UT Petersons come to Cali

 In October we got a visit from Matt, Shannon, Carter, and Ashlynn.  We love when we can get together.  The kids have a great time, and we always have so much fun.  It was a quick trip but we squeezed in Six Flags.  My kids were no comparison to Carter and Ash's bravery when it came to rides.  Griff got sick and Miles refused to go on most rides.  Maybe next year?  Maybe it could be because we made them do Superman ride first?  I thought if they got a big one out of the way first then they would go on everything.  Not so much.

But we still had a great time.  We ran from ride to ride, watched a dolphin show (note to self...the front row people get wet, don't sit there next time), and watched an elephant show.

Our little Elliot loves elephants.  Her stuffed elephant is a constant bedtime companion.  Mike was worried seeing an actual elephant might disillusion her, but she loved the show.  Meet Valerie and African Elephant.  So Cute! 

Elli and all of us got to pet this big girl.  What a fun thing.  And what a fun visit.  Can't wait to see the UT Petersons again.

NFL Flag Football

We love this sport!

Miles and Griff have been playing flag football for the past several months.  This session just ended but a new one begins again next week.  We have been having the best time watching these two boys learn this sport.  They are in different leagues so Griffin is the oldest one on his team, and Miles is one of the youngest.  Which means Griff plays alot and Miles doesn't play quite as much.  Griff usually plays center, or QB when needed.  His last game he scored 4 touchdowns and 1 2-point conversion.  It was Awesome!  Miles is on a full 10 player team and has been put on defense.  He is getting so good at pulling those flags!  At first he just loved being out there and running around, but now he is really getting into it and diving if necessary to try and pull a flag.

 Miles in white shorts above, and Griff in red shorts below.  This game Griff got to play QB for the first time.  Way to go boys!

I missed out on Miles team photos, but here's our Griff.  He is on the Titans, and Miles is playing for the Chargers.   

We can't wait for next session to start.

Movie Night

We are enjoying Julia Morgan Elementary school.  The kids love their teachers, their making new friends, and JM has some great activities.  One of them is Movie night.  They showed "Pirates:band of misfits" which was very funny.  The kids loved sitting with friends and enjoying the movie.  

a few tidbits

Our neighborhood park is so fun except... when you swing from the monkey bars and hit your shin on the stairs on the way down.  Ouch!  Poor Griffin, he's shins are always getting hurt.  This one landed him in the doctors office just to double check that it wasn't broken.  It wasn't.  

Also the boys are proud of their "Future Missionary" tags from Brother Street.  Brother Street has them made for all young boys in the Creekside ward.  Griffin and Miles both wear theirs proudly each week.  What a great reminder to them about their goals to serve missions someday.  

Ending the summer

Just because school had started doesn't mean we couldn't finish up summer with some pool days.  We are so fortunate to have a neighborhood pool.  If only the life guards weren't so strict we would  really love it.  Darn safety rules.

Time to Catch up the blog...

I have been so busy with my life of leisure that I have neglected our poor family blog.  So here is our update...

 The kids started school at the end of July.  This was earlier than we are used too so the kids really didn't get a summer break, but the routine of school has helped everyone adjust quicker to our new home.  The twins are in the same class for the first time ever.  So far so good.  I especially love the check and balance system I now have for homework... "Miles, do you have homework?"
"No"
"Oh, really...Caleigh do you have homework?"
"yes"
"Oh yeah, I do have a little."
See?  It's so nice.  Plus Caleigh has a built in tutor when her homework gets overwhelming.

Griffin is enjoying his class, somehow he ended up in a GATE class (so did the twins) and he has been enjoying the extra reports and projects.  This kid loves school!  

And Elliot is in afternoon kindergarten with Mrs. Swelha-Garcia.  She is loving school, and figuring out how to make friends and be social.  

Another fun thing we've been up to is watching this show DC cupcakes.  The kids love it and Caleigh has especially loved it.  It has inspired her to start learning how to bake.  Together we whipped up these carrot cake cupcakes for the whole family to enjoy.  Plus she made some chocolate ones, but we ate those pretty quick.  

The boys have recently started flag football.  Caleigh just completed an art class at school, and Elliot started dance.  So more on those activities later.  We are loving California and it's wonderful weather!

Griffin and his new pet

For months Griffin has been pestering Mike and I to get him a pet.  He had his heart set on a rat and nothing we could say or do deterred him.  So after getting a free cage from a lady in our ward we really had no excuse not to spend the 20 dollars to buy this boy a rat, and all the supplies.  

"Crumbs" is a black and white small rat that has instantly made his way into the hearts of all the children and Mike.  I am willing to say hi to the thing (yes, I call it a thing). But I have yet to hold it and I have no intention of doing so.  

Griffin plays with Crumbs all the time and it cracks me up to hear him talk to him.  "Hi, Crumb, did you go poo poo on me again?"  Griffin walks around with a towel, toilet paper, and a bag to dispose of the droppings.  I feel like we have a new born again.

Mike loves the darn thing too, he will hold and play with it.  I usually ask before I enter a room..."is the rat in there?" and will only enter if he is safely in it's cage.  

I don't know if I'll always feel this way, but for now, I'm happy for Griffin, and happy I don't have to hold it.

A couple of things I do appreciate about Crumbs and rats in general so far is:  

They don't seem to bite.  Mike said he's never had a rat bite him and they are known not to be bitters.  

Also Crumbs does not run and hide as soon as you put him down.  He does love to explore but usually comes back to Griffin when Griffin puts his hand down and calls for him.  

He is a cuddler.  Mike sat on the coach tonight with Crumbs up on his shoulder with his head nuzzled into Mike's neck.  

And lastly Griffin is learning so much about responsibility.  He has to clean up after Crumb, change his bedding, clean his cage, feed him, and play with him. 

  

Soooo BIG!

My baby is loosing her teeth!  Well, just those baby teeth.  I pulled out Elliot's first baby tooth this week.  She has been working on it for a few weeks now and after noticing that the new tooth had already broke thru behind the baby tooth, I knew we needed to get it out.  She was so brave and wide-eyed as I yanked it out.  We all started clapping and cheering for her.  What a big girl she is.  

Manresa State Park

We finally found the beach since moving to California.  We went to Manresa a few Saturdays ago with some new friends.  We miss our 45 minute drive to York, since it took us about 3 hrs with Traffic and distance to get to the coast.  But we made it and it was a beautiful day.  

The waves were much bigger than what we were used to, so boogie boarding for the kids was not as much fun.  They kept getting knocked over by the waves.  The water got much deeper quicker too, so we couldn't really wade to far into the water.  

We all loved seeing dolphins swimming along the coast line.  After Manresa we took the long way home and drove up to Santa Cruz and drove along the board walk.  We'll have to stop there next time and check out the beach.  

11 years and counting...

July 28th couldn't come fast enough for the twinners.  They were so excited for their birthdays.  We had a great time opening presents, going to the movie theater, and finishing the night up with a yummy dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

The kids have been dying to see BRAVE Disney's latest movie.  It was so cute and worth seeing.  

Miles and Caleigh are such fun kids to be around.  And they are as different as night and day.

Miles is our natural born leader.  He loves people and makes friends wherever he goes.  He has a great smile and wears the nickname of "smiles" well.  This boy has talent when it comes to music.  He has a great ear for notes and can play many popular song on the piano.  I love Miles' energy for life and his daily quest for fun.  He loves to tease us all, but is the first to pay attention when we need to calm down.  Love you Buzz (Mike's nickname for Miles)

I don't know how so much talent winded up in this little girl but she blows us away with her abilities.  Since we've moved she can usually be found at her sewing machine.  She takes scraps of fabric and turns them into barbie skirts, barbie purses, purses for Elliot, organizers, pillows for dolls, and she even made a doll quilt.  All without instruction!  Mike said the other day, it makes him smile everytime he passes her room and hears the hum of her sewing machine.  

Caleigh has a great sense of humor, and has really matured so much this past year.  I look forward to many days shopping and laughing together.

Love you Goose!

Grr....

I changed my layout, and lost my entire blog list!  Grrr...  I'll be reentering that all soon.

Getting to Stockton, just over the mountain...

It was time to head to Stockton and see our new home.  My parents and oldest Nephew Sam came with us.  We stopped the first night in Reno, NV to see family and hit Scheels sporting good store on the way out the next day.
The kids loved the giant Ferris wheel in the middle of the store.  And seeing all the presidents around the store.  We spent a few hours here looking around and having a good time.

 After leaving Reno, it was just a short 3 hr drive over the Sierra Nevadas.  I don't know how often I'll be going over that in the winter, but it wasn't too bad.  When we arrived and pulled up to our new home, our moving truck had just arrived before us.  Mike gave us all a quick hug and hello and we started in unloading the truck.  I'm so glad we had Sam, and my parents.  They were all a huge help.




The next several days were spent unpacking and figuring out where things would go, but we did take a break one day and head to San Francisco.  Stockton is only an hour and a half away.  We first hit Boudin Sourdough (of course) and we all enjoyed some clam chowdah (whoops still east coast pronunciation) in bread bowls.  Then we hit Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Lombard St. and the Golden Gate bridge.

Funny story about Lombard St.  I really wanted to go there and thought Sam might enjoy seeing the hills of San Francisco.  What I forgot to take into account is my brakes.  They have been super squeaky for a while but I didn't think about it as I started my descent down Lombard St.  Uhhh...my poor van squealed and whined the whole entire way down!  People were covering their ears because of the horrible noise coming from my car.  We were all in tears laughing so hard.  How embarrassing.  Needless to say...if you come to visit us, and we take you to SF...we won't be driving down Lombard St.  

We had a great day and were sad to leave...and especially sad to hit 5 o'clock traffic, then construction.  Making our quick trip home, twice as long.  Oh well, it was worth it.

A side trip to Boise

When we left Layton, Mike headed to Stockton, CA and the kids and I headed to Boise for some family time.  My Mom arranged for pictures for the grand kids the next day.  They all had matching shirts, the girls in red and the boys in blue.  We had added two new babies since the last family picture 2 years ago.  Mikayla and Maggie.  I still need to download the photos of all the grandkids, there are 16 total!

But I snapped a bunch of my kids while we were waiting for our family turn.  They crack me up!

We were able to be in Boise for the 4th of July.  Caleigh organized a parade and Gpa followed along behind them with music playing.  That night the kids and I snuck away to watch the fireworks over Boise with Gma and Gpa Peterson and Uncle Jeff.  They have the best view of the valley from their home and we love watching the fireworks and chatting with them.  

Here's the two newest additions to our crazy clan.  Maggie on the left and "Micki" on the right.  They were a crack up with the fuse ball table.  They looked like they knew what they were doing.  They are both so cute and we were in heaven playing with them.  What cuties!

 I love this photo of Max and Caleigh.  It says it all.  We just love being together.  The cousins all got along great and we had so much fun being together and laughing, talking, playing Words With Friends, eating, and catching up on each other's lives.  What a great time, we can't wait to be able to drive (yeah, we are close enough to drive) home more often now.

Plus the kids couldn't get enough of swimming with Gpa Tom and visiting with Gma Frankie.  We love our family!