I am a sucker for any Holiday...Especially ones cenered around candy! Must be why Halloween is one of my favs too!

We had a great week sending and receiving Valentines. The week started off with a card from Grandma and Grandpa Peterson. McCoy is always so happy to get mail with his name on it. He looks forward to checking the mail every day. :)

And on Wednesday we got or Valentines Package from Nanna & Pops and Torrez Fam. My brother Steven gets me Chocolates Every Year! He is the absolute best. He never forgets my birthday and he always picks me the most thoughtful gifts at Christmas too. Thank you Big Brother and Thank you Nanna and Pops for McCoy's cookies and Chocolates. He loves Nanna's homeade sugar cookies. I am so glad they made the trip from Idaho!

Mac also had his little Valentines Party at school on Thursday and he came home so excited to read and reread his Valentines. It was soo cute. We had to miss the Valentines Party with our Play group and we were both so bummed. Come to find out Valentines Cards were not the only thing McCoy brought home from school! So since we had the sickness cooties we were home bound for the rest of the weekend but we still managed to have a nice simple Valentines. Saturday afternoon after daddy got home from work and I fisnished up all my housecleaning, the three of us sat down to a nice little festive Valentines Barbaque Dinner. We just kept it simple but it was fun. I found some cherry seven up that we drank out of goblets and put the side dishes in heart shaped bowls. McCoy made place cards for all for us and we decorated with hearts of cours. It was all just silly little extra stuff like that but we enjoyed it and it was great fun family time.




We even made a game of going around the table and talking about why we love one another. McCoy came up with some great answers...

McCoy: "I love daddy because he loves corn on the cob like me!" "I Love Daddy because it's funny when he is grouchy." "And I love Daddy because he plays Basketball and Xbox with me!"

These are some pics from McCoy's Valentines Card to his Daddy. I told Mac to pick one of his many costumes and we would make a picture card for daddy and he chose his Cunstruction stuff because as he said, "it is tough boy stuff like daddy!"

The card read: Tough and True Just Like You! Happy Valentines Day Daddy! This card was "Built" with LOVE!



After dinner we hit the gym and then it was off to an early bedtime for McCoy so mom and daddy could enjoy a nice quiet Valentines evening snuggling and watching a romantic comedy.

I love this Holiday!

The Week of Many Firsts...

Some Mommy & McCoy 1st's...

1. McCoy and Mommy's First time to be alone in Florida without Daddy
2. McCoy's First Trip to the Zoo (not really but he has no recollection of ever going before.Its been over 2 years)
3. McCoy's First time being babysat by another daddy & McCoy's First time leaving the house with someone other than mommy.
4. Mommy's 2nd time hosting Bunco but the First time we have done an open house and let whoever wants to come be there.
5. McCoy's first trip to Chuck E.Cheese
6. McCoy's first time trying POP Rocks! So hilarious. Wish I would have video taped it.

This week was all about Mommy and McCoy! Daddy had to go out of town for business and we really miss him but we have been so busy this week we hardly have had time to think about anything. We've never been here in Florida without him so we are adjusting and missing him bunches but mostly just being jealous because he is in a warmer climate! I think it's warmer in Nevada than it is here right now. I wish this stinking cold front would pass already! We are freezing! At least there is no snow ;-)Right. LOL. Had to throw that in there! :)
We dropped daddy off at the airport on Tuesday and Wednesday Mac and I headed to the zoo with some friends. When we pulled up McCoy said, "Mom, are you sure about this. We can't take the car in there? What if the animals get us? He is so use to going on the Lion Country Safari where you drive through so he thought we were just going to be walking around all these wild animals and he was terrified. He didn't want to go in until I convinced him they would be in cages and couldn't get out. Once inside he was loving it. Him and his little "girlfriend" were so cute together. My little Mac man is usually so anti girly stuff. He absolutely hates when they try to to hold his hand or hug him but today he was eating it up. He beamed when his little girlfriend asked to hold his hands. They held hands all over the park, it was so cute!



Thursday I dropped Mac off at School and went straight to work so I could finish up and spend the rest of the day cooking and prepping for my Bunco Party! Next month will be the one year anniversary of our little Bunco Group and I have to say it has been such a fun year! I really enjoy and look forward to my monthly night out with the Bunco Babes. This month we decided to do our first open house night. We usually only allow the first 12 players to RSVP but this month we just kept the invite open and I had a house full of lovely ladies being loud and rolling dice! We ate well and had a ball. Thanks so much Wendy for all your help and Thanks to your awesome hubby who watched McCoy! Mac said he had so much fun playing with your kiddos and still will not stop talking about your "magic van" that opens doors by itself. That was the first time someone other than mommy or daddy has picked him up and taken him. I can't believe he just kissed me and left. No tears! Of course I'm happy there was no tears but ya know that over protective mommy in me was a little sad too. Ya know how it goes.

Friday we packed up and to meet some friends from our play group at the new Chuck E Cheese. Mac has never been to an arcade place and boy did he have a ball! I Was really impressed with all the games and rides they have for smaller children. I thought it was just going to be arcades games but there is actually so much more there! The mouse was walking around when we first got there and Mac's eyes just lit up and he high fived him and gave him a big hug. This was also a first because last year at Disney he was terrified of all the characters. Glad to know we can head back to Disney now! :)



And today was McCOy's One Year Anniversary doing the Home Depot Kids Workshops! We are so glad HD offers this little program. McCoy has an absolute blast working with the tools and building his own projects. He walks away a little taller each time beaming with pride that he built something so cool and he gets a pin and they take his picture and tell him what a great job he did! Don't we all love to get compliments from someone other than mommy and daddy! :) He just eats it up!


And since Home Depot is right next to Dunken Doughnuts we always stop by afterward for a little treat! Its just another part of our HD tradition. Little stinker was not happy with me for busting out the camera though. He is so over having his picture taken. If you notice most pictures I post of him are ones where he is not looking. He is only 3 and I have already ruined him. :(

Not my first Rodeo!!!

Ok, so there was no Rodeo so to speak of, but Last weekend we did attend the South Florida County Fair. Not quit as magnificent as the Good Ol' Cassia County Fair & RODEO, but it was a nice little fair just the same.

This fair is actually very large. We went at noon walked around for a few hours. Went home to nap and then back to the fair that night to see the rest of it. McCoy was loving it all and taking it all in but when it was over and we were back in the car on our way home he crawled in his car seat, put his hands behind his head and said, "Wow, that sure was an exhausting day. You can take me home now!"

We saw some really neat exhibits and cool shows. There was some awesome Chinese acrobats that did some amazing stunts that had us on the edge of our seats. This sand exhibit was cool too. It's all basically sculpted by hand and small hand tools. It was captivating to watch them work.


When we first got there we walked into the "Car Zone" they had some old cars, some new cars, some souped up cars,some really expensive cars and then of course McCoy's favorite...The race Cars! And of course thanks to Mommy's bad habits he recognized the logo on this car right away! The car even had its trailer there and McCoy got to see into it and he was just in heaven, he kept saying, "Wow, this is just like Lighting McQueen and Mac Truck."

And of course you can't leave any fair without trying something new or doing something stupid, we opted for just trying something new...Have you ever had a Fried Snickers Bar on a stick? Definitely worth trying once but now that I have I don't think I will ever need to test those waters again. It was good but...but...but...well I don't know, guess you will just have try it for yourself.

Lets Make A Deal...

Conversation:
McCoy: Mom, I want to keep both my power wheels in the house.
Me: No McCoy, they are driving toys like cars and we keep them in the garage like daddy's truck.
McCoy: But I want to keep them both in the house tonight.
Me: Sorry, but No, they should go in the garage.
McCoy: But they are not REAL cars, that's why I want them in the house. I need them in the house.
Me: NO
McCoy: How about this mom...We can keep my Kawasaki (4wheeler) in the garage and we can park my Monster truck in the house! How about that?
Me: I don't think so.
McCOy: Mom, I said one will go inside and one will go outside. Thats a good idea right?
Me: Ok, ask your father.

What a little stinker, he will not quit until he gets what he wants. I thought it was pretty smart of him to offer up a good compromise though so needles to say there is a Grave Digger Monster Truck Power Wheels Chillin in my front room. I am such a sucker!

A little of This & That...

I have said it before and I will say it again...I live in Paradise! Winters in Florida are AWESOME! All last week there was a nice cool breeze, the sun was still shinning but the air was a cool mid 80's. Which is perfect for outdoor fun! We have recently taken up a new hobby since Santa brought us all new Tennis rackets. We have had so much fun hitting the courts lately. Of course we are awful and get quite the workout because we have to chase more balls than we actually hit but we have a blast just the same. McCoy just got a new toy too so while Glade and I are getting our work out, Mac gets in plenty of playtime of his own. When I get a chance I will try to post a video. Mac things he is a big man since he recently got a truck - A MONSTER truck. It is a Grave Digger Power Wheels and he loves loves loves it! His favorite thing about it is that it has a button that plays rock and roll music so he parks it and hit the tunes and just jams out for a minute. The kid was born with music in his soul. Glade and I just crack up whenever Mac stops to jam out! He also got a used power wheels 4 wheeler a couple of weeks ago but we didn't have a battery for it until we got this monster truck so now he has two new toys to play with. And boy does he play.

More outdoor fun! Here are some pics of Mac and Daddy brushing up on their B-Ball'n skills...

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

I have been a hacking, coughing dripping disgusting grouchy lump of snotty sickness for the past three weeks and I had finally had enough. I have taken every over the counter medicine out there, swallowed countless pills, downed disgusting liquids, put all sorts of gels and creams on my throat and sometimes in my nose and all with absolutely no results so I had to dig deeper. I hopped on line and did a little research on home remedy's and the one that kept popping up was this: Gargle with Cayenne Pepper!

Soooooo............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................




I tried it! Yes it burned like all get out, But it cleared my sinuses up for a little bit & basically woke me up from a daze I had been. It didn't take care of my cough or my throat situation though so I gave it another go the next night and still couldn't shake the eternal cough. I tried drinking tea with honey and lemon, gargling rock salt, putting Vick's vapor rub on my whole body and wrapping myself up tight in an attempt to "sweat it out" but nothing worked.

I hate going to see a doc because I am a cheapskate plain and simple. But after three weeks I with no relief I bit the bullet and finally went to a doctor yesterday. And sure enough, I paid big to find out I have a stupid sinus infection and need antibiotics - more pills Yuck! But hopefully I will be back to normal life in 2-3 days. I already feel much better, still coughing a little but I have major relief from the head pains and now I don't have to resort to Cayenne pepper, although I was starting to dig that little KICK!

Grandma & Grandma Peterson

We had so much fun during our Grandma and Grandpa visit! McCoy was beyond thrilled to have "playmates" coming to see him! We enjoyed some wonderful conversations and catching up on all the family news. We also had some fun late nights staying up playing games. Grandma and Grandpa even offered to babysit one night and Glade and I got to go see Four Christmases which was pretty cute and funny. It was a much needed night out for us. :)

Glades brother Blake even drove up from Key West one day to come and visit also. We all went to downtown West Palm Beach City Center and had a nice lunch at Cheesecake factory. It was so good to visit with Blake since we don't get to see him very much. This was also the first time that Blake and McCoy got to meet so that was pretty cool.




And of course there was another trip to Lion Country Safari because that is McCoy's most favorite place on earth and he just had to take Grandma and Grandpa there. He was such a little ham. Since he knows his way around that place pretty well, he pretty much gave us the VIP tour.



And that is where we spent New years Eve day and that night we were all so tuckered out that we just had a nice quiet night at home munching on snacks and watching the ball drop. We even stayed up a little past new years to watch the ESPN coverage of the crazy stunts done in Vegas. If you watched those they were pretty cool!

We are missing our company bunches and hope they make it home back to Burley this weekend safe and sound. Thanks again for braving the airports and the cross country trek to come and see us! We really appreciate it and love you bunches and bunches! Come back anytime!