Peyton's Place (and Nick's, and Nikki's and Brody's too)!

Thanksgiving, Day 8

2011-11-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for my wonderful sister in law Tashya! I could not ask for a better sister in law! She is always willing to drop anything to help Nick and I with the kids, and she is very actively involved in their lives. I am grateful for the joy that she brings to our lives, and grateful that we have the opportunity to live close enough that she can be a big part of our lives and the kids' lives. So, thank you Tashya for being so wonderful! We love you!

Thanksgiving, Day 7

2011-11-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for my "extended family" that I have gained this year. So grateful for Angie, Russell, and their girls for taking us in and accepting us as family. Thankful to have Angie as a best friend, and a "sister" that I can call (or text) anytime day or night. Someone I can share my fatty treats with, drink frozen cocoas with, watch movies with, and just hang out when we are both husbandless. I'm thankful for all that Angie did for me when I was at my lowest after my miscarriage, and for supporting me every step of the way with this pregnancy (and dealing with me when I was hormonal and crazy). I am thankful that they are willing to offer their home as shelter from bad weather when it comes around. I am thankful for Angie keeping me on the right track when I need it most. I'm thankful for their sweet girls, Katie and Emily and how they are so good to my kids. I am thankful for Amanda, who from afar, has become like a little sister to me. So, thank you, Chase's, for being so great to us! Love you guys!

Thanksgiving, Day 6

2011-11-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have been a baptized member of the church for 6 and a half years now, and am so grateful for the happiness the Church has brought into my life. I don't know what I would do without the truth and knowledge that I have gained over the last 6 years. I'm grateful to be worthy to attend the temple, and to be sealed to my sweet husband and kids for time and all eternity. I'm grateful to be able to attend sacrament meeting each week and renew my baptisimal covenants. I'm thankful to serve in the Young Women, with amazing leaders, and fantastic girls. I can't express enough how grateful I am to have the Gospel in my life.

To learn more about my church and what I believe, go to www.mormon.org

Thanksgiving, Day 5

2011-11-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for my extended family that is close by. My Nana, Uncle Bill, Aunt Emily and Uncle Ben. Like my parents, they are all willing to help with the kids, and anything else we need at the drop of a hat. The kids love going to their houses and playing! We have so much fun at the lake with Nana and Uncle Bill, and love going to Em and Ben's and eating yummy food and sitting down and talking. Nick and I are so blessed to have such a great extended family close by.

Thanksgiving, Day 4

2011-11-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for my parents. All of them. I am grateful to have a supportive mother, who I talk to every day. I am thankful for Facetime, so I can see her more frequently and the kids can talk to her and Steve. They are great grandparents to the kids.

I'm also thankful my dad and June. We had such a fun visit with them this year. It was so nice to catch up and get to visit with them in September. We are hoping to fly to North Carolina this year to see their new house and show the kids the East coast.

I am thankful for my inlaws who help us so much. They never hesitate to drop everything and watch the kids, or pick the kids up from wherever they are at at the moment. It is so nice to have family close by.

So, thank you, parents! Love you all!

Thanksgiving, Day 3

2011-11-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for my children...all 4 of them!

I say 4, because I believe that families are forever, and that I will someday get the opportunity to raise the sweet little baby that we lost last October, in Heaven.

The 2 children I have in my life right now are amazing blessings to me, each day. Brody is the smartest, funniest, sweetest little mama's boy I've ever met. He is my best little buddy. Peyton is hilarious, spunky, and a great cuddle bug.

We are thrilled about welcoming Beckett to our family in the next 2 weeks. I look forward to getting to know him, and finding out what he will bring to our family.

We are so grateful to have these children. They keep me grounded, and focused on the important things in life. There is never a dull moment in our house with Brody and Peyton around. Nick and I are either pulling our hair out from their craziness, or laughing our heads off from their silliness.

Love you, kiddos!

Thanksgiving, Day 2

2011-11-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today, I am grateful for my husband. He is a hard working, wonderful husband and father. The past 3 weeks, he has not had a single day off of work or school. I am grateful for the sacrifices he makes for our family, as he strives to get his degree, and works two jobs in the process. He is amazing with our children, and always willing to take time to help me with anything I need. I'm so grateful for you, Nick!

Halloween Pictures

2011-11-01T10:07:00.001-07:00

My kids are the cutest! I may be biased, but that is my personal opinion. They were several different characters for Halloween...Brody was a cowboy one night, the next hew as part gorilla, part skeleton, part vampire, and part cowboy, and then on Halloween, he wore last year's costume and was Mater from Cars. Peyton was a cow, a witch, and a bunny rabbit. Her Grandma made her cow costume, and Brody's cowboy costume. They were so cute! Peyton's other 2 costumes, we borrowed from our sweet friends, the Chase's. We had so much fun this year playing dress up, and loading up on treats!

Thanksgiving, Day 1

2011-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have to start out this month of Thanksgiving, by giving all of my gratitude to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to my Heavenly Father. I am thankful for all that I have received in my life, and know it is all through Heavenly Father's generosity and love for me. I am thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ, which I have learned over the past year to utilize when my burdens get heavy. My testimony has grown so much over the last year, with all that I went through in losing the baby. My heart was often heavy, and understanding was out of my reach. It wasn't until I learned that the atonement is not just for sin, but also to help us through our trials, did my heartache begin to heal.

I am thankful for the plan of Salvation. I am thankful for a living prophet. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon and the peace it brings to me. I am thankful for church leaders who lead and guide our church. I am thankful for Temples, and the ability for families to be eternal.

Re-attempting...again

2011-11-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here I go...despite working 45+ hours, serving in my church, and being a full time mamma to my sweet babies, I am going to re-attempt to blog. So, starting today, I am going to not only post regular updates about the kids, but since it is the 1st of November, I am going to do my "Thanksgiving Blog" and write about something I am thankful for each day.

Here goes nothing! :)

The little things in life...

2011-08-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Brody and Peyton have been bickering a lot lately...so, when I saw this photo op taking place, I had to take some pictures and record this moment of companionship, brought together by a bowl of brownie batter.

Tonight has been such a great night! Nick is at work (that's not great), but the kids and I decided to make the best of it. They helped me cook dinner (spaghetti, garlic bread and green beans), and for dessert? Well, brownies of course!

Brody LOVES Kindergarten!

2011-08-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

And Kindergarten LOVES Brody! Despite the 6:30 wake up time every morning (which I am not too fond of), going to school was exactly what Brody needed. He gets the socialization, and structure that he has always craved. He is such a smart little boy and needs to keep busy all the time.

His favorite thing about Kindergarten? Recess of course! His best friends at recess are Cadence, Audrey, and Grace. He assures me he plays with boys as well, but the girls are just "cool".

His teacher, Mrs. Myers is amazing! She is very nurturing and loving and Brody adores her. She does a good job of keeeping the parents informed of what they are learning and doing in class each day/week. I walk him into the school every morning so I get to catch up with her when I drop him off. She has reported that Brody is a "pumpkin" and that she could sit and listen to him talk all day long. :) Love my little Kindergartener!!!

Thoughts about kindergarten...

2011-08-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Brody starts Kindergarten tomorrow and my emotions are running high. First, I can't believe I have a kindergartener. It doesn't seem possible. When they tell you to cherish the time with your babies because it goes by too fast...they weren't kidding. Second, it's hard for me to believe that he is about to start a whole new realm of independence. Although, I am VERY excited about this part of his life. One of my main goals as a mother is to teach my children that they can depend on me for whatever they need...but the importance of self sufficiency, and independence, in order for them to grow into strong, successful adults.

I told Brody tonight at 7:10 that he had 15 more minutes until he needed to go brush his teeth and go to sleep because he has to get up at 6:30 in the morning for school (that's right folks...Arkansas is backwards and elementary school starts at 7:30 and high school starts at 9:00!) He complained a little bit and fussed a little bit but agreed to do as I asked. About 5 minutes later, I looked over at him, and the little nugget was sound asleep on the couch. We are skipping teeth tonight, and I just carried him to his bed to lay him down. So excited that he is going to get such a long night's sleep before his first day tomorrow.

His teacher's name is Mrs. Myers. I had never met her before until the kindergarten orientation night, but she seems to be an excellent teacher. I have heard nothing but wonderful reviews from other moms whose children have had her. She even sent Brody a postcard in the mail, which made his day. Brody's favorite thing in the world is getting mail!

So, tomorrow, Brody and I both start a new routine of getting up EARLY (not excited about this part), and getting ready for school. Our lives will never be the same again! It just dawned on me that I will have kids in school for the next 24 years. Oh boy!!

Pictures to come tomorrow!

Update..

2011-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to see a pattern...as the kids get older, and I get busier, my blogging goes down the toilet. I have SO much to catch up on it's not even funny!

Synopsis:

Baby #3 is on the way. It's a boy! Woohoo! We are beyond thrilled to have another sweet boy in our family! Nameless as he may be right now, we are so in love with our third bundle of joy who should be arriving at the end of November/beginning of Decmeber.

Brody (5) is starting Kindergarten on Monday. I can't believe it. Monday is going to be a great day for him, but a rough day for mama! I am just floored by the fact that my little man is old enough to go to public school.

Peyton (3) is a pistol! She loves to sing, dance, do gymnastics, and entertain. She will be starting Joy School in September. She is equally as excited about this new adventure, as Brody is about school.

He Lives

2011-04-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful today for the knowledge that I have that my Savior lives. I know that He was crucified, after He had atoned for the sins of the world. He suffered, He bled, and He died. Three days later, He had risen, and lives today. I am thankful for the sacrifices that He made for me personally. This year I have had plenty of opportunity to seek the blessings that He has made available to me through the atonement, and I cannot begin to describe the peace it has brought to my heart through all the many trials we have faced this year. So, today, I rejoice that He lives.

*Don't you love my cute little sign? It says "He Lives, my kind, wise, Heavenly friend." They made these at church the other day, and I was having a not so good day, so my sweet friend made mine for me.

Baby #3...

2011-04-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

...will be here on or around December 3rd, 2011!! We are so beyond excited about this new addition to our family! We found out about 5 weeks ago, and I wanted to wait to share the news until I knew for sure things were going well. After 2 good ultrasounds and a fantastic heartbeat, I couldn't contain myself any longer!

The kids are really excited. Peyton sings songs about the baby in my tummy all the time, and Brody says "I can't believe you are having a baby!" It is going to be strange having Peyton go from our littlest to our middlest, but I know she will be a good big sister. I already know how Brody will do because he is an EXCELLENT big brother to Peyton!

Like my first two pregnancies, I have been really sick with this one. In fact, I think I have actually been sicker with this one. I'm grateful for the sickness though, because I know it means that the baby is healthy and growing at a good rate. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to not getting sick every few hours anymore.

Our "Gummy Bear" at 7 weeks

Brody and Peyton update...

2011-04-24T07:45:00.001-07:00

Brody is...

Almost 5!!!! He is going to be starting Kindergarten in August. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.

He is in the CTR 4 Class at church, and LOVES primary. He always comes home from church excited about the things he learned.

He is very loving towards his sister, although she hurts his feelings almost daily.

Along with the above post, he is very, very sensitive. He has the softest little heart.

He is learning to read, and can recognize all the letters of the alphabet and knows what sound they make. He is also getting better at writing his letters.

He plays Soccer for the Sounders.

He is also in Mixed Martial Arts (we are very busy!)

He has gotten GREAT at riding his bike! We are going to try without training wheels when the weather gets a little nicer.

He just got his very own dog from a co worker of mine. The dog is a beagle mix and his name is ALSO Brody and he is ALSO 4! It gets a little confusing around here, but the kids are insistent on not changing his name.

Some of his cute phrases right now are "What in the cornbread heck?", "Snubbed by the sister!", and he loves telling knock knock jokes!

Peyton is...

Almost 3!!! Holy smokes! I can't believe my baby is not a baby anymore!

She loves dresses and skirts, and anything fashionable.

She loves dolls and playing "mommy."

She is left handed, just like her mom, uncle Ryan, and Grandpa Shaw!

She is kind of mean to her brother...sometimes putting him into tears with statements such as "no me love you, Blody!" and "No me want to play with you!"

Her favorite song is "I love to see the Temple."

She is in dance class on Monday nights and does tap and ballet. She LOVES dance class!

Some of her cute phrases are "nothingbody" (instead of nobody), "No way hose-way!", and "What chu talk?" (what did you say?).

Easter Morning

2011-04-24T07:37:00.001-07:00

We had 2 VERY excited kiddos this morning! In fact, Brody woke up at 6:30 AM and we told him he had to wait to see if the Easter Bunny had come until Peyton woke up. By 8:00, he was shaking her and kissing her and telling her it was Easter. They searched high and low for their baskets, and were becoming to a little discouraged, until they went in the play room and Peyton's room and found their loot! (notice the paper glued to the walls in my playroom? That is the work of Brody and his little friends...we need to get sandpaper and hire a painter!)

Peyton with her jelly bean in her mouth! This little girl has a sweet tooth like her mommy!!!

Brody was so excited about his loot! They are a tad bit spoiled!

Day 12 of Gratitude

2010-11-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm grateful for my grandparents. Not just my parent's parents, either, but my great aunt and uncle, Emily and Ben. My Nana and Papa kept us every summer growing up, and now I live close to my Nana. I love how she helps me with the kids, and is creating some of the same wonderful memories I had with her and Papa growing up, with my children now. I'm thankful for all that Emily and Ben do for us as well...from cases of diet pepsi to childcare. I know I can count on Nana, Emily, and Ben to help us whenever we need it! Sadly, my Grandma and Grandpa live very far away, but I am very grateful for them as well! I have so many great memories from my childhood in Grandma's kitchen, making "cookies" out of leftover pie crust. Thank you for all you do, to all of my grandparents!

Day 11 of Gratitude

2010-11-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm thankful for my sisters. I have many, although, I grew up with none. I have Katrina, my step-sister, Bonnie, Tashya, Katrina, and Sarah, my sister-in-laws. And Jessica, my sister, who I grew up with, just not under the same roof (and we don't share parents.) It's so wonderful to have so many "sisters" in my life that I can turn to, and that treat me like family always! So, thank you, to all of my sisters today!

Day 10 of Gratitude

2010-11-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for my brothers, Ryan and Erik. Despite constant torture as a child, I have many wonderful memories with my brothers! I also know that I can count on them for anything, no matter how far away we are from eachother. I love watching Peyton and Brody play and fight together, because it reminds me of how my brothers and I were growing up. I look forward to watching them grow closer as they grow older, as Ryan, Erik, and I did.

Day 9 of Gratitude

2010-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I am grateful for Hospice Doctors. Tonight, during a late admission, one of our Hospice Physicians put into perspective for me the work that I do every day. He told our new patient and his wife that we (hospice staff) do the work that we do because we love it, because we love the patients, and that for some, the work is a ministry for us. I have always looked at working in Hospice as a ministry of sorts. I've never had a job where I've done what I loved, and felt so close to Christ at the same time.

It's comforting to know that the physicians who do this work daily, are doing the work because they are passionate about it. Because they love the patients. Because they love the families. And because they love God. It is inspiring to watch the medical staff at Circle of Life work with the patients with such love, understanding, patience, and sincerity. One of the many things I have learned since working in Hospice, is that it is not a job...it is a calling.

So, tonight, I would like to express my gratitude to wonderful, caring, Hospice Doctors, who have been called, and who do what they do...not because they have to...but because they have a heart for it.

Day 8 of Gratitude

2010-11-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thakful for Lizards. Not the reptilian kind, but the BFF kind. I have a friend named Liz who, despite only being friends for a few months now, is one of the sweetest, kindest, funniest friends I know. She is an amazing social worker. A wonderful mommy to Fletcher and Bruiser. A straight shooting, tell you like it is, honest friend. She has helped lift me up when I was sad, and makes me laugh like crazy. So today, I'm thankful for my friend, Lizard!

Day 7 of Gratitude

2010-11-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Today, I am grateful for night time cold medicine...which can be taken during the day...so I can sleep the day away...

Day 6 of Gratitude

2010-11-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for my DVR...and my swingset...and macaroni and cheese. I am sick today, and Nick is in school, and I have 5 children that will be at my house for 24 hours. I am more than happy to watch the 3 extra sweeties, and my 2 crazies, but I am sick. So today, I am very grateful for my DVR, my swingset, and for macaroni and cheese.

Day 5 of Gratitude

2010-11-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Today, I am grateful for the pitter patter of little feet. Two sets of little feet that is. I love the sound of my children running down the hall when they wake up in the morning. I love the sound of their little feet running out of their bedrooms at night (when they know they are supposed to be in bed). I love the sound of their feet running around my house, as they are screaming and chasing each other. I am ever so grateful for little feet, and pray they don't grow too big, too quickly.

Day 4 of Gratitude

2010-11-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I am grateful for facebook. I know that seems like such a strange thing to be grateful for, but it has given me the opportunity to catch up with old friends, stay in touch with family, and offered many opportunities to feel the love from these people. When I first posted about my miscarriage on my facebook page, I was shocked at the amount of support and love that was posted on my facebook page. So, yes, I am thankful for facebook today.

Day 3 of Gratitude

2010-11-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Today, I am grateful for my husband. He is hard working, ever loving, hilarious, caring, sensitive, and my best friend. I think about the day we got engaged and light up every time I think about it. I am grateful for his sense of humor that changes my scowl when I'm angry with him to a fit of laughter in a matter of seconds. He has the ability to get out of any type of trouble with a joke. I'm grateful for his support in my decision to go back to work, and his interest and validation in the work that I do. I'm grateful for his sacrifices he has made for our family, in running his own business, and going to school. I'm grateful for the countless nights he has gotten up with our children in the middle of the night, and rubbed their calfs when they had leg cramps, sang songs to them when they were scared, and rocked them when they weren't sleepy. I love you, babe!

Day 2 of Gratitude

2010-11-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for my parents. All of them. I am blessed to have 3 wonderful sets of parents. My mom and dad, who raised me. My step-mom June, and step-dad Steve, who have all welcomed my brothers and I with open arms. My mother in law and father in law, Donnette and Phil, who have also welcomed me into my extended family with open arms. I have learned valuable lessons from all of these wonderful people, and I am eternally grateful for the impact they have all had on my life. I can always count on them to be there for me, and for my husband and children. Thank you!

Day 1 of Gratitude

2010-11-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

As I go through my 25 days of blogging what I am thankful for this month, I would like to start with the atonement of Jesus Christ. I am first and foremost grateful for this sacrifice in my life. Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to personalize the atonement in my life, and learn what it means to me. This is something, I will admit, that I have never put much thought to. However, as I learned that my sweet little baby returned to live with our Heavenly Father, I had two choices: I could live in depression and sadness forever, or I could understand that Heavenly Father has a plan, and it is perfect, and there is a reason for everything. By choosing the second choice, I felt my Savior's love. I felt his arms around me, and I felt him lifting me out of the sadness. I hear the reverence in my children's voices as they close their prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I see the light in their eyes as they talk about our Savior and what they have learned about him at church and at home. I know that my Savior lives, that he loves me, and that he died for me. I know that he has felt every ache, pain, and moment of despair that I have experienced. I know he did all of those things, because he loves me. So today, I would like to publicly express my gratitude to the Savior, Jesus Christ, for his atoning sacrifices.

Jesus is the Light...and orange ice cream!

2010-10-25T17:02:00.001-07:00

Tonight is Monday, so in our home, as in many LDS homes, that means it is Family Home Evening. Monday nights are reserved to family time, learning, and fun on family home evening nights. Whether you are of our faith or not, it is a special event, that I recommend all families to participate in. We choose to have an opening and closing prayer and song, a lesson, an activity, and a treat in our family home evenings, but you can do them to whatever suits your family best.

Tonight, Peyton said the opening prayer, and Brody chose the opening song. He chose "Follow the Prophet," which was the song his sweet little primary class sang in church on Sunday during the primary program. Nick had the lesson and he talked about how Jesus is our light, and he taught this by having us wear a blindfold and try to move objects from one place to another. The blindfold was symbolic of us not having Christ in our life, and how hard it can be to get through life and do tasks without Him. It was a great activity, and the kids had a blast.

We are trying to eat better, and teach our kids better eating habits, so we chose to make homemade orange ice cream. We used 2 oranges, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 and a half cups of ice, and our blendtec blender! An fun FHE was just what the doctor ordered! Peyton doing the blindfold activity (yes, she is naked 75% of the time).
Brody showing us how easy it is to do things with Christ (light) in our lives

Peyton being a silly girl

Brody following suit

Mommy doing the blindfold activity (they moved the chair across the room)

I was smelling our newest Scentsy buddy

Brody showing us how hard it is without Christ in our life

Pey adding sugar

Brody adding oranges

BLEND!!!

Yummy! The consistency was great!

First taste test....mmmmmmmm good!!!

Brody wasn't sure at first, because it was healthy, but he wound up loving it!!

Bailey Taylor Petersen

2010-10-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Nick and I have both been doing a lot of reading on miscarriage and grief to help us get through this time. One of the common themes that we have seen people do to help them feel connected, and provide closure, is to name the baby. Since we lost our little angel a little before 8 weeks, we did not know if it was a boy or a girl. We wanted to name them something that could go either way, and decieded on Bailey Taylor Petersen.

We chose Bailey because a few years back (before I was pregnant with Peyton), I was in the Dallas Temple, and kept having the name "Bailey" go through my head. I told Nick I felt like we should name one of our children that someday. However, when we found out Peyton was a girl, we both were in love with the name Peyton.

Last night, though, as we were sitting down discussing names for this sweet child, Bailey popped back into my mind. I truly believe the Lord gave me that inspiration a few years ago specifically for this baby. We decided on Taylor because it is not only a gender neutral name, but it is also a family name.

Now that we have a name for the baby, I feel like some weight is lifted off of my shoulders. I needed to do this to help me feel a stronger connection, and a sense of completion with this pregnancy.

I did my makeup today...

2010-10-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

....and that is a big deal. Some of you know what I've gone through this past week, and others may not know, or may not understand. Losing my child has been very, very difficult on me. I have fallen into a deep state of grief (I'm not quite sure if I would call it depression yet or not), and have not been functioning very well. I have stayed in bed most of the day every day, not getting around to doing anything, including eating, until late afternoon at best. I haven't been very present to my husband or my children. The more I think about it, I haven't been very present to myself. I have basically relied on staying asleep as much as possible to not think about my loss.

Part of me feels like I am being judged by others by dealing with it this way. Especially within the church, where I think it may show a sign of weakness of my testimony by reclusing, rather than rejoicing in the child I will raise in the Eternities. I know that this is not true, and I know I am not being judged, it's just my own perceptions of my grief through a Gospel persepective. Please know though, that my testimony is unshakeable. I know without a doubt in my mind that I will be with that sweet angel baby again someday. It's the here and now that is hard. In my mind, that baby was a human being from the day he or she was conceived. I believe that he/she had a spirit, and a body, and was so righteous that they didn't need to come to this Earth at this time to be tested. I also know that by relying on my faith and my testimony, I will get through this. I have been trying to do so and the moments that I do seek help through prayer and scripture study I do feel better. Sometimes it is just hard to get the energy to get on my knees, or to pull out the Book. We are not here to be perfect though, we are here to do our best, and right now my best is to do as much as I can, and I feel that I have been doing that.

Part of me is angry. I don't know who I'm angry at, or why, but I just feel angry. I am not typically an angry person (maybe a little moody now and then, but not an angry person), so this is hard for me. I feel like I don't know that person when I feel those angry thoughts. I know, clinically, that this is a part of grief. It's just hard for me to rationalize it, because, like I said, it's not who I am.

I have been grateful to have a husband who is so beyond supportive. Nick has blown my expectations out of the water when it comes to support. He has let me stay in bed, and encouraged me to get out when it was appropriate. He has been a set of ears to listen to my woes, and a shoulder that I have shed a LOT of tears on. He has been my comedian when I needed to laugh. My own personal masseuse, chef, and errand runner. He has been my best friend, and an amazing father. I know this loss will bring us forever closer.

Like I said in my previous post, my friends have been amazing. Between pulling me out of bed and dragging me to Target (which was one of the first times I have had fun), to bringing me dinner, providing fun activities for my kids to do, the flowers, the phone calls, the cookies. I could not ask for better friends.

My work has been outstanding. I don't know of another employer who would be as understanding and supportive as Circle of Life has been. Not just the administration, but the staff themselves. They have sent caring words, phone calls, cards, etc. I have two wonderful supervisors who have also lent their ears to listen and their shoulders to cry on. I will be forever grateful to those two women, and they will always hold a special place in my heart. They have encouraged me to grieve, and encouraged me to move forward. The timing of both pieces of advice have come at appropriate times, and have been what I needed to hear each time.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with one of those women, after experiencing one of the most traumatic physical experiences of this miscarriage. I had no one else to turn to, and she was there to listen and let me cry. She also encouraged me to do something for myself, and something for my kids. She promised I would feel better. So, I did. I went to the store, I bought things to make cookies (I make amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies), and Brody and I baked cookies last night before bed (Peyton had passed out before hand).

Today is a new day. I have put on my make up (I haven't done my hair though...I'm not quite there yet, so pony tail it is), and I am going to church to watch my little boy sing with the rest of the primary. I look forward to watching this program, as I do every year. I like to pick out who is singing the loudest, who is standing on the stage doing the potty dance, and who is paying more attention to waving at their parents than performing in the program itself. Hmmm...I wonder if Brody will be any of the above.

Again, I thank you all for your support. I am praying that the physical part of the miscarriage will be over soon, so I can fully be prepared to get my life back together. I know that I will be okay because I am a strong woman. I just needed some affirmation with that statement yesterday, but I do believe it.

I will leave you all with some pictures of two of the cutest kids in the world:

I caught Petyon "yeading a book." she yelled at me "I YEAD A BOOK!!" She was reading her Friend magazine. Can you tell she gets her fashion sense from mommy? Neither of us can tell if things go well together...in her case she put on her Dora PJ's, her bathing suit top, and her winter snow hat. Very fashionable.
she was looking at me like "can I help you, mother?"

My perfect egg cracker...no shells (well maybe one, but we got it out)!!!

Brody scooping up and dropping the dough

Nick stealing a ball of dough off the cookie sheet

We let them fall asleep in our bed last night while Nick and I watched a show. They are such angels when they sleep!

They love Sunday baths in mommy and daddy's jacuzzi tub!

She insisted on wearing my hair towel because it was pink!

My little Lion after his bath

I knew this picture looked familiar...

2010-10-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

This picture was taken 2 summers ago in Utah, when Jennifer and Jeremy took the kids to the zoo...

This picture was taken about 24 years ago, during one of my summers in Kansas. I guess posing on pretend animals at the zoo is in the blood. :)

Love is Spoken Here...

2010-10-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite children's hyms goes as follows:

"I see my mother kneeling,
with our family each day.
I hear the words she whispers,
as she bows her head and prays.

Her plea to the Father,
quiets all my fears,
and I am thankful
that Love is spoken here...

...I can often feel the Savior near,
when Love is spoken here."

This week in my home, love has been spoken loud and clear. It has been spoken by many different people, in many different ways:

Through my children, and their sweet jokes and play. Pictured are Brody and Peyton putting on a "puffet show" with the finger puppets and an impromptu puppet stage I made out of a cardboard box. This lit up my night...especially when Brody made the animals sing "All the Single Ladies" by Beyonce'.

Love has been spoken by meals being served. I couldn't ask for more than for people to help put food in my family's tummy. I am ever so grateful.

Love has been spoken by yummy treats. (the chocolates April gave me are not pictured because they were devoured the first day.)

What better way for love to be spoken, than through flowers? I have been so blessed by so many people to receive these beautiful flowers.

Love has been spoken by gifts sent from family. My dad and June sent me a gift card to Elite Day Spa in Bentonville. I am looking forward to my physical recovery, so I can use this. It is much needed!

While I am still in a funk right now, and struggling to be my happy, cheerful self, I can still hear the love being spoken in my home. Thank you all for loving me, and loving my family. I love everyone who has helped support us in this time, whether through a phone call, cards, facebook messages, text messages, or an outward display of support. Thank you all.

Miscarriage

2010-10-15T00:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight has been one of the saddest, most difficult, nights of mine and Nick’s married life. I would go as far as to say the saddest, most difficult night. After returning home from work this afternoon, I went to the bathroom and noticed there was blood in the toilet. My heart sank, and I instantly knew something was wrong. I told Nick, and we loaded the kids up, dropped them off at Grandma’s and headed straight to the ER.

After being triaged, I had hope at first, because I knew there were many reasons a woman could spot during pregnancy (after all, it wasn’t a great deal of blood). The nurse got me settled in, and we made small talk while she took many viles of blood. She told me the doctor would be in soon. When the doctor made his way in, he let me know that my urine pregnancy test had come back positive, but they were just waiting to hear the results of the blood test, and he also wanted me to get an ultrasound.

The ultrasound tech came in within minutes and wheeled me down to the ultrasound room. That’s when I knew something was wrong. Even though she had told us ahead of time that she could not tell us anything about the ultrasound, I knew from the somber look on her face, and the amount of detail she was using in her process, that something was wrong. In fact, I was in the ultrasound room for at least 45 minutes. I have never had a normal ultrasound last that long. When she left the room I peeked at the screen which had the size of my file of pictures listed on it, with the size of all the previous patients from the day who had had ultrasounds. Mine was 125MB, the others ranged from 20-40MB. I thought to myself, “why would she take so many pictures if everything was fine?”

She then quietly wheeled me back to the room. There was no small talk. Just “the doctor will come talk to you in a minute.” A minute turned into 40, and the doctor came in and my greatest fear came out of his mouth “You are having a miscarriage.” I tried to hold it together, but I couldn’t. The tears came pouring out and turned into sobs. This sweet baby that I had prayed for, for so long was leaving me.

After a rhogam shot from a very insensitive nurse, I was ready to go. I walked out of the hospital with my head held low and tears streaming down my cheeks, and my sweet husband’s arm around me. We got to the car and he held me so close and asked if he could say a prayer. He prayed to our Heavenly Father for us to have understanding and peace, and that we will learn what we need to from this experience. After the prayer was over, he began reminiscing to when we were working together in Walgreens. He said “I never thought we would have to go through anything this hard together.” It was then that I remembered my patriarchal blessing. It states “Your children will bring you great joy, and great heartache.” Both prophesies have come true.
On the way home, all I could think about was the technicalities. How would I face people who knew and were so excited about this baby? What would I do when they asked how I was feeling? What if they don’t find out about the miscarriage and pat my tummy? What if I break down crying every time someone tells me they are sorry? Then I thought about May 29th. What will I do on that day to hold myself together?

I then remembered President Monson’s talk from this October’s General Conference of our church. He talked about having an attitude of gratitude. It was then that I had the two most precious faces pop into my mind. I realized then, that they will be how I make it through and how I can persevere.

President Monson said:
“The loss of loved ones almost inevitably brings some regrets to our hearts. Let’s minimize such feelings as much as humanly possible by frequently expressing our love and gratitude to them. We never know how soon it will be too late.

A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”12

When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”

So tonight, I am sad, and I am hurt, and I am aching inside for the sweet child I will never hold in my arms. At least not in this life. But I am grateful. I am grateful for a husband who loves me unconditionally. A husband who is not afraid to show his love and faith for his Heavenly Father. A husband worthy of the Priesthood who can provide blessings of healing and comfort to me and my family. A husband who knows how to make me laugh, even when I think I don’t want to laugh yet.

I am grateful for having the opportunity to raise three of Heavenly Father’s most precious children. Two in this life, and one in the eternities. I also have faith that we will have another earthly child to bring into our home…when the time is right. Being a mommy is the greatest blessing I have ever had bestowed upon me. I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me that opportunity.

I am grateful for all of my extended family and friends who have been there for me throughout all the trials and happy times I have experienced in my life. My mom’s heart broke when mine did tonight, and I am grateful for someone so empathetic she could feel my pain.
I am grateful for my friends who sent me messages and phone calls to check on me. I feel very loved from a large group of people tonight.

I am grateful for a job that I absolutely love and am passionate about. I am grateful for the staff who I feel are an extension of my family. I know I will be welcomed with support and love.
Last but not least, I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He atoned for me, and he has felt the pain that I am feeling right now. He has brought so much light into my life, and without Him, I may not be able to get through this trial. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, and is sad when I am sad. But, His plan is perfect, and nothing comes to us in this life without reason.

So, yes, I am sad, and I ache, and I yearn for my child. But, I will be okay, because I have much to be grateful for.

Senseless tragedy

2010-08-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

After hearing word yesterday of the Bishop in California who had been shot during church, I have struggled to get a grasp on my feelings related to this tragedy. I feel sad, I feel sick (physically nauseous), and I feel so confused.

Where can we be safe, if not in our own places of worship? Do we not have the right to worship freely, where and when we choose without fear of something like this happening? Our schools have been invaded by these sick people out to hurt others, as have our places of employment, and now our churches.

My heart aches for the family of this Righteous servant, who was murdered while fulfilling his calling from the Lord. He was not paid to do what he did, in fact, he worked full time outside of his full time church responsibilities. He also had a family to raise. 6 children to be exact...the youngest only a few months old.

I am grateful however, for the knowledge that I have. I know that Heavenly Father has made a way for our families to be together forever. I know that man will be reunited with his wife and children again someday. I know that we all are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us. I know that the Holy Ghost will act as a comforter for his wife, as she struggles to learn to live this life without her eternal companion.

The song that has been going through my head all day goes like this:

"Families can be together forever,
Through Heavenly Father's plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
and the Lord has shown me how I can."

I pray those words will bring comfort to the family and friends of this slain Bishop. May he rest in peace.

What a princess...

2010-08-27T16:05:00.001-07:00

Bittersweet...

2010-08-06T07:30:00.001-07:00

Today is a bittersweet day for me.

Sweet because it is the day we get to celebrate the birth of my sweet husband! 32 years ago he was brought into this world...it was the perfect timing for our paths to cross 26 years later. I'm so grateful to have Nick in my life. He has taught me how to laugh and love more than I ever imagined possible. He has been an exemplary dad to our kids. I hope to be able to share many more birthdays with him as we grow old together. I love you Nick!
Bitter because it is also the day that I have to say goodbye to one of my best friends and her family. Michelle and Benn have taught me by example, the true love of Christ. I have never seen anyone love everyone they meet, and they are people who would put others needs before their own at any time. They have been the best neighbors, visiting teaching companions, and friends Nick and I could ask for. My heart is very heavy with the thought of them moving away. Boston is going to be a very lucky city, and I hope Wal-Mart gives Benn an offer they just can't refuse when he gets done with school! :) I'm going to miss you, Benn, Michelle, and little Zo-Zo Pop!! We love you guys!!

I'm in Love...

2010-05-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

with this: Bedford Camera's Mother's Day Special

I'm seriously considering calling the owner of Bedford's and requesting to clean all the stores and his home carpets on trade for store credit so I can FINALLY get the camera of my dreams. Now, just to get Nick on board...could be a great mother's day gift! :)

Sugar free update...

2010-04-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been 6 days and I have not touched, looked at, or even thought of (well, maybe a couple inappropriate thoughts) about sugar!!!

I feel...

Energized
Thin
Focused
Motivated
Accomplished

I forgot to mention in my original post, that along with the 30 day sugar challenge, Nick and I, along with my in-laws, are doing a challenge from the chamber of commerce. It is a 5 week fitness challenge called "Fit for Five". The way it works is you get 5 team members, to commit to eating 5 fruits and veggies a day (CHECK), exercise 30 minutes a day for a minimum of 5 days a week (CHECK), and we get a 5 week pass to Fuse gym.

Now, I already have a gym membership at World's Gym, but let me tell you...I am HOOKED on Fuse! I love the equipment, the classes and the amenities. Did I mention I have been getting up between 5 and 5:30 and going to the gym EVERY morning (except the weekend)?

Today, I did my first spin class and I am in LOVE!!! I felt so great afterwords!

Back to the sugar free challenge...

My favorite eats right now are:

Peanut butter dipped in splenda
low carb wraps with chive cream cheese, turkey, and spinach
eggs with pepper jack cheese and turkey bacon
Chicken and apple sausages
blackberries

I'm not sure how much I've lost yet, because I am holding off on weighing in until the 5 week challenge is over. I want it to be a big surprise (or let down) when the Fuse people weigh me in at the end of this 5 weeks. Until then, I'm going to keep telling myself that it is working, because I can ALREADY see a difference in my body shape and tone, and my clothes are fitting better now.

I love it when she falls asleep on the couch

2010-04-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about these pictures is the half eaten apple. Those are not a rarity in our house. In fact more times than not, if you grab an apple out of our fruit bowl, there will be a bite taken out of it. Another one of the many reminders of why I love my special Peyton. She wants to make sure the apples taste good before everyone else has them. :)

Notice the red on her diaper? Yeah...that's duct tape. Without it, we have a serious exhibitionist on our hands.

I'm taking the challenge

2010-04-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

I am always up for a good challenge.

I have been doing weight watchers on and off for 3 years now and love it. The only problem is, I "fall off the wagon" very easily. With summer around the corner, I have several reasons why I want to get down to my pre-married weight.

1.) We are going to Utah for our cousin, Jenn's wedding.
2.) Bathing suit season.
3.) Mine and Nicks 5 year anniversary...what better gift to myself than to feel more confident in my own body!

So, after reading a friend's blog, I have taken her challenge and am going sugar free/low carb for the next 30 days. I am also continuing counting my weight watchers points along with her challenge, to ensure that I'm not eating too much throughout the day. Between being sugar free/low carb, and the WW, I am hoping to reach my goal of 125 lbs by June 1st.

Today was my first day on the challenge. I did quite well, with the exception of the banana I ate earlier. I did not realize how packed full of sugar bananas are. For breakfast, I had a string cheese (not a healthy breakfast, but I was on the run). For lunch, I had a turkey brat with cheddar cheese, and a salad. Snack was a carrot, a Wasa Fiber cracker with cream cheese. Dinner was chicken and shrimp fajitas. I had a yummy dessert too...berry smoothie with light whipped cream (less than 1g sugar!)

So far, today, I am feeling really great and motivated. I did the Wii Biggest Loser game, which is an awesome work out, but I know I will be feeling it in the morning!

Have you ever gone sugar free? If so, what were your favorite foods? Recipes? Motivational tricks?

She is so photogenic

2010-04-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Like Father, Like Son

2010-04-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Ever since Nick got his iPhone, it has been the most coveted item in the house. Mommy uses it...Daddy uses it...Brody uses it...even Peyton uses it. It amazes me how smart my kids are. Both kids are capable of unlocking the phone, and navigating to the "games page" and picking out the game they want. Brody is also learning how to send text messages (although, they typically are sent to whoever is last in Nick's text log). I love this picture, because it is such a reminder of how much my little boy and my big boy are alike. I love those two!

Easter

2010-04-13T12:15:00.001-07:00

I am so thankful this Easter season for Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His atoning sacrifices, and all that he has done for me. I'm thankful that through him, we can live again. I'm thankful for my sweet children, and the spirit that they have. They both have such a strong desire to be like Jesus and to speak often to our Heavenly Father through prayer.

These pictures were taken Easter day and the evening before. Our Easter Sunday was not just filled with candy and bubbles though...we had a wonderful day watching General Conference and hearing the voices of Prophets and Apostles. What a wonderful day it was!

somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed. :(

still sad :(

What? We get candy??

Brody found his basket!

I love that smile!

Girly basket!

This was actually the night before Easter

Brody has found his calling in life...

2010-04-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Brody loves taking pictures! The other day, he told me he was going outside to take pictures of wild animals. This is what he came up with:

I think he truly captured the essence of all of the wildlife around him. :) Now the question arises...should I buy him his own camera for his birthday so he doesn't use mine all the time?

I love him!!!

2010-03-01T23:46:00.000-08:00

I was so blessed the day that I met Nick. He is my best friend, and he makes me believe in soul mates. We have never had a picture taken together, just the 2 of us, so one day this fall, when we were feeling kinda cute, we went and got our pictures taken. This one came out pretty cute.

More random pics taken by Legacy House

2010-03-01T23:20:00.002-08:00

My pregnancy pics with Peyton

2010-03-01T23:15:00.000-08:00

I was at the studio the other day, and was looking through some of my old photos that I have had taken, but haven't had printed. Of those, were my pregnancy pictures I got taken with Peyton. I want to get some of these printed and put in her room. I was HUGE, but these were taken the day BEFORE I delivered her.

I was at the studio the other day, and was looking through some of my old photos that I have had taken, but haven't had printed. Of those, were my pregnancy pictures I got taken with Peyton. I want to get some of these printed and put in her room. I was HUGE, but these were taken the day BEFORE I delivered her.

Peyton's Hair Cut

2010-03-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago, I picked Peyton up from my in-laws in the afternoon. Like any other typical day, her hair was ratty and matted with food (NOT my in-laws fault...Peyton likes to smear food in her hair and anything else she can get her hands on). I couldn't stand it anymore, so I ran her over to Bella Mia and had April (not my usual hair girl, but she did a great job) chop her hair off! She looks SOOOOO cute!

Her hair cut made me smile and remember my Papa. When I was a little girl, I always wanted to have long, beautiful hair, like a princess. My Papa on the other hand, always wanted me to have short hair. He used to tease me and tell me when I went to bed, he was going to cut my hair short. Now I know why he loved short hair so much. Peyton looks just like me, and she is sooooo stinkin' cute with short hair. Papa knew what he was talking about. All I can think is that he is looking down on her and is smiling at what a beautiful, sweet, little girl she is.

I am grateful...

2010-02-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight, my heart is heavy. Rather than focusing on the things that have brought me down lately, I want to use this post to focus on the good.

There are so many things I am grateful for in my life. Tonight, I am grateful for the little things:

I'm thankful for little sticky hand prints on mirrors...

I'm thankful for little baby girls who LOVE to be naked, no matter how hard I try to keep clothes on her...

I'm thankful for pictures that I wasn't expecting to find on my camera...

I'm thankful for dishes that may not always get done...
I'm thankful for the pile of laundry that seems to be revolving...
I'm thankful for slobbery kisses...
I'm thankful for a million stinky diapers...
I'm thankful for babies sleeping in my bed because their "finger hurts and mommy needs to take good care of it."
I'm thankful for all of these things, because these things mean that I am a mother.

Today, a Mother and a Father left my place of employment, Circle of Life Hospice, without their baby girl. Their baby girl drove away in a separate car, on her way to the funeral home, while her mother, father, and proud big sister returned to their home to learn how to live without their precious angel here on earth.

It's moments like these when it is easy to see the blessings in your life. The things that may drive you the craziest seem the most precious. I don't know what my life would be like without dirty laundry, screaming babies, and a bed that often seems to small.

Of all the things I'm grateful for, I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's plan of Salvation, and the fact that I know that families are forever. It brings peace to my heart when I think of that sweet family today, to know that they will be reunited with their little baby girl and their baby boy that they lost two years ago, once again someday, and they will have the opportunity to raise those children in the Eternities.

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't say it often, or say it enough, but I do. I am so thankful for the things that I know to be true. Without this knowledge, I don't think that I would be able to do the job that I do, and go home and be okay at night. Don't get me wrong, my heart is aching, and I have welled up with tears several times today, but then I remember the things that I know, and peace fills my soul.

It's time to go to sleep now. Time to go cuddle those sweet babies who have once again, manipulated their way into our bed. Tonight, I will love every kick and every stretch that seems to make the bed smaller and smaller. Tonight, I will marvel in the beauty that is my children.

Snow Days!

2010-02-01T22:18:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, NWA got hit by quite the snow storm. The Petersen's never fail for excitement when snow hits the ground. We baked a "Big Top Cupcake," watched movies "on demand", made snow angels, created a makeshift sled out of a TV box, and cuddled up together all weekend! It was a little slice of Heaven for me.

Brody's First "Date"

2010-02-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

Last Wednesday, Nick and I decided to take Brody and Peyton to go see the Chipmunks movie. Brody's good friend Bentley is absolutely in LOVE with the Chipmunks right now. The idea popped into my head to see if Bentley would want to go with us. 3 kids, under 3 at the movie theater. Some may think I'm crazy, but I thought it would be a blast...and it was!

The kids were PERFECT during the movie! Bentley and Brody sang their little hearts out, while Pey Pey shook her groove thing. They enjoyed chex mix (snuck in strategically in Bentley's "purse"), popcorn, and skittles.

After the movie, the kids hammed it up in front of the Chipmunks themselves. On our way back to April's, Brody asked if Bentley could come over and play. Of course we said yes, and they had a BLAST together! They played in the play room, ate tacos, and watched Dora and Backyardigans!

Bentley Dawn, you are welcome to come play any time!

Lotus Photography

2010-01-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

Beth Chapel, owner/ operator of Lotus Photography is AMAZING! Need I say more? This is just a PORTION of the pictures that I received!

Beth Chapel, owner/operator of Lotus Photography is amazing. Need I say more?

Brody Robert Petersen

2010-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

What a little man! Brody has grown up so much this year, it is amazing. His vocabulary is out of this world, and the expressions he uses are priceless. For example, he will come up to me and say "Mom! This is incredible! You should see this!" Or, my new favorite "hmmm...this is very interesting."

Brody's stats:

3 1/2 years old
35 pounds
A little over 3 feet tall
LOVES sports and is amazing at every sport he plays
Has a ton of friends, right now his BFF is Parker Hall. He tells me that Parker is "fun, funky" and most recently, "like my brother." I love watching the 2 of them play together.
He can add and subtract using his fingers
Is beginning to recognize all his letters and numbers
Can trace like a pro
Likes to play with his sister
His favorite game is air hockey
Favorite TV show is Rory the Racing Car
Favorite song is "Rolling on the River of Love" by George Straight
He is a SUNBEAM! (the first level of Sunday school age groups in our church, after nursery). He loves being a Sunbeam and is always willing to give the answers or help the teachers during Primary.
His memory is like an elephant. He remembers details of events from when he was 18 months+. (Example, he saw a Flying Burrito restaurant the other day and recalled seeing an ad for flying burrito on the big screen at the baseball game last summer when he was 2).
He is a mommy's boy and a daddy's boy. It just depends on his mood.

I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop for now. I'll include so much more about his personality in posts to come.

Peyton Petersen

2010-01-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

What a cutie pie we have on our hands! Here are her stat's currently:

19 months old

Walks, runs and jumps on commands

LOVES baby dolls and anything that has to do with taking care of her "babies"

Loves her "bubby" (Brody)

Says about 8 words (No, Bubby, Mommy, Daddy, Uppppp, Down, Hi, baby, and a few others)

Is teeny tiny! Girlfriend still isn't on the growth chart but she is getting there! She weighs 18 pounds, 14 ounces and is 29 inches tall. She is going to be a gymnast.

Is a wonderful sleeper (when we can get her down)

She is starting to enjoy TV and movies

She is the best cuddle bug ever.

She shimmies her whole body when she says "No"

She LOVES to be naked!

LOVE THIS GIRL!!!

Mommy Petersen

2010-01-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Where to begin??

Between being a mommy full time, helping Nick with his business, and starting a new part time job, I have been super busy as well!

Let me start with the most important things right now. I LOVE being with my babies! We have so much fun together! Brody is a little sponge and is learning so quickly. He says some of the cutest things (which also goes along with my resolution...I want to blog his cute little Brody-ism's at night). Peyton is beginning to talk, and is so cute with her expressions. I am enjoying doing "school" with Brody. We do activities from a pre-school work book, and also do fun learning games online.

I have also begun a new adventure working as a Part Time Hospice Social Worker. I work 4 days a week, 4 hours a day and I am loving it! I couldn't ask for a better organization to work for!! The job can be emotionally trying, as you can imagine, but I am so grateful to be able to make a positive impact on someone during the last days of their life. Whether it be with their families, or just going and sitting with them and talking to them, I feel such a sense of happiness knowing that I might be able to help them during this crucial time. My boss put it as we as social workers, are helping to write the last pages, of the last chapter in their book. It truly is amazing. I never thought I'd have a job that I LOVE to go to. It is especially nice that we are going to be able to work Nick's schedule around mine so that he can be home with the kids during the hours that I am away.

I have a new love as well. Hairbow making. I haven't done much since I have started working, but once my training is finished and my schedules settles down, I plan on whipping out tons of bows for my newly-bow-lovin' girl. She actually ASKS for them now! So fun!!
That's about it for me! :)

Brody got a Snuggie for Christmas (I couldn't resist adding this pic in)

2 of the hairbows that I made!

Daddy Petersen

2010-01-19T19:08:00.001-08:00

Nick has been super busy lately. His carpet cleaning business is flourishing. He has recently gotten back into water restoration and is learning so many wonderful things in the process. He has learned how to be a handy man, how to manage a family, 24 hour water restoration needs, and his business...all on his own, might I add.

I'm so proud of Nick and how he has stuck with this company and built it from the ground up. Every young couple goes through their (as my step-dad called it) "macarroni and cheese days." We have definitely had our mac-n-cheese years, but what a peace of mind to have now to know that Nick has built up a company that can support our family. No more sleepless nights, and we are both so excited about the future!

Not only is he expanding the company with water restoration, he is also expanding into tile and grout color sealing. This is going to be an AMAZING add on to the company! In fact, I am going to have "snow white" grout in my kids' bathroom tomorrow night! :)
I love you, Nick and am grateful for all that you are!

It's a Sad, Sad, Day.

2010-01-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

My computer crashed when we came home from Washington for Christmas break. Unfortunately, I had NONE of my pictures backed up over the past 6 months or so. I am praying that I put all the good ones on my facebook so I can save them to my hard drive and upload them on here so I can share them with everyone. The whole hard drive crashing thing has been heavy on my mind, but I keep pushing it aside, hoping that one day, I'll turn my computer on and magically have all of my treasures back. My pictures, my videos, Nick's advertising. Lesson learned, however. BACK UP YOUR FILES PEOPLE!!

My New Year's Resolution (which I'm already miserably failing at), is to spend 15 minutes a night blogging about my kiddos and our life. This is the Petersen Family History center, in a sense, and I need to be more proactive about keeping up with it. I'm going to begin by blogging about what is new with each member of our family. So, here goes nothing! :)

Quick Wrap Up...more to come

2009-12-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

First Week of November- Sprained Back
Second Week of November- H1N1
Third Week of November- H1N1
Fourth Week of November- H1N1/ Bronchitis
First Week of December- Stomach Virus (Peyton in ER on Sunday, sick all day Monday, Peyton sick Tuesday, everyone fine Wednesday, everyone but dad sick Thursday, everyone feeling kinda queezy Friday, Dad sick on Saturday, everyone sick again on Sunday.)

Here are some pics to hold you over in the interim. (this is from our ONE day in November we went outside and did something fun!)

Those are cute enough to make you keep coming back for more right? More WILL come as soon as there is a little less nastiness in the air around here!

Publish Post

Halloween

2009-11-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Halloween was a highly anticipated holiday in our home this year. It seems like for a month straight, Brody would ask "Is it Halloween time yet?" So, we decorated. We put lights up, and pumpkins, and made home made decorations, and paper bats, etc. The house was decked out from the beginning of October on.

Brody was dead set on being a football player this year (after we said no to his first choice of Obama). I was just going to throw some sweats on him and a razorback jersey, and try to find a helmet. We went to Halloween Express to find a helmet, and we wound up walking past a Car's "Tow-Mater" costume. Brody was in love. So me, being the wonderful mother that I am, got him the Tow-Mater costume, and he lived in it for 2 days straight. He would take his hat off, and say "I'm Brody now." but if he was wearing his hat, he was Tow Mater, and had to be addressed accordingly.

Peyton was our little cheerleader. She is so tiny and cute, that I wouldn't doubt it if she is a real cheerleader some day. She loves all things girly, so she loved this outfit that Grandma June bought for her. She will bring me the skirt and want to wear it daily!

Nick took a nap before our Trunk-or-Treat celebration at our church, and when he woke up his hair was crazy. I told him he had "Edward hair" (as in Twilight), so I said "you should be Edward." that he was. Unfortunately, Nick has never read the books, and he wouldn't believe me that Edward doesn't have big scary nasty vampire teeth, but he insisted on wearing the big nasty scary vampire teeth anyway.

We had a great Halloween. We went to Trunk or Treat on Friday night, and then on Halloween night, we went with our good friends the Halls, the Johansons, the Binghams, and the Christensens, trick or treating in the Hall's neighborhood. Parker (see Brody's best friend post) is Jenni and Josh Hall's oldest son. The boys all had so much fun together! They kept saying stuff like "This Halloween is AWESOME!" or "This is my best Halloween EVER!" It melts my heart to see the kids having so much fun!

We have a mover and a shaker...

2009-11-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

...and a climber, and a crawler, and a pouter, and a laugher...well, you get the point. Peyton is VERY mobile!

This one's for you Uncle Bobby

2009-11-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

My loves.

2009-11-09T08:31:00.001-08:00

I love it when my kids play nice together. There is nothing like the sound of the two of them laughing and playing in the play room. Except for this...

Peyton loves her doll.

2009-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Grandma June and Grandpa Shaw sent Peyton a care package before her first big visit to Children's in Little Rock. Peyton LOVES her baby! She carries her around, feeds her her bottle, and loves on her all the time. Thanks Grandma June and Grandpa Shaw!

My children love lemons.

2009-11-08T21:05:00.001-08:00

Some may think it is strange, but I always LOVED lemons when I was little. Anything sour, in fact. Lemons, limes, sour patch kids, bring them on! Whenever we go to dinner, Nick always puts his lemon in my water because he isn't a fan. Apparently, our kids inherited my love for lemons from me.

Brody has a best friend.

2009-11-08T21:01:00.001-08:00

His name is Parker...and we love him!

Are they not the coolest dudes around?

Trip to Utah

2009-11-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, so this post is like 4 months overdue, but I must post about our wonderful trip to Utah this summer!

It all began when we left Arkansas, in my mother in law's Ford Taurus. Nick and I in the front, Tashya and the kids in the back. We drove straight through, trading drivers, downing cokes, and jamming out to our Mp3 players. About 2 hours outside of Salt Lake, I looked up at Nick and said "What's that noise coming from the engine?" To which he replied "it's just the car trying to accelerate uphill. It will stop as soon as we get to the top of the hill." Sure enough, it did. The whole car stopped in fact, with a big bang. The engine blew a hole through the oil pan.

To make a long story short, we rode in the Taurus behind a tow truck all the way to a ShopKo in Salt Lake. We were true Arkansan's making the journey out West.

Once safe and sound at Aunt Julee and Uncle Bobby's house, we had a blast. We were able to attend the Temple 3 times, visit various church history locations, go to the Aquarium, Cowabunga Bay, spend wonderful time with family, and I attended the Scentsy convention.

It was my first time meeting Aunt Melanee, Uncle Donny, and Darcee and Chase. We had a blast with them when they came to visit for a night. Peyton and Shaylee were so cute together!

Brody love, love, loved his cousins and Great Aunt and Uncle. He talks about Aunt Julee, Uncle Bobby, Jenn, Jordan and Justin all the time.

Utah was so beautiful. I have never been to that part of the country, and I was amazed at the beauty and serenity of all the mountains surrounding us. It is definitely a place I could live! I am hoping to be able to make it back to SLC in February for a church Women's conference, sans husband and kids. It will be some fun girl time for all!

Here are some of the pictures from our trip:

Update on Peyton

2009-10-08T14:53:00.001-07:00

So, we took Peyton back to Little Rock yesterday for her one month check up. She gained EXACTLY 10 ounces! The doctor wanted her to gain a minimum of 10 ounces in order to avoid having to do a scope exam and blood tests. The doctor and the nutritionist strongly believe that she has an intolerance to milk and soy, so she is staying milk and soy free for the next 4 months to see if she can get "on the charts". She will continue to get weight monthly in Bentonville by her PCP. Hopefully she will continue to gain weight and we won't have to be concerned anymore.

Milk and soy free has been hard, but we are all adjusting. I know that the diet is overall healthier for our family, so it is worth it.

Reflections

2009-09-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

9/11/2001

I woke up early that morning. I walked up the hill to the University of Arkansas to check my e-mail and print out a study guide for a test I was having later that week. As I walked into the Student Union, I immediately was drawn to RZ's Coffee Shop, which was packed with people, and had people flowing out the doorway into the hall. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I asked someone why everyone was packed into RZ's. The guy just pointed his finger at the TV set up in the corner of the coffee shop. That's when it happened. A second plane crashed into the World Trade Center...live...right before my eyes.

I frequented RZ's quite often, and was drawn to the liveliness that was typically found there. On this day however, everyone's breath stopped. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. We all stood there, our mouths opened, and our hearts dropped into our stomachs.

I went to the couch and sat down and immediately called my mom. She had just turned the TV on and had seen the news. At this point, nobody knew if there was a malfunction with the air traffic controls, or if it was merely an accident. Terrorist attack? That never crossed our minds.

I headed to my Psychology class, my head hung down. My heart was sad for the loss of the lives that had taken place. As I sat down next to my friend Stormy, he told me that yet another plane had hit the Pentagon. He told me they thought it was terrorists. I began to fear for my family, for my friends, and for my country. A feeling of helplessness came over me and all I could do was cry.

My second class was canceled as my teacher was supposed to be at a meeting at the Pentagon that morning. Lucky for him...he got stuck in traffic that morning. He missed the plane crash by 15 minutes. The airliner flew over his taxi as he sat and watched, the building he should be in fill with smoke and debris.

My roommate and I spent the rest of the day in our dorm room. We filled our cars up with gas and made a quick trip to the store for necessities. Our country was under attack and we had no idea when it would end. We listened to the coverage on the radio, and watched the news until we couldn't take anymore in the common area of our dorm. People were jumping out of buildings, people were on fire, people were running from the buildings covered in smoke and debris. It was too much.

My heart has never been the same. Anytime I hear 9/11...see an American Flag...see the words "Let's Roll"...hear "God Bless America"...or see NY FD memorabilia, my heart hurts.

Flash forward 8 years

9/11/2009

I woke up early this morning. My kids woke up too early. Peyton was fussy and Brody was hungry. Babies changed, fed, and the TV turned on. This time however, it was not to the news station. It was turned to Noggin. Just another day.

I signed onto Facebook and realized...it's the anniversary. My heart hurt once again. I felt guilty for having Noggin turned on. I felt like I should be remembering better. I felt like I should be watching the coverage of the anniversary tributes on TV. Not Oswald. Then I realized...my children have no idea the significance of today. They are so innocent and have never had to witness the evil in the world that I, and so many others witnessed that day.

While I fully intend to teach them to remember those who lost their lives that tragic day, I am going to cherish their innocence as long as I can. And pray. Pray every day that they never have to see anything like 9/11 again in their lifetime.

I will always remember.

Soy free...it's the way to be!

2009-08-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

For months and months, Peyton has not grown. In fact, she has only gained 2 pounds in an 8 month period. Her pediatrician was not concerned and just told me "she will probably just be petite." It wasn't until we switched pediatricians that we found out there was a problem.

Peyton was having a bowel movement about 6-10 times a day. Her new pediatrician was very concerned about this and has set up an appointment at Children's Hospital in Little Rock to test her GI tract for functioning problems. He also sent us to an allergist to test for food allergies.

During her allergy appointment we learned that Peyton is indeed, soy intolerant. This means she can have soy, but her stomach does not digest it will, causing the constant diarrhea. She (actually all of us) are now on a soy free diet. We eat rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, and home made sauces with soy free ingredients. Since the new diet, Peyton has been doing much better! We are so thankful for modern medicine that can help us help our little girl.

Her allergist is still concerned that the "intolerance" is not the reason for her lack of growth, so on September 9th, we will be getting her tested for Cystic Fibrosis in Little Rock, along with her GI test. I will be sure to keep you all updated on her health! Thanks for all the prayers and help during this time!

Sorry again...

2009-08-21T21:26:00.001-07:00

I am a horrible blogger...

Baby Cooper

2009-07-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Cooper Timothy Lowden was born on July 17, 2009. His mom went into labor on her own at 4:40 AM, but at 8:15, everything went wrong. His heart rate dropped down to next to nothing, and his mother, April Lowden was wheeled away for an emergency C-section.

When Cooper was born, he had no heart beat, and was not breathing. The doctors think he was without oxygen for 2-5 minutes. He was air lifted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where he is undergoing extensive brain testing. He is breathing without a ventilator, but still requires assisted oxygen.

April stays at home and runs an in home day care. Because of her at-home work, she is not entitled to “paid maternity leave.” They also have insurance through her husband’s work, which is not going to pay all of their already large medical bills.

Cooper and his parents are precious to me, and I want to help them in any way I can. There are 4 ways you can help:

1.) Donate (anything will help). Donations can be made at Metropolitan National Bank into account #2581027. They can be mailed to Metropolitan National Bank, C/O Stephanie Mereweather, 3701 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR 72758

2.) Purchase products from my Scentsy Website: www.scentsy.com/petersen. Click on “Cooper Timothy Lowden Fundraiser”, and 100% of the profits will be donated to the Lowden’s. This “online party” will close the 3^rd week of August, and you will receive your products within 2 weeks of the closing date. I am also choosing a “mystery hostess” meaning, everyone who purchases from this party will be entered to win the hostess credit (free and half priced products)

3.) Get your carpets cleaned! From August 18-25^th, my husband, who owns Celestial Cleaning Systems, is going to be donating all profits from carpet cleaning to the Lowden’s. Call 479-366-0442 to set up your cleaning! Don’t need your carpets cleaned? We also do tile, upholstery, and vehicle cleaning! www.20dollarsaroom.blogspot.com

4.) Contact me about donating items to a garage sale I am holding at my home on Friday and Saturday, July 31st, and August 1st!

Scentsy

2009-06-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

So...I have started on a new adventure! I am officially a Scentsy Consultant! For those of your unfamiliar with Scentsy, they are the HOTTEST new thing in candles! The creators of Scentsy have created the SAFEST, most HARMLESS, most DELICIOUS smelling, BEAUTIFUL burners and wax to give your home a fresh, clean smell. With over 80 scents and a wide variety of burners, there is something for everyone!

No more hugging your candles, no more trimming your wicks, no more harmful chemicals and smoke filtration getting into your walls and carpets! Say NO MORE with Scentsy!

You can check out my website at www.scentsy.com/petersen to see what it is all about. The employment opportunities are awesome as well!

If you are interested in hosting a party, doing a fundraiser, or just placing an order, contact me and I will get you taken care of! You are going to love the products just as much as I do!

Some new pics!

2009-06-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

As requested:

Brody is Potty Trained!

2009-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted that yet! Brody has been potty trained since the end of March. I mean, TOTALLY potty trained! He stays dry at night, (most nights without even a diaper)! He is such a big kid now! He gets himself dressed, goes to the potty without even telling us anymore, and is such a good brother to his baby sister.

Brody talks like such a little man. He no longer speaks in baby talk, and it is almost too easy to carry on a conversation with him. Sometimes, though, he will try to sound insightful, and it makes me laugh! He will say things like "Mom, when you do something...you do something." Oh really?! Haha! Or my favorite "When I tell you I want more...I want more." He is so serious when he says these things too. They make sense to him, and make me smile, so I hope he keeps on with the "Brody-isms"!

Peyton is walking!

2009-06-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's official! Peyton started walking on May 26th, 2009. Nick and I were at the after hours clinic because Nick was really sick for almost a week with a sinus infection. While we were there, Peyton stood up, and we told her to walk to us, and she took a couple of steps. Of course, as with all babies, she plopped right down on her bottom afterwards, but started clapping at her accomplishment.

I am so proud of my little girl. She may be tiny (only in the 1st percentile), but she is a trooper! She rarely cries when she gets hurt, is determined to get what she wants, and doesn't let things get her down too often. I feel like she is the opposite of how I was when I was younger. I was somewhat of a cry baby, and got my feelings hurt easily. Peyton, however, seems to let her brother's picking on her roll off her shoulder. She has a great sense of humor and loves to play! Here's to you Pey-Pey!

Guilty as charged!

2009-06-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have been a horrible blogger lately! Who would have thought that with me not taking the job (I will get to that in my catch up blog) that I wouldn't have time to blog. These kids run me all day and all night, and I hardley have time to blog anymore...but I really am going to try to start scheduling it in!

*On a side note, I wouldn't give anything in the world for the kids to NOT run me all day and all night. I LOVE IT!

I will attempt to catch up this afternoon. I have some cute stories and cute pictures to share, that I know many of my readers are dying to see!

Birthday Week

2009-05-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have the greatest husband in the world. He not only celebrates the day I was born, but he celebrates the WEEK I was born. That's right...I get back massages, no laundry or dishes, and no poopy diaper duty for a WHOLE week!

This year he was extra sweet to me, and he swept me away to Branson for the night. We went to a polynesian show (since we didn't get to see one in Hawaii this was quite the treat). The next morning (on my birthday), I got up early, did some shopping at the outlet malls, then we went to Silver Dollar City for the day.

After 6 hours at the park, I began to really miss my kids, so we headed back and picked them up from Grandma's house, where I had a cake waiting for me. This was the best birthday ever!

*Sorry there are no pictures, but Nick packed my bags for me and forgot my camera!

New Job!

2009-05-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I didn't get to ride on the unemployed train too long...

I accepted a position today with Northwest Health Systems (the hospital system where I delivered Peyton) in Springdale. They are opening a brand new psychiatric unit, and I will be the Social Worker on the psych floor and on the rehabilitation floor. The job offers great pay, great benefits, and flexibility. I will be able to be home early in the afternoons, and off on weekends with the kids. Nick is working his schedule so he can stay home 2-3 days while I am at work, and then my sister in law is going to come and stay with the kids the other 2 days. We are very excited for new adventures!

The position also offers a good opportunity for advancement. Since the unit is brand new, they are planning on expanding within about a year, and that expansion will create a supervisory position, as well as a "team lead" social work position. As the only social worker in the hospital, I am hoping to have my foot in the door for those positions as they come available.

My duties will be to do assessments with patients upon admittance, assist with discharge planning, patient relationships, working with families of patients, as well as work with a team of doctors and nurses to create the best level of care for the patients possible. I'm very excited!

Down came the fence...

2009-04-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

We have blackberry bushes, a huge tree, and other shrubbery between the back of our privacy fence and the church's chain link fence. Over time, with the growth of the greenery, and many storms, the back fence has all but fallen down. We have finally taken the fence down, and are working on clearing out the bushes (trimming up the blackberry bushes, because I can't stand the thought of not having fresh blackberries in my backyard).

Brody thought it would be a big help to daddy if he got his sunglasses and his drill out to help Daddy! What a cutie!

*We are reserving some of the wood for my father in law and my friend, Rose, but there is PLENTY more. So...if anyone is in need of wood, please come and TAKE IT AWAY!!!! :o)

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-12T15:00:00.003-07:00

We colored Easter Eggs this year with Brody. It was messy, and didn't last nearly as long as I remembered from being a kid, but we had a blast!

The Easter Bunny Came...again, and again, and again

2009-04-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?! The Easter Bunny went to Nana's house, Emily's house, AND my house? Wow! My kids are really loved by the Easter Bunny! They sure must have been good this year!

Easter Bunny Trip #1: Nana's house (Nana made a special delivery of the baskets to our house)

Easter Bunny Trip #2: Emily and Ben's house (they also made a special delivery for good ole' EB)

Easter Bunny Trip #3: Our House, Easter morning

Wooo Pig Sooie

2009-04-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last night, while in Fayetteville, I decided to take the family on a driven tour of my alma matter. Nick insisted we stop at the "most important" part of the campus. The stadium. I thought these pictures of Brody and Nick at the stadium were so cute. Brody kept calling the hogs and talking about the football game. 2 Future Razorbacks

WOOOOOO PIG SOOOOOIE!!!!
In awe

Go Hogs Go!

I LOVE this picture!

Bentley's Birthday Party

2009-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at Bentley's birthday party this weekend. Thanks so much for inviting us, Bentley and April! Brody was the first to fish

Fishin...
and still fishin...

WOAH! Look at that WHOPPER he caught!

Swinging with the birthday girl!

Brody pulling the string on the pinata.

Filling up his bag with candy

Brody's song

2009-04-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Brody told Peyton the other day that they needed to sing me a song...this is how it went (without Peyton's help, of course):

Wash your hands
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and go to time out
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and go to naughty chair
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and wash your hands
and brush your teeth
and wash your hands
and go to time out BRODY
and wash your hands
and wash YOUR HAAAAAAAAANNNNNNDSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Am I really that bossy????

Fun Breakfast!

2009-04-12T14:34:00.001-07:00

The other day, Brody was being obstinant about eating his breakfast. So, I decided to get creative...
Worked like magic!!!!

Friends Over!!!

2009-04-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, poor Mary (the one mentioned in the previous post) was sick with the stomach flu. Blah! I was so sad that Mary was sick, but so excited that we would get her girls to come over and play all day! Brody and Peyton had such a blast! This was also the day I was able to complete my dining room cleaning, AND most of my kitchen! Those little girls sure were a big help at keeping my kids busy and having fun!

Brody, Peyton, Allison, Michelle, and Izzy spent the day playing in the play room, jumping on Brody's bed (and off of the top of it onto the mattress giggling), eating snacks, drinking juice...and, er...lemon juice. (Mary is going to kill me for this one!) While I was cleaning out the fridge, Brody saw the lemon juice and asked for some and I said he could try it but that it was very sour. He took one sip and said YUCK! Allison on the other hand, asked for some, and was in love. While the other kids drank water and caprisuns, she chose the lemon juice. Maybe that's why she is so darn spunky and cute?!

Izzy watching "Fox and the Hound" in the play room

Cutie pie Michelle
Brody and Izzy and the play room (surprisingly enough it was cleaned spotless the next morning)

Allison and her one true love

Allison and the juice again

This was about an hour after the other lemon pictures

We would love to have the girls over again...soon! As long as their mother lets them after realizing I fed her 3 year old lemon juice (at least it wasn't a full bottle!)

Spring Cleaning!

2009-04-12T14:10:00.001-07:00

I have headed off strong following my good friend Mary's Spring Cleaning challenge found at http://organizationforlife.blogspot.com/ I love the details she gives to each area, that I wouldn't have thought to do myself. So far, we (I say "we" because Brody, Peyton, and Nick have been chipping in, each in their own special way) have tackled the kid's bathroom, Brody's room, my linen closet, the dining room, and kitchen. I am one room behind, which is my closet. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow??? :o) Nick said he didn't realize that the shelves in our fridge were actually clear!

My fridge mess while cleaning it out.
My kid's bathroom mess. Peyton loved helping me "sort" through the junk!

Brody and I scrubbing the doors and wall on the linen closet

Remember how I said Peyton helped in her own special way???

She just wanted to make sure that mommy didn't neglect her daily chores! :o) Vacuuming is important too!!!

Hawaii is coming, I promise

2009-04-12T14:06:00.001-07:00

Just spoke with the bro, and he said by the end of the week he will have the rest of the pics edited and ready to go for me. So, don't worry, the other 5 days of my trip are still to come! Until then, I will entertain you with other exciting Petersen-isms and adventures!

Hawaii Day 6

2009-04-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 13, 2009

Today was another day at Poipu beach. We did some snorkeling today and saw some very beautiful fish! They were all different colors...pink, green, yellow, electric blue, black, and white. It was so neat! We also saw two more monk seals. A mother and a baby. The baby was a tease, and would play around, showing off for the crowd. The mom on the other hand, got onto the baby a lot about acting up.

We also spent the evening at my Auntie Joan and Uncle Richard's house for dinner. We ate steak, sausage, potato salad, curried rice, and a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing. It was such a great time to visit with family.

Hawaii Day 7

2009-04-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Today was Uncle Erik and Auntie Steph's last day on the island. It was also the most beautiful day that we had. We spent the day on the beach, boogie boarding, body surfing, tanning, swimming in the tide pools, and walking along the beach. We were also fortunate enough to see another monk seal today. It was also the first day Brody went into the ocean. Auntie Steph was able to convince him to go into the tide pool, and after that he would not get out.

More to come

2009-04-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

I am going backwards on my Hawaii trip, so that it will go in chronological order on my blog. There will be more to come!

Hawaii Day 8

2009-04-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Today we attended the Kapa'a 2nd ward. The chapel was so neat. It was small and had glass doors. We arrived a few minutes late (what else is new?) and had a hard time finding a seat. 10 minutes later, all of the choir seats were taken up, there were so many visitors there! The ward was really a great group of people. Nick and I thought it was cute how when a speaker would come up and say "Aloha," the rest of the congregation would follow with a loud "ALOHA!" We really enjoyed attending this ward.

Hawaii, Day 9

2009-04-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Monday, March 16, 2009

Today was our last full day on the island. Grandma and Grandpa came to the beach house to stay with us for the remainder of our trip. We spent the morning at spouting horn, watching the water shoot up, and buying cute, cheap jewelery. Brody wanted to find a "Hawaii watch" so we got him some cute bracelets and a couple of puka shell necklaces. You can't go wrong with $1.00 jewelery!

We had an enjoyable afternoon and evening with Grandma and Grandpa. We ate a delicous lasagna dinner...my favorite!

Brody loved all the chickens on the island...as long as they kept their distance.

The view from spouting horn

Spouting Horn

Hawaii Day 10

2009-04-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

This was our last day in Hawaii. The weather was overcast, but that didn't stop us from walking along the beach and letting Brody swim in his "pool". Grandma and Grandpa were at the beach house, and we enjoyed having breakfast and lunch with them before we had to head off to the airport.

Our flight left at 6:00, and we stayed in Honolulu for almost 4 hours. This was a really long layover, but gave us the opportunity to get the kids prepared to sleep on the red eye back to Denver. We landed in Denver at 8:30 Denver time and stayed there for an hour. After that, we headed to Oklahoma City where we drove to Tulsa and picked my mom up from the airport. We had a wonderful stay with her!

Grandma Shaw and Peyton

Grandpa Shaw

Me, Peyton, Grandma, and Brody in Brody's "pool"

Me and Peypey

Grandma and Peyton

Daddy swinging Brody in the tidepool

Swimming

Brody wanted to have a "Pick-ick" with his chicken nuggets

Daddy and Brody at the airport

Mommy and Peyton at the airport

The happy couple

Peyton's Ears

2009-02-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Update

2009-02-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a hectic month. Here is an update on the lives of the Petersen 4:

Nikki: I went back to work full time at the end of January. I am spending Monday, Tuesday, half day Thursday, and all of Friday between Pea Ridge lower elementary, upper elementary and Junior High. I am really enjoying the new group of clients, and the fantastic office that is located on the campus, but in it's own building. I even have my own bathroom in my office (which, sometimes isn't a plus when stinky little 6 year olds come in and do their business). I am readjusting to life as a full time therapist, full time mommy, full time wife, and full time home maker. The latter part is definitely suffering, but I am thankful to my sweet husband for picking up the slack.

Nick: Nick has been super busy with carpet cleaning. Unfortunately, we have been having some malfunctions with his machine. 3 trips to the shop, $500.00, 2 belts, a new pump, and a super tune up and the machine is running fantastic. Due to the issues, we had to reschedule many of his jobs at the beginning of the week (sorry Valerie), but were still able to squeeze in THIRTEEN jobs in 4 days!!!! Woohoo!!! (I'm saying woohoo...Nick is saying..."Holy cow, when can I rest?!") He submitted his application to the U of A for the fall, so we will see what will happen with that. He has been so intrigued with my stories from work that he thinks he would like to go into the mental health field as well and get his MSW.

Brody: Brody is currently working on sleep training right now. Which means that instead of him staying up as late as he would like, watching Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck with Dad at night, and sleeping wherever he would like, he now gets a 7:30 bedtime. New bed time rules also: #1: We stay in our bed. #2: We keep our eyes closed. #3: We get a sticker on our bed time chart if we sleep all night in our big boy bed. Sticker= Treat. Brody is also working on potty training...slowly but surely. We are applying for him to attend mom's day out at the Bentonville Church of Christ 1 day a week. He is really looking forward to school!

Peyton: On Monday, I took Peyton to get her ears pierced. She looks so cute, and did so well. The ear piercer lady (I don't know what else to call her) said that she was the best baby she has ever pierced. Peyton is crawling like crazy! She has brought us into a whole new world that we never experienced with Brody. Brody was always good about keeping things out of his mouth and not getting into things he wasn't supposed to. With Peyton, it's the opposite. She keeps me running! She is babbling a lot, saying dadadadada, and babababababa....still no mamamamama...but we are working on it. She is also sleep training which means crying it out in her crib til she falls alseep. Last night was 2 hours, tonight it was an hour and 25 minutes. Hopefully tomorrow it will be dramatically less crying. I hate to hear my babies crying, but this will be the best thing for us all if they can get on a good schedule.

Finally, the entire Petersen family will be heading out on Saturday, March 7 for 10 beautiful days in Hawaii! Thanks Dad, June, Grandma and Grandpa for making that possible! We are so excited to be able to stay at our family beach house (www.gillinbeachhouse.com) and spend time with our extended family that we don't get to see very often! We are especially looking forward to my grandmother and great aunt's 80th birthday!!

Thank You...

2009-02-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

I checked my mail today, and found in it a card. The card had no return address, and there was no note inside. Just a Walmart giftcard. So, if you were the person who did that selfless act, then I want to thank you! With the economy being the way it is, and the Walmart job cuts that occured yesterday, that card was the last thing I ever expected to receive! It will be well used, and well appreciated. I also fully intend to pay that good deed forward in any way I can. What a humbling experience and testimony builder of how good people truly can be, even in the hardest of times.