The Holiday's are upon us!

I guess I am going to be a monthly blogger now, which I don't mind.  The last month has flown by for our family, but I'm pretty sure it has for everyone else too.  

So to start things off Thanksgiving was pretty great!  We enjoyed being with all the Nielson family.  We also enjoyed having down time at home. 

 We completed our Thanks Tom Turkey as a family after thinking everyday.

Thanksgiving at my parent's house

Our thankful turkey

  The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went up to Ogden, tried to find a tree (unsuccessfully), had time with the cousins for dinner before heading to the Ogden lights parade, and finished it off with a tour through the Christmas village (my favorite part).

Most of the Peterson cousins after the light parade.  Nana made some very cute treats!

Since we were unable to find a tree, the next week for FHE went to Costco, but passed and got our tree at a Bible Church lot for a fundraiser.  It was four against one when it came to picking the tree (Dad was the odd man out).  Dad and I put the lights, garland, and bows on, the boys did the rest.  Later that week I was able to meet up with my sis-in-laws and mother-in-law at the Festival of Trees.  Two of them had never been before, so they really enjoyed it.  I get frustrated that I can't see it all because there is so much to see! It is one of my favorite traditions and I am even contemplating taking the boys next year.  We were able to have lunch with Ryan afterwards also.

Our "real" tree

Brown paper packages tied up with string (this is something I have always wanted to do)

All Festival of Tree's pics.  Most of the pictures I took were for the boys, but I love the unique trees!

A few days later Kael came for another visit, which was great since we won't get him again until Spring break.  It was a lot harder to handle him and a puppy this time.  On the weekend we headed to the Snow Family Party (which had cute place settings and snowman kits for the kids) that was very laid-back.   Afterwards we drove through the light display in Layton (which I love because it brings memories of my Mom back).

The whole family at the Snow party

Before Kael left this week we enjoyed some Christmas movies, drove through the holiday lights at Thanksgiving Point,  and picked up some nice White Elephant gifts for our Peterson Family Christmas Party this weekend.   

The boys loved it, but Kael climbed on me the entire movie!

My "bestie" Lara and I at the Christmas Motab Concert.  

Tonight we are looking forward to Evan's Piano recital. Coming up we have the Peterson Family Christmas party, Robby's choir concert, Night at the Museum movie (courtesy of our dentist office), driving the boys to their Mom's, a quick trip down to Brianhead with Ryan and my brother, Glen's family, to visit cousins and Grandma (on my Mom's side), and then a week full of Christmas things with my immediate Zobell family.  

It's nice to have all the shopping done for the boys, but Ryan and I still cannot decide what we want to do for each other.  I think during the two weeks the boys are gone we will probably do a bunch of Christmas stuff, relax at home, and do projects around the house we have been putting off.  We are also hosting a neighborhood Christmas Party.   

Catch up of September and October

In the beginning of September we bought a used Nissan Armada that we love. We went to the first BYU football game of the season!  We also were able to go camping with Ryan's parents and sister out at Starvation Reservoir.  The kids loved camping and fishing with their cousins.  Plus we went to Brooke's In-laws farm were we saw all sorts of exotic animals.  We also broke in our new vehicle with a kiddo throwing up on the way home.  Towards the end of September we took the three older boys fishing/canoeing before the end of the season.  We planned on going to Silver Lake Reservoir, but they are draining it.  We ate lunch there, busted our shocks on the way down (on the new used car we bought), and then fished in Tibble Fork Reservoir. The best part was we all caught fish.  

My goal is to update our blog at least monthly.  So far so good even with October being crazy.  This was truly the first month I felt like a Mom...exhausted!  Simplify should be every family's goal.  That being said we had a lot of fun.  The boys went to their Mom's for a week, so Kael came here.  We went to the Zoo and Pumpkin Patch with him.  Kael is a lot more work than the three older boys, but He and I are buddies and so happy together.  I loved the zoo since I had not been there since the first month Ryan and I were dating.  The Pumpkin Patch was also great because we met up with Ryan's parent's and two siblings, plus kids. Since the Pumpkin patch was in Layton I found two of my Mom's old houses by memory since I am trying to preserve some memories from her. 

Some of the more mundane things that are happening in our home are establishing routines.  All the boys do chores 5 days a week, homework everyday, 10 minutes of personal spiritual reading, 20 or more minutes of regular reading, practice piano, go to art class, and I think we have finally gotten to the point that everyone loads their own dishes.  Ryan and I both got new callings too.  I was called as a Laurel adviser, which is very challenging and stressful for me (I had to teach, speak in church the next week, and then teach Relief Society the 3rd week).  Essentially it is more missionary work than anything.  Ryan was called as the finance clerk which he seems to like,but may hate come tithing settlement, lol.  I have taken more things to DI, mastered only buying the essentials at Costco, but didn't manage to escape getting sick.  Every year around Halloween I get sick, but I am blessed that last year was a lot worse.  I have also started running and going to the gym regularly.  I love going to a Body Pump class with some neighbors even though I am a wimp.  I HATE going at 5 in the morning though.  Ryan has also started to work out and we have been eating a lot healthier, with the exception of the cursed Halloween candy.  

Halloween the boys decided to paint pumpkins instead of carving.  We may still carve one to use the seeds.  Drew was the Grimm Reaper, Evan was Captain America (my favorite) and Robby was a Ninja Turtle.  If I remember right Kael was a vampire.  Ryan and I both passed out candy, but the highlight of the night was watching Hocus Pocus with the boys. 

We are looking forward to going to two BYU football games in the coming weeks, Time out for Women for me with some neighbors, and Thanksgiving with the extended Nielson family.

Lot's of pictures, but hope you enjoy!

Robby was baptized back in May, but I realized I had not shared any pictures.
 Robby has grown up so much since then!

The above two houses were where my Mom lived in Layton.
 I vividly remember visiting her every other weekend and even
 eating a very "sagey" stuffing from an Aunt one Thanksgiving.

Even Kael is thinking, "Gosh Dad takes a lot of pictures."

The three above pictures are Ryan in London and Ireland back in May.
I just found them and thought he was so dang cute.  While it was rough to have him gone I bawled my
eye's out since we found out we got sealing clearance during this time.  I love him so much!!!

Honeymoon

Click here to view these pictures larger

It has been about four month's since our honeymoon, but better late then never! We were lucky enough to save these pictures in a Shutterfly book we made too. I love Ryan more and more everyday!

Just us

I couldn't remember which pictures I have posted before, but I knew I had to do a few more of just us on the wedding day.  I now have a wedding photo album at home and will get some canvas's made to hang on our wall.  It's already leaving my memory, so I am trying to journal and get the pictures done asap.  Next time around I should be posting some honeymoon pics.

Testimony

Normally I would write something like this on my other blog (which I haven't written on in months, but will soon) Milkbeforemeat.blogspot.com, but I feel the subject is so important in my life.  I have been thinking a lot about testimony lately and people falling away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I see a lot of the bad in the world because of my job working at a police station.  I also see a lot of negative or anti comments towards my church on Facebook and other news outlets.  I have felt sadness for those who don't or have not experienced the happiness I feel because of my membership in this church, because of my Savior Jesus Christ, and because of the eternal truths that I have knowledge of.  I firmly believe that when people leave the church it isn't because of sin or pride, or maybe because it is too hard to live by the teachings therein, but because their testimony is not strong enough.  Then the thought came to me, "well how do I strengthen it?"  Simply through scripture, prayer, and doing the things I am supposed to like serving others, following the commandments, etc...  I want my testimony as firm as the oldest, biggest tree out there and not flimsy like a seedling.  I want it woven into every fiber of my body so that when things get rough I have no doubts.  I loved this quote from church yesterday:

 Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body 

so that it cannot be forgotten.

I love having friends and family I can look to for examples and I am so grateful for my knowledge of eternal truths!

Friends and Family at the wedding

There were so many pictures I have to just give you bits and pieces.  Hopefully in the next post I will do just Ryan and I, plus the boys.  If you came to any part of the wedding I am pretty sure there is a picture of you so let me know if you want one!