DISNEYLAND!!!!!

I just got back from a super fun trip to Disneyland for my 28th birthday. A few weeks back my mom called me with a wonderful idea. She wanted to take me to Disneyland on my birthday (free admission) with all my sisters! So after a bit of persuasion, David agreed to play both daddy AND mommy for a few days (bless his heart), and I took a "girls trip" to California with my mom, my sisters Heather and Heidi, and my sis-in-law, Heather. SO FUN!!!!!! It had been over 10 years since I had been and it was SO worth it. I will post pictures as soon as I find my plug-in.

MEMORIES:
*swapping seats on the way up to avoid the hot one.
*the squeaky bunk beds that Heather and I slept on.
*games and TONS of giggling
*waking up at my normal time (about 6am) and then rolling over and going back to sleep.
*the excitement of GOING TO DISNEYLAND!
*having tons of people telling me "Happy birthday, Valerie!" even though I didn't know them (I wore a big 'ol pin that said it was my birthday).
*going on Thunder Mountain at least 8 or nine times (the last time was the best!)
* randomly meeting up with some of the Higginsons and having lunch together.
*no kids!!!!!!!!!! just us girls.
*ScReAmInG my guts out.... just for fun.
*very SORE feet, legs and hip by the evening.
*fabulous fireworks and light show.
*the foot rub my mom gave all of us.
*getting carsick on the way home, and eating only a few sips of soup and saltines for lunch.
*a quiet, relaxing evening at my mom and dads before the drive home Sunday morning.

.....and tons more.

THANK YOU girls for being my sisters, my mom, and my friends. I LOVE YOU!! What a great way to spend a birthday! There will definitely be more girls trips!

The kids

I would love to post a picture or two for y'all but I can't for the life of me find my computer plug-in, so sorry. But here is an update nonetheless.

Nathan turned SEVEN on the 31st, and just loves "being 7 like all the other 2nd graders". (yes, he is quite young for his grade)... but very smart too. He had a fun little party/ family home evening/ dinner with all the Peterson family and even my parents too (all the way from Mesa!) He got some pretty fun gifts, and a brand new Book of Mormon (just a cheap blue one) with his name on it. My cousin Jessica gave me the great idea of having your kids read the Book of Mormon all by themselves cover to cover BEFORE they get baptized. I presented the idea to Nathan and he has taken it full steam ahead. He is reading every night, "Just one page and a column". He is such a great reader and super smart, so I knew that it wouldn't be too big of a challenge for him...until he hits the Isaiah stuff!! He is now in soccer, and his first practice is on Monday. It will be his 3rd year, and he is getting excited, it is "his sport". I am also starting him on piano lessons next week.

Aubrey is really taken a liking to school. She is so excited to go everyday, and bummed on Saturdays and Sundays when she CAN'T go. It is so good to see her enjoying it. I had some serious fears about it. She is so happy to show me her papers everyday after school, and does so in a very strange way. She unzips her backpack, sticks her head inside and yells to me about each paper as she blindly hands it to me. =) It is a cute little ritual she started and I thought I would write it down...before I forget. Aubrey is also in soccer, and had her first practice on Wednesday. It is always very entertaining to watch a team play soccor for the first time. =)

Emily is still SO tender hearted. It drives me crazy sometimes. She has started being quite naughty lately, and so it is particularly difficult to try and discipline her. She just starts bawling and then is bummed for quite a while after. Even through it all I still love her like crazy though. It is super spooky to look at her lately, because she looks almost EXACTLY like me at her age. In fact, there is a picture of me in a little collage in the hallway of me at about her age, and even she thinks it is a picture of her! I always get comments about how much she looks like me... and heck, she does!!

Betsy is quite a character lately. Her personality is coming out in full force. She is very opinionated, does NOT listen well, and loves to just do her own thing, to her own rhythm. She has such a sweet little smile, that she flashes often. She is such a smiling child. Not only her mouth smiles but her whole face...eyes and all. When she shakes her head yes to a question I ask, her whole body shakes yes too. She has such crazy hair that WILL NOT be tamed, and feet that are two very different sizes (one foot is size 6 and the other is a 7 1/2). Weird huh?? What a wonderful girl, I wouldn't trade her for anything. I am going to put a serious effort into getting her potty trained this week... she is SO ready, and I am SO ready to have her out of diapers...so is our wallet.

Jay has just recently moved out of his crib and into a big boy bed. Yes, I cried taking that crib down for the last time EVER. It has held all of my 5 babies, AND David and his siblings too. (yes it is that old, at least 35 years old). We are passing it on to Davids sister Eva for her newest arrival who came on August 22. Thomas Reed Tenney. He is such a beautiful baby. Anyway, Jay has adjusted well to the bed (it took a few days), and is very much into climbing and water lately. I often find him on top of his dresser, or on top of the island in the kitchen. He loves to play with the hose out in the backyard and I am not looking forward to the day when he figures out how to turn on the spigot... that hose will NEVER be off. He has no fear, and is incredibly tough... which I have discovered is a pretty bad combination. =) He is acting like he wants to be potty trained too, so I might just do him and Betsy and him together. (We had Nathan potty trained before he was two, and it seems that Jay wants to follow that tradition too.) It tugs on my heartstrings almost daily, watching my youngest baby growing up... I wonder if all mothers feel that way? I just want him to stay little forever.....

Happenings...

I thought I would try and do a more detailed post this time. Last post I was in an incredible hurry. So anyway, here is an update on us.

David is still staying pretty busy with work which is practically a miracle in construction. He has had another surgery on his nose, and is scheduled for another one possibly next month. His doctor said that Davids nose is the worst he has ever seen. We are still trying to figure out causes, and allergies and what is causing all his issues. He and Nathan are going camping tonight mostly for Nathans birthday, and also for some "peace and quiet".

I am doing pretty well. Staying busy with kids and everything else. I have been pretty sick lately, which is no fun, but I am surviving. I currently have pink eye in both eyes, strep throat, cold sores, and stitches in my left thumb. Just a word of advice from someone who knows... brand new knifes are very sharp. OH!! Guess what I am doing for my birthday this year???? I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!

Nathan is in 2nd grade now, with Mrs Jones as his teacher. He is doing VERY good and has really taken more of a liking to reading this school year. He is either reading or playing with his toy soldiers. His 7th b-day is on the 31st. He is excited about that, but I honestly don't know how I feel about my baby already being 7 years old!

Aubrey is in kindergarten, with Mrs Slade as her teacher, or as she pronounces it Mrs. Slave =). She is really liking school, which I am so happy about... I did have my fears knowing her personality. She is really growing into a wonderful little girl and losing some of her defiant side.

Emily is making the adjustment of being the oldest at home now. She is taking over that defiant side that Aubrey is growing out of, which is strange to see. I am glad that it is just a phase. She went in yesterday morning and had surgery on her ears. She had tubes put in, for the second time.

Betsy is growing into such a little chatterbox, and a bit of a stinker too. She can throw a fit with the best of them. She is fighting getting on the potty train, but we are trying.

Jay, my sweet little boy is Mr. Disaster. He is 20 months old and just loves to tear it up. His favorite thing to do lately is get into the tub and turn it on, clothes, shoes and all. He loves to flush the toilet too. We have lost a few toys in the past few weeks. I think he wants to be a plumber when he grows up.

Well, that is all. Life chugs away here at the Peterson household. Just trying to hang on to the wild ride. =)

Still alive!

Just a super quick update on life from here in Snowflake... We are all doing well. Nathan is enjoying 2nd grade and doing great, and Aubrey is loving kindergarten. David is staying busy with work, which is a great blessing, I am staying busy with my big bunch of kids. The kids are happy, healthy and keeping me always on the move!! I sure miss this Internet stuff....we hope that we can find a way in the future to get connected again!!

Life without technology...

After an over two week hiatus from blogging, and Internet in general, I am pretty excited to get back in touch with the world through my blog, Facebook, etc. It has been a pretty crazy couple weeks, so hang on for dear life as I attempt to give a summary of our lives.

About two weeks ago I awoke to find that my land line, and my Internet was gone. I knew it was coming, and had been planning on the change for a couple months, but I honestly have to say that it has been a bigger adjustment then I anticipated. The phone line being cut wasn't really a big deal, and I am happy to have it gone, given that 90+% of all calls that I got we telemarketers anyway. The Internet has been a different story. David misses his Mafia Wars on FaceBook, and I miss my blogging connection to the world a bit more then I thought. It has honestly been harder then I thought getting to check my emails, blog, etc. Oh well... we are saving about a hundred bucks a month, and I am happy to say that we are spending more time together then we used to.

The sickness that we were plagued with last month has finally subsided, but we are still dealing with the aftershocks of it. Mostly the sleep schedule that we had strictly set up, has all but left. The kids are still waking up far to often, and a couple still want to end up in my bed almost nightly. UUGGHH!!!! I haven't slept good in over a month. Oh well, who needs sleep?!?!? Nathans random fevers, sore throat and extreme lethargy turned out being, of all things, Mono! Yeah, what the heck?!?! Who has he been kissing? =) He is passed it now, and is back to normal. Emily had another ear infection (which is almost commonplace), and Betsy had double ear infections. They all went through the doses of antibiotics, a few bottles of Ibuprofen and many naps, and every ones health is back. Hallelujah!

The older three kiddos have been in swimming lessons for the past two weeks. They all did extremely well, especially Emily. She is a natural. She loves the water, going under the water and has a smile plastered on her face the entire lesson. She is a fish, I swear! The swimming lessons have caused quite a busy time for me and the kids, and I am beginning to see what my life will be we the kids get a bit older and involved in sports, music, etc. Here, there, everywhere.

David has been involved in church softball this last little while. Their team won the first few games easily, but lost their last one. I would love to go see his games, but most of them are all after the kids bedtime, and I wasn't about to try and make the 10 pm game!!

I have been trying to make some leeway on getting my life in order. Ha! But am I pleased to say that our house is generally clean, most of the time. It sure is wearing me out though! There has got to be an easier way to be a mommy to 5 kids, six and under, and keep the house clean, and meals on the table... Hahahahaha!

We are currently in Mesa right now visiting my family. We all went to a temple session together this morning and out to lunch afterward. It was a nice experience to be in the temple together...it has been too long. We just happened to be in the same session as Uncle Rusty. It was good to see him.

Our garden is finally showing some signs of life, and we have lots of little blooming veggies. It has been a enjoyable project for David, he seems to really enjoy gardening. We have a list a mile and a half long of projects to complete this summer. We might just be making some more headway on our house. It feels good to get things done.

So there is the update. Hopefully I get around a Internet connection a bit more often, so my blogs are not so dang long!

Pinching Pennies

We have officially made the plunge, and our land line has been cancelled. Along with our Internet connection (on Friday). Our Dish Network is still active, for now. We may cancel that too, but the price is a bit steep to get out of that contract! Yikes!

Anyway, if you need to get a hold of the Peterson residence you will have to reach us on my or David's cell phones now. I don't know how comfortable I feel about putting our phone numbers out to cyberspace, so I will be sending a general email out to everyone that we have their email addresses. If you don't receive an email, you can email me (sallywoggin81@yahoo.com) and I will send you the numbers. I will be getting a hold of the RS President to change the phone number listed on the ward list, for those 2ND ward readers out there! I will do my best to let everyone know...Be patient with us as we make this adjustment. =)

How to spell Mississippi

This morning while waiting to leave for church, and trying to kill some time and keep them clean in their Sunday duds, David randomly asked Nathan how to spell Mississippi. Here is how he answered...

"M R S (period) S I P P Y"

Yes, Mrs. Sippy. Just say it out loud, and you will find that you have "Mississippi". =)