5 days ago
Thursday, October 28, 2010
THANKFUL THURSDAY
Today I am thankful for nap time. My kids have actually been pretty good today, so it is not because I need a break from them, but mostly because I have so much to do. The kind of things that have to be done without little helpers. Like cleaning the bathrooms and sewing on Cub Scout patches. So I better get to it!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
TRUE CONFESSIONS TUESDAY
#1: I have no idea what my kids are going to be for Halloween. Because I don't really care too much about the holiday, and haven't really focused on it, the kids don't seem to notice that it is in just a few days. I asked them last night what they want to be, and none of them really had an answer. I feel kinda bad for raising kids that don't make a big deal out of this holiday, but then again.... I don't.
#2: I have a pile of five loads of laundry that need folded sitting next to me on the couch. Any volunteers?!?!
#3: I am in the midst of the semi-annual clothes sort for my family. My children have two sets of wardrobe. A winter set and a summer set. I am packing away the summer set and pulling out the winter set. This makes a huge mess, a lot of stress, and storage bins stacked around my house for days. It is not a fun time for me. In fact, I HATE IT. I am just grateful that I am over half way done. I did the three girls clothes yesterday, and I am now focused on the two boys clothes today.
#4: My youngest child will turn 3 in December. I need to start potty training the boy, but you know what? I just don't want to. I have made a few attempts, but I just don't have the desire to keep it going.
#5: I went to bed last night at 8:45pm and woke up at 6:30am. I got nearly TEN hours of sleep last night. I realized this morning that too little sleep OR too much sleep is dangerous for me. I need between 7-8 hours to feel good and ready for the day. Any less OR more turns me into a witch. I am not having a particularly good day today, and I have lost my temper more then once with my kids. Why can't I be one of those "good moms" that I read about on my friends blogs? Because I am not feeling like a good mom today... or wife, or housekeeper, or cook, etc.... maybe tomorrow.
#2: I have a pile of five loads of laundry that need folded sitting next to me on the couch. Any volunteers?!?!
#3: I am in the midst of the semi-annual clothes sort for my family. My children have two sets of wardrobe. A winter set and a summer set. I am packing away the summer set and pulling out the winter set. This makes a huge mess, a lot of stress, and storage bins stacked around my house for days. It is not a fun time for me. In fact, I HATE IT. I am just grateful that I am over half way done. I did the three girls clothes yesterday, and I am now focused on the two boys clothes today.
#4: My youngest child will turn 3 in December. I need to start potty training the boy, but you know what? I just don't want to. I have made a few attempts, but I just don't have the desire to keep it going.
#5: I went to bed last night at 8:45pm and woke up at 6:30am. I got nearly TEN hours of sleep last night. I realized this morning that too little sleep OR too much sleep is dangerous for me. I need between 7-8 hours to feel good and ready for the day. Any less OR more turns me into a witch. I am not having a particularly good day today, and I have lost my temper more then once with my kids. Why can't I be one of those "good moms" that I read about on my friends blogs? Because I am not feeling like a good mom today... or wife, or housekeeper, or cook, etc.... maybe tomorrow.
Monday, October 25, 2010
MEMORIES MONDAY
I have decided that it is hard to come up with a memory to write about. Don't get me wrong, I have many memories, but zeroing in on just one has proven more difficult then I thought. So, as I was trying to hone in on said memory, I had a few thoughts. I could write about music, I could write about high school, I could even write about things like children's births or my wedding. BUT, the thing that kept coming back to me, was him...
George. Bubba. Bubbastibum. Bart. Bartman. Just. Justin.
George. Bubba. Bubbastibum. Bart. Bartman. Just. Justin. He is by far my most very favorite brother in the whole wide world. I am sure that the day I came home from the hospital as a babe in arms, he was disappointed. I am sure that a few of my family members were, to be honest. They wanted a baby brother. A boy. And I am not. BUT, that never stopped Justin from teaching me the ropes. He has always been a very good brother. I have been wrestled, thrown to the ground, spat and farted on, all by this great guy. Even as he was torturing me with the ways mentioned above, I also knew, deep down he really did care and love me.
There are a few times in my growing up that affirms this truth. I was 12, which would have made him 17 or 18. We were outside 'shooting hoops', when his friends pulled up and asked him to go with them somewhere. He looked at them, looked back at me, and told his friends no. He stayed home that night with me. He and I played basketball for a while more, and I was so excited that he WANTED to be with me. I have no idea if he even remembers that day so long ago, but I will never forget.
The next experience was when I was packing up, and moving out, headed to college. It was a stressful time, and I was feeling every kind of emotion possible. I was thrilled to be on my own, scared to death to be on my own, happy to be leaving, sad to be leaving.... you understand. So in the midst of tearing my room apart and loading things into the back of my dads truck, the phone rang. It was my brother, who was now married with twin toddlers at the time. He knew that things were a bit stressful and overwhelming for me, and asked me to go with him to Fillibertos. It is a dirty, dive of a Mexican joint on Main Street in Mesa. But the food is to die for. He had taken me there quite a few times, and out of the blue, after about 4 years of not going there, he asked me to go with him. I said yes. I don't hardly remember anything about our conversation, but I do remember that Justin took time out of his already busy life to help and be with his little sister, and I will forever be grateful for him.
The upper picture (when we both looks so young), was the night before he left on his mission. I was 13, he was 19. It was a hard and sad time for me. There was a lot going on in our family around the time he left on his mission and so this picture is particularly special to me. The last night of the "normal" that I had grown up in. Just a couple months after he left, my twin sisters left for Ricks College, leaving me an 'only-child', and then a couple months after that we moved to Colorado. I love looking at this picture, because I can see just how much he loves me.
The picture above is not a flattering shot of Justin. In fact, I could probably dig up about a dozen more pictures with him pulling this exact face. It is his 'ugly face' that he has perfected over the years. I took this shot of him in June of this year. Without showing you one of these pictures, you couldn't really get a feel for Justin, or his humorous personality.
So with that I will say, I love you George. And love that you are my favorite big brother!
There are a few times in my growing up that affirms this truth. I was 12, which would have made him 17 or 18. We were outside 'shooting hoops', when his friends pulled up and asked him to go with them somewhere. He looked at them, looked back at me, and told his friends no. He stayed home that night with me. He and I played basketball for a while more, and I was so excited that he WANTED to be with me. I have no idea if he even remembers that day so long ago, but I will never forget.
The next experience was when I was packing up, and moving out, headed to college. It was a stressful time, and I was feeling every kind of emotion possible. I was thrilled to be on my own, scared to death to be on my own, happy to be leaving, sad to be leaving.... you understand. So in the midst of tearing my room apart and loading things into the back of my dads truck, the phone rang. It was my brother, who was now married with twin toddlers at the time. He knew that things were a bit stressful and overwhelming for me, and asked me to go with him to Fillibertos. It is a dirty, dive of a Mexican joint on Main Street in Mesa. But the food is to die for. He had taken me there quite a few times, and out of the blue, after about 4 years of not going there, he asked me to go with him. I said yes. I don't hardly remember anything about our conversation, but I do remember that Justin took time out of his already busy life to help and be with his little sister, and I will forever be grateful for him.
The upper picture (when we both looks so young), was the night before he left on his mission. I was 13, he was 19. It was a hard and sad time for me. There was a lot going on in our family around the time he left on his mission and so this picture is particularly special to me. The last night of the "normal" that I had grown up in. Just a couple months after he left, my twin sisters left for Ricks College, leaving me an 'only-child', and then a couple months after that we moved to Colorado. I love looking at this picture, because I can see just how much he loves me.The picture above is not a flattering shot of Justin. In fact, I could probably dig up about a dozen more pictures with him pulling this exact face. It is his 'ugly face' that he has perfected over the years. I took this shot of him in June of this year. Without showing you one of these pictures, you couldn't really get a feel for Justin, or his humorous personality.
So with that I will say, I love you George. And love that you are my favorite big brother!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
SPECIAL SATURDAY and SPIRITUAL SUNDAY
It is two for one today. I really did want to, and was planning on making a post yesterday, but that didn't end up happening...
So yesterday, for our SPECIAL SATURDAY:
Because Nathan and Aubrey were both away (sleepovers), and we had a pretty late bedtime the night before (thanks to a last minute Wal-Mart run), Saturday MIRACULOUSLY started with a bit of sleeping in. The whole family were all in bed and sleeping soundly until 7:30 am. For those of you that think that 7:30 is early, may I inform you that 99.9% of days start around the 5:30-6am mark around here at the Peterson household. So yes, 7:30 am is SLEEPING IN. If you would have told me that in high school or college I would have died, and/or never had children. =)
So it was overcast and miserably cold in the morning. It felt cold enough to snow, and I was not to keen on that idea, and I am glad that it didn't end up doing so. Part of the reason that sleeping was still going on into the 7 o' clock hour was that our rooster didn't crow. We went out to move the chicken coop to another area where they hadn't scratched it to death, and the rooster was lying there, barely breathing. He must have gotten sick or something. ? So our dear, LOUD Speed Racer was laid to rest yesterday. Nathan took it pretty hard (Speed Racer was technically his chicken). So we had yet another lesson on life and death and animals. They all seem to be fine about it today, and I happily was not awoken this morning to a crowing rooster. So, R.I.P Speed Racer. It was LOUD while it lasted...
Along with the whole killing-a-rooster ordeal, we also harvested the last of our tomatoes. We wanted to catch them before a frost came and killed them all. The kids enjoyed helping and we got a large mixing bowl full of mostly green tomatoes.
David had a few things going yesterday. He helped set up tables and chairs for a funeral, and also went along with the elders quorum and high priests to cut wood for some of the widows in the ward. We are coming on cold here in the white mountains, and so I have begun to notice the smell of wood burning stoves around the neighborhood. Unfortunately our wood stove it still wrapped in a tarp on my back porch. We had good intentions yesterday to get some major work done on getting it back inside, but that didn't happen either. I don't know how many more days of 65 degrees inside my house I can handle. That furnace looked mighty tempting yesterday...
It was a pretty early bedtime (hence the fact that the night before was a late one), and a haircut for David, and that is how our SPECIAL SATURDAY ended.
On to SPIRITUAL SUNDAY...
Here in the Peterson household, Sundays are not considered restful, holy, peaceful, calming or any other synonym you can come up with that is supposed to define the Sabbath. I, in fact, muttered at least 10 times today about how much I hate Sundays. Not the church part (usually), but the morning that proceeds the church part. My house goes to shambles, my sanity hangs on the brink and my children are horridly behaved. I don't understand why the whole week can go relatively smooth, but as soon as it is Sunday, the kids all turn into little miniature devils. Anyone else have this problem??? please.
BUT, church really did go pretty good. A small meltdown by Jay, but other then that, I actually got to kind-of listen to the speakers today! I love the fact that my kids are getting a bit older, and can almost sit quietly at church. And the really bright side of it all is that it will only get better! Hopefully...
At church I heard a neat quote from one of the speakers about temptation. I will paraphrase, because I don't know the exact words. "Sometimes temptation is not a bad or destructive thing, but just a little bit of shade." She spoke about a herd of cows that lost a few calves, because they were enjoying a bit of shade not far from the path. Following the 'straight and narrow' is not always the easiest or most comfortable thing, but it is worth it, so we don't end up lost or distracted by the 'little comfortable' sins. I ended my worship service today with choir practice. I really love to sing, and love the peace the music brings to my heart and spirit. It is a wonderful way to end a sometimes stressful Sunday.
I think that I am going to go get my kids to bed a little bit early tonight. I probably could, because our church time (1-4pm) is right in the middle of nap time. I would love a quiet Sunday evening with my husband, but he is gone home teaching and being the worlds best Elders Quorum President alive. I like that he loves his calling. Okay, maybe 'love' is the wrong word, but he sure enjoys and magnifies it all the time.
So yesterday, for our SPECIAL SATURDAY:
Because Nathan and Aubrey were both away (sleepovers), and we had a pretty late bedtime the night before (thanks to a last minute Wal-Mart run), Saturday MIRACULOUSLY started with a bit of sleeping in. The whole family were all in bed and sleeping soundly until 7:30 am. For those of you that think that 7:30 is early, may I inform you that 99.9% of days start around the 5:30-6am mark around here at the Peterson household. So yes, 7:30 am is SLEEPING IN. If you would have told me that in high school or college I would have died, and/or never had children. =)
So it was overcast and miserably cold in the morning. It felt cold enough to snow, and I was not to keen on that idea, and I am glad that it didn't end up doing so. Part of the reason that sleeping was still going on into the 7 o' clock hour was that our rooster didn't crow. We went out to move the chicken coop to another area where they hadn't scratched it to death, and the rooster was lying there, barely breathing. He must have gotten sick or something. ? So our dear, LOUD Speed Racer was laid to rest yesterday. Nathan took it pretty hard (Speed Racer was technically his chicken). So we had yet another lesson on life and death and animals. They all seem to be fine about it today, and I happily was not awoken this morning to a crowing rooster. So, R.I.P Speed Racer. It was LOUD while it lasted...
Along with the whole killing-a-rooster ordeal, we also harvested the last of our tomatoes. We wanted to catch them before a frost came and killed them all. The kids enjoyed helping and we got a large mixing bowl full of mostly green tomatoes.
David had a few things going yesterday. He helped set up tables and chairs for a funeral, and also went along with the elders quorum and high priests to cut wood for some of the widows in the ward. We are coming on cold here in the white mountains, and so I have begun to notice the smell of wood burning stoves around the neighborhood. Unfortunately our wood stove it still wrapped in a tarp on my back porch. We had good intentions yesterday to get some major work done on getting it back inside, but that didn't happen either. I don't know how many more days of 65 degrees inside my house I can handle. That furnace looked mighty tempting yesterday...
It was a pretty early bedtime (hence the fact that the night before was a late one), and a haircut for David, and that is how our SPECIAL SATURDAY ended.
On to SPIRITUAL SUNDAY...
Here in the Peterson household, Sundays are not considered restful, holy, peaceful, calming or any other synonym you can come up with that is supposed to define the Sabbath. I, in fact, muttered at least 10 times today about how much I hate Sundays. Not the church part (usually), but the morning that proceeds the church part. My house goes to shambles, my sanity hangs on the brink and my children are horridly behaved. I don't understand why the whole week can go relatively smooth, but as soon as it is Sunday, the kids all turn into little miniature devils. Anyone else have this problem??? please.
BUT, church really did go pretty good. A small meltdown by Jay, but other then that, I actually got to kind-of listen to the speakers today! I love the fact that my kids are getting a bit older, and can almost sit quietly at church. And the really bright side of it all is that it will only get better! Hopefully...
At church I heard a neat quote from one of the speakers about temptation. I will paraphrase, because I don't know the exact words. "Sometimes temptation is not a bad or destructive thing, but just a little bit of shade." She spoke about a herd of cows that lost a few calves, because they were enjoying a bit of shade not far from the path. Following the 'straight and narrow' is not always the easiest or most comfortable thing, but it is worth it, so we don't end up lost or distracted by the 'little comfortable' sins. I ended my worship service today with choir practice. I really love to sing, and love the peace the music brings to my heart and spirit. It is a wonderful way to end a sometimes stressful Sunday.
I think that I am going to go get my kids to bed a little bit early tonight. I probably could, because our church time (1-4pm) is right in the middle of nap time. I would love a quiet Sunday evening with my husband, but he is gone home teaching and being the worlds best Elders Quorum President alive. I like that he loves his calling. Okay, maybe 'love' is the wrong word, but he sure enjoys and magnifies it all the time.
Friday, October 22, 2010
FAMILY FRIDAY
Because I missed last Fridays blog day, this one will cover TWO weeks. It feels like this will be more of a day to day itinerary then anything... sorry if it is boring, but I am treating this blog like a journal and will be making one of those cool blog books when we have some money to do such things. So, here goes....
I feel like Fall has finally arrived. It has become more and more clear these last couple weeks. Nathan, Aubrey, and Emily all took class field trips to a local pumpkin patch, and brought home these three beauties. They are very proud of their pumpkins, and are looking forward to carving them in the coming week. I also went to parent/teacher conferences for my three older ones who are in school. I was glad to hear that each one of my kiddos are doing amazingly well in school. It does a mommas' heart good to hear that her children are succeeding and behaving well.
During that week, I got to help out my wonderful sis-in-law and watch her 14 month old son, Thomas, while she and her sweet family enjoyed a trip to Disneyland. JEALOUS! But, he was such a joy, and I was so happy to help them out. He is such a great little baby, and I enjoyed my time I had to hold and rock him. I have to admit that our family has fallen in love with sweet Thomas Tenney. I would be more then happy to watch him again. He is such a wonderful, fun baby boy!
On Friday the 15th, I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. I cleaned my house spic-n-span, and packed for a five day mini-vacation to Mesa. We got on the road about an hour later then we had planned, but that seems pretty normal around here. We arrived in Mesa safely, after only one pull-over for a sick tummy (she gets that from me).
One of the major highlights of the trip was that my mom, sisters, and I got to attend Time Out for Women in Phoenix on Friday night and all day Saturday. It was an awesome, fun, spiritually uplifting, and surprisingly casual type of an event. We had lots of fun laughing, crying, and being together. It was great! I was SO excited to run into one of my dearest and most special friends, Julie Potter. She happened to be there on Friday night, and we ran into each other, even in a room of over 2,600 women. It was wonderful to see her!
On Sunday I got the chance to go back to my home ward. I was raised in that ward, and it was SO good to see faces that I have known my whole life. As I sat there in Relief Society surrounded by people that helped raise me, I felt right at home. I love the feeling of "coming home", and I especially feel it when I go back to the 46th Ward.
Sunday evening all my family meet together at my parents house for our monthly dinner and Family Home Evening. I usually miss those, so it was so wonderful to be there with my family. Uncle Jacob gave a lesson on peer pressure (geared at the kids, of course), and then the kids played 'Cut the Flour'. (Josh, Nathan, and Brenan are pictured). I had completely forgotten about that fun game. It brought back a lot of memories of my childhood, watching my children and nieces and nephews enjoy it.
Monday and Tuesday of this week was our "Fall Break". It was a fun couple days to spend with my parents and sisters. We went to the Phoenix Zoo on Monday morning, and had a pretty good time looking at animals. The kids were fascinated at Monkey Village, where the squirrel monkeys swung over our heads! Here is Betsy in one of the interactive displays. She is being a cute little (okay, BIG) tortoise. Tuesday was spent doing laundry. My mom always insists that I go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes, as apposed to dirty... I love my mom. =) We also cleaned out my van, and washed all the car seats. I also got the privilege of adding my signature as a witness to my dads mission papers. I was honored, and pleased to be there when their official missionary papers went in. SO exciting for them! We can't wait for the blessings....
We drove home, after dark, back to Snowflake on Tuesday night. It was a pretty slow, scary drive. I usually don't mind driving in the dark, but coming up over the rim, I had four different occasions of people flashing their lights at us, signaling danger ahead. Two of the four times, traffic came to a screeching halt due to deer in the road. No cars that I was traveling near hit them gratefully, but it keep my adrenaline high and I was pretty worn out and tired when I pulled into our driveway.
Wednesday the kids all went back to school. At 1pm I pulled them out for a dentist appointment up in Show Low. Nathan went in and got that silver tooth he was so excited about and one other cavity filled. He did really well, and I gave myself the title of "mother of the year" for hauling all five kids into that small dentists' room, and keeping them all under control during Nathans visit. They did really well, and all earned a token for the prize tower. Nathan got two tokens, because technically he was the one being worked on! I should have earned a token or two myself! =)
Both Thursday and today have been a pretty quiet and relaxing. I love the days when there is absolutely nothing on the calendar. They seem to be getting more and more rare, so I really try to enjoy the times that I don't have anything to do, and/or nowhere to go. Looking forward to a productive weekend....we shall see.
I feel like Fall has finally arrived. It has become more and more clear these last couple weeks. Nathan, Aubrey, and Emily all took class field trips to a local pumpkin patch, and brought home these three beauties. They are very proud of their pumpkins, and are looking forward to carving them in the coming week. I also went to parent/teacher conferences for my three older ones who are in school. I was glad to hear that each one of my kiddos are doing amazingly well in school. It does a mommas' heart good to hear that her children are succeeding and behaving well.
During that week, I got to help out my wonderful sis-in-law and watch her 14 month old son, Thomas, while she and her sweet family enjoyed a trip to Disneyland. JEALOUS! But, he was such a joy, and I was so happy to help them out. He is such a great little baby, and I enjoyed my time I had to hold and rock him. I have to admit that our family has fallen in love with sweet Thomas Tenney. I would be more then happy to watch him again. He is such a wonderful, fun baby boy! On Friday the 15th, I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. I cleaned my house spic-n-span, and packed for a five day mini-vacation to Mesa. We got on the road about an hour later then we had planned, but that seems pretty normal around here. We arrived in Mesa safely, after only one pull-over for a sick tummy (she gets that from me).
One of the major highlights of the trip was that my mom, sisters, and I got to attend Time Out for Women in Phoenix on Friday night and all day Saturday. It was an awesome, fun, spiritually uplifting, and surprisingly casual type of an event. We had lots of fun laughing, crying, and being together. It was great! I was SO excited to run into one of my dearest and most special friends, Julie Potter. She happened to be there on Friday night, and we ran into each other, even in a room of over 2,600 women. It was wonderful to see her! On Sunday I got the chance to go back to my home ward. I was raised in that ward, and it was SO good to see faces that I have known my whole life. As I sat there in Relief Society surrounded by people that helped raise me, I felt right at home. I love the feeling of "coming home", and I especially feel it when I go back to the 46th Ward.
Sunday evening all my family meet together at my parents house for our monthly dinner and Family Home Evening. I usually miss those, so it was so wonderful to be there with my family. Uncle Jacob gave a lesson on peer pressure (geared at the kids, of course), and then the kids played 'Cut the Flour'. (Josh, Nathan, and Brenan are pictured). I had completely forgotten about that fun game. It brought back a lot of memories of my childhood, watching my children and nieces and nephews enjoy it.
Monday and Tuesday of this week was our "Fall Break". It was a fun couple days to spend with my parents and sisters. We went to the Phoenix Zoo on Monday morning, and had a pretty good time looking at animals. The kids were fascinated at Monkey Village, where the squirrel monkeys swung over our heads! Here is Betsy in one of the interactive displays. She is being a cute little (okay, BIG) tortoise. Tuesday was spent doing laundry. My mom always insists that I go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes, as apposed to dirty... I love my mom. =) We also cleaned out my van, and washed all the car seats. I also got the privilege of adding my signature as a witness to my dads mission papers. I was honored, and pleased to be there when their official missionary papers went in. SO exciting for them! We can't wait for the blessings....We drove home, after dark, back to Snowflake on Tuesday night. It was a pretty slow, scary drive. I usually don't mind driving in the dark, but coming up over the rim, I had four different occasions of people flashing their lights at us, signaling danger ahead. Two of the four times, traffic came to a screeching halt due to deer in the road. No cars that I was traveling near hit them gratefully, but it keep my adrenaline high and I was pretty worn out and tired when I pulled into our driveway.
Wednesday the kids all went back to school. At 1pm I pulled them out for a dentist appointment up in Show Low. Nathan went in and got that silver tooth he was so excited about and one other cavity filled. He did really well, and I gave myself the title of "mother of the year" for hauling all five kids into that small dentists' room, and keeping them all under control during Nathans visit. They did really well, and all earned a token for the prize tower. Nathan got two tokens, because technically he was the one being worked on! I should have earned a token or two myself! =)
Both Thursday and today have been a pretty quiet and relaxing. I love the days when there is absolutely nothing on the calendar. They seem to be getting more and more rare, so I really try to enjoy the times that I don't have anything to do, and/or nowhere to go. Looking forward to a productive weekend....we shall see.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
THANKFUL THURSDAY
Today I am thankful for how beautiful it looks out my kitchen window. When I left out of town last Friday afternoon my tree had just a few slight touches of yellow, and by the time I got home on Tuesday night, it had almost completely transformed. BRIGHT yellow. It really is pretty! The afternoon sun shines right through this tree and makes a very bright, almost eerie glow in my kitchen and family room. It almost makes up for the fact that it is getting increasingly colder outside... which, by the way, I am NOT thankful for. =)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
THANKFUL THURSDAY
Today I am busy packing and cleaning for a trip to Mesa. We are all leaving tomorrow right after school gets out. I am taking full advantage of Fall Break next Monday and Tuesday, and going to see my parents and family. I am really looking forward to this mini-vacation. I always enjoy my trips back home, and REALLY enjoy the weather down there now. It is an absolutely perfect time of year in the valley.
BUT, this time is a little different. I am going with full knowledge that this will be the last time I spend quality time with my mom and daddy for over 18 months. I am so proud of my parents. Just three years ago they returned from their first 18 month mission to the Manila Philippines MTC. And just three years later they have turned in their papers to serve another mission (don't know where yet, but they requested stateside). I am SO PROUD, and super excited for them in their righteous desires! I am thankful for their willingness to up and leave their wonderful family again=), and go and do the things which both they and the Lord desires of them.
My relationship with my parents is a special one to me. I am thankful for the maturity and ability now to really appreciate them, and and incredibly thankful for all their love, help, and concern that they are always able and willing to give. I love you twice as much as the last thing you say mom and daddy!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
TRUE CONFESSIONS TUESDAY
True Confession #1: Blogging everyday is hard. I probably would have had time for it, but sometimes taking a nap, or relaxing, or watching a movie with my husband is more beneficial. Sundays are anything but restful around here, and I couldn't decide what I wanted to write about for Memories Monday, so I just didn't....
True Confession #2: A room can go from perfectly clean to an absolute mess in a matter of 47 seconds in this house. If you were here at this very moment you would see that I am speaking the truth. My office is proof...
True Confession #3: I focused nearly all my energy on laundry yesterday, and I am proud to say that my laundry is 100% caught up, folded, AND put away. BUT, with that being said, I did not focus hardly any energy on the rest of my house, so it looks like a tornado came through. Guess what I am doing today?!?
True Confession #4: We have a old, badly sealed house, its coming on to cold, five children and a husband who are pretty messy eaters and usually don't pick up after themselves, and a mommy who would rather sleep then stay up half the night cleaning. What does that equal here in the White Mountains? Mice. Yes, we have them. No, I don't like it, and don't like admitting it. But, it is True Confessions Tuesday, so I will come clean. Now I just need to get, and keep my house that way. Oh wait, I forgot, I have five young kids...It will NEVER stay clean, for at least 16 more years....
True Confession #2: A room can go from perfectly clean to an absolute mess in a matter of 47 seconds in this house. If you were here at this very moment you would see that I am speaking the truth. My office is proof...
True Confession #3: I focused nearly all my energy on laundry yesterday, and I am proud to say that my laundry is 100% caught up, folded, AND put away. BUT, with that being said, I did not focus hardly any energy on the rest of my house, so it looks like a tornado came through. Guess what I am doing today?!?
True Confession #4: We have a old, badly sealed house, its coming on to cold, five children and a husband who are pretty messy eaters and usually don't pick up after themselves, and a mommy who would rather sleep then stay up half the night cleaning. What does that equal here in the White Mountains? Mice. Yes, we have them. No, I don't like it, and don't like admitting it. But, it is True Confessions Tuesday, so I will come clean. Now I just need to get, and keep my house that way. Oh wait, I forgot, I have five young kids...It will NEVER stay clean, for at least 16 more years....
Saturday, October 9, 2010
SPECIAL SATURDAY
Today we created a time capsule. We put it inside our platform that we are sealing up, tiling, and putting the wood stove back on. It was Davids' idea to leave a little piece of the Peterson's as part of this house. I thought it was a great thing, and we got all the kids working on pictures and short notes about who they are, what their interests are, and what things were like on this day, October 9, 2010. We added our testimonies, and a copy of the Book of Mormon also. We all took turns helping nail the top on to the platform (Betsy is pictured). It was a fun and memorable experience.
What we did to make this Saturday special...
Friday, October 8, 2010
FAMILY FRIDAY
I took some impromptu pictures of my kiddos a couple days ago. Here are a just a couple that I just love...
Yes, there is our chicken coop in the background, and a bucket, and a chair growing out of Jays' head. Hey, it is the way things are around here... Nathan is pulling his "rabbit face"that he recently perfected, and Emily is looking just a bit too seductive for her own good.
Yes, there is our chicken coop in the background, and a bucket, and a chair growing out of Jays' head. Hey, it is the way things are around here... Nathan is pulling his "rabbit face"that he recently perfected, and Emily is looking just a bit too seductive for her own good.
Each one of their faces match their personalities to a tee. Except for Nathan, who just looks a bit concerned at four children throwing their weight on him...
I wish Aubrey had a bigger smile on, but here is a shot of my three beautiful gals.We have had a pretty normal, busy week around here. David went to jury duty in Snowflake last week (You didn't know Snowflake summoned jurors, did you? Neither did we.). He also spent a couple days out on the "rez", and helped out in Nathans' classroom yesterday for Parent Enrichment. I hauled four out of seven of us to the dentist a couple times last week. We all came out unscathed, teeth cleaned and/or sealed, and no cavities! Except for Nathan, who unfortunately inherited the bad teeth in the family. He has two new cavities, and has to go back in in a couple weeks to get those filled and to get a chrome cap (I think that is what they called it) put on. One of his pesky fillings refuses to stay put, so we are taking drastic measures and making it a bit more permanent (at least until that baby tooth falls out). He is so excited to get that silver tooth, that you would think he had just won the lottery or something.
Nathan also took a big step along with turning eight, that now involves bobcats, wolves and eagles. He entered Cub Scouts, and has had so much fun reading through his Scout book, and earning his badges. He and I went to his Pack Meeting last month, where he hung upside down and I got to pin his Bobcat Badge on. I can see him taking this scouting stuff really seriously. Let Scouting Begin!
And lest I forget, wasn't General Conference just wonderful?!? I have felt more and more like my Heavenly Father really knows ME, and I can't believe how many times I heard something during the talks that I felt was just for me. My favorite moments that I can think of right of the top of my head are, of course, Pres. Monsons' Relief Society talk on washing our own windows before we judge someones' laundry, Pres. Ucthdorfs' talk on s l o w i n g d o w n, and another one by Pres. Monson about having a spirit of thanksgiving, and being grateful for what we have, and not focused on what we lack. There were many more great messages that I took from conference, that I will share later this week...
Well, there is our family on this Friday...
Nathan also took a big step along with turning eight, that now involves bobcats, wolves and eagles. He entered Cub Scouts, and has had so much fun reading through his Scout book, and earning his badges. He and I went to his Pack Meeting last month, where he hung upside down and I got to pin his Bobcat Badge on. I can see him taking this scouting stuff really seriously. Let Scouting Begin!And lest I forget, wasn't General Conference just wonderful?!? I have felt more and more like my Heavenly Father really knows ME, and I can't believe how many times I heard something during the talks that I felt was just for me. My favorite moments that I can think of right of the top of my head are, of course, Pres. Monsons' Relief Society talk on washing our own windows before we judge someones' laundry, Pres. Ucthdorfs' talk on s l o w i n g d o w n, and another one by Pres. Monson about having a spirit of thanksgiving, and being grateful for what we have, and not focused on what we lack. There were many more great messages that I took from conference, that I will share later this week...
Well, there is our family on this Friday...
Thursday, October 7, 2010
THANKFUL THURSDAY
I have been thinking a lot about what or who I am thankful for today, and I will start with one of the most obvious picks. I am very, VERY thankful this day for my youngest child Jay Clayton.
He is a wild ball of energy, a "terrible two" and a handful, to say the least. He has been known to write in permanent marker on my walls and doors, smear lipstick on my floors, and break eggs in my piano. He also has a very special way of getting on my very last nerve, causing me to yell and shout.
BUT, with ALL that said and done, he is my baby. My last born child and the baby boy I spent every pregnancy waiting for. He is the light of our home, the best little brother ever and the sweetest little stinker a mommy could ever love. Jay has piercing blue eyes that he got from his Grandpa Barton, and a cute little mischievous smile that he, more then likely, got from me. He makes my days happy and BuSy!
I have felt for quite some time that Jay has a special role in his life. I knew he was coming from the time I was pregnant with Aubrey. He is meant for something great in his life, I can feel it. He has shown a great appreciation for sympathy and approval. He is always looking for ways to comfort and help. I look forward to the time when we find out all the great things he will be.
I am so thankful this Thursday for my littlest rascal, Jay....Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My new approach
I love having a blog. I like updating it, changing the background, reading other peoples' blogs, and checking for comments. But, I have come to a rut in the road. I often find myself knowing that I should update it, but usually feel like I don't have much to say that is worth reading about. SO, my wonderful, sweet, awesome and smart sis-in-law, YES, you Eva!, introduced an ingenious idea that I am now officially stealing. =)
Spiritual Sunday... all about my beliefs, what I learned at church, good quotes, and testimony.
Memories Monday... digging deep and reliving memories from my past. Some good, some bad.
True Confessions Tuesday... honest, bare, truthful, how I REALLY feel and do things.
Wordless Wednesday... no words allowed, just a collection of pictures that mean something to me.
Thankful Thursday... looking for and recording things that I am grateful for.
Family Friday... an update on the happenings of our family and extended families.
Special Saturday... we all know that 'Saturday is a special day', and I don't really know what, or if I will, write on each Saturday, but if I do, I will be sure to make it "special"!
Stay tuned for my different approach to blogging. I am pretty excited! Thank you for the wonderful idea Eva, and thank you for letting me steal it. =) First entry will be tomorrow, Thankful Thursday...
Spiritual Sunday... all about my beliefs, what I learned at church, good quotes, and testimony.
Memories Monday... digging deep and reliving memories from my past. Some good, some bad.
True Confessions Tuesday... honest, bare, truthful, how I REALLY feel and do things.
Wordless Wednesday... no words allowed, just a collection of pictures that mean something to me.
Thankful Thursday... looking for and recording things that I am grateful for.
Family Friday... an update on the happenings of our family and extended families.
Special Saturday... we all know that 'Saturday is a special day', and I don't really know what, or if I will, write on each Saturday, but if I do, I will be sure to make it "special"!
Stay tuned for my different approach to blogging. I am pretty excited! Thank you for the wonderful idea Eva, and thank you for letting me steal it. =) First entry will be tomorrow, Thankful Thursday...
Monday, October 4, 2010
Denial
I admit that I am in denial. I am in denial that my tree is changing colors, my mornings are a bit colder then normal. I am in denial that my grass is fading, and my legs feel cooler in shorts and flip flops. I am in denial that summer is leaving me. It makes me sad and depressed, and makes me want to cry just thinking about all the LONG hours of being trapped inside because of the snow and cold. I refuse to put a "fall-y" background up, so this Halloween one is as close as I can get you.
I already miss summer....
I already miss summer....
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