A whole year.....really????

I thought when I started a blog about our family that I would actually be good about keeping up with it....updating it...., but alas,.....I stink at it!!! Plain and simple.....

However, I am inspired by another sweet friend who blogs on a regular basis, to get caught up.....(Thanks Jen!!)

I will be adding pictures soon....but until then... I would like to share this excerpt from another friend's blog! It is so real and applicable to everyday life. It's just that gentle reminder to find joy in the seasons of life and in the journey.

Have a great night!!!

Happiness Along the Way

We convince ourselves that life 
will be better after we get married, 
have a baby, then another. 


Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough 
and we'll be more content when they are.

After that we're frustrated that we 
have teenagers to deal with, 
we will certainly be happy 
when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete 
when our spouse gets his or her act together, 
when we get a nicer car, 
are able to go on a nice vacation, 
when we retire. 


The truth is there's no better time 
to be happy than right now. 
If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. 
It's best to admit this to yourself 
and decide to be happy anyway. 
One of my favorite quotes comes 
from Alfred D Souza.

He said, "For a long time it had seemed 
to me that life was about to begin -real life. 
But there was always some obstacle in the way, 
something to be gotten through first, 
some unfinished business, 
time still to be served, 
a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. 
At last it dawned on me that these 
obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see 
that there is no way to happiness. 


Happiness is the way, 
so, treasure every moment that you have. 
And treasure it more because you shared it 
with someone special, 
special enough to spend your time... 
and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting until you finish school, 
until you go back to school, 
until you lose ten pounds, 
until you gain ten pounds, 
until you have kids, 
until your kids leave the house, 
until you start work, 
until you retire, 
until you get married, 
until you get divorced, 
until Friday night, 
until Sunday morning, 
until you get a new car or home, 
until your car or home is paid off, 
until spring, until summer, 
until fall, until winter, 
until you are off welfare, 
until the first or fifteenth, 
until your song comes on, 

until you die, decide there is no better time 
than right now to be happy... 


Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Multitasking!!

In an effort to accomplish many things on a Monday, I am hiding in my office, cleaning out all of the 2009 files (adieu!!) and setting up shop for 2010. However, because I get distracted easily....very easily...... I am attempting to satisfy that insane need to accomplish with something a little more fun like updating our little family blog....... that has not been updated since October. All the while, the laundry is swirling away in the washer and dinner is slowly simmering in the crockpot. As a multi-tasker, I am quite satisfied right now.

Let me just say, the pictures are going to be in no particular order.....pretty random as a matter of fact, but it will be a good glimpse of what has transpired over the last few months (except Christmas....way too many pics!)

Andy and Emily are loving school and Braden is plotting his escape to MSU in the fall. Just for fun, I am going to post a couple of pics of Brady when he was small just to cement in blogger-land just how fast time flies!!!! Gulp. Seriously, Braden was Andy's age when Tim and I got together. Why does 10 years feel like an eternity when you are a teenager and it feels like the blink of an eye when you are a Mom??? Ok, time to move along, or I am going to start getting all mushy, and then I will stop multitasking. Not good.

So, here we go.....



Brady modeling his cousin Dylan's sweatshirt!




While my sis was in town, we decided to take the kids on the North Pole Express, and these are a few pics from that little excursion. The kids had a great time and it was a beautiful day!

Alex and Andy
Em and Austin (and the beloved bunny ears)

Me, Mom, Beck and Alex
Beck making no-bake cookies with the kiddos
First snowman of the season, complete with no-bake cookies for eyes!!
My present from Santa????

Braden and Beck off in their own worlds.....
Ahh, yes, the Christmas program......well......this pic pretty much sums it up for Andy.


Emily was of course, so happy to be an angel!!!


Emily and Daddy at Em's Turkey Day feast! I love this picture!
Andy at his feast, getting ready to pray....






Andy and Emily's teachers are very good friends, and lucky for us they wanted to do a field trip together to the LifeCare center of Boise. This is the first of 3 trips for the kids.


Andy and his betrothed, Emma, praying for this dear resident.
Andy and Em praying.


Okay, Okay, Gulp!!! These are a couple of pics of Braden. During November we had to gather pics for his year book and do senior portraits etc., But, these little babies are going down in Bishop Kelly yearbook history!



Braden's 1st birthday!!!! I love him.

Brady coming in for a little lunch from ski lessons........

Braden and his best bud Kyle......kindergarten Christmas program.

I love this picture, because these 3, are still best buds!!! This is second grade.......my little man was 7......ugh!!!! I am going to try to get this same shot of the boys at graduation in......sniff....sniff.....4 months!!!!



Football fun for Andy and his buds.

This was Andy's birthday. Emily decided to wear a football jersey to support her brother on his big day!!
Andy's party at school.....his expression says it all!

Everday Life

I can not believe we fall is flying by so quickly! I must say, I am a little bummed. I want the leaves to hold on to the trees a little longer, and the beautiful fall weather to linger. Well, truthfully, I just don't want to have to gear up for the holiday season. It is coming tooooo fast.
EEEEKKK!!

The following pics are a pretty good glimpse of what goes on around here. Everything from playdates with friends to chores and sports.

This little family cracks me up and I am grateful to be a part of it!!


Emily and her friend, sharpening their light saber skills, in order to defeat the Clone Trooper.

The girls successfully defeated the Clone Trooper......




Apparently, Andy convinced Emily that if you have Mom and Dad's rockin' early 90's helmets on, the foul smell of dog pootie is not so bad. Lock and Load Sis!!



Reward for foul chores........Football with Daddy. This is an everyday occurrence in our house. We are always talkin' and playin' football around here.




The picture of Andy tackling Emily, is not real clear, but notice Emily is smiling. She LOVES to play football with the boys. We need to work on holding on to the ball. Fumbling is not real convenient.




Braden trying to keep warm before a race......Yes, that is a Sponge Bob blanky.


Coming down the home stretch.......
I am so proud of him!!!



Andy and Emily went to the pumpkin patch last week with their classes. What a blast. Both kids walked away satisfied, pumpkins in tow.
Go Wild Lions!! Her team, (and Andy's) went undefeated!!



How we feel at the end of the day!

Homecoming.

I LOVE FALL!!! Not only does it bring cooler weather and beautiful scenery, but it brings back awesome memories of high school football games and homecoming. So fun.

This past weekend was Bishop Kelly's homecoming. The typical festivities ensued--- bonfires, powder-puff football, (complete with cheerstuds----- of which Braden was one. I am still trying to find pictures of him as said "cheerstud").....varsity football and......."the dance".

The homecoming dance in Braden's group of friends is quite an event. They all congregate at one house, have some appetizers, socialize and let all of the parents take a ridiculous amount of pictures. That being said, this gathering is a lot of fun for the parents as well. We too get to socialize, have a glass of wine and admire our babies all dressed up in their boot-scootin' best.
I love it.

As, I was wondering around in stealth mode taking pics, I overheard the boys were chatting....... .

"Dude, let's fill up on these (the appetizers), so dinner does not cost as much!"

"Ya, that is an awesome idea.....I had to take out a small loan to cover this night!"


Too funny!
Spoken like true teenage boys. However, the sweet part of those comments is that they were trying to sacrifice so they could take better care of their ladies...........or, they just did not want to have to be mortified when they ran out of money at dinner and had to call the parentals for back up!!!


Braden and Joan

Braden and Oliver: i.e, "The Bromance"

A new beginning.

This new school year marks a whole new season of life at the Peters' house! Wow! All of the kids started back to school in August. Braden began his senior year (AAAHHH!), Andy began 2nd grade and Emily Joy started kindergarten. It is a weird feeling to watch one child finish 12 years of schooling and another begin. Surprisingly enough, I have not even shed any tears. Quite honestly, I think I am still in shock. Actually, I feel incredibly blessed to be home this year to really take part in every activity.

Back to school also marks the beginning of fall sports in the Peters family. Braden is doing cross country and Andy and Emily are doing soccer. I love to watch the kids while they dig deep ...........and let their competitive streaks show!!