Life with the Petersen's . . .

  Well it's definitely been awhile. Since July we have been a little more eventful it seems. We got to go to a wedding over in Warm Springs at the resort Kah-nee-ta. It was a blast. I went over with my parents on Friday and Jordan joined us Saturday after he got off work. The most eventful thing besides the wedding was the wildfire that started right before the wedding. The resort is in a valley and the hill right in front of us caught fire and took off so fast. We watched helicopters and planes dumping water on it for hours. The wedding was delayed and everything was ashy and smokey. It was pretty exciting. Unfortunately I forgot my cameras, but it looked amazing at night. All the embers burning on the hill looked like a little city. And the weird thing is that Jordan almost got called out from his fire station to go help with another wildfire in the same area just a few days ago. It's that time a year I guess. Becareful and remember what Smokey says . . .

  We have a few new addition to the family. A few weeks ago we came across a 1 year old mini donkey named Jack-Jack. Our friends were down sizing their animals and of course we took him off their hands. At first we had him in with our goats, but he was really aggressive with them so we had to separate them. Our next new family members are two miniature African Pygmy goats. They are so cute! Their names are Ziggy and Farly (one day we will get an animal unnamed). Unfortunately Jack-Jack attacked one of the little goats and we were forced to get rid of him. Oh well, we might try it again when we have more area to separate them.

They are brothers and have opposite

marking on their sides

Jack-Jack eating a stick. Isn't he cute?!

This was where we were camping.

It was so beautiful.

Austyn and Daddy

This is also Austyn and Daddy, with an

unhappy Mommy :(

Sometimes I wonder what goes through his mind!

  September for us is the start of a very busy Fall. We went camping over Labor Day with Jordan's work at the coast in Charleston. It's a big crab trip and they rent a huge open field in a campground and everyone just hangs out and has a great time. This was our first time going and we had so much fun. It was one of my favorite camping trips. A few weekends later, guess what......... little baby Austyn turns #1. Can you believe it? It blows my mind to think it's already been a year. You throw our 2 year anniversary and Jordan's third test in the mix and I'd call it a full month. Just to start off October with the Corn Maze at Lone Pine. Jordan is taking an entire month off to help my parents out, and then he's off to Elk Hunting for a week. So mid November we can slow down and catch our breath a little. But we don't mind. We like it busy, we all do better that way :)

  Austyn has slowed down in the growing department finally. But has definitely gained speed in the movement department. She goes from the second she wakes up until the second her head hits the mattress. She is taking one or two steps by herself, she stands alone, talks (babbles) your ear off, goes 100 m.p.h., and has learned to give kisses. She pretty much mocks anything and everything. Things she hates: cottage cheese, getting her hair done, and trimming her nails. Things she loves: food (this girl can put the food away. Most of the time she eats more than I do at dinner), bathes, playing at Grandma and Grandpa Garner's house, being outside with mommy and daddy, and being on anything that burns gas (that goes, goes, goes!). She has her 1 year check-up on September 22, we are all kind of excited. It's always fun to see how much she's grown, and it's nice to have a complete stranger tell us how perfect she is (even though that's their job and they says it to every baby. It's still nice to hear).

  Jordan is busy as ever. He just took his third test and did amazing, 91% Woop Woop!!!! He says the Fourth test isn't as bad. He went golfing with his work last weekend and had a ball. Although I think he may be better a Wii golf, he still had fun. I'm not sure if it is the golf cart or the golf game that keeps him going back.

  Not much to say about me. I'm just trying to enjoy the good stuff in life. Things seem to be in warp speed most of the time. And it's sure easy to get caught up in the little stuff that doesn't matter rather than appreciate and cherish the important things. I've made it my personal goal to try and live day to day. You never know what tomorrow may bring.

  Hope all is well with everyone. Enjoy the last part of summer. Fall is almost here!!! Yeehaa!! That means it's almost Christmas and my Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I too old for that? Neah :)

  I'll post a blog after Ausytn's Birthday.

 

Lake Shasta . . .

  Jordan, Austyn, and I were able to go on a houseboat from the 10th through the 15th on Lake Shasta. We went with Jordan's entire family and it was so much fun. Jordan was telling me the last time his whole family had been together for more than a day or so was back when his oldest brother was in high school (late 90's). Our trip down was pretty eventful in itself. Two blown tires later and we barely made it in time to board the boat. Once we got unpacked and settled in it was just fine. We had 9 adults, 3 kids, and 2 babies on board. It sounds like a lot, but the houseboat was so big that there was plenty of room for everyone. I was pretty nervous about the safety features for babies on board, but it was set up perfect. I never had to worry about Austyn. The weather was gorgeous. It didn't get too hot during the day, and it cooled off nicely at night. I can't believe how big that lake is. We could have spent days cruising around and still not have seen everything. The trip was so relaxing. I'm used to going a million mph on vacations, but this one was completely different. We didn't do too much of anything. I only tubed once, and a few people wake boarded and skied and that was about it. Jordan and I were the whitest two on the boat and we left the whitest two. We didn't get sunburned, so that was a plus. Austyn did great as usual. It's so nice having a baby that adapts well to anything. It was so fun to have Austyn's cousin that's 4 months older than her on the boat. It really pushed Austyn to do more things. She  learned how to pull up while we were there. It was really exciting. Everyone got along really well and all the kids did great. I know Jordan really enjoyed spending time with his whole family. It was pretty sad when we all got into our cars and went different directions. At least it was fun while it lasted. Hopefully we can do it again next year.

This is in our bathtub. All three cuties! Austyn, Cole, and Kate

Jordan enjoying the warm weather

She loved driving the boat (we were actually driving)

The water was so warm (in most spots)

Grandma Lisa and Austyn

There were a ton of Eagles around the lake.

I was able to get some pretty cool shots of

an Eagle on the shore and then flying off.

Jordan's sister took this picture. It is so cool.

I'm using it as her now 10 month picture. She

has refused to let me take her 9 month picture so

this is what she gets. And I'll tell her she was a brat

and this was the only one she'd take. :)

Austyn and Kate in matching bathing suits

Our family picture

This was our boat. It even had a hot tub on the top.

Daddy and baby

This is Jordan slalom skiing. It was weird to think that

Jordan and I have been together for 9 years and

I have never seen him do this. He was really good.

What a funny guy!

  That's been our biggest adventure since my last post. We did get to go to the Rodeo for the 4th of July (thanks mom for watching Austyn). It was so much fun. I can't remember the last time I have actually sat and watched the whole rodeo performance. Jordan had a few days off around the 4th of July so we got to get a lot done around the house and just hang out and do whatever we wanted. It was so nice. We usually try and do trips when he's off, but we decided to just stay around here. It was a good decision. We went to the Harrisburg Parade  in the morning, then hung out with friends and family all day, then went to a BBQ at my Aunt's house, and watched the Harrisburg fireworks at night. Fun had by all.

  Jordan is starting to study again for his next test in September. Man, that month he takes off in between tests sure goes fast :( Our garden is slowly getting bigger. We might have veggies by the end of the season. Ha Ha! Austyn is getting bigger and learning more daily. And I am doing fine. Our next trip is to Kah-nee-ta for a wedding in a month. Should be fun. Hope everyone is doing fine.

Road Trip and more . . .

  Our camping trip to the coast over Memorial Day went better than expected. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when the weather was suppose to rain the whole time and we had a baby, a dog, and Jordan and I in a little camper all weekend. It did rain some, but not all the time. Austyn was a little trooper like always. She is such a good girl away from home. It was so nice to have the Bronco to drive all the girls around in when it was raining. Our camping trips are the best. Everyone gets along and can have fun just hanging out doing nothing sometimes. We have the perfect camping buddies.

Here we are all pack up and ready to go. I kind of feel

like we took just about everything we own

Us on the beach

I know, I know kind of corney. But we looks so cute matching

Buddies

I think this girl would fall asleep anywhere. I took her for a

ride and within 5 minutes she fell asleep

Jordan brought his 3-wheeler and they had so much

fun on it. The chain would fall off like ever two seconds

and then the whole thing just broke. This is them

towing it home.

  Austyn is doing great. She has the top two teeth now, so it is really painful when she bits us. She has started to grab our fingers and stand and wanting really badly to take a step (I can't tell who wants it more, us or her). She loves to stand and play all the time. She refuses to go into the jumper anymore. That sure was nice while it lasted. She can now be laying down and get back to a sitting position all by herself. She waves bye-bye all the time now and is saying DA for DOG. She points and reaches for what she wants. And lets us know when she isn't getting what she wants. I think right now Jordan is the preferred one, which he is soaking up. She does great feeding herself. I need to start transitioning her from baby food to regular food. It's a little nerve racking because I think she's going to choke on stuff since she doesn't have any back teeth. And it seems like every time we give her something new she has the worst case of diaper rash for like 3 days after. She's getting pretty good on the sippy cup too. I can't believe how much she is developing so fast. It's crazy to watch her mimic us and know that she understands certain things now. Austyn is definitely a kid that will not EVER be content to sit and play in one spot. She constantly has to be doing something. I wonder who she takes after? We had her 9 month check-up on Thursday and it went really good. No shots this time, so Austyn was happy. She weighs 19 lbs. 12.5 oz. and the doctor told us that sinces she is so HEALTHY she can bypass whole milk and go straight to 2%. She said she was horizontally challenged.


  One thing exciting that happened was that I went on a 4 day road trip with a friend. We flew into Omaha to pick up a truck her company had bought and then drove it home. Nebraska was a drag, but Wyoming was the highlight of the trip. We went to Casper, Sheridan, then to Cody, and on to Yellowstone. Then to Jackson, and then pulled an all nighter home. I'm still recovering from the all nighter. Holy smokes, I'm sure I won't be staying up all night ever again! We went through the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Yellowstone was so fun, it was like a scavenger hunt the entire time looking for animals. I want to go back and spend more time there. Like always I regret not taking more pictures and video. Some day I might learn just to take more. This trip was so out of character for me it's hard to even think I did it. I am such a planner/organizer and on this trip we literally got to Omaha with no idea of what to do or see. I found out I was going two days before I left. It kind of blows my mind just thinking of it again. It was so much fun to just do whatever whenever. I really enjoyed it. I never thought I would get the chance to do something like that. Glad I did it and had a great travel buddy too. Things we saw in Yellowstone: Big Horned Sheep, Moose, Buffalo, Elk, Deer, Random Weird Birds, Hot Springs, Old Faithful, lots of Gysers, a bear far off in the distance but close enough to count, and a mystery animal we count as a wolf.

This was a moose we saw right outside of Yellowstone

Wild buffalo

We were amazed at how close they got

  Jordan is getting ready to take his second test this week. He has been pounding the books like crazy. Wish him luck! Not that he needs any. Have I mentioned I'll be glad when this is over!? I wish I could report more on fun and exciting things with Jordan, but he has been so dedicated and working so hard on his Engineers Program that he literally has no spare time. He's going to be the best Engineer Eugene fire has ever seen!!!

  Well I was all ready for a good sized garden this year, but haven't even planted it yet. I did finally get my flowers planted. I think I'm going to just do the essentials in the garden this year. I keep telling myself summer should be her any day now, but still it rains. Blasted Oregon weather! We are getting ready to go on a houseboat at lake Shasta for a week in July. Then I'm not sure what our next trip will be. I guess we have plenty of time to figure it out. Hope everyone is doing great and getting ready to have a great summer. Thanks for keeping up with us (although we haven't been too exciting lately). 

A quick update . . .

  For the last month we haven't been doing too much. I just thought I should do a quick update for everyone that has been asking for one. Easter was probably our biggest happening. We had two big family dinners we attended. Each on a different day which was very nice not having to split the day up. It was fun dressing Austyn up in cute little dresses too. Next year will be even better when she can actually hunt eggs. Austyn is already 8 months old. She is still trying like crazy to crawl. She is getting so much better at scooting along and rolling everywhere she wants to go. She is doing really well on any kind of baby food. She got eczema really bad a few weeks ago which I thought was a random food related rash. But once we got that cleared up she's been good to go. The bad part is that we had to switch her soap and lotion and now she doesn't smell like a little baby anymore : ( I miss that smell. We haven't been to the doctor for awhile so I'm not certain on her weight but I would guess she's weighing close or over 19 pounds. She still only has the bottom two teeth. I keep waiting for the top ones to pop through (wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy). I was thinking back and it's been two months since her first tooth came. I thought they would come a lot closer together. I guess it's better this way, so I can forget how fussy she was when they do come. 

  Same old story with Jordan and I. Jordan is still study, study, study for his engineers tests and doing great. And I am still doing fine with work and my back. I have to say it will be nice when the day comes that I don't have to report on my back anymore. For the most part it's good, but once and awhile I feel good enough that it's not on my mind 24-7 and do something I shouldn't, and I end up paying for it for a few weeks. I thought by now it would be over and done with. But soon I hope! Jordan and I are looking forward to a few coast trips and camping trips coming up soon. And I'm trying to get into some sort of shape for summer (less clothes to hide the mommy belly, legs, and arms). Only 8 more pounds to go. I CAN DO IT!!! I had the best first Mother's Day. Jordan and Ausytn made me a card. It is the best ever and just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I was surprised with a day at the spa. I can't wait to use it. Jordan got the garden tilled up and the bails laid out and ready. I have all the seeds and plants and I'm just waiting a little longer to plant for some warmer weather.

  Here are a few pictures of the last months activities (again I need to do better with taking more pictures):

Austyn on her rocking horse

What a cute little cowgirl

This is Easter morning. I figured rubber boots always go

with Easter dresses around here. She's seems pretty pumped about it.

Here she is watching her daddy play softball

  This is the hit that got him ejected from the game during the first inning. There was a rule that you couldn't hit it over a certain part of the fencebecause of the houses behind the fields. It would have been a home run. Good thing it was a double header.



Austyn's First Camping Trip . . .

  Last weekend we got to go camping outside of Glide where we were able to hike to a bunch of different waterfalls. We left Friday and spent the whole day looking for a place to camp. It was kind of a bummer since almost all of the campgrounds we had planned on staying at were closed for maintenance. But we finally found one, and it ended up being perfect. We stayed right on the river (I forgot which one) and there was only one other camp besides us. It was so peaceful. On Saturday we went to five waterfalls. Each one was so different and the hikes to them were awesome. And on Sunday we came home. It was a really fun trip. I would definitely recommend it.

We tried a back pack. TRIED!!! She hated it. So we ended

up packing her half the day :( That's what we get for not

trying things before we leave.

We hiked in the snow to get to this waterfall. It was amazing

how far this one dropped. My dad hiked to the bottom of it

and he said it was so powerful and loud he couldn't believe it. 

Austyn was thirsty and wanted some of Uncle Chads water

She fell asleep on one of the hikes and she took a nap in

my dads truck seat

The boys having fun, and Austyn

This rock was so cool. The narrow passageway just

kept going and going.

  I am sad to report that our little baby girl is now 7 months old. I was taking her 6 month pictures one day and then it seems like just the next day she was 7 months. I didn't even get to finish taking her 6 month pictures. I guess I'll just have to use what I got (or try to finish projects a little faster). I'm beginning to see how fast time goes by. It makes me sad that she's getting older so fast. But on a happier note, she is sitting up by herself like a pro. Trying so hard to crawl. Eating food like a champ. And my least favorite keeping tabs on mommy and daddy at all times. If we leave the room she has a fit. It gets pretty annoying all day long. You would think she'd learn that we are going to come back! She has also started to put her hands in the air when she want to be picked up. Jordan and I think it's pretty amazing how babies just know all the universal signs for things. She is getting so big, it seems like every day I have to take things out of her dresser that are too small. I can't get over how big she is.

Her 6 month pictures

This is such a good picture of them

I thought this one was so cute. She just bounced herself to sleep

  Jordan is starting to study for his second Engineers test coming up in June. Man what a grueling process. He is definitely dedicated to bettering himself in his career. I can't believe how much time and effort he has to put into this program. He studies on all of his days off and tries to study while he's at work as well. It will be worth it in the end, but what a road to get there. I am so proud of him. He's such a great fireman and daddy.

  I have just been working on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and then hanging out with Austyn every other day. My job is great. I love it and it's a nice break from home. My back has gotten so much better. It's not 100% yet, but soon. I still have to take an ibuprofen each day, but I can do almost anything that I want now. On nice days I put Austyn in the stroller and jog up and down the drive way. It's so nice. I can't wait for some nice weather.

  We are getting ready for another great garden this summer. Each year I learn a little more about what I want to do for the next. So this year half the zucchini, cucumbers, and carrots. We want to try lettuce and maybe some melons. I'm excited. We are also planning our next trip, which will be to Bend for a wedding on the 30th of April. It should be a lot of fun. I can't wait. I think we have at least one trip planned for every month this summer. WE LOVE CAMPING!!!

  Hope all is well with everyone.