Happy Birthday Kimball!

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

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

1 step forward and 2 steps back

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

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

All about Lucy!

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

She's Finally Here!

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

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

Here are some photos:

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Katie's Wedding

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






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

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

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

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

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

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













Cole holding his newest cousin, Andrew Martin.

Winter In Idaho

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

Has it really been Ten Years?

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

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

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

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

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

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