bunch of peds

All you can accomplish in a week

2010-09-26T11:55:00.004-04:00

Brooklyn had quite the busy week last week. I guess you can really accomplish a lot when your only requirements are to eat and sleep. First when I set her down here in the family room, she ended up. . . . . . . .

Here in the kitchen. She has learned to crawl up the stairs. The only bad thing is I found her trying to crawl up the main stairs. I guess now I really need eyes in the back of my head.

She started eating real food. She didn't devour the avacado as I thought she would but she seems so anxious to eat so the love will come soon.

Finally she has learned to pull up to standing. She is changing quicker than I can keep track of. Look at that smile! We are enjoying watching her grow.

I am the queen of. . . .

2010-09-26T11:17:00.003-04:00

....Making bad cakes. My poor kids! I am terrible at frosting and usually when I try to write their name on it I just make things worse. Ryan has decided that he could not handle it anymore and he usually takes over when it comes to the kids' birthday cakes. Well this year there is no Ryan, so I had just planned to make a normal cake with whipped cream nothing too special. Mason was helping me make Devon's cake and when we were done baking it he asked how we would decorate it. Oh, well I cannot decorate I told him and so we were just going to put toys on top. Then I decided to be brave and see if there was anything simple on the internet that I could recreate. My kids of course were drawn to these masterpieces, but we finally settled on this puppy. Now if you are creative or talented please do not judge. If you know anything about my creative side I think you may be mildly impressed. I hope you can tell what it is from the pics, I promise it did look like a dog in real life. The frosting job still lacked but overall not too bad.

Here is our little birthday boy. Wow he is really 3. I was pregnant with him when we moved here so some of our family has not even met him. He is the smiliest kid I have seen. People comment so often that he is always smiling. He loves cars, playing catch and being outside. He is very cute with Brooklyn. He likes to lay on the floor next to her and talk to her. The other day he called her a princess and said "you are my friend". It is so sweet. He also likes to steam-roll over her and pick her up both of which we are trying to convince him are dangerous.

Overall it was a great day. I love third birthdays. I think this is when kids really get that it is their special day. Devon walked around singing, "Happy Birthday to you, Devon" all day. He loved all of the special attention. We enjoyed a great day!

Brooklyn-7mos

2010-09-17T17:20:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn was 7 months yesterday. I already know she is a defiant little one because I asked her to stay little for a few more months and she refused. She has changed so much the last few months and I am so grateful. She was a little demanding of my attention for a while. It has certainly helped that she is mobile. She loves to just be on the floor scooting around. She is a great sleeper. She has been rocking on her hands and knees for about 6 wks., but still not fully crawling. That is fine with me.

So I do not think we look as much a like as I did a few mos. ago. However, I still think she favors me over Ryan.

3 times in 3 weeks

2010-09-12T21:19:00.007-04:00

So before I go into my post I must explain my little town that I grew up in.The population is 1500. It does not have a stop light and there is only one one-way street. It is about 15 mins. from a freeway entrance. I hardly remember ever parallel parking. Now forward to now. I live where people park on both sides of the road and I get nervous just trying to drive down the street. There are one-way streets everywhere and if you make a wrong turn it may take a while to correct your mistake. I cannot believe I have actually driven in NYC (yes if you know me you know I was bad at it). I have also had to parallel park in Philly and not only is that scary enough but it was on the left hand side, that is down-right confusing for this small town girl. OK now you have sone background as to why this is such a task for me.

So I have ventured in to Philly 3 times in the last 3 weeks. First we went to the zoo with our friends. Last fall I bought a zoo pass so I was trying to go one last time before it expired. It is a really great zoo. Did you know it was America's first zoo?

Since about July they have had a great lego display. This has been such a highlight for us. I was glad we were able to go back to see all the ones we missed the first time. The fliers said they used a gazillion legos. So now I guess I can kind of envision what a gazillion is. This polar bear was my favorite one.

A close second is this cool frog.

The next week just the kids and I went in to go to the Franklin Institute and the Natural History Museum. We loved the butterflies in the NHM. They even had a spot where they had cocoons hanging. We saw a butterfly that had just made its way out. Butterflies are so beautiful. I have to say I am very glad they were put on the Earth.

The FI was by far more impressive for me. They had a real huge train inside that the kids could go for a ride on. It moved very slowly, but my kids still thought is was so cool. We also had a chance to make recycled paper. There was so much more to see but I just ran out of time. I was sad.

When the train was brought to the museum it was painted purple. They should have left it like that. It would have really been a sight. They told us that they only paid $1 when they bought it. So now my kids are quite confused about what $1 can really get you in this world. Forget that cheap dollar store toy they think they should be able to get a car.

The last trip we went down by the historical sights. They have 13 booths set up and you can listen to a story at each one. You get a sticker for each story and when your flag is full you can go the the park and get a free carousel ride and ice-cream cone. Each story is less than 5 mins. and situated next to all of the main sights. It is a bit of a walk to get to all 13, but completely worth it because you can see most everything you want to see along the way.

I think this could have been Spencer and Devons first carousel ride. They had such trendy park equipment as well. My kids were unsure how to even play on it. I am not sure how practical it was but it sure looked cool.

So I think I am officially done with Philly. Unless those legos pull me back one more time. I will leave you with this cute picture of the two little ones.

Man Food??

2010-09-03T12:07:00.006-04:00

Living away from my family in my small apartment has been interesting to say the least. I currently have a microwave for cooking and mini fridge for storing, so meals can be interesting at times. As scary as it sounds, I've noticed that my present eating habits are much closer to my Dads than my single college days. If you desire any of these recipes, feel free to call and I can divulge the ingredients of these culinary creations.

Bake Beans with tuna and crackers. Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it.

You know how some generic items taste better than the name brand? Well this generic SPAM probably isn't one of those times.

Now tell me a good reason why you wouldn't want to put vienna sausages in pasta roni?

Do you mean a different Mason?

2010-08-27T10:19:00.008-04:00

I finally got the kids in for the last session of swim lessons this summer. McKena is the only one that had lessons in the past, so I was really anxious to get the boys in. McKena has always enjoyed the pool and just swims around like a little fish. She did well with lessons and even began to learn diving techniques. I love her confidence in the pool she is just comfortable in water.

Mason on the other hand has always been quite aprehensive. He would scream whenever Ryan tried to take him out in the water and swim around with him. He just liked to stay on the steps and play there. This year I noticed him getting a little braver in the pool so I decided that it was time to try him in lessons. When I asked him if he wanted me to sign him up he said no, and after the first day I asked if he was still mad and he said yes. However as the lessons went on he really blossomed and did quite well. His teacher called him a little fish. What?? Are talking about my son Mason? I was so excited that he enjoyed himself.

Here is the big slide. McKena's class got to go down at the end of each lesson. The first time McKena I loved listening to her squealing on the way down. Mason's class was able to go down at the end of the last class. It was so much fun for them.

Spencer opened up as well. I think he just needed something to give him a bit of confidence in the water. He was very obedient to his teacher and did a good job. Now he does not freak out when I hold him in the water and it is more fun for both of us.

I am glad we were able to get our lessons in now I just wonder how often will be visiting the pool. Last night Ryan said he saw a house with smoke coming from their chimney. WHAT!! a fire in August. Can I handle the Coos Bay cold?? Anyway here is a cute pic of Brooklyn to end my thoughts.

Let's build something together

2010-08-15T20:42:00.005-04:00

On Saturday I had to run to Lowes so I decided to get there in time for the building project that they have for kids every other Saturday. I was completely impressed. I left wondering why I had not taken advantage of this program all summer. It could be because I knew Brooklyn would more than most likely cry while I was in the middle of hammering and I would get stares because I did not pick her up, (which is exactly what happened).

So here is the final project, a bug box. I was expecting some lock together pieces and glue. However there were actual nails, hammers and directions. We did fail to pay attention to the directions and therefore, had to take out nails and hammer them in again. We still walked away happy and satisfied with our building experience. The best part of all was some very nice lady said to me "Since your kids probably won't tell you I think you are awesome for bringing them all here to do this." I felt so appreciated. It was also so much nicer than the "you sure do have your hands full" comment that I normally get.

The kids also all got aprons and they had a patch that you could put onto your apron that had a pic. of the project. I saw one little family with all of their patches sewn onto the aprons and I got jealous about the missed projects and then I realized I probably would have lost our patches before sewing them on anyway. Sure enough I was right because we may have already lost all of the patches.

On a side note, Brooklyn is 6 months tomorrow. She is improving so much now that she can roll around on the floor. I think that she just likes to moves. She is not one for sitting and so the swing is out which makes me super sad because I have a great swing. She sleeps well on the days we are actually home for her to have a nap. She like her pacifier which makes me VERY happy. She already rocks on her hands and knees. I do not remember my other babies doing so at this age. I am not ready for her to be mobile yet so hopefully she will not figure it out for awhile. We all are enjoying her so much.

I think she looks so much like I did as a baby. Especially in the above pic. Mom what do you think??

This is what is saving me!!

2010-08-08T20:28:00.002-04:00

Update on us. As many of you know Ryan finished his residency in June. He accepted a job in Coos Bay OR and although it is not the ideal location for us we are excited to move back to the west. Job hunting was harder than we had anticipated and in the end we feel pleased with the opportunity that Ryan has at his new job. Coos Bay was the first practice to contact us and after lots of pleading for other opportunities it turned out to be Ryan's top choice. We are excited to see what is in store for our family there. We are so happy for all that Ryan does to support our family. Well enough about him afterall this is my blog hehe!

Last month Ryan moved to OR by himself while I have stayed behind with the kiddos to try and sell our house. As I have feared,is has turned out to be the hardest part of this life changing year (new baby, new job, cross-country move, selling a house). So how am I faring?? Not to bad actually. While it is not in the plan for us to have the blessing of selling our house right now, I must say that we are receiving so many other blessings We have been able to stay very busy this summer doing lots of fun things many of which are in our price range of Free! It has been nice and hot which I love and will miss when I move to the cool OR coast. We have so much support from friends and neighbors, and we are completely in our comfort zone.

However reality is I have 5 kids and the oldest is 8 so no built in babysitter just yet. So what is my secret. Well it is something my SIL taught my a few years back. It is these cute little beans. We only use beans in the summertime they are our reward system. This summer especially they are saving my life. All I have to say is "I will give a bean to whoever will____" Usually I have multiple kids begging me to do the chore. Also if they are looking forward to earning a special privilege they ask me "Mom what can I do to earn a bean" Yes that is right they ask to do a chore, and it cost me nothing. I LOVE IT!! Beans are also taken away for inappropriate behavior. Beans have helped Mason to read better, Spencer to get his pjs on quickly, and Brooklyn to be held more often. Unfortunately beans have no effect on Devon and so he still may be the cause of my unravelling, but for now I am happy, and doing just fine. Thanks Krystal for teaching me about beans.

So here are the little cuties!

OK that is a bit of a fib. Here are the little crazies. Which is a more accurate description most of the time. Gotta love them.

Finally

2010-03-29T21:52:00.003-04:00

My house in finally on the market. Thanks to Bronwyn's talent and decor it looks beautiful. It has been up for almost three weeks and I am so happy to have it done. So I thought after I had it put up life would be great. Since we have put it up it seems like everyday something went wrong. First my kids spilled black paint on the carpet (thank goodness it was in the basement), one night a light bulb just shattered in the fixture, at 4:30 one morning we woke up to a loud crash and some plates on the wall had fallen off and shattered, my window boxes fall off every few days, Devon peed on the carpet (don't tell our future buyers), McKena melted at plastic bag on the stove. . . . the list could go on. Today nothing went wrong, but tomorrow is another day so I will not count my lucky stars yet.
Throughout this process I have received so much service. I could never thank everyone enough. Here is a shoutout to you all. Thanks you Mom, Bronwyn, Brenda, Amy, Angie, Lisa, LeeAnn, JoAnna, Drew, Larry, Pat and Gary, Eddie, and anyone else I am missing. (don't hate me if I forgot you)

Maybe I was wrong

2010-02-25T14:21:00.003-05:00

Most of you know that we did not find out what we were having with this pegnancy. I guess we have decided it is fun to wait those nine long months for that surprise. The whole time as I was carrying this little baby inside of me I was torn when people would ask what I thought it was or what I wanted. I guess I wanted a girl for McKena, but I was really wanting another son. I just wanted to have 4 boys. Well I think I could have been wrong. The minute Ryan told me what we had I just knew that I wanted another little sweet girl in our family. I know you cannot choose what you get and healthy is the most important thing. I guess I just felt it stronger than with any of our other surprises. So here she is

BROOKLYN MICHELLE

She arrived on Feb 16 2010. She was a little less than one month early. She weighed 7 lbs. and was 19 in. long. She is our biggest baby this far. She has these adorable little dimples in her ears that make them look like they are pierced.

Here she is coming home. She is wearing the same outfit that McKena wore coming home. We are so happy to have her.

This lady gave me quite the workout!!

2010-01-24T19:54:00.003-05:00

Last week we went on a little field trip to see the Statue of Liberty. I had only seen it from the ferry when we were in NYC in 2002. McKena has been asking us to take her for awhile now, so it was a must see before we leave the area. I felt fine taking the kids by myself my only fear was driving there. Lucky I have an amazing friend that is as good as a husband when it comes to getting me places. I just blindly follow her and she always gets me to my destination in safety. What an easy life I have.
Here are all of our kids on the ferry ride from New Jersey to the statue. I think that cities are beautiful so I love NYC in the background. It was a little cold but not too bad when the sun was shining. The decent weather definitely made the trip a lot easier.

We went to Ellis Island first and learned about all of the immigrants. I honestly had no idea that so many people immigrated here. They have a great museum there. Then on to the statue. They have a small museum before hiking up. Here is Spencer doing a check of Liberty's toenails. I think they are intact and healthy. Like father like son.

We just hiked up to the pedestal where you can go out and get another great view of the city. We had wanted to go up to the crown but it was hard to get tickets and there was a height restriction so only McKena and Adam would have been able to go. McKena was upset about this but I now know it was for the best. WHAT WAS I THINKING!!! I actually thought I would have been able to make it all the way, which was another 200 steps or so. Yeah right!! Just to the pedestal it was 168 steps (or 186) and let me tell you I was panting. OK panting is an understatement. In my defense I was carrying Devon and I am 33 wks. along, but come on. It was worse going down. The stairs are very narrow and I could not see my feet. I just knew that I was going to trip, drop Devon, fall on my tummy and then bounce around like a basketball. None of that happened, thank goodness!!! It was a fun trip thanks LaMonts for going with us.

On your face, or in the case

2010-01-17T16:21:00.004-05:00

This is our new favorite thing to say.

Mason has had a little bit of an issue with being cross-eyed for a while now. Last May when he went in for his yearly check-up his sight was not as good in his left eye and so I determined that I should finally take him into the eye Dr. Well we had to wait for our optical ins. to kick in so about 8mos. later he finally went in. This is the result of his appointment. He is very excited about his new glasses and so far does a good job at keeping them on. He does say that he is kind of embarrassed because he is missing a tooth and has glasses. Those two things make him look funny I guess.

Maybe you shouldn't say that!!

2009-11-23T11:02:00.002-05:00

I am not sure what has happened this time but everything has gotten much bigger much faster. I understand the concept the more kids you have the faster you show but seriously it just really seems out of control this time. So here are some things that maybe should have gone unsaid.
*Are you having twins (when I was 3 months)
*You are only five months along (come on that is more than half way, right)
*I thought you were close to being done
*As we were going to FL to stay at the Wilsons. Ryan asked how far along Amanda was. I responded about 2 wks further than myself. So he said "Now don't feel bad when she is a lot smaller than you, I just don't want you to be sad" (ok so this did not really bother me I knew he would be right)
*Another Ryan (as he was working in the ER) "Tonya I have seen so many women with really bad stretch marks, you have to be careful so that you do not get any" This was when he was encouraging me to drink less soda, the only thing that made me somewhat happy.

So here I am with #5 24 wks along. I have given up on wearing my own pants as of Sat. when I had to change midday out of the last pair I thought I could wear. I have not been able to see my feet for a while. None of this has stopped me from enjoying ample amounts of Halloween candy since I could finally enjoy chocolate again.

Honestly I am not an easily offended person so luckily most of the comments have just rolled off my back. I even don't mind when Mason pats my tummy and says "Wow mom your belly is getting big!" On a happy note I am getting great use out of all of my maternity clothes.

Mason birthday

2009-11-17T20:50:00.002-05:00

I have let too many birthdays pass. At the first of this month Mason turned 6. His birthday was very easy this year. We had just returned from our vacation and so we kept it low key. I was amazed at how happy he was about it. I even forgot to decorate, I hope that does not scar him for life. I was nervous because he was not getting many gifts. He surprised me by being so excited to receive his lego sets. I had no idea he would love legos so much. Boy, I got lucky with that one.

Mason is learning how to be a good older brother and I am grateful for that. He finally seems to like playing with Spencer & Devon. He is usually a pretty easy child. At times I think he is a lot like me, except for the fact that he is actually coordinated. He loves to play sports and does well at them. He loves to play with toys. He comes to me often telling me how he has used his imagination to build something. What a fun thing to hear from my kids. I hope he always uses his imagination. Happy Birthday Mason!!

The girl with the sassy hair

2009-08-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

For some time now McKena has been wanting to grow her hair long and donate it to locks of love. I am not sure who first inspiried this (I think Isabelle in Iowa) but we have since seen many of our friends doing it. So if has helped McKena to be even more determined. Last Spring she was pretty close then her and one of her friends decided to give themselves a hair cut. So now finally a year later she is ready. I was a little sad to see her hair grow, but very proud of her for being brave.

Here she is with her new sassy haircut. She loves it. I do not think she is able to pass a mirror with out tossing it and smiling at herself. The guy at the beauty school said she was so good. He claimed to be uncomfortable around children, and said McKena made him feel so comfortable. No surprise there McKena can certainly talk to anyone. We love the cute new do!!

July-My happy day

2009-07-26T19:47:00.002-04:00

As many of you know the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. There are so many things to love about this day. I love that we celebrate all that our founding fathers did for us. I love that we have a day to recognize what a blessing it is to live in this country. Ok I also love the fireworks, food and matching oufits. When we moved out here Ryan told me that while we were here he would take me to one of the cities to see a big fireworks display. Well lucky me I got to celebrate in amazing places two years. This year we went to Gettysburg. It was a great day and we loved watching the reanactments. What a great way to teach your kids history. Of course there we tons of people dressed like this....
I mean the uniforms not all matchy, matchy like us.

For sure there were lots of cannons. Mason would curl up in a ball as they were going off, but of course that was still his favorite part of the day.

They had this fun kids battle. It was great it occupied the kids for about 30-40mins. They learned to march in rank, backwards, forwards and also to load, aim and fire their guns. Now all of you may not deem this to be skills worth acquiring for your 7, 5 & 3 years old but in the Pederson home our motto is always be prepared (not really it is "this is the happy house).

Here is just one shot of the battles. They had two battles that day. It was great throughout the whole thing someone was commentating about the different positions they had on the field and what really happened during those battles. It was a perfect activity for the day and I really hope my kids learned a few things.

At the end of the day I still had to see a great fireworks display so we drove to d.c on the way home and watched their show. We were across the river with a perfect view. What a wonderful 4th. Thank you so much Ryan!!!!!!!!!!1

Let's start somewhere

2009-06-28T20:10:00.003-04:00

My sil Charity just posted that she will be writing in her blog once a week to get caught up. Go Charity. I could say that as well but then I would be a liar just like my little cutie Spencer. So instead I will try to post more often then every 2 months. May and June have been full and there is so much to say, however I will start with one of the highlights. Our visit from our Iowa friends the Giles. Is it because I love them so much or because I never have visitors? Not sure which. They arrived late on Monday night. My kids were waiting outside and could not contain themselves. When they arrived I felt like I was looking at a completely different family (kids sure do grow a lot in 2 yrs). At the same time I new I was looking at my great friends and nothing had changed.

We went to Philly one day. Jason and Teresa visited Independance Hall while we hung out with the kiddos. Then we all went to see the Rocky Statue which Ryan and I had not visited previously. Philly is always a great place and I do not know if we will ever see it all.
We also went to the 'sweetest place on Earth', Hershey PA. I couldn't let them miss the place that I am obsessed with. It is always a good time at Hershey and I do not think there is much that could make 9 children happier. Here is a pic of all of our kiddos minus the two babies.

What a fun few days. They were seriously too short!!! Giles thank you for making us feel loved.

Is this the face of a liar???

2009-04-17T09:11:00.004-04:00

Here is the scenario. I mistakenly left the syrup out this morning, bad bad move. Here comes Spencer with syrup all over his mouth and hands. Mason comes to tell me Spencer was hiding a full cup of syrup in my bedroom. I ask Spencer did you eat the syrup "I didn't mommy" (tears) "I didn't mommy" I try another approach. " Who put the syrup in the cup?" Spencer responds "Nobody did it" "Spencer didn't do it" "I didn't mommy" How can this cute little guy be the culprit. I remember when Mason used to lie about sneaking things, however he would always give in when I pointed out the evidence all over his face. Spencer must be to young to realize how strong the evidence is against him. I guess we need some long lessons in honesty at this house.

Wicked vs. my bed

2009-04-05T20:33:00.002-04:00

Last week we were sick. Not just the snotty nose sick, but the kind of sick that should only happen to me when I am prego. It started with Devon. Lucky for me Devon chose to take punish Ryan with his sickness. He threw up once at night when I was out, and on Sunday at church when Ryan was holding him. Then it moved to Mason who does not throw up thank goodness. Then I got it Monday night. By Tues morning I am not doing so well and we are supposed to go to Wicked that night. By the afternoon Spencer is also aboard the train and as you can imagine my 2 year old often throws up anywhere but the designated bowl. So here is the dilemna not only am I completely achy, and probably extrememly unattractive, but my babysitter is very prego and the last thing she needs is to watch my puking children. So I finally found someone to come over that would not have to bring their kiddos. A huge shout out to Lisa Y. Spencer went through two outfit changes while we were gone. I owe her so big. Seriously what kind of super, sweet, amazing person watches someone elses puking kids so they can go on a date.

On to the show. It was great. Very well done, talented people, great effects and all of that. However a small part of me (my very achy body) wanted to be in my bed instead. Anyway we are glad we went, another thing crossed off of the list.

The truth be known

2009-04-05T20:21:00.002-04:00

OK, lets get personal. I do not like to blog. There I said it. I knew that I should have never started one. I knew I would just see it as another thing that I neglect. UGH!!!!!!! I have the best of intentions, I will take a cute picture and have the post all written out in my head. Then two months later I feel sad that I did not post about this or that. I just never take the few minutes to get it on the computer. So many of you do such a great job at blogging, I do not know how you stay on top of it. Good job! To make myself feel better I just say that I can make a better pan of enchiladas than you. However for you good cooks, and even better bloggers out there I know that I have nothing on you.

So now that I have admitted my guilt (the first step), I can make my goal. I am short term type of girl. So I think I will see what I can accomplish the month of April. Gosh, I hope some exciting things happen around here.

Sum up 2008

2009-01-23T15:01:00.004-05:00

So here you have it my Christmas in review. I think that these sum up posts usually have no personality so why some of you make me laugh or give me insight I am just here to show pics of my kiddos. Here they are in the Christmas PJ's. We had a great Christmas this year.

Although this was not Spencers main gift it certainly was one of the more popular ones.

On Sat. after Christmas we decided to make a trip into NYC to see the tree and some store front windows. Here is the Big Piano at FAO. It was great. These two people did a few routines with some pretty slick moves. Definitely a must see with kids.

Mason and Dad hopped on over to the NBA store. Will Mason's hands ever be close to that? Extrememly doubtful, my genes seem to be to dominate in him.

The store front windows were great as promised. Saks had a whole story progressing in each window. Very cute. We also saw the tree, and even ventured into Times Square to see the Toys R Us. That place was packed. I just walked thru there thinking how will I ever make it out of here without losing a child. Luckily we did. We may never venture to Times Square again, at least not with out kiddos.

For New Years this year we just stayed home and celebrated with our kids and a few friends. He lots of yummy food and of course good games. For those of you that have ever spent New Years with us you will recognize Ryan's party shirt.

I may just move to Hershey!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-14T17:18:00.002-05:00

My younger brother came out to visit (that is another post), and while he was here we decided to make a trip to Hershey PA. It was SWEET!!! We watched a 3D movie of dancing chocolate bars complete with mist and bubbles. It has been a while since I have been in a 3D movie and I admit that I did jump when the spider came jumping at me and something hit me in the back of the leg (blast of air).
Then we took a fun trolley ride around Hershey. It is such a well-kept town, with nice parks and schools. We drove by Mr Hershey home that he built for his wife and paid a mere $57.000 for. We also drove past the first orphage that he started in the home he grew up in. He and his wife could not have kids and so they built a home and school for orphans and today his fortune continues to go to this. Amazing I love to see people doing good. To top off the trolley ride we had a special visitor and he even had a nice list. McKena could not believe that she was on the list (not that she is incredibly naughty). The kids were all given a special ornament.

I truly thought Hershey was such a nice, clean little community. I may even look and see if they are in need of a podiatrist in a year and a half. So don't be surprised if in 2010 our Christmas card has the address Cocoa Ave in. . .

HERSHEY PA

It was soooooo worth it!!!!!

2008-11-30T16:04:00.005-05:00

This is where I was on Thanksgiving Day!!! It was so much fun and I am so glad I went even though many people thought we were crazy to take our young kids.
As the parade got closer people began crowding in all around us. I never really realized how many people there were until I stood on top of some railing to find Tom (my friend's husband) who had gone to take the kids to the bathroom. I could not believe what I saw. Now please remember that I am from a small town of 1500 so a crowd like this is slightly overwhelming to me. Oh, and speaking of Tom at one point he was not sure if he would make it back to us because the crowd was so tight. People actually handed our kids over the top to get them back to us, unfortunately for Tom people were not as willing to pass him over their heads. Eventually he did make it back much to the relief of his wife, Brenda Here is Devon not knowing anything of the excitement that is about to come his way but smiling nonetheless.

One sad part was that I was not able to stand right next to my kids and see the smiles on their faces as the parade was going by, so here are the pics. that the police officer from the other side of the barricade took. Mason with friends Adam and Trevor Lamont. They look pretty happy to me.

McKena with Spencer

Some parade highlights: All of the bands were great of course. I enjoyed this one because they added some extra jam into their music with great moves.

MILEY CYRUS!!! This of course is a highlight for any little girl.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the old school balloons. It was just cool to see what they started with. A very close second for me was the Smurf balloon and float.

I will not claim to know Ryan's favorite however I know that he is a Snoopy fan.

Then there is the favority of everyone, Jolly Ole' Saint Nick. I do not know if it is the suit or what but this was a fabulous Santa Claus, with a beautiful sleigh and reindeer.

That recaps it. If you ever have a chance to go, do it. It is Sooooo (I could not possibly put enough o's) worth it.

I also have to give a shoutout to Louisa for all of the encouragement and advice. Thank you.

Here is the animal and his sister.

2008-11-09T19:39:00.003-05:00

Soccer has come and is almost done for this year. This is McKena's second year playing and she improved somewhat. I still think she may be more well suited for something like dancing or gymnastics. However I think it is good to have her playing sports as well. On Friday they had their banquet. I have mentioned about how wonderful my neighborhood/community is. Every year they hold a sports banquet that is also for all citzens. It is so wonderful to see the people that don't even have children playing sports out to support the community. There was good food and dancing. I was actually excited that the kids got medals this year instead of tropheys.
Mason was known as the animal of his team. He would just get in there and go after the ball, often getting a little pushy. He didn't care if the other kids were taller than him (let's face it they always were). I loved to watch him play. He became so involved stating "I want to be the best soccer player ever" This was especially good for him because he often has a hard time being in front of others. When I signed him up he did not want to play because originally McKena was not going to play. I would say "but Mason you love to play soccer" to which he would respond "only in my backyard, mom." He really opened up.

McKena had a fun year and really began to attack the ball. She was always smiling. People would always ask if she ever stopped smiling. She loved to cheer her team on. At one point her coach told her she had to wipe that smile off of her face, and get her tough look on. We worked on her tought look for awhile but she just could not do it. I am grateful to have such a happy little girl.

2+2+2=our cute halloween family

2008-11-02T19:39:00.003-05:00

This year I decided to once again make some of our families Halloween costumes. I didn't do it last year and so I felt the need to start again. What a chore! For the last 3 weeks nothing has gotten done except for sewing these costumes. There has been many unwiped noses, unswept floors, and unmade dinners. Now they are done and it is over. Am I glad I did it? I am not sure, but it is done and we are all happy.
Here are the two dragons. They were so cute and the bonus is that the costume was warm. Don't be suprised if you see Devon as a dragon for the next few years.

Spiderman (no I did not make it, do you think I am superwoman?) and his amazing pal Firestar. Thank you to the amazingly talented, Bronwyn for the flames at the boot and sleeve tops. Nobody really knew who McKena was however, one of my friends said that she did look like speed. Perfect compliment for a superhero.

Zorro and his Latin Lady. For those of you that knew I was making myself a red cape all I have to say is that by the time I was done my brain could no longer comprehend what to do with the red cape. Maybe next year.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

PS our kids wore their costumes 4-5 times between all of the different events so I figure all of my work may have paid off.

Mason is now 5

2008-11-02T19:24:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Mason's birthday. He is now 5. It is so hard for me because he was my smallest little one at birth and now he seems so big. I just want to enjoy this year, which is his last before heading off to school. I love having him around. He had a great day. His breakfast choice was again donuts, lunch chicken nuggets and dinner pesto chicken with brocoli. I am so glad that we have moved beyond the corn dogs and nuggets for dinner. It was nice to have a meal that I could actually feel good about feeding them after all of that sugar.
Mason really working to get those candles blown out. He chose to have just a plain cake with cherries on top. I really am not a cake lover and so I was glad to see something a little different.

The moment of surprise. The funniest part about this picture was that he had already seen this gift in my room one day. He sure does pull of the surprised face really well!!!

5 wonderful things about MASON

*He has really become so much more helpful since McKena went to school all day

*He is truly very sweet to his mom, he can make me feel so loved

*He has built a little bond with my old lady neighbor, they really are great friends

*He is very athletic and is LOVING soccer this year

*He is becoming a fun older brother for Spencer and Devon

Crazy about Camo!!!!!!!

2008-10-19T17:09:00.003-04:00

So sometimes I let Mason dress himself. I love to see what he comes up with. Usually it is fine because there are not many colors to his all boy wardrobe and so there is not a lot to mismatch. The other day when he came down in this outfit my eyes could hardly register all of the camo print (can you tell even his flip flops are camo). However I was grateful that my little boy would be well hidden if he was playing hide and seek in the tall weeds.

Buns, Buns, Buns

2008-09-28T21:25:00.002-04:00

So in case if you are wondering. . . .yes, McKena did go back to school. I will not go into how heartbreaking this was for me. A month later I think I can say that I still do not feel over it. Not to mention the fact that McKena is not the same little girl that she was this summer. Just changing I guess. For her first day of school she requested cinnamon rolls (buns). What a yummy start to a sad day (for me).
Here she is ready to leave with her cute little hair buns.

The third buns comes from me working mine out that day. I work out once a week with some other girls in my ward up at the church. That was a great work out day. Just tell me this DOES IT GET ANY EASIER? (the letting her go to school I mean)

Devon is one, really he is.

2008-09-28T21:03:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday our little boy turned one. We took him out for ice cream on his birthday, or the truth be told we took ourselves out for ice cream. He did enjoy very much the little tastes that he got. Today we had some neighbors over for cake, ice cream and presents. Our neighbors are like family to us and so it was nice to have them over celebrating this special occasion. Devon had no interest in the presents basically, however he loved the camera. It is rare I know but he actually likes to be photographed. He will probably have the best scrapbook.
Look at those baby blue eyes. I also love his curly, blond hair.

My first child to actually really dig into his cake. He must have a sweet tooth. Now to explain why it may seem unbelievable that Devon is one year old. I was sure he would be my biggest baby, he definitely was in my tummy. Once again I have been disappointed, and I am starting to become frustrated with the dead-beat Pederson genes. At one year Devon is my smallest child. I will not state his stats for fear that some of you may judge my ability to feed my baby. I will just say that as I got out his winter clothes (6-12 mos.) I cringed because I still had to roll the legs. Who knows when he will face forward in the car. Poor guy!!

Cinderella hard at work

2008-08-26T13:22:00.003-04:00

Today I come in from hanging my clothes out on the line (which I still love by the way), and I find this. McKena is Cinderella for the day I guess. She is still desiring to earn a castle that I got for her (free on the side of the road) so I guess she took it upon herself to mop the floor. Luckily this actually needs to be done and that is one more thing I can cross off of my list of things to do today.
I am not sure if you can tell from this picture the amount of soap that she thought she needed is about 5X to much.
Did I mention it is lunch time, I have a cranky Devon, I am still in my pjs, and in desperate need of a shower. Unfortunately the kitchen is where I need to be or go through to take care of any of these things. So how long does it take a 6-year old to mop the floor is the question at hand!!

Could I be a pioneer?

2008-08-06T08:43:00.002-04:00

OK so I probably could not deal with actually washing the laundry by hand, but I sure do love hanging it on the clothesline. Ryan put this up for me last week and I just love it. When we were looking for houses I seemed to be drawn to the clotheslines. It seems many people out here use them. Anyway I did not know it would be so easy to put one up. Who knew all you needed was two trees.

Where is Spencer?

2008-07-22T19:59:00.004-04:00

This is our adorable little toddler bed. Someone kindly gave it to us when we were living in Iowa and Mason just loved it. Of course he did, wouldn't any two year-old little boy (or girl for that matter) love this car bed? You would think so. I guess our little Spencer is not a normal two year-old because he seems to have quite a hard time staying in it. He rarely takes naps in his bed although he will fall asleep in a heartbeat if he is in the car. He also really struggles staying in at bedtime. Often when we go to bed we will find Spencer. . . . .
In our bed most of the time. Although he has also been found. . . . .

On McKena's bedroom floor or. . . . . .
On the stairs, or even. . . . . . .
On his windowsill. Now you tell me how can that possibly be comfortable.
Of course this is what happens on those days that he refuses to take a nap that he desperately needs. I am amazed that anyone could fall asleep in the midst of a yummy meal of taco salad.

America's birthday

2008-07-14T21:48:00.001-04:00

We had a very fun Fourth of July this year. I am crazy about the 4th. I love everything about it, the parade, BBQ, red white and blue outfits, celebrating the freedom of living here, and the fireworks (I would actually call myself obsessed when it comes to fireworks). When we moved out here last year Ryan promised that he would take me to one of the big cities for the fourth while we are here. So this year I decided to take him up on it and we traveled to Philadelphia. What better place to celebrate America's birthday than in America's birth place.
They had a fun all you can eat ice cream fundraiser down on the Pier. It was only $5 for all you can eat ice cream from all of the favs. It was packed so I am not sure if we got all we could eat, but we definitely got all you can 'wear'.
They also had a naval ship at the Pier that you could tour. The kids really enjoyed that .

We ended the night with a great parade and fun fireworks. The only problem was that it rained from about 8pm on. Luckily not a down pour but enough to be wet and a little uncomfortable. The kids actually were still really good and just continued to play and run around with their friends.

Camping

2008-07-14T21:19:00.005-04:00

Last month we had a super fun camping weekend with our friends the Acors, Williams, and Darren Groberg (a student visiting Ryan's residency). I have really learned to love camping. As a child we went camping often or so I remember, however I prefer my adult style of camping. My new camping includes toilets (preferably flushable), showers, and running water. If I have these things some bug spray and my dutch oven I am pretty happy. I can even deal without the showers (which were lacking this particular weekend). We were able to go for two nights which in my opinion is the only way to go. There was a decent lake and decent weather. The other families had brought along their bikes which was not much fun for my kids (they still need training wheels) but was nice for Ryan and I to go on a bike ride around the lake. At one point during the weekend I was thinking that I had not had to reprimand my kids much at all. I realized it is because they just get to play all day. They also just loved being outside. It was so nice to see them playing together without fighting it probably also helped that they had other kids to play with besides themselves. It doesn't matter what the reason was I just loved the peace. My one mistake was that I did not bring anything for Devon to sit in or on. The only chance I had to set him down was in the tent.
Mason with Lauryn and Sean Williams.

Our little family on our first and hopefully not last camping trip of summer 2008.

Our backyard

2008-06-28T07:47:00.004-04:00

Our backyard has been amazing this spring and summer as all of the flowers are blooming. It is so fun to watch because everything is a surprise since I am so unfamiliar with flowers. I am always anxiously awaiting the buds to bloom so that I can see what beauty awaits us. The previous owners were obviously into a beautiful yard and they have given us much to look at and a whole lot of work to do. First off there is this cute little fish pond in the center of our backyard. We decided to take it out because it is not practical for a family of four little kids. Plus we just really need more grassy area.
Here is Ryan's grass that he is working so hard to grow. You cannot tell really well in this picture but the new grass is a completley different color of green and looks kind of funny right now hopefully we will be able to blend it a little in the next few years.
Just some pictures of some of our flowers.

No this is not the southwest, but yes we do even have a catus.
In addition to these beauties we have had daffodils, iris', roses, forsythia, azaleas, peonies. violets, and many more that I have no idea what they are. On a side not we also have our vegetable garden that is growing. I am so excited to harvest. We ate our first pea the other day so yummy.

Family Night

2008-06-21T21:25:00.003-04:00

On Monday night we had a fun Family Home Evening. I have been trying to get our food storage and last time I wasn't able to can with our ward so we decided to do it at home. I was excited however I was not expecting that the kids would be very helpful. They did really well. First I had to tell Ryan to look the other way as they were filling the cans so that he would not see the mess. After we got over that it was all fun. Spencer even helped by giving daddy the oxygen packets. At one time Ryan even declared that they were running a pretty smooth assembly line. I was so proud!
All done! So if there is ever a major emergency I have my cans. Hopefully I will know what to do with the stuff inside.

Our little Dev

2008-06-21T21:16:00.004-04:00

Devon will be 9 mos. on Monday. I really enjoy watching him as he is learning to get around. He can army crawl better than I remember any of my other kids. He gets on his hands and knees often but doesn't actually move yet. My favorite thing is when he gets in pushup position with his little bum in the air. He still has chubby cheeks but is thinning out a little everywhere else.
What will he find around the corner. The kid loves to move around the entire room.

August Rush

2008-05-25T21:26:00.002-04:00

I know this movie is a little old but I just watched it last night and I loved it, well almost. It was totally up my alley. A great love story that was not too sexy, a simple uplifting story line, and that guy who played Lewis (I seem to enjoy his accent). The whole time I am watching I am thinking that I must own this movie. You see I have a list of a few movies that I love and I can just watch over and over. If I had time I could probably even watch some movies several days in a row. I just knew this movie needed to be added to my list. Then the ending came. I cannot handle endings like that. I hate to be left wondering. You cannot end a story with a few smiles and nothing said. Some of you may say that nothing needed to be said everything came full circle however I need words and somes hugs and kisses. Now I cannot tell you what more I needed to see because I am not a writer. I just don't understand why the movie people did not know there needed to be more. Luckily the rest of the movie was good enough to make up for the end so I think it still will be added to my list.

Spencer is 2

2008-05-25T21:04:00.003-04:00

Our little guy has turned two. This happy birthday is a little belated because I have had a hard time finding a good picture opportunity. This little boy truly makes me realize what little kids are all about. I know that I will always find something scary if I have not seen him in a few minutes. He seems to find all of those things that I or one of the kids forgets to put away. I have seen him spill more things than I care to think about. He loves to find any way possible way to get the things that I try to put out of his reach. I am not sure if that is even possible. He has barely started talking which is not rare for my children. I love to hear his new words. He loves to say Devon's name and will say it over and over. He definitely prefers his daddy. If he needs me and I do not respond right away he refuses to let me help and will not allow me to pick him up. He is our lightweight, I will not be at all surprised when Devon weighs more than he does. He has adorable dimples and beautiful blue eyes. He loves his nursery leader. He likes to take his pants off (see below) and this drives me crazy I think children should be dressed. He loves to play with Devon and watch him do things.

He is our adorable little two year old. We love all that he adds to our family.

The two babies

2008-05-12T19:39:00.005-04:00

Here is a picture of my two babies. I guess I will not be able to call Spencer a baby anymore since he is turning two on Wednesday. I haven't posted any pictures of Devon in awhile so I thought I would let you all see how big he is getting. He is seven and a half months old and such a joy right now. He is sitting and will acutally play by himself for awhile. He loves to be talked to or just watch the chaos going on around him (there is always some). He has been sleeping through the night for about a month which makes both of us happier. He is not into food very much although I know that will come soon enough. I have not had a picky eater yet and I think Ryan would just be beside himself if one came along. I used to think he looked a lot like his brother Mason now he is changing and I am not so sure. We love having him in our home.

McKena turns 6

2008-05-12T19:30:00.003-04:00

It is official. May 12th has come and McKena is another year older. She has been talking about her birthday since Nov. when Mason had his. It seemed so far away then and now it is here. Like everyone says I cannot believe that my little girl/boy is 6 already but it really feels true. I love the adorable person that she is becoming. She is so helpful some days I do not know what I would do without her. She is doing really well in school and I love to watch her learn, it has been really fun for me. Here is the birthday girl.

Here are some of Mckena's favorite things at the age of six.

PRINCESS - Sleeping Beauty

FRUIT - Grapes

STORY - Strawberry Shortcake

THING TO PLAY WITH HER BROTHER - cars

COLOR - Pink

THING TO DO AT SCHOOL - Make crafts

ANIMAL - Horse

VEGETABLE - Carrots

SONG - Love One Another

Happy Birthday to our sweet girl. We love you!

The votes are in

2008-04-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

Ryan's dad recently came out for three weeks to visit our family and help us do some things around the house. While he was here we decided to make a few excursions to near by sites. The first weekend we decided to go and see Valley Forge and Philadelphia. We went to visit the Liberty Bell, The first post office, and Benjamin Franklin Museum. Before we left I decided that I must go and have a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. There are two places right across the street from each other that are supposed to be the best. So we decided to take a taste test.

First Geno's, this place is definitely flashier, can you say overboard. It also has a great tribute to fallen police officers, and firefighters. Next Pat's, unfortunately you cannot see the sign in this shot. This place has a more simple look to it.

According to our taste test the winner is . . . . . Well they were so similar that there was not a definite winner. Pat's was definitely hotter. Geno's you can choose if you want cheese sauce, or american cheese slices (Ryan prefers sauce). So this is how we see it. Feel free to come visit and vote for yourself.

First time with four

2008-04-16T21:06:00.003-04:00

In Ryan's residency program he has to be on call every 2-3 weeks when he is on podiatry service. When he is off-service meaning on a rotation other podiatry there is no call. For the past six months Ryan has basically been off-service and so I have not had to deal with him being on call on a weekend. This past Sunday was my first Sunday to church by myself since having Devon. As you can imagine it was less than easy. We were extremely late, never a good start. As we are finally exiting the house I notice that Spencer has make-up on his face, and Mason has no shoes on and his shirt is unbuttoned (we had some problems focusing on getting dressed). When we get there McKena had magically buttoned Masons shirt and helped with his shoes. The only seats left are on the very front row and I am silly enough to think we can handle this. We sit down and I finally make it to Spencers face and notice that Mason also has a dirty face (syrup). Next to tying Mason's shoes. . . well he has two different shoes one black and one brown they are also both the left foot. Great!!! All this I am doing as quietly as possible considering we are in the very front and everyone can see us. We ended up being like the family having play time there in the front. Spencer would not sit down, McKena and Mason along with the boy behind them were talking incredibly loud, and we spilled cheerios all over. Thank goodness it is over. Until next time that is.

Wacky Wednesday

2008-03-24T20:43:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday at school McKena had wacky day. We took great effort to find the wackiest outfit possible. I think it turned out pretty wacky. I also tried to fix her hair wacky with two braids in the front and two braids in the back. I was disappointed when McKena arrived home and declared that her hair was not the wackiest. Seliah (a girl in her class) had a bun on top, a braid on the side, and a poof in the back. Who knew hair could get so wacky!!!!!

Here comes the dirt.

2008-03-16T21:48:00.002-04:00

We have had a few beautiful days lately. I am sure most of you are experiencing the same changing in the weather and the random spring days that are popping up. We had a great day on Saturday. We started off the am with a little Easter egg hunt at a friends house. In the morning it was chilly enough to need jackets however by the time we got home at about 2pm it had warmed up quite a bit and the kids played outside for the next 3 hours. What a blessing for a mom that needed to get some stuff done. We even took time for a short little bike ride because it was warm enough to take the baby out without bundling. By the end of outside time we had two very dirty peds on our hands. I am not sure if you can tell from the picture, but I often wonder how their faces get so dirty. It is all worth it and nothing that a bath can't take care of.

Husband Facts

2008-03-09T19:51:00.004-04:00

I was recently tagged with questions about my husband. Since most of my blog is about myself or our children I decided to give him some face time.

What is his name? Ryan Demars (mom's maiden name) Pederson. AKA Ry Guy, Big PaPa Ped, Rhino, Hotstuff

How long have you been married? 6 1/2 years

How long did you date? Who really knows. We new each other for one year before proposal. We had about a two month hanging out phase, then the him at BYU me in Oregon phase, and engagement phase.
How old is he? 31

Who eats more sweets? Mostly him. However I probably come pretty close which is sad considering I am half his size.
Who is taller? Him

Who can sing better? Ryan there is no comparison. I just got done doing bedtime activities by myself and when the song came along I was reminded how sad we sound without Ryan.
Who is smarter? I will let you decide Ryan is a Doctor, and my major in college was Fashion Merchandising.
Who does the laundry? Me

Who pays the bills? Me, however I am under the three strikes and you are out rule. Meaning if I get late fees or screw up in any other way three times he takes over. Sadly this has actually happened once. Ryan did do it for awhile and somehow it became my job again. Maybe he realized that it can be a little hard at times to keep up with it.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me, although it drives Ryan crazy because I am usually in the middle snuggled up right next to him anyway.

Who mows the lawn? Ryan, since we have been in the house he has really loved doing the yard work. He really loves grass and has chopped many limbs off of our trees so that maybe our yard will get more sun this summer and he can have nice grass.

Who cooks dinner? Me. Ryan does do all of the grilling in the summer.
Who drives? Ryan, I basically refuse to drive when there is an able male in the car.

Who is more stubborn? Ryan, his nickname growing up was spike because of how stubborn he is.

Who asked who out first? Ryan

Who has more siblings? I do.

Who wears the pants? This is hard. I am honestly going to say neither. We make most decisions together. We equally allow each other time to do "our own thing"

Who saves, who spends? We are both savers.

What is one of his quirks? Ryan has these slippers that he wears everywhere indoors. It drives me crazy because he will put them on even if he is taking two steps. Lets say we forgot to shut off a light, he will get out of bed put on the slippers take a few steps to shut off the random light and get back in bed, or if he is getting out of the shower he will put on his slippers to take two steps to go to the toilet. Crazy!

Who farts more? If you know us at all I do not even have to answer this, but just in case we are not personal it is Ryan.

I tag Teresa, Bella, Amber.

Our poor children

2008-03-02T20:00:00.002-05:00

I am not sure how it is for all of you, but out here in the east we have oil to heat our house. As you can imagine oil is not at a low price right now. Now let's combine this with the fact that Ryan grew up in a house where you wear your coat indoors. What do you get, not the warmest house you may come across. My poor parents we had to make some adjustments when they visited. Anyway to the picture. My kids always love to sit by the heater when the fan is on. The other day they actually decided to have a slumber party in front of the fan. Needless to say you may not want to visit the Pedersons in the winter.

Mr. Cool

2008-03-02T19:52:00.002-05:00

So the other day we got our new camera in the mail and I was testing it out on Mason. He started doing all of these cool guy poses. I am not sure where he got these poses from. I am definitely not cool. I guess Ryan is. Anyway if you would like you can also notice our beautiful new carpet. Our old carpet was this blue, office-looking (no pile) carpet. This is so much nicer. McKena was quite upset because she thought that the carpet in her room would be a different color. I tried to explain that tan is a neutral color, however she just does not agree.

The nicest neighbors

2008-02-17T20:10:00.002-05:00

One thing that I love about our new home is the neighborhood. From the day we moved in people have been so kind. I fill like it is my second ward. When I had Devon a neighbor brought me some frozen dinners and another took my older two kids a few nights when Ryan was working late. Our neighborhood also has parties in the park, a soccer team, a playgroup in the park and a flag football team for the guys. Our neighbors one each side of us and across the street have been especially kind. They give our children treats for every holiday (this is not always good because you know it is not McKena or Mason munching on cookies at 8pm, my cute winter clothes may have to wait until next year) and will randomly drop off other gifts such as workbooks, crayons, marbles and other random things. Anyway how does all of this pertain to this picture? The other day I was in the shower and the kids were having quiet time when McKena comes in to ask if her and Mason can go for a sled ride with Gary (of course we did have a talk about answering the door when mom is not right there). They got all bundled up and Gary pulled them around the park on a little sled ride. They loved it and it was fun to see them having so much fun on a snowy day. We are so blessed!

Happy New Year

2008-01-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

I am not sure where New Years rates on my favorite holiday list. I used to sit down and write resolutions in 5 different categories. I soon learned that was not for me since my list usually was never looked at again. Now I know myself well enough to know that I work better focusing on one thing at a time. I just like one improvement at a time since nothing else in my life is one at a time. Anyway, I do love the party that comes along with celebrating New Years. The food, games and laughs you just cannot beat it. We had a great party complete with fun games, food, about 10 different kinds of ice cream, and even fireworks which I just loved. It was a wonderful night we were even Devonless since my mom insisted on keeping him. At first it was more stressful to leave him because he had only had a bottle one other time, however since all was well when we got home it was worth it. There was a slight down side to the night. As we were leaving I fell and sprained my ankle. My friend said, "At least your husband is a podiatrist" This has not helped me in the least and definitely has not made it feel any better. Thank goodness my resolution was not to start exercising any time soon.

Palmyra/Niagra Falls

2008-01-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

While my parents were here we took a weekend getaway to Palmyra, New York and Niagra Falls. It was so wonderful to visit the church history sights in Palmyra. I was especially happy to go at a time of year when it wasn't very crowded. While living in Iowa we visited Nauvoo, IL a few times and I have to say there is something a little more special about Palmyra. To see the humble surroundings that Joseph Smith was in makes the events come alive. I am so grateful to be a member of this church and grateful to Joseph Smith the first prophet of this dispensation.
Our little family in front of the temple. Sadly we were not able to make a session due to the winter hours. Having a temple in the area really added so much to the experience for me. I think I may have to go back to do a session.

Here we are in the Peter Whitmer home. This is where the church was organized. It is away off from Palmyra and out in the middle of nothing. There is a beautiful visitors center/chapel and the home. I am so glad we found it. It really had me thinking about what those ten years between the first vision and the organization of the church must have been like. We know they were filled with persecution but also with so much amazement as each thing was unfolded leading up to the organization. While in Palmyra we saw the sacred grove, hill cumorah, printing shop where the book of mormon was printed, a house where Joseph lived and the beautiful visitors center.
Niagra Falls is only an hour or so from Palmyra so we made our journey there. We went over to the Canada side and the view was breathtaking. I find water to be one of nature's greatest beauties.
I am shocked to see this picture of Mason smiling. The mist from the Falls gets you quite wet and he did not seem at all impressed.
Overall great trip. Thank you to my parents for coming with us.

Christmas

2008-01-09T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here is our Christmas. Since Ryan was working over Christmas and my parents were arriving on Dec. 26th, we made the choice to celebrate our Christmas on Friday the 28th. Most people did not think that I would be able to convince my kids that Christmas was on a different day. It turned out to be quite easy since we were homebound with sick kids all week. So they did not know any different. It has been a constant discussion between Ryan and I whether to wrap Santa gifts or not wrap Santa gifts. This year we decided to leave them unwrapped due to pure laziness. It turned out quite well who knows what we will choose next year.
Each year thanks to my grandma and mom we all get new Christmas PJs. It is so fun for the kids to open this gift the night before. My mom even brought pjs for the grandparents so that they would not feel left out.
So even though it is a little late. Merry Christmas to all of you. We had a wonderful holiday and hope that you all did as well.

PS I would not recommend celebrating on a different day. Even though my intentions were good it just wasn't the same. Due partly to the fact that we went to Walmart and a movie on our pretend Christmas Day.

Snow

2007-12-24T12:50:00.001-05:00

We have really been able to enjoy the snow this year. Recently we had freezing rain and the whole yard was like an ice rink. The kids wanted to try and ice skate. They only had on real shoes of course, it was still not very successful. McKena fell and got a scrape on her hand right away. Mason learned it was much more fun and less dangerous to just slide on your belly. I didn't get any pics of the ice. These are pics of the fun snow.
Even though I don't think Spencer moved from this spot the whole time he was not very happy when I tried to bring him inside.
Here Mason is ready to pounce McKena.

Iowa we miss you

2007-12-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

Last year at Christmas time McKena's wonderful sunbeam teachers dressed up all of the little kids like the nativity and took a picture. They put it into a frame and gave one to each of the kids as a gift. McKena has hers up in her room. Last night we were singing "Away in a Manager" and McKena started to cry. When asked why she replied, "That song makes me miss all of my friends in Iowa" she then referred to her picture. So to all of you good friends in Iowa (and those of you that have moved on), just know how much you are missed.

I am married again

2007-12-11T12:56:00.001-05:00

This picture is kind of blurry but the point isn't for you to see my ring, but to know that I am wearing it. For about two months before and after I have my babies I am not able to wear my wedding ring. My fingers just get too fat. I usually try it on often after about the first four weeks postpartum and it finally fit about two weeks ago. For me this is even more exciting than getting into my favorite pair of jeans (I have a long time for this milestone). Not only because I love my beautiful ring, but also because I love wearing the symbol of my wonderful marriage

Devon's Blessing

2007-12-05T19:14:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we had Devon's blessing. I was already, head bowed, pen in hand waiting to record these special words for my son. Well my other three children had another idea. Spencer is crying/screaming the entire time so I can barely hear. I decided to stand up with him and a nice man in my ward takes him off my hands so that I can enjoy this special moment. Upon returning to my bench I find Mason with a bloody nose smeared clear across his face. Luckily it was not dripping so he could wait. By the time the other children were under control the blessing was over. I am grateful it is recorded in heaven.
Ryan is such a wonderful father. I love the fact that he blesses our children. I am especially grateful for the love and support that he gives to them and me as well. Each of our children are unique and Ryan always contemplates what he will say so that he gives them a unique blessing. Thank you Ryan, we love you.
By the way for those of you admiring Devon's incredibly beautiful blessing outfit it is courtesy of my mom. My mom had made special outfits for all of my children and I absolutely love it. Thanks mom.

Family Pictures

2007-12-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we went to have our family pictures taken. Our good friend Bronwyn took them for us and did an excellent job. I wish we could have done the same for them. Of course every picture has a problem it seems. This was one of my favorites because of the great backdrop and everybody is looking and most are smiling.
Ryan never likes to do couple pictures however I reminded him that this is how it all started. Sometimes it is nice to get back to just the two of us.
Here are some of the pictures that you will not see gracing our Christmas card. Isn't it
annoying when someone is making a funny face. Even more annoying when that someone is your husband. Actually that is not the only problem with this one so he did not get into too much trouble.
This picture sums up how our family was feeling by the end of the photo shoot. Did I mention that it was about thirty degrees out. I was seriously wondering if we had frozen our poor little Devon. All for the sake of the Christmas card. As you will notice it is always the mom that is still trucking.

Nicest lady in Pennsylvania

2007-11-27T12:46:00.000-05:00

A few days before Thanksgiving I was in the grocery store with all of my children, when I encountered someone that made my heart swell. I must preface this story just a little. Since moving to the east coast I have received several not nice comments about the fact that I have four children (or three and preg.) and that they are close together. One lady actually walked up to me in the grocery store when I was preg. and looking at Spencer said "Already" I said what and she went on about how I was already preg. with another. Anyway I won't share the countless others. I am in my favorite grocery store Wegmans. Now I love this store because for one hour I can put my older two children in a nursery (which they love) and shop. As I was shopping a nice comes up to admire my two young boys saying how cute they are and how lucky I am without a single word about how close in age they are. Well she happens to see me again later after I have retrieved my other two and asks are these all yours? So of course I am waiting for her to change her mind about how lucky I am. She asks if she can take one home. "On another day maybe, but today they are all being good," I responded. Then she says "God bless you." Now I get this often. Most people seem to say it as if they are really saying you poor thing. However, this lady gave me a thumbs up as she said it. I love the thumbs up sign it is so encouraging. So thank you to the nicest lady in Pennsylvania.

2007-11-18T21:43:00.000-05:00

Now that I have four children the question is do I feel busier? Not really. In fact there are so many less things that I can accomplish each day. I am often discouraged at the end of each day because so few things are crossed off of my to do list. I really need to learn to make my list shorter but I always have hope that today will be the day that things magically fall into place and the whole list will get done. However, at the end of the day there is no magic and the list is still only half done. The whole reason why I am not able to accomplish as much as I did when I was a 'three kid mom' is because my list of 'I am always doing' has become longer. Here is my list.

I am always changing a diaper or going myself (I am postpartum you know).
I am always washing my hands, 18 times in one day. Is that a lot? I know I am lame for counting but I wanted you to have the facts.
I am always sitting down nursing, reading, looking at someone's blog. . . . . It just seems to be harder to get things done in this position.
I am always cleaning the kitchen or at least wishing that I was.
I am always feeding someone Devon, Spencer ( up until this week I was still feeding him thank goodness he has decided that he can handle his utensils on his own), or myself. This is by far my least favorite 'always'. I guess I could choose to eat less myself but that does not seem to be an option.
I am always able to find someone to hug, kiss, and snuggle. With a husband, baby and three kids there is always someone who wants to love mom. I guess since I am always sitting there is plent of time for this. Of course I love this 'always' on my list and hope it will always be like this.

I would love to hear about your 'always' list

Pumpkin Patch

2007-11-05T19:52:00.002-05:00

A little late in coming, but here are our pictures of the pumpkin patch experience. I think this is such a fun thing for the kids. This was very similar to the pumpkin patch in Iowa (Howells) minus the corn kernel sandbox, which I really miss and the corn maze.
Poor Devon, luckily I don't think babies feel as akward as they look.
This is the first year that we actually took pumpkins home from the pumpkin patch. It was so fun for the kids to go around and pick one out. Ryan just loved these two little ducks. . . I mean squash. I love it when Ryan gets impressed over crazy little things like this. It was so exciting that we even brought one home to sit on our precious hay bale. So exciting to have fall decor.
O.K. this picture is not so that you can see McKena busta move. I did have two problems with my local pumpkin patch. First of all there were carnival rides so it took me a whole 20 mins. to explain to my children that we were not there to ride the tea cups. My second dilemna is this DJ. Who needs to be walking around the pumpkin patch with "Red Red Wine" or "Cottoneyed Joe" playing in the background. Although Ryan and I both found this quite silly I often caught us singing along.

Mason turns 4

2007-11-04T22:26:00.001-05:00

For breakfast Mason requested donuts. So Ryan and Mason got up early to head to the store for some fresh donuts, no day old donuts for our little 4 year old. Great choice!

After breakfast it was all fun from there. He was able to have a birthday party with his little friends. It was a spiderman theme and the boys had a good time playing together, and building a spider web out of chairs and string. Then that night we opened presents with dad and had birthday cake.

Here are some of Mason's favorite things at the age of four.

SPORT - Baseball
FRUIT - Cherries
STORY - Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter
THING TO PLAY WITH HIS SISTER - She is the cheerleader while he plays soccer
COLORS - Orange and Green
TRAIN - Henry
ANIMAL - Horse
VEGETABLE - Carrots
SONG - Follow the Prophet

We love you Mason!

Halloween

2007-11-04T22:02:00.002-05:00

Look at our little skunk. Not only do I love the costume but this is also a rare picture of him smiling. What a joy.

Here we are all ready for our neighbors Halloween Party. If you cannot tell Ryan is a mechanic (boring I know). I dream of the day when our family has themed costumes however for now we are quite the collection with our little snow white, power ranger and stinky skunk.

These are their halloween shirts. What fun. I would never buy this kind of stuff for my kids so thanks mom! They had so much fun wearing them. You cannot tell in the picture but Mason's has a skull on his and he was so excited to show it to all the different guys to see if they would think it was scary.

Pay Attention

2007-10-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

For quite some time it has come to my attention that I have a hard time paying attention to detail. Well my inability to post pics. to my blog was because I completely missed the check box to accept the terms and conditions. You know the one that says check here before you can upload. Once I noticed that it was quite simple. Anyway here is Devon.

For those of you thinking, I cannot believe the Pedersons have four kids, don't worry neither can we. Here they are visiting at ther hospital. McKena was the only one who actually cared about Devon. The boys were more interested in playing with the hospital bed.
Just a quick pic of Devon with his dad. The question is, Will Devon finally be our Ryan? He definitely is our biggest (if you take into account that he was early). I am told by many people that their biggest babies at birth are not necessarily the biggest child as they grow older. All I know is that my other boys seem to take after me so far. I guess only time will tell.

How do I do this?

2007-10-25T22:18:00.000-04:00

O.K. my friends I am having trouble posting pics. to my blog as you can see from the lack of Devon photos. I have already contacted an expert blogging friend and I feel quite confident that I am doing it right. Although I will restate that I am quite clueless about all of this. So if any of you have had a problem and have helpful advice please let me know.

Devon

2007-10-25T21:46:00.000-04:00

Our Son Devon Marlowe was born on Sept. 23. He came about 4 weeks early and weighed in at 6'11" and 19 inches. Marlowe is a family name on my side and Devon was Ryan's choice. He finally got to pick the name and for those of you that know how much he loves the name Bruce I decided that I could live with this one. I had a good experience although it did not compare to my Iowa experience. For one I missed my trusty nurse Amanda and secondly I missed the wonderful bathtub. I think it is sinful not to give a postpartum woman a bathtub. Come on don't they know that I have four kids and that my 2 day hospital stay is my only chance to have a nice quiet bath.

The start.

2007-10-21T18:09:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to finally start my blog. I guess maybe it is because I like to talk and feel like I have so much to say yet no time for the phone. Here are 10 things about me that you may or may not already know.
1. I hate to drive a car with a man in the passenger seat. In fact I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have driven with Ryan in the car.
2. I hope to take tennis lessons one day so that Ryan and I can play couples tennis.
3. My favorite chore is laundry and least favorite is vacuuming.
4. After almost two years I am still slightly afraid of driving my mini van.
5. I love to shake my groove thing although I don't claim to be good at it.
6. I love to take naps.
7. I think muscular arms are hot and hope to have them one day.
8. I am afraid of jumping on a trampoline.
9. I find fireworks to be one of the most romantic things so I hate to be seperated from my husband on the 4th of July.
10. I prefer winter clothes and anticipate when it is cool enough to wear socks.
11. (I added one) I am completely unoriginal and took this idea off of someone elses blog.