The "PURPLE BUTTERFLIES" play again

I finally took pictures of Mallory and Hayley playing spring soccer. Mallory is a strong forward and Hayley loves to play goalie!! Tonight, Mallory scored two goals and Hayley got in quite a few kicks herself! The girls are on a team with several girls from their team last fall--Justice, Georgia, Madison, Kallie and Hannah! It has been a lot of fun (I enjoy talking to the other Mom's I got to know in the fall, too!)!!!

Hayley throwing the ball in

Hannah and Hayley (Hayley is talking to her coach--who is Hannah's dad--as she is walking down the field--she is always talking to her coach--I wonder what she is saying??

Mallory bringing the ball down the field

Mallory #11 getting ready to kick a goal!

Mallory on the run

Mallory again!

Mallory and Justice--the stars of the team (Justice is sooo FAST--she comes out of nowhere to get the ball--she scored 8 goals tonight!! Go Justice!!)

Mallory after scoring a GOAL!!! You go girlfriend!!

Mallory, Hayley, Addison, Aubrey, Taylor (our bishop's son who is a referee), a green team girl and Justice

Mallory and Hayley going after the ball

Mallory and Hayley again together by the ball

Hayley playing goalie

What's a goalie to do when the ball is on the other end of the field??? Why not SIT DOWN AND RELAX!!!!

Easter Dresses

The girls wore their cute Easter Dresses the week before Easter and the week after to church (because General Conference was on Easter)! They looked so cute!!! Yes, they all matched one another too! (I used to hate it when I was older and my Mom dressed my two sisters, Aleece, Leslie and I all the same--if I had a scanner, I would add a picture from 25+ years ago).

HAPPY EASTER!!!

A Monumental Moment!!!!!!!!

There is a MONUMENTAL event happening at this very moment downstairs! Scott is cleaning out his church binder!! Yes, you heard me right--he is cleaning it out and I have proof!! I have been teasing Scott about this for months--possibly years! Scott has a black church binder that grows and grows each week! The last time I hefted the thing--it weighed at least 15 pounds--or more--and that's no joke!!! I have teased Scott that he has minutes from Ward Council meetings since August 2004, when he was first called to be the Ward Clerk of the Young Single Adult Ward!! After I snapped the pictures, he said there was a paper he found in there from 2005!! That was five years ago!! I can't wait to see how much this binder actually weighs when he's done!! What a lug to carry around week after week and ALL day on Sundays!! (Add the scriptures and his set of keys and it's even more!!)
I love you Scott!! I just had to write about this! You'll want to remember this in 20+ years!

THE PILE OF GARBAGE!!!! (There was a lot more when everything was said and done!)

Decision time--should it stay or should it go????

The finished product!!---LOOK how THIN it is!!!

OUR LITTLE ENVIRONMENTALIST

Mallory and her friend Morgan were playing at our house this afternoon. Mallory came and asked me for some tape and I watched as she and Morgan went and posted this sign on the light post in front of our house.

A little while later, I was looking for them because Morgan needed to head home and I saw them down the street with the wagon. When they got back home I asked what they were doing. They were out picking up litter. I snapped a picture of them emptying the litter they found into the garbage can. I had them go in the house and wash up before sending Morgan home.

I was thinking about what spurred this idea in their heads. On the way to Yuba Lake earlier, the girls were looking at a few books we brought along for the trip. One of the books we had was "Fancy Nancy--Every Day is Earth Day". I read it aloud to the girls and maybe that book got Mallory thinking a little. Hopefully she doesn't go tooo GREEN and get mad at us--we have a lot we could change to be more Environmentally conscience at our house--it would be a good change though!!

If you haven't read any "Fancy Nancy" books, you need to! They are cute, cute books and they teach lots of great new vocabulary words!!

ROADTRIP to Yuba Lake

We decided to drive down to Yuba Lake to check out the campground for our Peterson Family Vacation in July. We left about 9:30 and we stopped at McDonald's in Lehi for breakfast (the girls were ecstatic to go to McDonald's). We ate Sausage and Egg McMuffins and some Cinnamon Roll things! We continued on to Yuba--drove through the campground twice and walked down to the water to throw in a few rocks. When we got back in the truck, Scott started down a dirt road and then we decided to turn around because the other campgrounds have absolutely NO FACILITIES nor WATER. Scott pilled out and was driving down the dirt road a little crazy but the girls thought it was great! They were laughing and squealing the whole time!! They had their windows down and the wind was messing up their hair! What a treat!!

Just check out the PURE JOY on their faces!

Hayley

Mallory

Brittney--I decided Brittney would absolutely love MUDDIN in a JEEP!

Brittney B.

Brittney has been so cute lately! I can't believe how fast she is growing up! Our baby is now 2 1/2 years old!! She isn't a baby anymore!! She has been so fun to watch as she plays! She loves to dress up and play house! She loves to take care of her babies! She loves to pack up bags of clothes and toys to go camping! She loves her backpack and filling it up with things! During her nap, she likes to set her tennis shoes by her on her pillow so she can put them back on when she wakes up.

Brittney is very independent and she likes to pick out her own clothes and get dressed all by herself! She has very little interest in the potty and wearing panties---hopefully that will come soon!! Brittney loves her little friends, Preslie, Ella-Bella and Alyssa--she is very excited when she gets to play with them.

We love Brittney! She loves to gives hugs and kisses! She is a tenderheart! Her favorite songs are: "I Am A Child of God", "I Love To See The Temple" (both verses), "Daddy's Homecoming" (a.k.a. Daddy's Home From Work Song), "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Follow the Prophet" (sung while shaking eggs)! Brittney loves to read books and swing on the swing. Brittney is talking up a storm lately!!

BRITTNEY, WE LOVE YOU!!

Brittney climbing the Rock Wall all by herself!!

Brittney playing house all by herself!! Notice the full backpacks, the shoes, her Webkinz "Puppy", her babies, her purse with money and her cell phone, her little computer, her Buddy, and lots of baby clothes, and the baby bed!! She has it all!!

Brittney and her baby (We have only done hair twice this week--with the girls on Spring Break we've enjoyed the vacation!)

Brittney playing dress-ups (she always has to have on princess shoes whenever she has on dress-ups)

SNOW in April!!!

This morning we woke up to about 6 inches of snow!!!! Mallory and I put our boots on to drag the garbage can out to the curb for garbage day. As we got to the road, Scott pulled up (he went to work around 6 a.m. so he could plow the lot at work). Mallory ran back inside and got all of her snow clothes on so she could help shovel our walks. Hayley and Brittney woke up and hurried and got dressed too so they could go play in the snow!!! They had a blast helping Scott snow blow and then they got to play!! (The girls are on Spring Break all week!!) Brittney jumping on the trampoline!!

Hayley, Scott and Mallory

Mallory climbing on the pile of snow from the trampoline!!

Hayley being lowered down into fresh snow to make a snow angel

General Conference

I was so excited for General Conference!!! I've been thinking a lot lately about my kids, my role as a mother and wife, and just feeling overwhelmed wondering if I'm doing a good job and what else I can and should be doing. As I listened to General Conference, there were 10 talks over the two days that talked about teaching children, being a mother, being a wife, etc!!! I took tons of notes and I can't wait for the Ensign to come to review the messages.

I so loved Sister Julie Beck's talk (I've loved every talk I've heard her give--they ALWAYS hit home!!). I love how she spoke of personal revelation and how I need to use it more in my life. I need to have Heavenly Father's help to prioritize the tasks I need to accomplish each day. She talked about the importance of daily scripture study and prayer. She talked about writing down the impressions we receive throughout the day (I need to do this!!) so we can act on those impressions!!

Elder Ballard's talk to the Mothers and Daughters of the Church was excellent too! He talked a lot about the word "Nurture". I am going to study this word more in depth. Nurturing is my role as a mother as stated in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". He talked about learning from our own mother's example. I asked my own Mom, last night, after our Easter Egg Hunt, how she had soo much patience with 8 kids and didn't lose her temper! Her comment was along the lines that she always felt like she was always losing her temper and yelling and she wondered why we didn't remember it--I guess I forgot!

President Eyring spoke of building faith in our children and strengthening them while they are young. The big thing I need to do more often is the help my daughters feel and recognize the Holy Ghost! I also need to be a good example to them!!

Elder Bednar's talk was excellent! Sister Lant's talk brought hope! Elder Hales talk reminded me that I am serving others every day--in my own home--and that is where service is the greatest! And Elder Anderson's talk about teaching our children the stories of Jesus --"Tell me the stories of Jesus".

Conference was wonderful! My testimony was strengthened and my resolve to be better and do better has been strengthened! My prayers were answered and I know Heavenly Father spoke personally to me throughout the conference so I would know what I need to do to be better and to help my family--my husband and my daughters--to be better!

Easter Morning

Here are the girl's Easter Baskets on Easter Morning. I heard Mallory wake up and get out of bed...the next thing I knew she was yelling, "Hayley! Brittney! Come quick! The Easter Bunny came!" The Easter Bunny made a short visit to our house. He left some new sand toys, hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, a big candy bar, some art sets and candy (from last nights Easter Egg hunt--I had other candy but why open it when there was already a bagful on top of the fridge--no one noticed). The Easter Bunny planned to leave new summer clothes--shirts, shorts, capris and flip flops but the girls had already seen them so we couldn't lay them out!!! The Goods!!

Mallory showing off her new art set

Brittney


Mallory checking out the new sand toys

Hayley is all smiles with her own markers!!

Brittney, Hayley and Mallory sitting in their hula hoops

Hunting for Easter Eggs

The Peterson Family Easter Egg Hunt was held at our house today after the second session after General Conference (the men ate quick and ran to the Priesthood Session while us ladies and kids just hung out). We filled hundreds of egg, hid them all over the backyards and got the kids psyched up inside to go hunt for eggs. We gave the little ones: Brittney, Wesley, Emma and A. J., a one minute head start before we turned the rest of the kids loose (Mallory, Hayley, Colton, Leah, Andrew, Kaitlin, and Connor). While the kids were out hunting for eggs, THE EASTER BUNNY, showed up! The kids were kind of surprised but most of the kids were trying to fill up their baskets that they didn't give her a second look until all the eggs were found. I don't know where or how my Mom ended up with an Easter Bunny costume but she dressed up when the kids were out looking for eggs. It was funny listening to a few of the kids conversations about the Easter Bunny. I heard Hayley saying to her cousin Kaitlin, "That isn't the real Easter Bunny. It is just somebody dressed up like the Easter Bunny because it has a zipper up their back!"

Mallory running to her next find

Filling up her bucket!!

Hayley looking for more!!

There were A LOT on the trampoline--her bucket is totally overflowing with eggs!

Brittney--I found one!!

Brittney found about 5 eggs on the wagon!!

Brittney checking out the Easter Bunny from a short distance

Scott wiggling the Easter Bunny's ears

Brittney is still checking out the Easter Bunny as Mallory and Hayley look on

Hayley, the Easter Bunny (Grandma), Mallory and Brittney

Hayley, Brittney and Mallory

Great Grandma Wood and the Easter Bunny (Grandma Peterson)

There she is---THE EASTER BUNNY----Grandma Peterson

Hayley

Mallory

Brittney--practically falling over from the weight of the head


After the egg hunt, we grilled up some hamburgers and hot dogs. We moved the festivities in the house because it was getting cold fast. We took all of the candy from the eggs, dumped it in bowls and divided it between families (Mallory and Hayley's buckets were totally filled with eggs). Grandma had brought a few extra treats which she added to each families bags.

When the men got back, we sat around and talked while the kids played. The kids put on several "Shows" for us and we had a great time.

Happy Easter!!