on leaving after the family dinner Saturday, but decided to put off our drive until Sunday morning. We left this morning and got back to Snowflake at noon. All in all, a great trip. Just a few hangups....

Having a dog is like having another baby. Don't let anyone tell you different. And right when you finally get yourself attached to the animal, he gets deathly ill. No joke..... Now our little pup Max has not been feeling very good for a few days, and so Friday morning, after I tracked him down and before we hit the road to Mesa, I ran him to the vet, just to make sure he was okay. He was not. He tested positive to Parvo. Yeah, it is a yucky, deadly decease. We had planned on taking him with us, but not being deathly ill. So, we shut him in my parents laundry room, and he laid in his bed the whole time. He was not eating, barely drinking, and vomiting often. The vet gave me the responsibility to give Max an IV, (yes, an actual IV, with the bag, tubes, needle...) And I am overly happy to report that he is feeling MUCH better today. He is still quite skinny, but he is eating, playing, drinking. Its a good thing. =)

Our trips are always a good time for David and I too. We have been blessed and are lucky enough to have all five of the kids very good travelers. Yes, Aubrey struggles with motion sickness, (just like her mommy), but they all sleep and travel well in the car. David and I can usually count on all of them to sleep the first hour to two hours of our drives, which allows for good adult conversation. So I feel refreshed, prepared, and excited about the future. A good weekend, and an overall fun time for all!

Found him!!

We found him! I took the kids and we went slowly driving around the neighborhood a few times, and when we got back, he had apparently wandered home. He was in the backyard. Note to self..... we need a fenced in yard!!

Our lost dog

We are almost packed, almost ready to leave for Mesa for a three day weekend, and this morning, we can't find our puppy Max. He must have wandered away last night. I have already been out once this morning looking. I am sure he is fine, and pretty close to home, but this just throws a wrench in my morning. I will update you all on the whereabouts of our little doggy, and hope to be on the road at about noon, with our little Max in tow. =)

Happy Birthday to..... ME!

It is amazing how your birthday gets less and less exciting, the older you get. As a child I would start my countdown weeks before my actual birthday. Yet this year, it was not until yesterday that I realized that my birthday was tomorrow! Oh well.

I was thinking this morning about the birthdays I have had in my past. Most notable ones, etc. The first birthday I can remember was when my family still lived in West Valley City, Utah. I was turning five. I remember a little party with my friends, and my cake. That is about all. The next birthday I can remember pretty clearly was when I turned eight. Both sets of my grandparents were there for that birthday. I was excited because I was getting baptized, but, was generally bummed that all I got for my birthday was a set of scriptures and a coloring book and crayons. I realize now the importance of that gift, and still have that set of scriptures tucked carefully away in my cedar chest. I remember my twelfth birthday very well. It was when my family lived in Mesa, on Ivy Glen St. Those were the greatest years of my life yet. I had my best friends invited. Amy, Stacie, Angela, Kristen, and Jon. (I had a huge crush on him, my entire childhood =) )

And lastly, my 20th birthday. September 11, 2001. I was living at home, engaged to David, who was living in Tucson at the time. It was about 6:30 am when my mom woke me up, took me into her room and showed me the events happening on TV. The towers were going down, USA was in a state of panic. My thoughts were panic, sadness, and fear. It was not until a few minutes later that I realized that this was how I was going to spend my birthday-- and future birthdays for the rest of my life. That whole day was full of news watching, crying, and fearing the worst. Not the greatest birthday, I have to admit. And even to this day, every time I tell someone when my birthday is, I get a "Oh, how sad." or a "Ahhh, that's rough". BUT, to make light of this heavy subject, it was my birthday, before it was a terrorist attack, and everyone around me sure remembers when I was born! Not many people miss my birthday. And everyone flies their flags too!

This morning I was woken up to all five of my sweet children, and my great hubby singing "Happy Birthday to You". Then they all climbed up in bed with me and started sharing the orange slices candy that is a big tradition in the Peterson family. You can't have a birthday, or give a birthday gift without including a pack of orange slices candy inside. =) It's a fun little tradition to keep going with our kids. I would take and attach a picture of my loot I have gotten so far, BUT, like I mentioned before, my camera bit the dust, and is not fixable. SO, as a birthday present to myself I plan on getting a new digital camera this weekend. Any suggestions on good cameras?

We are headed to Mesa this weekend to do a Costco run, a temple session, a birthday breakfast and dinner, a play, and a family BBQ. I am very excited about going home. There is nothing like returning to your hometown, and your family. I sure miss it there. All of my siblings and parents live in Mesa, except for me. It is hard to miss out on the little things, the family home evenings, the Sunday dinners, etc. And yet, after it is all said and done, and we are driving back toward Snowflake after a visit to Mesa, it sure feels good to be going back home to Snowflake.

Greatest show on earth!

I have to admit that I have been to far better firework shows. A couple summers spent in Idaho Falls, and even Mesa puts on more impressive shows then the one we got to watch in Taylor Arizona on the fifth of July. But, try and tell my kids that! They were absolutely enthralled. In previous years I have had at least one of my kids crying scared through the entire show, but not this year. Not even Jay!

Nathan, Uncle Andrew, Aubrey, Emily, Grandpa Peterson holding Betsy, and Jay

The 4th of July Celebration in Taylor always falls on the Saturday after the 4th. It happened to be on the 5th this year. It starts out with a BANG..... literally. Early in the morning (5am, I think), there is a flag raising, a band playing and little production called, "the firing of the anvil". This all takes place in the town of Taylor, which is a good two to three miles away from our house, and yet, it wakes me up every year. They take two anvils, put a fuse between them, and light it. Man, its LOUD! And pretty neat too. The group travels through the town and lights these anvils at least 10 times and every time it goes off, I jump, even from my own kitchen!

For the benefit of the crowd who were too lazy to get out of bed at 5 am (like me), the Town of Taylor fires that anvil a few times, later that night at the annual 4th of July Rodeo. What a great time! I truly enjoy watching rodeo. It's in my blood (my Grandpa Higginson was quite the rodeo star and cowboy in his day). The ironic thing is, I had never attended a rodeo, or rode a horse (except for once) until I married into the Peterson family. What a great sport, and a daring one at that! We talk randomly about Aubrey becoming a barrel racer. It takes someone with an adventurous, fearless spirit, like Aubrey's; she gets it from her great-grandpa.

The month of July is filled with lots of activities and productions, and we enjoyed quite a few of them! Not to mention, a trip to Rocky Point, Mexico, and lest we forget, an Alaskan cruise! It was a busy month! Lots more on those later!

When it rains, it pours!

We are experiencing quite a rainstorm this morning. Our house is right next to a drainage ditch and there is a pretty big backup of water right now. Nathan usually walks to school and enjoys it, but this morning he was asking for a ride, so you know that it must be coming down pretty good!




One thing is for sure, I LOVE rain. I could stand at my window watching it rain ALL day. In fact, that is how I have spent the majority of this morning already. I have mentioned to David a few times about how I would like to live in Seattle, because of all the rainfall there, and he is quick to remind me that that wouldn't be a good thing, because I would never get anything done! I would love to be out there right now, splashing in the puddles and twirling in the rain.... then my neighbors would really think I had lost it! =)

This picture was actually taken last year-2007, in one of our big monsoon rains. I had quite a good time too, playing in that puddle. Just look at the look on Nathans' face! Pure joy.

4th of July in Show Low

Up here in the White Mountains, every community is its own, and yet, when holidays come around, we all travel and see the other towns parades/BBQs, etc. And July is full of them! For the 4th of July, Show Low has a pretty big parade, and we always meet up with the Pew side of the family for parade watching, and a picnic of sorts afterward. This year was no different.

Here we are watching the parade go by. Front: Nathan, Betsy, Emily. Back: David, Jay, and Aubrey.

It was pretty hot (low 90's) and the kids had a pretty good time. After the parade we met up over at Granddad Pews house and had a fun picnic. The older kids had fun swinging on his large weeping willows trees.

The top one is of Nathan, middle is Aubrey, and the bottom shot is Emily.

We had a great day, and the kids were worn out for sure. After all the festivities, we made our bi-weekly WalMart and bank trip. (The closest WalMart and Bank of America, to our house is 30 miles away, and conveniently in the town of Show Low.) The kids slept all the way home and all ended up with slight sunburns.... even with sunscreen and hats?!? It was a great day. We didn't make the trek back to Show Low that night for their fireworks display, but we did get to see them the next day, in Taylor. But I will save that for my next post.....

Starting out

We are new to this blogging world.... We (or more precisely, I am an avid reader of a few blogs) and thought that we could start one for ourselves. Let me start with a quick intro of our family.

David (31)..... He is the man of the house. He is a great guy, with a good heart, and a great provider for his little bunch. He works hard right now in construction, and on the side, uses his semi-hidden talent in drafting and designing house plans.

Valerie (26).... I am the "mommy" of the house. I am a stay at home mom to my five little monkeys. My interests are decorating, organizing (although my house will claim otherwise) and of course, kids! I will be the author of probably 99% of these posts, just so you all know.

Valerie and David; taken Aug 2008 on our Alaskan Cruise

Now for our kids:

Nathan (6).... He is the oldest of our children. He has such a great little personality, with lots of maturity for his age. He is super smart, great memory, and wears all his feelings on his sleeve. He is a really good big brother and an incredible helper for his mommy.

Aubrey (4)..... She is our second child and first girl of the kids. She is quite the personality. She is a tornado, with more energy and attitude then should be legal!! LOL. She is the independent thinker of our bunch, and is as stubborn as her mother. =) She loves the role of little mommy and is a great helper with all her siblings.

Emily (3)..... Here is our #3. She is such a sweet little spirit with a willing heart. She also wears her feelings on her sleeve, but they are more gushing. (she is a girl...need I say more??) She is in the stage now that she is beginning to show some attitude, and surprising us all with her outbursts. She tends to obey, and loves to pick up toys....

Betsy (21 months)...... Betsy is our forth baby and third girl. She is the most beautiful thing ever, and is the only one of our bunch that resembles her daddy. She is an independent little girl, and is constantly reminding us of her big sister Aubrey =). She has such a genuine smile, and a happy personality.

Jay (8 1/2 months).... He is the last of our tribe. Our second boy, and our LAST baby. It is hard to see him grow up, knowing that he is the last.... He is a handsome little guy with piercing blue eyes and strawberry blond hair. He is happy and content, and is scooting/army crawling everywhere these days.

Emily, Nathan, Jay, Aubrey, and Betsy (Taken July 2008)

And lest we forget: Max (Puppy; half dachshund/ half pug)..... Cute little dog. Likes to bite and play. We brought him home about 6 weeks ago. He is a patient little thing, and generally well behaved.

Well, that is us. We are living right now in Snowflake Arizona (NE Arizona, above the rim) It is a great small town, with lots of family around. Everyone knows everyone.... Great Mormon town.

I have tons of ideas for posts and they will all eventually happen, but please be patient with me, for as I said, I am a new blogger. There are always interesting things going on in my house full of young kids... so now all I have to do is get my digital camera up and running again (it gave up the ghost a few weeks back) , or maybe go out a buy a new one =)!! More to come....