Sorry mom but you won't be getting any grandkids from me.

What? no grandchildren! that statement might alarm some BUT I welcomed the words as they tumbled out of my 10 year old's mouth. We had just finished an impromptu "birds and the bees" discussion and his conclusion..... SEX IS GROSS!!!!. Quinn had talked to Reece about "this stuff" prior but apparently Reece had a few clarifying questions. At first I panicked. I almost suggested we google it but then i remembered(or the spirit impressed upon my mind) some advice, given by a respected expert, on the matter. "Just give them the facts when it comes it to sex". With my anatomically correct terms in tow I had me a bonding moment with my son right out on the front lawn. At the conclusion of our "talk" Reece hesitently inquired, " so you and dad have done this"? I answered in the affirmative, reminding him of the 3 children in our family. He then remarked confidently, " oh so you have done it 3 times". The poor kid had already been through so much I thought it would be OK to let him believe that 3 was our magic number. He'll figure it out in time, hopefully after he has returned from a mission, graduated from college and married in the temple. :)

Kids say the darndest things

Just a few one liners that must be recorded and possibly used in the future as ammunition.
-Quincy, as she gazes up at me lovingly, " mom i just can't stop loving you"! - see I will have to pull that one out when she is 15 and I won't let her go to the homecoming dance.
-Reece- " I wish I was a NFL coach-they are so lucky to have the gatorade dumped on them at the end of the game if they win". -a reminder to me that he is ONLY 10 and still does see the world through the eyes of a child.
Trey- oh the potentially incriminating one liners that escape this child's lips are priceless. He is a character.

what did you just say?

Reece, upon entering the car after school, " i need to repent when i get home. i accidentally said the "F" word when I was tackled during football."
Today- I had my whitts about me (aka the companionship of the Holy Ghost). I knew there was no need to lecture him- he already knew the word he used was wrong and unacceptable. What i wanted to focus on more was the fact that his testimony of the atonement was taking root. He knew that he made a mistake and he also knew that he could repent of that mistake and make it right. I was honored that he was willing to expose his imperfections and share that story with me. I think that moment will go down in my books as a great one!

Inquiring minds want to know...

I forgot just how absorbent a 2, almost 3, year old mind could be. My days have been filled with conversations that go like this....
Trey- "mom is that worm dead"?
me-"yes"
Trey-"why"
me-"because the sun dried it all out"
Trey-"why"
Me-"look at those pretty flowers".
Trey-"why are they pretty? who made those flowers? why did they make those flowers".
Trey-"where is your peanut"? (aka penis)
Me-"i don't have a peanut. remember boys have peanuts"
Trey "why"
Me- "go find quincy and ask her".
Trey- "why?"
Trey-"mom where are you going"?
me-" to the bathroom"
Trey "why"
Me-" Seriously Trey go find Quincy"!
Trey-"where is dad"?
me- "he's at work"
Trey-"why"
me-"i don't know. go find Quincy and she can help you call him and you can ask him"!
SERIOUSLY!!!! Please note these are not seperate conversations brought together for this post. This is a sample of one conversation that Trey and I had over the span of 10 minutes which seemed to me like an HOUR!!!!!!

It's Back.....

Haircuts, going to bed @8:30 p.m., getting up @7:00 a.m. to read scriptures, fighting over what to eat for breakfast, wondering where all the clean clothes went, convincing everyone we must leave NOW or we'll be late! That's right school is in session. This year is especially exciting because Quincy started Kindergarten.

Reece and Quincy the night of "meet the teacher".

Quincy standing in line to go into her first day. That's her teacher waiving.

Trey isn't sure he is ready for Quincy to go. He handled it pretty well.

Quincy already hard at work.

After dropping Quincy off I poked my head into Reece's classroom window to give a waive. His teacher came out to see who all the kids were staring at. I apologized for the interruption and explained my presence. She laughed ( i think parents can get away with this behavior on the FIRST day of school)- Reece later told me that some of the kids asked him if the woman at the window was his mother to which he promptly replied he had no idea who I was. He redeemed himself later though because Quincy told me that when he saw her at recess he came over and gave her a hug. At least he's not denying the whole family- yet.

Wildhorse 2009

The Peterson's have been camping in the same place, every third week in July or 1st week in August for about 35 years. Wildhorse, in the Challis national forest, is where it's at for this family. I myself have been a part of this tradition for almost 16 years and I have learned a few helpful tidbits over time.

1. My limit is 3 days- without showers and outhouses for toilets I can't take much more-no matter how much fun i think i'm having.

2. Never hike with Suanne unless following the trail. I have hiked for the last 4 years with this mountain goat and staying on the designated trail is definately the way to go.

3. My kids will get dirtier than I ever imagined BUT they will have more fun than they ever imagined!

4. Bring lots and lots of gas- my kids will ride 4-wheelers and motorcycles all day and never tire.

5. Freezer meals work awesome for camp meals. So much easier.

6. Always bring extra bug spray.

7. Don't bother bringing a book- it's never going to happen.

8. Relax and ENJOY!

Reece, Shevy and Tristen (his cousins).

Trey and I on Cooper's bike.

Trey and Cooper- Trey can't contain his excitement.

Destry standing on top of one of the mountains they rode to.

The kids stayed by Quinn's side most of the time. Why? Because he is the fun parent.

Ready to ride?

Trey, Quincy and mom.

Dad and Quincy.

Trey insisted on roasting his own hotdog.
Camping is not my favorite activity. It costs a lot of money, takes a lot of work and it's dirty. However I can't deny the memories that my family has made over the years and I can wait for the many more to come.

Opposition in all things

Well our summer is officially over in three days. Reece enters 5th grade and Quincy starts kindergarten. It's comforting to know that their classrooms are actually right next to each other. Kindergarteners and 5th graders share a hall- who knew that 5 year age gap would come in so handy. Trey will be one sad little toddler losing his playmate, go to gal, story telling BFF for 3 hours of the day. He may just cry more than me. Which leads me to some stuff that has been on my mind.....as i was taking mental note of how messy my bathroom was the thought popped into mind- how could i ever appreciate a clean bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, kitchen,etc. if it never got messy. I even gain a greater appreciation for a clean body after each camping excursion. so maybe just maybe i shouldn't get so anxious and grumpy when things aren't exactly how i think they should be. I have to experience that ache in my heart and the fear that takes hold as I send my children out into the world to fully appreciate the joy and peace that accompanies them back into the safety of our home. I look forward to what the school year holds for my children and our family. My mind is in a tither right now. i wish i was more talented with translating my thoughts into words. One thing i do know for sure is that the gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ and Heavenly Father has a plan for me.