Patience

I read something on my friend's blog that really hit me. The words were so well written and absolutely true. After reading it, I sat and thought about my life and how many missed opportunities, disappointments, failed plans, broken relationships, bad decisions, etc. that could have been avoided had I been patient. Too many times in my life I have wanted things to be perfect and when they were not, I wanted to scream, run, end things, give up, start new. How foolish that is. The most important things in life do not come to us quickly. Like the old saying says,"Good things take time." I notice when I am patient with my husband, my kids, my job, my friends, my family members, I feel, like the article says, less stressed and more joyful. I vow to be more patient with all that life unravels in front of me, and I will be crossing my fingers that the world will be patient with me!

I would encourage you to read the article below. I bet you too will feel the world would be a better place if we would all strive to be more patient!



Willingness to Wait
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell
A young woman decided to plant a flower bed, determined to make it lush and overflowing. She planted numerous seedlings side by side until the bed was full. But instead of thriving, her garden died. If she had given her seedlings room to grow at their own rate, eventually they would have filled her garden with glorious flowers. But because she was not willing to wait for her plants, she lost their potential.
How often we try to rush our own growth—and the growth of those around us—instead of letting time bring the desired results. Too quickly we get discouraged, forgetting to take the long view, forgetting that all of us are works in progress. As our own worst critics, we sometimes give up on ourselves just as we reach the brink of progress.
Patience is essential if we are to enjoy the best life has to offer: happy marriages, fulfilling careers, developed talents, peace and contentment. Without patience, we rip open the bud, forever robbed of a blooming flower. Without patience, we fail to forgive and deny ourselves loving relationships. Without patience, we cannot conquer our own weaknesses and wind up avoiding anything we can’t do easily or quickly.
Patience is the loving restraint with which we watch a child try a new task—and try again. Patience with others is a form of charity, a loving willingness to wait. When we show faith that improvement will come, children and loved ones blossom with hope. Patience is giving power to others, letting them grow at their own pace.
When we choose to hold back a hasty judgment or pause before reacting, we step into a calmer sphere of peace and contentment. Our stress levels drop; our joy levels rise. And everyone around us feels the warmth of acceptance that allows growth to occur.
All beautiful gardens began as patches of soil. They became glorious only because someone was willing to wait.

Whirlwind Weekend

It's been a fun few days. We went to Roaring Springs, participated in the Main St. Mile, watched Kalli play softball, went to a Boise Burn game, and Avery gave her first talk in church. Whew!

Friday night Payton took 10th place beating out 353 kids in the Kid's Half Mile run. We were pretty excited for her! I was conned into running a team challenge for a friend who was signed up but injured. Boy was I nervous to run a fast mile. I have never done that before. I was just happy I finished without puking and got a lot of cool, free stuff!

Kalli's team lost out today, but we had fun watching her. We didn't get to see all her games, but the ones we did see, Kalli was awesome. She is a great catcher and had some power house hits.

Karrie and Aaron drove up from IF to see her play too, so we were lucky to have them stay. We were glad they came and enjoyed hanging out with them, Jared and Toni!

The Christensen's invited us to a Burn game, so we went to our first Arena Football game. The kids had a ball cheering for the team and dancing to the loud music.

Avery gave her talk and actually did it! I thought for sure she wouldn't. I just whispered in her ear and she repeated after me in the microphone. She kept looking down, but Robert was in the hallway watching, so I told her, "Look at dad." So she looked up and finished her talk nicely, renewing my faith that small miracles do happen!

Here's some pics. of Keion's last night in Idaho and our busy, fun, whirlwind of a weekend!

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Peterson clan.....

Kylan, Danette, and Keion came to Idaho to visit for 10 days. They had a graduation barbecue last week in Twin Falls for Kylan. He graduated from Medical school and now has five years of Residency in Michigan. We don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like. So, we were happy that they came and stayed with us for a few days before they flew back home. I can't tell you how nice it was to have them here. My kids adore Keion and had fun playing with him. He is such a well mannered, good kid. The night before they left, Payton cried because she didn't want Keion to go. She woke up super early the next day (on her own at 5:30 a.m.) and rode with her dad to take them to the airport. She cried the next night too, saying she missed them.

I missed them too. Danette mowed our lawn, cleaned my kitchen, did my girl's hair, and helped me learn new things to do on my blog. We even put Kylan's Dr. skills to work while he was here. He looked at Avery's hurt arm (diagnosis, everything's fine, just a lot of drama from that child!) He used his tool (I don't know the technical term for it) to look in Owen's ear for an infection. The little guy has been very fussy and not sleeping, so we thought he might have an ear infection. So, Petersons you were a delight to have stay. Please come back again soon! We love you guys!

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"I'm Four Now Mom!"

We Love You, Avery J!!!!!

Avery turned four! It is hard to believe my baby girl is getting so big. She has been such a joy to our family. Sure, she has been challenging too (whew!), but with Avery there is never a dull moment. She is the most imaginative kid. She had an imaginary boyfriend, Shane. They were going to get married but eventually broke up. For a period of time she thought she was a dog. She called herself, Max. No kidding, she would crawl around on all fours, bark, and lick you when you came to our door. Her latest adventure is being a cowgirl. If I had known she would have loved her stick horse so much, I would have written Santa and said, "No, gifts but the stick horse, please!" You wouldn't believe the quickness and skill she has maneuvering that stick horse around the house. The greatest is that she now thinks she is a barrel racer. My friend, Tessa made Avery her own set of barrels for her birthday....ingenius! Now she practices her racing in the backyard for hours.

You know when you have your first kid you just assume the others will be just like them? Well, Avery is the polar opposite of her big sister, Payton. I used to wonder why she was so different, but now I am embracing those differences. Payton is reading books like Junie B. Jones, and I realize, hey, Avery isn't so different than Junie! There are wild, crazy, silly, never a dull moment kids out there, and we were blessed with one.

Thanks Avery for being my snuggle bunny. Thanks for constantly entertaining us and making us laugh out loud! Thanks for being such a good big sister to your brother, Owen. Thanks for being a great swimmer, barrel racer, big wheel rider, painter, rock out dancer, and serious animal lover. You are a star in our eyes!



Because she loves dogs, we decided to have a puppy dog party for her. When the kids came to the door we put dog ears on them, painted their little faces, and gave them a dog collar made of ribbon. They had to come up with their own dog name and we wrote it on the ribbon collar. The games were a puppy obstacle course and barking and howling contest. The kids were so cute acting like puppies. A lot of them really got into it and were in character the entire party. We fed them peanut butter sandwiches shaped like a puppy and dog bone. We laughed as they tried to eat their food like a dog. Robert made a pink dog bone birthday cake that turned out nice. Avery had fun with her friends and especially acting like a dog! Thanks family and friends for all the nice gifts and for coming and celebrating Avery's fourth with us!

Summer

Going through McDonald's drive through at 11:00 p.m., spending the day at Roaring Springs, company almost every weekend, late nights by the fire-pit, kids wearing swimsuits all day, sleeping in, not getting dressed until noon................................Summer's here...............It's official!

Owen's first buzz cut!

Oh, no you didn't just shave my baby boy's head!


Oh, yes you did!

Happy Father's Day!

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance. ~Ruth E. Renkel
A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again. ~Enid Bagnold
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. ~Bill Cosby
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. -Clarence Kelland
A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.

Happy Father's Day, Robert!!!

Well, it wasn't the best day. It seems I can't do a whole lot right without Robert. About 5 p.m. I had a pity party for myself. I realized pretty quickly today how much I rely on him. Alright, who am I kidding, I've always known how much I rely on him! It's Father's Day so I didn't want him to help with a thing. It didn't take me long to figure out how much he does and how much I need him. We're a team, and without him, this team player doesn't perform too well! But, it does make me appreciate how great he is and how much he does for me and the kids. He says he likes to be needed, well we need ya, Bob! We would be lost without you. You are a wonderful dad. Anyone who knows us knows he is the kid's favorite. It's a little embarrassing when we sit in sacrament and all three kids want to sit either by dad or on his lap. Little Owen had to be taken out of sacrament meeting twice today. Both times he screamed the entire way to the door, "I want my dad!" "Yup, I wish you could have him, bud. But, it's Father's Day, and I'm giving him a break!" So, Robert thanks for being the best dad to these three little ones. That means the world to me. They adore you so much. You truly are their favorite and have always been a better mom than me. I am so grateful for you and don't know what I would do without you. So, when you tease me and tell me you think the sun shines out my a%# (Juno), I hope it will keep shining because this girl will love you forever!

Fun, Fun at the Zoo!!

Even the "little man" wanted to pet the snake!Payton, going in with one finger!
Can you see, Miss Avery, trying to get in on the action?!
Ewww, Ahhhh, intensely viewing the animals!
Getting ready for the big show......(it was a crowded house!)
Karrie and Aaron and their new home!
Mikkel and Payton....always posing!
Good thing we paid for the wagon that only the adults sat in or pushed!
How's the view from up there, "little man?!"
Robert's little sisters............


We picked up Mikkel in Pocatello and headed to Idaho Falls for the day. She is one crazy girl. We all adore her and are glad she was available. She is on a tight schedule filled with socializing, socializing and more socializing! We drove to IF to visit Karrie and Aaron and see their new home. It was so nice. The place is huge, open and roomy, and very warm and cozy. We loved it, and I think the kids favorite part was their indoor tennis court, you know, the unfinished basement where they hit balls against that wall for hours! Robert's convinced we need to get the three little ones tennis rackets now!

We headed to the zoo and the day was perfect. The weather was just right and the kids loved seeing all the animals. Later we barbecued at the new place and Jen and the kids came over too. They were visiting in IF and taking Sarah the next day to BYU, Idaho for EFY. We don't get to see them very often as they live in Colorado, so that was a nice surprise. Unfortunately by then, my camera had died. So, I didn't get any pics. of their cute family. But, don't you worry...this camera nazi will get several this summer when we all meet in Bear Lake for our family reunion! So, thanks for letting all of us mess up your beautiful new home, Karrie and Aaron, and especially for feeding this rowdy crew!

Our Graduate!!

Stan and Nichole (my brother and sister-in-law)Aren't they a beautiful couple?!:)

Nichole graduated with her Masters in Administration. We went out Sat. night to celebrate her accomplishment. I can't tell you how proud I am of my sister-in-law. She is one of the hardest workers I know. Her program was on-line, continuous, and highly demanding. For two years she balanced the family, her education, and her work. Not, only that, but she paints and decorates her house, mows her lawn and plants flowers, stays fit, and is the Primary president in her ward. Ya, mega super girl here! Nichole is a great example to all of us in the family, and she is officially the most educated! So, here's a shout out to Nichole.......we love you and are so proud of you!!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

Happy 60th Dad!!!

Mikkel, Britt and family...lunching it up!

Opening the gag gifts!

Silly grandkids........The fam..........

We drove to Pocatello Friday night and stayed with my sister, Brittney. I know, I don't really have a sister, but since we've been best friends for over 25 years, we have adopted each other as true family. We couldn't stay with my parents because we had a big surprise party planned for my dad the next day. Saturday we got up and made lots of food, went and picked up balloons and headed to Ross Park to set up the party. The weather was cold and very windy! I was worried as we set up if people would even come. Slowly friends and family arrived and before we knew it the pavillion was full. It was so nice to see old friends. Robert kept teasing me about who was having more fun, me or my dad. I miss those people though. I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by really great families. And even more fortunate, was I, to grow up with a dad like mine. Alright, so it was his birthday Sunday and he turned the big 6-0...so I am going to brag on him a bit.

Those of you who know me know that my dad is my biggest hero. He has always been such a great example in my life. He is a humble, happy, hard working, caring, spiritual, funny guy. It is rare to find my dad in a bad mood. He is a simple man who doesn't need a whole lot to make him happy. He has never been one to pursue materialistic things, just the love and happiness of his family.

When I was younger I remember my dad always spending time with us kids. He would wrestle with us, give us pony rides on his back, tickle us with "the claw", and read stories to us. He loved ice cream and would make us malt milk shakes all the time. He would get up every Saturday and make us a yummy breakfast. We still beg him to make his "special eggs." He always grew a garden. I remember loving picking peas, carrots and radishes from the garden. As I got older it was my dad who would get up early and run us to basketball or cheerleading practices. He worked a sales job and could sneak away in the afternoons. He never missed a game or event. My friends all adored my dad. He was so friendly and nice to them when they came to the house. He had some silly song or nickname for most of them. He was always cracking jokes and having fun. It is rare to see my dad without a big, cheesy smile on his face.

My dad was always involved with some type of sport. He loved competing and staying fit and healthy. As a kid, I loved running around at his softball, basketball, and raquetball games. One of his favorite things to do was to ride his bike. I remember us driving to my brother's baseball games and passing dad as he was riding his bike there. Even today he takes nightly bike rides with his dog, Max.

My dad was always serving others. Each year for Christmas he would have some plan to help a family. He made sure to teach us the true meaning of the holiday. He continues to serve others. He has always been a faithful home teacher. I was grateful growing up for his father's blessings and his love for the scriptures and gospel.

Still, as an adult, my dad is one of my greatest friends. He calls me on the phone nearly everyday to see how I am doing and inquire about the grandkids he loves so much. He loves to play and wrestle with them, go to their games, take them for walks, and let them know how much he cares. He is always there for me. I am so grateful for the life he gave me and for the wonderful person he is. Thanks dad for being you because I think you're pretty fantastic. I just ask for one little favor......can you live for another 60 years?!

Chidesters in The House..........and in the trailer!

Lee, Molly, Cade, Campbell, and Jack
The girls.....playing in the trailer!
on the way to the park......
Hey, do you want to be my boyfriend?
Jack and Owen...the little guys
Molly, Lee and the kids left Portland Friday morning and arrived safely in Boise around 7. We grilled hot dogs and played in the yard. We even lit the fire-pit and roasted strawberry marshmallows that night. All our kids are the same age and play so well together. Molly insisted they sleep in the trailer. Robert and I assured them that although they are rowdy (totally kidding), we really will let them stay inside. They refused, and I think their kids loved it! They played in the trailer all weekend long.



Molly's brother Andrew was married in the Boise temple Sat. He married my good friend, Cari's sister Hillary. Boy is it a small world. The reception was at Two Rivers in Eagle and was beautiful. It was so fun to see all of Molly's family and Cari and hers too!



The Chidesters had to leave Sunday. We were so sad to seem them go. We had the best time. Molly has always been one of my "coolest" friends by far, and she married an even "cooler" guy and had the most "super cool" kids. Our current goal is to re-locate them to Boise, so if anyone knows of a job in the Landscaping business, please let us know!



Chidesters, thanks for staying with us and for the rip, roaring party weekend! We miss you guys already!