Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015 . . .

  Here is my last post for 2014. We had a magical Christmas. The kids found magic in everything. I'm so proud to be their Mom. We visited Santa a few times just to make sure he knew what Austyn wanted. All she asked for was a bathtub pony. It changes colors in the bathtub. We also wrote him a letter. Santa was well informed. We had a family Christmas party and Santa surprised all the kids. He handed out a gift for each person and Austyn got her pony. It was truely amazing to see her face light up as he handed her the gift and have it be what she wanted. And Quade was pretty pumped too. We were pretty busy on Christmas. Jordan had to work😪 So we got the kids up early to see what Santa had left in their stockings. The. Jordan headed off to work. We then went to my parents for breakfast and presents. Then to my Aunts for snacks and presents. Back to my parents for lunch and naps. Then to the fire station for dinner with Jordan.  And back to my parents for dessert. Busy but wonderful day. Children are truely precious with their innocence. 

Visiting Santa with all 9 Petersen kids. We has an age range of 4 months to 9 years and they all smiled and didn't cry. Now that's some magic right there. 

Building their Gingerbread house with Daddy

Christmas jammies, reading The Night Before Christmas, cookies were baking for Santa, and reindeer food was set out. They were ready. 

Our house and it's reflection in the water. Beautiful!

Austyn holding her baby cousin Evie. This was her old Christmas outfit. She is such a good baby. 

All Petersen cousins. And one more will be joining us soon!

Daddy teaching Austyn how to shoot her NEW BB gun. So cute. 

  We finally got our wood stove in. It has been so nice to have a stove again. We just have to figure out a mantel and a wood door. It is also taking a little bit to get use to the new stove and how to set the settings and such. But well worth it. 

Our first fire. Good piece of advice-DO NOT start your first fire in a new stove a night. The burn off from the new paint will most likely set off your fire alarms and you'll be stuff fanning them all night. Hindsight is always 20 20. 

  Austyn had a horse show last weekend. It was so cute and also awesome to see how she has improved from last years horse shows. She trotted this time without screaming and crying. And she wanted to stay the WHOLE time. From 8:30-4:30. It was a long day for mommy. But I wouldn't change it for anything. My heart is so happy when she is having fun on he pony. 

This may be the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

Austyn and cousin Kate

Austyn, Quade, Kate, and Eliot in the background

Austyn and her idol Shaely

Mommy got shamed into doing a bareback class (thank you Lisa) 

  As I sit here writing this blog I think of all that has happened this year. We are truely blessed in all aspects of our lives. Life couldn't get any better. I feel like I did a good job accomplishing all my New Years resolutions for this year. So I'm going to continue in 2015 improving on my 2014 resolutions. Which will be: trying to be the best Mom and wife I can be. Continue with my health/fitness goal: not so much a weight goal, but just to feel healthy and good about myself. And to help contribute financially somehow. Right now I babysit on Mondays for a few hours. It's not much, but it's something. And who knows, something else might come along. 

  I hope everyone had an amazing year like we did. And I hope everyone has a great 2015. Happy New Years!!

Latest events . . .

WOh my gosh, where has the time gone? I've only blinked and it's Christmas. As usual we have packed the last month and a half full of projects, trips, field trips, and day to day life. We have been pretty good about taking pictures of our events lately so it will help me remember what we've been up to. 

While the boys were Elk hunting my Mom treated the kids and I to a fun trip to Driftwood Shores. 

It was the best trip ever. The pool was amazing for the kids. We ordered pizza in for dinner. With  living in the country my whole life, ordering pizza in is awesome. The weather couldn't have been better. 

This is Austyns Thanksgiving feast at school. It was so cute. 

The kids with Papa playing in the boat

Random trip to furniture store to let the kids play. 

Kids helping me decorate for Christmas. They loved it. 

We are putting up a barn for the goats

Austyn had a field trip to a ceramics place. She painted a Christmas plate for us. 

The group that went to the NFR. It was an amazing trip. Can't wait to go again. 

On the way to Vegas

On the way home from Vegas

We are putting in a wood stove. We are almost done. It has been an interesting project to say the least. 

Quade helping me move rocks

One more row of rocks and then the stove can go in. 

Austyns trip to the Science Factory. I'm so lucky I'm able to help out in her class so much. 

Christmas tree hunting 2014. It's soooo much more fun every year as the kids get older and more io to it. 

We took a quick trip to Charleston to see the lights. It was a blast. We found this cool tree when we were on our "adventure" (hike). 

Beautiful day on the coast

Lights were so cute. 

That about sums it up for the last month and a half. Jordan has been busy with the goat barn and the wood stove stuff. The kids are absolutely amazing. Austyn is at the perfect age for Christmas. Her excitement and belief in all the Christmas magic is awesome to watch. And Quade is just excited because Sissy is. Austyn is doing great in school. She is picking so much up this year. And Quade is just an amazement to watch. He has gotten so much better with controlling himself and growing out of his fit throwing. He is still 100% boy with an ownery ness seeping out of him. But we love it. And nothing new with me.  Just enjoying life and the kids. 

  Hope everyone has a perfect Christmas. I know we will. 

Trick or Treat...

  The kids had so much fun this year with Halloween. Austyn was so excited about it and Quade was excited because Austyn was excited. I made Austyns costume this year and altered an old costume of my brothers for Quade. I LOVE making their costumes. We went to my Grandmas trunk or treat at her church first, then went to my sister-in-laws, and we got to walk around with their family while trick or treating. Jordan had to go to Lone Pine early so after we were done walking around we headed off to Lone Pine to show my parents the kids outfits. And lastly we stopped by our old place where a good friend lives now. Very busy Halloween. Can't wait for next year. I'm thinking cowboy and Indian. 

  Lone Pine is officially over. And the corn maze is taken down and mowed. It sure goes down faster than it does to set up. The kids and I are bummed that it's closed, but we know Jordan and my parents are in need of a break. Jordan is heading off for Elk camp on Wednesday. And should be home the following Wednesday. It sure would be nice if someone got an Elk this year. Not that any of us need the meat though. Now that Lone Pine is done, let the winter projects begin! We are going to finish the goat barn, close in the overhangs, frame our bathroom mirrors, backsplash in the bathrooms, and maybe hopefully closet organizers. 

  Holiday season is coming up fast! I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR! Jordan and I are getting excited to go to Vegas for the NFR over my Birthday this year. We have never been to Vegas before so it should be fun. The kids are staying with my parents which my parents are totally stoked for. My one wish for this Holiday season is that we can take it slow enough to enjoy it. But that's the story of my life! Hope everyone is doing well.

Tough Mommy Days . . .

  Some days are harder than others as a parent (obviously). But the days I struggle with the most are the days when I have to become "Mean Mommy" instead of a buddy to Austyn. It's so hard and breaks my heart when I have to seriously discipline her. There have been very few times when she has needed a major attitude adjustment. In the moment I don't have a problem disciplining her because she has pushed me too far, but it's so hard to follow through when she is so upset with herself and just wants me to hold her and love her.  When she is telling me how sorry she is and how much she loves me, and pleading with me "NOT TO TELL DADDY!". I just want to hold her and tell her it's ok, but I know she wont learn from her actions that way. I know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful, caring, smart, helpful daughter. My heart melts every time I see her playing with Quade. There isn't a better big sister in the world than her. She is so kind to him and loves teaching him new things. I can't get over how amazing she is in every way. I just am so thankful and blessed that I don't have to get her in trouble very often. It cracks me up how leary Austyn is of Jordan when he never has to get ornery with her like I do. I can't remember the last time he gave Austyn a whipping. She is so scared of "Daddy talks". She would rather take a beating instead of getting a "Daddy talk". But I remember feeling the same way growing up. I would much rather get in trouble with my Mom instead of my Dad. If we ever got in trouble with my Dad it was more of the "I'm disappointed in you talks". Those sucked. So I can totally relate to how she is feeling. With that said, I may or may not use Jordan against her when needed. It's the only leverage I have with her. 

  Now Quade is a different story (as usual. I'm beginning to see a pattern here). This probably sounds terrible but I could whip Quade all day long and not feel a bit bad about it. That little fart deserves every whipping and time-out he gets, plus some. So I guess the disipline equals itself out between both kids.

   

Pictures on the Blog ...

Whenever I post the blog from my iPad it cuts off the pictures. If you click on the pictures you can see the whole picture. And for some reason it messed up and didn't post some of the picture I chose. Sorry, I'm not good at computers so you get what you get. 

Busy Fall Days...

  Now that October is here we are living on Lone Pine time. The kids and I are loving it. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we head over after nap time and ride the cow trains, take hay rides to the pumpkin patch (and of course get a pumpkin every time), eat dinner, and put the goats "to bed" (close them up in the barn), and then play at the maze for the rest of the night. Austyn likes to take tickets at the gate and Quade and I just hang out. Everything seems to be running smoothly for my Dad and Jordan in the maze. And the weather (knock on wood) is amazing. Hopefully it will last all October. 

  We were able to take Austyn through the Mountain Trail Course at the Oregon Horse Center. Her cousin Kate got to ride in it too. Austyn did so good I was just blown away. She went over a bunch of different bridges, rock piles, over logs, up on table tops, in ditches, through water, and on a teeter totter. She rode through the course for an hour and a half. Chocolate Chip is the best pony ever. 

Kate and Austyn 

Thanks to Lisa for thinking of the girls and getting everything ready and put together for them. Austyn has started to trot a bit at home on Chocolate Chip. She's getting better, still a bit reluctant. I've been putting fly masks on the fence and having her walk up to them and grab them and put them over the saddle horn. Then put them back on the fence. It's really been working good for her. And she is really learning like crazy in school this year. I'm impressed at how she can recognize her letter and numbers. And she knows the sounds they make. I love that little girl. She had her first dentist appointment the other day. She had been complaining about a tooth hurting her. So it turns out she has the most sever cross bite the dentist has ever seen at her age. It will take extensive orthodontics to correct the problem. If she continues to be in pain we will fix it now, but he would like to wait for her permanent teeth to start coming in at 6ish. Poor girl. 

  Jordan renamed Quade. His new name is LB (little bastard). That kid is just determined and very head strong. You really have to think ahead and distract the hell out of him if you need him to do anything. Or stop something he is doing. Redirection and distraction is so exhausting. He is a complete fit thrower😒 and nothing will end a fit. I'm at the point where I literally forget why he is STILL throwing a fit. That's how long his fits last. Yay us! But we love him and I'm telling myself this stage will end and we will move onto something else. BUT WHEN?????? 

Quadehelping me blow leaves

Quade being Quade

  Jordan built the kids the most adorable swing set off their playhouse. He used old firehose. They are so perfect.

 He is now onto building a goat barn. We are breeding the goats now and will be kidding in spring! Should be fun. We're hoping for twins from all of them. After the goat barn he is going to work on a slide on the other side of the playhouse. I'm glad he is so creative. 

  We finally got a mediation meeting with the CCB for the damage to our trim after we had our flooring fixed. We've been fighting this since March. Needless to say it's great to have the walls fixed and to be able to use the bathroom in the garage again. It pays to be the squeaky wheel sometimes. We still need to replace some trim, and fix a transition piece in the floor, but that can wait for a little bit longer. 

  I'm so excited for this Halloween. The kids are going to be Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. I made Austyns costume again and then altered one for Quade. They will be so cute. 

Sneak peek. They aren't completely done in these pictures. 

  That's about it for us lately. After corn maze Jordan is off elk hunting for a week. Then the Holidays start!!!!!!! Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Fall weather.