familypete

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T13:09:00.002-07:00

We took a few pictures on Halloween - let me know if the link doesn't work!

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x170/troydarwin75/

No good deed goes unpunished!

2009-10-19T21:57:00.003-06:00

I smile while I write this because today as I was vacuming out our van I realized that "No good deed goes unpunished!"
My girls came into the front of the car to "Help" me and well I was just thankful to get the car semi clean so I didn't pay too close attention to what they were doing. Sadly, our coin compartment is empty now and my CD/Tape decks are full of it. I could be mad but I can't. I remember this same thing happening to this same car and CD/Tape player, six years ago by two naughty little boys while I was doing the same thing. So I guess I am the one to blame. You think I would have learned. My only comfort in this lies in the fact that when we had it replaced the first time they said this type of thing happens ALL the time. Maybe my kids aren't naughty little monkeys like I once may have thought them to be.
I've realized this is a common theme in general for mothers. If you don't remember the lessons and learn from them they come back around so you can experience them again.

Summer Smiles

2009-08-30T21:46:00.004-06:00

I have taken to keeping all my thoughts and feelings to myself for too long. I will purge them starting now.
This summer I had the delightful opportunity of having all of my kids in a "good place"...meaning we had such a great summer and I enjoyed spending time with them so much that I dreaded the first day of school and all it meant we had to say good bye to. This summer was what I will take and store in my memory and keep it for when the fun times are lacking. My "watershed" moments, as I like to call them. I was telling a good friend about that theory of mine. Where you realize that life is so good right now and this is such a great time of my life. I have to stop and take a mental picture of it all because Iknow that life isn't like that all the time and the low times come and drain you of all the fun in life. I am always so thankful for the memories I can pull up to get me up and over the tough times. This summer was that for me.
I will cherish the quiet morning runs, the morning chores dancing to way too loud music. The breakfast chats that can last as long as you want to because we have no where important to be. It became way too commmon to not even go anywhere in the car each day...we rode our bikes and played our hearts out in the greatest backyard ever! I am thankful we have this time to give to our kids...even if it may not be permanent...to have these memories is what I have always wanted to give them. We said good bye to wonderful neighbors and hello to fun new ones. The movies in the backyard late at night were so great and who could have asked for a greater group of neighbors. Night games that would never end. How could they when it was the adults that kept them going? Birthday parties that start when it starts getting dark....Nightgame birthday parties....how clever is that. Never once did I hear that dreaded summer term..."I'm bored, there is no one to play with." That doesn't apply in our neighborhood and I am so thankful for all the darling, fun, adventerous,bike jumping,motorcycling,army fighting,star wars talkin, dress-up princesses, kitten chasing kids that are in the neighborhood. This summer was a party in our own backyard. Kimball became the champion lawn mower and loved every minute of it. Cole thankfully learned how to tie his own shoes though he may have been caught wearing them only once or twice this summer. Lauren learned to roam the neighborhood on her two wheeler and lives to chase our neighbors kittens all over. Lucy just hung on and enjoyed the ride this summer. My favorite sound was the horn honking on our little ride-on jeep in our garage. She would climb into it and honk it forever. I always knew that I would come out to a big, huge smiling face sitting behind the wheel in her favorite place. The smiles, the popsicles both were in big supply this summer.
Come to think of it we did go quite of few places this summer and had some fun vacations too. But the beauty of the summer for me was the peace, fun and good times that we had in our own backyard. We had so many great visitors who made the summer that much more special. Let's see the Flakes, the Meads, MacKays,Mark and Jaime and girls, the Martins, the Bessey's, Bankheads...hope I am not forgetting anyone. Visitors are our favorite. We love them...so come and visit if you are in the area.
Summers are sacred. This was a good one that will stay in my heart and memory forever. I guess I am starting to understand the beauty of small town, country living. What a blessing.

Dear Lucy: I Love You!...Love, Mom

2009-03-11T21:30:00.001-06:00

Dear Lucy,
Happy Birthday to one of the sweetest blessings that has entered our lives. I can't begin to express my love for you. You are such an amazing gift that has been given to us. We enjoy your beautiful smile every morning, that sweet sparkle in your eyes and your loving nature. I live for your hugs and sweet kisses! Every cuddle you share with me heals my tired, concerned heart. I long for you to stay a baby. I have enjoyed every second of our lives together. Thank you for coming to our family. I love you more than words can say! Lets hope your second year of life is as sweet as your first.
Love,
Mom

From october 2008

2008-12-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Our family photo shoot

2008-12-05T22:43:00.002-07:00

Nice to have these done for a while now!

Happily Ever After!

2008-12-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

So I had to blog this momentus occasion. Our family actually got professional family photos done and Troy and I got the "couple" shot done. This is the famous pose that you see at weddings and 50th anniversary parties. Yep, we are officially old. I titled this Happily Ever After since this is the one and only picture we may ever have of us together.

Saturday is our play day.

2008-11-16T21:39:00.003-07:00

What would be the highlight to a great day of fishing at the local kids stocked fish pond and a yummy dinner at Artic Circle (in Shelly Idaho...no less) with eight kids 9 and under?...a night playing Wolfen. Wolfen you may ask...Now what it that? Good question. Troy and I were invited over to the neighborhood game night last night and we were introduced to this fine game. Ever played Mafia? It's similar. It makes me laugh how no matter how old you get and plain exhausted you are at the end of a week when ever the fun house calls you are there in a flash. We put the kids to bed at 7:45 and were out the back door with a monitor in hand by 8:00 pm. For anyone who has never had the pleasure of having such a luxury as having a baby monitor be your baby sitter you are missing out. Our backyards are all connected and we enjoy many fun nights out thanks to our new babysitter...aka the monitor. I saw a new side to all of my neighbors. Who knew I lived by such a shifty sort. Ha just teasing. We love our area and get such a kick out of all our neighbors. We were pulling out of the driveway to go fishing yesterday and our neighbors hollered to us to stop and they said " Where ya going?...wait we'll come too" how fun is that. Our neighbors are very patient with us and all our bikes and ramps and fun stuff. (I think our home teachers had to walk up the bmx bike ramp to get to our front door tonight). There seems to be endless fun and games in our neighborhood and that is worth a lot to a kid. As well to the parents.
See my attitude is changing and I want you to all know of the fun and good that goes on in Idaho too. Saturdays are good anywhere as long as you get a chance to enjoy them as a family.

New attitude

2008-11-09T20:41:00.005-07:00

So has the time change affected anyone else? My family is still getting up at five in the morning, super peppy and ready to start the day. If only I went to bed at a decent hour this wouldn't throw me into such a tail spin each day. Saturday was no exception except I couldn't for some reason shake the grumps that morning. I was not happy. My poor family. I finally did us all a favor and went for a run in the late morning to just clear my foggy mind. One thing about Idaho that I love and hate is the wide open space. My subdivision is a small area with sidewalks that take you in one big circle. You can only run them so often before you want to poke your eyes out. So I went out on a limb and ran along the "quietest" country road close by. I usually avoid this road for a multitude of reasons but mostly it is the nasty dogs that no one bothers tieing up or fencing in or training to be nice. They scare me and I like dogs. Anyway, in my quiet time while running,I realized some things that I need to write down so I can read in the future again to remind myself. First of all I DO like fall...contrary to all my complaining about Idaho and it being so cold. I miss the close,beautiful Utah mountains, but I have started to really love the acres of fields. I am actually looking forward to winter somewhat so that I can ski and do all the fun things that I haven't done for years again...this time with my kids. Yeah, how great is it to have kids that can finally enjoy all the things you once enjoyed. I am determined to have a mountain biking partner soon. I think Kimball shows the most interest in becoming that partner. It is really fun to think about hanging out with my kids and the fun people they are turning into. Cole and Kimball are Troy's fishing buddies and I actually have a dream of all of us out fly fishing a lake together one day. I am sure Lauren will out fish us all being the most athletic in our family. Fun though...it made me grateful for so many things this little time to myself to clear my head. I think I give off the impression that I don't like Idaho. I don't know how that could be but...ok I am so guilty. I vowed this weekend to make a change and to start with my attitude about Idaho. Next my attitude about Football. I like it. I think I get jealous that Troy likes it more than me...but oh well. The Utes have won his heart and it is fun to see the crazy little Ute fans we have running around the house. My secret favorite thing is when Troy starts singing the fight song around the dinner table and all the kids join in and we have a pep rally going on right here in our kitchen. (We still get the Michigan fight song mixed up in it...since this has been a long standing tradition). The list goes on and on of things I want to make changes on but these are the current front runners and most drastic. I will have to check in and let you know how things are progressing. So all in all it was a very productive run and I am still sore from it today (sunday). I guess in a way this is my early New Years resolutions. Wish me luck!

halloween highlights

2008-11-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving with the Zirkers

2008-11-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Lauren the fairy

2008-11-02T21:32:00.001-07:00

Lauren enjoyed a plentiful Halloween this year. She dressed up in multiple costumes and enjoyed each one fully. Here she is as a fairy at the school carnival. Don't the boots tell you so much about her!

Lauren and Lucy

2008-11-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

cutest bee ever!

2008-11-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

2008-11-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Indiana Jones

2008-11-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Halloweeners 2008

2008-11-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

we enjoyed a fun Halloween night with the neighborhood. Kimball was a dirt bike racer, Cole Indiana Jones (rock on) and Lauren was a cute Princess "witch" she was so sure she was a princess and yelled at anyone who called her a witch. cute either way. Lucy was the best bumble bee ever and so much fun.

Is it wrong to have a favorite baby?

2008-10-21T21:27:00.001-06:00

I can't help myself...she is so dang sweet. I truly love Lucy!

House hunting part 2

2008-06-25T09:44:00.002-06:00

So...you have heard from me lately, complaining about house hunting and all the joys that go with it. I have to confess this blog is a sort of a journal for me too so I have to continue with all our house hunting experiences...lucky you gets to read about them. Monday night we decided to meet with a realtor to show us a house that is literally up the street from us. We chose to let the kids come and thought how bad could it be. Troy drove the four wheeler over with three kids hanging off of it and Lucy and I hoofed it over. (That word hoofed describes how I feel when I am carring Lucy in the baby bjorn). We met the nicest man showing us the house and we hoped the kids would stay in the backyard and play. Wow was I wrong. Something about bringing out the four wheeler in the neighborhood. It's like we have a music box on top playing ice cream songs for all to come and join. The parade started and the kids followed us up the street and the caos began. It made me smile but also made me cringe. All was well the kids stayed out mostly including Lauren. (I should include that she is mostly potty trained...but that depends on the day). We were with the realtor down in the basement looking at it and we hear a scream. Lauren is famous for random screams so we didn't think too much of it. We came up the stairs to find a naked little girl running through the kitchen. Troy died. He obviously doesn't deal with mortifingly (I am not even sure if that is a real word) embarrassing situations on a daily basis. It seems I find Lauren running around outside naked more than not lately. He quickly scooped her up and took her outside. I opened the back patio door and out on the beautiful deck was a pile of clothes and a big puddle. It was so embarrassing. I stayed with the realtor and Troy took a naked little girl home on the four wheeler with all the neighbors wondering what was going on. If we weren't the strange family on the street before we are for sure now. The fact that my kids run around outside with life jackets on all the time must make them think that we have a few screws loose. (I just bought them last week and the kids think they are the greatest toys/dress ups ever). We are for sure in survival mode since we no longer even try to park the car in the garage. I am amazed at how many bikes and strollers we have.
Anyway, I could go on forever but these are the funny little things that make up our days so I thought I would share them. We will keep you posted on the house hunt. We are getting desperate since we are taking to knocking on neighbors doors asking them if they are considering selling. Oh well, at least we can say life isn't boring.

House hunting

2008-06-09T23:12:00.003-06:00

Unfortunately I don't have pictures to share with you of our latest family car trip but I will try to share a bit of our lives in words. Sunday afternoons are pretty much the day that we set out all geared up to go house hunting...for a drive...is what we tell the kids. We pop in a great movie they all agree on and head out. This worked for the first few times but now when the words "for a drive" are uttered there is mass chaos and revolting and we all end up in the car whether we want to or not frustrated and complaining. This Sunday was no exception. We are on a time crunch to find a house and really feeling the pressure. We drive around all the time hoping new things will pop up...alas they haven't. We have taken so many car trips lately that Lauren has formed motion sickness. She has a certain cry and a look that I have now gotten to know quite well when she is ready to... shall I say...SPEW. That look hit us again yesterday and I told Troy to pull over too late. The back seat was a mess. Oh well...we did our best to clean her up and the car with the three diaper wipes left in the diaper bag (why is it you run out of diaper wipes when you really, really need them the most?). We were far enough away from home that I thought we might be able to still look a bit more, even after all that. But then I hear Lucy's thunder roar. She decided to blow out of her outfit. Sadly, all the wipes were gone and I new she would have to sit in it for a while. Well my spirits were dampened right about then and my hopes to see any new homes up for sale had pretty much faded. Then I hear from the back seat in the van a panicked cry. The kind of cry that you hear when your kids know they did something really bad and they are scared. Cole apparently stuck play dough up both of his nostrils and got it stuck. Really stuck. (I promise you play dough is not a standard car item...it somehow made its way into the car without my permission) I sat there staring at Troy is amazement. I then did the only thing I could do. I started laughing uncontrollably. Cole was crying thinking he would never smell again and I was close to tears. Troy was disgusted and Kimball was dry heaving as all the smells were wafting to the back corner of the car.
We ended our fun drive and headed home only to be completely discouraged and sure we may never find a home to live in. House hunting...oh the joys!

Happy Birthday Kimball!

2008-05-28T23:17:00.006-06:00

Eight years ago today I was gripping the passengers side handlebar and doubling over in pain ever min or so while Troy drove like a crazy mad man all the way from Island Park Idaho to Utah. Our wonderful friends Rob and Erin sat in the back timing my contractions and reminding me to breath. Needless to say I cut our trip to Island Park over Memorial Day short by going into labor early. We welcomed Kimball into our family that day and have been thankful ever since then for this wonderful child in our lives.

Kimball is our little man. We called him that from the begining. He was two going on twenty five. He was the perfect baby and we didn't understand what everybodies deal was with their crying kids and why they couldn't figure it out, untila we had other children. We get it now! He never spoke in baby talk. Only full sentences from the begining and all about work trucks and working hard. I have never met a kid that likes to work outside and work hard as much as he does. He looks forward to cutting the grass (before we let him mow the lawn with the lawn mower he use to cut it for hours with sissors) and all the snow storms we have and shovels our walk and all our neighbors before school each time. He lacks a healthy fear when it comes to hiking and heights and loves all outdoor recreation. He is a very matter o fact child...if it is 8:12 and you say 8:15 he corrects you. He likes things exact. He keeps us smiling and loves to update us on the news and any other interesting fact that he happens to come across that day. I love his desire to choose the right. He tries so hard to make the right choice and I couldn't be prouder. Kimball is the best big brother a boy could ever have...according to Cole. (sometimes I think that it is the other way around). Kimball and Cole are very blessed to have each other and I love to hear Kimball read to Cole at night and explain things to him. I love seeing Kimball's desire to learn and read increase each month and how he is growing into a true little man. We are so proud of you and love you. Happy Birthday!

1 step forward and 2 steps back

2008-05-20T14:13:00.003-06:00

Today is day two of potty training Lauren. I find it a bit sad that I already have put her back in her diaper. After numerous accidents and amazing tantrums I gave up. When the diaper came out she clapped her hands together and cheered "Yeah Diaper!" What do I take of that? She is so stubborn. Troy thinks I have met my match...what is that suppose to mean?
Anyway, today is one of those days where you take one step forward and then everything unravels and you are two steps behind in the end. For example. I thought I would be a good mom and take the kids for a fun walk...(Truthfully, I just hadn't gotten to washing the upholstery in the car since Lauren threw up last night in it and it still was too stinky for me to drive without adding to the smell myself)... Lucy wouldn't stop being fussy so I strapped her into the baby Bjorn, Lauren wanted to ride in the stroller so I pushed her...for about 5 min. then she decided she was done rididng. We were far enough away from our house and late enough with picking Cole up from kindergarten, that there was no turning back. We barely made it to pick him up with Lauren crying from being rushed from picking all the millions of dandelions along the way.(Hasn't anyone heard of weed and feed)? Lucy was semi asleep with an occasional cry from the sun shining right down on her poor head. Cole freaked out when he came out of school insisting that he Hates walking apparently I chose a bad day to take a walk, and he refused to walk all the way home. We only live maybe ten min. from the school (walking time). So, with two kids complaining about 100 yards behind me, one baby crying and one really grumpy mom we set off for home. I laugh now thinking about how much I was wishing someone would drive by and rescue us. Actually, my wonderful next door neighbor did drive by and then stopped and backed up and offered the kids a ride. I know she was inspired and I was grateful. So the moral of this story is that the next time you see someone out for a walk don't hesitate to offer them a ride, you never know.
I know I am complaining but actually this is my crazy life and after a day or two I can look back and laugh at all the madness that goes on every second of every day. I am sure this hit home to a few of you and you are laughing to yourselves. If so good, I am hoping something good came of all this.

I am hoping this will be one of many posts for me but honestly there is no promises!
Lots of love from Idaho.

All about Lucy!

2008-05-07T13:18:00.002-06:00

It's about time that we post some darling pictures of our little sweetheart. She is so fun and really such a wonderful baby. I keep thinking that I will make the time to get a great picture announcement mailed out to all of you so you can see how fun she is but honestly, I am facing the fact that email is the only way it is going to happen. So here you are a bunch of fun picutres of our sweet baby. I am loving having her here and wish I could hold onto the baby stage even longer. I sit and cuddle her all the time and really just spoil her. I find it so sad to box up the newborn clothes and keep wishing I could slow down time and keep her a baby for longer. She is so loved by her brothers and sister. They want to hold and be right next to her all the time. I think life will always be exciting for her!

She's Finally Here!

2008-03-22T21:22:00.010-06:00

Lucy Charlotte Peterson arrived Saturday, March 15 at 12:11 pm. Jamie's doctor had vacation plans for the following week, so he offered to induce her on Saturday. They started the pitosin at 10:30, Jamie was dilated to an 8 within an hour, and the labor went so quickly that the anesthesiologist didn't have time to give her the epidural. It wasn't a planned natural labor and delivery, but Jamie is super-tough and came through like a champ.

We are so happy that Lucy is here - she is so sweet and beautiful. The other kids have been wonderful with her so far.

Here are some photos:

Katie's Wedding

2008-01-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Troy's little sister (formerly known as Katie, but now attempting to railroad us into calling her Kaylyn) got married the week after Christmas. She was a beautiful bride, and the wedding luncheon, wedding ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. We are still amazed and a little freaked out that Katie moved all the way to Washington D.C. just to meet and marry a guy from good old Viewmont High. 4 out of the 5 Peterson siblings married fellow Viewmont Vikings. Pretty crazy.

We snapped a few photos during the wedding of events, of varying quality. Let's hope the professional photographer fared better than we did!

Lauren was dying to hold the bouquet, so we finally relented and let her hold it for a few minutes. We all stood ready to stop her in case she tried to pull it apart or pop off the roses, but thankfully we were able to return the bouquet to its proper place without incident.

The photographer lined up the older grandkids on the floor to take a picture. It was much cuter from the front and we can't wait to see how it comes out.

Lauren hates to be left out, so when she saw the big kids getting their picture taken, she had to get in on the action.

You would think we would have learned our lesson about these bride-grandchildren photos. We have yet to get all of them to look at the camera at the same time, much less smile. Oh well.

Cole wouldn't forgive us if we didn't include a "kissy-smoochy" picture. For a guy who complains that girls are yucky, he sure does like the kissing at weddings.

Cole holding his newest cousin, Andrew Martin.

Winter In Idaho

2008-01-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Since the day we arrived in Idaho Falls last May, people have been warning us about winter. We heard all about the bitter cold, the deep snow, the lack of snowplowing, and the infamous volcanic dirt that they throw on the roads in place of salt. After the fifth or sixth time, we stopped paying attention. Now that we are in the throes of winter, we get it! We now know why people take their summer recreation so seriously here. It is super cold! But with the cold comes a lot of wintertime fun. The kids have been really happy playing in the snow - snow forts, snow men, sledding, snowballs - all the good things that come with winter. There is even an upside to the unplowed roads. Check out the pictures below to see what we mean.

Has it really been Ten Years?

2007-12-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Being pregnant didn't seem to lend itself to a beach vacation, so we decided to go to Carmel and San Francisco for a few days instead. We had a great time in Carmel and Monterey with our long-time friends Matt and Amy MacKay. On the first day of our trip, we flew into San Francisco and drove down to Carmel. We had dinner at a great local restaurant called The Fishwife - we were a little nervous when we saw the building, but its outward appearance doesn't do it justice - the food was excellent! After dinner, we drove to a state beach in Carmel. To get there, we drove through a residential neighborhood and just parked on the street and walked down to the beach. It was one of the prettiest sunsets either of us has ever seen, and we could have sat on the beach and watched the waves all night.

We stayed at the Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel Valley for the first night of our trip. The service was amazing, the resort was beautiful, the golf course was breathtaking (I wish that my golf game was as spectacular as the scenery), and the spa was super-relaxing. The lady that did Jamie's facial was VERY friendly and told her all about her love life, but she did a great job. Overall, a wonderful place to stay and very romantic! After golf and the spa, we left the Quail Lodge and went to Monterey Bay Aquarium. There was a lot to see at the Aquarium and it was the perfect choice for something to do on a cold, cloudy day. After the Aquarium, we took the 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. It was amazing to see how the other half lives, and the views were beautiful.

While we were driving on 17-Mile Drive, Matt and Amy got a sad phone call from home saying that their youngest was injured by a heavy stone fountain that had seriously damaged her thumb. The rest of the day was a little stressful as Matt and Amy tried to find a quick flight home to Salt Lake. There were no flights available for less than $1000/person on such notice (you have to love the great service provided by the airlines!) so they had to endure a sleepless night until they could get out the next day. We felt bad that they couldn't fully enjoy the surroundings - we stayed at the Tickle Pink Inn that sits on the cliffs south of Carmel. The view of the beach and the ocean was beautiful, and the sound of the waves crashing below added to the great atmosphere.

After dropping Matt and Amy at the airport in San Francisco, Jamie and I did some sightseeing in San Francisco. We saw all the old favorites - Ghiradelli Square, Chinatown, Union Square, the Trolley Cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street - and then went back to the hotel pretty exhausted after walking all over town. When we got back to our hotel at Embarcadero Center, I realized that it was the last Friday of the month and time for the Critical Mass ride in San Francisco. It was also the last Friday before Halloween, and the crazies were out in full force. There were at least 1,000 riders, many of whom were decked out in Halloween costumes. A lot of super heroes, cross dressers, and even Pee Wee Herman, complete with the biggest bike I have ever seen. Right before the ride started, two guys pulled up on their bikes wearing nothing but briefs. That is strange enough, but then they whipped off the briefs and started the ride. Don't worry - we won't post pictures.

Despite the horrifying sights in San Francisco, we had a wonderful time and would highly recommend a trip to Carmel and Monterey!

We realized after our trip that taking pictures is not our strong point - we need to be more aware of picture opportunities - but we did take a few!

THE WORST BLOGGERS EVER

2007-11-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

We are the worst bloggers ever. Our last post was a cruel blog joke. We deserve the blogspot equivalent of the guillotine. I wish we could say that we would make it up to you, that our next few posts will make everything ok. But we can't. Life in Idaho in November just isn't that interesting.

With confessions out of the way, we'll try to catch up on the last few months.

Coming your way...soon !

2007-10-28T23:28:00.001-06:00

Hey there all you blogger fans...something wicked awesome is coming your way. Just not tonight. I am too tired to download it all. But I just wanted to get you excited about us posting a new post SOON! In the meantime, thanks for all your great reads on your blogs. I am loving them all.

First Haircut

2007-10-01T22:06:00.000-06:00

Yummy! Lauren enjoyed her favorite food, yogurt after a long afternoon at the beauty salon. It was so fun. Girls day out. My hair dresser cut Lauren's hair and styled it so cute. She brought out all of this natural curl somehow. I just sat and smiled from ear to ear. She is so yummy!

Yellowstone or Bust!

2007-10-01T21:32:00.000-06:00

This last Saturday as we sipped our hot chocolate and watched the snow start to flurry down from our kitchen window we (the Peterson Family) all decided it was a perfect day to venture out as planned and visit Yellowstone. We were sure all the animals would be coming down to feed and prepare for winter. The leaves were suppose to be gorgeous and we had nothing better to do as a family.(The Utah game wasn't on Dish Network). Unfortunately, when we made these plans it was the day before and it had been a toasty high 70's and we were all geared up for a great Saturday. The snow is no deterrent to a child we found and we were soon on the road to Yellowstone - no matter the weather. We made it all the way to Island Park where the magic of the car ride wore off and we were all ready to take a break. Funny thing the gas station/bar/service station/restaurant we stopped at happened to have 1 cent candies...a thing of the past I thought. It made the trip all exciting again and we decided according to the dropping thermometer in our car that 32 degrees was chilly enough and we stopped at the coolest, closest next stop. Big Springs in Island Park. We were the only ones there. (I can't imagine why). Still, I have to admit that it was really cool and a rare chance to be there alone. The gigantic trout were starving and jumping out of the water at any food thrown their way. The kids could have cared less about the temperature and we played at the springs for a bit. Troy was as giddy as the kids were at the fish. It was quite the sight. It was really fun...fun enough that Yellowstone was no longer a necessity of the day. We started for home and took a detour at Mesa Falls. It was awesome. Again we were the only ones there again but the water was still so warm from the recent weather that it was steaming all over. Very cool. We hiked our little hearts out and marveled at the wonderful pace of life we have somehow discovered back into our lives. It is so easy to forget about how important it is to enjoy the small moments. The waterfalls got Troy reminiscing of college days at Ricks and he mentioned another waterfall called Cave Falls. So we ventured on over to there. It was such a beautiful drive, the last part was slightly hard to see when it started to snow so hard it was a white out. That's when we saw a sign that welcomed us into Yellowstone Nat. Park. I laughed that we somehow made it to Yellowstone even though we thought we had talked the kids out of going there. Obviously it was snowing in Yellowstone and no animals were out for us to see, but we sure did have fun discovering beautiful parts of Idaho and all the great water falls of Idaho. Idaho...what a great and crazy place. Scary how much it actually grows on you.

First Frost!

2007-09-10T22:30:00.001-06:00

A sad day has come in my life. The first frost of the season is here and my fear of winter time has officially set in. Who knew I was such a wimp? Who knew my blood ran thin? Who knew that Texas was the perfect climate for me? I have to be strong for my families sake but I am confiding in my new found friend...my blog. I am terrified of freezing to death this winter. Pray for me.

Surprises O' Plenty!

2007-09-03T21:44:00.001-06:00

Ok! Ok! For all you family and friends who thought I was acting a bit weird...Yes, it's true. I am pregnant. We are excited for #4 and really not sure what to expect. Three has been a blast. We have enjoyed having a baby in the house so much, only Lauren is not much of a baby anymore. She would love a baby. I think that she would love a baby sister. The boys are hoping that is the case too. They say then she will stay out of their stuff and bug the baby instead. I am sure this will all come to pass. we are excited and I am a bit sick, but March is the due date. It's exciting! I am honestly hoping all my extra baby padding will help me weather this winter a little easier...since my blood still hasn't quite thickened yet.

We Love Visitors!

2007-08-28T21:48:00.000-06:00

These photos are dedicated to some of our visitors we had this summer. My brother Mark and his wife Jaime came up with their girls and we had such a good time. I love the picture of Emeryn stuffing things down her shirt. That captures most of her time spent here. It was so hilarious.

Our last visitor of the summer was Michelle Hill and her kids Gavin and Lainey. We spent a perfect day at Bear World and enjoyed the theme park afterwards. We all had a blast (as you can tell from the pictures). We miss them already and enjoyed all our time together. If you can't tell already we LOVE having visitors and really want you all to come visit some day!

Where Did The Summer Go?

2007-08-27T21:22:00.000-06:00

So one minute it is July, and the next minute school is in session and the summer is slipping away. The end of summer is bittersweet - fall means cool weather, changing leaves, Utah football (Troy made me add that) and the kids get to go back to school. But it is so fun to have the boys at home during the summer for outdoor adventures.

We spent a wonderful week up in Driggs, Idaho at Aunt Laurel's and Uncle Blake's place and loved every minute of it...except that Troy was the only member of his family that wasn't there for most of it. We moved here for less travel, but his one big business trip of the year fell on the same week as the annual Peterson family reunion. We enjoyed the beautiful outdoors while he sweated his guts out in Atlanta. We missed him but still had a great time. At the cabin, we also met our future uncle/brother-in-law Ryan Bessey. He is already a favorite for Kimball and Cole - a favorite like a cherry snow cone. Uncle Justin is still a favorite too, like a grape snow cone. They are both favorites. We are sad to see our beloved "Wee" grow up (and we will miss her visits and free nanny services) but we are happy for both of them and look forward to the wedding in December. A few photos from the trip:

Kimball thinks school in Idaho is still like summer vacation (since they get three recesses and start later and finish earlier than in Texas). I am still anxious to see how the school situation works out for both the boys. Texas schools are a little more intense to say the least.

We sold our Camry on the first day of school, the boys posed by it before they pedaled off to school. We enjoy our bike rides to the school (four times a day for me and Lauren) although we are not so excited about the city's new idea to drop tons of gravel all over the road and then just leave it there to help the roads last longer. It makes riding a bike extremley difficult, especially with little legs. I guess these are the benefits of living in the so called "country".

Kimball has become the big stud of the neighborhood since all his little buddies on our street saw him out mowing our lawn a few weeks ago. Troy and I are enjoying the bliss while it lasts. Our lawn is HUGE, and Kimball has still begged every week to mow it. We are the only ones on the block who don't own a riding lawn mower. Kimball loves it and it takes a good three hours to do it but he is awesome at it! I just start the mower for him and then he goes until it runs out of gas. I fill it up and off he goes again .... Last Saturday he got really smart and told his neighbor buddy how cool it is to mow the lawn...so a few minutes later he had his buddy rolling his push mower down the street and they split our lawn in half and both mowed it happily together. I need to get a picture of the lawn so I can remember and laugh at all the missed strips and crooked rows! I love it and it only cost me two tanks of gas and two ice cream cones. what a deal!

Our New Blog

2007-07-15T21:54:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our new blog! It is definitely a work in progress, so don't judge too harshly - focus on the positives (things like we actually figured out what a blog is and found a website where we could publish our own)! We have gained a newfound respect for Mike Baird, Stephanie Farnsworth and others who have successfully uploaded videos to their blog. We have really enjoyed keeping up with others through their blogs and hope we can put something together that is worth reading. Our secret goal (not quite as secret now that we are posting it on the blog) is to post enough pictures of the Idaho outdoors that our friends and families will be inspired to come for a visit!

Saturday Drive Through Tetons/Yellowstone

2007-07-15T21:35:00.000-06:00

On Saturday morning, we packed some lunches and snacks in a cooler and hit the open road. We didn't plan anything in advance, but decided that we would drive through Grand Teton National Park. The drive from Idaho Falls to the Tetons goes through Swan Valley (Troy's favorite place and hopefully the location of Rancho de Peterson some day) and Victor, Idaho and then on to the park. We decided to take a short hike around Jenny's Lake, throw some rocks in the water and just enjoy some beautiful scenery. For those in the know, the hike from the parking lot around the lake to Hidden Falls is about 2.5 miles, but we weren't that ambitious.

We had a great time enjoying great weather and wonderful views. The kids' favorite part was throwing rocks in the lake.

After our hike, we jumped back in the car and decided to go home through Yellowstone rather than return the way that we came. We drove up through the south entrance, past the West Thumb at Yellowstone Lake and stopped at Old Faithful. We had some dinner at the lodge and did the geyser walk to pass the time until Old Faithful erupted. We drove home late, tired but happy. We paid for it a little bit in church since Lauren was a little crazy, but she is always a little crazy. We can't believe that she is only two weeks away from going to the nursery!

We're here and loving it!

2007-05-29T22:17:00.000-06:00

Idaho
Things I love about it... well, mostly fun weekends. We have had one great weekend and set our kids' expectations high.
The week got off to a rough start after finally making it to Idaho on Tuesday afternoon. A rough plane trip and late night made me grumpy and ever so pessimistic about this whole move.
Wednesday Troy informed me that he found a really great rental house and that we might look at it. I was a bit confused since last I knew we were building a house. But after a nice drive and some chatting we both agreed that our "dream house" was lacking a few major things and had some issues, like a crazy neighbor who was bent on making life miserable for people living in that development. So we opted out and now are the proud renters of a brand new house with a fenced in 1/2 acre backyard. It happened so smoothly and quickly that I can't help but think it was meant to be. It will be perfect. I am excited about it all...except mowing the yard (thankfully Kimball is stoked about that part).

Friday Troy left the office early and we were hanging out when we got a call from some old friends who said they were going up to Island Park to their cabin to play and wanted to know if we wanted to go. We hopped in the car and an hour later we were playing and the boys were experiencing the beauty of livng near the mountains. We fished Henry's Fork, hiked and biked (Kimball is a professional mountain biker now...he told me so). Later that day we took Kimball to a bike shop to pick out his birthday present (a new bike) and he was so sure that it had to be a mountain bike. He loved it at first sight and we came home with a fun bike for him. We have been biking ever since. On Sunday our dear friends from Utah came up to spend Memorial day with us and to help celebrate Kimball's birthday. We stayed up way too late and ate way too much but had a blast. Morning came and all the kids were ready to play. We all loaded up and went to Bear World (just south of Rexburg). It was so FUN!

For those that have never had opportunity to visit Bear World, it is a must-see attraction when you are in Eastern Idaho (which we hope you will be soon)!

There are 50-something bears walking freely around the park (within an electrified fence, of course). When you drive in the park, the attendant at the gate gives you a stern warning to keep moving to prevent bears from climbing onto your car or biting your tires. It added some adventure to the whole experience.

At the end, there is a little petting zoo and some kiddie carnival rides. The kids had a great time chasing ducks, geese and miniature goats, and even petted a deer.

Untitled from Troy Peterson and Vimeo.

There were also swans in a little pond which got a little aggressive and started biting the kids' shoes while they were standing at the edge of the bridge.

The cutest thing was the bear cubs - we had fun watching them wrestle with each other and clown around. The mood was light until Kimball informed us that they keep the bear cubs separate from the big bears so the daddy bears don't eat them. Our little man is 7, going on 27.

For all those former Rexburgers out there, we even ate lunch at the new and improved Craigo's.

It was such a great day. Such a great weekend and it really will be hard to top.

So there you have it, our first week in Idaho...and imagine I thought it might be boring here.