The Best Is Yet To Come...

So a month ago....this is what we were doing...

2012-01-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Chrismtas has come and gone and New Years too. But I don't want to forget some of the fun things we did.

Every year since we moved here we attend the annual Wellington Christmas parade with friends. And every year this is McCoy's favorite part of the Parade. The Star Wars float and movie characters.

Our neighborhood had a really nice Christmas fair for the kids where they could meet Santa and also do a bunch of really fun things like ride a train, rock climb, bounce houses etc. Mac had blast getting free snow cones and cotton candy. Hence the red mouth.

And every year we also try to go down to Hoffmans Chocolate and see their light display. It is really beautiful. If you have ever been to the Rock Creek light display in Idaho...this is about a 1/3 of that but it is our little subsitute for now. McCoy's favorite part is the train set up they have.

And this year our favorite part of Christmas was having Pops here to celebrate with us. McCoy was so glad to have his best bud here to play cars and even pack him around.

Bentley took her sweet time warming up to Pops but of course no baby can resist him for long. :)

One of our favorite things we did with Pops with going to see the neighborhood of lights down of Florida Mango Street. The whole neighborhood decorates. Every house! It is so amazing. It really gets me in the Christmas spirit to see so many nativities and beautiful lights and to see all the other families out and about. So glad I could be there with mine :)

And our trees! I LOVE Christmas Trees! Our tradition continues...we had five trees this year. This tradition started with this little tree here. It was my bedroom tree when I was younger. My mom gave me and my brothers our own trees for our bedrooms and I have passed on the tradition to my own kids. It is so fun for them to get out their own trees and decorate them.

McCoy's Tree. They are not on the tree in the first picture, but every year he adds a few star wars characters to his tree. Last year it was the yoda lights. This year he made his own Star wars ornaments from Legos! He made the Death Star and melenium falcon. I helped a bit but the idea and design was all his. Legos and Star wars...Christmas dreams come true :)

And Bentley Boo Boo's tree. the Princess loves Pink!

The Front Room Tree and my footie Pajama babies. Quick story, so McCoy has not had Feeties since he was 2. I bought him some on a whim this year thinking he would love or hate them. well he opened them up Christmas eve and at first it was HATE! I mean how NOT cool. But after he got over the not cool part, he tried them on and it was love at first zip up. Now he wants to wear them every night. I even bought myself a pair this year but thats a picture you probably wont see on here.

And here is the Family Tree. I forgot to take a picture of it so this was taken Christmas eve as I was wrapping up the last gifts and of course watching the Christmas Story :) Love that movie. We had a wonderful Christmas and I am sad it went so fast but happy that it was such a memoriable one for our First Christmas in our new house!

The Move...The House...The Holidays!!!

2011-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ok heres the quick run down. We spent Thanksgiving with some wonderful, we ate way to much, we laughed we played outside, we slept, we ate some more and then had dessert! It really was a great Turkey Day and we are blessed to have such great friends.

Then five days later we moved! We filled up our giant Uhaul 2 times. Luckily we had lots of help from our wonderful ward. It didnt take long to pack it all up and unload it but it sure is taking a while to put it all away and organzie. But I am having doing it and also getting ready for CHRISTMAS! Can't believe it is just around the corner. Guess I better get back to work...More pics to come...

2011-11-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

The family car finally kicked the bucket last week. On Monday night after we went Trick or Treating and got all our treats....we also got our trick! When we went to leave Glade started up the car and it made all these funny noises and then just wouldnt start anymore. :( The next day Glade and I went van shopping. I always said I would never drive a van but WOW, its so comfy and roomy and it has MAGIC DOORS! I push a button and the doors open themselves and the kiddos climb in the car and into their car seats. I don't have to open anybodys door or lift them up, just walk around and buckle up the baby and push another button and doors close. We love our family ride but I gotta say I was a little sad to say goodbye to the Grand AM......

I am not a sentimental person but I am pretty sad to say goodbye to my Winkie Blinkie. Glade purchased Goldie the GrandAM AKA Winkie Blinkie a couple of months before we got engaged so she has been our Family car since the beginning. We brought both our babies home from the hospital in her and have driven to many family events in her.

Even though she only had one good eye (side mirror) and the blinker randomly turned on at any point during your drive, (thus the name Winkie Blinkie), those are just some of the qualities I will miss about her. I will also miss the radio blasting itself at different volumes and on random stations whenever you start her up. The button to shifter would fall off whenever you turned a corner or went over a bump so you had to keep one hand on it at all times. I will miss the passenger side window falling down every now and then and the black duct tape we finally had to use to keep it up, and the dome light that never worked right. I Love how she "purred" even after the ignition had been turned off and the key taken out. She had these and many more crazy quirks. Just like our quirky family… Gonna miss that stupid car...

Bum Pa Da Dummmm....The Costumes!

2011-11-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

I heart Halloween and dressing up! McCoy usually don's 3-4 different costumes but this year he was dead set on only being one thing....MC Hammer! Yup that's right. Thanks to daddy and YouTube, McCoy has discovered the joys of Hammer Time and would watch the music video over and over and insisted that I make him some hammer pants.

This is seriously why I wanted to learn to sew. My mom always made our Halloween costumes growing up and I wasn't to imaginative but my younger brothers would have her come up some doosies and she always came through. I love being able to do that for my boy...because well really...where would I find an MC hammer costume now days?

So anywho, I youtubed how to make hammer pants, found some stretchy gold fabric and got to work. I should have checked the fabric out better because this one would split seams and got wore out fast but it worked for the few uses it got. Although now he wants to wear them around everyday LOL. And I just kind of winged the jacket. It's a silk pajama top that I cropped down. I had to take the sleeves off and take in the sides, crop of the bottom and then put the sleeves back on and sew on the gold cuffs. He wanted to comb his hair like hammer too but we had to sit him down and explain that his hair would NEVER look square LOL.

And Bentley was "Pretty as a Peacock" I put her costume together with a dress I found on clearance that was suppose to be a Mermaid fairy, and then I bought wings and a tiara at the dollar store and glued on feathers added her leggings and she became a peacock. My little Peacock Princess walked around night with candy in her mouth. She hearts Halloween now too. :)

And Glade and I even got into the spirit. He dressed up as a Rockstar and I was his groupie. It's fun to be a kid. :) Can't wait to see what my kiddos come up with next year.

It's Fall Ya'll

2011-11-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

McCoy and his buddy Layla dressed as Scarecrows for their Fall on the Farm play their class put on.

Here's my little Punkin's at the St. Peters Pumpkin Patch

And this is Bentley dressed up as a Skeleton with some of her friends from her little playgroup.

This is the first year we have carved pumpkins....and it will probably be the last! What a stinky squishy mess and it didn't help that I picked some bad pumpkins and forgot that they don't really last long in this Florida heat. We carved them a five days before Halloween and by Sunday night they were mush! We had to scrap them off the steps! The kiddos loved them though....and for those cute faces I would do it again I suppose....maybe....

Another Pumpkin patch...we just can't get enough Halloween! And no that is not SNOW....just white tarp, but we pretended it was LOL.

My "Save Me" Dollar and other life lessons my grandpa taught me...

2011-11-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is my emergency Dollar also known as my "Save Me" me dollar because I wrote save me all over it so I would remember to save and not spend it. I came across it when I was packing things up and just thought I should jot down the reasoning behind its existence...

Back when I was in high school my Fafa (Grandpa) sat me down and told me that I should always carry an extra dollar in my wallet for an emergency. He then told me that ever since he was young he had always carried an extra dollar bill in his wallet in case he needed gas $ or needed to make a phone call. At the time I thought this was so silly because really what can you do with a dollar? Everybody carried cell phones and gas was practically a dollar a gallon anyway! (remember this was back when I was in high school). I headed his advice anyway more because it made me laugh every time I looked at that single dollar bill, but as the years went on it seemed that the dollar would always somehow fall out of my wallet or make itself known at exactly the moments when I needed to be reminded about my savings.

I know I will never spend this particular dollar bill. I keep it hanging on bulletin board so I can see it often, especially when I am window shopping via the lovely Internet and want to buy something I glance up at my dollar and think twice about my wants and needs.

My grandpa taught me many life lessons and he had his own funny quirky way of teaching me. He had so many "Fafa-isms" he put his own spin on naming things and always made us grand kids laugh. I'm so thankful for the time he spent with me when I was younger and the things that he taught me.

We have a closing date!!!!!

2011-10-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Our new home is almost done and we are getting so excited and can't wait to move in! Our closing date is November 30! We have made a tradition of going every Friday since they broke ground to document the progress. The Friday Family viewing rule also keeps me from going over to the building site every day since its right around the corner. It has been so fun to watch our home being built and the kids love to go run around there. I hope they will already be comfortable with the home when we move in. McCoy was always a baby when we moved before so the home we are in now is the only home he remembers and this is the only home Bentley has ever known so I am excited but nervous for them also. If anybody has any great transition advice for moving young kids please share.

Here are a couple of progress pictures....

Meeting thew newest little Idaho Tator Tot

2011-10-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

We left on a Saturday morning bright and early, kissed daddy and bubba goodbye and jumped on our flight to start our journey to Idaho. I was nervous about how the princess would do on the flight but she handled it like a champ. She is such a wiggler and squirmer that I was prepared for the worst since we would be sharing a seat but thanks to a little innovative toy ideas and Dora on the I-Phone, she flew like a pro.

I packed a bunch of Dollar Store animals, crayons, play dough, Lego's and books for those long plane and car rides. But the best thing I packed was a cookie sheet! The cookie sheet served as our personal tray and to keep her toys and crayons from falling on the floor, and then we also didn't need to use the plane tray. You know the one attached to the seat in front of you. I hate when I have a kid behind me who is always messing with the tray and pulling on it or pushing on it. I actually had a flight attendant ask me if she could blog about the cookie sheet LOL. She said in all her years of being a stewardess that she had never seen that. I wish I had done this when McCoy was younger too. I totally would have painted it like a race track or something so he would have had something to drive his toy cars on instead of the people sitting next to us.

We were greeted in Utah by Grandma and Grandpa Peterson who escorted us to one of my wonderful sister in-laws houses so we could rest a bit before heading to a family get together. It must be said that as far as in-laws go, I have the BEST! It was so nice to see everybody and see the kids. Even though we were just there in January they all have seem to grow soo sooo much. It amazes me every time I see them. I love hearing their stories and about how they are all doing in school and sports. We really have a wonderful and talented bunch of Peterson kiddos!

Ok, about the feet in the grass in picture...I find it funny who most people wanna walk barefoot in the sand....I just wanna run barefoot through Idaho grass! Florida's got some nasty grass going on in most areas so whenever I get a chance when I'm back in Idaho i kick off my shoes just to feel the cool soft grass on my feet! :)

We spent the night in Utah and then it was off to Idaho the next morning, I was so eager to hold my new niece I could hardly stand it. The greatest feeling is when you have these really high expectations of how something is going to go and then the real thing is even GREATER!

From the moment heard my baby brother was going to have a baby I was so thrilled and couldn't wait for her to be born and then when I saw her picture for the first time I cried because she was just so beautiful and because I couldn't even explain it but I loved her so so much even though I had never met her. But finally getting to hold her and hear her coo and even cry...ah, my heart gets all mushy just thinking about her. I am so excited to be her Auntie and I hope she will always know that even though I am far away, I love her so much. It's still surreal to me that my baby brother has a baby of his own now. I love my bro so much and am so excited for him to start this new chapter in his life.

Bentley and I had so much fun during our trip just playing with the baby and visiting with everybody we could. As usual the time flew by and we didn't get to see everybody that we wanted, there is just never enough time to see em all. :( But we had an absolutely wonderful time with those we did see. I'm so grateful for all my family. I love you all mucho mucho!

Fairy tale come true! Im going to see the Princess!

2011-09-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Im finally on my way to Idaho to go an meet my new niece, Cinderella Torrez! My baby bro and his beautiful wife Tiffini had a baby girl in July and I am so excited to finally get to meet her! I am super excited that she also gets to be my excuse to go and see my family and friends too and just have a good ol Burley Idaho experience. :)

Baby Cinderella your Auntie is Coming!!!!!

Parrot Jungle Island

2011-09-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Had a blast with the kiddos today at Parrot Jungle Island. It's like an interactive zoo. Glade, McCoy and I have been before but this was boo boos first time and she loved it! She really loves animals.She wanted to hold and touch and pet everything. Many of the animals she did have an opportunity to touch so that was nice. She was never afraid at all. Mommy got a bit nervous though.

This is an actual Liger. The biggest in captivity they say. You can't really tell from this pictures but he was HUGE! Bentley kept growling at him trying to get him to grow back I guess then she finally put her finger to her lips and shushed us...she wanted us to know this is his napping time LOL.

I MUSTACHE you a question....So, what do you think????

2011-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

So the McRockstar and I were browsing the internet and came accross a picture with a bunch of kids with these fake mustaches and we thought it was funny. He had a friend over later that day and I cut out some mustaches for them and they had a blast with them.

So I decided, why let the kids have all the fun? So I whipped out the sewing machine and made a couple of Mustache Key Chains. It was really simple and fun and I think it will be a silly little gift too for someone with a good sense of humor.

First I cut out a mustache on a paper. Then I folded a piece of felt so my mustache would be two layers thick. I also used the thicker stiff felt. Then put the paper on on my felt and stapled it there to hold it in place so I could cut around it. After I cut out the mustache I tore off the paper but left the staples to hold the two pieces together while I sewed it. .

Then I cut a thin strip to use as my keychain holder and slid it betweent the two felt pieces and then sewed around the edges and... DONE!

Sewing 101: The Pillow Case Dress

2011-09-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to know how to sew for years but I have been to timid to learn or ask someone to teach me so finally I decided to join a sewing group through my church and as soon as I signed up I was asked to head up the group. What the heck? Yes I was surprised but decied I liked the challenge. Now I really had to learn. So I set up the first meeting and was quickly told the fastest way to learn was to buy a machine...What? I had been holding off getting a machine because I wanted to learn first. But I eventually broke down and bought a machine and I couldnt be happier. The first sewing I did was the little tunics I made for McCoy's Star wars party. VERY SIMPLE. All I had to do was two straight lines. Easy enough. Then I moved on to a pillow case. A good easy first project but half way through that I decided I wanted to do something else because I would never really use the pillow case so it turned into "The Dress." My first official sewing project. I found a simple pattern for a pillow case dress and Wa-La...

Ok, I know its nothing fancy to look at but I am just pleased as punch that I sewed LOL. And I made something my baby can actually wear. I even had fun sewing the material for the matching hair bow too. Every outfit has to have its accessories right? The best part is she loved it. I look forward to working on more fun sewing projects.

18 Months

2011-09-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Bentley is 18 months!

My precious princess Boo Boo is getting so big and is so smart. Someone reffered to her as my "trick" the other day and I was like, "What?" And they said, yes, she is definitaly your trick. She is so adorable and cute and fun and loving that she makes you want another one. God sent her to make sure you have more kids LOL. I thought that was pretty funny.

Bentley is such a silly girl. She does things knowing she is being silly because she wants to make us laugh. She will put her pants on her head or wear brothers shoes and dance around. She is such a goof. We absolutly love her personality. She can be fiesty when need be, her demands come out in LOUD shrill screams but lucky for us she is for the most part very happy and easy and going but on those rare occasions she is not....cover your ears!

Bentley is trying to talk and can say a few words that are pretty clear and reconizable. She can say Mama, Dada,Bubba, up, hup (help), No, Yea (used in place of yes most of the time) and Yesh (Yes) Thanksh (thanks), Mimi (her blankie), E-Us (Jesus), Ameh (Amen),

She also says these words but we are the only onese who can understand: blablanbla (also her blankie) and lambalamba (Lambie her Stuffed Lamb), ame-eo-eon (chamelion).

She is still singing and can pretty much tell us what she wants through combinations of sign and yes no's. Which is so wonderful. I hate those rare occasions when she wants something and I can't figure it out. I am so thankful for sign language and how much it has helped me with my babies. I encourage everybody try it. I usued Dr. Garcias book of baby signs but we also use to watch Signing Time with McCoy and so between what McCoy and I have learned we teach Bentley. It is so nice because McCoy helps her and understands her also.

Right now she loves her bubba more than anything. If we can't get her to do something we ask McCoy to ask her and she will always do whatever he asks. She follows him around and is his biggest fan. I love their bond, he takes such good care of her and in return she loves him unconditionally and supports whatever ideas he has.

She is also very fond of her Mimi(blanket) and she can't sleep without it. She fell in love with my comforter and the different textures it had, velvet and silk so I gave her the pillow shams. Luckily there were three because we have to alternate them often. She carries them everywhere and they get very dirty so one is always in the washing machine.

She loves to eat just about anything, she is a great eater and loves to try new things. We think she might be allergic to peaches so we stay away from those but other than that anything else is game. Despite her hungry appetite, she is still underweight. She always has been on the low end of the wieght scale, but high for hight. The doc said she has to up her pediasure so we did and she gained a pound in a week. :) She drinks three pediasures a day plus her reg water, milk and foods. She is just such an active thing that she burns it all off in a matter of minutes.

We all love our little Princess Boo Boo so much. Can't belive she is growing so fast.

Defeating the Dark Side!

2011-08-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

The best part of this weekend...POPS!

2011-08-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Pops came down to visit us and celebrate McCoy's big birthday bash and we were so so happy he could be here! Thank you again Dad for simply being the Best! I know Big Mac wore you out but you must know he loves you so! You did good keeping up with him and he is still talking about the lightsaber battles you had and all the fun things you played with at Toys R Us. :) He can't wait to go and have a sleep over in North Carolina!

Pops came down to visit us and celebrate McCoy's big birthday bash and we were so so happy he could be here! Thank you again Dad for simply being the Best!

More bday pics

2011-08-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was terrible about taking pictures. I wish I would have snapped more pics of teh set up before the kids came and during the party but I was rushing around too much. Next year I will know to slow down and get some pictures. We were having too much fun to stop for photographs hee hee.

More Droid work

A couple of the lightsabers desings. Yes McCoy said they all had to be different and different they were!

Glade leading the troops in some Jedi Says.

This was taken after most all the cupcakes were gone :( so it is not in its full glory but this year McCoy said he did not want a cake but he wanted cupcakes instead with picture toppers of all his favorite characters. Sometimes he is so easy to appease. :)

The Force is With McCoy for his 6th Birthday Bash!

2011-08-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

We live and breath Star Wars around here so of course we had to have a Star Wars party! And I say we because Glade and I had just as much fun planning and being at the party as McCoy. :) What started as a little drop off party for 8 or 9 boys turned into a "little" shabang for 16 kids! But the more the merrier right? We all had a blast.

We started the party off by giving everybody their Jedi training Gear. Amazing how a simple sewed tunic and a rope belt and some imagination can create a bunch of Jedis! After we geared up we headed over to the Droid factory where we created our own R2 droids. Im still cleaning up glitter glue and crayon.

Then it was time to fuel up for our upcoming training. Some of the foods included: Padawan Pizza, Jedi Juice, Vader Veggies, Wookie Cookies, Jaba-Mole and Scooper Trooper chips, Hans Hummus and Melenium Falcon Ship Chips (hummus and pita chips), and lots of candy with star wars names.

Then it was on to Jedi Training where each kid was given a light saber and we mastered some of our Jedi skills by playing games like Jedi Says and seeing who could keep their balloon in the air the longest with their light saber. After training we let them run wild and practice their battle skills with each other. Of course this was the favorite part.

Then it was time to wrangle up the troops again to defeat the Death Star. It was hillarious to see them try their darn hardest to crack that pinata with thier light sabers (pool noodles) and not make a dent. But then when I brought out the real deal, the bat! They beat that death star pretty good!

Then it was time to celebrate their triumph with cupcakes and a little happy birthday song!
And after that they played Pin the saber on Yoda and Then Darth Vader made his grand apperance! The kids went nuts when they saw him. Poor DadVader got beat down, but he was such a trooper. What a great daddy to dress up in 100 degree weather and let 15 little kiddos beat him with light sabers!

These are a couple of McJedis little buddies. I am so glad he has such great friends!

And this little cutie is the reason that this was not an all boys party! Little miss Red was in his preschool class two years ago and it was love at first sight! She is a year older than him but he said that doesnt matter, he can't help who he has a "crush" on. Yes he used the word crush! My baby boy! Oh boy! I can't believe he is 6! Where has the time gone?

I love you mucho my little Jedi. I know the force is strong with you and my wish for you is that you will always have that wild imagination and fun loving attitude and you always strive to stay away from the dark side! Te Amo Big Mac!

Happy 6th Birthday my little Wild Animal

2011-08-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

For his birthday this year my little bear wanted to go on a family date to the zoo! So after our traditional birthday pancake breakfast (which was star wars shaped melenium falcon and xwing fighter pancakes) off we went to the zoo. We got to see the baby tiger cubs and the bears were out playing around too. It was a great overcast day so most all the animals were out and about. It was a great zoo day and my big little man was so happy. Sometimes he acts so grown and mature and then sometimes he slips right back into being my baby boy and I just eat it up. Love him so.

Kindergarten Bound

2011-08-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Bentley Sure missed him while he was at school.

She got so bored she read the paper then she made herself a ball pit with all the balls she she could find around the house and she just sat in in for a while wishing her Bubba was there to play with her.

My handsome little Rockstar Rocked his first day!

2011-07-31T15:47:00.001-07:00

Here is big Mac waiting to have the stitches taken out. He made himself right at home, kicked off his shoes, grabbed his bear and turned on the cartoons. When it was time to take them out the Doctor said sit still and so Mac was cool as a cucumber. Although when the Doc said, "ok, can you feel that? Does it feel like a soft tingle?" Mac was quick to reply with, "Uh no, It feels like a HURT! But don't worry I won't move."

I love my little man so much! He makes me so happy. I am so greatful for this amazing wonderful bundle of energy and life that I am been blessed to know as my precious baby boy! Keep Rocking Son! Mommy Loves you! Te amo mucho Mac.

When you take a bit out of life.... ... ...sometimes it bites back!

2011-07-24T19:08:00.001-07:00

So what was I just saying about wanting my kids to live life to fullest......Hmmm....

Oh My beautiful wonderful baby boy McRoCkStaR! What a stud. I am constantly feeling like every time I try to teach him something he turns around and teaches me ten times more.

Me and Bentley had just woken up from our Sunday nap and were on our way downstairs when I heard a loud THUNK and then McCoy came running. Before I even saw him come around the corner I knew we were headed to the hospital just from the sound of his head hitting. I called for Glade and sure enough McCoy came up to me with blood gushing down his face and a gaping wound on his forehead. We quickly grabbed some ice and a cold wet washcloth and took off to the ER. Luckily we didn't wait long. He never cried the whole time we were in the hospital. He did not like getting wrapped up in the straight jacket like burrito wrap and he had to have two rounds of numbing shots though. The Docs were impressed to say the least because he is such a tiny guy. He had the nurses and the Doc laughing and smiling pulling his usual McCoy charm. And when it was done he was excited that he doesn't have to bath for two days, "The Doctor even said so Mom." He also asked if even after his owee heals if he could still keep the stitches in because he likes the Frankenstein look. LOL. And when we left he smiled and said, "Well that was a nice visit."

Since this wasn't our first time in the ER for stitches we knew what to expect and all went well and smooth. I'm sure it won't be the last either. When we got home Mac was back to himself and went to play and when I asked him to please be careful and not jump he said, "Mom, I jump and I move. It's just part of me and part of my life and I will never stop."

We had a talk about knowing when to slow down and when to go full force. He said, "Oh yea like when Skaters and Xgamers get hurt I guess they have to heal before they can ride again." Oh my Boy Oh Boy!

So this is what Xtreme Ninja Cartwheels into a TV stand will get you: A double layer of stitches, 4 inside and 10 on top!

Showing his "Tough" side :) Oh and Doctors couldn't have picked a better band aid - McCoy digs the disco ball look :)

Friday Family Date Night

2011-07-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to see RIO at the Wellington Amphitheatre tonight and they loved it. It was nice because there is a very nice new park right there too so the kids played for a bit and got out most of the their wiggles before the movie started. Of course McCoy found some friends and was up and down with his buddies but for the most part they sat on our big blankie and loaded up on yummy movie candy and snacks.

We laid out the blanket and Bentley laid right down like it was bed time hee hee. Of course that didn't last long with all the kids running around she wanted to be part of the action and follow Bubba and his friends around.

Best seat in the house!

The movie ran just a little past Bentley's bedtime, but she had no problem kicking off her pants and snuggling up for the night. She is so stinking cute my little BooBoo. And I promise I took pictures of McCoy too but they all came out blurry because the kid can't sit still LOL.

2011-07-19T12:50:00.001-07:00

Life Lessons

2011-07-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Lesson #1: Eat all your Food!

These are pictures of my 5 year old scrubbing the floor and cleaning behind my fridge. He had to sweep, dust and mop. I also made him clean behind the oven too! Mean mommy? You better believe it. So lets back track....about 2months ago Glade and I decided we were fed up with McCoy's eating habits and so have been making him try at least a few bites of something new or something he doesn't normally eat every night for dinner. Of course he throws a fit every night and is always the last the leave the table since he is not allowed to get up until he has those bites. At some point he thought he would be sneaky and throw his unwanted food behind the fridge when we weren't in the room. When I finally caught him in the act I had daddy pull back the fridge and needless to say we found about a months worth of bite size dinner bits! So I think the punishment totally fit the crime!

Lesson #2: They do listen sometimes.

I am always telling McCoy when he gets hurt that is ok to be hurt because for the most part it means he is having good old boyish fun.

When McCoy gets hurt on his bike or skate board its usually because he is trying a new trick. Part of learning is falling down. I tell him he could lie in bed or sit on the couch all day and he wouldn't get hurt, but then he also wouldn't get to do cool things like ride his bike or learn how to pogo stick, walk on stilts, or jump on the trampoline. I don't want my kids to sit on the sidelines of life. There is so much to do. Now I don't necessarily want them to do it all, but I want them to get out there and try new things and test there limits.

So when I went ice skating this past weekend and came home with this (see above picture), McCoy said, wow Mom you must have been having fun! And honestly...I was having a ball!

Gym Days and Movies!

2011-07-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Bentley had her last baby gym class for the summer last week. She is so much like her brother in the respect that she is so timid of other people. If someone so much as looks at her she runs to me and hides her face. McCoy was the same way when he was small but at least I know that like him, she will grow out of it. This class was great for her because at the end of every class they do separation time where the kids stay in the center of the room and the parents sit back. It took her four classes to warm up to the instructor but she finally came around :)

And Mac Attack is LOVING being back in gymnastics with his buddies. This is the same crew that took together last summer so he is having a blast. In this picture he is getting ready to soar! His harness carries up to nearly the top of the building. He gets a little scared though so sometimes he doesn't let them lift him all the way but he loves to do flips and stunts while he is up there. I will try to get a video clip next time.

McCoy and two of his pals went to see the Cars 2 and of course Bentley got to tag along. Mac loved the movie, and Bentley...she loved the Movie Poster! She roamed the halls for most of the film so needless to say I can't wait for the movie to come to DVD so I can actually watch it too. (I'm a closet Cars Fan myself :)

2011-07-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Blogger wont let me fix my last post. I was trying to post a pic the shampoo Main N Tail, thats why the first part of that last post probably doesnt make sense.

This and That

2011-06-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Remember this stuff? It takes me back to high school. I found some at Marshall's the other day for $2 and I couldn't pass it up. I've been using it for a week now so I should be looking like Rapunzel any day now right?

This is my Crafty Craft for the month. I actually made it for next month though since I have no 4th of July decorations. It was sooo easy and fun. Thanks again Valerie for the cute idea and for sending me the How to link from the Take Heart Blog.

And this is a little outfit I pieced together for my Brothers little baby girl who is suppose to be coming soon. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. It really makes living so far away harder and harder.

I fell in love with this shirt and the colors but it was a little too boyish so I made the tutu and the hair bow and then I sewed a bow on the shirt to girlie it up a bit :)

Lucky #7 Happy Anniversary To US!

2011-06-11T23:57:00.001-07:00

We did not get to celebrate like we had planed but as my Grandfather use to sing, "Que Sera Sera".

Sunday was our 7th Anniversary!!! We were going to celebrate Saturday but....

Saturday Glade was suppose to be home for the day and we had plans for the evening but then, well....LIFE always has a way of rearranging plans. One of our Employees was in a minor motorcycle accident, thank goodness he is OK, but Glade had to fill in for him. McCoy woke up with a stomach ache and I woke up with Pink eye. NOT part of the plan. BUT, things happen plans change and I am OK with that. We ended up getting take out, put the kids to bed earlier and then Glade and I got to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie and just enjoyed the quiet night together. It actually all turned out just perfect to be honest.

Actually, it was a nice reminder to be THANKFUL for all the plan changing that has taken place throughout my life because miraculously it has all put me HERE! Right where I'm suppose to be, married to my best friend living in Paradise and having fun with my beautiful babies every day!

Happy Anniversary Amor de mi vida! Te amare siempre y para siempre; y aun mas que eso!

Whats New with the Petersons

2011-06-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have time warped and hours, days and weeks have flown by. I have got to quit doing that! So to get me grounded again I want to take a quick minute to post a little bit about each of us otherwise I will forget it all again so here is a little Christmas-letter-like update :)

First off Big Daddy Glade has been really busy with work. Tis the season...for bugs that is. Summer is a busy time for Empire and we are growing everyday. We have decided to change up our LOGO. Don't laugh, but we tested a new Star Wars themed slogan on a few customers and they love it. EMPIRE Strikes Back-Against Bugs! Our new LOGO will look something like this:

Of course this is not the actual logo, just something to give our Ad guy an idea of where to start from. McCoy is so stoked we are going the way of the "Force." LOL When hes not working, Glade B-balls it up twice a week hitting the court for basketball. Got to get in that excercise. Glade has also been called to be the First Counselor for the young men at church and he is looking forward to High Adventure Camp this summer with his crew. He is not looking forward to being the big 3-0 this month. I tell him hes been 30 since I met him so this is really nothing new. :) He is an old soul (not that thirty is old), but that's one of the main things I love about him! Current Favs- Being able to say that he is succeeding on his health kick, not eating so many burgers and NO Soda. Adding a new employee to the Empire team. Playing baseball with McCoy. His iPhone and the Pocket Frogs App. (what an addicting game) As for me I have been falling deeper into my couponing. I heart my Sunday circulars. I recently got roped into heading up a sewing group even though I know nothing about sewing but I'm counting on learning a thing a two from some really talented ladies in the group. I recently bowled a 182! Total fluke, 4 strikes in a row! (not bad for only going once in 3 yrs). I am still doing scrapbooking/crafting once a week and love my adult time with the other moms and getting creative while my kiddos enjoy play time. I love teaching on Sunday at church for Relief Society and I was recently called to be in the nursery too which is perfect because that's the only place Bentley wants to be anyway. My kindle is waiting for another good book series to come through. I finished the Hunger Games last month and Water for Elephants so I am looking for a new read, any suggestions? And I am STOKED for beach days! We are going again on this Friday. I LOVE my sunshine! McCoy: is stoked for summer because his friends are out of school and he can have more play dates. He just finished his last sports class and will be starting up another Gym class with 3 of his best buddies next week. Anything to burn that energy. He is excited but sad to start kindergarten in August. He says he is going to miss his sissy. His favs right now are Youtube and his guitar. He loves to listen to music and rock out. We have to limit his computer time though because he would live connected to the Internet, xbox, iPhone, DSI, etc. He is my little techy nerd but I love it. If something happens to my iPhone he is the first I go to for a fix. He loves Wizards of Waverly Place and he just got into Harry Potter and can't wait to see the final one this summer. He still hearts anything Star Wars and Legos. Could live off Pizza, Summer Sausage and PB&J.

And the Princess is just that a PRINCESS. I have created a monster! But she is such a lovable tutu swaying, purse carrying, multi bracelet wearing little adorable monster! She LOVEs anything girlie and especially PINK! Just yesterday I got a package from Children's Place and she sat patiently while I pulled out polo shirts for brother and as soon as I pulled out a pink ruffle swim suite she squealed, grabbed it, held it up to her and wanted to wear it right away. Then I handed her the next item...a navy blue cardigan, she looked at it with disgust and tossed it aside and then pulled out some pink leggings and squealed again. She knows what she likes. And she loves SHOES. She is constantly pulling out all our shoes and trying to wear them. She is not saying many words yet but she signs: eat, more, done,bath, potty, yes, no, bird, alligator, giraffe, gorilla, monkey, lion, dog, and play. Oh and she made up her own sign for phone. You would think it would be the old hand up to ear, but she actually slides her right hand across her left to mimic the way we use touch screen phones. It took us a while to figure it out but she signs phone and then gorilla because she likes to play this APP with a talking gorilla. Even the babies are so tech savvy these days. She drinks Pedi-assure like a fish drinks water, and she snacks ALL day long. I swear she signs 'eat' every 20 minutes. Although you would never know it, our litle dolly only weighs 16 pounds. She loves to be read to and she likes to play peek-a-boo/wheres the baby. And anything brother does is the beez neez. (Or is it Bees Knees? Do bees have knees?Whatever) She loves her Bruh Bruh.

And that is what are little family of four is up too. Oh wait there's one more big piece of news..... ...... We bought a house!!!! We are so excited!!!! We are building in our current neighborhood. We love it here and love the schools. Our new house should be built by October. Construction starts next week. :) Time for another fun adventure!

Pops came to visit!

2011-05-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

McCoy has always had a very special spot in his heart for his Pops. All last week he counted down the days, no hours until Pops' arrival. Friday could not come fast enough. We are so happy that Pops lives closer and we can't wait till Nana and Uncle Steve get closer too. It is still a whole days drive but we are so grateful that Pops made the trip down to come see us this weekend. McCoy enjoyed their time together and was very sad to see him go. I enjoy seeing my dad too. I LOVE Florida but I miss my family bunches, its hard to be so far away from everybody so I truly treasures these visits. We mostly spent our time just playing with the kids. It took Bentley a while to warm up and McCoy had to work on sharing his Pops time. He is so use to having Pops all to himself so it was new to have someone else stealing the attention hee hee. Saturday we hit the beach, we splashed in the waves and played in the sand but the favorite part was by far the kites. Both kids seemed to enjoy the dancing kite and it was really the perfect day a little windy and just right for kites.
After the beach we came home and grilled up some steak and had fajitas and the works for dinner and Key Lime Pie for dessert. Thanks again Pops for teaching us some awesome grilling tricks. We learn so much every time you come. And while I'm doling out thanks, Thank You Thank you for fixing that fridge door handle! Three years of a broken handle and you fixed it in three minutes! You da best dad!

We miss you bunches all ready and can't wait for the next visit!

12 on the 12th

2011-05-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Blogger was down yesterday when I tried to post, so here is my be-lated 12 on the 12th. (some day I will figure out how to put these into collage form :D )

Time to wake up the Princess. She sleeps with an old pillowcase. Sleeps with and packs around during the day. She is our snuggly bunny. All work and no play makes McCoy a rich man! He got paid a 2 shiny quarters to seal and stamp a few envelopes for me today.

the work is done, time for fun! Bubbles chaos!
Quick trip to Kmart to check out some sales that coordinated well with my coupons! the coupons didn't work out so well, but I got some Easter decor for 90% off. Bentley sure loves her new Easter Basket that is just her size :)

Thanks again to cousin Bryn. We are getting ready to see some beautiful butterflies soon. We went out and bought a new home for them. Lunch Time: McCoy taking the last bite of nugget. The last bite is always the hardest but there is no toys until his food is eaten.

Story time after Lunch. Bents loves her books.

And of course making his afternoon debut - The Dr. is in. Nap time = Mommas computer and Dr. Pepper time.

After nap Bents needed to catch up on her DSI games.

We are always up for dress up around here - And here is the McCrOcKsTaR!

2011-05-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to my Beautiful Momma! She is such an amazingly strong and independant woman with a giant heart. I have learned and continue to learn many things from her. She is a wonderful Nannita to her granbabies. My kiddos are so lucky.

And Happy Mothers Day to all the Amazing Wonderful Women who have helped me, guided me, and set such great examples of mother hood for me. To all my lovely Tias/aunties and all my friends, cuzzies, church sisters, sisters' in law, and especially to all the mothers of the mothers I know. Extra Special Love goes out to my Mother in Law! Vicki your son is my everything and has given me the world. He has such a good heart and I know that is thanks to you and your guidance and love in his life. I am so thankful for you and our relationship. I could not hav asked for a better mother in law and friend!

Hope all my Mommas out there have a wonderful Mothers day!

Easter Fun

2011-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

These two little bunnies hopped into bed with Glade and I in the middle of the night. What a nice surprise for Easter Morning though :) After Church we had a little Egg Hunt in the backyard. Bentley's favorite game is gathering things and putting them in containers, (purses, bags, boxes, etc.), So naturally she LOVED egg hunting :)

Of course as soon as we got home McCoy stripped of his church clothes, he wanted to hunt eggs in his under ware but I got him to at least put some shorts on LOL.

We dyed eggs Saturday night. Nothing Fancy just old fashioned PAZ dye. But we had a lot of fun and got away with minimal mess so I deemed it a success. ;)

Saturday we participated in the Village Egg Hunt. It was CRAZY, there was HUNDREDS of kids but mine had a ball. They held the hunts on the baseball fields and had four different fields and different age groups. It was crazy but we can't wait to do it again next year.

Thanks to some good friends who let us join them, we were the first on field. McCoy had his basket full before some of the other kids even got let in. He was super fast this year. This is really the first year he as done a hunt. He never really got it until last year, but last year he was sick so yea, this was his first and he had a blast.

Bents even got to snag a few before the masses came.

Bentley would not go near this bunny! She screamed and clutched on to me, she didn't much like brother going near him either but she calmed down a bit when McCoy brought her back an egg from the bunny. She still eyed him though whenever he walked by.

12 on the ACTUAL 12th!!!

2011-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

1) Time for School...McCoy doing his reading Q&A. He loves to read hates to write. It's a fun but challenging time of day. 2) First song of the day, Bruno Mars The Lazy Song. We love it. (Of course I turn the volume way down during the middle of the song), But other than that we sing it at the top of our lungs. 3) Every Tuesday is Scrap/Craft day at a friends and this is what I worked on today...Little rolled flowers for hair bows. (I did the easy no sew option obviously)

4)On the way home a garbage can dove right out in front of us and stole my mirror! :(

5)Spreading more Easter Love around the house

6) Project time for the kids-working on Easter cards!

7)Dinner: The Giant Chicken Taco Nacho! Chips,salsa con queso, beans, guac, sour cream, taco seasoned chicken, lettuce, tomato, olives, and more cheese simply for aesthetic appeal :) Yumm.

8)Shaken booty! No need to "Teach Me How to Jerk".

9)Bentley Loves her Pretty Pink Counting Purse and Bunny she got in the mail. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Peterson.

10) Bath Time: They normally don't bathe together but they have been inseparable lately. Last night McCoy actually begged me to leave her home with daddy and him while I went shopping. They are so cute together. I am so lucky!

11) Is that Dash Incredible I see??? After bath he got the dash hair do (slicked back hair) and so he had to don the suit too.

12)And Last but not least - Gonna curl up with a good e-read before bed. Just started this one yesterday. It will be my first real read on my new Kindle and I'm pretty happy about that :).

Birthday on the Beach

2011-04-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

What a fun way to spend time with the family. My kiddos LOVE the beach and it is so relaxing for Glade and I. We both got some much needed sun too. McCoy has become so brave in the water. He loves to go out as far as he can reach and swim (doggie paddle) back in, he has a ball running into the big waves and pretending to "battle" the water. Bentley loves digging in the sand and she giggles when you take her out in the deep waters. We all have fun building sand castles and moats and just spending time together and enjoying this beautiful Florida weather. This truly is paradise.

Feeling Springy...

2011-04-07T22:20:00.001-07:00

Found this super cute idea to wrap plastic eggs in twine. It was super easy and I love the look. I am going to do a few more and spray paint them light blue and put them in a nest.

Just another day at the Beach!!!

2011-04-06T18:54:00.001-07:00

Chasing waves, feeling the ocean breaze, soaking up the sun, digging our toes in the sand, splashing in the water, building sand castles. Yup...just another day at the beach.

Guess Who's Got Pig Tails!

2011-03-31T18:43:00.001-07:00

Perspective from a 5year old...

2011-03-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

I'm driving down the road and McCoy hands me a Weezer CD and says, "Mom, flip it to track 5." Then he turns to the baby and says, "Bents, this is going to blow your mind."

In the car I look back and notice McCoy doesnt have his seatbelt on so I say, "McCoy please buckle up." He says,"Mom, don't you know sometimes I just like to be free!" To which I reply," Well I understand that but you still have to buckle up, its the LAW!". And McCoy comes back with, "What, so the LAW doesn't want people to be Free!"

I'm on the phone with glade and I jokingly said, "You are a Punk". McCoy hears this and says," I'd really like to know who this Punk guy is and why did his mom name hime that?"

And my favorite...

Sometimes Glade and I alternate night time duties. I will snuggle McCoy and Glade will read to him or vice versa. Well tonight I read to Mac and then said Daddy will come snuggle you now. McCoy begged me to stay and I explained that would not be fair to daddy because daddy wanted to have snuggles too and besides Mommy had to go because she had some things to do. McCoy began to say, "Why can't daddy just do those things." But then he cut himself off and said, "Oh yea, daddies are not as good at doing stuff as mommies. Mommies have to do everything." I had to force back a huge grin. I swear I have never said that before. (At least not out loud). Score one point for the mommies!

I love you Tia.

2011-03-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful Tia Martha. She passed away last week and today was her funeral service. And although it was difficult not to be there in person, her family made it possible to view her funeral through the churches live webcam service. I am so thankful for the technology that allowed me to be there with my family and celebrate my Tia's life. My Tia was an amazing woman. She was more than amazing. She was one of the rare people you meet who truly have the light of Christ. Just by spending a few minutes with her, by hearing her giggly laugh and looking into her eyes that were so full of joy, she could make you feel special. I thank God for letting us borrow her. She was truly and Angel on earth. She had such poise, and grace and the kindest heart. She was never to busy for anybody. Just by being who she was, she was an example to me of how to be a good person, how to find the good in everybody, how to turn the other cheek, and how to forgive. We have shared conversations during my adult life that completely put my life in prospective. I doubt that she even knew how much she was helping me at the time. She was just the type of person that helped so many, and without effort really, but by just being who she was. I know I was blessed for having known her, and I know so many others feel the same. That church looked like it was so packed, so full of all the people that loved her. The live webcast showed 74 people who watched the service as well. She touched so many lives. I'm so thankful for her time here and I take comfort in knowing she is no longer ill or suffering because she is in Heaven with God. I can picture her with that big beautiful smile. I know she is happy.
I love you Tia!

Happy St. Patricks Day

2011-03-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

That tricky Leprechaun came to our house and dyed all our food green!
We had green muffins for breakfast and green macaroni and cheese with a green Caterpillar ham roll. Tricky Tricky little Leprechaun.

12 on the 12th

2011-03-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

We are three months in now and I keep saying I am going to get better at this. Even though I find myself falling short every month, I am determined to stick with with it. Maybe next month it will actually be on time.

1. Bentley in her jammies and bling. She woke up and wanted her shoes on and her pretties right away!

2. McCoy is trying out Golf Lessons.

3. We borrowed little A for the Day. She is so fun! We started off at Shark Park.

4. Rock Band groupies!

5. Little A is gone, Mac is watching Disney for the next 30 min and Bentley is asleep. Time for a Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper . Yes, I've hopped back on the wagon. (I know its not any better, probably worse, but it makes me feel better to read the word diet on the can - sigh. Gulp gulp. Awe, burns so good!)

6. House Hunting - Not as fun as they make it out to be on those HG TV shows.

7. After naps we play outside. My kiddos love to be outside. (for now anyway, give em another month and then I will have to beg. It gets so stinking hot after April)

8. McCoy's Barns & Noble prize for completing his monthly reading challenge. If he reads 20 books for the month he gets to go on a special B&N trip and pick out any book he wants. This Spy book and set had his name written all over it.

9.Watching Bents test out those toddler legs. :)

10. Getting my coupon folder ready for tomorrow's paper clippings.

11. Editing pictures from our Chuck E Cheese trip last week.

12. Indulging in my new read - Jodi Picoult's House Rules. Love her books.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!!

2011-03-06T20:50:00.001-08:00

Brother and I decided to kick off Bentley's birthday on Friday with a special park play date and what better Park than Lion Country Safari! We did the drive through Safari first and she was so cute! Bouncing up and down with excitement at each new animal and making all sorts of noises. Her favorites of course were the lions. When we read animal books she always growls real loud when she sees lion or tiger pictures or when we ask what does the lion say.

Saturday morning brother woke her up with a great big kjss and hug and a "Happy Birthday Baby Girl." Then she got to tag along with brother because the first Saturday of the month is always Depot-Donuts-Dollar Dayz. We hit up the home depot kids workshop, then enjoy some Dunken Donuts and hot chocolate and then he gets to go pick out a toy from the Dollar Store. (These are all located in the same shopping plaza so its an easy fun and entertaining morning for us all). She was patient while brother did his project and at DD she had her very first donut, a pink sprinkled little beauty. She LOVED it of course but true to form she still wanted Brothers instead so being a good big brother he traded with her (After he ate all the frosting off his of course).

After she woke up from her nap we gave her her first present and it was from Grandma and Grandpa Peterson. With the $ they sent her we picked her out a cute little ride on toy. When we play outside she is always trying to get on McCoy's bikes and scooters so we knew she was ready for her own outside toy and she absolutely loves it! McCoy loves it too. Bents actually loves to push McCoy while he is riding it. Its so funny to see this tiny baby pushing around her big brother. After dinner we had cupcakes and sang her happy birthday. She was happy when we started singing but she was unsure about the candle and cupcake itself. When we let her go at it she stared at it for a bit and then stuck a finger in it and quickly signed "wash hands." After a while she stuck both hands in and began to squish and play. She never really even ate any of it but she sure had fun making a mess and when she was done playing she climbed on the table and signed "wash hands" again. She was very happy when we told her it was bath time.

After bath she got into her jammies and wanted her tutu and pretties on so of course I couldn't say no. Then she climbed in her princess chair and awaited her presents. By the way have I mentioned how much she LOVES this chair? This was her birthday gift from Nana and Pops and she adores it. She is such a little princess and she picked the chair out herself. It is so soft and girlie just like her.

Her first present was some "pretties" and a glitter ball. She immediately giggled, pulled them all out and put them on. Next was her very own remote control! Daddy saw it and had to get it for her because she is obsessed with stealing his remote when they are watching TV together LOL. It is the cutest little Seseme Street remote that makes all kinds of sounds. She climbed in daddy's lap to show him after she opened it. She LOVES her daddy bunches! Then she opened her new Dora Jammie's! She just recently became a fan and she even says something that sounds like Dora. She loves the theme song and gets excited when Swiper appears. After that she opened her Princess Purse. Every girl needs a purse right? She loves putting her pretties in and taking them out. She is such a girl and I just adore her. And for the grand finale, She opened her gift from brother. He picked her out her own "real" guitar. Since she likes to play with his guitars he thought she should have her own that makes noise too. A Dora guitar that makes lots and lots of noise. She loves it of course. She has such a good brother who knows exactly what she likes. My little Bentley Princess Paige, I hope you had a wonderful birthday, but most of all I hope you know just how loved you are. Mommy, Daddy and brother love you so much and we feel so blessed that you are part of or family. You bring such joy to our lives everyday and we hope you know how truly special you are to each of us. Happy First Birthday Baby girl!

Roll out the Red er..PINK Carpet.

2011-03-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

for the grand premier of the sassy "ONE" outfit!

I never really need a reason to do a silly fun photo shoot, but yesterday I had one. This is Bentley's Birthday outfit. I had so much fun putting it together. I made the skirt and the shirt. I made a pink flower bow too but then I liked this big mini mouse bow that I bought even better. So far she also loves having her picture taken. Now I'm sure that will change soon so for now Im gonna snap as many pics as I can get in of my sassy spunky little princess..P.S. She's almost walking!!! Standing and taking a 2-4 steps at a time. :)

I'm not gonna cry....I'm not gonna cry....

2011-02-26T18:43:00.001-08:00

OK, so I have been trying my hardest to live in denial. I am not ready for my baby girl to be one years old already! While I have been watching her grow and bursting with pride over her daily accomplishments, time has been sneaking into my home and stealing away precious minutes hours and days I swear. I simply cannot believe that almost a full year has past since I was sitting in the rocking chair next to her crib, cradling my abundant belly while cooing welcoming words to my precious unborn baby girl. I remember telling her how excited I was to meet her and that I loved her so much already. Dreaming about what she was going to look like. Anxiously awaiting the feeling of holding her in my arms and smelling that wonderful baby smell. I remember thinking my heart was for sure going to burst when I saw her because it was already so full. I wasn't sure I could even fit an ounce more of love in that thing. But sure enough when I laid eyes on her my heart grew and immediately filled up again. I'm so blessed to have so much to love.
Since Bentley's Birthday is next week I have decided to dedicate a week of Blogging to my little princess. All post for the next week will be mainly about our little Bentley-ah-boo-boo, or Boo as we call her. :)
I took these pictures tonight during her nightly bath. Post #1. Boo boo loves her "pretties." (Hair Bows and bracelets). She wakes up in the morning and points to her pretties that are hanging on a ribbon on the wall, picks one out and then patiently waits for me to place it in her hair. Even after her bath she will often try to get me to put on a pretty for her as I'm dressing her in her Jammie's. She is such a girlie girl and I LOVE it!

I woke up today thinking it was yesterday only to realize it's already tomorrow!!!!!!!!

2011-02-22T20:19:00.001-08:00

Man, I feel like I am constantly saying it, but time is going by way to fast! What happened to February? I know this is a short month but I can't believe it's almost over. In the past two weeks Pops has come to visit us twice, Bentley got a new tooth and has started taking baby steps. I was nervous as heck but I survived teaching my first lesson in Relief Society. Glade has been working round the clock with our Realtors trying to find us a new place to call home. And poor McCoy has just been hanging on. The kid has taken some pretty bad falls. He cut open the side of his head running into a wall corner, busted open his bottom lip by catching his fall off the recliner with his face, and almost giving himself a concussion when he fell backwards off the the side of the couch. Kid can't catch a break. And just today he had a dentist appointment where he had a tooth pulled, another capped and top it all off with root canal. But even with these crazy times, we have found moments of good old fashion fun.

First off I have to say how blessed and excited we are that Nana and Pops will be moving closer to us. :) Pops got a new job in North Carolina and we are thrilled. The company he works for has an office in Tampa so he has been in Florida for the past two weeks working and on the weekends he has come down to West Palm to hang with us. I know McCoy was one Happy little Boy.

Here are some random pics from our past two weeks... Mac enjoyed hanging out with his Pops and washing Pops' Truck. Mostly he liked spraying Pops with the water hose. After they got done he said, "Well ya know, we make a pretty good washing team."Bentley even got in the car washing fun. Yes that is a cooler. I just filled it with water and let her splish and splash and she had a blast. Good Ol Redneck fun. She loves to be outside. And So do I. We HEART our Florida Sunshine! When Bents is teething she gets pretty snugly. We feel bad she is sick but we sure treasure those snuggles. Somebody just discovered bubbles. She loves em!

And My poop baby boy. He was in so much pain but he was a real trooper.

I love you baby boy and hope your mouth feels better soon. You have the most beautiful smile and it always melts my heart. I can't wait to see it again soon. :D

Happy Heart Day

2011-02-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Today me and my mini Valentines slept in and then played the day away. We made daddy some extra special Valentines day cards and when he got home we exchanged Valentines. Since Bentley LOVES soft fabrics and always tries to steal our throw pillows and since McCoy asked for one for Christmas but didn't get it, mommy and daddy got them some lovies/Pillow Pets. We had a nice dinner and then hit the mall for a special ice cream treat! I am so blessed to have 3 very special Valentines! I love my family so much. I have the bestest hubby and most lovable kiddos on the planet! True story. :) Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day filled with lots of LOVE from those you LOVE most! Happy Valentines All!!!

12 on the 12th

2011-02-14T20:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am behind again! I didn't get pictures of all the fun things we did Saturday but the biggest greatest thing about Saturday February 12th was that my Dad was here in Florida with us! He is working here a couple of hours away and decided to drive down Friday night to see the kids and hang with us. I was so happy he made the drive. I miss my family bunches and will take any chance I get to see them even if its just for a quick weekend.
Here is a quick picture-less run-down of our day. (I PROMISE to be better next month!)

1. Cinnamon toast breakfast: known my father for 28 years and just found he hates cinnamon?
2. House viewing: Yes we are looking for a new casa and it is making me crazy!
3. Toys R Us: bought the kiddos some pillow pets for Valentines Day
4. TJ Max: Just did a quick browse since it was right next to Toys R us. Found nothing :(
5: Home Goods Store: Watched some women in line be amazed at McCoy's Black Berry skills.
6. Lunch: Steak and Shake with Pops Yummo!
7. Party time: McCoy's friend had a "Happening Horse Party" where we got to go out to their stables, ride horses, play games and have some cake! Note: McCoy did not ride a horse of course, maybe next year.
8. Dinner: Pops made us some awesome steak that we used for fajitas! It was "da bestest"! You da Man Pops!
9. Chit Chat: just sitting around catching up with Pops. Makes me wish and realize I need to it more often.
10. Trouble: Family game time followed by
11. The kinect! Pops' first experience with kinect memorable! Mostly we watched McCoy bounce around like a crazy kid. He NEVER runs out of energy.
12. Good night: McCoy was so happy to have a "roommate" and Glade and I were so happy to have McCoy out of our room for a night. We slept kid free, no body kicked us or stole our covers. It was nice :)

Daily Dose of Love Week 1

2011-02-07T18:26:00.000-08:00

The "LOVE PROJECT" is funnier than I thought it was going to be. I love to hear the things that McCoy comes up with and even the things he thinks Bentley would say if she could talk. It is a really nice way to just remember to appreciate the little things that bring us joy daily. We use to play the Up/Down Game or YEAH/BOO game. Where each person says something that was good about their day and something that was not so good. So McCoy insists that with our new Love game, we say something we love and something we don't love or don't really like about our day. The biggest thing I have found that I LOVE most is the game itself. I feel very blessed and fortunate that my family is able to sit down together and have a family prayer, enjoy mealtime and partake in this fun little dinner game too.

These photos made it to the top of the Love List for Week 1:

Glade: Watching Wipe Out with the kids and hearing them laugh.

Bentley: Being outside and wearing my shades like Daddy.

Amber: That distinct sound I hear when opening up a can and the burn I get in the back of my throat after my first gulp! Burns so good Baby! (Obviously I am off the wagon already. Disclaimer - NOT MY FAULT! Publix Groceries had it on Sale for BOGO plus each case had its own $1 off coupon. I only paid a $1.50 each. How could I pass that up?

Bentley: I Love mommy's Cell phone and sitting in Brothers chair and Looking busy.

Ok, the next one is a favorite of Mine: I LOVE to read and I love that my kiddos LOVE to read too!
McCoy is reading anything he can get his hands on. He is really into anything Star Wars, Diary of a Wimpy kid series and he recently just discovered the Captain Underpants series. I often find him laying on his floor reading books or flipping through his Lego magazines. We frequent friends of the Library

Bentley's favorite book is: I love You Through and Through (This was one of Macs favs too when he was a baby)

McCoy : I love to play outside riding my four wheeler, GraveDigger and Bikes.

(McCoy took this picture: He said His love of the day was the park and this was his favorite thing at the park.

Bentley: Loves Nap time. Can you spy Bentley sleeping in the stroller?

Glade: I love my baby girl.

Also, No pictures, but...

Tuesday: McCoy - I loved playing with my friends today. They make me smile

Wednesday: Glade - playing ball

Thursday - Me - Hanging with the girls at Bunco

Friday - McCoy rocking out at Kiki's Birthday party.

Saturday - McCoy - donuts, Me - spending time with McCoy doing our monthly Dunken Donuts and Home Depot Day. Bentley - getting my first lolly pop from the bank lady.

Sunday - SUPERBOWL oh and Church too of course :)

Today was the start of week 2: These were the items on the top of the Daily Love List:

Bentley: Going to baby story time at the Library.

McCoy: Taking sissy to her story time and getting to play with the toys there.

28 Days of LOVE

2011-01-31T21:48:00.001-08:00

Since this is the month where love is in the air the Peterson's are kicking off February with "A Daily Dose of LOVE." As a family we are going to document daily at least one thing that we love. I originally came up with the idea as something for us to discuss at night over dinner but then I thought it would be fun to incorporate it into the blog. I probably wont post daily, but I will try to as often as I can, to at least put some pictures of the things we love the most. From Glade down to Bentley we are all going to do it. McCoy is even going to take his own pictures of the things he loves on his DSI and I am going to download them for him. Can't wait to see what he comes up with. Should be interesting. I would love to see glimpses of the things you love on your blogs too. Join the fun and track your Daily Dose of Love!

We HEART Big Brother...

2011-01-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

My baby boy has such a BIG heart when it comes to his baby sissy. He takes such good care of her and plays with her so well. Every now and then they have their stubborn sibling moments, but for the most part I lucked out with how well they interact with each other and how fond of each other they are. These are just a few moments I want to always remember...

Last night in the car Bentley was crying loudly. I felt bad and told McCoy he could buckle up in the front seat to get away from the noise. He sighed and said, "Well then poor sissy will be back here all by herself, I'll just stay." Even though there was nothing he could do to get her to stop crying, he endured the noise to keep her company because he didn't want her to be alone. I just sat in the front seat, my heart a melted mushy mess, and just smiled as Bentley cried her eyes out. I hope he always treats her good, and hope she knows someday that she is lucky girl to have a brother who stands by her.

The past few days we have had such wonderful weather so we have been playing outside a lot. We play basketball, and ride bikes and mostly the kids want to play with the power wheels. Bentley LOVES going for rides with McCoy. And usually he drives like a maniac and is always trying to come up with new ways to push those little vehicles to their limit. But when Bentz gets in the passenger side with him he shifts into protector mode. Even though I am walking right beside them with my hand on the baby, he wont go full speed (even though I'm sure she would prefer it), and he puts his hand in front of her when he has to stop so she wont fall forward. It is the cutest thing. She laughs and smiles and he looks at her with such adoration and he can't help but smile and do whatever makes her happy. Its the same with just about anything. As soon as she laughs at something he does, he will do it over and over again just to make her happy. I know it won't always be so peachy and I won't always have such positive things to post, but for now I'm going to enjoy my warm fuzzy stories and remember these good times.

Baby Girls in a Big Girl room...

2011-01-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

We finally moved Bentley into her own room. We originally said we would move her out between 4 and 6 months. Well, she is 10 1/2 months now so I guess its time. I have just not been ready to let go. I LOVED having her so close to me. We had her all set up in a little nook just off our master bedroom. I was so comforted having her there where I could watch her sleep and hear her every breath. I'm sure she liked the convenience of our closeness too. Actually I'm absolutely positive she liked it because she would wake me up once or twice a night to let me know. I did not mind though because I enjoyed our midnight snuggles. There is something so special and bonding about the utter silence and total awareness of the tiny little warm bundle in your arms as you rock. With McCoy I did not work and he was my only child so he and I got a lot of quiet together time, but sometimes I feel like Bentley gets cheated because I am always being pulled in so many different directions. That is why I treasured our night time snuggles in our comfy rocking recliner so so much. I know she won't ever remember them but I always will.

She LOVES her new room! We moved her last Sunday and this first week has been great! She was a little nervous when she saw us moving her bed. When we were carrying it through the door she quickly crawled over, growled at us, and then tried to climb on it as it was being moved. But as soon as she saw it all assembled again in her new room she was Happy as a clam. She LOVES her comfy bed and sleeps so good in it. She even weaned herself off nigh time feedings and sleeps through the night in her new room since night two. Honestly there is a tiny piece of me that is a little sad she no longer needs my snuggles at night, but I am so happy she adapted so fast and so well. She is such a wonderful baby.

Come one come all....

2011-01-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's fair time again already. We gathered up the kiddos and headed down to the good ol' county fair for a family fun day. The South Florida county fair is pretty big. We did LOTS of walking, but all in all it has the same basic stuff as most fairs I suppose. We saw horses and cows, tractors, fast cars, old cars, a comedy show, a laser light show, a science exhibit, a 4H tent where the kids played in a corn box NOT sand box. And then we left eating a funnel cake and cotton candy. Good times.

12 on the 12th

2011-01-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a super fun little documenting idea i grabbed off the blog of Miranda Walker's: Narrating Life. If you are a crafty person this blog is a must read! Ok, so the basic idea is to take 12 pictures of 12 things you do on the 12th day of the month. (I missed the 12th yesterday so I am posting a day late. Will do better next month hopefully). So here is my 12 on 12.

"Morning Mom, Wanna play Legos?" We are still building Star Wars Lego sets we got for Christmas...will we ever finish?

Pinkalicous! The culprit? A pink frosted animal cracker.

Time to get organized. EVERYTHING must be written down or it is forgotten.

Cleaned the McRocKsTaR's room today. Boy Loves his guitars!

Finally put away the Christmas trees. Oh sad day.

Selling the Shape-Ups on craigslist. Loved them but they didn't love me. My back was having none of it. Old back problems acting up again and ruining my fun.

Finishing up the laundry. Does anyone else wash a RED only load?

Cheaper than a personal trainer! I HEART the XBox Kinect! It is so fun!

Before he hits the land of nod, we hit GEO Land. I busted these out yesterday and he hasn't stopped playing with them since. Love it when old toys are like new again!

The last of the soda stash! I have resolved to limit my soda intake, which means I will not be stocking up on Dr. Pepper or slipping the occasional Dews in my grocery cart anymore. (Ok, honestly this is still in the experimental stage. I'm no dummy I know my weaknesses. I'll keep you posted on my progress... ...or... ...lack there of.)

Night time snack any one? No bake cookies and Gooey Chocolate Chip! Good thing I already worked out.

Kids are asleep, time to catch up on Grey's.

P.S. I could not figure out how to do the grid grouping on flicker of all the pictures. If someone knows how could you please please leave me a How-To comment? Thanks bunches You Da Best!)

Sleep deprived? Not these two

2011-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

My night...Put Bentley to bed and then an hour later put McCoy to bed and then an hour later go to bed myself. Sometime around three I wake up to feed and put Bentley back to bed, then before I go back to bed, I pick up McCoy who has snuck in my bed and take him back to his own bed where he wakes up and insist I snuggle him so I do and I end up falling asleep in his room for an hour and then I am awakened by Bentley's cries so I go and sooth her back to sleep and finally get back into my own bed and fall asleep. I do this song and dance one more time and at some point finally fall asleep in my own bed. And yet after all that...this is what I find in my bed when I awake! At some point I will sleep through the night and wake up well rested, but when I wake up to these two cuties in my bed and they are so peaceful I just can't help but smile and feel content. When my babies are happy I am happy. Sometimes life is just so simple :)

There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home

2011-01-08T18:47:00.001-08:00

Back at Last....and so happy to be home! We had a good time on our Christmas Vacation, but it it was not all fun and games. It was wonderful to be able to spend the holidays with family. So nice to see everybody and laugh and just sit inside by the fireplace and talk. We realize now that we have really become true Floridians. The cold is not for us. We spent the majority of the trip freezing and taking turns being sick. Bentley spent the 1st week getting two new teeth. McCoy got a nasty ear infection and temperature of 106 that landed us in the ER. And Glade and I each got the flu. Good times LOL. I must say though that if I had to be sick, Idaho was the place to be. I got taken care of so well. I have honestly not been that sick EVER. My mommy made me chicken noodle soup and gave me a Vick's rub down to help me sweat out the sickness, and my wonderful mother in law made sure my hubby and kiddos were always fed while I was laid up in bed (and by bed I mean passed out on the floor or wherever I happen to be at that moment) I just couldn't stay awake. And Poor Glade got sick right at the tail end of our trip and had to fly home all sick. Happy to report that we are all germ free now!
We started off the Holiday's with a Christmas Eve Eve party at the Angilau's with all the Peterson clan. It was so much fun and so wonderful to see McCoy having so much fun playing with all his cousins. Santa even came and brought all the kids new Christmas Jammies. Then the kids dressed up and did a live navity scene.

In Idaho we celebrated with two Christmas Eve Parties, one at the Stokes and one at the Nana and Pop's House. Both were a blast. There was so much yummy treats and good times. Games and caroling, and good company. We woke up Christmas morning at Nana and Pop's house. Pops read us the Christmas story and I believe Uncle Jordan won the best Uncle award. His gifts for the kids were spot on. McCoy LOVES his AC/DC paper jams guitar and Bentz LOVES her snuggly glowing bear. Good job Unlce J. The kids and even Glade and I got spoiled. Thanks again everybody. And extra Thanks to Nana and Pops for my beautiful Jewelery! So glad you know a good jewelery man. (wink) I think my favorite gifts were my new robe, blue track suit and fuzzy socks beings as that is all I wore the week I was sick hee hee. And true to traditions, Nana made her special My 1st Christmas Tree just for Bentley's first Christmas. (McCoy had a blue and white one his first Christmas) Everything on the tree was for baby Bentley. She sure got spoiled. One of my favorite things in the tree was the baby dolly at the bottem of the tree. That was actually my first baby doll. So awesome that my mom saved it and now Bentley can play with it too. She LOVES baby dolly's. :)

(My amazing cousin Charisse made the girl's bibs. She is so crafty and her baby Hadyn is so cute!)

And the main reason for the trip, Little Bro's Wedding! It was so special to be able to able to be there to witness Jordan and Tiffini's wedding and watch my baby bro express his love for Tiffini. I also loved that my baby boy took part in the wedding line. He got to be a "pick boy". Kind of like a flower girl I guess, but for boys. Him and Tiffini's little brother wore tux's and had top hats filled with guitar picks that had the wedding date on them and they threw the picks into the crowed. It was was so cute. And my little man looked so handsome in his little tux! The wedding was beautiful and Jordan and Tiffini looked wonderful together. It was also nice to visit with family that I don't get to see very often. I still didn't feel like I got to see everybody, but thats how the story usually goes. Never enough time. We are looking forward to going back to Idaho/Utah but honestly can't say when that will be. We do know it won't be in the winter time again hee hee.

He made my night!

2010-12-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how one little tiny phrase from one little tiny person can make you feel like your sitting on top of the world...

Tonight I thought I would do something silly for the McRoCkStaR and let him pretend shave in the shower with whip cream and a craft brush. I covered his face with whip cream and he had a ball scrapping it into his mouth. Then I gave him a water bottle to "clean" the shower for me. I let him play for a while and when he got out there was warm pj's and a hot towel straight from the dryer ready and waiting to wrap him up. After he got dressed he turned to me and said, "You are the BEST MOM!" Then he gave me a kiss and said "Love ya mom."

My heart melted. Right now he is balancing a fine line where he wants so hard to be a big boy but still be babied sometimes too, so sometimes we battle about which side of that line he is on or needs to get on. Already he tries at all cost to avoid holding my hand when we are out and about. And I've always called him boo boo but today he demanded I never call him that again because "boo boo is for babies and I am NOT a baby".

Maybe I do baby him a little too much, but what can I say he IS and ALWAYS will be my BABY BOY. I wish I could scoop him every night and snuggle him and rock him to sleep but alas, I will settle for the occasional moments when he wraps his little arms around me and snuggles into my neck for five seconds, the whispered secrets he loves to share, being the sole audience member to his random rock concerts or sidekick to whichever superhero he is that day - I will always and forever cherish this time where he still lets me into his make believe world. I only hope and pray that as he continues to grow into a big boy I will still be able to say that he lets me in...in for the occasional hugs, a few whispered secrets and into his world where make believe is left behind and reality and possibility await.

It's begining to look a lot like Florida Christmas...

2010-12-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am in L-O-V-E with Christmas time! Everything about it. The bustle of busy holiday shoppers, the lights at night, nativity scenes, the red and green everywhere, decorating for Santa, family outings, Christmas movies, crafting, baking Christmas cookies and goodies, mall Santa's, dressing the whole family up for Christmas pics, the possibilities to witness miracles and celebrate the most special birth of all...Whats not to Love.

We didn't go all out with our decorations this year since we will be spending Christmas elsewhere, but we of course we had to put up our trees. :) And thanks to my most vary special cuzzie and the Stokes Bunch, we adopted a little Elf helper for the Holidays and named him Floppy Tutu. Bentley wants to love him, and by love I mean squeeze and shake till he breaks kinda love, and McCoy loves waking up every morning and searching for the Elf's new hiding place. We have really enjoyed Floppy Tutus visit thus far and are going to be sad when he has to go back to the North Pole. We have been having so much fun so far this December. It has even been very cool here, almost dare I say "chilly" even. We have busted out our beanies and mittens. Preparing ourselves for the real cold weather we are going to be facing soon. We are so excited for Christmas this year and have been counting down the days. McCoy has his Christmas chain going and takes a link of everyday. And everyday he gets that same excited grin when he says, "Only X more days till Christmas!"

McCoy's latest comments....

2010-11-21T21:19:00.001-08:00

Talking to the Wii/TV: "Would you quit with the commentary already! We got it!"

Talking to Daddy: "Dad, you know better, you can't give me a glass cup. You know I can break those."

Talking to sissy: "Sissy, you can't touch that (The xbox), how many times am I gonna have to tell you this before you get it." And as she goes for it again, "Bentley, we juuuuussst weeennnt ooovvver this. Ah, not again...."

8 is GREAT!!!

2010-11-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Princess Bentley Paige is 8 months old this week. I just can't believe how fast our lives have been speeding along since she came to us. She really keeps us moving :) Look what she can do... 1. Screech! Babble! Mumble! Shriek! She loves to explore her voice and gets pretty loud sometimes. 2.She can make the da and bu sound a lot but her favorite sounds are bubba bubba. McCoy is convinced she is saying Brother. Glade and I both agree Brother will be her first word! She adores him and every little thing he does. 3. She is cruisin'. Pulling herself up on the furniture and walking along the couches and chairs. 4.She puts herself to sleep! (big deal around here) She buries her face in her soft blankets when she is tired and then she strokes the blanket while she is falling asleep. 5. She loves to eat. We have yet to find something that she does not like or will not eat (again BIG deal around here since we already have a VERY picky eater). 6. She is really good at pretend coughing. I had a nasty cough for a couple of weeks so she started pretend coughing and every time she did we would pretend fuss over her so now she does it on purpose and then she smiles like she just pulled on over on us. 7. She wants to feed herself. We can't feed her without giving her her own utensil. She is so little miss independent. 8. She is the best baby ever. (OK so I may be a little partial) but everyday we feel truly blessed. She is a happy baby who is a bit of a mommies girl, is always so happy to see daddy and play with him, and she adores her big brother. We are such a lucky little family!

What do you do on the first cool day of fall....

2010-11-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

...we go to the park! OK, I know most of you reading this are getting ready for or are all ready experiencing winter weather, but today here in the sunshine state we had our first cool/cold day of fall. It was 65 degrees mid morning so we hit the park. (During summer it is simply absurd to to play at the park because... well you will MELT!)

This was the first thing McCoy said after stepping out the back door to check the weather..."Boy it's really cold out there...I better find my beanie!" So we bundled up and ventured outside. Bentley giggled every time the breeze came by.

We hit Tiger Shark Cove park which McCoy calls Shark Park. My little social butterfly immediately made two new friends as is his usual protocol for anytime we are out and about so Bentley and I had a little fun on the swings. This was her first time swinging and she LOVED it! It was so fun to watch her giggle and get scared and excited at the same time. Had so much fun with my babies today. I have the best kids ever!

A little Fall Fun

2010-11-02T21:42:00.001-07:00

We HEART Halloween and the whole month of October. Well for our family costumes McCoy said it was Star Wars or bust! He picked out our characters and we rolled with it. Glade is Han Solo, I am Princess Leia, Bentley is R2D2 and McCoy is a Storm Trooper. I have to add I wanted Bentley to have a pretty blue tutu to go with her costume but the McRocKsTar said NO. Apparently R2D2 is a boy. Also, my robe had a few small clear beads on the front. McCoy noticed it right away and pointed out that Princess Leia does not wear sparkles. He then said if I was going to wear sparkles that I should at LEAST carry a gun! On Halloween Night we had dinner with some good friends and then hit the pavement. Bentley boo was our little Punkin'. She lasted about ten minutes and then her and Daddy went back to the house to help hand out candy. McCoy was a Ninja and his little buddy Leah is Poison Ivy. They ran to each door and got so much candy. They wore us parents out.We did our trips to the pumpkin patch, we have been drinking our pumpkin spice eggnog everyday, and eating anything pumpkin we can get our hands on! We made candy apples the other weekend. Found out McCoy really likes caramels, but when he makes the caramel apples we slice them and then he still only eats the white part of the apple and leaves the skin and all the caramel. So I get caramel apple skins when hes through. Yummy good for me and good for his little teeth too! We had a fun fall play date with some good friends a couple of weeks ago. The kids frosted and decorated some Halloween Brownies and then decorated their own mini pumpkins. They also delved into some old Halloween costumes. McCoy and his Buddy Cohen stayed in costume the entire play date. They were some great green M&Ms. We always let the kids go for broke with the decorations, this is always what they come up with! A little cookie (or brownie or cupcake) and TONS of sprinkles!

Ok, so now what you are about to see is a little Halloween experiment....

When you have five minutes to come up with a costume for a party and you raid a little BOYS dress up box this is what you get....Guitar Hero Hero's! We may look nerdy but I'll have you know we were a big hit ;-)

And when you have five minutes and you raid a little Girls costume box this is what you get....Well, I'm not sure exactly what I was suppose to be. I let McCoy and Leah dress me and this is what they came up with. A Pink Witch? I was going to be butterfly but left my wings at home. Just thought it was funny how so different boys and girls dress up is LOL.

Missed trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Both kiddos woke up unusually early today but then they both fell back asleep for an early nap. So when Ten rolled around I had to literally pick them up out of bed and put them in their car seats so we could go meet some friends at the pumpkin patch. Well on the drive there McCoy wakes up and starts begging to turn around and go home because he doesn't feel well. So we scratched the trip. :( He is laying in bed now poor little fella. I feel so bad. I hate when my kids are sick. Bentley was sick at the beginning of the week and I think McCoy finally caught it. The pediatrician said it is just a 48 hour bug that is going around so hopefully he will be feeling better by Saturday.

On a side note: More wise words from McCoy... ... ...

McCoy: Mom I want an Ant farm
Me: Umm, well you will have to put that on your Christmas list.
McCoy: MOM, don't you know it SNOWS at the North Pole!
Me: Yea, so?
McCoy: Ants can't survive in the snow. I can't ask Santa for a Ant farm because there are no ants in the North Pole!

Pumpkin Patch Trip #1

2010-10-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

We LOVE Pumpkin season! We love to visit the Pumpkin patch here. And although it doesn't compare to a real Pumpkin Patch like back in Idaho or even Grandpa's Pumpkins in his garden, we still love it and always have fun. Today we went for trip number one. We usually frequent the patch a few times to ensure we get that "perfect" pumpkin. Today we picked baby pumpkins to take over to a friends house and McCoy decorated pumpkins and cookies with his little friends. And of course I couldn't miss an opportunity to dress Bentley Paige up and take her picture :D

Good morning Spencer...

2010-10-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

McCoy woke up this morning and ran into the bathroom to check on Spencer and I overheard him say, "Good Morning Spencer. Did you have some good sleeps? Did you have any good dreams? Guess what I dreamed about.. ... ..."

The Yarbell and other funny McCoy Stories

2010-10-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

The YARBELL! McCoy's latest "invention."

In his words, "The yarbell is is for children and babies. To help your Children and babies sleep better because it is extra comfy and soft and is only made on a bed for super softness! That's what helps the children sleep better."

He grabbed every blanket and pillow he could find and piled them on my bed then laid my super soft blanket over the entire pillow mound and then gave me the above infomercial on his new invention the Yarbell. Kid is a salesman LOL.

This is Mac alseep in his Yarbell. Awe. It really works!

And here are just a few other funny stories I want to remember:

McCoy: Mom, who created God? Me: Nobody. God is the Creator. He created everything.
McCoy: So he created people? Me: Yes. God created Adam and then he made Eve so Adam wouldn't be lonely. McCoy: Who did God make to keep Eve company then? Me: Well she had Adam McCoy: But he is just one boring guy. She needs a friend too. I LOVE all my friends. Who will she play with? Me: (after I stopped laughing). Well, Adam was her friend too and she was his. And then they had babies and those babies had babies and so on and so on and then there was lots of people on the earth and they had lots of family and friends.
McCoy: So God just made two people! Adam and Eve made the most ya know!
(side note: this conversation as with the majority of our conversations, start off so random. Out of the blue he will just come out with these questions. He was sitting on the floor playing with his cars when he looked up and asked me this as I was walking by. I love it. I love that he is always thinking)

Glade and I were discussing some options for our winter travel plans and I threw out that maybe him and McCoy should go on a father son trip. I asked McCoy if he would want to go on a trip with just him and daddy. He looked at me, looked at Glade and sternly said, NO. I can't go anywhere without MY Bentley!

We were all in the bed the other morning catching a few more minutes of sleep when McCoy woke up rolled over and cozied up to Bentley and said, "Come her little sissy, I need my morning snuggles from my sissy."

And last but not least. McCoy got a new fish today because his other fish Girly who we had for almost a year, died. :'(

He picked out his new fish right away and wouldn't even look at another fish. He carried the container up to the counter and told the cashier. This little fella is my new friend pet. I will take good care of him forever!

In the car he called his dad to tell him and he said, "Dad, I got a new fish today. He is a blue Double Tail Male and he is Beautiful! Oh, and I named him Spencer."

He held the fish while we drove home and I could hear him saying, "Spencer you are gonna love our house. Its big and I have fun toys and a nice little glass fish house for you to live in. You will Love it. I will take such good care of you and love you forever!" When we got home I grabbed the fish so McCoy could unbuckle and the fish started swimming around like crazy. McCoy immediately snatched the fish back and said, "Oh mom, you scared him. Its OK little fella, I'm right here. See mom he likes me! When I talk to him he looks right at me."
I love watching him put forth so much care and love. He is so wonderful with his sister so I shouldn't have expected anything less for a fish. He is such a terrific big brother and I am so proud of him everyday. I love my babies so much and love all the time I get to spend with them.

What??? Where has the past seven months gone???

2010-10-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

My days are disappearing like the sands of time. I can't spend enough time with my babies. I am so glad that we decided to keep McCoy home this year. Homeschooling has been going great. We have so much fun and he amazes me everyday and entertains me with his witty comments and crazy energy. He started Karate Last month and so far really enjoys it. I think it is a challange for him to stay so focused through the entire class but he loves it and is trying his best to do good. Poor boy has also been coughing like crazy lately in and out of the docs, they thought it was different colds, come to find out he has some pretty bad allergies. He is on the nebulizer now. Every four hours for the past week. He doesn't like it, but it is really helping him. We told him it was a Darth Vader Mask and that helped a bit ;) And as for the beautiful Princess Bentley, well well. There is so much to say. She amazes me too! She has so much drive and determination to move and keep up with her older brother. She is crawling like crazy, pulling herself up to standing position on everything she can reach for, climbing the stairs, squealing, laughing, screaming (whens she gets mad - boy does she get mad hee hee) and just being one active little girl. She loves to wear her pretties (bracelets and hair bows). She loves bath time and breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner time. Anytime she gets to eat is a good time :). Whatever we put in front of her is as good as gone. She actually had her first fry the other day. I gave it to her to hold and suck on figuring she would nibble and get a taste. Not 2 seconds after I gave it to her she had devoured it and was signing for "more". She can sign the words; eat, more and a form of water. We are working on milk and yes. I think baby singing is so helpful. I signed with McCoy and I believe it was a huge factor as to why he was such a calm baby. I also think it played a big part in his overall language skills. The kid skipped right over mamma dadda and started talking full sentences, he has a huge vocabulary and he also started reading at four. So Bentley Paige is following in brothers footsteps and learning her signs. She also waves Hi and she understand No (doesn't always comply little stinker, but she understands).

She loves her big brother like crazy. He can always make her smile. They have started to actually play together and I have to say it just melts my heart to hear them laughing and giggling at each other.

I know that I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my babies and I am just eating up our together time. I won't leave out the fact that yes, there are days and moments when it is trying and tough and I just want a minute of alone time, but I can't be sour for too long because I just keep thinking about how fast time fly's and how fast my babies are growing up. I am trying to take in every moment and enjoy all that I can.

A month full of Tricks and Treats!!!!

2010-09-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

I LOoooooVVVVVeeee Halloween. Such a fun time of year but more importantly it kicks off the holiday season!!! All the good candies and treats start pouring into the stores and my favorite...Egg Nog will soon be in the Dairy section of your local grocery store! I can hardly wait. The Trick is to Treat yourself while watching the scale and hoping it doesn't go up. ;-) We will be busting out the Halloween Decor tomorrow and eating our candy corn and Fall MnMs. I am so excited but I thought I would start off with decorating the blog a bit. A splash of not so spooky to get me in the mood :).

Logical Logic

2010-09-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

McCoy: Hey Mom, wanna play the Wii?
Me: Not now buddy I have a little headache.
McCoy: MoooOOM, don't you know Wii is exercise and exercising is good for your body and if its good for you it will make you feel good so you MUST play Wii to make your head feel better.

How can I argue with that logic? Needless to say he didn't let up till we played a round of golf and bowling. Love that never give up throw everything you got at' em attitude! Hope he carries it with him always. =D

Taking the plunge...literally

2010-09-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

I am so happy and pleased to announced that I was baptized yesterday. To some this may seem like no big news. And to others it may seem like a real shock. To me it means so much. I have always had a personal relationship with God. When I pray I know he hears me and he always answers my prayers. He has never left me to feel alone. I have been praying long and hard these last few months for many answers, and true as always, Heavenly Father has been there yet again to answer my prayers and to guide me. My heart is humbled and grateful, empowered and calm. I know without doubt that the decisions I have made are inspired and blessed by my savior. I hope I can always remember who I am, and the reasons behind my choices. And I hope these choices will help me to be a good example to my babies and my husband.

Yesterday morning when i was getting ready, McCoy came in my room and gave me a huge hug and a kiss and said, "Mom, I am so E-X-cited for your baptism and I am so H-A-P-P-Y happy for YOU!" And when those little hands wrapped around my neck life could not have gotten any sweeter at the moment. Right here, right now, I am doing what I know is right.

I'm not just getting my feet wet any more, I have been dunked, taken the plunge, the warm water swim, and so on. =) And it feels good!

A conversation I don't want to forget...

2010-09-13T11:29:00.001-07:00

More funny McCoy"isms"

While having lunch today McCoy asked me out of the blue, "Mom, do you miss Fafa?" (Fafa is my grandfather who passed away this year). I said yes and this lead to a discussion about heaven. We talked about what heaven looks like and how we get to heaven and how Jesus got to heaven. We got on to the terms ascend and descend and then McCoy came up with his own term: don'tscend. This is how he described don'tscend...

"Well, if I bad guy ascends up to heaven God is going to look at him and say, NO way, "don'tscend" that guy up here. Then down he goes.

I have to say I was cracking up! We further discussed the topic because I could see the terminology needed a bit more clarity, but man was that funny. I LOVE having him home with me. Homeschooling this year has been the best decision ever!

The sleepy acrobat

2010-09-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bentley Paige is such a crazy sleeper. I went to check on her during her afternoon nap and this is how I found her...And Yes! That is her FOOT.
She must be comfy because she is still sound asleep. :)

Somebody is half a year old already!!!!

2010-09-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Yes we can't believe it either. Six months has gone by already???? Our little tiny baby is quickly growing in to a bouncy squirmy little diva. She is so much fun and amazes us every day. September 5 is the official start of her sixth month and so far this is what she is up to......[Being a little beauty of cours! This is her Purplelicious outfit]

[Just Crawling Around and exploring]

[Ok, I know this picture is not the most flattering BUT it proves she is finally growing some HAIR! Glade and I were so excited the other day when she woke up with BED HEAD! :) ][Peace, Love and Rock and Roll. She loves to sit up and just take in her surroundings][Above: hanging out in the crib. She can almost pull up to standing but she doesn't have good balance on her feet yet. Below: chillin in brothers old jammies. Its amazing how much she is starting to look like McCoy. Especialy when she wears his old clothes]

She loves to be down on the ground. She wants to go go go. She is exploring and crawling, pulling herself up in her crib. She is full of the sweetest cutest sounds. She loves to baby babble and she just found her loud voice and thinks its fun to just shriek. Especially when she is in the bathroom. I guess she likes the echo. She still loves her bath time, loves to be sang to and read to. Loves patty cake and playing 1-2-3 UP with Daddy. She has made a complete turn around with daddy. She gets so excited to see him when he gets home from work and to tell him good morning when he wakes up. She still loves her big brother like crazy and he loves to entertain her and make her laugh. He has also started wanting to carry her, which we have to watch out for. But he is a terrific big bro and protects his sissy and really looks out for her. Sometimes he even tries to tell ME how to care for her just because he wants everything for her to be perfect. Glade and I are so lucky as parents to have such wonderful kiddos.

Happy 5th Birthday to the McROcKsTaR!!!

2010-08-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our teeny tiny baby boy is officially a KID!!!! The big whopping 5.0! We just can't believe how fast time has flown. We love our boy so much and are amazed and proud beyond all belief at how amazing and special this little guy is! Here is a little peak at why we think the MacAttack is totally AWESOME...

-He loves his family so much and would do anything to protect his baby sister.
-The kid has mad style! Just ask him. He totally Rocks Pink!
-Normally he eats like a bird but if you put Pizza or Hot Dogs in front of him watch out!
-He is so smart! He has a love for learning. Always asking questions, trying to figure things out, and coming up with his own ideas and ways to do things.
-He loves books! He loves to read (proud parent boast: he is actually awesome at reading. He reads EVERYTHING! He is such a good reader. We love to listen to him read to us and his baby sister)
-He's got the moves! Ok so he may not be the best skateboarder or BMX rider but he sure looks good trying to be. He loves to watch himself in the mirror or watch his shadow and perfect his moves. His light saber skills are off the hook :)
-So you think you can dance: He does! He loves to dance and thinks he knows karate dancing too.
-He is the safest wild guy you will ever meet. We nicknamed him Danger Dude - but he is so NOT dangerous LOL.
-He is very technologically sav vy. A youtube surfing, comp game playin', xbox living, ds doing techy fool. (He wanted an IPad for his B-day. Daddy said no go for 5yrs old. Maybe when he's six LOL).
-He gives the best hugs and smoocheroos. When those skinny arms wrap around your neck your troubles melt away.
-His laugh is infectious and his wit never ceases to make us smile.

We love our not so baby boy to infinity and beyond, always and forever!

Beach Time again!!!!

2010-07-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

We have a love/hate relationship with the beach.....LOVE THE BEACH! HATE THE SAND!

But today was a beautiful beach day! The sun was very very hot but the water was perfect! We got an umbrella finally and bents had her own little pop up tent so everybody stayed nice and cool. Come to find out though that Bentley is not a big fan of the beach. She held on to my neck so tight when we walked into the water and when I dipped her toes she didn't know what to think. Hearing and seeing the waves made her uneasy and pretty sure she does not like to be hot so her fav spot was right under the umbrella in Mommy's arms until nap time then she was happy as a clam when I put her down. She stretched right out and slept soooo good.

Another first, Mac snorkeled! He loved being under the water and seeing the fishies. At first he kept forgetting that he could breath with the tube and so he kept coming up for air but once he figured it out he had a ball. Had a hard time with the flippers but he insisted he needed them. They did look complete the ensemble I guess. LOL. Love my little fish so much!

4th of July fun

2010-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun playing with our friends over fourth of July weekend. McCoy got to ride his bike in the annual wellington ward bike parade and he was stoked because last year we didn't let him do it sans training wheels because he was still a little wobbly but this year the wheels came off! He was so proud to be riding around like the big boys. After the pancake breakfast we went over to some friends for a BBQ and pool play day. It rained the whole time but that didnt stop the kids from swimming and the grown ups from enjoying some good conversation and yummy food.

Sunday we did more BBQ'n and watching a firework show. Bentley loved it! Mac was still a little scared (he has never been one for the firworks), but he braved through it. He watched the loud fireworks from inside the house on the stairs and then when a couple of other kids got scared and we moved them inside, they seemed much more happier to watch the show from the kitchen window LOL. It was a fun fun weekend.

Rollin...

2010-06-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Bentley Paige rolled over today! She has been rolling on to her side for the past couple of days and today she made it all the way over! It took her a while but she powered through it and then she did it again after waking up from her second nap.

Discovered her feet recentley and loves to suck on her toes.

And another big first....REAL FOOD! I have been studying her for the past two weeks now. She watches us eat with such intensity and she tries to grab at our food during dinner so this morning for breakfast I thought I would test the waters. I mashed up a little sliver of banana and gave her a little taste of the mush thinking she would spit it out right away or at least do the whole tongue thrust thing but much to my surprise (and secret dismay) she sucked it down and eagerly awaited more.

I love her so much and AM and will be sooo proud of her every accomplishment, but truth be told, as she approaches and and conquers each new milestone I often find myself torn between the "perfectly proud momma moment" and the "please stop time, I don't want my teeny tiny baby to be doing this yet" moment. Time is flying by WAY to FAST. I feel like I'm gonna blink and she will be moving out....I know its years away but I am already meloncholy over the whole thing. Oh and by the way, she is 16 weeks old today....

Happy Daddy's Day

2010-06-20T16:14:00.001-07:00

Nothing more sweeter than the sound of babies cooing and little ones playing with their daddy! Watching you play with our babies and help them learn about this beautiful world and all the wonderful things in it...well it just makes me love you more and more with each new day. You are a wonderful father to our children and we are so lucky you are the head of this household. You provide for us, you care for us and you let us know you will always be there. Are children are so blessed! I always say it, but it is because I believe with ever fiber of my being that it is more than just LOVE, it is meant to be! You were chosen for me and I for you and us for THEM! I am eternally grateful for you! Te amo mucho babe and Happy Fathers Day!

Bentley Paige is 3 months old!

2010-06-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

3 Months Old!!!!!

Daily she is growing right before my eyes. It is so fun to watch her change and discover her world. I love her so much my heart could burst!

Bentley Loves...

Mornings: She wakes up every morning with a huge grin. She is always so happy to see me so no matter how early it is I have to smile back! :-)

Baths:She LOVES her bath time. No longer a sling in her bath, she bathes laying down in her tubby and she loves to kick and splash. Bath time is my favorite time of day because it is the start of our truly one on one time. After bath we dress and sing and then she eats and goes to bed. (and lucky me....she sleeps a 7 hr stretch followed by another 4 hr one).

Kick Time: She loves to lay on a blanket and just kick and stretch. She really gets moving. And she does her tummy time pretty well too. She is a pretty strong little dolly who loves to get her exercises.

Brother: She looks for McCoy whenever she hears his voice and smiles when she finds him. He moves around so much and she is just completely entertained by him all day. I totally accredit the fact that she has such strong neck and back muscles to McCoy because she has to move around a lot just to follow him.

Daddy??? Well, since day one she has not had a fondness for poor Glade but lately she has let him hold her and she didn't cry and she even smiled at him a few times this week. Today he held her and she smiled at him and cooed with him. He said they had a great conversation. I think she is coming around!

Dislikes: Her car seat. Actually she HATES her car seat. As soon as I buckle her in she starts whimpering and as we drive away she is full on crying. But as soon as we get to wherever we are going she is happy as a clam again? Hoping this is just a phase. Hopefully a short one!

Sleep note to Bentley Paige: Oh my silly sleeper. Your sleep patterns are just like your brothers. You kick off all the covers and move around a lot. Sometimes I will find you in the exact opposite position I laid you in your crib. On two different occasions you kicked a leg out of your button up pajamas? Sometimes you scoot from one end of the crib to the other. And you often smile in your sleep. :) Sad though, you sometimes whimper in your sleep too :(. I always love to watch you sleep and it is always fun to go to the crib and she where or what position you will be in. :)

Our little Preschool Grad.

2010-05-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

It was sooo adorable to watch the children all dressed up in there little caps and gowns. Our baby boy keeps growing and reaching new milestones. These moments are always bittersweet. I don't want my baby boy to grow up. He already absolutely refuses to let me call him baby boy out loud.

Glade and I are beside ourselves as to where to go from here. Technically McCoy should go to kindergarten. Teachers have said he is ready, but we think he is so small still and young. There will be kids in his class that are a year older and a foot taller than he is. I hate to hold him back but I'm scared to let him go. I feel like either way we might be doing him a disservice. I don't want to start off his education on the wrong foot. Ugh. Decisions decisions.

On the bright side he is one good looking little grad though isn't he! He has had a ball this year making new friends and just enjoying his classmates. He learned a lot this year. His former ABC's and 123's turned into full on reading and addition and subtraction. So far the kid loves school and loves learning and I couldn't be a prouder mama. We just have to work on toning down the social skills a bit.... I have been told he talks to much during class. ;-)

McCoy...You are my little Social Butterfly, my Super Silly Spider, My Busy little Bee, Hungry Caterpillar, and My Teeny Tiny yet oh so Mighty Ant! You are my little LOVE BUG! And I hope you never change! Te Amo Mucho my BIG (*Baby) Boy!

Whats going on....

2010-04-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it has been a while, and after this post it will probably be a while again. I just can't find time to do everything I want to do each day...I know I was told a million times this would happen, but I still seriously can't believe how fast time is flying by. I feel like I just brought my angel home from the hospital yesterday but next week She turns two months. TWO MONTHS??? She is growing so fast I just want to stop the days and lock up the time.

Baby Girl is starting to have a lot more hours of wake time during the day. I love to just sit and hold her. Unfortunately I never have as much time as I would like to do that, or the arm strength. She be heavy! After I post this I am actually going to go soak my back and shoulders Hee hee.

And as for the RockStar...well he is busy as ever. Never sitting still. Glade and I are always looking for new ways to tire the kid out. He never runs out of energy. His boo-boo of the week this week is a little black eye. I don't have a pic, but he crashed his bike yesterday and his left cheek hit the handlebar. He was mad for all of five minutes and then he was ready to hop back on his bike and take off again. Last week it was an ant bite. We think he might be allergic judging by how his whole foot swelled up. SO thankful he just got the one bite.

Photo below: Daddy's Girl? Uh, not so fast. We don't know why, but the little dolly is mad at daddy lately. For the past few days she cries LOUDLY whenever daddy pics her up or pushes her stroller. I know she is calm in this particular picture and that is why I took it, along with ten others. It was a rare moment. :) I think Daddy's feelings were a bit hurt but I told him not to worry because in another year or two he won't be able to pry her away.

Two weekends ago was McCoy's Spring Fair for school. We got him a wristband for all the activities and he just had a blast. He painted his face like Spiderman and would walk up to his friends and parents we know and say, "Hey you think this is Spider man? It's not, It's totally me...MCCOY!" (as if they didn't know LOL)

He rode a pony and jumped in the bounce houses, ate Cotton candy, and just ran around like a mad man. I have to say though, my favorite part of the day was when we were leaving he kissed Bentley on the head and said, "Thanks Sissy for making me have a great day and being a good girl."

FLOWER POWER

This is Bentley getting ready to go to the fair. :) She pretty much slept the whole time we were there. She loves to sleep when its extra noisy :)

BIG BLUES?????

Ok, so this may sound wrong, but I completely expected MY baby girl to have BROWN eyes! I have brown eyes and brown hair and even before she was born I just envisioned a little girl with the same features as myself. So I am still taken back by her blue eyes. I have nothing against blue eyes but its just WEIRD to me. They are a really dark grayish blue so I think they still may turn...maybe.

Adventures with Grandma and Grandpa

2010-04-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for coming all the way out to paradise to meet me! I really enjoyed watching my Grandpa and hearing his voice, and getting lots and lots of endless snuggles and loves from my Grandma!

~Love

Bentley Paige

THE JAM MAN

Thank you both for coming to see my new baby sister and for coming to play with me and take care of me! We had so much fun together. Can't wait to get bigger and go to Grandma and Grandpa week in Idaho someday!

~ Love

McCoy Peterson Glade

Thank you Grandpa for taking me to the farm to pick strawberries and thank you Grandma for making my favorite Strawberry Jam with me! I think I will have enough Jam to last until you come see me again! :)

TV time with Grandpa is sooooo relaxing!

Lets go for a swim... Thanks Grandpa for swiming with me and hitting the hot tub too!

Thanks Grandma for rocking us to sleep at night and letting us get endless amounts of good ol' Grandma Snuggles.

Sorry if we wore you out...we were just so happy to have you here to play with us.

Thanks for going with us on fun new adventures. And for keeping me safe when I got scared on the Diva Duck. Driving on Land and boating in the water...what a fun way to see West Palm Beach!

I think Bentley's favorite adventure was trying out the new tubby Bath!

Thanks for playing games with me! You know they are my favorite family pastime...

...Especially since I always win! :)

We really enjoyed our own Grandpa and Grandma week here in Florida. Wish we could say that we are sorry you got stuck here for a couple of extra days....but we we loved every second of your extended stay! :)
Thanks again for everything,
LOVE,

The Sunshine Petersons

My lucky babies...

2010-03-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Nanita...

Thanks for playing games with me... ... ... and always letting me win.

Thanks for all the snuggles and undivided attention.

Thanks for taking such good care of me when I was sick.

Thanks for driving me around and going with me to fun places.

Thanks for all the many yummy meals and delicious desserts! And thanks for remembering all my favorite things to do with you! Thanks for making sugar cookies with me and thanks for letting me eat the dough!

Thanks for dressing me up and thanks for all my cute girlie clothes.And most of all...Thanks just for being you and being here. Sorry You Got the "Stink Eye" while you were here :( Hope your eye is all better now.

Thanks Nana for braving the skies and flying out here to be with us and welcome Baby Bentley Girl into the world. McCoy benefited so much from having you here, we all did. Thanks again!

Baby Bentley is one week old today!

2010-03-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

She has me and her daddy, her Nanna and her big brother all wrapped around her little chubby fingers! We just can't get enough of her.

She has the sweetest little personality. Her movements are so dainty and girlie. She is just so precious and I feel I have been yet again, truly blessed!

The big brother hates to see her sad. He just can't take it and as soon as she starts to whimper he immediately will say, "Hurry mom, she needs Mommy Milk", or "Mommy Mommy I think she wants to be covered up tight." He is a good big brother. So far when he is around her he just watches her, but for the most part he doesn't pay her much never mind. In the hospital when he was holding her he just stared at her for a few minutes and then poked her softly in the face and said, "huh, she doesn't really DO anything?"

So far she likes...snuggles and being held, being talked to and cooed at. She likes having her hair washed and getting her nails filed. Likes having her bed warmed with the heating pad and being swaddled for bedtime. She LOVES to eat! And She LOVES LOVES to sleep!

These leggings actually use to be mine when I was a baby! Aren't the 80's Great! So glad there back in style!

Her dislikes include...being cold, having her diaper changed, being put down when she wants to snuggle, and she HATES when mommy makes her wait to eat!

She's Here She's Here!!!

2010-03-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Bentley Paige Peterson

8 pounds 3 ounces

19 inches long

We are so excited to welcome in the fourth member of our little family! Big brother and daddy are already in love in with baby girl and of course mommy's cup runneth over! I love her so so much! We think she is absolutely beautiful and are so happy we got to bring her home already and have her all to ourselves. We just can't get enough of her :)

My "Baby" Boy....The McRocKsTaR!

2010-03-02T19:12:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to take a minute to post about my 1st born. Even though he is NOT a baby anymore...he will ALWAYS be my baby boy! He made me a MOTHER. Every day he reminds me who I am, what I stand for, and how much I have to offer. I love him to the moon and back and can't get enough of his hugs and love. Here is a little info about the boy who ROCKS my world everyday!

McCoy Loves: Star Wars, skateboarding, Rocking out, sweet foods, comfy clothes, snuggles at night, reading, playing horsey with dad, spending time with friends, and dancing with mommy.

He hates: being cold, trying new foods, running errands, when his favorite shoes are hiding, and when all his comfy comfy pants are in the laundry.

ROCK'N OUT! His favorite band is ACDC. One of his favorite Christmas gifts was from his Nanna & Pops. They sent him a mic stand with microphones and a speaker. He loves to put on concerts singing TNT, Thunderstruck or just about any song off one of his Kid's Bop CD's.

He loves to draw and do art projects. He brings home pictures he has drawn in the art center at school almost every day. He also loves to Read. He is now reading the Pre-Level One books on his own and the level 1 books with help. He is so proud of this accomplishment...he loves to read to us and to his friends. I LOVE to hear his little voice. It is the sweetest thing to have him read to me now at nights when all this time I have been reading to him. I am so proud of him.

His favorite foods are, summer sausage, hot dogs, pizza and Grandma Vicki's Jam. He calls it "Grandmas SPECIAL SPECIAL Jam!" We have found him on several occasions sneaking the jam jar out of the fridge and dipping his fingers in it. One day Glade found him sitting on the floor with is face covered in sticky jam.

BOY meets Star Wars = LOVE at first Sight or is that Light....for Light Saber? Yes, McCoy has discovered Star Wars and thinks it is the greatest concept ever! He loved watching the movies he loves the books and toys even more. My favorite thing about this infatuation is how excited he gets to tell people about it. He loves to share like its a big secret. He is always shocked when adults already know all about it.

Mr. Busy Body! McCoy is always on the go. Monday - Friday he has school + activities....story time, gymnastics, sports, park and lunch play dates with friends....and the list goes on and on. He loves to be busy. Even at home he plays non stop. He doesn't even sit to watch TV, and even when he is doing computer time he is standing on the computer chair or climbing on and off the desk the whole time he is playing his computer games. At times its exhausting just to be around him but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.

Overall he is an active yet comfy cozy boy. As soon as he gets home he heads up stairs to put on some comfy pants. He loves his basketball shorts and sweats but his favorites are his flannel and fleece pajama pants. (A Boy after my own heart - if you know me, you know I am a sucker for comfy pajama pants :)

I love how full of energy he is. He keeps Glade and I busy as bees but we love that he is just so active and always willing to go to fun new places. We love our baby boy and know he is going to be one GREAT FUN and TERRIFIC BIG BROTHER!

Little Boy You stole my HEART!

Waiting for Bently

2010-02-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

All our bags are packed...were ready to go....just waiting on one stubborn little girl!

Ok, so technically I am not due until the 10th but my midwife has been telling me I won't make it that far. Last week I had a bit of a scare and went into the ER. Turns out I was just having a really bad day, was stressed out to the max and had my first ever panic attack that induced contractions. But after I calmed down so did the contractions. It's all a little embarrasing now but at least I got to find out that she is in position, I have started dialating and it should be soon. The only problem is we still can't say how soon is "soon." So I have been walking around for almost a week now in the starting throws of labor and I am so uncomfortable and just ready to meet this little dolly but she is very stubborn. In the meantime though we have been getting all ready for her. Our bags are packed and we have just been staring at all her tiny pink things and wishing we could hold her and play with her. We are so excited!

Her clothes are so small and fun. Even McCoy likes to get them out and mix and match the outfits for her. He is too funny. Thanks again to everyone who has been shopping for her and donating clothes! She is one spoiled little dolly now! We know we are so lucky to have such great friends and family!
This is her little space. Our bedroom has the perfect little nook off to the side where we put all her furniture. It will be so nice to have her in her own little space yet she will still be right next to us. :)

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Ta-Da! Introducing the "Belly Table!" McCoy loves my huge belly and calls it the belly table or the belly shelf. He loves to try to balance things on it and just recently found out that he could balance himself on it. He thought this was hilarious! I have to admit it is pretty funny! :)

(No worries Grandma's and Grandpas. He doesn't weigh a thing and we don't do this often)

A Boy and His Pops!

2010-02-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

McCoy could not be happier! We are all so happy to have Pops here in town! McCoy and his Pops have always shared a very special bond and I just love watching the two of them together, it is very heartwarming. So glad your here dad!

Today we went to the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival. It was pretty cool. Some amazing artitsts there. We had a good time just walking around and checking things out.

Gieco boy waiting patiently for lunch...

This guy was so amazing! I swear we watched for at least ten minutes and he never blinked! He did move his head and pinky a bit but it was crazy how slow and focused his movements were.

This is Mac Playing at the park before lunch, just hanging in some trees.

Don't know why this Storm Trooper was walking around today, he must have been so hot, but he sure made this little boys day!

All Tuckered out after yesterdays beach trip.

Testing the waters...

Teasing the waves...eventually they did catch him though :)

Look at there faces. This is when they first felt the water. It was COLD!

Happy as a clam....a boy and his Pops!

Saturday we went to the beach just to walk around and enjoy the scenery. We dipped our toes and quickly found out that the water was freezing. There was a couple of crazy folks trying to swim and after just a few minutes McCoy couldn't take it and decided to get in on the action. He never got fully in, but he had a blast chasing waves and getting splashed. He got knocked down once or twice but he loved every second of it. Then it was kite time. There wasn't much wind but it didn't take much to get the kite up in the air. It was a very relaxing day. Glade and I just sat on the beach and enjoyed it all.

Belly full of Bentley...

2010-02-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Finally made it to the home stretch - top of the 9th! Bentley should be making her appearance in the next few weeks and we just can't wait to meet her!

He loves me, he loves me not, HE LOVES ME!

2010-02-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I am tucking McCoy in bed he looks at me with his big beautiful brown adoring eyes and says,"Mom....I love you to the top of the moon and back!" Mind you as much I love to hear this, tonight was one of those nights where I was soo exhausted and I hate to even admit it, but I just couldn't wait for him to go to bed so I could have some quiet time. I thought he was just being sweet to get out of going to sleep. So I quickly responded with, "Thank you son. You know I love you too, to the top of the moon and back down to the bottom of the ocean. But now its time to go to sleep. Good night."

McCoy looked at me with that same look of adoration and quickly said, "NO Mom, I LOVE YOU...to the top of the moon of and back down to the bottom of the ocean and then even to Alaska! And who the heck knows where that is but its far away! AND I even love you to New Jersey and back!" Then he gave me a couple of quick neck squeezes and laid down and said, "Good night now, you can go."

Man I love that little stinker soooo much! My not so teeny but still tiny Big Boy! My heart is so full. It is just going to EXPLODE when Baby Bentley comes. I love her so much already too! I am so excited to be a mother of two. Twice the love, twice the hugs! (Twice the fights and cries too I know, but lets not ruin a good moment :) I have a heart full of Love! FACT!

To SLEEP or SWEEP???

2010-01-28T02:36:00.000-08:00

So lately I have been soooo crazy tired during the day, then all of a sudden at night get a quick burst of energy. I think baby girl is getting me ready for some long nights! Anywho last night I couldn't sleep and just kept thinking I needed to sweep the kitchen. Well I decided to I better rest and everything else could just wait so I went in the bathroom to get ready for bed....of course I found a million things to do in there so I couldn’t sleep. When I did finally did get to bed I woke up in the middle of night several times (as is the current trend), and every time I woke up I would think of these silly rhymes and so here I am at at 5am jotting them down cuz they make me laugh...AND I can't go back to sleep! Please tell me she is not going to be an early riser!

OH, and before you read just know that I LOVE my son and hubby. Preggo hormones got the better of me while I was jotting this down though. (Laughs and Smiles)

To Sleep or Sweep...

I did not sleep,
nor did I sweep.

Instead went into the bathroom and noticed the UN-keep.
I sighed and got to work...laundry piled in a heap.

And then to my sad demise...
I got more than just one surprise.

More than just stinky sweaty socks on the floor,
I found sticky toothpaste on the door.

A wet carpet that had seen the wrath
of a little boy with boats in the bath.

Little sprinkles all over the seat,
Oh BOY wasn't that neat!

Little razor shavings all over the sink,
Can't look in the shower...I hate to even think.

So this tired mamma just has to say
a little prayer for today...

Thank you Lord for the sanity of ME
that this next one is a SHE!

P.S. To McRockster and my McMan...You know I love YOU!

South Florida Fair

2010-01-23T15:55:00.001-08:00

Spent the day at the South Florida Fair. We had so much fun. Mac was really into everything this year. Especiall the animals. We went wtith some good friends that have triplet boys. McCoy loves hanging out with "the brothers."

FEEDING TIME

MCCOY'S FAVORITE THING AT THE FAIR...PIG RACING! THIS IS ONE OF THE GIANT POT BELLIED PIGS. THEY WERE ACTUALLY HILLARIOUS! WE LOVED IT!
CHILLIN' WITH MY PEEPS.,,MCCOY AND CARTER
THE ONLY RIDE MCCOY WOULD GET ON...THE BABY BOATS. MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE WILL MOVE UP TO KIDDIE RIDES.
THE THIRD TIME THROUGH THE FUN HOUSE AND STILL SMILING
WHAT LITTLE BOY DOESNT LOVE MONSTER TRUCKS
DIGGING THE BABY MONSTER TRUCK

The other Mouse House...

2010-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

What do we do when there is no school? Head to Chuck E. Cheese with our friends! McCoy and his little school buddies had a great day today at the mouse house. I am wiped but he is still on cloud nine. What a fun exciting place for a little one.

I asked Mac if he was excited to see Chuck E. Cheese and he said, "Yes mom, I was excited but you know that is not the real Chuck E. That is just a costume. But the guy inside was still nice." Thats my little man, to smart for his own good. I am going to be so sad because he is going to be one of those kids who figures out Santa Clause way to early. :(

Ringing in the New Year!

2010-01-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

McCoy stayed up with us last night to ring in the New year. We lit sparklers and snapped the Pop-its on the ground. McCoy has always been terrified of fireworks so we didn't know what to expect but to our surprise he actually enjoyed the sparklers and he even stayed outside with us to watch the neighbors firework display. He was pretty proud of himself and as he puts it, "I'm not even afraid anymore, it's like I'm getting bigger and not scared." We watched the ball drop and dolled out the kisses. McCoy grabbed Glade and each by the neck, kissed on the cheek and then leaned down and kissed my belly because he wanted to give his sister a kiss too. Then we went to call Nana and Pops to wish them Happy New Year and as I explained to Mac that it wasn't New Years in Idaho yet, McCoy lit up and that was the first thing he said when he got on the phone..."Happy New Years but its not YOUR New Years yet it's just OUR New Years!" Little stinker.

Today we had our good luck New Years Pork Dinner (BBQ Pulled Pork), black eyed peas and this year I even tried mixed greens because they are also suppose to bring in good luck. We had some wonderful friends come over and share our first dinner of 2010 with us. They have the 3 cutest little boys and McCoy just had a blast playing guns and swords and light sabers and just being boys. The four of them even put on a concert for us complete with four guitars and microphones and speakers. You haven't lived until you have heard four 4year olds put on a Rock Concert. They were all singing different songs at the same time and screaming every verse. It was pretty entertaining.

Good food and good friends. What a wonderful start to the New Year!

Merry Christmas...May yours be full of Magic

2009-12-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook