A Joyful Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with family and memories. This year my mom and sister came from Washington to spend Christmas with us. They added such an element of fun. We went to Gardner Village, saw Christmas lights, made cookies, read stories, ate treats, and played games and with new toys.

Dad got a multi-function ladder and a new Makita drill set (it has a long involved name that means something like a Red Rider Bee Bee Gun with Compass in the Stock, but I don't know it). Lydia's favorite things were her Tinker Bell things. She now thinks in fairy.

I got Cruicut cartridges and a new knife set. Ali's favorite thing was a computer (like Daddy's!). It keeps her from playing with Tim's so much. She's a gadget girl, she can navigate Tim's ipod touch better than I can. We're starting to save for MIT now.

So, everyone's wildest dreams came true and Lydia is now working on her list for her birthday (in June!). Lydia also insisted we put candles on the cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I love Christmas time and all that comes with it. I'm so grateful my mom and sister were able to come and share it with us. They made the holidays perfect. It is always sad to see it go. We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season as well and that this year brings a lot of joy!!

Christmas Dancing

We had a lot of fun watching our girls go crazy over their uncle Ryan's Christmas lights show he made last year. Just another family tradition we have. We inserted little subtitles throughout the video to liven the it up a bit

Oops, She Did it Again!

Once again Lydia has taken it upon herself to cut her hair. We had some guests over on Sunday, and as they were leaving the mom said, "Lydia, your hair is getting so long!" I commented that I'm letting her grow it out, but that her bangs needed to be cut. Lydia left the room and we said bye to our guests. As I walked into the kitchen to clean up Lydia approached me and said, "Mom, I'm sorry I cut my hair." Sure enough, her bangs had been "trimmed". I guess she didn't think I would actually get around to cutting her bangs, so she thought she would help me out by doing it herself. The problem is she thought her bangs extended on the sides quite a bit. I took her to get it fixed, but it was a lot harder to fix this time. She will have very short bangs and a mullet for a while. At least I wasn't planning on taking family pictures any time soon. Here's the damage.

I hope this will be the last time. Ali actually cut her hair a couple of weeks ago too, it just wasn't very noticable, so we just let it go.

I'm curious, do boys cut their hair?

Giving Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, food, and games. Tim's mom and sister with her family came and brought most of the food already cooked since cooking in my house generates too many smells. It was all super yummy and plentiful.

After dinner the dads took the kids across the street to a field to play football and kickball. They got a little muddy, and had a lot of fun....everyone except Lydia.

Lydia spent most of the time sulking about one thing or another. She decided that, "Thanksgiving doesn't have any good food for me, just moms and dads." She wouldn't play either, but at least she went out to watch. Here's her grumpy face.

Dad finally got her to cheer up and come play. She did play kickball and even wrestled a little with dad, Ali, and Kennedy. There were all smiles in the end and we are all thankful to have family and abundance. We are truely blessed in so many ways.

Twilight the Movie

I went to the 12:05 showing of this much anticipated movie last Friday. Thursday night the girls and I met at Red Robin to have some dinner and then wait in line for 2 1/2 hours. We had a great time just hanging out and pretending to be teenagers who don't struggle staying up 'til all hours of the night. The theater opened and in we all rushed. There were 13 in our group, so we didn't get to all sit together, but I did get to sit with 2 other fun gals. As the screen became green with the dripping foliage of Eastern Washington everyone in the room got very excited. Then as the movie progressed some in the room were just too loyal to realize it, but the movie was terrible! The acting was bad, the cinematography looked like a home movie most of the time, and the story line deterred from the beloved book too often. Even the mushy sceens we all really wanted to see were so badly done that most in the theater laughed. Now don't get me wrong. I am a fan of the Twilight Saga. I don't regret going to see it because, hey it's Twilight; however it was poorly done. It's too bad because it does have a huge following. I wish another company could pick it up and do Twilight again and then finish the saga. I know that won't happen though. So, if you're a fan you'll probably want to see it anyway, but don't drag someone to see it with you (like your hubby) who isn't a fan. I am glad I went though, I had a great time with my girlfriends. Thanks Megan for orchestrating it all!

Let it Snow Let it Snow!

To add to my desire to decorate for Chistmas...it snowed this week. The girls got all excited and dramatically expressed their desire to go out and play in it. I hunted down the snow pants, gloves, hats, scarves, boots, and coats. Then we went through the arduous task of getting them into their gear (think Ralphy and his little brother). Finally they were ready to go out and play. They joyfully burst through the door and frolicked....for about 10 minutes. They declared they were cold and came back in. Of course they then needed hot cocoa. I guess that's what makes the snow fun, getting cold and then getting hot cocoa. At least I got a few pictures before they gave up.

Halloween

I know I'm a little late getting this up, but better late than never, eh? Lydia insisted on being a fairy princess butterfly, so this is what I came up with.

A friend of my lent me Ali's indian princess costume. I thought she was just adorable in it. We went to a friend's house for dinner and then I told Tim I wasn't feeling well and would hand out candy at home while he took the girls trick-or-treating. He thought that was fine. 15 minutes later, he and the girls were home. He told me they were done, but when I asked if they wanted to trick-or-treat some more they jumped up and down and cheered "YES!" So out they went again. It was raining a little, so they came home again in 5 minutes. Oh well. They still had plenty of candy. We all had a great Halloween.

Now, if I can just wait until after Thanksgiving to put up a Christmas tree.

Daisy Pedersen?

We are expecting baby #3!!! We are excited and hoping for a boy. Lydia wants a sister and has named her Daisy. It's a pretty good name, but I don't know if it will stick. Like I said, I'm hoping for a boy anyway. I am due the beginning of June, so I still have a LONG way to go. I feel terrible and try just to make it day to day right now. Tim nor I ever want to do this again though, so it looks like 3 may be our number. I'm so grateful Tim is done with school so he can be the support I need right now, and he is being VERY supportive. I felt better around 16 weeks with Lydia and I was sick the whole time with Ali. I have to believe it will get better around Thanksgiving though. It's all worth it in the end...right?!?

Pomp and Circumstance

I put that title so the song could go through your head while you read. Tim earned his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix this week!! The program took 18 months straight through. It was a little grueling at times, but we hope it will pay off. For now, he isn't changing jobs. I'm excited to get date nights, game nights, and just hanging out nights with him back. We might even be able to go on trips again. He couldn't take much time off school, so we really didn't do a family vacation this past summer. He wrote a million papers, read a lot of material, sat through lectures, and prepared numerous power point presentations. I'm proud of him and look forward to what the future may hold for him!! Congrats Tim!!!

Fall Break

Tim is the youngest of 8. His oldest brother visited from Portland with his family this week. These two may be 15 years apart in age, but they are two peas in a pod. They just think similarly and are great friends. We love hanging out with his family despite the age differences. I enjoy talking to his wife because I feel like our lives parallel, just a few years behind. Don't they even look similar? :)

It was pretty crazy with 13 kids and 6 adults around, but fun chaos. I've already invited everyone to my house for Thanksgiving this year. I think I'm a glutton for punishment.

Lydia doesn't have school Friday and Monday. It seems torturous to me and yet she just started school a few weeks ago. What did I do with them all day during the summer?!? Part of it is I feel terrible and all I want to do is sleep. Ali's off and on with her naps lately too. What are these girls trying to do to me? They are good girls. I don't think it would be so hard if I felt decent. I hope Winter break is better.

What do you with your kids when school is out?

Finally Fall!

It's been quite the indian summer this year. We've been in the high 80's still and I'm all decorated for fall and Halloween. On Thursday Lydia had a field trip to Hew Haw Farms. It was way too hot, but I put them in their Halloween shirts anyway. First we saw the animals. Both of my girls love critters, so this was a treat. This is a hen the kids all got to pet.

Lydia and Ali climbed up the hay bales to slide down this 2 story slide. You can barely see Ali trying to go back down, but Lydia was brave and went down!!

We also went an a hay ride. The girls thought it was fun and Ali sang "Rinding the Range" (from Backyardigans) through the farm. I didn't think about sunscreen in October, so we all got a little sunburned. Oh well.

Friday Tim's sister and neice from Portland came to visit for conference weekend. She must have brought the Oregon weather with her because the fall weather finally showed up!! We had a great weekend playing with them and all the local cousins as well.

This is Riley being a horse for Ali (and yes, she started singing "Riding the Range" again). We had a great week and we are happy to finally see the fall weather. Tim even turned on the heat for a little while this morning.:)

The Beauties of Mt. Timp

Tim hiked Mount Timpanogos this weekend with some scouts and leaders. They hiked up to the meadow on Friday night, camped, and then hiked to the summit on Saturday. They were back by 1:00 in the afternoon. His scouts did wonderfully considering it is a VERY tough hike. It was even raining off and on through the night. I'm proud of Tim for making it again and for encouraging his scouts to be able to make it as well. He came home renewed and feeling victorious. There is nothing like conquering nature to do that for you.

On Sunday Tim thought it would be fun to take a family drive through the mountains (the Alpine Loop) and see all the the beautiful changing leaves. It was just breathtaking!! It is amazing to me how many things God has done for us just so we can enjoy life. We had a great drive, walked a little, and saw many beautful views. If you haven't gotten to do it yet this season, now is the perfect time! It did cause me to ponder on my blessings and appreciate my wonderful family.

Quizes

Two of my friends have posted quizes this week. I thought it was fate, so I thought I would post my results. It's kind of fun. I don't know if it will include links, and I'm not very good at hyperlinking. I took a class in college, but let's face it, that was a while ago. Anyway, enjoy!

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Take the Quiz here!

Midnight Sun Reactions

For those who aren't Twilighters, you won't know what I'm talking about. Those that are I was wondering how people felt about the Midnight Sun leak and subsequent posting. I was really looking forward to Midnight Sun and understanding Edward better. The chapter that had been posted was very good and I wanted more. When it was leaked and Stephenie Meyer said she was no longer going to finish it, I was sad. After reading it and feeling like it was left hanging was so disappointing. Especially because it ends just before the really good scenes like the meadow and the whole James thing. I was glad to get the 12 chapters she wrote and I am a bigger Edward fan than before (if that is possible), but I want more. A curse on the one who leaked it! So, how do the rest of you feel about it? If you haven't heard about the leak, you can find the link to the book at stepheniemeyer.com It is 265 pages long. I for one hope she can get past her disappointment enough one day to finish it. Midnight Sun was my favorite of the entire saga. We still have the movie to look forward to. I heard she used Midnight Sun to help inspire Rob Pattinson for his scenes. November 21st!!

Drive-in Fun

Tim made cars out of boxes with the girls on Saturday. They thought that was loads of fun. They have doors and headlights and everything on them. Then they watched a drive-in movie.

They all took a trip to Artic Circle in their cars to get ice cream. Then they played on the "playground" which was the couch. I'm glad the girls have a dad that is willing to play their pretend games with them. It endears me to him even more than I already am!

Wahoo! Back to School

My oldest starts pre-school this next week. I know it is just pre-school, but it is 2 1/2 hours 3 times a week that I know she will be gone and engaged in educational things that I don't have to do!!(insert celebration dance here) It is also during nap time for my younger cutie. So many options suddenly open up before me as this new stage begins. I adore my girls, but I do think this will be good. Summer is fun, but the structure the school year provides is wonderful. Besides preschool there is music class, dance class, story time, and toddler playtime. That means a lot less of my time will be spent trying to think of fun educational things for my little ones to do. I'm very excited and the best part is, so are the girls!! Win-win. I plan to clean, nap, scrapbook, or make calls for my calling. I might even be able to leave the monitor with my neighbor every once in a while and run a quick errand. Such possibilities!!

What do you plan to do with all your "extra" time now that school has begun again?

Wow, 10 years flies by!

10 years ago on Aug. 18th I entered the MTC very afraid, but ready to serve. I was a missionary in the New York, New York South mission for 20 months. I was called English speaking, but 11 months into my mission I was switched to American Sign Language. I grew to love the people of New York and especially the hearing impaired. I spent most of my mission in Brooklyn, but some in Queens and a short 2 months out in Long Island. I had such a great experience. I made many great friends, and learned so much about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and conquered several fears. Sometimes I can't even believe some of the things I did while there. I grew so much and can attribute a lot of who I am to those wonderful (but very hard) 20 months.

What is an experience in your life that largely shaped who you are?

Enrichment: to meet or not to meet

I was recently made the enrichment counselor in my ward. The presidency has heard from many sisters in the ward asking for a monthly enrichment night again. Honestly it was becoming a problem trying to attend all of the different enrichment classes. They were almost every night!! So, after a lot of discussion with the RS presidency, the bishop, and the RS stake presidency we decided to hold a monthly enrichment night. The quartly meetings will remain the same. For the activites we will meet and have a little something to eat (part of the recipe class) and then break off into classes. One night, everyone gets to see eveyone else. When I presented this idea in Relief Society, we of course got a few murmurs of "that's going against the brethren". So, what do you think? Is this going against the brethren, a great idea, or just not going to work? I'm curious what others think, and how other wards do enrichment.

Despain family reunion

We had a Despain family reuinion on Friday and Saturday. We went to the Heber Valley Camp. It is a beautiful camp near Heber for the Young Women. On the weekends though they rent it out to other groups. President Hinckley commisioned it, so it is a new facility and very nicely kept up. Lydia loved the bunk beds and getting to sleep in a cabin with a lot of cousins.

Ali and Lizzy were joined at the hip through the weekend. They each thought the other was hilarious. Here they are enjoying throwing wood chips into the fire.

We did a challenge course on Saturday morning. This part we climbed the tree, walked across on a cable to another tree, and repeled down. That was one of my favorites. There were also challenges like getting our group through a "spider web" without touching the rope and unity builders like that. I got dropped a couple of times. So much for trusting my family. :)

Later we went to the lake and rode in paddle boats and canoes. Ali loved helping Tim paddle.

We had a great time, and it is always fun to see so much family!! My sister and her 4 kids are staying with us this week, but at least we're home now. Stay tuned next week for those adventures.

Washington Week 3: Spokane

I had a wonderful time visitng my mom. I really wish I could live closer to my family. They mean so much to me and I just enjoy being with them. Isn't my mom lovely? Our trip was winding down, but we had one more stop before heading home.

On Tuesday we went to visit my sister Noelle in Spokane. Noelle lives on Lake Spokane, so of course we went to the beach. They had a great time except when Alissa pulled Lydia and Haley out to a floating dock on a raft. There were several teenagers on the dock playing. The girls got out to also play on the dock. One of the teenagers pushed Lydia and she fell on the dock and rolled into the water. Lydia was hurt and terrified. Needless to say she was done for the day and I was saying a prayer of thanks for life jackets.

On Thursday we headed out for our 13 hour drive back to Utah. Can you see how thrilled the girls were about this trip? Noelle and I were even less thrilled, I can tell you that. At least we had Edward and Bella to keep us company.

Washington Week 2: Moses Lake

We went to Grandma's house in Moses Lake, WA this week. Moses Lake is on the desert side of the state. It is a beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere with a little town. No worries though, it was still big enough for me to get my Breaking Dawn on Saturday.

One of the highlights of Gradma's house is the myriad of pets she has collected from various children moving out and the pets remaining. Sky is a very old golden retriever, Cocoa is an affectionate calico cat, and this is Larry the bearded dragon. The girls love to watch him eat crickets. Ali follows the animals around all day exclaiming that she is "so happy to see you!"

There is a great water park in this little town. This is me boogie boarding at the surf area. We always have fun going here in the summer.

Zachary loves dinos, and the girls like to play with him. They've been stomping around growling a lot this week. They have really enjoyed having so many cousins around to play with.

Moses Lake really is a great recreational lake. Too bad we don't have a boat or jet skiis. Mom has a canoe, that's close right? We spent one day at the beach playing in the sand (which is black) and floating around. That's just Lydia's kind of day.

Ali doesn't get in the water much, she prefers to play in the sand. That's fine by me, she's easier to watch that way.

We had a great week. I love being close to my family and miss them terribly. I wish we could live closer to them. So far it isn't in the cards for us though. We miss dad and we're all getting really excited to see him again. We head back to Utah on Thurs, but also have a reunion in Heber over the weekend. Then we're all vacationed out. I'm exhausted.

What do you do to unwind from a vacation?

Week One in WA: Seattle

I'm visiting my two sisters, Missy and Tara, in the Seattle area this week. Tuesday I didn't bring my camara, but we went to a carnival, got our faces painted, slid and bounced on inflatables, went to a petting zoo, and saw a little circus. It was loads of fun.

On Wednesday we went to the Pont Defiance Zoo. Ali's favorites were the Baluga Whales. Lydia's favorite was the polar bear. Missy and I had our hands full with 5 kids (4 of whom were 2 and under), but we managed well.

Lydia's favorite attraction of the trip was her baby cousin Vincent. She loved to hold him, push him in his swing, and make him laugh.


We played at a park on Friday. These two are only 2 months apart in age. They had a lot of fun together. We had such great weather while we were there. It wasn't too hot and it never rained.

Dallin, Shayla, Ali, Lydia, and Aunt Tara played "monster" around the yard. We had a great time playing with cousins.

Friday we went swimming at Missy's old apartment. The kids stayed in the hot tub the whole time because it was their size. On Saturday we went to Northwest Trek, but unfortunately I don't have pictures. It is an open wildlife park with all native Washington animals. We took a tram around the park and saw bison, moose, elk, mountain goats, big horn sheep, caribou, and many other animals. They were close enough to reach out and touch and in their natural habitat. It was amazing. Washington is such a beautiful state. There really isn't anywhere else like it. Now it is off to my mom's house on the desert side of the state. Thanks for a great week Missy and Tara!