Are they not the coolest dudes around?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Trip to Utah
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:
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:
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Update on Peyton
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.
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.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Reflections
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.
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.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Soy free...it's the way to be!
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!
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!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Baby Cooper
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,
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 3rd 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 18-25th, 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!
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