Five is for. . .

I have been a huge slacker with the blogosphere this past week. I hate it when I have an entire week between posts. I am secretly glad that I feel this way though because it means that blogging is working for me. I am actually keeping track of our family happenings and memories and I am thrilled that I feel the desire to stay caught up! So now, I just have to figure out where to start? We had a jam packed week. Steve's been back to his regular grueling principal schedule for the past couple of weeks and it has been a little weird not having him home. I guess to make up for the weirdness, we kept ourselves pretty busy, maybe even too busy! Anyway, I should have posted about our days as they were happening because I have a feeling this will be a long post, but no turning back now. I think I will do our FAVORITE FIVE, but with a twist. I'm gonna make each item its own separate post (so it's more like it would have been if I'd posted more this week). Plus, I am usually long winded so this will help make it seem less long:)

So, here's what we've been up to starting with number FIVE:

Five is for the FIVE hours (plus two more-so SEVEN altogether folks) that we spent at FIESTA FAMILY FUN CENTER this past Thursday! SEVEN hours! How is that even possible? Laura had a bunch of these "buy two get two free" coupons and she was so gracious with both me and Dani. It was a little confusing trying to figure out all the logistics of it all (it didn't help that Fiesta Fun was terribly understaffed) but we ended up with so many passes, we were there the whole day trying to use them up! We did it ALL! Bumper boats, kiddie cars, go carts, miniature golf, pizza for lunch and on going arcade! The boys were in heaven (there were 9 boys in all) and boy were they rowdy! At one point, one of Dani's little boys, Landen, got whopped in the face with a golf club and had a heck of a bloody nose! His shirt had a nice big red stain on the front of it for the rest of the day that looked like tie dye after a trip on the bumper boats. On that same bumper boat trip, I got MAJORLY soaked (never let a six year old drive while the fountain is on)! I might as well have jumped in a lake, it was that much water and I didn't get fully dry even in the 110 degree heat! Laura was awesome about taking a million pics, so here's a little slide show of the eventful, hot and LONG day!

Four is for

the FOUR new experiences we had this week. Our town has been growing like crazy this past couple of years and there are a few new hot spots around that we haven't been home to try yet, until this week. Also, I got to experience some real live court room drama for the first time! Here's a run down of each event.

Jumpin' Jacks- A giant warehouse full of inflatable bounce houses and foam flooring where kids can run around and jump 'til their hearts' content while the parents chill on couches around the perimeter. We went on a Tuesday when they have the buy one get one free deal, which is a good thing seeings how I'd probably never go there if I had to pay full price. It was fun but a little hot and smelly and I figured my kids could have almost as much fun for free at McDonalds. Actually though, my kids got QUITE the workout at this place! They were running around like wild dogs and both had bright red faces dripping with sweat- a sure sign that fun is being had. They had some friends they were playing hide and seek with and honestly, they would have stayed even longer if I'd have let them. We stayed for about three hours and the kids slept like babies that night. Maybe it IS worth the full price? Overall, I'd give it about 3 stars (out of five) maybe higher if I didn't feel like I had to hose them down before they could set foot in my house after getting so sweaty and filthy!.

New Rec. Center- A giant building that boasts a huge aquatic center, gymnasiums, weight rooms, rock climbing wall etc. We had the free trial week pass but honestly, I don't think we will even go back to use our remaining days. After this experience I was reminded of all the reasons why I HATE PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS! I went for the sake of my kids. Actually though, THEY were the ones who asked to leave. I think it is just too big and LOUD and crowded, there wasn't even a chair left to put my stuff on. It wasn't relaxing. Lewis was bugged at how loooong he had to stand in line for the water slide and then he claimed it didn't go very fast. He wondered why they ripped down the old pool (that had the ultra cool high dive and looked JUST like the pool on the Sandlot). I wondered that too. They don't make pools like that anymore. It had such NOSTALGIA. This place, I don't know. Conner LOVED the lazy river (and actually, I liked it too) but there wasn't much else to love. It was hot and steamy in there and full of people. I honestly couldn't even find my kids the first twenty minutes we were there. I resorted to having to follow Conner around (even though he's a pretty good swimmer) but it was the only way I could relax. After only a couple of hours, my kids were done and I was done and as we walked out, I remembered why I hate public pools; the slimy bathroom floors with the showers and the naked people (hello-it's still a PUBLIC place)! And the noise and the people staring at you and just all of the junk! I'd much rather swim in a nice, outdoor pool with fresh air, less people and a place to sit back and actually SEE my kids enjoy it. So, this new Rec. Center is only gonna get one lousy star from me.

Signature Suppers- A building set up like a professional kitchen with work stations where you can put together meals for your family. It gets rid of a LOT of middle men (like thinking about what to fix, making a grocery list, shopping and getting all the stuff out and measured etc.)! I made 12 meals in a little over one hour and I had a BLAST while doing it! This is definitely going to be a huge life saver for me this year. My goal is to get started with freezing the meals from Kim's store and then eventually, learn the ropes well enough that I can do it for myself at home once a month. This is for sure one of those experiences that you need to try out for yourself. I heard mixed reviews. Some people saying it's too pricey and others raving! I am more on the raving side. My schedule (once school starts again) makes it hard to even GET to the store, let alone get there with an actual list of ingredients to make real meals. Then, when did I seriously have time to actually prepare these meals? I'd say once a week, sometimes less! I honestly threw out more spoiled ingredients than I care to admit last year because I just couldn't do it! I don't want to rely on roasted chicken and pizza nights again this year. Having all of it pre bought and organized and ready to prepare at that cute little kitchen is JUST what I need! I am finally excited about cooking again. I give this place 4 stars!

Night Court- All I'm gonna say is I had to plead guilty with an explanation (and a dang good one I might add) and the judge dismissed the case. I had the unfortunate bad luck of being pulled over in our new car before we had the plates switched to our own. We had a hard time getting the title to the car and the DMV would not let us have temporary plates until the old owner sent the stuff. It was a long, sorted ordeal that had nothing to do with us and everything to do with the banks and the Honda people. Anyway, my luck would have it that I get pulled over on the DAY the stuff finally comes in the mail (not the next day after we finally got our own plates-murphy's law)! It turns out though, we are not the only people who did not know that it is BETTER to remove the plates altogether and drive around with NOTHING than to drive under someone's old plates. Seriously, if THAT is better, why didn't someone fill us in? We would have done it! Anyway, this is the lesson we learned from this experience. Plus, I got to have my first court room experience which, BTW, was JUST like the show Night Court that used to be on T.V. forever ago. The bailiff even looked just like that tall bald guy from the show (I think his name was Bull) and when he was rifling through my purse, he accidentally flung a bag of m&ms through the air. It was funny. I told him he could have all the ones that fell on the floor.

Three is for

THREE people I don't see enough of came to visit this week!

My oldest sister, Kristin, and two of her kids had a funeral to go to and so we got to see them for a bit. We went to the funeral with them but also sat around and visited, ate a great meal at my mom's (including her summertime favorite-Watermelon Ice-Cream, see pics and recipe below) and did some shopping. This is the first time in a long time that both of my sisters have lived super far away from us. It is good when they can come back and visit but when they do, it makes me realize that we don't see near enough of them.

Watermelon Ice-Cream

My mom got this recipe from a Tupperware party wayyyy back in the day. It requires some putting together but it is totally worth it. We have begged my mom to make it at least once every summer for as long as I can remember. You must try it, it is divine! Here's what you do:


Buy one quart of lime sherbet, one quart of strawberry ice-cream and one package of mini chocolate chips. Let both ice creams soften in their cartons. You'll need two nesting bowls. Spread the softened lime sherbet inside the large bowl making a green layer around the edge of the bowl as much as possible. Let it harden a bit in the freezer but not too much. when it is hard enough to allow the small bowl to rest on top of the green layer without sinking to the bottom of the large bowl, set the small bowl inside and place it back in the freezer until it is hard. While it is in the freezer, empty the strawberry ice-cream into a large bowl and stir in the mini chocolate chips. Then, take the larger bowl from the freezer and remove the small bowl from it. Fill the empty cavity with the strawberry ice-cream mixture and put it back in the freezer until it is set.

When you're ready to serve it, take it out of the freezer and soak the bowl in hot water to loosen the green layer from the sides. Turn the bowl over onto a cutting board so the "half melon" is resting flat. Now you're ready to slice it and eat it! The mix of the tart lime with the creamy, chocolaty strawberry ice-cream is so surprising and delicious!

It is a definite family favorite! Good stuff:)

Two is for

the TWO chapter books Conner read in one day! Finally this kid has some confidence in his reading ability. FINALLY this kid is enjoying reading and doing it without me having to twist his arm. He was so cute about those first two Magic Tree House books. Everytime I turned around, he had his little nose in the book. In the car, in between turns with the game cube, during meals! He was so funny. I was actually impressed he made it through ONE of them, but he kept on goin'! I credit most of his desire to make it through a chapter book to that cute little summer camp we did this past couple weeks. I sent the kids home with a book in a bag, a reading list and a flashlight every night. They were supposed to "flashlight" read their books and sign them off and get a new one the next day. One little boy chose a Magic Tree House every time and read it in one day and brought it back the next. He did twice as many book reports as anyone else and I think Conner (and his competitive nature) didn't like not being number one! I seriously think that is why he was motivated to read those two books! Who cares what his motives are though?! He finally realized that he CAN read chapter books and it's a fun thing to do! Hallelujah!

One is for

the new camera that I bought at Costco this week and that I am taking back before we leave on our trip this Wednesday. I just don't like it. It is a Kodak Easy Share and I bought it because I really liked the last one I had, it was so easy to use and it was really inexpensive (I'm saving up for my dream camera. . .someday). But, who would've thought that this one would be so different from the one I bought two years ago? Well, it is WAY different and I don't like it. It's hard trying to get used to a new camera. This one takes HORRIBLE automatic shots. My last one did really well on the auto setting. I really don't think I could learn to like a camera that doesn't AUTOMATICALLY take great pics. I don't have time to set the settings every time I want to snap some candids. I think I've decided to take Laura up on her offer to buy her camera since I know I like it and will be able to use it without frustration. It's a Kodak too, but it is set up much better. Anyway, it would be nice to find out what cameras everyone else out there is loving? It would be nice to have a better idea of some of the options out there. Anyway, I wish I had a bunch of great pics to share, but most of them are blurry, poorly lit or just ugly. Hopefully next week I'll have a camera I can use and love!

LAST Week's Five

I usually try to have my "week in review" (a.k.a. fave five) list up and posted by Sunday but it didn't happen this week. Instead of blogging, I found myself hunched over the royal throne for the worst half of an hour of my life and then the next couple hours laying around to recover. That's what I get for trying to cook a real dinner (not just meat and potatoes, I actually followed a recipe)! I don't know why I got sick? Steve ate the same thing and was fine. I've only had food poisoning one other time in my life (Cheesecake Factory on a girl's weekend) and last night was almost identical. Anyway-I've already thrown out the chicken enchiladas. What a waste of time that was! Okay, so back to the post at hand. Here are LAST week's top FIVE!!!!

FIVE: This is going to oust me as the worst launderer ever, but oh well! Seriously, one of my favorite things that happened this week was making it to the bottom of the laundry pile! I kind of dropped the ball on the laundry last week (just so tired of load after load-especially emptying out suitcases). So, we spent the week searching for clean clothes from piles of laundry baskets instead of folded neatly in drawers (actually, who am I kidding, there is always at least one basket like this in my bedroom). This week certainly took the cake though. I think I was in denial. School is starting again, right around the corner! I just want a FEW completely LAZY summer days! Well, finally on Friday, I snapped out of it and decided to take charge. The sad thing is, at this point, my only motivation for getting the laundry put away, was to have a few new items to hang up with the old. I took the boys to JC Penny's to buy their backpacks and a few shirts and pants. Laura also filled my trunk with some clothes for the boys and me. This was great motivation! I am happy to say, that by Saturday, all the clothes were carefully folded and put away. The old haggered and too small clothes were packaged up and sent to the D.I. and all the world smells of Downy freshness! Ahhhh. (side note: I just finished burning Conner's breakfast-dang blogging-so the Downy freshenss is now replaced with charred breakfast burrito).

FOUR: One of the WORST things that happened this week was tuning in to SYTYCD and seeing COMFORT IS BACK!!! I was so glad to say bye bye to her. For some reason, she was just bugging me! I was especially tired of seeing her solo routines (she was always in the bottom) so two weeks ago when she finally left, I was a little relieved! THEN, this past week, I see that she is back in the running (Jessica broke some ribs or something)! Ughhhh! But then, outta nowhere, Comfort actually did something I didn't think she'd ever do. She entertained me! She paired up with Twitch and they really danced their socks off with this number! It was awesome. Actually there were SO many fabulous dances this week. At least four that come to mind (not to mention Gev's solos). It was a relief because the last couple of weeks, SYTYCD wasn't WOWING me like it had done in the past. I actually resorted to looking up some of my favorite dances from season two (this and this) reminiscing about the good ol' days! But, last week's shows revived me! It is just wayyy good T.V.! Okay, one more favorite: THIS ONE!

THREE: We survived an ALMOST car accident this week! I can honestly say I am so grateful for anti-lock brakes and seat belts! I was just driving along, minding my own business driving straight through a green light at a four way intersection. There had to have been at least two or three cars that went through ahead of me, it was just a NORMAL green light situation!!! So, what explanation does the crazy lady who almost rammed us have for herself? She was trying to make a left hand turn right in the middle of the green light! There was no arrow for her! It was not her turn by any means! Was she just trying to sneak by? Are you kidding me? Well, luckily I slammed on the brakes pretty hard and she sneaked on by mouthing the words 'I'm Sorry!' as she floated past in slow motion (ya know how it all happens SO fast while you're living it, but it replays in slow motion as you think back on it?). Anyway, my kids tried to blame it on me at first. They were like, "Mom! What was that for?" and blah blah blah. I said, "Are you kidding me boys? I just saved all our lives! You should be thanking me!" All I can say is, maybe it is good to have near misses like that. Makes you realize how fragile life really is and how unimportant some things are. I think my boys have a greater appreciation for seat belts now too. They really felt them hard at work this time! Phew!

TWO: Our ward primary did a cute little service project on Saturday morning. We met at the church and walked to the nearby rest home and sang songs to the elderly people. It was very sweet and a great way to start off the morning. But, I had a hard time convincing the boys that it would be. I had an especially hard time getting Conner to cooperate. Actually, I practically had to drag him out the door, kicking and screaming (well, not literally, but he was being a brat about going). He was saying things like, "You're the meanest mom ever!" and, "Why do I EVEN have to go, it's not fair!" To these statements, I was calmly replying (trying hard not to giggle actually), "Conner, yes I am the meanest mom and life isn't always fair." Flash forward to about fifteen minutes later and that boy was lined up next to his buddies singing these words,

"If the Savior stood beside me
Would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind
If He were never far away?

Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more reverently?
If I could see the Savior standing nigh
Watching over me?"

It was pretty precious to get a glimpse of him singing this song with his coy little smile, looking at me as if to say, 'mom, quit looking at me having fun. I'm still trying to be mad at you.'

ONE: The best part of LAST week was simply being home! No real agenda, not much to do besides summer camp and shopping for school clothes and watching the laundry pile up! It was so relaxing to just sit next to Steve and watch our boys play and play, or hang out in the basement and watch movies as we all worked on little projects. Indeed, it was a pure and true summer week! Not many of them left, so enjoy them while you can!

We Need a New Camera-PRONTO!!!

Here are some pictures I would have taken last week, had our camera not bit the dust:

Conner and his friends running around in the rain without shirts and yelling, "Rain harder! Rain harder!"

Lewis at his scouting activity at the park. He and all his little scout friends gathered 'round the flag in their little outfits, it was so patriotic and unexpected. Conner and I arrived a bit early to get Lewis and we would have missed it if we'd have come any later.

All the summer camp kids on the teeter-totter at one time (all nine of them)!

The cute primary kids singing songs to the elderly people in the rest home on Saturday. It was the sweetest thing. Not one person had a camera with them. I asked the front desk lady if they had a camera and they didn't! Crazy! I was pretty bugged because normally, I just have my camera in my purse. Anyway, I guess they want us to come back at Christmas, I will definitely have a new camera by then!

Conner wearing my black, strappy high heels while kneeling down next to Steve and helping take the dry fruit off the fruit dryer. In this one moment, so much of my six-year-old's little personality shined through. He is masterfully quirky and one of the best helpers I know. He loves to be involved in work and projects (just like his parents) yet at the same time, he knows how to have a good time! (BTW, the heels looked AWESOME with his soccer shorts)!

Lewis and Conner bopping around the yard with their umbrellas. Sunday's evening rain looked beautiful up against the black mountain. Our kids played and played in it! Finally they asked for umbrellas and ran around until after dark. We did get some footage on the video camera, but I am a still life kind of girl. I want to have boxes and boxes of still shots to look through when I'm old and gray. I hope I can remember the image of my two sweeties linked arm and arm and bouncing around the grass with their little umbrellas!

Just barely, Conner had me turn around to see what he was doing. I looked behind me and saw two umbrellas perched above a sleeping bag and a pillow and my little Conner inside the sleeping bag. All I could see was his little face beyond the umbrellas. He said to me, "Look! It's an umbrella house!"

I'm so buying me a new camera TONIGHT!!!!

Loose Talk

Some things the Peterson's said recently:

"Mom, there's about 166 days left until Christmas, I counted them." -Conner

"Yeahhh. This is the life!" -Conner, just before taking his first bite of an enormous cheese quesadilla from Irmita's.

"I'm so glad I'm not allergic to girls. If I were, then I couldn't be next to mom. But I'd do it anyway if I were allergic, even if it gave me an allergic reaction, I'd still do it." -Lewis, just completely out of the blue, can't think of anything that would have sparked this conversation.

"Mom, ants have a hard life. . .they have to dig and find food and carry stuff. . ." -Conner

"Now that I'm in my thirties, I'm finding I really don't care any more." -Steph, discussing the perfection trap with girlfriends.

"This is the best day of my young life!" -Happy as a Clam Conner, as we were driving away from Blue Bunny Ice Cream.

"This is super deluxe, thank you!" -Steve, after taking one bite of his Stauffer's lasagna. What a great husband to be so appreciative of even the tiniest things.

"No! I can't look. It's too sad." -Conner, on not wanting to watch as his mom threw out is old backpack.

"Man, I'm glad I was wearing my seatbelt!" -Lewis, right after some crazy lady pulled out in front of us on the way to Target!

"No. I am not trying to cover up a hickey. I had another mole removed and have to keep this band aid on it until it heals." -Steph, a sentence she stated about twenty times over the course of the last two weeks since her dermatologist appointment.

"I wish I got bags of hand me downs from my friends." -Steve, upon watching Stephanie tear into yet another fabulous bag of great clothes from Laura. Then he said, "Actually, I can't think of any friends of mine who dress as well as Laura."

"Mom, you are ruining all our fun!" -Conner, on not wanting to go to the primary activity this morning.

"Seriously, this summer has booked by quicker than any other summer of my life." -Stephanie, upon realization that summer is quickly coming to a close.

This is who I am!

You Are Cinderella!

Dignified and hard working. With a gentle and soft-spoken manner you have something many people don't. Patience. Even through the moments of heartbreak you're still able to hold onto all of your hopes and dreams. Bide your time; your dream will come true.So far I know I am friends with an Arial, an Aurora and a Snow White. It would be fun to know what some of the rest of you are!
Which Disney Princess Are You?

Mad Men

So, we read about this show, MAD MEN, that got HUGE rave reviews (five stars actually! Nothing ever gets 5 stars!) and appears on AMC (which we don't get in our Dish package). Steve and I decided to have the first season sent via Netflix to us and we are quite intrigued by it. I think it is so amazing when a movie or a T.V. show can pull off a whole different time era. This one is set in the 1960's with all the hair, furniture and fashion that goes with it. It's really amazing. Also, it is crazy to see pregnant women smoking cigarettes and letting their kids flail about it the car, sans seat belts, as they are driving. It is even more intriguing to see just how far our society has come in 40 years as far as women's rights and stigmas about suburban lifestyle. So far it is a very interesting show. Not one that I'd want to watch with my mom or kids, it has some pretty heavy content right from the start. I am able to look at it with perspective and say, 'ya know, if only these people had the gospel in their lives, they wouldn't be driven quite so mad!' So has anyone else seen this new show? We're only a few episodes in and we keep wanting to watch but we're not sure if it's gonna get to be "too much"! So far, it's just been great T.V. entertainment!

Last Chance for a FREE Meal!

Okay all you local ladies! Today is the last day to sign up for the Signature Suppers party I am hosting on July 23rd. I have sent some emails, but realized I have some local gals who check my blog but I don't have email for- this is your invitation! I decided since I totally fell off the cooking wagon this year (one down side to working full time again) I needed to try something DRASTIC! I have some friends who have raved about Sig. Suppers and I figured this might be my ticket back into the land of hot, "home-cooked" meals on a more regular basis. If you are at all interested in this, follow this link and then click on the July 23rd party marked 'Stephanie'. Then you just follow the directions from there. The password is stephanie. The cool part about this particular party is you don't actually have to make an appearance if you don't want to. You can still get the goods and the FREE meal! Obviously, it would make it more fun if you could actually come, but it is at 10 in the morning and that isn't so convenient with kids. So, rest assured, you can still participate via the internet. Just make all your orders through the site. Make sure you sign up before midnight tonight to get the free meal!

And the award goes to. . .

YOU and ME (but first me, hmmm, hmm)! To start off, I'd like to thank the academy, blogger.com, my family and all my fellow blogging friends who, without them- this award would not have been possible! And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! Apparently, I have a BRILLIANT blog (according to one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Tanja,) and I received an award for it today! It was quite the surprise as I'm not usually so fortunate as to win ANYTHING! It was fun to read her ultra nice shout out about why she frequents my blog. I have never met Tanja in the flesh, but I feel lucky to have bumped into her here on the web. She's great! I like visitng her blog because I feel like she GETS what blogging is all about and does it all so well. She has a great way of mixing family memories, fun insight and general wit and wisdom into her daily posts (see an example here). I can always find something inspiring, helpful or fun on her blog and she's a loyal comment giver which I LOVE!!! So, I decided to pass the love along by sharing it with some of MY fellow bloggers. With this award, there comes a small to do list. Here goes:

This award has rules:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.

4. Add links to the recipients.

5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

Here are my seven picks for great blog reading, whenever the mood strikes!


Okay, here's the low down. I don't spend a WHOLE lot of time on the blogosphere, other than recording my own memories. A lot of my favorite blogs are friends and family who have "private" sites and I visit just to keep up with their lives. So, the fact that some of my faves are private, I can't really post their link (which is one of this award's requirements) so private blog friends, here is a shout out to you too! I love your blogs! But, for the sake of the 'Brillante Weblog Premio 2008', here are my 7 choices and why I chose them:

For Inspiration: These gals are ultra talented and I hop on to their corner of cyberspace just to get a glimpse of the "creative" life.

Morgan makes me almost want to be domestic. She seemingly is good at everything, from cooking, to quilting, to decorating and even her photography is gorgeous! I must confess, I have no idea who she is and she wouldn't know me from Adam. I just happened on her blog one day (when I was trying to figure the whole blog world out) and she has remained a favorite stop for creative energy.

Erin is actually a friend of mine whom I've known since high school. We went through college together, taking just about the same course load the entire time, so that is where I grew to love her! She has a gazillion talents and makes them all seem effortless. I love to visit her blog not only because her photography is amazingly beautiful, but because her words are equally inspiring. She really knows how to stop and smell the roses and appreciate every little moment and she captures it all so wonderfully on her blog.

For a Heck of a Laugh: These are the "GO TO" sites when I'm looking for a good chuckle! Steve would never want the world to know this, but occasionally he can be found checking out the blogosphere as well and when I see him buckled over laughing at the computer, I know he is looking at one of two sites; either Shane's or Mindi's.

Shane and I went to the same high school and we graduated the same year. We had some mutual friends but I didn't know him all that well. I was aware that he was funny, but I had no idea to what extent until I saw his blog. The second shocker, once I got there, was his amazing drawing ability. He actually makes his living drawing, that's how great he is. My little Lewis is a huge artist and loves to check out Shane's blog to see what new material he's come up with. He also includes tutorial videos that I have to drag Lewis away from at times. He's very motivated by Shane. It's pretty addicting once you get started looking at his art and reading the witty text that goes with it. We can't get enough of it at our house!

Now Mindi on the other hand is a site I'm not so sure I'd turn my child loose on! It is absolutely hysterical but on a more PG13 level. She is not afraid to say what most of us barely dare think and I LOVE how she keeps it so real yet has me in stitches every second. She has her own lingo and an amazing knack for finding outrageous photos and general "web-lore" (um I just made up that word, not sure what it means?) that occasionally might cause orange juice to come out of your nose. Anyhoo, for a good time call 555-WORD (to your Mother)!

My Girls: These are my girls. When I click on to their blogs, it's hard to tell if it's their's or my own. We think alike and we have similar takes on life. I know I can find some great ideas, complain a little, or just browse through their posts and nod my head up and down because I so can relate! I actually have QUITE a few of these blogger friends, but I chose to give this award to the gals that I KNEW would appreciate it and send the love along! So, here's to you girls! Thanks for keeping me entertained and enlightened when I log on to cyberspace!

Amy is as ON THE BALL as they come! She's the gal who is always pulled together, totally optimistic and loads of fun! Her website is as full of energy as she is. What I love most about Amy is how awesome she is as a wife, mom and friend. She's one great girl and her family happenings are pretty fun to read about!

Laura is the BOMB! She's another one of those ultra talented gals that makes everything look so simple (why do I have so many of these kinds of friends?). She's been my scrapping buddy for years now and she's the most organized,"get 'er done" scrapper girl I've ever known! She sets up these systems for herself and actually sticks with them! She gets more accomplished in one hour than I could ever hope for in an entire day. She's that way with scrapping and EVERYTHING else in her life! She's spunky, athletic, a devoted mom and has fabulous fashion sense! When I grow up, I truly want to be like Laura!

Teresa is one of my most intense and exciting friends EVAH! I've told her time and time again, I've never known somebody so 'passionate'! She takes the bull by the horns and does not let go! I've learned a lot from this girl in the past five years or so that I've known her. She really knows how to live life honestly and without regret. Once again, beauty, talent and overall awesomeness exude from her. I LOVE how adorable she is with her sweet girls and I'm motivated to be a better mom every time I'm around her, or even when I just happen by her little place in cyberspace!

So, there you have it! Those are my choices for awesome blogging goodness! Thank you for filling my sometimes mundane days with insight, humor and overall fun! I'm so glad I jumped on the blogging bandwagon. It adds a whole new dimension to my life and I feel I appreciate it more now. You all are the bestest!

P.S. Bloggers, I FINALLY did some BE-LATED Tags! Check out the below Tag action! Who cares if they were sent out a bazillion weeks ago! At least I FINALLY cooperated! And, once again, they were fun:)

Three Tags for the Price of ONE!

I have been neglecting some of my blogging buddies and their requests for me to do a simple TAG (something I usually enjoy)! Sorry it has taken me so long. Here are the goods. I can't remember which gal requested which tag, so just scroll down 'til you find the right one! P.S. I love reading all of your blogs and feeling like I know what's happenin' in your lives more! These tags are for YOU girls!

#1- THREES TAG!
3 Joys- Coming home to a clean house after a long trip, tucking my two healthy boys into their beds each night and hearing their sweet little prayers, hanging with my funny and fun husband!
3 Fears- Sudden tragedy in the family, the dark, being trapped in any way!
3 Goals- Adopt a baby or have a baby (either or both :)), finish up these summer classes, get some digital scrapbooking under my belt.
3 Obsessions- Organizing, cleaning, reading magazines and catalogs.
3 Surprising Facts About Me- I have played canasta with girlfriends for about 7 years now and I still don't quite know how to play (without a cheat sheet-I think we get together more for the gabbing than the playing)! Also, I buy a new toothbrush way more often than is recommended (I love new toothbrushes-for some reason they clean better)! and the last non-important fact about me is, I would rather spend money on books and school supplies, than clothing!

#2- LUCKY FOURS!
4 places I go over and over.
-Church
-Wal Mart
-School
-Little Caesers (I have been a lousy cook this year! Help me please)!

4 places I like to eat.
-Olive Garden
-Cafe Rio
-my mom's
-cruise ships

4 places I would like to be right now.
-bed
-on a beach in Hawaii
-at the spa for a massage, facial, mani & pedi, hair, makeup, the works!
-BED (I am tired)

4 t.v. shows.
-So You Think You Can Dance (no, I have absolutely no professional dance training, I still love it)!
-Felicity (Ahhh! We finished it a couple weeks ago, I miss it terribly :)
-Any show on PBS (I love all the kid shows they have on there now).
-????? We're not ever really around our T.V. lately.

4 Books I've enjoyed (most recently).
-Diary of a Wimpy Kid
-Uglies
-The Soft Spoken Parent
-(Do magazines count?)
4 people who will respond. ( I am tagging you)
-Lindsay Frei
-Jen Statham
-Wendy Rowlette
-Marianne Shaheen
#3- MINDI'S MEMORY LANE! This isn't really a tag, but I thought it would be fun. (I copied these words straight from her blog, which is one of MY FAVES for a great laugh! Here is her link: Word To Your Mother. You gotta visit at least once, you'll be hooked)!

"i got this idea from amy's blog and i thought it would be fun to give it a whirl. as there are only about 5 of you that know me from real life, this could be interesting, but i think we can all make this happen if we PULL TOGETHER, PEOPLE!!!

this is how you play...

1. as a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and i had together. it doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot--if you are only my "blogging blesbian bff" then you could leave the first memory you have about "meeting me" or whatever pops into your head. (if you have repressed this memory, or wear scary masks, please move on to the next blog of your choice.)

2. next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. it's actually pretty funny to see the responses. if you leave a memory about me, i'll assume you're playing the game and i'll hunt you down and wax fondly about our good times. if you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, i'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

3. play nice. remember, blogging is all about our "mutual -love-admiration society"--i would really rather see something like this:

than something like this:

if you are a blurker, NOW is the time to take action! don't be shy!

ready! set! GO!!"

Still Going. . .

We just returned from road trip #999 tonight! Plus, the boys snuck in road trip #998 earlier in the week making this the most travelin' summer we have ever seen! Here's a little recap of yet another exciting week in the life of the Peterson Jr. Family.

Monday- Before we hit the road, Little Star Preschool re-opened its doors and is back in business (if only for 12 sweet days)! A friend of mine called me in the spring to ask if I was planning to do my little summer camp again this year. Really, I hadn't planned on it, but I felt like I SHOULD since there was a need. So, this friend of mine rounded up 7 of the sweetest kids you'll ever want to know (from her house and neighborhood, which is clear on the other side of town from me, darn it) and she brings them over to play and learn with me and my boys each day! I gotta say, after this first week, I am TRULY happy that I decided to do this summer camp. Each year I wonder if this will be my last (my kids are bound to out grow it at some point) but Lewis and Conner are loving it just as much this year, if not even MORE! They began asking me, a couple weeks ago, when camp was gonna start (I think they crave structure just as much as their mom). Some of the things I heard my boys say in those days leading up to camp were, "Mom, are we going to do camp libs again?" and, "Mom, let's go buy the crafts for summer camp, I think we should make boats and race them!" and "Mom, are we going to get flashlights and read in the tent again?" Yes! Those boys are stoked and so am I! Summer camp is waaay too much fun. I'm pretty sure this summer won't be our last!

Tuesday & Wednesday- Grandma and Grandpa Peterson whisked the kids away again on yet another fun adventure. They went to a carnival and barbecue in Cedar. The next day, they went to Yankee for some fishing and Steve joined them. He took some pictures of the catches of the day (Conner caught the biggest one) on his cell phone, but there's no way to load the pics onto the computer-bummer. We ate the fish for dinner tonight, Conner wanted his whole fish to himself, it wouldn't even fit on the plate. It looked so funny to see him trying to eat it all on his own. We finally talked him into saving some left overs for tomorrow.

Thursday- Just a normal day, after Summer Camp, we went shopping for groceries (something I hadn't done in SOOOO long!) We were out of everything! I felt so accomplished to get laundry detergent, bread and eggs! Life has been so GO,Go, GO, I really haven't been keeping up too well! That night, we packed up our things for The Peterson Family Reunion!

Friday- We got a bit of a late start. Am I the only one who feels like the house needs to be clean before a trip? Just in case our family gets in a car accident and OTHER people have to come into our house and go through our things, I want it CLEAN! I know, that sounds pretty morbid, but the thought crosses my mind every time we pack to leave. This time, I was a little too lax with packing. I let Steve and the boys pack their own, (note to self, this is not a good idea). My boys went to church today sporting Crocs instead of Sunday shoes and Conner had no jammies! Oh well, we still made it to Steve's sister Staci's house all in one piece and had a blast hanging' with everyone! The kids were having the time of their lives and none of us made it to bed before midnight. Steve's family is so gigantic, there is always something exciting to do or someone exciting to chat with. Hard to buckle down for some shut eye.

Saturday and Sunday- Steve has a large family (seven sisters actually) and this reunion consisted of just his immediate family members and their kids. Even still, there were LOTS of people! Some of the men and boys went golfing and the rest of us went on a hike. It was a little crazy trying to coordinate two major events and get everyone where they needed to be on time, but it all worked out in the end and fun was had by all. The trail was gorgeous and the boys kept me on my toes as they, of course, ran off ahead on the trail to where they could not be seen. Luckily, there were plenty of family members around to keep their eyes on them and keep them under control (as much as possible anyway)! After the hike, we sat around and talked for awhile at the parking lot and then headed to Stefenee's house.

Okay. So something PRETTY buggy about this trip is, our camera decided to stop working about two minutes after we got to Stef's house. So, I didn't get actual footage of ANY of the cute happenings that occurred, but luckily some other family members took photos. Hopefully I'll get to see them at some point (hint-hint, no pressure)! I did get a tiny portion of Stef's HUGE backyard in one of my two shots. They have the most fantastic set up ever! They have a sport court, trampoline, fire pit, sand box and an endless supply of water from the sprinkler! It was so relaxing to let the kids play and play and PLAY! The adults even played some too, basketball, volleyball and endless ping-pong. Steve and I and the boys spent the night at their house last night and Lewis and Conner had a blast with Stef's youngest boy, Kevin. He is pretty much the cutest kid ever! He kept us laughing the entire time! The boys said they wanted to watch a movie and we thought that would be a great way to get them to wind down for bed. I couldn't believe my eyes when I went in to check on them and they were all still awake at around midnight. . .AGAIN! Luckily, today is Sunday and they could catch up on their Zzzzz's on the way home. It is going to be nice to sleep in our own beds for this entire week. But, no worries, we aren't done travelin' yet! We've still got one more trip before this summer's over! Good times!

Game ON!

Like most families, we enjoy a good board game every now and then, but when summertime hits, it's practically MANDATORY to play game after game whenever the mood strikes! We haven't spent many "lazy summer days" home yet this summer, so our game closet has been a little lonely, until today! The boys woke up and I heard them getting into the game closet. I was STOKED because I knew we had all morning (with no agenda) to play to our hearts content! Conner whipped us both in a game of Clue first off and from there we went on to Dominoes and Uno Attack. I finally decided I needed to shower and do some laundry, but the boys continued emptying out the game closet. It has been an enjoyable "game" kind of day! Some of our top family games are:

• Apples to Apples



• Anchor's Away



• Old Maid (Steve is hilarious to play with.)



• Clue (Steve and I once beleived we were both GREAT at this game, until we played with our kids! They are AMAZING! Whip us everytime)!



• "Cranium" games (any of them)



• Rat a Tat Cat



• Scrabble



• Uno and Uno Attack

Anytime you feel like getting your GAME ON, hop on over to our place, we'll be ready and waiting!

Finally. . . I'm In Love!

Has anyone else fallen in love with this new Mr. Clean smell? I just bought my third bottle of it today (the Febreze Fresh Scent that is blue). I have been going through it like water! I use it for everything now, counters and floors, in every room. I am sooo picky about how cleaners smell. I have had the hardest time finding a brand I can live with. I remember just a couple of years ago being so frustrated because a company changed the smell of one of the cleaners I was learning to like. I even wrote a letter to the company! I know, ridiculous. That is why I am thrilled to death that I finally love a brand enough to by a third bottle! I am finally content. They better not pull a fast one and change it on me! Okay, so while we're on the subject, which I realize is a bit lame, I am still looking for the perfect dusting spray. I'm not loving anything lately. Any tips people?

Four for the FOURTH!

This Fourth of July week was PACKED with craziness and fun! Seriously, is this summer EVER going to slow down? Here are the FOUR top adventures of our Fourth of July Week!

4- Tucson Trip Highlights!
This was our second year of traveling to Tucson and staying at the El Conquistador Resort for Steve's leadership conference. Last year, our family got to stay in one of the property's casitas which felt like a little home away from home with mini kitchen, living and dining and separate master suite. We were hoping to luck out again this year, but no dice! No worries though, the room we got was plenty nice and cozy and we didn't spend much time indoors anyway! While Steve was inside "conferencing" we played out by the pools with the Frei girls and swam our little hearts out! When we weren't swimming we were shopping. Last year we ventured to the Tucson zoo. This year, it was all about relaxing! We frequented the mall (which was an awesome indoor outlet mall) and the McDonald's (so I could hook up to their Wi Fi to do my online class assignments-the hotel charged for this service, bummer)! Anyway, it was nothing but super fun. I was kind of lazy with the camera, but here are the things I want to remember from this trip:



3- Getting Crazy with the Cousins!

Seriously! Does this kid have a mother?
I cannot believe how lax I have been with my fashion rules for the boys this summer. It just gets worse and worse as the days pass. Especially when the cousins are around, I lose my leverage, especially with Conner. I just don't feel like fighting about it. So here's my Conner, slowly working Lightning McQueen shoes (with love, from Grandma) and any other "character" paraphernalia he can get his hands on into his everyday wardrobe pretty much all summer! I usually only allow such items to be worn around the house (preferably in the form of underwear or pajamas) or not at all, but somehow I've let down my guard. Today was the worst of it though. Conner ran around sporting an old Spiderman costume (that is barely holding together by a thread). His cousin Quincy has been staying at our house this weekend and the boys unearthed an old dress up bag that hasn't seen the light of day in a while. Conner bounced around in this costume most of the day with those little red shoes rounding out the ensemble! He could be spotted jumping, spinning, squirting and running like a mad man. At one point, I went outside to check on the kids while we were at Grandma's and I found them sabotaging a poor ant colony with Lysol Tub and Tile Cleaner! Cousin Wyatt was doing the dirty deed but the boys were attentively watching those poor ants suffer. When we got home, the boys drenched themselves with water balloons and squirts from the hose. Apparently, all rules go out the window when A) the weather gets warm and B) the cousins come to town!

2- Second Go Around at the Roadrunners Game!-

What's more American than baseball? How 'bout baseball ON the Fourth of July? Lewis' baseball team had their party on Independence Day. It followed the same pattern as Conner's party, starting off with awards at the coach's house, then off to the game! Lewis got to walk on the field with his bud Peyton and the Roadrunner's center fielder. He looked pretty awesome out there and I bet he loved hearing his name called over the loud speaker! Since this event happened on the Fourth, there were fun events that took place in the middle of each inning. Watermelon eating contest, pie eating contest and water balloon toss just to name a few. Well, of course Steve and Conner didn't want to miss out on the action, so they signed up for the water balloon toss. Conner ended up face planting onto the giant water balloon and it was hysterical! Overall, we decided it was a super relaxing way to spend the Fourth of July evening. With the food, bounce house, cotton candy and a great view of the fireworks, we might have to sign up for this deal next year!

1 1/2- Fireworks!
Of course, Independence Day Weekend wouldn't be complete without a good old fashioned "homemade" firework show at Grandma and Grandpa Bevan's. Steve's family didn't do this much growing up, but my family always bought a box of fireworks and tried out our pyro skills in the driveway. This year, Kirk did the honors, lighting the night sky with fire and screams! We brought cousin Quincy along and his mom warned me that he's 'terrified of fireworks'. He actually ended up being very brave and super cute/entertaining! He kept saying, "I hope that was the last one. . ." And of course, to his dismay, it never was! Finally we went inside for Grandma's famous Independence Day Jello to which Quincy kept saying, "This is sooooo good!" Needless to say, he definitely will be invited back next year! What a cutie!

1- Lewis Gets Baptized!

Definitely, the most AMAZING part of our week was the day Lewis was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He had been waiting for this day for so long! He was so calm and cool about it, not at all nervous like I thought he'd be. This picture is worth a thousand words! Those boys are just GLOWING in their white clothes. Lewis told our neighbor that he 'felt so special while [his] dad was giving [him] the blessing'. Indeed, he had the spirit with him and it radiated! We are so proud of our 8 year old boy! Can't believe it's been EIGHT years, but the best of my life so far! Lewis has been an absolute blessing to us! Such a great example to everyone he meets.

We are so proud of you Lewis and love you to pieces!

GREAT Read!

Steve stumbled upon a great book the other day at Barnes and Noble. Our family was wandering around the store, just browsing and I spotted Steve trying to contain his laughter while he was looking at this book:



It is a book written for about a middle school aged person, but adults can definitely relate! Hilarious would be an understatement and it is a New York Times #1 Best Seller. What more could you want from a book? I can't wait to pass it on to my twelve year old brother-he's gonna love it! It is the first of a trilogy of "Diary" books about Greg. I can't wait to pick up the second one and laugh some more!

Something Else That Made Us Laugh Today

So, we are still on a little vacation today, we are heading home from our trip to Tucson and our hotel only has PBS (at least that is what I'm leading Conner to believe right now, there might be more channels if I scroll to the next screen. . .). Anyway, I am making him watch Sesame Street (which he secretly still loves but won't admit). Here is a little clip of something that made us laugh out loud this morning! Seriously, it is worth taking two minutes to view. Enjoy!

James Blunt on Sesame Street