Still Going Strong

O.K. so four kids has proved to keep things a lot busier around here. Here is another attempt to update.

Recently...

     Tyler has lost a total of 6 teeth with number 7 threatening to come out very soon. He's in the third grade now which means he is dealing with multiplication, division, reports, cub scouts, Kumon and basketball season underway. He loves all his teachers and leaders and I am so grateful for them as well.. He is such a great big brother. He walks Grace to her class every morning before going to his own class to put his back pack down. He is always willing to help with Lily since Trev has been out of town A LOT!!!! He is an amazing kid and I am so grateful for him.

     Grace also lost her first tooth this month and is official a big girl now. I can't believe how much she has changed this year. She is still my little shadow and I love it. She is doing very well is school and loves her teacher. I think her favorite subject is math but she has gotten 100% on all her spelling tests this year. She keeps changing her mind on what she wants to be when she grows up but number one is always a mom. She said she wants to have six kids at once because he loves babies so much. And she proves it by always playing and holding her little Lily. She is also in Kumon and has just moved out of the junior Kumon level into the big kid area. She loves books and drawing pictures. She has more love than she knows what to do with and is always ready to pucker up and give us a kiss. 

     Andrew just turned 5 on the 14th of December and keeps telling me he has to grow up to have his own family. I don't know what was harder for me him turning 5 or me turning 30. For such a long time he was my baby and I have loved me time with him at home. He is loving his Pre-K class and has made the greatest friends there, and so have I. He is also in Junior Kumon and is thriving. He can read all his homework by himself and loves doing it. He is an amazingly hard worker and doesn't stop until the job is done. He lights up the room when he walks in and makes you feel so loved and like you're his favorite person in the whole world. He learned how to ride a two wheel bike before Grace because his body is too big for those darn training wheels. So after riding two different hammy down bikes we decided he needed his very own big boy bike and he is doing great on it.

Our little Lily is such a doll. She is crawling, talking ( dada, mama) and is clapping her hands when she's happy. She is a total mama's girl but loves it when anybody holds her, as long as I'm not in the room she'll let you hold her forever. She can feed herself cheerios and puffs but really wants what the rest of us are eating. She is our little toe-head baldy but we think she has a  perfectly round head to pull it all off. She is so blessed by love in this family that she hardly ever gets put down. She was diagnosed on Wednesday with Pneumonia that is being treated with antibiotics and she's already got more life in her. She is out petite little girl weighing in at 16 lb 15 oz. I'm used to kids being a size ahead of their age and she's 9 month old still wearing some 3-6 month clothes. 

Trev is working, working, working!!!!! He is working so hard to get help get carpet recycling plants up and running that he has missed a few things with the family but he does it all for his family so we don't mind. He is loving the promise of  long term income and so am I. He is still the teachers quorum advisor to the young men and after 6 1/2 years is still loving it. 

I am still in primary working with the greatest group of ladies and getting spoiled by love from the children in our ward. I truly think it is the best calling to have to get to work with the children. They are so precious and innocent and want nothing else but love in return. I am so grateful for my family. They are my everything and I am so blessed to get to be their mother and wife. We have so much fun together and I am so proud of all of them. They all work so hard and know that their Heavenly Father loves them. What else could a mother ask for? I guess this has turned into my Christmas letter because I decided not to do Christmas cards this year. The postage alone to send to our closest family and friends was around $80 and I decided to simplify this year. Thank you all so much for all your love and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Our weekend in So Cal

I have been in desperate need of an update to our blo

g and I am finally getting around to it. I'm skipping out on sleep to do this, but at least I know we're updated for a while.

This past weekend I took the kids and my mom and drove to L.A. to go see Trev. He's helping put together some machinery for a recycling plant. He had been gone for over a week and we were seriously missing having him around, especially me. My parents had participated in the "give a day get a day" program that Disney had done and received their free tickets Friday morning via their e-mail while we were eating breakfast deciding what to do. We tend to not tell the kids what we're doing until we're actually in the parking lot of what the activity is because we have learned that being surprised is better than being let down. So off we went to Disneyland for the day. I was probably as excited as the kids of not more. I love this place. I could have a season pass and never get sick of how happy it is. And yes we even took Lily. It really worked out great to have my parents their to take turns watching Lily and taking whoever to the bathroom or at least having some extra eyes on the kids. Here are some pictures from our trip and some of the kids from Easter and just other fun ones. Enjoy, who knows when I'll do this again.

Me holding Lily in the Baby Bjourn

The kids waiting for Dad to get their tickets so they could go to Disneyland.

Tyler found the golden goose egg at the Felts annual easter egg hunt. (Tyler and Sis. Felt)

I dressed Lily for church in her sleep and decided to have a photo shoot. Isn't she just adorable!

Me, Andrew and Lily defeating Zurg. It's a pretty fun one for the kids.

Andrew with his light saber.

The kids completely zonked out on the way back to the hotel.

Andrew had took a nap on the way down to L.A. and woke up when we got to the hotel and it was midnight. So of course he was excited to see daddy and wasn't ready to go to sleep. So we put him on the couch to sleep and watch Disney channel because we were exhausted. Well he woke Trev up at 5:30 and said "Dad, it's starting to get light outside so it's morning, get up". We didn't know for sure if he had stayed up all night from 1:30 till 5:30 a.m. but there was a chance. He did great at Disneyland all day until we got in the line for the rockets and he kept wanting me or Trev to hold him and we told him no but he could sit down on Trev's feet. Well he did and 30 seconds later was completely out. This was the ride he wanted to go on all day and we waited until 5 and he was gone and we couldn't wake him up for anything. At least I got a picture of Trev laughig and trying to buckle up on a weird angle. What a good dad!

Grace in line for the Rockets.

Tyler go a hold of the camera.

Kids by Alice in Wonderland

On the Merry Go Round

Photo op with Goofy.

Waiting to find Zurg.

By 100 acre forest.

Lily is 5 weeks old today! Wow does time fly! She's doing great. Has been sleeping through the night and when she's awake she wants to eat. She is changing right before my very eyes and it kind of makes me sad that they have to grow up. Grace is absolutely in love with her and is a huge help! Andrew loves to adore her and makes sure to give her a kiss after family prayers and then heads off to bed. Tyler is so busy with homework, chores and playing and still asks me after school when he gets in the car how Lily was for me. I love my kids and love the relationships they have with each other. I am so grateful for them.

Tomorrow is me and Trev's 9 year anniversary! 9 YEARS! I can't believe it's already been that long and then again a lot of work and love has happened in those years. I love my husband, he is such a good man. I'll post some wedding photos and updated pictures of all the kids tomorrow.

To all of you who knew Cheryl she passed yesterday at 5:15. What a wonderful sister she was to all of us. Love you Gant family!

I'm dedicating this day to my friend Cheryl who is on her way out of this world. Cheryl has been such an inspiration through her long fight with Cancer. She is an amazing woman and has been able to serve others when she is the one whom should be served. Cheryl we love you and pray for you and your family to be at peace.

Lily Mae Nielsen

Announcing the arrival of

Lily Mae Nielsen

on March 9th 2010

7lbs 3 oz 20in

Happy Birthday Trev

Yesterday was Trev's birthday and he wanted it done old school. He hates his birthday because he hates attention from others. So the kids woke up and said their happy birthday's before he had to go to work and then after I picked up Grace and Andrew from school we took lunch to him and helped him at work. And by help I mean the kids played in the empty boxes from the new cabinets they were installing. Then we picked up Tyler and got homework done and I was in the kitchen for the rest of the night. Pork roast, mashed potatoes, gravy,cooked carrots, brownie ice cream cake, home made rolls and Shirley Temples. It was delicious but so much work for a week day meal. Just us and the kids and Nana came over later. It was a perfect day for him. He was a little disappointed I didn't have the baby on his birthday but I can't control these things.

Trev has had so much going on business wise and he has been working so hard and I know he does it all for our family. He is such a good dad and great husband. We love him so much! I wanted to post a picture of him but he never gets in the picture unless it's a whole family shot so use your imaginations.

20 Days couldn't come soon enough!

A rant of things I'm thinking of today...

So I have 20 days to go until this little one is due. After a long night of tossing and turning I was fine with getting up and sending kids back to school after a long weekend. Andrew and I headed to Jamba Juice to share a smoothie because I flat out felt like I deserved it today. Well the yummy drink lead to more tossing and turning inside my belly. I'm going to enjoy this while I can because I know it will all end soon enough. I am so excited to see who has been growing inside this belly and to see the kids as older siblings helping out. Last time I had a baby I had two other little ones that still needed a lot of attention. After going to the park today with Grace and Andrew and noticing that they were taking care of the other kids around them I was grateful that I don't have any stress surrounding this new arrival as far as how the others will react.

I only worry that I'm burdening others while I'm in the hospital and someone else will have to feed, bathe, dress, get homework done and do all pick up and drop offs that are part of my daily life. I know it will get done I just can't help but worry about it. I am so lucky to have so much family and friends who have volunteered to help during that time. My saint of a mother in law will also be coming after I have the baby which will be such a blessing.

The month of December.

December was a crazy month and here is an update with pictures

This is Tyler in his class when I went to help with Christmas around the world. Each class was a different country and I helped in Mexico where they learned about poinsettias and had nachos.

Tyler with his passport

Tyler in his winter performance

Before his performance looking all handsome

My brother Kevin came home from his mission on the 23rd and we got to welcome him home at the airport

Me, Shaun and the rest of the Peterson clan

Kev coming down the escalator

Andrew holding a sign would not let anyone stand in front of him he kept pushing people away, it was hilarious.

Grace and aunt Crystal, do they look related or what?

During Grace's Polar Express party in Kindergarten with Karlee Snow both sporting white bowed pigtails.

Enjoying their hot chocolate and waiting for their breakfast.

There were two classes put together and it was crazy but so much fun!

The conductor giving Grace her ticket, she was so excited!

The Lloyd family from our ward was in the Christmas parade and I needed to take their picture.

Trev and Grace before the run to the emergency room, listening to Trev's new ipod.

This is how cold it was in the morning, I do not belong in a cold environment like this.

It's hard to tell but Tyler made Grandma get an icicle off the house for him, it looks almost fake.

Grace and Mira playing with their new Furr Real pets.

I know these pictures aren't in order but oh well.
Tyler,Grace and Andrew on Christmas eve wearing their new PJ's

Andrew's first experience with snowboarding.

Andrew with his teacher Miss Tiffany on their party day.

Andrew during his Christmas performance, very proud of himself.

So it was a crazy month and I'm kind've glad it's all over even though we had a lot of fun. Now we're just gearing up for baby to come in March.