The Peterson Family

More Christmas Catch-Up

2012-01-11T15:15:00.001-06:00

At the beginning of December we decided to venture up to the Mesa Temple with some friends to see the Christmas lights. The weather was cold and drizzly, but we still managed to have a great time. We ate dinner at Cafe Rio beforehand and grabbed hot chocolate afterwards. It felt like we were back in Utah for the night!

An Arizona Christmas

2012-01-09T14:02:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas in Arizona again this year, and although I can't say it's easy to be away from family during the holidays, we are enjoying creating some of our own traditions. Get ready for lots of pictures!

Making Sugar Cookies

Christmas Eve Jammies

Apparently the boys were so excited about their jams, they had to do a little jig.

Christmas Morning

Liam REALLY wanted that Buzz Lightyear, good thing Santa came through.

Owen's new bike!

Christmas breakfast! We let our kids open stockings and their present from Santa, and then we make them eat breakfast before opening the rest of their presents. Andrew and I love it, the kids are still on the fence about it.

Andrew and I made Owen a Lego table.

Barbie House!

Andrew with his new Garmin Forerunner. His bum knee has kept him from using it yet, but he just got the all clear from the doc to start running again!

Another thing we love about an Arizona Christmas...you can actually ride your new bike on Christmas Day!

Sam, Deborah, Abby and Clara came to visit for a couple of days. We love our cousins!

This has nothing to do with Christmas, but I just love this picture. What 'up G?!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T06:00:00.001-06:00

Ella is getting a sister!!

2011-12-23T17:25:00.001-06:00

Say hello to our baby girl!!

Ella is 6!

2011-11-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

Backtracking a bit...Miss Ella turned 6 on October 17th. Can you believe it...6! This year was a family party, so Ella decided that we must get dinner at Peter Piper Pizza. We ate pizza, played games and opened presents there, and then came home to cake (decorated by the birthday girl) and ice cream. She told me it was the best birthday ever, so I think it was a success. Sure love my beautiful, sweet, smart and funny little girl. Happy Birthday Little Miss!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today...

2011-10-27T16:00:00.003-05:00

I am loving this song.

And feeling so blessed.

Baby Peterson number 4 is on it's way!

May 3, 2012

My First Baby is Baptized!!

2011-09-15T11:51:00.004-05:00

Slowly trying to get back into the blogging thing, so here we go! On August 8th, my Owen turned 8 years old! On the 13th, he was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Both sets of Grandparents and even one Great Grandma were able to come and celebrate Owen's special day. Thanks so much to everyone for coming! You all helped make Owen's day wonderful.

Now on to the pictures...

He Knows Me Well

2011-05-11T12:29:00.003-05:00

My Mother's Day gifts (plus some beautiful flowers.) I love my husband.

Wheee!

2011-04-26T11:12:00.007-05:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:04:00.010-05:00

Birthdays!

2011-04-08T22:13:00.015-05:00

Andrew, Liam and I celebrated our birthdays recently, and since I'm a little low on energy these days, photos will have to do. Happy Birthday to us! Birthday #1-Alisa...the big 3-0.

Birthday #2-Andrew...the old man...32

Birthday #3-Liam is 2!! And, yes, he did spend his birthday in his diaper. Don't judge, sometimes it's just easier. I just love this boy! (Did you catch Owen's "Jimmer" comment in the first video??)

Here We Go Again

2011-03-09T20:17:00.002-06:00

Ella is following in her brothers footsteps, and is getting her tonsils/adenoids out tomorrow. Wish us luck (and a prayer or two wouldn't hurt either!)

The Most Magical Place on Earth!

2011-02-22T16:35:00.003-06:00

Resolution 2011: Don't Miss the Sparkly Eyes

2010-12-31T12:09:00.002-06:00

I read a post on a favorite blog of mine the other day. She was relating it to Christmas and reminding us not to miss out on the magic of the "sparkly eyes" our kids get around this time of year. You can read it here. As I thought more about this, I realize that as a mother I have the tendency to get bogged down, and miss out on the smiles, laughs and "sparkly eyes" of my children. I also tend to tackle motherhood with a "fly by the seat of my pants" mentality.

I've never been very good at New Year's Resolutions. This year, I hope to change that. I don't know what is about this coming year, but I feel like it's going to be a big one. Maybe it's because I'm turning 30. Maybe it's because Andrew and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage. Maybe it's because Owen will turn 8 and be baptized. Maybe it's because Andrew and I are seriously discussing how big we want our family to be, and the realization that my years of having babies are most likely coming to a close. Or maybe, it's because I'm finally realizing just how quickly time goes by and how even more quickly my kids are growing up. I was thinking the other day that we only have 10 or so years left with Owen at home. That might still seem like a lot, but 7 and 1/2 have already gone by.

I recently came across the following words by Erma Bombeck, reaffirming my realization that the time with our children really is so short.

One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?"

......and they will.

Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don't slam the door!"
......and they don't.

You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way.''

.......and it will.

You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company.''

.....and you'll eat it alone.

You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do your hear?''

.....and you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.
No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.
No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.
No more clothespins under the sofa.
No more playpens to arrange a room around.
No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent.
No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.
No more iron-on-patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it.
No babysitter for New Year's Eve.
Washing only once a week.
Seeing a steak that isn't ground.
Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.
No PTA meetings. No carpools. No blaring radios. No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.
Having your own roll of Scotch tape.
No more dandelion bouquets.
Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.
No more sloppy oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No giggles in the dark.
No knees to heal, no responsibility.
Only a voice crying out, "Why don't you grow up?''

...and the silence echoing,

"I did."

My resolution for 2011: Become more of a purposeful mother, have a plan, create moments that give my children "sparkly eyes" and be in those moments with them.

Welcome 2011!

I Don't Like Egg Nog

2010-12-21T17:03:00.005-06:00

But, I know someone who does!

Thanksgiving Visitors!

2010-12-13T17:13:00.019-06:00

Thanksgiving In Pictures

Cooking away. My guess is this was taken before things got a little crazy and stressful...the last 30 minutes were nuts trying to finish and get everything on the table!

Making oreo turkeys...just like we used to, Karee!
Olive coloring her Turkey placemat.
Ella and her turkey leg. Grossed me out, but she really wanted it, and Andrew was happy to help her get it.
Liam's turkey hat. Gobble, gobble!

A couple of days after Thanksgiving we went to a nearby Ostrich farm. Sounds weird, but it was a blast. The kids getting ready to ride the monster truck.

Monster trucks rock!

At one point in the monster truck ride, we stopped and got to go ostrich fishing. You put grapefruite slices onto a pole of sorts, and the ostriches come running. So fun!

After the truck ride, we got to feed some animals. Liam loved this. He wasn't scared at all, and couldn't get enough of it!

Feeding the lorikeets. Can you see the bird on Owen's arm?

The day before the Marshall's left, we drove up to the Ritz Carlton near our house and checked it out. It was amazing.

Thanks for coming guys! We had a blast!

It's Official...

2010-12-07T14:35:00.002-06:00

My kids are growing up too fast!

(Ella lost her first tooth today. She's SOOO excited!)

My Sister Rocks...

2010-12-03T22:36:00.009-06:00

My sister and her family came for Thanksgiving this year,(post coming soon!)and while they were here, Andi took our family pictures. Thanks so much sis...come back soon!!

I ♥ Music

2010-11-04T13:17:00.003-05:00

I love this song...beautiful. The lyrics are a bit deep, but the harmony is amazing.
"Sarah" plus my new-to-me favorite "The Perishers" is perfect...I had to share (especially with you, Annie!)

Ella's Felenx (Feelings)

2010-11-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

Sad (caught in the rain), Mad (fighting with her brother), Happy (going shopping), and my favorite SKERD (scared...by a scary noise.)

I just love this girl.

Halloween Happenings

2010-11-01T12:49:00.012-05:00

We filled our October with all things Halloween, and ended it with a candy and fun-filled night of trick or treating.

Owen as a kind of scary skeleton (as scary as Mom will let him be.)

Ella as a beautiful Snow White (showing off the goblin grin treats we made for her Joy School party.)

Liam, as one of Ella's Seven Dwarfs...throughout the weekend he was referred to as both "Grumpy," "Happy," and "Sneezy," depending on his mood. This also might be one of my all time favorite costumes...so funny!

Getting ready to trick or treat with our neighbors.

Kids not really cooperating for a group picture...

This is how I kept Liam in his stroller during trick or treating....suckers. Most of it ended up in his beard, but I was flying solo (Andrew had to work all weekend), and had a hard enough time keeping track of my older two, so it was totally worth it.

Happy Halloween!!

An Oldie, But A Goodie

2010-10-28T17:16:00.003-05:00

Ella wanted to watch videos that I've posted on our blog, and we came across this one. Maybe my favorite ever. And, seriously....my kids are growing up too fast....this seems like yesterday.

http://peteyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-is-for-you-papa.html

Miss Ella Is 5!

2010-10-23T20:45:00.017-05:00

My sweet girl turned 5 last week, and to celebrate, we decided to throw a luau! I loved planning this party...it was so much fun! We made leis, did the limbo, cracked open a pinata, had a beach relay, learned to hula (check out the video...they concentrating so hard!) and ate yummy cupcakes. Ella is such an amazing little girl and it was so awesome to be able to celebrate her on her big day. Love you little miss!!

This Just Made My Day...

2010-09-30T12:27:00.001-05:00

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/a-history-of-rap-jimmy-fallon-justin-timberlake-and-the-roots/1252017/

Summer 2010

2010-07-26T17:35:00.024-05:00

So, obviously I'm not very good at keeping up with this blogging thing, but I have to at least document some of the fun we've had this summer. We have one last, big, hurrah (a trip to Idaho and Utah) and then Owen starts school. Geez, this summer has flown by. Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures...here it is, Peterson Summer 2010.

Possibly the cutest baby ever.

Owen's 7th birthday party. We celebrated a little early, (we'll be in Idaho on his big day) with a Super Mario themed birthday party. It was a blast...and I was completely exhausted afterwards.

Owen with the "Yoshi Egg" pinata we made.
Doesn't he have the BEST smile?!

The treat bag and cupcake table.

Eating authentic "Nacho Libre" corn, courtesy of our awesome next door neighbors.

More pictures of the cutest baby ever (even when he's covered in spaghetti.)

Getting Ella ready for her first dance recital. She did so well!

Ella and her cute friend Thais with their flowers.

We took the kids on a weekend trip to Bisbee, Arizona. We ate lunch at a local park...

and then took a tour of an old copper mine.

We've also been spending a couple of days at the water park each week, trying to beat the heat. You should see Ella's tan lines.

Yeah for summer fun!

Playing Catch-Up...Again

2010-06-29T17:23:00.009-05:00

I'm not doing very good with this blog thing lately. I'm blaming it on the heat...anything above 105 degrees and I lose all motivation to do anything but hang out at the water park with the kids. Unfortunately, that's about every day these days.

So, my besties from high school got together for a girls weekend in May (yes, May...like I said, a little behind.) Katie, Kim, Jaime and I met up in Phoenix for the weekend. We missed Meg who was busy having a cute baby boy and getting ready to move across the country, and Karee who was supposed to come, but Dallas weather didn't cooperate (still can't believe that happened...missed you Karee!)

So, we met up in Phoenix and spent the weekend talking, eating, pampering ourselves, talking, shopping, and eating some more. So. Much. Fun.

Some highlights were:

An intense search for Dick's Hideaway (a highly recommended restaurant, that turned out highly disappointing.) Good memories though, right girls?!

Awesome pedicures by some grumpy ladies.

Yummy breakfasts

Talking about stuff (ladies...you know what I mean)

Shopping, shopping, shopping

A crazy waitress...who was thoroughly entertaining.
Catching up and reminiscing with some of my favorite people. I have so many memories with these girls...Love you all!

Not many pictures, we were too busy having fun, but here's a few:

Happy Father's Day...

2010-06-20T21:28:00.008-05:00

To such a fun Dad. We love you bunches. XOXO Owen, Ella & Liam

My First Born

2010-05-05T10:28:00.007-05:00

Suffice it to say my first born is really good at giving us a run for our money (and believe me, sometimes it feels like we've been running a marathon.)

But even still, I've got to be honest. Sometimes he completely melts my heart.

Owen reading his Lego magazine in a sunny spot this morning

A few minutes after I took this picture, I came back to see this. So sweet. Maybe Owen is trying to make up for the doozy of a day we had yesterday. He's doing a pretty good job so far...

Goodbye Etsy...

2010-04-23T11:45:00.007-05:00

Some of you know that about three years ago I opened a shop on etsy. Ella was about 1 1/2 and I had been making bows and clips for her like crazy. I started selling them in some local shops in Illinois, and then decided to open up on Etsy. It was a lot of fun, busy and crazy at times, but a great experience.

Now, as our family has grown and life has gotten busier, I've decided it's time to say goodbye to Ella Bella Bows. So, if any of you are looking for some cute hair accessories, I'm liquidating all of my inventory. Everything in my shop is 50% off.

You can visit my shop here: Ella Bella Bows

Happy Friday!!

My Family Came to Visit

2010-04-11T15:08:00.010-05:00

...and let's just say it was memorable (my sister pretty much sums it up.)

Anyhoo, I love my family bunches, and hope they'll come visit again (maybe we can have a do-over? Ü)

I swear my parents were there too, Andi & Mom...send me some pictures!

P.S. Owen started baseball. Isn't he cute?

(Check out the cute baby in the background, always trying to get outside!)

First Birthday...In Pictures

2010-04-05T13:28:00.013-05:00

Our Number 3

2010-03-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

To my sweet boy,

Happy Birthday! You are one today, and I can barely believe it's been a year since you joined our family. Your Dad and I can honestly say it has been nothing but a pleasure to be your parents. You bring so much joy into our home...I simply adore you!

Some things about you right now:

You are taking 2 or 3 steps at a time, I'm sure you'll be walking very soon.
You insist on eating what we eat. No more baby food for you. You LOVE broccoli.
You sleep like a champ. Through the night and a long nap during the day (bless your heart!)
You say "mama" mostly when you're upset and need something.
You can sign "eat", "more", and "all done."
Recently you've discovered trucks and cars and push them all around the house, scooting on your bum and crawling behind them.
My heart melts everytime you give me a "love."
Your giggle is adorable, especially when you're being tickled.
Church for you (and me or Dad) now consists of roaming the halls. Only 6 months until nursery!
You love to dance and can shake your booty with the best of them!
You are truly such a happy, easy going baby. You cheer me up, even when I'm being a crazy Mom.

I love you bugga bugga! Happy 1st Birthday sweet Liam!

Love,

Mama

Happy Birthday

2010-03-16T09:21:00.002-05:00

...to my hard-working, supportive, dedicated, hilarious and handsome best friend.

I'm so glad you were born 31 years ago....I love you!

My Grandma

2010-02-25T18:48:00.006-06:00

(picture from my sister, Andi)

It takes almost exactly one hour to get from my parents front door, to theirs. Left at the Black Cat fireworks stand, past Notus, Parma, lots of open farmland, past the sugar beet factory, take a right at the only stoplight in town, left on Columbia, second house on the right...my grandparents house.

This is a place where I grew up. So many memories are here. "Annie, Annie, Over" with cousins, climbing trees, outside sleepovers, talking around the kitchen table, Wheat Chex for breakfast, Grandpa telling stories and playing the piano, my Grandma's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, my Grandma's living room filled up with a quilt frame, my Grandma's beautiful smile (with a gap between her front teeth, just like all of my kids...)

My Grandma.

My Grandma passed away yesterday.

She was 77, and had been battling alzheimer's for several years. Alzheimer's is a mean disease. I've lived away for many years, and so I wasn't around to witness it, but I know it's been difficult for my family to watch someone so wonderful deteriorate so quickly.

I am so grateful for the knowledge that her body and mind have been made whole again.

And, I cherish the wonderful, life-long memories I have of her.

I love you Grandma.

Debbie Downer

2010-02-10T14:07:00.003-06:00

Yep, that's me. I've been stuck in an ornery rut the last few weeks. There's nothing in particular that I'm grumping about, just a lot of little things that I think are making my life hard. But, I'm ditching my pity fest...it is the month of love AND my birthday month, and to celebrate, a few things that are making me happy today.

The rain. Yep it's cool and rainy here today. Not your typical happy weather, but we don't get days like this very often in Arizona.
New wood floors in our living room (goodbye nasty builders carpet...yay!)
In-laws coming tomorrow for a week long visit.
Finishing a buffet that I repainted peacock blue. Just looking at it makes me happy.
My Mom and sister making a special trip to Hobby Lobby (boy, do I miss that place) to get me drawer pulls for said buffet and then sending them in the mail to me the same day. They love me, and I'm so glad.
A tiled, and almost painted/bead boarded master bathroom. Can't wait to finish it up.
Andrew's two week vacation that starts on Thursday!
Sassy red tights that my sister sent me from Anthro. (Because every girl needs a bold pair of tights, right Andi?!) Just the packaging made me giddy.
A getaway with my hubby to Phoenix for a couple of days (and my awesome in-laws who are watching the kids for us.) 8 years of marriage and this is the first time we'll be away from the kids for more than a night. It's about time!
Owen reading books to Ella at bed time. He's getting big SO fast.
My birthday...even though 29 is making me nervous, who doesn't love celebrating themselves a little? Ü
Liam waving hello and saying "Mamamama." He's becoming a bit attached, but I secretly love it.
Ingrid Michaelson's "Everybody album." Playing non-stop on my ipod.
Ella's love notes. She makes me little pictures and letters all day long. Love that girl.
Knowing that we will have grass in the backyard within the next two weeks. Goodbye dirt!

Happy Early Valentines Day!

This Post

2010-01-22T14:42:00.003-06:00

...is making me think, evaluate and try harder to be a better Mom today. If you've got an extra minute, it's worth the quick read.

Playing

An Arizona Christmas

2009-12-21T12:27:00.004-06:00

We're flying to Boise on Wednesday to spend the holidays with my family, but we couldn't leave without sharing Christmas light covered palm trees and saguaro cactuses. It really is a whole different world down here...

Merry Christmas!

Scrooginess...

2009-12-08T13:57:00.003-06:00

Sometimes when life gets crazy, even the smallest things can seem completely overwhelming to me. Case in point--as I was getting my Christmas cards ready this year, I debated back and forth about including a "family update" with them. As it got closer and closer to the time to send out my cards, my husband worked more and more hours and life got a little nuts, the idea just seemed overwhelming (I know, not really a big deal, but that's me.) So, I didn't do it. Here's the problem; as I've started receiving cards from friends and family, I've really enjoyed reading about their year and their family happenings (i.e. I'm regretting my decision.) So, here's our family update for 2009.

We've had a busy year---here's what's "new" with the Peterson Family

A new brother...Liam James was born on March 24th, and we couldn't be more happy to have him in our family. He is almost nine months old now, is crawling, pulling himself to stand up, and making messes as good as the big kids. We just love our sweet boy!

A new job...In May, Andrew graduated from medical school (yeah!). He is now a first year pediatric resident.

A new state...Andrew matched for residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson, so we are adjusting to life in a brand new and very different place. The summer was hot (really hot), but the 70 degree winter has been awesome. We are loving how unique and different it is here, and my kids think the Christmas lights on the saguaro cactuses here are so cool!

A new house...yep, we bought our first home here in Tucson and are loving being homeowners (and also realizing it's a lot of work!)

A new car...we bought a van! I couldn't have been more excited. It has made my life so much easier...yeah for vans!

A "new" get together with old friends...In August, I got to fly to Boise with Liam to attend my 10 year highschool reunion. Just writing that makes me feel old, but it was a lot of fun and it was so good to catch up with old friends and spend some time in Boise.

A new school...Owen started kindergarten in August and is loving it. He's learning to read and is growing up so fast!

A new pre-school...Ella started pre-school this fall and loves being able to go to school like Owen. She is in a Joy School (a co-op pre-school of sorts) with other kids in our ward, and has made a lot of new friends.

A new tooth...(or two or three!) Owen lost is first tooth this fall, and since then they've been falling out like crazy. He's lost three so far, with another ready to go before too long.

New friends...we've really enjoyed the new friends we've made here in Arizona, but we're also grateful for all of our dear, old friends and our wonderful family. We love you all...Merry Christmas!

Arizona Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T15:43:00.001-06:00

A family walk...

And a Thanksgiving Sunset...

We Went to Utah

2009-11-30T17:20:00.016-06:00

...a couple of weeks ago. I'm late, but it was fun, so here goes.

Andrew had two weeks off in the beginning of November so we made some plans.

Plan #1: Take my Dad up on his offer to come and visit, and then put him to work helping us put in a sprinkler system. Seriously, my Dad is the best. He flew in on Friday, flew out Sunday night, and I think he was working almost the whole time. He must really love us---and we definitely love him. Thanks so much Dad! Now, who wants to come and help us put in the sod, rocks and plants?

Plan #2: Drive to Utah to visit Andrew's parents who just finished a mission in Nova Scotia. We drove my Dad to the airport in Phoenix Sunday night, and then drove to Flagstaff and stayed the night there. We drove the rest of the way on Monday. From the moment we got to Utah, we were going non-stop, but it was a lot of fun.

Some Highlights:

Cooking with Grandma. This may have been my kids favorite part of the trip. They both looked forward to it throughout the week.

(love the gum, lovey lou)

Visiting Temple Square

Visiting with dear friends

Playing with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of one of my favorite moments of the week. Friday night we got a baby sitter and went out with Andrew's parents and two of his brothers and their wives. We went to dinner and then to a comedy club in Provo. The comedian was in Matt and Kim's ward, and was really entertaining. But, the best part was when he called Andrew up from the audience to participate in the show. The comedian was making the point that boys are just better at making sound effects than girls. Andrew had to make a bunch of sound effects to go along with a story the comedian was telling and then a girl attempted to do the same thing. It was hilarious, but even more funny for Andrew and I because we have had the same conversation about boys and girls, and I distinctly remember being teased endlessly for my attempt at making a "truck" sound. Who knows, if this doctor thing doesn't work out, maybe this can be our back up plan!

It was so fun to see everyone! Now, who wants to come and visit us this winter(it's been in the 70's here)?!

Thankful Thanksgiving

2009-11-19T15:13:00.004-06:00

We just got back from a week in Utah with family and friends. It was hard to leave, and I'll be honest, this being on our own, living far away from family thing is tough sometimes. It's looking like my little family will be spending Thanksgiving (for the first time, ever) with just the five of us this year.

I'll admit, thinking about Thanksgiving this year has made me a little depressed, but just like they always do, my kids are helping to change my perspective. We made thankful turkeys for FHE this week, and Ella (and Owen) hit it right on the nose. I have a wonderful family, food to eat, a nice, comfortable home, and the knowledge that Jesus Christ is my Savior. So, I'm trying to be thankful, and gear up for making my first turkey ever (any tips?) Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

P.S.(Annie & Kristi, I can't believe I actually wondered out loud to you guys if I would get bored living in the same place for more than 3 years. Hello pessimistic me. Um, I'm definitely looking forward to it.)

Halloween

2009-11-02T12:07:00.012-06:00

Thanks to my Dad, I LOVE Halloween. There are so many fun things to do leading up to the BIG day...October always flies by. Some of what we've been up to...

The Pumpkin Patch--Kind of a disapointment, expensive, fair food (no apple cider donuts...boo), no Daddy, can't even compare to the pumpkin patches in Illinois. Not to mention it was 90 degrees outside...BUT we got our pumpkins!

Carving said pumpkins...

Making Sugar Cookies...

The Big Night...

Miss Ballerina, Monster Baby (I was told he looked like the boy from Where the Wild Things Are), Indiana Jones

(Liam's classic "workin' it" pose)

Now that the festivities are over, here comes the sugar high...I love Halloween.

Party Girl

2009-10-26T23:45:00.006-05:00

Some pictures from the party...
The birthday girl

Ballerina cupcakes

The pinata

Presents

Candles

Happy Birthday Ella! It was so much fun celebrating you...We love you!

4

2009-10-20T19:15:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Lovie Lou!
(I'm a little late...her birthday was Saturday. Pics of the party coming soon!)

This is my front door...

2009-10-06T16:42:00.002-05:00

And I LOVE it!

Some people might not LOVE the orange, but I do. It's surprising, warm and very Arizona-ish. Plus, I'm completely frustrated with trying to decorate the inside of my house (picking paint colors just plain stinks), so I'm trying to focus on the good (I'm still working on becoming a "glass half full" type of girl.)

Happy Fall! (It's in the 80's here...so I'm counting that as Fall weather!)

Sigh...

2009-10-02T17:35:00.002-05:00

Sure love these kids.

My husband worked 100 hours last week...

2009-09-29T13:41:00.002-05:00

This is hanging in my kitchen.

We're working on it...

This picture

2009-09-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

...is making me smile today.

He's 6!

2009-08-18T13:21:00.005-05:00

I swear my boy has grown up more in the last month than he has in all of his six years. Between starting kindergarten, riding the bus (by the way, why is it that Owen riding the bus makes me feel like tomorrow he'll be learning to drive?), and turning 6 my boy is getting big...WAY.TOO.FAST. This year Owen's thing (he's always got something he's in to) is legos, so that's how we celebrated. Legos for gifts (with a razor scooter thrown in there too) and even a lego cake made by none other than Daddy (still so impressed, babe.)

Here's a rundown of Owen at 6:
-Loves playing with friends and asks the second he gets home from school if he can go to the neighbors house
-Can't get enough of riding his two wheel bike, even after getting stitches from a big crash and burn
-Loves legos and is way better at building things than I am
-Can talk your ear off and is always full of questions
-A bit of a perfectionist and gets frustrated if he can't do things right the first time
-Still wakes up really early (example: Owen was up at 6 am to open his birthday presents. I think he's got Christmas and birthdays a little mixed up.)

-Looks just like his daddy
-Has an adorable smile (just like his daddy.)
-Very sweet and sensitive. He came to me awhile ago worried about having to get married and move away from our family some day. After talking about how our family is forever and that no matter what we'll always be together, I also told him he could stay with me forever if he wants to (by this point I was sad thinking about it too.)
-Is full of life and energy and is so much fun.

We love you buddy!
Happy 6th Birthday.

My 10 Year High School Reunion...

2009-08-15T16:36:00.003-05:00

...was so much fun, because of these girls.

(Kim, Katie, Meghan, Karee, Jaime, Alisa)

It was so good to catch up ladies...here's to girls trip 2010!

All in 24 hours...

2009-08-05T17:07:00.003-05:00

Seven Stitches...

and the first day of Kindergarten.

What a trooper!

Visitors

2009-08-02T10:04:00.011-05:00

Last week my Mom, sister and baby Olive braved the Arizona heat and came to visit. It was so nice to have visitors (and to be able to offer them a real bed AND a bedroom...all of you who have slept on our blow up mattress over the years must REALLY love us:)

To be honest, we spent most of our time working on the house. Decorating, painting, hanging stuff, (which Andi swears she loves doing and which my Mom helps with because she loves me...thanks guys.)

(Ella's Bedroom--still need to paint, and get pulls for the drawers and...you get the idea.)

(Boys Bedroom--needing some paint too.)

We did get to have a little fun.

Some highlights:

-Tucson Children's Museum
-Scooby Doo Movie
-Guitar Hero
(I have a picture, but out of love for the both of you, I won't post it here :)
-IKEA (best IKEA shopping trip ever.)
-Me shutting down at Lowe's after having to make too many decisions about the house (picking paint colors stresses me right out)and Mom and Andi pulling me through
-Shopping with Andi at Forever 21 (she always finds great stuff)

-Trail Dust Town (kinda gross steak house, crazy Wild West Show, rare humidity for Tucson, but it was fun, right. Right?)

(The food wasn't great, but Owen loved his root beer in a boot. That's at least something.)

-Painting the kitchen in the middle of the night (I think we started around 11 and finished at 1:30 am.)
-Family Pictures by Andi--once again crazy hot. You seriously have to get up at 5 am to beat the heat here.
-Girls shopping and lunch
-Andrew getting sick...really sick. Fevers, chills, totally miserable. He's just now starting to feel better.
-Getting to spend time with three of my favorite people, and getting to love on my adorable new niece.

Thanks for coming...next time I promise I won't put you to work. (At least not the whole time.:)

10 Year Reunion

2009-07-16T11:17:00.004-05:00

So my high school reunion is coming up in a few weeks, and with that comes the dreaded...what should I wear. This might seem silly to a few, but who doesn't want to look good at their 10 year? I found an awesome website called Sensibly Styled where they find cute, modest clothes. After searching on my own for an outfit, I decided, what the heck, and emailed the girls there for some help. Look what happened...I'm on their site! They came up with three potential outfits for me to wear. So those of you who actually know me, what do you think? Outfit #1, #2 or #3.

So Big

2009-07-15T16:17:00.005-05:00

IN LOVE...

2009-07-09T18:17:00.002-05:00

I just adore this sweet boy
(pic taken by my sister...thanks andi)

The House

2009-07-08T16:17:00.001-05:00

Here's the long awaited picture of our house. My sister and mom are coming out in a few weeks to help me with the inside, so I'll post more pictures then. Does it look hot here? (Trust me, it is.)

This...

2009-07-06T12:14:00.005-05:00

is what happens when you have dirt for a backyard! Hey hon, can we get going on that grass soon...PLEASE!

Bigger and Better Things?

2009-06-22T17:27:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday we drove off the lot in our new (to us) Toyota Sienna. Yep, that's right, we are the now the proud owners of a VAN! Ever since Liam was born we've been dying to get a van. Driving across the country with three kids squished in the back of a Chevy Malibu is just no fun. But, as I drove with my kids in our new, big car, something funny happened.
I was a bit sad.
Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy that sweet baby Liam is now free of the poking and prodding of his adoring siblings, but in a way it hit me right then how fast my kids are growing up. In the last three months we've grown to a family of five, moved to a bigger house and now, a bigger car. I guess I'm so used to all of us being squished together, the extra space has made me, in a funny way, miss my kids.
All of these things are blessings, and I'm grateful, but it's different now.
My kids are getting bigger every second... (I just registered Owen for kindergarten--Oh. My. Goodness)

Things are changing...
And sometimes change is hard.

I read this on a blog today, and it's helping me adjust my perspective (and deal with all of this change).

"soak up each day. slow down and be present in the moment. make realistic to do lists (it doesn’t all have to get done today!). notice the little things. appreciate beauty. ignore the mess. laugh at yourself. enjoy today. today is all we have."

Dance, Magic, Dance

2009-06-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

Labyrinth has become a favorite around our house. If you've never seen it, you should check out this gem from 1986. It's definitely unique--imagine David Bowie meets the muppets, but it keeps the kids entertained when it's too hot to play outside.

The Last Month..In Numbers

2009-06-13T10:50:00.009-05:00

1 deliciously chubby (and blessed on May 3rd) baby boy

1 adorable preschool graduate

1 visit from 2 wonderful friends

1 sold Subaru

Lots and lots of packed boxes
1 BIG Moving Truck
1 night without furniture=1 picnic dinner

2 fun days spent with dear friends (we miss you Hursts!)

1 house officially bought and closed on---YEAH!
1 overpacked car
3 kids squished in the back seat
2 already tired parents
10 hours in the car (that felt like 50!)
1 night in a hotel in the middle of Nebraska
5 more hours in the car
2 1/2 days spent in Denver visiting my brother and sister--so fun
15 more hours in the car
Multiple stops along the way
1 family driving into Tucson at 1am
1 more night in a hotel
1 set of keys to our new house
5 very excited Petersons
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
1 den
1 garage
1 backyard
1 BIG moving truck
Lots and lots of boxes
REALLY tired parents and kids
5 official new residents of Arizona!

Dr. Peterson

2009-05-09T10:19:00.007-05:00

Andrew officially graduated from medical school on May 2nd. I'm such a proud wife. Med school isn't easy, to say the least, and he's done so well while taking care of all of us too.

It's all a bit surreal that we're done. I remember when Andrew first started, med school seemed like it would take forever. But, here we are--4 years and two more kids later. The time has gone by so fast, and now we're off to another adventure in Arizona.

We were lucky enough to have family and friends in town to celebrate with us (and wrangle my kids during the ceremony so I could watch it--thanks everybody.)

Congratulations babe, I'm so proud of you.

(My kids in all of these pictures just crack me up. They were completely bored by the ceremony, so friends and family kept them busy riding the escalators up and down. You can tell they were just as thrilled about getting their pictures taken.)

Yee-Haw!! He Did It!!

2009-05-07T10:29:00.003-05:00

Check out what Owen just learned to do.
I promised him a new bike when he figured it out, so it looks like we're going shopping! There's been a lot of stuff going on...traveling to Arizona, buying a house, graduating from medical school, and an adorable and chubby baby boy. I promise a post of it all is coming--as soon as I catch my breath!

Wish Us Luck...

2009-04-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

Andrew and I (and Liam), are flying out to Tucson tomorrow to try and find a house. It seems totally overwhelming trying to buy a house in 5 days, so wish us luck! Hopefully we'll come back with good news!

P.S. It's 98 degrees in Tucson today. Sounds pretty nice compared to the 48 degrees, rainy and windy that we've got in Peoria.

Liam-3 weeks

2009-04-15T14:23:00.004-05:00

Liam had a doctor's appointment today and he already weighs 9 pounds 4 ounces...he's getting big so fast!

The Story...

2009-04-07T09:01:00.003-05:00

A lot of people have been asking me about Liam's birth and the emergency c-section. For those who have wondered what happened, here's the story...in Andrew's words (which is probably best because I was a bit of a mess through many parts of this.)

"Tuesday the 24th was Alisa's due date. She had a doctor's visit that morning and since she was feeling particularly pregnant the weeks leading up to appointment, we had decided earlier in the week that if the doctor was ok with it we would go for in an induction that day. So the doc. said sure and 2 hours later we were all set up in the hospital. Alisa was progressing slowly at first when the baby had some heart rate issues, what we doctor types like to call late decells. They stopped the drugs starting her labor and did an ultrasound only to find out that she had no measureable pockets of amniotic fluid around the baby. She must have started leaking fluid a few days before her due date. So they placed some internal monitors and continued the induction. She did fine for a few hours, then after she got an epidural her blood pressure dropped pretty low (80s/30s). The baby had 5 or 6 late decells in a row. The doctors and us decided that the baby need to be out of Alisa as soon as possible. So 8 minutes later we had a handsome, healthy little boy. We are really thankful that we decided to have an induction. We could have gone on for a few days waiting for Alisa's labor to start on its own, which could have potentially had a lot different outcome."

Hopefully that answers some questions. I never would have chosen a c-section, but as Andrew said, we are so grateful that things worked out the way they did. Looking back, everything happened so that Liam could get here safely...and we feel so blessed for that. Thanks everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers, we've really appreciated it.

P.S. Liam is two weeks old today and is doing great. At his one week he already weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz (he only weighed 7 lbs at birth.) He's getting chubby and is a very happy and laid back baby. I'm doing well and am finally starting to feel back to normal. Now the craziness begins. In the next month we need to travel to Arizona, buy a house, Andrew will graduate from medical school and then we move! A bit crazy with so much going on, but it's all good things, so that helps!

More Pictures...

2009-03-31T12:40:00.003-05:00

As promised, here are some more pictures of Liam. He is such a sweet, easy going baby. We are all loving having him here!

Our Baby Boy

2009-03-27T20:11:00.003-05:00

Liam Andrew Peterson
March 24, 2009
6:32 pm
7 pounds, 19 inches long

Baby Liam is here! After some scary moments, Liam was born at 6:32 pm by emergency c-section. Things turned out a little differently than planned, to say the least, but we are so grateful that he is here and healthy. More pictures coming soon!

Match Day Is Here!

2009-03-19T15:43:00.004-05:00

We are going to spend the next 3 years in....

Tucson, Arizona!

We are really excited and Owen can't wait to move to a place that doesn't get cold! It will be an adventure, that's for sure!

The Big 3-0

2009-03-16T07:18:00.003-05:00

I just love this man.

Happy Birthday!

It's Match Week

2009-03-16T07:14:00.002-05:00

Thursday is the big day. Where do you think we'll be for the next 3-6 years?

P.S. Baby boy is still just hanging out. Hopefully we'll have an update with him soon too!

Randomness

2009-03-03T18:26:00.004-06:00

Mustaches...almost too realistic, dont you think?

Baby Olive is Here!

2009-02-17T12:48:00.003-06:00

Olive Claire Marshall
Born February 8th, 2009
7 lbs. 7 ounces 19 1/2 inches long

My sister, Andi, and her husband Spencer had their beautiful baby girl last Sunday. I have yet to meet her(does Skype count?) but can't wait to snuggle her. You can read the whole story here.
Congratulations, we love you guys!

Rockin' Out

2009-02-12T17:59:00.004-06:00

Uncle Sam bought us a Wii and Guitar Hero World Tour. Check out our mad skills... (and be sure to watch for Ella's Elvis move, my favorite.)

The Windy City

2009-02-02T18:15:00.008-06:00

Andrew had to take a clinical skills exam in Chicago last Monday, so kind of last minute the kids and I decided to join him. We left Sunday afternoon and spent the night at a hotel. Just staying in a hotel probably would have been a big enough thrill for my kids. We got a suite of sorts, so the kids had their own tv and our King sized bed (enough room for all of my prego pillows, yeah!) and tv were just around the corner.

Monday I decided to brave Chicago on my own and take the kids to the Chicago Children's Museum (poor Andrew had to take his test ALL DAY Monday...not so fun.)
Our trek started with a ride on a Chicago City Bus to Navy Pier/The Chicago Children's Museum. Not too bad, cheap, and best of all saved me from driving in the city. We got to the museum and basically had the entire thing to ourselves. The kids had a great time and were thoroughly entertained.

Notice Ella panting like a puppy.

Already loves to shop!

Attempt at a group photo.

Our only drama came when we tried to eat lunch at McDonald's at Navy Pier. Apparently there was a high school field trip or something that day, so it was crazy loud and super busy. So loud that Owen covered his ears and had a bit of a meltdown. Luckily we got our terribly overpriced food fairly quick and ran to a somewhat quiet corner to eat, and all was well with the world again.
After lunch we went back to the museum and played for a couple of more hours. After an ice cream break, Andrew was done with his test and came and picked us up and we headed for home.
Andrew and I were talking, and this could very well have been our last trip to Chicago. As much as we're ready to move on, it's been awesome to live close to the city, and I'm really glad that we got to make at least one last, fun trip.
Lake Shore Drive

Speaking of our love for Chicago, the same can't be said for this guy. Seriously, so guilty...and the hair!

Still kickin'...

2009-01-23T15:10:00.003-06:00

Poor baby number 3. Between taking care of the kids, callings, travelling for interviews, and a whole laundry list of things, baby boy has not been getting the attention he deserves these last couple of months. Believe me, I'm still pregnant, and I still feel VERY pregnant. Even with all of our hectic-ness, we can't wait for the little one's arrival. A lot is happening in March for us, but his debut is the thing we are all looking forward to the most. Only 8 more weeks...

What I'm looking like these days, as seen through the lens of a talented 5 year old photographer. Yep, I'm tired.

Brrr...

2009-01-15T15:54:00.001-06:00

It's cold. Really cold. -35 degrees cold. I love midwest winters.

Better Late Than Never...

2009-01-08T09:40:00.012-06:00

Our Christmas...in pictures.

Best.Santa.Picture.Ever. Andrew and I laughed so hard when we saw it(with our friends The Hursts.)

Catching a ride at the Festival of Lights Carnival

Andrew with his painting Christmas morning. (I had one of his best childhood friends do it for him. Only a few people understand the significance of all of it. He loved it. Thanks again Brad.)

Ella and Owen's Christmas Loot

The day after Christmas we drove up to Michigan to stay with Andrew's brother Mike and his family. The day after we got there we went sledding. It was really foggy and starting to drizzle, but the kids loved it because it was mostly ice so they could go really fast.

Everyone on the sledding train (except me, I had to sit out due to my big belly!)

Proof that I was there.

New Year's Eve with Mike and Sarah and Sarah's family. They were playing Pirate Dice and Andrew was the grande loser (hence the Princess Leia bun hat.)

During all of the New Year's fun, my nephew Anders found some lipstick. Pretty self explanatory I think.

We're home now and slowly getting back into real life. I love the holidays and am always a little sad to see them go, but we've got a lot of stuff coming up, so we have a lot to look forward to (which will definitely help us put up with a couple more months of lovely midwest winter weather.)

Christmas Time is Here

2008-12-21T15:02:00.013-06:00

Andrew got home last night, so I finally feel like Christmas can really begin now! In the midst of the craziness of the last few weeks, we have been able to do some fun, Christmas-y things. This week Owen had his pre-school, Christmas program. All the children dressed up, and he was one of the three kings. His costume consisted of a purple silk shirt, a sequinned belt, and a crown, but he felt very important anyways. I was just happy that he was excited and willing to participate, unlike his last program. They sang songs, recited some cute poems, and then we headed downstairs to the pre-school for crafts, snacks and Santa.

Singing, and happy about it!

My favorite picture. He totally reminds me of Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood (with the crown making his ears flop!)

Ella eating her candy necklace during the program.

Owen and his coloring picture.

Ella with Santa (she was really unsure, if you can't tell. She wouldn't even sit on his lap, but she did stand next to him. After we got home she told me that next time she sees Santa she's going to sit on his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. We'll see...)
<

The kids did Christmas crafts one day in honor of Grandma Peterson. I traced their hands, and they decorated them to make a wreath, and then I traced their hands and feet to make the reindeer (pardon our "ghost" reindeer, I was all out of brown construction paper.) The kids decided that the reindeer were Rudolph and his girlfriend Clarisse (can you tell we've been watching the old Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie?)

Last but not least, our two little Santa's (thanks Mom for the hats!) Can you tell Ella is saying "Ho, Ho, Ho"?

And I'll just add the "Merry Christmas," to that. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Come Home Soon...

2008-12-19T11:13:00.003-06:00

I just scraped half an inch of straight ICE off of our sidewalks. I REALLY miss my hubby today.

Our frozen picnic table

Doctors, Doctors and More Doctors...

2008-12-17T22:54:00.003-06:00

Enough doctors already. (Sorry, no offense babe!) I feel like we have been living at the doctor's office lately, and looking back at our month so far, it seems we have been. Here's the run down:

December 4th: Ultrasound with the perinatologist
December 8th: Owen's tonsillectomy
December 10th: Alisa Doctor's Appt.
December 13th: Trip to the ER
December 15th: Owen to the ENT
December 17th: Another Doctor's Appt. for me
December 19th: ANOTHER Doctor's Appt. for yours truly

Sheesh! See what I mean. I should probably elaborate on the ER trip a bit. Owen was doing pretty good all week, and then Saturday night he woke up throwing up blood (sorry if that's TMI.) We took him to the ER around 12:30 that night and were there until 5 am. He's doing fine now, the ENT just said that some kids bleed, and of course poor Owen turned out to be one of those. He's eating this week, so I think we're almost recovered. He went back to pre-school this week too, and couldn't be happier about it. I finally feel like things are slowly getting back to normal. Now I just need a husband. Andrew is traveling again this week interviewing for residencies, but come Saturday night, we get to have him home with us until next year! Only 3 more days...

Update...

2008-12-11T10:46:00.008-06:00

There's been a lot going on lately, so much so that I've been neglecting my blog. So here's the latest:

*I had another ultrasound with the perinatologist, and Baby Peterson is doing great. He's right on schedule with his growth, so no more visits to maternal/fetal medicine. Yeah! A BIG relief.

*Last Friday we drove up to Chicago to spend the night with our good friends Brad and Leanne. We ate really good pizza with them and Andrew's second parents, Rick and Deb Gehrig. We played games and hung out the next morning until it was time to pick up my Mom from the airport Saturday afternoon. Thanks again for letting us crash with you guys!

*Owen got his tonsils and adenoids out on Monday. He's definitely sore, but thanks to tylenol with codeine he's doing pretty well. The hardest thing has been finding things that he will eat. He's a picky eater anyway, but trying to convince him to eat when he's got limited choices has been hard. I had the fridge stocked and ready with a bunch of stuff, but all he would eat at first were popsicles and milk shakes.

Putting on his "ninja robe" as Andrew called it (Owen LOVED that.)

Watching Power Rangers before surgery.

Sweet boy sleeping after surgery.

With Mom after surgery. (Yep, that is me...I'm a brunette now.)

*Andrew flew out to Arizona on Tuesday for residency interviews. He had interviews Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Two in Phoenix and one in Tucson. They've gone well so far and he likes Arizona (especially since it's 70 degrees there and freezing and snowing here.)

*My Mom has been staying with us, but leaves tomorrow. It's been so nice to have her around, especially to help take care of Owen. Thanks for coming Mom.

*We have managed to do a few Christmas crafts in the midst of all of the other "stuff" that's been going on. We made gumdrop trees last week. This is one of my favorite crafts to do. Easy, no mess, and the kids can do it on their own. Today we made our annual gingerbread house with Nana. The kids loved it too, and it's a definite improvement over last year's model that fell apart 15 minutes after making it.

This is what I got when I asked the kids to look at me and smile.

The best we could do.

Life should slow down a bit now, but Andrew is gone again next week for more interviews, so I'm looking forward to the week of Christmas. Thanks to everyone for all of your concern and reassurance with Owen and his surgery. We've all really appreciated it.

Bye Bye Tonsils

2008-12-05T13:15:00.001-06:00

My Owen is getting his tonsils out on Monday. He's excited because he gets to eat ice cream for breakfast, which is good because I'm definitely worried enough for the both of us. Please keep him in your prayers.

Thankful

2008-12-01T18:28:00.007-06:00

I love Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving even more when we get to spend it with family (and not at a Chinese Buffet like last year...a whole other story.) This year we drove up to Michigan to spend time with Andrew's brother Mike and his family and his sister Emily and her family who came all the way from Belgium. It was a week of fun, shopping, really yummy food, shopping, and some craziness (a house full of 8 kids!) Thanks Mike and Sarah for hosting us and thanks to Bim and Jay for making the long trek AND bringing Belgian chocolate---YUM. I, of course, forgot to take pictures of most of our fun, but here are a few.
Making oreo turkeys

Ella's interpretation of a turkey

A viking, a renaissance guy (I think?), and a knight.

Hope you had a Happy Turkey Day too.

First Crush

2008-11-21T11:10:00.006-06:00

Ella's First Crush (In Pictures)

I think Ella has her first crush...on George of the Jungle. She LOVES this movie. Today while she was watching I asked her if George was cute. She said, "No Mom, George is handsome."

P.S. These pictures show Ella's hair au naturale. She had a bath this morning, and this is what it looks like if I don't do a thing to it. Gotta love how her ringlets in the front grow straight down.

P.P.S Apparently she likes to chew on her sleeves while watching George.

Grateful

2008-11-17T10:47:00.003-06:00

November has been a doozy of a month for us. So much so that I've had a hard time getting into the Thanksgiving vibe. Even worse, I've felt a bit the opposite. Life has thrown us some curveballs (pregnancy complications, potential tonsillectomy for Owen) and it's been a month full of worries and stress. This weekend, I was able to go here. Those of you who know me, know I've had a hard time adjusting to life in Illinois at times, but being in the Nauvoo Temple District is definitely something I will always remember. I was able to go with the other members of the Relief Society Presidency, and I'm so grateful that we made the trip,(and very thankful to my husband for watching the kids all day Saturday so I could.) So, I'm attempting to turn over a new leaf for the last couple of weeks of November, because I am blessed, and I am grateful (I just needed to be reminded of it!)

Halloween

2008-11-04T11:42:00.007-06:00

We LOVE Halloween around here, but I've got to be honest. By the time it finally arrived this year, I was just about worn out from all of the festivities (maybe it has something to do with #3 or the fact that Owen got strep 3 days before the big day.) Anyhoo, we managed to pack the week of Halloween full of fun. The kiddos seem satisfied because they've already started the countdown to Thanksgiving (Owen only really cares about it because he gets to see his cousin Hayden) and Christmas.

Some pictures...

Love this one. She adores her brother, even if he bugs the crud out of her several times a day.

Our attempt at a "the wife is pregnant" costume. If you can't tell, I have a picture of a "bun in the oven" on my belly, and Andrew is the bun maker. Andrew looks goofy, and I look annoyed in this picture, but we really were having a good time.

Trying to get a picture with our friends, The Hursts. I consider it a success. No one is really smiling, but they're all sort of looking the same direction.

Betrothed...

2008-11-03T13:02:00.004-06:00

The other day the kids and I were working on Halloween cookies while listening to some music (my choice...yeah!) A song by Sarah McLachlan came on, and Owen asked who it was. I told him and he said, "Mom, I like her voice. She has a really pretty voice." I couldn't help but agree. Those of you who know me well, know I've been a fan of Sarah for years. Then he added this zinger, "When I grow up and am a Dad, I'm going to marry her, and then she can sing me songs." Good choice, son.

P.S. Can't wait for Andrew to give me the green light on Christmas music so I can listen to this. Love it.

Thank You Sonic

2008-10-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

Sonic Happy Hour just saved me. Not sure why, but my kids have been complete grumps today, especially Owen. He had a tough day at pre-school, came home, fussed about not wanting to eat his lunch (for an hour), finally ate a few bites, then fussed again because he was hungry (arghh!) On top of it all, I've had a cold and couple that with being pregnant, I haven't been sleeping all that well (not good for my patience.) By two o'clock I was about read to lose it, so I decided we needed to get out of the house, and Sonic came to my rescue. Not too far, and half priced drinks from 2-4 pm. So one Sprite, one rootbeer, a large Dr.Pepper (I just had to have it today), one limeade for Daddy and $3.26 later, my kids were happy as clams. Now they are building houses with the couch cushions while I fold the laundry and listen to a little Missy Higgins. Much, much better. Thanks Sonic.

Ella's Birthday (a little late)

2008-10-22T12:05:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday Lovie Lou! Ella turned 3 last Friday. I just love this girl. She loves everything princess and pink (what little 3 year old girl doesn't?) So, we started out her day with pink princess balloons and pink presents. She opened her presents first thing in the morning. Our kids get up early, so we had everything set up the night before. When the kids got up and Ella saw the table and balloons, she ran into our room really excited and said, "Mom, I have princess balloons and pink balloons. I'm so proud of those!" So funny when little ones try to use new, big words.

We let her open her presents and she got a princess barbie and a princess castle. She was so excited about everything...I love 3 year olds, so easy to please! We spent the day at home and then we went to Toys R Us after Andrew got home so she could pick out a toy with her Grandma/Nana money. She chose a pink high chair. We grabbed some dinner and then had our friends, the Hursts, over for cake and ice cream. So, about the cake. I caved and did the creepy princess, but it was worth it because she loved it. Hopefully next year we'll have moved on to something else so I won't have to do that again.

Sure love you little miss, and Happy 3rd Birthday!

A Few Things

2008-10-14T15:29:00.004-05:00

My well of blog material has been running a little (ok a lot) dry lately, as you can probably tell from my lack of posts. Nothing spectacular to report, but here's a few things that we've been up to.

-We're getting excited for Halloween. It's probably my favorite holiday (I get that from my Dad.) My kids have decided to be a Ninja and a kitty. Thanks to friends and Target, they've ended up to be super easy costumes. Perfect. Ella asked me the other day what I was going to be for Halloween, when I told her I didn't know, she told me I could be a bottle of soap. Now why didn't I think of that?

The kids with our Haunted Gingerbread House. Can't you just hear them saying, "Happy Halloween!"

-I received an email about my upcoming 10 year high school reunion (ok, it's actually next August). Crazy that it's been 10 years, made me reminisce about all that is wonderful and really dumb about high school.

-As a result, I've added and will be adding some awesome "back in the day" music to my blog. Hence the Candlebox and Jann Arden. If I remember right, the Candlebox song was the theme song for our 8th grade dance. Weird that I remember that, and just weird period.

-I got to catch up with one of my favorite people ever today. Even if we did get cut off after only chatting for 20 minutes, it was still nice to start to catch up. Expect another call soon!

-Owen has learned how to wink. It's hilarious and seriously one of the most charming things I've ever seen my little man do. He winked at me and blew me a kiss the other day when I dropped him off at pre-school. He got a lot of "ooohs" from the other Moms. He also told me that he likes to wink at his classmates when they walk by. The boy already knows how to work a crowd.

-Baby Boy Peterson is growing and starting to kick around. I'm gradually transitioning into maternity clothes, but am still desperately hanging on to my unbuttoned/jimmy rigged "regular" jeans.

-Andrew has three residency interviews in Arizona set up for December, as well as Las Vegas, Utah and New Mexico. Let the craziness that is the match process begin.

-If not obvious from the previous item, Andrew will be gone for the two weeks before Christmas. Anyone up for a visit so I don't feel too sorry for myself about being alone during a lot of the holiday stuff???

-I mopped the floor yesterday and did all of the laundry. (Believe me, that's a big deal.)

-Ella turns 3 on Friday. My baby girl is 3?! When did that happen? She wants a princess cake. Not sure how I'm going to tackle that one. I might resort to doing one of those doll cakes (you know the kinda creepy ones with a plastic barbie doll head and body and cake skirt.) I've always thought those were kind of weird (sorry if anyone out there loves them), but I don't know what else to do. Any ideas?

-Andrew and I have discovered another favorite show. The Office is still number one, but Pushing Daisies is a very close second. Seriously love it. We spent our evenings last week renting and catching up on Season One.

-Last week I made pumpkin bars, an apple pie and banana bread. More baking than I've done in the last six months. I think I had a few days of pregnancy nesting early. No worries, I'm back to normal now.

That's about it. At least there is something new to look at on my blog.

Pretty Little Things

2008-09-30T12:26:00.003-05:00

It's already been a long week, and it's only Tuesday. We're back in Illinois after a fabulous 6 weeks in Utah. We got back late Sunday, after a 20 hour drive, (I'm still recovering.) Plus baby number 3, which we just found out is a BOY (yeah!), is being difficult. I'm one of the lucky people who get migraines, but one of the benefits of pregnancy has been the disappearance of them, until now. I have had migraine after migraine for the last couple of weeks, and for the last two days I've had a constant pounding headache. Pair that with the lack of safe headache meds (only tylenol, which doesn't do much for me, I miss my excedrin), and I've been a bit miserable. So, today I decided to do something for myself. I signed up for this. I love the idea of getting something in the mail every month, just for me. And, if you've ever read "Oh Happy Day" then you know that everything will be amazing. My Dad once told me that it's always good to have something to look forward to. I think this is especially true when you're pregnant. Of course the baby is the most exciting thing, but it takes a LONG time to get to that, so I'm excited to have something once a month to keep me going!

This is for you Papa...

2008-09-18T21:15:00.003-05:00

3

2008-09-08T12:26:00.004-05:00

We just wanted to let everyone know that Andrew and I are expecting our third child! I'm about 12 weeks along and due in March. We're really excited, a little nervous about being outnumbered, but mostly just excited. Owen and Ella can't wait and ask me almost every day when the baby is coming. March can't come soon enough!

P.S. Andrew applied for residency programs, so things are in the works. We'll find out where we'll be in March too...it's going to be a busy month for us!

A little of what we've been up to...

2008-09-03T09:22:00.012-05:00

A fieldtrip to BYU...

Sailing on Utah Lake...

Bouncing at Kangaroo Zoo...

Rock Climbing...

Spending time with good friends...

Winning a diamond at the BYU Football game (ok, it ended up being a cubic zirconia, but it was fun anyway!)

Getting to know brand new cousins...

We Made It!

2008-08-24T16:16:00.001-05:00

We're here! We've been in Utah for a week now and it's seems like we've been going non-stop catching up with family and friends. We're having a great time...pictures coming soon!

We Slay Dragons (and Owen's 5th Birthday)

2008-08-12T17:01:00.002-05:00

Owen turned 5 on August 8th...I can hardly believe my boy is 5! We had his party the next day. He decided he wanted a "dragon and knight" party. It was so much fun! Andrew built a castle out of cardboard boxes and Owen even decorated a "crest" for it. He drew a good knight and a bad knight and had me write, "We Slay Dragons." Just in case everyone was wondering, I guess. We also made crowns, jousted, attacked a dragon with catapults, had dragon cake and searched for hidden treasure.

Happy Birthday sweet boy! You're growing up so fast! We love you to pieces!

I Need a Nap...

2008-08-01T11:32:00.009-05:00

Do ever have one of those days where you feel like you're the WORST Mom on the planet? The kids are out of control, they're spending more time in time-out than anything else and at the end of the day it's hard to remember anything fun or even remotely pleasant that happened that day? I just had one of those WEEKS! Owen got strep throat last weekend and since then he just hasn't been the same. I seriously feel like I just ran a marathon...I'm exhausted! I dumped the pictures and videos on my camera today and realized that there were some happy/funny moments this week. So, I thought I'd share them. Probably more as a reminder for me than anything that my kids really are pretty great, even after they throw a huge fit because they can't have the toy lizard that they are "in love with" from the store. My Dad told me when I first had Owen that kids will humble you and any concerns that you have with "saving face" or worrying about what others think of you will go right out the the window. Geez, has this come to be true (many, many times.) So, here you go. Some of the happier moments from our week.

Owen and Ella on "The Hill"

Owen Causing Destruction (Don't worry, nothing was broken and the lights screwed right back in. Just don't tell our landlord!)

Dancing to the music on "George of the Jungle." This is my kids new favorite movie. Everytime he crashes into a tree my kids laugh like it's the first time.

I ♥ Boise

2008-07-26T15:08:00.007-05:00

I came across this article today. Can you believe it? Boise is #4! I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It was bound to happen that someday everyone would realize just how great Boise is. I loved growing up there and still love going back to visit whenever I can. Thinking about Boise made me realize that I never posted any pictures from our week in Boise after the Oregon Coast, so here they are. Better late than never, I guess! Andi and Ella hanging out in my parent's backyard (one of my favorite places.) I have so many awesome memories in this backyard. From BBQ's, wedding receptions, running through sprinklers, climbing trees, jumping and falling off of the trampoline...just being with my family. I love these pictures because it makes me realize that my kids are creating memories in the same backyard! One of the traditions my Dad has established with Owen is the water fight. Every time we come to visit (and it's not freezing outside) Owen wants to have a water fight. This last visit he got a few of them, from Papa and Tanner. I don't think they mind, as you can tell I think they're having fun too.
(Proof that we always have a good time, so good we wear ourselves out!)

Pass the Crumpets Please...

2008-07-23T08:37:00.001-05:00