This mama has HAD it!!

9 days and counting 'til the most exciting thing in the world happens...

SCHOOL STARTS AGAIN!!!!

Pioneer Days Celebration

Every single year our great little town of Snowflake throws a HUGE celebration to honor Pioneer Day, and the anniversary of the founding of Snowflake . It is a great time with all sorts of activities. There are rodeos, footraces for the kids, a parade, plays, a huge arts and crafts show, BBQs, a quilt show, fireworks, and of course... FAMILY. The weather is always great, and we are nearly always treated to a downpour of rain in the afternoon. This year was no different. Here are some of our pics, commemorating our fun day at the 24th Celebration.....

All my kids ran in the foot races before the parade. This is Betsy running in her race, with David (yellow hat) crouched behind her.

Cousins, cousins, EVERYWHERE!! Here is Abi, Kyen, Betsy, Lizzie, and Jay during the parade.

Here are cousins Brenan, Josh and Nathan during the parade.

And here is Emily with her very favorite cousin Shirley during the parade. They were practically connected at the hip whenever they were together! Jay is in the background.

Here is Emily, May and Ellen, trying to get some shade during the parade.

Here is Betsy with her very favorite cousin, Lizzie at the BBQ. They are 2 months apart in age and get along wonderfully. Here is one of Aubreys' finds during the afternoon BBQ. Yes, that is a very large tomato worm, YUCK!Lizzie, Emily, Abi, and Betsy in one of "those bouncy things" at the Arts and Crafts Fair.
Here come the rain! This is the storm rolling in over Pioneer Park while we were at the Arts and Crafts Fair. It rained and POURED very soon after this shot.
Along with the regular Celebration in town, there was also a Theo and Imogene Peterson Family Reunion. Tons of family was there, and it was so nice to see everyone again. This is Aubrey, attempting to break the pinata. That is Rachel, Kent, and Aunt Deon in the background. This picture may need an explanation! The rules of the game were to empty the box of tissue, one tissue at a time. First one through the box won. There were 10 games that were just as funny and random as this one! In the picture is Eva, Aaron, Eric, David (yellow hat), Cameron and Hyrum. This was honestly one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Those of us who watching were all laughing hysterically. These teeth were one of the prizes that came in the handmade bags handed out to each great-grandchild. There were probably 50 bags made! Thank you so much for the great prizes and efforts toward a great reunion Aunt Deon and Uncle Jared!! A terrible shot, but the only one I have from the fireworks. We were sitting about 500 feet from where the fireworks got set off (in the parking lot of the Centennial Chapel). It was super loud, smokey, and ash kept getting in our eyes (hence Aubreys' expression). It was great, I just think that we were too close. They actually ended up starting the show over an hour late, so we didn't get home and settled in bed til nearly 11pm.

It was a wonderful day, and a great time with family, friends, and the whole town! I can't wait 'til next year!

THIS is the most wonderful time of the year

This is positively my most favorite time of the year. Yes, it is hot, but I did grow up in the "Valley of the SUN", so I am very accustom to the heat, and would WAY rather be hot then cold, anytime! I love watching the monsoons roll in every afternoon, and how it cools things off a bit. I love rain, and especially love watching it rain. Here are some recent pics of the kids playing in the water after a pretty heavy rainstorm last week.

Laundry Day....

ONE week of laundry... this mountain of clothes, plus the towels and sheets that are not added in this pile, will sort into 12-13 loads.

Can anyone out there compete with that????

What we have been up to.....

I don't want to bore everyone to death with tons of writing, so I am just going to post lots of pictures and write a little snippet about them.... HERE GOES NOTHIN'!!!!

This is a picture of my Grandma and Grandpa Barton dancing on March 27, 2010 when we had a great Barton Family Reunion/ 60th Wedding Anniversary/ 80th Birthday party for my grandpa. We drove up to St. George, Utah and I got to see aunts, uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in years. It was a wonderful time! I love my Barton family.

The end of April was a great trip for us Barton girls. We headed up to BYU for Women's Conference where we all enjoyed each others company, learned much from the spirit, and had some super late night chats!! Such a nice break, and a FUN TIME!

On May 7, 2010 our family, along with most of Davids siblings and parents drove over to Thatcher AZ and had the wonderful opportunity to walk thru the Gila Valley Temple. The kids were all EXTREMELY well behaved, and we could tell that they were touched by the spirit. The Thatcher area has very special meaning for me and David. It is where we went to college, met, dated and where I changed my perspective around and gained my testimony. I love the Thatcher area, and always feel like I am coming home when I am there, just like President Monson said.

The beginning of June was a bit crazy, but so much fun. Here is a picture of our Young Women that came to girls camp this year. We are standing behind a HUMONGOUS pile of pine needles that we raked up from around the cabin behind us. What a great time to get to know my girls better, and feel their spirits.
Just a day after girls camp, my whole family came together for our annual Heber Cabin Reunion. This pic shows many, but not all of the crew that was there. All my siblings, their spouses and kiddos, and our parents where there. Tons of fun, many games, so much good food, and memories are always made when we get together at the Heber Cabin.

In the middle of May, this little project began. Aubrey brought home 2 baby chicks from school. The idea was planted in Davids' head and thus we began our little chicken farm. At one point we had 11 of them, but now we are down to 7. Four have died (two by the dog, DUMB dog). The ones pictured here are Heart Love and Delilah, and the dark one in the background is Black Sun. No, I did not name them... that was my kids. =) Maybe we shouldn't get too attached, because we are raising them to eat eventually..... oops. Here we are at the 4th of July Parade up in Show Low this year. It was lots of fun to get to see my parents and family friends, the Larsens up from Mesa. We met up and had a nice visit at the parade and then the next day at our ward. The parade was LoNg, with Halloween amounts of candy thrown, and WAY TOO MANY politicians kissing babies, but the kids sure had fun. We also had a BBQ with some friends from our ward, and went to the Taylor Rodeo and fireworks too. I have sure learned to love a good rodeo; its in my blood.

Well, no more pictures, but still lots of things going on before school starts up again on the 11th. I swear, school is starting earlier every year. When I was a kid, it started like the 27th or so. YUCK, poor kids. Although, Nathan is super excited and has been counting down for weeks now. What can I say, he loves to learn. More to come.

I am really loving this Internet thing! =)

Back from the Dark Ages

After almost a year hiatus without Internet, a guy came out this morning and re-introduced us to the world wide web. And of course, since then I have been busily wasting my day revisiting and updating myself with what the heck has been going on in the world lately. I am super excited to be back in touch with technology a bit, and have information at my fingertips again. (instead of having to drive to the library or wait 'til I am somewhere that has Internet). In the very near future I will update and revamp the blog with pictures and other goings-on at the Peterson household, for those of you who care to read. YEAH INTERNET!!!!

FOUR months later....

Yes, I know... miracles do happen, and I have finally decided to update my blog...and add pictures.

So, hmmm, where did I leave off, and what have we been up to the last four months of our life? I will try and go in chronological order, more for my brain then anything.

THANKSGIVING: David and I packed up the kids, and took a four day trip up to Ben and Amy's house in Provo. We had so much fun visiting, laughing and trying out our first Thanksgiving dinner alone, together. It turned out really good, and I think that Amy and I did a pretty darn good job. Here is the only picture I have of our weekend there on my jump drive:While we were up in Provo we went to the Salt Lake temple for a session. It was so good to finally go to that temple. My parents were married there and I honestly could not remember the last time I had been there, at temple square. After our session, Ben, Amy, their two boys, and my kids all walked around temple square, looking at the Christmas lights. It was incredibly crowded, but very beautiful too. It was a great trip and we all had a good time together.

The morning after we had driven all day home from Provo, Nathan came in , SUPER early (like always) and said, "The hallway is wet, and I didn't spill anything". I, of course, rolled over and went back to sleep, cursing the dang dog in my mind. David, being a morning person, and me NOT, got up to see what he was talking about and to start a fire in the wood stove. Well, Nathan was right. Long story, short.... our water heater exploded in the night and was pouring water down the hallway, into the bedrooms and the main bathroom. It was a NIGHTMARE. I made phone calls all morning, and gratefully, our insurance company was super quick and very nice and everything was sucked up and drying out by noon. So, in the end, we got a very nice sized check for replacing all the drywall in the area affected, and flooring for the entire house! Gotta love that.

Christmas was nice this year, and got to visit a lot of family and see several people that we don't normally get to see. Here are a couple pictures that were part of the season...

You have NO IDEA how long it took me to get five kids, aged 2-7, looking, semi-smiling and staying still enough to not be a blur! I chased my kids around for about two hours one night trying to get a couple decent shots of them all together. This one is by far the best, and I really like it. I guess patience pays off....eventually.

New Years came and went, and so did most of my resolutions...I figure that as long as I am trying to be loving, and my kids are alive, dressed, fed and well, I am doing just fine, and I should stop trying to be some "Super-mommy", because I'm not, and that is okay.

I got 100 Peruvian Lillies for Valentines Day, and they are VERY pretty. I gave David lots and LOTS of candy, and he is still making his way through his large bag of candy. YUM.

Me and the kids are currently in Mesa for the second time this week. We came last Saturday for my niece's baptism, and are now here AGAIN, because my sweet hubby, my father-in-law, and brother-in-law are busily working on getting my flooring in. HALLELUJAH!!! Having 5 kids running around on freshly laid tile is not ideal, so David kicked us out and told us to stay away for a few days. So we are back at my parents house, again. I am eagerly awaiting Saturday afternoon when we get to go home to a beautiful finished floor....something I have not had since right after Thanksgiving.

Our house has been a huge project, but I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. It will be so nice to enjoy my new kitchen, fresh paint, new flooring, and my family and life getting back to normal. (if it is possible for us to be normal... I mean, good grief, who in their right mind has 5 kids in 5 years!!!!!!!) =)

Well, its late, and I'm tired. So, I am going to climb into my bed... the same mattress I had all through junior high and high school. It is a comfort, coming home.