Emily's Baptism

My sweet Emily is such a kind, happy peacemaker.  She enjoys peace and quiet, and her behavior is usually the same.  She LOVES all animals, and especially loves our dog, Max.  She tries hard to do what is right and is a great example to her sisters and brothers. 

Emily make the decision to be baptized a long time ago.  She asked at several occasions if she could get "bath-tized" yet.  We knew that her birthday and her possible baptism would fall during our Christmas vacation to Arizona.  We gave her the option of being baptized here in Laurel with her new friends and ward, but no family, or in Snowflake, without her new friends or ward, but with family.  She chose Snowflake.  After getting permission, we began planning the big day that would happen on the other side of the country.  First up, pictures!  Here are a few:

 This is the one that she chose for her program cover.  She insisted that Max was in it.  We settled for his ear... =)

She turned 8 on December 19th and was baptized 10 days later on December 29, 2012.  She got baptized at our old church building with several old friends from our Snowflake ward there too!  We had nearly all of her family, on both sides with us.  It was a wonderful, simple, special time for Emily.

I am so proud of my beautiful Emily, and her righteous, good, loving heart.  Such a great little girl full of great potential.  WE LOVE YOU EMILY!

Christmas 2012- Snowflake

After a wonderful chance to thaw out a bit in Mesa, we headed northeast to the best little town in the world.  Snowflake!  We spent a relaxing 5 days with lots of family and friends to visit.

The camera didn't get pulled out as often in Snowflake.  We were having way too much fun for pictures!  Here are a few that DID get taken.

 All the Peterson cousins!  In birth order.  When the oldest grandchild is a silly acting 10 year old and the youngest is a wee-thing 3 month old, a good picture is hard to capture.  But there they all are.  All 13 of them.  Phew...

 Just a cute shot with David and the three oldest.  They call themselves "the elders"! =)

 The one and only shot of the Peterson "Christmas morning".  The kids got spoiled rotten between gifts from Santa, mom and dad, 4 grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and various cousins!  It was a very squishy ride home.

And you absolutely cannot call yourself a Peterson if you do not spend at least 5-10 hours actively playing games!  We had games set up at the kitchen table, and a couple down in the rumpus room too.  We are a "game-playing-stay-up-way-too-late-eating-way-too-much" kind of family.  And I LOVE it. 

 

It was wonderful to go to our old ward for church on Sunday.  Our old spot was empty, so we even got to sit in the Peterson pew!  I found myself feeling completely natural sitting with my friends from 2nd ward.  A couple times I had to tell myself, "oh yeah, we moved last year".  Oh, how we miss that ward.  It was wonderful! 

 

While in Snowflake, we had to drive by our old house at least a dozen times for the kids.  They kept trying to see who our renters are that are living there.  We never did see any movement.  We had to convince them several times that we cannot go up to the door and invite ourselves in.  They were bummed about that.  Everything looked pretty much the same.  We dropped by and visited a few friends, but didn't have near enough time to see everyone we wanted to see! =(

 

The drive home was pretty uneventful.  We made it home in two days of driving.  I am so glad that my kids are all older, can feed and drink by themselves, and are potty trained well.  It makes traveling much more enjoyable.  They are all very good travelers, and other then one with motion sickness issues (that didn't rear its ugly face for the ENTIRE four days worth of driving! -Prayers are answered), we are a regular roadtrippin' family!

 

What a great chance it was to return to our roots, and our families!  How we miss them and wish we were closer.  My heart aches sometimes for Arizona.  BUT, Montana has proven itself to be a wonderful home for us.  It has been a place that has caused much growth for my family.  And it has brought us closer together.  For that, I love Montana.  And I am happy we are here, with our family.

Christmas 2012- Mesa

Yes, its a little late to be posting about Christmas.  Yes, I am behind, and yes, I have about a billion things I could blog about.  But, true to my nature of order and OCDish-ness, I have to go in order.  Yes, that means all the way back to Christmas.  Sorry. 

So, we had planned and saved and planned for a long visit back to our home state of Arizona all year long.  Money was tight, heck, when is it NOT tight??  But, we made the trip in record time, with no carsick tummies or vomit involved.  That is a good thing.  We drove the entire 23 hour drive in 2 days, with a ridiculously quick overnighter in Provo. 

We went to Mesa first to visit with the Barton side.  It was a wonderful time!  We had a quick birthday party for my December birthdays. 

Jay, Aubrey and Emily wait anxiously with their cake while we sing to them.

 My mom has a great tradition of making gingerbread houses.  We cheated a bit and bought the kits this year.  The kids all got to pick out their house and decorate it however they wanted.  It was a bit chaotic with the icing, and the candy, but the kids did great on each of their gingerbread houses.

 Christmas Eve had all the cousins and family come to grandma and grandpas house for our annual Nativity Scene, and poems read.  Here is many of the cousins posing. 

 And the very best part of the Barton Christmas tradition, it the reading of "Jest Fer Christmas" and "The Night Before Christmas".  My dad does the honors.  You can guarantee that these two stories are read every year.  It has been that way for the last 60+ years, and it is a tradition that I have continued with my own kids.

 A little wiffle-ball at the retention basin in the BEAUTIFUL weather.

 And Christmas morning.  A blurry pic of the crazy, chaotic, FUN morning that ensued.

Zoo Lights.  At the Phoenix Zoo.  Followed by apple/cherry fritters and hot chocolate. 

 

It was a fun, busy visit to see all my family.  We spent about 5 days in Mesa thoroughly enjoying the weather and family.