Our Awesome Neighbor

We have the coolest next door neighbor EVER!

She moved here from California a few years ago and once Steve learned that she taught school, he snatched her up to be a part of his staff. He has often said, "what would we do without Carolyn?" She is the bomb! She is the reading coach at our school and helps the teachers stay on track with everything the state reading program asks us to do. Not only does she keep everything afloat at school, but she is the best at EVERYTHING else she does too. She's one of those gals that has major power tools in the garage and knows how to use them! Some of you might beg to differ, but check out all these reasons why we think she is the numero uno, COOLEST neighbor ever!

She drives a Mustang convertible and lets us (or the high school cheerleaders) ride around in it with the top down!

She always has EVERYTHING we don't, so she's
our "go to" neighbor when we're all out of something.She and her sister give our boys gifts on all the major holidays and birthdays!

She knows how to do EVERYTHING and has helped
us with a gazillion little projects. I only have pictures of these few examples:

(Um, she whipped up those trees, signs and mural in next to no time!
She is fearless and everything always looks good)!

She "Martha Stewart's" everything she touches!

She VOLUNTEERS to watch our kids so Steve and I can have "date night."

She hires our kids to do odd jobs for her while she is away on her many travels and then pays them super good money for their work!

Um the queen mother of them all. . .she landscaped the side of our house (including installing a drip system and a hand-made bird house) at NO COST to us! She said she had been "thinking about an idea" (translation, she was tired of looking at our un-landscaped side yard) and we said-GO FOR IT! She apparently needed to invest in some projects like this for tax

write offs, but we totally got the better end of the deal!

So, I think it is quite clear. We really do have the BEST neighbor! And, today is her birthday so Happy Birthday Carolyn! We think you're the best!!!

Balancing Act

Well, it has been officially 16 days of school and I am still trying to find an equal balance in my life. Obviously, my blogging fun has suffered. I have missed checking in on everyone! I am also surprised that some people have actually sent me a little hate mail for not updating in over two weeks. Funny to see that I have some "regulars". So, I am taking the initiative right now and forgoing my plans to do a little light reading and getting this new post up. It is all about the balancing act! Trying to find a way to work hard, see results with my students at school, keep up on daily chores, and spend time with loved ones doing things I love! I am actually proud of myself today for taking the time to visit with neighbors instead of hurrying inside to get dishes put away. I'm also proud that I spent time watching my boys and reveling in them and the joy they bring. I remember when they were littler and Steve would suggest that our family should go to the park. I would just cringe at the thought! They were still little and needed help on the monkey bars, being pushed on the swings and being reminded not to eat the sand etc. I know it sounds terrible that I wouldn't want to go, but I was always taking the boys to the park on my own and I looked at that time that Steve was with us as a family to do more relaxing or productive things. I had a really hard time just relaxing and enjoying family moments because I was always thinking about the next thing I needed to get done. On one particular trip, I told Steve I'd go if I could bring a "project" to work on so he could hang with the kids. I look back now and realize how silly I was. Why couldn't I have just enjoyed the moment as well as my husband and just revel in our boys? Life is so fleeting and these are the moments I am already regretting. So, lately I have been trying to be less "project driven" and more "quality of life driven"! I am also learning when to say 'when' and, not bite off more than I can chew. I'm trying harder this year to not please everyone because you can NEVER please everyone! My motto, "do my best" that's all I can do! So, here is a little sneak peek at some of the ways we have tried to fit fun and enjoyment in to the mix of endless, busy, back to school work and not feel guilty about the enjoyment of them.

Broadway in the Desert!

This was an AMAZING play! The music was mesmerizing and could not have been done any better! I think the Tuacahn plays just get better and better every time I go. Steve and I were so appreciative of our neighbor Carolyn for letting the boys sleep over so we could see this play (we didn't get home until 12:30) but it was worth it. We needed this date night and how can you get any better than Broadway in the Desert?

Fishing on Monroe Mountain-

This ended up being a "father's and sons" escape with Steve's parents and Aunt Pam, Uncle Dale and Grandpa Staples. I felt a LITTLE bit guilty about not going, but it did not last very long! Steve was very aware that I was exhausted and needed some time to decompress. This break away from all worries and strife was just what I needed and to know that the boys were having the time of their lives made it even better!

Girls Only Brunch!

While the boys were out fishing, I had some "girl time!" This was supposed to be breakfast, but since the Bear Paw (the most fabulous breakfast food around) was so stinkin' crowded, by the time we ate, it was brunch! These are some of my favorite people whom I work with and we all decided to live it up and meet for this yummy and relaxing meal. The fun did not stop there though! We saw Mama Mia later that day and now I can FINALLY know what everyone has been raving about! It was awesome and fun and I can't wait to see it again (mom)! Also, Pearce Brosnon (spelling?) wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be.
I thought it was a perfect movie, Pearce and all!:)

Two (TOO) Cute Boys!

Top three reasons I love this picture:
1. His smile!
2. The fact that he's loving his new chore!
3. The little towel tucked into his shorts, just like dad:)

Okay. Picture four crazy kids, in a tiny room, with the lights off, the piano keyboard cranked with some jazzy ditty and the Lite Brite holding its own as the disco ball! A sight to behold for sure! Too bad this was the only picture that turned out of Lewis, Conner and their friends Courtney and Makenzie!
(I think the disco Lite Brite was pretty genius!)

Hangin' with Old Friends!

Everyone should have friends like these guys! They are the salt of the earth and we were so lucky to be in the same ward with them back in the day. Steve and Jeremy became fast friends and it turns out, I've known Wendy since she was a little girl (she was in my home ward growing up)! The point is, these guys would go to the ends of the earth for you and they are so fun to be with too! Their cute kids add a lot of fun to the house when they come over. I realize it is important to make time to be with friends, even if your house is a total disaster, it doesn't matter, invite those friends inside! They fill your cup every time:)

Snuggling. . .Need I Say More?

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!
And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!

And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

Ya know what? This post took me less time then I thought! I think I might actually be able to squeeze in that little bit of light reading! I am re-reading the book "Simple Abundance" as mentioned by my cute neighbor Nancy. She's got me all excited about doing my gratitude lists and finding the positives out of life rather than dwelling on the inevitable negatives. So, let's all go out there and have a wonderful week! Here's to the balancing act! Good Luck and hopefully I can check in on your blogs soon. Thankfully, life is beginning to balance out!

Continued. . .

So, it's hard to believe that a week from today I will be in my classroom with 20 or so new little kindergarten faces ready to take on another crazy year. I seriously don't know if I'm ready?! Last Thursday, I mentioned we were in Lagoon having the time of our lives. Here's a peek at how we spent the rest of that weekend, our last summer vay-cay of this year.
Friday-
We woke up and just sort of took it easy. Honestly, I think I slept in until 9:30. That is unheard of here at home! The boys rose earlier than that, but went off on one of their many explorations and so I took advantage! I finally woke to the smell of real food wafting through the ceiling vents. Lisa is an amazing hostess and cook and really pulled out all the stops with her elaborate breakfasts. This morning I think was the day she made a pancake variety. Some with blueberries, some with COCONUT (yes, that's right-they were unbelievable!) and of course, lots of fruit and an assortment of beverages to go with it. Delicious! After breakfast, we got dressed and ready to have a "downtown" day. We started off at "Little Italy" (a part of Salt lake has been dubbed this name because of the many Italian businesses in this section of town). Chris and Lisa lived in the REAL Italy for awhile and so they appreciate, long for, understand Italian fare very well. We went to this Deli called Tony Coputo's and it was amazing! I can't remember the name of the sandwich I had, but it was the best sandwich of my life! Awesome!
On one side of this place is the restaurant, but on the other half, is an Italian market. Now, I am a girl who really appreciates a little culture so Lisa indulged me and walked me through the market. It ended up being so much fun to taste test the olive oils, cheeses and huge variety of olives! There was one young man working there who was really in his element explaining all the different flavors of the oils and olives. He used phrases like, "woody texture that ends with a little more bite. . " etc. It was amusing. Of course, the boys would never have tolerated such a tour so they were outside doing acrobatics on the stairwells while they waited for us. It was a lot of fun. Lisa is one of my most "culture-y" friends. She appreciates theatre and art and things like that. I always feel like I've had an enriching education after spending time with her. Before they moved, she took me out "to tea" one day! I have never been to a tea shop before and it was such a fun experience. This little time at Tony Cupoto's will be another fun memory like that for me to look back upon and smile. It was loads of fun!
Just up the street a ways from "Little Italy" is The Gateway. It is a really fun shopping, museum, restaraunt experience. We started off at the Clark planetarium. My kids have never been to a planetarium before and I wanted them to have this experience. They loved it. There was so much to do and explore. They spent a lot of their time running around acting out elaborate alien invasions and space explorations on the moon and Mars landscapes, but we also caught the 3D movie which was excellent! Later on, the boys got to experience what it feels like to be astronauts in space by hooking up on the anti-gravity simulator (basically just a harness that lifts them up in the sky and somehow they counter the weight with this contraption thingy by fifty pounds so you can bounce and spin and basically fly)! The boys were in heaven. It was really dark, so my pictures did not pan out too well, but they can still looks at them and remember this experience. I was actually a little jealous and wanted to try it too, but a 70 year old grandma decided quicker than me and she looked so unbelievably silly, I was really glad I missed the boat. Maybe if a crowd of people were not sitting around staring and giggling and commenting, I might have done it! (Right now I'm wishing I would have at least snapped a picture of that lady, it was hilarious!)

So after the planetarium, we decided to walk around the beautiful streets of the Gateway and take in some shopping and relaxing by the fun water feature. Steve was probably just as thrilled as the boys (if not more) to cool off in his street clothes and relax without dying of heat. He wanted nothing to do with the shopping so he chilled while the boys and I found some great deals on school shoes (buy one get one half off at Famous Footwear), woo hoo!

As it started getting late, we decided to eat some dinner at Z (something or other? Help me out people, I can't remember?). It is a fun metro, mexican-y grill place. Very fun atmosphere and a great meal! As we were walking out of the gateway, we saw (and heard) a really great street musician and we stopped for a few songs. Steve absolutely LOVES outdoor, live, music entertainment. He could have sat there all night, but the kids would not allow it. He did a few really great renditions of some sweet tunes (particularly Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours") and it was a fun and festive way to end our day at Gateway. Good times!

A Mid Summer Night's Dream

Saturday-
We just sort of CHILLED this day. We needed a little R and R after all the running around at Lagoon and Gateway so we let the kids play and did a bit more shopping (the first day of school shirts for the boys) and then caught a movie in the afternoon (we saw Space Chimps and it was actually pretty funny). The best part about Saturday though, was the play at Sundance we were able to sneak away to. Lisa grabbed a sitter for the five kids and we headed up. Chris is in advertising for Utah Valley University and somehow they are helping to sponsor the revival of the Sundance summer plays. This was opening night for A Mid Summer Nights Dream and we got to be exclusive, V.I.P. guests at the back stage reception, pre-show. I had never experienced something like this before so it was really fun for me. We got to feast on yummy eats surrounded by the players and the BEAUTIFUL Sundance landscape. Chris and Lisa took us on a little walking tour of some of the fun parts of Sundance and then we sat down to an evening of Shakespeare. I have to say, this was my favorite version of Midsummer Night's Dream I have seen. I have seen it live twice and I've seen the Michelle Pfeiffer movie, but I actually liked this Sundance version the best. I think the director did a really great job and it was just so lively and entertaining! A fantastic evening!

Our Lagoon Day

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!

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!