My Amazing Son (one of them anyway!)

Warning: I'm going to do some bragging!!!

What can I say...the kid's AMAZING!

He took piano lessons a few years back for about a year and did pretty well but hasn't really played much the past few years. Well, the past few weeks, for reasons unknown, he's practiced everyday for at least an hour. I think when he broke his collar bone, and couldn't play his French Horn, he needed to do something musical.

Who knows and who cares why?

I'm so excited to hear someone other than me playing! He's been practicing the Simplified Hymns but today he's ventured into the real Hymn book--and he's playing them!

Way to go Jake!

Month One with No Beth...

Well, it's been a month since we took our daughter to college so I thought I'd post an update.

As many of you can tell (from her blog) she is having a good time. She is doing great and is enjoying college life. For the most part, she likes her classes. She does have a couple kind of weird teachers but that's always expected in college. I'm so thankful that she has good roommates and has met some good friends it looks like. All around, I think she's having a good experience with college so far. She is in the Institute Choir and on the school's service board. She's enjoying all the activities and meeting all kinds of people. With this knowledge, it makes it easier for us knowing that she's doing well.

But, boy is it hard without her!

To be honest with you, I probably talk to her more now then I did the past few months she was home because she was so busy then,

but it's just not the same.

I miss her sooooooooooo much as do the kids and Lee! It feels like someone is missing all the time. I have to think twice while getting ready for dinner (7 not 8!) . When we go somewhere as a family, I always feel like I'm forgetting something. Church is really hard because she's not sitting next to Jake drawing silly pictures and laughing. I miss hearing her play the violin and the piano. Her perfume smell in her bedroom is no more now that Jake moved in. (You can just imagine how that smells! Just Kidding Jake!) But really, it's not the same! But we are looking forward to UEA weekend when we get to see her again!

It's been a hard month, but I know that she is doing well and is in good company so

we are happy for her!

(I hope this doesn't make her homesick! I just hope she knows that she is missed TERRIBLY but she's gaining valuable experience and we are happy for that!)

We love you Beth!!!!

Saturday Night Entertainment

Tonight we had the rare opportunity of having nothing to do.

So, Max and Emma provided our entertainment...

A good old-fashioned game of

Hide and Seek.

"One, three, nine, ten, hundud.

Ready I go!!!!"

"Where's my Max?"

"Dere he is! GRRRRR!!!"

Emma's idea of "hiding". She can't see anything therefore, Max can't possibly see her, right?

Kids are so fun!

Just What the Doctor Ordered...

If you couldn't tell from my previous posts lately, I've been a little down. Today, my mom called and said she and my sis from Idaho were going to kidnap me and Emma and take us to the park.

It was just the diversion that I needed!

We waited til Max and Cole got out of school so the cousins could have a good time playing.

Emma was beside herself!

She couldn't hold the excitement in!

First of all, she hasn't been to the park for a while (bad mom, I know!), second her cousins were coming, and third Mimi (my mom) would be there! So much excitement for a two year old!

It was good to see Cortney and the kids!

We sure miss them but it's so fun when they visit!

What a fun afternoon! Just what the doctor ordered!

*****

Here's a sidenote...

The belt broke on my dryer Sunday night. Lee keeps saying, "I'll get to it." But since he hasn't, I've had to dry the clothes outside on the fence. Here's a picture of his jeans. Maybe this will be incentive to fix the belt!!!!

Yes, they are propped up against the tree!

No strings or pins attached!!!

I bet he can't wait to wear them!

Duty...

I've heard a lot about this little word lately and has caused me to think quite a bit about it.

"What are my duties?"

"How am I doing with them?"

"What do I need to work on?"

and so forth.

It's kind of overwhelming sometimes! I know the Lord doesn't ask us to do anything that we can't handle, but sometimes I wonder what the Lord sees in me that I don't.

I sometimes feel like I'm a big disappointment to my Heavenly Father.

I try doing my duties but sometimes it's just so dang hard! I know life isn't supposed to be easy, but I get so exhausted sometimes. Right now I'm struggling in this area.

Saturday night, our ward had a huge Luau. There was so much food and so much preparation and work! Since I'm just on the committee and not the chairman anymore, I was trying not to stress over the whole thing. I had to go into work that morning and I ended up working all day. (which was very tiring in itself.) In fact, because I felt bad for not being able to come set up for the Luau, I left work an hour earlier than I should have. I came straight over to the church and started helping. I'm not saying I was the only one helping by any means! Some of the other committee members and their children were there almost the whole day!

I'm just saying, it was exhausting!

One of the ladies I work on the Activities committee said that if it weren't for our kids, we couldn't have ever gotten done! Yes, her kids and 3 of mine were there working their tails off to help get ready for it. Then, people starting coming and having a great time (which is the purpose of an activity right?) but we had to keep the food and water coming. While Lee was serving food, I was helping in and out of the kitchen. Our kids sat alone in the back. I was telling Lee, our kids don't know what it's like to go to a Ward Activity as a family and just enjoy it without working. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing but I feel kind of bad about that. Sometimes it's hard to see all the other families enjoying themselves and my family is scattered around working.

But, it is my duty to help.

Then, I get a call from the Primary President saying that she won't be there Sunday for Primary because she's going back up camping with her family (which is great because she needs time with her family) . So she needed me to conduct Opening Exercises for her. No big deal, I know, but to tell you the truth, I was kind of mad. Not at her, but just at the circumstance. I was exhausted! But it's my duty as her councilor to fill in for her, so I did. To be honest with you...I've been burned out for quite sometime. I knew I would be exhausted after Saturday and all week I was thinking of excuses not to go to church on Sunday. But I couldn't because

I had a duty to do.

Going to church these days is exhausting in itself! Emma won't go to nursery because it all started with a traumatic experience and now there isn't a chance in hell she's going. So I'm trying to do my duty and work in the Primary with a very demanding two-year-old. Lee can't take her to Young Men's with him so I have to have her with me in Primary for a good part of the time. It's distracting to everyone. Try giving a Sharing Time or filling in at the piano with a two-year-old! She just won't sit quietly next to me, I mean she is two!

And don't get me thinking of Visiting Teaching. I feel so bad for the ladies I visit teach. I'm a horrible visiting teacher!

I guess what I'm trying to say is doing your duty is really hard. I want to be able to say that I do my duties well, but, I don't. I try really hard, but I still don't do it well. It's like everything in my life. I'm kinda good at a lot of things but not really good at anything.

It's so discouraging.

But on the upswing...

I do see the hand of the Lord in my life and

I know that I am being blessed for my efforts.

I see that on a daily basis. I don't know why the Lord still continues to bless me and my family. I am just grateful to have a Heavenly Father who loves me and my family so much!

I just feel bad and wish I could do a better job.

Middle Age

It just hit me...I'm a "middle aged" woman.

When did this happen!?!

I've just kind of been going through the motions for so long that it just hit me. I'm no longer a young married person, a young mother, or young period.

The "Peterson Curse" is quickly taking over my face. (deep crows feet!)

My body aches. (I think I have Arthritis in my shoulder!)

My hair is getting to be one big grey frizzball.

I have to wear my glasses more.

It really stinks!

But even more weird for me is people are coming to me, of all people, for advice on all sorts of things.

Kind of strange.

I call my mom for help and advice and now I have a daughter calling me for the same reasons.

I have people in my ward asking me how I do this and that.

I have people I hardly know asking me how I do it. (what is it?)

I have family members asking me what my "recipe for success" in raising kids is.

??????????

It's really strange to me.

???????????

I'm just trying to figure out what happened.

When did I become someone to give advice? How did this happen? Why would anyone care about what I have to say?

It's kind of a scary thing. What if I say something that has "worked" for me and it turns out to be a disaster for someone else? I would feel responsible -- horrible!

Also, I feel so weird. I'm no good at giving advice. I do have good kids, but seriously, I don't know how it happened except for they came with good spirits.

I don't do anything that everyone else isn't already doing.

I try hard to do the best I can in everything I do, but then, doesn't everyone?

I tried talking to Lee about this and he says I should take it as a compliment. I guess that's true in a way so I guess I say

Thank You

to anyone who would care about anything that I would have to say.

(even if I don't understand why)

and

Thank the Heavens for hair dye!

September 12, 1987

The first day of my

"happily ever after".

Happy 19th Anniversary Lee!

(has it really been that long!)

I love you!

Old Age Really Sinks Sometimes!

I've been thinking a lot of my Grandma Runner today.

She was always my "young" Grandma, meaning she was energenic and didn't act like you would think a "grandmother" acted. She didn't let her hair turn grey until she became a great-grandma so she always looked younger too. She wasn't like most grandmas. Most grandmas knitted or quilted but not my grandma! (Well, I think she did quilt but that wasn't her favorite thing to do.) My Grandma Runner had a shed in her backyard that she kept her collection of tools. She had everything from mechanic tools to woodworking tools--and she used every one of them! You see, Grandma Runner was very mechanical. In fact, she retired from working for an aircraft in California.

My Grandma built airplanes!

The other day when I was at my mom's house, she told me she came across these little models that my Grandma made out of wood and wanted to know if I wanted them. Of course I took them!

They're pretty cool! My 80-year-old grandma made them in her tool shed! But the reason I cherish them so much is because my Grandma has had a major stroke and is in a convelesant home now and can't do anything anymore. She doesn't even remember anyone anymore. It's hard to see my Grandma--who was once so full of energy and life--lying in a hospital bed not able to do anything. Sometimes life isn't fair. It must stink getting old!

I am so grateful to have these little treasures! When I see them I think of my "young" Grandma and how cool it was that she made these!

The Week of "Duh" Moments Continues...

Will it ever end!?!

I tell you, sometimes I wonder how I get myself into these situations!

I was at work today and I had a couple of volunteer groups doing some service projects at different parks here in Provo. I had the whole morning planned out perfectly. I just had to hitch up my trusty trailer of tools and go to the different locations to get the groups going on their projects and deliver tools as needed.

Sounds easy enough.

Well, easy if you are a normal person with some kind of brain power!

I went out to hitch up the trailer to my truck (yes, I have my own white Provo City truck!) and I'm thinking everything's going great. The trailer goes on smoothly and I have more than enough time to meet my first group. I pull out of the yard and proceed down the road.

No worries.

That is until I turn the corner! I turn onto 920 S. and I hear this loud BOOM! and realize

I'm dragging my trailer!!!

So, I pull to the side of the road and try not to think the worst. I get out and see that the trailer had fallen off the hitch and the part of the trailer that connects to the hitch is jammed underneath my truck.

Why not!

I end up having to walk all the way back to my office and track down someone to come and help me because I am clueless as to what to do in this situation. I was just thankful it was one of the "nice guys" at work that was on-call today. (There's a handful of really nice guys that would do anything to help you out and the rest aren't so nice.) He came with his son and got me all hitched up correctly and reassured me that this has happened before and not to worry. But of course I feel like this again...

Once I got it all hitched up, I made it to my appointments without being too late and everything turned out okay (except I can't unhitch the trailer because the bar to hold it up is all bent!)

I hope my boss isn't too mad!

I'm such an idiot!

I just can't wait to hear all the mocking from the "guys" at work on Monday!

DUH!

One of Those "Duh" Days!

Here's how I'm feeling today...

Today was one of those days that I can't do or say anything right. (Actually, it's kind of been one of those weeks!) If I were in school 100 years ago, I'd be sent to the corner! Hopefully I can get my head straight again and all will be well.

The Master Chef

Once a year (twice if we're lucky) the bees get cleaned out of the "monster" barbeque and Lee fires the baby up,

then the magic begins!

(Yes, our backyard is the envy of the neighborhood.)

He doesn't cook often but when he does...yummy!

It's a talent of his that I wish he'd share more often!

Monday for Labor Day, we had a good old fashioned

family barbeque.

(We were just missing our Elisabeth terribly! but I can't talk about that right now!)

Lee pulled out all the stops! He made his famous dutch oven "cheesy potatoes" that have probably five different kinds of cheese (including Pepper Jack!) YUMMY!

He smoked the chicken then grilled it and topped it with onions, more yummy cheese,

and fresh tomatoes

straight from the garden.

(I wish! I can't grow anything! Look at my backyard!

The Farmer's Market is more like it!)

It was so good!

We topped off the meal with dutch oven fresh peach pie.

Heaven.

What a two-year-old does at lunch...

lovely!

(At least she ate the "healthy" stuff!)