Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Extreme Sledding


At my parents cabin in Fairview there is a huge sledding hill that the kids all love to go on. Almost every year someone inevitably gets hurt yet every year they come back for more and try to best their records. This year it was dogs and not accidents that put a damper on things. I was going down the hill with Andy and two dogs chased after us. The bigger dog bit a hole through the back of my coat and the little dog bit Andy's hand...luckily the glove protected his hand and my coat protected me. When we reached the bottom of the hill after the biting incident I marched back up the hill determined to kick the crap out of those dogs. I am not normally a violent person but when someone or in this case something goes after my kid I lose the ability to think rationally. Anyway, I was yelling and screaming and basically charged the dogs who in turn charged at me. You would think at this point I would realize I was outnumbered and back slowly away but unfortunately the crazed mother bear in me didn't keep me from moving forward with my plan. Luckily the dogs stopped about 5 feet in front of me so I started kicking snow at them and backed them into their garage. I guess I'm glad that I didn't have to actually kick the dogs because the heavy duty snow boots I had on could have done some serious damage and I would have felt bad afterwards. My Dad came down the hill shortly after and talked to the owners who weren't even aware the dogs were outside they took them back into their house. Needless to say, Andy who was pretty traumatized by the incident didn't go sledding again for the rest of the time we were there. Once the dogs were inside the rest of the family managed to have a pretty good time.









Christmas morning at the cabin

We spent Christmas at my parents cabin in Fairview. Steve tried to convince me to have a small intimate Christmas with just our family at home but Christmas morning just doesn't seem right somehow without a house full of all my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. It does get a little crazy and noisy at times and we usually use of every bed, couch and sleeping bag my parents have but I still wouldn't have it any other way.





Christmas reunion at the Peterson's



Almost 30 years ago Steve's parents along with others in their neighborhood had the opportunity to take in a family of Vietnamese refugees. They ended up taking in a boy about Jr. High age named Dinh. He stayed with them for about two and a half years. They helped him to learn English, taught him, loved him and treated him as if he had always been a member of their family. After finishing Jr High he moved on to California where he attended high school and college. He later married and has lived there ever since with his wife and two daughters. Dave and Jan have occasionally heard from him over the years and have received several pictures but have not seen him in person since he left all those years ago. Last Friday he planned a special trip up to see them and we were all there to witness the reunion. It was so neat to see the absolute love and admiration he had for the Peterson's. He kept calling them "Mom and Dad" and the whole family laughed and reminisced about the old days. It was truly a wonderful night.





Wednesday, December 17, 2008

14 Years and still going strong



Fourteen years ago on a sunny winter day in December I married the love of my life. I almost can't believe that it has been that many years. I can honestly say that I am more in love with Steve now than I was then. He truly is my perfect match. He is so kind and patient and is definitely the calming influence in my life and in our home. We have had our fair share of ups and downs over the past 14 years but I know now that all of those experiences have made us stronger. I can't wait to see what the next 14 years hold for us. Love you sweetie! Happy Anniversary.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Health Warning: Do Not Swallow Chewing Gum


I was in a really bad mood today until I opened an e-mail from my sister Kristie and saw this. I still giggle every time I think about it.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this blogging thing

I just spent 2 frustrating hours trying to change my template and background color. After loosing half of my photos, all my blogging buddies addresses and several small info entries I have under Petersonisms I finally gave up trying to change my blog and spent most of the 2 hours trying to retrieve the lost information. It is true what they say. Don't put anything out on the net unless you want it there permanently. I managed to find some of the old posts through google searches and retrieved my photos from my computer files. I had the very good intention of updating all of the fun things that have happened over the past several weeks but now I'm just mad and frustrated and I don't feel like doing anything except this little rant. Don't worry my little rants don't usually last long. I'll be back with all the fun stuff soon enough.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Welcome Home Elder Nattress




My Oldest Nephew Tanner just came back from his mission in Philadelphia, PA today. We all went to the airport and caught up with him on his 2 hour layover in Salt Lake before he headed home to Idaho. I can't believe that I am old enough to have a nephew home from a mission. Welcome Home Tanner! It's good to have you back even if you make me feel really old.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

My baby is one!

I can't believe that my baby boy is one year old today. We had a small family party and watched Jake as he smothered himself in birthday cake and played with the boxes and paper that his birthday presents came in. He is such a happy baby and so good natured. He is the only one of my children that ended up with curly hair. After he gets out of the tub he ends up with little ringlets at the base of his neck. I just can't bring myself to cut all those curls off. They are so cute! Steve keeps threatening to cut it himself because he says he doesn't want him to have a mullet. He started walking about 3 weeks ago and I was almost sad for him to reach that milestone. I am trying to relish every moment because they come and go so quickly. Happy Birthday Jake!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Which Cullen are you?

I got this quiz from my friends blog and I thought it was fun. I guess no one will be surprised to know that I am an Esme. So which Cullen are you?

I'm a Esme! I found out through TwilightersAnonymous.com. Which Twilight Female Are You? Take the quiz and find out!
Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Halloween pics...so what if it was almost 2 weeks ago











I am a little behind the times but I wanted to post these pictures anyway.



Friday, November 7, 2008

It's all about Hannah


I know that I am biased but I have the most incredible daughter ever. For the last 6 weeks I have been driving Hannah back and forth to rehearsals, recordings and performances for the Brand New Year Celebration for Youth that the Church is using to introduce the theme for YW/YM next year. I have always known that Hannah had a very strong musical talent. Even as a toddler she could sing right on tune and match me note for note. When she began taking violin lessons at age 6 her teacher told us it would take years for her ear to learn how to keep perfect pitch but within the first six months she could tell when the sound was not exactly what it should be. Anyway, when we showed up to the first rehearsal and they handed her a folder full of music that she was supposed to learn, memorize and perform within 6 weeks I was a little skeptical that she could do it. True to form, Hannah had no problems learning the music. Then came the rehearsals 2 hours every Sunday and a few marathon rehearsals that were 5 to 10 hours in length. Still, she was absolutely unfazed. Then finally the two performance nights where 21,000 youth and leaders filled the conference center. I was worried again that she might be nervous or have some sort of stage fright. Again, she totally shocked me as she waved to people in the audience, hugged general authorities(a story I will have to share later) and sang her little heart out. Hannah has always been amazingly mature and wise for her years but watching her literally go from an awkward pre-teen to a poised and confident young woman within just a matter of weeks was truly a proud mama moment for me.
On a side note, the Brand New Year performance was amazing. Of course anything the church produces is going to be amazing but this will truly be an inspirational program for the youth to watch on New Years Eve. I can't wait to see the finished product.


Friday, October 17, 2008

Happy Birthday Luke


My little Luka turned 4 years old today. After the summer of stitches, bumps, bruises and other near death experiences, I am relieved to have reached this milestone with him. He is such a joy and such a caring little thing. I love that he is still a mommas boy although his love of football and basketball is slowly pulling him more towards his Dad and his brothers. I think the thing I love best about him are his eyes. They are such an unusual color sometimes they are green, sometimes brown and sometimes a mix of lots of earthy tones. He is so expressive with his eyes. When he looks at you it's like he sees right through you. He has been such a wonderful addition to our little family. I don't know how we would be complete with out him. Love you Luke. Happy Birthday!

Friday, October 10, 2008

I've been bitten by the Twilight Bug

OK so....I tend to have a stubborn rebellious side when it comes to "following the crowd" or doing something that I know I must do or should do or even something I might enjoy doing when it is suggested by someone else that I should do it. Does that make sense? Example: When I was younger and still taking piano lessons and practicing two hours every day, I would like every good student :-) procrastinate. When I would finally to decide to get up and walk into the piano room and practice my mother would say something like "Are you going to practice today?" Even if I was on the bench hands on the keys ready to play, I would instantly get up and walk out unwilling to practice because it was my mothers idea and not mine. In my older but wiser phase of life I see now how totally immature that behavior was. I have calmed down a little. Still, I am nothing if not stubborn. I guess I just need whatever it is that I do to be my idea. So, now you might wonder what this all has to do with the Stephanie Meyer books. I had first heard about the Twilight book about a year and a half ago. I honestly wasn't very interested because a vampire love story didn't really seem like something I would be interested in reading. Then all the hype started. It seemed like everyone everywhere was reading it and waiting with baited breath for the next installment. Practically everyone I knew was asking me if I had read the book. I guess the old rebellious go against the crowd thing resurfaced and then suddenly I was determined not to read to it because everyone wanted me to. Like I said before I am nothing if not stubborn. Just ask my husband :-) It was my sister Jenny that finally broke through the stubborn streak by giving me the book. I think that in my family Jenny and I think the most alike so I was willing to trust her judgement and she knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't go out and buy the book on my own. Anyway, the book sat on my counter nearly all summer and then for my birthday Steve and the kids gave me the other two books in the series. Still, I kept finding excuses not to pick it up. Another couple of months went by and then last Sunday when I took Hannah to her youth choir rehearsal I picked up the book on my way out the door to have something to read while I was waiting for her. The next two hours flew by. The next time I looked up Hannah was waiting in front of me telling me it was time to go. The drive from Bountiful to Syracuse was entirely too long and I found myself wishing Hannah could drive so I could read(perish the thought). To make a really long story short I spent the next four days reading all four books. I could not get enough. Needless to say, I am totally hooked and cannot wait for the movie to come out in November. I may even have to sneak out and leave the kids and my husband behind to catch the first midnight showing. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering....Team Edward , definitely Team Edward!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Calgon take me away

So...I have sort of abandoned my blog for the past couple of weeks. It is amazing to me how busy life can get in just a short amount of time. Between soccer, football, violin, scouts, young women's, parent teacher conferences and about a million other things I have been drowning for the last few weeks in family stuff. My mother keeps telling me to enjoy this time of my life because it won't last forever but right now I'm just trying to figure out how to survive. Does anyone remember those old Calgon commercials? You know the commercial where the woman is standing in the middle of her living room with children running wild and feathers falling down around her and she says, "Calgon take me away." I totally need a calgon moment. I have to say though, even with all the crazy schedules and hectic moments. I would not trade my life for anything. I love watching my kids learn new things and experience life with all its trials and triumphs. I love the sound of my kids laughing and playing with each other and being silly. I admit that these moments can turn to fights and chaos in a matter of seconds but I would still rather be here in these moments than any other place.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

BYU Football


I can't believe it! BYU football season is finally here. My family has had season tickets for as long as I can remember. There is just nothin' like sitting in the stadium looking up at that beautiful mountain with a hot dog in one hand and dippin dots in the other ;-) cheering the team on. Go Cougars!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Sarah Palin named as Republican VP Candidate


Sarah Palin named as Republican VP Candidate.
I do not usually tackle political subjects and I have over the last several months become very disappointed in the political process as a whole. I have felt like virtually every candidate out there is out of touch with what hard working American families are struggling with....that is until today when John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. I have to admit that being a staunch Mitt Romney fan I was a little skeptical at this seemingly unknown Governor from Alaska. It did not however take long for me to be won over by this very real and sincere wife and mother of five. Being a mother of five children myself and am totally blown away by this woman's achievements and desires to make government work the way it is supposed to: For and in behalf of the people. Not for special interests groups or for Hollywood celebrities or for only the rich and powerful. Finally we have someone that in the words of John McCain," knows what its like to worry about mortgage payments and health care. The cost of gasoline and groceries. A person who understand the problems and hopes and values of working people."

I especially loved reading a quote by her in reference to her son who was born with down syndrome “Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome.”

Click here to learn more about this amazing woman.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Family Reunions and ER visits

We had our annual Nattress Family Reunion this week up at Cascade Lake in Idaho. We however almost didn't make it up to the lake at all. We decided to go up a few days early and spend some time with my brothers and their families before the rest of the family came up. The first night Jake woke up screaming in the middle of the night and was running a really high temp so we decided to take him into the ER. After waiting for two hours we finally got a diagnosis of an ear infection and were sent home with an antibiotic. About 12 hours later we found ourselves back in the ER with our 3 year old Luke. He tried to jump off the slide on to the trampoline and missed. A few stitches a black eye and a few hours later we found ourselves back at my brothers house again wondering why we had come up in the first place. We decided to stay and finish out the reunion and ended up having a great time. The kids had a great time knee boarding and getting dumped on Uncle Bretts tube and I even got up the first time on the slalom ski after 2 years of not skiing. I wasn't sure I could even get up after that long but it all came back. After a few times back and forth accross the wake my hands started to give out so I had to let go. It was fun to shock my nieces and and nephews who didn't think I had it in me.

Here is a video of my poor Luka :-( You might want to hit the pause button on the music player.



Sunday, August 3, 2008

Happy Birthday to me!




As of yesterday August 2nd at approximately 7:30am I am officially 34 years old. So what is that saying? One year older and wiser too. Well, I don't know about being any wiser but I'm definately one year older and still going strong. For the last several weeks Steve has been asking me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him all I wanted was a day out without the kids and no time limit on when we had to be back. My mother was kind enough to come up and watch the kids all day so Steve could take me out. We had a wonderful day at the Bountiful Temple and then he took me to The Roof restaurant on top of the Joseph Smith Memorial building for dinner. It was the perfect birthday.
So now you might ask what have I learned in my 34 years of life?
  • Chocolate always makes you feel better.
  • Never take yourself to seriously
  • Laugh a lot....sometimes it's the only thing you can do to keep from crying instead.
  • Life goes by too fast so make sure you take the time to enjoy it.
  • The only way to have a friend is to be one.
  • My testimony is the most precious gift I have ever received and the most precious gift I can give.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Daddy got a drum set



So some of you know that Steve was...is a drummer. When we got engaged he was forced to sell his drum set to help pay for my ring. Well that and we had no place to keep a drum set in our tiny little apartment. Anyway, I have always felt a little guilty about the fact that he has not played since. After years of him "drumming" on the steering wheel, on the counters, on the kids, on just about anything that he could find to keep a beat to, I decided to start searching for a drum set that was similar to his old one. I found one on KSL that was really nice. We went to look at it and to make a long story short...we bought it. He comes home every night from work and plays for at least an hour. He doesn't even stop to eat dinner first. I think he missed playing more than he thought. The boys are already talking about having their Dad teach them. I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Aspen Grove Family Camp 2008

We just got back from Aspen Grove last week. This was our sixth time going up and the kids had a blast. We are all a little sunburned and tired but we had a great time. Steve and I even mangaged to hike Timp....well most of the way. The snow fields were too scary for me but Steve made it all of the way to Emerald Lake. Best of all we didn't get sick this time (four out of the last six times we have ended up driving down the canyon with stomach flu). Thanks Grandpa Petey. We can't wait to go back up in 2010.



Hannah on the high ropes course. She made it look way to easy.

Josh and Andy

Gracie and Luke. They were "best buds" all week

Twin Falls Idaho Temple Open House


We had the chance to take our friends to the Twin Falls Temple open house last week. What a great experience it was. Our friends Mike and Mari and their family were baptized last month and this was their first experience inside a temple. My brother Brett who is an area authority in Idaho gave us a private tour. It was such a neat experience to listen as Brett talked about families being together forever in the sealing room and then walking into the celestial room which was absolutely spectacular. Mike and Mari were very touched. I can't wait to go through the temple with them next year and watch them be sealed together as a family. I was so happy for my own kids to have the experience of walking through the temple. Andy, my redhead in hair and personality was absolutely quiet and in awe the entire time.