June 2012

Jeff turned 32 in June. We decided to take and family hike and explore our new surroundings.

We went a bit further than anticipated and the landscape was extra dry because of last years drought.

The girls had fun especially when we decided to take a dip in the lake in our unders.

Coco has met a few of the girls toys.  They were less than affectionate with him.

Sadly Camille got a glue fly trap stuck in her hair and had to get a hair cut.  This is my chop just to get the matte out.  We went the next day to a professional.

In May, Jillian asked to try riding a bike without training wheels.  By June she was completely confident.

I got to fly to AZ and be with the Peterson siblings for a day because Grandpa Pete died. It was wonderful to see the family, especially when were weren't all on our phones.

Coco met some new cousins.

The chapel was full of family and friends of one of the best men I knew.  They all shared stories of my Grandpa. "Sure do love and appreciate you", is a phrase he said each time I saw him.  Although I heard it often, the feeling of love and sincerity was never lost. Here we are at the grave site:

He was buried in St. John's at the same grounds as his father and his father's father.  I learned some wonderful history about my paternal roots.

This is my Great-grandpa Brigham Young Peterson and his wife Stella Jarvis.

This is my Great-great-grandfather Marcor Hanson and his wife Anna.  Marcor came to America on a boat with his brothers. They all kept their fathers first name for their last as was the tradition in Denmark. Marcor chose to use Hanson (father was Han) as a middle name and use his father's last name as his own (which was the American way). He also chose to change it from Petersen to Peterson to sound more American.  Thus making him the first Peterson on America. 

He went to SLC and started his family.  He was called by B.Y. to take his family and settle AZ.  

This plaque is at the edge of the cemetery and tells the story of the settlement. It over looks the valley where the first Peterson hut was.

I loved to hear all the stories from my father of his childhood as he toured his hometown.  We even knocked on his childhood home and got to walk through. 

It was wonderful to see my family even under sad circumstances.

RIP grandpa.

(self-portrait images found on Jeff's ipad)

before TX

when the decision was made to move to TX,

i knew there was a few things that needed to happen first.

a girls outing with my Taylor family.

we decided to go to Time Out for Women.

this is what i was greeted with on my way out the door.

it was great to get away and spend some time with the sils and mil.

of everything in AZ, i miss these peeps the most.

a few last visits with my ailing grandparents.

my girls LOVED visiting grandma and grandpa Pete.

he would take his teeth out and make us all laugh.

we got to practice holding a baby when Wyatt came to my sil Caitlin.

the girls were fascinated and in love instantly.

jeff and i were inflated with love for wyatt and excitement for out little boy.

we enjoyed one last AZ rainstorm with one of the girls

favorite accessories: an umbrella

the girls had their soccer banquet and received some awesome trophies.

jeff and i got a few nights out on the town.

pei-wei and barnes and noble:

asu vs. arizona football

we hit up a bunch of fall festivities and fairs including the AZ state fair

we got to visit with mom and dad peterson and brett's family for thanksgiving.

the girls loved the quality time with the cousins.

my family and a few friends had a get together to celebrate the baby and say good-bye.

do you think i like the boots?

i taught my last zumba class and they all stuffed their shirts with balloons for the warm-up.

it was quite comical.

i'm in the front in all black without a balloon. i really miss my class.

the girls were bats for halloween and i was a pot-belly pig.

we trick-or-treated with the cousins.

we even had some crafty times around halloween to help with decorations.

after all the fun times we packed up and left, but not without one

last group hug with the cousins and grandma.

(phew. that was a long mixed-up post.)

yesterday,

seven years ago was the greatest party of my life.

focus on the positive

camille is impassive.

jillian is spastic and has a weed coming out of her head.

i have a triple chin, gummy smile, and nose issues.
if you look closely, the piano has a few minor cosmetic problems. 

at-least jeff looks super handsome,

and dang, i think my hair has never looked better.

gotta LOVE family picture sessions.

kill me now.

new things in 2011

jillian has graduated sunbeams and entered the CTR classes.

she received her ring and has to wear it every sunday.

she even gave the first talk of the year in primary and didn't cry.

(a huge deal for the one who still cry's as she enters the

primary room)

hears to choosing the right and 10:00 church!

(in the 5 yrs we've lived here church has been held at two times: 8:00am ((lame)) and 2:40pm ((lamer))).

jillian also starting going to a co-op

Joy School with a few kids from the ward.

we swap weeks teaching and we are LOVING it!

look at the pure excitement on the first day of school:

Camille didn't deal too well watching Jill go to school without her.

After a few weeks I caved; Camille got her way.

Camille also started Joy School and is doing very well.

2011 has brought with it a new love of make-up for Camille.

These are just two of the many times I have found a mess of make-up on the floor

and a very decorated camillian face.

At-least she does a pretty well job matching what she wearing.

I started teaching Zumba at the YMCA in Jan.

Since then I have had two other opportunities to

teach at other gyms but had to turn them down because I

am still picking up hours at the hospital.

I'm hoping to get a couple exercise-related certifications

in 2011.

Jeff has been working from home and each month is

more successful than the last.

Hopefully 2011 will bring continued success on the 

self-employment front. 

Speaking of me and Jeff,

our Valentine's Celebration was great.

On Saturday night I took him to a nice

Japanese restaurant (he loves sushi).

After, I finished the BEST teryaki chicken of my life

we heading to the local skating rink.

we had a blast once the DJ starting playing some

old-school top 40's that jeff and i knew.

Gotta' love it.

2011...it's going to be good.